Chapter 289: Cenotaph
Chapter 289: Cenotaph
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Was it possible that the level of the person who had destroyed the Cirrus House surpassed that which was known to all the people on the Tianxuan Continent?
If this was true, the people inside the Cirrus House would be doomed to total extinction; it was impossible for them to have escaped with their lives.
"Is there anything else?"
"I carefully examined every inch of the ruins, to ensure that I missed nothing, subtle or otherwise." uttered Shui Wuyin, "Finally I found some ... broken ornaments ... "
With that, he produced a small fabric bag and placed it in front of Yun Yang.
Glancing at it, Yun Yang could felt a muscle twitch on his face.
Within the tiny cloth bag, there were broken pieces of jade bangles, curved golden hairpins, hair sticks that had broken into several sections, and ...
"Is there any more?"
"All the remaining flesh and blood left on the scene. I collected them so as to confirm that there were no complete body fragments. Under such a devastating explosion, the human body ... is simply too fragile... absolutely impossible..."
Shui Wuyin could sense Yun Yang's simmering rage as he continued cautiously, "However ... the pieces put together could form a person or two ... that had the unfortunate fate of being dashed to pieces ... "
"Judging from the hair and the broken muscle texture, the deceased should be a female ... a young female..." Shui Wuyin's words became increasingly uncertain.
Yun Yang felt as if his heart was being tightly squeezed; he had difficulty breathing as he those words.
He turned his head to look at Shui Wuyin with red eyes, "These are all that you found after a whole day of scouring? What are the chances that Yun Zuiyue managed to survive?"
"All I want to know if it is possible that she is still alive?" Yun Yang growled.
Against all hope, he was looking forward to a positive answer from Shui Wuyin. Even though there was none, he did not want the kind of answer that completely denied the possibility.
"According to my comprehensive analysis... If Yun Zuiyue and Qing Shanxue were at Cirrus House at the time ... then .... " Shui Wuyin coughed and continued gently, "... they would not have survived."
If they were at Cirrus House at the time.
How could they both not be at the Cirrus House at the time?
Yun Yang inhaled heavily, trying to get his bearings.
As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the bigger the disappointment. Yun Yang was well aware of the slim chance of Yun Zuiyue's survival. All he could see pointed to death. However, Yun Yang still hoped that he might have seen it wrongly, hoped that Shui Wuyin would miraculously bring him good news.
However, Shui Wuyin had practically confirmed the fears that he had known all the while.
"I acknowledge your judgment... but I still feel that she has yet to die. She was still drinking with me that night and served me a meal that could never be tasted again in this world. She even told me to take care and gave me the wine to take care of. "
YunYan eagerly continued,"All of these points to the fact that she already knew about the destruction of the Cirrus House, and had been prepared for it. She was actually aware of this matter. That was why she acted so peculiarly."
"Logically speaking, she could not have known about the fact that I had been arranging her future stay in advance. If she did, she would not have had such a response."
"Since she has done so, since she was prepared for it, how could she let herself perish?"
"Also, Wuyin, try to think about it ... She had been waiting for my fifth brother for so long without even a single suicidal thought, why would she commit suicide at this juncture?"
"So, she ... she was actually trying to cover her traces by pretending that she was dead! Right? It must be true!"
"Say that she might still be alive!"
"Answer me, Wuyin, am I right?"
Yun Yang was desperately seeking agreement from someone, anyone.
Deep in his heart, he did not want to believe that the fact that Yun Zuiyue had died so tragically.
He was looking forward to someone to prove to him that Yun Zuiyue had not died!
His way of doing it was comical, naïve and somewhat unreasonable.
A man like Yun Yang should not have been doing such things. He had always been calm and was possessed of a crystal-clear, conscious mind. However, he could barely even calm himself down at this juncture.
His cultivation realm had been accumulating too vigorously to the point of a breakthrough. His state of mind had also been challenged by having to face a series of slaughters and fights. However, the sudden heartache and the lurking psychological trauma of his Nine Supremes brothers dying had been scraping away at his heart. Now that Yun Zuiyue, who had a deep interrelation with the Nine Supremes, had died too, it had completely triggered the negative emotions within Yun Yang. The burden of such a trauma could already be deemed as internal demons!
Shui Wuyin let out a long sigh.
He truly understood Yun Yang’s thoughts at this moment. He even understood Yun Yang’s state of mind, which was unable to accept reality, harsh as it was.
In fact, he had experienced a similar state of mind as Yun Yang before. It was the moment when he learned about the downfall of Supreme Wind, that he had experienced a similar psychological state. Hence, it could be said that he was the best person to understand Yun Yang!
He also knew that Yun Yang's current state of mind was not reasonable. However, now was not the right moment to confer soothing words but the best was to issue harsh, direct assertions.
This was because the Four Seasons Tower's revenge could come in a grand manner at any time. There was no time left for Yun Yang slowly accept the facts. If the state of the backbone was as such, his whole army would be easily defeated.
He had to wake Yun Yang up to face reality and to look into the face of truth!
"Young Master!" uttered Shui Wuyin in a solemn voice, "Please, the truth is apparent; no one could have survived such an inferno."
Shui Wuyin’s words had angered Yun Yang, causing him to stare wildly at the calm servant. Solemn, reasonable, vibes enveloped Shui Wuyin.
"All the ornaments that I had collected were originally worn by the two ladies, Yun Zuiyue and Qing Shanxue; what they had been wearing on their heads, and hands ..."
"They must have passed on. We aren't wildly guessing anymore."
"The idea of faking their deaths to conceal their tracks is but a way to fool yourself; an unwise move!"
Shui Wuyin was relentless and extremely cold-blooded, "I know that young master can't accept their deaths. However, it is the truth. You have to accept it, even if it was unacceptable. That is why I collected all the remains and shredded clothes."
Shui Wuyin continued, " I think, being their only relative in this world, what young master should do now is to build a cenotaph for them, so that their souls can rest in peace without having to wander about in this realm."
Yun Yang raised his head slowly, casting an icy glance at Shui Wuyin. After a long while, he broke into a faint, wry smile and uttered, "Shui Wuyin, how much I sometimes wish I could kill you? You are certainly a brutal one, without the slightest touch of humanity! I wonder where your faithfulness to eighth brother comes from. How could you even be loyal with such a cold heart?"
"All the brutal truths are logical by your own words, but your manner of speech brings about a great deal of pain."
Without fear or reprisal, Shui Wuyin met Yun Yang’s gaze and said, "The dead are gone, what we have to do is not to cry for them nor we should be obsessed with the case. What we should do is to take revenge, as well as to let them rest in peace. Let the living lead a better life and remain alive."
"All the sadness and anger should not be emotions that we possess! The so-called human affection should not appear within us, we avengers!"
Shui Wuyin said indifferently, "I think young master should agree on what I have just said. Without such determination, how can one talk about revenge?"
Yun Yang stood up glowering, as he spoke softly but menacingly, "What you should do now, is to go back to work.:
"Yes, young master. This subordinate bids his leave." Shui Wuyin respectfully bowed, meticulous as always, without a tinge of emotion.
"Get out!" Yun Yang bellowed. The veins on his forehead had surfaced in great numbers.
...
After that, Yun Yang had taken a whole day to build an exceptionally delicate cenotaph in his own garden.
The whole cenotaph was built with white jade. Only a tiny rock of jade could be seen bulging from the ground if seen with the human eye.
"Sister Yue, this is my home. It is yours now as well. From now onwards, you and fifth brother will be here to accompany me. You could even call it a kind of gathering!"
Yun Yang muttered, "Sister Yue, did you know that I am actually also an orphan who often fantasized about having my own family in this world. Since the day I met you, I felt as if I found a sister. If you weren't my sister-in-law, I would have taken you as my sister. Nonetheless, sister-in-law is no less an honor for me to have."
"Throughout this time, I have visited the Cirrus House too often. Even knowing that it should not be done as it would give rise to people's suspicions, I always tried to find an excuse to pay you a visit. "
"Because when I met you, I felt as if I had met my family."
"Your accent, tone and the way you speak allowed a hope to blossom in my heart; yes this is my family."
"I felt happier and more contented than I ever had for a long time because I have found my family in this world."
Yun Yang ignited an incense, as he silently uttered, "Now I know, the warmth in this world does not belong to me after all."
"From today onwards, I am all alone again. You have all left me here, to go your own ways."
Yun Yang laughed bitterly, "What I can do now is to send my regards to you, wishing that you have reunited with fifth brother underneath, and to stay together forever and eternally wherever you are."
Yun Yang stared at the cenotaph. He felt as if his fifth brother and sister Yue had not passed on, but were standing side by side before him, holding their hands while beaming at him.
Yun Yang shook his head, and his eyes widened.
The day had grown dark all around him.
...
It was night.
The wind was whistling with a wailing keen.
In Tiantang Square, a flame was burning before Supreme Flame.
The wind blew softly, driving the flames higher. The flame did not turn violent nor extinguish itself but continued to burn.
"Fifth brother, sister-in-law has gone to look for you."
"Do remember to welcome her and make sure you take good care of sister-in-law. She is a good woman. It's a pity that you've missed her this life, fifth brother. I hope that in your next life, you won't make the same mistake again."
"I am truly sorry that I did not manage to protect her. Once again, I am in your debt."
...
The breeze was blowing softly, as the night in Tiantang City turned colder and colder.
The fire was burning unceasingly in front of the statue.
...
Fu Baoguo felt immensely restless in his own residence.
Even though he had tried to meditate to seek serenity, it appeared that his mind was full of illusions and his heart had been filled with internal demons.
A tall and burly body could be seen treading back and forth in the study room. The squared face displayed nothing but traces of uncontrollable panic.
He had been sleeping late for the past few nights.
He knew what he had to face in the future.
He hoped it would arrive earlier, yet he wished that the day would never arrive.
All of them were dead.
Fu Baoguo began to count meticulously.
As far as he knew, the Four Seasons Tower had placed a total of twenty-one people in Tiantang City, in the Empire of Yutang. Now, twenty of them had died.
Shen Yushi was dead.
Jiang Zhong was dead.
Han Wufei was dead.
Even Supreme Lord Spring Frost was dead...
Now, there was no one else left.
No one but himself.