Chapter 170 - Tainted

My tears fall over and trail down my cheeks as I stare at Bai Lei with fear and confusion. Snow begins to fall around us as a hush falls over everyone in the courtyard. He reaches out and wipes at my tear, leaving a smear of warm blood on my cheek.

"This isn't your world little star. People kill to survive here. It's kill or be killed, do you understand?" He says in a soft yet stern voice as the snow falls around us like something from a dream or nightmare. I slowly nod my head as the man in white watches everything with sharp eyes.

As if finally noticing him, Bai Lei turns and looks at the man with a glare asking "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my palace?" The man in white looks between me and Bai Lei before saying "Old man Ling summoned me here for her." 

Bai Lei's body tenses as he turns to face the man head-on. He looks over to the physician and asks "What the hell is this?" The physician falls to his knees and says "Forgive me my King but the woman is evil! You must not fall for her charms!"

Bai Lei grinds his teeth in annoyance before saying "You say she's evil? The one who's crying after she saw someone she hated die? While I stand here covered in blood, enjoying every minute of it? Your definition of evil... please enlighten me."

The physician frowns and struggles to say something but the man in white suddenly says "It seems old man Ling has made a mistake. She would not have been about to touch the holy beads if she was truly evil. Not only did she touch them, she also snapped the necklace in half."

The man turns back to look at me, making me uncomfortable. "You are not from this world, little star?" My heart nearly stops as Bai Lei freezes. He turns to the man in white and says "You have no right to call her by such a name." 

The man's face finally moves as he gives Bai Lei a cold smile while saying "Son of darkness... It looks like you caught a falling star and kept her for your own. You devour her and taint something pure and yet you act as if you love her? She doesn't belong to our world, she doesn't belong to you, she needs to go back before she throws off the balance."

Suddenly, dark energy rolls off Bai Lei as he places himself in front of me saying "You... you're from the higher heavenly council?" The man just stares at Bai Lei with a blank face before lifting his hand. Everything freezes! 

The snow, the wind, Bai Lei, and the physician all come to a stop. Everything was frozen as if time itself was frozen. I lean around Bai Lei to look at the man in white to find him watching me with that same blank face. "Follow me little one. You seemed to have lost your way." He says with that same deep voice.

I cling onto Bai Lei's black robes as I try to think of something. I don't know who this man is but he's obviously powerful, even more so than Bai Lei. I lean my head against Bai Lei's back as I say "I'm sorry" knowing good and well that he wouldn't want me following this man but what other choice do I have!?

I step around Bai Lei and slowly walk over to the man in white. Every time my face touches a frozen snowflake, it melts against my skin making me shiver. I stop before the man in white and say "Thank you for healing the poison but... I don't want to go back."  

He watches me with that same blank look as he says "You don't belong in this world. You throw the balance off by being here. You're existence here also threatens the laws and rules in this world. You need to return to your world and I can help you do that." 

Suddenly, everything around us changes! Cold wind and snow whip around my hair and dress. I look around to see that we're on top of a freaking mountain!! I look back to him and say "I'm not doing anything to hurt anyone! If anything, I've been helping take out the evil people from the Under Realm!" 

He slowly shakes his head and says "Order will be found and the powers at play will balance themselves out without your interference. I think your presence is causing a tip in the balance so you need to return." 

I frown at him and quickly say "What if you're wrong? What if I'm here because this world needs my interference? Think about it, why else would I magically appear here and gain all these powers. Also, I've been seeing this woman in my dreams!" 

I pull my sleeve back to show the man as I say "She did this to me and since then, I've been able to absorb the men from the Under Realm! She's also showed me a large pit in my dreams. Blood was rushing to the pit when suddenly, something dark and evil was trying to crawl out." 

I then reach down and pull my shoe off before pulling my dress up to show him my ankle as I say "It grabbed me in my dream and yet it left a mark. Something bad and evil is coming if I somehow don't put an end to it. She told me 'You have to stop him... you must'. Tell me I still don't belong here when something or someone from this world is asking me to stop 'him'."

The man's blank face suddenly moves again when he frowns at my ankle. He slowly lowers himself and reaches out to touch it. Any other time and I would have freaked and kicked him in the face but I feel no ill will coming from him so I stay still. 

His hand wraps around my ankle and I watch with shock when his eyes go completely white! Even though the man's grip is incredibly strong, he doesn't hurt me. After a few awkward moments, he sucks in and releases my ankle with a look of fear.