Chapter 79 Joy of the Five Emotions
As Biyao was filled with emotion, everything around her changed. The forest had vanished, and when she looked closely, she found herself back in the main hall of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. She remembered Manzhu's words: Qin Wuyan's memories could flow, and sometimes she would be suddenly transported to the next memory.
At this moment, Qin Wuyan was kneeling in front of the Poison God, bowing his head and saying sadly, "Master, after my senior brothers took blood from me and several medicine men that day, they grilled fish in the valley. Later, I don't know who accidentally set fire to the tent, and the forest caught fire... The fire was too big, and my senior brothers and I had to risk our lives to escape from the valley."
The Poison God said, "Really? What about the others who escaped with you? How come you're the only one who came back?"
Qin Wuyan said, "On the way out of the Poisonous Snake Valley, several of my senior brothers were bitten by poisonous snakes in the valley and died from the poison not long after they left..."
His eyes were glistening with tears, and his already clear and bright eyes looked even more innocent and naive, as if he were truly grieving for his deceased senior brothers.
Biyao couldn't help but sigh, Qin Wuyan's acting skills must have been honed to perfection back in the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. Those disciples responsible for guarding the medicine-gatherers were clearly killed by him, yet a great fire had burned the Poisonous Snake Valley to the ground. Even if the Poison God was suspicious, he couldn't find any evidence.
The Poison God stared at Qin Wuyan for a long time, then grabbed his arm, took his pulse, and said, "It seems that the new Gu I tested on you is quite effective; it can indeed enhance cultivation."
Qin Wuyan said, "Master is wise. I survived this ordeal thanks to the new Gu that Master planted in me."
"Very good..." The Poison God smiled with satisfaction: "Since your senior brothers are so useless, let them die! Just now, a letter came from the main altar saying that the main altar training, which takes place every three years, is coming up again. I originally wanted to send Zhou Li and Liu Ling with their disciples to train, but now that they are dead, how about you and Bai Duzi take the men this time?"
"Wu Yan will obey Master in everything!"
"Pack your things. People from the Ghost King Sect will come to pick you up in a couple of days. Remember, this time when you go to the main altar, you and Bai Duzi represent our Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. Don't embarrass me in front of the other sects!"
Qin Wuyan replied very meekly, "Even if I die, I will do my utmost to protect the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect."
Biyao breathed a sigh of relief for Qin Wuyan, who hadn't been punished. Besides, being sent to the main altar to study should be better than staying in the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect!
That's right, Qin Wuyan met Brother Qinglong at the main altar!
Although she had been a disciple of the Holy Sect, Biyao had never been to the main altar and was very curious. She planned to take this opportunity to go to the main altar with Qin Wuyan.
The next day, the Ghost King Sect arrived with four carriages and dozens of mounted escorts. Among these people were many familiar faces to Biyao, the most recognizable being Mr. Ghost and Qinglong.
Looking at these disciples she hadn't seen for many years, Biyao suddenly missed her days in the Ghost King Sect.
She suddenly realized that if she could see the Azure Dragon in Qin Wuyan's memories, wouldn't that mean she would have a chance to see her deceased father again?
Biyao followed Qin Wuyan into the carriage. There were already three people inside, one of whom was Qinglong, who was six years older than Qin Wuyan. He was a handsome young man with sharp eyes and a dashing appearance.
Biyao didn't recognize the other two. They looked a year or two older than Qinglong, so she guessed they might be from the Blood Refining Hall or the Longevity Hall.
One of them, upon seeing Qin Wuyan, exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! Is the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect out of people? Why send a little brat to the main altar? Aren't you afraid he'll get killed on his first day?"
Another person chimed in, "Exactly! Is the Poison God getting old and his eyesight isn't working well? This kid looks only seven or eight years old!"
In fact, Qin Wuyan was already ten years old, but he hadn't been eating well at the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect all these years, so he hadn't grown much.
Faced with the sarcasm, Qin Wuyan remained unperturbed. Instead, he said politely, "If I remember correctly, you two are Senior Yun Fengzi and Senior Tian Shazi from the Longevity Hall! I am Qin Wuyan from the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. Greetings to you two seniors!"
The two were even more surprised that Qin Wuyan, at such a young age, knew them: "How do you know us?"
Qin Wuyan said, "A year ago, the two of you came to the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect on behalf of the Longevity Hall to discuss important matters with my master. At that time, I was serving tea and water to my master. The two seniors were dignified and spoke with great eloquence, which left a deep impression on people."
Yun Fengzi was indeed of decent appearance, but Tian Shazi had a rat-like face and crooked eyebrows, so he could hardly be called "handsome". Everyone could tell that Qin Wuyan's words were just a compliment.
But people always love to hear compliments, even if they are insincere.
Tian Shazi and Yun Fengzi's expressions softened. Yun Fengzi said, "You remember us after only meeting us once; you are indeed clever. No wonder the Poison God sent you to the main altar. Qin Wuyan?... Could he be the only disciple who survived in the Valley of Poisonous Snakes?"
Tian Shazi suddenly realized, "So it was you!"
Qin Wuyan said modestly, "I was just lucky!"
Qinglong, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up and laughed, "I heard that there were more than a hundred people who went to the Poisonous Snake Valley. You were the only lucky one? You can be considered the chosen one!"
Qin Wuyan said, "Forgive my poor eyesight, may I ask who this senior is?"
Qinglong said calmly, "There's no need to call me senior, just call me Qinglong. I'm from the Ghost King Sect!"
Qin Wuyan's eyes lit up: "So it's the Azure Dragon Envoy, a pleasure to meet you!"
Seeing that he was so young yet acted like a man of advanced age, Qinglong chuckled and said, "How old are you? How come you've already learned all those adults' smooth talk and flattery skills so well?"
Qin Wuyan lowered his head slightly: "I... just turned ten this year."
"Ten years old?"
Although they could tell at first glance that the child was young, they were still surprised when they heard that he was only ten years old.
Qinglong became interested in him and asked, "How old were you when you joined the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?"
Qin Wuyan said, "When I was five years old, I fell ill and was abandoned by my parents in a valley. I was almost eaten by jackals. My master saved me and took me back to the sect to cure my illness. Since then, I have stayed in the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect."
"Tsk tsk tsk!"
Yun Fengzi said, "I really don't know whether to say you're lucky or unlucky! I've heard that among the Poison God's disciples, very few who joined before the age of ten survive more than three years. You've actually managed to live until now, that's truly remarkable!"
Qin Wuyan smiled slightly: "Just lucky!"
Everyone could tell he was being modest. In an instant, the three people in the car dared not underestimate him anymore, and even began to exchange ideas about the techniques and current status of various schools of martial arts in a very friendly manner.
Qinglong, in particular, seemed to feel pity for Qin Wuyan because of his background and took good care of him throughout the journey. When they rested along the way, Qinglong noticed that Qin Wuyan only had a few dry and hard steamed buns, and he even shared some of his own food with him.
Qin Wuyan held a large piece of roasted pork belly that Qinglong had handed him. He took a small bite, and it was fragrant but not greasy—absolutely delicious! His eyes immediately welled up with tears: "Thank you, Holy Envoy! This is the first time I've ever tasted such delicious meat!"
Qinglong was slightly surprised: "All these years you've been in the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, you haven't only been eating steamed buns, have you?"
Qin Wuyan smiled wryly, "Occasionally... there's a little bit of plain porridge, a pancake or something. As for meat... only the senior brothers in charge have it, but they won't share it with us junior disciples. Sometimes, it's already considered good if they don't take our things."
Qinglong sighed and said, "Wuyan, this Ten Thousand Poisons Sect is truly no place for a human being. Although this is the first time I've met you, I can tell you're quite intelligent. You're completely wasting your talents under the Poison God! Why don't you come to our Ghost King Sect after this training at the main altar? I will definitely recommend you to the sect leader!"
Qin Wuyan was deeply moved: "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Qinglong! However, after we join the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, everyone is infected with the Ten Thousand Poison Gu by my master. We must do things for him to get the antidote regularly, otherwise we will die suddenly. I... really don't have the fortune to join the Ghost King Sect anymore."
“So…” Qinglong sighed deeply, and said indignantly, “That Poison God is such a scoundrel! Wuyan, don’t worry, when we get to the main altar, I will protect you! I won’t let anyone bully you! Let’s cultivate together, and when you become strong, you will definitely be able to get all the antidotes from your master!”
Qin Wuyan nodded, a bright smile appearing on his face for the first time.
Biyao was also deeply moved. Come to think of it, Qinglong was probably the first person in Qin Wuyan's life to tell him that he would protect him. No wonder he cared so much about Qinglong. At this moment, a petal of the Five Emotions Flower in her hand gradually turned red.
Biyao cheered, realizing she could still capture Qin Wuyan's joy this time.
Then Qinglong took out another pastry wrapped in oiled paper and handed it to Qin Wuyan: "Wuyan, try this. It's called Osmanthus Cake. It's very fragrant and sweet. Biyao loves it the most!"
Qinglong had already given him plenty of food, so Qin Wuyan felt a little embarrassed to ask for more. He shook his head and said, "Brother, what I've just eaten is enough. You can keep it for yourself when you get to the main altar!"
Qinglong said firmly, "It's alright! I don't like sweets! This was something Biyao insisted on putting in my bag before I left. That little girl, she cried and begged me to leave, saying she didn't have anything to give me, so she could only give me her favorite pastries, hahaha!"
Qinglong laughed heartily, looking extremely happy!
When Biyao heard Qinglong mention her, she thought about it carefully. She seemed to be only seven or eight years old at the time, and there were some things she couldn't remember.
"Thank you, brother!" Seemingly infected by Qinglong's emotions, Qin Wuyan was also in a good mood. He took the osmanthus cake, took a small bite, and found it indeed sweet, soft, and delicious. He asked curiously, "Who is Biyao? Is she your sister, brother?"
Qinglong laughed, "She's the Ghost King's daughter, nine years younger than me, so she's kind of my sister. My father used to have a good relationship with the Ghost King, and both our families live on Fox Ridge Mountain, so Biyao often comes to play with me. You don't know, this little girl is such a headache, so willful and mischievous, always causing trouble around the sect. Once, I was leading the disciples in training, and she secretly sprinkled a packet of itching powder on my clothes, giving me a rash all over my body that day, and making me look bad in front of all the disciples! Hahahaha..."
Biyao pouted and muttered to herself, "Why have I never seen Brother Qinglong so fond of gossiping about other people's dirty secrets before..."
Qin Wuyan laughed and said, "Big brother's skills are profound. It's not that he didn't see through her tricks, but that he deliberately fell for her trap to make her happy!"
Qinglong praised, "You're really clever! I did see through her little trick when I was getting dressed, but I pretended not to know. Otherwise, if this little girl saw that I hadn't fallen for it, she would have started crying and making a fuss. You don't know how annoying it is when girls cry. Rather than letting her cry and then having to comfort her, I'd rather suffer a little myself and make her laugh."
Qin Wuyan laughed and said, "It seems that Big Brother really dotes on her!"
Qinglong said, "There's nothing we can do. The Ghost King only has one daughter. Everyone dotes on her and protects her, giving her whatever she wants. Besides, last year, this little girl was quite pitiful, suddenly losing her mother... Sigh!"
Qin Wuyan was slightly surprised: "What's going on?"
Qinglong said, "Speaking of which, it was all the work of those righteous people! You should still be in the Poisonous Snake Valley at that time and don't know about this. Last year, the Qingyun Sect sent people to launch a large-scale attack on the Ghost King Sect. Originally, the Ghost King and we had already drawn away the Qingyun Sect's pursuit, intending to let Biyao and her mother escape to Xiaochi Town to take refuge. Unexpectedly, they encountered the Tianyin Temple's ambush on the way. When they hid in a cave, the people from the Tianyin Temple used a magic weapon to collapse the cave, burying them alive inside."
Qin Wuyan stopped eating.
Qinglong continued, "They were buried in the cave for ten whole days. If it weren't for her mother, Biyao would have starved to death long ago... Alas, the poor little girl, she used to be carefree, but suddenly she had to watch her mother die right in front of her. After we rescued her, she was like a different person for a while, not as lively and cute as before. Humph! In a few years, when our Holy Sect has recovered, I will definitely make those righteous people pay for their blood debt!"
Biyao listened silently, tears streaming down her face. This matter was a wound that would forever remain in her heart; even after regaining her memories, she had never brought it up with Qin Wuyan. Little did she know, Qin Wuyan had actually known about it from Qinglong long ago.
Qin Wuyan was an orphan. Although he had never experienced parental love, who doesn't yearn for family affection in their life? Upon hearing about Biyao's situation, he was both moved and saddened, and solemnly said, "Brother, rest assured, I will do my best in the future and vow to avenge Biyao's blood feud!"
Qinglong suddenly laughed and said, "You have no relation to her, you've never even met her, so how can you say you want to avenge her?"
Qin Wuyan laughed and said, "I call you Big Brother. Since she is your most beloved younger sister, she is also my sister from now on. Of course, you can say that I am avenging her!"
"Hahahaha!" Qinglong laughed loudly, "Good! Well said!! When I return from the main altar, I will definitely introduce you. I believe Biyao will be very happy to see you!"
The somber and melancholic atmosphere suddenly turned cheerful again, and Qin Wuyan and Qinglong continued to chat and laugh, talking about many interesting things happening around them.
Biyao listened from the side, and the red part of the Five Emotions Flower petals in her hand gradually expanded, like clouds filling the sky, covering the entire petal.
Things were going smoothly, and Biyao was naturally very happy. But looking at the remaining two white petals, she suddenly became puzzled. After thinking for a moment, she recited the incantation and exited Qin Wuyan's memory.
She returned to her sea of consciousness and transmitted her voice to the bracelet: "Manzhu, Miss Manzhu, are you there?"
"I'm here! How is Biyao?"
Biyao said, "I have already collected three of Qin Wuyan's five emotions: joy, anger, and fear. There are two more left: sorrow and happiness. But I have a question: what is the difference between joy and happiness? Aren't they both feelings of happiness?"
Manzhu said, “People often talk about joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, but few people think about the difference between joy and happiness. You are right, joy and happiness are both happy emotions, but joy is mostly a short-lived and intense feeling, while happiness is a state of inner peace and satisfaction, a carefree and peaceful state of mind that enjoys everything in the present moment. I remember a poet among you mortals once said, ‘Good times, beautiful scenery, pleasant things, and joyful events are hard to come by at the same time!’ Therefore, among the five emotions, happiness is the hardest to collect. Because in a person’s life, there are countless joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, but truly peaceful and simple happiness is rare.”
Biyao was even more confused: "You've said so much, but I still don't quite understand. I just want to know, if we want to collect the joys of the five emotions, we can only look for them in Qin Wuyan's happy memories, right?"
Manju said, "That's true, but sometimes being happy doesn't necessarily bring joy. I can only say that you have to try it yourself to understand."
Biyao seemed to understand but not quite, and asked again, "How much time has passed outside? I feel like a long time has passed in his memory, but I haven't heard the bell's notification."
Manzhu said, "A day and a night have passed since you entered the sea of consciousness. It is now the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) on the second day. You have already collected three petals of the Five Emotions Flower, so there is still plenty of time left."
Biyao nodded and said, "In that case, I won't waste any more time. Let's continue collecting!"
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