"Squelch..."
Hu Niu's voice trembled like a zither string stretched to its limit.
But the silver-white longsword in her hand shook, its blade flickering with gray-green spiritual light.
She drew a deep breath, then thrust the sword forward.
A skyful of blood mist burst before Lin Shisan's eyes. Dark red blood splashed onto his face, warm and sticky, running down his brow and blurring his vision. He saw that Hu Niu's sword tip really had pierced something-but it was not his chest.
Another figure had appeared between him and the sword tip.
"Senior Sister..."
Mu Ling'er lunged over sideways at lightning speed, crashing into the path of that sword light.
The silver-white blade entered beneath her left ribs and emerged from her back, its blood-beaded tip stopping three inches in front of Lin Shisan's chest.
Her whole body fell into Lin Shisan's arms, the force slamming him back against the stone wall. Loose stones pattered down from the cracks.
"Pfft..."
Mu Ling'er's back arched, and she spat a mouthful of blood onto Lin Shisan's shoulder.
She lowered her head to glance at the silver-white longsword piercing her chest, then raised her eyes to Lin Shisan.
Something beyond words surged in those eyes, like warm light finally surfacing beneath shattered ice.
"Senior Sister... Senior Sister, why?"
"Heh heh heh..."
The corners of Mu Ling'er's mouth lifted into a brilliant smile. It was that familiar smile of Tiny Waist's again. Her voice was so soft she seemed to be talking to herself. "Dark-skinned boy... don't misunderstand... I've never liked you..."
Lin Shisan's body abruptly stiffened. His dark gold pupils suddenly dilated, then contracted, leaving only a sea of bloodshot white.
He looked at Mu Ling'er, still smiling in his arms, at the sword piercing beneath her left ribs, at the blood spilling