Chapter 288 Iron Khitan Codex (Supplement) "How long are you going to rely on it...?"
The rain was still falling, and water droplets washed over the jade tablets of our ancestors, tracing the names on them.
The open umbrella made a crackling sound as it was slapped open, which gradually entered his ears.
The ice in my heart seemed to shatter completely with such a sound, and the original indifference and sluggishness gradually faded away, replaced by a pulsating energy bursting forth from my heart.
Perhaps it was grief, perhaps sadness, perhaps resentment—whatever it was, these things warmed his mind, dispelling his previous depression and numbness, and he finally felt alive again.
Wei Changzai's black hair was disheveled as she looked straight up. A red umbrella shielded her from the rain, and her eyes, like a clear spring, quietly reflected his face. There was neither pity nor reluctance, but rather a silent strength that made one feel that anyone could stand up as long as she was by their side.
She waited for him like that, as if she had returned to the past.
She was always like that, like an unyielding lone pine, standing in front of him to guide the way.
"Wei Changzai is relaxed yet disciplined. He practices swordsmanship when it's time to practice and fishes when it's time to fish."
“Wei Changzai, it’s one thing that you can’t cry, but you can’t even laugh properly. Look at me, I laugh like this…”
"Wei Changzai, all you need to do is draw your sword."
"Wei Changzai, I will be waiting for you here."
...
Every word still echoes in his ears; it's a tone he can never forget. Fortunately, she's still here today.
After a moment of calm, Wei Changzai's body was still trembling from the immense emotional shock. He struggled to his feet, and scattered points of light gradually emerged from his body, seemingly indicating that his mental state had been damaged, causing his cultivation level to drop.
But he didn't care at all. He just leaned against Lin Feiran and said in his recently recovered voice, "...Give me a hug, okay? Give me some time."
Lin Feiran paused, and the hand that was supporting his arm moved to his back.
Is your level of understanding declining?
"……have no idea."
In the rain, Zhang Chunhe leaned against a pillar, golden incantations covering his entire body, now melting and flowing as if being burned.
He didn't look at his grandmaster again, but instead looked at Wei Changzai as usual, a rare look of confusion in his eyes.
"This is not a drop in cultivation level, but rather the spiritual energy that was previously sealed is overflowing and repairing your heart meridian... But that's impossible. You clearly departed in harmony with heaven and earth. Emotions have been severed, so how can they be regenerated?"
At this moment, he was like a burning candle, his skin melting and dripping like wax, mixing with the rain, yet it still couldn't melt away the stubbornness in his eyes even a little.
He looked in this direction, muttering to himself as if deep in thought, a look of disbelief gradually appearing on his face.
He braced himself against the floor, his wide-open eyes reflected in the puddle. He struggled forward a few inches and uttered in a hoarse voice, "You... what you've cultivated isn't the unity of heaven and man at all!"
Shock, anger, helplessness, and confusion.
Even when he met his grandmaster just now, he did not show such a complicated expression.
The grandmaster stood aside, only sighing. He said, "From the very beginning, he was not cultivating the path of ruthlessness."
When Lin Feiran was recuperating in the Infernal Land, he once sat down and discussed Taoism with Wei Changzai.
He originally thought that Wei Changzai was cultivating the unity of heaven and man, but his understanding was somewhat flawed. He failed to distinguish between great love and ruthlessness, so despite his excellent talent, he was unable to make progress for a long time.
He went there with the intention of giving guidance, but halfway through the discussion, he realized that what Wei Chang was cultivating was neither the unity of heaven and man nor ruthlessness.
After moving a few inches, Zhang Chunhe could no longer move forward; his body could no longer support such a movement, but he still looked up.
“Changzai, when your heart wavered and you broke through to the Free Realm, your sword heart took form. I sent you to see it. At that time, I asked you what you saw in your sword heart. You said you saw the Clear Mirror, you saw all living beings and the world…”
For a sword cultivator, the sword heart is the Dao heart; this is how the grandmaster realized the Dao of the unity of heaven and man.
Zhang Chunhe looked at him and suddenly understood something. His expression changed repeatedly before finally turning into a self-deprecating smile for no reason.
"I lied to you, and you lied to me."
Wei Changzai remained leaning against Lin Feiran, without saying a word.
Zhang Chunhe had already melted away along with the golden incantation, and his gaze returned to its original peace as he looked at Wei Changzai: "What did you see in the sword's heart?"
Wei Changzai lowered his eyes and said truthfully, "I saw Manman. She was all alone. There were no ordinary people, no world."
Lin Feiran's expression froze for a moment, and she subconsciously turned to look at him, somewhat surprised.
Zhang Chunhe finally let out a laugh, the melting flesh resembling falling tears: "In the end, nothing has changed..."
The grandmaster looked at Wei Changzai, then recalled that night. He walked to Zhang Chunhe and cast a beam of light from his palm. Under this light, the bleeding flesh of Zhang Chunhe gradually slowed down, and he still retained a bit of human form.
The Grandmaster said, "Do all the disciples under the Dao and Palace need to cultivate the same Dao as me in order to revive the dynasty?"
Zhang Chunhe gasped, "Only this path can lead to true enlightenment, ensure invincibility, and be considered the orthodox path of Daohe Palace."
If it weren't for his deep-seated obsession, his divine consciousness wouldn't have survived until now.
Zhang Chunhe lowered his eyes, his hair was completely disheveled, and strands of it hung down in front of his eyes. Only now did he truly look like a dejected old man.
He seemed oblivious to the pain of melting, remaining silent until a few moments later when he raised his rotten, bone-revealing hand, wiped the blood from his lips, and touched the golden-red mark between his brows.
This was a blessing drawn for him by his master and several fellow disciples shortly after he began his studies.
If he could, he would wish to be reborn back to that time.
He raised his head and spoke with his last bit of strength, his voice hoarse but clear enough for everyone in Daohe Palace to hear.
"Fellow disciples, I, Zhang, have come to this point and deserve this retribution."
However, all of this has nothing to do with Daohe Palace. It was just that I went astray, acted recklessly, and made mistakes that you were all unaware of and were deceived by me.
Today it is time to clean house. I, Zhang, have no face to face our predecessors. The position of head disciple is hereby passed to the venerable ones. I hope you will all assist me in the future, so as to uphold the authority of the Way and Harmony.
The words were still echoing when he looked at Wei Changzai for a long time, then sat down in front of his grandmaster, his flesh dripping down. He kowtowed three times silently, and when he kowtowed for the last time, his head just rested on the ground and never lifted up again.
The three watched in silence. He was like a candle that had been extinguished, with only the flowing wax remaining. But soon, even that little bit of wax was gone.
The rain was pouring down, and there was nothing left in front of me.
Wei Changzai was already emotionally unstable, and now he was even more exhausted. He didn't know whether to go forward or stop. Zhang Chunhe's concern for him was genuine, his teaching was genuine, and his deception was also genuine.
As the last piece of flesh dissipated, his vision went black, and he finally collapsed onto Lin Feiran, exhausted.
She looked at the man, exchanged a glance with her grandmaster, and the two sighed slightly before turning and leaving with Wei Changzai.
The lamplight flickered under the eaves, and the wisp of mist finally rose and dissipated silently.
...
It's another day filled with darkness.
Wei Changzai awoke from his deep sleep. He opened his eyes and saw that the room was dimly lit. He quickly noticed the character "静" (quiet) embroidered on the ceiling.
When the mind is calm, the world is clear.
He was still in Daohe Palace, constantly recalling the past events, lying on the bed like a puppet, the last thing he thought of was Zhang Chunhe's vanished figure.
The door was suddenly pushed open, and a faint aroma of grains wafted in. He turned his head and saw Lin Feiran's figure.
She carried in the food tray and saw him staring straight at her, not particularly surprised: "You're awake? How are you feeling?"
"……fine."
Those jumbled thoughts were cut off, and only her figure holding an umbrella in front of me yesterday came to mind.
He didn't expect Lin Feiran to stay here.
Wei Changzai stopped lying down and sat up. Lin Feiran glanced at him and quickly walked over to help him to the table.
This must be a dream.
He was somewhat dazed, his eyes fixed on Lin Feiran, thinking that this might be a dream, yet he didn't even want to pinch himself.
If it's a dream, he doesn't want to wake up.
Lin Feiran supported him in a very proper manner, only slightly supporting his forearm, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far. The two walked quite steadily, but Wei Changzai was so engrossed in watching that he didn't notice his footing and suddenly tripped over a wooden stool placed next to him.
Perhaps by chance, or perhaps as he wished, his body relaxed, and he staggered forward, only to be caught by Lin Feiran instinctively.
She explained, "Grandmaster said that you almost broke through to the next realm, but failed. Your body consumed too much spiritual energy in a short time, which is why you are so weak."
"Is that so..."
Wei Changzai didn't know if he had listened to anything. He was practically being held by Lin Feiran, and his mind was already in a daze.
How long has it been since they've been this close?
Before they were pushed apart, he quietly pressed his chin against her shoulder and gently inhaled the scent of her neck in a gesture he hadn't done in a long time.
He felt a little dizzy. Those absurd past events seemed important, yet also unimportant. At this moment, he still remembered the peach blossoms and flowing water of that day, and the girl's bright yet reserved eyes.
He thought, he still has Lin Feiran.
However, amidst this familiar scent, a faint yet undeniable cool fragrance wafts out, like a heavy hammer blow.
"..."
He lowered his eyes, turned his head and buried his face in her shoulder, his dark hair cascading down her shoulders, arms and into her arms.
What does he have?
He knew that he had lost the one who loved him most, the one he loved most, Lin Feiran.
If I could do it all over again... If I could do it all over again...
If he could be like his master, could he also be Lin Feiran's Daoist partner for nine lifetimes... Unfortunately, there are no "ifs," he didn't have such a good opportunity.
Perhaps a long time had passed, or perhaps only a few moments, but she was still supporting him. If he could, he would even like to stay by her side like this for the rest of his life, since she would wait for him anyway, wouldn't she?
Lin Feiran was just too good, which is why he was so reckless before, and finally lost her.
Two knocks sounded on the door.
Wei Changzai looked over her shoulder and saw a golden-white figure walk in, carrying a bowl of medicine, and went straight to the side.
Lin Feiran had nothing to hide, so she naturally felt no guilt. She turned her head and asked, "How is it outside?"
Ru Xian glanced at Wei Changzai, raised her eyebrows, and calmly changed her tone: "The elders are still chanting eulogies for Zhang Chunhe, but everything is still in order. With our grandmaster here, things won't get chaotic."
Lin Feiran nodded: "It's just in time to drink the medicine..."
Ru Xian suddenly spoke up: "How long are you going to keep leaning on me?"
Wei Changzai lowered his eyes but didn't move at all. Lin Feiran was the first to react. She looked at the distance between the two, let out a soft exclamation, and then pressed Wei Changzai down onto the wooden stool.
The force was so great that not only did his long, loose hair fly up, but he was also shaken so much that he felt dizzy and had to close his eyes to catch his breath.
When she opened her eyes again, Lin Feiran was already sitting to the side, pouring tea for Ru Xian and fiddling with her sleeves, looking quite busy.
He watched quietly, then suddenly said, "If you were leaning against her, I wouldn't have said such a thing."
Lin Feiran paused, turned to look, and chuckled softly, but her gaze remained fixed on her: "It's only natural for me to rely on her."
Wei Changzai was not afraid: "What do you mean by 'natural law'? You're married? Even if you're married, nothing is natural law."
"Of course there are things that are perfectly natural and just!"
Lin Feiran immediately spoke up. She looked around, raised her hand between the two of them, signaling them to stop talking, and then got up and sat down next to Ru Xian.
"If there's nothing that's absolutely right or wrong, then why did you say I couldn't eat with other people before?"
Wei Changzai looked up at her and said, "..."
Lin Feiran was confused and pushed the medicine over to him: "Why are you looking at me? No, how did we change the subject again? You should drink the medicine first. Daohe Palace has undergone a major change, and there will be a lot of troublesome things to deal with in the future."
Wei Changzai took the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
Lin Feiran was the only normal person present. She suddenly learned so much yesterday, and her feelings were actually more complicated than Wei Changzai's.
She asked softly, "Now that you know your background, do you still plan to go to Dongpingcang to find them?"
She was referring to his parents, whom he had only met once.
Wei Changzai put down the medicine bowl, remained silent for a moment, then shook his head. His voice was still not clear, and sounded somewhat hoarse: "They already have a very good child."
His departure would be superfluous, so why disturb their long-standing peace?
"That Daohe Palace..."
“I will not become the head of Daohe Palace.” Wei Changzai looked at the jade token at his waist. “I will give it to my senior brother or Elder Qianyun.”
He didn't say what he was going to do next, but he was now very clear about what he was going to do. After this matter was over, he would follow Lin Feiran.
Lin Feiran's eyes flashed when she heard his words: "Have you seen Senior Brother recently?"
Wei Changzai shook his head: "I haven't seen him for a long time. Now that Master has passed away, he should have received the news and is on his way back."
Lin Feiran lowered his gaze slightly and responded.
Wei Changzai looked at the two of them, his gaze falling lightly on Lin Feiran: "Why did you two end up at Daohe Palace yesterday?"
Lin Feiran snapped out of her reverie and hesitated for a moment when she heard the question.
They originally came to collect blood, but so many things happened along the way that Wei Changzai was probably still reeling from it all, and she didn't know how to start the conversation.
As she was carefully choosing her words, Ru Xian said directly, "We originally came to you to get your blood, but we just happened to run into those things."
Wei Chang paused, as if he had thought of something. He glanced at Lin Feiran, then quickly looked away. He remained upright, his gaze cold, but his demeanor revealed a rare sense of guilt.
"...You found out?"
Lin Feiran looked at her in surprise: "You knew about this too?"
Wei Changzai was somewhat puzzled: "It was the love that I planted..."
He abruptly stopped speaking.
He was the one who took Lin Feiran's heart's blood to plant the love-longing bean. To unlock it, one would need his heart's blood.
He initially thought it was about this matter, but seeing her blank expression, he realized he had misunderstood.
He swallowed the rest of his words, only repeating, "I misunderstood, it turns out it's about drawing blood... How much do you need?"
Lin Feiran was even more surprised. Before coming here, she thought that taking the blood would take a lot of effort. After all, it was her heart's blood, and she would have to explain the whole story to him. If he was unwilling, she could not force him to take it.
But not only did he not ask, he spoke as if it were something to be taken and used at will. Did he expect it to be given by weight or pound?
"...Just a few drops will do. Aren't you going to ask me what I'm going to do with the blood?"
Wei Changzai looked at her, already pulling open her collar, and said with some confusion, "I'll give it to you whether you ask or not, why bother? As long as it's useful, take it if you want it."
Before long, three drops of blood from Lin Feiran's heart were hanging in his palm.
"..."
She watched silently as Wei Changzai, who was beside her, had already pulled his clothes back up. Although his face was a little pale, a slight smile appeared on his lips, which lessened the bitterness.
He thought, "He's still useful to Lin Feiran."
Out of a sense of duty, Lin Feiran still told Wei Changzai about the Iron Khitan Book. Wei Changzai sat quietly to the side and nodded after listening: "Of course, you should be the one to open the Iron Khitan Book."
Lin Feiran glanced at him again, feeling that he seemed to have changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
She shook her head inwardly, and then, under the watchful eyes of the two men, took out the Iron Khitan Book.
The heavy, ancient stone book sat on the table, its cover bearing numerous sword marks. Each page was blank, but now it depicted the ancestors who had left behind their divine consciousness. Each of them had attempted to mend the rift in the sky, but had failed.
The moment Lin Feiran opened it, they seemed to sense something and all looked at her.
"The moment has finally arrived."
Young man, be careful, the walls may have ears.
"Young man, watch out for those eyes."
One after another, spirits flew out from within, crowding into the narrow disciple's quarters, surrounding her, and completely obscuring the area.
Amidst the scattered spiritual light, Wei Changzai closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep. Ru Xian, on the other hand, was unharmed. He glanced at the spirits around him, flicked his finger against her open mouth, got up and walked to the window, never turning back.
Lin Feiran glanced at him before looking at the stone book. She took out the disciple's sword, which contained the marrow of the stone, and conjured a wisp of rootless fire burning with white flames. She then looked at it intently, her lips slightly pursed.
The moment the rootless fire touched the stone book, a burst of flame, like the flapping wings of a white phoenix, instantly spread out. However, the flames did not burn the houses, but instead burned a high mountain and a pavilion in front of her.
The surroundings had completely changed. Suddenly exposed to sunlight, Lin Feiran squinted at first before adjusting to the light and looking up.
Inside the pavilion sat an old man teasing a cat. He had rolled up his sleeves and trousers, sat on the ground, and was holding a foxtail grass in his hand, teasing it with a smile.
Lin Feiran looked around and realized that she had entered a secret realm. Holding the stone book and longsword in her hands, she stepped over the fallen flowers on the ground, stepped onto the pebble path, and walked to the pavilion.
"You're here?"
The old man looked up at her; a peach branch was pinned in her hair, with a pink peach blossom on it. "She is a very proper young lady."
Lin Feiran didn't know how to address him, so he could only bow first before taking a step and walking up the steps.
"Now that things must be very urgent, let's not waste any more time and open the book since we're here."
Lin Feiran reacted quickly. As soon as he spoke, she did as he said. The three drops of blood essence merged into the white flame, and a vast mist rose from it, almost enveloping the entire area in white mist.
The rootless fire on the sword had turned from white to pink, radiating a glow like the morning sun.
Lin Feiran immediately plunged his sword into the book, and a crack appeared on the stone surface that seemed to remain unchanged year after year and almost become one with the book.
"Don't stop."
As soon as the old man finished speaking, she immediately struck with three more swords. After that crack appeared, the book remained unchanged.
"Don't stop, keep striking with your sword until the stone surface really cracks."
Lin Feiran immediately stood up, gripped the disciple's sword, and, just as she always did when practicing swordsmanship, began to slash and thrust, without stopping or asking how long she would have to go on.
Her eyes remained fixed on the book, completely absorbed, while her swordplay continued unabated.
When the tenth sword strike occurred, the peach petals that had bloomed all around fell down, green leaves grew in abundance, and the flowers disappeared.
By the time of the hundredth sword strike, the green leaves had turned yellow, the peach tree had grown several feet tall, the fallen leaves lay heavy beneath the path, and the running tabby cat lay asleep on the branch, languidly unaware.
By the time of the three hundredth sword strike, the peach tree had grown to a hundred feet tall, its blossoms withered branches, and all was silent.
The biting winter wind howled in, carrying with it icy frost and snow, almost burying everything in the snow.
However, at that very moment, a cracking sound was heard, and the crack finally widened, with stone chips falling off, revealing the true face of the Iron Khitan Script.
Lin Feiran reached out and took it, brushed away the rough dust, and pursed her lips to look at it.
Author's Note: The plot has reached this point, there are really only a few chapters left. The main story is likely to end soon... [crying][crying]
P.S.: Regarding Kenshin, in chapters 163 and 164, Wei Changzai's progress in each realm is related to Lin Feiran.
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