Mo Dao’s wide, worn Daoist robe flapped sharply in the night wind, casting long, wavering shadows on the ground beneath his topknot.
In the torchlight, his face looked even darker and more somber.
Yan Zi Qing, too, had noticed the leaves scattered on the ground. His pupils suddenly contracted. “Could it be him?”
Mo Dao’s voice was already like a hiss forced through clenched teeth. “Who else could unleash the ‘Thousand-Jin Dragon Severing Twist’?”
Yan Zi Qing asked, “But Han Shui Palace has been absent from the martial world for more than twenty years. Why would they suddenly appear here? Could they be targeting our Xiang Yang Prince’s estate? And who was the one fighting him?”
—To slice through water-soaked leaves one by one with a sword would be an almost impossible task. Only the unparalleled, unyielding energy of the ‘Thousand-Jin Dragon Severing Twist’ could shred something as fragile as feathers and as tenacious as life itself.
—Who could possibly withstand such a blow?
Mo Dao’s voice was low and grim.
There were several moments when Yan Zi Qing almost felt as if Shao Jizu was speaking. In the “Jin Shi Hall,” the two people he feared most were Shao Jizu and Mo Dao. Every time he encountered the somber-faced Daoist, he would act with utmost respect, avoiding unnecessary words at all costs. Now, as he observed Mo Dao’s expression in the firelight, he understood that his current role was simply to listen.
Mo Dao spoke slowly, as he never wasted a single word.
—“The person who fought him was using a sword, not a saber.”
—“If he hadn’t already fallen victim to my ‘Old Friends at First Sight’ poison, I would have thought it was him.”
Yan Zi Qing cautiously responded, “In his current condition, why would he unnecessarily provoke a powerful enemy? Even if he managed to antagonize someone from Han Shui Palace, how could he possibly withstand a move like the ‘Thousand-Jin Dragon Severing Twist’?”
Mo Dao seemed not to hear him. His gaze appeared to merge with the surrounding darkness.
The night was deep, yet Mo Dao’s eyes seemed even deeper than the boundless shadows.
In the forest, everyone waited silently.
After a long while, the Daoist in his worn robe finally spoke two sentences—words that might sound incomprehensible to some but carried profound meaning for all present.
—“Whether or not it was him who faced the ‘Thousand-Jin Dragon Severing Twist,’ midnight is approaching.”
—“Tonight’s second opportunity lies at midnight.”
* * *
The firelight in the ruined temple grew dimmer.
In the fading glow, Huo Xiao Di seemed to have forgotten his earlier anger. This was likely because he still couldn’t make sense of the mystery surrounding the boy sleeping nearby.
Zhan Ri Fei had returned to the original topic.
He pondered aloud, “Let’s set aside the first and second threads for now. The third thread I mentioned refers to the boy himself.”
—“Who inflicted so many scars on his arms? The scars are of varying ages and shapes, clearly made at different times and by different people. Who could bear to be so cruel to a child like this?”
—“He can hear others speak, but he cannot talk. This shows he wasn’t born mute. How did he lose his voice, and who might have caused it?”
—“When we walked from the forest to this temple, did you notice the faint fragrance that seemed to follow us?”
Huo Xiao Di nodded. His sharp sense of smell had detected it. “Yes, there was a faint herbal scent. I first noticed it at the inn, though it’s weaker now than it was yesterday. If I’m not mistaken, the scent is coming from the boy himself.”
—“But so what? You can’t use the fragrance as medicine!”
Zhan Ri Fei was struck by the remark, his eyes flashing as if lit by starlight. For a brief moment, his pale face seemed to glow with a brilliance that made it hard to look directly at him. His usually calm voice carried an edge of barely restrained excitement.
“Exactly. In truth, these three threads may all converge into a single one. I’ve been overlooking someone—someone who is likely the key to connecting these three threads!”
Huo Xiao Di asked, “Who are you talking about?”
Zhan Ri Fei spoke deliberately, enunciating each word: “That person is Ge Yun Fei.”
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