si-mexico Chapter 558: Spring comes out of dead trees
Chapter 558: Spring comes out of dead trees
Willow-shaded Tower, Willow-shaded Tower.
A glimmer of hope appears after a period of darkness; withered trees sprout new life.
Xu Youan stood in this brightly lit place filled with orchestral music, feeling an indescribable chill throughout his body.
Qingmu seemed to say something beside him, but he didn't hear it clearly. He only saw her hurried departure after he numbly nodded.
The sounds around him seemed to fade away bit by bit as the last familiar person left, and he could no longer see any light.
There was no color, no breeze, no warmth.
All that remained were the fake and disgusting grins on everyone's faces, shrouded in lust and humility.
Her gauze dress was half-undone, wine was spilled, a rough, hoarse voice teased her, and a sweet voice flattered her.
The glass lamps swayed, and the layers of curtains brushed against the delicate, tearful flower stamens in the flickering light. It seemed as if someone was laughing, as if someone was crying. Strings of full pearls formed a curtain, covering the most intoxicating ecstasy in the darkness.
He suddenly panicked and ran frantically through the winding corridor. The passage in front of him seemed so long and endless, as if he would never find an exit. Laughter and chatter filled the air, as if every word was mocking his futility, his cowardice, and his filth.
He was a tiny worm trapped in the web, about to be swallowed whole, waiting for his neck to be broken, his limbs to be twisted, and all his dignity to be plundered.
What does living mean to him?
To endure humiliation or to seek redemption?
No, no, it's because he's afraid of death and clings to life that he's afraid to die.
"Hahaha, run! Run! You useless bastard!"
"Just like your lowly mother, you're both seductive vixens. Lowly is lowly, and you'll never be a human being!"
"You little bastard, get over here and lie down right now. I'm getting off the car, can't you see?"
"Look, everyone come and look at him! Doesn't he look like a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy? Or rather, a very handsome male dog, hahaha!"
“You little bastard, want some food? If you do, come over here, and I'll give you some…”
who is it!
Who was speaking in his ear?
No, no! It's all fake!!!
It's all fake!
Where am I? Why...why is he still here?
Suddenly, he lost his footing and tumbled down the steps, his jade crown and jewelry shattering into pieces.
He lay on the ground, raising his head to look blankly at everything before him.
Everyone was watching him, everyone was mocking and insulting him, the noise and music around him were mixed together, sharp like the crackling of fingernails scratching glass.
Shut up, shut up!
Don't look at him! Nobody is allowed to look at him! He's going to kill them!
He... he's going to kill them...
He curled up in a panic, trembling as he hid in a small corner, desperately trying to shrink himself away from everyone's gaze.
He'll be fine, he's not dirty, it's all an illusion!
Why is it so dark?
Won't the sky brighten? Where's the sun? Where did the sun go?
Why, why can't he find a way out?
Who will wait for him? Who...who will come to his rescue...who...
No one will, no one will. He's despicable, he's filthy, he doesn't deserve anyone looking for him, he doesn't deserve anyone remembering him...
"Ayou! Ayou!"
"Junior Brother—!"
"Xu, You, An—!"
"Where are you? Junior Brother, Ayou, where are you?"
"Please say something, okay? Ah-you, Ah-you!"
His numb fingers seemed to be pulled by something, and he moved them in a daze, as if trying to grab something, but everything was so dark and cold.
Is someone calling him?
Was she calling out to him with such urgency and such tenderness?
Suddenly, a sliver of light appeared in the dark sky, and gentle moonlight streamed down, softly enveloping his body. He gazed almost obsessively through the gap into the depths of the bright moon.
He saw a pair of eyes.
What beautiful eyes! They were misty, yet they clearly reflected his figure, like autumn water reflecting light, or a clear spring cascading over a stone.
In his dazed state, he seemed to hear the light sound of golden bells, each note echoing desperately in his flesh and blood, in his soul.
His cold body was suddenly embraced by a strong force, and a warm breath enveloped him. The faint and elegant scent of pine and snow lingered around his nose, instantly driving away all the gloom and pain in his heart.
"Teacher...senior sister..."
Is it senior sister?
It’s my senior sister.
She is coming.
She will always come.
His stiff fingers twitched, and he lowered his trembling eyelashes, clutching her tightly as if grasping at the last straw.
Senior sister, senior sister, senior sister... his senior sister.
Jiang Liqian didn't know why Xu Youan had such a fearful and desperate look in his eyes, as if all the stars in the world had vanished in an instant.
After finding her second senior brother and third senior sister, she went to another pavilion and saw Jiang Junze, who was holding the Lingxu Sword and was unharmed. Seeing that he was alright, she went to the last pavilion, which was also undamaged, and ran into Qing Mu, who had just jumped off the top floor.
She was puzzled not to see her junior brother with her. After learning that the two had searched separately, she decided to look for him on the other side. However, she searched from the bottom of the building all the way up, but still couldn't find him.
Fearing that he might also encounter demons and suffer an accident, she immediately summoned the Spirit-Suppressing Pearl and used it to find her junior brother, but ended up in the ruins between the two buildings.
The place was full of collapsed mud walls, and she couldn't see her junior brother. She could only move the stones and call his name. Fortunately, she heard a strange noise and found him in a dark and hidden corner.
To her surprise, he wasn't the only one there; there was also a writhing, slimy, unidentified creature shrouded in black mist right in front of him, thirstily absorbing his primordial spirit.
Xu Youan was clearly hypnotized by this thing!
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest in fright. The Heavenly Sword in her hand unleashed a powerful sword intent, killing the thing instantly in a single breath.
No one knew better than her how important the primordial spirit was to her junior brother; if the primordial spirit was damaged, her junior brother would die!
"Ayou! Ayou!" she called his name, but he seemed trapped in a bottomless abyss, watching himself fall hopelessly.
She was all too familiar with this feeling—a lifeless void.
In a panic, she threw the sword aside and hugged him tightly as he trembled.
"Xu Youan, Xu Youan!"
"I'm here, can you hear me? I'm here!"
Suddenly, she felt his stiff, trembling embrace, and heard his warm breath in her ear.
She heard him murmuring his name.
"Sister..."
So helpless, so sad.
Such devotion and despair.