Eternal Night - Chapter 7
Will Shadow miss him? After he completes his three-year apprenticeship with Master Qingyi, will Shadow still appear? Xinghun suddenly felt that being here was actually quite good; he had grown accustomed to the darkness of the underground chamber and Master Qingyi's taciturn nature. Two and a half of the three years had already passed. What would he face in six months? Could he continue living this peaceful and tranquil life?
Xinghun quietly sensed the tranquil atmosphere of the underground chamber. He felt as if he were floating in a vacuum, gently enveloped by the surrounding energy. The small snake inside his body was swimming happily, flicking its tongue, and after playing for a while, it quietly coiled up in his dantian.
He exhaled softly, clearly feeling the surrounding air ripple like shallow waves on still water stirred by a spring breeze. If he could feel this, he must have met Master Qingyi's requirements for lightness skill, right? He had once asked Master Qingyi what the effect would be if he didn't walk in a straight line and instead spun around in circles inside a room.
The master in green replied, "Even a straight line with a purpose can't hurt you. You don't need to practice the Lingbo Weibu you mentioned."
Xinghun laughed, still insisting on calling this 49-step, straight-line-only footwork technique "Lingbo Weibu" (Lingbo Steps).
The woman in green had no choice but to comply. But curiously, she asked why he insisted on this name. Xinghun said he thought it sounded nice, but in his heart, he was lost in thought of Xiao Duan's father—charming and dashing, captivating the most beautiful women in the world. He thought to himself that if he could also win the hearts of so many women, he would be content to remain an assassin in this life.
He thought sadly that he was a man accustomed to lurking in the shadows, seeking women's affections at night, and would only be called a womanizer. Only those who seduced beauties during the day were called young heroes.
His frustration grew. As he bathed in the dark, his irritability increased, and the sound of the rushing water made the man in blue frown: "What's wrong?"
"Master, watching people bathe will give you a sty."
The man in blue paused for a moment, then smiled bitterly: "How can I see you?"
"Unless you wear infrared goggles!" Xinghun chuckled. Then he sighed.
This body might bring him a lot of trouble in the future, and even if he didn't want it, trouble would always find him on its own. The flower on the sole of his foot burned like flames, making his eyelids twitch.
"After you take a shower, let's go out."
"What?" Xinghun could hardly believe his ears. Go out? To see the stars and the moon, it's summer, the summer night breeze carries the scent of flowers and fresh grass... "I'm done washing."
The man in blue suppressed a laugh, then shook his head. After all, he was still a child, and it was already quite remarkable that he could stay in the darkness for two and a half years.
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It was exactly as he had imagined. Xinghun happily breathed in the fragrance of flowers in the June breeze and saw the star-studded night sky.
His eyes widened. It felt as if he were in a bustling marketplace. Though the only sounds on this early summer night were the chirping of crickets, he heard a nest of birds talking in their sleep not far overhead, and the leaves trembling in the wind. All of this was so new and exciting that he decided to come out and explore whenever he had the chance.
The moonlight was alluring, and Xinghun longed to sing and run joyfully through the woods; running from one end of the stone chamber to the other was far too tedious.
A gust of air swept over him, and he became completely immersed in his surroundings; his breath transformed into the evening breeze of early summer.
He smiled quietly.
"Not bad." The man in blue felt the Star Soul's aura gradually blending into the surrounding environment. "From now on, you can all come out to practice."
"Why?"
"Your skin can't be like mine, it's too unique." The man in blue always envisioned the perfect assassin.
Xinghun smiled; his eyesight allowed him to see many things he couldn't see before, even at night.
He feels very happy now. Simply because he has left the underground chamber.
The man in blue let Lao Hun experience the atmosphere around him on his own. Xing Hun sat quietly on the tree, breathing in the starlight and evening breeze, until he felt himself become a leaf on the branch.
The air outside was thick with the swirling winds and clouds; he was a leaf clinging to a treetop, gradually concealing himself. Can you distinguish between water droplets in the sea? You can't, so of course you can't find me in the forest either.
He imagined himself as a fallen leaf, gently carried down by the wind. He also imagined himself as a bird that had caught an insect from the grass, joyfully flying back to its nest in the tree. The pleasure of rising and falling offset the frustration and annoyance that this new body brought him.
Every time he bids farewell to the starry sky with lingering affection, he glances at the distant cliff face. If he were to return to the cliff edge at that moment, he would climb the iron chains to the other side and take a look. To see what the master in blue robes was referring to, something that existed but which he himself could not see.
What pleased him most was that he had gained another little secret.
When he was alone, he took out the piece of silk. Under the moonlight, the patterns and words embroidered on the silk were completely different from the meridian chart that Xinghun had touched in the dark.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that this piece of cloth was the same piece of cloth. Xinghun had every reason to believe that he had grasped the secrets of the Heavenly Book.
This secret belonged only to him. After studying the silk scroll for a long time, he finally understood why Shadow hadn't mastered it in six years. Without Master Qingyi's breathing techniques, perhaps he too wouldn't have been able to grasp the true essence of the Heavenly Meridian Inner Scripture. Without hesitation, he destroyed the Heavenly Meridian Inner Scripture that Shadow had studied for six years without success.
Carrying it on his person would be incredibly foolish. He smiled bitterly; he couldn't refuse anyone who came to search him, and he had no safe to store his personal belongings. He was nothing more than a trained killing machine.
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"Why isn't there any progress despite practicing?" The man in blue frowned. Star Soul's learning progress seemed to have stagnated these past few days. It was the same ten days ago, and it's still the same now. This was somewhat unsettling for the man in blue, who was used to Star Soul's rapid progress.
Xinghun yawned, feeling listless and lacking energy. He said with a hint of coquettishness, "Master, I've already tried my best. But I feel tired during the day!"
"You'll get used to it eventually. Get up and continue! I'll be launching two waves of hidden weapons this time, a total of sixteen. Pay close attention and try to avoid them. If you can't avoid them, you can catch or block them."
Xinghun focused his mind and held his breath, concentrating intently. As he leaped into the air, he subtly sensed the approaching hidden weapons. He frowned slightly; why were there only thirteen? Just then, a gust of wind swept across his brow. He raised his hand to block, only to be struck simultaneously in his back and leg. Why? Why did these three appear so silently?
“When the first thirteen were fired, I startled two birds. One flew over your head, and the one that hit your face borrowed its scent… Do you understand?”
"Understood, Master." Xinghun yawned again. He deliberately concealed his strength. Heaven knows how many eyes were watching him in this valley in broad daylight.
The man in blue stared blankly at Xinghun's face, which shimmered with a porcelain-like luster, and his thin lips parted to reveal his pearly white teeth. For a moment, he forgot to speak.
"Want to take a break, Master?"
The man in blue, regaining his composure, then said as if to conceal something, "You should... get some more sun. Let's try again!"
"Ouch! That hurts!" Xinghun was hit again and cried out in pain.
The man in blue stopped what he was doing and said in confusion, "You used to be able to dodge almost everything."
"Master, what happened the other day was luck, not my skill! I'm only eight years old, Master!" Xinghun's voice carried a hint of resentment.
The man in blue thought about it and agreed. It was already quite remarkable for an eight-year-old child to have such skill in just two and a half years. His voice softened considerably: "Your reaction speed is already very fast... I'm quite surprised that it's only been two and a half years. Moreover, our sect's lightness skill cannot be mastered overnight, and the breathing technique requires long-term practice. Let's stop here."
"Master, everyone says that throwing hidden weapons tests your eyesight. Are you going to give me some incense sticks to practice my aim?" Xinghun breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that he wouldn't have to practice anymore, and casually asked his master in green about what he had read in novels.