Xiao yin with a nod gazed back at the stone. "Princess…" Xianwu read slightly troubled. "Once who slayed the demon ruling this bridge…" she added. Xiao yin continued "Answered the murdering demon's three questions…" Suddenly Xianwu eyes widened "Is this about me?!" she thought surprised.
Shijei and Senlin had too already guessed. "Of those questions…" Xiao yin read engrossed. Xianwu took up as soon as he ended "her three reply were Yue Xianwu… the one who gains freedom for the silent city…" as soon as she read her heart sank and silence took over all of them. "The one who freed the silent city from the murdering demon?!" Hongqi questioned in shock.
Xianwu nodded. Xiao yin crossed his arms standing up still staring at the rune stone as he spoke up
"This rune stone depicts the first ascension of Princess Yue Xianwu, towards the heavenly city. Several hundred years ago a demon rose from the pits of the bridge and devoured it. He devoured all the beings who crossed it from the Silent city and even from the outside world. The demon was named as the murdering demon. The demon was loathsome and vile. His figure was of dislocated man wearing black robes while thorns seemed to grow out from every single corner of his body. His immense regrets and murderous intent had surrounded every single part of it."
Xiao yin gazed at Xianwu who stared at the rune stone, her face hidden neatly behind her straw hat and her hands clenched tightly. He continued
"After many famous warriors failed to defeat it. The princess of the Yue kingdom made her way to the bridge. The murdering demon used to ask every single on who came to defeat him three questions. Those three questions, even if one was to wrong from them he would instantly devour it and hence, none knew the correct answer. Seeing the princess dressed in white with her curved blade behind her the demon uttered his questions 'Who are you' the princess with her light smile replied 'Yue Xianwu' the demon uttered again 'What did you come here for?' the princess replied again 'Freedom' the demon with his limited patience lastly asked 'What lies before you' the princess on the last question walked over the bridge with a light whisper 'The silent city…' even knowing her every answer was wrong she fought the murdering demon for a day and a night. And eventually killed him…" The people around them listened in wonder.
Xiao yin with a deep breath added "Lastly when he was killed. She took his 'Embers' in her hands and burned them under her 'Last moon dance' covering the bridge in flowers. When the people of the silent city came to ask her, what she was doing? Then to answer them, her most famous phrase escaped her lips. The phrase of her ascension 'Existence once blazing intensely, will indeed face Demise…" suddenly Xianwu interrupted completing it "Sinful or Virtuous… depends wholly on oneself….'" she ended with a smile.
"And just like that, on the next day… she was ascended to the heavenly city." She ended. Xiao yin looked at her puzzled. Senlin and Shijei stared at Xianwu. Shijei walked closer shining the fire closely on the rune stone he asked "So, that's all there's written over it?" he asked troubled. "Ah!" Xianwu remembered. "The last three lines are left." She recalled sitting in front of it again. Xiao yin too sat beside her.
"What does it say?" Hongqi asked keeping his sword over his shoulder. Xianwu began interpreting "For those who value their life… never say those words on the bridge, or else you'll be cursed like her losing all your dignity and assets or die falling in the pit?!" Xianwu read in instant shock. Senlin and Shijei too looked at her with a dumbfounded. Hongqi who was confused as well confirmed "Are you serious?" he asked unbelievably.
"Haha… serves me right…" she pondered with a fake laugh. The tribesmen looked at each other in surprise "So after all that… it was a rune of warning?" they asked confused. Xianwu who had never faced an embarrassment like that stood up "Yeah… maybe. I guess we can be careful on that." She scratched her head facing them.
Xianwu tilting her head in embarrassment thought "Maybe… the mortal world really resented me. Even after my death I wasn't left." She sighed. Hongqi who was looking at them questioned "So… that's it?" he asked still in disbelief.
Xianwu spoke up again "Yes, just like the rune stone said, never to take name of anything like that when you cross the bridge. You'll either die losing your homes and dignity or else in the pit…"
Suddenly Shijei chuckled hard. "Pfft! Haha!" he grabbed his belly as Senlin tried to hide her chortle. "Only taking her name does all that? If someone takes her name all day long he might not even rest in peace after death! Haha!" he joked. Soon the tribesmen joined them and laughed too.
The mocking from those two had now become a part of her life. Xianwu had no need to get upset over it. The whole world did it, after all what's true is true. Xianwu smiled back. Xiao yin who kept listening to their crazy laughter thundered, his eyes raging red again "Have you all laughed enough?! Could you all tell me what's so amusing about all this?" he asked.
Suddenly the laughter died down, "If you'd been in her place, would you even have the confidence to do all that?" he questioned mockingly. Shijei eyed him clearing his throat. "To think a kid would know the whole ascension of Xianwu and would even get anger over jokes like this… now it's even harder to believe that he's a human" he thought.
Xianwu who was stunned by his words, gently calmed him down "It's alright… don't worry. It's already one of the stories from the past." She comforted. However, Xiao yin had no intention of calming down and turned around in anger. Hongqi who had also stopped laughing cleared his throat "So… what should we do now?" he asked.
Xianwu gazing at the sky replied "Let's cross the bridge!" Senlin and Shijei too eyed them nodding. Hongqi taking more than thirty armed people with him made preparations to cross the bridge.
Xiao yin who stared at Hongqi whispered in her ear "Sister, why are they taking so many people just to find a single herb? Isn't it weird?" he asked. Indeed it was weird! And Xianwu had noticed that too. Senlin and Shijei who stood behind them inquired "Xianwu, are you sure this is right? They haven't even been there, why so many people all of sudden?"
Xianwu gasped "I really don't know the reason for that, but I do know one thing clearly, they are using us right now and all we have to do is to use them back… Senlin and Shijei, I want you both to stay at the very end. I and Xiao yin will start from the front." Senlin looked at her confused "What do you mean by that?" she queried.
Xianwu explained "What I mean is that no matter what their plan is, if any moment they turn their backs on use you will be safe and will be able to protect us until I protect Xiao yin and myself. It doesn't matter if they treat us nicely. We still don't trust them!"
Senlin and Shijei nodded. Hongqi and his people were ready. Senlin and Shijei stood at the end. Xianwu looked at Xiao yin as she pulled out the ribbon tying her hairs and wrapped it around his wrist. Tying the other side tightly on her wrist too, she warned "Xiao yin, no matter what happens from now on. You will not get away from my sight!" Xiao yin was stunned. Gazing at her he nodded with a smile "Okay, sister!"