Han Ji Shen held Lan Hai’s unconscious and badly injured body firmly in his arms.
Everywhere around them, there was nothing but smoke, ashes, and absolute destruction.
At that moment, the top military officers and rescue teams rushed to the scene.
The moment they saw Lan Hai’s condition, panic and concern spread across their faces.
A senior military officer walked up to Han Ji Shen, quickly checked his condition, and asked,
Military Officer: “Are you okay?”
Han Ji Shen took a deep, exhausted breath.
Without even looking at the officer, he replied in a calm, flat voice,
Han Ji Shen: “Yes, I am fine.”
At that moment, the officer’s eyes fell on Lan Hai, who lay motionless in Han Ji Shen’s arms.
His clothes had been completely torn apart, his entire body was covered in deep cuts and bruises, and blood continued to drip from his head.
Seeing his critical condition, the officer immediately shouted,
Military Officer: “This boy’s condition is extremely critical! Take him to the hospital immediately!”
Han Ji Shen didn’t argue.
He quietly accepted the officer’s decision, knowing that Lan Hai’s mortal body desperately needed medical treatment.
Carrying Lan Hai in his arms, he immediately boarded a waiting ambulance as its sirens echoed through the ruined streets.
The next day, inside a quiet hospital room, Lan Hai slowly opened his eyes.
As his blurred vision gradually cleared, he found himself lying on a hospital bed, staring at the white ceiling and the medical monitors around him.
Han Ji Shen was sitting silently beside the bed.
The moment he noticed Lan Hai had awakened, he spoke in a soft voice,
Han Ji Shen: “You are finally awake, Lan Hai.”
The instant Lan Hai regained consciousness, horrifying memories flashed through his mind.
He frantically tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his body, forcing a painful groan from his lips.
Gently stopping him, Han Ji Shen said,
Han Ji Shen: “Just lie down for now. Your body needs absolute rest.”
But Lan Hai didn’t care about his injuries.
His voice trembled as he asked the only question that mattered to him,
Lan Hai: “Where are Mu Chen and Qinue?”
The moment those words left his lips, a suffocating silence filled the room.
Han Ji Shen let out a heavy sigh, his eyes filled with sorrow.
After a long pause, he spoke softly,
Han Ji Shen: “Right now, both of their bodies have been safely preserved. Their funeral is tomorrow… they will be buried tomorrow.”
Hearing those words, Lan Hai felt his world collapse for the second time.
The last trace of hope inside him shattered completely.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
Forcing himself to remain conscious, he sobbed,
Lan Hai: “Can… can you please let me see them just once? I need to see them.”
Looking at Lan Hai’s critical condition, Han Ji Shen slowly shook his head.
Han Ji Shen: “But your injuries are too severe. You won’t even be able to stand on your feet.”
Lan Hai wiped away his tears.
His voice was filled with pain and unwavering determination as he replied,
Seeing Lan Hai’s stubborn determination and the unbearable grief in his eyes, the legendary Sovereign, Han Ji Shen, finally gave in.
He stepped forward, supported Lan Hai’s broken body with his own arms, and slowly helped him walk toward the hospital mortuary.
Inside the mortuary, the air was freezing cold, and an eerie silence filled the room.
Death itself seemed to linger in every corner.
On two separate stretchers lay the bodies of Qinue and Mu Chen, both completely covered with white sheets.
Lan Hai walked forward with trembling steps.
He stopped before Qinue’s stretcher first.
His shaking hands slowly reached for the white sheet and gently pulled it away from her face.
The moment he saw her beautiful yet pale and lifeless face, his heart shattered completely.
Looking at Qinue, Lan Hai could no longer suppress his emotions.
He broke down, crying uncontrollably.
Staring at her lifeless face, he sobbed in agony,
Lan Hai: “You shouldn’t have done this, Qinue… you left me all alone in this cruel world. How am I supposed to live without you?”
His knees gave way beneath him as he collapsed to the cold floor, weeping bitterly.
Standing quietly behind him, Han Ji Shen watched everything in silence.
He didn’t stop Lan Hai from crying, because the scene before him had reopened wounds buried deep within his own heart.
He suddenly remembered his late wife, Zhao Zhun.
Centuries ago, she had been killed before his eyes during a brutal war.
Back then, Han Ji Shen had held her lifeless body in his arms and whispered the very same words.
Han Ji Shen: “Zhao Zhun… how could you leave me all alone like this?”
Even as a Sovereign who once stood at the peak of the world…
He had been just as helpless then as this mortal boy was today.
Dragging his heavy steps forward, Lan Hai finally walked over to Mu Chen’s body.
His heart was about to suffer another devastating blow.
The moment he pulled the white sheet away from Mu Chen’s face, a loud cry escaped his lips, and he broke down once again.
His brother…
His truest friend…
Was no longer with him.
The cheerful and lively Mu Chen now lay completely still before his eyes.
Lan Hai hugged his friend’s lifeless body and wept.
Lan Hai: “Mu Chen… you left me all alone too, man. Your stupid jokes… the way you always stood in front of me like a shield whenever I was in trouble… I’ll remember everything forever. How can you sleep so peacefully like this?”
As he stared at Mu Chen’s calm face, every memory they had shared together began flashing through his mind—their laughter, their unbreakable friendship, and every moment they had spent side by side.
Then…
Mu Chen’s final words echoed once again in his ears, the very words he had spoken before drawing his last breath.
Mu Chen: “Brother… this life belongs to you. Just promise me you’ll never lose hope. You are my strongest friend and my truest brother… just don’t cry whenever you remember me, otherwise I’ll come back as a ghost to beat you up…”
Those final words continued to echo inside Lan Hai’s mind, completely crushing him beneath the weight of his grief as he lay broken on the cold floor of the mortuary.
At that moment, Han Ji Shen slowly walked over and gently placed a hand on Lan Hai’s shoulder.
Trying to give him the strength to stand once more, he spoke softly,
Han Ji Shen: “Come now. Tomorrow, we have to give them their final farewell.”
Supporting Lan Hai’s trembling body, Han Ji Shen slowly led the broken young man out of the mortuary. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
The next day, a heavy cloud of mourning hung over the entire city.
Lan Hai was dressed in a black suit, and Han Ji Shen had also worn a black suit.
Lan Hai walked ahead, tightly holding the photographs of Qinue and Mu Chen in his hands, while their coffins followed closely behind him.
Members of both the Mu Family and the Xia Family were present, and every one of them wept bitterly.
When they arrived at the graveyard and the gravediggers began covering Mu Chen’s coffin with soil, Mu Tian—Mu Chen’s father—suddenly walked toward Lan Hai in a state of complete despair.
He was crying and laughing at the same time.
Mu Tian: “Lan Hai… look at him… Mu Chen is just playing a prank on me, right? He always listens to you! Please tell him to get up. Look… I’ll personally feed him his favorite pork belly with my own hands.”
Hearing those words, the pain in Lan Hai’s heart deepened even further, and silent tears continued to stream down his face.
Seeing Lan Hai standing there in silence with empty, lifeless eyes, Mu Tian suddenly began screaming like a madman.
Mu Tian: “Why are you so quiet?! Tell him to wake up! Tell him I’ll give him whatever he wants! If he doesn’t want to handle the Mu Family business, that’s completely fine! He can stay with you forever! Just… make him wake up, Lan Hai!”
As those words left his lips, Mu Tian collapsed completely, resting his head against Lan Hai’s shoulder as he sobbed uncontrollably.
Lan Hai stood there like a stone statue.
He didn’t know what to say.
He had no words that could comfort a father who had just lost his only son.
After that, Qinue was laid to rest.
As the first handful of soil fell onto her coffin, Lan Hai felt as though his entire soul had shattered into a million pieces.
He had never imagined a single moment of his life without Qinue, yet today, he was burying her with his own hands.
At that moment, Qinue’s brother walked over to Lan Hai and spoke in a heavy voice,
Qinue’s Brother: “Lan Hai, please control yourself. Qinue wouldn’t want to see you breaking down like this.”
Lan Hai didn’t say a single word.
He simply stood there, completely numb and silent, staring at Qinue’s grave.
After some time, everyone slowly began leaving the graveyard.
Lan Hai quietly walked away with them.
A short while later, he returned to his empty, silent house with Han Ji Shen.
Without saying a word, he walked inside, took the photographs of Qinue and Mu Chen, and placed them beside his late mother’s photograph on the wall.
Then he carefully lit three incense sticks and placed them before the photographs.
Then, he turned around and collapsed heavily onto the sofa.
The room fell into complete silence.
No laughter.
No footsteps.
No familiar voices.
Only an endless emptiness remained.
After sitting there in silence for a long time, a loud, agonizing scream suddenly escaped Lan Hai’s throat as he completely broke down.
He buried his face in his hands and cried uncontrollably.
Today…
He had been left completely and utterly alone in this vast world.
His mother…
His father…
His best friend…
His true love…
Destiny had cruelly taken every single one of them away from him.
Lan Hai now stood at a dark crossroads in life, where everything he had ever loved was gone forever.