A Life with You

73. Repentance

Previously...

Hurried footsteps followed behind before finally stopping at the door. "Zewu-jun, what are you searching for?" Wei wuxian asked panting. The second Jade stood beside him with a concerned face which others wouldn't recognize.

"A talisman... a talisman which can destroy that demon."

Third Person POV

Jiang cheng was again stuck in a dark space. All he could remember was his reflection walking towards him before his eyes closed. He felt very uncomfortable. His body felt weird, like it wasn't his. He did not remember what he looked like nor who he was. Memories both good and bad had left him. 

He walked around, trying to remember how he got into the dark space. There was no light, no land. He walked where he stood, he didn't even know if he's moving. It was like he is blind or maybe he is. He couldn't remember.

After walking for a while, he felt the presence of someone else next to him. He walked towards the unknown feeling in his chest. He stopped when he felt a cold hand grab his hand. 

He looked around, touched around, trying to find the person next to him. He stopped when his other hand was also caught. His voice trembled but echoed through the space. 

"Who are you?" He asked with a husky voice. How long has it been since he'd spoken, he did not know. 

The hand holding his, covered his eyes instead. He tried to retreat but the firm hand, held him in place while just holding his hand. 

The hand left his eyes as he blinked a few times. It felt like a miracle, but he could finally see the man before. He was young with a spark of innocence reflecting in his eyes, his lips were thin like his eyebrows and his hair was put up in a high bun. 

Jiang cheng felt a sense of deja vu when he looked at the pale lad in front of him. But looking at the young man, he could only feel pain. Those pure blue eyes held a lot of burden. He couldn't name it, but he felt it. He blinked when he felt warm tears roll down his face. The man shone against the dark surroundings. 

He suddenly heard a whisper which he couldn't catch, "Pardon?"

"I said, you ruined my plan!"

A sudden outburst shot out all over. A black flame burned everywhere. Jiang cheng stepped back. He did not know how he offended him. He tried to remember but nothing came in his mind.

He felt a rippling coldness run through his veins. He looked down to find a cold metal pierced through his chest. He could feel it reach out of his body. The blade looked familiar, but he did not know. 

He looked at the man again where he found his own reflection in his eyes. "We... look the same?"

He felt a burning sensation in his chest which was caused by the burning sword. He looked at his hands which slowly became blurry. His head was a mess, all the memories which he forgot rushed in.

The blade burned away, and blood seeped out. Black blood which reflected his emotions, dark with anger, grudge, sadness, pain, loss and everything that could tear his heart open, break it and leave it to die. 

His legs wobbled, soon falling to the ground.

No one wants him, and no one needs him. He treasured many but chased many away, the rest left him. There was nothing but emptiness in his eyes.

"I don't want to be here... it hurts so bad." He mumbled as tears fell to the ground. 

"I said it hurts, why is there no one... a-niang...baba, shijie... Wei wuxian."

"Why is no one coming? It hurts... a lot."

Memories flashed before him.

The memory of burning Yunmeng, the moment his sister died for Wei wuxian, and when Wei wuxian died abandoning him. 

"Where are you? Why did you not think about me? I'm the only one left... all alone. The past we shared, why is no one here? Our past..."

He suddenly saw Wei wuxian in front on him, looking at him with his distant gaze. Their brotherhood was gone, and it's all his fault. No one would want to be with a person like him. He could feel those burning eyes which were filled with ambition and hope, run away from him. Hide from his coldness which could put out his beautiful flames. 

Jiang could feel him tremble whenever they met eyes. He could feel him run away, ignore him, abandon him but it was all his fault. All because of his complex behavior. No one would be patient enough to deal with him and his attitude.

Wei wuxian was done with him, tired of him just like everyone else. Jiang cheng's eyes dropped down. "I'm too cold but I won't cover myself, I should go too... disappear with the wind, no one will find me, no would want to... Let's meet soon shijie..."

Behind him stood a dark shadow with a devious smile but it soon disappeared when he saw the shadow of a maiden beside the broken Jiang. 

"A-qi..." a pair of pearl eyes turned towards him. "Stop... stop it all."

His hands trembled but his figure was still. He could feel his racing heart, though he didn't have one. "I've come this far to be with you, are you just going to let go of it all, of me, of us?"

Pale robes moved towards him. A hand as cold as his caressed his cheek. "Why make the boy suffer for my sake?"

"His clan killed me, killed you too, how can I let him have it easy."

The pearl eyes glistened before him, "A-Qi, I killed you, I couldn't bear see you die in my arms, so I died with you. This has nothing to do with my people."

Qi guan felt like a thorn has pierced his heart. "Why did you die? I lived alone in this darkness. I couldn't find you anywhere. It was very cold... here." He held her hand and directed it to his chest. 

"I'm sorry... we won't be together alive; I will die one day but you will be trapped alone in the Immortal realm. Dying with you felt better."

  Qi guan leaned into her hands, wrapping his arms around her delicate waist. "I know I'm evil. I killed many, your people wanted me dead but now everything is under control. He is ready to die, we can live in his body. I even split his soul in half."

"Qi guan, a-qi... stop this... let's be together in our next live not by taking away someone else's."

Qi guan's eyebrows furrowed, "But we can live now-" He stopped midway, he understood his lover would never change her mind. 

He smiled, "Fine, we'll do as you say but... I'm immortal. If not for a holy weapon, nothing could kill me... we'd be separated again, and I'll be alone..."

Just then a loud crackling sound emerged from Jiang cheng's side. 

"Consider this my contribution and repentance for all the crimes I've committed... starting with my life."

Zidian released into a whip which clung to his skin, wrapping itself around its master. The small body which kneeled on the ground burned with purple flames. The tattoo on his shoulders which marked his bond with the demon faded into dust as the demon beside him burned.