[Book II Chapter 163] DYLAN: The Tale of Xin Meng

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  Dylan paced back and forth in front of the foggy tunnel. Its presence ate away at him, but he’d pledge to guard the entrance to the Moonlit Lands, so there was nothing else to do.

  “As frustrating as this is, there was no other option.” He said. “I couldn’t throw my life away on a venture with zero chance of success.”

  He’d played the hero in Tulven because there were tangible benefits to himself, but it was a role that fundamentally didn’t suit him. His whole life had been dedicated to the pursuit of his own ambitions: restoration of the Sacred Cloud Sect and vengeance. I should add completing Four Element Transcendence to that list.

  “Isn’t that right?” He asked. That’s when he noticed his surroundings had grown unusually silent. He glanced at the spirit floating above him. A look of grim contemplation was locked on the old man’s face. “Dowart?”

  “Yes? What was it?” Dowart responded, betraying an uncharacteristic lack of awareness. Despite his surprise, Dylan didn’t pry into the ghost’s thoughts.

  “The choice I made was the right one, wasn’t it?” He asked. Hearing the confirmation would ease his restless nerves.

  However, the question caused Dowart to wince in a way he didn’t expect. “I don’t know…”

  “What?” Dylan was shocked. “When Soul went after panacea, weren’t you the one who called him insane?”

  “I was.” Dowart admitted.

  A deep frustration gripped Dylan. “My whole life, you supported my selfish pursuits. No, you downright encouraged them! Why this sudden hesitation?”

  “It’s a long story…” Dowart offered weakly.

  “Then spill it now.” Dylan would hear the reason why his sought-after affirmation was being denied.

  “I had a love once.” Dowart began. “Her name was Xin Feng. She was kind, beautiful, and brave, my ideal woman…”

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  “I met her in the Goldly Herb garden. Her team and mine banded together to fend off other cultivators. I was immediately captivated, and made every effort to pair up with her while gathering ingredients. Wonderfully, she didn’t refuse my advances. Those became the days I remember fondest days from my mortal life…” The old spirits words trailed off as his eyes drifted to a long lost time.

  “What happened?” Dylan sensed there would be no happy ending.

  “I abandoned her.” Doward said miserably. “She wanted to go after Panacea. I tried everything in my power to convince her not to, but I failed. At the time, a demonic sect had poisoned the water supply of a major city with withering root fragments. Retrieving the legendary flower held the potential to save countless live. While I sympathized with Xin’s goal, I wasn’t about to throw my life away on a hopeless endeavor. I let her depart alone, and she never returned.”

  “It may have been heartbreaking, but you made the right decision.” Dylan said softly. “Better one die than two.”

  Dowart nodded. “That is what I believed too. I did my best to forget about the girl and dedicated myself to my martial arts. That’s why it came as a complete shock, twenty years later, when I saw her again.”

  “Do you remember how I told you disciples from a prominent sect were stricken by withering roots? Well, I was there when the specially-assembled team of saints returned from the Goldly Herb garden. They didn’t just retrieve Panacea, they brought back Xin Feng’s body as well. She looked as lovely as the day she’d left me.”

  “She’d made it all the way to the final valley only to collapse next to her objective, mortally wounded. The transparent flower doesn’t heal wounds so it couldn’t save. However, it did ward off rot and decay, perfectly preserving her body until she was discovered.”

  The old man paused, misty eyed. “One question has been burning in my mind ever since: if she could get that far on her own, how far would she have gotten with my assistance?”

  Dylan sat below the specter, contemplating his word. “Do you regret not following her?” He asked.

  “From then on, I poured my all into perfecting Four Element Transcendence.” Dowart answered. “It became my obsession. Because if I were relinquish my hold on this mortal coil without accomplishing this ambition, how could I ever face her in the beyond?”

  “Should I chase after Free?” Dylan asked.

  “I can’t ask that you to place yourself in such danger. Watching you perish would break my heart. Yet, at the same time, part of me desperately wants you to go. Witnessing the same tragedy play out again is agonizing.”

  Dylan closed his eyes, gathering his resolve. “Then I’ll just have to live.” He declared, getting up.

  “What?” Dowart’s old eyes opened wide. “Do you meant…?”

  “I’m entering the Moonlit Lands.” Dylan looked towards the foggy passageway. “I’ll join up with Free, and we will both come back alive. That way there will be no sadness.”

  If Soul Skyfell can be greedy and have it all, why can’t I as well? He set off before the doubts could start creeping in.