While the Dragon Emperor was talking with the Phoenix Clan and them, in another part of the Dragon Palace, Ao Fan and Little Spirit followed that accidentally found passageway and came inside the Dragon Valley.
Nowadays, it was March in the outside world, the grass was long and the warblers were flying, a peaceful scene. Inside the Dragon Valley, it was a yellow soil, sand and dust all over the ground, swirling with an old and thick atmosphere at all times.
At the entrance of the Dragon Valley, Elder Blood Peak was, unsurprisingly, silently cultivating there.
He was dressed in an old grey robe, and although it wasn't stained with the slightest bit of dust due to the Yuan Qi that swirled around him, it was obvious that he hadn't changed it for a long time. His face was still withered, his long pale hair was spread out behind him, his two eyebrows and beard were all as pale as ever.
That was the vicissitude that could only be possessed after a long time!
Ao Fan and Little Spirit came here, and did not immediately go up to disturb Elder Blood Peak, but instead both sat down not far from Elder Blood Peak, and similarly practised cultivation.
Invisible time passed in a burst of Yuan Qi fluctuations accompanying them.
At night, the canopy covered the sky like a huge black cloth. The stars were like diamonds set in the sky, scattering pieces of light. A full moon rose from the sky and floated in the air, accompanied by the stars.
A burst of Yuan Qi fluctuation, as if the sea surface that had been rippling for a long time, finally came to a halt. Ao Fan and the three of them at the mouth of the Dragon Valley opened their eyes at the same time.
Ao Fan and Little Spirit, it was from the abnormalities of the Yuan Qi fluctuations that they sensed that Elder Blood Peak had finished his cultivation, and only then did they stop cultivating at the same time.
"You're all here." When Elder Blood Peak saw Ao Fan and Little Spirit Child, he said indifferently.
Ao Fan and Little Spirit Child nodded their heads without words and sat in front of Elder Blood Peak.
"The banquet that the Dragon Emperor had set up for the Phoenix Clansmen, is it over already?" Elder Blood Peak asked casually with an expressionless face.
"Yes, Elder." Ao Fan opened his mouth and replied, "The banquet ended long ago during the day, it's just that the phoenix clans seemed to still have something to tell Father Emperor in secret, so they continued to go into the main hall to talk again."
Elder Blood Peak nodded, looked up at the bright moon in the sky, and said again, "Why are you all still here so late at night, there is plenty of time for hard cultivation, there is no need to force yourselves so much. Combining work and rest is the right thing to do."
Ao Fan and Little Spirit looked at each other and spoke, "It's not like that, Elder. We have come, it is related to you."
"Oh? What matter? It's also related to the old man." Elder Blood Peak raised his eyelids slightly and said flatly.
Ao Fan deliberated in his heart for a while before speaking, "This time, the Phoenix Clan members came to the Dragon Domain, not only did they have secrets to talk to Father, but they also brought some gifts to send to a few of the elders of my clan, among which there is also a share for you, Elder."
"Is that so?" Elder Blood Peak's tone didn't change, and he said unconcernedly, "Since that's the case, you can take it, I'm dedicated to bitter cultivation, and I don't need anything outside of my body."
"But, this gift, it is related to an elder of the Phoenix Clan named Blood Phoenix." Ao Fan said.
"What!" Elder Blood Peak suddenly shook, endless pain showing in his eyes.
He seemed to be stunned for a moment and closed his eyes again, as if he was thinking about something. Ao Fan, who was opposite him, could clearly see a little bit of wetness in the corner of Elder Blood Peak's eyes.
A moment later, Elder Blood Peak opened his eyes again, his eyes were no longer filled with tears, and they were equally clear, unlike the turbidity of previous days.
He took a deep breath and slowly asked, "What is the gift?"
Ao Fan did not answer, reaching into his pocket, he gently took out an object.
A rolled up light red square handkerchief, like a faded flower petal, just like that quietly lying in his hand, without a trace of breath, as if it had lost all!
"This, this is?" Elder Blood Peak stretched out his right hand and asked with a slight tremble. Although the red square handkerchief was within his reach, he did not go to pick it up, instead keeping a certain distance, not daring to reach for it.
What exactly was he afraid of? What was it that made him, who had achieved so much, afraid?
Ao Fan doesn't know, Little Spirit doesn't know, maybe even the Blood Peak Elder himself doesn't know!
Ao Fan gently said, "This is the thing that the Phoenix Clan brought to send to the Elder, listening to what others said, this thing seems to be the last letter left by Elder Blood Peak."
He had known Elder Blood Peak for more than a year, but it was the first time he had seen him in such a state of disorientation, and knowing that things were different, he did not dare to speak loudly.
"A suicide note! A suicide note! She actually left a suicide note!" Elder Blood Peak suddenly looked up to the sky, clenched his fists and laughed sadly, "At that time, how could she possibly have the time to leave a suicide note. Or, did she anticipate that something untoward would happen in that line of work, so she left a suicide note early on?"
Seeing Elder Blood Peak like this, Ao Fan and Little Spirit didn't dare to make a sound and sat quietly in place listening to Elder Blood Peak's venting.
After a long time, Elder Blood Peak seemed to vent all the pent-up anger in his heart, and dropped his gaze on Ao Fan again.
"Bring it, let me see." He stretched out his trembling right hand and said in an undulating tone.
He still didn't dare to get it himself?
Ao Fan did not say anything and gently handed over the Blood Phoenix Legacy Book to the Blood Peak Elder while he and Little Spirit looked at the Blood Peak Elder.
The moment he received the Blood Phoenix Legacy Book, the Blood Peak Elder visibly shivered. It wasn't because of the cold, the cold couldn't work on him with his profound cultivation; it wasn't because of the wind, even the most violent gale couldn't do anything to him. He was just heartbroken, that deep pain within him that burned like fire!
When the Blood Peak Elder brought the square red handkerchief to his eyes and gently unfolded it, all three present immediately held their breath, and there was no more breath around.
Under the dim sky, the rest of the places might be bright and extraordinary with neon lights. But in the Dragon Valley, there is only consistent darkness, and then bright light can not shine in this direction.
Within the darkness of the Dragon Valley, a desolate laughter suddenly came out, as if the world's most miserable laughter was just around the corner.
Elder Blood Peak had finished reading the Blood Phoenix's suicide note, he slowly put the light red square handkerchief into his bosom, his face appeared incomparably sad. A line of hot tears, he finally couldn't bear it anymore and let them flow straight out.
Ao Fan and Xiao Ling'er were also infected by Elder Blood Peak's emotions, as if they had witnessed something incomparably sad. Ao Fan was fine, just depressed. Little Spirit Child, on the other hand, secretly wiped away the tears that had unconsciously appeared in the corners of her eyes from time to time.
After another long period of time, the chilly, cold wind blew by, and the Blood Peak Elder sat down on the ground, sighed, and said, "I've made you all laugh."
"Don't dare, don't dare." Ao Fan and Little Ling'er said in a loud voice.
Elder Blood Peak's eyes were suddenly incomparably deep, as if he had fallen into some sort of memories. It was only after a while that he recovered, and then suddenly said to Ao Fan and Little Spirit Child, "Do you guys want to hear a story? One, a story about the past, that is so amazing, that is so unbelievable ..."