"Ah, your movements are sharp, boy!" Lu Gui cackled as they exchanged a flurry of blows. "But your heart? It hesitates."
He lunged again, his sword arm jerking at odd angles as his body twisted unnaturally. "Is it because this is your brother’s body?" He sneered. "Are you too afraid to hurt him?"
Sheng Fei sidestepped and landed a vicious downward slash. His sword shimmered, carving a crescent of golden energy through the air, forcing Lu Gui to leap backward. "Not bad." Lu Gui grinned. “But you’ll have to do more than that if you want to destroy me, little prince."
Sheng Fei remained unshaken, his golden eyes steady, unreadable. It wasn’t that Lu Gui’s taunts were meaningless to him, he just knew that there was someone important he had to protect.
He exhaled softly, his grip tightening on his sword as he adjusted his stance. After all, he wasn’t here to win, he just wanted to escape with his mate.
Lu Gui, however, began laughing wildly, his voice echoing through the forest. Both Sheng Fei and Hua Ren watched in horror as the Emperor’s body bent and lurched, his limbs jerking in ways no human should move, like some sort of grotesque puppet.
Gritting his teeth, Sheng Fei moved first. With a burst of speed, he slashed forward, his blade slicing through the air in a golden arc. Lu Gui twisted unnaturally, spine bending backward at an impossible angle before snapping upright again, narrowly dodging the attack. He countered with a clawed strike, his fingers coiling like serpents. Sheng Fei ducked, pivoting to the side just as Lu Gui’s strike shattered the stone where he had stood.
They clashed again—sword against sword, sparks erupting as their weapons met in a furious exchange of blows, their movements so fast that to an ordinary eye, they would seem like nothing more than flickering shadows.
Hua Ren supported his body with the trunk of the tree, standing on his feet. He could finally move again and was amazed at Sheng Fei’s techniques. He had to admit that to hold up against the Emperor so well, Sheng Fei was really really good. It was like he could predict attacks long before they were made and had already prepared to counter them and even find an opening to strike.
Not to forget that this wasn’t even the true Emperor he was fighting. Whatever possessed the Emperor fought in a raw brutal way. More like an animal than a person but Sheng Fei held on well and was even forcing him back.
Sheng Fei’s blade curved upward, aimed for Lu Gui’s throat, but the possessed man twisted unnaturally once more, his body contorting mid-air to evade the strike. Landing on all fours like a beast, Lu Gui grinned, his eyes glowing with eerie malice.
"Your brother is mine, little prince," he sneered and attacked. Their swords clashed again, locking them in place, their fierce gazes boring into each other. "His mind is too precious for me let go. Give up on him already."
Sheng Fei’s jaw tightened, his golden eyes burning with fury. "Then I will never stop hunting you, Lu Gui." he swore, his voice as cold as winter steel. "I will find a way to get you out of his body!"
With a sharp twist, Sheng Fei wrenched his sword free and drove his foot into Lu Gui’s chest, sending him staggering backward. Without wasting a second, Sheng Fei was in front of him in a flash, sword raised and ready to strike but then—
The word rang out, clear and desperate. Like that of a child who was just about to be abandoned by his only family member.
Sheng Fei froze. His blade hovered mid-air, his breath coming hard and fast. His body trembled, every muscle locked as he gazed down at the Emperor.
In that moment, he was taken back to the past, to the first time he held his baby brother in his arms.
It was a bright sunny day. His step-mother had just given birth and he was so curious to know if he was getting a brother or a sister. He remembered sneaking out of the library when his teacher wasn’t looking and he ran all the way to his step-mother’s palace. When he got there, he saw everyone panicking, saying that the baby wasn’t crying no matter how hard they beat him. Everyone thought that Minxiu was dead until, like a miracle, he entered the room and just like that, Minxiu began to cry hard. He wailed and wailed and he didn’t stop until Sheng Fei carried him.
Ever since that day, Sheng Fei felt that their bond was special. He took care of Minxiu as if they came from the same mother. They were joined at the hip and everyone marveled at how strong their relationship was until they went on that dreadful journey and everything changed.
Tears streamed down Minxiu’s face, his expression one of sheer agony as he gazed up at Sheng Fei. His lips quivered as he reached out with shaking hands, his sword clattering to the floor. "Brother, please... don’t kill me," he sobbed. "Please. I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. Please...I don’t want to die..."
Sheng Fei’s mind reeled. His heart clenching painfully in his chest. Minxiu. His brother. Could it really be him? Could he have taken back control?
"...Minxiu?" He called, his voice barely coming out. He wanted to believe his brother was back but at the same time, he couldn’t.
For a moment, everything seemed to still. Then, the Emperor’s face twisted into a monstrous, grotesque grin. His tear-streaked cheeks lifted, eyes flashing with dark amusement. "Yes, brother?"
Sheng Fei’s blood ran cold.
Lu Gui moved in an instant, grabbing his sword and aiming straight for Sheng Fei’s exposed midriff.
It all happened too fast. Sheng Fei barely had time to register the attack before the blade was upon him. There was no way to dodge. His body tensed, bracing for impact.
A flash of white. CLANG! A blade sang through the air.
Lu Gui’s attack was stopped.
Sheng Fei’s eyes widened as he saw Hua Ren standing between them, his own sword pressed against Lu Gui’s.
"You’re despicable" Hua Ren spat, disgusted. His pale gorgeous face illuminated by the moon. He couldn’t believe whatever was possessing the Emperor was trying to exploit Sheng Fei’s weak spot. It was sickening.