Night stay at abondoned Temple

Chapter 11: Night stay at abondon temple

The carriage moved steadily along the narrow, desolate path, the sound of wooden wheels against the uneven dirt road echoing in the silent wilderness. The sky, a deep shade of dusk, cast long shadows upon the surrounding trees, their bare branches swaying slightly in the evening breeze. Up ahead, nestled between the overgrown foliage and ancient stones, stood the remains of an abandoned temple—its roof partially caved in, its walls marked with the passage of time.

As they neared the structure, Xiao Yi suddenly spoke, her voice faint yet clear. "Stop here for a while."

Jian Hu pulled on the reins, slowing the horses. He turned to look at her, his brows slightly furrowed. "What's wrong?"

She placed a hand against her forehead, as if trying to steady herself. "I don't feel well."

Li Xin, seated quietly in the carriage, shifted his gaze toward her, his expression unreadable. He did not speak, nor did he show concern. Instead, he merely observed her with his calm, detached eyes, before turning to Jian Hu, leaving the decision in his hands.

Jian Hu was not a fool. He had traveled the martial world long enough to recognize when something felt off. Xiao Yi was still a stranger to them, and her sudden request to stop here—at such a remote and eerie location—made him instinctively wary. His instincts told him to be cautious, but he also knew that refusing outright might expose them to unnecessary trouble.

He looked at Li Xin, seeking his opinion. Li Xin smirked, a subtle, knowing curve of his lips—a silent amusement in his eyes as if he were curious to see what the girl was planning. Jian Hu understood his expression immediately.

"Alright," Jian Hu finally said, exhaling lightly. "If you're not feeling well, we can stay for the night."

With that decision, he guided the horses toward the temple's entrance. The air grew colder as they approached, the structure looming over them with an air of forgotten history. As they stepped down from the carriage, the creaking of the wooden wheels and the rustling of dry leaves were the only sounds breaking the stillness.

The night was just beginning, and within the temple's ruins, uncertainty awaited them.

As they stepped inside, the scent of damp wood and dust filled the air. The dim moonlight filtering through the cracks illuminated faded murals and broken statues of forgotten deities. Xiao Yi sat near an old altar, her breathing unsteady.

Li Xin stared at the remnants of the past, his fingers brushing against the worn stone. The place stirred something deep within him—a memory long buried beneath years of silence. He closed his eyes, and the temple transformed before him, pulling him into a night long ago.

---

The air had once been thick with the scent of blood and smoke. Flickering torches barely illuminated the grand temple hall, now turned into a battleground. Li Xin, younger and wilder, stood with his blade drawn, his breathing ragged. Across from him, Jian Hu, his rival at the time, met his gaze with the same fire in his eyes.

"You shouldn't have interfered," Jian Hu spat, his voice edged with anger.

Li Xin smirked, wiping the blood from his lips. "You think I'd let your sect get away with this?"

The clash of their swords sent sparks into the air, the sound of metal striking metal echoing through the temple's walls. Their fight was not one of mere hostility—it was a battle of pride, conviction, and unspoken emotions. Each move was calculated, but fueled by the heat of their rivalry. Jian Hu's attacks were relentless, his blade swift and precise. Li Xin countered with equal ferocity, their techniques matching like a dance of death.

The temple, once a place of worship, had become a graveyard of warriors that night. Bodies littered the floor, the remnants of a conflict between sects that neither man wished to recall. Li Xin had fought until his strength waned, until the sting of Jian Hu's blade finally tore into his side. He staggered, gripping his wound, but still, he did not fall.

Jian Hu's eyes flickered with something beyond anger—an emotion he himself did not fully understand. He had won, but it did not feel like victory. The temple doors had blown open then, the wind carrying the distant cries of the fallen.

Li Xin collapsed against the cold stone, his breath shallow. Jian Hu sheathed his sword and knelt beside him, pressing a firm hand against the wound to stop the bleeding. "You stubborn bastard," he muttered. "You could've died."

Li Xin chuckled, the sound dry and weak. "You didn't let me."

Jian Hu tore a strip from his robe, binding the wound with careful hands. He could feel the tremor in Li Xin's body, the struggle to stay conscious. The fight had been brutal, but in this moment, they were no longer enemies—just two men, bound by fate, caught in a war neither of them had truly wanted.

Jian Hu sighed, his expression softening for the first time that night. "If you die here, it would be too easy an end for you."

Li Xin smirked faintly, his eyelids heavy. "That almost sounds like concern."

Jian Hu didn't respond. Instead, he lifted Li Xin's injured form onto his back, carrying him through the ruined temple halls. The echoes of their battle still lingered in the air, but something else had settled between them—an unspoken understanding, a silent truce forged in the ruins of their past.

---

As the wind howled through the broken windows, Jian Hu, standing near the entrance, turned slightly to glance at Li Xin. "You're thinking about it, aren't you?"

Li Xin did not answer, but his silence was enough.

Jian Hu chuckled under his breath. "Some things never change."

The feeling of unease settled among them. Tonight, the temple would offer them shelter—but whether it would offer safety remained unknown.

The temple ruins stood in eerie silence, shrouded in the dim glow of the setting sun. Cracked walls bore the weight of time, and the wind whispered through the gaping holes in the wooden beams. Dust lingered in the air, disturbed only by their faint movements. Inside, a small fire crackled, casting flickering shadows against the ancient stone.

Jian Hu had stepped away to gather firewood, leaving Li Xin and Xiao Yi alone in the temple's hollowed remains. The moment the echoes of Jian Hu's footsteps faded, Li Xin finally spoke, his voice low and sharp.

"You are doing it on purpose… right?" Li Xin's gaze did not waver as he looked at Xiao Yi.

"What are you talking about?" Xiao Yi replied, her tone indifferent.

A moment later Xiao yi smirked slightly. "A person like you had to end up in the state in which you are now."

Li xin didn't respond.

Xiao Yi let out a faint laugh, devoid of warmth. "Then what about those thousands of lives? The innocent people who are no more now because of you… ohhh… what should I say? Because of the stupid choice that you made back then."

Li Xin's expression darkened. "What I have chosen years ago was my choice. I have no regrets about it."

Li Xin clenched her fists. "Being a martial artist was never my choice… Who the hell ever wanted to be a killer weapon for that ruthless master? I had to back out the moment I knew about it and about the people who lost their lives their was my biggest mistake maybe my biggest regret ."

Xiao yi's face remained impassive as she watched him but the tension between them was palpable.The flickering fire cast long shadows across the ruined temple, as if bearing witness to the weight of their past.

At that moment, Li Xin looked less like the composed, detached man he had become and more like a criminal being judged by an official or a victim seeking justice. The weight of his past loomed over him, dark and unshakable.

Back then, he was full of youth, his soul wild and unrestrained, chasing after things deemed forbidden. The world had called him reckless, a man who did not fear consequences. But consequences had come—merciless, bloody, and permanent. Now, standing before Xiao Yi, it was as if the ghosts of those choices had returned, whispering in the cracks of the ruined temple, pressing against him with every word she spoke.

A gust of wind howled through the broken structure, making the fire flicker violently. Neither spoke for a long moment, both lost in the weight of their pasts. In the distance, Jian Hu's footsteps could be heard returning, breaking the silence.

Li Xin finally exhaled, his gaze shifting away. "We should rest. The road ahead is long."

Xiao Yi watched him for a moment before nodding, as if deciding to leave the conversation unfinished—for now. The fire crackled once more, filling the silence between them as the shadows of the past settled into the corners of the ruined temple, waiting to rise again.

And so, the night continued in quiet tension, as three travelers with their own burdens found themselves bound together in the echoes of an unforgiving past.