Perhaps, he mused, was she merely testing his courage!
Having understood everything, he finally realized his rashness, regretting his impulsiveness and how he almost fell prey to the demoness, mistaking a good person for an enemy.
However, how could he possibly make her save his sister Liu? Only the head of the Myriad Ghost King would suffice.
With newfound clarity, he mustered his courage, drew his sword once more, and walked out of the house.
Unbeknownst to him, two figures stood atop the rooftop, observing his retreating back and conversing.
Jin Yu Lan expressed her concern.
"Though this lad's abilities are not inferior to the Snow Blade Duo, he is still outmatched against the Myriad Ghost King. Sending him alone is likely sending him to his death."
Liu Xiang, dismissive, gazed coldly at the departing figure.
"I understand Liu Mu Ye's sense of justice. I wonder if it will be she who kills this former friend, or if this so-called friend will kill her."
Hearing Liu Xiang's words, I realized that either outcome was disadvantageous to me, and he had presented me with a difficult dilemma.
...
Black Mountain, shrouded in swirling mist, greeted the dawn.
Liu Shi Nian rose early, sword in hand. He gently closed the door, his dejected expression revealing his lingering inability to accept the situation.
Suddenly, a sword strike came his way. He swiftly raised his own to block, but the incoming blade artfully bypassed his guard.
Liu Shi Nian then ducked and sidestepped, evading the attack, and lunged forward. Their swords met.
"It's you?"
As their blades clashed, Liu Shi Nian recognized the attacker.
Xue Gu Cheng sheathed his sword and asked,
"Are you still leaving?"
Liu Shi Nian gazed wistfully into the distance and said softly,
"You know my grievances with the Myriad Ghost King."
"Indeed. Then do you not intend to bid farewell to Mu Ye?"
"No. If I were to see her, I fear I would lose my resolve."
"Then allow me to escort you."
"There is no need. Farewell."
His decisiveness and determination showed he had made a grave decision.
Xue Gu Cheng watched him descend the stairs, sighing with resignation.
"Liu Shi Nian!"
As he passed through the garden, he suddenly heard someone call his name.
He stopped and turned back, stunned.
"Since you are leaving, why didn't you say goodbye?"
Seeing me, his sorrowful face grew even more troubled. For a moment, it felt as though he had much to say, yet no words would come.
I knew he still could not accept the Myriad Ghost King, nor the Ghost魅 tribe.
"Since you are leaving, allow me to escort you."
He smiled faintly and slowly shook his head.
I understood that his greatest aversion was to the Myriad Ghost King, and if that was the case, then so be it.
"Very well, then go. Be careful. If you change your mind, come back. We are all here."
He offered a bitter smile, a thousand words caught in his throat, unspoken. He could only nod slightly and turn to leave.
"Shi Nian..."
At that moment, I suddenly felt a vast distance separating him and me.
Liu Shi Nian dejectedly descended the steps, reaching the foot of the mountain. Just as he was about to take the final step, he hesitated, a sense of reluctance washing over him.
He slowly turned back, gazing at the endless flight of stairs.
"If you cannot bear to leave, then do not go."
The voice was so familiar, like Dao Lang's.
Curious, he turned and saw two familiar figures leaning against a stone pillar, their eyes filled with a teasing glint.
Liu Shi Nian finally broke, a laugh escaping him.
"Haha, what are you two doing here?"
"We guessed you would leave, so we came down to wait."
"What? Are you two going with me?"
Dao Lang and Fei Xiong exchanged a knowing smile, their thoughts unreadable.
Dao Lang said,
"We are here to have a chat with you."
"A chat?"
He didn't understand what else there was to discuss.
Fei Xiong added,
"If you listen to us and still insist on leaving, then go. If you listen to us and wish to stay, we will take you back."
Liu Shi Nian was confident. He never wavered from his decisions, so no matter what they said, he intended to leave. He might as well hear them out.
"Alright. You two never speak for anyone else. This time, there must be another reason. I'll listen."
"Good. Come over here, let's walk over there."
"Alright."
Dao Lang and Fei Xiong led him towards the verdant rice paddies.
Seeing someone working in the fields, Dao Lang greeted him.
"Old sir, are you working?"
The old farmer looked up. Despite the hardship, his face was alight with an irrepressible smile.
"Yes. With so much land now, we must plant more."
"Indeed. Thank you for your hard work."
"Ah, it's no trouble. I presume you gentlemen have come down from the mountain?"
"Yes."
"How is the Ghost King?"
"She is well."
"That's good to hear."
"Very well, then. You may continue your work."
"Ah."
After their brief exchange, the old farmer returned to his labor.
Liu Shi Nian was puzzled about what Dao Lang wanted to discuss.
Fei Xiong asked him,
"Shi Nian, do you know which tribe that old man belongs to?"
Thinking back, Liu Shi Nian recalled the farmer's warm greeting to the Myriad Ghost King. It was not difficult to deduce that he was from the Ghost魅 tribe.
Having reached his conclusion, he stated decisively,
"He is from the Ghost魅 tribe."
"That's right. That old man is indeed from the Ghost魅 tribe."
Dao Lang inquired,
"Do you hate that old man?"
Liu Shi Nian found the question peculiar and asked,
"Why would I hate him?"
"It's good that you don't."
Just then, several children ran towards them, playfully hitting each other with sticks. Fei Xiong suddenly crouched down, stopping them, and asked with a smile,
"Children, why are you all so happy today?"
One of the children replied innocently,
"Mother said we are safe here, so we can play freely."
"Is that so? Why does your mother feel it's safe here?"
The child pondered for a moment, unable to recall.
Another child eagerly chimed in,
"I know, I know! Grandma told me that our Ghost魅 King is here, and with her here, no one will bully us."
Hearing this, Liu Shi Nian's brow furrowed slightly.
Fei Xiong smiled and let the children go.
"Alright, you can go play."
The children, resuming their play, ran off.
Liu Shi Nian had expected Fei Xiong to ask about the Myriad Ghost King, but he didn't. This time, Dao Lang spoke again, asking him,
"Shi Nian, what do you think of those children and the children from the Four Cities?"
Liu Shi Nian thought for a moment. He couldn't discern any difference and honestly replied,
"There is no difference."
Upon hearing this, the two men shared a knowing smile.
"Hahaha..."
Then, Fei Xiong asked Liu Shi Nian,
"Do you dislike those children?"
Liu Shi Nian thought for a moment and shook his head.
"No, I don't."
The two men exchanged another knowing smile.
Following this, Dao Lang posed a question that had perplexed everyone for a thousand years.
"Since you don't hate them and don't dislike them, then tell me, what is the difference between the Ghost魅 tribe and the Four Cities?"
He thought seriously, carefully. In his understanding, the Ghost魅 tribe represented evil, and the Four Cities represented good.
Yet now, he saw people who were as ordinary as those in the Four Cities.
They laughed, they toiled, they were mischievous. Suddenly, he found himself unable to make a comparison.
"I... I don't know."
Fei Xiong smiled slightly and answered for him,
"Not knowing how to answer means they are the same. They are flesh and blood, with no difference. Then, who exactly were the Ghost魅 tribe you disliked before?"
Such a sharp question made his heart suddenly flutter with unease.
In a daze, he recalled that everything he knew about the Ghost魅 tribe was from hearsay. Because everyone said the Ghost魅 tribe committed all sorts of evil and had killed countless people, he had come to despise them.
He had never considered interacting with the Ghost魅 tribe. In his previous mindset, they were merely numbers on a death roster.
His heart gave a sudden jolt. He realized how terrifying his past self had been.
He remained silent for a long time, unable to utter a single word.
Dao Lang patted his shoulder and said,
"There's no need for self-reproach. The matters of the Four Cities are never clear to the common folk. Let's talk about the Myriad Ghost King."
Hearing this, Liu Shi Nian regained his confidence. No matter what they said about his feud with the Myriad Ghost King, he would not waver.
Dao Lang asked,
"What do you think of the Myriad Ghost King now?"
"Now... now?"
His mind went blank. They truly didn't play by the rules. The Myriad Ghost King now was Mu Ye.
How could he possibly give an evaluation?
Seeing his predicament, Fei Xiong said,
"Then let's not talk about the Myriad Ghost King, but about Mu Ye. What do you think of her?"
If it was just about Mu Ye, he could say a few things.
"Mu Ye, she is very good."
Dao Lang smiled slightly and posed another pointed question.
"What do you think of Mu Ye leading the entire Ghost魅 tribe?"
He paused slightly, and involuntarily, his mind conjured an image:
If Mu Ye were to lead the Ghost魅 tribe, she would surely be able to transform them, making them live as peacefully and happily as those in the Four Cities.
As he thought of this, his pupils trembled, as if struck by a revelation. Recalling Mu Ye's determined expression, everything suddenly made sense.
Fei Xiong patted his back and said with a knowing smile,
"You must have understood by now. It took a great deal of effort to rescue you from Beishen Capital.
Leaving here means facing a tidal wave of wanted notices. However, they likely won't have the time for you, as they will be focused on how to destroy the Ghost魅 tribe, how to destroy Mu Ye.
The reason we stayed is that we don't want Mu Ye to bear everything alone. We wish to stand with her and resolve the thousand-year-old grievances between the Ghost魅 tribe and the Four Cities.
Every time I think of it, it feels like we are doing a deed that moves heaven and earth.
Alright, we've said what we needed to say. The choice is yours. Second brother, it's time for us to go."
"Mm."
The two turned and left silently, leaving a stunned Liu Shi Nian standing in the wind. Their words, like wind and water, washed over his heart, then slowly drifted away.
He suddenly realized that Xue Gu Cheng and Yan Wu Shuang must have stayed for the same reason.
As for him, should he flee, or should he let Mu Ye face it all alone?
He pondered for a long time, standing in the wind, thinking deeply.
Not long after, I saw Dao Lang and Fei Xiong returning from the foot of the mountain. The climb back up the stairs nearly killed them.
Upon seeing me, Fei Xiong couldn't help but complain,
"Mu Ye, could you please ask someone who can fly to give us a lift? These stairs are killer."
I grinned, but then curiously asked them about something else.
"Did you see Liu Shi Nian?"
"We did."
"How is he?"
"Likely contemplating, or he might have already left."
My expectant face showed a hint of disappointment.
"If he left, then so be it."
Lin'er suddenly appeared from somewhere. Seeing us, he chuckled,
"It seems you are all here."
"Elder, you've arrived."
Lin'er looked at me and said,
"Ghost King, I heard Young Master Liu has left, so I came to see."
I said with some dejection,
"He left. He left a long time ago."
"Alas, it's alright. As long as he takes care of himself."
"Indeed. Let's go back."
"Okay."
Just as we were about to turn, we heard a shout from behind.
"I'm back!"
Everyone looked in confusion and saw Liu Shi Nian sitting on the steps, panting.
"Liu Shi Nian!"
"Young Master Liu!"
Almost simultaneously, everyone exclaimed, as if seeing a rare sight. They surged forward and surrounded him.
I asked out of curiosity,
"Why have you returned?"
He took a breath and pointed at Dao Lang, saying,
"Ask him."
Dao Lang burst into laughter and explained,
"Dao Lang and Fei Xiong reasoned with him. I believe he has come to his senses."
Liu Shi Nian smiled helplessly and chided them,
"I was tricked by these two."
Fei Xiong chuckled and said,
"Hahaha, if it's something you willingly do, is it really being tricked?"
Lin'er added,
"This is truly wonderful. Young Master Liu has returned. I think we should have a good meal tonight!"
"We certainly should."
Liu Shi Nian said,
"And with wine."
"Of course, we won't be short of that."
Amidst laughter, we escorted Liu Shi Nian back to Mingyue Palace.
The next morning.
Lin'er rushed to find me and pulled me aside, his expression serious.
"Ghost King, according to scouts, the Four Cities have been quite restless these past few days.
Soldiers are patrolling everywhere, and some generals are out and about. Furthermore, we heard that the Four Cities sent envoys for secret talks.
Therefore, I believe they must be discussing mobilizing troops to attack Black Mountain."
"It seems we also need to formulate a counter-strategy."
"However, the Four Cities have all experienced war and each has its own methods of warfare.
Whereas we only have hastily assembled civilians. It will be difficult to cope with their offensive."
"In Elder's opinion, what should we do now?"
"For now, we can only dispatch troops to garrison the fortresses, while keeping the majority of our forces stationed in Black Mountain."
This was a conservative approach. While it would temporarily secure Black Mountain, it would mean ceding other important positions.
This would create a disadvantageous situation, forming a pincer movement around Black Mountain. I was momentarily undecided.
I could only say,
"Allow me to think about it."
And I hurried back to my room.
However, before I could decide, the Four Cities acted unexpectedly. Contrary to the agreed-upon ten-day mobilization, they began their attacks one after another.
The main force of Nanhai City was led by Zuo Men's cousin, Lieutenant Zuo Yu Lang.
The second contingent from Beishen Capital was led by Xu Zhi Feng, Zi Ye's left-hand man. The third contingent from Xizi Kingdom was led by Gong Ru Ye, the brother of the Xizi Kingdom's ruler's son-in-law.
The general of the fourth contingent from Dongyue Town had a significant connection to someone Liu Mu Ye knew. That person was named Li Xuan Shi, a fellow disciple of Zhang Tian Shi.
Although these four individuals had not achieved great feats, nor had they ever truly led troops into battle.
From this, one could see the contempt the Four Cities held for Black Mountain, and their unspoken disregard for the Myriad Ghost King.