Voyage With The Pirate King
Chapter 95 - Self Blaming

Rui Fei was like a puppy with drooped ears and its tail between his legs. That's because when he woke up the next day he was met by Ji Yao's death glare much more intimidating than the death star.

He scratched his head wondering what warranted him that vicious look. It was when he glanced over at the cloth wrapped around Ji Yao neck that he recalled what happened the previous night. His heart shattered to pieces with his entire body going numb.

His eyes stung as he stretched out his trembling hand to touch him but he was so afraid to hurt him. The term blackhearted monster had been uttered once or twice whenever his father's henchmen came to throw food at him as though feeding a dog.

They might have said it to him but he didn't care because he never saw himself as one. But now.... after this incident that was the only word echoing in his mind. How could he do this to the person he likes? How could he hurt him like this?

Rui Fei's eyes reddened as he called out, "Yao-ge," in a low brittle voice. In his eyes, he was indeed a monster that shouldn't have escaped from its cage. How was he any different from his father?

His knees softened as he knelt on the floor with an ashen face and sincerely apologized. Ji Yao wanted to stop him but the boy was too fast. He wasn't upset with him because the both of them lost themselves to their instincts and neither of them knew how to restrain themselves in this kind of outburst.

Ji Yao had learnt a little from his father and knew how to restrain his Raiju bloodline but this Qilin side in the presence of Ru Fei's seraphic energy it was impossible to restrain an outburst. As for Rui Fei, he spent fourteen years in a cold dungeon so who would teach him such things?

He didn't blame him and besides, if the kid didn't subdue him Rui Fei might have ended up with a hole in his chest. He was about to say something to him but this self-blaming kid apologized again before walking out of the cabin.

"What the...," muttered Ji Yao as he watched Rui Fei's dejected figure walking out of the cabin. Ji Yao thought the kid needed time to process his emotions and in no time he would be back to normal but who would have thought the kid would avoid him like the plague.

There was no Yao-ge this, Yao-ge that for the next few days. Rui Fei didn't even bring him breakfast or touch his stuff to annoy him. This alienation was driving Ji Yao insane. Rui Fei had forcibly infiltrated his life and grew roots only to vanish like a terrible magician. How could Ji Yao let him go?

He was about to go and pull that brat wallowing in self-pity by the ear when the three troublemakers showed up at his doorstep. He didn't know what sort of method Zhang Li used to strong-arm his way into looking for the keystones instead of going to bully some merchants because he was still here. He must have bullied someone into swapping assignments.

"We are ten minutes from shore, your majesty.... it's about time we map out a plan," said Lady Ching Sei ready to storm the imperial city.

Four ships each different from the next lined up near the shoreline. The flag flying high on their topmasts were as intimidating as the ships themselves. To show the seriousness of this matter a troop of armed soldiers were deployed at the harbour striking up fear into the common folk.

That flag had the infamous symbol of what people called the self-proclaimed Lords of the sea. They had heard dark gory stories of these barbarians but none of them had seen them with their eyes. They never approached the imperial city's shores before. That's because they kept their business at sea and other cities abandoned by the nobles.

But now things were different. These monsters had finally crawled out of the sea after sinking the imperial armada. Their presence in the imperial city wasn't welcomed. The reactions of the citizens differed with some scattering like flies, others watching curiously and others pumping their chests vowing to stand with the army.

Ji Yao leapt off the ship against Lady Ching Sei's advice and landed on the dock right in front of the soldiers. The men tumbled to the ground like balling pins after being struck by a balling ball.

The shroud of his veiled bamboo hat flattered with the breeze creating a picturesque scene that could calm one's mind but he wasn't calm at all. He was in a terrible mood because a certain someone was avoiding him like he had done something wrong.

The scene of the soldiers falling over had those citizens who had been brazen before suddenly lose their bravery. They ran away with the rest of the screaming crowd like they had seen King Kong.

The soldiers who had lost face tried to get up pointing their spears coated with a layer of latrion but they soon found out they couldn't move. A mysterious fog surrounded their bodies nailing them in place.

Behind Ji Yao was a tall handsome boy with a deadly aura that could bring anyone to their knees. The problem was that this aura didn't match his age. Ji Yao eyed Rui Fei through his peripheral view with a layer of frost all over his body. He was angry but this wasn't the right time to deal with private matters.

The three concord members landed in front of Ji Yao forming a protective barrier before leading the way to the imperial palace. Part of the crew followed behind as well including Rui Yewan and Rui Li. They had also noticed something was going on with Rui Fei but didn't have the balls to ask because his state of mind was a little off. For one he was no longer sleeping in Ji Yao's cabin but chose to either squeeze in with Rui Yewan or sleep on the main deck.

Whenever Ji Yao showed up he would vanish from the spot with a dejected look on his face which was highly unusual. Now he was at the back of the procession instead of being beside Ji Yao. Rui Li couldn't take it anymore slowing her steps to walk by Rui Fei's side.

Craning her neck she asked, "So what's the deal? Did um..... did you touch his stuff and he kicked you out?"

"More like he cuddled Yao-ge again and got his ass kicked out," said Rui Yewan feeling rather confident in his answer. What other crime was worth getting kicked out other than that?

Rui Fei heard them make more absurd suggestions but his gaze was locked on Ji Yao walking in front of the pack. No, he had committed a much more terrible act than that.