A Lamp Flame Like a Bean

Within the cave abode of Golden Ao Mountain.

Su Yao sat cross-legged on the futon, his eyes slightly closed, the wood energy of the Jia Wood slowly flowing through his body, nourishing his meridians in circles.

Suddenly, his eyebrows twitched slightly.

A very slight touch came from the Soul-Losing Radiant Fire Formation, as if someone were gently knocking on a door with their fingertips. The visitor had no ill intentions, but there was an inexplicable "stagnation" in their aura, like a hidden reef suddenly appearing in flowing clouds and water.

Su Yao opened his eyes, got up and pushed open the stone door of the cave abode. The heavy snow outside had just stopped, and the moonlight fell on the snow, giving it a very faint silver glow. He did not go through the mountain gate, but moved and stepped into the Great Void from the back mountain.

In the Great Void, a figure stood with his hands behind his Soul-Losing Radiant Fire Formation.

The man was dressed in gold, with a silent golden bell at his waist, and a faint, flickering mark of Profound Qi between his brows. But what was most striking was the intertwining and flowing of moon-white True Qi and gray-purple Profound Qi around him, like two rivers that refused to yield to each other, surging and tearing within that small patch of skylight.

It was Yang Xiu.

He stood outside the formation, his gaze fixed on the faint Jade Pure One- pure immortal light on Golden Ao Mountain, having stood there for an unknown amount of time. The wind blew through his golden robes, causing them to flutter wildly, yet his figure remained as if nailed to the Great Void, unmoving.

Su Yao stepped out of the formation and stopped three zhang in front of Yang Xiu.

"Fellow Daoist Yang."

Yang Xiu did not turn around.

Su Yao watched his back. His back was still upright, but his shoulders seemed a little heavier than usual.

He waited a while, and was about to speak again, when Yang Xiu suddenly turned around.

The moonlight poured down from above, illuminating his handsome face in half-light and half-shadow, making the gloom between his brows almost tangible. But his eyes held something more than Su Yao remembered, a calmness that seemed to come from finally making some kind of decision.

"Brother Su," Yang Xiu said, his voice low and hoarse, "Let's go to your cave abode for a chat. There's a secret I need to tell you in person."

Su Yao glanced at him for a moment, then nodded.

"Good."

The two entered the cave abode behind the mountain one after the other, and the stone door slowly closed behind them.

Only a single lamp flickered in the cave. Su Yao sat down on a futon, while Yang Xiu sat on the ground opposite him, separated by the lamplight, which danced and flickered on their faces.

No one spoke first. The lamp wick snapped open with a "pop," and then silence returned.

Yang Xiu lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously stroking the golden bell at his waist, again and again. The bell spun slightly between his fingers, but remained silent. Su Yao noticed that his fingertips were a little tense, and his knuckles were slightly white.

After an unknown amount of time, Yang Xiu finally spoke slowly, his voice even hoarser than before:

"Brother Dao, do you still remember when we parted ways before Golden Ao Mountain after the True Lord was reincarnated? I told you that the Supreme True Person Immortal had issued a decree, bestowing upon me the Dharma gate, and that I had entered seclusion."

Su Yao nodded.

Yang Xiu lowered his eyes and looked at his outstretched palm. On that palm, the moon-white True Qi and the gray-purple Profound Qi were still intertwined, like two rivers that refused to give way to each other.

"That method originates from True Martial Mountain."

His voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of being overheard.

Su Yao didn't reply, but just looked at him quietly.

Yang Xiu continued, "The 'Mysterious Heaven True Martial Divine Body'. After mastering it, one can condense the True Martial Divine Body, suppressing evil and vanquishing demons, impervious to all evil spirits. The Divine True Path is based on Divine Spirits, inheriting from my Profound Qi, yet completely different. Profound Qi draws in calamities and brings down tribulations, while Divine Spirits suppress calamities and protect against disasters; one draws, the other suppresses, combining strength and gentleness. When mastered, it is three times more ferocious than most other Dharma Bodies in the Xuanmen."

He paused, as if chewing on something extremely difficult to swallow.

"Along with the Dharma, I was also bestowed a spiritual object of True Qi, the Tortoise-Snake United True Essence. The Xuanwu lineage was formed by nourishing it with the Mysterious Heaven True Water for ten thousand years. This is to allow me to quickly cultivate this Dharma body."

"My senior brother said at the time that the imperial edict arrived suspiciously. The Second Master of the Sect originally wanted to handle it personally, but before he even left Jade Void Palace, he was stopped by the Lord of Yuanfu. When the imperial edict arrived, there was no one to discuss it with. I, Golden Court... dare not..."

He withdrew his hand, placed his palm on his knee, and finally raised his head to look at Su Yao.

"Brother Daoist, I have practiced the techniques of True Martial Mountain."

There was a moment of silence in the cave.

"All these years I've avoided you, avoided Zilin, avoided all of you. I was afraid you'd find out." Yang Xiu's voice trailed off, "But then I thought, with Brother Su's intelligence, you'd find out sooner or later..."

Su Yao's gaze fell on Yang Xiu's face, calm as still water.

"So that's why you didn't dare use your Dharma Body at the confluence of the two rivers that time," Su Yao said slowly. "So that's why you were on guard against something when you were sending telepathic messages to strategize in the Great Void. That's why you fought so hesitantly despite having many methods at your disposal."

Yang Xiu nodded.

"Karma Enshrouds the Body," he whispered. "After I mastered the second Divine Ability, ' Karma Enshrouds the Body, ' I could use karmic power to conceal the aura around my body. But even so, the traces of my True Qi Dharma Body still couldn't be hidden. That time in the Great Void, whenever I used my physical body, the Li Fire would force my True Qi out. That's why I dared not."

He paused, his voice lower:

"I came to see you this time because I'm already Karma Enshrouds the Body, and I can temporarily suppress that layer of True Qi. But it's only temporary. Once I fight, once I get injured, once my emotions surge, that layer of True Qi will leak out."

"That's why you haven't come to Golden Ao," Su Yao said.

"I'm afraid you'll see," Yang Xiu said, his voice tinged with a faint bitterness. "I'm afraid Brother Su will see, I'm afraid Zilin will see, I'm afraid everyone will see. Golden Court Daozi, a disciple of the Jade Pure One Sect, has cultivated the methods of True Martial Mountain. I have no face to see you."

The cave was silent. The lamp flame flickered again.

Su Yao remained silent for a long time.

He didn't speak immediately, nor did he show any surprise. He simply looked at Yang Xiu quietly, his gaze deep and calm, as if he were trying to discern something, or perhaps confirm something.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Yang Xiu, I have a question for you."

Yang Xiu raised his eyes.

"Did you choose to practice this method yourself?"

Yang Xiu shook his head.

"Then what is your purpose in practicing this Daoist art?"

Yang Xiu did not answer.

"It's for survival," Su Yao answered for him, "It's to have more skills and do more things in this chaos."

He paused, but his voice remained calm.

"The Dharma of True Martial Mountain is the sword. The sword is in your hand; what you use it for is your business. If you use it to protect people, it is the sword that protects people. If you use it to protect your path, it is the sword that protects the path. The sword has no good or evil; it is people who do."

Yang Xiu's fingers curled slightly.

"You held off that Purple Mansion Middle Stage at the confluence of the two rivers, you blocked the Purple Mansion Middle Stage demon king, and you forced the demon king back with the Great Yang Killing Light. What were you thinking when you did these things?"

Yang Xiu remained silent upon hearing this, but simply raised his head and looked at Su Yao.

"You were thinking of stalling them until I emerged from the pass. You were thinking of preventing those demons from harming the people of Nanzhao." Su Yao looked at him. "You were never thinking of Golden Court or Jade Pure One."

"You have never lived for any particular lineage; you have lived for yourself. No matter what methods you cultivate, or what additional energy you possess, you are still Yang Xiu, and will always be Yang Xiu."

The cave fell silent again.

The lamplight flickered, and Yang Xiu's eyes were slightly red, but the gloom that had always weighed on his brow seemed to have thinned a bit under the lamplight.

"Brother Dao..." he said softly, "You're right. But there are some things I just can't say to myself."