Chapter 252 - Do You Love Me?

The rain trickled after, making the torches flicker from the humid rain and wind that suddenly assaulted them. Roar! Suddenly, three lines of lightning spread through the night sky, causing the thunder to clap loudly. The spectators screamed again, but the rain was only washing away the blood from the woman, the ax, and the elder. 

The elder then looked up and laughed out. "Bear witness to my judgment! I was right to slay the witch and her spawn! The heavens are giving me their applause!"

"Demon… you're nothing but a demon in the flesh of a human..." The husband started to cry, the ropes on his end snapping at the pull of his weight. He fell to the ground, but he didn't crawl to his wife. The man started to walk to the tree, causing the men to pause lest they would hit him with the back of their axes. "Please stop… please stop. You can't just… cut it down… just because he said so..."

"Back off—" One of the lumberjacks would warn him, but the elder actually ran to the husband and hacked him down with the same ax that killed his wife. Bang! The blade shoved itself through the bones, and the husband felt like pain… was rather non-existent. 

He was pushed to the ground, the elder leaving the ax on his back. Roar! The thunderclap came again, and the elder started to laugh out once more. However, the husband got up and took a hold of the ax on his back. He plucked it out without even screaming or with difficulty. The village elder twitched and watched the husband held onto the handle, with his blood trickling down along the rain that only grew heavier.

The husband actually smiled. "Life without end… is cruelty, and I am a cruel man. Death… will never be enough to quell my loathing. Would you like to help me with just… one more wish?"

Kaboom! Multiple bolts of lightning actually struck the holy tree, causing it to blaze into a flaming rage. A certain roar was heard from all over, and the howling winds almost fueled the flames to engulf the holy tree. The shadows in the darkness wriggled as if they were being tortured by the flames that replaced the leaves. There was nothing but terror in the hearts of the people as if they were witnessing the birth of a real demon.

The husband dropped the ax and walked towards the flaming tree, the blood on his back drenching his totality.

The fire had chased away the lumberjacks, and they just couldn't help but drop their axes when they saw the husband walk towards the burning tree. His figure soon caught fire, and his body readily turned into ashes. Kaboom! Another thunderclap echoed, but that was because the thunderstorm had grown fiercer.

"The village is on fire!" One of the old women on the grounds said as she spotted lightning striking at certain places in their village. It didn't take them a few seconds to realize what they had angered. It was impossible for every lightning to hit on a hut house and cause everything to burn. Even one lightning struck the pole where the wife's body was tied, setting her corpse ablaze in no time.

"N-No… this can't be real..." The village elder grabbed his head as he watched the entire village burn before their eyes. Those who were left in their houses couldn't even escape the flames that raged all over. "I… I must be blessed by the heavens. I killed the witch..."

The night was dark, but their hearts grew darker. Even under the rage of the tears of heaven, the flames of ethereal fury couldn't be extinguished.

…

Liu Xiaodan didn't know what he saw, but he had seen the dream even after the body he was standing in was turned into ashes. It was as if his consciousness had fused with the holy tree's by then. However, he couldn't shake off the heat that he felt when he was burning. Even if the husband didn't scream, Liu Xiaodan felt like curling and jerking around as he burned into ashes.

It's just that… after the dream, he could still feel heat circulating his body. However, it was not painful anymore; it was even cozy and very desirable. Not long after, he could feel weight against him like someone was on top of him. He couldn't tell what it could be, but the movements it's making were sending his body into a mix of shock and p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. Moreover, when he felt like someone was breathing on his neck.

His hands lifted and held onto the person on top of him by the waist. Her sudden gasp from the coldness of his palms made him open his eyes. Without warning, he was faced with those brown eyes that he could only see in his memory. Her long lashes fluttered as her cheeks flared redder. She seemed to be caught red-handed.

"Y-You're awake!" Chuan Nayi blurted out in a panic. 

She wasn't ready yet, and she couldn't get ready that fast because she didn't know what came over her to do this or that if she was really willing to be seen like this. No matter, Liu Xiaodan already discovered her in this strange plight. She couldn't even lift her torso lest Liu Xiaodan would notice.

"Nayi… it's you..." Liu Xiaodan laughed out softly, but his hands actually slid up her side, causing her to redden even more. He stared at this tomato face in front of him, not even wondering why she was reacting like this. Even if he was aware of the difficulties, he didn't wish to address them.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to take advantage.

"How did you end up here? How do you know I was here?" Liu Xiaodan used his hands to map her back, feeling her soft and smooth skin underneath his fingers. He had never done this before, but he really liked Chuan Nayi. He was even the one who gave Guangru the go signal to treat her as the 'Mama'. Of course, he fantasized about knowing her body like this.

"Why are you asking me that? Wasn't I the one who told you Ruan Jin is here?" Chuan Nayi blabbered a little before trying to move from their position. However, the smallest movements were actually enough to reveal her failed plan. Her hands clawed at the sheets of the hard bed. "Xiaodan… I… I was actually thinking that… yeah, you're so cold. I need to warm you. You might get sick..."

"You don't need to strip to warm me—"

"But blood is all over you! I hate the smell and… I figured..." Chuan Nayi took a deep breath and rose a little, revealing her n.a.k.e.d body under the blanket covering her back. As if Liu Xiaodan's silence and soft gaze gave her the courage to face what she was planning to do, she moved a little higher and leaned down to breathe down on his face. Her hand then hooked her hair behind her ear. "Xiaodan, do you still love me?"