Chapter 74: Risking Himself to Save Them
Chapter 74: Risking Himself to Save Them
During this period of imprisonment, because I had been constantly troubled by the seal, I had forgotten about Mo Ming’s existence. That sudden, intimate feeling made me think of it again. Could it be that Mo Ming was calling to me? Toward this most loyal companion, I felt the affection one would feel for a friend. I searched through my memories and finally recalled that at the final moment of my battle with Yue Wuyai, Mo Ming had flown from my hand and fallen into the nearby grass. Why was Mo Ming suddenly calling to me? I cautiously tried to probe the sealed dark magic power with my mind, but Mo Ming’s response was only fleeting and disappeared without a trace.
I walked out of the room and breathed in the fresh scent in the air, immediately feeling my spirit lift. After being here for so many days, I had already learned the general layout of the village. On the far south side was the training ground, where the village youths generally practiced martial skills. In this village, very few people cultivated only magic, because compared to magic, martial skills advanced much faster. To them, magic only played a supporting role. On the east side, taking up about half the area of the gorge, was where everyone farmed. Every family and every household had a required quota they had to complete. Here, aside from Tian Yun, Yue Wuyai, Li Feng, children under fourteen, and elderly people who could no longer walk properly, everyone had to farm to support themselves. No one was allowed to live off others’ labor. Even Tian Gang had to grow his own grain and vegetables.
The people here were all vegetarians, and that left me extremely unaccustomed. I was the sort who could not live without meat. Not having meat to eat was simply too painful. The west side was the residential area, which was where this cluster of stone houses, including mine, was located. The north side held some large stone houses used for storing supplies, as well as several secluded chambers for closed-door cultivation. When the children here reached sixteen, once they had gained a certain foundation in martial skills, they would all undergo seclusion. Then the village elders would determine which art each of them was most suited to cultivate and teach them accordingly.
Since I had nothing else to do anyway, I decided to go take a look at the training ground. I had been here for more than ten days. Aside from training, I would always go outside and walk around, observing the surroundings. If I wanted to escape this place, then naturally I first had to understand the terrain.
“Brother Lei Xiang, where are you going?” a childish voice called out.
Without even turning to look, I knew who it was. This was Song Song, the sixth-generation descendant of Song Ren. He was the person here who brought me the most joy. He had just turned six this year. I turned around, bent down, and picked up the little boy, pink-cheeked and plump like he had been carved from jade. I gave him a light kiss on the face and smiled. “Then what is Song Song doing?”
Song Song covered his little face and said, “Brother Lei Xiang, your beard is so prickly. Song Song is playing here.”
I really liked this child. His sweet, innocent eyes, utterly free of any impurity, made me especially fond of him. The structure of his bones was highly unusual. He belonged to exactly the sort most suited to cultivating martial skills.
“Uncle will shave in a little while. Right now, Uncle wants to go to the training ground. Do you want to come?”
Song Song clapped his hands. “Yes, yes! Song Song wants to go! I want to go see the older brothers and sisters practice that flying skill.”
“All right, then Brother will take you there.”
Holding Song Song, I walked toward the training ground. The people around us had already grown used to my presence, and from time to time they greeted me. I returned their greetings one by one. The people here were simple and honest, and conflict rarely appeared. Although I was imprisoned here, getting along with these villagers made me feel very comfortable. Perhaps Tian Yun intended to use the peace and harmony of this place to dissolve the brutality in my heart. If that was what he intended, then he was mistaken. Hatred had already taken root deep in my heart. It could never disappear. As long as I did not die, then one day I would ascend to the God Realm and avenge Big Brother Theomandis.
Lost in thought, I had already reached the training ground. The place was not small. It could accommodate dozens of people training at the same time. Within the field, fists and kicks came and went, battle energy of different colors flashing brilliantly. The sight was extremely dazzling. Song Song clapped his hands and cried, “So pretty, so pretty!”
A gentle, drifting voice came over. “Song Song, why are you making Brother Lei Xiang carry you again? Come down quickly.”
I turned my head and saw that it was Song Song’s older sister, Song Xue. The first time I had seen her, I had almost thought she and Zi Yan were sisters. They had nearly the same temperament, though the sacred aura on her body was not as strong as Zi Yan’s. Song Xue was already seventeen. She was one of the very few children in the village who cultivated magic, and what she studied was the same light magic as Tian Yun. No one dared look down on her. Although there were few people who cultivated magic, everyone knew that Tian Yun, the strongest person here, used magic.
True to her name, Song Xue wore white clothes every day. It seemed she had also come here to train. Although she was not old, Song Xue’s extraordinary temperament and outstanding beauty had already made her the object of pursuit among the village boys. So long as they did not belong to the Song family and were around the same age, there was not a single youth who did not like Song Xue.
I smiled and nodded at her. “Hello, Song Xue.”
Song Xue gave a calm smile. “Hello, Brother Lei Xiang. Have you come to train too?”
I gave a bitter smile and shook my head. “What training could I possibly do? I’m a cripple. I don’t know anything.”
Song Xue smiled slightly, then turned to Song Song and feigned anger. “Come down quickly, you little lazybones.”
Song Song turned his head, hugged my neck tightly, and said sweetly, “No, I’m not getting down. Brother Lei Xiang’s arms are strong and broad. It’s so comfortable when he carries me. If you don’t believe me, you should try too.”
Song Song’s innocent child’s words immediately made both Song Xue and me flush red. Song Xue’s beautiful eyes shifted, and she looked away. I took a deep breath and said to Song Song, “All right, Brother will keep holding you. Look how amazing the older brothers and sisters are. Song Song, what do you want to learn in the future?”
Song Song raised his little fists and said, “In the future I want to learn martial skills too. I want to fly around like the older brothers and sisters. Hey, hey.”
As he spoke, he gestured around in my arms. At that moment, a young man not far to our left-front was channeling his power. The reason I noticed him was because his battle energy was very strong, and he followed the same path as Li Feng. He was locked in struggle with a huge boulder in front of him, his battle energy pushed to its limit, steam rising from the crown of his head. Seeing the veins bulging on him, I knew he was about to unleash his full strength.
Song Xue said softly, “He’s the seventh-generation descendant of the Li family, Li Yun. He’s from our generation and is famous as a cultivation maniac. Although his aptitude isn’t the best among our generation, his power is definitely the highest. My great-grandfather is always praising how diligent he is and even tells the younger members of our Song family to learn from him... Ah, look!”
Before Song Xue had even finished speaking, the battle energy around Li Yun had already changed. Intense green light gathered in his hand. He shouted loudly and slammed his fist at the huge boulder in front of him, which weighed over a thousand jin.
Boom.
The boulder was shattered by his enormous strength. Countless stone fragments of different sizes shot outward in all directions. One of the largest, which looked to weigh at least a hundred jin, flew straight toward us. Even before it arrived, the howling force of the wind from it already made my face sting.
“Be careful!”
“Move!”
Many anxious voices cried out. If that huge rock came at us, Song Song and I would bear the brunt of it, and even Song Xue beside us would not escape harm. If this had happened before, I would only have needed to wave my hand casually to blast the boulder to pieces. But where did I have any such power now? If it had been anyone else, perhaps it would have been different, but Song Song was someone who felt especially close to me. Everyone else in the village held a trace of wariness toward me. Only he did not. And at a moment like this, Song Xue could not help at all. With her level of magic, there was no way she could chant a spell in such a short time.
In that instant of danger, I made my decision. As my energy followed my thought, I instantly drove the little Mad God Battle Energy within me into my back. I spun around violently, pulled Song Xue into my arms with one hand, and at the same time lowered my head. In a low voice I shouted, “Mad God Battle Armor.”
Even though I knew full well it was useless, I still instinctively shouted the life-saving incantation in that moment of danger.
All this happened in no more than a lightning-fast instant. The huge rock smashed into my back with a crash. Carrying Song Song and Song Xue, I was hurled away by the immense force of the impact. The violent collision made my throat turn sweet, and with a wa, I spat out a mouthful of blood, which splashed directly onto Song Xue’s spotless white clothing. I forced myself to control my body and rolled when we hit the ground, dissipating most of the impact and preventing any harm at all from coming to the siblings in my arms.
I gave Song Xue a faint smile. “Sorry. I got your clothes dirty.”
After saying that, my head tilted to one side, and I blacked out. It seemed that many voices were shouting around me, but I could no longer hear them clearly.
Vaguely, I heard someone nearby say, “He should wake up soon. This kid’s physique really is strong. Even with his powers sealed by me, he could still withstand an attack of that level.”
My consciousness gradually returned. That should be Tian Yun.
“This child really is quite good. At a dangerous moment, he was willing to sacrifice himself to save others. Uncle Tian, do you think perhaps...”
Tian Yun said kindly, “Song Ren, I understand how you feel. If it were not because this Lei Xiang still has these good qualities, I would have killed him long ago. I will not lightly remove his seal. I must wait until he no longer has any desire to compete, and no more ferocity remains in him. Only then can I consider it. If I let him out now, it is very likely chaos would erupt across the world.”
Song Ren said respectfully, “Yes, Uncle Tian. Naturally, everything is for you to decide.”
Tian Yun smiled faintly. “I’m telling you this clearly because I don’t want you to bear any resentment in your heart. Are your two great-grandchildren all right? Do you need me to take a look at them?”
Song Ren said, “There’s no need to trouble you. Little Song Song was only frightened. As for Song Xue, the child wasn’t even frightened. She’s only very worried about Lei Xiang’s safety. After all, he saved them. Li Yun was far too reckless this time. Later, I’m going to settle accounts with Li Han.”
Li Han was Li Feng’s son, of the same generation as Song Ren, and the one personally teaching Li Yun.
Tian Yun nodded. “Li Yun was indeed too rash this time. It seems the safety measures over at the training ground need to be strengthened. When you go back, remember to warn Song Xue. Girls her age are very easily swayed by emotion. Lei Xiang is not a good choice. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
“I understand, Uncle Tian.”
“Good. You can leave now.”
After Song Ren went out, Tian Yun said to me, “Brat, I know you’re already awake. Stop pretending to be dead.”
I knew I could not fool him, so I opened my eyes and said, “Did you save me?”
Tian Yun smiled and shook his head. “You saved yourself. I really didn’t expect that even after being sealed by me, your muscles and bones would still be this strong. Truly worthy of being a descendant of the Behemoth. After taking the impact of that rock, only your internal organs were shaken. Your bones and skin are both fine. You should know that although I sealed your dark magic power, your body still cannot withstand being washed by my light elements, so I could only rely on your own self-healing ability. This time, you saved the Song Xue siblings, and that makes me very happy. It let me see your kind side. Song Xue said that at that moment, you did not hesitate at all and directly used your own body to shield them from danger. That gratifies me greatly.”
I let out a cold snort. “What’s there for you to feel gratified about? I saved them because I like Song Song. Leave. I want to rest.”
“All right, then. Rest well. I’ll give the order that no one is to disturb you.”
With that, there was a flash of white light, and Tian Yun vanished.
I had deliberately driven Tian Yun away. Although saving the Song Xue siblings this time had gotten me injured, I was actually overjoyed, because at the final moment, because of the danger I was in and my call to the Mad God Armor, Tian Yun’s seal on me seemed to have been smashed open by the armor’s power, creating an extremely tiny crack. Because Tian Yun had just been here, I had not dared make any suspicious move. I had forcibly squeezed all the battle energy I had cultivated since coming here through that crack. To my surprise, it had actually succeeded. In other words, I was now already able to establish some contact with the Mad God Battle Energy I had before. For me, this was simply too wonderful.
Carefully, I guided my consciousness to that crack in the seal. The crack was extremely small, almost impossible to detect. I tried to draw the Mad God Battle Energy out through it, but discovered that I simply could not pull it out. What was going on? A moment ago, I had clearly pushed battle energy into it. Could it be that this crack only let energy in but not out?
All my hope turned to nothing. The pain coming from my back made a burst of irritation rise in my heart. Just then, Mo Ming’s call sounded again, seemingly a little clearer than last time. My heart leaped with joy, and my mind cleared considerably. If only Mo Ming were by my side. My companion, where exactly are you?
Suddenly, I thought of something. If I kept pushing the Mad God Battle Energy I cultivated into the seal, what would happen? No matter how strong the seal was, it was still only a limited seal. If the energy it contained exceeded its maximum burden, then naturally the seal would break open. At that thought, my confidence immediately returned. I concentrated and continued cultivating Mad God Battle Energy.
Although my meridians were blocked, the separately cultivated Mad God Battle Energy could still quickly fill the meridian it was in. Over the course of an entire day, I squeezed the Mad God Battle Energy that had filled my meridians into the seal through the crack six times. Although I did not feel any obvious changes, I believed that if I kept doing this, I would definitely succeed.
The reason I was able to condense Mad God Battle Energy despite the seal had a great deal to do with the inheritance from the Mad God Theomandis and the Spirit Void Stone Milk. The power of a god, combined with a heavenly treasure, had turned every meridian in my body into the ideal place for storing energy. Receiving the Mad God’s inheritance had greatly increased the speed at which I cultivated the Mad God Art. As time passed and I absorbed more and more of both the inheritance and the Spirit Void Stone Milk, their effects became more and more obvious. After all, the Mad God was a First-Rank Deity. That power was not something the Light Guardian Tian Yun could even imagine.
Mo Yue flung her hand and threw Mo Ming aside, saying angrily, “Are you messing with me? One moment you’re telling me to go north, and the next moment you’re telling me to go south. I keep running back and forth without any exact place to go.”
Mo Ming landed to one side and gave a light ring.
Mo Yue sat down to one side in a huff. It had already been five days, yet under Mo Ming’s guidance, she had been running around in circles. Hadn’t she just come back to the area near White Smoke Mountain again? It was no wonder she was angry.
After a long while, Mo Yue’s anger calmed somewhat. She picked Mo Ming up from the ground. She could not help it. Other than Mo Ming, Lei Xiang had not left behind a single clue, so she could only rely on this longsword, which looked highly mysterious.
“Sword, sword, tell me where your master is. I promise I won’t hurt him, all right? Can’t you just give me one accurate direction?”
Mo Ming gave a slight tremor, and that sense of direction once again appeared in Mo Yue’s mind. It was still pointing north. Mo Yue groaned, “No way. Why is it still north? That day I already went so far north, and then when I asked you again, you told me to go south. After all this back-and-forth, I’m exhausted.”
Ding.
Mo Ming gave another light tremor, and the thought of going north still appeared in Mo Yue’s mind. Mo Yue’s heart stirred. She thought, Could it be that I went too far last time? If I really passed it, then naturally Mo Ming would have told me to go back.
At that thought, a sudden flash of understanding came over her. Her wings spread behind her, and she floated up into the sky.
Her judgment was correct. Because Mo Ming and Lei Xiang shared a strange connection, it guided her along the route Lei Xiang had taken when he left. But after all, Mo Ming was only a sword. Although it possessed spirituality, it did not possess thought. Mo Yue really had gone too far, which was why Mo Ming had told her to turn back.
This time, Mo Yue was far more careful. Every time she flew ten li, she would seek Mo Ming’s opinion again. Finally, after three days of effort, in a forest she at last received from Mo Ming the indication to turn west. After confirming her guess, Mo Yue was overjoyed. Although using this method to search was slow, at least it gave her a trail to follow.
Every day, I still continued pressing the Mad God Battle Energy I had cultivated into the seal through the crack. Although the battle energy that filled my meridians each time was not much, with my repeated inputs, I felt the Mad God Battle Energy sealed inside gradually growing stronger. Although this constant strengthening of my Mad God Battle Energy could not break through the current level, if I could shatter the seal, then perhaps I would be able to raise the strength of my Mad God Battle Energy to a new level in the shortest possible time.
I was now already able to fill my meridians nine times a day and compress them into the seal nine times. This rate had already exceeded the amount I normally gathered when cultivating Mad God Battle Energy. With hope in sight, my earlier dejection was immediately swept away. Once I broke through the seal and raised the Mad God Art to a new level, I would leave this place at once. I had no intention of fighting those freakish fellows like Tian Yun again. Tian Yun probably already possessed power close to that of a Second-Rank Deity. Unless I obtained all of Big Brother Theomandis’s power, I absolutely would not clash head-on with him. Besides, although he had sealed my strength, he had never harmed me. Aside from having lost my power, I had actually lived quite happily here. The hatred I had felt when I first arrived had already lessened considerably.
I exhaled and withdrew my power. Since the day I had been smashed by that rock, nine days had now passed. Throughout these nine days, my meridians had been operating beyond their limits. Other than the person who brought me meals, no one had disturbed me. I felt I needed some rest. If I kept going like this and my meridians were ruptured by my battle energy, then given my current condition, I had no idea how long I would have to wait before I could cultivate again. Going too fast was as bad as not going fast enough. Proper rest should be beneficial to continuing my cultivation.
The fading light of the sunset outside the window told me it was already evening. I pushed open the door and stepped out, stretching my limbs. These days of tempering my meridians had kept the blood and energy throughout my body continuously circulating. It seemed my spirit was even better than before I had been injured.
I stretched lazily, and the comfort made me moan aloud. Just as I was about to go for a walk, a timid voice sounded out.
“Brother Lei Xiang, are you better now?”
I turned my head and saw that it was Song Xue. Beside her stood the adorable Song Song. I smiled and nodded to Song Xue, crouched down, and said to Song Song, “Song Song, come here. Let Brother Lei Xiang hold you.”
With a cheer, Song Song broke free from his sister’s hand and ran toward me. He threw himself into my arms. I lifted him up and spun him around twice in the air. Song Song let out clear, ringing laughter. Just as I was about to kiss his plump little face, Song Song covered my mouth with his hand and said, “No. Brother Lei Xiang, you still haven’t shaved.”
I laughed and said, “Ah, sorry. Brother forgot.”
Song Xue walked over and said softly, “Big Brother, your injuries just healed. Don’t overexert yourself. Put Song Song down.”
I smiled faintly. “It’s all right. My injuries have already healed. Neither of you were hurt that day, were you?”
Song Xue shook her head. “It was all thanks to you, Big Brother. Song Song was badly frightened at the time. Brother Li Yun was far too careless. If not for Big Brother Lei, we probably would have... Thank you for saving our lives.”
As she spoke, she bent her body slightly and lowered her head to salute me.
I quickly freed one hand and helped her up. “Don’t be so polite. Since I came here, I should do my part to protect the village. That day, Li Yun didn’t do it on purpose. He was too focused on his training, so he didn’t notice our side. Don’t blame him.”
Song Xue smiled sweetly. “Big Brother, you really have such a kind heart.”
Her smile was as beautiful as a hundred flowers blooming at once, and I stared in slight surprise. No one had ever said before that I had a kind heart. People who called me ruthless or full of schemes, on the other hand, were not rare at all.
I shook my head. “Don’t say that. I’m not a kind person. Maybe you still don’t know. I was captured and brought here by those old ancestors of yours.”
Song Xue asked in surprise, “Why did the old ancestors capture you? Did you do something wrong?”
I smiled bitterly. “Some things have no right or wrong. From their point of view, I did wrong, but from mine, what I did was right. You’d be better off not knowing those things, so you don’t get dragged into trouble. From now on, you and Song Song should both try to come here less. To be honest, I can’t be considered a good person.”
Song Xue shook her head firmly. “No. No matter what others say, in my heart you are a good person.”
Looking at this young girl, who had never really faced the world, a warm feeling rose in my heart. “I can’t argue with you. Although I’m not a good person, I definitely won’t hurt either of you.”
Song Song tugged at my clothes, swaying back and forth, playing with my ears and hair. For a time, he actually quieted down.
A somewhat hazy look suddenly appeared in Song Xue’s eyes. “Big Brother, what is the outside world like?”
I said in surprise, “You’ve never gone out?”
Song Xue nodded sadly. “Since the day we were born until now, we’ve never left this place. We don’t know at all what the outside world is like. We can only imagine it from the stories the old ancestors tell us. You don’t know this, but many people here want to see the outside world. But the old ancestors won’t allow it. They require that only those who have cultivated to at least the strength of a Dragon Knight may go outside. Look at Li Yun. It’s not that he truly wants to improve his strength that much. He only trains so desperately because he yearns for the outside world. Big Brother, if there were a chance, could you take us out?”
My heart jolted. How could I possibly agree to such a request? I said firmly, “No. Your old ancestors won’t let you go out entirely for your own good. The outside world is not as wonderful as you imagine. It’s full of deception and schemes. If you are careless even once, you may fall into a state from which there is no return. Listen to Big Brother. Give up the idea of going out. This little valley is so beautiful, the surroundings so serene. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live here peacefully for your whole life?”
Song Xue looked at me and said, “Big Brother, since you were captured and brought in here, do you want to go out or not? If you do, then that proves the outside world is still beautiful.”
I smiled bitterly. “Silly girl, it isn’t like that. That’s right, I do want very much to go out. But that’s because I still have many things I absolutely must do. To you, the outside world is only something novel. It isn’t something beautiful.”
Song Xue stared into my eyes, lowering her voice. “Then if I let you out, would you take me with you?”
My heart jumped. I had not expected this young girl’s determination to be so stubborn. I shook my head and said earnestly, “No. First of all, even if you let me out, I still wouldn’t leave, because now is not yet the time for me to leave. Besides, if you let me out, then once Tian Yun and the others catch us and bring us back, what do you think they’ll do to you? This kind of risk cannot be taken. Right now I don’t even have the strength to tie up a chicken, and you are only a mage of limited ability. Do you think the two of us could get away? Even taking ten thousand steps back, suppose we succeeded in escaping. Do you know how important I am to your Saint Dragon Knights Corps? If I left, then your Saint Dragon Knights Corps might very well be destroyed because of it. Are you willing to become a sinner for all ages?”
After hearing my words, Song Xue froze. In truth, she had only yearned for the outside world. She had never thought this far.
I put Song Song down on the ground and said to Song Xue, “You should go back. And don’t come here looking for me again. It’s not good for an unmarried man and woman to be in frequent contact.”
Crystal-clear tears suddenly flowed from Song Xue’s eyes. She stood there, staring fixedly at me. Song Song tugged on his sister’s hand and said, “Sister, Sister, why are you crying? Song Song didn’t make you unhappy. Sister, don’t cry. Song Song is very good.”
Song Xue stroked Song Song’s head and said softly to me, “Brother Lei Xiang, I... I like you.”
Before I could answer, she scooped Song Song up like a whirlwind, turned, and ran.
I froze for a moment. Song Xue liked me? I had only seen her three or four times in total. I shook my head. This was probably only the impulsiveness of a young girl. As long as I stopped paying attention to her, she would forget me soon enough. In this cursed place, I didn’t even know whether I would get out alive, so where would I find the mood to think about emotional entanglements like this? Ever since what happened with Mo Yue, I had already become effectively immune to all women aside from the three of them.
Three months later.
I sat on the bed and pushed today’s final stream of Mad God Battle Energy into the seal. Starting from one month ago, the spot where the seal had originally been swollen and cracked had gradually begun to widen, and fine cracks had started appearing in other places as well. This greatly increased my confidence. But I still did not have confidence I could break through the seal in one go, so I did not dare act rashly. I knew very clearly that this seal had a mental connection with Tian Yun. If I recklessly struck at it, it would definitely alert him. If he gave me an even stronger seal, then who knew what year or month it would be before I could leave this place? So I had been extremely careful, waiting for an opportunity.
Now I was already able to send Mad God Battle Energy into the seal twelve times a day. This was also my limit.
What I did not know was just how important these three months had been for me. Daily, unceasing cultivation had allowed my Mad God Battle Energy to grow rapidly under the pressure. The Mad God Battle Energy inside the seal had gradually begun taking solid form.
At night, I habitually walked out of the stone house and strolled outside. Ever since Song Xue confessed her feelings to me that time, she had still often come to see me despite my repeated warnings. More than once, I had hinted that this was impossible. But she seemed not to notice at all and continued as before.
Tian Yun and Li Feng also often appeared here. Tian Yun had likewise noticed that I was constantly cultivating. Strangely, he had not stopped me, nor had he ever inspected the seal inside my body. Could it be that he truly had that much confidence in the seal he had placed? That was for the best. It saved me from having to deliberately conceal things.
That familiar sensation from Mo Ming often reached me, sometimes near and sometimes far, sometimes clear and sometimes faint. Every day, at least three or four times, I would feel it calling to me, and it seemed to be getting closer and closer. If not for the dark magic seal being utterly unbreakable, I would already have tried to summon it.
The little village at night was so peaceful. After working hard all day, the villagers had long since entered their dreams. The tranquility made me feel very comfortable. As I wandered leisurely outside, I realized that I had already grown somewhat used to life here. Meeting these simple, honest villagers every day meant I no longer had to use so much scheming. Because I had saved the Song Xue siblings that time, everyone here now had a much better impression of me than when I had first arrived. They had gradually started treating me as one of their own.
“Brother Lei Xiang.”
A childish call pulled me out of my thoughts. It was Song Song’s voice. I could not help smiling bitterly to myself. If Song Song had come, then Song Xue had obviously come too. It seemed I really did have to make things clear to her. Otherwise, if she sank deeper and deeper into this, it would make things as difficult for me as Ke Lan once had.
Sure enough, Song Xue appeared before me with her younger brother. I smiled and said, “It’s already so late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”