So many years had passed that the face in his memory had already begun to blur. Yet in the dream, it appeared with startling clarity that Song Changsheng could even make out the tiny mole at the corner of the man's eye.
The three of them strolled along, laughing and talking. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious. The surroundings felt oddly familiar to Song Changsheng; it had to be a place buried deep in his memory. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall where it was.
Though he was a transmigrator, during the first few years after his birth, his soul had been shrouded in confusion, drifting in and out of consciousness. Many things from that time had long faded from his memory.
This place… he likely had been here before, perhaps with his parents. Yet considering the clan rules, which forbade minors from leaving the mountain, especially one so young, it didn't make sense.
Gradually, time seemed to accelerate. The leaves on the trees lining the path turned yellow and fell at a visible speed, leaving the branches bare, only to sprout anew and grow again just as quickly…
Song Changsheng had grown a bit taller. The family of three continued walking down the cobblestone path, but now his mother's face had lost its smile, and his father's was clouded with worry.
"Yan-ge," Xia Yunxue finally spoke after what seemed like long deliberation, "this child has a powerful soul… so why does he seem so dazed? Could it be that someone has interfered with him in secret?"
Song Luyan was momentarily stunned. Glancing down at their dull-eyed son, he muttered, "I… don't think so."
From pregnancy to birth, Xia Yunxue had remained within the clan. If anyone had tampered with the child, it could only have been someone from the Song family. That was something Song Luyan simply couldn't accept.
Even though he knew his wife's suspicion might be valid, he was unwilling to believe it, clinging to a final shred of hope.
Looking at his increasingly haggard wife, guilt welled up in his chest. Gently, he tried to reassure her: "Don't worry. Aunt Xiao has just come out of seclusion. Let's go to her. She's a third-tier alchemy master; she'll surely have a solution."
Xia Yunxue nodded slightly and gripped the chubby little hand in hers even tightly.
The family arrived at a lush bamboo grove, where an elegant, old-fashioned bamboo building stood. Outside was a dry pond without water.
The couple, with their vacant-eyed child in tow, respectfully bowed outside the building and said, "Junior Song Luyan, with wife and child, greets Aunt Xiao."
Creak
The bamboo door slowly opened, and the three of them stepped inside.
They were received by a tall woman. Her face was shrouded in a faint mist, concealing her features.
Song Changsheng widened his eyes, trying his best to see through the veil, but it was always just a little too blurry, and he couldn't quite make her out.
His parents exchanged a few polite words with the woman, their tone full of deference. Then, she extended a delicate hand like warm jade and gently placed it on little Changsheng's head, as if sensing something.
Just then, Song Changsheng caught a glimpse of the jade pendant hanging from the woman's waist. The character "Wan" etched onto it sent a tremor through his entire being.
A tidal wave of memories surged through his mind, flooding his consciousness. The space around him began to split… then shatter…
Until everything dissolved into nothingness.
Lying on the warm jade bed, Song Changsheng slowly opened his eyes. He sat up and looked out the window. It was pitch-black outside, and all around was quiet, save for the faint chirping of insects and the soft rustle of bamboo leaves in the breeze.
"I slept this long? It's already midnight," he murmured as he stepped to the window, letting the cool wind brush against his face.
Since beginning his path of cultivation, he hadn't slept like this in years. The rest had been excellent; his exhaustion was completely gone, and he felt back at his peak.
Still, that dream lingered in his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling. Was it a figment of his imagination? Or a memory buried deep in his sea of consciousness that had been stirred awake?
"Xiao… Wan…"
"Could that 'Aunt Xiao' really be the owner of the jade pendant bearing the character 'Wan' that Grandpa carries? Her surname is Xiao, and her given name likely includes 'Wan' as well… and she's a third-rank alchemist…"
Song Changsheng felt like he was on the verge of a breakthrough, but just couldn't quite grasp it.
"There are fewer than ten third-rank alchemists in the entire Great Qi cultivation realm, and even fewer women among them. But I don't recall any with the surname Xiao. Could she be from outside Great Qi?" he wondered. "If the clan had someone this powerful behind them, why have I never heard of her?"
The night passed quickly, and by morning, Qian Duoyu had arrived outside the bamboo house.
"Did you sleep well, Young Clan Leader?" Qian greeted him with a cupped-fist salute and a broad smile.
Song Changsheng nodded and returned the gesture. "Very well, thank you for your concern, Steward Qian."
"Is the lodging to your liking? Anything missing?" Qian continued, as enthusiastic as ever.
"It's all excellent, perhaps even too generous," Song replied modestly. "As a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, I feel undeserving of such treatment." He could only attribute the hospitality to the influence of his grandfather; after all, favors like this never came without reason.
"This was all arranged under the City Lord's orders. You're more than deserving, Young Clan Leader. Since you've rested well, allow me to show you around today," Qian Duoyu said with a warm smile.
"I'd be grateful, Steward Qian."
Song Changsheng was eager; he had many questions in need of answers.
Today, Song Qingluo had sensed a breakthrough coming and had chosen to stay behind. Thus, it was just Song Changsheng and Qian Duoyu walking together. As they left the bamboo grove, Song Changsheng glanced back. When he first arrived, he hadn't noticed it, but now something about this place felt strangely familiar.
"This bamboo grove… this bamboo house… and even the pond… it all resembles the place from my dream. Could this have once been where that 'Senior Xiao' lived?" he speculated silently.
Just then, Qian Duoyu turned and said, "Let's visit the Hall of Dao first. While the City Lord won't be lecturing today, several Purple Mansion seniors will be. For cultivators at our level, this is a rare opportunity."
Song Changsheng agreed readily and followed behind. The more he walked, the more familiar the surroundings felt, further confirming his suspicions. Unable to hold back, he asked casually, "Steward Qian, forgive my boldness, but is there a Purple Mansion senior in Luoxia City with the surname Xiao?"
Qian Duoyu's expression didn't change. He thought for a moment and replied, "There are a few cultivators surnamed Xiao on the roster I've received, but none at the Purple Mansion level. Why do you ask, Young Clan Leader?"
"No particular reason," Song Changsheng muttered.
He wasn't sure if Qian Duoyu was telling the truth after all, anyone who could rise to become a city steward wouldn't be simple. A smooth lie was just a basic skill for someone like him.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, another possible lead.
Luoxia City officially had three city lords. The third one was a well-known third-rank alchemist and a woman. Based on everything he'd pieced together, she seemed like a strong candidate.
However, compared to the other two city lords, the third was much more mysterious. No one seemed to know her name, and she rarely appeared in public.
Glancing at Qian Duoyu leading the way, Song Changsheng tested the waters. "Steward Qian, the other two city lords of Luoxia City are famous throughout Great Qi. Why is it that the third city lord's reputation isn't as well-known? I've even heard some say her surname is Xiao. Is there any truth to that?"
He made up the rumor on the spot. After all, there was no way Qian Duoyu could verify it right then and there.
Qian Duoyu stopped walking and chuckled. "I'm afraid even I don't know the Third City Lord's true name. That's a question only the city lords themselves could answer. But may I ask why the curiosity about the Xiao surname, Young Clan Leader? Looking for someone?"
"The Xiao surname is uncommon in Great Qi, but it's very prominent in the Xiao Cultivation Realm, not far from here. If you're seeking someone with that surname, you might want to start there."
"Many thanks for the advice, Steward Qian." Song Changsheng gave a polite bow.
He understood now there was no prying anything out of this old fox. The man might smile warmly, but he wasn't spilling any real secrets.
He would have to ask Zhuang Yuechan directly. As her martial uncle, the Third City Lord, couldn't be so mysterious to her that even a surname was unknown.
Following Qian Duoyu to the Hall of Dao, Song Changsheng found that a large crowd had already gathered, so many that the spacious hall was nearly full. Most were Foundation Establishment cultivators, with only a handful at the Qi Refining stage.
Their arrival didn't attract much attention, as everyone was completely focused on the few Purple Mansion cultivators seated at the front. No one let themselves be distracted, fearing they might miss even a single word.
Song Changsheng found an empty meditation cushion and sat cross-legged, beginning to quietly listen to the teachings being exchanged.
Four Purple Mansion cultivators engaging in a Dao discussion, such a scene was rare indeed. After all, there were only a limited number of Purple Mansion cultivators across the entire Great Qi Realm. For an ordinary cultivator, even seeing one in person was rare, let alone listening to them lecture at such close range.
Though much of the content was difficult to grasp due to the gap in cultivation level, even a surface-level understanding of just a few concepts could be of great benefit for one's future cultivation. Everyone present, more or less, gained some insight.
Song Changsheng was no exception. The session left him deeply enlightened, far more than any progress he could've made on his own behind closed doors.
Unfortunately, he found it a bit disappointing that the Hall of Dao was only open for two hours each day. Before he knew it, the session was over, leaving him wanting more.
Fortunately, there would be another session in a few days, this time hosted by two elders from the Golden Crow Sect and the Heavenly Vein Sect.
After exiting the Hall of Dao, Qian Duoyu took him on a tour of the area, giving him a rough overview of Tianyin Mountain. What surprised Song Changsheng was that Qian granted him quite a bit of freedom, and he was allowed to go nearly anywhere except a few restricted zones.
"Steward Qian, might I ask, do you know where Fellow Daoist Zhuang Yuechan is residing? She and I are old acquaintances, and now that I've come to Tianyin Mountain, I'd like to catch up with her."
Qian Duoyu's expression didn't change. He simply raised his hand and pointed toward a small courtyard halfway up the mountain. "That is where Yuechan resides. Young Clan Leader may go there directly."
Delighted, Song Changsheng cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks for the guidance, Steward Qian."
After parting ways, he made his way straight toward Zhuang Yuechan's courtyard, but it seemed luck was not on his side that day. The courtyard was empty, and no one seemed to know where she had gone. He waited until nightfall, but she never returned.
Song Changsheng had no choice but to leave a trace of his divine sense at the entrance. Once Zhuang Yuechan returned, she would naturally see it and come to meet him at the bamboo residence.
Upon returning, he received good news from Song Qingluo: he had successfully broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining. For someone his age, this was already well above average and even gave him a chance to compete for the clan's Foundation Establishment candidate spot.
Over the next few days, Song Changsheng didn't go anywhere. Instead, he focused on cultivating within the bamboo residence. After all, chances to train atop a fourth-grade spiritual vein were rare.
But one day, Song Qingluo came to report that a woman was at the door, asking specifically for Song Changsheng and wanting to know if he would see her.
"Could it be Fellow Daoist Zhuang?" Song Changsheng felt a flash of joy. If it were her, then perhaps he could finally get the answers to the questions weighing on his mind. He still vividly remembered the emotional reaction Zhuang Yuechan had when she first heard his surname, "Song."
That alone proved she knew something. He was hopeful she could give him the answers he sought.
However, when he came downstairs and saw who it was, he froze. It wasn't Zhuang Yuechan, but rather the eccentric "Senior Random" who had previously commissioned him to forge a jade flute.
"What is she doing here? Ah, she must be here for the City Lord's birthday celebration too. But how did she know where I'm staying? And what does she want with me?"
Song Changsheng had always been puzzled by her not just because of her odd behavior, but because she seemed to know him long before they had met. She had even remarked that he had surpassed his predecessor, though her attitude had always been hard to read.
Still full of questions, Song Changsheng respectfully greeted her. "Greetings, Senior."
The woman gave a slight nod, but her gaze wasn't on him; instead, she stared silently at the bamboo house behind him for quite some time.
Since she didn't speak, Song Changsheng didn't dare to interrupt. And so, the two of them stood outside in an oddly awkward silence, staring at each other.
Eventually, the woman finally withdrew her ambiguous gaze, looked at him, and said coolly, "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
Song Changsheng, of course, welcomed the suggestion and quickly replied, "Please, this way, Senior."
Once she was seated, Song Changsheng took out the [Mistveil Tea Leaves] he had been saving and brewed a cup of spirit tea for her.
The woman took a sip, frowned slightly, but then quickly relaxed again. After setting the cup down, she said, "You're probably wondering why I came to see you, aren't you?"
Unable to read her tone, Song Changsheng simply nodded honestly.
"There's no reason," she said. "I wanted to see you, so I came."
That answer nearly made Song Changsheng roll his eyes. That explained absolutely nothing.
But a junior in the presence of a senior had only one duty: to respectfully agree. If a senior said something, there was always a deeper meaning behind it. Or so he tried to tell himself.
Suddenly, the woman chuckled. "Your father was quite different. If it were him, he would've pestered me for answers until the end of time."
"You knew my father?" Though he had already suspected it, Song Changsheng still found it hard to believe. His father had only reached Foundation Establishment. How could he have known such a powerful senior and even seem familiar with her?
The woman replied calmly, "We met a few times. He used to follow that old bastard of a grandfather of yours around. Back then, he was far more obedient than you are now."
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 160+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LordoftheReader