What Did I Do Wrong

【You and your master Li Wanshou have discussed everything thoroughly.】

【You are acutely aware of how dire your condition is, with no possibility of recovery. You begin to make arrangements for your passing.】

【To ensure your sister can live a better life, you start teaching her, covering not only cultivation but also how to navigate the world, and the Four Arts of cultivation.】

【Your sister is very dependent on you, but you begin to distance yourself, hoping to reduce her reliance on you and weaken your bond.】

【You believe yourself to be a dying man】

【who shouldn't become an obstacle to your sister's future.】

【Given your current relationship, once you leave the Heavenly Sword Sect, Xu Moli will undoubtedly try to find you at all costs. Therefore, you are actively sabotaging this relationship, aiming to lower Xu Moli's affection for you, or even turn her against you.】

【Only this way can she avoid searching for you.】

【Only this way can she remain unaware of the truth.】

【Only this way can you leave peacefully...】

【Your efforts are somewhat effective. Under your deliberate coldness and neglect, Xu Moli's dependence on you has decreased, though she still respects you as an elder brother.】

【Under your guidance, Xu Moli has officially reached the Qi Refinement Stage. She is elated, but in your expectant gaze, you utter just two words.】

【"Average."】

【Xu Moli feels wronged by your coldness, but instead of comforting her, you assign her even more training.】

【You are in a hurry. Theoretically, you have three years left to live, but signs of your body's collapse are already emerging.】

【One day, you notice your hearing is failing.】

【You hide it well, and the girl doesn't notice. You silently accelerate your teaching, hoping to make her self-sufficient before your body completely fails.】

Your overly strict teaching plan causes more resentment and grievance from the girl, who begins to question her importance in your heart.

【Why has it come to this? The brother who once doted on her with care and love has become so cold and distant.】

The growing grievances and doubts become too much for Xu Moli to bear.

Half a year later.

Inside the cave dwelling.

The ethereal beauty of the young girl is marred by tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, her lips pressed tightly together as myriad grievances swirl within her.

Her lips quiver slightly: "Brother, what have I done wrong..."

Silence.

Prolonged silence.

Facing her question, Xu Xi shakes his head: "You haven't done anything wrong."

"Then why, Brother—"

"Moli."

Xu Xi interrupts her inquiry, his eyes half-closed as if reminiscing: "Do you remember how long we've been together?"

The girl doesn't understand why he would ask such a question, but she still answers instinctively: "Seventeen years."

Seventeen years.

This is both the total time Xu Xi has spent in his simulation and the girl's age.

"Yes, already seventeen years."

Xu Xi speaks softly, his voice heavy with exhaustion and a numbness that cannot be ignored.

"When I first met you, you were just a newborn. To ensure you survived, I had to trade my last bit of food for some milk."

"I was truly starving then..."

"But I still worried every day, afraid you wouldn't be happy, afraid you'd be cold, afraid you'd go hungry."

“When you fell ill at ten, it lasted until you were seventeen. For seven years, I traveled tirelessly to cure you.”

Xu Xi's voice is calm, without complaint or blame.

Just a poignant weariness.

"Moli, if it weren't for you, my life could have been more vibrant."

"I too have dreams of my own. I can't always think of you. I'm not that great, you know."

"You're seventeen now, no longer a child."

"It's time you learned to take care of yourself, to live independently!"

"I—"

"Am tired."

The atmosphere in the cave is oppressive and heavy.

The light grows dim and hazy.

The girl's face pales, her eyes vacant, as if wanting to refute something but ultimately only managing: "So, Brother, do you think Moli is a burden?"

"…Yes."

The weight of emotions drags her into an abyss, consuming all feelings until she can only flee in defeat.

Xu Moli chokes on her sobs.

She runs.

Racing out of the cave.

Leaving behind Xu Xi, drained of all strength, slumped in a wooden chair, silent and lost in thought for a long time.

Humans are indeed incredibly contradictory creatures.

Xu Xi muses.

He had prepared various arguments to destroy his relationship with his sister, to erase the image of a loving brother in her heart.

But when it came to execution, his heart still ached with reluctance.

"It hurts... more than when I burned my spiritual roots..."

Xu Xi clutches his chest, murmuring: "But this way, that child can completely break free from my influence and live well in the cultivation world."

【Your words are sharp, like swords piercing through the girl's heart.】

【She runs off alone for a long time.】

Crying alone, wiping her tears alone, comforting herself in the solitude of a hidden corner, in the most pitiful, wronged, and lonely manner.

【When Xu Moli returns, her expression has cooled significantly. Her gaze at you no longer carries the same reverence, and she no longer complains about your training.】

【Your heart aches, yet you feel a sense of relief.】

This incident has strengthened the girl's resolve. While feeling emotional, you inconspicuously cover your mouth, not letting the girl see the blood you cough up.

You pour your heart into assisting the girl's cultivation. The intense mental focus accelerates the collapse of your body. One morning, eighteen years after your crossing, you feel increasingly feeble.

【You know it's time to leave.】

【Despite your reluctance, despite wanting to witness more of the girl's growth, staying at the Heavenly Sword Sect any longer would risk her discovering the truth.】

【You choose to leave without a word, piloting a flying boat and departing the Heavenly Sword Sect, cutting through the wind and clouds, heading far from the cultivation world.】

【Where to next?】

You are confused.

【For eighteen years, your goals have been cultivation and caring for your sister. But now, neither can continue.】

【After much contemplation, you decide to return to the Blackstone City, to spend your remaining time alone.】

【The cultivation world is vast, with countless mortal kingdoms and countless places of pleasure. But for you, none compare to the familiarity and comfort of Blackstone City, where five years of memories with the girl are etched.】

The flying boat descends from the sky.

Unnoticed by anyone.

Silently, the young man, now devoid of any cultivation or spiritual roots, enters the old wooden house with just a wooden sword.

Living alone, quietly awaiting death.

During this time.

Neighbors who still remember the young man greet him, and he responds to each.

When asked about the girl, he merely smiles and avoids the topic.