stonecrandall Chapter 18 Are you really a Xia Lan?
Chapter 18 Are you really a Xia Lan?
The morning mist hadn't dissipated yet, and the bluestone slabs in the courtyard were wet and a bit slippery to walk on.
Lu Siye stood in the center of the courtyard, his legs slightly bent, and his primordial energy surged from his dantian and flowed into his legs.
He took a deep breath, and with a thought, his body suddenly lunged forward.
This step propelled him nearly three meters.
It's a little farther than yesterday.
But when he landed, he lost his balance, stumbled, and took two steps forward before stopping.
He glanced back at the spot where he had jumped and frowned.
He had enough explosive power, but he couldn't control it.
The essence of moon chase is not just rushing fast, but also being able to stop and change direction at any time.
He can only sprint in a straight line now, like a cannonball, and once he's out of control, he can't be stopped.
Come again.
He returned to his original position and gathered his Qi again.
This time, I tried adjusting my direction the instant I charged forward, veering slightly to the left.
When his vital energy surged to his knees, he had a thought and tried to shift more of his power to his left leg.
However, the control was not precise enough, the distribution of vital energy was uneven, and when the left foot stepped down, the force was too great, and the right foot did not follow up. The whole person tilted to the left and almost fell to the ground.
He steadied himself and took a breath.
Most of the primordial energy in my dantian has been depleted.
The cyclone that was the size of a walnut has now shrunk to the size of a longan, and it is spinning slowly and sluggishly.
He closed his eyes, trying to discern.
The primordial energy emanated from the body, extending in all directions like spider silk.
three meters.
five meters.
At six meters, the edges started to blur.
Something is coming from a distance.
Two breaths of life.
One of them was very familiar, Xiang Dingkun.
The other one... I'm not very familiar with it. It's not big, it has four legs, and its aura is very weak. It looks like some kind of small animal.
The detection field shook and then collapsed.
He opened his eyes and rubbed his temples.
My head is starting to hurt again.
The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Xiang Dingkun walked in.
He carried a wild boar on his back, not very big, probably weighing seventy or eighty pounds, tied with a rope and hanging on his shoulder.
Blood was still dripping from the wild boar's mouth; it looked freshly killed.
But what stunned Lu Siye was not the wild boar.
It's the thing following behind Xiang Dingkun.
The thing was about half a meter long and looked like a raccoon, but much fatter and rounder.
Its fur is gray, but its tail is white, long, and fluffy.
It has a ring of standing hair around its neck, like a lion's mane, but much shorter and softer, which flutters gently in the wind.
It followed behind Xiang Dingkun, walking leisurely with its four short legs taking small steps, its tail held high, the white tip swaying in the morning mist.
Xiang Dingkun walked into the yard, threw the wild boar on the ground, and glanced back at the thing.
"Come in."
The thing hesitated for a moment, then cautiously peered into the yard.
Its gaze swept across the yard, over the wild boar on the ground, over Xiang Dingkun, and then...
It landed on Lu Siye.
Its body froze.
Its ears were pressed back, and the mane on its neck suddenly stood up.
It took two steps back, its whole body arching.
Lu Siye stood there, looking at the thing, somewhat puzzled.
"Uncle Xiang, what's this?"
"Feifei".
Xiang Dingkun turned the wild boar over and checked its wounds.
"We met it on the mountain, gave it some food, and it followed us here."
朏朏.
Lu Siye had never heard of this name before.
Is this Fei Fei also from the realm of extreme Yin?
He looked at the leopard. It was still staring at him, its body tense, as if ready to run away at any moment.
There was an indescribable emotion in its eyes.
It's not fear.
It is a warning.
It's like a cat seeing a stranger; instead of turning and running away in fright, it stands still, observes you, assesses you, and decides whether to run away or not.
Lu Siye squatted down and stretched out his hand.
"come over."
Feifei didn't move.
It glanced at him, then turned to look at Xiang Dingkun.
Xiang Dingkun was squatting on the ground dealing with the wild boar, without even raising his head.
Feifei turned back and looked at Lu Siye's hand.
It took a step forward, then pulled back.
After trying twice, he cautiously took one step forward.
Lu Siye's hand remained frozen in mid-air.
Feifei walked up to him, twitched her nose, and sniffed his fingers.
Then it raised its head and looked at his face.
Lu Siye slowly reached out his hand, his fingertips touching the top of its head.
Feifei's body trembled.
It wasn't a gentle tremor, but a tremor that came from the very bones, shaking the entire body.
Its ears were pressed completely against its head, its tail was tucked between its legs, and its four legs were slightly bent, as if it were ready to run away at any moment.
But it didn't run.
It just stood there, letting him touch it, its body trembling.
Lu Siye withdrew his hand and frowned.
"Is it that afraid of people?"
Xiang Dingkun raised his head and glanced at him.
Then he put his finger in his mouth and whistled.
A crisp whistle rang out, echoing through the courtyard.
Feifei's body instantly relaxed.
It broke free from Lu Siye's hand, its four legs moving rapidly as it ran to Xiang Dingkun's side, leaped up, and burrowed into his arms.
Xiang Dingkun held it with one arm while continuing to deal with the wild boar with the other.
Feifei nestled in his arms, burying her head in his embrace, curling her tail up, and wrapping herself up in a ball.
From Lu Siye's perspective, all he could see was a clump of gray fur and a small white tail tip.
Lu Siye stood there, watching this scene, somewhat speechless.
"It's not afraid of people," Xiang Dingkun said calmly. "It's afraid of you."
Lu Siye was stunned for a moment.
"Afraid of me?" He looked down at himself. "What's wrong with me? Do I look fierce?"
He touched his face.
While it's not particularly attractive, it's not so fierce as to frighten animals.
Compared to Xiang Dingkun's stubble-covered, wrinkled face, his young face must have been much gentler.
Xiang Dingkun didn't respond to that.
He removed the wild boar's internal organs, set them aside, and wiped the blood off his hands.
Feifei shifted in his arms, changed her position, and continued to nestle.
"Let's continue with yesterday's story," Xiang Dingkun said.
Lu Siye sat down on the threshold and waited.
Xiang Dingkun placed Feifei on his lap and gently stroked its back with one hand.
Feifei's trembling gradually stopped, her body relaxed, and her tail loosened, resting on Xiang Dingkun's leg.
"According to your terms, people with the Xia Lan Seal are called Xia Lan," he said.
Lu Siye nodded.
"Where there is yang, there is yin; where there is light, there is darkness," Xiang Dingkun continued. "The Xia Lan Seal is a mark that resonates with the Extreme Yang Realm. Through it, Xia Lan can borrow the primordial energy between heaven and earth."
"Then do you know which mark resonates with the Yin Realm?"
Lu Siye was stunned for a moment.
Something flashed through his mind.
Then he subconsciously looked down at his right hand.
"The mark of sin," he said.
It almost came out of his mouth, as if the word had always been in his mind, only to be brought out now.
Xiang Dingkun nodded.
"It seems you already know."
He paused, his gaze falling on Lu Siye's right hand.
"Have you ever considered... whether this mark on your hand is the Xia Lan Mark or the Mark of Sin?"
The courtyard was quiet.
Lu Siye sat on the threshold, looking at his right hand.
The palms are clean.
That mark didn't appear today, nothing at all.
But he knew it was there, and he knew that as long as he mobilized his primordial energy, it would light up.
Xia Lan Seal?
Or is it a mark of sin?
Yi Songjin said this is the Xia Lan Seal.
He said the Xia Lan Seal had never appeared on the right hand before, but you are an exception.
He said you already have all the potential to become a Xia Lan.
Xiang Dingkun said that the Sin Seal and the Xia Lan Seal are indistinguishable in appearance.
The only difference is the way the Extreme Yang Realm and the Extreme Yin Realm are perceived; one uses primordial energy, and the other uses sinful energy.
He recalled the pure white expanse he had seen during his internal vision.
There's also that pure blackness that appears when one's consciousness is unstable.
White.
black.
Yuan Qi.
Sinful Qi.
dark.
Xia Lan.
When were these two things put together?
He raised his head and looked at Xiang Dingkun.
Xiang Dingkun didn't urge him, but just sat there, stroking Feifei's back in his arms.
Feifei had completely relaxed. She rolled over, exposing her belly, lying on her back with her four paws in the air, and making gurgling sounds in her throat.
"Is the seal in your hand the Xia Lan Seal, or the Sin Seal?"
Xiang Dingkun asked again.
Lu Siye remained silent.
He didn't know how to answer.
A sense of absurdity welled up inside him, choking him and making it hard to breathe.
What does that mean?
I'm not a Xia Lan?
Is what I hold not the Xia Lan Seal?
But Yi Songjin clearly said that it was the Xia Lan Seal, only it was located on his right hand.
Yes, that must be it.
Xiang Dingkun was just telling a story.
He doesn't understand the Xia Lan story.
He was just an ordinary person who loved listening to stories.
Yes, I am a Xia Lan.
This person is wavering in their mindset.
You can't trust him.
Lu Siye clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm, which hurt a little.
Xiang Dingkun looked at him calmly.
He didn't continue speaking, but just touched Feifei's belly and waited.
He didn't speak for a long time.
"The Seven Deadly Sins are the will of the entire Yin Realm."
He said.
"They have no physical form, so they need agents."
"They use the mark of sin to control the creatures of the extreme yin realm, including mythical beasts from mountains and seas, the Zero Clan, and ferocious beasts."
"The appearance of the Sin Seal is almost identical to that of the Xia Lan Seal, but their essence is completely different."
He turned Feifei over and let it lie on his knees.
"Primordial Qi and Sinful Qi are two sides of the same coin."
"The difference lies in the Yang Five Elements and the Yin Five Elements."
"One represents the power of pure justice in the world, and the other represents the power of restraining evil in the world."
He looked up at Lu Siye.
Lu Siye's expression was very unpleasant.
He sat on the threshold, leaning slightly forward, his hands resting on his knees, his knuckles white.
His lips were pressed into a thin line, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were fixed on the ground, motionless.
Xiang Dingkun looked at him and remained silent for a while.
"So," he said softly, "what do you think truly defines a Xia Lan?"
Lu Siye did not answer.
"Does having the Xia Lan Seal automatically make someone a Xia Lan?" Xiang Dingkun asked. "Or..."
He didn't continue.
He waited for Lu Siye to answer himself.
The courtyard was very quiet.
Feifei rolled over on Xiang Dingkun's lap and gurgled.
The distant waves lapped against the shore with a muffled sound.
Lu Siye sat there, his mind a complete mess.
What can be called a Xia Lan?
Those who bear the mark of a Xia Lan are Xia Lan.
Does this need to be said?
Those who don't have the Xia Lan Seal will remain ordinary people their entire lives.
The bald old man is an ordinary person, Tang Yuan is an ordinary person, the cafeteria lady serving food is an ordinary person, and everyone walking on the street is an ordinary person.
Only those who possess the Xia Lan Seal can become Xia Lan.
but……
His own Xia Lan Seal was not something he was born with.
He acquired this mark in a way that was different from everyone else's.
Yi Songjin said this was an exception.
But what if this isn't an exception?
If he hadn't obtained the Xia Lan Seal, but instead...
The mark of sin.
These two words were like a needle, piercing his brain, and he couldn't pull them out.
He looked down at his right hand.
The palms are clean.
But now, looking at this hand, he feels disgusted.
A lingering, nauseating feeling that seeps from the bones.
Why?
Why do I possess such disgusting power?
I am clearly on the side of justice.
I clearly wanted to protect others.
I clearly...
He remembered that night.
Ju Ling grabbed Xiao Man, who was crying and calling for help.
He rushed forward not out of bravery, but because he couldn't bear to watch Xiaoman die.
He didn't think about anything; his body just moved on its own.
Is that justice?
Or is it just instinct?
He remembered that dark space.
That figure.
That sentence.
As long as darkness remains, the Xia Lan will live on forever.
What does this sentence mean?
Darkness will never perish, and the Xia Lan will live on forever.
Darkness will never perish.
The Xia Lan will live on forever.
dark……
Xia Lan...
He suddenly looked up.
Does the absence of the Xia Lan Seal mean it's not a Xia Lan?
Does not having the Xia Lan Seal mean you can't protect others?
Grandma doesn't have the Xia Lan Seal.
She was just an ordinary person who farmed and raised children.
But she protected Lu Siye.
When no one wanted him, it was his grandmother who raised him.
When no one cared for him, it was his grandmother who supported his education.
At a time when everyone thought he was a burden, it was his grandmother who treated him like a human being.
Grandma Guang is not a Xia Lan.
But she protected others.
Tang Yuan is not a Xia Lan.
She's just an ordinary girl who laughs, makes a fuss, and gets angry.
But when someone bullied Lu Siye when they were kids, she was the one who stood up for him.
Although she was terrified herself, and although she started crying after blocking the way, she still stood up.
Tang Yuan is not a Xia Lan.
But she protected others.
What exactly is a Xia Lan?
Is it a mark?
Is it power?
Are they those fancy spells?
No.
The core of Xia Lan is "chivalry".
It is the determination to protect others.
It's the kind of drive that knows you might not be able to win, knows you might die, but still charges forward.
It was the night his grandmother brought him home.
It was that afternoon when Tang Yuan stood in his way.
It was the moment he charged towards the giant zero.
He raised his head.
Xiang Dingkun was still looking at him, his gaze calm, like a still pool of water.
Lu Siye met his gaze and spoke.
"The chivalrous warriors who silently protect like mist are called Xia Lan."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was steady.
Those who are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect a pure land are called Xia Lan.
The courtyard remained quiet for a long time.
Feifei rolled over on Xiang Dingkun's lap, lying on her back with her four legs in the air, revealing her round belly.
It yawned, revealing its pink tongue and a few tiny teeth.
Xiang Dingkun glanced down at it, then looked up at Lu Siye.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
It wasn't the kind of knowing smile, nor the kind of smile that says "I knew it all along."
It's a very ordinary, simple smile, like the kind of smile an elder gives when they see a younger person have figured something out.
"Well said," he said.
Then he stood up, and Feifei slid off his knees, landing on all fours, shaking his head and wagging his tail.
"Alright, that's the end of the story."
Xiang Dingkun patted the dust off his pants.
"Time to get to work. We haven't finished dealing with the wild boar yet."
He turned and walked back to the wild boar, squatted down, and continued his work.
Feifei followed behind him for two steps, then suddenly stopped.
It turned its head and glanced at Lu Siye.
Those round, dark eyes stared at him for two seconds.
Then it turned around, trotted to catch up with Xiang Dingkun, jumped onto his knees, and curled up in a ball again.
Lu Siye sat on the threshold, watching the lizard's back for a long time.
He looked down at his right hand.
There was nothing there.
But he no longer felt disgusted.
It wasn't because he was certain whether it was the Xia Lan Seal or the Sin Seal.
It was because he suddenly realized something.
Regardless of what kind of mark it is, where it comes from, or what it represents.
What matters most is what it does with its hands.
He stood up and walked over to the wild boar.
"I'll help you."
Xiang Dingkun nodded and handed him the knife.
Feifei peeked out from Xiang Dingkun's knees and glanced at him.
This time, it didn't tremble.