Funeral (continued)

If Deng Xiaoxian hadn't run away and had stayed to assist Murong Zhe, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

But there are no "what ifs" in life. Murong Zhe paid with his life, and Deng Xiaoxian also paid the price. He was dismissed from his position, his reputation was completely ruined, and no school would continue to hire him.

Furthermore, he was stripped of his Mohist status.

Although the Su State is based on the Mohist School philosophy, and all its citizens have studied Mohist School thought and even regarded it as their lifelong belief, they can at most call themselves Mohist School disciples, not Mohist. Just like becoming a member of the Communist Party of China, one needs to go through procedures such as guarantors and political approval. Moreover, the standards for becoming Mohist are even stricter, basically one in a hundred.

To formally become a Mohist, in addition to possessing certain talents, one must also have a spirit of dedication. This "dedication" is not a moral requirement that exists only in words, but a written disciplinary rule. In cases like Deng Xiaoxian's, one must stay behind to protect the students; otherwise, it would be considered immoral and a violation of discipline, and one would be held accountable.

Based on this, some people criticize the Mohist School for forcing others to make sacrifices, which they see as a form of moral blackmail.

In response, the Mohist School stated that they never force others to make sacrifices, and all citizens have the right to make sacrifices freely. Their discipline only applies to Mohist. If you lack the spirit of sacrifice or cannot accept this rule, then don't apply to become Mohist. The Mohist School are not a group that just anyone can join.

Wanting to be Mohist and enjoy the respect of others, yet not wanting to fulfill the obligations of Mohist —there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Although violating the Mohist School rules does not carry criminal liability, being stripped of Mohist status is even more despicable than serving time in prison. Deng Xiaoxian's tragic future is self-evident; unless he goes abroad, he will never be able to hold his head high in public for the rest of his life.

The principal naturally wouldn't discuss Deng Xiaoxian's situation at Murong Zhe's funeral. He handed the torch to Murong Qing and her younger brother Murong Wu, allowing the family to complete the final lighting ceremony.

Murong Wu was already crying his eyes out, sobbing uncontrollably.

Murong Qing, however, wore a resolute expression, showing no weakness whatsoever. Her strength led many teachers and students to suspect that she was a cold-blooded and heartless person.

"... You clearly didn't want me to be a hero, but you became one yourself. You're such a liar."

Sadness welled up in her nose, turning into a strong soreness, and she couldn't help but shed tears, but Murong Qing looked at her younger brother beside her, bit her lip hard, and forcibly suppressed the urge to cry.

"Dad, I promise I will protect my brother!"

The torch was thrown down, igniting the dry firewood. A roaring fire shot up into the air, its bright red light illuminating the girl's face, which was straining to hold back her sorrow, and the boy who was crying even louder.

At this moment, Lu Yifa came to the side, bowed his head and said, "Please, give me a good punch! It's all my fault, I've dragged the teacher into this!"

Murong Qing turned her head and said slowly, "If that's the reason, my father won't blame you. He would never criticize a student for something like this."

"But... but I still owe him an apology, and until the very end, I couldn't say it... I'm a useless coward, I don't even have the courage to say sorry..."

Lu Yifa's voice was nasal, and his eyes were red. If it weren't for the girl's strong expression and his unwillingness to embarrass himself in front of her, he probably would have let the sand blow into his eyes.

"Then start working hard now, change yourself, don't let my father down, and become a student he can be proud of, so as not to let his sacrifices go to waste."

Lu Yifa wiped his eyes and said to his classmates, "I swear, I will!"

Murong Qing nodded, turned to look at the flames, and said nothing more.

After the funeral, Murong Qing carried her father's urn and walked to Si Ming, who had been standing silently to the side, and said, "My father often talked about his hometown. Although he never said it aloud, I know his wish was to one day return to his roots. I want to send him back. Can you help me?"

This was the first time she had asked Si Ming for help.

"No problem, I'll go with you," Si Ming readily agreed, then added, "But as you know, Li State is currently embroiled in warlord conflicts, and chaos reigns everywhere. We can't go rashly; we must at least have the ability to protect ourselves."

"Yes, I understand. I can wait; I won't act impulsively."

"Right now, I hope you can act impulsively and not force yourself to calm down."

Si Ming forcefully pried open the other person's white-clenched fingers.

"Can I really do it?" Murong Qing looked bewildered and helpless.

"Yes, you have that right."

Si Ming reached out to support Murong Qing's arm, only to find that she had completely lost her strength and was only able to stand by sheer willpower.

After receiving permission, Murong Qing pressed her forehead against Si Ming's shoulder, shifting her weight onto him, and tears that had been suppressed for a long time welled up, soaking her clothes.

Even at this moment, she still didn't want anyone to see her crying.

Si Ming stood there quietly, acting as a support, until the tears stopped, before finally asking:

Would you be willing to move in with me?

(End of Volume 3)

Parallel World Alumni Association

(When Yan Jinghong arrives in time to prevent the seal from being broken, this future branch is activated)

Only by experiencing spring can we appreciate the fragrance of a hundred flowers; only by experiencing the camaraderie of classmates can we understand the beauty of life. We gather here to reminisce about the past and present, we raise our glasses in celebration, and sing our hearts out. Cheers to the everlasting friendship of our classmates!

In a private room at the Drunken Flower Shade Pavilion, a restaurant renowned for its classical style, a group of young men and women nearing thirty gathered together, each raising a bronze wine vessel, clinking them together enthusiastically, and then, amidst the splashing wine, tilting their heads back and drinking it all in one gulp.

Even those who are not good at drinking can expel the alcohol through Internal Cultivation, as long as they don't get drunk after just one drink. Those with less internal energy can suppress the effects of alcohol as long as they don't drink too much. Therefore, the drinking culture in the Sea Continent is even stronger than in China. Even women have to participate in toasting and cannot refuse by saying they are not good at drinking. At most, they can only restrain themselves and drink less.

Here, the ability to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk is not just a legend, especially for martial artists with Level Eight Internal Cultivation. How much they can drink depends entirely on their bladder capacity and urination speed.

There are different cliques among classmates. Those in the cliques are all close friends, while those outside are just ordinary friends. The former would get together for a meal every now and then, while the latter would only meet once every three to five years. So after the initial group toast, the rest of the time was spent chatting and joking around among the people in each clique.

There are also some outgoing and sociable individuals who can ignore the exclusionary feeling within their small circles, casually pulling people in to chat, offer drinks, and inquire about their recent situations.

Within the boys' small circle.

"Dude, where do you work?"

"Don't even mention it. Working as a prison guard in Tange City Prison, I had to deal with a bunch of ruthless guys every day. I didn't even dare to take my clothes off to sleep at night. Oh, and last year I ran into an old classmate. Do you know who it was? Lu Yifa!"

"I know about this. After graduating, Lu Yifa joined the underworld. He used his education to work his way up from a gang leader to become the neighborhood boss. But before he could even show off his power a few times, he was caught in a crackdown and arrested."