When the Dust Settled, Only One Final Question Remained

The words had barely left his mouth.

As if by the Unseen, some invisible shackles shattered in response.

Qin Hongchen felt a sudden lightness throughout her body, as if something crucial had been taken away, and she felt a moment of disorientation.

Immediately afterwards, he heard Qin Wangchuan continue in his normal tone, even with a hint of weariness and gentleness:

"You can't let go of your Lineage, and you can't forget her, that's why you're in so much pain."

"Since this choice is too difficult for you—"

"I'll choose for you."

"Sixth Brother, let's go find her."

"To live for love, to act for love, is never something to be ashamed of."

"Once you relinquish your position as Dao Child, you will simply be an ordinary disciple of the Qin Clan, no longer bound by those responsibilities and overall constraints."

Qin Hongchen's pupils contracted slightly, and she subconsciously murmured, "No, that won't work..."

"I have been nurtured by my Lineage for many years, pouring my heart and soul into it and consuming countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures. How can I leave because of personal feelings? Moreover, with the loss of a Dao Child, the burden on the shoulders of the others will be even heavier..."

"Then I'll take responsibility."

Qin Wangchuan interrupted him, his voice low but firm.

"Don't worry, I'm very strong, and I'll become even stronger in the future."

"Bearing all causes and effects, enduring Myriad Calamities, until Surpassing Ancient and Modern, the Strongest in History."

"I have always cultivated with this awareness in mind."

Qin Wangchuan paused, his voice calm and reassuring. "To go to Foreign Lands to find a beloved person as an ordinary disciple... even if word gets out, it won't be something laughable that needs to be criticized by others."

Looking at his completely stunned face, Qin Wangchuan softly uttered the last sentence, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders:

"You're free, Sixth Brother."

"Don't wait any longer."

Go find her, right now.

You are free.

Go find her.

These words were like heavy hammer blows, striking the softest and most painful spot in Qin Hongchen's heart.

The sword clattered to the ground.

Qin Hongchen seemed to have all his bones removed. He staggered, released his grip on Qin Wangchuan, clutched his head, bent over in pain, and let out a wounded, animal-like wheezing sound from his throat.

He swayed and struggled in place in agony, as if fighting some invisible enemy.

Finally, he abruptly raised his head, his face streaked with tears, and looked at Qin Wangchuan.

His lips trembled violently, but he could only manage fragmented murmurs:

"Ninth Brother... I shouldn't have done this... I shouldn't have done this at all..."

"But... but..."

He cried.

She cried her heart out, crying without any regard for her image.

The crying seemed to be for not only "her," nor just for himself.

Was it all for these hundreds of years of suffering?

For that despair of wanting but not getting?

Is it due to a mix of resentment and guilt towards her Lineage?

Perhaps even he himself didn't know why these torrents of tears were flowing.

Qin Hongchen collapsed to the ground, utterly dejected.

She curled up, as if trying to hide herself in the mess.

"Why, why is it so painful..."

Why did all this have to happen to me...?

"Why do I have to suffer like this...?"

"It's clearly... it's clearly just that we love each other..."

"Clearly..."

Qin Hongchen sobbed incoherently, like a lost child.

Just then, his whole body suddenly stiffened.

A pair of arms reached out and hugged him.

It is Qin Wangchuan.

With their foreheads touching, Qin Wangchuan spoke in an extremely soft voice:

"Um."

"I know."

"... I know all of that."

I know your pain.

I know you're upset.

I know your struggle.

These three simple words, however, were like the final and gentlest blow, completely shattering all of Qin Hongchen's remaining pretense and defenses.

Because the Dao Child also knew of his suffering... that's why they dared not look directly at him, much less speak of it.

"We know..."

Although I know it, I can't bring myself to say it.

Because that pain... is something we created ourselves.

Therefore, this is something only Qin Wangchuan could do.

"Ahh--!"

Qin Hongchen suddenly looked up and let out an even more sorrowful cry than before.

He buried his face in his brother's bloodied shoulder, letting out all the grievances, resentment, and emotions he had suppressed for years, along with his tears, as he roared out.

He also felt pain and remorse for his madness just now, for his Killing Intent towards his brother, and for his centuries-old obsession.

She cried for an unknown amount of time, until the crying gradually subsided, leaving only intermittent sobs.

Qin Hongchen leaned on Qin Wangchuan's shoulder, her voice hoarse and broken, filled with a heavy nasal tone and despair:

"Useless Ninth Brother..."

"If only... if only it had been earlier."

"To be an enemy of the Divine Son... is a capital offense."

As he uttered the last few words, his voice lowered, yet it was more painful than any scream.

That's not resignation.

Instead, he saw his hope shatter before his eyes and fell into an even deeper abyss.

Qin Wangchuan gently patted his back, his voice still calm, even carrying a hint of weariness after a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders:

"It's alright, Sixth Brother."

You won't die.

No one will die.

The insurance policy came in handy; apart from the fake Fang Yun, no one died.

The wind swept across the scorched earth, stirring up the last embers of the calamity.

That tragic future led down an unknown path.

In a secluded corner, an old man quietly appeared, his gaze fixed intently on Fang Yun's cold corpse.

The battlefield in the distance was completely different from the tragic and devastating scene here.

There was no earth-shattering energy eruption, no massive Dharma Manifestation roaring; only two extremely fast Sword Lights constantly intersecting, colliding, separating, and colliding again in the void.

Quick!

The battle between Qin Wudao and Qin Xuanji was incredibly fast.

It moved so fast that others who sensed the disturbance from afar could only catch a blurry afterimage.

If it weren't for the occasional bursts of Sword Light sword light slicing through the earth and leaving behind jagged ravines, few would believe that an earth-shattering battle was taking place here.

Finally--

After a fleeting exchange of blows, so fast it was beyond the reach of Divine Sense.

The slightest, almost imperceptible gap, which could not even be called a flaw, was caught by Qin Wudao's sword.

"Break."

A single, unremarkable word.

The Dao Ji Sword in Qin Wudao's hand suddenly changed its sword style, from the ultimate subtlety of countless variations to a simple and pure thrust.

Qin Xuanji's pupils contracted slightly; her reaction was incredibly fast.

But it didn't work.

Bang!

A loud bang.

Qin Xuanji was sent flying, sword and all.

Before he could even regain his footing, Qin Wudao's sword was already in front of him again.

The Dao Ji Sword pierced straight between his brows; if he so desired, he could instantly sever the head of the person before him.

Upon seeing this, Qin Xuanji casually raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through space, glancing in the direction of Qin Wangchuan and Qin Hongchen, before raising an eyebrow slightly.

The meaning in his eyes was clear: it's over there.

The subtext is:

Shouldn't we wrap this up too?

Qin Wudao looked at him silently, the suffocating Sword Intent around him slowly receding.

He turned his hand and sheathed the Dao Ji Sword.

"Call..."

A long, stale breath, carrying a fine mist of post-battle smoke, was slowly exhaled from his mouth.

In this battle, he seemed to have the upper hand and won decisively, but only he knew the dangers and difficulties involved.

Qin Xuanji's sword was not weak; in fact, it could be said to be very strong!

It seems to have incorporated all sorts of Supreme Lore, making it extremely difficult to grasp.

And what was that immense force? How could it possibly contend with my strength?

If it weren't for that weakness, the battle would never have been decided so quickly.

This second brother is more cunning and more... troublesome than I expected.

Qin Wudao turned around, just about to leave.

Suddenly remembering something, he stopped in his tracks.

He didn't turn around, but his voice came clearly, carrying a rare seriousness:

Is this your true form?