The young woman was having trouble breathing, let alone speaking. However, she forced herself to take a deep breath and said what she wanted to say, “Please, kill me!”
This shocked the teenager with the bow. He couldn’t understand the woman and instead reprimanded her, “Why don’t you value your life more? Everything that you are you received from your parents! How could you just give up and die?”
The woman wasn’t moved by the teenager’s words at all. She stared at Wun Fan. Her instincts told her that this boy would understand her wish. Even if the injuries of her body were healed, the injuries to her heart never will recover.
This was especially the case in the conservative and regressive Heaven’s Martial World. Perhaps the nobles and the powerful martial clans might not care about purity or chastity, but a woman who had been violated would have a very hard time in society.
Your neighbours would be gossiping, your parents would be worrying, you would be in a constant battle against depression. Every night you would remember what happened to you, every nightmare a recollection of the moment you were tortured, every morning terror echoing through your body.
She was already dead at twenty. What was the point in waiting until she was eighty to be buried?
“I understand,” said Wun Fan as he nodded. He took out a dagger from one of his storage rings and smiled gently as he said, “Lady, what’s your name? So that I can carve a grave marker for you.”
“My name is Yi Mung, last name Lau. Lau as in ‘building’, Yi as in ‘pretty’, Mung as in ‘pattern clouds’,” said the woman, doing her best to spit out the last few words she could. She then smiled peacefully as she waited for Wun Fan to give her sweet release.
“Are you insane?” said the teenager as he grabbed Wun Fan’s hand. He said with a righteous tone, “She could be saved if we bring her to the Martial Artist Guild ahead of us.”
“There is medicine for bodily injuries, but what about scars of the heart?” said Wun Fan as he stared at the teenager. In his eyes, the teenager was just a young man who was overcome with passion. He had no idea what it meant to be completely broken on the inside, no idea of the cruelty of this world and even less idea of the tragedy of being a woman in this world.
After all, there were no such professions as therapists or social workers in this world to help people with this kind of problem.
“Scars of the heart…” repeated the teenager. He was speechless for a moment, before arguing back in an uncertain tone, “How could anyone decide to end their own lives when they have yet to repay the debt they owe to their parents? No one should take their own lives so easily without their parents’ permission!”
Wun Fan scoffed at that reply. He slowly stood up and looked down at the teenager. Suddenly, he channelled soul energy into his fist and punched the teenager in the jaw. The teenager was instantly dazed. He crumpled to the ground. Wun Fan said coldly, “Spare me the lecture. My life is my own to decide.”
“Bring born without consent. Being raped without consent. If I can’t even at least be the master of my own life when it comes to my own death, wouldn’t that just make life even more tragic than it already is?” said Wun Fan as he spit on the ground. There was blood in the spit. He continued speaking, “Do not impose your own moral philosophy on other people. Your life is your own. It has nothing to do with someone else.”
Wun Fan squatted down. He suddenly thought of a better way to let Lau Yi Mung die without regrets. He threw his dagger aside and grabbed her wrist. He then channelled his soul energy into her body, muttering in his mind as he did so, “Old Lei, give me soul energy!”
“Mm, got it.”
With the support of the Spiritstartler Ring, a large amount of soul energy was channelled into the young woman’s body. She suddenly looked much more alive than before. Color returned to her cheeks as her breathing stabilized.
Of course, Wun Fan knew that this was nothing but a momentary recovery before death. That was because his unique soul energy had already taken over the woman’s entire body. Wun Fan took this opportunity to examine her condition. Just like the teenager said, the woman’s injuries were severe, but not enough to kill her.
That said, the cuts to her private parts were absolutely horrifying. Every second of bearing those wounds had to be incredibly torturous and agonizing.
Lau Yi Mung could finally sit up, now that she was strengthened with soul energy. She looked at Wun Fan with gratitude on her face. She could feel Wun Fan’s soul energy corroding her body. Death aura was spreading everywhere. She was only temporarily borrowing this corrosive energy to sit up and talk.
“Sir, may I know your name?” said Lau Yi Mung. She was incredibly respectful to Wun Fan, not looking down on him because of his age or size at all. She was a beautiful woman who carried herself with poise. However, the fact that she was naked and covered in injuries made for an unusual sight.
“I am Wun Fan,” he said. The teenager was shocked to hear this. He didn’t expect this boy to be a disciple of the four major clans, just like himself!
“Mr. Wun,” said Lau Yi Mung before coughing up a mouthful of blood. She clasped her stomach and endured the pain. Memories of her brother flooded her mind as she said, “I am from a small family on the west of Green Sea Town. Please forgive my tactlessness, but if you have the chance of passing through Green Sea Town, would you bring a message for me?”
Wun Fan nodded.
The woman smiled brilliantly when she saw this and said, “Please, sir, help me tell my brother, ‘Happy birthday! You’re big now. Sis isn’t around anymore, so take care of yourself and don’t let mom and dad worry.’”
“I…” the girl started choking back tears as she spoke.
Wun Fan patted her on the shoulder and consoled her, “Pretty is the woman who ascends the western building; sunlight through patterned clouds dissolve all suffering.”
He smiled and patted the woman on the head. He held onto her wrist and continued channelling soul energy into her body as he said, “You’ve done your best, lady. I wish you the best if there’s another life!”
“If there’s another life, I will repay this debt,” said Lau Yi Mung with a faint smile. A single teardrop rolled down her cheeks to the corner of her lips. The pretty woman closed her eyes and then— and then, there was nothing.
All the vitality in her body had turned into death aura, which flowed back into Wun Fan’s body. The surge of death aura finally stopped after a long while.
The only two people left looked at each other in silence. Wun Fan had no intention of talking to him. He used the death aura he had just received to heal the wounds on his back. Only someone like him, who had that much soul energy to spare, could do something like that. The Spiritstartler Ring had exhausted a colossal amount of aether today. He would have to make up for it by working hard again tonight.
“Your name is Wun Fan. Are you from the Wun Clan of Green Sea Town?” said the teenager awkwardly, breaking the silence. He scratched his head.
“Mm. And you?” asked Wun Fan with his eyes still closed.
“I supposed I haven’t introduced myself. I am Fung Ching, a lesser disciple of the Heaven’s Bow Order,” said the teenager. He had dispelled all hostility toward Wun Fan and spoke to him in a gentle and polite tone.
The boy’s name was Fung Ching, two syllables, just like Wun Fan. Wun Fan couldn’t help but be curious when he heard his surname, however. He opened his eyes and asked, “Fung Ching? Are you from the Fung Clan?”
“Yes,” he said. Even though they were both from one of the four major clans, Fung Ching didn’t know much about the Wun Clan. He had heard that the Wun Clan were conservative traditionalists, but this boy didn’t seem to behave that way at all.
“I see,” said Wun Fan in reply. He had no intention of making friends. The four major clans were a powerful force and had tens of thousands of members at the very least. It wasn’t surprising for him to run into another member from one of the four major clans. Wun Fan was a perfect example himself. The surname Wun meant nothing. Fung Ching might be an adopted disciple of the clan, just like him.
A girl’s voice cried out from the distance, “Little Fan.”
The voice sounded tired and a stench of blood drifted toward them. This drew Wun Fan’s attention. He couldn’t help but feel worried as he thought to himself, Is that girl injured? He immediately stood up and walked over. However, before he left, he gave the teenager some orders, “Fung Ching, if you have time, bury Miss Lau please.”
“Alright,” said Fung Ching. He didn’t know if the young woman’s suicide had been right or wrong. He continued thinking about Wun Fan’s words. There was wisdom in them that made him reflect deeply on them. However, the voice from the distance sounded very familiar. He frowned.
He then picked up the iron saber that the dead bandit left on the ground and started shovelling dirt.
He might not be able to save the young woman, but he could at least give her a proper send-off.
ns 15.158.61.52da2