Chapter 130 The Face of an Old Friend: Words Spoken But Unfulfilled. ...
Xia Zhu agreed to help Yun Xuan find her father, but she really had no clue.
However, she always tends to wander around, and now she has an excuse to go see some more distant places.
She wandered around the Yun family's village several times but found nothing. She thought about leaving the village to take a look, but Ying Huo sternly ordered her to leave.
"What if you go out by yourself and encounter another harvest?" That's what he said.
What should she do? Xia Zhu thought to herself, if she encountered Ru Shou again, she would definitely kill it to avenge Feng Mian.
But now that she has lost her magical powers, can she really defeat the demon god?
Thinking of this, she hesitated again.
"I'll just look around the area, and I'll definitely be back before sunset."
So every morning she would leave early and appear at her room door right on time. Ying Huo would always wait for her on the stairs with his arms crossed, watching her slowly emerge from under the setting sun, and then silently return to her room.
After agreeing to Yunxuan's request, she asked her what happened on the day her father disappeared.
Yun Huan sat huddled in the rattan chair with her legs crossed, chatting leisurely.
“He had a fight with Ajiu, left the village, and never came back.”
Xia Zhu stared at her face with suspicion and asked, "Was it with Yun Jiu, not with you?"
"What? Sister doesn't believe me?" Yun Huan smiled brightly, making Xia Zhu a little embarrassed.
"Of course it was an argument with A-Jiu. I heard everything. He told her not to give her body to me anymore, but that silly girl just wouldn't agree." After saying that, Yun Xuan noticed that Xia Zhu was still looking at her. Her smile changed, and she leaned closer. "Sister, not only do you not trust me, but you also think that I would take A-Jiu's body, just like everyone else, right?"
Xia Zhu was taken aback. This idea had indeed crossed her mind before, but she quickly dismissed it.
For some reason, she always felt that Yun Xian was not a bad person.
"What exactly is going on between you and Yun Jiu?"
"What happened..." Yun Huan lay back in the rattan chair, squinting as if recalling the past, "That girl was simply a reincarnation of a glutton. Father once said that there was nothing she couldn't eat."
"So, when I was in my mother's belly, she ate me too."
She spoke of it without any emotion, her voice light and airy, yet it sent a shiver down Xia Zhu's spine for a moment.
"Later, she was born successfully, and her mother died. Naturally, she became the next head of the Yun family, and the One Line Gu was handed over to her. A-Jiu knew that the One Line Gu could bring the dead back to life. She originally wanted to secretly take it to her mother's grave, but she accidentally ate it."
"As luck would have it, I was resurrected from within her body."
“My family is dwindling, and Ah-Jiu is different from ordinary people. At first, I was indeed annoyed by sharing a body with her, but as time went on, I felt that it wasn’t so bad. At least she was obedient and well-behaved, and at least I could talk to her.”
“My demonic path is above hers. With me here, no one can bully Yun Jiu.”
No one will do.
Her head rested on the armrest of the wicker chair, and although her tone was indifferent, her eyes were exceptionally firm.
Xia Zhu thought for a moment and then asked her, "Actually, I've always wondered, since the Yun family possesses such a divine artifact, why don't they use it on their own people? For example, on your mother?"
If she were still alive, Yun Jiu and Yun Xian wouldn't have ended up like this, bearing so many burdens at such a young age.
Yun Xuan smiled contemptuously, "Do you think they're stupid? They have such good things but don't use them, and they even lost many lives because of them. If our ancestor Yan hadn't sacrificed her life to kill the god Zhuanxu ten thousand years ago and left some bloodline, there would be no Yun family now."
"However, if Yan could hand over the first line of Gu directly, perhaps the Yun family would be more prosperous today than it is now."
As Yun Huan spoke, her eyes darted around. "The Miao and Man tribes are different from you. We worship mountains and rivers, believe in destiny, and that fallen leaves return to their roots. We are unwilling to go against nature, and because of a promise, we have guarded the One Line Gu for ten thousand years for our mother goddess Nuwa."
"But Ah Jiu ate it without even realizing it." She covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xia Zhu. "Sister, after saying all this, can you finally help me find Dad's body?"
Xia Zhu was still engrossed in her words when she was suddenly reminded of something. She awkwardly adjusted her glasses and shrank back into the rattan chair.
"Of course... don't worry..."
She didn't even believe what she said, so she pretended to be sleepy and closed her eyes.
Yunxuan curled her lips but didn't speak. The two of them lay in the courtyard basking in the sun. The sun gradually set in the west, and another day passed in a daze. Smoke rose from the village chimneys, and a few calls came from afar. Xia Zhu struggled to stand up from the chair, drooping her head and walking listlessly towards her place.
"I'm going back now."
She waved to the person in the rattan chair, not knowing whether it was Yun Xuan or Yun Jiu.
The next day, Xia Zhu got up very early. A few days ago, she went to the east, north, and west of the Yun family village, leaving only the south side unvisited. Today, she planned to go and take a look, so as to give Yun Huan and Yun Jiu an explanation.
She said she was truly powerless and had no way to help them with this.
She lowered her head and tried to carefully tread every inch of the ground beneath her feet, but as noon approached, she still found nothing.
Xia Zhu was utterly dejected. She didn't know how to keep going when things seemed hopeless. Perhaps Yun Xian didn't value her abilities at all, which was why she sought her help. Perhaps she just couldn't stand that Xia Zhu was eating and drinking for free every day and lazing around in the village without doing any work.
That's roughly it.
Having figured this out, she listlessly found a tree, plopped down, picked up a twig, and started poking and scratching at the pile of fallen leaves in front of her.
She could swear she hadn't been deliberately thinking about it; it was just that when she had nothing to do, her mind would uncontrollably conjure up images. Xia Zhu leaned against the tree trunk, the rough bark digging into her back, and following the nerve endings in that area to her brain, the image of a woman appeared there.
Nuwa.
There are clams.
What kind of person would she be?
He was beloved and had extraordinary abilities.
But why has it never appeared in the histories of other families?
Furthermore, what is the relationship between Ying Huo and her? Why does he know the Heavenly God, and why is he looking for her?
Xia Zhu slapped her thigh. That person was Chi You, the war lord who had lived for nearly ten thousand years. What was so strange about him knowing one or two gods? She couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, feeling that her idea was utterly stupid.
Laughter requires drawing air out of the lungs, but Xia Zhu was now like a useless person with no energy or strength. After taking two breaths, the happy action turned into a dry, fake smile.
She hummed twice, her lips too heavy to even manage a forced smile.
What is the relationship between Youjiao and Ji Yinxiu, their main deities? Why doesn't she live in the Nine Heavens or in that rift in time, but instead went to Sun and Moon Mountain and then to the Yun family?
And why were the two divine artifacts given to these two families?
The ability of a single Gu worm to bring the dead back to life is indeed a rare and precious treasure.
But what about Isuzu?
Compared to the First-Line Gu, Isuzu seems to have no practical use.
No wonder the nun denounced the gods in that memory. She must have realized that Isuzu couldn't save Yuchan's life and knew that the One-Line Gu could bring the dead back to life. She felt that heaven was so unfair to her.
Xia Zhu sighed, tilting her head to one side. Following the angle of her gaze, she looked up at the tree above, where several round peaches hung among the leaves. She remembered Yun Xuan saying that A Jiu loved peaches the most, so she thought that since she couldn't find her father, she could at least pick a few peaches to take back and show off.
Xia Zhu rolled up her sleeves and climbed the tree using the low-hanging branches, picking a few peaches with her clothes in her pocket. She carefully walked backwards down, and when she was about a meter from the ground, she simply let go and jumped down.
Unexpectedly, when she landed, it felt like she stepped on something, twisted her ankle, and fell to the ground, scattering the peaches she was holding. Xia Zhu angrily got up and kicked the spot hard, only to find that it wasn't a rock at all.
She immediately lost her temper, and curiously squatted down, sweeping all the fallen leaves piled up on top to one side.
The cross-section was neat and the texture was clear, like a wooden stake about the thickness of a wrist. Without thinking too much, she ran her hand along the bottom of the stake and found that the stake became thinner and thinner from top to bottom and went deep into the soil by many inches.
It looks more like a nail than a wooden stake.
An idea popped into her head. Xia Zhu hesitated for a few seconds, then gripped the wooden nail with both hands and began to pull it out. It didn't take much effort to pull the thing out by the root. She examined it from all angles in her hands, then weighed it in her hand. It didn't look big, but it was quite heavy.
It looked like it was made of wood, but it was very smooth and didn't have the grain that wood should have. It was probably a product of a complicated process. Xia Zhu was about to put the wooden nail away and take it back to show everyone when she was surprised to find that there was a not-so-obvious mark engraved on the end of the nail.
She picked it up again and brought it close to her eyes.
It was a red cirrus cloud.
Her heart pounded. She put the wooden nail aside and began digging in the hole where the nail had been pulled out. After digging for only a few moments, her fingers touched something hard. She blew away the topsoil, revealing a stark white color underneath.
Xia Zhu stared at it for a few seconds, then finally realized what was happening. She grabbed a wooden peg and ran wildly into the village. The wind blew her hair back, and she couldn't help but smile. She could still do something for them.
As they ran into the village, past the green paddy fields, under a clear blue sky, with mostly white clouds piled up like cotton on the cliff edge, Ji Yinxiu straightened up from the rapeseed field and saw Xia Zhu running excitedly past her.
"Found it! Found it!" She waved her hands at him as she ran, and Ji Yinxiu couldn't help but laugh along. But when he saw what flashed in her hand, his smile froze on his face.
He apologized to the woman next to him, then put down the bundle of rapeseed he was holding, clapped his hands, and walked in the direction where Xia Zhu had disappeared.
Xia Zhu found Yun Jiu by the stream, squatting among the rocks, poking at the small fish in the water with a twig. She walked over, grabbed Yun Jiu's hand, and asked, "Are you Yun Huan or Yun Jiu?"
The girl was startled and stared at her blankly without saying a word.
"Never mind." Xia Zhu shook the wooden nail in her hand. "I found a body in the south, but I don't know if it's your father."
As she spoke, she saw Yun Jiu's eyes slowly brighten, so she didn't linger and pulled her out of the village.
"Let's go take a look anyway."
Freshly picked peaches were still scattered around, but Yun Xuan stopped outside the peach tree. She stared at the abundant fruit, the light in her eyes flickering.
Yun Xian blinked, lowered her head, and murmured as if mocking herself, "It's here."
Xia Zhu didn't understand what she meant, but squatted down beside the bones and urged her to come and take a look.
Yunxuan squatted down next to Xia Zhu, and the two of them dug out the soil. Judging from their movements, Xia Zhu was obviously working harder than her.
"Take a look, is that your dad...?" Xia Zhu rubbed her face with her wrist, leaving a muddy mark.
“No need to look anymore, it’s him.” Yun Huan didn’t seem as excited as she had imagined. She reached out and gently touched the pile of bones. “I can feel it, it’s definitely him, but… A-Jiu searched every corner of this place, but she didn’t come to this peach tree.”
"Why?" Xia Zhu asked.
Yunxian picked up the peach that she had just dropped from her feet and gently smelled it under her nose.
“This peach tree was planted here by my mother when she was pregnant with us. It sprouted, grew, and quickly blossomed and bore fruit, becoming Ah-Jiu’s favorite spot. In the past, whenever the two of them had a fight, my father would come here and pick a peach, a flower, or just a peach leaf, and that girl would forget everything in the blink of an eye.”
Xia Zhu remained silent. Perhaps Yun Jiu had never come to this place again after her father disappeared, afraid that seeing the peach tree would make her sad. She would never have imagined that he would die here in the end.
“But this place isn’t far from the village. If we summon the spirits, we should be able to find it quickly, right?” Xia Zhu asked her.
"Well, I'm not quite sure either..." She shook her head.
"Perhaps it's because of the Soul-Suppressing Nails."
Xia Zhu looked up and saw Ji Yinxiu emerging from the woods. "What are you doing here?"
“I came with you.” He also squatted down and pointed to the wooden nail sticking out of Xia Zhu’s pocket. “This thing looks like a soul-suppressing nail. I’ve heard my teacher talk about it before. It’s a kind of magic tool made of thousand-year-old peach wood. Peach wood is the essence of the five woods. It can naturally calm ghosts. I guess it’s something like this that prevents the souls of the Yun family from finding the location of the corpses.”
“But who would kill a Yun family member with no magical powers in Nanhuo?” Yun Huan frowned. “And even suppress my father’s soul here.”
She couldn't understand who her father could possibly have an enemy with.
"I'll find out if I ask him myself."
As she spoke, Yun Xuan placed her hands on the bones. A dark red light emanated from where her palms touched the bones, and a wind rose from the earth, making the silver ornaments on her body rustle.
Xia Zhu and Ji Yinxiu exchanged a glance and stood up. For Yun Huan, this was a reunion after five years, and they felt it was inappropriate for them to be present. They decided to return to the village and wait for news from her.
As Xia Zhu left, she glanced back. Yun Huan, who was squatting beside the corpse, lowered her head and slowly opened her eyes. The candlelight in her eyes gradually dimmed, and two silvery-white shadows rose up around her, gently enveloping her.
*
The flames burned high, and the sparks, like fireflies, floated with each breath on this early summer night.
The full moon rose silently from the dark blue mountain ridge. Xia Zhu's eyes were scorched by the campfire, and he couldn't help but smile as he watched the golden-red flames drift in the night wind, licking at the sky, trying to melt and drip down the deep, flowing clouds.
She looked down and tugged at her pleated skirt, which Yun Jiu had brought her later that evening. A colorful patterned belt cinched her waist, and the hem of the skirt was decorated with butterflies and ferns. She had also tied her hair up and secured it with a simple silver hairpin. All she could hear was the tinkling of silver bells as women danced around the bonfire, their silvery waves bobbing in the flames.
They gathered here to celebrate the return of a loved one to the Yun family. They would also bury him amidst songs and laughter.
Fallen leaves return to their roots.
That's what Yun Xian said.
Xia Zhu stood somewhat awkwardly in the crowd, but her heart couldn't stop itself from reaching up. She saw Yun Xuan walk through the crowd to her and take her hand.
Although she knew this occasion was somewhat inappropriate, Xia Zhu was still worried about Yun Huan's father's death, so she asked Yun Huan in a low voice, "Did you ask? What exactly happened?"
Yun Xian's expression remained unchanged as she smiled and leaned close to her ear.
“Father said he couldn’t quite remember what happened that day, but he knew he wanted to go to the peach tree to pick a flower for Ah-Jiu.” Yun-Xian winked at her and pointed to the moon in the sky.
“My father also said that he only remembers that the moon was very round that night.”
Xia Zhu looked up in the direction she pointed, but was interrupted by Yun Xian, whose bright smile was enveloped in a pale golden glow by the flames behind her.
“Sister, forgetting might be a good thing. Father and I don’t care, so don’t think about it anymore. There’s nothing better than dancing.” The lusheng (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) started playing, and she pulled Xia Zhu into the crowd. The swaying figure and the flickering firelight made Xia Zhu remember nothing. She clumsily imitated Yun Xuan’s movements and started dancing.
Yun Huan, like a silver butterfly, twirled her wrists and moved near the campfire. Her dance was sometimes graceful and sometimes simple, but the smile on her face remained unchanged.
Another person squeezed in from the left and grabbed Xia Zhu's hand in his palm without saying a word.
Xia Zhu turned to stare at his face. Ying Huo's expression was a little strange. He avoided her gaze and said irritably, "What are you looking at? Can't I dance?"
The firelight illuminated his face, making him appear even more translucent, with a faint, shimmering light shining through his skin, but upon closer inspection, he returned to normal.
"Everyone can dance!" Xia Zhu happily raised her hand and, in the middle of her dance steps, caught up with Ji Yinxiu, who was watching from the sidelines. "Everyone has to dance!"
She shouted loudly, took Ji Yinxiu's hand, and followed the crowd, unaware of Ying Huo's terribly sour face on the other side.
They walked on the evening breeze and listened to songs, forgetting everything from the past, just as Yun Huan had said. Some shimmering white lights rose from the crowd, and some unfamiliar faces appeared among them. The lusheng changed to a melodious tune, and as they waved their hands, Xia Zhu saw those faces lingering affectionately. Yun Huan was no longer alone; a man and a woman gently took her hand, and three people—no, four people—turned around in the flames.
Xia Zhu squinted, and all the happy and beautiful scenes flashed before her eyes like flowing light. She could hardly feel the weight of her body, feeling as light as if she were walking on clouds. She suddenly felt that this wasn't so bad, and staying in the village with Ying Huo and Ji Yinxiu wasn't so bad after all.
If they are all willing to stay, then let's build a small courtyard.
Perhaps that natural disaster will never come. Even if the prophecy comes true, she can't save anything. It's better to stay here. If disaster strikes, we can just wait for death like any ordinary person who can't escape it. If we can live peacefully together, then let's live well together.
Perhaps they could cultivate a plot of land, not too big, just enough to eat. In spring they could sow seeds, in summer they could catch fish in the stream, and perhaps in autumn, the three of them could even visit Ji Wuchou.
She remembered that there was an osmanthus tree in front of Jiang Qushui's house.
Ying Huo will most likely outlive her and Ji Yinxiu, so when they are too old to walk, let him do housework, and then on a sunny day, dig a hole and bury them where the sun sets.
Yes, there's nothing wrong with that.
She wanted to forget everything from the past, as if it were just a passing breeze.
"Summer candle".
Ying Huo pulled her out of her brief reverie; her face still held a blissful bewilderment.
"What?" She tiptoed closer to try and hear what he said.
Ying Huo's eyes widened, his gray irises appearing brighter than the moon in the sky, with flames burning within them. For some reason, he felt he couldn't wait any longer. At such close range, only Xia Zhu could hear what he was saying. Perhaps he shouldn't be like this; perhaps he should run to the campfire, perhaps he should shout it out so that everyone could hear.
But only at this moment, Xia Zhu looked only at him, her eyes unable to hold anything else. He wanted to tell her not to appear so sad, not to feel lost. He had no other use, but he lived a long time. Everyone else would leave her, but he would not.
So he made up his mind and finally spoke, carefully uttering her name.
"Summer candle".
"Did I tell you?"
Flames crackled and exploded, pine needles leaped inside, and the heatwave created sparks that swirled like a constellation towards the night sky, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers.
Xia Zhu watched his mouth open and close, but couldn't hear what he was saying.
She tried to get closer, but was pulled away.
Yun Xian smiled and came closer, taking her hand and pulling her aside.
"Sister, thank you for helping me find my father. Let me give you a gift."
"A gift?" Xia Zhu was a little embarrassed, but unexpectedly Yun Xian pulled her in front of her and wrapped her arms around her.
Xia Zhu stared blankly at the girl in his arms.
A hug.
"What kind of gift is this?" she chuckled, secretly thinking it was quite nice.
"Does this count?"
Yunxuan released her and waved something in front of her with her right hand.
Xia Zhu immediately checked her pockets and found that the mugwort sachet her grandfather had sewn for her had been taken by Yun Huan at some point.
“Sister, do you remember what I said? My ghost path is above Ajiu's. She needs a part of a corpse to summon the dead, while I only need one thing related to it.”
Xia Zhu opened her mouth slightly, trying to understand the meaning behind her words, but her heartbeat had already guessed the intention before she could. She nervously clenched her hands, just like when she was participating in a long-distance running competition for the first time.
In competitions like this, the athletes would warm up and prepare in their respective positions first, but before she could even get ready, the sound of the starting gun rang in her ears. Xia Zhu almost forgot to breathe.
A ball of shimmering white light rose between the two of them, and as it landed, it rapidly grew taller. The face that they had longed for day and night, yet which had gradually faded from their memories, suddenly appeared before them.
Xia Zhu felt her fingertips go numb and tremble, and a cold tear slid down her cheek.
"grandfather?"
She called out softly, afraid that if she made too much noise, the light would scatter. But someone gently took her hand and led her to touch the person in front of her. She turned her head blankly to look at Yun Huan, who gave her a mischievous smile.
She gently touched her grandfather's hand; it wasn't rough as she had imagined, but rather cool and smooth, like a piece of silk.
“This is the touch of a spirit.” Yun Xian released Xia Zhu’s hand, gave her a look, and turned to leave.
"Xiaozhu?" Grandpa was surprised to see his granddaughter but showed no fear or confusion. Instead, he took her hand and looked her up and down carefully. "You've grown taller and thinner. Have you gotten a little darker?"
He went on and on, just like he had when he was alive.
Finally, he asked, "Have you been eating and sleeping well? How have you been lately?"
His words, spoken in a familiar accent, lingered in her ears, filling the void of those days. Xia Zhu felt as if she had returned to the small courtyard in her hometown, and that the past was just a dream. She had taken a nap, and when she woke up, she was still Xia Zhu running around in the fields, still her grandfather's most precious relative.
She couldn't hold back any longer and threw herself into her grandfather's arms, crying uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming down her face. She poured out her heart about the days since her grandfather left, determined to tell him all the grievances she had suffered.
She actually wanted him to stop worrying about her, but once she opened her mouth, she couldn't take it back. She wanted to tell him that without him, the world was a vast ocean of suffering.
She was left alone, drifting on the boundless sea, and she simply couldn't handle everything.
She can't do it.
"Grandpa...this world won't even let me dream. I'm sorry, Grandpa...I've never dreamed of you even once..."
"Grandpa... I was too arrogant before... but now I realize I can't do anything right, I'm incapable of doing anything..."
She sobbed uncontrollably, but her grandfather simply patted her back gently.
He said something like, "But you've grown taller and stronger." Xia Zhu straightened up, wiped her face, and looked at her grandfather with a resentful expression.
"Our little candle, she's grown up thanks to her big appetite and can always finish such a big bowl of rice!" As she spoke, she clasped her hands together to make a gesture as big as a washbasin.
"grandfather!"
But Grandpa ignored her and continued talking to himself, "Our Xiaozhu is so well-behaved, and it's all thanks to her own efforts. She gets the best grades in school, always wins first place in sports, respects her teachers outside, and is filial to this old man at home."
"Grandpa is still able to stand here today and see our Xiaozhu, all thanks to you."
The old man took Xia Zhu's hand again, and even though she couldn't feel his warmth, her body felt as if it were melting.
"Our little candle is incredibly smart, incredibly capable, strong and kind, and will always be my pride."
Xia Zhu stood there, tears streaming down her face. She seemed to have forgotten what Xia Zhu was like before. Even without the power of divination and unable to bring the dead back to life, she was still so good in her grandfather's eyes.
Even someone as ordinary as her struggled for eighteen years in this seemingly terrible world.
This certainly seems like something to be proud of.
In her grandfather's eyes, her greatest achievement was simply to live a healthy life.
Now I think I understand why she's standing here.
Xia Zhu wiped away her tears and took the old man's hand. She wanted to say something, but suddenly a tiny spark drifted from somewhere and gently scorched her grandfather's spirit, making a hissing sound. The familiar figure began to sway in the night wind. He opened his mouth and said something, but no sound came out.
"grandfather?"
Xia Zhu didn't know what had happened. She reached out to grab the old man, but her hand was icy cold. The white light and shadow just flew away.
"grandfather!"
What were you about to say? I didn't hear you!
She was panicked and angry, trying to grasp the last glimmer of hope before her, but when she opened her hand, there was nothing there.
She was panting heavily, a buzzing sound in her ears, and through her hazy vision, she heard a commotion erupt from the crowd in the distance. She heard someone calling her name loudly.
Xia Zhu turned her head blankly, and Ying Huo was running towards her amidst the blazing fire.
A fireball fell from the sky, bringing a wave of heat as it struck the ground. Xia Zhu's hand was grabbed, and she was pulled backward. The huge burning object crashed down at her feet, and she stared blankly at it.
"Xia Zhu! Are you alright?" Ying Huo held her arm tightly.
She shook her head and looked up, only to see a raging fire pouring down like a waterfall, spreading across vast areas in an instant, with screams and cries filling the air.
"Heavenly Fire?" Xia Zhu couldn't believe his eyes. "Impossible, Heavenly Fire isn't..."
She suddenly remembered the murals she had seen in the Long Snake Cave. At that time, Feng Feng, with his quick wit, connected all the fragmented murals together. He said that ten thousand years ago, the plains were peaceful and tranquil, but one day a great fire fell from the sky and spread across the plains.
She said that people offered sacrifices and prayed to heaven, hoping to quell their anger, but received no response, so they embarked on a long plan to kill the god.
The celestial fire in the painting comes from ten thousand years ago, not from the present.
unless...
"The order is wrong..."
"What's wrong with the order? Xia Zhu, let's get out of here quickly!" Seeing that she looked dazed, Ying Huo dragged her into the forest.
But Xia Zhu broke free from him and murmured, "The order of the murals is wrong! It's not like what Xiao Feng said, it should be... it should be..." Her voice trembled slightly, and she subconsciously pinched the back of her hand, trying to recall the images in her mind one by one.
"Heavenly fire is a punishment sent down by the gods..."
"Ying Huo! I understand now, the heavenly fire is the god's punishment!"
"Xia Zhu!" Ying Huo grabbed her shoulders and held her firmly in front of him. Xia Zhu had never seen him with such an expression before. His face was indifferent, but his tone left no room for argument.
"Xia Zhu, listen to me, come with me and leave this place. We'll go to a safe place."
“But Yun Jiu and the others…” She glanced at the fleeing crowd and Ji Yinxiu, who was searching for something in the crowd.
"Ignore them!" he shouted, then suddenly softened, "Xia Zhu, ignore them and come with me, okay?"
Xia Zhu was startled by him, but quickly recovered. She asked coldly, "Go with you? Where to? Is there any place in this world that Heavenly Fire cannot reach?"
Ying Huo didn't speak; he lowered his eyes, and a flash of silver light passed by.
Xia Zhu gripped his hand tightly, speaking slowly and deliberately, "What do you know?"
"I...I don't know anything..."
"Even now! You still won't tell me? Who are you? You are Chi You, aren't you? You've lived for ten thousand years, and you even know that there is another god in this world. How could you not know?"
More and more fireballs rained down around her, while only the full moon hung serenely in the sky, radiating its gentle light. She angrily shook off Ying Huo's hand, intending to find Ji Yinxiu and the others, but when she turned around, her body froze in place.
The fire fell like a meteor, tearing away the clouds from the inky sky, making it appear incredibly vast and distant. However, a distinct black spot appeared near the full moon.
The dark spot was growing larger and larger at a visible speed, and its true appearance was gradually becoming clear under the cold moonlight.
The cold, pale fur seemed to brush against the surface of the moon. Xia Zhu could even clearly see the vertical lines in its blood-red eyes and the sharp glints on its fangs. The creature was enormous, obscuring most of the moon.
The earth was dark, and only it coldly and frantically watched over the fleeing beings.
"Ten... Tengu..." someone shouted nearby, "It's Tengu swallowing the moon!"
"It's a celestial dog swallowing the moon!"
"The prophecy has come true; natural disaster has truly struck!"
The screams almost pierced the eardrums, and flames roared through the forest. The distant, winding mountain range was not spared. Xia Zhu heard cries of agony that did not belong to humans, rising from all directions.
She stared intently at the figure beside the moon, as if at some point her gaze met itss.
In just a second, Xia Zhu was plunged into an endless sea of blood, and the reflection in its eyes was like a scene from hell.
"Little White?" she murmured.
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