Embers of Sword

Chapter 238: He in the Distance (6K)

"From nothingness..."

"Into the void..."

The sound of ancient Chinese texts chanting echoed around the sea of fire. The wooden house shattered with a snap and turned into countless wood chips that floated in the air.

The chanting sound, with its desolation and sorrow, trembles!
Rumble!
The void blocked by the Five-Colored Divine Furnace began to tremble.

Prince Jiu was shocked and looked at this scene in disbelief. His Five-Colored Divine Furnace was a top-level treasure used to prove the Yang God! This great power to seal the void was personally tempered by the Peacock Great Venerable. Ordinary Yin Gods could not break through the suppression of the Divine Furnace at all!

What exactly is hidden in this wooden house?
He had previously swept his divine consciousness across the earth.

I didn't sense the danger at all...

now.

The wooden house was shattered, and the old man sitting in a wheelchair was at the center of the storm. She looked up at the rain of fire with a calm expression, and just sang ancient text softly. The power of the Tao contained the power to break through the air, and it spread out like ripples!
Ants.

This time, Prince Jiu was completely certain that there was nothing wrong with the results of his previous divine sense investigation.

The existence in this wooden house is just an ant.

But what principles are contained in this ancient text?
It can actually break through the Five Colors Divine Furnace! Shatter the void!
Xie Xuanyi stared at Shan Man in a daze.

The two looked at each other from a distance of several feet.

A gentle voice entered his heart.

"Thank you, Zhen."

Shanman's thoughts flowed like water, brushing against his heart.

"Many years ago, He rescued me from chaos, singing this ancient ballad."

The old man's face gradually turned pale, but a smile appeared in his eyes, as if he had returned to the early years.

"She taught me how to read, how to practice, and how to set up formations."

“She taught me a lesson.”

The world is bustling with people.

There are millions of people seeking the truth, but only one or two find it.

Born in the morning and die in the evening, thousands and millions of them.

In this world, not all practitioners have to follow the rules and start from Qi Refining, Building Foundation, Controlling Qi, Cave Heaven, Yin God...

The "Tao" in this world was created by humans.

Even if millions of people take the path, not all of them may be right.

In the spiritual world, there are many stories of "sudden enlightenment overnight, ascension in broad daylight," but everyone knows that these are just stories. The great way is above, like a chasm. How can anyone simply reach out and pluck it?
But today.

Xie Xuanyi witnessed this unreasonable miracle.

From the first time they met, he felt that the old man's Qi had long been exhausted. Over the long years, this charming body became riddled with holes and dilapidated. Even if he really had the realm of controlling Qi, the strength he could exert was only the foundation-building and Qi-refining. It was a great luck that he could retain one or two out of ten.

But even such a broken body could burst out with such powerful strength at this moment.

The void blocked by the Five-Colored Divine Furnace is no longer stable.

The obscure ancient text turned into a brilliant green light, rising into the sky.

The sound of dragon roar spread slowly.

This is "Tao".

The spring cicada, which is born in the morning and dies in the evening, can also "attain enlightenment" if it can live for two hundred years.

Xie Xuanyi stood silently under the cover of countless green rays. He looked at the scene with a complicated expression, and the last words of Shan Man emerged in his mind.

[“According to the time, it should be about time.”]

The two words "Shan Man" mean prophet in ancient Chinese.

The old man dismissed Mu Niu and Tie Suo Xiang Li Mei, and asked himself to stay here with Qing Li, and he knew what would happen next.

For me, this is a disaster.

If you leave Tiesuo Lane.

Even if he could avoid a fight with the commander of ten thousand men... he would sooner or later be stopped by Lord Jiu who "crossed the void".

With the trump cards he now holds, he faces Lord Jiu who has sacrificed the "Five-Colored Divine Furnace".

How does it end?

Xie Xuanyi had no idea.

But at this moment, this green light rose from the ground and shattered the void blockade of the Five-Colored Divine Furnace!
The old man stared at Xie Xuanyi and said calmly, "Go to Dayuejing. I'll take you there."

"Woooo..."

Qingli's eyes suddenly became moist.

She patted Xie Xuanyi's shoulders, trying to break free, but Xie Xuanyi did not let go.

Xie Xuanyi took a deep breath and silently clenched the protective stone amulet.

The old man’s divine thoughts lead him to this place.

The green light descended and landed on the shoulders of the two men, turning into a square inch cylinder that completely enveloped the two men.

"You dare!"

Prince Jiu was furious.

The colorful divine figure holding the small furnace "slowly" stretched out his palm, turned his palm over, trying to block the gap in the void and cut off the green light in half -

But alas, it's all in vain!

This road is a gift from the "True Dragon"!
The palm of the five-colored divine shadow was directly pierced by the green light!

This towering Dharma image let out a low roar, and in a rage, it sacrificed the divine furnace and tried to knock the two of them down!
But the green light that enveloped Xie Xuanyi was truly like a sword drawn from its sheath, unstoppable, tearing apart the barrier of the void and disappearing in an instant.

The green light dissipated.

Tiesuo Alley had been razed to the ground and turned into ruins by such a powerful force.

Prince Jiu knew that there was no need to continue sealing the void at this moment... the Five-Colored Divine Furnace was broken, and the most important "that person" had escaped.

And the culprit.

At this moment, she was sitting in a wheelchair, looking calmly at him.

"..."

Prince Jiu's eyes were gloomy to the extreme. He took back the Five-Colored Divine Furnace. The peerless treasure that was originally used to overcome the Yang Divine Tribulation turned into a stream of light and slowly embedded itself into his brow.

His expression at this moment can no longer be simply described by the word "angry".

The colorful divine shadow gradually dimmed.

"Do you know what you are doing?"

After a long time.

Lord Jiu, who was hanging in the sky, spoke slowly.

Every word and sentence contained the principles of the Tao, like a divine command, making the entire world tremble.

In fact, he didn't need to speak.

The old woman in the wheelchair, her last breath, like a candle burning in the wind, should never have plucked the Dao Fruit. It was only after two decades of companionship with Qingli that she unexpectedly glimpsed this great Dao… Now, the Dao was nearly extinguished, and her life was extinguished along with it. The old woman's seven orifices were shattered, and blood oozed from her skin, staining her clothes red.

This ant's body has burst out with such great power, but it will definitely pay a price.

The cicadas chirping in spring and winter will surely usher in silence.

Prince Jiu exhaled deeply, stretched out his hand, and pointed his palm at the tiny figure at the far end of the alley.

The old man seemed to sense something.

He slowly raised his head.

She smiled as she looked at the fluttering royal robe hanging in the air. In fact, after the great Dao rules burned out, her vision had become blurred and she could not see the outside world clearly.

Prince Jiu clenched his fist indifferently.

A loud bang sounded, and it exploded at the end of the broken alley!

……

……

"I don't have a name."

[“Those who died in that battle and wandered around the Great Moon Country actually have no names.”]

"A thousand years... it's truly too long, so long that we've forgotten everything, even who we are."

[“Shanman, is actually the name He gave me.”]

[“He said that everyone should have a name when they live… Since I am alive, I should have a nice name.”]

[“He also said that deep in my soul sea, there is a jade slip from the historian family of the Great Yue Kingdom. We can learn from history and distinguish right from wrong. The Great Yue Kingdom was destroyed and history has become the past. If we could do it again, we should look forward, not look back.”]

[“The word ‘Shan Man’ means a wise man who can see into the future.”]

“It’s a good name. I like it.”

[“I like ‘Shan Man’.”]

[“I prefer Him who gave me a name.”]

“But…He said He had no name.”

[“I have spent my whole life searching for the answer to one question.”]

“He.”

[“Who is it?”]

It is said that after death, people will see countless darkness or countless light.

It depends on what the person did during his lifetime.

As the saying goes, good is rewarded with good, and evil is rewarded with evil, that's it...

Unfortunately.

I died too early, and after death my mind was in chaos, a mixture of black and white.

But, I should be lucky.

Because a thousand years later, I saw the endless holy light, and "Him" standing in the endless holy light.

There are nine million dead souls in the Dayue Kingdom. These nine million dead souls are wandering in the void. Perhaps only one lucky one in a thousand can fall from the void, come to the mortal world, and live another life.

The lucky one percent.

To be able to meet Him.

In the end... I should be the only one who stayed by her side and accompanied her through this long period of time.

This is a one in ten million probability.

This is also destined.

At first, I didn’t understand anything. I only knew that as long as I was by His side, I would always feel endless warmth and a gentle breeze... After many years, I slowly learned to read, and I finally knew what the Dayue Kingdom was and what the broken ancient history was. How lucky I was to be able to live by His side.

Later, I accompanied Him and walked together in the world.

The book says.

This world is huge. There are sword immortals who fly with swords, giant whales that swallow cities, and saints who can move mountains and seas...

But this is different from what is said in the book.

There is only endless haze and choking gray fog here.

It turns out that my "world" is very small.

It is so small that one can walk through it in a few years. It seems that there are only broken streets and alleys, and densely packed collapsed buildings.

He took me all over this ancient country, through the dilapidated streets and alleys, and avoided the pursuit of cavalry.

At last.

He took me to the most beautiful places here.

He said, this place is called Dayuejing.

As long as everyone in this world is sincere, they can see what they want to see most in front of the well.

The first time I went to Dayue Well, I didn’t dare to look too much. I finally stood by the well, but I could only cover my eyes carefully and peek at the mystery at the bottom of the well through the gaps between my fingers.

The reason for this is simple.

I'm afraid.

The well is too deep, and I’m afraid that if I fall in, I won’t be able to see Him.

I am afraid that this worthless life that I have finally picked up from the chaos will die miserably because of my greed for beautiful scenery... Just like those beautiful women that were crushed by the iron cavalry, they are "lives" that were obtained with great difficulty and should have bloomed brilliantly like flowers, but they were easily smashed to pieces after encountering some disasters.

"What do you see?"

The first time He asked me this question.

I don't know how to answer.

Maybe I don’t dare to look.

Or maybe it's because I'm not sincere.

Through my fingers, I could only see two reflections by the well, one large and one small, snuggling together. He, wrapped in holy light, embraced the tiny me. Although there was no wind, the "us" in the well water was blown to pieces, swaying in all directions, and turned into a thousand or ten thousand pieces.

I regret it.

Not bolder.

Some things, once you miss them, you will have to wait for a long, long time.

When I was young, I didn’t dare to go to see the Dayue Well. I never imagined that... I would have to wait for decades before I could stand by the Dayue Well again.

But He at that time was no longer the same Him as before. He was shrouded in holy light and was sacred and inviolable.

Decades later.

Coming to Dayuejing again, it was me who brought Him with me.

Still one big and one small.

But... He had forgotten all the past and became blind, and could no longer see the scene in the well.

"What do you see?"

Fate is really a funny thing.

This time.

He still asked the same question.

And this time.

I gave the answer.

I didn't cover my eyes again. Instead, I stood right above the wellhead, silently staring into the bottomless abyss. This time... I could see clearly.

Two figures leaning against each other were reflected in the well water.

Me and Him.

It's just... it was Him from sixty years ago. The holy light was rippling in the well water, making it impossible to look directly at it.

It turns out that I was not wrong back then.

He was right, this big moon well could reflect the greatest desires in people’s hearts.

Live again.

The only thing I want is to live.

To be precise, live by His side and stay by His side for a long, long time, forever.

I looked away. In this life, he had lost his memory, became blind, downtrodden and ordinary. He no longer had the holy face he had in the past.

You can bow your head again.

He in the well still radiates an awe-inspiring light.

Decades later, He had become her.

But she is…still He.

"I saw 'us'."

I said to Him, my voice full of satisfaction: “Don’t worry, I will be with you throughout this long life.”

The book says that when everyone is born, they will feel trust in the first life they come into contact with.

The book doesn't lie.

This is true for me and for Him.

This answer satisfied Him, but His next question left me with a long-lasting headache.

He asked me a question.

A question that I cannot answer in my lifetime.

He asked me who He was.

Who is He?
I felt a sense of powerlessness.

I have spent decades accompanying and following, but I cannot even answer such a simple question... This is beyond my ability and my understanding.

These decades.

I don't even know His name.

He seemed...unaware.

In this life, I decided to give Him a name.

"You are 'Qingli'."

"Green carp?"

He was confused and unfamiliar with the name.

"Hmm... Qingli."

I stared at the Dayuejing carefully and said slowly, "The book says that this is a creature that has been extinct for a long time. It may appear in streams, rivers, or anywhere else."

"Has it... perished?"

She felt a little regretful and asked, "If you can appear anywhere, why would you perish?"

I stared at the well water swaying with golden light and remained silent for a long time.

The reason why she was given this name.

just because of……

I saw a green carp in the well water, which symbolized the vain desires deep in people’s hearts. Everything that happened here did not require a reason.

After hesitating for a long time.

I told her: "Maybe what the book says is all false. Qingli is not dead yet. Qingli is still alive."

"Qingli is a good name."

She hugged her knees, squatted in front of the well, and watched the swaying water waves quietly.

Even if she can't see it.

She still watched carefully.

I started to regret... and not naming her that.

But that year.

I did not ask Him what He saw in the well.

If I had been bolder back then, I would have taken one more look and asked a few more questions.

now.

There wouldn't be so many regrets.

Unfortunately……

There are not so many ifs in life.

The days of the second life were more "interesting" than the first. He was no longer the high and mighty god. After losing all his glory, he became Qingli, a mortal whom I could touch at will. I had the thought countless times to tell Qingli the truth.

But I fear His wrath, and I fear my own heart.

The book says.

When the green carp jumps over the Dragon Gate, it will turn into a real dragon.

I knew this day would come.

The holy light falls and descends majestically.

She broke free from the shackles of the mundane world, regained her spiritual body, recovered her memories, cleansed her soul, and opened her troubled eyes.

This day has arrived.

Perhaps, this is the day when the well water dream is shattered.

Because I am selfish, I am timid, I am greedy, I want to survive...

So I conceal, I shrink, I hide, I lie...

I have lived like this for sixty years.

What frightened me more than her recovery of her divine body was that she did not recover, but became even worse. Although she was no longer blind in her third life, she became mute.

This time, I started to feel scared.

I have traveled all over ancient countries and searched through ancient books, and discovered that there is something in this world called the "Five Signs of Deterioration of Heavenly Beings".

It turns out that God can also die.

It is said that those high and mighty beings will lose their memories and become incomplete when they are close to falling.

The signs recorded in ancient books all correspond to the green carp and fit perfectly.

What scares me more than the mighty descent of holy light is...

Because of selfishness, greed, and possession...

This caused the Holy Light to be submerged and extinguished.

Li Mei, who were born in the void in the Kingdom of Dayue because of luck, usually can only live for three to five years.

I've lived this long...

There was probably only one reason why I stayed with her.

The number of “God’s favor” in this world is limited, and my existence attracts most of them.

As I said before.

GOD'S FAVOR LIMITED.

The incompleteness and misfortunes of this world befell her one after another, for two consecutive lives...

No matter how much I want to compromise.

A decision must be made.

I have come a long way in this life, and I want to take her to Dayuejing one more time before the end of my life.

just.

I want to live a little longer...

In her previous life, she told me that she wanted to live a more lively life, so I decided to take Qingli and find a quiet alley before the end of my life.

I want to teach her many, many words.

I want to take her on many, many walks.

Wait till I'm dying.

So I took her to Dayuejing again.

If we can arrive safely this time...

I'm going to ask her.

She was in the well and saw something.

……

……

Unfortunately.

There is everything in this world, except if.

The enchanting soul gathers slowly but disperses quickly.

God’s favor will eventually end——

When I wanted to walk again, I could no longer walk and could only sit in a wheelchair, trapped in prison.

I should, I'm afraid, probably... not live to see that day.

but.

A young "outsider" recently came to the alley.

The young man's surname is Xie, and he is a down-to-earth person.

I don't know why, but I always feel close to him when I see him...

Li Mei is a "person" who has lived a second life.

The way this young man spoke and acted revealed a sense of maturity, not like a teenager.

But, what really attracted me.

It is the soul of this young man.

In my first life, He taught me how to see clearly into a person's soul.

I think this young man is very similar to many of the charming people in the Dayue Kingdom.

The Devil of Dayue Kingdom, although his soul is incomplete, he cannot let go of the hatred for the loss of his country.

The soul of this young man also exudes an incomplete "beauty".

Deep in his soul, there was a string that was tightly stretched.

I guess this is probably a very persistent person.

If one day I can no longer continue this journey, I must find a very reliable person to send Qingli to Dayuejing.

……

……

【"pity."】

【"pity."】

【“There are many things I haven’t had time to say.”】

"I should ask Xie Zhen to remember to ask Qingli... what he saw in the Great Moon Well."

“I should ask Xie Zhen, if you have the energy to spare, to please take the foolish wooden ox and those spirits away from here.”

[“I should…”]

[“I should have resolved all my regrets back then.”]

The old man sits in a wheelchair.

Although her eyes were open, she could not see anything. Blood kept flowing from her eye sockets and all vision was blurred.

Thousands of thoughts.

Flowing and converging in an instant.

And then shattered.

She could neither see nor hear—

The roar that resounded throughout Tiesuo Alley, a loud noise that was enough to destroy everything, seemed mute and silent at this moment, as if time had paused for a brief moment.

After a while.

Her world was shattered in an instant. The sky and earth did not turn dark. On the contrary, countless holy lights submerged her.

The rolling torrent swallowed her up.

Come from the void and go to the void.

Maybe death is like this——

After death, there is no pain, no regrets, and no remorse.

The next moment.

The silent world suddenly had sound again.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

It's the sound of the wind.

She seemed to have returned to that day many years ago and became the child who wiped her eyes with her hands. At this moment, she was no longer timid. In the broken memories shrouded in green light, she carefully moved her palms away and stared for a long time at the swaying golden light in the well water and the two figures leaning against each other.

Shan Man was stunned for a moment.

She raised her head with tears streaming down her face and bit her trembling lips tightly, afraid that the slightest sound would break this dream.

That distant Him was now very close, standing beside her.

Shrouded in holy light, it is still so holy, making people's hearts and minds sway, as if in a dream.

One hundred and twenty-one years later.

Meeting again is like meeting for the first time.

……

……

(Thank you for waiting.)
(End of this chapter)