The Most Powerful Brain in the Interstellar Space

Chapter 362 Ballad
Jiang Hui hadn't thought that much about it, but she couldn't help but think to herself that Huan Xian actually had quite high principles and bottom lines.

I thought that even if he wasn't absolutely rational and indifferent, he would probably be quite unconventional. I never expected that he would be such a sensitive person who would feel guilty for dragging his friends down.

Jiang Hui wasn't surprised at all that Zhou Xiuwen was standing here blaming himself, because that guy was clearly a person with very high principles and bottom lines.

Judging from the anxious expression on his face when he spoke to them earlier, it was clear that he had struggled and agonized a lot during that short night.

Jiang Hui pretended not to see it, letting the other party think that the matter was over.

However, Huan Xian, who seemed perfectly normal at the time, has been troubled by this ever since, to the point that he can't sleep at night... It seems that the other party's silence today is also because of this matter.

Jiang Hui originally intended to use the same approach as with Zhou Xiuwen to brush it off, but then she thought that if the other party could truly digest it, he wouldn't have remembered it until now.

Zhou Xiuwen was a man of principle and integrity, yet surprisingly open-minded. Huan Xian gave the impression of being unrestrained, yet unexpectedly somewhat awkward.

Jiang Hui felt a pang of emotion, but instead of offering words of comfort, she changed the subject: "Today—" She turned her head to look at the simulated moon hanging high in the sky.

"...The military officers who escorted us are dead." Jiang Hui suddenly said this seemingly unrelated thing.

Huan Xian looked at the girl silently without interrupting.

“You know what? It was me who suggested they turn back to rescue. They... originally planned to send us away first before turning back to rescue, but they changed their minds because of our suggestion.”

"We all made it out safely, but they all died in the chaos of battle."

"Although I don't know exactly what happened that led to their sacrifice, this is the inevitable result—they are all dead."

Jiang Hui thought she did care, after all. Upon hearing the news, her heart stopped for a moment, as if her soul had died for a brief instant.

It doesn't hurt or itch, but it penetrates deep into the bone marrow.

She had only intended to use this as an example to illustrate similar situations, but the moment she spoke her mind... Jiang Hui suddenly felt a desire to confide in the other person. At that moment, she was no longer a listener, but rather the role had reversed, becoming a lost person seeking help from others.

“I am not the one who caused this chaotic war; I am merely a victim. The direct side that decided their sacrifice has nothing to do with me, and even…” Jiang Hui’s voice faltered, as if she herself was becoming somewhat confused as she spoke, yet she still wanted to use precise words to describe her thoughts: “We even put aside our own safety to help them.”

"But in the end, they all died. So many people survived, even Clarence and I survived in those almost impossible circumstances. Yet they all died silently in the flames of war they were guarding. Why?"

“If…” Jiang Hui didn’t know why, but as she spoke, a deep sadness welled up in her chest. Only now did she realize that she was still hurting, because she had faced such a brief yet cruel sacrifice: “I’m saying if—if I hadn’t said so much, and had obediently let them take me to the other side of the passage, would Clarence have been able to leave the scene safely without injury? Perhaps they could have avoided that fatal moment, and wouldn’t they have died?”

Only at this moment did Jiang Hui realize that this was what she had always been thinking. Perhaps it was because of her presumptuous advice that neither of them got a good result in the end, so could it all be because of her...? Jiang Hui slightly widened her eyes, turned her head, and tried to hold back the tears that welled up in her eyes, so as not to frighten the somewhat confused boy opposite her.

Before she could force back her bitterness, she heard a young man sigh from not far away. He then stood up, reached out his hand, and seemed to offer her something.

Jiang Hui turned back and silently pushed the other person's hand away: "I didn't cry." Offering a handkerchief made her look like a crybaby.

"Hmm, you didn't cry." The other person didn't pull their hand back, but persisted in pushing the handkerchief forward.

Seeing that the other party was really insistent, Jiang Hui had no choice but to accept it. Holding it in her palm, the discomfort in her heart quietly subsided a lot.

"Thank you."

The two of them were confused for a moment about taking turns attacking, but afterwards they immediately felt a little embarrassed.

After a long silence, just when Jiang Hui thought the two would remain silent, the other person suddenly said, "It's not your fault." The boy said in a deep voice, word by word.

Jiang Hui looked at the other person, but Huan Xian didn't look at her. He just looked at the moonlight that was scattered all over the ground, seemingly engrossed in counting the checkered tiles on the ground, and repeated the sentence again.

“You’re right. The people who caused this disaster are not us, but those ambitious guys who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. They are the ones who committed the sins, and they are the ones who should be ashamed. You don’t need to feel burdened by this.”

"Besides, Clarence probably wouldn't agree with what you're saying, would he? He would never blame you for your injury just because you suggested those soldiers go back to reinforce. Perhaps what he should really be grateful for is that you risked the war to bring him back from the brink of death step by step. We don't think you did anything wrong."

"As for those soldiers who sacrificed their lives—" Huan Xian withdrew his gaze and looked into the girl's eyes: "You probably can't understand... For every soldier who has sworn to protect the safety of the empire and its citizens, death is not something far away. On the contrary, they are always prepared to die for the future and glory of the empire."

"We never regret the decisions we make, nor do we fear death or threats. There are no ifs, only the present moment. If you are afraid, call our name, and I will fight to the death for you, until death do us part. We are the army of the Empire (lions)," Huan Xian chanted in a strange language.

It wasn't any language Jiang Hui recognized, but strangely, she understood it because she had heard a similar song before in the memories of this body with its incomplete structure, sung by Jiang Hui.

The young officer held his young daughter and softly sang an old song from the army. The little girl was drowsy, while the usually cold and aloof woman sat on the other side with her arms crossed and her eyes slightly closed. Together, they watched over the girl in the middle.

That rare and heartwarming scene was so unforgettable that even Jiang Hui, a newcomer from a different generation, still vividly remembered it and found it hard to forget.

I felt so inspired by this short folk song that I really wanted to write the whole thing out, but unfortunately the story isn't fully explored yet and my feelings aren't quite there. I might finish it when I have the chance in the future.

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(End of this chapter)