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...Moon Pavilion remains as tranquil and elegant as ever, the zither's melody lingering. Xuan Ming did not disturb anyone, appearing outside Tang Yuehua's music room like a specter.
Tang Yuehua was seated by the window, her fingertips lightly brushing the strings, a lingering worry etched in her brows. Sensing the familiar presence, she snapped her head up; when she saw Xuan Ming, a flash of surprise crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by deeper, more complex emotions.
"You're here." Tang Yuehua's voice remained gentle, though tinged with fatigue.
"Hmm, I came to see you." Xuan Ming stepped into the music room, sitting opposite her. "How have you been lately?"
Tang Yuehua let out a soft sigh, her fingertips unintentionally plucking a slightly dull note. "What else can I say? As always, teaching students and playing the zither. But… the situation in Heaven Dou City has become increasingly dire."
She lifted her head, looking at Xuan Ming, her gaze pleading. "Xuan Ming, I know some words aren't mine to say, but… Clear Sky Sect is my foundation. I hope… you can give them a sliver of hope, not annihilate them completely."
Xuan Ming fell silent for a moment, his eyes unmoving. "That isn't my concern. The Empire's affairs are decided by Bibi Dong. The fate of the Clear Sky Sect depends on their own choices."
"If they keep to themselves, the Spirit Empire won't stir up trouble. But if they deliberately seek their own ruin, the Empire shows no mercy. That's the rule."
He stared at Tang Yuehua's slightly pallid complexion and continued, "The Empire is Bibi Dong's Empire; I'm merely an auxiliary at most. Moreover…"
"Between me and the Clear Sky Sect, there's a deep‑seated blood feud."
Tang Yuehua's lips twitched at his words, but she said nothing. She knew Xuan Ming was referring to Tang Hao's past attack on him and older grievances.
She felt powerless to argue.
Xuan Ming clearly didn't want to linger on the topic. He shared lunch with Tang Yuehua, chatting about mundane matters until the atmosphere eased slightly. After the meal, he rose to take his leave.
"I'm heading to Shrek Academy," Xuan Ming said. "Xiao Wu and the others are waiting for me there."
Tang Yuehua nodded, Xuan Ming gave a slight bow, his figure gradually fading until he vanished from sight… His silhouette reappeared silently in the familiar forest behind Shrek Academy's back hills.
Pushing through layers of foliage, the once‑vibrant woodland cabin came into view.
The cabin remained, yet a lingering deathly silence pervaded its surroundings.
The courtyard's plants were untended and slightly disheveled; a few dead leaves twirled in the wind, adding to the desolation.
Liu Erlong sat on the stone steps in front of the cabin.
Her appearance had changed little compared to years ago; time seemed to have left few marks on her face.
Yet the eyes that once burned with fierce flame were now hollow and dead, as if all light had been drained.
She simply sat there quietly, like a soulless statue, her breathing so faint it was barely perceptible.
Xuan Ming could clearly sense that she radiated not only fatigue and sorrow, but a bone‑deep despair, even a faint hint of a death‑wish.
If left unattended, this once‑fiery woman would likely fade away silently within the cabin, exhausting her last spark of life.
His arrival made no effort to conceal his footsteps.
Liu Erlong seemed to sense something, slowly lifting her head. When her gaze met Xuan Ming's silhouette, those dead eyes flickered violently, a tide of indescribable emotions surging—momentary shock, instinctive anger, unspeakable bitterness, perhaps even a faint stir she herself hadn't noticed upon seeing someone familiar.
Her lips quivered slightly, as if wanting to say something—question? Cry? Or simply call his name?
Yet in the end, countless words were trapped in her throat, turning into silence.
She just stared at him, her gaze heartbreakingly complex.
Xuan Ming walked to her side and stopped. He didn't speak immediately, merely gazed at her quietly for a moment, then sat on the stone steps beside her, maintaining a distance that was neither oppressive nor distant.
After a long pause, Liu Erlong finally spoke first, "Do you… have something to say?"
"I came to see you," Xuan Ming replied lightly.
"But looking at you, it seems you won't live much longer."
"If you want to die… then die. I'll be waiting to collect your body."
Liu Erlong's expression froze, a strange fire rising within her, "Can you even speak properly?!"
Xuan Ming calmly looked back at her, his eyes even carrying a hint of justified puzzlement: "A question asked knowingly."
...
Liu Erlong was choked by his attitude, her chest rising and falling violently.
In recent days, everyone had been cautious around her; even Flender only dared to watch from a distance.
Only Xuan Ming, that brat still behaves like this!
Liu Erlong clenched her fist, nails digging deep into her palm: "Are you here to mock me?"
"Hmm… originally yes, but now, as a person approaches death, even their words become kind," Xuan Ming said lightly.
"Honestly, I don't understand why some people, having seen the truth, still punish themselves with others' mistakes."
"Yu Xiaogang chose to live in the past, and you feel compelled to bury him with him?"
Liu Erlong trembled all over, all her anger burst like a popped balloon, vanishing instantly. She staggered back a step, leaning against the doorframe, her voice hoarse: "You… you know nothing…"
"I know." Xuan Ming stepped forward, an invisible pressure enveloping her. "I know you're tired, that you've seen the truth yet can't let go, that you feel life is meaningless."
"Since that's the case, go ahead, you have nothing left to hold onto in this World anyway."
"I'll collect your corpse."
...
"Who told you I'm going to die!"
Liu Erlong snapped upright, familiar flames reigniting in her eyes. Though the flames still bore pain, at least they were no longer dead silence.
Xuan Ming raised a slight eyebrow: "Weren't you just the one looking like you were about to gasp out?"
"I… that was… contemplating life!" Liu Erlong stammered, then became indignant, "I was… thinking about life!"
"Thinking you want to die?" Xuan Ming said evenly, "What's the difference from actually being about to die?"
Liu Erlong stamped her foot in anger: "Xuan Ming! It's been years, and your mouth has become even more poisonous!"
"Just speaking honestly." Xuan Ming surveyed the dilapidated courtyard, "Look at this place, then look at you. Rather than lingering half‑dead, it's better to make a decisive choice."
He suddenly turned, staring into Liu Erlong's eyes: "If you choose death, do it swiftly; I can help you, and it won't hurt at all. If you choose life, live properly; I'll take you away."
Liu Erlong was stunned. She stared at Xuan Ming's icy‑blue eyes and, for the first time, clearly sensed the power they held—a strength not of the pitiful little brother she once knew, but of someone who could truly shelter her.
"You…" she opened her mouth, unsure what to say.
Xuan Ming extended his hand, palm up: "Choose one."
Liu Erlong looked at the hand, then at Xuan Ming's earnest expression, and suddenly smiled. It was the first genuine smile she'd had in days.
"You brat…" she muttered lowly, but didn't reach for the hand. "Who needs your help choosing?"
She turned and entered the cabin, her voice coming from inside: "If you want to come in, hurry up; standing outside looks like what?"
...
In the small grove, Xiao Wu and the others stared dumbfounded at Xuan Ming's "refreshingly unpretentious" advice.
"He really lives up to his reputation," Ning Rongrong said, at a loss for words.
Because of the grueling training these past years, she'd forgotten Xuan Ming's sharp tongue!
"He can make the living want to die, and the dying want to live!"