My Costar helps me finish the job
Yao Shen's hands shake with the effort he's making to try and keep the sword's blade away from his neck.
Si Wang looks in confusion at his actions. "What are you doing?" He narrows his eyes, and Yao Shen almost falls to his knees with the strong wave of compulsion that hits him.
The voice in the back of his head tells him to drive the sword through Xin Hulei's heart and watch the light go out of his eyes. He fights it on his own, determined to prevent himself from hurting Xin Hulei.
But there's something else -- a conflicting force that won't let him harm a single hair on Xin Hulei's head, and instead makes him turn all the violence on himself.
Xin Hulei looks at Yao Shen's trembling hands in confusion, but then realisation strikes him.
"The contract," he says, his words carrying the weight of his regret. "The contract won't let you harm me."
That's right. How could Yao Shen have forgotten.