nyslfriends 48. A magical artifact appears.
48. A magical artifact appears.
The sounds of fighting on the official road gradually subsided, leaving only the lingering stench of blood in the air. The setting sun, like blood, stained the corpses and wrecked caravans with a poignant crimson. Murong Qiu and Nangong Wen supported each other, their faces deathly pale, their bodies riddled with wounds, their eyes filled with fear and resentment, yet they dared not make another move. Youying had long since vanished without a trace. The remaining few caravan guards were even more ashen-faced, dropping their weapons and kneeling on the ground, trembling.
Standing alone amidst the chaos, Lin Mo breathed heavily, the mysterious power surging within him from the fierce battle slowly calming. He didn't even glance at Murong Qiu and the others, his gaze fixed directly on the several caravans that had been tightly guarded but were now unattended. Especially the middle caravan, the heaviest and most ornately decorated, seemed to emanate a faint, yet palpable, fluctuation that stirred even the depths of his soul.
Han Li, clutching a shallow wound on his shoulder, quickly walked to Lin Mo's side and whispered, "Chief, the situation is largely settled. What should we do with these prisoners and the remaining cargo?"
Lin Mo's voice was hoarse from the fierce battle, yet unusually cold: "Keep the prisoners in custody for now. Inventory all the goods, and focus on checking that one." He raised his hand and pointed to the middle caravan.
"Yes!" Han Li responded, immediately directing his still-mobile men to clear the battlefield, seize weapons, bind prisoners, and herd the caravans together. Murong Qiu and Nangong Wen were placed under separate guard. They exchanged a glance, both seeing deep worry in each other's eyes. They couldn't understand why this mysterious expert was so concerned about this shipment. Was there some secret they didn't know about?
His men busied themselves, opening the crates of each of the caravans. The first few carts were mostly filled with gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, and jade artifacts. Although they were incredibly valuable, they didn't particularly impress Lin Mo, who had seen much of the world. These were likely the openly displayed valuables being transported jointly by the four great families.
Finally, it was the turn of the most unusual caravan in the middle. The caravan's body was not made of ordinary wood, but rather mixed with some kind of metal. It was heavy and cold to the touch, and it was engraved with some blurry, seemingly decorative patterns that actually contained some kind of regularity. The lock was also unusually complex, not an ordinary brass lock.
One of his men tried to slash at it with a knife, but only left a shallow white mark.
"Make way." Lin Mo stepped forward.
He reached out, a faint wisp of grayish-black energy swirling around his fingertips, and gently pressed it against the complex metal lock. A soft "click" came from inside the lock cylinder, and the seemingly impenetrable lock sprang open. This wasn't brute force, but rather the result of him using a trace of his mysterious inner power, its unique corrosive and penetrating properties disrupting the lock's internal structure.
The surrounding subordinates, including Han Li, held their breath, their eyes fixed on the box that was about to be opened. Even Murong Qiu and Nangong Wen, who were being held captive, couldn't help but crane their necks. They only knew that the contents of this car were "special items" that Shangguan had personally instructed them to deliver safely to the capital, but they were not qualified to know the specifics.
Lin Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable restlessness and anticipation in his heart, and slowly lifted the heavy box lid.
The box contained neither the expected rare treasures nor magical weapons. The first thing that caught the eye was a thick layer of soft brocade for shock absorption. And nestled quietly within the brocade was an object.
It was a simple, ancient pagoda, about a foot tall.
The small tower was entirely dark gold, its material unknown. It had seven stories, with upturned eaves and countless intricate runes carved into it. These runes seemed to possess a life of their own, faintly shimmering in the afterglow of the setting sun. An ancient, vast, and indescribable aura of sealing emanated from the tower.
However, what truly captivated Lin Mo's attention was not the extraordinary nature of the small tower itself. Rather, it was the first level of the tower, through its crystal-clear walls, where a phantom could be clearly seen sealed within.
It was the silhouette of a woman.
She was dressed in a plain white dress, her figure slender and graceful, her face indistinct, as if shrouded in a thin mist, yet her exquisite features were still faintly discernible. Her eyes were closed, her long eyelashes resting on her eyelids like butterfly wings, her expression serene, yet carrying an eternal loneliness, as if she had been asleep for thousands of years.
The moment Lin Mo saw that phantom, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning!
The sounds of the entire world seemed to vanish in an instant; the official road, corpses, bloodstains, prisoners, subordinates… everything became blurred, like a faded background. In his eyes, only that pure white phantom in the tower remained.
An indescribable, soul-tearing pain suddenly exploded from the deepest part of his heart, instantly engulfing his entire body and making it almost impossible for him to breathe. Fragments of memories from his past life surged out uncontrollably like a burst dam, instantly overwhelming his consciousness.
No longer fragmented pieces, but vividly clear and heart-wrenching images.
Amidst the misty rain of Jiangnan, with willows swaying gently, she held an oil-paper umbrella, turning back with a smile that surpassed all other scenery. "Mo," she said, "after this mission is over, let's leave the organization and find a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, shall we?"
Drinking under the moon, she gently stroked the strings of her zither, her voice clear and melodious: "This piece, 'Longing for You,' is played only for you."
On the edge of the cliff, surrounded by countless experts, covered in blood, she still turned her back to him, her eyes resolute: "Go! Don't worry about me!"
The final image is a dazzling yet utterly cruel streak of light, emanating from his most trusted brother in his past life, and also their ultimate betrayer—the unique hidden weapon of [Starfall] Yama. Without hesitation, she pushed him away, using her frail body to shield him… The hidden weapon pierced her heart, unleashing a strange light that sealed everything away…
"Qing...Lan..."
A name buried deep within the soul of a past life, never thought of in this life, and never dared to be thought of, was uttered with difficulty from Lin Mo's trembling lips, like a dream.
It's Ye Qinglan!
The only woman he ever loved in his past life was also his partner who died because of him!
He had thought she had long since vanished into nothingness, disappeared into the world. He never imagined he would "see" her again here, in such a way!
Yama! It was Yama! He not only killed her, but also used such a vicious magical artifact to seal her remnant soul, or rather, some kind of life essence, within it! This dark golden seven-story pagoda is clearly an extremely powerful and bizarre sealing artifact!
Why? Why did he do this? Why did this magical artifact appear in the cargo being escorted by the four great families? What is the relationship between the four great families and Yama?
Countless questions gnawed at Lin Mo's heart like venomous snakes. But at this moment, all the questions were replaced by the surging grief and rage that almost overwhelmed his reason.
Since his rebirth, all his composure, all his planning, all his forbearance crumbled at this moment. The driving force that kept him alive, besides revenge, was a deeper, unspeakable despair and guilt over losing his beloved. And now, that despair and guilt were manifested before his eyes in the cruelest way.
"puff--"
Overwhelmed by anger and the internal energy turbulence from the previous battle, Lin Mo suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered, and his face instantly turned ashen.
"leader!"
"Chief, what's wrong?"
Han Li and the others were shocked to see this and quickly stepped forward to help him up.
"Get out of here!"
Lin Mo suddenly swung his arm, and an invisible force pushed Han Li and the others who were approaching back several steps. His eyes were bloodshot and bloodshot, staring intently at the phantom in the tower, his eyes filled with unspeakable pain, deep love and boundless hatred.
He reached out, his hand trembling, wanting to touch the cold tower wall, wanting to feel the face that was so close yet so far away.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the tower, the dark golden tower seemed to be activated. The runes on the tower suddenly lit up, their circulation accelerated, and a powerful repulsive force erupted, repelling Lin Mo's hand. At the same time, the tower trembled slightly, emitting a low hum.
Inside the tower, Ye Qinglan's illusory figure seemed to move slightly. Her tightly closed eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly for a moment, but ultimately she did not open them. Her serene and desolate expression remained unchanged, as if she were completely oblivious to everything around her.
This subtle change felt as if an invisible hand were gripping Lin Mo's heart tightly, causing her unbearable pain. Could she feel it? Was there still a sliver of consciousness trapped in this eternal cage?
"Qinglan...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." he murmured, his voice hoarse and broken, filled with endless regret and pain. A man doesn't easily shed tears, but at this moment, his bloodshot eyes were already glistening with tears.
The air around them seemed to freeze. Although Han Li and the others were puzzled, they had never seen their leader so distraught. The grief and despair emanating from him made their hearts tremble, and none of them dared to take another step forward.
Murong Qiu and Nangong Wen, seeing Lin Mo's reaction from afar, exchanged bewildered glances, filled with astonishment and uncertainty. This mysterious expert actually recognized the sealed object within the tower? And why was his reaction so intense? Who exactly was the woman in the tower? And what was her relationship with him?
The sun finally sank completely below the horizon, the last rays of light disappeared, and twilight enveloped the earth. The stench of blood on the official road seemed even stronger.
Lin Mo remained frozen before the caravan, as if transformed into a stone statue, only his crimson eyes fixed unblinkingly on the pristine white phantom within the tower. The blood feud of his past life, the mysteries of this life, the love lost and regained only to plunge him into even greater despair… all these emotions intertwined, almost tearing him apart.
The ambush operation was a success; they gained vast resources and tested the strength of the powerful families. But Lin Mo knew that from this moment on, everything was different. His path of revenge was no longer just for himself, but also to rescue those trapped in the tower. Yama, the four great families… he would not let a single one of them escape!
As night deepened, a cold wind swept across the official road, swirling up a few withered leaves and making a sobbing sound, as if mourning the tragedy of this reunion.