A faint blue light trickled out from the crack in the door, like a spoonful of frozen night. As soon as it touched the tip of Qin Zhao's boots, fine ripples appeared.
He didn't stop.
Crossing the threshold with her left foot and following with her right foot, the wine pot swayed around her waist, and the lid of the pot remained motionless - yesterday, Ji Xue tightened it tightly, it was so damn tight.
The stone chamber is higher than imagined.
The dome is hidden in the mist, with no clear outline, only a diagonal crack, leaking a few darker rays of light, making the moss rust colored. The ground is not brick, but a whole piece of black rock chiseled into it, cold and hard, smooth and slippery. Stepping on it is silent, but the vibration makes the soles of the feet numb.
Qin Zhao walked forward.
a step.
Two steps.
The third step, he stopped.
It's not something blocking it, it's the eyes nailed to themselves.
Directly ahead, the entire stone wall is embossed.
It's not carving, it's' growing '- the rock layers are naturally layered, and craftsmen chisel, grind, burn, and soak along the texture to bring the Valkyrie back to life from the stone.
She stood under the shattered sky, her cloak torn into seven strands, each one swirling with stardust; Raise the thunder spear with your right hand, and the tip of the spear is piercing a silver chain that spans the sky and earth; The chains are broken, the fractures are uneven, and debris falls like rain. Each grain condenses into a miniature star, slowly rotating on the relief surface.
Qin Zhao raised his eyes.
Look at her profile.
The curve of the eyebrow bone is exactly the same as when Ji Xue raises her head.
The trend of the nose bridge is exactly the same as the angle that Ji Xue slightly raised when poking his chest.
Right eye tail - the location of the lightning shaped birthmark, there is also a gold thread on the relief, which explodes from the inside out, with a faint light shining on the edge that lasts for thousands of years.
His Adam's apple moved.
I didn't say anything.
I didn't reach out to touch it either.
Just standing, breathing very shallowly, as if afraid of disturbing the killing intent that has not dissipated for thousands of years.
Behind, the faint blue light in the crack of the door suddenly trembled.
Not the wind.
Someone is standing there, without entering or retreating, stuck at the boundary between light and dark.
Qin Zhao turned around.
The movement is neither fast nor slow, like opening a jar of aged liquor with just the right amount of force.
Ji Xue stood in the shadow of the door frame.
The silver silk soft armor was tightly wrapped, the pleated short skirt hung down to the calf, and the shoe edge was resting quietly without making a sound. She didn't laugh or blink. The lightning birthmark at the end of her right eye was golden in the dim light, not reflecting, but shining on its own.
She spoke up, 'Brother Qin, have you seen it all?'
The sound is not high, there is no fluctuation, like the last inch of friction before the knife is unsheathed.
Qin Zhao did not respond.
His gaze shifted downwards and swept over her shoulder - the dark red arrow wound was still there, with a blackened edge and irregular shape, hidden in the folds of silver soft armor, like an old ink that had not been wiped clean.
He raised his eyes again and met her gaze.
Ji Xue raised her hand.
Five fingers dilated, palms facing upwards.
Uh huh——
A thunderbolt spear phantom rose from her palm.
It is not a solid object, but a pure thunder light. The whole body is blue. The tip of the halberd jumps and breaks the arc, and the hum is low. It is the same origin and frequency as the thunder halberd on the mural that cuts off the space-time chain. Even the tiny spiral pattern on the halberd blade is exactly the same.
Qin Zhao stared at the phantom for three seconds.
Then, he lifted his step.
The sole of the boot stepped on a shallow indentation in the center of the stone chamber - like a mark left by someone kneeling in the early years, with a smooth edge and a depth of about half an inch.
He didn't go around, didn't stop, went straight ahead.
a step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Stop half a foot in front of Ji Xue.
The distance was so close that one could clearly see the slight dust at the base of her eyelashes - it wasn't from rubbing against the cliff yesterday, it was floating in the stone chamber, thin and light, falling next to the birthmark on her right eye, like a falling star sand.
Qin Zhao's pupils shimmered with a faint purple light.
It's not anger, it's not plunder, it's just a thin layer of purple, like the last circle of wine before it sinks to the bottom.
He lowered his gaze to look at her.
His voice was low and hoarse, like gravel rolling over the stone surface: 'Run? Why should I run?'
As he finished speaking, he slowly lifted his left hand.
I didn't touch her.
Hanging at the end of her right eye, less than a finger wide from the lightning birthmark.
Fingertips curved slightly, as if wanting to describe, yet also as if in awe, ultimately remaining motionless.
Ji Xue didn't move.
I didn't laugh either.
Looking at him like that, the golden pupils reflected the faint golden crack on his left eyebrow bone, like two clusters of flames burning against each other.
She suddenly spoke up, 'I am the reincarnation of the Valkyrie you are looking for... but you still have time to run now~'
The final note rises, floating lightly, like the last shake of a cat teaser stick.
Qin Zhao didn't blink.
Her left hand was still hanging, and her fingertips were only half an inch away from her birthmark, but she didn't move forward any further.
His Adam's apple rolled and he suddenly asked, "You fed me peaches yesterday, where did you bury them
Ji Xue was taken aback for a moment.
I didn't expect this sentence.
Her right eye flickered with a golden light at the end, like a punctured bubble, bouncing lightly.
Ah.
Qin Zhao pulled the corners of his mouth up half a minute, not smiling, but muscle twitching: "I said, peach pit
Ji Xue blinked and suddenly raised her hand, lightly tapping her index finger on the back of his suspended hand.
No force, just a touch.
Fingertips are electrified, and the tingling sensation runs up the skin onto the forearm.
She withdrew her hand, and a flash of lightning flashed through her fingertips: 'Buried.'
Where to bury it
... guess what
Qin Zhao nodded.
My left hand still hasn't moved.
He lowered his gaze, his gaze slowly sliding from the end of her right eye to the corner of her lips.
Her lip color is light, not pathological, it's innate, like unglazed porcelain with a hint of blue underneath.
He suddenly said, "You said yesterday that I won't say 'I like you' for ten years
Ji Xue nodded and said, "That's right
Qin Zhao said, "What I'm referring to is the heartbeat
Ji Xue: "Hmm
Qin Zhao: "When you poked my chest yesterday, did you feel a heartbeat or something else
Ji Xue didn't answer.
The golden light at the end of her right eye flickered again, this time it didn't jump, it was steadily shining, like a wick being straightened.
She suddenly raised her hand, not touching him, but hooking it behind her ear.
The shattered star chain shook with a buzzing sound.
Thunder beads crackle softly, like freshly boiled beans in a pot.
She tilted her head and flapped her ponytail neatly: 'Brother Qin, are you... a little flustered?'
Qin Zhao did not deny it.
I didn't admit it either.
He just slowly withdrew half an inch of his hanging left hand.
Her fingertips are one finger wide away from her birthmark.
He spoke in a lower voice, 'Panic? What the hell am I panicking about?'
Ji Xue giggled loudly.
Not cute, not sweet, it's the kind of laughter that presses down on the throat and vibrates in the chest, like the muffled sound of thunderclouds rolling through the depths.
She took half a step forward.
The distance between the two decreased from half a foot to three inches.
She looked up, her right eye shining with golden light: 'Then why are your hands shaking?'
Qin Zhao's left hand did indeed shake.
It's not a noticeable tremor, it's the second joint of the index finger that flicked very lightly, as if hit by static electricity.
He didn't pull his hand.
Instead, she trembled slightly and sent half a point towards her birthmark.
Her fingertips were almost touching her skin.
At this moment——
The crack in the dome of the stone chamber suddenly leaked a drop of water.
Pa ha.
Smashed on the black rock half an inch in front of Qin Zhao's boot tip.
Water droplets splattered in all directions, and one of them flew higher, bouncing diagonally and evenly, hitting the side of his left index finger.
icy cold.
Qin Zhao's fingers stiffened.
Not shrinking.
Just let that drop of water slide over my fingertips, leaving a wet mark.
Ji Xue stared at the wet mark for two seconds, then suddenly raised her hand and used her thumb to quickly and almost imperceptibly rub against his fingertip.
Not touching, not soothing, just rubbing - like wiping away a speck of dust.
After rubbing, she withdrew her hand, her fingertips flashing with lightning.
She looked up, the golden light on the end of her right eye still lingering, and her lips slightly raised: 'Brother Qin, your heart is beating fast again.'
Qin Zhao did not respond.
He lowered his eyes to look at her, his pupils still purple, but his voice suddenly became flat: "You said yesterday that the fire in the Guixu Treasure House is not enough
Ji Xue nodded and said, "Hmm
Qin Zhao: "Is it enough now
Ji Xue tilted her head and said, "What do you think
Qin Zhao remained silent for two seconds, then suddenly raised his hand and used his thumb to rub against the back of her hand, which was gripping his own wrist. Wait, he didn't grip her wrist.
He hung his left hand and his right hand by his side, with his sleeve covering half of his palm.
Ji Xue smiled, however.
She suddenly raised her hand and grabbed his right wrist hanging beside her.
The force is not strong, but stable.
She looked up, her golden pupils reflecting the faint golden crack on his left eyebrow: "Brother Qin, the palm of your right hand is still hot
Qin Zhao did not withdraw his hand.
He lowered his head and glanced at his clenched right hand.
The cuff slipped half an inch, revealing a section of the wrist.
Underneath the skin, faint blue meridians were faintly visible, pulsating with the heartbeat, one after another.
He suddenly said, "You intentionally burned the rope, token, and spear yesterday
Ji Xue blinked and said, "Where is it
Qin Zhao: "You've smelled it, it doesn't smell
Ji Xue: "... Oh
Qin Zhao: "You handed it to me to burn
Ji Xue: "Hmm
Qin Zhao: "You knew I could burn it
Ji Xuesong opened his wrist and lightly scratched his wrist bone with his fingertips, without exerting any force, just a dotted line: "Brother Qin, you react so slowly
Qin Zhao didn't move.
She withdrew her hand and a flash of lightning flashed through her fingertips: "Don't burn your hands next time, they're dirty
Qin Zhao rolled his Adam's apple, pulled his right hand into his sleeve, and pressed it against the wine jug at his waist with his backhand. The pot body is icy cold. He took a step forward, half an inch, and the distance between the two of them narrowed again. Ji Xue smiled, suddenly raising her hand and grabbing his right wrist hanging beside her. The force is not strong, but stable. She looked up, her golden pupils reflecting the faint golden crack on his left eyebrow: 'Brother Qin, the palm of your right hand is still hot.' Qin Zhao didn't shake his hand. He lowered his head and glanced at his clenched right hand. The cuff slipped half an inch, revealing a section of the wrist. Underneath the skin, faint blue meridians were faintly visible, pulsating with the heartbeat, one after another. He suddenly said, "You burned the rope, token, and spear yesterday on purpose." Ji Xue blinked her eyes and asked, "Where is it?" Qin Zhao replied, "You've smelled it, it doesn't smell." Ji Xue replied, "... oh." Qin Zhao replied, "You handed it to me to burn. She withdrew her hand and a flash of lightning flashed through her fingertips: "Don't burn your hands next time, they're dirty
At this moment, a deep roar suddenly came from the stone chamber, as if some immense force was awakening.
The mist surged violently in the dome, and the diagonal crack suddenly widened. A silver and white beam of light fell vertically, evenly shining on the tip of the thunder spear relief of the Valkyrie.
The sharp buzzing of the halberd echoed rapidly, and all the miniature stars on the relief surface accelerated and rotated in unison. Their trajectories intertwined, and they even cast a phantom in mid air - not a Valkyrie, but a star chart, crisscrossing and intersecting, with a constantly flashing red rune embedded in the center.
Ji Xue's pupils contracted, and the golden light at the end of her right eye surged. She blurted out, "The key to returning to the village... has it recognized its master
Qin Zhao did not answer.
His left hand, which was resting on her shoulder, finally fell slowly, with his palm facing down and his fingers slightly open, gently resting on her right shoulder.
Covering the dark red arrow wound.
The force is very light, as if afraid of crushing a thin layer of ice.
Ji Xue didn't hide.
The golden light at the end of her right eye suddenly shone brightly, not flickering, but steadily shining, like a wick being straightened, and the flames shooting upwards.
She suddenly raised her hand and lightly brushed her fingertips on the back of his left hand, which was resting on her shoulder.
No force, just a dotted line.
Qin Zhao didn't move.
She withdrew her hand and a flash of lightning flashed through her fingertips: "Brother Qin, your palm is still burning
Qin Zhao did not respond.
He just pressed his left hand, which was resting on her shoulder, down half a minute.
The force is still light, but no longer as afraid of crushing thin ice.
Like afraid of not being able to hold it.
The shadow of the star chart suddenly trembled, and the red rune burst into three streams of light, shooting towards Qin Zhao's forehead, Ji Xue's right eye tail, and the fracture of the relief female martial god's broken chain.
Three areas simultaneously light up with a faint light, resonating silently.
The faint golden crack on Qin Zhao's left eyebrow bone truly came to life for the first time. The fine golden lines extended like vines, crawling along the cheekbones towards the earlobe, echoing the birthmark on Ji Xue's right eye.
At the fracture of the relief, the remnants of the silver chains began to dissolve, turning into countless dots of light that slowly rose and gathered in mid air, reshaping themselves——
A new thunder spear is being born.
It has not fully solidified yet, but it has already let out a whistling sound that tears apart the void.
Ji Xue looked up, her lips slightly raised, and her voice was as soft as a sigh: "Brother Qin... the fire is just right
Qin Zhao lowered his eyes to look at her, his pupils still purple, and his Adam's apple slowly moved.
He didn't speak.
Just pressed down the left hand that was resting on her shoulder by half a minute.
This time, the force sank.
Like settling down.
Like confirmation.
Like a thousand years later, finally catching the light that never fell.