Chapter Forty Nine

Release me. The order was profound, like the utter from a ruler to a servant, and the human-made chains weakly loosened their hold upon the statue of frost. But they did not let her go. "Tsk." The ice statue clicks her tongue faintly in the pocket of air, sitting daintily on the seafloor, her hair white like snow, and the only source of light in the darkness of the abyss. Though creatures dare not come close, some braver did swim around the bubble out of curiosity for the chained statue. She did not mind.

 Lightly tapping the nose of a sea snake that came too close, she faintly hums a warning. "Stay far away." Though the chains sealed her below, the section of her cell was sectioned from the sea so nothing truly dangerous could enter the area. However, it was still much more dangerous for the curious weaker creatures that wandered too close to the person chained for they would be dealt with by the spell which bound her leaving nothing but a pile of sand in its midst. A ruthless unforgiving spell no matter the victim. Again, it is a mere relic of the past. In a bed of frost, the statue with scales of rainbow crystals sat with her head tilted upwards at the surface.

 Her eyes long unfolded and stayed close of her own accord. Those who entered were not allowed to bring anything with spiritual essence. The binds on crystal misty landscapes were loosened, allowing one to glimpse a slit of shimmering silver grey behind blinds of white. Chao Bai arranged her chains so they would not impede her movements before turning her head to the surface again without a single trace of panic. All around her was nothing but the silence of the deep, but she never feared the dark sea. She was after all still a serpent of the silver sea.

 She has lived in darkness for quite awhile now, it was just facing the darkness somewhere else for the time being. "Sitting there alone...Pitiful, so pitiful~" Chao Bai sneers at the ghosts within the array taunting her from beyond her water cell. She could sense them so they must just be tricks of the array meant to waver the feelings of the woman of the sect. It was said the very first of the sect was a woman and was furious when her very own daughter was tricked by a fickle person and out of resentment for both her foolish daughter who easily abandoned her family and the person who whisked her away to her death. She spent all her time constructing the current prison, calling it a trial of oath between lovers. Her heart buried along with the imprisoned lovers leaving nothing but the cold husk of a matriarch to guard over her people with an iron fist. A stream of water touches her cheek wistfully "Child, why are you here alone?"

 When she did not answer the woman chuckled softly, but any normal person would have shivered due to the eeriness in her laughter. "This is not a place for children to play. Are you waiting for someone?" The woman followed her blind gaze to the surface with her void-like eyes "Will that person really come? Look at you, sitting here in these pitiful chains with neither sun nor rain to accompany you at the bottom of the sea." Leaving a wet trail to slide down her cheek to her chest the ghost in the array hummed a cheerful song seeming to swim around her bubble like a haunting siren. "Up on the shore, I saw a man and a woman~ Persecuted by the law, persecuted by heaven, the man and woman ran and ran till they reached the lands end~ Run run little bride of heaven~ Run till the water reaches your chin, and your lungs are full of salty tears~ Pushed into the sea of blue, a red bride from heaven falls to man who coveted the jewelry she wore, and the heart on her sleeve~"

Chao Bai held her breath, keeping her fluttering lashes closed no matter how much she was teased and taunted. Water soaked the bottom of her knees, slowly but surely filling the bubble she was sitting in like a threat. Each trickle of water turned into tears of ice the moment they made contact with her sleeves. Beneath her sleeves of frost, the snow figure's hands curl and uncurl as the minutes tick by. How much time had passed? Chao Bai was unsure. However, she was sure of one thing, if she continued sitting here it would all be over soon. She merely needed to endure it for a couple of more hours. She was confident before, and even more confident now that things would end the way she wished as long as she endured this. A wet slime-filled vessel strokes her neck lightly sending a chill down her spine and making Chao Bai reflexively raise her hand to slap the offending thing away. However, she went rigid when the chains which had been loose early had tightened without her notice so she could not reach over her shoulder.

"..." A flutter of rage and difficulty filled her heart when that same ghost spoke again this time a bit more alive and uncanny as if waiting for this moment. "Aha. So, that's your weakness." "What a disgusting creation you are." Chao Bai finally spoke to sneer at the darkness in front of her. A foul array, one that taunted, actively teased and searched for a victim's weakness to exploit. She had long known an array of this caliber should not have been this easy to tolerate, yet she didn't expect a person of the righteous sect to have created a hair-crawling creation quite like this. Seeming to ignore her curse, she could feel the bottom half of her body becoming swallowed in an instant encasing her in salt and ice. Her hands stuck at her waist, equally frozen in place much to her annoyance.

"I will not be intimidated by a lowly human spell like you." "Lowly?" The eyeless ghost leans over from above her, laying her hands and caressing her neck uncomfortably. "Me lowly? A fool who willingly allowed themselves to be caught in my array just to prove the power of their love to others dares to call me lowly?" Finding her words funny, the ghost ignored the increasing fury on the beautiful woman's face and fondled her shoulders, seeming to enjoy how soft her skin was. "You have a considerably strong spirit, stronger than most who enter here~ So why would you allow yourself to become another victim of my array? Is that person worth it?" The ghost found her new captive strange, since she entered she did not cry or cringe away in fear no matter what happened. Any normal person would have wept at least once as they realized their only air bubble was being broken down the longer time went on without a savior in sight. She even kept her eyes shut tightly and wore a cold face the entire time.

 Was it because she had that much faith in her lover? "Hmm? But no matter how long you wait no one has entered after you or even attempted to. Are you sure that that person you are waiting for is even willing to wet his shoes for you?" Chao Bai had no obligation to answer the ghost's questions but unlike before it seemed to learn from previous lessons and directly ripped her clothes exposing a snow-white arm. Claw of ice inches from the ghost's eyeless face showed themselves suddenly with a loud splash of water breaking free from the ice encasing them easily. The only thing keeping its smiling image from being crushed were those chains of water the beauty had willingly allowed the array to place upon her spirit. Veins pulsing and teeth clenched tightly behind her silent snarl the blind woman was an exotic sight filled with such intense killing intent the array subconsciously tightened her chains again.

 The more strength she used, the more authority the array revealed as well to match her spiritual power to perfection. It was as if she were fighting against herself. "A noble beauty even wearing the face of the devil is still a beauty." It laughed again mocking the helpless woman. Humiliated, Chao Bai usually in control of herself felt her face warp out of anger. Playfully, the ghost wrapped slimy fingers around her outstretched hand to mimic holding hands just to infuriate the woman more. "What's the matter? Are you not used to being teased like this? Undergoing a small bit of suffering is nothing compared to drowning right? Or are you keeping your noble self pure for their sake?"

 They tug her icy claws forward with a demure chuckle ignoring how shards of ice dug into their slimy hands trying to freeze it's hands over. "Child~ Despite sitting here for so long that person hasn't even attempted to save you~ What true love? What loyalty and honor? No one can see your struggles and now will acknowledge the current sacrifices you are making for their sake. Why are you still so stubborn hmm?" After being persuaded like this, who wouldn't waver? Be swayed by her coaxing and convincing lies?

 However, from beginning to end even with this inconvenience Chao Bai long knew that the one she walked into this abyss for would never come. She had no expectations, no hopes, no one would come down to save her. Her imprisonment was merely a way to allow the Zenith Star's worries to lessen when she left and prevent them from wondering if she would ever stab their back during the war. It also left room for Da Chuanli to take a step back. She did not believe he offered her an engagement willingly. How could he?

 A complete stranger like herself, how can he have willingly asked for her hand? She did not want anyone's pity, especially his. A stranger like herself... "Ah, that expression~! Are you perhaps resenting now?" It sounded a bit too excited and hovered just close enough to babble in her ear nonsense not realizing her target had long calmed herself down. "That's right! That's right! Love is useless, isn't it? Words are just words and never to be taken seriously~! Look Look! It's already been half a day and yet your so-called lover hasn't even attempted to enter the water." Seeing the woman's head lowering and her spirit seemingly darkening the ghost's smile widens into a grin of glee.

 Seeing the woman's drooped shoulders even as the water rose to her chin the ghost was no longer worried and hummed happily to herself. "A bride of heaven wearing robes as red as blood sank to the bottom of the sea~ Her heart broken, and precious treasures robbed by the one who she loved most~ The red bride of heaven sank deeply into the sea, never to see the light of day again~ The sun nor heaven's light able to spot the red bride beneath the pool of salty tears~" For Chao Bai, the time seemed to be too short yet long in the damp prison.

Missing a sleeve, her tattered robes which gave her at least an ethereal appearance made her look weak. The more she resists the stronger the array became, like she said before it really was a nasty-tempered spell. But she refused to yield, covering her skin would only make her appear more human, what did she fear of the deep? As the water reaches her lips Chao Bai flinches back slightly, before settling down and eluding a calmness unlike before seeming to enter a state of meditation. A silver serpent of the sea. She had nothing to fear. The water entered her lungs, and Chao Bai's eyelids never trembled once.

 She was used to the cold, used to the darkness. She who had lost her sun was used to submerging without light guiding her. The silver statue suspected to not be alive stuck in the bottom of the watery jail wore a calm face with eyes closed. Her wrists were chained to the floor, sinking beside her delicate ankles frozen in an anchor of ice. "A member of my master's sect is also a child of mine, you who were abandoned by your lover don't need to worry. Don't be childish and follow the lies of man, we, master's will, and I will be enough." As those slimy fingers made to touch the beautiful statue, a sudden impact of spiritual energy struck the array from above frightening and startling the ghost.

"Which foolish-!!" Baring her sharp teeth at the waters above she choked back her snarl and cringed away from the terrifying person above instinctively hiding from its omnipresent gaze. The ghost of the array, meant to taunt the powerless prisoners below shrank away from the horrifying beast making his way towards the bottom. There were hundreds of traps in their way and yet he hasn't slowed down at all! With this kind of talent- The ghost who had taunted the beauty felt she had jinxed herself. Seeing as he was quickly making his way over the ghost panics before diving into the sand as if she never existed. From the pressure in his aura and the overwhelming spiritual energy he used to overwhelm the array, she already knew her master's spell and trickery was no match for the man.

If she lingered, he would have no mercy knowing that she was taunting his lover just seconds ago! Liang Da Chuanli felt there wasn't a need for trials, what nonsense? If it was in his way, just cut it down. His expression was strangely serious without a trace of amusement or a smile as he made his way down the watery depths. A young woman with a cold curse willingly imprisoning herself, wasn't it just to pressure him to step back? This level of self-harm was intolerable, Da Chuanli's lips pursed as he recalled the blindfolded lady whose breath was as frail as a butterfly.

Did she hate the engagement so much? Wasn't it beneficial to her? Her intentions were obvious the moment Jiang Tengyi explained to him the circumstances of their sect. From a guest to an acknowledged member of the sect through the array of the first matriarch which would be irrefutable. With this step, whether he stepped up or not she would already be more than half a Zenith Star sect person taking this trial, making his help unnecessary. But the cost she paid would be heavy if he didn't step in, she knew this yet still entered.

Foolish! She's foolish just like-! The ghost in his mind shook the hand holding onto his sword refusing to let the thought finish and unlock memories of the past of a girl who risked it all for a power she was not ready to have. As the light behind him grew faint, Da Chuanli's expression became more and more grim. The further he traveled through the dense weight of the sea, his head ached while fighting the influence of the array and fending off its traps. If he, who people claimed was the son of heaven struggled how could Chao Bai endure it? Forcing herself to this degree...was she this desperate for revenge?

To the point of being willing to risk shortening her lifespan further? When he no longer saw what was in front of him, Da Chuanli continued his trek without faltering. Then...he saw a silver light in the distance, his boots quickened their pace kicking up sand behind him without care. The silver light grew from a speckle to a flame, then, a sculpture, and finally, a person. A beautiful face. Complexion contorting seeing the seemingly deathlike slumber of the girl Da Chuanli didn't know when he stopped breathing. Her sleeve was torn and her body was suspended in between life and death only anchored down by the icy base she created.

 Without having to think Da Chuanli reached out to the chains holding her captive but was rejected violently with a crackling shock throughout his body. Lips thinning, golden eyes in the darkness glow with the power of a dragon-shaped sovereign. Forcefully taking the chain into his hands, and ignoring the shocks insisting he release his grip he merely grasped onto them harder. Unexpectedly, a crackle sounds through this force, then a croak, and finally a shattering through pure strength. The silver dragon roared within his throbbing migraine, Da Chuanli's core groaned in protest at his actions which did not align with his way. However, he held no care towards his injured core, embracing the comatose Chao Bai into his arms safely only releasing some tension in his shoulders when he felt her pulse.

 Chao Bai seemed to be dead, but she was still alive. Putting her body into this state, she seemed intent on hibernating through the trial never expecting his appearance. Da Chuanli smiles a hint bitterly bringing his hand up to gently move her hair from her face. Her lashes and hair were as velvety as they looked, maybe softer and unlike anything he had ever touched before. Her arms and fingers were encased in the frosted scales she had exposed to him the first time they met but more severe. After brushing aside her hair Da Chuanli's sharp eyes caught the glimpse of a glimmering different from the white ice on her fingertips behind the woman's ears flowing down her neck.

 She was like a luminescence jewel from the neck down resembling a memory from long ago in a golden palace. Almost like... A light flickers in his gaze as an immense flame of suspicion grows within his heart despite his incredulity. His hand moved towards her closed eyes, with fingers hesitating upon touching her thin eyelids. However even as he brushed over her eyelids lightly he never made the next move of opening them only casually removing his callous fingers from her face to carry her more comfortably. Seeming to treat the young spiritual beast with more care than earlier with one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders. Tilting her lulling head to rest upon his chest Da Chuanli slowly started the long trek back to the surface.