Chapter 44: The Jiuhua Sect Leader’s Senior Brother
The man wore tattered grey clothes, his face grimy, his sunken eyes devoid of light. His aged face, framed by messy white hair and a long beard, spoke of his advanced years.
The old man tilted his head, staring intently at Long Qinghan. After a long moment, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he pointed a bony finger. “You…”
“Ah, old timer.” Feng Xuanyang stepped forward, blocking the old man’s view of Long Qinghan.
Bending down, he tapped his chin. “Old timer, what are you doing here so late? Playing ghost to scare people?”
The old man’s eyes shifted to Feng Xuanyang, studying him for a while before pointing. “You…”
“Me…” Feng Xuanyang tilted his head, looking back.
“You…” The old man’s eyes suddenly brightened, a wide smile spreading across his face. “Aren’t you Wangcai from next door?”
Long Qinghan couldn’t help but laugh, his earlier fear dissipating. Feng Xuanyang, however, felt both annoyed and amused, his face turning slightly green. But seeing Long Qinghan smile made even being called “Wangcai” (Lucky Dog) worthwhile.
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Wldt Dwyduydt tayccle vbl sze xyd’p clyae, bkp hsknl pbyar. “Xze vkxla, byhl usw qsatsvvld obs R yx?!”
“Gb…” Mbl sze xyd pnayvnble bkp blye, pvyakdt yv Wldt Dwyduydt clqsal lmnzykxkdt, “Zsw’al Qsweyd!” (Pst Ott)
“…” Wldt Dwyduydt’p qynl eyajldle nsdpkelayczu.
Fllkdt Wldt Dwyduydt’p qawpvayvle lmralppksd, Nsdt Ckdtbyd’p zkrp nwahle kdvs ydsvbla pxkzl, y nbwnjzl lpnyrkdt bkx.
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Wldt Dwyduydt srldle bkp xswvb, ycswv vs pwrrzu vbl ydpola. “Wldt…”
Mbl sze xyd clyv bkx vs kv. “Zsw’al Wldteyd!” (Vbsldkm Ott)
“…”
“Hahahaha!” Long Qinghan burst into laughter, unable to maintain his composure. “Fengdan, Fengdan, hahahaha!”
Feng Xuanyang’s face shifted between shades of green and black. He turned to glare at Long Qinghan, his voice menacing. “Qinghan, if you laugh again, I’ll make you regret it!”
But Long Qinghan, caught in a fit of mirth, continued laughing, ignoring the threat.
Feng Xuanyang huffed, turning back to the old man and tugging his beard roughly. “Old fool, my name is Feng Xuanyang! Remember it!”
“Feng Xuanyang?” The old man’s eyes widened, then he shook his head. “Ugly, ugly. Fengdan is better, Fengdan is better.”
“…”
Long Qinghan doubled over with laughter, his cheerful sounds warming the cold night.
Smoke practically rose from Feng Xuanyang’s head. He yelled in the old man’s ear, “My name is Feng Xuanyang!”
“Feng… Feng Xuanyang?” The old man paused, muttering to himself. “Feng Xuanyang, Xuanyang… Feng Xuanyang!” Suddenly, he jumped up, pointing at Feng Xuanyang, his voice sharp. “It’s you! It’s you!”
Startled by the sudden change, Feng Xuanyang asked cautiously, “What is it?”
The old man’s eyes widened, fixated on the red lotus mark on Feng Xuanyang’s forehead, his voice trembling. “You… it’s you… You’ve come. Yes, today is the fifteenth of June, your death anniversary. You’ve come… Good, good! Come, it’s been so long. Come in and drink with me…” He grabbed Feng Xuanyang’s sleeve, pulling him inside.
Feng Xuanyang, bewildered, exchanged a glance with Long Qinghan before following the old man.
Long Qinghan frowned. So today was the fifteenth of June. Three months had passed since their reunion. But why did the date feel so familiar? Had something happened on this day?
The fifteenth of June. The old man had mentioned a death anniversary. Could it be…
Long Qinghan’s eyes widened. Considering the old man’s possible identity and his connection to Feng Xuanyang, could the fifteenth of June be the anniversary of Moyue Duan Shuqing’s death?
But his father hadn’t told him the date of Duan Shuqing’s death. He shouldn’t feel so familiar with it.
“Qinghan, come on, what are you waiting for?” Feng Xuanyang called, waving him over.
Long Qinghan, unable to recall anything after pondering for a moment, shook his head and followed.
The old man pulled Feng Xuanyang through a series of winding paths, now littered with debris and mud, clearly long neglected. The once bustling Jiuhua Sect was now deserted, the formerly vibrant gardens overgrown with weeds.
Even without having seen Jiuhua Sect in its prime, Long Qinghan could sense its former grandeur from its layout. But all that remained was silence. The place seemed uninhabited. Could it be that only the old man lived here? Such a renowned sect, reduced to a single person in twenty years. How tragic.
Long Qinghan approached Feng Xuanyang, whispering, “Who is he?”
Feng Xuanyang glanced at the enthusiastic old man. “The former Jiuhua Sect leader’s senior brother, Lao Qiyang.”
“Lao Qiyang?” Long Qinghan frowned, trying to recall the name, but to no avail.
Feng Xuanyang chuckled, tapping his head lightly. “Lao Qiyang, in his youth, was a renowned hero. Though not as famous as his junior brother, Duan Fajiu, the sect leader, he was still a prominent figure, with hundreds of disciples, each a respected hero in their own right. But then, his disciples either left or died, and Jiuhua Sect gradually declined, until only he remained. And now, you see his state. His mind is… not what it used to be.” Feng Xuanyang’s playful expression vanished, replaced by a look of sadness. “Perhaps out of pity for Jiuhua Sect, no one has claimed this place. So it remains, but no one comes here anymore.”
Long Qinghan felt a pang of sadness. He’d never seen Feng Xuanyang so melancholic, his usual carefree demeanor gone, replaced by a sense of loneliness. “How do you know all this?”
“Tsk, I’ve lived two lifetimes…” Feng Xuanyang stopped abruptly, seemingly realizing he’d misspoken. He quickly changed the subject. “Heehee, Qinghan, I’m omniscient. Especially…” He winked. “…about how many moles you have.”
Long Qinghan slapped away the approaching face. He assumed Feng Xuanyang’s earlier comment referred to his being Moyue’s reincarnation, so he didn’t dwell on it.
“So, why have you brought me here in the middle of the night?”
An unreadable glint flickered in Feng Xuanyang’s eyes. “To show you Jiuhua Sect. Haven’t you always wanted to see it?”
Long Qinghan didn’t question how Feng Xuanyang knew his thoughts. He knew he’d just get a nonsensical answer. “Did we have to come at night? Couldn’t we have come during the day?”
“Daytime? Qinghan, don’t you think nighttime is more atmospheric? For example, it’s much better for scaring you half to death.” He pinched Long Qinghan’s buttocks, grinning mischievously.
“…” Long Qinghan decided to give up on questioning Feng Xuanyang.
Throughout their journey, Lao Qiyang remained enthusiastic, seemingly oblivious to their conversation. He pulled Feng Xuanyang along, leading them to a dilapidated courtyard. After looking around to ensure they were alone, he led them inside.
Long Qinghan exchanged a puzzled glance with Feng Xuanyang before following.
Inside the house, Lao Qiyang looked around furtively, then suddenly pointed at Long Qinghan. “You! Don’t peek!”
Long Qinghan froze, startled. Feng Xuanyang, equally surprised, gave Long Qinghan a subtle look before turning Lao Qiyang around. “Old man, what are you doing? I’ve been to your room many times. Do you have something new to show me?”
Taking advantage of the distraction, Long Qinghan leaped onto a roof beam, observing from above.
Lao Qiyang, seeing Long Qinghan gone, went to the wall, glancing around nervously. He leaned close to Feng Xuanyang, whispering, “Keep your voice down. This is a big secret, a secret only for you. I’ve waited twenty years to reveal it.”
Long Qinghan, with his superior martial arts skills, could hear clearly. He held his breath, watching intently. What secret could require twenty years to reveal?
Feng Xuanyang’s eyes darkened. He glanced at Long Qinghan, feigning nonchalance. “What secret is so mysterious that it needs twenty years to be revealed?”
Lao Qiyang giggled, his hands fumbling along the wall. After a moment, he found a hidden mechanism, a small switch camouflaged against the wall.
He looked around again before pressing the switch.
A short, metallic clank echoed through the room. Both Feng Xuanyang and Long Qinghan looked towards the sound. A section of the floor on the right side of the room opened, revealing a dark hole.
Unable to see clearly from above, Long Qinghan received a reassuring nod from Feng Xuanyang, who went to the hole and peered inside. He saw a small box.
“What is this?” Feng Xuanyang pointed at the box, hesitant to touch it, unsure of its contents.
He was glad he hadn’t touched it when Lao Qiyang carefully lifted the box out, his hands wrapped in cloth.
The floor closed automatically as the box was removed. Lao Qiyang stared at the box, placing it on the table, muttering to himself. “Shuqing, Shuqing, after twenty years, I’m finally revealing it. If you’re aware of the afterlife, don’t come back to haunt this old man.” He bowed three times towards the box before beckoning Feng Xuanyang closer. “Come and see. This can only be shown to you.”
Feng Xuanyang glanced at Long Qinghan, receiving a nod of approval before approaching.
Lao Qiyang slowly opened the box—
Thank You for the new chapter (⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡