Posthumous Affairs

The morning sunlight filtered through the glazed windows, casting dappled shadows on the bedroom carpet.

Waking up from his sleep, his wife was still slumbering soundly beside him. Watching her thick eyelashes flutter slightly in the morning light, Xia Lun breathed a sigh of relief.

Since they got married, this seemed to be the first time Xia Lun and Aina had fought.

He never expected that Aina would say such things last night.

If Aina left him, Xia Lun had no idea what he might do next.

Aina slowly woke up and rubbed her sleepy eyes. Xia Lun leaned over to kiss her cheek, but was pushed away with a hint of disgust.

"Your breath stinks... go brush your teeth first," Aina said lightly, her tone calm as if nothing had happened yesterday.

"Mhm..."

Xia Lun subconsciously got up, but ended up pulling the wound on his chest, grimacing in pain.

"Are you okay?"

Aina quickly supported Xia Lun's arm.

"I'm fine."

"Let Musen take a look at you later," Aina tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "He is better at healing magic."

Xia Lun nodded: "Mhm... and..."

...

Aise's funeral was held three days later.

A light drizzle fell continuously, as if the sky itself was mourning this young life.

The public announcement stated that Aise had met with an accident and suffered a relapse of an old illness...

Everyone knew Aise seemed to have some sort of ailment; after all, he had stayed at home since childhood and rarely interacted with outsiders.

As for the matter of that village, it was kept hidden. For the son of a hero to do such a thing... if word got out, the repercussions would simply be too great.

Even if Xia Lun didn't care about his own reputation, he had to consider the others in his territory.

As the lord of this land, many people depended on him for their livelihood.

In reality, the sudden disappearance of such a village... did not cause much of a stir.

After all, in this era, transportation was underdeveloped and news was blocked. Whatever happened rarely spread beyond the immediate area.

The roads were treacherous, and ordinary people without the strength to protect themselves rarely traveled. Even if they had relatives living elsewhere, they almost never kept in touch.

The people of this land cared more about their harvests and having enough to eat and wear; a distant tragedy was ultimately just a sigh over tea or after a meal.

"Xia Lun! Wuwuwu—you have to look past this. You can always have another child, but please don't do anything foolish..."

Liyana wiped her snot and tears all over Xia Lun; for a moment, it was hard to tell who was comforting whom.

Moke heavily patted Xia Lun's shoulder, a thousand words turning into a single "My condolences."

Moke's eyes were full of understanding and sorrow, but he thoughtfully refrained from asking too many questions.

With Xia Lun's family suffering such a tragedy, his former companions had all gathered together.

Musen served as the priest for Aise's funeral.

The wound on Xia Lun's chest... made him realize that things were not so simple, but naturally, he wouldn't bring up the topic himself.

The ceremony was solemn and simple. Hymns echoed through the church, praying for the departed soul.

Everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

Ankula also made an appearance and offered a bouquet of flowers for Aise.

Aina was by Xia Lun's side at all times. Ankula didn't converse much with Xia Lun... and soon left in a hurry, citing busy affairs in the city.

Aina felt deeply relieved that the events of that night ended peacefully... If she and Xia Lun had really divorced, who knows if some vixen would have taken advantage of the situation.

After Aise's funeral concluded, everyone returned to their normal lives.

Moke was the first to leave. With so many children at home, it wasn't peaceful, and he was needed everywhere.

Liyana stayed at the manor for a few days, but eventually couldn't stand the boredom. She bid Xia Lun farewell and set off on her adventuring journey once again.

Musen, however, stayed behind.

The wound on Xia Lun's body... was more troublesome than imagined.

"There is a strange power lingering inside Xia Lun's body," Musen frowned deeply after examining him. "This is why Xia Lun's injuries won't heal."

"Can he be cured?" Aina asked, her fingers unconsciously twisting her skirt.

"I'll go borrow the holy relic left by the Goddess; it shouldn't be a big problem," Musen consoled her, though a trace of doubt remained in his eyes.

"Sorry for the trouble," Xia Lun said gratefully.

"It's nothing," Musen shook his head. He glanced at Xia Lun, hesitating to speak.

Xia Lun noticed Musen's odd behavior and said, "If you have something to say, just say it, Musen."

"It's... about the Holy Sword." Musen no longer hid it.

Musen had naturally known for a long time that the Holy Sword was in Xia Lun's hands.

The wound on Xia Lun's body clearly looked like it had been pierced by the Holy Sword.

But it couldn't possibly be that Xia Lun went mad and stabbed himself.

Xia Lun pursed his lips, deep in thought... There was no doubt that the Holy Sword had always been with him. When he pierced Aise's heart, Xia Lun had used this very Holy Sword.

However, after Aise's death, Xia Lun did feel that his Holy Sword had undergone some changes... regaining the familiar feel it once had.

"It seems it has birthed a sword spirit," Musen took a deep breath. "But the spirit's consciousness should still be quite weak."

The sword's body was still in Xia Lun's hands, but the sword spirit had somehow found its way onto Aise.

Xia Lun looked at the Holy Sword in his hand... or rather, the Demonic Sword.

"Xia Lun..." Musen's gaze was solemn. "Perhaps we need to find a way to destroy this sword..."

...

It had been drizzling continuously for the past few days, making people feel gloomy.

Eni and her mother moved to a new town.

"Eni... you silly child, is it really okay to do this?" Her mother looked at her daughter with worry.

"It's fine, Mother. I have already made up my mind." Eni shook her head and touched her slightly bulging lower abdomen.

"You are still young, you will suffer a lot in the future! Why don't you tell Lord Xia Lun about this?"

"This is my child... I want to keep him by my side," Eni said firmly. "Mother, you know that if Lord Xia Lun wanted this child, I definitely wouldn't be able to refuse."

"Lord Xia Lun would definitely be willing to let you return to the manor... wouldn't you still be able to be with your child every day then?" Eni's mother continued to persuade her.

"They have already helped us enough. We shouldn't ask for any more, Mother..." Eni still shook her head. "Besides, if the matter between Young Master Aise and me gets out, it will cause trouble for Lord Xia Lun."

Her mother let out a long sigh: "Eni, how could you do such a thing? Haven't you always been afraid of Young Master Aise?"

"I don't know." Eni smiled and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. "Perhaps fear and love... are not necessarily in conflict."

Eni looked out the window. The rain had stopped at some unknown point, and the sunlight pierced through the clouds, reflecting a brilliant rainbow in the sky.