That was when we first met. She turned around and smiled under the peach tree, and all the petals in the sky seemed to lose their color.
When he was struggling in his cultivation, she clumsily handed him a piece of osmanthus cake and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Don't be discouraged, senior brother, you're the best!"
When he was being bullied by his fellow disciples, she stood in front of him like a mother hen protecting her chicks, arguing her case with reason, even though she herself was trembling with fear.
And that time, when the two of them accidentally entered the monster forest and were in grave danger, she held his hand tightly and said with a firm look in her eyes, "Senior Brother Xiao, don't be afraid, if we die, we die together!"
Those scenes are like a replay of yesterday, warm and vivid.
Her every smile and frown was etched into his bones and integrated into his soul.
This silly girl is always so kind and trusting of him.
For her sake, let alone a mere rare poison, what is there to fear even if it means going through fire and water?
Xiao Feng raised his head, his eyes shining with an unprecedented firmness—a complex emotion that mixed love, reluctance, and resolve.
He said to the old man in a deep voice, "That's right! My mind is made up! What does my life matter as long as I can save her?"
The voice was not loud, but it was resounding and echoed at the entrance of the silent, cold pool cave, carrying a tragic and heroic spirit that feared not being crushed to pieces.
The old man's cloudy eyes stared intently at Xiao Feng, as if trying to find even the slightest hint of wavering in his gaze.
But he failed.
This kid's gaze is harder than ten-thousand-year-old black iron!
So be it. I've seen plenty of love-struck fools; one more won't make a difference.
The old man stopped talking and formed a mysterious hand seal with his withered fingers.
As he chanted, the flames of those few eerie blue soul lamps suddenly rose higher, their light shining brightly, illuminating the entire Cold Pool Cave as if it were a ghostly realm.
He gestured for Xiao Feng to lay Zhao Yuwei flat on the chilling jade bed.
The jade bed was icy cold to the touch, but strangely, when Zhao Yuwei lay down on it, an unnatural blush appeared on her pale face.
"Young man, concentrate, focus your energy! I'm about to begin!"
The old man shouted sharply, pressing his hands firmly on Zhao Yuwei's dantian, while simultaneously pointing his fingers like a sword at Xiao Feng's brow from a distance!
Buzz—
An invisible force instantly connected Xiao Feng and Zhao Yuwei.
Xiao Feng felt an extremely cold aura, like a maggot clinging to his bone, rushing wildly into his body following the old man's fingertips!
"Ugh—!"
Excruciating pain! Indescribable pain!
It felt as if millions of poisonous insects were gnawing at his internal organs, and every inch of his meridians, every bone, and every drop of blood was instantly ignited and then frozen!
The extreme pain of being torn between ice and fire caused his vision to go black, and he almost fainted.
This thing... it's unbearable for a human to endure!
Xiao Feng's body trembled violently, veins bulged on his forehead, and large beads of sweat rolled down, instantly soaking his clothes.
He clenched his teeth so hard that his gums bled, and a metallic, rusty taste filled his mouth.
Don't shout!
Yuwei is still asleep!
Don't wake her!
He endured the excruciating pain, his gaze fixed on Zhao Yuwei, who was sleeping soundly on the jade bed.
Seeing the dark aura on her face visibly receding and regaining its healthy rosy hue, Xiao Feng felt a strange sense of satisfaction that temporarily overwhelmed the excruciating pain.
It was worth it!
As long as she's alright, my little pain is nothing!
Seeing this, the old man changed his hand seals even faster and chanted more urgently.
More black toxins, as if finding an outlet, were continuously drawn from Zhao Yuwei's body and frantically poured into Xiao Feng's body.
"puff--!"
Xiao Feng could no longer hold back and suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood, his body swaying precariously.
He felt his consciousness fading, and his body felt as if it were being torn apart by the violent toxins!
No! I can't fall here!
With his last ounce of strength, he broke free from the old man's pull, staggered, turned, and rushed out of the cave.
"senior!"
Coughing up blood, Xiao Feng roared, his voice distorted by the excruciating pain: "Please...please...please don't tell her...it was me..."
Before he could finish speaking, he had already rushed out of the Cold Pool Cave, stumbling and staggering towards the dark forest like a wounded wild beast.
The old man watched Xiao Feng's disappearing figure, then looked at Zhao Yuwei, whose breathing had stabilized on the jade bed. A complex and unfathomable light flashed in his cloudy old eyes, which eventually turned into a long sigh.
"What is love in this world... Alas, foolish child, foolish child..."
Outside the cave.
The night wind howled, blowing against Xiao Feng's burning skin, but it did nothing to relieve the pain.
"Aaaaaahh ...
He could no longer suppress it and let out a shrill, painful roar to the sky!
The despair and pain contained in that voice were enough to break the heart of any listener.
It hurts! It hurts so much!
Every nerve is screaming, every cell is wailing!
He felt as if he had been thrown into a vat of oil in the eighteenth level of hell and fried repeatedly, his soul trembling!
Having been here for so long, what kind of hardship haven't I endured?
Being mocked, harassed, and hunted down... but compared to the pain I'm in now, all of that is nothing!
He stumbled and ran aimlessly.
The toxins in his body were like wild horses, rampaging and wantonly destroying his vitality.
His vision began to blur, and his ears were ringing. Only the excruciating pain that penetrated to the bone, like an unending tide, crashed against his already collapsing will.
"Yuwei...Yuwei..."
Amidst the excruciating pain, he murmured the name intermittently, as if it were his only source of support.
Her smiling face flashed through my mind, as did her figure standing up for me, and the determined look in her eyes as she gripped my hand tightly...
It was worth it... really... worth it...
After running for an unknown amount of time, the sound of rushing water suddenly came from ahead.
Under the dim moonlight, Xiao Feng saw that he had run to the edge of a cliff!
The cliff is extremely high, with a rushing river flowing below, its roaring sound particularly clear in the silent night.
This seems to be the cliff near the site of the Ming Cult, as recorded in the sect's records.
The physical pain had reached its peak, and consciousness was like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
He knew he wouldn't last much longer.
This poison is too potent!
Rather than be tortured to death, it's better to...
He staggered to the edge of the cliff, looked down at the bottomless, dark water, and then looked up in the direction of the Cold Pool Cave.
Goodbye, Yuwei.
May you live a peaceful, joyful, and carefree life.
If there is an afterlife... I hope to meet you sooner...
A relieved smile appeared on Xiao Feng's face.
He opened his arms as if to embrace the cold night sky, and with his last bit of strength, he leaped into the air!
Thump!
A muffled thud, and water splashed everywhere.
The surging river instantly swallowed his figure, leaving only ripples that were quickly smoothed out by the rushing water, as if nothing had happened.
The night remained deep.
At the edge of the cliff, only the howling wind remained, mournful and plaintive.
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