Chapter 137 Pretending to be dirty to break into the door (Three-in-one e...)
Finally revealing the secret hidden in her heart, Qi Tang turned her back, her cheeks flushed red all the way to her ears, and hurriedly fled the spot, looking like a frightened deer.
He drifted three zhang before hurriedly stopping, forcing himself to slow his breathing. As if searching for something to tie himself up, he reached into his sleeve with his right hand, going deeper and deeper until he touched the cold sheath of the dagger, before suddenly straightening his back.
I brushed it with my fingertips, then rolled it into my palm, and it felt as if countless birds were fluttering and jumping around in my heart.
Qi Tang suppressed her racing heartbeat and pretended to take a step to inspect the area. Her gaze swept over every dark crevice in the passageway as if she were facing a formidable enemy, but her thoughts were as muddled as spilled ink.
The steam rising from her face grew increasingly hot, and she couldn't help but quicken her pace, when suddenly a dense rustling sound entered her ears.
A premonition suddenly cast a large shadow.
Qi Tang's fingers stiffened, she breathed softly, her heartstrings tightened instantly, and she subconsciously slowed her pace, wanting to retreat but it was too late!
In the shadows around the corner, countless blood-red eyes lit up, piercing the ground, walls, and even the cracks in the rocks overhead... In an instant, they seized the food that had intruded.
Then, in an instant, like a completely boiling tide, it surged forth, layer upon layer, trampling and pressing down, impatiently rushing in—
Qi Tang unconsciously retreated hastily, gripping the dagger in her sleeve in horror, channeling her spiritual power, and slashing with the blade.
The foul-smelling flesh and blood splattered out in an instant, and were devoured by the surging swarm of rats in a flash.
A sense of revulsion and chill crept up his spine, while a surging black tide, like a swamp, climbed up his legs and feet, and sharp teeth gnawed at his flesh through his clothes.
That's disgusting!
Qi Tang was so disgusted that her face turned pale, and she completely lost her composure. She used her spiritual power to slash wildly with her sword and stomped around haphazardly with her legs.
Just as he was desperately trying to shake these things off, a sword gust of wind struck from behind, severing several vicious rats that were lunging at his face in two.
The sword tip, which had been thrusting straight at them, was cold and swiftly slid across their legs, instantly slinging away the rats that had been shredded into bloody mincemeat.
A dark figure stood in front of the horde of rats, its narrow, long sword trembling rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the area within three feet was a pool of blood.
The situation suddenly reversed. The two worked together, and wherever their swords passed, limbs and bones were scattered. Even so, it took a lot of effort to completely wipe out the endless horde of rats that seemed to have burst its banks.
People were covered in blood.
The black cloak was soaked with bits of flesh and blood, dripping thickly onto the ground. Qi Tang endured for a moment, then threw it to the ground along with the mask covered in thick blood.
Leng Xue sheathed his sword and stood there, turning around alertly at the sound.
Then I saw that her clothes were loose, and strands of wet hair were wrapped around her porcelain-white neck like green snakes.
A breeze blew through her thin sweat, and the rising heat made her cheeks blush pink and her eyelids bright red.
Leng Xue felt a chill run down his spine, his sharp, icy gaze snapped shut, and he hastily shrank back into the ground.
For some unknown reason, her lips parted and then pressed tightly together, revealing a childlike shyness and helplessness.
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Their gazes met briefly before quickly averting.
Qi Tang was taken aback, then her gaze locked onto him.
The shyness and irritability she felt earlier had been largely dispelled by the swarm of rats. She wasn't usually shy, but as she was just beginning to experience romantic feelings, she was inevitably nervous. Seeing Leng Xue reveal his innocent and shy side, she felt a sweet calmness in her heart.
Seeing that his knuckles were white from clenching his fist, she suddenly realized the key point. Fearing that he would feel guilty and remorseful and do something to hurt himself again, she hurriedly said, "I'm not hurt, not at all."
Then, his gaze hurriedly swept over Leng Xue's entire body, "What about you? Are you injured?"
His cold, statue-like face remained unchanged, but his tongue was stiff as iron. His gaze immediately shifted away, and after a long pause, he finally said, "No."
No one knew that as soon as he said those words, he would bite his lower lip tightly.
Leng Xue has always focused on swordsmanship and disliked reading. His introverted nature also prevents him from learning the witty banter of others. Even if he carefully crafts his words before speaking, he would never utter sweet talk, preferring to remain silent rather than regret saying the wrong thing.
That's just how he is.
But in the end, he managed to utter only two words, and then felt a dryness in his throat and a lingering unease. Deep emotions lay hidden beneath the calm surface of the sea, piling up into ruins, heavily pulling him down.
As if trapped in a transparent, invisible dome, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
Cold-blooded, he adjusted his breathing and, after a moment, gave another reply: "...These beasts live by eating carrion."
After he finished speaking, his blue eyes turned frosty.
Qi Tang had no doubts and her gaze followed the movement downwards, landing on the remains scattered on the ground. These gray rats, living underground, must have been raised by humans to have multiplied to such a large number.
If they eat human flesh, then their ferocious appearance earlier can be explained.
Could it be that the large number of missing people in the northern desert were all fed into the bellies of giant rats?
Qi Tang frowned. Could this monster have some strange habit of keeping rats as pets?
However, the rats have been wiped out, but the people are still trapped in the tunnel. If they don't hurry to get out, they might alert the rats and become passive.
Without consulting Xiao, Leng Xue had already taken his sword and followed Qi Tang to her side, never leaving her side.
The cave was a maze of interconnected passages, but fortunately, Leng Xue had exceptional hearing and could determine his location simply by the sound of the wind and dripping water.
The exit resembled a sunken pit, deep underground, with damp, sticky, dark red soil exposed like a mass grave, and countless bits of flesh and hair interspersed among tattered clothes and scraps of cloth.
Mottled bloodstains covered the ground with debris, and an overwhelming stench of decay filled the air. Only a few brightly colored wild grasses remained, drawing sustenance from the blood and flesh.
Below that are the waist badges of the silver-clad constables.
His cold-blooded hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his burning anger ignited, and his sharp eyes were filled with a bone-chilling murderous intent.
He may seem cold and aloof, but he is actually very sentimental. How could he not be grief-stricken when his comrades who were working alongside him to catch the criminal were brutally murdered and fed to animals?
Not to mention that this sea of blood was stained with the lives of countless people, and Leng Xue was now filled with rage, determined to pay for the blood debt.
After Qi Tang followed Song Ju into the world, she witnessed countless evil deeds, cruel and bloody acts, which made her determination to exorcise demons stronger day by day.
However, her gaze swept over the waist tokens that looked similar in the sea of blood—stuck diagonally in the foul-smelling mud like broken pieces of wood.
This is not just the life of a respectable and righteous man, but also the life of a brother whom Leng Xue could entrust with his life.
The language was too barren for Qi Tang to utter a single word.
A moment later, it was Leng Xue who spoke first, his killing intent hidden beneath his calm demeanor: "The sword in my hand will not let any wicked person go unpunished."
Although Leng Xue is fierce and passionate, he would never act impulsively, especially not in a situation like this. When he draws his sword, it must be swift, accurate, and ruthless.
The exit was located above the mortuary, locked like a sealed cellar, about five zhang above the ground, resembling a dilapidated building.
Fortunately, Leng Xue was skilled in using light-footed techniques to climb over walls, and Qi Tang still had spiritual power to help her. With a thrust of her sword, a large hole was broken in the cellar door!
The two burst through the door.
Looking up, one sees only desolation in all directions, with the outline of a deserted city standing in the thick fog in the distance.
What desolate city is there in the northern desert? The two exchanged a silent glance, their hearts sinking, especially Qi Tang's.
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As the sun sets, its reddish-yellow light spills onto the riddled city walls, resembling age-old bloodstains.
The tattered flags fluttered overhead, and the city gates, covered in scratches, were tightly shut, making it look like a dead city devoid of life, yet chaotic footsteps echoed from within.
Is the place inside the gate the ghost market we've been searching for, or a complete den of monsters?
There's no reason to be afraid before the battle even begins. Cold Blood lowered his eyes, his body completely shielding Qi Tang, and he gathered strength in his palm, gripping the sword hilt tightly.
With a slight exertion of the other hand, the city gate slowly opened.
A musty smell wafted in on the cold wind, and strands of hair swirled gently.
The gap gradually widened—
People, crowded together, wearing black cloaks and covered with wooden masks, filled the main city road like raindrops.
With a creak, the long, thin figures were startled by the hoarse sound of the door being pushed open and stopped abruptly.
Immediately afterwards, as if they had all heard some kind of command, they turned around one after another, their hat brims obscuring their eyes, staring at them with dark eyes that sent chills down their spines.
It was as if it were being watched by a nest of spiders eager to hunt and feed, a deathly silence that would instill fear in any living creature.
An eerie silence loomed closer, like a giant maw. Qi Tang's taut heart pounded with unease. She gathered her spiritual power and gripped the dagger tighter and tighter.
The wind howled and the cranes cried.
As they stood locked in a stalemate, the cloaked figure, no more than ten feet away, suddenly approached. He was slightly shorter, his steps were slow, and his voice was hoarse with a hint of old age: "Young man."
He lowered his head, and a hoarse voice, seemingly squeezed from his throat, asked, "Where did you come from?"
He opened his lips and coldly uttered three words: "The Hall of Yama, the King of Hell."
Having said that, he thrust his unsheathed sword straight at the attacker's vital point, his sword intent already carrying the aura of "those who block my way will die."
This sword strike was swift and fast, its killing intent even more ferocious than the sword's tip, enough to terrify anyone. Unexpectedly, the cloaked figure neither dodged nor evaded, but instead let out a strange, grating laugh from his chest.
A flash of cold light pierced through the cloak, but instead of a scream, the piercing missed its target!
It wasn't that he dodged the fierce sword strike, but rather that the sword tip pierced his brow like a drum skin, puncturing his breath, and in an instant, a layer of human skin piled up at his feet.
The large cloak ripped apart with a snap, revealing the stark white bones beneath.
It was a bone wolf standing upright!
Caught off guard, Leng Xue's pupils suddenly contracted.
Before he could react, the sea of figures around them suddenly threw their heads back and laughed loudly, their voices sharp and piercing. They staggered and moved, surrounding the two of them like paper dolls made of bamboo strips.
Those standing beneath the cloaks were either colleagues, innocent civilians, or fellow sufferers in the wilderness.
The bones he couldn't find in the sinkhole's dark passages were all here.
Leng Xue drew his sword, his face cold and stern, and blocked Qi Tang's path. With a shout, he advanced without retreating, slashing at the gap where the neck bones were joined, about to sever the bone man's head!
He was never excited or afraid because he was cold-blooded and only knew how to kill.
With this unrestrained sword strike, the wolf's skull, with its black hole between its brows, was severed at the neck and fell to the ground with a thud.
Even after its head was severed from its body, the protruding snout continued to open and close with a clicking sound, and in an instant, it uttered human speech, its tone cryptic: "The sword is sharp, but... can you kill them all?"
The headless skeleton, which had been standing still, suddenly retreated, as the surrounding black tide pressed in, lunging forward in a frenzy—
The Cold-Blooded Sword flashed with a cold light, using offense as defense, slashing forward and employing all forty-nine fast sword techniques. If beheading was useless, it would cut off the limbs, and if that was still useless, it would break the bones into pieces. Every strike was a ruthless killing method.
At the same time, he remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on Qi Tang out of the corner of his eye, determined not to let the bone figures get close. Qi Tang then manipulated her spiritual power to create a barrier, keeping the surging bone figures ten feet away. The two worked in perfect harmony, one attacking and the other defending.
Sword light flashed, and human skin and bones piled up into a thick layer of soil, and in the blink of an eye, there was a crackling sound of bones breaking.
Qi Tang clenched her jaw, her eyes stinging, her heart pounding in her throat, and she deeply regretted not bringing the Qiongju Sword.
These skeletal figures are without feeling or pain, and do not stiffen even after death. For the two of them alone to try to wipe them all out is nothing short of wishful thinking.
What to do, what to do!!
She was so anxious her eyes were practically bleeding. That damned Song Ju, he didn't come when he should have, and he even took the sword with him, leaving her completely helpless.
Qi Tang felt cold all over, and under the attack of thousands of skeletons, her spiritual energy was rapidly circulating and about to be exhausted. Her face was as white as if covered with frost, and her spiritual sea was painful and unbearable.
As for Leng Xue, in a battle between masters, the difference between the slightest margin can lead to a huge difference. Leng Xue should be single-minded, let alone when his opponents outnumber him by a thousand times!
Those who are preoccupied with worldly concerns will inevitably be slow in their swordplay. No matter how strong their fighting spirit or how reckless they are, they will still fall into a lower-level position.
In the blink of an eye during the fierce battle, Leng Xue was pierced by three sharp white bones, blood flowing freely. It was clear that the next stab aimed at his shoulder blade was unavoidable.
Or rather, Leng Xue had no intention of avoiding the situation at all, and fought the opponent to the death like a wild beast.
He was never afraid of injuries; on the contrary, he became more courageous with each injury!
However, he was not afraid, but some people were terrified and raised their arms to stop him without regard for the consequences.
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The expected clang of bone colliding with steel did not occur; instead, blood splattered up a foot high, and excruciating pain struck.
Thick blood gushed out like an underground river, and the wounds cut open by the white bone clearly showed how the flesh had been torn apart.
Qi Tang stood frozen in place, her ears ringing, staring intently at her arms that should have been tempered by black iron and impervious to swords and blades.
A sharp, burning pain surged up, penetrating deep into my bones, and my entire arm throbbed with pain in sync with my heartbeat.
Qi Tang couldn't help but feel dazed, wondering if she was still in the nightmare.
Otherwise, how could that be? She should be made of steel; even if the Jade Sword could break her, it could only shatter her soul.
Only in that nightmare-like dream had she experienced such visceral pain. But the suffering in the dream was merely a mental illusion; the nightmare itself had long since shattered.
No one in the world knows better than her why it shattered and how it shattered.
How could that be?
.
A foot-long spray of blood, like a blazing red sword, suddenly pierced Leng Xue's eye socket, burning him with pus.
Blood vessels burst open in the eye sockets, creating a bloody mist. Cold Blood's blood was churning under his skin, almost breaking free of its restraints along with his eyeballs.
He roared, his bones trembling, completely enraged, and pounced back like a madman, delivering a vicious sword strike!
In his crimson eyes, only that blood-stained skeleton remained.
A cold glint and a flash of blood suddenly appeared!
The skeleton, attacked from behind at a tricky angle, was suddenly severed and fell to the ground.
Leng Xue, as if possessed, was filled with an indomitable rage and a determination to crush the bones to ashes. He allowed the other bone figures to stab him, and in an instant, more than a dozen bloody cuts appeared on his body, each one penetrating deep into his bone marrow. Yet, he trembled completely.
Each additional wound provides another opportunity to tear them to pieces.
This person is completely reckless. Every attack is like a precise machine, with the timing, force, and angle perfectly executed. He specializes in moves that lead to mutual destruction and never defends himself.
He was even less afraid of pain than a skeleton that wouldn't stiffen after death. The more blood he bled, the fiercer his swordplay became, and the more ferocious his aura grew, making him seem like a madman fighting for his life!
The situation changed in the blink of an eye. Leng Xue's figure moved as fast as the wind. By the time Qi Tang could see him clearly, he was already bathed in a pool of blood, with countless holes in his body.
My vision blurred instantly after focusing, and the intense tears welled up like nails in my eyes, completely uncontrollable.
It felt as if a giant iron hammer had struck, squeezing my heart so hard it was about to burst, and some extremely intense and out-of-control emotion completely took over.
The depleted spiritual energy suddenly erupted, as if it were a final counterattack after being suppressed to the limit. The skeletal figures that were besieging the area were overturned like waves by the burst of purple light, and there were cracking sounds all over the ground.
Qi Tang staggered forward, swallowing the blood that welled up in her throat, her eyes bloodshot: "Leng Lingqi!"
The blood-soaked, upright figure suddenly froze for a moment.
Trembling hands gently covered her battered arms, the touch so light it sent a tingling, feather-like sensation through her. The wounds on her body finally began to heat up, causing her heart to clench.
The stiff, iron-like muscles slowly relaxed, carrying an unknown sense of longing and tenderness.
The wolf boy, who was good at suppressing his emotions, finally let go of his attachment when he was seriously injured and on the verge of death.
Through the hazy mist of blood, Leng Xue couldn't make out Qi Tang's expression, only a pair of crimson eyes. But his nose was too sensitive; how could he not smell the salty scent of tears at such close range?
His fingers clenched in mid-air for a moment, then he clenched his fist tightly, casting aside the overwhelming pain in his heart, and strangely, a burning sensation of blood rose up that made his spine tremble.
—She was crying for me.
This thought consumed him completely. He felt that his own life was worthless, and the thought of dying for her gave rise to an extreme, primal passion within him.
His unfocused gaze gradually focused...
Bloodstained eyes fell on the gash on Qi Tang's arm, and suddenly the fingertips dug into the palm, leaving a bloody mess.
His heart pounded violently, his knuckles cracked from gripping the sword, and he suddenly drew the sword, injuring himself in the same spot, stabbing it right through!
Completely insane behavior.
The sword light pierced through his arm, and Qi Tang froze on the spot like a puppet.
Her pupils trembled, as if she had been stabbed in mid-air, and her whole body seemed to have been stripped naked and pressed into a cold pool.
As the words were spoken, the skeletal figure that had been blasted away by the spiritual power slowly stood up. The skeleton, now missing its wolf head, watched from the sidelines, cackling strangely as if it had just watched a good show: "So what if you killed all the bone generals?"
His voice was as unpredictable as a ghost: "I have long seen that you are also a monster of wolf bones and human skin. Your hands are already piled high with mountains of corpses and seas of blood."
Beyond the howls emanating from deep within his throat, the hunched spine, the bloodlust in his eyes, and the ambush tactics typical of wild wolves, what was even more distorted was the heart of a monster that no one could truly understand. His hoarse voice carried contempt and seduction: "Covered in flesh and blood, you are still one of us, ultimately rejected by the world. Do you truly wish to live alone?"
The wolf skeleton, dismantled into pieces, moved and climbed toward the center of the encirclement, peeling away its unhealed old scars step by step, like a tide gnawing at the soul.
Those skeletal wolves, some standing and some crawling, when draped in human skin, become wolf demons in the eyes of the world.
And what about him?
Is it just a disguise, or is it merely a facade?
It's true that Leng Xue hates evil, but since his debut at a young age, has he never wrongly killed or injured an innocent person?
This torment tormented him constantly, and the shadow that followed clung to him like maggots to his bones.
This made him feel deeply fearful and regretful. If he had killed someone he shouldn't have because of a moment of courage, how would he be any different from a demon who harms people?
No matter how much he feels guilty, self-destructive, compensatory, or anxious, if he really killed someone by mistake, how can he make up for it in the face of human life?
His organs were being churned inside his body, and he was breathing painfully, his neck stiff as he dared not look into Qi Tang's eyes.
The usually ruthless and cold-blooded man was suddenly overcome with an urge to flee.
The trauma of being abandoned in the wilderness as a child, the conflict between bestiality and humanity, the guilt and regret of almost killing an innocent person... countless pains repeatedly plunged him into the dark and lightless wolf's den.
He knew his cold-bloodedness would stay with him for life, and he would never be able to recover.
Only the blood flowing from the scars can moisten a parched heart.
He was so pathetic...
He gripped his unsheathed sword tightly, a mocking and disdainful smile playing on his lips, as if addressing no one in particular: "Don't bother with me."
Even if what you say is true—
Before he could finish his sentence, another trembling voice interrupted him: "Turning black into white!"
Cold-blooded heart clenched suddenly. The moment the words entered his ears, the noise around him receded like a tide, leaving only the heavy, unsteady sound of breathing.
Qi Tang wiped away the hot tears streaming down her face with the back of her hand. At this moment, in those distorted and poisoned words, she finally glimpsed the full picture of that incomprehensible, obscure, and muddy storm.
Behind all the intractable problems and contradictions lie only old scars that can never be healed.
In that moment of sudden inspiration, it was as if she had truly connected with another wounded soul, inspiring in her a newfound resolve.
It is a determination that a sword would never possess.
Only when love gave her flesh and blood did she truly understand.
Qi Tang swallowed her sobs, her voice firm and resolute as she said, word by word, "You are the only utterly depraved demon. No matter how eloquent you are, you cannot turn white into black."
"Leng Lingqi is indeed decisive in his actions, but he is a person who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside and hates evil as if it were his enemy."
Cold-blooded's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he interrupted in a hoarse voice: "Do you know I have a nickname, Cold-blooded? How do you know I haven't killed innocent people?"
Have you ever peeled back the skin to see the filthy bones beneath?
Cold-blooded, cold-blooded.
Qi Tang silently repeated it twice, feeling that life is unpredictable. A month ago, she probably would have avoided this nickname as soon as she heard it, regarding the person as a cruel and heartless executioner.
Who would have thought that there could be such a person in the world who is cold-blooded in killing enemies but passionate in loyalty and righteousness?
She looked at Leng Xue with teary eyes: "I knew that even if you killed the wrong person, you would never kill indiscriminately. A numb and cold-blooded person would never feel pain because of this. The hand that holds the sword moves only based on the clues you have and your duty as a constable."
No one is perfect, and in a critical moment, who can guarantee that they will never make a wrong judgment? Even the strictest laws have wrongly punished innocent people.
Facing this reality head-on, taking responsibility, and moving forward with a sense of guilt in mind to save more innocent people is also a form of justice.
“After you emerged from the Nightmare Realm, I knew you were a wolf who had been educated and brought into the human world. You were ignorant of worldly affairs and only knew that things in the world were black and white.”
"But someone has already taught you about love, righteousness, good and evil, and taught you to have a steadfast, righteous, pure and tender heart. So what if you have wolf bones? You are not a monster."
Something deep inside me collapsed completely, and with a sense of panic, I fell into a bottomless abyss, plummeting heavily downwards.
Leng Xue felt a swelling in his chest, as if he had been forced into a furnace, the heat intense, the flames piercing his heart. An even more intense, burning emotion filled him with utter panic and fear.
My heart pounded and struggled violently with her words, but it was like grass caught in a hurricane, unable to grasp anything solid.
In the flickering corner of his eye, a frost-covered blade formed from shattered bones flashed with a cold light, and his cold-blooded eyes flickered, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.
For some reason, at that moment, he suddenly remembered the badly injured, lame wolf, and a certain fanatical thought leaped into his mind.
Cold-blooded heart suddenly raced, his spine stiffened as if he were standing in a sturdy stance, sweat pouring down his back. He neither dodged nor flinched, but was about to let the sword, which he could have avoided, pierce his left chest.
He silently retorted in his heart: He is indeed a monster.
He craved the thrill of near-death, and even more so, he craved tenderness. His cold-blooded mind had never been so tense, as if this sword would bring the final answer.
His gaze was fixed on Qi Tang's face, unwilling to miss the slightest change in expression, carrying a trembling sense of desperate gamble.
He thought, this is the last time.
However, this irreversible sword strike was intercepted in mid-air by another sword!
At the point where the blades met, the bone sword, its brittle bones bound together, was annihilated by the recoil.
Purple lightning crackled around the blade, and a sharp sword aura swept out three zhang (approximately 10 meters) – it was none other than the Qiongju Sword!
Cold-blooded pupils narrowed slightly involuntarily, and his resolute and sharp face froze for a moment as he stared intently at the suddenly appearing purple sword.
Qi Tang withdrew her sword stance, staring at the all-too-familiar sword for a fleeting moment, lost in thought.
From the moment she was born, she became the true master of the Qiongju Sword, unique in the world and irreplaceable.
She no longer needs to depend on the sword master for survival, but is truly her own master of the sword intent.
Qi Tang clutched her chest, then slowly revealed a relieved smile. She gripped the hilt of her sword, and with a burst of killing intent, threw it out. A purple light flashed, and the blade spun like a boomerang!
The sword energy seemed to cleave mountains and break seas as it cleaved, instantly cutting the dense pile of bone figures, which resembled raindrops, in half.
She raised her head and looked directly at Leng Xue: "Do you know that I also only have a body of black steel? Because of you, I have developed a heart that understands love and affection, and I have also grown flesh and blood."
"Do you also see me as a monster?"
Like an axe cleaving a mountain, striking a bronze bell, these few words resonated so deeply that every bone in Leng Xue's body trembled.
His pupils darted around, and he seemed to have lost his voice completely, as if his throat had been cut.
The purple sword, still rampaging through the pile of skeletons, grew larger and larger in his pupils, and the words stored in his memory echoed in his ears—
"This sword is named Qiongju, a perfect match for you, young hero!"
'I like you, that's why I want to give myself to you.'
'Because of you, I developed a heart that understands love and affection, and I grew flesh and blood.'
His cold-blooded face burned with heat, his blood churned and surged, and his rapid breathing couldn't suppress the heat. He felt as if each word was a curse binding and devouring him.
He almost wanted to cut out his heart, teach her to swallow it whole, to become a complete part of her, and to digest it for the rest of her life.
Leng Xue gasped for breath, struggling to draw in the increasingly thin air. Unable to move, he could only watch as Qi Tang stepped forward and snatched the sheathless sword.
His mind was like a piece of rusty scrap metal, completely unable to function.
Qi Tang lowered her eyes and stared at the sword, which was full of nicks and sharp edges, her knuckles tightening.
In the blink of an eye, he turned and stabbed himself in the same spot where he had coldly injured himself.
Scalding blood splattered onto Leng Xue's pale red face, like sparks about to scorch a hole in it.
Cold-blooded eyes instantly turned bloodshot, a deep and fierce wolf howl roared from his chest, and his hand gripped the sword blade tightly, his knuckles protruding.
The blood that spilled from his palm dripped down the sword and mingled with Qi Tang's wound.
Qi Tang's voice was soft but firm: "A Qi, you are no longer alone. From now on, we will share the pain and the sweetness. Even in death, we will be buried together."
It is not just Ah Leng, the wolf boy with pure bestiality in the Nightmare Realm, nor the cold-blooded law enforcement officer, but the entirety of Leng Lingqi.
She pointed to herself, revealing an extremely gentle smile, her mouth opening and closing as if she had returned to the time when she was learning to speak in the Nightmare Realm: "A-Qi".
Abandoned as a child, he has found a place to rest for the rest of his life.
Qi Tang gripped Leng Xue's hand tightly, her warmth enough to melt even the hardest ice.
Leng Xue stood frozen in place, straining his pupils to discern the opening and closing of her lips, as if struck in the soul, his entire being stolen away.
How can a gamble where you have to risk everything not involve offering up chips?
Qi Tang leaned forward slightly, gently wrapping her arms around Leng Xue's wounded back, pressing her head against his violently trembling heart, and gently rubbing her chin against him: "I'm here, I know everything."
Everything in the world seemed to be shut out by this airtight embrace.
Qi Tang's hand clumsily stroked his back, as if soothing a frightened animal: "You don't need to rush to get better or move on." Her voice was low, carrying a silent, complete acceptance: "Ling Qi."
This name carries his deepest inferiority and pain, which at this moment is worth more than a thousand words of love.
This means that someone is willing to accept all his unbearable pain and suffering, and a certain deficiency has been completely filled.
That restless, anxious, self-destructive heart suddenly came to a stop, arriving at its destination with unspeakable love.
For the first time, Leng Xue felt at peace.
Perhaps true healing always means coexisting with all the pain.
The old wound that had been throbbing in his heart for years quietly subsided. The wolves taught him how to survive, his master taught him about good and evil, loyalty and righteousness, and she taught him about love and trust.
Qi Tang tilted his head back, his fingertips touching the edge of the mask, and slowly peeled it off, revealing the young man's handsome and aloof face.
Such a sharp and easily broken sword has finally revealed its inner fragility.
Qi Tang's fingertips touched the corners of his burning eyes. She pursed her lips, her face flushed as she looked at him, and suddenly asked, "Aren't you going to kiss me?"
“Aqi”.
Before the words were even finished, an awkward and rough kiss landed, filled with a fully aroused possessiveness and an almost domineering sense of confirmation.
Cold-blooded eyes were red, feeling both pleasure and a suffocating pain in his heart.
All language and thoughts were completely disordered.
All that remained was that burning kiss in the twilight.
Suddenly, a massive fire erupted behind them, engulfing the entire dilapidated and desolate city, which was filled with cries of despair, and sending embers flying everywhere.
With a single kiss, the raging fire was extinguished.
As the thick darkness descended, the city road beneath my feet suddenly transformed into the bricks of a desolate temple.
Leng Xue's gaze suddenly shifted, and he subconsciously pulled Qi Tang into his arms. When the two looked up, they saw that the two Buddha statues in the hall had been cut in half at the waist, and were empty inside. Only two thin, skeletal skeletons lay dead at their feet.
His abdomen was sunken deep, and even though he was dead, he kept vomiting yellow and white substances from his mouth. Gold and silver treasures were piled up like mountains in the hall, including stolen silver that the silver-clad constables were responsible for escorting.
Qi Tang murmured, "So it's a slug."
Leng Xue picked up the scattered fragments of the Buddha statue from the ground, his tone soft and somewhat awkward. With his eyes lowered and his heart pounding, he tentatively approached: "I thought such evil things would fear the Buddha's light, but I didn't expect them to be hiding inside the statue."
Qi Tang looked toward the Buddha statue and said, "That's certainly true. Perhaps the Buddha statue wasn't contaminated."
The ritual of "filling the cavity" refers to the process of filling the internal cavity of a Buddha statue with scriptures, mantras, sacred objects, grains, spices, etc.
A solitary, empty shell can only be whole when it is filled with filth.
Despite the pain, Leng Xue rushed over and thoroughly investigated the area. As he passed the ruins of the wrathful Vajra Buddha statue, he noticed a small piece of sky-blue fabric pressed against the inside.
His expression was cold and stern. He drew his unsheathed sword, flicked the tip, and picked the object out.
It's true that the fierce-looking Vajra wasn't disguised as a criminal, but inside, a bulging money bag had been left behind, as if someone had discarded ashes.
Upon opening, it was found to be filled with gems never seen before, with smooth edges and a faint white light flickering inside.
It is a spirit stone.
Qi Tang was stunned.
The demon died and the 'realm' was broken. The sword marks on the Buddha statue were obvious to everyone, even without knowing who had done it.
She wasn't surprised that Song Ju was nowhere to be seen. This man always did things his own way. If he had come to greet her before leaving, she would have been really scared.
Until I saw this whole bag of spirit stones.
She suddenly realized that she had never truly understood Song Ju. For a moment, she couldn't understand what kind of mentality such a cold, taciturn person had in leaving behind the spirit stone and then departing without a word.
Perhaps it was a moment of soft-heartedness and remembrance of past affection, or perhaps it was a momentary lapse of judgment. It couldn't possibly be because he was afraid she would be abandoned and become a sword at the mercy of others, with no one to rely on in the future.
The beast's instinct kicked in again, and a cold, ruthless gaze swept over, carrying a silent hostility and clumsy concern.
All thoughts were instantly banished from her mind. Qi Tang gripped the spirit stone tightly, and the warm purple light brushed over the bloody wounds on their bodies.
In short, everything is settled.
Qi Tang smiled sweetly and turned her head to say, "A Qi, will you take me home?"
Upon hearing this, Leng Xue's ears instantly turned as red as a crane's crest, and the surging heat of his blood rushed into his head, causing him to feel oxygen-deprived and his heart to palpitate.
However, the word "home" was too warm and tender, reminding him of his uncle and his three senior brothers who were as close as brothers, so much so that he couldn't help but feel a surge of tenderness.
He had never felt his heart swell so much, as if it were filled with countless suspended fireworks.
Leng Xuezhen's gaze trembled, and he revealed a smile that could be described as warm: "Let's go home."
His smile was like clouds dispersing and the sun rising.
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Author's Note: It's finished!! I'll start thinking about what side stories to write tomorrow!!
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