Chapter 52: A Farewell in the Fmes

  "Brother, Sister, what happened?" Zhu Chengzhi rubbed his sleepy eyes and woke up. "Why am I on the floor?"

  Sanbao looked down at him, her gentle gaze tinged with bitterness. She turned to look at Tang Mingli, and the two exchanged a silent, rueful gnce.

  "It's nothing," Tang Mingli said softly, stepping forward and bending down to pick up Zhu Chengzhi. "Go back to your room with your brother for now, we'll come find you to py ter."

  Zhu Chengzhi blinked, still confused, but he sensed the heavy atmosphere. He obediently nodded, not asking further questions, and let Tang Mingli carry him out of the room.

  The room fell silent again.

  Sanbao slowly scanned the room, her gaze lingering on the two fallen figures—Xiao Lan and Wu Yuyu. These two, who had once been the closest to her, growing up together as sisters, had now each died in one way or another. One had died, the other had betrayed her, and both met their end on this very night.

  Her tears could no longer be held back, silently slipping down her face.

  But she didn't cry out loud. She simply walked over, gently adjusting Yuyu’s disheveled colr and wiping the blood from Xiao Lan’s lips. Then, she walked over to the corner, tidying up her belongings and pcing everything into her Seven-Treasure Bracelet. After she finished, she paused by the door, gncing back at the two bodies one st time.

  "Tang Mingli, are you ready?" she called out in a hoarse yet calm voice.

  "Ready," came Tang Mingli’s response from nearby.

  Sanbao nodded, pulling several Thunderstrike Seeds from her waist. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed them into the room.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Lightning fshed, and with a thunderous roar, fmes shot up, quickly engulfing the entire room. The seven bodies in the room—the four bck-cd men, Xiao Lan, and Wu Yuyu—were all consumed by the raging fire.

  Sanbao stood in front of the fmes, her palms pressed together as she silently prayed. "Xiao Lan, Yuyu... I hope you two can be true sisters in the next life, loving each other without harm. I hope that in the future, we can become good sisters once again."

  The night wind gently lifted the corners of Sanbao's robe, the embers leaping. Her heart was filled with sorrow.

  The guards, who had been searching for Tang Mingli and Zhu Chengzhi around the town of Guanhukou, noticed the bzing fire at the inn and rushed back to investigate. Tang Ping led the way and arrived just in time to see Sanbao standing before the roaring fmes, whispering her prayers, while Tang Mingli stood beside Zhu Chengzhi, looking serious.

  "Master, what’s going on—" Tang Ping began to speak, but Tang Mingli raised his hand slightly, signaling for him to remain silent.

  Tang Ping was momentarily stunned but closed his mouth.

  The guards gradually arrived, and in the firelight, everyone stood silently, the sound of cracking wood filling the air.

  After a long while, Sanbao opened her eyes and took a step back.

  Tang Mingli gnced at her and then waved his hand, speaking in a deep voice, "The important matters here are finished, and the long night is almost over. We should depart soon."

  "Yes!" Tang Ping bowed in acknowledgment, his gaze still filled with confusion, but he didn’t ask any further questions.

  He instructed the guards to load the empty coffin of Zhu Ting onto the cart, and the team quickly prepared for departure in the courtyard. There were no tears, no sighs—only the synchronized sound of hooves and footsteps echoing on the stone path, growing fainter as they moved further away.

  Sanbao walked at the back of the group, gncing back one st time at the now burned-down guest room.

  The firelight illuminated her face, reflecting the mencholy and determination in her brows.

  "I remember your kindness, and I won’t forget your wrongs."

  She silently spoke these words in her heart, then turned and followed the others as they left.

  The fmes gradually died down, and the seven bodies in the guest room were reduced to ashes. A breeze swept through, scattering the ashes and dust into the air, where they became nothing more than a few grains of dust in the vast world.