The three walked for another four days after leaving Bluestone Village. The markings on the map became increasingly blurry, and the mountain path became narrower and narrower. Sometimes the path would end, requiring them to detour to reconnect with it.
Bai Lingyu led the way, stopping every now and then to check the map and make sure they were on the right track.
On the evening of the fourth day, after crossing a mountain ridge, they saw a settlement in the valley below.
The village is small, and the houses are more scattered than in the previous two villages, as if they were built in a scattered manner according to the terrain.
There was no sign at the village entrance, no clear boundaries, only a dirt road worn into the ground leading into the village.
"Another place not on the map." Bai Lingyu put away the map. "Let's go take a look."
Upon entering the village, they quickly sensed that it was different from the other two villages. Unlike the previous two villages, the villagers did not look at the strangers as they entered; instead, they glanced at them and then lowered their heads, as if eager to leave.
Bai Lingyu tried to strike up a conversation with someone as usual, but the other person only gave a vague response and quickly made an excuse to leave.
Jiang Lin stood still, his gaze sweeping across the village, without rushing to say anything.
Bai Lingyu circled back and lowered her voice, saying, "There's a child in the village who had his Spirit Hall awaken its power. They said he has Soul Power, but he doesn't know what Martial Soul is—"
The people from the Spirit Hall said they 'couldn't find anything,' so they ignored him and didn't take him away. The villagers didn't know what to do; they dared not approach him, nor did they drive him away, they just left him there."
"How old are you?" Jiang Lin asked.
"I heard he's seven or eight years old, a bit older than A Shan. The villagers say he doesn't go out much and doesn't play with other children."
A Shan stood to the side listening without interrupting. But he glanced at Jiang Lin, as if waiting for him to say something.
Jiang Lin was silent for a moment, then turned to look at A Shan: " A Shan, go and see him."
A Shan was stunned for a moment. "Me?"
"You're about his age, and you've been through similar things. Your going would be more effective than mine," Jiang Lin said. "Don't rush into anything; first, see if he's willing to talk to you."
A Shan stood still, seemingly processing the arrangement. After a while, he nodded and walked in the direction the villagers pointed.
Bai Lingyu watched A Shan's figure disappear into the alleyway and muttered, "It's better for you to let him go than for you to go yourself."
Jiang Lin did not answer, but stood at the entrance of the village, looking in the direction where A Shan had left.
A Shan found a low house at the end of the alley. There were no vegetables growing or clothes hanging out to dry in front of the door, as if no one took care of it.
He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, stood at the door for a while, and gently knocked on the door.
The door opened a crack, but the person inside didn't come out; only one eye peeked at him.
"Who are you?" The voice was soft, tinged with wariness.
"My A Shan," A Shan said. "I'm just passing by... I heard you're like me."
There was silence for a long time behind the crack in the door. After a while, the door was opened slightly, revealing a thin face, a year or two older than A Shan, with somewhat unfocused eyes. He looked at A Shan, as if judging whether he was lying.
A Shan didn't speak immediately. He stood at the doorway, extending his left hand, palm up, the scales on it gleaming with a faint bluish-gray sheen in the sunlight.
"Look," A Shan said, "my Martial Soul is my left hand. People in the village used to think I was a monster and were afraid to play with me. Later, my master told me that it wasn't a monster, but a very rare Martial Soul called Body Martial Soul.'"
The child looked down at A Shan's left hand for a long time, then slowly extended his right hand. There was nothing on the back of his hand; it looked just like an ordinary person's hand.
A Shan glanced at the child's face again and noticed that the child's pupils seemed deeper than normal, as if they were hiding something.
He turned his head and glanced towards the alley entrance— Jiang Lin was standing at the village entrance, not coming over, just standing there quietly, like a tree.
The child followed his gaze to Jiang Lin, then looked away and asked A Shan, "... How did he know?"
"He was there before me," A Shan said. "Like me, his Martial Soul is his eyes. He can see things we can't, and he wanted to confirm what your Martial Soul is."
The child was silent for a moment, then said, "Then bring him to see me."
A Shan turned around and waved towards the village entrance. Jiang Lin saw A Shan's gesture and slowly walked over. He didn't rush to get closer, but stopped a few steps away, looked at the child, and then squatted down to look him straight in the eye.
"My name is Jiang Lin," he said. "May I take a look at your Martial Soul?"
The child hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Jiang Lin didn't touch him. He simply looked directly into the child's eyes, his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul slowly emerging from the depths of his eyes. A faint light shone from the depths of his pupils, covering his entire eye socket, as if he were looking at something that others couldn't see.
A few breaths later, he withdrew his gaze.
"You do have Martial Soul," Jiang Lin said, "But it Martial Soul in a place you can't see—your brain itself is your Martial Soul."
The child was stunned. "My... brain?"
"Yes," Jiang Lin said, "Your Martial Soul is your brain itself. It can perceive things that others cannot, and that's why you always feel like there's something separating you from the world around you."
Your Innate Soul Power is still there; it's just that the Spirit Hall hasn't been able to identify your Martial Soul because Martial Soul form isn't obvious.
Jiang Lin stood up, turned to look at Bai Lingyu Bai Lingyu stood a few steps away, not saying a word, her map already closed.
"We've found another one," Bai Lingyu said.
That night, Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu stayed in the village. A Shan sat quietly on Shitou in the courtyard, a few feet away from the child, without rushing to speak.
Jiang Lin came out of the house, carrying a bowl of hot water. He stood in the yard for a while, watching A Shan and the child sitting quietly a few feet apart. Neither of them spoke, but the silence was not awkward; it was as if two kindred spirits were confirming each other's existence.
He walked over, sat down on the other side of the threshold, placed the bowl of water on the ground, and then turned to the child, his voice neither loud nor soft. "Do you have a name?"
The child was silent for a moment, his gaze falling on his clasped hands, as if he hadn't been asked this question in a long time. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice very soft. "... My name is Yi Chen. Yi as in memory, Chen as in dust."
" Yi Chen," Jiang Lin repeated, nodding. "A good name."
Yi Chen looked up at him, her slightly deeper-set eyes holding something indescribable—as if being remembered by someone was already a foreign concept to her.
"Do you know why I came to find you?" Jiang Lin asked.
Yi Chen shook her head.
"Because your Martial Soul isn't nonexistent," Jiang Lin said. "It's always been there, just invisible to others. But I can see it. From now on, you'll follow me, and I'll teach you how to use it. Then you won't feel like there's a barrier between you and your surroundings anymore."
Yi Chen didn't answer immediately. He lowered his head, and after a long while, he softly hummed in agreement.
A Shan grinned quietly to himself, then turned his face away, pretending to look at the stars in the sky.
That night, the village was as quiet as if it were submerged underwater.
(I haven't been feeling well lately, so I haven't been able to update on time, and sometimes I even miss updates if I'm really not feeling well. Please forgive me.)
The two chapters I finish writing today may not be posted on time at 8 PM; it might be later in the evening. If I feel better the next day, I will continue to update and refine them. For example, yesterday's two chapters have been polished to the point that everyone can go back and take a look. Thank you for your understanding.