Chapter 31: The calm before the storm

Chu Er sat quietly, her mind wholly absorbed by the legend of Ren Zu. She had been reading through the night, captivated by the story's twists and turns. Her heart raced as she reached the part where Ren Zu was saved from insanity by the Tranquil Gu, a mythical Gu worm with the rare ability to bring peace in the deepest of turmoil. Ren Zu's struggle for clarity felt both distant and familiar to her, and she couldn't tear herself away.

As the first light of dawn crept into the room, Bai Ning Bing lay slumped over on her lap. He had stayed by her side all night, his commitment unwavering. He'd kept watch over Ning Zu, who lay still and silent beside them. Now, exhaustion had finally caught up with Bai Ning Bing, and he had fallen into a deep sleep, his breathing soft and steady.

Chu Er turned the page, her fingers brushing the paper lightly. The quiet was comforting, her brother's presence reassuring even in its stillness. But then, a faint sound interrupted her thoughts—a barely audible sigh, almost like a whisper from far away.

Startled, she looked up and froze, her gaze fixed on Ning Zu. Silent tears were streaming down his face, catching the first rays of morning light. He hadn't moved, his eyes still closed, but something about the sight shook her to her core. How could he be crying like this, so lost in sleep?

Her grip on the book slipped, and The Legend of Ren Zu tumbled from her hands, landing directly on Bai Ning Bing's head. He woke with a start, rubbing his head with a small wince.

"Ow… Chu Er, what's going on?" he mumbled, half-asleep, ready to ask why she'd dropped the book on him. But then he saw the look on her face—her eyes glistening with unshed tears—and he followed her gaze to Ning Zu. The words died on his lips as he took in the sight of their brother's tear-streaked face.

They sat in silence, a quiet ache filling their hearts as they watched Ning Zu cry in his sleep, his face etched with an unspoken sorrow. Neither of them could make sense of what was happening, or why Ning Zu's tears flowed so freely despite his unconscious state.

Without a word, Chu Er leaned forward, her arms wrapping around Ning Zu gently, as if afraid to disturb him further. Bai Ning Bing joined her, his expression a mix of concern and sadness. They held him close, their own tears mingling with his as they silently shared in his suffering, hoping against hope that whatever Ning Zu was seeing in his dreams would soon turn to peace.

———

Inside Ning Zu's Dreams:

Ning Zu knelt on the cold ground, his heart heavy and his eyes filled with tears. Before him stood a grave, its stone rough and weathered, a name carved in Chinese characters across its surface: "Meng Yan".

Every letter struck him with a terrible finality, a reminder of the life that had been taken too soon. Resting on top of the grave was a long pipe, its bowl still holding traces of opium, a symbol of the life that had once held warmth but was now gone forever.

Beside him, Ming You stood tall, his face set in a cold, unyielding expression. His gaze didn't stray toward Ning Zu; instead, he stared into the distance, his anger radiating off him in silent waves.

"What happened?" Ning Zu's voice trembled with restrained fury as he finally broke the silence, his words edged with a chill that matched his killing intent. He could barely keep his rage in check, but there was something deeper beneath his anger—a terrible, heart-wrenching sadness.

Ming You's reply was devoid of emotion, his tone flat. "When I got here, I found half her body lying on the ground. You were late… So, I decided to bury her." Each word was like a dagger, piercing Ning Zu's heart.

A shadow passed over Ning Zu's face as his eyes darkened, a flicker of denial surfacing. He couldn't accept it; he wouldn't believe it. Driven by desperation, he lunged forward, his hands clawing at the earth covering the grave. He needed to see for himself, to tear away the earth until he could uncover the truth.

But before he could go any further, a spear materialized at his throat, its edge pressing against his skin just hard enough to draw a thin line of blood.

"Stop it," Ming You commanded, his voice sharp and unyielding. "You can use your Gu to check—it's really her."

Ning Zu froze, his body caught between movement and stillness, as if every muscle had turned to stone. His thoughts spiraled, crashing in chaotic waves. He couldn't process the reality in front of him, couldn't bring himself to believe that the grave before him held the one he had lost. Yet a quiet, insistent voice told him it was true, even as his heart screamed in denial.

A flash of impatience crossed Ming You's face, his eyes narrowing. "We should go get revenge," he said, his voice laced with bitterness and a fierce resolve. "It was the Meng clan—there's no doubt."

Ning Zu didn't respond. He barely registered the words, his mind too distant, lost in a whirlwind of memories and pain.

Ming You's patience snapped, his killing intent surging like a dark storm. The air grew heavy, filled with a suffocating sense of menace. He looked down at Ning Zu with a twisted expression of disdain. "Coward," he spat, his words like venom. "When I create my Killing Path, you'll be the first person I kill!"

With a final, withering glance, Ming You turned and took off into the sky, leaving Ning Zu alone before the grave. The silence that followed was deafening, pressing down on him like the weight of the entire world.

A faint glow appeared on Ning Zu's forehead, forming a Blue Lotus Tattoo. Compelled by some unspoken urge, he reached for the pipe on the grave, his fingers brushing its cool surface. With a quiet, determined focus, he refined it and stored it in his aperture, a memento of a life now lost to him.

As the tattoo faded from his forehead, Ning Zu knelt in silence, his mind racing, the world around him blurring into a haze. What could he do now? He was trapped in a grief he couldn't escape, his heart a hollow echo of what it once was.

---

**Wei Xu and the Puppet**

In the cold, dim light of the prison cell, Wei Xu worked in silence, threading his strings carefully through the joints of a wooden hand. Each motion was methodical, his fingers steady as he connected the strings to the hollowed spaces within the hand. After what felt like hours, he stood up and attached the hand to a large wooden puppet, its form looming in the shadows.

With a surge of mental energy, he activated the strings. His eyes flared with a fiery orange glow as he concentrated, and the puppet responded, its limbs moving stiffly, as if awakening from a long slumber.

The puppet's movements were sluggish and awkward at first, and frustration creased Wei Xu's brow. He muttered curses under his breath, struggling to control the puppet's jerky motions. From the wall, the Zombie—a figure chained and nailed in place—watched him with a sardonic grin.

"You're going to need more patience," the Zombie advised, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Try not to act like it's all a disaster."

Gradually, with painstaking focus and more than a few frustrated sighs, Wei Xu brought the puppet to life. Its movements became fluid, mimicking human gestures with surprising accuracy. Finally, after what felt like a small eternity, the puppet managed a bow, and Wei Xu sighed, his eyes dimming back to their usual brown.

"This is tiring," Wei Xu muttered, running a hand over his face.

The Zombie chuckled, a low, unsettling sound. "Get used to it. It's only going to get harder."

Wei Xu shot him an annoyed look. "And how exactly am I supposed to 'get used to it?'"

"Use a wooden finger," the Zombie replied, his tone half-mocking, half-serious. "Let it become part of you."

Wei Xu shuddered at the thought, but finally nodded in reluctant agreement. "It's time I return to the village anyway. I can't afford to draw suspicion."

He bowed to the Zombie, a gesture of respect that he rarely offered. He didn't particularly like his master, but there was a certain begrudging admiration there.

"Eat well," the Zombie warned, his tone oddly caring. "Those strings need energy, or you'll find yourself drained. And if you aren't careful… well, let's just say, you might find yourself joining me here."

Wei Xu chuckled, waving off the warning. "I'm not that old yet." With a final nod, he turned and left the prison.

As he made his way through the stone corridors, the other prisoners shrank back, their eyes averted. Fear radiated from them—surviving the Zombie had changed him, and none of them dared meet his gaze. But as he passed, one prisoner bit down on a Gu worm, sending a subtle signal.

Outside, a rank 2 Gu master awaited him, offering to lead him to his grandfather's location. Wei Xu nodded, intending to ask about Zi Rui, but stopped mid-sentence as a flash of steel cut through the air. The Gu master's head fell, severed in a single, brutal strike.

Wei Xu barely had time to react, his strings flickering to life

in defense. But before he could do anything, a red moon blade sliced through his strings, leaving him with a deep, dangerous wound. His scream caught in his throat as an enslavement Gu worm immobilized him, stripping him of his will.

Stepping forward, his assailant revealed himself as Gu Shen Yu, the former leader of the Gu Yu clan. As the village celebrated their new clan leader, Gu Yu Bo, Gu Shen Yu wore a smile as he healed Wei Xu's wounds, a grin of dark satisfaction on his face.

"Follow me," he commanded. "The show is just beginning."