Chapter 23 – Enemy on a narrow road

Lian Xi was still sitting in the private room and watching the auction when her personal attendant walked up to her and whispered into her ear.

"Fell into the lake?" Lian Xi turned to look at her attendant in disbelief. The attendant quickly nodded in reply.

"Did you see the person?" She asked again.

Shaking her head, the attendant replied, "Not able to. The security was too tight, so I am not able to get close. Should I continue to investigate?"

Lian Xi sneered coldly and shook her head.

"Leave it. We should focus on our mission. Xia Hei is monitoring us closely, so we shouldn't raise too much suspicion."

***

Meng Yu felt like she was swallowed alive as soon as her body hit the cold lake. Darkness enveloped her, and her heart began to pound crazily. Her entire body throbbed in an unbearable pain. She knew she had to get out of the water immediately, but her body would not listen to her.

It was just too cold. Too cold.

She tried to tamp down her anxiety, but her entire body began to spasm uncontrollably.

No, no, no!

She screamed in heart, but her mind and body would not listen.

It was because the sensation was too similar. Too similar to what she felt that very day. The coldness… the darkness... and the helplessness.

Memories flashed through her mind as if it had just happened yesterday.

The water was a lot colder that day. The thirteenth years old her was dressed in a thick fur coat. It was precisely because of that, the weight of the clothes kept pulling her down into the deep cold lake. She did not know how to swim at that time. All she could do was to struggle futilely as she sank deeper. She opened her mouth to scream, but no voice came out. Instead, freezing cold water gushed into her mouth to choke her. Her vision gradually turned black, and pain was the only thing she felt.

She struggled - she clawed at her chest as icy needles stab at her lungs again and again. It was a slow torturous death. Familiar faces began flashing through her mind. People that she would not see again. The smile that unknowingly captured her heart that day. Purple azaleas.

And then, there was no more pain.

She should have died that day.

The darkness that came numbed all the pain and she gladly welcomed it. But she heard her voice. The gentle voice that kept calling her name non-stop. Who? Who is it?

It was as if the other person was afraid that she would fall into a deep slumber forever.

"Xing Yu, Xing Yu!"

Amidst the numbness, she could feel scalding hot tear sliding down her frozen cheek. It awoken her senses. Her body trembled as she fought against the invisible forces that was sucking her into the endless abyss. Even if she wanted to give up, the other person would not let her do so.

She forced her heavy eyelid to open and saw her face. Those beautiful pair of eyes, no matter when, was always filled with absolute warmth for her.

It was Yang Yi. It was her who pulled her back from the gate of Hell that day.

But that day was also the beginning of her cruel fate.

As if something had snapped in her mind, Meng Yu quickly regained her senses.

No… she had come this far. She cannot die just like this!

With unwavering determination, she pushed her entire body to swim upward. One kick. Another kick. And again. Do not stop!

Finally, she broke through the surface. She gasped desperately for air and tried to keep her head above the water as she swam towards the nearest shore despite the pain tearing at her shoulders and thigh.

Yes, it was after that incident that she learned to swim. As long as she did not have a panic attack, she would be able to swim out. Concentrating all her strength to swim ashore, very soon, she reached the land.

It took her last strength to push herself out of the water. Completely drenched in the icy cold water, her body began to tremble like a leaf in the storm. It was even colder than when she was in the water. She could not even feel the pain from her wounds because her entire body had gone numb. Laying limp on the muddy ground, she panted exhaustedly.

She heard footsteps coming closer to her, but she no longer had any strength to move. She just laid there with her eyes close and waited for her fate.

The other person stopped and crouched down next to her. He carefully looked at her pitiful state and let out a low chuckle. In the dead of night, his voice was very clear.

"Are you dead yet?" He asked lazily.

Meng Yu slowly opened her eyes. Under the illumination of the moonlight, his handsome face appeared in front of her. His eyes were narrowed into a crescent moon shape, and a tiny dimple appeared on his cheek as he smiled widely back at her.

You…. Again?

He lightly poked at her limp body with the fan in his hand, and asked, "Not dead yet? Now, that is good."

He lightly tapped his chin with his folding fan.

"I wonder why we always meet under such circumstances."

Meng Yu's lashes fluttered gently as she glared at the person crouching down next to her. The cold night wind mercilessly assaulted her drenched battered body, making her trembled involuntarily.

She was not surprised to see him. From the beginning, he had never planned to let her off easily.

"Yin He."

The other person lightly laughed as he replied, "I have to say, you always exceed my expectation."

He turned to look at the brightly lit Red Lantern Manor. Separated by the huge lake, the Red Lantern Manor looked extremely dazzling under the dark sky, like a surreal paradise that did not belong to the world.

"What are you doing in the Red Lantern Manor? Did Zheng Qing Yao send you here?"

Meng Yu sneered upon hearing his question. Her originally exhausted body felt much more alive after seeing this annoying person. It was as if he had lit a fire in her.

"This has nothing to do with him. As for what I am doing here is none of your business." She managed to retort back.

Yin He turned his attention toward the injury on her shoulder. A long arrow was struck deep into her left shoulder, and because she had struggled to swim ashore previously, it had worsened her injury. Dark red blood kept oozing out from the torn wound.

Without warning, he ruthlessly pushed the arrow deep into her wound. The abrupt sound of sharp metal digging deep into her flesh till it hit her bone exploded in her ears, and all of her five senses were drowned in excruciating agony. The pain was unbearable as she bit down hard on her lips until she tasted metallic blood in her mouth. She did not dare to cry out loud, because she knew it would lead Xia Hei's people to her. She clutched tightly onto his wrist with her fingernails digging into his flesh as she was too weak to push him away.

"Who exactly are you and what is your purpose in Yin Country?"

In the silent night, his voice was dangerously low. There was no trace of emotion in his eyes.

"Why don't you just kill me?" Gritting her teeth, she spat out in hatred.

Hearing her words, Yin He replied nonchalantly, "Killing you is too easy. Aren't I considered merciful? It could be worse if it is Xia Hei… and you know it very well."

He slowly twisted the arrow in her wound, causing her left shoulder to throb with intense pain. Sucking a mouthful of cold air, she finally succumbed to the pain, and let out a devastating low groan.

"Damn it!" She cursed under her breath.

Shaking his head in disapproval, he continued, "Things would have been simpler if you would just stop being so stubborn."

She raised her head and looked straight into his eyes. Despite her current state, her eyes flickered with unwavering determination, as she enunciated each word in pain, "Yin He… if I did not die tonight, I swear to Heaven… I swear that I will definitely repay this debt a hundredfold!"

He knew she was not bluffing. This was a threat. If he did not kill her today, then she would come after him in the future. There was a long moment of silence as the other person stared straight back at her unblinkingly. Under the faint moonlight, his eyes gently rippled, and his lips were pressed together, forming a thin line. One could not tell what was in his mind.

"They are coming. We have to go now." A low voice broke the silence, and roused Yin He from his deep thought.

He lightly hummed in reply.

"You shouldn't tempt me…" He murmured in a low and barely audible voice. His eyes darkened, as his long fingers lightly traced her neck. He just needed to exert slightly more force, and the slender neck would have been crushed easily, but the other person did not even blink. She glared back at him with strong animosity. There was no trace of fear.

"Haha…" Yin He broke out in a low laughter. He seemed amused.

"Meng Yu is not your real name, right?" He asked.

Without waiting for her reply, he ruthlessly pulled the entire arrow out of her shoulder. Unprepared, Meng Yu cried out in pain, her entire body twitching violently before falling back onto the muddy ground limply. Panting exhaustedly, Meng Yu tried to keep herself conscious.

Yin He examined the arrow in his hand. Something seemed to catch his attention as he carefully wiped the arrowhead with a handkerchief before throwing it away. Standing up, he patted the dust on his robe leisurely.

"Very well then, I shall wait for you… so don't die so easily."

Those were the last words she heard before her consciousness faded into the endless darkness.