"Shaoxuan, you..."
Shen Tang turned back in astonishment to look at Bai Su.
Yes, the response of "Father" just now hadn't come from the young daughter Prefect Lu had been longing for. It had been Bai Su, using a disguised voice. She crouched down, her usually clear eyes tinged with sorrow, as if explaining herself to Shen Tang—or perhaps to Prefect Lu.
"He won't last until his daughter gets here..." Bai Su said.
When Bai Su had rescued the girl, she'd heard her voice. As a former elite thief, voice disguise and infiltration had been basic skills she'd had to master. She wouldn't claim she'd perfected every one of them, but she'd grasped at least eighty or ninety percent of the essence.
"My lord... his injuries are too severe."
For Prefect Lu to have lasted this long and exchanged a few words with her, he had relied not only on being a Martial Gall Warrior and protecting his Heart Meridian with his remaining martial energy, but also, most of all, on that lingering obsession in his heart and his own stubborn will.
"And Miss Lu won't wake up anytime soon."
Even if they forcibly kept him alive, how long could they prolong it?
If he died without ever seeing her, how cruel would that be?
Bai Su hadn't wanted to involve herself in this matter, but looking at Prefect Lu had made her think of her late family. Better to let him hear his daughter's voice and return to the Yellow Springs smiling, with what little comfort he could find. At least that would grant him a final measure of dignity and respect.
As someone still alive, she knew all too well how painful it was to face death with resentment, longing, and regret.
"I wasn't blaming you." Ignoring the