Blooming in Mud || BOOK 1/2/3

Yu Xuelan

woken up from my dream

for the mortal world to spit on me

I tread on the skulls of the ocean and ate the dirt of my sins

I drowned the setting sun

Only to see my sword painted in blood

It was too late, the seafloor began to flow backwards

But why does the white bird still mourn

And claw through the filth of where my sunken body lies

Only to see my dead shell of empty skin

......

"It's her! The one who tried murdering her own sect, HaiShen Yu!"

"Is it really the Snow Flower?"

The fire that engulfed Yuan State slowly extinguished itself from the rain, while the smoke gradually dyed itself in the colour of the fallen begonias.

They all focused on the sorrowful figure clothed in black cultivation robes. She stood still amid the haze with golden chains tied her down, preventing her from making even the slightest movements.

The heavens once favoured the maiden. She pleased the mortal world with her mannerism. She had the face of elegance and purity. She walked the grounds as though she were a floating lotus above the crashing waters.

And now she was spat on.

She was discourteous, unmannerly, not worthy of being called a 'human'. Yu Xuelan often laughed at the alternative names the cultivation world would come up with, sometimes even looking forward to seeing what rumours they would create next.

A man in light blue robes walked in front of the dishevelled figure. With eyes dark as the moon's shadows, he glared at her as a smirk gradually formed on his rough-skinned face, examining her from head to toe.

"Why is Master Yu just standing there? The demon is right in front of him!" One yelled.

"You idiot! Don't be so rude! He's holding her down with Shui-An! She can't break free."

Yu Xuelan stood there, silent and still. Even if there was a possibility of her death, the girl had no energy to struggle against the spiritual chains that bound her. She was filled with an unfathomable emotion, swirling through her body and burning her mind.

"You silly girl. If you had just died along with your family, everything would've been easier."

The maiden remained silent, and the man continued, "I heard you brought rain to save this state?"

The girl still did not reply as her eyes drifted elsewhere. The people who once praised her and watched her as though she was a divine being now watched her like she was a rotten dog that bit their owner's hand.

Dog?

Hah...

"Silent treatment? I guess you finally realize your place within this world. Within everybody's eyes. No matter how many villages, cities, palaces, states, you try to save. You are evil within their eyes. You are a demon who enjoys murdering people. Do you think the people would be happy knowing they were saved with something that they absolutely fear?"

An inscrutable smile formed on the maiden's face and she slightly let out a laugh, finally breaking the stifling quietness, "So, are you going to kill me now?"

"You fool. I could've disposed of you a long time ago."

The black-robed girl chuckled, though it was not a mockery gesture, but because she genuinely knew there was nothing else she could do. It was a laugh filled with hate. Anger. Resentment. Yet, also, helplessness.

She was tired.

Yu Yang stared at her sternly and asked, "What's so funny?"

"Sorry, but you? Kill me?" Yu Xuelan laughed hysterically, causing one to shiver from her ghastly character.

Everyone thought this girl had indeed gone mad after being trapped in the demonic realm for six months because who wouldn't? It would've been more crazy if she came back out alive and all happy.

Yu Yang unsheathed his sword and pointed the tip towards her neck, yelling, "Yu Xuelan!"

"Don't call my name. If I die and the last thing I hear is your voice then I feel like I'll be puking forever even when I'm in the afterlife."

They were right. The girl had definitely gone mad.

Cultivators from different sects stood far away from the two figures. They could barely see the master of HaiShen Yu as the smoke constantly interrupted their view, but the disciples knew that the man had drawn his sword against that disgrace.

"I would rather kill myself than have you kill me," she jeered.

"You are so uncouth. To think that you were such a polite little lady who had such good manners... Was that all just for show? You know, there is a rumour saying you are also one of the Three Demon Gods. The Drifting Maiden. Does that ring a bell?" He snickered, but the girl ignored his comment.

Her pasted smile fell off her face as she examined her uncle. Every detail. Every feature.

"Yu Yang. Just because you have gotten rid of me, doesn't mean there aren't still eyes that watch over your sins."

Yu Yang laughed hysterically that tears formed in his eyes, "What? Are you going to haunt me when you're dead? I will make sure your soul perishes from this world!"

"I wonder about that." Yu Xuelan muttered, "The heavens will never accept you, Uncle Yu."

He immediately stopped his laughter and glared back. His face fumed as shades of red erupted within him, gritting his teeth even harder than before while his hands tremored from rage.

"Yu... Yu Xuelan!"

Yu Yang yelled, his palm clenching his sword as he lunged forward.

"May the flower in your heart become a thorn for your demise."

A thunderous eruption blasted away the rubbles from the dilapidated houses, causing the entire ground to tremble from the impact.

Everyone shuddered by the burst of bright light that suddenly illuminated the area which momentarily blinded all their eyes instantly.

"What happened?! Where's Master Yu?"

"Did Yu Xuelan run away?"

"It must be the trick she learnt while training with the demons!"

The smoke gradually dissipated and a tall figure holding onto a long sword pointed obliquely towards the sky took shape, allowing others to see clearer.

"Wait, they are still there!" One called out, pointing to the front.

"Where is Yu Xuelan?!"

The black-robed cultivator's body slowly fell to the ground, though it felt like something was missing from her body. The esteemed cultivators squinted their eyes in an attempt to see clearer. However, the layering of smoke suffocated them instead.

There was a moment of silence, and the venerable leader came breaking through the luminescent fumes, walking with his back straight and chest held up high like usual.

Towards the crowd, he held up something that looked familiar.

Everyone's eyes widened, and they gasped in shock, as they didn't know whether to cheer or to stay silent. It was as if everyone's minds had just gone blank, thoughts wiped away along with the smoke.

Not a single thought appeared, and it remained empty for quite a while.

Yu Xuelan's head was in the hands of HaiShen Yu's Sect Master.

The man gripped the head by her knotted hair, causing the head to dangle, swaying left and right as blood dripped down intricately, staining the already dirty ground.

The cultivators felt their stomach twist into a thousand knots as some fell on their backs while some stood still. They brought their palms to their mouths, stuttering as no actual words or sentences could leave their mouths.

However, the silence was soon broken off by a joyous yell, "Yu Xuelan is dead!"

They all yelled and screamed in relief. Yu Yang stood amid all the cheers with confusion written over his face.

Was he happy? Was he angry? He was definitely not sad, but what was this indescribable feeling?

Was he disgusted?

At Yu Xuelan?

Or himself?

The sword he held in his right hand was drenched in her blood, slowly dripping and filling the air with the scent that was both sweet yet nauseating.

After thinking to himself and looking at the head that he held in his left hand, he took a deep breath and yelled with pride:

"I KILLED YU XUELAN"

He lifted the head that belonged to the most feared cultivator like it was some sort of trophy while loud cheers followed his speech, filling up the entire field as each of them raised their swords up high, yelling in delight.

Yu Yang gazed up at the mourning sky. The setting sun had long since died out and begun preparing itself for the new cycle.

The glorified man scoffed at the pathetic girl and mumbled, "Yu WangJun, do you see this? Look at your dead daughter in my hands. The heavens won't accept me, you say?"

Then I say we recreate it.