Chapter Ninety-One: Farewell

Ye Hua, standing nearby, heard Lu Yunke speaking in a low voice. He could not tell whether the words were meant for him or were merely a murmur to himself, so he dared not answer. After a long while, a cheer rose from the crowd. Looking up at the sound, he saw Gao Lu and Jing Yun both begin to stir awake, as though they had remembered the fierce battle just fought and had only fainted from the injuries it left behind. Seeing their fellow disciples gathered around them, they struggled to their feet, lowered their heads, and clasped their fists in thanks. Tian Liang smiled and replied with a few words, and for reasons no one understood, everyone burst into laughter together.

At the sight, Ye Hua felt a surge of emotion. He could not help but think of his own senior brothers. Having been carried away by the teleportation array, he wondered how his four brothers were faring now. Who was the mysterious woman calling herself the Master of Flowing Clouds, so much like Sister Ling Yun'er? And his master, his senior brother, his senior sister, and the others in the Cold City of the Eastern Sea—how was the war there now? Such thoughts flashed through his mind in disorder.

Still lost in thought, he suddenly felt waves of pain course through his entire body. His inner breath was chaotic and blocked, a complete mess. He frowned slightly and thought to himself, This forced use of the Great Bright Body has badly damaged my meridians. I do not know when I will recover. The golden eagle sealed within my left arm may be even harder to restore.

"Junior Brother Ye!" Lu Yunke called to him. Ye Hua started and came back to himself. "Senior Brother Lu!" Lu Yunke said, "I wonder where Junior Brother Ye is staying now. What do you plan to do after this matter is concluded?"

Ye Hua thought for a moment. "There is nothing urgent. I came to the capital only three or four days ago, and for now I am staying at the Zhang residence with Senior Brothers Zhang Ke and Ma Fei, among others. I only do not know where Senior Brother Lu is staying, so that I may pay a visit another day."

Lu Yunke smiled. "Among the eight friends of Peach Blossom Vale, only Junior Brother Tian is elsewhere. The rest of us are all at White Ribbon Mountain, at Cloud Dwelling Monastery, a hundred li west of the capital."

Ye Hua cried out in surprise. "Cloud Dwelling Monastery? The one famed for its nine interlinked grottoes and hidden wonders, where the Complete Buddhist Canon is kept!"

Lu Yunke laughed. "Exactly. To ordinary lay disciples like us, it is nothing special, but for Buddhist disciples like you, Cloud Dwelling Monastery is truly famous. The Complete Buddhist Canon personally engraved in stone by Ancestor Jingyuan is in the Fifth Grotto, the Thunder Sound Grotto. It is one of Buddhism’s great sacred sites, and is hailed as one of the great treasures of the Divine Kingdom of China."

Hearing this, Ye Hua nodded repeatedly. "That is indeed so. Someday I will certainly visit you, Senior Brother. I hope you will receive me kindly."

Lu Yunke smiled. "Of course." He had not finished speaking when Tian Liang came over and said, "Big Brother, nearly all of the disciples of the Sun Moon Divine Alliance are gathered here. We had best leave at once. As for the others trapped in the formations, most of them come from the Three Mountains and Five Gardens. I doubt the Imperial Office will dare make things too difficult for them."

Lu Yunke nodded. "Very well. Then we shall leave now." Tian Liang turned back and conferred with the other senior and junior brothers, then nodded toward Lu Yunke. Lu Yunke smiled faintly and said nothing more. He drew his long sword and slashed upward at the sky. The others also summoned their magical treasures together, and with a thunderous crash the heavens slowly split open, revealing a gap dozens of zhang wide. None dared linger. All transformed into streaks of light and shot upward in unison.

The group flew onward at full speed. When they finally slowed to a stop, they were already dozens of li away from Little Western Mountain. Along the way Ye Hua had spoken at length with Gao Lu. Now, seeing everyone descend, he followed them down onto a low earthen slope. Gao Lu glanced around, then turned to Ye Hua and said, "Cousin, you should hurry back to the White Pagoda Monastery on North Terrace these next few days. The capital is chaotic and dangerous now, with hidden dragons and crouching tigers everywhere. You have no sect support here, so it is truly perilous."

Ye Hua replied, "Cousin, you are right. In a few more days, once this matter is finished, I will return. There is nothing pressing for me to do in the capital anyway."

Hearing this, Gao Lu nodded. "That would be best. Then I can worry a little less. Once you are back at North Terrace, if you want to send word to me, have someone go to the First Transmission Hall of Jinghua Martial Hall. If I have already left, the disciples there should still know me."

Ye Hua nodded in agreement. "I understand, Cousin. You need not worry."

Tian Liang came over from the side with a smile. "Senior Brother Gao, Junior Brother Ye, who would have thought you were cousins? That is truly beyond my expectations. Ha ha!"

Ye Hua said, "It is an extraordinary bond of fate. I never imagined my cousin would also join the Sun Moon Divine Alliance."

Tian Liang nodded. "Senior Brother Gao is renowned throughout Jinghua Martial Hall. Following Ancestor Heqing and spreading blessings far and wide, he is truly one of the foremost figures in Jinghua Martial Hall."

Gao Lu shook his head. "Junior Brother Tian is making fun of me. This time, it is I who must thank Junior Brother Tian for saving me."

Tian Liang said, "Senior Brother Gao is too modest. You and Senior Sister Jing Yun are held in such high esteem by everyone; my delay in coming to help was only natural."

As he spoke, he saw that everyone was beginning to disperse, many heading toward Jinghua Martial Hall. Lu Yunke’s elder brother was leading six junior brothers in conversation with Ma Fei and the others. Turning back, he said, "Junior Brother Ye, when will you go to my Fifth Transmission Hall to meet my master, Ancestor Qingling?"

Ye Hua said, "I had not really thought about it. Perhaps in a few more days."

Tian Liang smiled. "My master has personally promised to teach you a skill. You must not take it lightly. You should go as soon as possible."

Ye Hua was taken aback. "Yes, Senior Brother. I have learned my lesson. If I am free, I will go tomorrow to pay my respects."

Tian Liang nodded with a smile. "Then I will wait for you at the Fifth Transmission Hall. Do not break your promise, Junior Brother."

Ye Hua nodded. "I would not dare."

At that, Lu Yunke and Ma Fei gathered the others around them. Lu Yunke smiled and said, "I never expected to make the acquaintance of so many fine brothers today. It is truly a blessing for our eight friends of Peach Blossom Vale. I hope all of you junior brothers will keep in contact in the future."

Ma Fei clasped his fists. "Senior Brother Lu speaks well. We will certainly not fail the trust you place in us."

After exchanging bows and farewells, the group dispersed one by one.

Along the way, Ma Fei sighed. "Today’s battle has brought us into contact with many outstanding young talents from all under heaven. Heh, this time we really must thank Junior Brother Ye."

He glanced at Ye Hua, shook his head, and sighed again. "It is a pity, though. Junior Brother Ye failed to find his uncle-master, and I fear he will be leaving soon."

As he said this, he cast a half-smiling glance toward Zhang Lan.

When Zhang Lan caught Ma Fei’s teasing look, her cheeks reddened. She lowered her head and asked softly, "I wonder when Junior Brother Ye will return?"

The others watched with amusement. Ye Hua, not understanding what was going on, only saw his senior sister Zhang Lan looking shy and delicate, her face growing redder and redder. He stammered, "That... well... I have not decided yet... I think I will stay in the capital a few more days."

Everyone was delighted, smiling as they watched the two of them, curious to see how they would continue speaking.

Before long, they had returned to the Zhang residence. Since everyone had injuries of their own, there was no further socializing. They went back to their rooms, took medicine, and sat in quiet cultivation.

After returning to his room, Ye Hua swallowed several pills of Tianzhu Yellow Elixir to restore the damaged meridians and inner energy in his body. He calmed his mind, held his breath, and slowly guided his inner force. A warm current moved gradually through the Taiyin Lung Meridian of the hand, then on to the Shaoyang Triple Burner Meridian, then the Shaoyin Heart Meridian, then the Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, and finally into the Ren Meridian and Dantian Sea of Energy. The routes of meridian circulation differ in countless ways, and every school and sect has its own variations. Even so, none of them followed a path like the Sixfold Mystical Heavenly Wish-Fulfillment Art, moving in reverse through the meridians in a pattern of alternating yin and yang. Perhaps under heaven, only this one lineage could do such a thing.

Ye Hua only felt warm all through his body, comfort beyond words. Auspicious light shimmered over his skin, immortal energy welled and drifted around him, and behind him faint Buddhist radiance appeared. From somewhere came the sound of chanting and the low murmur of sutra recitation, and from somewhere else a strange, subtle fragrance like musk seemed to spread through the air.

As time passed, Ye Hua’s posture changed. He sat cross-legged, pressed his palms together toward the heavens, and lifted his gaze upward. It was the opening stance of the Great Bright Body technique. His entire body shone with a golden hue. To an outsider, though he was clearly made of flesh and blood, he seemed like the incarnate form of some bodhisattva. He gave off such solemn majesty that none would dare profane him.

Before he knew it, the next day had arrived. Outside, birds sang in crisp notes, and sunlight streamed into the room. As though awakened by it, Ye Hua slowly opened his eyes and woke. Seeing the dappled sunlight inside the room, he felt an indescribable peace and joy in his heart. Fine dust drifted in the air, turned by the sunlight into bright yellow-white shafts of light, as if the room itself were filled with the scent of the morning sun.

Slowly, Ye Hua stood up. Not wanting to disturb the stillness of the moment, he opened the door and walked out quietly.