The woman ran swiftly, her heart pounding as a group of black-clad pursuers closed in behind her. She cursed silently, regret weighing heavy on her chest. 'I wish I hadn't left and stayed with Master who was entering a closed door,' she regretted.
She shook her head and refocused her gaze forward. Suddenly, she stopped. Her gaze landed on the abyss directly in front of her. She turned around, eyes locking on the black-clad figures still chasing her. What path should I choose? Wei Yan mind raced. She thought quickly, but her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a moan not far from where she was.
She turned her head and froze. A child's dismembered body lay before her—still alive, but his limbs were grotesquely scattered around him. Judging by his size, the child looked to be around five years old.
'Who would do such a heinous thing to a child who is not even 5 years old?' The woman approached, she then squatted down and looked closely at the child's face. Suddenly, her body stiffened. This was her brother! Her biological little brother!
"Xiao Fan! Xiao Fan!" she called, her voice trembling. She gently patted his cheek, and a faint moan of pain escaped his lips.
"Si ... sick," he said softly.
"Where does it hurt? Tell big sister." Her hands trembled at the sight of her little brother's terrible condition. Xiao Fan—the boy's name—opened his eyes slightly after hearing a voice he hadn't heard in a long time.
"Big sister? Is that you?" he faltered.
Holding back her tears, the woman nodded. "Yes, Xiao Fan ... it's your sister. I'm here."
Xiao Fan shook his head and smiled. He muttered, "I'm probably hallucinating. There's no way my sister is here. You should be with Master now, not here...."
"No, Xiao Fan. Big sister is here, with you." She kissed her little brother's cheek, confirming that it was not a hallucination, but reality.
"Th ... that's really you, sis?"
She nodded, her shoulders shaking and a drop of tear falling from her eyes. She could not bear to see this—her little brother, lying there in agony, his limbs had been severed, leaving only his torso and head intact. "Don't talk yet, little brother. You take this pill first so that your bleeding stops and your consciousness is maintained."
Xiao Fan was silent, and followed she's words. He took the pill.
After he took the pill, his sister immediately said, "Who did this, little brother? Tell big sister."
As if remembering something, panic crept over Xiao Fan. "Sis, go ... go from here! Go, big sister! If those people see you, they won't let you go. Hurry up and leave! Big sister!" he wanted to raise his hand, trying to encourage his brother to escape quickly, but given that his hand was not there, he could only rely on his voice. 'At least, I can still speak,' he thought.
Hearing that, the woman shook her head. She held back her tears as she spoke, "Big sister won't leave you alone, Xiao Fan. At the very least, we should escape together."
"No, big sister. No. If they find out—"
"Looks like, you guys are enjoying this moment of reunion." A woman dressed in white came out from behind a tree. She looked striking in that white outfit. This was because she was the only one wearing brightly colored clothes there.
Wei Yan almost screamed hysterically when she saw the familiar figure emerge from behind the trees. "Mei Rong! Help me, help my brother!" she cried, her breathing ragged, hopeful.
Mei Rong only smiled faintly—a cold, cruel, and very unfamiliar smile. She stepped quietly forward, letting her shadow be swallowed by the dim light between the trees, then turned, staring back for a moment.
Behind her, the men in black armor stood like statues, their eyes empty, waiting for orders.
"Please?" Mei Rong's voice sounded flat, as if the word was dirty on her tongue. She looked back at Wei Yan, her beautiful eyes narrowed, full of mockery. "Do I look like your savior, Wei Yan?"
The sound of heavy steps rang out. One of the men in black approached, bowing respectfully. "No, Madam. You're here to hunt him down."
Mei Rong raised one eyebrow and chuckled softly. "Hunt," she repeated, tasting the word like an intoxicating old wine. "Interesting word."
Wei Yan frowned, her heart racing, a bad feeling creeping into her chest. "What do you mean, Mei Rong?" she asked, her eyes moving restlessly around. Only then did she realize—her pursuers were standing casually behind Mei Rong, as if they were in the same camp.
Wei Yan's body stiffened. "Why are they with you? You're also being chased, aren't you?" she asked, almost in a whisper, as if hoping Mei Rong's answer would refute his thoughts.
But all he got was a bored sigh from the woman. "Wei Yan, Wei Yan ... you really haven't changed. Still so innocent and stupid." She stepped closer, staring into her old friend's eyes from just an inch away. "I'm not being chased, Yan'er. I'm the one leading them."
"Mei Rong, you—"
Mei Rong only smiled a small, bitter smile. She cut Wei Yan off by saying, "That's enough, Wei Yan." Her voice was now cold, sharp as a knife. "It's ridiculous that you still have hope in me. I'm not here to save you—I just want to enjoy your suffering."
Those words stabbed Wei Yan in the chest. She took a step back, staggering. Her breath caught.
Before she could respond, Xiao Fan's weak voice broke the silence.
"Sis ... ter," the little boy hissed, his eyes wide with pain.
Wei Yan immediately crouched down, holding his little brother in an embrace, her body shivering violently.
" I'm here, Xiao Fan … I won't leave you again," she whispered frantically.
Xiao Fan opened his eyes as thin as a slit. Small tears streamed down his pale face. "Sis ... ter." his voice was barely audible. "Sh ... she ... she who ... cut my body...."
Every word that came out of that small mouth was like a fiery whip, ripping through Wei Yan's heart. Her breathing was ragged, the world seemed to collapse around her.
Wei Yan froze in place, her body trembling violently. She slowly turned to look at Mei Rong. Her gaze was now blank—like broken glass that only reflected destruction.
Meanwhile, Mei Rong smiled broadly, enjoying the downfall of her old friend.
"Hear that, Wei Yan?" she said in a soft, venomous tone. "My own hands cut your little brother down, piece by piece, while waiting for you."
She lowered his head, brought his face close to Wei Yan's, then whispered, "Does it hurt, Wei Yan? Seeing the person you trusted destroy your only family?"
Wei Yan slowly stood up, her eyes blank. There was no anger, no tears—just a deep emptiness.
Without a word, Wei Yan drew the dagger and slashed her wrist in a single, resolute motion. Her blood spilled like a vow, soaking the earth—a crimson promise born of anguish and rage. There were no moans, no complaints—only a determined silence.
Her blood soaked into the earth—a wordless vow forged from pain and vengeance.
Wei Yan glared at Mei Rong, her eyes burning like embers. "Hear me, Mei Rong! I, Xiao Wei Yan, swear by my blood—whether in this life or the next—I will avenge my brother. A thousand times over!"
She gathered Xiao Fan's broken body, shielding him from a world that had already destroyed him. "Wait for me, Mei Rong," she whispered with a bitter smile on his lips, full of curses. "Don't die before I come...."
Before anyone could move, Wei Yan ran steadily, without so much as a backward glance, she leapt into the gaping abyss in front of her.
The wind howled. A thick mist enveloped their bodies, swallowing them into the eternal void.
Mei Rong could only stand still, transfixed, staring at the figure of her old friend disappearing behind the thick fog. On her face, for the first time that night, there appeared a faint trace of regret that she quickly shook off.
From behind his back, the black-clothed man said, his voice cold as ice, "Madam, it's time to go." The man turned his gaze back and ordered, "Find the body! If you don't, you're all dead!"
"Yes, sir!" They replied in unison, then dispersed towards the edge of the ravine.
The man looked back at Mei Rong who was right beside him. "Do you have any regrets, Madam?" The man's cold voice sent chills down Mei Rong's spine. She composed herself and replied in the same cold tone. "No, I don't. I'm happy instead. Now, Master will pay more attention to me."
"A wise decision," the man said, bowing respectfully. "Let's report to Master."
Mei Rong turned and left, her face expressionless. But, deep down, something began to crack-slowly, inexorably.
Far away from the carnage, deep within the mountains, an old man stirred.
On the other side, an old man who was meditating suddenly opened his eyes, his face turning gloomy. He sensed a great crisis befalling his favorite disciple.
Without hesitation, he rushed away. Faster than anyone else, he found the bodies of Wei Yan and Xiao Fan at the bottom of the ravine. He carried their broken bodies to the hidden cave where Wei Yan had once meditated in peace. Laying them down side by side, he looked at his two most beloved disciples, grief darkening his eyes.
Hugging his disciple's body, he whispered, "Calm down, Yan'er. I will definitely avenge you."
His gaze then fell on Xiao Fan's incomplete body. A flash of anger could be seen in his sharp eyes.
His expression was cold as he said in an emotionless voice, "This blood debt will be repaid many times over."
You two were supposed to be the future of our sect … and I let this happen.