THE BLUE WHISPER 驭鲛记

Chapter 4: Similar Dilemma

　　Ji Yunhe walked up to the cell and looked through the thick bars full of talismans. The jiaoren hung by his hands and his body was covered with wounds. Large iron hooks pierced through his clavicle, and the chains wrapped around his blue and white tail confined him from all movements. 
　　
　　His blood dripped down, soaking the chains, and his face looked as pale as paper under the moonlight. Even though Ji Yunhe had been in the valley for many years and witnessed many gruesome scenes, she still could not help but feel chills right now.
　　
　　Along with the chills, she also felt a bit lost in his appearance.
　　
　　There were always some people or things in this world that could touch the heart, whether they were in bloom or in wilt.

       She took one step forward. This step seemed to have brought her into his area of guard. His lashes fluttered, and his ice blue eyes opened with a shimmer. He looked at Ji Yunhe and his pupils reflected the darkness of the dungeon, the dim flames on the wall, and her shadowy figure.
　　
　　The corners of his mouth were slightly downturned, adding to a majestic look of nobility that he was born with. His eyes were aggressive and displayed a mixture of wariness, anger and detachment.
　　
　　He remained silent.
　　
　　The eunuch who had delivered him did not provide any information at all. Where did he come from? What was his name? What was his physical condition and what level of magic power did he possess... Naturally, the eunuch also did not tell anyone if he was able to speak.
　　
　　The wish to have him speak human words… Was that to simply make him speak or to teach him a whole new language?
　　
　　Ji Yunhe did not shy away from his gaze. She took another step closer and pressed herself against the bars to examine him.
　　
　　The two pairs of eyes met, each one deep in thought.
　　
　　Ji Yunhe did not know what the jiaoren was thinking, but she had an eerie feeling that her current situation was very similar to his.
　　
　　Entrapment.
　　
　　Staying in the Demon Valley was a misfortune, and leaving would not be good either.
　　
　　If the Demon Valley could not tame him, then he would be sent to the Demon Terrace in the north, the Demon Island in the east, or the Demon Mountain in the west... Under the control of the imperial court, these were the only four places left in the world allowing people born with demon master powers to exist and survive.
　　
　　None of these places were friendly to demons.
　　
　　What was the difference between him and Ji Yunhe?
　　
　　Lin Haoqing and Lin Canglan, the former was defensive and suspicious of her and wanted to get rid of her, the latter used her in every way possible and could not squeeze enough blood out of her. If she were to escape from the valley, the poison in her body would activate, not to mention the entire world under royal power would regard her as a traitor. None of the four major demon master quarters would accept her again.
　　
　　 Between the jiaoren and Ji Yunhe, one was a plaything under the power and one was a pawn. They were both prisoners.
　　
　　The sound of blood dripping down in the dungeon was faint but clear. Ji Yunhe looked across his sturdy chest and muscular abdomen. She raised her eyebrows and sighed to herself. He looked very strong.
　　
　　And then her eyes shifted down. His fish tail was no longer as smooth as during the day when she first saw him. Due to a lack of water and punitive lightning strikes from earlier, the scales were now rough and uneven. Some were overturned, revealing the flesh underneath. It was a bit scary to look at.
　　
　　For demon taming, Ji Yunhe had never been fond of using violence.
　　
　　She turned her hand and her palm conjured a small, clear spring of water. With a wave of the fingers, the water floated over and rolled onto the jiaoren's tail.
　　
　　It was an act of sympathy toward him, probably also sympathetic that his situation was not unlike her own.
　　
　　He subconsciously resisted and shifted slightly. As soon as he moved, the black iron chains made a clattering sound, and a bolt of lightning instantly flashed out and dissipated into his flesh.
　　
　　The jiaoren's body shivered and he clenched his teeth. Another stream of blood trickled out from the wounds covering his body...
　　
　　He endured it all in silence.
　　
　　"Don't move," Ji Yunhe opened her mouth with a voice lower than an ordinary woman. "I do not want to harm you."
　　
　　She looked up again and met with his blue eyes.
　　
　　Her hand did not stop as the stream of water continuously floated out from her palm, warm like the temperature of her body. It covered the jiaoren's tail.
　　
　　The scales slowly smoothed themselves down piece by piece. Soon the entire tail was shining again with the dazzling luster it used to have. 
　　
　   He looked at her with cold eyes still void of emotion.
　　
　　Ji Yunhe did not expect anything more. She closed her palm and the spring of water disappeared. "You want to leave, correct?"
　　
　　He did not respond, as if he did not hear her question at all.
　　
　　"I want to leave too," she said in such a low voice that it was not much more than a whisper. "Be good and listen, it will be easier that way."
　　
　　She looked at him, smiled, then turned around and left.
　　
　　Away from the dungeon, Ji Yunhe tilted her head to look at the bright moon in the sky. She took a deep breath and smelled the flowers that bloomed all year round. Even though she hated this Demon Valley, Ji Yunhe had to admit that she was fond of the south, the mild temperature and the always free and warm wind.
　　
　　For so many years, she had been trying to figure out a plan to leave this place peacefully, however... now she had no more time to slowly toss and turn.
　　
　　Lin Canglan had set up this competition for her to take part in. She could not avoid it, so might as well accept it. 
　　
　　Except her opponent was not Lin Haoqing, but the one sitting in the main hall with his old beady eyes, the Valley Master, Lin Canglan. 
　　
　　Lin Canglan had told her a long time ago that the poison in her body had a real antidote. One that would cure her once and for all and she would no longer need to take pills again. He told her if she did a good job, he would eventually give her the last antidote. 
　　
　　Ji Yunhe once had hopes and faith in Lin Canglan, but not anymore. Now she even doubted the existence of such an antidote. But it did not matter, as long as she learned the recipe for making the monthly pills, she would be able to leave. Or if she could get her hands on enough pills to last while she had someone research and replicate them... Or even if she were to acquire just a handful of the pills, she still wanted to go.
　　
　　She was sick of this.
　　
　　This life without freedom, she was sick of it.
　　
　　She desired for a moon that she wanted to see, flowers that she wanted to enjoy, and a world that she wanted to walk in, by her own will, without any control and manipulation.
　　
　　This would be her battle with Lin Canglan. It was time to fight back.
　　
　　And it would start with this jiaoren.
　　
　　"Jinsang," Ji Yunhe bent down and pressed her lips gently to the heart of a flower by the road, "it's time to come back."
　　
　　The air stirred around her, lightly rustling the petals as a soft breeze carried her words off into the distance.