"Ash… Ashley!"
The shout echoed through Butterfly Valley, urgent and raw. A lean figure hurtled down the slope, cloak snapping in the wind. It was Edric Thornwell.
Before he could reach her, Lady Isolde Serpentis's cane twitched ever so slightly. From her other hand, a golden flower whistled through the air with uncanny precision.
Whoosh!
It struck Edric's left knee. His stride broke instantly, and he staggered forward, hitting the ground hard beside Ashley Thornwell.
He glanced down at his wife, relief washing over his face when he sensed her shallow breath still lingering. But the sight that followed ignited his fury — her body was covered in the marks of venomous bites, each oozing pus in shades of green, purple, and black.
His voice cracked with rage as he turned to Lady Serpentis. "You and I once shared the same sect, Lady Serpentis! Even if your husband died because of my refusal, you should have come for me directly. Why torment her?"
In truth, Edric had not been far these past days. Though he left the valley after Liam Ardent's arrival, he had hidden on a ridge nearby, keeping watch. He had seen her arrival, the dispersal of the gathered warriors, and had even intercepted a martial artist from the Iron Fist Sect to learn the details.
He was astonished to hear that Liam had saved them all — and appalled to discover that Ashley was now in Lady Serpentis's grasp. His anger burned hot, and without hesitation, he had charged straight into the valley.
Whatever his selfishness in other matters, Edric's affection for Ashley was genuine.
Lady Serpentis's gaze was sharp, her voice cold. "Now you remember we were once comrades? Where was that sentiment when my husband and I came to you, begging for his treatment?"
His jaw tightened. "You had already left the Ming Cult — I was bound by oath not to aid those who abandoned it! Ashley had no part in that, yet you involve her? Release her, and take me instead!"
Her tone grew like iron in winter. "When you refused, I was forced to watch my husband waste away day after day, powerless to stop it. Now, you will watch Ashley die the same way — so you may understand the weight of that helplessness."
Her words carried no tremor, no warmth, only vengeance.
Seeing that no plea would reach her, Edric turned toward Liam Ardent. "Liam… I know you healed Galen Ashford, Gareth Hallowway, and the others. Your skill is unparalleled. Please — save her. If you delay, she will not live."
Liam's expression was calm, though his voice held a trace of weariness. "Both of you have tried to use me as a shield before. Under normal circumstances, I would walk away. But since I've benefited from your presence in certain ways, I'll grant her a cure. Once it's done, we are even."
He stepped forward, gold needles flashing between his fingers like slivers of sunlight. One by one, they slid into Ashley's key meridians, pulsing faint vibrations through her system.
Within moments, the deadly toxins were flushed from her body — no trace remained. Lady Serpentis watched without interference, her eyes narrowing slightly at the display.
Edric's shock was plain. He recognized the method instantly — it was a technique from the Ziwu Acupuncture Classic, a legendary manual that only he himself had mastered. Liam had been in Butterfly Valley mere days; to see him not only grasp it but wield it with a refinement beyond Edric's own was almost unthinkable. His mastery of poisons, too, was frighteningly precise.
A faint moan escaped Ashley's lips as she stirred. Edric's voice softened instantly. "ashley… you're awake?"
Her eyes opened, then widened in horror. "Edric— why have you returned?"
Before he could answer, the sharp thunk of a cane striking the ground cut through the moment.
"Your medical skill is admirable, Liam Ardent," Lady Serpentis said coolly. "Perhaps even greater than this stubborn ox beside you. If you had been born decades earlier, my husband might have lived."
Then her gaze flicked toward Lilith Stormbane. "Lilith — bring out your pets. Let them feast on Ashley once more. And don't stop him from saving her. If he saves her once, you poison her again."
Edric's fury erupted. "Viper! So many years, and you've become even more venomous. If you have the spine, strike me directly!"
Her smile was faint and cutting. "Oh, I won't lay a hand on you. I will break you by tormenting the one you love. That will be enough."
Ashley's voice was a faint whisper. "Don't beg her, Edric . It's useless…"
But Edric straightened, his eyes hard. "All of this began with me. Today, I will pay for it with my life. If my death can buy her safety, so be it."
Before anyone could react, he raised his right palm high — and slammed it down onto his own crown.
Crack!
The sound was heavy and final. Blood welled as his body crumpled lifeless beside her.
"Edddricc!" Ashley's cry tore through the valley. Her face paled to ash. "If you are gone… what meaning does my life have?"
Even as she spoke, black blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. She had concealed poison within her for this very moment. In seconds, her body went still.
The silence that followed was broken only by Lady Serpentis's sigh — long and strangely empty. "The debt is paid. And yet… why does it bring me no joy? This is sin… all of it."
Her cane tapped against the ground as she turned, walking slowly toward one of the valley's huts, her frame stooped yet still commanding.
Lilith hurried after her, the hem of her robes brushing the dirt.
Only then did Lady Moira Drake and Isla emerge from behind the sheltering rocks, relief mingled with lingering fear. Liam's needles danced again, this time purging the last traces of poison from their systems.
Moira exhaled slowly. "Two more lives bound in bitterness, ending in tragedy…"
Liam nodded. "The living must move forward. The dead… should rest. Let's see them buried properly."
He worked silently, carving a resting place in the earth for Edric and Ashley. Side by side, they were laid to rest beneath the shade of a weathered pine, their feud and love alike carried away by the wind.
This story is inspired from various Wuxia novels ,so if you find any similarities please dont mind . and if you think this is boring wait till the Dual cultivation starts ,Thank you .
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T/N :
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