Chapter 155 — The Rite of Remembrance
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 4 of 6
The old man's face went rigid all at once, his brows knitting deeply as he stared hard at Daoyan, who met his gaze without flinching. After a long while the old man said slowly, "Have you thought this through?"
Daoyan nodded slowly. "But when I secretly informed the heads of the six branches today, Tian Buhui sent word to me through another, advising me to beware the backlash of malevolent qi."
The old man gave a cold laugh, turned to face the ancestral tablets, and after a long pause said, "It's not as though you've never entered the Phantom Moon Grotto-Heaven. What lies within, you know yourself." He paused, and his voice suddenly softened a little, as though tinged with helplessness. "Mind yourself, that's all."
Daoyan said nothing. After a moment he too raised his head and looked at that deep, dark shadow, that silent majesty, which seemed as well to be sneering soundlessly in the gloom.
********
Seven days later, in the lands around Canglan Mountain, rumors of beast demons appearing grew ever more numerous. Within a hundred li in every direction, with He Yin City at the foot of the mountain as its center, refugees could be seen everywhere. It was as though, in all the world at that moment, only that towering, majestic Canglan Mountain could offer a little comfort and a sense of safety.
And amid the clamor of that countless multitude, He Yin City was the most chaotic place of all. Every street and alley was packed with people, the city's original inns and taverns long since full, and more refugees still sleeping in the open. Under such conditions, food supplies in He Yin City grew very strained; fortunately, since the city stood right on the river, there was at least no need to worry about water.
In such chaos, it was hard to guarantee that robbery, murder, and other evils would not occur—and indeed, such rumors did surface from time to time: yesterday someone had vanished, today word came that another had been found dead in the street. But He Yin City was, after all, at the foot of Canglan Mountain, and the Canglan Sect had long since made preparations, dispatching a considerable number of disciples to keep order in the city. So on the whole, amid this catastrophe, no great disaster had yet befallen the countless refugees.
Only, as the terrifying rumors of beast demons grew worse by the day, no one could foresee what tomorrow would bring. Under such circumstances, an ever more uneasy atmosphere filled He Yin City, and the people lived in constant dread.
It was amid such conditions that Zhou Yixuan, a wandering fortune-teller of the jianghu, arrived at the city with his granddaughter Xiao Wan and the Wild Wolf Daoist. Standing on what had once been a broad street, now seeing only a dense forest of bobbing heads, so crowded that passage was difficult even on the main thoroughfare, the Wild Wolf Daoist took it in stride, but Zhou Yixuan and Xiao Wan were struck dumb.
Relying on the Wild Wolf Daoist's powerful build and fierce countenance to clear the way ahead, the weak were shoved aside, and the strong, turning to look at the Wild Wolf Daoist, mostly dared not complain under that visage. Zhou Yixuan and Xiao Wan followed close behind, forcing their way along, sweat streaming down their faces the whole way, and only with great effort did they pass through that street and turn into a small alley at the western end of He Yin City.
The three walked deeper in. The lane, once so quiet, was now crowded with people as well, though compared with the press on the main street outside, it could truly be called spacious. Zhou Yixuan cursed under his breath, looking thoroughly indignant, as much as to say: It's one thing for this old fellow to flee for his life, but why must so many others flee along with me, so that even my fleeing is made this uncomfortable?