When they reached Qing Qiu, the sun had started to rise. Zhu Li immediately brought Pu Fang to the third prince's residence.
One reason being the third prince, Chang Lan, was sickly, so his residence was filled with medicine. The second reason being Pu Fang's apprentice had already set everything up there.
The group of people hadn't even reached his residence when they saw torches lit along the path. It was the prince and the apprentice waiting for them. Although the third prince was blind, his other senses were much sharper than an ordinary person's. The group was still far off when he smelled the reek of blood.
"Go treat your master's wounds." The prince instructed the apprentice. "Quick, bring her inside."
The boy immediately rushed forward and took Pu Fang from Zhu Li. He rapidly carried her inside.
The group followed behind Pu Fang. Yan Hui stayed in the very back of the group and didn't try to rush ahead. It seemed like she wasn't worried.
Tian Yao stayed behind with Yan Hui. At this moment, no one paid her any attention. Only Tian Yao was looking at her: "You nearly threw away your life to save her. Now that she's saved, you're not worried?"
Yan Hui didn't even turn to look at him. She only said eight words: "In the end, it's all up to fate."
It sounded so bland and ruthless, but in such a bleak and helpless time, there was nothing more true than those eight words.
She bet her life for a rescue that might not have even been possible. After a slight pause, Tian Yao said: "Yan Hui, you have a good heart."
Only then did Yan Hui glance at Tian Yao: "Only saints have a good heart. I'm not. I just have some humanity, that's all." Vanity, greed, envy, awarenes, resentment, impulsivity, sympathy, conscious, martyring.
To Yan Hui, she didn't think she lived any nobler than anyone else. She lived her life like a common person, unable to escape from desires and emotions, unable to cast away her ostentation lifestyle. She just wanted to be a happy, ordinary person.
Tian Yao silent looked at Yan Hui. He didn't speak further.
They treated Pu Fang's injuries for three days. None of her apprentices were more skilled than her. In the end, her head apprentice cried at her sickbed: "Only shifu can heal herself...."
But how could a doctor heal themself.
Finally on the fourth day when the sunlight just lit the room, Pu Fang woke. She looked at the sunlight coming in from the window. In that direction lay the mountain range where San Chong Mountain was. She gazed there for a long time before finally closing her eyes.
A short moment later, she stopped breathing.
Third Prince Chang Lan silently sat by Pu Fang's sickbed. He silently sat there for a long, long time. In the end, he allowed Pu Fang to be buried at the green grass mound.
Tian Yao and Yan Hui attended her burial. Qing Qiu's burial customs were very simple. The coffin was lowered in the ground, dirt was piled on top to bury it, and a tombstone was erected. That was it. The ones who came to see Pu Fang off left one by one. All who remained was Tian Yao, Yan Hui, and Thrid Prince, Chang Lan.
"There aren't any trees here to block the sunlight. As long as it doesn't rain, the sunlight will always reach her grave. There's also a breeze here. She would like it." Chang Lan's mouth hooked into a bitter smile: "20 years ago, I was also like this, watching them leave one by one. I thought after returning to Qing Qiu, I wouldn't have to go through this separation again. I didn't think that after twenty years, Pu Fang.....would have to be buried too."
Tian Yao stayed silent.
Chang Lan softly sighed. He spoke, half mocking, half cursing: "I picked up this wild child and raised her. She didn't even heal my eyes before going....." He stopped, unable to speak further. He turned to go, no longer staying by the grave and left without another word.
Tian Yao quietly kept Yan Hui company there. The wind at the grass mound was like what Chang Lan said; it was constantly blowing unhindered. But it did make Yan Hui's hair somewhat messy.
"Tian Yao." Yan Hui suddenly spoke up. "That year when Su Ying betrayed you, how did you feel?"
She didn't wait for Tian Yao to respond before waving her hand. "No, I shouldn't have asked that. Pretend like you didn't hear me."
Tian Yao also didn't answer.
They silently stood there longer before Yan Hui spoke again: "You go back first. I'll stay here a while longer."
Although he a little didn't want to go, Yan Hui's dismissal was clear. Thus Tian Yao didn't argue---
After all, even if he continued to stand there, he had no consoling words to say.
There was no one else in the surrounding area. Yan Hui looked at the soul behind the tombstone and spoke: "You're not going to reincarnate and instead stand here alone until you become an evil spirit?"
Pu Fang's figure wavered in the breeze. She looked at Yan Hui in surprise: "You can see me?"
"I don't want to see you," said Yan Hui. "The fact that you've turned into this means there's something in your heart that you can't let go, but those matters are something you should no longer chase after."
Pu Fang looked down: "I can't leave." She paused. "You're not scolding me....That day, you were clearly trying to stop me. Chang Lan also lectured me. But I still didn't listen. You're not going to mock me? You should say, Look, I told you so, serves you right for not listening...."
"If those words could bring you back to life then I would sit by your grave day and night to keep harping on you." Yan Hui walked forward and pick off the wildflowers blown onto Pu Fang's tombstone by the wind. "Me mocking you won't help. You mocking yourself also won't help. All you can do is tidy up your hair, dust off your clothes, and walk with head high to the next place you ought to go."
Then, the remaining matters would naturally be left to the living to resolve.
Pu Fang's response was to just shake her head. She spoke no further.
Yan Hui also knew that since Pu Fang had turned into a wandering soul, then what had Pu Fang's heart trapped also wasn't something that could be let go with just a few words. Thus, Yan Hui silently kept Pu Fang company for a while before waving goodbye.
Within the day, the news that Qing Qiu's doctor had passed spread. All the demon clans were in an uproar.
As a doctor, Pu Fang's status in the demon clans was quite high. She had saved the lives of many demons, and those demons viewed her as their savior. Once the news spread that she died by the hands of a xian cultivator at San Chong Mountain, the knife-edge tension at the border keyed up even more.
The anger from being suppressed for many years by the xian cultivators at San Chong Mountain caused quite a few demons to form their own group and cross over the abyss at the border to enter San Chong Mountain. Many conflicts sprung up between them and the xian cultivators.
Yan Hui wasn't idle these few days either. Yan Hui tagged along with Tian Yao when he went to discuss with the demons about surprise attacks and breaking the Sky-Splitting Seal. She silent sat there with clasped hands and watched them train. When night fell, she sat and cultivated.
Tian Yao would observe and didn't lecture. He just occasionally gave her a few pointers, yet those few pointers far more superior than what Yan Hui's shifus taught her all these years.
Only a few days had passed. Tian Yao had assigned the demons tasks, and they were busy fulfilling them. He was with Yan Hui in the forest to teach her some Heart Techniques, but she wasn't willing. She didn't want to cultivate Heart Techniques and said impatiently: "You keep teaching me heart techniques. My inner breath isn't weak. Just teach me the movements. Something powerful and strong will be enough."
Tian Yao lightly looked at her: "You're inner breath is enough?" His tone was somewhat taunting. "If your inner breath was enough, would it have been stopped when you were trying to escape? If your inner breath was enough, then you should've been able to reflect her spell right back."
When Tian Yao brought up that subject, Yan Hui grew a little angry. It wasn't like she hadn't lost before, but loosing in Ling Fei rankled her.
"That's just because I was momentarily careless! I recovered after I circulated my inner breath!"
"You could've been killed in the time it took."
When Tian Yao finished, the forest gradually filled with sense of a murderous aura. Yan Hui furrowed her brow. Tian Yao spoke: "It's coming from the border."
The pair looked at each other. No words needed to be exchanged; they headed over there.
When they arrived after rushing over, Yan Hui was shocked by what she saw. The demon clans were stonily waiting there. They were led by Chang Lan, who stood there with an icy expression. And opposite them was one person...
Xi Feng.
It seemed like there had already been an attack. Xi Feng was kneeling on one knee. Blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth. It looked like he had sustained internal injuries.
"I just request to see Pu Fang." Xi Feng's voice was hoarse. "After that, do what you wish....."
"You aren't good enough to meet her," said Chang Lan. Yan Hui had never seen Chang Lan's face so cold. "If you really want to see her, then you can go accompany her." After saying that, Chang Lan's murderous aura swelled up again. That was what they had sensed in the forest.....
The wrath of a nine-tailed fox demon.
Xi Feng knelt on the ground and didn't try to dodge. It seemed like he didn't have the strength to dodge either.
But right at that moment, Yan Hui saw a transparent, dark soul stand right in front of Xi Feng. Her eyes widened. She moved. Immediately, Yan Hui was right in front of Xi Feng, blocking Chang Lan's blow with her inner breath.
That blow was very strong. The force of it caused a shock wave that stirred up the dust surrounding them. After the dust had settled, Yan Hui was still standing in front of Xi Feng. Not a single hair was harmed.
The every single demon assembled there was shocked. They had all thought Yan Hui was just an ordinary xian cultivator disciple. Someone who got lucky and saved Zhu Li. Every since she had arrived at Qing Qiu, no one imagined she would have the strength to block Cheng Lan.
Yan Hui was also a little astonished by this result. She thought no matter what she would've suffered some kind of injury.....
She looked at Tian Yao. Even though she wasn't daily cultivating the heart technique Tian Yao taught her, it still slowly advanced inside of her. It started back when they were going to break into Heavenly Fragrance. Walking, breathing were all forms of cultivating. At that time, Yan Hui didn't think it was doing any good. Turns out, all she was lacking was time. Now that she had time, the results were like this...
And it was clear Tian Yao wasn't surprised by this result. Everyone else was surprised, but only he didn't even twitch an eyebrow.
Although Chang Lan couldn't see, his other senses were very sharp. He slightly cocked his head and listened. Yan Hui immediately started to explain: "I'm not helping him." She looked at the black figure by her. Pu Fang's features could be vaguely seen.
"Third Prince, I only knew Pu Fang for a short period, but she told me a lot of her personal matters to me in that time. As a fellow female, I think if Pu Fang was here, she would let this person meet her. After all, she was looking toward San Chong Mountain in the end."
A tremor ran through Xi Feng's body. Pain flashed in his eyes. It was so much that his eyebrows stayed clenched, unable to relax.
Chang Lan remained silent for a long time. In the end, he brushed at his sleeve and turned to leave: "I never understood her character." His words held helplessness and also anguish. In the end, he still mourned her, but contained his anger and allowed Xi Feng to meet her.
Yan Hu turned and pulled Xi Feng up. Then she started to walk away: "Follow me."
She lead Xi Feng to the green grass mound. Pu Fang's soul had already floated to behind her tombstone. She looked at him, but Xi Feng only looked at her grave.
"At the end, did she mention me?"
"No." Yan Hui looked at the silent Pu Fang. "She didn't say a single word." She turned to leave. "Take a good look at her."
Xi Feng silently stood there for awhile. Then, he knelt down in front of the grave: "Since childhood, I cultivated with shifu. I remember what was taught. Kill demons, remove evil. There was no disobeying righteousness.....I never thought I was wrong, but when I heard you died, I was shaken. I realized I made three big mistakes in my life."
"First regret, seeking xian cultivation. Secondly, since I've already joined a xian sect, that I didn't kill you after I first met you." After saying this, his lips started to tremble. "Third regret, since you've touched my heart, that I didn't throw down my life and righteousness that day to protect you."
Pu Fang, still behind the tombstone, swallowed. She still made no sound.
"I always wanted to live up to righteousness, to live up to sincerity. But now, I've already failed to live up to that."
He placed one hand on Pu Fang's grave: "I can no longer regain what I've lost. So now, it'll be better to accompany you on this last journey."
Yan Hui had reached the bottom of the mound when she suddenly felt a big wind kick up. She turned to look back. In the sunlight, two dark figures stood separated by a tombstone. They stood there for a long time, until the wind calmed back down. Then, the two figures hugged each other.
They slowly disappeared into the sunlight and shadows.
Yan Hui was stunned. She sprinted back up the mound. Xi Feng was kneeling in front of Pu Fang's grave, forehead lightly resting against her gravestone. No aura was left.
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A bittersweet ending for Pu Fang. I liked her even though she was only in a few chapters. I hope in her next life she can be with Xi Feng. Too bad there are no side stories for this novel....