Chapter Twenty-One: Feng Batian's Departure

“What? The Sunfire Pill? The legendary Sunfire Pill? The one that can elevate even the weakest martial artist to the rank of Martial Sovereign? Wait, do you actually have such a pill?” Feng Batian was utterly astonished when he heard Lin Yanghao mention the Sunfire Pill. He had not expected Lin Yanghao to bring up such a fabled elixir, so a barrage of questions poured out from him.

“Yes, Grandfather Feng, not only do I have the Sunfire Pill, but I have already taken it,” Lin Yanghao replied, explaining to Feng Batian everything that had happened over the past few days—his meeting with Elder Lin, and the gift of the pill.

“It seems I was right to choose you. You truly are a man of great fortune. Now I can rest easy,” Feng Batian sighed, then turned and walked away.

After watching Feng Batian leave, Lin Yanghao turned to Feng Shihan. The shyness she had shown earlier had faded. Lin Yanghao reached out and gently patted her head, then opened his arms, waiting for her embrace.

Seeing this, Feng Shihan’s cheeks flushed red again. She lowered her head, hesitating for a moment, but in the end, she could not resist the allure of her beloved’s embrace. She stepped forward and softly hugged Lin Yanghao.

At dawn, the newly risen sun cast its golden rays over the vast grasslands of the Land of Death.

The air was exceptionally fresh, the grass a vibrant green stretching as far as the eye could see, as if the world itself were a painted landscape. Distant blue mountains loomed, shrouded in a lingering mist.

A pair of lovers lay nestled together on the plush, carpet-like grass. The girl rested her head against the boy’s chest, the picture of bliss.

Indeed, the two lovers were Lin Yanghao and Feng Shihan. After tidying up, Feng Shihan took Lin Yanghao’s arm, and together they began the walk home.

“Hao, I belong to you now. You must never abandon me,” Feng Shihan said coyly as they walked.

“I will always cherish you, for you are the only family I have in this world,” Lin Yanghao replied with heartfelt sincerity.

Soon, the two returned home.

“Grandfather! Grandfather!” As soon as Feng Shihan entered, she called out for Feng Batian, but after quite some time, there was still no answer.

“Shihan, maybe Grandfather went out. Let’s wait for him,” Lin Yanghao said, trying to reassure her.

The reason for their concern was simple: in the months since Lin Yanghao had stayed there, Feng Batian had never once left the house so early in the morning. Feng Shihan, too, had never known her grandfather to be gone at such an hour, which only deepened their worry.

“Yes,” Feng Shihan replied softly. Having become a woman, her eyes now shimmered with a new allure, tinged with the beauty of her newfound status.

Meeting Lin Yanghao’s gaze, she blushed and hurried back to her room.

“Hao, come quickly! There’s a letter here!” Not long after, Lin Yanghao heard her urgent call.

He rushed into the room to find Feng Shihan anxiously holding a letter. Considering the bond he now shared with Feng Shihan, he felt a tremor of anticipation as he took the letter and began to read.

“My children, by the time you see this letter, I may have already left. Of course, by ‘left,’ I do not mean I am dead. There are matters of great importance that I must attend to, and I have no choice but to be away for a while. If luck is not on my side, I may never return; if it is, perhaps I shall be back soon.

Shihan, do you remember? When you were a child, you always asked me about your origins, about where your parents had gone. Now, let me tell you the truth.

I was once the eldest legitimate son of the Feng family, the preeminent clan of the Yan Kingdom. Upon reaching adulthood, I naturally became head of the family. Not long after, I married your grandmother, and a year later, we had a son—your father, my son. His name was Feng Tianci.

Years passed, and I took on a disciple named Mo Yousheng, who trained in martial arts alongside your father. Life went on peacefully.

In the blink of an eye, more than a decade passed. Your father and Mo Yousheng both grew up. They were close in age and became sworn brothers. Once, when they left the clan to train, they met a woman—a truly remarkable woman, gifted in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and strikingly beautiful. Both your father and Mo Yousheng fell deeply in love with her, each vying for her heart.

They agreed to compete fairly, and in the end, your father won her hand. That woman was your birth mother, Su Qin. Life went on.

A year later, you were born. But it was then that disaster befell our family. Mo Yousheng, in league with several other prominent clans, betrayed the Feng family. Your parents were killed by Mo Yousheng during the rebellion. Your grandmother, in trying to protect me and you, also met a tragic end.

Yet Mo Yousheng was not satisfied with seizing our family’s assets—he was bent on killing me as well. He sent many assassins after us. I fled east with you, Shihan, and we ended up in the Chaoyang Mountains within the Han Kingdom’s borders. There, we stumbled into this Land of Death. That night, I faced a situation much like the one you encountered. At first, I was terrified, but then memories from my youth surfaced. I immediately retrieved the Trileaf Demon-Subduing Flower I had always carried with me. By some miracle, we survived, and from then on, Shihan and I lived here in the Land of Death until today.

As for Mo Yousheng’s betrayal, it all stemmed from his resentment over losing your mother to your father. His ambition grew; he harbored rebellious thoughts, and in the end, conspired with other clans to annihilate the Feng family.

Yanghao, I had intended to spend my remaining days here quietly with Shihan, letting her live a peaceful life. That is why I never taught her martial arts and tried to let go of my hatred. But fate brought you to us, and my long-dormant vendetta was rekindled.

The reason I left you here was so you could look after Shihan, allowing me to pursue vengeance with no regrets. That’s all I have to say. I hope you will care for Shihan