Take My Hand

The woman closest to Bai Ling mustered all her courage to speak and shouted at Xue Yang.

"What are you doing?! Do you know who you just killed?! Do you think the city lord will let you get away with this?!"

Xue Yang smirked at the woman's bravery. Not many could shout at a killer standing before them with such conviction.

Especially not if they had just killed someone in front of them seconds earlier.

'Does she trust the city lord's power so much?' Xue Yang wondered.

He decided to answer her questions regardless of the answer to his thoughts because he was currently in a good mood.

He managed to make it in time to save Bai Ling, and that was enough to improve his mood exponentially.

"I killed Zhen Zhi, the right-hand man of the city lord. Unless he lied to me, that is."

The woman could not utter another word. Her mouth quivered as she tried to find words to speak.

'Is this man insane? No, he must have the strength to back it up. Lord Zhen couldn't even do anything as if he was a child.'

Her mind was running wild with theories about Xue Yang, but his next words confirmed that either he was insane, had the strength to back it up, or, most likely, both were the case.

"And about the city lord. He won't be able to do anything much longer."

He looked at both the women.

"So if you value your life, you will take anything of value you can get your hands on and get out of this town."

He then looked at the shaken-up Bai Ling and smiled brightly.

His beautiful smile and handsome face would have completely charmed the two women if not for his actions earlier.

"Normally, I wouldn't have mercy for the people of my enemy. But Ling'er seems afraid, so I don't want to spill more blood before her."

Xue Yang's words struck them like lightning. 

They regained their composure and thanked Xue Yang before leaving the room.

As they ran, they stepped over the puddle of blood that formed under Zhen Zhi, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in their wake.

After the pair left the room, Xue Yang stepped towards Bai Ling.

Seeing him approaching, she flinched.

Xue Yang stopped at an arm's length of her and studied her face.

He could tell that she had a lot on her mind. So he decided to give her a little push to have her open up.

"Long time no see."

It didn't take much effort from Xue Yang to get Bai Ling to speak her mind. One simple sentence was all that it took.

"H-how i-is t… this posible?" She stammered. 

Once she managed to get that sentence out, she couldn't stop herself anymore.

"The manager said he killed you after what you did to sister Mei." 

"The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated." Xue Yang chuckled.

"And…" He paused, lost in thought.

His expression became that of someone going through immense grief and feeling extreme guilt.

He took in a deep breath and exhaled before continuing.

"It's true that Tian Mei's death is my fault. I could tell you that it was an accident or that I didn't mean to hurt her or any other variation of that."  He choked up for a moment, taking a brief pause.

"But it won't change what happened."

He was still smiling, but it was no longer genuine, and Bai Ling could tell that.

"I won't even beg you for your forgiveness. All I can do is apologise and fulfil her last wish."

"Her last wish?" She asked, slightly less fearful and angry after seeing Xue Yang's genuine remorse.

He straight into Bai Ling's eyes.

"In her last moment, she asked me to take care of you. That's why I'd like you to come with me."

"I will give you the power to stand on your own two feet in the future. When that time comes, and you no longer need you, you can do whatever you want."

"You can leave or even try to take revenge against me for my transgression."

He then smiled genuinely once again.

"But until that time comes. I hope you will willingly come with me so I can fulfil my promise to her."

"..."

Bai Ling stared blankly at Xue Yang, her mouth open, but no words came out.

"When you say you will give me power, what does that mean?" She finally asked him.

"I can help you become a peerless cultivator, one that even the greatest geniuses within the heavens won't be able to hold a candle to, or…" He trailed off.

"Or?"

"Or I can make you into something even greater."

"Something greater?" She asked, her once-dead eyes now sparkling with interest.

Xue Yang nodded his head, "That's right. You'd become someone like me. Someone unable to die under normal circumstances."

With a determined look, he stated, "I can offer you true immortality, not the fake kind like those Immortals in the upper heavens preach. You'd gain the potential to place the heavens underneath your feet."

He then reached out his hand towards Bai Ling. 

"All you need to do is to take my hand."

Bai Ling looked at the hand extended in front of her.

She didn't fully know what taking this hand would mean for her and her life.

All she knew, or at least what she believed, was that Xue Yang wouldn't do anything to harm her.

She could tell he genuinely cared for Tian Mei and that her death must have tormented him even more than it did to her.

Bai Ling slowly started to reach out for his hand before pausing halfway.

She looked up at Xue Yang and into his eyes.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and sighed before fully reaching out to him.

He swiftly brought her up to her feet with her hand in his, shocking her momentarily.

"Ah!" She yelped.

"I'm sorry for this next part, but the time isn't right yet."

Before she could even make a sound, Xue Yang struck her pressure points and caused her to pass out.

"I don't want you to see what will happen next."