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墨書 Inktalez
Long Night Slowly, truly slowly, Jufeng knelt before the old man, feeling as if time had come to a standstill.
Yanhuang City was unlike the bustling metropolis; it placed great importance on human relationships and hierarchy. Although Jufeng had once been naive and often caused trouble for his Master, now that his master was in such a state, how could Jufeng indulge himself?
Thus, he was willing to kneel for as long as it took, hoping to grant the old man a few more days in this world.
The old man asked about stories from his star. The world had changed significantly; those who were meant to leave had departed, like Father Ju. Those who were meant to grow up had matured, just like the Azure Wind Antelope. The so-called rise and fall, the surging waves of the Yangtze River, were simply part of life. Lin Hua thanked the spring for its return but could only sigh at how fleeting it all was.
"Alas, time is cruelly short. I fear that my master will not see tomorrow's sunrise."
The old man paused, then paused again. His withered hands resembled the powerful claws of the Azure Wind Antelope, devoid of any color. Slowly, he placed his hand on Jufeng's arm and gently tugged, signaling him to sit closer.
Jufeng shifted to the side, allowing the old man's frail body to lean against him. He held that bony hand and quietly savored this moment of tranquility.
The door was tightly shut, and there were windows on either side above them. Moonlight streamed through the windows, casting a frosty glow on the ground before them.
“Moonlight Before the Reed, it seems like frost on the ground; raising my head to gaze at the bright moon, I turn my head and see a maiden.”
Suddenly, the old man recited a playful poem and turned his head with a chuckle. Jufeng found himself both amused and exasperated by this unexpected behavior from the old man, and much of his sadness dissipated.
With a long sigh, Jufeng felt his spirits lift slightly. “You old man, nearing death yet still restless, making jokes at your disciple's expense. Really now! I wonder if you have any hidden treasures; tell me secretly so I can become rich overnight.”
Jufeng pretended to listen intently. After a moment, he heard the old man mumble, “I have no treasures but quite a bit of debt. Last year I borrowed tens of thousands from the Xue Family Sect to help some struggling university students. I’ve yet to repay them; they don’t dare come asking for it. Luckily, I recalled this just recently. If you’re not too strapped for cash, perhaps you could pay it off for me and save my reputation.”
With an unwilling expression, Jufeng sat back down. He thought to himself that this old fellow was ruthless; knowing that his other twelve brothers were all as poor as church mice while he had a bit of silver left—this was quite an exploitation.
As they talked about past events prompted by the old man's words, most were stories he had heard before but listening again brought about different feelings.
Xuan Zhi was genuinely from a prestigious martial arts lineage; he had never left his star in his lifetime. He began learning martial arts when he started speaking and was astonishingly talented—surpassing even Jufeng at present. By eighteen he had entered the inner circle and by thirty had become a Grandmaster. Back then, when Shen Lu sent a large group of military offspring to sweep through Yanhuang City, Xuan Zhi, newly appointed as leader and full of vigor, led the elite from Yan Huang to victory against them. He even single-handedly dismantled several mechs and took Shen Lu as his disciple—a tale that became legendary in its own right.
Jufeng had always been curious about how his master could defeat mechs with bare hands, and not just one. He had persistently asked his master to teach him this astonishing martial skill, but the old man always delayed, and in the end, it came to nothing.
This time he had an opportunity. Although Jufeng was not particularly eager for that so-called armor-breaking technique, he was quite curious and decided to chat casually with the old man.
"Master, how did you break through Big Brother's mech back in the day? Can you tell me secretly? I asked Big Brother, but he wouldn't say anything, so I had to come to you."
The old man's murky eyes suddenly brightened, perhaps recalling his youthful bravery in his later years.
"Do you really want to know?"
Jufeng's curiosity was piqued; how could he not want to know? He put on an attentive expression.
The old man continued at his leisurely pace, murmuring, "You just need to strike when they run out of fuel."
Jufeng was taken aback, while the old man burst into hearty laughter. Though his laughter was showy, it was not loud; it was steady like the old man himself.
Jufeng couldn't help but feel dumbfounded. A scene flashed in his mind: three or four mechs racing aimlessly through a primitive forest when suddenly they lost power and turned into mere sculptures, trapping their pilots inside. At that moment, a middle-aged man jumped out and smugly declared, "You dare to ambush Yan Huang? Now you're trapped with no way out! I have a benevolent heart and will spare your lives."
How much this resembled a scene from a con artist's act! Remembering this, Jufeng quickly shook his head in disbelief, his face filled with astonishment.
"Is this true? How many people did you trick, you old fraud?"
Xuan Zhi snorted dismissively, "I didn't trick anyone. They insisted I defeated their mechs. What could I do? When I tried to brush it off a few times, they insisted on praising me. That brat Shen Lu didn't dare speak up for me, so I had no choice but to go along with it."
Seeing the old man getting worked up was not good for his health, Jufeng quickly calmed him down. After a while, the old man gradually settled.
"Big Brother is just afraid of your might; he worries you won't reward him well. He's quite filial."
The old man glanced disdainfully. "That kid jumped out of the mech calling me Master. Thinking back on that eager attitude... 'Master...' cough cough..."
The old man suddenly began to cough violently, his face turning red in an instant, causing Jufeng to feel a pang of concern. It wasn't until the coughing fit subsided that he gradually calmed down.
"Ah, I'm getting old, old... let's not dwell on the past..."
...
"In my opinion, if you were to return after achieving great success, it would mean you had faced some challenges along the way."
Jufeng did not hide anything at that moment; he briefly mentioned the matters concerning the Unification Alliance. However, he did not think these people were particularly difficult to deal with; he just didn't know when he should truly confront them.
The old man listened without much concern. After all, this was his most accomplished disciple. Yet, it wouldn't hurt to hint at some experiences from his own past.
"You should stay in Yanhuang City for a while longer. The Yanhuang Great Vehicle will help you reach a higher level. You haven't fully mastered the Great Ascension yet. Let Shen Lu teach you the mental techniques; improving your martial arts will also ensure your self-protection."
Jufeng nodded in agreement, waiting for the old man to continue his advice.
"My master once told me that in this life, one encounters three types of people. The first type is the master, who teaches you many things; the second type is friends—one cannot stand alone forever; and the third type is enemies or rivals. They may not involve life and death, but only they can truly help you mature and succeed. Your Unification Alliance plays such a role. Do not let emotions cloud your judgment; look further ahead. Without them, when will you truly grow up?"
The old man's tone grew serious towards the end, and Jufeng dared not be careless. A person must experience all three types—master, friend, enemy—to leave a mark in history.
The old man smiled proudly. "Now you have the best master in the world and a group of friends who would risk their lives for you. You also have a formidable rival watching closely. It seems this is the time for you to rise in life, so be confident in everything, understand?"
Jufeng nodded with difficulty; he knew that what his master said carried a sense of finality. It seemed that time was indeed running short.
"If you don't return, you'll always have something weighing on your mind. Now that everything has settled, this leaf of mine must return to its roots."
The old man's murky gaze turned towards the window above; the night had faded away, dawn was about to break, and a new day was coming—old things must return.
"At night I meet old friends under the moon to discuss matters; there will never be another person like me in this world."
The old man smiled, and as he smiled, his murky eyes gradually became even cloudier, until finally, they were left with nothing but darkness.
Jufeng still held the old man's hand, feeling a trace of warmth in his palm. However, Jufeng knew that even this warmth would dissipate with the gathering of the morning light.
He was gone; the master was gone, and there would never again be a person like Xuan Zhi who could break armor with bare hands.
"Wow!" In the dawn of Mountain Hollow Village, the entire village wept. In an instant, the elderly and young alike knelt towards the back mountain.
Politeness knelt down, Flower Snow Moon also knelt down, and Chuyang, awakened by the sound, rubbed his eyes and knelt down as well. Soon after, thousands more would kneel and cry out in sorrow. They would remember the Grandmaster's departure in this way.
Because from now on, there would be no one like us.
(To be continued)
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