"Ge, I miss you..." Hearing this familiar voice brought a smile to Yixuan's face. He stepped closer to the seal, giving Ruilin space for his conversation with his father, while he focused on his own. There was so much he needed to share with his brother, and perhaps they could find a way for Li Lun and Zhu Yan to communicate through them.
"I miss you too, Xiao Chen." Yixuan responds warmly.
"Ge, are you alright? Nothing happened while you were in contact with that demon, right? When I told Zhu Yan about it, he got really concerned, pretty much freaked out, and insisted that you be careful. Not all demons are like Zhu Yan and Li Lun. He mentioned if it's truly Li Lun, you can trust him since he would never harm you, but you need to be absolutely certain it's him and not someone else." Yichen hesitated, wondering whether he should tell his brother about the embarrassing things he had learned from their relationship, but ultimately decided to tell him the truth.
"He told me some stories about them, but... I think they are not fit for confirmations. Zhu Yan's stories just focus on Li Lun disliking being ranked third among them. However, that would look quite rude to a demon who's already upset about it. Nevertheless, if it's for your safety... Ge, your life is more important than pride," Yichen said wholeheartedly. Yixuan was moved by his brother's concern but felt confident in his ability to handle tough situations.
"I'm fine, Xiao Chen and I have no need for stories. I have confirmed the sealed demon is Li Lun on my own," he assured, hearing a sigh of relief from his brother. "Li Lun never intended to harm me, nor will he try in the future. Actually, what I've learned from him is quite shocking, though not in a harmful way. Xiao Chen, the sooner we find out what went wrong in the past and why, the safer humanity will be, because whoever disrupted our world is still at large," Yixuan warned his brother in return.
"I agree. Zhu Yan gave me the same warning, and I have no reason to doubt his sincerity. It seems like events are aligning in a way that suggests our Zhuo family was deeply involved in something significant. Zhu Yan hinted at the past importance of the mountain gods and their connection to the Kunlun Mountains. This makes me think that the ancient scrolls in the temple's library might contain clues about what happened or why it did. When I was a child, I couldn't read them. Perhaps I was too young, or as Pei Sijing once suggested, maybe I wasn't meant to yet. Or, maybe only those with ties to the mountain gods can read them." Yichen concluded, leaving the group to contemplate the link between the temple and the mountain gods. As he reflected on this connection more deeply too, a possibility struck him. He switched his call with his brother to speaker mode to better follow their discussion.
"To tell the truth, if what you're suggesting holds true, then there's no way for us to know what those scrolls contain. If only people related to mountain gods can read them, then we have no chance. The mountain gods are long gone as far as I know, and if they leave behind descendants, we have no idea who they are or if they are still around," Bai Jiu observed.
"But what if someone among us unknowingly inherits that lineage? Someone like Ying Lei, for example." In the background, Yixuan heard Ying Lei exclaim in surprise.
"Hey, that's quite a daring claim. How could I possibly be connected to mountain gods?" Ying Lei asked.
There was a momentary pause as the others attempted to find the validity of Yichen's claim. They understood that he never made conclusions without having some reasons to support them. It was true that Ying Lei's history carried a hint of mystery, yet Yun Guang was at the heart of another enigma, as was Yichen in his unique manner, not to mention Bai Jiu himself. That by itself wasn't enough to prove that Ying Lei was connected to the mountain gods. They needed further explanations, and Yichen was ready to provide exactly that.
"Care to explain that a little more, Xiao Chen?" Yun Guang asked, and the others were eagerly waiting to hear his reasoning.
"To begin with, the monks find him as an infant at the temple gates on Mount Kulun. It's a strange place to leave a child, especially in such a frigid environment. On top of that, he was never affected by the cold, even when everyone else was, not even when he was still a baby." Ying Lei considered the conclusion reasonable but, then glanced at Bai Jiu and recalled the time the monks had found him wandering in the mountains when he was 8 years old. Bai Jiu himself had been barely five back then.
They find him by the sound of a ringing bell he wore in his hair. Bai Jiu was too young to recall why he had been wandering through the Kunlun Mountains, but because they had not come to the temple to become ordained monks, they brought them up according to their teachings, but without ever regarding them as true monks, only as special children under their care and protection.
"Bai Jiu's story was much like mine, and he doesn't even remember how he became lost or who his parents were," Ying Lei remarked.
"Yes, he might not recall, but the truth is that he roamed the mountains looking for something and was gravely ill when the monks found him, unlike you. That brings us to the second reason you might be linked to the mountain gods. You were born with golden hair, and no matter how many times you dye it, just like Yun Guang, it returned to its natural color by morning..." Yichen pointed, prompting Yun Guang to stare at him with a furrowed brow.
"Does that mean I'm related to a mountain god as well?" Yun Guang asked, and from his tone alone, Yixuan could almost picture his thoughts turning.
"Although it's possible, given the monks have declared you a reincarnation of a divine spirit, I disagree. According to legend, the reincarnation cycle was designed for human souls, not gods. So, your case should be different because mountain gods were descendants of Kunlun, a major god. So, if you were part of that lineage, you likely wouldn't have entered the reincarnation cycle. Also, a divine spirit might be the soul of someone deemed divine in ancient times but wasn't necessarily a true deity. Yet, you are quite strange too. Really, what were you? Perhaps a cultivator on the path to immortality? Maybe you faced a tribulation and didn't succeed," Yichen teased, and Yun Guang chuckled.
"You're no different from me, dear cousin. At least the monks identified me as a spirit, but they couldn't determine what you were at all. Ah, but wait... now we do know. A demon hunter probably killed by a nasty demon that tampered with your fate before you could achieve immortality. What about that?" Yun Guang teased back, and Ying Lei laughed a bit.
"Guys, I'm sorry to point out that you're straying off topic. Let me share something important with you as well." Yixuan intervened before the two could start their usual banter.
"Go ahead, Ge. I'm all ears for you," Yichen replied happily as he ignored Yun Guang rolling his eyes.
"From Li Lun, I learned that souls with deep ties, perhaps due to fate, bonds, karma, merit, or similar forces, often reincarnate together. Therefore, if we all shared the same past and added the information Zhu Yan shared, it's reasonable to think that some of us might have been demon hunters while others could have been connected to mountain gods. The Zhuo family traditionally consulted the Kunlun monks, giving their high spiritual levels, to look into the destinies of their newborns. However, since Ying Lei was adopted by the temple, the monks didn't need to do this for him, and even if they did, they had no obligation to share it with others. So, this could support my Didi's theory, though we both could be totally mistaken, of course." Yixuan concluded, followed by another moment of silence as they all absorbed the new information.
"It does seem to fit, and it makes sense..." Bai Jiu murmurs, pondering the mystery of his own past.
He had, in fact, made his way toward the Kunlun Mountains for some unknown reason and become lost. But he was so sick that he passed out the moment he saw the approaching monks. He could never recall anything from before the moment they found him under a large mulberry tree he was trying to climb. After rescuing him, the monks spread the word throughout the nearby villages that they had found him lost in the mountains and took him into their care. Yet no one ever came to claim him, and he had done his best not to dwell on why.
He found comfort in Ying Lei, who was perpetually cheerful, stayed by his side, spoiled him, played with him, and helped him with every sort of task the moks gave him, along with their training. Ying Lei quickly became his closest friend. They were only three years apart. Yet as they grew older, Ying Lei started to look attractive to him in a way he knew he shouldn't find him.
He started noticing Ying Lei more and more. His gaze landed on him unconsciously, and his heart beat faster every time he was too close or smiled at him so charmingly. At the end, he was distracted by Ying Lei too often, to a point of nearly humiliating himself whenever he failed at something because of it. Yun Guang and Wen Xiao teased him about it when they studied in the mountains, and Yichen was the one who came to his defense every time.
That was why Bai Jiu respected and admired Yichen above all the Zhuos. Yixuan was basically a saint. Yet as the Zhuo family's heir, he underwent far stricter training than the rest of them, spending a great deal of time studying special teachings and countless books. He remained indoors most of the time, while the others trained outside, honing their natural talents, breathing methods, talisman crafting, spells, self-defense, ghost lore, and so on. And because of it, Bai Jiu didn't interact with him as much as he did with Yichen.
Yichen was more like a hero to him. Whenever he wanted to venture into the mountains, especially to visit that large tree he had grown fond of, Yichen was always willing to go with Ying Lei and him. And whenever Yun Guang found them, as he invariably did, Yichen was the only one Yun Guang would listen to and let them get away with it.
"Whatever we are right or wrong, we will find out by keep uncovering our past. By now, this should be evident to everyone. To achieve that, we should consider releasing Zhu Yan from his seal. Not because he's asking, but because it's the right thing to do for both him and us. While he remains trapped, he can't fully reveal the truth to us. Searching for our past is becoming increasingly complex, and I feel time might not favor us, especially if events like those in Qinghe Town occur elsewhere." Yichen suggested this, even though Yixuan had already promised the same to someone else.
"Yes, freeing Zhu Yan will benefit us, but so will Li Lun. Even if they endured the same catastrophe, and I was assured that it turned both Zhu Yan's and Li Lun's lives into living hells, they still experienced different sides of it. Like two halves of a single whole. Once we bring them together, we might uncover what we overlooked. And if this world is in any sort of danger, as those talismans that draw dark energy imply, then we need every bit of help available to us. This is becoming far more than hunting ghosts or searching for missing friends. Whatever occurred in the past is nowhere near finished," Yixuan declared, and they all agreed with him.
"Be cautious out there, Xiao Xuan, as things are becoming quite dangerous. You may have already considered this, but it's worth checking with the locals about that location. It might have been avoided due to a legend or simply because it's too far off the beaten path. I still think that a seal would cause some disruption in the area, making it odd that no one has noticed anything unusual before. It's also peculiar that this demon Li Lun can reach you even though he's sealed off. We know Zhu Yan has some connection with Xiao Chen from a past life, and through my connection with my cousin, he can enter my mind too. So, I wonder what kind of connection Li Lun has with you in the past? It would be fascinating if Zhu Yan and Li Lun could reunite after such a long time," Yun Guang suggested. Yixuan agreed, though he already understood why Li Lun could reach him and suspected that Zhu Yan's reason for reaching Yichen was likely similar.
"Don't worry, Xiao Guang; I'll do my best to solve this mystery. I must say, I agree with you. It's surprising that this seal stayed unnoticed for so long. I've felt something was off since arriving on this mountain, but no one else noticed. Today, not even Xiao Lin, who is with me, sensed anything out of place at first either. He only sensed the disturbance when it was already very close, and he's a highly trained ghost hunter. How does a seal like this even work? When we make a seal on a particularly strong spirit at a location, it's usually obvious that the area is dangerous and off-limits, even without approaching the seal itself. Despite all the knowledge I gained during my studies at Mount Kunlun, I never came across any texts about ancient seals that can go undetected or summon specific individuals. Xiao Lei, Xiao Jiu, you both grew up with monks. Did they ever mention anything like this?" Yixuan asked. Bai Jiu and Ying Lei exchanged looks before shaking their heads together.
"Not quite. Although the Kunlun monks are very friendly, welcoming, and sincerely care for the people, which is the reason they have collaborated with the Zhuo family, helping train them on their mountain for generations, they do hold secrets that only ordained monks can learn. Since neither Ying Lei nor I, are real monks, we have no idea of the things they keep to themselves." Bai Jiu explained, but Ying Lei suddenly recalled something he had never given much thought to before.
"Well, guys, there was someone the monks deeply respected. A mysterious old man who always wore a hooded cloak and visited the temple once a year. He would arrive at night and left at dawn. Since I was little, I felt he carried some heavy burden, and on the occasions he noticed me, when I sneaked out of bed, he gave me candy but never said more than that 'you had grown.' I always thought he was strange. Once, I asked the head monk about him, but he merely said the man was an old friend of the monks, a wise man who occasionally came to check on them and presented them with powerful protections. Now that I think about it, it had been about three years since I last saw him. Although I just could have missed him." Ying Lei disclosed, and Bai Jiu smacked his arm.
"How come I never knew about this old man, huh? I thought you didn't keep secrets from me..." Bai Jiu pouted, but Ying Lei just squished his cheeks affectionately, which made Bai Jiu go ballistic.
"Ying Lei! You bully..." But everyone just laughed.
"Come on, Xiao Jiu, he just said he sneaked out of bed, which is never a good thing, and the old man only came once a year. That's pretty easy to overlook. It's not a secret." Yun Guang pointed out, and Bai Jiu pouted even harder.
"Ge, I'll look into the seals, the mountain gods, the old man, and the scrolls. Just do what you can over there. I hope you'll be back soon. I will pass all the information to Zhu Yan later and see if he can contact Li Lun through the two of us. I miss you, and keep father safe as well. We still know very little about who is truly behind everything," Yichen said.
"One last thing, Didi, before I leave. Li Lun warned me that whatever is taking shape behind our backs isn't rooted where I am, but where you are. So please stay extremely careful, and Xiao Guang, make sure he doesn't land in too much trouble. We'll return as soon as we can," Yixuan said, though Yichen's thoughts had already shifted to protecting his brother.
"Don't rush it, Ge, we'll be all right. Besides, you're the only one out there who might be able to free Li Lun. If you find a way, tell me so I can try it on Zhu Yan, and if I find one before you, I'll do the same," Yichen offered, bringing a smile to his brother's face.
"Please do... and once again, be careful, Didi. Your brother cares about you more than words can say." Yichen beamed.
"I feel the same, Ge. We'll speak again soon." With that, Yichen ended the call.
He then turned to look at Ying Lei, who smiled nervously in response, unsure of what his boss was going to theorize about him this time. Ying Lei admitted that there were some strange aspects about him, but he definitely didn't feel anything like a mountain god. He was talented, sure, but in terms of power, Yichen was as close to a god as one could get, with Yun Guang following closely behind.
"Come on, Xiao Zhuo, I'm definitely not a god, and I don't have any extraordinary abilities like you." Ying Lei remarked to Yichen, who smiled in response.
"I never said you were a god. I just suggested there might be some connection between you and them. Maybe one of them blessed you as a baby, helping you survive in the cold mountains. Who really knows? I'm just proposing that there's a chance you could read those scrolls, or maybe Bai Jiu can, or it could even be Yung Guang or Wen Xiao herself. All I'm saying is that just because I couldn't read them back then doesn't mean nobody else can either." Yichen explained, and Ying Lei laughed in relief.
"Well, I guess we will know the answer to that once we get the pictures and give it a try. But until then, we should keep investigating our current leads and see if we can find something else by following their trail. Eventually, something will lead us to the right path. If not, then Xiao Chen, you can keep dating Zhu Yan and make a bouquet with the flowers he gifts you in the astral plane. It's obvious he likes you. Just be careful he doesn't woo you too much. Otherwise you will fall hard for him for sure," Yun Guang teased, and the others laughed, but his cousin's comment made him think back about how he managed to bring that flower from the astral plane. It should have been impossible, even for him, leading him to question the nature of his innate abilities.
What made him so special? How was he capable of surpassing even Yun Guang, who was acknowledged by the monks as a reincarnation beyond the realm of humanity? Could an event in his past life be the reason for his vast power? Was it linked to Bing Yi or something different altogether? If his family had indeed inherited Bing Yi's lineage, then logically, they all should share his peculiar traits, but they didn't. He alone displayed these inhuman abilities. What events in his past led him to be this way?
To uncover the answers, he had only one avenue left to pursue by himself. As a trained ghost hunter, he planned to attempt his own retrocognition once they made camp for the night. He had never done it before, yet he was certain he could manage it. And if he wound up in the astral plane instead, that would be acceptable too. He disliked having to depend on Zhu Yan for more than he had to, but he had to admit that Zhu Yan knew far more than he did, considering he was as old as the world itself. If anyone understood every trick in existence, ancient or modern, it was unquestionably him.
AN: Sorry for the wait, guys, but things got crazy for me in the last month. I am working on Convergence too, but it's getting very, very long again. 😂 But it will be done too. Thanks for reading. Hope you guys like it and see you next time. Take care. 💖