Chapter 163: Sister

In the dead of night, deep in the mountains, the presence of anyone else was virtually impossible.

And yet, she was wearing a dark green long dress—

Li Jinshang blurted out in sheer disbelief, "Gong Xueyuan!"

Upon hearing that sudden, piercing cry, the figure slipped and fell to the ground in fright, crawling toward her while weeping, "Li... Li Jinshang!"

Li Jinshang walked over and looked down at her from above.

Gong Xueyuan's dress appeared to have already caught fire, its hem burnt to a complete mess. Her limbs were also blackened and reddened with severe burns.

It was horrifying to behold.

Clearly terrified out of her wits and rambling incoherently, Gong Xueyuan grabbed onto Li Jinshang as if she were a lifeline. "Li Jinshang! That lunatic is trying to burn me alive! Save me, please take me with you!"

Li Jinshang forcefully shook off her hand, her expression stunned. "You ran out all by yourself? Where is Gong Nian?!"

Weeping even harder, Gong Xueyuan crawled over to clutch Li Jinshang's legs. "Niannian isn't going to make it! She definitely won't survive! When I tried to take her with me just now, that madman came at me with a stick. Niannian lunged forward and bit him, and he threw her to the ground so hard her head smashed open!"

"...So you just ran away by yourself?" Li Jinshang could no longer describe her own feelings. "You left your own sister behind and ran away alone?!"

Gong Xueyuan wailed in explanation that Niannian wouldn't survive, she wouldn't survive, and she had no other choice!

Li Jinshang grabbed Gong Xueyuan by the hair, hauled her up from the ground, and hissed fiercely, "Of course you have a choice! You can die in her place!"

How could such a selfish, damned person exist in this world?

Even if the girl wasn't her sister—let alone that she was—how could anyone abandon someone who had thrown herself into danger to save her, leaving her trapped in a blazing fire?

The words Gong Xueyuan uttered sent a wave of shock through Li Jinshang's heart so intense it felt explosive.

She could no longer entertain any other thoughts.

In this world, no one who risked their life to save another deserved such a fate!

Dragging Gong Xueyuan by her hair, Li Jinshang headed back toward the dilapidated courtyard.

Perhaps she should be grateful that Jinancheng had experienced several autumn rains recently, leaving the mountain air damp and hard to disperse.

Because of this, the man-made fire produced far more thick smoke than open flames.

Even so, running back into the fire carried immense risks.

Of course, Li Jinshang had no intention of walking into danger herself.

She gave Gong Xueyuan a heavy shove. "Go in right now and carry your sister out!"

Gong Xueyuan shook her head frantically. "No, I'm scared that lunatic is still alive! I—I'm afraid to die!"

Tightening her grip on Gong Xueyuan's hair to force her head back, Li Jinshang said, "If you don't go in today, you will definitely die! There is no one else here. I could kill you right now and throw you inside to be burned to ashes, and no one would ever know I did it."

"You can choose not to go in." With old grievances and new hatred intertwining, a ruthless, grim look settled over Li Jinshang's fair and innocent face. "Gong Xueyuan, you know how long I've been waiting for a chance to kill you."

Having suffered blow after blow of terror, Gong Xueyuan was already on the verge of collapse.

Under this new wave of terror from Li Jinshang, her lips trembled silently before a foul stench suddenly emanated from her.

Incredulous, Li Jinshang glanced down, and with a look of utter disgust, immediately let go.

"Gong Xueyuan, you are simply... you are simply..." Li Jinshang took a heavy breath and gave Gong Xueyuan's backside a kick. "Get in there right now and save people!"

Perhaps retaining a shred of shame and unable to face the reality of having been scared to the point of losing control of her bladder, Gong Xueyuan charged headfirst into the flames.

Thick smoke billowed, and Li Jinshang stepped back twice.

The fire was growing larger, and neither Gong Xueyuan nor Gong Nian had emerged.

Yet, Li Jinshang had done everything she possibly could.

She only had one life to risk, but it could not be sacrificed for the Gong family sisters.

Li Jinshang looked up, feeling a longing for Shang Yucheng's presence stronger than at any other moment in her life!

Hurry up and come!

This time, she was willing to be more generous and would no longer feel unhappy because Shang Yucheng cared more for Gong Nian.

Just save her...

She was only eight years old!

Just as Li Jinshang was about to lose hope, Gong Xueyuan actually staggered out with Gong Nian on her back!

"Hurry..." Gong Xueyuan collapsed to her knees.

The faces of both sisters were blackened with soot. Li Jinshang helped take Gong Nian down.

However, Gong Nian's condition was extremely poor. The two former rivals glanced at each other.

Gong Nian's frail chest heaved violently like a bellows, her breathing rapid and labored, emitting a sharp, wheezing rattle.

"Niannian is done for! Her asthma is acting up!" Gong Xueyuan shrieked. "I shouldn't have saved her, she was going to die anyway!"

Of course, Li Jinshang recognized an asthma attack.

She had witnessed her mother suffering through them before.

Gong Xueyuan frantically searched Gong Nian's person. Gong Nian usually carried a small pouch with her medicine that she never left behind.

But amidst today's accident, God knew where it had been dropped.

"The medicine is gone! It's gone! If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone in to save her!" Before Gong Xueyuan's desperate voice could fade, she let out another piercing scream, "Ah!"

Brother He wasn't dead either!

He had actually chased his way out as well.

Consumed by an intense desire to drag someone down to hell with him, and still trailing unextinguished flames, he rushed toward them like an evil demon from the underworld!

Gong Xueyuan found strength from somewhere and managed to scramble up from the ground.

Once again displaying her inhuman selfishness, she abandoned the asthma-stricken Gong Nian and fled.

Fortunately, the only person Brother He wanted to kill seemed to be her.

He sped off in frantic pursuit of Gong Xueyuan!

Gong Nian clutched Li Jinshang's wrist in agony, her face turning cyan, the wheezing sound of her failing breath growing sharper. "Sister... sis... sister..."

Li Jinshang knew she wasn't calling out to her.

Despite suffering the attack, Gong Nian remained entirely lucid, having despairingly witnessed Gong Xueyuan abandon her yet again.

Gong Nian's tears carved two clean tracks through the soot on her face as she closed her eyes in anguish, feeling the air in her chest grow dangerously thin.

"Gong Nian!" Li Jinshang swiftly pulled a small canister from the pocket of her gown.

It was something she had picked up from the carriage earlier.

Because her mother had always carried asthma medication with her, Li Jinshang hadn't hesitated to pick up the life-saving inhaler when she saw Gong Nian drop it on the ground.

It had truly come in handy!

After Li Jinshang administered the spray, Gong Nian's frantic breathing finally began to ease.

Even so, the little girl remained utterly despondent.

The fire was spreading, and she had to get Gong Nian away from here quickly!

Li Jinshang hoisted Gong Nian onto her back.

However, the darkness outside was absolute.

Navigating the mountain path while carrying a growing child, she stumbled and fell several times.

Yet, she protected Gong Nian securely through every fall.

"Sister..." Gong Nian's tears dropped onto the back of Li Jinshang's neck. "Put me down, please. I can walk by myself."

Enduring the pain, Li Jinshang forced a smile. "You already called me sister, let me carry you a little longer."

"Thud!"

"Ah!... Ouch!" Tripping over a vine, Li Jinshang fell and could no longer manage to get back up.

Gong Nian was also tossed aside, finally unable to hold back, she burst into loud tears.

Suddenly, beams of headlights cut through the darkness.

A line of vehicles, which had no business appearing deep in these mountains, halted right in front of them.

A tall man strode forward with long, decisive strides.