Chapter 307 Fallen Hero "...My senior brother."...

The steam from the noodles rose high into the cold night air.

Xun Feifei looked at her silently, her eyes unusually complex. Demons are born with the ability to cultivate, have extremely long lifespans, and their childhood and adolescence are naturally different from those of humans.

He was adopted by Ru Niang when he was still in his late childhood.

Then he watched her grow old day by day, her hair turning gray and wrinkles appearing. It was the first time he, as a demon, had seen the marks of time.

Today, Ru Niang is already in her twilight years, but she is unaware that, according to the demon race's calculations, Xun Feifei is only in the early stages of adulthood, and there is still an unimaginably long period of time ahead of her.

How can one live without worry during such a long period of time?

But with the name "Feifei" by my side, I found something precious to ease my sorrows during this long journey.

He looked at Ru Niang and nodded softly, "I will remember, Mother."

Ru Niang smiled and said, "Alright, then everyone, please have this last bowl of noodles. Life and death are predestined, so why be sad about it? Live to the fullest, and let it be when you die!"

Xun Feifei set out the bowls and chopsticks, and the others sat down and started eating. Ru Niang brought up funny stories from the past and laughed heartily, which made the atmosphere less oppressive for a while.

The bowls and chopsticks clattered.

Five bowls of steaming noodles, only four people can pick up their chopsticks, three can taste their flavor, two eat silently, and one abandons everything to enjoy it.

Clearly, it was a reunion of old friends, and Ru Niang was in a great mood. She ate with great relish. In the past, due to her illness, she could only eat a small half bowl at most, but today she ate it all up, even drinking the soup in one gulp.

She put down her chopsticks, and the others followed suit.

After hearing no more noise, Ru Niang nodded: "It is already a great joy to be able to share this last meal with everyone. Now, let me leave in a more cheerful manner."

She had already thought about what she wanted to say before she died, and had told Xun Feifei before Lin Feiran and the others arrived. Now, she had no more worries.

There was a slight night breeze. She lay on the rocking chair, which creaked from time to time, as if she were on a cool summer night, with a gentle breeze blowing through her hair and leaves rustling.

She hummed the little tune she used to sing at Jinling Ferry, and the others listened quietly.

Lin Feiran felt a mix of emotions. When she looked up, she saw her mother sitting opposite her, staring blankly at the bowl of noodles that Ru Niang had finished eating, seemingly lost in thought.

Xun Feifei also looked in that direction, but only glanced at it before her gaze quickly fell on Ru Niang, and she gently tapped her feet to the rhythm of her melody.

Lin Feiran looked into the bowl. There was still some soup left at the bottom. The soup was not as clear as theirs, but rather murky. Her gaze paused for a moment, and she suddenly realized something. She immediately turned to look at Ru Xian.

He looked away from the bowl and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Suddenly the singing stopped, and everyone held their breath and looked over. Ru Niang was lying quietly on the rocking chair, but she spoke again after a moment.

“I heard that a few months ago, the world entered eternal night. Wouldn’t all the people in the world be like me, a blind man? That’s not good.”

Feifei said there was no moon in the sky.

In the past, many literati and scholars would cross the river at Jinling Ferry just to see the moon above the willows. How could the night be without the moon? That would be inappropriate.

Jinlan, now that you're home, don't leave silently again. Feiran is a very sensible child; if you want to leave, just say so, and she'll always understand. Leaving quietly isn't good."

“Feifei, it was my own choice to save you, little crow, back then. I dared to do it, so I’m not afraid of the punishment of being torn apart. But you’re always tormenting yourself because of it. That’s not good.”

"What joy is there in living, what fear is there in dying? I, Jiang Ru, have lived a vibrant and fulfilling life. Looking back now, I have no regrets about a single thing. It was all worth it."

"But since my death is imminent, I didn't want to die in such a gruesome way, so I chose a painless method. You don't need to be sad about it; that's not good."

Her voice grew softer, and her breath became lighter. Xun Feifei's breathing also began to become erratic, but it was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible.

Ru Niang's bowl of noodles already contained some medicinal juice that would take her to paradise. This was her choice, and Jin Lan couldn't stop her. He could only watch helplessly as she poured it in, mixed it, and ate it.

The silent lightning in the sky continued to flash, illuminating the courtyard in patches of black and white, while the damp wind persisted.

"The weather must be lovely today, it looks like it's going to rain." Ru Niang's voice was almost a whisper, and she stopped tapping her feet. "I love this kind of good weather."

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to be taking a simple nap, tilting her head slightly and resting her hand on the armrest. Apart from the rocking of the chair, she made no other movements.

Xun Feifei sat silently in place, staring at the still warm bowls and chopsticks on the table. Jin Lan took a deep breath, slowly closed her eyes, and Ru Xian lost her usual expression, only glancing sideways at Xun Feifei.

At this moment, only Lin Feiran was staring straight at Ru Niang, at this woman whose life force had been almost completely drained.

She wanted to see this appearance, this sorrow, this unbearable pain clearly, and remember it in her heart.

There is only one Ru Niang in the world, but there are definitely more than one Ru Niang.

The pain of separation and death still evokes sorrow and pity in her, but she is no longer defeated by pain or tormented by separation as she once was. Instead, she feels the flame in her heart burning ever brighter.

Each time I see it, my anger grows stronger.

She clutched the hem of her clothes and slowly closed her eyes.

...

I don't know how much time passed.

Xun Feifei finally stood up. He silently began to clear the dishes and clean the slightly old courtyard. Then he dragged out a long coffin, dressed Ru Niang in the clothes she had chosen before her death, carried her into the coffin, wrapped the coffin with hemp rope, and waited quietly for the time to pass.

He kept the time of the funeral procession in mind every day. When the time came, he would get up, carry the long coffin on his back, and look back at the group of people.

"Lin Feiran, you are considered her junior, are you qualified to help me carry the coffin?"

Lin Feiran naturally nodded in agreement. She stepped forward to support one of the corners, and the two of them went out one after the other.

Jinlan turned to look at Ruxian: "Let's go too. She just told me the location of the tomb. Let's go there and wait for them."

Rushan nodded, but just as the two were about to depart, he suddenly asked, "What about you? Will you leave later too?"

Both of them knew in their hearts that if she were truly a sword spirit, then the spirit would not dissipate as long as the sword remained. But she was not; she was merely a wisp of spirit left here by the saint of the Pilgrimage Valley, and she would eventually dissipate.

Jin Lan fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at him and changed the subject, saying, "Given our future relationship, it doesn't seem appropriate to talk to an elder like this, does it?"

Ru Xian raised her eyebrows slightly, not embarrassed by these words: "I am a demon, I don't have so many rules and regulations. You are Lin Feiran's mother, so I naturally care about you. Whether it's appropriate or not is irrelevant."

However, both she and Xun Feifei had lost a child once.

Just as Ru Niang said, if you ever have to leave, you don't need to hide it anymore... She's a sensible child.

Jin Lan smiled suddenly upon hearing this, but there was no smile in her eyes: "Do you really want her to be a sensible child?"

Sometimes, being "sensible" isn't a good thing. Hoping someone will be sensible means that person is about to take advantage of you.

If Ru Xian nods in agreement, then he has misjudged the situation, and from now on...

“Of course I don’t want that.” Ru Xian raised her eyebrows, her eyes slightly lowered. “I just want to get an answer for her in advance, an answer she dares not ask aloud.”

Jin Lan withdrew her gaze: "Ru Niang is a wise woman. I have learned a lot from her. If that day ever comes, I will be like her."

"That's good then." Ru Xian also looked away.

The two stopped talking and set off together.

Midway through the journey, Ru Xian suddenly spoke again, her voice cool and almost penetrating the wind, yet she used an unusual tone.

"...I'm not interrogating you today. Don't speak ill of me to her. She listens to you."

This tone might seem ordinary to others, but coming from Ru Xian's mouth, it was quite funny. Jin Lan couldn't help but laugh out loud. The laughter was hearty, and as it gradually subsided, her voice became somewhat ethereal.

"I know."

...

There is a legend in Jinling Ferry that if someone carries the coffin after death, the deceased will not suffer the torment of being submerged in the underworld. This is just a legend, and no one knows if it is true or not, but for the living, it is a kind of hope.

My mother was a dancer in Jinling Ferry, which wasn't a respectable position. Adding to the rumors, she kept a demon in the house, which fueled even more gossip in the city.

Xun Feifei carried the long coffin and walked down the street with Lin Feiran. He was no longer as taciturn as before, and unusually spoke in a low voice, as if he were confiding in her, or as if he were talking to himself.

Beside them were patients suffering from cold-related illnesses who were constantly coughing. When they looked at the two of them, their expressions changed slightly, and everyone else moved away a little.

Xun Feifei didn't care much. Her high ponytail came down at this moment, and a few strands of hair fell to her pale lips.

He chuckled: "My mother isn't one to swallow her anger. If she hears others gossiping, she'll yell back at them all. She'll stand there protecting me, hands on her hips, silencing them completely."

Back then, some people said that after she died, no one would carry her coffin, and sooner or later her mouth would have to soak in the waters of the underworld. She immediately rushed forward and fought them. Don't let her current appearance fool you; in her youth, she was a formidable fighter.

Lin Feiran was somewhat surprised and chuckled, "When I first met Ru Niang, I thought she was a quiet and gentle person."

Xun Feifei shook her head, her eyes filled with reminiscence: "When she was young, she was a very fiery and outspoken woman, as if she had inexhaustible energy every day. Due to the punishment of the laceration, the owner of the dance hall no longer allowed her to perform on stage, but even so, she later managed to become the owner of the dance hall."

"I was a lifeless child back then. My clan was wiped out, and I was the only one who survived. Who wouldn't be depressed?"

She practically dragged me out of the house and insisted on taking me to school. She talked to me nonstop every day, which is why I didn't try to commit suicide...

I still can't understand why there are swords and spears in the world, when life should be the most precious thing.

I thought it was heavy, but it was really just a breath, a single cut, a single coffin.

"After parting, we are forever separated by death, never to meet again."

At this point, Xun Feifei's voice had become hoarse, though her long hair obscured her expression.

There were still many Jinlingdu people in Tailing City who had come here with him to seek refuge. Some of them saw Xun Feifei carrying a coffin and immediately understood what had happened. Their eyes darkened, and after offering him a copper coin, they left, sobbing.

Many people, projecting their own experiences onto others, seemed to see death approaching, their hearts filled with even greater sorrow, and they couldn't help but sob.

Following the customs of Jinling Ferry, Xun Feifei carried the coffin around the city before leaving and heading to the place chosen for him by the person inside the coffin.

He set up a spirit array in front of the tomb, knelt and kowtowed, then sat down on the spot and quietly looked at the inscription.

"You all go first. I will come to find you after I have dealt with these matters. Please include me in the esoteric sect's group."

Lightning crackled as a lone figure sat before the tomb, a silver mask hanging from his waist atop the tombstone. The night wind blew, crows cried, and a familiar, melodious song echoed through the woods—Ru Niang's favorite tune.

...

On the way back to the city, the three remained silent for a long time before Jin Lan finally let out a deep breath and asked, "Feiran, can you still sense the location of the Heavenly Eye?"

Lin Feiran shook his head: "I don't know why, but ever since this thunder started flashing, my connection with the other Heavenly Eye has been severed. Before, I could still vaguely sense it, but now I can't sense anything at all."

Jin Lan looked up at the sky, his brows furrowing: "What kind of thunder is this? It strikes but makes no sound, and it won't rain. This chaos must be related to the Dao Lord."

Lin Feiran suddenly remembered something: "Could it be related to their so-called birthday?"

Jin Lan sneered, his gaze towards the sky growing colder: "It's just a birthday, yet he dares to make such a big fuss at this time. I'd like to see if he can even survive this birthday!"

Birthday? Anniversary?

Lin Feiran suddenly stopped and looked up at the two of them: "No, although birthday and birth date are synonymous, who would say 'celebrating a birthday' on ordinary days?"

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she immediately summoned a messenger bird, wrote a few strokes above it, and then released it.

Jin Lan asked, "Who should we send the message to?"

"The Imperial Academy." Lin Feiran watched the messenger bird flap its wings and fly away. "I received news earlier that Shen Qi has woken up, and I happen to have some questions to ask him."

Ru Xian looked at her and said, "Since you've temporarily severed your connection with Tianmu, why don't you go directly to the Imperial Academy?"

Lin Feiran shook his head: "No, we'll head west and find some people to investigate the secret of the birth date."

"Who should I look for?"

“Fuyin and the others, and... my senior brother.”

Author's Note: [Kiss]