Chapter 75
Seven Seas
The branches of the willow tree on top of the cliff swayed in the trade winds.
From its branches, adorned with red ribbons, Yuwen Yue finally tied the knot in one of the highest branches.
The master of Kungfu of Ice warned him: "Remember one wish... The higher you place it in this tree, the greater its chance to come true.
In this realm, there are no second chances."
Yuwen Yue uttered a name: Xinger . . .
So be it.
Flashing in his memory, the master of Kungfu of Ice warned: "If you are not strong in your heart and wise in your mind, you still have a chance not to walk these paths.
But if you are ready, you must protect yourself first before you can protect others, your kingdom, and your coming generations."
Yuwen Yue never displayed hesitation and did not waver in his will.
Yuwen Yue, learning all he could from his cognizant masters, once again reflected on his divine training. He possessed powers beyond what he had ever imagined by unlocking the Poe Yue Jian sword.
It can shed light in dark places. It can transform and deliver a dark entity and break its curse. It relies mostly on the strength of his heart and the belief in his mind to restore the former state of its subjects.
His martial arts were forged in the fiery pit of trials and purified through his will.
The cold wind blew on his face, signaling that it was time. Time to leave his battle zone, which had become his comfort zone, and start redeeming the meandering paths.
With his white Hanfu, his bow and arrow on his back, and a familiar sword on his waist, he looked divine-like a god ready to bless or curse. Although days or weeks had passed, his garments had never worn out.
Yuwen Yue thought: "This is truly a magical realm where humans are incorruptible, and everything is the opposite of the human world."
There were countless nights of walking in total darkness. He was not blind, but he became blind. He was oppressed by several strong forces he had never encountered before, but he used his human mind and combined his spirit to conquer them all.
Relying on the human mind alone, one cannot comprehend these extraordinary abilities he acquired. He concluded: "These realms are not for the faint of heart."
Reserved for testing the divine material of his existence, Yuwen Yue had to pass through them all.
Among all these perilous journeys was another young man who taught him perhaps the hardest lesson to learn.
Staying strong amidst the abyss of darkness, the deathly hallows of bloody messes, the beastly creatures not of this world, and the spiritual realm that controls and rules the mind of the, it was an entirely new world.
"Yuwen Yue… drink…"
A deep voice, like something from hell, suddenly awakened his tired eyes.
A young man, covered in a black hood, did not reveal an inch of his face. He sat leaning against his back. Not facing each other, Yuwen Yue looked in the opposite direction, and they talked in the wind.
It was awkward in manner.
In this wooden prison, where Yuwen Yue was held captive, the young man handed him a pouch containing an elixir.
Facing the endless horizon, Yuwen Yue, suspended in a wooden cage at the mountain cliff, let the wind pass between them and took the pouch.
Yuwen Yue looked into the far distance, his gaze cold and gloomy like a sheep's eye. He asked, "Must you do this?"
The young man, his voice deep like something from hell, whispered: "I must know the mind of the gods and what fate lies for me. Remember, it is not yours to unlock but mine to understand."
Yuwen Yue squinted. His cold heart already knew what the young man meant.
A lone underworld assassin, the young man would have to face a one-on-one fight. There could be no doubt of his courage, passion, and loyalty...things he would die for.
The young man knew his fate, and through this faith, he swore allegiance to become either a friend or a foe. Yuwen Yue did not speak and sat in silence, not yet ready or comfortable enough to open the windows of wisdom after tonight.
Day turned into darkness, and so the entire Ximeng continent was swallowed by the night.
From above, dark hawks circled, painting a ring of embers in the skies, issuing a threat to the air.
The howling fox cried out in bitter anguish from the darkness, spreading fear, and dreadful darkness crept across the ground.
If you come closer to the middle, you would see a body of lava and fire. Like a catch basin of seven seas, this is where the endless firefalls lie.
Seven druid priests from the cliff of the mountain began to walk towards the seven pontoon bridges.
Arranged in a circular pattern, all seven bridges connected to the firefalls. The rustic, mossy, wooden bridges led the seven druid priests to the edge, where the firefalls cascaded.
The sound of the firefalls was magnificent, like an earthquake shaking the earth and making the mountains tremble. Suddenly, all seven druid priests removed their hoods, revealing their godly faces.
With long, white, straight hair, white eyebrows, and shining faces, the priests stood in silence. The only priest who opened his eyes appeared aware, as though awakened from a long sleep. His calm blue eyes were like a clear lake under a blue sky.
With a gentle motion of his hand, an invisible rod and staff materialized in his grasp. This druid priest tapped the pontoon bridge where he stood and said, "It has been a long time since these realms were put to challenge. Your worth will be tested in the furnace of fire, and death is the only price.
"Do you accept?"
"I accept."
Yuwen Yue suddenly started awake from his sleep, as if the voice had whispered in his ear.
The ground on the mountain cliff began to receive thin raindrops, which quickly turned into a heavy downpour. His clothes were now wet.
As soon as the voice faded, the firefalls spun into a terrible hurricane, sweeping the area. Chaos erupted, and the raging sea swallowed all seven pontoon bridges surrounding the firefalls.
Eyes closed, the scene slowly zoomed out to reveal a monk dressed in white. He was undisturbed by the chaos around him, sitting untouched and unchanged in a Zen position. He seemed to be sleeping, but he was not. Suddenly, a man in black monk attire appeared.
His presence emanated dark eternity, with many Chinese inscriptions tattooed on his neck.
A belt made of wooden beads hung from his waist. It began to spark, its brilliance turning into hot coals, ready to burn his body and everything around him.
Yuwen Yue suddenly felt a rush through his blue veins. He began to move in his suspended wooden prison. Each time he moved, his Poe Yue Jian sword, like a low-hanging fruit, dipped perilously close to the fiery seven seas below.
The sword must not touch the seven seas of fire, or his only weapon of defense would melt into the oblivion of eternity. He knew he could escape this prison cell alive and unharmed, but he was still figuring out how to touch the rope without being burned.
Yuwen Yue, his face hidden by a white cloak and his body draped in a white Hanfu, had been battling the fire within his own body. It had become his curse, like a raging fever.
His body could withstand the overwhelming heat, but his heart remained as cold as frozen ice. Every time he touched the burning rope, it scorched his cold hands, while his sword swung dangerously close to the gates of hell below.
He still remembers that moment. After reaching the ends of Happy Valley, Yuwen Yue saw a vast dead grassland. It was another realm, a dark, eerie place with scorched earth and dry, parched grounds.
The master of Kungfu of Ice said, "This will be your final test."
But what Yuwen Yue didn't know was that this would be the last day he would see his master, his sifu, his companion, and guide.
That final test meant that the master of Kungfu of Ice had crossed a boundary that should not have been crossed, but he had chosen to trespass.
Plang! Plang! Plang!
Sounds of various sharp objects, axes, hatchets, and machetes, filled the air, but the Kungfu master of Ice met them all with his bow and arrows, sending them crashing to the ground.
When he ran out of arrows, Yuwen Yue jumped in front of him and countered the last knife flying in their direction. Suddenly, there was silence.
A mist of fog brushed their cheeks, but this was not a time to rest.
"Tap the middle of your sword!" the master of Kungfu of Ice said calmly.
Yuwen Yue tapped the center of his Poe Yue Jian sword, and to his astonishment, a blinding light erupted from it. He raised his hands. The sword became a beacon of light, revealing a group of fierce, faceless enemies.
The group of black-hooded assassins, now visible, began walking toward them. The master of Kungfu of Ice said, "We may be outnumbered, but we are not afraid."
The underworld assassins approached slowly. One of them stepped forward, looking down at the ground, and said, "Today, I've come to take your life! Crossing these boundaries means death! Yet you did not submit to your fears!"
Suddenly, the man in the black hood transformed into a fast-moving mist of smoke, and the body of a person seemed to vanish.
In the blink of an eye, Yuwen Yue could not see what had happened. He felt the most painful emotions well up in his heart.
"Master!" Yuwen Yue cried in vain.
It was too late. His master's heart had been pierced by a large ice needle. His godly master, still bound to a human body, now weakened, said with his fading strength, "Pass this test for me! I will await my retribution on the other side…"
"No, you cannot die! Not yet!" Yuwen Yue, his calm eyes now filled with anguish, wiped the blood from his master's chest.
"We both know this is my fate. I've waited for you a long time, and now my time is up. Listen, I want you to have this," said the master of Kungfu of Ice.
He took something from his waist and handed Yuwen Yue a tiny wooden flask. "Take this and bring it to the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree."
Yuwen Yue had no choice but to accept his master's dying wish. He said, "You can trust me."
The master of Kungfu of Ice gave a bitter smile as his body slowly melted like ice until it was gone.
Yuwen Yue's brow furrowed. Like a wounded wolf, he ran, ready to attack the underworld assassin.
The assassin, his face concealed by a cloak, did not fear the Poe Yue Jian sword. He walked slowly, waiting for Yuwen Yue.
When Yuwen Yue finally reached the assassin, he saw his golden eyes just as another tall, mysterious underworld assassin appeared, striking both of their heads.
The new figure walked calmly between their unconscious bodies and took the tiny wooden flask.
Another underworld assassin, with a double axe on his back and a scar on his face, said, "What about the Poe Yue Jian sword?"
"Is it necessary?" asked Di Fu.
"Maybe," replied the assassin, flashing his hellish eyes.
Di Fu, unfamiliar with the human sword, said, "Whoever owns this sword is a weak master!"
"And what about Tracker?" Scarface, one of the underworld assassins, asked.
"I want you to end his life," Di Fu said, smirking as he picked up his machete.
"What? This is not the order of Master Sand Drizzle!" Scarface shouted angrily.
"No matter what you do, you already know how his life is going to end."
"Spare me now!" Di Fu said in a calm but deep voice, then vanished without a trace.
Scarface was about to kill Tracker when Skyshadow, a woman, produced a cloud of black smoke and quickly took both Tracker and Yuwen Yue.
With the speed of quicksilver, she laid their unconscious bodies down in another area, still a parched ground. Skyshadow took the Poe Yue Jian sword and kept it.
Zao Baocung tied up Tracker and locked him in a prison with no walls.
While he helped Yuwen Yue stay at one of the Moon Kingdom's mansions, he said, "Good to see you again, Qinghai Prince."
Zao Baocung knelt on his knees as Yuwen Yue woke up.
Yuwen Yue stood and took the Poe Yue Jian sword from Zao Baocung. He asked, "Where am I?"
"My Prince, you have arrived in the Moon Kingdom," Zao Baocung replied.
Yuwen Yue tried to remember something but couldn't. He asked, "Priest, I am supposed to kill the man who killed this… this…"
Yuwen Yue couldn't finish his sentence. He was struggling to remember everything in time.
Zao Baocung went to the incense burner, crushed a gold sugar cube, and sprinkled it. The smoke quickly spread in the air, reaching Yuwen Yue's nostrils. It smelled sweet, like vanilla and plum blossoms.
Zao Baocung said, "You will sleep again, and when you wake, you will remember what happened in the Happy Valley realms and your journey to the underworld."
Yuwen Yue slipped back into sleep while Zuo Zong remained by his side.
Yue Qi had witnessed everything and asked, "Was that necessary? Turning the Fourth Young Master's memories on and off like that?"
Zao Baocung answered, "You have no idea what happened, and you don't know how your soul was snapped back to Earth!"
"Okay, I got it!" Yue Qi gave up arguing with Zao Baocung. As they stepped outside the mansion, they saw a young man hanging there.
Yue Qi spoke first: "Isn't it wonderful to capture an underworld spy and display him like this?"
Zao Baocung saw Tracker and felt a pang of pity. He said, "Why punish him when you can just kill him right away? Let me do it!"
Yue Qi quickly stepped in front of Zao Baocung. "Easy, not today."
"Why not now?" Zao Baocung raised an eyebrow.
Yue Qi came closer and whispered, "He hasn't confessed yet. I've tortured him, but he's stronger than I expected. He pretends to be indifferent, but his arrogance and pride are always there. I've tried everything to break his spirit, but he's stronger than any iron in this world. He even said, if I wanted to kill him, I'd have to do it fast because my hands are too soft. In his next life, I won't have the chance."
Zao Baocung asked, "And what did you do after he said that?"
Yue Qi looked at his hands and replied, "My hands are soft, so I fed him to the band of brothers in the prison with no walls."
Zao Baocung's eyes widened like an owl's. "Did he fight back?"
"He did, but he stopped when he saw the youngest of them all," Yue Qi said.
"Who is the youngest of them all?" Zao Baocung couldn't hide his curiosity.
"The stick warrior monk," Yue Qi answered with a sly smile.
Zao Baocung, shocked as if he had seen a ghost, said, "Trailkoying is here?"
"Does it matter? Do you know him?" Yue Qi asked, still smiling and smirking.
Zao Baocung replied, "Those three brothers have a very sad story."
"What? Did you say brothers?" Yue Qi asked again.
"Continue torturing him, but I can assure you, he will never confess. That young man would rather die. If I were you, I'd kill him now!" Zao Baocung said.
Yue Qi, devoid of emotion, agreed. "Okay, as you wish. He's useless anyway, just as you told me." But Zao Baocung had a different plan.
Dusk came, and the silhouettes stole the sun from the horizon. Darkness gradually took over the skies.
"What is your name?" Tracker remained unmoved, offering no answer.
"Where did you come from?" Yue Qi asked, twitching his palms, but still heard nothing.
"Why did you try to kill our young master?" Tracker smirked, then returned to his stoic, poker face, without saying a word.
Yue Qi tossed two dice on the ground while his captive meditated upside down, seemingly waiting for the hour of his death.
The band of brothers had all been injured, but none were killed, except for the young stick warrior.
The martial arts of the underworld assassins were unmatched. The captive assassin clearly belonged to the elite. Zao Baocung knew the story of the three brothers who had chosen different paths. Only two of them were still alive, while Trailkoya had died protecting the Secret Princess, Chu Qiao, and fighting Yuwen Hao. Chu Qiao was the leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree.
Yue Qi finally decided: "Alright! I will give you the honor!"
Tracker didn't move but continued to listen.
"You versus me!"
The band of brothers erupted in excitement, throwing more driftwood onto the bonfire, causing the flames to soar high into the sky, as though they could burn people alive.
The stick warrior remained silent and still, not revealing his blood relation to the captive underworld assassin.
"Release him!" said Yue Qi.
Tracker was released. He coughed, having been suspended upside down for so long that his insides felt full of acid.
"If you beat me, I will let you go. But if you don't, I will kill you," said Yue Qi, taking off his breastplate, armor, and weapons, including his sword.
The man-to-man fight began. The Skyshadow woman watched silently from the rooftop, smirking. "You do not know what the word 'underworld' means!"
Yue Qi initiated his martial arts stance, while Tracker stood arrogantly, watching without moving. Yue Qi struck first, and Tracker spat out blood but did not fight back. Yue Qi grew frustrated, feeling like the antagonist trying to please a protagonist. He gave Tracker a brutal low blow.
Tracker rolled on the ground in pain and complained, "Still soft hands, can't fight with soft hands!"
Yue Qi had never been so insulted in his entire career. He had cheated death many times and survived countless troubles, but this fight was pushing him to his limits.
Pang! Yue Qi kicked Tracker again as he lay on the ground.
Tracker's face was covered in blood, yet no one could understand his proud, defiant expression.
Frustrated by Tracker's fierce, prideful look, Yue Qi suddenly grabbed the youngest stick warrior, who was around 12 to 14 years old, and said, "You won't fight me? How about this?"
Yue Qi, testing Tracker's limits, leaped into the air with his sword drawn, ready to chop off the stick warrior's arms.
All eyes widened in shock. The crowd froze in stunned silence.
Suddenly, time seemed to stop. Only the sound of blood droplets hitting the ground could be heard.
Three drops reached the earth, and with the last of his strength, Tracker unleashed his underworld powers.
His eyes gleamed like brilliant gold, and his body emitted an intense heat. Ancient tattoos began to reveal themselves on his skin, though they were no longer as black as before. But it was too late, his wounded arms were pouring blood from Yue Qi's sword cut.
Tracker, feeling as light as a feather, was about to fall.
Meanwhile, the Seventh Yue found himself being dragged by a fierce wind. He was pushed far away, while Yuwen Yue struck him on the back with his sword, causing Yue Qi to grind his teeth in pain.
Zuo Zong carried the trembling young stick warrior, while a tall, calm Yuwen Yue, dressed in white, gave the bloody underworld assassin a look of pity.
With gentle strides, Yuwen Yue approached. After verifying his target, he placed his index finger on the assassin's shoulder and tapped his back.
Then, with a soft touch, he lifted the underworld assassin's hair to examine the nape.
Once everything was confirmed, Yuwen Yue said, "Since you've been cut by the Seventh Yue by order of My Palm, if you persist with your stubbornness, I'm afraid you'll never see your brother again."
Tracker, unable to withstand the blood loss, passed out. Yuwen Yue exchanged a knowing glance with Zuo Zong, who understood what to do next.
Zao Baocung approached and said, "Your Highness, I will take care of him."
Yuwen Yue replied, "He is going to be added to My Palm."
Yue Qi was surprised to hear this and watched as Yuwen Yue explained, "He will take over My Palm for the underworld while you remain in charge of the human world."
"Nuò," (meaning "yes, this is a promise") said Yue Qi.
A few days later, Tracker awoke in a prison with no walls. His wounds had been stitched, preventing further blood loss, and his strength had returned.
A voice was heard, "Brother, how are you?" The stick warrior looked him in the eye.
Tracker didn't respond. "Go away! I am not your brother!"
Another calm voice spoke, "I didn't wake up today to be kind to your rudeness."
Tracker didn't bother looking at the divine-like figure in front of him and remained cold, distant, and arrogant, showing no reverence in his brilliant golden eyes.
Yuwen Yue, dressed in his battle gear, said, "Prepare the horses. This savage beast needs to learn what loyalty means."
Yue Qi fetched the horses while the Skyshadow woman unlocked the prison to free the underworld assassin. Yue Qi shoved Tracker, whose skin felt like burning coal.
"What are you, really? Your skin is like coal! Are you even human?" Yue Qi exclaimed.
Tracker sneered in response.
Zuo Zong handed Yuwen Yue his sword, and Yuwen Yue gave him further instructions. Zao Baocung released the Yuwen parrot, which landed on Yuwen Yue's shoulder.
This was to be a journey where Yuwen Yue and Tracker would walk alone.
At first, Yue Qi hesitated, but Yuwen Yue said, "Who dares not to follow me?"
Yue Qi had felt something strange about Yuwen Yue ever since the day he left Jinwu Palace, abandoning the enthronement of the new Empress Dowager of the Liang Dynasty.
Yue Qi and Zuo Zong returned to Ximeng to search for the Qinghai prince, but they failed to find Yuwen Yue. In the meantime, Yue Qi took command and instructed the Qinghai army to wait for Yuwen Yue's return.
It took a while until a druid priest arrived at their military camp and informed Yue Qi that they had found Yuwen Yue.
Yue Qi asked the druid priest, "Did you also find Xinger? And what about the playboy prince... is he dead?"
Zao Baocung removed his cloak and simply said, "No."
Yue Qi asked again, "Is that a no for both questions?"
Zao Baocung responded in a deep voice, "Yes."
Yue Qi didn't say anything but felt the urge to hit his head in frustration. He raised his hand but then lowered it.
The priest, observing this, loosened up and became his usual chatty self, much like when they had first met. He said to Yue Qi, "Why do you always force me to ruin my serious face? When I'm in this costume, I don't want to be put to shame."
With a faint smile, Yue Qi replied, "I'm saving this palm for you!"
"Aha, I save a soul, and this is what I get? Rudeness!" The priest pouted like a child in front of the large Qinghai army.
"And do you regret it now?" Yue Qi teased, enjoying the moment with Zao Baocung.
"No, I don't regret it! I repent! The Qians (heavens) warned me, and I didn't listen!" Zao Baocung said, his face amusing but slightly eerie in his druid outfit. Only Yue Qi could tease him like this.
"I'm glad you didn't," said Yue Qi.
Zao Baocung turned his back, while Yue Qi smiled, swaying his head from side to side.
The sun had already set on the horizon, and Tracker, stubborn as ever, refused to ride the horse prepared for him.
"I don't ride horses! I prefer to walk!"
Yuwen Yue heard this and said, "I hear you prefer to be dead. So be it."
"You're dead! You're dead! You're dead!" repeated the Yuwen parrot.
Tracker wanted to harm the bird, but Yuwen Yue pointed his sword at him. Tracker didn't flinch or show fear.
Yuwen Yue spoke in a calm but deep voice, "Try harder, and you'll regret this day in the afterlife."
Tracker stayed still, thinking of a way to escape.
Before long, the two of them reached the dense, cold forest. Tracker smiled slightly, then smirked. "Do you even know where we are? Can your fear handle it?"
The jade-skinned, handsome god dismounted from his horse and said, "Do you dare?"
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