Chapter 116: Side Story Twenty-Eight (End) Nirvana Through Fire

Scenes from the past began to flash before my eyes, revealing my younger self, limping along with a crutch, bouncing out of the campus with a backpack on my back. The expression on my face reflected a sorrow contrary to that of my peers.
Seeing with my own eyes the students suddenly darting out from behind, playfully bumping into me, followed by their childish laughter. I wanted to step forward and help my younger self, but in the end, I chose to stand by coldly and watch.
```htmlShe was indifferent.
Watching her younger self struggle to get up from the ground using a cane, covered in dirt that she didn’t even bother to shake off.
If only she had realized the deep complexity of human nature from that time, and that kindness and softness could become the deadliest weaknesses in this world, perhaps many paths would not have gone wrong. With the passage of time, having seen countless things, she understood too late; she would say she believed in nothing, yet deep in her heart, at its softest point, she still overlooked it.```
Since we have reached this point, we should correct this mistake.
The denial decides to sell its soul to the devil and perish with the world.
As the last ray of sunset sinks into the cold seabed, the sky shifts from crimson to ink black.
She turned not, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, her eyes shining with the light of redemption.
In the second half of the night, everyone had fallen into a deep slumber.
Ronghai Town was enveloped in tranquility, with a strong scent of gasoline lingering in the air.
Nora held a long torch, standing under the starry sky. The flames of the torch illuminated her face. She had a determined expression, betraying not a hint of hesitation.
In the distance, the sound of waves crashing against the shore could be heard, along with the occasional call of unknown birds.
Suddenly, she rushed through house after house like a whirlwind! Wherever she passed, fierce flames were ignited! With the wind blowing in from the sea, the fire spread even more wildly in an instant!
In the blink of an eye, half of Ronghai Town was engulfed in raging flames! The air was thick with the scent of gasoline and charred debris, and countless splashes of sparks danced erratically in the wind, illuminating half the sky with the fire's glow!
Yet, she still remained expressionless, only appearing a bit more fatigued.
Her hair was covered in grey dust, the wounds on her face throbbed more painfully, and she breathed heavily, feeling satisfied with what she had done.
She heard the terrified screams and the hysterical cries for help, creating a chaotic cacophony under the sky.
She carried a torch and continued to the Ronglin School, where gasoline had already been spread on the ground, reflecting the sly moonlight.
Goodbye, Demon Cultivation Institute...
With a light laugh, he casually tossed the torch away, and the flames quickly followed the trail of gasoline into the distance. Soon, the entire school was mercilessly engulfed by the fire!
The fierce flames were rampaging through Ronghai Town, wildly swirling with the wind, their blaze reaching the sky! The screams of people and the cries of children assaulted Nego’s eardrums, yet only fueled Nego’s excitement further.
In despair, she decided to burn Ronghai Town to the ground! This was her first step in revenge. Why should she bear the burden of others' mistakes alone? These are the retributions they should have received long ago!
“You crazy woman!”
A familiar voice sounded behind Nao, and she turned to look back to see Jiu, panting heavily.
Jiu's eyes sparkled with the distant firelight, melting the ice in his gaze.
```htmlNo longer issuing a sneer, she turned to run! Quick-witted and fast, Jiu fell into action and caught her by the waist.
“What do you want?! Didn’t I say I’d find the antidote for you? Why are you doing this?!”```
Despair was struggling against him in vain, but it was too small in front of him, struggling for half a day yet still futile.
“Let go of me! What does it have to do with you?!” No was shouting hoarsely while trying to break free.
“I'll take you away, is that alright? Can we live again?!” Jiu said, desperately holding back the negation in her heart.
一时间否以为自己听错了，她忽然放弃了挣扎，抬眼望着抱住她的这个男人。
“What… did you say?” Nega asked, trembling.
“Come with me. Let’s live abroad and start over,” Jiu said seriously, word by word, looking directly into Nega’s eyes.
```htmlThe sound of explosions echoed from afar, flames soaring into the sky, bursting open in the air like fireworks, illuminating the faces of two people.
Two streams of tears rolled down her face as she tightly shut her eyes, then said, "Let go of me."```
```htmlHe hadn't paid attention to her for a long time.
"Let go of me!"
With a furious shout, she swiftly drew the knife she had hidden in her pocket and without hesitation, plunged it into Jiu's chest!
A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed onto her face! The arms that had been wrapped around her waist immediately lost their strength, and Jiu looked at her with an expression of disbelief, blood bubbles forming between his pale teeth.```
That gaze was filled with a heart-wrenching despair, as well as an indescribable heartbreak...
"You forced me to do this!" Nao shouted in tears, filled with anger.
She fiercely shoved him away, and Jiu's tall figure silently collapsed backward. Nao's body trembled uncontrollably, and then she ran away without looking back.
```htmlWhen she finally arrived at the West Cliff on the West Bank, the sea had already begun to show a hint of fish belly white.
More than twenty years ago, her mother also ended everything here; today, it may not be an exception.```
She stood on the towering western cliff, facing the eastern town of Ronghai that was engulfed in flames.
She looked down at everything she had personally brought about, and at this moment, there was no trace of peace in Ronghai. It resembled a gigantic crematorium, burning with an enormous fire, and the billowing thick smoke rose into the sky, while massive, writhing waves of flames devoured everything they could. The distance was too great to hear the anguished cries of the people; only the sound of the tumultuous waves crashing against the cliff could be heard below.
She turned her back to the sea below the cliff, closing her eyes to feel the wind brush across her face for the last time, savoring the salty taste of the sea.
The stars scattered across the entire sky above her, silent and still, twinkling and seemingly at a loss.
No longer having a reason to live, she finally did what she had always wanted to do; now it was time for her to end it all herself.
She decided to be reborn as a ghost; death was merely the resting place of her exhausted goodwill, marking the beginning of her existence in another form. Burning down the village was just to accumulate her own resentment, while those who deserved punishment continued to live freely!
Her purpose is clear: to kill herself, to release the malevolent spirit that has been imprisoned deep within her heart!
After all, the weight of resentment is too heavy; death is a necessity for her, no longer a choice. Or perhaps, it’s not about dying, but about finding another way to seek revenge...
At this moment, she wants to put an end to this bitter world that leaves her tongue numb.
Standing on the western cliff, she is so small amidst the vastness of the universe, like a grain of sand in the desert, like a wisp of cloud in the sky. Even if she were to disappear, it would not affect the ongoing cycle of life in this world.
Since her birth, she hasn't belonged to this world; she is destined to never fit in, as she only belongs to the horizon.
Like a puppet, she drifts toward the edge of the cliff, just about to let go of everything when------
“Miss, what are you doing?”
A charming voice, sweet and pleasant, rang out from behind her. At the same time, she was swiftly pulled back by an almost magical force. In her panic, her feet got tangled, and she fell backward into the embrace of a strange man.
The pleasant scent of lavender flowers wafted into the nostrils…
Moreover, she found herself caught in a pair of deep-set eyes...
If the previous eyes were as cold as ice, even in the end, they would leave one feeling as if trapped in a frigid world. Then this pair of eyes must have gathered all the warmth the world has to offer, pouring it all out in that moment of looking down.
Never has Nao seen such eyes, sparkling like bright, clear stars on the sea, far surpassing the moonlight at this moment.
For a moment, Nao dazedly stared, feeling an unexpected attachment while nestled in this man's embrace.
She was unable to move, and under the slightly luminous sky, the two remained in this position. Tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes, and the cracked wounds on her face flickered with a sorrowful light, blood and tears mingling all over her face...
```htmlThe man helped Nuo up, and Nuo looked at him.
This man, with seductive eyes set in his breathtakingly handsome face, was illuminated by the first rays of sunlight breaking over the horizon, casting a crystal-clear sheen on his fair skin. His exquisite features seemed as though countless craftsmen had spent millennia meticulously polishing every detail to perfection. The fine strands of hair at the nape of his neck resembled the tail of a peacock; it's unbelievable how beautiful a man can be!```
Did he really not want to look away?
“Yu! What are you doing?”
A girl’s voice came from a distance. He passed through the man's face and saw the figure of a short-haired girl.
```htmlShe couldn't help but laugh at herself in her heart; sure enough, all the remaining beauty in this world was completely irrelevant to her.
She stepped backward in a flurry, the sea breeze tousling her long hair, the fabric of her dress swaying in the air...```
“Miss, you're back.” The man made a lovely sound again.
He looked with a playful gaze, smiling as he reached out a hand towards Nǐ.
“Nǐ!!!”
Jiu appeared from another direction, painfully clutching his chest, the upper part of his clothes soaked in large patches of fresh blood.
The man's hand froze in midair as he turned his gaze towards the source of the voice.
"Thank you..."
With a soft whisper, she left her final words and in the blink of an eye leaped off the cliff, like a kite with its string cut...
```htmlThe body feels so light…
As if being drawn by the sea, she plunges downward at an alarming speed…
Only the wind howls beside her ears…
The cold, churning sea below rushes to entomb her…```
Even the smile blooming at the corners of this man's lips couldn't save the denial, but at least it warmed her in the final moments of her life...
And so, the endless worldly splendor faded, leaving no time to linger.