"Brother, you must have met him, right?"
"Otherwise, his jade flute wouldn't have ended up in your hands."
"Xiaoning'er—"
Zhao Shuning still wore a nonchalant look on her face. In fact, she understood better than anyone else. If her brother really had no issues with their master, he wouldn't have deliberately hidden the jade flute from the very beginning.
"Brother, it's been a while since we were last together. Let's go for a walk."
Zhao Huai fell silent for a moment. Then, he seemed to let go of his concerns. Nodding with a smile, he said, "Sure, brother will accompany you for a walk."
When Zhao Shuning and Zhao Huai were together, they didn't bring up other matters. Of course, Zhao Huai also tactfully refrained from mentioning those trivial things beyond them.
Zhao Huai told Zhao Shuning a story. A very ancient story. Zhao Shuning listened attentively. As Zhao Huai recounted those events, Zhao Shuning could sense the surging emotions deep within him. Although it was called a story, Zhao Shuning knew that her brother was simply using it as a way to tell her about his past experiences.
"My story is over."
Zhao Shuning raised her eyes.
Zhao Huai asked, "Aren't you curious about what happened to that young man in the end?"
"I think he will be better than before."
Zhao Huai smiled.
"Why do you think so?"
"People, after all, have emotions and desires. But the animals in the Beast Realm are different. Of course, I'm not saying they have no emotions. I just think they don't have as complex emotions as humans. Just as you said, brother, if the young man hadn't fallen into trouble and taken on a human form, he wouldn't have met that girl, and he wouldn't have learned so many human emotions. What he gained was far more than what he seemed to have lost."
Zhao Huai ruffled Zhao Shuning's hair. Doting on her, he said, "Let's hope so."
"It will be."
Looking at the smile on Zhao Shuning's face, Zhao Huai knew that the little girl by his side had finally grown into an adult. Now, her thoughts and abilities were extraordinary. When she was young, he couldn't even keep her by his side. Now that she had grown up and gone through so many hardships, it would be even more impossible for him to hold her back.
"Brother, I'll tell you a story too."
Zhao Huai nodded.
Zhao Shuning imitated the way Zhao Huai had told his story earlier and retold what had happened five hundred years ago, but with a different protagonist. However, unlike the previous young man, what awaited this young girl was not her family but death.
After listening to this story, Zhao Huai was in a daze for a long time.
Zhao Shuning asked, "Brother, do you have something to say?"
Zhao Huai let out a sigh. Then he said, "That woman should have been a heroic figure who roamed the world with a sword. But in the end, she was willing to give up protecting the people of the world for a man."
"Do you think the woman was a bit selfish, brother?"
"Anyway, if it were me, I wouldn't be able to understand such emotions."
"That's because you're not the person in the story, so you can't experience the changes in her emotions. The world is vast, and there are countless living beings. Every alchemist tries their best and of course wants to be a hero who saves the continent. But if, in order to save the entire continent, she has to hurt the person she cares about the most, I don't think such a sacrifice can be called great. It just means that the person is not important enough in her heart for her to give up the entire continent for him."
"So, Xiaoning'er, do you think it was right for the young girl to ignore the affairs of the world and just spend three uneventful years by the man's side?"
Zhao Shuning shook her head.
"Of course, I have no right to judge whether she was right or wrong. But I know that in her heart, she probably doesn't regret her choice."
At this moment, Zhao Huai's face showed a hint of emotion. But Zhao Shuning's words still couldn't convince him.
Just like now. When he first came to this plane, the first people he noticed were Zhao Zheng and Lin Miner of the Zhao family. Later, he was touched by Xiaoning's appearance. She was so young, yet so dependent on him. Although their relationship was better than that of any other siblings, so good that Zhao Huai thought he could even sacrifice his life for Xiaoning. But if faced with two choices. One was the lives of all the living beings in the Beast Realm, and the other was Xiaoning's life and death. He really didn't know if he would make the same choice as the young girl.
"Brother, you don't have to worry."
"Everyone makes different choices, and everyone gets different results. She chose that man. Although she lost the chance to become famous in the world, she gave the man the happiest three years. Those three years should also be the happiest three years for her."
"But if it were the young man in your story, I think he would choose the living beings in the Beast Realm. However, even if he chose the living beings in the Beast Realm, that would be right too, because he chose righteousness. The sentiment of righteousness is not something everyone can have. Both I and that young girl are a bit selfish. We just want to give the last bit of tenderness to the people we like in the last moments."
Zhao Huai's hair was fluttering in the gentle breeze. He was standing on the top of the Nether Valley. Zhao Shuning was standing beside him, looking into the distance with him.
Finally, Zhao Huai understood. If two people were together, they might start with their original intentions, be deeply attached during their time together, but end up because of their different outlooks on life.
"Xiaoning'er, I still don't understand."
"What?"
"The matter between you and that Yan Ruyu."
"Brother—"
"At the sect meeting, I saw him a few times. Before I regained all my abilities and remembered everything, I respected him very much. He was like a patient teacher, always trying to guide me onto the right path. At that time, I didn't know why, but now, I have to admit that the words Yan Ruyu said to me at the sect meeting did have an effect. At least, now I won't act so impulsively when facing the common people."
"Brother, Buran is really a good person, not only in terms of his appearance but also his character—"
"Xiaoning'er, but I just don't like him. At least after I found out that you like him, I no longer have the gratitude I once had for him."
"Brother—"
"Xiaoning'er, I even don't know. You've only known Yan Ruyu for such a short time. Why? Why do you like him so much?"
Zhao Shuning lowered her voice and said, "No, actually, I've known him for a very, very long time." So long that it almost occupied more than half of her life.
Zhao Huai didn't know what else to say. The happiness on Xiaoning'er's face when she mentioned that person couldn't be faked.
"Here, this is for you."
After thinking for a while, Zhao Huai still handed the jade flute that Yan Ruyu had given him to Zhao Shuning.
Zhao Shuning took the jade flute and gently stroked it. The luster of the jade flute was not the same as before. It must have gone through a lot.
"Thank you, brother." Thank you for making such a decision. Thank you for returning the jade flute to her.