That thin layer separating the world of the Yin from that of the Yang was already far from the sturdy barrier it had once been in ancient times, and the occasional tears and gaps were common occurrences that hardly even warranted any alarm at all from the cultivation world.
But right now, a bloody eye had ripped straight across the heavens, instantly casting the sky and the earth alike in an unnatural, eerie hue as debris whipped through the air.
A once-in-a-generation calamity, the Heavenly Rift!
With the exception of Mo Ran, none present had ever personally experienced such an immense catastrophe. And so, be it Li Wuxin with his head of white hair, Xue Zhengyong who had been through countless battles, Rufeng Sect of the upper cultivation realm, or Sisheng Peak of the lower cultivation realm, every single one of the thousand-some people gathered here were stunned, at a complete loss for what to do.
But Mo Ran was even more horrified, as if struck by lightning; he could practically feel the thick stench of blood from the past life washing over him, the ruthless massacre, the endless spilling of blood—— This was it! That very same Heavenly Rift!
In the previous lifetime, this was when Shi Mei died. He was working to repair the barrier together with Chu Wanning, but due to having limited spiritual energy, he was counterattacked by the masses of ghosts and demons spilling forth, and fell from high above…
But that clearly wasn't supposed to happen yet, not for another three years!
Mo Ran remembered that snowy night with such clarity—it was right after New Year's Eve, there were pieces of red scattered across the snowy ground from spent firecrackers, and the faint smell of smoke still lingered in the air. He had only just celebrated the New Year with everyone else the night before, indulged in the Tusu Wine reserved for the occasion.
Mo Ran looked up, slightly tipsy.
Under the warm light of the candle, Shi Mei's eyes were like the waters of spring, tender and affectionate from every angle.
Sisheng Peak was alive with laughter and merriment.
He had thought, back then, that this was wonderful. That even if he ends up never making a move on the one he liked, he'd be content just to stay by his side for the rest of his life and look at him from a distance, just like this.
The festivities came to a close and the disciples headed back in scattered groups. He and Shi Mei left from Mengpo Hall together, the moonlight reflected on the snowy ground lighting their way. Shi Mei looked a little cold, so he took off his outer robe and draped it across the other's shoulders without a word. And,
emboldened by the alcohol in his system, he snuck a couple glances more than usual.
Beauty like fresh snow, pure and untouchable.
"A-Ran." "Hm?" "You drank a little too much today." "Haha, did I?" Mo Ran laughed a little, but the rest of the laughter died in his throat.
Because Shi Mei had cupped his face with his slightly cold hands, making his already warm cheeks burn even hotter. Mo Ran's eyes opened wide, and a tremor ran through his body.
Shi Mei said with a smile, "Mhm, look at you, only three cups and your face is all red." "I-It's just kinda hot." Mo Ran scratched his head goofily, his face burning up even more.
He had been so easily satisfied back then, simply liking someone, not needing to have his feelings returned, not daring to dream of more.
That person had only touched his face, and he already felt like he had been blessed by the heavens, staring in a daze as words abandoned him.
His inky black eyes were watery with amazement and gratitude.
They bid each other goodnight in front of the disciple quarters. Before leaving, Shi Mei had turned to smile toward him, draped in his robe and backlit by the beautiful glow of moonlight against the snow.
"A-Ran." He was already about to leave, but he whipped around like a spinning top in an almost panicked haste at the sound of his name, for fear that he might miss something.
"Y-yes!" "Thanks for lending me your robe." "It's nothing! I'm hot anyway!" "And," Shi Mei's gaze grew even softer, so warm it could almost chase away the long winter, "A-Ran, actually, I…" Bang!
A firework exploded in the distance.
Mo Ran didn't catch what he said; or perhaps Shi Mei didn't actually say anything more.
By the time things quieted down again, Shi Mei was already pushing open the door to his room.
Mo Ran called out in a panic, "Wait, what did you say just now?" But Shi Mei was uncharacteristically teasing, blinking his eyes as he replied,
"Good things can only be said once." "Shi Mei——" But that soul-alluring person did not acquiesce, speaking with only the lower half of his elegant face visible from beneath the cold-proofing curtain.
Bearing a soft smile that Mo Ran would remember for the rest of his life.
"It's late, I'm going to bed. If I still feel like telling you in the morning." He paused, soft lashes drooping like leaves of the mimosa plant.
"I'll tell you then…" But who could have known that morning would bring with it the Heavenly Rift.
In the end, Mo Ran never got to hear what Shi Mei had to say, and the most tender dream of his life was dyed a bloody scarlet.
How many times had he dreamt of that smile on Shi Mei's face behind the half-rolled curtain, of how beautiful and gentle it had been; he couldn't be sure if he was seeing things, but he felt like that smile held boundless feelings.
Time and again for the rest of his painful life, he dreamt the rest of that dream.
In his dream, Shi Mei would say that he liked him, and he would wake up grinning, happy, so happy that for a moment he would even forget that Sh Mei was dead, that there was already no turning back.
Grinning happily, he would think about the rest of their life, think about what delicious foods to make for his beloved person, such important things were worth putting some thought into, after all.
But then, grinning and grinning, tears would start to roll.
He buried his face in his hands.
He'll never know the words that scattered into the wind on that snowy New Year's Eve.
Ripping through thousands of miles of heavy clouds, the Infinite Hells opened.
Countless evil spirits and demonic fiends poured forth from the rift like a legion set to besiege a city. Screams from all around him jolted Mo Ran abruptly from his memories.
Nearly crazed, he shouted frantically, pushing through the chaotic, surging crowd, beside himself with panic, searching—— "Shi Mei!!!!!" "Shi Mei——!!! Shi Mingjing!!!" "Where are you? Where are you?" I don't know why the Heavenly Rift came three years early.
I don't know if I can protect you the way I am right now.
But I can't bear to see you get hurt again, can't bear to watch you die again…
Please, live…
It's my fault, for not getting strong enough to protect you right away, I was stupid, didn't think things through, didn't consider that this might happen, where are you…
"A-Ran…" Between the clashing of weapons, he heard a faint voice.
"Shi Mei!!!!" There he was, next to Xue Meng, shielding them against the onslaught of evil spirits with a screen of water. Mo Ran ran toward him, unheeding of everything else, his throat tight and hs eyes stinging.
"You damn mutt, get over here already and help out!" Xue Meng fought with the might of ten men, but the waves of corpses were a ceaseless tide, and more and more sweat appeared on his forehead as he said through gritted teeth,
"Hurry up!" He didn't need to say any more; Mo Ran leapt into the air and there was a flash of red as Jiangui answered the summon.
He brandished the willow vine, and the holy weapon destroyed an entire row of the vicious ghosts in one lash, turning them instantly into dust. Mo Ran turned his head to yell toward Shi Mei, "Stay close, come here behind me!" "I want to go help Shizun…" "DO NOT!!!!!!" The words struck pure fear into Mo Ran's heart!
He absolutely would not allow Shi Mei to go anywhere near Chu Wanning in this fight, not this time.
His memories from the past life overlaid and blended with the sight before him now.
——Back then, he had said the same thing.
"I want to go help Shizun…" "Alright, hurry over, it'll be safer over there with Shizun, stay with him and let him protect you." How absurd…
Let him protect you.
Chu Wanning, Chu Wanning, Mo Ran planned and calculated for every possibility, but he had forgotten to consider that that person was Chu Wanning!
Cold-blooded and heartless.
Head full of "the common people", but not a single care to spare his own dying disciple!
"Don't go over there! He can take care of himself!" His entire head felt numb from the overlapping visions of two lifetimes. Eyes bloodshot, Mo Ran roared toward Shi Mei, "DON'T GO ANYWHERE, STAY RIGHT HERE!" "But Shizun used up so much of his strength just now…" "He'll live! Just worry about yourself!" Scowling darkly, he directed another powerful lash at the surging waves of undead as he spoke, sending flesh and blood flying and chunks of brain splashing to the ground.
His current level of spiritual power was a far cry from what it had been in his past life, but the forms and movements came to him easy like second nature— after all, his body had been through countless battles, had crossed blades with the likes of Ye Wangxi and Chu Wanning. He fought on, undaunted even against the millions of savage undead.
The rift in the sky grew bigger and bigger.
The fiends that had been confined within the Infinite Hells for hundreds of years poured into the mortal realm like a a violent deluge, mixing with the walking corpses of Butterfly Town that had struggled free of the willow vines on the strength from the sudden influx of Yin energy. The situation grew increasingly terrifying and out of control, frenzied and frantic like a pot of boiling oil with water poured into it. The ghosts and demons grabbed living people and tore into them with abandon like a swarm of locust descending on a field of crops; those from Sisheng Peak were used to demonic encounters in their daily operations and could still hold out, but the same could not be said for Rufeng Sect and Bitan Sect as countless ones of their cultivators screamed, blood spurting high into the air!
Chu Wanning was too far away for Mo Ran to see how things were on his side.
But he caught sight of Ye Wangxi and Nangong Si amongst the masses of people. They may not get along, but their fighting styles were strikingly similar He saw Ye Wangxi toss aside his sword to summon a long bow in a flash of blue light, while Nangong Si's bow was like a crescent moon in his hand. They exchanged a glance before dashing past one another to take one side each,
aiming at the densest gatherings of undead corpses and drawing their bows back to the fullest.
Woosh!
They released at practically the same time, the white of the arrow fletchings slashing through the skies with a sound like the screeching of birds.
Tempered with spiritual power, the arrows were shrouded by blades of cutting wind as they flew through the air, ripping right through any fiends in their way…
Looking quite pleased with himself, Nangong Si reached back for another arrow.
But the quiver on his back was empty.
"Out already?" "Here." Before he even had the time to get mad, Ye Wangxi had already tossed him another bundle of arrows.
"You never bring enough." "...Hmph!" Nangong Si scoffed, but this was hardly the time or place to be stubborn over appearances, so he accepted the arrows and the two of them returned to their respective fights.
An hour went by in no time; they beat back masses of the vicious fiends, but even more flooded out from the ghost realm to replace them.
Li Wuxin cut down a dozen spirits in one slash, then turned to yell toward Xue Zhengyong, "We can't keep going like this, we have to fix the barrier!" Xue Zhengyong glanced at the four golden arrays glowing from the distance in each of the four directions of the town.
He huffed out a breath and snapped back crossly, "Easy for you to say, do you know how to fix this barrier? Do you even have anyone who knows anything about barriers?"
"I——" Li Wuxin's expression was sullen. "Barriers aren't one of my sect's specialties." "Then shut the fuck up! How many Yuhengs do you think there are? Chu Wanning is holding down the four critical points right now, or else if these damn ghosts get out from the blockade, everyone in Shuzhong will be done for! If us cultivators are barely holding on, how do you expect the common folk to survive?!" "Shuzhong being done for is better than the entire cultivation world being done for! If you don't get someone to go mend the Heavenly Rift right now, it'll be out of our hands!" Xue Zhengyong's temper flared at his words, and when he swung his metal fan to summon a powerful gale toward the vicious ghosts, he let it slice open Li Wuxin's cheek as if inadvertently. "And why should the people of the lower cultivation realm die just to keep your precious upper cultivation realm safe?" "Don't put words in my mouth! I'm saying that some sacrifices have to be made for the greater good! If this Heavenly Rift had happened at my Bitan Sect,
I would've sacrificed my entire sect to keep the peace in the land!" "What a thing to say, Li-zhuangzhu, but talk is cheap." Tiger-like eyes round with fury, Xue Zhengyong was so angry that he ended up laughing instead. "The entrance to the ghost realm is located in my Shuzhong, it is not and never will be in your Bitan Sect, however many generations pass! So, what, the entirety of Sisheng Peak should just sacrifice itself a thousand, a million times for 'peace in the land'?! Li-zhuangzhu, what a thing to say!" The two were locked in stalemate, going at it while fighting off demons and fiends, when a streak of snow-white brilliance swept in from the western horizon.
Before they could even ascertain whether it was friend or foe, a burst of frenzied instrumentals came from the clouds above like a tempest, resounding and resonating as a deluge from the heavens, but also akin to a shower of arrows—for they saw no weapons, but it felt as if the glint of blades was everywhere at once, as if they could hear the braying of war steeds and see fire beacons lit up along the walls of the stronghold.
"Kunlun Taxue Palace!" Xue Zhengyong's head snapped up to look at that stretch of snowy radiance.
This close, he could see that it was indeed a multitude of cultivators riding in on swords, each dressed in robes of frozen mist silk, with peach blossom petals drifting about their persons. All of them, male and female alike, were beautiful and gentle-looking, with their appearances frozen in their early twenties by virtue of their cultivation method.
Some of the Taxue Palace disciples stood on their swords, while others sat,
half of them cradling pipas in their arms, the other half holding guqins on their knees, the chords streaming forth from the sky above, tumultuous and frenzied yet clear and flowing, making the spirits and undead below shriek in agony, yet keeping them in place as if trapped under an invisible net.
The man at their head had striking features with light blonde hair and jade green eyes. He was clothed in silken robes the color of fresh snow, with a pendant hanging at his forehead like a droplet of water, and within the collars of those robes, his neck was fair and slender, like a fragrant, delicate blossom in a porcelain vase. Kunlun was a snowy, frigid land, so he wore fox fur draped over his shoulders on top of the silken robes, adding even more poised elegance to his appearance.
He held an magnificently exquisite pipa in his arms, and his brows were furrowed as he plucked the strings with his slender fingers, luminescent petals of peach blossoms dancing about him with every note.
"Imperial winds across four seas, waters of virtue ever clear; don not the liveries of war, for today we shall triumph." The chords eased off slightly and he glanced down at Xue Zhengyong and company, just about to say something when an irate holler sounded from a distance away, "Mei Hanxue! You damn mutt! Why the hell is it you!!" It was Xue Meng, darting over to stand under Mei Hanxue's sword even as he kept yelling, tilting his head back to curse, "Of all the people out there, Kunlun Taxue Palace sent your unreliable ass?!" Turning toward the commotion, Ye Wangxi was irritated as well at the sight of that man with his pipa and his fluttering flower petals and snowflakes.
"...It's him?" Nangong Si: "What, another acquaintance of yours?" "I wouldn't call him an acquaintance," Ye Wangxi was less than pleased to see Mei Hanxue, but unlike Xue Meng, who stomped up to curse him out, he turned around to leave immediately, only saying, "Just fought with him once." Nangong Si's curiosity was piqued. "Oh? How is he? Any good?" "Heh," Ye Wangxi sneered coldly, "He had women do all the fighting for him, how do you think he is?" Nangong Si: "..."
Author's Notes
Here it comes!
The battle of the heavenly rift that blackened this dog from an ordinary human into Taxian-Jun in the previous lifetime! Stick your neck out, dog! The knife swings downwards!