Chapter Forty-Two: All the Way Eastward

Leaving the Peach Blossom Garden behind, they headed east.

Frostheaven, Mysticfur, Wisefang, and Windward traveled together in high spirits, chatting and laughing all the way. On this day, they arrived once more at that village. The old man was nowhere to be seen; at the doorway sat his family, silently gazing into the distance.

Frostheaven asked in curiosity, “What happened here?”

“The old grandfather has passed away.”

Those words struck the four of them like a bolt from a clear sky. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the lot of all people; the old man had merely reached the end of a long life, and in his final days he had been able to remain beside the ones dearest to him. He had gone in peace.

The young man walked up to Frostheaven and said, “Thank you for letting me believe in miracles. Thank you for letting me know that there is love, and that there is family.”

Frostheaven smiled. “Your steadfastness is your miracle. Your grandfather is your love, and your family.”

When they left the village, Frostheaven and the others went to the old man’s grave and paid their respects.

“Rest well, old grandfather.”

With that, they all set off eastward together.

“Death comes so easily, yet living is so hard,” Frostheaven sighed. Lifting his head, he said, “Crown Prince, as long as I still draw breath, I will find you, and then I will pursue the promise we made.”

“Crown Prince, I am coming. Human Emperor, I am coming!”

Frostheaven stood like a god of war, his whole body filled with power.

As for Mysticfur, he seldom spoke. Even when he heard of the old man’s death, he said nothing, nor did his expression change, because he knew that the world had always been this way. For the ones he cared about, he would protect her at any cost, and when he could no longer do anything else, he would still give everything he had to protect her, and to protect him as well.

And as for Wisefang, they passed by a mountain estate along the way. Wisefang did not stop to play another tune. He only glanced up at the estate, where a woman in white stood upon the terrace, looking back at him. The two exchanged a smile, and then everything dissolved into the wind.

Ever since Clearwind left, Windward had become much more talkative.

“Wow, I never expected I’d be this charming. Even the elf princess fell hopelessly in love with me the very first time she saw me. Haha, I’m clearly the one with the best luck with girls among the four of us. Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!”

“Didn’t you used to hate Clearwind?” Wisefang asked.

Windward replied, “Hate is hate, but my luck with girls is real!”

He went the rest of the way wearing the dreamy, lovestruck look of a fool. Though he was not always terribly serious, his luck with women really was as he claimed; he always seemed able to win a girl’s favor.

“You can’t deny it!” Windward said smugly.

After the night had passed, the sun was about to rise again. Frostheaven, Mysticfur, Wisefang, and Windward all lifted their heads and moved toward the direction of the rising sun.

“Crown Prince, I am coming! Human Emperor, I am coming!”

Frostheaven roared toward the east.

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