remnant soul
Just past midnight, the back mountain was quiet and secluded, with only the rustling sound of the wind passing through the pine branches.
The young man in black robes leaned against an ancient pine tree, his right hand gripping the Lone Goose Sword horizontally, the hilt resting against his palm. The sword was entirely silver-white, with a blue-green gem embedded in the center of its spine, gleaming with a cold, eerie light.
The wind swept withered leaves past his feet. He lowered his eyelids slightly, his long eyelashes concealing the fleeting emptiness in his eyes. When he looked up again, the corners of his lips had returned to that usual, nonchalant, mocking curve, and a very soft sneer rolled out from his throat.
Within the sword, Yunwei's remaining consciousness clearly perceived that laughter.
She remained calm and composed, reflecting only on the events that had transpired when Xie Lanchen questioned her whereabouts. Her father, in fact, had shifted the blame for the massacre in Shitang Town entirely onto her, asserting that she was weak-willed, had fallen into demonic ways, and would ultimately perish.
It's ridiculous that her father, who once earnestly taught her to "have a clear mind and cut off what needs to be cut off," is now using the word "cut off" on her.
Before she could finish her thought, the boy suddenly lowered his head, his left hand with its distinct knuckles slowly reaching towards the spine of the sword, his fingertips hovering an inch away from the blade. Then he paused, a whisper escaping his throat, as if speaking to the sword, yet also as if talking to himself: "Yunwei has fallen into demonic ways? Nonsense."
Before he finished speaking, his fingertips somehow moved forward, gently slicing across the sword's edge.
With a soft "hiss," he abruptly withdrew his hand, a thin line appearing on his fingertip from which a bead of crimson blood dripped, landing squarely on the sapphire on the sword's spine.
In an instant, a clear and melodious sword cry arose, and the silent sword body shimmered with light, humming incessantly.
Yunwei felt a burning, excruciating pain emanating from the depths of her soul while she was inside the sword.
She endured the pain and focused her mind to resist. Before she could figure out the strange phenomenon caused by this blood connection, she heard two disciples whispering behind the artificial rock.
"Did you hear that clearly? Yesterday's tragedy in Shitang Town, hundreds of people... all gone in an instant!" The disciple who spoke first spoke with a voice filled with fear.
Another immediately chimed in, his tone disdainful and certain: "And she was once the leader of swordsmanship, revered by thousands! In my opinion, she's clearly a demon in human skin! I really don't know why the sect leader valued her so much in the past!"
This crude arrangement is even more riddled with flaws than the father's original explanation.
However, the rumors spread so quickly that they wouldn't have been so vivid unless someone was stirring things up behind the scenes. As the sword clash subsided, Yun Wei composed herself and listened coldly as the two continued to embellish the story.
"Shh! Keep your voice down! But... Senior Brother Zhao, I vaguely remember that when your hometown was flooded, it was your parents who begged her to let you join the sect, right? What you're saying makes you... uh, ungrateful?"
"So what!" The disciple surnamed Zhao's voice suddenly rose, then he hurriedly lowered it again. "The favor of being introduced is a private matter, but the slaughter of living beings is a public one! I am putting righteousness before family! The sect's reputation is more important than anything else!"
Yunwei was filled with a myriad of thoughts: Over the years, because of her exceptional talent and methodical approach to things, coupled with her mother's past misdeeds, the criticism behind her back had never ceased.
Amidst envy, jealousy, doubt, and slander, she has always sought only to have a clear conscience, and has no need for others to interfere.
Just then, a cold voice suddenly broke in, carrying undisguised sarcasm.
"Sacrificing family for the greater good?"
Yun Wei felt the sword tremble slightly, but Xie Lanchen had already retrieved it to his waist.
She looked over and saw the boy with his arms crossed, half of his body hidden in the shade of the pine and cypress trees, his gaze fixed on the face of the disciple surnamed Zhao.
"Zhao Changsheng, six years ago, when the Huai River breached its banks, your parents fled with you to the Guiyun Sect's mountain gate, kneeling in the wind and rain for three days straight. If it weren't for Yunwei passing by and taking pity on you, saying that you 'still have the strength, so give him a chance,' do you think your parents' few tattered possessions could have opened the Guiyun Sect's mountain gate?"
He added, "They say you should never forget the well-digger when you drink water. You drink this well water to your heart's content, but then you wish you could trample the well-digger's bones into the mud and spit on them."
The boy chuckled, his voice trailing off softly and slowly, "What a fine example of 'sacrificing family for the greater good,' truly an eye-opener."
Yunwei sensed the veiled barb in his words, which both condemned Zhao Changsheng for being ungrateful and subtly mocked those scheming and despicable people in the sect who climbed up the ladder by stepping on her reputation.
But how could he remember even these old, trivial matters so clearly? And why is he willing to speak up now?
No, it might not be for her. Yun Wei immediately understood.
Perhaps it was Zhao Changsheng's impatient attempt to distance himself and kick someone when they're down that was so disgusting, which just happened to offend Xie Lanchen.
He is known for his unpredictable temper and acts solely on his own whims. The fact that he spoke up now is most likely because he dislikes this kind of person.
It would be a huge joke if she actually believed that he was protecting her.
Unbeknownst to Yunwei, the boy's left hand, which was hanging in his sleeve, twitched slightly.
Zhao Changsheng's face turned from red to white, then from white to green, his lips trembling as he tried to explain.
Seeing this, another disciple quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Senior Brother, for your anger! We were out of our minds and talked nonsense. Please forgive us, Senior Brother!"
Xie Lanchen didn't even glance at the beggar out of the corner of his eye. He only approached Zhao Changsheng step by step. Although his figure seemed slender, the shadow he cast carried a heavy pressure. His cobalt blue eyes were filled with an unyielding gloom.
“The next time I hear her name from your lips,” he said in a low, chilling voice, “I’ll forget about your tongue.”
After saying that, he suddenly turned around, his clothes fluttering, and his quick steps stirred up a gust of cold wind as he left.
Reaching a secluded, uninhabited forest, he suddenly drew his Lone Goose Sword with a backhand motion.
The silver-white sword reflected the sunlight, coldly illuminating half of his taut profile.
Yun Wei was puzzled when she felt the sword being shaken by him. Then she heard him speak coldly, his tone nasty: "You think I'm standing up for you? Don't flatter yourself. I'm just disgusted by the kind of face that gets huge benefits but then turns around and bites back. That kind of face is more repulsive than your cold-blooded appearance."
He could actually sense her thoughts? Could it be because of that drop of blood just now?
Ancient divine weapons, if ingested with specific essence and blood, may indeed temporarily resonate with the soul of their wielder.
Her remnant soul residing in the sword was an anomaly, and by a twist of fate, she unexpectedly developed such a spiritual connection with Xie Lanchen.
Although it seems bizarre, upon closer examination, it does align with certain esoteric principles.
In that case, roundabout probing is no longer useful.
Yun Wei composed herself and coldly asked, "Xie Lanchen, can you help me transform into human form?"
"Help you?" The young man repeated the words in a low voice as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his sarcasm almost overflowing. "Yun Wei, what makes you think you can? Is it because of your former high cultivation, your ever-present aloof and arrogant demeanor, treating me as if I were nothing? Or—" A low, cold laugh rolled down his throat, and the resentment that had been building up for years seemed to find a crack and seep out at this moment, "because of the fact that you took me back to the Yun Sect back then, yet let me struggle to survive like a stray dog, and even wagging my tail and begging for mercy couldn't earn you the slightest glance?"
Wagging its tail and begging for mercy?
Yunwei thought carefully but had no recollection of it.
Her life's focus was solely on cultivation and slaying demons and protecting all living beings.
Aside from the necessary competitions and disputes within the sect, he paid no extra attention to them.
His resentment seemed inexplicable. But she had neither the time nor the inclination to argue with him about these old grievances; escaping, taking revenge, and uncovering the truth were her top priorities.
"The old grudges between us can be discussed later." Her voice came through the sword, still calm and cold, without the slightest hint of emotion. "I still have three things to settle: the demonic dragon that overturned the sea in Shitang Town has not been eliminated. If this monster is not destroyed, the living beings around the sect will suffer, and I will not be at peace. My father falsely accused me of falling into demonic ways and destroyed my physical body. My reputation must be protected, and I will avenge this. My birth mother, Yun, died tragically in the sect's forbidden area thirteen years ago. The cause of death is unknown, and I must find out the truth."
She changed the subject slightly and said, "If this matter fails, my remnant soul will be trapped in the solitary wild goose for only one day. Now that our thoughts are connected, the torment I suffer day and night, and the hatred and resentment in my heart, will be continuously transmitted to your mind and consciousness. Day and night, year after year, you will suffer the same torment as me, with no peace."
He would never agree. Yun Wei knew perfectly well that he would.
Xie Qingfeng treated him like her own son, far surpassing his treatment of her, his biological daughter. Why would he risk his powerful adoptive father for the sake of this "dead" demon?
Moreover, they were sworn enemies, having fought for many years. Her fate should remove the biggest obstacle to his struggle for the position of sect leader.
If she were in her shoes, she might have made the same choice.
But these words had to be spoken. Faced with life and death, old grudges could be temporarily set aside. If she didn't take human form, her remnant soul would eventually be gradually worn away by the sword's spiritual energy. Her mother's injustice, the blood debt of Shitang Town, her own disgrace—each and every one of these things awaited her resolution. Xie Lanchen was the only opportunity before her, and even with a thousand reluctances, she had to try.
The boy's grip on the sword hilt tightened abruptly, his knuckles turning white. His face was clouded with rage, his eyes churning with conflicting emotions. After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out three words, one by one, through clenched teeth, each word carrying a chilling edge:
"You...don't...think about it."
Just as I expected.
Yunwei said no more and did not waste her energy arguing. She immediately focused her mind and concentrated her strength.
Once she sets her mind on a path, she will overcome any obstacle, even mountains of knives and seas of fire. With no one to help her, she will find her own way.
Humiliation and hardship are nothing to fear.
*
The next morning, as dawn broke, mist swirled through the mountains and forests.
Xie Lanchen, with the Lone Goose Sword hanging at his waist and dressed in a green robe, was traveling with five inner disciples deep into an ancient forest rarely visited by humans.
“Senior Brother Lu…” A young disciple followed closely in the middle of the group, his voice low, his face a mixture of nervousness and excitement at his first mission of this kind. “Is the Demon Dragon Overturning the Sea really hiding here? I have been in the sect for three years, and this is the first time I have had the opportunity to face such a great demon directly.”
He naturally didn't have that opportunity. Yun Wei's thoughts were cold.
In the past, a powerful demon like Fu Hai would have been killed by her with a single sword strike. Why would these disciples with shallow cultivation need to risk their lives to investigate?
The disciple called Senior Brother Lu forced himself to remain calm, bent down and stroked the hideous claw marks more than a foot deep on a broken tree, and whispered, "There's no mistake. Yesterday, the disciples patrolling the mountain sent back a message that the demonic aura here is unusually strong, and the smell of water is pungent, which matches the characteristics of the demonic dragon that overturned the sea in the records."
Xie Lanchen walked at the front, his sharp gaze sweeping across the dark woods ahead. His thin lips parted slightly, his voice carrying his usual coldness and impatience: "If you're afraid, you can still turn back now."
The people behind him immediately fell silent, even their breathing became much softer.
"Beware of the deep ravine on the left," Yunwei said at the right moment. "Fuhai is cunning and excels at hiding and launching sneak attacks, especially using water vapor to escape detection."
The boy did not pause in his steps, nor did he twitch his eyebrows, as if he had not heard anything.
Yunwei was already used to his attitude and didn't care.
She transmitted her voice again, bringing up the old matter once more: "What have you thought about what I brought up last night?"
Xie Lanchen remained silent, only the hand on the hilt of the Lone Goose Sword tightened imperceptibly.
It seems there was more than just a lack of response.
Thinking this, Yun Wei spoke again: "I once saw a record of an ancient secret technique in the secret library of the sect. If one's cultivation is pure enough, one can use one's own blood essence as a guide to form a 'co-existence pact' with the remnant soul, which can temporarily endow the remnant soul with the ability to condense into a physical body. Although it is not a real physical body, it is enough for me to wield a sword and investigate many truths."
This method does indeed exist in ancient books.
However, once this contract is formed, the practitioner and the soul become one in spirit and mind, their lives intertwined, and if one is harmed, the other is harmed, as if they share the same fate.
This matter must not be revealed to him at this moment, Yun Wei thought to herself.
Given his temperament, if he had known the price would be so high, he would probably have preferred to perish together with her rather than let her have her way.
“Senior Sister.” Xie Lanchen’s voice suddenly rang out, full of mockery and rejection. “Your ‘humble’ manner reminds me of your former haughty and disdainful appearance.” He suddenly chuckled, the laughter soft and cold, the red mole under his lips casting a shadow in the dim light of the forest. “How ironic.”
Yun Wei replied calmly, "You only see the quickness of verbal sparring, but you don't see that the foundation of the sect has been shaken and the people are suffering everywhere. Engaging in this pointless argument with you will only waste my energy."
In his view, everything she did was for her own benefit.
As long as the demonic dragon in Shitang Town remains, the people of the world will live in constant fear. Guiyun Sect claims to protect the land and its people, but where has that true spirit gone?
Her father falsely accused her of falling into demonic possession. If this matter is not resolved, she can be unjustly accused today, and others can be unjustly accused tomorrow. Once the sect's rules and regulations are completely destroyed, what will she rely on to stand in the world?
Her mother died thirteen years ago in the sect's forbidden area, and the cause of her death remains a mystery. If she couldn't even find out the truth about her mother's demise, wouldn't she be unworthy of being a daughter, utterly unfilial?
These matters, each and every one of them, left her no room to back down.
A cold laugh escaped the young man's throat, his cobalt blue eyes churning with intense mockery and a deeper resentment: "Yes, sects, the common people, even complete strangers, all receive your utmost protection and occupy all your attention. Yet I alone, no matter what, cannot catch your eye. Now that I'm in trouble, you still want to use this righteousness of the common people to bind me?"
"The survival of the sect and the lives of others," he said, each word distinct and clear, "have nothing to do with me."
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