“Senior, senior, what happened…?” Lin Jingyu rushed to Wan Jianyi’s side, kneeling down, his hands trembling as he tried to lift the elder, but the body beneath him was soft and lifeless. A chill surged through his heart, as if he were submerged in an endless ice cavern. The places he touched revealed that the old man’s bones were shattered.
“Who, who did this?” Lin Jingyu’s voice suddenly became hoarse, his teeth biting into his lips so deeply that blood trickled out. Even his eyes seemed to burst with rage and despair.
“Senior, senior…” he murmured, choking back sobs, and finally broke down. He had never known that he could cry, not until now, in front of this broken and feeble old man. The despair from a decade ago seemed to shroud him once more.
Wan Jianyi gazed at the young man with a sense of powerlessness, too consumed by sorrow and hopelessness to feign anything. Perhaps, there is still someone who truly cares for me, Wan Jianyi thought to himself.
His fingers twitched, and then, as if guided by divine grace, he raised a trembling hand. Lin Jingyu’s body jolted, and he grabbed the elder’s hand, urgently asking, “Senior, senior, do you have something to say? Who did this to you? I swear, I will avenge you! Who, who was it?”
Wan Jianyi’s face grew paler, his breaths growing fainter, yet his eyes gleamed brighter. The hand clasped in Lin Jingyu’s grip, the fingers faintly moved…
Lin Jingyu stared, then lowered his gaze. In his palm, the old, weak fingers, smeared with blood, scribbled a few characters: “B…e… w…a…r…”
Suddenly, from the mist behind him, a dark figure emerged. Ghost Master’s eyes glowed intently, staring in their direction. Lin Jingyu, with his back to Ghost Master, was fully focused on Wan Jianyi’s fingers, oblivious to the presence. But Wan Jianyi saw, their gazes meeting in mid-air, like a silent passage of a hundred years.
A fragment of long-forgotten times…
Wan Jianyi smiled, a bloody smile directed at Ghost Master, and then shook his head.
Lin Jingyu waited, but Wan Jianyi did not continue writing. He looked up, only to see Wan Jianyi’s head loll to one side, his breath extinguished. Lin Jingyu’s body trembled, his hands shaking as he stared in disbelief at the lifeless face. After a long moment, he shouted, “Senior…!”
The sound of pain echoed as he fell upon the old man’s body, weeping.
Ghost Master stood silently behind him, gazing at Wan Jianyi’s aged face. After a long while, he quietly retreated, vanishing into the mist, leaving behind a distant, mournful sigh.
********
From the Wolf Howl Mountain, the sharp and vicious howls carried by the wind grew louder. On Azure Ethereal Vapors, the heads of the righteous gathered on the Heavenly Peak, led by Daoxuan, Puhong, and Yun Yilan, all with grave expressions, frowning as they looked towards the base of the mountain.
A faint, acrid scent wafted in the air, evoking images of the countless, ruthless beast demons below. No one knew what the aftermath of this calamity would be.
In the square outside Jade Clear Hall, the crowd was eerily silent, their faces heavy with concern. At that silent moment, a distant, sky-splitting howl rose, like a wolf’s howl or a ghost’s wail, piercing through the air, approaching from afar.
Though the sound seemed to come from the foot of the mountain, the high-pitched scream reached the clouds, causing everyone to pale. The echo reverberated among the perilous peaks, then slowly faded, but just as it died away, a roar from the beasts below erupted, rising to the heavens, merging into a thunderous wave, changing the color of the sky, rumbling through the air.
The cloud vapor dissipated, and a mass of black mist rose from the base of the mountain, growing larger and denser, gathering in the sky opposite the Heavenly Peak, blocking out the sun. Dark clouds drifted over this fairyland.
Someone cried out, and the sharp-eyed people on the peak looked towards the black clouds. In the depths of the clouds, a young man in striking silk robes stood, hands behind his back, expressionless, staring indifferently at the people on the mountain.
What were people to the eyes of heaven and earth?
He waved gently, his gaze piercing through the mountains. Below, the beasts roared, the stench of blood wafting, and finally, the cries of the dying rang out…
********
Feeling something, Ghost Li paused, frowning as he turned to look towards the Heavenly Peak. The sky was dark, winds howling, though not far away, the weather in the back of the mountain was completely different.
Warm sunlight filtered through, landing on his cloak.
Ghost Li slowly withdrew his gaze, instinctively looking over his shoulder, but he didn’t see Xiao Hui. This time, entering the Illusory Moon Cave, he had deliberately left Xiao Hui behind, the dangers self-evident, and he had no certainty. The earlier battle with the mysterious old man, even with Ghost Master’s assistance, left Ghost Li with an inexplicable feeling about the elder. The Azure Ethereal Conclave, with its thousands of years of history, was indeed a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
Wasn’t he once a part of this place?
He pressed his lips together, resuming his steps. The path was lined with dense forests, evergreen pines and cypresses, and lush undergrowth, winding through the unknown mysteries.
Deep within the woods, the chirping of birds could be heard, seemingly unaffected by the chaos on the other side of the mountain. The air was peaceful, even cold.
Ghost Li’s initial tension dissipated in the tranquil surroundings, and when he first saw the four characters “Illusory Moon Cave,” facing the famous landmark, his face remained calm, as if he were looking at an ordinary cave.
Indeed, in front of him, it seemed to be just an ordinary cave.
The entrance, half a man’s height and about seven feet wide, was on a gentle slope, surrounded by green vines and thorns, some hanging over the entrance, swaying gently in the breeze. Beneath the greenery, the words “Illusory Moon Cave” were etched in stone.
Everything around, including the inscription, appeared so ordinary. Could this be the root of the Azure Ethereal Conclave for two thousand years?
The ancient scroll that had created countless heroes, including Qingyunzi and Ancestor Qingye, lay quietly here?
And the legendary ancient sword!
Ghost Li gazed at the four characters, the age-old inscriptions seeming to silently return his gaze.
Without a word, without a sigh, he stepped inside, as if entering the annals of the past…
********
Contrary to expectations, the room was not deep and long but a simple, unadorned stone chamber. The entire arrangement of the room could be seen at a glance. A few stones piled in the corner, the damp spots on the walls covered with a faint layer of moss. The only difference from the outside was the extraordinary silence; stepping into the cave, everything seemed to quiet down, as if separated from the world.
As Ghost Li scanned the surroundings, his gaze finally rested on the stone wall directly across from the entrance. In the smooth wall, a stone tablet with a Tai Chi symbol was embedded, the only thing in the cave connecting to the Azure Ethereal Conclave.
Ghost Li took a deep breath and approached the Tai Chi symbol. Marks and scratches were visible, indicating its age. Ghost Li silently observed it, recalling the words Ghost Master had spoken not long ago.
Then, he gently placed his hand on the Tai Chi symbol, and a faint azure light emanated from his palm. Ghost Li, expressionless, watched the light, feeling the familiar energy of the Tai Chi Mystical Pure Path coursing through his meridians, a connection to this mountain!
Like a long-sleeping entity awakening, the silence of the stone chamber was broken by a distant, soft sound, as if the entire cave let out a sigh. Something began to turn, and the Tai Chi symbol lit up with a blue light, beginning to rotate.
After a full rotation to the right, a “click” sounded, and everything stopped. Ghost Li retracted his arm, waiting quietly.
The silence was fleeting, and the cave filled with a deep, rumbling noise. To the right of the Tai Chi symbol, the solid wall cracked, forming a circular fissure. Slowly, the crack widened, revealing a secret passage. However, at the entrance, a strange, swirling greyish-white mist obscured the view, like fog or water, constantly rotating, making the inside unclear.
Ghost Li gazed at the mist, reassured that Ghost Master had not deceived him. But what lay within the mist?
Without hesitation, he strode forward, disappearing into the mist. The two sides of the stone wall quietly closed, leaving no trace.
********
In a daze, in the depth of the boundless sky, a flash of lightning streaked across, piercing the darkness of the night, transforming into an enormous glowing sword descending from the heavens, so dazzling that it could not be looked at directly, piercing deep into his heart.
Then, a peculiar, shimmering moon rose in the dark sky, hanging high in the distance.
For a moment, his mind went blank, forgetting everything, except the gaze fixed ahead, behind that blinding light.
It was as if a low, mournful voice was softly crying, but a familiar laugh interrupted, followed by the wailing of a child.
Somehow, he held his breath!
A strange, intense tension, his heart racing, the wind seemed to blow, but he felt no presence, as if only his eyes were exploring, finally seeing…
A small village, and behind it, a dilapidated straw temple.
“Has she given birth?” a man’s voice asked anxiously.
“Yes, both mother and child are safe, it’s a boy!” the midwife said, her voice filled with joy, “Congratulations!”
“Haha, haha…” the simple man laughed, his honest emotions filled with relief and gratitude. The next moment, he saw the crying baby, cradled in his parents’ arms.
“What name should we give him, dear?” the mother, weak but smiling, asked.
The father thought for a moment, “We’re not well-educated, but the most learned person in the village is Master Lin, the teacher at the east end. Why don’t we ask him to name our son?”
The mother nodded, and the father went out. Soon, he returned, holding a note, “Master Lin said, for a family like ours, the most important thing is to live in peace and contentment. So he gave us three characters, written on this paper.”
Joyfully, the mother asked, “Oh, a learned man is different. What name has he given our son?”
The father, with rough hands, showed the note to the mother, embracing her and the sleeping child, whispering with reverence and affection, “Zhang, Xiao, Fan…”
“Boom!”
A sudden thunderclap echoed, and rain began to fall. He shivered, gasping heavily!
Outside, the rain poured, the sky dark as ink, and the distant Azure Ethereal Vapors loomed menacingly. Amidst the bitter wind and rain, the father and mother embraced, smiling peacefully, looking at their child…
He wanted to shout but could not, a thousand words swirling in his mind, but only two emerged: “Father, Mother!”
The raindrops, cold and piercing, fell on his face.
********
The phantom moon in the sky shimmered with a pale light.
“Bang!”
A stone flew through the air, passing through his body, and landed behind him. The sky, once clear, was now dark, and a group of children ran through the village, laughing and playing.
The plain-looking boy ran desperately, chased by a slightly older boy and his friends, shouting, “Zhang Xiaofan, stand still if you have the guts!”
The boy spat, running faster, “Do you think I’m stupid?”
The chase continued, leading them to the dilapidated straw temple at the eastern end of the village. From the outside, the temple was in disrepair, having withstood countless years of storms.
Zhang Xiaofan was the first to enter, followed by the others, and the sounds of the children echoed from the decaying temple.
He stared, his mind blank, a strange, forgotten fear seeping into his heart, filling his chest.
Step by step, he approached the temple, nearing the long-forgotten nightmare.
The slightly older, handsome boy, astride Zhang Xiaofan, grinned, “Caught you, what can you say now?”
Zhang Xiaofan rolled his eyes, “It doesn’t count, you cheated me, how can it count?”
The boy was taken aback, “When did I cheat you?”
Zhang Xiaofan, “You, Lin Jingyu, dare to say this plank wasn’t put here by you?”
Lin Jingyu, “There’s no such thing!”
Zhang Xiaofan, his lips pursed, head tilted, stubbornly refused to surrender. Lin Jingyu, enraged, gripped his neck, “We agreed whoever catches the other loses, do you admit it?”
Zhang Xiaofan ignored him.
Lin Jingyu, his face red, squeezed harder, “Admit it?”
Zhang Xiaofan, his breathing becoming difficult, his face reddening, but his will was strong, and he remained silent.
Lin Jingyu grew angrier, his strength increasing, “Admit it, admit it, admit it?”
Admit it… Admit it… The voices echoed in his mind, bringing back years of bitterness.
Then, as if anticipated, or perhaps not: a withered, wrinkled hand, so familiar, so close, yet so shocking, filled with boundless hatred, reached out from the past.
The old monk, smiling, with the same kind and compassionate expression, stood before him. In that moment, his world went blank, the village, the children, the argument, all disappeared, leaving only the old, serene monk, smiling at him, a picture unchanged by time.
He trembled, a surge of unexplainable grief and anger rising in his heart, and he let out a long, mournful cry.
When had the sky darkened again?
Rain fell quietly, drenching him.
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