The reason to live

Their eyes met again, Kang Gold Dragon was drenched in cold sweat. Was his opponent completely exhausted, or was he holding back for a final stand?

"Hmph, you're already dead. Even a god couldn't save you. I have no reason to gamble on a pointless game."

If you win the bet, the other person dies.

If you lose the bet, you and the other person will die together.

Since the other party will suffer the same fate regardless of winning or losing, why should I act impulsively? Even if there is only a one percent chance of losing, it's not worth risking my life.

Kang Gold Dragon convinced himself with these words, then turned and fled without glancing at his brother on the ground.

Murong Zhe stood motionless on the blood-red earth, with the corpse of a dragon behind him, displaying both tragedy and heroism.

The beating heart gradually quieted down, the burning body began to cool, and consciousness uncontrollably dissipated.

The image of his youngest son flashed through his mind, Murong Zhe couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. His best friend had given his life to let him take the child away, hoping to leave behind a seed for future restoration.

He had originally planned to raise the child to adulthood and then bring him back to the Li State to succeed him as emperor. However, his ambitions were cut short, and the boat was about to sink in this foreign land halfway through its journey. He feared that he would be burdened with infamy for all eternity.

"... Very well, if Wu'er could live a peaceful and ordinary life, it wouldn't be such a bad thing."

As life faded, Murong Zhe, despite his many concerns, had no choice but to let go. His consciousness gradually became blurred, and he could no longer think.

On his deathbed, what appeared in his mind was his daughter's stubborn face, which never admitted defeat.

More than a decade ago, the scene of disregarding his daughter's life and death during his escape often appeared in his dreams, tormenting his conscience, making him toss and turn, unable to sleep at night.

He risked his life to save two students, probably because deep down he didn't want regret to resurface.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been able to fulfill my responsibilities as a father..."

The heroic souls have returned to the netherworld, without regret, yet leaving behind a trace of regret that can never be made up for.

Chapter 156 The Reason to Live

The villa district of Tange City was once the most prosperous place in the entire city, and was jokingly referred to as a gathering place for the rich. Only when you lived here could you be considered to have entered the upper class of Tange City.

The reason for using the word "formerly" is that this area has now become a ruin. Everywhere you look, there is a mess, with the severed limbs and remains of humans and Demon Beast, as well as traces of the ultimate moves left by Spirit Transformation experts.

"Father! Mother!"

Xia Guanxue knelt in the collapsed house, holding two corpses that had been devoured by Demon Beast. Overwhelmed with grief, she burst into tears.

"Little sister! Oh, right, your sister's home too. School's closed today, so please don't let anything happen to you!"

Xia Guanxue jumped to her feet, looked around, and found no trace of her sister's body. She felt both worried and relieved.

He suddenly thought of a possibility and hurriedly went to the entrance to the underground wine cellar. He struggled to clear away the buried broken walls and rubble, not even noticing when some sharp edges pierced his palms and caused him to bleed profusely.

"Taiwei God, I beg you, please protect my sister and keep her safe!"

Even though she knew that in the teachings of the Mohist Religion, the Taiwei God was devoid of emotion and never showed mercy to anything, Xia Guanxue still couldn't help but pray to him, hoping that a miracle could happen.

He even vowed in his heart that as long as his sister could survive, he would give up his own dreams, join the church and become a devout ascetic, dedicating his life to the gods.

"Found it!"

Xia Guanxue pushed aside the rubble and saw a door leading to the basement, which was still locked, making his hope even greater.

"The key, where is the key?"

Xia Guanxue arrived at what used to be his parents' bedroom. He searched high and low but still couldn't find the key. In a panic, he gave up and pulled out the famous sword that was supposedly left by his great-grandfather from the wall. He gathered his True Qi and slashed fiercely at the lock.

This brutal chopping method, while successfully breaking the lock, also chipped the blade. Xia Guanxue showed no remorse, casually tossing the sword aside, grabbing the iron door and pulling hard to open it before quickly walking down the stairs.

However, the gods did not favor him.

Before him lay a collapsed ruin, a jumble of rubble and wooden frames, with bright red liquid seeping from the cracks in the stones, emitting a strong aroma of wine mixed with a hint of blood—it was unclear whether it was human blood or red wine.

A small hand dangled limply from outside the pile of stones, indicating that its owner was just one step away from escaping.

A miracle is called a miracle precisely because it is impossible for it to happen.

As if her soul had been ripped away, Xia Guanxue collapsed to her knees, staring blankly ahead, her pupils unfocused, as if unwilling to accept the reality before her.

Lost in the passage of time, Xia Guanxue didn't know how long he had been kneeling. His legs were already numb, but he remained motionless, like a lifeless statue.

There were no traces of tears on his face; shedding tears was a luxury for him.

Because there is no one left in this world worth his tears.

Knock, knock, knock.

A series of light, frivolous footsteps sounded behind Xia Guanxue and stopped behind her. The uninvited guest said in a tone that seemed to enjoy watching a good show, "Tsk tsk, she escaped the calamity of the Demon Beast, but died from the aftershocks of Spirit Transformation cultivator's ultimate move. How pitiful."

Xia Guanxue showed no reaction, her heart filled with despair.

The uninvited guest leaned down and whispered in his ear in a seductive tone, "Don't you want to avenge her?"

Xia Guanxue remained motionless, her mind as still as a stagnant pool, as if she had lost all awareness of the outside world.

The uninvited guest didn't seem to mind. He straightened up and said in a calm tone, "These Demon Beast were originally heading towards the city center, since there are more people there. But because of someone's guidance, they were forced to change direction. Otherwise, with so few people in the villa area and the Demon Beast not having any resentment towards the rich, why would they come here?"

A flicker of emotion finally appeared on Xia Guanxue's face. He stiffly turned his head to look at the other person and asked, word by word, "Who is that person?"

He didn't ask whether what the other person said was true or false, because he could judge whether it was reasonable.

The uninvited guest said with admiration, "He is a world-renowned hero, a good public servant in the hearts of the people, and a hardworking and selfless master of ink— Yan Jinghong."