4: a wedding gift?

Bright red festive lanturns, fireworks in the sky, the entire human population, mortals and cultivators alike, celebrated the retreat of the demon tride. After millenniums of war, the human Venerable Yuan led and arny of cultivators to fight back against the demon invasion and finally after a tenacious battle, forced them to retreat back into the barren northern continent.

Now, everyone was celebrating this victory and human Venerable Yuan's latest breakthrough. This day would go down forever in documentations as the most important day for human kind. Today was also the day that human Venerable Yuan Ming was supposed to be grieving for a mysterious acquaintance of his.

"Yuan Ming!" A booming voice raged. "You can't keep grieving for some acquaintance of yours that gifted you a fucking bush! That acquaintance has been dead for atleast five hundred years now! This event cannot be postponed and that is final!"

Yuan Ming frowned at the boomin man's words. "Then I simply won't go."

"YOU!" The man shakily raised a finger and pointed it at Yuan Min accusingly. His chest heaved up and down at the same motion as his long beard.

"Grandfather, please calm down." A pleasent bell like voice rang, instantly calming down the old man.

"Fine, we can postpone the celebration if you agree to marry my granddaughter!" The old man finally shouted out before flicking his sleeves and storming away, leaving the cold and aloof looking man to frown in displeasure.

"Master-don't take my grandfather's words seriously, he's just a bit upset..." The bell like voice rang again. From the way it adressed Yuan Ming, it was obvious that this voice belonged to Yu Rui.

Yuan Ming sighed. He felt that it was about time for him to let go anyway. "If you're fine with someone from your grandfather's generation, but do note that there will be not love or reciprocity in this relationship if you should decide to proceed."

Yu Rui was dazed for a moment. Did, did Venerable Yuan just agree to marry her? Her high and unattainable master got over his grief? Was it for her? Yu Rui beamed and ran off to find her grandfather.

===========

Festivities upon festivities, the streets were lighten up with both red lanterns and the happy faces of the people. Everyone across the realm that could be here was here, they were here celebrating humanity's success and the marriage of it's savior, human Venerable Yuan.

Not only had humanity been liberated, it's liberator was now getting married to the young genius and granddaughter of Falling Cloud Sect's Sect master. It was a joyful celebration with the glorious golden carriges being pulled by rare beasts, the wine made from dozens of spiritual ingredients being distributed, and the final grand wedding ceremony that was going to be witnessed by all.

The golden carriages paraded through the streets before finally arriving at the newly built grand courtyard made just for the couple. A man wearing blooming red robes embroidered with cloud patterns stepped out and reached for the small and delicate hand reaching out of the grandest carriage. Their hands met and Yuan Ming's always gentle smile froze for a second before resuming back to normal.

The bride left the carrige with golden lotuses blooming at her every step, they were welcoming their queen and goddess. Though her face was hidden behind a vile, her beauty still shown through, yet the man infront did not loose out even slightly in terms of appearence and temperament. Infact he looked even better.

Yuan Ming looked so pure despite being among all the lavish decor. Like a single white rose that had bloomed among thousands of black ones. He was an angel walking with mortals.

Yuan Ming's smile quickly became estranged. He knew of Yu Rui's feelings, but he had to disappoint her. She was a good girl, but they were not meant to be... just like him and Hei.

Yuan Ming and Yu Rui walked hand and hand together towards the wedding altar. Every step felt like a dream to both Yuan Ming and Yu Rui though for different reasons.

Yuan Ming wondered, how happy would it have been if this was him and Hei?

While Yu Rui was finally stepping closer to becoming one with the one she had loved and admired for centuries.

Lotuses bloomed and petals fell with every step the two took closer to the destination that would seal their fate together. A fate Yuan Ming felt that he might regret...

Who knew that feeling would be right? A warm substance splashed onto his face.

Blood.

Blood from who would've soon been his father-in-law.

"GRANDFATHER!" Yu Rui screeched out. Not even worried about her image, the young lady ran and knelt down beside the body that was slowly loosing warmth. "Second Elder, how could you!"

Yuan Ming swore he saw a smile flash across the Second Elder's face before his heart was quickly plundged through by a black and scaled hand.

A black scaled hand that belonged to a face who Yuan Ming had both dreaded and longed to see for the past five hundred years.

Hei...

Yet, it couldn't have been. Hei had been dead for years. No one could survive in a spacial crack. No even if it was Hei.

Drip

A hot tear. Yuan Ming heard his own shaky voice ask a question he knew he'd never want to know the answer to. "Who are you?"

"YUAN! Kill him!" Yu Rui's desperate and psychotic voice snapped him out of his trance. "Avenge my grandfather... please."

Yuan Ming recognized the desperation in Yu Rui's tone. He had felt that same desperation before, and the sickening dread that came with it. He wante to do something, yet he couldn't. That stupid face that had haunted him for so long was infront of him, the stupid face that he had longed to see.

That stupid face gave a smile. A smile so bright that one couldn't help but ignore how bloodied the figure clad in black was. A smile that drew you to it. The smile so warm that it unfroze Yuan Ming's heart.

Yet the voice of the man couldn't have sounded any more demonic. It was so full of sarcastic ridicule, but Yuan couldn't tell if the man was ridiculing him or himself.

"Yuan Ming, did you miss me? I brought you a gift for your big day."

Hei... It really was him. Yuan Ming walked forward with unstable steps. Someone seemed to be calling for him, and a few others seemed to scream, but Yuan Ming couldn't hear it.

The man in red raised a hand gently, the sleeves slipping down and revealing the scars riddled along it. "Hei?"

Hei Kong sneered and tightly gripped Yuan Ming's wrist, preventing the man from touching his face. "Did you even regret it?"