Chapter 4: The Girl Kneeling Before the Hall

The night was silent, and the lights were dim. Ning Changjiu watched her expressionlessly, his already pale eyes appearing almost transparent with emptiness.

It was a moment of confusion. He quickly regained his composure, like a fleeting spark that briefly flickered into existence from the sleeve of his green robe.

"Rest well, don't overthink things," he said. "I will always be your senior brother."

Ning Xiaoling looked at him with fear.

Ning Changjiu watched her face. The girl instinctively recoiled, bumping against the wall, and she trembled all over. Amidst her chaotic thoughts, Ning Changjiu turned and left. The lights extinguished with his departure. Ning Xiaoling huddled in the corner, staring in terror at the pitch-black space before her, as if all her courage had drained away. She collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in her hands, and tears spilled out between her pale, dry fingers.

A click. Ning Changjiu closed the door.

Outside, the autumn rain had not ceased. Ning Changjiu moved a chair and sat by the door. The sixteen-year-old youth sat there, appearing surprisingly solemn and mature.

"Who exactly am I...?" Ning Changjiu repeated the question to himself. He had been contemplating this question all afternoon. The rain had varied in intensity, sometimes slowing, sometimes quickening, but it offered no answers.

Five nights ago, during that terrifying evening, Ning Qinshui struck the top of his head. His spiritual aperture opened, and countless evil spirits streamed in. Just as his soul was about to be devoured, something deep within his body seemed to awaken.

It was an unfamiliar consciousness, seemingly from a desolate, gray "prison field." Then, all spirits scattered. He awoke from his coma, feeling the world clear around him, and countless incredibly profound Taoist arts naturally surfaced in his memory. He lightly extended a finger, observing the dismembered walking corpse, as two entirely different sets of memories clashed in his mind.

In the other memory, his original name was Zhang Jiu. After he joined the sect with his second senior brother, his master supposedly disliked his surname and changed it to Changjiu, signifying longevity and enduring life. He himself chose the surname Ning because the character 'Ning' resembled a sword.

Fragments of twenty-four years of cultivation flashed through his mind, fleeting like reflections on water. The end of his memory brought him back to the question Ning Xiaoling had asked him two days prior.

"What did you remember?"

"I remembered Master killing me."

This brief exchange marked the end of his previous life and the beginning of this one.

So which Ning Changjiu was he, truly?

"Senior Sister, you once said that outside of the Hidden Kingdom, the dead cannot be resurrected," Ning Changjiu quietly mused to himself. "Then what am I?"

Deep within the imperial city, continuous pavilions stood along a long staircase. What should have been a grand palace, revered by all, was now nothing but charred ruins and broken walls. The path to these ruins was sealed off, and guards patrolled even at night, carrying lanterns.

"Who's there?" one of the guards suddenly shouted.

The dim light illuminated the falling rain, and in the night rain ahead, the faint outline of a figure walking with an umbrella appeared. It was an ancient red umbrella, its finely structured ribs supporting a dark red canopy. Raindrops struck, bounced, shattered, and turned into a fine mist.

The night was like water. The umbrella slowly drew nearer. The tip of a shoe, visible beneath the hem of a skirt, stepped through the water flowing down the stone steps, making a soft, fragmented sound. The lantern in the guard's hand swayed violently. He watched the girl standing with the umbrella, his hand already on his saber's scabbard.

The girl stopped. She untied a jade token from her waist and calmly handed it over. The guard hesitantly took the jade token and examined it carefully, while the other guard, after a single glance, hastily knelt in the rain, respectfully and humbly saying, "Welcome… Welcome, Your Highness, back to the palace!"

The guard holding the jade token instantly understood, and immense fear compelled him to kneel as well. "Your Highness, you… you've returned."

The girl softly assented, took back the jade token, and stepped over the cracked stone steps, walking towards the palace at the end, which lay in ruins.

Before the ruins, the umbrella canopy slightly tilted upward. A timely flash of lightning tore through the sky, and in its momentary glare, her face was illuminated. The girl's features were delicate and beautiful, her dark hair wet with rain, brushing against her snow-like cheeks. In her pitch-black eyes, the lightning briefly reflected.

A moment later, the rumbling sound of autumn thunder rolled past her ears. The girl suddenly placed the umbrella beside her and, with her slender, neat figure, knelt before the broken walls.

"Your daughter has failed her mother, your student has failed her teacher, and your subject has failed the common people."

The autumn rain soaked her long hair and drenched her dress. The girl's voice was very soft, like the fine rain fluttering in the wind at that moment: "Xiang'er… why do I continue to live in vain?"

In the night, the girl gently prostrated herself.

In the early morning, the autumn rain had briefly stopped, but the dark clouds had not dispersed, and the sky remained dim. Ning Xiaoling had finished her medicine and congee. Dressed in a white undergarment covered by a light-colored robe, she sat on the bed, meditating quietly, a rare sight.

Ning Changjiu tidied the stove and porcelain bowls, cleared away the herbal dregs. He had swept the floor spotless and neatly arranged the items on the table. He performed all these tasks with extreme familiarity. Ning Xiaoling secretly narrowed her eyes, observing him without a sound. Ning Changjiu pretended not to notice her watching him. Both seemed to have forgotten last night's conversation, acting as if nothing had happened, each tending to their own matters.

"Someone came yesterday to report that Master's remains have been examined and, to prevent zombification, will be cremated today beneath the Nine Spirits Platform." Ning Changjiu was the one who broke the silence. "Shall we go see?"

Ning Xiaoling flinched slightly. She quietly said, "That old… Master, he nearly killed us. What's there to see?"

"Don't you want to know who the killer is?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Ning Xiaoling glanced at him, a chill running through her heart. She suppressed the thought hidden deep within her, and her expression unchanged, she said, "I heard there's a great demon called the 'Sparrow Ghost' hiding in the imperial city. It's already killed many people, and their deaths were all extremely gruesome."

"What do you think of Master's Taoist arts?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Ning Xiaoling thought for a moment and replied, "Though I dislike him, his Taoist arts were truly exquisite. He'd gone to so many noble families to exorcise evil and catch ghosts, and I've never seen him fail. This time… his unclear death is indeed strange."

Ning Changjiu nodded. From the perspective of ordinary people below the mountains, Ning Qinshui was indeed a master.

Ning Xiaoling sighed. "Let's just leave this matter be. From now on, we'll live our own lives… right, Senior Brother?"

Ignoring her somewhat evasive gaze, Ning Changjiu said, "When the physical body perishes, the spiritual essence is not extinguished. If it disperses, it returns to the heavens and earth; if it gathers, it condenses into a soul. The more souls there are in the world, the less spiritual essence remains in the heavens and earth. Many Taoists believe this goes against the rules."

Ning Xiaoling listened, half-understanding. "What does that have to do with us? Do you intend to abide by these rules?"

Ning Changjiu shook his head. "I need to stay here to find something, and naturally, I'll need a legitimate reason to do so."

Ning Xiaoling became even more confused.

As they spoke, three knocks sounded on the door: *thump, thump, thump*. A middle-aged man in official robes and a hat entered. It was Song Ce.

He looked at the senior and junior disciples and said, "Will you go and see your master off?"

Ning Changjiu nodded, took Ning Xiaoling's wrist, and pulled her from the bed. Ning Xiaoling looked at her senior brother with a hint of fear, silently put on her shoes and socks, and said nothing.

Song Ce said, "Someone will bring you two sums of money later. While it cannot compensate for the pain of losing your master, it should be enough for you to learn a skill and live well." Song Ce thought that after that night, they probably wouldn't have the spirit to continue being Taoists.

Ning Xiaoling bowed and said, "Xiaoling thanks you, Lord Song."

Ning Changjiu looked at him. "Lord Song, why do you look so haggard?"

Song Ce replied, "The imperial city is in a state of panic. The palace sent people outside to find reclusive masters, but after half a month, there's still no result…"

Ning Changjiu shook his head, interrupting him. "It's because last night was not peaceful; more people died in the imperial palace."

Song Ce looked at him in surprise, his expression unreadable. Ning Changjiu looked at his face and said earnestly, "Since there's no one else available, why not let me try?"

Song Ce merely thought he was joking, and with a hint of anger, said, "Even your master couldn't handle it. How dare you risk your life after learning just a fraction of his skills?"

"I know a little," Ning Changjiu replied.

Song Ce couldn't help but laugh. "Come with me to see your master's remains later. After you've seen them, I wonder if you'll still be able to utter such arrogant words."

"How will we know if we don't try?" Ning Changjiu said.

Song Ce grew a little impatient. "That night, you entered the hall with your master. Have you forgotten what happened inside so quickly? Young man, you survived a great disaster; you should cherish your life, understand?"

"Since we are Taoists, we should undertake the duty of eradicating demons and evil," Ning Changjiu said calmly. "Now Master is dead, but I am still alive."