Chapter 695: Chapter Six Hundred and Ninety-One: Only Loss Brings Pain

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“Do you remember when the Clan Leader told everyone to prepare for evacuation and you came to the Heavenly Pavilion, hoping to switch ranks with Tang Zhen?” said Tang Luo, his face expressionless. “You gave up your first rank identity for that girl Tang Zhen but seemed to forget about ensuring safety for that little maid you messed with. Now that she’s gone, don’t you think your afterthoughts of regret and anger are redundant?”

“Bro, what are you talking about!” a young boy’s face flushed red: “I just… I just…”

“You just what?” Tang Luo tilted his head, “Did you care too much for Tang Zhen that you forgot about Miao Zhu, or did you think Miao Zhu would be safe at home? Just like every other time you came home from the Martial Hall?”

“Miao Zhu got killed? No… no!” Tang Xing mutters with a pale face, “You must be lying to me!”

“Huh.” Tang Luo tugs at the corner of his mouth, scornfully asking, “Who do you think would be responsible for Mizhu’s death?”

The room turned suddenly quiet. Tang Xing stopped breathing for a moment, his face full of fear as he looked up.

But Tang Luo’s expression remained indifferent, he mocked: “Who was it that brazenly promised to protect her, then forgot about her when it mattered most? The promises of a child are easily made and soon forgotten. Perhaps even in her last moments, she hoped you would appear and save her. How foolish!”

“No!” Tang Xing suddenly roared, his red eyes filled with doubt and self-reproach: “It’s not possible. Miao Zhu won’t die. She’s very clever, she won’t die.”

“Naive!” A powerful voice that sounded like a deafening bell, suppressed Tang Xing’s roar, making the child’s ears ring.

“She was just a maid, do you know how many illegitimate children of the Mi Clan died in this great war when their united forces broke through the North Mountain defensive line?”

“Do you know how many clan warriors died under the arrows of the celestial bird guards in order to protect the four ranks during the retreat? You don’t know because you were safely protected in the very center of the second rank, spending every day cuddling with your loved one. This escape was just a romantic outing to you, so did you imagine the rest of us on the North Mountain felt as relaxed and at ease?”

“Don’t be a fool!” Tang Luo’s face was emotionless: “She was just an unprotected girl, even the arrows of the celestial bird guards were not needed, if she had the misfortune of encountering the aftermath of a Spirit Art during her escape, she would be obliterated, just like your broken bookshelf.”

“No~~~~~~” Tang Xing let out a horrific scream as he knelt on the ground, his fists fiercely hitting the floor, dust and sand kicked up, gradually covering his entire body. His roar turned into sobs, and then turned into hard crying.

He remembered the maid’s intimacy and tenderness, and also remembered how he had neglected and rejected her after being with Tang Zhen. The maidservant that had been forgotten reappeared in his thoughts, her figure so vivid.

He remembered how he once held her in his arms, promising to protect each other. Now thinking about it felt like a daunting slap in his face.

“I’m sorry!! Miao Zhu, I…I let you down!!!”

Through the sand and dust, Tang Xing’s face was stained with tears. Many things, only after they are lost, do we realize their value. The reticent yet considerate maidservant now felt like an inexistent hand clutching his heart tightly.

If only I had remembered Miao Zhu at that time, even if I mentioned her to my brother, she wouldn’t have…Hmm?

With red eyes, the boy stood up and looked at Tang Luo who was seated in the chair, his voice filled with uncontainable anger: “You knew this was going to happen all along, didn’t you!?”

He remembered when he climbed to the top of the Heavenly Pavilion to ask his brother for help, his brother had asked him several times if he had forgotten anything before he left.

He initially thought that it was just brotherly concern, but thinking back, it’s clear he had already predicted that if arrangements weren’t made for Miao Zhu, she would meet her demise.

“You knew all along!!” Anger made the boy’s body tremble, he angrily stepped forward, his hands clutching at Tang Luo’s collar, sobbing: “Since you knew all along, why didn’t you remind me.”

Tang Luo tilted his head, a smile on the corner of his mouth, he mocked: “Because I did it on purpose.”

“Bang”

With a flick of his finger, the Heavenly Dragon’s Shadow repelled the young boy. Tang Luo straightened his collar and indifferently said to the kid who hit the wall: “She was your maid, your responsibility. If you can’t even protect your woman, if I were you, I’d go right to Tang Zhen and admit I’m a good-for-nothing! So you don’t end up getting her killed one day.”

“Ah!” The angry boy spat up blood, his head lowered, his whole body shaking.

Just like Tang Luo said, he had no one to blame but himself, he had forgotten about Miao Zhu. At that time, his mind was fixed on being with Tang Zhen, he had no thoughts for that obedient maidservant.

He slumped onto the ground, head leaning against the wall, tears unable to stop flowing, guilt and regret almost swallowing him whole.

Looking at his dejected younger brother leaning against the wall, Tang Luo gave a sigh, softly asking: “Now you know, just how desperate it is to lose the one you love, right?”

Feelings don’t last forever, thus many passionate people eventually become indifferent; human nature is constant, therefore, a headstrong person never loses their nature.

Tang Xing is a man of many emotions, it is his nature, but if left unchecked, within a few years he will become a fickle person.

Such a person will only have passion for things they do not have, and once obtained, no matter how many vows and sweet words were said, they will be forgotten and discarded.

Luckily, Tang Xing’s nature is kind, so there is still a possibility of redemption. At least his regret and reluctance upon hearing of Miao Zhu’s death is sincere, making one feel that this kid is not beyond redemption.

“If you had a chance to go back in time, back to the top of the Heavenly Pavilion, what would you say to me?”

Tang Xing, who was leaning against the wall, heard his brother’s words, raised his head, his eyes blurred by tears as if time were rewinding back to that snow-covered morning.

If only he could do it all over again, how wonderful that would be.

He would plead with his brother, who was then the commander of the North Mountain defence, to include Miao Zhu in the evacuation rank, or find somewhere to hide her.

If this would cause any inconvenience, he could exchange his own first rank status, as long as he could protect that little servant, he would be willing to pay any price.

But no matter what he said now, it was too late. Because of his foolishness, he had caused the death of his beloved.

“It seems you have learned a good lesson,” Tang Luo’s calm voice echoed again, leaving the crestfallen Tang Xing startled, his face full of disbelief as he looked up.