Trying To Tame An Evil Overlord

Yuan Xuelan ran ahead, fear gripping his heart as the horrific sight laid out in front of him. "s.h.i.+jie!" He cried desperately, remembering the promise for an apology yet to be made. But her face was not among the faces of those fallen in the hall. At first, he was relieved not being able to find her lifeless corpse but the relief was short-lived. Where could she have gone?

While Liu Sumeng wore an expression calmer, his heart was by no means peaceful. Anxiety was upon him as well, eyes searching for familiarity among the corpses. 

Only after checking twice, he could say with confidence, "She"s not here."

She was in fact not there. Yuan Xuelan caught sight of the flickering silver string. The spell was about to dissipate but he was able to follow the direction of its flowing brilliance before it finally disappeared for good.

It went down a dark hallway. Liu Sumeng"s eyes were still pointed downward as he stepped closer to Yuan Xuelan and noticed a set of b.l.o.o.d.y footprints that were about the floor. They were big, a man"s no doubt. Perhaps Chen Gaoyong who had come frantically in search of his daughter. Those footprints were trailing down the same hallway Yuan Xuelan was looking at.

"Let"s go," Yuan Xuelan"s voice was breathless, sharing the briefest of glances with the Ivory Sword Saint before das.h.i.+ng down the hall. 

Liu Sumeng was quick to follow him.

There was light down there. Chen Gaoyong"s study was just at the end where the low light s.h.i.+ned out upon a dark hall. Yuan Xuelan quickened his pace yelling, "s.h.i.+jie!"

But the Ivory Sword Saint yanked him back before he was able to round the corner and rush into the room. They heard it clearly, the sharp sound of a little bell. It"s sound echoing and piercing but only for the briefest of moments.

A bright light exploded at Yuan Xuelan"s feet. Smoke shot out like a viper, filling up the hall and their lungs in an instant. Tears p.r.i.c.ked Yuan Xuelan"s eyes, he brought his sleeve up a bit too late and began to cough. Liu Sumeng grunted at the sudden a.s.sault. But the Ivory Sword Saint was swift in his movements and brought up his hand and formed a quick set of hand seals to envelop them with a thin barrier.

Yuan Xuelan cursed loudly, sinking back into the safety of Liu Sumeng"s barrier. 

The smoke was sharp, not only in its sting but also its scent, like ginger. His wrist flinched, about to raise Silei and blast the smoke away in one terrible swoop with divine fire and lightning.

Long fingers gently covered his hand and Yuan Xuelan did not need any more incentive to stop his actions. He stood there obediently next to the Ivory Sword Saint without raising his sword.

"Conserve your strength," Sumeng"s gentle voice tickled the sh.e.l.l of his ear. 

Yuan Xuelan flushed a little and nodded. He took a deep breath, calming the chaotic state of his heart.

Liu Sumeng quieted after that, stilling even his breathing to focus on their surroundings. Their opponent was both quick and silent but they were no ghost. A subtle shuffle of air, the minutest of sounds. Liu Sumeng"s muscles snapped into action. Mingshui cut through the smoke.

A metallic clang.

The person who met his blow was powerful and easily pushed him back. 

Liu Sumeng caught the silver edge on a scimitar in the mist of smoke. His barrier was going to dissipate if he wrapped his second hand around his sword hilt but Liu Sumeng did just that. He held his breath and pursued the slightest tells; from the rustling of fabric to the density of the smoke around them.

With a flicker of his wrist, he met that scimitar edge again. Liu Sumeng quickly stepped forward. There was a terrible strength that pushed against him but he directed it aside by adjusting the balance in his hips and wrist.

The swordsman on the otherwise was matched in skill and wrestled with him by angling the scimitar up.

Liu Sumeng felt his wrist strain for the push but he refused to relent, only stepping forward to add pressure on his foe even as the smoke was thick around him, preventing him from breathing in properly.

But he could hear air being sliced through. Yuan Xuelan lunged at their unseen foe.

A twirl, Liu Sumeng was pushed off but he used the opportunity to blow away the smoke around them with a spell. Feet shuffled and stopped a few steps ahead of Yuan Xuelan, just covering the doorway of Chen Gaoyong.

The figure was tall, clearly a man this time with a scimitar in his hand. The silver bell ringed, but it only seemed to sound sometimes while remaining silent otherwise. A black b.u.t.terfly decorated his visage but there was no mistaking the face that hid behind it.

Liu Sumeng"s heart was heavy, a rare scowl of rage on his countenance. Mingshui was pointed in the Guanghai Elder"s direction. A part of him was not surprised but another part of him simply could not understand why.

Why?

But the question was too broad. Liu Sumeng also did not understand how. Or when. And what for?

He didn"t even know where to begin and just stood there saying nothing.

Yuan Xuelan hissed, disgust was plain on his face, "What happened at the northern gates!?"

There was a slight smile under the b.u.t.terfly mask, the voice that came out was not like the Guanghai Elder"s usual lazy and carefree tone, instead it was lyrical and soft but also sharp. 

"You already know the answer to that, Young Maser Yuan."

A dark part of Yuan Xuelan"s heart told him that the comrades he left behind were indeed already dead thanks to this evil man that stood before them. He cursed loudly, "You f.u.c.ker! You"ll pay for what you did!"

"If only karma was so simple," the b.u.t.terfly mask man answered with a sighing hum.

The Ivory Sword Saint no longer remained silent and took a step forward, "Why are you doing this?" He asked coldly.

His s.h.i.+zun gazed at from behind the mask, his pupils vacant and gray. He ignored Liu Sumeng"s question and asked instead, "Has there ever been a wish that weighed upon your heart so heavily? So vividly? Yet ever so out of reach. Beyond your power."

Yuan Xuelan hissed, "Shut up, you piece of s.h.i.+t!" Annoyed and not wanting to hear any more of some useless psycho"s monologue, he rushed forward with Silei, flames roaring around the blade.

Liu Langce parried him easily, stepping aside with little effort. "Tell me, Young Master Yuan, what is it you so desire the most, that you could never hope to have?"

"Get lost!" He twirled within a swirl of magnificent reds and oranges, fire licking at the narrow golden halls, bringing light. It didn"t even singe a single string of fabric on the Guanghai Elder"s clothes.

"Be careful," Liu Sumeng warned, "He"s no simple opponent."

The Guanghai Elder"s voice continued to tumble out of his mouth like a low melodic drawl, "Perhaps you wish to become the world"s most renowned craftsman. Or make sure your cute s.h.i.+jie never comes to harm from your own foolishness." 

Yuan Xuelan felt a gripping chill at every word, which only caused his movements to become more frantic.

"Or maybe you wish to have your organs back, so you might live without exhausting the life of that little phoenix who dwells within you."

Sparks flew as Silei clashed against the scimitar. The ringing bell was unusually loud and shook even the foundations of Yuan Xuelan"s soul. Sweat beaded upon his brow. 

Liu Langce"s voice was as calm as ever, smooth and unrelenting, "Oh, I understand. What you desire most isn"t any of those things. But if it"s the Ivory Sword Saint you wish you have under your grasps, that is something that I can give you." He leaned in close, brus.h.i.+ng Yuan Xuelan"s ear with a sickening hum, "I can even give you owners.h.i.+p of his mind, body and soul. That, after all, is what you truly want."

Yuan Xuelan felt sick, his eyes widened with fury, embarra.s.sment and white-hot rage. 

"Shut the f.u.c.k up! You don"t even know what--" He twirled around, pulses of divine fire shot out, but the Ivory Sword Saint was there when he was too slow to react to the scimitar"s edge coming for his neck.

"Leave him alone," Liu Sumeng bit out coldly, his eyes dark. Liu Langce"s strength was terrible but he did not care for his muscles straining, did not care if he had to suffer a cut just to step in close and aggressive.

"Chao," the Guanghai Elder"s voice singsonged, "And what is it that you desire most?" He parried Mingshui"s sharpened edge and danced around him on the b.a.l.l.s of his feet, seeming to disappear from Liu Sumeng"s sight and reappearing behind his back. "Perhaps you hope to save Young Master Yuan from his descent into madness. Or perhaps you want to change Lady Chen"s inevitable fate? Tell me, Chao, and I can fulfil those desires of yours."

The Ivory Sword Saint kept only a thin facade of calm, the echo of a ringing bell sounded in the marrow of his bones.

Yuan Xuelan was behind them and shook his head to regain his composure. The fog in his mind cleared if only a little. It had to. He wanted to help Sumeng. He wanted to jump into the fray. With a steadying breath, he held back the chaotic whirls that plague his thoughts.

Liu Sumeng did not need his protection. Even against this insane Guanghai Elder he could hold his own much longer than Yuan Xuelan could claim to.

What Liu Sumeng needed was Yuan Xuelan"s trust. 

Trust in his power, his strengths. Trust in his intentions, his thoughts. His feelings.

It was not easy but Yuan Xuelan felt that there was no other choice. So he held himself back from jumping into the fray, waiting patiently for just the right moment. Stopping himself from reacting when the scimitar cut into Liu Sumeng"s arm, he focused on gathering his power. 

Yuan Xuelan"s breathing slowed.

The Guanghai Elder"s chest tensed just slightly.

A b.e.s.t.i.a.l instinct took over Yuan Xuelan"s limbs. He snapped his arm and wrist up, a blitz of fire and lighting shot toward the Guanghai Elder and Liu Sumeng.