59. The Sea of ​​Hatred (Part Seven)

◎I've come to form a bond with you...◎

Lou Tinglan's gaze was fixed firmly on that single word in blood.

"thousand."

A surname he had known since childhood, but never imagined that it would be associated with him in this way.

Who else in the world could silently alter the divination results under the tutelage of someone like Qianjibu, and even inflict a curse upon him so that he could not speak openly until his death? Besides the highly respected Qingxiao Sect Leader Qianzhong, who else could it be?

He suddenly remembered the broken Azure Jade Token that Lou Shuang had once given him. Only now did he momentarily realize that everything was connected in some mysterious way.

A chill ran through him, but he had to admit that a sliver of hope remained in his heart; perhaps it was all just an absurd illusion.

Ran Qinghe looked at his face, which had lost all color, and his slightly trembling fingertips, and understood.

"Are you going to find him?" Her voice was softer, less confrontational.

Lou Tinglan closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, the turbulent emotions in her eyes had been forcibly suppressed, leaving only a near-dead calm.

He gave a soft "hmm," his voice so low and hoarse it was almost inaudible.

*

Because he needs to teach swordsmanship at Yunya Academy in the near future, a temporary residence has been specially set aside for Qianzhong in the hall. The residence is located at the top of Luoxue Peak, where the spiritual veins of the Discipline Hall converge. It is a rare holy place for quiet cultivation, filled with spiritual energy.

However, today, when Lou Tinglan stepped into this secluded courtyard, even the wind seemed to stand still.

The courtyard gate was wide open. Qian Zhong sat in the main hall, holding an ancient scripture in his hand, his expression solemn. When Lou Tinglan entered, he showed no surprise, as if he had already expected their arrival.

He raised his head, met Shang Lou Tinglan's pale eyes filled with suppressed emotions, and the lively-eyed girl behind him, and gently closed the scroll in his hand.

"Tinglan, you've come."

His voice, though solemn as always, carried the loving kindness of an elder.

Lou Tinglan stood below the hall, sunlight streaming in from behind him, casting a long shadow on the floor with a slightly cold hue.

"Sect Leader Qian." He addressed him with an obviously distant title, still bowing respectfully, but his voice was devoid of any warmth. "Qian Jibu is dead."

Qian Zhong nodded slightly, sighed, and said with a hint of regret, "Your Uncle Qian has gone astray and fallen into depravity for a long time, to the point that his mind has become clouded, which is why he has ended up like this. It is truly regrettable..."

“But he died from a curse.” Lou Tinglan suddenly interrupted him.

A look of surprise flashed in Qian Zhong's eyes, seemingly genuine: "True Mantra, isn't that the usual method of the Discipline Hall?"

He suddenly flew into a rage, slammed the book in his hand onto the table, and raised his voice sharply: "Outrageous! The Discipline Hall has dared to extend its reach so far, even daring to mess with Qingxiao!"

Lou Tinglan stared into Qian Zhong's eyes, not wanting to miss the slightest change: "But before he died, he wrote the character 'Qian' on the corner of my robe. I really don't understand."

Before Qianzhong could answer, he continued, "Not only that, Senior Qianji also admitted that someone had secretly tampered with the divination results back then."

When this was mentioned, Qian Zhongcai paused for a moment. The anger on his face gradually faded. He neither denied nor admitted it. He just looked at Lou Tinglan quietly with deep eyes.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke, his voice lower and deeper: "Tinglan, some truths are better left unsaid."

It's the same old story. Lou Guan tries to dissuade them, and Qian Zhong does the same. But if they are completely unaware of the truth, how can they know whether the truth should be known or not?

Lou Tinglan: "But Tinglan doesn't want to live in chaos and confusion; she'd rather suffer."

His face remained expressionless, but the spiritual energy around him subtly fluctuated due to the intense emotional turmoil.

"How did my mother die? Tinglan can't pretend not to know, nor can she... turn a blind eye."

A flicker of emotion crossed Qian Zhong's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper obsession. His tone carried an almost cold resolve:

“Your father is a rare genius in the cultivation world, one in a thousand years. He has the potential to reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao and ascend to the upper realm. He should not be troubled by his children’s affections.”

"...Qianxue...she's very good, but she shouldn't have become Lou Yunya's calamity. I admit, I did change the divination, not for any other reason than to make Qianxue willingly leave your father."

"Both of them have their own paths and should not be trapped."

"But Qianxue is unwilling, and Lou Yunya is unwilling too..."

Lou Tinglan felt a sharp pain in her chest, almost causing her to lose her balance: "So... you killed her?"

His questioning was like a sharp sword, piercing Qianzhong fiercely.

Qian Zhong's face finally darkened, his expression filled with undeniable authority: "Ting Lan! How dare you!"

The atmosphere between the two was tense, as if the air itself was about to freeze.

Ran Qinghe, who had been silently observing, subtly shifted her gaze. Her eyes quietly swept over Qian Zhong's waist, where a brocade pouch embroidered with gold cloud patterns hung.

She inexplicably sensed a familiar aura.

Taking advantage of the moment when the two were locked in a standoff and had no time to spare, Ran Qinghe moved with the agility of a swallow.

She was extremely sensitive to the flow of spiritual energy. A very faint layer of spiritual energy, almost blending into the surrounding spiritual energy, silently swirled around her fingertips as it passed by Qianzhong's side.

Qian Zhong was still annoyed by Lou Tinglan's questioning, and he hadn't been on guard against Ran Qinghe, so he was caught off guard.

When he felt a lightness at his waist and snapped back to his senses, the brocade pouch was already in Ran Qinghe's hand.

Ran Qinghe pinched the brocade pouch and tried it, then smiled provocatively. Just as she had expected, the brocade pouch contained the Mirror of Past Lives.

No one could have imagined that after the Mirror of Past Lives returned to the heavens, it would be carried by Qian Zhong every day.

"you!"

Qian Zhong's expression changed drastically, and his aura suddenly surged, instantly enveloping the entire inner room with oppressive force, as he attempted to reclaim the Mirror of Forgotten Past.

However, Ran Qinghe was faster. She poured all the spiritual power in her body into the Mirror of Forgotten Past, while at the same time, she grabbed Lou Tinglan's arm tightly with her other hand.

"Lou Tinglan, trust me." She smiled.

The Mirror of Past Lives instantly engulfed the two of them. Qianzhong's palm strike landed on the spot, but missed completely. He could only watch helplessly as their figures were swallowed up by a white light and disappeared.

Inside the hall, only Qian Zhong remained. He maintained the gesture of reaching out his hand, his face ashen, his eyes filled with an unfathomable complexity, before finally letting out a heavy sigh.

*

After an unknown amount of time, the uncomfortable tearing sensation suddenly disappeared, and her feet touched solid ground again. Ran Qinghe staggered, but was caught by Lou Tinglan beside her.

"How are you feeling?" Lou Tinglan asked anxiously.

Activating the Mirror of Past Lives already consumes spiritual energy, especially since they have traveled back more than a hundred years, a time span that is so large, making the consumption of spiritual energy even greater.

Ran Qinghe's lips were a little pale, but she smiled and did not answer his question directly. Instead, she said, "Lou Tinglan, being too conventional may not be a good thing."

"Instead of getting the answer from that old fogey, you might as well see it for yourself."

They were no longer surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Discipline Hall, but by a slightly unfamiliar landscape.

The main hall standing before us bears the three large characters "Discipline Hall," though it is slightly smaller than it would be a hundred years later. The disciples coming and going wear slightly different attire, and the spiritual energy permeating the air seems more vibrant and abundant.

The two followed the disciples in the hall and entered the side hall together. As the curtain was lifted, a face that Lou Tinglan knew all too well sat on the peach wood armchair in the center.

Louyun Cliff.

He was dressed in a white robe with gold trim, his hair held back only by a black ribbon, his features were clear and bright, a gentle smile played on his lips, and his gaze was focused.

"Did she come again today?" Lou Yunya asked.

The disciple below reported, "Reporting to the Hall Master, the female cultivator is still waiting outside the main hall. She still hasn't revealed her identity, only saying that she wants to see the Hall Master."

Lou Yunya suddenly threw the pen in his hand onto the table. "Forget it. She must have something important to say since she has come to see me so many times. Go and bring her here."

The disciples below tried to dissuade her: "But that female cultivator is wearing a veil and is trying to conceal her identity. I'm worried..."

Lou Yunya waved his hand: "It's alright, there are only so many people in the realm who can hurt me."

The disciple accepted the order and withdrew, but Lou Yunya suddenly became unruly, raised one foot, propped it on the chair, and boldly dipped it in cinnabar, circling the character "准" (approved) on the open case file.

Because the person in the mirror could not perceive the presence of the person outside the mirror, Lou Tinglan and Ran Qinghe stood openly in a corner of the side hall.

Lou Tinglan's gaze followed closely to that figure, more vivid and unrestrained than the father in his memory, whose brows still held a sharpness and spontaneity that had not been worn down by the years and burdens.

Soon, the door to the side hall was pushed open again, and the disciple returned, followed by a slender figure.

The newcomer still wore a veiled hat to conceal her face, and a simple light blue gauze dress, exuding a cool and aloof temperament.

Lou Yunya then lowered his legs from the chair, sitting up slightly, but his posture remained relaxed. He looked up at the people below, his tone carrying a hint of involuntary curiosity, neither dismissive nor overly enthusiastic:

"What important matter could this fellow Daoist have that requires such secrecy in his visits?"

After everyone in the hall had left, the female cultivator below remained silent for a moment. Then, a slender white hand rose and slowly removed the veil from her head.

Beneath the veil, a face of unparalleled beauty peeked out, her features exquisitely beautiful, her skin as smooth as snow, and her eyes as clear as a mountain pool. She gazed directly at Lou Yunya above without hesitation, her lips slightly pursed, her voice clear and resonant, carrying a resolute calm:

"Qingxiao Sect, Qianxue."

"I'm here to form a bond with you."

With a clatter, the vermilion brush that Lou Yunya was playing with fell onto the open file, spreading a small patch of bright red ink, but he was completely unaware of it.

The relaxed smile on his face froze, turning into undisguised astonishment, even disbelief, which he repeated over and over:

"To form a bond?"