nagpurpolice Chapter 268: Past Faces!
Chapter 268: Past Faces!
His hands immediately pressed against the wound.
Warm blood flowed between his fingers.
The sensation made his heart sink even further.
A moment later, and the wound might have become fatal.
A moment later and—
Su Mo forcibly stopped that thought.
"Healing Technique."
The words came out hoarse.
Brilliant green light erupted from his palm.
The pure Yang energy within his body surged out without reservation.
Normally, he would carefully control the flow of spiritual energy, which made the healing process slow but conserved his spiritual energy reserves.
This time, he didn’t care about the energy reserves. All he cared about was the speed of healing.
If he delays, Yang Qingxi might...
The wound on Yang Qingxi’s neck began to repair itself rapidly under the healing light. The bleeding gradually slowed.
Yet Su Mo wasn’t satisfied. More spiritual energy poured into her body.
His attention never left Yang Qingxi’s face.
Only after the bleeding finally stopped, and the torn flesh completely reconnected, did the suffocating pressure in his chest ease slightly.
Su Mo let out a long breath.
Only then did he realise how tightly he had been clenching his jaw.
The courtyard had escaped.
Yet Su Mo didn’t even spare a glance in that direction.
His hand remained supporting Yang Qingxi.
Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, he finally understood something he hadn’t realised before and came to terms with the fact.
Maybe... just maybe... Yang Qingxi’s importance in his life was more important than he thought.
If before he was just attracted to her, now his heart felt something else, entirely.
---
The explosion from Elder Song’s courtyard echoed through the silent night.
The violent shockwave swept across the nearby residences, rattling windows and shaking rooftops. In her room, Shen Xing abruptly removed one of her earphones and frowned.
The song that had been playing came to an abrupt stop.
She had returned from the memorial hall not long ago, yet sleep refused to come. Every year on this day, her emotions became difficult to calm, so she had simply sat by the window listening to music and looking at the snowy mountains outside.
That was why she had not heard the strange flute melody earlier.
Nor had she fallen asleep like everyone else in the area.
Another tremor travelled through the floor.
Shen Xing immediately stood up and walked onto the balcony.
The moment her eyes landed on Elder Song’s courtyard, her expression changed.
Part of the courtyard had collapsed.
Dust and broken stones filled the air.
Several walls had been blown apart.
It was obvious that a fierce battle had taken place.
Before she could think further, a black figure shot out from the smoke like a cannonball.
Boom!
The figure smashed into the outer wall of another courtyard not far away.
Without hesitation, Shen Xing grabbed her sword.
Her body flickered across the rooftops.
A few breaths later, she landed lightly on the ground.
The black-clothed figure had already climbed out of the rubble.
Shen Xing immediately raised her sword. The sharp blade reflected the pale moonlight.
"Stop."
Her voice was cold and vigilant.
"Who are you?"
The intruder did not answer.
The clothes covering his body were torn and burned in several places. Their breathing sounded slightly unstable, making it obvious that the explosion from earlier had injured him.
However, Shen Xing did not relax because of that.
Anyone capable of infiltrating the White Moon Sect and attacking Elder Song’s courtyard was not someone she could underestimate.
"How did you get inside the sect?"
The intruder slowly raised their head.
A faint cracking sound echoed through the quiet courtyard.
Shen Xing frowned. Then she saw it.
The cat mask covering the intruder’s face had been heavily damaged by the earlier explosion.
Cracks spread across its surface.
The next moment, the mask slid down.
It struck the ground and shattered into pieces.
Shen Xing’s grip loosened. Her sword fell from her hand.
Clang.
The sound was unusually clear.
Yet she seemed unable to hear it.
Her eyes remained fixed on the face revealed beneath the broken mask.
Her breathing stopped.
The cold night wind brushed against her cheeks, but Shen Xing felt nothing.
She knew that face.
She knew it too well.
Countless memories flooded her mind without warning.
When she had successfully entered the Body Refining Stage for the first time and excitedly ran home to share the news, it was that person who hugged her and celebrated all night.
When the disciple’s robe was too large for her small body, it was that person who stayed awake late into the night, altering it stitch by stitch.
When she returned from training covered in bruises and tears, it was that person who comforted her while applying medicine.
When she secretly sneaked out of the sect and nearly died at the hands of a Pishacha, it was also that person who rushed into danger to save her.
Every memory pointed to the same person.
The person whose name she had visited only hours ago inside the memorial hall.
The person she had believed to be dead for years.
Her lips trembled slightly.
"M... Mom...?"
The words escaped unconsciously.
For a brief moment, hope appeared in Shen Xing’s eyes.
A hope she had buried long ago. There had been a mistake. Her mother had survived.
All those years of grief... she spent waiting for her return.
Maybe—
Wu Yuna looked at her.
The hope in Shen Xing’s heart froze instantly.
There was no warmth in those eyes.
No surprise or joy at meeting her daughter.
No... There was not even recognition in those eyes.
Nothing.
The woman merely stared at her with vigilance, as though she were looking at a stranger blocking the road.
Shen Xing felt as if someone had poured cold water over her entire body.
"...Mom?"
She called again.
This time her voice was softer. Almost pleading.
Wu Yuna remained silent.
Not a single trace of emotion appeared on her face.
The familiar features were still there. The person was still there.
Yet at the same time, it felt as though she wasn’t there anymore.