Chapter 378: Complete Breakdown.
Translator: Lam Editor: Hitesh
Nameless Peak…
"Sister Gong, do you think that monster will be destroyed?" Cai Zhiqiao was lying in the embrace of Gong Bingye right now, allowing the latter to braid her hair. A grim and solemn expression appeared on her pink, rotund face. For an expression as such to appear on the face of a child was absolutely hilarious.
How could a child that age be so melancholic?
"Senior Brother Feng, what are you busy with?" Looking at Feng Bujue who was pacing about, Cai Zhiqiao asked curiously.
"Oh, little junior sister! I’m preparing some dishes and food to welcome Junior Brother Mie back!" Feng Bujue smiled back cheerily.
Looking at everything, Gong Bingye could only muster out a sigh. Hopefully, everything would be alright.
Feng Bujue didn’t know what he was doing exactly either. The only reason he did so was to bring that bit of hope and anticipation back into his heart.
"Zhiqiao, what sort of braids would you like to have today?" Gong Bingye smiled.
After considering for a moment, Zhiqiao replied, "I want the nicest one there is!"
"Alright..." Gong Bingye chuckled as she started combing the luscious hair of Cai Zhiqiao. Her nimble hands then started work on crafted out a unique set of braids for Zhiqiao.
It had been quite some time since she had arrived at Glory Sect.
Her family had been getting stronger as well. But for Gong Bingye, her fondness of this place was only blossoming by the day.
This was a simple place without much hoodwinking and deception. At the same time, there was a sense of warmth to this place.
Gong Bingye was thinking that she might be able to step down from her position of the Family Head soon and allow someone else in the family to take on the responsibility.
She had thought it through.
Whether or not she was the direct descendant of the family line, that didn’t matter anymore. What was important was the passing down of the family spirit. That was all that mattered.
As for that man, Gong Bingye did not dare to harbor many expectations anymore. The more she interacted with him, the more she realized the distance in their worlds. That was basically a gulf that she could not hope to cross.
Being able to accompany Zhiqiao by the side like this was a form of happiness as well.
"Big Senior Brother, Senior Brother Mie and the others are back!!!" Cai Zhiqiao, who was lying in Gong Bingye’s embrace, cried out in excitement as she noticed the people arriving in the distance.
Gong Bingye heaved a sigh of relief. As long as everything was fine.
"Junior Brother Mie has finally returned safely!" Feng Bujue headed up excitedly.
He had been fraught with worries all these time, afraid that something might happen. But now that he saw Mie Qiongqi being safe and sound physically, he couldn’t help but rest easy.
As long as everything was fine.
Other than their Master, Mie Qiongqi was the number one fighting strength on Nameless Peak. Having his Junior Brother Mie shoulder the burden for some stuff caused Feng Bujue to feel slightly embarrassed as a Senior Brother.
But they were family after all. What was a little more or less effort? All that mattered was their safety and happiness together.
"Junior Brother, your Senior Brother here has prepared these dishes personally for you. Isn’t this a scrumptious feast?" Feng Bujue was extremely pleased as he wielded the butcher’s knife. "Eh? What’s wrong with you guys? Why do all of you look so forlorn? What happened?"
Gong Bingye was hugging Cai Zhiqiao and smiling gently. But when she caught sight of the expressions on Mie Qiongqi and the others, she had an ominous feeling in her heart, as though something terrible had happened.
"Sister Gong, why are your hands trembling?" Cai Zhiqiao looked at Gong Bingye innocently.
"Nothing much." Gong Bingye smiled gently in response as she continued to comb and braid Zhiqiao’s hair. Zhang Ergou looked at Feng Bujue with a dazed and pale face. Eventually, he stuttered out hoarsely, "M-master…M-master is dead…"
Feng Bujue shuddered for a moment, "Grandmaster Yan died…?"
For their lives on Nameless Peak, Grandmaster Yan had been more than generous in offering his help. Upon hearing the news of his passing, Feng Bujue and the others could not help but feel terrible as well.
"N-not Grandmaster Yan…" Zhang Ergou cried out. Unable to control himself anymore, he rubbed his nose and eyes before wailing out as tears gushed down like a river once more.
"If it’s not Grandmaster Yan…then…!" Feng Bujue froze up. The butcher knife in his hand dropped onto the ground with a loud clang.
His entire face had turned pale as a sheet. He bent down and took up the butcher knife once more. But those trembling hands of his could not hide the fact that he seemed to have realized something but was just struggling to maintain his composure.
"Haha! Big Senior Brother! Stop joking around! How could that be? Our Master’s still playing outside… haha! Don’t try to pull my leg just because I’m stupid and take everything as facts easily, aye? Alright alright, let’s not talk anymore…Come on guys! I’ve prepared a delicious feast!" Feng Bujue seemed to be lost right now. His eyes darted left and right, scanning the surroundings, but was unable to find a target to focus on. His hands grasped at his clothes tightly, holding on to this last bit of hope.
"Hurry up and come eat! If you pull my leg again you’re going to be the one cooking next time!" Feng Bujue turned around to the kitchen while muttering out.
"OUR MASTER IS REALLY DEAD…!" Zhang Ergou screamed out at Feng Bujue. Collapsing onto the ground, Zhang Ergou dug his hands scratched at the soil miserably, "MASTER, HE…HE! HE HAS SACRIFICED HIMSELF ALONG WITH THE BIG ANCIENT DEMON, JUNIOR BROTHER!"
Gong Bingye who has been braiding the hair of Cai Zhiqiao froze up as well. The comb dropped onto the floor as her face was blank.
"How could this be?"
Initially all smiles, Zhiqiao broke out of Gong Bingye’s embrace as though she had realized something. She ran over to Zhang Ergou and using those small, tender hands of hers, pinched at his arm gently.
"Big Senior Brother, where’s Master...?’ She looked at Zhang Ergou pitifully as tears began to well up in those large, innocent eyes of hers.
Feng Bujue gritted his teeth and turned around. Glaring at Zhang Ergou furiously, he howled, "BIG SENIOR BROTHER, THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE! OUR MASTER IS THE STRONGEST PERSON IN THE ENTIRE GLORY SECT! HE’S JUST OUT FOR FUN! WHEN HE’S TIRED OF IT ALL, HE’LL RETURN TO US! DON’T LIE TO ME ANYMORE, OR I’LL GET ANGRY! YOU BETTER TELL ME THAT YOU’RE LYING RIGHT NOW…!"
"It’s true." Tian Yu lowered his head and cast his gaze into the distance, as though he was unable to accept this truth right now as well.
"The body of our Master lies within the Main Hall."
"IMPOSSIBLE. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE!" Feng Bujue hollered out in rage. As though he had gone mad, he ran down Nameless Peak. He refused to believe all of this until he had seen it for himself.
The strongest man in Glory Sect, the Master who had always groomed them… How could he have died just like that?
Saint Devil Sect had yet to become the strongest sect there was…!
...
Glory Sect, Main Hall…
A crystal coffin laid quietly within.
Countless disciples lowered their heads. All of these were outer sect disciples who had received Lin Fan’s help personally in the past. Every single one had their eyes were red.
Even though Junior Master Lin was never one who had bothered about the rules and would bully them at times, he still offered his assistance whenever they needed it.
And right now, the body of their beloved Junior Master Lin was laying silently within the crystal coffin.
Everything… Every single thing seemed so surreal.
"Master…!" Feng Bujue finally arrived. When he caught sight of the crystal coffin, his body jerked intensely to a halt. He then took slow steps, one at a time, inching towards the coffin with a furiously thumping heart.
"Impossible. Definitely impossible…!"
He slowly approached the coffin. But the moment he stood in front of it and looked within, it was as though every single last bit of air had been sucked out of his body, as he collapsed to a thud in front of the coffin. He grabbed on to it with a death grip.
"How could this be? HOW COULD THIS BE? MASTER, ANSWER ME! TELL ME THAT THIS IS ALL A JOKE OF YOURS!" Feng Bujue yelled miserably.
"Junior Brother Feng, Junior Master Lin he…he’s truly left." Zong Hentian walked up and placed a hand on Feng Bujue’s shoulders, consoling him.
"IMPOSSIBLE…IMPOSSIBLE…!!!"
...
Soon, Gong Bingye, Cai Zhiqiao, and the others arrived.
Looking at the body lying within the crystal coffin, Cai Zhiqiao bawled out loudly.
"MASTER…I WANT MASTER…! I WANT MASTER…!"
Mie Qiongqi’s heart was in extreme grief right now, as he felt like he was choking, unable to breathe properly. He had never once experienced a feeling as such. It was as though something important had just disappeared forever within his heart.
Looking at this scene, Grandmaster Yan and the others were equally pained. He then exchanged glances with the other Senior Elders and left for the treasure vault.
He must fulfill what he had promised Lin Fan.
Translator's Thoughts
Lam Lam
Wow, even though I know this isn’t real and I cant hope to see him come back and laugh, I have to say that it was still a little heart wrenching reading this chapter. Ouch.
Also, the pun for the misunderstanding is that they use the same terms to refer to Lin Fan and Grandmaster Yan. However, these are his first few disciples and I felt that in the context earlier on, it would have been better for them to refer to him as Master. Future disciples who're lower down the tier may then refer to Lin Fan as Grandmaster Lin.