Chapter 110: Amiable
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The moment he heard her firm, majestic voice, he had an inkling of her intention. As cold as her voice sounded, her heart was as pristine as white snow, clean and untainted. On finding out the villagers' ritual got ruined because of them, his first thought was to compensate them.
She, on the other hand, was compelled to unchain the many innocent girls from the shackles of sacrificial ritual. Crown Prince Lail was already impressed with the woman's magnificent magical abilities. Her kind nature had now earned his respect.
"We will follow your plan." He decisively replied.
Since he planned to stay in the village for a few days anyway, there was no problem in agreeing with her proposal. Besides, this will give them enough time to stabilize their chaotic Realm Heart and recover their elemental energy.
Princess Qamari looked at the bawling crowd and indifferently swung her sword.
Chiiing!
A sharp sword aura flashed through the air, rising fierce gusts of wind carrying a decapitated head that thumped to the ground, before instantly dispersing.
"Ahhhhh!"
Blood splashed and flowed, the red glare silencing the buzzing crowd. Like an unplugged stream, it leaked unrestrainedly into the rippling currents of the water and washed away with the next wave.
"That serves as the fulfillment of his punishment. As for the rest of you, if I do not receive a letter of pardon from the victim forgiving your crimes, within the next dawn, your end will be the same as his. Death by beheading!"
With the same indifference and cold voice, Princess Qamari slowly withdrew her blood-soaked sword.
This was her first kill, her first time taking a human life.
To brand the incident into the villagers' minds and forever banish the thought of sacrificing maidens to an unknown water spirit, she decided to behead the Village Head before their eyes. She decided to use him as an example to cut off any residual thoughts of practicing the ritual in private.
Drip!
Drip!
Her senses frayed and her heart rang nervously in her chest.
The warm blood, as if taunting her for her self-righteous act, dripped loudly onto the uneven rocks and battered her chaotic mind. With every ring, the hand clenching the bloodied sword trembled in sync. And just when her hand had turned numb, the sword about to slide loose, a larger hand clasped her own.
She abruptly raised her head and met the red eyes of the stranger.
"It's okay. He deserved to die for his acts. Remember what he said. They performed this ritual more than one time. Young innocent girls lost their lives more than once. You did the right thing. It was a necessary evil to right an enormous wrong."
Tears pooled in her eyes and her breath caught in her throat. In the wake of his suddenly comforting words, Princess Qamari felt her flimsy shield crumble away as her vision swam.
Crown Prince Lail saw her reddening eyes and the rapid rise of her chest.
Something was wrong with her.
Turning his head, he gazed at the still frozen villagers and coldly said.
"We will be staying at the north of the lake. On the first dawn tomorrow, we need to see that pardon statement, otherwise, you will follow in your Village Head's footsteps." With that, he wrapped his spear arm around the gasping woman and flashed out of the crowd's view.
She needed private space. Personal time away from the villagers' sight to come to terms with her deed.
Sui Hua dazedly watched the two strangers disappear before her eyes, her already tightly strung nerves collapsing upon catching the rolling head.
"Ahhhhh!"
She shrieked belatedly and fainted.
Mei Na caught her friend's crumbling body and trembled in fear as she looked at the rolling head. Just a short while ago, the owner of this same head was speaking fearlessly as he gave the command to lead Ming Yue into the lake.
However now, it wasn't Ming Yue that had met an untimely end. Instead, it was the individual that had decided her end.
Mei Na's sight shifted to the dazed Ming Yue, now surrounded by a crowd of fawning villagers that handled her with care. They anxiously checked her for wounds, asking after her health as if she was a piece of their heart.
"Little Yue'er, how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"
"Yue'er, tell aunty. Did you injure yourself?"
"Don't be afraid, Yue'er. The Village Head can no longer sacrifice you to the water spirit. The officials from the Laining City brought a parchment that clearly declares such practice as banned. Whoever is found practicing will be sentenced to death!"
"See? The Village Head is already beheaded. You don't need to fear. Yue'er, we had no hand in this entire matter. You know what our status is and what the Village Head's status is. Aside from obeying his every order, we have no other way to live."
"Nothing but a group of hypocrites!" Mei Na hatefully snorted.
If it wasn't because of their action, using Ming Yue as an offering to please the water spirit, then she and Sui Hua wouldn't have gotten implicated. She hated the Village Head and hated, even more, the hypocritic elders that were responsible for their current predicament.
They didn't even have the decency to own up to their actions.
"Sui Hua, hold on. I will take you home."
Shifting her unconscious friend onto her back, she ignored the group of hypocrites and struggled with the sudden weight. Stumbling, she made her way back to Sui Hua's mud house.
Crown Prince Lail dashed across the numerous huts and mud houses, shifting through a rocky landscape before finding a secluded cave beside a waterfall. Doing a swift scan around the place, he cautiously entered the damp cave.
"Huff, huff, huff...ahhh!"
For a brief time, the woman in his arms desperately gasped for breath before breaking down in tears. She buried her head in his chest and cried; her quiet, choked sobs stabbing his heart.
"Don't cry. It's okay. Everything will be okay. You didn't do anything wrong. He deserved to die. It's okay. Everything will be fine. You didn't do anything wrong..." He hesitantly placed his hand on her covered head and gently murmured, the tender tone shocking even himself.
However, as if triggered by his words, the cries of the woman only increased further, her fragile figure trembling as she cried her heart out.
It didn't need any saying.
From her intense reaction, it was her first time taking a human life.
'Truly a case of cold appearance and soft heart.'
He couldn't remember his reaction when he first took a human life. The chaotic battlefield, the harsh neighs of Myifs, the swinging of blades and spears. It all felt like another lifetime.
However, even though the memory and events felt distant, he was certain that he never shed a single tear as he reaped lives like a grim reaper. As he slaughtered without remorse or regret.
He did what he had to do in order to protect the Amayan Empire and the peaceful lives of its citizens. Even if it meant making the battlefield his home, the ground his bed, and the sky his blanket, he felt no dissatisfaction.
Because he was carrying out his responsibility as a royal of the Amayan Empire. He was doing his duty of protecting the weak civilians.
However, everything changed on his wedding day.
As if awoken from a long dream and a fog cleared from his mind, Crown Prince Lail, the sole heir to the Amayan Empire, felt his heart freeze towards his empire.
Under the unmasked ugly hearts of the ministers and the unsympathetic, cruel naming of the citizens towards his missing wife, the shackles chaining him to the Amayan Empire in the name of duty and responsibility were finally shattered.
His eyes opened to the truth of the human heart and he realized how lonely he was. In the vast Amayan Empire, in the entire seven realms, he didn't have one individual whom he could call his friend. Whom he could consider a family.
Except for his wife.
His wife was his only family. The family he had gained and became bond to the moment they accepted each other as husband and wife.
The one to whom his responsibility to take care of and the duty to protect now belonged to.
As he returned to his senses, Crown Prince Lail's resolve to find her strengthened. The hand laid upon the woman's head stiffened and slowly dropped to his side.
"You can let go now."
The cold voice was like a basin of ice water, instantly returning Princess Qamari to her senses. Embarrassed, she moved away from the stranger with her head bowed and turned, finding a corner in the cave to huddle.
Her pitiful appearance and frail figure made his heart clench in pain, but Crown Prince Lail forcefully shook his head and shifted his gaze.
'You have a wife waiting somewhere out there for you. Feeling for another woman, even if it is only pity, is unacceptable. That is being disloyal to the woman you married. That is being unfaithful to her and betraying her trust.'
Harshly scolding himself, he turned and left the cave.
Outside, the evening sun was just setting into the sea, its golden brilliance showering the land in a radiance of warmth.
However, Crown Prince Lail felt cold to the bone, shivering as if the warmth couldn't reach him. Standing dazedly in place, his mind wandered back to the huddled figure of the woman in the cave.
"Why am I thinking so much about her? Why? This is wrong! So very wrong!" He fiercely roared.
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The moment he heard her firm, majestic voice, he had an inkling of her intention. As cold as her voice sounded, her heart was as pristine as white snow, clean and untainted. On finding out the villagers' ritual got ruined because of them, his first thought was to compensate them.
She, on the other hand, was compelled to unchain the many innocent girls from the shackles of sacrificial ritual. Crown Prince Lail was already impressed with the woman's magnificent magical abilities. Her kind nature had now earned his respect.
"We will follow your plan." He decisively replied.
Since he planned to stay in the village for a few days anyway, there was no problem in agreeing with her proposal. Besides, this will give them enough time to stabilize their chaotic Realm Heart and recover their elemental energy.
Princess Qamari looked at the bawling crowd and indifferently swung her sword.
Chiiing!
A sharp sword aura flashed through the air, rising fierce gusts of wind carrying a decapitated head that thumped to the ground, before instantly dispersing.
"Ahhhhh!"
Blood splashed and flowed, the red glare silencing the buzzing crowd. Like an unplugged stream, it leaked unrestrainedly into the rippling currents of the water and washed away with the next wave.
"That serves as the fulfillment of his punishment. As for the rest of you, if I do not receive a letter of pardon from the victim forgiving your crimes, within the next dawn, your end will be the same as his. Death by beheading!"
With the same indifference and cold voice, Princess Qamari slowly withdrew her blood-soaked sword.
This was her first kill, her first time taking a human life.
To brand the incident into the villagers' minds and forever banish the thought of sacrificing maidens to an unknown water spirit, she decided to behead the Village Head before their eyes. She decided to use him as an example to cut off any residual thoughts of practicing the ritual in private.
Drip!
Drip!
Her senses frayed and her heart rang nervously in her chest.
The warm blood, as if taunting her for her self-righteous act, dripped loudly onto the uneven rocks and battered her chaotic mind. With every ring, the hand clenching the bloodied sword trembled in sync. And just when her hand had turned numb, the sword about to slide loose, a larger hand clasped her own.
She abruptly raised her head and met the red eyes of the stranger.
"It's okay. He deserved to die for his acts. Remember what he said. They performed this ritual more than one time. Young innocent girls lost their lives more than once. You did the right thing. It was a necessary evil to right an enormous wrong."
Tears pooled in her eyes and her breath caught in her throat. In the wake of his suddenly comforting words, Princess Qamari felt her flimsy shield crumble away as her vision swam.
Crown Prince Lail saw her reddening eyes and the rapid rise of her chest.
Something was wrong with her.
Turning his head, he gazed at the still frozen villagers and coldly said.
"We will be staying at the north of the lake. On the first dawn tomorrow, we need to see that pardon statement, otherwise, you will follow in your Village Head's footsteps." With that, he wrapped his spear arm around the gasping woman and flashed out of the crowd's view.
She needed private space. Personal time away from the villagers' sight to come to terms with her deed.
Sui Hua dazedly watched the two strangers disappear before her eyes, her already tightly strung nerves collapsing upon catching the rolling head.
"Ahhhhh!"
She shrieked belatedly and fainted.
Mei Na caught her friend's crumbling body and trembled in fear as she looked at the rolling head. Just a short while ago, the owner of this same head was speaking fearlessly as he gave the command to lead Ming Yue into the lake.
However now, it wasn't Ming Yue that had met an untimely end. Instead, it was the individual that had decided her end.
Mei Na's sight shifted to the dazed Ming Yue, now surrounded by a crowd of fawning villagers that handled her with care. They anxiously checked her for wounds, asking after her health as if she was a piece of their heart.
"Little Yue'er, how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"
"Yue'er, tell aunty. Did you injure yourself?"
"Don't be afraid, Yue'er. The Village Head can no longer sacrifice you to the water spirit. The officials from the Laining City brought a parchment that clearly declares such practice as banned. Whoever is found practicing will be sentenced to death!"
"See? The Village Head is already beheaded. You don't need to fear. Yue'er, we had no hand in this entire matter. You know what our status is and what the Village Head's status is. Aside from obeying his every order, we have no other way to live."
"Nothing but a group of hypocrites!" Mei Na hatefully snorted.
If it wasn't because of their action, using Ming Yue as an offering to please the water spirit, then she and Sui Hua wouldn't have gotten implicated. She hated the Village Head and hated, even more, the hypocritic elders that were responsible for their current predicament.
They didn't even have the decency to own up to their actions.
"Sui Hua, hold on. I will take you home."
Shifting her unconscious friend onto her back, she ignored the group of hypocrites and struggled with the sudden weight. Stumbling, she made her way back to Sui Hua's mud house.
Crown Prince Lail dashed across the numerous huts and mud houses, shifting through a rocky landscape before finding a secluded cave beside a waterfall. Doing a swift scan around the place, he cautiously entered the damp cave.
"Huff, huff, huff...ahhh!"
For a brief time, the woman in his arms desperately gasped for breath before breaking down in tears. She buried her head in his chest and cried; her quiet, choked sobs stabbing his heart.
"Don't cry. It's okay. Everything will be okay. You didn't do anything wrong. He deserved to die. It's okay. Everything will be fine. You didn't do anything wrong..." He hesitantly placed his hand on her covered head and gently murmured, the tender tone shocking even himself.
However, as if triggered by his words, the cries of the woman only increased further, her fragile figure trembling as she cried her heart out.
It didn't need any saying.
From her intense reaction, it was her first time taking a human life.
'Truly a case of cold appearance and soft heart.'
He couldn't remember his reaction when he first took a human life. The chaotic battlefield, the harsh neighs of Myifs, the swinging of blades and spears. It all felt like another lifetime.
However, even though the memory and events felt distant, he was certain that he never shed a single tear as he reaped lives like a grim reaper. As he slaughtered without remorse or regret.
He did what he had to do in order to protect the Amayan Empire and the peaceful lives of its citizens. Even if it meant making the battlefield his home, the ground his bed, and the sky his blanket, he felt no dissatisfaction.
Because he was carrying out his responsibility as a royal of the Amayan Empire. He was doing his duty of protecting the weak civilians.
However, everything changed on his wedding day.
As if awoken from a long dream and a fog cleared from his mind, Crown Prince Lail, the sole heir to the Amayan Empire, felt his heart freeze towards his empire.
Under the unmasked ugly hearts of the ministers and the unsympathetic, cruel naming of the citizens towards his missing wife, the shackles chaining him to the Amayan Empire in the name of duty and responsibility were finally shattered.
His eyes opened to the truth of the human heart and he realized how lonely he was. In the vast Amayan Empire, in the entire seven realms, he didn't have one individual whom he could call his friend. Whom he could consider a family.
Except for his wife.
His wife was his only family. The family he had gained and became bond to the moment they accepted each other as husband and wife.
The one to whom his responsibility to take care of and the duty to protect now belonged to.
As he returned to his senses, Crown Prince Lail's resolve to find her strengthened. The hand laid upon the woman's head stiffened and slowly dropped to his side.
"You can let go now."
The cold voice was like a basin of ice water, instantly returning Princess Qamari to her senses. Embarrassed, she moved away from the stranger with her head bowed and turned, finding a corner in the cave to huddle.
Her pitiful appearance and frail figure made his heart clench in pain, but Crown Prince Lail forcefully shook his head and shifted his gaze.
'You have a wife waiting somewhere out there for you. Feeling for another woman, even if it is only pity, is unacceptable. That is being disloyal to the woman you married. That is being unfaithful to her and betraying her trust.'
Harshly scolding himself, he turned and left the cave.
Outside, the evening sun was just setting into the sea, its golden brilliance showering the land in a radiance of warmth.
However, Crown Prince Lail felt cold to the bone, shivering as if the warmth couldn't reach him. Standing dazedly in place, his mind wandered back to the huddled figure of the woman in the cave.
"Why am I thinking so much about her? Why? This is wrong! So very wrong!" He fiercely roared.
The moment he heard her firm, majestic voice, he had an inkling of her intention. As cold as her voice sounded, her heart was as pristine as white snow, clean and untainted. On finding out the villagers' ritual got ruined because of them, his first thought was to compensate them.She, on the other hand, was compelled to unchain the many innocent girls from the shackles of sacrificial ritual. Crown Prince Lail was already impressed with the woman's magnificent magical abilities. Her kind nature had now earned his respect."We will follow your plan." He decisively replied.Since he planned to stay in the village for a few days anyway, there was no problem in agreeing with her proposal. Besides, this will give them enough time to stabilize their chaotic Realm Heart and recover their elemental energy.Princess Qamari looked at the bawling crowd and indifferently swung her sword.Chiiing!A sharp sword aura flashed through the air, rising fierce gusts of wind carrying a decapitated head that thumped to the ground, before instantly dispersing."Ahhhhh!"Blood splashed and flowed, the red glare silencing the buzzing crowd. Like an unplugged stream, it leaked unrestrainedly into the rippling currents of the water and washed away with the next wave."That serves as the fulfillment of his punishment. As for the rest of you, if I do not receive a letter of pardon from the victim forgiving your crimes, within the next dawn, your end will be the same as his. Death by beheading!"With the same indifference and cold voice, Princess Qamari slowly withdrew her blood-soaked sword.This was her first kill, her first time taking a human life.To brand the incident into the villagers' minds and forever banish the thought of sacrificing maidens to an unknown water spirit, she decided to behead the Village Head before their eyes. She decided to use him as an example to cut off any residual thoughts of practicing the ritual in private.Drip!Drip!Her senses frayed and her heart rang nervously in her chest.The warm blood, as if taunting her for her self-righteous act, dripped loudly onto the uneven rocks and battered her chaotic mind. With every ring, the hand clenching the bloodied sword trembled in sync. And just when her hand had turned numb, the sword about to slide loose, a larger hand clasped her own.She abruptly raised her head and met the red eyes of the stranger."It's okay. He deserved to die for his acts. Remember what he said. They performed this ritual more than one time. Young innocent girls lost their lives more than once. You did the right thing. It was a necessary evil to right an enormous wrong."Tears pooled in her eyes and her breath caught in her throat. In the wake of his suddenly comforting words, Princess Qamari felt her flimsy shield crumble away as her vision swam.Crown Prince Lail saw her reddening eyes and the rapid rise of her chest.Something was wrong with her.Turning his head, he gazed at the still frozen villagers and coldly said."We will be staying at the north of the lake. On the first dawn tomorrow, we need to see that pardon statement, otherwise, you will follow in your Village Head's footsteps." With that, he wrapped his spear arm around the gasping woman and flashed out of the crowd's view.She needed private space. Personal time away from the villagers' sight to come to terms with her deed.Sui Hua dazedly watched the two strangers disappear before her eyes, her already tightly strung nerves collapsing upon catching the rolling head."Ahhhhh!"She shrieked belatedly and fainted.Mei Na caught her friend's crumbling body and trembled in fear as she looked at the rolling head. Just a short while ago, the owner of this same head was speaking fearlessly as he gave the command to lead Ming Yue into the lake.However now, it wasn't Ming Yue that had met an untimely end. Instead, it was the individual that had decided her end.Mei Na's sight shifted to the dazed Ming Yue, now surrounded by a crowd of fawning villagers that handled her with care. They anxiously checked her for wounds, asking after her health as if she was a piece of their heart."Little Yue'er, how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?""Yue'er, tell aunty. Did you injure yourself?""Don't be afraid, Yue'er. The Village Head can no longer sacrifice you to the water spirit. The officials from the Laining City brought a parchment that clearly declares such practice as banned. Whoever is found practicing will be sentenced to death!""See? The Village Head is already beheaded. You don't need to fear. Yue'er, we had no hand in this entire matter. You know what our status is and what the Village Head's status is. Aside from obeying his every order, we have no other way to live.""Nothing but a group of hypocrites!" Mei Na hatefully snorted.If it wasn't because of their action, using Ming Yue as an offering to please the water spirit, then she and Sui Hua wouldn't have gotten implicated. She hated the Village Head and hated, even more, the hypocritic elders that were responsible for their current predicament.They didn't even have the decency to own up to their actions."Sui Hua, hold on. I will take you home."Shifting her unconscious friend onto her back, she ignored the group of hypocrites and struggled with the sudden weight. Stumbling, she made her way back to Sui Hua's mud house.Crown Prince Lail dashed across the numerous huts and mud houses, shifting through a rocky landscape before finding a secluded cave beside a waterfall. Doing a swift scan around the place, he cautiously entered the damp cave."Huff, huff, huff...ahhh!"For a brief time, the woman in his arms desperately gasped for breath before breaking down in tears. She buried her head in his chest and cried; her quiet, choked sobs stabbing his heart."Don't cry. It's okay. Everything will be okay. You didn't do anything wrong. He deserved to die. It's okay. Everything will be fine. You didn't do anything wrong..." He hesitantly placed his hand on her covered head and gently murmured, the tender tone shocking even himself.However, as if triggered by his words, the cries of the woman only increased further, her fragile figure trembling as she cried her heart out.It didn't need any saying.From her intense reaction, it was her first time taking a human life.'Truly a case of cold appearance and soft heart.'He couldn't remember his reaction when he first took a human life. The chaotic battlefield, the harsh neighs of Myifs, the swinging of blades and spears. It all felt like another lifetime.However, even though the memory and events felt distant, he was certain that he never shed a single tear as he reaped lives like a grim reaper. As he slaughtered without remorse or regret.He did what he had to do in order to protect the Amayan Empire and the peaceful lives of its citizens. Even if it meant making the battlefield his home, the ground his bed, and the sky his blanket, he felt no dissatisfaction.Because he was carrying out his responsibility as a royal of the Amayan Empire. He was doing his duty of protecting the weak civilians.However, everything changed on his wedding day.As if awoken from a long dream and a fog cleared from his mind, Crown Prince Lail, the sole heir to the Amayan Empire, felt his heart freeze towards his empire.Under the unmasked ugly hearts of the ministers and the unsympathetic, cruel naming of the citizens towards his missing wife, the shackles chaining him to the Amayan Empire in the name of duty and responsibility were finally shattered.His eyes opened to the truth of the human heart and he realized how lonely he was. In the vast Amayan Empire, in the entire seven realms, he didn't have one individual whom he could call his friend. Whom he could consider a family.Except for his wife.His wife was his only family. The family he had gained and became bond to the moment they accepted each other as husband and wife.The one to whom his responsibility to take care of and the duty to protect now belonged to.As he returned to his senses, Crown Prince Lail's resolve to find her strengthened. The hand laid upon the woman's head stiffened and slowly dropped to his side."You can let go now."The cold voice was like a basin of ice water, instantly returning Princess Qamari to her senses. Embarrassed, she moved away from the stranger with her head bowed and turned, finding a corner in the cave to huddle.Her pitiful appearance and frail figure made his heart clench in pain, but Crown Prince Lail forcefully shook his head and shifted his gaze.'You have a wife waiting somewhere out there for you. Feeling for another woman, even if it is only pity, is unacceptable. That is being disloyal to the woman you married. That is being unfaithful to her and betraying her trust.'Harshly scolding himself, he turned and left the cave.Outside, the evening sun was just setting into the sea, its golden brilliance showering the land in a radiance of warmth.However, Crown Prince Lail felt cold to the bone, shivering as if the warmth couldn't reach him. Standing dazedly in place, his mind wandered back to the huddled figure of the woman in the cave."Why am I thinking so much about her? Why? This is wrong! So very wrong!" He fiercely roared.
