Everything was invested into this one word……
She actually has a lot of things to say, want to tell him to wear an armour under his military robes in future, because of the dangers of fighting, he needs to know how to protect himself, this boorish man lacks attentiveness, and would not be able to pay attention to such things; and want to tell him not to mind the first time they met, because she already does not mind anymore; also want to tell him not to practice martial arts during the wee hours of night again, the deeper the night, the heavier the dew, chilly air easily harms the body……also……want to tell him to do many many good things on her behalf……but, there is no chance to anymore.
Lin Ran Yi’s eyes very gently closes, leaving behind no conveyances at all, containing a smile, she gradually slips away from all contact with this world, life driven away, burnt out……
The entire sea of people silently watches.
Tears have already blurred both her eyes, Gui Wan silently chokes back her tears, heart feeling like a hole has been drilled through, such emptiness that can no longer be filled again, stomach lying on the carriage railing, everything before her eyes sometimes blurred sometimes clear, the dragon above that wall is baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, such magnificence as though it is about to fly into the skies, but that Lou Sheng’s expression is blurred, a scene of bright colours, covering everything, a scene of blood red, grows larger the more it melts out, flowing onto the ground, half a sky of red sunset glow, seeming to blend together with the ground, other than red there is still red, other than blood there is still blood……
Blood red filling the entire sky……
“Quickly open the gates, exit the palace.” Amongst the entire scene, only one voice is cold, calmly seizing the opportunity, wisely commanding.
The carriage wheels once again starts spinning, bumpily rushing out of the palace, Gui Wan’s gaze is fixed dead onto the centre of the scene, Lou Sheng is still motionlessly holding Lin Ran Yi, that poignancy, silences the entire land, everything sinking into solemnity.
The western wind once again rises.
Suddenly a cry as frightful as it is sorrowful roars out: “Ah–––––” Lou Sheng laments to the heavens, for the heavens to hear, for the earth to hear, for……her to hear……
Straight to the skies……
Who says heroes shed no tears, who says heroes have no regrets……?
This love can become a memory to reminisce in time, just that by then it is already inconsolable……
******
Capital City, Lin Estate.
Since early morning onwards, there has been a constant stream of people coming to the estate, amongst them are officials in the Capital, there are soldiers who guards the frontier for many years, there are also small pedlars and menial servants, all without any exception rushing into the Lin Estate, to light some incense in offering to the Lin family’s eldest daughter Lin Ran Yi, sending her on her final journey, occasionally there are people hiding their faces as they silently weep, sorrowfully expressing such regrets.
Just when the servants of the Lin Estate busy themselves with red eyes on this occasion, another lightweight horse carriage stops outside the estate. All eyes were attracted over, it is not that this horse carriage is any way luxuriously out of the ordinary, but because the coachman, a burly figure, on the left side of his face, from the corner of his eyes to his lower jaw, has two deep slashes, the wound with no dressing at all is only treated with some powdered medicine, from the wound that has not yet healed up, blood red flesh can be seen, horrifying to the extreme.
Descending the carriage to see this scene, everyone observing Lou Sheng with a strange look from time to time, Gui Wan looks around, was just about to call Lou Sheng, but sees the muscles of that injured side of his face tremble, desperately trying to suppress something, not at all caring about everyone’s reaction around him.