Super Soldier in the City

Li Yifei soon learned of the way Aliza intended to save someone, a method that made him slightly uneasy, yet he did not intervene. This was Aliza’s own decision, his own redemption. Of course, if Aliza had any evil intentions, Li Yifei would have acted without hesitation.

Aliza’s way of saving a life was... to transfer all of his own skills and abilities to Bunong, thereby reviving him. It seemed there was no other solution. Once Aliza started, Li Yifei immediately deduced this, which was fine because Li Yifei’s goal was to save Bunong. As for Aliza, the situation was of his own making, and it was only fair for him to save himself.

The transfer did not take long this time, because it was a transfer between living people, unlike last time when Aliza transferred between the living and the dead. Speaking of this, Li Yifei couldn’t help but admire the unique techniques of the Fire Sect. People who had been dead for hundreds of years could still pass on their skills, preserving their cultivation in a deceased body. Just this capability alone was enough to earn respect.

The weakened Aliza opened his eyes, glanced at Li Yifei, and said, "The manual is at the bottom layer of the stone coffin. You can retrieve it. If you want, you can keep it; if you don’t, you can destroy it. What the Fire Sect has studied is ultimately unacceptable to the world. The living can be sought, but the dead cannot. Besides that inexplicable power, I want nothing else."

"Okay!" Li Yifei nodded steadily, looking at Aliza. Next to him, Bunong’s complexion had already improved, seemingly healed, which lifted his spirits and reduced his resentment towards Aliza.

"I also wish you happiness, eternal happiness. Please tell Na Yi that I’m sorry. I’m truly not worthy of being her friend because my heart is too impure," Aliza finished without waiting for Li Yifei’s response, and slowly closed his eyes. He raised his hands into a strange gesture, one hand pointing at his heart and the other holding Bunong, completing the final move to transfer his cultivation and ending his own life.

A transfer, a reluctant transfer, but Li Yifei did not feel he was excessive. If it hadn’t been for Aliza causing trouble for Bunong, Li Yifei wouldn’t have done this, sacrificing one life for another. Li Yifei couldn’t do such a thing, but since it was Aliza’s doing, Li Yifei found it acceptable.

Though he thought this way, his heart was still somewhat heavy. Aliza was dead, but Bunong came back to life. His breath became even, and his heartbeat strong; the Worm Technique that had affected him and the Death Qi that hovered around him had also been lifted.

Or perhaps it wasn’t lifted, but rather masked by a more potent force, namely the Fire Sect’s cultivation technique, which indeed contained Worm Technique and Death Qi, with deep research into death.

Now that this inheritance had fallen on Bunong, Li Yifei honestly didn’t know if it was good or bad. He didn’t value the inheritance, only Bunong’s life. However, once Bunong woke up, how he would handle this inheritance was up to him, and Li Yifei thought Uncle Bunong wouldn’t value it too much given his character.

After moving Aliza next door, Li Yifei went out to tell Na Yi and the others, "Dad is fine now, Na Yi, you can come in and have a look, but he hasn’t woken up yet."

Na Yi and the others quickly rushed in to see Bunong, but no one really cared about Aliza’s condition. However, when they learned Aliza had already died, redeeming himself through a life-for-life exchange, the villagers, after a moment of silence, sighed. Some said one must not go astray in life, or regret would be futile; others said Aliza was still a good child who achieved redemption and would go to heaven after death. Still, some said he deserved his death as he harbored evil intentions initially, so dying was not pitiful.

No matter what they said, Aliza was ultimately dead, and thoroughly so. Li Yifei didn’t believe he could be resurrected; at least by now, his body was nearly cold.

As for Bunong, half an hour later, he woke up, as if waking from a long dream. Bunong quickly recovered but also soon learned what had happened during that period. Coming to the room where Aliza lay, Bunong frowned. He had watched this child grow up, and seeing the path he chose and what he did, Bunong felt sorrowful. He instructed others to move Aliza out and prepare for a wake or similar arrangements, following the usual post-death customs of the Miao people. He wished for nothing grand but forgave him, even expressing some regret. A good young man had strayed down the wrong path. Though he ultimately redeemed himself, life was lost, and that was the crux.

That night, Li Yifei held Na Yi close. The little girl nestled in his embrace, with her chin on his chest. Li Yifei inhaled the fragrance of her hair; they held each other silently. Na Yi clung to his waist, and after a long silence, she slowly raised her head, her dark eyes looking at him. She said, "Husband, I don’t know why, but I feel sad, although I can’t say why. Dad is fine, so I should be happy."

"Silly girl, a good friend passed away; it’s normal to be sad," Li Yifei said with a smile, looking at Na Yi.

Na Yi shook her head and said, "A good friend wouldn’t want to harm my dad."

"But he also saved our dad’s life, so anyway, let bygones be bygones. A good friend passed away, which is indeed something to grieve," Li Yifei comforted her.

Na Yi bit her lip and, after a while, said, "Maybe. I didn’t have many friends growing up. Aliza took good care of me. If someone bullied me, he would immediately jump in to teach them a lesson. I always treated him like a brother. Even our happiness, besides my dad, I hoped for his blessing too."

"Yes, before he died he said he wished us happiness!"

"But now he’s gone, and with death, everything is over," Na Yi sighed softly, holding Li Yifei tighter.

Even though he had a beauty in his arms and they had agreed to be intimate when they returned to the Miao Village, this moment found Li Yifei without a single improper thought. He simply held the young girl gently, not too tightly, allowing her to feel good, comfortable, and safe.

The next day, Bunong chose a nice plot for Aliza’s grave and buried him there. The villagers also came to bid farewell, even if they resented his actions, because Bunong had forgiven him finally, so the villagers’ hatred subsided.

After everything was settled, with Na Yi taken back home, Li Yifei and Bunong went to a forested area. They descended to the bottom of a cave and navigated through several passages until they reached the burial site of what was the last of the Fire Sect, a giant stone coffin. Even though he was mentally prepared, seeing so many dead bodies in such strange positions took Bunong some time to adjust. Once they reached the bottom layer, Li Yifei found the book Aliza mentioned. Bunong quickly scanned through it.

Fortunately, it was Bunong who checked; Li Yifei realized the records were not in the Chinese language but in the Miao language, so only the Miao people could understand it. After browsing through it, Bunong made a shocking decision, telling Li Yifei, "These things, let’s destroy them."

"Dad, these are yours to decide," Li Yifei said.

Bunong nodded, "Then let’s destroy them. Since the lineage is already broken, it’s better not to pass it on."

"Is this technique very sinister?" Li Yifei asked.

"Indeed, it’s sinister. What’s recorded is all about death. Although there are not many words, every passage I read seemed to show the scene that the recorder witnessed."

"For example..."

"For example, one part records the scene of a person drowning, including the feelings of the drowning person. You tell me if this sect is evil."

"Experimenting with live people?" Li Yifei asked.

Bunong nodded, "Yes, using live people, exploring various ways of dying, searching for the emergence of something at the moment of death to ascertain whether immortality is possible. The difference is these test subjects are all voluntary. They seek death to find the truth within it."

"Phew! Understood, it’s akin to committing suicide. It seems crazy but is actually done willingly, with a grand goal in mind," Li Yifei noted.

"Exactly, and that’s what makes it terrifying. Such a sect does not need to be passed down. Even if I inherited it... I wouldn’t use it easily. Let’s let the Fire Sect’s legacy be completely severed," Bunong said firmly.

Li Yifei nodded vigorously, "Alright, I will destroy these things."

With that, Li Yifei stepped forward, channeling True Qi into his hand, glanced back at Bunong, and received a nod to proceed. Li Yifei struck the jade box with a palm, and with the eruption of True Qi, the entire box crumbled into dust, including the contents inside.

Destroying the foundation of the Fire Sect, yet following the destruction, Li Yifei noticed a key-like object beneath the broken jade box. Blowing away the dust and taking the key, it felt quite heavy, though he couldn’t determine what it was made of.

Holding the key, Li Yifei looked back at Bunong, "Is this key recorded in those documents?"

"No record, but... I do know what this is," Bunong said with a calm expression.

"Oh? Dad, is it a place like a secret treasure?" Li Yifei asked, slightly surprised.

Bunong nodded, "It is a secret vault, but I didn’t expect the key to still be here, sigh!"

Sighing, what does that mean? Li Yifei, not having inherited the legacy, didn’t know what had happened. He was just mildly surprised, asking, "Is the secret vault here? Should we take a look?"