Chapter 121: Shattered Wind Chimes

Man Luo’s expression shifted abruptly. The bewitching allure vanished, replaced by a gaze as gentle as still water and a soft, tender smile at the corners of his mouth.

"Children are prone to tantrums; it’s mostly from being spoiled. A good thrashing is all it takes to set them straight."

Xiao Feng stared coldly at Man Luo and addressed the others at the dining table: "And you? Which side do you intend to stand on?"

Shi Can kept his head bowed, saying nothing, as if he had heard nothing. Yet, his trembling hands betrayed his inner turmoil. He was afraid—not just of Xiao Feng, but even more so of Man Luo. Otherwise, he would never have willingly served as Man Luo’s lowly lackey.

Macarius continued to sip his mist tea, nodding slightly at Xiao Feng with a smile, as if to signal that he stood on Xiao Feng’s side.

The man in white shook his head, offering no comment or stance. He merely watched Xiao Feng and Man Luo with keen interest, seemingly curious as to which of the two was stronger and who would emerge victorious. Clearly, he was in no rush to intervene; he was far more interested in the spectacle.

"Do you see it now?" Man Luo smiled radiantly, his handsome face taking on a feminine charm that acted like a lethal poison, yet one that countless people were willing to swallow. "The only support you could muster is that feeble, wretched old man."

Xiao Feng managed to slide down from Luo Hanyai’s side, bracing himself against the table to keep from collapsing. The deadness in his eyes intensified. He parted his trembling lips and spoke weakly: "And what of it? Prepare to meet your end!"

"Heh, we shall see." Man Luo blinked and waved a finger at Xiao Feng with disdain.

"Then—" Before Xiao Feng could respond, Macarius let out a furious roar: "Despicable!"

The Man Luo standing in place flickered and faded away, while the real Man Luo, wearing a charming smile, appeared behind Xiao Feng, pressing a hand radiating black mist onto the boy’s back.

It turned out that before his voice had even faded, Man Luo had turned into a phantom and slipped behind Xiao Feng; the figure standing earlier had been nothing more than an illusion.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Man Luo stepped back several paces, watching with smug triumph as Xiao Feng coughed up black blood. He stood proudly, like a victor who had already secured the prize.

Macarius rushed to Xiao Feng’s side in a rage, his wrinkled, aged hand gently touching the boy’s forehead. He supported Xiao Feng while glaring at Man Luo: "He is still just a child! To launch a sneak attack against a dying child—how could you be so despicable!"

"Hahaha..." Man Luo laughed until he clutched his stomach and pounded his leg, as if he had heard a hilarious joke. "I truly doubt if you are the wise Macarius at all. You know full well what I am; calling me despicable is the highest praise I could receive... Hahaha... You really are as ridiculous as a senile old fool."

"Is that so? The truly ridiculous one is you." Xiao Feng slowly opened his eyes. His pupils seemed unfocused, yet he stared blankly at Man Luo and whispered a single word: "Detonate!"

A flash of pain crossed Man Luo’s handsome face, but it vanished in an instant. He waved his hand, restoring his radiant smile. "What a pity. Did you think I wouldn't notice when I touched you? I have already forced out most of that icy energy. How could the little that remains harm me? You had better worry about the Mandala poison inside your own body!"

"That will be no concern of yours," Macarius said, staring coldly at Man Luo. "Today, you shall surely die."

"Hmm? If I recall correctly, you have never once tapped into the power within your heart. You are essentially just an ordinary old man. What gives you the right to say that?" Man Luo smiled softly. To anyone unaware of his true nature, it might have felt like a spring breeze, but in this moment, it only sent a chill down the spine.

"You will understand." Macarius’s gaze turned infinitely tender. Threads of golden light flowed from his body, illuminating everything around them and casting a mysterious, gilded glow upon the room, as if he were a saint or a deity from legend.

A flicker of caution finally appeared on Man Luo’s face. He looked at Macarius as if facing an opponent who was both alien and unfathomably mysterious, not daring to let his guard down for a second. He said gravely, "I never imagined you were the one hiding the deepest."

"The feeling is mutual." The radiance from Macarius shone ever brighter, illuminating the entire room until the soft light made the place look like heaven itself.

Man Luo scanned the now-sacred-looking room and tapped lightly at the empty air. A trace of confusion crossed his face, as if something baffled him.

"Do not waste your effort probing; this is beyond anything you can imagine..." Macarius’s voice became profound and grand, like a judge delivering a final verdict or a god announcing the arrival of the apocalypse.

Man Luo ignored the meaningless proclamation. With a furrowed brow, he traced a mysterious, sinister black Mandala into the air.

"You..." Man Luo’s expression changed abruptly. In an instant, a black Mandala appeared out of thin air, encasing him within a floral chamber.

"It is too late. Everything is too late. You were right—where would I get such power? I am just a wretched old man. All of this was a bluff." Macarius smiled, then sat on the ground as if his strength had been completely spent. In a blink, all the light vanished.

Meanwhile, Xiao Feng, who had been shielded behind him, had transformed. Blue flowers, half-opened and veined with purple, surrounded him. They swayed without wind, emitting a crisp, soul-stirring chime that made one involuntarily recall the memories of childhood.

"Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, ding-ling..."

The ethereal sound of wind chimes echoed, as if recounting a tragic tale that pierced the hearts of all who heard it, drawing tears of sorrow.

Surrounded by countless blue wind-bell flowers, Xiao Feng looked like a sprite of the blossoms—delicate and beautiful, stirring a profound sense of pity in one's heart.

Xiao Feng’s eyes shone with an otherworldly luster. His complexion was rosy, his lips red and teeth white. He no longer looked weak or sickly; he appeared to be nothing more than a mischievous, healthy child.

"With all my life as a sacrifice, Frost Curse, Sound of Death." Xiao Feng laughed happily. Accompanied by the melodic ringing of the wind chimes, he was a completely different person from before.

Macarius closed his eyes in agony. When he looked up again, his face was streaked with the tears of an old man.

"Crack..." A hairline fracture appeared on every wind-bell flower simultaneously. The flowers, which had been swaying without a breeze, stilled for a heartbeat and let out their final sound.

This crisp note surpassed all the melodies of this world. For that split second, the entire world fell silent, as if listening to this song of doom.

In this moment, Xiao Feng forgot all the suffering he had endured. Nothing remained but his light, joyful voice:

"Wind chimes shatter, the frost mourns; Xiao Feng is gone, never to return, never to return, oh, never to return..."