How could this happen...? What on earth happened...?
He walked through the ruins of the courtyard, feeling dizzy and disoriented. He opened his mouth, but the raging storm in his heart could only utter a mournful whimper like a trapped beast.
Master, where are you?
Qin Moyu was anxious and frantically searched the courtyard, hoping that the old Taoist priest would suddenly appear from some corner and say that it was all just a joke.
But no.
There's nothing left.
Qin Moyu tripped over a protruding stone on the ground in a daze. He didn't care about the mud between his fingers or how dirty his clothes were. He struggled to get up, but no matter how many times he searched the courtyard or how many times he called out "Master" with a sob in his voice, he still didn't see the person he wanted to see.
Until he saw the congealed brown bloodstains in the messy dirt and the unburnt wooden beams, a possibility took root in his heart like a mad weed. The self-deception of not wanting to believe reality and the verifiable truth exploded in his mind.
But the fact is the fact. No matter how Qin Moyu tried to convince herself, she couldn't stop the four words that kept popping into her mind—Master is dead.
Moreover, his body was destroyed to cover up the crime, and no trace of his existence could be found.
The familiar home was reduced to ruins, and the person who said they would wait for him to return also disappeared into the ruins, leaving him unable to see them one last time.
Qin Moyu knelt in agony amidst the ruins, tears streaming down his face like broken beads, mingling with the scorched earth. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
When the pain is extreme, even tears are silent.
Unseen by anyone, a cold glint flashed in the shadows. While Qin Moyu was lost in grief and completely unprepared, the premeditated attacker suddenly sprang out and stabbed fiercely at Qin Moyu.
At the critical moment, the remnant soul deep within Qin Moyu's soul suddenly erupted with intense light, and at the same time, the jade pendant around his neck also vibrated. The attacker's attack was blocked by the shield that the jade pendant deployed. At the same time, a red lotus karmic fire appeared out of thin air and struck the attacker's hand hard.
As the frost spread up his palm, the attacker gritted his teeth and used his other hand to sever his arm in the middle with his sword. He let out a muffled groan as his arm was severed, blood spurting out, some drops even splashing onto Qin Moyu's face.
Knowing he was no match for Qin Moyu, he didn't linger in the fight and chose to turn and run away.
But after running only a few steps, an earthen wall suddenly appeared beneath his feet, blocking his escape route.
He turned around and saw Qin Moyu stand up from the ground, his clothes covered in mud and dust, and countless red lotus flames instantly enveloping the two of them.
"Where is Master...?"
Qin Moyu's voice was hoarse, and his once clear, glassy eyes turned dark. Sadness and anger intertwined, causing him to lose his mind. The congealed blood on his face was like tears of blood flowing from the depths of his heart.
Moreover, as he used the Red Lotus Karmic Fire without restraint, the eerie patterns on his face continued to deepen and change, and even with all his might, his remnant soul could only prevent the patterns from spreading further.
Realizing he had nowhere to run, the attacker raised his sword in an attempt to end his own life, but it was too late.
"tell me!"
With a furious roar, Qin Moyu unleashed countless red lotus karmic flames that rained down, creating deep and shallow craters on the ground.
Qin Moyu's last shred of reason prevented him from killing the attacker, but the Red Lotus Karmic Fire instantly froze the attacker's limbs. The pain and numbness of his skin cracking inch by inch filled his entire body, and the biting cold made the attacker's breathing rapid and his vision blurred.
cold.
It's too cold.
The attacker made painful "uh-uh" sounds from his throat; the piercing cold slowed his thoughts.
Qin Moyu appeared in front of him without him noticing, one hand gripping the attacker's neck, his fingertips turning bluish-white, staring intently at the attacker.
His eyes were empty, like jade that had lost its luster. His hands trembled as he spoke, but he still said, word by word, "Tell me, where is Master?"
Qin Moyu's voice became hoarse and muffled. He gripped the attacker's fingers even tighter, his nails piercing the attacker's skin and oozing specks of scarlet blood.
The attacker gasped for breath like a dying fish. He tried to pry Qin Moyu's hands off him, but his limbs wouldn't budge. The prolonged lack of oxygen had caused his pupils to sag. Finally, unable to endure the torment any longer, he struggled and uttered two words: "Dead..."
With just those two words, Qin Moyu felt as if all her strength had been drained away. She released her grip, and the attacker groaned and fell to the ground.
With his last hope dashed, Qin Moyu finally despaired. He frantically used Red Lotus Karmic Fire on the attacker until he was too exhausted to use it any longer and collapsed to the ground.
The massive red lotus fire blanketed everything in white, as if a heavy snow had just fallen on a sunny afternoon.
Qin Moyu sat there blankly amidst the snow-covered ruins, her head bowed, as if her soul had been stolen, leaving only an empty shell.
When Shen Yebai arrived, he saw Qin Moyu in a state of near despair.
"Mo Yu!"
Shen Yebai was equally incredulous when he saw the courtyard reduced to ruins, but he instantly understood what had happened.
The place where he had always lived was destroyed, and the fate of his master, whom he was as close as a father, was unknown. These blows were too sudden, how could Qin Moyu bear them?
Shen Yebai dropped the things he had bought for Qin Moyu. Seeing Qin Moyu like this, he felt extremely heartbroken. He knelt down on one knee and hugged Qin Moyu with trembling hands.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
At this moment, Shen Yebai was filled with resentment for leaving Qin Moyu alone to face such a painful reality.
Qin Moyu ignored Shen Yebai's words. He stared blankly at the ground, like a soulless puppet, showing no reaction to the outside world.
Shen Yebai felt very sad to see Qin Moyu like this, but he didn't know how to comfort her. He could only hold Qin Moyu tightly and try to wake her up.
"MoMo, look at me, look at me. If you're feeling down, just cry it out. Don't bottle it up inside, it'll only make you feel worse." Shen Yebai pleaded, afraid that Qin Moyu might do something foolish in a moment of despair.
Qin Moyu did not respond, letting Shen Yebai hold her.
They stood close together in the snow-covered landscape, their bodies seemingly touching yet worlds apart.
After an unknown amount of time, so long that Shen Yebai's knees went numb from kneeling, Qin Moyu stiffly reached out and gently hugged Shen Yebai back, her fingers tightly gripping Shen Yebai's clothes as if she had grasped the last straw.