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墨書 Inktalez
The wind chimes rustled softly in the Autumn Wind, stirring the bamboo leaves of the Forest, which fell onto the already yellowed ground. A pair of hands gently brushed across Luo Yue's face, wiping away the few tears that had yet to fall, quietly conveying to Luo Yue and those around her that he had returned.
Ran Xing withdrew his hand, took the package from An Qi, and turned to give a shallow bow to the people behind him. "I'm sorry for causing everyone trouble!"
At that moment, everyone's breathing became much more even. Just a quarter of an hour ago, Ran Xing had been kneeling on the ground, groaning in pain, but the name that lingered on his lips was still that of Luo Yue.
"What are you standing there for? Quickly show it to him! Make him remember what this is!" Shaomeng shouted. An Qi, still somewhat dazed, hurriedly pulled out the bracelet from the package and approached Ran Xing. She told him in person that this was a gift he had once given to his sister. He had come to the Trial Ground to become a hero, to find his sister and reclaim past regrets. Yet now, due to certain circumstances, he appeared here as if he had lost his soul. Did he still deserve what he had promised to Commander Qianwen?
"Ran Xing, don't forget—this is your promise to Commander Qianwen and also your promise to yourself. This is not the time to let go. Stand up for me, lift your head and look at me, look at all of us. No one has given up on you. You can't just abandon your companions over some trivial matters and leave in search of relief; I won't allow it, and neither will anyone else!" Shaomeng held the bracelet out before the kneeling Ran Xing. As the saying goes, when heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon someone, it must first torment their mind and bones and disrupt their actions. At this moment, it seemed that Ran Xing slowly began to remember something. The purple light of the Forgetfulness Mirror behind him began to change color gradually, becoming pure and sacred as if a beam of light were cleansing someone who truly wished to repent. With Shaomeng's further encouragement, everyone's eyes widened in astonishment as beneath Ran Xing's knees, corresponding light transformed into a formation. In front of everyone’s eyes, a miracle seemed to occur.
"Child, since you have taken a step toward repentance, I hope you will walk firmly from here on out instead of forgetting everything here. Leave this place and do what you must!" The master of the Forgetfulness Mirror spoke from beyond, having seen the illusion Ran Xing had just tried to grasp and heard what he said to Luo Yue's phantom. This genuine emotion seemed to evoke a hint of compassion even from the stern master of the Forgetfulness Mirror. Ran Xing, who had fallen into an infinite dark ocean within the Forgetfulness Mirror, was lifted by an invisible hand as he reached out toward a narrow beam of light.
It was precisely at that initial low murmur that when Ran Xing crossed that gap, the formation emitted blue light shooting from the direction of the Forgetfulness Mirror straight toward Ran Xing, instantly revealing new hope: an important moment was at hand.
As kneeling Ran Xing slowly stood up, the mark that had been taken from him was returned by the blue light—his Vitality, memories, and heroic techniques taken by the Forgetfulness Mirror all returned with his newfound breath of life. Ran Xing was back beside Luo Yue.
"I'm sorry; but now I'm back, Luo Yue," Ran Xing softly reassured her as he wiped her tears away. Their gazes met, conveying endless words between them. At this moment, seeing someone he cared about appear safely before him was already the greatest comfort. Luo Yue took a step back and gently nodded with a faint smile—"Welcome back."
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief; Ziyuan finally ordered the lockdown lifted while waiting for Commander Qianwen or You Long's arrival.
They silently watched as this pair exchanged brief apologies and comfort with each other. For the first time, Luo Yue blushed for this earthly boy; at this moment, no apologies were needed—no more words or actions were necessary; their eyes could express everything clearly. After their brief exchange, Ran Xing turned back to gather his belongings and looked at his brothers before addressing Teacher Ziyuan with an apology.
"Welcome back, Ran Xing," Ziyuan stepped forward and extended his hand toward this boy in greeting.
Ran Xing grasped Ziyuan's hand in gratitude for his efforts during this time; Ziyuan simply brushed it aside—he would not pursue matters that were already concluded. Instead, he quietly reminded this young man to cherish this girl.
"I understand now, Teacher Ziyuan," Ran Xing nodded while casting a sidelong glance at Luo Yue as she dried her tears. Suddenly something hit him on the head as if some divine decree needed telling.
"Ran Xing, promise me that no matter what happens in the future—you must never do this again! Do you hear me?!"
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the bracelet Shaomeng had just held. Ran Xing smiled again and walked back up to Luo Yue, placing his hand on her shoulder: "Yes, it's a promise."
Luo Yue finally put away the expression of trying to settle scores and gently leaned closer to Ran Xing.
"Alright, alright! Since everything is fine now, let's give the newcomer a warm welcome!" An Qi immediately suggested, and Ziyuan readily agreed. You Long also hurried over, having witnessed everything that had just transpired.
As Qianwen had mentioned earlier, there was no intention of malice, and while there had been unforgivable actions, they were not beyond redemption. Before coming here, Qianwen had repeatedly reminded him that there was a suitable plan for Ran Xing's future arrangements. He might need to leave for a while to observe the outcomes, but he would be brought back before the Convention.
"Ran Xing, congratulations! You've truly impressed us all!" You Long praised his student as he walked toward Ziyuan with a smile. However, when You Long heard Ran Xing attribute his success to Luo Yue, he couldn't help but feel a bit less pleased.
"Don't get too excited too soon; this is just the beginning. You still have some special arrangements ahead. Did you remember everything I just told you?" You Long said while playfully scolding his proud student before informing him of the new plans.
Three days later, Ran Xing would leave the Trial Ground to undergo special training with a Taiji master. Afterward, he would return to the Trial Ground for the Convention. The owner of the Forgetfulness Mirror had already explained the situation to him: this Taiji master was named Nian Yueye, a secret mission executor dispatched by Qianwen who had inexplicably taken over as the Hall Master of the Eternal Life Palace and was responsible for intelligence tasks after being sent out.
"Got it, Teacher You Long," Ran Xing confidently nodded, putting aside his earlier pride and behaving obediently like a child who had made a mistake in front of You Long.
In any case, this farce of the heart finally came to an end. Perhaps only when one truly feels sincere guilt about certain matters can they receive grace and cleanse the hidden sins within their hearts, welcoming rebirth through small cracks!
Three days later, everyone gathered at the boundary between the Trial Ground and the outside world to send Ran Xing off.
"This is a new opportunity. How it turns out depends on you, Ran Xing," You Long had already shared some information with Ran Xing beforehand and straightforwardly told him to perform well this time and not embarrass the Refined Hall.
"Yes! Now that I'm stepping out, I represent Teacher You Long and our hall. I won't let Teacher You Long or our hall down; just watch me!" Ran Xing replied to You Long's words but did not forget about Luo Yue among the crowd. He opened his bag and took out his belongings, asking Luo Yue to keep them safe for him.
Luo Yue smiled slightly and nodded at the boy before him. "Sure! But if you act recklessly, I won't show you any mercy!" The words carried a hint of arrogance but were also heartfelt. After all, it was merely an apology; there was no need for self-destructive memory loss over it. Moreover, that person had already changed in her eyes—someone whose significance surpassed normalcy; she could not allow such things to happen again.
"Shaomeng, I owe you a lot for all the ups and downs during this time; thank you!" It was only then that Ran Xing remembered his good brother Shaomeng. Shaomeng tilted his head slightly and said oddly, "You just thought of this? I think when you come back with a change in perspective, let me see it; I'm considering what you just said."
Everyone burst into laughter.
And so Ran Xing set off. This departure felt no different from others; everyone chatted and laughed as they discussed future matters...
At this moment in the Trial Ground, the soaring Azure Hawks were more numerous than usual. It seemed that after the recent warmth, the Undercurrent had not subsided with Qianwen's handling of Xing Han. As Ziyuan entered Qianwen's territory with intelligence, a new crisis was brewing.
Qianwen was still enjoying having her hair groomed by the guards. Xing Han had already settled into the place she arranged for him, living as usual and receiving the same treatment. However, Qianwen seemed to sense the presence of the Azure Hawks, her brow furrowing slightly, though her wrinkled face revealed little.
"It seems that autumn harvest is when we receive our food, but it is also the time when well-fed lambs welcome hungry wolves," Qianwen remarked as she glanced at Ziyuan's intelligence report, slowly setting it down as if she had anticipated this.
"The intelligence was delivered by Xing Han's personal guard half a day ago. The Evil Spirit from Wangliang Mountain has undergone a comprehensive enhancement. According to descriptions, it is fully armored and has improved physical abilities and combat power. This should be a tool used by the enemy to attack the Trial Ground and seize Divine Fall. The timing of this is quite telling," Ziyuan continued, detailing the report from Xing Han's guard team.
"Well, it seems you already have some ideas," Qianwen said as she opened her eyes, slowly standing up and walking over to pour herself some tea.
"Since Ran Xing left, everyone has begun preparing for the Convention. During this time, we should seal off some entrances and exits. Unless on a mission, no one should go out. Security will still be managed by Meng Jiang. Gradually sealing all entrances and exits would be more prudent to avoid anyone falling into enemy hands at this critical moment," Ziyuan suggested as he accepted Qianwen's teacup, watching her nod before continuing with his recommendations.
Qianwen took a sip of tea and examined the chessboard, calling Ziyuan over to play.
"Commander, what are you doing?" Ziyuan asked in confusion, wondering why Qianwen suddenly showed interest in chess.
With a hint of puzzlement, Ziyuan sat beside the chessboard and began to listen as Qianwen spoke eloquently.
Meanwhile, in the eerie caves of Wangliang Mountain, another group was plotting how to capture unsuspecting lambs to pave the way for their plans.
Shan Qing and Lung Shan were already waiting at a small table while several Nightmare Demons outside awaited new orders. Recently, Gui Mei's closed-door training seemed to have achieved significant breakthroughs; resolving Qianwen appeared to be within reach. However, he was more concerned about whether they could truly catch the lambs before them; otherwise, no matter how grand Lung Shan's words were, they would merely be castles in the air.
"We must prioritize efficiency in our operations. For more than half a month now, there has been no movement in the Trial Ground. You aren't also in closed-door training, are you?" Gui Mei emerged from behind a screen holding tea utensils, his gaze quickly scanning his luxurious office without spotting any prey. His tone was filled with tension.
"Old friend, no matter how clumsy a sheep may be, it won't voluntarily dress itself for a wolf! Besides, since you've been in closed-door training during this time, how could I act rashly? That wouldn't be good," Lung Shan replied as he glanced at Shan Qing. This long-unseen friend seemed unhappy and remained silent like before.
"What's wrong? Have we grown distant? Shan Qing, this isn't like you," Gui Mei offered Shan Qing a teacup, seemingly realizing that Shan Qing was originally from the Trial Ground. Forcing an outsider into sheep territory would inevitably provoke too strong a reaction.
"No need to worry; at least until the sheep come out to graze, we don't need to rush," Shan Qing replied briefly.
Gui Mei's expression turned sinister as he suppressed his smirk; leaning closer to Shan Qing's ear, he revealed his interest.
"It seems specialization is key. Perhaps you know the habits of sheep; why not share your grand plan?" Gui Mei's voice was uncomfortably soft yet hard to refuse; after all, there was sincerity in that cup of tea on the table. Shan Qing scoffed but unexpectedly began to decline.
"No, I'm just not one of those pure sheep; going would only hinder Lung Shan's plans. However, my former companions at the Trial Ground might still become Lung Shan's prized lambs," Shan Qing said as he thanked Gui Mei for his tea but replaced it with his own cup before placing it in front of Lung Shan.
Lung Shan couldn't help but smile; Shan Qing remained as polite as ever. It was surprising that he didn't take advantage of such an opportunity but instead chose to decline at this moment. Accepting tea might imply agreement with his conditions—this wasn't good.
"Brother Shan Qing, I share Gui Mei's sentiments. Since you are part of the flock, you must understand them better than wolves do; naturally, you would be more suited to help us locate the most suitable lamb—just one will suffice." Lung Shan slowly pushed his teacup toward Shan Qing but was blocked by Vitality; it seemed he had no intention of accepting this task.
Gui Mei sat on a chair elevated above theirs and suddenly recalled another crucial matter: the situation regarding Divine Fall! He immediately placed Lung Shan's tea on the table. "Alright then! Do you want to forcefully pick a fruit? It's settled then; since the sheep won't act voluntarily, we'll have to take initiative as wolves—it looks like you'll have your work cut out for you."
As Gui Mei spoke, Shan Qing and the others ceased their dispute. Shan Qing understood Gui Mei's concerns and began discussing the matter of Divine Fall.
"Just as you worry, Gui Mei, I think Divine Fall may not be very supportive of us making such a big commotion lately. My influence might not be enough to ensure its stability; for now, it cannot serve as a cover for the Wolf-Skinned Sheep. I hope you can understand," Shan Qing explained. Despite Gui Mei's dissatisfaction, this chaotic element that always seemed to disrupt his plans before any significant action was taken forced him to find a way to claim it for himself. However, due to inherent limitations, he could only rely on Shan Qing to extract it. After so long without results, he had no choice but to suppress his cunning expression and smile skillfully.
"Not difficult at all. If you need anything, feel free to do as you wish. But how could we do without your performance? I'm just waiting for you to make your move," Gui Mei replied, though he had agreed with Shan Qing's words, he still felt uneasy. He continued discussing the matter of the wolf catching sheep, reminding Shan Qing that this required cooperation and that he shouldn't hide behind Divine Fall while making plans; the contract wasn't written that way.
"Rest assured about that. When the time is right, I won't be absent," Shan Qing coldly responded.
With Shan Qing's assurance, Gui Mei decided not to press further. A few Nightmare Demons understood the implication and stepped forward to prepare to take Shan Qing away.
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