296: Chapter 294 The First Footprints

On the third day after Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi announced her abdication, Shen Nian walked alone into the underground secret chamber of the Scripture Pavilion in the Guardian Academy.

This secret chamber was hidden behind a dark door on the lowest floor of the Scripture Pavilion. Its entrance was covered with a thin layer of dust, and it was obvious that no one had been here for a long time.

The guarding Elder told him that this was the oldest archives room of the Guardian Academy, storing the original manuscripts of the earliest batch of Guardians — the initial edition texts that had not yet been sorted, transcribed, or annotated.

Shen Nian pushed open the dark door and walked down the stone steps.

The secret chamber was not large, only about three zhang square. Several dim spiritual crystals were embedded in the surrounding walls, emitting a faint light.

In the very center was a stone table, neatly stacked with dozens of Jade Slips. The surfaces of the Jade Slips had turned yellow, and their corners were somewhat worn, obviously having been perused countless times.

Shen Nian sat down in front of the stone table and picked up the first Jade Slip.

The moment his Divine Thought probed in, an ancient and warm aura rushed towards him — that was Bai Yunzhou's handwriting.

"Returning from patrolling the realm today, passing by the old site of the Lingxi Realm, I saw that the spiritual springs had dried up and the vegetation withered, and my heart is filled with great sorrow."

"The common people of the Lingxi Realm evacuated long ago, but their stories still remain on that land."

"Standing by the withered well, the Disciple suddenly remembered what Revered Master once said: 'A Guardian must not only protect the living, but also protect the memories of the deceased.'"

"The Disciple deeply agrees with this."

Shen Nian put down this Jade Slip and picked up the next one.

This one was Ling Shuang's handwriting, which was even neater than Bai Yunzhou's, every stroke carrying a resolute determination that allowed no dissent:

"The Disciple went to the edge of the Old Universe today. That crack is still there, and the grayish-white mist is still churning."

"Standing before the crack, the Disciple remembered the days fighting side by side with Revered Master back then."

"The Disciple was still young then, and always felt that as long as one was strong enough, everything could be protected."

"Now the Disciple understands that protecting everything does not rely on power, but on everyone."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

He continued to look down.

The third Jade Slip belonged to Zhou Zhiting. Her handwriting was sloppy, piercing through the back of the paper, as if hurriedly written amidst the flames of war:

"The Eastern Front has fought for another three days and three nights, and the Void Clan's offensive is even fiercer than last time."

"The Disciple has gained seven more wounds on her body, and her left arm cannot be used temporarily, but she can still stand up."

"Ling Shuang told me to retreat to the rear to recuperate, but the Disciple did not listen."

"It is not that the Disciple is not tired; the Disciple simply feels that if even I retreat, by what right should those ordinary soldiers not retreat?"

Shen Nian's tears swirled in his eye sockets, but he did not let them fall.

He continued to look through them.

The fourth, the fifth, the sixth... Every Jade Slip was a piece of the past, and every word was an engraved scar.

Those people who were no longer around — their voices still remained here, within these yellowed Jade Slips.

He saw Song Xinghe's handwriting:

"Another layer has been added to the tower of the Investigation Department."

"Standing at the top layer, watching the entire Yongning City light up in the dusk, the Disciple suddenly remembered a sentence Revered Master once said: 'A Guardian's greatest achievement is not how many enemies are defeated, but how many people can sleep peacefully.'"

"The Disciple thinks that this sentence is spoken truly well."

He saw Guardian Lin Jingyun's handwriting:

"The Seal in the abyss has loosened again."

"The Disciple went down to reinforce it once. Those grayish-black mists were like living things, churning around the Disciple."

"The Disciple sat before the Seal and spoke with those mists for an entire night."

"The Disciple said: 'Do you want to come out? The Disciple understands. But the Disciple cannot let you out, because outside are the people the Disciple must protect.'"

"The mists did not reply, but they became much quieter."

"The Disciple thinks they might be able to understand."

He saw Path Guardian Ancestor Qin Hao's handwriting:

"Today, leading a new batch of Disciples to patrol the realm, passing by the Meteor Minor Realm."

"The Old Farmer was still sitting by the spiritual field. Seeing the Disciple, he waved his hand."

"The Disciple walked over and drank a bowl of water."

"The Old Farmer asked the Disciple: 'Where is your Master?'"

"The Disciple said: 'He has left.'"

"The Old Farmer was silent for a long time, then said: 'Are you going to leave too?'"

"The Disciple said: 'The Disciple is not leaving. The Disciple wants to guard this sea of stars.'"

"The Old Farmer smiled and said: 'Good child.'"

"The Disciple does not know if the Disciple is a good child, but the Disciple knows the Disciple cannot leave."

He saw Shen Yuan's handwriting:

"Zhaoer knelt in front of the Monument of Heroes for another entire night today."

"The Disciple stood behind him and accompanied him for an entire night."

"When dawn broke, he asked the Disciple: 'Uncle, can the Disciple guard the sea of stars?'"

"The Disciple said: 'Yes. Because you are not alone.'"

"He nodded, then stood up, patted the dust off his robes, and walked towards the Council Hall."

"The Disciple looked at his back, thinking to himself: This child is stronger than his father."

Finally, he saw Shen Zhao's handwriting:

"Today, the Disciple perused the predecessors' manuscripts, and suddenly felt something in his heart."

"Ancestor Bai Yunzhou said that a Guardian must not only protect the living, but also protect the memories of the deceased."

"Senior Ling Shuang said that protecting everything does not rely on power, but on everyone."

"Guardian Lin Jingyun said that he is willing to sit before the Seal and speak with those mists."

"The Disciple suddenly understood."

"The path of upholding the Dao has never been a straight highway."

"It is a winding path, where everyone leaves their own footprints upon it."

"Some are deep, some are shallow, some are straight, and some are circuitous."

"But every footprint is pointing the way for those who come later."

Holding that Jade Slip, Shen Nian's tears silently slid down.

This passage from the ancestors — he had read it before, when compiling the New Era Dao Guarding Records.

But reading it back then, he only felt that it made sense.

Now in this underground secret chamber, reading it again after finishing everyone's manuscripts, he felt as if these words were echoes coming from the bottom of a very deep well.

He put down the Jade Slip and sat in the secret chamber for a long time.

The light of the spiritual crystals on the stone table grew dimmer and dimmer, as if their spiritual power was about to be exhausted.

Shen Nian did not get up to replace them with new spiritual crystals; he just sat in the darkness, listening to the sound of his own breathing.

He remembered a sentence Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi said when abdicating: "I plan to write a book. To write down all the past events of the Old Universe, the origins of the Guardian Academy, and the stories of those people who are no longer around. Let future generations all see it and remember it."

Bai Yunzhou had written another passage in Sword Dao Essays, which Shen Nian remembered very clearly: "We have resolved the crisis of survival, yet we may have fallen into a crisis of meaning. When the enemy's swords no longer point at us, where else can the swords in our hands point?"

Shen Nian opened his eyes in the darkness.

He suddenly understood the meaning of those words.

When Bai Yunzhou wrote this sentence back then, the fifth cycle had just ended, the new order had just been established, and the sea of stars had finally welcomed peace.

Yet Bai Yunzhou wrote such a sentence at that time.

What he worried about was not the enemy, but how those people born for war should live on when the war ended.

Shen Nian stood up and walked out of the secret chamber.

He walked up along the stone steps, his footsteps echoing in the empty passage.

When he pushed open the door leading to the ground, the sunlight rushed to meet him.

The afternoon sunlight was warm and bright, falling on his face, on his shoulders, and on the blade of the qinglian sword at his waist.

He walked toward the Monument of Heroes.

The colorless light at the top of the monument was still bright under the sunlight.

Shen Nian knelt in front of the monument, placed the qinglian sword horizontally across his knees, and kowtowed deeply.

"Ancestors, Ancestor Bai Yunzhou, Senior Ling Shuang, General Zhou, Director Song, Guardian Lin, Path Guardian Qin, Uncle, Ancestor Shen Zhao, the Disciple has read your manuscripts."

"The Disciple has seen your confusion, your persistence, and your footprints."

"The Disciple has figured it out."

"The path of upholding the Dao has no end."

"Every footprint is paving the way for those who come later."

"The Disciple will continue to walk this path and leave the Disciple's footprints upon it."

"This is the Disciple's promise."

The wind blew past the Monument of Heroes, rustling the spiritual flowers in front of the monument.

The petals swayed gently in the wind, as if countless people were nodding, and also as if countless people were smiling.