The Mingsi River

  The wide waters of the Mingsi River, which belonged to the Yingtian Clan, shimmered under the pale morning sun. A single, small boat drifted slowly downstream, and in it sat Qing Yu, ferrying sack of fox nuts intended for trade. His face was grim, frustration burning in his chest. With a sudden growl, he slammed the oar into the boat, and a hollow thud echoed across the still river. Then silence returned... only the soft, endless murmur of flowing water remained. Muttering curses under his breath, he lightly struck his own forehead. “Idiot! Fool! Worthless Qing Yu!” he scolded himself. “You left your friend in the care of a stranger! You didn’t even bother to check who that girl was! And that mansion... Gufung Mansion... it’s been sealed for years! How could it suddenly open again? I need to meet Mei Gui quickly and return… before something goes terribly wrong.” With that, he seized the oar again, rowing faster, his arms slicing through the misted air as the boat glided toward the Hegong Clan’s trade docks. Gufung Mansion Once magnificent, the mansion now stood shrouded in silence. Years of abandonment had left dry leaves scattered across its courtyards and corridors. Inside, Hei Shu Yi was sweeping them away herself. The cool autumn wind brushed past her hair; each gust sent a few more golden leaves drifting down. She paused for a moment, watching the falling leaves swirl in the air. To her, the scene was strangely beautiful… peaceful. But the calm shattered. A loud crash came from the chamber where Xiao Tang lay. Her body tensed instantly. The sound wasn’t small... it was violent, as if something heavy had fallen. In a heartbeat, Hei Shu Yi leapt to the room’s door, and a white sheet flew straight toward her face. Reacting instinctively, she drew her sword midair, slicing the fabric clean in two. But the moment the cloth fell to the ground, her composure broke... her eyes widened in disbelief. Floating before her, hovering in midair, his eyes burning with a demonic red light... stood Xiao Tang. Or rather… what remained of him. A low hum filled the room as he awakened his weapon. A deep maroon aura flared violently around him, swirling like smoke before solidifying into a crimson blade. Without hesitation, Xiao Tang unsheathed it and slashed toward her. Hei Shu Yi met his strike instantly, her sword flashing with spiritual energy. The clash rang like thunder. Even as she parried, her mind raced. “This can’t be possible,” she thought, her gaze locked on him. “His body and his soul… they don’t belong together. It’s as if the body is dead, yet the spirit inside it burns stronger than life itself. How can such a fragile, nearly lifeless shell move with this kind of force?” Trying to reason with him, she called out, “Please, calm yourself! I am a healer... I only wish to help you. You are in no condition to fight!” But he only glared at her, his voice a growl that cut through the air. “Deceiver.” The single word dripped with hostility. Then he vanished... reappearing with a ferocious strike. The crimson aura twisted violently as he began to form a seal of power, a forbidden spiritual sigil. Seeing the danger, Hei Shu Yi quickly wove a defensive barrier of her own. Just as the sigil flared... A voice boomed from below. “Gu Zong!” The entire mansion fell silent. The crimson aura dissolved instantly. Standing at the entrance, his white robes fluttering in the cold air, was Master Suo Jing... Hei Shu Yi’s teacher, who had recently returned from the Hegong Clan after receiving her urgent message.

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  Flashback The moment Qing Yu had left the mansion, Hei Shu Yi had already sensed the disturbance. Without delay, she formed a small communication talisman, sending her master a coded message sealed in spiritual light. At that time, within the Hegong Clan, disciples sat in meditation throughout the forested compound, maintaining the harmony of the spiritual field and purifying the surrounding aura. Among them was a disciple named Wan Chang wan, quietly meditating. His master, Suo Jing, pretended to be nothing more than an absentminded old fool... a ruse to protect the deep and ancient knowledge he carried within. Then, a bright white talisman drifted toward him. Suo Jing immediately recognized the spiritual signature. “Hei Shu Yi…” Without hesitation, he caught it in his palm, absorbed its message... and vanished without a trace, leaving no ripple of his presence behind. Back to Gufung Mansion The cold autumn wind still whispered through the empty courtyards. Leaves continued to fall, rustling softly against the stone. But inside, the air was heavy... reverent. Suo Jing and Hei Shu Yi both knelt in awe. Before them stood not Xiao Tang… but Gu Zong... a legendary disciple of an ancient and fallen lineage. The moment Suo Jing sensed the powerful sigil still faintly glowing in the air, he recognized it. It was the same curse seal... the very one he himself had placed on Gu Zong years ago. The old master’s eyes filled with tears. He bowed deeply, his voice trembling. “Gu Zong… forgive me. I had no choice. I was forced to do it… There was no other way!” Hei Shu Yi stepped forward, gently supporting her teacher and urging him to stand. But the agony on Gu Zong’s face was far greater. His clan... destroyed. His body... dead. His soul... trapped in a corpse’s shell. And worse still... he had lost the one person he loved more than life itself. His eyes shimmered faintly, but no tears fell. After all, the dead cannot weep. Hei Shu Yi had already realized the truth: Xiao Tang’s body was long dead. It was Gu Zong’s spirit that kept it moving... the only thread binding this walking corpse to existence. She bowed deeply before him. “Master Gu Zong,” she said respectfully, “I have medicines that may help maintain warmth in this vessel. But if the world learns that you have returned… the devastation will be beyond measure.” For a moment, Gu Zong’s expression hardened, rage flashing through his eyes. But then Hei Shu Yi smiled faintly and added, “Yes… the devastation would be immense. But theirs, not ours. I am well-versed in the history of the Lingxiao Clan. You can trust us, Master Gu Zong.” At that, Gu Zong exhaled deeply. But before he could speak further, blood spilled from his lips... his borrowed body trembling under the strain. Hei Shu Yi immediately stepped forward. “Your host body is too frail to contain your full power,” she warned. “You must seal your spiritual energy. Release it only when absolutely necessary... otherwise, the body will collapse.” Gu Zong nodded weakly. He formed a mudra with trembling hands, and a faint silver light enveloped his chest. Gradually, the violent aura around him subsided. Meanwhile… Far away, exhausted and drenched in sweat, Qing Yu finally arrived at the bustling heart of the Hegong Clan’s marketplace. He had no idea that by leaving his friend behind, he had just changed the fate of three great clans forever.