There was no other place I could take her. None other than Shui Jing Mountain. Back to the cavern where we found the Star Gem, I built a platform out of stone and placed her body on top.
The dark cavern ceiling reflected a night sky of ethereal light. I knew that soon I would have to lay her to rest. I just wanted to watch her, imprint her image in my memory until we meet again.
The essence of the cave spiritually improved my inner powers and elevated my cultivation. The Star Gem inside my body responded well to the healing elements of the crystals.
I returned to Crimson Snow Valley for Wu Jing Ge, nursing him back to health at Shui Jing Mountain.
He was also mourning. His father died by Zhao Bao Bai's hands. When he was well enough, we buried his father in a grave next to his late mother. By then I knew it was time. I had to let the physical form of Na Li Jie go, so her spirit could be at rest.
I buried her at the tallest peak in Shui Jing Mountain. No one would be able to bother her. She'd prefer it if she was away from people and could greet the sunset and sunrise with the heightened view.
Remembering Na Li Jie's words, I had to live on for her. I promised that I won't waste her sacrifice.
"Wherever you go. I'll go." Wu Jing Ge says to me as we are dining inside a city tavern.
I'm shocked to hear him say something like that. He usually sought out his own pleasure, planning his own self-serving ambitions .
"Ah, are you sure?" I ask.
He gulps down his wine. "Aw. I mean it."
"Then... I'm glad to have you accompany me, Ge."
In this world, Wu Jing Ge and I have lost everyone we cared about. We really only had each other to depend on now.
We started traveling all around, helping out anyone who needs it all the while spreading good in Na Li Jie's name.
Wu Jing Ge barely complained or whined as he used to. It's almost as if his floundering ways have come to an end. He'd always seen the shadows of the world and was aware of the darkness in people's heart. As a child, he and his father were haunted down by the Immortal Sects after the fall of the Demon Sect. His mother was killed right in front of his eyes. He harbored a deep hatred for the Immortal Sects as did I. I believed his playful attitude masked the pain from his troubled life, but now that his father was gone, he was truly lost.
After a month of travel, Wu Jing Ge and I stop for a meal at a street stall. The city we are visiting isn't the grandest, but had lively businesses and active people moving about in the center of the city.
A man drops the tip of his sheath on my shoulders as I was just about to take a drink of water.
"Are you the one going around spreading that disgraceful name?"
Wu Jing Ge is ready to strike. I hold up my hand to stop him, and he sits back down on the wooden stool.
I set my bowl of water down on the table, and say, "Who's asking?"
"Song Tian Qi." He doesn't move the covered sword off.
"Song? You're from Tuan Jie Sect. I should have known. Only you people are bold enough to start something with people you don't know."
"You are the one who mercilessly annihilated Crimson Snow Valley. I'll kill you!" His sheath flies off the sword. I avoid the swing of the blade by leaning back and push the man's stomach with my force.
He retreats. However, he's taken aback that my cultivation is far superior to his. Nearby customers and vendors run away from the area, fearing a battle will take place.
Wu Jing Ge waits for me at the table. Standing in front of the Tuan Jie Sect disciple, he looks like a child with the most entitled attitude, fighting when he wishes, inducing violence as it fits his agenda.
"Why do you think I am the one who annihilated Crimson Snow Valley?" I wonder.
He says, "That immoral Luo Na Li harbored a lover, deserted her sect and secretly gave him the Star Gem! She later went back to seek revenge against her own Master. You're going around saying her name like she's some martyr. That is such a dishonor to Crimson Snow Valley."
"So you think I'm this secret lover of Luo Na Li? You think too highly of me. Besides if I did have the Star Gem and did eliminate a whole entire Immortal Sect, don't you think you should run?"
"What-- You think I can't kill you?!"
"You think I won't kill you?"
"You-- You just wait! I'll have my senior come and fight you!" He runs off.
Wu Jing Ge comes to my side. "It's not wise to let him bring anyone else from Tuan Jie Sect. Perhaps you should give it a rest with the good deeds."
I smile watching the young disciple run off scared. "You know Na Li Jie was manipulated into killing many. Although she didn't know who she was killing, it was her blade that ended life. I worry that her soul will not be appeased in the afterlife, so I must do good and attribute it to her. It's the only thing I can do for her now."
Wu Jing Ge remains quiet, and we continue on traveling.
Outside the city, the night looms over our path. The trees stretch to the sky. Only sounds of nature surround the forest. No sight of humankind.
"Help me!" A woman screams. "Someone help me please!"
Wu Jing Ge and I both run off the path toward the voice. We run into a woman dressed in loose robes. The white silk seductively slips off her shoulders, her pale leg is revealed. She doesn't appear to be hurt anywhere.
"Miss, are you all right?" I ask while cautiously taking another step.
She falls on me, hugging me closely. "Please help me, good sir! There's a demon in these woods! It took my brother."
I grab her shoulders and look at her face. Even her face was as pale as the moon. Her pink lips puckered out and her perfect eyebrows raised high as if mimicking fear.
"Where did this demon take him?"
Slowly, she points up.
My eyes follow her bony finger to the tall branches.
It's that Tuan Jie disciple!
He ran off earlier to retrieve his senior to come kill me but now he is trapped in what looks like a circular web. His limbs are spread apart, stuck on the sticky strings. He looks alive with another white string wrapped around his mouth.
"Lu Kai, watch out!" Wu Jing Ge warns.
The woman suddenly shows her true form. Eight spider legs reach from behind her to grab me. I quickly step back and draw River Sound.
Wu Jing strikes her with his sword but misses as she jumps onto a tree and climbs up to the branches.
We look around in the dark for her to attack. The Tuan Jie disciple starts to squirm and squeal, attempting to break free. I look up and see the Black Widow Demon crawling closer and closer to him. Only her lower half depicts that of a spider with long black legs. Her face is no longer pleasant as more than ten dark eyes form on its surface and long fangs hang from her mouth.
I propel my feet off the ground with River Sound pointing right at the demon. It tries to drag me to the same fate of its other preys by shooting out a web to grab a hold of my waist. I cut through the web, but it never ends. The web is coming from... behind her lower half. Quite disgusting.
She successfully binds her web around me, but I finally reach the Tuan Jie Sect disciple and cut him down. He falls without grace, however Wu Jing Ge catches him before he hits the ground.
The demon wraps her web around my body like a cocoon. Hauling me to the center of her sprawled out web in the trees, her mouth drools, her many eyes blinking one after another.
I've fought demons like her before. She was quite strong. Still, if I can burn it then it can be killed.
Igniting my new powers of blue, the web cocoon melts and the flames spread throughout the layer of web. The demon backs off but not without singing her eight legs. It falls to the ground lying on its back, screaming.
I fall down as well, directing River Sound at the demon's bulging black lower half. I stab it and slice down, killing it. The screeches of the demon pierces my ear drums.
The demon's legs stop fidgeting as it dies.
Turning to face Wu Jing Ge, I notice he is holding the disciple's hands behind his back like a prisoner. The disciple is glad to see the demon dead but soon struggles to break away from Wu Jing Ge.
I walk over and tear off the sticky string covering his mouth. As soon as I did this, he spits multiple times at the ground. "Gross! Gross! It came from its butt!"
I couldn't help but let out a laugh. Wu Jing Ge releases him and he quickly wipes his mouth clean.
"You... killed it. What was that power? You burned right through the web."
I ignore his question. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to get your senior to come kill me."
"I-- I heard someone crying for help and came this way. It was that demon's trap to eat humans."
"There are many demons out in the world today. If you can't even take care of this one, it's best to stay within the walls of Tuan Jie Sect." I walk away and Wu Jing Ge follows.
"Wait! For the sake of, um, solidarity in killing evil demons, we should stick together." He walks fast to catch up to me.
"Nah, I don't think that's necessary."
"Fine. I won't tell my senior about you."
"I don't mind."
"You--"
"I'm sure you came out without permission. If you tell anyone about today, I think you're going to be the one in trouble."
"Well..."
We finally make it back to the path. From my fingertips, I throw a bit of my inner powers to create an invisible armor on the disciple.
"Hey! What did you do?" He exclaims.
"Relax. It's just an armor of protection. There's a lot of demons out there nowadays. Don't stray off the path and go back to Tuan Jie Sect."
He doesn't even thank me. Hmph, Tuan Jie Sect really is lacking.
As we walk away, Wu Jing Ge says, "Why didn't you kill him?"
I turn to him. "Why didn't you kill him?"
"I thought you hated the Immortal Sects."
"Hate... I do. But that kid is innocent."
"Let's hope that he doesn't grow up to kill you one day."
"Hmm." I shrug my shoulders.
The Immortal Sects are problematic. However with the upsurge of corrupted demons, they really are at the frontlines, taking care of the issue. Doesn't make me hate them any less. They still use their power to step on anyone who opposes them while they themselves compete with one another to be on top in an neverending struggle for power.
Every day and night, I burn ghost papers for Na Li Jie. I hope she is comfortable wherever she is. I often thought that if I were to die before we could meet again in this mortal realm then hopefully we could reunite in the afterlife.
Wu Jing Ge burns ghost papers for her as well. He doesn't say he misses her, but I think a part of him acknowledged that she was a part of our family.
Twenty years passes by slowly.
Each day feels like a thousand years of waiting. Most days I feel like giving up and ending it all. Some days I find the courage to go on. That's how these twenty years were without Na Li Jie.
Wu Jing Ge often spends his nights away. I sometimes join him, but he's a completely different person during the night. Almost seems like he'd go back to being that carefree Wu Jing Ge. He enjoys drinking wine and flirting with maidens. Usually, I would accompany him just to make sure he was all right and didn't go overboard.
Traveling across the country, Wu Jing Ge and I are looking for a place to rest. We come across a small fishing village. The sun is setting, reflecting its colors on the bashful waves.
A woman says from behind, "Kai Gege? Is that you?"
I turn around to face a familiar face. With some wrinkles on around her eyes, I can see that much of her youth is still visible. She couldn't be older than forty.
"You are?" I can't quite remember who she is.
She steps up and says, "It's me! Xiao Feng!"
"Xiao Feng?!"
How embarrassing... I can't even remember the person I was once going to marry.
"Are you really Kai Gege?" She grabs my hands, holding them gently.
"Xiao Feng, it's been awhile. I am Kai Gege."
"I-- I can't believe it! Kai Gege, you still look so young! How have you been? How is Xin Jiejie?"
Hearing her name... it still hurts.
She doesn't let me answer and interrupts, "Please, why don't you and your friend come to my home and chat?"
I look at Wu Jing Ge. He shrugs meaning it's up to me if I want to go or not.
"Uh-- Sure."
Xiao Feng leads us to a small cottage facing the ocean. The cliff to the side separates the sandy beach from the home.
"Please come in. I'm sorry the place is a bit of a mess, I just had a baby and so I haven't been taking care of the house. Oh goodness, what a mess!"
She fusses around the living space and clears things from the table, gesturing for us to sit.
I smile, "You just had a baby?"
"Mm! My baby boy is with an Auntie from the village. She's watching him for a bit. My husband is out at sea right now, fishing. You know that's our livelihood."
"I'm... really glad you found someone to share your live with."
She stops frantically dusting. With blank faces, we could feel the air become heavily dense with awkwardness.
Wu Jing Ge takes this as the moment to leave, and doesn't say a word when he goes out the door.
"I'm... really sorry about what happened. I left and didn't come looking for you."
Xiao Feng sits down next to me. "No, it's all right. It was so long ago. I don't hate you or anything."
"But I tried to use you. I was such a jerk. I deserve it if you hate me."
"Kai Gege, I knew you didn't love me. You only have one person in your heart, and it wasn't me. At the time I really wanted to be with you and so I didn't care if you loved me or not. I ignored your feelings, even though I knew you were hurting because you could not be with her."
"Even now, I still can't be with her..."
Xiao Feng gasps and her facial expression changes to worry. "What do you mean? Where is Xin Jiejie?"
She knows that Na Li Jie is the one in my heart? It was that obvious to everyone.
"Crimson Snow Valley. Their Sect Leader Zhao Bao Bai killed her. I was too late to save her."
"Kai Gege..."
"I got my revenge, so now I'm just living day to day. Playing hero until I mess with the wrong people, you know?" I laugh.
"Kai Gege, you really are a good person. So was Xin Jiejie. I don't care what people say that she was a disciple of Crimson Snow Valley, she will always be the good Jiejie I remember."
"Mm." I'm really glad to have run into Xiao Feng. She's still as bright and lovely as back then.
"Why don't you and your friend stay here for the night? I'll make you both something to eat. My husband will be home soon, so you can meet him. I have to go get my boy too. I think Aunt Ji won't let me have him back though!"
She stands and suddenly we hear a commotion coming from outside.
"What's going on?" Xiao Feng rushes out and I follow.
Wu Jing Ge is fighting with a muscular man dressed like a villager. I sense a strong demonic essence coming from the stranger. While Wu Jing Ge has his sword drawn, the man is only defending with his fists.
Xiao Feng rushes to the man's side.
"What are you doing?! Stop! This is my husband!" She yells.
Husband? He clearly is a demon. Although he isn't fully triggered, his eyes will glow red or green when he wants to kill.
"He's a demon," Wu Jing Ge says coldly.
"Wu Jing Ge." I try to dissuade him.
"I know he's a demon, but my husband won't hurt anyone!"
I turn to Xiao Feng. "You know he's a demon?"
"Yes, he's my husband and he hasn't hurt anybody. Please."
"Wu Jing Ge," I say a little more stern.
Wu Jing Ge slides his sword back in its sheath.
"I'm sorry about that, sir. My brother and I didn't mean to be rude in your home." I cup my fists and lower my head.
"It's fine," he says not looking me in the eyes.
"Yuxi, are you all right?" Xiao Feng asks the man.
His warm smiles differs completely, "I'm all right. Don't worry."
"This is a brother from my old village. He saved my parents and I when Crimson Snow Valley invaded. I was thinking to have them stay the night."
The man clears his throat. "Mm."
"Why don't you go bring Xiao Qing home? I'll stay here."
The man stares at me and Wu Jing Ge suspiciously.
"I'll be fine." She reassures him.
"I'll be back." He slowly turns to leave.
I walk up to her. "I'm so sorry, Xiao Feng. Wu Jing Ge and I will leave. We've caused you trouble."
"No! No troubles. It was a misunderstanding. My husband is indeed a demon, but he is not bad."
She tells me the story of how she met Yuxi. Not long after relocating to a different village, Xiao Feng's father passed away. Trying to make a living was hard. With no money to live in a bigger city and no land to farm, she and her mother moved to the coast. Xiao Feng learned to fish and bought her own boat to go out to sea. She found a man floating in the middle of nowhere, and brought him back, nursing him back to life. She said throughout their times spent together, they mutually started to develop feelings. Yuxi had actually ran away because he didn't want to jeopardize Xiao Feng's safety. She told me she had to go haunt him down and forced him to marry her. They were gifted with years of marital bliss, but couldn't have children. It wasn't until last year when Xiao Feng first got pregnant.
"You both went through a lot," I say as Xiao Feng places freshly cooked dishes on the table.
"We did, and I'm happy we found each other."
I wished me and Na Li Jie could have enjoyed our lives together like Xiao Feng and Yuxi Ge.
Yuxi Ge brings back Xiao Qing. Bundled up tightly in a blanket, he couldn't be more than two months old.
Xiao Feng forces the child in my arms. "You have a try at holding him, Kai Gege."
"I-- I'm not good at this."
The child's large eyes look at me curiously. His small mouth opens slightly.
He's kinda cute.
Seeing Xiao Feng and her happy little family, made me wonder if I would ever be able to have this. A family to share my life with. A son or daughter to raise lovingly. A wife...
A few months later, I return to visit Xiao Feng with gifts for Xiao Qing. As I climbed up the hill to the cottage, I see smoke.
Transitioning my steps to running, I spot a wounded Xiao Feng lying on the ground.
"Xiao Feng!" Dropping the toys I had bought for Xiao Qing and pull Xiao Feng into my arms.
"Xiao Feng, what happened? Xiao Feng!"
Her eyes slowly open. "Kai Gege?"
"What happened? Who hurt you? Where's Yuxi Ge?"
"Kai Gege... You have to... save my boy."
"Xiao Qing? Who took him?"
"Tuan Jie Sect, they wanted to take Xiao Qing. Yuxi fought with them and fled with our son. They--" She couldn't continue speaking and spits out blood.
"Okay, okay. I'll save them. But first, I have to heal you."
"It's no use."
"No..."
"Please save our son, Kai Ge... Ge." Her eyes close and her head falls to the side.
She's dead.
They killed her. Tuan Jie Sect. I'll kill them. I'll never forgive them.
Where do I go? Where do I start? Where could Yuxi Ge have gone?
I write a message to Wu Jing Ge, and bury Xiao Feng in a grave overlooking the ocean.
Infiltrating Tuan Jie Sect, I took down the disciples guarding the gates. The prestigious sect is incredibly vain with golden lotus designs.
"Who are you? Why have you invade our sect?" A straightforward man with a long grey beard asks. He dares to approach me with questions.
"Where is the child?"
"What child? You came to destroy our sect for this?"
"The fishing village Chuan, your people killed an innocent woman, chased after her husband who has their only child. They are missing. Tell me where they are and I won't kill everyone here."
"Our sect would never act dishonorably and harm innocents. That family must be evil doers, demons who put fear in our people."
I laugh, "Demons? Humans? What would you know? You Immortal Sects don't care for anyone. You kill and justify the deaths by claiming it's all for the greater good. You're just selfish."
"You--"
"I don't have the patience to play around with you. Tell me where he is."
"You dare order our Sect Leader?!" A lowly disciple yells.
It doesn't look like I've put enough fear to get them to obey.
"Hey, Sect Leader? Do you want a taste of my powers? Do you know what the Star Gem's true power holds?" In the palm of my hand, I conjure a blue spark shining wildly like lightning strikes in the cloudy sky.
"You-- You possess the Star Gem?! You're the one who demolished Crimson Snow Valley."
"So... if you don't do what I say, what makes you think I won't do the same thing to Tuan Jie Sect?"
Thinking for a moment, he finally says, "Bring out the demons caught in Chuan Village."
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
The disciples force a group of demons in shackles to walk. In front of me, the disciples throw them to the ground.
I walk to the demon, taking a good look at their faces. One man stood out. His eyes are bandaged with bleeding patches where his eyes should be.
"Yuxi Ge?" My voice shakes as I hope this is not Xiao Feng's husband, not Xiao Qing's father. It is too cruel.
"Lu Kai? Is that you?" He whispers weakly.
"What did you... do to him?" The anger inside my chest increasingly raged. My fists squeezed tight. I will have to kill.
"Serves him right. That demon uses his eyes to hypnotize," A proud disciple exclaims. I blast him into the wooden fence blocking a pond. He falls into the water.
"Where is the child?" I mutter.
The Sect Leader says, "We only wanted the child, but this demon hid him. We don't know where he is."
"As he should... it's his child! What are you doing going around snatching children from their own parents?"
"That child is half demon, half human. Cannot be allowed to exist."
"Who allowed you to decide that?"
He doesn't answer.
"If it's so easy to be the judge then allow me. Today, you all die."
Unleashing my body to the powers of fire, I see nothing but hatred. I will end Tuan Jie Sect.
The disciples come at me with their swords. Killing them instantly, I turn them into dust. Their Sect Leader charges with his sword. He tries to kill me in one move, aiming for my head. Using my hands to stop the sword from furthering, I use my elemental powers to bend the sword. It easily twists and the fire becomes too unbearable for him to hold on. He backs away, and I return his sword to him by flinging it with all my strength. It punctures straight through his stomach to the other side. He gets on his knees and blood climbs out his mouth.
"Lu Kai..."
My energy dissipates and I turn to Yuxi Ge.
His hands trembling out, reaching for me. I quickly hold his hands and he falls in my arms.
"Yuxi Ge, what happened?"
He says, "Tuan Jie Sect came to Chuan Village. Took all the demons in hiding, and wanted to take Xiao Qing. They killed Xiao Feng... right there in front of me. They suppressed my powers, I couldn't fight. With Xiao Qing in my arms, I fled."
"Where is Xiao Qing?"
"I used to serve Wicked Mist. They're a strong collective of demons wishing to overthrow the Immortal Sects and take over the Mortal Realm. I deserted my role there when I met Xiao Feng. Only they could protect Xiao Qing. Due to my betrayal, I sacrificed my eyes for their protection over Xiao Qing. Perhaps it was a bad decision to hand him over the them, but he is safer with his own kind."
They did this. Wicked Mist did this to Yuxi Ge.
"Lu Kai, you are strong. One day I hope you can find my son and help him become a good man. I won't live to see him again."
"Yuxi Ge..."
"The Immortal Sects, they capture demons and extract our powers to fight others. That's why they didn't kill us on the spot. I don't want you to live for revenge, but I hope you can lend a hand for my people. Help the ones who cannot fight for themselves."
"I will."
"Finally... My time has come. I can be with Xiao Feng again."