Twenty-six: The Cause of Famous Mountains, Part One
When Feng Wu abandoned the battle and left, the mist was blown away, and Pang Ming finally saw Ji Zhen's eyes.
He then collapsed to the ground.
He felt incredibly light. Of course, given that a piece of him was missing. If he weren't so weak, he would have loved to put his hand inside to see what the reaction would be.
His legs gave way, and he fell to the ground, leaning to one side. He couldn't hear anything, and he couldn't move his body.
But my master is still here. Can my master save me?
I can't afford to get into any serious trouble, otherwise, if Yuan Yi gets involved, everyone's lives will be unbearable.
He had no idea where that evil spirit had come from. He felt his biggest mistake today was listening to Mu Ning and thinking he could actually help his master with this evil spirit. He should have run away first, run far, far away, to the ends of the earth, and sent a rain cloud to his master so he could be of any help.
Feng Wu is the fire of the Lianshan Mountains, while he himself is just a drop of water.
Pang Ming still remembered the blow he took from Feng Wu. At that time, he ran from behind Mu Ning toward Ji Zhen, and Feng Wu, sensing that he was in danger of being attacked from both sides, released several pillars of fire from his hands, sending them rushing toward Ji Zhen and Pang Ming.
Ji Zhen called him over.
He heard it, but understanding doesn't mean you can do it.
The pillar of fire on one side was extinguished, and Feng Wu also calculated the abilities of the two individuals. He knew that each person had different strengths, and the dangers they could pose were indeed different. Although the female Taoist priest before him possessed profound cultivation, she was ultimately only a top cultivator in terms of sheer skill. He wasn't worried.
What's a little worrying is the kid behind him.
Although Feng Wu was indeed displeased that the formation had been broken twice, he hadn't reached the point of killing them to silence them. While the group was chatting in the underwater chamber, Gao Lang noticed someone outside and ordered them to deal with the uninvited guest, which he felt was a bit of an overreaction. If it weren't for their differing stances, he would have liked to ask them how they had broken his formation.
It's not wise to prolong the fight. Feng Wu can see Wu Rang's cage, so he's probably in bad shape. We don't know the strength of the cultivator behind him, and Gong Sha's abilities are also quite weak; he's just there to fill a spot. All of this is manageable, but dragging it out too long will displease Gao Lang. We're all under someone else's roof; things will get complicated if we do.
Pang Ming dealt with the pillar of fire beside him. He realized the unfathomable level of this evil spirit and prepared to step forward to help Ji Zhen.
In my line of sight, Feng Wu, who was standing sideways, suddenly stopped what he was doing and stood there.
Pang Ming looked at Feng Wu. He couldn't see Feng Wu's entire face, only the corners of his eyes, but suddenly felt that something terrible was about to happen. This feeling was inexplicable, perhaps because his fate had sensed destiny before he himself had experienced it.
Behold Feng Wu. A ring of red light appeared around him, while the surroundings were chaotic and disordered. Feng Wu seemed to be saying something to Ji Zhen, but Pang Ming's ears felt like they were on fire. Unable to dodge in time, he could only use all his strength to create a layer of water to deceive himself, but he was still hit by the air currents from the collision of the two, thrown away, and crashed onto the grass.
I quickly got up, but then I encountered a problem with my body.
Is he running a fever? Pang Ming reached out and touched his forehead; it seemed no different. Waves of pain washed over him, and his breathing became labored and rapid.
Where does suffering come from?
Something on his body was burning.
It felt like a burning line was spreading from my chest to my abdomen. I tried to heal myself with magic, but found it faltering and out of my control. Yet, I still had control, but it was like water floating in my palm—a crystal bead that had suddenly collapsed. I could only hold onto some with my hand, but ultimately couldn't stop it from vanishing. Even the last bit was blown away by the wind and dried up by the sunlight. Only then did I realize that half of my years of accumulated magic was destroyed.
During the time when Shen Du was recuperating, he said these words to Pang Ming, who was taking care of him.
This is the spiritual vein, and this is what it looks like when the spiritual vein is burned.
However, Pang Ming had a moment of relief because they were all Xiang Wan's juniors and were given an extra lesson after the incident: how to repair spiritual veins.
Pang Ming recalled the incantation in his mind and trembled as he recited it. He felt a touch of gentleness in his burning body as the heat dissipated, and a sense of comfort rose in his heart.
Then what awaited him was the evil spirit that appeared out of nowhere, and a punch coming from behind.
At that moment, everything about him ceased. Was he still breathing? Where was he breathing? He had no idea. His nose was no longer there either; only his eyes persisted, deliberately directing him to look at the large pool of blood at his feet, as if to remind him to stay awake.
The arm was pulled out, and Pang Ming jerked back, but before he fell, he turned halfway around and saw the evil spirit.
He looked very human. But humans can also be very different, like men and women, old and young, ghosts disguised as demons and cultivators. Who did he resemble? He resembled those who chanted in the carriages when Pang Ming went to the capital. The capital was truly a terrible place for Pang Ming. This gentleman from the capital, around forty years old, looked at his blood-stained arm with a displeased expression, waving his hand as he glanced back at Pang Ming.
Pang Ming saw what he said, but couldn't hear it clearly.
He was exhausted. He couldn't use spells to heal his spiritual veins and spells to heal himself simultaneously until he recovered. It was also highly unlikely that his master and Elder Mu could extricate themselves from these evil spirits in a short time and find a suitable place to treat him.
His life ended there.
But he still felt a little resentful, especially looking at the person in front of him. He just hated this person.
His hand hung limply, but he touched a pendant hanging there.
He still has a chance.
The evil spirit no longer cared about him at all, turned around, and prepared to walk towards Mu Ning.
He governs the four directions and travels throughout the six deserts.
The pendant was attached to his hand, and a stream of water, shaped like a willow leaf with two pointed tips and a solid center, flowed from his palm and pierced through the evil spirit's chest from behind.
Even the pendant didn't enter his body.
Exhausted, Pang Ming collapsed to the side. The surroundings quieted down. Mu Ning seemed unharmed; he wanted to turn and check on Ji Zhen.
This evil spirit is not easy to deal with.
Feng Wu blocked half of his body, but he still looked at Ji Zhen running forward through the mist.
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, all he saw was the vast sky.
It was all gray and hazy; he longed to see a clear blue sky with clouds gently brushing against the mountains.
What a pity.
Then everything fell silent.
The sky was filled with dark clouds, and it was uncertain when a heavy rain would fall. Finally, after everyone returned to the mourning hall for Hong Junyu's burial, the rain began to fall immediately. Meng Sheng muttered that this was a rare heavy rain in recent years, holding Ji'er's hand. Because the rain was so heavy and the sound was so loud, the young Ji'er had a miserable face and tugged at Meng Sheng and Shen Bai's trouser legs, babbling.
The funeral hall will remain closed for a few more days, and Wei Jing told everyone not to rush around and to go and rest first.
With Meng Sheng's family not around, Mingjin sat down on a stool by the window. There was a long corridor outside the house, so there was no need to worry about rain getting in when the window was opened. Actually, you couldn't see the rain from the window because the eaves were high and the house connected to the yard; Mingjin could only see the leaves drooping under the rain.
But the rain was still very loud. Sometimes, too much noise can bring silence, because not being able to hear anything is also a kind of silence.
Mingjin was immersed in her own emotional world, mourning Hong Junyu's departure.
Before the person passed away, no matter how detailed or truthful the description of their illness, she treated them normally. How could she treat someone as if they were dying? Should she treat them as if they were alive, or as if they were dead? Mingjin felt clumsy, unable to find any so-called balance, and could only change herself after things happened.
Now, seeing Hong Junyu's coffin covered in mud, and looking at the place where they had been chatting just a few days ago, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Dawn."
Wei Jing walked over. But Ming Jin was too engrossed in her own world to notice his arrival.
"Master Wei."
Coming to his senses, Mingjin quickly prepared to get up, but Wei Jing stopped him and sat down on the stool next to Mingjin: "I have something to say to you."
"Please feel free to speak."
"It was raining so hard, and the three of us gathered together to deal with the evil spirits. The medicine you brought saved two of our cultivators in the city. We haven't had a chance to properly thank you yet, so thank you here."
“It’s nothing to talk about,” Mingjin said. “It was through Elder Hong’s introduction that I got to know one of his friends. The antidote was given to me by that friend, just in case of an emergency. Elder Hong is truly compassionate, and in the end, it was all for the benefit of everyone in the city.”
“I spoke rudely when we last met,” Wei Jing paused for a moment, then lowered her head slightly, “and after thinking about it carefully, I realized that I shouldn’t have spoken like that no matter what. I apologize to Wei Jing.”
"What are you saying?" Seeing Wei Jing's serious tone, Ming Jin was somewhat at a loss for words. "Yu Cheng is a mutual friend of ours. Her pregnancy was truly difficult, and I was also free of major troubles afterward, so there's no need to bring up those old stories. After Yu Cheng gave birth, I stayed with her for a while to help her recover. She mentioned to me that her wife suffered greatly when both of her children were born, and Brother Wei is just putting himself in her shoes. Also, at that time in Kongyun Mountain, I had a friend who was about to become a father, and when I sent him out to hunt ghosts, I was very worried. My expression at the time might not have been very good, and I was indeed somewhat frightened by the Daoist's frankness, but thinking about it later, what you said is actually not wrong; it's just human nature."
“Over the years, as I’ve been helping my master with matters in the mountains, I’ve gradually become less polite in my speech. But thanks to my master, everyone is very forgiving of my inappropriate remarks,” Wei Jing said calmly after hearing Ming Jin’s words and hearing the sounds of Ji’er playing with Su Huan from behind. “In the past, my wife would point out my faults, but now that she’s out cultivating with the children, I’ve become more lax as well.”
"Senior brother."
As soon as Wei Jing finished speaking, a cultivator seized the opportunity and walked over.
"Everything is packed."
“Oh right, I almost forgot,” Wei Jing stood up, “Tian Guang, I have something for you.”
According to the customs of Huicheng, if an elderly person passes away after the age of seventy, their personal belongings, especially porcelain, are distributed to their younger relatives and friends who helped with their funeral. Mingjin was a guest invited by Hong Junyu, and having come from afar and been busy here for several days, there was no need for him to come to Huicheng for this small matter. It would be best for him to return to Kongyun Mountain to rest after the rain stops. Therefore, Su Huan decided that Mingjin could choose the first item.
"This is not right."
“No need to be polite,” Su Huan said with a smile as she slowly walked over, holding Ji’er who was playing with a calligraphy brush in her hand. “My master isn’t that old-fashioned. Don’t think of this as dividing up his family property. He’s already written it down. Tian Guang, if you still remember your master’s teachings, take his things back and use them properly. That’s how you won’t forget him.”
Since Su Huan had spoken, Ming Jin had no choice but to follow Meng Sheng into the next room.
Ming Jin hadn't noticed this place before. It looked like a tea room, but several cabinets reaching to the ceiling surrounded the room, filled with various utensils. In the center of the room was a long table, on which were some porcelain bowls. Hong Junyu disliked luxury but enjoyed crafting ingenious objects; it was said that these utensils he used were all collected during his travels. Just looking at this table, one could truly see a collection of flavors from all over the world.
"Master, you have these things too?" Meng Sheng said, picking up a small, flower-shaped cup and examining it.
"Yours too."
Ji'er got tired of playing with the calligraphy brush and used her free hand to pull Su Huan's beard, causing Su Huan's face to change color in pain. However, since everyone around was from the city, he couldn't make a sound. Shen Bai and Wei Jing, who had been worried, had been following Su Huan a few steps away. Seeing this, they quickly coaxed Ji'er to take him away.
“I know,” Meng Sheng smiled at the scenery before him. “It’s getting light, so feel free to choose whatever you like. The letter left by the clerk says that you can take all these things without any problem.”
“These are all Elder Hong’s favorites, so it would be best if everyone had one.”
As she spoke, Mingjin thought that she hadn't forgotten Hong Junyu's kindness, so she walked around the table and finally chose a large bowl made of glass.
The rim of the bowl is wider than the base. The glass is translucent green, containing scattered, irregularly placed glittery specks that seem to emit a faint glow.
“This is it,” Mingjin said, picking up the bowl with both hands and examining it carefully. He felt that this was the most satisfactory one. “It will get hot soon and there will be more fruit. We can use this bowl to hold the fresh fruit and it will look very nice.”
“It’s really beautiful. I wonder where the advisor found it,” Meng Sheng said, looking at the other side. “Is this the only one? Let’s pick another one.”
"No, this is Elder Hong's gift. Everyone can receive it; remembering Elder Hong is the most important thing."
As Mingjin uttered these words, she realized she had learned them. After Lu Ying's death, after Jing Yu's death, and after Xiang Wan's death, Yan Junyou, Pei Xuanzhen, and Zhou Wei had all said similar things. In Mingjin's box, next to Lu Ying's belongings, were the things that the other elders had given her.
Her heart, which had been at ease because of the beauty, suddenly calmed down. She held the bowl in both hands and realized that these objects might contain extraordinary significance.
"Hey, the rain has stopped."
I don't know who among those gathered at the door said that.
Mingjin looked outside. The sun had come out, and it finally felt a bit like afternoon.
"It was pouring rain just now, and now the sun is out again," someone replied.
"Things are unpredictable; we can only leave it to fate."
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