Ein Reisender, der alle Himmel und unzählige Welten durchquert

Kapitel 22

"Good to know." Yuwen Luo nodded and continued up the mountain.

Ning Lang followed behind him, raising his hand to touch the silver spear on his back. His mother had said that the engagement token was a palm-sized silver spear passed down through the Ning family, but…

It's just teasing, nothing more.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang finally arrived at the mountaintop.

Yingshan resembles a flower lying on the plains of the royal domain, with two petals. At the center of the petals lies a lake, its clear waters reflecting the sky, turning a deep blue. Within this azure stands a small green peak. Outside the lake, a palace, predominantly black and white with gold and vermilion accents, stands around the water. Its simple structure is adorned with magnificent carvings, giving it a solemn and awe-inspiring presence. Yet, atop the green peak in the heart of the lake, another palace stands, appearing only as a small silhouette from afar, yet exuding an overwhelming aura, like a king high above, overlooking the mountains, rivers, and all people.

At that time, the sun was shining brightly, and everything was bathed in its radiance.

"So this is the Shouling Palace?" Yuwen Luo stood atop the petals, his eyes wide as he gazed at the sacred martial arts land before him.

"This is the Yingshan Guardian Palace." Ning Lang was also filled with emotion.

Yingshan is not as tall and beautiful as Qianbishan, and the Shouling Palace in front of us is not as deep and elegant as Qianbi Palace, but it has a kind of grandeur that Qianbi lacks.

Yuwen Luo took a deep look at the scene before him, and then couldn't help but exclaim: "Yingshan is indeed ordinary, but it has a magnificent aura. This lake, this palace, this mountain, these trees... are all very ordinary, but when they come together, they are grand and elegant. Just this kind of vision and this kind of mind is enough to show the extraordinary nature of 'White Wind and Black Breath'!"

“Yes,” Ning Lang said. “Brother, before I climbed Ying Mountain, I was wondering why this mountain had become a sacred place in the hearts of martial artists.”

“Hmm.” Yuwen Luo nodded in agreement. “Why not the Cangmang Mountain, the highest mountain in the world? And why not the Tianbi Mountain, the most dangerous mountain in the world? There are countless mountains in the vast land of the dynasty that far surpass Ying Mountain in both name and scenery, but standing here now, I understand.”

“Moreover…” Ning Lang frowned.

"And what?" Yuwen Luo turned around and asked him.

"Looking at this place gives me a strange feeling." Ning Lang tried hard to find the right words to express his feelings. "I feel scared, yet my heart feels suddenly much broader, but there's also a... it seems like I'm very sad, no, not sad, it's..." Ning Lang thought for a moment, then looked dejectedly at Yuwen Luo. "I don't know how to say it, it's just very comfortable and very uncomfortable, well, it's not just comfortable and uncomfortable, it's..."

“I know what you’re feeling,” Yuwen Luo interrupted him, turning to look at the grand yet simple Shouling Palace. “It’s a feeling of awe, yet it ignites a fighting spirit; a sense of high spirits, yet it also brings a strange sense of sorrow…”

"Yes, yes, that's exactly the feeling you're describing, brother." Ning Lang nodded hurriedly.

“That’s because this place holds the highest aspirations of all martial artists.” Yuwen Luo raised his hand and pointed into the distance. “The Shouling Palace guards the supreme symbol of the martial arts world, and above the Shouling Palace… do you see it? The palace on that green peak in the heart of the lake, that’s the most sacred place within this sacred land—the Weiyue Palace—the residence of every generation of martial arts emperors since the ‘White Wind and Black Breath.’ For over a hundred years, no one but the martial arts emperor has been able to enter this sacred place! Moreover…” Yuwen Luo lowered his hand, turning his gaze to the distance, looking at the rising peaks, “Over a hundred years ago, the Wind King and Dong Shu fought the battle at Luoying Mountain. More than 80,000 lives were buried here, and the souls of more than 80,000 warriors were laid to rest here. This is a place of tragedy, so we revere it, so we are filled with fighting spirit, so we feel sorrow and grief…”

"That's why Ying Mountain is said to be a place where heroic souls gather, and that's why 'White Wind and Black Breath' chose this place to build a sacred place for the martial arts world." Recalling the past, Ning Lang felt a sense of awe and respect.

“Hmm.” Yuwen Luo’s gaze then turned to the martial arts heroes. “They brought peace to the martial arts world for over a hundred years with their ‘Orchid and Jade Moon’ technique. Even today, so many people still admire and yearn for them. Their spirits should be comforted, but…”

Ning Lang waited quietly.

"The martial arts world today is not what it used to be," Yuwen Luo concluded with this sigh.

“Yesterday is gone and cannot be retrieved; today is here, so cherish it.” Ning Lang suddenly uttered a very profound statement.

"Huh?" Yuwen Luo looked at Ning Lang with great curiosity.

Ning Lang blushed and said, "These are words that my senior brother likes to say. I heard them so often on the mountain that I remembered them."

IX. Together We Ascend Ying Mountain (Part 2)

"Oh." Yuwen Luo didn't tease him. "It's rare that you can remember and understand."

Ning Lang blushed slightly. “Brother, the martial arts world today is certainly different from the past. People and things have changed. But I think that the martial arts world left to us by our two seniors, no, many seniors, will naturally be inherited by us, the younger generation. We will definitely carry on the tradition of eliminating evil and promoting good, and upholding justice.”

Yuwen Luo stared at him blankly for a moment, then smiled and said, "Actually, you're not stupid sometimes."

"Brother, you...you're making fun of me like this too!" Ning Lang looked embarrassed.

“I’m not making fun of you.” Yuwen Luo’s expression turned serious, but then he grinned and showed his sharp teeth. “You usually talk nonsense, but suddenly you’ve become so wise and insightful. It’s really surprising.”

“I…” Ning Lang said awkwardly.

"Alright, let's find a good place first." Yuwen Luo waved his hand, letting him off the hook, and turned to look around the surroundings of the Shouling Palace.

In front of the Shouling Palace was a covered plaza that could accommodate thousands of people. The plaza connected to a long, wide circular corridor in front of the palace, with dozens of large chairs neatly arranged in the corridor. At this moment, many heroes of the martial arts world had already gathered in the plaza. As Yuwen Lindong and his son had said, upon their arrival, they were indeed surrounded by heroes, who greeted and exchanged pleasantries. Yuwen Lindong was beaming and chatting happily, showing that he was in a very good mood. Yuwen Feng stood out in the crowd, his heroic and aloof demeanor and radiant spirit making him stand out. Standing next to Yuwen Lindong, they were indeed a perfect match, like father, like son. If it were Yuwen Luo, they would probably be a case of a father who is more like a dog than a father who is more like a dog.

"Come with me, I've found a good place." Yuwen Luo pulled Ning Lang by the hand.

Ning Lang followed him through the crowd in the square, onto the corridor, and walked a short distance to the left. They arrived at a small pavilion extending from the corner of the corridor. It was some distance from the square, but from the pavilion, one could see everything in the square. Moreover, everyone was gathered there, and it was very quiet.

“When the conference starts, these martial arts masters will all speak with great vigor, so there’s no need to worry about not being able to hear them. But no one will be able to hear us. Isn’t that great?” Yuwen Luo said as he sat down on the railing. “We are of low martial arts skill and have little influence, so we can just watch the show from here.”

"Um."

The two sat on the railing and looked at the square. Gradually, they began to make sense of it. The square was very wide, but there was a space about ten feet wide in the middle where no one was standing. On the left and right sides, however, there were many martial arts heroes standing. It was as if they had automatically cleared a path from the foot of the mountain to the Shouling Palace.

"The black and white fruits are clearly distinguishable." Yuwen Luo said as he took out paper and pen from his pocket, preparing to record today's martial arts event.

"What black and white distinction?" Ning Lang's gaze searched for the front of the square.

“Look, the left side of the square is full of people from the legitimate world, and the right side is full of people from the underworld. Isn’t that a clear distinction between right and wrong?” Yuwen Luo pointed to the square, then to the corridor. “And look at the chairs on the corridor. Isn’t the one in the very middle a bit higher, while the ones on the left and right are the same height? The one in the middle must be the seat of the Palace Master of the Guardian Palace, and the seats on the left and right are for important figures from both the legitimate and underworld, such as the heads of the four factions and six great families.”

"Oh." Ning Lang looked and saw that it was true. "If my senior brother is coming, then my father probably won't come."

Yuwen Luo glanced back at him and said, "Qianbi and the Ning family have really become one family. For such important events in the martial arts world, only one side needs to come."

“My master said that my father was the laziest patriarch in the history of the Ning family. The most diligent thing he ever did in his life was to marry my mother in five days.” Ning Lang smiled a little embarrassedly. “My master also said that Ning family descendants usually go to Qianbi Mountain to learn their skills after the age of ten. Only I went to Qianbi Mountain when I was four years old. That was because my father was too lazy to teach me.”

Yuwen Luo looked at Ning Lang with great interest, "Your father is such an interesting person."

"Brother, Senior Qiu and the others have arrived." Ning Lang suddenly pointed to the square. There, Qiu Changtian and Nan Wofeng led Hua Qinghe and Mei Hongming to arrive. Then, Yuwen father and son went to greet them, and the heroes of the righteous path also surrounded them.

"It's a pity Miss Qiu didn't come." Yuwen Luo said with some regret that he couldn't see the great beauty of the martial arts world.

"Ah, my senior brother is here!" Ning Lang suddenly patted Yuwen Luo's shoulder excitedly.

"Huh? Where?" Yuwen Luo quickly looked away from Qiu Changtian.

“Over there, those dressed in black,” Ning Lang pointed out to him, “and there are also Third Senior Brother and Fifth Senior Brother.”

Yuwen Luo looked in that direction, then turned to Ning Lang with a puzzled expression, "You mean those three people wearing black Taoist robes?"

“Yes.” Ning Lang nodded.

Yuwen Luo glanced at the three men again, then turned back and glared at them, "Why are they Taoist priests?"

“They’ve been monks since they were young.” Ning Lang looked at Yuwen Luo with surprise. “Don’t you know that the Qianbi Sect has both Taoist and lay disciples?”

"I don't know." Yuwen Luo nodded as if it were a matter of course.

“But…” You’re known as a know-it-all in the martial arts world, how could you not know? Ning Lang didn’t say this out loud, thinking of his own forehead.

"Why would the Qianbi Sect have disciples who have left home to become monks?" Yuwen Luo was very puzzled.

"That's because our patriarch, Ren Chuanyu, became a Taoist priest. Many of his disciples also became monks, and this practice has continued. As a result, the Qianbi Sect has both monk and lay disciples. However, there are fewer monks, and they rarely leave the mountain to engage with the world. They focus solely on cultivating and studying martial arts. Therefore, although there are few monks, they have always been the most accomplished in the Qianbi Sect, and most of the successive sect leaders have been monks," Ning Lang explained.

"Oh, I see." Yuwen Luo suddenly realized, and then made an excuse for himself, "Because the disciples who have become monks rarely go out into the martial world, so few people in the martial world would mention that the Qianbi Sect has disciples who have become monks, so that's why I didn't know."

“Hmm.” Ning Lang thought this was also the reason. “Besides the sect leader, the Qianbi Sect also has a Palace Master, who has always been chosen from among the lay disciples for the position. The sect leader usually sends this Palace Master to handle all matters, big or small, related to the martial world. Therefore, many people in the martial world regard the Palace Master as the sect leader.”

"Oh, so there are these details." Yuwen Luo understood, and quickly wrote them down to avoid future misunderstandings in the martial arts world.

"I'm quite surprised that our senior brother actually agreed to come out of seclusion this time," Ning Lang said, looking at his senior brothers.

Yuwen Luo then took a good look at the three senior brothers from Qianbi Mountain. After a moment, he said with great regret, "What a pity, what a pity. They are all so young and handsome. Why did they become Taoist priests?"

“They became monks at a young age,” Ning Lang explained again.

"Oh, so you were tricked when you were little." Yuwen Luo said with regret again.

“No.” Ning Lang hurriedly explained to his sect, “Qianbi has a rule that disciples who have left home can return to secular life, but my senior brothers say that the secular world is too troublesome and that leaving home is easier and more carefree.”

"Oh, so you have great potential." Yuwen Luo quickly corrected himself.

As they spoke, the square suddenly fell silent, everyone's eyes turning forward, some even shrinking back in fear. Because of the long staircase below the square, they couldn't see from their position, and the crowd further obstructed their view, so they didn't know who had arrived and why the heroes were reacting this way. After a moment, a group of people stepped onto the square. Leading them was a woman with a light veil covering her face; though her features were hidden, her figure was slender and her bearing graceful. Behind her were six people, one of whom was none other than the leader of the sect who had sought revenge against Yuwen Feng at Mengshan. They calmly walked through the crowd without looking to either side, heading straight for the corridor. Then the woman sat down on the first large chair on the right, with the other six standing behind her.

"Could it be the leader of the Sui Cult?" Yuwen Luo couldn't help but get excited when he saw the woman sit down in the first chair on the right. If the Palace Master of Shouling Palace was sitting in the middle, then the person sitting to his left would likely be the Fengwu Sect Master, the number one sect of the righteous path, and the person to his right would naturally be the leader of the Sui Cult, the number one sect of the underworld. "No, that's not right. The current leader of the Sui Cult is Sui Qinghan, and he's a man."

"Then who is she?" Ning Lang certainly wouldn't recognize her either.

"Ah...it might be their vice leader," Yuwen Luo guessed.

Just then, the heroes in the square suddenly stirred, their expressions were very excited, and they all craned their necks and smiled broadly.

Who is coming this time? Yuwen Luo stared intently at the edge of the square.

Could it be Lan...Ming Er has arrived? Ning Lang also became inexplicably nervous.

Two figures appeared abruptly. The first was a scholar in his early thirties, dressed in a simple white robe and crown. His features were plain, lacking striking eyebrows or bright eyes, yet set in a face that was both elegant and refined. He was in the prime of his life, but his eyes held a tranquility and serenity born from the passage of time. Initially, Qiu Changtian seemed dignified and refined, but upon seeing this scholar, he felt Qiu Changtian was nothing special. Behind him, Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang, who were half a step behind, exclaimed in surprise, "Lan Qi?!"

The person was dressed in white, impeccably clean, yet their figure and appearance were clearly Lan Qi's! How could the enigmatic Lan Qi possess such a pure and clean aura?! And why was he following so obediently behind, head slightly lowered, eyes calmly closed... No!

Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang turned and looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock: that person's eyes weren't green! That person didn't have Lan Qi's unique pair of green eyes!

When the two looked at the man again, they could see clearly that his eyes were black, a pure black without any impurities.

One by one, the heroes of the righteous path stepped forward to greet him, while the underworld figures also turned their heads to watch. Qiu Changtian, Yuwen Lindong, Nan Wofeng, and others approached the scholar with smiles on their faces, and loud calls could be heard: "Sect Leader Ming! Hero Ming!"

"So it's the leader of the Wind and Mist Sect." Yuwen Luo suddenly realized what was going on when he heard the crowd's shouts, and looked at the scholar with respect. "Only he has such demeanor."

"So young." Ning Lang looked at the Fengwu Sect Leader, who was hailed as the number one martial artist in the world.

“He does look young,” Yuwen Luo nodded. “But he’s been famous for over twenty years, so he should be about the same age as Uncle Qiu.”

After Qiu Changtian and the others greeted Mingkong, they all looked at the young man behind him with surprise and doubt. They could tell that this person was not Lan Qi, but the appearance was too similar. The leader of the sect who had been seen in Mengshan in the corridor also seemed to be surprised by this person's appearance. He leaned down and whispered a few words in the veiled woman's ear, and then the woman also looked up.

"I am Feng Yi, a disciple of Fengwu. I greet all seniors and fellow practitioners." The man finally raised his head, his pure black eyes calmly looking at everyone. At that moment, not only Qiu Changtian and the others in front of him, but also Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang, who were far away, felt a tightness in their chests, as if they had fallen into a dark abyss, a deep and hopeless darkness.

Feng Yi simply clasped his hands in a salute and stood quietly behind Ming Kong, no longer looking at anyone else. Everyone around them who had met Lan Qi wanted to ask him if he had any relationship with Lan Qi, but seeing his expression, none of them dared to ask.

"Feng Yi has been cultivating in the Misty Mountain. This is his first time descending the mountain and stepping into the martial world. I will need your help in the future." Ming Kong smiled at everyone.

"You're too kind, Master Ming." Everyone clasped their hands in greeting, but their gazes remained fixed on Feng Yi's face, while he remained unmoved and indifferent.

"Feng Yi." A gentle-looking man in a black Taoist robe approached and called out.

Feng Yi glanced up, then a slight smile appeared on her lips. "Ren Qi."

"So your senior brother knows him," Yuwen Luo exclaimed.

“Our senior brother visited the Wind and Mist Sect five years ago, so they might have met then,” Ning Lang said. “But I’ve never heard our senior brother mention him.”

"Oh?" Yuwen Luo was puzzled when his gaze was suddenly drawn to someone else. "Ning Lang, look at that person, do you know who it is?"

A tall figure strode confidently onto the square, his features resolute and deep, his expression extremely cold and aloof. Behind him followed several equally imposing figures.

“It must be Master Lie’s elder brother,” Ning Lang said as soon as he saw the man.

“Yes, you can tell they’re brothers at a glance.” Yuwen Luo nodded, his face full of excitement. “The head of Cangyun Manor, Lie Chitang, has also arrived. Today, Yingshan is truly a gathering of dragons and tigers, a meeting of extraordinary forces.”

“Young Master Ming has not arrived yet,” Ning Lang said.

Yuwen Luo glanced back at him, "You're actually worried about why Seventh Young Master hasn't arrived yet, aren't you?"