I had been traveling for a year now. Wherever the wind brought me the news of a wandering spirit, a ghost or a fierce corpse; I went there.

I often arrived before Jiang Cheng! Cutting him off at the knees. Extracting potential, and more often innocent, prey from his clutches!

I only returned to Yunchen Buzhi occasionally. Just the time to report to my brother and to greet Uncle to whom I still did not speak!

I followed SiZhui's studies carefully. He was intelligent, obedient and diligent. The perfect student. I was very proud of him! Of course, I couldn't say it openly. But I always managed, with encouragement, to let him know!

I didn't feel like I was bothering him with the fact that he was my son! I suspected that his friend Lan Jingyi had a lot to do with it. He seemed very protective of SiZhui!

I stayed a few weeks, and then during a discussion with Brother, he told me about a murder that had taken place in the YueYang area. This name vaguely reminded me of something. A few years ago Wei Ying and I had intervened in the Chang Clan massacre!

It was also at that time that I became aware of my feelings towards Wei Ying. I remembered it as if it was yesterday! He was perched on the roof of my pavilion in the "Impure Domain". We had just delivered Xue Yang to Nie Ming-Jue. He had drunk a little too much, as usual! He had "borrowed" my roof for the night. I remembered looking at him with a smile and telling him that I had to leave, with a twinge of sorrow. I didn't know when we could meet again... I didn't know that the coming events would cause him to fall into the abyss of Qishan...

Brother continued to talk to me. I had let my mind wander to the past. I had to pull myself together.

Brother told me that the victim was Chang Ping, the last member of the Chang Clan. The suspected murderer was Xiao XingChen. At this name, I frowned.

"Brother are you sure of the name you just said? "

"Yes, the trace of the sword spirit that killed him has been clearly identified, it is ShuangHua."

"This is not possible, what could Chang Ping have done to cause this? "

"During the trial of Xue Yang, some months ago, Jin GuangShan opposed his execution. He said that no one could testify that he had massacred the 50 members of Chang Clan.

Chang Ping, who was the only surviving witness, recanted his testimony. He said that the killing of his clan had nothing to do with Xu'e Yang. This surprised everyone. But his word could not be doubted!

After all he had done to stop Xue Yang, Xiao XingShen probably felt betrayed and killed Chang Ping to get revenge! Well... that's what everyone thinks. But I must confess WangJi, that what I know about him and what you told me when you met him, leaves me confused. That's why I wanted to see you and talk to you about it. I would like you to investigate this murder. "

"Mnnn, I'm leaving right now."

After saying goodbye to SiZhui, I set off for YueYang. The journey took three days.

When I entered the city, I found that it had not changed much in 5 years. I went to the Qiting Inn. I took a room there and went to the house of the chief of the city. As soon as he heard the reason for my visit, he provided me with everything I needed. He was honored that a cultivator of such high reputation should deign to pay attention to such a sensitive matter.

After leaving him, I went to the Chang Clan's house on the outskirts of the city. Chang Ping had made it his residence. There I found some servants watching their master. I explained them the reason of my presence and they let me go as I pleased in the house.

When I entered the room where the murder had taken place, I immediately felt ShangHua's energy.

Xiao XingChen had come here...but I felt another presence. More diffuse, less powerful, but very negative! There had been two attackers in this room. I could not accept that Xiao XingChen was one of them. But ShangHua's presence was proof of that. I didn't understand what could have driven him to such an extreme. To me, revenge was not a valid reason in his case!

I left the residence and returned to the inn. Someone was following me. He was discreet. I had almost not noticed him. After having dinner, I went back to my room. I had not closed the door until someone knocked on it. The one behind it was a farmer. I could feel his energy, but it was not malicious and seemed vaguely familiar. I had met the person behind the door before. I opened it.

In front of me was Song Lan. He greeted me. I let him in.

I beckoned him to sit down and sat down opposite him. I served us each a cup of tea.

"Han GuangJun, I know you entered the Chang Residence, were you able to check if ChangHua was the sword used to kill Chang Ping?"

"Mn, I'm sorry to say yes, but there was another presence, an evil one."

"Are you sure?"

"Mnn"

"Han GuangJun, it's been several months since I last saw Xia XingChen, but I'm sure he can't have changed that much in such a short time! "

"How long has it been since you last saw him?"

"It's been a while. We stayed away from the war against the Wen Clan as well as the events with the Yiling Patriarch. When we heard that Xue Yang had escaped, we resumed tracking him down. But we had to split up.

I had received a message that my Master and my Clan had been attacked. XingChen continued alone to pursue Xue Yang and I went to the White Snow Pavilion.

When I arrived my clan had been annihilated! I found only dead bodies and Xue Yang laughing. We fought. During the fight, he burned my eyes and left me for dead. It was XingChen who found me a few days later and healed me. "

"Your eyes... "I said. Song Lan brought his hand to their level.

"XingChen took me to her master to be healed.

"Baoshan SanRen? "

"Yes, but when I came to, BaoShan SanRen told me that XingChen had broken his promise by coming back to her, even though it was for a good reason. So he left. I haven't seen him since. I stayed with her for several weeks. It was her grandson who told me what had happened during my coma. "

"I didn't know that BaoShan SanRen had a grandson! "

"I didn't know that either. I got along well with him, he was a person who was always in a good mood, who saw the good side of things even in the worst catastrophes! Unfortunately, he had to leave before I was completely healed. He watched over me until the day before my bandages were removed.

He told me that in order to heal my eyes, XingChen had sacrificed his own! "

"He gave you his eyes? "

"Yes... BaoShan's grandson told me that he himself would have done the same for a brother. It took me several weeks to heal completely. As soon as I could, I went to look for XingChen. Being blind, he couldn't have gone very far! Unfortunately, I was wrong. His blindness did not stop him from continuing on his way and hunting! "

"Alone? "

"I think so, but I can't be totally sure. "

"Song Lan, you who know him, what would be the reasons that could have made him kill Chang Ping. And I don't believe in revenge! "

"I don't believe in it either. For me the only reason would be that Chang Ping was infected by evil and that all purification was impossible.

"Being blind, how could he have known? "

"ChangHua! She has the power to detect dark energy! "

"I didn't inspect Chang Ping's body, but I haven't heard that he was infected. "

"Only XingChen could tell us what happened! "

"Or whoever was with him..." There was silence in the room.

"And you Han GuangJun, it is said that you recluse yourself three years after the death of the Patriarch of Yiling... The Patriarch,... Was it the young master who accompanied you when we met? "

"Mnn"

"Since then, rumor has it that you go wherever there is chaos. What are you looking for? "

"A shadow" Song Lan smiled.

"So, we look alike. "

"You have a better chance of finding the one you're chasing than I have of finding mine.

"I'm sure you'll find him and if not in this life, then in the next! "

"I would like to believe you"

"Soul mates always find each other in the end, keep hope! "

How could he have guessed that Wei Ying was my soul mate?

Song Lan got up and left. I didn't know then that I would not see him again until 12 years later as a fierce corpse.

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