Something Beautiful and Wicked

2Yuan Shun tried to wriggle out of his bonds. He couldn't see what was happening, but he heard swords clashing and clanging. With every second that passed, Yuan Shun felt more useless. Shi Yen should have taken the Emperor down by now, and yet they still kept going.      4

Yuan Shun realized that untying wouldn't do anything. He tried to see through the seams of the sack, and saw a shadow faintly towards his right, facing away. All of his weapons were stripped from him, so he twisted his wrist from the rope, trying to unsheathe the hidden knife from the thick bracelet he wore.      

He unfastened the bracelet, and it fell from his wrist. Shit.      

His bound hands tried to find it when he heard, "Does he not know?"      

"Know what?" Shi Yen asked.      

"That you killed his brother," the Emperor replied.      

Yuan Shun then heard a female cry and scream. Yenni—     

His hands kept moving, searching for the bracelet. He then felt the small cold metal beneath his touch. He picked it up and angled it to start cutting through.      

…     

The Emperor's sword pierced her left shoulder, as Shi Yen lay on the ground. She felt white blinding pain, and she groaned, trying to overcome the hot flood of blood that spilled from the wound.      

Shi Yen was losing strength from the pain and loss of blood. "What are you talking about?" she asked.      

"Have you forgotten?" he replied. "The night of the explosion that claimed many lives one year ago. The night you walked away from being the Empress."      

Shi Yen widened her eyes, and the Emperor plunged the sword forward.      

She screamed.      

"Don't listen to him, Yenni!" Yuan Shun shouted. "You didn't kill him! I just know you didn't!"      

Tears escaped her eyes, streaming down the sides of her face. She tried to remember Yuan Ning's face in her mind. Indeed. She remembered now. He was a member of the Underworld, a prince of the Wolf Organization. She had confronted him that night because he betrayed his own companions.      

"No. No. No. No. No—" she cried out.      

"Accept your death," the Emperor said. "I'm an avenger for your cruelty."      

The Emperor withdrew his sword, raising it to plunge it inside her again. Shi Yen rolled over to her side, and rose to her feet, as his blade met the concrete.      

"I didn't kill him," she said hoarsely, barely able to move properly. With one working arm, Shi Yen then sprinted forward and swiped through. He deflected, and sparks flew. Shi Yen moved left and right; she twirled and parried his attacks. Shi Yen shouldn't even be fighting, but she wasn't finished.      

Adrenaline coursed through her body, abandoning the pain she was in. She kept going with everything she had, remembering that Yuan Shun and Shi Ailin were there. She couldn't allow herself to die, not in front of them.      

She plunged her sword, and it grazed his other arm. He kept dodging the spot she was trying to aim for.      

Shi Yen gritted her teeth. She then did something that Master Wong wouldn't advise her to do, but it was the only shot she had. Shi Yen dropped her sword.      

The Emperor paused, and at that moment, Shi Yen propelled herself forward, opting for her martial arts instincts. He swung his sword, and she arched her back, and the blade swept past her face. She straightened, and pushed him forward on the floor, wrestling and locking him with her weight over his body. She crushed the arm that held his sword with her foot digging onto the bone.      

She locked him in place, unable to give room to move. He struggled, and Shi Yen knew this position wouldn't last, so she reached for his mask, and she removed it from his face.      

Her eyes widened as she glanced at the ink-black hair of his head, at his beautiful russet eyes. "I knew it," she said.     

"Brother?" Yuan Shun questioned, stumbling forward.      

Shi Yen glanced up at Yuan Shun, realizing that he had been freed along with Shi Ailin. Some of the henchmen were knocked out, lying on the ground behind them.      

Yuan Ning couldn't look at Yuan Shun.     

Yuan Shun balled his hands into fists. He stepped forward, and Shi Yen rolled off Yuan Ning's body. Yuan Shun then lifted him by the collar of his jacket, facing his older brother. "What do you think you're doing?" he seethed, raising his arm to punch him across the face.      

Yuan Ning took the hit.      

Yuan Shun was shaking with pain, anger, and confusion. "I thought you were dead," his voice broke, lifting his hand to meet his face again. "And now you're trying to kill my wife?" Yuan Ning let him punch him, almost as if he…gave up.      

Yuan Shun shook him. "Why are you doing this?"     

Yuan Ning spat blood on the side. "You wouldn't…understand, brother," he replied.      

"Enlighten me," Yuan Shun demanded.      

"Others are coming!" Shi Ailin warned them.      

Shi Yen rose to her feet, but the pain of her injuries overwhelmed her.      

Shi Ma had entered the room with a group of his men. Shi Yen stumbled forward, but her sister stopped her.      

"Don't go near him," Shi Ailin told her. "He's a traitor!"      

Shi Yen narrowed her eyes at her uncle, and Shi Ma smiled sinisterly. He looked at both of them with his silverware smile and treacherous eyes.      

A woman had stepped forward, attempting to reach Yuan Ning, but Shi Ma pulled her back. "Genji. Leave him." The woman hesitated but she listened.      

His gaze landed over at the Yuan Ning. "Ning," Shi Ma said to him, "You've disappointed me. All it took was a moment with your brother to cause you to fall. You're weak."      

Shi Yen held onto her shoulder, her vision blurring. "What is the meaning of this, uncle?"      

It was Shi Ailin that answered for him. "Our dear uncle was the one that plotted against our parents. When father gave Yuan Shun, Shi Group, all power and authority were revoked from our hands—including our uncle. Shi Ma then used you as a pawn, hoping that one day you'll take Shi Group back so that he can steal it from you since he failed to take it from our father. When he learned that you married Yuan Shun, he realized that he was powerless against you both, so he took desperate measures by kidnapping me, and using Mr. Yuan Ning to kill you. As for Mr. Yuan Ning's motives, I am not sure what that is."      

Shi Ma smiled. "Very perceptive of you, my dear niece. I underestimated you."      

"It was easy, really. I had a small list of suspects, and though I've always loved family, I couldn't rule out the possibility. It makes sense, though. My father said he was betrayed, and only those who are close to him can achieve that. Only those who are close to him can break him."      

Shi Ma laughed. "You're too smart for your own good, little Ailin. It really does pain me that I'd have to kill you," he said, taking out his weapon.      

Shi Ailin reached down to grab Shi Yen's sword.      

"Ai—" Shi Yen shouted.      

"Yen," Shi Ailin said. "I got this. Let me do it."      

Shi Ma laughed. "I don't think you have what it takes, niece."      

Shi Yen felt herself growing weaker. "Ai," she repeated. "Don't let him win."      

Shi Ailin raised a thumb at Shi Yen as if to say: I won't.