Beneath the shroud of the mist and moonlight, Yèfēi was floating through the Gŭ Shén Lín forest with silent echoes. The trees there remembered her scent of blood blossoms and dying breath. They whispered among themselves, their branches recoiling as she passed.
She moved with an intent.
Not to tempt.
Not to whisper.
But to resurrect someone.
Resurrect someone who at once was very close to Xiezuò and also Master Zi Chen.
Yèfēi was looking down in the forest, her eyes were desperately searching for the grave of Zhēnwū. After some flying in the forest she something shining like silver glitter. This caught her attention, she followed the path where silver light were coming from.
Deep into the heart of the forest stood a clearing, overgrown with roots and thick moss. Yèfēi reached to her end point and there she saw a large slab of a stone wide as a men's bed, dark and cracked with age-rested atop a mound of earth.
She came back to her normal form and stood beside that stone slab. There on that stone slab there something inscribed across it, in glowing silver runes, was a warning written in the language seals:
"Here lies Zhènwū, the Devourer of Names.
Bound by the hand of Zi Chen. Sealed by sacred
will.
Touch not the stone, lest the sky forget your
name."
Yèfēi closely studied the inscription on the rock. She knelt and didn't touch the rock, she didn't have to.
From within her sleeve she drew the scroll given by Xiezuò to her etched with black ink - the language of the old kings, the dead kings
"The spell was given to me by Xiezuò" she whispered.
"You, Zhēnwū, were his greatest failure.
Now it's time to become his greatest weapon."
She unrolled the scroll slowly.
Then began to chant:
"By shadowed womb and cursed flame,
By name devoured and soul reclaimed,
Rise again from chains and stone
Let the flesh return and voice bemoan!"
The earth shatters.
The runes across the grave begin to flicker, then burn.
The stone trembled.
Cracks formed, glowing red from beneath.
BOOM.
The grave exploded - shards of rock flying like sharpnel.
The air turned heavy - thick with rot, iron, and something older than time.
Then the soil heaved.
And from it rose a figure - first a clawed hand, slick with black ichor. Then a horned head, crowned in bone and twisted flame.
Zhēnwū stood tall after long years. He was finally free now from Zi Chen's spell.
Zhēnwū was standing tall - eyes hallow, his ribs glowing like a forge, his lips were completely black.
"Who was the person who freed me from this grave?" Zhēnwū asked.
Yèfēi smiled like a mother welcoming a child.
"I freed you!"
Zhēnwū looked at Yèfēi.
The demon knelt, trembling, still half-bounded by the remnants of Zi Chen's spell.
She leaned in, gently brushing across his seared chest.
"Who are you and why did you freed me?" Zhēnwū asked. Yèfēi simply smiled.
"My name Yèfēi, a brave warrior and loyal servant to Supreme leader Xiezuò."
Zhēnwū heard the name Xiezuò, his eyes started to sparkle.
"Supreme leader Xiezuò....? He..... he still remembered me?"
Yèfēi looked at him.
"Yes he remembered you. He was the one who sent me to free you."
Zhēnwū was so glad to hear that his Lord Xiezuò still remembered him and not just that he also sent Yèfēi to free him. He wanted to thank Xiezuò and wanted to meet him personally after being trapped inside a grave for so many years.
"Thank you..... thank you... miss Yèfēi, thank you! Now please take me to Lord Xiezuò, I want to thank him personally."
Yèfēi immediately declined Zhēnwū's request.
"No..... you cannot meet Supreme leader right now."
Disappointment started to appear on Zhēnwū's face.
"But why!?" He asked. Yèfēi then explained.
"Because Supreme leader has given a task for you to do."
"A task." Zhēnwū asked.
"Yes a task. If I am not wrong you are Zi Chen's creation and were trapped here because of him?"
The moment Zhēnwū heard the name of Master Zi Chen his head started to boil in anger. He raised his head and screamed.
His screamed shook the forest, even Yèfēi was terrified by his scream.
He ended screaming and was gasping for breath. He looked at Yèfēi.
"Don't you ever.... take that bastard's name infront of me. I HATE HIM.... HATE HIM! I even hate the fact that he has created me."
Zhēnwū broke down in tears after that. Yèfēi realized that everything what Xiezuò said about him before was true. She smiled
"Oh..... so Supreme leader was right! This demon is the creation of Zi Chen and not just that he also hates him to the core. It is perfect having him against that old man Zi Chen."
Yèfēi then started to act little bit intimate. She started to console Zhēnwū.
"Lord Zhēnwū please don't cry. You don't have to cry anymore. It time for revenge."
Zhēnwū looked up with teary eyes.
"Revenge....?" Zhēnwū asked. Yèfēi gave him motivation.
"Yes revenge. It's finally time for you to settle this with Zi Chen. You finally have a chance to take your revenge and make Zi Chen suffer for all of his deeds that he did with us.... with you especially."
Zhēnwū was crying no more. He had a fire in his eyes after Yèfēi's motivation.
"Yes... you are right! I have to make Zi Chen pay for his deeds. I was suffering when I was trapped in this grave. Now I want to his HEAD!"
Seeing this fire from Zhēnwū Yèfēi was more determined that Zhēnwū will make Xiezuò's plan successfull.
"Yes... yes..... do get Zi Chen's head but before Supreme leader wants you to do one."
"Tell me, I will do anything for Lord Xiezuò." Zhēnwū said and Yèfēi tells him about his task.
"You have to kidnap Shou's son Liang and bring him to Supreme leader."
"Shou's son Liang?" Zhēnwū asked.
"Yes, in morning Zi Chen will come with his two disciples in this forest for training. One his disciple is Liang. You have to kidnap him and bring him to Supreme leader. Once you brought that kid then we will do everything. We will blackmail Shou and ask his empire in exchange, once we get the empire and Xiezuò then he will reward you for your loyalty and it can be the giving torture to Zi Chen which you can do."
Zhēnwū was into this idea. He was ready to take up this task without any hesitation.
"I like it. I LIKE IT! I will do this for Lord Xiezuò. Tell Lord Xiezuò not worry, I Zhēnwū will make his plan successfull. Tomorrow that boy of Shou's Liang will be infront of him."
"That's the spirit, I hope you succeed in your task. We all be waiting for you, right now I have to go."
Zhēnwū nodded his head and Yèfēi turned herself into her bat form and fly away.
Zhēnwū started laughing cynically and lost into the forest waiting for Master Zi Chen and Liang to arrive.