A deep rumbling sound echoed beneath the stone pedestal as the heavy jade lid slowly lifted on its own.Cool air drifted out from inside the box, carrying the faint scent of dried flowers that had remained sealed away for countless years.Three of them instinctively leaned forward, their hearts beating faster. Qing Li unconsciously held his breath. Hei Long's eyes remained fixed on the slowly opening box, while Wang Xio quietly tightened his fists. They had expected to see an ancient treasure, a forgotten divine weapon, or perhaps some powerful artifact hidden by Ling Yuan. Instead, resting quietly inside the jade box was only a single carefully folded letter. The paper had turned slightly yellow with age, yet not a single corner had been damaged. It looked as though someone had preserved it with extraordinary care, waiting for the day it would finally be read.
Qing Li blinked several times before whispering in disbelief, "A... letter? That's all?" His voice echoed softly through the chamber. Hei Long slowly stepped closer, his brows knitting together in confusion as he looked at the lonely piece of paper. "Ling Yuan protected this place..." he murmured quietly, "...just for a letter?" Wang xio remained silent and his sharp eyes never left the folded paper. Somehow, the ordinary-looking letter made him far more uneasy than any divine weapon ever could. A strange feeling settled in his chest, warning him that whatever was written inside would change everything they thought they knew.
After a long moment, he slowly reached into the jade box.He gently lifted the letter into the candlelight before carefully unfolding it. The instant the handwriting appeared, Qing Li's breathing caught in his throat. His eyes widened as memories stirred inside his heart. "...I know that writing!" he whispered almost instinctively. Hei Long lowered his gaze to the paper for only a brief moment before quietly saying, "...It's Ling Yuan's handwriting." Qing Li hurried another step closer, unable to hide the shock on his face. His fingers trembled slightly as he stared at the familiar strokes. "It really is..." he whispered. "I'd recognize his handwriting anywhere." Even Wang Xio's calm expression slowly changed. His fingers tightened ever so slightly around the old letter as his eyes settled upon the very first line.
Qing Li looked at him anxiously, his voice barely above a whisper. "What... what does it say?" Hei Long remained silent, but his gaze never left Wang Xio's face, patiently waiting for him to speak. For several long seconds, Wang Xio said nothing. His throat suddenly felt dry as he silently stared at the neat handwriting before him. Every stroke was calm, and familiar, making it feel as though Ling Yuan himself were standing quietly beside them once again.He took a slow breath, and finally opened his mouth and softly read the first words written on the page. "If you're reading this..." His voice suddenly stopped.The candle flames flickered gently. No one dared speak. No one even breathed too loudly. After another long pause, Wang Xio slowly continued, his voice quieter than before. "then I failed."
Qing Li stared blankly at the old letter in Wang Xio's hands. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.After a long moment, he finally whispered,"Failed?" His voice trembled. "Failed... at what?" Hei Long lowered his gaze quietly."Ling Yuan wasn't someone who gave up easily!" he said softly. "If he wrote those words..." He paused, his fingers unconsciously curling at his sides. "...then whatever he was trying to stop must have been far beyond his own strength."
Wang Xio remained silent. His eyes stayed fixed on the faded handwriting as he carefully unfolded the next part of the letter. He took a slow breath before continuing to read aloud. "If you're reading this... then I failed. That means the village is gone. Our promise has been broken. And Heaven has already begun rewriting the truth." Qing Li's eyes widened in disbelief. "...Rewriting the truth?" he repeated weakly. "What does that even mean?" Hei Long slowly looked toward the letter, his brows knitting together. "So it wasn't only our memories..." he murmured. "...they changed everything." Wang Xio gave a faint nod without lifting his eyes from the page. "That's what it sounds like." The candle flames suddenly flickered, casting long shadows across the ancient chamber.
Qing Li clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. He shook his head over and over. "No... that's impossible." His breathing became uneven. "How can someone rewrite the truth itself?" Wang Xio remained quiet for a moment before continuing. His voice had become noticeably softer. "If you still remember my name... then please don't blame yourselves. None of this was ever your fault." Qing Li lowered his head. His eyes slowly reddened as tears began gathering at the corners. "Ling Yuan..." he whispered hoarsely. "Even now..." His voice broke. "...you're still thinking about us." Hei Long quietly closed his eyes."He knew..." he murmured. "He knew we would blame ourselves."
Wang Xio nodded slightly. "He understood us better than anyone." He lowered his eyes once more and continued reading. "I chose this path myself. No one forced me. If sacrificing one person could protect everyone... I believed it was worth trying." Qing Li's breathing immediately faltered. He took an unsteady step backward before whispering through trembling lips, "No..." He shook his head desperately. "You shouldn't have carried all of that alone." Hei Long silently looked at the old letter.He realized how long Ling Yuan had been fighting by himself while hiding behind the same gentle smile every single day.
Wang Xio carefully lowered the letter slightly before looking at the remaining folded pages. His expression gradually became more serious. "This isn't the end!" he said quietly. Qing Li looked up at him. "What do you mean?" Wang Xio touched the remaining pages with his fingertips. "There are still several pages left." He slowly raised his eyes toward Qing Li and Hei Long. "And somehow..." He paused briefly, his voice becoming even quieter. "...I don't think the hardest truth is written on the first page."
Wang Xio lowered his eyes, took a slow breath, and turned the page. The old paper made a faint rustling sound that echoed unnaturally loudly inside the chamber.His expression gradually became heavier as his eyes moved across the next lines. Qing Li noticed the change.His heart tightened. "What does it say?" he asked quietly. Wang Xio remained silent for several moments before reading aloud. "If you have reached this page... then Heaven has already begun searching for all of you."
Qing Li's eyes widened. Hei Long's expression stiffened. Wang Xio continued, his voice calm but noticeably lower than before. "Not because of what you did... but because of who you are." The three children looked at one another in confusion. Qing Li frowned deeply. "Who we are?" Wang Xio slowly nodded as he continued reading. "You may believe you are ordinary children. You may even believe our days together were nothing more than peaceful memories. But that was never the truth."
Qing Li unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself. He didn't know why, but an uneasy feeling continued growing inside his chest. Wang Xio lowered his voice even further. "From the day each of you was born... Heaven was already watching." Qing Li's breathing stopped for a moment. "Watching us?" he whispered. Hei Long quietly lowered his gaze. "So that's why..." he murmured. "The Heavenly officials kept returning to the village." Wang Xio gave a small nod and continued reading. "They weren't protecting the village. They were observing it.
Qing Li slowly shook his head. "No..." His voice trembled. "Why would Heaven watch children?" Wang Xio remained silent until he finished the next sentence. As soon as he read it, even his expression changed. "Because one among you carries a fate that Heaven itself fears."Qing Li stared blankly at the letter. Hei Long unconsciously took half a step backward. Even Wang Xio stopped reading for several seconds. None of them spoke.Finally, Qing Li swallowed hard and looked at Wang Xio "Who?" he asked almost inaudibly. "...Who is Heaven afraid of?" Wang Xio slowly lowered his eyes toward the next line of the letter. His fingers tightened slightly around the fragile paper before he quietly said, "The next page... contains the name."
Meanwhile in present Xu Yang's fingers tightened instinctively around the broken silver chain link.His breathing became uneven as the unfamiliar voice continued echoing inside his mind."I finally found you."The words lingered for only a moment before everything fell silent again.Xu Yang stood frozen,his eyes fixed on the small piece of silver resting in his palm.His heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears....Who was that?...Was it the masked figure?No...His brows slowly drew together.It wasn't the same voice.
"Xu Yang?"Chen Yu's voice pulled him back. Xu Yang blinked once,and the mountain slowly came back into focus.Then he focus went to shrine in the distance and everyone standing around him.Chen Yu frowned as he studied Xu Yang's pale expression."What's wrong?"Xu Yang lowered his eyes to the broken chain link again."I heard something."Yan Luo's expression sharpened immediately."What did you hear?"Xu Yang hesitated for a moment before answering quietly."A voice."Lin Chen looked between them in confusion."Another voice?"Xu Yang gave a slow nod."It said..."His fingers unconsciously tightened around the chain." 'I finally found you.' "
Chen Yu's expression stiffened.Hei Long slowly narrowed his eyes.Zhao Ming's gaze fell directly on the broken silver chain link in Xu Yang's hand,his expression becoming unusually serious."Did anyone else hear it?"Xu Yang asked,looking at each of them one after another.They all slowly shook their heads."No,"Chen Yu answered quietly."I didn't hear anything,"Lin Chen admitted with a puzzled frown.Hei Long folded his arms."Neither did I."Yan Luo's eyes never left the chain."Only you heard it."
Xu Yang looked down at the silver link again.It rested in his palm,cold and motionless,as though nothing had happened.But he knew better, whatever had spoken to him...was connected to this chain.After few minutes Lin chen looked from xu yang to the broken chain and asked softly,"But...who was that?"Xu Yang didn't answer immediately.Instead,he slowly walked to the place where the chain had first landed and looked at the ground before glancing back at the silver link in his hand."I've seen these chains before!"he said at last.
Chen Yu looked at him in surprise."When?" he asked."Where did you see them?"Xu Yang remained silent for a brief moment as fragments of memory surfaced again.Where they were at shrine then endless threads wrapped around them. The feeling of being trapped with no escape.He slowly raised his head."When we were trapped inside the shrine!"he answered quietly."When the threads surrounded us..."His gaze drifted toward the distant shrine hidden among the trees."Silver chains suddenly appeared."His voice softened."They saved us."He paused before quietly adding,"I think...he was the one who helped."
Chen Yu frowned deeply as he absorbed those words."So...he's been protecting us all this time?"Xu Yang lowered his eyes and gave a slow,uncertain nod."...Maybe." Inside in mind another thought quietly surfaced....Or maybe...he wasn't protecting everyone. Maybe...he was protecting me.Xu Yang said nothing.Lin chen looked even more confused than before."But why?" he asked."Do you know him?"Xu Yang slowly lifted his head.His eyes settled on the distant shrine as the morning breeze gently stirred his hair.
After a long silence, he quietly answered, "No."His fingers gently closed around the broken chain link."I don't know who he is."He paused,his expression becoming more complicated as he continued looking toward the shrine."But he seems to know me."Lin Chen rubbed the back of his neck,still trying to make sense of everything."That doesn't make any sense!" he muttered with frown. "Someone risks fighting the Heavenly Court for you,saves us more than once,knows your name,and even says you've met before...but you don't remember him?"Xu Yang lowered his gaze to the broken silver chain link resting in his palm.His fingers tightened slightly. "I don't."
Chen Yu studied him for a long moment before quietly asking,"When he looked at you...did it feel like he was lying?"Xu Yang didn't answer.Instead,he replayed the encounter in his mind.The masked figure had never once hesitated.He didn't hesitated when warning him and not even when the sealing formation had closed around him.
After several silent seconds,Xu Yang slowly shook his head."No!" he admitted quietly."He looked at me like..."His voice trailed off as he searched for the right words.Lin Chen frowned and looked at him carefully."Like what?"Xu Yang lowered his eyes again,his brows drawing together."Like he was relieved."
Hei Long narrowed his eyes slightly. "Relieved?"Xu Yang gave a faint nod."As if...he had been searching for something for a very long time."Chen Yu's thoughtful expression deepened as he quietly added, "Or someone."Xu Yang didn't deny it. Zhao Ming glanced toward the empty mountain path where the masked figure had vanished, his expression unreadable."He told the Heavenly cultivators they were too late." he murmured thoughtfully."That means whatever he came here to accomplish...he already succeeded."Yan Luo folded his arms across his chest and frowned."Then what exactly was his goal?"No one answered.
Xu Yang slowly opened his hand again and looked at the broken silver chain link resting quietly in his palm.The dull silver surface reflected a thin ray of sunlight.Then...a strange warmth suddenly spread through his fingers.Xu Yang's pupils contracted."It's warm."Chen Yu stepped closer and looked down."Warm?"Xu Yang slowly nodded without taking his eyes off the chain."It wasn't before."
Before anyone could react,the broken chain link released a silver glow.It wasn't bright, but it was unmistakable.Lin Chen instinctively stepped back in surprise."It...it just glowed."Hei Long's gaze sharpened."I saw it too."The silver light flickered once...then again.Thin silver lines slowly spread across the surface of the broken link,connecting one after another until they formed an unfamiliar symbol.None of them had ever seen it before,but the moment it appeared,the surrounding air suddenly became strangely heavy.
Zhao Ming's expression changed.His calm face stiffened ever so slightly as his eyes locked onto the glowing mark."That symbol..."Yan Luo immediately noticed the change and turned toward him."You've seen it?"Zhao Ming remained silent for several long seconds before slowly shaking his head."No."His voice was unusually low."But Heaven has forbidden anyone from ever drawing it."Lin chen stared at him in disbelief. "How can Heaven forbid a symbol nobody is allowed to know?"Zhao Ming didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on the glowing mark as though an old warning had just resurfaced in his memory.
Zhao Ming and the chain before speaking in a careful voice."Then this symbol...must be connected to something Heaven desperately wanted erased."Xu yang's grip tightened around the broken silver chain link.His heartbeat gradually quickened as he continued staring at the unfamiliar mark.Xu Yang continued staring at the glowing symbol,his breathing gradually slowing as an indescribable sense of familiarity settled deep inside him.He instinctively raised a hand to his temple and closed his eyes for a brief moment." I've seen this before!" he murmured almost unconsciously.
The words immediately drew everyone's attention.Yan Luo turned toward him,his expression sharpening."What did you just say?"Xu Yang frowned deeply as he tried to grasp the fleeting memory slipping through his mind."I...I don't know where!" he admitted quietly."But this symbol...it doesn't feel unfamiliar."
Before anyone could ask another question, the glowing symbol suddenly pulsed.A soft silver ripple spread across the surface of the broken chain before the symbol slowly lifted away from it.Everyone instinctively held their breath as the glowing mark floated silently into the air."It's moving..." Lin Chen whispered,his eyes widening in disbelief. They simply watched as the silver symbol hovered for a few moments before slowly turning toward the mountain path leading to the shrine.Then it drifted forward a short distance before stopping again.Hei Long's eyes narrowed."It's pointing somewhere."
Zhao Ming slowly shook his head,his expression unusually grave."No."Everyone looked toward him."It's not pointing!" he said quietly,his gaze never leaving the floating symbol."It's leading someone."Xu Yang unconsciously took a single step forward.The silver symbol immediately floated farther along the path.The symbol moved again, keeping the same distance between them.As though it wanted him to follow.His chest tightened and strange feeling slowly spread through him,one he couldn't explain.
Yan Luo noticed Xu Yang beginning to move again and immediately reached out,grabbing his shoulder before he could take another step."Don't!" he said firmly.Xu Yang stopped, but his eyes remained fixed on the floating silver light."It's calling me!" he whispered. Then,from somewhere deep within the direction of the shrine,a single bell rang. *Dong...*The low sound echoed across the mountains,lingering far longer than it should have.The silver symbol trembled violently before shining brighter than ever.For the briefest instant,Xu Yang's pupils contracted. Beyond the floating symbol,far in the distance near the shrine,he saw the faint silhouette of someone standing motionless. A figure wrapped in broken silver chains.The figure slowly lifted a hand toward him.
Xu Yang's breathing caught in his throat as his eyes remained locked on the distant figure standing near the shrine.The silver chains wrapped around the figure's arms swayed gently without any wind,catching the pale morning light like flowing water.Then,the figure slowly raised his head.Xu Yang's pupils suddenly shrank."Ling Yuan...?" The name escaped his lips before he even realized he had spoken it.
Everyone around him froze. Yan Luo's grip on Xu Yang's shoulder tightened as he turned sharply toward him."What did you just say?"Xu Yang didn't answer.His heartbeat pounded violently against his chest as forgotten emotions surged through him.He couldn't explain why he knew that name.He simply...did.The distant figure didn't move closer.He simply stood there in complete silence,watching.Even from that impossible distance,Xu Yang could somehow feel those familiar eyes resting gently on him.He felt pain suddenly through his head,and broken images flashed across his mind one after another.A young man laughing beneath a sky filled with drifting white petals and warm hand reaching toward him.
Then quiet voice carrying both warmth and sadness."Don't forget me."Xu Yang's body trembled as another sharp pain pierced his head."Tch...!"He staggered back,pressing one hand tightly against his forehead while struggling to remain standing."Xu Yang!" Chen Yu rushed forward and caught his arm before he could fall.His expression was filled with concern."What's wrong?"Xu Yang clenched his teeth,his breathing uneven as he fought through the flood of memories."My head..." he whispered painfully."I...I remember..."
Lin Chen quickly stepped closer,his brows tightly knitted together". "What do you remember?"Xu Yang slowly lifted his head again.His gaze found the distant figure once more,and his voice came out little more than a whisper."His name."The forest became deathly silent.Yan Luo's serious expression shifted ever so slightly."You know him?"Xu Yang gave a faint nod without taking his eyes off the figure."Ling Yuan."The moment those words left his mouth,the distant figure slowly closed his eyes and faint smile appeared beneath the loose strands of his hair.It wasn't the smile of someone celebrating.It was quiet,gentle,and carried the relief of someone who had spent countless years waiting for this single moment.Then,his eyes slowly opened again,and although he stood impossibly far away,his soft voice echoed clearly through the silent mountain."You remembered."Everyone heard it.The words were gentle,yet they settled heavily inside every heart.
The silver symbol floating before Xu Yang suddenly trembled before shattering into countless tiny motes of silver light.They drifted quietly through the air like glowing dust,all moving toward the shrine.At the same time,Ling Yuan's figure gradually began to fade,his outline becoming increasingly transparent."Wait!"Xu Yang called out instinctively as he took an urgent step forward."Don't disappear again!"Ling Yuan looked at him one last time.His eyes were calm,and that same gentle smile remained on his face."Come to the shrine!" he said softly."The answers you seek...and the truth they buried...are waiting there."
As his said words,his body dissolved into countless white petals that scattered silently into the mountain breeze.They floated through the air for only a moment before vanishing completely,never touching the ground.Xu Yang stood motionless,his heart still racing as he stared at the empty place where Ling Yuan had stood just moments before.