Sept nuits de neige

Chapitre 105

Tianxiu's voice suddenly rose, becoming unusually shrill: "Master? Master died long ago, where did this master come from?" He gently put Tang Shijiu down, and his hands, which were hidden in his sleeves, suddenly turned black and red.

“Uncle-Master, if you hadn’t taken the Tuanfu Heart Sutra, Master wouldn’t have gone mad with worry. When he went mad, he went around grabbing disciples to cultivate for him and test his moves. We are not human; we are ghosts who came from hell. We have long lost our own souls and are extremely empty. Uncle-Master, tell me, do you think I should hate you? Why should the grudge between you and Master be repaid on me? Why can you control my life and make me live a wretched life in hell?”

His face flickered between light and shadow, sometimes ferocious, sometimes indifferent, but he never looked at Tang Shijiu again.

Tang Shijiu's mind was in chaos. She had suffered severe internal injuries, her chest ached in waves, and her throat tasted sweet and metallic.

Xie Dongsheng suddenly laughed. A look of exhaustion appeared in his eyes and brows, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

“Junior disciple Tianxiu, avenge your grievances and settle your scores. I beg you not to harm any innocent disciple of my Xiaoyao Sect.” He smiled at Nineteen, as if bidding farewell. “Nineteen, your mother is gone, but you have been with me for seventeen years. It’s truly been good. Your master is sorry to you, sorry to your mother, and sorry to your father. Your master is not a good person, yet I cling to the hope that you can forgive me. It is far too extravagant.”

"Asking for forgiveness is a very long process. It won't do for you to be so hasty, Master Uncle." A gentle voice came from behind. Shen Yuntan was dressed in white like snow and had black hair like ink. He was standing on the top of an ancient pine tree. Tang Yu stood to the side, still dressed entirely in black.

"Tianxiu, I've finally discovered your secret. Now, should I call you Tianshu or Tianxiu?"

"You've been lying for over ten years. When it comes to lying, I, Shen Yuntan, am completely outmatched. It's all thanks to Tang Yu, the little sister of the Tang family, that I was able to arrive in time and stop you from bullying my Shijiu." He smiled, but his eyes were involuntarily fixed on Tang Shijiu. "You really are a madman."

Tianxiu slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were as cold as ice. The weary young nobleman was nowhere to be seen, and standing in the center was the arrogant and haughty Tianshu.

Tian Shu said, "Shen Yuntan, do you think that only your cultivation method has the power of backlash?"

He closed his eyes and slowly shook his head: "No, that's not the backlash, that's Tianxiu's soul. My younger brother was born weak and didn't even pass Master's first trial. But I know he's always been here, waiting for me to master the Tuanfu Heart Method so we can reunite completely."

“I can’t let him become so cowardly again. He has to become stronger, and I have to become stronger too. Strong enough that… no one can kill me.”

He was filled with sorrow, and for the first time, a gentle expression appeared on his usually cold and icy face.

Tianxiu was right; he was indeed Tianshu's only Achilles' heel.

"Is Master really dead?"

"If I don't mention Master's name, how will Ge Yang appear? If Ge Yang doesn't appear, how can I obtain the Tuanfu Heart Sutra?" Tian Shu narrowed his eyes slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled up, perfectly embodying Tian Xiu's usual carefree and irreverent attitude.

"Shen Yuntan, welcome to this grand feast. The only absent protagonist is you, and everyone has been waiting anxiously for you." His tone changed, suddenly reverting to Tianxiu's light and cheerful voice. "So this is what it means to wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop. My enemies, relatives, and lovers, I have prepared plenty of fireworks, candles, firecrackers, and explosives for you, enough to flatten the entire Xiaoyao Mountain. Mr. Yuntan, Mr. Useless, do you really think that Tang Yu loves Tang Shijiu to such an extent that she would betray her supreme Lord Tianshu and bring you here? Shen Yuntan, goodbye. Tang Shijiu and I will both miss you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Yu pulled out a Thunderfire Bomb from his robes and threw it on the ground. Flames flew everywhere, and smoke filled the air. When the smoke cleared, Tianxiu had already vanished with Tang Shijiu and Tang Yu.

Xie Dongsheng's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said to the others, "Let's go to the back mountain, quick!"

Before he could finish speaking, a thunderous roar, as if splitting the heavens and earth, rang in his ears, and the earth shook as if a mountain had collapsed.

Chapter Sixty-Six: Collapse (Part 1)

"You're awake. I thought you were going to sleep until next year." Nineteen slowly opened her eyes, and Tianxiu's gentle voice soothed her ears. A refreshing and familiar fragrance wafted to her nose, the usual scent of Tianxiu.

She struggled to her feet; the blow had been quite severe, and her entire body ached as if her bones were about to fall apart.

His usual bright red robe, embroidered with a golden phoenix, draped ostentatiously over his body. His usual jet-black hair, unbound by ribbons or hairpins, cascaded casually over his shoulders. And his usual nonchalant smile, seemingly indifferent yet tinged with a cynical disillusionment with the world.

Everything seemed unchanged, as if it were just an ordinary morning, not the aftermath of a massacre.

Overnight, her sect, her master and junior brothers, and even her Shen Yuntan, all... vanished into thin air.

"I am Tianxiu, and Tianxiu would never harm the beauty Tang Shijiu." He reached out and smoothed his black hair, sat down next to Tang Shijiu, and touched her face. "You didn't even shed a tear. What a heartless person you are."

Tang Shijiu didn't look at him, nor did she respond. She only watched the smoke from the incense burner slowly rise, then drift into the air and disappear into some unknown place. She desperately suppressed her emotions, fearing that if she couldn't restrain herself even slightly, she would jump up and fight him to the death, smashing the smile off his face with a single punch.

Carried with blood, and with a cruel smile.

"Want to kill me? You must really want to..." Tang Shijiu remained motionless. Tianxiu and Tianshu were one entity. In terms of cunning, she couldn't compare to the fox-like Tianxiu; in terms of martial arts, she couldn't match the treacherous and cold-hearted Tianshu. Brute force would only lead to death, and she didn't want to die. She hadn't yet seen Shen Yuntan's corpse with her own eyes, and she hadn't yet spoken a single word to him. "I'm sorry."

She also has Tang Qingliu, her father, and her sect.

Her life is not her own.

Her chin was gently lifted, and dark, inky eyes gazed intently into hers, their gaze unfathomable.

"If you don't say anything, I'm going to kiss you." Tianxiu smiled mischievously. "This time, Shen Yuntan won't be able to arrive in time."

His breath drew closer, carrying a sweet fragrance that was quite pleasant. Tang Shijiu smelled it and felt nauseous, forcing herself to suppress her anger.

Ignoring him was more painful for this arrogant man than resisting him.

Tianxiu's kisses are gentle; on any girl, they would be a fatal, irresistible temptation.

However, Tang Shijiu showed no reaction, as if he were kissing a lifeless piece of wood.

She didn't even close her eyes.

Tianxiu could clearly see that his entire being was not reflected in those large, clear eyes.

Just as she thought, after Tianxiu struck her with his palm, Tianxiu was no longer a part of her.

An anger quickly took hold of him.

In their eyes, he never existed. Whether it was Tang Weiqi or Tang Shijiu, they all saw him the same. Empty and arrogant, he frightened him and made him retreat.

She was just a weak woman.

Tian Shu whispered in his heart, "If you like it, just take it. Even if you force it, there's nothing to pity."

Just like Tang Weiqi, once you kill him, you kill him; once you take him, you take him. There's nothing to pity about him.

No.

He had always listened to Tian Shu and thought Tian Shu was his older brother, until that night in the desolate mountains and dense forest, when he suffered a qi deviation during his practice, he finally realized the truth.

Tian Shu is his inner demon, no, or rather, he is Tian Shu's inner demon.