170: 4.35 Come To Me

4.35 Come To Me

The air was scorching the deeper Lu Yizhou went. His robe clung to his skin uncomfortably and a few times, droplets of perspiration almost got into his eyes. Lu Yizhou blinked it away and picked up his pace, almost flying across the narrowing cave. When his arm inadvertently brushed against the rough wall, a sizzling sound rang out in an instant, courtesy to his outer robe which was burned to ashes from the mere touch.  2

Faster, he had to hurry… Lu Yizhou could sense it. The source of the heat resting on the pit of the cave's stomach — the dormant lava as well as the dragon who had made its nest there — and Heimo's presence that was getting closer and closer. He slashed down a few fierce corpses that stood in his way almost maniacally, blood splattered to his pristine light blue robe. If anybody were to see Jingxue-Jun hacking corpses down like a madman with his hair flying all over the place, they would definitely assume that their eyes were playing a joke on them. With a flick, Hexue was once again clean of stain, its energy so contrasting to the dark surroundings that the blade glowed lightly in the dark. Lu Yizhou exhaled slowly and marched his way forward, leaving a trail of corpses behind on his wake.

It was both an eternity and no time at all when he finally burst through the narrow pathway toward an open space where the ground ended abruptly into a steep cliff. Steam was rolling out from the sea of lava underneath and the rock wall glowed in a smothering crimson glow. And standing on the edge of the cliff with half of his foot in the air, was Heimo. Thick resentful energy whirled around him and in addition to his dark colored robes, he almost merged into one with the dark atmosphere itself.

"You sure are persistent, aren't you?" Heimo suddenly spoke without turning around. His voice was — weird. It was unlike the voice he had always used in front of Lu Yizhou. This was cold, emotionless, flat. "Are you the one who killed the immortal I was chasing after?"

Something inside Lu Yizhou cracked and his voice was thick when he whispered. "Lan'er…"

Abruptly, Heimo swiveled around and disbelief painted his whole face as soon as he caught sight of Lu Yizhou. "You—!" He ran his eyes through Lu Yizhou's entire body and concern flashed through them for a split second before they hardened again like the surface of a freezing winter lake. It was those eyes he showed before he disappeared last time. Lu Yizhou hated it. Heimo shouldn't have that kind of look; he… he should live freely, happily, without being burdened by whatever the world decided to throw onto his shoulders. "It's you?" Heimo asked in a voice colder, much colder than anything Lu Yizhou had ever heard. "You are the one who killed that immortal?"

Lu Yizhou opened his lips to answer. But before he could, Heimo tilted his head, seemingly making a connection, and his lips curled into a strange smile. "Then all those times, you haven't been affected by what I put into your drink?"

"Lan'er," Lu Yizhou stretched out a hand, his eyes never leaving Heimo, hoping that the man could see his sincerity. "Come here. Let me help you. You don't need to do everything alone."

"Pfft—!" An uncontrollable laugh escaped Heimo's lips before he threw his head back and burst into a fit of cackles. He laughed and laughed until his body bent over, arms going around his stomach. His footing faltered and Lu Yizhou's heart almost jumped out of his throat when the man swayed dangerously over the edge of the cliff before he straightened himself. Just a little bit more… Just a little bit more and he would have plunged straight into the molten lava. "Help me? You are going to help me?"

Lu Yizhou only realized that his whole body was trembling, especially his voice, when he spoke. "Lan'er, come here, okay?" He couldn't — fuck — he couldn't stand to see Heimo like this. Baring himself in the face of danger without the slightest care in the world. His cells were buzzing, commanding him to move; to pull Heimo away from that place, to hide him away and it took almost his willpower to keep himself from lunging forward.

However, it seemed like his words didn't reach Heimo because the man continued cackling like he had just heard the greatest joke in the world. His voice echoed eerily within the cave and the demonic energy around him crackled with electricity as if responding to its wielder's mirth. "Of course—" Heimo inhaled sharply and his smile dropped in an instant. "Of course, I should have seen that coming. The esteemed and honorable Jingxue-Jun, the epitome of kindness and righteousness, will always be ready to offer help to those who need them. What a shame, this demonic cultivator doesn't deserve it." He gave a mock salute. 

"I don't care." Lu Yizhou said firmly. "I don't care what you are, Lan'er."

Heimo's expression froze and his pupils trembled. Sensing an opening, Lu Yizhou seized the chance to take a step forward. The air shifted behind him and everything was too late by the time he sensed something — or someone — flying straight toward him. "Jingxue-Jun!" Shan Duoyin hugged his torso firmly, deterring him from moving whilst Ling Chuwei unsheathed his sword and pointed the tip to Heimo. 

"Be careful, Jingxue-Jun!" The woman barked sharply. Her hands were trembling from fear, yet her stance was firm and protective as she stood in front of him. "He's the Black Demon Weeping Blood, don't be bewitched by his spell! Remember, Father ordered you to guarantee his death. You have vowed to kill him with your own hands!"

Whatever emotions that flashed through Heimo's eyes faded at Ling Chuwei's words and the impenetrable fortress returned in full force, stacking even higher than before. "Oh?" He chuckled darkly. "The honorable Jingxue-Jun is here to kill me?" No, Lu Yizhou mouthed, chill climbing up the tip of his fingertips to his entire body. Hexue rattled in his grip in response to his turbulent emotions. "This humble one is flattered but I'm sorry—"

"NO!" Lu Yizhou sent Shan Duoyin flying to the opposite wall and pushed Ling Chuwei away.

"—but I have no plans to die now, not at this kind of place." He spread his arms open and with a smile, kicked his feet off the ground, his body tilting backward and then he was falling, falling…

"Jingxue-Jun!" Shan Duoyin and Ling Chuwei shouted in unison.

Lu Yizhou's eyes were transfixed on Heimo's figure and for the next few seconds, everything turned into a slow motion; each scene passing by infinitesimally slow. The wind whistled past his ears and the hot air slapped against his face, stinging his eyes that were unwilling to blink even once. He saw the thick disbelief in Heimo's face when he followed the man down the cliff, his lips parting to form a word. Lu Yizhou reached out desperately, his fingertips brushing past Heimo's billowing sleeves, veins throbbing in his forehead as he strained every muscle in his body and then he—

Lu Yizhou caught him.

Gritting his teeth, he yanked Heimo toward him and hugged the man tight as he changed their position midair so that he was the one underneath. Tongues of flame licked his clothes, burning his skin. Heimo thrashed in his embrace and Lu Yizhou held him in a dead grip, his screams and protest fell into deaf ears. The dragon had been waiting for them below, furious. Lu Yizhou had no chance to take a good look at it when it suddenly opened its jaw wide, showing rows of sharp, jagged teeth and then, a ball of flame formed in its mouth, growing larger and larger like a rolling snowball…

Lu Yizhou only had a split second to summon Hexue when the fire beam shot straight toward them. Its impact blasted them a few hundreds meters away. Lu Yizhou felt his ribs crack under the force but he still didn't let Heimo go. With his jaws tightened, he used the momentum to direct them toward a small cave that was mostly hidden behind a rock pillar out of the dragon's range of sight. They crashed to the ground and rolled, hard and messy. Lu Yizhou's arm firmly placed behind Heimo's head and the other around his waist as he used his own body to cushion the impact. He let out a quiet groan when his back finally collided with a solid wall.

"...Lu Yizhou!" Heimo's voice seemed to come from far, far away. Lu Yizhou's ears were ringing and it took a few seconds for his sensory system to process the state of his body. Then, everything slammed into him like a tidal wave; the excruciating pain on his scorched back, the open flesh, the rough and hard surface on his bare skin. Every inch of his body hurt as if he had just been razed to the ground. But he had Heimo in his arms, safe and sound. Lu Yizhou bit down on his tongue and forced his eyes to remain open. His body felt so, so heavy and he could hear the system's warning in his mind, telling him of his own severe condition. Amidst the haze in his mind, he still grunted in response to Heimo's fretful calls. 

"Are you…okay…?" He coughed and abruptly, his sight turned dark.

pqdm.com