Wen Feng Yu was dead……
The Instrument of the Gods were lost…..
Bai ZI Hua sucked in a breath and creased his eyebrows tightly. This was the first time he was starting to panick. The night Hua Qian Gu stole the Instrument, the sect leader was killed. Even if Wen Feng Yu’s death was not caused by Xiao Gu, she could not escape responsibility. However, no matter what, he would not believe that Xiao Gu would kill.
Suddenly, the scene of her duel with Ni Man Tian flashed before hi m and his chest tightened. No matter what, he should find her first.
Bai ZI Hua looked at water mirror but still couldn’t find her. He had very little powers left and he did not have her blood. Even moving was laborious, not to mention scrying. Hua Qian Gu must have brought Tang Bao. Though Tang Bao, he quickly found their location. They were in the Eastern Sea with Shuo Feng.
Bai ZI Hua quickly took his sword and rushed to the Eastern Sea.
————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Hua Qian Gu and Shuo Feng quickly found Lan Yu Lan Feng or rather she was waiting for them.
The moment Hua Qian Gu saw her, she thought of how her teacher was poisoned and suffered. Everything was all hr fault! She grit her teeth to face her. However, she was smiling happily. She wondered what she was planning.
“What brings you here?”
“The Xuan Tian Umbrella is with you right?” she desperately held backer impulse to take revenge and told herself hat neutralising the poison was the most important.
“Yup.” Lan Yu Lan Feng gently swept her tail as she lay on a giant shiny shell. All around her were pearls and jewels like an underwater palace, luxurious and intricate. There seemed to be a giant bubble at the bottom of the sea. Even if normal humans entered, they would have no trouble breathing.
Hua Qian Gu threw Sha Qian Mo’s words towards her. After listening, she continued smiling as though she had long expected this.
“I can give you the Xuan Tian Umbrella, but I want to make a deal with you.”
“No!” Hua Qian Gu immediately protests.
“Haha. I haven’t finished. No need to reject it so fast!”
“You want me to exchange it with the other Instruments of the Gods. That is impossible!”
“Ah. How smart. Indeed you are Bai Zi Hua’s disciple! Actually you don’t lose out. All you want is the Nu Wa Stone. Give…..” Lan Yu Lang Feng coughed twice. “Actually the other Instruments are no use to you. I will give you the Xuan Tian Umbrella and help you find the other instruments. Once the Nu Wa Stone is restored, ou can give me the other instruments. Both sides get what they want. Isn’t it great?”
“No, I will never let you release the Demon God and harm the world!”
“What right do you have to negotiate with me now that the Xuan Tian Umbrella is with me? I know that I can’t beat you. But You think you can get the location of the Xuan Tian Umbrella from me? I know all the hypnotism skills you know.”
“How did you know?” Hua Qian Gu looked at her in shock. She had only learnt hypnotism for a short time. How did she know.
Lan Yu Lan Feng circled around her and smiled devilishly.
“I poisoned Bai ZI Hua! I nearly killed you! I could have gained such credit! Yet I could not tell anyone! You know how miserable I felt! However, I did not expect that the matter would go so smoothly. Even though I do not know what he did to stay alive until now. But I am more surprised that you would steal the instruments from him and escape.”
“You have been spying on us!”
“How could I do that? the security on Chang Liu is so tight, even if I had a thousand galls, I would not dare. Even though I cannot beat Zi Kui in using poisons, Yun Ying in using plots, Kuang Ye Tian in setting traps, Xi Xun Qiao Mo’s magic and Chun Qiu Bu Bai’s ruthlessness, however as long as anything happens on the surface of the sea, I will know of it. I simply sent some small.. wishes and prawns to stand guard outside outside the seas Chang Liu. I did not expect to see you secretly sneak out of Chang Liu and unseal the Instruments of the Gods.”
Hua QIan Gu now knew her every move was watched. “So you immediately knew what I was after and borrowed the Xuan Tian Umbrella first?”
Lan Yu Lan Feng laughed and affirmed this. She then goaded her and told Hua Qian Gu that since she already dared to betray her sect and steal the instruments, she did not need to care what they did with the instruments as long as she could save her Shi Fu.
“No. Shi Fu will not allow me to do this!”
“Stupid child, do you think you still can go back? In two days, the whole immortal realm will know you stole the instruments and sent a warrant for your arrest. These self righteous immortals will not care about your motive for stealing the instruments. As long as you threaten them, they will become more vicious than demons and monsters!” Lan Yu Lan Feng’s eyes suddenly blazed with an indescribable hate that threatened to engulf everything as she seemed to recall something.
“You dont believe me? Those who they have executed for various crimes is probably more than what demons and monsters have killed! I know that you think of returning the instruments untouched and pretend nothing has happened. But that is impossible. Because Wen Feng Yu, is, already, dead!”
Each of Lan Yu Lan Feng’s words were like a curse that instantly pushed Hua Qian Gu into an abyss. She felt her entire body freeze.
“So it’s impossible to avoid detection because Chang Bai Mountain is in chaos now. Wen Feng Yu being killed, Dong Huan Clock being stolen will be reported to your Shi Fu. Then the news of Bai ZI Hua losing the instruments will immediately spread in the immortal realm and at that time the three realms will come after your life, including your Shi FU! You think you still can go back?”
“You….” Hua Qian Gu looked at her in disbelief, so angry she could not speak. She felt as though half her heart had collasped.
“You killed him?!”
“So what if I killed him? I guessed that you would steal the Dong HUang clock. Even though you cast a claoking spell over him, that is nothing to me. It paved the way for me, making killing him as easy. I still need to thank you for letting me gain more credit. Otherwise I would not be able to defeat him.”
Hua Qian Gu felt a stab in her heart and nearly keeled over. Wen Feng Yu’s pale crying face appeared before her. She had killed him!
Hua Qian Gu stabbed her sword at Lan Yu Lan Feng, her stab full of grief and rage. She easily dodged it and kept smiling at her.
“Join us. Zi Xun Qian Xia is still doing well. Moreover, our sovereign likes you so much.”
“Shut up!” Hua Qian Gu attacked her, but Lan Yu Lan Feng only dodged. Her quick dodges was like a small fish darting in water.
Seeing Hua QIan Gu lose all rationality, Shuo Feng grabbed her hand tightly and made her calm down.
Suddenly a man with a prawns body hopped in and whispered something to Lan YU Lan Feng. Her face changed to one of delight and handed over the Umbrella to Hua Qian Gu after some thought.
“Good sister, don’t be angry. Your sister was only playing with you. Since the sovereign has ordered it, how can I not give you the instrument?”
Hua Qian Gu and Shuo Feng were both stunned by this sudden change. What was she planning?
Hua Qian accepted it and looked at Shuo Feng who nodded and confirmed this was the real instruments.
Hua Qian Gu asked her why she was willing to give it to her and Lan Yu Lan Feng simply asked her to put in a few good words for her in front of Sha Qian Mo.
Shuo Feng quickly dragged Hua Qian Gu away. If Lan Yu Lan Feng words were true, then they had little time left.
Or– Everything was too late.
Lan Yu Lan Feng smiled at them complacently, her complacency making Hua Qian Gu shiver.
In a blink of an eye they returned to the tiny island where they met Sha Qian Mo. Shuo Feng was still holding on to Hua Qian Gu’s hand tightly refusing to let go.
Hua Qian Gu placed a barrier around the area and then lined the instruments out.
“There is only one more instrument left.
“Yes. It really isnt easy. the three realms arefighting over it and going to war over. Yet within a few days you have gathered them all. This is fate….”
“I dont care about fate as long as Shi Fu is fine.”
“Even if you are maligned and hated for the rest of the life? Even if you suffer? ”
Hua Qian Gu raised up her head and looked at Shuo Feng’s eyes. These were the brightest eyes that she had every seen in her life, different from the depth in her Shi Fu’s eyes, shining like the stars in the star. at this moment, the usually deep and proud eyes reflected all sorts of complicated emotions. There was pain,unwillingness, loneliness and heart ache……
“I am not scared.” Hua Qian Gu said. Three simple words, clear and stubborn.
“Good. Very good…..” Shuo Feng’s voice slightly trembled and turned his head away. “Then I can rest assured. Remember your decision today. No matter what you meet from now one, you must hand on and do not regret–”
“I won’t regret it.” Hua Qian Gu examined these instruments carefully, unable to imagine that each of them possessed the ability to seal the Demon God and how great the Demon God was.
“Dong Fang said that after finding the Xuan Tian Umbrella, you will know where the Gou Lan Jade is. Do you know now? Do you need break the seal on every instrument? Even with the Kun Lun Mirror, I think time is running out.”
For a long time, Shuo Feng did not answer.
“Shuo Feng?” Hua Qian Gu raised her head and saw SHuo Feng lookingg straight at her. His face was covered so she could not see his expression. But from his eyes, she knew that his expression must be very sad.
“Shuo Feng, what is the matter?” She sensed that something was wrong with him. Since they started gathering the instruments, there ws something wrong with him.
Shuo Feng smiled at her sadly. ” There is no need of the other insturments. Form the start I knew where the Gou Lan Jade was.”
“Where?” Hua Qian GU aksed happily.
“Here–” Shuo Feng pointed at the jade handing on Hua Qian Gu’s chest. It was the jade that Xuan Yuan Lang had given her when she first went up Mt Mao. At that moment, cracks appeared on the jade and with a small “Pa” sound, the white jade shell of shattered, revealing a brilliantly green jade — Gou Lan Jade.
Hua Qian Gu was so ahppy she could not speak. to think the last Insturment of the God had been hanging on her all these years and she idd not discover it! Why did Lang Ge Ge give her such an important thing? Perhaps it was because it had been ong lost and it was disguised as an ordinary jade such that even he did not know it was the Gou Lan Jade?
“So, So this is the Gou Lan Jade…” Hua Qian Gu finally understod why after wearing this jade, ghost did not dare attack and helped to counter the fragrance on her body and her detrimental effects on plants. It was truly an Instruments of the Gods. It had so much power despite being sealed.
Hua Qian Gu was so happy she almost judged up. She could now restore the Nu Wa Stone.
“What should I do now? Break all the seals right? Then let’s start !” Hua Qian Gu picked up the Duo Hun Xiao and prepared to break the seal. Suddenly Suo Feng snatched it.
Shuo Feng looked at her in a half smile: “Why go through all that trouble? Just do this.” Shuo Feng chanted and the Duo Hun flute suddenly glowed and the seal broke.
Hua Qian Gu was shocked silly.
Yet she saw Shuo Feng walking to every Instrument, touching each of them and breaking the seals. The speed was unbelievable.
No, No, Something was wrong…..
Hua Qian Gu stared at Shuo Feng who was laughing maniacally while removing the seals. “Breaking the seal. What a simple matter.”
Hua Qian Gu suddenly realised that Shuo Feng’s hand was gradually becoming transparent. With each seal he broke, she could feel his presence getting weaker.
No, No, there was something wrong! What was wrong?!
“Stop! Shuo Feng! Stop now!” Hua Qian Gu ran up to him and hugged on to his arm. There were only three instruments to be unsealed. She had gone through all that trouble to break the seal. Yet it was like child’s play to him.
“Who are? Who exactly are you?” Hua Qian Gu grabbed his hand. Why was it becoming like this!!
Shuo Feng quietened down, sighed and looked at her. His forehead was starting to turn transparent, as though he would vanish in an instant/
“I am not anybody. I am nobody.” Shuo Feng stretched out his other hand and continued breaking the seals on the other two instruments. His body instantly became clear and almost invisible.
“No!” Hua QIan Gu held on tighty to his hand to stop him from breaking the seal as though he would turn into dust and disappear in the wind.
“At the beginning I did not know the meaning for my existence. Why I went to Chang Liu Mountain. Later I met you. Later you said you wanted to gather the instruments to cure Zun Shang’s poison. At that moment I realised that since a millennium ago, it had been set. My existence was to help you fulfil your wish.”
“What do you mean? I dont understand……” Hua Qian Gu tightly held on to both his hand, her body trembling slightly. She desperately told herself that nothing would go wrong. Shuo Feng was merely exhausted too much energy in breaking the seals. He would be fine after a rest.
“Qian Gu, do you remember releasing water lanterns during mid autumn festival? You asked me why I did not write anything down and I said I did not have friends or family. ”
“I rememeber… And you said you were Sun Wu Kong (The Monkey Sage from a chinese classic, Journey to the West. The Monkey Sage was born out of a rock.)
“Yes, i am Sun Wu Kong. Only Sun Wu Kong doe snot have family. Nobody gave birth to him and nobody fed him. He jumped out form a rock. So did I….”
Hua Qian Gu’s eye widened and she desperately shook her head. “I don’t believe! I don’t believe!”
“A lot of things do not need you to believe it. I only want you to know that the me in front of you is neither human nor immortal, neither demon nor monster. I am merely a stone. I am not even a complete stone. Just a small fragment of the Nu Wa stone…..”
Hua Qian Gu buried her head in the bosom and bit her lip hard. She grabbed on tightly to his arms.
“Ah! Even though I am a rock, I still can feel pain. You don’t need to pinch me so hard.” Shuo Feng finally revealed his secret. He felt a sense of relief and looked down at her smiling.
“I dont know when I began existing, or why I appeared. Perhaps the other fragments changed into different forms like me and exist in different ways in this world. But I know that when the stone gathers, is the day when we disappear.”
“No! No! I dont want you to talk nonsense! How can that be! Even if you die, I can use the Nu Wa stone to revive you!”
“Silly. I am the Nu Wa Stone. How can I save myself. Everytime I get injured, do you see me recovering faster than other people?”
“Alright, then let’s not undo the seals. Let’s go. We will go back to Chang Liu Mountain. I will seek punishment form my Shi Fu.
Shuo Feng felt his heart warm, his throat slightly sore making him unable to speak. Enough, enough. Having heard this from her, it was enough.
“Dont be sily. We went through all that trouble to get the instruments, how can be give up halfway! Unless you want to see ZUn Shang die?”
“I dont know, I dont know anything. I only know I can’t watch you die! We don’t want the Nu Wa Stone anymore! We don’t want the Instruments of the Gods anymore! Let’s go! Qing Shui and the rest are still waiting for us on change Liu Mountain! They are still waiting for us to drink with them!” She finally understood why Shuo Feng could sense the Instrument in the Jiu Xiao Pagoda and why Dong Fang said that he could find the Gou Lan Jade. So he knew long ago. Yet he lied to her. No! Lu Xiao and Wen Feng Yu have already died because of her. She cannot let anyone else die because she wanted the Nu Wa stone.
Shuo Feng hugged her tightly and said softly: “You don’t want to save someone because you are afraid of harming another. Yet I know if Zun Shang dies, you have nothing to live for. I am only a small stone, not much different from dust. Without me the world is still the same. Nobody will be sad or miss me. But Zun Shang is different. His safety concerns the three realms life and death.”
“No! I will be sad! Qing Shui will be sad! Your Shi Fu and Tang Bao will all be sad!”
Tang Bao lay on top of Hua Qian Gu’s head and nodded while wiping her tears vigourously.
Shuo Feng hugged her face: “The first time I was conscious, I was in the water. I drowsily slept for centuries or thousands of years. When I woke up I squatted on the edge of the ater and watched the water flow, the flower bloom and wither, the cloud billow and blow. That was another century. Later I was bored and stood on a tree and watched a family who lived on the summit of the mountain go about their lives each day, give birth, grow old, fall sick and die. That was another century.After that I gradually took the form and appearance of a human and learn to speak. I travelled to many placesnad maet all sorts of people. But I still did not find anything interesting about this world and did not know the meaning for my existence. Hence I wentt back to that river side and spent yet another hundred years there. Suddenly one day, Zun Shang happened to pass by. perhaps he sensed an Instrument of the Gods there and came down to check. Then he found me. He asked me why I was there. But, how would I know! Hence I asked him instead why I was there. Sun Shang looked at me and said that if you want to know why you are here, follow me. Maybe one day you will understand. Hence Zun Shang picked me up and brought me back to Chang Liu Mountain. Later I met you and the rest. Actually everywhere is the same for me. I followed him back perhaps so I could have more opportunities to get close to the other Instruments of the Gods and know whether other Instruments existed in this manner as well?”
“Don’t talke anymore. I know. I know everything….” Hua Qian Gu heart ached so much she could barely speak.
“But I was very happy that I could follow Zun Shang Back. I was very happy when I was with everybody. Especially when we released the water lanterns during Mid Autumn Festival, chase the Gun Gun Yu during Lin Jian Festival. After living so long Qian Gu, I still don’t understand the feelings between people. Why someone would willing die for someone else. However after seeing how you fear nothing for the sake of Zun Shang, I being to understand. When I said I wanted to find the Instruments with you, I already decided that even if I disappear, I would help you restore the Nu Wa Stone and cure Zun Shang to repay him.”
HUa QIan Gu felt a stab in her heart as she knew his heart was set. She lunged forward trying to snatch the last sealed, Xuan Yuan Sword. However, Shuo feng beat her to it.
“Shuo Feng, dont. I beg you. We can think of other ways…..” Hua Qian Gu’s voice was soft and gentle as though she was afraid she would accidentally scared him.
Shuo Feng gently stroked the sword in his hand: “Qian GU, everyone has something they are afraid of. You said you were scared of ghost and you Shi FU. I am most afraid of the thousand years of bone chilling loneliness. I somehow came into this world and you let me know what is friendship. even though I don’t have family, but it is enough for me to have you as my friend. Remembered to release a water lantern for me every mid autumn festival….”
Shuo Feng light tapped his finger and released the last seal.
“No!” Hua Qian Gu’s scream was so tragic it tore through the air. She tried to grab Shuo Feng’s hand but instead grabbed nothing.
“At least lt me see your face and let me remember your looks!” Hua Qian Gu reached out her hand to try to stop him fro leaving.
Shuo Feng’s body started glowing brilliantly. A small laugh accompanied by a sigh: “I am merely a broken fragment. I do not know who I am, so i have never decided what kind of face I should show to others. There is no need to see. I don’t have face…. However, I hope I can be like Zun Shang and always be beside you, protecting you silently.”
As he said this, Shuo Feng shined brilliantly and transformed into a star-like fragment that circled in the air. at the same time, countless glowing fragments gathered from all over. In that instant, the sky was filled with star like. She could no long tell which was Shuo Feng.
The countless priced gathered together to form a complete, glittering rainbow stone. The Nu Wa Stone was finally restored. The 16 Instruments of the Gods are finally gathered after a millennium.
“Can I see you face?”
“No!”
“Can I see you face?” "
“No!”
“Can I see you face?”
“I already said no!”
“Just let me see it” Just a peek. If you are ugly, I won’t scream. If you look funny, I won’t laugh. If you look handsome, I won’t drool. I won’t tell anyone either, ok?”
…….
The echo got softer and softer.That figure that was always silently protecting her was finally gone. The strong facade that she had been putting up for so long finally crumbled. She hugged the Nu Wa stone tightly and keeled over on the ground, in a tight heap. She began crying bitterly. However, how could sobs without tears wash away a person’s grief?