A clattering, icy wind blew across the sky, and the rain grew heavier, like a river cascading down from the heavens, pouring down upon the earth.
"It's raining again,"
Lan said, his clothes soaked through.
It always rained on every mission,and this time was no exception.
Lan placed Qian Renxue on the ground.
Qian Renxue slowly closed her eyes.
It seemed he had heeded his own advice.
One death is better than two.
A flood of images flashed through Qian Renxue's mind.
She was the daughter of the Spirit Hall's Pope, and her grandfather was one of the continent's three greatest Douluos.
She had been born on the summit of a mountain.
Yet, her childhood was incomplete,even dark.
She had been placed with unrealistic expectations from birth.
Her father and grandfather were extremely strict with her, and even now, Qian Renxue had no friends of her own.
Her biological mother had never spoken to her.
She could sense the hatred and disgust she looked at her with...
She didn't know what she had done wrong to displease her mother so much.
She always tried her best to make her mother happy.
But reality was cruel.
No matter how hard she tried,all she got in response was a single, cold word from her mother: "
Get lost. "
But even now,she was only an eight-year-old child!
At that moment,a flicker of relief flashed through the young Qian Renxue's heart.
Come to think of it,perhaps death wasn't so terrifying after all.
But
when had she finally stopped fearing death?
As Qian Renxue pondered this,
she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head.
"Little boy, don't get distracted."
"Hide behind me,"
Lan's voice echoed in Qian Renxue's ears.
However, this time, Lan's voice wasn't as cold as before.
Qian Renxue covered her head and looked at Lan's back.
What did he mean by that?
Before Qian Renxue could comprehend it, the
Ghost Tiger launched its final attack!
The Ghost Tiger's massive body blurred and shredded, instantly splitting into three.
This was the Ghost Tiger's innate soul skill, Shadow Clone!
The three Ghost Tigers attacked Lan simultaneously, their terrifying pressure rampant!
Lan's expression remained calm.
He slowly raised the Shark Blade in his hand, quietly feeling the torrential rain raging across the heavens and earth.
"Roar, roar, roar!"
Three ghost tigers leaped high into the air, their bloody maws gaping as they charged towards Lan.
Qian Renxue watched Lan's indifference, her small hands nervously clutching the hem of her blood-stained skirt.
Lan's words echoed in her mind.
At that moment, Lan moved.
He raised the Shark Blade, and a water-blue shark suddenly leaped out from behind him. The shark opened its bloody maw, its sharp teeth instantly piercing through the ghost tiger's body!
The ghost tiger's eyes dimmed instantly.
Time seemed to freeze, the rain lingering in mid-air.
Qian Renxue's eyes widened in disbelief, her purple gemstone-like eyes imprinting the scene deeply in her mind.
Plop!
The ghost tiger's body fell to the ground.
A black, ten-thousand-year spirit ring emerged from the ghost tiger's body.
Along with it, a ten-thousand-year spirit bone!
This surprised Lan greatly.
Lan pocketed the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, and the Shark Martial Spirit behind him dissipated.
It was the torrential rain that had aided him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to kill the fifty thousand year old ghost tiger with a single blow.
Looking at the fallen ghost tiger, Qian Renxue's heart once again sank in her chest.
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Before she could say anything, Lan's voice rang out.
"Go."
"Before I change my mind."
"I won't."
A look of determination flashed across Qian Renxue's tender face.
"If I'm not dead, Big Brother's mission will fail, and he'll definitely be punished..."
"How about Big Brother, why don't you join our Spirit Hall?"
"Our Spirit Hall is one of the most powerful forces on the continent.
With my father and grandfather here, no one will bully you..."
Qian Renxue tried to persuade Lan to join.
But her response was still a single, cold word: "
Go."
A tear welled in the corner of Qian Renxue's eye, her expression filled with deep resentment.
She hadn't cried just now when facing death.
But Lan's single word completely shattered her heart.
Suddenly, Qian Renxue pulled out a knife and placed it on her neck.
Lan, watching, remained calm.
"Threatening an assassin who wants to kill you with your own life?"
"How foolish,"
Qian Renxue smiled faintly at Lan's words. "An assassin letting his target go."
"Isn't that even more foolish?"
Lan remained silent.
The sound of raindrops grew louder around them, almost drowning out their voices.
Lan looked at Qian Renxue, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
He whispered, "Aren't you afraid of me?"
"I've killed many people, many, many."
Qian Renxue shook her head.
"Not afraid."
"Big brother didn't kill Xiaoxue."
"Xiaoxue can feel it.
Big brother is the same as Xiaoxue."
"What's the same?"
Lan asked.
"We're both afraid of loneliness, afraid of not seeing freedom."
Qian Renxue's voice echoed quietly in Lan's mind.
He couldn't imagine the kind of grief and despair the little girl before him had gone through to speak so eloquently.
Suddenly, Qian Renxue's knife grip tightened slightly, the tip of the blade slicing through Qian Renxue's white neck, blood dripping down the blade.
"Xiaoxue doesn't want to see big brother punished when he returns, doesn't want to lose him, even if it means losing her life."
The scene seemed a bit dreamy.
It had only been half an hour since they met.
And yet she was ready to sacrifice her life for him.
Lan, a man who had also lived through darkness,understood that if one lived in endless darkness for a long time, even the slightest glimmer of light would be pursued recklessly, grasped, even at the cost of one's life.
Unbeknownst to him,the moment he abandoned his mission and stood before the girl, he had become that ray of light in her dark world.
Lan took a step forward, his body instantly teleporting behind Qian Renxue.
He knocked her unconscious and laid her against a tree.
Qian Renxue leaned quietly against the tree, two lingering tear marks on her grimy face.
Lan gently wiped the stains from Qian Renxue's face, his lips curling up in a heartfelt smile.
"Little one, live well."
"It will protect you."
Lan placed the shark blade in his left hand in Qian Renxue's.
He stood and slowly walked away, the blue scarf around his neck fluttering in the wind in the rainy night.
His life was shrouded in darkness,but hers shouldn't be like this either.
Little boy,
I hope you can live well with my freedom.
"Big brother... Big brother... No, don't leave Xiaoxue!"
Qian Renxue sat up suddenly from the bed.
Her breathing was extremely rapid.
She had just had a dream.
A dream about sharks.
In the dream,Qian Renxue was drifting alone in the boundless ocean.
Countless sea soul beasts wanted to eat her, but every time her life was in danger, there would always be a shark that stood up, stood in front of her, and drove away all those who wanted to hurt her.
"Young master, are you awake?"
"Go and inform His Holiness the Pope that the young master is awake."
On the side, two middle-aged men looked very excited.
They were the two people, Snake Spear and Thorny Porpoise, who were responsible for protecting Qian Renxue.
(End of this chapter)
What did he mean by that?
Before Qian Renxue could comprehend it, the
Ghost Tiger launched its final attack! The Ghost Tiger's massive body blurred and shredded, instantly splitting into three.
This was the Ghost Tiger's innate soul skill, Shadow Clone!
The three Ghost Tigers attacked Lan simultaneously, their terrifying pressure rampant!
Lan's expression remained calm.
He slowly raised the Shark Blade in his hand, quietly feeling the torrential rain raging across the heavens and earth.
"Roar, roar, roar!"
Three ghost tigers leaped high into the air, their bloody maws gaping as they charged towards Lan.
Qian Renxue watched Lan's indifference, her small hands nervously clutching the hem of her blood-stained skirt.
Lan's words echoed in her mind.
At that moment, Lan moved.
He raised the Shark Blade, and a water-blue shark suddenly leaped out from behind him. The shark opened its bloody maw, its sharp teeth instantly piercing through the ghost tiger's body!
The ghost tiger's eyes dimmed instantly.
Time seemed to freeze, the rain lingering in mid-air.
Qian Renxue's eyes widened in disbelief, her purple gemstone-like eyes imprinting the scene deeply in her mind.
Plop!
The ghost tiger's body fell to the ground.
A black, ten-thousand-year spirit ring emerged from the ghost tiger's body.
Along with it, a ten-thousand-year spirit bone! This surprised Lan greatly.
Lan pocketed the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, and the Shark Martial Spirit behind him dissipated.
It was the torrential rain that had aided him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to kill the fifty thousand year old ghost tiger with a single blow.
Looking at the fallen ghost tiger, Qian Renxue's heart once again sank in her chest.
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Before she could say anything, Lan's voice rang out.
"Go."
"Before I change my mind."
"I won't."
A look of determination flashed across Qian Renxue's tender face.
"If I'm not dead, Big Brother's mission will fail, and he'll definitely be punished..."
"How about Big Brother, why don't you join our Spirit Hall?"
"Our Spirit Hall is one of the most powerful forces on the continent.
With my father and grandfather here, no one will bully you..."
Qian Renxue tried to persuade Lan to join.
But her response was still a single, cold word: "
Go."
A tear welled in the corner of Qian Renxue's eye, her expression filled with deep resentment.
She hadn't cried just now when facing death.
But Lan's single word completely shattered her heart.
Suddenly, Qian Renxue pulled out a knife and placed it on her neck.
Lan, watching, remained calm.
"Threatening an assassin who wants to kill you with your own life?"
"How foolish,"
Qian Renxue smiled faintly at Lan's words. "An assassin letting his target go."
"Isn't that even more foolish?"
Lan remained silent.
The sound of raindrops grew louder around them, almost drowning out their voices.
Lan looked at Qian Renxue, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
He whispered, "Aren't you afraid of me?"
"I've killed many people, many, many."
Qian Renxue shook her head. "Not afraid."
"Big brother didn't kill Xiaoxue."
"Xiaoxue can feel it.
Big brother is the same as Xiaoxue."
"What's the same?"
Lan asked.
"We're both afraid of loneliness, afraid of not seeing freedom."
Qian Renxue's voice echoed quietly in Lan's mind. He couldn't imagine the kind of grief and despair the little girl before him had gone through to speak so eloquently.
Suddenly, Qian Renxue's knife grip tightened slightly, the tip of the blade slicing through Qian Renxue's white neck, blood dripping down the blade.
"Xiaoxue doesn't want to see big brother punished when he returns, doesn't want to lose him, even if it means losing her life."
The scene seemed a bit dreamy.
It had only been half an hour since they met.
And yet she was ready to sacrifice her life for him.
Lan, a man who had also lived through darkness,understood that if one lived in endless darkness for a long time, even the slightest glimmer of light would be pursued recklessly, grasped, even at the cost of one's life.
Unbeknownst to him,the moment he abandoned his mission and stood before the girl, he had become that ray of light in her dark world.
Lan took a step forward, his body instantly teleporting behind Qian Renxue.
He knocked her unconscious and laid her against a tree.
Qian Renxue leaned quietly against the tree, two lingering tear marks on her grimy face.
Lan gently wiped the stains from Qian Renxue's face, his lips curling up in a heartfelt smile.
"Little one, live well."
"It will protect you."
Lan placed the shark blade in his left hand in Qian Renxue's.
He stood and slowly walked away, the blue scarf around his neck fluttering in the wind in the rainy night.
His life was shrouded in darkness,but hers shouldn't be like this either.
Little boy,
I hope you can live well with my freedom.
"Big brother... Big brother... No, don't leave Xiaoxue!"
Qian Renxue sat up suddenly from the bed.
Her breathing was extremely rapid. She had just had a dream.
A dream about sharks.
In the dream,Qian Renxue was drifting alone in the boundless ocean.
Countless sea soul beasts wanted to eat her, but every time her life was in danger, there would always be a shark that stood up, stood in front of her, and drove away all those who wanted to hurt her.
"Young master, are you awake?"
"Go and inform His Holiness the Pope that the young master is awake."
On the side, two middle-aged men looked very excited.
They were the two people, Snake Spear and Thorny Porpoise, who were responsible for protecting Qian Renxue.
(End of this chapter)