The glistening sun shone above the crimson colored sky and soon, the night fade into a new day. Birds are harmoniously singing and flowers grew in full bloom.
Su Jin, Brother Yao's apprentice prepared tea and food for their visitors to eat. Elaa and Zhao insisted to help so they helped her around the kitchen and because of that, they had quickly finished preparing the food for them to carry on their journey way back to old Jianghu.
"Thanks a lot, you two..." Su Jin bowed her head in gratitude.
"No, thanks a lot for taking us in." Elaa replied with a smile while cooking the remaining uncooked food.
"Thanks to you immortals, we are saved from such huge waves. We were about to die out there if we haven't found your island." Zhao said with a discomfort in her facial expression. Su Jin raised an eyebrow. She's confused why the waves grew large where in fact, the waves leading to the island are calm and serene.
"I am very confused right now. Are the waves taller than any grown man?"
Both of Elaa and Zhao nodded and with that response, Su Jin dropped the teapot that she was holding. The teapot fell and broken glasses scattered around the floor. Su Jin picked up the pieces and hurt her hand instead.
"Sister is everything alright?" Elaa asked her.
"I... I must tell Brother Yao."
Su Jin's hands shook as she picked the broken glass with her bare hands.
"Careful sis, you'll hurt yourself... I'll get a broom." Zhao ran outside and searched for a broom while Su Jin and Elaa remained inside.
"I get the thought that you're afraid of storms sis. Storms are powerful but they just pass after sometime." Elaa tried to cheer her up but Su Jin was still shaken.
"This storm is not just an ordinary storm... Sister, if I were you... You'd take your friends out of this island and flee faraway and never look back from Old Jianghu..." Evident fear are reflected in Su Jin's eyes. Elaa wanted to hear more about the storm so she asked Su Jin more about it.
"So what exactly do you mean sis?" Elaa confronted her.
"Devastation... Ruin... Chaos... The history will repeat itself unless..."
Su Jin tried to remain calm but her hands won't stop shaking.
"Unless what?" Elaa leaned in closer...
"We summon the Grand Overlord."
Elaa's eyes grew wide. She knew who that person is and the summoning would require a sacrifice.
"He will die again?!" Elaa shouted in dismay. "No! Sis Luo would never allow such act to happen! Never!" She raged out of the room and tried to find Luo Na.
She arrived in the room where they stayed after a short while and found Wei Yue sitting at a chair while reading a book.
"Your highness... Have you happen to saw sis Luo didn't you?" She was out of breath while asking because she ran from the kitchen.
"No. I haven't seen her. What is the matter?" Wei Yue closed the book and sat straight on the chair.
"It's about General Hua. The Seven Immortals are planning to summon the Grand Overlord!" Elaa sat in front of him but her words didn't even fazed him.
"I know. A sacrifice is necessary in order to stop old Jianghu from being destroyed." This time, Wei Yue's face got serious. He averted his eyes looking at the distance. His mind plunged into deep thinking...
"If he'll become the Grand Overlord, He will lose his memories! Of us, of you, of our moments together, of sis Luo!" Elaa angrily yelled and thumped her punch on the wooden table.
"I am thinking of other ways to prevent such a bold act of the seven immortals but for now, I am sorry... We are running out of options." Wei Yue stood up and excused himself outside. Elaa could do nothing. She's powerless over anything that could happen to Luo Na. All she ever wanted was to help her.
Zhao came running inside the room as soon as Wei Yue left. Elaa just sat there with her left hand clenched into a fist.
"I know that this time is tough for our siste, Elaa." Zhao sat by her side.
"If General Hua's memories will be erased, then sis Luo will be..." Elaa couldn't continue but instead she threw a punch on the wooden table that made it snap into two.
"I know how you feel... If the prophecy will come true, then we'll be there for her when that happens..." Zhao embraced Elaa warmly. The blood from her fist miraculously disappeared...
Meanwhile, Luo Na and General Hua are in the flower hedges once again training with their swords.
The sounds of the metallic clink and clank of their weapons is like a symphony that filled the air of morning.
Luo Na draw her jade daggers and posed a stance upward the hedges. General Hua pointed his blade on her beckoning her to come forth.
Luo Na raised an eyebrow and moved quickly along with the falling petals of flowers with her. Her daggers carefully sliced each petal with every hit she makes on General Hua's jade sword.
General Hua spun his blade upwards and returned Luo Na's blows with strong gust of wind which cut to the petals falling from above.
The duel lasted for a minute and ended with a final blow where one flower petal landed in between their weapons.
Luo Na scoffed softly and withdraw from the battle. She put her daggers back to her sheath and thanked General Hua for the great battle.
"That was great. Seems like I have found a warrior who matches me in every aspect."
Luo Na said, wiping the sweat off her body.
"So I've been told. You're a pretty good fighter." General Hua put his sword back into the sheath and sat at the shed. Luo Na sat beside him and leaned her head on one of his shoulders.
"I wish old Jianghu would be peaceful like it was when I was young." She looked up into the crimson sky that gradually fades it's color replaced by blue.
General Hua saw calmness in her eyes. He thought that Luo Na is very eager on her wish and he would stop at nothing to grant her wish. If that will bring her happiness.
"You know, peace can never be achieved without a sacrifice." He smiled at her and looked at the cloudless sky.
Luo Na nodded her head but there were little tears in her eyes.
"Don't cry. I know that we both have to risk everything that we have to bring old Jianghu back to the way it was right?" General Hua wiped off her tears. Luo Na embraced him instead and clung to him tight.
"I promise... When this is all over, I will be with you once again..."
Their moment together lasted for almost a minute but Brother Yao came and asked General Hua if he could come with him.
"General, could you please come with me?" Brother Yao insisted that the matter is very serious from the look of his eyes.
General Hua agreed and bade goodbye to Luo Na, leaving her alone in the shed in the middle of the flower garden.
While walking on their way into their destination, Brother Yao saw General Hua's sulking and asked him a question...
"You love the girl?"
General Hua looked up and put his hands at his nape and replied... "Yes, very much."
"I have another way to turn your fate around. I sense a strong power coming from inside her." Brother Yao said while pulling a piece of parchment from his sleeve. "Here read this." He added.
General Hua received the parchment and when he had read the scriptures, his eyes grew.
"Really?" General Hua shouted at him and Brother Yao put his pointing finger on his mouth gesturing General Hua to stay quiet.
"This may sound odd to ask but have you both succeeded in doing so?" Brother Yao just asked him a personal question but General Hua just turned red peppers and nodded.
"Now let's get the scroll before time runs ou-" Brother Yao did not continue his words for a large horn's sound blared in the entire island.
"What is it?!" Zhao and Elaa ran up to Luo Na.
Luo Na looked up into the blue sky and noticed something odd from far away.
It was Ning hovering above the sea level in front of the island.
She was very aware that Ning carried a Pipa but this time, what Ning carried in her hand was a Guqin.
"Zhao! Elaa!" Luo Na shouted and Zhao and Elaa transformed into a white-colored dual fans. Luo Na stepped across the roofs and hovered in the air.
She faced Ning and moved in closer to talk to her. However, she noticed something odd about her. It's not about the Guqin... But about her aura.
Her skin were as pale as a dead body and strange dark markings scattered all around her face, into her neck and into her arms and legs. Her eyes were all in black and her iris were painted in bloodshot.
"Ning! Stop this! I know you only need this power inside me so please just take it and leave us and old Jianghu alone!" Luo Na yelled but Ning just smiled in a sinister manner and raised one of her eyebrows.
"Oh... How ridiculous. Such stupid child you are. We do not need that weak power of yours, we need the scroll of heavens."
Luo Na's eyes grew as Ning spoke. The Ning she knew wasn't this one and she spoke of WE instead of I...
"Who are you!?" Luo Na asked the woman in front of her but instead the woman played the Guqin and from the abysmal darkness of the ocean where Ning hovered, rose three humongous sea serpents. The serpents swam along the waters and made it's way into the surrounding rocks of the island and bashed it's tails on the rocks. The tremors caused some buildings inside the island to crumble and because of that Ning laughed ominously seeing the destruction that she had made.
"Stop those serpents!" Su Jin shouted while leading the other disciples to fight off the serpents.
Luo Na could do nothing. Her attacks doesn't even penetrate the strong barrier where Ning was in. Sweat trailed down along her face and her body.
"Sister Luo you should not continue!" Zhao asked her to stop attacking but she continued to bash the shield with the fans but it was no use.
"Oh child, you should listen to your contractors but seeing how stubborn you are, I'll give you a parting gift if you desire." Ning played tunes from her Guqin and a hellfire formed above the clouds which painted the sky in crimson red. The hellfire slowly descended and the flames shone brightly as it was about to hit Luo Na and the whole island but...
"Thy evil shall not consecrate the good!" General Hua shouted and rolled open the scroll in front of the hellfire.
The hellfire got absorbed inside the scroll like it was nothing. Ning gritted her teeth in anger.
"Why does a mere human have the scroll of heavens!?" Ning angrily screamed.
"You want this? Come and get it. I won't give this thing to you over my dead body!" General Hua provoked Ning making her strum many strings at once.
"No! Xian! Stop!!!" Luo Na wanted to stop him but it was too late... When Ning plucked the final string, an invisible blade impaled General Hua in the chest causing him to fall down in the sea.
"Zhao, Elaa... You both go to Su Jin and help her with the serpents. I'll go and save Xian." Without any more words, Luo Na threw Zhao and Elaa to where Su Jin is and swam down into the sea where General Hua fell.
He is slowly sinking down and Luo Na could not get him in her grasp. She wants to give up but she felt arms tangled in her waist. It was her brother Xiao Na who came after her. He helped her descend down and chased General Hua who is sinking rapidly.
Finally, she had reached him. She knew that he was running out of air so she stuck her mouth into his and gave some air into him even if she's running out of breath.
General Hua opened his eyes and saw Luo Na struggling to breath. With the scroll in his hand, he rolled it open and the scriptures formed a barrier which allowed air inside. They had both ascended from the deep inside the big bubble and landed into dry land.
General Hua laid down Luo Na in the sand trying to pump life back inside her. He tried resucitating her but it was no use. Luo Na wasn't breathing anymore. This made Ning laugh.
"You are getting soft General. Show me your true colors! Show me who you are!" Ning plucked a string from the Guqin which conjured many weapons such as blades, swords and spears to throw at General Hua but the weapons deflected back rather than hitting him.
With glaring eyes, General Hua rose up in the air and tore the scroll into half which set Ning into a state of fury.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" She screamed but General Hua seemed to be not hearing anything.
"You're making my ears bleed. Shut up." With General Hua's flick of his hand, another string from Ning's Guqin snapped into two.
Meanwhile, Luo Na was lost in the depths between life and death. Two portals gleam from the darkness. One of it leads into life and one leads to death. She could not choose which of the two since there are no signs which is which. She closed her eyes. She wishes that someone would pull her up or even call her name...
After a while, she heard a familiar voice calling her name... It was coming from the right portal.
"Luo! Wake up! He needs you! Please... I need you!"
Luo Na opened her eyes and reached out to the portal. She woke up and found herself in the arms of her own brother.
"Brother? How...." Luo Na tried to get up but her body ached all over Xiao Na rested her into his arms and said...
"Look... He's not what he seems and he's fighting Ning without even drawing out his weapon."
Xiao Na said as he helped Luo Na up.
Luo Na looked up into the sky and there she saw General Hua fighting Ning all by himself. She knew that he can't take her on alone however, there was something odd about him. Luo Na looked in closer and saw General Hua's aura changed into something far more powerful yet darker than Ning's.
"Brother, please let me help him. If this continues, he'll lose himself!" Luo Na begged but her brother just shook his head and said...
"That thing isn't General Hua anymore. He's gone Luo Na and you can't bring a dead person back to life!"
Xiao Na's words reached deep and sliced a cut on Luo Na's heart however, with heavy heart and tears on her eyes, she stood up and hovered upward where Ning and General Hua's stand off still rages on.
"Luo Na! You'll hurt yourself!" Xiao Na tried to stop his sister but she had already flew. Brother Yao rushed into the shore after fighting against the serpents which had already retreated.
"My sister will be killed because of my wrongdoings, what kind of a brother am I?" Xiao Na just knelt on the shore reflecting upon his past actions. Brother Yao pat his back trying to soothe the pain that he is feeling.
"The past may only bring us pain but it may also serve a lesson in the near future. There is never a 'too late' in someone's fate." Brother Yao said while continuously patting Xiao Na's back. He talked sense in him and finally, Xiao Na started to muster courage and decided to follow Luo Na into battle.
"Here take this. Make sure that you give this to your sister."
Brother Yao gave him a golden scroll which is just an empty piece of parchment. Xiao Na received the scroll in his hand.
"Brother, thank you very much." He bowed at Brother Yao as a sign of gratitude before flying up high where Luo Na flew.
"Remember Xiao Na, the Grand Overlord is not your enemy you just need to seal him back on the scroll that I handed you."
Brother Yao yelled and Xiao Na nodded as he ascended up high.
As he reached up into the battlefield, he saw Luo Na falling down so he diverted his attention on her and caught her in his arms.
"What happened?" He asked Luo Na.
She opened her eyes and tears came falling down from it.
"I tried talking to him brother but it seems like he never knew me at all."
Xiao Na looked at Luo Na's body which was filled with many wounds cut up by General Hua's attacks. He paused and thought for a moment. His sister loves General Hua more than any man in this world. He gave his word to support his sister every single step that she takes. Xiao Na then nodded his head and faced his sister.
"I always know that somewhere deep inside the heart of my sister, she never easily gives up."
Xiao Na handed the scroll at Luo Na.
Luo Na received the scroll but she is still confused how to use it.
"What am I supposed to do with an empty scroll?" Luo Na asked him.
"Once you are close enough to the Grand Overlord, open the scroll and you will seal him inside it." Xiao Na instructed her but Luo Na had second thoughts. What if she will seal Xian Hua along with the Overlord?
"No I would never do such." Luo Na tried to rip the parchment but it was no use. The paper was made of solid told instead, she just cut herself.
"If you want to save him, please do as I say." Xiao Na then gave off a forceful push which shot Luo Na up in the air where General Hua and Ning fought.
Clang! The last string on Ning's Guqin snapped and General Hua knew he had the upper hand. He moved closer to her and unsheathed his blade. The green colored jade sword painted itself in black. General Hua aimed it on Ning but Luo Na stood in the way.
"I cannot let you do that." Luo Na said preventing General Hua from slicing off Ning's throat.
"Who are you woman? How many times do I have to tell you to step away out of my ordeals. You are really making me angry right now." He grabbed the blade and pointed it to Luo Na however, she just remained calm yet fierce in every way for him not to pass and kill Ning.
"I am your wife and you need to listen to me!"
A strong pulse of energy emanated from the scroll which Luo Na was holding and set General Hua on his knees.
"Wh-what's happening!?" General Hua tried lifting off his arms and moving his feet but it won't budge even a small bit.
Luo Na stepped in front of him and opened the scroll. She embraced him after opening it. The dark energy from General Hua's body was drained inside the scroll and made him come back into his senses once again. He found himself in Luo Na's arms and he also wrapped his arms around her.
Luo Na knew that General Hua had already came back as himself so she moved away from his arms and slapped him with her hand.
"Ow! That hurt!" He yelled.
"Why would you do such a reckless thing?! Why did you rip off the scroll!?" Luo Na could not hold back her tears anymore.
"I only did what I needed to do. You wanted old Jianghu free? Then I will not stop until I-"
General Hua stopped talking and found his lips against Luo Na's.
Meanwhile, Brother Yao and the other immortals apprehended Ning and the Twin Calamities which is apparently inside one body all this time.
Since Brother Yao can not conjure a spell to separate each of them, the council of the Seven Immortals decided to put them in a jade prison once again. The jade prison was then sent away on a far more remote island where no Immortal or Mortals would dare.
"So, the Twin Calamities did not succeed in wiping off those puny immortals even with the Longgyuan Dark Guqin? Hah... You make me laugh."
A woman with dark hair and pale white skin puffed a smoke of air using a long pipe.
Her red eyes glared at the servant who reported the incident at her.
"Mistress... The Grand Overlord has been summoned and we couldn't do anything to stop him."
This time, the woman threw an empty glass which broke at the wall behind the servant.
"If no demon could subdue them, I would pay them a visit myself!"