800: Chapter 800 Lu Xueqi and Biyao (179)

The Red-Robed Elder paused, then sighed: "Most of the houses were destroyed, and the fields were ruined. But everyone is still here; not a single life was lost. They are all rebuilding. For the past three months, my Fire Cloud Valley Disciples have been doing nothing but helping to repair houses and reclaim farmland."

The warm feeling in Su Han's heart stirred again. He set down his wine cup and said earnestly: "Elder, when matters here are settled, I would like to visit Fire Cloud Valley."

"To see what?"

"To see the common people. To see if they are living well."

The Red-Robed Elder was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Good, good, good! Young Friend Su is truly extraordinary! Others, having obtained such Karma, would be itching to retreat and consolidate their Realm, but you—you're thinking of running back into the mortal world! Fine! I shall wait for you! When the time comes, I'll bring you to taste the rice wine of my Fire Cloud Valley. That wine is strong; I'm afraid your small frame would be knocked out by a single bowl—"

The people at the table roared with laughter. Su Han joined in, his eyes sweeping over the hall full of lights, the relaxed expressions on the faces of the Cultivators, and the stars studded across the dark blue night sky outside the window. He suddenly felt that this world was truly wonderful. There were so many people talking, drinking, and laughing together; so many lights shining; and so many lights flickering in and out in everyone's hearts.

It was very late by the time the banquet dispersed. Su Han helped the slightly tipsy Red-Robed Elder back to the guest courtyard and then escorted Xuanjizi to the mountain gate. The old man stood in the moonlight for a moment, then suddenly turned back, took a Jade Slip from his sleeve, and handed it to him.

"This is the communication Jade Slip of my Beiming Sword Sect; it can transmit voices within ten thousand li." Xuanjizi stuffed the Jade Slip into his hand. "Kid, I have lived for over three hundred years and have seen countless Geniuses. But someone like you..." He paused. "I've never seen before. There is something indescribable about you, and I would like to see more of it."

Su Han held the warm Jade Slip and nodded: "Safe travels, Senior."

Xuanjizi waved his hand and walked down the mountain, stepping on the moonlight. His back was hunched and slow, but every step was firm, like a man who knew exactly where he was going.

Su Han stood before the mountain gate, watching that figure disappear around the bend of the mountain path, and stood there a while longer before turning back. As he passed the guest courtyard, he heard the sound of snoring rising and falling from within. Passing the Martial Arts Arena, he saw a few young Disciples still practicing swordplay under the moon, the sword light carving silver arcs into the night. He walked through the long corridor, bypassed the lotus pond, stepped over the winding stone bridge, and finally returned to his small courtyard on the back mountain.

The peach tree in the courtyard stood silently in the moonlight, its petals scattered all over the ground, forming a pinkish-white carpet. Su Han did not enter the room; he sat beneath the peach tree, leaning his back against the trunk, and looked up at the moon in the sky.

The moon was large and round, with a pale golden halo around its edge. Su Han squinted at the halo, and as he watched, he suddenly realized—the moon itself had light. Before, when he looked at the moon, he saw only cold, silvery-white light; but tonight, the moon he saw was wrapped in a layer of extremely faint, gentle, warm yellow radiance, as if someone were standing behind the moon holding a lantern, illuminating its silhouette.

Everything was emitting light. He thought of the wild azaleas he had seen by the stream today, the hall full of lights, the flash of cyan-white radiance that had suddenly shone from Shen Qingdai, and the trace of almost earnest light in Xuanjizi's eyes when he left. Each light was different, but when all the lights were added together, they formed the entire world he could see.

He closed his eyes and spread his palms open on his knees. His palms were empty, but he knew that if he wished, that light could brighten at any moment. Because that light was not in his hands, but in his heart. That warm feeling in his heart had always been there, like a piece of charcoal buried in ashes, neither extinguishing nor igniting, just quietly keeping him warm.

"Uncle-Master Su?" A-Yuan's voice came from outside the courtyard. The little girl peeked around the doorframe. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Su Han opened his eyes: "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I can't sleep! So many people came to the main hall today, I'm excited!" A-Yuan hopped and skipped as she ran in, sat down right next to Su Han, and looked up at him. "Uncle-Master Su, all those people today came looking for you. You're so amazing."

"I'm not amazing at all."

"Liar!" A-Yuan pouted. "They all called you 'Immortal Master Su'! They even said you were the Reincarnation of the Buddha!"

Su Han sighed and reached out to ruffle A-Yuan's hair: "Those are just things outsiders say blindly. You must remember, I am just an Uncle-Master Su who lives on the back mountain, practices swordplay and meditation every day, and occasionally wipes the rice grains from the corner of your mouth. I am nothing else."

A-Yuan blinked, not fully understanding, then suddenly remembering something, she held her small wrist up in front of Su Han: "Uncle-Master Su, look! The Bodhi seeds are still on my wrist!"

The string of Bodhi seeds was a size too big for A-Yuan's wrist, hanging loosely and shimmering with a faint light in the moonlight. Su Han looked at the beads, and his heart stirred: "You're still wearing them?"

"Of course! You said they remind you to be a person with light in your heart. I wear them to remind myself to also be a person with light in your heart!" A-Yuan said earnestly, her little face tense, as if she were announcing something momentous.

Su Han looked at her, at the moon and starlight reflected in her eyes, and suddenly felt his eyes prickle. He gently took A-Yuan's hand, twisted the loose string of Bodhi seeds twice around her wrist, and adjusted it to a position where it wouldn't easily slip off.

"Good," he said. "Then keep wearing them for me. If one day I forget how to be a person with light in your heart, you just raise your hand and show me, and I will remember."

"Pinky promise!" A-Yuan extended her little finger.

Su Han smiled and extended his little finger, hooking it with hers. The moonlight shone on their fingers, casting a small, overlapping shadow on the ground.

... On the day of Grain Rain, the victory banquet of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect was grand indeed.

Ninety-nine red lanterns were hung before the mountain gate, stretching from the foot of the mountain to the peak. At night, seen from afar, the entire mountain looked like a coiled Fire Dragon. Three hundred tables were set up in the Martial Arts Arena, with meat and vegetable dishes served in a continuous stream. Cultivators, regardless of their sect's standing, drank and played finger-guessing games at the same tables, putting aside all their usual airs. Even the Sect Master was flushed with wine, holding Su Han's hand and rambling on about how he had found Su Han when he was a child, how he had taught him swordplay, and how he had watched him grow from a tiny tot into the person he was today. As he spoke, he wept, soaking a large patch of Su Han's sleeve with his tears.

Su Han stood at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena with a wine cup in his hand, watching the lively scene. The light of the torches reflected on everyone's faces, revealing all kinds of expressions—laughing, crying, red-faced with finger-guessing games, or snoring while slumped over the tables. He saw two Elders from sects that originally harbored grudges against each other hugging and singing folk songs; he saw a Sword Cultivator who was usually stern and humorless squatting on the ground playing cat's cradle with a few young Disciples; and he saw the fat master of the kitchen jumping onto a table to dance the Yangge after being forced to drink three big bowls of wine.

All these people had been fighting on the front lines of the Human Realm three months ago. Some had lost arms, some had lost their sight, and some could no longer condense their True Qi. (End of Chapter)