Rebirth Of A Villainess - Chapter 151

That night of the banquet, Cheng Yueming received a letter that was signed with a rabbit. His heart began to beat when he saw the diagram of a rabbit. This was the way his junior sect sister used to communicate with him when they were apart from each other.

“It can’t be! Sister Xu is no longer in this world! I saw her buried with my own eyes!”

The leader of the WuYangChen sect shook his head in disbelief, not wanting to accept that the sister he buried was indeed alive.

“Where is this person?! WH-WHO SENT THIS!”

Cheng Yueming’s voice shook as he initially spoke weakly before he roared in rage at one of his men that accompanied him secretly to the banquet hosted by GuBaiJin sect.

“Forgive this ignorant servant! Sect Leader Chen! I did not see her face; it was covered by a cloak!”

The man threw himself on the floor as he begged his sect leader to show him mercy for an oversight, his body trembled with dread knowing that he had committed an unpardonable sin against the most powerful man from his sect.

Chen Yueming’s swallowed rapidly, his hand squeezed the paper in a tight fist while trying to suppress the fear and rage within him. Pale faced his jade skin lost their vibrant color amid the dilemma that crept upon him.

“Did anyone see you when she handed you the letter?!”

“No one….sect leader….no one…”

“You are dismissed!”

Not waiting to be told another time, the frightened cultivator ran out without a second look at his sect leader.

“Sister Xu, so you are back and alive at that. Why couldn’t you stay dead?! You keep tormenting me even up to this very moment! I did you a favor by sending you off early and yet you cannot see that I have your good at heart! You really think I will let you be?!”

Chen Yueming’s eyes darkened, wheels began to turn in the head as he thought of how to tackle the woman that he both hate and loved, an obsession that he could not rid himself from.

“Very well, SISTER XU! Let’s end it!”

Staring into the flames from the burning candle, Chen Yueming prepared himself mentally for the confrontation that laid ahead.

Xu Hui snuck out of her room which was guarded by men from the GuBaiJin sect to the place of the arranged meeting with her former senior sect brother, Feng Yueming. Hiding her face under a black cloak, the maiden Li Jiao hastily walked the grounds of the GuBaiJin sect that led into the cold garden, a place abandoned by cultivators from the GuBaiJin sect.

Li Jiao as Xu Hui had once paid a visit with her sect brother before BaoXu sect was mysteriously annihilated. Knowing that there would be no one at that time of the day walking in such a eerie place, Xu Hui made the decision to set the meeting with Chen Yueming, unknown to the loyal senior cultivator, Fu Zian who had followed her to attend the banquet hosted by GuBaiJin sect. Waiting in the dark, Xu Hui readied herself to put an end to their ill-fated relationship.

The sound of feet hitting dirt could be heard as the sect leader of WuYangChen walked leisurely into the garden to meet Xu Hui.

“Sister Xui?”

Chen Yueming tentatively called out to the person he took to be his junior sect sister.

“Brother Feng? Is that really you?”

Xu Hui’s voice became that of a shy maiden as she pulled back the cloak hiding her face to reveal herself to her sect brother.

“Y-You look different…How…can this be? Maiden Li is my junior sister?”

Chen Yueming’s voice trailed off when he saw that the face was not that of his beloved junior sect sister, it was another. Although they met briefly and she was introduced as Sect Leader Li Guoliang’s daughter, Chen Yueming faintly doubted that Li Jiao was Xu Hui even when there were things that she did which reminded him of the times he spent with his junior sect sister.

“Brother Feng…I don’t want you to feel guilt anymore. I called you to say just that.”

“What do you mean? I killed you! Why are you letting me off easily?”

Chen Yueming had a look of incredulity, he saw that the maiden that stood in front of him bore no guile, instead she smiled sweetly at him as though putting the past behind and extending a hand to embrace the future together.

“You must have suffered a lot; I do not want to bring you anymore suffering.”

“I heard you! That night! I heard you with my two ears when you promised revenge! How can I take your word when you looked at me coldly as you died!”

Chen Yueming’s eyes wavered as he looked at Xu Hui, the woman who stood in front of him no longer appealed to him anymore since she did not resemble his junior sect sister whom he was once close to.

“Brother Feng, how can I make you believe me? I chose this place because there are so many eyes around and I didn’t want any bad rumor to spread about you and me. Please, believe me when I say that I have forgiven you wholeheartedly.”

“You have?”

Chen Yueming relaxed his guard as he heard the conviction in the tone of Li Jiao, his heart that was burdened began to feel light like air and a smile of great relief settled on his lips.

“Brother Feng, is it okay for us to hold hands like we used to?”

During her lifetime as Xu Hui, she and Feng Yueming would hold hands when no one was around as they played together like little children. With him, Xu Hui felt relaxed when around the company of Feng Yueming enough for them to break the social rules in place.

For a second, Chen Yueming wavered at the suggestion from maiden Li Jiao but gave in, he saw her cover the distance between them to hold his hand. Before he knew it, she was crying as she threw herself in his arms.

“Brother Feng, I’m sorry for being oblivious to how you felt about me!”

The action shook Chen Yueming who froze like a statue when he saw that Xu Hui had become an emotional wreck in his arms, meanwhile Xu Hui clamped so hard on her inner cheek such that it tore off a chunk of flesh. With her mouth containing blood, Xu Hui pulled back from Chen Yueming and spat in his face.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!!”

Disgusted and anger at how undignified Xu Hui was acting, Chen Yueming drew out a sword his sword to face off with his junior sect sister, as he wiped clean the stain of blood on his jade skin with the sleeves of his robe.

Unknown to Chen Yueming, he was playing right into the trap she had set for him, her blood which was poisonous from the blood flail technique made more potent by choosing to use her life-source. An invisible circle formed when Chen Yueming stood with his aura shielding his body from any hidden attacks.

“Brother Feng, why don’t you give up? You know that you will not be walking out of here alive.”

In a deceptively calm voice, Xu Hui spoke to Chen Yueming who was bristling in rage, the hand that held the sword shook from the dark fury that had overtaken him.

“You are no match for me!”

“I never said I was, or did I?”

A merciless laugh escaped out of Xu Hui, her eyes, which were once innocent, became cold and hard. There was a somewhat predatoriness to them.

Chen Yueming now had blood on robe or so he thought, the miniscule of blood had found their way through his skin and were feeding off his spiritual energy, causing it to leak outside at an accelerated rate. The huge force of spiritual energy spilling out created a disturbance in the air, causing the grounds. This didn’t go unnoticed and no longer after voices could be heard as people rushed out from various courtyards to see the source of the unsettling feeling in the air.

“YOU!”

Chen Yueming’s knee gave way, and he began to cough dark red blood on the ground, gasping for air as he did. Blood leaked from his nose and eyes as he stared at the woman who looked down at him with dead eyes.

“With this, we are even.”

Inside of Chen Yueming was beginning to liquify, the poison was eating at him, draining his life-source. He could feel his eyes starting to blur and had to shake his head to clear of the dizziness.

“Yo-You’ve….had your…revenge….are…you….satisfied?”

As Chen Yueming spoke, he was buying time to do what he had planned for Xu Hui, who turned her back to him as she said, “It does not matter whether I am happy or not. So long I rid the world of you, that is more than enough for me.”

Xu Hui tried to control the trembling in her body, she knew that her time was fast approaching, with the combination of the forbidden technique and life-source, there was no way that she could leave in one piece. Taking one step, two and a third, Xu Hui collapsed on the ground and began coughing blood in rapid succession.

——————————————–

“Did you hear that Fan Qingshan is getting married!”

Less than three days since the Spirit Master announced that he was going to wed, the news had spread to the cultivation world, like the wind it was uncontrollable, moving of its own accord.

Big names and nameless cultivators from various sects gathered to talk about the impending marriage, as though they were discussing a matter of great importance, not that a union of two strangers wasn’t that important, but putting aside their duties to gossip was something else all together.

“Fan Qingshan is getting married?! Didn’t he say that he wanted to fully devote his life to ascending godhood! What could have made him change his mind?!”

“Who knows, I heard his young disciple went into seclusion after the news broke out. Wouldn’t one think that he should be out there giving out congratulatory greeting, instead of locking himself away in the name of cultivating?”

“So you also think it strange too, that he chose such a time to go into seclusion?”

“You can never count on master-disciple relationship going smoothly anymore. See! What do you call that if not jealousy?”

“I heard those two were inseparable, whenever you find one, you will surely find the other. So sad to see such a relationship breakdown so easily.”

“Fan Qingshan solely asked for him and no other to be his disciple, when many fought to be taught by him. What a shame!”

“What else can we say, when one has a bad heart, it is bound to show, sooner or later!”

“Let’s hope that he comes out more sensible and uphold the path of righteousness.”

“Hmm..we have to wait till that time. What a pity! I bet Fan Qingshan will be so disappointed not to see him there.”

“Well, what else can he do? Drag Han Hulin from seclusion?! That will only make him a laughing stock. Tongues would wag at such a disgraceful display!”

By this time the discussion was beginning to die down, but the incident still remained in the minds of many. As some speculated that what led to it was merely a fall out between master and disciple, others thought it was probably because Han Hulin was unaware of Fan Qingshan’s wedding and chose that time to cultivate in seclusion. It was a question that could not be answered, they all thought that the relationship between the two was rock solid and nothing was ever going to shake the bond between them. It was unheard of, for a disciple of that nature not to show up at such an important ceremony of his master.

Cultivating in secret was not the problem, but being inflexible was what the ignorant ones among the cultivation clans spoke of, even after the ceremony was done and over.

Many years passed after this, there was barely any mention of the unseemly way of Han Hulin, the incident was almost totally forgotten, except for the occasion mention here and there and the record of it in the sect’s library.

————————–

Seven Years later…

Han Hulin could hear a voice in the background, it sounded like those of a little child and, as he struggled to get up from where he laid on the bed of moist grass.

“Father! Who is that man over there?”

After he came out from his self-imposed seclusion, Han Hulin hadn’t seen anyone since he got out. He still maintained residence in Fan Qingshan’s courtyard which was far off from the rest of the other sects courtyard. His head was spinning from the oncoming voice that belonged to those of a child, as ears raised in attention.

“Rou’er! Don’t disturb the man, he is fast asleep. Come with me.”

The little girl dressing in a pink robe, looked at her father with an innocent look in her eyes, as she did what was asked of her, raising her hand to hold onto her father’s firm hand.

“Yes Father!”

The two walked hand in hand, leaving Han Hulin where he was on the soft green grass, looking for the world as one that was in a peaceful sleep. His dark lashes cast a gentle shadow over his jade fair skin.

The cloud was exceptionally bight with sound of chirping birds, that perched from one tree to the other, their bright colored feathers of yellow and pink short peaks from a tiny rounded body that held glittering dark orbs in their socket. Tiny dark pink talons gripped onto the branches of the trees where they perched on.

The wind blew gently around, creating a peaceful ambience. From where he laid with his eyes closed, Han Hulin could tell who the voice belonged to, it was none other than his master Fan Qingshan!

Stretched out with eyes closed, as his hand lay on both side of his body in the “usual” sleeping position that had been molded into him, right from the time he had been under the wings of his master. As though he was still asleep, Han Hulin strove to control his breathing so as not to give himself away that he was awake.

“I can’t believe it is Fan Qingshan himself!”

“Who was that little girl?”

“Is she his child?”

“Come to think of it, we haven’t crossed path in seven years!”

“To think we would meet like this, is really the work of fate.”

“Did he come to see me after such a long time?”

All of this kept going through the mind of Han Hulin, when he saw he no longer heard the sound of their feet anymore, he rolled to his side, still pondering on the reason for his master’s visit. His mind took a quick shift, as he thought on if he had kept the place tidy enough for Fan Qingshan, when it came to cleaning and keeping everywhere tidy, he left it to his junior disciple to take of it. No matter how much Han Hulin begged to have a servant or two do the clean up like what other masters provided their junior disciples, Fan Qingshan adamantly refused to allowed such practice, believing that it will make the body lazy and the mind dull. Therefore, Han Hulin had no other choice but to be the only junior disciple that cleaned the Hall of Solitude.

He couldn’t bear to look at himself in the mirror, as his appearance would be considered unsightly to his master, who prided himself on the teachings of austerity, clarity and all forms of virtue. Han Hulin could not remember the last time he had taken a dip to cleanse his body, or washed his hair. Inwardly cringing at what Fan Qingshan would say on knowing the state he was living in, he wanted to continue pretending to be asleep, until a familiar voice came through, loud and clear.

“Han Hulin! Get up right now! I know you weren’t sleep! I’m ashamed to let Ruo’er know that you were once my disciple!”

If the ground could open, Han Hulin wanted to jump right into it and never come out, he didn’t hear the oncoming footsteps of his master. Things couldn’t get any worse than this, as Han Hulin squared his shoulders in anticipation of the harsh rebuke he knew was coming his way.

Han Hulin wanted to run and hide from Fan Qingshan, even though he could not see what his face looked like, he guessed splashes of bright pink would be competing with his usual jade skin.