Ups and Downs

Donghuang Taiyi had departed, and the master of Heaven Beyond Heavens had also returned. Cisheng, with the unconscious Yan slung over his shoulder, bowed to the two Qin princes before taking his leave, supported by Su Xian.

Over at the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, Master Lan had fought with surprising ferocity, ultimately perishing alongside the Pavilion Master. Jian Yiru was struck by one of the Pavilion's hidden weapons and gravely wounded; it also aggravated an old, latent injury, leaving her in critical condition now. E Ye was in slightly better shape, but having overused his 'domain,' he was now forced into a life-or-death seclusion to break through. Many other disciples had also perished. Most critically, the fact that the old Dean was in a period of decline had been made public and confirmed.

Back at the Sub-Institute, those who could still move were preparing the deceased, arranging their appearance and attire. If some body parts were missing, they would be replaced with wood or jade carved into the shape of the missing part. For those whose souls had been utterly destroyed, a false body would be carved, and attempts would be made to guide the soul, with the effigy being buried so a new soul could enter the cycle of reincarnation.

The medical ward, however, had descended into chaos again. Already short-staffed, they were now suddenly flooded with a large number of wounded, each with different conditions. Anyone still in the ward at this critical juncture was absolutely severely injured. Even with Su Xian's help, they were swamped and couldn't keep up.

It had been a long time since anyone had seen Cisheng. As the senior brother, he would usually be the first to step forward and take charge. This time, however, it was Jiguang who presided in his stead, with both the senior and second senior brothers nowhere to be seen.

With Su Xian's help, Fan Cang had reconstructed his physical body. However, Qian Dan, due to the peculiar nature of his cultivation technique and something unknown he had used in the past, had died the moment his soul left his body. His entire crystal core had now turned completely black. Yan regained consciousness early, but his body was too exhausted to move; only his eyes could shift weakly.

The souls of the departed had been laid to rest.

Once Yan could move a little, he couldn't wait to get out of bed. Though his gait was still unsteady and uncoordinated, it was better than lying idle in bed. During his recovery, Lian Fulan naturally wouldn't let him leave the medical ward, so he could only help out with minor tasks, unable to handle any heavy work.

All this time, Cisheng had stubbornly not shown up once. When he asked other fellow disciples outside, they also found it strange; no one had seen him for a long while.

Yan sensed something was wrong. Under the cover of night, he slipped out. First, he went to Cisheng's cave abode. The main door was wide open, and the inside was empty. Judging by the dust accumulated on the table, Cisheng hadn't been back for a long time. Next, he checked places Cisheng frequented, but found nothing. Finally, he went to where Cui Yuan's body had been placed, only to discover her coffin had been opened and was now empty.

A sense of foreboding struck Yan. He immediately went to find Jiguang. Though being shaken awake in the middle of the night was irritating, Jiguang also panicked upon hearing Cui Yuan's body was missing. He had felt something was off about Cisheng when they returned to the sect, but couldn't pinpoint what. Afterwards, Cisheng had handed all sorts of duties over to him to manage, leaving him no time to ponder. Only now did it click. He then took out a jade slip and gave it to Yan, saying Cisheng had given it to him during their last meeting.

Puzzled, Yan took the jade slip. A projection appeared before the two of them. It was Cisheng, but he looked much older, his face covered in wrinkles crisscrossing like a dry riverbed. His slack skin sagged slightly, and fine, dense folds stacked at his neck, resembling the rings of an old tree.

"Jiguang, little brother Yan, your big brother is leaving," Cisheng said gently. "Over the years, I've witnessed with my own eyes the old Dean founding the Sub-Institute and building it to its current scale. It's hard to leave, but what feast in this world doesn't eventually come to an end?"

A glimmer of tears welled in the corner of Cisheng's eyes. "Also, as your senior brother, I've failed terribly these past years! I caused so much unnecessary trouble, got into too many messes! It was only thanks to the old Dean and everyone in the Sub-Institute standing behind me that I could settle things. Now, I'm tired."

I don't know how the Sub-Institute will fare without me, but I believe in you all.

You must be steady, don't always rush for quick results. Cultivate diligently, but don't push yourselves too hard. Give your bodies rest, let them adapt.

Jiguang, don't always be so petty-minded. Broaden your horizons. When you have time, go guide your junior brothers more, discuss and exchange ideas with the senior brothers and masters. Shutting yourself in all day will only lead to a narrow view of the world!

Yan, you must learn to handle interpersonal relationships. And don't always be so stubborn; some things can't be forced. Be calmer, think twice before you act, don't always be reckless. Your status is special. One day, you'll have to face everything alone. It will be painful, but big brother believes you can endure it!"

Then, Cisheng produced a gourd and handed it to Yan. "This wine gourd was Master Lan's most cherished possession. He entrusted it to me before he passed. Now, I'm passing it to you. The road ahead is long. When you're feeling down, use it. It can infinitely replicate the last wine it touched. It'll get you drunk without harming your body."

"Wine can hinder one's duties, so gifting this may seem improper. But, big brother truly couldn't think of anything else to leave you as a memento. Just promise me you'll only drink from this. It can protect your body from some of the alcohol's corrosion."

As he spoke, Cisheng drew out a bronze short sword and handed it to Jiguang. "Senior brother knows you like to show off. This sword will perfectly harmonize with your Qi and cultivation technique. But remember this, Jiguang: often, it's the smallest details that decide success or failure, even the tide of war. Don't be so careless. With big brother gone, others won't always be there to clean up your messes."

After saying this, Cisheng patted their shoulders. "Just tell others your senior brother was tired and went traveling. As for Yuan'er, say that senior brother buried her with her family, so they shouldn't worry." Cisheng's phantom gradually faded. Yan and Jiguang, clutching the items he'd given them, stood frozen on the spot for a long time. A sudden, stinging brightness made them realize dawn had broken. Yan jogged all the way back to the infirmary. Jiguang went to buy several jugs of wine and ran to the spot where Cisheng had once found him to drink himself into oblivion.

In truth, Lian Fulan had noticed Yan sneaking out earlier that night. Worried, she had followed him and was aware of most of what happened. However, she had to administer medicine to her patients, so she hurried back. Seeing Yan stealthily climb through the infirmary window, then carefully tiptoe to his bed and lie down gently, she blinked, smiled, and didn't expose him.

Yan recovered and was discharged from the infirmary. He then followed Fan Cang to a tavern and drank himself into a stupor.

Afterwards, they went to pay their respects to the deceased. Hoping to catch up with Mo Wenxi, they looked for her, but she was out who-knows-where gathering materials. Regrettably, they didn't see her. They then went to the Imperial City and into the mountains to visit Yun Feng.

She seemed to be on excellent terms with that Duke Zhenguo. They wore similar clothes and matching accessories. On her left ring finger, she wore a ring carved from golden nanmu wood. While offering his congratulations, Yan also felt an inexplicable discomfort, a kind of tightness in his chest he couldn't place.