43: Daddy, let me leave this world peacefully...

The City Center Plaza.

This was one of the more prosperous areas in Tiandu City.

Not only were there shops selling various goods, but also food stalls offering delicious demon beast meat.

There was even a martial arts arena in the City Center Plaza where some martial artists could spar.

And in front of the central arena area, there was a three-zhang tall notice board, on which were posted some notices issued by the City Lord's Mansion.

Among them was one notice.

It was City Lord Murong Fu's plea for help with a heavy reward, promising that if someone could cure Murong Bo, or the City Lord's Mansion's young lady Murong Qingxue.

They would be rewarded with one million spirit crystals and five high-tier items.

This notice had been taken down by quite a few people in the past few years, but after all of them ended in failure.

Now, no one touched this notice anymore.

"Found it, it's this..."

After bringing Cai Yan to the City Center Plaza, Xiao Chen's gaze locked onto the tall stone tablet.

After a simple search, he took down that notice.

"Hiss, who is that kid?"

"Could it be he thinks he's confident he can cure the old City Lord Murong, or that young lady?"

"How is this possible!"

"The conditions of the old City Lord Murong and Miss Murong are something even Dan Wang Gu Qinghe couldn't solve."

"How could a mere greenhorn solve it?!"

"This kid is in for big trouble!"

"Taking down this notice without the corresponding ability is playing tricks on the City Lord's Mansion!"

"In the past, there were many fraudsters coveting the reward who were crippled and thrown into the dungeon by City Lord Murong!"

Seeing Xiao Chen's actions.

Some martial artists passing by stopped in their tracks at this moment, looking at Xiao Chen with astonished eyes.

One by one, they couldn't help but whisper, their gazes filled with mockery and pity.

"How should I address you, sir?"

While everyone was discussing amongst themselves, the soldiers guarding the notice board nearby walked towards Xiao Chen with solemn expressions.

They were the City Guards of Tiandu City, normally tasked with watching this notice to prevent intentional damage.

Of course, after capable individuals took down this notice, they were also responsible for escorting them to the City Lord's Mansion.

"My surname is Xiao..."

Seeing that these two City Guards didn't immediately scold him, Xiao Chen also felt quite favorable towards them.

He immediately cupped his hands and reported his surname.

"Young Master Xiao, do you know the meaning of this notice?"

"Although the reward above is very tempting, if you don't have real ability, you might bring trouble upon yourself."

One of the soldiers nodded and reminded him in a somewhat low voice.

"It's alright, just take us to the City Lord's Mansion..."

Xiao Chen waved his hand upon hearing this, replying without the slightest bit of concern.

"Since that's the case, then the two of you please follow us."

Seeing Xiao Chen's confident appearance, Cai Yan beside him also possessed an extraordinary demeanor.

After the two soldiers said something in a low voice, they led Xiao Chen and Cai Yan away from the place.

...

At the same time.

Inside the Tiandu City Lord's Mansion.

"City Lord, it's bad!!"

"Miss has tried to hang herself again!!"

Murong Fu was sitting in his study when he heard this panicked shout, and he immediately rushed out of the study.

He directly sent the soldier who wanted to come in and report flying several zhang away with a sweep of his arm.

"Murong Qingxue!!"

In almost just a moment.

Murong Fu rushed into Murong Qingxue's boudoir, arriving at Murong Qingxue's bedside with a panicked expression.

And kneeling beside her were two maids, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

However, Murong Fu's attention wasn't on the maids, but on the figure on the bed.

This was a woman whose appearance couldn't be clearly seen.

No...

Although the woman before him had a human form, she looked more like an unevolved ape-man!

Because this person.

Not only did she have a scarlet mark on her face, but the exposed skin all over her body was covered in strands of strange red hair.

Rather than saying she was a person, it was more like a monkey!

This was Murong Fu's biological daughter, Murong Qingxue, who suffered from some kind of congenital hidden illness due to insufficient premature birth.

Before the age of ten, Murong Qingxue was no different from ordinary people and was a delicate-looking little girl.

But after the age of ten.

Red spots suddenly appeared on Murong Qingxue's face, her body hair continuously thickened and grew, and finally turned into a strange scarlet color.

Thus, she became the ape-man appearance she is now, and was even regarded by many as an inauspicious freak!

In the past few years, Murong Fu had traveled across the land, visiting countless capable individuals and recluses, but none could cure Murong Qingxue.

It was also because she turned into this inhuman, ghost-like appearance that Murong Qingxue had kept herself locked in her room for the past few years.

Not only did she wash her hair with tears all day long, but she also attempted suicide more than once.

But because her servants closely monitored her, coupled with her special physical constitution, she didn't succeed in any of her suicide attempts.

"Although her breathing is a bit chaotic, fortunately, there's no danger to her life..."

After a simple examination of Murong Qingxue's condition, Murong Fu's hanging heart finally settled down.

"What happened?"

"Didn't I tell the two of you to watch Miss? How did Miss get a chance to hang herself again?"

Murong Fu let go of Murong Qingxue's wrist, then turned around with a gloomy expression.

That kind of cold, murderous aura caused the temperature in the room to drop to freezing point.

"Qing'er (Hong'er) was momentarily negligent, please forgive us, City Lord."

Hearing Murong Fu's questioning, the two maids lowered their heads tightly, their bodies trembling even more violently.

"Don't blame them..."

"I found an excuse to send them away, getting angry at them is useless."

Just as Murong Fu was about to speak, Murong Qingxue also slowly woke up, her voice coming out somewhat ethereal.

It was hard to imagine.

This kind of pleasant voice, like the sound of a flowing spring, came from a young girl covered in red hair.

"Murong Qingxue?"

Hearing this voice.

The gloom on Murong Fu's face disappeared, and he quickly turned around to look at Murong Qingxue.

"Did something unhappy happen? Tell Father... Father will definitely help you sort it out..."

"Father, let me leave this world quietly..."

Murong Fu's words weren't completely finished when Murong Qingxue suddenly spoke up, interrupting him.

"Living..."

"In the eyes of others, I am just an anomaly, I will only make Father bear more burdens, and I will only suffer controversy and torment."

"Father, I'm so tired of living..."

"Although suicide is a sign of cowardice and escape, I truly don't want to continue like this anymore."

"Murong Qingxue misses Mother..."

"If there is a next life, Murong Qingxue will be Father's daughter again and properly repay Father's kindness."

"But now... please Father, forgive Murong Qingxue's willfulness, please let me leave this world."

The ethereal and pleasant voice, speaking words of despair, echoed in the room.

It caused Murong Fu's body to tremble suddenly, and an indescribable sharp pain made him feel like he was suffocating.

Even Qing'er and Hong'er, who were originally kneeling on the ground trembling.

After hearing these words from Murong Qingxue, they also forgot the fear of being punished, and tears couldn't stop flowing out at this moment.

As Murong Qingxue's maids.

How could they not know that for Murong Qingxue, living was truly more painful than death.

When Murong Qingxue found an excuse to send them away today, they could more or less sense it.

But they still chose to leave, just so they could fulfill her wish.

Perhaps death, for Murong Qingxue, was the true liberation.

"Xue'er, give Father three more days, Father has found an expert, he will definitely be able to cure your hidden illness."

"Father promises you, you will definitely get better, so... can you wait for Father a little longer?"

Looking at Murong Qingxue's pleading eyes, Murong Fu suppressed the urge to cry, and his voice was also filled with pleading.

How could he not know Murong Qingxue's pain? How could he not know that living was a torment for her?

But Murong Qingxue was his biological daughter, the only crystallization of love between him and his wife, and he couldn't bear to watch her commit suicide and die.