QT: Against My Will

256 4.77 – Tears Of An AngeL – Dangerous Angels

Inside of Zhao Rong’s office...

“I’ll give her in exchange for your army.” Zhao Rong stared at the man in black, sitting opposite him. The very man that gauged out his eye. He ignored Tian Shi’s presence that sat next to Ru Quan. That ungrateful woman refused to accept the spot of the Empress, together with all the priceless presents that were sent before her mansion.

“What makes you think that she is yours?” Xuan Mu placed his hand at the back of Bing Shi’s neck, tilting over, he pressed his lips against hers.

Bing Shi opened her eyes wide.

?Mr. Jelly:? Remember. A sweet kiss for every cookie given.

In short, a public kiss.

The corner of Bing Shi’s lips curved up, parting her lips, she gave his tongue prompt access inside.

Xuan Mu covered her flushed face with his cloak; he leaned against the chair, licking his lips as if he just got a taste of a world’s best delicacy.

Zhao Rong’s striking blue eye behind the mask was rooted on the unfamiliar Tian Shi; his heart thumped painfully, he felt something inside of him breaking, having a hard time breathing. He rushed to the bathroom next to his office, pulling off his mask, he started to cough, gasping for air.

.....

Confused, Xuan Mu told Bing Shi to stay put and went to check the situation, “I expected everything, but this...”

“...” Coughing, Zhao Rong wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his voice hoarse, “After they tear us apart, they will leave. They are not supposed to reciprocate our feelings.”

“Who?” Xuan Mu asked, frowning.

“Men and women from another world.” Zhao Rong rested his back against the wall, “They carry a different aura from others.” He pointed at Tian Shi with an undeniable resentment, “Like her.”

“What about me?” Xuan Mu raised his eyebrow in curiosity.

Zhao Rong shook his head. Ru Quan carried none like that. “Don’t fall for their schemes. You fell for her, didn’t you? She’ll mess you up like a piece of trash, then leaves.”

[Hidden Quest success: Find out why Zhao Rong became interested in you+200p. After finding out the reason, change his mind as if there’s nothing interesting +200p.]

‘So he got interested because of my different aura, and lost interest after he got to know that I’m a host?’

?Is it because of Kuro??

?Mr. Jelly:? Probably every host with a system.

“You remember something?” Xuan Mu asked, standing beside Zhao Rong. He needed to know more. It was the first time he met someone who could remember his past lives. “Betrayed?”

More than once. Zhao Rong looked up. Something triggered his past memories, excruciating ones, “They... always leave. We don’t need them... We don’t need anyone. We’ll do the same... We’ll play with them until satisfied, then we get rid of them...”

“No wonder they left your majesty,” Bing Shi walked towards the bathroom, wrapped in a black cloak, “If your majesty wanted to kill them from the start, how do you expect them to stay with you?”

“What about you?” Zhao Rong asked, “No different from us, you only see us as one of your chess pieces. Now that you got what you want, you don’t need us anymore.”

“Stop playing that victim card. It won’t make me feel a spec of guilt towards you. A chess piece? Hah... I’m one too.” Bing Shi’s expression turned desolate as she grabbed Xuan Mu’s wrist, taking him away, “He’s one too. But so what? Should we drown ourselves in self-pity? It’s not like it would change a thing about our situation. I’m trying to improve mine, not worsening everything like you. Seek my help only when you’re in a brim of collapse; otherwise, suck it up and live with it. I wish you happiness. Farewell.”

Xuan Mu stood in place, turning towards the silent Zhao Rong, who became utterly speechless, “You only lost one battle and an eye, not a war.”

“Hey, stop provoking his addiction!” Bing Shi tugged at Xuan Mu’s hand, in a hurry to go home.

After they left, Zhao Rong touched his eyepatch as he picked himself up, washing up, he went to his bedroom and laid down on his bed. These two were in it together from the beginning. He survived only because of Tian Shi. Why did she keep him alive? His death would cause conflict between the countries. She never truly tried to scheme against him with ulterior motives, the opposite. Except marching to war with him, she assisted him in every possible way to improve the lives of the citizens. It was the first time he could get a glimpse of her disappointed expression.

These two would visit him weekly to check on his situation, his health, and mental state. They were very strange, they never showed any sign of PDA again; he never felt like a third wheel. It was as if the bad things they caused to each other didn’t matter anymore. At one point, he got a feeling that he obtained friends of equal standing to him.

· · — · ???· — · ·

One fateful day, a carriage drove up before the family Tui’s residence, followed by a crowd of people, among them were a group of angels and lyras.

The doors of the carriage opened; a young girl stepped down. As everyone made way for her to pass, she walked to the center of the road.

[World mission success: Without killing Cheng Young, Zhao Rong, and Wang Guo, stop the world war from happening. Host can leave the world.]

Two men who seemed to be members of the Black Sky army brought up a canister. As soon as Tian Shi seated herself into a lotus position, they poured the liquid all over her body.

[“Kuro, hold him tightly.”]

[Yes.]

Bing Shi was fed up with HQ and this world’s mission.

So what if this was a dog eat dog world where basic equality didn’t exist?

Did it mean one should stop fighting for their rights?

Did one have to stop being nice and treat others as they deserve?

She’d often find transmigrators who immediately start to treat servants and loyalty without any thoughts of hierarchy as someone silly. In the end, she became one of them too. And to tell a truth, it took lots of guts to laugh at the Empress in the face. But damn, did it feel good seeing slaves standing up against their masters.

‘Do as Romans do?’

‘Hah, not anymore.’

Bing Shi got out a matchbook and lighted it up. She dropped it in her lap and immediately engulfed herself in flames. She stopped being a Roman from a long time ago.

Every witness to this scene became horrified.

Inside the carriage, Xuan Mu could hear the sobbing of the citizens who were now gathering. He was too confused to cry, too bewildered to even think; he automatically reached out his hands towards the carriage doors, to immediately rush outside, “No...No, Bing Shi... Just one more day...I need her... just one day... No... half a day is enough! Urghh!”

Kuro immediately locked Xuan Mu in place; its host’s hubby couldn’t think straight right now. HQ made a deal with Xuan Mu. He was urged to leave this world today, but Xuan Mu refused to listen to anything it said, shouting out profanities at it to let him go.

. · · — · ???· — · ·

Flames wounded themselves around Tian Shi’s body like a great hungry serpent. Devouring everything in its way, it brought destruction to the devastating beauty. The plumes of black-grey smoke and intense heat charred her very lungs and skin into blackness. As she burned, she never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound. Her outward composure was in sharp contrast to the wailing people around her.

The Black Sky army that didn’t allow anyone to get near though how their leader was truly ruthless.

It was bewildering how this woman could demonstrate such self-control while her body painfully burned to death.

Nobody knew exactly when she died; her quiet face seemed to remain fairly calm until the flames and smoke blackened her out so much that one couldn’t make out her features anymore.

Finally, when they decided she was dead, a thunderous sound of the sky gave rise to another level of terror, intimidating all their senses.

They could hear.

The heavens cry.

Looking up, they could see.

Small pellets of water cascaded from the sky as grey as her eyes.

They could feel how each droplet entered their flesh, freezing and paling their skin on contact.

Tears of an angel.

They felt the muscles of their chin tremble, tilting their heads, the beads over their faces mingled with their constant tears as not even this pristine clear rain could extinguish the lost in their hearts.

· · — · ???· — · ·

While the heavy rain poured down, a man rushed toward her like a madman. Covering the charred body with his cloak frantically, he held her body preciously. Directly getting on his horse, he took her to an unknown place.

Xuan Mu mumbled incoherent things under his breath, even when there was no response anymore. Salty tracks on his face brought a heaviness to his drenched cloak, dragging him to the uncertainty of what was to come. “We have to meet again... I don’t know where and when ... but let’s get together again...”