Chapter 76
Yunyin Divine Mountain is a legendary, non-existent place, separate from both the celestial capital and the mortal realm. It is said to be the closest celestial mountain to heaven, where Taoist priests on the verge of immortality gather, making it the most celestial-like place on earth. Yet, countless people have sought immortality and entered this sacred mountain, only to spend their entire lives searching for it in vain.
Many years ago, it was rumored that someone had seen the Taoist priest of Hidden Cloud Mountain. He was wandering the mortal world and had made several fellow Taoists who would travel with him. But for some reason, he later disappeared.
The last time anyone saw him was in Li Zhaoxue's memory. He was the old Taoist priest who carried little Xie Wen on his back and gave Li Zhaoxue a lotus for reincarnation.
During dinner, Xie Wen casually asked Chu Xianyue, "Do you know that old Taoist priest? In Li Zhaoxue's memory, he said he was my master, and I want to go find him."
Chu Xianyue paused for a moment, then said, "I've met him. He was my father's friend when I was a child. Later, my father died, and we never even saw his body. He was the only one who saw my father for the last time. I also want to ask him why my father died."
Xie Wen: "Alright. Then let's go to Cloud Hidden Divine Mountain. Let's find him and ask him what's going on."
Chu Xianyue nodded without hesitation, "Okay."
In fact, Chu Xianyue had been waiting for Xie Wen to say this for a long time. He knew Xie Wen would definitely seek the truth about this matter. Chu Xianyue knew this day would come sooner or later, and since he couldn't stop Xie Wen, he would accompany her no matter how far.
As Xie Wen and Chu Xianyue were saying these words, Jin Huaran sat alone amidst the falling leaves, watching. Hearing this answer, he seemed slightly relieved. He then put on his ever-present fake smile and said, "Awen, you've finally made up your mind?"
Xie Wen ignored him. The four of them sat in the deep twilight of late autumn, with fallen leaves fluttering around them. When Hong Hong'er heard that Chu Xianyue and Xie Wen were leaving, it was still afraid that Xie Wen would leave it alone. So it pleaded with Xie Wen, "Awen, take me with you. Don't leave me behind."
Xie Wen smiled and pinched Hong Hong'er's cheek. Chu Xianyue, standing beside him, turned his head away, his cheeks slightly flushed. For a long time afterward, Xie Wen forgot about Chu Xianyue and Hong Hong'er's shared feelings, but it was only Chu Xianyue who felt the same way about Hong Hong'er. So every time Xie Wen touched Hong Hong'er's head and pinched her cheek, Chu Xianyue felt as if Xie Wen was touching his head and pinching his cheek as well. He wasn't a child anymore, and even when he was a child, he had never been treated like this by his elders. Yet, as an adult, he actually felt this way... This made him feel a little embarrassed and ashamed.
Xie Wen said to Hong Hong'er, "From now on, turn back into the shape of a blood bead and hang it around my neck."
"Alright." With that, Honghong'er transformed into a wisp of red silk, swirling around Xie Wen in the air a few times before finally landing gracefully on Xie Wen's neck. The blood-red dot made Xie Wen's neck skin appear as white as moonlight.
The night before their departure, Xie Wen paced back and forth in the small bamboo house, looking at the traces left from their time together. The candle on the candlestick was still burning, half-finished clothes lay spread on the table, covered with countless stitches, and the kitchen, blackened by Chu Xianyue's fire, had been repaired by him. They had eaten together many times at the small table in the courtyard, and watched the sunset together many times.
For some reason, Xie Wen had a strong feeling that this parting might be the last time they ever returned, and that they would never again have such a peaceful and tranquil time together.
Later, when the farmers living nearby passed by the bamboo house again, they no longer saw the couple and child sitting together eating. However, the door of the house remained open. Fearing that something might have happened to the couple, the farmers went inside to check. Inside, the candles on the candlesticks had burned out, a beautiful garment that was almost finished being sewn was placed on the table, and the quilt on the bamboo bed was not made. Everything seemed as if they had only left temporarily and would return soon.
But a long, long time later, the house was attacked by wild boars. Several roof beams broke, and the house was overgrown with moss and weeds, filled with dust. The candles on the candlesticks faded, and the beautiful clothes on the table became old and worn. The people living nearby never saw the couple or their child return.
*
"If you can see a mirage on the horizon after crossing this snow mountain, it proves that you are a person with destiny and have seen the real Cloud-Hidden Divine Mountain."
As Xie Wen and Chu Xianyue walked through the heart of the snow-covered mountains, facing the oncoming snowflakes, Jin Huaran whispered these words in Xie Wen's ear.
Chu Xianyue and Jin Huaran were heading in the same direction towards the Hidden Cloud Mountain. Chu Xianyue had heard his father say when he was a child that the Hidden Cloud Mountain was hidden deep within the world's largest snow-capped desert mountain. If you could see a mirage under the sunlight after crossing the highest point of this snow mountain, it meant you had found the Hidden Cloud Mountain. Legend has it that the Hidden Cloud Mountain is surrounded by a barrier, and many people, even after crossing the summit of the snow mountain, could not see the Hidden Cloud Mountain beyond.
Moreover, most people can't even manage the most basic task of crossing this snow-capped mountain. The Cangmo Snow Mountain is constantly battered by blizzards, and most who come here never return. Even cultivators cannot fly on swords in such harsh conditions; they can only manage to reach the mountainside before giving up. So Chu Xianyue and Xie Wen trekked on foot together.
To prevent them from being separated, Chu Xianyue sent Xie Wen a thousand-knot knot, tightly connecting it to his fingers. As long as she was still alive, the knot would never break, and he would always be able to find her. But Chu Xianyue still didn't want the thousand-knot knot to work; he didn't want to be separated from Xie Wen even more.
What Chu Xianyue didn't see was the contemptuous and disdainful look in Jin Huaran's eyes when he saw Chu Xianyue's behavior, as Jin Huaran had been following them from beginning to end.
Xie Wen wouldn't give Jin Huaran a single glance in front of Chu Xianyue, so even seeing Jin Huaran's disdainful expression, Xie Wen simply ignored her. She knew that besides seeking information about her origins, Jin Huaran had come for another reason.
That means completely erasing Jin Huaran from her life. Regardless of whether there's a way, Xie Wen will definitely consult the Taoist priest of Shenshan.
At this moment, the two were just one step away from crossing the snow-capped mountain.
Under the leaping golden light, a mountain truly appeared floating in the sky. The snow-capped mountains shone brightly in the southern heavens.
Bathed in golden light, the sacred mountain transformed into a golden mountain. Xie Wen's eyes brightened, reflecting the golden mountain. She was surrounded by the light reflected from the snow, as if her entire being was radiating light.
Xie Wen jumped up with joy and hugged Chu Xianyue tightly, saying, "I saw it! I saw the sacred mountain! We are destined to be together!"
Xie Wen jumped up and down, but then noticed that Chu Xianyue's reaction was strange. She let go of Chu Xianyue and looked into his dark, dull eyes. Chu Xianyue said, "But I didn't see it."
In other words, the sacred mountain only chose Xie Wen as its destined person, but not Chu Xianyue.
Xie Wen's eyes dimmed slightly. "Then you'll wait for me here? Don't worry, the Blood Bead is on me, so you'll always be able to sense my presence. And Qianqianjie, if anything happens to me, break through the barrier of the Divine Mountain and come find me. I'll definitely be alright."
Chu Xianyue: "I'll break the barrier around this sacred mountain right now. I must go in with you!"
Xie Wen knew that Chu Xianyue was worried about her, but forcibly breaking the barrier would be a great disrespect to the people in Yunyin Divine Mountain. They might not be willing to receive them then, nor might they be willing to tell Xie Wen the truth about what happened back then. Moreover, if Chu Xianyue really did that, he himself would suffer a great loss of spiritual power.
Xie Wen didn't want to see him suffer in vain. She stood on the higher snow-capped peak, held his head, kissed his forehead, and murmured, "Trust me. I will be alright. I will also help you find the truth about your father's death. I will return to you safely."
Chu Xianyue pulled her down forcefully, almost causing her to fall into his arms. He lingered on her lips, but these kisses were clearly not sweet at all; they left a bitter taste in her mouth, which slowly seeped into her heart.
Jin Huaran finally couldn't help but urge Xie Wen, "Awen, let's hurry up and get going. What's the point of making it seem like a life-or-death separation, except to add to the trouble?"
Xie Wen ignored him.
Chu Xianyue knew Xie Wen was leaving, and he couldn't stop him. He could only stand atop the snow-capped peak of Jinshan Mountain, his faded blue robe gradually becoming a tiny dot in Xie Wen's eyes, eventually turning into a snowflake on the snow-capped peak.
...
When Xie Wen arrived at the foot of Yunyin Divine Mountain, someone came to greet him. This person held a whisk and rode a cloud crane, looking like a true immortal.
He landed leisurely in front of Xie Wen, bowed respectfully, and called out, "Grandmaster, I have been waiting for you here for a long time."
Xie Wen tilted his head, surprised, and asked, "Grandmaster?"
He smiled and said, "Yes, you are my grandmaster's disciple, so naturally I must call you grandmaster. Grandmaster said you would definitely come back, so he told me to wait for you here."
Xie Wen said, "Back? What about your great-grandfather? Where is he? I want to see him."
He said, "I'm sorry, Grandmaster, but my great-grandmaster went into seclusion many years ago and has not seen anyone since."
Xie Wen: "Why is no one here?"
"Grandmaster imprisoned himself in the most evil place in this world for all eternity, just to atone for the sins he had committed. So he will never come out, and will never see you."
Xie Wen said, "No, if I don't see him, what's the point of me coming here?"
"Don't worry, Grandmaster was prepared and specifically ordered me to give this to you." As he spoke, he took out a scroll from his sleeve. Xie Wen hesitated before taking the scroll and was about to open it when he was stopped. He said, "Are you ready? Once you open it, you won't be able to get out for a while unless you go through all the memory scrolls."
Xie Wen stopped moving and asked, "What is this?"
Everything you want to know is here.
"What I want to know? How did he know?"
"Perhaps it all started with Grandmaster. You'll see when you get there. By the way, Grandmaster, there seems to be something unclean around you. It's best to be careful."
As he spoke, his gaze fixed on Jin Huaran, who was standing next to Xie Wen and out of sight of everyone else. Jin Huaran looked back at him, his eyes flashing with a chilling light.
Xie Wen said, "I know. I came here to find a way to get rid of him."
"He has been able to stay by your side because of you."
"Because of me?"
"Yes. The answers to these questions will be found in the memory scroll. Grandmaster, you can search for them yourself." With that, the man turned and a cloud of auspicious clouds and white cranes rose from his feet, just as he had come, and he rode away on the clouds and cranes.
Xie Wen hadn't even finished asking when he cried out, "Hey! You still haven't told me how to get rid of this unclean thing! Don't go!"
Her voice echoed across the winding, thousand-mile-long sacred mountain, but no reply came for a long time. Xie Wen looked down at the memory scroll in her hand; the person had said all the answers were here.
What kind of memory will it be?
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