Chapter 429 - The Undead versus the Undying (2/2)

“Wait just right there.” A voice broke the quivering silence and every head turned. Xiao Chen rose up from among the pile of rocks and debris, heaving and puffing with both strain and rage. He unleashed another roar at Red Sleeve, “MUXUE! WHERE IS SHE!”

Red Sleeve stopped in her tracks and slowly turned eerily, her eyes dull and devoid of any color or life save for cold fury. With the speed of a zap of lightning, she lunged at Xiao Chen, with dirt and dust buffeting into the air in her wake and everyone, most notably Luo Shangyan yelped with dismay.

Bang!

This time, Xiao Chen was able to defend himself! Their clothes undulated violently in the winds caused by the eruption of their clashing powers as Xiao Chen’s eyes met Red Sleeve in their wordless melee until the Queen of the Corpse Refinery Sect finally spoke, “Do you think I lack the power to destroy you?”

“Where is she…” Xiao Chen growled in return, his eyes bloodshot with fury. Blood dribbled gently out of the edge of his lip as he panted for breath, his voice deep and hollow like a Xiao Chen no one had seen before.

“BEGONE!” Red Sleeve snarled and delivered another punch into him and Xiao Chen crashed into another heap faraway, much to the horror of everyone watching.

“She’s dead,” Red Sleeve muttered to no one in particular. Satisfied that she had performed the coup-de-grace for Xiao Chen, she spun and began heading back into the cave.

“What… what did you say…” A shaking voice, limned with anger, came from the mound of rubbles as Xiao Chen slowly clambered back to his feet. Only anger and vengeance drove him and his eyes were now a shade of red.

Red Sleeve halted. Word by word, she repeated, “I said… she’s dead…” Slowly, she turned back. But at her final syllable, Xiao Chen lunged at her like a tiger and a hand of his clutched at her throat, slamming her into the rocky face of the cliff.

Boom!

He glowered at her. With one hand keeping her pinned to the wall, he pounded at her face again and again that a crack snapped open on the granite rockface behind Red Sleeve. Then he lifted her up by her throat and smashed her into the ground.

Boom!

Plumes of dust rolled past everyone, obscuring their vision. Through the smoky veil of dirt and grime, they could see the ground lined with cracks and fissures. Then someone noticed Xiao Chen in the air above. Like a feral beast, he swooped down on Red Sleeve who was still lying sprawled among rocks and rubbles and cudgeled his knee into her before he continued pummeling her with his fists.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY!? WHAT DID YOU SAY!? WHAT DID YOU SAY?!…”

No one could move nor could anyone utter a word, wearing on perplexed and bewildered looks on their faces. Out of a sudden, Red Sleeve’s arm shot up and caught one of Xiao Chen’s fists before it could hit her. With a glare equally furious, she spat, “I just said just now that she’s dead!” And she retaliated with a powerful kick that sent Xiao Chen into the air. She sprang up, agile as a cat, and took into the sky and landed another kick into him, dropping him to the ground in a crash.

Boom!

The lands shook and more dirt flew like a sandstorm around them. Red Sleeve descended rapidly to the ground and bent down, grabbing Xiao Chen by his throat this time and lifted him up, watching like how a predator eyes its prey. A frightened Luo Shangyan yelped, “No, please! Don’t kill him!”

But her cries fell on deaf ears; Red Sleeve ignored her, studying her prey with hate in her piercing stare. “Why did you not protect her if you so love her!? Why did you allow her to be taken and subjected to the most excruciating pain and suffering on the day of her birth?” She punched him in the abdomen forcefully again.

“G-give… give me back… Give her back…” Xiao Chen croaked after spitting a mouthful of blood and froth.

“Give her back?! Hahahahaha!” Red Sleeve burst into a shrill howl of laughter, throwing her head back. A maniacal glint shone in her eyes. “Why did she not give me back to Qing Yuan when Qing Yuan had begged so desperately? Why did she give me back to him!? WHY!? Yet there I was, watching as my betrothed was killed right in front of me! On the day where we were supposed to be man and wife…”

There was a tinge of painful sorrow in her sharp shrieking voice. Malice shimmered in her eyes suddenly. “Since you love her so much, there’s no reason you should enter Samsara without her. To her side you should be…” She slammed a fist into Xiao Chen’s head; a stroke with all her might that another wall of dust rose around them and the fear that everyone dreaded came true: Xiao Chen would never survive a stroke this powerful.

Bang!

The winds grew still and the dust finally settled. Xiao Chen’s eyes were fully wide. Blood trickled from his eyes, his nose, and his ears. The stroke had destroyed his skull and his brain and he fell backward, limp and lifeless like a ragdoll.

“NOOOO!” Luo Shangyan’s deafening and strident cry of dismay echoed through the Ridge. She charged forward with all her speed, lunging at the already-dead Xiao Chen with scarcely any regard of her safety. “LIL CHEN!” Yu Yifeng screamed as well, his eyes wide as saucers as he rushed forward.

They reached and carried up Xiao Chen’s body. But he was no longer breathing and they felt no pulse from him. He was as dead as a log.

“NOOO!” Luo Shangyan wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Yu Yifeng held Xiao Chen’s arm, shaking it hopelessly, murmuring in a broken voice, “Lil Chen… Lil Chen…”

“HAHAHAHAHA!” Red Sleeve guffawed smugly, turning to walk back to her cave. But no one could miss the tincture of sorrow and sadness in her tone. Luo Shangyan got up, her eyes scarlet with rage. “I’LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!” She screamed, lunging with her sword drawn.

“JUNIOR SISTER, NO!” Yu Yifeng leaped to her front and held her back the hysterical Luo Shangyan, “NO! We’re no match for her… You’d only get yourself killed!”

“Hahahahaha…” Red Sleeve’s raucous laugh went on, reverberating off the walls of the cave and out to the Ridge as she melted into the darkness, her voice delineating her victory but also the anguish of her tragic past. No one said a word. Only the soft winds blew. Out of nowhere came a voice suddenly, cold and sharp as ice, “I told you… Give me back Muxue!”

The entire Ridge could have well been frozen by the sheer frostiness in the voice.