Chapter 37: This Venerable One Meets a God

"Cold moonlight upon frosty snow; frozen mountain embracing icy lake. Here lie heights insurmountable; here lies the edge of the world." Xue Meng, hands clad in deerskin gloves, wiped snow off of the large boulder and read the cinnabar inscription upon it out loud. He looked back gleefully. "Shizun, we're here."

It snowed on Dawning Peak all year round. At the moment, a majestic moon hung full in the sky, and it cast a crisp, shimmering glow over the icy lake as the frigid air blew bleak and chilly. Jincheng Lake was frozen over; no snow lay upon it, and its surface was pearlescent beneath the heavenly expanse of the starry skies. It spread across the horizon, the reflection of the stars glittering within it as if they'd come down from the heavens above—breathtakingly beautiful. This pristine, snowy landscape really did leave them feeling like they had arrived at the very edge of the world.

The group reached the edge of the lake. The surface was mirror-smooth and shimmered with a sublime otherworldly light. A stone embankment stretched out over the lake toward its center, and next to it stood a frost-covered stone tablet. Intersecting patterns spread over the stone, and the words "The Path Forward is Difficult" were written upon it in stark, powerful

calligraphy. After thousands of years, the words were still clear; it seemed like they were often repainted.

Chu Wanning stopped in front of the stone embankment. "Only one person at a time can go to the lake to seek a weapon. Which of you will go first?"

Xue Meng could hardly contain himself before blurting out, "Shizun, I'll go first!"

Chu Wanning looked at him, thought it over, and shook his head. "You're too rash. I don't think that's a good idea."

At this, Shi Mei, who had been standing by the side, laughed a little. "Shizun, how about I go in first, since I probably won't be able to break through the ice anyway?"

Shi Mei walked along the stone embankment, which was wide enough for only a single person at a time, and slowly made his way to the end. Following procedure, he produced a ball of spiritual energy in his hand and leaned forward to place his palm against the ice. His spiritual energy traveled ceaselessly down along the lake surface, the glistening white light of his power flickering into the distance.

Mo Ran stood from afar and held his breath, hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

But no matter how long Shi Mei tried, the ice didn't budge a mote. He forced a smile as he gave up and walked back. "Shizun, my apologies," he said to Chu Wanning.

"No matter. Try again after cultivating a few more years."

Mo Ran sighed a little, somehow more disappointed than either of them, but he still went to comfort Shi Mei. "It's fine, there will be more opportunities. I'll come with you the next time you try."

"Enough with the chitchat," said Chu Wanning. "Step up. It's your turn now."

In Mo Ran's previous lifetime, he had gone to seek his holy weapon during the most carefree days of his youth, and he'd had nothing but boundless enthusiasm at the prospect. But in this lifetime, it was nothing more than a pickup; he knew what awaited him, and he had none of that prior anxiety or eagerness. He did, however, have something of a warm feeling—the anticipation of a reunion with an old friend.

Mo Ran walked along the stone embankment and knelt before the icy lake. Bending down, he pressed his palm against the ice. He closed his eyes.

His scabbardless long blade… That sinful, vicious blade had been his constant companion, had seen all the sights of the world at his side, had tasted all the blood of the mortal realm as he had.

Mo Ran opened his eyes and whispered to the surface of the lake, "Bugui, I'm here."

As if sensing the call of its destined master, an enormous black shadow swiftly appeared under the frozen sheet of Jincheng Lake. The shadows gathered under the ice, becoming more and more clear, more and more vivid.

In a sudden cacophony, thousands of feet of ice shattered, and Mo Ran heard Xue Meng's distant shout of alarm from the shore.

"The ice is gone!"

The lake water surged up, waves crashing. A massive turquoise-black dragon breached, each scale on its body nearly seven feet wide. In an instant, Jincheng Lake's became a churning mass of waves, and a heavy fog rolled over them. The dragon glinted brilliantly under the moonlight as breath spouted from its nostrils.

At the same time, an ancient barrier fell over the edge of the lake, separating Mo Ran from his peers and Chu Wanning.

Within the barrier, human and dragon regarded each other. Mo Ran squinted his eyes and raised his head, peering up through the misty spray at the dragon.

The dragon held in its jaws a pitch-black blade with no scabbard. Though time-worn and plain, the blade was sharp, able to slice with ease through steel and gold alike. The dragon shrunk the blade to a size that a human could wield and slowly lowered its radiant, vibrant serpentine body to the ground to place the blade in front of Mo Ran.

However, it didn't lift its head right away. Instead it turned its golden eyes, each as large as twice the height of a fully grown man, to stare at Mo Ran. The dragon's eyes were like two great, bronze mirrors, and Mo Ran's reflection shone clearly within them. Mo Ran stood still with bated breath, waiting for it to speak.

If nothing had changed, he would only be asked to retrieve a plum blossom from the foot of the mountain and bring it back. Ultimately, because the old dragon sought only peace and elegance, he'd been let off easy.

Who could've predicted that, after waiting for so long, this dragon wouldn't do as it had in their previous lifetime and so easily yield Mo Ran's weapon? The dragon's beard fluttered as it narrowed its enormous golden eyes, then it lifted its front claw to write two words in the snow before Mo Ran: Mortal one?

Mo Ran was taken aback. He clearly remembered that in his previous lifetime, the dragon had been able to speak. Why, in this life, was it mute?

After writing those two words, the mute dragon promptly wiped the writing away with its scaly claw to write another sentence: No, a mortal would not have such strong spiritual energy. Then are you a divine being?

Mo Ran was speechless.

The old dragon thought for a moment, then swiped its claw once more and wrote: Not a divine being; there is an evil energy in you. Then are you a kind of demon?

What kind of nonsense is this?! Mo Ran yelled in his head. This venerable one was just reborn—what's there to think about? Just hand over this venerable one's blade already!

The old dragon seemed to sense his impatience and suddenly lifted its scaly claws to trap the blade beneath its foot. With one foot on the blade, it used the other to wipe away its writing and continue on another patch of snow: No need to take offense. I perceive two other shadows in your body. I have never seen anything like this in my life. So tell me, are you a human or a ghost? Divine or demonic?

Mo Ran raised an eyebrow. "I'm a human, of course. Is that something that even needs to be said?"

Well, a human who's died once before, he thought.

The old dragon paused for a moment, then wrote: One human soul, split like so. Such a thing has truly never been seen before. It is unheard of.

As Mo Ran watched the dragon sway sluggishly back and forth in a puzzled and almost slow-witted manner, he couldn't help but find it funny. "What's so strange about it? Anyway, Qianbei, what'll it take for you to give me this blade of yours?"

The old dragon sized him up for a while and wrote: Stand there and don't move. Let me use a technique to peer into your soul, and then I'll give the blade to you. How about that?

Mo Ran hadn't expected to receive such a request. Under that profound stare, he started to feel a little hesitant. He wondered whether this old thing could really see into his past life. What would happen if it could?

But Bugui was right in front of him. This blade was powerful and unusually strong for a holy weapon. If he refused it now, he would never have a second chance to get his hands on it.

After hesitating for a moment, Mo Ran looked up. "That's fine and all, but Qianbei, will you give me the blade no matter what you see inside of me?"

The old dragon drew on the ground: These are the terms; I will naturally follow through on my words.

"No matter whether I was good or evil in the past?"

The old dragon paused for a moment, and then wrote: Even if you were evil in the past, I will not stop you. I can only hope that you will pursue goodness in the future.

Mo Ran clapped his hands together and smiled. "All right, if Qianbei says so, I don't have any objections. Please examine me all you like, Qianbei."

The old dragon lifted itself slightly. Its luminous, serpentine body bowed, it blew a breath from its nostrils, and its eyes emitted a bright red glow.

Mo Ran raised his head and realized that the red glow was, in fact, a hazy mist. As the bloodred mist thickened, it gradually concealed his reflection in the dragon's eyes. After a few moments, the fog slowly dissipated, revealing Mo Ran's image once more.

But this time, Mo Ran was astounded to find that his reflection in the dragon's eyes was not alone. Faintly visible behind him were two additional hazy, indistinct shadows, one to his left, one to his right.

Mo Ran whipped around in shock, but behind him there was only emptiness and the unceasingly falling snow. Where had the other figures come from?

As he turned back again, he saw the figures in the dragon's eyes become clearer and clearer, like something submerged in water slowly rising to the surface. Mo Ran kept staring and to his surprise realized that the two silhouettes were extremely familiar, though their eyes were closed. He couldn't stop himself from taking a step forward. All at once, the two figures opened those eyes.

Shi Mei!

Chu Wanning?!

He never would have expected them. Stunned, Mo Ran stumbled and staggered backward, stuttering so hard that he couldn't form whole sentences. "How—is this—"

The three people in the old dragon's eyes stood quietly, expressions placid and devoid of emotion. They only stared into the distance.

Mo Ran was stupefied. After a moment, the bloodred fog rose again, and the figures in the dragon's eyes blurred until they finally disappeared altogether.

The old dragon blew a huff from its nose and shook out its body. Then it wrote quickly: I cannot make sense of it. I have seen much in my lifetime, but I have never seen a person's soul with the imprints of two others upon it. Certainly it is utterly perplexing.

"My, my soul…has their imprints on it?"

Yes. After writing that one word, the old dragon paused for a moment before continuing: I do not know what you could have possibly endured. How deep must an obsession run, for another person to be enmeshed so inextricably in one's own soul?

As Mo Ran stared at the messy lines in the snow, his face began to grow red as if he'd choked on something.

His obsession with Shi Mei ran so far down in his bones that learning that Shi Mei was imprinted upon his soul and that this dragon could also see him when he looked at Mo Ran didn't faze him much at all.

But…what the hell was up with Chu Wanning also being there? What kind of heartfelt obsession did he have toward Chu Wanning? Did extreme hatred count as an obsession intense enough to entangle one's soul?

This human and dragon were so immersed in contemplation that neither noticed as the surface of Jincheng Lake started to ripple unnaturally. When the water rushed up and the waves broke through, it was too late.

Jincheng Lake cleaved apart as if sliced in half by a sword. The water on both sides rushed up toward the sky until they towered so high, they blocked out all other sights. Two tightly ordered herds of beasts rushed out from between the waves. They had the bodies of leopards and the heads of oxen, and though they weren't as large as the old dragon, the horns on their heads shone with cold light, and every last claw was sharp and menacing. Although hundreds of them gathered, the old dragon displayed no fear; it only gazed at them with his golden eyes.

"What's happening?" Mo Ran asked.

The old dragon paused, then wrote: The Exalted Gouchen.

The instant Mo Ran read those three words, he felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. Gouchen the Exalted was the god of weaponry, lord of all the weapons in the world. This founding god had created the first sword in existence to aid Fuxi in laying waste to his demonic enemies.

That awe-inspiring primal god was actually hundreds of cows?

The thought was too horrifying for Mo Ran to accept. As he stared blankly, uncomprehending, he heard the sound of a xun coming from far away.

The xun was an ancient instrument. Not many people of the present age knew how to play it. As the sound came closer, the raucous herd of beasts slowly stilled and bent their forelegs, one by one, until they knelt in two rows. A man, clad in splendid robes and carrying a long sword, rode atop a qilin through the path made by the beasts.

This man had a handsome face with fine features and a pleasant disposition. He stood in the wind, his robes billowing as the snow fell on him, the clay xun in his hands glossy and dark. His fingers lay lightly over the holes as he held it to his lips to play.

When the music finished on a soft note, the hundreds of oxen-like beasts suddenly dissolved into water, revealing that they had only been conjurations. The man put down the clay xun, ran his eyes over Mo Ran for a moment, and gently smiled. "What a truly a strange person—the likes of which one might never encounter in millennia. No wonder you piqued Wangyue's interest. I am Gouchen the Exalted, who lives within Jincheng Lake. All the weapons in this lake were forged by my own hands. They are but objects of little consequence; please excuse my humble work."

Even though the old dragon had written the name, and this man was saying it himself as well, Mo Ran couldn't believe it. His face paled. "You're Gouchen the Exalted?"

The man smiled patiently. "Yes, I am he."

Mo Ran was on the verge of choking. "God of a Thousand Weapons? That guy?"

"Correct." Gouchen the Exalted raised his brows delicately, laughter in his eyes. "The later generations do seem to call me that. How embarrassing. I only grind out a few paltry swords and tie a few little whips when I'm bored, yet people idolize me so."

Mo Ran had no words. Strong people acting humble was the most grating thing in the world. Chu Wanning had matter-of-factly said, "I have three holy weapons," but this Exalted Gouchen was even more irritating. He actually went around calling the weapons he created "paltry swords" and "little whips." Why didn't he just go ahead and call Emperor Fuxi "li'l old man" while he was at it?

Mo Ran took a while to process this and finally said, "Then—then that—then shouldn't you be in the heavenly realm? How could you be in this…this lake…?"

"I like to fight and spar, so I often ended up disturbing the Heavenly Emperor's peace and quiet. After being on the receiving end of his stink eye, I figured I might as well just descend."

"Then how long have you been here?" Mo Ran asked, dumbfounded.

Gouchen the Exalted thought it over before smiling. "Not too long. Only a few hundred years."

"A few hundred years," Mo Ran repeated, then laughed dryly. "Doesn't the Exalted God think that's a bit long?"

Gouchen the Exalted's look was placid as he smiled. He nonchalantly waved his sleeves. "It's not that long. Besides, forging a sword for the Heavenly Emperor used up much of my spiritual power. Furthermore, staying in a realm as abundantly opulent as heaven gets rather boring; it's much better down here."

Although Mo Ran was extremely curious to learn more about this legendary god of weaponry, it wasn't really his place to keep prodding about personal affairs. He thought about it and decided there were more important matters at hand, so instead he said, "Exalted Elder, you didn't just come out to see me today just because you thought my soul was special, right?"

"Why not? Your spiritual power is rare, the sort one hardly ever comes across." Gouchen the Exalted smiled. "I worry that if I give you this blade, it would be wasted potential."

"Ha ha, it's not too bad," Mo Ran replied. "This blade seems like it would suit me."

"I thought so at first too," Gouchen the Exalted continued, still smiling. "But upon closer examination, I found that this isn't the case. You have a rare talent, so you piqued my interest. I came here today because I wanted to invite you to the bottom of the lake to chat. I would like to see which among those millions of blades would best suit you."

Mo Ran was speechless.

This was no small matter in and of itself. Even though Taxian-jun had experienced a whole array of things in his life, this made him choke. The God of a Thousand Weapons was actually inviting him to…pick one of those weapons?

Gouchen the Exalted took Mo Ran's silence to mean he was reluctant to go due to fear. "There's no need to worry; even though many monsters await under the water, they all answer to me. I guarantee they will not harm you. Wangyue will testify to this."

The old dragon said nothing, but slowly bowed at his side.

When Mo Ran realized that he really was being given a genuine invitation, his heart couldn't help but jolt. "Then, if I go, would the Exalted God grant me a request?"

"What manner of request?"

"The person who sought a weapon before me is a close friend of mine." As Mo Ran spoke, he gestured to the shores beyond the barrier, pointing out Shi Mei. "He was denied just now, so I'm thinking, if I grant the Exalted God's wish, then would the Exalted God grant me a wish in return and give him a weapon?"

"Is that all? Something like that is nothing to me." Gouchen the Exalted laughed. He flicked his hand, and the ancient barrier covering the sky swiftly disappeared. "This is a very simple matter. Let all three of them come, then. If any weapon catches their eyes, it is as good as theirs."

Mo Ran was delighted by this unexpected turn of events. He'd never thought that he would so effortlessly come across a way to solve the issue with which he had been wrestling. He was more excited at the possibility of Shi Mei receiving a holy weapon than by the prospect of his own upgrade. He quickly agreed to the Exalted Gouchen's invitation and brought the others over. As he relayed what was going on, Shi Mei and Xue Meng's eyes grew larger and larger, and even Chu Wanning reacted slightly.

Gouchen the Exalted watched from the side, but as if he'd realized something, he let out a, "Hm?" and stared at Chu Wanning. "You?"