For a moment, Feng Cheng's mind went blank. Although his expression didn't change, his eyes clearly showed that he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.
At the same time, a voice came from over.
After hearing the voice, Xuezhi took a long time to realize what the person had said—because the voice was slightly androgynous, soft yet somewhat deep, like a young woman and a boy at the same time, it was so special and so beautiful that anyone who had heard it would probably never forget it for the rest of their life.
However, what the voice said was:
"Fengcheng, kill her."
The sound was coming from a secret passage to the south. Xuezhi squinted; it was pitch black inside, and she couldn't see anything.
Xuezhi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
Could this person have been there since she came in?
In other words, she was completely unaware of his presence. And he just watched her come and go without saying a word... until Fengcheng arrived?
Feng Cheng was slightly taken aback, unsure how to respond.
The man continued, "Only a fool would believe that this woman has no ambition. And only a fool like you would believe that she's just putting on an act."
Feng Cheng wanted to retort but held back, appearing quite embarrassed.
“If I weren’t unable to move right now, she would be dead already,” the man said coldly. “Make your move.”
Fengcheng gripped his sword tightly once more and turned to look at Xuezhi.
Xuezhi looked up at him, her brows furrowed slightly, and shook her head repeatedly: "Sect Leader, no, no..."
The sword hilt was soaked with sweat, and Feng Cheng was clearly at a loss.
"Listen carefully, if you don't kill her today, she'll kill you later." The man was somewhat annoyed. "Don't forget who she is. And don't forget what kind of martial arts you secretly learned—kill her!"
Feng Cheng's gaze suddenly hardened, as if he had made up his mind, and he raised his sword.
Just then, Xuezhi suddenly grabbed his sword-wielding hands with both of hers: "Wouldn't it be better to destroy what you've obtained?"
Fengcheng was frozen in this comical moment.
The person inside was already furious: "Fengcheng!!"
At the same moment, Xuezhi struck his leg twice with lightning speed. Fengcheng's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees. The sword also fell to the ground.
There was no time to walk back to the secret passage where it all began.
Xuezhi opened the small door and rushed out.
As soon as she went out, a small stone popped out from the secret passage to the south, releasing Fengcheng's acupoints.
Feng Cheng then seemed to wake from a dream, picked up his sword, and gave chase.
131
Beyond this small door was another dark passage, and there was no hole dug above it, so they could only proceed in the dark. Xuezhi had been kneeling for a long time, and now she was dizzy and disoriented, making it very difficult for her to run. Fortunately, there was a light source not far away, and the air was getting colder, which seemed to be an exit leading to the outside.
I heard hurried footsteps behind me.
Xuezhi's heart raced, and she ran forward even faster.
As she got closer to the exit, she could see that the light was filtering in through the dense layers of withered vines. Several more withered vines stretched along the walls and hung down from above.
She rushed forward and tried to pull at the withered vines. But the vines were too tangled together to move. Her fingers started to bleed from the excessive force, but it was all in vain.
The footsteps behind him grew closer and closer, their murderous aura intensifying.
It must be an organization, there must be some place...
Yes, rattan!
Xuezhi began trying to pull at the withered vines hanging down from above. She started with the longest one.
No. No. No.
I've tried every single one, but none of them worked.
She could already hear Fengcheng's panting.
Start pulling the vines left and right.
Finally, when she pulled to the right, there was a slight movement. She continued to pull, and it turned out that the rattan was a makeshift door. After pulling it to the side, the path suddenly opened up.
They rushed out of the secret passage and observed their surroundings.
This was originally a forest halfway up Mount Hua. A mile ahead was a spiral staircase leading upwards.
Night has fallen.
In the freezing wind, the buildings nestled in the mountains and forests appeared and disappeared, their rooftops covered in snow. The whole world was a vast expanse of white, except for the lanterns hanging on the rooftops in the distance and the somewhat worn couplets, which stood out vividly in red.
She went straight for the stairs.
Fengcheng was hot on their heels, but remained silent. This only made them more uneasy.
As she drew nearer to the stairs, she was at a loss for what to do.
Should it go up or down?
The area above is Fengcheng territory, and it's populated by a large number of people. However, if Lin Xuanfeng and the others haven't left yet, she has escaped this calamity. But if they have already left, she's likely facing a nine-out-of-ten chance of death.
Below was the foot of the mountain, and it was already late; the area was sparsely populated. She was pregnant and physically weak; even with a sharp weapon, she might not be able to withstand thirty moves from Feng Cheng, let alone now that she was unarmed. If he caught up with her, her chances of survival were slim.
She urgently needs to make a judgment.
But at that moment, he tripped over a huge rock buried in thick snow and fell heavily onto the snow.
In the short time it took her to get up, Feng Cheng's footsteps were almost behind her.
She had just stood up when she heard the sharp sound of a sword.
At the same time, crimson blood splattered onto the white snow.
The flesh on her back felt as if it had been separated from the bone. Xuezhi screamed in agony, but had no time to heed her injuries. Enduring the excruciating pain, she stumbled and rushed towards the stairs.
At this critical moment of life and death, all she could think about was Shangguan Tou.
If he were here, if he were by her side, she wouldn't have had to suffer so much, wouldn't have had to take such great risks. If he were here, he would definitely protect her.
If she were to die, the most regrettable things would be, firstly, that she failed to shoulder the heavy responsibilities, and secondly... that it would be him.
In that instant, all the hatred he felt for Shangguan Tou vanished into nothingness.
She just wanted to see him.
If he were in front of her, she would never hide anything from him again. She didn't want to die without him knowing that she was carrying his child.
She suddenly wondered how he would react if he heard she was pregnant.
The sound of swords being swung rang out behind me once again.
She turned swiftly and caught Feng Cheng's attack with her bare hands. The sword was extremely sharp, and the blood on her hand flowed down the blade almost without any cushioning.
The pain has spread throughout my body.
She had been completely drained of strength, but in an instant, she became incredibly strong.
Even if she used her last breath, she would protect herself and their child.
The night was desolate.
In the wind and snow, between the pavilions. The wicks of yellow lanterns burned through the paper, casting a bright, shimmering yellow glow even behind the paper windows. Xue Zhi's crimson cloak was covered in snowflakes, and blood was splattered all over the ground, as if the world had shrunk to only red and white.
Fengcheng took a step back and raised his sword high.
She's about to die.
If he were here, if he were in front of me...
child--
No, she wouldn't tell him she had a child. If she died, he would regret it for the rest of his life. And she loved him deeply and didn't want him to be sad.
She thought she would tell him...
The sound of many footsteps approached.
At the corner of the stairs, at the end of the line of sight, a group of people carrying torches walked down the mountain.
The heavy snowfall almost buried the torches.
If he were in front of her—
The leader was dressed in white, his white cloak billowing in the strong wind, his hat brim blowing down, and his black hair dancing wildly.
"Zhi'er..." Shangguan Tou was stunned for a moment, then quickened his pace and ran over, "Zhi'er?!"
Feng Cheng looked at them, stunned. He wasn't masked, and his retreat was faster than anyone else's. In the blink of an eye, he had escaped into the woods and disappeared.
Xuezhi immediately knelt on the ground.
Shangguan Tou rushed to her side and caught her, preventing her from being completely buried in the snow.
"What happened?" Shangguan Tou also knelt in the snow and hugged her tightly. "This...this...who hurt you like this?"
Xuezhi's hands were covered in blood, so she only touched his face with her fingertips.
Shangguan Tou shouted to the people behind him, "Go after him! That man fled west!"
The crowd brushed past them.
Xuezhi anxiously clutched Shangguan Tou's clothes, saying, "No, you mustn't go."
"I'm not going. I'll stay here. I promise I'll never let you leave my side again."
Is she going to die?
Yes, she remembered; she had something to say to him.
Large, fluffy snowflakes danced in the air.
She nestled into his arms, breathing heavily.
"I...like you." The cold air seeped into her throat, and she coughed twice, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I've liked you for three years now, really liked you..."
She looked up and, as she had hoped, saw his stunned expression. She smiled triumphantly and then gently closed her eyes.