Red Phantom

Chapter 7

Zhu's POV

~Flashback~

"Ah, Zhu it's so nice seeing you again. Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?" Wen Chao chuckled as he held my face.
"Go to hell," I seethed spitting on him.
With a laugh he smiled wickedly at me before slapping me across the face.
"You know you're lucky I'm a good guy or else I'd do much worse to you," He chuckled quickly.
"If you're going to kill me then kill me," I huffed
"Oh no no, not yet. I want to keep you so you can watch me torture your friends. Remember Lan Wangji, well we have him," He spoke stiffling a laugh.
"YOU BASTARD LET HIM GO!" I screamed at him lunging towards him only to be forced to the ground by the two men holding me.
"I said I was a good guy, but my men I'll let them do whatever they want to you," He smirked at me.
"You aren't a good guy, I'd rather die than have to look at you any longer," I spat at him.
"Do what you want to her," He chuckled going to sit under a tree with his little play thing.
With a few chuckles I was being drug backwards across the rocks, into the water. Being slapped then held under the water, as I thrash around trying to get to the surface. Coming up finally for air only to be slapped and kicked back into the water. My screams for help being drowned out by the water, as the men kept beating me. Finally being thrown onto the shore, as blood dripped from my mouth, I struggled to even move.
"Not so tough now are you?" Wen Chao chuckled as he walked up to me.
"Go to hell," I croaked as I looked up at him with a smirk.
"Crush some of her golden core, I wanna here her scream," He laughed sitting back down and smirking at me.
I watched as the golden-core crusher came towards me with an emotionless face, as he pulled his glove off. Two of the men help me down as he placed his hand on me, I could fill my spiritual energy draining. I screamed and squirmed as my core started breaking, my eyes started closing as I grew tired and slowly began fading.
"Stop she has to stay awake!" Wen Chao yelled stopping the gloden-core crusher right away.
I felt the pain stop and slowly fade away as Wen Chao walked up to me picking me up.
"Ride the sword, we're taking her to The Burial Mounds," He stated riding his sword.
To weak to fight him I laid against him as the wind blew against my skin.
"If you survive, I'll make sure to find you," He chuckled before throwing me from his arms.
A scream erupted from me as I began falling towards the ground, tears escaping my eyes as I crashed into the ground.
~End of flashback~

I woke up abrutly sitting up right in bed, holding my chest as I gasped for air.
"Zhu are you okay?" Xichen questioned sitting next to me grabbing my hand.
I looked over at the window seeing the night sky, then looked at Xichen and nodded.
"I just had a flashback, and it felt really real," I spoke softly.
"Do you want some tea to calm you?" He questioned softly rubbing his thumb along my hand.
I nodded slowly and watched as he walked over getting me some tea, before slowly walking back over sitting next to me.
"Here," He whispered placing the glass on my lips helping me drink it.
"Thank you," I hummed with my eyes closed.
"You should lay down now," He whispered slightly pushing my shoulders down.
"I won't go back to sleep not after that," I whispered grabbing his hand.
"I'll stay up with you then, but you need to keep laying down, you're still hurt." He spoke running his thumb across my cheek while he smiled down at me.
"Thank you," I whispered looking up at him with a small smile.
He simply hummed before going to the other part of the room out of sight. I was about to ask what he was doing only to see him walk out in his night robes. He gave me a small smile as he got into the bed on the other side, moving closer to me.
"You know you could've changed in here, I could've closed my eyes if you didn't want me looking," I whisper while turning over to face him.
"I know, but it was easier going over there to change," He spoke with a smile.
With a small smile he closed his eyes and started humming the songs he'd play on his flute. Letting a smile reach my lips I slowly placed my hand on his face, tracing my fingers along his cheek and jawline.
"Don't let me ever lose you again," I whispered running my fingers over his lips.
"You won't," He whispered with a smile, opening his eyes to look at me.
"You should sleep, I'll be fine stay up alone," I whispered with a soft smile.
With a simple nod he closed his eyes again and started humming once more. Watching him carefully as the humming slowly stopped, and he fell asleep. Sitting up once more and looking towards the window, seeing my pouch with my amulet by it along with my swords. Slowly swinging my legs over the side of the bed before standing up on shaky legs, giving myself a moment to get my balance. Slowly I walked towards them as I felt my strength start to fully return to me. Getting to the window, grabbing my pouch and tying it to my waist before looking out the window seeing the empty streets. Taking a deep breath of the fresh night air as I closed my eyes letting myself get lost in it, until I heard a crash outside then saw someone in black running away. Quickly putting my swords on my back before going downstairs seeing a bloody and beaten worker. Running out the door and towards the way the culprit ran, throwing Xuè after them. I kept running until I caught up with them, finally seeing Xue Yang standing there with a box. Calling my sword back to me as I drew Ryuu and pointed both at him.
"Why did you harm the worker so badly?" I questioned stepping closer to him.
"This box is rather important to me you see, I didn't have a choice," He chuckled coming closer to me.
"Don't make me kill you," I seethed with venom.
"You still act how you did when Wen Chao captured you. Shame you weren't killed then," He laughed before dropping the box and drawing his sword.
I lunged forward swinging my swords at him as he swung his at me.
"Wen Chao should've killed you," He huffed slicing my arm.
"I should've killed you the first time we met," I seethed slicing his face and hand.
"You bitch!" He yelled at me slicing me across my stomach.
With a pained scream I fell to my knees clutching my stomach as I stared at Xue Yang, throwing Ryuu at him.
"I now know why you were thrown out like a dog and treated poorly, no wonder the Wen's used you for their dirty work," I seethed whiled wincing in pain as Ryuu landed behind him.
"YOU'RE DEAD!" He seethed slashing my arms and legs, kicking me in my stomach flinging me back.
Laying in a heap on the ground coughing up blood as tears made there way to my eyes, Xue Yang moved closer to me with his sword raised.
"Zhu," I heard someone call from a distance.
Xue Yang stopped before quickly running off. I called Ryuu back to my putting both my swords back in their sleeves on my back. I started crawing towards a tree, proping myself up against it, before I got enough strength to stand. I stumbed back towards town where we were staying, seeing two disciples running towards me. Falling forward into one as they got in front of me, catching me. He handed his sword  to the other before picking me up running back to the tavern where I saw Xichen and Wangji both waiting out front.
"Zhu!" Xichen called as we stopped in front of him.
"Xue Yang, I saw him run after attacking the worker, so I chased him, and we fought. I tried stopping him but he escaped," I whispered well Xichen took me upstairs with Wangji following behind.
"What way did he go?" Wangji quickly questioned.
"Towards the Jin's," I whispered before coughing up more blood.
"Wangji find a doctor," Xichen instructed as he laid me down on our bed.
"The closest doctor is Wen Qing she lives with Wuxian," I whispered oncemore.
With a nod Wangji left while Xichen followed him before returning with water and a cloth. He started to gently clean the blood from my arms and face before untying my top robe, sliding it off of me.
"Stop getting hurt please. I really can't handle it. I need you and everytime you get hurt it feels like I'm going to lose you," He whispered as tears came from his reddened eyes.
"I'm sorry," I whispered while putting my bloody hand on his face.
I watched as he applied pressure to my stomach with the cloth causing me to wail in pain.
"I'm sorry," He cried as he kept the pressure on my stomach.
Soon Wangji appeared with Wen Qing and Wuxian, who quickly made their way over to me.
"I need the three of you to keep her calm and still while I tend to her wound," Wen Qing spoke looking at the others.
With nods of there heads Xichen started playing his flute, while Wuxian and Wangji held me down.
"This is going to hurt," She whispered as she undid my inner robe and looked at my wound.
She started to clean up the blood around the wound before she started to stitch it shut, the moment the needle pierced my skin I wailed. Sweat droplets trickled down my forhead as I kept raising my body with every time the needle went through my skin.
With another wail my amulet came to life, pushing everyone away with thuds.
"Don't get to close to me," I cried as I bite my lip.
"Zhu," Xichen whispered as he stepped closer.
"Don't, it'll hurt you," I cried.
I watched and cried as my amulet surrounded me, the burning sensation across all my wounds as they started to heal. After a few more agonizing moments my amulent went back into the pouch, I laid barely awake drenched in sweat.
"Zhu, what happened?" Xichen questioned while holding my hand.