Was it a dream? Or an illusion?
It seemed like a long and distant dream, yet there was no joy in it, for at the end, it turned out to be a nightmare.
Ghost Li’s body moved slightly, and the sorrow on his pale face seemed to deepen. After a moment, with a pained groan, he slowly awakened.
A soft, azure light floated gently around him, shimmering in the air.
Sounds of wind and rain filled the surroundings, the howling of the wind and the pattering of the rain.
Little Grey, who had been leaning against Ghost Li’s chest, suddenly sat up and looked at him.
The cold wind blew again.
Ghost Li shivered slightly, and then he met Lu Xueqi’s gaze. Her face, as pale as his, was the only one by his side in this stormy night.
Ghost Li’s lips trembled slightly.
The pain in his chest had lessened considerably. Glancing down, he saw several strips of white cloth, torn from garments, wrapped around his wound. His consciousness gradually cleared, and he soon realized that his broken bones had been set. However, the blow from Tian Buyi had been powerful, injuring his entire energy flow. Though Lu Xueqi had helped him after the incident, it would take many days of recuperation to fully recover.
Thinking of this, he instinctively turned his head and saw his former master lying in the mud. Ghost Li did not speak; he seemed to lack the strength even to do so. In the rain, droplets splashed across Tian Buyi’s face, which lay silently in the filthy mire.
Who could have known that he would end up like this?
A low, hoarse cry escaped his throat. Ghost Li rolled out of Lu Xueqi’s arms and landed in the mud, struggling towards Tian Buyi’s body. Lu Xueqi, startled, instinctively reached out to hold him back. But when her hand touched his body, she heard him say softly:
“Don’t pull me.”
Lu Xueqi stood there, frozen, slowly withdrawing her hand. Her gaze followed Ghost Li as he left the protective aura of Tian Yexing and laboriously crawled toward Tian Buyi’s body. The merciless wind and rain drenched him, and the murky mud splattered all over his form.
Little Grey, the monkey, stayed by Ghost Li’s side, watching his master with concern. He occasionally leapt to Ghost Li’s side, reaching out to help, but Ghost Li was too large, and Little Grey’s efforts were in vain. He began to chirp anxiously, “Chirp, chirp, chirp.”
Finally, Ghost Li reached Tian Buyi’s side. Touching the body, he felt only coldness. His teeth clenched, and his body shook. His eyes carefully examined Tian Buyi’s face, like a wanderer returned home, but only to find despair.
Water droplets fell from his face onto Tian Buyi’s already stiff features.
The wind and rain grew stronger.
His gaze slowly moved to Tian Buyi’s chest. Though the clothing had been tidied, the horrific wound still caught his eye. Ghost Li felt as if he had been stabbed, his body freezing in place.
Then, he slowly turned to look behind him.
There, standing alone and desolate, was Lu Xueqi. In the storm, she met his gaze, her face devoid of color, her hands balled into fists, nails digging into her skin.
What unspeakable sorrow must have passed between them in that moment?
The expression on Ghost Li’s face gradually became blank, the initial pain and sadness fading into a void. He turned his head once more, looking back at Tian Buyi. The wind and rain splashed some mud onto Tian Buyi’s face.
Slowly, Ghost Li reached out, wiping the rain from Tian Buyi’s face. When his hand touched the cold, lifeless skin, it recoiled as if burned, then reached out again, carefully and meticulously cleaning the mud and rain from his master’s face.
Then, he braced himself and crawled closer, using his own body to shield Tian Buyi from the relentless storm, ensuring that the bitter wind and rain did not touch him again.
Lu Xueqi watched his actions silently, without interference. Her beautiful face was now marred by sorrow.
“When I was young, my family was destroyed,” Ghost Li’s voice, carried by the wind and rain, came slowly, each word heavy with emotion, as if rolled over in his heart countless times before being spoken.
Lu Xueqi quietly approached, but Ghost Li remained still, still shielding Tian Buyi from the elements.
“Master took me back to Dazhufeng and raised and taught me. His kindness is something I can never repay, even in a lifetime.”
Ghost Li’s body wavered, perhaps from the exhaustion of his injuries. Lu Xueqi’s face changed, and she reached out to support him, but her hand met with air as Ghost Li moved slightly away.
Lu Xueqi’s hand froze in mid-air.
Struggling, Ghost Li lifted Tian Buyi’s body, cradling his head and face in his arms. His face was contorted with deep pain, and he muttered to himself.
Standing beside him, Lu Xueqi could hear every word in the storm. Ghost Li repeated the same phrase over and over:
“I can never repay him… never, in a lifetime…”
Lu Xueqi’s lips quivered, her gaze passing over Tian Buyi’s face. Who could have known that, on this very night, this man had smiled and spoken to her, giving her a glimmer of hope in her despair.
That sword, that wound…
How many were hurt, not just one!
She smiled sadly, turning away, her body swaying uncontrollably. Her brow furrowed, and a mouthful of blood spewed forth, dripping onto her clothes and the ground. The rain, however, soon washed it away.
She looked up at the sky, feeling the icy rain on her face. The heavens were dark and foreboding, as black as ink.
Wasn’t it almost dawn?
But why, in this world, was there only darkness and the endless wind and rain?
Tears, hidden by the storm, slipped down Lu Xueqi’s cheeks.
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