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Chapter 30

Another morning came. The gentle wind from the autumn season has started to become cold, a sign that the winter season is coming. From the sound of the water gently streaming and little birds chirping on the trees, Shao Ling slowly woke up, his long eyelashes fluttered gently as he slowly opened his eyes. He noticed that he was lying on a thick but soft blanket. Shao Ling was about to wake up when he heard a rustling sound of a fabric on top of him. It was a Yun Sect robe that was covering him from the cold. Lian Ren must've covered him using his robe because of the cold.

Shao Ling sat properly, positioned his arms on top of his knees in a meditating position as he slowly closed his eyes, feeling his spiritual energy inside of him. For some reason, Shao Ling felt that he had already healed, as if the hot fever that he experienced often faded in an instant as if it was not there in the first place. His meridians were now stable and the flow of his spiritual energy seems smooth than usual. Shao Ling slowly stood up and went out of the house. As he pushed the wooden door open, he noticed that there was a pond not far from him that seemed fresh so Shao Ling started to walk forward to the pond's direction.

As he scooped the water using his hand, Shao Ling splash the water on his face and felt his face freezing from the cold that made him wide awake. Shao Ling slowly stood up, wiping his face using the hem of his robe when he noticed a woman standing not far from his direction. The woman was holding a smoke pipe on her right hand, staring down at the pond with a straight expression and not even making a sound.

Shao Ling called out to the woman and gave her a bow as a greeting. The woman who was actually the village chief was taken aback and directed her attention to Shao Ling then gave her a warm smile.

Shao Ling responded with a slight frown.

The village chief's mouth twitched a little as she answered,

Shao Ling wanted to go there and help but he knew that he doesn't have that much skills and knowledge when it comes to farming so even if he go there, he wouldn't be able to do anything and just watch.

Shao Ling shifted his attention to the village chief's direction. Looking at her with a bewildered expression as he asked,

The village chief answered.

The village chief's seductive lips curved into a smile, taking a sip from her smoke pipe then exhaled it's smoke.

Shao Ling replied,

The Village Chief grinned even more. She took a step forward to the pond and crouched down, stretching her hand down as she let her fingertips touch the coldness of the water. After a while, the Village Chief shifted her gaze at Shao Ling and spoke,

The village chief slowly stood up, now walking towards Shao Ling's direction. When she was a meter apart from Shao Ling, she then redirected her gaze at the pond and pointed her hands down as she spoke,

Shao Ling said with a slight frown, looking bewildered and offended at the same time.

The Village Chief responded with a loud laugh,

Shao Ling asked. However the Village Chief didn't gave him answer. Instead, she gave her a slight smile.

The Village Chief said with a smile.

Shao Ling arched his brows as he stared down the pond. For some reason, he can sense a divine energy deep within the pond. The Village Chief wasn't lying when she said that it was blessed by a Goddess. Shao Ling subconsciously took his step forward, dripping his foot on the pond and letting the hem of his robe soaked wet. Shao Ling heaved a heavy breath as he felt the coldness of the pond. However, he still walked forward. He can just swim up if nothing happened anyways. However, he may get fever from the cold. If this pond can give him answers to a lot of his questions, then he has no choice but to do it.

As Shao Ling stepped to the center, he noticed that there were no soil to stepped on, and immediately shrunk deep into the pond. He glanced up, seeing that the Village Chief was looking at him with a slight smile on her face and slowly walked out of the pond with an unreadable expression. Shao Ling glanced down the pond. A pitch black end was waiting for him as if he was trapped in an abyss. However, as he sink deeper, he can hear a sound of a banging drum, followed by a sweet sound humming from nowhere.

All of a sudden, large amount of bubbles were surrounding Shao Ling. The bubbles startes to spin around his body, little by little, Shao Ling's vision was slowly turning black, and his consciousness was becoming hazy. However, in his pitch black vision, a flash suddenly appeared. Followed by a sound of drums and zithers playing. The sweet humming sound went louder and louder, started singing a song with its soft voice like a child, as if it was telling him a story.

♪Tell him, tell him.♪

♪Give him his answers.♪

♪What you're about to know,♪

♪Can be your disaster.♪

♪Tell him, tell him.♪

♪Hurry come over.♪

♪What your about to hear,♪

♪Maybe, gives you pleasure.♪

♪There was a woman, as beautiful as a fairy.♪

♪With a long straight hair, lengthing down her shoulders. Then becomes brown when it touches the sun.♪

♪An ivory skin, with a big round tawny brown eyes.♪

♪A slick pointed nose, with a beautiful down turned lips.♪

♪She was called crazy by her own brothers and sisters.♪

♪Seeing things she can only see, hearing things she can only hear, she felt different from the rest of them.♪

♪The woman was saddened, lonely and in grief.♪

♪In one night, she flee away from her homeland, holding her precious pipa on her hands.♪

♪With bitter emotions, she walked straight to the north.♪

♪A harsh and cold weather, piles of snow scattered on the ground, it was the Empire of Qiaochen.♪

♪The woman was a trespasser, but hoped that it can be her home.♪

♪Entering the empire, does she know the consequences she could uphold?♪

♪Because of her beauty, she was wanted by all.♪

♪Death, torture and sufferings, she will surely experience them all.♪

♪The woman was alone, not knowing what to do.♪

♪Running straight to the forest, escaping the dangers she would meet.♪

♪Her footsteps left a trace on the snow, looking mysterious and interesting.♪

♪In the midst of the frozen lakes filled with ice, the woman started singing.♪

♪With a soft humming voice, the pipa's string was strummed.♪

♪As it turned into a song, an unknown man suddenly appeared.♪

♪A handsome manly face, luxurious golden clothes, the woman was terrified.♪

♪Thinking that he would assault her, she grabbed her pipa and ran.♪

♪Catching her small and slender hand, the woman was stopped by the man.♪

♪Looking at each other's eyes, the fate of their story began.♪

♪Their hearts started to pound, as if it was yearning for one another.♪

♪The string of life was connected, the two of them became one.♪

♪The seed of their love was planted on the woman, leaving a baby on her belly.♪

♪However, one night as she waited for her beloved, her beloved never came back.♪

♪As she searched and then searched, she then found his body.♪

♪Bathed in his own blood, with lifeless eyes, her beloved lied on the pile of snow.♪

♪With tears of sadness, the woman cried in pain.♪

♪Day goes by, the woman stayed at the empire.♪

♪Playing a pips for entertainment, just so she can feed her child.♪

♪Working her fingers to the bone, she then grew weaker and weaker.♪

♪The things she can only see, the sounds she can only hear, slowly disappeared little by little.♪

♪The woman's beauty started to fade, like a flower slowly withering.♪

♪Her body is becoming pale, her face that was bound to be ageless started aging.♪

♪When the flower petals became empty, the woman breathed her last breath.♪

♪The toddler child that she looked after, was left in the cold alone.♪

♪The child was beautiful, just like his mother.♪

♪Begging for food in the streets, he was taken advantage after.♪

♪Chain in both wrist and ankles, the child was made to be a slave.♪

♪Prisoned until his puberty like a dog, he became hostile and suspicious.♪

♪The boy then was sold to a man, paid his life for a high price.♪

♪Thinking that the man would do something to him, the boy then decided to escape.♪

♪However, the man was a cultivator. He caught the boy in a flick of his fingers.♪

♪The boy was brought to a Sect, filled with mountains and clouds.♪

♪Paying the man's kindness back, the boy then worked hard to be recognized.♪

♪Like how the fate saved the boy, the boy was given another fate to live.♪

♪The man who saved him, made him the Sect Master.♪

♪"Protect the weak.", the man's voice always remained to the boy's ears as he breathed his last breath.♪

♪The boy grow up with a beautiful and fragile appearance but was as strong as a tiger.♪

♪Leading the Sect with bright disciple, the boy was now known by all.♪

♪Protecting the weak, giving opportunities for people to be strong, the boy was given reverence by all.♪

♪And that's how the string of life continued, how the withered flower left a seed then bloomed again.♪

♪Now then rise, rise as you hear the truth.♪

♪The fate will continue, it will be up to you.♪

Shao Ling immediately gasped for air when he noticed that his consciousness was back. He realized that he was now on the edge of the pond and not sinking deeper into it. The song that was sung explained how the beginning ended, and how the end began once again. Shao Ling never remember the face of his mother, especially his father who died when he was just about to be born. Their faces felt surreal, Shao Ling can't even imagine that those two were his parents. He grew up without love, without the so called childhood memories. He just remembered the dark cage and the sound of chains on his ankles and wrists as well as the sound of whips coming from the people who abducted him. Shao Ling stared down at his both hands then stood up, walking straight back to the house to dry his robe.

Shao Ling halted when he saw Lian Ren folding the blanket as soon as he pushed the door open. Lian Ren shifted his gaze at him, and his expression suddenly changed. Lian Ren said, his voice seemed trembling and uneasy as if he was about to cry.

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