Old Tales of Yan Tian

That was a very long time ago.

So long ago that she had still been a child in her teens.

Her family had sold her to a place called the Yan Tian Sect. Mother had told her that only if she left home would her older and younger brothers have enough to eat, and only then could their family live properly.

Yes, "their" family, not "our" family...

Anyway, it did not matter. She knew her original family was poor. She was the only girl, and in her parents' eyes, her existence was worth less than her brothers'. She had overheard them talking about selling her countless times. If that Yan Tian Sect uncle had not bought her, then in a few years, once she had grown up a little, her parents would probably have promised her to the butcher's son in the village.

Now that they had sold her for such a good price, her parents were probably grinning from ear to ear.

So she had been bought. It was nothing more than struggling somewhere else; there was no difference.

That had been Yi Qingluan's initial thought.

She did not know what kind of place this was. She did not even know how to describe it.

The uncle who had bought her left alone after bringing her here. She was not the only child here either. There were around a hundred children of all ages, boys and girls alike.

Some, like her, were sallow and emaciated, dressed in ragged clothes.

Others wore splendid garments and looked as delicate as carved jade.

It was as though people from two different worlds had been thrown together.

They had entered this pitch-black place as the same batch. There was no sunlight here, yet they could clearly see every face around them.

Yi Qingluan found that strangeness rather frightening.

What were they supposed to do here? How could they leave this place? Or would this place become where they lived in the future?

Yi Qingluan felt that if she had to live here, she would rather return to where she had started.

Her thought from the road—that anywhere would do—was dismissed just like that.

Fortunately, a voice soon rang out.

Yi Qingluan could not tell where the voice came from, but she easily remembered what it said.

That person said they were all chosen children. That person said they would remain here for a year. That person also said that every day, each person would receive just enough food to stave off hunger. Then that person said that here, no matter what they did, no one would stop them.

However, to enjoy those conditions, they had to accept one requirement.

"Live by the most rational way of thinking."

Yi Qingluan softly repeated those words to herself.

She did not quite understand what they meant.

Still, if she could obtain food, she would probably obey any condition.

Three days had passed since the voice disappeared.

Yi Qingluan increasingly felt that this was a good place. Although there was no sunlight, she could clearly see everything around her. The temperature was neither hot nor cold, and even in the ragged clothes she had worn upon arriving, she had not felt the slightest chill.

After that, someone had specially distributed clothes to each of them. The material was far better than the coarse cloth she had worn before.

But what made Yi Qingluan happiest was the food distributed punctually every day.

What troubled her, however, was that she might have reached the growth period her parents had mentioned. The food sent by the Yan Tian Sect could only keep her from going hungry; it could not make her feel full.

Wait, what was she thinking?

Yi Qingluan hurriedly shook her head and banished that thought.

Being able to receive such treatment was already an unimaginably fortunate thing. How could she ask for something even better?

But just as she closed her eyes and muttered to herself, a voice sounded softly by her ear.

"Eat mine."

It was an especially pleasant voice. Yi Qingluan smelled the rich aroma of food. When she opened her eyes, she found a portion of food already placed before her.

She looked in surprise toward the source of the voice.

What kind of eyes were those?

Clear and glistening, beautiful as gemstones. The girl wore half a mask that covered the lower half of her face, making it impossible to see her full appearance.

Yet from those eyes alone, Yi Qingluan could tell how beautiful this girl, who was probably a few years younger than her, was.

"For... me?"

Yi Qingluan asked blankly.

"You should not be full after eating so little at your age." The girl's voice was calm. "Coincidentally, I have a small appetite. This is too much for me, so help me eat some of it."

"You could save it."

"I can't." The girl shook her head. "This food disappears on its own the next day."

Yi Qingluan had not known that. After all, during the previous three days, she had never left any food over.

"Then, I really can..." Yi Qingluan looked at the fragrant food before her and could not help pursing her lips.

"Eat." The girl nodded. "In a few days, if you still want to eat your fill, I'm afraid it will not be so simple."

Yi Qingluan did not understand what she meant.

But she probably meant that she would not share food with her in a few days. That was probably it.

Yi Qingluan did not understand, but the fact that this girl was willing to share with her now was already an act of great kindness. She could not push her luck.

Over the following days, the girl continued sharing her food with her. Gradually, Yi Qingluan moved to where the girl lived. Perhaps because the girl's personality was too aloof, Yi Qingluan was the only companion by her side.

But that was fine. Yi Qingluan did not like socializing with others either. If it was just the two of them, she could more or less accept that.

About half a month passed like that.

As time went by, the first truly serious conflict finally broke out among the hundreds of them.

Unlike their previous minor scuffles, the two sides began fighting when their argument reached its most heated point.

The scene was bloody. Watching the blood flow from the sidelines, Yi Qingluan could not help feeling afraid.

Apparently, the argument had started because one person had secretly eaten another's food.

The fight was decided quickly. The victor was the one who had stolen the food, and after winning, he directly took the loser's meal as well.

That struggle gave Yi Qingluan a bad feeling. She instinctively moved closer to the girl beside her. Though she still did not know her name, after these days together, she had truly become somewhat dependent on this girl who was several years younger than her.

Those beautiful eyes of hers were always so calm. That composure made people believe that she could handle anything.

Standing beside her truly made Yi Qingluan feel safe.

"It's starting."

Just as she moved closer, she suddenly heard the girl murmur.

Starting? What was starting?

Yi Qingluan curiously looked at her, but the girl only shook her head calmly and looked toward the distant sky.

Then, the next day, Yi Qingluan clearly noticed that her food seemed to have decreased somewhat.

She looked at the girl in confusion, wanting to see whether she was in the same situation.

The girl did not answer. As usual, she handed Yi Qingluan enough food.

It seemed to be an accident.

Then she would see what happened tomorrow.

Over the next few days, the food gradually decreased. The atmosphere among the hundred people grew increasingly restless, as if something were constantly brewing, ready to erupt at any moment.

Arguments gradually began to appear, changing from verbal disputes into fierce fights, from bruised faces to broken heads and flowing blood.

Then...

Someone died.

Afterward, a saying spread through the crowd.

"The most rational way of thinking is self-interest."

From then on, bloody battles began one after another.

They seemed to agree with those words. To fill their stomachs, they began using all kinds of methods to fight others.

Ambushes, provocations, deliberately starting trouble.

The atmosphere in this space changed completely.

The food continued to decrease, but no one paid attention to that anymore. They only knew they could seize other people's food, allowing themselves to eat their fill.

Gradually, even eating one's fill became merely an excuse. What did being full matter? Being able to indulge was the true principle.

They gorged themselves and monopolized all food resources. They could waste as much as they pleased, yet they would not spare a glance for those about to starve to death.

Because the rational way of thinking was self-interest.

If I did not act for myself, then it meant I had not obeyed the condition.

That would not do.

Perhaps it had been an excuse at the beginning, but now that the flames of conflict had been lit, it became the iron law for survival in this space.

Half a year passed, and the population plummeted.

More than half of the original hundreds were gone.

Yi Qingluan and the girl had faced such provocations as well, but perhaps because the girl had often given her food before, Yi Qingluan's physique gradually improved until she was healthier than many people here.

Then the girl taught her many techniques useful in fights. Among these hundreds, Yi Qingluan's combat ability could be called exceptionally formidable.

As time passed, her gratitude toward the girl named Luo Yuwei grew ever deeper.

If not for her, Yi Qingluan would probably have become one of those starving ghosts by now.

The dead did not find peace simply because they died. Over those six months, Yi Qingluan saw starving people eat corpses raw more than once.

But fortunately, both she and Luo Yuwei survived.

If the first month of that year could still be called paradise for them, then every second of the following eleven months became hell.

The stench of blood lingered for a long time, and they often ate while smelling rotting corpses.

War, disease, scheming against one another.

All kinds of revolting things occurred among those mere hundreds of people. If hell truly existed, it was probably much like this.

During that year, the person Yi Qingluan trusted most was Luo Yuwei beside her.

She always maintained that calm expression, as though everything before her had been within her expectations.

Then, on the day the year ended, only a little over twenty remained of the hundreds.

That night, Yi Qingluan finally could not help asking Luo Yuwei, "Why did you help me back then?"

Without Luo Yuwei's initiative in giving her food, Yi Qingluan probably would never have made it to this day.

"I didn't help you."

Luo Yuwei answered calmly. "I was only helping myself."

"What do you mean?"

Yi Qingluan was slightly stunned.

Luo Yuwei merely glanced at her with those beautiful eyes, then continued looking toward the space gate that was about to open as she spoke in the calmest tone.

"I have not been in good health since childhood. In this place without Spiritual energy, where physical ability determines combat strength, if I truly fought someone head-on, I would only be the one who lost. So, I needed someone to protect me."

"So..." Yi Qingluan pursed her lips. "That person was me?"

"Yes. You were older and physically stronger, only somewhat thin and weak. As long as you ate more, you would recover quickly."

"Then why me?"

Yi Qingluan asked, filled with confusion. There had clearly been so many people here at the time.

"Because..." Luo Yuwei turned her head and glanced at her. "You were rather foolish. Foolish people are easier to use."

"..."

She had clearly been insulted, so why did Yi Qingluan not feel angry at all?

She even felt somewhat... fortunate.

Fortunate that she was foolish?

"So you don't need to be so grateful to me. Everything I did before was to confuse you and use you. Now that the year is over, our relationship can end."

"..."

How should she put it?

Although Luo Yuwei had frankly revealed her purpose, why did Yi Qingluan feel even more reluctant to leave her?

Yi Qingluan did not actually like all kinds of grand principles. She only knew what she believed was right.

Luo Yuwei had saved her life. That was certain.

Luo Yuwei had honestly told her the truth. That was also certain.

Luo Yuwei was very smart. That, of course, was certain too.

How should she put it? Throughout that year, Yi Qingluan had basically followed Luo Yuwei's advice when doing anything. Advice that was accepted completely was not advice; it was an order.

In other words, throughout that year, she had lived entirely by Luo Yuwei's orders.

Without Luo Yuwei, Yi Qingluan probably would not even know what to do.

So...

"I've decided."

Yi Qingluan said with a radiant smile, "I'll stay by your side from now on."

"Won't you regret it?" As if she had expected that answer, Luo Yuwei said, "Someone like me might sell you off at any time."

"Then sell me off. It wouldn't be the first time anyway."

Yi Qingluan smiled. "If I get sold again this time, I'll find somewhere to bury myself."

"Why?"

This was the first time Luo Yuwei had shown that she had a question.

"Because I'm afraid that next time, I won't meet someone willing to share her food with me."

At that moment, the space gate slowly opened. The light streaming in made Yi Qingluan's smile appear especially radiant.

"By the way, I've never understood it. What is the rational way of thinking you believe in?"

Like a student desperately asking for key points before an exam, Yi Qingluan seemed to remember something and hurriedly asked Luo Yuwei.

Luo Yuwei closed her eyes, blocking the blinding sunlight.

As for that so-called rational way of thinking, Luo Yuwei had actually understood it very clearly—she had understood it thoroughly from the moment she was born.

"Absolute Rationality."

This was the word spoken by the Heavenly Supreme who had traded her away from the Luo God Clan.

Now, faced with Yi Qingluan's question, she merely opened her eyes slowly and answered, "Anything I didn't dislike."

Afterward, the spatial gate opened completely, and the surviving children were taken away by the elders assigned to them.

The one who took Luo Yuwei away was said to be the Sect Leader of the Yan Tian Sect.

The two of them parted ways then, not meeting again until three years later.

By then, Luo Yuwei had become the Saintess of the Yan Tian Sect and its future Sect Leader, while Yi Qingluan had gradually lost her former liveliness beneath the cleansing of the Spirit Obscuring Soul Cleansing Melody.

Later, she became her maid. From then on... no, from even earlier than that, her words had become the path Yi Qingluan walked for the rest of her life.

Many people did not know.

In Yi Qingluan's heart,

"Luo Yuwei" would always come before the "Yan Tian Sect."