Chapter 163: Dust Settles
When Yuehai arrived at the spot where Daven had fallen, the silhouette of Laogeri had already appeared there.
The elderly man, who once had a body as straight as a sword, now appeared much older in the eyes of Yuehai. Rather than a seasoned elder who had just been through a great battle, he seemed more like an elderly person in decline.
He sighed, and even Yuehai could distinctly feel the myriad complexities in his heart.
“Master.” The gentle voice of Yuehai made Laogeri’s shoulders tremble, not from being startled by her presence, as he had already sensed her before she arrived.
What truly made Laogeri’s body tremble slightly was this address, “Master.”
Master.
Master.
Master.
As if countless voices echoed in his ears, like the ceaseless ticking of a clock in the night…
But confusion only lingered in Laogeri’s eyes for a moment. The next instant, the elderly man regained his composure and turned back, saying.
“What is it, Yuehai?”
“Oh, I just wanted to see if the Master was here.” Yuehai quickly found an excuse, but in truth, she thought that since nobody remembered Daven’s existence now, she should rightfully strip him of all his possessions. Shouldn’t it be only fair for the younger disciple to inherit the elder’s belongings?
Unfortunately, Master Laogeri had arrived long before, and even more surprisingly, Daven’s body was not there.
“Master, um… where is Daven?”
Yuehai’s question made Laogeri shake his head inwardly, then he replied.
“He was rescued, I suppose.”
“Oh? He’s not dead yet?” Yuehai realized her words might have been too much and quickly shut up. Laogeri sighed heavily and turned to walk beside Yuehai.
“Let’s go back. We can talk along the way.”
“Yes.”
The Duke’s mansion should have been bustling at night, yet because of this incident, all the ordinary servants had fallen into unconsciousness. At this moment, the mansion experienced an unprecedented calm.
The weather in May and June brought a slight cool breeze, especially pleasant at night. Everything was so serene. On the path shaded by trees, the figures of an old man and a young woman walked slowly. The moonlight shimmered on the surface of the pond beside the path…
Yuehai took a deep breath, and the next moment, Laogeri spoke.
“It was my fault that Daven was taken away.”
Yuehai didn’t pick up where Laogeri left off, but instead listened quietly to what the other person was going to say next.
“It was because I didn’t deliver the fatal blow to him, even though I had made up my mind at the end. But, when I saw him, it reminded me of that kid who always boasted about being the strongest.”
“Perhaps I’m truly getting old. I find myself reminiscing about the past too much, even reluctant to kill such a heartbreaking disciple. I even naively wonder if this kid has been brainwashed, if there’s a way to undo it, and so on.”
“During the battle, I knew his conviction hadn’t changed; he just shifted his allegiance, distorting his unwavering belief.”
“When I thrust my sword into his body, I realized he was still my disciple.”
“It was me, showing mercy.”
“It was I, as his master, showing mercy.”
With an unusual tone in his aged voice, Yuehai sighed inwardly. Though she didn’t fully understand these emotions, seeing her master in such distress made her realize that as a disciple, she couldn’t be happy either.
Though her time with this elderly man hadn’t been long, his meticulous teaching of magic had earned Yuehai’s gratitude. The sense of being cared for by an elder made her, with no memories, feel warmth. Even though it was just a bit, Yuehai was deeply grateful. It was Laogeri who had made her regard the Duke’s mansion as a temporary home.
“Master,” Yuehai said softly once again.
“Let’s go back.”
“…” Laogeri nodded silently, and the two gradually disappeared into the woods, while by the side of the path, the pond was brushed by the gentle breeze, causing small ripples, and the sound of collision against the rocky cliff echoed.
There were no lengthy speeches or comforting words in Yuehai’s belly, and Laogeri, being a millennia-old elder, had no qualification to awaken Yuehai. She could only simply do what was in front of her, quietly listening, being aware, and then treating everything as if nothing had happened, quietly ending it.
Let all dissatisfaction and regrets scatter with the wind.
