Chapter 21: Legend of the Red Moon Witch
The day after Blade Crying Night.
Although Darim himself escaped, and Beichen had not heard any good news from Rui about the capture of the real person, Rui still announced Darim's death in public opinion, and the body of the substitute was also used as the real person to show off to the public.
At this point, the Darim forces entrenched in the mining city of Linbel were completely defeated by Rui.
Rui's army, the Blue Knights, were sweeping the city to clean up Darim's remnants, taking over various administrative facilities, comforting the uninformed public, and spreading the news of Darim's death.
Beichen, Rui's bodyguard, was welcomed by Rui into Darim's former residence, which was now Rui's temporary base - a mansion comparable to a small palace, without being involved in the matter.
Rui took Heihuo and Sujie out to work, and Yaye was nowhere to be seen. Of the originally lively Disaster Emperor Sniper Team, only Xiang Ying was left with Beichen.
Because the situation outside was very chaotic, Rui told Beichen not to run around and went out to work. Perhaps because he was afraid that Beichen would be bored, he threw the key to the library to Beichen.
Beichen really didn't dare to go out and cause trouble for Rui at this critical moment. After getting the key, she came to the library in the mansion under the guidance of a servant who was suspected to be a maid.
“…God, it’s really big.”
Standing in front of the door, Beichen sighed with a twisted mouth. ――That gorgeous, gleaming door alone was nearly five meters tall, and the space inside must be even larger. It was truly Darim's library.
The maid retreated silently, and Beichen sighed as he took out the key and prepared to open the door of the library.
"Huh? It's unlocked?"
Beichen turned his head and glanced at Xiangying in confusion: "Didn't Rui Yi tell me to keep the only key safe? What's going on? Could a thief have taken advantage of the chaos to come in?"
Xiang Ying lowered his head to check the lock, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
"The lock was completely broken, not pried open. If it was a thief, then the thief was too arrogant."
"Uh...anyway, let's go in and take a look."
After the two of them finished talking, they pushed open the heavy door and walked in.
“──”
Beichen admired silently as the fragrance of books filled the air.
A huge hexagonal hall. A beautiful chandelier hung from the central dome. Adjacent to the surrounding walls were three-meter-tall, simple yet exquisite bookcases, densely packed with all kinds of books. Beside the shelves were small carts for placing books, and small ladders for climbing up the shelves.
The bookcase was in great order, and it didn't look like it had been robbed at all.
In the middle of the hall is a circular reading desk, next to which is a sofa-like bench with soft cushions that looks very comfortable to sit on, and behind it is a beautiful standing lamp for enhanced lighting at night.
Opposite the door was a large carved bay window, allowing the entire room to be filled with abundant light. At this moment, the curtains were gently fluttering in the breeze outside the window, bringing with them a strange fragrance.
1
“Darim really knows how to enjoy life. Reading in a library like this with a cup of milk tea is pure bliss! Damn—”
Beichen gritted his teeth and sat down on the sofa, deliberately bouncing a few times.
Xiang Ying immediately laughed at the side. "Master, do you need milk tea and snacks? I'll get some for you."
"Okay! Well, as expected of my Xiangying, you are so thoughtful──"
"Huh?! How can this be considered considerate?! At least they should know their master's breathing rate, hunger periods, favorite foods, and menstrual cycle!"
"Oh no... well, favorite food is fine, but forget about menstrual periods and breathing rate, really."
"How can this be counted?!"
“…”
Beichen felt weak for a moment: "Anyway, please, milk tea and snacks?"
"Okay, I'll get it right away!"
Xiang Ying left like a gust of wind, and Beichen stood up from the sofa and began to browse the bookcase, but──
“Ahhhhhh!?”
When I walked to the large bay window facing the door, I found that there was someone sitting on the windowsill. I hadn't noticed it because the curtains kept moving.
It was Yaye, leaning against the wall with a book in his hands, eyes closed. It was unclear whether he was sleeping, resting, or basking in the sun. But after Beichen's scream, he first furrowed his beautifully shaped eyebrows, then tutted his lips and slowly opened his eyes.
... Against the light, his long snow-white hair hung casually from the windowsill, his skin was so white that it looked a little sick, and his eyes were blood red. The man with such a devilish appearance was now staring at Beichen with a sleepy expression as if he had just woken up and a little silly, with no deterrent effect.
This scene is as contradictory as a vampire taking a nap in the sunshine. Of course, it's also very beautiful.
"Mr. Yaye... are you sleeping? Did you really use up too much energy yesterday?"
Beichen had not yet recovered from the beautiful scenery, and because he felt a little guilty for waking him up, he greeted him in a low voice.
No. Wait?
"No! Why are you sleeping here? Did you break the door lock?!"
“You’re so long-winded!!”
Yaye gave Beichen a glare, and he immediately shut up in a cowardly manner.
──It’s obviously your fault, so why are you so confident?
Seeing Beichen shrinking his neck and taking a few steps back, Yaye jumped down from the bay window sill, put one hand on his neck to move it, and with the other hand threw the book in his arms to Beichen.
“……!!”
The Legend of the Red Moon Priestess.
It is not a very thick book, with only a few gold-lettered titles and simple decorative patterns on the all-black cover.
Crimson Moon? Seeing the title, Beichen immediately remembered everyone's reaction after seeing the dark red moon yesterday.
At that time, after she said those words──
Rui covered her mouth without saying a word and looked around nervously.
Hei Huo and Su Jie stared at her seriously with completely incomprehensible and complex expressions.
Xiang Ying and Ya Ye simply picked up their weapons and walked around, as if they were going to kill anyone passing by to silence them.
Only then did Beichen realize that he seemed to have said something he absolutely shouldn't have said.
So after Rui said coldly, "Never say anything like that to anyone else," she immediately nodded vigorously and agreed.
Afterwards, everyone's expressions gradually returned to normal, and no one mentioned the matter again. Beichen didn't dare to ask for fear of saying something wrong, but he had countless questions in his mind.
And now, Yaye deliberately took out this book from the library and threw it to her.
There must be some connection between them - thinking of this, Beichen walked to the sofa with the book in his hand, sat down, and opened the book.
“…”
With each turn of the page, the expression on Beichen's face became more solemn.
In this world, no one can see the red moon in the sky, and the last person who could see the red moon appeared ten thousand years ago.
She is called the Red Moon Priestess, and another name is "Mother of Disaster".
She could see the crimson moon above her head, and under its guidance, she unleashed a storm of despair that swept across the world. Not long after her appearance, an extremely terrible plague spread across the world at an extremely terrifying speed.
There was no way to heal, no place to escape, people died in large numbers, rotting corpses were everywhere, and even the wind was filled with a stench.
It is said that only a few humans who were recognized and chosen by her survived the great plague, and these people are the ancestors of the human beings in the world today.
At the end of the great plague, the world fell into a long period of "silence".
Apart from plants and insects, and a few "chosen ones," there are no other higher life forms in the world. These "chosen ones" have endured a long, lonely and difficult journey of survival and finally managed to continue their race.
But then, strange creatures called "Possessed Moon Messengers" fell from the moon and took up residence as new residents of the world.
The possessed Moon Messengers had voracious appetites, particularly fond of humans, and reproduced (appeared) at an unusually rapid rate. From the moment they appeared, humans were forced down from the top of the food chain, and the population they had managed to build up was drastically reduced.
At this time, the Red Moon Priestess appeared again.
She led those people to the location of the Star Spirit Mine.
Afterwards, the "Warriors", a strange and powerful race that had to rely on humans, stood in opposition to the Possessed Moon Envoy and became another new group of residents.
Ten thousand years have passed, and the struggle between humans, weapons, and the possessed moon messengers has never subsided.
And when the Red Moon Priestess completely disappeared from the sight of the world, she gave a despairing prophecy.
──When the next priestess who can see the red moon appears, the world will once again fall into the endless darkness shrouded by death.
Likewise, only those she chooses can avoid disaster and follow her into a new era.
No one can stop it, no one can refuse it, no one can resist it.
All people can do is accept, fear, despair, struggle, and surrender.
“…”
Beichen was holding a book in his hand, his face ashen. He didn't even notice Xiangying appearing with black tea and fragrant little cakes. Reminded by Yaye's gaze, the latter quietly put down the snacks in his hand and stood quietly aside, waiting for Beichen to come back to his senses.
She took a deep breath.
This is a myth known to everyone in this world. It is also the seed of fear buried deep within everyone's heart, the one they are most reluctant to mention or face.
Everyone prayed silently in their hearts, praying that the woman who could see the red moon would not appear in this world.
“…”
But then, there it was, and it was him. Beichen unconsciously grabbed a strand of hair and pulled it hard.
Why is this so.
Why should I tell myself the ominous legend of the woman who can see the red moon when I have made up my mind to stay in this world?
Why do I find out that I shouldn't have been in this world when I have friends and family whom I want to cherish?
──In the end, no matter which world I live in, there's no place for me?
"Owner……"
Xiang Ying saw Beichen's expression and cried out softly with some pity.
Beichen suddenly came back to his senses and smiled weakly.
"I see. I can understand why you had that expression on your face."
Xiang Ying shook his head vigorously.
"I'm just worried that this will bring disaster upon the Master. As for the rest, I don't care. ...You should trust me, Master."
"Yes, I know."
Beichen sniffed his sore nose hard.
"Even the prince, Rui, only tried to remind me not to say that again. He had no intention of killing me to eliminate the trouble. ...But because of this."
As she smiled, tears rolled down her cheeks.
"That's why I'm even more afraid to take risks. If it's really because of me—if that red moon really manipulates me into doing something horrible, how can I face you?"
"Master—"
Xiang Ying took a few steps forward at a loss, wanting to wipe her tears, but she was already one step ahead and started wiping her face with her sleeves.
"So I have to find a way to go back. As long as I don't exist in this world, it will continue to move forward smoothly."
"!! But Master, you clearly said that you wanted to stay here!"
"Yes, I really want to stay here, but this prophecy is too heavy. I don't have the courage to break it."
"Yeah."
Suddenly, Yaye's voice interrupted.
"I thought you would have more backbone, Xiang Beichen."
“…”
If possible, she would certainly like to cheer up, but if she decided to stay, she would have the possibility of becoming an enemy of the entire world. Should she really do that? Could she really be so selfish as to disregard countless lives?
"I don't know where you mean by 'go back', but since you like this place, and are forced to go back unwillingly by a prophecy from ten thousand years ago, are you content with that?"
"I'm unwilling, but there's nothing I can do about it. I don't have the willpower to... stand against the entire world."
“…Is that so?”
Yaye looked at Beichen coldly for a while, then let out a sigh.
"I overestimated you."
As he spoke, he slowly walked to the door of the library and stopped.
"If you really want to go back, then go back."
Yaye's words made Beichen's eyes red again. As the footsteps faded away, Beichen finally restrained the urge to cry again.
──It’s just going back, it’s not a big deal.
It would be better to go back early while the relationship between me and Xiang Ying... and Heihuo Sujie... and Yaye... and Gu Yinyue and his group is not so deep that they cannot be separated.
If separating from them can guarantee their survival—
She held the book in her hands and leaned back on the sofa tiredly.
"Towards the shadow."
“…Yes, Master.”
"Once we've settled down in the city, let's go find Xiaxue."
“…”
For the first time, Xiang Ying did not give any affirmative answer to Beichen's proposal.
The sunlight outside the window is getting brighter.
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