I want to tread the heavens

Deep within the secret passage, Yue Rong's face, illuminated by the faint glow of the moss, had turned from ashen to an ominous bluish-black. The demonic poison, like a bone-deep affliction, spread upwards along the meridians of his arm, each breath accompanied by a burning pain.

When Ling Xiao tumbled and slid down the side path above like a mud-covered monkey, stuffing the still-warm cloth bag into his hand, Yue Rong could barely see the boy's face, only smelling a strange, cool yet scorching medicinal fragrance.

"Uncle Rong! Hurry!" Ling Xiao's voice was choked with sobs and urgency.

Yue Rong didn't have the strength to ask any more questions. With his still functional right hand, he crushed the clump of dark red to brownish moss, mixed it with saliva, and applied it haphazardly to the hideous wound on his left arm.

"laugh--"

A sudden, burning pain shot through him, followed by a strange sensation of alternating heat and cold. Wisps of black smoke rose from the wound, fiercely clashing with the refreshing medicinal power of the Crimson Sun Moss. Yue Rong groaned, veins bulging on his forehead, his teeth clenched tightly.

About fifteen minutes later, the black aura gradually dissipated, and the tattered flesh at the wound no longer appeared as a horrifying bluish-black, but instead turned into normal redness and swelling. The black veins that had spread to the shoulder also stopped, and even showed signs of slightly receding.

The intense yang energy of the Crimson Sun Moss temporarily neutralized the yin-cold corrosiveness of the demonic poison, forcing it back and suppressing it near the wound. Although it was far from being eradicated, at least his life was temporarily saved, and some sensation was restored to his left arm.

Yue Rong let out a long, blood-stained breath, leaned against the stone wall, and closed his eyes wearily. Cold sweat soaked through his tattered clothes.

"Uncle Rong?" Ling Xiao knelt down beside him, carefully wiping the sweat and dirt from his face with his sleeve.

"He won't die." Yue Rong opened his eyes, his voice hoarse, but he had regained some strength. He looked at Ling Xiao's dirty little face, at the undisguised worry and relief, and felt a sharp blow to the hardest part of his heart. He raised his hand, wanting to rub Ling Xiao's head as usual, but his arm was too heavy to lift.

"You..." Yue Rong's gaze fell on the jade pendant around Ling Xiao's neck, which still radiated a faint, warm luster, and then looked into his tired yet unusually bright eyes. "What happened in the alchemy room?"

Ling Xiao's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

He recalled the miniature altar that instantly turned to stone, the lingering star map in his mind, and the vast and sorrowful maternal feeling that almost overwhelmed him.

"I..." Ling Xiao opened his mouth, but when he met Uncle Rong's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, he finally chose to confess. He took out the thin piece that he had broken off from the jade box, and with a sharp stone, relying on the unusually clear memory in his mind, he began to carve crookedly on the thin piece.

He had no talent for drawing, and the lines he carved were clumsy and discontinuous. But he tried his best to recreate the positions of the stars, the shapes of those ancient runes, and the outline of the star field in the core area of ​​the star map that was specially marked and made him feel inexplicably uneasy.

When he carved the approximate shape of the two ancient characters he "recognized" on the edge of the star map—the only ones that echoed repeatedly in his thoughts at the altar—"Zi Qiong"...

Yue Rong's breathing suddenly stopped.

He stared intently at the rough engravings, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints. It was as if they weren't two crooked characters, but two red-hot branding irons, fiercely scalding his eyeballs, burning through his skull, reaching a bloodied, sealed area deep within his soul!

"Zi...Qiong..."

Yue Rong squeezed out two broken syllables from deep in his throat, his voice hoarse and distorted, filled with unbelievable fear and... pain.

"boom--!"

Countless chaotic, bloody fragments, shimmering with lightning and starlight, exploded in his shattered sea of ​​memories! Burning palaces, falling stars, a figure in silver armor stained with blood, a gentle yet resolute smile, a spear's edge piercing the heavens and earth, and that tearful plea...

"Ugh—!"

Yue Rong suddenly clutched his head, letting out a low growl of extreme pain! His body convulsed violently, and the demonic poison that had just been suppressed began to stir again due to the intense mental shock. Black blood seeped from the wound on his left arm once more!

"Uncle Rong! Uncle Rong, what's wrong with you!" Ling Xiao was terrified and rushed over to try to hold him down, but was pushed away by the sudden burst of chaotic and violent aura emanating from Yue Rong.

Fa Cai was startled and jumped up, barking anxiously at Yue Rong, who seemed to be going crazy, but he was at a loss.

The excruciating pain lasted only a few breaths. With an iron will, Yue Rong forcefully suppressed the surging fragments of memory, along with the agony of his soul being torn apart, once again! His face was ashen, his lips were bitten until they bled, but his eyes finally refocused. However, deep within those focused pupils was an overwhelming sense of horror, pain, and... a trace of profound fear that Ling Xiao had never seen before.

"Where did this picture come from?" Yue Rong's voice was extremely hoarse, each word sounding as if it had been ground out on sandpaper.

"Underneath the alchemy room, there's a very small altar. It... flew into my head." Ling Xiao was startled by his appearance and answered softly, then asked urgently, "Uncle Rong, what is Ziqiong? Is this picture related to my parents? Did you just remember something?"

Yue Rong didn't answer. He suddenly reached out and snatched the jade piece engraved with a star map from Ling Xiao's hand, his five fingers tightening—

Click!

The jade piece was crushed into powder, which fell through his fingers.

"Uncle Rong!" Ling Xiao exclaimed.

"Forget it." Yue Rong stared at Ling Xiao, his eyes more stern than ever before, even carrying a hint of ferocity. "Everything you saw in the alchemy room today—this picture, and those two words—forget it all! Drain it from your mind, never think about it again, and never mention it to anyone! Do you hear me!"

Ling Xiao was stunned by his unprecedented harsh words, his face turned pale, but then a surge of anger mixed with grievance, confusion and stubbornness rushed up.

"Why!" He shouted at Yue Rong in such a loud voice for the first time, "Those are things my mother left behind! She showed them to me! What exactly is Ziqiong? Where is the Heavenly Palace? Who are my parents? Why did they abandon me? You know all of this! You've always known! Why wouldn't you tell me!"

A barrage of questions struck Yue Rong's heart like stones. He looked at the boy's red eyes, the tears he was trying to hold back, and the premature stubbornness and pain on his tender face. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by an icy hand, the pain almost suffocating him.

He knew that this child had been so well-behaved since childhood that it was heartbreaking; she never questioned or complained. But that didn't mean he didn't want to ask. Those doubts and longings, like seeds buried in his heart, were now completely ignited by this star map and the name "Zi Qiong."

Yue Rong's lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but he found that all words were so pale and powerless. Tell him the truth? Tell him that his parents were the most dazzling and tragic stars in the heavens, tell him that he had cursed blood flowing in his veins, tell him that they were being hunted down by the most terrifying force in the heavens, tell him that the more he knew, the faster he would die?

No. It's impossible.

At least not now, while he is still so weak.

In the end, all his unspoken words turned into a deeper silence and an unconcealable pain in his eyes. He avoided Ling Xiao's scorching gaze, slumped back against the stone wall, and closed his eyes, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.

"Uncle Rong! Say something!" Ling Xiao persisted, tugging at his sleeve.

Fa Cai looked at this and then at that, anxiously spinning around in circles. It tried to be silly, rolling on the ground to expose its furry belly, then pawing at Yue Rong's feet with its paws, letting out a fawning whimper.

However, the heavy atmosphere at this moment was not something its cleverness could dispel. Yue Rong remained motionless, while Ling Xiao bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes, which he stubbornly refused to let fall.

Fa Cai sheepishly got up, scurried to Ling Xiao's feet, nudged him with his head, and let out a soft "woof," as if to say, "Stop making noise..."

A stifling silence permeated the dark, damp secret passage. Only the faint sound of dripping water in the distance and the suppressed breathing of the two wolves could be heard.

After an unknown amount of time, Yue Rong finally opened his eyes again. His eyes had regained their usual calmness, but beneath that calmness lay an even deeper weariness and resolve.

"Xiao'er," he spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority, "there are some things I won't tell you, it's just not the right time. Knowing them won't do you any good, only bring you death. This picture, these two words, are the root of the trouble. From today onward, keep them buried in your heart. We must leave this place as soon as possible, leave this old land, and go to a safer place."

He looked at Ling Xiao, his gaze deep: "You only need to remember that your parents are upright and honorable people. They love you more than their own lives. And I..." He paused, his voice lowering, "I will protect you with my life as you grow up, until you are capable enough to find all the answers yourself."

Looking at the unwavering resolve and deep sorrow in Uncle Rong's eyes, Ling Xiao felt his pent-up grievances and anger suddenly deflate like a punctured balloon, leaving only a bitter and bewildered feeling.

He knew that Uncle Rong was determined not to talk. Asking again would only cause more pain for both of them.

He looked down at his mud-covered hands, then looked up at Uncle Rong's pale but resolute profile, and at Fa Cai, who was looking at him with worry at his feet.

After a long while, he softly hummed in agreement.

"I understand, Uncle Rong." The voice was soft, with a strong nasal tone.

He agreed and didn't press the matter further. But the name "Ziqiong," the star map, and the vast sorrow were deeply etched into his soul, becoming a silent seed that took root and sprouted in the deepest part of his heart.

He knew that Uncle Rong was hiding a huge and terrible secret. And one day, he would uncover it with his own hands.

Time flows silently like an underground river.

Life in the old land may seem peaceful on the surface, but the undercurrents beneath never cease.

After the incident in the alchemy room, Yue Rong's injuries were temporarily stabilized under the suppression of the Crimson Sun Moss, but the demonic poison could not be eradicated. On rainy or moonless nights, his left arm would ache faintly, a reminder of the life-or-death crisis. This further strengthened his resolve to leave his old home as soon as possible.

After learning that Yue Rong and his group had returned safely through the secret passage (without mentioning their specific gains), Guo Yun didn't ask any further questions. However, she secretly provided them with more protection and resources than before. She seemed to have a premonition of something and began to quietly reorganize the power of the three branches of the family, eliminating some remnants from Guo Dahai's era and placing more reliable people in key positions.

The biggest change came from Ling Xiao.

The seven-year-old child who was once well-behaved, patient, and would occasionally peek out from behind Uncle Rong seemed to have grown rapidly overnight.

He had grown taller, and although still slender, his physique was well-proportioned, and his movements carried the agility and vitality unique to young people. Years of practicing the "Swimming Fish Step" and the "Starry Sky Sensing Chapter" had made his eyes increasingly clear and his senses increasingly sharp. Occasionally, when he calmed down, a deep look, incongruous with his age, as if he had been tempered by starlight, would flash between his brows.

He no longer wore his doubts and emotions on his sleeve like he had in his childhood. Faced with the covert harassment from the remnants of Guo Dahai's faction, he learned to deal with them in a more tactful, sometimes even slightly sarcastic, manner. Under Guo Yun's arrangement, he began to take on some practical work in the outer courtyard, managing the warehouse, assigning odd jobs, and dealing with all sorts of people. He suffered losses and was even stabbed in the back, but he learned quickly, his methods gradually becoming more sophisticated. The ambiguous smile on his lips often made those who wanted to bully his "youth" feel uneasy.

Only when he returned to the small courtyard where he was alone with Uncle Rong and Fa Cai would the invisible armor on his face be removed. He would pester Uncle Rong to teach him new practical skills, complain about the underhanded methods of a certain manager who cut corners on expenses, and excitedly recount how he had used rhetoric to swindle those who wanted to take advantage of him. But in the quiet of the night, he would occasionally gaze at the two moons outside the window, his eyes vacant, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade pendant that he never took off his neck.

He is growing up, moving forward with a silent and stubborn determination toward a goal that only he knows.

Equally dramatic is the change in wealth.