"Why?" I asked, "why now?" I added.
"You are very powerful at the moment and you don't need to worry, through his very own channel I have struck him and he is brutally wounded." Elder Lóu replied.
"Thank you." I said.
"There's no need for you to thank me." Elder Lóu replied.
"I thought that I was very safe here." I said.
"No one is safe." Elder Lóu replied, at the moment I can feel that there is so much more going on around us but what matters is what is in here." Elder Lóu said as he touched the left heart of my chest.
"Yes." I replied.
"You must learn to embrace somethings and that way you shall be able to control yourself and face of whatever comes ahead." Elder Lóu said.
"Yes." I replied.
"Let's try meditating once again but please remember this time that only you can fight for yourself because I can not fight for you." Elder Lóu said as I closed my eyes and I took a deep breath.
There I waited as a Silence prevailed throughout the place and even when I was most peaceful I could still see in the datk a face that I had least expected to come into my mind at the moment.
"Liú Shuài?" I said to myself uncertain if Elder Lóu had heard me but recalling from the way that he had looked at me, I could feel that perhaps there was so much more to us than strangers or acquaintances at least.
I opened my eyes and it had already been a very long while and looking in front of me where Elder Lóu had been seated the place was entirely empty while the incense that had been between us still burnt.
Looking around there was a brilliant beam of light that had shone throughout the room and as I looked at my hands I noticed that they were much different from the way I remembered my veins were glowing so brilliantly as it felt that energy was flowing through them.
"At last you have awakened." I heard an all familiar voice that I turned around and I looked at Elder Lóu who was seated at a table not so far from where I was.
"How long has it been?" I asked.
"Three days." Elder Lóu replied.
I smiled at myself.
"I expected it to be much longer." I said.
"The circulation of energy through your body is most brilliant, I noticed perhaps there must have been something beautiful on your mind at the moment that caused such a remarkable result." Elder Lóu remarked.
"Why do you say that?" I asked.
"I am curious." Elder Lóu replied, "And I might be too old but I assure you that there are things that I can still say." Elder Lóu added.
"Liú Shuài." I mentioned.
"Is that his name?" Elder Lóu asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"How old do you think I am?" Elder Lóu asked.
"One hundred twenty years old." I replied.
"I am five times as old as you've mentioned." Elder Lóu replied.
"Wow." I said.
"There's nothing pleasant about immortality, about living long years, at first everything is wonderful but then as time goes on and those you care about leave you in the end you are all alone." Elder Lóu said.
"To be honest with you, Immortality isn't what I want." I said.
"Then why do you decide to be a cultivator?" Elder Lóu asked.
"To be honest, even I don't know." I replied, "At first I wanted to help people but now I realise that there are times you must be selfish, however if there was someone that I could love and protect, explore the martial and cultivation worlds with and exorcise demons and evil spirits including ghosts then I shall have found a purpose as a cultivator." I said.
"What about saving the world?" Elder Lóu asked.
"What is the world for you to save when it's devoid of The people that you love and care about?" I asked.
"Come here." Elder Lóu said as he stood up and also took my hand leading me to a red Guqin that was stationed at a table that was right next to the window nearby and standing there he showed me an inscription that was written on it.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Read that name." Elder Lóu said.
"Góng Jīan?" I said.
"Remarkable isn't it?" Elder Lóu asked.
"Hmmm." I muttered.
"Everyone has something to be remembered about and as time passes depending on whether we are willing or not or who they could have been in our lives, when we can't forget there is something for us to cherish at least." Elder Lóu replied.
"What is that?" I asked.
"Memories." Elder Lóu replied.
"Sadly there aren't too many for me." I said.
"And that isn't something for you to feel so remorseful about because in the end immortality won't just be achieved from a simple elixir or the power that you yourself consume constantly, it always starts here in your heart." Elder Lóu replied.
"Who was Góng Jīan?" I asked
"That I'll most likely tell you another time." Elder Lóu replied as he patted on my shoulder before he turned around and walked away leaving me frozen as I stated at the beautiful Guqin so endlessly.
"Góng Jīan." I whispered as I ran my hand all over it noticing how clean it looked despite being next to an open window there wasn't even a speck of dust that flawed it's smoothness.
Walking out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation I caught sight of Hàorán who was pacing around in the Courtyard.
"Hàorán?" I called his name and turning around he waved at me with a smile on his face as I descended the stairs and I walked up to him confidently.
"You're out?" He said.
"Have you been waiting long enough?" I asked.
"Not at all, if it's you even if it were a week or a lifetime I wouldn't mind." Hàorán said.
"Never mind, did you find out what I had asked of you?" I asked.
"Yes." Hàorán replied.
"Let's go." I said.
We walked into the library and then we went through the aisles that stood between the shelves amidst the place that was deserted.
"Not many readers today." I said.
"The Elders passed the order for everyone to at least hone their abilities because while you were meditating a lot of things have transpired beyond the barrier." Hàorán replied as he picked up a book and then he placed it on the table and opened it while I watched.
"Even I was curious about the reason as to why Childe Liú possesed such a powerful ornament but as I had expected it in deed is something mystic." Hàorán said as he stopped by a page and he handed the book over to me while I read what was written inside.
"The Dān Jade?" I read.
"Yes." Hàorán replied, "It's a very rare ornament that doesn't subdue yīn energy but rather, it stores it temporarily like a sack though the capacity to which it can hold is limited in that case where the yīn energy proves to exceed, the Jade can either get destroyed or channel the yīn energy into the void unless it is deflected back to the source Sometimes to which it is most attracted." Hàorán replied.
"Such a powerful ornament." I said.
"Sadly, it's not that powerful if you think about it." Hàorán said while he picked another book which he handed over to me.
"Kirin?" I read.
"One of the seven sentinels of the cultivation world that is destined to protect it from any dark threats it's from it's horn that the Jade is extracted but ordinary kirins produce the most ordinary Dān Jades while the sentinel itself produces what is much more powerful known as the Dān Spear." Hàorán replied.
"I suppose there is much more than I initially knew." I remarked.
"The Dān spear has an arrow Head which can destroy yīn objects with a few exceptions and it is much rare though currently Dān Jade is rare you'd be surprised there is a group of people in the cultivation world that Protect it." Hàorán said as he picked up another book which he handed over to me.
"The Silver monks?" I said.
"They reside not so far perhaps and they are hard to find, their mountain is one of the most dangerous at its feet as beasts roam there and act as it's defenders so whoever acquires the Dān Jade mustn't be an ordinary cultivator but strictly one that has already refined their technique and reached the stage of the Nascent soul or even better exceeded it." Hàorán said.
"Which Mountain?" I asked.
"Bùsǐ Mountain." Hàorán replied
"So if Liú Shuài possesses it then that means that he's that powerful?" I said.
"Likely." Hàorán replied, "Perhaps it's a heirloom, perhaps he stole it, perhaps he got it from a kirin itself or he vanquished someone who possesed it, there are many likely explanations." He added.
"Can't the elders acquire the Dān Jade for us?" I asked.
"I'm not so sure, they defend the barrier and the red Lotus so to leave it is something that they can not do." Hàorán replied.
"Hmm." I muttered as I folded my arms.
"Why did you ask?" Hàorán said to me.
"Not so long ago, I don't know how but Po Xinēn was able to channel Yīn energy through me even while behind the barrier and if Elder Lóu hadn't helped, my resistance might be temporary as I fear that he might upgrade to execution with much darker arts." I replied.
"It's troublesome." Hàorán said, "but I am sure there could be a way for us to acquire one." he added.
"What about conjuring one?" I asked.
"We are cultivators, not sorcerers." Hàorán said.
"Are all of us cultivators?" I asked.
"Yes." Hàorán replied.
Hardly had he spoken when the ground started rumbling and at that very instant everything in the library started to fall.
"What's happening?" Hàorán said while the rumbling temporarily halted and it was at that moment that something came to my mind.
"The Barrier?" I said as I looked at Hàorán.
"No." He said and we both rushed out of the building bas we stood on the staircase while we looked up at sky where the barrier which in it's nature was a very large invisible dome started to appear red in colour with beams of energy from outside striking it.
The Elders hurried out of the Great Hall along with all the other cultivators as they pulled out their swords and blades, spears and other weapons that they had in their possession.
"The Barrier, it's becoming unstable." I said.
"Who would attack the valley, who knows where it is?" Hàorán said.
"There's one person that I can think of." I replied as I looked at Hàorán.
"I'm going to kill that monster." Hàorán said as he flew away.
"Wait." I said to him as I flew after him as well.
The elders looking up at the top of the dome there a yīn energy beam appeared to be fighting to penetrate the shield but without much success yet the barrier itself was being weakened constantly and constantly that eventually, a crack appeared and a dark Misty cloud descended in the courtyard leaving the whole place breached while the dome was starting to repair itself slowly and slowly.
The dark mist had started to disperse at that moment when out of it Po Xinēn stood up and he faced us all with his eyes burning brightly red and his aura much too entirely consumed by yīn energy.
Hàorán and the other Scarlets moved to the front of the elders while Grandmaster Sú and Grandmaster Liāo along with the others showed no fear at all.
"The weight of ten thousand beasts and people." Wú Ruì said.
"At last we know where the energy that he has been accumulating from his victims the past years has been hiding." Wú Hào said.
"I see that you are looking for your own death it seems." Grandmaster Liāo said.
"The only difference is that last time you sent over Assassins but this time I have attacked in person." Po Xinēn said.
"Attack." Hàorán said as the Scarlets launched themselves towards the Intruders who looking at them with his blood shot eyes he raised his hand and a very large force of yīn energy struck them all they were repelled that they fell to the ground.
I froze instantly.
"He's here for me." I said as I felt myself afraid while my veins started to glow like they usually did.
"There you are." Po Xinēn said as he streaked through everyone else much faster than we had been initially and he was right in front of me.
"At last I found you." He'd mentioned as he held me by my neck and then he started to lift me up into the sky while the yīn energy in the atmosphere around gathered behind him while we made our ascension.
"Don't let him." Grandmaster Sú said as he conjured a Guqin and Grandmaster Liāo where she was standing she flew into mid air and pulling out her own flute she started to play.
The other elders conjured their various music instruments and altogether they joined their two counterparts as they struck a joint note which resulted into a very big wave and as we got higher and higher, the yīn energy was sipping into my body while the yáng energy from the Grandmasters' waves was also entering me as well.
I felt immense pain and at that moment there was anger that was burning inside me that my veins only got brighter and brighter that the elders ceased while I could no longer recognize what I was but there was only a brilliant crimson and yellow light around me.
Po Xinēn looked at me as he smiled ghastly while he shouted.
"Destroy me." He said.
"No." I replied.
"Don't." Grandmaster Liāo said.
"If you destroy the source then the yīn energy will wander over the place and all these people shall automatically be darkened so shall the red lotus." Po Xinēn said.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked.
"Your instincts are kicking in at the moment and at last when the power of the Phoenix is revealed destruction itself shall follow unless you can absorb every last bit of this energy and it shall reside in you." Po Xinēn said.
"No." I said.
"Choose." Po Xinēn said while I was trying to fight very hard to confine the force that was within me which I too couldn't understand.
At that moment the elders repositioned themselves and there beneath I could see that there was something with them.
I closed my eyes as I recalled the words that Elder Lóu had said to me a couple of days back.
"Open your eyes to the spiritual realms, silence your ears to the noise and the chaos lf this world that we call our own and find your internal peace .
Tap into your golden core, regardless of the force that resides inside and distribute it throughout your body regulating it show your sense of Command and lead while it's the one that's there in the follow." He'd said to me and as I calmed down I could hear the elders saying now.
I opened my eyes to see what was going on and there I could see them consuming the yīn energy and draining it out of Po Xinēn.
"I don't think that the sink shall hold all the energy, it's immense." Grandmaster Liāo said.
"We have to try." Grandmaster Sú replied and there hearing another explosion my gaze shifted when right through the breach Liú Shuài descended with his sword pointed backwards while he was surrounded by three pieces of Dān Jade.
With a wave of his arms he began to absorb the other part of the Yīn energy while Po Xinēn in attempting to fly higher I ceased him with all my might and caught him in one place we looked at each other while with my strength he was entirely confined.
"Everyone, the ropes." Hàorán ordered and the other ten Scarlets converging along with many more juniors they conjured a series of red strings all which held Po Xinēn there in mid air for us to complete our subduing.
He eventually let out a scream as every last bit of the yīn energy was drained and at that very moment while the done itself after repairing itself had stabilized, all that I was left with in my hands was a pale young man about my age with whom I descended along with Liú Shuài.
Wú Hàorán rushed up to me.
"Láo Yuè." He said, "Are you alright?" He asked.
"Hmm." I modded as I carried the young man in my arms.
"Save him." I said.
"Sure." Wú Hào replied as he took him from me while I stayed behind with the Elders, Wú Hàorán and Liú Shuài.
He walked up to us with his sword while he caused the Dān Jade to vanish in thin air as the Elders looked at him.
"Greetings." He said as he kowtowed to them.
"Hmm." Grandmaster Liāo muttered.
"To the Great Hall." Grandmaster Sú said.
"Yes." We replied while the three of us walked inside with the elders while I looked up at the barrier which had started to turn invisible once again.
The moment that we were inside we were at the centre of the Elders' seats while they sat their fairly raised from us.
"Who are you?" Grandmaster Sú asked.
"I am Liú Shuài." He replied.
"The Third Childe of the Liú Clan?" Grandmaster Liāo asked.
"Yes." Liú Shuài replied.
"What were you doing here?" Grandmaster Qiu asked.
"I was following Po Xinēn." Liú Shuài replied confidently.
"Why?" Grandmaster Sú asked.
"Because I was looking for him." Liú Shuài replied as he raised his right hand and pointed at me.
"Yuèliáng?" Grandmaster Sú called.
"Yes." I replied as I put my head down.
"Do you know him?" Grandmaster Sú asked.
"While we were in Yuánpīng city, he is the one that saved my life from Po Xinēn, his last two attempts as well he is still my saviour." I replied.
"I know Láo Yuè." Liú Shuài said.
"What's your relationship with him?" Grandmaster Sú asked.
"We were....very good friends." Liú Shuài replied with a tone of hesitation in his voice and I couldn't help but wonder why.
"We are very grateful for the fact that you helped us subdue Po Xinēn and for that you have our sincerity as well but the Red Lotus is no place to strangers especially if you aren't even related to anyone that is inside." Grandmaster Sú said.
"I understand." Liú Shuài replied.
"The Liú Clan is prestigious, there isn't a thing that you lack, your clan is well known in the martial and cultivation worlds after the Great Fall so would you at least please tell me now what the third Childe us doing chasing around a fugitive assassin?" Grandmaster Liāo asked.
"I'm in exile." Liú Shuài replied.
The elders looked at one another.
"Why?" Grandmaster Sú asked.
"I don't mean to be disrespectful but it isn't a story that I am willing to share." Liú Shuài said.
Judging from the tone of his voice I could tell that he really was lowly and there was a drab aura around him.
"Where is the Yīn energy that you confined?" Grandmaster Sú asked and Liú Shuài Immediately waved his hand and there in mid air the three Dān Jades appeared in front of the elders and the rest of us.
"Such awful power and darkness is in your possession, what are you going to do about it?" Grandmaster Liāo asked.
Liú Shuài raised both his arms in the air and moving them around the Dān Jades started rotating in circles until they created a funnel which struck a veil that appeared right nearby.
The yīn energy travelling Through it made its entrance into the dark hole that I had noticed to be the void and cast there every last bit of the energy from the Dān Jades had vanished they eventually descended into his palm which he showed to the elders before he whisked them away.
"You are a skilled cultivator and I admire your prowess, you are pure but why were you looking for Yuèliáng who is now one of us?" Grandmaster Liāo asked.
"Because I believed that he never died, because I wanted to find him the past five years, something like this was bound to happen and even long past the Great Fall the Cultivation world is still plunged into chaos." Liú Shuài replied.
"What makes you say that?" Hàorán asked, "enough of the cultivation clans have relaxed, everyone has revived from the recession, the fallen clans and Cultivation schools have been restored along with the sanctuaries, the temples and the great cities that had succumbed to destruction." he added.
"Then why did Po Xinēn strike?" Liú Shuài asked.
"What are you saying?" Grandmaster Sú asked.
"Perhaps you have not heard and the Red Lotus seems to be most peaceful, the Féng Clan started a revival and all this time it has been revealed that the Līngyuè Transaction has been organising it's underground movements throughtout the Cultivation world though being founded by a demonic cultivator recent discoveries have traced the Féng Clan's roots to it." Liú Shuài replied.
"Exactly six months ago they broke into Dàluo Temple and from there very many Monks were massacred, some even went missing and only a few managed to survive, two days ago there were reported cases of murder beneath the Lúnhuí mountains and the people in those cities nearby are living by.
Whereas bandits have become popular along the Hòutiān pass there are rather active rumours and stories about them possessing the Féng Clan token." Liú Shuài added.
"What have you to worry about all these occurrences, if there is in deed a revival of the Féng Clan then let the Great Seven clans converge as they had done before and counter it once again." Grandmaster Liāo asked.
"All efforts can be rewarded but Láo Yuè's is the most important one." Liú Shuài replied.
"What do you mean by my effort being the most important one and why do you need me?" I asked.
"Because you are the one hope there is that is left for the martial and the Cultivation worlds to survive and perhaps I had been too foolish in the first place trying to act very smart while you on the other hand were able to realise the reality of what we were up against." Liú Shuài replied.
"And what is that?" I asked.
"The Calamity of the Silver mirror." Liú Shuài replied.
"Enough." Grandmaster Sú said.
Liú Shuài halted.
"How can we trust what you are saying and what us there for you to prove that you know Láo Yuèliáng?" Grandmaster Liāo asked.
Liú Shuài stretched out his hand and there in it appeared a sword that had a blue scabbard which was fairly bejewelled.
It's was long with some intricate spiral designs and there on it was a symbol of the Phoenix that I clearly realized.
He threw it at me and I held it into my arms.
"Remove it." Liú Shuài said and hesitantly, ceasing it by it's handle I pulled it out of it's sheath and there watching as my face was reflected on it, I read the name that had been inscribed on the blade.
"Láo Yuèliáng." It read.
"Seventh son and Childe of the Láo Clan." Liú Shuài said.
At that very moment my head started aching and there and then I got a flashback in which I was pointing the sword at Liú Shuài while he stood there facing me.
"Láo Yuè." He said calmly and as a mild cry escaped my mouth Hàorán held me up before I would fall down on the ground.
"Láo Yuè?" Grandmaster Liāo called my name.
"What's wrong?" Hàorán asked me, "Are you feeling fine." He asked me his face full of so much worry that I could see the sincerity with which he stared into my eyes.
"It's true." I confessed, "he's telling the truth." I added as I turned and looked at Liú Shuài who was expressionless and still looking at me.
"How do you know?" Hàorán asked.
"I've seen him." I replied.
"We should stop at this." Grandmaster Sú said, "this young man has also been helpful to us." He added.
"Hadn't it been for him then we don't know what would have become of the Red Lotus today." Grandmaster Liāo remarked.
"Your welcome." Liú Shuài said as he bowed his head and kowtowed.
"You are welcome to stay at the Eastern pavilion as a token of our benevolence and there are some other things that must be first tended to so your stay can not be prolonged as well.
We hope that out of the respect of the customs and traditions of our society you might be able to understand and about the Calamity of the Silver mirror I believe that there are some matters that we'll need to discuss with you later.
"Yes." Liú Shuài replied.
"You may leave." Grandmaster Sú said.
"Thank you." Liú Shuài said as he kowtowed and slowly, he withdrew from the Great Hall along with the both of us.
Hàorán and I descended the stairs of the Pagoda as I held onto the sword that Liú Shuài had tossed to me.
"It's strange." Hàorán spoke up.
"What?" I curiously asked him.
"How did you know that you knew him before?" Hàorán asked.
"When I unsheathed this sword, I remembered that at one time I drew it and pointed it at him." I replied.
"And what did he do?" Hàorán asked.
"Nothing." I replied.
"Impossible." Hàorán said.
"Are you saying my memory lied to me?" I asked.
"How could he have done nothing when you threatened his life?" Hàorán asked.
"He just called my name." I replied, "he even didn't look afraid of me." I added.
"Then you really are the seventh childe of the Láo Clan?" Hàorán asked.
"Most probably." I replied, "why would he lie when the truth is in front of me?" I asked.
"You're right but I don't feel that he is trustworthy." Hàorán said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Everywhere Po Xinēn attacked you he appeared to soon to save your life, either it seemed like he knew and he was aware that the enemy was going to strike or perhaps it's possible that there is something else that's wrong with him.
And considering the fact that he opted to go into exile on his own accord but he can not tell anyone why then there really is something very strange about him." Hàorán replied.
"We'll see." I replied, "there's nothing that can remain hidden forever eventually at one time all truths shall be revealed." I added.
"Though come to think about it you were able to remember." Hàorán said.
"That's right." I remarked.
"Then that means that there is a chance that you might regain your memory." Hàorán said.
"Sure." I replied as we continued walking away towards our very own quarters.
We got inside and I walked up to a nearby stand where I placed my sword while I sat down at a table.
Hàorán walked over and he brought me a small kettle.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Tea." Hàorán replied.
"We've been at the Great Hall for a while, wouldn't it be cold by now?" I asked.
"No." Hàorán replied, "I left it on the fire so it's still hot." Hàorán replied while he sat down in front of me and he poured some for me in a cup.
"You really care so much." I said.
"It's nothing." Hàorán replied.
"Sometimes I feel that I can only rely on you." I said.
"To tell you the truth, I really can't stand watching you suffering." Hàorán replied, "Sometimes I am very willing to make whoever forces you to shed tears to shed blood instead." He added.
"You don't have to be so cruel." I said as I picked up my cup and I drank some tea.
A long while had passed and I was in the library while looking through some books.
All over my eyes lingered as I searched for one thing that I had recalled Po Xinēn had talked to me about when he was holding me captive in mid air.
"Your instincts are kicking in at the moment and at last when the power of the Phoenix is revealed destruction itself shall follow unless you can absorb every last bit of this energy and it shall reside in you." he'd said and after not finding what I wanted from the books I picked them up from the table and I started returning them to their respective shelves.
I sighed as I held my shoulder while I swang my arm exhausted and at that moment, when I walked out of the aisle Wú Hào rushed through the doors.
"Láo Yuè?" He called me loudly as he stopped and bending over he started to breath heavily as he gasped for air his arms on his knees.
"What's the matter?" I asked, "what are you running from?" I added.
"Po Xinēn." Wú Hào replied.
"What happened to him?" I asked.
"He's gained consciousness." Wú Hào replied.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"The Táng pavilion." Wú Hào replied and at once I got up and I started off out of the room while Wú Hào followed me closely behind
Reaching the building there I saw the plaque hanging over the recovery Hall and mounting the stairs I walked inside where I found Master Qiānxǐ looking at the young man who was seated on his bed.
I halted while he looked at me and his eyes rather fearful and at the same time sorry perhaps he looked away.
I walked over to the bed and sitting by his side, Po Xinēn shuffled himself away trying to keep a distance.
"What's with him?" I asked Master Qiānxǐ.
"He's still recuperating as it is he has long been possesed for him to get back to his senses it'll take a while." Master Qiānxǐ replied.
"Don't worry, I think I can try talking to him." I said.
"Sure." Master Qiānxǐ replied as he stood up and withdrew at a distance while the two were left in the compartment.
Po Xinēn coughed vigorously and noticing that he was looking around for something, I handed him my hanker chief.
He looked at me while I nodded with approval.
"Thank you." He said to me as he took it and covering his mouth he coughed inside before he turned to look at me.
He was young and fair most certainly as old as I was and he seemed soft hearted without the yīn energy in him but if there was one thing that I could sense that was very prominent in the aura around then it was a large mass of yáng energy coming from him.
"Po Xinēn?" I called.
"Which year is it?" He asked.
"The twelfth year of Shianhan." I replied.
"When was the eighth year of Qiongxī?" Po Xinēn asked.
"Twenty five years ago." I replied.
"Impossible." Po Xinēn said.
"Why?" I asked.
"I have been asleep for twenty five years?" Po Xinēn asked me.
"No." I replied, "you've been an assassin for twenty five years." I added.
"How?" Po Xinēn asked, "I was the weakest person in the Qīn Clan and I hadn't that much prominence when it came to my martial arts and cultivation, I was only born noble and pure, refined and kind and that way I stayed all the time, only following the cultivation disciplines that I was able to refine my Qi but other than that I chose to abstain from the path of secularism." He defended.
"Prior to what could have been a long slumber for you is there anything else that you remember about his this probably happened or how you even left the Qīn Clan?" I asked.
"The last thing that I remember was that we had gone hunting in the forest under Mountain Líhuǒ." Po Xinēn replied.
"What happened?" I asked.
"We were about eight cultivators and I was accompanying my father but before anything could happen we lost him and we decided to scatter and look for him.
I wandered as I followed the sound of the rushing river knowing how well he loved the water and he usually stood by it and took a deep breath and by the time that I arrived there I caught sight of a young girl who was crying with her face on her knees." Po Xinēn replied.
"Was there anything wrong with the girl?" I asked.
"I didn't know at first because looking around I couldn't see ant blood or any wounds on her and her clothes being rugged I thought that she must have been a common person so I approached her to ask what was making her cry." Po Xinēn replied.
"What did you do to her?" I asked.
"The moment that I touched her shoulder she screamed while she turned around and she looked at me and it was at that moment that I noticed that she was pregnant and carrying a child with herself." Po Xinēn replied.
"A pregnant girl, all alone?" I asked.
"I also wondered why but before I could do anything there was someone that was dressed in dark robes that flew and landed there on the shore where we were and judging from the dark mist that was surrounding him I knew that he was a practitioner of the dark arts and the woman standing up she spoke to him and she shouted out loud saying that she wasn't going to let him harm her unborn child when she conjured a series of swords which she threw towards him using her power." Po Xinēn replied.
"And?" I asked.
"The man repelled them all and I could see that he conjured a beam of yīn energy and he aimed it at the young woman which compelled me to grab her by her hand and putting her behind myself I tried to use my internal energy to stop him but his being more powerful before I realised his beam had struck me instead." Po Xinēn replied.
"If you are a Childe of the Qīn Clan then why is your name Po?" I asked.
"I don't know that name, one thing that I clearly recall is that I was called Qīn, Qīn Yōngmáo." Po Xinēn replied.
"Qīn Yōngmáo?" I said as I stood up.
"Is it likely that your body was able to absorb the yīn energy when you sacrificed yourself to save the young woman and her child?" I asked.
"I don't know, I wasn't that knowledgeable about the dark cultivation arts and I think perhaps because of that I haven't been myself all this time." Qīn Yōngmáo replied.
"I'm sorry." I said to him as I held him on his shoulders.
"But looking at you your eyes remind me of that young woman." Qīn Yōngmáo said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Her long hair was just as pitch black and as long as yours, her eyes dark with a shade of brown in them they were bright and sparkling and looking at you, I can't help but feel some sense of familiarity as though I have seen you before." Qīn Yōngmáo replied.
"Do you know anything like the name of that woman?" I asked.
"No." Qīn Yōngmáo replied. "If I was possesed for twenty five years it's likely that after my strike the Assassin pursuing her could have killed her and if not and she managed to escape I don't think that I know where to find her." Qīn Yōngmáo said.
"I see." I replied as I looked at him.
"I'm sorry of I couldn't be of help." Qīn Yōngmáo said.
"You are free and that's all that matters." I replied as I turned around and I walked out of the room.