88 Zhaodang (1/2)
”How are you?”
”Good, of course. Better than ever. So please don’t put me together with the high and mighty Yunlou family ever again.” The girl’s voice sounded disgusted. ”You can go back now. The dirt outside isn’t suitable for you. If you want to be a white lotus, go and stay in the clean pond.”
The light in Yunlou Chaoyue’s eyes dimmed. ”But you are…”
”I’m nothing!” Bai Xi raised her voice, full of aversion. ”I’m a wild kid without parents. I don’t know anything about Yunlou City, and have nothing to do with the Yunlou family. ‘Your Highness’ need not worry. Now, I’m going home and you can leave too.”
”…” Chaoyue was quiet and lowered her head. After a long time, she whispered, ”Thank you for saving me. If it wasn’t for Zhaodang, I would’ve died today.”
”I said you can leave. Do you not understand my Eastern language?”
Yunlou Chaoyue’s shoulder trembled. After a while, she nodded, ”Then…I’m going now. Be careful.” She touched the high wall, as if wanting to touch the girl’s cheeks. After a long time, she turned and left.
Everything was completely still in the alleyway, except for the ash floating in the wind.
--
Behind the high walls, Bai Xi listened as Yunlou Chaoyue’s footsteps faded. After silence finally fell again, she collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion. As if her blood was boiling, fuchsia vessels bulged on her bare hands and face. One could faintly see her blood flowing like lava.
Metallic blood dripped from her nose. Some of the blood fell onto the ground and turned the stone red as if the blood were scalding. Other droplets were bone-numbingly cold. Some blood droplets were black-purple. They sizzled on the ground, leaving behind signs of erosion.
Beside her, a beautiful man with golden locks that hung to his waist leaned on his cane and watched her quietly. Seeing her pain, he offered her a handkerchief, but there was not any pity in his emerald eyes, nor was there any cruelty, but just an understanding that surpassed sympathy. The image of two black snakes entangled around each other was on the back of his hand. It was Hermes.
”Riding over the orchestra, pushing down demons from the three worlds…was it Taiyi?” Hermes said quietly in awe. ”As expected from the most powerful of the Dragon Bloodlines.”
In the East, the Dragon Bloodline was a symbol of power because of the talent it contained. Taiyi was the best of the best. No matter where she was, as long as Yunlou Chaoyue made a sound, her voice would drown out all other sounds. The aether would only listen to her and ignore everything else. It was like an emperor’s ultimate, irrefutable demand.
It was because of this that she could easily destroy others’ music, even if the strength of the three adversaries had been comparable to hers. But it had not been Yunlou Chaoyue who had called forth Da Shao…It had been Bai Xi, who had been nearby.
”It is an honor to have seen both Taiyi and its equal…Zhaodang in one day.”
”Don’t put me on the same level as that little doll.” In the stillness, Bai Xi pushed herself up, panting.
Hermes offered her a tube of medicine. The girl pushed it away in aggravation, but he pushed it back stubbornly. ”Don’t keep pushing yourself. You know the side effects of Zhaodang more than I do.” Using more patience than ever before, Hermes advised, ”Just see it as taking advantage of me. It’s not like I don’t have enough money.”
”Are you kidding me?” Bai Xi’s eyes filled with annoyance. ”You sent a message for me to come here just so I could take advantage of you?”
--
Twenty minutes prior, Bai Xi had received a letter after taking Ye Qingxuan to the hospital. The letter only had two lines, as well as Hermes’s stamp:
I know your relationship with the Yunlou family. I’ll be waiting in the alley outside the Academy’s South Gate.
”Actually, I just wanted to see Zhaodang.” Hermes shrugged. ”You didn’t lose anything, did you? You even saved her life. As Easterners say, that’s better than a nine-level tower.”
”And now you’ve seen it. Are you happy?”
”Aw, don’t say that. I’m never unhappy with a pretty girl. I’m still your boss though. You have to think highly of me.”
”Ha.”
While Hermes was still sighing sadly, Bai Xi scoffed and turned to leave. Hermes sighed again and reached for her shoulder. ”Wait…”
Crack!
In an instant, it was as if he had crossed a line and hot electricity jumped from Bai Xi’s shoulder! The electricity struck Hermes’s finger, creating a charred ring around the finger and splitting the nail. There was the smell of meat burning.