Chapter 1427: Seizing the Bridge, Blowing Up the Waterway (18) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"you--"
Yuan's voice was hoarse and shrill, with a hint of fear in it.
Yes, fear.
She noticed that the moment Ji Moqiu reached out and touched her brow, something deep within her soul was gently touched. Even though she tried her best to stop thinking about it, all the memories of the Arrow of Time still flashed through her mind rapidly. Some of the small details were even overlooked by herself, and the speed at which she flipped through them increased as time went on.
This uncontrollable humiliation and powerlessness reminded her of the day she was bought back by the Yuan family. The sharp-tongued old woman carried her like a chick while she washed up, her slanted eyes filled with contempt and her face full of impatience. The force with which she rubbed her skin was so great that it almost scraped off a layer of flesh. She couldn't forget the other woman's eyes; they weren't looking at a person, but at a worthless beast.
When she took over the Yuan family, she immediately disposed of the old woman in the same way. Unfortunately, the old woman was too old to withstand the abuse. After washing her with a wire ball, strands of yellowish human flesh floated on the bloody water in the wooden bucket.
The helplessness we feel now is even greater than it was back then.
She made a hoarse, bellowing sound as she tried to muster all her strength to grasp Ji Moqiu's hand with her withered hands. She didn't notice the ripples in the young man's eyes, his brow shrouded in a misty mountain haze: "I did not intend to inadvertently witness the Queen's secrets, but there is something I must say—while the Queen's plight certainly deserves sympathy, the grievances have their perpetrators, why torture her like this?"
Why does Gongxi Chou never develop inner demons because of killing?
Because the clan follows the Mandate of Heaven.
Slaughter and survival are inherently part of the laws of nature.
As the high priest, Ji Moqiu put these principles into practice. Despite his seemingly gentle and mild-mannered demeanor, and the fact that the number of bloodstains on his hands was far less than that of Gongxi Chou, he genuinely believed that there was nothing wrong with taking the lives of other living beings.
It's not wrong to follow the will of Heaven.
Killing is not cruelty; cruelty is the root of all evil.
Because the images that Yuan Nujun was conjuring were also active in her mind, Ji Moqiu couldn't help but glance at them a few times. These few glances were incredibly visually striking—human skin and fat floating on murky water, viscera and meat paste hanging on a wire mesh, skin and bones rubbed down to a few remnants, a grotesque and twisted old face…
The suffering this person endured far surpassed that of being slowly sliced to death.
The punishment of slow slicing is said to involve 3,600 cuts, but in reality, one would die from the pain or blood loss after only a few dozen or a hundred cuts; it's impossible for the actual number of cuts to be 3,600. However, the old woman in the scene is different. Her right hand is tightly secured to the edge of the wooden tub with a thick rope, and that thin, claw-like hand is being held by a fair, delicate hand that appears in the line of sight. The owner of the delicate hand is continuously channeling pure martial energy into the old woman.
It was this martial energy that forcibly saved the old woman from being tortured to death.
Ms. Yuan's eyes were bloodshot; she couldn't stand outsiders pointing fingers and making comments.
"You are not me, how can you know my hatred?"
The young man withdrew his hand; he had obtained what he wanted.
“Hate is not a get-out-of-jail-free card for your rampant and rebellious behavior.” The young man’s eyes seemed to hold a hint of compassion, and even after witnessing such a shocking scene, he showed no anger. “You die today because of me, and your lineage is cut off because of me. Consider me indebted to you for this cause and effect. But rest assured, I will find you a disciple with excellent character, conduct, and talent, and I will ensure that you do not die with regrets.”
Ms. Yuan's already explosive anger continued to spiral out of control.
She didn't know where the strength came from, but her withered hands gripped Ji Moqiu's arm tightly, her nails almost digging into the young man's flesh.
What does it mean to have "excellent character, conduct, and talent"?
The sound echoed across the battlefield, like the weeping of vengeful ghosts.
Despite Yuan Nujun's hatred for her misfortune in being born with this special bloodline, which led to her being preyed upon and bullied, she was even more proud of her good fortune in transforming herself from prey into hunter. She had witnessed far too many ordinary people being exploited to the bone.
In chaotic times, those without strength are nothing more than a menu item.
It's not uncommon for a family of several people to cook together in one pot.
Ji Moqiu's words directly hit her sore spot.
Gu Chi and the others gasped in shock, their wariness of Ji Moqiu's attitude growing. They had no choice but to be wary; this high priest usually seemed gentle, harmless, and without any sharp edges, but who knew he had such a foul mouth? Three strikes and they were done, but he had repeatedly provoked this Lady Yuan with his words, driving her to the brink of mutual destruction. Even as she was about to die, he continued his relentless pursuit.
They insult the other person, saying they have a bad character, poor conduct, and low talent.
If they were Lady Yuan, and Ji Moqiu had messed with their mentality like this, they probably wouldn't be able to wash away this hatred even after drinking ten bowls of Meng Po soup.
Ji Moqiu looked puzzled: "Tell the truth."
Yuan Nujun's expression became even more ferocious and distorted.
Ji Moqiu could even hear the sound of the other person biting their teeth.
"...Anger damages the liver. Lady Yuan previously burned her dantian and forcibly used up her lifespan to draw the bow. Her meridians are as fragile as paper. If she is not careful, her blood and qi may flow backward..." Lady Yuan is already at her limit. If she calms down, she can live a little longer. If she continues to be angry, she may die on the spot. Ji Moqiu only seeks victory and does not necessarily want his opponent to die. He put his words into action. While he was giving her advice, he also waved his sleeve to summon a gentle mountain breeze to wrap Lady Yuan up and safely send her back to the stone fortress.
Even after her feet touched the ground, Ms. Yuan was still completely dazed.
Coming to his senses, his raging anger returned.
Her hands trembled as she tried to stand, but her body wouldn't allow it. She collapsed halfway up, vomiting a mouthful of blood that splattered on the ground. An unbearable throbbing pain shot through her chest, her heart, and her brain felt like it was being hammered. Her vision blurred, alternating between black and white: "How...how dare you humiliate me like this—how dare you humiliate me like this!"
Everyone else just stood by and watched.
The monk sighed softly and reached out to touch her back.
The moment the martial energy entered her meridians, he knew she was already exhausted and on her last legs. Her dantian was reduced to ashes, and her meridians were shattered and broken. She was doomed to die today: "Why must Your Majesty do this?"
The Allied forces in the Central Region used personal relationships and interests to coerce their troops into fighting, so why not just have them go through the motions without putting in any real effort? What's more important than their own lives? The other veterans were either observing or slacking off, while those who actually contributed had to pay the ultimate price. What was the point?
How could Yuan Nujun listen to these words?
The monk saw a streak of bloody tears streaming down her face and immediately shut his mouth.
On the other hand, the young man opposite him was indeed incredibly vicious, always hitting where it hurt, and hitting the mark every time. If his opponent had been Ji Moqiu instead of Gongyang Yongye, the monk felt that even his years of Zen meditation cultivation would have crumbled.
He chanted the Buddhist mantra in a deep voice: "Amitabha."
He then closed his eyes and sat cross-legged.
He was holding his prayer beads, preparing to recite the Pure Land Mantra for Ms. Yuan a few times. In fact, as a monk, he didn't really believe in past lives or reincarnation, nor did he believe in any kind of salvation. He just thought that reciting it a lot would calm his mind and serve as a form of comfort.
I had just picked up a Buddhist rosary when I had to open my eyes in frustration.
"That kid on the other side is really ruthless, he kills people by destroying their spirit."
Don't ask him why he said that, because he just sensed a very familiar fluctuation in the world, unique to the Arrow of Time. The only known inheritor of the Arrow of Time, Lady Yuan, is here, barely clinging to life; this fluctuation couldn't possibly have been caused by her. Therefore, the answer is obvious—
Above the sky, the decorations on the young man's military uniform fluttered in the wind.
A rift opened in the sky above him, and from it emerged a phantom figure that seemed to have its feet planted on the earth and its head touching the heavens. The phantom figure wore a magnificent robe, holding a bow in one hand and plucking the string with the other.
Its movements are completely synchronized with those of Jimo Qiu.
The waxing and waning of the moon, and the ebb and flow of the tides, can be glimpsed through the bowstring.
The full moon pierced through the long arrow, pointing straight at the stone fortress.
The monks and others: "..."
Yuan Nujun stared wide-eyed at the scene in the sky, unable to believe that such an arrow could have been seen by someone else. What she had strived for her entire life, yet it had been achieved with a casual flick of someone's wrist. How could she face this? How could she believe it?
"impossible!"
"That's impossible!"
She screamed and covered her head, her voice shrill and piercing.
She died at the height of her power, her eyes wide open, unable to close them in death. And at the very moment she breathed her last, Ji Moqiu parted his thin lips slightly, the young man speaking gently and politely: "Please enlighten me."
The phantom behind them also released the bowstring.
The arrow left the bowstring without a sound.
A buzzing sound forcefully suppressed the noise across the entire battlefield.
The wind stopped, the clouds dispersed, and a sliver of sunlight broke through the sky.
The light pierced through the giant's phantom and fell behind him, coating him with a hazy, lustrous glow. At first glance, one might mistake it for a celestial being descending to earth, but those directly facing the young man, including the mages, clearly sensed the destructive power contained within this arrow.
Intuition told them that the arrow wasn't aimed at the stone fortress guards, but at them alone; if they couldn't catch it, they would die! The unprecedented threat of death sent chills down everyone's spines! They immediately dared not remain bystanders any longer.
Everyone, including the monk, joined forces.
"You brat, how dare you act tough in front of your grandfather!"
Dozens of beams of various colors shot straight at the arrows from the direction of the stone fortress.
Strangely, the two arrows met but did not collide, nor did they explode as expected. The arrow calmly pierced through the obstacles, heading straight for one of the men's faces. The man tried to dodge but was horrified to find his aura forcefully locked onto, forced to watch helplessly as something pierced his mind. The mage was horrified and turned to see a familiar-looking young man, his heart pierced by an arrow, pinned to the stone wall, eyes wide open, his breath utterly extinguished.
In just a few breaths, the boy's body visibly shrank, from a boy to a child, and then to a three-headed infant.
In the end, not even a single skeleton was left.
All that remained was the tattered rag tombstone stuck to the wall.
Ji Moqiu's pupils trembled slightly, seemingly surprised by the power of the arrow. However, he did not hesitate and drew his bow again to find the next target: "Gentlemen, do not panic. If the quiver is empty today but the emperor's life has not ended, then it is fate, and I will not make things difficult for you!"
Luo San: "..."
Time flies and diminishes one's lifespan; where does the quiver come from?
The power of that arrow just now even exceeded his original understanding, so why was Ji Moqiu, this little kid, completely unaffected?
Could they even launch a second attack without stopping?
Shen Tang also realized this: "High Priest!"
Ji Moqiu's hand paused, and the bowstring, not yet a month old, snapped without warning. The snapped string struck his cheek, leaving a red mark that almost ran from his right eyebrow to his jaw, causing him to instinctively close his eyes and gasp in pain. However, this turn of events was not due to Shen Tang's words, but rather—Ji Moqiu looked up at the sky, then down at the silver bow in his hand, which crumbled into dust.
As the bow and arrow disappeared, the surging martial energy in his dantian also plummeted, quickly falling from the twentieth rank of Chehou to the eighteenth rank of Dashuzhang. The cracked sky closed one by one, and the towering figure vanished with it. Ji Moqiu knew it was "He" who was responsible.
Even with Ji Moqiu's good temper, he was somewhat annoyed.
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
For the first time ever, he felt a pang of nostalgia for the Heavenly Dao, which disliked him.
Heaven might at most nag him about what he said, and if he dared to be disrespectful, it would just give him a warning with lightning, but it wouldn't actually kill him. It was a bit annoying, but it wasn't a big deal. He clearly cheated by his own ability, but now this "He" tore up one of his exam papers after another.
Ji Moqiu closed her eyes to calm herself down.
Anger injures the liver; if you don't hold a grudge, you can't fight city hall.
Even the deepest hatred must wait until His Highness returns to power before it can be settled.
The enemy side clearly lacked this consideration.
They were stunned by Ji Moqiu's first arrow, and seeing Tianmu unleash his second, a sense of despair and helplessness welled up within them. But then, unexpectedly, the situation took a turn for the better; the boy was attacked and injured at the crucial moment. If they didn't kill him now, when would they?
What if he recovers and endangers his own life?
The group exchanged a few knowing glances and instantly reached a consensus.
"kill!"
No one knew better than them how dangerous the Arrow of Time was on the other side. They wanted to kill him while Ji Moqiu was still weak so they could be worry-free! So, the dozen or so beams of light stopped and headed straight for the same target—Ji Moqiu!
Luo San blocked two of the beams of light with a single move.
He shouted, "Still daydreaming? I'm here to kill you!"
The powerful sound waves cleared everyone's minds.
Ji Moqiu was among them. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the enemy rapidly approaching. He waved his hand, summoning a thick fog and mountain mist, condensing his energy into a long spear, which shot out like a dragon. In a flash, a dragon-shaped red light streaked across the sky, and the spear slammed into the stone fortress.
What do you mean by calm?
What do you mean by keeping calm?
He's furious right now!
"How dare you all bully me like this?" The young man's calm voice carried a hint of barely perceptible grievance. He was indeed extremely aggrieved today. He was clearly not in the wrong, but "He" just couldn't stand to see him doing well and tore up his papers twice. Did he even care about the law?
The mage who used the excuse of hiding in the back almost twisted his ankle.
What does "bullying him" mean?
Does he want to hear the nonsense he's spouting?
Wasn't he the one bullying others from beginning to end?
The plump, fair-skinned monk pulled his robes tighter around himself, sighed, and muttered, "This old monk has done everything he could to repay his benefactor."
The fact that the generals also took to the field cannot be considered inaction.
He was just about to go to the rear to slack off when he discovered that a towering crimson mushroom cloud had suddenly exploded in the rear of the stone fortress.
The scorching heat almost burned his face.
He dodged and retreated several times, barely managing to deflect the frontal impact. Just as he regained his footing, a blinding white light shot out from the direction of the mushroom cloud, the sharp spear almost grazing his brow. With extraordinary agility, the mage bent over more than 180 degrees, his body flashing like a snake as he dodged in the exact opposite direction.
But the newcomer was no pushover either.
Gunfire closed in a second time.
At the same time, a biting cold swept over them, freezing their backs stiff. The mage retreated more than ten times before barely managing to create some distance. His peripheral vision quickly swept across the front and rear of the stone fortress, wondering how this person had managed to sneak up from the rear of the place where birds had vanished.
The Allied forces were completely unaware!
Upon closer inspection, the newcomer turned out to be a handsome young man.
The other party seemed equally surprised, a fleeting look of astonishment in their eyes quickly replaced by chilling killing intent. The gun flashed past, scattering layers of ice flowers along its path—a seemingly exquisite little contraption, but in reality fraught with deadly danger; even the slightest touch could freeze blood into shards!
(_)
Mushroom posted a giveaway for a new keyboard on Big Eyes's site last night. It seems to be a collaboration with AKKO. The keyboard might not be the best, but it looks great. If you meet the requirements, you can try your luck; you might just win!
P.S.: Sometimes I want to kneel down and beg those keyboard customization vendors to stop releasing new models. Every time I see them, I get tempted to buy them. Later I realized I could buy them even if I had to kneel down.
_(:з」∠)_
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