Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 597 Snow covers Xuanwei's mourning curtains, cold; a flickering candle remains in the tent, warming Niannu's heart.

Dingzhou

The setting sun, like blood, spilled across the vast mountain plateau.

The army of thousands of cultivators clashed together, the sounds of swords and halberds mingling with thunderous explosions, the stench of blood and burnt smells lingering in the wind, making people's throats tighten.

Kang Changyi stood on the back of the Azure Thunder Crimson Ox, his dark cloak fluttering wildly in the wind from the sword energy. The trident, a magical weapon, was tightly gripped in his right hand, gleaming with a cold light. On the three blades at the tip of the trident, there were still drops of blood that had not yet dried, which looked like precious agates under the sunlight.

The battalion of Kuang family members he led was incredibly unlucky. First, they were caught in the crossfire of the most elite Xianyu family soldiers, and then they were caught in the crossfire of the battle between the high-level cultivators above them. With just a few bolts of Xuan lightning, their already precarious Xuan light array was broken.

Before the leader, Kuang, could utter a word, he was chopped into mincemeat by over a hundred sword beams.

The massacre of the Kuang family members was so pitiful that they could only run around aimlessly, turning their backs on the Xianyu family soldiers who generously took their heads and calculated their military merits.

Kang Changyi has become somewhat prominent in the Kuang family's ranks these days. After all, Foundation Establishment cultivators with the audacity to interfere in the competition for the Pill Master are rare. Therefore, the Xianyu family is willing to spend some resources to take his life.

"Form the Seven Star Formation! It's just a top-grade spirit beast, what's there for the disciples of the Xianyu family to fear?!"

A loud shout came from the Xianyu family's formation, and more than twenty Xianyu family soldiers, working in perfect unison, instantly formed a sword net. The silver-white sword light wove into an impenetrable shield, enveloping the Azure Thunder Crimson Ox.

Sensing a threat, the Azure Thunder Red Ox exhaled white breath from its nostrils, its four hooves pounded the ground, cracking it open, and purple lightning crackled and sputtered from its horns.

Kang Changyi's eyes narrowed, and he lightly tapped the ox's back with his left leg. The Azure Thunder Crimson Ox suddenly stood up, its front hooves slamming into the ground. A circular arc of lightning exploded, causing the two cultivators at the forefront to experience a surge of qi and blood, and their sword moves to become sluggish.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, Kang Changyi's eyes gleamed. He gripped the halberd with both hands, gathered a large amount of spiritual energy at his Laogong point, and thrust the trident like a poisonous dragon emerging from its cave, aiming straight for the weak point in the sword formation.

The sharp edge of the magical weapon tore through the air, the tip of the halberd first knocking away a longsword, then slashing horizontally, the middle blade precisely wedged into the spine of a true cultivator from the Xianyu family in the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

With a "crack!" the sword spine shattered, but the halberd tip, still powerful, pierced through the opponent's breastplate. Large fragments, mixed with viscous fluid, splattered in all directions, creating a cloud of blood mist.

The Xianyu family cultivator let out a scream before flying backward, crashing into his clansman behind him, and the two of them rolled into the pile of corpses.

While the Xianyu family is renowned for its swordsmanship, it has lost much of its purity compared to orthodox sects like the Rift Sky Sword Sect. As a result, although the Xianyu family has many disciples, very few have truly grasped its essence over the past thousand years.

To this day, there are seven Golden Core cultivators in the family, each of whom prides himself on being a sword cultivator. However, only the head of the Xianyu family, Xianyu Daye, has truly comprehended the first realm of sword essence.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been constantly overshadowed by the Liangyi Sect at the foot of the Zhaixing Tower.

Therefore, the Xianyu family's disciples are used to finding alternative paths and often use sword formations to fight their enemies. However, their methods are quite sophisticated, which is enough to make them few opponents in the southwest region.

Although the Seven Star Formation was disrupted by Kang Changxi killing two true cultivators, the remaining Xianyu family soldiers immediately filled the gaps, and the sword net solidified again, continuing to entangle Kang Changyi from all directions.

He felt a chill run down his back and quickly spun around, swinging his trident. The side blade of the trident barely blocked a sneak attack of sword energy, but another sword light struck his shoulder armor.

With a "rip," the cloak was instantly torn open, revealing a deep gash in the flesh beneath, exposing the bone.

"I thought you were someone important! Give me back my brother's life!" Xianyu Jiazhen, who had launched the sneak attack, grinned maliciously and thrust his sword forward again, aiming straight for Kang Changyi's heart.

Despite being suddenly injured, Kang Changyi remained calm and slammed his left hand into the neck of the Azure Thunder Ox.

The Azure Thunder Crimson Ox understood, and suddenly shook its head, the purple lightning on its horns condensing into a lightning spear, which shot towards the Xianyu family cultivator with a "boom".

It was indeed a second-tier top-grade spirit beast that Fei Shuhe, a Golden Core cultivator, had to ask for favors to purchase from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. The Xianyu family disciple on the other side hastily swung his sword to block. The moment the lightning spear exploded, the electric current surged up the sword and up his arm, and the numbness made him loosen his grip on the sword.

In that split second, Kang Changyi lunged forward, his trident aimed straight at the opponent's dantian.

The halberd pierced through the spiritual energy in front of him effortlessly. The Xianyu family cultivator's eyes widened, blood spurted from his mouth, and his body slumped to the ground.

Just as Kang Changyi withdrew his trident, he caught a glimpse of the billowing dust and smoke on the battlefield to his left.

A dozen or so bluish-gray spirit wolves were pouncing on the Xianyu family's sword cultivators. The blood and splattering from their bites mixed with fragments of sword essence, gleaming coldly in the setting sun.

The leader of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators was riding on a second-tier top-grade black-browed lion, cracking his beast whip.

But then he shouted in a deep, gruff voice, "Each of you must rely on your own abilities! The sect leader has already set the reward amount, but I'm afraid you won't have the ability to take it!"

The disciples of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, who were skilled in beast taming, suddenly had a red light in their eyes. Their wild roars and shrieks caused the heads of the people in the arena to explode. However, the soldiers of the Xianyu family were also fierce. Three true cultivators took the lead and formed the Three Talents Formation. Their sword energy condensed into a long beam of light, which actually pierced through the necks of two spirit wolves.

The spirit wolf howled and fell to the ground. The Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Myriad Beasts Sect watched with bloodshot eyes. He raised his hand and threw a beast core to the black-browed lion. After swallowing the core, the lion stood up and pounced on the three sword cultivators. Its giant claws slammed into the ground, sending stones flying everywhere.

Just as the black-maned lion was about to pounce on the swordsman, a silver-white sword light suddenly shot out from the side, heading straight for the lion's eyes.

It was a sneak attack by a sword cultivator hidden behind the formation by Xianyu Jia. The Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect hurriedly swung his whip to block, but the tip of the whip collided with the sword light, making his arm go numb. The black-browed lion was also hit on the shoulder by the sword light, and half of its body immediately shrunk and lost its strength.

"The Kuang family! Aren't you going to make a move?!" The Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect shouted to the right.

Over there, the Kuang family cultivators were forming a defensive formation. More than ten Kuang family Foundation Establishment cultivators were making hand seals, with dozens of yellow talismans floating in front of them. The talismans were burning with orange-red flames and transformed into fire crows that swooped down on the Xianyu family sword cultivators.

The leader of the Kuang family cultivators, Kuang Mingyuan, had sweat beading on his forehead. Two of his companions had already fallen to the sword, and their talismans were almost exhausted. "Brother Zhou, hold on a little longer! The spell needs time to build up its power!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a swordsman from the Xianyu family broke through the fire crow's blockade and thrust his longsword straight at Kuang Mingyuan's heart. In his haste, Kuang Mingyuan could only use his arm to block, and with a "rip," his sleeve was torn open, and his forearm was immediately severed.

Kang Changyi's heart tightened at the sight, and he urged the Azure Thunder Red Ox to rush towards the Kuang family's direction.

The red ox's four hooves thundered as it pounded the ground. Two Xianyu family cultivators tried to stop it, but Kang Changyi swept them away with his halberd. The wind from the halberd tip stung their cheeks, and their swords veered off course, allowing Kang Changyi to pass.

He had just rushed to Kuang Mingyuan's side when the trident pierced the back of the cultivator who had launched the sneak attack. The trident's edge shattered the cultivator's protective spiritual artifact. The sword cultivator cried out and turned around, but was struck by the purple lightning on the red bull's horn, and collapsed to the ground, convulsing all over.

"I will avenge this severed arm by slaughtering your entire Xianyu family!"

Kuang Mingyuan gritted his teeth and reached for his storage bag at his waist with his only remaining right hand, his fingertips trembling as he pulled out a gray talisman.

He pressed the talisman onto his severed arm. The talisman dissolved upon contact with blood, slowing the gushing of blood, but dark red liquid still dripped from between his fingers onto the ground, mixing with the dust to form mud.

Upon seeing this, the two Kuang family cultivators immediately took up their spiritual weapons to protect him on either side. However, the Xianyu family sword cultivators surged in like a tide, and in just three breaths, they were each killed by flying swords!

Kang Changyi urged the Azure Thunder Crimson Ox to smash through the two charging True Cultivators. With a backhand flick of his trident, the tip of the trident accurately deflected the longsword aimed at Kuang Mingyuan's back. He then slashed horizontally, cracking the sword cultivator's breastplate.

At this moment, the wound on the side of the Azure Thunder Red Ox was deep, and blood flowed down its fur. With each step, it left a long trail of blood on the ground, and its hooves made a dull "crunching" sound when they landed on the gravel.

However, the old ox was loyal and honest. Even with such severe injuries, it still spared no effort. Before long, it had cleared away more than ten Xianyu family Qi practitioners in front of Kang Changyi, and was so tired that it exhaled a large amount of white steam.

"I can't hold on any longer!" Zhou Yue, the leader of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, was either too confident or had gone too far in his advance. He was then locked down by a group of Xianyu family soldiers and had to call for help.

The black-browed lion beneath him had its left foreleg slashed open by the sword, revealing the white bone fragments. Even though the lion trembled with pain with every step it took, it still stood firmly in front of its master.

Having been with this spirit beast for a hundred years, Zhou Yue was naturally anxious. He drew out the beast bone flute from his waist, and the flute sounded sharp and piercing. Suddenly, the remaining seven Howling Moon Spirit Wolves turned their eyes red and charged at the Xianyu family soldiers like madmen under the control of their respective masters.

They disregarded their own safety and used their bodies to block the attack, and naturally, they were also chopped into pieces.

Just then, a gray figure suddenly rushed out from the Xianyu family formation. Its speed was so fast that it was just a blur. The long sword in its hand gleamed with a pale golden spiritual light. Its grade was so high that it was definitely not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator could use.

That was Xianyu Lie, a fake Core Formation cultivator from the Xianyu family. With a single move, he severed the necks of two spirit wolves, their carcasses crashing heavily to the ground, blood still bubbling from their throats.

"Fake pill!" Zhou Yue exclaimed in shock, his bone flute playing even more urgently. The remaining four spirit wolves formed a crescent formation, circling Xianyu Lie, but dared not advance rashly.

Xianyu Lie sneered, and with a sweep of his sword, the waist and abdomen of a spirit wolf were ripped open, its internal organs spilling onto the ground.

"You filthy scum, why don't you surrender?!" He moved lightly, pointing his sword at Zhou Yue, pale golden sword energy gathering at the tip of the sword, about to strike.

Kang Changyi's heart tightened at the sight, and he patted Qinglei Chiniu's neck sharply: "Go help Brother Zhou!"

Without a second thought, Qing Lei Chi Niu, enduring his injuries, charged forward, his horns crackling with purple lightning.

Xianyu Lie noticed the movement behind him, deflected his sword energy, and collided with the lightning arc of the Azure Thunder Crimson Ox.

With a loud "boom," the Azure Thunder Crimson Ox was jolted backward, crashing into a boulder and letting out a painful roar.

Kang Changyi fell off the ox's back, breaking countless bones. He was in so much pain that his face contorted in agony, but he immediately got up, gripped his magical weapon tightly, and rushed forward.

"I remember now, you brat, you're the descendant of that peddler from the Chongming Sect. You scoundrel, you're just as arrogant and despicable as that Xingjin fellow!" Xianyu Lie's eyes gleamed, his tone tinged with jealousy, and his hands moved swiftly, the sword light gathering once more.

Kang Changyi, having narrowly escaped with his Azure Thunder Crimson Ox, dared not delay and hurriedly shouted, "Fellow Daoists, please hold them off for me!"

Even though Zhou and Kuang were already in dire straits, they still unleashed their most powerful abilities upon hearing Kang Changyi's confident tone.

A flash of pain crossed Zhou Yue's eyes. He fed his spirit beast a black, foul-smelling pill, and the black-browed lion's slump vanished. Its spiritual power surged, instantly sweeping away the Xianyu family soldiers blocking its path.

Seeing the corpses of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators fall to the ground, Xianyu Lie flew into a rage. His sword light became even more fierce, and in just a few rounds, he suppressed the arrogance that had risen in the Black-browed Lion.

Fortunately, Zhou Yue had taken the lead in resisting, and after accumulating power for a long time, Kuang Mingyuan's palm suddenly heated up, and an ancient mirror shone through, its dazzling silver light suddenly scattering out as if it were worthless, scalding and killing a group of Xianyu family soldiers. It was only by a hair's breadth that he managed to hook Xianyu Lie's sword light over.

Although the talisman's power was only average, it was still something Kuang Mingyuan had painstakingly accumulated over two or three decades to obtain, so he was naturally very distressed. Even though Kuang Mingyuan and Zhou Yue worked extremely hard, Xianyu Lie was, after all, a Pill Master, and this balance of power was broken in no time.

Xianyu Lie's sword energy was already coiled around Zhou Yue's neck like a golden snake, only three inches away from his throat. The black-browed lion used its last strength to charge at Xianyu Lie, but he pierced the lion's belly with a backhand sword. The lion roared and rolled over, hot blood shooting into the sky and splattering onto Zhou Yue's tear-filled face.

On the other side, Kuang Mingyuan's only remaining right hand tightly gripped the ancient mirror, the mirror's silver light suddenly dimmed, and it was covered with spiderweb-like cracks.

After losing his left arm, his spiritual energy flowed sluggishly, and the talisman could not withstand another attack. Xianyu Lie's pale golden sword energy suddenly changed direction, piercing the air with a sharp sound as it aimed straight for his heart. A cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "The grudge for a severed arm? Today I will tear this one-armed cripple to pieces!"

At that moment, Kang Changyi's pupils contracted sharply, and his left hand slammed into his chest. Thunder patterns coiled around a yellow talisman as if alive, suddenly lighting up and dyeing the surrounding setting sun an eerie purple.

"This kind of talisman treasure?"

Xianyu Lie's pupils contracted sharply, and he subconsciously withdrew his sword light by half.

As a master alchemist from a wealthy family, he had a keen eye, but this was the first time he had ever seen a talisman of this caliber, which was far superior to Kuang Mingyuan's ancient mirror talisman.

With a stern face, Kang Changyi threw the yellow talisman into the air. The moment the talisman exploded, only a deafening thunderstorm remained in the world. A bolt of purple lightning as thick as a bucket descended from the sky, carrying the power to destroy the world, and struck Xianyu Lie directly!

Where the purple lightning passed, the air was scorched and distorted, and the rubble on the ground was blown several feet away by the force of the lightning. Deep pits appeared on the entire ground, and even the cultivators fighting in the distance subconsciously stopped and looked at this terrifying phenomenon.

Xianyu Lie's spiritual energy shattered like paper before the purple lightning. With a "crack," the lightning energy surged through his entire body along his longsword and magical artifact.

Before he could even scream, the fake core in his dantian shattered in the thunderstorm!

Fragments of pale golden spiritual energy mingled with blood and splattered everywhere. His body stiffened for a moment before splitting in two from his brow to his dantian, crashing heavily to the ground. Scalding blood instantly soaked the spiritual soil beneath him.

This lightning bolt not only took Xianyu Lie's life, but also decimated the Xianyu family's soldiers. It also swept away most of the dejection in the hearts of the Kuang family members and the disciples of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, giving them the courage to switch from defense to offense.

The situation gradually improved, and Zhou and Kuang, who had lost their spirit beast and talisman, both breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

While both of them were highly regarded in their respective families, those who only possessed the Golden Core Ancestor could not compare to those who possessed the Golden Core Elder.

Meanwhile, Kang Changyi, who had used external force to destroy the fake core, did not feel any satisfaction. After all, this Yuan Lei Talisman was a gift from the sect leader Kang before his departure, a superior talisman that he had specially purchased from Wanbao Trading Company at a high price, and could not be compared with ordinary goods.

Kang Changyi didn't know the details of the price, but it was probably not enough for Xianyu Lie's entire fortune, which was just a common fake pill. Moreover, it wouldn't be right to leave without a share for Zhou and Kuang, who had also lost their capital.

After all, even though Kang Changyi often studied under Chu Yanran, he had learned some of Kang Dabao's ways of dealing with people. He knew when to be generous and when to be stingy.

This is one of the reasons why, not long after joining the Kuang family's faction, he made many like-minded people and even those of similar rank who were of similar background had a hidden sense of admiration for him.

Zhou and Kuang were both injured, so Kang Changyi took the lead in attacking them.

Everyone could see that he had the life of a fake pill on his hands, so even though his spiritual power was already exhausted, the spiritual weapon in his hand still seemed to shine brighter in people's eyes.

Kang Changyi grew up in the military and had his own set of rules.

First, they led their own cultivators to wipe out the clan soldiers on the other side who were filled with sorrow because of Xianyu Lie's death. The remaining Xianyu clan soldiers, who were already afraid, were easily overwhelmed and scattered.

With the outcome already decided, it wasn't long before all sorts of flying swords, gleaming with spiritual light, lay scattered on the ground, stained with blood.

Although this place is far from the main formation, it is not a safe place either. Therefore, Kang Changyi did not investigate in detail, but simply selected one person each from the Kuang family and the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect to be taken in, so that they could be checked and distributed after returning to the formation.

Zhou Yue and Qing Lei Chi Niu fed them elixirs, and Kang Changyi took out the superior wound medicine prepared by Chu Yanran from his storage bag and distributed it to the two of them. Just as they were about to discuss what to do next, they heard the sound of gongs from the formation. Only then did they assemble the remaining troops and carefully return to their formation.

When Kang Changyi returned to the camp, he saw the Wu Laoshan disciples guarding the camp gate with happy expressions on their faces. He knew that his side had probably gained the upper hand in the struggle between the Shangxiu and Xianyu families, so he quickened his pace.

Along the way, when they met familiar fellow practitioners, they all cupped their hands in congratulations, saying that their master, Chu Yanran, had once again joined forces with Baochai and Mingfei to kill a heretical cultivator in the Xianyu family's formation, and that they would likely receive a reward from the Duke's mansion afterward.

Zhou and Kuang admired Kang Changyi's generosity, but upon hearing this, they couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

Kang Changyi could easily sense the change in their feelings, but even though the two gained a lot of advantages when they parted, it did little to improve their mood.

Fortunately, Kang Changyi didn't care much about this matter at the time. He led the Azure Thunder and Red Ox to Chu Yanran's tent and saw that the joy inside was not strong, but he was surprised.

Qi Buxiu, who came to greet him, made no mention of Chu Yanran's great victory, but instead showed some sadness in his eyes: "Changyi is back. Go and tell your master first, then set off."

"Set off?"

Kang Changyi was even more surprised, because this teacher-in-law was not the type to keep things cryptic.

Such actions are somewhat unusual.

Kang Changyi's doubts deepened. When he lifted the curtain and stepped into the military tent, he was first slightly stunned by the quietness inside.

Unlike the hustle and bustle outside the tent, only the crackling of the flickering candlelight could be heard here. A faint, calming incense wafted in the air, mixed with a very faint smell of blood, almost imperceptible unless you smelled it carefully.

In the center of the tent, Chu Yanran was sitting cross-legged on a futon.

She wore no armor, only a moon-white silk dress that trailed to the ground, accentuating her slender figure. Her black hair was loosely tied into a bun, secured with a single jade hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks and trembling gently with her breath.

The candlelight fell on her face, making her skin appear as white as porcelain. Her long eyelashes covered her eyelids like butterfly wings. Despite the fierce battle, she still exuded a gentle and untainted air. Only the very faint frown between her brows revealed that she was not entirely at ease.

Kang Changyi dared not disturb them rashly, so he quietly left the Azure Thunder Red Ox outside the tent and walked lightly to a place about ten feet away from the prayer mat.

Only then did he notice that Chu Yanran was surrounded by a very faint golden light—a spiritual energy shield unique to Golden Core cultivators. However, it was somewhat unstable at the moment, with the golden light flickering as if it was trying its best to suppress something.

Her hands, clasped together on her knees, were slightly pale at the fingertips, clearly indicating that the battle had taken a toll on her. Even someone with the early stage of the Golden Core cultivation needed to calm her mind and regulate her breathing to stabilize her foundation.

"What are you doing standing there now?" Chu Yanran's voice suddenly rang out, still as gentle as usual, but lacking a bit of vigor, and her eyelids remained closed.

"Did you kill Xianyu Lie?" Kang Changyi wasn't in a hurry to answer in detail, but instead asked, "Master, were you injured in the battle?"

Chu Yanran slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes, which were originally clear and bright like autumn water, now carried a hint of imperceptible fatigue. When she looked at Kang Changyi, her gaze held a complex expression.
"The heretical cultivator hired by the Xianyu family was skilled in blood escape techniques. Although I and others killed him, I was also affected by the blood evil he suffered before his death. I need to recuperate for a while."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and gently pressed it against her bulging chest. The golden light around her rippled, and the faint smell of blood became clearer.

"That kid is truly remarkable now. Not only has he defeated Huang Mi and Li Yun, but he can also contend with Pu Honggu and survive."

In the past, Chu Yanran had shown some favor to Chongmingzong and even took Kang Changyi under her tutelage. If she asked herself honestly, she was only thinking that if Heilü Daoren really had a future, she could benefit from it.

Unexpectedly, only a few years have passed, and she has already been surpassed by the younger generation, Kang Dabao. To put it bluntly, even Chu Yanran, who was once considered a leader among her peers, now feels somewhat inferior to Kang Dabao.

"This deal is definitely worth it!"

The thought had barely formed in Chu Yanran's mind when she chuckled self-deprecatingly at the sight of this power.

Kang Changyi, who made the move, thought that Chu Yanran was injured, which was the reason why Qi Buxiu looked sad and why there was no celebratory atmosphere in the tent.

Just as he was about to inquire about her well-being, Chu Yanran on the prayer mat suddenly sighed and said softly, "A messenger just arrived from your home recently, but due to the chaos of war, we couldn't find him for a long time, and the messenger was no longer in use. It was only with great difficulty that he finally found his way here."

At this point, Chu Yanran met Kang Changyi's gaze and saw his tense expression. In the end, she did not hesitate and said directly, "The person who came said that your birth mother is dying and that you should return quickly, otherwise you may miss the deadline."

Kang Changyi's pupils dilated, his throat tightened, and he found it difficult to speak.

Chu Yanran didn't offer any comfort, but simply said, "I've already asked Zhu, the registrar of the Duke's mansion, for your leave. You can go on your own."

Kang Changyi didn't hesitate. At this moment, he was filled with grief and had no choice but to bow to Chu Yanran and leave.

He was in a hurry, but he had to avoid the dangerous paths where the Xianyu family cultivators often appeared. So when he entered Xuanwei City covered in frost and snow and saw the very unfamiliar and elegant mansion, there was already a mourning curtain hanging on it.

"You're back?" Kang Dabao stood upright in front of a white jade coffin, with his three half-brothers and sisters wearing mourning clothes and keeping vigil for him below.

Besides his stepmother Fei Shuhe, his two concubines Yuan Xiyue and Zhang Qingran were also sitting to the side. When they saw him return, tears welled up in their eyes.

At this moment, how could Kang Changyi not understand?

The headmaster Kang remained silent, only sighing as he and his eldest son put on the prepared mourning clothes and sash. The funeral music grew louder, piercing Kang Changyi's heart with excruciating pain, leaving him speechless for a long time.

Kang Dabao, who thought he was already numb, felt a sudden tightness in his heart upon seeing this scene.

He has many enemies and few relatives, and lately he has shown far less concern for Huo Ying.

Only now did he truly understand the timid young woman who had mustered the courage to push open his door; only now did he recall the taste of that bowl of "precious sincerity" porridge he had enjoyed in the kitchen of Xiao Huan Mountain years ago.

Perhaps few people are by his side when he dies peacefully. Although he knew this day would come, when the time actually came, even the usually composed Master Kang, who was used to seeing life and death, was somewhat taken aback when he felt his wife's palm, which was no longer young, turn cold.

He has lived to the ripe old age of sixty years. Even if he does not make any further progress in the future, he does not know how many beloved relatives and friends he will have to send off.

Upon reading this, Kang Dabao found it difficult to control himself. He turned his back, stepped out of the hall, looked at the heavy snow, and sighed softly: "I'm used to being told by servants to add clothes to keep me warm, but who will pity my disheveled hair this year?"

(End of this chapter)