"You see, I always thought you were a heartless bastard, selfish and annoying. But spending time with you, I've started to think differently," Meng Zhi confessed sincerely. Having known Wu Xuan since childhood, Meng Zhi knew that he often seemed beyond his years and frequently found himself embroiled in conflicts. Since that day, his journey as the main disciple of the sect was not an easy one. He bore burdens at a tender age that others could scarcely imagine.
"I... I truly am," Wu Xuan murmured, his voice unexpectedly softening. "Selfish and heartless... that's indeed what I am." He paused and turned to look at Meng Zhi. His lips, usually curved in a mocking grin, now bore a tender, reassuring smile. His deep brown eyes, half-lidded, radiated a warm gentleness. "But that's precisely why I've survived..."
Meng Zhi sensed a profound darkness lurking behind that smile. Turning around, Wu Xuan proceeded forward. "Wu Xuan, wait..." After a moment, Meng Zhi blurted out, stepping in front of Wu Xuan. "I know," Wu Xuan responded, grasping the small knife that dangled from his waistband.
Wu Xuan, swiftly reacting to the soft footsteps behind him, narrowly escaped death by crossing his knife just in time. His small knife clashed with a long, cold sword, and the impact was so intense that it forced him to retreat a step. His attention was drawn to the assailant who was coming at him from above. He had long light brown eyes and wore a white and brown Jun Peak uniform. Wu Xuan recognized him immediately, but the other person didn't seem to. It was fair given the darkness.
As Wu Xuan retreated, the assailant launched another strike. However, Meng Zhi's elongated claw intercepted at that instant, sending sparks flying as metal clashed against metal. "It seems we have company," Wu Xuan remarked.
"This voice..." whispered the stranger. "I have heard such a bored voice somewhere."
Wu Xuan said "....???"
"Whose voice are you insulting, father who can't take care of the child!!!" Wu Xuan muttered angrily.
San Jie leaped back, sliding his sword into its sheath. "As expected, it's you, Shitty Xuan," he said with a sneer. Meanwhile, Xiao Hai ignited a flame in his palm.
"Sorry weasel loser." Wu Xuan said, rolling his eyes.
"What did you say?!"
Wei Yunhe let out a sigh as he grabbed San Jie by his shoulder strap as he jumped forward. "Shut up, San Jie!"
"Yo! We met again Mr. Pretty..." said Mr.Mao emerging from behind Wei Yunhe, scaring Meng Zhi to the max. "You know him?!" Wu Xuan and Wei Yunhe asked at once. But the question was directed at different people.
"Mm-hmm. We know each other well." Mao said with a sly smile.
"Who knows?! I don't know him." Meng Zhi said with a shrug, trying not to look Mao in the eyes. "There now, how can you forget me....that is so sad you know... Mr. Pretty?" Mao said with a sad tone.
"Quit calling me that!" Meng Zhi snorted. "I met him at the gambling house." Taken aback by Wu Xuan's intense gaze, Meng Zhi spoke slowly, "So so... that's right. I suppose you're the significant friend he would risk his life for, Mr. Rolling Eyes," Mao remarked, his eyes gleaming.
"He is not!!! And quit giving nicknames you darn...dar...damn squirrel!!!"
Wu Xuan ".....????"
"I am a tree squirrel and he is a normal squirrel?! Somehow I feel that is not fair, Mr. Pretty." Wu Xuan said with an inciting voice as if he was enjoying the situation. "Shut up, wild boar!!"
"Now a wild boar huh?! Next time will it be a sky elephant or a water snake?"
"Quit teasing him Wu Xuan." Xiao Hai said in a low tone.
"Okay, okay my bad!"
"So, may I ask who you are?" Wei Yunhe inquired, smiling at Meng Zhi. "It seems you're a friend of Wu Xiong." Meng Zhi remained quiet. He had once betrayed the innocent and kind soul before him. Xiao Hai had been gravely hurt. Meng Zhi lacked the courage to meet Wei Yunhe's gaze, burdened by the guilt that it was all his doing.
"I…I'm nobody." He said, faking a smile to hide his tears. Wei Yunhe tilted his head to the side as if he didn't understand what he said. "Eh?!"
"By the way, your hair is incredible. I've never seen tri-color hair before," San Jie remarked as he circled Meng Zhi. "Same here," Wei Yunhe added icily. "Tri-color hair is a first for me too."
"What brings you guys here, Wu Xiong?" Wei Yunhe inquired, now addressing Wu Xuan.
"We're on a mission. It looks like you haven't located Lingyu yet, have you?"
"You were aware?"
"Indeed, we've encountered members of the Lotus sect previously."
A prolonged silence followed. "I see. We must hasten then. This area doesn't seem secure enough for leisurely conversation," Wei Yunhe remarked as he strode by. He murmured a few words, pausing briefly beside Meng Zhi.
"Your help with... the infinity key is appreciated!"
Meng Zhi was taken aback as Wei Yunhe walked past him. He realized that Yunhe must know his true identity. Yet, Yunhe showed no anger. Meng Zhi had wronged his dearest friend, disgraced his cherished Peak, and branded him a traitor before the elders. Still, Yunhe's gaze bore no malice.
"What's the matter, Mr. Pretty?" Mao inquired, coming up behind Meng Zhi. "Just be quiet. What's your deal anyway?"
"I'm just here to guide you. If you lose your way and perish, it would deeply upset my master," Mao declared, a smile flickering at the edge of his lips. His cloak bore a tear near the shoulder, likely from a sword's kiss, Meng Zhi surmised. Yet, Mao seemed unscathed, the cloak's dark stains barely noticeable.
"And your master is?" Wu Xuan inquired, decelerating to narrow the gap between him and Mao.
"Sang Lian!"
They all halted in their tracks. Fear etched across Meng Zhi's face as he trembled from the chill. Wu Xuan appeared equally taken aback.
"Sang Lian, you're not talking about that Sang Lian... are you?" San Jie inquired.
"I am indeed referring to that Sang Lian," Mao declared, clearly amused by the turn of events.
"Sang Lian, the celestial water demon! The true monarch of demons."
"Don't toy with us!" San Jie exclaimed furiously. "He's been gone for ages. The clash between Prince Duan Lu and Sang Lian is well-documented."
San Jie spoke the truth. Over two hundred years had elapsed since the demise of Sang Lian. In his life, he was revered as the reincarnation of Yue Ling, a celestial demon. His power surpassed that of any common demon on earth, and he even challenged the mightiest deity in heaven, the Sun God. Sang Lian's era was regarded as one of the most terrifying in history. Ultimately, the sovereigns of the ocean, the Sirens, waged war against Sang Lian, who had dominated all four seas. The Merman prince, Duan Lu, succeeded in defeating San Lian but succumbed to the grave injuries he sustained in their epic battle. This story is written in bold letters in the history books.
"Is Sang Lian that strong? As I recall you said he had a hard time against that spider woman Jun Jiu?" Wu Xuan said.
"That's just his ordinary self! He battled Jun Jiu at his weakest. Had she faced Demon Lord Sang Lian, he would have surely perished," Meng Zhi declared.
"Besides, San Lian had already perished by the time Mountain God Yuji descended."
"Well, well! If it frightens you so much, I'll declare my master to be Cheng Xin. Or could it be Mountain God Yuji?" Mao teased. "Or maybe the Wind Lord Zi Feng?"
Wu Xuan responded with a puzzled "...???"
"Yuji, Sang Lian, whoever. It's all the same to me. Let's roll out," declared Wei Yunhe, giving Mao a sidelong glance. With the panic behind them, they continued their trek down the gloomy hallway.
"Oh, and you," Wu Xuan remarked, inching towards Mao, "you've got that distinct weasel vibe!"
"Hey, is that supposed to be a dig at me?" Mao retorted.
Throughout that period, the transformation in San Jie went unnoticed. His gaze turned icy, betraying a hint of turmoil within. The possibility of Shen Ming's death sent him into a state of panic, and the events that befell Yu Lingyu nearly drove him to madness.
Wu Xuan, bitten by the bug of curiosity about Mao, glanced at San Jie, recalling the Lotus guards' gossip. The one fact Wu Xuan had on San Jie was his distaste for swordplay; the man would rather dance than draw his sword unless it was absolutely necessary. And it was no secret that San Jie wasn't Wu Xuan's number one fan.
"Nami mentioned you had a run-in with a spider," Wei Yunhe commented. "Was it truly Jun Jiu?"
"Hmm, she did have an elemental dagger," Wu Xuan remarked. "Isn't it odd? Lord Yuji's seal is broken, and Wu Xiong mentioned meeting someone with a dagger in Lilan City too," he added. Wei Yunhe appeared anxious. "These similarities can't just be coincidental."
Wu Xuan concurred, yet he believed it wasn't his place to delve into these mysteries. In his view, meddling in such matters was akin to courting disaster. "They harvest souls with those daggers, but not just any souls—they seek out the freshly departed."
Wei Yunhe was acutely aware of the rarity and purity of fresh souls. The large-scale collection of these souls could spell trouble. "Should we seek out the spirit fields and guard them?" he pondered aloud.
"It's risky. Better they remain concealed," Xiao Hai responded, breaking the silence.
Spirit fields, the cradles of nascent souls, were safeguarded from soul-devouring demons whose intrusion could spell utter ruin. Thus, they lay hidden from the mundane realm, shielded by otherworldly protectors. And while their existence was documented in ancient texts, no mortal eyes had ever beheld them.
"They're summoning ancient demons and enlisting new souls? The people behind this are far from ordinary," Wei Yunhe remarked, sighing deeply.
"Did you mention finding a head buck?" Mao interjected abruptly. "Well, that's my two cents," Wu Xuan commented, rolling his eyes.
"Could that be an Owi?" Mao suggested with a sly wink. Owi, a term from abroad, referred to a class of ancient demons, notorious for their skeletal appearance.
"Perhaps they're beings tied to nature, and wielding an elemental dagger makes them quite perilous," Meng Zhi mused, scratching his head. "What a drag!"
"I believe it's the Earth dagger," Wu Xuan said. "Considering Nami has already given us the Lightning dagger, that leaves four more unaccounted for," Yunhe added, speaking more to himself.
"The elemental daggers are the Lotus Sect's prized possessions. Would it be wrong to question their activities outside the sect?" Meng Zhi pondered aloud. He had a valid point; all these events were unfolding around the Lotus Sect. It seemed prudent to investigate within the sect itself.