Ye Liangchen left without killing Liu Wu Xin.

    Xu Chang Qing used death threats to force the situation and finally succeeded in saving Liu Wu Xin's life. However, at this moment, she seemed like a stone statue, holding Chen Mo's corpse motionless.

    The people who had received Chen Mo's teachings in the past gathered silently to one side, mourning silently.

    In contrast, Li Xiao and Long Ling approached Xu Changqing, who had been promoted to the second grade that night, to show their concern and kindness.

    Both of them, whether it was when Xu Changqing was in office or when he taught at the Imperial Academy, didn't hold him in high regard. However, with him now standing at a height where even the most accomplished warriors of Tianlong Dynasty must look up to, they too had to show deep respect and fervent devotion.

    Xu Changqing stroked his white, long beard and dismissed the two with a single phrase, "I must stay to keep watch over my teacher." In a hurry, he approached Liao Wu Xin and stood silently behind her, not stopping her from holding on, occasionally mourning the early departure of Chen Mo in silence.

    Pei Jiangnan dismounted from his horse and quickly approached Liao Wu Xin, lowering his head in shame after glancing at her once. The young girl begged in front of everyone, only to save Chen Mo's life, but even after she knocked on her head three thousand times, no one responded. Among them was Pei Jiangnan.

    "What righteous, what the light of righteousness, Pei Jiangnan is nothing but a cowardly first-stage practitioner who bullies the weak and fears the strong."

    Pei Jiangnan clutched his fists, the nails digging into the palm flesh, piercing the skin and oozing blood. He bit his teeth so hard that they were almost broken. Unconsciously raising his head to glance at the girl whose eyes had lost their luster, he let out a 'thud' as he fell to his knees.

    Time flies, and more and more people gather to pay their respects to Chen Mo. Among them, a figure squeezes through.

    Suyuomo has arrived.

    But seeing Chen Mo, whose throat had been slit and who had no breath left, and Liao Wu Xin, bloodied and as still as a statue, Suyumo pressed her hands over her mouth, tears rolling down like droplets in a thunderstorm.

    "How could this be? Master, how could Master die in such a pitiful way..."

    Suyuomo's legs gave way, and she collapsed helplessly to the ground. Her voice trembled with sobs as she glanced at Chen Mo, who had puncture wounds on his hands and legs, and a wound on his chest. It was evident that the attacker had no intention of letting him survive.

    The most terrifying wound was to the throat, a sword that sealed his windpipe.

    Only a few hours ago, he was joking and chatting with everyone, saying he wanted to let everyone live a good life. But now, how could he be gone like that?

    Without him, can we consider it a good life?

    Two figures emerged from the crowd: Zhang Long and Fu Bo.

    Many people had come to listen to Chen Mo's teachings earlier. When they saw Ye Liangchen committing the crime, many of them fled back to the Imperial Capital, spreading the news in a chain reaction. Fubo and Zhang Long were worried about Chen Mo's safety and had already left for here on fast horses without even thinking about buying medicinal materials.

    However, when he saw Chen Mo's gruesome appearance, Fu Bo, over sixty years old, passed out on the spot. Zhang Long quickly reached out to hug the unconscious Fu Bo, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Chen Mo's corpse. His eyes trembled slightly.

    They say that a man does not shed tears easily, but that is because he has not reached the point of despair.

    Zhang Long clenched his teeth and tears filled his eyes, but he turned his head away from the corpse to prevent himself from crying out. But just as he turned his head, a broken sword caught his eye.

    It was Chen Mo's sword, which he had previously wanted to give to Zhang Long, but had been refused by the latter. Zhang Long felt that he couldn't accept such a valuable gift.

    Zhang Long gently placed Fu Bo on the ground and hurried forward to pick up the broken sword, his body trembling uncontrollably.

    "Is this the sword the King gave as a gift? I heard from my colleague that Chen brother came back to the Imperial Capital to get this sword..."

    Pei Jiangnan noticed the broken sword in Zhang Long's hand and spoke without thinking.

    Zhang Long was taken aback, his eyes reddening instantly. The tears that were held back in his eyes flowed like a spring, "Zhang Long is a fool! Master bestowed the sword upon me, and I refused it. If only, if I had accepted this sword back then, Master wouldn't have gone back to fetch it and wouldn't have been killed by the traitors... It's me who killed the master, it's me who killed the master!"

    Zhang Long's repentant confession woke up the unconscious Fu Bo. The old man slowly opened his eyes, thinking that it was just a dream. But when he saw Chen Mo without breath, he wept profusely immediately.

    "Great heavens, what sins have I committed in my life? Why are the people around me all leaving me? Oh, God, if I Lin Fu have any guilt, then punish me. Instead of torturing me like this..."

    Fubo fell to the ground, pounding his chest and crying out in despair. Since his childhood, life had been a struggle. At the age of fifteen, he had to support the family; at twenty, his parents passed away; in his thirties, his sister died in childbirth; in his forties, his brother died from an accident; at fifty, he treated Chen Mo's mother as if she were his own daughter, but she also died later.

    This year, he is over sixty, with no wife or children, and lives alone. He has treated Chen Mo's son Chen Mo as if he were his own grandson, thinking that serving him for the remaining years of his life would be worth living.

    But oh God, is that too much to ask of this old man.

    "It's all my fault, all my fault. I'm a curse to my family. I killed relatives in my youth, and now in my old age, I still bring harm. This old man is a poisonous thing. If it weren't for me, Master wouldn't have died so young..."

    Fubo screamed at the top of his lungs, supporting himself on the ground with both hands, and headbutted the ground violently. He believed that he was a curse to others, and it was unfair for him to be alive. His existence brought harm not only to others but also to himself.

    "Halt"

    A deep and resounding voice echoed, stopping Fu Bo's act of headbutting the ground in self-harm.

    "Don't do anything silly"

    Xu Changqing walked up and helped Fu Bo back on his feet, sighing, "The death of Daozu is all due to karma. It has nothing to do with you."

    "Old Xu, don't try to pacify me. What's this talk of karma? Master was a good person. In this world, what is this bullshit about karma that allows good people to die a bad death?"

    Fubo was speaking with tears and snot, and Xu Changqing immediately took out a piece of paper from his breast.

    Fubo was slightly taken aback, taking the paper and examining it. It was Chen Mo's handwriting. After glancing at it briefly, he cried even harder. The content on the paper was exactly the same as what Xu Changqing had said.

    Not only that, but it also instructed where Chen Mo's remains should be taken after his death—Reliance Sect.

    Before leaving the Reliance Sect, Chen Mo had secretly talked to the sect leader and obtained permission for Fu Bo to join the sect. The token obtained in this way was the qualification for entry, and with it in hand, he could enter the Reliance Sect at any time.

    Fubo took out the token from his breast, with tears in his eyes, "It explains why, several times I wanted to return this thing to Master, but he refused. Now I understand that it was prepared for this old man. Master, you haven't forgotten about this old man even after your death, and I don't even have the right to help you..."

    Xu Changqing turned his gaze to Zhang Long and said, "You must be Zhang Long."

    Zhang Long nodded slightly.

    "The Ancestor also found a home for you before his passing. He made a pact with the Sandstorm Swordsman, regardless of when you seek him out, he will take you as his disciple"

    Xu Changqing took out another piece of paper from his bosom. Zhang Long took it and glanced at it, tears pouring down his face; truly living up to Fu Bo's words, Master was thinking of everyone until the end.

    A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Hu's family arrived after hearing the news. When they saw Chen Mo's gruesome appearance after death, Zhao Hu's mother passed out instantly. Although their interactions were few, without Chen Mo, their family would have fallen apart.

    Zhao Qingling rushed to support her mother, constantly comforting her. However, Zhao Hu was filled with grief and anger, striking the ground with a heavy fist and screaming, "Why, such a good person as the third son had to die so young? Why shouldn't good people live long? What have you done, evil heavens?"

    Another fifteen minutes later, Long Aotian arrived in a hurry, carrying Xiaodouding in his belt and riding on a flying sword.

    Today's Long Aotian was different from the usual. She was no longer dressed as a man; instead, she wore a white long dress. She had planned to show Chen Mo her female attire and then reveal her Empress identity, but halfway there, she encountered Xiaodouding who was taken back by the martial arts experts of the Zhengwu Bureau.

    After asking around on the way, she learned that Chen Mo was in danger, so she rushed to come with the abandoned Xiaodouding.

    However, as she was about to fall, she suddenly froze in shock. She missed it; Chen Mo was already dead.

    "Your Majesty, I humbly present myself."

    Li Xiao and Xu Changqing immediately recognized Long Aotian's identity and both bowed respectfully.

    At a single call, the crowd gathered around them, kneeling in fear and reverence.

    Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, Fu Bo, and Su Yume all had a surprised expression. Although their appearance was far from what it used to be, they remembered that she was the son of the Zhengwu Bureau, how could she become the King?

    Long Aotian stared blankly at the already lifeless Chen Mo in front of her, overwhelmed with emotion. Kings are heartless; to reach the position she is in now, she has killed many people, and she has grown accustomed to death. However, why did she feel a sharp pain in her heart at this moment?

    Wasn't it agreed that you wanted to see me in female attire? How come when I dressed up like this, you wouldn't open your eyes?

    "Brother, brother?"

    Xiaodouding, although young, had grown up in a sea of death. He was no naïve child who knew nothing about life and death. Upon seeing Chen Mo covered in blood, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes. He crawled towards Chen Mo on his short legs and waved his small hand at the cold body.

    "Brother, brother, what's wrong with you? Brother, brother, don't die. You said we'd go buy some good food together, didn't you? You promised that you'd never let Xiaodouding go hungry again. What if someone bullies me when you're not here?"

    "Brother, Xiaodouding doesn't want good food anymore. Please open your eyes, okay?"

    "Brother, you said last night that we would be a family forever. How can you break your promise?"

    ...

    Xiaodouding shook Chen Mo's body, the older brother who was usually very fond of her, no longer reached out to stroke her head as he had in the past.

    Now, and there will never be again.

    Tears welled up in the eyes of a child of a few years old, who let out a loud wail, "Wa."

    Guilroy, who remains unflinching even when a mountain crumbles before her, couldn't help but be moved by Xiaodouding's emotions. Her eyes filled with tears, she roared angrily, "Who is it? What has this person done? I must avenge Chen Mo."

    "Your Majesty, please."

    At this moment, Li Xiao and Long Ling were both shocked and tried to interject, "Your Majesty, the one who just killed Chen Mo is at the second-grade realm. Such a formidable warrior is rare even in the entire continent of Jiuzhou; please do not let your emotions cloud your judgment and jeopardize the future of our empire."

    Long Aotian clutched her hands into fists, bit down on her silver teeth, and for the first time felt just how weak she truly was.

    "Long Gong... Your Majesty"

    At this moment, Pei Jiangnan slowly approached, taking out a letter hidden in his chest. "Early this morning, Brother Chen asked me to deliver this letter to you..."

    Long Aotian took the letter, opened it, and her delicate body trembled slightly. "Pei Jiangnan has both talent and character; he should be highly regarded. Zhao Hu has promising talent, though he has not yet reached the seventh grade, please break the rules and promote him into the Zhengwu Bureau. Zhao Qingling has yet to awaken her spiritual pathway, but I have made a promise with her, and I will definitely support her fully... Though I am dead, my promises cannot be broken. Please, O Great Aotian Brother, fulfill my promises for me."

    "...... Your Majesty owes me a debt. I have never thought of how to make Your Majesty pay it back. After much contemplation, O Great Aotian Brother has done so much for me. So, I will give this debt to you..."

    Long Aotian read the content of the letter; Pei Jiangnan clenched his fists in shame, mortified to his core. Chen Mo was so considerate for him, even praising his good character... But whether in Chen's mansion or just now, he was too intimidated by Ye Liangchen's formidable strength to make a move lightly...

    Zhao Hu and his sister were moved to tears. Chen Mo had not forgotten them even in his death, not only saving their family from dire straits but also arranging for their future. Such kindness was overwhelming, and they didn't know how to repay such a debt.

    "I once owed Chen Mo a debt. Since it is his request, I will fulfill it. I will promote Pei Jiangnan, break the rules to let Zhao Hu enter the Zhengwu Bureau, and I will personally cultivate Zhao Qingling..."

    Long Aotian clutched the letter in her hand, her gaze briefly scanning downwards. The last sentence of the letter read: "I haven't seen your female attire, O Great Aotian Brother. It's a bit of a regret. Once I get the chance, I'd like to see it for myself..."

    "Liar."

    Tears filled his eyes as he muttered, "What's the point of talking about chances when the person is already dead? If you really want to see it, just open your eyes and let me show it to you."

    Unconsciously, the sun had set in the west and those who had come to mourn Chen Mo gradually left. The number of people present diminished, Xu Changqing sighed slightly, "The Dao Ancestor has passed away. It's time for him to rest in peace."

    As the words fell, Liu Wu'er, who had been holding Chen Mo for several hours, showed no emotion.

    Xu Changqing helplessly sighed and walked forward, pulling at Chen Mo's body. "The Dao Ancestor had already arranged for his posthumous affairs in the letter. Miss Liu, Miss Su, and little miss, I will ensure that you are well taken care of. Miss Liu, please restrain your grief. Once someone is dead, they cannot come back to life. The Dao Ancestor should also find peace now."

    Liu Wu'er held tightly onto Chen Mo's body. When Xu Changqing tried to pull him away, she forcefully dragged him back into her arms. Her red eyes glowed with a chilling coldness, "He is mine. He is mine. He is mine."

    "Miss Liu..."

    Xu Changqing shook his head in disbelief, "Oh, I remember now. The Dao Ancestor left you a note in the purchase list he gave you."

    Liu Wu'er's brow furrowed slightly. She didn't want to engage with Xu Changqing but upon hearing it was a message from Chen Mo, she reluctantly held him and took out the list with caution. A quick glance revealed it was filled with names of medicinal herbs, albeit somewhat difficult to pronounce. But after a closer look, her pupils constricted into a fine point.

    The first letters of the first column on the list could be arranged to form a sentence, which seemed to be Chen Mo's farewell message to her: Revive the dead, turn flesh into bones, help me bring back to life.

    -------------------------------------

    The first volume has come to an end (¬'▽'¬)~. Today, I wanted to update one more chapter, but the keyboard is broken and the keys are unresponsive. Being poor enough that I can't even afford a new keyboard, I can only use this one for now (╥╯^╰╥).

    However, this chapter was a 4,000-word epic, which is equivalent to two chapters... hehe, I think the readers should understand (￣３￣)a.

    Some readers have said that the plot is a bit tense and that there are not enough emotional scenes... After thinking about it, I realized that there is indeed a lack of emotional depth. I want to clarify that this is not because I am unable to write emotional scenes, but rather because some readers have been urging me to write faster... (└ω└)

    (Alright, I'll admit that I'm not very good at writing romantic scenes, but that's understandable since I'm a single noble; if the readers introduced me to a girlfriend, I'm sure I could do a good job O(*////▽////*)q... In summary, my inability to write good romantic scenes is definitely the fault of the readers not introducing me to any girlfriends (￣y▽￣)~* covering my mouth while sneezing and laughing)

    "Okay, I'll try to work on the romantic scenes. I'll add some bonus chapters when I have time..."

    Tomorrow, we'll start the second volume. For tonight, that's all, (•̀ ω •́)งlin. Good night...

    Please give me some gifts! (^◡^)／Thank you for the prosperity!