After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 43

It wasn’t easy for a half-grown child to survive.
In Luo Lingfeng, Wei Yunshu saw a ruthlessness that frightened her, even more so than someone who had wandered for many years. But what she saw most of all was Luo Lingfeng’s kindness. The dilapidated temple gradually filled with more children, from five or six years old to twelve or thirteen, all picked up by Luo Lingfeng under various circumstances. They were all close to Luo Lingfeng, but Wei Yunshu always felt that she was the one closest to Luo Lingfeng.
Wei Yunshu hugged Luo Lingfeng’s arm and quietly leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Do you want them to help you find the way home?”
By this point, Luo Lingfeng no longer missed home that much. In her memory, her parents were people of great divine power. If they hadn’t found her, it was either because they didn’t want her anymore or because they were being obstructed. The road back was so long, and her home so far away, that it was just a futile thought. She smiled at Wei Yunshu, returning to the cheerful demeanor she had upon their first meeting. She said, “I just wanted to save them, just like I wanted to save you then.”
Wei Yunshu was dazed. She “oh”ed and felt a pang of sadness looking at the scar on Luo Lingfeng’s face. She didn’t know what had happened that day. She always thought that if she hadn’t been sick, Luo Lingfeng wouldn’t have had to go out begging, wouldn’t have returned so dirty, and wouldn’t have wanted to disfigure her face. What would she do when they went back looking like this?
“Lingfeng…” Wei Yunshu leaned tightly against Luo Lingfeng, a sudden sense of dread welling up.
Luo Lingfeng gently pinched her cheek and smiled with her eyes curved. She greeted the small beggars sitting in twos and threes, calling them over to listen to stories of cultivators drawing their swords to slay demons, rescue the drowning and the burning, and save all living beings. The protagonists in the stories were always those who, despite facing countless dangers, never lost their aspirations, becoming even more resilient through hardships. Wei Yunshu listened, propping her chin on her hand, thinking, “Why aren’t any immortals coming to save us?” She decided that she too would become like the protagonists in the stories in the future.
Although there was a crisis of not knowing where the next meal would come from in the city, life was generally peaceful. The beggars had little ambition; they would only be inspired for a short while when listening to stories. But this rare “peace” was soon shattered.
In late autumn, the osmanthus flowers in the forest bloomed, emitting a rich fragrance. At night, the lamplight shone on the layers of branches and leaves covered in white frost, flowing with serene ripples of light. The wind blew, rustling like a flowing river. At this moment, the children in the dilapidated temple were all huddled together, suppressing their cries, only letting out soft sobs. In these short few days, several children had gone missing.
Luo Lingfeng sat on the altar table, her tender face etched with a chill. The moon was high in the sky. By this hour, Wei Yunshu had not returned, and she couldn’t wait any longer. She jumped down from the table and walked out of the dilapidated temple without a word. Several children tried to stop her, but when they met Luo Lingfeng’s gaze, they couldn’t help but shrink back, only able to watch her small figure disappear into the night.
In the wild forest.
Wei Yunshu’s face was filled with panic. She was thrown to the ground, covered in blood. In front of her stood a person in black, holding a box from which insects were tearing and devouring each other. The rustling sound of the wind mixed with the chilling chewing sounds, making Wei Yunshu’s hair stand on end.
“This bone is good; it will be even better for feeding my gu worms.” The man in black smirked evilly at Wei Yunshu. Seeing her struggle to escape, he revealed an expression of great interest. He watched Wei Yunshu’s escape with amusement. After she had run several dozen feet, he simply reached out and, with a gentle pull, captured her again.
Wei Yunshu’s eyes widened. She was lifted into the air, her face turning red. She kicked her legs wildly, but her thin arms and legs were no match for a cultivator. The man in black, his mood unpredictable, seemed angered by Wei Yunshu’s resistance. He sneered and threw her to the ground, her head cracking and bleeding. Wei Yunshu bit her lower lip tightly, the pain almost making her faint. She forced herself not to cry, her body still trembling. She hadn’t returned; would Luo Lingfeng come out to look for her? This thought filled Wei Yunshu with fear. She would rather die alone than let Luo Lingfeng fall into the hands of a bad person.
“Hmm? Someone else?” The man in black had sharp ears and keen eyes.
Wei Yunshu was just an ordinary child; she didn’t understand his meaning and could only curl up in fear, watching the man in black use demonic arts to grab her and run far away. Cold, sticky blood adhered to her forehead. She felt cold all over, her head dizzy, as if she would faint at any moment. But upon seeing the additional figure, she became completely alert.
“Lingfeng? Run! Run quickly!” she screamed hoarsely.
But Luo Lingfeng didn’t move.
The man in black was also sizing up Luo Lingfeng. His eyes flickered. “Eh?” he exclaimed, then burst into laughter, “An opened acupoint? Or a cultivation seed? Good, good, good!” He praised her three times and reached out to grab Luo Lingfeng.
In the mortal realm, she hadn’t sensed much spiritual energy, and her cultivation time was short. But through Luo Lingfeng’s efforts, she had opened several acupoints, making her much more agile and strong than ordinary mortals. But now she was facing a cultivator, a bad person. Her weapon was only a small, fragile dagger. Her dodges and attacks were like tickles to a cultivator, posing no threat at all.
Seeing the man in black reach for Luo Lingfeng, Wei Yunshu, drawing strength from goodness knows where, suddenly lunged forward, hanging onto the man in black. She bit him ferociously. As if a wad of cotton were stuffed into her mouth, Wei Yunshu spat and continued to hit the man in black indiscriminately. The man in black’s attention was on Luo Lingfeng; he was too lazy to bother with Wei Yunshu, merely flicking his sleeve and throwing her away again. Seeing Wei Yunshu’s wretched state, Luo Lingfeng’s eyelids twitched. She tried to attack the man in black, but it was undoubtedly like a mayfly trying to shake a tree; she suffered the same fate as Wei Yunshu.
The fight between the insects in the black box had concluded. The man in black blew a soft whistle, and a black insect half the size of his palm flew out. Its four transparent wings vibrated, emitting a buzzing sound. The man in black spurred his magic formula, and the black insect swooped down towards Wei Yunshu. With just a gentle bite, it could devour flesh and blood in an instant. Luo Lingfeng’s face turned ashen. She didn’t know what kind of insect it was, but its evil aura made her feel uncomfortable all over. She also instinctively lunged in front of Wei Yunshu, waving her hand at the insect.
The man in black chuckled sinisterly and said, “Don’t worry, it will be your turn.” He didn’t care which of the two children the insect bit first; in the end, both were blood food. Sharp serrations tore through Luo Lingfeng’s skin, and a red bloodline suddenly appeared, extending along her arm all the way to her chest. Luo Lingfeng’s cheeks turned pale, and as her vitality seemed to vanish, a powerful, dazzling golden light burst forth from her chest. The bloodline shattered, and the black insect, which was mere inches away, instantly turned to dust.
The man in black stopped smiling. This black insect had devoured his vital essence and was connected to his soul. The death of the black insect was equivalent to a fierce stab to his chest. Enraged, he reached out to grab Luo Lingfeng, who was shrouded in golden light. But at that moment, a sword energy carrying frost suddenly slashed down. It was several figures in water blue, riding swords, emanating a righteous aura, clearly cultivators of the righteous path.
Luo Lingfeng breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at the familiar figures almost in a daze, her tense body slowly relaxing.
“My family is here,” she whispered in Wei Yunshu’s ear.
Wei Yunshu, having suffered greatly that night, was already extremely exhausted. She forced herself to stay awake, only wanting to protect Luo Lingfeng. Hearing Luo Lingfeng’s calm voice now, her heart relaxed, and she fainted.
The disciples who arrived were from Luoshui Divine Palace.
Luo Lingfeng had initially thought only they would come, but after a moment, a familiar figure strode towards her.
It was Luo Hengjun, the Palace Master of Luoshui Divine Palace.
Upon learning of Luo Lingfeng’s disappearance, he had dispatched disciples to search everywhere, but each time they reached their destination, they found nothing. He had also tried using a bloodline secret technique to trace her, but after performing the ritual, he saw only emptiness. He immediately understood that someone was preventing him from finding Luo Lingfeng. This time, he had come personally upon receiving news from a rogue cultivator. After all, Luo Lingfeng was his only child raised by his side, and he truly cared for this daughter.
However, all fatherly affection vanished when he saw Luo Lingfeng’s chest glowing with golden light. His eyes deepened into a cold, profound abyss.
“Father?” Luo Lingfeng, frightened by Luo Hengjun’s man-eating gaze, shrank back and called out in a low voice. At this moment, she finally revealed her childish unease. She raised her hand to brush back her hair, trying to hide the scar on her face.
Luo Hengjun came back to his senses. He took a few steps forward, picked up Luo Lingfeng, and laughed heartily, “Lingfeng, Father has been looking for you!”
Luo Lingfeng pursed her lips and remained silent. She keenly sensed that Luo Hengjun did not care for her as he did before; he hadn’t even inquired about the wound on her face. She gently pushed Luo Hengjun and managed to force a smile, saying in a low voice, “My friend, she—”
A cold glint flashed in Luo Hengjun’s eyes. He called out to a disciple standing beside him and then said to Luo Lingfeng, “Your senior sister will handle it. Let’s go back first.” With that, without regard for Luo Lingfeng’s opinion, he directly took her and transformed into a streak of light, departing.
The disciples of Luoshui Divine Palace looked at Wei Yunshu and whispered, “What should we do with this child?”
The disciple who had been called out earlier slowly emerged and said gently, “You all go back first. I will send her back to the city.” Just a moment before, Luo Hengjun had transmitted a message to her, asking her to kill this child. After all, Luo Lingfeng was the young lady of Luoshui Divine Palace; having a beggar friend would be too disgraceful. But what use could such a child be? The female cultivator looked at the blood-covered Wei Yunshu with some reluctance.
Cultivators were too lazy to bother with mortal children. Seeing that someone had agreed, they chuckled and departed on their swords. The forest instantly became empty, leaving only the female cultivator. She bent over and picked up Wei Yunshu, sighing softly, and sent her to the clinic in the city. After leaving enough silver, she departed. As for whether she lived or died, it was up to the child’s own fortune.
When Wei Yunshu woke up, she saw the rather kind-faced doctor.
She sat up and looked around, but couldn’t find any trace of Luo Lingfeng.
The doctor stroked his beard. “The person who brought you here said that your friend has gone home and told you not to worry. They looked like they were from a wealthy family; it’s not like they couldn’t afford to raise another maid.” The doctor muttered, quite sentimentally.
Wei Yunshu said “Oh” and hugged her knees, lost in thought for a long time, unable to recover. She secretly committed “Luoshui Divine Palace” to memory, thinking that she would look for it if she had the chance in the future. However, just a few days later, she met Yun Qingzi and was accepted into Cloud City, thus unable to fulfill her secret promise.
In Luoshui Divine Palace, there were plenty of spiritual pills and elixirs. With just a light touch, the scar on her face completely disappeared.
But Luo Lingfeng was not very happy. Her father said she had been frightened and her body was also run down. He confined her to her room and did not allow her to go out. She wanted to inquire about Wei Yunshu and the little beggars, but there was nowhere to ask. The senior sisters and brothers guarding her door always pushed it off, saying they knew nothing. She didn’t see any of the people who returned from the forest that day, but she didn’t think too much about it.
A few days later.
Luo Lingfeng met Luo Hengjun, and accompanying him was a young cultivator, very unfamiliar.
“This is Physician Wu,” Luo Hengjun smiled.
“I’m not sick.” Luo Lingfeng pouted and shook her head. She ate the unpalatable pills every day, and her heart ached from them. Her small face was wrinkled into a ball, and she looked up at Luo Hengjun, saying softly with a spoiled tone, “Father, I don’t want to take medicine.”
Luo Hengjun’s face darkened. He said decisively, “If you don’t want to damage your Dao foundation, then obediently take your medicine.”
Luo Lingfeng pouted her lips and said, “Why hasn’t Mother come to see me yet? I want to see Mother.”
Luo Hengjun’s eyes flickered. He stroked Luo Lingfeng’s head and said gently, “Your mother was injured while looking for you and is in seclusion. Don’t disturb her. If you recover well, your mother will be happy.”
Hearing this, Luo Lingfeng’s interest dimmed further. She said listlessly, “Then what about A-Shu? Why hasn’t she come yet?”
Luo Hengjun knew that A-Shu was that little beggar. He said without batting an eye, “Immortals and mortals have different paths. Your friend doesn’t want to come to Luoshui Divine Palace.”
Luo Lingfeng asked, “Why?”
Physician Wu smiled and said, “Miss Luo, cultivators strive for the Great Dao, with lifespans of thousands of years, while mortals only live for a hundred years, facing too much separation and death. You remain unchanged in your feelings for her, but can you guarantee she will be the same? It is so cruel to let her see you remain young forever, while she herself slowly ages. What if she resents you for it? Your kindness to her will eventually become a burden.”
Luo Lingfeng glared at Physician Wu and exclaimed loudly, “A-Shu is not that kind of person!”
Physician Wu smiled without speaking. His face showed the self-importance of someone who thought they understood human nature. This little girl was not qualified to discuss human hearts with him.
“Can she not enter the Dao?” Luo Lingfeng turned to Luo Hengjun, her eyes carrying a hint of pleading.
Luo Hengjun gazed at Luo Lingfeng, a burning dark fire hidden in his eyes. He absentmindedly perfunctorily said, “I’ll have someone look for her. You drink your medicine properly.”
Luoshui Divine Palace was free from worries about food and clothing, and the spiritual energy was particularly abundant. After half a year of adventure, Luo Lingfeng seemed to have suddenly awakened. Before long, she had opened acupoints, reaching the extreme number of thirty-six. This indicated that if she didn’t perish midway, she would definitely reach the Cavern Heaven realm. Upon learning that Luo Lingfeng had entered the Mortal Transformation realm, Luo Hengjun was overjoyed and hosted a banquet for guests in Luoshui Divine Palace.
However, Luo Lingfeng, the protagonist, was still confined to her small courtyard.
The night was deep, the candlelight flickered, casting long shadows on the bronze desk. Physician Wu sat behind the bronze desk, a mysterious smile on his lips, his gaze fixed on Luo Lingfeng, hiding a certain excitement and pity.
When Luo Hengjun entered the room, he didn’t look at Luo Lingfeng. He turned to Physician Wu and said, “You must keep her lucid?” After all, she was his daughter, and he couldn’t bear to let her witness the cruel events happening to herself.
Physician Wu looked directly at Luo Hengjun, his smile becoming even more mysterious and sinister. What meaning did the pity and concern of someone about to dissect his own daughter have? His expression was half bright and half dark in the lamplight. He said, “Only by stimulating hatred can we make the sacred heart repel each other. Hmm… After everything is over, wouldn’t it be enough to seal her memories?”
Luo Hengjun frowned, his expression hidden in the darkness. After a long moment, he sighed. He walked step by step towards the bewildered Luo Lingfeng, showing a gentle smile, and said softly, “Lingfeng, Father wants to borrow something from you?”
Luo Lingfeng was confused. When Luo Hengjun pointed a finger at her forehead, her body was restrained, and she felt a hint of fear. Luo Hengjun at this moment was too unfamiliar, not like her father, but like a beast emerging from the darkness. In a daze, she heard Luo Hengjun say, “Make your move.”
Make my move? Make what move?
Extreme pain descended amidst her bewilderment. As golden nails glinted with cold light, they were hammered into her heart chamber while she was clueless. Piercing pain shot through her limbs, and she wanted to struggle with all her might, but her stiffened body seemed to have lost control, only her consciousness remained extremely clear.
“Father borrows a heart from you,” Luo Hengjun said, frowning as he looked at the splattered blood. He silently took a step back, distancing himself from Luo Lingfeng, and then smiled at her, “My daughter has read the classics diligently since childhood, so you must have heard the saying, ‘An innocent man incurs guilt by possessing a treasure.’ The sacred heart is something you cannot protect. It’s better to lend it to Father. You’re not afraid of not having a heart; Physician Wu has already refined a new one for you.”
The bewilderment was dispelled by a lightning strike. Luo Lingfeng didn’t know what the “sacred heart” represented, but she knew that Luo Hengjun and this Taoist were going to dig out her heart. Before she could even harbor any hope, she found that everything had been shattered. The father she relied on, the happiness she thought she had, had disappeared unknowingly, like a candle that had burned to its end, leaving only ashes of despair. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but another golden nail was driven into her heart chamber, the sharp pain completely washing away her words.
“Your mother placed a restriction on you. I wondered how her cultivation fell to such a realm; it turns out she wanted to conceal heavenly secrets. If Wen Danhua hadn’t lost you this time, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have discovered such secrets even when you grew up.” Luo Hengjun’s tone carried a hint of mockery. He always remembered Physician Wu’s words about stimulating Luo Lingfeng’s hatred.
Wen Danhua? Auntie? Did she deliberately abandon herself in that small town? Why? Did Mother know? Luo Lingfeng thought hazily.
“Your friend, you fell into a life-and-death situation to save her, which exposed the sacred heart. You are so good to her, but what about her? Truly a scoundrel. Guess why she didn’t come to Luoshui Divine Palace?” Luo Hengjun smiled sinisterly, looking at Luo Lingfeng’s darkened eyes, and fabricated randomly, “How can my Luo Hengjun’s daughter have a friend who was a beggar? She’s sensible; she prefers gold, silver, jade, and a lifetime of wealth and glory over being your friend.”
Outside the pavilion, the lights were bright, celebrating Luo Lingfeng’s attainment of the Mortal Transformation realm.
Inside the pavilion, it was filled with the smell of blood. The wind blew, carrying only the desolate chill of late autumn.
Whether from pain or cold, Luo Lingfeng shivered all over. Her eyebrows drooped, her face devoid of any further expression, as if she had resigned herself to fate, enduring all that caused her past beliefs to crumble.
Physician Wu suddenly said, “That new heart was mixed with some Tai Sui golden sand. Do you mind, True Monarch Luo?”
Luo Hengjun crossed his arms and said slowly, “Did Daoist Wu also go to The Northern Continent?”
Physician Wu smiled, “Some things only exist there; there’s no other way.” He chuckled, completely at ease. He impassively hammered the golden needle into Luo Lingfeng’s heart chamber, squinting his eyes, as if admiring a work he was proud of, satisfaction and joy mixed with a hint of pity, which was instantly dispelled by his sinister thoughts.
Taking a heart was nothing; he had done many more cruel things than this.
Luo Hengjun, as a father, looked indifferent. Why should he, the hired hand, pity Luo Lingfeng?
“By the way, True Monarch Luo, after replacing the heart, I’m afraid you won’t be able to cultivate to a very high realm. Although your lifespan is longer than mortals, compared to cultivators—” True Monarch Wu shook his head, leaving the rest of his words unspoken.
Luo Lingfeng was the only descendant of the Palace Master of Luoshui Divine Palace, and she might have inherited Luoshui Divine Palace in the future. However, after having her heart removed, this heir was considered ruined.
How could Luo Hengjun not understand Physician Wu’s meaning? He laughed heartily, “Luo has no shortage of children.”
True Monarch Wu couldn’t help but look at Luo Hengjun a few more times. He revealed a knowing smile. He then focused his gaze on the expressionless Luo Lingfeng, looking at those dead, silent eyes. True Monarch Wu suddenly felt a strange tremor of fear. The hand holding the golden needle trembled, but after a moment, he thought to himself, it’s just a child; what threat could she pose to him? Aren’t people with hatred always like this, with a fierce, man-eating expression?
“I congratulate True Monarch on attaining the Great Dao here.”
Luo Hengjun smiled triumphantly.
He was already a True Monarch of the Cavern Heaven realm. One more step, and he would pluck the Dao Fruit, ascending like the seniors of the past.
He would be the first person in three thousand years!
What about those who were once hailed as the foremost figures of their generation? In the end, what was their fate but failure when attempting the Dao Fruit realm?!
The blood before him flowed like a river. What Luo Hengjun glimpsed was not Luo Lingfeng’s suffering, but his own path to the heavens.
The wind lifted his wide sleeves. Luo Hengjun, adorned with an ornate hat and flowing robes, resembled a romantic scholar, as if he had already reached the pinnacle, his face full of smug satisfaction.
He did not look at the young girl.
After her beliefs collapsed, her eyes turned blood-red.
The Great Dao, the sacred heart, Luo Hengjun—
These were all things that caused her pain. Why should they exist?
Within her frail body, the sealed spiritual power suddenly came alive, pouring out like a torrent.
However, Luo Hengjun merely waved his sleeve gently, suppressing the surging spiritual energy.
He looked at Luo Lingfeng without blinking and smiled gently, “Lingfeng, didn’t Father tell you? You are very weak now and cannot grasp the sacred heart. I raised you until now, so isn’t it right for you to give something in return?”