?16: Chapter 16 Siblings Recognize Each Other 16: Chapter 16 Siblings Recognize Each Other Blood Sea beneath the bleary sky, flanked by the White Bone Shores, a solitary figure, a lone path, Ye Xuan walked alone past, unaccompanied by the gentle breeze, unattended by any creature, the endless Blood Sea roiling behind him, tens of thousands of Blood Souls wailing in agony.

    His journey finally led him to ascend the White Bone Throne, gazing towards the Heavenly Gate ahead, the loneliness in his eyes intensifying.

    Atop the White Bone Throne, Ye Xuan sat silently, with a phantom quietly standing beside him.

    “I can’t let go of some things, some people,” Ye Xuan whispered softly.

    “Before the great path to the heavens, there is nothing truly undetachable,” the phantom replied.

    “But I just can’t let go,” Ye Xuan said.

    The phantom’s presence stuttered, and with a wave of his hand, a sphere of light emerged and directly merged into Ye Xuan’s Sea of Consciousness.

    “Uh!”

    A muffled groan escaped from Ye Xuan, pain evident in his gaze.

    “Amidst the vast Red Dust, falling from the path, if you return to the Human World, you will endure the suffering of all emotions and desires.

    Now you feel the pain, do you still want to go back?” the phantom sighed lightly.

    “Actually, there is nothing in this world that can’t be let go of, once it hurts, you naturally let go,” the phantom spoke gravely.

    Ye Xuan suddenly smiled faintly, his hand gesture transforming the light sphere emerged once again, and merged into his Sea of Consciousness, but this time, no pain colored his expression.

    “Does it not hurt?” the phantom asked in surprise.

    Ye Xuan smiled and said, “It hurts!”

    The phantom, puzzled, asked, “Why not let go?”

    “Because, the person I care about is waiting for me to return.”

    With that, Ye Xuan descended from the White Bone Throne and headed back towards the gates of the Human World.

    Watching Ye Xuan’s retreating figure disappearing into the distance, the phantom’s breath became erratic, and it suddenly roared, “Ye Xuan, if you return to the Human World, you may forever fall into the Red Dust.

    Are you really willing to give up the legendary path to the heavens for those ignorant mortals?”

    Sadly, no matter how the phantom roared, Ye Xuan had already vanished from its sight.

    “Could it be, that I am really attached?” the phantom muttered to itself.

    ...

    Amid the sweeping wind and snow, under the bright moonlight, Ye Xuan snapped back from his thoughts, staring in the direction of Duanchang Mountain, a trace of bitterness flickering through his eyes, for he had chosen his dearest people over the legendary path to the heavens.

    Ye Xuan asked himself, was he truly content?

    Not content, really not content, that was Ye Xuan’s answer.

    Hovering between life and death, reviving from the Silent Annihilation, no one understood the meaning of life better than Ye Xuan.

    Facing that legendary path to the heavens, where life equals the heavens, Undying, that was what Ye Xuan wanted.

    Perhaps the phantom was right, the vast Red Dust, the plethora of emotions and desires, a hundred years later, the people and things Ye Xuan cared about would merely be a wisp of dust.

    Ye Xuan couldn’t let go, he really couldn’t, because he was a human, a living human, not the cold and emotionless Immortal of legend.

    Ye Xuan had also appeared at the front door of his home after dispelling his perturbed thoughts.

    Upon entering the house, Ye Ling’er sat dully at the dining table, while their mother glowed radiantly, chatting with Ye Ling’er about something.

    “Mom, let’s eat,” Ye Xuan said quietly.

    This time, Ye Ling’er didn’t avoid Ye Xuan, quietly eating the food in her bowl, but occasionally stealing glances at Ye Xuan with deep confusion in her eyes.

    Their mother occasionally served vegetables to her children, her face filled with satisfaction.

    Dinner time passed quickly, and as their mother casually turned on the old TV, a news segment broadcasted.

    “Hello everyone, I am the host Hao Jing, currently standing in front of Night Bar, where the Suspended Mirror Department has arrived at the scene of the crime.

    Let’s now interview arrest officer Liu.”

    When this voice came from the TV, Ye Ling’er’s expression froze, and she instantly turned to look at the TV while Ye Xuan’s brow furrowed slightly, but his expression remained largely unchanged as he took a sip of tea.

    “Hello, arrest officer Liu, how many people died at Night Bar, and has the murderer been caught yet?” the host handed the microphone to Liu Jundie.

    “The murderer has not been caught yet, but please rest assured, citizens, as the Suspended Mirror Department has gathered numerous clues and will arrest the suspect soon.

    As for the victim, he was just an unemployed vagrant.

    Since the case hasn’t been solved yet, I cannot disclose too many details,” Liu Jundie spoke.

    “She...

    she’s lying...

    dead...

    all dead...

    blood...

    all blood...”

    Suddenly, the camera in the TV shook violently, and a waiter from Night Bar, looking pale and seemingly terrified, was frantically pointing at Liu Jundie and yelling.

    The sudden news invigorated the host, who immediately directed the cameraman to focus on the waiter, but before the host could interview him, Liu Jundie’s face changed, and she swiftly ordered her subordinates to detain the waiter and then told the camera, “This man is a family member of the deceased and is not in a stable mental state.

    We will solve the case as soon as possible.”

    The news broadcast stopped abruptly and switched to other content, but by this time, Ye Ling’er was trembling slightly, her face already ashen.

    She slowly turned to look at Ye Xuan, her eyes filled with immense inquiry.

    “Mom, I’m going to take my sister for a walk.

    You should rest early,” Ye Xuan whispered, then led the way out of the house, with Ye Ling’er quickly following him.

    Watching the siblings leave, their mother wore a relieved expression, clearly pleased with the improvement in their relationship.

    On the quiet, snowy path, moonlight fell, casting Ye Xuan in an untainted glow as he walked ahead with Ye Ling’er following silently, until Ye Xuan stopped and said in a low voice, “What do you want to ask me?”

    Looking at Ye Xuan’s back, Ye Ling’er’s eyes were withdrawn, the person in front of her was her brother, yet he felt both familiar and foreign.

    After a long moment, Ye Ling’er, eyes downcast and voice barely audible, asked, “Did you...

    did you kill them?”

    “Does it really matter?” Ye Xuan didn’t turn around, his voice slightly deep.

    Ye Ling’er suddenly raised her head, tears in her eyes, her voice quivering, “Have you gone mad?

    That’s the lives of over a dozen people.

    If you get caught, you’ll die too!”

    Hearing Ye Ling’er’s trembling voice, Ye Xuan slowly turned around, his eyes profoundly deep, looking directly at Ye Ling’er, “Ling’er, remember when you were very young, how I would always stand up for you whenever someone bullied you?

    It was true then, and it’s true now; that has never changed.”

    Looking into Ye Xuan’s deep eyes, listening to his words, Ye Ling’er bit her lips, unable to control the tears streaming from her eyes.

    In the Night Bar, in her most desperate moment, all that came to mind was her brother Ye Xuan’s figure.

    When Ye Xuan actually appeared, it felt like a dream to Ye Ling’er.

    In truth, no matter how much Ye Ling’er seemed to despise Ye Xuan, she had never truly hated him in her heart.

    It was just her rebellious nature that couldn’t let go of the time Ye Xuan had left without saying goodbye.

    Ye Xuan stepped forward to Ye Ling’er, wiped the tears from her face, and she could no longer contain her emotions, wrapping her arms around Ye Xuan tightly, and a long-missed “Brother” cried out from her mouth.