The Rise of the Divine Oracle

Chapter 86 - Faceless

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Wangji thought he knew what desperation felt like. He spent long years searching, yearning and inconsolably helpless trying to find his one and only soulmate. He thought that once he found him and bonded with him, things would be fine. He was not a fool, he knew wherever Wuxian went, trouble would surely follow. That's why he trained and improved his skills all those years to be able to protect their love no matter what. Yet, he's standing in the middle of a war zone filled with swords vainly trying to stop corporeal spirits and mundane people running and screaming in fear. He couldn't bring himself to care. At the moment, the only thing he can see is the terror in his soul-bond's eyes as he struggles to free himself from his captive. The only thing he can hear is his love whimpering his name in sheer panic, asking for him to save him. Wangji kept fighting his way, willing to destroy anything to get to Wuxian. Spirits kept coming. They kept blocking his way and delaying him.

Wuxian felt paralyzed. A mix of pain from the death grip the man had on his wrist and waist, the warm exhales of him sniffing his neck and the powerless feeling from being at the mercy of a mad man. He didn't even have time to look around and check if everyone else was alright. His eyes were uncontrollably fixed on his soul-bond.. begging him to make this all stop.

The man moved back enough to get a better look at Wuxian's face. He followed his eyesight towards Wangji and whispered: "Who is that?"

Wuxian's eyes widened in fear. Even in a weak state, he wouldn't wish harm towards his soul-bond. The man smirks: "He is your love, isn't he?"

Wuxian tried to swallow through a bruised throat and winced with pain. The man inched close to whisper: "Would you be more willing to join me if I looked more like your Lan Zhan?"

When he moved back into Wuxian's sight, his face was no longer featureless. He had Wangji's face. Wuxian started shaking in a mix of shock and denial: "H.. How?"

The man smiles: "I can be anyone as long as I know their birth name and how they look like. Isn't that funny? A man with many faces but none of his own."

Wuxian's eyes started to water as he shook his head: "No no no no no.." He was not prepared for this type of psychology warfare.

Wuxian didn't know it was possible but the man tightened his grip on his waist to the point where he could feel his fingers almost digging into his flesh. The man moved his hand from his defiantly-broken wrist to grab his neck tenderly: "I came here to receive the blessings of the deity guarding the well but you ruined my plans. It's only fair that you repay me."

Wuxian could barely breathe from the amount of pain he felt from the grip on his waist. The man whispered close to Wuxian's face: "This is a warning. Stand in my way once more and I will kill everyone you love and keep you for myself." He closed the gap and forced Wuxian into a tender kiss. The smaller man scrunched his eyes and pursed his lips tightly shut in a last act of defiance. The man didn't seem to care and continued to place small kisses from the corner of Wuxian's mouth to the underside of his jaw. He whispered: "So much power wasted on you.. I can taste it .. just under your skin." He licked Wuxian from his collar bone to his jaw.

Wuxian was at the verge of breaking down in sobs. The only thing keeping him together is the will to survive. If he dies, Wangji dies. He will not fail his soul-bond. The pressure that was holding his side suddenly disappeared and he crumbled into the ground. He didn't dare open his eyes. He was so terrified. All he could do is take deep breaths and prepare himself for whatever verbal, physical or psychological assault this vile man is planning to deal next. He felt a gentle hand touch his cheek: "Open your eyes."