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墨書 Inktalez
The black figure was wildly whipping at Mosang, each piercing scream cutting deep into my heart. Gentle Parrot Dawn.
No, Xi Meng, now is definitely not the time to act! I could only stand frozen in place, tears of hatred dripping onto the ground, the intense heat instantly evaporating them.
Why do this?! I repeatedly shouted in my mind as I looked at that familiar back, why...
The wounds on Mosang deepened continuously, many old scars that had already scabbed over reopened, exposing fresh blood. The acrid smell of blood immediately filled the surrounding Flame Pool.
"If you don't hand over the inner core, I will keep torturing you... Don't worry, I won't let you die easily, hahaha, you won't die that easily, will you?"
I pressed my mouth shut tightly, stifling the sobs in my throat; I absolutely couldn't be discovered.
Seeing Mosang like this, I couldn't bring myself to save him. I wanted to turn and leave but found my legs weak and unable to move a step.
"Let's end it here for today. I'll warn you one last time: don't even think about escaping from here; otherwise, I'll make your life worse than death." The figure turned and walked towards me, his face obscured by black cloth. But those eyes—the eyes I had once deeply admired—had betrayed him long ago; they lacked the purity and beauty of the past and had become extremely sinister, even making me feel dazed. Were they really from the same owner?
Mosang was once again trapped at the bottom of the Flame Pool, a dark aura enveloping the entire surface of the pool. Feeling that I had lost my connection with Mosang again, I quickly withdrew and ran out of the shrine before that person could catch up.
All the truths kept swirling in my mind; after connecting them together, I continuously denied them. But no matter how much I didn't want to admit it, there was only one truth.
...
Bai Residence.
"Bai Zhan." Without waiting for a servant to announce me, I rushed into Bai Zhan's courtyard.
"What happened, Xi Meng!" Bai Zhan saw my panicked expression and trembling body and thought I was injured from probing into the shrine; he was anxious to check on me.
"I... I can only trust you now." I stared blankly up at Bai Zhan.
"What happened?" Bai Zhan looked at me and realized something must be wrong, his face immediately filled with concern.
I calmed my emotions and briefly explained the situation to Bai Zhan, noticing his expression growing increasingly grim.
"You mean that the Three-Headed Serpent really appeared in the ancestral hall? And we didn't notice it at all?"
"It was Mosang. Although I'm not sure how he ended up in the ancestral hall again, this is definitely the doing of the people from Holy Spirit Village," I asserted.
"That's impossible. While I know he's not a divine beast, the Three-Headed Serpent possesses great power. The villagers of Holy Spirit Village would be wary of such a sacred place and would never act so recklessly... Moreover, there hasn't been anyone here capable of subduing that Three-Headed Serpent."
"That means there must be some hidden truth here. Think about it: if that person really is from Holy Spirit Village, what kind of ability does he have to imprison Mosang, an ancient beast? And why would he torment him to extract his inner core?"
"Are you saying there is indeed someone pulling the strings behind the scenes?" Bai Zhan finally hit the nail on the head.
"Yes, I can confirm again that this matter is related to the demon clan... Furthermore, they are not just targeting Mosang but your entire Holy Spirit Village as well."
Bai Zhan's face turned pale instantly as he asked with difficulty, "Did you see... what that person looked like?"
I nodded heavily; this matter could not be concealed. It was just a matter of whether Bai Zhan would believe me.
"...Who is it?" Bai Zhan stared at me without blinking, and the surroundings suddenly fell into a terrifying silence, as if everyone was waiting for me to say that name.
"It is—Zhen'er." As I firmly spoke this name, tears that had long been held back in my eyes fell instantly.
"How is that possible?!" Bai Zhan immediately denied it. He repeated his denial softly, just as I had done before.
"Whether you believe it or not, Zhen'er is definitely not as weak as we saw before. You must understand that once he gets involved with Siyimo, things become far more complicated."
"I don't believe it. Zhen'er is not that traitor," Bai Zhan continued to deny.
"You can only pretend that nothing has happened and everything is as usual. Do not ask Zhen'er; she won't tell you."
Given Bai Zhan's personality, he is likely to confront Zhen'er directly. If he provokes her, it could accelerate Siyimo's plans and endanger everyone in Holy Spirit Village.
"Are you saying I should keep doubting my own sister?! With Big Brother and Third Brother gone, and Fourth Brother trapped in the hands of that demon with his life uncertain, there’s only Zhen'er left among us siblings. I can't lose her too! Do you understand?!" Bai Zhan shouted, his emotions nearing a breakdown.
"Then you can wait to lose the entire Holy Spirit Village," I said coldly.
Bai Zhan was taken aback, staring at me with hollow eyes, and quietly replied, "Alright, I'll do as you say."
"Inform Xiaopu that for now, she and her people should refrain from moving around carelessly and stay alert... As for why she should do this, you don't need to explain much. Just tell her that if she wants to protect her people, she should follow Xi Meng's advice."
"And you? Why won't you tell them yourself?" Bai Zhan asked.
"I need to confront Zhen'er directly in a—battle between women."
"...Do you have any idea why she is doing this?"
"Yes... Bai Zhan, remember, if anything unusual happens in the village, act immediately and don't show mercy to anyone." I turned to leave; indeed, things had reached this point and could no longer be tolerated.
Bai Zhan's courtyard was not far from Zhen'er's. As I walked over, I couldn't help but think that Siyimo's method of control is simply finding a person's weakness and tempting them until their inner greed completely takes over, gradually manipulating everything.
Zhen'er is a girl who has always been isolated from the world; her innocence is not an act. The reason she is under Siyimo's control now must be related to someone—likely Yin Yue.
Poor Zhen'er, being used by others while her heart gradually becomes corrupted without her knowledge.
...
"I’m looking for your young lady; please let her know." Standing outside Zhen'er's courtyard, I took a deep breath to steady my emotions.
After a moment, a maid approached me and respectfully said, "Miss Xi Dream, please follow me."
I nodded and followed her. This was my first time seeing the courtyard of Zhen'er. It was quite large, filled with various flowers and plants, and the buildings appeared somewhat luxurious. It was much better than the cold and desolate courtyard of White Soul, indicating that the people in this residence cared for her deeply.
"Miss, please," the maid stopped outside the hall.
I gestured and walked into the hall, where I saw Zhen'er sitting not far away. She was the only one in the hall.
"Sister Xi Meng, you have come," Zhen'er quickly got up and affectionately took my arm, pulling me to sit down with her.
"What made you think of coming to see me?" Zhen'er asked with a smile, showing a hint of surprise.
"Well, I just wanted to come by and chat casually with you," I replied.
"I thought Sister Xi Meng wasn't that free," Zhen'er said.
Seeing that Zhen'er didn't want to beat around the bush from the start, I decided to skip the small talk and changed my tone to ask, "Zhen'er, I want to know if you've had any contact with outsiders during this time."
Zhen'er clearly didn't expect me to ask about this matter; her expression instantly stiffened. "Sister Xi Meng, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Alright, then let me ask you another question: do you still have feelings for Silver Moon?"
Zhen'er was once again taken aback; her face stiffened again, looking flustered and unsure how to respond.
I thought to myself that Zhen'er was still a girl who had not been exposed to worldly affairs. The Holy Spirit Village had protected her too well; she didn't know how to hide her true emotions and couldn't lie perfectly.
"Why are you asking me these things?" Zhen'er could no longer smile; her gaze turned sharp as she looked at me.
"You are being used by someone now, but you are completely unaware."
"Ha ha, Sister Xi Meng, do you have some misunderstanding about me?" Zhen'er forced a smile, barely managing to pull the corners of her mouth up.
I suddenly leaned closer to Zhen'er and sniffed.
Zhen'er jumped back in surprise.
"Zhen'er, I smell something different about you."
Zhen'er panicked and took another step back. "What are you talking about? How could that be? I didn't ask anyone, and besides, no one else has noticed anything."
"You can't fool me. After being away from Holy Spirit Village for so long and experiencing quite a bit with Brother Four and the others, I'm no longer the weak Xi Meng I used to be... If I'm not mistaken, you've encountered the demon race." I looked at Zhen'er, not missing a flicker of her expression.
"You—what do you know?!" Zhen'er exclaimed in great terror.
"I don't know anything for sure; it's just a guess. If I'm right, then please listen to Sister Xi Meng's advice. Stay away from the demon race; they are not as simple as you think. Also, suppress your inner greed. Have you forgotten everything that happened in Holy Spirit Village before?"
"...I haven't forgotten."
"Good, Zhen'er. It's not too late now. If you stop what you're doing, I can help you protect this village, and the villagers can continue to live here peacefully. How about it?" Seeing Zhen'er's reaction, I smiled slightly.
After a long pause, Zhen'er looked back at me and nodded in agreement. "Okay."
"Where is Mosang? Take me to find him," I asked softly.
Zhen'er stared at me wide-eyed, seemingly unable to believe that I knew so much.
"I only sensed his presence. Don't worry; I won't harm you. If you help me find him, I promise he won't lay a finger on you," I continued.
Not explaining everything was also a way to see if Zhen'er had truly changed her mind.
"Alright, I'll take you. He is in the ancestral hall."
My anxious heart finally eased a bit; it seemed there was still hope.
"Thank you, Zhen'er."
In the end, I wanted to believe in Zhen'er one more time. Thinking back to that day when Bai Zhan was so vulnerable, and just now when he had collapsed, made it hard for me to be ruthless... I couldn't let him lose another family member.
...
Outside the ancestral hall.
"Step back," Zhen'er said to the guards around.
"Miss, this is the ancestral hall. Without the master's orders, we cannot—"
"If my father pursues this, just say I forced my way in. Now, if I need to enter the ancestral hall with the Goddess, do you dare stop us?" Zhen'er said sharply.
Perhaps seeing the usually gentle Fifth Miss suddenly become fierce, or perhaps seeing me, the Goddess, alongside Zhen'er, the guards reluctantly moved aside to create a small space.
"Come in," Zhen'er said expressionlessly.
As Zhen'er stepped onto that path again, there should have been a turning point... but panic surged in my heart once more, lingering and unshakeable.
Looking at the small figure in front of me, I wondered: Did I really make the right choice?
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