39 Cheeky trespasser

The bride's hand kept approaching nearer.

For a milisecond, Yi Lan's heart stopped. Her body froze, unwilling to move the knife in her hand.

'Why won't my body move? Is this some kind of spell?' Yi Lan thought in exasperation.

Her eyes almost bulged out of their socket, trying to move her muscles, but they were unwilling to move even a bit. Her hand trembled and shook like a leaf, but didn't move backward or forward. Gritting her teeth, Yi Lan gave a final pull to her hand, only succeeding in making the knife fall.

The sound of the knife falling to the ground with a 'clink' was like an alarm bell, signalling that Yi Lan's time of struggling was over. The hand reached Yi Lan's chest and ripped her shirt.

Blood rushed to Yi Lan's head.

She screamed in her head. Her refusal to die without taking revenge, was a fire burning in her eyes. It spread across her whole body, but in vain.

Her eyes shut close.

'Death is a gift to me. But not today. I'll gladly accept it some other day.'

And there she was.

A golden gate stood in front of her. Huge and broad, it blocked sight of what was past it. A complicated lock was placed on it,which even Yi Lan doubted she could crack.

She was already levitating in the air. With a tumble in mid air, she leapt on the golden coloured gate's golden floor. "All this gold burns my eyes." She muttered.

Her mouth took on a frown as her hands went forward to touch the gate.

It was as if something in her recognised this gate and was calling out for it. Brows furrowed, she took a step forward, but a voice rang out loudly in the area.

"Who might you be, trespasser?" An aged, hoarse voice asked.

"Like you said, I'm a trespasser." Yi Lan answered back naturally.

She had already figured out that this place was not a place from reality. And about this place, she was soon about to find out, so why bother to panic?

"Quite a cheeky trespasser you are." The voice answered in amusement.

"I know." She answered back, a light smile on her face. "So, do you plan on helping me?"

"Helping you? What are you talking about trespasser? This is the sacred pool of Ranor, we do not offer help here." The voice reprimanded.

"Sacred pool of Ranor?"

"All those who belong to a certain bloodline arrive here one day, depending on whether they are worthy or not. And you, cheeky trespasser, have been deemed worthy enough." Light flute music rang through her ears, making her spell bound.

She had never heard such beautiful flute music.

Her blood boiled, and an urge to itch rose up in her. Her skin grew red and hair glowed, making her silver locks even more beautiful. She grit her teeth, almost unable to bear the itchiness.

The flute music stopped.

"Sure enough, you are an inheritor. But why have you been sent here? Never has a person been sent to the Gates, atleast, not in my knowledge." The voice spoke, genuine confusion in their tone.

Seeing her skin's redness reduce, Yi Lan asked "What flute did you just use?"

"Why? Are you interested?"

Yi Lan could almost imagine seeing them raise their eyebrow in question.

"Very. I want it." She answered confidently.

"You believe you are worth it?" The voice let out a laugh.

She replied with a firm nod, "Yes, I do. I may not be strong now, but in three years time, I promise to become powerful."

"Eh....Then we'll see human. If you manage to reach my level, I'll give you my flute. But if you don't... Hahaha, you know what will be the price. It's a promise then."

Yi Lan nodded, "It's a promise."

"Now move ahead human, the Gates aren't meant for you. I don't know why you were sent here, but the current you, has no chance of surviving past the Gates." The voice said, now distant.

In a flash, Yi Lan was taken to a dark room, that was empty, with just a huge mirror in front of it.

Calmly, Yi Lan stood in front of the mirror. The previously dark screen, now had the image of a girl with silver hair. Eyes, a stunning violet, stared back at her.

Instinctively, she touched the cool mirror. Her body jerked as she felt a jolt. And the mirror was gone. In its place, was a girl with the same clothes, same features and same face as Yi Lan.

It was just as if a second Yi Lan stood in front of her.

The girl blinked and opened her eyes.

"It's you." She smiled and folded her arms.

"So~,Yi Lan? What do you think is the most necessary thing to survive?" She asked.

"The will to live." Lan answered.

"Do you possess that will?"

"No."

"If you were given a chance to rewind time and let that person live instead of you, will you take that chance?"

"Yes."

"Do you still think you don't deserve to live?"

"Without a doubt."

"Then, isn't it better for me to live your life? You can just die and let go off everything. Simple,isn't it?" The doppelganger smirked, twirling a knife she got from her pocket.

"I wish it were that simple. But, unfortunately for you and a lot of people, I won't die till I take revenge for Yi Meng. Besides that.... I still want to have a child."

The doppelganger stared at Yi Lan for a while.

She finally let out a soft chuckle.

"You're just as I imagined. Go ahead then. Kill me. It'll all be over." She threw the knife over to Yi Lan.

With a 'whoosh', Yi Lan caught the glinting knife.

"You don't care about your life?" Lan asked casually.

"What life? I was created for you, I am meant to have no feelings." The doppelganger commented.

"And you say I am just as you imagined. If you didn't have feelings, would you have imagined me? That curiosity inside you, made you want to imagine me right?" Yi Lan rubbed her finger on the blade.

The doppelganger looked taken aback. Her eyes misted over with confusion and wonder. Her mind immediately reeled and thought over Lan's words. Was it really how Yi Lan had said? Did she really have a life?