Chapter 253: 求得入幽冥

When Lu Chengfeng said this, his tone was clearly self-mocking.

“I remember when the nine of us first met at Luoxia Mountain Villa, it was early spring then…”

Back then, nine young heroes from various places attended a ceremony at Luoxia Mountain Villa with their elders. They were all high-spirited, and despite only being together for two or three days, they freely expressed their chivalrous ambitions, feeling as if they had met too late.

One day, they happened to hear that a tiger was attacking people somewhere in Jizhou, and the local authorities felt powerless. Confident in their martial arts, the nine immediately agreed to go to Ning'an County together…

Although Lu Chengfeng claimed he couldn't remember all eight names, some crucial past events were still vivid in his mind. More details became clearer as he reminisced, and at certain points in his memory, he would spontaneously recall who did what.

Ji Yuan could sense that this wasn't just because he had just listed the nine names. Instead, as Lu Chengfeng recalled this period, the individuals naturally came to mind, meaning he hadn't truly forgotten them.

Throughout the entire process, Ji Yuan remained silent, serving only as an attentive listener.

Lu Chengfeng didn't recount too much, stopping his story at the point when he saw Ji Yuan in the dilapidated mountain temple, as Ji Yuan already knew the events that followed.

After finishing his account of meeting Ji Yuan at the mountain temple for the first time, he looked up at Ji Yuan.

“Mr. Ji, what do you think? If we hadn't overexerted ourselves by coming to Ning'an County, if we hadn't whimsically gone up the mountain to eliminate the tiger, would many things have turned out differently?”

Ji Yuan tapped his knuckles on the jade slip, which had transformed into a bamboo scroll, thought for a moment, and then replied with a smile.

“For you, Senior Lu, the young Lu Chengfeng of that time would have simply had one less adventure. Your life's trajectory might not have changed much. The ones truly most affected were naturally Du Heng, and also Luo Ningshuang, Zhao Long, and Yan Fei.”

Ji Yuan spoke the truth: at that time, five people, including Lu Chengfeng, were unharmed except for being frightened. The injuries of the four who were wounded were progressively more severe, and their impact on each person was greater.

Not to mention Du Heng, whose right arm was crippled. Even Luo Ningshuang, a female knight-errant originally known for her fair skin, sustained several deep scars across her chest and abdomen, starting from her neck. Her appearance was almost ruined. In this feudal society, the martial arts world was still male-dominated, and most female heroes ended up marrying. Furthermore, a woman's love for beauty is universal, so terrible scars left on her body had a significant impact.

As for Zhao Long, who used a staff, he was injured by the tiger's tail, and his internal organs suffered severe damage. There has been no news of Zhao Long in recent years, and it's unknown how he is faring.

Yan Fei was also badly wounded by the sharp claws, but facing the demonic creature and confronting death directly allowed him to make breakthroughs after recovering from his injuries.

Overall, only these four were truly affected for life; Lu Chengfeng's experience was far from that significant.

Of course, the person most affected might have been Ji Yuan himself; during that most difficult period, there would have been no one to carry him down the mountain.

Hearing Ji Yuan's words, Lu Chengfeng once again gave a self-deprecating smile.

“Mr. Ji, you speak wisely.”

Ji Yuan observed his weathered and dejected appearance, realizing he must have experienced something, or several things, that he deeply regretted. People at such times often try to escape by wishing to return to the past and change what happened.

“Senior Lu, you can confide in me. There's no rule that a martial hero cannot feel melancholic.”

As Ji Yuan spoke, he stood up and went to the kitchen. He retrieved two ceramic bowls, placed them on the stone table, and with a light tap on the wine jar, removed its mud seal.

He poured the wine into both bowls, inhaling its aroma.

The wine had a faint herbal scent, not that of ordinary grain or fruit wine.

Lu Chengfeng didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a bowl, toasted Ji Yuan, and then drained the entire large bowl of wine. As he savored the taste, his eyes involuntarily reddened.

“Mr. Ji, I met Du Heng. I wanted to ask you…”

Lu Chengfeng looked up at Ji Yuan, his gaze meeting those pale eyes.

“Are you really an immortal?”

Though Ji Yuan had saved their lives back then, he hadn't displayed overly mystical abilities. He was certainly an expert, but powerful masters could also be found in temples and monasteries.

As he aged and gained more experience, he learned about similar experts, some of whom were even rumored to be more extraordinary. His previous reverence for Mr. Ji gradually diminished in his mind.

However, after encountering Du Heng again and learning some things from him, Mr. Ji's mystique deepened once more.

“Senior Lu, have you come to see me, or to see an immortal?”

Ji Yuan said, taking a sip of the Tusu wine. It wasn't particularly strong, but its bitter taste was quite pronounced.

“Mr. Ji, I've heard that immortals possess vast divine powers and profound magic, that they can live forever and wander freely in the world, capable of riding clouds and mist, and even traversing the underworld. Is that true?”

‘It seems he has come to see an immortal.’

Ji Yuan sighed inwardly, no longer holding back. Observing Lu Chengfeng's demeanor and performing a quick divination, he had roughly understood some things.

“Speaking of which, this Juyan Pavilion was purchased by you, Senior Lu, for me back then. I can certainly help with a small favor within my capabilities.”

Just as Lu Chengfeng was about to speak, Ji Yuan raised a hand to stop him, his pale eyes calmly fixed on him.

“I know that your mother passed away recently, and I also know of your deep sorrow, Senior Lu. However, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Even if I were a true immortal, let alone not being one, I could not bring your parents back.”

Through his divination, Ji Yuan had vaguely discerned the events surrounding Lu Chengfeng.

For the first time today, Lu Chengfeng smiled.

“Mr. Ji, you've misunderstood. I am not a greedy person; I neither seek your immortal arts nor do I hope for my parents' resurrection. It's just that…”

“It's just that I'm unsure if there truly is an underworld in this world, and if my parents are really there. People often say that deceased parents send dreams to their children, but I… I haven't dreamed of them even once…”

In recent years, Lu Chengfeng had experienced glory and pride, gaining much but also losing much. His father's unexpected death made it seem as though the sky had suddenly collapsed over the Lu family's Yun Pavilion, leading to a series of blows, both external and internal.

It was then that Lu Chengfeng understood that their past glory was nothing but a castle in the air, as fragile as his own martial reputation which wasn't earned through true skill. Without his father's protection, although some old friends of his father's helped for a short time, as time passed, various humiliations followed one after another.

There were those seeking revenge, and many who coveted the benefits that Yun Pavilion's martial arts standing brought. Not to mention the knights-errant who intended to challenge the Lu family's palm techniques to raise their own martial prestige.

The martial arts world and the jianghu are indeed that realistic. Martial factions often receive little protection from the government. Without his father's martial arts and capabilities, to stay out of trouble, one had to endure more frustration and helplessness. This was true for Lu Chengfeng, and even more so for his elder brother Lu Chengyun, who was currently the pillar of Yun Pavilion.

The difference was that Lu Chengyun had a resilient and unspoken nature, toughing out the pressure, while Lu Chengfeng couldn't. He was crushed by reality. Aside from secretly practicing martial arts desperately, in the eyes of outsiders, he had become a decadent young master who drank himself into oblivion daily. The former "Little Gentleman of Yun Pavilion" no longer existed.

When his beloved mother also fell gravely ill and passed away, Lu Chengfeng hated himself even more. He hated that his martial arts weren't good enough, that he lacked sufficient talent, and that he was so useless. He even felt some envy, even jealousy, towards his elder brother.

Lu Chengyun was so "strong" — strong enough to tolerate his younger brother's lack of accomplishments, strong enough to grit his teeth, swallow his blood, and prop up Yun Pavilion. Lu Chengfeng, however, couldn't withstand the pressure or maintain face. His martial arts were mediocre, making him practically useless. For the ambitious Lu Chengfeng, this was a form of despair.

His mother's death, moreover, seemed to shatter even that despair, leading to a complete collapse of his confidence.

Lu Chengfeng dared not elaborate on these matters to Mr. Ji, but he always felt that Mr. Ji's pale eyes could see through people's hearts, as if he could see all of this.

“Mr. Ji, do people truly become ghosts when they die? Do my parents also look down on me, this useless person? If you truly are an immortal, can you take me to the underworld to see them?”

This was an absurd request. Lu Chengfeng didn't know how many masters he had asked, or how many temples he had visited. He knew the possibility was slim, yet in front of Mr. Ji, he asked again with hope.

Ji Yuan drank the wine in his bowl. He didn't answer immediately but stood up, walked a couple of steps out of the shade, and looked towards the sky.

“Senior Lu, you have gained much and lost much, but all of that is in the past. The great sun is always present; shadows are merely obscured by clouds. But dark clouds will eventually disperse, and sunlight will naturally spread across the land.”

Ji Yuan turned and looked at Lu Chengfeng.

“As for why your parents… their allotted lifespan in the underworld should not yet be complete. I will take you to see them.”