Chapter 736: Jianxin, you'll be the first
The dazzling sheen of the sword awn was like a surging flood as it roared through the air. There was no escape for anyone in its path.
Han Yunxi knew that the difference between life and death was but an instant.
The white wolf knew that it’d be hard pressed to escape the attack.
Han Yunxi shut her eyes and did her best to concentrate, willing the white wolf to go back into her poison storage system. Since she couldn’t escape, she would at least make sure Lil Thing didn’t fall into their hands. Even with death on the horizon, she could focus enough to accomplish the task. Her heart had always been strong, while the pain from her injuries were only limited to her body. But both her poison storage space and detox system had fallen apart, making it impossible for her activate either one! She opened her eyes, stunned. How can this be? As the crackling sword aura came flying their way, the white wolf suddenly stood up and raised its paws.
“Don’t!” Han Yunxi cried, but it was already too late. The sweep of sword qi struck the white wolf directly across its chest while Han Yunxi, who was clinging to its back, remained unhurt. The fact that the sword sect master had knocked them away already was proof that the white wolf wasn’t his match. Han Yunxi could clearly feel the animal’s body tremble before the blow.
It might not be able to die, but it felt pain all the same!
“Li Jianxin, you all--”
Another vicious sword awn struck them from Li Jianxin’s sword before she finished speaking. The white wolf roared with rage and attempted to escape, but it was obvious that was impossible. Sword qi struck its back legs as it ran.
“Arooooooo!” the white wolf howled with pain! If it didn’t possess an undying body, it would have lost its life by now! Not just anyone could bear the blows of the sword sect elder’s blade.
“Li Jianxin, don’t hurt it. I--”
“Arooooo!”
Another strike hit the white wolf’s belly, sending it into agony. It fell from the air to land heavily on the ground. Han Yunxi didn’t have the strength to hold on and was sent flying from the impact. Cang Qiuzi immediately struck forward with his sword, but the white wolf sprang up to block his blow while pressing Han Yunxi back onto its back. Yet Li Jianxin hadn’t stopped attacking, either. He hacked at the pair with an icy face, his attacks growing faster and faster as they pressed on. He was Cloud Realm Continent’s number one expert! His sword was the strongest blade across the continent!
Even the poison beast couldn’t stand up against such savage attacks. Without any way to fight back, it could only dodge, but even then its movements were growing more and more sluggish. Now it was simply being beaten down. Despite this, it didn’t stop protecting Han Yunxi with its life so she wouldn’t be hurt.
Cang Qiuzi saw that the white wolf was running out of energy and shouted, “We’ll all go together to help the sect leader! Let’s all attack Han Yunxi!”
When the sect leader didn’t voice a reply, the three elders rose with Cang Qiuzi into the air and made a surprise attack on Han Yunxi from four directions. Han Yunxi’s poison needles were useless at this point. The white wolf was forced to fight one against five as it endured the blow of multiple sword qi attacks.
Fwssh! Tssnng! Whhsh!
Each attack was like the lash of a whip striking against the white wolf’s body. It had stopped howling or avoiding the blows, but simply glared at the sword sect leader and the rest with a stubborn look. Han Yunxi’s heart had shattered into pieces. She held onto the white wolf’s neck and sobbed into its ear.
“Lil Thing...I know you have to be Lil Thing. Listen to me, won’t you?”
“Lil Thing is always obedient, so follow my words, alright? You run away first. Okay? I’ll be fine.”
“Lil Thing, I’m begging you, just run away. We can’t defeat them. Hurry and escape, go find Beiyue…” As Han Yunxi finished, she let go and jumped off of the white wolf’s back. At the same time, Cang Qiuzi’s sword awn struck her in the abdomen and sent her flying like a hapless leaf in the wind. Blood trailed from the slash, making her look like a gorgeous flower in bloom.
“AwwhHRRROOO!” the white wolf howled madly, its roars reverberating throughout the entire sect. The shockwaves stunned its listeners--even the sword sect master was surprised into stopping his attacks.
Han Yunxi landed on the ground on the verge of death, but she still held onto her consciousness. Limply, she waved her hand at Lil Thing, gesturing for it to go. But how could the white wolf leave her? Insane with fury, it charged at Cang Qiuzi, but it’d hardly gotten far when the sword sect master aimed his weapon at Han Yunxi. The white wolf was forced to double back and protect its master, taking the sword in its chest. It didn’t pierce, but the sword sect master simply added more force to his sword until the energy rammed against the white wolf’s chest. Yet the creature stood its ground in front of Han Yunxi, refusing to budge!
“Don’t...Lil Thing...get away! Run away…”
“Lil Thing, just listen to me already!”
Han Yunxi did her best to shout and tug, but the white wolf remained unmoved. The crowd watched on, stupefied. None of them had ever seen the Poison Sect’s poison beast, but they’d heard of its rumors. It was a fierce, cunning, bloodthirsty monster who would plague the world with poison. But the one before them now was nothing like the legends. Its loyalty and perseverance moved their hearts!
But so what?
With the sword sect master leading the attack, who would dare to stop him? The Celestial Mountain disciples who were fighting on Han Yunxi’s side had long fallen silent, while Xu Donglin lay unconscious in a pool of blood, his status unclear. The white wolf bore the brunt of the endless sword qi attacks as the fire sigil between its brows gradually dimmed. Slowly, it turned its head to look at Han Yunxi. Those cold and blood-red pupils softened as hot tears flowed from its eyes. They showed distress as well as self-blame.
Mama Yunxi, I’m sorry. Lil Thing has already...tried its best.
Abruptly, the tall and massive beast reverted into a tiny squirrel and crashed onto the ground. Its pure white fur was soaked in its master’s blood. It couldn’t die, but it could feel pain. All of the agony directed at its giant form was now being borne by a body hardly the size of a fist. How much torture was that?
It huddled up into a tiny ball as its body trembled. Han Yunxi quickly picked up Lil Thing, her bloodstained hands dying the creature’s fur a further crimson. She placed Lil Thing into her medical pouch, hoping that’d be enough to keep it warm. But soon enough, the sword sect master was standing before her with sword in hand.
“Han Yunxi, descendant of the Poison Sect, must die! You can do it yourself or have this grandmaster make the move. Take your pick.”
Han Yunxi furiously raised her hand and grasped the sword sect master’s blade with both hands. “I choose neither!” she cried. “Does birth determine everything? Why do you want to take my life just because I’m a descendant of the Poison Sect?”
“What terrible things have I done to hurt the world? Which innocents did I ever poison to death? Tell me!”
“Li Jianxin, tell me! If you can’t say anything, then I won’t accept this!”
Han Yunxi was unresigned!
The scene fell silent, with the sword sect master mute. Everyone was looking at Han Yunxi’s hands, which were dripping with blood as she held onto the sect master’s sword. Nobody thought that the woman without the strength to truss a chicken could have held on for so long. How stupid must she be to grab the sect leader’s blade with just her hands? And yet, nobody could find it in themselves to laugh at the sight--not even Duanmu Yao.
What else could this woman do besides blocking the weapon with her bare hands?
Granny You had to look away from the sight. She couldn’t bear to keep watching, afraid that she’d give into her impulses and want to save the girl instead. Han Yunxi was such a good girl, but why did she have to be a descendant of the Poison Sect? Why did she have to reveal her identity here on Celestial Mountain of all places?
“Let go!” the sword sect master finally spoke. His voice was calm and devoid of emotions.
“I won’t! Not even when I die!” Han Yunxi was stubborn enough to make one’s heart ache. “I can’t accept this even after I’m gone!”
Her weak body remained straight and tall, firm and unyielding. Her purple dress was dyed in a mess of blood, but her spirit was clean and pure. She refused to be insulted!
“Han Yunxi, you did nothing wrong. But you have to die.” As the sword sect master spoke, he stabbed the sword forward between Han Yunxi’s palms.
But then!
A rainbow-hued sword awn shot out from the sidelines, stabbing through multiple Celestial Mountain disciples before striking the sword sect master’s hand. Not expecting the attack, the sword sect master dropped his arms, leaving his weapon in Han Yunxi’s hands. She turned around to see the countless disciples surrounding them topple to the ground, revealing a familiar figure flying her way.
Long Feiye!
Being separated for a month felt like a thousand years. Being separated by a wall felt like the border between life and death.
Long Feiye, Yunxi’s finally waited until you came out. It’s good that I didn’t give up. She wanted to smile, but nothing except tears streamed down her face. All of her stubbornness, persistence, and endurance broke apart at the sight of him. Her hands dropped listlessly, sending the sword sect master’s blade clattering to the ground. Strength spent, Han Yunxi slowly collapsed to the ground. The last thing she felt before unconsciousness overtook her was the warmth of Long Feiye’s familiar embrace.
--
The figure in his arms was fragile enough to be carried away by a breeze. Long Feiye’s icy face was frighteningly cold. With hooded eyes, he gently smoothed out Han Yunxi’s hair and wiped away the traces of blood staining her face. Dead silence greeted his actions. Even the sword sect master didn’t speak, his gaze flickering between light and shadow. Long Feiye was so still that it made a person’s heart tremble with fear. He ripped off a section of his robes to carefully bandage Han Yunxi’s hands. Then he began to inspect her wounds. She had been injured both without and within, taking an especially harsh blow on her stomach.
The longer he stayed quiet, the more potent his killing intent grew. Sensing this, Cang Qiuzi and the rest put up their guards. Long Feiye channeled enough true qi into Han Yunxi’s body to preserve her life, then set her softly on the ground. He slipped off his clean black robes and draped them over her body. At this, the crowd sucked in a sharp intake of breath. Beneath the black robes, he was only dressed in a white undershirt. But his back was soaked in fresh blood from countless whip scars.
Long Feiye kissed Han Yunxi gently on the lips before rising to his feet. His frigid gaze swept across the crowd, those black pupils burning with rage.
“Everyone who hurt her will die!”
Even the wind died down in the hush that greeted him.
“Feiye…” Li Jianxin began, but Long Feiye abruptly pointed his sword at him.
“You’ll be the first!”
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A song for Lil Thing and Han Yunxi (translated lyrics below):
"Sad Heart" by SE O
In your eyes that look at me
What meaning is inside?
The quietly blowing wind
Will it tell me the answer?
Your black eyes
They don't talk but
I feel like I can hear
Endless stories
(Ooooohh...)
(Ahhhhhh....)
My heartache...
My painful memories...
If they don't all melt
In hot tears
Send them all
Right now, in this time