Chapter 328 - 127: Final Flicker (Part 2)

Chapter 328: Chapter 127: Final Flicker (Part 2)

"Brother Ah Rui, I have an idea!"

Nannan, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up. "Why don’t we adopt a baby? Preferably one with the aptitude of a Spirit Master. That way, we can also pass on the legacy of the Primordial Path."

"That’s a great idea. It kills two birds with one stone. It’ll give Mother something to do and ensure the Primordial Path’s legacy continues, preventing it from being severed."

Fang Rui’s eyes lit up.

He didn’t owe Qing Yan anything, but he did feel indebted to Ge Changgeng.

Taking care of Qing Yan?

That was their original agreement. It could be seen as a gamble: if nothing happened to Ge Changgeng, Fang Rui would get information for free, without paying any price. If something did happen, he would protect Qing Yan until he came of age.

Therefore, this couldn’t be considered repayment to Ge Changgeng.

’I owed Daoist Ge quite a few favors back then. Later, I also asked for the Primordial Scripture. Even though Qing Yan gave it to me willingly, it still counts as a karmic debt.’

Fang Rui had once read in the secret information Qing Yan provided that when a Spirit Master’s path reached an extremely profound Realm, they would be constrained by karmic ties. The fewer karmic debts one owed, the better.

As the saying goes: Mortals fear the consequence, while Bodhisattvas fear the cause.

’Finding a successor for the Primordial Path... I suppose this can be considered a form of repayment,’ Fang Rui mused.

However, he knew in his heart that he could never be as close to this adopted child as he was to Fang Ling and Nannan. At best, they would be like cousins, treated with only slightly more importance than a stranger.

"Brother, it’s settled then. I’m going to check on Mother!"

Fang Ling stood up, but before leaving, she suddenly gave Nannan a little push. "Brother, Nannan likes you."

"Hee hee, don’t you want to be my sister-in-law, Nannan? No need to thank me!"

By the time Nannan processed what had happened, Fang Ling had already trotted away.

"Brother Ah Rui!"

The young woman, who was usually so cool and aloof in front of others, was now so shy that steam was practically coming out of her ears. She stammered, ultimately unable to say anything, and ran off as well.

Truthfully, with her personality, she wouldn’t normally be so shy that she couldn’t face Fang Rui. The reason was Third Lady.

"Sigh!"

Fang Rui watched Nannan’s retreating figure and sighed with a wry smile. "Hopefully, when she gets a little older, these feelings will slowly fade."

He was fond of Nannan, this girl he had watched grow up, but his feelings weren’t romantic.

That, however, was a secondary issue. Fang Rui was a very easygoing person; it wasn’t as if he couldn’t compromise and make a sacrifice.

The key was... Third Lady.

Third Lady wouldn’t object, but if he really did accept Nannan, it would still plant a thorn between them. This would be especially true as Third Lady grew older and began to avoid him.

...

"Ling’Er, good evening! Good evening!"

"Have you practiced your skills today?"

As soon as Fang Ling entered the room, two Golden Crowned Parrots fluttered over, perfectly mimicking the voices of Nannan and Fang Rui.

"Good evening."

Fang Ling nodded at one Golden Crowned Parrot, then patted the other on the head. "I have! I have!"

After feeding the two parrots, she sat down by the window, where pink gossamer curtains fluttered and lush plants grew. Cupping her cheek in her slender hand, she contemplated her relationship with Qing Yan.

’Qing Yan will have to leave sooner or later to carry on his sect’s legacy. If I were with him, I would have to leave too—leave Mother and Brother.’

’Mother is getting old, and Brother is aging year by year. If I’m not here, they’ll surely be sad. How could I let that happen?!’

’In the past, Mother and Brother were the ones who accompanied and took care of me, letting me grow up happily. Now that I’m grown, it should be my turn to accompany and take care of them, letting them grow old happily.’

In truth, Fang Ling knew that if she passed on Qing Yan, she would probably never find another man who caught her eye. She might very well never get married!

"I just won’t get married, then!" she huffed under her breath, her delicate nose twitching.

"Won’t get married, then!"

"Won’t get married, then!"

The two parrots repeated, using Nannan’s and Fang Rui’s voices, as if to bolster her confidence.

"Hee hee!"

Fang Ling laughed, a happy, genuine laugh. The corners of her eyes crinkled and her smile was like a blooming flower, seeming to brighten the entire, slightly dim room.

She lit a candle and took out a pink letter-writing set from the very bottom of her drawer. She opened it, and on the title page were the words: ’A family is supposed to be together!’

—Those were the words Fang Ling had spoken and written when they left Huaiyin Prefecture. The paper had yellowed with age, but the delicate, neat handwriting was still perfectly clear.

"It’s really been such a long, long time since then!"

Fang Ling thought for a moment, then picked up her pen and added a new sentence below: ’Growing up isn’t about getting older. It’s about starting to understand sacrifice.’

’Brother once said that if you’re going to reject someone, you should make it clear early on. It’s not right to lead them on.’

With this thought, she stood up and walked out the door.

...

「The next day.」

"This is bad! One of the maids went to invite the young Daoist Qing Yan to eat today, but she found his door wide open. When she went inside, he was gone. She only found letters on his desk!"

The head maid, Qing Yun, hurried over with five letters in her hand.

One was for Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, and one for Third Lady, greetings for the elders.

One was for Fang Rui, thanking him for his years of protection and guidance. He wrote that under Fang Rui’s influence, he had developed a moral compass and his personality hadn’t become radical or gloomy. He explained that he was leaving to find a disciple and continue his sect’s lineage.

One was for Nannan, expressing the care of a fellow disciple.

The last was for Fang Ling. On it were only two words: "Take care."

—A thousand words cannot express what’s in the heart; only two remain to tell the tale.

In the days that followed, the Fang Family was immersed in the sorrow of Qing Yan’s departure.