Wah Ling Yi’s slender fingers pulled on the zither strings, playing a sorrowful tune. The first note alone made Wun Fan and Wun Siu Lan’s hearts ache. Wah Ling Yi’s eyes were misty with tears as her white fingers continued to pluck the strings. The music didn’t ring by their ears, it echoed in their hearts; the resentment and the pain reaching them as clear as day. In just a few breaths, the tune turned into one of tragedy and betrayal under those skilful jade-white hands. The two looked heartbroken to hear it.
As her fingers continued to fly along the strings, a single tear slid down the performer’s cheek, splattering on the zither itself. The beautiful woman bit her lips and held back all her bitterness and pain, her hands rising dramatically as the zither notes rose and fell, telling the story of a certain love. A story of tumultuous love that faced the changing seasons and shifting winds, only to crumble to the expectations of the world.
The two listeners could seemingly see a pair of lovers before them, a pair of lovers who walked down an impossible path in the face of an intolerant world. However, the pressure was too much and one of them had no choice but to betray the other, and the lovers were forever separated.
The song ended; the lovers scattered.
The music stopped, but the longing never did.
Wun Fan couldn’t help but lament to himself, Gay lovers would have had a hard time even back in my previous life, let alone in this conservative Heaven’s Martial World.
Wun Siu Lan had been badly affected by the song. She was bawling her eyes out on Wun Fan’s shoulder. They were red and swollen, and she couldn’t stop choking up.
Wah Ling Yi slowly walked down the platform once she was done with the piece. She approached the two kids, taking out a silk handkerchief and calmly wiping the tears away as she did so. Her voice trembled a bit, but she did not seem embarrassed, “Sorry for such a poor display, Young Master Wun.”
“No, it’s fine, really.”
Wun Fan shook his head. The place was awkwardly quiet for a moment. He and Wun Siu Lan looked at each other, unsure of what to do. He was just a sixth-level Martial Disciple; he wouldn’t dare say anything about someone so powerful crying in front of him. Still, he wasn’t sure how best to react.
Wah Ling Yi stroked her raven hair. She could see a thread of white amongst the black strands and couldn’t help but exclaim, “The green mountain was not old, but it turned white for the snow.”
Wun Fan glanced at Wah Ling Yi’s face. She had immaculate features, perfect teeth, and an air of elegance beneath her seductive looks. She would not be short of romantic pursuers; in fact, her beauty could bewitch entire kingdoms. Yet, she let herself be troubled by loss and grief, inflicted by a cruel world. Wun Fan sighed, “The blue waters were not careworn, but they frowned for the wind.”
Wah Ling Yi’s hazy eyes gleamed and snapped back to focus when she heard what he said. She couldn’t help but laugh, “How old are you, kid?”
The lamentation in Wun Fan’s voice made her wonder if there was an old man’s soul residing in the little brat’s body.
Wun Fan shrugged and splayed his hands like he always did. His favourite pastime in his previous life was reading Buddhist sutras and classical poetry. He had some insights into the matter of romance.
“You don’t understand. Neither of you can. But I don’t want to understand either; I don’t dare to.”
Wah Ling Yi shook her head and sighed again.
Wun Siu Lan gulped and asked, “So…why didn’t the two of you press on? Live a simple life in the mountains alone with each other? No one could stop you from doing that!”
Wah Ling Yi smiled at Wun Siu Lan. She walked over and patted her on the head as she teased her, “Askers will always ask, but they will never find an answer, even if they continue asking for a hundred lives.”
Talk was always easy, but love was never as simple as one plus one. A ten-year-old girl couldn’t possibly understand this.
Just then, Wun Fan spouted, “To fly with a lone wing; a thousand miles perhaps, but never forever.”
Wah Ling Yi looked at Wun Fan with a different look in her eyes now. She chuckled as if she finally found someone who understood her. “Kid, quite the poet, aren’t you?”
“No, no, that is too much praise for someone like me,” Wun Fan responded by placing a hand over his fist in a show of humility, but his expression was clearly one of pride.
“Me and her…were destined not to be. The depths of love can only go so far.”
Wah Ling Yi took a big hit of her pipe, trying to numb her frustrations. She looked at the young boy and girl in front of her. They haven’t even lived thirty years with the two of them combined, yet here she was, telling them about her heartbreak and her struggles in romance. It was unbelievable.
She said nothing for a while after that and just stared at Wun Fan. He was still thinking about what she had said. It seemed like she was looking forward to Wun Fan’s answer a little too much. He’s just a teenager, so why did she feel that way? Wah Ling Yi thought to herself, What exactly are you doing, Wah Ling Yi? Are you actually hoping a kid can answer your frustrations?
However, she remembered what a certain someone had told her a year ago, while she was in the depths of her heartache, “Go to Green Sea Town of Naap-Lan Empire. There will come a day when that knot in your heart will be untied.”
That was why she had high expectations. She was looking forward to someone who could liberate her from her frustrations. Just as she was about to give up in disappointment, Wun Fan spoke again.
“Why love hard if fate is false; why bemoan fate if love is true?”
Wah Ling Yi seemed to understand something at that moment. Her confusion was lifted momentarily, but returned quickly as she frowned, “But why? It isn’t fair. Why can we not be together, even though we have such affinity? Why am I left to wander this world alone?”
Wun Fan smiled when he heard this. “Can I tell you a story?”
He continued before Wah Ling Yi could reply, “There once was a scholar who made a mutual promise with his lover to get married on a certain day. One day, his lover suddenly married another person instead. The scholar fell ill from the shock and was confined to his bed. At that time, a monk happened to pass by where he lived. The monk took out a Mirror of Past and Future Lives and beckoned the scholar to take a look. The scholar saw a vast sea and a woman’s corpse washed up on the shore. A passer-by spared no more than a glance; the next passer-by took off his coat and covered her body; the last passer-by dug a grave for the woman, buried her and left a tombstone. In her next life, she will repay her debt to the second passer-by, but the last passer-by is who she will have to spend her entire life to repay.”
Wah Ling Yi still looked confused after hearing the story. She lowered her head in thought, sometimes looking up in puzzlement. Wun Siu Lan was also confused and wanted to ask Wun Fan about the story when he put a finger on her lips. He leaned by her ear and whispered, “The only one that could untie the knot in her heart is herself!”
Wun Fan’s finger was on her lips and his breath was on her ears. Wun Siu Lan’s face turned red and her heart started to beat faster. Wun Fan had always loved to tell her stories ever since they were little. Those stories always contained some sort of revelation or philosophy about life that would help her get over her worries. This made Wun Fan even more mysterious and Wun Siu Lan even more curious about him.
Half a minute passed by in a flash. Wah Ling Yi’s aura suddenly surged as she let loose her soul energy. A gust rushed out of the shop, almost knocking over Wun Fan and Wun Siu Lan.
“Hahaha! I was the foolish one.” Wah Ling Yi raised her head and laughed boldly. She looked at Wun Fan with gleaming eyes. Was it all just wishful thinking on her part? Did she ever want to venture by her side for their entire lives?
Late last life, too early this one. You lament meeting me late, I lament meeting you early. Wah Ling Yi seemed to be on the cusp of understanding everything, but not nearly. She simply felt a wave of gratitude for the kid in front of her. She looked at the boy and seemed to have suddenly thought of something. She slapped herself on the forehead, then said, “Thanks, kid.”
Wah Ling Yi waved her hand and an object shot into Wun Fan’s hands.
“This is the Soul Revival Pill. It’s a medicine meant to mend the soul and greatly enhance its strength, but in a very gentle and harmless way. Even a Martial Disciple can use it. All you have to do is swallow it. However, there’s a limit to how strong an individual’s soul can be. The excess energy will simply be wasted.”
Wun Fan opened his palm and saw an intricate jade bottle sitting warm in his hand. He carefully uncorked the bottle. There was no trace of soul energy in the bottle, only a faint but pleasant smell. Wun Siu Lan took a sniff of the smell and immediately felt her dizziness from earlier vanish without a trace. She immediately asked, “Miss Waa, may I ask what grade this Soul Revival Pill is?”
“What grade?” Wun Fan looked confused.
“Martial Disciple, Martial Mortal, Martial Vassal, Martial Scholar, Martial Master, Innate Master, Martial Colonel, Martial General, Martial Spirit, Martial Black, Martial Gold and Martial King. Twelve realms, of which there are twelve corresponding grades of medicinal pills. Pills sold by low-level alchemists range from Grade One to Grade Three and typically cost less than several dozen silver. A Grade Four pill would be a big deal already, easily costing several gold coins. Meanwhile, a Grade Six pill would be useful even for Innate Martial Masters. Those are extremely valuable and often sell for thousands of gold coins in the auction houses.”
“If…”
Wun Siu Lan was thinking in her own mind as she explained the grade system. If this pill was capable of mending the soul and even enhancing its strength, it was probably a very high-Grade pill. After all, a martial artist’s training consists of combining their mental energy and aether to form soul energy. The amount of mental energy would determine the volume of soul energy that a person would be capable of wielding. The more mental energy that one has, the more likely one would reach a higher realm of training.
However, she was certain that this pill could help Wun Fan. It might even allow him to break free of the shackles that had kept him chained to the sixth level. Wun Siu Lan was shocked when she realised this. Who would’ve thought that Wah Ling Yi was not only immensely powerful, but also capable of giving out such high-Grade pills on a whim? Who exactly was she?
“It’s nothing much, really. It’s only a Grade Eight pill.” Wah Ling Yi picked at her nails, completely casual and unperturbed. Wun Siu Lan almost passed out in a fit when she heard this.631Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeFNR7Hm1F
