Chapter 48: This Venerable One's Old Dragon
>>passing noncon mention, not of main characters
Now that he mentioned it, Mo Ran couldn't help but agree.
Shizun was right.
There was a faint odor on the fake Gouchen. Mo Ran thought he was only imagining it, but since Chu Wanning also noticed it, then there could be no mistake.
The smell of death.
——Not only was this Gouchen not the god himself, he wasn't even a living person!
In other words, the one behind all this was just pulling the strings on a corpse dressed as the God of Weaponry. The real puppeteer himself wasn't even here.
His thoughts were interrupted by a low, sorrowful chuckle from the direction of Jincheng Lake.
Immediately following, a deathly pale body shot out from the water like an arrow as the fake Gouchen leapt into the air. But both his appearance and behavior had become frightening, his skin wrinkled all over like a snake in the midst of molting, or a silkworm trying to break through its cocoon.
"Yuheng of the Night Sky, the Beidou Immortal. Chu-zongshi, you really do live up to your name." The fake Gouchen levitated above the crystalline water of the lake, face twisting into some semblance of a gnarled smirk even as pieces peeled off.
"How did Rufeng Sect let someone like you slip through their fingers back then?" Chu Wanning's voice was frosty: "Just who exactly are you?" "You don't need to know who I am." The fake Gouchen said, "And I won't let you know who I am, either. You can just think of me as someone who should have died long ago but crawled out of hell just to take the lives of you righteous,
honorable types!" Wangyue rumbled: "Shameless! Zhaixin Liu has been destroyed! With your strength alone, without the help of the holy tree, you have no way of using the forbidden techniques, or of carrying out further transgressions!" The fake Gouchen sneered: "You old eel, on your last breath and still trying to get in my way. What makes you think you have the right to speak here? Get lost!" Chu Wanning suddenly spoke: "And do you think that you, as a white chess piece, have any right to speak?" The "white chess piece", as implied by the name, is a special type of piece in Zhenlong Chess Formation.
The user can place a portion of their soul into a newly deceased body and fuse the two to form a chess piece that is white as pure jade.
The "white chess piece" was different from the common "black chess piece" that merely obeyed commands. In other words, a white chess piece was a stand-in for the user; aside from having weaker spiritual power than the original,
they could think and act independently, and the things they see and hear could be conveyed to the original user.
The fake Gouchen's identity was exposed, but his reaction was to laugh and clap: "Very good, good! Good!!" After the three cries of "good", the fake Gouchen's face became even more broken and contorted. It seemed that the spell was nearing its end and unable to support the white chess piece for much longer, and the original form of the corpse was starting to show.
"Chu Wanning, don't get too full of yourself. Do you really think that this will stop me? Even if Zhaixin Liu was destroyed, my original can always find other sources of spiritual energy. But you, on the other hand..."
As he spoke, his eyes, which grew dimmer and more defocused by the second, suddenly swept past Chu Wanning to land on Mo Ran with malicious intent.
Mo Ran was struck by a sudden wave of apprehension!
The fake Gouchen said slowly, mockingly: "If you think that I'm the only one in this world who knows the three forbidden techniques, then I'm afraid you won't have much longer to live." Chu Wanning's eyebrows lowered in a frown and he demanded sternly:
"What do you mean by that?" But the fake Gouchen suddenly stopped talking. He froze and then exploded into foul-smelling pieces, a jade-white chess piece shooting out from his body and whirling in the air, backlit by the rising sun, before falling into Jincheng Lake with a plop.
It seemed that the puppeteer in the shadows, having lost the assistance from Zhaixin Liu, had exhausted his spiritual energy.
Simultaneously, Wangyue, who also relied on Zhaixin Liu's spiritual energy to survive, staggered and fell to the ground with a thud. He murmured: "Ah..." Xue Meng let out a startled cry: "Wangyue!" Mo Ran also exclaimed: "Wangyue!" The four of them gathered around the old dragon. Wangyue was barely hanging on, lips colorless. He looked at them, and spoke with a voice raspy like the setting sun.
"Don't... don't believe that person's nonsense. There was more... more falsehood than truth in his words..." Shi Mei's face was full of worry and sorrow, he said softly: "Elder, please don't talk anymore, and let me heal you." "No, there's no need. If even your master couldn't do it... then...
you..." Wangyue coughed roughly several times, then said, panting, "In these years, many came seeking weapons. But…... when that villain came, Zhaixin Liu didn't want the holy weapons left behind by their master to be used by him, and so destroyed them all. The only ones remaining... were…...were a willow vine equal to it in power, and the, the sword of the Exalted God..." At this mention, Xue Meng's expression grew darker, mouth set wordlessly in a thin line.
"The willow vine... went to this young Daozhang." Wangyue looked at Mo Ran, "That day, by the lakeside, I had said to you that even if you were evil in the past, I will not stop you, and that I can only hope that you will pursue goodness in the future... but in actuality... in actuality, following my Master's wishes,
holy weapons should belong only to the virtuous. That's why, I hope that you...
that you will..." Mo Ran saw that it was already difficult for him to speak, and so interrupted:
"Don't worry, Elder, I understand." The merman murmured: "That's good... that's good... then I can...
rest easy..." He gazed skyward, lips trembling slightly.
"It is said that when one goes to Jincheng Lake seeking a weapon, a creature from the lake will... will make a request. Most of those requests... were for gauging the seeker's moral character, but there were the occasional exceptions..." Wangyue's voice grew quieter and quieter, tens of thousands of years flitting past his eyes like a carousel lantern.
"I had an agreement with my Master; when he left, I was to stay and guard Jincheng Lake, without leaving... but who could have known that I would be standing guard for millennia upon millennia... the sights I beheld in my youth,
the mountains and rivers... I never got to... to…...see…...again..." He turned his head slowly to gaze beseechingly toward Mo Ran, eyes flickering with a warm wetness.
In that instant, Mo Ran suddenly knew what he was about to say.
Sure enough, Wangyue said softly: "Young Daozhang, the plum blossoms at the waist of the mountain bloom splendidly throughout the year, I was very fond of them when I was young. Even though you already got your holy weapon,
would you still... still be willing to..." Mo Ran was just about to say, yes, I'll go get you a branch.
But before he could even say yes, the light in Wangyue's golden eyes abruptly went out.
Jiangnan has little else, but a gift of spring in the form of a blossoming branch[3].
Snow-tipped peaks towered majestically in the distance, gleaming gold dancing resplendent on the lake surface as the rising sun bathed the waters in its red-hued light, the waves and sprays shattering the rays into glimmering crimson.
Wangyue had passed.
He was one of the first dragons at the creation of the world, had once been world-shakingly powerful, had once bowed in servitude and carried his master to all corners of the world. Everyone said that the brand forced his submission, but it was out of respect for Gouchen that he kept his promise of millennia.
In this vast world, few remained who remembered the founding of the world.
But Wangyue knew that although the real Gouchen the Exalted had demonic blood coursing through his veins, his mother was taken against her will; he abhorred the demons, and stood with Fuxi against the demonic invasion, using his own powerful demonic blood to forge the first true sword of the world for Fuxi and aiding him in sweeping the demon race from the land.
But after the unification of heaven and earth, Fuxi harbored misgivings and resentment toward Gouchen the Exalted due to his half demon blood. Gouchen the Exalted was no fool; a hundred years later, he excused himself from the realm of the gods of his own accord, and came to the realm of man.
During his journey, he saw endless suffering and slaughter. He felt that he shouldn't have brought the "sword" into existence, and was filled with remorse.
So he gathered a good deal of the weapons he had left in the human realm,
sealed them in the arsenal at Jincheng Lake, planted Zhaixin Liu as guardian,
and instructed the creatures in the lake that of those who come seeking, only the virtuous are befitting.
But now, Gouchen was no more, and Wangyue had passed.
Henceforth there are no more holy weapons inside Jincheng Lake, no more merfolk. All of the sins and repentance, distortion and dedication, with the thunderous fall of Zhaixin Liu, had scattered like smoke and ashes.
For a moment, no one spoke. In the ferocious snowstorm, the scarlet words written on the stone tablet by the side of Jincheng Lake——"The Path Forward is Difficult"——were still the same as when they first saw it, and the now-serene surface of the lake hid all of the calamity and suffering that had transpired beneath.
Just like when they had first climbed up Dawning Peak, completely unaware of the bloody story hidden behind "The Path Forward is Difficult".
Mo Ran looked up at the sky. Above the precipice, a lone eagle soared against the snowdrift.
He suddenly thought: in the past life, Wangyue had given him a powerful long blade, but in this life, the blade he saw was only a fake, and the real one that belonged to him had probably already been destroyed by Zhaixin Liu, before he could so much as even see it.
A short while passed, and his mind called up old memories unbidden.
That year, he had come to Jincheng Lake seeking a weapon.
Wangyue had emerged from the water, studied him with golden eyes that were gentle and friendly, and then said—— "The plum blossoms at the waist of the mountain are blooming beautifully,
could you go get a branch for me?" Mo Ran closed his eyes and raised an arm to cover them.
He didn't know about the events below the lake in the past life, and only thought that Wangyue's request was pointless pretentiousness...
It was many days before they returned to Sisheng Peak.
Chu Wanning's shoulder was seriously injured, and the three youths were all exhausted, so they rested at Dai City for several days before returning.
Xue Meng said nothing of what happened to Xue Zhengyong and Madam Wang; proud as he was, regardless of whether his parents were to react with disappointment or sympathy, to him, either would be salt on the wound. Chu Wanning noticed and his heart ached, and so he buried himself in ancient tomes and scrolls all day, looking for some other way of obtaining a holy weapon for Xue Meng, or else some means of allowing a mortal to rival a holy weapon in strength.
Apart from this, just who was that fake Gouchen, and where was his true self? And what was the meaning behind the last thing that "white chess piece" said before exploding?
There were many and more things to worry about; the candle in the library of the Red Lotus Pavilion burned all night as the water clock dripped away,
scrolls scrawled with complicated writing littered the floor, and in the depths of the files was Chu Wanning's exhausted face.
"Yuheng, look at the state your shoulder is in, don't be so reckless." Xue Zhengyong, holding a warm cup of tea, was sitting next to him and chattering fussily, "Tanlang Elder is great at the healing arts, make some time and go have him take a look." "No need, it's already started to heal." Xue Zhengyong clicked his tongue: "That won't do, look at yourself, you've looked terrible ever since getting back. Nine out of ten people who've seen you say you look like you're just about to pass out. If you ask me, there's something strange about that wound, might be some kind of poison or something, it's better to be careful."
Chu Wanning glanced up: "I look like I'm about to pass out?" He paused and smiled coldly, "Who said that?" Xue Zhengyong: "..." "Aiya, Yuheng, can you not act like you're made of metal all the time, and everyone else is made of paper?" Chu Wanning said: "I know my own limits." Xue Zhengyong mumbled something inaudibly, very possibly "know your limits my ass" from the movement of his lips. Luckily Chu Wanning was too absorbed in his book to see.
They chatted for a while longer, until Xue Zhengyong saw that it was getting late, and got up to head back and keep his wifey company. Before leaving, he made sure to fuss some more: "Yuheng, don't stay up too late. Meng-er will die of guilt if he sees you like this." Chu Wanning ignored him with gusto.
Being met with a frosty nail like this, Xue Zhengyong scratched his head awkwardly and left.
Chu Wanning drank some medicine and then returned to the table to continue his research until he started feeling a bit lightheaded. He propped his forehead in one hand, nauseous.
But the nausea faded in short order, so he chalked it up to being tired, and paid it no mind.
The night grew late, and, finally too woozy to continue, he fell asleep with his brows drawn tightly together, head pillowed on a sweeping sleeve next to the small mountain of tomes, an unfinished scroll still lying across his knees, the hem of his robes drooping to the floor like a water wave.
That night, he dreamt.
This dream, unlike others, was clear and distinct, almost real.
He was standing inside the Loyalty Hall of Sisheng Peak, but this Loyalty Hall was somewhat different from the one he knew, many furnishings and details had been altered. But before he had a chance to take a closer look, the gates swung open, setting crimson curtains adrift.
A person walked in.
"Shizun." The person had a handsome face, deep black eyes with a tint of purple. He was a young man, but looked almost childlike when he curled the corners of his lips.
"Mo Ran?" Chu Wanning stood up and was about to walk over, but found that his wrists and ankles were shackled by four lengths of metal chains flowing with spiritual power, fettering him in place and rendering him unable to move.
Shock followed by overflowing rage, Chu Wanning glared at the chains with disbelief, anger twisting his expression and choking his words back, and it was a while before he lifted his head to say harshly: "Mo Weiyu, what do you think you're doing? Untie me at once!" But the person acted like he hadn't heard a word of his furious bellows, a lazy smile and a pair of dimples on his face as he strode over and gripped Chu Wanning by the jaw.
Author's Notes:
Bonus character card #3:
GoCheng the Exalted (the real one, not fake) Courtesy Name: None Nickname: Are you joking?
Job: Gatherer of the world's weapons, commander of battles, expert in the art of sword casting, protector of the righteous ways.
Simply put: Sharpening scissors~ sharpening knives~[4] Appearance in society: Lord of armed forces Simply put: President of China's #1 weapon corporation Likes: Poetry Favorite food: Five grains of the agriculture god Dislike: War Dislike as well: Unemployment Most painful thing: Unemployment from there being no wars Height: God's height is heaven's secret, cannot be leaked
[3]An excerpt from a poem; Jiangnan is a southern province that boasts of beautiful spring sights.
[4] 磨剪刀叻,戗菜刀~ A rhyme sung by people who walk through neighbourhoods to provide knife sharpening services.