His Love

His Fateful Decision

In horror, Bai Qians eyes lowered to the energy belt tightly keeping her in place while the man she finally realized she loved more than anything, rose into the air to meet a nemesis she felt she should have been fighting.

Qing Cang had freed himself from the Bell Of East Emperor and the world had been thrust into a war with almost no warning. Only that morning, she had been in the den crying and losing herself to the wine because of Ye Hua. Her trial had come back to her and though she understood why he had done what he did, she was furious that he had re-entered her life under false pretenses with the hope of rekindling something she had been unaware of. In her mind, all she had seen was arrogance and deceit. The way he had rushed back into her life as if nothing had happened, and like a fool she had not even questioned his motives which she knew she should have done.

After all, one does not just allow a strange man into her home the day after meeting him and allow his son to call her mother. It was highly suspicious and if anything, she felt embarrassed that she hadn't thought to wonder why. Only now, none of that mattered anymore, because Ye Hua was in the sky above her head and battling a man she deemed hers to worry about. After all, it had been her that had sealed him becaue her Shifu had trusted her enough to keep the world safe.

Her Shifu.... she thought to herself as she watched that mighty halberd crash down onto Ye Huas sword. Her shifus body had been moved to Kunlun Mountain only a week before. His soul had scattered in order to seal Qing Cang and for seventy thousand years both men were considered dead. Only Qing Cang was back and her Shifu had yet to wake from the longest slumber ever recorded.

Zhe Yan had moved his body to Kunlun Mountain in the hope that he would awaken. His soul pieces had been gathered and with the help of the soul lamp and fungal grass which Ye Hua had gathered, her Shifu should have awoken, only he was still unmoving and yet to take his first breath.

Zhe Yan also said that Shifus spirit had scattered and it was possible that it was still healing, but as far as he could see, everything he needed had been given. In fact, Ye Hua had given so much of himself to bring her Shifu back, that the fear was rising with every passing second. He had so little left, and though he was still stronger than her, Qing Cang had gained invaluable cultivation from both of his sons, so the battle was uneven.

In fact, the energy belt Ye Hua had thrown at her was weakening because he was and the sight of his black robe swirling in the torrent of air above her, soon had her head turning to seek help. Instantly her sight fell on Di Jun. Only the energy bubble keeping his safe and her unconscious niece in his arms, suggested both were useless to her.

Not even Bai Zhen would be of any help because he was already in battle with several warriors and even worse, was the only one there capable of even lifting a sword, was the earth deity who looked as if a puff of air would knock him over.

In tears, terrified and feeling just as useless, Bai Qian once again turned her eyes to the two above her only to wish she hadn't.

As if time stood still, she watched as that halberd flashed across Ye Huas chest and ripping him open from shoulder to hip. She knew she was screaming, but she couldn't hear herself. All she heard was that manic laughter that just as suddenly screamed when Ye Huas sword tore through Qing Cangs neck and severing it from his shoulders.

A moment of sheer joy filled her heart while the world around her fell silent. It seemed to stretch into hours as Ye Hua remained stationary in the sky struggling to bring his body under control. He was wounded severely and near death. He could actually smell it, only the moment he turned to look back, the Bell of East Emperor roared into life above his head.

No one understood what happened. But one moment, a peaceful calm fell over them when that beast died, only to once again fall into chaos when the fires of hell rose up above their heads. Untold memories assailed her mind. Her Shifu looking up the same way Ye Hua was. Defeated and agonized. And once again, she was screaming at him. Only she had the spell to bring it under control. only his spell was still wrapped tightly around her body and keeping her on the sand and unable to do anything.

"Ye Hua....please...... I can help!" she screamed, her voice disappearing as the roar of the bell grew louder and louder.

Turning back once, Ye Hua looked down at the woman he would always love. He knew his time with her was now over and though his heart broke for the tragic love story he would have to leave behind, he purposely held her gaze a few seconds longer. If he had an image of those beautiful soft doe like eyes to carry with him, then he would die happily knowing she was safe.

Then turning his head back to the bell, he took one deep breath before swiftly rising up and disappearing from sight.   Not a single sound followed him as his body slammed into the fiery depths of hell.  He saw nothing and felt nothing, only a peaceful calm that she would be alright.  He didn't hear her scream and nor did he sense her deep sorrow when his soul was suddenly and without mercy ripped from his body and everything disappeared completely.

___

Somewhere in the depths of her shattered mind, she heard the tolling of a bell.  It was far away, and though she felt connected to it, she felt nothing but the emptiness and heartache as that cursed bell exploded above her head.

All heads were were thrown back from the blast before their sight was finally returned.  Only unlike the day her Shifu had died, there was no body falling from the sky. And nor was there an energy barrier around her own.  

Lifting into the air, along with the celestial soldiers and even Di Jun, none felt the rumbling of a bell in the distance as they scoured both heaven and earth for his body until the night eventually moved in and she was dragged down by her brother, screaming.