chsdbacks Page 84
Page 84
Shi Kuan...it's okay...
He thought, even if she wasn't going to marry him, even if his heart was aching so badly it felt like it was about to stop beating...
In any case, Ah Kuan has always had only one mission.
They did everything in their power to protect... the princess.
Even if it means death, I will... protect the princess...
My princess, I will love you forever and ever…
I love you unconditionally…
disregarding everything...
Chapter 102 I'm here, Ah Kuan
"puff--!"
Fresh blood splattered heavily on the ground, creating tiny blood droplets.
It perfectly mirrors Shi Kuan's shattered state of mind at this moment.
He was hunched over, coughing violently, each tremor aggravating his wounds.
"Cough...cough cough cough..."
My vision was blurred as if by a thick fog, and I gradually began to see double images.
Countless rebel demon soldiers, wielding swords, spears, and halberds, converged into a shimmering black shadow before his eyes, their demonic energy surging like ink, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
His demonic power had long since run out, leaving only a burning pain; every time he raised his hand, it felt like dragging a thousand-pound boulder.
But he still clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, oblivious to the blood seeping out.
We can't fall... absolutely not...
He must guard this door, guard the wedding taking place behind it, and guard his princess.
Today is the princess's joyous day...
It was the day she wore her bright red wedding dress, phoenix coronet, and embroidered robe.
He had secretly imagined this day.
The only difference was that the person standing next to her wasn't herself.
But so what?
As long as she's happy, as long as she finds happiness, that's enough.
Ah Kuan... was just a guard, her servant.
A servant must shield his master from all dangers, even at the cost of his life.
"Shi Kuan! Wake up!"
A shrill voice pierced the air amidst the rebel ranks.
"Your princess has already married that pretty boy! She doesn't love you at all! What are you still doing here?!"
"Exactly! She's abandoned you! Why would you risk your life for someone who doesn't love you!"
A chorus of insults rose and fell.
He simply raised his head slowly, his scarlet eyes unwavering, and his cracked lips uttered a few words, hoarse yet resolute.
"No one... is allowed to interfere with the princess's wedding ceremony!"
So what if I don't love him?
What's wrong with being with someone else?
His love was never about getting a response, but simply about protecting her.
The demons were stunned by what they saw.
A demon, covered in wounds and with his demonic power almost exhausted, stood like an unshakeable mountain, blocking the path of a thousand troops.
Those hands holding weapons trembled slightly involuntarily.
They had seen demons who were fearless in the face of death, but they had never seen a foolish demon like this, who knew that death was the outcome, yet still did everything in his power to protect others.
Butai stood at a distance, his mind already captivated by that figure's back.
At this moment, her perspective seemed to be fragmented, sometimes focusing on the city wall above Shi Kuan's head, where his lonely figure appeared so small in the vastness of the world.
A moment later, it turned into a speck of dust in the sky, drifting onto his shoulder, watching as blood seeped from his wound, staining his dark clothes red.
One moment he transforms into a minor demon within the rebel army, watching up close as each of his punches carries a resolute determination to destroy everything in his path.
If any demon dares to take a step forward, he will use his last bit of strength to unleash a full-force punch.
The force of his punches had lost its former ferocity, but carried a fierce determination to fight to the death, striking not only his enemy but also Butai's heart.
He was clearly exhausted, and his body swayed with every punch, yet he still didn't care at all.
If your fist misses, use your shoulder to block; if your shoulder can't block, use your body to shield yourself.
He just kept throwing punches!
It was as if these hands were not used to attack, but to build a barrier, a barrier that would protect the person behind them even if it meant being shattered to pieces.
Butai's eyes suddenly reddened.
She finally understood why she felt a strange sense of familiarity when she first met Shi Kuan.
Now she finally understood why that figure suddenly appeared in front of her when the dean unleashed that devastating sword strike that day.
Now I understand why she wasn't afraid at all at that moment, but instead burst into tears—
Because Ah Kuan has always been there.
Whether in this life or the next, he will stand in front of her and shield her from all danger.
Even when facing a massive army, he would not back down.
Even when facing death, he would die with a smile, simply because behind him were the people he wanted to protect.
Even if... the person he cherishes is currently marrying someone else.
Princess isn't made of wood; she saw and remembered everything Shi Kuan did for her.
How could she not understand the tenderness hidden in his eyes, the silent protection, and the unspoken love?
But she is the princess of the Demon-Controlling Kingdom, and she has her own responsibilities and mission.
She wanted to use this wedding to appease the rebels, liberate the enslaved demon race, and even... give the man she loved who was fighting desperately for her... complete freedom...
Perhaps... her end was also death...
But...if Ah-Kuan were no longer bound...
If the enslaved monsters were to regain their freedom...
Then... even death would be worth it...
It's a pity that we haven't heard Ah Kuan admit to loving her yet.
She had also thought about being honest with A-Kuan and eloping with him.
But she couldn't, because... she was a princess.
She was about to become the queen of the Demon-Controlling Kingdom, and the crown on her head was too heavy... so heavy that she didn't even have the right to run towards him.
Butai clutched his chest, feeling so heartbroken he could barely breathe.
And this heartache is also felt by the princess.
She knew he was being besieged, knew he was bleeding, knew his heart was bleeding, but she could only watch helplessly, not daring to utter even a single word of "A-Kuan".
Shi Kuan's love has long been etched into his soul.
Shi Kuan's silhouette has long been etched into my soul.
Her heartache for Shi Kuan was like a vine, wrapping around her heart and tightening ever more.
Just like that day, when she saw that figure again while facing the dean's sword, what welled up in her soul was not only a strong sense of security, but also a deep, indescribable heartache.
Her tears, hundreds of years ago today, were also flowing freely.
His fist was still swinging, but his figure was becoming increasingly swaying.
Finally, after defeating another small demon, his legs gave way and he knelt on one knee.
His knee slammed into the ground with a dull thud, like a sigh.
But he didn't fall. He still supported himself with his fists, raised his head, and stared intently at the rebels in front of him, as if to say something.
They'll step over my dead body first.
"That's enough... that's enough..."
Butai choked up.
Tears fell onto the back of her hand, burning her fingertips.
She watched Shi Kuan kneeling on one knee, saw the gruesome wound on his back still bleeding, saw that he barely had the strength to lift his hand, yet he still stubbornly held on to the ground, refusing to fall.
He was clearly about to collapse, so why was he being so foolish?
She wanted to rush up to him, to hug him, to pull him out of the pool of blood, to shout at him, "Stop hitting him, run!" But her body felt like it was nailed to the spot, her legs felt like they were filled with lead, and she couldn't move an inch.
She could only watch helplessly as the rebels' swords and spears were once again aimed at that swaying figure. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, and the pain was so intense that it almost stopped beating.
"Ah Kuan...please...don't hold on any longer..."
She murmured to the air, her voice filled with desperate sobs.
Just then, her body suddenly felt light, and the force binding her vanished abruptly.
Then, the perspective suddenly shifted.
Before him were no longer the rebels' swords and spears, but Shi Kuan's familiar, blood-stained back.
Behind them, the vermilion gate, which had been tightly closed for a long time, was slowly opening inward.