573: Chapter 105: No Ifs_2 573: Chapter 105: No Ifs_2 No one could have imagined that this farewell would come so swiftly.
Last night, Zheng Fengsheng fell ill.
This kind-hearted doctor, who saved countless lives, ultimately could not save himself.
He hastily fell ill and, before sunrise, left this chaotic and noisy world.
He departed in such a hurry; perhaps it was because in such troubled times, there was nothing to linger for?
“My benefactor…”
“I feel so sad…”
Mi Yun stretched out his hand, wiping away the tears on his face.
Before this diplomatic mission, he had never truly experienced “the sorrow of parting through life and death.”
Now he understands.
Each meeting in this world should be cherished.
Unwittingly, the last farewell has become an eternal parting.
“…”
Xie Xuanyi gently patted the little guy’s back.
Mi Yun was deeply saddened.
Wasn’t he the same?
“Whoosh!”
The morning breeze blew through, damp and moist, mingled with a chill.
Flower petals danced in the air on the mountain.
Chu Guo, holding a wooden stele, slowly made his way to Zheng Fengsheng’s burial site.
He knelt down in the damp mud and forcefully planted the wooden stele…
One by one, wooden steles stood on the mountain.
All of them for those who have passed away.
And all of them now freed from the bondage of life.
“This chaotic Yuan Province…
indeed, there’s nothing good to stay for…
It’s better to leave…”
The young man looked at the inscription on the wooden stele, intending to seem light-hearted, but his voice was husky as he said, “But you should have waited a bit longer, just a few more days and I could have taken you to see the Qian State you’ve longed for.”
He had already decided to train to the brink of death—
Last night, for the second time, Chu Guo picked up the sword and cut down many wooden man dummies; if it weren’t for the bad news, he could have continued cutting them down.
If only there had been a little more time.
He definitely could have taken old Zheng to Qian State.
If only…
There’s everything in this world, but no “if only.”
The young man swayed as he stood up.
In his eyes, there was only this stele, devoid of any other brilliance.
As if this world…
had nothing to do with him anymore.
“…”
The abbot of Yuan Guang Temple, Fa Cheng, stepped forward and gently patted the young man on the shoulder.
He couldn’t bear to look at the wooden stele.
This is Yuan Province at present.
Life and death are unpredictable.
For ordinary people, every day alive is not easy.
Fa Cheng offered a string of Buddha Beads to the wooden stele, followed by the monks of Yuan Guang Temple, the residents of Taoyuan, who all came forward to offer fresh flowers and pour out their stored wine.
Although the funeral was silent, it was extremely solemn, and everyone sent their most sincere blessings to the departed kind doctor.
…
…
The crowd dispersed, and the back mountain was silent.
Chu Guo still stood blankly in front of the wooden stele.
The only ones accompanying him were Xie Xuanyi, Deng Baiyi, and Mi Yun.
“I don’t mean to blame you.”
After a long while, the young man suddenly spoke.
He turned his body and looked at the young man in black sitting in the wheelchair: “I know that old Zheng’s illness was ‘beyond cure,’ and conventional medicine could no longer treat him.
So…
you don’t have to feel guilty for this failure.”
“…”
Xie Xuanyi was silent for a moment, then said with some regret, “If given another chance, I might have had the opportunity to succeed.”
It’s not so much that he couldn’t save Zheng Fengsheng.
It’s more that Zheng Fengsheng had chosen to end his life.
In the silent moments that followed, Xie Xuanyi seriously considered whether to reveal the memories in Zheng Fengsheng’s mind…
but this would inevitably involve Chu Guo’s identity as a Prince.
This matter was deeply sealed by the Book Tower, and Chu Guo also chose not to explore it.
Therefore.
His best choice is to remain silent.
“No need to mention all that, we both understand, there are no ‘if onlys’ in this world.”
Chu Guo shook his head and said, “You didn’t save him, I don’t blame you.
This incident originated from me, and once the martial law is over, I will leave Yuan Province with you…
to anywhere.”
“Okay.”
Xie Xuanyi wanted to say more but ended up only able to utter this single word.
Saying more would be meaningless.
“Now, I want to be alone for a while.”
Chu Guo softly said, “If possible, please set up some more wooden man dummies at the back mountain.”
…
…
Deng Baiyi pushed the wheelchair along the familiar path leading to the back mountain.
It was the season of blossoms.
There was wind around, light above.
Yet for some unknown reason, all these that landed on one’s body gave off a faint chill.
“My benefactor…”
The voice of Mi Yun sounded: “Has your ‘Principle of Life’ made a breakthrough?”
This question, Deng Baiyi was also very curious about.
Last night, the thatched cottage was enveloped by layers of array patterns.
As for what exactly happened with this “rescue,” no one saw.
But…
She could feel that after Xie Zhen left the cottage, his mood seemed a bit off.
“Not yet.”
Xie Xuanyi said softly: “Just a thread away.”
“A thread?”
Deng Baiyi sighed regretfully, asking: “Is it that the opportunity for breakthrough has not arrived, or was it the departure of Zheng Fengsheng last night…
that caused the breakthrough to fail?”
“On the contrary.”
Xie Xuanyi’s voice carried a bit of self-mockery.
“Only if Zheng Fengsheng died, could I have successfully broken through.”
This statement inevitably made one shudder.
At this moment, Deng Baiyi finally understood where the chill came from.
It originated from Xie Zhen.
Every leaf blown down by the wind, upon landing on Xie Zhen, seemed to become dry and yellow, its life force drained away.
If one were to pick up a leaf, they would find.
These leaves had developed a thin layer of frost on their surface, traces of ice.
Regarding the matter between the Principle of Life and Lu Yuzhen, Xie Xuanyi offered no explanation.
If it were anyone else hearing this, they would inevitably connect the death of Zheng Fengsheng to Xie Zhen.
It indeed sounded like something an Evil Cultivator would say.
“My benefactor…”
The voice of Mi Yun said very gently: “It should be that you wished for Old Zheng to survive.”
“Yes.”
Xie Xuanyi spoke softly: “It’s just a pity that I couldn’t save him.”
“My master uncle once told me that when a person dies, it’s like a lamp going out.”
Looking upward, Mi Yun spoke softly: “I never quite understood this.
Clearly if a lamp is blown out, it can be relit.
But once a person dies, they cannot be brought back to life.
Later on, I slowly understood that a truly extinguished lamp cannot be reignited, the wick has burnt out.
A person’s death really is like a lamp going out, it’s pitch-darkness, and no matter how much one wants to relight it, it’s all in vain.”
“Your master uncle is right.”
Xie Xuanyi said calmly: “Those who have died once know this best.
Some lamps, when snuffed out, can be lit again because they have not yet burnt out.”
“Yes.”
With a gentle voice, Mi Yun said: “Since all lamps in this world will eventually burn out, then death is also not so frightening.
Every person is the same, ultimately facing the end.”
“…”
Deng Baiyi couldn’t help but frown; this conversation was bizarre.
She didn’t understand what Mi Yun wanted to convey.
Even though Xie Zhen and Mi Yun were both younger than herself, she found their words increasingly incomprehensible.
“What I want to say is…”
“Since the death of Zheng Fengsheng was not personally caused by you, my benefactor, then you need not feel too guilty.”
With cautious consolation, Mi Yun said: “As far as I know, the Principle of Life, to this day, has only been comprehended by my master uncle.
If you, my benefactor, can comprehend the ‘Principle of Life,’ then perhaps you will be the second person in the entire world to grasp the Power of Dao.
This is truly no easy feat.”
Xie Xuanyi and Deng Baiyi were different.
From the beginning.
He understood what Mi Yun was implying.
After this young one awakened the Karma Principle, his thoughts had become much more profound.
“You want to tell me that I should not stop at this final step.”
Xie Xuanyi spoke softly with a chuckle.
Without continuing the conversation, Mi Yun just sadly said: “My benefactor, if it were possible, I wish Old Zheng could come back to life.
It’s just…”
But there’s no need to say what follows.
There are no ifs in this world.
A person’s death is like a lamp going out.
During their conversation, the wheelchair had already reached the back mountain, the place where he and Chu Guo practiced swordsmanship.
Leaves all over the ground.
Wooden dummies strewn across the mountain.
A mess.
“Mi Yun, you still don’t understand me.”
With a light sigh, Xie Xuanyi said: “The reason I pause at this step is not that I won’t breakthrough.
It’s just, I want to break through this realm in my own way.”