[Sword III] Seeking Wings

"Eldest brother." Zixia's phantom spoke softly.

The same slender, unfading child's voice as in the memory, and the same cold and calm that does not match the age in the memory.

"...Xiabao." Chi Xiao was silent for a moment, sighed softly and looked at Zixia's naturally cold expression.

"Eldest brother, master is still worried about you. He is busy these days and can't get away. He specially wants me to persuade you to change your mind and not to inherit Chixiao Honglian." Zixia took a step towards him and said the same words as she remembered .

……

"...Master asked you to persuade me... Do you want to come by yourself?" After a long silence, Chi Xiao asked him.

"Of course." Zixia replied quickly, "I will definitely complete what Master told me, and persuade you until you obey."

...Actually, I'm asking, will you...worry about me...

But just like back then, Chi Xiao didn't ask.

Because in his heart now, the answer is still very clear.

——Even if he searched inside and outside his consciousness, he couldn't find anything that could be called affection for his childhood sweetheart "elder brother", who was supposed to be the closest junior brother.

In terms of words and deeds, Zixia has clearly been brought up to be as upright and upright as a boy of the same age, but his real heart is inexplicably still as pure and flawless as a baby.

—and as ruthless as a baby.

Chi Xiao still doesn't understand and doesn't like it, but he can't help but care about this magical "baby" whose heart is hardly human.

It was precisely because of this that he was firmly imprisoned in the knot in his heart at this time, and he could not be freed for a long time.

Looking again at Zixia in his mind who was extremely serious, but without waves in his eyes, Chi Xiao lowered his eyes and continued to lean against the corner of the wall, ignoring him no more.

Zixia suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Follow me." He said, leading Chi Xiao forward.

Then he casually pushed open the door that could not be opened before, as if it constituted a prison.

Outside the door, there are thousands of stars.

"Follow me." Zixia repeated, still holding Chi Xiao's hand tightly, dragging him all the way to the vast snow-white ground under the night.

...which is not the same as memory.

Chi Xiao thought in surprise.

Back then, he was the one who was unhappy because of Zixia's heartless and ruthless attitude. In order to prevent the two of them quarreling in the room and disturbing others, he took the initiative to propose a theory of going out with him.

At that time, Zixia debated with him all the way from sword intent and martial arts to Taoist state of mind, and even took a stack of sentences carefully copied from medical books in advance from her pocket, to prove that his congenitally weak constitution was not suitable for being accompanied by evil spirits—— But there is not a single sentence expressing concern that he may suffer pain, let alone the slightest worry and uneasiness from feelings.

——As if he didn't come here to persuade the senior to change his mind, but to help him better pass the trial in a few days later, he deliberately and meticulously helped him preview all the questions that the senior might ask.

Chi Xiao does not deny that it may come from the shadow of his childhood. He has almost hypocritical expectations for this "family" who was raised by his master and lived with him day and night since childhood, and his care far exceeds that of others.He understands that Zixia has an extremely fragile young heart that is prone to shadows. If he is really worried about the risk of his senior brother facing the risk of being killed by evil spirits, he is willing to change his decision for him alone.

——But since he can't, then there is nothing to worry about.

Therefore, Chi Xiao debated with Zixia all the way in excellent condition back then, and was able to not lose even a word in front of this master recognized by the teacher.The two walked to the wooden pile area in the distance, and when they picked up their swords to exchange ideas, Chi Xiao won the game simply and neatly, convincingly proving that his martial arts are enough to take on the responsibility of the sword master——then when he saw Zixia Because he has not yet recovered from the dizziness of being knocked down, when he nodded in a daze for a moment, he passed out on the ground even more simply.

Chi Xiao remembered that he lay down for a full month that time.

——Obviously, if this memory reappears in the illusion, given his current situation, he should never wake up again.

But now, Zixia's phantom didn't say a word, just holding his hand tightly, leading him to a completely different direction from the path in memory.

The two left the snow-covered road and walked straight into the dense forest on the other side.With the footsteps, the deep leaf shadows gradually become denser, covering the reflection of the snow.

Soon, Chi Xiao's field of vision was almost completely dark, only Zixia, who was walking in front and fluttering lightly with her steps, became the only light source in the illusion.

——It seems to be a guide pointing to the bright exit, and it also seems to be a ghost that is erratic and erratic, trying to bring the prey deeper into the lost way.

Chi Xiao didn't know the reason for this phenomenon for a while, but he could be sure that any change in the mind demon illusion that didn't match his memory, whether it came from his subconscious that wasn't aware of himself, or from some kind of external force interference, or even harm, would be fine. Become an opportunity for him to get out of trouble.

***

On the other side, Tang Xiaoyi watched the sober Shence general at the grassroots level step forward, and solemnly saluted her and Modin.

"Two heroes, can you lend me some medicinal materials?" The man said sincerely, "My brothers were injured in fighting against the mad Spike soldiers here, and urgently need medical treatment so that we can continue to protect the peasants from being harassed."

"...I was also poisoned and brought in here." He looked at Tang Xiaoyi and Modin's look, and took the initiative to explain their doubts, "I was here three days ago and saw a delirious compatriot My comrade-in-arms was about to be killed by the Spikes, and I thought about helping him, so I suddenly regained my sobriety."

Tang Xiaoyi opened his eyes slightly.

As far as she knew, even a Taoist priest like Chi Xiao, who had a high level of cultivation, would not be able to break free alone if his mind was seized by the negative inner force aroused by the evil spirit, and he could only rely on her as an external force for help.

But now, someone with a shallow foundation in martial arts like Shence can do it all by himself.

If what he said is true, it means that the principle of breaking through this kind of psychotoxicity is actually so simple——

The opposite of killing is protection, and the opposite of selfishness is willingness to stand up for others.

——As long as there is still a little light and goodwill in the heart that has not been swallowed by the demons, it can become an opportunity to break the illusion.

Even if this kind of goodwill is only narrowly given to a few "insiders", it is recognized by this fantasy realm that directly touches people's hearts, and it is a powerful force that allows people in the realm to find themselves again.

Although quite shocked in her heart, Tang Xiaoyi didn't ask the details of how this magical strategy got rid of the poison - she knew very well that she couldn't reveal her understanding of the illusion here in front of him.

"...Yes, how many of you are there?" She changed the question, "Besides...you actually protect civilian husbands?"

Hearing the undisguised sarcasm in Tang Xiaoyi's tone, the Shence general rubbed his fingers awkwardly before answering, "A total of 700 people on my side are sober. Most of them are from my hometown. , but in order to earn a reputation and shelter their hometown, our comrades-in-arms are in trouble now, so we naturally help each other. The terrain of this forest is complicated, and the only way out is the official road that the people are building. have a chance of surviving."

He looked at the expressions of Tang Xiaoyi and Moding, then lowered his head and gave a deep bow, "I know that the two heroes care about the common people, and they dislike what we did the most... But, that was not what we wanted. We It's just a pawn in the hands of the superior, the military order is like a mountain, and I can't help myself...Now, my brothers are here to protect these civilians who have been mistreated by our army...Although I still have private thoughts, I am sincerely willing to atone for my sins. The two heroes have given us a helping hand and fulfilled our wishes!"

Tang Xiaoyi and Modin looked at each other, and followed the general Shence to their camp.

Under the simple tent made of rags and branches, hundreds of people sat around, bandaging each other's wounds, and seriously discussing the defense along the official road.

Most of these people are magic tricks, and a small number are civilian husbands.

There are even dozens of Spike soldiers.

——In the outside world, they are killing machines that execute mountainous military orders under their own standpoints. It is a sober human being, a companion who can live and die together.

Here, even thugs and soldiers will fight side by side to protect the common people who were bullied by them wantonly and now become their hope for survival.

Before hearing the introduction from the magic general, Tang Xiaoyi already understood how this strange temporary alliance came into being.

... If people are no longer "pawns" and "tools" bound by their positions, they can obviously appear so strong and bright.She suddenly thought.

These "bad guys" in front of me were once full of evil thoughts, but they repented in the tempering of the illusion.

In contrast, she, who claims to be sober and transparent, is actually getting more and more confused.

The so-called good judgment of priorities is nothing more than treating others and oneself, even the "ideal" itself, as pawns and tools, and calculating every step of the way. Lost without knowing it.

... She even felt justified in almost throwing her lover into the chess game and taking advantage of it.

If it wasn't for the presence of others, Tang Xiaoyi almost wanted to slap himself hard in the face.

"Who is that person who brought us here with poisonous gas?" Just as she was in a daze, she suddenly heard the general with a magic strategy say, "I know that he intends to force us to kill the enemy, and it is justice. Gentlemen, why use such insidious methods? What is the difference between using us as puppets and using us at will, compared to those above who order us at will?"

"Yes, he is guilty." Tang Xiaoyi replied, "Don't let him succeed."

I will help you.she thinks.

Perhaps, the meaning of the existence of the Illusion Lord is not to turn living people into puppets and manipulate the dark side of people's hearts, but to enable these many people who still have light in their hearts to maintain their status even if they return to the reality full of utilitarianism and calculations. A bit of truth is immortal.

Now, Tang Xiaoyi has a plan in mind, although with her and even Chi Xiao's understanding of illusion weapons, it is almost impossible to do it.

However, she has always believed that nothing is impossible.

...Perhaps, this is the grand strategy for this place to truly establish a long-term victory.

I don't know if the "guilty" mysterious person had estimated this.

Tang Xiaoyi thought, after leaving enough supplies for this temporary alliance whose number was still increasing, he drove away with Modin.

"It seems that the Taoist priest will be able to break free from the illusion by himself, he is much kinder than these people." Modin let out a long sigh from the side, "No wonder you said that if you want us to go the same way, you will meet him— —we have been walking for three days, when will he catch up?"

... No, he couldn't break free by himself.

Tang Xiaoyi picked up the backpack that was hanging on the frame and contained Chixiao Honglian.

The blade fragments inside became increasingly dim, and almost lost their luster.

——The natural evil spirit here is far stronger than what Shence and Langya are facing. The poisonous mist is artificially refined and attenuated, and Chi Xiao's heart is obviously not as tough as the outside. With the induction of the domain, he will be completely swallowed.

Now, if she used her authority to force him to wake up, even if there was no real harm by chance, it would definitely cause him severe pain that would not heal.

There was only one way to fully save him.

Tang Xiaoyi opened the backpack and took out all the blades inside.

She concentrated her energy, and with a thought, those fragments floated in the air.

They formed a ring-shaped force field with her as the center, condensing cold air, and the sharp tips pointed straight forward.Under the sun, the cold fog is like clouds, and the sharpness is like stars.