Chapter 554 I Can't Love You

Chapter 554 I Can't Love You
"Malfoy." McLaggen narrowed his eyes, a barely perceptible fear flashing across his eyes, but the corner of his mouth curled up in a sneer, forcing himself to remain calm, "I lost to you last time because I was careless. Do you think I'm really afraid of you?"

He subconsciously took a step back, as if preparing for battle. Sherin stood quietly at the door of the shed like a shadow at night, still chilled by the morning mist. He lowered his eyes, seemingly not taking McLaggen and the three helpers behind him seriously, his gray-gold pupils flashing an emotionless coldness in the night.

McLaggen gritted his teeth and continued, "You're alone, and there are four of us. It's not certain who will win or lose—"

Snapped!
Before he finished his words, a white light suddenly pierced the air, and an invisible force swept past like a beast. With a loud bang, a shattered white barrier appeared in front of McLagen, and he also noticed that the heirloom pendant gem hidden in his arms had actually shattered a crack.

Ever since he was humiliated by Sheelin on the train last time, McLaggen has worked hard and practiced diligently. He has finally mastered many powerful curses and has made great progress in strength. He also asked his family for this treasure, which can automatically block all attacks. These are the reasons why he dares to face Sheelin.

Unexpectedly, the family heirloom was destroyed after just one encounter.

"You're looking for death!" McLaggen's eyes were bloodshot, and fear and anger intertwined into a crazy emotion. He raised his wand high and roared: "Ten thousand arrows pierce my heart!"

Instantly, a sharp and piercing sound of breaking through the air erupted in the air, as if the entire space was wailing. Dozens of dark blue magic arrows gathered in the air, sharp as substance, like a magic storm, rushing towards Xie Lin from all directions!

The magic power surged, a whistling whirlwind blew up from the ground, and a sharp arrow with a tail of flame cut through the sight, like a falling meteor.

Xie Ling didn't even raise his eyelids.

"Boring."

He just waved his hand casually, and a dazzling silver-white light flashed from his palm, like a sword breaking at dawn, sweeping past lightly.

boom--!
The arrows all disintegrated in the air, as if their roots were cut off, and shattered into light fragments, which drifted away like fireflies and returned to nothingness in an instant. The air returned to dead silence again.

——Right at this moment!
Behind Xie Ling, a dark shadow quietly emerged!

Whoosh!
It was a black mamba snake with a pitch-black body and gleaming scales. It leaped up from the ground like a twisted black lightning, almost without a sound of breaking wind, and pounced accurately at the back of Xie Ling's neck! It opened its fangs, and deadly toxins had condensed between its fangs, which were chilling.

This is McLaggen's real killer move!
The corners of his mouth twisted into a twisted smile—

"Die!"

This combination of attacks was quite insidious, using an overwhelming and powerful rain of arrows as a frontal attack, but in fact it was covering a sneak attack from behind. The Black Mamba was also the fastest and most deadly snake species known.

It’s a pity that he met Xie Ling.

Xie Ling possessed the divine power of Amaterasu, and no one could attack him by surprise.

A pair of gray-gold eyes suddenly lit up, like stars reflected in the sky.

Xie Ling tilted his head slightly, his eyes already locked onto the trajectory of the Black Mamba's attack. He didn't even need to turn around, his wand deftly reversed its direction in his palm -

"Ten thousand splits and strangles."

A silver thread as thin as a hair suddenly shot out and wrapped around the neck of the venomous snake with incredible precision. Before it bit, the silver light suddenly tightened!
"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the snake's head flew high into the sky, and blood splashed in the air in a strange arc. Before the remaining body hit the ground, it turned into a ball of black smoke and disappeared.

McLaggen's smile froze.

Sherin turned slowly, his face expressionless, and looked at McLaggen as if he were a trapped animal struggling to survive.

"A sneak attack is also an art." Xie Lin said calmly, his tone as cold as ice. "Unfortunately, you have learned it so poorly."

McLaggen raised his wand and attacked again -

But Schelling was faster than him.

There was a loud bang, and McLaggen was knocked flying, hitting the stone wall of the owl shed. Blood was oozing from the corner of his mouth as he rolled down.

"You are wrong about one thing," Xie Ling finally raised his eyes, his tone was indifferent, but it revealed a sense of oppression that could not be questioned, "You lost last time, not because of carelessness, but because I wanted to let you live. Today - I may not have the patience anymore."

The air became oppressive, and it seemed that even the roosting owls held their breath, and their cries stopped abruptly.

Toller, Dingo, and Jorkins took a step back subconsciously, but Sherin didn't raise his wand - he just stretched out a finger and gently drew an arc in the air.

In an instant, the wands of the three people seemed to be strangled by invisible chains. They only felt a strong force coming from their wrists, and the wands in their hands were instantly confiscated and flew to the corner of the Owl Shed.

"You are too noisy." Xie Lin said coldly, "Shut up."

Not the Silencing Charm that Professor Flitwick had just taught this school year.

It was a throat-locking curse. Before the three boys could even open their mouths, they found their throats were locked shut and they could no longer utter a single syllable. They instinctively covered their necks with their hands, their eyes widened, their faces quickly turned red, and veins popped out on their foreheads.

A feeling of suffocation spread from their necks, and fear spread on their faces like a plague. Only then did they realize that this man was not someone they could afford to offend.

Sherin slowly walked past McLaggen and stepped on his chest, pushing him to the ground again. He looked down at him and said casually, "Do you think you can challenge me just because you practiced a few evil spells?"

McLaggen's body was twitching, and half of his face was twisted in pain, but he tried to grit his teeth and hold on, forcing a hint of unyielding smile from the corner of his mouth: "You...what can you do to me..."

Snapped!
Sherin mercilessly kicked him several feet away, knocking over the owl's food rack, causing the wooden barrel to roll to the ground and feathers to fly everywhere.

Xie Ling slowly retracted his steps and looked back—

Hermione slumped in the corner, her eyes blurred with tears, her face pale, her clothes torn into a mess and half hanging on her shoulders, her body still trembling slightly, as if she was cowering to avoid the aftermath of a nightmare.

At this moment, a long-lost and unfamiliar emotion surged into Xie Ling's heart——

The feeling of heartache.

He was stunned.

He always thought that his feelings for Hermione were just a shallow affection he had in his youth. As their positions became different and they had conflicts several times, that initial vague affection had long since disappeared.

But the scene before him suddenly made him wake up.

Not sympathy, not apology—but a deep and real concern that was rekindled in her trembling outline.

Xie Ling subconsciously wanted to walk towards her, but reason instantly held his feet like an iron chain.

No.

He couldn't waver. He was the leader of the Sleeping Dragon Society, an important chess player in planning the future of the wizarding world, and a person who carried ideals and responsibilities. If he got entangled with Hermione at this moment, it would mean endless problems -

What about the Mianlong Society? What about his ideals? What will his other girlfriends think?
But at the moment he hesitated——

Hermione pounced.

She didn't give him time to think.

……

At that moment, for Hermione who had just returned to reality from a nightmare, the only thing left in the whole world was the tall figure standing between the morning light and the afterimages.

This man made her love and hate him, but she could never let go. This time, he saved her.

The light behind him shone on his shoulders, casting half of his face into shadow, but it seemed to block all the fear and darkness for her. A strong emotion surged in her heart, and she could no longer control herself, so she rushed up and hugged him tightly.

Tears burst out in an instant, splashing the wizard robe on his chest. She buried herself in his arms, trembling violently, holding him tightly, as if she would fall into the abyss again if she let go.

Xie Ling stood there in a daze.

His hands were suspended in mid-air, neither hugging her nor pushing her away.

His eyes swept across Hermione's trembling back and fell on Harry, Ron, Ernie and Hannah who were stunned not far away. His eyes regained their coldness and sharpness.

He pursed his lips and said indifferently: "Potter, Wesley, and you -" He looked at the stunned Ernie and Hannah, "Take Granger away from here quickly, I will take care of the rest."

Harry opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he looked down at Hermione, who had already burst into tears in his arms. Ron also stepped forward silently, and the two of them, one on each side, almost half dragged and half hugged her out of the Owl Shed.

The moment the door closed, Xie Ling's lowered eyelids trembled slightly.

He exhaled slowly, quietly suppressing the emotions that surged up at that moment. Something in his chest seemed to be struggling to break through the cage of reason, and a dull heartbeat seemed to echo in his ears.

Forgive me, Hermione.

I can't love you.

The light in his eyes turned cold, and he turned his gaze back to McLaggen and his group, who had not yet realized the crisis. The emotions that he had suppressed were now like a floodgate opened -

There was a different kind of shadow swirling in his eyes, as if the ferocious beast in his body was about to break out of his body—

In that case, I'll take it out on you!