A cool wind caressed my face. Was it day or night? Did it still matter?

I had started meditating. My stomach had calmed down momentarily, but it wouldn't last. I put my hand on the sword. In this cave, protected by the talisman I had modified and created, the spirit of vengeance was silent. What would happen once I was outside?

It didn't really matter, per se. I had no choice, and I had to find the places near the cave if I wanted to survive!

If there was life, it had to be on the sides of the mountain. I thought about it. The place must not have been tainted by death. It had to be preserved, hence the clear water. It was the last trace of what had been the Celestial Mountain...

I came out of my shelter.

Immediately, as I had expected, the voices of ancient times assailed me, urging me to revenge, to violence... they came at me like a predator on its prey. Around the halo of light produced by the sword, I saw the stolen black energy, darkened on me then arrived close to the clearness, moving away again. I should not fail, I was moving forward. The meditation had at least that of good, I managed to keep consciousness for a longer time.

But I felt that I would not last much longer, so I turned back. My search had been lucky... for this time!

I would try again in a few hours. I returned to the cave. The dark energy was following me. It attacked again, and once more it was repelled! I crossed the entrance and everything fell silent. I regained some serenity. I planted the sword in the center of the talisman.

I undertook to make an inventory of what I had found in what was now my home, whether it was broken or not! In my situation I was not going to be difficult!

I had discovered a bowl that allowed me to draw water and drink. Well hidden in a corner, an old hanging had been forgotten. Partly torn, it nevertheless provided me with a semblance of a blanket. The "nights", or what I thought was the night, were cool. Two flint stones allowed me to beat the lighter to make a fire. I had no shortage of dead wood.

I was organizing myself but hunger was starting to nag me again. My ankle was still hurting as well as my ribs. The few medicinal herbs I had in my Qiankun pouch were running out.

After a few hours of meditation, I decided to go out and explore the other side of the mountain. I hoped in my heart of hearts that this would allow me to go a little further and find something. Otherwise everything I had done would have been for nothing! I didn't want to surrender to the spirits of the sword or to the spirits of the burial mound!

I grabbed the handle and stepped out.

I walked along the side to the left. The dark energy was still following me. The ancient voices repeated the same words over and over again! I looked around me, it seemed that the grass was less burned, that the trees were clearer! Was it possible that I was approaching what I was looking for? I walked straight ahead, my hand resting on the mountain wall that served as my guide. The black stones became grey. I felt something soft under my palm. I looked and saw moss!

There was life in this cursed area.

I kept moving, my excitement masking the voices. I didn't pay attention to them anymore, only the hope of finding something to settle my stomach guided my steps. I arrived in a recess and was dazzled. A ray of sunlight illuminated what I considered to be a heavenly paradise!

Some trees, a pond and a small forest of bamboos...

Behind me, dark energy was lurking. I hoped with all my heart that it could not enter this idyllic place! This was my only hope for survival. I had to preserve it. There were fruits on several trees. I recognized Kumquats and jujubes. I approached the pond and the bamboo trees. If I could find some shoots in addition to the fruit, I could surely survive!

But I had to protect the entrance to this place. I could feel the soft and serene energy of the place. It made me think of Lan Zhan!

I took one of the nails I had found in the cave and placed it in my Qiankun bag. After scratching myself with it, I drew with my blood a talisman similar to the one I had elaborated in my refuge but I realized that I had to adapt it not only to the configuration of the place but also to its energy.

My creative imagination was at work again! I knew I was talented and the spirits of the place were going to find out! That is, if they didn't crack me up first!

When the talisman was in place, my mind cleared.

I gathered some fruit and cut some bamboo shoots, then returned to the cave.

A certain routine set in. I gradually regained some strength. I had to restrict myself on food, but I would survive.

Now I had to find a way out of here. Two forces were present.

The first, the sword spirits combined with the power of the Iron Yin. I could resist them for a while but not control them.

The second, the damned spirits of the Burial Ground! What made them strong was not their power like the sword, but their number. If it was possible to limit it or to convince some of them to help me...

I looked further into the reason of their fury. The majority of them had died during the fight between the clans and Xue ChongHai. Their bodies had not received any burial rites and their spirits had not been appeased! Could I do it? How could I do it?

I was getting tired, I was not eating enough, and I had to be careful. I put myself in a state of meditation and let my mind wander. I was not surprised to see it wander to YunShen Buzhi and Lan Zhan. He was often in my thoughts. I could hear his voice telling me "Boring! "or "indecent! ". I could see his anger and shock when he opened the HuaiSang book that I had substituted for the serious one he was reading. How I laughed!

I remembered the reason why I had gone to the library with him for this "punishment"! My revolting idea, according to Lan QiRen, about using resentment energy. He had accused me of going against the natural order of things and ignoring ethics and morality. I tried to explain to him that when the solutions are not suitable, one must find an alternative, however unconventional! But his answer was to throw a roll of parchment at me.

Well, at that moment, I was in this situation where none of the 3 adequate solutions were possible! So I was left with the 4th alternative! But as he had asked me at the time, how could I be sure that the energy of resentment was only listening to me and not hurting anyone else?

At the same time I was alone so if anyone was hurt it would be me! But how could I control these spirits to put their energy at my disposal?

A memory came to me. It was shortly after the library episode. Our hunt for the water ghouls and the maelstrom of the Water Abyss. I saw Lan Xichen, one of the two Jades of Gusu and Lan Zhan's older brother, playing his flute and mastering these forces of extraordinary power.

Music... It was the specialty of the Lan clan. They used it to control the spirits, question them, appease them or heal them. Could music help me? I had always been a good musician and my memory on this subject was excellent!

In the heavenly glade, as I had called it, there were bamboos.

Tomorrow I will make a flute and set out on a path that no one has ever taken before.

Tomorrow I will create a new culture. A culture based not on the inner energy provided by a golden core, but on the natural strength that one has in oneself, on will and determination.

Tomorrow would be the beginning of a new power!  

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)