Chapter 546: That's It
At that moment, Feng Xiao knelt before Pharmacist Feng's grave, her face devoid of all expression save for sorrow. Yang Haoran sat beside her, silently smoking, listening as she recounted the story of her and Pharmacist Feng.
"My master never spoke to me about his past, but I knew he lived an unhappy life. Many things were hidden in his heart, and he seemed to carry many burdens, making his entire life feel incredibly weary."
"My background was unfortunate, even tragic, you could say. To help me emerge from the shadows and to give me a clear direction for the future, Master named me Feng Xiao. He wished that no matter what difficulties I encountered in life, I would learn to face them with a smile. He lived a very tiring, unhappy life, and he didn't want me to follow in his footsteps."
Speaking to this point, Feng Xiao wiped away her tears, then continued.
"It was precisely because he had suppressed too much within his heart that Master's personality became eccentric and paranoid. He didn't want to associate with anyone; it seemed that in his world, everyone else was an enemy except for me. As a result, he not only made no friends but also offended quite a few people."
Even without Feng Xiao stating it, Yang Haoran had already discerned as much; Pharmacist Feng's personality was indeed eccentric.
Though he understood, Yang Haoran kept silent, smoking quietly, and simply played the role of a listener.
In this situation, the goal was for Feng Xiao to speak as much as possible. The more she talked, the more her inner pain would be alleviated to some degree, and Yang Haoran certainly wasn't foolish enough to interrupt.
Feng Xiao, at this moment, had no idea what Yang Haoran was thinking. She was completely immersed in her own world; how could she possibly notice him?
"Master had told me long ago that he didn't have much time left to live. But with his skill in pharmacology, he could have lived another ten or twenty years if he wished. Yet, he didn't want to."
Feng Xiao's words certainly raised a flicker of doubt in Yang Haoran's heart, but connecting them with what she had just said, he pondered for a moment and roughly guessed the truth.
"I don't know what burdens my master truly carried, but from his everyday words and actions, I knew he had long wished to leave this world. Perhaps, in his view, death was the only true liberation, and the burdens on his shoulders would vanish with it."
Feng Xiao's words confirmed Yang Haoran's suspicions, and simultaneously, resolved another lingering doubt in his heart.
Pharmacist Feng knew full well he had been afflicted by the exorcist old man's Soul Dispersing Needle, so why did he still insist on slaying the exorcist? Why didn't he seek a way to lift the curse before eliminating the old man?
One must know that the exorcist old man had already been captured alive by Yang Haoran at that time. In that situation, they could have employed numerous methods to torture him, compelling him to willingly remove the Soul Dispersing Needle from his body.
Regardless of whether this approach was feasible, they should have at least tried to find out. After all, success wasn't entirely out of the question.
Yet, Pharmacist Feng's choice was quite different. He didn't even entertain the thought of trying, instead violently twisting the exorcist old man's neck. This action completely severed his own path of retreat!
Yang Haoran had witnessed this scene firsthand. While he recognized Pharmacist Feng as a ruthless individual, he had still harbored some doubts about his actions. However, Feng Xiao's words now completely dispelled those lingering questions in his heart.
Pharmacist Feng had acted that way because he had long harbored suicidal thoughts, having long since ceased to wish to continue living in this world. That's why he had disregarded the consequences, unhesitatingly twisting the exorcist old man's neck!
"If I had stopped Pharmacist Feng from slaying the exorcist then, would he truly have survived?"
This thought, once it surfaced in Yang Haoran's mind, was immediately dismissed.
Because no one could save a person who was intent on seeking death.
Seeing Feng Xiao fall silent, Yang Haoran's gaze fell upon Pharmacist Feng's grave. He took a drag from his cigarette and spoke, "No matter what burdens your master carried, it's certain he lived in great pain. Since he chose to end it this way, I think you should view this issue correctly."
Feng Xiao shook her head, her face etched with sorrow, then replied, "Master hoped that no matter what I encountered in life, I could face it with a smile. But he himself was intent on seeking death; he couldn't even do that himself, so how could I possibly do it? !"
"Not many people in this world can truly achieve that," Yang Haoran said. "Your master knew you couldn't, which is why he gave you that name—to constantly remind you, and perhaps to remind himself as well. But from the current situation, your name didn't change some of his extreme thoughts. Whether it can change you, that's up to you."
Feng Xiao didn't reply. Yang Haoran didn't know if she understood the meaning of his words, but seeing her silence, he continued.
"Your master is gone; that is already a fact. And you are still alive; you still have to continue living in this world—that is also a fact. What are your plans now?"
Hearing Yang Haoran's words, Feng Xiao replied without even a moment's thought, "I will stay in this valley forever to accompany my master. I won't go anywhere else, because this is my home."
Yang Haoran frowned slightly, shook his head, and then spoke, "No, you cannot stay here any longer."
"Why? " Feng Xiao asked, her expression growing anxious.
"Are you aware of what happened outside the barrier today? " Yang Haoran didn't immediately answer Feng Xiao's question; instead, he posed one of his own.
"When the barrier wasn't visible, I could see what was happening outside," Feng Xiao replied. "But when the great fire engulfed the valley and the barrier was revealed, I couldn't perceive the outside world anymore."
Hearing that, Yang Haoran looked towards the barrier. The great fire outside had not yet extinguished, and, affected by the flames, the light screen formed by the barrier remained visible to the naked eye.
However, the naked eye could only discern the misty light screen of the barrier, not the situation outside.
"After the barrier was passively activated, you couldn't clearly see what was happening outside. That's why you don't know how bloody today's battle was. If it weren't for me, you would certainly have been captured alive by them by now. As for your master, he definitely died, but his corpse wouldn't have been buried like it is now."
Speaking to this point, Yang Haoran took one last puff from his cigarette, then discarded the butt, and continued, "I'm telling you this not to recount how much I sacrificed for you and your master in this battle, but to emphasize how perilous it truly was."
Whether this slaughter was perilous or not, Feng Xiao could actually tell without Yang Haoran needing to state it. If it hadn't been perilous, her master wouldn't have died immediately upon entering the barrier, not even having enough time to leave her a final message before his demise.
"Even when your master was here, this place wasn't safe," Yang Haoran asked. "Now that he's gone, do you think this place will be safe?"
Feng Xiao's expression was complicated. She knew Yang Haoran was right, and thus, she didn't know how to answer his question.
Seeing Feng Xiao remain silent, Yang Haoran continued, "You know very well that this place isn't safe. If you insist on staying here, not only will you be unable to accompany your master here forever, but you'll also be captured by malicious individuals, like prey. What your fate will be then, perhaps no one but fate itself will know. Forget the future; even now, this place isn't safe."
"Why? " Feng Xiao asked. "Haven't all the bad people who came today been killed yet?"
"They are all certainly dead," Yang Haoran said. "But the previous great battle caused quite a commotion. Who knows if others sensed it? If someone truly sensed the commotion here, and they all rushed to this place, do you think this place would still be safe?"
Yang Haoran wasn't intentionally trying to scare Feng Xiao with these words; the situation he described was indeed highly likely to occur. If he hadn't considered Feng Xiao's intense grief and unstable emotions earlier, he would have spoken these words long ago.
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