The flames of the bonfire eventually dimmed, and the dancing flames shrank into tiny sparks, which were extinguished in the cold ashes, and the warmth and light of last night was no longer there. The inky black night still hung on the horizon, and the entire mountain forest was silent. Only the biting night wind passed through the layers of branches and leaves, picking up withered grass and debris all over the ground, blowing on the body with a heart-breaking coldness, and making people's hearts feel chilly.
Shiheng and Kelin Xiaoman have always been sitting quietly in the corner of the camp. Their auras are restrained, like two silent stone statues. They have not made any sound. They deliberately restrained their strong auras for fear of disturbing them. This group of low-level mercenaries had a rare moment of relaxation. They just listened silently, listening to them talk about their embarrassment of daily necessities, listening to them talking about the concerns of their families, wives and children, listening to the sadness hidden under the fatigue, and listening to the trivial and trivial happiness found in the hardships.
Kelin Xiaoman snuggled gently beside Shiheng, her white fingertips slightly holding his sleeves, her clear and warm eyes were full of emotion and intolerance. She was born in a wealthy family since she was a child. She was well-dressed and carefree. Everything she saw was glamorous and decent, and everything she heard was smooth and stable. She had never really seen the life of a lower-class mortal - - She was pressed hard by the burdens of mortgage, livelihood, and family, struggling hard on the edge of food and clothing, life and death, but she still gritted her teeth, clung to hope, and refused to bow to Fate. Looking at the two young mercenaries with vicissitudes of life on their faces, there was no slightest contempt in her eyes, only empathy and compassion from the heart, not only for their hardship, but also for their perseverance.
Shiheng looked at the embers of the bonfire quietly, with a touch of emotion and emotion in his deep eyes. He had already gone through countless cultivation paths, experienced life and death battles, and understood Heaven and Earth Laws. He had seen the vastness of God Domain, and had seen the battle between gods and demons. He had seen the ups and downs of countless strong men, and he thought he had long looked down on the world. But at this moment, looking at these two ordinary mortals, seeing them overwhelmed by life, but still gritting their teeth and moving forward with the responsibility to their families and the hope for a stable life, his heart was still deeply touched.
He lowered his eyes slightly, his voice was low and gentle, but with real emotion, and his tone was full of undisguised approval. "The life has become so difficult, with no food to eat, no livelihood, and they may lose their lives at Mountain Range of Magical Beasts at any time, but they still endure and hold on day after day, from I have never thought about giving up. With my wife, children, and children in my heart, and even a glimmer of hope, I can still enjoy the hardships in the muddy abyss, and maintain my obsession with life. This optimism in facing hardships, this tenacity rooted in the world, is far more worthy of our meditation and understanding than many practitioners who work hard."
Kelin Xiaoman nodded lightly, held his hand tightly in the palm of Shiheng, and responded softly, his voice soft but extremely serious. "That's right. They don't have strong cultivation, no prominent family background, and no unlucky opportunities. They have been running around for a full meal and a small family all their lives. But they rely on their own hands and try their best to support their family's future. This ordinary and pure persistence is more touching than the paranoid Great Way obsession of many practitioners."
The night flowed by quietly amid the low whispers of the two people and the small chats of the mercenaries. There were no stormy waves, no intrusion by monsters, only a rare peace. Such a stable time was a kind of luxury for everyone in the camp, and before they knew it, the whole night came to an end quietly.
When the eastern sky finally tore off a shallow streak of fish belly white, the weak morning light penetrated the thick clouds, and shed mottled light and shadow through the intertwined branches and leaves in the forest, coating the dark mountain forest with a light warm yellow. Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, who had been silent all night, gradually woke up, a few crisp bird songs were heard in the distance, and the fog in the forest slowly rose. A new day has finally arrived.
The mercenaries in the camp also stood up one after another, brushed off the dust and grass clippings from their bodies, and were just about to pack their bags and continue to go into the mountains to practice and make a living, when a panicked figure suddenly rushed towards the end of the mountain road.
It was a Fourth-Level Warrior, his clothes were torn by branches, he was sweating profusely, his hair was messy on his forehead and cheeks, his face was full of extreme anxiety, sadness and despair, his eyes were red and bloodshot, completely losing his usual composure. He staggered He staggered and ran in the forest, his steps were shaky, and he almost tripped over tree roots several times, but he still tried his best, almost rolling and crawling to the mercenary camp. His eyes scanned around like crazy, and finally locked on the Third-Level Warrior boy who had just given birth to a one-month-old daughter.
"Xiaoyuan! Xiaoyuan!" He breathed heavily, his chest heaving violently, and he used all his strength with every step. He rushed in front of the young man and grabbed his arm tightly. His fingertips were so hard that they turned white. His voice was trembling and hoarse, with uncontrollable choking and panic. "Quick! Come home with me! Your sister is dying. She has her last breath left. Go back quickly and see her for the last time!"
These words were like a bolt from the blue, instantly hitting the young man's ears.
A second ago, the young man's face still had the longing smile from last night when he talked about his family and the future, and his eyes were still shining with the joy of surviving the disaster and making money. But at this moment, the color on his face instantly faded completely, and his entire face was as pale as paper. His whole body froze, as if he had been struck by thunder. He froze on the spot, completely confused, his mind went blank, and there was only a buzzing sound in his ears.
His pupils shrank suddenly, and his eyes were full of unbelievable panic. His whole body was shaking violently uncontrollably, and his teeth were chattering. It took him a long time to find his voice. The voice was broken and hoarse, with extreme panic and disbelief. He grabbed his brother-in-law's arm with a strong force that was almost crazy. "What did you say? Brother-in-law! You are talking nonsense! You lied to me! My sister is fine. I went to your house for dinner a month ago. She hugged my daughter and smiled so happily. She was in good health. How could she suddenly die? What happened! Tell me!"
Overnight, he was still feeling lucky to have met a noble man, saved his life, and was able to go home with money and spend time with his daughter and wife, who were just one month old. But in an instant, he received the bad news that a close relative was about to pass away. The huge grief and panic instantly completely submerged him, as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, making him lose all control in an instant, leaving only extreme panic and pain.
"Oh! It's too late, it's too late to explain, and we will really never see each other again!" The young man's brother-in-law had a face full of bitterness and grief, his eyes were red, and tears were welling up in his eyes. He sighed heavily, his tone full of despair and eagerness. He did not dare to say more, and pulled the young man without any explanation, turned around and ran down the mountain, anxious at every step, for fear that if he was late for a second, he would never see his wife again for the last time.
Shiheng and Kelin Xiaoman looked at each other, with deep emotion and sadness flashing through their eyes. They had planned to leave Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, and their route happened to be along the same route as the two of them. They immediately stood up and followed them quietly, walking slowly but always following behind them.
As they ran all the way, the cry and questioning of the young man could be heard endlessly. As the brother-in-law ran, he kept talking intermittently. Shiheng and Kelin Xiaoman gradually understood the whole story, and their hearts became heavier and heavier, full of lamentation for the lower class beings.
It turns out that the life of the young man's sister's family is even more difficult than that of the young man. The sufferings of ordinary people at the bottom of the world are always the same. No one has it easier than anyone else. Everyone is running hard in the wind and rain for a food and clothing and a stable life, struggling to support themselves in the suffering.
The young man's brother-in-law works alone, and his income is extremely meager. He alone cannot support the family. In order to reduce the husband's burden, to supplement the family income, and to make life possible, the young man's sister has no choice but to ignore the danger and go to the outermost miasma zone of Mountain Range of Magical Beasts alone all year round to pick low-grade medicinal materials and bring them to the market in exchange for some change.
It stands to reason that the outermost part of Mountain Range of Magical Beasts is filled with miasma, and the air is turbid and pungent. Inhaling it will damage the skin of the body, and it will corrode the internal organs over time. Monsters hate the miasma and are unwilling to stay here. It is for this reason that it has become the only place where countless women with poor family backgrounds and no cultivation can find a living.
But no one can withstand the erosion of time. My sister has been going deep into the miasma land for several years in a row. Her body has been penetrated and damaged by the strong miasma, and her internal organs have suffered from incurable diseases. But she has been holding on, not daring to get sick or fall down. She is afraid that the family will lose this subsidy and her family will not be able to survive, so she has to endure it year after year.
Until yesterday, the miasma that had accumulated in her body for several years suddenly broke out in full force, eroding her vitality wantonly, and her condition worsened rapidly. The doctors invited shook their heads repeatedly, saying bluntly that there was no cure, and seeing the vitality disappearing little by little, she would be completely exhausted.
When she was dying, her consciousness was blurred, but she still refused to close her eyes. The only thing she cared about and could not let go was her biological brother. She used her last strength to hold her husband's hand and repeatedly told her that no matter what, she must go into the mountains immediately, find the boy, and ask him to come back and see her for the last time.
As he ran all the way, the cold wind blew over his cheeks, biting and freezing. The young man had already burst into tears. The tears blurred his vision and slid crazily down his cheeks. His whole body was stiff and cold, and his heart was filled with heartbreaking regret and grief. He hated himself for being incompetent, running around all year round for mortgages and livelihoods, and neglecting his sister. He hated himself for being careless and never noticing the abnormality in his sister's body. He hated himself for not being able to spend more time with his sister, and now he was facing separation between life and death.
As for his brother-in-law, his face was haggard and self-reproaching, his eyes were lowered, full of despair and guilt. He hated himself for not being able to let his wife live a good life, for not being able to protect her body, and in the end he could only watch her die, unable to save even the last bit of time.
Shiheng looked quietly at the grief-stricken and nearly collapsed men in front of them, looking at the most heart-wrenching parting of life and death in this world, their eyes full of complex and indistinguishable emotions.
He wholeheartedly pursues Great Way, comprehends Four Extremes Laws, and longs to transcend the world and reach the top. But at this moment, the most ordinary human sufferings and the most helpless separation of life and death have hit his Dao Heart again and again. The cruelest thing in the world is never the fight between strong men, but the despair of the mortals at the bottom who are unable to resist Fate and unable to keep their loved ones.
At this moment, looking at the dissipated vitality and endless grief in front of him, his understanding of Life and Death Laws was like breaking through a cocoon, quietly breaking through a layer of barriers, becoming clearer and deeper.