The Traditional Jianghu
After his initial surprise, Si Ming decided to try again until he hit the target.
Hongdou stepped back, shook her head, and said, "You must have made quite a few new friends here. If they were killed, you would feel sad, wouldn't you?"
"As a family with a thousand-year Aristocratic Clan, the Si Clan must have a way to escape; there's no need to..."
The sound stopped abruptly because Si Ming remembered that besides his Si Clan's friends, he also knew the group from the drama club. Although they had only spent a short time together, they had left a good impression on him: the lively and energetic Zhu Xuanhuai, the gentle but reserved Nan Yang, Dong Qian, who took care of everyone like an older sister...
They weren't born into prominent Aristocratic Clan, and in this unexpected disaster, their chances of survival are slim.
If the Flesh and Blood Wormhole is closed now to stop the Anomalies from reinforcing, there might still be a chance of survival. However, if the Anomalies are allowed to continue their invasion and the entire city falls, their fate will be either to be brutally killed or to be possessed by the Anomalies.
But can we sacrifice Hongdou to save them?
Si Ming was tormented by unspeakable pain. For the first time, he realized that making choices could be such a painful thing.
"Xiao Ming, Dean, Ying Zhou, Class Monitor, Qingqing, you are my most cherished friends."
Hongdou placed her hand on her chest, tears streaming down her face, and smiled, saying, "I'd rather be sad myself than see you all suffer."
As soon as she finished speaking, her body dissipated into particles of light. Si Ming hurriedly tried to grab them, but only managed to grasp a wisp of air.
The Hongdou, transformed into light, rushed into the Flesh and Blood Wormhole in the sky, unfolding into a massive magic circle. A miniature black hole appeared at the center of the magic circle, generating an irresistible gravitational force that pulled everything inward, including the Flesh and Blood Wormhole, which collapsed and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The Anomalies still inside the wormhole could not escape their fate and were all absorbed into the black hole.
In less than ten seconds, the terrifying Flesh and Blood Wormhole vanished, and the sky was a clear, cloudless blue, as if nothing had ever happened.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Si Ming knelt on the ground, pounding his fists into the earth to vent his grief and anger. "What talk of becoming a hero, yet in the end I'm still just a piece of trash! I can't even protect the people around me, how am I any different from the person I was at the beginning! What was the point of all my efforts to get to where I am today!"
Tears fell to the ground, filled with regret and resentment.
"... Power! I need more and stronger power! If I were strong enough, I could shatter the Flesh and Blood Wormhole with a single punch, so why would I need Hongdou to sacrifice herself?"
Having found an outlet for his remorse, Si Ming's mind was filled with a thirst for power.
The next moment, as if sensing this intense emotion, Si Ming's right hand reacted, shaking violently out of control. Powerful energy burst forth from it, and a large number of mutated Metal Cells multiplied and grew, like an automatically expanding circuit, instantly covering his body.
In the blink of an eye, Si Ming's entire body was dyed silver, shimmering with a metallic sheen.
He looked at his palm, feeling neither surprise nor regret. Even his previous grief and anger had vanished, and his mind became exceptionally calm.
He has no emotions now, as if he has truly become a machine.
"This power..."
Looking up and around, the same scenery evoked a different feeling. The world was presented to Si Ming in a different form, as if he could perceive the mysteries of life.
"Why did the Flesh and Blood Wormhole disappear? Did you do it?"
The Crimson Shadow King arrived from afar and, looking at the clearly mutated Si Ming, asked warily.
"Little bug, are you talking to me?"
The voice rang in the Crimson Shadow King's ears, and by the time he realized what it meant, a hole had been punched in his head.
Fast! Faster than imagined! Even Spirit Transformation cultivator couldn't react in time!
"This is your true form?"
Si Ming glanced indifferently at the seven-colored ball of light in his palm; it was the Anomalies core that he had forcibly pulled out of the Crimson Shadow King's body.
The ball of light trembled violently. "Wait! I'll tell you a secret..."
"Boring stuff."
With a clenched fist, I casually extinguished it.
Si Ming looked up at the city and found the location of the evil eye. In a flash, he disappeared.
Volume 6 A Glimmer of Light Appears in the Eternal Night
Chapter 334 The Traditional Jianghu
On the somewhat dilapidated official road, carriages and horses rumbled along, and a procession of nearly a hundred people slowly passed by, raising a cloud of dust.
The group consisted mostly of young and strong men, who were clearly skilled in martial arts. The two men riding at the front of the group had long, steady breaths, were skilled in archery and horsemanship, and possessed a certain level of internal martial arts cultivation. They held the reins in one hand and their weapons at their waists in the other, carefully observing the surrounding path.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that this was a merchant caravan escorted by a security company. Before making a move, highway robbers would first consider whether they had the ability to take down such a caravan.
Of course, according to the rules of the martial arts world, even a strongman capable of swallowing up a team would not actually make a move. Otherwise, swords have no eyes, and who can guarantee that they and their men can escape unscathed? Casualties are inevitable, and if it happens too often, the stronghold will be full of wounded, and nothing can be done. The same principle applies to escort agencies.
Therefore, when security escort agencies and bandits meet, they usually exchange names and use coded language. Depending on the difference in their reputations, the security escort agency leaves a certain amount of money as a toll, and then they can pass smoothly.
In short, harmony is the most important thing. Everyone is here to make a living, which is not easy, so we should strive to make money peacefully and avoid making things difficult for each other.
The escort agency responsible for this team was not a regular security escort agency, but a martial arts sect called Origin Return Sect. After all, martial arts practitioners also need to eat and work, and those who follow the righteous path naturally need to have a proper livelihood. Generally speaking, those with land rent it out, those with money open shops, and those with a reputation act as security escorts.
The ancestors of the Origin Return Sect were once wealthy. At their peak, they were among the most influential figures in martial arts conferences. Unfortunately, they suffered a calamity, which led to their decline. Now they are a third-rate sect. They have a few dozen acres of low-quality land and enough savings to keep them from starving. They are well-off but not wealthy, so they have no choice but to work as laborers.
Fortunately, the connections left by their ancestors are still there. At least in this small area of Pingyuan Commandery, both the legitimate and illegitimate factions give Origin Return Sect some face. In ten years of escorting goods, there have only been about ten times when swords were actually drawn.
By noon, the men and horses were hungry and thirsty. Fortunately, there was a tea shop by the roadside. After a brief discussion, they decided to rest for a while, fill their stomachs, and then continue on their way.
A tall, spirited woman bought some herbs for treating internal injuries from the pharmacy owner, Mr. Qian, in the caravan. After decocting the herbs briefly, she took the decoction to a carriage.
After the woman appeared, many people in the group secretly glanced at her. Fearing being discovered, they didn't dare to stare for long, stealing a few glances before shifting their gaze and then secretly turning back. Only after her figure entered the carriage did they look away with a sense of loss.
Seeing his elder brother Zhao Yili still staring at the carriage, Zhao Zhixin, the second disciple of the Origin Return Sect, teased, "Brother, have you been holding back for too long? You're almost bewitched. It seems you'll have to find a prostitute to relieve your pent-up desire once we get back to the city."