The Night Breeze Whispers Your Name

18. I Am So Sorry

The leader of Huo Clan was standing with his two generals at the door of the temple.

How ironic, although I was the one who was half-demon, that old man almost made my heart stop with fear.

"Leader of Huo, welcome to ShenShan, what do we owe this honour?" one of the old guys asked, but I already knew it wouldn't be something good. Even his name brought bad luck...

"I see that you didn't hear about the news yet," the old man snorted and walked towards the old guys, not even glancing in my direction.

"What news?"

"The Demon Valley attacked again," the old man declared with his clenched fists.

Everyone except me gasped. I was too busy resisting the urge to run away, dragging Mu Ning with me.

"To where?" the old guy II asked again.

"To Mu Clan," the old man replied and for the first time, he looked in my direction, but it was for Mu Ning. He must have seen the green color of his robe.

"WHAT?" Mu Ning exclaimed with horror and darted forward after he saved his arm from my grip. With fright, I watched him grabbing my father's sleeve. "Is the army there yet?"

The old man looked at Mu Ning with disgust as if he was a mere pest. Harshly, he saved his sleeve from Mu Ning as he said "those idiots arrived there, but they can't do anything with that coward from Jin being their commander."

His thoughtless words affected Mu Ning severely. I saw his legs were shaking so badly, so I darted forward and caught his figure before he slumped to the ground.

"I am sure they are giving a good fight," I whispered reassuringly to his ear, but he didn't hear me, being too immersed in his fears.

Clicking his tongue, the old man threw a one last disgusted glance towards Mu Ning and turned back to the old guys. "Tomorrow, I will take our representative back to Huo in case the battle in Mu Clan jumps to us."

As Huo was the neighbour of Mu Clan, the old man's way of thinking wasn't baseless; however, hearing him, my all existence shook from the very core.

He is taking me back, I kept repeating inwardly, my eyes on Mu Ning. What would happen to him? What if his clan fell already? Where would he go? As he wasn't the type to run away, I was sure he would rush to his clan to join the battle even if there was no hope.

"Meet me at the wall at dawn," I whispered to him as I knew the old man wouldn't let me sleep with him that night. If I couldn't hold Mu Ning back, then I would join him.

"Hong Huo, come here," the old man called me as I expected and I tailed him to the room which the old guy I directed him to.

"Stay at the door and don't dare to move an inch," he ordered me as if I was a dog and went in with his 'mute' generals.

I did what he ordered. All night long, I sat there like an obedient dog, my eyes on the sky. Too bad, the room where the old man was staying was on the other side of the temple, so I couldn't see the room where we used to stay. My mind was constantly drawn to Mu Ning and I prayed that the old man wouldn't notice my absence until I went away from his range of activating the curse.

Like that, I sat there, regularly checking inside and the sky and when I was sure that the old guy and his generals were sleeping soundly, I rose to my feet and left the door with soundless steps.

I took only four steps before a strong pain hit me hard and I fell to the ground with a loud thud. With my teary eyes, I saw the curse mark shining in red in the dark.

"Where do you think you are going?" the old man asked wryly as he towered me.

"Please..." I wanted to beg, but his boot on my head shushed me. My face pressed against the hard ground, but the pain was nothing compared to the fact that I would never see Mu Ning again.

"Be a good dog, don't move or shout," he ordered me as the numbing pain hit me again with his command. He retracted his foot as I couldn't move after his command. Then he gestured at his generals to drag me back.

No matter how much I tried, I could neither move nor cry out... The curse mark was way too strong...

Like a bag of potatoes, the generals dragged me back to the door and beat me to unconsciousness.

Mu Ning... I am so sorry....