Big Moon Ballad

Chapter 2683 Dense Fog
Why are you crying?

This is the question posed by the ancient dragon god as he departed this world.

Li Ji stood in the thick fog, gazing at the girl with tears streaming down her face; she was even shorter than Long Wen.

He suddenly remembered that Lin Baoyue should not have been ten years old at that time.

It was only because her eyes possessed a calmness and maturity beyond her years that she appeared older than she actually was.

At this moment, even the calm and composed little girl was stunned by the question.

“I don’t know,” Lin Baoyue said softly, “I’m just very sad.”

"Why are you sad?" the enormous dragon bone said calmly. "I have lived for a very long time."

It grew to a size that the girl could not have imagined.

“I understand,” Dragonbone said suddenly, “You’re afraid that after we disappear, there will be no gods to protect this land?”

Lin Baoyue shook her head, took a step back, and gave a proper bow to the huge skeleton in front of her.

"This is our land, and we practitioners will protect it ourselves."

Li Ji stared at that slender, short figure, and his heart skipped a beat.

He shared memories and feelings with the Azure Dragon God. As a deity connected to this land, he knew that the Azure Dragon God had a premonition that this young girl would shoulder great responsibilities in the future.

But why?

"You are quite strange."

Dragon Bone was just as puzzled as he was, "This land has clearly treated you badly."

Lin Baoyue's life before the age of ten was filled with pursuit and betrayal. The world was incredibly cruel to her; it's strange enough that she didn't blame fate or others. Where did she get the motivation to still want to protect the world and its inhabitants?

“Although it’s not very nice, I met my master here,” the little girl looked up, her eyes sparkling. “My master likes this place.”

What a strange person.

Calmness, maturity, resilience, and innocence, deep emotions—these almost contradictory qualities are strangely combined in one person.

"So you don't object to my wish to leave this world?"

Lin Baoyue nodded, her eyes still filled with sadness, but also with understanding and heartache. "You've worked so hard."

If the Azure Dragon Goddess wanted to leave this world, she truly believed that no one had the right to object.

If it were any other practitioner, they would have started wailing and lamenting in a different sense at this point.

Li Ji thought to himself, those people must be crying and begging the Dragon God not to abandon them.

He suddenly understood why the dying Azure Dragon God was moved by Lin Baoyue's tears.

As a deity, He has seen countless people weep and pray before His image.

But only her tears were shed purely for Him, not for herself, not for spiritual practice, but simply out of genuine heartache for the sacrifices the deity made and the responsibilities He bore.

When He finally fulfilled His responsibility to the world and wanted to die immediately, He encountered people who wept only for Him.

Despite being such a weak being, she truly felt sorry for someone much older and larger than her.

Who could forget such an extraordinary person?

"So you're leaving now?" Lin Baoyue asked softly.

“Yes,” the ancient god replied, “but unfortunately our bones are difficult to eradicate.”

As part of the universe, even though He can allow His physical body to decay at His own will, His bones live as long as the universe and can only wait to become one with the earth.

However, this takes an unknown amount of time. Most dragons choose to sink to the bottom of the sea and be buried in the tomb of the gods before they die, so as to avoid their bones being found and used by people with ulterior motives, and thus not being able to rest in peace after death.

But He had already exhausted all his strength in the battle with the White Dog God, and didn't even have the strength to adjust his position so that he could fall into the sea.

Lin Baoyue paused for a moment, "Do you need my help?"

Li Ji was stunned.

It took her almost no time to understand why the Azure Dragon God didn't want his remains to be found.

Even the Azure Dragon God was taken aback, "Help me? How?"

The young girl drew a long sword from her waist, flames blazing on its blade. Her eyes were calm and resolute. "I can help you burn your remains, leaving not a single piece."

Thump, thump.

Li Ji could hear the sound of his own heartbeat; he couldn't tell whether it was him or the Azure Dragon God himself who was experiencing the shock.

Clearly, even the Azure Dragon God was stunned, forgetting to change his form of address. "Do you know what you're saying?"

The girl before him had only just reached the Divine Dance Realm, yet she dared to burn the remains of the Four Heavenly Spirits.

"Do you know what you're doing will..."

"They'll be punished by heaven, won't they?"

Lin Baoyue smiled slightly, her still somewhat childish face full of understanding, "I know, I have been blaspheming the gods."

Even if it were the will of the deity itself, for a mere human to burn the deity's body would be a great disrespect to the deity, and the Heavenly Way would surely retaliate.

The Azure Dragon God originally thought the girl in front of him was ignorant and fearless, but he never expected that she actually knew everything.

"You're only ten years old. Do you want to live your whole life burdened by divine retribution?"

“If this is your wish,” the girl said sincerely, gazing at the enormous remains, “I am willing to see you off on your final journey.”

No matter the cost.

"Don't you ask someone else to do this?" the Azure Dragon God asked, "like your master."

"With your current level of cultivation, you might not be able to send me away even if you exhausted all your true energy."

“If I tell anyone else,” Lin Baoyue lowered her head slightly and said softly, “I’m afraid you won’t be able to leave as you wish.”

That's right.

Li Ji heard the Azure Dragon God and smiled bitterly to himself, "You know very well."

He knew very well that Emperor Ying was currently searching for his body with all his might. If other cultivators found it, not even a single scale on his body would be wasted.

Only this silly girl would want to burn Him to ashes.

"So, Your Excellency, may I ask you a favor?"

Lin Baoyue raised her head, gazing up at the sunken eye sockets of the dragon bone, and said softly, "After I burn your remains, can you erase my memory?"

She believed that with the power of the Azure Dragon God, he could still do it even after he disappeared.

That way, He can completely disappear, and no one will know where He went.

Even if she were to undergo a soul search after returning to Emperor Ying's side, Emperor Ying would not be able to find the whereabouts of the Azure Dragon God from her memories.

Because He will never exist in her memory.

Is that how it is?

Li Ji stood deep in the fog, like a statue.

The reason Ying Baoyue remembers nothing is because she took the initiative to ask the Azure Dragon God to erase her memories.

She gave up everything for His peace.

She doesn't want anything.

Even memories are unwanted.

"Thank you."

Even the ancient gods fell silent before this young girl.

"Let me leave you something. My scales and bones are extremely beneficial to cultivators. One scale is equivalent to ten years of your cultivation. If you swallow them, no one will know that I left them for you. And my dragon horn..."

“My Lord,” the little girl interrupted, “thank you.”

She gazed at Him, her eyes as pure as a mirror, filled only with gratitude and heartache.

"You have done enough for us."

She really doesn't want anything.

"As long as you remember, erase my memory."

"it is good."

The enormous skeleton remained silent for a moment, then said, "I agree. Do it."

A raging fire blazed across the wilderness. Li Ji watched the crimson flames as the thick fog around him gradually disappeared into the flames.

He suddenly lowered his head, and tears fell onto the ground at his feet.

When the fog clears, the world will know I love you.

I recommend listening to this song, "The Fog," in conjunction with the audio.