Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Death
Wen Shu tightly held the young cub, her arm forcefully pulled, her shoulder striking a cold, hard wall of flesh.
A chilling breath with a hint of blood approached near, hovering by her neck, a deep and familiar voice restrained its rage, speaking gently: "The cub looks a lot like you..."
Upon hearing the voice, Wen Shu’s tense nerves relaxed somewhat, and she heard Rah murmur, "I will be good to them."
Huh?
These sudden words left Wen Shu a bit dumbfounded. She struggled with her arm but couldn’t break free, and looked up at Rah.
Half of his face was shrouded in darkness, blood droplets slipping from pale lips, trailing along a sharp jawline, making his fierce visage even more intimidating.
Yet those piercing blue eyes, gazing silently at her, seemed like a deep, calm sea, rippling with a gentle tenderness enough to drown someone.
In that instant, Wen Shu seemed to once again see that clumsy fool...
She averted her gaze, turned her hold on Rah’s sturdy arm, wanting to inspect the injuries, only to recall her superpower hadn’t recovered.
She awkwardly pushed his hand away, "Why are you here?"
Noticing her movement, Rah’s straight lips twisted slightly into a smile, his eyes boring into Wen Shu, even the wound didn’t hurt anymore!
Lan Ze’s idea really worked, should have struck more obviously...
"I originally planned to deal with matters in Black Thorn Valley and then come to find you."
His snowy lashes drooped, seemingly weak, as he supported himself against the wall, "But Lan Ze saw Lucius and the others. I feared they might harm you, so I followed."
Seeing him like this, Wen Shu’s gaze lowered, sure enough, she noticed the tear in the robe around his waist and abdomen.
On the exposed firm abdominal muscles, there were two deep wounds visible to the bone, from which crimson blood was gushing out.
Wen Shu frowned slightly, before words could leave her lips, she felt a scorching gaze fixed at the crown of her head, burning her with fear.
"You should return to the valley, I’m having issues with my superpowers, can’t help you with healing..."
She pursed her lips, ready to return to her room, only to see before she could turn around, Rah’s towering silhouette fell directly to the ground.
Wen Shu instinctively wanted to support him, yet couldn’t free up a hand, and at this moment, sounds of a fighting commotion echoed from outside the castle.
Immediately, a cold figure emerged hauntingly, shooting from the end of the corridor.
She cautiously stepped back a few paces, and a cold, icy hand gripped her shoulder fiercely!
Lucius, looking disheveled, hunched over, his white robe stained with purple blood and mud, bloodshot eyes incredulously fixated on her, "Wen Shu... it’s really you."
Wen Shu glanced at him coldly, holding the young cub tightly, and kicked fiercely at the wound on his side.
Lucius neither dodged nor avoided, enduring the blow.
The wound burst open again, and the pungent smell of blood spread instantly.
He was sweating cold from the pain, palms clenched harder, glancing at Wen Shu’s indifferent face and then at the cub in her arms, suddenly letting out a self-mocking chuckle.
"Even if I die in front of you, will you feel nothing?"
Faced with his agitated reaction, Wen Shu frowned tightly, utterly unable to understand where he’d gotten the delusion she’d soften toward him.
She pressed her brow lower, unwilling to say even a word more to him, twisted her body to break free from his restraint, and retreat with the cubs.
Seeing the pure loathing in her eyes, Lucius felt a stabbing pain in his heart, tears falling from the corners of his eyes, "Ashu, I truly regret it! Can you forgive me, please?"
"During the time you were gone, I couldn’t sleep or eat well, regretting daily! I swear, I will protect you with my life..."
Seeing him bawling, his face soaked with tears and his arms open as he got closer, Wen Shu twisted her brows together, "What forgiveness?"
"Lucius, I have no relationship with you, nor ever had any feelings. Can you stop being so disgusting?"
Her every word rightly spoken fell on Lucius’s ears, devoid of reason, like spikes piercing his heart into pulp.
No feelings?
Disgusting?
Lucius clenched his fists tightly, his heartache swiftly overwhelmed by intense fury, and within moments, his bloodshot eyes were filled with malice, purple veins bulging at his temples.
Lu Di was right; he was indeed hesitant and timid, too gentle with females!
"Wen Shu..."
He opened his eyes, the red pupils filled with ruthlessness, wielding the Wind Ability to its limit, transforming into a white beam that shot straight out.
As the cold wind rushed forward, Wen Shu instinctively dodged, and at the same time, the "unconscious" Rah abruptly rose, fiercely striking at Lucius.
The sound of flesh tearing echoed in the corridor.
However, Lucius, even with a broken arm, refused to stop, and his target wasn’t Wen Shu at all, but the cub in her arms!
Screams rang sharply, drawing an arc in the air.
Realizing his intention, Wen Shu grabbed the swaddling tightly, yet was left only with a torn piece of cloth in her palm. Her breath hitched as her eyes burned from the strain, "Lucius, what are you doing!"
At the end of the corridor, Lucius held two cubs, suspended at the second-floor window, a face streaked with blood splitting into a twisted smile.
"Ashu, don’t worry, we’ll still have cubs."
With those words, he released his grip without hesitation, and the two infants, barely the size of an arm, plummeted straight toward the rear courtyard!
"Rah! Save them!"
Wen Shu’s heart momentarily stopped, and she lunged toward the window, as Rah, behind her, moved at the sound, disappearing instantly.
Her elbow hit the wall, scraping a layer of skin, Wen Shu anxiously leaned over the window frame.
Under the shimmering moonlight, she saw the gray figure, awkwardly holding the cubs, seemingly afraid of crushing them, his tense body trembling slightly to relax.
Yet as his arm was tightly gripped, his whole body trembled intensely, his clear eyes flooding with intense murderous intent.
"Lucius..."
Wen Shu’s fierce gaze lifted upwards, her movements swift as a blur, piercing straight at Lucius’s heart!
Her attack was so sudden that Lucius instinctively attempted to dodge, yet couldn’t have expected her strength was now unfathomable, far surpassing her past self.
The cold claw blade split open the chest, slicing all connecting flesh, piercing the heart without mercy and driving through his back!
Purple blood droplets trickled from the snow-white claw tip jutting out from his spine.
Lucius’s body stiffened abruptly, lowering his gaze to the bloodied, delicate white hand at his chest.
"Wen..."
He murmured through the pain, as the claw piercing his heart swiftly retracted, blood spurting forth instantly.
The thick scent of blood rose up his throat, as Lucius spat out a mouthful of blood, stumbling and collapsing to the ground.
"Wen Shu..."
He clutched his chest, looking up at Wen Shu, the increasingly hazy vision barely able to discern her eyes full of murderous intent.
A chaotic mind briefly conjured the image of a pair of clear, translucent eyes.
It was her...
The endless river, drenched strands of hair.
It was her who pulled him up, embracing him under the bright moonlight, with softened brows reassuring him, "Don’t be afraid, no one will hurt you again."
...
Wen Shu crouched down, checked Lucius’s breath, then felt her pant leg being gently tugged. She frowned and looked down, seeing only his unfocused eyes flashed with attachment.
He murmured continuously.
"Lan..."
Wen Shu stood and broke free, once more looking down, Lucius’s arm was already stiff and drooping, the red eyes shrouded in a veil of darkness.
Emerging from the battle outside the castle, Mious charged upstairs, taking in the scene of bodies lying within pools of blood, and wrapped Wen Shu tightly in his arms.
Her heart raced beside her ear, warming her cold limbs somewhat within his embrace.
Rah, holding the cub, also appeared at that moment as if out of thin air.
She looked up at him, not yet speaking, when Mious at her side’s atmosphere darkened, a pitch-black serpent’s tail instantly snapping, taking an offensive stance, "Rah? What do you intend? Return the cub!"
