Chapter 799: In My Heart

Zheng Yingxiong hung his head, tears streaming down his face as he said in agony, “What should I do… Ren Hou…”

“Have you seen it? That Dao is gone…”

Ren Hou glanced toward the direction where the Dao had disappeared, then gently placed his hand on Zheng Yingxiong’s shoulder and said solemnly, “In this chaotic world, every Dao is just a fleeting driftwood.” He sighed softly, “There are countless Daos, and no one cares about a single one vanishing. The old ones get discarded, and new ones are made.”

Zheng Yingxiong clutched his chest, sobbing as he replied, “But… but for me!”

“It hurts so much here… I can barely breathe… I feel so awful all the time…”

Upon hearing this, Ren Hou’s eyes flickered, and he couldn’t help but think of that figure. Her voice and smile were still vivid in his memory.

Ren Hou sighed, then placed his hand on Zheng Yingxiong’s chest, his cold palm gently covering the boy’s hand. Though Zheng Yingxiong had lived here for over ten years, he still had the mind of an eight-year-old. He had missed out on the education he should have received and instead endured joys and sorrows no child his age should face.

“You won’t lose it again,” Ren Hou said, trying to smile. “The world is vast, and everyone loses things sometimes. But as long as you keep it in your heart, it’s never truly gone.”

“Really…?” Zheng Yingxiong looked up at Ren Hou.

“Yes, you see.”

Ren Hou lightly tapped Zheng Yingxiong’s chest, then clenched his hand into a fist as if pulling something out. He slowly brought it to Zheng Yingxiong’s eye level, blew gently on his fist, and opened it to reveal a radiant Dao.

“As long as you always remember her, she’ll shine brightly and stay in your heart forever.”

Zheng Yingxiong reached out and took the Dao, nodding thoughtfully. “Our important things… they’re always in our hearts.”

“That’s right,” Ren Hou nodded. “As long as someone remembers her, she’ll never truly disappear.”

“I understand…”

“Let’s keep playing the game,” Ren Hou said. “It’s my turn.”

“Okay.”

Zheng Yingxiong held the Dao in his hands and watched as Ren Hou took the last Dao from the box and placed it on the table. Now the box was completely empty.

According to the rules, whoever got the last Dao would win, and now Ren Hou was the victor.

“You won,” Zheng Yingxiong said.

“Not necessarily,” Ren Hou shook his head. “Whether I won or not, you should verify it yourself.”

“Huh?”

Zheng Yingxiong didn’t understand what Ren Hou meant, but he saw Ren Hou reach out and lightly tap the empty box where he had just taken the Dao from.

“Rely on yourself,” Ren Hou said.

Zheng Yingxiong seemed to grasp it, so he extended his hand into the box. With a slight movement of his palm, he found a crumpled piece of paper in the corner, and his eyes flickered slightly.

“It doesn’t matter if I win,” Ren Hou told Zheng Yingxiong. “Someone will win here eventually. For me… it doesn’t make a difference who.”

Zheng Yingxiong took out the paper ball, clutched it tightly, and nodded. “I get it.”

“My steps may have stopped, but yours won’t,” Ren Hou said. “Go on. I’ll keep your Men Piao here.”

“I won’t stop,” Zheng Yingxiong replied. “Even if I lose all my Men Piao, I won’t stop!”

“Okay.”

“I’ll keep moving forward with the Bao Jian and Yan Zi,” Zheng Yingxiong said, tears on his face but his eyes full of determination as he looked at Ren Hou. “Until someone wins here!”

“I believe in you.”

After waiting outside for just over ten minutes, Yun Yao and the others saw Zheng Yingxiong emerge from the house.

He looked like he had been crying, but his mood was strangely uplifted, as if a heavy weight had finally lifted from his heart.

Ren Hou followed him out of the game area and stood back at the door, acting as if nothing had happened.

“Hero brother, are you okay?” Tian Tian asked, concern on her face as she examined Zheng Yingxiong.

“I’m fine, sister,” Zheng Yingxiong answered. “Don’t worry.”

Ren Hou overheard Zheng Yingxiong calling Tian Tian “sister” and glanced at her sideways.

She really resembled an old acquaintance, though the sadness in her expression was even more pronounced.

“But I’m sorry…” Zheng Yingxiong continued, “I lost two Daos, and now I only have one left.”

He opened his palm, revealing a brand-new, glowing Dao.

“You should take this one too,” Tian Tian said. “You used it to play in Ren Hou’s area, so keep it as a memento.”

Zheng Yingxiong thought for a moment and nodded. “Thank you, sister…”

Once they stepped outside, neither Zheng Yingxiong nor Ren Hou mentioned what had happened. They simply exchanged a glance before looking away.

It was a reunion they had never expected, and a farewell where they couldn’t even say each other’s names.

“Let’s go, sister,” Zheng Yingxiong said. “Let’s find the person you’re looking for.”

“Alright,” Yun Yao nodded, then casually picked up a rusty iron stick from the ground and tossed it into the air.

The stick spun in a wide arc before landing on one end, standing briefly, and then falling straight in a particular direction.

“It’s all about luck,” Yun Yao said. “The first throw found the person Hero brother was looking for, so now it’s our turn.”

They confirmed the direction and set off toward where the stick pointed.

Before leaving the Hutong, Zheng Yingxiong turned back to look at Ren Hou one more time, and Ren Hou just nodded lightly.

As he had said, he was staying put.

The one who could move forward now was Zheng Yingxiong alone.

Once they were out of the Hutong, Zheng Yingxiong pulled the paper ball from his pocket. It likely contained words that Gu Yu had wanted to say but hadn’t.

Recalling how Ren Hou had taken the box aside and fussed with it for several minutes before the game started, Zheng Yingxiong figured that was when he had prepared this note.

He slowly unfolded the paper, which read:

“Zheng Yingxiong, go find Yin Guo. The path she chooses is very likely the right one. No matter what happens in the future, never choose to become Sheng Xiao. Goodbye.”

Zheng Yingxiong gently traced the words “goodbye” with his fingers, feeling an indescribable sadness.

He looked ahead at the three women walking in front and realized it was time to make a decision.

Though he had sworn never to join any organization again, there were people here he could trust.

“Sisters,” Zheng Yingxiong called out, raising the paper in his hand to stop them. “I have something I want to discuss with you.”