The sun rose in the east, its morning light breaking through the dawn.
Families emerged from their cellars.
Xu Dezhao gathered Dongxi's residents and assigned people to reclaim the fields, bring down rain, and handle other tasks.
At the Xu Household's great mansion.
Wu Tao's body lay quietly before the hall, covered by a white cloth.
The instant Xu Dejing's fingers touched the edge of the cloth, she froze as though struck by lightning.
She slowly sank to her knees, a faint sob escaping her throat, its final note seeming to have been forcibly strangled off.
The cloth slipped half an inch, revealing that familiar face.
"Father—!"
Xu Chongming knelt on the ground and wept.
Wu Rushan turned her head away, two trails of tears running from the corners of her eyes. She could not bear to look.
Xu Mingyuan's eyes were moist as well. He patted Xu Dejing's shoulder. "Wu Tao died saving Dezhao. He rendered a great service to our Xu Household, and Chongming will receive our most intensive core training.
"The Wu Household will also receive two priority training slots."
"Father, why did Wu Tao have to die? Why?!" Xu Dejing turned her bloodshot eyes on Xu Mingyuan and stared fiercely at him.
"Jing'er, don't be unreasonable. Yesterday's danger left even your grandfather and De Ling grievously wounded and nearly dead. Nor was Wu Tao the only one killed in that battle. Wu Zhen, Wu Da, and Wu Er died too.
"If the Azurefire Eagles A-Da and Second hadn't sacrificed their lives to save your aunt, she would likely have been killed by the demonic cultivators as well."
Hearing this, Xu Dejing realized how inappropriate her questioning had been. "I'm sorry, Father," she said quietly.
"Pull yourself together. You still have to handle Wu Tao's funeral arrangements.