Bitter Realm: Have the Four Realms been united today?

Chapter 25 Why Are You So Good to Me?

"Mr. Yue seems to be in a good mood today. Did the Soul Emperor win?"

"To encounter a fine piece of uncut jade is something to be happy about."

"Congratulations, Mr. Yue. With this man's assistance, the Soul Emperor will surely achieve great success."

Xuanming made no connection between Puyu and himself, assuming that the Soul Burial Emperor had encountered a talented person who had sent a message to Yue Tianji.

Yue Tianji was quite taken aback by Xuanming's words, and it took him a long time to reply:

Thank you for your kind words.

After considering Xuanming's personality, he still felt it was best not to explain at this moment, otherwise he was afraid he would be caught in an endless cycle of explanations.

If Yue Tianji were a Chinese, he would have been able to immediately diagnose Xuanming's illness the moment he woke up.

Unfortunately, although he had the ability to see into people's hearts, he and Xuanming were still in two different worlds.

History has its limitations, and so does the world!

After this incident, Xuanming unconsciously relaxed.

When Yue Tianji took his hand again, he was no longer as stiff as before.

Although my heart was beating a little faster than usual, at least my mind wasn't completely blank.

Yue Tianji held Xuanming's hand and slowly wrote the character "粮" (grain) on the blank space of the Xuan paper.

"The correct way to write the character '粮' is like this. Besides this character, there are some other characters that are also written incorrectly."

"However, you can't learn all these characters in a short time. I will teach you slowly later. First, you should practice your handwriting."

"Your handwriting isn't bad, it's just that you're using the wrong technique. You need to use more force in your wrist here; it's too stiff. You need to relax your wrist."

While explaining, Yue Tianji held Xuanming's hand and slowly wrote on the Xuan paper, allowing Xuanming to feel the correct way to exert force.

Xuanming, however, was extremely grateful that he had chosen to tell the truth instead of lying.

Otherwise, he would not be facing hands-on instruction right now, but rather a one-on-one interrogation.

However, the lesson on divination did not last long before it was interrupted by soldiers who came to deliver food.

"Let's eat first!"

"Um!"

Yue Tianji's every move was exquisitely elegant, even when he was eating.

But Xuanming had no heart to appreciate it at the moment. Just now, when Yue Tianji released his right hand, he felt a strange sense of reluctance.

"I'm going crazy!!!"

"That must have been a hallucination, a hallucination!"

Forget it! Forget it!

After suppressing the strange reluctance in his heart, Xuanming began to involuntarily recall every word and every action he had exchanged with Yue Tianji that morning, checking for any impropriety.

Yue Tianji had gotten used to Xuanming's absent-mindedness while eating.

He chose to let things take their course, just like before, since he had plenty of time ahead of him.

Xuanming was able to gradually get rid of these bad habits little by little.

After dinner, Yue Tianji wanted to continue teaching Xuanming the essentials of calligraphy, but Xuanming's face was full of struggle, which made Yue Tianji frown.

"What kind of wild thoughts has this child been having in the time it takes to eat a meal?"

The more amazed Yue Tianji was when Xuanming answered those six questions, the more troubled he became now.

"Xuanming, do you have any doubts?" Yue Tianji sat down, brushing his robes.

"Mr. Yue, I..." Xuanming hesitated, stammering.

"Sigh!" Yue Tianji sighed, rubbing his forehead, "I truly dislike cannibalism!"

"Uh..." Xuanming was teased by Yue Tianji again, but he didn't know what to say. Should he respond to the joke? But how should he respond?

"Don't worry, I won't blame you!"

Perhaps it was these words that gave Xuanming courage, and he gritted his teeth and asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Mr. Yue, why...why are you so good to me?"

"Why do you ask that?" Xuanming was thinking too much, and the conclusion he drew from that incident was beyond even the comprehension of those who could read the heavens.

Perhaps it was taking the first step, or perhaps it was Yue Tianji's gentle response that gave Xuanming more courage.

This time, instead of panicking and apologizing, explaining that he didn't suspect Yue Tianji of having ulterior motives, he became unusually calm.

"I know it's hard to talk to me because I always overthink things and cause misunderstandings."

"This morning, Mr. Yue bluntly pointed out what I was thinking in order to stop me from getting stuck on my own thoughts, right?"

Yue Tianji nodded slightly, signaling Xuanming to continue.

"Was the gentleman's question about whether I understood intentionally?"

"And those other questions were actually to prevent me from blaming myself and getting caught up in doubting you, so that I could focus my attention on military strategy."

While eating, Xuanming was simply reflecting on his own words and actions, but the more he recalled, the more something seemed off. His clumsy lies couldn't fool Yue Tianji at all.

"The questions you raise become more and more difficult, seemingly challenging and oppressive, but each question directly points out the areas where I am confused and have overlooked something. In fact, it is answering my questions and teaching me how to use military strategy."

"If you weren't worried that I would overthink things, you would probably have explained it to me the first time, instead of choosing this method."

"I'm not good at communicating, please guide me patiently!"

"I am illiterate and do not understand military strategy, but you do not mind. You have been tolerant of me all day long!" Xuanming became more and more excited as he spoke, his knuckles clenched until they turned white.

"It was my fault that you and the Soul Emperor were injured. It was my petty-mindedness that led me to misunderstand your good intentions. Why, why do you still have to consider my feelings in every way? Why... aren't you angry!"

Yue Tianji listened quietly, then seemed to realize something, his expression gradually darkening.

"If you could save the lives of hundreds of thousands, would you be willing to give your life?"

Xuanming didn't understand why Yue Tianji suddenly asked such a question, but he still seriously pondered Yue Tianji's question.

Ten breaths later, Xuanming blurted out without hesitation, "I do!"

"What if it can only be exchanged for one person's life?"

"I do!"

"If it only gives one person a one in ten chance of survival, would you still be willing?"

"I do!"

"If there's only a one in a thousand chance of survival, it's like sacrificing yourself for nothing. Are you still willing to do that?" Yue Tianji's eyes grew colder, and his tone was no longer as gentle as before.

A few breaths later, the same reply rang out again.

"I'm willing! As long as there's a chance, my sacrifice won't have been in vain."

"If killing one person could save a hundred, would you kill them or not?"

This time, a full cup of tea's time passed before Xuanming finally managed to speak, "I...I killed..."

"If killing one person can save another, will you kill them or not?"

Xuanming pondered for several breaths before asking, "Did the murdered person and the survivor do anything wrong?"

"Both of them are innocent!" Then, as if he had foreseen what Xuanming would ask next, Yue Tianji answered thoroughly in one breath.

"The two were the same age, from similar family backgrounds, in good health, and equally intelligent."

The room fell into a deathly silence. Xuanming frowned, his eyes filled with unresolved turmoil.

Yue Tianji's face remained icy, but his eyes revealed understanding, regret, and a hint of anger.

Unfortunately, Xuanming was so engrossed in the dilemma of exchanging one life for another that he didn't notice anything amiss.