Chapter Eighty-two Unwavering Loyalty

  "Master..." He Xian and Huo Zhe rushed forward without caring about anything else behind him.

  Gravel splashed on them like rain. They rushed up and lifted Nalan Xianuo, who had fallen into the gravel and was covered in blood. Suddenly, the palace in front of them burst into flames and collapsed with a loud crash.

  "No." Nalan Xiong's eyes widened. A heart-wrenching scream tore through the sky, but was drowned out by the continuous explosions.

  The palace is exploding non-stop. The big fire is spreading. The large palace is constantly collapsing in the earthquake.

  But the people inside didn't come out. Nothing happened. The fierce flames were raging and jumping wildly.

  Nalan Xixi rushed towards the sea of flames like a madman, with He Xian and Huo Zhi closely following behind him. Suddenly, the stone pillars in front of the palace gates seemed to be pushed by the fiercely burning flames, pressing straight towards them.

  Huo Zhi and He Xian dodged to the side, but Nalan Xixi seemed completely unaware and continued to charge forward. She couldn't see anything, hear anything, or feel anything.

  Her Jing is inside. She only knows. Her Jing is waiting for her. He must still be waiting for her.

  "Master..." He shouted loudly at the small figure standing in front of the palace gate, then leaped forward.

  A loud boom...

  He Xian and Huo fell back in shock before the crumbling stone pillar, their faces deathly pale, unable to utter a single word.

  "Ah..." A mouthful of blood gushed out. The piercing pain in her back made it almost impossible for her to stand upright.

  She stretched out her hand and crawled forward with effort. The gravel pierced her hand, making it a bloody mess. "Wait for me..."

  She propped her hands on the ground. Suddenly, the stone pillar that weighed several hundred pounds actually shook slightly with her trembling body.

  At the last moment, her potential was fully activated. He became her only strength. He was waiting for her. She still couldn't fall down.

  "Ah..." A thunderous roar pierced the sky. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning cut through the air and struck down on the orange-red sea of flames above, as if splitting the sky open with a single slash.

  "Nan Gong Jin" rushed towards the depths of the sea of flames with a disheveled figure.

  Flames were furiously burning around her. She didn't seem to notice, as if she couldn't feel the pain. Rushing towards the center of the palace.

  In the center of the palace, a collapsed stone blocked her way, forming a mountain of stones. Nalan Xian'er rushed forward and struggled to move the stones away. Her hands were already covered in thick, bright red blood. The hard gravel kept rubbing against her wounds, causing heart-wrenching pain.

  "Where are you... where are you, Nan Gong Jin? You must hold on. You said you'd wait for me. Don't deceive me. Don't... don't abandon me..." Tears tried to wash away the blood on her face, but ultimately mixed with it, dropping one by one onto the ground.

  A loud "boom" sound. The gravel under Nalan Xiong's feet suddenly exploded.

  The originally piled up stones suddenly rushed towards her like a flood, pushing her outwards. The sound of her bones shattering was drowned out by the massive explosion. Nalan Xianyu spat out a mouthful of blood. The piercing pain was warning her.

  Suddenly.

  A figure burst into her line of sight. Above the palace, a silhouette was lying on the ground, motionless. Flames surrounded him, burning wildly and spreading rapidly, almost devouring him.

  "Ah..." was almost a cry of wild joy. She struggled to her feet and ran towards the figure.

  Suddenly, her footsteps came to an abrupt halt. The person in front of her...

  Under the tattered clothes, fresh blood was flowing profusely. His legs were pinned under a massive boulder and couldn't move. The clothes on his body were charred black by the surrounding flames. His fair skin was stained crimson with blood.

  A clear face... a deep sword scar sank down. Blood flowed horizontally. The face was completely disfigured...

  Lying in the sea of flames, he gasped for breath. He wanted to prove his life. He wanted to prove that he was still alive. He wanted to prove... that he had not failed her. He had promised to wait for her.

  Nalan Xixi's whole body was trembling as she fell to the ground in front of him. Her face was deathly pale, and she stretched out her hand but hesitated to touch him.

  He sensed the commotion around him. Nangong Jin slowly opened his eyes, his face completely stained with blood. His cold gaze no longer had its usual overbearing aura, only a calmness that belonged to him and an emptiness at the end of life.

  He saw Nalan Xiong's blood-covered body in front of him, his breathing became even more difficult. His eyes were filled with unbearable sorrow and anger. "You... leave quickly..."

  How did she end up here? Why did she come? She had promised that she wouldn't let him worry again. She had promised that she wouldn't get hurt again.

  Nalan Xixi stretched out his hand, wanting to take him away. But Nangong Jin used the last bit of strength to roar in anger, "Get me out of here... or I'll die..."

  Nalan Xixi touched his arm, all the meridians were severed. Tears burst out of her eyes uncontrollably. She endured with great effort. She struggled to support him up. Fresh blood stained on her body, but it pierced her heart like a sharp sword.

  She nodded. "I know."

  On that day, they gazed at each other calmly. She said, "You will die." He nodded and said, "I know."

  She followed him, walking towards the clearly known doom of eternal damnation, bound together in life and death.

  Like that day, she was on her last breath. In the same sea of flames, they tightly hugged each other. She said, "I'm going to die." Nangong Jin said, "No, I told you before, I won't let you die. You said you would protect me, you said you would always be by my side. Don't die, I don't allow you to die."

  It will die. I know.

  His heart suddenly contracted, his palms clasped together tightly, a cold small hand grasping his. Indescribable emotions filled his chest. A warm current surged up to his eye sockets, washing away the bloodstains at the corners of his eyes.

  His iron blood has galloped across the battlefield for decades, suffered all kinds of injuries, shed countless blood, yet he never frowned, and never feared death.

  But at this moment, he was afraid.

  The pain of losing him. He tried. More than once he tried. Pain like a knife cut. He couldn't die. Couldn't let her try that kind of pain. He couldn't leave her alone. Living was worse than dying.

  At this moment, Nalan Xinnuo's physical strength burst forth like a flood. All the pain had lost its sensation. She found him. He was still alive. As long as he was still there, by her side, even if the whole world collapsed, it didn't matter.

  She carefully carried him on her back. Nangong Jin's tall body almost buried her under his weight.

  "Not without my permission. Don't even think about giving up. Hold on for me."

  A sharp, decisive voice echoed in his ears. The overbearing her leaned against the nape of his neck, a gentle smile playing on the corners of his mouth. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Yes, ma'am."

  The flames spread rapidly and in an instant the entire palace was ablaze. The fire raged on, rolling and leaping about.

  It was a sea of fire just now. Now it's like an angry fire beast. As if to swallow the entire palace.

  A small figure carrying Nangong Jin, lightly jumping and running towards the outside.

  Outside the palace, silver armor soldiers were lined up in an orderly manner to fetch water and put out the fire. Murong Empress Dowager was overcome with grief and had fainted. The imperial physician stood guard beside her. Just now, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Suddenly, dark clouds rolled in the sky.

  Before the sea of flames, two figures, one strong and one weak, have been standing still for a long time.

  "I'm in. I don't know why. I'm not nervous at all." He Xian's voice was trembling obviously.

  "I'm not nervous either..." Huo Zhi struggled to suppress the tremble in his voice.

  "I always feel like they will come out." It seems reassuring, yet rock-solid certain.

  "It will definitely be." Already choked with sobs.

  Suddenly, a thunderclap. The two were startled and trembled for an instant. Then, torrential rain came pouring down.

  He shuddered all over his body. He grasped Huo Zhe tightly, almost ecstatic. "You see... you see... even the heavens are helping them. The heavens can't bear to part with them..."

  Huo nodded repeatedly, rainwater hitting his face, but his eyes were bright red.

  "It's raining......" The Silver Armor Knights who were busy putting out the fire nearby all looked up, gazing at the timely rain with surprise and delight.

  "It's raining..." Everyone excitedly told each other.

  "It's really raining...... It's raining..." The team erupted in a tearful cheer.

  They cheered, their faces wet with either rain or tears they could no longer hold back. They hugged each other tightly, grateful for the arrival of this rain. Suddenly, the crowd fell silent as if by prior agreement, looking in the direction He Xian and Huo Zhe were gazing at.

  The flames were quickly extinguished by the rain. The once majestic palace had become a ruin, with blackened and charred remains scattered everywhere.

  The place where the rain poured in was still smoking. Several stone pillars were on the verge of collapse. The interior of the palace gate was pitch black, like an endless abyss.

  They stared tightly at the exit. No one came in. Nor had anyone left.

  They firmly believe that their master will surely live on, will rise again, and will majestically walk out to prove to them that no one can bring him down.

  Even if it's heaven, I'll bow down to them and bring a timely heavy rain in this disaster for their sake.

  "Ho Zhi..." Suddenly, He Xian's hand tightly grasped Ho Zhi's arm. The wound on his arm was bleeding profusely.

  However, Huo Zhe's eyebrows didn't even twitch, his face was almost screaming with joy, but he had already burst into tears.

  A small figure emerged from the darkness, carrying a body several times larger than itself, and stepped into the rain.

  Rainwater washed away the blood that had already soaked them. Wherever they passed, it was all bloody water. As if walking in a dark night of blood sea. Firm. Determined. No hesitation. Never gave up.

  As he said, this life, this love, till death do us part.

  "Master." Everyone rushed up together and took Nan Gong Jin from Nalan Xianyu's back.

  "Huo Zhi!" Nalan Xixi looked at Nan Gong Jin and shouted loudly.

  Huo was the first to rush up. In the instant he touched Nan Gongyu, his face turned deathly pale.

  His meridians were completely severed... He was already on his last breath. His whole body trembled. Not a word was spoken. He stared wide-eyed, but couldn't utter a single sentence. Suddenly, Huo Zhe seemed to remember something and took out a dan medicine from his pocket and fed it to Nangong Jin.

  "Master, this Condensed Heart Dan can only temporarily protect your heart pulse. You must find a way to cure it properly."

  Nalan Xixi suddenly raised her head. "You mean..."

  Huo lowered his head. "Inferior subordinate."