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墨書 Inktalez
Listening closely, there is a saying that goes, "When the rooster crows, the sun rises." Yet today, the rooster has not crowed; instead, the cries of many have slowly summoned the morning sun.
In Yanhuang City, where spring reigns all year round and no clouds obscure the sky, the newborn sun breaks dawn, draping the mountains in a layer of rosy light and warmth. This is why people enjoy practicing martial arts in the morning—not only for tradition but also because the outdoors is warmer than indoors at this hour. However, today, the bustling calls from the valleys have faded away, replaced by a uniform wailing.
Jufeng sat dazedly in the ancestral hall, allowing his fellow disciples to handle the body of their deceased elder. Whenever a brother came to persuade him to join them, he ignored them. Shen Lu, being considerate, stayed behind to keep Jufeng company in silence.
The elder's passing did not allow for easy rest. First, the coffin had to be placed on a nearby hill for three days to receive condolences from sect leaders across various regions before it could be cremated at the mountain's peak and turned into a handful of ash to reside in an incense urn.
Jufeng remained inside, which was not a problem; after all, few knew that Master Xuan had thirteen disciples. The formalities were left to his brothers. As Flower Snow Moon noticed that the sun was gradually setting behind the western mountains and that mourners had come and gone in waves, Jufeng still sat lost in thought within the hall. She decided to summon a few people from civilization to come to the valley. The Yanhuang Sect had arranged everything properly and was busy with their own matters of succession, leaving little time to attend to these visitors.
Alas, what is old must eventually pass away, while new things will always arrive.
...
Practitioners of martial arts value tranquility and non-action; in fact, unless such a significant event as Master Xuan's funeral occurred, one would rarely see this bustling scene among the mountain paths. In previous days, the Yanhuang Sect had been sparsely populated. Since Master Xuan's time, it had flourished and grown robustly. He could be considered a master of revival, with countless legendary tales throughout his life. Regardless of whether the stories of unarmed combat against armor recounted by the elder were true or false, they could not diminish his esteemed position among the stars.
"You think we can be revered by thousands after we die too?"
Civilization sat on a branch of a towering tree, leaning against its trunk with one leg dangling down and the other bent up. His gaze fell on another mountain as he posed this question to someone beside him.
But where was that person?
After waiting for a while without receiving an answer, Civilization turned his head only to find no one in sight. It wasn't until he lowered his gaze that he spotted a pair of legs and a swaying figure.
Politeness hung upside down from a branch; her view of the world was naturally inverted. Whether she heard his words differently or simply wasn’t paying attention was unclear; regardless, she seemed blissfully unconcerned with Civilization beside her.
Civilization plucked a leaf from nearby and crumpled it in his hand before tossing it at Fair Skin's face hovering above him. Politeness would not let such an ambush succeed; she swung her body mid-air and used her core strength to sit back on the branch.
"There’s an assassin!" Politeness exclaimed loudly.
Civilization glanced at him, leaning silently against the tree trunk.
Seeing that Civilization had no intention of continuing his performance, Politeness could only sit back in disappointment, sharing the same view as Civilization while wearing a disdainful expression.
"While you're alive, it's already good enough if people can look up to you. If you're worried about being too lonely after death, I can hire a few bands for you to rock out with. How does that sound? Just know that it won't come cheap; I just lost a hundred bucks recently and I'm strapped for cash. How about you pay a little in advance?"
Politeness's attempts at humor were hard for even someone as good-natured as Civilization to bear. Civilization suddenly lifted his bent leg and slammed it down, causing the entire branch to sway. Politeness was startled and quickly begged for mercy, which made Civilization relent.
Once the branch stabilized again, Politeness pondered for a moment before saying, "For me, in this lifetime, I don't seek glory after death; as long as I have no regrets while living, that's enough."
Civilization seemed to resonate with this sentiment, contemplating the profound question in silence for a while.
It was already the afternoon of the second day after the master’s death. The sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting a warm glow on the two young men that felt comfortable rather than scorching.
A gentle breeze brushed by, cool and pleasant.
Politeness's gaze shifted to another hill where a young man like him had been for two nights and two days without coming out. He wondered if he could endure after all the setbacks he had faced.
Politeness frowned slightly, feeling some concern.
"Why does this madman insist on returning to Yan Huang? Is it because of some connection with the master or some other reason?"
Civilization noticed Politeness's expression and understood his worries, but he himself felt little concern. As for Politeness's question, he seemed to have an insight.
"Perhaps after losing to you in the capital, Brother Jufeng feels unsatisfied."
He chuckled, knowing that Wenming was dodging the question, and began to tease himself, "Well, he is indeed the standout of our generation. If it weren't for my years of diligent cultivation, the outcome in the capital might have been uncertain."
"And if he ultimately isn't stronger than me, why should I call him Brother Jufeng?"
"Tch," Wenming scoffed, "I haven't seen you call him Brother Jufeng even once."
Wenming stood up and surprisingly balanced on a branch as thick as his arm. He let out a wild howl into the vast forest and murmured, "Once the madman comes out, everything will have its conclusion."
...
After another hour passed in the afternoon, a figure stood quietly at the back of the crowd, gazing at the sea of people and the coffin atop the mountain. After a long moment of silence, they vanished without a trace.
Another day passed, and those mourning had taken their turns. Shen Lu, Senior Brother, raised a torch to illuminate a portion of the night sky. The massive flames surged upward, and the entire star seemed to broadcast the same message.
The former leader of the Yanhuang Sect, Master Xuan, had passed away.
At the same time, Shen Lu donned the leader's crown, overseeing peace in the star and managing tens of thousands of Yanhuang Sect disciples who congratulated him on his new position.
...
The next morning, after some direct disciples congratulated Shen Lu, the Senior Brother engaged in a pleasant conversation with Jufeng. Jufeng requested permission from the Senior Brother to invite Listening to Bai, Wen Hei, and Fan Zhi into the deep mountains to assist him in guiding some friends.
Since Shen Lu had just assumed leadership and had always treated Jufeng kindly, he readily agreed. However, he reminded Jufeng that direct disciples from Yanhuang City should not involve themselves in Outer Space conflicts.
"Feng, you are the only secular disciple among us, so you can forge your own path outside. But your friends cannot appear as Yan Huang disciples anymore; thus, you must be cautious about mentioning it in front of outsiders."
Jufeng nodded in response. "Rest assured, Leader. My friends are quite perceptive; with just a little guidance, they can make significant progress. However, there is something I would like to request from you."
“There's no need to ask for anything. You will always be my junior, and I will always be your senior brother, but that's fine,” Shen Lu said with a hint of reproach.
Jufeng chuckled and pondered, “When my junior left Yan Huang, he hadn't yet learned the Great Ascension Mind Method. Now that I understand the importance of martial arts, I request my senior brother to pass on the Great Ascension Mind Method to me, so I won't embarrass Yan Huang. Hehe.”
Shen Lu looked at Jufeng with affection, wrapping an arm around his shoulder without hesitation. “No problem. Senior brother has just taken over as the sect leader, and there are some matters that don't concern me for now. I will teach you with all my effort. But let me make one thing clear: no matter what grievances you face outside, just come back to Yanhuang City, and I will help you get justice. We'll take the battleship and go to their hometown! Hahaha!”
“Alright, no problem. Hehe.”
The two shared a hearty laugh.
In the following moments, a small-scale training session began in the forest next to the valley where Yanhuang Sect was located.
(To be continued)
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