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墨書 Inktalez
One step, two steps, three steps...
In what felt like an eternity over a short distance, I finally reached Ruo Yu. By then, I had completely exhausted my strength and knelt on one knee, leaning against the Ruyi Stick.
Mad Brother Feng Dao had entrusted his beloved disciple to me, yet I had failed to protect him properly. Guilt filled my heart as I failed to notice the looming hand of death above me.
Long fingers spread wide, flickering with an eerie blue flame.
Shi Bu Er said, "Let you brothers turn to ashes and become fertilizer in this dense forest."
Though I was utterly drained, my senses remained sharp. In Shi Bu Er's words, I felt danger approaching—perhaps it was my instinct for survival kicking in.
Surely no one in this world is unafraid of death. It was precisely because of this deep-seated fear that I found an unexpected surge of strength. Using the Ruyi Stick as leverage, I kicked at Shi Bu Er's leg.
With that strike, I rolled into the nearby bushes.
Although Shi Bu Er was a master of his time and quick to react, by the time my kick reached him, he had already begun to retreat. Given my severe injuries, both my power and speed were significantly diminished.
Thus, the kick ultimately missed its mark.
"The centipede may die but it does not stiffen; I want to see just how many lives you have left," Shi Bu Er growled, each word squeezed out between clenched teeth. He had lost the last remnants of his patience.
After rolling into the bushes, I leaned against a tree and slowly stood up. Not far away lay my brother Ruo Yu, while behind him was the severely injured Hu Qianbei.
Shi Bu Er approached me slowly. "I must admit, you have surprised me. But now that I must kill you, I find myself a bit reluctant."
"If I do not die today, I will become your nightmare that you cannot escape from in the future," I replied bitterly, feeling as though all the air had been forced from my chest.
Shi Bu Er raised his palm and chuckled darkly twice. "In that case, go die!"
I could no longer muster the strength to evade; instead, I held my head high and stared wide-eyed at Shi Bu Er. He was about my height. As our gazes met, I suddenly realized that death wasn't as terrifying as I had imagined.
Suddenly, a shadow swept past me, stirring the air and brushing against my face.
"Run..."
I didn't know when Hu Zhiyong had regained his strength, but he moved with surprising speed. Although I was astonished, instinctively, I hoisted Ruo Yu from the ground and ran in the opposite direction.
Every step felt like a struggle, as if a great weight were pressing down on me.
I heard someone shout "Get down!" from behind, followed by a muffled explosion. It wasn't particularly loud, but in my heart, it resonated like thunder.
My nose tinged with bitterness, and tears welled in my eyes as I turned to look back. The soldiers of our nation were suffering casualties amidst a brief chaos.
Hu Qianbei—though I had only seen him once—was an ordinary man who sacrificed himself for someone like me, an insignificant citizen of our country, to buy me a chance to escape.
This is what it means to be a soldier of our nation. This is what it means to be a man of our nation!
I bowed deeply toward the rear; Ruo Yu on my back nearly crushed me down, but this bow was owed to Hu Qianbei.
I gritted my teeth and steadied Ruo Yu before plunging into the dense forest. This chance at life was bought with Hu Qianbei's life; even if it took every last ounce of breath in me, I had to fight for it.
Otherwise, Hu Qianbei would have died in vain.
My legs felt as if they were filled with lead. Each time I lifted one foot, bringing it down became a test of my will. I knew that in my current state, running was nearly impossible, but no matter what, I had to try. At the very least, even if death awaited me in the end, I would have honored myself and Hu Qianbei's sacrifice.
The sound of footsteps pursuing me grew closer and closer. I continued moving forward at my own pace. I dared not look back; I feared that one glance would shatter my resolve to keep running.
The rustling of leaves echoed around me...
The sound of flowing water echoed ahead; it must be a waterfall. The immense drop added a thunderous quality to the sound of the cascading water.
Pushing through the thicket, I found that there was indeed no path ahead. It was a sheer cliff, and below, water splashed violently. I glanced down and realized it was dozens of meters high!
As I turned to seek another route, the people behind me had already closed in. It wasn’t Shi Bu Er; instead, it was the Wasp King, the man I had clashed with earlier, his face pockmarked and rugged.
“Kid, it’s rare for our boss to take a liking to you. Why not join us? You might still find a way out,” the Wasp King chattered on, while someone behind him translated in Mandarin.
I chuckled, “You think I’d pledge allegiance to scum like you? Pfft…” I spat blood onto the ground in disdain.
The Wasp King raised his hand and beckoned to two figures in black robes who approached me. At that moment, I was already exhausted; if it weren’t for my last ounce of strength, I wouldn’t have been able to take another step.
I patted Ruo Yu on the shoulder and whispered, “Brother Ruo Yu, it seems we can’t escape this time. I had hoped to take you to see the world someday, but it looks like we’ll have to wait for the next life.”
Ruo Yu, probably jolted awake by my movements, sounded weak and didn’t even open his eyes as he murmured in my ear, “My life truly began when I met you, Ling Feng. Though brief, it was worth it!”
Hearing Ruo Yu’s words filled me with guilt. I sniffed back tears and said, “Alright then. Brother, see you in the underworld!”
With that, I took two steps back. My body felt a sudden weightlessness as the wind whipped past my face painfully. Was this what death felt like?
I was so tired—exhausted…
After a rapid descent, I plummeted into the water like two massive stones, creating enormous splashes…
Then my body continued to sink… sink…
Surrounded by darkness, it felt as if fish brushed against my face…
My entire being felt as if it had been dismantled into countless pieces; cold water filled my mouth and ears. Suddenly, I jolted awake, gasping as icy lake water surged into my mouth.
I can't believe I didn't die! What a relief!
As I celebrated my survival, I kicked my legs desperately. When my head broke the surface of the water, I took several deep breaths; it felt so good to be alive.
I looked around but couldn't see Ruo Yu anywhere. I called out a few times, but aside from the sound of splashing water, there was no response.
Fortunately, the deep pool wasn't very large. I took a deep breath and dove back under the water to search. Luckily, we hadn't fallen too far from where we had entered.
As I pulled Ruo Yu's arm and swam upward, I silently thanked my younger self for sneaking out to play in the water back in the village. Otherwise, in my current state, I wouldn't have made it to the shore alone, let alone with Ruo Yu.
Lying on the edge of the deep pool, I felt the smooth pebbles beneath me. Years of being washed by water had left them rounded and polished. Above me was a clear blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds, and occasionally a bird would fly by...
I didn't die; we were still alive...
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