The Legend of the Devil
Ch. 92 - Flashback II
Drops of blood flowed on the owner's sword blade which was now pierced using his own sword.
Xue Zhan opened his eyes wide, cold sweat soaked his face and instantly his hands trembled violently.
"I-i ... No, no way, no way!"
The moment Xue Zhan was about to pierce Yan Shumei's body the male easily dodged and the sword pierced through the person behind Yan Shumei, Lin Yu Pei.
"Danell ..." Lin Yu Pei clasped the sword that stuck in his stomach, spewing blood from his mouth while coughing. "You're a brave boy."
Little Xue Zhan screamed, "No, Dad! I didn't do it! I don't intend to kill you!" The young man was so panicked and frightened. He cried while shaking Lin Yu Pei's increasingly weakened body.
"It's okay, Zhan'er. Promise to take care of your brother and grandfather. They mean so much to me. And .. It looks like this is the first time you've called me dad. I'm so happy."
He looked at the corpse of his wife not so far away. "My wife would be so happy to know this ...."
"No!!"
The man smiled at his death even as his body was buried. Yan Shumei left the residence after the couple was killed and several soldiers of Lin Yu Shan's acquaintance came to the rescue of the family.
From then on Xue Zhan regretted the death and continued to curse himself for several months, until even though he forgot about it without cause, that regret would remain immortal in his heart.
Xue Zhan who was now aware of the event was so similar to what happened to Lin Yu Mei. The girl turned to him so blankly, there was a huge guilt lingering in her heart and made Xue Zhan repeatedly blame himself for the deaths of her grandfather and sister.
"Even when I killed Dad he still gave me generosity and forgave me. Wh why? Why was it when Mei'er did it that I scolded and threw it away?" He closed his eyes allowing tears to again wet his cheeks, fate playing with great cruelty. Or he who does not know himself.
Only empty space was visible at this moment. But Xue Zhan was still clasping his sister's hand, the silence was momentary until the little girl spoke, "Grandfather lied. Not the villain who killed Dad, but Brother Zhan himself."
"May'er, I'm sorry. I don't know—"
"Why then when I do the same thing you leave me?!"
"You can hate me, but I don't want our brotherly bond to be broken" he said crouched in front of 9-year-old Lin Yu Mei.
"What brotherhood?" Lin Yu Mei shook her rough hands, as she spoke it reminded her of the words Xue Zhan had once so wickedly uttered to the innocent little girl.
"Me and you don't have any blood ties. We are not siblings! You're just a adopted son and a descendant of the devil who can kill me at any moment! You're the cause of my mother's death, my father's murder, making my grandfather sick and losing his job and destroying our once peaceful home!"
"May'er ...."
Xue Zhan was half on his knees.
"I just want to convey one thing to you," she said looking into Lin Yu Mei's eyes that felt so different, as she realized the girl's hair was starting to extend and her body was slightly taller than last time. The Lin Yu Mei in front of him was completely different, Xue Zhan could hardly believe that person was his sister.
"Whenever you hate me, I will always love you. I only have you as the only family I have. And I promised my father to always take care of you even if I failed to keep it. You can hate me. It's my fault."
Darkened.
Xue Zhan flinched, Lin Yu Mei had disappeared from his sight and all of a sudden she was already at a food stall where three young men were sitting in front of her while joking. This was the memory before they went to the Feng Empire for Miss Wen's rescue mission, Xue Zhan had so memorized it.
"What'sthis? Where's Mei'er? Grandpa? Uncle Lin? Then Aunty?"
"Huh? Are you delirious about what this kid is doing on such a hot day? Hey, did you just fall the moon on your head until you fucked it up?" Xian Shen laughed after mocking, poured tea in a small glass and thrusting at him.
Xue Zhan. It's just a dream, but why it feels so real. He looked at Jiazhen Yan who was still the same as usual. Given how wrathful his friend was when all the truth was revealed.
"Hey," he called to make the young man surnamed Jiazhen obtainable. "Otherwise?"
"Your necklace ... Does he have two jewels with the same name on each of his pieces?"
Jiazhen Yan was silent. "How did you know?"
He clenched his hands.
"I have the other piece that's red and you're so angry when you find out. You better beat me up now than you'll ever know for yourself, I'll accept all the consequences even if I have to pay with my life."
Xiao Rong and Xian Shen stared at each other in confusion, Xue Zhan daydreamed and said a very sudden thing.
"Brother Zhan, it doesn't seem like another month is hitting your head. Maybe get sunburned until your brain burns. What a pity, Brother Rong, help our friend."
"Rather than him you're better suited to being called a madman." Xiao Rong instead sneered at Xian Shen which made the young man glare at him furiously.
Jiazhen Yan ignored the two bickering brats, without turning to Xue Zhan and opening his voice.
"You're my friend," the young man replied so loathsomely, that Xue Zhan didn't believe him. Although this was only a dream she was sure Jiazhen Yan would not respond to this so calmly.
"You're the only friend I trust the most. But I promised to kill whoever killed my mother. If the killer were you, I'd just throw you into the sea to be a shark's meal."
"My life means nothing more than your oath, my friend."
Jiazhen Yan turned to her with a laugh, "If I kill you I won't get anything, the past will still not change, stupid." He continued gloomily, "But I lost my only friend. Wasn't it me who lost?"
Again and again the space before Xue Zhan changed like a memory labyrinth that gave rise to one memory after another inside his head, he was trapped. However Jiazhen Yan was now standing before him. Just like Lin Yu Mei earlier, the usual figure of Jiazhen Yan who looked arrogant and hot-tempered now changed completely until Xue Zhan was confused.
The friend was no longer wearing the flame-red robe that was emblematic of the Jiazhen clan. Jiazhen Yan was wearing a white robe that was usually worn to grieve the death of someone. His eyes were filled with thousands of disappointments and regrets, at that moment it was somehow Xue Zhan saw that the young man had lost himself. The sword in his hand was covered in the blood of hundreds of humans. No more humanity was stored in his heart.
The moment Jiazhen Yan lifted the visible face was just a pair of bloodthirsty killer eyes.
"Oi Goddamn Satan, what happened to you-"
When his hand was about to grab the young man again everything changed.