Tightening their fists, they prepared their courage to step out. Before they made their move, they had heard someone else's voice from the hall and halted their steps. Listening carefully, they realized it was just a guard reporting back to Shi Kow Wan.
Shi Kow Wan's tone was cold enough to freeze a living person, triggering the guard's weariness. The guard stuttered as he reported his failure to find the four of them after checking every room and hall.
"Useless! Then why the hell are you coming to me? Go! Go search for them! I want to see them alive! Scram!" Shi Kow Wan threw a kick at the guard's knee, making him yelp in pain. Limping away from Shi Kow Wan and the boney man, the guard's eyes held indescribable emotions.
Turning around, Shi Kow Wan continued what he was doing before the interruption occurred. He was kissing the boney man on the lips! Out of everything that could have explained the boney man's importance to Shi Kow Wan, nobody would have considered a romantic relation between them.
Unfortunately, Qian Ling and Alexander witnessed their intimate moment. At this moment, they really want to rinse alcohol into their eyes and blind themselves. What's seen already cannot be unseen. Therefore, they could only wait for the two to finish their business and leave.
After a while, the boney man said in a rasped voice, "What if I die? I've already died once for you. What if I can't live even after death?"
"Nonsense! I'll make sure you continue living. You see? From being a spirit to having a human form that I could touch; we've come a long way. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't marry Shi Lan Er. I wanted the best for us. I satisfied her in every way and let her carry on my blood line. Yet, her vicious heart got you murdered! I killed her with my own hands and used her blood to soak you in it."
"Since she harmed you, I avenged for you. You heard what the man said when he performed black magic to revive your spirit. I've followed his instructions years back and found Alexander when he was very young. His descriptions fit perfectly and I did as I was told to hurt him for operation purposes. The transplant that was required to save him and everything else were all done by me."
"It's all fate! Luck has been on our side. Qian Ling didn't think twice and used the organ I've delivered to her. As long as Alexander lives, you will also live. By the time his body is no more, I'll take the organ from him and give it back to your original body. I'll make sure Qian Ling finishes with the project, gives me the results and revives you using it."
The boney man interrupted his words and looked at him with a frown. "What if there are consequences? There are still chances of failure between your plans. Nothing is a guarantee. I'm also getting tired recently with taking blood baths all the time. My skin attracts insects and looks like an old rag. Plus, she tricked you into believing that she had my body. She could have other tricks to slip away."
Shi Kow Wan patted his shoulder. "Alexander's entire family had been slaughtered when I separated him from them. If nobody else knows about this identity, then he won't find out. Qian Ling will definitely find a way to transfer body cells and help you come back to life. I'll take all the kids with psychic abilities and use their blood on you. I'll take their cells or skin! Whatever it takes to make you live on."
The boney man deepened his frown as he thought of enduring the blood baths for another extended period of time. "But she could also deny helping or providing the research to you."
Shi Kow Wan shook his head with full confidence in his eyes. "She would never do that because I can easily use her daughter, Shi Xue to make her obey me. Once we get what we need, she has no other use to us and we can end her too."
Hearing the bloody murder of his family and personal background, Alexander's eyes reddened from anger. His back suddenly straightened. Qian Ling held onto his body to prevent him from exposing his location. She kept shaking her head while squeezing his arms tightly until Shi Kow Wan and the boney man left.
"Revenge! I'm going to kill those bastards. I'm not leaving until I kill them with my own hands." Curses escaped between his gnashed teeth. Sounds of teeth roughly collided against each other could be heard, creating gum numbing sensations.
"We need to get out of here first. If you want revenge, we will have all the chances in the future. Let's go before anyone finds us." Comforting him as they continued their way out, Alexander drowned deep in thought. The way he walked afterwards made it look as if he wasn't hurt at all. His wounds were severe, but the pain in his system had numbed when he heard about his family's gruesome elimination.
Staring at the woman hugging him, he fell deep in thought. 'I don't have time. I need to finish this mess.' The murderous, chilling aura could not be contained as they continued crossing through the hallway. Stopping in front of a stone wall, Alexander's ears wiggled slightly from close range movements.
Taking off the hooked key around his belt, he stuck it into a hole in the wall and turned it clockwise. Instantly, the stones shifted, showing off a path ahead. Giving Qian Ling another look, he reached out and snatched the needle with venom from her sleeve.
Without a second of hesitation, Alexander gave her a back shove and smiled at her.
"Some things have to be done. Go. They're coming, and I will deal with them myself. You must stay safe. No matter what you say, nobody will hear you from outside. Leave." The stones shifted back to its original spot as he turned the key counterclockwise.
"No..no!!! Come back! We'll leave together! No!!!!" Her palms slammed against the stones as she tried pulling the stones using her hands. Her attempts failed repeatedly. Tears streamed down her face as she begged and pleaded him to unlock the passage. She wanted to bring him along.
Upon meeting the close gap, Alexander crushed the key to many small pieces. When he chose to come this route earlier, he knew only one of them would be able to escape. He had already chosen to stay since the very beginning. Since the passage could only be activated and closed using the key from one side of the wall, he kept it a secret from her.
Although he said her voice could not be heard by outsiders, she still continued smashing her body against the hard wall. "You can't fight anymore! Don't do this! You're not allowed to die; you hear me?! Arghhhh!!!" Blood gushed out of the scrapes on her hand as she stumbled helplessly to the floor.
Her ears pressed against the cold surface as footsteps approached. She heard Shi Kow Wan's arrogant voice loud and clear from a distance. Hearing his blood thirst tone made her face drain all colors. She bit her lips and shook her head. "No!! Don't do this!!"
Her nails were dyed red by her own blood as the nails bent against the rocky surface every time she tried prying the hidden entrance open. She searched for buttons or levers that could break this opening. At the end, she sobbed while hugging her knees. As his ally, she decided to stay with him until everything is over.
"I won't let you face this alone. I'll be right here." She said heartbreakingly as her palms settled on the wall. Alexander's worst fear was being left alone. Therefore, she won't let him do this alone. He has sacrificed enough. Even though his death was around the corner...
Even though his body could at most last a few hours, she won't let him face it alone. She'll sit on the other side and support his last fight. Clenching her shirt, she felt the pain of losing her own child. Though they had no blood relations, she had already long treated him like her son. He was her family.
As he faced his fated enemies, he had a smile on his face. He will make the best out of his last glorious fight. This time, it was for himself!