Chapter 45: The Truth of the Red Lotus Mark
Both Feng Xuanyang and Long Qinghan stared intently at the box, afraid to blink and miss something.
As the box slowly opened, their breath hitched, their gazes burning into the old man’s hands.
Just as the contents were about to be revealed, Lao Qiyang snapped the box shut.
“…”
Feng Xuanyang frowned. “Old man, what are you doing?”
Lao Qiyang stared at the box, lost in thought, silent. He glanced up at Feng Xuanyang. Moonlight streamed into the room, illuminating him, the red lotus mark on his forehead starkly visible.
Lao Qiyang’s eyes widened, his finger trembling as he pointed at Feng Xuanyang. “You! It’s you! You’ve come back! You’ve come back to settle the score! Ah—”
He screamed, clutching his head and running out, his speed astonishing. He vanished in the blink of an eye. Even Feng Xuanyang, with his exceptional martial arts, was stunned, unable to react in time. By the time he moved to pursue, Lao Qiyang was gone.
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Feng Xuanyang shook his head, touching his forehead. “That thing is strange. It seems to draw in one’s soul. If I wasn’t strong-willed, I might have…”
Long Qinghan frowned, glancing at his left arm. The red lotus mark had felt burning hot, but now it was calm again.
He looked back at the object, puzzled. “What is it? Why is it so mysterious? And what does it have to do with Moyue… with you?”
A flicker of something crossed Feng Xuanyang’s eyes. He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s the first time I’ve seen something so strange. I don’t know what it is about it, but it can captivate the mind. That old man has been acting crazy ever since I arrived, sometimes calling me by my old name, sometimes showing me childhood toys, but he never mentioned any secret. I don’t know why he was so serious today.”
Long Qinghan’s eyes narrowed. Feng Xuanyang’s words implied that Lao Qiyang also knew about his being Moyue’s reincarnation. He had avoided asking about Feng Xuanyang’s past life, subconsciously avoiding the possibility, but hearing it from Feng Xuanyang now left him with mixed feelings. He decided to voice the question that had been troubling him. “Xuanyang, you and Moyue…”
“Moyue?” A cold voice suddenly interrupted from behind, startling them both. Two skilled martial artists, yet neither had heard the approaching footsteps. How strange.
They turned around, both stunned.
It was Lao Qiyang, yet not quite. His eyes were now sharp, filled with authority. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, an air of command surrounding him. Despite his disheveled appearance, his presence was imposing.
Both Feng Xuanyang and Long Qinghan were taken aback. This Lao Qiyang was completely different from the rambling old man they’d met earlier. This was the demeanor of the famed senior brother, the respected martial artist.
He approached them, his steps steady and powerful, each one echoing in their hearts, yet making no sound, a testament to his mastery of lightness skill.
He studied them intently, his gaze finally settling on Feng Xuanyang, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
Feng Xuanyang suddenly smiled, his wicked grin accentuating the red lotus mark on his forehead. “Old man, long time no see.”
Lao Qiyang’s eyes reflected the red lotus mark. He nodded slowly. “You’ve come.”
“Yes, I’ve come.”
“It’s been a long time.”
“Indeed, a long time.”
“It’s good that you’ve come. It’s… good. After so many years, it’s time.”
Feng Xuanyang didn’t reply, a subtle smile playing on his lips. He discreetly took Long Qinghan’s hand, the slight coolness of his skin causing a pang of concern. He tightened his grip.
Long Qinghan frowned, puzzled by their cryptic exchange. He couldn’t understand the meaning behind their words, but it was a matter between them, senior and junior, so he didn’t pry.
“Today is the fifteenth of June,” Lao Qiyang said softly, turning to look outside, his thoughts seemingly drifting afar.
“Yes, today is the fifteenth of June,” Feng Xuanyang replied.
Lao Qiyang sighed, his voice filled with sorrow. “The moon is full tonight, but someone is missing. It’s been more than ten years, more than ten years since we parted.”
A strange glint flickered in Feng Xuanyang’s eyes. He moved his lips, as if realizing something. “Old man, the past is gone. If you have regrets, reveal the secret. Consider it closure for the departed.”
Lao Qiyang paused, sighed, and turned back. Feng Xuanyang and Long Qinghan approached. The moonlight fell upon Long Qinghan’s face. Lao Qiyang’s eyes lit up momentarily, then dimmed again. “Who is this?”
“My wife,” Feng Xuanyang replied, his voice firm, his grip tightening on Long Qinghan’s hand.
A faint smile touched Lao Qiyang’s lips. He nodded. “Good, you have a wife. Very good, very good. This puts my mind at ease. You must cherish him.”
“Naturally,” Feng Xuanyang replied, his smile deepening, his grip tightening further.
Long Qinghan looked between them, confused. Why couldn’t he understand their conversation?
Lao Qiyang looked at Long Qinghan intently, a gentle smile on his lips, before going to the box and opening it. “I presume you saw what this is earlier?”
Feng Xuanyang and Long Qinghan approached, nodding. “But I don’t know what it is.”
Lao Qiyang’s smile faded. He sighed, looking ahead, his voice tinged with regret. “This is a type of gu from the Miaojiang ‘Gu Dong,’ called ‘Red Lotus.'”
The name sent a jolt through them both, a sense of impending revelation.
Lao Qiyang carefully lifted the “Red Lotus” from the box, showing it to them before bringing it closer to Feng Xuanyang. “Do you know how the red lotus mark came to be?”
Feng Xuanyang’s eyes narrowed, as if understanding. “Could it be… this gu?”
“What?!” Long Qinghan exclaimed. “Wasn’t the red lotus mark tattooed on Moyue when he was a child by someone from your sect?!” His usual composure wavered when it came to matters concerning Feng Xuanyang.
Feng Xuanyang squeezed his hand, stroking his back reassuringly.
Lao Qiyang sighed, shaking his head. “That’s what we told everyone. But in truth… it was a gu we planted to control him.” His voice was filled with remorse.
“What did you say?!” Feng Xuanyang grabbed Lao Qiyang, shaking him. “Tell me everything!”
Lao Qiyang’s eyes flickered, his head bowed in shame as he began to recount the events of the past. “Many years ago, on a rainy night, I returned to the sect and found a baby abandoned at the gate. There was nothing to identify him, so I assumed he was unwanted. I took him in out of pity. That baby was Shuqing. My fellow senior brothers and I cherished him, raising him with all our efforts. When he turned five, we began his martial arts training. He was exceptionally talented and quickly became a sought-after disciple. He eventually chose my junior brother as his master. We placed great hopes on him, hoping he would bring glory to Jiuhua Sect. Who knew…”
Lao Qiyang’s eyes glistened with tears, his voice filled with sorrow. “Who knew that one day, a wandering Daoist priest arrived at our gate, claiming our sect harbored an evil presence, and that within twenty years, this person would bring about the sect’s downfall, causing ruin and countless deaths. The disciples guarding the gate, disbelieving, tried to drive him away. But the Daoist priest made another prediction: if we didn’t believe him, within three days, this evil presence would topple the incense burner in the main hall.”
Feng Xuanyang and Long Qinghan held their breath, a sense of foreboding washing over them.
Lao Qiyang glanced at them, shaking his head shamefully. “And three days later…”
Thank You for the new chapter (⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡