Chapter 530 - 361: Jian Yi’s Past

Chapter 530: Chapter 361: Jian Yi’s Past

Wu Liangchen never would have thought he’d find a clue about Yan Shu in these ruins, deep beneath Zhongjing.

Unfortunately, the inscriptions on the steles were severely damaged, making it difficult to extract any valuable information.

Still, Wu Liangchen collected the stele fragments bearing Yan Shu’s name, planning to have Old K examine them once they got out. He might just make an unexpected discovery.

After another search to ensure nothing was missed, Wu Liangchen returned to the main hall.

"Big Brother Wu, what took you so long?" Song Ling’Er asked, a little curious.

"It’s nothing. I just found something interesting." Wu Liangchen didn’t hide anything and recounted his recent discovery.

Everyone reacted differently. Song Ling’Er looked completely lost, clearly not understanding the implications.

Alina, on the other hand, was full of curiosity.

She was eager to know what the world Wu Liangchen came from was really like.

Only Master Jie Nian remained calm. After listening, he simply pressed his palms together in praise.

"Praise be to the Cyber Bodhisattva. Your finding a clue here, Benefactor, shows that you are being guided by an unseen hand."

Wu Liangchen fell silent.

’I have a faint feeling I’ve just brushed against an earth-shattering secret, one utterly buried by time. The depths beneath Zhongjing likely conceal a mystery far greater than anyone could imagine.’

After a long moment, he let out a heavy breath. "Let’s put this aside for now. Everyone, get some rest. Master Jie Nian, where is that spring?"

Master Jie Nian nodded and led the group toward one side of the ruins’ depths.

Sure enough, behind a relatively intact side hall, they found a clear spring, still gurgling with fresh water. The water was crisp and sweet—in this filthy underground, it was like nectar of the gods.

After a quick wash, the group ate their dinner, pairing their personal rations of compressed food with the spring water.

Deep underground, with no sun or moon to mark its passage, time lost all meaning.

For safety, and to dispel the oppressive feeling of the dark, they cleared a space in the center of the main hall and lit a bonfire. The dancing flames brought a flicker of life and warmth to the ancient, deathly-still ruins.

Everyone gathered around the bonfire and decided to take turns on watch. Alina and Liangzi would take the first half of the night, and Wu Liangchen would take over for the second.

Song Ling’Er wanted to insist on taking a shift, but Wu Liangchen overruled her, saying she needed to conserve her energy. On the other side of the hall, Master Jie Nian and his "iron monk" disciples entered a meditative trance; they seemed to have their own unique way of resting.

Time trickled by in silent waiting.

When Wu Liangchen opened his eyes, the bonfire had already been fed more wood several times, though it still burned brightly. Both Alina and Liangzi were showing signs of fatigue.

"You two go get some rest," Wu Liangchen said, getting up and stretching his limbs.

Alina nodded, not trying to act tough. Liangzi looked as if he’d been granted a pardon, practically scrambling on all fours to a corner, and faint snores could be heard just a moment later.

Wu Liangchen sat by the bonfire, keeping a silent watch over the night.

A moment later, he heard the sound of footsteps. Jian Yi walked over and sat down beside him.

Wu Liangchen didn’t acknowledge him, simply staring quietly at the cheerfully dancing flames.

After a long silence, Jian Yi was the first to speak. "Is this Yan Shu person important to you?"

"Mmm... Not ’important,’ exactly. I just never expected things to turn out like this," Wu Liangchen said, his tone casual as he poked the fire with a stick.

Jian Yi fell silent.

The surroundings were so quiet that the only sound was the CRACKLE and POP of the fire consuming the wood.

Then, Jian Yi began to speak again, his voice slow. "My sect was on a very high, snowy mountain."

"My master was an old man who loved to drink. He was often completely sloshed, but he was a good person. He took me and my martial brothers in."

"He gave us food, taught us swordsmanship... and if you practiced well, your reward was an extra chicken leg at dinner."

"You have no idea how tempting that single chicken leg was to us back then. To earn it, I once spent a whole day practicing over ten thousand slashes. By the time dinner came, my hands were shaking so badly I couldn’t even hold my chopsticks."

As he spoke of these old memories, Jian Yi’s face filled with nostalgia, and his tone became surprisingly lively.

Wu Liangchen didn’t interrupt, just listened quietly.

"I used to think about how wonderful it would be if those days could last forever. But unfortunately, there are always people in this world who can’t stand to see others happy."

"The year I turned fifteen, our enemies came for us. They cut off the old man’s head right in front of us."

"Even now, I can still remember the blizzard that day. My master’s head rolled a long way across the ground before it stopped, his face turned right toward me. His mouth was open, and even though he was dead, I could still read his lips."

"He was telling us to run!"

In the firelight, Jian Yi’s cloudy gray eyes seemed to glitter, but his voice was as calm as ever.

"So I ran. I grabbed my master’s newest, youngest disciple and ran for it, while my other martial brothers gave their lives to hold back our enemies."

"They never screamed, not even as they died. Only my eldest martial brother shouted at me, ’Don’t look back!’"

"I don’t know where I found the strength, but I managed to carry my junior martial brother and trek through that blizzard for four days straight. In those four days, the only thing we had to sustain us was ice-cold snowmelt. That’s how I lost my sight."

Snow blindness.

An eye condition common in snowy regions. Once it sets in, there is no cure.