Chapter 3 – Hide and Seek

「 In the past, I used to be a light eater, since most of my life was spent studying cultivation techniques and plotting my vengeance. Before I knew it, I had already gone past the two stages of inedia in the second step of cultivation, the tolerance of hunger and the tolerance of sleep. However, now, I feel young and carefree, without a hint of worry, and I have yet to even finish the first step of cultivation. So I enjoyed the meals as they came by, the roasted duck slices and bao buns would vanish as quickly as they appeared. This surprised many people, my comrades and onlookers alike, even including Taoming, who was considered by many to be a heavy eater.

Taoming let out a large grin, as he tried to compete with me, much to the dismay of Lifang’s formerly bulging pocket. Despite the young lanky boy’s much exerted effort or much eaten ducklings and bao buns, I eventually emerged as the victor of the two, looking as graceful as ever. There was no visible sign that betrayed my bottomless appetite.

“Have you conceded, Fellow Taoming?” I spoke mildly with amusement vibrant in my eyes.

“En………..I concede, Fellow Xueyan.” The boy mentally waved a white flag, as he rolled his head lazily over the table, possibly ruminating…uh, digesting the meals he had consumed.

This child…he doesn’t look like a cultivator.

Shaking my head in fondness, I turned to face the gentle Lifang beside him.

“I will meet you in front of the Tower, by the sunset.” My gaze turned solemn as I continued. “Wait for me.”

Lifang returned me a polite nod, and I left the restaurant in hastened steps.

A moment ago, we had garnered some information from the waiter boy and the other customers. It was that Water Moon Village was unusually peaceful and there was no sign of creature of yin and yang within its immediate border. However, rumours have it that more and more travellers are disappearing on the road between this village and the next. Although such events are suspicious, since the village is not in the danger, it would not warrant enough attention of the cultivators who reside in the Tower of Eyes and Ears. After all, cultivators were still cultivators, and they would not move without a solid reward in their reach, unlike certain youths who have yet to finish their Coming of Age Journey.

As for me, I need to prepare, for whatever is coming, and so I walked toward a mortal shop that sold beautifully crafted musical instruments.

When the shop attendant saw me, she walked to me with much poise and grace. “Hello, Sir, how may I assist you?”

“Hmm…” I spoke without turning to look at her, my eyes still fixated on the tools displayed inside the house. “That pipa over there, how much is it?”

“Ah, you sir sure have a fine taste.” The young woman moved lithely and removed the instrument from the white-washed wall, it was a light-sized pipa that was charming to the eyes, its hue was a conspicuous mix of light yellow and brown, a delightful fragrance emanating from it. “This is a pipa made from a ninety year old teak tree that has attained some signs of spirituality, a material truly worthy enough to become an artefact of the lord immortals who soar through the sky.”

I smiled mildly, clearly amused from the girl’s advertising tone. It was unlikely that a cultivator would craft an artefact out of a mere ninety year old teak, which is even more implausible for those who soar through the sky, the legendary heaven scion cultivators of the third step cultivation, which even I had yet to reach in my past life. But of course, the girl would not naturally know about that.

“Price?” I asked gently, my voice pleasing to ears.

The young woman beamed up immediately, when she heard my inquiry, thinking that I am already inside her bag. “For you, my good sir, I could sell it for 3 gold coins.”

A single gold coin was enough for a mortal family to live luxuriously for a month. Regardless of how good the material was, in the end, it was still a mortal instrument. From this fact alone, one can easily deduce that this woman was indeed overpricing her goods, however, I could not care any less about that, since her antics did entertain me for a moment.

My spirit energy entered the space-sealing pouch and took out one of the ten Citrine stones that were inside it. The yellow gemstone was levitating in the air, dazzling like a morning sun, its worth was exactly five gold coins.

When the woman saw this scene, she could barely control herself from gasping out loud, clearly she had no idea that I was a cultivator, her delicate features appeared to have aged several centuries, and she looked as if ten frogs were brutally swimming in her throat.

“Keep the changes.” I said mildly, as the gemstone landed atop her half-reached palm.

“My Lord…” Her expression paled visibly, and she still had a look of horror on her face.

Naturally, being a generous person, it mattered not to me that I was quickly running out of what Lifang gifted me before, so I just blinked one of my eyes mischievously and reminded her with a smile. “My pipa, please.”

The woman dared not delay any longer and she respectfully handed the musical instrument to me.

After feeling its weight, which felt appropriate in my hand, I nodded at her, before calmly walking out of the shop.

Still, I was not done with the shopping yet, for I urgently needed a sword.

The land of Tianyun was small compared to the other continents, and it was not particularly enriched with spirit energy. Although its history was long, its cultivation culture was by far limited, and because of that, it was rare to see sage-cultivators who were well-versed in mystical spells, while the sight of warrior-cultivators who were well-versed in martial arts was more than common.

As the Moonlight Emperor, as one who practiced the Immeasurable Yin Scripture, I was one of those very rare sages in Tianyun. Even so, it was not like I could always keep my enemies at bay with just spells alone, Yunfeng Zheng was a very good example of the close-combat gone awfully awry. Moreover, keeping a sword close by me will usually fool my enemies into thinking that I was a warrior. So, after making some calculations, I just spent six Citrine stone on a common long-sword, a low-grade artefact made for Spirit Apostles. Although I did not actually like my new sword, there was no doubt it would serve its purpose, and I felt that I could always get a better one later. So I just tied it firmly around my waist and took a leisure stroll around the village.

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Although Water Moon Village was not large enough to be called a town, it was certainly a well-developed settlement, and the people living within it had a good living standard. Sitting cross-legged underneath the large rows of trees, enjoying a cool breeze of air, I would observe the villagers carry on with their daily lives. Some of the young couples would choose to flirt in a different corner not too far from mine, their honey-coated words too shameful for any innocent bystander, making my snow-tinted face turn bright with red, though the children who played nearby remained blissfully ignorant and continued their tag happily.

Feeling the loneliness grow in me, I heaved a long sigh in my heart. Even so, I immersed myself in the regal sight of the sun, as I channelled the yang energy into my being, building up my accumulation to reach the extreme state of polarity, the yin-yang extremity. My progress was minimal, and it would take long gruelling cultivation for the effect I desire to manifest. However, my will was not lacking and so was my effort. Soon, the bright yellow sun was no more, and only the deep orange-red occupied in the haughty sky. Seeing that it is now the time, I calmly walked away from my place of comfort. 」

The plot of land that encircled the Tower of Eyes and Ears inside the Water Moon Village was devoid of neighbouring houses and the usually-curious villagers. However, to call it ‘devoid of life’ would be highly inappropriate, for the fauna and flora grew prosperous in that large open-area. From time to time, the occasional movements of critters such as squirrels, foxes and a variety of birds could be seen and heard. Amidst that richness of life, a group of young males with an air of nobility stood out in the open, enjoying the greenish scenery that had a tinge of freshness, while conversing among themselves.

This group was, of course, Lifang and his friends. Although they had stayed the night in the Tower before, it was the first time they actually payed attention to the Tower’s immediate surroundings. So it was no wonder that they spent their time as such, while they waited for that aloof cultivator to show up. The agreed upon time was fast-approaching.

With no care that the soil might stain his clothes, Taoming crouched happily on the ground, as he played with the brown tabby cat that was far too excited from eating much of the catnip foliages. The cat was rolling on the ground and its paws tried to chase the youth’s slender fingers as if they were the mice. However, it might as well not, because it was already far too intoxicated that it soon drooled explosively and fell blissfully asleep.

Taoming smiled warmly at the sight of the adorable creature. People often said that he was not like his father, and it was undeniable. However, the youth did not have any hard feeling about it, since he loved and admired his father all the same. If anything, all he wished was to improve a little more, so that he could be worthy of the care that he had received from his father. And the key lied in that man he met yesterday.

Soft, elegant footsteps silently approached from behind.

“What are you doing?” The beautiful voice asked mildly.

Hearing the sudden inquiry, Taoming was slightly startled, but he quickly gathered himself and stood up eagerly, coming to face a beautiful man who was only half a head shorter than him. The man dressed simply in a white-red robe that was similar to the outer disciple robe of the Peerless Sky Sect, and his expression was sincerely mild.

“Fellow Xueyan.” Taoming called that mysterious man excitedly.

“Hmm?” The man responded in a casual tone.

Taoming had many questions to ask this man, and he was unsure of what to start with. There were just too many of them. However, he did not have any chance to initiate the conversation, for his senior brother swiftly arrived to where he was.

“We’ve been waiting for you.” Lifang spoke gently. “Do we go now?”

The man was quiet for a time. He was smiling, yes, but he was also quiet, and his attractive eyes flickered between the young cultivators and the Tower of Eyes and Ears that stood tall and imperturbable behind them.

“En, it is time.” He finally claimed, as his slender frame gracefully turned and walked away, toward the burial ground that lied just outside the Watermoon Village.

‘Little Moon Cemetery’ it was called. The burial ground was actually a moderately large hill with numerous wooden nameplates erected atop it. From right to left, the burial order was sorted, and so the most recently buried coffins existed in the far most left side of the cemetery.

Using the shovels that lied nearby, the young cultivators began to dig heavily. Most of their actions were somewhat clumsy, since these five boys were doted by their families that they were not used to such menial labours, and it seemed more or less the same for that aloof guest who recently joined them.

After multiple bouts of complaining loudly and sweating profusely, the young cultivators eventually finished digging out the pine-yellow coffins. At first, everyone was eager, and then, everyone became reluctant. After all, except for Xueyan, it was their first time intruding a burial ground.

Lifang was muttering incomprehensible words under his breath, he appeared to be braving himself to lead the group, to be the ideal leader. However, he was trembling a little, from his fears to the superstitions, related to disturbing the dead, and it was all too visible even to the untrained eyes. Seeing the hesitation in the gentle boy, Qiangjun lightly tapped his friend on the shoulder, before he proceeded to open up the coffins.

What lied inside the coffins were a group of people. Elderly and young. Males and females. They appeared to be lying calmly inside their coffins and there was no sign that their corpses were desecrated. When they saw this sight, the young cultivators raised their eyebrows and turned to look at the eccentric man behind them in an accusative look.

Everyone was polite enough to not outright blame him, however, someone had to start, and so Lifang began, somewhat hesitatingly. “Fellow Xueyan?”

The man returned his gaze with a smile, amusement clearly brimming in his eyes, but he did not actually reply.

When he saw such behaviours, Lifang frowned thoughtfully, refraining himself from saying anything severe, as he refocused his eyes back to the corpses that lied within the coffin.

After a short moment of careful pondering, the gentle boy affirmed his resolution, and he spoke confidently.

“Qiangjun, undress them.”

The quiet youth was startled, however, he complied with what was asked of him, and began to strip the corpses naked.

Taoming and the two cultivators from the Benign Mountain and Humble Spring sects felt horrified when they heard Lifang’s command, however, they soon realised how naïve they were.

The corpses inside the coffin had their stomach ripped open, and their hearts were nowhere to be seen.

What did it mean?

Everyone looked at Xueyan in confusion, hoping for him to clarify the situation. The man, however, did not respond, and it was Lifang who spoke in his stead. “It is the ‘Innumerable Heart’ sacrificial rite.”

When the young cultivators heard that, their expressions grew awfully dark. Although they may not know the specifics of the innumerable heart sacrificial rite, there existed no cultivator in Tianyun who would not know about the innumerable heart ghoul, a monstrous creature artificially induced through the sacrificial fusion of innumerable hearts and souls. It was a perilous creation of the Moonlight Emperor, a powerful yin ghoul that was comparable to the ancient living yin tribulations!

“…I thought…that spell was already lost…” Taoming shuddered. “…Did someone finally rediscover it?”

“It has been such a long time…” Lifang spoke miserably. “…It would actually be strange if no one could recreate it.”

Everything fell into absolute quietness again, and just when they thought the silence would continue, that extreme yin cultivator spoke abruptly.

“There’s a rat hiding, fifty metres north east of here.”

He made a smile that was not at all a smile, and his mesmerising eyes fell flatly on Qiangjun, whose martial art attainments were the highest out of all those present, and the quiet youth understandingly rushed out in one ferocious movement, leaving his comrades perplexed behind in a trail of dust, as he furiously pursued the one that was spying on them.

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= Glossary =

Water Moon Village (place)

Little Moon Cemetery (place)

Lonely Night Lullaby (spell)

Nether Shade Sanctuary (spell)

Soul Inquiry (spell)

Innumerable Heart Sacrificial Rite (spell)

Innumerable Heart Ghoul (creature)

Myriad Night March (army march)

Illusionary Barrier (phenomenon)

Sound Barrier (phenomenon)

Written by Lulin