In the streets of Bianjing, the remaining snow has not yet melted. The biting cold wind is like a ferocious beast, rampaging through the narrow alleys, carrying with it the smell of decay and blood, as if humming the sufferings of this ancient capital. The dilapidated temple is dark and cramped, and the air is filled with a strong smell of mold, mixed with damp coldness, wantonly invading every inch of space. Lin Feng is like a lone wolf who is injured and helpless, curled up in a corner, surrounded by a suffocating atmosphere of despair. On his knees, the fragments of the Qingming Mirror are scattered in a mess. Those fragments are like cold stars in the cold night. The cold reflections reflect his pale face, which makes his eyes more empty and helpless. He stared blankly at the fragments in front of him, his thoughts like a kite with a broken string, floating in chaos and confusion.
Outside the temple, the hustle and bustle was like a surging tide, one wave after another, with shouts of killing and cursing intertwined, piercing the already restless night sky. The swaying torches cast the dazzling red light through the leaky window lattices into the temple. On the wall, the light and shadows were like ghosts, baring their fangs and claws, as if countless evil spirits from hell were laughing grimly, mercilessly mocking the absurdity and impermanence of the world. Just three days ago, the feat of Lin Wanqiu turning into a giant dragon to repel the Jin army was still shining in everyone's memory like a bright star, but now, it was like a high-hanging sharp blade, hanging directly above Lin Feng's head, which could fall at any time and completely cut off his world.
"It's him! That magic mirror, it must have attracted the blood moon!" A sharp female voice, like a sharp dagger, instantly pierced the dullness of the night sky. Lin Feng trembled violently, as if struck by a thunderbolt, and subconsciously held the fragment of the Qingming mirror in his hand tighter. The sharp edge of the mirror ruthlessly cut his palm, and the scarlet blood slowly seeped out from the fine wound, flowing along the edge of the mirror, leaving a shocking blood mark in this dim temple. In an instant, memories came like a flood. Half a month ago, he fought bloody battles regardless of life and death just to protect the people, and the scene still appeared clearly in front of him. Those hands that once enthusiastically handed over simple food and drink, now ruthlessly raised hoes and kitchen knives, and in this biting cold wind, they clamored wildly, determined to take his life. This change was like a heavy hammer, hitting his heart hard. There was a flash of disbelief in his eyes and his lips trembled slightly. He wanted to say something, but was ultimately drowned by the overwhelming malice.
With a loud bang, the dilapidated temple door burst open under the impact of a powerful external force. A dozen figures rushed in like wolves and tigers, wrapped in wind and snow. The leader was Wang the butcher from the meat shop. He was burly and strong, with veins bulging on his thick neck, like angry earthworms. The butcher knife in his hand was still stained with blood. In the dim light, it exuded a chilling atmosphere. I don't know if the blood was left by the pigs that had just been slaughtered, or the blood of innocent people in this chaotic situation. "Hand over the magic mirror!" He shouted hoarsely, and the roar was like thunder exploding on the ground, shaking the dust on the temple beams to fall. "Ever since you brought this evil thing into Bian Jing, there has been no peace here! The blood moon is hanging high, the fog is everywhere, and monsters are rampant. These are all disasters brought upon us by you!" His face was full of anger and ferocity, his eyes were as big as copper bells, as if Lin Feng in front of him was the most evil being in the world.
As soon as these words came out, a hysterical echo broke out in the crowd. The shouts and curses that came one after another were like surging waves, one after another, completely drowning Lin Feng. Lin Feng raised his head and slowly swept his eyes across the distorted faces. The hideous expressions seemed to be controlled by evil forces. In an instant, Zhao Mantun's clear and pure eyes suddenly emerged in his mind. The boy who always had a smile on his face and kept talking about saving money for his mother's medical treatment was still vividly imprinted in his memory, but at this moment, he unfortunately became a handle in the hands of these people. "Have you all forgotten? Zhao Mantun was protecting you." Lin Feng tried to speak up, with a tremor in his voice, but his words were instantly drowned out by the angry and crazy voices and disappeared without a trace. His voice seemed so weak in the noise, like a fallen leaf swaying in the wind, no one cared.
"Don't bring up the dead!" The tofu seller, Madam Li, interrupted him fiercely with a sharp voice. The silver hairpin in her hair flashed a dazzling light under the flickering firelight, which hurt people's eyes. "If you hadn't insisted on going to Jinying to provoke those monsters, would the child have lost his life? We were a family of five, and we were originally harmonious and happy. Now, it's just me and this stupid son!" As she said that, she reached out and pulled a child who looked about five or six years old beside her. The child's eyes were empty and confused, like a pool of stagnant water. He was mechanically chewing a steamed bun that had already turned black. There were still traces of dried tears on his face. In this chaotic and cruel scene, he looked particularly helpless and pitiful. Madam Li's eyes were full of resentment. Her body trembled slightly with anger, as if she wanted to blame all the misfortunes on Lin Feng alone.
Lin Feng felt dizzy, as if the whole world was collapsing in an instant. His back hit the cold and hard brick wall heavily, and the piercing cold quickly spread to his whole body along his spine. At this moment, Lin Wanqiu's cold smile and the famous saying "The human heart is more terrifying than the monster" suddenly emerged in his mind. The fragments of the Qingming Mirror in his hand seemed to be injected with strange power and became hotter and hotter. The reflections in the mirror were twisted and crazy faces, which looked exactly like those monsters transformed by the blood moon. This scene made his heart shrink suddenly, and the coldness jumped from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His breathing became rapid, his chest rose and fell violently, and his heart was filled with endless sorrow and despair. It turned out that in the face of life and death, the ugliness of the human heart could be exposed so thoroughly.
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"Stop it!" A loud shout, like thunder exploding from the ground, rolled in from outside the temple. Duan Litang was seen, with messy white hair like weeds, and his Taoist robe was stained with medicine stains that had not yet dried. It was obvious that he had just returned from a busy clinic and had not had time to rest. He held a peach wood sword, and the ancient talisman engraved on the sword body emitted a mysterious glimmer in the dark night, as if it was carrying some kind of sacred and inviolable power. At this moment, he was like a fearless warrior, forcibly cutting a bloody path and rushing into the temple. "The good and bad of the mirror are all determined by the user! You bunch of fools, have you all forgotten who risked his life to protect Bianjing on the night when the blood moon was raging?" His voice was loud and firm, trying to awaken the conscience of the people who were blinded, and his eyes revealed his concern for Lin Feng and his anger at everyone's behavior.
However, the only response he got was Wang the Butcher's mocking sneer. "Guardian? Humph, I saw him confronting the red-clothed monster with my own eyes! Maybe they are birds of a feather!" As soon as these words came out, the crowd fell into a frenzy of agitation again. Some people were excited, holding torches high, and approached the beams directly. The flickering flames cast the shadows of the people on the wall. The shadows jumped wildly with the people's movements, like a group of demons with bared fangs and claws, rampaging in this temple. The eyes of the people were full of madness and paranoia, as if they had been overwhelmed by hatred and lost their reason.
Lin Feng slowly closed his eyes, and the last ray of light in his eyes dimmed. His hands gradually loosened, and the fragments of the Qingming Mirror that he had tightly grasped fell to the ground with a clanging sound. The crisp sound, at this moment, sounded like a series of sighs full of despair. He suddenly felt so tired. The countless fights he had experienced in the past few days, the trust he had gained, and the betrayal he had encountered now, all of them were like passing clouds and smoke, fleeting in a flash. When the first hoe, wrapped in the sound of the wind, hit his shoulder heavily, he had no idea of ??resisting, and he didn't even feel the pain. Only Duan Litang's anxious shouts kept echoing in his ears, but it seemed to be separated by a layer of hazy gauze, becoming more and more distant. There was a dead silence in his heart, and his beautiful fantasy of this world had been completely shattered.
"If you want to touch him, step over my body first!" Duan Litang shouted, swinging the peach wood sword in his hand tightly, like an indestructible copper wall. The talisman on the sword instantly turned into a dazzling golden light shield, with a powerful force, shaking the people in the front to fly backwards and fall heavily to the ground. However, after all, they were outnumbered. As time went by, Duan Litang's Taoist robe was gradually cut, and the bright red blood oozed from the wounds, which was particularly eye-catching in this dim temple. His forehead was covered with sweat, his teeth were clenched, but he still stood firmly in front of Lin Feng, not flinching.
At this critical moment, a red shadow, like a ghost in the dark night, flashed across the roof. Everyone looked up and saw Lin Wanqiu, dressed in red, leaning lightly on the broken eaves. Her red dress fluttered in the whistling night wind, like a burning flame. The dragon horn on her forehead emitted a faint blue light, which was like a cold moonlight, illuminating the chaotic scene below more clearly. "Did you see it?" She narrowed her eyes slightly, whispered to the air, and raised a mocking smile at the corner of her mouth, "In this world, what is more terrifying than the Netherworld Crack is always the human heart." Her voice was cold and ethereal, with a hint of sadness, as if she had already seen through the ugliness of human nature.
Duan Litang seized the opportunity, stepped forward, pulled Lin Feng up, and protected him tightly behind him. The old Taoist priest's voice was more severe and decisive than ever before: "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and leave!" As he said that, he quickly took out a few talismans from his arms and threw them to the ground. The talismans exploded instantly, and billowing smoke spread out, instantly covering the temple. Taking advantage of this chaos, the two supported each other and stumbled out of the ruined temple. Behind them, the angry shouts and sounds of chasing were gradually swallowed up by the howling wind and snow until they disappeared. They struggled forward in the wind and snow, the cold wind cut across their faces like a knife, and every step was full of hardship and difficulty.
When they finally hid in an abandoned cellar, Lin Feng could no longer hold on, his legs softened, and he collapsed to the ground. Duan Litang quickly squatted down, quickly tore off his clothes, and bandaged Lin Feng's wound. While he was busy, he kept muttering: "How can you give up so easily? The Qingming Mirror has not been repaired yet, and the Netherworld rift may open at any time. What will happen to the people of this world." His tone was filled with anxiety and concern, his fingers trembled slightly, and he carefully treated Lin Feng's wound.
"Enough." Lin Feng interrupted him weakly, his voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbing, "Tell me, is all this really worth it?" He slowly raised his hand and looked at the blood scab that had already solidified on his palm, his eyes full of confusion and despair, "I have paid so much for this group of people, but this is the end I got in return. Is it really worth it?" His voice was full of fatigue and confusion, and he had deep doubts about the beliefs he held.
Outside the cellar, the snowstorm became more and more violent, and the wind carried snowflakes, hitting the ground wantonly. Lin Wanqiu's figure was looming in the snowstorm. She stood there quietly, and finally took a deep look at the city in chaos and despair, then slowly turned around, took light steps, and disappeared into the vast night. In the ruined temple, the people of Bianjing were still frantically searching for the fragments of the Qingming Mirror scattered on the ground.
