“Why?!” Bao Da Tong was shocked to see that Ruan Zhan’s chest was indeed a patch of shocking red. He instinctively turned his head to look at Xiao Xia, who was still in a daze. “What should we do? Where is Ah Zhan’s soul?”
“In order to protect him, Tian Yi has sealed his soul within his body.” Uncle Bao said. “Now it is as if his physical body has died, but his soul is in a coma.”
“So,,,what does that mean?”
“Da Tong, you know that if a person’s body dies, their soul cannot forcibly remain attached. The body still decays in that case. But Ah Zhan’s situation is different. His soul is sealed within his body by Tian Yi, which means his soul hasn’t left his body, and his flesh won’t decay.
“Are you saying…he can be resurrected?” Bao Da Tong was both surprised and delighted.
Uncle Bao was silent for a while, then shook his head awkwardly, “Theoretically, yes, because his soul hasn’t left, and it’s not being forcibly attached, so the body doesn’t decay, and there’s a possibility of resurrection. But in reality, his heart is shattered. If his body can’t be saved medically, it’s the same outcome. What’s more, his soul cannot remain unconscious within his body for a long time. Once it awakens, his life will truly be gone. That is to say, the moment he wakes up is the moment he truly dies.”
“How long does he have?” Bao Da Tong asked, “Neither of us are medical experts. Maybe we should take him to the hospital to have a look. The problem is how long his soul can stay unconscious!”
Uncle Bao bent down and carefully checked Ruan Zhan’s breath, “His soul will wake up in less than ten days.” He stopped talking, recalled the scene at that time, and sighed, “I understand now. At the last moment, the father-son bond overcame the lingering evil aura, which made Tian Yi choose to protect his son and abandon himself in that instant.” The moment the crystal dagger shattered, the evil aura of Tian Yi was completely shaken out. With his skill, there would be no problem if he wanted to protect himself, but at that moment, any father would leave the chance of survival to his son. There’s nothing more to say about it. But that formation was too powerful, and the impact of the crystal dagger fragments was too fierce, so he couldn’t protect Ah Zhan’s body even though he risked his own soul being scattered. Perhaps he wanted to keep his son’s soul and see if a miracle could happen within ten days. Right?”
He suddenly asked a question, but he didn’t face Bao Da Tong. Instead, he spoke to the string of beads in his hand. Strangely, the string of beads seemed to have a consciousness. When Uncle Bao asked his question, the silver thread of the beads emitted a faint glow, as if indicating agreement.
Bao Da Tong was startled. “Dad, this is,,,?”
“Your Uncle Ruan’s soul has already scattered, but I didn’t say he was completely annihilated. What you see in this silver thread is a combination of one part of his soul and spirit. Fortunately, his soul is conscious. It’s clear his mind wasn’t gone. He wanted to save his son, and then take the evil aura to hell. It will eventually get purified one day.”
Only then did Bao Da Tong realize the evil aura hadn’t been purified. It was only temporarily split into harmless pieces. “Then when you read Ah Zhan’s fate, was there a miracle?”
“Perhaps, perhaps not.” Uncle Bao smiled wryly, “That’s why I’m saying it’s uncertain. While it depends on human effort and I’ve heard of heart bypass surgery and such, but I’ve never heard of any doctor being able to repair a heart that’s been damaged this badly.”
“Can magic work?”
“Not as far as I know.” Uncle Bao was full of regret. He was able to see life and death, but he feared he couldn’t fulfill his old friend’s dying wish. “Perhaps the heavens will grant Ah Zhan a miracle. After all, Tian Yi suddenly regaining consciousness within the formation was an act of mercy by the heavens.”
Bao Datong didn’t speak, just lowered his head and looked at Ruan Zhan, only to see his face as white as paper. Although his chest was no longer bleeding, he looked so fragile that it seemed he could be blown away by the wind at any moment. It was easy to speak of miracles, and there seemed to be hope. But where was this miracle? How can it be done?
“How is Wan Li?” He asked without turning his head.
“We channeled our power through Wan Li into the net. He is not a cultivator, this kind of power is too much for him to bear. Moreover, he was closest to the eye of the formation, receiving the greatest impact. I estimate he will be unconscious for a few days.”
“As long as he’s alive.” Bao Da Tong spoke lightly, seemingly happy that Wan Li was injured, but he was actually very worried about this friend of his.
“He’ll be suffering but won’t be able to say anything. You can use this chance to bully him while he’s unconscious, and get revenge.” Uncle Bao looked at Bao Da Tong indulgently, “Didn’t you say he always bickers with you? Now you can scold him all you want, and he can’t talk back.”
Since childhood, although his father appeared gentle, he rarely spoiled him. Now he seemed like an unreasonable father spoiling his son, making Bao Da Tong feel a little embarrassed. “I’m not that petty.” He scratched his head and then reached out to grab his father’s hand, trying to help him up. But his hand passed through his father’s body. His father’s body was just a shadow!
Bao Da Tong was taken aback and froze on the spot. He has been practicing Daoism since childhood and had dealt with countless ghosts and spirits, so he understood very well what this meant. When he arrived, he was shocked by the scene and didn’t pay attention to anything. Now that he thought about it, his father reaching Ruan Zhan’s side so quickly despite heavy injuries wasn’t normal. It also wasn’t normal for him to be able to hold the string of evil aura made up of Uncle Ruan’s soul. Those were intangible objects. Also, there seemed to be someone lying next to Wan Li. Who else could it be but his father?
“Oh, Da Tong. Child, you always do this. When you see something you don’t like, you just ignore it. This is called avoiding reality, understand?” Uncle Bao said softly.
“I don’t understand.” Bao Da Tong replied extremely quickly, appearing particularly stubborn.
“Da Tong, look at me, I’m already…”
“I won’t look!” Although he said so and really didn’t dare look, his nose soured and tears fell.
“Da Tong, you silly child, how can I not worry when you act like this. Look up at me, I’m going to leave soon. Show me your face, this time we might be separated forever.” Uncle Bao pretended to speak calmly.
Bao Da Tong was in tears. He had never cried like this even as a child. The moment his father was about to leave, he finally realized how reluctant he was to let him go. Why have I never been filial to him? Why did I never do as he said, or even told him how much I loved him.
“You must remember, everything I did today for your Uncle Ruan, I don’t regret in the slightest. We have known each other since we were young. At that time, we were both homeless children, almost starved to death in that chaotic era. It was because of your Uncle Ruan that I survived. Whenever there was food, he always gave it to me first. When I hurt my foot, he carried me the whole way. When vicious dogs and wicked people bullied us, he stood in front of me. He always said how wonderful it would be if there were no bad people in this world. To me, he has been someone I have known since I can remember. He is not only a friend but also a brother. Later, we apprenticed together to learn the Dao, but we separated because we followed different masters. Since then, we have rarely been together.But now, we brothers will always be together. This is called having a beginning and an end. You should be happy for me.” Uncle Bao patted his son’s head, but his hand passed through the air, “You must know that in this life, friends and brothers are very important. Fortunately, you have Wan Li. If you can save Ah Zhan, he will also be your lifelong friend. You must cherish them. Unfortunately, I never really cherished you.”
“No, dad, you cherished me a lot. I’m the one who didn’t live up to your expectations.”
“Nonsense, you’ve lived up to plenty.” Uncle Bao lovingly scolded his son.
At this moment, he suddenly understood his old friend’s heart. He once thought he had a chance to make up for the love he owed his son and thought he could enjoy the father-son relationship, but in the end, he also lost the opportunity. “You were not born with innate talent, yet you have trained to such an extent. It’s quite remarkable! After I’m gone, you must practice diligently. You know that our sect does not forbid relationships with women. In the future, you should find a good girl to marry, understand? Don’t just focus on looks. Also, take care…”
“Dad, don’t go. Didn’t Uncle Ruan stay in the mortal realm for a long time?” Bao Da Tong interrupted his father.
“Da Tong, don’t be disobedient. “Your Uncle Ruan didn’t leave because he had unfinished business, but I’m accompanying my good brother to hell. What’s there to regret? With a son like you, I won’t have any regrets. We cultivators emphasize the way of nature. You need to be open-minded. I’m leaving to help your Uncle Ruan purify the evil aura. Maybe, in a century or so, a reunion between us isn’t out of the question.” Uncle Bao spoke uncertainly. “Da Tong, raise your head. Don’t cry like a girl. Now that Wan Li is unconscious and Ah Zhan’s resurrection is uncertain, only Xiao Xia is left. How can we leave a lass by herself? You need to be strong. Don’t make me depart with worries.”
Bao Da Tong knew his father was right, and he also knew it was all irreversible, but he just couldn’t stop the heart-wrenching pain. He wanted to hold his father’s hand and not let go. An open mind? That was easy to say. Despite being cultivators, they really just helped the common folk deal with fiends and ghouls. They were still human, so how could they be that open-minded? But since it was his father’s request, and despite never having done anything to make his father proud, he could at least act a little tougher.
At that moment, Xiao Xia woke up.
The moment she woke up, the look Ruan Zhan gave her, the words he mouthed, suddenly rushed into her mind, causing that heart-wrenching pain to pierce her from head to toe. She got up and saw Ruan Zhan lying on the ground from a distance. A huge fear rose in her heart, as if the end of the world had come.
She stumbled and ran over, seeing Ruan Zhan unmoving still like a statue. Her mind was in a mess, and she rushed over to check his body from top to bottom.
His face was icy cold, the steady beat of his heart completely gone. Those lonely eyes, which always made her feel a sense of pity, were tightly shut, and his resolute mouth now showed a relaxed curve. Was he too tired? Had life been too difficult for him? But he told her he would always love her, so why had he left?
“Wake up.” She shook his hand, “I had declared my ownership, and put a stamp on it. You are mine now. Without my permission, you aren’t allowed to leave. Did you hear me? Wake up. If you dare to die, if you dare leave me behind, I will hate you. I swear I will hate you, hate you forever, hate you until the end of time, hate you until your next life and the next life after that! I swear I will!” Towards the end, she started yelling, her face covered with tears and her heart broken. Without him, was there any meaning to life? Who would listen to her jokes, keep her company late into the evening? Who could move her heart so, make her want to build a family, make her want to love him forever? She wanted no one else but him!
She lost her mind and wanted to move his body, but was stopped by Bao Da Tong.
“Let go of me! I’m going to wake him up! I hate him! I hate him to death!”
“Shh, listen to me, don’t start crying yet.” Xiao Xia’s sadness temporarily distracted Bao Da Tong from his grief. For the sake of calming her down, or perhaps to give her a reason to keep living, he blurted out, “He’s dead, but there’s a chance to resurrect him.” Whether they could pull it off, whether a miracle would happen, he had to give Xiao Xia some hope or she might go crazy on the spot.
Xiao Xia heard Bao Da Tong and immediately stopped crying. She stared at him blankly, afraid she had misheard.
“That’s right, you heard me correctly, I’m telling the truth.” Bao Da Tong held Xiao Xia’s shoulder and gave her a very affirmative look, “His soul was sealed in his body by his father, which means he hasn’t left yet. As long as we repair his heart, he can come back to life.”
“Then why won’t he talk to me? Why?” Xiao Xia’s tears once again fell like broken beads, “He has supernatural powers. He can still speak to me, so why is he ignoring me?”
“Because he only has a chance to resurrect if his soul remains unconscious. If his soul wake up, then he will truly die. Would you rather he speak to you now?” Bao Da Tong stared into Xiao Xia’s eyes.
Xiao Xia immediately fell silent. Bao Da Tong comfortingly patted her shoulder to calm her down, but when Xiao Xia looked up and saw Uncle Bao, she could tell at a glance that he was a spirit. “Uncle Bao, you?” Before Uncle Bao could answer, she also noticed Wan Li lying there and was even more startled. “He isn’t dead, right? Right? He didn’t die, did he?”
“This child is innately blessed with yang energy and great fortune. He won’t die.” Uncle Bao replied, “It’s us old folk who died. This is like that saying you guys use, what was it, the old ringing in the new.” He spoke lightly, as if he wasn’t talking about death.
Xiao Xia cried out uncle, but her voice choked up and she couldn’t speak further.
“Let’s think of a way to deal with the aftermath first.” Bao Da Tong seemed to instantly toughen up, no longer his usual joking self. “Although Ah Zhan’s heart was damaged, he can’t go to a hospital. Besides, his resurrection won’t come about via medical skills. Wan Li’s soul also suffered damage and also needs to recuperate. He looked around as he spoke. “This cave seems suitable. No one knows about this place anyway. In a bit, I’ll move Ah Zhan and Wan Li inside and set up an illusion that will include even the dead locust tree. I’ll put up a barrier outside the cave so they should be safe.”
Uncle Bao, seeing his son speak so eloquently, said with great relief: “You’re right, we can’t let anyone know about this. Fortunately, there was a total lunar eclipse last night, and this place looks like it was bombed. There shouldn’t be anyone poking around. You guys just stay hidden for a bit. Those two yakshas should have already moved on, you just need to take care of yourselves.” He paused here and said, “After dawn, your Uncle Ruan and I will also have to depart.”
Hearing his words, Bao Da Tong suddenly covered his face and cried.