Steps Towards You

Step Twenty Five : One Night In A The Strange City

Shen ye walk in the middle of Arena and bow to the King n Queen who seat it their throne.

" Your highness, since the spirit tiger has been seal back, according to the rules the death sentence can be void. Isn't it true?"

"It is, but the punishment can't be avoid. She will be exiled and can't take a step to the kingdom. While her status will be stripped from her royal title, take her"

The soldier take her with them and leave the arena

" You and A'lanruo must be punished to involve in this, shen ye you will be exiled from the kingdom and stripped your title, A'lanruo you will be grounded for a month"

" I show my bravery in saving my sister life, i didn't get reward but instead i get punishment. But it's oke i will accept it. But father, Xize has receive an order for Shen Ye from the Nine Heaven to made a sword for Heaven Crown Prince on his coming birthday "

" Is it true Lord Xize? "

" It is" Xize answer while his hand keep supporting A'lanruo.

" Alright then, he will work under your supervision, after the work is done he must left this country"

Shen Ye bow " Thank You your highness"

Juno come to Shen Ye " Thank you Gege for saving my life, but do you really want to stay at her mansion, is it like a prison for you and i'm feeling bad for that"

" Don't worry about me, just keep you and your baby safe"

A’lanruo and Xize trait Shen Ye like a guest in honor, They place him at the west mansion and provide what he need, include the iron forge so he can start and make a sword.

Meanwhile Shen ye adapt with the new environment, Xize ask A’lanruo why must save Shen Ye life. A’lanruo said she know when she was a baby Shen Ye have been saving her once so she owe him a life debt and this is as far as she can do to pay her debt.

Xize know exactly his wife attitude towards life debt since she also owe him a life debt and choose to stay by his side for century to pay back and he smile when he remembered those days. Seeing his smiling, A’lanruo ask what is in his mind. He just reply you have same attitude with my love, she once also stay with me a while paying a life debt since I once save her life.
You both have same personality.

The Queen continuously visit Shen ye in A’lanruo mansion, she have an intention to get rid of his husband. She want to keep her daughter Juno so she will do anything to it. She asked Shen Ye help and offering him the freedom if the plan was succeed. Shen Ye will once again be the archmage and be release from his punishment.

While Shen Ye not yet given an agreement, The Queen already put some trick in his plan. She put a poison in his husband food, the poison itself very potent one with no taste and no color so no one can know. She put it in little by little, make the king lost his guard. 

One day the King body feel sick, when the Imperial doctor checking his pulse, it’s already to late since the poison is already on his heart and cause a damage his time is coming.

Seeing this the Queen start another plan she want to blame A'lanruo so she ask A’lanruo to come and visit her father that she told her he is sick.

Hearing her father sick, A’lanruo rush to the palace and take care of her father for three days, but on the third day her father died.

The queen hurry put in act and said that A’lanruo kill The King. Without investigation they took and place A’lanruo in the dungeon, she plan to execute A’lanruo.

While she also work together with the Owl Kingdom to start a war and create chaos. Since Fanyin village has live peacefully they don’t know how to handle this and many of the subject are died.

Xize found out they captured A’lanruo and hurry go to save her, but the prison was on fire and he can’t find her anywhere. He was desperate that he can’t protect his love once again.

Shen Ye come to rescue A’lanruo even the fire already spread, he took her out from the prison, than place her in the forest. When A’lanruo wakeup and find herself at the forest she know she must do something to prevent the war.

She quickly transform herself into fighting combat and go to the border between Fanyin and Owl Clan.

The war already begun and Fanyin soldiers are cornered by the owl soldiers. A’lanruo hurry lead the troops and start to fight back, but they are outnumber and start to lost hope.

And at the midnight, A’lanruo cast a magic Arrow that turn into three huge pilar in the edge of the river, that make Owl soldier jump in surprise and retreat.

A’lanruo fly to the top of the Pilar and make a hand seal and create a long lost magic that can transform her into Bi Yi Bird that very huge and with all part of body surround eternal fire, and in one jump she burn all the enemy and in second they turn in to dust.

Xize who saw the Bi Yi Bird in the sky hurry go to the spot but he just find out the one who cast the spell was A’lanruo and he just lost his words.

The spell is strong but it’s a forbidden spell. The spell just can be used once since with the fire, it took the life of the one who cast it too. A’lanruo after repulse the enemy, slowly her body turn back into human body but falling down from the sky.

Seeing her falling Xize who come right in time and hurry fly to catch her. But seeing her state he know her time too has come.
She giving her life to save others

“ Why would you do this, you don’t even care for your life “

“ I’m sorry but I have too, this is my country I have to save it. You don’t have to feel sad. I think this is my purpose of life. I don’t have any regret so I hope you won’t too. This life is just too short, I wish next life the wait will be shorter and the happiness will be longer.
I'm sorry Donghua for leaving you again..

Donghua shred a tears and A'lanruo see him crying

"Don't cry we will meet again don't we" she wipe tears that fall from his eyes and with her last breath she said

" Farewell Donghua “

At the end A’lanruo call him the name he long yearned and kiss her in her forehead before she turn to dust. He once again failed to save his love, this time is worse he lost her right in his arm.

With A’lanruo death, The Queen take control of the Kingdom and Shen Ye continue being the archmage, Juno once again being save and crown as Queen,while her mother retired from the Kingdom and live in seclusion.

With that Donghua take the cast spell of the memory, and cloud jump and head to Qing Qiu in hurry.