"Why did you scream? I was just..."
Fang Xuan sat on the edge of the bed, shaking the weed in his hand. He looked speechlessly at Qian Renxue, who was panicking on the bed.
"I'm helping you remove this weed from your hair!"
Qian Renxue was stunned. The fear on her face gradually turned to embarrassment. She stared at the weed in Fang Xuan's hand, her white ears turning red.
She said angrily, "You... did it on purpose!"
"That's right, I did it on purpose!"
Fang Xuan smiled faintly. The wicked thought amused him—seeing the high and mighty goddess so scared was quite entertaining.
Qian Renxue's hair was a mess, her eyes lifeless, and her face numb as she lay on the bed, looking like she had nothing to live for.
"Hey, what kind of expression is that? I didn't do anything. I was trying to scare you. Also, look at me, I'm covered in blood. I can't do anything, even if I wanted to. Why did you scream so loudly just now? I didn't even touch you."
Fang Xuan glanced suspiciously at the goddess on the bed. He was baffled.
"You did! You betrayed my trust!"
Qian Renxue's eyes turned red as if she had been deeply wronged.
Fang Xuan: "..."
However, he recalled how Qian Renxue had rushed to him, using her divine power to heal his injuries without a second thought. This was something he hadn't expected. Thinking of the girl's worried expression, a warm feeling crept into his heart.
When he used the Red Lotus to attack her, he controlled his spiritual power, ensuring she only lost consciousness temporarily without suffering irreparable damage.
After resting for a while, Qian Renxue would recover.
But this created a problem for Fang Xuan. He couldn't kill her, but he also couldn't let her go. Once she regained her divine power in a month, he would face her furious revenge like a volcano erupting.
Sigh, troublesome, so troublesome!
Fang Xuan sighed by the side of the bed, clearly worried.
Noticing his strange expression, Qian Renxue's heart trembled, a trace of fear appearing in her eyes. She was terrified Fang Xuan might take this opportunity to kill her.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Fang Xuan took a long breath as if he had read her mind. He reassured her, "Once I'm done with Heaven Dou's matters, I'll let you go."
Qian Renxue hesitated for a moment. Her lips quivered as she asked, "You're going to let me go?"
"What else can I do? Keeping you here would be a waste of food," Fang Xuan teased deliberately.
"You bastard," Qian Renxue glared at him, annoyed.
"And since when have you been feeding me?!"
"You remember" Fang Xuan smiled, satisfied that he had angered the goddess with just a few words.
He walked out of the palace. Dealing with Qian Renxue could wait. Right now, the most important thing was the Emperor.
After the fierce battle between Qian Renxue and Fang Xuan, more than half of the palace had been destroyed. The soldiers of Heaven Dou had suffered heavy casualties, and those who remained were unconscious. The entire central structure of Heaven Dou was paralyzed.
However, the Main Palace, where the Emperor resided, remained intact.
Fang Xuan stood silently at the palace entrance for a moment before stepping inside.
The palace was deathly quiet, with no guards in sight. Only a sickly, haggard old man lay weakly on the bed, waiting for death to claim him.
With white and red hair, a wrinkled face, and a thin, frail body, the old man lying on the bed was hard to associate with the once awe-inspiring Emperor of Heaven Dou.
Fang Xuan looked at the dying Emperor with a complicated expression. His heart was filled with a mix of melancholy and coldness. This man was Fang Xuan's biological father, yet he had also been someone who had more than once tried to kill him.
"You're here..."
The Emperor seemed to sense Fang Xuan's presence. He suddenly opened his murky, old eyes and gazed at him with a gentle look. A faint, loving smile appeared on his wrinkled face, but it was pale and powerless.
"Mm," Fang Xuan responded calmly, his expression unchanged.
"It's been three years. You've grown taller, and you are much stronger than before," the Emperor said, carefully looking Fang Xuan over like a father reuniting with his son after a long separation. His tone was warm, almost nostalgic.
Fang Xuan remained silent.
He now knew, through Qian Renxue, Dugu Bo, and the others, that the Emperor had sent assassins to kill him. Fang Xuan had wanted to ask why, to seek revenge. But seeing Xue Ye's frail appearance, he couldn't speak.
Even if Fang Xuan did nothing, Xue Ye wouldn't survive the day. The weight of long political battles, his aging body, and Qian Renxue's poison had completely defeated him. The Emperor had little time left.
Fang Xuan sighed. He chose not to act. Instead, he took an item from his spirit tool and placed it beside Xue Ye.
"Thank you for giving me the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. It's saved me many times. Now, I'm returning it to you. From now on, we owe each other nothing."
His voice carried a finality, making the elderly Emperor's face grow even more sorrowful. The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was a gift Xue Ye had given Fang Xuan when he left for Spirit City to participate in the Spirit Master finals.
It was the most precious gift he had ever given. Now, Fang Xuan was returning it, drawing a clear line between them, severing their ties. Xue Ye's eyes dimmed as he realized this.
"I know it's too late for apologies, but I still need to say this... I'm sorry."
Tears streamed down Xue Ye's face as he began to cry like a child. He used the last of his strength to grab Fang Xuan's hand, speaking earnestly:
"You have to believe me... I truly cared for you during that time. I wanted to make it up to you..."
The Emperor of Heaven Dou, crying like a child before him, stirred something deep within Fang Xuan. His emotions were a storm of sadness and conflict.
A tear slowly slid down from the corner of his eye.
Fang Xuan didn't cry—this tear belonged to the body's predecessor, the true son of Xue Ye. It was a final farewell to his father.
Fang Xuan sighed. He looked at Xue Ye, who had suddenly stopped crying, lying motionless on the bed. At that moment, Fang Xuan understood that Xue Ye was gone.
Even in death, his father's eyes remained open, staring at him, filled with tears and hope for forgiveness.
Fang Xuan stood silently before gently raising his hand to close Xue Ye's eyes. In a quiet voice, he said, "Have a safe journey... father."