The Law of Heaven

Chapter 121 The Pain of the World
At one o'clock in the morning, when all was quiet, the shadows of two people standing side by side were reflected in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Jiang family's house.

As Jiang's mother sipped her hangover tea, she said softly, "Old Jiang, it's been so long since our son passed away that the house has been this lively. It's so nice."

"Yes."

Jiang Hai also sighed.

Jiang Wanwu nestled on the sofa, looking at the photos that had been secretly taken.

In the photo, Jiang Wanwu buried her face in the boy's neck, as if she was giving him a hickey, looking as intimate as a couple deeply in love.

I was thinking of posting this on my WeChat Moments.

But after thinking about it, I forgot about it.

This is the trump card to deal with Jiang Youqing.

It's better to keep it for a rainy day.

Jiang Wanwu suddenly got up and ran to the French windows, waving to the brother and sister who were walking away downstairs.

Aihara seemed to sense something, stopped under the streetlight, turned around, waved towards the building, and smiled silently.

Goodbye, uncles and aunties.

Xiangsi was also waving goodbye, holding an old-fashioned square box in her arms. Her ponytail swayed in the wind, and her smiling face showed no signs of discomfort or abnormality. It was hard to tell whether she was truly not having an attack or was just pretending.

By the roadside stood a drunken Huo Zizhen, supporting a heavily intoxicated Master Zhou, both of them vomiting in the bushes.

Are they really okay?

"It's okay, let's go."

Sure enough, after walking only a few steps, I could hear the two drunkards arguing. Fortunately, the soundproofing here was pretty good, and no one opened their windows to complain about them disturbing the peace.

Which ancient artifact did you choose?

Aihara asked curiously.

The Jiang family's ancient artifacts are all top-notch, so their quality is definitely not an issue; it's just a matter of compatibility.

"The Nine Phases of Calamity!"

Xiangsi clenched her slender little fist and hummed, "Hehe, I want to be the Thunder King!"

The Nine Phases Calamity is an ancient relic originating from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. At first glance, it looks like a piece of charred, withered wood struck by lightning, containing the power of thunder and lightning.

"I still think Nirvana is better, at least it makes one more resilient and less likely to die."

Aihara pouted: "Survival is the most important thing."

Xiangsi pouted her red lips and said, "But Master Zhou made me choose ten times based on my intuition, and each time it was the Nine Phases of Calamity. Although I couldn't see which ancient relic was in the box, I could feel a comfortable aura, so I chose it."

Master Zhou told me to keep it with me and cherish it as if it were a part of me. Its aura will gradually become familiar, and when my body and soul reach a certain state of resonance, I will fall into a subtle state of suspended animation during my sleep, completing the fusion ritual.

"Is that so?"

Aihara was stunned for a moment, never expecting that the fusion of a non-Heavenly Principle level ancient relic would be so troublesome. Back then, his Alaya consciousness only needed one night to fuse with him.

The subsequent fusion and advancement will only take a moment.

In his eyes, the best artifacts are those of the highest rank, but such things are extremely rare and hard to come by.

By the time you actually get your hands on it, the opportunity will be lost.

"Alright, go back and pack your things. We'll move tomorrow after your dad's funeral."

Looking at the cold moonlight in the night sky, Aihara took his sister's hand and said, "From now on, it's a new life."

Xiangsi squeezed his hand tightly: "Mmm!"

·
·
Just as dawn was breaking, the Funing Crematorium in the far suburbs hosted a belated funeral.

A few days earlier, Aihara had contacted the relevant staff and paid for a one-stop service. All the funeral supplies were prepared, including paper money, paper cars, paper houses, and so on, which were piled up almost like a small mountain.

Xiangsi accompanied him to see her second uncle one last time.

The old man's body lay in the coffin. Before the encoffining, his appearance was specially groomed, and he was dressed in a brand-new suit. He finally didn't look so sloppy anymore, and you could vaguely see traces of his youth.

Speaking of which, my second uncle has a very strange habit: he almost never keeps photos of himself when he was young. No matter how hard my siblings and I search, all we ever find are those sleazy and greasy photos of him taken after he turned forty.

But my second uncle once swore that he was a handsome man who was popular with countless young girls back then.

But Aihara and Aishi never believed it.

Now that my second uncle has finally been properly cleaned up after his death, one can see a trace of his youthful dashingness.

No wonder he could make so many young women dream of him.

"elder brother."

Xiangsi tilted her head back, as if trying to hold back her tears, her voice trembling with a sob: "So my dad was really handsome when he was young."

Aihara paused for a second, then smiled silently: "Yeah, otherwise you wouldn't have grown up like this."

As the staff carried my second uncle's coffin into the crematorium, the morning light broke through the clouds and fell, casting dappled shadows on the rows of pine trees along the roadside.

The sea breeze swept across the horizon, the clouds drifted in the wind, time passed silently, and the light and shadow in the morning changed, blurring the vision of the brother and sister amidst the interplay of light and dark.

Flames ignited, and burning paper scraps floated in the wind, drifting in mid-air before the residual heat extinguished them.

Just then, luxury cars drove into the parking lot, and beautiful young women got out of the cars with the help of their drivers, gazing at the burning flames from a distance.

They were wearing sunglasses.

His expression showed neither sadness nor joy.

"Brother, they are..."

Xiangsi rubbed her red eyes, unsure whether it was from sadness or from the smoke.

"Is it your dad's old flame?"

Aihara didn't know how to deal with the situation.

It wasn't just my second uncle's old flames.

Jiang Hai also arrived, with his mother standing beside him, arm in arm with her husband. Jiang Wanwu waved slightly in greeting, while Huo Zizhen stood guard beside them like a silent statue.

Director Yu and Officer Lin arrived early, and Yu Xia stood there obediently, watching the flames burn.

Xiao Li, who had just recovered from serious injuries, also came. Jian Mo was supporting this 400-pound girl. Jiang Youqing held a bouquet of flowers under the shade of a tree, her white dress fluttering in the wind.

In the distance was Master Zhou in his training clothes, and Fu Wanghu was also there, with Ruan Yang beside him.

Everyone was dressed in suits, looking solemn and dignified.

The truth about Fog Hill has now been revealed, but the things that Mr. Bei and Dr. Nan did over the years have not been made public because they involve some secrets.

Some people come because of old feelings.

Some people come for Aihara and for their longing.

As for the Xiang family, they probably won't come, because their uncle's family was brutally murdered, and all the relatives are avoiding the brother and sister like the plague, so naturally they don't want to attend the funeral.

Some people say that a person dies three times in his life.

The first death is when he takes his last breath; biologically, he dies. The second death is when he is buried; people come to his funeral to remember his life; socially, he dies. The third death is when the last person who remembers him forgets him; only then does he truly die, all traces of him are erased, and there is no longer any evidence that he ever lived.

As for my second uncle...

His first death may have been lonely. But his second death was amidst a crowd, and he died being remembered.

As for his third death, that remains a long way off, because someone will record his story and pass it down.

"Dad, did you see that?"

Xiangsi pursed her lips, her forced smile appearing somewhat melancholic in the sunlight: "So many people came to see you off."

"Second Uncle, may you rest in peace."

Aihara breathed a sigh of relief. It was at this moment that he noticed Xiaolongnu's awakening. The dragon bone bracelet on her wrist revived and floated in the air like a swimming dragon.

Xiao Qi opened her crimson-gold eyes, gazing at the embers swaying and dancing in the flames, her eyes filled with loneliness and desolation.

Aihara gave her a deep look and sighed.

·
·
In the evening, Aihara walked under a dense camphor tree, passed through a somewhat old iron gate, and finally found the old courtyard.

This is a cluster of five-story buildings left over from the 1930s. There is no property management company, so there is no elevator. The dimly lit corridors are covered with all kinds of small advertisements.

The air smelled of dust.

"Yes, according to custom, your father's ashes will have to stay at the crematorium for a few days before being sent to the cemetery. I will contact the staff there then, so you don't need to worry."

He held up the phone and said, "I have something to do. Pack your things at home, I'll go back and move later."

The phone hangs up.

Just then, the sleepy Xiaoqi woke up again and murmured, "Aihara? What are you doing here?"

This is where her brother and she lived together.

“My uncle has already been cremated, and your brother needs a place to stay, right? I’ll help you pack up his belongings and hold a funeral for him.”

Aihara said quietly, "They are all heroes, and none of them should be forgotten. What do you think?"

Xiao Qi awoke from her drowsiness and whispered, "Did you sense my emotions?"

At her second uncle's funeral, Aihara noticed Xiaolongnu's low spirits. It was obvious that her brother had died, and as his sister, she couldn't even hold a simple funeral for him.

"Next time you have something on your mind, you can tell me."

Aihara comforted her, saying, "I won't refuse you."

Xiao Qi paused for a second, then said quietly, "Alright, I just didn't want to cause you any trouble. I appreciate your kindness, but so many years have passed, our things from back then should have been cleared out long ago."

Aihara sighed, "You came here before you went to find your brother, but you didn't dare to go in, right? You didn't even release your senses, so you don't know what it's like inside."

Xiao Qi's thoughts were hit.

She really didn't dare.

“I had someone check before I came here. This house has never been lived in, but the rent has been paid for twenty years. That is to say, no one has lived here since you and your brother left.”

Aihara hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said, "But people often come here to clean."

Xiao Qi was slightly taken aback.

Aihara sensed Xiaolongnu's emotions.

It was a surging emotion, like a river in an ice crevice suddenly thawing and bursting its banks.

"Let me show you."

Aihara went up to the second floor and stood in front of the iron gate covered with small advertisements. With a gentle push, he shattered the old lock, and the dim twilight shone through the crack in the door.

The young dragon revived and hovered in mid-air, its crimson-gold eyes reflecting the girl's bewildered and sorrowful face.

For an instant.

It feels like we've gone back to many years ago.

Because the room's furnishings are exactly the same as they were back then, just like when the siblings lived there.

The simple shoe rack in the entryway is filled with many old shoes. On top are two pairs of slippers, one blue and one pink, one big and one small.

The kitchen was spotless, with old cooking utensils and seasonings still on display, showing faint signs of use. For the past two years, the siblings had been cooking and eating right here.

The bathroom was small, but it was kept very clean, and there were even pink stickers with a girly touch on the mirror.

The walls are slightly yellowed, the appliances and furniture are old, the decor is simple yet cozy, and the bookshelf displays the siblings' school textbooks and certificates, as well as a photo of the two of them.

The wardrobe was full of little girls' clothes, except for one particularly eye-catching white princess dress. The drawers were filled with colorful hair clips, though they were old.

This place evoked a strange sense of emotion in Aihara. Even though no one had lived here for many years, it still possessed a warmth and a sense of everyday life etched in time. You could tell that someone had once lived here earnestly and diligently.

He looked around the room, touched the dining table but didn't touch a speck of dust, but there was an exquisite yet old gift box on the desk, the contents of which he didn't know.

He paused for a moment, then opened the box.

Xiao Qi was stunned.

Those were new shoes she had saved up to buy for her brother years ago, but they were lost by the deliveryman. She was heartbroken for a long time and secretly shed tears for several nights.

I don't know how I ended up here again.

A pair of ordinary sneakers.

But it was during her childhood that she poured the most effort into.

"Did my brother make all of this?"

Xiao Qi said softly.

"In this world, only your brother would cherish the past he shared with you so much."

Aihara also said softly.

This room might be insignificant to others, but for Ruan Qi and Ruan Yun, it holds invaluable memories. They have spent countless springs, summers, autumns, and winters here, experiencing much warmth and joy.

Finally, Ruan Qi saw a plush rabbit in her former bedroom. It was a doll she had spotted at a shopping mall years ago, but hadn't been able to bring herself to buy it.

I never expected my brother to remember something like this.

Remember all her wishes.

I also remember all her regrets.

The young dragon hovered silently in mid-air, its crimson-gold eyes reflecting the girl's face. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her forced smile was so sorrowful.

Looking back over the years.

She didn't know whether she should cry or laugh.

Time flowed past them with such obvious malice, stripping them of all happiness and beauty, taking away all their joys and sorrows, and everything else. In the end, only a numb shell remained, stubbornly moving forward, occasionally looking back at the road they had traveled, only to find it unbelievably far away.

Little did we know that on this long journey of life, many things we thought we had lost forever were actually right beside us.

Just like in those missed moments, whenever the younger sister walks past this building with a sense of loss, the older brother might be behind the curtains, watching her figure disappear into the distance.

Aihara gently touched the plush rabbit, and the rabbit's eyes lit up slightly, and a familiar voice came from its mouth.

"Xiao Qi... your brother will always love you."

The gentle voice was drowned out by the girl's wailing. The empty room was illuminated by the twilight, and the photo of the brother and sister in the frame seemed eternal.

(End of this chapter)