87 Pretending That I'm Okay

"What happens...if the last petals turn silver." Liu Qing gazed at the rose. There was something fishy about it.

Meimei looked up and stared at Liu Qing. An intense look that Liu Qing and the others turn rigid.

"She will die."

The room turns silent. So silent that you could hear a pin drop. It was broken when Old Man Cheng's knees turn soft and unexpectedly sat down from one of the stool.

"Why?" It was a choked voice from Qi Shuang. Her lips pale and dry. What Meimei said still lingers on her mind. Playing. Echoing.

"This is her lifeline. This rose should always remain red as dark as it should be. She must kill others to continue living. It is her curse. Even an act of kindness is prohibited. Because if she does, one petal will turn silver. The Queen really wants her to spill blood and be merciless."

"She kills for a reason."

"She was always been called a monster...A beast. The beast needs to kill to live a longer life...there's no way to break the curse. She will continue killing."

Old Man Cheng looks vacant. His clear but old eyes were distant as if trying to remember his past.

["Cheng Ki, if I change...I'm still me. If I kill...please don't stop me..."]

Old Man Cheng now fully understand why Hong Li became the enemy of the world. Why his good name turn sullied in an instant. Rumors of him continuous killings spread around. He had offended several enemies resulting in haunting him.

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Feng An drew nearer in the protective. He stops before he has the chance to get out. His lips parted and cast a spell.

"Heaven and Earth.

Let me borrow the strength

to set the world on fire."

Suddenly, balls of fires emerge from the heavens, falling from the ground. Hitting the mythical animals. Feng An's expression was so called as he waves his hand in the air, drawing some symbols. Cold sweat of beads appeared from his forehead.

"Go. Grab her." He muttered to Liu Qing who just have appeared with the others.

Liu Qing nodded and flew out of the protective shield. His spirit qi condenses in his body as he fights his way through to Li Wei that was surrounded by a group of Centaurs and Minotaurs.

His arms find its way through in Li Wei's waist. Hugging her not minding the fact that she's all bloodied.

"All that blood looks good on you. It really brings out your golden eyes." He whispered to her and drew his sword to the upcoming Minotaur, decapitating its arm and legs.

Surprisingly, Li Wei did not resist on Liu Qing's back hugging her. She was too tired to argue and to focus on calming herself. She accidentally burst out all her feelings.

"You can't keep it all inside, you know? Bottling it up won't do you any good." He said as he ran dragging her out.

"No one can help even if I told them to." She replied in a lowered voice. Her right arms swinging her spear to attack the incoming animals.

"Hey, we know you're hurting. But, you're not alone okay? You have me. You have us."

Li Wei looked up to him. Only to saw her solemn face. Liu Qing is the only person she knows that keeps smiling, to avoid anyone seeing his thoughts. But now, he was too serious and feels like she was becoming a burden to them.

"I was taught young how to be a stone-cold face, self-reliant and be merciless. To be calm and held myself high and poise, with a sword in hand, and have blow the horns of war to conquer the world. It taught me to only cry behind closed doors, in darkness, without any sounds, to howl my pain in silence, to breakdown without them knowing, and to never asked any external help. Without them knowing that I'm actually in pain, they won't find out that I'm suffering. If I cry silently, no one will hear. I can always just pretend that whatever pains me, didn't actually hurt me. I can always face the world pretending that I'm okay."

Liu Qing looks down at the woman in his arms. Without a reason, his heart beat fast when he saw her small genuine smile.