" as for the other mystery, why is there only one Ming guang temple remaining? And why is it behind a magic barrier?" Xie lian questioned " Why were the other temples burn down? You'd think it was an act of hatred, but if that were the case, then what's the significance of the remaining temple? and why are the brides housed here?" Every word he said, relayed everything he found and noticed " also did you notice how lively the statue of Ming guang was? And according to the song I heard, the passing brides are forbidden to smile, does that mean that the ghost here resents they're happiness for some reason? if we look at all these elements together, it begins to paint a picture." He stated

"So the ghost groom is not a groom at all" Nan feng finally understood " this vindictive spirit that haunts this mountain...is in truth...a bride"

The prince nodded, inspecting the veil in his hand "And also, these brides died baring a grudge, be prepared" the prince warned

The bandits back away in fear as the dead bride begin to rise " with they're veils removed, they're grudge was triggered by the Yang Qi of the villagers"

Just as Xiao pengtou was about to strike, he heard and felt something behind him and once he looked, he let out a scream

" they're monsters!"

" help!"

The prince gasped when hearing the cry's of the bandits " outside!" He ordered, bringing the veil with him, They both rushed out

The the entrance, the girls along with the boys were running inside but ying tripped over and fell " ying!" Li lan exclaimed rushing to her aide

They both shut they're eye at the bride was about to attack but the boy quickly rushed in and hit her away. But saw more coming, a lot of them

The bandits rushed into the centre

" What now?" One questioned

" go and shut the gate! Hurry up!" Xiao pengtou ordered

" but some of our men are still out there! We ran away and left them!" The same guy exclaimed

"Shut it!" Xiao pengtou yelled, they rushed over and closed, but the bride started pushing in, so the bandits started running away, ling with they're leader " go kill someone else!" They managed to push through and enter

Xie lian and Nan feng ran out and found the dead brides attacking the bandits

" idiots! The louder you yell, the more you attract them!"

" save them" xie lian says, aiming his bandage weapon forward " then find them groom"

It flew into the air, spinning like a spiral and glowing a bright blue, also letting out a hypnotic sound

One of the guys crawled back waving the the torch in his hand " stay away!" Before the bride could do anything, she suddenly stopped hearing the sound and turning to it

" no!...." another turning to its attention away from her prey and turning to the glowing spiral in the sky that xie lian created

They started wandering towards it, it then started forming into a raging tornado, one walked towards it

The bandits along with ying, the boy and the other girls watched in confused to what was going on

Until ying noticed the prince at the temples entrance and saw what he was doing " he's here!" She smiled

Just then the prince noticed the other bandits arriving to the scene, which the other brides noticed and went after them

They run out screaming as the dead Brides followed "Nan feng!"

"Right!" Nan feng nodded and ran after them

Xie lian stopped when he heard someone above him and looked to see two brides
On the roof, they both jump at him, but he leaps away

as he landed he threw two of the veils he'd picked up directly at them, and as soon as they landed on they're heads, they stopped moving, completely frozen

He landed next to them, hand over his fist and bowing " rest well" he then moved them and placed they're hands on the others shoulders

He turned back and saw xiao pengtou trying to fight one, but he was looking terrified, he roared and tried to attack but one kicked him away and knocked him out

They then turned back to the other bandits about to attack, they immediately turn and start running

" help me!"

" Ahh!"

" no stop running!" Xie lian yelled

As they got to the entrance a dead bride jumped down from the roof, blocking they're path, they turn in a different direction " run this way!"

Xie lian focused on the bandage bind in the sky and the spiral stopped, and started forming a circle on the ground, glowing bright blue

" over there!" He pointed for the bandits, they immediately run to it, the brides not to far behind

The girl in the mask along with the boy wear ring the bandages held they're weapons in-front of the dead bride, but then threw them at her and started running with the others for the circle

Ying then stopped and saw the unconscious bandit leader unconscious on the ground and ran back to pull him, which the blue haired girl noticed " ying!" She yelled which alerted the others

Ying and the boy rushed back and grabbed xiao pengtou by his feet trying to pull him in

But one of the brides was about to attack, if an lili hadn't whacked her on the head with the wooden stick, then jumped back as the bride tried to slice her

Ying and the boy fell back as another bride snuck up, but Qian Yunxi blocked its attack

Xie lian noticing them struggling, in larger the barrier, , before the bride could attack the teens, the barrier hit her, sending her flying

The teens pulled xiao pengtou's unconscious body into the barrier, sighing in relief, The bandits finally made it in, one of the brides tried to get them before they got it, but got knocked back by the barrier

The brides kept clawing at the barrier trying to get in,

Xie lian started running in they're direction to help, placing his finger against his head ' I could use some wisdom right now' the brides notice his presents and start running at him ' ling wen!? Hello?!'

He couldn't hear her voice and had to focus on the attacking brides, he dodged the first one then threw a veil her head

He did the same thing for another that came running at him

Five surrounded him and attempted a strike, but the close one he saw, he threw a veil over her head, jumped on her shoulder and took to the sky, throwing veils onto of the brides heads

The bandits started cheering him on " yeah! You did it!"

Xie lian landed with a sheepish smile waving his hands out " thank you, I except donations, nothing to small" he then bowed clasping his hand over his fist

" you know what, that move he just did reminded me off-" " li shu's performance?" Li lan interrupted her sister

" yeah.." she nodded

Just then more dead brides appeared in the sky above ' wow, haven't used that line since my last acrobatic's show' he smiled sweat dropping before taking off and leaping onto the roof ' ling wen? Ling wen!'

One bride was to his side, just then He heard ' your highness?' Ling wen spoke

He sighed in relief " finally got through"

'I was busy attending a conference, do you have a question?' She asked

" has Ming guang, Had any romantic relationships?" He wondered

'Can I get some context please?' She questioned confused to why he was asking

"It's complicated, I'm being chased by corpses, so I'm wondering" he said eyeing the dead brides carefully, and noticed two about to jump "Has he dated a jealous woman?"They leaped

"Perhaps one with a disability?" He jumped over them and ran ' one moment.' She stopped taking for a bit

'Ah there' she finally returned, just as one of the brides landed on the roof in-front of the prince 'When Ming guang or pei rather was a human general, he became untangled with a beautiful and strong willed woman from an apposing army, her name was general xuan ji'

" general xuan ji?" The prince repeated,

' correct' ling wen says as the prince feels open go the brides grab his ankle, smiling and growling sinisterly, he kicked it away

'When she was defeated in combat and captured, she tried to take her own life, but pei stopped her' Xie lian leaped when the other bride tried to get him, and landed in the opposite siding roof

' since the war had ended by that point, pei released xuan ji, however xuan ji being rather competitive kept challenging him, one thing lead to another, and they fell in love' she explained as he fought off the dead brides

"Sounds rather romantic" Xie lian commented, jumping back

' it was at first yes, it reminded me of another love story, but eventually xuan ji wanted a more serious relationship with pei, a committed one'

Xie lian tilted his head slightly " is that bad?" He asked

'Pei is a infamous philanderer, and although the war was over, they're countries were still on bad terms with each other' as ling wen explained, he saw the familiar black fog at the entrance

" one moment" he narrowed his eyes, the fog then came flying at him, but as it crashed into the roof, he jumped out of the way right on time

He jumped down from the roof top " that's better, about xuan ji's disability, do you know what it is?" The prince asks

" she's here!" And when she said that, her voice cut off

" ling wen?" He spoke but received no answer ' why does that keep happening...' he said with frustration

He then heard the stomping again, along with bells, getting louder with each step ' that noise...it must be the sound of foot steps...but it's not like any kind I've heard before, so what kind of person, would make this sound, someone with a limp, a leg injury perhaps..." as he pondered, she emerged from the smoke

She was extremely beautiful, alluring woman with an oval face and arched eyebrows, She has long, black hair and very long, sharp nails, She was dressed in red bridal robes that were ragged and threadbare

"You must be xuan ji, Greetings" the prince says as she fully emerged

" did he send you here to get rid of me? Like that red hair tramp?..." she growled at the mentioning of the girl

He narrowed his eyes at her ' red hair?..'

Ying and the boy looked just as scared as the bandits

"He couldn't...come on his own?"

She then her fell and crawl, she soon asked, " he doesn't want to see me?~...." which the prince perked up, an idea coming to mind

"Oh My darling Pei, I betrayed my own country and left everything behind for you!!! And now look where that's left me!!!" She yelled clenching her head before shrieking " IS YOUR HEART MADE OF STONE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Her voice was so loud, it could break a sound barrier, but more real, it broke the windows, and the threes, also making the building Shake, she pants hysterically

Xie Lian then wondered 'she betrayed her country? Did General Ming Guang take advantage of her affection to acquire intelligence?' He then looked at the stab wound in her leg 'Then he injured her leg...And abandoned her?'

"Can we talk?" As soon as he spoke, she soon started maniacally laughing. "My darling didn't come?" She then smirked " pity, all you unwanted guests, will have to die!!"

"Xuan Ji, I understand your angry, but you can't take it out on innocent people, Your actions have caused enough harm already" as he spoke, Xie Lian deflected her attack and started attacking.

" let me see him!!!!", Xuan Ji yelled ignoring

He dodged every attack she attempted but then heard " come on!" He turned and saw xiao pengtou trying to leave, and dragging the boy, with the girls trying to pull him back " piss off! I'm leaving! It's dangerous here!"

" then leave on your own!" Ying yelled back " your a danger to us!"

" let go of him!" Li lan and her sister tried to pull the boy back

"I'm taking my bounty!" the henchmen soon step back in terrified.

"No! He's innocent!"

Xuan Ji jumped back then smile sinisterly and xie lian say, "wait! Stay inside!!!". Xie Lian tries to attack her but she turned into black fog.

Appearing behind the stupid man and grabbing his head before he could react shocking everyone, he screamed as she killed him, leaving a traumatised bunch

Xie Lian soon walked up to her and said, ", please, haven't you sinned enough."

"Is he so afraid to come see me?" She questioned

Xie Lian says, "You were the hero of your nation remember? Stop hurting yourself and others"

"I tried to hurt him!" She smirked, then turned throwing her arm in the direction of the statue " I burnt all of his temples! And his followers were reduced to nothing! And still he refused to come and stop me! I've been waiting for years! Are you too ashamed to see me?!?"she the growled " curse you!"

She then turned to fog and flew " xuan ji!" Xie lian tried to stop her but, all she did was fly up not to the statue of General Pei's " look at me! Look at my mangled leg!" She soon starts breaking the statue. "Everything I've done! I've done for you! And you won't even acknowledge me?!"

" watch out sir!"Ying yells

He turned to her with a reassuring smile

" I'll be alright-" he soon gets caught in her smoke and she soon tries and chokes him, "you only like girls, who smile? I'll smile for you alone."

Xie Lian soon said, "I'm not him, pull it together" he grunted, he slightly turned and tried to use his weapon

" why are you looking away? I'm right here! Watch me! Look at me!" She soon heard a female voice "Let him go!"

Ying was running at her with a wooden rod  to attack" Ying wait!"

" don't!" Li lan exclaimed

" stop you idiot!" An lili ran after her with the girls  but was too far

xuan ji turned into black fog and went for her

"No!"xie lian exclaimed, but it was too late,  Ying was wounded and sent flying " Ying!" An lili rushed and cradled her in her arms while the boy was in shock, she started bleeding from the back, and a little on her head, He runs to her in tears

" come on! Ying!" Li lan exclaimed in tears

" she'll come! I know she will! You have to hang in there!" Li Yunxi sobbed alongside the boy

"You don't deserve him" xuan ji smirked, she looked at her hand " perfect, now she can't interrupt us" that was until she felt a familiar presence somewhere in the sky and growled " you came back again..." she then had an idea and grinned sinisterly, then charged at the group surrounding Ying " THEN YOU CAN WATCH YOUR FRIENDS DIE WITH HER!!!!"

" no!" At fast speed, something flew towards the temple extremely fast, the prince noticed something big in the sky, just then it flowed a light pinkish red light which blinded her and the prince, including the bandits within the circle, and all of a sudden, she was kicked away, back into the temple stairs

Xie lian looked back and his eyes widened,  the person who'd landed, was the very same one who lead him here, but this time, her clothes looked torn and tattered, blood stained on the rips in her dress

She then gasped when she looked to the group around Ying and rushed to them

Xie lian quickly restrained xuan ji, including her mouth and followed

"Come on Ying! Look she's here now!" Yunxi calls out

Ying then noticed the girls arrival and smiled weakly "it's you...you really came...im sorry....i...D-did my best...but got in the way..."

" no, because of your distraction, I captured her, thank you" xie lian says

The mysterious girl who arrived gestured for the two to lift Ying up, they looked at her confused as did the prince until the she gestured again more serious " just do it!" An lili exclaimed

" but what is she saying?" Xie lian asked curious and confused

" she's saying to lift her and show the wound! Just do what she said!" An lili exclaimed

The girl looked at the wound xuan ji inflicted in her, and much to they're surprise, she lifted her hand to her mouth, and bit into it, grunting in pain

Which they gasp in shock

"What are you doing?!" The prince exclaimed as she stared to draw blood " stop!" He tried to stop her but she held her free hand, telling him to back off

The girl kept doing it until tears formed

She moved herself forward ver the wound and the tears fell, the prince gasped as he watched the tears fall and form glowing plum blossoms, he then remembered what fu Yao said

Flash back

"the crimson dragon? The girl with healing tears? The mortal world bound god? The princess who was cursed?!?!" Fu Yao listed

Flash back end

' healing tears...she's forcing herself to cry...to heal her wounds...' he watched as the flower touched the wounds, slowly healing

It wasn't enough, she then hit her other hand, grunted painfully, and drew more tears that continued to fall until the wound fully healed

They were in shock when they heard a gentle groaning, and turned Ying back over to see her regaining consciousness, until she finally reopened her eyes

" Ying!" The two sisters embraced her, while the boy sighed in relief

" but...how?" They gestured to the girl in the veil " you...you saved me...I knew you would" she smiled, but them gasped when she saw her bleeding hands " your hands!"

The girl just looked at her before She suddenly karate chopped her on the head " ow!" Which the other two sisters snort

She then did a scolding gesture which the boy in bandages smiled sheepishly while the girls laughed " I'm sorry...." she says With a sad pouty face

" what is she saying now?" The prince asked an lili amused and curious

" she's saying don't ever do something so dangerous again, what if I hadn't made it here in time, not only would you have gotten yourself killed, but made a lot of people sad, don't ever do that again, or ill give you one hundred head chops" she translated trying to hold her laugher in

He smiled amused but then looks back, feeling something amiss and saw Xuan ji growling as a red fog surrounded her " looks like she's completely lost control" he says, the group feeling the fear kick in, Ying most of all, until she felt the girl on the veil holding her hands and looked to see her smiling at her assuringly, until she let go and gestured for her and the group to enter the circle

"Come on!" An lili and li lan helped lift her up

" but!-" she looked back to see her girl getting ready for a fight, but Yunxi pushed her back towards the circle with the boy following behind

Xuan ji giggling as the binds were struggling to hold her " are you watching now?..." she tilted to the side creepily before screaming "Look at me!" Causing a strong force that even rattled the ground

'When a wrath releases its strength like this, humans crumble like paper....' he clenched his fist ' if only I had my mana...'

He then had an idea, and turned to the girl beside him " please" he said gaining her attention " help me"

She nods and the two turn to xuan ji who flies towards them, the two straighten themselves and charge at her,  before they collided,

A bright beaming of sunlight burst down onto them, the others in the circle passed out due to the brightness.

Both the prince and girl clench they're heads as the woman falls

The dead brides along the side fell to the floor with the light shinning on them, as xuan ji got up, she was trapped again in binds

  "W-What?..." as he was about to fall, the girl even though she was struggling, helped him up

" it's alright now" the two got up and saw Nan feng had returned " help is here" he soon saw the girl assisting the prince and his eyes widened " I-it's you..."

They then Brought they're attention to the shine entrance and saw giantess, along with one man, walking towards them

" general pei" Nan feng introduced

"He really came" xie lian says

"Well met your high, crimson dragon. Ling Wen spoke to me, seems Ming Guang palace, should help you with this, it's our problem too" he says

The two sighed in relief, Xie Lian asked, "in that case, I'm great full to you both"

"It's you...finally" xuan ji looked at the general smiling who turned to her "you Came for me!" She moved to him but once she saw his face she turned angry " your not pei Ming! Who are you!?" She growled

" general pei is busy.." she gasped at what he said, the prince looked to nan feng confused " isn't he general pei?" He asked

"Yes, but there are two of them, he's a descended of general pei, a deputy of Ming guang palace, Pei junior we call him" Nan feng explained

" now xuan ji, I'll escort you to heaven" pei junior says gesturing with his arm

She just collapsed on the ground, the binds retuning to xie lian and the guards getting her sanity back to normal, in shock, "He would cross have the country...just for a chance to be with me!....and you tell me he's too busy!? That he can't come to see me?! I'm suppose to believe that?!!!?" She exclaimed

" take her" pei junior ordered

Xie lian approached the him, gaining his attention "General pei, might I ask, Where will xuan ji Beheld?" He asked

"Sealed beneath a mountain" pei answered

"I fear that won't hold her, She committed treason for pei? And he injured her leg in return, that's quite a grudge" xie lian informed

"She blame him for her leg?" The general asks glancing at the woman " she told you that?"

" is that..not correct?" The prince asks

" she indeed committed treason for pei, but the leg injury, was her own doing" general pei junior then begins telling the full story

Short story, cause I can't write the whole thing, but I still added narration

She was caught by pei and his army, currently she stood in his tent, between two guards as he sat in front, he starts talking about the wars end and that she should surrender

She glanced at one of the guards, and took his sword quickly, raising it to her neck, before she could Jill herself, pei quickly took his sword and knocked it out off her hand

He tried to reason with her, and as she snapped at him, he silenced her with a kiss, putting her in shock, After that the two grew closer

"And So they abandoned all thoughts of the future, and shared they're love in every second they could spare, however xuan ji began to long for a committed relation ship"

As ling wen said he was a playboy, and wasn't to keen on a committed relation ship, or how clingy she was getting

" he general pei found such wilfulness stifling, He thought xuan ji Was too demanding....and In the end, the two were incompatible..."

He wanted to end it there, she was distraught, she didn't want to end, She even offered him her map to her army's next operation, But he burned it

He still won the war but then left, to make him feel remorse, she stabbed her own leg

" she stabbed her own leg so that general pei would feel obligated to care for her, and so he did, generously In-fact dispute The circumstances, but kindness aside, he would not marry her, upon seeing her dream shattered, xuan ji took her own life"

Ending

" she wanted to hurt general pei's heart but hurting herself, but his feelings, would not be swayed" general pei junior finished the story

" I can't say who's truly at fault, but if xuan ji had been able to move on, we'd all be better off"

The girl next to the prince had a stern look under her veil, agreed with only one part, the part about xuan ji moving on, but it wasn't just her fault, she felt general pei responsible as well, he shouldn't have played with her feelings like that

" I curse you pei Ming" xuan ji growled " count yourself fortunate that you've never known true love! Because it would burn you!" She sobbed in anger

" let's go" general pei says

"As it's merciless flames have burned me every moment since you turned me away!" She yelled to the sky hitting herself and falling onto the ground then Straightening herself up " oh how the fire rages on! Till your heart is reduced to ash!!!!"

Pei got a telepathic message and says "That would never happen, that's his last message to you" she froze before growling " I curse you pei... I curse you pei! I curse you!"  As the guards restrained her

"till next time your highness" pei junior bowed his head, he watched alongside the girl as the two guards along with general pei, walked away dragging the crying xuan ji

Nan feng walked towards them and stood aside arms crossed " she's a mess"

" we're outsiders, we can't judge" xie lian states, he looked towards the dead brides " but I do feel sorry for the victims who were dragged into this..." they're bodies burst into blue flames and evaporated

Xuan ji's laugher lessened and the bell on her fell to the ground

Time skip

Next day

" well that's quite the whirl wind romance general Ming guang had" fu Yao says after returning to the two

" I thought you ran away, why are you back?" Nan feng glared, only for fu yao to roll his eyes  "Just be grateful you don't have to move the corpses"

" hmp, your only good at cleaning" Nan feng scoffed

" pardon!?"

Xie lian gestured for them to calm down, since medical attention was being given to those that needed it " now Now" he smiled sheepishly

" wait! When are you gonna take that wedding dress off?!" Fu Yao exclaimed, Who blinked until he realised he was still wearing it " oh no...I was wearing this while I was talking to pei" he groaned

" nothing makes that guy blink, don't worry" Nan feng assured

"Really?" Xie lian asked sweat dropping a little

" pei Xiù ascended a hundred or so years back, but he was given his position, in his twenty's, Not fond of him, Same as his ancestor" Nan feng explained

"He was involved in a dreadful incident
Have you heard?" Fu Yao asked

"No" xie lian replied

"A massacre" Nan feng said

"They're aren't a lot of officials up there I trust"  fu Yao says, and Nan feng turned away "Well some of them a trustworthy"

" oh you mean like your general?" Fungal rolled his eyes smirking

"Certainly not yours" Nan feng countered

Both drew they're swords and pointed at each other

"Can't this wait, They're still work to be done, What about the villagers?" Xie lian reminded

" hey! knock it off back there!" Li Yunxi yelled from the other side of the tree, making them stop, she poked her head out with a peeved off look "the crimson dragons trying to treat everyone's injuries and she can't focus with all  your arguing! Pipe down!" Which they straight remaining quite

She went back and the prince snickered at how scared they looked, he also noticed fu yao's red face

" something wrong fu Yao?" He asked, making the young man flinch " h-Huh?! W-what n-no nothing!" He stammered, then walks away to the shrine fast " let's just wrap things up already!"

The two he left behind look at each other in confusing until they start laughing, they knew exactly what was going on

Time skip

The prince was out of the dress and back in his white robs

"They've agreed not to sell the corpses, Not engage in any other illicit businesses, they also promise to pray and offer incense for the brides who met they're end here"

They watched as the former bandits walked back to the village

Ying and the bandages boy bowing to the girl in white for saving them both as Li lan bandages up her wounded hands

After she was done she gestured to the boys bandages " it's time to add my healing medicine, with this, the marks will final fade" an lili says explaining the gestures of the girl " he won't have to stay on mount yu jun any more" 

" really?! So your the one miss Li shu was getting the medicine from! Thank you!" Ying exclaimed with joy while the boy was in shock

Meanwhile the god and his junior officials were speaking to one another

" that boy can't stay on the mountain" Nan feng says

" where should he go?" Fu Yao asks

" he's going to the village with miss Ying, That medicine being applied will apparently heal the wounds on his face" xie lian says looking over

He noticed the girl applying medicine to his face and once he saw clearly his eyes widened at the boys face

Small red marks

He remembered the screams of his people, who had the same marks as the boy had on his face

And the man who caused it

'Moulding face decease?!? But how
It should have died out long ago, with the fall of xianle!' His face paled