Chapter 134: Destined

When Xiyue first mentioned it to me, I thought she was talking about that Yang Dong from before.

However, facts proved that things were completely different from what I had imagined. Long before Yang Dong ever set foot inside this tomb, Xiyue had already entered it and discovered numerous ancient ruins. Yet, along with these discoveries, Xiyue encountered the entity tasked with guarding the tomb. According to her description, the guardian was an elderly man dressed in a black robe, seemingly wearing a pair of glasses.

Countless lingering spirits had filled the tomb back then. Xiyue recounted that the moment they stepped inside, they were instantly separated, their entire group plunging deep into this spatial realm and wandering about in all directions. It was only after immense difficulty that Xiyue managed to find an exit. But by the time she returned to Huamei Village, it coincided precisely with the appearance of the tomb guardian, and that was when Yang Dong arrived.

Standing there, the fragmented pieces in my mind suddenly clicked into place. So the elderly man I had seen in my memories, the one attempting to destroy Huamei Village, had been drawn out by Xiyue and her companions when they entered this tomb.

At this thought, a wave of confusion washed over me. Why had Xiyue known back then that this tomb led to a place called Shadowless Village? In my memories, a major reason Yang Dong entered the tomb was because of the information Xiyue had given him—meaning she had told him that stepping through here would lead to another world.

I could not help but turn my gaze toward Xiyue, who stood right before me.

Xiyue gave a faint smile and said, "I do not know either. That memory seemed to have been planted deep within my mind for a very long time, as if I had always known it."

Hearing her explanation left me momentarily speechless. Yet, given the many inexplicable mysteries already surrounding both Xiyue and myself, pondering this further was unnecessary for now.

"Let's go. We should get out of here first!"

At this moment, I grew even more certain that the entity trying to trap me earlier and lure me toward that mirror was none other than the black-robed elderly guardian of the tomb. In any case, this place was exceedingly dangerous, and making our hasty escape was paramount.

Standing behind me, Chen Chuanyi let out a faint, bitter chuckle. "It is the will of heaven. I, Chen Chuanyi, shall be buried here for eternity!"

Chen Chuanyi’s remark left me utterly baffled.

How could listening to Xiyue's account evoke such a sentiment? It was simply unimaginable and utterly perplexing.

"Junior Brother, have you foreseen something through divination?"

Zhao Shiwu’s expression turned somewhat grim. Evidently, he held deep trust in his junior brother’s divinatory skills, and having heard Chen Chuanyi's words, he had likely already guessed something within his heart.

Observing Zhao Shiwu’s countenance, and then looking at Chen Chuanyi standing there with a look of desolate resignation, I began to form a suspicion of my own.

"Grandpa Chen, what is wrong?"

Chen Chuanyi looked at me, offering a slow, bitter smile before stepping closer. Softly, he said, "Xiaodong, although your memories have not yet fully returned, you must remember that you are destined to be the master of the Azure Dragon Pavilion. Therefore, under the current circumstances, what you need to do is continuously strengthen yourself, while I—"

At this point, Chen Chuanyi paused slightly. Letting out another sigh, he continued in a low voice, "Before my master passed away, he revealed my ultimate fate to me. As Yin-Yang masters, we can foresee fortune and misfortune for others, but when these tribulations befall ourselves, they are utterly inescapable. This is what is known as the will of heaven."

"Grandpa Chen, what exactly did you foresee?"

Chen Chuanyi offered a gentle smile, then lightly grasped my right hand, for upon the back of my hand lay a crimson fox tattoo.

"Ever since I entered Azure Dragon Mountain, I have been responsible for tending to the Fairy Maiden. Of course, her eventually falling into a deep slumber on your account was her destined fate. Nevertheless, I hope you will be able to truly revive the Fairy Maiden in the future."

I nodded, then looked again at Chen Chuanyi, who already appeared somewhat aged—though he was only in his thirties.

"Grandpa Chen, what on earth did you see?"

Chen Chuanyi shook his head. "It is inescapable; such is the will of heaven!"

"Nonsense! Grandpa Chen, don't you often write in your paranormal notes that my fate is decided by myself, not by the heavens?"

Hearing my words, Chen Chuanyi gently shook his head, then turned to glance at Zhao Shiwu, who was still gazing at Zhang Keqing. Softly, he said, "Senior Brother, thank you for all these years!"

"Chen Chuanyi, you stay right there!"

Just as Chen Chuanyi turned to walk toward the front, Zhao Shiwu let out a sharp bark and strode over to block his path. "Do not think I do not know what you intend to do. Years ago, I asked Master to divine my fate, and he told me that I, Zhao Shiwu, would walk ahead of you. Pull yourself together! Isn't it just fate? Have you forgotten what Master said back then? As long as one can pierce through the realms of Yin and Yang and achieve the status of a master Yin-Yang practitioner, one can reverse the cosmos and defy the heavens to change destiny!"

"But—"

"Xiaodong, let's go!"

Without waiting for Chen Chuanyi to finish, Zhao Shiwu grabbed Zhang Keqing and took the lead, striding forward. We followed closely behind him, and by this point, I could distinctly sense that a colossal altar lay right before our eyes.

Have we arrived?

A surge of excitement gripped my heart. According to my memories from back then, once this place was found, one could travel directly to Shadowless Village. Thus, there seemed to be virtually no suspense left. However, the moment we stepped into that silvery-white curtain of light, the sight before our eyes froze us in terror.

Upon beholding the scene, my body shuddered violently, and I staggered back several steps. Not for any other reason, but because nine mirrors had appeared before us. These nine mirrors materialized with uncanny strangeness, guarding nine separate exits, with each mirror corresponding to a single pathway.

Witnessing this, Chen Chuanyi’s expression changed drastically. He let out a soft, resigned sigh and murmured, "It seems the will of heaven cannot be defied!"

At this, Zhao Shiwu let out another cold hoot and demanded sternly, "Chen Chuanyi, are you still a demon-subduing, dao-protecting Yin-Yang master or not? Have you forgotten what Master instructed us back then?"

Chen Chuanyi drew a deep, shuddering breath. After a long moment, he spoke with a desolate expression, "How could I ever dare forget the teachings of our benevolent master? As Yin-Yang practitioners, our fates are long beyond our own control; to subdue demons and protect the Dao, we do not shrink from death. Life and death have their destined appointments, dictated by the heavens!"

Zhao Shiwu nodded, then said softly, "From the day we left Master to go to Azure Dragon Pavilion, then to Shanxi, and later to Chengdu—Senior Brother, have I ever asked you for a single favor?"

"No."

"Then I ask you for one today. No matter which of us dies first in the future, the survivor must go before Master's grave and report it to him, so that he may know beforehand in the netherworld ghost city."

Chen Chuanyi nodded gently. "Then I must trouble Senior Brother this time."

Xiyue and I stood off to the side in silence, merely watching the two martial brothers. For reasons unknown, a deep and bitter sorrow welled up inside me.

Suddenly, I felt as though I were a lone traveler standing deep within a vast, boundless desert, utterly devoid of any companion.

That profound isolation and desolation—such a feeling was something I had never experienced once in all my twenty-four years of life!