Hai Langjin

There is always a thin layer of ash hanging from the sky in Hailangdu, like cotton wool soaked in water, weighing heavily on people's hearts. My sister and I both know that this land is not the only place of peace - there are still three known pure lands on the mainland: Hailangdu where we were born and raised here, Flowerland City where we refine our strength, and the third place hidden behind the mist. They are like isolated islands floating on a dark ocean. The shadow of the devil is gnawing at the island shores day and night, threatening to engulf everything at any time. The twin swords of my sister and I are one of the guardians of Hailangdu: my Xihe is as blazing as the sun, and her Wangshu is as cold as the moon. The days cycled through patrols, training and short respite, until that kitten fell into our lives, like a seed falling into a crack in the stone, sprouting out in the tight daily life. My sister picked it up during border reconnaissance. It was a small, hairy ball, as white as snow, and it timidly rubbed against her fingertips. We call it Meow Meow. The tilt of the head when the sword spike was teasing and the nap on the sword spine became our only warmth. The accident happened in an ordinary afternoon. My sister went out on a mission, and while I was oiling Xi He, the cat on the window sill disappeared. My heart was suddenly clenched - it was my sister's most precious treasure, and it was also my family. I grabbed my sword and rushed out the door, running wildly through the garden, pushing aside bushes and kicking stones, my throat so tight that I couldn't make a sound. Until I bumped into the passerby in the corner, his trousers were stained with fresh mud and his eyes were evasive. "Where's the cat?" I held his arm, my voice shaking like leaves in the autumn wind. He pinched his neck and sneered. At that moment, worry and guilt suddenly exploded. The xi and sword hilt at my fingertips were incredibly hot: "Ask me one last time. If you can't find it, you will be like these dead branches and break into powder." He was probably frightened by my cruelty, and he muttered and pointed to the abandoned well deep in the garden. When I was lying on the edge of the well and looking down, I almost shed tears - the cat was huddled in the mud at the bottom of the well, its snow-white fur was covered with black patches, and its thin whimpering was like a needle pricking its heart. "I'm sorry..." I jumped down and hugged it. The little guy was shivering from the cold, and his claws were holding on to my clothes. I ran home and boiled hot water, rubbed it little by little until it became as fluffy as a snowball, wrapped it in a towel and purred, and then the stone in my heart settled. When my sister came back, she looked at the wet spots on the cat and my red eyes, and only touched my head. The disappointment in the silence was more cutting than the blame. "I didn't take it seriously." I lowered my head, my voice muffled in my chest. After that, I went to Huahaidu. As a place famous for tempering strength among the three pure lands, the training there is far more rigorous than that of Hailangdu - practicing with the wind every day, resonating with the aura of the sea of ​​flowers, and watching the light of Xihe change from weak to fierce. I only have one thought: to become stronger, strong enough to protect my sister, protect my cat, and protect these few remaining peace. After returning a few months later, as soon as I entered the border of Hailangdu, I saw a dark red halo circulating outside the city, like a wriggling poisonous snake, slowly tightening. The devil's formation! I grabbed the neighbor who was passing by, but he shook his head blankly: "Where is the halo? You have come back from the sea of flowers, I'm afraid you are tired." Panic gripped my spine. When I found my sister, I asked in a trembling voice, "You saw it too, right?" Her face was darker than mine and she nodded: "Pack your things, we have to leave." "Go? Where to go?" I clenched my fists, "Hailang is home! The sea of flowers can't accommodate the entire city, and the third place doesn't even have a shadow..." There were footsteps on the stairs. A strange young man walked down, with handsome features but an inhuman alienation. I was just wondering when my sister said softly: "Sister, this is Meow Meow." "What did you say?" I took half a step back, and my fingertips instantly clasped the hilt of Xi He's sword - only demons can take the form of humans! "Sister, are you crazy? The formation must have come because of it! Drive it out!" "It hasn't done anything bad." His sister stood in front of him, her tone extremely firm, "Demons may not all be evil. They want to transform this place so that the land will no longer be barren, so that we don't have to worry. Have you forgotten? The guards of Hailuangdu once sold the border for personal gain - those harms are more real than if it had never done anything." I looked at her protecting him, and my heart felt like it was pierced by an ice pick. "Are you in love with him?" The voice trembled, "Are you going to give up Hailangdu for a devil? Give up your home?" My sister didn't say anything, but the tenderness in her eyes was like a needle, which hurt me. She is my only relative, the one I desperately want to protect. Finally, I let go, like a deserter, and let her lead the boy who was once a kitten on the road to the Demon Palace. The quarrels on the road never stopped. I am afraid of the danger in the Demon Palace, I am afraid that my sister will be bewitched, and I am even more afraid that the Flower Sea City and the unknown pure land will not escape bad luck. Until halfway, my sister suddenly said: "He is not just an ordinary devil, he is a great devil, the future leader." The amount of information hit my mind like a huge boulder. My vision went dark and I fell down in the car. It was two days after I woke up again, and my sister told me: "Hai Lang has been transformed." "Have you changed it?" I sat up suddenly, Xihe buzzed in his sheath, "Go back to Hailangdu! Go now!" The return journey was even more silent. The resistance to Da Mozi was still there, but looking at his eyes when he looked out the window, he looked like the kitten lying on his sister's shoulder, and there was a strange familiarity in his heart. But this wavering was quickly suppressed by worries about home. As we approached Hailangdu, it rained heavily. The raindrops hit the carriage, like countless hands knocking on the door. My sister suddenly said: "Sister, how about... Don't go back?" "What are you hiding?" I grabbed her wrist, and the argument broke out instantly. Amidst the sound of rain, I suddenly realized - could this endless quarrel and the inexplicable tolerance of the devil be caused by the devil's breath? Disintegrating the defense line, making us suspicious of others and soft-hearted, just like the secret book says, leading us to the ending we fear most? Anger exploded at the big devil, and the quarrel nearly flipped off the roof of the car. On the road after that, the only sound was the roar of rain. I feel like I have been abandoned by the whole world, especially when my sister's eyes always fall on him, and I can't tell whether it is admiration or calculation. In the rain, on a hillside not far from Hailang, my sister suddenly stopped. I turned around and saw her raising her hand to summon the Wangshu Sword. The sword was glowing with cold light. She stepped on the blade and hugged his waist, flying straight to Hailangdu. There was no goodbye, the rain hit my face, and I couldn't tell whether it was water or tears. It turns out that betrayal feels like this, like being thrown into an ice cellar, chilling even the bones. I stumbled into Hailangdu, but was nailed to the spot by the sight in front of me. The familiar streets are filled with the enchanting Bianlan orchid, whose petals are as red as blood, exuding heart-stopping magic. The neighbor who had been patrolling together and the partner who had been trained in Huahai had empty eyes and expressionless expressions on the orchids, like a puppet whose soul had been sucked out. "No..." I pulled out Xihe, and the golden sword light split the rain curtain, "Wake up! This is not our home!" After cutting off pieces of Bianlan Orchid and killing several low-level demons driving away the residents, I shouted at the numb crowd: "Run! Go to the Flower City! Go anywhere!" "Sister, stop." A familiar voice sounded after itself. When I looked back, my sister was wearing a devilish costume embroidered with dark patterns, standing in the orchid on the other side, her features were still beautiful, but with an unfamiliar majesty. "They are living a good life and don't have to suffer anymore." "Very good?" I looked at her, my heart felt like it was being crushed, "Look at them! Where is Wang Shujian? Has he become a sacrifice to the devil?" Anger consumes reason. I raised Xihe and rushed over, all I could think of was her protecting him, all the faces of her enslaved relatives. But there were too many demons, and the magic power surged in like a tide. His vision went dark, and he completely lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a big bed covered with black velvet, and I had changed into luxurious clothes. The surroundings are magnificent, but everything is gloomy - this is the Demon Palace. I ran out like a madman, the devil's palace was like a maze, the candlelight flickered, and the shadows showed their teeth and claws. I didn't know where to go. I just wanted to find my sister, but I was afraid that I would find a more desperate scene. He bumped into two people at the corner. One is a big devil, and the other is a young man in black clothes and silver embroidery. His eyes are sinister and green, staring at me as if he is looking at something incredible. It's the second devil. I met his gaze without taking a step back. The shock in his eyes was like throwing a stone into a lake, causing ripples and then disappearing. "Where is my sister?" He turned to Da Mozi, his voice trembling with anger. He frowned and said in a tired tone: "Why are you always hostile to us? Sister... Said she doesn't want to see you for the time being." "Impossible!" I clenched my fists, my knuckles turning white. Xihe was not by his side, but strength surged in his blood. Sister, you must be trapped by them, it must be... Looking at the flickering candlelight deep in the corridor, I suddenly thought of the training ground in Huahai City, the always sunny sky there, and the unknown third pure land. Maybe it's time to look for them. Perhaps, only there can we find a way to save my sister and Hailangdu. Intention: like a dream or an illusion