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墨書 Inktalez
In the darkness not far away, Jun Chong, clad in a flowing black robe, stood with his long hair dancing in the wind. He held the Black Longsword, which glimmered faintly under the moonlight.
His figure was tall and slender, and in the thick night, he stood with one hand on his sword, exuding an air of untouchable coldness. A shiver ran through me, an inexplicable sense of panic creeping in.
Due to the distance between us, I couldn't hear what they were saying; I only saw Jun Chong and Chitaki taking the initiative.
Molin slipped into the shadows nearby, I had no idea what he was up to, but I suspected he might be trying to find that Zombie. The Zombie was still injured; if we could launch a surprise attack, it would give us a chance. Yet, I felt a growing worry, especially as Molin left—my anxiety intensified.
My breathing felt heavy as the battle raged on ahead. Suddenly, Chitaki retreated to one side for reasons unknown; perhaps he was setting up a formation.
Jun Chong swung his sword fiercely, the sword energy pressing forward. Two beams of white and red light flickered in the darkness, forcing Xiaoya to retreat repeatedly. The world was surreal; clouds churned as darkness gradually consumed the land.
Suddenly, the earth trembled. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. Xiaoya gathered a glowing orb between her hands, which swelled like a balloon before she hurled it toward Chitaki's position.
Jun Chong sidestepped to block it. Chitaki was knocked down by the orb but quickly got back up to continue fighting.
Jun Chong's swordsmanship was ruthless and fierce; Xiaoya struggled more than ever. Yet, she radiated an overwhelming aura of resentment. Even from my distance, I could feel that heavy presence filled with bloodlust.
"Jun Chong, get out of here!"
With Chitaki's loud shout, I saw a brilliant red light burst forth from the vast darkness, like flames shooting out or blades dancing through the air, trapping both Jun Chong and Xiaoya within it. In a flash, Jun Chong had already escaped the formation before Xiaoya could struggle free.
Xiaoya screamed in despair as Wind Sound grew increasingly sharp and menacing. She had been wounded by Jun Chong several times already and now felt utterly powerless while Chitaki chanted spells to control the formation.
But I gradually noticed a troubling issue: until now, I had not seen her other half—Lin Shan—appear at all.
"Where did Lin Shan go?"
As I watched nervously, a cool breeze brushed past my ear, accompanied by the foul, heavy breathing of something nearby. I turned to see a black-eyed Zombie slowly approaching me.
I took a few steps back and hid behind a stone platform, knowing I couldn't interfere with their fight against the Refine Ghost, so I had to save myself. My hand brushed against the Phantom Spirit Pearl, and I imagined a sharp silver dagger in my mind.
Actually, I wanted to conjure a gun, but since I didn't know how to use one, I decided against it.
A sharp pain shot through my wrist, and I saw the skin on my right arm break open, red blood seeping from the wound. Just as I was still in shock, the white Phantom Spirit Pearl suddenly glowed brightly. With each flicker of light, it began to draw my blood, and slowly a dagger materialized in my hand. When the dagger fully appeared, I felt a wave of dizziness from blood loss.
"How could this happen?"
I didn't have time to think further; the Zombie was already getting closer. It was my first time killing someone—or rather, something other than a human—and the feeling was truly terrible.
Red blood continuously oozed from its body, splattering onto my hands with a thick and nauseating consistency. I loosened my grip and watched helplessly as it collapsed to the ground, eyes wide open and staring at me.
I didn't have the courage to sever its head and feared there might be other Zombies around. In a hurry, I gripped the dagger tightly and moved away.
My heart still racing, I suddenly heard a piercing scream from ahead. Looking up, I saw Xiaoya's head flying through the air—it was Lin Shan's true form.
She charged fiercely toward Chitaki, who staggered back several steps as his body swayed. The formation flickered momentarily, and in that brief moment, Lin Shan's head vanished.
"Where did she go?"
I watched in alarm, my palms sweating around the dagger's hilt.
"I’m right here!"
A chilling voice echoed in my ear; it was Lin Shan.
I gripped my dagger and turned to stab at her. She tried to dodge, but her movements were sluggish, and I struck her squarely, leaving her face pale and devoid of color.
"So it’s the Phantom Spirit Pearl. Tsk tsk, did Jun Chong give this to you?" I remained silent, but Lin Shan laughed. "How could he give you something like this? Isn’t he supposed to love you the most? Didn’t he tell you that this is a demon's object that requires blood for sustenance? Whatever you summon must be paid for with an equal amount of fresh blood."
A weight settled in my heart; she was right. But when Jun Chong gave it to me, he only mentioned that it could protect me, not these details.
"If I hadn’t known that old Zombie would backfire on me, why would I suffer so much tonight!" Lin Shan looked at me with a sinister gaze, blood streaming down her scarred face. Her black-and-white eyes seemed ready to fall out at any moment, creating a terrifying sight. "Well then, even if I can’t escape today, I can drag you down with me. Anxin, let’s go to hell together!"
As she spoke, Lin Shan opened her mouth and lunged at me. She had no limbs left, just a head, yet she moved with surprising agility. Despite holding the dagger, I couldn’t land another hit.
"Damn it!" Lin Shan's head darted back as she glanced over there and saw Xiaoya pierced through the heart by Jun Chong’s arrow, blood spraying into the sky. Lin Shan spat out a mouthful of blood and shouted at Xiaoya, "Xiaoya, bloom Red Spider Lily!"
Upon hearing Lin Shan's voice, Xiaoya swiftly pierced her palm into her chest.
Suddenly, I felt as if a blood-red Red Spider Lily had bloomed before my eyes. At the same time, a piercing pain spread through my heart, as if the petals of the Red Spider Lily were thousands of thorns drilling into my flesh.
"Does it hurt?" Lin Shan looked at me affectionately, but beneath her gentle tone lay an unmistakable hatred. "The petals of the Red Spider Lily can pierce your flesh and wrap around your Heart before tearing it apart. Slowly... very slowly... one cut at a time. Just thinking about that sensation is delightful! Anxin, dying together with you wouldn’t be so bad after all. Hahaha..."
Over there, Chitaki suddenly shouted, "Jun Chong, think of something quick! Otherwise, Anxin will really die."
Jun Chong stood in the darkness, his dark robe billowing in the wind while his long hair danced along with it, obscuring his deep-set eyes. I thought he must have sensed Lin Shan’s presence; yet he hesitated to turn around.
I knelt on the ground in pain, watching that tall figure, gritting my teeth to suppress any sound.
"Haha... Tonight, Anxin must accompany me to the grave!" Lin Shan laughed maniacally, bright red blood flowing from the corners of her eyes, nose, and ears, her face pale to the point of transparency. "Jun Chong, even if the heavens want to take me away, I will make you suffer for eternity! And this White Pearl, you will never have it. The master said I must not let you have your body; by doing this, I am fulfilling the master's wishes. Even though I didn't retrieve the bell, I have no regrets!"
Lin Shan opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. I saw a small white pearl on it—Jun Chong's pearl. She glanced at me before attempting to crush it with her teeth.
At that moment, the piercing pain blurred my vision and sapped my strength, but I understood how desperately Jun Chong wanted his body back. I was powerless, yet I always wanted to do something for him, even if it was just a small act.
So without thinking much, I gripped the dagger and plunged it into Lin Shan's tongue. Perhaps she didn't expect me to act so boldly; with one swift strike, the White Pearl fell to the ground. I discarded the dagger and rushed to pick it up. As I held it in my hand, my heart raced with excitement as I called out to Jun Chong in the darkness, "Jun Chong, I got—"
It felt as if something snapped in an instant, and then everything spun around me. When I finally realized what was happening, it was my body falling backward. In my ears rang Chitaki's horrified scream: "No—"
What happened to me?
As my back violently hit the ground and my hand fell limply beside me, as blood filled my throat with a metallic sweetness, I seemed to understand.
My fingers tightened around the pearl; even in death, I would protect what belonged to Jun Chong.
But Jun Chong, why aren't you coming?
Jun Chong, I'm about to die. Please come over and let me see you one last time.
I wanted to move but found myself utterly powerless. The sorrow weighed heavily on me, making me want to cry out, yet no sound escaped my lips. All that remained in my heart was a singular thought: to see Jun Chong one more time.
My consciousness began to fade gradually; images flashed before my eyes like slides—memories of meeting Jun Chong, his threats against me, his tenderness, his indifference.
I have heard that before a person dies, they see their entire life flash before their eyes, like a fleeting memory. But all I could see was Jun Chong. At this moment, my vision began to blur, yet I struggled to keep my eyes wide open, not wanting to miss his figure.
But he did not appear.
As darkness enveloped everything and my senses dulled, I felt a powerful force lift me up. A warm fingertip brushed against my dry lips, and a sweet, metallic liquid seeped through the gaps. I felt an overwhelming thirst for that liquid, like a Zombie, greedily drawing it in. Then that warmth spread throughout my body, coursing through my limbs, warming my cold form.
"Master, Master." I heard Lin Shan's trembling voice.
"You are of no use if you fail to do your job."
I didn’t know what that person had done; all I could hear was Lin Shan's piercing scream, which faded into the darkness with the wind. Confusion filled my mind—was this person the one controlling Lin Shan? If he intended to harm me, why would he save me?
"I thought you loved her dearly, yet when faced with life and death, you chose to remain indifferent. From now on, I will not hand her over to you."
That voice was familiar; it felt somewhat hazy, almost like a prayer. But why was he here?
"I know she will hate me when she wakes up, but if it weren't for this, she would truly die." Jun Chong's icy voice carried a hint of hoarseness. I felt as if he were right beside me, yet also impossibly far away. I wanted to open my eyes to see him but found myself unable to muster the strength.
"She loves you and is willing to give everything for you, yet you choose this way to save her?" The voice sneered with a touch of hatred. "Do you not understand? She would rather die than endure your indifference. She would prefer to see you one last time than die with a broken heart! You say you love her; where does your heart truly lie?"
I felt a sudden pang in my heart as his words struck home. He was right; more than death itself, I craved his tenderness. Yet no matter how much I called out for him, he never appeared before me.
My heart ached anew.
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