Far away, watching Lian Qiguang being swept by the vines into a patch of carnivorous flowers and grass, Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes bulged with rage as he let out a roar, feeling as though his heart and guts had been torn apart. The heart-wrenching pain that suddenly twisted in his chest made his vision go black, and his body nearly collapsed because he could no longer support himself.
“Big Brother Xiahou……” Seeing Xiahou Shaoxuan, Li Yu split his mouth into a terrifying smile and, with his arms spread open, was about to walk toward him.
A powerful force sent Li Yu flying. Li Yu crashed to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. With a shrill scream, everything below his waist—both legs—was violently shattered by Xiahou Shaoxuan’s ability, sending flesh and blood flying everywhere.
Xiahou Shaoxuan rushed toward Lian Qiguang. Seeing Lian Qiguang’s body submerged in the writhing, twisted vines, Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes bulged, and rage and pain turned his vision into a sea of blood.
The pressure belonging to a powerhouse of the Phantom Rank gathered completely and madly pressed toward all directions. In an instant, the surrounding flowers, grass, and trees snapped and withered one after another. Xuan Lang and the others, who had followed closely behind, repeatedly retreated, keeping away from this terrifying pressure, their eyes filled with astonishment as they looked at Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“WIFE!!!”
The hoarse, desperate roar made everyone’s hearts tremble with fear.
Xiahou Shaoxuan stood amid a patch of withered, ruined grass, his blood-red eyes fixed on the place where Lian Qiguang had disappeared. His trembling body had already become unable to summon even the slightest bit of strength.
The man who had always been known for his iron-blooded nature in the military camp now had red-rimmed eyes.
“Hiss……” An almost imperceptible sound of pain came from beneath the withered grass. Xiahou Shaoxuan was startled and immediately rushed forward. With both hands, he frantically dug through the thick withered grass. His heart pounded wildly, and both hands trembled incessantly.
After the withered grass had been cleared away to a depth of more than a meter, Lian Qiguang, his clothes torn to pieces, was curled up inside. The blood covering his entire body stabbed deeply into Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes.
“Wife……” Xiahou Shaoxuan trembled as he picked Lian Qiguang up in his arms. His gentle movements seemed as though he were afraid that, with the slightest carelessness, he would crush Lian Qiguang to pieces.
“If I hadn’t entered the space quickly, I would have been crushed to pieces by your ability.” Lian Qiguang raised his head and looked at Xiahou Shaoxuan, murmuring softly. “If I didn’t have the space, you could just collect my body.”
“Wife!” Xiahou Shaoxuan tightly pulled Lian Qiguang into his embrace, feeling Lian Qiguang’s existence. He called softly again and again, seemingly confirming something.
“Wife, wife, wife……”
“Did you forget that I have a wood-type ability?” Lian Qiguang extended his blood-covered hand and returned the embrace, not caring whether he dirtied Xiahou Shaoxuan’s military uniform.
“These things are useless against me.” Although he had been affected for an instant, once he mobilized his ability, he quickly drove away that momentary discomfort. However, before he could get out of those carnivorous flowers and grass, Xiahou Shaoxuan’s pressure had already descended. Fortunately, he had reacted quickly and hidden inside the space.
“Boss, Sister-in-law needs treatment.” Xuan Lang walked over and reminded Xiahou Shaoxuan in a low voice. Xiahou Shaoxuan’s madness just now had frightened them. If they had previously still been unable to determine Lian Qiguang’s position in Xiahou Shaoxuan’s heart, then just now, they were one hundred percent certain that if anything had truly happened to Lian Qiguang, Xiahou Shaoxuan would definitely have gone mad.
Xiahou Shaoxuan raised his head and also saw the blood covering Lian Qiguang’s body. His expression immediately panicked, and he turned around and quickly walked toward the flying vehicle outside.
“Wait.”
Before boarding the flying vehicle, Lian Qiguang gently tugged on Xiahou Shaoxuan’s collar.
Xiahou Shaoxuan stopped and lowered his head to look at Lian Qiguang in his arms. His voice still carried the lingering panic. “What is it?”
“Don’t kill him.” Lian Qiguang raised his chin and gestured toward Li Yu in the distance, who now had only half a body left and was barely clinging to life.
“Find out who is behind him.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan glanced at Li Yu. Horrifying bloodlust and killing intent surged in his eyes. The icy chill made Xuan Lang, who was following behind him, shudder involuntarily and shrink his head.
“Deal with it.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan dropped those words and quickly boarded the flying vehicle with Lian Qiguang, leaving behind a speechless Xuan Lang.
“They’re all superficial injuries. Rest for two days and you’ll be fine.” An Yi put away the healing device and looked at Lian Qiguang with a smile.
“Sister-in-law, you should be more obedient in the future. This time, you really scared Boss badly.”
“Li Yu could never be more talented than me, no matter how gifted he is.” Lian Qiguang withdrew his hand. Following Xiahou Shaoxuan, who had sat down beside him, he supported himself and sat up, leaning against Xiahou Shaoxuan’s embrace. “There must be someone helping him from behind.”
“Who do you think it is?” Xiahou Shaoxuan held Lian Qiguang tightly in his arms. Thinking back to the instant when Lian Qiguang had disappeared just now, he still felt his heart pounding with fear.
“To be able to turn someone who doesn’t even have an ability into this in such a short time, his ability is higher than yours.”
“You think it’s him?” Xiahou Shaoxuan’s expression immediately became somewhat unpleasant.
“Not certain.” Lian Qiguang shook his head. “I can’t find a reason for him to kill me.”
“Then do you think he is that person?” The first leader of the New Era Year, the Creator.
“……I’ll confirm it.” Lian Qiguang lowered his eyelids, hiding the darkness and disappointment that flashed across the depths of his eyes.
“Um, can I ask what the two of you are talking about?” An Yi, who had been listening in complete confusion from the side, could not help interrupting.
Xiahou Shaoxuan pressed Lian Qiguang closer into his embrace and said solemnly, “Leave Li Yu to you. Use every possible method to make him talk.”
“Any method?” An Yi smiled.
“Any method.”
“……” Seeing that Xiahou Shaoxuan’s expression was not joking, the smile on An Yi’s face gradually disappeared as well.
After a long while, An Yi stood up and gave a solemn military salute.
“Yes!”
After returning to the base, Xiahou Shaoxuan handed the subsequent matters over to An Yi, then carried Lian Qiguang back to the room.
“I’m not crippled.” Lian Qiguang leaned against the bed and looked at the thin congee Xiahou Shaoxuan was feeding him, muttering softly. If Lian Qiguang had read a little more, he would have understood that the trace of abnormality in his heart at this moment had a professional term: shyness. Put simply, it meant that, for once, he was somewhat embarrassed.
“Wife, this time, you really scared me.” Xiahou Shaoxuan put down the bowl, placed one hand gently against Lian Qiguang’s face, and spoke in a low voice.
“I have the ability to protect myself.” Lian Qiguang pursed the corners of his lips and gently held Xiahou Shaoxuan’s hand. “Besides, if it really is him, he won’t let me die.”
“Wife!” Xiahou Shaoxuan frowned and somewhat irritably interrupted Lian Qiguang.
“……” Lian Qiguang.
“Wife, the person you should rely on is me.” Xiahou Shaoxuan felt that he had already guessed almost everything. Regardless of who that person was, he harbored feelings toward Lian Qiguang that he should not have. Lian Qiguang had always been careless when it came to matters of affection, and he also believed that Lian Qiguang did not have the slightest other thought toward that person. However, he simply did not like seeing Lian Qiguang trust that person.
“He won’t let me die.” Lian Qiguang reached out and pressed the space between Xiahou Shaoxuan’s furrowed brows, saying woodenly, “That way, you can go save me.”
“……” Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“Shaoxuan.” Lian Qiguang released Xiahou Shaoxuan and took Qianming out from the space, slowly rubbing it in his hand. “This blade is called Qianming. Counting carefully, it has been with me for more than twenty years. As for its power, I think you saw it that day as well. In that man-eating apocalypse, it saved my life several times when I was in desperate situations. If it hadn’t accompanied me, I don’t think I would have survived either.”
Lian Qiguang raised his head and handed the blade to Shaoxuan. “Here, for you.”
Looking at Lian Qiguang’s calm, dark eyes, Xiahou Shaoxuan held the hand with which Lian Qiguang was holding the blade and said helplessly, “Wife, keep it properly. Protect yourself.”
“I don’t know what he wants to do, but I feel that if it is him, he won’t truly hurt me. Take Qianming. At the necessary moment, it will save you.”
“Wife, I have the ability to protect myself. Compared with me, you need it more.” Xiahou Shaoxuan had already begun to frown.
“Take it.” Lian Qiguang became somewhat annoyed as well and forcefully pressed Qianming against Xiahou Shaoxuan. “Even if I can’t beat him, don’t I still have the space? My ability can’t recover to the level it had during the apocalypse for the time being. Qianming grows stronger when facing stronger opponents. It has more meaning for you to carry it than for me to carry it.”
“Wife……”
“If you don’t take it, I’ll throw it away!”
Seeing Lian Qiguang’s already puffed-up little face, Xiahou Shaoxuan was filled with helplessness.
“This is bestowed by Lord Darklight. How dare you not accept it!!” Lian Qiguang raised his chin, looking extremely arrogant.
“……” Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“You should feel fortunate.” Lian Qiguang withdrew his hand and lazily leaned against the bed, looking expressionlessly at Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“This blade is my personal saber. It accompanied me through half of my life in the apocalypse. The zombies that died beneath this blade are enough to fill ten of your Falling Stars without leaving any room. Back then in the apocalypse, how many people wanted to get their hands on it, and how many people wanted me dead because of this blade?”
“If I hadn’t later become powerful enough to rise above everyone else, I would have died without a burial place long ago. Because of this blade, I don’t even know how many times I was plotted against back then, or how many injuries I suffered.”
“Wife, do you think that if you give it to me, I’ll be able to draw it without a care?” From Lian Qiguang’s words, Xiahou Shaoxuan naturally understood the significance of this blade, and therefore, the hand holding the blade felt even heavier.
“If I give it to you, you take it. If I encounter danger, I’ll hide in the space, and then you take the blade and come save me. I don’t know how strong that person is now, but if you have this blade, he won’t be able to do anything to you. If he dares to come again, just draw the blade and cut him down.”
“Can you bear to?” If it really was him, Xiahou Shaoxuan, who was familiar with history, naturally also knew the relationship between Savior Lord Darklight and the first leader of the New Era Year.
“If he made a mistake, then he should be punished.” Lian Qiguang said expressionlessly.
“In the apocalypse, Qianming was me, and I was Qianming. Not only did humans recognize it, even the zombies recognized it.” Lian Qiguang sat up, hooked his arms around Xiahou Shaoxuan’s neck, and lay against him, speaking in a muffled voice.
“Carrying it is like carrying the Imperial Edict Sword. With it, no one dares touch you. Even though three thousand years have already passed, the murderous aura on this blade alone is enough to make those mutated beings tremble.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan lowered his head to look at the long blade in his hand, his fingers gently rubbing the patterns on its body, seemingly wanting to feel Lian Qiguang’s warmth within it, to feel the dependence Lian Qiguang had once possessed when he had fought alone and found himself in desperate situations.
“Shaoxuan, I’m hungry.” Lian Qiguang sat cross-legged beside Xiahou Shaoxuan, his two eyes dark and round as he stared at Xiahou Shaoxuan. Expressionless, he opened his mouth, waiting to be fed.
Xiahou Shaoxuan shook his head, somewhat amused. Heaven and earth were vast, but his wife was the greatest. Xiahou Shaoxuan picked up the bowl he had set aside and began his professional feeding session for the next hundred years.
“Open your mouth.”
“Ah!” Expressionless.
…………