EFB Chapter 2252 An Inescapable Fate
Chapter 2252 An Inescapable Fate
Chapter 2252 An Inescapable Fate
"Alright!" Fang Canran joked, "What other life-saving treasures do you have? Give them all to me!"
He was very relaxed and not at all enthusiastic about what he was going to do.
“There are plenty.” He Lingchuan grabbed a brocade pouch. “These are all little things made by Dong Rui. They might save your life in a critical moment.”
"Mr. Dong, you're very kind." Fang Canran carefully accepted the gift.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" He Lingchuan asked him again, "Do you have a descendant hidden somewhere? I can take care of him."
Fang Canran looked at him in surprise: "How did you know?"
He Lingchuan touched his chin, thinking how magical his mouth was, as if it had been blessed.
Fang Canran hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have twin sons. Their birth mother died of postpartum hemorrhage, so I placed them in the care of a family on the Shili Islands. The twins don't know I exist and only regard their adoptive parents as their biological parents. Every six months, I send someone to deliver some money and food to them, and the family lives a very peaceful life."
“The Shili Islands?” He Lingchuan mentally assessed the location. “Not far from the Yangshan Islands, far from the mainland, and very peaceful.”
"The land is in turmoil, and I hope they are far from war."
He Lingchuan had another son: "Why not keep him by my side?"
“The mission of the Shao family is too heavy,” Fang Canran said in a low voice. “If they don’t know I exist, they don’t know the Shao family exists, and they don’t have to bear the burden of a mission passed down through generations!”
He Lingchuan remained silent. Wasn't this kind of mission a curse?
“They should have their own opportunities, their own lives, even if they live as ordinary people their whole lives,” Fang Canran said earnestly. “I will end the Shao family’s mission; let’s not pass it on to the next generation!”
“Yes, I hope the turmoil and suffering brought by the Heavenly Demon will end here, and not be left to future generations.” He Lingchuan breathed a sigh of relief. “Brother Fang, just go ahead and do your thing. I will send people to take good care of the Shili Islands.”
Fang Canran immediately stood up and bowed to him: "Thank you, Brother He."
He only trusted He Lingchuan with such a secret.
He Lingchuan's intervention relieved Fang Can of his worries.
He Lingchuan grabbed his arm to stop him from bending over: "What are you thanking me for? If you can successfully plant those eight thousand Dragon-Slaying Pillars, then the mortal world will owe you a great gift!"
That would truly be a meritorious deed beyond measure.
“I’m only acting in secret. It will be Brother He who will face the Heavenly Demon in the future.” Fang Canran sighed, “Brother He’s path is truly difficult.”
"Alright, stop it. Let's stop flattering each other," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Let's finish this game quickly, consider it a farewell dinner for you."
The two players made their moves again, and the illusion ended there.
A gust of wind swept through, and the tower was once again desolate, with only He Lingchuan sitting opposite the flickering lamp.
Just now, the Dayan Heavenly Bead sensed the wearer's state of mind and brought back to life his memory of his last farewell to Fang Canran.
Little did I know that farewell would be our last.
He Lingchuan let out a soft breath.
Did you really not expect that? Fang Canran had already prepared for the worst when he received the eight thousand Dragon-Slaying Pillars from him.
Otherwise, why would he entrust his orphan to someone before his departure?
Knowing full well the immense terror ahead, he still gladly went.
Furthermore, the lamp's flame shattered, indicating that Fang Canran had chosen to commit suicide.
Based on He Lingchuan's understanding of Fang Canran, he would only be so resolute in one situation:
Guard the secret to the death!
Someone must be watching him, someone must be driving him to the brink of despair, and someone must be trying to get information about Xing Longzhu from him.
Fang Canran's ability to commit suicide shows that he ultimately succeeded in keeping this secret!
History is a terrible cycle.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Shao Jian committed suicide while being pursued by the Heavenly Demon;
One hundred and fifty years later, Shao Jian's descendant, Fang Canran, also chose this method to keep the secrets of the Dafang Pot and Xinglong Pillar!
Even with He Lingchuan's extensive experience, he still felt a deep sorrow in his heart.
One of the most important mental journeys to becoming the Nine Nether Emperor is "loss".
The Red General once told him that people like them spend their whole lives losing things and struggling with pain and guilt.
They lost their families, their close friends, so many good teammates who fought alongside them, and so many brave, courageous, and lovable soldiers.
Along the way, others only saw his boundless glory;
But when he looked back, he saw a desolate ghost realm behind him, with withered bones scattered everywhere.
Furthermore, their war with the Heavenly Demons has not yet reached its climax, and Fang Canran's tragedy may only be the beginning of sacrifices.
This was the path he and Fang Canran chose themselves, a destiny they could not escape.
What a damned fate!
He Lingchuan took out a wine pot and two cups from his pocket, filled both cups with wine, placed one cup in front of the dim lamp, and put the other cup in his own hand.
“Brother Fang, you’re right.” He murmured to himself, facing the flickering lamp, “The pain and sacrifices caused by the Heavenly Demons should be ended by us, and never left to future generations!”
After saying this, he raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp, then gently poured another glass of wine in front of the flickering lamp.
Then he gathered up the broken lamp fragments on the ground and walked down the tower without looking back.
……
Back in his study, he walked into the garden and patted the most lush old locust tree.
The old tree spirit's bark was cracked, like the wrinkles on an old man's face. It had lived for seven or eight hundred years and was among the first few residents of the Crimson Heaven Golden Palace. Its branches and leaves were usually wild and menacing, living up to its name as a wood spirit. Standing under its tree during the hottest days of summer would bring coolness and relief from the heat.
However, it has a hole in its body that was eaten away by insects, reaching chest height. It's unclear whether the hole was caused by insects or a woodpecker.
He Lingchuan then said to the old locust tree:
"Retrieve the intelligence that Fang Canran sent last time."
The locust tree branches and leaves rustled.
Then, He Lingchuan reached into the tree hole and pulled out a document.
The old locust tree demon transformed its tree hole into a small space. He Lingchuan, as the Nine Nether Emperor, had handled too many secrets and couldn't keep them on his person forever, so he gave them to the old locust tree demon.
This old guy only recognizes people, not tokens, so the secrecy and security are very high.
For safety reasons, Fang Canran has been sending out intelligence intermittently over the years to prevent anyone from figuring out the pattern, and the content is all written in code, which appears to outsiders as complicated and tedious business reports.
Only in He Lingchuan's eyes did they reveal their true colors.
He Lingchuan had already checked it once two months ago, and this time he was just to confirm it again.
Fang Canran's intelligence reports were always very detailed, this one containing 215 items. He not only reported on the distribution of the Xinglong Pillars, but also summarized any important observations he made during his journey that he deemed valuable.
The information he provided was very detailed, and most of it was related to the Heavenly Demons, local government, immortal sects, and people's livelihoods, helping the Nine Nether Emperor to grasp a richer picture of the outside world.
(End of this chapter)