Great Master Wuwei’s tone was calm and confident.
But Li Tianlan’s mood was not optimistic.
In the final battle of Changdao, to enter the Invincible Realm, he had already held the thought of self-destruction.
He had no route of retreat, and he certainly hadn’t thought about the future.
But now that he opened his eyes and saw the colorful world, it was hard for him to describe how he felt.
In the beginning, he had doubts about the reason why he came back to life, but his heart was full of mixed emotions now.
No one knew better than he how bad he was now.
Because he was in the Invincible Realm right now.
And seriously, he was even stronger now than he was in East Island.
But he couldn’t make a move.
He would surely die if he did so.
In East Island, the moment he gave up all the foundation of Martial Arts, his realm had altogether declined below the Four Realms of Martial Arts. Anyone could imagine how fragile his body was because it was not even in the Qi-controlling Realm.
The reason why his body did not wholly explode due to the enormous amount of power at that time was that the vitality stored in him by the Immortality Potion provided him with endurance.
And now, although he came back to life, the enormous vitality was gone, but the power was still there.
The power of the Invincible Realm. The body below the Qi-controlling Realm.
In such a situation, the mighty power could have blown his body apart if he just stamped his feet with a little bit force, let alone make a move.
In such a bad situation, how could Great Master Wuwei let him completely rest a.s.sured with the word “ok”?
But perhaps it was because he had been dead once that he knew better the value of living, so his expression remained calm.
Looking at Great Master Wuwei who seemed to be about to meet his end, Li Tianlan bent down carefully and said calmly, “Thank you for saving my life, Master.”
“To save you is to save Zhongzhou State. You’re not the one who should thank me.”
Great Master Wuwei smiled. The early morning wind blew over and stirred his white hair that was completely lifeless and l.u.s.terless. Sitting among the blooming flowers, he was like a piece of deadwood without any sign of life.
Li Tianlan did not understand the meaning of the sentences, so he simply kept silent.
The gentle breeze flapped the hems of his white clothes, making them flutter in the wind. He looked calm standing there, but his demeanor seemed to overshadow the gorgeous sea of flowers. Clad in white, he seemed to be the only eye-catcher on Mount Qingyun. With dazzling bearing and grace, he appeared flawless.
“Do you know what made you resurrect?” Great Master Wuwei asked gently.
…
Li Tianlan shook his head.
Great Master Wuwei pointed to the flowers in front of him. “Sit.”
Li Tianlan sat down slowly.
Great Master Wuwei had laid his eyes on Military Counselor, smiling and saying nothing.
There were things he couldn’t say, even to the people on his side, for example, Military Counselor and Qin Weibai.
Even if he suspected Qin Weibai knew something.
Military Counselor nodded wisely and looked at Li Tianlan, saying, “Your Highness, I’ll wait for you at the foot of the mountain.”
“Sorry to trouble you.”
Li Tianlan nodded. He did not turn to look at Great Master Wuwei until Military Counselor was entirely out of sight. He then said earnestly, “Please clear up my confusion.”
“What is fate?”
Without further ado, Great Master Wuwei asked a simple and yet abstruse question.
Since Li Tianlan came back to life again, he had been in a trance, unable to think calmly. At this point, he felt helpless. Fate and the mandate of heaven were things that were abstruse and beyond his understanding. Sometimes he did not believe in metaphysics, but sometimes he did. He had the intention to say that fate was luck, but as he glanced at the old monk in front of him, he shook his head and answered, “I don’t know.”
It was rare to hear a grandmaster explain metaphysics. Moreover, the grandmaster had saved his life. Thus, he didn’t want to jest in front of him at all.
“When I talk about fate, I mean vitality; the vitality of a plant and a tree, the vitality of a mountain and a river, as well as the vitality of a person and a country.”
Great Master Wuwei continued in a calm tone, “Everything has vitality. A country’s vitality is called destiny. When a nation’s destiny is limited, it will perish. A person’s vitality is called the mandate of heaven. When the mandate of heaven goes against him, he will soon die. If I use another way to explain vitality, it is fate.”
Li Tianlan didn’t know if he was too weak or something. He sat in front of Great Master Wuwei and felt sleepy.
A smile flickered in Great Master Wuwei’s eyes. He added, “Mountains and flowers, like people and countries, are full of vitality. When all kinds of vitality merge, it will become a vein. A man has a pulse, which indicates whether he is dead or alive. The fate composed of the vitality of all things, too, has a pulse, which is related to the rise and fall. It can be said to be the dragon vein or the earth vein; any term is ok.”
“But one thing is certain; fate is about the prosperity of one person and one country. And the most important vein is related to the rise and fall of the whole fate.”
“You may not believe it, but how can you not believe what you see around you?”
Li Tianlan believed it.
He seemed refreshed, as if deep in thought.
The dragon vein.
He was no stranger to this term. In his repressed memory, his grandfather Li Honghe seemed to have said something about the dragon vein, but he couldn’t remember it now.
“And you came back to life because of the vitality, fate, and dragon vein.”
Great Master Wuwei concluded, “I regathered the dragon vein for Zhongzhou State to revive the prosperous times. In metaphysics, there is a saying that the divine dragon reveals its head instead of its tail. Over the past many years, the dragon vein has been in chaos and invisible because the dragon head is missing. Until today, when I put the dragon vein of Zhongzhou State on you, everything is settled. At present, you are the dragon vein and dragon head of Zhongzhou State.”
“Regathered the dragon vein?”
Li Tianlan raised his eyebrows. “So many years ago, Zhongzhou State had no dragon vein?”
“I drained it,” Great Master Wuwei said kindly.
Li Tianlan, however, suddenly felt a sharp chill.
For a moment, Li Tianlan even instinctively dared not ask him what he wanted to do by draining the dragon vein.
“About 20 years ago, the dragon vein was decaying, but the destiny of Zhongzhou State was still there. So I drained the dragon vein and regathered it to form a new dragon head and tail…”
“I wasn’t born then, was I?”
Li Tianlan finally interrupted the great master.
“So at that time, you were not the dragon’s head, but the dragon’s tail.”
Great Master Wuwei shot a glance at Li Tianlan and asked suddenly, “Remember when we met in Dongcheng Clan? I told you that over twenty years ago, someone changed your birth destiny.”
Li Tianlan remained frozen with shock in place for a long while without saying a word.
“The dragon head and the dragon tail are supposed to be converted to each other and s.n.a.t.c.h their own fate. Until now, it’s almost settled.”
Great Master Wuwei’s tone grew more indifferent.
“Almost?” Li Tianlan responded by asking.
…
“‘Almost’ means the variables are small, but they are still there. Although the dragon vein was regathered, it is not strong yet. It will take about ten years for it to be stable.”
Great Master Wuwei looked at Li Tianlan meaningfully, and his eyes looked terrible. “If the head and tail don’t care about each other, they can’t coexist naturally.”
Li Tianlan felt cold inside.
He remembered another thing Great Master Wuwei had said to him when they met in Dongcheng Clan.
“You’re against the general trend, benefactor. If you force yourself against heaven, you will probably die young in ten years at most and will end up miserably!”
Ten years!
Li Tianlan opened his mouth, trying to say something, but Great Master Wuwei closed his eyes. Two lines of blood flowed down his eyes. Then, dark red blood directly trickled down his noses, ears, and mouth.
He closed his eyes. The corner of his mouth, dripping with blood, was gently raised with a disdainful smile.
Disdain.
It was the first time Li Tianlan had seen such emotion in him, as if it were contempt.
“This is…”
Li Tianlan was petrified.
“It’s the backfire of fate. I said things I shouldn’t have said, and naturally, I should bear the consequences.”
Great Master Wuwei opened his eyes again. His eyes were blank and vacant, but his voice was still gentle. “What else do you want to know?”
Li Tianlan hesitated but dared not ask again.
“Why did you help me, Master?”
After hesitating for a long while, Li Tianlan finally asked the same question he had just asked.
“I wanted to regather the dragon vein, and it was the mandate of heaven.”
Great Master Wuwei’s answer was more or less the same.
“Your mandate of heaven should be to regather the dragon vein, right? And my mandate of heaven…”
Li Tianlan let out a self-mocking laugh as he remembered the chilling Ten-Year Prediction. “My mandate of heaven seems to have been changed? Aren’t you trying to help me?”
“I’m impartial.”
Great Master Wuwei’s voice grew calmer.
“But you’re partial at last,” Li Tianlan looked at him seriously and said.
If he was the so-called dragon’s tail before, then the fact that he had become the dragon’s head must have something to do with Great Master Wuwei. After he became the dragon’s head, who was the dragon’s tail that would die in ten years?
“I gave him a chance.”
Great Master Wuwei said calmly, “I gave him many years, but he failed. That’s the general trend.”
“General trend?” Li Tianlan responded by asking.
…
“The general trend of the Dark World, from a metaphysical point of view, fluctuates with the amount of fate.”
More blood was flowing from the corners of his mouth. He raised his hand to stop Li Tianlan from speaking and continued, “The decisive battle of East Island is the biggest turning point and the beginning as well. Zhongzhou State was going to lose out, but your presence barely saved the situation. Therefore, I could take advantage of the opportunity to let you become the dragon vein of Zhongzhou State and have a big breakthrough after all those sufferings.”
“That is to say…”
Li Tianlan had a strange feeling. “That is to say, if I hadn’t forcibly entered the Invincible Realm in East Island, I would…”
“You would lose the person who means the most to you and wouldn’t be the dragon’s head. And in ten years, you would be dead undoubtedly,” Great Master Wuwei said suddenly.
…
Li Tianlan had mixed emotions inside.
In East Island, he forced himself to enter the Invincible Realm with the original intention to save Qin Weibai, and that was all.
If Qin Weibai had not been kidnapped, he would not have entered the Invincible Realm forcibly. Then the last winner of the final battle of Changdao would be…
“East Island?”
He said to himself, as if he had already thought something out but still had some doubts.
“East Island, of course.”
Great Master Wuwei said calmly, “When it comes to fate, in recent years, East Island has had the most abundant fate, which is far ahead of that of Zhongzhou State and other countries. If not, why do you think the Pope of the Vatican was so concerned about the decisive battle of East Island? And why did he value you so much?”
Li Tianlan smiled helplessly. His mind grew clearer and yet more confused. He spread out his hands and said, “So now East Island…”
“Time has changed, and the good old days are gone.”
Great Master Wuwei added with a smile, “One of the real Heavenly Sons of East Island died in this decisive battle, and the better part of its fate belonged to Zhongzhou State. If he had not died, you would not be alive today.”
He looked at Li Tianlan with blank eyes. “Everything is closely linked with one another. The real stage just revealed a corner. It’s impossible to regather the dragon vein in Zhongzhou State without heavy casualties.”
At this moment, Li Tianlan had a lot of things to say in his heart, but he could not utter a word.
“If you achieve something someday, you might as well make this place your headquarters,” Great Master Wuwei whispered.
He looked up at the sky with blank eyes, pointing to the Mount Qingyun in front of him.
Li Tianlan was a little bit surprised. He had a presentiment of something terrible, but he could not believe it was true.
“Master, you…”
Li Tianlan’s face changed a bit.
“I want to have a look at this landscape,” Great Master Wuwei looked in the direction of the West Lake and said softly.
…
“I’ll carry you on my back!” Li Tianlan said without hesitation.
…
Great Master Wuwei smiled. He nodded and whispered, “Okay.”
Li Tianlan carefully carried him down the mountain, step by step.
Great Master Wuwei lay on Li Tianlan’s back and said softly, “The current ranking of your strength on the Divine List is roughly the same as Zhongzhou State’s ranking in the world’s fate before the final battle of Changdao. Don’t worry, there’s not much I can do, but I can give you a hand in the end.”
“Why do you do so?”
Li Tianlan’s heart trembled slightly.
“I can live.”
Great Master Wuwei added, “And yet I can’t.”
He looked ahead and whispered, “Look at the landscape.”
Li Tianlan intended to persuade Great Master Wuwei, but he patted him hard on the shoulder, beckoning him not to say more.
Li Tianlan was in a trance and had complicated emotions, but he silently carried Great Master Wuwei down the mountain step by step.
He carried him on his back.
He went down the master’s mountain and his own mountain too.
In the bright morning, there was an air of decay on Mount Qingyun.
Li Tianlan carried Great Master Wuwei to the water’s edge. The sunlight reflected the sparkling water.
“How many steps did you take?” Great Master Wuwei suddenly asked with a smile.
…
Li Tianlan froze and did not speak for a moment.
“Two thousand steps.”
Great Master Wuwei squeezed Li Tianlan’s shoulders hard. He kept exerting force and began to gasp. Then he said with a chuckle, “Since you carried me two thousand steps today, I will re-open a flourishing age of two thousand years for Zhongzhou State and the Li family. After that, leave the responsibility to future generations…”
Li Tianlan didn’t find what he said astounding. He just felt a little disappointed.
He slowly lowered Great Master Wuwei from his back, facing the West Lake in front of him.
Sitting among the flowers and plants, Great Master Wuwei stretched out his hand as if he wanted to touch the ripples in his sight.
His murmurs rang out in the wind, soft and gentle, but it instantly echoed in the whole Mount Qingyun.
“The dragon is about to raise its head, and anyone who sees it must take off his armor!”
His voice was dissipating.
His body began to dissipate as well.
A cold wind blew over.
From his palms, his body was blown to pieces.
The debris turned into dust and drifted with the wind.
The cold wind blew away.
The white mist that surrounded Qingyun Temple lifted off in a flash.
The vast amounts of white mist covered Mount Qingyun again and finally enveloped the whole Lonely Mountain.
A great deal of fate and vitality calmly and gently infiltrated into every corner of the mountain.
The wind died away.
The mist faded away.
Li Tianlan stood calmly in place.
The sunlight shed on the ground.
The mysterious Qingyun Temple.
The scenic Lonely Mountain.
All man-made structures vanished along with the wind without a trace.
Pavilions in picturesque disorder, the temple which was standing alone, and the majestic golden body of the Buddha statue…
Vanished!
Everything disappeared utterly.
The whole Lonely Mountain seemed to have gone backward for countless years in a flash, becoming the most primitive and prosperous scenery.
Great Master Wuwei’s body disappeared entirely with the wind.
The green hills were all that remained before Li Tianlan.
How fascinating the green hills were!
His eyes were vacant and sad. He stood where he was and didn’t move for a long time.
The rising sun gradually became a scorching sun rising high in the sky.
The West Lake rippled all of a sudden.
A wisp of violent, almost suffocating momentum abruptly swept across the lake.
The waves billowed on the calm lake.
In Li Tianlan’s sight, a lonely old man stepped on the water and went straight up the Lonely Mountain amidst the surging billows.