CHAPTER-8

"We all know you were out on the third full moon." One of the sect leaders spoke.

"What did you see?" A woman asked as she curiously leaned forward to hear Long Qiao's answer to the question.

It had been five days ever since Long Xue left and Long Qiao hadn't really been himself since then. He loved his son so much. Allegedly seeing the Order of Aramoth, Long Qiao had attracted the attention of the sect leaders which got him into this predicament.

"I can't remember. I have no memory of that night." Long Qiao answered.

"Lie!" A sect leader scowled in annoyance, "You've been giving us that answer over and over again! We all know you saw something that night! Something no one has ever seen aside from the members of the Yin sect."

"I can't remember what I saw that night. The answer I gave you earlier is the same answer I'll continue to give you! The last thing I remember doing that night was fiddling with the bracelet I bought for my son." Long Qiao retorted.

"Long Qiao, you must know that your days are numbered." Ying Zhen, the leader of the Ying sect spoke.

Long frowned at him, "The Yin sect wouldn't dare harm the house of the Long sect, after all, it was my

father who made sure every single one of you in this room is alive today!"

At the mention of his father, the whole room went silent. The sect leaders kept throwing glances at each other before Gu Wei, the leader of the Gu sect finally broke the silence, "Long Wen was a great man. You're right, we all owe him our lives, but do you think the Yin sect would consider the fact that he saved us and our land? Think Long Qiao, think!"

Long Qiao sighed, "If it comes to the point where my family has to die, I willingly give my spiritual qi to the Yin Lord and serve him for the rest of my days."

Ying Zhen laughed as all eyes fell on him. The situation was not a laughing matter. Even with the aura in the room alone, one could tell that the term 'laughter' wasn't warranted.

"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help myself but laugh." Ying Zhen apologised, "Really? Long Qiao, the Dragon progeny, surrendering his spiritual qi to the Yin Lord, doesn't that sound crazy?"

"If it comes to it, that's what I said Ying Zhen!" Long Qiao retorted.

Ying Zhen chuckled, "Okay, okay. I just want you to know, the Yin Lord is the kind of person who likes bargains. If he wants something done, so shall it be done."

"I'll keep that in mind." Long Qiao nodded.

Suddenly, Gam Hou walked into the into the meeting room, his hands shivering.

Yu Kong, the leader of the Yu sect roared, "How dare you, a common manservant barge into a meeting of the sect leaders!"

"Long Qiao even your servants lack respect!" Another sect leader boomed.

"I'm sorry my Lords, it was an urgent matter that brought me here!" Gam Hou fell to his knees.

"What happened?" Long Qiao asked as he frowned. From the looks on his face, one could tell Long Qiao wasn't in a good mood.

"Master..." Gam Hou hesitated.

"Speak!" Long Qiao ordered.

"Young Master Zhixun is dead!"

The words that came out of Gam Hou's lips quickly dissolved in Long Qiao's ears. Long Qiao's heartbear began to raise as fear, pain, guilt, worthlessness and other sorts of negative emotions started to fill up his mind.

"What did you just say?" He asked, standing up slowly and staring at Gam Hou.

"Young Master Zhixun is dead." Gam Hou stated again, but this time, a little more calmer.

"Where is he? Take me to him!" Long Qiao commanded.

"Yes Master." Gam Hou vibrated as he led Long Qiao out of the room.

The sect leaders all sighed with exception of one, one who laid a wide smile across his lips. This was none other than Ying Zhen, the embodiment of evil.

He widened his smile a little more as he exhaled, "Let the party begin!"

...

"No!" Ahli sobbed as she knelt before her son's lifeless corpse.

Long Qiao trudged into the household with an aura of woefullness slowly engulfing him. "Zhixun..." He mumbled as he approached his son.

Haiyin wept as tears ran down her cheeks, "Xun!"

Gangsheng, her lover, wrapped his arms around her hoping to give her comfort as she cried. "Haiyin, don't worry, everything will soon be fine."

Seeing her husband trudging towards her son, Long Ahli got up immediately and grabbed his collar, "Can you see what your son has brought upon out family? Can you see? I knew from the moment you brought that boy into this household, I knew he was destined to doom us all!"

Long Qiao couldn't say anything. He looked lifeless with dark circles slowly consuming his eyes.

"Say something!" Long Ahli cried. "My son is dead while Li Ya's son of a bastard gets to live! It's not fair! I'll never let that happen! I'll make sure Long Xue dies too!"

The last sentence Ahli uttered dragged Long Qiao out of his misery as he glared at her, "What!"

"I said I'll kill Long Xue!" Just as she shouted, a pair of hands grabbed her neck and began strangling her.

"What did you say you'll do to my Xue!" Long Qiao tightened his grip around her neck.

"I... can't breathe." Ahli struggled to break free from his grasp, but she couldn't, Long Qiao was stronger than her.

"Father! What are you doing?" Haiyin was about to stand up when she felt someone pull her back. She looked behind her and spotted Gangsheng smiling creepily at her.

"Gangsheng, what is wrong with you? Let me go! I have to stop father!"

"It has to be done, your mother ought to die," Gangsheng replied, the creepy smile still on his face. "so do you!"

"Gangsheng..." Haiyin pulled away from his grasp. "What are you talking about?"

"Come and I'll show you." Gangsheng replied.

"No, I need to... Ah!" Ahli involuntarily walked to Gangsheng, she couldn't control her own limbs, "What's happening? Why can't I..."

Before Haiyin could finish talking, she felt a sharp pain pierce through her heart. Then, blood began to flow out of her lips and suddenly, everything went pitch black.

"What did you say you'd do to my Xue!" Long Qiao was losing it as black veins started to appear all over his face.

"Long Qiao... It's me Ahli! Your Feifei!" Ahli spoke even with Long Qiao's hand slowly tightening it's grip.

"Feifei..." Long Qiao immediately got back his senses and stopped, "What was I doing? Ahli, I'm sorry I have no idea what came over me."

"Stay back!" Ahli halted him from getting any closer as she hungrily gasped for air.

Gam Hou smiled as he walked up to Long Qiao, "Weird, you fought the pill's control over you."

"What? You mean a pill is responsible for me almost killing Feifei?" Long Qiao asked.

"Yes Master." Gam Hou laughed evilly.

"You bastard! You've been poisoning us!" Long Ahli exclaimed as she gazed angrily at Gam Hou.

Gam Hou was the one who served the meals in the house, and every time he did this, he would also brew a special kind of tea for them. He always said that the tea was the best kind, and that if taken, it would ensure good health and long life. He called it the Soul nourishment tea.

"The tea!" Long Qiao roared as he evoked his sword from his space ring and charged at Gam Hou.

"Stop!" Gam Hou said and Long Qiao stopped in his tracks.

"What's this?" Long Qiao asked in bewilderment.

"Kill her!" Gam Hou pointed at Ah li.

Long Qiao's eyes turned black as veins began to appear all over his face again. He gazed at Ah li and launched himself towards her. Sadly, his sword pierced into her chest as a tear fell out of her eyes.

His senses came back to normal as he stared at the blade in his hand, "Ahli... No! No! No!"

Long Qiao removed the blade from her chest and tossed it aside. Slowly putting her on the ground, he said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault." Ahli sobbed. "If you get the chance, tell Long Xue I'm sorry, I never meant what I said to him."

Ahli let out a loud cry as she gave up the ghost.

"No!" Long Qiao wept.

"Aww, Long Qiao's crying, because he just killed his wife, with his sword, with his hands!" Gam Hou laughed.

"We have been planning your downfall for eight years now, Long Qiao." Gam Hou added.

"Who are you?" Long Qiao asked as he knelt down beside his dead wife.

"I'm Hui San, the trickster, the fourth member of the Elimi." Gam Hou grinned. "I was never a manservant, I was an assassin recommended to you by..." Hui San paused, wanting Long Qiao to answer.

"Qui Bei!" Long Qiao gritted his teeth, "He's part of the Elimi too!"

"Bingo!" Hui San boomed. "He intentionally used his dogs to chase your son into the forest that night, so as to..."

"Create a reason for the annihilation of the Long sect!" Long Qiao spoke.

"Good, good!" Hui San applauded.

"How did you control me?" Long Qiao asked.

"Since you're dying today, I guess I could tell you." Hui San rubbed his chin.