Volume Five: Down and Out, Gazing North at the Cloud Stele, Chapter Eighteen: The Voice

Yan Mufeng knelt beneath the steps, his face etched with solemnity.

"Why was it not Su Kuang himself?" Zhuo Hua demanded sharply.

Though kneeling, Yan Mufeng held his back ramrod straight. He shook his head and replied, "By the time I arrived, the matter was already settled. I could only rely on the bailiffs who had transported Master Su to the mass grave to identify him. Moreover, no one knew of the birthmark on Master Su's arm; we had to rely on his clothing. By then, the corpse had been gnawed beyond recognition by wild dogs and jackals. How could anyone have identified him?"

"Su Kuang was harmed by Yan Muyun first, and the corpse was swapped by you, Yan Mufeng, later. How can I tolerate you?" In a fit of rage, Zhuo Hua moved to strike him down.

Just as Zhuo Hua abruptly surged his internal energy, the Stability Bead glowing intensely, and as he drew his bow—ready to loose an arrow—Su Mengling dashed into the center of the courtyard, intercepting the space between Zhuo Hua and Yan Mufeng.

At that exact moment, a voice echoed in Zhuo Hua's mind: "I am the one who took Su Kuang away. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

Zhuo Hua instantly redirected his surging, volatile energy toward the sky. A thunderous boom rolled through the air above. He hurriedly steadied his mind and used telepathic projection to pursue the mysterious voice: "Who are you? How is Su Kuang now?"

The voice replied, "I am you! Su Kuang is living well! He told me to tell you and Ling'er not to look for him anymore!"

The voice resonated strangely in Zhuo Hua’s mind, repeating over and over. When he tried to ask again, there was no response. The bizarre situation left him deeply ensnared and unable to break free, until Su Mengling shook him awake with all her might.

"Big Brother! Big Brother! What is wrong? Please, don't scare me!" Su Mengling’s face was filled with terror as she tugged at him.

Having just emerged from that indescribable state, Zhuo Hua coughed twice and said to her, "I am fine. Why are you here? It was so dangerous just now!"

Su Mengling glanced back at Yan Muyun and said, "Big Brother, although I do not know who took my father away, I know the fault does not lie with him. Big Brother, you must not kill an innocent man because of my father!"

Zhuo Hua nodded and whispered to her, "I know. Your father is safe; he has been taken away by a master from my sect. He just sent me a message to tell you not to worry."

Su Mengling was confused at first, but upon hearing that her father was safe, the knot in her heart unraveled. It mattered little where he was; as long as he was well, she was at peace.

Zhuo Hua then walked to Yan Mufeng’s side, leaned down, and helped him up. "Mufeng, this matter began because of me; I should not have blamed you. Alas, after years of cultivation, I still cannot overcome these worldly attachments. As for your fourth brother, allow me to visit your father personally later to offer my apologies."

Yan Mufeng was truly bewildered. One moment Zhuo Hua was furious and ready to kill him, and the next, he was speaking kindly of offering apologies. What had happened? Was it because of the girl who had intercepted them? But why would she do that? A series of questions left him lost. However, his years of experience on the battlefield allowed him to regain his composure quickly. He bowed to Zhuo Hua and said, "Lord God, you are too kind. I have gathered a general understanding of the events. Naturally, the cause lies with those wretched Dark-Evil scoundrels. However, if my brother had not harbored such resentment over the past events of the Biling War, he would not have met such an end. Please, do not mention visiting my father. If he were to find out, not only would I face family punishment, but my brother—even in death—would be struck from the lineage and denied a place in the ancestral hall."

Zhuo Hua nodded and patted his shoulder. "You must still clean up the aftermath in Guanyue City. Though this is only a garrison fortress, its location is strategic and vital; you must not be careless."

Yan Mufeng adjusted his armor, knelt with a clatter, and cupped his hands. "The men of the Yan clan swear to defend the Western Frontier of the Immortal Descendants to the death."

Zhuo Hua nodded, spoke a single "Go," and turned back toward his room.

Inside the pitch-black chamber, a brilliant, winding river of stars flowed. Zhuo Hua stared at the magnificent spectacle, lost in thought.

"Who could possess such a profound realm?" He still could not fathom whose voice had claimed to be his.

"Back in the Xuanhuang Void, aside from Lanling and myself, only the seven ascended elders could have possessed such cultivation. It is impossible—absolutely impossible! The Xuanhuang Void is shattered; this river of stars is their final burial ground. It cannot be." He shook his head, trying to cast out the strange thoughts.

The best way to push aside distractions was to fill his mind with something else.

Zhuo Hua approached the square wooden box that Yan Mufeng had sent. He opened it, and a soft glow radiated from within. He picked out the finest Moonstone and weighed it in his hand. It felt substantial. A Moonstone’s quality was not determined by weight alone, but by a balance of mass and the light it emitted. Zhuo Hua was an expert in this; he had handled over a dozen God-tier Moonstones, though they had all been lost in the War of the Gods. After his own God-tier Linghua was taken by Lanling—along with her own Qintai—she should hold the only two God-tier Stability Beads left in the world.

Zhuo Hua looked at the stone in his hand and then at the sparse divine bird tail feathers in the box. He calculated that, at best, it could only be forged into a first-grade Immortal-tier Stability Bead.

"Better than what I have now," he thought.

After hammering and crafting through the night, it wasn't until the sky brightened that he finished. He held the newly forged Stability Bead in his palm, feeling a strange sensation.

"Even if I were to use the best Moonstones and the finest materials from the Cloud Palace, what I create still cannot compare to Linghua and Qintai."

With that thought, anger welled up, and he gripped the bead, ready to smash it against the wall.

"Why must you rely on a Stability Bead?" That mysterious voice appeared in his mind again.

Zhuo Hua was horrified, quickly surging his internal energy into a defensive stance.

"Do not panic. I will not harm you," the voice said.

"Who are you? Why do you keep appearing in my mind?" Zhuo Hua felt indignant. He felt violated, his private thoughts exposed—a feeling that would make anyone angry and afraid.

"I am you!" the voice repeated.

"Hmph! Nonsense! I suggest you reveal yourself at once! Otherwise, if I find you, I will make you regret appearing in this void." His guard did not drop; he scanned his surroundings with his spiritual sense, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not locate the source of the power.

"Do not waste your effort. How can your spiritual sense search for itself? You haven't answered my question: Why must you rely on a Stability Bead?"

Zhuo Hua scoffed. "Without a proper Stability Bead, how can I channel the vast amount of internal energy required to trigger my techniques?"

"Creation from nothing, all things born from existence. Rigid adherence to rules, the void becomes a river." The ethereal voice drifted back and forth through his mind again. It caused his head to throb with agony, and he beat his skull with both hands, trying to drag the sound out. He swayed in the room, holding his head, until he accidentally struck it against the wall and collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

A sharp, stinging pain pulled him from his slumber. Through the haze, he seemed to see an old man with long white hair and a beard, but he heard Su Mengling’s voice.

"What a ridiculous dream to have," Zhuo Hua thought with a smile.

"He’s awake! He’s awake! Doctor Xue, you truly have a miraculous touch!" Su Mengling’s voice rang out again.

"Not at all, Miss Su, you are too kind! This young master merely bumped his head and fainted. I simply used my golden needles to rouse him. A small matter! A small matter!" The white-bearded old man smiled as he packed away his needles, stood up, and gestured to Su Mengling. "Miss Su, come and see him."

Only then did Su Mengling’s pretty face enter Zhuo Hua’s field of vision. She called out sweetly, "Big Brother, you’re awake! You frightened me so much."

Zhuo Hua braced his hands against the edge of the bed to rise, but moved too quickly; a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he fell back onto the mattress with a thud.

The world spun. He reached up to his forehead and felt the white bandages wrapped around it.

"Young master, you hit your head—you must not move so abruptly! If you faint again, I cannot guarantee I can wake you," the old man said, checking his pulse and pupils before sighing with relief.

Su Mengling leaned in, urging him gently, "Big Brother, you must rest. Doctor Xue said you need to stay in bed for at least three days until the dizziness is completely gone. Just lie still; I will arrange everything."

She then stood, bowed to Doctor Xue, and said, "Thank you, Doctor Xue, for your needles. For three days, the city doctors were helpless, and I was losing hope. It is fortunate I found you, or my Big Brother would not have awakened. Please, accept my gratitude." She moved to kneel.

Doctor Xue quickly helped her up. "Healing the sick is the duty of a physician. Besides, Master Su and I are old friends; I set out the night I received his obituary. I never expected to find him safe and encountering such fortune—I am truly envious!"

Su Mengling smiled, "Uncle Xue, I have already asked Uncle Su to prepare a gift of thanks. It will be delivered shortly."

The doctor waved his hand. "What are you saying, Mengling? I came to the Su estate to visit an old friend. Healing him was merely a matter of convenience; how could I accept your money? I have written the prescription; it is on the table. Have your servants fill it. I shall take my leave."