fictionpage Chapter 395 My presumptuous act, please accept it, sir.
Chapter 395 My presumptuous act, please accept it, sir.
Before the screams had even subsided, a bizarre scene unfolded in an instant.
The golden light that had already seeped into his body instantly became sharp and violent, no longer the gentle power of merit, but rather like a raging fire, bursting out from his body in an instant.
Golden flames burst forth from his pores and wounds, instantly engulfing his entire body.
A sizzling sound rang out as his clothes were instantly ignited, and his skin charred at a visible speed.
Tsewang struggled and rolled wildly in the flames, his agonizing screams echoing throughout the room.
Xia Ning simply watched all of this coldly—the rules were already clear: no one was allowed to speak. This was the ending he had chosen himself.
The two black-clad butlers remained expressionless, clearly accustomed to such scenes.
Dave and Park Ji-won instinctively took a step back, their faces turning pale.
Lin Feng, Evelyn, and Vassim remained calm, though a hint of seriousness flashed in their eyes.
In just one minute, Tsewang's struggles gradually weakened and eventually stopped completely.
Just then, a faint, translucent wisp of soul floated out from his remains, and was immediately absorbed by the temple's stone slab, slowly seeping into it.
After a few more moments, the flames were completely extinguished, and Cewang's remains turned into countless tiny black powders. A gentle breeze blew by, and the powders were scattered by the wind, leaving not a trace.
Amirka slowly straightened up, his hands still clasped together. He first bowed slightly towards the direction of the chained prisoners, then bowed deeply towards the place where Tsewang had disappeared, and whispered a verse.
At this moment, the Iron Chain Prisoner slowly opened his eyes, and the iron chains around his body gradually became transparent before finally disappearing completely.
He stood up, bowed to Xia Ning, and then walked down the stone steps, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.
Xia Ning looked at Amirka, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes: "Congratulations, you survived the backlash of the golden light, your merit +15."
Amirka clasped his hands together, nodded slightly to Xia Ning, and whispered, "Sado."
He then turned around and walked to the middle of Lin Feng and his group.
Just then, another series of light footsteps approached.
Everyone turned to look and saw the old woman from the Republic of Roses supporting the weeping child as they slowly walked towards the main gate.
No one expected that the original team of four would now be reduced to just the old woman.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, and she looked somewhat tired.
The child beside her, with red and swollen eyes and tear stains still clinging to his cheeks, was crying.
He gripped the old woman's clothes tightly with both hands, his fierceness lessened, replaced by a childlike dependence.
The old woman helped the weeping child to the front door and gently patted the child's head:
"Good boy, we've arrived."
The weeping child raised his tear-streaked face, looked at the old woman, then at the main gate of the temple, slowly loosened the hem of her robe, gently knelt on the stone slab, and clasped his hands together.
Soon, a soft golden light slowly emanated from his body.
The old woman stood up straight, her expression calm, her hands gently clasped together, and she bowed slightly.
Having been a teacher her whole life, her mind had long since become serene. Even after losing her companions, even after enduring the karmic afflictions of the three circles, and even now facing the backlash of the golden light, she remained calm and composed.
A minute passed in the blink of an eye, and the golden light completely penetrated the old woman's body. She slowly straightened up, and the aura around her became clear and soothing, and the fatigue on her face also dissipated somewhat.
At the same time, the weeping child slowly opened his eyes and stood up from the ground.
He gently hugged the old woman, looked up at his tear-streaked face, and whispered, "Goodbye, Grandma."
The old woman reached out and gently patted his head, her eyes filled with kindness: "Good child, may you have a safe journey."
Tears streaming down her face, Tong let go, turned around, and skipped down the stone steps, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.
Xia Ning looked at the old woman and said softly, "Congratulations, your merit points have increased by 15."
........................
The subsequent groups returned one after another, each presenting a different scene—
Some squads were completely unharmed, some had only one or two members left, and some were wiped out entirely.
Of the original 35 groups and 107 chosen ones, only 76 people successfully completed the mission of circling the temple and withstood the backlash of the golden light.
Thirty-one people remained forever on the path around the temple, their souls becoming remnants beneath the temple's stone slabs.
After the last survivor returned to the team, Xia Ning stepped forward and patted the ground twice:
"Congratulations everyone, you have successfully completed today's training mission."
"To acknowledge everyone's merit in today's practice, the food served at Zhaixin Hall tonight is non-toxic."
These words were like a thunderclap, instantly igniting the enthusiasm of the entire audience, and cheers resounded throughout the temple gates:
"Great! Finally, I can enjoy a proper meal without worry!"
"Thank you, Guide!"
Xia Ning remained calm, but subconsciously frowned slightly and gently pressed her chest with her hand.
A sudden, aching sensation spread from her chest, leaving her somewhat at a loss.
She coughed lightly, quickly regaining her composure: "Let's go, follow me to Zhaixin Hall."
The group immediately followed Xia Ning's footsteps and headed towards Zhaixin Hall.
Lin Feng noticed every little thing Xia Ning did, even her slight frown.
As for the reason... probably no one knows better than him, the husband—
Xia Ning's "granary is full" and she needs to "clear it out" in time.
With a thought, he took out a package from his personal storage space.
This was the suction device he had prepared before entering the dungeon, which Xia Ning had asked him to prepare as well.
He quickly pulled out a pen and paper from his pocket, hastily wrote down a note, folded it neatly, put it in the box, and hurried to catch up with Xia Ning.
As Lin Feng walked to Xia Ning's side, he lowered his voice:
"Guide, I noticed you seemed unwell at the temple gates just now. I have something here that might be of help to you."
Xia Ning subconsciously turned her head to look at the packaging box in Lin Feng's hand, her eyes full of doubt.
Before she could speak, Lin Feng gently placed the packaging box into her hand.
"I apologize for this presumptuous act, but please accept it, sir."
After Lin Feng finished speaking, he turned around and quickly returned to the middle of the group.
Xia Ning clutched the packaging box in her hand, a hint of panic flashing across her face.
She instinctively hid the box in her wide sleeve, her eyes quickly glancing at the black-clad butler beside her.
Although the two were observing, they remained outwardly calm, while their minds were already racing with wild speculation—
What kind of gift could it be? Chocolate? Jewelry? Or...?
........................
Before long, the group arrived at Zhaixin Hall.
Xia Ning gave a few instructions to the two black-clad butlers, then turned and left alone.
The aching sensation in her chest grew stronger and stronger, making it difficult for her to maintain her composure. All she wanted was to get back to her room and "clear out" her inventory.
Hurriedly returning to her residence, Xia Ning closed the door behind her, leaned against it for a moment, and finally couldn't suppress the doubts in her heart. She took out the packaging box that she had hidden all the way from her sleeve and opened it.
When she saw the suction device in the box, she paused for a moment, her cheeks flushed red, and she subconsciously raised her hand to cover her chest.
Pick up the note from the box, unfold it, and you'll see that the handwriting is neat and clear:
[I used to work at a maternity and baby products store. I noticed the adult seemed unwell and realized they might need this product, so I offered it to them without any ill intent. Please forgive any inconvenience.]
After reading the note, Xia Ning's doubts vanished instantly.
She gently clutched the note in her fingertips, her lips pressed tightly together in embarrassment, yet a faint, sweet smile couldn't help but creep onto her lips...