Chapter-34

When Gong Heshan opened his eyes, he expected pain.

But instead—

There was nothing.

No ache in his chest. No torn ligaments. No burning ribs. Only a strange stillness, like waking from a nightmare and finding the sun had risen.

He sat up slowly, fingers brushing along his side, where broken bones had once been.

He was whole.

Completely healed.

It wasn't a medicine. It wasn't a pill.

It was... that boy. That healer.

Mu Qinglan.

He shivered.

But even greater than the amazement was the pressure weighing on his chest.

He had survived the wrath of the shrine lord.

Barely.

And now... now he was being led to face him.

Mu Qinglan walked quietly ahead, robes fluttering as they entered the main hall of the shrine. It was simple—wood and stone, sunlight streaming through the open slats—but the air was unnaturally still, as though even the wind didn't dare disturb the silence here.

At the center, atop a shallow dais, Lin Haoran sat cross-legged on a worn platform of gray stone.

His robes were still simple.

His sword—the green-handled blade—rested against his side.

And his eyes...

Cold. Calm. Deep.

Gong Heshan immediately dropped to his knees.

He didn't need to be told.

That child, seated so quietly, radiated more pressure than any Grandmaster he had ever met.

Lin Haoran didn't speak right away. He only turned his head slightly.

Mu Qinglan bowed lightly, gave a nod, and turned away.

"I'll sort through the spoils," he said. "There's bound to be something valuable on that group."

He disappeared behind a curtain, leaving only Lin Haoran and the kneeling man in the chamber.

Finally, Lin Haoran spoke.

His voice was quiet. Clear.

"You recognized the sword."

Gong Heshan nodded quickly. "Yes... yes, Shrine Lord. That sword is... known to those of only the saint guiding sect members. It's not a weapon. It's a symbol."

"A symbol?" Lin haoran asked puzzled.

"Of respect of the Saint Guiding Sect," Gong said.

Lin Haoran's gaze didn't flicker. "Hmm..."

He reached to his side, and slowly unhooked the sword.

He turned it in his hand, tracing the handle with his thumb.

"This sword," he said, "belonged to my master. His name was Chun Yijun. He was a martial master... and a wanderer."

Gong Heshan's eyes widened.

"a mere Martial... Master?" he echoed in disbelief.

His gaze fell to the sword—green-handled, worn smooth by age.

"No. That can't be. Shrine Lord, with all due respect—this sword is a command of respect -a Proof. A core disciple's blade. In the Saint Guiding Sect, only those who reach Great Grandmaster or above are qualified to carry it."

Lin Haoran was quite- it seems his master was hiding a lot of things.

Gong Heshan looked troubled. Deeply.

"Shrine I don't know your master , but... if he truly held this sword at the Martial Master realm, then..." He swallowed. "Then your master must have....some secrets that he told no one about."

He bowed his head slightly.

"It is also possible that ... Your master may have been part of a legacy that was... deliberately buried."..

Lin Haoran went silent.

His eyes dropped to the floor.

He seemed to be thinking.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he produced something from his sleeve.

A scroll.

Old. Faded. Bound by a seal of wax and a thin thread of silver.

Without a word, he tossed it forward.

The scroll landed before Gong Heshan with a soft thud.

"Can you read it?" Lin asked.

Gong looked down, heart hammering.

He hesitated for only a breath before carefully breaking the seal.

As the scroll unfurled, ink marks began to shift and align in his mind.

His eyes scanned it quickly—

And then widened.

His mouth fell open.

"Th-this..."

Gong Heshan's fingers trembled as he held the unrolled scroll.

At first, it was coded. Sealed in an old formation script that would be impossible to understand without core sect training. But as he read, the words began to rearrange themselves, ink realigning under his eyes.

This was a core disciple transmission.

His breath caught in his throat.

He read on.

And when he reached the middle—

His face went pale.

His knees shook.

"No... this can't... This can't be…"

He looked up at Lin Haoran, voice barely more than a whisper.

"my Lord... this scroll... this scroll wasn't just meant for your master. This was meant for... every core member of Saint Guiding disciple "

His eyes dropped again to the words, as if afraid they would change.

it was a poem, written in slanted brushstrokes, with calligraphy painted beautifully under skilled hands

Gong Heshan read aloud, his voice hollow:

There are truths the sky cannot hold,and fires that slumber cannot stay cold.Fate may delay, but never forget—the Saint is born, the heavens reset.

Five years past, beneath quiet skies,a star was born, unseen by eyes.In Dragon Throne's eastern fold,a Saint has bloomed in blood and gold.

Signs shall rise in ten short years,and war shall echo ancient fears.To every seeker of the path—be swift, be wise, prepare for war.

Gong Heshan lowered the scroll.

His face was drenched in sweat.

"There's more," he said hoarsely.

He flipped the scroll over.

In cold, imperial black script, written with no embellishment:

A Saint has been born in the human race.at the Easternmost part of Dragon Throne empire-5 years ago.The signs that were forcefully hidden can longer be hid and within 10 years.

it will burst.

Deploy all Saint Guiding sect operatives in the region.

and all core member are to head there at once!!Locate the Saint before any other race and Above all- Prepare For the War.

Gong Heshan stared at Lin Haoran.

The boy didn't speak.

He just sat there—still, unreadable.

Gong's voice cracked.

"This scroll… its saying....That a saint has been born in the human race!!!!"

He paused.

"And Shrine Lord… the region it mentions—it's somewhere around here. Near Longyao. Right where we are."

Lin Haoran was puzzled, the heavy silence lingering like storm clouds just before thunder.

He spoke at last, voice low.

"…What is a Saint?"

Gong Heshan blinked.

Then blinked again.

And slowly—very slowly—realization dawned.

"You… you don't know?" he shouted!!!