Chapter 1260 - Called a Brother Once, Cherished for Life!
Chapter 1260: Called a Brother Once, Cherished for Life!
“The reinforcements of the Tian Fa army numbered 128,900. Every single nab was mobilized, and ultimately, 30,000 were killed!” Jun Wuyi sighed heavily and said.
“The continent’s reinforcements arrived late, so their losses are not as heavy.” Dugu Zongheng added. “However, their strength is comparatively weaker, so they were unable to contend well against the Outsiders soldiers. Of the 130,000 that participated in this battle, less than 100,000 will return!”
“There’s a total of 13 dead from the Heaven Destroyer and Spirit Devourer troops. The others are all heavily injured...” Solitary Eagle walked in with a heavy killing aura on him. After saying that, he turned his head and wiped at the corners of his eyes with a trembling hand. Throughout this year, the group of them had already become exceptionally close brothers...
Jun Moxie sighed heavily and shook his head sadly. “Whoever died in this war, make sure to compensate their families properly. We will treat their families as families of men who rendered outstanding meritorious service to the continent. If they have any requests, as long as they’re not too overboard, we’ll try our best to fulfill them! As for their descendants, we will also groom them to the best of our ability! No matter what, we must not let these heroes in the afterlife curse us as heartless bastards who repay kindness with enmity! This is a matter of principle, and a moral bottom line that we will be maintaining in the future as well! Do not take this lightly!”
Everyone nodded heavily and accepted the responsibility.
“Our Evil Monarch Manor especially will be in charge of enforcing this point! If anyone dares to bully or humiliate the families and descendants of those heroes, then no matter who it is, or what background they have, they will be killed without any mercy!” Jun Moxie declared in an icy voice, indicating that his determination would not be shaken!
“In that case, I will quickly spread this message to the rest of the continent!” Mei Xueyan nodded. Looking at Jun Moxie’s eyes, she felt an additional sense of pride.
How to treat the descendants of men who’d contributed meritorious service had always been a huge problem in the continent. Too many families who’d lost their pillars of support after a war were bullied and abused by others. They were mistreated, or even sold off as slaves. For those young ladies with beautiful figures, their fates were even worse.
The moment this commandment that Jun Moxie had set was spread out, it would have an enormous effect!
“We will not let our heroes shed a single tear, after having shed their blood!” Jun Moxie reiterated strongly. After a moment, he continued in a light voice. “Naturally, there must still be a distinction between justice and reward. If there are any unjust or criminal conduct that are found to be committed by the family of those heroes, we cannot condone those crimes either! The word ‘hero’ is undoubtedly a mark of honor; however, it cannot be wielded for all kinds of benefits forever. There needs to be some limit to it as well.”
Dugu Zongheng and Murong Fengyun both revealed looks of praise on their faces. Jun Moxie’s arrangement could be said to be extremely well thought through and benevolent. This way, not only would a lot of tragedies be prevented from happening, it would also stop people from abusing their benefits and statuses as heroes of the continent.
Humans were creatures that did not do well when spoilt.
The two old men were both well experienced in life, so how would they not understand this logic?
Jun Moxie fell silent for a moment and turned to look at Mei Xueyan. “How are the things for the three Holy Lands...?”
Mei Xueyan understood what he meant as well. Nodding lightly, she said, “No one’s touched that area yet. Everything’s remained the same way as before the final battle. I know what you’re thinking about. Earlier, I’d already sent some people to keep watch there.”
Jun Moxie stood up with a grim face. “Everybody, let’s go and take a look.”
The group stood up and followed him.
There were several hundred tents where the experts from the Three Holy Lands had lived in when they were alive. They were still perched in the same manner, as if nothing had changed. The wind tugged lightly against the tents, causing the sides of the tent to flutter softly. The empty tents had been placed in three clearly defined sections.
Like the positions that the actual three Holy Lands had occupied in life, the three sets of different colored tents had been placed in the same manner.
This small camp was actually the last vestiges that remained of the mighty Three Holy Lands that once dominated the continent!
Jun Moxie looked silently at the camp for a long time, before sighing sadly. “We’ve all been fighting tooth and nail, tearing at each other’s throats. And for what...? Mo Wudao, may you three Palace Lords and your followers of the Holy Lands enjoy eternal peace and happiness in the other world. I hope you never need to scheme and plot against anyone anymore...”
When Mei Xueyan who was at the side heard those words, she could not help but to feel a sour feeling rising in her chest.
Back then, the Three Holy Lands had been founded for an extremely pure and straightforward purpose. It was simply to repel the external threats and protect the mainland. For thousands of years, they committed to immerse themselves in this wild and barren land. What kind of lofty and honorable disposition of mind was that?
But schemes and ambition had ultimately ruined this 10,000 years legacy of glory and honor! At the same time, Tian Fa had been forced to its knees for the last thousand years!
If the leaders of the three Holy Lands could be just a little more accepting and magnanimous...
Mei Xueyan shook her head self mockingly. Because this was basically an important matter. The differences between humans and Xuan Beasts were unquestionably in two different extremes....
The group walked into the main tent, only to see two rows of stone stools placed neatly on the side. A moment of silence surged out, as if those Holy Land experts were still sitting there as before...
A stack of paper bags were placed neatly on the table in the middle.
The topmost one had two words written on it in blood: Gu Han.
Jun Moxie sighed lightly, walked up, and opened the paper bag. Inside, there was a jade pendant and a piece of paper.
There were a few sentences written on the paper in blood: “The vicissitudes of two lifetimes, the glory of 10,000 ages; gone in one instant, repaid only with death!”
As for that jade pendant, nothing was mentioned about its origins, or who it should be passed to.
But Jun Moxie knew very clearly that this jade pendant was the final piece of memento that Gu Han had left for Qiao Ying.
The jade was clear and smooth, and shone from time to time with a warm and peaceful light. It felt warm to the touch, but somehow, it also contained a trace of warm ice Qi.
Warm in winter, and cool in summer.
Without question, this was an incredibly rare precious jade!
Jun Moxie closed the paper bag carefully, and passed the jade pendant to Mei Xueyan. “Please pass this piece of jade to Qiao Ying later on. Tell her that it’s something that Gu Han left for her.” Mei Xueyan looked doubtfully at him, but still nodded gently before taking the jade pendant.
Mei Xueyan’s doubt was naturally because she couldn’t understand why Jun Moxie didn’t choose to do this himself.
But what she didn’t know was that Jun Moxie was feeling extremely conflicted right now. He didn’t know how to face Qiao Ying at all. If he saw her, should he tell her that Gu Han was her biological father?!
The paper bag below Gu Han’s was similarly written with blood. On it were the words ‘Mo Wudao’. Apart from a single piece of paper, there was nothing else inside the paper bag.
“Do not say that there’s no path beyond the clear skies; live carefreely when you can. Xiao Yao, your elder brother is coming.” This Palace Lord of the Elusive World of Immortals, did not mention even half a word about the War for Seizing the Heavens, or about glory and honor. He’d only left behind this one sentence.
Xiao Yao, naturally referred to Mo Xiaoyao, Mo Wudao’s younger brother.
Seeing this, Jun Moxie could not help but to feel a tremor in his heart. From this sentence, it was not difficult to see just how deep the relationship the brothers Mo Wudao and Mo Xiaoyao had. It was hard to blame Mo Wudao for harboring such deep hatred against him...
After looking through everything, most of the Three Holy Lands experts had left behind similar kinds of words—
There were no regrets for dying in the War for Seizing the Heavens!
As everyone continued to look, their faces became exceedingly heavy.
The last paper bag was Leng Tong’s.
This Demon Pupil Saint only left behind three words: “It doesn’t matter!” He’d truly left in a carefree manner!
After they’d packed up the Elusive World of Immortals’s tents, it was the Supreme Golden City’s next. Most of their last words were the same, except for the Palace Lord of the Supreme Golden City. He’d written: “If everything could go back to the beginning...”
If only everything could go back to the beginning...
Jun Moxie and Mei Xueyan looked at those words, unable to say a single word.
If only one could really start life over!
How many people would try to fix the regrets they had in life and create their own idea of a perfect life...
If everything could return to the beginning... It was easy to say that, but this was the one thing that was impossible in this world!
...
By the time they’d finished packing up the Three Holy Lands’ tent, when the three of them walked out from the last tent, the sky had already begun to grow dark. Countless people stood around the area, or sat, without saying anything...
It was a silent night.
Dawn of the next day, Jun Moxie woke up early and walked through the battlefield. Stopping at the very center of the battlefield, he looked upwards.
After a period of silence, he raised his hand slowly and said in a soft voice: “Power of Earth, let’s erect an undying plaque in memory of our heroes who’d sacrificed themselves here!”
As his words left his mouth, the ground around him began to rise up slowly. Higher and higher, it continued rising for an entire morning until a mountain had grown out of the ground! This mountain was several thousand zhang tall and several hundred li wide...
At the very top, the mountain peak began to expand outwards, forming into a figure of a gigantic flying eagle. The eyes of the eagle were golden, and its claws were steel. Its feathers were sharp and metallic, and it seemed as if it were surveying the vast lands and rivers below it!
This gigantic eagle was modeled after a completely restored Eagle King! Only, it was thousands of times larger...
Jun Moxie waved his hand, and the Power of Gold surge out, instantly covering the gigantic statue with gold!
This cast of gold was completely devoid of impurities. It was 100 percent pure gold!
The gigantic golden eagle reflected the glow of the setting sun, casting a brilliant golden light for tens of thousands of zhang, as if it would swallow the heavens and earth!
The moment this gigantic statue was revealed to the world. Mei Xueyan, Big Bear, and everyone from Tian Fa, felt their eyes well up with tears. Unable to hold back their emotions, a loud howl of grief rose up from the Tian Fa camp.
Jun Moxie waved his hand again, and a huge piece of abnormally flat and smooth stone wall appeared several hundred zhang high in the air! With a loud clank, the Blood of Yellow Flame shot into the air, drawing a brilliant sword ray behind it as it arrived before the stone wall.
Bursts of sharp sword Qi burst out, and stone fell from the sky like rain. As the sword proceeded slowly, everyone could see verses of a poem being revealed on the stone wall!
Since time immemorial, all things return eventually to emptiness;
Who can live life to its fullest?
Even the strongest heroes weep under the vast sky;
The hidden scrolls of history can only sigh in lamentation for the fallen;
Called a brother once, cherished for a lifetime;
A legend that lasts for a thousand years, telling of a thousand emotions;
There are no regrets for blood shed for a just cause;
Cradle to grave, together with my Lord;
This life, sworn as brothers;
Trudging on together, even through mountains of daggers and seas of flames;
Eagle of the vast sky, forever proud;
Transformed into the blue dome of heaven for ten thousand antiquities!