[In a sea of withered red magical poppy, amidst the rubble of the ruined residence]
Su Qianqian had a look of misery on her face as she cradled Rao Yinyin, whose aura had finally stabilized.
She looked at the sword wielded by the masked man hovering in the sky, and her eyes filled with longing.
The choice her family had made to take possession of the famed sword had ruined them.
To protect her family, Su Qianqian took the sword and left home. Because the sword was in her possession, many people whom she cherished died, one after another.
Things had gotten so bad that even her master was almost killed. If it had not been for Elder Sang showing up in the nick of time, perhaps even her Brother Xiaoshou might have met with that fate.
Su Qianqian clenched her fist tightly, and as much as she wanted to just let go, she could not do so.
It was still difficult to give the sword up.
She heard what the masked man had said. She already had such views even before that, for her grandfather had once told her that the wielders of such swords should expect to face death.
“Grandpa,” Su Qianqian whispered sadly.
Her mind drifted as she thought of her father and her family. She recalled what the masked man said to her when he took the sword away.
“Was I wrong?” Su Qianqian asked herself.
Her eyelashes fluttered. Beads of tears dropped onto Rao Yinyin’s supple face and slowly rolled down to the corner of her lips.
Rao Yinyin opened her eyes, and she touched Su Qianqian’s face with her hand.
She gently scratched away the dried blood on the little girl’s forehead. While her voice was weak, her words were resolute.
“Sacrifice is a path chosen by those who protect. It is because such people have love in their hearts. Those who survive would always face unhappiness. But it is because of such sacrifices that you are deemed worthy,” Rao Yinyin said.
Su Qianqian shook her head slightly.
“There is no need to be sad,” Rao Yinyin said.
Su Qianqian could not contain her sorrow any longer and wept as she said, “But I do not want the sword. I want my family to be around!”
Rao Yinyin cradled Su Qianqian’s face and looked at the girl with gentle eyes. The young girl, who had been putting up a tough facade, finally let her guard down.
Rao Yinyin looked at her sympathetically and said, “There are times we have no choice.”
“I hate that sword! I hate those people who are after the sword.”
Su Qianqian broke down and cried, burying her face in Rao Yinyin’s chest.
Rao Yinyin had a look of empathy on her face as she gently squeezed the young girl’s shoulders.
She opened her hands and saw dried blood on them. It was from the ruins.
She visualized a vague silhouette from the dried blood on her hands as it glinted in the dim moonlight.
The silhouette looked like a girl dressed in red and bound in shackles, with her knees pulled into her chest and crying.
Rao Yinyin sighed without making a sound. Her Spiritual source wiped the blood off and the red on her hands disappeared before long.
She stroked the little girl’s head and spoke in a gentle tone. “Cry to your heart’s content. Vent out all your pain and frustration.”
“There are times when you are not the one in the wrong, but the world itself is.”
…
Voom!
The Epitaph of City Snow shook in the masked man’s hand. At that moment, every swordsman present could sense its sorrow.
A drop of blood trickled from the sword, ran along its snow-white blade, and fell off its tip.
The sword trembled violently and shook itself free from the masked man’s control, trying to chase after the drop of blood.
SWOOP!
But the masked man quickly reached his hand out and seized the snowy-white sword back.
He ran his fingers along the blade and after quite some time, the quivering sword finally settled down again.
The light in Xiao Qixiu’s eyes dimmed.
In the end, he still could not protect what his disciple treasured the most. For now, it was the sword. But what of the future?
“Am I too powerless to protect her?”
Qiao Qianzhi rested his hand on Xiao Qixiu’s shoulder. The silence at that moment was the greatest of consolation for him.
Xu Xiaoshou took notice and realized what was happening. He used his Sense to locate Su Qianqian and he could not help but sigh in sorrow.
Sometimes, people had to force themselves to do what they need to do.
“Seems like you do not need an answer. The owner of the sword has already made her choice.” There was a glint of laughter seen in the eyes of the masked man.
Hehe, hehe. Cen Qiaofu chuckled.
Elder Sang’s mouth twitched. The longer he looked at the two of them, the angrier he got. He clenched his fists tightly.
BOOM! BOOM!
The white flames were still burning on the two of them, and it promptly blew up. Mists of blood instantly sprayed from the two.
“Cough! Cough!”