Chapter 19.5 Flashback!

Sigh, Biyu Bao...Man, I haven't heard of this name since tens of lifetimes ago. He was the first human I fell in love since my first beatdown by the Black Snake Empress. Thinking back about how I met him...well, let's just say I had incredible luck. After being thrashed by the Black Snake Empress, I was reincarnated as the son of a librarian. Since I had access to an insane amount of books and scrolls of that world, with my aptitude, I had cultivated back to Heavenly realm and became known as the Heavenly Scholar. I was then invited to attend various parties and events held by the big families. It was then at one of those parties that I happened to have met Biyu Bao.

And at this moment, I activated [Readers Eye], an Spiritual Art that allows myself to watch my memory from the third person point of view!

"No."

The air tensed in the Emerald Court with just one word as a fair lad of silky black hair and dull green eyes filled with boredom interrupted my heartfelt proposal.

His eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat, sinking into his numbing bones. Lead filled his feet for he was unable to rise from his knees, stuck on the floor, mouth agape.

Since reliving a 2nd time, all he had were fortuitous encounters. Never had he expected to be shot down in such a humiliating manner and now, he looked on in muted silence as the green-eyed figure waved his hand lazily, the guards approaching Xingluo and lifting him up. Even then, he was utterly bewitched, not being able to think of anything but this being of such beauty, as if sculpted by a peace treaty of demons and gods. A fiery yet composed countenance, a strikingly beautiful face that just drew people's gazes in and hair the likes to make maidens jealous of.

Xingluo found his voice, his feet skidding across the floor under the guard's strong grips. "Biyu Bao, my heart beats only for you!"

Biyu Bao's eyes darkened, piercing at Xingluo. He shouted at the guards, "Hurry and get him out of my sight!"

"Yes sir!"

The guards wasted no moment, rushing quicker with the struggling figure of Xingluo, who clasped at everything he could, getting a punch to the face for doing so. But when the guard's fist made contact with his face, it was the guard who yelped as the crisps sounds of bones breaking resounded through the entire hall. The guard was either stupid or just wasn't paying attention, even though Xingluo looked and acted miserable, he was still the strongest being of their world.

After the guards tossed him out of the court doors, a page reappeared in emerald green robes, tossing out the ring Xingluo had brought along with him during this visit. Of course, before the ring had even left the page's hand, it immediately flew back to Xingluo.

Some people walked by on the road, looking at him with disdain but Xingluo didn't spare a glance. He was utterly torn apart by the heart-shattering rejection, even though he had done everything right. The ring, his family's only heirloom he had, the streets being his home and today, it was tossed out like it was nothing but trash, along with him. Now, he just sat there on the dirt path, pathetically wiping the blood off of the white ring, twisted like that of a serpent's body.

His fist closed around it. Such lengths he had gone through, to show his love… and this is what he got? Unacceptable.

Xingluo looked at the closed green doors with a fury in his eyes. There was little to calm him down other than the fact that he was already thinking up a plan to make Biyu Bao understand his heart. That was all he had to do, make him understand. Xingluo stood up and pocketed the ring. Dusting himself off, he stomped away, the people in the street parting as his robes fluttered behind his quick steps.

The night descended upon the Green City. Darkness enveloped as lanterns remained lit, burning a dim orange. People headed to their homes, carrying the day's efforts with them. Some had carts of crops, others had goods, others even had some women, pretty as jade and dressed as such on each arm. Everyone had their day with them.

A lantern flickered as it quickly fizzled out, an invisible gust passing it by. Eyes darting, a little boy turned to look over. Finding nothing, he turned, stepping away. The gust of wind travelled farther, lanterns quickly blowing out as it passed them by. There was a path to it and it was headed straight for the ancestral home of the Biyu Family, the Emerald Court.

Two guards stood in darkened green armor and mirror-like halberds, guarding the doors. Their eyes were awake and alert, looking at the people pass by on the street before them.

A breeze flew by them, their halberds immediately lashing out. They gave a shout. All the people stopped still. The guards looked them over, their halberds now poised back and ready.

Something was there...

An apple dropped from a merchant's bag. One of the guards glanced up at him. The mustached merchant was terror-stricken.

He looked over to his comrade and they nodded. Pulling away their halberds, they took their positions again. The people slowly began to move, shuffling away back on their path to their homes, tired and weary.

The invisible breeze stayed still. Then as if a curtain were lifted, a figure clad in all black appeared, crouching by the bush on the inside of the courtyard. There, a stream of water trickled upwards bamboo pipes, hitting carved spheres of emerald, ringing out a soothing tone.

The figure was having none of it. It looked around with a cautious hunger in its eyes as it found a tower with a long haired figure resting in the balcony. Immediately, the figure disappeared as a breeze passed the bushes and towards the tower, unwavering in its resolve.

Biyu Bao rested against the railing, the wind fluttering by his long hair and smooth pale face. His emerald eyes remained shut as he breathed deeply, the night sky his favorite. Then a shuffle behind him. He turned around and a hand shot to his face, covering his mouth as another arm wrapped around his waist tightly.

The figure in black came into sight, Biyu Bao's eyes widening. He looked on, keeping a resolute look in his eyes as the figure gazed deeply at him. Then he shook his head, the black cloth loosening and falling away from his face.

Xingluo opened his eyes, his hand still wrapped around Biyu Bao's slender waist and smooth face. His eyes hungered as he spoke lowly,

"Biyu Bao, you have to understand… I have gone mad with need of your love. I need you to understand…"

Biyu Bao remained standing, lightly nodding his head. Xingluo felt a relief as he loosened his grasp on his face, sliding it along and cupping it instead. He looked at Biyu Bao's thin lips, rubbing his thumb across, speaking again, "That day my eyes gazed on these lips of yours… I have been bewitched by their calling."

Xingluo moved his head forward, parting his own lips, going for a kiss. Biyu Bao sharply inhaled. A thin needle shot out from Biyu Bao's lips, pricking Xingluo's neck. His eyes widened as he pulled it out with a pained noise. Turning back to face Biyu Bao, his vision blurred, limbs heavy as his arm loosened and fell by his side. The other arm holding Biyu in his grip felt like lead as it fell away. Biyu Bao smirked as Xingluo blacked out, slumping forward, a groan creaking from his lips.

----

When Xingluo came to, he found himself with an aching head, blurred vision and his arms stretched above him with shackles as his legs lay sprawled on the floor. Metal rattled violently nearby, his body awakening at the sound. He looked around, finding himself in darkness. There was a loud clang, his eyes darting to the sound. Squinting, Xing Luo saw a pair of glowing red eyes, staring right at him. Footsteps resounded out as Xingluo cautiously looked forward at the approaching figure. Biyu Bao came into view, two burly tanned men beside him. He had a lantern in his hand as he gazed with disdain at Xingluo.

"You trespassed into the Emerald Court, manhandled me and then expected to have my loving hand as well?"

Biyu Bao sharply kicked Xingluo's leg, making him cry out in pain as he gritted his teeth. Xingluo was unfazed as he responded, "I told you already, I need you."

"Silence!"

Biyu Bao kicked him in the stomach, making Xingluo cough, his insides jolted. The cage rattled again, Biyu Bao now smiling evilly at his prisoner. He turned away, stepping to the cage, the lantern slowly lighting up the beast inside.

There, clasping the metal bars, stood a fox maiden with a hungry look as spit dribbled down her sharp teeth. Her ears remained perked up, tugging harshly at the door.

Biyu Bao cooed at the beast, her attention overtaken momentarily by the bewitching being. There was a moment of calm as Biyu Bao spoke.

"Not to worry, you beastly thing. Dinner… is ready."

Saying that, Biyu Bao spat at the beast causing her to recoil as she pounced back with a fiercer anger. Meanwhile, Biyu Bao calmly stepped away and then walked over to Xingluo.

"This is it, peasant. Never will I see you again."

Xingluo looked up with anguished eyes. What had he done wrong in his approach, he couldn't fathom. All he felt now was a sense of betrayal and wronging, his love heard but ignored. His head hung low as Biyu Bao turned around, putting his arms around one of the burly men.

"Carry me."

He said as he practically jumped on him. The man obliged, holding Biyu Bao in his arms as they turned around and walked away. Biyu Bao gave one look at Xingluo, sticking out his tongue before the door slammed shut.

The cage door fell open, the fox beast surprised at the sudden change. For a moment, both Xingluo and the beast had their eyes on the fallen door. Then their eyes met together.

With unbridled fierceness, the fox maiden shrieked as she pounced on Xingluo, a defeated look on his face.

This was love, being untimely and woefully his shameful end.

And he didn't like it one bit.

In the end, in a fit of rage and annoyance, he broke free from the chains and murdered the fox beast. Then he smashed his way free from that dungeon cell and slaughtered everyone in Emerald Court before he moved his revenge towards the entire Biyu family. Young and old, he left none alive. All because he woke up. It was truly dumb of him to fall for such lowly scum, and yes, this meant he was also scum. A scum of Heaven.

Cancelling [Reader Eyes], I wryly smiled as a sense of nostalgia hit me. Biyu Baoyi who stood before me was also looking at me angrily but I did not care. Ahhh...Those were the days...

*Do note, this special chapter of TSS was written by AfterDarkWriting. He wrote me a one shot before and after I got his permission, I tweaked this one shot to fit the story before pasting it in here.

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