These words were like gentle spring rain. Although it was unclear whether Ji Xiaoqi had understood them, every single word was engraved into Ji San's soul without omission.
Ji Xiaoqi stared blankly at Shen Cuiyu. After a long while, he looked up at Ji San's sorrow - and - worry - filled face. His small chest heaved violently.
Finally, he wiped away his tears forcefully, tightly grasped Ji San's hand, and said with a thick sob but an unusually clear voice:
"Dad, don't worry. Xiaoqi isn't afraid!"
"I'll eat well, never miss a single meal of the three meals a day. I'll also sleep well and won't need others to coax me anymore!"
"When it's cold, I'll add clothes. When it's hot, I'll sleep on a bamboo mat..."
"I'll go to school and study hard! Xiaoqi is not very smart. I may not achieve great things in the future, but I'll surely be a contented and happy person!"
"Dad, don't worry about me... I'll take good care of myself just like when you were here... I'll live on well..."
By the end, Ji Xiaoqi was sobbing uncontrollably.
However, these choking words were more real and touching than any magnificent vows.
In an instant, the restless evil aura around Ji San completely subsided and dissipated like an ebbing tide. On his hideous face, he managed to pull out an almost gentle and relieved arc.
It seemed that those heart - wrenching feelings of reluctance and attachment were no longer so difficult to let go of at this moment.
"Good... That's good..."
He squatted down, carefully hugged Ji Xiaoqi into his arms, and then stared intently at Ji Xiaoqi for a long time, as if engraving his appearance into his eternal soul.
After a while, Ji San said in his hoarse and broken voice, extremely gently, as if in a negotiation:
"Xiaoqi, Dad has been wandering here for many days. I'm so tired... Dad wants to go now, okay?"
"Dad," Ji Xiaoqi's tears welled up again, "When will I see you next time? You won't be able to see me study, get married, or have children in the future, right?"
"How could that be?" Ji San's voice became extremely gentle, as if with a smile, "Dad will always be here. In the future, the clouds in the sky are me, the trees by the roadside are me, and the wind blowing past your ears is also me. Dad will surely be reincarnated as soon as possible after reaching the other side. Even if I become just a foxtail grass in the next life, I'll definitely grow by the roadside you pass by on your way to school every day. When the wind blows, Dad will wave and say hello to you..."
No one remembered how long Ji Xiaoqi had cried.
Shen Cuiyu quietly accompanied them all the time, without the slightest bit of impatience, until this father - and - son pair had said all the words hidden in their hearts and properly bid farewell in this separation across life and death.
Then Ji San thanked Shen Cuiyu and quietly dispelled all the evil aura and resentment around him.
Pei Yu stared fixedly at Shen Cuiyu, watching her calmly handle Ji San's body.
Everyone was still immersed in this sad yet warm ending and was silent for a moment.
Just then, Liu Ruyan stepped forward gracefully. There was a calm smile on her face as if she had everything under control. She deliberately cleared her throat, and her voice clearly reached everyone's ears:
"This mission was full of dangers. Now that Ji San has safely passed on, it's finally a complete success." She paused for a moment, turned her gaze to Shen Cuiyu, and showed a mysterious smile. "If I hadn't reassured Ji San with my promise first and resolved most of his obsessions, it might not have gone so smoothly later."
Her words were very clever. She not only packaged her promise, which had no effect at all, as a crucial first step but also casually defined Shen Cuiyu's enlightenment as insignificant.
After saying that, without waiting for everyone to think it over, Liu Ruyan walked towards Ji Xiaoqi. Her tone became extremely gentle, but with an air of bestowing kindness:
"Xiaoqi, don't worry. My previous promise is not empty words. I, Liu Ruyan, will bear all the expenses for your study in the future, and I will surely let your father rest in peace."
Hearing this, several disciples were deeply touched and nodded one after another to praise Liu Ruyan.
"Ruyan is really considerate and always keeps her word!"
"Yes, if it weren't for Ruyan's early appeasement, this matter might not have ended well!"
Hearing this, Pei Yu just glanced at Liu Ruyan indifferently.
Zhong Shengwan sneered unceremoniously in a low voice:
"How can these fools believe everything Liu Ruyan says?"
Shen Cuiyu was not surprised. Liu Ruyan was the same in her previous life. Taking credit was as easy as breathing for her, and others always easily believed her. Liu Jinyan was like this, and so were the people in the academy now.
She almost suspected that Liu Ruyan had used some kind of spell to make those who got close to her appreciate her so much.
But this trip was not completely fruitless. At least Shen Cuiyu finally discovered that Liu Ruyan was not as flawless as she had imagined. She was almost certain that Liu Ruyan was just putting on a show!
She seemed to be one step closer to the truth...
The next day, Ji San's body was buried, and everyone went to see him off for the last time.
At the funeral, Ji Xiaoqi didn't cry anymore. Just as he had promised Ji San, he would live on strongly.
Until one day, he would reunite with his father in a place full of blooming mountain flowers...
After the funeral, the disciples walked down the mountain path one by one.
Pei Yu and Shen Cuiyu accidentally walked side by side. The mountain wind blew, bringing a bit of coolness.
"Do all parents in the world love their children like this?" Pei Yu looked at the overlapping mountains in the distance and suddenly asked in a soft voice. There was a faint look of confusion in his tone, which was extremely inconsistent with his status.
Shen Cuiyu was slightly stunned and felt surprised.
With Pei Yu's background - the son of the current emperor and the only son of the queen, who had only one son and two daughters, he should have enjoyed all the love and care from his parents. How could he ask such a question? But the fleeting confusion in Pei Yu's eyes didn't seem to be fake.
Shen Cuiyu carefully replied, "A father's deep love for his son is a common virtue in the world. Most parents are probably like this."
Hearing this, Pei Yu was silent. He just concealed that rare emotion deeper into his deep eyes, and it could no longer be seen at all.
After everyone returned to the academy, Pei Yu asked for two days' leave and disappeared.
When he came back, a piece of news quietly spread in Yongding Village and the nearby areas - the heartless merchant who had caused the mine disaster due to lax safety measures had been investigated by the Supreme Court of Judicature. He had sold all his property and paid a huge amount of compensation to the thirteen families of the victims.
Ji Xiaoqi's share was naturally properly preserved, which was enough to support his future life and study.
Ren Daoyuan, the dean of the academy, naturally also heard the detailed process of this mission, including what had happened in the morgue. When a teacher praised Liu Ruyan in front of him as "compassionate, kind - hearted, and handling things properly", he just stroked his beard and listened without saying a word. Only when he heard that Shen Cuiyu had summoned the soul back with three sticks of incense and patiently guided the child to resolve his obsession did he raise his eyes, and a hint of inappreciable admiration flashed in them.