Chapter 20: Internal Strife and External Threats

Murong Xue’s words plunged me into deep contemplation.

“You originally belonged to this world, but because your body was destroyed, your remnant soul crossed through time and space. The twenty-first century you speak of is not your true world. I know you will return eventually, because you still cannot let go of Zixia.” Am I not a person of the twenty-first century? Am I not? No, I am! I am, without a doubt, a person from the twenty-first century; I am an Earthling. I calmed myself and said to Murong Xue, “Miss Murong, maybe I resemble your lover, but I truly am not him. I think you must be mistaken. I came to warn you: Ye Yun is planning to deal with you. I hope you can handle it. I’ll be leaving Fenglan City in the next couple of days, but when I have time I’ll come visit you.” With that, I strode out of the courtyard.

I decided not to participate in the martial arts tournament. I thought I should return to the Broken Heart Cliff, and see my master as well.

Perhaps Murong Xue’s story had stirred up long-suppressed feelings deep inside me; at this moment, I longed to see them: Yu Jing, Zhang Lei, Xu Lin, Xu Qinghuan, Xiao Xiangzi, Xiao Xiang Ke’er—those friends I met when I first arrived in this world. Are you all well? Without lingering, I hurriedly bid farewell to Lan Yue, then headed directly for the desert; to reach the Broken Heart Cliff, I had to pass through a barren expanse of sand.

Lan Yue’s expression was complicated as she said goodbye, as if she had much she wished to say. I helped her tidy her hair and said, “Don’t worry, I will come back.” With my sharp observation skills, I knew Lan Yue liked me. In truth, I liked her too, but that could only go so far; I had Xu Qinghuan, and I could not cross the line. Then I went to say goodbye to Chen Yu. This little girl still wore that expression as if the sky could collapse and nothing would faze her; it left me speechless. I couldn’t help but wonder: in the twenty-first century, few women liked me, but since crossing over, so many legendary beauties were throwing themselves at me. Is it really that the women of the twenty-first century are too pragmatic? I went to the town, bought a horse, prepared some simple provisions, and planned to set out the next day. Chen Yu spent the whole day shopping with me. In the evening, she invited me to stay at her house. I feigned terror: “What do you want from me?”

Chen Yu adopted a haughty demeanor and said, “Fine, don’t stay if you don’t want to. I’m kind enough to take you in, and you don’t appreciate it. What could I do to you anyway? I really don’t understand what goes on in your head.”

I coughed lightly. “Just joking, beautiful. Actually, if you really want to do something to me, I wouldn’t mind, haha.”

Laughing and joking, we arrived at Chen Yu’s large courtyard. I pushed open the door and entered the house. The sky was growing dark. To send me off, Chen Yu slaughtered the only hen in the yard that laid eggs. The clatter of pots and pans drifted from the kitchen, and soon a sumptuous dinner was ready. I took out some aged wine I’d bought in town and tore into a chicken leg. Chen Yu, for once, drank with me. The more we drank, the more we talked, and we chatted on and on until midnight. I fell asleep at the table, and in the morning was awakened by a barrage of curses.

“Who stole my hen!”

I broke out in a cold sweat. This girl, Chen Yu, really… I jolted awake, and my hand landed on something soft. Chen Yu had actually slept with me last night. She was still sleeping soundly. I hurriedly packed my bundle, led my horse, and left the courtyard.

A cold wind blew, and leaves swirled in the air. I tightened my thin coat. Is it autumn already? How quickly time passes; another autumn has come. I wonder how my master is doing. Having a horse makes all the difference, and this one was particularly spirited. Two hours later, I was deep in the desert. If all went well, I’d be out in another hour. As I was lost in the beauty of the endless sand, my horse stumbled, and I was caught off guard, landing face-first in the sand.

Spitting out the gritty sand, I stood up and suddenly felt a chill on my back. Instinctively, I crouched low as a black, spherical object flew over my head. When it landed, it rapidly expanded and closed in on me. In panic, I looked back for my horse, but it was nowhere to be seen. The ground was covered in a dense swarm—what else could they be but ants? Yet these ants were enormous, the smallest the size of a rat.

In moments, my poor horse was reduced to a pile of bones. I realized I had encountered bloodthirsty ants, a mid-level creature with average attack power. The real problem was their sheer numbers; I couldn’t possibly fend them off. I spotted a gap and ran for my life. I don’t know how long I ran, but eventually I felt I’d left their territory. Looking back, several black spheres were rolling toward me at high speed.

“Damn, they really are relentless!” I cursed and kept running. At last, when I felt sure the ants had stopped chasing me, I sat down, panting heavily. Indeed, they did not pursue me further. I took out my water bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls. Just as I was about to continue on my way, a massive tornado swept in from the distance. One disaster after another! Run!

Fortunately, my speed had improved considerably, and I narrowly avoided the tornado. It resembled the one I’d encountered before, but this time I thought I glimpsed a huge black dragon within it. Looking carefully, it was indeed a dragon. No wonder last time Big Hammer had mentioned the word “dragon” when seeing the tornado. Could it really be the legendary dragon? I never expected to actually see one. But why would a dragon be inside a tornado? Shouldn’t it be flying among the clouds? As I watched the tornado recede, I was baffled. Just as I was about to turn away, I saw the tornado gradually turn blacker and blacker. Was it heading for the bloodthirsty ants?

Well, it’s none of my concern. My journey was more important. With no mount, I had to walk. At last, before the sun set, I arrived at the Broken Heart Cliff. It was unchanged from before: birdsong, flowers, lush trees. Only the occasional falling leaf reminded people of autumn’s arrival. As I reached the base of the cliff, I groped my way like a blind man, for Xiao Xiangzi had laid a transparent barrier here.

I searched for a long time, found nothing, but arrived before Xiao Xiangzi’s courtyard. Odd—the barrier was gone. Had something happened? I quickened my pace to the gate, gently pushed it, and it opened. I strode into the house.

“Brothers, I’m back!” I shouted with excitement. Yu Jing, Zhang Lei, Xu Qinghuan, Xu Lin, and Xiao Xiang Ke’er were all there. Seeing me return, everyone was delighted; they poured tea, invited me to sit, and inquired warmly. It felt especially heartwarming. Suddenly, I noticed Xiao Xiangzi was absent. After a sip of tea, I asked, “Where is Senior Xiao Xiang?”

Everyone fell silent, heads bowed, saying nothing. Xiao Xiang Ke’er quietly shed a few tears.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Senior Xiao Xiang?”

“Yu Jing, tell me, what on earth happened?” I shook Yu Jing’s shoulders urgently.

Yu Jing slowly turned away. “Master…”

“Dead?” The thing I least wanted to happen had happened. I hoped those around me would live happily and safely. Senior Xiao Xiang’s death was something I could hardly accept.

Zhang Lei spoke up. “Brother Yun Fei, who told you Senior Xiao Xiang was dead?”

“What? He’s not dead? Then why are you all so sad? What’s going on?”

Xiao Xiang Ke’er wiped her tears and said, “Father was taken by a man in black.” She broke down again. Yu Jing went over, patted her shoulder, then turned to me. “Master was injured by a man in black while saving Ke’er. Now his fate is uncertain.”

“A man in black?” I asked.

“Yes, an old man over fifty,” Xu Qinghuan replied.

“Do you know where they went?” I regretted asking such a foolish question as soon as I said it. I coughed, embarrassed. “Don’t worry, everyone. Senior Xiao Xiang is blessed; he’ll be all right. The most urgent thing now is to find clues to the whereabouts of the man in black. Perhaps Senior Xiao Xiang left us some clues.”

“Let’s hope so,” Yu Jing sighed. As night fell, we still had to eat. Xiao Xiang Ke’er went to the kitchen, and Xu Qinghuan called me outside. She took my hand and led me deep into the woods without saying a word. Suddenly, she stood on tiptoe and kissed me. This girl was ambushing me, but of course I didn’t resist. After the passionate kiss, Xu Qinghuan shyly lowered her head, and I pulled her into my arms. She gently pushed me away and said, “Something happened to Senior Xiao Xiang, and I suspect there’s a traitor among us.”

“What? How do you know?” I asked in surprise. “Who is it?” Internal strife was the last thing I wanted to see. Back in the twenty-first century, I was often assigned to investigate gang conflicts. When handling cases, those seemingly friendly colleagues would compete for credit, and when facing tough cases, they’d all shrink back.

“Zhang Lei,” Xu Qinghuan said coldly.