It was too early. Even if parting was inevitable, it was still too early for me. Even if it's just one more second, I want to be by your side.
----Why... don't you want to give me a little more time?
Why…am I destined not to save you…?
She looked at Ji Zi's bloodied face without any fear, but her struggle was filled with love and regret.
"If…I had become the Grim Reaper earlier, perhaps…Miss Ji Zi would have been saved.”
“……”
Xiu Mu Bai Zai didn't know what kind of answer he should give. If it was in the past, he definitely wouldn't stay here for too long. There was still a pile of mess waiting for him to clean up in the captain's office, but leaving a young girl from the Spiritual Academy here alone seemed to be inconsistent with his style.
But soon, he remembered the figure of an old friend in his memories.
"Ji Zi won't be saved just because you've become the Grim Reaper.”Hence, his tone turned cold as he told her the truth." You can't change the fact that she was ambushed. It was my fault for not being able to arrive before she was injured. It was the Fourth Division's inability to save her when she was still alive. No matter which reason it is, it has nothing to do with you.”
She knew that this was a form of comfort, but her self-blame made her want to attack any flaw in her words.
"Are you trying to say that no matter what I do, it's impossible to save her?!”
"Don't twist my words."
He felt helpless in the face of this kind of single-minded kindness.
"Captain Xiu Mu, you don't understand. I want to save her. I want her to live. No matter what method I use…if I can keep her alive, I will try…but it's too late to do anything now. It's too late!"
She raised her head and felt a sharp pain when she looked at it. However, she felt this way when she looked at the brilliant stars.
Lord Petrel, I want to find a way to avoid this tragedy. This is why I want to become the Grim Reaper.
Finally, the question at that time had an answer.
Unfortunately, this answer came too late.
It was too late.
It was already…too late.
Why didn't he realize this problem earlier? Why did he have to rely on such experiences to learn to grow? She was really a complete idiot, a complete egoist! Moreover, he was dumbfounded by his own ignorance. Ji Zi's misfortune might be her retribution…
"Let's go back."
Bai Zai persuaded calmly.
She shook her head stiffly but firmly.
"Forgive my refusal. Please let me stay here for a while. I won't cause you any trouble."
"You need to calm down. Leave the aftermath to the 13th Guard Squad. Please trust us.”
He even used a commanding tone.
"Believe me?"
She did believe that they would protect the Corpse Soul World and the residents here, but what was the result? She shouldn't be so stubborn, but if she didn't find someone to blame, she would only feel more heartbroken.
How laughable.
Laughable, pitiful, and pathetic.
If he didn't believe them and tried his best to break out of the White Dao Sect…would Ji Zi be saved? It seemed that it still couldn't be done. However, it was impossible for her to continue praising the achievements of the 13th Court Protection Squad without putting a little bit of responsibility on them. She couldn't forgive herself, nor could she forgive the Grim Reapers who couldn't save Ji Zi.
“……”
Xiu Mu Bai Zai did not continue speaking.
The night deepened.
The beige haired girl was still immersed in the grief of losing her loved ones, unable to extricate herself. From her back, she looked very thin and weak, but she also seemed particularly strong. Even under the absolute pain, she still straightened her back, indicating that she did not want to be defeated by reality.
After losing the patience to negotiate further, Xiu Mu Bai Zai turned his head slightly.
"Jiu Nan, you'll only be able to stay here until the people from the Cenglin Clan arrive. If you still don't want to return to the Jingling Palace by then, I'll force you to go back.”
"People from the Forest…family? What do you mean?"
Hearing this, even though she was in a daze, she felt a little confused.
"Didn't she tell you before?”Bai Zai was probably surprised and asked.
She shook her head blankly." I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you're talking about.”
"It does sound like her style." He first said this casually before saying seriously," Listen well. The Cenglin family was originally one of the oldest aristocrats in the Jingling Palace, and the Cenglin Ji Zi was the 30th generation head of the Cenglin family.”
His words were like thunder.
How should she put it? This news came without any foundation, so much so that she could not believe her ears." Master…? But…"
But she's just an ordinary tavern owner on Liuhun Street…Ah.
No, if he thought about it carefully, she was indeed not an ordinary person with her status. Whether it was her words, actions, clothes, or friends, everything had already hinted. This was not the first time that similar speculations had appeared regarding Ji Zi's background.
However, it was too abrupt to say that he was the head of a great noble family. This was a hypothesis that she did not even dare to guess.
Why…
Would there be such a development?
"Looks like she really didn't say anything to you.”Bai Zai guessed the ending.
"Yes."
Joe's voice sounded a little dejected.
She did not expect that the price of knowing this secret was Ji Zi's death. If that was the case, she would rather never know the secrets of the aristocrats. She only wanted Ji Zi to be alive and smile at her…
Bai Zai looked at her with a subtle gaze.
"Alright…regardless of whether she wanted to use this method to protect you or not, since she has passed away, there is no harm in telling you the truth.”Bai Zai said a lot of things at once, which was rare." After all, because of her special identity, her corpse will be taken away by the Cenglin family, and her memorial tablet will be placed in the ancestral hall of the Cenglin family. The worst case scenario is that you can't even attend her funeral.”
"Will they bring Miss Ji Zi's…corpse back to Jingling Pavilion?”
"Yes."
Bai Zai confirmed her question.
She actually felt that she could not be shocked by this level of news, so she only replied indifferently,"I see…"
Those things…did not matter anymore.
If the person was no longer around, how would the place of burial change the situation? Although she did not know much about her past, if this was her hometown, staying in Jingling Palace might be her long-cherished wish. In other words, she had no interest in the location of the cemetery.
She only cared about the people who were still alive and the regrets that could be salvaged. Instead of calculating sunk costs.
However, this matter did not have no impact on her.
"This time, your stance might change. Be mentally prepared.”Bai Zai said.
"…No, it won't change. Nothing will change."
Bai Zai couldn't understand the suffocating calmness in her words.
He suddenly found out that the person who adopted him was a rich and powerful noble. Wouldn't he have special thoughts? This was the Tranquil Palace. Even if it was just the title of a third-rate noble, it was still easier for them to adapt to the high environment than commoners. The social classes were barriers that most ordinary people could not break through in their entire lives. Especially…someone like her who lacked talent.
However, Jiu Nanqiao had a completely different opinion.
So what if he was a noble? Since Ji Zi did not say anything, it meant that he did not want her to get involved in this mess. She would respect his decision and continue to hide this secret.
This was her choice. It was also her choice.
As the two of them stood facing each other, cries came from not far away. She looked out of the corner of her eye. It was a black-haired boy who was holding the wound on his arm and staggering over.
"Wuwuwu…"
"Hmm?"
She was a little puzzled because the boy seemed to know Ji Zi. He slowly stopped in front of them and cried even harder at Ji Zi's corpse.
" Why, why can't I do anything…"
The child's tears fell one after another, making her heart ache.
However, she was increasingly confused." This child…"
Bai Zai's timely explanation answered her doubts." Before Miss Cenglin died, she saved him from Xu's attack.”
From Xiu Mu Bai Zai's emotionless voice, she could hear a hint of sympathy.
"Save…?"
She surveyed her surroundings. The remnants of desolation in the scene told her what had happened. She could not deduce how Ji Zi had saved the child, but Bai Zai's words proved one thing-Ji Zi's gentleness was still the same as before. In order to save someone, she had to sacrifice her own life. Only the gentle her would do such a thing.
"Did Miss Ji Zi…save him?”
She was a little lost.
The boy sobbed, his fingers digging deep into the soil as if he was shouting weakly," Why must we only be killed? What were those monsters? Would he be able to fight those monsters if he became the Grim Reaper? Could it be that if he became the Grim Reaper…this kind of thing wouldn't happen again?”
He was clearly trembling.
Joe thought he was brave.
"I don't know if it's because I became the Grim Reaper that this kind of thing won't happen again.”She squatted down and listened to her impulse to hug the child's thin shoulders, as if this could alleviate her guilt." But if you want to live, you have to have strength.”
"Big sister?" The boy looked at her in surprise, his tearful eyes glistening with the reflection of the moonlight.
"Without power, not only can you not protect others, you also cannot protect yourself.”
she said.
"I can also…have power?”The boy raised his head and asked in confusion.
She hesitated for a moment. It only took a short while.
They were so similar.
It was so similar that she could not lie to him at all.
"You can definitely do it! That's because you're the child that she's protecting with her life!”
She caressed his messy hair as if she was saying these words to herself.
"Yes!" He nodded vigorously.
She softened her tone and asked," Little kid, what's your name?”
"Alright…Alright, Wooden Dragon Yusuke." He sniffed and his voice was soft and sweet." What about you, Big Sister?"”
"I…"
She wanted to curl the corners of her mouth into a smile. She tried many times, but she couldn't smile no matter how hard she tried. In the end, she gave up.
"Just call me Joe."
It was just like how Ji Zi had once called her by her name.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]