Mo Yuan and Shao Wan (三生三世十里桃花) - Vol. 1 [COMPLETED]

Chapter 88

written by MiniOrchid
edited by kakashi and Panda

Monsters come in many forms...

Most are made up, of course. Parents, grandparents, and elders told us these stories when we were children, often to keep our behavior in check. Monsters will come to get you....they often said...

Like folklore to remind us not to lie, to steal, or wander off with strangers; these tales are used to control the unfavorable habits in our youth, because Monsters will go after those who stray away from the rightful path.

There are other stories, we learned, like those about the unknown dangers lurking in the shadows. Stories that were passed down through generations, becoming folklore that never goes away, no matter how ancient it may be. These oral stories, some of which never had the chance to be written down can change over time, but never their core: the lessons remain the same.

What all these dark tales have in common, is the emotions they instill in the listeners. An emotion unlike any other, because it causes one to flee, to hide, or in the worst case...to freeze.

As one matures, these stories, tales, or folklore have less powers over the mind. We dismiss them with logic. But despite rationality, reasoning or wisdom, the same unsettling emotion will rise when we are most powerless. No...not just powerless...but vulnerable, so that who once was powerful can only quiver. A feeling that cannot be rationalized. Like when you look into a mirror, and believe you see a dark shadow from the corner of your eye. The same intuition that causes one to tremble during childhood, because of the invisible lurking monster at one's door.
Fear... an instinctive emotion, a survival instinct of humanity, beasts, and immortals alike.

The most powerful sensation, which can cause anyone to cower in fright yet can cause others to rise beyond and above one's capability.

If anything, he wanted it to be the latter, as they faced the Monster that was after them. The Demon who came to terrorize the innocence of the night. Ruthlessly, savagely, it killed whoever dared to block its path. It was powerful, with a killing aura that was unlike anything he had known. The heated dark cloud of vibrant red and black glowed, like a demonic shadow capturing the host within its grasp.

It was alarming...it was petrifying...but the most frightening thing of all was not the victims or the blood pooled at its feet. It was the Monster's murderous ferocious eyes. Eyes that certainly contained killing aura, yet the joy and satisfaction that appeared with each torturous kill set him apart from other common savage beasts. It relished the blood on its hands, tasting and smelling the fresh life essence of its victims. The Monster had no soul, no humanity.

They tried, desperately, to escape, away from the Monster that left countless deaths along its path of destruction. He knew what it wanted, but he couldn't let the Monster have what it desired.

Never would he allow it to have its way, not unless he took his last breath. Though he himself had no fear of death, his distress stemmed from his lack of power to protect what he held dear. He could not let those who had sacrificed their lives to let them escape die in vain. Their cries would forever haunt his soul. Yet, there was no one left to block its path. The Monster had caught up with them. He was at a disadvantage, because he was powerless in this realm; but he couldn't, he wouldn't back down, nor would he cower in fear.

"Take her to safety!" He yelled at Fiery Qilin. The terrified beast fled as fast as its flames could take it, with the precious cargo on its back. He had to buy them time.

He turned to face the predator, his sword rose, directed at the Demon, the very evil that passed across this land to slaughter its people. She had told him this day would come. It was his destiny...his fate...
He flew up high to attack, but was held back by the invisible magic shield. With a wave of the Demon's hand, he was blasted with magic, fell back on the ground. Undeterred, he immediately stood up to run at his opponent again, but the Demon pivoted back, grabbed the blade with his fingers. With ease, the sword was broken in two by the Demon, his hand quickly caught his neck, choking him. With the broken sword, the Demon stabbed his chest, making him cry out.

He was dropped to the ground. Unimaginable pain pierced his body as blood oozed from the wound. Yet, he would not yield. Though fear could paralyze, strength could emerge when protective instincts took hold. He would never let this Monster near her. He grabbed the other piece of the broken blade and tried to attack the Demon, but he saw him coming and kicked away the broken blade in his hand, then cruelly removed the embedded blade from his chest. Falling to his knees, he coughed up pools of blood. Despite knowing his end was near, he refused to give up. With all the strength he could muster, he stood up again, ready to continue to fight the Demon before him.

Dark eyes narrowed, the Demon gave a sinister laugh, amused by his stance. "Persistent, heroic, you're definitely one of his. Has the Monk taught you nothing but to seek your own demise? What purpose does self-sacrifice even serve?"

Inhaling deeply despite the pain, with a renewed sense of purpose, he spoke in a clear concise voice, ignoring the throbbing pain in his chest. "Shifu taught us plenty, but giving up was never among these things," he answered coolly, "You have to kill me first."

"Aaaahhh...so you do seek your own end, how amusing...," the Demon smiled, raising his brows at his prideful stance, his eyes lighting up with the passion of a predator once again. "But death will be too easy...boring for the likes of you. I don't normally leave witnesses, but given the amount of loyal dogs I've killed, I will make an exception tonight."

Before he could catch what the Demon meant, a hand flew towards him like a whip, his neck was caught. He fought against the hold, but as he struggled to break free, the grip only tightened. He was pushed back until his body slammed against a tree, leaves raining down from the impact. Their bodies almost touching, their heads side by side,the Demon turned to stare into his glowering eyes. He tried to attack, but his body was held in place with magic.

A dangerous gleam came into the Demon's eyes, like a predator who was ready to devour its prey. "Let me show you what's worse than death," the Demon whispered.

Eyes widening in shock, he couldn't comprehend what the Demon wanted, but he knew it would not be pleasant. As if on cue, he felt an agonizing stabbing pain within his body, making him groan in distress. His body tried to react like an animal caught in a snare, to fight for its life, but he couldn't as he was held in place. It first started with the tip of his fingers, then grew, as the magical attack traveled through his body. The world around him was gone and he was surrounded by nothing. He heard nothing, knew nothing, but only the fire, which burned, and intense blinding agony. Unable to withstand the torturous torment, his consciousness began to slip.

But he tried to hold on, to keep himself awake despite the horror he was subjected to. Once finished, the Demon let go of his magic hold. The world began to spin, his body collapsed on the dimly lit forest floor.

Lying with piercing pain, then becoming numb, immobilized, the last frightening image before he descended into darkness was the Monster heading towards her. His mind roared with fury, but he couldn't utter the words, no sound came out.

He had failed to protect her after all...he was fated to never see her again.

****

He must have gone to the underworld...