Chapter 36, Floating Islands

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"Move out the way!" Said the young and near age nine, Lihua.

Moving through the pile of people and ignoring the cries of the maids. Lihua finally passed through and found something that she can't believe.

The girl that she played with and cared so much was now... Hanging by a rope.

Her body was swaying by the wind as the noise of people's chatter drowned the creaking sound.

Lihua's eyes grew blurry as she repeatedly yelled out, "No!"

She fell, due to her weak knees before sobbing, "This can't be real..."

After a little while of sobbing she angrily turned and yelled at the people behind her, "It's all your fault! For calling her useless! This is the result!!"

Though her anger dissipated when she recalled something.

Instead she slumped to the ground, hugging her legs. Noise of her weeping could then be heard.

'It was my fault... she died. I didn't... console her when she was down...'

Though the dream stopped there as Lihua's eyes slowly opened and the first thing she saw was Tengfei's worried look.

He kept on slowly muttering, "Lihua, Lihua, wake up..."

Lihua slowly stood up before feeling the tears on her cheeks. She then rubbed them off before replying, "I'm alright now."

"Must be something scary to make you squeeze me tightly while sobbing."

Lihua looked at his face before saying, "Yeah... It was. That dream reminded me of something very painful..."

"...You want to talk about it?" Asked Tengfei.

The princess thought about it before shaking her head in response.

"Let's get prepared then, today is the day."

Lihua pulled his shirt before asking, "Before that... Can I ask a selfish request?"

Tengfei nodded in response.

"Hug me please..." Lihua shyly said with hints of sadness in her tone.

The young man, paused for a moment before moving near her. He then slowly but surely hugged her.

'Her body is frail and getting thinner each day. Though her cultivation returned... The emotional scars never seem to be healed.'

Lihua closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest.

'Her hair is truly beautiful when basked in sunlight. The scent that comes from her resembles the early autumn smell.'

"...You're sniffing too much." Lihua said before giggling.

"Uh... Sorry."

"Hmm, I don't mind for now."

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It has been some days now. Tengfei and Lihua were preparing for the contest starting today.

The princess, as she prepares her backpack, asks Tengfei, "Your water container filled? How about the towel I lent you? Did you place it in the bag?”

"Gosh, you currently sound like a virtues wife." Tengfei said before laughing.

Lihua as if recalling as to how she asked him, caused her to feel flustered before angrily rebuking, "Who wants to be your wife!?"

Tengfei rolled his eyes before replying, "You still acting tsundere... Even though I felt like you're getting steadily bolder each day..."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear that from someone who sniffs my scent when I'm pretending to sleep yesterday!"

"Pretending to sleep??" Tengfei raised his eyebrows.

"Not to forget your warm and caring hug! So, I'll ask you this? Who's the bolder one now!"

"Eh... These days I don't know what possessed me." Tengfei then shyly scratched the back of his head.

Lihua then said proudly, "At first you were sleeping to the other side, but eventually you succumbed to my cuteness and made me your pillow!"

As if tired, Tengfei replied, "Fine I get it. I'll sleep on the other bed."

"Waaaah!! Why did you decide to do that!? It's already hard for me to sleep without me having you as my pillow but if- If you go far away then I can't possibly sleep!" Lihua said with quick words as if the end of the world is near.

Tengfei revealed a smug look, "Hoho, at this point you should just openly admit your love towards me. Come on, confess your feelings like proper girl! This handsome young man doesn't have all day."

"Feelings... Huh? Your fantasy intoxicated you too much." Lihua had a deadpan expression.

"Sigh, we're just wasting time like this. Let's just go now."

~/``````````````````````/~

Some time later

"Why are there so much fighting going on?" Asked Tengfei.

Lihua then replied, "I presume that they're fighting for the item to enter the contest thingy?"

Sweat started dripping from both Lihua and Tengfei as they realized the mess, they got themselves in.

Lihua then said panickily, "Well g-good luck with your contest, Tengfei... I'll just be in the inn..." Before trying to sneak and escape.

Tengfei grabbed the hem of her clothing before asking with a cold tone, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Sigh..." Lihua felt depressed. She then asked him, "How are we going to pass through this mess?"

"At times like this, all we can do is to run as fast as we can towards the center."

Once they reached their destination, everyone that crossed by them would think that they escaped a muddy brawl,

Their clothing had blood and dirt traces; They were also exhausted as they try to breath in air.

Tengfei couldn't help but smile before saying, "We... actually made... it through..."

"Yeah... We... did..." Lihua replied with a similar state as him.

Finally, they went to the man who was asking to show the required item in order to enter.

Tengfei then cried out, "Shit I forgot it inside the inn!!"

Lihua heart sank before she angry yelled, "You idiot!"

"Just kidding, see look at this wonderful item! You should have seen the look on your face... Lihua forgive me... Please I'm sorry now so let go."

"Hmph, if you make that type of joke again, then you'll have far much worse to worry than your feet being stepped on."

The man then asked Tengfei, "Show me your band?"

Tengfei showed a bracelet made of jade with runic carvings on it.

The man then let him enter.

Lihua then also showed her guest slip which was also approved.

Tengfei then asked, "I never get to ask you this... but how did you get your hands with one of those?"

"The power of food. I bribed that lady Li Meixiu with food and she happily gave that to me."

The man then gave two slips to them which indicated their status inside.

Going through the portal felt like your whole body being compressed into a spaghetti. Then eventually reverting back to normal.

Tengfei felt really weird before he asked Lihua, "How did you get used to going through that?"

"Trust me... It took a lot of time. Even now I can't handle it." Lihua replied with a pale look.

Both Lihua and Tengfei went inside the portal and saw something that dropped their jaws.

A scenery that they can't forget.

Pillars made of marble, piled up to make a circle and surrounded them. Stepping on the floor, Tengfei observed the ground which was made of pale bricks. 'Both the pillars and the ground looked like they were made ages ago. Seeing the vines, mosses, and grass surround them.' Tengfei thought.

Many people could be seen with different appearances that you normally couldn't find in a town. Complete metal armor, monk robes, and adventure clothing. Accompanied by unique types of weapons.

Beasts could also be seen following their master.

Lihua and Tengfei both then forgotten that they were high up to the sky, though when they looked up... They almost fainted from witnessing the world upside down. The town Taesu looked so small and at the same time.

"Tengfei, I don't think I feel so good..."

"...I can relate to your feelings."

A young man wearing a helmet which paired with his adventure clothing, then commented, "I know right?"

Tengfei turned to find his brother Huan. He was surprised as he says, "I almost couldn't recognize you with all that armor, brother. That spear alongside the shield; Your helmet with a feather on top; The metal pieces attached to places of your body's leather clothing... You sure are geared up."

"You already know that I fear death more than anyone."

Tengfei, after surveying him once again, "But still... Isn't this over the top?"

"Nothing is over the top when it comes to a man's armor." Zhou Huan then turned before greeting Lihua, "It's been a while my ex-master's daughter. Have you been doing well?" His voice sounded cold.

"And here I thought your voice would be more girlish from my previous execution." Lihua said before showing a smug look.

"Hey little girl, you should be thankful that my brother takes care of you or else... I'm afraid I would be seeing you on the streets begging for money. A crippled lady like you."

"Haha, but you're mistaken in one thing." Lihua then revealed a confident smile.

"And what's that?"

Lihua's eyes glowed in mud green before dark wind heavily slammed into the back of Huan's feet. This caused him to lose balance before almost falling. Before falling, Huan used his arms to cart wheel himself to a proper position.

Tengfei lightly smacked the back of Lihua's head.

The princess looked at Tengfei before asking, "What was that for!?"

"...That move reminded me of something unpleasant." Tengfei replied back.

Lihua showed a worried look and couldn't say anything rebuke but instead averted her attention towards Huan. She then fixed her expression before snickering, "I don't recall that you were this flexible."

Zhou Huan then smiled with hostility. He then replied, "Humans grow stronger if they try."

The princess noticed something off, like how she can feel the fluctuations of his mana inside him.

"You... how did you get your hands in one of those foundation scrolls?" Lihua asked with a baffled look.

Huan removed his helmet before sticking out his tongue. He then said, "Why should I tell you?"

"*Hmph*" Before crossing her arms and having an angry look.

Tengfei patted her head with eased her slowly.

Zhou Huan triumphally smiled before saying to Tengfei, "Brother, we should enter the portal to the right before it closses."

"Then where is Lihua supposed to go?" Asked Tengfei

"She isn't coming with us? Oh wait, she regained her cultivation somehow so she couldn't enter either way. If that's the case then she came to become a spectator, right? Then enter the portal to the left."

Lihua looked towards the portal before saying to Tengfei, "Take care. I'll be watching you."

She then went and entered the portal.

Tengfei watched the back of Lihua walking away. Her long red hair flowing left and right. This scene caused him to remember that dream again.

Zhou Huan looked at his brother as if pondering of something. He then shook away those thoughts before patting his brother's shoulder.

Tengfei then replied, "Yeah let's go."

They gone through the portal before entering inside a large room. It would be pitch black if it weren't for the kindling torches nearby.

It was kind of hard to see and so Tengfei accidently bumped into someone.

He said, "Sorry." immediately.

That person looked back and stared at Tengfei.

Tengfei couldn't help but think, '...Red iris. Never seen a person who owns eyes like that... Or did I?'

The person revealed a feminine voice as she asks him, "It feels like we met before?"

Tengfei thought, 'Now that she mentions it... this person feels familiar, but I can't remember.'

Tengfei then replied, "I don't think that we had met."

The person stared at his eyes for a long time before walking away.

Zhou Huan came and asked, "You knew that person?"

He vaguely replied, "Maybe... Who knows?"

Before Zhou Huan could ask something else, a loud voice echoed through the room.

"Welcome~ Welcome~ New bloods. You all have been chosen to represent the contest by the great clan representative!"

Tengfei then commented, "Does that make Li Meixiu..."

"Yes, she's one of those successors of a clan." Replied Huan.

"Thanks to the patriarch of Heavens Spark sect, he again teleported all these great islands which existed for a very long time!"

Zhou Huan then also commented, "That's the clan Li Meixiu resides in."

Tengfei replied, "I never knew that."

"I figured something was fishy when I first saw her lightning cultivation. But after seeing how the portal guards acted towards her, I then figured it out."

Tengfei said lazily, "As expected of brother. Paying attention closely to anything beautiful."

Zhou Huan replied with a wry smile.

The announcer then continued, "You might be wondering as to why are you in a room with all eighty other participants. This place is actually where you people will conduct the test! So, in about ten minutes, it will begin where you will face your greatest fear. Conquering that fear will bring you the next stage~!! Simple right!?"

'Conquering fear?' Tengfei thought.

Zhou Huan asked, "Do you have a clue as to how the test will be?"

"I do but it's hard to explain and I might be wrong at the same time."

Zhou Huan raised one his eyebrows before showing a wry smile.

He then replied, "You know you can just say that you don't know instead of pretending... Right?"

As if exposed, Tengfei became flustered. "Sorry, bad habit of mine."

Huan closed one of his eyes, "Anyhow, let's just wait before it began."

Tengfei, "By the way, what's with those floating creatures with eyes?"

"They observe us and transmit the image to somewhere, I guess. Maybe that princess can see you now."

"No wonder, you're trying to act cooler than usual."

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In the other side of the place

Before Lihua entered the portal, she put on her hood.

'Hopefully none of them could recognize me.' She thought.

When she entered, the first thing she saw was the large spherical ball floating on the sky. Large with lots of different screens on it.

You could see the participants of the contest by looking at the ball. It shows all different angles.

Looking around, she saw a lot of stone chairs, some places were even exclusive to the great clans.

She even saw her very own clan somewhere far away.

Avoiding their sight, she kept her hood further lower down. 'Guh... Why is auntie here...'

Someone caught her sight, a lady wearing beautiful clothing. She walked up to her before saying, "Li Meixiu."

"Oh hello, Lihua. Care to sit beside me?" She said.

Lihua nodded in response.

Both of them sat on the stone chair and watched the spherical ball.

The princess wanted to start a conversation and so she asked, "Why aren't you with your clan?"

"Not interested. How about you? Why don't you join your clan over there?” Li Meixiu's gaze then focused on the Imperial Lunar clan.

Lihua paused for a moment before asking with a cold tone, "Since when did you figured it out?"

"Don't worry, I won't speak to a soul about your true status."

Lihua didn't stop there, "You didn't answer my question. Since when did you knew?"

"Since the time I inspected your cultivation. Red haired girl, sealed cultivation, news of a certain branch sects' destruction who hosts the most determined and hard working prin-"

As if embarrassed by her incompetence of hiding, "Okay, okay I get it. I get it."

Li Meixiu then pointed at the large sphere before saying, "It's about to start soon."

"Do you know what's the first contest?"

"They're going to face their deepest fear."

'Deepest fear?' Lihua thought.

She then stared into the spherical screen which showed an announcer speaking about the contest.

"The test is about to begin in 3... 2... 1..."

When the announcer finished his countdown, Lihua looked into one of the many screens to find Tengfei standing still.

He was doing nothing but staring into the ground.

Slowly tears started falling of his eyes.

Lihua gripped her hand before thinking, '...What is he going through?'

Suddenly a familiar voice replied to her, 'I can show you if you want.'

'Please do...'

~/``````````````````````/~

Tengfei was engulfed in darkness as he was dragged into the floor.

When he opened his eyes, he was in a place filled with dense fog.

His head hurts and can't think straight. The last thing he recalled was eating dinner with Lihua.

Looking around, he couldn't find anyone.

Though there's a shadow of someone hidden by the mist.

When he got close, the appearance of that person became clear. It was Lihua.

He tried to touch her but his hand just passed through.

Then he noticed that she was speaking with someone.

He recognized that person who she was speaking with.

It was Lihua's father.

She told him, "I did as told, father. I fooled that trash slave and gained his seed."

"You took quite the time but nevertheless, you did an excellent job. The seer foretold that the one born from the happiness of his would be the key to enter other realms." Her father then affectionately caressed her head.

Tengfei kept on thinking, 'This is not the truth? Right?'

Before he noticed, his breathing became rugged as he clutched his heart.

The real Lihua was seeing this scene and kept on screaming, 'Don't believe what they're saying!!'

Her master then commented, 'He can't hear you know? But their conversation piques my interest, whether it is real or not.'

Lihua replied, 'Didn't the announcer said that he'll face his fear? how come he is easily buying that!'

'They obviously made their recent memories disappear temporally.'

'Guh! Can't I do anything to help him!?'

'No. You can just watch.'

Tengfei then asked the fake Lihua in front of him, "Is this the truth?"

The fake Lihua didn't notice his presence and continued, "We finally can meet her."

Lihua's father nodded before looking towards Tengfei.

He then said, "How does it feel to be betrayed once again?"

Tengfei gritted his teeth as he replies angrily, "You're wrong!"

Lihua's father then said, "Oh foolish and pitiful Tengfei. Don't you see Lihua's eyes?"

The young man turned to look at the fake Lihua. Her eyes were staring at him as if he was something disgusting.

Tengfei rubbed away the forming tears before asking, "...Don't you have feelings for me? Were all those lies?"

"You thought it was real? Anything can be faked."

This time though, it didn't affect Tengfei.

As his gaze focused on Lihua's face. The scar which was usually there was now missing.

His expression changed before he looked lazily at Lihua. His eyes were half closed as he stood up right.

He then said, "I feel stupid now."

Lihua and her father couldn't process what he said.

Tengfei then said, "I bet Lihua would strangle me if she saw how easily I was led by nose."

Too bad Tengfei couldn't hear the real Lihua's voice, "Damn right I will!"

The fake Lihua rubbed her face before a scar appeared.

Tengfei horribly failed to whistle but he still blew something sarcastically before saying, "Too late for changes now."

Both Lihua and her father knitted their eyebrows but it eased up to a smile.

They then bowed towards Tengfei before turning into a pile of sand.

The young man then wondered why is he still there.

The real Lihua asked her master, 'Isn't the thing over? Why is he not disappearing?'

'Not yet.' Her master replied.

Hands started emerging bellow Tengfei's feet. Each one grabbing onto his leg.

Looking down... He saw a lot of familiar faces.

Many of them caused him to feel nauseas.

One of them is even hers.

Lihua seeing this scene caused her to feel frantic before asking, 'Who are those people!?'

'The people he killed.' Her master replied.

'...But there's so many. I can count five or even more...'

Tengfei looked into the eyes of the girl holding his leg. Then he smiled before yelling towards them, "I may be at fault for most of your deaths! But I did it to survive!! You can't haunt me as anyone who was at my place would have done the same thing!!!"

The ghostly hands let go of his leg before disappearing into the void.

Though before the girl disappears, she said, "I'll be waiting... In that place."

Tengfei couldn't help but shudder from knowing that she was the real one. He then remanence a sad past memory of his.

His body then was engulfed in Light before his consciousness faded.

~/``````````````````````/~

Zhou Huan looked at the woman in front of him. He had a cold look as he says, "Mother."

"How could you make me suffer..." The lady said with a pained expression.

Her appearance was ragged and her body was filled with scars. She had blood dripping off her hands and toes even though they were bandaged. Her eyes were too covered in silk.

Huan then said, "It was not intentional."

His mother grab holds on him before yelling, "I wish I never gave birth to a monster like you!"

Zhou Huan was unfazed as he replied back, "I already know that. Tell me something new."

"Forcedius... Wh-"

Before she could speak anymore, Zhou Huan told her, "You're fake. My real mother would never call me by that name."

That person who impersonated his mother then smiled before turning into dust.

His body then glowed before his consciousness disappeared.