Chapter 757: The Broken Bridge Was Crowded With People
No one eats human flesh except the demons.
—Even if there were such twisted individuals, it would only be done in secret, absolutely never spoken of openly, much less with a proud expression.
The black-clad girl's words were absurd, sounding like a joke. Logically, they could only be a joke, yet no one in the pavilion could laugh. Because this was a deep mountain snow ridge far from the human world, on a lake in the deepening chill of a winter night—the perfect setting for eerie tales to unfold. And her expression was deadly serious.
An atmosphere of fear and unease enveloped the snow pavilion, gripping every heart. Shame can sometimes fuel anger, and so can fear, for both force you to confront the weaknesses of your own soul. That Mr. Yang wanted to explain himself, but when he spoke, his words turned into a furious reprimand born of embarrassment.
"Is what I said wrong? These medicinal herbs could save lives, yet you use them to satisfy your own gluttony! What you're eating is human flesh! What you're drinking is human blood!"
"What you said is certainly not wrong." The black-clad girl's youthful features were cold and indifferent. "Because I do indeed eat human flesh and drink human blood."
As her words fell, a miserable scream of agony rang out in the snow pavilion. That Mr. Yang's hand was severed at the wrist!
Amidst terrified shouts, a string of crystalline blood droplets sprayed into the night sky. The severed hand, controlled by an invisible force, floated over to the black-clad girl.
She looked at the severed hand, slightly raising an eyebrow, making no move for the moment, as if lost in thought.
People stared in horror at this bloody scene, wondering: Was she really going to eat that severed hand?
An Hua noticed that the black-clad girl's expression was exceptionally serious and solemn, cautious and focused, even carrying a hint of sacredness.
This realization filled her with boundless terror, and her body felt abnormally cold, because it reminded her of the little girl she had seen today at the Gao Yang Town inn.
"Stop messing around." A voice rang out from the lakeshore.
The young man who had suddenly vanished earlier walked back from the bridge.
Because of this person's appearance, the oppressive, tense, and terrified atmosphere in the snow pavilion inexplicably relaxed a great deal.
Whether it was due to his gentle tone or his clean, delicate face that gave off a harmless feeling, no one could say.
The black-clad girl looked at him angrily and said, "Where am I messing around? That was the braised lamb stew you made for me! How can I eat it after that guy's dirty hand touched it?"
The young man came to the edge of the pavilion, looked at her, and said, "So just because of that, you're going to gnaw on his hand?"
The black-clad girl said angrily, "I don't care! I want to eat human flesh! I was born to eat human flesh, so why can't I?"
The young man said with some helplessness, "We already tried two years ago. You don't like eating that. Why are you still so fixated on this matter now?"
The black-clad girl snorted and said, "If I can't eat human flesh, am I still me?"
"Be good. You just said it yourself, this hand is very dirty. Throw it away quickly." He spoke to her, his voice carrying a trace of deep affection, but more of helplessness, along with care, responsibility, and obligation, like an elder to a junior. Strangely, there was also a hint of fear.
This conversation was also very strange. Since when could something like eating human flesh be discussed openly?
Everyone found it absurd, but aside from Mr. Yang, who was nearly fainting from pain, they all hoped this young man could persuade the black-clad girl.
No one wanted to spend the rest of their lives having nightmares every night.
The black-clad girl was clearly very unhappy, but in the end, she complied and threw the severed hand into the lake.
Seeing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"I know what you want, but I really can't give it to you. Also..."
The young man's gaze fell on An Hua's face and he said, "There are indeed medicinal herbs in the lamb pot and the wine flask, but they are not what you're looking for."
An Hua had already confirmed that he was the owner of the Cinnabar Pill. She was puzzled as to why, among so many people, he chose to speak to her, and she was momentarily stunned.
The young man continued, "I am not that extravagant a person. If this meat and wine could save lives, I would certainly not use them to satisfy my own appetite."
An Hua grew even more confused. This person was certainly no ordinary man, and there was no reason for him to explain anything to her, an ordinary instructor from the Azure Radiance Thirteen Bureaus. But when she saw Mr. Yang writhing in pain, that confusion was once again replaced by sorrow. She said, "But in the end, you are still a great figure who disregards the lives of ordinary people."
The young man looked at her earnest and stubborn expression, momentarily distracted, probably thinking of a girl who had once trained in the Azure Radiance Thirteen Bureaus.
He wanted to explain a few things, perhaps also for this reason.
"You are a pure healer. You are a true soldier."
He looked at An Hua and the general and said, "But this man is different. He is not an ordinary medical officer. I can see his greed, so the severed hand is the price he must pay."
Just like his previous explanations, there was no evidence, only his own judgment, which was hard to believe. But looking at the young man's clean and clear eyes, An Hua and the general both believed him.
Then, the young man said regretfully, "I didn't expect to be found so quickly."
The atmosphere in the snow pavilion grew tense again. Everyone gripped their sword hilts and crossbows, breathing rapidly, thinking: Was he going to silence them? If they hadn't seen the black-clad girl silently sever Mr. Yang's wrist from a distance, they might have scoffed at the idea as absurd, but no one dared to think that way now.
Yet the young man did nothing. He simply called the black-clad girl out of the snow pavilion and turned to walk toward the bridge.
Only then did everyone notice that he had been carrying a travel bag all along. So during the time he had disappeared, he had been preparing to leave.
An Hua, being a woman, had a relatively finer mind and thought of more things.
He had packed his bags in such a short time—did that mean they were always ready to leave?
What was he avoiding? The worldwide fame, the boundless wealth, the endless risks brought by the Cinnabar Pill? Or the world itself?
Who exactly was this young man? What story lay behind him?
That general had come with a military order and naturally was unwilling to let him leave. With a deep roar, he lunged out of the snow pavilion.
With a bang, dust and snow exploded beneath the pavilion. He was blocked by an invisible barrier and knocked to the ground.
Only then did everyone realize that before leaving, the young man had set up a restriction in the snow pavilion. It might not be dangerous, but it prevented them from stopping his departure.
An Hua walked to the edge of the pavilion and shouted at the retreating figures, "We only want a Cinnabar Pill to save a life."
The young man did not turn around. "I really don't have any here. The next batch will be ready in a few days. Go back and wait."
An Hua shouted in despair, "But he can't wait that long!"
"There are many things in this world that we cannot decide for ourselves. We can only accept our fate."
The young man led the black-clad girl toward the end of the wooden bridge, still talking as they went.
"Don't make a scene anymore."
"I wasn't making a scene!"
"Then can you stop being so violent? Killing and eating people at the slightest provocation—that's really not good."
"Those people came to rob us! They might even have wanted to attack you. Of course I had to kill them. If I can kill them, what's wrong with eating them on the side?"
"I know you don't want to eat either. Why force yourself..."
"When did I ever say I didn't want to eat human flesh? I was just thinking that what you said made sense—that hand was too dirty, and washing and plucking the hair would be too much trouble..."
"I was just giving you an out so you could back down gracefully."
"Hey! Saying it like that, aren't you putting me back up on that ladder? Besides, get your facts straight—I was doing it to save face for you!"
Listening to these exchanges, watching the figures gradually receding into the distance, the people in the snow pavilion felt a complex mix of emotions.
Just as they thought everything that had happened tonight would become a memory, a cold dream hard to forget yet leaving no trace in their lives...
Suddenly.
The starry sky and scattered snowflakes burst into a wild dance. A massive boulder came whistling down from the sky, crashing onto the wooden bridge.
The lake churned, waves surged, wooden splinters flew everywhere, and dust and snowflakes blotted out the entire sky.
The bridge broke. The snow-covered lake was in chaos.
The young man and the black-clad girl stood at the edge of the broken bridge, their clothes slightly damp.
Silence fell, oppressive and heavy.
Then the sound of wind arose, howling without end—the cold wind whipping at flames.
Next came the grating of metal, the clashing of armor.
Countless torches were lit one by one along the lakeshore, gradually illuminating the scene.
Everywhere were people.