For two days and two nights, Xiu Zun Xing Yuan raced through the depths of the mountains without a moment's pause. He could no longer spare a thought for his own life. He was already burning away his life, racing at full speed to carry Mu Bai out of danger.
Arrogance, extravagance, lust and indulgence, struggles for power and profit, slaughtering one another-this was human nature, and it left Xiu Zun Xing Yuan unable to see any hope. No sorrow was greater than a heart gone dead. He had nothing left to live for, but he wanted to expend the last of his life to take Mu Bai somewhere safe. Perhaps this young man still had hope.
He no longer knew how far they were from Northern Territory City, and he had seen no one pursuing them. At last, Xiu Zun Xing Yuan exhausted his final trace of strength. He gently laid Mu Bai on the ground, and finally, he too could lie down upon the earth and fall into a peaceful, restful sleep.
Through the haze, Xiu Zun Xing Yuan saw Xing Mu happily playing with a rattle drum held in his hand. Looking back and seeing him, Xing Mu ran toward him in excitement and joy. Xiu Zun Xing Yuan opened his arms and embraced his youngest son in happiness. Happily, he fell asleep, never to wake again.
Gravely wounded, all his internal organs ruptured and his soul unconscious, Mu Bai remained lost in a deep sleep.
The sun set and the stars sank, cold and heat took their turns. After an unknown length of time, Mu Bai felt drops of moisture falling onto his lips, then something rough, soft and supple licking his back. Gradually, his awareness began to return a little, but he was too weak