In an attempt to snap out of it, Jian Li turned away from the withered tree.
But in doing so, a terrible sight greeted her.
The white stone below was stained red and littered with burnt bodies and broken corpses. She recognized most of the dead.
Some of them were her distant cousins, the family servants and even just people she used to be friendly with.
Their blood was splattered on the stone, mingling with each other, making everything look red and wet.
Jian Li let out a long sigh, clenching her fist and gritting her teeth. She knew this wasn't real. But she still couldn't stop her tears.
"Focus.", a serious Zhang Yan said, pointing out something behind Jian Li.
She turned around to see another shocking sight behind her.
The entire family manor had erupted into flames and a shadowy figure was creeping forward through the fire.
Without any hesitation, Jian Li charged at the familiar figure.
"Huh?"
As she closed the gap, she felt the air around her grow still. The hairs on her body bristled as her eyes narrowed. The figure seemed to gaze straight through her soul.
It had been a few years. But the face in front of her hadn't changed at all. It had been ripped straight out of her memories.
Meng, she thought, recognizing him instantly. Only he had this piercing gaze.
The Mad Wizard didn't seem fazed by Jian Li running toward him. He stared down at her, his dark gaze as cold as ice.
"You've grown quite beautiful since I last saw you, young lady.", Meng said, barely paying any attention to Zhang Yan who kept his distance.
Jian Li felt numb as she stared back at Meng. She had witnessed the horrible things he had done with her own eyes. And there was no changing what she witnessed.
"Why do you continue to live on? Why did you not die with the others? Is there a reason? A need? Or was it simply you just being too weak to choose your own fate?", Meng sneered, his voice deep and powerful.
Jian Li let out a shaky breath.
"I don't know. I-"
"Or was it that you were simply too weak to fight back and got lucky enough to not end up as a pile of rotten flesh like the others?", Meng taunted.
She shook her head as she took a deep breath.
"No. It doesn't matter anyways.", Jian Li said.
She had grown stronger since that day. That was the only thing that mattered to her.
She would never let anyone make her feel that helpless again.
Jian Li gripped the hilt of her sword as she marched forward again. She stared at the man with a look of hatred and contempt.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Jian Li yelled as she approached Meng.
A smile came over Meng's lips. The man slowly raised his hands, a black shadow forming around him.
"Oh, how cute, you truly are a brave little one." Meng chuckled as he raised his hands, causing a blast of dark lightning to shoot past Jian Li.
"But is that bravery enough?", he then raised his hand again, creating a black orb of energy.
Jian Li narrowed her eyes as she picked up speed.
"That's it! I want to see the rest of this brave girl's true strength!", Meng roared, his voice echoing through the surrounding area.
"Don't worry! I'll show you!", Jian Li replied, quickly swinging her sword arm.
Her blade was swift and agile, slicing towards Meng from the side. He was caught off guard by the speed of the attack but quickly raised his hand to block it.
A large gash was formed on his palm.
"Shit!" Meng cursed, his hand instantly growing a thin layer of flesh and blood flowing down his wrist.
The blood from the wound seemed almost as black as ink, making his hand and his surroundings sink into darkness.
"This is your chance to take my life! Do you think you got what it takes?", he said, a hint of madness in his voice.
His eyes were glazed over with an eerie glow. His skin was pale and his eyes looked almost as if they were glowing.
"Hmph. That's enough. I've seen enough.", Jian Li said, her tone cold and firm.
She stared back at Meng with her cold eyes, trying to not let her emotions run wild.
As she stared at the madman in front of her, an inexplicable mix of feelings welled up inside her chest.
Anxiety.
Fear.
Terror.
Anger.
Hatred.
Pain.
All those sensations, all those memories. They all surged to the surface of Jian Li's mind. The same feelings that had driven her to the point of insanity years ago.
When she was nothing more than a child, unable to do anything about the situation. Unable to help her father. Unable to save any of the victims.
Her entire body trembled as she stared down at Meng. But there was one thing that held her back for a moment. One thing that she refused to think of.
One thing that she was determined to suppress.
There was once a person that called herself Vanessa Zimmermann.
Vanessa was a cheerful girl. She liked to play and be happy all the time.
She was like a flower; innocent and pure.
But the world Jian Li lived in was more cruel and uncaring.
No matter how pure a flower may be, it still needed the warmth of the sun to bloom, and the nourishment of water and soil.
There was no room for someone like Vanessa in Jian Li's world.
Jian Li's mind went numb as she started slashing at Meng like a savage.
All of her attacks were so brutal, so cruel. Each strike cut through Meng's skin like a hot knife through butter. With each hit, Jian Li's mind grew more numb.
She kept on slashing until finally the numbness faded and she stood before Meng in silence. Or at least what remained of him.
Jian Li's hand stopped moving and she looked down at the ground, feeling completely drained.
It had been many years since that incident. But her wounds had only been healed a little. Memories of death still ran through her head.

Reducing Meng to nothing more than a pile of flesh made her barely feel any better.