LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

Why is this happening?

If the portals are gone, she won"t be able to access the Medicine Garden of the Heavenly Emperor.

That"s when it hit her. While this would benefit the human realm now and in the future but she would be at a disadvantage. Till now she"d been greatly used to the comforts provided by the G.o.ds and it would be hard from now on.

But what needs to be done must be done!

And right now, he is the one who is in a bind. He knew it, didn"t he? Yet he made this decision.

Xing sat beside him and her eyes widened as she felt the hilt of her sword in her hands and the blade was pressed over her Master"s heart.

"What...", she couldn"t even continue as her throat closed.

"Promise", he said between a grunt. He could feel his soul getting ripped out of his body yet he held back.

"Did you forget la.s.s? You made him promise that he should only die in your hands?", Bai Li reminded her and Xing staggered back.

"NO!!!", she screamed and her painful scream echoed in the mountains. But her hands were still gripped hard by the dying man in front of her. She felt a familiar hand holding her back and she turned to see Chenglei trying to comfort her.

Xing felt like a kite with it"s string cut at the moment - lost and hopeless. Her ancestor who is responsible for her existence is asking her to kill him. It was him who made her who she is now, partly, by teaching her the sword techniques that gave her the confidence to get through life.

She was already not in a good mood previously as she was depressed by the way Chenglei"s treating her and this stress added to her depression making her unable to concentrate.

"Master Yuan! Can"t you let me take back my promise," she begged, holding his leg with her other hand. Her other hand was tightly clasped within his hand holding the divine sword.

When she made him promise her, she didn"t realise the seriousness as she did it out of love for him and she wanted him to live. She actually thought this day won"t come and he"d outlive her.

"No", even though Master Yuan cannot hide his pain and discomfort, his amber eyes focusing in her had that imposing aura of the greatest commander of the troops and the greatest Emperor who never takes a refusal.

"Oh", Xing knew she couldn"t wiggle out of this.

Her heart broke to pieces. She made that promise because she didn"t want him to go and die after pa.s.sing in everything to her. He is the only one left from her mother"s side.

And here he is.... Doing some other thing and lying in front of me half-dead, with my hands tied by the promise. I have no other way, right?

His soul is hurt by the energy he used to close all the portals and by the look of it, those who escaped the netherworld were sent back too. No human medicine will help him and since my mother"s death, he is already like a normal mortal. He was cursed to see the death of his nine generations and he did.

And now, there is no possibility of him to live longer and only an agonising death is awaiting him. Me killing him would be a mercy to him.

I must do it!

"JiaXing", Chenglei could sense her stiff shoulder and he could sense her distress and he called her gently in a soothing voice, "You don"t have to if you don"t want to"

For Xing who was already in a messy emotional state, Chenglei"s soft voice seemed to be oppressing her.

"Get your hands off me!", she seethed, "If only you didn"t hit the back of my head making me faint, this..."

"Not me", Chenglei who didn"t expect her hurtful eyes looking at him with hate, tried to explain hurriedly.

"Liar", she pushed him away. How could he blatantly lie? Even now he is stopping me from keeping my promise. He stopped me from helping Yukiko. He stopped me from even leaving the Manor.

Why is he trying to act considerate towards me now?

"It was me.", Master Yuan spoke gripping her hand hard. He didn"t realise he would cause misunderstanding between the couple.

"Oh?", she sneered. She didn"t believe her master even. "He used to do this to me before and now I should believe it was you? Alright then", she said mockingly.

Her eyes reddened and tears started dripping from her eyes.

"I should sink this sword into your heart, right? Alright, I"ll do it. I"ll keep my word", she said as her hands holding the sword trembled.

She hardened her heart and tried to plunge the sword deeper but she really couldn"t.

" You don"t have to", Chenglei"s voice shook as he could sense her distress.

And when have I ever made her unconscious before? What is she saying?

"I have to", she gritted her teeth and spouted.

Sensing her inability to do it, Bai Li offered to help but the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor glared at him to step back. Chenglei took a step back seeing her hate-filled eyes wondering what he should do.

"My child", Master Yuan"s hand was placed on her cheek.

"Lu Shusai", he gave a dry smile, "My name", he coughed and she was sniffing her running nose. She once asked him his name and he didn"t remember and he is telling this now? .

"Happiness all his life" isn"t that what his name means? Was he though?

" You should name your firstborn son after me", he held his breath and spoke as another coughing fit ensued followed by gus.h.i.+ng blood from his mouth.

Even then his grip on her hand over his heart wasn"t relinquished.

Heh! Like I could get pregnant! I don"t even have a husband. My husband hates me.

"I"m proud of you and everything you"ve done. I"m happy that I did everything I did, good and bad. It"s what helped me meet you, after all. My child, you"ve held on pretty good till now. In the future learnt to be happy. Don"t let little things stand in between you and your happiness and... I"m glad I get to die in your hands. I, the imbecile I am, made you hold the sword and I am happy to die with it and so you don"t have to feel guilty", he had a gentle smile as he meant every word he said and he didn"t cough anymore and took a deep breath mumbling something as if he is gathering the last strength he had and pushed her hand holding the sword as it sank into his chest.

" Burn me.... Bury my.... ashes with, my Meili", he said as he couldn"t grip her hand any further and Xing unable to bear to see the pain in his face, gritted her teeth and thrust the sword deeper.

"Rest well, Lu Shusai! Be free of all the worries of this world. May you have a good after life".

Xing mumbled and her sword penetrated deeper and blood gushed out of the cut. Through the sword she could feel the last beat of his heart and then there was none...

Xing"s eyes were filled with tears but she didn"t even blink and with a flick of her hand, her Master started to burn and the strength of the Fire was so high that he turned to ashes within a minute.

And so the Greatest Emperor of the kingdom who once captured and separated the kingdom died in the hands of his tenth generation descendant with no regrets.

Xing carefully picked the ashes and kept them safe in an urn, Bai Li already had.

"So he planned for everything?", Xing asked Bai Li and he ruffled her hair.

"Don"t take it to heart la.s.s. He is like you in most ways. He does what he does", he took a deep breath, "And... "

"Good bye, then. Bai Li. I am really thankful for you", she smiled yet her voice shook. She knew what he was about to say.

"I"ll come here often, la.s.s. I"ll watch over you", he said and his red eyes were slightly misty.

He might be able to see her but she cannot. She knows it and that"s why she is saying her goodbye.

After nodding at Chenglei, he disappeared. As the king of the demons he has unlimited access to the portal but there are new rules to be followed.

After everyone left,Xing slumped down on the floor on her knees, dejected.

Chenglei who was by her side tried to touch her only to be met with her glare.

"Do you need any help? Are we returning back to the capital city?", he asked as he didn"t know what else to say. He could see she was broken to bits.

What should he tell her to comfort her when she herself killed her ancestor?

"No", she replied bluntly.

He couldn"t bear her indifference. And he sat by her side but the moment he sat down, she stood up and started to walk away.

Chenglei"s heart filled with fear.

He felt like if he let her go now, he might not be able to see her again. She didn"t seem like the one who ran around awkwardly around her home the previous day. She looked lie she had reached a decision.

She is going to leave me, right? I will stop you!