Wandering the Seas Chapter 146: Discovering Past Affairs in the Cave

Inside the cave, torches burned steadily. The rain pouring from the heavens only reached two feet into the cavern, unable to penetrate any further. Seven disciples of the Cloud Heaven Sect sat cross-legged, meditating and regulating their breath.

Su Ye sat upon a square stone slab, adding a few sticks to the fire. The flames licked the kindling, briefly faltering before suddenly flaring with renewed vigor.

“Wood generates fire... the ancients do not deceive,” Su Ye murmured, watching the flames closely. “The Eight Trigrams of Fuxi originated from Fuxi’s observations of heaven and earth. Though ages have shifted and worlds changed since the ancient times, the seasons remain constant, and human hearts revolve in endless cycles.”

Lin Taixuan’s energy sea had returned to its original state, yet inexplicably, he could not sense Su Ye’s thoughts. Despite his curiosity, as one who had been rescued, he refrained from dwelling on this matter.

“Elder Lin, may I ask who your master is, and which cultivation method you practice?” Su Ye held Lin Taixuan in high regard. In this chaotic era rife with demons and evil, encountering a kindred spirit was a rare blessing. Every meeting brought a sense of ease and camaraderie.

“I apprenticed under the Daoist Pine Crane and cultivate the method known as Everlasting Spring,” Lin Taixuan answered candidly. Su Ye replied, “From your bearing, I see that Master Pine Crane was indeed a noble and upright sage.”

“Since ancient times, good and evil have never been truly separate,” Lin Taixuan said. “The Cloud Heaven Sect stands as the foremost sect of the Great Qian, serving both the emperor and the common folk. Every qualified disciple here is a person of integrity and virtue.”

Su Ye’s respect deepened. Just as he had believed, anyone living in the Three Thousand Worlds could become a savior of all living beings. Lin Taixuan’s words and conduct perfectly embodied this truth.

“Friend Su, do you have any wine in your jade gourd?” Lin Taixuan broke the momentary silence.

Before leaving Lingxi Island, Su Ye had given the fine wine from his jade gourd to the stranger who owned the island to settle a debt, replacing it with a batch of humble grain wine to better conceal his identity.

The jade gourd shimmered with golden light, and in Su Ye’s hand appeared a wine gourd sealed with a red cord. “As a junior disciple from a minor outer sect, I carry only some coarse grain wine,” Su Ye said.

“That will do,” Lin Taixuan accepted the gourd, uncorked it, and poured a little wine onto the ground, softly intoning, “Junior brothers and sisters, I have failed in my duties. I shall apologize to you in the afterlife.”

The disciples, having finished their meditation, spoke in unison, “Brother, your talent is exceptional. You will surely attain the Way and ascend. This is the wish of us all, and of those senior brothers and sisters who have passed.”

Lin Taixuan’s demeanor was transcendent, his understanding of the Great Dao profound. Yet he could not resist the sincere words of his fellows. His nose tingled and his eyes reddened.

He lifted his gaze to the cave wall where water droplets hung. Taking the jade gourd, he poured out the clear, pungent coarse wine.

---

The harsh taste, unfamiliar to him, brought a distinctly different sensation. Inner disciples of the Cloud Heaven Sect were prodigies from hundreds or even thousands of miles around. Only by delving into the mortal world did they realize that cultivation level alone did not determine victory or defeat in the battle for life and death.

Exhausted energy seas, venom within the body, continuous combat—even the transition from dawn to noon, dusk to nightfall when demons struck—could all shift the tide.

Attaining the Mysterious True Realm was insufficient to ensure everyone’s safety. Not strong enough. Still not strong enough...

Su Ye had gained the ability to listen to the strings of the heart from the Confucian Patriarch’s dharma body. Hearing Lin Taixuan’s inner voice further confirmed the man’s upright nature.

The law of the jungle prevailed. Without strength, one could only fall prey to powerful demons.

The bachelor man devoured by the wild boar demon on the back mountain cliff... the villagers slain by demon invaders... Such scenes stirred waves of anger in Su Ye’s heart, along with the vows he made by the campfire to the entire village, all floating and echoing above the sea of consciousness.

The bitter choice between being invincible and suffering the loss of friends and family.

In times of chaos, one must taste at least one of these.

Su Ye would rather endure the pain of swinging his sword until his arm could no longer lift, the calluses on his palms breaking and healing in endless cycles, than experience Lin Taixuan’s current sorrow.

All his tangled thoughts condensed into a gentle phrase: “Elder Lin, my condolences.”

---

Lin Taixuan took out two jade slips. Gathering spiritual energy between two fingers, he inscribed the names of the junior brothers and sisters who had perished in the demon hunt on the jade slip to his left.

He recorded their merits for engraving on the Cloud Heaven Sect’s merit monument. Together with ancient sages, they protected all living beings.

Slowly, he closed the jade slip. Turning, he gathered energy to carve the name “Poison Bone Demon” onto the other jade slip.

As the characters faded, the spectral image of the demon slain beneath Su Ye’s sword emerged. Moments later, it turned into a shadowed figure matching the inscription.

Lin Taixuan put away the two jade slips and closed his eyes. After a long silence, he slowly opened them.

“Friend Su, thank you for your assistance. We have recovered our strength and must continue on our journey,” Lin Taixuan said firmly.

Though the pain remained, he concealed it deep within his heart—a skill one must learn to survive in chaotic times.

---

The remaining six disciples clasped their fists and bowed, speaking as one, “Friend Su, your great kindness needs no thanks. Until we meet again.”

Su Ye hurriedly asked, “May I be so bold as to inquire where you are headed next?”

“My master assigned us a task. There is a minor lieutenant of the Yellow Springs Sect appearing in Bullfighting City. We intended to go directly there, but sensed strong demonic energy en route. Knowing no one had taken charge here, we stopped to exorcise the demons,” Lin Taixuan said, trusting Su Ye completely.

Su Ye was taken aback. During the interrogation of the Heart Bureau, he had traveled all over Great Qian with no rumors of the Yellow Springs Sect ever reaching his ears.

In this unexpected mountain cave, he had finally uncovered a clue.

“Friend Su, do you have something on your mind?” Lin Taixuan asked, perceiving only vaguely Su Ye’s thoughts and noticing his absent gaze.

Snapping back to attention, Su Ye clasped his fists in respect and asked, “Elder Lin, may I join your battle formation?”

“You are not a disciple of the Cloud Heaven Sect,” a disciple with a sword slung across his back interjected, grateful for Su Ye’s help yet still bound by sectarian prejudice. “There will be disciples from our sect waiting in Bullfighting City. We do not need outside assistance.”

Lin Taixuan smiled, his mind broader than his junior brother’s. “In times of peace, the Cloud Heaven Sect would adhere strictly to rules. But now, with demons rising, those outdated regulations should be cast aside. If you do not mind, I would be glad to take you with us to Bullfighting City.”

The disciple who had spoken earlier fell silent, unwilling to argue further.

Su Ye bowed in gratitude, “Thank you, Elder Lin, for your kindness.”

Lin Taixuan regarded Su Ye’s face and asked, “Friend Su, why have you not joined the Cloud Heaven Sect?”

“In peaceful times, I was barred by the high thresholds of the sect,” Su Ye replied, using Lin Taixuan’s own words to answer the question.

Everyone smiled, unprepared for such a clever response.

“You really are a smooth talker,” the disciple teased with a laugh.

Lin Taixuan chuckled, “Too bad you were born too early... were you born ten years later, you would have surely been a disciple of the Cloud Heaven Sect.”

The somber atmosphere in the cave transformed into a gentle spring pool, flowing quietly toward the distant east—where Bullfighting City awaited.