Chapter 1501: Chapter 164 Harry’s Story_4
Dinner was exceptionally sumptuous. The food consisted of things that Harry and his family could usually only afford during festivals. Harry’s wife remained as hospitable as ever, and once she learned that Xiao Huan was staying to live with them, she became extraordinarily excited, insisting on adopting Xiao Huan as her goddaughter. Xiao Huan, who had been enveloped in grief, brightened under the warmth of Harry’s family. Her delicate face gained a faint smile and a touch of rosiness. Watching Xiao Huan gradually integrate into Harry’s family, Ah Dai finally felt at ease.
Late at night, everyone else had already gone to bed. Ah Dai and Harry stood in the courtyard, gazing at the star-studded sky. Harry said, "Ah Dai, where are you planning to go now?"
Ah Dai froze for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don’t know either. The world is vast, yet there doesn’t seem to be any place where I belong."
Harry smiled faintly and said, "How can you say that? At the very least, the Tian Gang Sword Sect is your home. If you don’t want to return, you can stay here with me and wait until the Four Sword Saints’ competition. When the time comes, we can go to the Tian Gang Sword Sect together."
Ah Dai replied sorrowfully, "No, I don’t want my grief to affect you all. Right now, I am not suited for the tranquil life in Hak Village."
Harry said calmly, "Child, the sorrow in your heart is something only you can resolve. The dead are gone, but the living must continue to live. You must understand: those who have passed away have simply gone to another world. Their souls do not disappear. For instance, your friend named Ya Tou—though she endured hardships in this world, her soul might find happiness in another. That’s not something you need to worry about; fate works in mysterious ways. Let me tell you a story. Once, there was a wealthy man who was extremely miserly—not only toward others but also toward himself. He couldn’t bear to eat well or dress warmly, and he wanted to squeeze every last drop of oil from each copper coin. Finally, by the time he reached seventy years old, he had become the richest man in the world. However, his body had deteriorated completely due to years of malnutrition. Using all his wealth, he built himself a colossal underground tomb, where he waited to die, thinking that he was finally the happiest man alive. But when his consciousness began to blur, scenes of his past deeds kept flashing in his mind. He suddenly understood everything: wealth is something you cannot take with you when you die. All the money he had saved was utterly useless to him. Unfortunately, his realization came too late. He died in regret, and the luxurious tomb he had created with all his riches eventually became a playground for grave robbers."
After listening to Harry’s story, Ah Dai’s heart stirred. He seemed to grasp something but couldn’t quite articulate it. He murmured, "Uncle Harry, what do you mean?"
Harry didn’t answer directly. His voice remained calm. "There was once a young man who, from an early age, was a mischievous troublemaker, driving his parents to exhaustion. He was the youngest child in the family, and by the time he turned eighteen, his parents had already entered their sixties. One day, his village was suddenly struck by an epidemic, which claimed the lives of his elderly parents. Only then did the young man realize how important they had been to him. He wailed and made endless promises while kneeling by their bodies, but regardless of what he said or did, it was too late—his parents were gone, and reality could not be changed. At that moment, an elderly man appeared beside him and asked, ’Do your words mean anything to them now?’ The young man replied, ’I hope their souls can rest peacefully in Heaven.’ But the old man scoffed, saying, ’Their souls can’t hear a word you’re saying. When they were alive, you didn’t cherish them, so now everything you say is just wasted effort.’ The young man was dumbfounded, unsure of what to do. He looked at the old man and asked, ’What should I do now?’ The old man offered only six words before departing: ’Cherish the living.’ After hearing those words, the young man understood everything. From then on, he became an indispensable person in the village—helping anyone in need and treating everyone with kindness. Five years later, the old man reappeared and told the young man that he had passed the test. The old man then took him away from the village to a great mountain and taught him all his unmatched martial skills." Turning to look at Ah Dai, tears shimmered faintly in Harry’s eyes as he sighed, "That young man was me. And that old man was my mentor—the one who awakened me during my deepest pain and shaped who I am today."
After hearing Harry’s story, Ah Dai trembled slightly and murmured, "Uncle, what were the six words your mentor said to you?"
Harry took a deep breath, looked up at the starry sky, and said, "Go now; leave. I hope I can awaken you as my teacher once awakened me. The six words he said were, ’Cherish the living.’" As he finished speaking, a flash of green light appeared, and Harry’s figure vanished.
Standing alone in the courtyard, a rush of complex emotions surged through Ah Dai’s heart. He murmured repeatedly, "Cherish the living, cherish the living." Though he had not yet fully grasped the meaning of these words, Harry’s guidance seemed to have eased his sorrow somewhat. Glancing back at Harry’s room, he sent his voice in a thread-like projection: "Thank you, Uncle Harry. I leave Xiao Huan in your care." After saying this, Ah Dai summoned his True Qi, now mostly recovered, and soared into the sky, speeding away in a chosen direction.
