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Suddenly, a feeling of desolation and despair welled up inside me. I pushed him away abruptly, buried my face in my knees, and called out in my heart over and over again: Lin Yu, is that you? Is that you? If your soul still lingers in this body, if you love this man so much, why don't you come back? Why did you drag me, who knows nothing, into this vortex?

I couldn't see Yi Han's expression, but I heard his indifferent and calm voice, as always, ringing in my ears: "Young Master, rest assured, no matter what, I will accompany you to the end."

I looked up at his resolute yet cold profile, my heart aching with an uncontrollable tenderness, yet I couldn't quite tell whose feeling it was. Just as I was about to say thank you, a flash of golden light appeared before my eyes, and Zi Mo, with his long hair, white robe, and scholar's hat, slowly took shape in the air, looking at me with a hint of weariness and languor.

Xiao Yi

2007.8.25 10:48

As usual, I'll post this early this weekend. Um... everyone said to just hit her, not me, but I still got hit. I'm going to hide in a corner and draw circles, 555555555555555. On the right is some rambling I wrote yesterday about the female lead. Feel free to take a look and discuss it. ^_^

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Chapter 25 Any Cost

Chapter 25 Any Cost

Zi Mo looked around blankly, clearly not understanding the situation, and asked, "Galan, where is this?"

'Zi Mo, Zi Mo, Zi Mo…' I kept repeating his name in my heart. The terrifying scenes from the past few hours flashed through my mind one by one. If he were a physical being, I would definitely rush over and hug him and cry, just like I would confide in a friend in the real world.

Zi Mo seemed to read my thoughts. At first, he had a funny but helpless smile on his face, but slowly his expression became more and more serious. In the end, his usually transparent face turned purple with bulging veins, and his brown pupils seemed to freeze into ice arrows, shooting straight at me.

I shrank back in fright, but then I saw his expression change, as if he had thought of something extremely terrifying. He shouted at me, "Get out of here!" I was stunned, and before I could even ask anything, he launched into a tirade: "I've never seen anyone as stupid as you. How many times have I warned you not to trust strangers so easily? Did you have to suffer a great setback before you understood what I meant? You think you're invincible just because you have so many Shura people protecting you? Have you ever considered that if Liu Cenfeng wasn't absolutely certain he could cut off your reinforcements, how could he dare to act so recklessly in Jin Yao territory? Chen Sheng deliberately approached you several times and led you into dangerous places. Such obvious intentions, and you didn't even notice them? He must have been in cahoots with Liu Cenfeng when he was captured!"

"What...what are you saying?" I stared at him, dumbfounded and utterly horrified. No! I don't believe it! I absolutely refuse to believe that so many Night Division members sacrificed their lives to save...save... "Zi Mo, you're saying Chen Sheng is a spy for Fire Feather?"

Zi Mo glared at me fiercely and said, "I don't have time to discuss this with you right now. Get some food from here and leave quickly! Whether you live or die is up to fate!"

My mind went completely blank, filled with panic. I mechanically scrambled to my feet, grabbing Yihan along with me, and shouted, "Run! Yihan, we have to get out of here!"

Yi Han looked at me with surprise. I was completely disoriented, and had only followed Zi Mo's instructions, grabbing the water bottle and haphazardly stuffing in some dry rations. Although Yi Han looked puzzled, she still quietly helped me pack. After everything was sorted out, we moved the wine bottle in front of the crack and crawled out through the gap.

The blinding light and the tearing yellow sand made me instinctively raise my hand to shield my face. Yi Han followed behind me, but for safety, he kept one hand on my waist. Just as I was about to get up, I suddenly felt the hand around my waist tighten. Yi Han tensed up almost instantly.

"Prime Minister Qin, Guardian Feng, and the disciples of Grand Tutor Liu, Mei Lan Qiu Ju, and the Black and White Impermanence have been waiting here for a long time." A familiar, clear voice rang out a few meters ahead.

I slowly straightened up, staring in disbelief at the assassins who surrounded us. Mei Niang walked at the front, dressed in a white samurai outfit, with a beautiful smile on her face—a smile of absolute determination.

Whether the people behind me were beautiful or strange, I couldn't see them clearly. I heard Zi Mo's helpless sigh and Yi Han's calm and peaceful heartbeat. Suddenly, I felt a bitter despair mixed with a numb sense of astonishment.

So this is what it means to be at the end of one's rope; so this is the consequence of being self-righteous.

Zi Mo sighed, his tone desolate, "Chen Sheng is definitely not a spy for the Fire Feather Kingdom, but his intention to kill you is undeniable. I don't know what he discussed with Liu Cenfeng or his men, but it's clear that his safe rescue by Yi Han and his survival until now must have been due to some agreement they reached. I was too weak at the time to explain to you, which is why you listened to Yi Han. Although he is not as clever as you, he is calm and cautious, and he prioritizes your safety above all else. Who knew that you... would still end up like this?"

"Galan! Kindness is not a bad thing, but who can those who have been killed by your foolish kindness turn to for justice? You sent Feng Yihan back to save Chen Sheng, but did you ever consider the price he would have to pay for your momentary kindness? You sent the Night Guard, who have always been hidden in the shadows, to protect you, but did you ever consider that your momentary pleasure in saving lives would result in the futile efforts of Lin Yu over the years and the exposure of the Dark Camp's strength? You want to be a benevolent person who saves people from suffering, yet you hold such naive and childish ideas, unable to distinguish friend from foe, unable to prioritize; you want to uphold your belief that you do not take human life lightly, yet you have caused these dozens of people to die needlessly because of your momentary lapse in judgment."

My face grew paler with each passing moment, and my mind replayed the heartbreaking images of the Night Tribe members falling one by one before me. Qin Ye's words echoed in my ears: "Young Master, you should have anticipated this situation when you asked Master to leave your side... In this life, to die for Young Master and Master, Qin Ye has no regrets..."

“Lin Jialan…” Zi Mo ignored my regret and pain, and said coldly, “Are you just too stupid, or are you just selfish to the core? Have you never thought that the bad things you did with good intentions are beyond reproach and condemnation, and are even more hateful than those with premeditated malice?”

I abruptly covered my face with my hand, hot tears seeping through my fingers and falling onto the sand-covered ground, disappearing without a trace. I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Yi Han! I'm sorry, Qin Ye! I'm sorry to everyone in the Night Division! My body went limp, and if Yi Han hadn't been supporting me, I would have already collapsed to my knees.

The Fire Feather assassins surrounding me all showed disdain, but they remained extremely vigilant in front of Yi Han, not daring to relax their guard in the slightest.

Zi Mo floated in the air, looking around, and sighed as if talking to himself: "The roads on all four sides, no! Three sides are blocked. But what difference does it make whether that dead end is blocked or not?"

Yi Han maintained his indifferent, cold expression, protecting me against the overwhelming killing intent rushing towards us. I steadied myself, wiped away my tears, and felt a deep sense of guilt. I had committed such a grave mistake; even if I were to die now, I couldn't so cowardly disgrace the name of Lin Yu. Besides, Yi Han was still fighting; how could I possibly run away and give up?

Zi Mo's wandering gaze suddenly froze, and a thoughtful and solemn expression appeared on his face. I followed his gaze and found that it was a Bactrian camel with some luggage hanging on it, probably belonging to a merchant from Puhua Street.

Zi Mo suddenly turned around, looked at Yi Han, and finally his gaze fell on me. He said coldly, "Do you want to live or die? Or should I ask you, do you want Feng Yi Han to live or die?"

I stared at him blankly, completely bewildered: 'Zimo, what are you talking about? Of course I want him to live.'

Zi Mo scoffed, not even bothering to glance at me, and said, "No matter the cost?"

I suddenly felt a chill run through my body and shivered. I wanted to say yes, but a strange fear grew in my heart. I was indeed selfish. No matter what Yihan did for me, I was still unwilling to promise to pay any price for his life.

Zi Mo's smile grew even colder as he pointed at the camel and said, "You can think whatever you want. I'll just tell you the only way to escape now. Have Feng Yihan steal that camel and escape into the Tarakan Desert."

"What?!" I stared at him in shock. "You mean... the desert?"

“That’s right.” Zi Mo’s brown eyes stared at me intently, the coldness and resentment finally fading somewhat, replaced by a hint of helplessness. “We need to cross the Tarakan Desert, known as the ‘Devil’s Continent,’ reach the western border of Xiangxi, and join up with the Jin Yao Kingdom’s army. Otherwise, there is no other way.”

The desert… endless yellow sand, scorching sun, an endless road, thirst and growing fear… I've seen it all on modern television. Even with superior equipment and large groups, how many survive? Can I… endure this? Can I walk out of that desert alive? If I die, I can return to the modern world, with no ties except for Yufei. If I live, I'll have to suffer the scorching sun and yellow sand. Even now, I can almost see myself alone and terrified in the desert.

I turned my head and looked at Yi Han's handsome and indifferent profile. There was not a trace of resentment or panic in his eyes, only a firm protectiveness in front of me. That strand of silver hair was different from before; it hadn't faded for several hours, as if foreshadowing that from now on, he might be a twenty-year-old boy bearing the vicissitudes of a thirty-year-old.

That dazzling silvery white finally pierced my heart. I nodded silently, and following Zi Mo's instructions, I grabbed his hand and, under the cover of his body, wrote a few words on his palm: Steal camels, enter the desert.

He turned around abruptly, looking at me with a surprised expression. His dark eyes shimmered, as if repeatedly asking if I was truly determined to do so. My chest tightened, and I almost burst into tears again. I quickly nodded.

The next few minutes were truly a whirlwind of change. Facing Mei Niang and the others' attack, Yi Han completely went against the grain, actually carrying me into the strongest battle formation, amidst Mei Lan Qiu Ju and the Black and White Impermanence. A cold glint flashed before my eyes, and for several moments, everything went white, and I couldn't see anything at all.

The sounds of clashing weapons rang in my ears, sometimes loud, sometimes soft. Yi Han, carrying me on his back, kept breaking through towards the post station. Gradually, all the troops gathered in the direction they had come from. I knew that Yi Han was waiting for the northwest defenses to be at their weakest.

Yi Han swung his sword to deflect the fierce attacks from Mei Niang and the other two women. Before he could catch his breath, the two palms of Hei Bai Wuchang came crashing down. A green light flashed in Yi Han's eyes, and he suddenly sheathed his sword, bracing himself for his already weakened internal injuries, and took their palm strikes head-on.

I wrapped my arms around Yihan's neck, feeling the stinging wind and sand against my face against his cool back. We were like kites with broken strings, plummeting northwest, only managing to regain our footing after a slight stumble against the camel's back.

The camel let out a neigh, clearly startled. Yi Han coughed up a mouthful of blood, but before he could even wipe it away or catch his breath, he raised his hand, brandished his sword, and cut the long rope binding the camel. He then scooped me up onto the camel's back.

The Azure Frost Sword was raised high, its blade slamming hard against the camel's rump. The camel carrying me let out a mournful cry and began to gallop towards the endless desert behind the inn. My body was suspended in mid-air, and I could only clumsily hold onto the camel's hump, screaming "Ahhh!"

Ignoring my cries for help, Yi Han turned to face the pursuing crowd, his longsword suddenly plunging into the ground. I turned back, intending to call him back, to say that if Yi Han didn't leave, I would never escape alone. But what I saw before me left me stunned.

Suddenly, Yi Han's long hair flew wildly in the wind, his black strands interspersed with dazzling silver-white, and his entire body exuded an icy aura. He held his hands horizontally in front of his chest, his hands overlapping and conjuring up a thousand hand seals and myriad phantoms. Everyone was stunned, for at that moment Yi Han's overwhelming aura, his extraordinary coldness, seemed to devour the mountains and rivers, and destroy the heavens and earth.