Episode Twenty Seven

    Kai jumped awake, when he felt something cold splashed against his skin. He quickly scurried to his knees, shivering from the cold sensation of what he knew now, was water. The early morning breeze is not helping his situation, only making it worse. Kai looked up when he heard snickering, and saw three guards. Alongside two disciples, standing above him.

   "Wang Kai,'' One of the disciples by the name of Ching Shufen, said. He is the fourth cousin of Li Jen and Jie on their mother's side of the family, and had always been a pain to Kai. "I knew there was a reason why I didn't like you."

Kai looked at him with glare. He had always known why Shufen didn't like him, and it's not the fact that they thought he had done something to Li Jen. No, it's something quite sillier than that. It is the mere fact that Kai being a powerless commoner, without even a status, was invited so wholesomely into the royal palace. Shufen thought that someone like Kai, should always be scrapped compared to someone of his status. And because of that, he and Kai can never see eye to eye. 

   "Everyone knows why you didn't like me, and it had nothing to do with this situation." I spat back at him. His voice hoarse from crying all night.

The matter of what everyone was accusing him of doing, was brought to the king and queen. Which caused queen Li Jia to faint, and king Li Wei in a rampant rage that they had to pin him down with dozens of stability talismans. Now day has come, and Kai guessed that these idiots in front of him are here to talk him to the conference Hall to hear what his fate is.

   "You call impersonating a lady, and a princess at that, this situation?" Ching Shufen foamed in anger, his face turning bright red, making him look like he had stayed out too long in the sun. "I don't see what Li Jen saw in you."

   "Maybe it's the fact that he looked like the useless version of herself, so she felt sorry for him." This time, it was a guard who spoke. 

Kai looked over at him with the scariest look he could make, thinking if it weren't for the chains around his ankles and hands, he would have punched him in the face. How dare someone like him, belittle him? The only advantage he has over Kai is that he is intermediate in the skill of martial arts, and that is because he is a royal guard. Kai hates people like that, forgetting your grounds just because you are in the popular circle.

   "And look at what it cost her. He is probably working with Fong Woo, and lets him abduct Li Jen. He looks like someone who would do anything for a piece of gold." Shufen uses his foot to kick Kai over on his back. "Such a shameless boy. Dressing up like a girl for a piece of gold." Ching Shufen and the three guards laughed. "I hope they banished you- no, that's too good for you. I hope that you get shot with four dozen arrows on the spot."

    "Shufen, that's enough!" The other disciple that stood there said. Kai was wondering when he would have said anything. His name is Chen Taio, and he was madly in love with Li Jen, at least that is what Kai thought. Because he always hung around with him and Li Jen, and always had something to share with Kai. Whether it was snacks or tea he brought back from the market, or a good story he had heard. Kai had asked Li Jen if he spent all day with her, but Li Jen had told him no. And that he only came around when he saw Kai with her. It confused Kai a bit, then he just figured that he was just nervous to be alone with Li Jen. "How could you say such a horrific thing? It's Kai, and even though you don't like him. You know deep down in your heart that he would never hurt Li Jen, so there has to be an explanation why he was impersonating her." Taio came fully in the cell, and gently ease Kai up off the ground and into a sitting position.

   "Deep down in my heart? Ha, that is a load of nonsense. I never liked this charity case, nor thought of him as a good person." Shufen scoffed as he glared down at Kai. "It's that innocent look that he has, he used to warm his way into your hearts. But there is a snake lying underneath that innocence, and that is what he is using to deceive you all and let Fong Woo rain his revenge on us all. He might be the one who snatched the Blood moon orb and gave it to him. I mean who knows what this lying can do!"

Kai sang his fingernails into his palms, he can't just sit back and let Shufen degrade him like that. He was nothing of that sort that Shufen was describing him as. Yes, he was innocent, but a liar and a snake, he was nothing of that sort. And on the plus side, how could he help this Fong Woo? He doesn't even know who he is, and of this blood moon orb. He had just learnt about it recently.

    "Fong Woo? I don't even know who he is. So how could I have helped him to abduct Li Jen. And for the, what was it again? The Blood moon orb? I don't know what that is." 

Shufen laughed humorlessly, his arm folded over his chest. "Playing dumb I see. Well, play as much as you want. Because it won't be of any use when king Li Wei is ordering your death."

   "That is enough!" Taio growls, slamming his fist against the cell floor. Creating a serge of energy, shaking the whole dungeon. "You have no nobility of a cultivator."

    "You-"

   "You called him shameless, but you and everyone who thinks he is guilty with proof are the shameless ones."

Shufen sneers down at Taio, his eyes burning with menace for Taio. "Your voice of reasons is so clouded lover boy. You are too blinded by you love for him, that you can't see that he is not a very good person."

Kai's mouth opened, surprised when he heard the words flow from Shufen's mouth. Love? With him? No, no. Shufen got it all wrong. Chen Taio is in love with Li Jen, the signs are all right there. Always bring her stuff, wait that was him. But he always hangs out with her-oh wait. Kai looked over at Taio with a questioning look, and Taio's face paled.

   "So, it's true." Kai muttered.

   "You didn't know? Everyone knew, even Li Jen herself. Wow, I guess you aren't so bright after all." Shufen laughed, before slicing Kai on his right knee with his dagger and left.

   "What are you waiting for? Go as well!" Taio yelled at the guards who were still standing at the entrance of the cell. They bow to him, before leaving. Taio turned back to look at Kai, better yet, the injury that Shufen had caused. "Does it hurts?" He asks, watching the blood sweep through the thin material of Li Jen's Sheni, that Kai is still wearing. "That is a dumb question to ask.", Taio chuckle nervously when Kai didn't answer. 

Taio began to move the clothing out of the way to look at the wound, but stopped when he felt Kai's hand on his. 

He slowly looked up, and sure enough Kai's eyes were full of questions. 

   "Let me look at your wound first, and also heal it before it gets infected." Taio begged, just so he could avoid answering any questions Kai threw at him. But you can't prevent the unpreventable right.

   "No, answer my question first. Is it true? What Shufen said a while ago?"

Taio gazed into Kai's beautiful dark brown eyes. There is no way he can deny what he felt for the boy sitting in front of him, with his innocent red puffy eyes, due to crying. His red tear stained cheeks and his cute pouty lips. He is even more beautiful without these imperfections, and Taio hated seeing him like this. So, with a nervous swallow of his saliva. He brushed a few damped stray strands of hair out of Kai's face, and stared deeply in his eyes.

   "Yes." He said, pushing all the fears and insecurity at the back of his mind. "Yes Wang Kai,I have been in love with you since the first time I laid eyes on you. I was coming from training, and you were giving Jun a hard time. You ran past me, calling me a pansy. But I didn't care, all I knew was that I would never a go a day without thinking about you."

Kai's heart fluttered a bit, he wouldn't have remembered that day if Taio hadn't brought it up.

   "So it was Li Jen?" Kai muttered more to himself, but Taio answered anyway.

   "No, it was always you." Taio spoke more confidently. "Now let me heal your wound."

     Taio had just finished cleaning and healing Kai's wound, when some guards rushed into the cell and started to drag Kai harshly from the cell. 

   "Where are you taking him?!" Taio jumped to his feet.

   "To the conference room." One of the guards answered. "The king and queen are waiting for him."

Kai swallowed harshly, his stomach churched and he felt like he might just collapse. 'This is it.' He thought. 'I hope you are happy Li Jen, because right now, I am about to lose everything.' Kai took one last look at Taio, before the guards dragged him away.

    'I am sorry to those who I have failed.'