newbobooks Chapter 256, Section 256: Farewell
Chapter 256, Section 256: Farewell
Chapter 256 Farewell
Wang Shusheng stumbled and climbed over countless small hills, and as the sound grew clearer, he had no time to think; tears streamed down his face. When he climbed another small hill, he indeed saw a beautiful girl in red ahead.
She sat amidst the tender grass and flowers, her long skirt billowing out, her figure slender and graceful, a carefree smile on her face—just like when she had first married Wang Shusheng that year.
As if hearing a sound, she looked up at the panting Wang Shusheng. Seeing him there, she paused for a moment, then broke into an even brighter smile, waved to him, and said:
"Hengzhi, you've arrived."
Wang Shusheng couldn't quite describe what he felt at that moment. When he came to his senses, he found himself holding Xue Ling tightly in his arms. The two of them fell onto the grass, startling a shower of petals that landed on Xue Ling's hair and temples, making her look even more beautiful.
"Ling'er... Ling'er..." Wang Shusheng murmured Xue Ling's name, buried his face in Xue Ling's neck, and cried like a child, crying very sadly.
A moment later, he felt a pair of soft hands patting his back, and he cried even harder.
"Ling'er, I miss you so much..."
"Fool, why are you crying?" Xue Ling sighed.
Wang Shusheng said, "Do you know how worried I was about you? You silly girl, why didn't you stay by my side? Why did you have to go to the cloth shop by yourself? If you had waited just a little longer, I could have gone with you. You wouldn't have... you wouldn't have..."
He couldn't continue, so he just held Xue Ling tightly and said in a hoarse voice:
"Ling'er, you...you've suffered so much."
“You’re the one who’s suffering.” Xue Ling placed her hand on Wang Shusheng’s face and said softly, “These past few days you’ve been searching for me without eating, drinking, or sleeping, and you’ve even made yourself sick. What were you trying to do just now? Try to kill yourself? I’ve never seen anyone more foolish than you.”
"Compared to what you've suffered, what is mine? Ling'er, for you, I would gladly die." Wang Shusheng said, choking back tears. After saying that, he suddenly remembered something and reached out to check Xue Ling's body for any wounds.
"Let me see for myself what that bastard has done to you!" he said angrily.
However, Xue Ling's body was completely unharmed, without even a single scar.
Xue Ling pressed his hand down, shook her head at him, and said softly, "When a person dies, they are dead. They return to nothingness with all their past lives. Why bother with all that?"
Wang Shusheng was stunned for a long time before he realized that Xue Ling was dead, and that what he was seeing before him was probably not the real Xue Ling. Thinking of this, his body trembled involuntarily.
As if knowing what he was thinking, Xue Ling said softly, "Hengzhi, I'm waiting for you here, not to take you away, but to say goodbye properly."
Wang Shusheng shook his head violently, crying, and grabbed her hand, repeatedly saying, "Take me away, take me away, don't leave me alone."
"Do you still remember what I said when we got married?" Xue Ling said with a smile. "I said that my husband is a dragon among men, and one day he will rise above others and bring glory to our ancestors. That sentence still remains unchanged to this day."
Wang Shusheng shook his head and said, "Without you, even if I pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar, it will be meaningless."
“How can it be meaningless?” Xue Ling said. “If you hadn’t been searching for me all this time, the crimes of those villains would not have been exposed, those girls who died unjustly would not have been able to see the light of day again, and you and I would probably never have met again. Hengzhi, only by living can you do what you want to do, and that is the greatest meaning.”
"Ling'er..." Wang Shusheng cried out in a sorrowful voice.
"Actually, I didn't die in pain. I only had regrets. I regretted not being able to see you realize your ambitions, I regretted not seeing enough of the capital's scenery, I regretted that life was too short, and there were still so many places I hadn't set foot in." Tears welled up in Xue Ling's eyes as well. "Hengzhi, live well for me, and fulfill my wishes, okay?"
Wang Shusheng cried uncontrollably, but unwilling to disappoint her, he could only nod haphazardly.
Xue Ling smiled with relief, gently placed a kiss on his forehead, and said:
"If fate allows, we will meet again. Hengzhi, wait for me."
Wait for me—wait for me—wait for me—
Xue Ling's words echoed softly in this space. A gentle breeze rose from all around, and her figure transformed into countless petals, drifting in the air and turning into specks of light before disappearing forever.
Wang Shusheng anxiously reached out to grab the tiny glowing tail, but suddenly everything went black, and he completely fainted.
When he woke up again, he had already left that illusory world and returned to Xue Ling's grave at Nanbao Temple.
"Young Master Wang, you're awake. You suddenly fainted in front of this tomb just now, which scared us both." A voice came from beside him. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Ye Pianran and Ye Lingyue standing anxiously by his side.
He propped himself up to sit, staring blankly at the large characters "Tomb of My Beloved Wife Xue Ling" for a long while before finally saying:
"I just had a dream..."
Ye Pianran and Ye Lingyue wanted to take a look, but tacitly refrained from asking him what he was dreaming about. He didn't need their response and continued talking to himself.
"Ling'er, I dreamt of you." He took out the Guanyin jade pendant, which he had warmed from his hand, and gently stroked it, murmuring, "You're still the same as before, not changed at all. It's me who's changed..."
He looked down at his dirty outer robe and smiled sheepishly.
"You definitely don't like seeing me like this. Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself when I get back, just like when you were still here."
Ling'er, I will live well, taking your share with me. You must keep your word; I will wait for you here, waiting for the day we reunite.
He gripped the Guanyin jade pendant tightly in his hand, his expression becoming incredibly resolute. Standing up, he said to Ye Pianran:
"Thank you for your continued help, young lady. Please accept my bow."
After saying this, he clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.
His words of thanks were exactly the same as before, but his expression was completely different. At the same time, Ye Pianran heard the very mechanical voice of the spatial system:
[Ding! Wang Hengzhi's favorability +100, good/evil value +10, gained a 'Heart of Loyalty'. Please claim the reward for reaching maximum favorability.]
[Ding, the chain quest 'White Jade Guanyin Statue' is complete. Completion rate: Excellent. Quest rating: Outstanding. Rewards: 10000 experience points, 3000 spiritual energy, 100 good/evil points, 1 mystery gift pack, 3 white crystal grass seeds, 3 red candle seeds, and 3 bottles of advanced alchemy fusion agent.]
[Beep! You have obtained the 'Outstanding' achievement. Please claim your achievement reward.]
Hearing the system notifications one after another, Ye Pianran and 666 both breathed a sigh of relief.
This task is finally complete.