187: 4.52 Broken Sword

4.52 Broken Sword

Tension bled out of Lu Yizhou's shoulders, one he didn't even know he had. He shut his eyes in relief and bent down, catching Heimo's lips with affection so vivid and intense that it made the man cry even more.  2

Heimo would carry this bittersweet taste with him and engraved it to his flesh and bones, he would burn it to his blood so he could keep living just with the memory that he was loved, that someone was willing to forsake everything just for his sake. Lu Yizhou bit down on the man's bottom lip before pulling away. Heimo whined and chased after his mouth but the man simply pecked him on the corner of his lips, his cheeks, nose, eyelids, every single part he could find on Heimo's face. He was kissing the sadness and tears away. This wouldn't be a farewell, he conveyed through the kisses. This was a promise.

"Wait for me…" Lu Yizhou breathed as he leaned his forehead against Heimo's and stared deep into his amber eyes. "No matter what appearance you take, no matter what kind of identity you have, I will find you and return to your side."

"Promise…?" Heimo's lips wobbled, his voice so small that it was barely a whisper.

"Promise." Lu Yizhou dropped one last lingering kiss to his forehead and Heimo's eyelids fluttered shut, basking in the kiss that he knew would be the last. He didn't struggle when Lu Yizhou pushed him into Uncle Luqiu's arms who was already waiting behind, he didn't struggle when he was brought further and further away from Lu Yizhou, he didn't struggle even after Lu Yizhou disappeared from sight. His eyes were blank, devoid of any lights. He was like a puppet whose string was cut. He had no idea where Uncle Luqiu took him and he didn't realize it either when Luqiu Ning and Luqiu Hong were hugging him tight from both sides, crying into his shoulders.

He looked up to the dark sky with an empty gaze and saw Uncle Luqiu pass through the crack in the sky, giving them one last affectionate look before he turned away. His back drifted further and further as the crack slowly mended itself. The crimson moon disappeared and the gate to the demonic realm was closed, once again revealing the sun that continued to offer its warmth to the people below.

What followed after was a blur in Heimo's mind. He saw a transparent dome forming around the area, sealing Lu Yizhou and the group of cultivators together. There were many, many shouts, curses, sword clashing against sword, and the cries of war and bloodlust. When Heimo came to, he was already kneeling on the edge of the barrier, hammering desperately on it with his fists which he knew contained no strength, calling his beloved's name again and again. "Lu Yizhou… Lu Yizhou!!!" He could sense Lu Yizhou's soul power throughout the barrier. The revelation sunk into him like a harsh slap and he felt his entire body going limp. Lu Yizhou was using his own soul to create the barrier for the massacre, one which couldn't be broken nor intruded until… the caster's death.

That's why, when the barrier abruptly shattered into thousand pieces of lights, Heimo knew, felt it through the hollow ache in his chest and the impending despair, that he had lost his beloved.

The rowdy area became deathly tranquil, the scent of blood and death thick in the air. Through the hazy consciousness of his mind, he registered Luqiu Ning and Luqiu Hong calling out to him. Still blankly, he looked up and when he saw what was in front of him, he came to awareness; so sudden like someone had just pulled his head up from underwater, so sudden like he had just re-learned how to breathe again and for the first time, felt the vivid pain of lack of air in his lungs.

A few meters away from him, resting on the snowy ground, was Hexue which had broken in half.

Heimo scrambled up to his feet before he could think and reached for the sword with movement so gentle as if he was caressing his beloved's face. He cradled the broken sword in his arms, heedless of the sharp edges that cut through his skin. He ran his eyes greedily through the elegant markings of snow on its hilt, through the wisps of spiritual energy that was still thrumming in it, through the lingering presence of his beloved that was slowly disappearing.

Slowly, he crouched down, bending his back to embrace the sword with his whole body, until his forehead nearly touched the ground, until he could feel Hexue's hilt press sharply onto his chest. 

And only then did he allow himself to weep.

***

The tale of Jingxue-Jun's life became a legend that was told mouth-to-mouth and the storytellers' favorite to gain more traction in inns and restaurants. The more it spread among people, the more variety appeared. But there were two versions that remained the same; people called it the romantic version and the mysterious version. The romantic version said that he defected because he was bewitched by Black Demon Weeping Blood's beauty and strayed down to the path of demonic cultivation because of true love. They sighed at Jingxue-Jun's redeeming qualities for he didn't hesitate to defend his love against the whole world. 

On the other hand, the mysterious version believed that Lingyan had some dirty secrets that couldn't be aired to the public. Wasn't it reasonable if someone as righteous and rigid as Jingxue-Jun rebelled to the point of killing his own shifu? 

And more importantly, what was up with the large hole in the sky that appeared only for a brief shichen? 

Even if someone said that it was the gate of the demonic realm, nobody could bring themselves to believe it. For starters, if it was true, then why didn't any demon appear? Had the gate been closed before the demons could pass through? Was it Jingxue-Jun who summoned it or was it the cultivators who fought against him?

Surprisingly, many people stood on Jingxue-Jun's side simply because he was a lone figure fighting against an army. The bold act of defiance was often seen as a sign, to let people know that there was an important message he had to relay even at the expense of his own life. No matter what it was, it must have been severe enough for Jingxue-Jun to sacrifice himself.

Alas, there was nobody who could confirm the truth now because Sect Leader Ling had died, his daughter had disappeared and not only that, all of the elders had also perished under Jingxue-Jun's sword. Everyone called the massacre 'Red Snow Rebellion' in reminiscent of Jingxue-Jun's image and the fact that the war happened on the peak of winter, turning the snow crimson and tainting the land with resentful energy through decades to come. 

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