Chapter 15: Moving Foward

He was close, very accessible and yet so infrequent. Such was the cemetery of Yellow-town. This was not to be translated as a lack of consideration by the living. But it was traditional in the region to observe simple mortuary rhythms for mortals. People were often buried in common graves. Sometimes unnamed. So, few people made the trip to collect themselves there.

However on this occasion an exception seemed to have been made. In a tomb dedicated to him and him alone. Now lay the body of the man known as Mo Bai.

Although the burial ceremony was mostly assisted by mortals. A young Essentialist could be seen leaving the crowd.

With a hesitant step and a faint gaze. The young Essentialist traveled from one end of Yellow-town to the other.

Finally without really knowing if this was due to an unconscious process or a real will on his part. His footsteps led him past a sign made of rock and wood.

It was a modest bar, which he had frequented regularly over the years.

This young Essentialist was none other than Ku Chen.

"So you came back here. "

Stepped confidently to stop next to Ku Chen, Ling Yuan stared at the bar.

"Mo Bai, had no family anymore. It seems he left the place to the two children who lived there and recently worked with him. "

Ku Chen's eyebrows twitched as he frowned slightly, but he didn't say a word.

"Seis and Kazu still live here, although they are away most of the time. "

"Don't tell me about them right now! None of them even bothered to come to Manager Mo's funeral! "

Ling Yuan raised an eyebrow showing a falsely interested expression.

"I'm not going to pretend to know them better than you." But each person handles their grief differently. The two have already been through a lot of drama. You don't think they wouldn't be who they are today if their reaction to the death of a loved one was to just collapse around like you do. "

" Shut up ! I don't want to hear anything more. I don't care about Kazu and Seis' motives.

Manager Mo is dead, he was a good man. Yet the only names on everyone's lips today are those of Seis and the Xiao clan. "

Ling Yuan's face showed only slight concern at Ku Chen's complaint.

"What exactly were you expecting? Did you forget what world you live in? A person like Seis will be talked about wherever she goes. Even more in a place like Yellow-town. "

" What do you want ? "

"Like everyone in Yellow-town. I want to see Seis. But seeing you here I thought it was a shame. "

" About what ?! "

"You had started training to join one of the sects, right? Even with Seis's help, with your poor culture every second must count. "

" How do you know that ? "

"Everyone knows that. Yellow-town has just lost one of its main clans. All the protagonists affiliated with this affair from near or far are naturally known to all. "

" Leave me alone. "

"Alright after all this is your life. It's up to you to decide. "

The two boys were silent for a moment. Ling Yuan remained as the emotion on Ku Chen's face fluctuated constantly.

"Manager Mo's last moments must have been horrible. He must have felt so helpless. I used to tell myself that things only happened because of our weakness. But even with Seis it is still happening. "

"To tell you all! The last moments of your famous manager Mo, were impressive. He, a simple mortal, had for the first time in his life to find the courage to assert himself and stand up against the Essentialists. I can't say it was a happy ending. But that wasn't the pitiful scene you seem to imagine. "

"..."

"The arrival of Seis cost the manager his life, that's a fact! "

Ku Chen's eyes widened as he shook his head to refute Ling Yuan's words.

"I am not incriminating him! It's just that ... "

Ling Yuan, who had been interrupted by Ku Chen, did not let him continue.

"She caused the death of Mo Bai. But it has also already changed the landscape of Yellow-town. "

"You're going to tell me about clan X again ..."

"Now people who have never been able to do much more than dream have access to culture."

Ku Chen's still dull face until then seemed to show a flash of enlightenment for the first time.

[I hadn't seen it that way.]

-Ding ding ...

At the corner of the little street, a small bag had just spilled its contents. The latter happened to be only filled with copper coins the local currency of the city.

As the child responsible for this scrambled to pick them up. She was quickly joined by another older one.

One of Ku Chen's eyebrows raised slightly as his expression showed a full circle.

"Seis, Kazu? How long had you being spying on? "

Kazu quickly waved his hands in front of him, determined to deny the accusations, but before he could say a word Seis had already done so.

"We've been there from the start. "

Grabbing her head Kazu sighed before trying to explain.

[This kid ...]

"It's just a fluke. After all we still live here. "

"Ka ..."

"Uh, Chen ..."

Contrary to the reluctance of Kazu and Ku Chen. Seis, exchanged a brief glance with everyone present before heading to the front door of the bar.

"Do you want to come in ? "

A little disconcerted the three boys entered the bar in turn.

With a light step Seis took the direction of the bar before filling four bowls and placing them in front of the different protagonists while keeping one towards her.

Kazu grimaced violently as Ku Chen stared blankly at the contents of the bowl. Ling Yuan looked at him doubtfully this one. Finally Seis, ate it without seeming to care about the reaction of those around her.

"Oatmeal? In front of the bowl presented to him. Ling Yuan couldn't help but present some doubt.

"That was the only thing we got from manager Mo, because we never had money to pay him. "

Ku Chen tightened his grip on the bowl, as his tears mingled with the porridge.

"So there were any left?" "

Kazu's gaze left its bowl before moving from Seis to Ku Chen.

"No, it was Seis who made this one. Taste go ahead. "

Ku Chen's expression changed once again after he took a first bite of the contents of his bowl.

" It is... "

"Simply inedible. Looks like our young friend is completely useless for anything outside of culture. "

Ling Yuan, who was also playing the game trying to eat Seis's dish, now saw his face contort as a feeling of nausea assailed him.

[How can you miss such a simple dish? You have to do it on purpose.]

Completely indifferent to the critic. Seis, who had just finished his bowl, poured out a new one.

"How do you manage to eat this?" Although this sentence is expressed by Kazu it transcribed the feelings of the three young men.

Ku Chen smiles amusedly.

"I remember that even the most hardcore Seis fans among the customers were unable to finish any of her dishes despite their goodwill. "

"Ku Chen! "

As the mood was relaxed, Seis's serious tone changed the atmosphere once again as eyes shifted to her.

"The dead are dead! But living ones must keep moving forward. Despite our guilt. And without bothering with the notion of justice or not. We have to because it cannot be otherwise. And that it is only through the living that the legacy of the dead can continue. So make resentment a motivation. Use this to make sense of their departure if it makes you feel better. That's what Kazu's grandfather once said to me. "

Putting down her bowl, Seis smirked slightly.

"The day started at midnight. The practice then lasted until 5:30 Am. Then a nap of half an hour before leaving. You then had to study on all subjects relating to culture until Noon, then another nap and the next imperative was to gain combat experience. The next cycle of 6 hours was therefore divided into four hours dedicated to it and two or it was necessary to experiment with theoretical knowledge accumulated during the second cycle. Finally the last cycle which also followed a nap was also dedicated to culture. "

"I don't understand, what is this hellish day you describe? "

"It was mine worktime, since I was over two years old. Normally the Dantian does not form so early but my circumstances are a bit special. "

A mixture of complex expressions appeared on the faces of Kazu, Ling Yu and Ku Chen but neither seemed able to say anything.

"For as long as I can remember all of my days were the same. I didn't have the slightest grip. It was normal. This was how it should be. Choice and opinion were an unnecessary luxury. When the days took a different turn, it was usually bloody. Many people died at my hands. Much was no worse than the manager, Kazu or you. And that didn't matter to me.

An existence dedicated to culture. No, I only existed through her.

I already live carrying the weight of its dead. But as he told me that day. I refuse to stop. Someday I will make sense of all his losses. And I wouldn't fall before that.

It is for that and to help Kazu as he wanted that, I keep moving forward.

It doesn't matter if that sounds callous or excruciating. I won't stop. If I did, then only their dead would be left. "

Ku Chen's tears that had previously dried flowed again in an endless stream.

"Alright, Seis, I'll move on too." For the manager Mo for my father for Kazu and also for you. "

" My ? "

Although she said nothing more, Seis's expression clearly showed her emotion.

Ku Chen nod.

"Obviously! "