Jun woke up with a start, his body aching in terrible pain from having profusely exhausted it out. After all he had spent hours, days... transferring Qi without rest or recuperating his meridians.
Still even if his body was in terrible pain he paid it no mind, instead he struggled to move.
As he looked to the side he noticed he had been moved to a more open area, now the rushing waterfall and rustling trees couldn't be heard, instead he laid out in an open area on the summit.
Jun didn't care he looked towards the most important direction, he looked to his side, however his mind grew terrified when he noticed the empty ground, he no longer saw a "sleeping" beauty right beside him, she was gone!
Instantly his red eyes flashed awake in panic, his whole body tensed as the surrounding air grew frigid.
Her body wasn't the only one missing, the other two bodies couldn't be seen either.
In the corner of his eye Jun suddenly noticed a fresh patch of overturned dirt, this suggested the bodies had been laid to rest.
Jun's mind grew dazed. 'It can't be... she was buried?'
Instantly he grew pale from the thought, an even greater need to get up and search the surroundings filled his mind!
Still as Jun struggled to get up he found his body limp, exhausted and unable to move.
"Ah you're awake." A man's sullen voice suddenly interrupted Jun's chaotic thoughts.
Jun turned his head up to see Hiuzhen standing a few meters away.
He also appeared to be standing by a huge pillar of collected logs and sticks...?
"Where the hell is she!?" Jun angrily seethed with a clenched jaw.
"Don't worry the body is right here." Huizhen voice was calm as he stepped aside revealing the lifeless "doll," it lay untouched on the ground beside the massive pile of wood and kindling.
Jun looked slightly confused as his red eyes swirled with anger. "What are you planning...? You said you'd heal her...-Give her back to me!"
Huizhen's: "-one who needs healing."
"What...?"
Huizhen was unfazed as he patiently spoke. "As I said before, I will heal the one who needs healing."
His words were vague but as Jun looked at Huizhen then back at the wood pile he began to understand the meaning behind the words, his angry eyes suddenly broke with fear. "That's not...You can't... you-YOU CAN'T!"
"I will burn her body to bones and ashes. You will witness it so that you can move on from her death." Huizhen was cold as he laid down the facts.
He was aware the man would not be able to make peace if the dead body was still in his grasp, he would continue to blindly try healing it until his meridians became crippled.
Worse, if the younger man didn't see the body incinerated before his very eyes he may even spend years looking for it...
Therefore it was necessary.
Huizhen promised S a peaceful burial and to watch over the man, so he would try to do so now.
He continued to pile sticks together high to ensure a big fire, enough to burn a corpse associated with the dark arts.
A practitioner of the dark arts body would not burn unless they were burnt with a technique summoning the heavenly blue flames.
It was said only heaven could judge them for their corrupt path.
If Jun stayed with the body it would never rot and he would never be able to abandon it, Huizhen was certain of this.
Finally he finished collecting enough wood to warrant a large enough fire to burn a corpse.
Now with all the pieces in place he gently lifted the body to lay atop the kindling bed.
The beautiful "doll" lay still and unmoving, it even held a touch of pinkness to warrant the look of life as though the woman were simply "sleeping."
Yes, a cultivator of the dark arts body stayed intact even long after their death...
This is why the body had to be burned.
Although Huizhou should have felt content after the long years of pain finally coming to an end, all that remained were sullen feelings of bitterness.
Even in the end he couldn't do anything for his former Sensei, he wasn't the one to end her evil ways, nor was he the one to save her, now that she was dead this was all he could do.
The promise to help his master, this he could do at least... right?
"YOU CAN'T KILL HER!"
The maddening shouts of a certain man angrily echoed out throughout the area.
Huizhen paid no mind, it was time to activate the technique, even if the woman was dead the young disciple wouldn't admit it.
This was the only way.
Jun looked on in silent horror as his body wouldn't move, even as the man intended to use the sacred technique Jun couldn't will his body to listen to him.
"...why...WHY! ...why won't my body move when I need it too!" Jun's voice broke as he painfully whispered. His fists were clenched till they turned white and bled, he was frustrated to the extreme.
His heart was beating slow, excruciatingly slow, like every subtle beat lasted a painful eternity in which he couldn't help her, he wanted to move but his body wouldn't let him.
She was right in front of him yet he couldn't even run out and grab her.
"You're body shouldn't be able to move for at least a few hours. From the amount of Qi you transferred its a wonder you're still alive and your meridians aren't yet permanently damaged. You pushed your body past the limits and because of that it's exhausted, it's expended all it's energy and can no longer move for the time being." Huizhen gave a formal explanation to the young man, he knew in his erratic state the young man probably wouldn't listen but Huizhen still felt obligated to tell him so.
Seeing the man still continue to painfully struggle Huizhen sighed before turning his back.
Now was the time to call forth the technique of blue heavenly flames, only then would there be nothing left but bone and ash of the immortal body.
Huizhen began reciting as the clouds slowly grew dark and lightning struck, like this the technique was beginning.
The wooden pillar of logs and kindling suddenly sparked as fire began to erupt from the bottom.
"...you can't burn her." Jun looked stunned as the fire began to grow, he wasn't prepared to accept what was about to happen.
The bottom of the fire slowly began to creep towards the middle as Jun's heart violently shook.
Although his body was exhausted and painful he began to struggle with all his might!
"You can't burn her! I won't let you kill her! I WON'T LET YOU KILL HER!" The mad man was growing crazier as his sanity began to crack piece by piece.
Huizhen heard Jun's claims but didn't refute such things, after all he knew the man wouldn't listen to reason, he wouldn't accept that the woman was long dead... instead Huizhen continued to recite the technique while the blue flames continued spreading from the bottom closer to the location of the corpse.
Jun's red eyes grew scary wide as the flames began to spread near the body, although he was terribly weak and should have been immobile, he suddenly willed one leg to move!
Hizhen: '...What!'
Hizhen saw the man's movement from the corner of his eye, he was terribly surprised! Even in the horribly weakened condition he should have been in, the younger man was still managing to move!?
Huizhen decided to continue with the technique, although it was unlikely Jun would be able to stand and move towards him, Huizhen still felt a strange feeling urging him to be extremely cautious against the younger man.
He decided to speed up the technique as much as he could.
Suddenly Jun's arms moved!
Huizhen felt a foreboding feeling fill his soul like he was stepping on dangerous territory, it was as if he suddenly felt compelled to follow the younger man's previous instructions... however Huizhen quickly ignored the strange thought as he fully concentrated on the technique.
"...I won't let you-"
Jun felt the fire's blazing heat even from his distance, it was scary and blue as it lamped up the logs threatening to consume the body next.
Seeing the only human he ever cared about get burned to ashes was incomprehensible to Jun, the thought scared him to his very core.
Only thoughts of the woman he had gingerly called Sun filled his mind.
Finally his last leg moved.
In a split second he was able to completely stand and dash towards the blue flames, he ran forward leaping into the fire not scared of the vicious heat in the least.
Before even a single flame could touch Sun's body, it was quickly scooped up into the arms of a single man.
With great velocity he jumped away, far far away so that no more flames could ever touch her body again.
Everything only happened in a matter of seconds so Huizhen was slightly dumbfounded as the body no longer lay tucked in the bed of kindling.
It was only after he looked to the side that he saw Jun with cinched hair and skin clutching the body deep in his embrace.
Huizhen only had one word.
"Why?"
Only after ensuring the woman suffered no burns did Jun look back up with grueling eyes.
"I won't simply give up. I refuse to believe there isn't a way to...I will-will awaken her! As long as she "sleeps," I won't let anyone kill her." The last part felt deeply chilling as it held a dangerous tone.
"It's impossible..." the bodies dead. Huizhen bitterly thought.
Jun was quiet before he lightly whispered. "She revived me, the dark arts must have a way to bring her back..."
Huizhen's eyes widened as he worried about the implications of what was to come, however before he could think any deeper Jun flashed forward.
*BAM
In a split second Huizhen was struck down, a hard blow was applied to his stomach and chest, blood spewed out of his mouth as he felt himself draining of life. "Ah..."
"I'll kill everyone in this world if I have too, there must be a way." Jun's words were sullen, frightening as he clutched the cold lifeless body against him while preparing to lay one last final blow.
Huizhen was mortally wounded, he felt like he had once again failed his master-'no! I can't give up yet!'
Although he felt death approaching he knew he couldn't simply die having truly failed.
In that instance he used the remainder of his strength to flash a few feet away and swiftly pull out his sword. "The fight will end today, but it's not over yet!"
With that Huizhen held one hand to his injured stomach before beginning to make his sword float, although Jun wanted to go after him his body was also still incredibly weak, he couldn't defend "her" and go on the offense.
"Tch, come back and I'll kill you!" Jun threatened.
Huizhen looked back silently as he began to fly away. 'I'll follow through with my promise Sensei, and perhaps then I can finally "rest" too...' He would recuperate for the time being until he could truly finish his last deed.
With that the sword disappeared into the horizon as Jun was once again left on the quiet summit alone clutching a cold lifeless body.
"I will revive you... no matter what it takes." Jun once again lightly whispered, he began limping back to the top of the summit with the body in hand.
Desert Note: Meant to say this last chapter but thanks so much for 500k reads so far! For my first story on here it's very much appreciated and very encouraging as is all the votes and comments, you're all a bunch of lovely readers! (๑'ㅂ'๑)