1301: Marked for life

Marked for life

The more he heard the disgusting vile things the survivors had to say the deeper Hao Xuan's frown became. 0

"The hell is wrong with these people? Why are they making me out to be the villain all of a sudden?"

But Jin Wang shook his head amusingly, "It's not that sudden. Your name has been thrown around a lot."

"Why? By whom?"

"Everyone. Both Princess Inara and Princess Helena held you in high regard. They were waiting for you to come back and maybe find a way to fix things but...well, you know it didn't end that way."

He suddenly paused mid-stride making Hao Xuan bump into him. With a deep breath he turned on his heels to face him.

"This is the after-story, my friend. This is what happens when the hero fails in their quest to save the kingdom. These people are already lost, you need to focus on the future now. When you go to meet the emperor leave all this behind. It will only hold you back."

Hao Xuan didn't know what to say so for a few seconds he only stared back at him wordlessly.

"I didn't...I don't-"

"In here," Jin Wang abruptly stepped aside to reveal the last tent, "Meet me by the entrance once you are done. There isn't much time left."

And then without waiting for a response he walked off and disappeared behind the rows of tents.

Hao Xuan stood rooted to the ground for almost a whole minute while digesting what Jin Wang had just said...and he agreed.

"He's right. The city is gone and most of the people are already dead. I thought I could pull it off somehow but the opportunity is long gone. Just my luck, can't even have a decent ending, eh?" he whispered to himself before stepping inside.

There were two figures waiting for him, both very familiar to Hao Xuan but only one of them came as quite a surprise.

Hao Xuan almost gasped, "Henrik?! I-Is that really you?!"

He was sitting on a chair with a blanket covering his legs looking at him with a pale face.

"I thought you were poisoned, how-" he stepped forward to welcome him with a hug but noticed his odd demeanor.

The other figure stood up and came forward to meet Hao Xuan, patting him on the shoulder.

"I'm afraid that's not a possibility anymore."

Hao Xuan looked at him with a questioning gaze, "You're Rhisiat, right? I remember you. What's wrong with Henrik?"

"The poison. Even though Lady Hazel had managed to remove most of it, the toll it took on his body was too much."

He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the saliva dripping from Henrik's mouth.

"He can only control his eyes. Even talking is impossible so standing up, well you can imagine," he said lifting the blanket to reveal a pair of bone-dry twigs.

Those couldn't even be called legs.

"Fucking hell, I'm sorry I had no idea-"

'How could you, you weren't here,' Henrik's voice echoed inside Hao Xuan's head, 'This is all I can manage.'

"...."

A few minutes later Hao Xuan met back with Jin Wang by the entrance.

"Done talking?"

"You could have warned me about his condition," Hao Xuan muttered with a lowered head.

"Sometimes seeing is better. It wasn't your fault either way so no need to be concerned about it. Did you find out everything you needed to?" Jin Wang replied cooly.

Hao Xuan rubbed his forehead worriedly, "Yeah. I didn't know about the ship being destroyed too. Ryfon and everyone else...so many people were on it. Is no one else coming to help?"

But Jin Wang did not share the same concerns as he shook his head nonchalantly before replying.

"Not that we know off, not officially. Something big happened back in the beast world so everything is up in the air. I'm sure they will send someone sooner or later, whenever they remember."

"So only you, Henrik, and Rhisiat are here. Once I bring Ma Jiang and Ceni back I can get us back to the beast world. I will open a portal."

Jin Wang looked at him with a raised eyebrow as if he had heard something impossible, "A portal? To the beast world?"

"Yeah, I can do it."

"You sure about that? The solar system is heavily destabilized and polluted with all kinds of energies."

"It's not a normal portal. As long as this place is safe I can open it, don't worry," Hao Xuan reassured but to Jin Wang it meant nothing.

"I'm not worried...I can't leave anyway."

"What? The hell are you saying?!"

He patted his stomach, "I've been marked remember? The Abysswalker will find me if I don't have the protection of the World Spirit. She is blocking it right now otherwise he would have already appeared here."

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