CH 55

Chapter 55: Choice.

Feng Yaoqing stood up and swept a glance around.

The entire village was almost destroyed, with ruins and debris all around, and women and children crying out in heartbreak. Although Ji Feichen had tried his best to protect them, innocent people still lost their lives in the chaos.

The woman’s husband was already turning purple, the poison creeping towards his heart, and there was no time to lose. A little girl, about five or six years old, was kneeling beside him, crying as she clung to his arm, her tender voice making everyone’s heart ache.

Feng Yaoqing tightly gripped the only remaining spirit-replenishing pill in her hand, digging her nails into her palm until a few drops of blood seeped out.

Shen Wanqing: “Give it to me.”

Feng Yaoqing turned to look at her, her eyes red and a tear suddenly fell.

“Someone has to choose. If you don’t want to choose, I’ll help you choose,” Shen Wanqing said as she took hold of Feng Yaoqing’s hand, indicating for her to let go: “If you feel uncomfortable, don’t blame yourself. Blame me instead.”

Feng Yaoqing’s eyes were full of pain. She shook her head and opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. After a long time, she said softly: “How could I blame you?”

Shen Wanqing repeated: “Give me the spirit-replenishing pill. I got the pointed leaf, so I’ll choose.”

“They are innocent.”

“I know,” Shen Wanqing looked into Feng Yaoqing’s eyes and then reached out to pat her back in a comforting manner, “Everyone who died in this turmoil is innocent.”

“I can save him.”

“It’s not shameful to have selfish motives.”

Shen Wanqing knew why Feng Yaoqing was in pain.

For someone like her, the most self-blaming thing is not that she couldn’t do it, but that she could have done it.

Shen Wanqing knew that Feng Yaoqing would eventually choose to save Ji Feichen.

This has nothing to do with whether one is kind or not; it is everyone’s innate choice.

She just couldn’t forgive herself, couldn’t forgive herself for being so selfish and choosing to let another person die.

“But I will save Ji Feichen,” Shen Wanqing could feel Feng Yaoqing trembling, “He is my brother, my family, and I will choose him.”

Feng Yaoqing sobbed and lifted her hand to grip Shen Wanqing’s shoulder, as if wanting to push her away, but hesitated for a long time, and finally hugged her tighter.

“I shouldn’t have come here, I shouldn’t have come here.”

“You can’t save everyone.”

There are many things in the world that don’t have a correct answer or solution.

The demons slaughtered humans recklessly in order to survive. The Heavenly Dao Palace sacrificed a few lives for the survival of the majority. Ji Feichen and his team came here to save the world.

If you trace back this series of events, you will find that they form a circular chain, and no one can escape it.

In every story about disaster and redemption, everyone is innocent.

No one can save everyone.

Everyone has to make sacrifices.

Feng Yaoqing took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She clenched the spirit-replenishing pill tightly and remained silent for a moment before opening her eyes, standing straight, and stepping back one step.

Then she crouched in front of Ji Feichen, helped him up, and held him in her arms.

The woman next to her’s pupils shrank. She crawled forward and grabbed Feng Yaoqing’s arm, her entire body trembling with excessive grief. Her lips moved, but she couldn’t say anything. She knocked her head on the ground, crying and choking: “Immortal, please, Immortal.”

“I’m sorry.”

Feng Yaoqing shed tears that fell on Ji Feichen’s face.

She sniffled and pulled her arm away, without any hesitation, she put the spirit-replenishing pill into Ji Feichen’s mouth, her voice hoarse: “I’m sorry, I must save him.”

“Daddy!”

The child kneeling next to the man shouted in agony. The woman turned around and realized that the poison had already invaded the man’s heart.

The man was spitting out blood and it was flowing down his cheek, soaking the clothes of the child as well.

The woman quickly turned around and ran towards the man, stumbling and falling. The family of three hugged each other and cried together.

The sound of crying could be heard everywhere.

No matter how hard Ji Feichen tried, the number of people who died in this accident was still countless.

Feng Yaoqing endured the urge to turn around and look at the tragic scene behind her. After making sure that the poison in Ji Feichen’s body was gradually being expelled, she weakly leaned her head against his chest and burst into tears.

“Bang!”

The talisman covered in golden light was shattered forcefully. In an instant, it cracked into countless cracks and looked like it could break at any moment.

These groups of demons were impossible to kill. Based on this situation, even the Heavenly Dao Palace would have to dispatch a whole branch of their sect to suppress them.

Of course, if Xie Wuyan were to act without any scruples, these demons would naturally be no match for him. However, at that time, his identity would inevitably be exposed in front of everyone.

It is possible to escape if you want to escape.

But in this area, even the towns and villages at the foot of the mountain are probably not spared.

“Are these demons attracted to me?”

At this moment, a golden light suddenly gathered between Qin Zhihuan’s eyebrows, who had been sleeping in the rear all along. Then, a shadow flew out from his body.

Princess Zhao Ping’s face, which usually looked a bit delicate, showed a slight frown at this moment, with an expression that was all calm and composed.

Feng Yaoqing had already analyzed the reasons with Ji Feichen just now.

They also realized that the reason why the Heavenly Dao Palace was using the Ten Thousand Demon Attraction spell was probably not just for Shen Wanqing.

Because according to the principle, both the body and soul are necessary for the sacrifice in the sword furnace, but Princess Zhao Ping had sacrificed her physical body while still retaining her soul.

Therefore, the Heavenly Dao Palace would probably go to great lengths to find a way to obtain this missing soul.

Princess Zhao Ping glanced at the village behind her, which was full of ruins and debris. Her gaze lightly swept over Qin Zhihuan lying on the ground before turning her head. Her semi-transparent body floated up: “I understand. If I let them eat me, it should be able to make these demons leave, right?”

Her tone was very calm, and she looked completely different from the spoiled princess of last night. It seemed as if the idea of her soul being destroyed didn’t scare her at all.

Princess Zhao Ping didn’t even give anyone time to react. As soon as she finished speaking, she flew towards the crack without any hesitation.

When Feng Yaoqing reacted, Princess Zhao Ping was already close to the edge of the golden light barrier.

“Stop her!” Feng Yaoqing shouted, “These demonic creatures will fight among themselves for this soul, causing even greater chaos. If Princess Zhao Ping’s soul falls into their hands, they will become even more troublesome.”

Shen Wanqing quickly understood and turned around. She stepped on her sword and flew up, reaching out to grab Princess Zhao Ping’s soul.

However, at the moment her palm touched Princess Zhao Ping’s body, a white light suddenly appeared in front of her.

What is this…

Shen Wanqing lowered her head in astonishment and realized that the wound in her left hand had not completely healed.

The consciousness of the two collided strongly, and countless memories flooded in, causing even stronger repulsion than any previous reactions.

Countless images and sounds flickered in their minds like a revolving lantern, making their eyes ache.

“Your Highness!”

“Princess!”

“Princess Zhao Ping.”

“Ah Zhao.”

Finally, the speed of the fluctuating scene gradually slowed down.

“Your Highness, are you sure you want to hand over this map?”

“Um.”

“Does Your Highness want me to betray the kingdom?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like watching lanterns at all.”

Memories surged.

It was Princess Zhao Ping’s twelfth birthday.

The scenery of the northern region is famous throughout the world, especially the lantern festival at night on the Huaihe River and lakes. The emperor had once dispatched countless craftsmen to construct numerous illuminated boats and lighthouses on the lake, adorned with countless exotic treasures and magnificent decorations.

On major festivals and holidays, the lanterns that have been arranged are lit up, and numerous high-ranking officials and aristocrats gather here to celebrate. The light from the lanterns is reflected in the water, creating a gorgeous and extravagant sight.

On the day of Princess Zhao Ping’s twelfth birthday, her doting father, the emperor, had a sudden idea and issued an edict seven days earlier, instructing people to rush to build a lantern tower specifically for Zhao Ping, as a gift for his precious daughter.

The emperor’s decree only required a few words, but it was the people who suffered the most.

Princess Zhao Ping was unaware of all this.

On her birthday, she happily ran up and down in her own lantern tower, enjoying the flattery of others. She was the most eye-catching princess, with no worries about food or clothing, and could get whatever she wanted with just a snap of her fingers.

It wasn’t until she sneaked away from her guards and took a boat to explore the night market that she accidentally got lost and stumbled into a secluded alley.

The alley was very dilapidated.

The air was filled with a foul smell, and there was black sticky dirt on the ground.

Princess Zhao Ping felt cold and tired, so she found a house with light and cautiously peered inside through the window.

She saw the thin and emaciated old man lying on the bed, gasping for breath.

She saw a shabbily dressed woman sitting under the lamp, squinting her eyes and embroidering flowers while rocking a cradle to soothe a crying child beside her.

Later, Zhao Ping saw many things in the Northern Kingdom that she couldn’t see before.

There were the parents and wife of the man who died while building the lantern tower, sitting in the house and looking out of the window at the magnificent Huai River not far away, their eyes swollen from crying.

There was a child who died of starvation and an elderly person who died of lung disease lying on a bed and had to be buried in a simple grass mat because they couldn’t afford a proper burial.

She used to think that the Northern Kingdom was good enough.

But later, she realized that only she was living a good enough life.

That day, when twelve-year-old Zhao Ping was found by the guards and taken back to her father the emperor, she hugged the lantern and cried loudly, tears mixed with snot streaming down her face, unable to stop sobbing.

The emperor tenderly stopped her by the shoulder and asked: “Who bullied you?”

Zhao Ping nodded, shook her head, then bit her lip and said with difficulty: “I don’t want to see the lanterns anymore.”

This is the most critical reason for the downfall of the Northern Kingdom.

The Southern Kingdom attacked and conquered the Northern Kingdom swiftly, with hardly any battles that caused casualties or wasted resources.

Because Princess Zhao Ping had paved the way for them long ago.

It was she who brought about the downfall of the Northern Kingdom and led the people of the Southern Kingdom into the imperial city.

“Only with the people of the Northern Kingdom can there be a true Northern Kingdom.”

“Even if I don’t surrender, I cannot stop the downfall of the Northern Kingdom. I will only make innocent people suffer more.”

“Perhaps this is not the right decision.”

“But I can only do this.”

“From now on, I am no longer Princess Zhao Ping.”

Princess Zhao Ping handed over the map in her hand.

Shen Wanqing saw the person standing opposite her, who took the map from Princess Zhao Ping’s hand.

It was Qin Zhihuan.

Qin Zhihuan knelt on one knee in front of Zhaoping and bowed: “Her Royal Highness Zhao Ping.”

“I will definitely go through fire and water for you, without any hesitation.”

The author’s note:

Changed the title of the princess!

The princess’s actions may not necessarily be absolutely correct, and I did not intend to praise this approach as the correct answer when writing about it.

Therefore, having one’s own thoughts is normal! Because many things do not have a single correct answer.

It’s just that based on her character and personality, she would make such a choice. If another person faced this situation, choosing to resist to the death for the sake of their kingdom would also be a valid option. It is normal to have choices, as well as agreements and disagreements.