Chapter 104: Willing to Devote a Mortal Heart to the Dao

"Uncle Gong, Yun'er will definitely be chosen!" The young girl in the carriage let out a light snort, her face full of proud stubbornness as she gazed at the old man, speaking with utmost conviction.

"Of course, with the young lady's aptitude, that goes without saying!" The old man laughed heartily, a look of gratification in his eyes as he regarded the girl. Her name was Tang Yun. When the old man had first entered the Tang household, she had just turned five, and since that day she had followed at his side learning swordsmanship. It could well be said that the old man had watched Tang Yun grow up.

In the old man's heart, Tang Yun had been obedient and sensible from childhood, never displaying the arrogant willfulness typical of a pampered young miss from other noble families. After all these years together, the old man had long since come to regard Tang Yun as his true successor in everything he had to teach. Under his devoted guidance, she learned swiftly, and naturally he treasured her deeply.

Suddenly, the old man's pupils sharply constricted—a bolt of arrow streaked past his cheek! At that very moment, dozens of black-clad, masked figures surged forth from all directions, sealing the convoy in a deadly ring!

"Fret not, young miss. Even if this old bones were to fall here on the spot, I swear I will see you safely away!" The old man gave a casual glance at the masked black-robed assailants surrounding them, but as his gaze settled on the bearded giant among them, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He barked, "How dare you rob a convoy under this old man's protection? Are you tired of living?!"

"Gong Qing, you'd best worry about yourself first." The bearded man sneered in disdain. Behind him, a youth of strikingly frail frame slowly stepped forward...

At the same time, deep beneath the shadowy mountain peak of the Heavenly Mystery Sect, within a solemn underground palace, a white-robed woman stood in silent stillness before a spiritual pool.

Within the pool sat a handsome young man cross-legged. His aura was profoundly strange—a thick shroud of deathly energy enveloped him, yet unbounded vitality radiated from his dantian... Gazing closely, one could see a bizarre cyan lotus swaying unceasingly within him, seemingly gradually merging with the young man himself. It was discernible that the fusion between the two was nearly complete... yet it still seemed to require several months more...

Within the young man's body, an incredibly strange silvery liquid flickered with a faint glow at the same time...

"The fate of immortal calamity severs the threads of heaven; royal blood tempers the blade, the blood lotus beckons... the child who bears the tribulation..." The white-robed woman gazed at the young man in the pool, her expression somewhat somber, and light of divination ceaselessly shimmered in her eyes.

Before long, the divinatory glow in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by a profound weariness. Her countenance grew somewhat pallid, and when she looked upon the young man, a barely perceptible trace of sorrow flashed through her gaze: "Heaven cannot be defied, fate cannot be changed... Is saving you also written within the pattern of destiny..."

"Enough..." After a long moment, the woman let out a soft sigh. With a wave of her jade-white hand, a strange force spread out and surged into the young man's body. The fusion between the cyan lotus and the young man was completed in an instant. A violent burst of cyan light blazed from his dantian, and in that moment the young man vanished!

"With the supreme treasure of my Jiuli clan, I transform into the foundation of your cultivation, and grant you the power of rebirth... This bond of cause and effect is thus sealed; in days to come... it must be repaid..." Gazing at the now-empty pool, the white-robed woman's eyes dimmed with sorrow. Murmuring softly, her entire form suddenly dissolved into countless points of light, slowly scattering into nothingness...

...

Frost and snow fell unceasingly, blanketing the stretch of valleys in a mantle of silver. On a frozen river under the frigid night, a figure in tattered robes lay unconscious... All around was silent wilderness and forest... This person was none other than Lin Hao...

"The undying Asura, the imperishable body... willingly dwelling in the heart's journey as if an illusion; those who chase their cravings are driven mad... those who cast aside life, even in death, may extend an unyielding obsession... This scripture shall thus be completed..."

At this moment, Lin Hao's consciousness was lost in boundless darkness. He only felt an aged, hoarse voice ceaselessly echoing within his mind, and beneath the majestic, vast verses of this scripture, a scene gradually took shape in the depths of his heart.

In the scene, a man stood proudly atop the endless void. Above and around him, dozens of illusory figures radiating terrifying auras stood motionless! Those illusory figures were wreathed in divine sanctity. At a single glance, they seemed akin to immortals and gods, evoking within one an instinctive urge to prostrate oneself in worship!

The man was surrounded on all sides by those dozens of figures of light. Amid the surging holy radiance, a pressure immense as heaven descended in an instant, as if intending to crush him into dust!

But the man simply stepped forward. As his boundless, ocean-like blood energy surged, a colossal and ferocious phantom appeared behind him. It flickered but once, then merged into his flesh. Shrouded in a tide of savage, murderous aura, the figure blurred and then punched toward the heavens above!!

At that point, the scene slowly faded away, and that ancient scripture once again resounded through Lin Hao's soul... At this moment, time itself seemed to cease flowing, an endless stillness pervading all... Who knew how long passed...

In this utterly desolate place, a chill wind swept by... Lin Hao's finger suddenly twitched. His lashes trembled faintly, and his eyes slowly opened. Yet deep within his gaze was nothing but bewilderment. His lips moved slightly, as if murmuring... If one listened closely, one might just make out:

"Willingly dwelling in the heart's journey as if an illusion; those who chase their cravings are driven mad... those who cast aside life, even in death, may extend an unyielding obsession... This scripture shall thus be completed... The meaning of inheritance, the unquenchable merging of souls... This thought shall return... The body and mind are remade, guided by the heart's resolve... This soul shall be condensed..."

This soul shall be condensed...

When the scripture was fully recited, Lin Hao's body jolted violently! The bewilderment in his eyes rapidly dispersed, replaced by a keen clarity! The instant that clarity appeared, memories from months ago surged unbidden into his mind!

"I... didn't die..." Staring at his own hands—translucent as fine jade—Lin Hao found it almost impossible to believe. Feeling the faint emptiness emanating from his dantian, a trace of confusion flickered in his eyes, and he murmured to himself: "The Dao foundation is gone... this thing... is somewhat strange..."

"Was it that woman?" Lin Hao vaguely sensed that this rescue was the doing of the white-robed woman he had seen before...

"My cultivation has fallen to the first layer... yet my physical body's strength rivals the mid Foundation Establishment stage..." Sensing the surging power of flesh and blood within him, Lin Hao's eyes were filled with bitterness. Watching the snowflakes drift endlessly down, he whispered softly: "For saving my life, there is no way to repay you. If there is ever a need in the future, I, Lin, will not hesitate in the least..."

"Master." Suddenly, a cold, clear female voice sounded. Gazing over, a woman in black had appeared beside Lin Hao! She knelt on one knee by his side, her breathtakingly beautiful face entirely cold and expressionless, her icy aura radiating like frost that had never thawed through ten thousand ages!

"You... you're still here?" Hearing a voice so familiar, Lin Hao stared blankly at the woman beside him. After a brief hesitation, he spoke slowly. The woman inclined her head slightly, and her cool voice sounded again: "My true body can evade certain heavenly calculations. Things as foul as those from before naturally cannot detect me, let alone lay so much as a finger on Heaven's Executioner."

"Have you remembered anything?" Lin Hao was silent for a moment, then rose and sat cross-legged on the ground, asking. At this, the black-clad woman bowed once more and parted her lips: "I have not recalled anything... except... that Hong Ling seems to be my true name..."

"Then from this day forth, you shall be Hong Ling..." Lin Hao smiled. Gazing at the snow-covered valleys stretching across the mountains, a wave of melancholy gripped his heart as he let the drifting fine snow settle upon his robes...

"With this tribulation behind me, I wonder how Ling'er is faring now..." Lin Hao's eyes held a light of longing. Staring absently at the bright moon in the sky, Fang Ling's voice seemed to echo within his mind, and the tale of the Moon Goddess flowed through his heart once more...

"Uncle Gong, Uncle Gong! Are you alright? Please don't let anything happen to you!!"

Suddenly, a woman's voice, tinged with tears, broke through the silence, drawing Lin Hao back from his melancholy. He looked over and saw a young maiden in fine azure robes kneeling on the ground, staring in desperation at an old man beside her whose garments were soaked crimson with blood. Her face was a mask of panic, and a thin mist of tears gathered in her eyes...

"Let's go take a look." Lin Hao watched the woman and the old man lying in the pool of blood, a vague suspicion forming in his mind. With a soft sigh, he cast a simple cleansing art and walked toward them.

A gentle breeze swept past, and Lin Hao's robes became spotless once more—though still ragged and patched. It was not that he was unwilling to change into new clothes, but rather that, at this moment, there were no clothes left in his storage pouch... only spirit stones and magic treasures and the like...

"Uncle Gong..." The young woman seemed not to notice the two approaching. She kept shaking the old man's body, her voice full of grievance and fear. Lin Hao looked at the tear-streaked girl before him, a peculiar expression crossing his eyes, and said dryly: "Keep shaking him a little longer, and you really will shake him to death."

Before he had even drawn close, Lin Hao had already extended his divine sense to probe the old man's injuries. His internal organs were damaged and he had lost an alarming amount of blood. If left unattended, he would be dead by the next day.

"Y-you... who are you two? I'll give you my life, j-just... please let my Uncle Gong go... please..." The young woman looked at them with a pitiful, aggrieved expression, her voice full of pleading. Lin Hao's heart could not bear it. He gave a soft sigh: "I am not an enemy of yours."

Having said this, Lin Hao paid the girl no more heed. He crouched down before the old man, and as his spiritual energy surged through his body, he slowly guided it through the old man's meridians, nourishing his flesh and organs...

"Cough..."

After a short while, the old man's eyes flew open. A mouthful of blood coughed out of him, yet his breathing had stabilized.

"This..." The old man felt the gentle force within his body, and shock flashed across his eyes. Staring at Lin Hao in disbelief, his voice trembled as he spoke slowly: "Is... is it you... who saved me?"

"It's hardly worth calling saving—only a small trick." Lin Hao looked at the old man before him, gave a light smile, and slowly shook his head. Hong Ling stood silently behind him, her ice-cold gaze sweeping over both of them in constant scrutiny.

"Uncle Gong, you're finally awake..." Seeing the old man revived, tears gushed suddenly from the girl's eyes. She clung to him tightly, weeping and sobbing. The old man let out a low sigh and gently stroked the girl's back, soothing her ceaselessly.

"Since the two of you are safe, I shall take my leave." Lin Hao looked at them, uncertain what he felt in his heart. After speaking flatly, he turned to leave, but the old man suddenly called out: "Immortal, please wait!"

"How do you know I am a cultivator?" Lin Hao was rather surprised at this, and looked at the old man with a strange expression. Hong Ling likewise turned her calm, icy gaze upon him, a faint murderous intent stirring around her.

"This..." When the old man met Hong Ling's gaze, terror flashed in his eyes, and a sensation like falling into an icy abyss rose in his chest! After a brief hesitation, he released the girl and knelt respectfully before the two, cupping his fists: "This one's name is Gong Qing. In years past, I was aided by an immortal and came to understand the power of such beings. Though I was a man on the brink of death, the Immortal reached out and saved me. I am endlessly grateful!"

Lin Hao nodded but said nothing, quietly watching the two, his thoughts unreadable. Seeing this, the old man gritted his teeth, and his heavy voice slowly emerged: "We are being hunted by old enemies, and they have even called in an immortal of their own. The Tang family, where I served, has likely been wiped out entirely by now. I humbly beg the Immortal to take Yun'er away with you, so that at least one bloodline of the Tang family may survive..."

"Why should I help you?" Lin Hao gave the old man a meaningful glance, his voice carrying not a trace of emotion.

"This..." The old man's heart grew bitter at once, and for a moment he could not find the words. But it was then that the young girl spoke, her face resolute as she looked at the old man, her voice somewhat hoarse: "I'm not going anywhere. Uncle Gong, wherever you go, I will follow you!"

Bang!

The old man looked at her, a flash of reluctance passing through his eyes. A single flick of his hand knocked her unconscious. Then a look of firm resolve entered his gaze, and he clasped his fists with utmost reverence toward Lin Hao: "Yun'er is kind-hearted by nature, but the two of us are truly at the end of our road. I am willing to offer up my flesh and blood as a puppet for the Immortal to refine—I only beg that the Immortal take this girl away!"

"Is it worth it?" Lin Hao stared at the old man before him, his gaze shifting like flickering flame, his voice unaffected and empty of emotion. Inwardly, he felt a pang of regret—with his perceptive mind, he could well understand the old man's unwillingness, but for this girl's sake he was still willing to give his very life. It must be, he thought, the pull of obsession.

"The old patriarch treated me with kindness as heavy as a mountain. I have little talent, but I gladly served at his side through all things. If the Tang family is destroyed and I cannot even protect the young miss, then even a thousand deaths will not set my heart at ease!" The old man, Gong Qing, gazed at the young girl sleeping beside him, a dim sorrow in his eyes. The weariness in his aged voice seemed to hold endless helplessness, transformed into a persistent unwillingness that permeated the air.

"Once you step onto the immortal path, it is as deep as the sea. Have you truly thought it through?" Lin Hao was silent for a time, then spoke in a low voice. Gong Qing slowly shook his head, his eyes full of bitter determination, and answered heavily: "This one... only wishes for the young miss to live... I beg the Immortal to permit this!"

"Very well, then you may leave. I, Lin, will let her choose for herself when she wakes." Lin Hao glanced at the old man kneeling in respectful obeisance before him, acknowledged him briefly, then turned and walked away. Hong Ling lifted the young girl into her arms and followed close behind Lin Hao.

"This great kindness, Gong Qing shall engrave deep in his heart! I kneel here in gratitude!" Watching the two retreating figures, the old man's gaze held a profound reluctance. After pressing his forehead solemnly to the ground in a final bow, the weight in his chest was finally somewhat eased.

"It is time... to go as well..." After a long while, long after the two had vanished from his sight, Gong Qing stood in the silent snow-filled night, letting out a sigh. A fierce aura radiated from his body, as if he were a drawn blade. With a strong, resolute look in his eyes, he turned and strode off into the distance...

At this moment, upon a cliffside, a figure in black and a figure in white stood still, side by side. They were none other than Hong Ling and Lin Hao.

"Master, I do not understand..." Hong Ling watched the fading back of Gong Qing as he departed, her brow slightly furrowed, her cool voice carrying the question. Lin Hao looked up at the bright white moon hung high in the sky, then spoke slowly: "Once you live within the mortal world, enmity and gratitude are as unfathomable as the sea. No matter what the Tang family has done, or what kind of man that one might be, this girl is innocent in all of it..."

After saying this, he seemed to think of something, and a look of emotion passed through his eyes. He recited softly, then continued in a gentle voice:

"Immortals are aloof, looking down on the mortal dust as if all living beings were ants; those who seek the Dao disdain the common world and turn their backs on its affairs... I, Lin Hao, would not be that way. I would rather walk the path of cultivation with an ordinary mortal heart... and tread a broad and open road beneath the bright sky..."