"Got it, got it. I'll go talk to Master."
"Senior brother, let me go. You'd better stay out of it~" Belle held Xu An back. Xu An thought for a moment and said nothing, simply stepping aside to let Belle do the talking.
Xu An went out instead.
He planned to bring back some food.
After all, from what Xu An knew of Yixuan, how could she fall apart over a few little things? Impossible. Wasn't everyone underestimating Master's strength of mind?
Xu An smiled and shook his head. Chewing on a freshly bought snack, he sat on Yixuan's roof and ate.
"Mm~ I'd better save some for Master."
Xu An ate as he waited for the two below to finish talking.
"My older sister and I were orphans who wandered the streets from childhood, surviving by rummaging through trash cans and begging.
"But even in our hardest moments, we never abandoned each other.
"We once promised to live well together and see the vast world beneath the sunlight." Seemingly lost in her memories, Yixuan's gaze grew unfocused.
"But later, after she joined the sect, everything seemed to change.
"And it all began with that Qingming Sword."
"The Qingming Sword? What's that?" Belle asked in confusion.
"The Qingming Sword is a secret treasure of our Mount Yunkui sect. It can grant its wielder the combat strength of a Void Hunter for a short time.
"Exceptional wielders can even briefly surpass that limit.
"Every sect leader receives the Qingming Sword as the symbol of our sect when they take office."
"Mount Yunkui actually has such a powerful secret treasure? Then it must come at a considerable price." Belle's expression turned serious, and she grew a little worried about her master.
"Indeed. As you said, the Qingming Sword has extremely severe side effects.
"If overused, it can even consume the wielder's memories and five senses... and finally, their life itself.
"My master overused it during an emergency mission and ultimately died from exhaustion."
"It consumes your senses and memories?! The Qingming Sword actually comes at such a terrible price!" There was a hint of sorrow in Belle's voice.
"The day my sister Yijiang became sect leader and accepted that sword, I made a promise with her... we would never repeat that mistake.
"So I studied the Taoist arts of the Qingming Bird with her, all to suppress the Qingming Sword's side effects.
"Although my sister grew busier by the day after becoming sect leader, every stroke of the talisman arts on it was something she created together with me.
"My sister told me that as long as the Qingming Bird was by my side, it would be as though she were beside me.
"She also promised me that she would never sacrifice herself to save others like our master had.
"But... on the day the Old Capital fell... she broke her promise to me."
A trace of sorrow appeared on Yixuan's face as she recounted what had happened on the day the Old Capital fell.
"When the Old Capital fell, my sister kept using the Qingming Sword to save Eridu, risking her life to protect the victims.
"By the time I reached her, she had already pushed herself far beyond her limits, yet she kept wielding the Qingming Sword... until the very last moment of her life.
"I could only watch as she died before my eyes.
"After its wielder died, the Qingming Sword's power ran wild, engulfing everything around it.
"My last memory was of my sister looking at me blankly, then asking me-who are you?" At this point, Yixuan's voice trembled slightly.
"My sister... seemed to have completely forgotten me."
"How could that happen..." Listening beside her, Belle felt as though she could see that scene, the person closest to her forgetting her before dying.
"When I was suffering from Corruption earlier, I could only relive those fragments of memory over and over.
"The sister in my memories always looked at me with those empty eyes, murmuring questions about who I was...
"My sister seemed to say something to me before she died, but... because I was caught in the Qingming Sword's power, I can no longer remember it clearly."
"I... sometimes really want to remember, to find out exactly what she said to me. I don't know whether, in that last moment before her death, she felt even a trace of regret..."
"Although what happened to my sister back then pains me, and I even find it hard to accept... she left me behind, only to meet such a bleak end. Was it all really worth it?
"Then, recently, I returned to Waifei Peninsula and saw the people my sister had saved.
"They were struggling, working hard to live... and though they were in a sorry state, their faces still held smiles and hope.
"My sister made all of that possible.
"Although I don't understand why my sister abandoned me and our promise, I now feel... at the very least, I cannot let them down, or let her sacrifice go to waste."
"Master! You mean?" Belle asked in astonishment.
"Tell everyone to gather at the entrance to Yunkui Summit... it's time to end all of this."
Belle turned and got moving.
Sitting on the roof, Xu An gazed at the moon hanging high in the sky.
It wasn't very bright, but it still lit up the scenery enough to see.
Then he jumped down and walked into the room.
"Master? Have something sweet (◍•ᴗ•◍)." After handing Yixuan the osmanthus cakes, Xu An turned and left, giving his master no grounds to refuse.
Yixuan looked at the osmanthus cakes in her hands and took a deep breath, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
"At least... I have all of you now."
Soon, at the temple entrance.
"Everyone! Something terrible has happened... quite a few workers have entered the Hollow to attend the protest rally.
"I tried hard to persuade them, but no one would listen!
"There are even rumors that I took bribes from Hui Crystal Meike. Hardly anyone is willing to trust me anymore." Eric spoke agitatedly, only to grow dejected as he continued. "Right now, we're the only ones who came here."
"Damn it... there really is still someone pulling the strings in the Order. Even with Dr. Lor dead, their plan is still moving forward," Ju Fufu said, fuming.
"What should we do? Should we find a way to sneak into the rally and stop them?
"But Master isn't in good health right now. Can just the few of us really manage it?" Pan Yinhu asked anxiously.
"Senior brother, don't panic yet. Master asked everyone to gather at the entrance. She has something to say."
They hurried to the entrance. Xu An stood behind Yixuan as the two waited for everyone, crumbs of osmanthus cake still clinging to the corner of Yixuan's mouth.
Xu An pointed at the corner of his own mouth. Yixuan raised an eyebrow, wiped hers with her hand, then wiped her hand on Xu An.
?O_o? Master, is this how you repay kindness? I bought those osmanthus cakes for you!
Xu An roared inwardly, but there was nothing he could do. Meeting Yixuan's gaze, he could only submit to his master's tyranny.
"Master! Are you feeling all right now?" Ju Fufu stepped forward with concern.
"Yes, there's no need to worry.
"Belle told me what happened, but what Dr. Lor said was indeed true.
"When the Old Capital fell, Yijiang, the twelfth sect leader, led the disciples into the Hollow to save people... in the end, I was the only survivor.
"Our Mount Yunkui has already sacrificed too much to save others.
"But today, our Mount Yunkui faces the same problem once again.
"The Order's officiant has been laying plans within Lemnian Hollow for a long time. If we of Mount Yunkui rush into the Hollow, a fierce battle will be unavoidable.
"Some disciples might even lose their lives inside the Hollow while saving others...
"Our Mount Yunkui will not repeat the same mistake and pay such a painful price again," Yixuan said gravely.
"Master? D-do you mean we're just going to leave it alone?" Ju Fufu, with one head rivaling three bumbling fools, blurted out nonsense.
"No, I will not repeat the previous sect leader's mistake... if the situation turns against us, all of you disciples are to withdraw from the Hollow immediately. Only I need to remain.
"As Yixuan, the thirteenth sect leader, I will carry on the previous sect leader's final wishes...
"I will do everything in my power to eradicate the Order's remnants and restore peace to Waifei Peninsula.
"On the night the Old Capital fell eleven years ago, the members of Mount Yunkui all descended the mountain to save those in need. So it was then, and so it shall be tonight."
"Shiyuan, stay behind to protect Wise so he can focus on navigating. Also, keep an eye on the citizens in the city," Yixuan instructed.
Ye Shiyuan showed no dissatisfaction at being left behind again. "Understood. If the Order causes trouble in the city or incites the citizens, I'll deal with them."
"Good. I'll leave that to you, then. The rest of you, once you're ready, come with me," Yixuan said.
"Always ready!" Xu An shouted excitedly.
They quickly got moving.
Not long afterward, deep within Lemnian Hollow.
"Belle, I've reached the rally site and explained the situation to everyone.
"I've persuaded a lot of people to leave, but some still refuse. We need to find a way to make them believe us." Wise controlled Eous while keeping in contact with Belle over the communicator.
"There are a lot of Corruption condensates nearby. I suspect the Order deliberately placed them here... I keep feeling that they're concealing something."