Chapter Forty-One: The Lock of Forgotten Love

"That's just fine!" Leng Bingyan let out a sigh of relief. Hope still remained, though the path ahead was winding. He chatted with Ziling for a while longer; this Ziling, whose origins were a mystery, seemed to possess knowledge of all things. Leng Bingyan asked about matters he did not understand, and to his surprise, Ziling answered each question swiftly and accurately.

Leng Bingyan felt elated—at last, the heavy weight pressing on his heart could be lifted. Not only had his cultivation soared, but he had also gained a treasure that knew everything; how could he not be pleased? Just as his excitement peaked, the distant surface of the lake began to churn violently, waves rising tens of meters high. Leng Bingyan's eyes brightened; he knew the real adversary had arrived. The humiliation he once suffered at its hands would be reclaimed in full, and he happened to need a subject to test his newfound strength. Its arrival was timely.

The towering waves split apart, and a proud blue dragon appeared before him. "Little ant, today I have come to collect my debt." Leng Bingyan stood with sword in hand, adopting the posture of a superior, gazing at the dragon with icy eyes. That cold gaze sent a chill deep into the dragon's heart, causing it to falter.

Leng Bingyan was delighted—thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Today, he could finally bask in his own glory. But before he could fully savor his triumph, the blue dragon let out a roar and seemed about to attack. This suited Bingyan perfectly; he readied himself to respond. But unexpectedly, the dragon made a sudden sharp turn and sped away in the opposite direction.

Bingyan was stunned. He had not anticipated such a move—the dragon had fled. In truth, when facing him directly, the dragon was already terrified by his overwhelming presence. How could a dragon fail to sense that the man before it wielded the power of an Immortal Emperor? So it wisely chose to escape. By the time Leng Bingyan realized what had happened, the dragon was already gone from view.

"Do you think you can escape?" he sneered, speaking with an air of disdain.

With a single-handed strike, a beam of white light shot from his right palm, a powerful pillar of energy racing close to the lake's surface toward the dragon's retreating direction. The lake, now calm, was instantly split in two by the light; only after the beam vanished did the waters return to their original state.

A thunderous explosion echoed from not far away. Leng Bingyan clapped his hands, exclaiming joyfully, "Mission accomplished! The ant that dared bully me has been eradicated. The effect is quite satisfactory! Ziling, let us leave this trial forest."

Ziling naturally had no objection, and so the man and spirit made their way toward the forest's edge.

...

In the Valley of the Horizon, before a small cottage

Two figures were deep in conversation—or rather, one man and one shadowy apparition. The man was none other than Mo Wuxie, whom Leng Bingyan knew well. As for the apparition, its identity was shrouded in mystery.

"Brother, this method of stealing the heavens and swapping the sun is truly defiant of the natural order. Such things should not be done lightly, lest calamity befall us in times to come," Mo Wuxie said.

Mo Wuxie actually called the apparition "brother." Who was this shadow, truly?

"It matters not," the apparition waved his hand. "Those who cultivate must face three cycles of tribulation and ninety-nine hardships. Though somewhat exaggerated, it illustrates the toil of cultivation. I have already died, leaving only a thread of my soul here. Now that my mission is fulfilled, I shall return to nothingness. Why fear calamity after death?"

The apparition spoke magnanimously, but Mo Wuxie felt a pang of sadness. He said nothing, knowing that his brother's heart held all living things.

He withdrew silently to one side. The apparition stepped forward, weaving an intricate and long sequence of seals with his hands, then intoned, "Chaos reincarnation, chaos returns, the Grand Celestial Star-Reversal Array, invert yin and yang!"

At once, the ground before the cottage shimmered with radiant light, a vast white barrier forming. The apparition grew ever more faint, until, within moments, he dissolved into countless starlit fragments and vanished completely...

Mo Wuxie stood for a long time, finally sighing deeply...

...

Not far from the Han family's residence, atop a high mountain peak, a girl in white stood quietly. Her face was youthful, her body delicate—she was no more than thirteen years old.

Han Bingran stood silently at the summit. The breeze lifted her robes, but she was oblivious to it.

"Brother, where are you?" Her gentle voice, tinged with melancholy, stirred compassion in all who heard it. Leng Bingyan had left the Han family nearly two years ago, and the small girl was now blossoming into a graceful maiden. The longing in her heart lingered, unresolved.

Ever since Leng Bingyan misunderstood her, Han Bingran, once bright and lively, had become silent and withdrawn. Her relationships with the elders of the Han family grew increasingly distant, even with her mother Han Qianyu, her aunt Han Qianyun, and her grandmother Han Liang. She believed they had driven her brother away...

The greatest change was her daily pilgrimage to this mountain. It was the highest place; if Leng Bingyan returned, she would be the first to see him from here. Yet, after a year and a half, she had not seen the familiar figure she yearned for.

"Bingran is still the same. Does she hate us?" Two other figures in white stood in the distance—Han Qianyu and Han Qianyun. It was Han Qianyun who spoke.

"Yes. It's all because we drove Bingyan away. Now Bingran’s relationship with us is strained as well."

"But... she’s gone too far. The matter with Bingyan wasn’t entirely our fault."

Han Qianyu sighed. "When we chose to sacrifice Bingyan, were we not also excessive? But my worry lies elsewhere."

"What do you mean?" Han Qianyun was puzzled.

"Bingran hasn't been happy since then. For her development... ah, surely a shadow has been left on her heart."

"Ah! That can't be." Han Qianyun was shocked, but thinking of Han Bingran's cold demeanor, she was unsettled. Those who cultivate must never let inner demons take root; once possessed, the consequences are dire.

Han Qianyu sighed, "I hope I’m worrying too much, but looking at her now, I can’t help but doubt."

"So what should we do? Suppose—just suppose—what if?"

"The Lock of Indifference." Han Qianyu's reply was firm, only three words, but to Han Qianyun, it was earth-shattering.

The Lock of Indifference was a special technique, like a seal that imprisoned emotion. Its sole flaw was that the recipient would forget all feelings, forever losing the ability to comprehend emotion, becoming as cold-blooded as a beast.

"Do we really have to use it?" Han Qianyun asked cautiously.

"Let’s observe a while longer. I don’t want my daughter marked by such a seal. Everything depends on Mother's decision. Unless absolutely necessary, I believe she won’t want to use it either."

"That’s all we can do." The two slowly walked away, leaving Han Bingran alone, her eyes shimmering with starlight. Was that starlight... tears?