Jun Mo Xie sat still upon his throne of ice, his crimson gaze lingering upon her trembling form. His expression was unreadable, caught somewhere between stern judgment and quiet sorrow.
The sound of her grief echoed in the chamber, wrapping around them both like an invisible shroud.
"Senior, I know my one life is insignificant... and I also have no attachment to this life... but I have been waiting... waiting for the day when the Jun Family will grow stronger and come for their revenge... Their revenge is my revenge too... only then would I have no regrets... Xiao Family, I will not let them off even when I'm in hell!" Han Yan Yao's trembling voice cracked like the splintering of frozen ice, her sorrow overflowing until it shook the very cave walls. Tears streamed from her bright eyes, falling like crystalline beads upon the stone floor with soft, brittle tiks that echoed faintly in the hollow depths.
Jun Mo Xie stood silently for a long breath, then exhaled with a low sigh that seemed to carry the weight of mountains. He rolled his eyes slightly, as though mocking the futility of such stubborn grief. His tone was calm, but sharp. "There are two dead knots in Jun Wu Yi's heart... and they are extremely difficult to undo. Even I cannot do anything about them... and if they are not undone, I'm afraid..."
"Dead knots?..." Han Yan Yao's lips quivered as a pitiful laugh escaped, a hollow sound that seemed to carry ten years of desolation. "I know... I understand..."
Jun Mo Xie's expression darkened, his scarlet gaze like burning embers piercing into the frost. "The first dead knot is still the Xiao Family, which is not too difficult to unravel. Sooner or later, the Jun Family will grow stronger and can wipe out every last one of the Xiao clan to get their revenge. But the second knot..."
His tone sank, carrying a heavy menace. "... are the sins the Xiao Family has committed."
As his voice fell, the cave seemed colder, as if the words themselves carried frost that seeped into the bones.
Jun Mo Xie slowly, deliberately, recounted what had happened in Huang Hua Hall, the atrocities, the blood, the merciless act on the innocents.
Han Yan Yao listened, her hands clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palms. Her delicate body shivered uncontrollably, not from the icy cave but from the storm within her chest.
"To think that they are this savage! To not even spare a child! Worse than a beast!" Her cry shook with both pain and rage.
"Exactly!" Jun Mo Xie's voice resonated, reverberating through the cavern. "Even I had not expected the Xiao Family to be so shameless... to target not only the Jun Family but also slaughter innocents! If it were up to me, I would already have painted these pristine white peaks with Xiao Family blood! But I cannot act recklessly... I must think of my disciple and his family."
Han Yan Yao's chest rose and fell violently, her breath coming in sharp bursts that steamed in the icy air. Her tears burned like molten flame upon her cheeks.
Yet Jun Mo Xie's words pressed on mercilessly.
"There will be chances in the future to resolve these matters," Hr said gravely, his tone steady as an unmovable mountain. "But right now, the true priority is Wu Yi! With these two knots in his heart, even if vengeance is achieved, he will only live as a hollow shell, a walking corpse consumed by sorrow. And worse..."
His eyes narrowed like drawn blades. "...he may even be unable to continue living. His heart is drowning in bitter regret, unable to forgive himself. Much like you."
"Wu Yi..." Han Yan Yao's lips trembled, her eyes overflowing with sorrow. "Wu Yi... you... my pitiful Wu Yi..."
Her voice broke into a sob, each syllable like a dagger piercing her own heart.
Jun Mo Xie's gaze sharpened. "No one can help Jun Wu Yi undo these knots... no one! But if it is you, there is still a chance!"
His words crashed like a hammer striking an anvil, shaking her very soul.
Han Yan Yao looked up in shock, her tears frozen on her cheeks. "Me? How could it be? I am the ominous woman who caused all of this tragedy. Wu Yi will only feel deeper despair when he sees me. Senior... how could I be the one to help him?"
Jun Mo Xie sneered, the sound tch! echoing off the frozen walls. His tone was cold as a winter gale. "Precisely because it was you! Everything began with you; therefore, only you can untangle it! Yet here you are, clinging to the thought of dying as if it were a noble sacrifice. Foolish! Death is nothing but escape!"
His voice grew harsh, filled with disdain. "You hid here in these snowy mountains, sealing yourself in solitude for ten years. Do you think your seclusion compares to the torment of those innocent children? Night after night, they scream in despair... can your silence erase their cries? Do you think imprisoning yourself here is enough to atone? You are just running away!"
Han Yan Yao's eyes widened, tears blinding her vision. She clamped her hands over her ears, shaking her head wildly. "Stop! Don't go on anymore! I'll die! Is that not sufficient!"
Her scream echoed, sharp as broken glass, reverberating through the ice cavern.
"Die? Hah!" Jun Mo Xie's laughter was like rolling thunder, booming until the cave itself seemed to tremble. "Dying is the simplest escape! The most despicable escape! To extinguish yourself like a flame... it is easy! Too easy!"
His scarlet eyes gleamed with ruthless light. "But what about those left behind? Who will they rely on? The innocent children, the descendants of brave warriors, even if they survive into adulthood, which woman will marry them? Which family will accept them? The bloodline of heroes will perish! And you think death is atonement?!"
Han Yan Yao let out a cry, her voice choked by tears. "Ahhh...!"
Jun Mo Xie's words were relentless. "And what of Wu Yi? You have already ruined his life! Even if the Jun Family's revenge is fulfilled, what if he seeks his end? Will you watch as he follows the brothers he lost, leaving the Jun Family in ruin? The Jun Family has already lost two sons... if Wu Yi also departs, do you want to see the Jun Family extinguished completely?"
Each word was like a hammer striking her fragile heart, until she collapsed onto her knees. Tears streamed endlessly as she gasped for breath, her frail frame trembling under the weight of guilt and despair.
"All these burdens... these responsibilities... they await you to shoulder them, Han Yan Yao!" Jun Mo Xie's voice rang with finality, sharp as a sword unsheathed. "Yet you still dare to think of dying? Despicable cowardice! I thought you were a woman worthy of respect... do you wish me to change my mind?"
Han Yan Yao broke completely, her cry echoing like a soul-shattering wail. "Then what do you want me to do? What should I do? What can I do?"
Her voice cracked, her tears falling like pearls scattering across the cold stone floor. "Did I not wish to make amends? Did I not wish to atone? But how... how can I face them? Am I supposed to kneel and beg those children for forgiveness?"
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