3 The painful memories (III)

"Young Miss, please eat. Xi Lao begged you." Sobbing, she lifted her hands tearing away the tears rolling down on her cheek.

She felt weak and useless. Her young miss was living like a ghost after that incident. She was bedridden for how long, Xi Lao couldn't remember. However, sometimes, her young miss would be awake. Her eyes would open but it was an empty stare. That very eyes which once executed the aura of a formidable lady were now replaced by the look of a person who had given up on life.

Xi Lao knew, her young miss was now an empty shell, a contrast to her lively spirit in the past. The death of her loved one pushed her to the point of utter depression. Xi Lao wetted her silk handkerchief and patted the chapped lips of her young miss. Then, she saw tears fell down from her young miss eyes, wetting the pillow. Upon seeing the sight, Xi Lao sobbed even more.

"Yu er," Two figures walked in the room. Xi Lao wiped her teary eyes, wailed. "Mister and madam, please, Xi Lao is afraid. Young miss... she... she... hasn't eaten anything for days. Xi Lao doesn't know what to do."

Mister and Madam Fu looked at each other. Worries were displayed on their old, wrinkled faces. Madam Fu comforted the crying attendant. "Xi Lao, please don't cry. Especially not in front of Ya er. Let's show her that we are happily waiting for her in our life." She spoke. Then, she sat at the edge of the bed and held her daughter's hand.

"Ya er, how are you, my dear? Mother brought good news, the yellow flower has started blooming. How about watching the rest of them blooms together?" Her gentle voice reverberated in the air as her hand caressing her daughter's pale face.

"Ya er, how about riding the horse together? You always love riding the horse with father, right?" Mister Fu whose standing next to his wife said cheerfully. But, his face was telling a different story. Hope and weariness were written all over.

Xi Lao watched the two leaders of the Fu clan and a devastating feeling choked her. She saw this similar scene every day, but her young miss wouldn't show any response. She was lying there like a statue, emotionless, lifeless.

After receiving no responses from their one and only daughter, the two married couple looked at each other. Madam Fu's eyes were red, trying to hold her tears but failed and she immediately looked away. Mister Fu who couldn't stand watching his wife crying suddenly felt a tinge of anger.

"Ya er, our Fu clan is in danger. Please wake up. Your brother has died from an assassination. My one and the only successor is you, Ya er. Please, the imperial families also..."

"Stop it!" Madam Fu obstructed and weakly continued, "Please, don't put more burden on her." She said.

"Then what will happen to us? To the Fu clan? We are no longer safe. We have lost Fu Zheng. I'm afraid if Ya er doesn't wake up soon, we'll be doomed." Mister Fu explained. The weariness in his face increased by tenfold. "We need our daughter to ensure the safety of the hundred people in the Fu clan." He continued.

Madam Fu helplessly looked at his husband, unable to refute. She understood the Fu household more than anyone. Now, that those dangers were everywhere, she knew, the Fu clan would soon be gone. Still, she wished that her daughter would know none of this. Her motherly instinct wished to only protect her beloved daughter. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh weighed with anguished and apprehension.

"Xi Lao, please continue looking after Ya er." The married couple walked out of the room hesitantly. Xi Lao nodded but worries were planted in her heart. The conversation she heard just now was shocking news. For an unknown time, she stood there when suddenly, "Xi Lao, wa..wat..waterr" a weak voice.

Xi Lao was startled. "Young..young miss. You are awake." Xi Lao cried and jumped to reach her young miss's hands to help her up. She immediately poured the water to a cup and held them close to her young miss lips.

"Xi Lao help me up. Something has happened outside." Fu Ya tried to climb down from her bed, but her weak body couldn't support her. Xi Lao, although confused by her young miss remark, rushed to help.

"Young miss, slowly, slowly," She said, happiness could be detected from her gentle voice. As they reached the door, a bang sound was heard and the door was opened wide. A guard rushed inside.

"Young... young miss... you are awake." The guard stuttered, his eyes were wide opened as if seeing a ghost. "You! What happened? Barging in just like that. Do you want to be punished!" Xi Lao sternly reprimanded the guard.

"No! I'm here to bring the young miss away. We need to run, there are many assassins in the residence now." The guard urgently explained and turned around ready to guard the young miss against unknown danger.

Xi Lao was panicking. She looked at her young miss by her side however, she was nowhere to be found. "No! Young miss, don't' go there!" Xi Lao screamed and chased her young miss who was running towards the main hall of the Fu clan. The guard chased after them while cursing in his heart at his own negligent.

Fu Ya ran, dragging her weakened body. From the distance she saw people fighting, Her father and mother were battling against the massive attacks from the intruders.

"Mother! Father!" She screamed, however, it attracted the attention of an intruder who was now rushing toward her with his sword pointed forward.

Fu Ya watched as the intruder rushed to her with killing intent. The pointed area of his sword was aiming at her chest. In the nick of time, she managed to dodge it causing the sword to miss and slashed her left shoulder. Blood was dripping, its pungent smell filled the air. Madam Fu was running to her aid but failed to stop the intruder from injuring her daughter.

"You dare!" She screamed and pointed her raging sword to the neck of the intruder. Defeated, the intruder's head splattered blood as it rolled on the ground, motionless.

"Ya er, Ya er, my daughter. Why are you here?!" Madam Fu hugged her daughter. The guard encircled them to prevent other intruders from attacking.

"Mother... sorry... sorry." Fu Ya apologetic voice was wrapped with dejection. At that moment, she felt a deep hatred for herself. Her selfishness had caused the entire clan fell into hell. She didn't know what woke her up but she believed it was her sixth sense, pulling her from the abyss of self-deteriorating.

"Madam, young miss suddenly woke up and urged Xi Lao to bring her outside." Xi Lao who was breathing hard explained. She blamed herself for her inability to properly care for her young miss.

"Stop dallying! We need to escape! Let's go!" Mister Fu interrupted them as he lifted her daughter and urged madam Fu and Xi Lao to follow suit. Madam Fu nodded and instructed the guard to cover for them. However, not long after leaving the Fu residence, they were stopped by a chariot. A man stepped down and stood in front of them.

"Now, it isn't wise to escape." A sinister voice came from the man who was standing two meters away. Mister Fu's face turned grim and his right hand gripped the halt of his sword tightly. That was the enemy of the Fu clan.

"Prince Bai, please let us go." Mister Fu said as he stepped forward shielding her wife and her daughter.

"Oh, and what should I received in return?" Prince Bai was playing with his bow as he spoke. His eyes caught the sight of an injured lady behind the Fu clan's leader. "Mister Fu, the Emperor had given a decree to execute people who hide a criminal. Isn't the lady over there Miss Fu Ya. So, you have been hiding her all this time?" He spoke as his hand lifted his bow.

Fu Ya forced herself to stand. She recognized the man's voice but she couldn't understand what he was saying. "Prince Bai, why are you stopping us? Our Fu clan was raided by assassins. We are not hiding a crimi..." She tried to finish her sentence, but an arrow flew out and stabbed her chest. She screamed in pain. She coughed and blood spilled from her lips.

"Fu Ya!" Madam Fu screamed, holding her daughter's hand. Her eyes reddened as killing intent rose in her, she rushed forward to kill the man that has hurt her daughter. Mister Fu tried to stop his wife but he was too late. Her wife became the next victim of the merciless arrow.

"Mother!" Fu Ya screamed in agony. She struggled to move, but the pain had killed all her abilities.

"Prince Bai, you...you killed my wife. I'll kill you!" Mister Fu went berserk. He ran amok and aimlessly swung his sword. His chaos mind impeded his sword ability. "Prince Bai, you evil creature! I must kill you today!" He rushed, his mind was blinded by grief.

Prince Bai laughed eerily. "Kill me? Were you able to?" With a sidestep, he avoided the chaotic swordplay from his attacker. His movement was swift compared to Mister Fu's rushed and disorganized attack. Seeing him breathing hard, Prince Bai took the opportunity to strike a fatal blow to his chest. Blood splashed from the freshly wounded body, Mister Fu breathed his last.

"Fa...Father!" Fu Ya screamed. She was stunned and shocked by everything that had happened. She crawled trying to reach both his parents. She looked around, Xi Lao and all the guards were now dead. She was alone. Truly alone. Exhausting all her energy, she crawled forward but someone was blocking her way. She looked up and a look of disgust appeared on her face.

"Fu Ya, the one who instigated the death of Prince of Dai will now be executed." Fu Ya, who tried to reach to her parents, stopped midway. Instigated... death... Prince... Liu Heng. She tried to decipher what she had heard.

"What... what are you saying?" She asked, her body trembled.

"Humph, feigning ignorance would not free you from your crime. The whole continent knew you killed Liu Heng." Prince Bai mocked the woman in front of him.

"No, I didn't." She refuted but soon a surge of pain churning in her stomach made her coughed out blood. She lowered her gaze and saw a knife was stabbed at her stomach.

"Prince Bai, I told you not to torture her so much." Suddenly, a familiar voice entered Fu Ya's ear. Then, a familiar hand cupped her chin. She opened her eyes. She blinked, unable to stand the shock, she whispered, "Liu...Liu Heng? You are alive? How?" The man cupping her chin was the man who caused her great grievance. The man he loved. The man who promised to marry her. The man called Liu Heng.

"Ya er, I'm really sorry. I'm not dead yet. You see, I fake my death because that's what the emperor wanted. The Fu clan is rising in power. Well, the imperial families are afraid that the Fu clan will usurp the throne. That's why we made a plan to send the Fus to their downfall." The man laughed as he forcefully smacked Fu Ya's face to the ground. Then, he stood up and send a kick to her rib cage. She coughed more blood.

Despite the pain, she gathered her energy to speak, "Liu Heng, why? I thought we loved each other. So, why?"

Feeling disgusted, Prince Bai who was watching rebutted "Hey woman, stopped dreaming! My brother never loved you. What nonsense!" He delivered another kick directly hitting Fu Ya's face. Due to that, Fu Ya was barely able to breathe.

Liu Heng gestured his brother to stop. Then, he said. "Fu Ya, I appreciate your kind loving heart but honestly, I hated the fact that you are much better than me in many aspects. Hahaha... now that I can get rid of you. I was truly happy. Ya er, please don't blame me. You deserved this. Now, please die peacefully." As he finished his sentences, he swung his sword and stabbed her already wounded chest. The strike opened a hole in Fu Ya's chest. Deep regret and hatred appeared in her eyes.

"Liu Heng, in my next life. I...I will kill you." And with that, she breathed her last breath.