Jing Yi also figured that this was the best way to go about it so he nodded. After talking about it for a bit more, the two of them went back to the room he shared with Qiu Ling though. After all, the God of Justice knew where they lived but he’d have trouble finding him at the place of Xiao Dong’s family. Even if they told somebody, who knew who he would grab to inform them?

Sitting at the table, Jing Yi couldn’t help but sigh. “I wonder how things are in the mortal realm. With how different the time flows in both realms, it’s already been many years since I ascended over there. Back then, I didn’t take the time to explain anything. I guess Shao Hai should be angry and everyone else will be confused.”

Xiao Dong looked at Jing Yi, feeling a bit uncomfortable. “Actually …” He wasn’t sure if he should say something but then, he also didn’t want to lie. “When it comes to Shao Hai, you probably shouldn’t think too much. You ascending isn’t that big of a deal. He wouldn’t care about that.

“It’s just that before that, you didn’t really spend much time with him. After we originally left the capital city of the Long kingdom and then that time early on in the sect, it’s not like you had much to do with either of us.”

Jing Yi could only smile wryly. “I guess that’s true. I wasn’t a very good friend, was I?”

Xiao Dong wasn’t sure how to answer that. From Shao Hai’s perspective, the response to that should be a resounding yes. But then, things were more complicated than that, weren’t they? “If you think about it, not all of that is your fault.

“Originally, you went to the Yun Zou Sect alone. It was his own decision to follow. Would it have been nice to tell us beforehand? Sure. But then, your father had just been killed and it was a rare opportunity. Going without a word also wasn’t wrong.”

Jing Yi stared at him, not having expected him to bring up that. It had been so long ago, it almost didn’t seem true anymore. “My father … I guess that is another thing I owe to this being a trial.”

Xiao Dong could only shrug his shoulders. “I suppose so. As are many other things.”

Even up until, neither of them knew about the matter of Hong Bao using the soul-devouring dagger to try and kill Jing Yi so, of course, they also didn’t know that there had been more to Mister Zhong’s death. In Jing Yi’s mind, the matter of that year had only been due to the trial.

Xiao Dong didn’t think about that issue any further and just went on to reflect on their time together. “Well, we needed a lot of time to get to the sect. Then after that, we spent more time together, but after you met His Majesty, things changed abruptly again.

“Going out to travel with him at that time, I don’t think it’s wrong either. Yes, maybe as friends, you should have said more to us. But that was the man who proposed to you. And Shao Hai was always speaking against him. It makes sense that you wouldn’t want to have to explain this to him. In that case, he really brought it upon himself.”

Jing Yi gave a hum. “I guess so. Although at that time, I wasn’t convinced yet. I didn’t intend to marry him.”

“Doesn’t really matter. Shao Hai wasn’t a good friend at that time. He was angry because he wanted to be with you and thought it was a foregone conclusion but then His Majesty appeared. He didn’t care about your feelings, he wasn’t there for you, and instead just focused on himself. So not telling him was only to be expected.

“And after that, it’s not like you had much of a choice. After returning, you were sent on a mission, then got imprisoned in a secret realm for five whole years. By the time you came out, everything had changed. And actually, when you think about it carefully, I spent more time with him than you. He never treated us the same though.”

Jing Yi could only smile wryly at that. “He didn’t look at me as a friend, you mean. He looked at me the same way Qiu Ling did.”

Actually, he had long understood that. Not originally, of course. Back then, he had been too young and he wouldn’t refuse to admit that he had been pretty stupid as a child. But after growing older and being tossed here and there by fate, getting entangled with Qiu Ling, and then separating again, he was also able to see it. Yes, Shao Hai had somehow always been interested in him.

Jing Yi sighed and put his arms on the table, resting his chin on top. “You know, I can’t help but wonder if maybe in this mortal life, I would have been meant to be with him.”

Yes, if not for Jing He engraving his own soul and making it impossible to fall in love with anybody else but Qiu Ling, would he and Shao Hai maybe have been more? Since his friend had been so persistent back then, it really might have happened.

Xiao Dong didn’t think so though. “Even if you wanted to, His Majesty would have interfered. And then, aren’t the trials supposed to be troublesome? I don’t think such a good thing would have happened. Even if you were together at some point, something likely would have happened to him. So maybe it’s better you never were in that kind of relationship.”

Hearing him say that, Jing Yi could only sigh again. Yes, that was also true. Anyway, why was he thinking about this? By now, everything was already over. He would only go down there to bid him goodbye for the final time and maybe give an apology while he was at it.

« ToC »