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“I’m suffering! Every day, I want to die. Every day, I want to kill everyone in this world, and then myself! I’m living in agony!” From a boy who couldn’t be older than thirteen, such furious words probably sounded both laughable and pitiful. But hidden inside that tiny body was something explosive; something that sustained that roaring rage.
“What should I live for in this world? What does it mean to live?” However, his questions were met by silence; there was not a soul to give him an answer. It seemed that the young boy had expected as much and slowly dropped his head. To his surprise, a voice from above suddenly broke through the silence. “If you do not know how to live on anymore, then live for me.”
The young boy’s head shot up, but there was no one there. There was only a soft, gentle voice coming from that clay statue. “I have no answer to the question you asked. However, if you do not know the meaning of your life, then make me that meaning, and use me as your reason to live.”
Xie Lian managed one last shout: “Thank you for your flower! It’s beautiful—I like it very much!”
This was the first time in Xie Lian’s life that he had killed. The very first time, and he had killed thousands. Ants.
Feng Xin, though, spoke up in amazement. “Your Highness, you don’t remember this brat? During the battle today, he kept charging forward, throwing himself ahead of you at the front of the formation.”
“You’re saying that I’m the cause of Human Face Disease?!” Xie Lian was in disbelief. “By that logic, with this so-called predetermined fate, everything that uncrying, unlaughing creature does is my fault? So, the Upper Court won’t even bother with this?”
“You can think of it that way,” the state preceptor acknowledged, “but that’s not altogether correct either. If you must track things to their origin, you could also blame your father and your mother—if they didn’t give birth to you, then you wouldn’t have ascended, and therefore you wouldn’t have descended. By that reasoning, you could blame your entire Xianle ancestry. Assigning fault is meaningless.
“That brat will definitely grow up to be a good man!” Feng Xin commented.
After all these trying days, Feng Xin had finally found someone who would still defend Xie Lian. He was already so excited that he’d almost joined the fight earlier to help the boy out, so naturally he felt that anything the boy did was great.
“Your Highness! Do you hear me?! In my heart, you are god! You are the only god, the one true god! Do you hear me?!”
In the midst of pouring tears, he cried: “I won’t forget! “I will never forget you!”
Just then, Pei Ming chuckled. “I did say that Crimson Rain Sought Flower didn’t kidnap His Highness out of ill intent, but no one believed me. Will you finally believe me now?”
Then he found himself caught by a pair of strong arms. One hand circled his waist, and the other grasped his chin. In the next second, something cold and soft covered his lips.
“I didn’t know…gege suffers from such an unspeakable affliction?” he asked, deadpan. Xie Lian immediately cried, “I don’t!” Then he lamented woefully, “San Lang…” Hua Cheng nodded. “Very well. San Lang understands. I won’t speak another word on the subject.” He put on the face of an extremely good and obedient individual, but he was very obviously faking it. “You’re so insincere,” Xie Lian said. Hua Cheng laughed. “I promise, you will not find another person more sincere than me in this world.”
Shi Wudu continued to scold him, “You’re a man and a heavenly official. This is the Palace of Divine Might! How could you do something so unmannerly? No, don’t turn into a woman either! Even in a woman’s form it’s equally disgraceful; change back right this instant!”
