Why Is There Sorrow?

"Jinxi, you need to eat properly and stop being picky! Did you hear me?"

"I can't hear you, I can't hear you! Stupid Ji Chi, always nagging like my sister! I'm ignoring you, hmph!"

"Little Jinxi, your father wrote me a letter, specifically telling me not to let you be picky! Come on, our little Jinxi is the best! We aren't picky at all, are we?"

...

"Little Jinxi, look at the scenery here, isn't it beautiful?"

"Mhm! It's so beautiful!"

"Then let's make this our secret hideout, okay?"

"Okay! You're the best, big brother Chi!"

...

"Little Jinxi! Look what I have!"

"(Surprised) Ah... You're amazing! Thank you, big brother Chi! Jinxi likes big brother Chi the most, the most, the most!"

"Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!"

...

"No... don't go! Daddy! Big sister... don't leave me! Ugh... don't... don't leave me all alone... Mom, I'm scared... (Sobbing)"

"(Pained) Little Jinxi, daddy and big sister didn't abandon you! They had to go out to do something! Something very important! So, for now, big brother Chi will stay with you! Okay?"

"(Sniffling), Bi... big brother Chi... Daddy didn't... abandon... Jin... Jinxi... r... right... (Sobbing sounds)"

"Yes, yes! Our little Jinxi is the best and most obedient child, why would daddy abandon us? He's just very busy! Little Jinxi should wait for him properly, and in the meantime~ take good care of herself, alright?"

"O... okay!"

...

"Big brother Chi! Jinxi wants to learn that technique you use to knock out bad guys in one go!"

"That's a no, Jinxi! We had a deal—big brother takes care of the bad guys, and you follow behind, healing me and the others, okay!"

"(A bit dejected) Mm, alright..."

...

"Jinxi, big brother Chi is going to enter and study at the Sub-Institute. You're coming too!"

"(Puzzled) Huh? The Sub-Institute? What's that? Big brother Chi is already so strong, why do you need to be a student?"

"Ah~, it's a place that gathers a lot of real monsters, with many peers stronger than big brother Chi!"

"Huh? Then let's not go there, okay? There, big brother Chi won't be the strongest anymore!"

"Hahaha! It's fine! That's exactly why I want to go there—to be around people who are better and stronger than me, to improve myself!"

"Then Jinxi will go with big brother Chi! Big brother Chi is too reckless! He needs Jinxi to look after him!"

"Mhm, yes, without Jinxi, big brother Chi can't even look after himself!"

...

"Sunset again... (Dejected) Will big brother Chi remember me? Will he remember what day it is today?"

"Of course! Today is our little Jinxi's birthday!"

"(Startled) Bi... big brother Chi! You didn't forget Jinxi!"

"Of course not! I could forget anything, but never our little Jinxi!"

...

"Jinxi, I've decided! I'm going to tell my father about us, publicly!"

"Ah~... (Uneasy) Will your father agree?"

"The way things are now, if the old man doesn't agree, I'll be damned if my last name stays Ji!"

"Father! We're back! This is Lan Jinxi! (Annoyed tone) We've already pledged our lives to each other!"

(Chi's father) "Huh? You little brat! Looking for a spanking? You dare sneak behind my back and... (Surprised) Oh—It's you, young lady! (Hurriedly greets) My ignorant son, I thought he'd picked up some wild girl from a brothel! Please excuse the unpleasantness!"

"Wait, father, I'm your real son! Your flesh and blood! How can you think so badly of your own son!"

(Chi's father) "(Ignoring Chi, tightly gripping Lan Jinxi's hands) Ah, are you called Jinxi? What a lovely name! And such beautiful eyes! That boy of mine is incredibly lucky to have found a fiancée like you! And look at that skin, so smooth and tender! Haha! That kid's taste sure matches his old man's! Wonderful! Now, go ahead and call me father!"

"Father... father!"

(Chi's father) "Yes! Good, good! What a fine girl! Mother! Come quick! That worthless son of ours has brought home such a beautiful young lady!"

(Chi's mother) "Oh my, oh my! He sure has! (Paying no attention to Chi at all)"

(Chi's father) "Her name is Lan Jinxi!"

(Chi's mother) "Jinxi? A fine name! (Sits down beside Jinxi) Look at you, you carry yourself with such noble grace! Not like that rascal of ours, always fooling around with no seriousness!"

"Father... Mother... (tentatively) My etiquette was taught by Chi... by my husband!"

(Chi's father and mother, together) "Huh? He knew how to do that? (Shocked)"

"My husband is amazing! He can do anything! (Proudly)"

......

"Jinxi, this whole journey I've had a bad feeling, a constant sense of dread. You shouldn't go!"

"Why? Jinxi wants to go with Big Brother Chi! We got through the entrance trials together! And everyone will be there this time..."

"No! The two are not comparable at all! It's far too dangerous!"

"(Voice slightly choked) If Big Brother Chi can go, then Jinxi can go too! If he isn't afraid of danger, then neither is Jinxi! Jinxi isn't afraid of death, only of not being able to stay by Big Brother Chi's side..."

"(Relenting somewhat) Fine, then! But this time, you must follow orders, be extra careful, and stock up on plenty of medicinal pills!"

"Mm!" (Glancing at the black blood threads on her arm and whispering) "Big Brother Chi, Jinxi hasn't learned the clan's inherited techniques. I don't know how much time I have left... so please, let's cherish every moment we have together... okay?"

...

"Big Brother Chi, I'm sorry... Jinxi couldn't hold on... I hope the Bloodline Crystal Jinxi gave you all... can help everyone... survive..."

...

(Su Xian) "Young man, your fiancée's condition is grave. Even with your blood to counteract it... even if she never uses magic again, she still..."

"No! There must be a way! Elder, no matter how difficult it is, I can do it! The one thing I cannot do is watch her die!"

(Su Xian) "Go to the Yunshui Clan. Seek the method there!"

"(Muttering incoherently in unconsciousness) Big Brother Chi... don't..."

"(Gripping Lan Jinxi's hand tightly) Jinxi, don't be afraid. I'll go to the Yunshui Clan and beg them for a cure! I swear I won't let anything happen to you! I promise!"

"Big Brother Chi! Don't go! Don't leave... please don't go... Sister said you mustn't go... (tears flowing uncontrollably)"

"Don't!" Lan Jinxi shot up in bed. It had all been a dream, memories from the past. She took out that jade pendant and gasped sharply upon seeing an extremely deep crack now marring its surface. Disregarding her own condition, she scrambled out of bed and ran straight to Master Lan's residence.

"Mas... Master Lan! You..." Gasping for breath, Lan Jinxi reached the front of Master Lan's home. Without bothering to knock, she pushed the door open and rushed in.

"Hmm? Jinxi? What's wrong?" Master Lan seemed to be hosting a guest. At first glance, it was Chi's father. A wave of dread washed over Lan Jinxi; tears instantly gushed forth as she clutched the love-token pendant and began to sob uncontrollably.

"Ah..." Seeing this, Chi's father fell silent. He quietly walked over to Lan Jinxi, helped her up, and said, "My good child, it's alright! Your husband... he won't come to harm!"

"That's right. Didn't you give him a Bloodline Crystal? He must still be alive!" Master Lan also stood up, took a sip of wine, and said, "Didn't Brother Ji mention that the Ying Clan's Young Lord Ying Su was with him then, showing him the way? Let's go ask him!"

...

The human race, the Qin State.

"This junior does indeed know of it! If you all require guidance, we can proceed together!" The group approached Ying Su.

"Absolutely not! That is your Ji Clan's family affair. Why involve my clansman?" King Zheng of Qin, who likely knew of the matter, suddenly appeared just as Ying Su was about to leave with the others and stopped him. "The far southern lands are rife with toxic mists. My clansman is also in frail health. How can he undertake such a journey?"

"Big Brother... Su... isn't that fragile... I can ward off some miasma!"

"No! Since Young Lord Chi may have met with danger there, it implies a powerful foe! Just the two of you, and with a burden in tow, how can you guarantee my brother Su's safety?" King Zheng of Qin would not budge.

"Your Majesty, it is time for court!" A eunuch hurried to the King's side and reminded him in a low voice.

"Let them wait!" The King of Qin paid the eunuch no heed.

"Zheng! You..." Gongzi Xi had come to urge the King, but seeing the group, he immediately understood. "Your Majesty, allow your servant to protect Young Lord Su in your stead!"

"Big Brother, with Uncle here, it will be fine!" Young Lord Ying Su seized the chance to agree, clearly not wanting to be confined to the palace all day either.

"You...!" The King of Qin was visibly exasperated but could do nothing about Ying Su. "If you fall ill again... this elder brother won't fetch medicine for you! Go get it yourself from the clinic! And... take good care of my clansman, Uncle!"

"As you command!" The group hastily departed, fearing the King might change his mind.

"Attendants, prepare these medicines!" Still uneasy, the King of Qin watched the group leave and immediately summoned a servant, handing him a list. "Prepare it all! Also, if Ying Su returns ill! Stop me from intervening; let him fetch his own medicine!" After a moment's thought, he added, "Move the Pharmacy adjacent to Young Lord Ying Su's residence!" He took two steps toward the grand hall, then called another servant. "Merge the Pharmacy into Young Lord Ying Su's residence!"

...

Led by Ying Su, the group soon arrived at the place where Chi had vanished. "Young Lord Chi's aura disappeared right here! Uncle, we trouble you for your assistance!"

Gongzi Xi immediately formed a series of hand seals. Everything that had transpired here was instantly unveiled before everyone's eyes—『Ying Blood: Ancient Traceback』.

That brutal battle played out before them. Lan Jinxi couldn't bear to watch and secretly slipped away alone. Ying Su noticed and, seemingly without intention, followed her.

The surrounding trees began to stir unnaturally.

"Master Lan, that scum isn't dead yet. Would you be so kind as to extract the moisture from these trees?" Chi's father displayed no particularly intense emotion, but the space around him rippled rapidly, and a bloodline dormant for years surged back to life.

Master Lan offered no comfort. He took a hefty swig of wine, raised his hand, and with a twist of his wrist, white vapor billowed from the surrounding trees. They instantly burst into flames, and within moments, the entire forest was reduced to ashes.

"Trouble! Young Lord Su and the young lady have vanished!" Gongzi Xi had just recovered from the backlash of performing such a large-scale bloodline technique.

The trees in the distance showed unusual movement.

"So troublesome!" Chi's father grumbled in annoyance. Spotting a mark on a nearby tree, he immediately dashed toward it. Gongzi Xi, guided by his bloodline sense, also sprinted in that direction.

As for Lan Jinxi, following the route from her memory, she arrived at her mother's graveside. The stone tablet was already rusted, worn, and broken.

"Chi... Big Brother Chi?" Lan Jinxi spotted a familiar, though somewhat disheveled, back. It was clearly the person she had been waiting for. "It's you!" She darted in front of the figure with joy, yet tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. "You... you're not Big Brother Chi, you're not!"

"Jinxi, he..." Ying Su had also arrived, following the trail of markers. Seeing Lan Jinxi's act—pretending ignorance while clearly knowing everything—he hesitated, unsure whether to expose the truth. He cast a spell from a distance. A jade pendant and a bronze mirror flew out. Lan Jinxi broke down completely, collapsing to her knees in silent, heaving sobs. "You... you lied to me..."

Countless vines materialized soundlessly all around them, and an invisible, gaping maw lurked in the shadows, creeping closer to Lan Jinxi.

"She has just lost her husband; her grief stems from you. Dare to move recklessly, and Su will surely claim your remnant soul!" Ying Su stared at the vines and spoke unhurriedly. The vines instantly froze, ceasing all motion and hanging rigidly in place.

"Young Lord!" Gongzi Xi was the first to arrive, followed by Chi's father and Master Lan.

"Good daughter, you..." Chi's father fell silent upon seeing Lan Jinxi kneeling and weeping bitterly beside a figure resembling Chi. He had already surmised most of the truth.

"Uncle, Master Lan, Your Majesty," Ying Su said, pointing expressionlessly at the vines. "Kill it."

Amidst her tears, Lan Jinxi took out the broken half of her jade pendant and made to drive it into her own wrist.

"The dead are gone. The living must persevere, carrying the deceased within to live on eternally!" Ying Su strode forward, intercepting Lan Jinxi. He then saw the figure's front—it was already a skeleton, clutching in its arms the very cultivation manual that could save Lan Jinxi's life. "He traded his death for your life. Accept it. Carry on his legacy, and theirs, and live!" Ying Su helped Lan Jinxi up, letting her retrieve the manual herself.

Outside, the vines were incinerated in an instant by Chi's father's wrath. He turned to look at Lan Jinxi. She had now steeled herself, holding tightly to the cultivation manual her husband had preserved for her at the cost of his life.

As they prepared to leave, they found their path blocked by an evil entity that had slumbered for a thousand years.

"Hah! Our Ji Clan... is also nearing its end!" Chi's father exhaled deeply. Ignoring attempts by Master Lan and Gongzi Xi to stop him, he said to Ying Su, "Folk tales say you possess divine pupils from birth, capable of replicating any technique you see and instantly grasping its mysteries. Then... remember the strongest technique of my Ji Clan!"

Chi's father instantly grew younger, looking much like Chi in his prime. His entire body transformed into flowing magma, radiating even greater power.

The evil entity seemed prepared, saturating its body with moisture. What it hadn't anticipated, however, was that the very water within it began to ignite and burn.

"Plants can burn, all things can burn. Those with high energy merely combust more easily, but that doesn't mean water, with its scant energy, cannot!" Chi's father advanced steadily. The evil entity retreated repeatedly, unable to extinguish the ever-burning flames.

The earth melted. Chi's father reached out his hand and clenched his fist. Magma surged from the ground, encircling and trapping the evil entity.

"Brother Ji was born with dual spiritual roots of fire and earth. He essentially perfected this technique himself, yet it remains confined to those with such dual affinities." Master Lan watched Chi's father's display with a heavy heart. While explaining, he instinctively reached for his wine gourd, only to find it empty, not a single drop remaining.

Chi's father visibly aged before their eyes. Once he saw the evil entity had ceased moving, the flames covering his body extinguished within moments. Completely spent, he leaned on Master Lan for support as he walked to the remains of his eldest son.

Ying Su had intended to follow, but suddenly noticed a breach torn into the earth. His expression shifted instantly. In a single step that spanned a thousand miles, he appeared beside the evil entity's core. A few seemingly feeble punches scattered it entirely, leaving only a crystalline heart behind, which he absorbed without hesitation. "The primary soul resides here! How dare mere remnant spirits try to flee!"

By the time they returned, Chi's father had already spoken his final words and breathed his last.

After obtaining Lan Jinxi's consent, Ying Su, along with Master Lan and Gongzi Xi, buried the father and son where they had fallen and erected tombstones.

With heavy hearts, the group walked out. The land beyond was covered with the graves of the former Cloudwater Five Tribes people. Under the setting sun, it seemed as if the graves themselves were welcoming them, offering thanks for avenging the dead and for caring for the sole survivor, Lan Jinxi.