Chapter 20: The Night of Blade Ming's Birth (Part 2)
"Hurry up and get into position! Don't dawdle!"
"Is the weapon storage box ready? Bring it here quickly!!"
In the deepest part of the Linbel mine, many black-clad soldiers were busy running around and shouting to each other. They were naturally Darim's personal soldiers, and at this moment, they were making final preparations for their master's safe escape.
There were still two hours until the Night of Blades. A high-ranking official in Darim's position had naturally paved a way for his escape long ago. In the neighboring country of Latia, he had already bought large tracts of land and had trained people to serve as a bridge of communication and guidance. But now, what he lacked were weapons. Whether Darim wanted to use them himself or to sell them for money, most of them were destroyed and recovered by Rui in the melee.
Therefore, if we collect a new batch of weapons on this night of Blade Crying and take them to the Kingdom of Latia, the initial funds and combat power can be secured. As long as we can quickly gain a foothold in Latia, it will not be difficult to make a comeback.
They believed that the third prince Rui was dead, so there was no chaos. Although the air was filled with a solemn and tense atmosphere, everyone was busy at their posts in an orderly manner.
After collecting this batch of weapons, they immediately passed through the secret underground passage of Linbel City, crossed a small part of the stone hills in the Yulia Rock Mountain area, and then arrived at the Dirunak Forest, known as the "Illusionary Sea of Trees". By then, it would not be so easy for Heyang's pursuers to catch them.
Just as all the people in Darim's power were thinking this, the riots began.
First, a dark shadow swept across the mine tunnel leading to the deepest part of the mine at a speed that was difficult to grasp with the naked eye, accompanied by a ghostly howl.
Amidst the bloody rain emanating from the black scythe, a slender figure with claws on both hands, like a cheetah, strangled the enemy who had not yet recovered.
Following closely behind were the Spiritual Martial Officers in dark blue clothing, who rushed forward silently but decisively, ruthlessly harvesting lives amidst the outburst of screams;
The last to follow was a black-haired girl holding a white sword. When she stepped into the mine tunnel filled with bloody wind, there were no living creatures around her. Only blood and corpses were left on the ground, stimulating people's senses.
The girl was Beichen.
As agreed, Rui did not let her participate in the battle against Darim's remnants. She just stayed by Rui's side to listen to the battle reports. However, in the final battle to encircle Darim, Rui personally participated in the battle and invited her to watch, and she did not refuse.
This is the best opportunity to face up to the conflicts in this world.
——It is not a struggle for survival between humans and the possessed moon envoys, but a complex war between humans.
She carried Xiangying and walked to a wounded man who was still gasping for breath, and took a deep breath slowly.
"Xiang Ying, let me confirm one last time. Is killing really not illegal in this country?"
"Of course, unilateral massacres without reason are unacceptable, but any civilian has the right to kill the criminals and their accomplices. ... Master, you wouldn't... You said you've never killed anyone, right?"
Beichen pointed the tip of the sword at the injured man and nodded slightly.
In the past two months, she had seen too many corpses and unknowingly, she no longer felt afraid of such scenes.
The tip of the sword trembled in her sight, and she knew she was hesitating.
With this strike of the sword, she completely drew a line between herself and the world of the past. She would never be able to be that law-abiding working student again. Her hands would be stained with the blood of her fellow citizens. She would cut off some undeserved sympathy and add some necessary hostility. She would completely become a part of this wild yet strangely beautiful world.
Her teeth bit her lips tightly.
"No. ... Xiang Ying, even if I know this person is a henchman of a heinous criminal, even if I know this person may have helped Darim harm countless people, I still..."
The wounded man fell to the ground, his neck was cut open by Yaye's blade, and blood bubbles were spurting out. His painful breathing was accompanied by a strange leaking sound. His eyes were staring at Beichen who was pointing a sword at her with a morbid burning sensation.
Did he mean to say "save me" or "kill me"?
Xiang Ying was silent for a few seconds.
"Master, please tell me what you think so I can help you."
"To Ying?"
Beichen looked at the sword in his hand with some surprise. It was the first time that Xiang Ying said that he wanted to know her thoughts.
"...No, I was too talkative. I didn't mean to pry into the Master's thoughts. Please treat what I just said as if I never said it."
"It's okay."
Beichen's mouth corners curled up slightly.
"I never tell you because you didn't ask, but that doesn't mean I can't tell you. Because you are the closest person to me in this world."
Her attention shifted to the injured man who was struggling.
"I was thinking, if I kill someone, will I be unable to go back? Will I never have to go back?"
"Master..." Xiang Ying called out in surprise, "Don't you want to go back to your original world?"
"Um."
A figure flashed through Beichen's mind. Old, gentle, a figure that brought her endless warmth and sadness. Xiaxue was right. In her original world, she had no relatives or friends. It was truly pathetic.
But now she had it. Xiang Ying, whose everything revolved around her, Gu Yinyue, who had given her countless help, Long Yun, who was frivolous yet reliable, Ya Ye, who was sullen and arrogant, and even the gestures of kindness were awkward to the point of flying, Gemini Hook Claw, who was arrogant yet straightforward, and Rui, who loved to touch her head with a sunny yet terrifying smile.
She can be free from any constraints, without having to care about anything, and can shake off the haze of the past and live freely in this world again.
She wanted to continue seeing these people.
So, even if it means getting stained with blood, she wants to grasp the joy and happiness she has now.
"Master, do you want to change yourself?"
Xiang Ying's low voice rang out.
"I don't know what you were like before, but if you like yourself now, don't change. If you don't like yourself now, then change yourself."
“…”
When Beichen heard this, he was stunned for several seconds, then he smiled broadly at Xiang Ying.
Of course change is necessary, but there is no need to change in a direction that you are unwilling to change, right?
"I see. Thank you."
As she spoke, she turned to look at the injured man who was almost breathing.
"I wouldn't kill someone on my own initiative, but I also don't have the compassion to the point of saving the minions of a major criminal. In this case, I think it's passive killing, right?"
As he finished saying this, the injured man's body, which was tense from struggling, suddenly collapsed - he died.
"Dead."
Beichen retracted the sword he was holding.
"Xiang Ying, this is me. Do you find me annoying?"
Xiang Ying didn't answer, but instead asked in a strange tone: "Do you... think I hate you, Master? Do you care what I think of you?"
Beichen looked at Xiangying strangely and said, "Of course."
Xiang Ying suddenly laughed muffledly for some reason, and then he said:
"Master, I am your shadow. No matter whether you are in heaven or hell, or what race's blood is stained on your hands, it has nothing to do with me. I will only follow you closely forever, that's all."
Hearing these words, a huge stone hanging in Beichen's heart fell to the ground.
Yes, isn't Xiang Ying always like this? What is she worried about?
"Thank you, Xiang Ying. If there's a chance, let's talk about our past!"
Xiang Ying took a breath excitedly:
"Yes, Master!"
"Well, let's keep going. Rui and the others should be almost done with their battle."
Then, when Beichen and Xiangying reached the big cave at the deepest part of the mine, countless corpses had already piled up at the feet of Rui, his death squad guards, and Yaye, and they had surrounded a small group of people in the center of the open space in the center of the cave.
"You're finally here, little loach. The fun is about to begin."
The voice of Black Plague came from Rui's right hand.
Beichen greeted Rui and Yaye with his eyes, then looked at the small group of people who were surrounded.
There were a few trembling women who seemed to have little fighting ability; a few black-clad soldiers with despair in their eyes, and the one standing in the middle - that person was probably Darim.
He was just over two meters tall, with surprisingly youthful features, looking only in his thirties. His whole body was bulging with muscles, and he held a huge battle axe in his hand. His expression was calm and fierce - very different from the image of a corrupt official that Beichen had imagined. If she didn't know his identity, she would have thought that he was a loyal and accomplished general.
But come to think of it, since he has so many excellent weapons, it would be strange if he doesn't have a good physique.
"What else do you have to say, Darim?"
Rui pointed the Black Plague in his hand at him.
"Stop talking nonsense, Third Prince. The outcome is still undecided."
Darim said this in an extremely low and deep voice, and dismissed the women around him with his eyes. Then he took a few steps forward, swung his giant axe, and got ready for battle.
It seems that he is determined to fight to the end.
"Interesting, then let me meet you."
Before Rui could speak, Yaye had already walked straight to the opposite side of Darim and raised the black sickle in his hand.
Darim held the giant axe and stared at Yaye for a few seconds, then a sinister smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "As expected, you are here, Vampire Scythe Yaye. I have always been surprised by how you can be so patient with me."
Yaye moved his feet expressionlessly, adjusting his center of gravity.
"I won't make any unnecessary sacrifices. If I'm going to take action, I'll make sure you die at my hands."
"Isn't it a bit too early for you to say that?"
"What I, Yaye, say is the truth!!"
Following that extremely arrogant declaration, Yaye rushed forward, the sickle in his hand raised high—
clang!!
The extremely harsh sound of weapons colliding rang out!
Darim's guards escorted the screaming women back, while Beichen and Rui, on the other side, held their weapons and stared intently at the battlefield.
This is a battle between cheetahs and lions.
The crescent-shaped sickle blade, wielded by those slender and powerful hands, drew an elegant yet deadly black galaxy. Her knee-length snow-white hair was lifted high by the air currents created by the blade's wind. Her blood-red eyes, following the movements of her body, cast a chillingly beautiful glow in the dark cave.
Like a giant axe capable of splitting the air, driven by its muscular arms, it drew wild and ferocious bands of lustrous white light. Every swing split the ground into long cracks. With blows as heavy as a thousand pounds and defenses as solid as a rock, even within the black galaxy, it maintained an imposing aura as unshakable as a mountain.
On one hand, there were the vicious and cunning combos of long-handled weapons: frontal slashes, side sweeps, downward thrusts with a reversal mid-strike, downward swings to attack blind spots, the terrifying speed of the attacks, coupled with the perfect and gorgeous moves, evil yet dazzling enough to make one unable to look away;
On one hand, there is the undivided direct attack of the power weapon, the straight chop like splitting a mountain, the horizontal chop like stopping a stream, and the axe blade is intercepted steadily across the axe surface. When an opportunity is created between the attack rhythms, it is immediately blocked with force, the blade is deflected, and a thunderous pursuit is launched!
The ultimate in speed and skill versus the ultimate in defense and strength.
The cheetah dodged the lion's sharp claws with a light turn of its body and bit the lion's neck, but was hit by the claws again. The cheetah roared without getting discouraged and bit the whistling claws.
Every second of the exchange between offense and defense can elicit the spectators' exclamations or gasps of immersion;
The frequent and well-arranged clash of blades formed a heart-stirring war song.
White meteors streaked through the black Milky Way, black birds raced across the white curtain of light. Every blow involved the full force of their being, every blow gambled with the warrior's greatest resolve—
The battle between them was so exciting that the onlookers almost forgot their sides and the distinction between good and evil.
Yaye is no longer a fallen dark weapon seeking revenge on humanity, and Darim is no longer a villain with a deep guilt.
At this moment, they are just two warriors.
Although they were thorns in each other's eyes, in the intertwined swords and shadows, Beichen noticed expressions of satisfaction and pleasure on both of their faces.
Yes, as a warrior, there is nothing more pleasurable than being able to compete with an opponent of equal strength, right?
However, the situation of equal strength cannot last forever.
During a tricky attack from the Black Scythe from below, the giant axe failed to defend completely, and a small cut was made on Darim's arm. Taking this as an opportunity, the situation began to slowly tilt.
Beichen finally understood why he was called "Vampire Scythe".
Ever since the cut was made, the blood in the wound has been constantly turning into large drops of blood, floating into the air, and then seeping into Yaye's sickle.
──That sickle really sucks blood!
Darim's injured arm seemed to be becoming less and less flexible, while on the contrary, the black giant sickle of Yaye, the purple-black evil spirit was gradually wrapped with a blood-red light. Even though the sickle had not yet touched the opponent, the dazzling light penetrated the defense of the giant axe and cut the opponent's body again!
The more wounds there are, the more blood you lose.
The more blood you suck, the more chances of winning.
Gradually, the battle went from being evenly matched to one-sided. Darim retreated with a scowl on his face, while Yaye wore an almost alluring smile, laughing silently as his scythe struck faster and faster.
Finally, the giant axe could no longer withstand the bombardment of the sickle. It let out a painful scream and a huge corner of it shattered. Darim was also struck by the red light and spat out a mouthful of blood. He took several steps back and supported himself on the ground with his chest and the broken giant axe, barely able to stand.
"You lose, Darim Fertadis."
Yaye raised the sickle in his hand and aimed it at his neck.
"……snort."
Darim lowered his head and hummed softly.
"The victor takes all, let's get started."
Yaye raised his eyebrows and laughed wildly, then slashed his sickle from right to left, neatly slicing off his head! !
With a dull thud, the head fell to the ground. The blood from the neck mixed with the still beating heart, spurting out rhythmically, splashing all over the ground.
Darim's body stood there for five seconds, swayed a few times in Yaye's laughter, and finally fell down slowly.
Yaye took a few steps forward and picked up the badly damaged axe in Darim's hand:
"Still alive?"
"...Alive, thank you, Lord Vampire Scythe Yaye."
Great Axe spoke weakly.
When Yaye was about to continue talking to the giant axe, Rui on the side suddenly stepped forward, picked up Darim's head and looked at it for a while. The expression on his face was extremely serious, and he didn't seem relieved at all because of Darim's death.
"Hey, Axe, I have a question for you. Is this Darim real or fake?"
“…”
"If you want to live, tell me!"
"It's a fake. Four years ago, Lord Darim found him from the common people and trained him to be his double."
"Damn it... I was saying, I'm usually flawless when talking, but when it comes to fighting... I'm more cunning, rather than relying solely on direct combat techniques."
Rui smacked his lips angrily and threw the head to the ground.
"You should have said it earlier! Don't you want to be free from that guy!?"
"I'm sorry, but I signed a contract with this double, and he branded me not to speak. Besides... my friend is still in the hands of the real Lord Darim."
“…”
Rui sighed irritably.
"That's really thoughtful!"
Yaye on the side also looked unhappy. He took a few steps closer to the headless corpse and was about to speak, but suddenly turned his head towards the other exit of the mine.
"Sir Yaye, what's wrong?"
"Over there, I sensed the presence of a kindred spirit."
"The same kind?! A fallen dark species?!"
Not long after Rui's surprised voice sounded, a slightly thin figure walked out of the opposite mine tunnel, dragging a corpse in his hand.
Yaye cried out in surprise: "Al!? Why are you here?!"
Al—the dark-skinned boy with a dagger she met in the Lasha Forest!? Beichen immediately remembered him; the boy's scream had left a deep impression on her.
The white-haired boy smiled at Yaye, then threw the corpse in his hand in front of everyone.
“Darim!?”
Rui screamed again: "Did you bump into me?!"
The young man did not greet Rui, but nodded respectfully to Yaye.
"I'm sorry I came late to support you. Revenge took longer than expected. As soon as word of Darim's accident spread, I thought you'd be near him, so I took a chance and came here. Seeing the city under martial law, I thought he might be hiding in the Protoss Mine. I didn't expect to run into him in the mines. I killed most of his guards, and only a few escaped. But I killed him himself."
Yaye showed a rare gentle expression and patted the boy's shoulder:
"Thank you, Al."
But Rui still didn't feel happy. He squatted beside the corpse and waved seriously to a Lingwusi who was wearing dark blue clothes nearby. Lingwusi understood and took out a short stick from his arms and waved it in front of the corpse.
With a "pop" sound, a white light flashed, and the face of the corpse lying on the ground suddenly turned into another person!
"...Sure enough, it's the Transformation Spirit Crystal playing tricks on me." Rui pounded the ground angrily. "Did he get away?! Lan Carter, reinforce the citywide curfew immediately!"
"yes!"
A guard in blue saluted and immediately ran away.
The expressions of the young boys, Al and Yaye, turned grim. He'd killed him twice in a row, and both were fake! Darim is just too good at escaping!
“Haha…”
Rui rubbed his brow and stood up, ordering his subordinates to take the remaining soldiers and women away and ask for information, then turned to look at Beichen with a wry smile.
"I'm sorry. I wanted to show you my heroic victory, but I didn't expect it to be such a mess."
"Don't worry, Rui. As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. If he can sit in his position, he must be cunning." Beichen stepped forward and patted him comfortingly. "But what should we do next? Will he really escape?"
"No, I won't let him get away."
Rui said this in a decisive tone, and then laughed deliberately and cheerfully.
"Don't worry about it, Beichen. Compared to this, Blade Night is about to begin. Aren't you interested?"
As he spoke, he pointed to the cave wall behind him.
"ah……"
Beichen couldn't help but murmur.
I didn't have time to observe carefully just now because of the tense situation, but now I see that it is really -
Beautiful, incomparable, beauty that cannot be described in words.
It is not like the world of Beichen. The so-called mineral - Star Spirit Ore, in terms of shape, is more like a "tree".
Countless crystal-like tree trunks extended from the cave wall, which was dozens of meters high, and were intertwined with each other. From the transparent tree trunks, one could see thin lines of golden light beating like pulses, as if there was an endless supply of energy being transported from the roots to the crown. The crown of the tree was composed of countless huge conical crystals, which were colorless and transparent, yet seemed to be refracting light of various colors. When one looked closely, one could only see pure and soft white.
Even though there were corpses everywhere on the ground and some of the Protoss minerals were stained with a small amount of blood from the previous battle, it still did not damage their beauty and sacredness.
"Is this the Star Spirit Mine, the parent of the War Machines? ...How beautiful!"
Beichen said this, excitedly and movedly holding the hand of Xiang Ying, who had taken on a human form.
"Yeah, yeah. ...It's a warm and nostalgic feeling."
Xiang Ying said this, and Hei Huo and Su Jie left Rui's hands and came to their side.
"I didn't expect to see this kind of scene again, brother."
"Yeah, the Star Spirit Mine originally didn't allow any outsiders to enter. We got a bargain this time, brother."
"here we go."
Rui called out softly, and Beichen's gaze immediately shifted to the vast and magnificent Star Spirit Mine.
—It has begun.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
A sound like a beating heart—no, it wasn't a sound, but an illusion caused by the soul being struck by some energy.
The golden blood in the Star Spirit Mine Tree began to emit a dazzling and soft light, and began to jump rhythmically.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Liquid-like light began to seep out of the top of the cone-shaped crystal on the treetop. Soon the liquid left the top of the cone and floated into the air like a tiny firefly.
In an instant, the entire mine was surrounded by countless transparent, pure platinum-colored sparks.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Amid the pulsing sound of the Star Spirit Mine, sparks began to slowly gather, swirl, and squeeze. The tiny fireflies turned into hundreds of huge balls of light.
Then slowly, with a strange sound almost like the whisper of an elf, the ball of light began to change into a vague outline.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The outline gradually became clear.
Some turned into swords, some into scimitars, and some into bows—
Golden veins beat slowly on their bodies, and the white transparent light gently supported their bodies and suspended them in mid-air like a mother's embrace.
Each one of them has a flawless and dazzling brilliance, and each one of them is so pure and beautiful that it makes people cry.
“…”
Beichen bit his lower lip, suppressing the sound that was about to come out of his throat.
These... are newly born weapons of war.
Although it still looks like a weapon, it is indeed a real, genuine life.
That pulsating golden lifeline, that pure white light, is the protection and strength their parents give to their newborn children.
Although they were unable to speak and their expressions could not be seen, Beichen could sense the blessings that Xingling Mine, as parents, gave to the newborn children.
Infinite love, supreme tenderness.
The feeling brought by this kind of "life" cannot be felt or described unless you are there in person.
Xiang Ying, Hei Huo, and Su Jie, as if being drawn, walked towards the newly born weapons, greeting their new brothers and sisters with gentle eyes, while Ya Ye and Al quietly took a few steps back, avoiding the exposure to the light, but their eyes were still full of relief and tenderness.
Slowly, the golden and white light faded away, and the pulsation of the Star Spirit Mine stopped.
The height at which the newly born weapons were suspended slowly dropped until it was the same as the height of a human. At a glance, in the huge mine, countless brand-new weapons almost formed a small forest.
"Lufa, start collecting the new weapons!"
"yes!"
The conversation between Rui and his subordinates broke the silence, and Beichen finally let out a breath slowly - Xiang Ying, Hei Huo and Su Jie turned around when they heard the sound.
"Little Loach, what do you think?"
"Hmm..." Beichen lowered his head and thought for a while.
"It's completely different from a human birth. A human birth is made of suffering, so because of the pain their mother endures, they must strive to live well. I think that kind of birth is beautiful. And a war weapon—it's like a spirit descending from the sky, carrying countless blessings and hopes. That kind of birth is also very beautiful."
"Really?" Su Jie smiled. "But elves don't dare to be called that. They are just props. You see, if humans didn't collect them all, they would starve to death as soon as they were born."
Beichen frowned when he heard that.
The scene just now made her disagree with this point of view no matter what - but she didn't know how to refute it.
"Okay, enough talking. If humans stay in the Star Spirit Mine for too long, there's a small chance they'll be infected with the Moon Poison. You don't want to go find the Disaster Emperor again, do you?"
Heihuo smiled and patted Beichen and Xiangying, then led the way towards the exit.
"Master, Brother Black Fate is right. Shall we go out?"
"Yeah. Okay."
Rui was still busy commanding his subordinates. Beichen took one last lingering look at the beautiful Star Spirit Mine, then reluctantly left with Xiang Ying and Gemini Claws.
After leaving the mine, a fresh mountain breeze blew over Beichen. He took a few breaths to calm himself down. After a while, Yaye, Al and Rui also came out.
After Al and Yaye exchanged a few words, they disappeared again without a trace. Rui was whispering something to Gemini Claws, and Xiang Ying stood beside Beichen as usual, following her figure with her eyes.
Beichen looked up at the sky.
The Night of Blades Crying—the night of the waning moon. There was no blue-purple moon in the sky, and the sky returned to a deep black darkness, just like Beichen's original world, deep black dotted with the vast starry sky.
But──
"Huh."
Beichen called out softly, attracting everyone's attention.
"Isn't it said to be a waning moon? Why is there still a moon in the sky...but this one is so dim it's almost invisible...and it's dark red?"
A few seconds after the words fell, the air froze. Beichen looked at the people in front of him—including Xiang Ying—with a puzzled look of surprise that suddenly became extremely ferocious.
"How are you—"
"Don't ever say that again!!"
Ruy interrupted her in a low, hateful voice, emphasizing it through gritted teeth.
"If you still want to live—"
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