They Were All Gone

"A cultivator at the Life Spring realm!"

No! At least the Life Spring realm, perhaps even stronger!

Li Qingyue's heart trembled. Thinking of the Dao Scripture and the Source Stone Fragment, her entire body suddenly tensed.

She tightened her grip on the dagger in her hand, as though she might swing it at any moment.

A trace of grim resolve lingered in her clear eyes.

The Sea of Bitterness had four realms: the Bitter Sea, Life Spring, Divine Bridge, and Other Shore.

Upon reaching the Life Spring realm, one could fly through the air.

Though the young man in white before her looked calm and carried himself with graceful poise, she had no idea whether he was friend or foe.

Especially since this little bandit stronghold had held such precious things as the Dao Scripture and a Source Stone Fragment.

She dared not relax in the slightest.

The strength of the man in white was certainly nothing like that of the scar-faced man, who had only just opened his Bitter Sea.

If he attacked, she would not even be able to resist.

She's guarding against me!

No! She isn't guarding against me. She's ready to... kill herself at any moment!

At the sight, the young man in white looked slightly shaken and hurriedly spoke with heartfelt apology. "Forgive me for startling you, miss!"

"I am Yang Wuzheng, a disciple of the Nine Saints Gate. While traveling through this region, I saw several villages that had been massacred. I came here to rid the people of this scourge as well."

"You need not worry, miss!"

As he spoke, Yang Wuzheng glanced at the girl's bloodstained clothes. Turning his palm over, he produced a set of white garments and continued, "Please accept these clothes as a small token of my apology."

Hearing Yang Wuzheng's words, Li Qingyue breathed a slight sigh of relief, but she did not lower her guard.

In her previous life, everyone had been equal, yet human hearts had still been fickle and unfathomable.

How much more so in this chaotic world of slaughter, where strength reigned supreme.

Her gaze fell upon the white garments. They were clean and spotless, and even shone with a gentle glow.

Clearly, they were no ordinary clothes.

Yet she felt little stir within her. Shaking her head slightly, she said in a cool, detached voice, "No need. Thank you."

With that, Li Qingyue lingered no longer and turned to leave.

It seemed that only by putting more distance between them could she feel safer.

Yang Wuzheng did not insist. His expression remained peaceful, his gaze naturally serene.

But that expression, neither quite crying nor quite smiling, kept surfacing in his mind.

Joy and sorrow intertwined in it, wrenching the heart in a way words could not describe.

Another victim of these troubled times!

The Feathered Divine Dynasty!

Yang Wuzheng sighed inwardly. He understood all too well where this chaos came from.

The Feathered Divine Dynasty's actions were far too sweeping, without the slightest attempt at concealment, yet no one in all of Central Province could stop them.

Then he raised his arm slightly and swept his sleeve toward the nearby stronghold, divine radiance blossoming.

Bzzz!

The air trembled faintly.

In that instant, even the newly risen sun abruptly dimmed.

It was as though all its brilliance had been absorbed in that single moment.

Boom!

A gust of wind swept past, and the buildings in the stronghold suddenly burst into flame.

In the blink of an eye, the entire stronghold vanished amid the flames, along with all the corpses.

Having done this, Yang Wuzheng took a step, about to leave, only to notice that the girl outside the stronghold had stopped in place.

She seemed utterly helpless.

Li Qingyue looked around blankly.

Surrounded by wooded mountains, she had no idea where she was.

Where is Stone Village?

Li Qingyue stopped, desperately trying to find her way, but for the moment she had no idea where to go.

She could not even determine the direction.

"Have you encountered some difficulty, miss?"

Yang Wuzheng spoke at just the right moment, his voice still gentle.

After a brief silence, Li Qingyue finally said, "I want to return to Stone Village!"

She did not want those people who had shown her such kindness to be left lying dead in the wilderness.

Laying them to rest in the earth was the last thing she could do for Stone Village now.

The man in white before her seemed to harbor no ill intent.

"Stone Village?"

Yang Wuzheng's brows drew together slightly. "Do you remember which direction it is, miss? Perhaps I can lend you a hand."

Li Qingyue glanced at Yang Wuzheng, then shook her head slightly.

If I knew the direction, would I need you?

Yang Wuzheng considered for a moment, then asked again, "Do you remember the terrain around Stone Village?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand slightly. Divine radiance blossomed around him, supporting Li Qingyue's body as they instantly rose into the air.

Feeling her surroundings change and the empty air beneath her feet, Li Qingyue trembled and nearly collapsed.

Just then, the divine radiance around Yang Wuzheng surged again, gently steadying Li Qingyue like a soft hand.

He himself still did not approach her.

It was as though he feared upsetting this sensitive girl.

"Forgive me. This is probably the only way I can think of to help you!"

Yang Wuzheng apologized, then looked down at the wooded mountains. "If you remember the terrain, please point it out."

"If you don't, that's all right too. I can take you around to search."

Listening to Yang Wuzheng, Li Qingyue quietly thanked him, her eyes constantly scanning the land and mountains beneath her.

"Over there!"

Li Qingyue raised her hand and pointed northeast.

She remembered little else, but the mountain where she had buried her Older Brother remained vivid in her memory.

Whoosh!

As Li Qingyue's words fell, their figures instantly became a streak of light, flying northeast.

They did not move too quickly, and the flight was steady, as though they were traveling over solid ground.

Clearly, Yang Wuzheng was considerate and feared startling her again.

"Right here!"

Li Qingyue raised her hand toward the village at the foot of the mountain and hurriedly spoke.

The streak of light stopped instantly, descending smoothly at the village entrance.

Li Qingyue thanked him sincerely. "Thank you, Young Master Yang."

Though her voice remained cool, it no longer held that aloof indifference that had kept others a thousand miles away.

"It was no trouble at all!"

Yang Wuzheng spoke, looking toward the village with a trace of sorrow in his eyes.

He could naturally sense that the village was utterly lifeless, without a single survivor.

A faint scent of blood still lingered in the air.

Li Qingyue's expression likewise carried a trace of grief as she walked into the village with heavy steps.

From among the rubble and collapsed houses, she carried out the villagers' bodies one by one.

Her movements were gentle, as though she feared disturbing those who slept.

Seeing this, Yang Wuzheng seemed to understand something. He was just about to help when Li Qingyue's voice sounded softly. "No need. I'll do it myself!"

Hearing this, Yang Wuzheng remained where he was and did not insist.

The girl before him was somewhat stubborn, unwilling to leave this to someone else.

Having seen much, he understood how she felt.

Silently, he watched her slender figure carry every corpse, one by one, to a level patch of ground outside the village.

With great care, she straightened the villagers' clothes and closed their terrified, lightless eyes.

Then she picked up an iron shovel and dug out a grave, little by little.

Only at noon did Li Qingyue finish everything. Standing beside the raised burial mound, she stared at the gravestone without a word.

The gravestone was a slab of blue-gray stone, carved with crooked characters that read "Grave of Stone Village."

It was stained with blood.

At the sight, Yang Wuzheng sighed inwardly.

By now, how could he fail to understand the source of the girl's sorrow?

Watching her grief-stricken expression, Yang Wuzheng sat on the ground and turned his hand over, bringing out a guqin.

His ten slender fingers reached out, divine radiance flowing around them as they gently plucked the strings.

Ting!

Notes tinged with sorrow, yet filled with yearning for tomorrow, slowly resounded through the mountain village.

The music was soothing, reaching deep into the heart, as though imbued with a magical power.

The distant flowers and grasses grew vibrant, dancing with the melody.

Flowers still in bud began to bloom.

Tender blades of grass pushed up through the soil.

Even around the burial mound, green gradually spread.

Brimming with life.

It was as though the music itself was filled with vitality.

Amid that music, the grieving Li Qingyue felt a peace unlike any she had ever known.

Even the beautiful memories buried in her heart began surfacing one after another.

"Work's tiring, isn't it? Come home for dinner tonight. Your mother made your favorite braised pork!"

"Your grandfather caught several fish this afternoon, too. We made that fish soup you like."

"Your grandmother says she hasn't seen you in ages. She says she misses you every day."

"Come home tonight, and we'll have dinner as a family."

"No matter how tiring work gets, you have to look after yourself, understand?"

"Make more friends. Don't always be so quiet. A young man should be cheerful. Smile more-you look your best when you smile."

"When will you get a girlfriend and bring her home for your grandparents to meet?"

"They talk every day about wanting to see you start a family."

"Nannan, why won't you say anything? Older Brother wants to hear you call me Older Brother."

"And smile more. Older Brother wants to see you smile even more."

"All right, all right, don't go. Older Brother won't say any more. Let's go catch rabbits."

"..."

As the memories flowed endlessly through her mind, Li Qingyue unconsciously closed her eyes.

It was as though, so long as she closed them, she could see her loved ones from the past coming to her side, one after another.

Without knowing why, a faint smile touched her lips.

That smile was beautiful and pure, like flawless moonlight spilling over a bed of radiant flowers.

Seeing her smile, Yang Wuzheng smiled softly as well and breathed a small sigh of relief.

The girl before him was beautiful, seemingly cold and unapproachable.

Yet in her bones lay an indescribable stubbornness, as well as kindness.

Sorrow should not belong to her.

This was the only help he could give her.

A little later, Li Qingyue opened her eyes and looked at Yang Wuzheng. She could feel his goodwill.

Even through the music, filled with vitality and a yearning for beauty, she could sense Yang Wuzheng's gentle, kindly heart.

But when Yang Wuzheng met Li Qingyue's gaze, he suddenly froze.

Though a lingering smile still rested on her lips, the sorrow in her eyes had not melted away.

It was as though that grief had become solid ice, frozen forever in her heart.

He had gone so far as to use Divine Power, playing for her with his Innate Dao Body's natural affinity for the Dao, yet it had done little.

At the thought, Yang Wuzheng sighed inwardly and said consolingly, "You should smile more. You look lovely when you smile!"

"Thank you for your kindness!"

Li Qingyue spoke.

Her voice remained cool, as though devoid of emotion, recounting something that had nothing to do with her. Silently, she turned her head and looked toward the sky.

"The people who wanted to see me smile are all gone!"

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