Once he finally climbed onto the wooden plank, Xu Lin felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, but he knew he could not afford to let his guard down now, for this was only a temporary respite. He needed to recover his strength as quickly as possible to face the dangers that likely lay ahead.
He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and began to survey his surroundings. The surface of the sea remained turbulent, with fierce winds howling as if they wanted to swallow them whole. Yet, he was not consumed by fear; instead, he resolved to survive.
He shouted aloud, "Is anyone still alive? Is anyone out there? If you can hear me, answer!" His voice echoed across the sea, but met with no response. His heart grew heavier by the moment. Was he truly the only survivor left? No, he refused to believe it.
He began scanning the area with his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of any other survivors. In the faint light, his gaze searched every spot where life might still exist, while he silently prayed to discover even a glimmer of hope. If just one person answered him, he would feel a shred of comfort and hope, giving him the drive to keep going.
Yet no matter how he called out, only the howling gale and the churning waves answered him. That sound was like a symphony of despair, slowly dragging his heart down into the abyss. He could not accept this reality, and his heart was filled with lingering resentment and helplessness.
Even so, he did not give up hope. He told himself he had to persevere and must never admit defeat easily. Perhaps other survivors were waiting for rescue in some corner; he had to remain alert and miss no possible signal.
Resentment filled Xu Lin's heart, and he yearned to break through the predicament before him. He forced his eyes wide open, trying to make out his surroundings in the dim light, but all that met his eyes was sheer darkness and endless water.
Unwilling to give up hope, he paddled the plank hard to move further away, hoping to find a sliver of life. But when he had finally traveled a short distance, the sight before him filled him with utter despair—another huge wave was violently rushing toward him. This wave was even larger and more ferocious than the previous one, as if it intended to devour the entire world.
"Dammit, heavens! Just how much more are you going to torture me? Do you really have to see me dead here to be satisfied?" Xu Lin cursed angrily, his voice revealing endless bitterness. Yet no matter how he cursed, nature seemed indifferent to his feelings, continuing to operate by its own laws.
That gigantic wave, like a ferocious beast, bore down on him without mercy. Its speed was terrifying; in the blink of an eye, it was upon him, splashing water all over his face. Xu Lin stared with wide eyes, looking at everything before him in terror as a sense of despair surged in his heart.
He wanted to flee, but his body was already exhausted and had no strength left to fight back. He could only watch helplessly as the giant wave engulfed him, hurling him violently back into the sea. His body tumbled through the water, battered countless times by the waves, before finally sinking into the bottomless abyss.
Yet this time, he did not immediately lose consciousness, and his thoughts remained clear. Whether due to a premonition or something else, he seemed to see his family, and the figure that haunted his dreams.
He could not help thinking of his father, Xu Fu, the man who used to punish him severely whenever he made a mistake as a child. He would be injured, yet full of anxious concern. It was his father who had taught Xu Lin alchemy and medicine, taught him how to be a true man, and taught him how to conduct himself in the world; he had even pulled strings to have others teach Xu Lin martial arts and spearmanship. His back, though somewhat stooped, had held up the entire sky for the Xu Clan. Although this voyage out to sea with his father had brought countless hardships, and he was now even about to die in this vast ocean, he had never regretted it. To be able to ease his father's burdens meant he had not lived in vain as a son, even if the outcome was not what they had hoped. Xu Lin longed to hear his father's teachings once more, to fight side by side with him again. He wondered if his father's mission had succeeded, if they had gathered more materials, and whether the Immortal Pill could still be refined without his own contribution of ingredients. It probably wouldn't be easy. "I'm sorry, Father. In the end, I still couldn't help you."
He remembered his mother's warm embrace, the safest harbor of his childhood. Her hands were always so gentle as they stroked his brow, and her smile could always dispel the gloom in his heart. Xu Lin still remembered the osmanthus cakes she made; that sweet taste was the flavor of home that he would never forget. His mother's parting injunction seemed still to echo in his ears. "I'm sorry, Mother. I have failed your trust and can no longer return to your side to fulfill my filial duties."
The laughter of his younger brother and sister, crisp and sweet like silver bells, and their innocence always allowed Xu Lin to forget his troubles. How he longed to hear them call him older brother once more, to fly kites with them again, to run through the fields and city streets, and to buy them a stick of candied haws. "I'm sorry, little brother and sister. I won't be able to watch you grow up. You must be good to our parents and grow up healthy!"
When he thought of that figure who haunted his dreams and held his deepest affections, his expression turned sorrowful.
She was like the breeze of spring, gentle and fresh; her eyes were like the stars of an autumn night, bright and deep. Her smile was the warm, brilliant sun of winter, capable of melting all coldness. Her deportment was as graceful as summer flowers, resplendent yet unostentatious. Her beauty lay not only in her appearance, but even more in her soul, pure and kind, like a clear spring nourishing every soul she met. Her very existence was a poem, a painting, a melody that left one intoxicated. Every expression and smile of hers seemed carved into Xu Lin's heart, so vividly clear. Yet he had failed to fulfill their promise. How Xu Lin wished he could return to her side right now, tell her of his longing, give her a grand wedding, and spend the rest of his life with her. "I'm sorry, Yurou."
Meanwhile, far away in a mansion in the Qin capital of Xianyang, the pure and lovely young woman who lay unconscious in a sickbed suddenly woke up. Her delicate hand clutched her chest as tears fell like raindrops, and she repeated in a murmur, "Brother Lin, Brother Lin..." Then she lapsed back into unconsciousness once more, as if foreshadowing something.
Various scenes flashed ceaselessly through Xu Lin's mind as he tried to grasp them. Yet all of this would soon become the past; he would leave them forever, leave this world. Xu Lin's reluctance to let go weighed upon him like a thousand jun, making it hard to breathe. He longed to see their smiling faces one more time, to hear their calls once again, but he knew all of this was nothing more than an impossible dream. A single tear slipped gently from the corner of his eye, instantly dissolving into the sea.
Xu Lin's consciousness began to grow hazy, his hands stretching out involuntarily as if trying to catch the many figures appearing before him, and then his consciousness plunged into profound darkness.
"Where is this?"