Chapter 486 - 218: Fragrance Fades

Chapter 486: Chapter 218: Fragrance Fades

At last, she murmured, "Brother Qin, I really like... you..."

As she spoke her last words, her consciousness faded to black.

The fingers she had struggled to raise, trying to touch Qin Fang’s face, fell limp...

"Qinghe!!!!!!"

...

Qin Fang cradled the body in his arms, feeling it gradually grow cold. Her soft, sweet voice was gone, replaced only by the howl of the mountain wind sweeping across the peak.

He looked down, staring blankly at her serene but lifeless face. Her long eyelashes lay still, hiding the eyes that had once overflowed with joy and spirit.

Her slender fingers hung limply at her side... All around them, the sweet honey continued to slowly spread across the ground...

...In the end, she never got to taste the honey that she and Xiao Jiu had so desperately longed for.

Overwhelming grief enveloped Qin Fang. No sound escaped his throat as his whole body trembled.

Xile drew near, whimpering softly. It gently nudged the hem of Qinghe’s robes with its warm head before looking up at Qin Fang, its eyes filled with a helpless confusion. It would never again receive her gentle caress or hear her call.

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

He didn’t know how much time had passed.

His Master let out a soft sigh. "She is gone. Do not let your grief overwhelm you."

"Her True Spirit was already shattered, sustained only as a ’Living Puppet’ by a forceful Evil Skill from the Path of Non-Birth. That small spark of her True Spirit was trapped in utter darkness. For her... to regain her senses at the very end, to see you and speak her heart... perhaps that was the best possible release."

Qin Fang said nothing. He simply gazed at the girl in his arms.

His Master said no more.

After an unknown amount of time, Qin Fang slowly stood up. He lifted the girl’s body, his voice hoarse. "Master, I need to take care of this first."

His Master nodded gently. "Go."

Qin Fang bowed slightly and, without another word, took to the skies with the girl’s body in his arms.

「Half a day later.」

A small grave mound now stood on the rear peak of Linyuan Peak.

Qin Fang stood silently before the grave.

Xile also sat quietly in front of the mound.

Qin Fang stared at the grave as the mountain breeze gently rustled his hair.

The girl who had been so full of life just a moment ago now lay silently in her grave.

Qin Fang didn’t dare to dwell on her final words... Even the slightest thought of them sent a sharp pain through his heart, as if it were being violently squeezed.

He stood silently before the grave for a long, long time. At last, he murmured, "Rest peacefully. I will... find your parents and bring them back. I swear it..."

His fists clenched tightly. Qin Fang took one last look at the grave before turning and soaring into the air.

He returned to his Master’s side.

His Master was still there, likely waiting for him.

"Master."

Qin Fang bowed in salute.

His Master looked up at him and nodded gently. "Sit."

Qin Fang sat down.

"Huoxin escaped."

His Master knew what was on Qin Fang’s mind.

Qin Fang nodded, then said, "She couldn’t say much, because she didn’t know what happened either. But she did mention one thing... Before the incident, she, my master, and the others had passed through a village. The doors of every house in that village were wide open, and the people had vanished without a trace. It reminded me of a case file from the Sacrificial Hall... A similar thing happened in two villages over on Cuiping Island."

Qin Fang had an incredible memory. A month ago, when he had just taken charge of the Sacrificial Hall, Su Nian had specifically mentioned this case during the handover to him and his Senior Sister.

His Master was clearly aware of this. He nodded slightly. "It is indeed the work of the Path of Non-Birth... For the past month, we’ve been keeping an eye on the Mist Rain Tower, and we’ve uncovered quite a bit. That’s how we were finally able to confirm they were gathering on Jiulian Island. What you’re describing... it was the work of those Cultists."

"Is that so..." The light in Qin Fang’s eyes dimmed.

’It looks like it all points to the same group. That means the clue I got from Qinghe is useless.’

He paused for a long while before asking, "Master, the Path of Non-Birth has caused such a huge commotion here. What on earth are they after... have you found out?"

His Master’s brow furrowed slightly. After a moment, he let out a sigh. "These Cultists would rather commit suicide than be taken. We can’t get any answers from them."

"Moreover, it’s highly likely that the only one who truly knew the plan was Huoxin. The rest were just following orders. Huoxin, after all, is a Sixth Realm Great Power. Her Leaf Skill is uncanny and her ability to escape is exceptional. We failed to capture her, so we still don’t know what their objective was."

"However, we killed nearly twenty thousand of their Cultists this time. That should be considered a major blow to their plot... For a short while, whatever they were planning should be very difficult for them to achieve."

"Furthermore, this incident confirms it... the Three Religions have indeed all gathered in Canglan Prefecture. Something big is definitely about to happen. The Golden Rainbow Sword Sect has also realized the gravity of the situation and has formed a defensive alliance with us... There should be further cooperation down the line."

"Beyond that, the Sect plans to contact other sects... The Three Religions are stirring up trouble all over Great Yu, making them the common enemy of all sects in the empire. We should be able to rally some allies to lend their strength... Hmm, but you don’t need to concern yourself with that for the time being. The Sect will deal with it."

Qin Fang nodded slowly...

’...My Cultivation is still too low.’

’No matter how high my status is, I still can’t take the lead on certain matters.’

"For now, you should rest well... Your Senior Sister is handling the Sacrificial Hall, so there shouldn’t be any major problems. Focus on getting your emotions and thoughts in order."

"The dead are gone, but the living must go on."

Qin Fang was silent for a long time before nodding gently.

After chatting with his Master for a while longer, he rose and departed.

The next day, the Sect convened a grand assembly to reward the meritorious!