Chapter 132 — Foolish Kindness [Second Update]

Black Mountain City was far larger than Yaochuan City, and incomparably grand. Its towering arrow towers stood packed as densely as a fence. Murray said that because star-soul beasts often roamed this area, the towers had been built to guard against them. The soldiers stationed in those towers were at least Rank Five in strength.

As he said this, Murray glanced at Tang Tang.

"That sounds impressive." Amazement showed on Tang Tang's face, and not a trace of it was feigned.

Murray withdrew his gaze. He was, after all, an honest man, and he felt it was impolite to stare. Because he did not want to upset Tang Tang, he said nothing about the fact that every one of those soldiers had awakened more than one bloodline.

Tang Tang truly found it impressive.

So many arrow towers packed together—how many soldiers would that require? Every one of them at Rank Five or above. That alone showed Black Mountain City stood on a higher level than White Rainbow Star. When they had attacked the Yu family, Tang Tang had charged an arrow tower. If those arrows had been loosed by Rank Five warriors, Tang Tang was certain he would never have broken through.

It really was impressive.

A powerhouse like Murray might not think much of ordinary soldiers, but Tang Tang did not see things that way at all. Every day he had been berated by soldiers telling him he was worse than a raw recruit, and in Tang Tang's eyes, any soldier who had graduated from the recruit camp was a formidable expert.

Gu Xue, who had been teasing Yaya, frowned without meaning to. "Uncle Murray!"

She was clever and quick, and she could understand Murray's craving for any straw to clutch at in such a suffocating, hopeless situation. But her feelings for Tang Tang were entirely different—Tang Tang had saved her life.

Anyone else, in such a desperate moment, would have dodged first. Tang Tang's first instinct had been to save her. In a crisis like that there was no time to think; everything came from instinct.

Tang Tang was a righteous and kindhearted youth.

Her heart was full of gratitude toward Tang Tang. What did her fate have to do with him? He had already saved her once; he had no obligation to take responsibility for her destiny.

When Murray met the young lady's gaze, his old face flushed red. He had indeed lost his composure a little.

"Into the city," Murray said quickly.

The soldiers guarding the city were quite familiar with Murray and his group, but when they saw Murray and the others, their expressions turned strange.

Murray was experienced. The moment he saw the soldiers' faces, his heart sank. He knew something must have happened.

"Protect the young lady," Murray said in a low voice. The other guards all wore grave expressions, as if facing a great enemy.

Gu Xue did not look up. She went on teasing Yaya, perfectly calm.

The soldiers did not stop them, and the group entered the city smoothly. But Tang Tang noticed shadows stirring in the darkness. He frowned slightly and said quietly to Gu Xue, "I smell danger."

Gu Xue's hands paused. She raised her head, turned her face slightly toward Tang Tang, and smiled. "Some dangers cannot be avoided."

She gently lifted Yaya, who looked utterly content in her soft hands, and placed her back on Tang Tang's shoulder. Then, her expression serious, she said, "Leave quickly. Find any inn and settle down. Getting off Filin Star will be difficult, but if you ask around patiently, you will surely find a way. I wish you all the best. Thank you for saving my life."

Tang Tang tilted his head and looked at Gu Xue, so earnest, the brown of his eyes glinting with sincere light.

"You are in big trouble, aren't you?" Tang Tang said suddenly.

"I am going home. What trouble could there be in going home?" Gu Xue blinked playfully at Tang Tang.

Tang Tang looked at Gu Xue for a moment, then suddenly scratched his head and laughed. "You are right. What danger could there be in going home? Then I will be off!"

Gu Xue smiled quietly. The night wind stirred her long dress of blue and white, its golden hem torn in many places, yet she remained elegant and gentle.

Tang Tang waved to her and said loudly, "I am leaving."

He turned and vanished into the street.

The smile on Gu Xue's face remained as before. She said softly, "Let's go."

***

Tang Tang turned into a corner and stopped.

"What? Planning to play the hero and save the beauty?" Bing floated out, his tone dripping with mockery.

"She is a good person," Tang Tang said, not answering the question. He tilted his face up, looked at the night sky, and murmured to himself, "If someone like that were to die just like this, what a pity."

"Who do you think you are?" Bing curled his lip. "A savior? A great hero? Come on. Don't think you are something just because you cleared one lousy bronze dummy chamber."

"Neither," Tang Tang said, shaking his head, his expression calm. "But don't you think it would be a great pity?"

"What does that have to do with me? I am only an instructor." Bing spread his hands.

Tang Tang rolled his eyes. "But I don't want her to die."

"So everything I just said was wasted?" Bing said, somewhat displeased.

"Besides, if I help them, I might run into Zia again. I really want to fight him seriously once."

Tang Tang tossed out those words lightly and was already slipping along the shadows of the street, heading in the direction Gu Xue and the others had disappeared.

Bing was stunned by those words. He often heard Tang Tang say arrogant things, but none had ever struck him harder than this.

Zia was very strong—strong even from Bing's perspective, far beyond what Tang Tang could contend with now. Yet when he heard Tang Tang say he wanted to fight Zia again, and heard the undisguised fighting spirit in his voice, Bing could not help but fall into a momentary daze.

He knew Tang Tang well enough by now to hear that this guy was serious.

Damn it!

Bing could not help cursing. Was this guy insane?

There was absolutely no chance of victory; the probability of death was over ninety percent. What meaning was there in such a fight?

In the night, the figure moving forward along the shadows at the base of the wall was stubborn beyond measure.

***

Gu Xue looked at the courtyard, now little more than ruins, and a flash of pain crossed her eyes. This was her home, where the memories of her childhood remained. Murray's gaze could almost kill. He suddenly remembered the strange expressions on the soldiers' faces when they entered the city gate.

"Let's clean up a little," Gu Xue said quietly, having calmed herself. "First clear a space so everyone can rest."

Murray nodded, and the others silently began clearing the ruins.

They had expected things to be bad, but not this bad. The enemy had openly destroyed this place, which showed just how unbridled they had become.

It was easy to imagine that by tomorrow, the attack waiting for them would come down like a mountain. The fact that the enemy dared to go this far meant they must be utterly confident.

At some point, snow began to drift down from the sky.

Abili picked a piece of wood from the ruins, a beam torn from one of the houses, and lit a fire. Everyone gathered around it, the atmosphere oppressive to the extreme.

Gu Xue's expression, by contrast, grew calm. She looked up at the sky, stretched out her palm, and caught a snowflake. "I remember when I was little, whenever it snowed, Father would stay here and build snowmen with me. It is snowing again today. It must be Father in heaven, afraid that I am lonely."

Murray's eyes reddened at once, and his fists clenched involuntarily.

Gu Xue withdrew her gaze and sat upright on the ground. Even now, there was not the slightest sign of wretchedness on her face. She might have been sitting not in the mud but in a warm, soft fur chair.

Her blue-and-white dress spread out like sky and clouds.

She suddenly bent forward in a graceful bow and said earnestly, "Thank you all for bringing me here."