11:: Message from a Great Evil

Two days later

Yuxi looked back at the Guard's office as it gradually vanished from sight. She and Zhan Peng were in a horse carriage, where Yang Tian, sitting outside on the horse, manoeuvred through the thick woods. The city, also named Shang-Yi, was in the island's heart.

Their first destination was Xiantan, a village closest to the city. It would take about five days for them to reach Xiantan, and in between points of travel, they had to recuperate as much as they could.

Before this, Yuxi had thought of her task as just exterminating evil. But it was her first time encountering these demons which Shaman Li had defined as 'hideous creatures of a foreign race, with different colours'. It brought up her memory of the vision she had seen just before she almost drowned in the bath chamber. Shaman Li had, like Du Hui, kept everything for the last before coming clean to her.

A part of her felt betrayed. But she understood they had their reasons for their actions. She had considered Du Hui her confidante, and the fact he hadn't told her everything from the start made her reconsider everyone who she held dear. Even her own father. She couldn't help but feel there was something he knew about this. Shaman Li had kept such a big secret from the beginning. A midget of extraordinary power, he had lived for close to a hundred years.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear Zhan Peng approach from the other side of the carriage.

He took his seat beside her, and without asking, his finger brushed her cheek. She didn't even flinch. Had it been someone else, she would have knocked him a few li away with her rage. There was another part of her she couldn't control. She didn't know if it was her power, but she could unconsciously send a person or object flying quite a distance away, but only if she was at her nerve's end. She had a low tolerance for people who stupidly touched her.

She hated being touched. And fortunately, none of the young juniors were daring enough to do that to her. Zhan Peng didn't know the rules of Shang-Yi. But she forgave him this time, as she wasn't in the mood to punch him.

"You've been silent for the last six hours," he reminded her.

She furrowed her brow, not wanting to say a word.

"At least you should have some water. It's not healthy for you to go on being wilful like this. How are you going to succeed in your mission this way?"

She hesitantly accepted his waterskin and took a sip. He was right. The people of Shang-Yi needed her as much as Du Hui did.

She took another sip, finding the water tasty. A sip led to a mouthful of water. She didn't know what happened, or if the water had any additives, before she fell into a deep sleep.

As usual, she saw visions again. Or was it some sort of message?

She saw a village razed to the ground, and a witch in a purple robe laughed evilly. Unlike the witches she had heard of, this witch was not hideous. She had a seductive aura about her, and Yuxi could sense dark power radiate from her.

"They've all lied to you. Join me, and you can have what you ever desire. You crave intense pleasure, but you attempt to curb your deepest desires. You want him, but you tie yourself to a hopeless engagement."

Yuxi trembled when the witch lifted her slender fingers and magicked out some dark clouds, which revealed a memory of her.

She and Zhan Peng were in the bath chamber huddled together, kissing shamelessly. She was half-stripped, longing for him to please her.

Seeing that image that she couldn't clear from her mind, she felt ashamed of herself. Her heart raced. What could she do?

The witch dispelled the image of her and Zhan Peng in the bath chamber. In a second, another image of her and Zhan Peng substituted the image earlier. This image was even more shameless!

She knew it was one of her lewd dreams of Zhan Peng, and it just made her disappointed with herself even more.

"You don't have to confine yourself within your cage, Qian Yuxi. Surrender to me, and I will make you my next successor. I will impart much of my power and knowledge to you, and you can be more than what you are now. I see a future in you, Qian Yuxi."

She shivered, but before she could respond, she felt a force intrude into her connection with the witch. Someone was calling out her name. Her surroundings instantly morphed from the dark and sombre atmosphere back to the carriage.

"Miss Yuxi! Are you okay now?" She heard Zhan Peng exclaim with concern.

So, was it all but a dream? Her body was convulsing, sweatily from her shock at the witch's revelation earlier. It was at that juncture that she realised she was leaning on his shoulder rather intimately. He also had his arms drawn closely around her, as if he was shielding her from an enemy.

"What happened?"

She sought her strength and pulled herself up, putting some distance between them.

"You were mumbling strange words in your sleep," came the answer. He looked relieved, though maintaining the same levels of calmness as he usually did.

"I'm fine. It was just a dream. You can go back to your side."

He moved closer to her and tightened his arms around her suddenly.

"Miss Yuxi, it's my duty and my promise to protect you." His reply was firm. "You were shaking so hard. Do you think I'll believe you are fine? Miss Yuxi, I don't know what you have against me, but it is my duty to protect you. The same goes for Yang Tian."

She relaxed. "Are you saying you are doing all this just because I am your employer?"

He nodded assertively. "Yes. It's all because you are my employer. Whether it is me or Yang Tian, we will give you the same answer. They trusted us to ensure your safety."

It puzzled her for a second. Zhan Peng didn't have any feelings for her? It was absurd to hear him imply that, after how they had almost broken the rules of Shang-Yi in the bath chamber. Also, he seemed to have put in too much effort in those times he had deliberately annoyed her, to the extent of bullying her at the Guard's office.

She was a person who often spoke her mind. That didn't stop her from shamelessly asking, "That day, at the bath chamber, why did you do that?"

Zhan Peng looked at her bizarrely and responded, "What bath chamber? I don't remember a thing. All those times at the bath chamber, I've always been alone. I've never seen you in the bath chamber."

She couldn't believe her ears. Had she dreamt it all, or did she mistake another person for him? It dawned upon her that since it was a near-death experience, she might have got the wrong person. Because she lusted after him, she probably mistook someone else for him while she was dazed.

She turned away, evading him to hide the dismay written all over her face.

"I was just testing you. I wanted to see if you were on your guard."

For the rest of the day, she didn't say a word and fed on their rations in utter silence. It was the first time she felt such despair. For her to encounter a change of heart from a man she despised, yet turned out to be her one-sided wishful thinking, it all ended up so distressing to her.

She didn't know how she would get through it all, but she had to.