Zhan Ri Fei let out a soft sigh and said, “Brother Huo, so far, we are only speculating. We cannot draw definitive conclusions. Everything we’ve deduced so far is merely the most plausible answer, but it does not justify accusing someone of wrongdoing.”
Huo Xiao Di gritted his teeth. “But what if our guesses are correct?”
Zhan Ri Fei replied, “If that’s the case, put yourself in his shoes—would you not have done the same?”
Huo Xiao Di froze.
Zhan Ri Fei’s words, though spoken softly and slowly, struck him like the tolling of a great bell, each one resonating deep within him.
—“If our guesses are correct, and he truly grew up in Han Shui Palace, who would have taught him right from wrong? What examples would he have had to follow?”
—“If you were him, living each day knowing that your survival came at the cost of endless pain—being treated as a tool to be wounded and poisoned daily—and that no one saw you as a person but as an object, whom would you trust?”
—“If our guesses are correct and he is the Chang Hong Bi, then when he found himself alone in the martial world, why should he believe you mean him no harm? How could he know you helped him out of kindness and not because he is the Chang Hong Bi?”
—“Even a child younger than him would understand that if his secret were discovered, it would spark greed in everyone around him. Without martial skills and with everyone coveting him, what means would he not resort to for survival?”
—“And all this because of a dog? Do you truly believe his life is worth less than that of a dog? Is his life so insignificant?”
For the first time in his life, Huo Xiao Di was at a loss for words. Having grown up in the privileged and commanding environment of Ling Long Manor, he had never imagined that a person’s life could be as fragile as a feather or as worthless as a discarded shoe.
After a long silence, he finally let out a deep sigh and said, “I understand. I don’t blame him.”
Zhan Ri Fei’s furrowed brow relaxed. He, too, sighed softly. “I wasn’t wrong about you, Brother Huo. You truly have a magnanimous heart. Ling Long Manor’s dominance in the martial world is clearly due to its—” His sentence was abruptly cut short as he suddenly struggled to breathe and broke into a coughing fit.
The fire crackled softly, its faint flames flickering. Only then did Huo Xiao Di notice that at some point, Zhan Ri Fei’s voice had grown weaker and weaker.
As the coughing subsided, Huo Xiao Di saw that Zhan Ri Fei’s complexion had worsened.
Under the mottled pale moonlight, his lips had turned a bluish-purple. The muscles of his face twitched faintly, and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.
Huo Xiao Di’s brow furrowed slightly. “You’ve already taken two Ling Long Honey Pills. Why is your wound still hurting?”
—Although Zhan Ri Fei hadn’t shown him his injury, Huo Xiao Di knew well the effectiveness of Ling Long Manor’s renowned Ling Long Honey Pills—an unparalleled healing remedy, rare and precious. Yet after taking two, Zhan Ri Fei still hadn’t recovered. Could it be that Han Shui Palace’s ‘Chang Xiang Si’ poison was enchanted with some sinister spell, rendering even Ling Long Honey Pills ineffective?
Zhan Ri Fei forced a weak smile, but just as he was about to speak, a rush of metallic blood surged up from within, cutting off his words. His body weakened, and he collapsed to the ground.
Only then did Huo Xiao Di realize that since Zhan Ri Fei’s fight with the two from Han Shui Palace, he had been relying on his inner strength to keep going. Now, his injuries had worsened, and he could no longer hold on. With a cry of alarm, Huo Xiao Di leaped to his side.
Zhan Ri Fei took a long, deep breath and finally regained some composure. Seeing the concern etched on Huo Xiao Di’s face, his expression somehow remained relaxed. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to die. But I do need to ask you for one more favor.”
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