Chapter 773: Awakening [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Although Chao Lian desperately wanted to prepare his brothers' bodies for burial right now, his health wouldn't allow it, even with Uncle Lin's help. Facing Chao Lian's gaze, Uncle Lin said with slight annoyance, "You're lucky to have a scholar like Wenxin helping you!"
They're actually complaining?
Not every literary talent and scholar can dominate the world, okay?
Chao Lian knew that Uncle Lin had misunderstood, so he quickly explained that he wasn't being disdainful; in fact, he was quite content to have met Uncle Lin in this situation. Uncle Lin's expression softened upon hearing this. After a moment's thought, he conjured a bluebird to deliver a message.
He even went out of his way to explain to Chao Lian, so that he wouldn't overthink it.
“Write to Shaobai and ask him if the things can be moved.”
Chao Lian didn't know who this "Young Bai" was and didn't pay much attention to him. Not long after, Uncle Lin received a reply.
He turned around and took a golden bronze cauldron.
Suppressing his disgust, he used his chopsticks to pick out a plump, soft worm and held it to Chao Lian's lips: "I know you are in mourning and don't want to eat meat. But this thing was raised by Shao Bai. It eats vegetables and eating it can strengthen your body and nourish your vital energy."
Of course, this is just what the master and apprentice said.
Uncle Lin didn't know the specific effects.
Chao Lian pursed his lips, refusing to open them.
Uncle Lin urged impatiently, "What are you still standing there for? If you keep dawdling, the corpses will either rot away or Shao Bai will bury them all in the pit. Why are you being so particular at a time like this?"
Chao Lian was skeptical, but frowned and ate the worm.
He thought he had to suppress his nausea, but the wriggling worm transformed into a warm current the moment it entered his mouth, flowing down his tongue and throat into his limbs and meridians. An unprecedented clarity and vitality coursed through his meridians, suppressing the pain from his internal injuries.
He couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"
Uncle Lin said, "These are Gu worms raised by Shao Bai."
Chao Lian's expression suddenly changed: "Gu worms?"
Because of Shao Chong's experience, the brothers hated the word "Gu worm" to the core, but since Uncle Lin was their savior, they couldn't lash out and had to endure it.
Chao Lian couldn't help but probe further: "Witchcraft is rare. May I ask which school this 'Young White' gentleman comes from?"
Uncle Lin said, "Shao Bai said you two have met before."
Now it was Chao Lian's turn to be surprised: "Have you met before?"
He racked his brains but couldn't recall anyone he knew named "Shaobai," who was also a master of witchcraft.
Because Chao Lianzhongxiao couldn't eat meat, but as a wounded soldier he couldn't go without food, Uncle Lin had to take out other dry rations, put them in a ceramic pot, and heat them to soften them. While busy working, he said, "More than half a year ago, in the capital of Shangnan County, didn't you brothers encounter a boy carrying a wooden cane and have a brief conflict?"
Chao Lian's eyes widened further: "Is...is that person?"
Uncle Lin said, "Yes, that's Shao Bai."
Gongxi clan, Jimo clan, named Qiu, styled Shaobai.
Chao Lian blurted out, "This young man with white hair is the high priest of the Gongxi tribe in this generation? Gongxi Chou's nephew?"
Before Uncle Lin could speak, an old man slowly emerged from the depths of the cave and asked, "What nephew Gongxi Chou?"
Chao Lian was filled with emotion at this moment.
Joy and sorrow intertwined in her heart, tears welling up: "Brothers, can you see? The High Priest of the Gongxi tribe is right here! Thirteen is completely saved!"
The old man slowly walked out of the shadows, looking frail and aged.
The aged voice asked again, "Who is Gongxi Chou's nephew?"
Chao Lian snapped out of his daze and recounted the details of Gong Xi Chou's visit after the conflict between Shao Bai and Thirteen.
The old man listened silently without saying a word.
After a long silence, he asked, "Do you have any evidence?"
“Gong Xichou and Mr. Shaobai look very similar.”
Anyone with eyes could tell they were related by blood; the difference lay in their age and temperament. Gong Xi Chou, being older, was naturally much more mature. Having spent years on the battlefield, his hands stained with countless lives, his eyes and brows held a sharp, bloodthirsty edge, like a thorny rose blooming from fresh blood. The boy, on the other hand, was an innocent youth, though possessing a captivating beauty, his naiveté, clarity, and purity made him more like a snow peony carefully nurtured in a greenhouse…
The old man lowered his eyes, recalling the ever-burning lamp in his ancestral home.
There was indeed a lamp inside engraved with the name "Gong Xichou".
but--
“I’ve heard a little about Gong Xi Chou, but—Shao Bai can’t possibly be his nephew. You must have mistaken him for someone else.” Outsiders might not know Shao Bai’s background, but how could the old man not know? “The ages don’t match at all…”
Don't let Shao Bai's young age fool you; if you factor in the years his body has been frozen in time, he's old enough to be Gong Xi Chou's older brother.
"Similar appearances don't mean anything. The Gongxi clan has lived in seclusion for many years in a closed environment, so the members of the clan all have some similarities in appearance." Those who are ugly are more likely to be strange and grotesque, while those who are handsome and well-proportioned are more likely to have similar features.
Chao Lian asked in surprise, "Then why do they look so similar?"
The old man said calmly, "Is it possible that the gods worshipped by the Gongxi tribe have a particular fondness for this type?"
The high priests of the Gongxi tribe all looked somewhat alike, but the old man was not closely related to the high priest who succeeded him by blood.
Chao Lian: "..."
Uncle Lin: "...Does that god care about looks?"
Tsk tsk, that sounds even more like an evil god.
The old man retorted, "Does the secular royal court not consider appearance when selecting talent? Not only appearance, but also family background and bloodline."
The gods are not so strict about this.
"In short, Shao Bai can't possibly be Gong Xi Chou's nephew, but they are both clansmen, so we might be able to meet if the opportunity arises." After all, he couldn't be with Shao Bai for the rest of his life. "Just focus on recovering and don't overthink it."
Half an hour later, Chao Lian had recovered considerably.
Although they cannot use force, walking normally is not a problem.
He also saw Shao Bai. The boy was more mature than the last time they met, and he couldn't help but shed tears, which startled Shao Bai so much that he stood there frozen, unable to move. He only recovered when he heard that Chao Lian had come here to collect his brother's remains.
"This is not easy to find—"
He was carrying a shovel, and the large pit behind him had already been dug.
Shao Bai, being kind-hearted, took the initiative to help him find the person. He brought out a body for Chao Lian to identify; if it wasn't the target, he put it back in the pit and arranged it properly.
Most of the corpses were mutilated, and even though they had been protected with incantations to slow their decay, a nauseating stench still filled the air. Chao Lian seemed oblivious to the smell, mechanically repeating his actions over and over. Finally, his efforts paid off; when he caught a glimpse of a person's clothing, his mind went blank, and he knelt on the ground, weeping uncontrollably.
Shao Bai looked at Chao Lian, who was on the verge of fainting, with a puzzled expression. His intelligence was sealed, making him not only less bright but also quite slow to react emotionally. He didn't quite understand why Chao Lian was acting this way, only knowing that the person lying on the ground was very important to Chao Lian.
He had witnessed this scene before, with Uncle Lin as well. Uncle Lin had just escaped danger then, and upon waking for the first time, he cried uncontrollably, his wounds even reopening. He refused to eat or drink for several days, a stark contrast to the Uncle Lin he was now…
Shao Bai once asked his teacher, Uncle Lin, why he reacted that way. He had just escaped with his life, shouldn't he be happy?
The teacher said calmly, "The death of a blood relative and beloved is inevitable. Ah Yan, one day you will understand."
Shao Bai shook his head: "Ayan, don't be so upset."
Although he couldn't truly empathize, Shao Bai was considerate and didn't disturb Chao Lian. He waited until Chao Lian composed himself before continuing to identify the body.
Before Sixth Brother woke up, all the brothers were found.
Chao Lian, with his less-than-skilled skills, sewed their severed limbs back together. He borrowed clean clothes from Uncle Lin and chose a relatively high spot in the mountains to bury them. The tombstone faced northwest, gazing at their homeland thousands of miles away.
As a scholar, the sixth brother's physique and recovery ability were not as robust as Chao Lian's. When he woke up, Chao Lian's internal injuries had healed by 30%, and his martial energy in his dantian had also accumulated a bit. Dealing with ordinary mountain beasts was no problem for him, of course, not for food, but for their hides. The three brothers were now penniless and unfamiliar with the area, so they needed to earn some money to save for their journey.
"Sixth Brother, you're awake?"
Seeing that Lao Liu was making a move, Chao Lian was overjoyed.
Lao Liu's reaction was no better than Chao Lian's.
When he learned that he was still alive and that the remains of his brothers had been carefully laid to rest, the man in his thirties embraced Chao Lian and wept bitterly. His suicidal thoughts were dispelled by Chao Lian's persuasion and the presence of the still unconscious Shao Chong, but he became even more silent and withdrawn.
"Sixth Brother, my sister-in-law and nephews and nieces are still waiting for us." It's not easy for orphans and widows to survive in this world. Even if the power that took over Shangnan County is willing to treat them well and use this as a show to gain a good reputation, it's still not as good as when my eldest brother was alive.
Upon hearing this, the sixth brother focused on eating and cultivating.
The brothers' biggest worry was Shao Chong.
As a result, three days, five days, ten days, half a month... apart from his breathing gradually returning to normal, there was no sign of him waking up.
The two of them then completely panicked.
Old Liu's medical skills were ineffective, so he had no choice but to seek help from Shao Bai.
Shao Bai and the old man took turns examining him. The old man frowned and said, "His meridians have been basically restored to their original state thanks to the repair by Shao Bai's Gu worms, and there are no abnormalities in his dantian. He should have woken up long ago. Are you hiding something?"
The two thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure out what they had missed.
Until Chao Lian thought of a detail.
"...I remember, at the graves of Third Brother and the others, Thirteen looked strange, as if he had become a different person...but the situation was critical at the time, and we couldn't pay attention to that."
The old man pondered for a moment and roughly guessed the reason.
"If I'm not mistaken, he may never wake up again."
Upon hearing this, the two nearly collapsed.
"Never...won't wake up again?"
The old man said calmly, "Even if you wake up, you will only be a ferocious beast that wreaks havoc on the world, killing anyone you see, including the two of you."
The sixth brother took a deep breath to calm himself and asked, "What's the reason for this? Could it be because the seal was broken, releasing the Gu worms inside?"
Old man: "It's more serious than that; it's evil intention."
Shao Bai asked in confusion, "What is evil thought?"
The old man patiently explained to him, "When a Martial Warrior reaches the peak of the fifteenth level of the Lesser Upper Realm, to break through the bottleneck, they need to slay their evil thoughts. Rather than slaying them, it's more about controlling their inner bloodlust and strengthening their resolve on the right path. 'Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs.' This means that in the eyes of Heaven and Earth, all living beings are the same, and a Martial Warrior who has reached this level obviously possesses the ability to do evil. If they cannot overcome the flaws in their character and rely on their abilities to act recklessly, this is something that Heaven and Earth cannot tolerate."
"And so, heaven and earth bestowed this perilous test upon us."
"Slaying evil thoughts is the process of seeking the Dao."
"Clearly, this child has not yet overcome this hurdle."
Shao Bai asked softly, "What will happen then?"
The old man said, "It will become a scourge."
Having said that, he looked at Chao Lian and the other man: "Execute them!"
The moment those two words were uttered, Chao Lian and Lao Liu turned pale and blocked the old man's way, fearing that the old man might do something to Thirteen.
The old man sneered, "Keep him alive, so he can kill you?"
Chao Lian said, "Kill him, but kill us first!"
The brothers survived the chasm of heaven until Shao Bai and the others, all thanks to Thirteen's selfless protection. It was Thirteen who, at the crucial moment, abandoned his opponent and risked everything to shield them from the direct lightning tribulation. For someone like Thirteen, what did it matter if he gave his life?
The old man chuckled.
"You won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."
Since that's the case, we might as well let them give up completely.
He instructed Shao Bai to use special methods to wake Shao Chong up.
However, things didn't go as he expected.
Shao Chong did indeed unleash his ferocity, like a wild beast, displaying terrifying aggression, but upon hearing Chao Lian's voice, a slight ripple appeared in his turbid, scarlet eyes. He hugged Lao Liu, burying his head in his chest and nuzzling him gently, emitting low, beast-like whimpers. The old man clicked his tongue in amazement.
The sixth brother pleaded with him in a low voice, "Thirteen is still under control and will not become an out-of-control scourge. Please save him."
The old man before him exuded an unfathomable mystery, and he himself was at a loss. Perhaps the other party had some method.
The old man sighed and said, "I'll think about it some more."
The sixth brother hurriedly said, "Thank you!"
More than half a month later, Chao Lian's injuries had basically healed, and he prepared to set off to settle Gu Ren's widow. However, Lao Liu was unable to leave because of Shao Chong. Given Shao Chong's condition, one of the brothers had to stay behind to take care of him and accompany him as he slowly recovered.
"I came back after confirming that my sister-in-law and the others were safe."
"The journey is fraught with danger, so please be careful."
Uncle Lin lent Chao Lian some travel money and said, "If there's a chance, could you please help me go somewhere?"
"Of course."
Uncle Lin wanted Chao Lian to help him go back to his ancestral home for a visit.
Years ago, he escorted the women of his family to flee south to join relatives who had already evacuated. They encountered a great calamity en route, and he was the only survivor. Furthermore, with frequent wars in the Northwest, he completely lost contact with his elder brothers. Uncle Lin held a sliver of hope—if his elder brothers never came, perhaps they would send someone to the ancestral home in Lingzhou to leave a message.
If there is no news, then it is fate.
In those chaotic times of war, disappointment had long been a part of our lives.
Chao Lian wrote down everything that Uncle Lin had said and even asked him for an item as a token of their kinship.
After Chao Lian descended the mountain, he could no longer see the figures of the sixth brother and the others. He turned his head and glanced at the mountain peak where his brothers lay in eternal rest.
One day, your younger brother will bring you home.
Returning to one's homeland, like fallen leaves returning to their roots.
(σ)σ:*☆
After that, Tang Mei conquered the Northwest, became queen, and dominated!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
