Scarlet felt a sense of relief that almost made her feel guilty again, as she didn't feel like she deserved to not be hurt by the guilt she felt over the death of the people she killed.
However, she couldn't deny the relief she felt as she realized that in her last moment, she had decided to help everyone around her and maybe die forever in the process, instead of saving herself while everyone died.
She had used the forbidden technique, the Requiem of the Phoenix Song, which meant that she had absolutely done the most she could.
"You were in pain and desperate," Alex started speaking. "Most likely out of your mind. You instinctively wanted to go back home to protect yourself but you were stopped."
"Then, you were struck by the lightning and ran away. In the process, you gained a moment of clarity. You saw what was happening around you and felt the pain and guilt of having killed everyone. It consumed you."
"You don't remember the desperation you felt, you don't remember the fear of dying, but you do remember the pain and guilt, that's because that was the only emotion that truly stuck you."
"The fear and desperation were no longer with you, as you cared more for the people that were in pain than yourself. Then, you sacrificed yourself for them, killing yourself so you could heal them."
"You saved a lot of people from dying that night so many years ago," Alex said. "You should focus on that, and not the emotions you feel. Separate the fact from the feeling."
Scarlet nodded slightly, and even while she felt a bit better, the pain was still there. A dull, numbing pain that made her feel like she deserved the pain.
"I did something bad," Scarlet said. "Even though I did not intend for it, I did. I hurt a lot of people in the process. But I can't let that bring me down."
"Yes," Alex said. "For your sake, for the people's sake, you need to keep moving on."
The other elders spoke in the same vein, trying to revitalize the phoenix's will at the moment.
Scarlet nodded and slowly stood tall. "I'm done wallowing around," she said. "I have been missing from my domain for the last 5 thousand years. I shall return now, so the people can know that they can live in peace."
All the 10 elders immediately smiled, happy to see that their lady had returned.
"Will you punish us now that you are going to return back, lady Phoenix?" Yao Ning asked. "We deserve to be punished."
"Punish you for what?" Scarlet asked. "For trying to protect my people? For trying to do the right thing? Do you think of me as someone so cruel as to help the only ones that truly care about me?"
The elders quickly shook their heads. "But it was because of us that you had to die," one of them said.
"No, I killed myself," Scarlet said. "I gave up my life to save as many as I could. It's a good thing I was lucky and managed to go through rebirth. Otherwise, you would have been stuck here without another ruler for the next 6 thousand— wait no, for the next thousand years, maybe less."
"Oh," the group was surprised. "Another Phoenix would have come in the next millennia?"
"Yes," Scarlet said. "I think I'm right with how much time has passed now."
"I believe you are," Alex said. "Anyway, I think it is about time we leave this place."
He took back the puppet and put it into his storage ring and spread his spiritual sense to find his father and the rest who had gone into the caves to protect themselves.
He called them all back now that the trouble had ended.
"Right, what happened with the Kang family head? Wasn't he coming here?" Yao Ning asked.
"He's dead," Alex said. He pointed around the few remains of their bodies that had been scattered throughout the fields.
"Oh, you… killed them already?" the elders looked around in surprise. "Did lady Phoenix help you?"
"In the end, yes," Alex said.
"I see," they said. "Then that attack in the ocean earlier, that must have been you right, Lady Phoenix?"
"It was I," Scarlet said as she slumped a bit. Now that she knew there was nothing to worry about, she let the fatigue take over her.
"Then that bastard died the way he deserved," Yao Ning said. "For what he had done, he deserved to be burned by the lady."
"Oh," Alex said. "The Kang patriarch didn't burn. I killed him myself. Scarlet actually killed Zhu Shaofan."
"Zhu Shaofan?"
"Scarlet?"
The different elders latched onto different pieces of information.
"Why are you calling lady Phoenix, Scarlet?" Yao Ning asked.
"Well… uhh…" Alex didn't know exactly how to explain the fact that he had given a new name to the ruler of the Continent that had once been an Immortal that had lived for tens of thousands of years.
"He gave me that name," Scarlet said herself. "He found me when I was weak and helped me. I didn't have much memory or intelligence at the time, and he gave me the name."
"Oh," the elders didn't say anything.
Alex turned towards Scarlet and asked, "What's your real name?"
"My parents named me Nuanhuo," Scarlet said. "My family name is Feng, so my real name is Feng Nuanhuo."
Alex nodded as he heard that. "Feng Nuanhuo, huh?" he spoke softly.
"I would much prefer if you continue to call me Scarlet, however," Scarlet said. "I've grown somewhat attached to it."
"Oh, sure," Alex said.
"So… little Zhu really did come here trying to kill you, huh?" Yao Ning asked.
"Yes," Alex replied. "Had it not been for her, I would've died."
"Oh, uhh…" Yao Ning hesitated for a bit. "I don't think it is right to refer to lady phoenix that way, you know. She is the ruler of the continent."
"Right," Alex said slowly. He was wondering about the same thing for a while now. Since he had now learned that Scarlet was the ruler of the continent, was it right for him to keep the bond?
Or was he actually supposed to get rid of the bond? Maybe he didn't even need to care about it at all. After leaving this place, he assumed that Scarlet herself would bring forth the idea.
He wondered if he should be the one to start the conversation about it when they all noticed the people walking the down the mountain, coming towards them.
Alex's father was way ahead of everyone, running as fast as he could to come toward Alex. He arrived as close as he could before stopping and looking at everyone.
He wondered if they were enemies.
"It's alright, father," Alex said. "They are here to help us."
Graham walked up to Alex and hugged him. "Thank god you're alive," he said. "I have never been more worried in my life than today."
Alex smiled. "I was very worried about you as well, father," he said. "But it is all over now. We can all get away from here."
