"Little friend, don't be afraid. We're good people, you know~"
The moment he fell into the abyss, everything before his eyes went black. In his daze, Xiao Kongtong heard a voice from his childhood memories.
It was a gentle woman's voice, belonging to a woman beautiful as a celestial maiden. Even after all these years, Xiao Kongtong still remembered her name.
"Big Sister Yue..."
As he softly called out, the scene before him warped, as though time had reversed, and he returned to his childhood.
The sensation of weightlessness vanished, and his feet touched solid ground.
Xiao Kongtong hurriedly lowered his head and raised his hands before his eyes. He saw two slightly chubby little hands clutching a rolled-up booklet. Had he truly returned to childhood? Sunlight cast its shadows, and the street teemed with people.
This was the familiar sight of Great Fortune Street. When he was young, he had come here a few times with Granny Hu from the orphanage, and the impression had remained deeply etched in his mind.
"At this time, I wasn't Xiao Kongtong yet. My name was... Kongzi?"
Xiao Kongtong unfolded the book rolled up in his hands. Its cover depicted an ancient sword cultivator riding a sword, his posture free and unrestrained, with the four words "August Poetry Collection" written upon it.
Printed beneath was his favorite line: "The sky stands one foot above Ba Zunan—who dares bear half a Qingju?"
"Teacher..."
Xiao Kongtong froze.
He realized something.
This was not a return to the past. Perhaps it was merely the final flash of light before death.
Yet he remembered even more clearly that it was on this very day, at this very moment, that he had encountered the turning point of his life and fate. He had met the legendary Eighth Sword