Previously the three desperate Qing sisters decided to end their lives to escape from their fate of becoming gifts to the emperor of Qiong Yue. To Qing Feng, the second sibling, death was a better option than ending up as p.a.w.ns of their incompetent king! Did they succeed? Were they really able to reunite with their dead parents? Let’s read on and be mystified with the unusual circ.u.mstances surrounding their “deaths”.
Prologue: b.l.o.o.d.y trigram disk, Part 3 of 3
The soldiers who were escorting the Qing family sisters to Qiong Yue were resting in the main hall of the dilapidated temple, noticed the rain was beginning to stop, suddenly the rain gained momentum and poured heavily again, lightning and thunder increasingly became intense, as if crushing the already tottering ruined temple.
A young soldier withdrew and stretched his neck. Now it’s still spring, he has already seen so much, nevertheless he also has not experienced during spring in the whole land such a heavy rain! Voluntarily he took a quick look at the side hall of the temple where the Qing sisters were left to themselves, the scene he saw scared him half to death, under the white light of lightning flashes, three vertical shadows were dangling in the air, clothes sleeves fluttering! Shrieking strangely, the young soldier ran frantically to escape, stumbled and fell in front of Li Xu, crying out in alarm: “Ghosts! … There were ghosts!”
“What!” Li Xu was startled, looking along the young soldier’s line of vision, the sight of three hovering shadows shocked him so much he broke out in cold sweat! The Qing family sisters hanged themselves up! Li Xu quickly got up and kicked the side door of the temple, he saw red clothes everywhere, and three pairs of bright red embroidered shoes dangling in front, the frightened Li Xu took a step back, frantically shouted: “Hurry up! Quickly, quickly get them down!”
The group of soldiers were running around in circles, and finally were able to bring down the three women, three bodies whose complexion have already turned black, both eyes tightly closed.
Li Xu staring at Qing Mo on his left side, anxiously asked: “How is she?”
The young soldier felt carefully with his hand for Qing Mo’s breath and replied: “… She’s dead.”
Li Xu shuddered, pointing his hand to Qing Feng, urgently said: “This … this one?”
After probing for signs of breathing he took back his hand, watching Senior Brother Li’s pale face, he got scared and did not dare answer, he just gently shook his head.
All dead?! Li Xu in cold sweat bravely straightened out his back, these Qing family sisters were chosen by the emperor of Qiong Yue himself as tribute candidates, now all at once they died this way! How could he live! Perhaps the country of Hao Yue is doomed!
Li Xu was in his moments of desperation, suddenly the young soldier cried out: “Senior Brother, the Qing family eldest daughter is still breathing!” Although very faint, but definitely she’s still alive.
“Really? Great! Get her on a fast carriage, quickly ask a doctor to treat her!”
Finally there is one alive. Li Xu commanded the soldiers, helter-skelter took hold of the bridal dress and draped over Qing Ling’s body, completely forgetting to mind the other two dead bodies on the ground.
Outside the ruined temple a peal of thunder can be heard, dazzling white light like sharp swords, the corpses on the ground looked even more alone and poor, the young soldier was frightened, but he cannot bear to look at the two pitiful dead women, picked up on the ground the bridal dresses and carefully covered their bodies. Just when he wanted to get up to leave, different from lightning a red light flashed past, two people on the ground who were no longer breathing suddenly opened their eyes …
“Ah …” His scream resounded through the ruined temple! Li Xu who was outside the main hall came impatiently, expelled his breath, said: “You again hollering, what now?!”
“She … they …” This time, the young soldier is speechless, he just distressedly crawled out of the temple side hall.
Two corpses of women scared and turned him into this way? Li Xu started to suspect, he entered the side hall again, he discovered the two women who just a moment ago were still and motionless, their chests miraculously are faintly moving up and down, although their eyes are still tightly shut, their faces are not as blue and dark as before!
“It’s Heaven’s blessing, heaven’s blessing ah!” Li Xu is in ecstasy, they didn’t die! His life is at last saved! “Come, come, take them away!”
Rolling towards Qiong Yue where an uncertain fate awaits each of the Qing sisters (photo taken from kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com)
Rolling towards Qiong Yue where an uncertain fate awaits each of the Qing sisters
(photo taken from kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com)
Amidst wind and rain, the soldiers carried the two women out of the temple, went to the carriage where Qing Ling was, Li Xu suddenly exclaimed: “Wait.”
These three persons were disfigured and tried to commit suicide, this time they didn’t die, but it’s hard to tell what they’ll come up next! From here to Qiong Yue, is more than ten days travel too! In his heart Li Xu was planning, keeping his voice down he said: “Put them separately, alone in each carriage, also they must not be allowed to meet again, their drinking water will be mixed with intoxicating drug, be sure to take them alive to the Qiong Yue country!”
“Yes.” The three were immediately crammed inside three carriages, before arriving Qiong Yue, they will have no opportunity to meet, but also no chance to run away from the carriages.
Qing sisters, do not blame me, blame yourselves, who let you look devastatingly beautiful, who let your talents be pa.s.sionately compelling, who let you be famous in six countries. Qiong Yue country singled you out and demanded you to be their wives, not to mention your faces are disfigured, even to die, you too must die in Qiong Yue, your fates are inexorable!