That night, after dinner, Li Xingruo looked at Wu Liuqi and asked,
"Aqi, by the way, why did you come to the Nation of Abilities?"
Wu Liuqi nodded and replied,
"I'm headed to the Xuanwu Kingdom, but I didn't bring enough food or water, so I stopped here to restock supplies."
"Speaking of the Xuanwu Kingdom, I remember my dad once told me that I have an aunt who lives there," Li Xingruo said, a spark of excitement lighting up her expression. "Aqi, why don't you take me with you?"
Wu Liuqi frowned slightly and answered,
"I've got some trouble to deal with in the Xuanwu Kingdom. If I bring you along, it might put you in danger."
But then he seemed to think of something and looked at her curiously.
"Wait, you said 'before your father passed away'? Does that mean your dad…"
Li Xingruo lowered her eyes, her voice softening.
"Our village is hidden in this forest. And in this forest, the most abundant things aren't people… they're wild beasts. I remember ten years ago, a beast tide hit. My father and many of the other men died protecting the village."
Wu Liuqi asked gently,
"I see… What about your mother?"
"She died giving birth to me… more than ten years ago," Li Xingruo said, her tone growing even dimmer.
Realizing he'd brought up painful memories, Wu Liuqi quickly changed the subject. He pulled out his scissors and began performing a few flashy tricks with qi manipulation to distract her.
Seeing this, Li Xingruo couldn't help but laugh softly.
Wu Liuqi breathed a small sigh of relief and said,
"That's better. You're way more beautiful when you're smiling than when you're frowning."
Li Xingruo's eyes lit up.
"Wait… are you saying I'm pretty?"
Wu Liuqi nodded seriously.
"Of course. You've always been beautiful."
"Don't call me 'Miss Li' anymore, it sounds so distant," she said with a smile. "Just call me Xingruo—or A'Ruo."
"Are you sure that's okay?" Wu Liuqi asked.
"Why wouldn't it be?" she replied playfully.
After that, Li Xingruo insisted Wu Liuqi take a bath and get some rest—it was getting late.
That night, as Wu Liuqi lay sleeping in bed, a faint silhouette appeared in the doorway. It was Li Xingruo. She stood there watching him quietly, her lips curled into a mysterious smile.
Then she turned and left.
A short while later, Wu Liuqi was jolted awake by a tremor.
He sat up groggily and rubbed his eyes, glancing out the window.
"Huh? The sun's not even up yet—what's all that commotion?"
"Wait a minute… could it be an earthquake?" He immediately grabbed his belongings and rushed outside.
There, he spotted Li Xingruo standing at the edge of the village, gazing toward the forest with a heavy expression.
"Xingruo, we need to go—quickly! It's an earthquake!" Wu Liuqi shouted as he ran up to her.
"It's not an earthquake," Li Xingruo said, shaking her head solemnly. "It's a beast tide."
Wu Liuqi followed her gaze—and finally saw it.
A massive horde of wild beasts was stampeding toward the village.
The only thing holding them back were the elderly men and women, along with middle-aged villagers, who were putting up a desperate resistance at the edge of the village.
But clearly, they wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.
"I see. Then it's time for me to use my qi-powered scissors!" Wu Liuqi understood the situation and immediately charged toward the front line.
With a flurry of attacks, his scissors took down a significant number of beasts.
But compared to the sheer size of the beast horde, it was like throwing a pebble into the ocean—it hardly made a dent.
He fought back and forth, cutting down more beasts, but it wasn't enough.
"Young man, I need to speak with you," Grandpa Siqi stepped in just as Wu Liuqi prepared for another attack.
"What is it, Grandpa Siqi?" Wu Liuqi asked.
"I can tell you're strong. Very strong. But in a situation like this, strength alone won't save us," Grandpa Siqi said gravely. "What we need… is for you to take our young people and children and lead them to safety."
"Leave? But what about the rest of you?" Wu Liuqi asked in disbelief.
"We'll stay behind," Grandpa Siqi said solemnly.
Wu Liuqi opened his mouth, trying to say something, but Grandpa Siqi raised a hand to stop him.
"Everyone dies eventually—some deaths are as heavy as Mount Tai, others as light as a feather," he said. "None of us want to die, but in this moment, someone has to stay behind. Otherwise, it won't just be us who die—it'll be everyone."
"Is there really no other way?" Wu Liuqi asked quietly.
"If you were strong enough to fight off a whole army alone, then maybe," Grandpa Siqi said with a bitter smile. "But that's impossible. So I'm begging you—take them and go. Keep the flame alive."
After a long silence, Wu Liuqi nodded heavily.
"Alright. I promise."
Grandpa Siqi led him to a small courtyard where many young villagers and children had gathered—Li Xingruo among them.
Then he opened a hidden tunnel and said,
"This passage was built specifically in case of a beast tide. Follow it to the end, and you'll be outside the danger zone."
"I understand," Wu Liuqi said. Having made up his mind, he took the lead and entered the tunnel.
One by one, the children and teens followed him, fear and anxiety written across their faces. Some of the younger ones still had tear stains on their cheeks.
Li Xingruo was the last to enter. Before stepping inside, she turned back and looked toward the village—her lips curling into a faint, sarcastic smile.
Then she stepped into the tunnel.
"The real show… is about to begin."
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