nyslfriends Chapter 33: Encounter with the Firebird, A Strange Fate with the Jade Pendant!
Chapter 33: Encounter with the Firebird, A Strange Fate with the Jade Pendant!
Chapter 33: Encounter with the Firebird, A Strange Fate with the Jade Pendant!
At the summit of Junshan Mountain, the morning mist had not yet dissipated.
Ouyang Ke bid farewell to Guo Jing and Huang Rong at the foot of Xuanyuan Terrace. The effects of the night's wine had long since dissipated, but the three men's expressions were even more solemn than under the moonlight.
"Brother Ouyang, take care on your journey." Guo Jing clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice low and deep.
Ouyang Ke smiled slightly and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Brother Guo, Miss Huang, until we meet again."
Huang Rong opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she only nodded slightly. Looking at the man in white before her, she recalled what he had said last night, and her heart was filled with mixed feelings, yet she felt surprisingly no sorrow at parting.
The firebird perched on Ouyang Ke's shoulder and made a "coo" sound towards Huang Rong, as if saying goodbye.
Ouyang Ke turned his horse around, and the steed neighed softly, its hooves treading on the morning dew as it slowly descended the mountain. After traveling about ten paces, he suddenly reined in his horse and turned back, saying loudly, "Brother Guo, do not forget our trip to Xiangxi. The matter of the Nine Yin Manual is crucial to whether Elder Hong can recover his power."
Guo Jing's heart warmed, and he said loudly, "Brother Ouyang, don't worry, I will definitely go!"
Ouyang Ke nodded and said no more. With a light flick of the whip, the man and the bird gradually disappeared into the morning mist.
Huang Rong watched the departing figure and suddenly sighed softly.
Guo Jing took her hand and asked softly, "Rong'er, what's wrong?"
Huang Rong shook her head, buried her face in his shoulder, and said in a muffled voice, "It's nothing, I just feel that things in this world are really strange."
Guo Jing didn't understand her meaning, but he didn't press her for an answer. He simply held her hand tightly, gazing at the mountain path gradually swallowed by the morning mist, remaining silent for a long time.
The autumn wind is bleak, and wild geese fly south.
Ouyang Ke rode his horse north, slowly making his way towards Xiangyang along the official road he had come from.
Yueyang is about five or six hundred li from Xiangyang, and with the speed of his green horse, it would take seven or eight days to reach it. He wasn't in a hurry, and leisurely enjoyed the scenery and teased the firebirds along the way, finding himself quite at ease.
As autumn deepens, the maple leaves along the official road are ablaze with color. A gust of river wind blows by, and a few red leaves twirl and fall, landing on my shoulder, or on the crimson bird.
Since leaving Yueyang, Firebird has seemed somewhat restless.
At first, Ouyang Ke thought it was just that the effects of the alcohol hadn't worn off. This little guy had been drinking too much on Junshan Mountain, drinking almost half a jar of wine, and was so drunk that he fell down in the pavilion.
But now, two days have passed, and its anxiety has not only not dissipated, but has become even stronger.
At dusk that day, Ouyang Ke rested by a mountain path.
The setting sun painted the horizon a golden-red hue, and the distant river shimmered with a dark light in the twilight. He had just settled down on the blue stone and taken out his dry rations when a firebird took flight from his shoulder, circled twice above his head, cooed twice, and flew off ahead.
It flew several feet away, then turned back and landed on his shoulder, gently pecking his cheek with its beak.
Ouyang Ke chuckled: "What, you don't like the dry rations? There's a restaurant up ahead?"
The firebird took flight again, this time flying even further, hovering in mid-air, tilting its head to look at him.
That look clearly urged him to catch up.
Ouyang Ke's heart stirred.
This little fellow possesses extraordinary spiritual abilities and never does anything unnecessary. Back in the desolate valley of Xiangyang, it was it that led him to the Bodhi Serpent;
It was on the outskirts of Lin'an Prefecture that it first discovered Mu Nianci in danger. Its current agitation, could it be—
He collected the dry rations, lightly tapped his crutches under his armpits, and his figure had already floated more than ten feet away.
Seeing him follow, the firebird chirped merrily and took flight. It didn't fly fast, always keeping a distance of several feet from Ouyang Ke, sometimes landing on a branch to wait for him, sometimes circling ahead to urge him on, truly resembling a little boy leading the way.
A man and a bird followed the mountain path westward, chasing the setting sun.
After walking for about half an hour, the official road gradually became desolate, and the mountains on both sides grew higher. Suddenly, the firebird soared up and flew towards a path hidden in the weeds.
The path was extremely narrow, with thorns growing on both sides. If it weren't for the firebird leading the way, Ouyang Ke would never have noticed that there was a path leading to it.
He frowned, but still followed.
The path wound its way uphill, leading to a valley. Upon reaching the valley entrance, Ouyang Ke suddenly stopped.
The sound of water came from the valley, not the roar of a rushing river, but the clear sound of spring water dripping, tinkling and tinkling, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.
A refreshing breeze swept over us, quite different from the dryness of autumn outside the valley, and even had a touch of the warmth of spring in the mountains.
The firebird circled twice at the valley entrance, turned back and cried out at him, then flew in first.
Without further hesitation, Ouyang Ke used his crutches to touch the ground and glided in.
There is a cave in the valley.
The stone walls on both sides are sheer, with vines hanging down. A thin spring seeps out from a crevice in the stone wall, forming a small pool with clear, blue water that is visible to the bottom. Several clumps of unknown flowers and grasses grow by the pool, gleaming faintly in the twilight.
The most peculiar thing is the stone wall behind the pool.
In the center of the stone wall, there is an extremely narrow crack, only wide enough for one person to pass sideways. The edges of the crack are smooth and rounded, not like a natural formation, but rather as if it were cleaved open by a sharp tool.
A faint ray of light shone from the depths of the crack, standing out starkly in the twilight.
The firebird flew to the crevice, turned back and cried out at him, then flew inside.
Ouyang Ke's heart stirred slightly. He used his crutches to lightly touch the ground, floated to the front of the crack, and squeezed in sideways.
The crack was extremely narrow, and the stone walls on both sides were cold and slippery. If he hadn't been so thin, he would have had a hard time passing through. After walking about ten steps, the space suddenly opened up before him, revealing a stone chamber about ten feet in diameter.
The walls of the stone chamber were smooth, clearly carved by hand. The chamber was empty except for a stone table in the center, on which sat a wooden box covered with a thick layer of dust.
Beside the stone table lay a skeleton, its clothes long since decayed, with only a few scraps of cloth hanging on the frame.
The firebird perched on the stone table, tilted its head to look at him, and made a "coo" sound, clearly trying to curry favor.
Ouyang Ke looked around and saw several lines of writing carved on the stone wall, the strokes powerful and vigorous. He stared at them and read: "For thirty years I roamed the rivers, lakes, and seas, killing countless people and robbing countless riches. Looking back in my old age, I realize that all I have gained in my life is a box of yellow earth. Only two things are worth mentioning. One is the 'Water-Dividing Sword Technique,' which I created throughout my life, specifically for underwater combat, using the power of water to wield the sword and deflect great force with minimal effort. The other is an ancient jade I acquired in my early years, of peculiar quality, which changes when it encounters internal force. I have spent my entire life trying to decipher its secrets. I leave this book not to spread my fame, but to warn future generations. I wish to give the contents of this box to someone with the right fate. If anyone can decipher the secrets of this ancient jade, I will die in peace."
The signature has been weathered and is no longer legible.
Ouyang Ke stared at the skeleton and remained silent for a long time.
This man roamed the martial world for thirty years, killing countless people and robbing immeasurable wealth, yet in the end, he was nothing more than a pile of bones, leaving not even a name behind. What, then, are the people of the martial world fighting over?
The firebird pecked at the lid of the wooden box with its beak, and with a soft "click," the long-rotten lock fell off. The lid popped open, revealing a thin silk scroll and an ancient jade pendant inside.
The silk scroll had four characters written on it: "The Water-Dividing Sword Technique".
Ouyang Ke did not rush to flip through the silk book. Instead, he first wiped the dust off the stone table and bowed to the skeleton, saying, "Since you have entrusted me with this task, I will naturally comply."
He used his crutches to lightly touch the ground and floated out of the stone chamber. He found a spot in the valley facing the great river, and using his crutches as a shovel, he dug a pit.
Back in the stone chamber, they carefully gathered the skeleton, wrapped it in a robe, and took it to the edge of the pit for burial.
There was no coffin, no tombstone, only a pile of fresh earth and a jade pendant picked up from beside the withered bones in front of the earth.
Ouyang Ke stood before the grave, gazing at the river surface faintly visible in the twilight, and said softly, "Senior, although this is not the banks of the great river, one can still see the river flowing eastward."
The firebird landed on his shoulder and, unusually, remained silent, simply crouching there quietly.
The night breeze swept across the valley entrance, bringing with it the sound of the distant river rushing by, like a sigh, like a whisper.
Ouyang Ke stood before the grave for a moment, then turned and returned to the stone chamber, taking out the scroll of "Water-Splitting Sword Manual." He flipped through it in the twilight and found it was a set of sword techniques for naval combat. The moves were indeed exquisite, especially the skillful use of water power to wield the sword, achieving maximum effect with minimal effort. It was a pity that his legs were impaired, so he would likely never be able to cultivate underwater skills.
He kept the jade pendant, though.
The jade pendant was warm and smooth, with the character "潮" (tide) engraved on the front and several water ripples on the back. Ouyang Ke held it in his hand and could faintly feel a cool sensation, though he couldn't tell if it was due to the quality of the jade or just his imagination.
Seeing that he had put away the jade pendant, the firebird became cheerful again, hopping twice on his shoulder and pecking at his earlobe with its beak.
Ouyang Ke chuckled: "You little rascal, you're even more anxious than I am."
He looked up out of the valley; dusk was falling, and only a sliver of crimson remained on the horizon. He feared he wouldn't make it to the city tonight.
He found a sheltered rocky spot and sat down cross-legged. The firebird nestled in his arms, its small, coral-like eyes gradually narrowing, and soon began to snore softly.
Moonlight streamed in from the valley entrance, illuminating the pool below and creating countless shimmering silver specks.
Ouyang Ke gazed at the clear pool, toying with the jade pendant in his hand, when suddenly a thought struck him.
This jade pendant changes when it encounters internal force. What kind of change will it undergo?
His curiosity was piqued, so he channeled a wisp of Nine Yang True Qi and slowly poured it into the jade pendant.
Strands of scorching internal energy seeped into the jade pendant, but the pendant remained unresponsive, still cool and smooth as ever. Ouyang Ke let out a soft exclamation and added a few more strands of internal energy. This time, a faint halo appeared on the jade pendant, but it vanished in an instant.
The firebird was startled awake. It groggily raised its head and saw Ouyang Ke playing with the jade pendant. It cooed in dissatisfaction and buried its head in its wing again.
Ouyang Ke, however, did not give up. He took a deep breath, slowly circulated the true energy in his dantian, and continuously poured it into the jade pendant.
He had already mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill to a considerable degree. Although he had not yet achieved great success, his inner strength was far superior to that of ordinary people.
According to his estimation, even a piece of stubborn iron should become hot and humid after being infused with such internal energy. But this jade pendant was like a bottomless pit; no matter how much he poured in, it only emitted a faint halo, and the cool aura only increased instead of decreasing.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ouyang Ke had already used up nearly 30% of his internal energy, but the jade pendant was still in the same state.
He was secretly amazed, recalling the inscription on the stone wall: "I have spent my entire life trying to decipher its secrets." This jade pendant was indeed extraordinary.
Just as he was about to put the jade pendant away, he suddenly felt a chill in his palm, and the cool sensation suddenly turned into an icy cold!
Ouyang Ke trembled, instinctively circulating his Nine Yang True Qi to protect himself. His Nine Yang Divine Skill was the most Yang and powerful internal energy in the world, the nemesis of the coldest martial arts. Yet, the chill emanating from the jade pendant made even this practitioner of the Nine Yang Divine Skill shiver.
"Interesting," Ouyang Ke said in a low voice.
Far from being afraid, he became even more interested. He immediately sat cross-legged and circulated his Nine Yang True Qi to the fullest extent to resist the chill emanating from the jade pendant.
In an instant, heat emanated from his body, and white mist swirled around him, intertwining with the chill emanating from the jade pendant, creating a strange scene in the valley on this autumn night. The firebird was startled awake, flew to his head and circled, cooing anxiously.
Ouyang Ke's face gradually turned pale.
The chill emanating from the jade pendant grew increasingly intense, seemingly without end. Although his Nine Yang True Qi could resist it, it was being consumed extremely quickly. Even more strangely, the jade pendant was actively absorbing his internal energy, as if something within it had awakened, yearning for more internal energy.
"not good----"
Ouyang Ke felt a sense of foreboding and tried to stop his practice, but found that his hand was firmly held by the jade pendant and he could not break free!
The Nine Yang True Qi surged into the jade pendant like water from a burst dam. His face grew paler and paler, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his breathing became rapid. At this rate, he would exhaust his inner strength and die within half an hour at most.
The firebird sensed the danger, let out a sharp cry, and transformed into a streak of red light, crashing fiercely into the jade pendant!
"bite"
With a crisp sound, the jade pendant remained motionless, but the firebird was bounced back, stumbling and falling to the ground, seeing stars, unable to get up for a long time.
Ouyang Ke gave a bitter laugh, thinking to himself that his life was over.
Just then, the jade pendant suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light!
The light was intense and dazzling, illuminating the entire valley as if it were daytime. The pool water shimmered in the light, and the vines on the stone walls cast eerie shadows. Ouyang Ke felt an overwhelming suction force emanating from the jade pendant, enveloping him in a strange halo of light.
The next moment, the light suddenly contracted, transforming into a huge vortex that simultaneously engulfed Ouyang Ke and the firebird!
The firebird cried out in terror, flapping its wings in an attempt to break free, but was firmly sucked into the vortex. Ouyang Ke felt the world spinning around him, his vision blurring, and all he could hear was the howling wind and the firebird's anxious cries.
After an unknown amount of time, the light gradually faded away.
The sheltered mountain rocks returned to calm, with only a pool of water rippling gently in the moonlight. The stone table, the withered bones, the wooden box—everything remained as before, as if nothing had ever happened.
However, Ouyang Ke and the firebird seemed to have vanished into thin air.
In the distance, the river continues its eastward flow, ceaselessly rushing on.
It's as if nothing has changed.
Yet it seems that everything has changed.