Fateful Encounter with the Spirit Beast - Chapter 52 - Heartache of the Mind 2

A sudden silence enveloped the surroundings, with only the wind playfully teasing the golden sunlight and the lush green grass.

Feng Xuewu broke the silence, saying, “Oh come on! Why are you talking about this? We’re all friends here. Friends should help each other when in trouble, so don’t worry about it. Besides, it seems like you came to comfort me, but now it feels like I should be comforting you. Could this be part of your plan?”

Liu Feng, reminiscing, said, “Actually, this is the truest feeling from Atta and me. If it weren’t for the Boss’s rigorous training and your financial support, how could we possibly have been able to study at Saint Kai Academy, one of the top institutions on the Continent?”

Feng Xuewu didn’t want to dwell on the topic, so she changed the subject, “Alright! When I’m in trouble in the future, you can repay the favor then. But right now, I’m hungry. How about showing a little gratitude now?”

Atta replied, “Xiao Xue, where would you like to eat? We’ll join you!”

Feng Xuewu stood up, dusted off the grass from her clothes, and said, “The school cafeteria will do. I don’t want to go too far.”

Understanding, Atta and Liu Feng said in unison, “Let’s go!”

Feng Xuewu took one last wistful look at the school gate before slowly following Liu Feng and Atta.

In a bright and spotless room, warm sunlight gently poured over Yue Lianxuan, who was half-reclined on the bed. Her pale face was streaked with glistening tears, as she gazed at Saint Kai Academy’s gate. Suddenly, a sigh came from behind her, and a voice spoke, “Lianxuan, staring out the window won’t help. I see that Tianxiang hasn’t shown up yet, and your body won’t hold up much longer.”

Yue Lianxuan replied sorrowfully, “I know, but I just can’t help it. Yingdie, do you think Brother Xiang will come?”

Sitting by her bedside, Yingdie skillfully unpacked the porridge she brought, saying, “Tianxiang will definitely come. You need to eat something first. Ever since the first day of school when you didn’t see Tianxiang, you’ve been like a deflated balloon, getting thinner day by day. If Tianxiang comes back and sees you like this, he’ll be heartbroken.” Yingdie finished, gently blowing on the porridge in the spoon.

Yue Lianxuan said, “Yingdie, thank you for taking care of me. Even though you don’t say it, I can tell you’re also eagerly awaiting Brother Xiang’s appearance. Sigh! This endless waiting is truly unbearable.”

After feeding Yue Lianxuan a spoonful of porridge, Yingdie said, “Yes, the days without him are hard to endure. Previously, I was immersed in practicing the magic and martial arts he taught us, pushing myself to exhaustion. Every day, I would collapse into bed and fall asleep, only to wake up and practice again. It wasn’t until we were about to leave for Saint Kai Academy that I realized how quickly time had passed. But now, every minute and second feels like an eternity.”

Yue Lianxuan wondered, “I wonder what Brother Xiang is doing right now?”

Yingdie gently patted Yue Lianxuan’s hair and said, “Don’t think too much. He will appear someday. But Lianxuan, when do you plan to go back to school? You’ve been on sick leave for over a month now.”

Yue Lianxuan replied, “I don’t know. Right now, besides waiting for Brother Xiang, I don’t want to do anything.”

Yingdie said, “Then I’ll go to the Academy tomorrow to see if you can continue your leave and find out how to handle your classes.”

Yue Lianxuan said, “Thank you, Yingdie.”

Yingdie replied, “No need to be so polite; we aren’t strangers. Alright, finish your porridge and get some rest. Stop overthinking.”

As the desolate sunset burned its last light, a staggering figure slowly approached the Purple Moon Residence. Inside, Dixiang and Xiaojin, waiting anxiously, suddenly sensed a familiar aura. A simultaneous thought crossed their minds-it was Tianxiang.

They couldn’t wait to rush outside, only to find a disheveled and ragged stranger. Dixiang, bewildered at the sight, mentally transmitted a frightened message, “Tianxiang… is that you?”

Tianxiang weakly responded, “Yes, Dixiang, I’m back.”

Tianxiang’s brief words shook Dixiang’s heart. The person before him, aside from those familiar yet vacant eyes, seemed completely different from the Tianxiang of Phoenix Mountain Summit. His skin, scorched and resembling that of a charred corpse, and his lifeless, brittle black hair made him look less than human-merely a walking corpse that barely breathed.

Struggling to believe it, Dixiang sent a mental fluctuation, asking, “Tianxiang, how did you end up like this? Was it those people at Phoenix Mountain Summit?”

Tianxiang nodded slightly and responded through a mental fluctuation, “Dixiang, I need your help. Go to Saint Kai Academy and find Xiaoxue, Liu Feng, and Atta for me! Also, have Xiaojin go find Yue Lianxuan and the others. I’ll wait for you here!”

Dixiang’s mental fluctuation replied, “But what about your injuries?”

“I can still hold on! Hurry!” Tianxiang urged, then he walked alone towards the resting place of the Master, Grandfather, and Huci.

As the sun set and the moon rose, the stars twinkled in the cool evening sky.

A lone figure stood solemnly in front of three graves overgrown with grass, his past flashing through his mind like a carousel of memories, filled with a thousand sentiments.

With two letters in his hand fluttering in the wind, he murmured, “Grandfather, Master, is my decision correct? Am I lacking the courage to face Xiaoxue and the others? Do I care too much about maintaining a perfect image in their eyes? I just can’t bear to see them saddened and crying over me; it would pain my heart too much. So, I chose to leave-leave them, my friends, my dear brothers, and all the affection I had. Although they may feel despair over my departure, perhaps it offers them a new hope, doesn’t it? Grandfather, what do you think? Master, would you approve? Now, my meridians are nearly destroyed, my internal strength is completely depleted, and I can only use basic restoration spells. In other words, I am now a cripple. How can I cling to feelings and happiness that no longer belong to me? Grandfather, Master, please forgive my lack of filial piety. I will wander alone, to a place where no one knows me, and live out the rest of my life. Perhaps I will never return here. Farewell forever!”

Tianxiang respectfully bowed three times to his Grandfather, Master, and Huci, then placed two letters on the table of the Purple Moon Residence. He changed into a set of black clothes, poured a special potion over himself, and used a long gray cloth to cover his once handsome, now severely disfigured face, leaving only his vacant eyes visible. Without looking back, he left the Purple Moon Residence, heading into the depths of the dark forest, a reflection of his own heart-filled with darkness and uncertainty.

As the faint morning light pierced through a few clouds, excited shouts echoed through the forest, startling the sleeping birds and insects. “Boss, we’re here!” “Brother Xiang, where are you? Xiaoxue is here to find you.”

The tightly shut doors of the Purple Moon Residence gave Feng Xuewu and her group a bad feeling. Upon opening the doors, they found the residence empty and eerily silent, with the cold wind sending a chill through their hearts. With his sharp eyes, Liu Feng noticed two letters on the table. One was addressed to “Liu Feng, Atta, Xiaoxue”; the other was for “Ah Gang, Yingdie, Xuan’er.”

Pointing to the letters, Liu Feng said, “Xiao Xue, come take a look at this.”

Seeing the letters, Feng Xuewu opened one with a sense of foreboding: “Liu Feng, Atta, Xiaoxue, I’m sorry to have broken my promise. I must go to a faraway place, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. Please forgive me for not revealing my destination. You don’t need to look for me; focus on completing your studies so you can achieve success in the future. Though I’m not by your side, I’ll silently wish you well. I know you don’t need my apology, but I must sincerely say I’m sorry. Xiaoxue, you once said you wanted to be my bride, but I never agreed. During this time away, I’ve thought through many things and seen the various faces of life. I understand that I’m still lacking in many ways, and I’m sure you’ll find someone more suitable for you. Liu Feng and Atta, I hope you firmly pursue your dreams. Take care.”

“Why?” A heart-wrenching cry echoed through the forest as tears streamed down Feng Xuewu’s face. She sobbed softly, “Brother Xiang, why won’t you see me? Do you know how I’ve waited for you? Do you know how much I love you? Why, why?”

The letter in her hand was torn to shreds, and her fingernails dug into her palms, drawing blood. With her eyes bloodshot and even shedding red tears, Liu Feng, also tear-streaked, decisively knocked her unconscious with a quick chop.

Just as Atta was about to exclaim, “Liu Feng, have you gone mad?” he noticed Feng Xuewu’s condition and realized Liu Feng’s intention. Xiao Xue was overwhelmed with grief and her body couldn’t handle it any longer; if she continued like this, it would cause irreparable harm to her health.

As they were settling Feng Xuewu, Dixiang suddenly leapt about, and in a flash of lightning, a little golden snake dashed in from outside, followed by two young women. The older one asked hesitantly, “Is Tianxiang here?”

Upon hearing the Boss’s name, Liu Feng immediately responded, “You must be Yingdie and Xuan’er, right? Hey, aren’t you Yue Lianxuan?”

Alert, Yingdie eyed the two tearful young men warily and asked, “How do you know our names?”

Liu Feng wiped his tears and pointed at the letters on the table. “Our Boss left these for you. We’re sophomores at Saint Kai Academy, and we surely know the Four Great Beauties among the freshmen!”

Yingdie asked suspiciously, “And your Boss is?”

Atta continued, “Tianxiang, of course. I’m Atta, and he’s Liu Feng. Our Boss wrote your names on the envelopes, so that’s how we know.”

Suddenly, Yue Lianxuan exclaimed, “Where’s the letter? I want to see it.” Taking the letter Yingdie handed her, she fainted into Yingdie’s arms before she could finish reading. Alarmed, Yingdie asked, “Xuan’er, what’s wrong?”

Liu Feng and Atta exchanged a glance, both feeling a twinge of sympathy. They hadn’t expected that both Xiao Xue and Yue Lianxuan were also involved with the Boss. Boss, how could you be so heartless? What happened to you that you could bear to break the hearts of these two girls?

Atta said, “Yingdie, don’t worry too much. She fainted because she was overwhelmed; just let her rest on the bed for a while.”

After settling Yue Lianxuan and reading the letter, Yingdie’s eyes reddened and she choked up, asking, “Do you know where Tianxiang went?” Liu Feng and Atta shook their heads simultaneously.

Yingdie continued, “Do you know why he didn’t come to meet us?” Again, Liu Feng and Atta shook their heads.

Yingdie cried, “You don’t know anything, then what do you know?”

Atta replied, “We found out from Dixiang. When we arrived, we discovered two letters on the table-one for us and one for you.”

Liu Feng asked, “How did you know to come here?”

Yingdie said, “Xiaojin brought us.”

Liu Feng and Atta echoed in confusion, “Xiaojin?”

Yingdie clarified, “The little golden snake.”

Liu Feng asked, “So where are they? If Boss instructed them to bring us here, they should know where he is, right?”

Atta added, “Yeah, why didn’t we think of that?”

Just as the three of them were about to go out to find Dixiang and Xiaojin, the two animals dejectedly crawled back inside from the door. Excitedly, Yingdie asked, “You know where Tianxiang is, don’t you?” The two small creatures shook their heads.

Anxiously, Yingdie said, “You’ve been with Tianxiang for so long, you must be familiar with his scent. Hurry and take us to find him.” The two first nodded but then shook their heads again.

Yingdie asked, “First you nod, then you shake your heads-what does that mean?” The speechless animals could only look at the three humans with helpless eyes, unable to convey that Tianxiang had changed his scent, making it impossible for them to track him by that alone.

While the three puzzled over the animals’ behavior, soft sighs emanated from within the room.