Chapter 110: A Unified Whole

The assault on the mountain by the Quansheng was an affair that lasted but a single night. Yet, under the orchestrated scheme of the Company, Mount Longhu, and the Lu family, this attack was, for the Quansheng, nothing more than a trap.

The outcome was as expected: the Quansheng lost, and they lost miserably. Many were left behind on the mountain, and many others were honorably invited by the Company to "drink tea."

A resounding victory.

This should have been a moment of jubilation. But the summit of Mount Longhu, alone, was plunged into silence. The reason was simple: during the previous night’s assault, the Second Master of Mount Longhu, Tian Jinzhong, had been killed by the scoundrels of the Quansheng.

The passing of this elder left Mount Longhu in a state of absolute stillness. Even the Old Celestial Master himself appeared exceptionally reticent following the event; once the funeral rites for Tian Jinzhong were concluded, he shut himself away in his quarters, vanishing from sight day after day.

It was deeply worrying.

As for Ye Yan, things were relatively stable. Following the assassination attempt, there had been no further disturbances for quite some time. Even so, the people on Mount Longhu continued to arrange for guards to rotate in shifts, lest an accident like the previous one occur again. If Dean Deng and Victor had not been on the mountain that last time, the situation Ye Yan faced could have been far worse than imagined.

Fortunately, it had been a close call.

Of course, the Old Celestial Master was not the only one trapped in silence; Zhang Lingyu was the same. Ever since the assassination attempt, he had been consumed by self-doubt and despair. As a true prodigy of heaven, he had suffered one blow after another. First, there were the likes of Ye Yan, Feng Baobao, and Zhang Chulan, and now, even nameless nobodies could harm him and nearly lead to his downfall. This was unacceptable to Zhang Lingyu, and for these past few days, he had been mired in an inescapable, melancholic gloom.

In the past, when faced with such trials, he could always seek out his master or his second master, or at the very least, his fellow disciples to unburden his heart. But now, after what had transpired on Mount Longhu, everyone appeared weighed down by heavy spirits. Even in his distress, Zhang Lingyu knew he should not add to their burdens during such a time.

...

Ye Yan knew nothing of what was happening outside. He felt as if he were encased in a giant cocoon, surrounded by impenetrable darkness.

In that darkness, he dreamt a long, long dream.

Many people appeared in his dreams. Many events surfaced as well. People he had known, things he had nearly forgotten—they flickered before his eyes like a revolving lantern, appearing and vanishing, then cycling back again.

Standing in the dark world, Ye Yan watched the flowing memories before him, feeling a brief moment of detachment. After a long while, he raised his hand and gently touched a small, fragmented memory. As it unfolded, the darkness around him shifted rapidly, transforming into the scene from that memory.

It was a simple memory: the time when he had just transmigrated, destitute and desperate, washing dishes and bowls, contemplating the idea of sending his spirit beasts to work in an electronics factory. They were merely trivial matters, yet Ye Yan smiled knowingly, then casually pulled open another memory to browse.

Acquiring the Banner Spirit. Practicing the Art of Spirit Dispatching. Beginning his transformation into darkness. Instructing Chen Duo. Befriending Xu Si. Performing the dark deeds of the Tianshia Association. Gaining fame within the circle step by step.

"..."

Memory after memory flashed by, reminding Ye Yan of many things he had long forgotten. It was like reviewing his life once more. The feeling was quite pleasant.

With that thought, he tapped on a cherry-pink memory fragment. This time, as the scene changed, it was not just the visuals; he could even hear sound. A voice he would never forget for as long as he lived.

"Hey, what is wrong with you, strange man? Why are you staring so intently?"

The voice was tinged with willful arrogance and displeasure. Ye Yan looked up, seeing in the memory the young Xia He, wearing a round-neck cashmere sweater, light-colored jeans with double-rolled cuffs, and tan calfskin boots, her cherry-pink ponytail swaying lightly behind her. She appeared youthful and slightly shy. This was the scene of their first meeting.

The young girl proudly lifted her chin, looking down from above at Ye Yan, who appeared sallow and dark-circled, and questioned him with irritation.

"Huh?!"

In the memory, the sallow-faced youth merely looked up in a daze. Upon seeing the fragrant meat burger in her hand, he swallowed hard. Compared to the charming girl before him, the burger was clearly more attractive.

Seeing this, the girl was both furious and utterly stunned. She was clearly speaking to him, yet his gaze remained fixed solely on the meat burger. Xia He discovered that her innate ability had failed on someone for the first time—and it was a man. This left her feeling inexplicably annoyed and embarrassed to the point of anger.

The memory fragment was long—longer than all the previous ones combined—and contained many beautiful memories from after Ye Yan had arrived in this world. There was the time he lost his "first blood" after getting drunk. There was Xia He choosing to join the Quansheng. There was Xia He secretly providing aid and stepping in to help when Ye Yan was being hunted by the Wang family. There were also the trivial moments of eating together and strolling through the streets.

And so much more...

These memories filled Ye Yan with infinite emotion. Afterward, there were Xu Si, Chen Duo, Feng Xingtong, Feng Shayan, Feng Zhenghao, Wang Ye, Tang Wenlong, the little green snake, Wang Ai, Wang Lin, Wang Bing... and countless nameless passersby.

Countless tiny fragments, woven together by thread after thread, formed a massive grid. These were all people who had left a trail in his life, and they were all proof that he had once existed.

...

Yingtan. Deep within a remote mountain forest.

Xia He leaned against the wall of a cave, her eyes appearing slightly weary. The humid, sticky air not only soaked her clothes but also caused her wounds to ache and itch, preventing them from healing quickly. Ever since the Quansheng assaulted Mount Longhu and suffered heavy losses, life for the Quansheng had become exceptionally difficult.

First came the pursuit by the Company. Then followed the Zhengyi sects, led by Mount Longhu. Furthermore, the Quansheng’s own reputation was already abysmal, and even small factions that had once suffered at their hands joined in the kicking of the fallen, adding insult to injury.

The world of the gifted was in turmoil.

Now, chaos and conflict were everywhere. The Quansheng had gone from being "rats crossing the street" to being attacked by everyone; anyone who could wanted to get in on the action. The most fierce of the pursuers were the great families like the Lu, Lyu, and Wang, though with the accidental capture of Lyu Liang the day before, the Lyu family had quickly withdrawn, allowing Xia He and her companions a brief moment of relief. At the very least, the pressure had eased.

In ordinary times, with their strength intact and the Quansheng’s influence as it was, they would never have feared even the combined strength of the four great families. But now, the situation was different; with so many factions united, the Quansheng dared not challenge their edge. They could only flee into the shadows and lick their wounds.

Xia He sat before a pile of dry leaves, warming herself by the bonfire, closing her eyes to rest and recover her Qi. For them, not being hunted was a rare moment of leisure that had to be used for recovery, as there might be several hard battles ahead. As the "Bone-Scraping Blade," known for her beauty and allure, Xia He usually paid close attention to her image. Though she was too lazy to wear makeup, she loved being clean. But now, she appeared disheveled; her white short-sleeved shirt and light blue jeans were stained with blood, and her long cherry-pink hair was matted into strands. She looked utterly wretched.

Nearby, Shen Chong sat in a dark corner, tearing into the raw meat of some animal, his mouth covered in blood. Shen Chong was usually refined; when they first met, he always left an impression of elegance. Yet now, he looked so miserable, even reduced to eating raw meat and drinking blood. It showed just how desperate the Quansheng had been pushed.

The cave was quiet, save for the crackling of the bonfire and the sound of chewing. Shen Chong devoured the raw meat, then licked the blood from his fingertips with a lingering sense of hunger and spoke slowly:

"There are too many people hunting us. It is wave after wave. If this continues, we will eventually be unable to hold on and will be dragged down."

Shen Chong’s voice was soft, yet the remaining three in the cave opened their eyes to look at him.

"And what is your plan?"

The one who answered was Lei Yan Pao Gao Ning—a man with the appearance of a Bodhisattva but a volatile, fiery temper. A dangerous individual.

"I think there are only two paths before us. First, we continue deeper into this mountain range. As long as we can endure the next few waves of encirclement and reach the deep mountains, their numbers will hold little meaning. Second, we break out in the opposite direction and find the others who are being hunted to regroup."

Shen Chong was a relatively rational man. Among the Four Madmen, he was, most of the time, the strategist—the one who laid out the plans.

"Break out? Have you lost your mind?"

As soon as Shen Chong spoke, he was immediately opposed by Dou Mei. This elder sister, who usually appeared gentle and composed, rarely showed such irritability.

"Lyu Liang has already been captured. We have no idea how many people are hunting us out there. To break out now is no different from jumping out to seek death. I do not agree."

If Lyu Liang were still with them, a breakout might have been a possibility. After all, they could have captured stragglers and used the Soul-Brightening Technique to learn the situation outside, or even the distribution of the encircling forces. But now, without Lyu Liang, they were like blind men, forced to grope their way forward, hiding with extreme caution.

"I also disagree."

After Dou Mei spoke, Gao Ning quickly followed, expressing his opinion. Compared to hiding in the deep mountains for a while, a breakout was simply too risky. The danger coefficient was too high.

"Xia He, what do you think?"

Of the four, two had already cast their votes against it. Shen Chong turned his gaze toward Xia He.

"I choose to break out."

Compared to the careful deliberation of Dou Mei and Gao Ning, Xia He’s choice was made without a second thought. Without the slightest hesitation.

"Are you insane?"

Gao Ning was shocked, staring in disbelief at Xia He, who was leaning against the rock wall. He truly could not understand why Xia He would make such a choice; it was as if she had lost her mind.

"I am not insane."

Xia He glanced at Gao Ning and said faintly, "I am going to Mount Longhu."

"You are still going to Mount Longhu?"

If Xia He’s previous words had only shocked Gao Ning, this statement made even Dou Mei unable to sit still. She quickly tried to dissuade her:

"Xia He, this is not the time to be headstrong. You know how many people are encircling us out there. With just the few of us, it is already difficult to flee; trying to break out is pure fantasy. Moreover, you are a member of the Quansheng. Running to Mount Longhu at a time like this is simply throwing yourself into the tiger's den."

Even Dou Mei, a woman herself, found it hard to comprehend.

Xia He did not speak, but her gaze remained firm. Clearly, she had already made up her mind and would not be easily swayed by words. Seeing her like this, Dou Mei sighed helplessly, rubbing her dry, bloodshot eyes, and tried to make her voice as gentle as possible.

"Xia He, if it were normal times, we wouldn't try to stop you from breaking out. You are different from us; you have backing, and neither the Company nor other factions would dare to act rashly. But now? Your man is facing his own predicament. And... we, the Quansheng, are now enemies with the entire world of the gifted. How can you be sure that he will step up at this time, or that he would be willing to go to war with everyone for your sake? Can you guarantee it?"

Dou Mei’s words hit the nail on the head.

The cave, which had been filled with arguments, fell silent. Even Xia He could not help but fall quiet.

It was true. Her identity was that of the Quansheng. The Quansheng, who were hated by all. Would someone truly be willing to risk everything, to stand against the entire world of the gifted, just for one woman? Perhaps Ye Yan truly liked her. Perhaps he loved her deeply. But such a thing... even Xia He herself felt unsure.

"Brother Gao, Sister Mei, Chong-zi, I know you are trying to persuade me for my own good. But even so, I must go to Mount Longhu. I have to."

"Regardless of whether he chooses to do anything for me, at the very least, when he is facing difficulties, I must stand by his side."

"Of course, this is my own affair. You don't have to join me. Finding a place to hide safely for a while is also a good choice."

Xia He’s gaze remained unwavering.

This, too, left the others in silence. But to Xia He’s surprise, as her voice faded, Shen Chong, in the corner, adjusted his broken glasses and smiled faintly.

"I will go with you."

Hearing this, Xia He was stunned, looking at Shen Chong with a face full of confusion, her eyes filled with doubt. Seeing her gaze, Shen Chong hurriedly waved his hand. "Don't misunderstand. I don't have any other intentions; I just think that if I go with you, the safety coefficient will be higher."

"After all, I am a gambler."

Since Shen Chong had said as much, Dou Mei sighed. "Since even a shrewd man like Shen Chong has chosen this, count me in as well. After all, the Four Madmen are a unit; there is no deterrent power if we are separated... staying together is safer."

With each of them making their choice, Gao Ning had no choice but to shake his head and offer a bitter smile.

"Although your choice is terrible, Sister Mei is right—the Four Madmen are a whole."