NOVPUBThe lush cypress trees were planted on both sides of the road, their dense branches stirring in the breeze.
An old man dressed in coarse blue cloth sat beneath a tree, with sunlight casting hazy shadows across his face through the gaps in the thick foliage.
The tea cup in front of him was still emitting wisps of steam.
"Would you like a cup?" The old man sat on the other side of the wooden table, with three tea cups before him.
One was for himself, and the other two were for Xu Zimei and Styx.
With hair white as frost, the old man’s face was etched with the ravages of time.
The moment Xu Zimei saw the old man’s face, he froze completely.
"Xiao Dingtian," he murmured softly in disbelief.
Who would have thought that such an elderly man would possess such an imposing name.
"Lord of light," Styx whispered softly on the side.
"What are you talking about?" Xu Zimei asked, frowning at Styx.
"He is the founder of Puguang Hall. His exact name is unknown, but people call him the Lord of Light," Styx explained.
"So Xiao Dingtian is the Lord of Light," Xu Zimei narrowed his eyes slightly.
First, regarding Xiao Dingtian.
This was one of the few friends of Xu Zimei in his past life.
It was then, when he was cast down into Secluded Dragon Gorge, that he began to make his way in the world alone.
And it was during the days in Zixun Village with Lan Ke’er that he met Xiao Dingtian.
A traveler just passing through the place.
He understood Xu Zimei, knew the pain of being a failure, and knew how to comfort him.
He was one of the scarce friends Xu Zimei had.
But it was not until now that Xu Zimei learned the other was actually the Lord of Light.
As for the Lord of Light, it was a title steeped in legend.
And its bearer was a man with great aspirations.
The Lord of Light had once promised to spread light throughout the world.
This so-called light was not just the sunlight but also a form of goodness.
To bring light to the dark, filthy places, to guide the helpless and confused.
This was the vision of the Lord of Light as he walked through the world.
The so-called Puguang Hall in Dark Corner City was just one such place of light that the Lord of Light had left in this world.
...
Xu Zimei made himself comfortable, sitting on the other side of the tea table, took up his tea cup, smiled lightly, and began to sip slowly.
He could feel it -- the Lord of Light was definitely at the peak cultivation level of the Five Steps to Immortality, far stronger than Styx.
"Does the elder have something on his mind?" Xu Zimei asked with a smile.
"You should know me," the Lord of Light smiled and replied, "I’m aware of what you’ve done in Dark Corner City."
"Are you here to hold me accountable?" Xu Zimei laughed.
The Lord of Light shook his head and replied, "I’m just here to see you."
"To see me?" Xu Zimei was somewhat puzzled.
"The darkness in your heart is too heavy," said the Lord of Light calmly.
Xu Zimei fell silent, then asked with a smile, "Do you have no darkness in your heart?"
Hearing Xu Zimei’s words, the Lord of Light’s hand holding the tea cup paused.
After staring at Xu Zimei for a long while, he finally spoke with composure, "Yes, perhaps my darkness is even heavier than yours.
People praise me as the embodiment of light.
But in the end, I am still human, a person with flesh, blood, and a soul.
As a human, how can I escape the Seven Emotions and Six Desires?"
"What’s the purpose of Puguang Hall?" asked Xu Zimei.
"To be a presence that Senluo Hall fears, to bring a ray of light to Dark Corner City," replied the Lord of Light with a smile.
Xu Zimei shook his head slightly.
"You’re so strong, you could have simply destroyed Senluo Hall, so why do you let the two factions confront each other?"
"The person who fights demons must beware of becoming a demon themselves," the Lord of Light replied after a pause.
"If Senluo Hall is destroyed, do you believe Puguang Hall will become the new Senluo Hall?"
"Why?" Styx asked somewhat puzzledly.
"Even the Lord of Light has darkness in his heart, let alone his followers," Xu Zimei said with a smile.
"Don’t you see, the vice head of Puguang Hall, that guy named Yu Hu, has already started to slowly degenerate."
"Yu Hu, ah, he used to be such an enthusiastic young man," the Lord of Light chuckled and said.
"When I first established Puguang Hall, he wasn’t like this.
It’s just power that is gradually corrupting him.
If one day Senluo Hall truly falls, he might become the new darkness."
Hearing this, Xu Zimei laughed.
"Without the existence of darkness, how can the importance of light be highlighted?
It’s impossible for the light to forever cover the land.
Nor can darkness permanently shroud the earth.
Yin and Yang complement each other and are indispensable."
"You see very clearly," the Lord of Light said, looking at Xu Zimei, "but the darkness in your heart is too heavy."
"Are you trying to convert me, Xiao Dingtian?" Xu Zimei asked with a smile.
Hearing Xu Zimei say his name, the Lord of Light was taken aback, then asked in surprise, "How do you know my name?"
"Darkness told me," Xu Zimei replied with a smile.
The Lord of Light was taken aback, only to see him shaking his head with a smile as his figure gradually faded away.
"We will meet again one day."
"I hope we never do."
Xu Zimei could see that Xiao Dingtian and he were not on the same path.
...…
After the Lord of Light left, the group resumed their journey.
Styx didn’t ask Xu Zimei why he knew the Lord of Light’s name.
His intuition always made him feel that Xu Zimei was a person with deep secrets.
He was also very wary in his heart.
The people from the Martial Extreme Holy Sect seemed unaffected along the way, chatting merrily.
It was as if they weren’t on a training expedition, but on a leisure trip instead.
The group trudged through dust and wind for three days, finally encountering a city on the third day.
According to Styx’s introduction, further along this road the cities would become more numerous, and the human activity, more bustling.
As they approached the city, Xu Zimei looked up.
He saw the words Yellow Spring City above the city gate, which was eerily quiet, without even a single soldier guarding it.
Lv Tian suggested on the side, "Why don’t we rest here tonight and set out again tomorrow?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, with no objections.
"Maybe we should find somewhere else," suggested Styx.
"What’s wrong?" Xu Zimei asked.
"Yellow Spring signifies the final destination where all souls meet death," Styx explained.
"I know of this city, it’s reputed to be more sinister even than Dark Corner City."
"What happened?" Xu Zimei curiously asked.
"This is a city cursed by demons and monsters, where, aside from the original inhabitants,
any newcomers would die in bizarre ways the next day."
Styx continued, "We don’t need to invite this trouble, there will be more cities ahead if we keep going."
"What do you all think?" Xu Zimei looked at the others and asked.
"Then let’s move on," Fu Yu said, somewhat timidly.
