Chapter 1678: Chapter 1678: Talking About Life and Dreams
Ye Xuan suddenly stood up and put on the blood-stained clothes: "You probably haven’t eaten in days, right? I’ll go out and see if there’s any game."
Saying that, Ye Xuan was about to lift his foot to leave.
"No."
Chiba Sakurako suddenly panicked and hurriedly grabbed Ye Xuan’s broad hand.
Ye Xuan was stunned and turned his head to look at Chiba Sakurako in confusion: "What’s wrong?"
"I..." Chiba Sakurako showed a side of herself that she had never revealed before, a shy and delicate expression, as she lowered her head and said: "Being here alone, I’m scared..."
"Scared?"
Ye Xuan was utterly shocked. Girl, didn’t you just proudly claim that you were a strong samurai of the Northern Federation!
Chiba Sakurako slightly bit her white teeth, her face turning red, as she looked up at Ye Xuan with eyes resembling stars, which unexpectedly had a pleading look: "Stay with me, okay?"
Ye Xuan was stunned for a good while before coming back to his senses. He helplessly sat next to Chiba Sakurako and nodded with a smile: "Alright, I’ll stay with you."
Only then did Chiba Sakurako release Ye Xuan’s hand, revealing a sweet smile on her face: "Thank you."
Ye Xuan shrugged. He found Chiba Sakurako’s overly polite manner somewhat unsettling, yet there was nothing he could do.
In comparison, Ye Xuan still preferred being around more laid-back people, as it meant fewer constraints.
However, when it comes down to it, someone like Chiba Sakurako, who embodies ultimate politeness and has a truly elevated spirit, sometimes has a unique charm.
In the end... it probably still depends on looks.
Seeing the rare vulnerability in Chiba Sakurako’s need for companionship, Ye Xuan completely dismissed the idea of going out to find game. After all, she hadn’t eaten in so many days; a little longer wouldn’t hurt.
The night was deep and quiet, with only a man and a woman alone.
In this cave, where no one had set foot in years, a faint warm atmosphere quietly emerged tonight, subtle and understated; it seemed to exist yet felt like an illusion.
Ye Xuan couldn’t handle the quietness.
As a man, he felt it was necessary to find a topic to talk about.
After pondering for a moment, Ye Xuan smiled and spoke: "Sakurako, can I call you Sakurako?"
Chiba Sakurako: "..."
She shyly nodded: "You can."
Chiba Sakurako didn’t explain to Ye Xuan that within the Chiba Family, names were very particular.
Even good friends often called each other by their full names unless they were extremely close, in which case they would use nicknames without the last name.
Therefore, even with Chiba Kenichi, Chiba Sakurako called him by his full name because, although they were siblings, they weren’t particularly close.
Before this, the only person who called Chiba Sakurako by "Sakurako" was the Sword God...
"Alright then, from now on, I’ll call you Sakurako, and you can just call me Ye Xuan, or Ye Brother, Brother Xuan... any is fine." Ye Xuan grinned mischievously. "That would seem a bit more intimate."
Chiba Sakurako was momentarily stunned, then blushed and lowered her head: "Ye Xuan..."
Ye Brother? Brother Xuan?
While it does sound intimate, Chiba Sakurako just couldn’t bring herself to say it.
If she’s not mistaken, she should be a few years older than Ye Xuan!
The atmosphere went quiet again for a moment.
Ye Xuan’s eyes shifted, and he suddenly laughed: "Sakurako, there’s nothing in these mountains; it’s quite boring. How about... we talk about life and dreams?"
Chiba Sakurako nodded compliantly: "Okay, as you wish."
Ye Xuan mentally exclaimed that the most appealing trait of Northern Federation women to men might be this incredibly compliant nature, right?
Especially someone as incredibly beautiful as Chiba Sakurako, it’s simply... exhilarating!
"I need to calm down."
Ye Xuan silently warned himself, hastily pulling his mind back from less-than-pure thoughts, smiling as he said: "Then you start. Talk about your life and your dreams."
"Life, dreams?"
Upon hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Chiba Sakurako suddenly paused, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, as if unsure how to continue the conversation.
Seeing her like this, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but be puzzled: "What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you have no life or dreams? That would be quite exaggerated."
Chiba Sakurako snapped out of her daze, snuck a glance at Ye Xuan, then blushed shyly: "What you’re talking about... I really don’t have."
"What?"
Ye Xuan was instantly shocked.
In this era, in this world, there are actually people with no dreams and no life?
As if sensing Ye Xuan’s doubt,
Chiba Sakurako pursed her lips and said sadly: "I started following my father in martial arts training at seven, and from childhood till now, I’ve always been studying only sword training and reading.
I have no friends, no classmates. The people I know are all my father’s friends and those people whom you just killed.
Before this, my life was like that, very simple, yet... a bit dull."
Upon hearing this, Ye Xuan was astonished but also somewhat unsurprised.
Being the daughter of the Sword God, from the moment she was born, Chiba Sakurako was destined to carry many burdens.
Most of the time, many people are not in control of their own lives.
As the daughter of the Sword God, she naturally carried a halo, requiring her to do better than everyone, thus needing to pay the price that no one else could bear.
That price was loneliness.
No playmates, no childhood.
All the joy that children should have, she never possessed and never would have again.
Ye Xuan couldn’t help but feel some pity for Chiba Sakurako. Though she was revered as the goddess of the Northern Federation, outwardly glamorous, like the brightest star in the vast sky, these were probably never what she truly wanted, right?
Ye Xuan fell silent.
He initially wanted just to chat to liven up the atmosphere, making the time pass more pleasantly, but he accidentally touched upon Chiba Sakurako’s sore spot.
Is it a sore spot?
Who in this world doesn’t wish for a happy childhood?
Ye Xuan no longer wanted to discuss these topics.
But Chiba Sakurako suddenly said: "As for dreams, it seems I’ve never had any dreams. All I know is that what father wanted me to do, I had to do, and what he disapproved of, I couldn’t do. But now... my father is gone."
Ye Xuan’s heart sank, and suddenly, he felt an overwhelming sense of melancholy.
The woman before him had no childhood, no dreams, living in this world solely for the Sword God. With the fall of the Sword God, it was probably akin to the world collapsing for her, right?
Initially, she still knew what she had to do: to inherit the Sword God Association her father founded and to protect the lifetime efforts of the Sword God.
But now, even the Sword God Association was destroyed by Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan could sense Chiba Sakurako’s current confusion and desolation. She no longer knew the direction of her future or why she should continue living.
Ironically, the Sword God died by Ye Xuan’s hand, and the Sword God Association was also destroyed by Ye Xuan...
