Evening had descended. The sun was setting. Gu Zong was running through the dense trees of the forest, heading somewhere. After fighting with the masked man, Gu Zong had immediately fled from there because his pale face clearly revealed his condition. If he had stayed there any longer, someone might have become suspicious.

  His body was becoming dangerously cold. While running, he thought, "The seal I placed on that masked man is almost impossible to erase. I will find that man. But before that, I need to do something about this body."

  Running further, he reached the bamboo forests, where there was a comforting silence, heart-capturing beauty, and a small, slow-flowing river. There was no noise of birds, nor the clamor of people. Only the sound of the river flowing and the rustling of the bamboo trees swaying in the wind.

  But Gu Zong's condition was neither calm nor composed. Suddenly, blood gushed from his mouth, and he fell down, his head hitting the dry leaves on the ground forcefully. His eyes filled with tears, not because he was hurt. No, he was feeling agony because he had lost almost everything by now. The sky looked beautiful through the trees. Gu Zong remembered that it was in weather exactly like this that he had first met Han Wuang Shi. His eyes closed because memories were pulling him in like the depths of the ocean.

  Then he had a dream, a dream in which someone was calling him. An open hall with five large stone pillars (Zhengwu Pillars) standing in the center. Gu Zong was standing right in the middle. He recognized this place. This was the most powerful and sacred place of the Lianxiao Clan.

  Suddenly, a voice echoed. The voice was saying:

  "Zao Gu Zong!... Zao Gu Zong! ...Are you giving up? ...Already! Have you forgotten who you are? Have you forgotten whose disciple you were? No, Zao Gu Zong! ...No, you can never forget this. And you should never forget that you are a part of the Zhengwu Pillars... and always will be. Rise, Zao Gu Zong... Rise! ...You cannot forget your oath, Zao Gu Zong. You must return. For yourself. For us. For your clan. We are waiting for you. The sacred blessings of the Zhengwu Pillars are with you: 'Be immortal, Zao Gu Zong, and seek the truth.'"

  These echoing voices disappeared somewhere. Then his eyes opened. Gu Zong quickly got up and looked around. He was extremely astonished. The voices he had just heard were so vivid that it did not feel like a dream at all. He recognized that voice. In shock and surprise, he said to himself:

  "Grandmaster Gongzhang Duan! Did I just hear his voice? How can this be?"

  He pondered for a long time. Undoubtedly, the voice belonged to Grandmaster Gongzhang Duan. His eyes were shocked with disbelief. But then he coughed violently again. He realized that he had spent his full capacity just to apply that spell seal, which was why he was in this condition.

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  Calming himself, he took a long breath and sat down cross-legged. He prepared four hand seals simultaneously and summoned the Jiuhuang Yin Guqin. Immediately, the Jiuhuang Yin Guqin appeared floating in the air in front of him.

  Gu Zong closed his eyes and played the most powerful healing melodies on the Guqin. The music of Jiuhuang Yin created a pure white aura around him, which continuously healed his body. And Gu Zong continued to play the Jiuhuang Yin. His music was so gentle that it was like a flower petal slowly falling onto the surface of the water with a light breeze. The music not only calmed his soul but also balanced his body.

  But this could only last for some time.

  On the other side, Han Wuang Shi was sitting in his room, alone and lost in thought. Han Wuang Shi was recalling everything that had happened downstairs.

  A while ago...

  Han Wuang Shi was sitting quietly. Just then, Mao Xuan and Zhu Shiu came to him and asked permission to sit with him. Mao Xuan bowed in respect and said:

  "Master Wan Zun Li, may we sit with you?"

  Han Wu Ang Shi quietly nodded yes, and smiling, Mao Xuan and Zhu Shiu sat down next to him. Then Zhu Shiu also spoke respectfully:

  "Master Wan Zun Li, we are very happy to see you again. And last time, we couldn't thank you for helping us. But today, we want to say it."

  Then both of them bowed and said:

  "Master Wan Zun Li, thank you very much for helping us. If you weren't there, perhaps we would never have reached here."

  Han Wuang Shi also accepted their respect and said, "Please, there is no need to thank me. I am a traveler, and I simply shared my information with you."

  After this, everything was quiet for a few moments, but then Zhu Shiu again sank into deep thought. He was still trying to recall those ribbons. Mao Xuan also noticed this, but said nothing.

  Suddenly, a very loud noise came from outside the clashing of swords and people running. Han Wuang Shi immediately sprang into action. He picked up his sword and ran towards the outside, followed closely by Mao Xuan and Zhu Shiu.

  Then all of them saw a fierce sword fight break out between a beautiful young man and a masked man. Every strike was deadly. Then Mao Xuan, who was standing next to Han Wuang Shi, said to Zhu Shiu, with wide, astonished eyes:

  "Brother Zhu Shiu, esteemed Mo Jinxiang knows swordsmanship too! But why are they fighting?"

  Seeing the situation worsening, Zhu Shiu shouted loudly, "Esteemed Mo Jinxiang, calm down! Fighting is strictly forbidden here! You could be punished!"

  This comment of his also attracted the attention of Mo Jinxiang's masked opponent, and when he saw Han Wuang Shi standing there, he fled from the scene in surprise.

  And after he left, Mo Jinxiang also ran away from there.

  Seeing Mo Jinxiang leaving, Mao Xuan called out from behind, but Mo Jinxiang did not listen.

  "Esteemed Mo Jinxiang, wait! Where are you going?"

  Han Wuang Shi was observing all this very closely, standing quietly. He found Mo Jinxiang's sword technique somewhat familiar. But then Zhu Shiu asked both of them to walk back inside. After sitting with them for a while, Han Wuang Shi returned to his room. But what he had witnessed, he couldn't understand whether it was a coincidence or something else, or if he was missing Gu Zong so much that he was starting to hallucinate.

  Sitting in his room, Han Wuang Shi was thinking all this. But in the end, he dismissed it as just a coincidence.