It was coming. Today, the biggest battle was happening. Between both Mo Chou and Mo Shen, they had sent their strongest troops along with their best generals to fight.
As Lu Fengmian sat atop of his horse, his long hair was tied back by a ribbon, white hair blowing in the air as his horse slowly strutted. By his side, Lu Yingyue, Hong Daiyu, and Bingqing were ready on their horses, each of them dressed in light armors, but nothing too heavy that would stop their movements.
Unlike the regular soldiers, the fox demons needed less weight so that they would be able to move. Not to mention, many of them already had their weapons, directly using their powers and turning to their demon forms.
Lu Fengmian's face was cold, blue eyes gazing at the approaching army that was getting closer to them. As he put his hand up, a soldier by the side noticed and blew the horn as the soldiers following him came to a sudden stop.
Lu Fengmian watched, waiting for him to appear, for Tang Qingshan to arrive. As he sat in silence, he was both silent and overbearing. There wasn't an ounce of fear on his face, much less emotion. His face was cold, as if he wasn't leading an army of demons and soldiers who were going to defeat the other side.
"You have prepared everything quite well. Even the soldiers are well-trained." Hong Daiyu smirked, her beautiful lips curving, a wave of her power coming out.
"I did everything according to what Bingqing had instructed. I also taught some of the fox demons to use their powers." Lu Fengmian replied coolly, hands on the rein of his horse.
Bingqing turned over at this, "Ah! Excellent! Then I can rest assured that we should have a rather easy time. Of course, we have Lu Fengmian, son of the King of the Fox Demons. He can be considered to be our Prince. With him here, he should be easily able to use his power and fight without moving." Bingqing glanced at Lu Fengmian and winked.
Lu Fengmian didn't change his expression at her words. Lu Yingyue had told him already, that the original soul's past was actually deeper than what he knew and what he understood.
Lu Fengmian found it hard. He sometimes even felt that he was now really attached to this body. All his pain now made him feel as if this was his body, even though it wasn't.
Suddenly, Lu Fengmian felt a stabbing pain on his palm and he looked down.
Lu Yingyue noticed his actions and looked closer while asking with concern, "Feng'er, are you alright?"
Lu Fengmian looked at the blue mark on his palm that was lighting, flashing a bit. "It's nothing, my powers are just a bit out-of-hand at the moment."
Their conversation stopped as they felt a wind slashing, the sound of hooves approaching.
Lu Fengmian turned his head up, his beautiful face stared out in silence. He straightened his back.
Of course, if Tang Qingshan was here, why wouldn't Xu Weiyuan be here too?
With his senses raised several times that of a human's, Lu Fengmian glanced at the faces. Qi Longhai and another man were also at the front. It didn't take long for Lu Fengmian to recognize the other man.
Lu Yingyue turned to him, "Don't worry, I have noticed. It is only to be expected, else he wouldn't have just let us go so easily. It is a good thing you've trained the soldiers on our side to block their ears. Else, our powers would easily brainwash them. Now, even if they brought their own Taoist Priests, we can still easily defeat them." Lu Yingyue did not worry, merely saying nonchalantly.
Lu Fengmian nodded his head, gazing into the distance. When he noticed that the other side had stopped to examine them, he understood at once that Tang Qingshan couldn't recognize him. It was only normal, but his heart still stung a bit. He took a deep breath.
Tang Qingshan looked at the people from the distance ahead. There was a man he did not recognize standing among three people who he had fought against before and suffered a defeat. The man felt familiar, yet the man was also totally different. Tang Qingshan could see the man's white flowing hair and it was enough to make him understand that the man was a fox demon.
Maybe? But, it didn't look like him?
Before Tang Qingshan could think of anything else, he saw the man lifted up his right arms, his palm rising into the sky. At that moment, a wave of light flashed from his hands.
It was voices overlapping one another, loud and clear, soft and bewitching, control and entrancing. The voices were so beautiful, hypnotic as is entranced the soldiers breathless. The power made them blank, almost as if they were losing their minds. And then they thought, why fight a losing war? They couldn't fight the urge to resists these words, merely following with it.
Tang Qingshan felt a headache appear in his mind as he roughly saw Lu Yingyue's mouth moving. She stepped forward, with several fox demons stepping out and moving closer to the group of soldiers who stood entranced.
From the side, Xu Weiyuan noticed what was going on. "Talisman!" With his command, talismans were thrown in the air, flying towards the demons who approached with speed.
Lu Yingyue's eyes narrowed and she smirked, her fangs showing. "Xu Weiyuan! Your talismans cannot work against us, not when we have our prince with us!" Saying so, even as the talismans exploded towards them, the demons moved forward unscathed.
From behind the demons, the soldiers also ran forward, clashing with the soldiers on Tang Qingshan's side, soldiers who had already lost a bit of their soul.
"Prince?" Tang Qingshan questioned out loud. Then, he realized that they spoke of the man with white hair who rode on his horse in the distance, merely watching with his palm facing the sky. It was then that Tang Qingshan noticed the tiny white light that was attached to each of the demon's forehead, a blue mark engraved on their forehead, pulsing with light. The man was protecting them even from such a great distance. Over 500 demons raced towards them, unafraid of the Taoist Priests.
Hong Daiyu's eyes glinted, her claws digging out a man's heart as she screamed, "Demons! Feast as you will." Then, she smirked towards Xu Weiyuan, who froze.
Xu Weiyuan looked at Xu Louyan who furrowed his brows. "What Prince?"
Xu Louyan's eyes gazed into the distance, "They have found the son of the King mother and father had defeated. He is the Prince of the Fox Demons, his father the previous King." Which meant that he was the strongest fox demons, his powers rivaling several of the highest fox demons.
Tang Qingshan's head suddenly ached, closing his eyes in a moment of pain. His hands tightened as he held the reins, his breath drawing deeper as he looked into the distance. That man, Tang Qingshan could feel himself being drawn towards the figure. In fact, Tang Qingshan felt that he knew who this man was, who Lu Yingyue spoke of as the Prince.
"This battle will result in losses for both sides," Xu Weiyuan said at last, closing his eyes.
Xu Weiyuan then turned to Tang Qingshan, the man who sat so silently. To himself, he smiled bitterly. What a cruel man. Even when his heart had changed, such a man still tried to care for him like before. This merely raised his expectations that the man was still truly in love with him. It only served in harming him more.
Tang Qingshan finally looked back at his remaining soldiers. Raising his sword in the air, he commanded, "Battle!" Finally, he was making a move. With his horse, he charged forward with a yell, the thousands of soldiers following behind him as they marched into battle.
Bingqing smiled brightly, her demonic eyes glinting as she said in an evil tone, "Soldiers, kill all who resists against us!" With her voice, the soldiers fought even more bravely, mixing into the crowd.
Lu Yingyue looked in the crowd when suddenly, a pair of eyes caught her attention. "Nianzhen?" It was a voice of confusion, as the man in her hands dropped dead.
Standing a mere few meters away from her, Jiang Nianzhen stood with a sword in his hand, a light smile on his face. "Yingyue."
Lu Yingyue was faced with a panic she never knew she had. In just a mere moment, she didn't know what to do as she lost her composure. "You are here."
Jiang Nianzhen's sword moved lightly in the air, brandishing against a man who approached him as he replied, "I have to be here. After you disappeared, I searched for you everywhere." His voice was very light, even as he slayed many of the men.
Lu Yingyue watched him step forward. She opened her mouth, only letting out silence. What to say? She couldn't say anything. "I'm a demon, there was no hope between us."
Jiang Nianzhen only smiled with ridicule. "If you had told me before, my heart still wouldn't have changed."
Lu Yingyue felt a sense of anger flash within her. How could Jiang Nianzhen say that so lightly? The last time Lu Yingyue loved, she had killed. She was selfish, Jiang Nianzhen wouldn't be able to love someone whose hands were so tainted. Jiang Nianzhen was a physician, his hands had saved the lives of many. But Lu Yingyue? Lu Yingyue was a demon, her hands had ended the lives of many.
"Yingyue, can we stop? Can we put an end to this war, a peaceful conclusion, and start a life somewhere else? You are a demon and will live much longer than me. I understand but I still love you the same. If possible, would you be willing to settle down with me?" Jiang Nianzhen stopped before Lu Yingyue. Even as war raged on around them, the two were separated. His eyes were warm, glazed with love from deep within his heart.
"Such an ending is impossible for you and I, Nianzhen, you know that best." Lu Yingyue merely shook her head, looking up to meet his devastating eyes.
Jiang Nianzhen's sorrowful smile did not change. He lifted his sword, "Spar with me. Just like before, when you and I had stayed so long for those nights, those nights that I had embraced you within my arms." As he said this, his voice shook, a trace of pain flickering in his eyes.
Lu Yingyue felt a stifling feeling from within her heart. Slowly, she reached for the sword tied at her waist and withdrew it. Without another word, she took her stance.
Seeing her movements, Jiang Nianzhen smiled, his eyes watered. Taking a breath, he moved towards Lu Yingyue.
Bingqing looked at the scene of Lu Yingyue battling with another man. She didn't say anything as she turned to Hong Daiyu, "I will take care of Xu Weiyuan. I'll leave Xu Louyan to you. Lu Fengmian can deal with Tang Qingshan."
Hong Daiyu nodded her head, turning away with a smirk as she jumped into the air, her body floating over the air and landing on the ground, causing tremors on the ground. From her angle, she saw the figure that had already reached the other man.
The closer Tang Qingshan got, the more he understood. As he ruthlessly cut away the lives that approached him, his sword was dyed with blood. Yet his horse continued on without rest, charging forward.
As the man grew closer, a smile eventually made way to Tang Qingshan's face. He was so different but his appearance still remained the same. Tang Qingshan's heart skipped within his chest, not even understanding why. It was all because of him, was it not?
His horse slowed down, staying meters away from Lu Fengmian.
Lu Fengmian watched Tang Qingshan, his own heart beating so brilliantly without a word. Even after so long, the man was still so perfect. It was to the point where even though Lu Fengmian had steeled his heart, he still couldn't help himself, couldn't resist the love that tore at his heart.
"It was because of me, wasn't it?" Tang Qingshan opened his mouth at last, a hoarse voice asking carefully.
Lu Fengmian's face was cold, looking back at Tang Qingshan. As he opened his mouth, an emotionless voice replied, "No, this was expected sooner or later."
Tang Qingshan's heart stung. Lu Fengmian, he had changed. From the man who was so kind, the man whose being was too gentle, Tang Qingshan had made him turn into a cold man like this. Tang Qingshan couldn't stay another word as he looked at Lu Fengmian. The man was still the same, even if his heart had turned cold. Tang Qingshan ached to touch him, just to see if he was really here.
"I'm sorry, Fengmian, for everything I did." Tang Qingshan's eyes were sincere. For the first time, Tang Qingshan seemed to have accepted his heart.
"You did nothing wrong. It was merely me who wanted what could never be mine. Truthfully, at least you didn't have to confront me about what my sister had done. It at least saved me from that much." Even as Lu Fengmian said this in such a stoic tone, he still looked carefully at Tang Qingshan, as if imprinting the man's image into his head.
He couldn't do this now, Lu Fengmian couldn't just stop now. So what if the man he loved was before him now? He had a mission to complete and Tang Qingshan was a danger. Even if this was the man he loved with all his life, he would still have to fight him. The truth was, Lu Fengmian didn't want to. He couldn't bear to, but he knew he had to.
With his hand trembling, he reached for his sword. Lu Fengmian took hold of his sword and jumped off his horse. "General, let us battle by ourselves. You and I are both the General to our own troops. This battle will decide the fate of Mo Nation and which Emperor will rule it."
Tang Qingshan's lips trembled, biting his lips as he jumped off his horse. He clenched his sword in one hand, looking at Lu Fengmian with a million words in his eyes. So, this was what the ending would come to between the two of them?
Tang Qingshan shook his head, "Fengmian, listen to me please. I know that you think I will seek revenge for my father, but I don't wish to. Fengmian, listen to my words. I love you. It took me so long to realize but I love you."
But Lu Fengmian gave no reaction. "General, your words reflect nothing when you are a married man."
To tell the truth, Lu Fengmian could see that Tang Qingshan meant everything he had said. Lu Fengmian wanted so much to run into the man's arm, to embrace him and love him. But fate had been cruel to them in this world and they had already walked so far. Going forward was impossible for them.
And so, Lu Fengmian didn't say anything more as he moved forward, his sword gliding through the air.
"Fengmian, I," Tang Qingshan couldn't say anything else as Lu Fengmian's blade flashed before him and he hurried to block the sudden attack.
Was this it for them? Was it really time to just let go?
But Tang Qingshan didn't want to, he didn't want to just let go. He wanted him, he wanted to love him. Even if it was already so late, Tang Qingshan wanted to love him.
Tang Qingshan's head continued to ache.
"Quickly, return back."
Tang Qingshan felt his vision flicker.
.
.
.