The Name of Eternals

Chapter 219: Too Late for Regrets

Li Muxiu's body trembled slightly but stood still without saying a word.

Li Xiaoran struggled to free his arm but couldn't. He glanced at his second brother and saw the extreme sadness in his eyes, which shocked him and brought him back to his senses.

Looking down at Li Tiangang, whose breath was weak and body covered in blood, Li Xiaoran was dazed and finally cradled his head in despair and pain.

He knew that his elder brother would never come back.

All these years guarding the Dead River, repeatedly failing to break through, was for what? Wasn't it in hopes of bringing Elder Brother back home? But now, it's all for naught…

"Ahhh!!"

Li Xiaoran howled to the sky, blood and tears streaming down his face.

Li Muxiu said nothing, standing like a stone, while the wind from outside swept over the three of them and then drifted away lightly.

Time passed... a long time…

Li Muxiu looked at Li Tiangang, who was still lying in the pit, his face full of blood, and said, "Are you planning to lie there for the rest of your life? If you're not dead, then get up."

Li Tiangang's body trembled but slowly sat up, wiping away the blood and tears from his face.

He looked at the desolate, stone-like Li Xiaoran sitting nearby and the expressionless Li Muxiu. Sorrow welled up in his heart, but he suppressed it, knowing he was still the Li family's true dragon.

As a true dragon, he had to stand tall. Everyone else could fall, but the true dragon could not. This was the responsibility he had to bear.

"I need to find Hao'er."

Li Tiangang stood up, almost losing his balance, but quickly stabilized himself by channeling his true energy to heal his body.

Taking a deep breath and clenching his teeth, he said, "I will bring Hao'er back and pass the true dragon's legacy to him. Father's vision of a prosperous era, I, Li Tiangang, am incapable of fulfilling it, but Hao'er can."

Li Xiaoran stared blankly into the distance, his eyes showing no reaction, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Li Muxiu, expressionless, said, "Now that the fourth brother is out, it's a good time to counterattack the demons beyond the Dead River. Are you not planning to oversee it?"

Li Tiangang looked at him. From his second uncle's unchanged eyes, he couldn't discern his thoughts. With a mocking smile, he said,

"It doesn't make much difference if I'm there or not. Fifth Brother is overseeing it, along with two princes, and you in the shadows… Father was right. If I could break the rules for Qingqing back then, I can do it for Hao'er now!"

"I'm his father. What's wrong with breaking the rules for him once?"

Li Muxiu's eyes slowly turned, staring at him, with a gradual rise of coldness: "If you had thought this way earlier, would it have come to this?"

Li Tiangang felt a sharp pain in his heart and said softly, "Second Uncle, I was rash and hurt Hao'er's heart, and yours too. Please give me a chance to make amends, okay?"

Seeing his humble attitude, Li Muxiu's previously emotionless eyes now revealed deep sorrow and pain:

"Your father died here. Can you make amends for that?"

A gentle remark struck Li Tiangang like a heavy hammer, his blood seemed to freeze.

An annihilated soul, a dissipated spirit, how could it be compensated?

He understood the meaning behind Li Muxiu's words: when a person dies, there is no way to make amends. What about a broken heart, how can that be healed?

Thinking about this, his body trembled. He had fought in Yanbei for more than ten years without fear, but now he felt a sense of fear and trepidation.

Could it be that his mistakes were beyond repair?

"No, Hao'er is my son. Even though I hit him, Father also hit me. Did I ever resent Father? We are father and son. He will surely forgive me…"

Li Tiangang muttered to himself.

"Elder Brother hit you because he loved you. It was because you made mistakes and he had high hopes for you. Occasionally hitting and punishing you, he would also have the other brothers secretly look after you."

Li Muxiu's eyes were filled with undeniable sadness: "But what about Hao'er? He was poisoned. Was that his fault? Have you ever truly cared about him? Do you know what dishes he likes, which street in the city he enjoys wandering? Do you?"

"You only wanted him to bear the burden of the Li family. Do you not realize how heavy that burden is? When your father decided to make Ninth Brother the true dragon, do you know how much pain and helplessness he felt behind it? He couldn't sleep soundly for months!"

Li Tiangang was stunned. Father… was he really pained by making Ninth Brother the true dragon?

"If you had genuine affection for Hao'er, he wouldn't have left. That child remembers every bit of kindness!"

"He saw through you long ago. That child is far smarter than you think. You treated him as a child, not realizing how exceptional he is. I treated him as an old friend, yet you treated him so lightly and obstinately!"

Hearing Li Muxiu's sorrowful words, Li Tiangang trembled, feeling an indescribable emotion surge within him, like a terrifying hand gripping his heart.

Previously, he might have thought Li Muxiu was biased toward the child, but now, after all the experiences, saving Liangzhou, the Haotian battle flags flying everywhere, and hearing the demons speak of the boy's renown, surpassing even seasoned generals, and more so than him!

At fifteen, achieving such heights, surpassing even his proudest Ninth Brother in talent, even their father, willing to pass on his power to the child, demanding he bring him back, he finally realized he was wrong.

He had been too fixated on enhancing the child's strength, neglecting his feelings.

"I must bring him back…"

Li Tiangang clenched his fists, his eyes reddening: "He will forgive me. We are father and son. He won't hold a grudge forever…"

"If he does, there might be a chance. What I fear is that the child no longer cares about you."

Li Muxiu's eyes were filled with sorrow: "You never took his leaving the family seriously. Do you know what he faced outside? How many dangers, how close to death? We don't know."

"He reached this level in one year. Without the fear and pressure of life and death, how could he transform so quickly?"

"Do you think life and death are trivial?"

"Can you imagine the despair and anger he felt facing life and death? When will you realize you have truly lost him?"

Boom, Li Tiangang felt as if struck by lightning, standing in a daze. He had truly lost the child?

His pupils contracted, his breath almost stopping. He shouted, "No, it's not possible. He won't really leave. I can bring him back!"

He started to stride out.

But Li Muxiu stepped in his way.

"How will you bring him back, with brute force?"

Li Muxiu stared at him: "With Elder Brother's soul still here, I refrained from saying this. I didn't want him to leave in despair, but I know the child's temperament. You no longer have a chance!"

"No!"

Li Tiangang roared, his eyes red, blood tears falling: "We are father and son!"

"Father and son? Your bond is shallow, scattered by that slap!"

"Do you know why Hao'er waited for you to return before confronting that venomous woman? Because he thought you were at least on his side. You risked your life for him when he was young, giving him blood for his foundation. He remembered that kindness!"

"Even with few letters, despite the distance, that bit of warmth sustained him."

"But you slapped it away!"

Li Muxiu said sorrowfully: "When Hao'er sent the demon king's blood back to the Divine General Mansion, I knew your bond was severed. Hao'er, he's not coming back…"

Li Tiangang stood there, drenched in cold water, feeling icy all over.

Between them, besides blood, was there only that bit of kindness from slaying demons and sending blood?

His body swayed, feeling unsteady.

He looked at Li Muxiu, his eyes filled with sorrow and despair: "Second Uncle, what should I do? You don't want to see Hao'er truly leave either. How can I make him forgive me?"

Seeing his panicked look, Li Muxiu, once filled with anger, now felt a sense of desolation.

"The most painful thing in this world isn't what cannot be done."

"It's what could be done but wasn't."

"With your insight and wisdom, you could have handled this well. But your prejudice, your indifference towards Hao'er, made you choose the easiest way, using military training to discipline your own child…"

"That's the most hurtful thing."

"Second Uncle, stop. I know I was wrong. Just tell me how to bring him back?" Li Tiangang said in pain.

Li Muxiu was silent.

He said so much, holding onto a sliver of hope, hoping to awaken Li Tiangang, so there might be a faint chance to bring Li Hao back.

"Maybe, as your father said, only by truly apologizing, there's a slight chance."

Li Muxiu murmured.

He took a deep breath, looking at the sorrowful and remorseful Li Tiangang, saying, "But whether you can do it is uncertain. Whether Hao'er can forgive, I don't know. You've hurt him too deeply…"

"I understand. I will find Hao'er. No matter what, even if he draws his sword against me again, I will let him strike, as long as he returns!"

Li Tiangang said resolutely.

Seeing his determination, Li Muxiu was silent, feeling a weak hope, but mostly regret.

If only it had been sooner, none of this would have happened.

Elder Brother could have seen home…

Feeling desolate, he lost interest in speaking.

Li Tiangang looked at him, then at his uncle Li Xiaoran, whose expression remained wooden and unresponsive. Filled with sorrow, he thought of his father's last words. He could not let his father die with regrets!

"Father, I will bring Hao'er back to see you at the ancestral hall!"

Li Tiangang knelt, kowtowing three times to the spot where Li Tianzong had last disappeared.

Wiping his tears, he stood up, saying to Li Muxiu and Li Xiaoran, "Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, the matter beyond the Dead River is in your hands. This time, I fear I will neglect my duties. Let me fight for Hao'er!"

Seeing no response from the two, he felt desolate, knowing they were still immersed in the loss of his father and disappointed in him.

As he was about to leave, Li Xiaoran suddenly spoke: "I'll go with you."

Li Tiangang's body trembled, his eyes moistening. Clenching his teeth, he bowed deeply, saying:

"Thank you, Fourth Uncle. I'll go alone. The child is at the Ji family, an ancient holy clan. More people won't help. As Qingqing's husband, perhaps they will show some leniency."

Li Xiaoran ignored him, standing up.

Li Muxiu spoke: "Fourth Brother, let him go alone."

Li Xiaoran paused, looking at him.

"He's right. The Ji family's strength, if they want to harm Hao'er, no one can stop them…"

Li Muxiu's eyes seemed to age, whispering, "Hopefully, for the sake of Hao'er being their nephew, they won't kill him…"

Hearing this, Li Xiaoran looked at his sword, lowering his head in silence.

Li Tiangang's heart trembled. His wife had told him the Ji family's strict rules against intermarriage with outsiders. His union with Qingqing violated their taboo. The child going to the Ji family now, it was probably dangerous.

He couldn't afford to delay, saying, "Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, I will bring Hao'er back!"

With that, he turned and flew out, turning into a golden light, heading towards the wilderness beyond the gate.

...