A fresh and transparent feeling unique to August mornings filled the air. Wisps of fog floated above, perhaps mingling with the rising smoke from the stoves. Before the oppressive summer heat set in, numerous breakfast stalls had already opened for business along the streets.
You Su walked leisurely down the street, out to buy breakfast for himself and his junior sister.
The roads of Chuyun City were already well-memorized by You Su, and with the perception skills of a Spirit Platform Realm cultivator starting to develop, he had no trouble navigating the streets. To a stranger passing by, it would be impossible to tell that this youthful, lively boy was actually blind.
"You Su, why are you so late today? It's almost three quarters past the hour and only now you're buying breakfast. Were you secretly up to something last night?"
"Mr. Liu, you're joking. What could a blind person like me be up to?"
"You're capable of more than me, that's for sure!"
As he walked along, many passersby and stall owners greeted You Su warmly, and he responded with equal enthusiasm. Having lost his sight, his other senses had become more acute, and combined with his excellent memory, he recognized many people's voices.
When he passed a stall called "Wang's Fried Cake," You Su finally stopped.
The bent and white-haired old woman selling the cakes greeted You Su humorously:
"Two beef-filled ones for yourself, two plum vegetable meat-filled ones for your junior sister, right?"
"Ms Wang, with a memory like yours, stop saying you're getting old every day."
"What I want to remember, I can always remember. It's quiet now, so I'll pick out a few large ones for you, just don't let anyone else see."
"Thank you, Ms Wang." You Su handed over the corresponding silver coins, genuinely grateful.
Though blind, he was exceptionally sensitive to the kindness of others.
Ms Wang swiftly wrapped the cakes in oiled paper and carefully handed them to You Su. A thought crossed his mind, and he hesitantly asked:
"Ms Wang, have you... seen my junior sister?"
"Of course, I have." Ms Wang's tone was certain, not paying much mind to why You Su suddenly asked about his junior sister, "Even though my old eyes are dim, your junior sister is so beautiful that once seen, she's unforgettable. Though she rarely goes out and interacts with people, there are many young lads in this city who are smitten with her at first sight. At sixteen, a girl can discuss marriage, your master is gone, but as an elder brother, you should be attentive."
"My junior sister... is devoted to cultivation and probably doesn't have such thoughts for now."
A sudden sense of nervousness washed over You Su, prompting him to speak such an absurd lie about his sister being solely focused on cultivation.
"Oh, isn't cultivation just a matter of luck? If the luck isn't good, and one waits till they're old and their beauty fades before giving up, wouldn't that be wasting her beautiful face?"
Ms Wang's tone was quite regretful. In her eyes, with so many people striving to cultivate and so few succeeding, calling it "a matter of luck" seemed quite fitting.
"Is my junior sister... really that beautiful?" You Su murmured to himself.
"Of course! She's just like a Divine Maiden descending from the Divine Mountain!" Ms Wang exclaimed excitedly, prepared to lavish praises on the girl she'd only seen a few times, when her husband intervened from the back kitchen.
"Women, always pushing for talks of marriage," the old man said, bringing out freshly kneaded dough. "You Su, don't listen to your Ms Wang. Both you and your junior sister should focus on cultivation, don't let your master down."
"Mr. Li, I will."
Although You Su got the answer he wanted from Ms Wang, he didn't feel the joy he had imagined. Instead, he felt a sense of loss, took the cakes, and prepared to leave:
"Mr. Li, Ms Wang, I'll head off now. You've got work to do."
"Alright, take it easy on your way back," Ms Wang reminded him with a warm smile.
Mr. Li, breaking apart a dough cake, looked at the thin figure of the boy, glanced reproachfully at his wife, and then called out:
"You Su, don't think that just because I'm old, I haven't been to Henggao City beneath the Henggao Divine Mountain and seen those so-called Divine Sons and Maidens. Even if you can't see, you're in no way inferior to them, understand? Never belittle yourself."
You Su turned and smiled, feeling slightly uplifted:
"I will remember, Mr. Li."
...
You Su walked slowly, though blind to the road, he possessed vague memories of a previous life, distinguishing him from those truly born blind. He was able to formulate some basic imaginations about the world around him.
For example, the green bricks underfoot, the lizards on the alley walls, or the dew hanging just before dripping off the moss on the walls. He often used such imaginings to fill the world in his mind.
He had also imagined his junior sister's face, with each attempt differing somewhat, perhaps the eyes should be bigger, the nose straighter. But now, whenever she came to his mind, that monstrous face from his dreams would involuntarily appear.
"It shouldn't be like this."
You Su stopped, closed his eyes, and shook his head, trying to shake the monstrous dream out of his mind.
You Su opened his eyes, once again greeted by chaos. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound from nearby. He instinctively turned his head, only to see a pitch-black monstrous creature abruptly appear in his view.
The creature had a fish head covered in sharp teeth and fins, yet possessed the strong limbs and torso of a canine, gnawing on a corpse.
You Su stared intently at the creature and the corpse beneath it, with a slight furrow in his brow.
Sensing the gaze, the creature slowly turned its head. Above its head, a lantern-like fleshy protrusion flickered with an eerie scarlet blood light, seemingly tempting curious prey to fly willingly into the fire.
You Su instinctively wanted to take a few steps forward, then suddenly realized, he had regained his vision! But the scope of what he could see seemed limited to this abrupt creature...
Before You Su could think it through, an oppressive presence suddenly hit, almost halting his breath. However, the creature withdrew its blood light, and the "blood lantern" instantly turned into a repulsive large fleshy lump. The creature bared its sharp, white teeth as if smiling.
"Die, you malevolent spirit!"
A voice, clear and desperate, suddenly rang out, followed by several sharp sounds breaking through the air, fully awakening the dazed You Su.
Though You Su could not see the suddenly appearing white-bearded and white-robed Immortal Master, he could see the monster curled up, whimpering sorrowfully. On its body, there were several vivid red wounds, with numerous black worms crawling out of them.
The creature did not fight back, seemingly resigned to its fate, its round fish eyes filled with fear and pleading, perhaps even a hint of confusion? The silent flesh lump also began to flicker again, but the blood light was no longer dangerous; it was instead entirely appeasing.
"Collect!"
The old voice sounded again, and the creature was suddenly enveloped in a white light. The creature grimaced in agony, but in an instant, both it and the corpse disappeared completely, presumably taken into the Immortal Master's magical artifact.
Before You Su could speak, the Immortal Master was the first to ask:
"Can you see it?"
"Responding to Senior, I am blind." You Su bowed to the Immortal Master, then looked at him calmly and respectfully.
"Blind?"
The Immortal Master, despite his white hair and aged face, had eyes that were incredibly bright. He closely examined the youth before him, taking in his jade-like face and radiant demeanor, difficult to associate with the word blind, yet also noticing his unfocused eyes without a focal point, his tone sincere, not seeming to be lying.
"You're not lying; you indeed are blind." The Immortal Master, his face lined with deep wrinkles, seemed to understand everything, "But that doesn't mean you didn't see it."
His words were resolute, as if he didn't consider this a contradiction.
You Su didn't think his trick could truly fool the Immortal Master. Earlier, he fixed his gaze on the creature's actions, which must have been observed by the Master. He candidly replied:
"Responding to Senior, I did indeed see it."
"Do you know what it is?"
"Junior does not know."
"It's called the Lantern Ghost, which specifically carries a lantern at night to lure curious people into a trap, then devours their flesh."
"Such a terrifying malevolent spirit; fortunately, Senior intervened to rid the world of evil."
The ethereal and bone-like Immortal Master disregarded You Su's praise, instead unsheathing his waist-sheathed, treasure-covered sword, skillfully forming a sharp sword flower:
"Did you know, it only has an interest in cultivators and is adept at concealment techniques. Those who can see it are at least at the Condensed Water Realm?"
Meridian, Spirit Platform, Condensed Water, Feather Transformation, Void, Celestial Awakening, and the legendary too-lingering. Ninety-nine percent of cultivators in this world remain in the Meridian Realm; Spirit Platform Realm can be considered the initial insight into this immortal path, while Condensed Water Realm already suffices to detach from the mundane and secure a place within the Divine Mountain.
This malevolent spirit, incapable of resistance against the Immortal Master's power, needed Condensed Water Realm to reveal itself. Yet I...
I am at the Spirit Platform Realm!
The previous oppressive presence hadn't dissipated; instead, at this moment, it surged even more overwhelmingly and resistibly!
The elderly man softly sighed, "You're not supposed to see..."
Along with the old voice came a sword, shining with coldness, unstoppable in its sharpness!