章 80: Blood Poison

Dear Reader!

What you are about to read is a chapter on a sensitive topic. This author by no means condones this behavior. I understand if you wish to leave after.

I will not explain myself why I included this. Because I chose to write characters that can be as real people. I also choose to write according to the genre. I hope you understand.

All my love.

WEI LI LIAN

YIYUAN

'Breathe in and out.

Stiffen your body.

Count one to ten.

You can do this!'

It was a mantra to keep herself from doing anything that would later have severe consequences. Someone was on her. Someone was also beating her. In Li Lian's book there was only one answer for this; hair for hair, tooth for tooth, eye for eye, everything for the other. It was just as her beloved would say, blood for blood.

But she couldn't do anything to the vixen above her. She was a royal child, born with a golden teaspoon in her mouth. Any kind of injury will be seen as something next to treason.

Her hands clutched into balls, veins imprinting in great restraint. Though the princess man was beating her using flail punches, Li Lian could feel waves of anger build up inside. The rebellious nature that was marred as part of her was being unleashed from the chains, bit by bit.

She was on the count of seven and wondering if anyone would come to the rescue. Not for her sake, but for the safety of the spoilt kid above her. Probably she would not live to see another day.

Eight. The anger beast only had two legs to be set free.

Nine. She was going to make this girl see the heavens this afternoon.

Ten. Alright, enough.

She gritted her teeth to push her off then right on time, the princess' weight was off her. Li Lian's eyes easily transfixed to see the Grand General holding back Kuan Hui, who was like a wild cat that had legs and arms flying in the air, screaming for him to let her go. Even curses ran from the cat's mouth like hot liquid.

"Let me go! I want to teach this mannerless floozy a lesson! She must learn!"

Strong hands pulled Li Lian up from the ground. She was surprised to see that the group of generals that were in the bathing chamber did not pay attention to them. They continued to mind their business like nothing was happening around them. Still, she felt embarrassed, though that was the least feeling she was battling with.

Rage flooded her veins, the beast in her running like lava in her body. The idiot had attacked her for no reason and still she was being dramatic?

"No, you don't!" Li Lian lashed forward pushing off General Feng. It was time that the spoilt brat received a spoon of her own medicine.

General Feng held her back to control her but she nudged him hard with her elbow, having him lose balance. She charged forward furiously and right in front of her, as if in slow motion, she saw the Grand General push the princess man defensively behind him. And just like that, time stopped as she witnessed him connect his palm with her cheek.

Thwack! The room echoed to the abusive contact before complete silence swallowed it up.

Li Lian saw stars dance around in the darkness of her vision. Her neck cracked to the jarring force, twisting back and had her losing foot then bam, her head smashed with the concrete poll behind her.

The slap was quite harsh and loud that the whole wide room was still muffled by deadly silence. Or was she already dead and in the heavens?

Blood trickled from the point of contact, silent tears of the pain that pulsed within her head. It was quick, sharp and piercing that she just wanted to collapse on the floor. Her line of vision was spherically twisting round and round and around.

She was still alive.

"Ahh!" She cried to herself than any other. "Ahh, it hurts." It came as a whisper.

"Get her out of here," Grand General barked and her heart constricted. The man who was nuzzling her neck few minutes ago was casting her out of his presence and not taking care of her like he was good at. Would he not say sorry to her? Would he not tell her it was a mistake and he was sorry?

How sad. Even her, the woman he consistently pursued did not have exclusive treatment from him. She was one he was determined to protect for her mistress' sake, she had thought.

'What did you expect? That you were the jade among the stones?' A voice mocked from somewhere in her mind.

"This servant shall lead her out." General Feng pulled her by hand, speaking formally like they knew not the other. Whimpers of protest came from behind the Grand General, the princess man displeased.

Well she could go and report her in hell, Li Lian did not care. When she stood up, the Grand General ambled to her. His gaze fixated on her wound. He bore a pitiful look but that was just for a second.

"Let me see," his hand stretched out to her and he took her chin, his two fingers examining her. She caught the hazel eyes that had last looked at her in complete lust but now covered with ice flakes. She boldly held eye contact with him, daring him to apologise, because surely it was a mistake.

'There is no such thing as mistake slaps, Li Lian.' That voice was back, ridiculing her with truth.

She didn't know why it mattered yet, but that she would make sense of later on. Right now she was desperate to hear an excuse like a child who sought her mother to blow on a wound so it would feel better.

They looked at each other, eye to eye. She was not sure if he could read it in her, but her eyes pleaded for him to apologise. In her books he deserved heavy punishment for this because only Mistress Kei could get away with such deragotory behavior on her.

She wanted not to harm him back. Because if she did, it would be twenty fold. It was just the way she was wired; sown principles by her Mistress. Every part of her body begged for his 'sorry', that he would stop the icy wall that was about to form around her heart.

'Say it. Apologise,' she was pleading from inside. 'I know you are all kinds of messed up and it is difficult for your rotten ego but say it.'

"I... You know..." He swallowed in contemplation, his voice wavering.

He narrowed his eyes to her, his face vacuous. "Go clean that gore off your face, it's disgusting to look at."

The words were salt to her wounds. His words static, and so were his eyes void of emotion. He smirked a little which signified that he meant it. Li Lian determinedly smiled back at him, masking her face with lack of affection as much as she could.

"Ingrate. Ugly beast. Pig. Imbecile―"

Her words were cut off by General Feng shoving her back. "This servant will take her away as the Grand General has requested." He started to push her away toward the exit and she sluggishly walked, kind of out of balance.

"Do so Chang Feng, but without touching her." Grand General retorted to which General Feng responded with obedience. Li Lian was about to saucily reply that 'Grand General had no right on her', but the man beside her pushed her forward which had her skip out of the exit.

She accidentally tripped on the hedge by the door and as a mirror of the earlier event, she fell on her knees. Li Lian winced at the pain, and bit her lower lip hard in complete rage.

Slow sounds of agony escaped her throat as she sucked blood from her lips. But out of nowhere a low ridiculing laugh rumbled in her chest. "Grand General shall drink his blood as poison."

S.V