Cold was the dark, bleak night. A chilling glow graced the fallen beauty, the very light drawn to her still figure. The pale blue sect robe adhering to the beauty's dainty frame billowed while silken, inky hair strands outlining her narrow shoulders swayed in the breeze.
Li Meirong's eyes were peacefully shut. A pair of long lashes cast dark shadows upon her waxy and pallid complexion. A coat of fresh blood stained her breasts, no longer rising and falling to the rhythm of a heartbeat. Like a black hole, the scarlet gradually expanded and cascaded down her sides.
Wherever her blood dripped, fragrant herbs and baby pink flowers began to sprout from the earthly crust.
A boy with hair in the shape of leaves and skin the colour of a young turnip silently beheld the vision in front of him. He was too frightened to move. Too terrified to speak.
In the midst of the attack, the reddish Lingzhi Mushroom Spirit, who kept quiet throughout the whole ordeal, the very being who was supposed to be sheltered and protected had somehow, despite his claims of being unable to move, made his way to Li Meirong's side as well.
'No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!'
Ben Mo couldn't speak, for he had no mouth, but Chou could still hear the echoes of his soul screaming all the same. The Mushroom Spirit didn't cry, nor did he wail or whimper. He screamed the same word over and over again. He screeched so loud that Chou thought he'd die from the sheer intensity of the Mushroom's anguished soul.
Chou couldn't understand. Why was Ben Mo the one screaming? Shouldn't he be the one screaming? Why was the Useless Mushroom acting as though he was the one suffering the most, when Chou was the one who had just lost his most precious person.
The Plant Spirit wiped the running, salty liquid from his face. He was anguished, cold, and felt empty inside. A certain blankness consumed him, as if nothing really mattered anymore.
Nevertheless, he promised Master to take care of stupid Ben Mo, and he would make sure to uphold his promise.
The spell that had prevented him from reaching out to help his Master had dissipated along with her passing. Chou swiftly reached his Master's lifeless form and grabbed the screeching Ben Mo with both of his palms.
'Useless Mushroom. How did you even get here?' Chou transmitted the question, but only received further, nonsensical screeching in response. He shook the mushroom in his arms. 'Listen, you need to stay atop the tree branch where Chou left you. Chou must kill this No Eyebrows person to avenge Master, and then, Chou will find a way to bring Master back!' He telepathically communicated with the Lingzhi Mushroom, ensuring that Captain Liang wouldn't overhear any of his plans.
'No! No! No! No! No! No!' Ben Mo seemed to be stuck in a trance, reliving a shadow of a haunting memory, unable to hear anyone or anything else. He deftly wiggled out of Chou's plump fingers and jumped onto Li Meirong's chest wound, smearing his petite fungus frame with her blood.
Chou slapped Ben Mo's cap harshly, snapping the Mushroom out of whatever spell he had been put under. 'You! What are you doing to Master's precious blood?! Chou is not killing you right now only because he promised Master that-'
'This woman murdered me! She murdered me!' Ben Mo momentarily stilled after getting slapped by Chou. His unending screams were replaced with the echoes of words seething with rage.
'What are you talking about? It's Master who has been murdered, you idiot! It is Master who sacrificed herself for our sake. Have you gone insane?!'