Chapter 162: The Stubbornly Denying Chen Xing

Amidst scorching flames and shattered ruins, Chen Kong and Vivian finally managed to repel the relentless horde of spectral remnants unleashed by Chen Xing after a grueling battle.

Bent over with his hands on his knees, droplets of sweat rolled from his forehead, splashing onto the blistering ground—only to vanish instantly into visible steam.

“Huff…” Chen Kong shook his heavy head, his hair soaked and clinging to his forehead, the damp ends tickling his skin. But he had no time to care.

Because far ahead, Chen Xing had placed her hand on the Yao Dao embedded in the ground, slowly drawing it free.

The blade scraped against the concrete with a chilling, low groan.

Under the flickering glow of Xueyan fire, she pulled out the massive two-meter-long Yao Dao. Its blade reflected the blood-red light, radiating an oppressive aura that sent shivers down the spine.

She stared at Chen Kong from a distance, then spoke, her voice calm—almost indifferent:

“Not bad. You’ve improved a little. At least you’re not stupid enough to disappoint me completely. But…”

Chen Xing advanced slowly, dragging the Yao Dao behind her. Where it touched the ground, a trench ignited with Xueyan flames, burning like molten fire.

Suddenly, crimson flames erupted from her sleeves and trouser hems. Her clothes were quickly consumed, replaced by the fire itself—revealing her toned abdomen.

Then, beneath the faint pulse of her ‘Stellar Mark’, a pair of long, demonic blood-red horns pierced through her forehead, erupting from her skin with a sickening rip.

Scratch… scratch…

The rhythmic scraping of the blade echoed through the ruins as Chen Xing’s voice turned icy:

“If this is all you’re capable of… then you’ll never escape my hands.”

“Come on. Show me everything you’ve got. Bet on the hope that never existed from the start.”

Chen Kong inhaled deeply, his spine straightening under the firelight, casting a long, sharp shadow across the scorched earth.

For the first time, there was no trace of nervousness or hesitation—only unyielding resolve.

“Sister… do you really have to go this far?”

Chen Xing’s voice remained unnervingly calm. “Kong. Begging for mercy from your enemy is the dumbest thing a person can do. Haven’t you learned that yet?”

Chen Kong shook his head. “I’m not asking for mercy.”

“I just don’t understand why you turn a blind eye to the injustice right before your eyes.”

“This Trial from the beginning has been wrong—deeply wrong. And with your position, I can’t believe you haven’t seen it.”

“So even knowing that… you still stand with those monsters?”

Chen Kong’s voice rose sharply, a direct accusation aimed at the figure before him.

“Help?” Chen Xing let out a cold, mocking laugh, her expression twisted with disdain. Her eyes were devoid of warmth.

“Kong… you’re still the same childish fool you were as a kid. Living in your little fantasy world.”

“When did I ever say I was helping those greedy vermin?”

“Then why are you here?”

“Again with this pointless question?” She pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated. “As a Stellar Envoy of the Association, capturing fugitives is my duty. There’s no need for ‘why’.”

“If everyone acted on whim like you, this world would’ve long since become a slaughterhouse of the strong devouring the weak.”

“But does upholding order mean ignoring the injustice right in front of you?”

Her answer was cold, ruthless.

“Kong… stop playing the victim. If you think I’m wrong, prove it. But until then, don’t expect me to change my mind over a few words.”

“After all…”

She raised the Yao Dao. Flames spiraled from its blade, coalescing into a massive, blazing sword that hovered above her high ponytail of brown hair.

“.Whether Vivian lives or dies, whether she’s innocent or guilty—what does it matter to me?”

With a thunderous roar, the flaming blade came crashing down.

Chen Kong dodged instantly.

Boom!

The impact split the hardened ground of Steam Capital’s Upper City in two, carving a trench over ten meters long. The cut was unnaturally smooth—like glass—exposing dark red flames flickering along the exposed underground pipes.

On the edge of the crater, Chen Kong—luckily spared—refused to give up.

“Sister… remember when we were kids? If no one had stepped forward back then, we’d have…”

“Shut up!”

Chen Xing’s shout cut him off like a blade.

Her Xueyan flared violently, surging three feet into the air. The red glow on the Yao Dao was now so intense it seemed almost solid.

“I haven’t forgotten what we’ve suffered. That’s exactly why I despise what you’re doing now.”

“Tian Dao once said: The greater your power, the greater your responsibility.”

“Likewise, if you want to fight injustice… you must first have the strength to bear that burden.”

“Kong… you’re overestimating yourself. And underestimating your own life.”

“Do you even think your parents would be proud of you now? Would they praise your courage… or your so-called justice?”

Her eyes locked onto him—piercing, unblinking. In her calm, still pupils, a rare storm of anger simmered.

“No. They wouldn’t. They’d be furious—just like I am now—for throwing your life away like it means nothing.”

Chen Xing raised the Yao Dao high. The blade pulsed with intricate, blood-red runes, turning the air around her into a hellish crimson haze.

“Since our parents aren’t here… then let me, as your sister, teach you what real responsibility means.”

“Someone who can’t protect themselves has no right to talk about justice. Put away your pathetic hero complex. Go back where it’s safe.”

Boom!

The deafening explosion split the air again as Chen Xing struck the ground once more.

Though she missed Chen Kong, the shockwave of heat and force sent both him and Vivian flying backward.

Vivian tumbled across the ground before finally stopping. Chen Kong slammed into a broken wall, sliding down in a heap.

A bitter taste flooded his mouth. He wiped blood from his lip, struggling to rise—only to find Chen Xing already standing before him.

The glowing red tip of her Yao Dao rested coldly against his throat.

“Now, tell me… do you finally understand what you’ve gotten wrong?”

Chen Kong fell silent.

He didn’t feel wrong.

Chen Xing’s eyes flickered with unmistakable disappointment.

She knew his thoughts. She understood the courage it took. If he were a stranger, she might have even respected his stand—maybe even admired it.

But he wasn’t a stranger.

He was her brother.

And no sister wants her little brother to become a hero.

Because heroes walk the edge of death every day.

Chen Kong didn’t know this.

But Chen Xing’s frustration had always come down to one thing—since the beginning, through Embers, through everything:

She never wanted him to be a hero.

She only wanted him to live.

In Embers, Chen Kong had to grow stronger just to prove his worth to Doctor—just to stay in the base. So Chen Xing pushed him relentlessly. She mocked him, humiliated him—anything to make him focus, to make him train harder.

And now, she stood here not out of duty alone—but because she couldn’t bear to watch him keep making the same mistake.

Just like before.

She still only wanted him to understand one thing:

She never asked him to do anything heroic.

She only asked him to survive.

Because no matter what… he was the only family she had left.

Love so deep, it becomes a burden.

That was Chen Xing.

And because of her nature… her love, perhaps, was just a little too heavy.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end