104: Chapter 104 The Dragon and Tiger Arrive
Zhang Lingyun packed up quickly.
In less than half an hour, he stood before Lu Mingyuan, carrying an old cloth bag on his back.
The cloth bag was bulging, revealing the edges of a stack of talismans. Three cloth pouches hung from his waist, two on the left and one on the right, jingling as he walked.
Bai Ze stared at the cloth pouches for a long time.
"What's in them?"
Zhang Lingyun patted the pouch on his left.
"Cinnabar."
He patted the one on his right again.
"Talisman brushes."
Then he patted the smallest one in the middle.
"This one—I won't tell you."
Bai Ze rolled its eyes.
Lu Mingyuan smiled.
"Let's go."
The three—two people and one beast—walked towards the mountain gate.
Halfway there, they met an Old Taoist coming from the opposite direction.
The Old Taoist wore a gray Taoist robe, with white hair and beard, and a gaunt face. He stood in the middle of the stone steps, blocking their path, his gaze fixed on Lu Mingyuan.
When Zhang Lingyun saw him, he immediately bowed in salute.
"Grand-Uncle Master."
The Old Taoist nodded, but his eyes never left Lu Mingyuan.
"You are Lu Mingyuan?"
Lu Mingyuan cupped his hands in a bow.
"Junior Lu Mingyuan greets Senior."
The Old Taoist looked at him for a long time.
Then, he suddenly smiled.
"Good. Good."
He stepped aside, clearing the path.
"Go."
Zhang Lingyun was momentarily stunned.
"Grand-Uncle Master, aren't you going to ask where I'm going?"
The Old Taoist shook his head.
"No. The place you want to go is the place you should go."
He looked at Zhang Lingyun.
"Of the three stages of Talisman Arts, which stage have you reached?"
Zhang Lingyun thought for a moment.
"The second stage: carrying the Dao through talismans."
The Old Taoist nodded.
"That's right. The third stage, Harmonizing with the Dao through Talismans, cannot be learned from books, nor can it be learned on the mountain. You must go out and experience it."
He paused.
"Go. Don't look back."
Zhang Lingyun looked at him, his eyes somewhat red.
"Grand-Uncle Master, I—"
The Old Taoist waved his hand.
"Go. Just come back alive."
Zhang Lingyun bowed deeply, then turned and strode away.
Lu Mingyuan looked at the Old Taoist.
"Senior, thank you."
The Old Taoist shook his head.
"Don't thank me. It was his own decision to leave."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"I've heard about your situation. The Northwest Rift, the Dharma-Ending Kalpa, and the Gloom."
He paused.
"One person cannot guard it. Two people cannot guard it either. Many people are needed."
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"I know."
The Old Taoist looked at him.
"Then go and call. Call more people to come."
He turned and walked up the mountain.
After a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
"Lu Mingyuan."
Lu Mingyuan looked at his back.
"Does Senior have any instructions?"
The Old Taoist did not turn around.
"My grand-nephew has extremely high talent in Talisman Arts. But those with high talent are prone to getting stuck in their own ways. Keep a close eye on him."
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"I will."
The Old Taoist nodded and continued up the mountain.
Soon, his figure disappeared into the morning mist.
Outside the mountain gate, Zhang Lingyun stood on the stone steps, gazing down the mountain, silent for a long time.
Lu Mingyuan walked up to him.
"Reluctant to leave?"
Zhang Lingyun shook his head.
"It's not reluctance. It's—"
He paused.
"It's unexpected."
Lu Mingyuan looked at him.
"Unexpected what?"
Zhang Lingyun said softly:
"I didn't expect Grand-Uncle Master to let me go."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"I grew up on Longhu Mountain. After Master passed away, Grand-Uncle Master taught me Talisman Arts. Fifteen years, I've never left this mountain."
He paused.
"I thought he would stop me."
Lu Mingyuan remained silent.
Zhang Lingyun continued:
"But he didn't. He let me go. He said that the third stage cannot be learned from books, nor can it be learned on the mountain."
He suddenly smiled.
"He wanted me to leave a long time ago. I just didn't dare to."
Lu Mingyuan looked at him.
"What about now?"
Zhang Lingyun took a deep breath.
"Now—I go."
He stepped down the mountain.
He walked quickly and steadily, without looking back.
Bai Ze looked at his retreating figure.
"This kid is good."
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"Yes. He's good."
He followed.
The two people and one beast walked along the mountain path, heading Northwest.
After walking for half a day, Zhang Lingyun suddenly asked:
"Brother Lu, what's the situation at The Rift now?"
Lu Mingyuan was silent for a moment.
"Not very good."
He recounted what had happened in the past ten days—the expansion of The Rift, the spread of Devilish Qi, the Chaos Demon Soldiers, the General-level Demon, Bai Ze's desperate battle, slaying the General-level Demon, but the core of resentment deep within The Rift still remained.
Zhang Lingyun's expression turned grave after listening.
"A General-level Demon is equivalent to a Golden Immortal?"
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"That one had just formed, equivalent to an Early Stage Golden Immortal. The next one might be even stronger."
Zhang Lingyun looked at him.
"What is your cultivation level?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment.
"Early Stage Heavenly Immortal."
Zhang Lingyun was stunned.
"Heavenly Immortal? Five years ago, you were only at Foundation Establishment Perfection."
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"Yes."
Zhang Lingyun looked at him, a complex look in his eyes.
"You cultivate really fast."
Lu Mingyuan shook his head.
"It's not that I'm fast. It's that someone is chasing from behind."
He looked ahead.
"When they chase closely, you naturally run faster."
Zhang Lingyun was silent.
After a while, he asked:
"How did you kill that General-level Demon?"
Lu Mingyuan glanced at Bai Ze.
"It held it back, and I delivered the finishing blow."
Zhang Lingyun looked at Bai Ze.
Bai Ze nodded.
"I almost dragged myself to death."
Zhang Lingyun looked at the unhealed wounds on its body and remained silent for a long time.
Then, he said:
"Next time, I'll do it."
Lu Mingyuan looked at him.
"You?"
Zhang Lingyun nodded.
"My Talisman Arts are better at trapping enemies than its."
He took out a talisman from his cloth pouch.
The talisman was covered with intricate patterns that glowed faintly, as if alive.
"This is a Demon-Trapping Talisman. It's specifically designed for Devilish Qi. Once it's stuck on, the demon won't be able to move."
He paused.
"Can it bind a General-level Demon?"
Lu Mingyuan asked.
Zhang Lingyun thought for a moment.
"I don't know. I haven't tried it."
He put away the talisman.
"However, we can try."
Bai Ze looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"This kid is interesting."
Zhang Lingyun looked at it.
"What do you mean?"
Bai Ze shook its head.
"Nothing. It's just—I've seen many people like you. They all ended up dying miserably."
Zhang Lingyun was taken aback.
Lu Mingyuan looked at Bai Ze.
"Don't scare him."
Bai Ze rolled its eyes.
"I'm telling the truth. I've seen too many people get carried away by their passion and rush to their deaths."
It looked at Zhang Lingyun.
"How do you plan to try it?"
Zhang Lingyun thought for a moment.
"First, stick one from a distance to see the effect. If it works, stick a second one. If it doesn't, run."
Bai Ze nodded.
"Hmm. He has some brains."
Zhang Lingyun smiled.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Bai Ze snorted.
"I'm not complimenting you. I'm saying you're a bit better than the brainless ones."
Zhang Lingyun smiled and shook his head.
Lu Mingyuan watched them bicker, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He remembered five years ago, at the Hall of Dharma Transmission on Longhu Mountain, when he discussed Talisman Arts with Zhang Lingyun. Back then, Zhang Lingyun was still a somewhat arrogant youth who didn't think much of him, an outsider.
Now, they walked side by side on the road.
To guard a rift.
To face something called the Gloom.
To walk a path whose end was unknown.
In the evening, they stopped by a small river to rest.
Zhang Qingyuan ran over from a distance, carrying his heart lamp.
"Master! Master!"
He was panting, his face full of excitement.
Lu Mingyuan looked at him.
"What's wrong?"
Zhang Qingyuan pointed behind him.
"Over there—there's someone—who says he's looking for you—"
Lu Mingyuan was startled.
"Who?"
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head.
"I don't know. He said his name was—Jiang Yichen."
Lu Mingyuan's heart trembled.
Jiang Yichen?
The swordsman who fought him for a hundred moves on the Sword Testing Platform on Mount Qingcheng?
Why was he here?
Bai Ze looked at him.
"You know him?"
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"Yes, I know him. A swordsman from Mount Qingcheng."
Bai Ze frowned.
"How did he know you were here?"
Lu Mingyuan couldn't figure it out either.
He turned and walked in the direction Zhang Qingyuan had come from.
Not far away, he saw a person standing in the twilight.
The man wore a green robe, with a long sword hanging from his waist. He was tall and slender, with a stern face. The twilight stretched his shadow long on the ground, like a sword drawn from its sheath.
When he saw Lu Mingyuan, the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
"Long time no see."
Lu Mingyuan looked at him.
"How did you know I was here?"
Jiang Yichen pointed to the sky.
"Someone told me."
Lu Mingyuan looked up.
In the sky, a paper crane was circling.
The paper crane was small and ordinary, like something a child would fold to play with. But it flew high and steadily, constantly circling above his head.
Jiang Yichen held out his hand, and the paper crane landed in his palm, transforming into a small strip of paper.
He glanced at it and handed the paper strip to Lu Mingyuan.
Lu Mingyuan took it and saw only four words on it—
"Find him in the Northwest."
The handwriting was familiar.
He remembered.
It was the Old Taoist from Longhu Mountain.
Jiang Yichen looked at him.
"I was originally on Mount Hua, preparing to enter seclusion to break through to Late Stage Nascent Soul. This paper crane found me and said you were here and needed people."
He paused.
"So I came."
Lu Mingyuan looked at him, silent for a long time.
Then, he asked a question.
"Do you know what I'm going to do?"
Jiang Yichen nodded.
"I know. The Rift, Dharma Ending Age, the Gloom."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"You can't guard it alone."
Lu Mingyuan remained silent.
Jiang Yichen continued:
"I'll help you."
Lu Mingyuan looked at him.
"Why?"
Jiang Yichen thought for a moment.
"Because when you were on Mount Qingcheng, you helped me."
Lu Mingyuan was surprised.
"I helped you?"
Jiang Yichen nodded.
"Chapter 38, Sword Testing Platform. Those hundred moves made me understand what it means for the Sword Dao to be the Heart Dao."
He paused.
"After that, I went into seclusion for three years and broke through to Middle Stage Nascent Soul."
Lu Mingyuan looked at him, a complex look in his eyes.
He had never imagined that something he did unintentionally would change someone's path.
Jiang Yichen looked at him.
"So, I'm here to repay a favor."
Lu Mingyuan was silent for a long time.
Then, he smiled.
"Good."
Back at the riverside, a bonfire had already been lit.
Zhang Lingyun sat by the fire, studying his stack of talismans. Zhang Qingyuan, carrying his heart lamp, watched beside him, asking questions from time to time.
Bai Ze lay not far away, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
Jiang Yichen walked over and sat by the bonfire.
He looked at Zhang Lingyun.
"From Longhu Mountain?"
Zhang Lingyun looked up at him.
"From Mount Qingcheng?"
Jiang Yichen nodded.
Zhang Lingyun smiled.
"A pleasure to meet you."
Jiang Yichen also smiled.
"Likewise."
The two exchanged glances, their eyes holding something only swordsmen and talisman Masters could understand.
Lu Mingyuan sat by the bonfire, watching them.
Bai Ze opened its eyes, glanced at him, and then closed them again.
Zhang Qingyuan leaned closer and whispered:
"Master, are these two very powerful?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment.
"Powerful. Both are stronger than me."
Zhang Qingyuan was surprised.
"Stronger than you?"
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"My Talisman Arts are not as good as his, and my swordsmanship is not as good as his. With them here, I'll be much more relaxed."
Zhang Qingyuan nodded, half-understanding.
He looked at the two people and suddenly felt that Master seemed different.
Before, Master always walked alone.
Now, there were many people around him.
Bai Ze, Zhang Lingyun, Jiang Yichen, and himself.
And those who were still on their way.
Night deepened.
The bonfire gradually died down, leaving only some dark red embers.
Zhang Lingyun leaned against a tree and fell asleep. Jiang Yichen sat cross-legged, eyes closed, meditating. Zhang Qingyuan curled up by the fire, letting out soft snores.
Lu Mingyuan sat by the river, gazing at the flowing water.
Bai Ze walked up to him.
"Can't sleep?"
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"What are you thinking about?"
Lu Mingyuan was silent for a moment.
"I'm thinking—why are they willing to come?"
Bai Ze looked at him.
"What do you think?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment.
"Zhang Lingyun said Grand-Uncle Master sent him. Jiang Yichen said he came to repay a favor."
He paused.
"But I don't think it's just that."
Bai Ze didn't reply.
Lu Mingyuan continued:
"That Old Taoist didn't stop Zhang Lingyun because he knew he couldn't. He was destined to walk this path sooner or later. It just happened earlier."
"Jiang Yichen said he was repaying a favor. But if it was just to repay a favor, sending some items would have been enough; he wouldn't need to come in person."
He looked at Bai Ze.
"They came because they themselves wanted to come."
Bai Ze nodded.
"Correct."
Lu Mingyuan whispered:
"But why do they want to come?"
Bai Ze looked at him.
"What do you say?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a long time.
Then, he said something.
"Because they also saw it."
Bai Ze asked:
"Saw what?"
Lu Mingyuan looked in the direction of The Rift.
"They saw that rift, saw those who died, saw that thing called the Gloom. They saw that if they didn't do something, they wouldn't be able to live with themselves."
He paused.
"Just like me."
Bai Ze was silent.
After a long time, it said:
"You finally understand."
Lu Mingyuan looked at it.
"Understand what?"
Bai Ze said softly:
"Understand why you are the Person of Destiny."
It looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"It's not because you are strong, not because you are talented, not because you were chosen by 'the one that escaped.' It's because—when you stand there, they see."
"They see what they should do, what path they should take."
It paused.
"This is the most precious thing."
Lu Mingyuan was silent for a long time.
Then, he stood up.
"Let's go. Dawn is breaking."
Bai Ze also stood up.
"Where to?"
Lu Mingyuan looked into the distance.
"The next place. Shaolin Temple."
He turned and walked towards the bonfire.
Zhang Lingyun, Jiang Yichen, and Zhang Qingyuan were all awake.
They looked at him, not speaking.
But in their eyes, there was light.
That was the light only those willing to walk together would have.
Lu Mingyuan looked at them.
"Let's go."
He said.
Six people—no, five people and one Divine Beast—walked towards the Northwest.
Behind them, the night receded.
Ahead, the first light of dawn appeared.
A new path had begun.