Chapter 277: Chapter 241: Sacrifice (Double-Length)

The cold wind suddenly rose, the temperature dropped sharply, and black goose feather snow fell on the ground. Anyone touched would instantly find an indelible ink blot on their body, accelerating the assimilation by the Ink-Wash Ghost Realm.

Amidst the fearful screams, everyone panicked, shoving each other to find a place to avoid the snow.

…

East of the city.

The constable holding the Evil Suppression Bureau’s flag, seeing the situation, fled with the flag, and those who could keep up ran desperately after him, while those who couldn’t were left behind, crying out in despair, seeking refuge.

Kou Yushan, having woken from severe injuries, couldn’t run at all. Yun Niang refused to leave him behind with her daughter, so he could only bring the mother and daughter to a corner of the wall, using his broad body to shield them.

Yun Niang held her daughter tightly, the Exorcism Talisman burning slowly in the three’s clothing, resisting the power of the black snow.

The little girl cried in fear, “Mother… Mother…”

Kou Yushan turned his head to look for other shelters, but there was none; any place that could offer some cover was already occupied, and people even fought to death for such a small place.

The scene had long been chaotic.

Kou Yushan’s face was covered in blood, his heart ached painfully, and he knew he wouldn’t last long.

After a moment’s thought, Kou Yushan decisively took out the two Exorcism Talismans on him and gave them to Yun Niang.

He propped himself against the wall with both hands, completely covering the mother and child with his body.

“Yun Niang, listen to me, the child clings to you as a mother and is not close to me. If you’re not here, how could she survive? Rather than all three of us dying together, it’s better if you two live, understand?”

“Mother…”

Yun Niang clutched the Exorcism Talisman, crying bitterly and could not speak, listening to her child’s frightened cries beside her, watching the ink stains gradually appear on Kou Yushan’s neck and arms, but he just smiled at her.

“I’m sorry, Yushan, we have burdened you, it’s all our fault…”

“Don’t say that, Yun Niang, I’ve lived long enough already… meeting you… was a blessing…”

…

North of the city.

Liu Tianyou was helping over a hundred children out through a collapsed section of the city wall.

This section of the city wall still looked like a normal wall, not yet assimilated by ink-wash.

The Orphanage was near the northern city wall, and during construction, all the orphanages in Qinzhou were placed close to the wall to highlight the importance placed on these orphans.

The children supported each other over the wall, while Liu Tianyou kept glancing back, still unaware of the situation with Hua Qianmian, who was covering the rear alone.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, a scream came, and the children who hadn’t gone over backed away, terrified, watching the ink stains spread from both sides, turning the city wall into a complete ink painting.

The bricks were mixed with vermillion, glutinous rice, and Ten Victory Stone fragments, slowing the ink’s spread. Colliding with each other, the bricks crumbled, but there was still a gap higher up that could be climbed over.

Liu Tianyou rushed over hurriedly, “What are you standing there for, come on!”

He clasped his hands together, half-squatting beneath the wall, gesturing for the children to step on his hands so he could help them up.

The children were smart, hesitated little, without pushing or shoving, sending the young ones up first one by one.

The older children who had climbed to the wall’s edge stretched out their hands to assist, speeding up the process.

But there were too many children; eventually, the ink spread over, and Liu Tianyou felt a chill on his heel.

Glancing over, he discovered one of his feet already submerged in ink, the stain creeping up his leg, corroding his body.

Liu Tianyou trembled with fear, swallowed, but his hands continued helping the children over the wall without pause.

At this moment, a little boy suddenly fell down, landing right in a patch of ink, and within a few breaths, the child turned to ink and dispersed.

The remaining children screamed and retreated, and Liu Tianyou hurriedly urged the children on the wall to get down and move away from it.

“Master! Come on, Master!”

Most had already run out, crying and shouting from the other side, while Liu Tianyou still had about a dozen older children with him.

Half of Liu Tianyou’s body had already turned ink-black, and he could only smile wryly, “You must walk on by yourself now, Master can’t go with you, never give up until the very end.”

The dozen-or-so children held back their tears, bowed in unison to Liu Tianyou, then dodged the ink stains underfoot and around them to leave, seeking the faintest chance of survival.

Liu Tianyou hobbled back to find Hua Qianmian, who stayed alone to cover the rear, filled with sadness as his end approached.

“I’ve always been timid and cautious, never daring to be a hero, and yet just this once lands me here, heaven is unjust, why do evil people live long, while good people struggle?”

The black snowflakes floated delicately down, and Liu Tianyou no longer needed to avoid them.

Returning to the street where he encountered the baby spirit, the ruins by the road had all become part of an ink painting; as death loomed, he suddenly wasn’t afraid, admiring this meticulously crafted, grand ink wash painting of Moshan City.

Being a lover of painting, standing within and viewing it was a beautiful thing.

The baby spirit and that grotesque fool were nowhere to be seen; Liu Tianyou saw a young girl lying alone on the ground, almost merging with the painting.

Liu Tianyou desperately crawled toward her, one leg suddenly shattered into ink, and he fell, forced to drag himself along.

Crawling to the girl’s side, he hesitated to touch her.

“Girl… truly a hero!”

“Indeed, I think so too!”

The ink on Hua Qianmian suddenly dispersed, and a piece of young girl’s skin fell from her face; she propped herself up with difficulty.

Hua Qianmian turned her head, and Liu Tianyou’s eyes widened in terror.

No features, only a face covered in wriggling nodules, making one’s skin crawl.

Hua Qianmian turned back and placed a cracked but usable mask on her face.

She was exhausted; even these few movements left her gasping for air, with nodules emerging from her exposed skin.

“Hey, you don’t despise me, do you?”

“Huh?”

“I played dead,” Hua Qianmian chuckled softly, “Although I played dead, that ugly freak isn’t much better off, probably won’t have the strength to continue hunting the children, but I’m also out of energy to escape.”

“A loss, a great loss, my face is gone, the Thousand-faced Ghost is half-dead, oh, you’re about to die, right?”

Hua Qianmian looked at Liu Tianyou, noticing he was missing another arm.

Liu Tianyou commented wryly, “Sorry to show such a sight to a lady.”

“How about giving me your face? I’ll live on for you.”

“Huh?”

“Forget it, one face isn’t enough. What a waste! Black snow, it’s the first time I’ve seen black snow, rather pretty.”

Hua Qianmian fell backward, staring at the sky, letting the black snow cover her entirely, more nodules emerging from all over her body, extending from beneath the mask.

If she could live, she would, if not, then death it is; she had anticipated this outcome when she came, just a pity the hidden money couldn’t be spent.

Tsk~ what a pity!

“Scholar, say something, it’s too quiet, I’m scared, Scholar?”

No response, only the sound of water splashing near her ears, not knowing if it was a part of Liu Tianyou’s body, or the entire person, dispersing into ink…

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