"Ah Yin, I wronged you."
"I could never repay what I owe you in this lifetime."
As Tang Hao spoke, he abruptly poured all the hard liquor in the flask down his throat. Only hard liquor could numb him, could let him temporarily forget the wrongs he had committed.
Even he could not forgive himself for the wrongs he had committed. How could he pray for anyone else's forgiveness?
He ought to live in repentance for the rest of his life. He deserved it all.
Suddenly, Tang Hao shot to his feet, all the dejection in his eyes swept away. Only blood-red killing intent remained on his face. He could sense that the restriction he had left on Ah Yin had been broken.
"No, something's happened to Ah Yin."
Tang Hao pulled an ancient-looking black box from somewhere on his person. The moment it was exposed to the air, the box began trembling incessantly, seemingly sensing Ah Yin's steadily strengthening vitality.
The moment the box opened, a translucent blue-gold Soul Bone shimmered with azure light. Seeing this unusual change made Tang Hao even more anxious. He did not understand whether the change in Ah Yin's Soul Bone was good or bad, but he knew that Ah Yin must have run into trouble.
The Blue Silver Grass Ah Yin had now become was no different from ordinary Blue Silver Grass. Anyone capable of breaking the restriction he had left would have to be at least a Thousand-Year Soul Beast or an expert above Soul Ancestor rank. Ah Yin currently had no power to resist such an expert.
Then that Soul Beast or human could do whatever they wanted to Ah Yin. A human would be one thing, but what if a Plant-type Soul Beast ate her?
At this thought, a terrifying presence erupted from Tang Hao. His emotions were somewhat agitated, and there was even fear in his heart. Ah Yin had already been reduced to a single seed. As long as that stalk of Blue Silver Grass slowly grew, Ah Yin would come back to life.
But if something happened to even this last stalk of Blue Silver Grass, there would be no hope left for Ah Yin.
"Ah Yin, wait for me. Just wait a little longer. Just a little longer. I'll be there right away."
Tang Hao spoke in a trembling voice, mustering all his Soul Power as he raced madly into the distance.
There was a trace of hatred in his heart, not for anyone else, but for himself.
He hated himself for not only causing Ah Yin's death but also reducing himself, who should have been the Clear Sky Sect's sect master, to this state. He hated himself even more for being unable to protect even the last Blue Silver Grass seedling Ah Yin had become.
He truly hated himself. Ah Yin was so beautiful, so gentle. Why could he still harbor such hateful thoughts? Why couldn't he plant the seed Ah Yin had left behind by his side? Why didn't he keep Ah Yin close and protect her?
Only now, when he sensed that Ah Yin was in danger, did he feel how laughable, how powerless he was. For all his standing as Clear Sky Douluo, he was nothing but a beast, a beast who had caused his own woman's death.
Tang Hao could not help clutching his chest. If something happened to the seedling Ah Yin had become, he dared not imagine how much he would hate himself.
Yet at the same time, for some reason, there seemed to be a measure of relief in his heart.
Back then, he had planted Ah Yin in a cave. That place was damp, dark, without light, and surrounded by stone walls. He had done so precisely to leave Ah Yin to live or die on her own...
If Ah Yin really died, he would be free too. Everything in the past would vanish like smoke and clouds. This desire for Ah Yin to perish completely and his anxiety over the danger she might be in appeared in his heart at the same time, making his head feel as though it would split apart.
In the twelve years since Ah Yin's tragic death, two voices had rung out in his mind almost every day.
One voice told him, "You're a demon. You caused your own wife's death. You're not human." This voice kept him living in repentance, kept him hating himself, while making him treasure his memories of Ah Yin all the more.
The other voice urged, "Since you've already done it, nothing can be undone. Why not carry the evil through to the end and destroy the seed Ah Yin became? As long as Ah Yin dies completely, everything will become the past. No one will know what you did. You won't have to carry any psychological burden anymore, either. Death can solve every problem. Once she's truly dead, you won't have to suffer like this anymore."
The two different voices resounded in his heart, causing him an indescribable anguish. Unable to decide, he had planted Ah Yin somewhere remote, giving her no fertilizer and leaving her to live or die on her own.
That way, he would not need to make this painful choice. He could simply leave everything to heaven.
"Ah Yin, I wronged you."
"If you're still alive this time, I'll definitely treat you well. If you die at the hands of a Soul Beast this time, don't come haunting me anymore. Let me go, and let yourself go too," Tang Hao could not help murmuring, once again leaving the choice to heaven.
If Ah Yin survived this calamity, he would bring her back safely no matter what. From then on, he would also accept all the wrongs he had committed, repent sincerely, and do his utmost to make amends for everything he had done.
If Ah Yin died, he would simply follow his wrongdoing through to the end. No one would ever know in this lifetime that he had plotted behind the scenes to bring about Ah Yin's death.
Tang Hao hurried toward Ah Yin's location.
Meanwhile, Xu Ran had already arranged everything. With System Lady's assistance, all traces had been concealed. Xu Ran had also watered Ah Yin several times with the Plant Cultivation Solution the system had given him. The Blue Silver Grass Ah Yin had become grew visibly more vigorous, its blades growing fuller as well.
Xu Ran learned from the system that Ah Yin still retained a sliver of consciousness. Wildfire could not burn it all away; with the spring breeze, it would grow again. Although the Seed of Life Ah Yin had left behind held little power, she had condensed all her memories and consciousness into that seed.
Thus, although Ah Yin could not react in any way, she could truly perceive everything happening in the outside world.
She could also sense that Xu Ran was an Auspicious Beast, because her growth had sped up considerably after he arrived. Only an Auspicious Beast possessed such an ability.
The nutrient solution Xu Ran watered her with left her unable to suppress her astonishment. This nutrient solution had actually increased her growth rate several hundredfold. How was that possible?
Even if she understood nothing else, she knew for certain that this liquid was a treasure, and might even be life essence. Only life essence could have such a terrifying effect.
Yet such a treasure was being dripped onto her with such extravagance.
While this made her feel somewhat delighted, it also filled her with profound guilt. From the standpoint of her race, taking human form counted as betraying her race. How could she not feel guilty now, before the Emperor Auspicious Beast?