The excruciating pain coursing through her body, as if her bones were cracking, made her acutely aware of what it meant to be alive.
The clothes covering her body and everything around her told her that this was not the familiar world she knew. Perhaps, this was the Underworld? Or maybe another unknown realm?
"Heh!"
A wild and arrogant smile rose from the corner of her mouth, revealing teeth as neat as shells.
With a powerful push of both hands, she leaped up from the ground, ignoring the sound of bones cracking and the pain in her knotted meridians. She strode forward decisively.
She walked out of the mound of corpses that covered her, only to still find herself standing in a sea of bodies.
Her tall and resolute silhouette did not reveal the immense pain she was enduring at that moment. It was as if, even if the sky were to fall, it couldn't bend her spine.
"Whether it's the Underworld or the Divine Demon World? Since I'm here... If I'm a Buddha, there will be no demons in the world. If I am a demon, then... what can Buddha do to me!
My fate is mine to control, not the heavens!"
With these bold and ambitious words, the heart that beat faintly in her chest began to throb intensely. The powerful thumping resonated in her ears, filled with defiance and stubbornness, like thunder.
She took a deep breath, the cold air seeped into her lungs, bringing a fiery, piercing exhilaration.
She suddenly turned around, the clarity in her eyes once again reflecting the mountain of corpses that had pressed down on her.
She was neither foolish nor ignorant. On the contrary, she was experienced and immediately discerned the cause of death of the soldiers in uniformed battle armor.
They had died protecting her.
In their attempt to save her, these warriors were riddled with sharp arrows in their backs, and from their tightly clasped hands, frozen in their final posture as they lunged towards the center, she saw their despair, anger, reluctance, and the willingness to sacrifice their lives for their mission.
On them, there was something akin to her past self.
But unfortunately, their sacrifice, forging a strong and secure fortress with hundreds of corpses, ultimately failed to protect the person they intended to shelter and instead benefited her.
From the leather belt around her waist, she pulled out a Fire Stick.
This thing was a primitive lighter. Despite never having used it, it didn't stop her from gracefully removing the cap, allowing the air to meet phosphorus powder, igniting sparks.
The flame flickered and danced excitedly on the Fire Stick.
Yet she didn't even glance at it, casually tossing it with a flick of her wrist.
The Fire Stick arced through the air, finally landing on the mountain of corpses.
Whoosh—!
Flames soared into the sky, and the orange-red blaze engulfed him.
"Since I've taken over the body of the one you wanted to protect, I won't let you be exposed in the wild. This fire is my send-off for you, may you rest in peace henceforth."
She spoke softly, and the voice was surprisingly cold, as if coated with frost, yet with a languidness that demanded respect.
The fire spread across the wilderness.
She left with no reluctance. The only thing that saw her off was the blaze behind her.
The dead were gone, and she had to live on!
Thud—Thud—
The sound of hooves drew near, as if in a heartbeat, they would appear in her view.
With cold, clear eyes slightly narrowed, she halted her steps. Raising her gaze, she saw in the distance, though blurry, a dozen swift horses heading her way.
'So fast!'
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Those horses seemed to ride on the wind, their speed surpassing her understanding of a horse's typical abilities.
"Big brother, there's actually someone alive!"
The hoofbeats approached, and voices carried by the wind reached her ears.
"Alive or dead, old man's making a fortune from the war. Everything on this Sunset Wilderness is mine now!" A defiant and arrogant voice, laced with wild laughter.
She understood in her heart.
There were always people like this, eager to seize opportunities from the dead.
"Big brother, what about the one who's alive?" his subordinate asked.
"Alive?" A cruel and cold voice responded, "If good-looking, take them back and sell them. If not, kill them on the spot, no need for so much nonsense!"
Sell them? Kill them?
Her eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze sharp and cold. Her cracked lips curled into a faint, indiscernible smile.