allonlinenovel Chapter 296 Gains and Losses
Chapter 296 Gains and Losses
"What is this?" Mo Xuan felt the object in his palm. It was solid to the touch, and its surface was as smooth as a carefully polished jade. He could feel its outline and details as he gently stroked it with his fingers.
Mo Xuan couldn't guess what it was.
“With this, you won’t have to worry about anyone bullying you, and I’ll come to your side immediately.” Xie Wanning said mysteriously, and seeing Mo Xuan’s confused expression, she was extremely pleased with herself before revealing the answer: “It’s a whistle. If you blow it, I can find you.”
Mo Xuan gripped the whistle in his hand and said with a smile, "Thank you, Wan Ning."
"You're welcome. If you really want to thank me, come with me to Bamboo Forest Mountain to dig bamboo shoots tomorrow morning!" Xie Wanning looked at the gray sky and felt the increasingly humid air, and her heart was filled with joy.
"Yes, with this, you won't leave me, right?"
"Of course, I will stay by your side."
In the days that followed, Mo Xuan accompanied Xie Wan Ning to dig bamboo shoots in the Bamboo Forest Mountain and pick spiritual herbs in the secret realm.
To help more people, Mo Xuan cut down bamboo and learned to make bamboo dragonflies, which he sold to the children in town, earning money on his own.
Although these days were ordinary, they were the most peaceful life Mo Xuan had lived in the past ten years.
Until that night came.
"The demons are coming! Run!"
The streets were filled with screams of agony, the firelight illuminated the entire town, and revealed the rampaging faces of the demons.
Mo Xuan was startled awake, and Xie Wan Ning quickly grabbed his hand and ran towards the city gate.
"Go to Bamboo Forest Mountain, quick!" Xie Wanning gripped Mo Xuan's hand tightly, avoiding the crowded throng and warily dodging the demons' attacks.
Just as Xie Wanning and Mo Xuan arrived at the city gate, Xie Wanning led Mo Xuan through the gate.
Suddenly, a powerful force pushed the two apart.
"Oh!"
Xie Wan Ning fell heavily to the ground, but when she looked up, she saw Gouzi and his henchmen escaping out of the city gate.
As she struggled to her feet to leave, she heard someone say, "Close the door."
The general guarding Qianyang City ordered his soldiers to close the gates.
Inside the city, shouts of battle and cries of agony mingled into a despairing cacophony, surging towards the tightly closed city gates like a tidal wave. Refugees poured in like a tide, their clothes tattered, their faces etched with fear and despair. Their steps faltered, their eyes filled with a desperate will to survive, yet they came to an abrupt halt before the closed city gates.
"Open the door! Please open the door!" A young mother, clutching her child tightly in her arms, cried out in a hoarse voice, tears welling in her eyes. Her desperate cries echoed in the cold air, but received no response. The child, terrified, wailed loudly in her arms, the innocent cries seeming to be an indictment of this cruel fate.
The surrounding refugees followed suit, pounding on the cold city gate with their fists and bodies, producing dull thuds, but they could not budge it an inch.
On the city wall, the soldiers guarding the city wore solemn expressions, their eyes revealing their reluctance. However, military orders were absolute, and they could only grip their weapons tightly, silently watching the carnage below. "The general has ordered that the gates not be opened!" a soldier who appeared to be a minor officer shouted, his voice weak amidst the chaos before the city gates.
The refugees became increasingly agitated; some began to curse and swear, while others collapsed to the ground, weeping in despair.
A biting wind howled, sweeping across the despairing scene, as if lamenting the plight of the refugees trapped outside the city. The setting sun cast its last rays upon the city walls, making the cruel scene even more poignant. Outside the city, war raged, and life was as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind; inside, the tightly closed gates became an insurmountable chasm, completely separating hope from despair.
Xie Wanning gripped Mo Xuan's hand tightly, glaring angrily at the general atop the city wall.
Why should the sacrifices of ordinary people like them be used to stop the demons' attack?
That's because Qianyang City is less than a hundred miles from the imperial city of Haolan Kingdom, and this was done to protect the royal family.
Seeing the demons approaching, Xie Wanning pulled Mo Xuan along and ran towards a side alley.
However, the sound of arrows shattered the tranquility of the sky.
Mo Xuan only heard the person behind him fall to the ground, followed by a muffled groan.
"Wan Ning!"
Mo Xuan waved his hand, trying to touch Xie Wan Ning.
"I'm fine, let's go quickly." Xie Wanning endured the pain and took Mo Xuan's hand, running towards a house.
Soldiers on the city wall drew their bows and arrows, and black arrows rained down from the sky.
The sky was instantly obscured by a dense barrage of arrows, a rain of arrows pouring down like meteors, heading straight for the demon army. A sharp whistling sound ripped through the air, the arrowheads carrying a chilling killing intent, instantly piercing the bodies of demon soldiers, splattering blood everywhere. A demon general brandished his massive weapon, attempting to defend himself, but was struck by several arrows simultaneously and fell to the ground with a thud. The demon formation crumbled, scattering in all directions; the once arrogant demonic figures vanished like scattered clouds under the onslaught of arrows.
However, the screams of the common people were drowned out by the screams of the demons.
"He's gone mad!" Xie Wanning shouted in anguish, her hand covering her wound trembling even more.
As soon as Mo Xuan entered the house, he breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear a thud as someone fell to the ground.
"Wan Ning!" Mo Xuan quickly helped Xie Wan Ning up, but smelled a bloody odor. His face turned pale, and he reached out to try to stop the bleeding.
"Cough cough!" Xie Wanning coughed violently, as if she was coughing up her internal organs. Her wounds reopened, and her body gradually became unsteady.
Xie Wanning supported herself with one hand on the ground, panic flashing in her eyes. Her strength gradually drained away, and with a thud, she collapsed.
Mo Xuan gripped Xie Wan Ning's hand tightly; that hand was now covered in blood and had long lost its former warmth.
"Wan Ning, hold on! Don't fall asleep, we'll be saved soon!" Mo Xuan's voice was choked with sobs, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, mingling with the blood on his face.
"No one will come to save us," Xie Wanning said in despair. The fear of death instantly overwhelmed her, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she grabbed Mo Xuan's hand.
However, the person in front of her could do nothing. Xie Wanning smiled self-deprecatingly, realizing that no matter how hard she struggled, there was nothing she could do.
"I...I really want to...live." Xie Wanning uttered her last words haltingly, her eyes gradually becoming vacant.
"Wan Ning, hold on. Once the demons leave, I'll take you to a doctor," Mo Xuan cried out in anguish, but all he received in response was a limp, hanging hand.
"Wan Ning!"
Mo Xuan's body trembled violently, like a withered leaf swaying precariously in the wind. He opened his mouth wide and cried out hoarsely, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. In the end, even his breathing trembled, each sob sounding as if he had used up all his strength.
"Don't go, don't leave me alone."
Mo Xuan cried out, clinging to Wan Ning's body.
Suddenly, a scorching heat wafted over, and I was enveloped in warmth.
The pain in my body is subsiding, and even the scars on my face are starting to itch.
Mo Xuan felt the darkness dissipate, and a crimson light appeared before his eyes.
He can see now!
However, Xie Wanning had already transformed into phoenix fire, which quickly spread to the surrounding area.
That night, the entire Thousand Sun City was enveloped in phoenix fire, and all the demons were instantly reduced to ashes. The survivors, however, were not burned by the flames and managed to live on.
Mo Xuan opened his eyes, but he never saw the person he wanted to see again. He only remembered that the flames that night were warm and comforting.
Qingyunmen.
Yan Ze slowly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them.
"After so many years, I have finally found you, Phoenix's child."
……
Thousand Sun City.
The fire was extinguished, and the people trapped in the city survived.
However, Mo Xuan looked at the tiny flame in front of him and reached out to grab it. The flame did not harm it, but instead gradually went out.
"Wan Ning..."
Mo Xuan knelt on the ground, covering his face and weeping in anguish. He took out his whistle and blew it hard, but there was no response.
Suddenly, a cloud of black energy entered his consciousness. In that instant, Mo Xuan fainted.
When I opened my eyes again, I was in the space of consciousness.
He saw a tall and imposing man in front of him, but the man had the same eye color as him.
"who are you?"
“I am you.” Si Jinchuan leaned down and grabbed Mo Xuan’s neck.
Mo Xuan didn't struggle. Instead, he stared intently at Si Jinchuan and said, "You can kill me. But can you tell me where Wan Ning went?"
Si Jinchuan was taken aback, and increased the pressure on his hand.
"Is she dead?" Mo Xuan lowered his eyes, his gaze devoid of light.
"Thump!" Si Jinchuan released Mo Xuan; in the end, he did not kill the ten-year-old boy.
How could he not understand Mo Xuan's feelings? After all, they had experienced the same thing.
But why him of all times?
“She’s not dead. I will find her.” Si Jinchuan looked at Mo Xuan and said, “I can help you find her.”
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Mo Xuan asked with a light laugh.
Give me your body.
"it is good."