The Phoenix Reborn Book II

Chapter 94 Life and Death, Also His Vow

*Some time ago*

‘Sial! I can't dodge!’ yuanli cried out inwardly when he saw the three swords swinging towards him. ‘What ... will I die here?’

Yuanli's eyes did not close, he looked at the sword aimed at him from three directions. If indeed he would die right then, then he would face it like a warrior!

Suddenly, a blinding ray burst into Yuanli's sight. The girl was forced to close her eyes and try to block the painful rays with her hands. He could not see anything, but he heard so many moaning sounds from around him.

Before Yuanli regained his sight, a hand withdrew him. “From!” shouted the owner of the hand, divulging his identity as a woman.

The sound of the clanking of swords meeting the ground could be heard once Yuanli was pulled in one direction. Without looking, Yuanli was convinced that just a moment ago he was just a short distance from death.

Running with the woman's guidance, Yuanli's vision slowly returned. Meanwhile, his ears heard faint gasping breaths from the person before him. The mysterious woman's condition did not sound good.

“Don't let them escape!” shouted one of the enemy.

The woman who pulled Yuanli's hand clicked her tongue and said, “Sial!” The meaning was followed by the sound of footsteps of a number of people, no longer just three, signifying that the enemy was chasing them more and more.

As Yuanli's gaze returned completely, he saw that the woman before him was wearing a hooded black robe that covered his head. The mysterious figure also led him running in one direction that Yuanli recognized as a shortcut to the Crown Prince's residence. From his movements, it was obvious that the woman before Yuanli was familiar with the palace plan, and it was a suspicious thing.

The moment Yuanli's ears caught the sound of a sharp object darting towards him, he immediately intended to push the figure before him to duck. However, before she could take action, the woman had first taken a step to the side and nimbly avoided the enemy's attack.

‘He's a martial arts expert!’ pekik Yuanli, was a little surprised as he could not feel the slightest aura of martial experts from the female body in front of him.

Just when Yuanli and the foreign woman reached the courtyard of the Death Pool—the pool where many bodies of the people who had been removed—the figure's footsteps stopped. Yuanli raised his gaze forward, finding a group of soldiers with the insignia of the Tiaozhan—Hui King Force, Wang Chengliu— ready to head off.

“Stop there!” shouted one of the men with the appearance of a lieutenant general—Chenxiao.

Yuanli turned his head back and saw that Wang Chengliu's other subordinates had managed to catch up to them as well. ‘Sial, we are surrounded.’ Then, he said, “Nona, this is my problem. I'll distract you while you kab—” Not able to Yuanli finish his words when he realizes his body has been attracted by the woman who still holds his hand. “Ah?” His eyes rounded when he realized the woman was pulling him towards the pool.

Seeing the sudden movements of Yuanli and the hooded woman, Chenxiao was wide-eyed. “Don't let them run!”

Before Yuanli could react, he had first hit the water. The sound of a sharp object piercing through and splitting the water could be heard from several sides, forcing himself to open his eyes in the water, hoping to dodge the attack.

Opening his eyes under the water that was clearly unclean, Yuanli's eyes felt so poignant. However, his life was far more important than the temporary pain he felt.

Unfortunately, the darkness of the night did not help him to see anything in this old unkempt pond. However, he could hear the low moans as well as the sound of water ripples created as a result of someone being with him.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared before Yuanli, allowing him to clearly see the female who was helping him. Bright brown eyes that are slightly red due to reflected light, also the same colored hair that wavy in the water like a shawl that flew in the wind. The female appearance before Yuanli was so hypnotic.

The woman's wiggly fingers stretched out to grab Yuanli's free-floating hand. Then, his pale lips opened, muttering a word, “Lianhua .. Yuan.”

The next second, Yuanli felt the world spinning. A dizzy attack struck his head, making him close his eyes.

As he felt himself hitting the hard base, Yuanli bellowed with pain before finally coughing. ‘Wait, I can breathe?’ She opened her eyes, and only then did the servant girl realize that she had been on a dry plain, precisely in a small alley that looked familiar to her. ‘This is Lianhua Yuan area!’ Yuanli blinked his eyes a few times. ‘What's—?!’ he was speechless, shocked by the miracle that was presented.

The shock Yuanli felt did not last long as a hand touched his arm, turning his attention to the figure lying on the ground. With the help of moonlight, Yuanli swept his glance at the mysterious woman. It was then that Yuanli realized that a dagger was resting on the waist of his savior.

‘He's hurt!’ pekik Yuanli in heart. “Hold!” he said while helping the woman in front of him to sit down. Then, being very careful not to injure the figure, Yuanli carried him.

With a gasping breath and a pale face, the woman said in a weak voice, “Bawa me .. meet Huang Miaoling.”

***

The girl opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling that looked foreign to her. ‘This ... where?’ a typical question of someone just regaining consciousness.

“Ah! You're sober!” shouted someone in a high tone, a woman.

The girl's bright brown bead glanced to the right, capturing the whereabouts of a figure she didn't recognize. However, when looking at the clothes the figure was wearing, the girl frowned. ‘I ... still alive?’

Without much ado, the woman who had just shouted out in spirit ran outside the room. “Yuanli, Mudan, that person is already conscious!” Then, the shout was followed with a nervous voice, “A-ah! S-greetings to Junzhu!”

Hearing this, the temple girl in the room twitched. ‘Jun .. zhu?’ he wondered, was the person called “Junzhu” the one he had in mind right now?

Before long, there were footsteps of a number of people approaching the room. This made the girl's chocolate bead diverted towards the door. When her gaze met with a dark bead of night that she would never forget, the girl tried to raise her hand.

“Ah ...,” the girl had a little trouble getting the words out.

“Miaoling,” call Lan’er with raucous voice. Then, he smiled, “Or ... Which’er?”

Hearing that joke, Huang Miaoling could not help but smile and snort, “It's like this and you can still joke?”

Lan’er ignored Huang Miaoling's reprimand, then turned his gaze to the two people standing behind Mingwei Junzhu. As her gaze landed on Yuanli's figure, the girl said, “I ... owe you a life.”

Yuanli flinched with Lan’er who suddenly spoke to him. However, he quickly controlled his emotions. With one hand clutching the other fist, he saluted Lan’er, “Instead, I owe you my life, Miss.”

Could hear Lan’er's breath being slightly heavy, the smile on Huang Miaoling's face did not last long. “Rest first, you don't look good,” he said with an anxious face.

Although Huang Miaoling's words were not wrong, but Lan’er had an important thing he had to say. “Wait, Miaoling, you have to—!"

Lan’er's words came to a halt and her expression turned frowning, as if her body was being attacked by a great pain. Suddenly, Lan’er brushed aside Huang Miaoling's hand, leaving everyone a little surprised and confused by the girl's actions.

“Ugh!” the bellowing that voiced the suffering was accompanied by lightning sparks that surrounded Lan’er's body.

“Lan’er!” shouted Huang Miaoling who was confused by what happened.

Huang Miaoling recalled that this was the same thing as it had been in the past, when Lan’er was trying to read his destiny. No, the lightning spark of that time was small, whereas this one was much fiercer!

At first glance, the image of Lu Si tearing up a page of a book flashed through Huang Miaoling's mind, a book that the woman remembered Lan’er always took with him wherever he went. With those thoughts in mind, Huang Miaoling immediately asked Yuanli and Mudan, “Did he bring anything? A book? Whatever it is!” he cried out in panic, but the two subordinates just shook their heads quickly, there was nothing Lan’er had brought except himself.

Seeing this, a look of despair enveloped Huang Miaoling's face. He could only stare at Lan’er who groaned in pain on the bed.

“Lan’er! What should I do?!” shouted Huang Miaoling. Not getting a reply, he tried to touch Lan’er.

“Do not!” shouted Lan’er. In between the torment he was receiving, Lan’er forced himself to distance himself from Huang Miaoling. “Nothing ... that you can do.” Blood dropped down the side of her lips, but the girl again raised her voice, “This .. destiny punishment.”

Hearing Lan’er's words, Huang Miaoling was flabbergasted, as were Yuanli and Mudan. There was nothing they could do but stare at the terrifying sight before them.

‘This is called ... lightning heaven?’ huang Miaoling.

According to legend, a human who attempted to cultivate into a god would be punished for going against the fate line. Is that punishment that Lan’er is going through? So, Lan’er really is a goddess?

No matter what it was, what Huang Miaoling felt right now was anger, sadness, and also fear. Previously, the woman thought that the thing that was able to make her tormented .. was betrayal. However, he only found out that there was one other thing capable of making himself suffer more;

Inability.

After some time passed, the lightning that trapped Lan’er in torment disappeared without a trace. On the body and face of the girl, there were only scars and expressions of pain left.

“Hah .. hah .. hah ...,” breath Lan’er sounds heavy, and he looks so weak.

Seeing the situation return to normal, Huang Miaoling immediately approached Lan’er. He touched Lan’er's hand, trying to check her pulse. ‘This is bad ...,’ Inner Huang Miaoling. He turned his attention to Mudan, “Mudan, call the Physician B—”

“Stop,” Lan’er greeting makes Huang Miaoling turn his head. “My time is not much, and a healer, even if he is a god healer, will not be able to change my destiny.”

The expression on Huang Miaoling's face looked sad. After all, Lan’er was the one who had once saved his life. Lan’er's words earlier seemed to hint that in this life, Huang Miaoling would never be able to return the favor.

Who would have thought that Lan’er's next remark would be so shocking?

“Miaoling, you must kill Wang Chengliu.” Lan’er's hand tightly clasped Mingwei Junzhu's hand, sending everyone in the room wide open. “She can no longer be .. saved,” the girl coughed, and for the sake of not making the woman before her worried, by being forced to Lan’er swallow back the blood that had been pushed out, which was forced, “just madness left in his heart.”

Huang Miaoling's brows were linked, surprised by Lan’er's remark that was very off topic. Although aware that to end the chaos he had to end the man's life, but hearing someone ask him to do it bluntly made Huang Miaoling feel strange.

“Why ... do you want me to kill him?” huang Miaoling asked with furrowed brows, he had even thought that Lan’er was Wang Chengliu's ally. In addition, there is one more thing that makes him curious, “Who is he to you?”

Lan’er was silent for a moment, closing his eyes for a moment. Then, he looked at his interlocutor sharply. “Dia ... is someone who is bound by my life and death,” the remark made Huang Miaoling put on a shocked expression. “Only by killing him .. then can I redeem my oath.”

“Your oath?” The frown on Huang Miaoling's forehead looked even deeper.

Lan’er's heart skipped a beat, knowing that actually saying this would harm someone. But he has to say it. “My oath is ... to give you .. a happy ending.”

___

A/S: ...