Chapter 89: No Trace
Watching Yu Zhengqing, a man of seven feet tall, weep uncontrollably like never before, everyone around fell into a heavy silence.
“Zhengqing, Zhengqing…”
Beside him, his eldest grandson, Yu Xiaoran, was silently shedding tears in grief, while in front of him, his son wept desperately in sorrow and guilt. Old Lady Chen was utterly stunned.
Without words, she had already grasped the tragic outcome.
Even though her heart ached terribly at that moment, she had somewhat prepared herself for this possibility, yet it was still difficult to accept.
Yu Luo and her family, watching Yu Zhengqing return in this state, understood immediately that Old Master Yu was probably no longer alive.
For some reason, Yu Luo felt a dull ache in her chest, as if a heavy stone was pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.
Meanwhile, Yu Haojie’s hand was clenched tightly over his chest, his heart overcome with an inexplicable sorrow.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. His soul came from another time and space; this pain must have been the residual will of the original owner of this body, naturally taking over his emotions.
“Could Old Master Yu really be dead?”
Even Ye Jiaming found it hard to believe that the once mighty Marquis of An, who had fought through countless battles, had now met his end, far from home, on this path of exile.
The legend of Yu Hui, who once broke through the encirclement of thousands of enemy soldiers alone and led his troops to victory, seemed to have reached its final chapter.
From wailing cries to muffled sobbing, it took nearly a quarter of an hour before Yu Zhengqing finally managed to gather his emotions, painfully suppressing his grief.
Those around him, too, struggled to accept this reality, grief evident on every face.
Even the legitimate sons of the Yu family, who had somewhat resented Old Master Yu as a burden on their journey, couldn’t accept this outcome at that moment.
“Mother, Xiaoran and I searched the area for a long time but found no trace of Father—not even a sign of wild animals or any evidence of a body being dragged away.
I don’t know where Father went, nor can I bring him back. But Father couldn’t even move on his own. I can’t imagine what kind of fate he faced on such a dark, cold night. Even if there were no wild animals, the freezing cold alone…”
Despite his efforts to restrain himself, the thought of his father, paralyzed and helpless against the cold and danger, lying there alone until he died, made Yu Zhengqing choke with sobs, unable to stop.
Old Lady Chen’s lips trembled, her emotions a chaotic mix she couldn’t even understand.
She had thought her son’s grief was because Yu Hui had been mauled by wild beasts.
She could accept that her husband might have frozen to death on that mountain, but not the idea of his body becoming food for wild animals.
“Husband, does that mean Father isn’t confirmed dead, just missing?”
Lady Lan, snapping out of her own grief, moved closer to Yu Zhengqing, gently holding his large, calloused hand.
Because of his years of martial practice, Yu Zhengqing’s hands were rough with a thin layer of calluses despite his noble status.
Lady Lan dared not hold him too tightly, only wanting to give her husband a bit of comfort and encouragement at that moment.
Hearing this, Yu Zhengqing sniffled and nodded.
“Yes, there was no trace of Father. But Father…”
“Husband, maybe someone kind-hearted saved him!”
Lady Lan’s sudden words made the dim eyes of Yu Zhengqing light up with a flicker of hope!
“You… you think…”
“Father, I think Aunt Lan might be right! Maybe Grandfather really was saved by someone. Let’s not think of the worst. If we searched the area thoroughly and found no signs of wild animals or struggle, then maybe someone saved him—especially since Grandfather couldn’t move at all.”
Before Yu Zhengqing could finish, Yu Xiaoran, his eyes red and swollen from crying, spoke with renewed hope.
His words gave Yu Zhengqing, who couldn’t bear the truth, a glimmer of comfort.
“Yes, yes! Your grandfather must have been saved by someone kind. The bandits couldn’t have taken him—they wouldn’t have any use for him in that state. Since we couldn’t find him, he must have been saved, he must have!”
Repeating the same words as if to convince himself, Yu Zhengqing’s bloodshot eyes gradually filled with a comforting self-deception. The rest of the Yu family, too, felt somewhat relieved hearing this.
Even if they never saw him again, none of them wanted to imagine their loved one being dragged away as food for wild beasts, or freezing to death alone on a mountainside.
Filled with joy at this possibility, Yu Zhengqing pulled Lady Lan tightly into his arms, as if holding her could give him strength.
He was oblivious to the sour look in Chang Huilan’s eyes nearby, and to Yu Yingying’s immediate displeasure, her eyes turning cold.
“I suppose that’s a reasonable possibility. I didn’t expect Yu Zhengqing to be such a filial son,” Ye Jiaman muttered to herself, watching the Yu family members regain their vitality.
But after speaking, she realized that neither Yu Haojie nor Yu Luo responded. Turning back, she found both father and daughter clutching their chests, frowning.
“What’s wrong with you two?”
“Mother, I just suddenly felt this overwhelming sadness, as if Old Master Yu’s death really affected me deeply.”
“Me too! I just felt this unbearable pain all of a sudden. Could it be because of our blood relation?”
“Perhaps. Maybe it’s the lingering emotions of your bodies, or it could be the blood ties. Are you feeling a bit better now? Let me get you some glucose—it might help.”
Saying this, Ye Jiaming pretended to search her backpack, taking out two glucose bottles and handing them to the father and daughter.
After drinking the glucose, the suffocating pain in their chests eased a bit. Meanwhile, the sky was gradually getting brighter.
The mountains, covered in snow, remained shrouded in fog despite the daylight. The visibility was poor, with everything appearing gray and murky, making it difficult to see more than five meters ahead.
Zhang Yuan urged everyone to quickly eat something, saying they should rest for no more than a quarter of an hour before continuing their journey.
Such tasks were supposed to be handled by Yu Zhengqing, but given his current state of mind, Zhang Yuan took on the responsibility instead.
While the three of them were away, the families had discussed and agreed to use the gathered food for the journey. Each household would send someone to cook, and they would eat together to save supplies.
