Inside Tai'an City.
Liu Baiyun, Gao Ling, and a group of Huashan disciples were searching the civilian houses around the State Office.
Whenever they found someone, they would subdue them and bring them back to the office.
At this moment, the office was already packed with people, and several were even hanging from trees.
Fortunately, most of these people had lost consciousness and could be piled up at will without moving, otherwise, this place probably wouldn't have been able to hold them all.
Wang Hai galloped over and handed a packet of herbs to Xiao Si.
“Fourth Sister, take a look and see if these are suitable.”
Xiao Si's face was pale at this time, wrapped in a thick blanket, with fine cold sweat trickling down her face.
In front of her was a wooden basin, large enough for one person to embrace, filled with a crimson liquid, and faintly, living things could be seen wriggling within it.
Xiao Si extended her hand from under the blanket, her wrist wrapped in a blood-stained bandage, and took the herbs Wang Hai offered.
The crimson liquid accumulated in the basin was Xiao Si’s own blood.
How much blood could a frail teenage girl have? Looking at the liquid in this basin, if Xiao Si's constitution wasn't extraordinary, she would probably have already fainted.
Xiao Si tore open the paper package, grabbed a handful of each herb, put them directly into her mouth, and closed her eyes to savor the taste.
After a long while, she opened her eyes and smiled at Wang Hai: “It’s enough, Hai Gege. The age and quality are all good, and there’s even quite a bit extra.”
“Hai Gege is truly amazing.”
Wang Hai, however, was not as happy as usual; instead, he frowned as he looked at the wound on Xiao Si’s wrist, and finally couldn't hold back, stepping forward to grab Xiao Si's wrist.
“Fourth Sister… why must you push yourself so hard…?”
“We should just save as many as we can; this is the Ming Cult’s plan, not our karma.”
“You know the Thousand Households’ temperament; if you are unwilling, he would never force you.”
Given Wang Hai's nature, faced with the lives of the city's people, he would naturally do his best if he could help, but the lives of thousands of people were truly not as important as Xiao Si to him.
Xiao Si’s pale little face broke into a sweet smile: “Hai Gege, I am willing.”
Wang Hai, however, frowned: “Don’t lie to me, I know you.”
“You would also save people, but you would never care as much as the Thousand Households.”
The two had known each other for many years, their hearts in sync, and they understood each other perfectly.
Wang Hai and Xiao Si were not the kind of people who were overly compassionate. Saving people was more like an instinctive reaction framed by years of education from Li Miao.
It was like habitually walking on the right side of the road, or starting to eat from the dishes directly in front of you—just a “habit.”
To say that they truly cared deeply about the lives of others in their hearts would be untrue.
“Hai Gege, you understand me, but there’s one thing we’ve never talked about.”
“My past,” Xiao Si said with a smile.
Wang Hai frowned, looking into Xiao Si’s eyes, but said nothing.
Xiao Si pulled her hand away from Wang Hai's, grabbed a handful of herbs, and sprinkled them into her blood.
Hoo—
A puff of smoke suddenly rose from the basin, obscuring Xiao Si's expression.
“All these years, you and the Thousand Households have never discussed the past with me. You were afraid that my experiences back then were too tragic, and bringing them up would make me sad.”
“But I’m not that fragile. Every single one of those events back then is etched in my mind; I’ve never forgotten them for a moment.”
Xiao Si recounted slowly.
“Back then, I was abducted by that great shaman and imprisoned in a dark room. Every day, I endured excruciating pain as insanity worms burrowed into my body, and I couldn’t even see a sliver of light.”
“At that time, I could only talk to the other children who had been captured to barely keep myself from going mad.”
“We called each other siblings; I was the fourth one captured, so I was Fourth Sister or Fourth Lass.”
“The first to die was Eldest Brother. He was the oldest, already a youth, and thus the hardest to endure… When I woke up, I reached out to touch his face and felt his eyeballs, which had been sucked dry by the insanity worms…”
“The second to die was Sixth Sister. She was too young and only knew how to cry and wail. The great shaman grew annoyed and fed her to the insanity worms… The insanity worms that ate Sixth Sister crawled inside us… Hai Gege, do you know what that felt like…?”
“At that time, we were both sad and somewhat comforted… as if Sixth Sister was still with us…”
“Then came Second Brother, Third Sister, Fourth Brother, Fifth Sister… Finally, only I was left.”
“Say no more,” Wang Hai interjected, stopping her.
Just listening to Xiao Si’s fragmented words, Wang Hai felt a chill run down his spine, followed by heartfelt pain, unable to bear listening any further.
“Hai Gege, let me finish.”
Xiao Si smiled: “When the Thousand Households came to rescue me back then, I actually didn’t feel happy.”
“I even had a thought: Why couldn’t he have come sooner, at least… not let only me survive.”
“Or… why couldn’t he have come later, so I could die with my other siblings, that would have been fine too.”
“I even felt a little guilty for saying ‘Save me’ to the Thousand Households.”
Xiao Si let out a small laugh.
“Of course, I know thinking like this is wrong. The Thousand Households’ kindness to me is as vast as a mountain; he took me home and raised me. And it’s also because of the Thousand Households that I was able to meet you, Hai Gege.”
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“I shouldn't have died, and neither should my siblings. There’s nothing wrong with surviving; I shouldn’t feel guilty about it.”
Wang Hai looked at Xiao Si: “Is it not because of the Thousand Households’ kindness that you don’t want to disappoint him, and that’s why you’re enduring this?”
“No, Hai Gege, I told you, I am willing.”
Xiao Si said.
“To be cut down by a knife, pierced by a sword, burned by fire, drowned by water—everyone has their fate. As long as it’s not karma I created, I truly don’t care much.”
“But I absolutely cannot stand by and watch the people of Tai'an City be killed by insanity worms.”
Xiao Si pointed outside the door, drawing a circle.
“This Tai'an City traps the people. Just like that dark room back then trapped us.”
“The struggles and wails outside are just like our struggles and wails back then.”
“This isn’t kindness; it’s my selfishness.”
“I’m not saving the people; I’m saving myself and my siblings.”
As Xiao Si spoke, tears streamed down her face.
“I know, the deceased are gone, and nothing can be undone.”
“But for so many years, I still can’t help but constantly think, what could I have done back then… could I have let one more of my siblings survive…?”
“Back then, I couldn’t do anything. But now, I finally can do something.”
“I’m not being benevolent, nor am I saving people; I’m killing my inner demons.”
Xiao Si looked earnestly at Wang Hai, her frail body hidden in the blanket, her fingers still unconsciously trembling.
There was not a trace of color on her face, as if she were a snow doll about to melt.
“Hai Gege, you’ll help me, right?”
Wang Hai looked at Xiao Si’s earnest gaze, clenching and unclenching the hooked blade in his hand, and finally let out a long sigh.
“Fourth Sister, since you’ve said so, what else can I do?”
“However, if you insist on risking your life, I will still subdue you and take you away.”
Xiao Si smiled sweetly: “Hai Gege is the best.”
“Alright, call Sister Jiang Mei and Headmaster Liu back.”
“My blood, combined with these herbs, will draw all the people in the city here. If any Ming Cult disciples also used insanity, they will naturally come too.”
“Next, I’ll be relying on you all to protect me.”