Standing in front of his room, she took a deep breath before knocking on the door:

Knock! Knock!

Her grip that held the small girl's hand tightened as a mere moment seemed to pass as if it was an hour.

She felt the time around her slow down as she waited for the moment the door in front of her would move and reveal the face she longed to see this whole time.

In her heart was only one man, and she was ready to devote her whole being to him.

The only thing that stopped her was her duty to the village and taking care of this small girl, who was the sole survivor of the massacre caused by the villain, Han Yujin.

However, as her gaze was fixed on the door in front of her, it didn't open.

Instead, in her daze, a familiar voice entered her ears:

"The door is open. Why are you standing here staring at the door?"

The voice didn't come from inside the door; instead, the source was to her right.

Her pupils enlarged upon hearing this voice. She could recognize this voice even in her sleep.

With a joyous expression, her neck turned to her right, looking for the man to whom that voice belonged.

As her gaze fell on him, her eyes instantly lit up.

She released the girl's hand from her grip, taking hurried steps toward the man before leaping into his embrace.

"I... I..."

As she tried to speak, she felt emotions choking her, rendering her unable to speak.

She had a lot to tell him; however, words didn't leave her small lips.

Her lips quivered, trying to utter what she wanted to say; however, before a sound could be released from her body, tears began to stream down her cheeks, drop by drop.

Soon, she felt hands wrapping around her, taking her into his embrace.

"It's alright... No need to say anything..."

She heard his low whisper, filled with affection. His hands gently caressed her back in an attempt to calm her.

She could feel how gentle he was when treating her.

Why can't I speak? Why won't words come out of my lips?

I want to tell him how much I missed him... how much I love him...

Just what am I crying for?

She could only speak in her mind as her body was busy trying to adjust to the myriad of emotions she was feeling.

*Sob* *Sob*...

As she cried, tears rolled down her cheeks.

At this moment, Ashen, whispering into her ears, suggested:

"Should we go inside my room? You wouldn't want someone seeing your crying face, right?"

Xiran nodded in response, letting Ashen hold her by the shoulders to guide her into his room. The small girl followed them inside.

Ashen sat Xiran down on his bed before moving and closing the door so no one could disturb them.

He sat beside her, putting her hand between his, and he patiently waited for her to calm down.

It took only a few moments for her to stop crying and get a hold of herself.

She wiped away her tears with a handkerchief that she took out from her space ring, which was gifted to her by Ashen before he had left for the Phoenix Feather Sect.

Putting the handkerchief back into the space ring, she glanced at Ashen.

She was thinking about how to start the conversation.

Should I tell him I missed him?

Or should I start with the news about the massacre of the village?

Why is it so hard now that I'm face-to-face with him?

In my head, it was so easy, but now that I'm with him, it is not so easy.

Noticing her predicament, Ashen decided to take charge.

He, smiling gently, muttered: "I missed you..."

Xiran, hearing this, didn't smile, but asked:

"Then why did you call for me this late? Couldn't you have sent a letter sooner?"

Tears welled up in her eyes again as she finished speaking.

However, Ashen was quick with his response: "I'm sorry! I have no excuses..."

"Hah, why can't I even get angry with you?" Xiran questioned herself loudly, turning her face to the side, and being discontented with her incapability.

Ashen, being the smart man he was, decided to change the topic of this conversation.

He knew that this topic would never end since it was related to emotions. No reasoning would work here.

This could go on and on, since feelings were a complex topic.

He shifted his gaze to the small girl standing behind Xiran:

"Huh? Who is this pretty lady with you, Xiran?" He asked with a kind smile.

Xiran, unable to ignore the question, prompted the girl to come forward and introduce herself.

The girl did as she had practiced before coming here:

"My name is Mao Na, Your Highness!" lifting her small frock, she greeted.

"Mao Na..." Ashen nodded and asked kindly, "And how are you related to my Xiran?"

"I-I... *Sob*" Mao Na, remembering the massacre of her village, she couldn't answer.

Taking her place, Xiran spoke: "She is from my village..."

Ashen, acting oblivious, asked: "Huh? But why did she start crying, though?

"That..." Xiran took a deep breath, pausing for a moment before revealing the news with a hateful expression: "The village was massacred!"

"What??!" Ashen stood up in shock from his seat before asking: "By Who??!!"

Thinking of the man who did this, Xiran clenched her fists, gritting her teeth, speaking in a hate-filled tone:

"It's Yujin! He sent his Bandit friends to massacre the village to take revenge on me!!"

"What? He did it for such a small reason??" Ashen asked incredulously.

"This hatred cannot be resolved unless I see his dead body!" Xiran spoke, gritting her teeth furiously.

Seeing this, Ashen wondered if he had made a mistake by massacring the village; however, to hide his secret, it was necessary.

Even though he knew it was unforgivable, he still needed to make that choice.

Moreover, in this world, multiple villages are massacred each day. This was just that kind of world.

Either become strong to protect what is dear to you or suffer like the weak.

Well, what's done is done.

Ashen couldn't change what had already happened; thus, instead of regretting his choice, he decided to make use of it.

Gazing into Xiran's chestnut brown eyes, he asked: "Xiran, do you need my help?"

"Yes... I was hoping to request your help." She spoke softly yet firmly. "I'm still too weak to take my revenge myself!"

Holding her right shoulder softly, he promised with determination:

"Don't worry! I'll send some men to search for him and bring him alive or dead!"

Xiran nodded, a light yet insignificant smile appearing on her face.

Her gaze then went to her womb as she grabbed his hand before pulling it lightly to attract his attention.

Ashen glanced at her before asking gently:

"Is there anything else, my love?"

Xiran nodded lightly with a light blush as she bit her lower lip in embarrassment.

Slowly gathering her courage, she raised her head to look at him, gazing directly into his eyes as she said slowly:

"I have something else to tell you, dearest!..."

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(A/N - Thanks for reading. ^..^)