The raging firelight grew closer. Luo Yingbai had already seen the crack and took two quick steps forward. Wei Shou pulled him back, draping his outer garment over him: “Put this on quickly!”
Luo Yingbai paused for a moment, then immediately took the clothes and put them on. Amid the firelight, faint wails and cries continued to emerge, and many souls enduring burning torment seemed to go mad when seeing the human world, struggling to escape.
Most of them were rolled back and devoured by the merciless fire tongue, but occasionally some would successfully escape. Such fierce ghosts, once free from the control of Xuanhao True Fire, would become exceptionally savage.
Luo Yingbai said, “Okay, I’ll wear the clothes. I have a magical artifact to control the fire. You don’t need to worry about the Xuanhao True Fire. Just watch out for those fierce ghosts from behind.”
Wei Shou agreed. Luo Yingbai pulled out a large net that seemed woven from golden silk threads. As he shook the net open, the already beautiful net surface became even more brilliant under the firelight.
A disciple from the Changliu sect recognized it and made a clicking sound, running over to help Luo Yingbai stretch the net: “Senior brother, you indeed have many good things. If I’m not mistaken, this is silk spun by a thousand-year-old spider spirit, soaked in holy water from a pure bottle before being woven into a net, right?”
Luo Yingbai waved to have a few more people help hold the other three corners of the net: “You’ve got a good eye. If we survive today and the net isn’t burned to ashes, I’ll give it to you.”
Fierce ghosts howled around them, flames burned, and thick black smoke continuously billowed out. Everyone was drenched in sweat. Luo Yingbai’s junior brother wiped the sweat from his face and found humor in the dire situation, laughing loudly, “That sounds great!”
They stretched the net’s corners, positioning them to correspond with the Kun, Li, Kan, and Zhen directions. Luo Yingbai took out two long nails made of mysterious iron and threw them accurately. With a “whoosh whoosh,” the corners of Kun and Li positions were nailed down, momentarily pushing back the fire. However, this also created weak protection at the other two unnailed positions, making the fire even more ferocious.
Xia Xianning was in the fire scene, feeling a chill at that moment, and without caring that the Xuanxiao True Fire on his body had not been completely extinguished, he immediately rushed towards Luo Yingbai’s direction, shouting: “Senior brother, be careful!”
“
Unfortunately, at this moment, a large piece of burned-out ceiling crashed down on the spot where Luo Mingbai was grabbing the person. In the thunderous sound, Luo Mingbai not only failed to notice the fierce ghost’s attack but also didn’t hear Xia Xianning’s warning. He just instinctively shielded the person he had just rescued behind him.
This coincidental twist caused the burning ceiling to smash down on Luo Mingbai’s head, while the fierce ghost’s attack precisely targeted the person protected by Luo Mingbai.
From Luo Mingbai rescuing someone to the fierce ghost’s sneak attack, and then to Xia Xianning’s warning, it was just a matter of moments. Xia Xianning, standing behind Luo Mingbai, could only manage to throw out a yellow talisman to open the blade formed by resentful energy, which essentially helped the person Luo Mingbai had rescued.
Luo Mingbai could not avoid the fire in front of him.
Xia Xianning watched this scene, his heart seemingly stopping instantly, all thoughts turning blank.
—Luo Mingbai was not in trouble. Just moments ago, the rescued person suddenly lunged forward, pushing him away, and the burning ceiling crashed directly onto that person.
“
With a physical body to feed on, the flames burned even more intensely.
The Xuanxiao True Fire was indeed difficult to extinguish, and the burning spots on Xia Xianning’s clothes had not yet been put out. He grabbed Luo Mingbai’s shoulder and pulled him behind himself, then drew his sword to lift the burning ceiling, only then having the chance to remove and throw his outer garment to the ground.
Xia Xianning hoisted the injured person from the ground and shouted, “Let’s leave here first!”
By now, the crack had been sealed by Luo Mingbai’s net. Although flames were still leaking around, they could be dealt with later. The entire building was on the verge of collapse, and everyone followed his instruction, running outside.
Xia Xianning carried the person on his shoulder without slowing down, running to Luo Mingbai’s side and tightly grasping his hand.
They passed through thick smoke and debris, escaping the building. Fortunately, everyone who came here was not an ordinary person.
After rushing out, Gou Songze had already borrowed a fire truck. They mixed the rootless water from the pure bottle into the water tank and sprayed it to extinguish the fire. Xia Xianning retreated to an open space, then released Luo Mingbai’s hand and set down the person from his shoulder.
They were all in a sorry state, even those uninjured were covered in black soot.
Luo Mingbai knelt on the ground, hastily checking the person’s injuries.
He casually wiped the person’s face with his sleeve, but upon seeing his facial features clearly, Luo Mingbai’s movements suddenly stopped.
Staring at that familiar face, he doubted his own eyes: “…Peng Xuan?
Luo Yingbai examined the scar on Peng Xuan’s hand and said: “This wound is from a sword slash, right? If not treated in time, this arm could be permanently damaged—why didn’t you say anything about getting hurt?” Peng Xuan was not a lively, likable child and was difficult to communicate with. Luo Yingbai had a good temper and spent half a day persuading him to understand that he didn’t dare to mention being injured while practicing sword fighting, fearing his master and senior brothers would think he was useless and kick him out. Luo Yingbai found medicine for him, bandaged his wound, taught him the sword technique that had caused his injury, and told him, “As long as I’m in the Changliu Sect, no one can make you leave. Next time you’re injured and don’t want to tell anyone, you can come to me; otherwise, if you don’t get timely treatment, your arm will be useless, and you can forget about seeking revenge.”
The person closest to Peng Xuan in the Changliu Sect, Luo Yingbai, knew that Peng Xuan was different from most of his junior brothers. Their sect and the Yingxing Sect had different rules, which emphasized lineage; generally, their disciples came from good backgrounds, raised to be proper and gentle from a young age.
Only Peng Xuan came from an ordinary family, experienced major upheavals, and was often looked down upon. With great difficulty, he was finally accepted by the Changliu Sect. This made him cherish everything he obtained, not allowing anyone to take or destroy it: his martial skills, his property, his life.
Luo Yingbai remembered that the other scar on his hand was from when they dealt with a monster when Peng Xuan was eighteen, and he blocked an attack for him.
Now, Peng Xuan was gripping his arm and calling him “senior brother.” Luo Yingbai ultimately couldn’t harden his heart. He embraced Peng Xuan’s shoulders, letting him lean on him, momentarily unable to speak.
With Xia Xianning’s medicine taking effect, Peng Xuan’s spirits improved: “Senior brother, I often heard that if given a second life, one could make up for past regrets… but I’ve been given this luck and haven’t used it well. I was wrong. I thought I had gained extra time to live, but in harming you these days, the more I live, the more pain I feel.
I want to know what really happened back then—even if it kills me! So I must return to the place where I died in my previous life today, recreate that scene, and understand why you pulled me to block the resentful energy!”
