Chapter 2 The Next Day
The sky was a gloomy grey, and the air hung heavy and oppressive with the gentle drift of white paper money.
Bai Ran had shed her flamboyant red dress, donning instead the simple, coarse hemp mourning clothes.
She stood at the very front of the crowd, watching as an empty coffin was slowly lowered into the earth.
"Bai, my child, please accept my condolences..."
Long Yu slowly approached, gently patting Bai Ran's shoulder, his face etched with sorrow and pity.
"There are simply some things in this world that, no matter how high one's talent or how strong one's cultivation, one cannot accomplish, cannot undo..."
Bai Ran possessed exceptional talent and progressed at an astonishing rate. Yet, when the Wu Shi Beast sacrificed itself to stop her, she could only watch helplessly, a silent scream trapped in her throat.
Bai Ran had the blood of gods and demons, capable of neutralizing a thousand poisons and entering myriad medicines. But when faced with Qing Feng and his companions, who were deeply poisoned, she was utterly powerless.
Bai Ran was the Ghost King, possessing the ability to control the dead and command all souls. Yet, she could not summon back her own brother, who had turned to ashes and scattered his soul.
The impermanence of life was ultimately fated, and though life was fated, it was also impermanent.
Long Yu sighed deeply, finding it all unbearably tragic.
Bai Ran stood there silently, her eyes devoid of their usual sparkle, now dull and lifeless, hollow and vacant.
At this moment, she felt utterly powerless. Despite her desperate efforts to grow stronger, she still couldn't hold onto anyone she had lost or anything that had vanished.
"Master..." Zhu Que and the others stood not far from Bai Ran, wanting to comfort her but unsure how to begin.
A tall figure strode forward, also clad in white hemp mourning clothes, like everyone else.
He stood beside Bai Ran, gazing at her, his dark eyes filled with grief and heartache. Slowly, the man reached out and gently stroked her back.
Long Jin Han, like Zhu Que and the others, didn't know what to say to comfort Bai Ran in her grief over losing a loved one.
But he knew that Bai Ran at this moment was so fragile she could shatter with a single touch, and she shouldn't have to bear this burden alone.
"Long Jin Han..."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Why, as I watch all this, do I feel nothing at all..."
She had cried herself breathless yesterday, almost fainting. But as she watched the funeral proceedings, why did she feel no pain?
Hearing this, Long Jin Han clenched the hand resting by his hemp-clad robe, then slowly relaxed it, before reaching out to embrace Bai Ran's slender shoulders.
"Child..." He looked at Bai Ran, who had her head bowed, his heart feeling as if it were clutched in a giant hand, suffocating and aching.
But at that very moment, an unexpected figure rushed forward. His brow furrowed with anxiety, he quickly pushed through the crowd and tightly embraced Bai Ran.
Long Jin Han's vigilance, instantly roused, completely dissipated the moment he recognized the newcomer's face. He lowered his gaze and stepped back a bit, making way for the approaching person.
Bai Ran lifted her head, and as her hollow eyes registered the face before her, moisture welled up, gradually blurring her vision.
"Father..."
Mo Huai An held her tightly, his eyes red, his arms trembling uncontrollably.
"Ran Ran, you've suffered..."
"It's alright now, it's alright. Father is here... Father is here..."
Her father's embrace was incredibly warm and vast. Bai Ran could truly feel the love that emanated from her father.
"Father... Father..."
Bai Ran could no longer control her emotions and sobbed uncontrollably in Mo Huai An's arms.
Her cries were loud and tragic, echoing in everyone's ears, breaking their hearts.
Long Yu, watching the scene before him, quietly wiped away a tear. He turned and saw the elder approaching and standing beside him.
"You did this, didn't you."
The elder looked at the two figures embracing and weeping, and sighed, "Although I couldn't make Mo Cheng Ze disappear completely."
"But to let him be quiet for a while, this old man can still manage."
...
After the funeral, the spiritual energy the elder had left in Mo Huai An's body dissipated, and he returned to being Mo Cheng Ze.
However, the mere half an hour of Mo Huai An's appearance was enough to soothe a significant portion of Bai Ran's grief.
According to custom, after the death of a relative, one must observe mourning for three years, to console the deceased and ease the suffering of the living.
During this period, no marriages or auspicious events were to be held.
Therefore, Bai Ran and Long Jin Han's wedding was postponed until three years later.
...
"Boy, where on earth have you been?"
In the small courtyard of the Shan Shui Zhi Jian, the Second Elder sat down cautiously, clutching his injured area.
He had thought Baili Xiao and that demon would have gone to the battlefield. But despite his own injuries worsening, the young man still hadn't shown up.
The man in white robes smiled, his complexion still somewhat pale and exceedingly weak.
Beside him, Wu Si pursed her lips and began to explain, "It was Wu Si who went to stop the Divine Lord..."
The front lines were engulfed in war, and the soldiers were frenzied. If the Divine Lord had gone in his current state, he might have been injured.
Baili Xiao chuckled helplessly, "Wu Si exaggerates too much. My body is fine, I merely have some cold qi entering my system, making me a little weak."
The Second Elder pouted and waved at Wu Si, "Ah, forget it, forget it. Go fetch some wine."
"Wu Si will go right away." She bowed and then left to prepare the wine.
"Second Elder, what is the situation of the battle?"
Baili Xiao looked up, his azure eyes crystal clear and beautiful in the sunlight.
The Second Elder lifted his robe, revealing the bandages wrapped around his waist. "Look, just look! It makes me furious just thinking about it!"
"That little girl had me pinned down to take a beating! I couldn't even move!"
"By the time I could move, the war was over!"
Wasn't this a mockery? He might as well not have gone.
Baili Xiao gazed at his waist and chuckled heartily. "Little girl? I wonder who the Second Elder is referring to?"
"It's that destined person of yours, the woman in the red dress, what's her name... Bai Ran?"
Bai Ran...?
Baili Xiao's heart skipped a beat the moment he heard the name.
"Bai Ran..." he murmured the name, a strange feeling surging within him.
"Yes, what's wrong?" The Second Elder, drinking the wine Wu Si had brought, glanced at Baili Xiao.
He lowered his gaze and, after a long pause, slowly shook his head. "Nothing. What happened to that Mo Ze in the end?"
Speaking of Mo Ze, the Second Elder's hand paused mid-drink, and he sighed, "When that kid saw the little girl, it was as if his seven emotions and six desires were reawakened, and he eventually surrendered."
He ran his fingers over the wine cup, his tone deepening. "I heard that the Ghost Clan is holding a funeral today because he self-destructed his dantian."
Baili Xiao's eyes trembled. Although he had expected it, hearing it now was still difficult to accept.