Path Of The Dragon (A Dark Fantasy Cultivation Wuxia Xianxia Progression Series)

Chapter 83 The Woman In White

Ithilix stepped forward and handed the woman in white her spear.

"Ah... another gift from treasured friends. Fine," said the woman.

Xue padded forward, stared directly into the woman in white's gray eyes, lifted one leg, and peed in the snow. Just barely missing the woman's shoes. Then, he turned around, kicked up some snow in her general direction, and walked back.

Pan Tian giggled and covered it with a cough.

"Yeah, you have no possessions you little hobo beast," said the woman in white, "Just be glad you missed my shoes or I'd be wearing your skin."

All eyes turned to Jie then and the woman in white smiled wider than she had before. A bloodthirsty, manic smile as though she were certain Jie would fail.

Jie swallowed hard. There were many things she had that she did not wish to part with... but there was one that stood above all the others. The thought of giving it away made a cold sweat break out over her body. She felt herself start shaking as she struggled to make herself take out the stone. But her hands would not respond.

"Jie? What's going on?" Pan Tian asked.

"Princess?" Ithilix asked, sounding equally worried.

Even Xue seemed concerned.

"It seems your friend has betrayed you," said the woman in white.

"I haven't," Jie said. Each word was a struggle to get out. "It's just... difficult," she said. She raised her trembling hand and something wet ran down her face. Crying over a stone... what's... wrong with me... she thought as she struggled to raise her hand.

Her friends looked at her, horrified. It hurt her heart almost as much as it ached to force herself to part from the stone.

"Jie... your eyes are bleeding," Pan Tian said.

Jie touched her face with her other hand and pulled it away... her porcelain fingers were stained red. Just like the snow when she'd killed the monster earlier. But, as easy as it was to touch her face... it felt like she was wrestling against chains as soon as she tried to use that hand to help the one she was trying to activate her storage ring with.

Just a stone. Just a stone. Just a stone. Just a stone. Just a stone... Jie repeated to herself. She didn't believe a single syllable, but it gave her something to focus on other than the gut-wrenching agony. Finally, her storage ring shimmered and the silver stone appeared in her grasp. She gripped it tight, like a vice, and pushed her hand forward to present it to the woman in white.

Her friends shrieked and the woman in white recoiled.

"Get it away! Get it away!" screamed the woman.

"You'll kill my friends if I do that," Jie snarled. Every word felt like metal shards cutting her throat and lips to force out.

Jie took a step toward the woman in white.

"No! I swear! Please! Get it away! Away! Far away!" screamed the woman in white. She stepped backward, her gray eyes wide with terror as she stared at the stone. But red energy snapped and crackled around her and sent her to her knees. She struggled against it, but couldn't leave the clearing.

"Your task is underway!" Roared a voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Please... please no... please..." said the woman in white, "I... I can't... please... please no..."

"Make a blood oath! Swear you wont harm me and my friends and I'll put it away!" Jie said. The words were a relief to say, though she still strained to hold out the stone in front of her, offering it to the woman.