The Beautiful Pariah Thought He Could Be Loved - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The wind has picked up.

Through the closed doors, the rumbling sound of the wind felt as if it were trying to swallow everything whole. The temperature inside the room plummeted instantly.

Xin Qishu opened his eyes uneasily.

He murmured, “Why has He Shuaiqing been gone for so long?”

Not long after He Shuaiqing left, the bed suddenly felt uncomfortable no matter how he lay. The lingering dread from his nightmare had not faded. He sat up straight, attempting to meditate while waiting for He Shuaiqing, but eventually, he found it impossible to calm his mind. He pulled himself out of his trance and simply stared into the void, waiting.

The unease in his heart spread. He couldn’t pinpoint the cause, but he had an intuition: something was bound to happen tonight.

What could it be?

Xin Qishu wanted to run away from the thought.

Don’t wait anymore. As soon as He Shuaiqing comes back, we’ll leave.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Xin Qishu’s pupils dilated.

Someone was pounding violently on the courtyard door. The sound was like a thunderclap. Xin Qishu immediately scrambled out of bed and ran outside.

As he pushed the door open, the frigid air slapped his face. Xin Qishu forced himself to steady his breathing, pursing his lips slightly.

It wouldn’t be He Shuaiqing. Shuaiqing wouldn’t knock like that.

The pounding continued.

“Qishu, are you in there?” Fei Jia’s anxious voice drifted faintly through the wind.

The unease twisted into a hemp rope, pulled tight from both ends until it was at a breaking point. Xin Qishu’s hand gripped the doorframe so hard his knuckles turned white. He stood in the courtyard, yet he did not move to open the door.

Why was Fei Jia here? He thought that after that day, Fei Jia had given up.

Suddenly, a layer of golden light flickered outside the residence—it was the barrier He Shuaiqing had set up.

Xin Qishu couldn’t help but feel a surge of suspicion. What exactly did He Shuaiqing go to do? He definitely wasn’t out gathering soil.

With a muffled thud, the golden light dissolved like receding water. The vermilion gates were pushed open, and Fei Jia’s figure appeared in his sight.

Xin Qishu’s eyes flickered with panic. What was he going to say…?

Fei Jia rushed forward in a few strides, grabbed his hand tightly, and pulled him outward.

Up close, Xin Qishu saw the blood splattered on Fei Jia’s face. He gasped, “You…”

“—The cultivation sects launched a sudden night raid on the Blood Glory Palace. He Shuaiqing and his lot are leading them. The palace has been breached!”

The news hit Xin Qishu like a physical blow, making his head spin. The last threads of the rope snapped. Xin Qishu’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Fei Jia. “What? How… Can’t the Blood Demon Ring be used by you?”

Fei Jia spoke in a pained, low voice, “No, Qishu.” His eyes flickered with sorrow, but there was no hint of blame. “On the day you entered the secret realm, were you carrying something He Shuaiqing gave you?”

Xin Qishu froze, looking down at the red string on his wrist.

Fei Jia continued, “Qishu, do you understand what I mean?”

Snap. The string broke.

Xin Qishu’s head throbbed with a dull pain. Fei Jia’s words were like a hard dagger thrust into his skull, scrambling everything.

Yet, everything became so clear. Even though the colors of his world were a mess, he could finally see the connections.

Fei Jia was still waiting for a response. Xin Qishu nodded with great difficulty, his voice raspy: “I understand.”

“…” Xin Qishu tilted his head back, his jade-like face contorted in pain. He took a sharp breath, and tears once again flowed uncontrollably.

We had an agreement… No, didn’t I let you go? No, if you wanted to take revenge on me, why didn’t you just say it? No…

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, tracing back from yesterday to a long time ago. These thoughts tangled together until even he couldn’t tell them apart.

Xin Qishu didn’t say another word; only his tears spoke of his agony. Forcing himself to endure, he followed Fei Jia out of the residence. He felt as if he had lost his soul, walking in a daze, his vision entirely blurred.

Stepping out of the residence, he realized that the night was actually very loud. Screams and various chaotic sounds blended together, rising toward the heavens.

The night sky flashed with the colors of various spells. The Immortal Alliance occupied the heights; they couldn’t escape by air.

The residence had been built in a remote area for privacy, which was now an advantage as there was no one in sight. However, to escape the Demon Abyss, they had to take the long way around, bypassing a forested mountain.

The two moved at full speed, leaving afterimages behind.

The forest had no demonic beasts, and their movements were silent. Thus, when a faint noise appeared, both of them simultaneously turned into black mist, hiding under the layered shadows of the trees.

“Should we go this way? This area doesn’t seem to be on the map Senior He drew. Will there be danger?”

“What do you know? All the dangerous people are in the main hall. Even if there’s someone here, with our skills, we can definitely handle them. If something happens, bringing back their heads will prove our achievements even more.”

“That’s a bit too bloody…”

Three people were walking together, whispering to one another.

Not very strong. The two in the black mist judged instantly.

The sounds of slaughter seemed to be shifting toward this direction. If the main force arrived, they wouldn’t be able to get away.

The two locked eyes and, in a sudden burst, charged out at the same time.

The direction they fled was two meters away from the trio.

Rustle, rustle…

“What was that sound?” One person looked up, but it was just the leaves swaying.

Another person’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he crooked his finger slightly.

In the path where the two were fleeing, a large black net hidden in the vegetation suddenly rose.

A sense of impending doom washed over them. They tried to accelerate, but the net was larger than they imagined. No matter how far they ran, they remained within its reach.

What is this?

As the net tightened, the two felt a crushing pressure and were forced back into human form.

“Wow! I didn’t expect to actually catch something!” The three strangers didn’t recognize Fei Jia or Xin Qishu. They seemed extremely confident in the net and took no precautions, cheering on the spot.

There was still a chance! Xin Qishu drew his dagger and slashed with all his might, but the net was made of a special material; he only managed to cut one corner. Not even a dog could crawl through, let alone a person.

Seeing things were wrong, the three began walking over. With this net trapping them, they might not be able to win!

Xin Qishu grew more frantic, but it was useless; the opening wouldn’t get bigger.

At that moment, a large hand reached before his eyes and pulled with immense force. Behind him, Fei Jia let out an uncontrollable cry of pain. Smoke rose from where Fei Jia’s skin touched the net, but the hole finally became large enough for a person to fit through.

Xin Qishu breathed a sigh of relief.

“Who are you! To actually be able to damage a Demon-Catching Net…” One of the men stood a few paces away, warily aiming a bow and arrow at them.

With a push to his back, Xin Qishu was shoved out of the net. He wanted to turn back immediately, but before he could complete the movement, he was kicked in the back of the knee, and an arrow whistled past his head.

A glint of emerald green flashed on the arrowhead. Fei Jia’s eyes constricted. How could an Immortal Artifact be in the hands of someone like this!

Xin Qishu wanted to hold back the three to give Fei Jia time to escape, but a gentle force enveloped him. He was forced by that strength to roll down the hillside.

It was Fei Jia.

He urgently tilted his head back, watching the commotion above.

He heard the sound of fighting, Fei Jia’s muffled groan, and the painful cries of the other two.

Fei Jia’s voice suddenly rang clearly in his ear: “Go first. These two will definitely go and report us. I can’t let them live. I’ll come find you once I’ve killed them.”

A sharp, whistling sound rang out from above.

Fei Jia’s voice paused for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was deep. He seemed to be speaking to Xin Qishu, but also to himself: “Don’t be afraid, Qishu. We are only parting temporarily. We will meet again.”

“I was really happy to have met you.”

Sensing something was wrong, Xin Qishu tried to break free from the force holding him.

“We will meet again.”

“Qishu.” He suddenly changed his tone, speaking very solemnly: “Xin Qishu, forget me.”

In the blink of an eye—”BOOM!”

A massive explosion rang out from above, followed by a strange white smoke. The area was shrouded in mysterious mist, making it impossible for outsiders to see inside.

What happened? Xin Qishu’s mouth fell open.

A few moments later, drops of blood splattered across his cheek. Xin Qishu’s eyes widened; he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Countless rocks crumbled and fell, some hitting his body. The force protecting him vanished.

After that sound, all things fell into silence.

Xin Qishu maintained his expression, unable to snap out of it. He made no move, his body continuing to roll down the slope.

He didn’t know how long he tumbled before he was caught by a large tree and stopped. Dawn was approaching. In the pale sky, people were still fighting.

He felt as if he had been crushed. Small wounds covered his exposed skin. Xin Qishu haphazardly wiped the tears from his face and stumbled to his feet, running down the mountain.

He didn’t know where he was; he just ran blindly in one direction.

It started to rain. Fine droplets slid down the side of his face. Dark spots appeared on his disheveled clothes.

The path beneath his feet was rugged and uneven, but Xin Qishu just kept running.

Suddenly, his foot landed on a loose stone. His ankle twisted, and he tumbled again, his body grinding against the rocks. Xin Qishu’s mind was a mess of chaos; even the physical pain felt distant. That single explosion had completely stripped him of his sanity.

The sun rose fully. With a splash, Xin Qishu slid into a river ditch at the foot of the mountain.

The upper reaches of the ditch had only a shallow layer of water, providing no cushioning. Xin Qishu stared at the sky as if he were dead, his eyes blood-red. Suddenly, his chest heaved, and he sat up to vomit two mouthfuls of bright red blood.

He didn’t know where the ditch led. The smell was foul, and a layer of filth floated on the surface.

With red-rimmed eyes, he crawled up and walked a few steps with a limp. The sound of voices drifted from the forest in the distance again.

Xin Qishu’s heart was filled with darkness. The voices grew louder. Looking around, he took a trembling, deep breath and dived into the lower reaches of the ditch.

“Why does the Demon Abyss look like this? It’s not pretty at all.”

“Haha, regretting it now?”

The people on the bank stepped out of the forest, their giggling voices entering his ears indistinctly.

Xin Qishu had no time to eavesdrop on their conversation.

The people left.

Xin Qishu poked his head out to breathe.

Soon, another group of people arrived.

How many people did the Immortal Alliance send? Even in such a remote place, people were constantly passing by.

Xin Qishu lurked underwater, his eyes dull as he watched the pairs of feet passing by on the bank through the distorted ripples.

During one instance when he surfaced for air, he felt something. Looking up, he saw the main hall of the Blood Glory Palace engulfed in soaring flames.

The twisting flames expanded arrogantly. Even from this distance, Xin Qishu felt as if he could smell the scent of burning.

He thought again of the explosion on the mountain.

Fei Jia’s limbs had been blown apart before his eyes, turning into small fragments of flesh.

The only mercy was that Fei Jia had already closed his eyes by then.

A wave of heat seemed to sweep over him. Tears burst forth. What am I crying for? Crying because He Shuaiqing lied to me? Crying for Fei Jia’s death? Crying for the fall of the Blood Glory Palace? Crying for myself?

At this moment, Xin Qishu’s mind finally became clear. Without his knowledge, he had already walked past He Shuaiqing’s blade many times.

Fei Jia’s words rang in his ears once more.

“Qishu, it’s lucky you’re still alive.”

Yes, why was he still alive?

Why didn’t he kill me?

I would rather let others cry for me than cry for others.

But who would actually cry for me? And how could I not shed tears for the tragedy of others?

He thought and thought, and an answer began to form in his heart. But he felt the answer was incorrect.

A massive wave of resentment surged in his heart. He had to live!

He had to live!

Xin Qishu thought this almost while wailing in grief.

The fire continued to burn. Xin Qishu’s initial agitation gradually turned to numbness. What little sanity he had left was focused on a single thought: Live.

Night fell, then the sun rose. He didn’t know how many hours or days had passed. The sounds of slaughter moved from near to far, and the various colors in the sky gradually vanished.

Finally, a long time passed without anyone walking by the ditch.

Xin Qishu crawled out of the ditch in a state of excitement. These past few days, he had hidden underwater to avoid discovery, only surfacing occasionally to breathe. His hair and clothes were soaked through, and his entire body emitted a foul odor.

But he didn’t care about any of that. He only wanted to escape this place!

Maybe, just maybe, he really could survive.

A pair of cyan boots suddenly blocked his escape route. Xin Qishu already had the answer in his heart. Trembling, he looked up, the rain continuously washing over the wounds on his face.

Shuaiqing held an oil-paper umbrella, the canopy tilted slightly toward him. His pale cyan eyes looked down at him, questioning him coldly: “Why didn’t you stay in the house? Didn’t we agree to wait for me?”

What lay beneath the human skin? Bones? Blood? Vessels? …No matter what was there, it all seemed to have melted away.

Xin Qishu stared blankly at He Shuaiqing, everything inside his body draining away. He couldn’t say a single word, only gasping for air.

After a long while, he only asked one question—a completely unnecessary question, but he asked it anyway: “How did you find me?”

Shuaiqing avoided the question, pursing his lips slightly. “Sorry, we might have to go back to the Law Rain Court for a while.”

We?

Xin Qishu’s face contorted for a fleeting moment. In that instant, he dazedlly remembered that there was a location-sensing bond between Daoist companions.

He was caught in a trap with no escape.