Chapter 45: Bad News
Chapter 45: Bad News
"Uncle An Rui, is something the matter?"
Linsey and Anna arrived at the second floor of the manor and pushed open the door.
An Rui was sitting in his study.
At this moment, the lord was facing the main entrance, leaning back in his chair with his hand supporting his head, eyes tightly shut. The breeze blowing in through the window behind him did nothing to ease the furrow in his brows.
The lord seemed to be pondering something that troubled him greatly.
Even Linsey's inquiry couldn't draw him out of his deep contemplation.
Something was amiss.
An Rui was usually straightforward and decisive, and if he had something to say, he preferred to walk to the clearing by the woods and speak face-to-face. It was unlike him to call someone up to his study on the second floor, let alone sit in his chair, looking so conflicted!
"Dad?"
Anna stepped forward and knocked on the spruce wood desk.
"We're here, what's the matter?"
"..."
An Rui opened his eyes at his daughter's call.
But he still didn't speak right away.
He removed his hand from his chin, and his hands clasped together, forming an awkward posture, even to himself.
Finally, An Rui's conflicted gaze fell on Linsey:
"Linsey, I heard that Finn asked you to help him find Red Moon to get the merchant's essence cultivation method the day before yesterday."
Linsey nodded:
"Yes, is there a problem with this?"
An Rui shook his head and then nodded:
"There's no problem with this. It's just that, what I mean is, do you really understand the merchant's essence cultivation method?"
A sense of unease grew in Linsey's heart.
An Rui's usual straightforwardness, and even his roundabout way of speaking, hinted at something extraordinary.
"Mother Superior explained the merchant's essence to me." Linsey spoke up, hoping for the truth, "Uncle An Rui, just say what's on your mind, why be so awkward?"
"..."
An Rui turned to look out the window, then at the sparsely filled bookshelves in the study.
After a moment, he made up his mind and spoke to Linsey:
"I already know about Finn."
"Birth, old age, sickness, and death are all part of life, and I can understand that."
"But you should know that an Awakened who has lived for decades, even if the essence they cultivate is not the same as our life essence, over such a long time, this power becomes closely connected to their body. If a person who is already near death suddenly has their essence extracted..."
"!"
Hearing this, Linsey felt a sudden darkness before his eyes.
He already had an idea of what An Rui was trying to say, but a sliver of hope remained.
"I... I'm sorry, Uncle An Rui, I have to go now, excuse me!"
Without waiting for a reply, Linsey turned and ran out of the study. In an instant, he was gone from An Rui's manor.
At this moment, Anna also looked at her father, her voice trembling with tension:
"Father, what's wrong with Grandpa Finn?"
Facing Anna, An Rui found it easier to explain.
He sighed with relief and spoke in a sorrowful tone:
"Finn obtained the merchant's essence cultivation method the day before yesterday, so he tried it yesterday, and by the evening..."
Meanwhile, Linsey was sprinting through town.
Familiar villagers greeted him, but he didn't have time to respond, keeping his head down as he rushed forward.
The town's scenery flew past on either side of his vision.
But his gaze was fixed on the southern part of town, where Finn lived.
At the human limit of 12 points, Linsey's figure was like a gust of wind sweeping across the ground.
The usually fleeting journey seemed to take longer today.
He ran faster than ever, yet he felt unusually slow, as if time itself had stretched.
After an unknown amount of time, Linsey arrived at Finn's wooden cabin.
He leaned on his knees, his stamina bar still mostly full, yet he panted heavily.
His gaze fell upon the familiar cabin before him.
Time seemed to freeze.
The small wooden door was shut tight, and everything appeared the same as it had been before, even the leaves on the vines on the walls were not yet completely shed.
But as he approached, Linsey's steps became more difficult.
It took him a full five minutes to walk from the fence in the yard to the cabin door, and then he knocked.
Knock, knock, knock—
"Teacher, are you home?"
Linsey asked cautiously.
Amidst his anxiety and unease, he waited for several seconds before a deep female voice sounded from within:
"Linsey, come in."
It was Red Moon.
Linsey's godmother, a nun of the Death Sect.
In the past, Linsey would never have disliked the sound of his godmother's voice.
But upon hearing Red Moon's response, his heart sank, wishing it had been another voice.
Red Moon's appearance here meant only one thing—death.
Linsey raised his hand and tremblingly opened the door.
He saw Red Moon sitting in a chair in the main hall.
And where Finn should have been napping, he now lay on the bed beside Red Moon.
"..."
Linsey numbly walked up to Red Moon and looked at Finn, who lay calmly on the bed:
"Teacher Finn, he..."
Red Moon spoke in her usual calm and steady voice:
"He has departed."
Linsey walked over and held Finn's hand.
The teacher of botany's rough, large hands were now cold.
Linsey bowed his head and buried his face in those icy hands.
He was in a state of confusion and helplessness, thinking of many things at once.
He thought of Finn's teachings, the joy he showed when he discovered Linsey's quick language learning, his seriousness and solemnity when it came to matters of life, and his careful attention to the crops.
These little details now came together to form Finn's image in Linsey's mind.
Then, he couldn't help but think—
If he hadn't immediately given the Merchant's Essence Cultivation Method to Finn, could this elder have lived a little longer?
Linsey knew this was Finn's choice.
But at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a sense of self-blame.
For three years, Linsey had followed Red Moon and performed many burial rituals, and he thought he could face death calmly.
But now, when his familiar teacher passed away,
He realized how wrong he had been.
As Linsey's mind raced and he became completely helpless, even the matters of Anvil and his loved ones began to surface.
A warm hand patted his back:
"Finn told me a lot."
"Linsey, he was very grateful for your presence and happy that you were willing to learn his knowledge."
"Finn also asked me to pass on a message to you: His death was his own choice, so don't feel guilty or blame yourself."
Linsey's body sobbed, but he made no sound.
Red Moon didn't say anything more.
The godmother merely remained calm and gentle, soothing Linsey's sadness.
When Linsey wiped away his tears and stood up again, Red Moon spoke:
"He said he left something for you in the greenhouse at the back."
"Linsey, go and take a look."
(End of Chapter)
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