809 Phoenix Tail Village (1/2)
Yun Deguang was silent for a long while. Finally, he sighed softly and said, ”Alright. There are some things that we can never get over and never forget if we suppress them inside us for too long. Since you are willing to listen to the ramblings of an old man, then let me tell you about the events of my younger years.”
”I am ashamed to say, but back during the Resistance, our army represented Hua Xia in assisting our neighboring country.”
Yun Deguang was a veteran of the Red Army. His contributions to the war effort had been incredible, but very few people knew about them. In the final large-scale assault in assisting the neighboring country, as recorded by Hua Xia, Yun Deguang was severely injured and nearly died on the battlefield. The team he led was lost in a barren primeval forest.
The battalion that he led was completely wiped out. He was the only survivor.
Under normal circumstances, Yun Deguang would have been unlikely to survive the severe injuries and would probably have died as a result of being lost in a harsh, beast-ridden primeval forest. Fortunately for him, however, he was saved by maiden who was gathering medicinal herbs. The maiden had taken the heavily injured and unconscious Yun Deguang to Shangri-la. She took care of him every day, nursing him back to health little by little.
”Even right now, I can still clearly remember it. The place was called the Phoenix Tail Village. It was a very beautiful place. It was a simple village that was very welcoming of guests. I spent a happy and leisurely time there. The maiden that saved me was called Feng Ling'er. She was very beautiful, very kind, and pure.”
However, the reality was much crueler than fairytales. That maiden Feng Ling'er took care of Yun Deguang day and night with utmost care and attention. As time passed, she developed feelings for him. Both of them were young. Sparks flew and as expected, a fire of love was set ablaze.
”People make mistakes. Falling in love with her was my greatest mistake, my greatest regret, and my most painful memory. It was all my fault. I wronged her… I am not a good man…”
Yun Deguang's expression was painful. Two streaks of tears rolled down his face. He had suppressed this for the past few decades. After revealing it to Mo Wen, he could no longer control his emotions.
”Back then, you abandoned the maiden called Feng Ling'er and returned to the city?” Mo Wen said softly.
Mo Wen could sense the regret from Yun Deguang. His story had allowed Mo Wen to understand that this so-called Shangri-la was most likely in the Ancient Sorcery Mystery Dimension. Why had the maiden called Feng Ling'er appeared in the main space? It was most likely just a coincidence, as was her encounter with Yun Deguang. After all, the two of them had no relationship prior to this.
”No, I wanted to bring her with me. I thought that she would follow me, but I was wrong.”
”Then, why didn't you stay in the Phoenix Tail Village?”
”Speaking of that, I was a downright b*stard. Actually, at that time, I already had a family. The war began while my wife was pregnant at home. I received my orders to aid the neighboring country in the war. When my wife was delivering the baby at home, I could not be by her side and could not see her. Later, I would find out from letters that she had borne me a son. I had a wife and child at home, and also my elderly parents. I was the only heir of my clan. I could not stay in the Phoenix Tail Village.”
Yun Deguang breathed deeply. He had always kept this matter inside of him. Even his deceased first wife did not know about this. This was the first time he had spoken about it in decades.