Eternal Night - Chapter 149
Yongye climbed the iron chain and leaped down. In mid-air, she pulled herself up and caught Rose.
Below was a dungeon, where two oil pans burned in iron basins on the wall, their flickering flames casting dark shadows on the stone walls, making the place exceptionally eerie. The damp air was thick with the stench of blood and decay, almost nauseating.
Young Master Hong was standing at the winch, fighting with someone.
Yongye ignored him, put down Qiangwei and went to untie the iron chains. At this moment, a faint voice rang out from the corner: "Xinghun!"
The sound shattered Yongye's senses. She turned her head blankly, and in the dark corner of the underground chamber, a corner of a moon-white robe was visible. A person was sitting against the wall, their face hidden in the darkness, their eyes silently watching her with indescribable emotions.
There was only one person in this world who called her Xinghun. There was only his eyes, like a calm lake under the moonlight, peaceful and gentle. But today, despite her exceptional eyesight, she could not see his face clearly in this dimly lit room. Only his eyes, filled with longing and resentment, were like a small oil lamp in the wind and rain, seemingly bright, but about to be blown out by the storm.
Yongye forgot the rose in his hand, forgot the fighting around him, and stared blankly at Yuepo.
"Hurry and save them!" Young Master Hong was in a panic.
Yongye snapped out of her daze, looked at the unconscious Rose on the ground, and shouted into the corner, "Moon Soul, wait for me!" She only realized halfway through untying the lock that there was an iron lock binding Rose's hand. Yongye forced herself to calm down and pulled a wire from her hair to open the lock.
"I can't hold on any longer, hurry!"
The sounds of hacking and slashing around him, the shouts outside, the Moon Spirit in the corner, the unconscious Rose… Yongye's hands trembled. More and more people rushed in from outside, including some martial arts practitioners. Young Master Hong shouted loudly, his body already wounded and bleeding profusely, fighting his way back towards Yongye.
Everything played out before Yongye's eyes in slow motion. A sense of powerlessness rose from the depths of his heart.
"Feng Yangxi!" Yongye cried out, tears welling up in his eyes. Why hadn't he come yet? Yongye weakly tugged at the iron lock, his eyes darting anxiously into the corner, sweat pouring down his face.
Rose finally stirred and softly called out to her, "Brother Yongye!"
This sound shattered Yongye's concentration. She snapped back to reality, but before she could answer, she felt the whistling of a blade slashing from behind. Without turning around, a flying knife shot out, followed by another scream. She caught sight of the winch, and with a sudden thought, she grabbed Rose, lightly touched the toes to the rope, and leaped out of the underground chamber. Looking back, she saw Moonbeam in the corner, her eyes filled with the sorrow of parting.
Under the bright moonlight, two figures rose again from the stone platform: one in flowing purple robes, the other a woman in white. Countless people rushed towards the stone platform.
Yongye held Qiangwei tightly. She couldn't cut the iron chains, and her hidden weapons would eventually run out. Deep in the underground chamber below, Yuepo and the kind-hearted Young Master Hong were still there. She looked at Qiangwei with burning anxiety.
A hidden weapon whistled through the air, and Yongye kicked it away. He was extremely anxious and shouted, "Feng Yangxi, if you don't come soon, I'm going to die here!"
This time, Feng Yangxi finally arrived. He seemed to be in a great hurry, his black horse carrying him like lightning as he charged through the crowd and leaped onto the stone platform. Feng Yangxi dismounted, surveyed the crowd below, and shouted, "Feng Yangxi is here! Does anyone want to try my sword?"
He stood like a god on the stone platform, sword in hand, his domineering presence intimidating the hot-headed martial artists. The Blood Spring was destroyed; those who had sought a bowl of it had their minds cleared by his drink. Unable to defeat Feng Yangxi, why risk their lives for something that had no future? One person retreated, and more and more followed suit, sheathing their weapons, glancing regretfully at the ruined Blood Spring, and descending the mountain. However, the Xibo tribe was not about to give up easily; roaring, they swarmed forward.
At that moment, torches, like stars, lit up the hillside not far away. Feng Yangxi sneered: "Take one more step forward, and the Xibo tribe will cease to exist."
The Xibo tribesmen hesitated for a moment, then brandished their weapons and attacked again.
Feng Yangxi coldly watched them without moving. Suddenly, arrows shot out from the village, and countless soldiers rushed in.
Yongye glanced at Qiangwei with relief; with Feng Yangxi there, she no longer needed to worry about her. With a light leap, she entered the underground chamber.
"Moon Soul!" Yongye only managed to shout once before he froze.
It was so quiet here; the underground chamber was filled with corpses.
Yongye rushed towards the corner of Yuepo's body, but even though she didn't see the white dress there, she was still unwilling to give up.
"Cough!" A cough echoed in the underground chamber. Yongye turned around, and Young Master Hong, having lifted the corpse from his body, stood up unsteadily and pointed to a corner of the chamber, saying, "There's a secret passage."
Yongye rushed forward, and a chilly, damp wind blew in. She found a hidden door.
Young Master Hong took a breath and said with difficulty, "A few people came... and took them away!"
Yongye stared blankly at the dark entrance behind the hidden door, then gritted his teeth and prepared to go in.
"Yongye, Rose is dying, come quick!" Feng Yangxi called out to her from the entrance of the stone platform cave above.
"Is Rose failing?" Yongye stopped in her tracks. A gentle breeze blew, making her shiver and raising goosebumps on her skin. A voice in her heart reminded her that Yuepo was just ahead; she could catch up, she definitely could.
"Hurry up!" Feng Yangxi shouted.
Yongye laboriously pulled her leg back from the tunnel entrance. She looked up to see Feng Yangxi's anxious expression. She lowered her head, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Moon Soul!" Yongye screamed hoarsely towards the tunnel entrance, her voice echoing eerily in the empty tunnel.
The sound of Yuepo's voice still lingered in his ears. He was calling her name. Was this the last time he would call her that? Yuepo's gaze was like the moonlight overhead, faint and ethereal, like the brightest point in the room, yet it couldn't even illuminate his own figure.
Yongye forced himself to stop thinking and leaped out of the underground chamber.
The roses on the stone platform seemed to float in the moonlight.
Silent soldiers stood all around. Prince Yan stood not far away, quietly watching everything.
Yongye hesitated to approach, her guilt growing with each step she took closer to Qiangwei. She called out softly, her voice trembling, "I am Yongye, Qiangwei."
Rose collapsed into Feng Yangxi's arms, his hand never leaving her back. Rose was still clinging to life, entirely supported by his inner strength. "She was poisoned, probably ingested before the blood sacrifice. Now, she's done for."
Yongye stared at Qiangwei in disbelief. She had killed so many people, yet never before had she felt such fear of death. She couldn't accept this reality. Qiangwei was going to die? That delicate girl at six years old, with her snow-white face and ebony hair, like Snow White, was going to die?
Rose's innocent and devoted image suddenly flooded Yongye's mind. She was only fifteen. Yongye wanted to speak, but couldn't utter a single word. He gently shook Rose's body, swaying her continuously. His throat swelled instantly, and the pent-up emotion rushed to his eyes, finding no outlet.
She watched as her tears fell in large drops onto Rose's face.
For the first time, she understood what it meant to cry uncontrollably.
It wasn't the gentle drizzle of spring, nor the bitter rain of autumn, but a summer downpour, pelting down in large drops without warning. It wasn't that she wanted to cry; she no longer felt the urge.
Rose remained motionless, and Yongye desperately hoped she would move, even just a little movement would let him know she was still alive.
"Rose..." Yongye called her name once, then could no longer speak.
Feng Yangxi looked at her with pity. In his eyes, Yongye was always radiant. She was wise, clever, cunning, and even when she was weak, she would grit her teeth and persevere. He had never seen her cry so sadly.
A pang of pain slowly rose in Feng Yangxi's heart, a sharp, needle-like pain that made his hand tremble involuntarily. He gritted his teeth and suppressed the pain. His inner energy flowed continuously into Qiangwei's body. He didn't want to disappoint Yongye, he didn't want Qiangwei to lose her life force.