Chapter 240: Master of Ephemeral Mountain |
After the youngsters left, Yu Ling stretched and sat down on a rock.
“Youth is so wonderful,” she murmured wistfully.
“Big Sister isn’t old either.”
“I’m not old, but I’ve reached Grand Clarity. I’ve lost that youthful drive for adventure… Wait! What are you doing here?!”
Yu Ling jumped, startled by Chen Yin’s presence beside her.
“Why didn’t you go with them?”
“If everyone goes together, I won’t get any of the treasures.”
Chen Yin blinked innocently. “Can I explore the area by myself, Big Sister? Maybe I’ll find something.”
Yu Ling frowned. “It’s too dangerous to go alone.”
Chen Yin said matter-of-factly.
Yu Ling was surprised by his words. How could a child so young be so nonchalant about life and death?
She hesitated, then sighed. “Fine, I’ll go with you. I might not be able to enter all the formations and secret realms with you, but I can at least protect you from the minor traps and dangers.”
Chen Yin smiled and bowed slightly. “Thank you, Big Sister.”
“Just to be clear,” she turned to him, her hands on her hips, “I’m only doing this because I’m worried about you, little boy.”
“What else would it be?”
Yu Ling blushed slightly, realizing her words could be misinterpreted. She quickly looked away.
“Where do you want to go?”
Chen Yin pointed towards a specific direction.
“That way.”
…Towards Ephemeral Mountain.
Chen Yin had been pondering a few questions.
Where had Master sent him?
Was this truly the past, a thousand years ago? Or just an illusion?
Why had she sent him here?
Was there a way for him to comprehend a second Dao in this place?
He didn’t know. But when he had heard about the Immortal Venerable’s ruins, he had immediately thought of Ephemeral Mountain.
…Were those crazed cultivators still there?
If this was truly the past…
…could he save any of them?
If he could prevent this tragedy, perhaps Qingying’s brother would still be alive.
He doubted it, but he had to try.
As they reached the dark path leading to Ephemeral Mountain, Chen Yin asked Yu Ling to wait for him.
He had walked this path many times before.
Now, he could navigate it with his eyes closed.
The darkness no longer held any fear for him.
He reached the familiar formation at the end of the path and was about to disable it when he hesitated.
…If he deactivated the formation now, no one would die here in the next thousand years.
Qingying’s brother would still be alive.
But would he still meet Qingying?
Would she still choose to follow him?
Like something out of a science fiction movie, he hesitated, pondering the potential consequences of altering the past.
His encounter with Qingying had been a complete accident.
From a cold and ruthless assassin trying to kill him, to the shy and flustered girl she had become, easily embarrassed by his teasing…
Even Chen Yin hadn’t expected their relationship to develop like this.
He had just happened to capture an assassin who was trying to kill him, and then he discovered she was the sister of someone he had promised to help. So he spared her life.
He had thought that after taking her to see her brother’s grave, their paths would diverge. But when the time came to part ways, he realized he had grown accustomed to her presence, to her clumsy attempts at insulting him, her rare victories celebrated with a childlike glee.
And when he teased her too much, she would always end up teary-eyed and begging for mercy. And when she realized she had truly angered him, she would apologize, her hand reaching for his, her touch surprisingly gentle.
He had grown fond of this silly and somewhat childish girl.
Especially after hearing her soft, whispered confession, her eyes red-rimmed:
…I just thought you didn’t like me…
…But I never said I didn’t like you…
He had realized then,
That he had fallen for this awkward and endearing girl.
“Ah,” Chen Yin looked up.
“Speaking of which,”
“I still owe her a proper confession.”
He placed his hand on the formation.
If he could,
He would give her back her brother, as a confession gift.
And if that meant she would never meet him…
…perhaps it was for the best. He chuckled wryly.
The formation glowed, and Chen Yin’s figure disappeared into the darkness.
Ephemeral Mountain.
The sun was shining, the birds were singing, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves.
Chen Yin walked along the familiar path towards the summit, where the Daoist priest had once lectured.
But when he reached the top, he froze.
The crowd of meditating cultivators was gone.
So was the Daoist priest.
Only a single pavilion stood in the center of the plaza.
A handsome man with long, black hair sat there, sipping tea leisurely. Beside him were two small, child-like figures, like miniature versions of himself,
One radiating a cold, sharp aura, the other a gentle warmth.
Both carried a familiar scent.
The man looked up, sensing his presence.
“A visitor?”
“Mo Cen, Fuyu, greet our guest.”
The two child-like figures jumped up and ran towards Chen Yin, circling him playfully, nuzzling against him as if recognizing his scent.
Chen Yin stared at them, his mind reeling.
…No Daoist priest? No crazed cultivators?
…And one of these… things… was called Fuyu?
A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
“To have reached this place, you must be quite talented, little brother.”
The man stood up, a gentle smile on his face.
“I am the Master of Ephemeral Mountain.”
“You seem to call me… Immortal Venerable?”