Chapter 9: "Amazing Changes in the World: Lin Xiao's Extreme Decision"
Lin Xiao's days in the small village seemed peaceful, but in fact they were full of turbulence. On this day, the sun was so hot that it seemed to burn the earth. Lin Xiao was sitting under the big banyan tree in front of the house, holding a yellowed ancient book she bought from a used book stall in the village. She frowned, stared at the pages of the book intently, and whispered: "If I can learn the mysterious spells recorded in this book, it would be amazing!" Her eyes flashed with excitement and desire.
Suddenly, a burst of rapid and loud horse hoof sounds broke the silence like thunder. Lin Xiao was startled by the sudden sound and raised his head suddenly. He saw a group of people wearing gorgeous and colorful clothes, riding tall and mighty horses, galloping towards the village like lightning. The dust raised by the horses' hooves covered the sky like a sandstorm.
"Oh my God, what's going on?" Lin Xiao couldn't help but exclaim. She stood up subconsciously, her eyes widened, her face full of astonishment and vigilance.
The leader was a man with a face as cold as an ice sculpture. His sharp eyes seemed to be able to penetrate everything. After sweeping across the village, they finally stopped on Lin Xiao.
"Are you Lin Xiao?" The man's voice seemed to come from the abyss of Hell, icy cold and without a trace of human emotion.
Lin Xiao frowned, and the uneasiness in his heart instantly increased, but he still pretended to be calm and replied: "It's me, who are you? What do you want to see me for?"
The man sneered, his smile full of disdain and arrogance: "We are envoys from the Imperial City, and we have been ordered to take you back. No room for negotiation!"
"Go back? Why should I go with you? I'm living well in this small village, don't come and make trouble!" Lin Xiao clasped his hands tightly against his chest, with a look of stubbornness and unyielding spirit.
"This is not up to you!" The man gave an order, and the followers behind him immediately surrounded him like wolves, each of them holding a shining weapon, with ferocity in their eyes.
Lin Xiao secretly groaned in his heart: "What should I do? Why am I so unlucky!"
At this critical moment, Mo Yu appeared from nowhere like a flash of lightning.
"If you want to take her away, you have to get past me first!" Mo Yu held a long sword in his hand, his posture was as straight as a pine tree, with a determined flame burning in his eyes, like a fearless god of war.
"Hmph, you overestimate your abilities!" The man snorted coldly, and his followers immediately rushed towards Mo Yu like a tide and started a thrilling and fierce battle with him.
Mo Yu's figure was like a ghost, his sword moves were as sharp as the wind, and every move was full of determination to kill. For a moment, he was like an unmanned space in the enemy's formation, not losing the upper hand at all.
Lin Xiao was extremely anxious watching from the side. He clenched his hands into fists and his heart was in his throat: "Mo Yu, be careful! Don't get hurt!"
The battle was in full swing when suddenly, dark clouds gathered rapidly in the sky like ink. A flash of lightning streaked across the sky like a giant dragon, and then heavy rain poured down like a river bursting its dam.
"What a horrible weather! It changes so suddenly. Even God is messing with us!" Everyone was flustered by the sudden change, and their moves became less fierce.
At this moment, the situation took an unexpected turn. Mo Yu was careless and was hit in the back by a cunning follower of the opponent. He groaned and fell to the muddy ground.
"Mo Yu!" Lin Xiao let out a heart-wrenching scream and ran towards Mo Yu desperately.
"Don't come over, it's dangerous!" Mo Yu shouted loudly, enduring the severe pain.
However, Lin Xiao didn't care about all that. All she had eyes for was the injured Mo Yu.
"You bad guys, I'm going to fight you!" Lin Xiao's eyes were wide open, her hair was wet and stuck to her face, but it made her more determined. She picked up a stick on the ground and rushed towards the enemy like a mad little lion.
Seeing this, the man curled up his lips into a cruel sneer: "Girl who doesn't know how to live or die, wait and see how I deal with you!"
At this critical moment, a mysterious and bright light descended from the sky, enveloping everyone. The light was so strong that people could not open their eyes, and they could only feel a powerful force surging around them.
When the light disappeared, Lin Xiao and Mo Yu found themselves in a completely unfamiliar place. They were surrounded by a dark and gloomy forest, with huge trees blocking out the sun. There was almost no sunlight. The air was filled with a smell of decay and death, which was creepy.
"Where is this?" Lin Xiao's voice trembled, and fear made her voice change.
Mo Yu also had a look of confusion and vigilance on his face. He looked around and said slowly, "I don't know either, but it feels like this place is full of unknown dangers."
From time to time, strange and terrifying cries came from all around, "Woo woo woo..." The sound seemed to come from the depths of hell, making people's backs chill.
Lin Xiao was so scared that he grabbed Mo Yu's arm tightly, his nails almost digging into his flesh: "I'm scared, Mo Yu, can we get out alive?"
Mo Yu took a deep breath and pretended to be calm and comforted him: "Don't be afraid, I'm here, and I will definitely find a way out."
They groped their way forward in the forest carefully, with slippery fallen leaves and rotten branches under their feet, and they had to be extra careful with every step. Suddenly, an old and gloomy castle appeared in front of them. The walls of the castle were covered with vines, and the gates were closed, as if telling the vicissitudes and mystery of the years.
"This castle looks so mysterious. Should we go in and take a look? Maybe there is a way out." Lin Xiao asked hesitantly, with both expectation and fear in his eyes.
Mo Yu pondered for a moment, frowning: "We may find a way out if we go in, but we may also face greater danger."
After a fierce ideological struggle, they finally decided to walk into the castle. The castle was filled with a pungent smell of decay, and the torches on the walls flickered with a faint light, reflecting the mottled walls and shabby furniture.
"Tick-tick..." The sound of dripping water seemed particularly clear in the silent castle, as if it was a countdown to death.
"Ah!" Lin Xiao suddenly screamed, her face pale, and her finger pointed at a dark corner.
Mo Yu asked hurriedly: "What's wrong?"
"I... I seemed to see a dark shadow flash by." Lin Xiao said with a trembling voice, his body shaking constantly.
Mo Yu clenched the sword in his hand and stared at the corner vigilantly: "Be careful, there may be danger lurking."
At this moment, a gloomy and low voice sounded in their ears: "You are finally here..."