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The hands that had once comforted him when hurt now held a weapon that impaled him.
The once bashful face that turned red now tinged with the crimson blood flowing from the head.
The laughter that once came out so joyfully and brightly like ringing bells now a manic howl.
Dan Heng cornered the dark-haired man. The dim light inside the supply cabin that he had secretly escaped reflected his trusty spear. The other party still grinned and laughed as if he had the upper hand even though he had no weapon or with how much blood he lost from his body.
“Shut up.” Dan Heng hated this laughter. This voice chased him like a prey animal. No matter where he went, this man always chased him, destroying what little peace he could find.
Never had Dan Heng felt at peace nor relaxed without worrying about dangers to his own life and those around him.
Never had Dan Heng felt like he belonged anywhere.
(Dan Feng looked at the face of his drinking companion. The moonlight shone down on the other's face, making the craftsman unable to hide his flushed face. At the same time, it made the ocean-colored eyes sparkle even more than before.
“Ha ha, no matter how many times, this view is never boring, right, Dan Feng?”
He liked this sound. It made him feel like he was Dan Feng. Not Imbibitor Lunae. Not the one who had to guard Ambrosial Arbor. Not just one of the chains in the great shackles called the High Elder.
Just Dan Feng.)
The taller man still couldn't stop laughing. Dan Heng brought his sharp spear and stabbed it into the other's hand. Broken bones reverberated within his weapon as the blood drenched it continuously. The bandaged hand twitched pitifully from time to time but was unable to move due to the emerald spear impaling it to the ground.
This guy's hands were always bandaged. Why would it matter if he stabbed it again? It didn't make the man who called himself Blade any less good at holding a sword.
(Dan Feng held the craftsman's hand and chanted a spell to heal the blistered wound. The short-lived tribesman saw the young dragon's frowning face and couldn't help but laugh.
“Enough is enough, Dan Feng, how many more times will you have to heal me? Anyway, it will come back again. That is a craftsman’s undeniable way of life.”
Dan Feng didn't respond and continued to hold Yingxing's hand even though the other person's wound had already healed. Yingxing sighed and shook his head. His face still had a smile on it.
“Dan Feng, these scars, for the craftsmen are the evidence of perseverance and effort. They prove what this pair of hands has overcome and created. It is a confirmation that the things I did actually happened and existed.”
Yingxing took Dan Feng's hand and traced it across his palm.
“This wound, for example, was from the forging of your spear. When I look at it, I will be reminded of all the hard work I have done. Every research, failure, and discovery that all accumulated into my growth as a craftsman and a person called Yingxing. It makes me think of when I gifted the spear to you, how your eyes lit up and how it endured many battles and was used to save your life.”
The short-lived tribesman smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes did not diminish the sparks around them, “More importantly, soon I won't be able to hold these tools anymore. Let this old master craftsman do what he wants to do while he still can.”
“Yingxing,” Dan Feng flinched and said the other party's name in a weary tone, “Please. Don’t say that.”
Yingxing huffed and barked a laugh, “But if you are so worried. I have no objection to having you heal me. I have you, what other dangerous wounds can I be afraid of?”)
Dan Heng took out the blood-filled emerald spear from the figure's hand before stabbing the sharp end into the other's chest. The taller man's eyes were now as dull as the eyes of a broken doll.
He was dead.
(Nononononono. It shouldn't be like this. He was the one who thought of it. He was the sinner, the one who suggested the idea.
Why was the corpse in front of him Yingxing?
The eyes that once shone brightly like the sky now darken as the starless night. They did not respond to the sins and destruction around them.)
This peace wouldn’t last long, however. Dan Heng had to quickly escape from here before this corpse healed and came back to life as if nothing had happened before.
Ah, was there any way to make this guy disappear from his life forever?
(Ah, was there any way to save Yingxing's life?)