The Legend of the Devil
Ch. 100 - 20 Years of Exposure
The sound of a twig engulfed in flames became the only sound at the bottom of the Regret Trench, the coldness of the air started to make Xue Zhan accustomed to it even though sometimes his eyelashes and eyebrows froze when he woke up in the morning. Xiang Yi Bai turned the fish over several times to make sure it cooked perfectly. He thrust at Xue Zhan half-heartedly.
"Your training is still not satisfactory. You can only eat a lot after you make a thousand more moves."
Although the Old Monster was sometimes furious, at least he still had a little kindness. Xue Zhan accepted it while thanking him.
"Chairman Xiang," he called in between meals. Xiang Yi Bai who was still burning two more fish turned his head towards him with a troubled face.
"What?"
"Chairman Xiang still hasn't answered my question. It's so strange to me, I've told you everything that happened to me before I fell into this abyss. About my teachers, family and friends, but I have absolutely no idea about who Elder Xiang really is."
Xiang Yi Bai frowned, "Oh, one curious boy. You want to know about me?"
"Sure, Elder Xiang."
Xiang Yi Bai drew a mocking smile. "Ask your great-grandfather in his grave. Maybe they know."
"They're all into the afterlife, Elder Xiang," Xue Zhan said.
"Go to the afterlife and ask them."
"To be sure, you told me to die just to find out who you are, Elder Xiang." Xue Zhan let out a long, useless breath, he had already asked this ten times and the old monster had no interest in answering his question. He is still hiding his identity.
Xue Zhan tried to understand Xiang Yi Bai's choice, but there was a strong curiosity. Who Xiang Yi Bai really was, why did he end up in the Gorge of Regret alone when he had such incredible strength. Then on the cliff wall of the cliff itself there are many carvings of words that might be made by Xiang Yi Bai himself. The word contains; ambition, greed, man, egoism.
If Xue Zhan became Xiang Yi Bai perhaps he would soon return to the human world, with that power he could become the strongest swordsman that everyone respected.
Yet he saw the way Xiang Yi Bai thought was much different from the way humans thought. He had no interest in worldly things. World, power, treasure, woman. All of this did not attract his attention. The man would rather spend his time drinking wine and living in a rickety cottage alone, talking to rocks and trees or fishing and even being lured by giant eels.
The man had a handsome face but was also a fake. As he laughed, his complexion was completely stiff. Xue Zhan still continued to stare at the man's face until Xiang Yi Bai was distracted.
"What's? Whahuh? Watching me continue. Oi, rotten boy, what exactly are you thinking?"
"That's ... Elder Xiang, I don't know how long I've been here. Maybe I will train even harder before returning to the outside world. Did Elder Xiang not intend to come out of this gorge?"
Movement ceased. Xiang Yi Bai blinked twice as if he had not heard the question for a long time, he looked around and could not imagine a time where he had lost his quiet and comfortable place in this place.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"But Elder Xiang -"
The man opened the wine jug and gulped roughly, looking a hassle on his face for a moment.
Xue Zhan replied back, "I just feel the need to finish what has become my duty. I have an oath to my Master and an unattainable goal."
"Yes already. Just go over there. Let'sjust look. Will the same thing happen to you. Those humans will corner you and kill you."
Again and again Xue Zhan denied, "I wouldn't go anywhere if Elder Xiang still remained here."
The moment Xiang Yi Bai fell silent and immediately turned his narrowed eyes to look at Xue Zhan, his eyebrows fused together.
"Why you? If you want to get out of this abyss go alone, that's also if you can climb this height without dying. Don't make me an excuse, I broke this jug into your head." His threat was accompanied by a rude snort from the man.
"Elder Xiang, I had gone to the mouth of the river not far from here and saw an inscription on the riverbed rock. Although it was covered by a torrential stream of water I could still see it ... Your sorrow and two people who are precious to you ..." Xue Zhan's voice was slow. He read the sentence written on the river stone.
"If I am a piece of flesh wrapped in skin, then they are both my souls. I am a void that is not allowed to end until I long for death."
Xiang Yi Bai's white face was clearly evading Xue Zhan. He's pissed off, though,
"Rotten boy. When I first talked to you, you were so stupid and stupid. Now why are you like a monkey?"
"I'm worried about you, Elder Xiang. We are both two people who are cast aside in the Pit of Regret and bear regrets while in the world."
"Do you know what you're doing with regrets?" Xiang Yi Bai tested it, Xue Zhan was unwilling to answer because every time he talked about it the man always put on an unpleasant face.
In this Regret Gorge there were only the two of them, Xue Zhan knew in a long time Xiang Yi Bai harbored that regret alone without a single place to share. It was all heavy, though Xiang Yi Bai never minded hearing the story.
Xue Zhan did not want the man to endure his grief alone.
"Basic of childishness." Omel Xiang Yi Bai in the end, he was like he was at a loss for words. As usual, the boy always had the right way to answer him and make his tension rise.
"Better children like children, than children like parents."
"You—" Xiang Yi Bai almost overturned the boy, he let out a rough breath. Xiang Yi Bai clicked his tongue repeatedly, the boy was really persistent in making his stance collapse. For some reason there were things he could not tell Xue Zhan, from the very beginning Xiang Yi Bai had no intention of opening his identity to the young man. But what could be made, Xue Zhan managed to make him change his mind.
Slowly his gaze changed, Xue Zhan followed the change in silence until finally Xiang Yi Bai decided to tell a story.
"Twenty years ago I lost a student and a friend who meant so much to me. Sacrificing everything, honor, office, possessions and everything, for the good of man. Disappear from civilization and end miserably in this place. I left things worldly until I finally got used to emptiness. Not too bad either."