Swordsman: Sovereign

This Fanfiction is loosely based on Jin Yong's Smiling Proud Wanderer and the new 2012/2013 series. Story begins from the end of the fight between Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai.

" Speech "

' Thoughts '

Chapter: 1

What is love...

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.--1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Would you let the world burn for love? Would you sacrifice anyone and thing for the person you hold most dear? Would you even sacrifice your happiness, your very life for the person you love?

What if one simple answer changed the fate of the entire Martial world?

-xXx-

Near the edge of Blackwood Cliff....

“Have you ever loved me?” Dongfang Bubai said softly.

Linghu Chong stared at her with a stern face, though inwardly he was caught completely off guard by her question. Her words made no sense given the present situation. She could easily kill him with the embroidery needle held at his neck, yet she withheld the killing blow.

'What is she playing at?' he thought to himself.

If he were honest with himself he wanted to love her. He wanted to be with her. Even now with his life in her hands, his heart thundered loudly in his chest, not so much out of fear, but more so out of desire.

“Do you still refuse to tell me despite the situation?” she said softly.

If it were possible Linghu Chong's heart began to beat even faster at her words. He wanted to scream out yes, scream it to the heavens without a care of who heard him. But yet he remained silent.

“Linghu Chong.... answer me...” she again said softly. “Tell me if you have ever loved me?

'Why did I even come here? What was I hoping to accomplish by meeting her again? What?...She's just the evil leader of the Mountain Sects sworn enemy. Isn't she....'

As she waited for his answer Dongfang Bubai admired the rugged but handsome features of the man she loved. That was one of the things she loved about him. She vowed that if they could work out their problems, she would insure he would never want to be apart from her again. Regardless of the means.

“Is it because you think everything I've done while we were together has been fake? Or has something else bewitched you...” she said secretly fearing his heart was totally lost to Ying Ying.

Dongfang Bubai hated seeing Linghu Chong and Ying Ying holding hands. She wanted with every fiber of her being to rip Ren Woxing daughter arm off and slap her with it. How dare she touch what belonged to her. How dear she touch her man. How dare she try to steal what is rightfully hers. Frankly the only reason Ying Ying was still alive was because Dongfang Bubai still had hope for herself and Linghu Chong and didn't want to commit murder right in front of him, which she rightfully feared, would destroy what little hope for their relationship remained.

'Since I can't kill you outright, then suffer from the slow agonizing effects of the poison I gave you ,'she thought with a devious smirk. 'No one tries to steal from me!'

“If I answer what does that accomplish? If you want to kill me then so be it. Just do not insult me by playing games with my heart. You can kill a man but you cannot insult him,” he said with clear agitation.

Dongfang Bubai gazed upon him astonished, but that surprise soon turned into understanding as she grasped the full meaning of his words.

'So that’s the reason for his drastic change of attitude towards me. He really does think I’m just playing mind games with him. But why?' she though truly perplexed.

From the corner of her eye Dongfang Bubai caught a glimpse of movement coming from her right. She quickly glanced in that direction only to see Ying Ying about one hundred feet away watching them both.

'So I was right all along Ying Ying.... That scheming must have poisoned his mind so she can have him for herself!'

She knew complaining about Ying Ying's alleged scheming was a tad... no completely hypocritical, but in her present state of mind she hardly cared. Dongfang Bubai slowly lowering the needle from his neck and tucked it back into her sleeve. The words of her deceased maid Yu Niang began to play back in her mind.

'I asked Yu Niang, why she was so silly to stab herself instead of the man who betrayed her? That foolish girl actually said it was because…she loved him. And that chief, you don’t know sweet love can be… I’m willing to trade my life for it…'

Yu Niang's eyes at the time were filled with tears as blood trickled from the self inflicted wound in her stomach. Her words though had struck a wound in the heart of her master; piercing deeper then any man made sword.

'I called her silly at the time, but look at me now. I'm just like her....I'm so infatuated by a man I'm willing to throw everything away for him.... '

Just as she told him in the cave where her and Linghu Chong took refuge in after he rescued her from the snow wolves. Dongfang Bubai was not herself while around the man she loved. Or was she? Is she the cold and calculating leader of the largest unorthodox martial sect or is she the vulnerable lovestruck young woman who doesn't quite know how to express her feeling like a normal person?

'Maybe I'm both, neither, or just a cold and heartless killer, who one day fell in love....'

“My life is in your hands now Linghu Chong.... take it if you must....” she said softly. “Take it if you dare....”

-xXx-

In the distance, standing behind a tree for safety. Ying Ying watched the scene play out with her heart caught in . She was too far away to hear their conversation, but from the way the two just stood like statue's gazing at each other, she knew something strange was going on.

'Could it be that they were actually lovers...' she thought, as a feeling of dread overcame her. '

Ying Ying was completely disgusted at the thought.

'No....no! I refuse to believe that’s possible!' she thought in horror.

Ying Ying stopped herself from imagining her most hated enemy and the man she loved together. But if she were honest with herself it made the most sense. She began to recall how Linghu Chong acted when listening to Yang Lianting's plot about betraying Dongfang Bubai and then parading her dead body for all to see. She remembered the barely controlled rage emitting from him. At first she thought it was because of his righteous nature reacting towards the despicable scheme of Yang Lianting. But now she could see it was far more then that.

'But how could she fall in love with a man?! She has always had a low opinion of men; thought they were completely useless. How could she be in love with Linghu Chong?....'

Ying Ying quickly realized a man like Linghu Chong would be the desire of many women. And yes, she knew that Dongfang Bubai was indeed a woman and not a man. Do to an incident when she accidentally walked in on her Martial Uncle/Aunty as she was coming out of the bath ten years ago. What kept Ying Ying alive at the time, was her just being proclaimed Holy Lady of the Sun Moon Cult. To get rid of Rex Woxing's daughter so soon would have cast a ton of unwanted suspicion towards Dongfang Bubai's way. So the cult leader settled on making her Martial Niece promise not to say a word to anyone of what she saw.

'No wonder she poisoned me! She was never going to kill Linghu Chong. I am such a fool! Once she realized I had feeling for Linghu Chong, She just wanted to get me out of the way!' Ying Ying thought, as she scolded herself for falling for one of Dongfang Bubai's tricks.

-xXx-

The two just stared at each other for what seemed like hours; but in actuality only a couple of minutes passed by since Dongfang Bubai's proclamation. Without either realizing it, their bodies were inching closer and closer to each other. Especially their lips, which were now only a couple of inches apart. Both closed their eyes in anticipation; neither person having the desire to stop what was about to happen.

“Die Dongfang Bubai!!” someone suddenly screamed.

Looking towards the sky Dongfang Bubai saw Ren Woxing coming towards her with a energy covered palm strike aimed at her face. Swiftly bringing her right hand up she easily held off his attack and pushed him back. But she had no time to rest as she quickly twirled to narrowly avoid a second palm strike from the former cult leader with his left hand. The blow though did graze her left cheek causing a small trickle of blood to appear.

'I'll make you pay for that!' she thought in a rage, knowing the blow would leave a scar on her beautiful face.

Dongfang Bubai let fly the embroidery needle she kept in her sleeve and sent it straight into the eye of her mortal enemy. But before she could even feel a sense of satisfaction, to her great surprise, Ren Woxing managed a kick to her chest, causing the cult leader to spit out a bit of blood, but more importantly sent her flying off the top of the cliff.

Time seemed to slow as he watched her fall off the cliff and to her doom. Without thinking about his own safety Linghu Chong; who hadn't moved during the brief encounter between the mortal enemies. Jumped after Dongfang Bubai, barely managing to catch her and grabbing onto a protruding part of the cliff, stopping their free fall.

“Just hold on, I will try to get us back to the top!” he yelled, while trying to figure out the best way to climb back up.

Getting back to safety wasn't a priority in Dongfang Bubai's mind at the moment. She only cared about one thing and was determined to find out the truth whether it cost her life or not. “Have you every loved me?”

“Are you serious, how can you ask that now?!” he said in utter disbelief at her choice of words given the situation. “Please, just hold on to me!”

“Tell me!!” she suddenly screamed, as tears started to flow from both her eyes.

Linghu Chong could hear the anguish in her voice. He was at a loss for words. Before him now, what he thought was a cold blooded killer and schemer was instead nothing more then a lovestruck young woman.

'Dear God, you know I want to tell her yes, but I’m scared this is still some sort of trick. I'm so confused. Please, I just want to know the truth....' he pleaded to the All Mighty.

“Do you still refuse to answer? Do you still not trust me?” she said looking at him fiercely.

“I lo...miss Dongfang will always be in my heart...” he replied softly.

Though it wasn't the admittance of love she was hoping for Dongfang Bubai gladly excepted what little of the truth he was willing to admit.

“That is enough... ruler of the Martial world, supreme leader, ruler of the Universe. It all means nothing now...” she replied softly, as hope for their relationship blossomed anew.

Though the feeling didn't last long as his next comment left her heart completely in tatters.

“I'm begging you, once we get back to the top you must promise me that you will save Ying Ying from the poison you gave her. I know that you and elder Ren hate each other. Tell me the name of it and I will replay it to them.”

Dongfang Bubai couldn't believe he would mention about the poison in this kind of situation. Frankly the statement didn't make any sense whatsoever. Even Linghu Chong didn't know why he chose to ask about the poison at that exact moment. He originally wanted to say how much he loves her and has never stopped loving her, but his doubts stopped him.

“San Shi Nao Shen Dan...” she whispered out.

'I guess you win Ying Ying,' she thought bitterly. 'But.... I will make sure he never forgets me....'

“Good, now hold on to me, so I can bring us back to the...--”

“Linghu Chong...” she said interrupting him. “Since I am an unloved monster you don't have to worry about saving my life. Just let me die!!” she suddenly screamed out.

Before he could fully process her emotional outburst she broke his grip and her palm forward sending out a burst of energy which propelled him back to the top of the cliff. Linghu Chong immediately ran back to the edge of the cliff. Time once again seemed to slow as he saw her fall while uttering her last words to the man she loved.

“Linghu Chong …. Never forget me.... I want you to remember me forever...” she said softly.

Time remained still as he watched the woman he loved fall to her death. All the times they spent together came rushing back into his mind. Even during their brief fight that took place a few minutes earlier. He realized how there wasn't any killing intent coming from her. How she tried to reason with him, before and after they fought. Suddenly, as if an answer to his prayer. All his bottled up emotions were set free, causing him to make a decision which would not only change the rest of his life, but also that of the entire Martial world.

'Your happiness is my happiness, your joy is my joy. What you love I love... At least you will be happy this way Linghu Chong …. ' she thought sadly as more tears came streaming out. 'Without me in the way you will no longer feel tormented …. '

Though painfully, Dongfang Bubai chose death then to not have the love of the one she loved. Foolish perhaps, but to a person who the concept of love was something new and mysterious, it seemed the correct choice in her mind. She wanted him to be happy even if it meant she had to give up her life to accomplish that goal. So in the end her sacrifice seemed like the only decision.

“Dear God, if you will listen to someone as wicked as me. Please let Linghu Chong have a good li...--”

Dongfang Bubai suddenly stopped her prayer as she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She at first thought it was her grief effecting her mind; causing her to see things. But as the seconds passed the now former cult leader realized everything she was seeing was real.

“What....what is this fool doing?!” she suddenly blurted out..

Dongfang Bubai stared in utter disbelief as Linghu Chong jumped off the cliff after her. As he drew closer she could see the pained looked on his face as he approached; especially his eyes. Like her own, they were puffy and bloodshot from the endless tears which kept pouring out.

'Thank you... Thank you... Linghu Chong....'

In an equally strange gesture she opened her arms as to receive him.

'The villain and her fool shall die together...My wonderful fool...This is like someones twisted fairy tale....' she thought happily, as a warm smile etched across her face.

End of Chapter: 1

A/N: Not a bad start or at least I hope. Let me know what you guys and gals think. Also, any plot ideas are appreciated. If it matches what I plan to do then I will seriously consider using your idea(s).