"Mother."
Nezha did not turn around. Where Yin Shi could not see, no matter how heartbroken and wronged he felt, his eyes remained stubbornly dry.
"I know you're in a difficult position."
Yin Shi's lips trembled violently.
"I'll return it. I'll return it all."
"Flesh returned to Mother—"
The blade sliced into flesh, and something warm spilled out.
He bit down on his lower lip until it split open. A muffled groan squeezed through his teeth, only for him to forcefully swallow it back down.
"Bones returned to Father—"
The second cut tore horizontally through the wound left by the first.
Blood gushed even more fiercely, dripping from his fingertips, drop by drop, striking the city bricks.
With no strength left, he used Spiritual Qi to control the blade and continued with the third cut, the fourth...
If he was going to sever it, then he had to sever it cleanly!
Until the control of his Spiritual Power and his life force faded away, until flesh peeled from bone, droplets of blood condensed into a dark red mist in the night wind. The wind scattered it, turning it into fine flecks of light that drifted toward the sky.
Before the last shred of Nezha's consciousness faded, he thought.
Master, I've returned everything.
Cleanly.
From now on, Nezha only has Master...
Master, I'm sorry.
Nezha is going to disappoint you...
Master... remember to come take Ling Zhuzi home...
Above the city walls, the night wind whirled the dark red blood mist into spirals and carried it into the sky.
The cloud of blood drifted higher and higher, scattering thinner and thinner, like a kite with its string snapped, swaying unsteadily toward the clouds.
Yin Shi stumbled forward and threw herself into that pool of bright red blood.
She gathered Nezha's remaining