The air inside the training carriage grew slightly heavy because of [Dan Feng]'s words: "Never, ever lose any more precious friends."
Dan Heng remained silent for a moment before picking up the thread of the conversation, referring to a much older, more central entanglement.
"You made a choice."
Dan Heng's voice was calm, but his gaze was sharp as he looked at [Dan Feng].
"The path you chose to take after our dear friend departed."
He was referring to that period of the past that led to the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae and involved countless karmic consequences.
[Dan Feng]'s gaze seemed to pierce through the carriage walls, falling toward the infirmary where [Bai Lu] might still be treating March 7th and Stella's stomachs, which had been ravaged by the coffee.
His expression became extremely complex, filled with reminiscence, pain, and a kind of almost obsessive frankness.
"Yes."
[Dan Feng]'s voice lowered, each word sounding like a strike against frozen time.
"The one who insisted on researching and using the 'Dragon Transformation Secret Art' was me."
"The one who swore to bring Bai Heng back no matter what was me."
"In the end, the one who led everything to that irredeemable, blood-soaked state... was also me."
He offered no evasion, no excuses, simply stating his own 'guilt' with composure.
Dan Heng looked at this double who shared such deep roots with himself and spoke slowly, his tone carrying a strange certainty: "But now, everything you cherish is not entirely lost. They still exist, in another form."
"Indeed."
A very faint but incredibly genuine smile suddenly appeared on [Dan Feng]'s face—a smile mixed with relief, gratitude, and a hint of bitterness.
He turned his head to look at Dan Heng again. In those eyes that were usually calm and waveless, a tide of determination was now surging:
"Dan Heng, if you ask me whether I have even a shred of regret looking back at the past."
"My answer, from beginning to end, has never changed."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was resolute, carrying the unquestionable majesty and persistence of a High Elder:
"Even if the long river of time could truly flow backward, even if I were given ten thousand chances to start over..."
"I would never, ever make a second choice."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the figures of several old friends standing or sitting nearby, his voice becoming even clearer:
"If the ones who died on the battlefield and returned their souls to the sea of stars back then were Jingliu, or Jing Yuan..."
"...or even Yingxing."
"My answer would remain the same."
"What do you mean by 'even'—?!!!"
Before [Dan Feng] could finish his sentence, a roar filled with grief and indignation—as if he had suffered a massive injustice—exploded like a thunderclap!
[Yingxing], who had just been huddled in the corner complaining about why he had to practice the sword, suddenly jumped up like a cat whose Tail had been stepped on. His hair was almost standing on end, and his face was flushed red as he pointed at [Dan Feng]:
"Why does it become 'even' when it gets to me?! Is it that forced?! Who cares about your stupid 'Dragon Transformation Secret Art'! You self-centered bastard High Elder!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he got. He rolled up his sleeves and rushed forward: "Delete those two words for me! Right now! Immediately!! 'Even'?! You are insulting a craftsman's dignity!!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Brother [Yingxing]! Forget it, forget it! Calm down! Dan Feng is just bad with words! He didn't mean it like that!"
[Jing Yuan] was quick-witted and lunged forward in a single stride, tightly hugging the rampaging [Yingxing] from behind. He tried to mediate with a wry smile, his face practically saying, 'I knew this would happen.'
"Ugh..."
On the other side, [Jingliu], who was holding her arms, suddenly shuddered as if she had a layer of goosebumps. A look of undisguised disgust appeared on her beautiful face. She turned her head away and spoke in a cold voice that was currently full of a desire to complain:
"Why suddenly... say such mushy confessions of true feelings in a place like this... It's disgusting..."
It was as if the heavy topic and [Dan Feng]'s determination from moments ago couldn't compare to the 'mental attack' brought by the word 'even' and the subsequent confession.
"Eh—?!"
In stark contrast to [Jingliu]'s reaction, [Bai Heng]'s ears twitched with excitement. She cupped her face in her hands, her eyes shining brilliantly. She looked at the serious [Dan Feng], then at the hopping-mad [Yingxing], the helpless [Jing Yuan] trying to break up the fight, and the disgusted [Jingliu]. An enchanted expression appeared on her face as if she were thinking, 'I ship it! And it's that complex flavor with both angst and sweetness!':
"So our High Elder... has such a lonely personality? Saying the harshest and most resolute things, but actually just wanting to hold on tight to everyone... Wow! So cute! And so heartbreaking!"
Dan Heng ignored the scene next to him that had instantly turned chaotic and changed styles; his gaze remained fixed on [Dan Feng].
Amidst the background noise composed of [Yingxing]'s roars, [Jing Yuan]'s mediation, [Jingliu]'s disgust, and [Bai Heng]'s gossip, he calmly stated another fact:
"[Yingxing] is a Short-life species. Even without that turmoil, time would eventually take him away. When that time came, you still would have used the Dragon Transformation Secret Art to try and keep him. Right?"
[Dan Feng] withdrew his gaze from his rowdy companions and looked back at Dan Heng.
This time, the smile on his face became clearer—it was a frank, almost 'yes, that's exactly how I am' kind of acknowledgement.
He looked at [Yingxing], who was yelling in anger over the word 'even' while being held around the waist by [Jing Yuan];
He looked at [Jingliu], who, despite her disgusted look, was unconsciously rubbing the hilt of her sword with her fingertips;
He looked at [Bai Heng], whose eyes were shining as she seemed to be mentally composing an eighty-episode drama of love and hate;
And there was [Jing Yuan], who, while trying hard to break up the fight, couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth curl up.
His gaze passed over each of these vivid, noisy figures, who were no different from the ones in his memory.
Then, meeting Dan Heng's gaze, he nodded gently. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the calm and satisfaction of someone who had seen it all:
"Yes."
"Indeed."
No matter how many times he had to start over, no matter what kind of ending he faced, this obsession with wanting to keep all the important people by his side, this 'selfishness' of preferring to carry the burden of sin rather than let go—that was him, [Dan Feng].
And now, being able to see them existing so vividly before his eyes again, being able to be caught up in this familiar noise and 'disgust' once more...
Perhaps, this was the best response to his choice to 'never regret.'