After the great deluge illusionary realm dissipated, the crystalline path returned to its inherent tranquility. Yet the lingering echoes of the previous trial remained. All five individuals felt a profound exhaustion within their souls. It was not a physical fatigue, but rather a severe depletion of willpower after contending with the berserk forces of nature.
They did not rush to proceed. The group sat down right upon the path to meditate and regulate their breathing.
"Who would have thought," Ly Tin, the silver-armored general, wiped cold sweat from his forehead, his voice still trembling slightly. "For an illusionary realm to be so realistic and terrifying. If not for Young Hero Tran's stratagem, I fear we would have truly been submerged by that wrath."
"That was not merely an illusionary realm," Uncle Kiem spoke, his profound eyes gazing toward the distant dragon mountain. "That was a fragment of history, a terror deeply branded into the bloodline of the ancient Lac Viet people when facing those horrifying floods. The Dragon Guardian is using history itself to test us."
Tran Kien remained silent. He was recalling the sensation when their five wills merged into one, when the golden halo of his Solar Essence Guardian enveloped the entire mountain. He faintly sensed that the Lac Viet Cosmic Array was not merely a battle formation, but a medium to connect and gather the power of willpower. He had gained yet another layer of enlightenment.
After resting for about half a shichen, once their divine sense had stabilized, they resumed their journey. This time, the atmosphere had subtly changed. Gone were the doubts and worries, replaced by a silent trust and unity. They had survived a life-and-death trial together; that bond was far firmer than any spoken words.
They walked a bit further, and the crystalline path began to slope upwards, seemingly drawing closer to the foot of the dragon mountain. But then, the surrounding scenery transformed once again.
This time, there were no massive waves or fierce winds. The crystalline path vanished, replaced by a spacious courtyard paved with ancient Bat Trang bricks. The illusory purple sky was substituted by the curved eaves of a traditional three-compartment, two-wing house, a sight familiar to the ancient villages of Dai Viet. In the front yard stood a tall, straight areca tree, next to a lush green betel vine trellis. A few hens were leisurely pecking at grains. The scene was incredibly peaceful and rustic.
But it was precisely this peace that made the group even more vigilant.
"This is..." Lam Vy said in surprise. This scene was far too ordinary, not resembling a trial in the slightest.
"Careful," Uncle Kiem whispered, his hand resting on his sword hilt. "The more peaceful a place appears, the more terrifying the hidden dangers."
From within the main house, a woman wearing a traditional brown four-part dress and a crow's-beak kerchief stepped out, carrying a woven basket of unhusked rice, and began scattering it for the chickens. She had a benevolent face, but her eyes held a trace of sorrow.
Upon seeing Tran Kien's group, she showed no surprise, only giving a slight nod in greeting.
"Strange guests from afar, you must be tired, yes?" she said, her voice gentle. "Though my home is poor, we still have some meager food and drink. If you do not mind, please come inside to rest your feet."
The five exchanged glances; none dared to act rashly.
Tran Kien stepped forward, clasping his hands together: "Many thanks for your kindness, Madam. We are merely passersby, we dare not impose."
He was attempting to probe the situation. He knew everything here was an illusion; every character and every word could be part of the trial. He recalled the Dragon Guardian's words: "uncover the truth behind the unjust suffering of Lady Tam." Could the woman before him be...
"It is no imposition," the woman smiled, though the smile was somewhat forced. "It is just... there is an unhappy matter in the family, I wonder if I could ask you to help judge a dispute?"
She pointed toward an old stone well in the corner of the yard. "I have two daughters. The elder is named Cam, the younger is named Tam. Just now, I sent them to catch shrimp, promising that whoever caught more would be rewarded with a red yếm. In the end, Tam was lazy and only caught one full basket, while my Cam was diligent and caught two. I rewarded Cam with the red yếm. But Tam refuses to accept this; she cries and claims that Cam tricked her and poured all her shrimp into her own basket. Tell me, isn't she falsely accusing her older sister?"
A familiar tale. Yet the plot details had been completely inverted.
Hearing this, Ly Tin, possessing a straightforward and upright nature, immediately spoke: "Is there even a need to ask? Children squabbling is common. Whoever works more gets rewarded, that is only fair. That girl Tam is clearly just jealous of her older sister."
"Incorrect!" Lam Vy immediately retorted. "The story I heard wasn't like that! It was clearly Cam who tricked Tam!"
"Young Lady," Trinh Cong hurriedly intervened. "This is an illusionary realm, we should not argue. Perhaps we only need to render a verdict to pass."
But Tran Kien remained silent. He didn't look at the woman, nor at the two arguing. He looked at the basket of grain in the woman's hands. He saw that within that basket, there was a mix of broken rice (tấm), husked rice (gạo), and unhusked paddy (thóc).
Paddy, husked rice, broken rice... A flash of insight sparked in his mind.
He then looked at the flock of chickens pecking at the grain. There were hens leisurely pecking at the golden paddy. But there was also a small, handsome rooster that wasn't eating at all. It merely paced around the woman's feet, occasionally raising its head to cluck "cúc... cúc..." as if trying to say something.
A rooster... He remembered another detail from the fairy tale. The rooster had exposed the crimes of Cam and her mother with a song: "Cluck cluck cluck, give Tam golden and silver rice to eat, our house has none..."
This was not a trial of judging right and wrong. This was a trial of observation and uncovering the concealed "truth".
"Madam," Tran Kien suddenly spoke, his voice calm. "Regarding who is right or wrong, we are outsiders and dare not judge. But I have a method that can help you find the truth."
"Oh? What method, little boy?" the woman, who was actually the "wicked stepmother" of the illusionary realm, asked, a strange light glinting in her eyes.
Tran Kien did not reply. He stepped forward and poured the basket of grain from the woman's hands onto the yard. Paddy, husked rice, and broken rice mixed together.
"Call your two daughters out here," Tran Kien said. "And demand that they separate the paddy from the paddy, the rice from the rice. Whoever finishes first is telling the truth. Whoever finishes last is lying."
The woman froze. Ly Tin and Trinh Cong were also surprised. Wasn't this the plot of Tam sorting the rice and paddy from the story?
"Why must we do that?" Ly Tin didn't understand.
"Because this is not a trial of mortal strength," Tran Kien explained. "This is a trial of the 'heart'. One with a deceitful heart, no matter how hard they try, cannot receive the aid of all living things. Conversely, one with a kind heart, even when facing hardship, will have sparrows, will have heaven and earth to assist them. The truth sometimes does not lie in words, but in actions and the choices of Heaven and Earth."
Hearing Tran Kien's words, the woman said nothing. She merely looked at him for a long time. Then, the surrounding illusionary realm began to dissipate. The three-compartment house, the brick yard, the betel trellis... all faded away like a water-soaked painting.
They found themselves standing upon the crystalline path once more.
They had passed the second trial.
From the sky above, the voice of the Dragon Guardian echoed again, this time carrying a distinct tone of praise.
"Well done, descendants of Lac Viet. Not only do you possess an indomitable will, but you also have a heart that can discern truth from falsehood, good from evil. But do not celebrate just yet. The next trial will be a test of love and sacrifice. Prepare your minds."
The crystalline path ahead began to transform once more. This time, it did not turn into an ocean or a village. It transformed into a dense forest, and amidst the forest were three simple thatched huts. A sensation of profound tragedy and sorrow emanated from within.