CHAPTER 1147: 1225: GO SEPARATE WAYS

When they came, it was a mighty crowd, but when they returned, several were missing.

Yi Ran couldn’t stand the cold; the Northwest was too cold for him, and he didn’t like it. He intended to go back with Dong Huiying, but Elder Sun and Yu Xiu stayed behind. The two elders liked the snow scenery here, so they decided to stay.

The two elderly were getting on in years, and Yi Ran was a bit worried, so he assigned some of the people he brought with him to secretly look after Elder Sun and Yu Xiu.

On the day of departure, Haoming came out from the house. He had changed into a well-fitting outfit, but his appearance had changed. It was a human skin mask, a gift given to Dong Huiying by Fengsu during her visit there.

She couldn’t quite figure out what kind of person Fengsu was, but it was fine; at least for the moment, this person was a friend, not a foe.

One by one, the group boarded the carriages. Having learned from Shu Yu’s illness due to the cold on the way in, this time Dong Huiying bought a lot of charcoal. If things got too bad, they’d just light a fire in the carriage, hmph!

Yi Ran’s carriage was the second one. As he was about to get in, he paused suddenly. He looked toward a small building in the distance; earlier, he seemed to have seen someone on the building looking this way...

He stood there dumbfounded, gazing at the small building, silent for a long time.

Was he seeing things? That person’s figure looked a lot like Shi Yi from back then.

Xiao Shiyi...

He let out a low, desolate laugh, then sighed softly and boarded the carriage.

When the convoy had gone a distance, Yi Ran was deeply melancholic. He made a decision: "Lady Xiao Dong," he stopped the carriage, got off, walked to the carriage in front, and said to the person inside, "Let’s part ways here. I’ve seen all the sights I should in this world, and the old benefactor’s kindness I’ve repaid where I could; where I couldn’t, this is how it has to be."

Dong Huiying saw the bitter smile on Yi Ran’s face, his expression very mournful. He said slowly, "Now, I should go and make amends. After all these years, I still can’t find Shi Yi, don’t know where she is, maybe someone has taken her... But I always thought, no matter what, I want to know where she’s buried. A stick of incense at her grave, a bow in apology, a blood debt must be repaid in blood, that’s what I owe her."

A thought occurred to Dong Huiying, was Yi Ran intending to...

She meant to dissuade Yi Ran, but Yi Ran’s mind was made up.

And so, Yi Ran took Uncle Jiang and his people and left. Only two carriages were left, one for people, and the other carrying charcoal and necessities.

Because of Yi Ran’s matter, Dong Huiying and her family were in low spirits.

Yi Ran, in fact, was quite a good person.

The carriages rocked along, making their way across the Northwest’s snowy expanse towards home, while in Hanxue Pass, atop that small building.

Shi Yi looked into the mirror, seeing her fifteen-year-old self, her appearance unchanged since back then. After what happened, her second brother worked hard to save her, but perhaps the treatment wasn’t right, leaving some aftereffects.

Her body, her appearance, had never changed.

Just like her heart.

Everything remained frozen in time.

Frozen in that year.

She suddenly got up, gently clenched her small fist, picked up a small bundle, avoided the others, and quietly sneaked away...

Brother Ran, there’s something that’s weighed on my heart for a long time.

I’ve always wanted to know.

What is it about her that’s so good, that makes you so devoted?

The once kind-hearted you, stained your hands with blood for her.

And I, with my true heart in front of you, why do you never see it?