The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

General Lofey and Nianshi continued with the rumble. But the latter felt his master's pain. He turned his head at Xinyi's way and saw her crying with Ming in her arms. His eyes widened in horror as he immediately rushed towards her.

Tears continually fell on Xinyi's face as sadness shrouded her red eyes, yet her face was in a daze. She laid Ming's head on the ground, tears stopped dripping, and her expression changed from sadness to anger. She stood up and walked toward the gate.

Soldiers continued to charge towards her. But her hand swung here and there, sending people flying in the air and smashing some to the walls without mercy. 

"Oh no. This is bad." Nianshi tried his best to communicate with her mind, but his voice went into a void.

He crushed his way toward her and held her hand, but before he did, her palm faced him. Nianshi halted as a powerful force kept him from reaching her.

"My lady, control your power. Don't let it control you." His hands and feet were busy punching and kicking while following her. Xionmao watched Xinyi closely on the wall but turned his attention to the sleeping people inside the city.

Xinyi walked toward the direction of the west gate. There was a narrow path full of thorny bushes. Her hands waved again and all the vegetation turned into ashes. She didn't stray from her path, heading to a certain place. The fire ants busy snacking on the wall had stopped eating and moved their position on the path she passed. Fire ants unmercifully attacked every soldier able to pass through Nianshi's large body.

Birds and animals came out from hiding and attacked the soldiers but disregarded General Lofey. Hawks, eagles, and other flying creature clawed their sharp nails on helpless men. Deers, cows, bulls and other four-hooved animals rammed their heads on the soldiers. Pigs bit the men's legs. Red-eyed animals went into a rampage.

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Mafan saw all of this from afar, he stood in fear as he started to get anxious and started to panic; he was also very much afraid of what would be of him, though he could not see where Xinyi was but he could sense with each step she took the power she withheld. 

Although he had planned on using the people as an exchange for his escape, he knew that this was impossible now. He had angered Xinyi.  

"Now is not the time to tremble!" He slapped himself and started to gather his wits to calm himself. He then continued to his direction and hurried. Though this time he was not so confident with his plan after witnessing Xinyi's powerful entourage, but he had no choice but to gamble on it. He could see the animals were running towards where he was from but he continued he made no stop. 

As he reached to where Anghus was, it relieved him that there was no sign of Xinyi behind him anywhere. He rested on a small rock and looked over to Anghus.

"You better be of use to me." Just when he thought everything was calming down, the cave's walls where he hid Anghus collapsed. He tried to move but some powerful unseen force trapped his body. He looked up from the ashy boulders and saw a silhouette of a woman, he immediately knew who this was. 

Xinyi smashed his body to the wall and with no warning he threw him to the ground. Mafan tried to control Anghus, but it was impossible to do so with a foggy mind as he felt groggy from being thrown strongly. Just when he was about to catch his breath, he felt a hand choked him yet Xinyi was not his sight. Her power had reached him from her location. 

"Please... Spare me" Saying those words were more painful than being choked, but he had no choice, he did not want to die. 

Xinyi's eyes were dull and merciless, she did not react to what he had said although she could hear him well but her mind was not hers anymore. She couldn't control her actions, all she could feel that moment was anger and sadness. 

The image of Ming dying was played repeatedly in her mind. Each time it did, her grip on his neck grew stronger and stronger. Suddenly, instead of an image of Ming she saw an image of herself, but a black one. The other presence seemed to grin and was enjoying each new scene flashing before her: the people dying, the soldiers being crushed, and the children screaming in pain. 

"Who are you?" her voice quivered as she looked at a mirror of herself, someone she felt familiar with but had not met before. The image of her looked back and smiled. "I'm you, your real you."

And with those words she felt her blood run cold. "I don't understand what you mean?"

The mirror walked around her prancing, humming, then leaned towards her face and gave a chilling smile. "I'm who you want to be, I'm your hidden desire, the true nature you refuse to show."

Suddenly bad situations in her life flashed before her. On how she was mistreated and how badly Ming was toward her. The times everyone had turned their backs on her and gave up on her. She was confused on what she should feel while watching but seemed to agree with the mirror image. 

"See? I'm inside you and held me from moving what I want. You can be the great Sorceress, better than our predecessor if you let me take over. In fact, I was the one who saved you from the badass chameleon, but you refused to accept me until now." Its face suddenly went an inch from her, making her flinch. "We could kill that Mafan with a snap of our finger, if… that is if you let me." 

The other laughed and danced around like a ballerina, enjoying the situation. Suddenly, Xinyi heard a cry. She turned from the source of the cry and saw Mafan strangled by the Hutyuns.