Chapter 43: Days of Separation

"Ruoxi, have you forgotten something!" Moshan suddenly blurted out while looking at Haotian.

"Are you asking me to hold your hand?" Ruoxi looked at Moshan's solitary right hand, fumbled about, and grasped her small hand, looking completely bewildered.

"What are you thinking! Look at the time—hurry up!" Moshan's voice trembled as he spoke in a low tone, grabbing Ruoxi and sprinting toward the mountain.

"Running away!!!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Ruoxi scratched her head, smiling foolishly, nodding like a chick pecking at grain. She hurriedly added, "My sister is training on the mountain, and her martial arts are incredibly powerful!"

"What good is being powerful if she isn't coming to save you? Your father has even higher skills, and look at him—who knows where he is now!" Moshan retorted, curling his lip.

"But... but!..." Ruoxi was suddenly so anxious she couldn't speak. Her eyes filled with worry; everyone in the town was dead, even Aunt Mei was dead. Her own father’s fate was surely grim.

Ruoxi’s eyes turned red, and a tear slipped down her cheek before she realized it.

"Think of it like a young eagle. It can stay in the nest when it's small, but what about when it grows up? It has to face the world on its own. If you don't learn to fly yourself, do you expect others to carry you through the sky, to hunt for you? Even if they did, the prey they catch would be significantly less! If the eagle can barely feed itself, do you think it will bother with you?"

Moshan’s tone was resolute, completely oblivious to Ruoxi’s feelings. The implication behind his words was clear: when one is being hunted by enemies and hovering on the brink of death, who has the luxury of worrying about missing relatives? It was just like the giant snake they encountered in the forest; if he hadn’t reacted quickly, he would have become its meal. Even though he didn't kill the snake himself in the end, he had held on long enough for someone to come to his rescue.

Even if one’s friends and family are incredibly powerful, they cannot quench a thirst from far away. In such life-or-death situations, one is ultimately left with only one path: death. He had no desire to endure that suffocating proximity to death again; it was an unforgettable memory that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Father!" Influenced by Moshan’s words, Ruoxi lost control of her emotions and cried out.

As he ran at top speed, Moshan sighed. People are different, after all. Ruoxi had a father, a mother, and family. And him? He had nothing. He didn't even know who he was or where his home was. Thinking of this, he lowered his head, his mood sinking.

"Hehe! My dear granddaughter, stop crying. He has urgent business to attend to right now!"

Moshan felt a chill run through him at the sound of this strange voice, his skin crawling. Suddenly, his hand felt a tug, and Ruoxi’s small hand slipped from his grip like a slippery loach. His right hand grasped at empty air. Looking up, he saw Lin Kuang pulling Ruoxi from behind.

In his field of vision, Ruoxi’s feet dragged against the ground, her brow furrowed, as she protested, "Let me go!... Let me go!" She gritted her teeth, struggling for a long time, but she could not break free from his grasp.

"Don't be afraid! I'm taking you to find your father now!"

"No! No! I want to wait here for my father to find me!" Ruoxi shook her head frantically, showing clear reluctance.

Upon hearing this, Lin Kuang’s expression changed. His left hand struck Ruoxi’s shoulder, and she suddenly stopped struggling, her head dropping.

"Don't be nervous, young man! I am her grandfather; why would I bully her? It’s just that she’s being stubborn as usual. I’m just in a hurry to take her away from this dangerous place, don't be nervous!" Lin Kuang’s tone shifted to one of syrupy sweetness that made Moshan’s skin crawl.

"By the way! Aren't you friends with my granddaughter? Would you like to come with us?" Lin Kuang asked softly, as if he had completely forgotten the hostile confrontation from moments before.

"No!" Moshan replied firmly.

"They aren't good people either! Don't get too close to them; they have ulterior motives regarding you!" Lin Kuang turned and pointed at the dejected Hao Yun and the others, seemingly intent on causing trouble for them before he left.

Moshan looked at Lin Kuang’s hypocritical expression, his hands clenching. He felt rage bubbling inside, but he didn't show it. He remained silent.

Seeing that Moshan wouldn't speak, Lin Kuang shook his head, sheathed his sword, and turned to leave without a moment's hesitation.

Only when he watched Lin Kuang slowly fade into a black speck did Moshan kneel, plunging his Mountain River Sword into the ground. He closed his eyes.

"It’s all because I’m useless, allowing you to suffer such indignity," Moshan said, his head bowed heavily.

Hao Yun sighed, walked over to Moshan, and said, "Moshan, don't be sad. Only when you become strong yourself will you be able to save Ruoxi."

"I know," Moshan replied coldly, his voice choked with emotion.

"What do you plan to do next?"

"I don't know."

"Why don't you come with us?" Hao Yun asked tentatively.

"Where to?" Moshan asked coldly, his head still bowed.

"To a safe place," Hao Yun said, looking up at the sky.