Confusion engulfed Nan Yan. How did he escape from the Filthy Valley? Why was he here? The only certainty was that she couldn’t have mistaken his identity.
“Let… let me see your hand,” she stammered.
Obligingly, he allowed her to grasp his right hand. His sleeve fell back, revealing long, well-formed fingers with distinct knuckles.
Nan Yan froze but didn’t let go. “Are you Qi Yang, courtesy name Shao Cang? Do you remember me? I’m Nan Yan.”
The man with the zither glanced at their joined hands. “I apologize, but I lost my memory years ago. I don’t recognize anyone from my past. However, I doubt I’ll forget your name now, Bodhisattva.”
Nan Yan searched his face for any sign of deception, but he merely lowered his gaze and said, “If you won’t let me leave, I’ll stay. But if this continues, others might accuse me of blasphemy.”
Just then, Yin Ya’s voice carried from down the street: “Hey, what are you two doing in the middle of the night?”
The pair stood incredibly close, their breaths almost mingling. Passing cultivators cast strange looks their way, silently judging the apparent fall from grace of a Buddhist practitioner.
Yin Ya had always sensed something odd about Nan Yan but couldn’t quite place it until now. As a child, she had longed for a beautiful face. Now that she had one, it seemed she had lost her sense of propriety.
In the awkward silence, Yin Ya telepathically communicated with Nan Yan: “People are watching. You’re a Buddhist cultivator and a woman at that. Regardless of who he is, can’t you let him go? This unseemly display is beneath you.”
Nan Yan clung to Qi Yang’s sleeve. “I won’t.”
Yin Ya persisted, “Have you seen the onlookers? They must think you’re shameless.”
“Others’ opinions are their concern,” Nan Yan retorted. “Will saving face bring my brother back?”
Eventually, they brought Qi Yang to their inn. When the innkeeper eagerly asked if they needed another room, Nan Yan refused.
“We’ll stay together,” she insisted.
Yin Ya objected, “I disagree. I’m staying with you both. If we’re staying, we’re all staying. No one’s leaving tonight.”
“Fine,” Nan Yan conceded. “We’ll catch up tonight.”
The innkeeper, bewildered by the odd trio – a nun, a demon cultivator, and a stranger – muttered, “What an interesting group. Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
Qi Yang remained silent throughout, his gaze rarely leaving Nan Yan. Once seated in the room, he finally spoke, recounting his past.
“Years ago, I awoke in the mountains with no memories. A wandering cultivator took me in, and I reached the Foundation Building. I acquired a zither, which tamed beasts when played. Someone recognized the tune as being from Zi Zhou, so I decided to take a whaling ship to the Upper State to explore my past.” He turned to Nan Yan. “You recognize me, but what am I to you?”
Nan Yan quickly replied, “We’re sworn siblings. Don’t you remember anything? When I last left, I gave you a pearl. Do you still have it?”
“A pearl… I don’t have it on me, but when I meditate, I sense something pearl-like within me.” Seeing her hopeful expression, he added, “So we truly are sworn siblings. I was too presumptuous. If the pearl is yours, I could try to extract it…”
“No need. I’m just glad you’re alive,” Nan Yan said, relieved. The Silver Shark Pearl she had given him must have helped him escape the Filthy Valley’s core, teeming with Yin Curses.
Qi Yang smiled. “And who is this Yin cultivator?”
“Oh, don’t mind him. He’s just passing through. He even tried to swindle us before.”
Yin Ya slammed the table. “What do you mean, don’t mind me? Who carried your 130-pound self out of the Filthy Valley? Yesterday you called me ‘second brother,’ and now you disown me? Outrageous!”
Nan Yan retorted, “But my brother’s back now. You should step aside.”
As they bickered, Qi Yang watched, amused. After a while, he said to Nan Yan, “But I don’t want to be your brother.”
Nan Yan reflected on the past – how Qi Yang had always cared for her, even sacrificing his spiritual power to save her in the Filthy Valley. If not for her, he wouldn’t have lost his memories.
“I’ve wronged you in the past,” she said softly. “I’d be happy if you remembered, but I won’t force you if you don’t. Knowing you’re alive puts me at ease. Just let me make amends somehow.”
Qi Yang’s eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion. “You misunderstand. I don’t wish to be your brother, but if you’ll have me, I’d like to join your journey to the Upper State. My search for my past was aimless, but now I have a purpose.”
Two months later, the whaleship finally crossed the vast ocean, weathering several storms with the help of cultivators from Chen Zhou. As they approached land, cheers erupted from the exhausted passengers.
“We’ve reached Chen Zhou!”
“The Upper State! The place our masters could only dream of!”
“Those storms were treacherous. Even Core Formation cultivators might have perished without this massive ship.”
As they disembarked, Nan Yan sighed in relief, glad to be on solid ground again.
“We’ll need to reach the Nascent Soul stage before we can cross the ocean freely,” Qi Yang reminded her, noticing her gaze lingering on the sea. “The Upper State still holds many challenges for us.”
Nan Yan had been observing Qi Yang closely. Apart from not recognizing her, he seemed normal. As for his once-missing finger, he had only said it was intact when he awoke. Cultivators often experienced strange occurrences, after all.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out among the disembarking crowd. Ahead, over thirty Core Formation cultivators in Sea Hawk robes blocked the way. Above them hovered a carriage pulled by three dragon-headed, sheep-bodied beasts.
Angry cultivators from the Mortal State demanded, “Why won’t you let us leave?”
The guards ignored them, addressing only the Chen Zhou cultivators: “Young Master Yuan Feng of our Sea Hawk City died mysteriously aboard your whale ship. We’re here to investigate. We ask for your cooperation, friends from Long City.”
A Chen Zhou cultivator approached, bowing to the carriage. “Is that City Lord Yuan Shuo? We sent a message explaining the incident days ago, along with a jade recording. It was the work of a demonic cultivator who snuck aboard. Blocking these cultivators seems unwarranted, City Lord.”
A cold snort emanated from the carriage, causing everyone to experience a sharp pain in their consciousness. This confirmed that the occupant was a Nascent Soul cultivator.
“Where is my son’s body?” the Sea Hawk City Lord demanded icily.
The Chen Zhou cultivator sighed and gestured behind him. Four or five Core Formation cultivators escorted a floating ice coffin. Before it could approach, an invisible force pulled it into the carriage. An enraged roar followed.
“My son! I’ll extract the soul and refine the spirit of your murderer, then feed their flesh to demons!”
The Nascent Soul cultivator’s fury sent out a shockwave. Nearby Foundation Establishment cultivators collapsed, coughing blood. Others felt as if a mountain was pressing down on their minds, forcing them to their knees.
Even the Chen Zhou cultivator stumbled. After a moment, an elderly voice from within the whale ship spoke, revealing another Nascent Soul cultivator.
“Old Yuan, your son indulged in debauchery on my ship. His death might be his own doing. There are over ten thousand cultivators aboard. How can we investigate every one? We can’t extract everyone’s soul.”
The carriage occupant, seemingly unwilling to clash with Long City’s representative, eventually said, “I wish to conduct a soul-probing question. Those who pass may leave freely.”
Soul-probing was a severe interrogation method where high-level cultivators used their immense spiritual sense to detect lies from lower-level cultivators. Resistance meant certain death.
The Sea Hawk City Lord added, “I’m only here to avenge my son. Consider this a demonic cultivator inspection for Chen Zhou.”
After a pause, the whale ship’s Nascent Soul cultivator agreed, “You have half an hour. Don’t delay us further.”
Nan Yan watched as a thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators turned pale with fear, gasping for air after the interrogation. One even collapsed, bleeding from seven orifices.
“How brutal,” Nan Yan murmured, knowing she couldn’t escape. She turned to Qi Yang, “Shao Cang, can you withstand it?”
“Don’t worry,” Qi Yang smiled, sitting beside her. “If I can’t, you can carry me.”
“Gladly,” Nan Yan replied, then noticed Yin Ya hiding far away. “Why are you so far?”
Yin Ya responded glumly, “I wish someone cared if I could withstand it too.”
Before Nan Yan could reply, an overwhelming spiritual pressure descended upon her. A voice boomed in her mind:
“Did you kill Yuan Feng?!”
Nan Yan struggled to breathe, answering, “No.”
“Interesting. A false Core Formation cultivator with spiritual sense rivaling true Core Formation,” the voice mused, then demanded, “The jade slip shows your image. Are you the Buddhist cultivator who last saw my son?”
Fighting through the pain, Nan Yan admitted, “Yes, it was me.”
“At least you’re honest. Did my son say anything to you?”
“Yuan Feng invited me for tea, but I had other matters to attend to and declined.”
The Sea Hawk City Lord’s voice didn’t return, but Nan Yan sensed his intent to vent his anger on her. Finally, he coldly stated, “Since my son showed interest in you, I’ll give you a dignified option. Name your family and sect, and I’ll treat them well. In exchange, seal your spiritual power and accompany my son in death!”
Nan Yan bristled at the unjust demand, but before she could respond, Qi Yang calmly interjected, “Elder, we’re not rogue cultivators.”
Surprised by Qi Yang’s audacity, the City Lord asked, “Bold of you to speak up. What’s your background?”
“I’m insignificant, but this person is a true-character disciple from Mao State’s Chou Mountain Buddhist Sea. Mao State is a Buddhist sanctuary, typically uninvolved in worldly affairs. However, in the current Chen-Si war, Mao State’s support is crucial. Elder, as a city lord of Chen State, please consider carefully.”
The City Lord hesitated, then demanded Nan Yan show her identity tablet. After verifying it, he reluctantly backed down.
As they left, Nan Yan thanked Qi Yang for his quick thinking. They agreed to avoid Sea Hawk City for now.
Half an hour later, the City Lord finished interrogating the cultivators on shore but remained unsatisfied. He requested to search the whale ship, leading to an argument with the ship’s Nascent Soul cultivator.
Suddenly, both Nascent Soul cultivators fell silent. A low beast’s cry echoed, and an immense claw appeared in the sky. The outline of a creature with an ox’s head, deer antlers, a snake’s body, and phoenix feet emerged from the clouds.
“It’s… it’s a dragon!” the Mortal State cultivators exclaimed in awe.
The two arguing Nascent Soul cultivators immediately bowed respectfully. “We welcome the Dragon Lord’s return.”
The dragon, carrying a palace on its back, paused. A cold, arrogant voice rang out, “What’s this commotion about bringing matters to me?”
After explanations and apologies, the Dragon Lord requested to see the jade slip recording. Upon viewing it, he noticed a stunningly beautiful Buddhist nun.
“This child… isn’t her surname Nan?” he mused.
The Nascent Soul cultivators explained she was a traveling disciple from Mao State’s Chou Mountain, with the Dharma name Zhen Yuan.
The Sea Hawk City Lord offered to bring her back, but the Dragon Lord declined, saying, “Perhaps she just resembles someone I once knew.”