Killing is no more than a nod of the head; how could you be so dramatic

Yun Yao’s mind went blank.

She stared blankly at the man before her, his face twisted into a malicious grin like a demon crawling out of hell.

She wanted to resist, but her body felt frozen, not even the strength to move a finger.

“No!”

A hoarse, low cry came from the wall.

It was Yun Ying.

He struggled, trying to wrench himself free from the long blade, but every movement tugged at the wound piercing his chest, bringing excruciating pain.

“Senior Sister… don’t… don’t listen to him…”

Yun Ying’s gaze locked onto Yun Yao, his clear eyes bloodshot.

“He’s tricking you… Even if you agree… he won’t let us go…”

At those words, Liu Yishou’s smile widened.

He enjoyed watching this.

Yun Yao turned her head slowly, looking at the young man pinned to the wall.

Blood still gushed from his chest, and his face, which usually bore a maturity beyond his years, was now pale as paper.

But his eyes burned with an astonishing brightness.

Yun Yao’s lips moved. A question she had never thought of asking slipped out as if possessed.

“You… Do you like me?”

Yun Ying’s body stiffened.

He looked into his senior sister’s eyes, made unusually clear by her tears, and saw his own wretched reflection in them.

He suddenly felt like laughing.

Yes.

When a man is about to die, what is there left hide?

“…” The lump in Yun Ying’s throat bobbed, but in the end, it only came out as a very faint, bitter smile.

Like her?

Of course he did.

Sixteen years ago, the life-saving pastry Yun Xi gave him had originally been meant for Yun Yao.

Later, when Yun Yao found out, she wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she begged Yun Xi to bring him up the mountain.

And that led to everything that followed.

He loved the way she tugged on his sleeve and whispered coaxingly for his help whenever she got into trouble. He loved how, even though she was still a child herself, she liked to imitate their master’s tone and lecture him with, “Junior Brother, you must be more steady.”

His life had been as short as a dream he never got to finish.

Born into a family that was wiped out, he became an orphan.

He had barely been taken in by their master at Kongxuan Mountain, thinking he finally had a home, only to watch that home shatter before his eyes.

The person he loved—didn’t love him back.

The people he wanted to protect—he couldn’t protect.

He never even got the chance to go down the mountain, to see the vast world described in books, or to witness what they called the cruelty of human hearts. Instead, he was about to die so pathetically on the mountain where he was born and raised.

Was this his fate?

How tragic. How laughable.

As he thought these things, Yun Ying actually let out a quiet chuckle.

That laughter held nothing but a sense of resignation, as if he had seen through everything.

Perhaps dying with her was the best he could hope for.

At least on the road to the Yellow Springs, he wouldn’t have to travel alone.

“Senior Sister.”

Yun Ying’s voice suddenly became tender in a way he had never shown before.

He raised his one intact hand, wanting to brush the snowflakes from her hair like he used to.

But he was pinned to the wall, too far to reach.

He could only watch the flakes melt slowly into her black hair.

"Don't be afraid." Yun Ying's gaze was as doting as if he were looking at a naive child.

"Death is actually not scary at all."

"Close your eyes, open them again, and maybe... you'll be in your next life."

"Next life, I will definitely find you sooner."

"When the time comes..."

He paused, and on his pale face suddenly appeared a somewhat shy smile.

"When the time comes, I definitely won't say I'm your junior disciple anymore."

"I'll be your senior brother."

"That way, I can legitimately... bully you."

His words were jumbled and chaotic, yet heartfelt and sincere.

Yun Yao listened dumbfounded, and once again her tears welled up uncontrollably, blurring her vision.

So...

So this is what he had always been thinking.

And she...

She had been such a fool, knowing nothing at all.

She had always thought he was nagging, too controlling, as dull as an old man.

"Kid, are you done with your dying words?"

Liu Yishou impatiently interrupted this tender moment.

He had run out of patience to keep playing along.

He smacked his lips and yanked open his own belt.

"Blabbering on and on."

"I thought you were going to say something important."

"Boring."

"How about this: since you can't bear to touch her, I'll take over standing up... It would be too cruel, I suppose."

As he spoke, Liu Yishou walked toward Yun Ying, who was pinned to the wall.

"Let me cut it off for you."

He sneered, his voice filled with a nauseating excitement.

"Two birds with one stone—this way you'll have a sense of participation too."

"Blade Sect..."

The young man's voice was hoarse.

"How could it have a degenerate beast like you?"

Liu Yishou raised an eyebrow. A man about to die still had the nerve to talk back!

He sped up his hand, determined to make this reckless brat experience the ultimate humiliation before he died.

But just as his fingertip was about to touch Yun Ying...

His wrist suddenly stopped.

It was as if an invisible iron vise had clamped down on it, locking it in place without allowing an inch of movement.

What was happening?!

Shock surged through Liu Yishou. He subconsciously tried to pull his hand back, but found that his wrist felt as though a massive invisible mountain weighed it down—heavy, utterly immobile.

A gust of wind swept across the wilderness.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

No spiritual energy detected.

No footsteps heard.

No breath sensed.

Still the same waning moon, still the same blizzard.

What was going on?

How could the Yin-Yang Sect have a master like this hidden in the shadows?

It didn't make sense...

He had already scanned everyone with his spiritual sense...

Before he could dwell on the confusion, a disdainful voice drifted into his ear.

"Killing a man is one thing, but you sure have a lot of theatrics."

Su Ji's voice was calm and plain.

He casually brushed the snowflakes off his shoulder.

"I think you must be a total loser in the Blade Sect."

"That's why you love showing off your power in front of the weak."

"After all, opportunities like this are far too rare for you."