Recollections of the Past 2

"Why, do you not recognise me?" Xuan looked at her with a smile, but there was a little nervousness in his eyes. She looked at his foreign features with a frown, but there was a familiar light in his eyes.

"Qing Ling..." She called out softly and was immediately embraced by him.

"Idiot, why did you come here? What happened?" Xuan frowned and hugged the thin person in his arms with worry and heartache in his eyes.

Actually, he knew what happened. He was a Divine Beast. In order to come into and attain that power, he had to leave the forest. He left for ten years, and when he returned, everything had changed. He wanted to take his little black tiger with him and let her live happily under his wings. He didn't expect that his little black tiger had grown and armed herself with fangs and claws as she bore the burden of revenge.

"I..." She chewed her lower lip, her body trembling slightly.

A sharp pain surged through her system. It was the side-effects of the medicine. These days, the side-effect of changing her appearance would occur every night, burning her insides. But she pushed through the pain every night, she cannot fall, not until she had her revenge!

Xuan sensed her sudden shift in demeanor and something clicked in his head. He stared at her with wide eyes. "You..."

She lowered her head.

"You idiot!" Xuan tightened his arms around her, a pale green light radiated from his body and engulfed them. Her pain numbed significantly at that moment. Then she realised that her cheeks felt wet, streaks of tears had already covered her face.

Xuan stretched out his hand, gently raised her chin, met her eyes, and gently wiped the tears off her face. "Don't cry, I'm here."

He's here, everything would get better. Don't be scared, he's here.

She nodded. Her walls, her shields, all of her defenses crumbled away in front of him.

He's here, everything would get better.

He stroked her hair tenderly. "Hey, go back with me. I'll take care of everything."

She froze, then shook her head vigorously.

"I...I want to do this myself..." She frowned, but her eyes were full of determination and she repeated, "I want to avenge them myself."

"Okay, silly." He kissed her on the cheek softly, "I will help you."

The sudden movement made her body stiffen, she immediately pushed him away and stepped back. "I...I should go."

"Yeah." Xuan didn't mind and smiled sweetly. "Should I send you home?"

"No...no need..." She lowered her head, turned and ran away in a hurry. The new Xuan felt unfamiliar to her. She did not like this feeling. She did not like the strange feeling he gave her.

Xuan stood on the spot as he watched her leave, his dark brown robe billowed behind him in the wind. He sighed softly and turned to leave.

It seems that it will take some time for his kitten to accept him. She went through such tremendous hardship and he was nowhere near her. He could only blame himself. Had he returned sooner, perhaps he would have been able to protect her.

He will help her exact revenge, even against his own friend. All who harms her shall pay in blood.

Another few months passed, and Yan Ruhuo seemed to really warmed up to her. They grew even closer. On one hand, she was happy, his trust in her would make her revenge easier. On the other hand, she was worried. What if she had grown too attached to him? He was so kind to her and so innocent and pure. She felt dirty in comparison whenever she was reminded of her reason for approaching him, and it unsettled her. She shook her head wildly and cleared her mind. No! It was all just a facade! He killed her mother! He was a bad person!

Yan Ruhuo smiled and brought a bowl of porridge over to the restless little white tiger. "What are you thinking about? It's time for dinner."

She stood up, looked at Yan Ruhuo, and gave a soft cry, looking very obedient.

Yan Ruhuo put the porridge in front of her, rubbed her head gently with the other hand. "Good."

She lowered her head, buried her face in the bowl, and ate. Just like that, time flew by once more.

One day, Xuan was planning out how to help Rain when he was visited by someone. His visitor was a man dressed in a black robe hemmed in gold silk. His commanding presence asserted his dominance as soon as he showed up. Xuan recognised that this man was the person that governed the world, Emperor Ye, or Ye Jin.

"Just what has brought about this visit from Emperor Ye?" He smiled as unease ate away at his heart. He is a Divine Beast, but he knew better than to provoke Ye Jin.

Ye Jin chuckled, but the smile didn't reach the bottom of his eyes, "I suppose you are aware of the true form of your childhood friend."

He did not name names, but both of them knew who he was referring to.

Xuan's chest tightened with worry, and he cut straight to the point. "Emperor Ye, I believe we have stayed well away from you."

"Yes, indeed." Ye Jin's eyes remained fixed on him with a cold glint in those blue eyes. "Xuan, I want something, but only you can get that thing for me."

"What is it that you seek, Emperor Ye?" Xuan answered calmly, the dampness on his back betrayed his anxiousness.

He must be looking for something extraordinary, else he would not enlist Xuan's assistance. And he knows about Rain, there was no way Xuan could turn him down.

"The spirit gem." Ye Jin turned around with a sinister smirk. "The spirit gem at the bottom of the Moon-view Lake in Xiqian."

Xuan's heart skipped a beat. He was aware of the spirit gem in that location. Beneath that lake was a volcano, and it would erupt the moment the spirit gem leaves the volcano. He was the Divine Beast of Water, Xuan Wu, it was no wonder that Ye Jin came to find him.

"So, will you take my offer?" Ye Jin continued in Xuan's silence. "I just want the spirit gem, and you want her to be safe. This is a very good deal."

Finally, Xuan chewed on his lips and agreed. "Very well, I will head to Xiqian this instant and stay at the bottom of the Moon-view Lake and retrieve the spirit gem. If you need anything, you can find me there. But you must promise me not to hurt her."

"You have my word." Ye Jin smiled evilly.

He left alone, without saying goodbye to Rain. This was the second time he had done so.

I'm sorry, Rain. In the end, I can only protect you in this way. Perhaps you would think that I have abandoned you again. Forgive me for not saying goodbye, and if fate permits, may our paths cross once again. I'm sorry I cannot help you achieve your most important goal, please stay strong.

Xuan's sudden disappearance made Rain a little disappointed, only Yun stayed with her day after day. He knew who she really was and what she was after. She told him that on her own, she trusted him for some reason.

"Rain, give me your hatred." Yun solemnly promised, but she smiled in silence. It was her score to settle. But she was happy that he had this heart. It seemed that she had trusted correctly.

One day, she saw a woman in the cabin, wearing a pink dress. She looked just like her, and that signaled something terrible. Yan Ruhuo walked up to that woman with a faint smile. He must know something.

Later, she intercepted the woman, and together with Yun, planned to kill her. That woman was innocent, but she had no choice.

I’m sorry.

Someone else showed up and saved her. Dressed in a dark green robe, he looked exactly like Cloud.

Later, when she came to the bottom of the Moon-view Lake, she met Xuan and many more that she did not recognise.

It was time.

She told herself and allowed the Soul Nails to sink into her body as she fought the woman that looked like her. Then, she grabbed Yan Ruhuo and hugged him tightly.

Together, to death.

She saw the shock and despair in Xuan's eyes. She saw Cloud, who sprinted towards her. And that faint fragrance at the tip of her nose. She never regretted her decision.

Farewell, Xuan. Farewell, Yun.

Yan Ruhuo. I have to admit, at some point, I had fallen deeply in love with you. But I cannot be with you when I'm alive. If I did that, I would not be able to forgive myself. In that case, let me be with you in hell, in death, for all of eternity.

She vaguely heard a clear voice in the darkness. "Rain, don't be afraid."