Chapter 10: The Fateful Memories (Part 3-Final)
"Who exactly are you?" Kouen asked solemnly.
Again, the black Xue Feng smirked. "I'm someone...to be exact a tool from those who desire power to change things."
"It's the same as Djinn?" Kouen guessed.
"Oh no...you're deluding yourself if you think that your measly Djinn will help you to defeat that damn 'WOMAN'." The black Xue Feng said arrogantly.
"You mean, the Empress?" Kouen asked; raising his eyebrow.
The black Xue Feng was startled for awhile before she laughed. "I kept forgetting her new identity. How about we make a deal, prince? If you destroy the ring that this girl is wearing, then I will help to defeat the Empress."
"If I do that, what will happen to Xue Feng?"
The black Xue Feng just gave a meaningful smile.
"She will be possessed by you without be able to regain her consciousness." Kouen stated stoically.
The black Xue Feng came closer towards Kouen as she rubbed Kouen's chest. "That's the price to be paid. In order to gain something, of course you need to sacrifice another thing." She said as she gave the most seductive smile ever. However, Kouen didn't felt shaken from her attitude and just remain compose as usual.
"You're hesitating, why?" The black Xue Feng raised her eyebrows; feeling annoyed from Kouen's rejection. "Don't tell me...that you like this girl?"
"Arggh!" The black Xue Feng's neck was gagged with an iron chain. Kouen was startled a bit to see all the four-coloured coded Xue Feng were standing in front of him. The red Xue Feng was holding the chain that gagged the black Xue Feng. Kouen stepped aside; he could guessed that the four Xue Feng were going to control the black Xue Feng.
"You wretched emotions!" The black Xue Feng cursed. "You wouldn't be able to hold me much longer..."
"Shut up, monster!" The red Xue Feng unleashed more chain as she gagged the black Xue Feng mouth with it. "As long as we are here. You could never control our body."
"Ready?" The red Xue Feng asked her other companion. The blue, gray and pink Xue Feng nodded in agreement.
"Memories of anger bring forth the chain of fire!" The red Xue Feng shouted as her chain glow in red flaming light. Her chain tied black Xue Feng left hand.
"Memories sadness bring forth the chain of ice!" The blue Xue Feng shouted as her chain glow in icy blue light. Her chain tied black Xue Feng right hand.
"Memories of fear bring forth the chain of storm!" The grey Xue Feng shouted as her chain glow in grayish light. Her chain tied black Xue Feng left leg.
"Memories of happiness bring foth the chain of nature!" The pink Xue Feng shouted as her chain glow in mix of pinkish green light. Her chain tied black Xue Feng right leg.
The black Xue Feng couldn't do anything but cursing and cursing as she was pulled in a door that emerged out of nowhere.
"You're all Xue Feng emotion." Kouen stated; after all the commotion was over. The blue, red, gray and pink Xue Fengs were all giving smile as they marveled on how the First Imperial Prince of Kou was able to act calm inspite the bizzare situation that occured right now.
"To be exact we are Xue Feng's prime emotion; sadness, fear, anger and happiness." Another voice of Xue Feng could be heard out of nowhere. Another Xue Feng emerged; wearing a pure white robe with a hood. Her robe was decorated with silver emblem. She appeared to be the leader of all the four other Xue Fengs who stepped aside so that the white Xue Feng could stand at the center. Not long after that, the other four Xue Feng combined themselves with the white Xue Feng; leaving her alone with Kouen.
"As you know, Xue Feng's emotion is one of the way that the 'Voice' could be able to posses her. So, as a precaution, we are taken from her soul. We are also act as the 'Voice' entrapment seal. However, to maintain four strong emotion in just one magical item require a lot of magoi..." The white Xue Feng said with a bit of sad tone from her voice. She appeared to be thinking about something before pushing it out of her mind. "So if Xue Feng exert in using her magoi, the 'Voice' entrapment will loosen just like what you see before."
"Then, why did you use this way to tell me the truth?" Kouen asked. 'What is because...'
"Yes, you're highness." The white Xue Feng answered; as if she knew what in Kouen's mind. "This is the only way for us to tell you the truth. Al-Thamen has eyes and ears everywhere. Which is why, becareful in finding a way to tell this truth to your brothers and retainer, ouji."
The white Xue Feng looked up into the dark infinite space. "The full moon has already occured. It's time for us to go back to our respective body." Her scarred right cheek glow again to form an emblem of blue pheonix.
The blue light started to shine brightly and brightly until the light enveloped the dark space. Kouen was startled at first but remain calm as he knew that he will be going back to his body. The revelation about Xue Feng's and a bit of his father's past gave him a need to digest and decided what he susposed to do next. For the sake of his family, his people and also his father!
-X-
"The full moon has occurred and yet Kouen ouji is still not regain his consciousness."
"Promise is a promise, right Mei nii-sama?" Kouha stated as he eyed towards Fang with murderous intent.
For the first time, Koumei bitted his lower lips. He never felt so indecisive in carrying punishing those who broke their promise with him before. However, why did he hesitate to do the same thing to Mei Hua?
"Mei nii-sama!"
"I..."
Xue Feng's ring began to shine with a blue light. The light then separated into two light; one with a shaped of icy blue sphere while another was also a sphere with the colour of the blazing red fire. The two light ball float in the air. The blue light ball penetrated through Xue Feng's body while the red light sphere penetrated through Kouen's body.
Both Xue Feng and Kouen instantly woke up. They were breathing hardly as if they had just endured a harsh environment. Kouen's younger brothers and his retainer were all cheered in relief as their leader regain his consciences.
However, the celebration was cut short when Gin Gaku pointed his sword towards Xue Feng. He was angry with the fact that Xue Feng was playing trick with his master. Even if Kouen was able to come back safely, Xue Feng must be punished by death.
"Halt!" Kouen stated, half screaming. "Release Mei Hua and Xiao Fang!"
"Kouen ouji!"
"En nii-sama!"
His retainer and Kouha protested.
"IT'S AN ORDER!" Kouen commanded as loud as anyone could hear. Gin Gaku released an angry hiss before he lowered his sword. He glared at Xue Feng who remained collective and calm.
Koumei and Kouha were shown to be following their older brother instruction. Koumei stood silently as he gave an awkward glare towards Mei Hua. While Kouha remained grumpy and untrusting towards Fang. Fang was also glared angrily towards the third prince. They were almost ready to fight before Xue Feng and Kouen ordered them to stop.
"Then, tell us what exactly happen, En nii-sama?" Kouha asked, curiously.
"I will 'write' to both of you. But for the time being, Bailian people aren't to be harmed. They shall remained as our helper as was requested of the emperor." Kouen ended his command.
Xue Feng stared at Mei Hua and Fang with a meaningful looked. Both of them nodded as they were able to understand Xue Feng's signal. Xue Feng was asking them to do as they had planned before they separated.
-X-
Xue Feng looked far away to the endless dark sea from the Kou's imperial army ship platform. After all the commotion, she was permitted by Kouen to see her subordinates. It didn't take her a long time to explain to them what had happen; granted that they were unconscious all the time. Even before they depart for Kou, she already explained to them that this event might happen. The one with complains were Fang and Mei Hua as they had experienced tortured first hand from Kouha and Koumei themselves. She didn't worry much about Fang; that girl always expressed her feeling. However Mei Hua...they might need to have deeper conversation when she arrived at Balbadd.
She inhaled; smelling the salt from the sea breeze. 'At least, I have accomplished one of my missions. Now that Kouen ouji know about Bailian's true mission, will he abandon his plan to gain power by subjugation? '
As Xue Feng's mind wandered aimlessly, a shadow lurked behind her. "Did you finish writing letter to your brothers, your highness?" She said as she turned to face the 'shadow'. She saw Kouen was standing; wearing a casual version of a white robe tied with simple white sash. Another one of more colourful robe was left hanged on both of his shoulder; served as jacket.
"They are surprise but they believe the story." Kouen answered solemnly. Kouen face remained stoic but his eyes were shaken a bit. Xue Feng's lips curved; this prince was still the same as ever. She also marvelled the fact that she was able to read his mind easily.
"Feeling vexed aren't you? The father that you think has changed because greed actually was still the same as before."
Kouen tried to hide his surprised but Xue Feng's smirked caused him to exhale in desperation. How can this woman able to read his emotion so easily?
"I would also feel the same thing. After all this years hating your father only to find out that he was hurting you because he wishes to protect his children from any danger." Xue Feng said in calm but teasing tone as Kouen hugged his body, refuse to give respond that will satisfy the Snow Phoenix.
"Okay, I will stop now. I'm not going to be a busybody who poke nose to someone else business." Xue Feng decided to put a stop on teasing the First Imperial Prince of the Kou Kingdom. She knew that Kouen's retainers were fuming with anger to see her treating the prince in a very 'rude' manner. However, they weren't able to do anything as they were asked to maintain their distance fifty feet away from the prince in order to give him privacy. "However I'm intrigues to know your resolution now that you have now the truth."
"My resolution stand firm. Gyokuen power lies in the very deep root of the Kou authority, the Kou palace. The only way to stop her is by building Kou military power in another land far from her reach starting with Balbadd."
Xue Feng's smiled bitterly. 'Why am I even surprised?'
"Very well, prince. If that is what you desire. However you must remember that the Bailian mission is not to fund or assist in war and conflict but to prevent those from happen. Even if it happens, our job is minimising the casualty. Which is why, our next stop is Balbadd. We shall aid Kou army in other to minimise the casualty of YOUR action. Other than that, we owe you nothing!" Xue Feng stated her resolution firmly before leaving Kouen alone.
'Very well, if that is what you desire as well, Snow Phoenix.' Kouen looked to the north where as the dawn start to break. 'You have made your decision to sacrifice everything in order to protect your children and kingdom, then I shall also sacrifice everything in order protect your wish, father. Although, I have to walk on a bloody path in order to achieve that.'
-X-
As the night grew darker and darker, the palace of the Kou kingdom looked as if it was guarded by a mystical and frightening shadow. Shadow of people wearing black robes and covering their faces with masks and veil flocked at the front garden of the throne room. All of them appeared to illuminate dark terrifying aura from black butterfly-like rukh.
Ren Gyokuen stood in the centre of them, looking grim as her black eye pupils changed to red and her white eye pupils changed to black. She was holding a crescent moon shaped staff.
"Are you sure about this?" A veiled woman wearing white and purple dress with a matching colour head cover asked. She was holding a tall sceptre with an oval shaped dome at the end. "Don't you think this is just Judar's scheme?"
"THERE MUST BE NO ERROR IN OUR PLAN! I WILL NOT LET ANYTHING DISRUPT THE SEED THAT WE HAD PLANTED FOR ONE THOUSAND YEAR!" Gyokuen screamed furiously. Her maniac attitude resurfaced again causing the veiled woman to shut her mouth.
The veiled woman decided not to argue with Gyokuen anymore. She knew very well that the Kou Empress's word was absolute and couldn't be challenge by anyone in Al-Thamen. The empress held the most power in term of magic and strength than any of them.
People of Al-Thamen started to focus as they repeated a chant. Every time they repeated the chant, the environment that surrounded them changed. From summer season to spring season. From spring season to autumn season. From autumn season to winter season. The season kept changing and changing until the fortieth time - the winter season when the fire incident that was staged by Al-Thamen occurred. The chant that Al-Thamen kept repeating is a spell that could project the event that occurred at a particular place in a specific time!
Fire which surrounded the palace. The sound of people screaming and the pile of lifeless bodies on the bloody floor. Gyokuen smirked as she recalled the sensation that she felt when she felt many black rukh accumulated the palace of Kou at that time. Despair...hatred...unfairness...all of those negative emotions that became the fuel of the 'black storm'. However, it was not enough to create a massive black storm that will purify the disgusting light of this world's destiny.
"It's that girl." One of Al-Thamen priest remarked. Gyokuen looked at the projected image of a teenage Xue Feng ran toward Prince Hakuren room. They saw how the fire enveloped the room and how Xue Feng unable to escape. How she was lying on the ground helplessly waiting for death to come until...until a dim of blue light appeared out of nowhere and enveloped Xue Feng's almost lifeless body before it penetrated through her.
"Imp...impossible..." The veiled woman was shocked by the revelation. She knew very well the identity of the blue light. She also knew that Gyokuen wouldn't be pleased by this knowledge. "How can 'she'...wasn't 'she' supposed to be dead one thousand year ago?"
Gyokuen lowered her head as she stood silent for a few minute. Then, she laughed amusingly before the laugh sounded maniacally. "HAHAHA...as I thought, that cunning 'woman' was able to cheat death!"
The veiled woman looked at Gyokuen who trembled with anger and shock. "Aren't you able to sense 'her' when that girl was in this palace?"
"The ring...That girl was wearing a Sapphire stone ring with an emblem of a phoenix. Looks like 'she' was trapped inside that ring stone! Their souls aren't synchronized yet." Gyokuen stated seriously. Her eyes were full of murderous intent. "We must eliminate that Xue Feng girl before 'she' can possessed her body!"
-X-
Chapter 11: Earnest Wish
"What?" Mei Hua asked in annoyance as Xue Feng smiled teasingly toward her best friend.
"I don't think that your face indicate that you're fine,'Mei'." Xue Feng answered teasingly.
"Don't bother me, Xue." Mei Hua said as she continued her work.
"No witty or sacrasm remark? Aren't you an expert in hiding your feeling, Mei...?" Xue Feng refused to stop as this is the first time Mei Hua lost her temper towards a certain red hair prince.
"Stop it or else..." Mei Hua glared at Xue Feng. Her patience was running dried.
As Xue Feng tried to tease her friend again, something caught her eyes. Her eyes widened to see a foreign object like crystal ball was threw into the room.
"Code yellow!" She screamed as she saw flames shooting coming towards her. A loud and destructive noise could be heard as one of the Kou hospital room in Balbadd exploded.
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