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Li Yannian glanced at him and said calmly, "Let's go with Xinghun. No one can take away the light in the darkness. I'll send you to the Upper Academy... You're a strange person, is that a blessing or a curse?"

The first part was addressed to Li Lin, but the second part was a question directed at himself.

"Given a jinx right off the bat?" Li Lin smiled bitterly to himself, but his face lit up with joy: "Star Soul thanks you, Deacon."

Taking the jade token, the guard led Li Lin out. Li Yannian drank a cup of wine and murmured, "Did I do something wrong? That appearance... I should have sent him to the Peony Garden. To die under the peony flowers, even as a ghost, is still romantic..." He repeated it several times, sitting there in a daze.

"Master, tomorrow..." Li Er asked cautiously.

"Go back to Beijing."

A flower grew on the sole of my foot

Xinghun followed the guard and realized it wasn't the way back to Building 10; he understood they were heading to the Upper Courtyard, as Li Yannian had mentioned. He thought regretfully, "It's a pity I can't see my lovely 99 again."

The people in the valley are decisive and ruthless; they won't give them that chance. Li Yannian, with his noble air, is merely a steward; what exactly is the identity of the person in charge of this valley?

Xinghun silently analyzed the situation. He had no desire to escape at all. Not wanting to be an assassin and not wanting to learn a skill were two different things. In the era of cold weapons, strength was everything, and he wasn't foolish enough to go to some remote mountain village to farm and become a farmer.

Xinghun smiled, a slight curve to his lips. If things really got too bad, he could just go to the underworld and wait in line to be reincarnated. People are afraid of death because they don't know what happens after death. Once you know, it's just like that, so what's there to be afraid of?

He looked up; the sun was setting, the valley bright and beautiful. The bloodshed and evil were buried in the earth by the snow and sunlight. He thought serenely, Li Yannian must have a scheme to collect so many children without leaving a trace. The world outside will change in a few years.

After walking along the mountain path for an hour, they reached the summit. All around were dense, ancient trees, and looking out, a mountain peak opposite them appeared faintly, shrouded in clouds and mist. A mountain breeze blew, causing their clothes to flutter. Xinghun looked up at the sky; it was a clear, blue expanse. He couldn't help but take a deep breath: A resort must be ahead.

"Young master, this is the best I can do for you." The guard breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

Xinghun glanced at the bottomless canyon, then at the two iron chains in front of him, and nodded: "Thank you, Uncle Guard. I'll definitely treat you to a drink sometime."

"I wouldn't dare! Take care, young master!" The guard didn't dare say more, clasped his hands in a salute to Li Lin, and turned to leave.

Li Yannian said that anyone who leaves the building is a master. No matter how fierce the guards are, they are still slaves serving these assassin seeds. The treatment here is quite good.

He looked around, then examined the chain, and suddenly shouted, "Is anyone there?! If no one's here, I'm leaving!"

There was no movement. Xinghun looked at the iron chain with a cold smile. He didn't believe that a six-year-old child who didn't know how to use light-body skills would be allowed to cross such a high and dangerous place on his own.

A chilly wind blew from below the cliff, the setting sun casting its last rays. The mountaintop was silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the mountain breeze—a serene and peaceful stillness. What was he doing at six years old in his past life? Carrying a small bag of books to class, getting a beating from his father for being naughty—it was actually quite happy. If it weren't for the sudden change in his family's circumstances and his unexpected becoming an assassin, his life would probably have been as ordinary, simple, and warm as that of many other people.

As he stood there, the sun had already dipped below the mountaintop. Xinghun stared blankly at the chains, unwilling to risk stepping across them, even if it was a test. It wasn't a matter of whether he wanted to learn kung fu; the people of the valley had invited him to.

The wind stung his face, and the temperature plummeted after sunset. He turned away from the cliff and hurried down the mountain path he had come from. He estimated it would be dark by the time he reached the bottom. He needed to get inside and rest while he could, or he would freeze to death outside.

In truth, Xinghun desperately hoped that the mysterious shadow would reappear. The shadow brother brought him some sense of security, letting him know that someone was always with him.

They returned to the valley without incident. All was quiet; not a single guard was in sight, and they had no idea where 99 and the others had gone.

Xinghun paused beside Building No. 10, glanced at it, and decided not to step into this blood-soaked place again. He sighed and walked straight towards Li Yannian's small building.

This time, Li Er didn't lift the curtain; he entered uninvited.

The aroma of orange peels lingered, and the warmth of the brazier melted the ice crystals on his clothes. Xinghun was somewhat pleased with his judgment. He was exhausted and hungry after walking back and forth for two hours. He shook his clothes, breathed on his hands, walked to the table, and began to eat heartily, oblivious to everyone else.

"Are you full?"

A chilling voice floated in the air, startling Xinghun so much that his chopsticks trembled. He turned around and saw a man in blue robes. He thought with a hint of annoyance, "Even a ghost wouldn't be this frightening." "Who...are you?"

"Your master."

Xinghun tilted his head and thought for a moment before smiling and saying, "Master? Deacon Li said he would send me to the Upper Academy."

“I am from the Upper House, here to receive you. Give me the jade token.”

Xinghun took out the jade pendant and handed it over, smiling brightly: "Master, my name is Xinghun!"

The man in blue remained motionless on his pale face, silently watching him.

Xinghun had no choice but to get off the table and walk to Qingyi. Suddenly, he jumped up and hugged him, saying, "Let's go, Master."

The man in blue caught him, paused for a moment, then said nothing more and carried Xinghun outside.

The feeling of carrying the man in blue up the mountain was wonderful. Xinghun recalled the glider he had ridden in his previous life—smooth, fast, and comfortable. They took the same path up the mountain, but before he could even experience the thrill of walking on a tightrope high in the air, the man in blue carried him into the woods.

"Aren't we supposed to step on the iron chains to get across?"

"Unless you want to die. Can you even handle that?"

One action could determine life or death; it seemed his earlier judgment that Li Yannian wouldn't kill him was wrong. Xinghun broke out in a cold sweat, secretly reminding himself not to underestimate anyone here, and that leaving the building wouldn't guarantee safety. He acted like a curious child: "What if I stepped on that chain?"

“Come back on the iron chains.”

"There's nothing there?" Xinghun was a little incredulous that this was a trick.

The man in blue opened a mechanism and stepped into a tunnel: "There's nothing there. Even if there were... you wouldn't be able to see it."

He held Xinghun's hand and walked slowly through the tunnel: "I'm skilled in light footwork and hidden weapons. You'll learn those two from me from now on."

"I want to learn something else?" Xinghun asked curiously.

"That depends on your fortunes three years from now."

Not a talkative master, Xinghun rolled his eyes. Just as he was congratulating himself on his good eyesight, the man in blue led him into a stone chamber. He was dumbfounded, threw off the man's hand, and wandered around the room a few times, unable to believe that this was the end of the road: "This is it? Stay here for three years?"

The stone chamber was large and empty, lit only by a single lamp. Yang Guo had Xiaolongnu with him, and they would occasionally go out of the tomb to take a look. However, he only had a very boring man in blue robes by his side, which Xinghun felt was a huge loss.

"This lamp will only be lit for three days, and there will be no more lamps after that." After saying this, the man in blue sat down on a futon.

Three days? Xinghun sighed again. That meant he would need three days to familiarize himself with this stone chamber, and then he would have to go blind. In his previous life, he was an assassin, imprisoned, and involved in fights. In this life, he was involved in fights, imprisoned, and an assassin. He somewhat regretted that he had carelessly picked flowers in the Yellow Springs.