Chapter 60 — Storm
劍問蒼天 · Page 2 of 5
The bitterness in your heart, heaven knows and I know. I cannot share your pain, so I shall bear it together with you. I only hope that one day, you can be happily together with the one you love..."
Her voice grew softer and softer, fading away. The wind and rain grew fiercer; that figure was so frail, like a wounded blade of grass in the wind, swaying unsteadily. Zhang Qingyue's heart wandered in a daze, as in a dream.
The night was black and heavy, and the heavens were silent!
The wind and rain raged for a long while before finally abating somewhat. Zhang Qingyue's whole body was icy cold, the chill invading his body; his hands and feet had long gone numb. He knew that if this continued, he would surely fall gravely ill, but no matter what, he was unwilling to get up and take shelter.
Yet in this cold, from the arm on his right side, a faint warmth seemed to come and go, slowly circulating within his body, warding off much of the chill. It seemed to come from that magic artifact, the Mystic Fire Mirror, bound to his right hand.
Zhang Qingyue suddenly thought again of that ghost-like woman from moments ago, and in his daze believed it had been Lu Xueqi, but by now he could no longer make out where any figure was, nor whether she had left or had never appeared at all.
At the thought, a bitter smile touched the corner of his mouth. He shook his head, sending water droplets flying. But just then, he distinctly heard a voice: "Silly boy!"
Zhang Qingyue started, hurriedly turned back, and nearly cried out "Senior Sister Lu!" But he saw, from deep in the dense forest, a young woman slowly emerge, holding an umbrella against the wind and rain, smiling brightly at him. It was someone he had never expected to see here -- the demon sect girl, Bili.
By now the rain, though lighter than before, was still heavy, and anything at any distance could not be seen clearly. Zhang Qingyue thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but when he looked closely, it really was Bili, walking over prettily, a trace of a smile on her face.
She was still dressed in water-green garments, still holding that blue-green oiled-cloth umbrella. But the wind and rain were so great that several places along the edge of her light clothing were wet too. As she came closer, he could see more clearly: those wet patches clung softly to her skin, faintly visible through the fabric.
Zhang Qingyue suddenly lowered his head and did not look at her.
Bili was taken aback. She crouched down before him, looked him up and down, and with a light laugh said: "You really are a strange one. In such heavy rain, you insist on kneeling here. Is this some cultivation method of your Canglan Sect too?"
Zhang Qingyue glared at her in annoyance, but saw that Bili's pretty face, in this dark night, was unexpectedly gentle as water, and he could not help but stare for a moment.
"Boom!" Thunder rumbled, rolling in from the dark clouds at the horizon. Almost at that very moment, a huge bolt of lightning split the sky, tearing the night in two; it flashed once before fading away. With this flash and peal, the rain, already pouring across the heavens, grew heavier still.
Bili frowned and moved a little closer. Zhang Qingyue suddenly realized that the raindrops that had been stinging his body had suddenly grown fewer, and he felt as if he had been under a heavy weight and was suddenly released, lightened all at once.
He looked up and saw that Bili had shifted half the umbrella over, shielding him from the rain. But the rain was so heavy that in caring for Zhang Qingyue, Bili could not help but neglect herself, and in an instant half her body was soaked.
A warmth rose in Zhang Qingyue's heart, and he could not help reaching out to push the umbrella back toward her, saying in a low voice: "You've just been gravely ill in the Blooddrop Cave. Be careful you don't catch cold."
Bili seemed to freeze for a moment, looking at Zhang Qingyue.