193 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

"I won't let you escape this time," Ran Fan Yin declared, releasing her spiritual pressure to cow Chen Si Ting. Chen Si Ting felt indignant, shouting, "You said you would let me go!" Ran Fan Yin's tone remained indifferent. "You've killed so many, imprisoning their souls and denying them reincarnation. I owe you no explanations." This justified tone further provoked Chen Si Ting. Her face turned into a skeletal grin, her voice, already aged, became even more grating in her hysteria. "What makes you so noble? You executioner! Do you think you're saving anything?" "I'm saving the living." Chen Si Ting couldn't help but laugh. With ghostly flames flickering in her hollow eyes, she retorted, "Saving the living? You're just an accomplice to evil!" Ran Fan Yin did not get angry at her nonsense. She grabbed at the empty air and then clenched her fist. With her motions, Chen Si Ting's body began to twist. Ding! Ning Song Wu woke up. She found herself holding a sword, standing before the unconscious Lin Yu Xue. Her hand, gripping the sword, was numb. Ning Song Wu dropped the sword with a sigh. "Was I sleepwalking again?" Lingering spiritual energy fluctuations on Lin Yu Xue suggested Ning Song Wu had attacked her. Fortunately, nothing major had happened. Ning Song Wu noticed Ran Fan Yin was not around and presumed she had gone after Chen Si Ting, replaying the events before she had lost consciousness. Ning Song Wu felt a bit helpless. She couldn't understand why Ran Fan Yin had brought her, the tagalong, out in the first place. If she had the choice, she'd prefer to waste her days away on Chaoci Peak. Finding a spot to sit on the ground, Ning Song Wu leaned against a wall, quietly watching the sky as she waited for Ran Fan Yin's return. The sun slowly dipped westward, shifting the sky from blue to golden. Ran Fan Yin still had not come back. Of course, Ning Song Wu had no intention of looking for her. If she wasn't in danger, that was fine. If there was trouble Ran Fan Yin couldn't handle, Ning Song Wu would only be a burden if she went. Ning Song Wu turned to look at Lin Yu Xue and Luo Sheng beside her. Both appeared trapped in a nightmare, brows furrowed as cold sweat continuously dripped. Luo Sheng even had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Senior Sister Lin, Senior Sister Luo." Ning Song Wu called them several more times, but neither responded. It seemed that even these senior sisters were of no use. She stepped over them and tried calling the elder from Lishui Sect, but there was no response either. As night fell, Ning Song Wu hugged her shoulders, listening to the chorus of cicadas and the creaking of an unattended window swaying in the breeze. She didn't feel scared, just tired. Sleepiness washed over her, and she finally lowered her head, succumbing to slumber. A series of bells jingled by her ears. Half awake and half asleep, Ning Song Wu didn't know where she was. She rubbed her eyes, only to find herself holding a rope. Her hands had become smaller, and looking back, she saw she was leading a brownish-yellow calf with a bell around its neck that rang with its every movement. This isn't Wanjia Village... Wait, what's Wanjia Village? Wasn't I just following Mother's instructions to herd the cattle? Ning Song Wu felt like she had forgotten something but couldn't remember what. "Wu'er! Come home for dinner!" In the distance, a woman in simple clothes called out to Ning Song Wu. For some reason, Ning Song Wu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, as if she hadn't seen this scene for a long time. She led the calf towards the woman. The woman, seeing Ning Song Wu approaching slowly, grabbed her hand cheerfully, "I told you not to herd the cattle. Look how tired you are." Ning Song Wu relished the warmth in her palm, reluctant to let go. "Mother, I'm not tired." "Not tired? Look at all this sweat." The woman wiped Ning Song Wu's sweat with her sleeve. Back home, Ning Song Wu sat quietly eating on a stool. Her obedient demeanor filled her mother with satisfaction. "Wu'er is eating well today. Just watching you eat gives me an appetite." Could it be that she didn't usually eat like this? Ning Song Wu felt something was off. She always thought having food at all was the best situation, so why wouldn't she enjoy eating? After dinner, her mother cleaned up the dishes and wiped the table while reproaching, "Wu'er, don't go out these days. I heard there's a monster in the west mountains." The word "monster" stung Ning Song Wu, and she instinctively raised her hand. Her right hand was dirty, and she had a nagging feeling something was missing from it. "What are you looking at, Wu'er?" Ning Song Wu looked up at her mother with eyes no longer filled with longing. She chuckled, her voice innocent, "Aren't monsters supposed to appear in the east mountains?" Her mother's face changed. She covered Ning Song Wu's mouth, "Don't say such things, child." Ning Song Wu smiled with arched eyes, but her gaze was manic. She pried her mother's hand away, "They do appear in the east mountains. Mother, you were eaten by a monster." Her mother turned pale with panic. "How can you say such things? Did you daydream while herding cattle? Go to sleep, you'll feel better." Ning Song Wu rested her head on her hands, watching her mother with swinging little feet, looking every bit the mischievous child. "Mother, am I not dreaming right now? It's just time to wake up." With that, Ning Song Wu's expression changed. She leaped from the stool and ran headlong into the corner. Pain radiated from her forehead, wet heat blurring her vision, forcing her eyes shut. After a whirlwind, Ning Song Wu slowly opened her eyes. She saw an unfamiliar stone wall. Though it was an illusion, the pain felt real. She wanted to rub her temple but quickly realized her hands were bound. "Don't move." Ning Song Wu stopped wriggling, amazed. "Master, why are you here too?" Ran Fan Yin and Ning Song Wu were bound together, but Ran Fan Yin's cold body temperature made Ning Song Wu think she was tied to a post.