The Legend of the Devil
Ch. 140 - One Question
Silence occurred. Fenghuang turned to look at Xiang Yi Bai, not too surprised, but the atmosphere between the three made him start to feel uneasy.
There was a sigh from Xiang Yi Bai, "I have no intention of hiding it from you."
Xue Zhan opened his mouth wanting to speak but no sound came out of his mouth, his throat was dry.
"But if you knew all the truth from me, maybe you'd just walk away. Then ... You're gonna die alone at the bottom of this ravine." Xiang Yi Bai said so with a weak tone.
"I don't mind it, I know Master is worried about me. But for some reason, I feel like Master doesn't trust me at all. Master can tell this to Fenghuang, but with me?" Disappointment felt as stifling as his chest, Xue Zhan should not have thought too much about this.
"Sit here, don't sulk," Xiang Yi Bai said at last. Xue Zhan still looked glum, reluctant to look at him, Xiang Yi Bai turned to the side while slightly looking down for the sake of looking at the child's face.
"The more I see, the more your face looks like her."
Finally Xue Zhan turned his head, from childhood he was really curious about who his father was, about how the man lived his days, his smile and his laughter. Xue Zhan had never felt that since childhood. When his peers were on their fathers shoulders joking cheerfully, he was just watching crying.
He misses both parents that he doesn't himself don't know how he looks like.
"I know, you've been an orphan since you were a kid. Don't cry, you're a strong boy, bad boy." Xiang Yi Bai was still treating Xue Zhan like when they first met, now time was running so fast and the lifespan of the little demon had increased. He is now a 21-year-old.
"What do you want to ask about them? I'll answer it." Xiang Yi Bai and Fenghuang turned their heads simultaneously towards him. Xue Zhan thought for a moment, the first question he wanted to ask, Xue Zhan had no idea because there was such a question he wanted to ask. A minute waiting for Xue Zhan to finally open his mouth again.
"What does Teacher say ..." His head turned towards Xiang Yi Bai for a moment. "They love me?"
Fenghuang actually didn't quite understand the human heart, it was too complicated to think about. When a child is separated from his or her parents without seeing their faces and has lost their way for years without protection, he or she asks questions he or she has never thought of.
The white-robed man was also stunned by the question.
"From the many questions it's the first one you've asked."
"I just want to know."
"The stupid question. Even Fenghuang could answer that."
Xue Zhan turned towards Fenghuang to get an answer.
"It's obvious, right? There are parents who do not love their children. Your mother risked her life to give birth to you and your father was always by her side to look forward to your birth" Fenghuang replied, at the same time the memories of the past flashed.
"You're their strength, so don't show that ugly face again if you don't want to fan you until your skin comes off."
Xue Zhan throttled, silently pulling Fenghuang feathers.
"Fucking kid!" his screeches furiously, Xue Zhan laughed grimacingly, Fenghuang attacking him.
"Haha. Thank you, your answer makes me happy."
"Xue Zhan-" Xiang Yi Bai called out his name, the young man turned his head and instantly cut in.
"I'm quite up to that question, Master. If they love me then my job is to live my life well. Whoever they are is no problem. I will always love them."
"I'll rest well before leaving tomorrow. Fenghuang, shouldn't you rest as well?"
"You set me up?" The multicolored chicken grumbled as he walked, he flapped his wings and immediately perched on the branch of the tree he was sleeping in. Xue Zhan turned his head slightly before returning to the cottage.
"Good night, Master."
But his steps paused as Xiang Yi Bai muttered.
"If I wasn't around, would you be okay?"
Xue Zhan immediately turned around even though he was also just silently listening to what the man was trying to convey, Xiang Yi Bai kept the worry and unease he had been covering up all along.
"I was just thinking about it. You're the same as it seems. Equally careless and easily deceived. It is always called misfortune. Even though I'm sure you're unyielding and capable of dealing with it ...."
Given how often Xue Zhan had acted recklessly and ended up being fatal, Xiang Yi Bai was riled up. Fenghuang's talk made him realize something.
On the other hand Xue Zhan knew that Xiang Yi Bai would always protect him from the dangers in the Void of Regret. He never asked to be protected, but the man did so without a second thought.
To Xiang Yi Bai, Xue Zhan was already like his own son. He could not let that brat loose into the upper world and end up the same; killed by humans. But there was nothing he could do if he continued to be in the Pit of Regret.
"Teacher worried about what? I can protect myself. I've been training hard to get stronger."
The man's tone dropped, he looked like he was talking to himself.
"I'm afraid that the same thing will happen again. When I returned to the upper world, all I heard was the news of your death. I will feel regret many times over."
The old regrets have not really disappeared and will now become more and more painful. Xiang Yi Bai would spend hundreds of years of his life just to lament that pain.
"I couldn't protect her, then let her only child die the same way."
Still his voice said, "before the war happened your father once asked me to take care of his son well. I just remembered it ... When Fenghuang said that they both love you very much. I guess the fate that brought us both together wasn't just a coincidence."
"But it is a prayer of both of them."
The end of the sentence was accompanied by a gentle gust of night wind, Xue Zhan was fixated where he stood and remembered his parents. He knew he could find out about them from Xiang Yi Bai, but when Xue Zhan brought up about his parents Xiang Yi Bai always had a face full of guilt.
He just didn't want to pry old wounds just because of his curiosity. Xue Zhan was unwilling to be selfish.
"Will Master come with me?" xue Zhan asked in the next second, for a moment Xiang Yi Bai stared long into the river. Think hard while weighing things.
"I once vowed to never leave this place except for one thing, if the place is already unsafe and the existence of the Earth Ruler Element Stone is threatened I will come out."
Xue Zhan could hardly believe that in the end the man changed his mind, he had already desperately persuaded her and the man rejected her.
"Really? Teacher will come?!" cheers enthusiastic. Xiang Yi Bai smiled.
"Tomorrow to accompany me to your Uncle Master's grave to say farewell to him."