Debenny was a little anxious. He wasn't worried about his younger brother, but rather that if he couldn't find him, his mother would punish him severely.

He considered the possibility that his brother might have gone to find the families of those vampire hunters. The thought sent a chill down his spine.

His younger brother has a volatile and ruthless personality, and this isn't the first time he's done something like this.

Debbini hurried to the vicinity of several hunters he knew, but nothing unusual happened. A sense of unease began to creep in; it was strange, where was his brother?

Should he go outside the city to search? Debini stopped in his tracks at this thought. He didn't want to leave the city; the search area would be too vast, it would take too much time, and it would be exhausting. He wasn't a diligent person, especially in the years he'd been in Bahrain; he'd become accustomed to a lazy life. He didn't want to go through the trouble of searching for his brother. But thinking of Hamelin's methods, Debini couldn't help but shudder. He sighed and walked out of the city gate, dejected.

Yun Zhe stood under the tree, watching the Aluru people gradually disappear into the distance. He remained expressionless, motionless, leaning against the tree, watching them vanish into the depths of the forest.

Ellie watched the poet leave, turning back again and again, and felt a pang of pity. She couldn't help but say to Yun Zhe, "Why don't you stay another night?"

Yun Zhe glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Ellie regretted saying that as soon as she finished speaking. She was worried that Yun Zhe would agree in one go and then start delivering goods day after day until he reached the border, to the newly established country of the Aruru people...

"I actually wanted to send it, and I've been secretly sending it to the country they mentioned, to see what that country is like."

Ellie felt a tightness in her chest, but the thought of an Aruruman seeing his fellow Aruruman go through such a thing and wanting to speak up to stop it, yet not knowing how to open his mouth, made her uneasy.

“But what you just said made me realize something.” Yun Zhe paused and looked at Ellie.

Upon hearing this, Ellie thought to herself, "I guess I'll have to leave eventually." She couldn't help but regret her soft-hearted behavior earlier.

“I should have let them walk this road on their own; I shouldn’t have continued to escort them.”

Ellie was taken aback. "Huh?!"

"What's the point of delivering them for another night? What's the point of getting them there?"

Ellie didn't understand. Looking at Yun Zhe's slightly pained expression, she couldn't help but think that he was being sarcastic.

“If you want to send it, then go ahead. Anyway, there are still twenty days left. If you think about it, it’s not too late.” Ellie thought for a moment, then glanced cautiously at Yun Zhe’s expression and added, “Let’s send it to the border. Otherwise, we might not have enough time.”

Yun Zhe shook his head. "I won't see them off anymore. They have to walk the rest of the road on their own. They shouldn't rely on me, but on themselves and have faith in themselves."

Ellie was puzzled; her face was full of confusion.

“I can’t keep sending them forever, nor can I possibly keep doing it forever. I can’t, and I shouldn’t, let them think that if they encounter difficulties or dangers, as long as I’m there, everything will be alright. They shouldn’t rely on me; they should rely on themselves. If they encounter difficulties and dangers and don’t bravely step forward themselves, but instead expect a superhero to solve their problems, they won’t go far. Their country will ultimately be nothing but a mirage. I can’t be by their side forever, even if I’m a vampire. That would only harm them.”

"Just like children can't rely on their parents forever?"

"More or less. What I hope for is that they need me, not that they simply rely on me."

“They sound pretty much the same,” Ellie blurted out, then quickly covered her mouth.

“There is a difference. For example, when they were burying their compatriots just now, I hoped they would call me to help dig, rather than expecting me to dig it all for them at once.”

Ellie looked at Yun Zhe and fell into deep thought as well.

“I feel that you still dislike them. You think they don’t deserve it, or that they’re not what you imagine them to be, that they’re not worthy. Actually, you just felt a bit alienated because they didn’t call you over just because of one person’s comment, so you made up an excuse to refuse to walk with them anymore.” Ellie blinked. “I could feel the anger in your voice when you were talking to them, but it was a strange kind of anger, not the usual kind. I think it’s because they disappointed you, right?”

Yun Zhe looked at Ellie in surprise, thinking to himself, "What are you talking about, woman? I am... I am cultivating their racial confidence and self-esteem, teaching them to rely on themselves when facing problems, not on heaven, earth, gods, or heroes. What do you mean by 'annoying'? What excuse? What are you talking about...?"

Yun Zhe looked at Ellie with some annoyance, his anger inexplicably growing stronger. He paced back and forth, glancing at Ellie with displeasure every now and then.

Ellie was initially startled by Yun Zhe's reaction, but as Yun Zhe moved faster and looked at her more frequently, Ellie suddenly realized that she was right; she had indeed hit Yun Zhe's sore spot.

Ellie couldn't help but feel a little happy and wanted to laugh, but then she thought of Yun Zhe's conflicted feelings and couldn't laugh anymore.

“They’ve all established their own countries, so I think things will definitely get better, right? Don’t worry, if they really need you, just go back.” Ellie suddenly stepped forward and hugged Yun Zhe tightly.

Yun Zhe was taken aback, struggled briefly, and then gave up resisting.

Time passed slowly, and after a long while, Yun Zhe uttered a sentence, "Ellie, thank you."

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