Chapter 200 - A Time of Changes
The night was tranquil, with a thick layer of clouds that smothered the wind and suppressed the moon.
Sikong Yan stood in the plaza beneath the Suantian Shrine, surrounded by silence. He looked up at the place he had trapped himself in, the place he had called home for the last ten years.
"Young Master..." Fu Yiran stood behind him, hesitating before finally speaking. "Are we... just leaving like this?"
"Of course." Sikong Yan didn’t turn around. "I’ve stayed here for ten years. Haven’t you had enough?"
"That’s not what I meant," Fu Yiran mumbled, lowering his head slightly. "It’s just... just..." His words faltered.
"Do you feel guilty?" Sikong Yan asked, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Or did you not expect this day to come so soon?"
Fu Yiran remained silent for a moment before gritting his teeth and nodding.
Sikong Yan chuckled softly, his laughter ringing clearly in the still plaza.
He lowered his head and murmured to himself, "But it’s time to leave... Calculating the heavens, calculating others, and calculating oneself. If the world is a chessboard, then it's time for me to personally make a move."
Sikong Yan raised his head, staring at the tower-like structure of the shrine, momentarily lost in thought. Fu Yiran stepped closer and tentatively asked, "Shall we... take the old master’s memorial tablet with us?"
Snapping out of his daze, Sikong Yan shook his head lightly. "No need... Let Teacher remain here. That way, he can witness with his own eyes how the Ruen Dynasty crumbles step by step.