Chapter 587: Not Afraid of Dying, Just Afraid of Being Forgotten (4th Update)
Chapter 587: Not Afraid of Dying, Just Afraid of Being Forgotten (4th Update)
"Alright, I can help you!"
Liu Kekke was overjoyed, "Thank you, senior."
"No need to thank me, I'm helping you entirely because of what you just said."
"What I said?" Liu Kekke had not yet understood.
Xue An stood by the window, speaking indifferently, "The Hua Clan is indeed a people plagued by disasters, whether in this world or in the realm of humans, it's the same! But the harder the situation, the tougher the backbone of this people!"
Liu Kekke's expression gradually turned solemn, as she thought of the Hua Clan warriors on the battlefield who still smiled in the face of death.
Then Xue An turned around, gave a slight smile to Liu Kekke, "Has the Hua Clan participated in the Inter-species Conference before?"
Liu Kekke showed a troubled expression.
"Speak, don't hesitate."
Liu Kekke clenched her teeth, "Indeed they have, but the ones who go are basically mocked to death."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a gust of wind seemed to sweep through the room, and the intense killing intent turned all the vessels in the room into dust.
Afterward, Xue An raised an eyebrow, "Mocked... to death?"
Liu Kekke nodded with difficulty, her eyes showing a look of horror.
Because the strength of the killing intent made it hard for her to breathe.
At that moment, Xue An took a deep breath, and the killing intent instantly vanished into thin air.
"Tell me, what exactly is the matter!"
Liu Kekke pondered for a moment, then said in a heavy voice, "At every Inter-species Conference, the Ancient Hua Country would send representatives, but because the Hua Clan cannot cultivate, they are always the weakest."
"Moreover... moreover, many Sects or demons take pleasure in toying with the representatives of the Hua Clan, which often results in their death."
The more Liu Kekke spoke toward the end, the more her voice trembled.
Because Xue An's gaze was simply too terrifying.
It was not that cold look filled with killing intent.
On the contrary, it was calm, without a ripple, that kind of calm.
And the calmer it was, the colder Liu Kekke felt.
Because the greater the upcoming storm, the calmer it often is before it arrives.
"Continue," Xue An said indifferently.
"At the beginning, people thought that after a few successive deaths, the people of the Ancient Hua Country would give up, but unexpectedly, the Hua Clan never gave up. They always sent representatives to every Inter-species Conference."
As she said this, a look of respect appeared on Liu Kekke's face.
"I once asked a Hua Clan youth who was sent to participate whether he was not afraid. After all, hardly any Hua Clan member who came to the Inter-species Conference survived."
"But that youth just smiled, and then with a light-hearted tone that I had never imagined, said that they must come even if it meant death! Because the Hua Clan is one of the races among the thousand clans, and if they stayed away out of fear of death, in time, everyone might truly forget the existence of the Hua Clan. They were not afraid to die; they were afraid of being forgotten."
Xue An's expression was indifferent, but when he heard the last sentence, his eyes trembled slightly.
"In the end, that youth was tortured to death by a member of the Demon Race! To this day, I still remember his smile just before death."
Liu Kekke looked up, her eyes seemingly glistening with tears, "Senior, please forgive me for not being able to save him at that time, but I was just a green girl who was new to the world!"
Xue An waved his hand, "I understand, it's not your fault!"
Then he said indifferently, "When is the Inter-species Conference convening?"
"In three months!"
"Good, I will accompany you to participate then!"
Liu Kekke's heart tightened, and she stole a glance at the calmly composed Xue An.
If the senior were to appear at the Inter-species Conference, he would probably trigger a genuine storm of blood and carnage.
The next day.
After the rain, the sky cleared.
Right in the open space in front of Qianniao City.
The remains of the Hua Clan warriors were neatly placed on the makeshift platform.
Although Xiao Shui tried her best to ensure that every Hua Clan warrior who died in battle could depart whole,
there were still many whose remains could not be fully assembled.
Helplessly, they had to ask paper craftsmen to make paper replicas of arms and legs to piece together the bodies.
Xue An, holding a jug of wine, stood at the forefront.
Behind him were Xiao Shui and all the people of the Hua Clan.
No one spoke; all eyes reddened as they watched everything unfold before them.
Some had already started to sob softly.
At that moment, Xue An poured a cup of wine and slowly sprinkled it on the ground, saying in a deep voice,
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, you died for the Hua Clan, and so you shall be the soul of the Hua Clan. May your spirits not scatter and enter the cycle of rebirth swiftly, to be reborn as part of the Hua Clan!"
As he said this, Xue An drew a Talisman Spell in the air and exclaimed softly, "Go! Remember not to look back on the road to the netherworld!"
The Talisman Spell emitted a golden light and then vanished.
Upon seeing this, some of the Hua Clan warriors who had yet to close their eyes, at last, closed them with a smile.
Witnessing this scene, almost all the Hua Clan people burst into tears.
It was uncertain who started it, but amid the crying, they began to chant their war song once more.
"How can one say we have no clothes? We wear the same coat as our sons. When the king rouses the troops, I shall repair my spear and shield. We share the same foes!
..."
The voices grew louder and louder until finally, they shook the heavens and scattered the white clouds above.
After the ritual was completed, Xue An personally lit the pyre.
As the flames rose high, these Hua Clan warriors turned into a wisp of blue smoke, roaming the heavens and earth, free from all restraints.
Once the incineration was complete, the Hua Clan people collected the ashes into urns, ready to take them home.
If they could not return in life, they would at least be buried in their homeland in death.
Once everything was taken care of,
Xue An called Xiao Shui over and asked, "What do you plan to do next?"
Without hesitation, Xiao Shui answered, "Go home!"
"To Ancient Hua Country?"
"Yes!"
Xue An nodded, "Very well, I will take you home, but not now!"
Xiao Shui was taken aback.
Xue An pointed in the distance, "The king of Qianniao Kingdom is dead, and his army is almost entirely gone. Shall we just let such a vast territory go to waste?"
"Are you thinking of…"
Xue An nodded, "Although we have eliminated those Mojia Soldiers, that's not enough. We must make these people realize our might!"
Xiao Shui gravely nodded, "I understand!"
In the following days, Xue An casually created some Elixir that healed and strengthened the body, distributing it to all the people of the Hua Clan.
After a period of recovery, they began a campaign to conquer the entire Qianniao Kingdom under Xiao Shui's leadership.
By this time, with the death of the king of Qianniao Kingdom, the entire kingdom had fallen into chaos.
Especially since the Mojia Troops were all but exterminated by Xue An, there was no power left to suppress the turbulent situation.
It was at this moment that the Hua Clan warriors rose up unexpectedly, one after another overcoming many forces that had previously oppressed the Hua Clan.
This act indisputably smacked the faces of those who regarded the Hua Clan as weak and incapable.
Coupled with previous rumors,
the Hua Clan's reputation in Qianniao Kingdom was now formidable.
And this renown began to spread from the remote Northwest, gradually reaching the Central Province.
Once Qianniao Kingdom was subdued, Xue An led his people to Central Province, preparing to attend the grand meeting of a thousand clans.