Chapter 8

His body felt soft, as if floating in the clouds.

It seemed that his consciousness was also swaying, without any support.

Was he asleep now? Or was he about to die soon?

Perhaps life was just a dream, and one would only wake up after death, returning to the hometown where he was born and raised.

Wouldn't that be great? Let this nightmare end quickly. After struggling to survive in this chaotic world for so many years, I am already tired.

"Lu Yao! Where have you been wandering again! Why didn't you come back earlier!" This was his mother's voice.

I waved goodbye to my playmates and rushed into the house excitedly.

A mother is always loving to her children. After a few half-reproachful, half-complaining words, she would take out some snacks to fill the hungry child's stomach.

Father always came home very late. His character was too straightforward, so he was not very successful in his career. But at home, even his stern words seemed so kind.

Everything was so beautiful, but it was suddenly lost.

Enduring the heart-wrenching pain, he listened to the words of people he knew or didn't know. Alright, what you say is all correct... Indeed, it has always been a common principle that the fall of a country and the destruction of a family are inevitable. Father and Mother have only received what they deserved, and there is nothing to complain about.

Why is this child so dull? Perhaps he is too sad to speak? The visitors shook their heads, but Lu Yao paid no attention to them.

Until one day, he heard his fourth uncle's gentle voice saying: Come, let's go.

Later, he arrived in Luoyang.

The scale of Luoyang exceeded Lu Yao's imagination, and its prosperity and splendor were unparalleled. Neither Jianye nor Wuchang could compare. However, the nobles of Luoyang never gave a proper look to the refugees from Eastern Wu, even his fourth and fifth uncles—Lu Shiheng and Lu Shilong, who were famous far and wide, had to endure humiliation and repeated setbacks.

The political situation in the court was always complicated. Fourth Uncle remained free and confident, and Fifth Uncle remained gentle and refined, but the frowns on their faces seemed to increase.

Fortunately, there were still many uncles and brothers, and the young knights he met in Luoyang. Only during the times of hunting and playing with eagles and dogs could he feel a bit of freedom and indulgence.

Then came the chaotic times.

Soldiers of various appearances came and went, each time plundering, killing, and burning in Luoyang. The city gradually declined, and the graves outside the city increased day by day.

Prince Runan, Prince Chu, Prince Zhao, Prince Qi... one prince after another took power, then was driven away or executed.

At some point, Fourth Uncle became a general again, but he seemed reluctant. The ancients said that a family would surely fail if they had three generations of generals. From Lu Boyan, Lu Youjie, to his eldest uncle, it had already been three generations. Perhaps it was true, and soon the news came that the 200,000 troops led by Fourth Uncle were completely annihilated. He and Fifth Uncle were also slandered and executed.

It was said that Fourth Uncle sighed before his execution: "Can the cranes of Huating ever be heard again?" He was indeed a man of extraordinary grace, even at this moment.

The death of Fourth and Fifth Uncles was a heavy blow to the Lu family, and for Lu Yao, it was an unbearable loss.

In the following years, many things could no longer be remembered clearly.

Wandering, joining the army, and then constant battles.

Killing, constantly killing, just to survive.

So tired, so tired... When would this struggle end? A huge sense of fatigue seemed to flood Lu Yao.

He fell into a daze, thinking, not sure whether he was dreaming or awake.

Suddenly, a gate somewhere was opened, and countless bizarre and strange memories flooded his mind like a torrent, causing him excruciating pain. The intensity of the pain exceeded what Lu Yao could imagine, and far exceeded what the human body could endure. It was as if countless sharp blades were spinning in his brain, cutting, tearing, and blending his brain, bones, and flesh, and then reassembling the shattered contents.

Is this death? Is death not a peaceful sleep but eternal pain? Lu Yao thought vaguely. But even this simple thought was immediately torn apart and shredded, plunging him into the deepest chaos.

Under the unbearable pain, Lu Yao wanted to scream and struggle, but his limbs and every part of his body did not respond. He could not make any sound or move even a finger, and could only let the flood of pain engulf him.

He fainted again, his body gradually cooling, and his heartbeat slowing.

At some point, Lu Yao found himself in a special place. There was neither light nor shadow, and looking around, it seemed boundless. The view was filled with a strange, indescribable color, neither black nor white. He was alone.

Strangely, this environment did not cause fear. At least Lu Yao was sure he felt no tension.

"Is anyone there? Is anyone there?" Lu Yao called out loudly, but no one answered.

Lu Yao raised his voice a bit and called again: "Hello?" His voice echoed in the vast, deep space, sounding a bit dry.

He waited in silence for a moment, but still no one answered.

Lu Yao stopped and thought for a moment, realizing he did not know how to greet in Japanese. Well, it seemed unnecessary to use the dialects of Northern Jiangsu or Cantonese at this moment.

He pressed the joints of his left hand with his right hand, and the bones clicked, making a clear sound in the overly quiet environment.

Lu Yao moved around aimlessly, as there was no direction or goal. No matter how far he walked, the surroundings remained deep and boundless. Sometimes he sat down to rest, and the ground felt strange, as if only the spot under his feet was solid, and everything a bit further away turned into chaos.

He did not know how long it had been or how far he had walked.

Hazy and vague, there was a form; vague and hazy, there was a substance.

Deep and dark, there was essence; the essence was very true, and there was trust.

Lu Yao suddenly understood: "So it is."

"... After more than twenty years, you have finally woken up..." A voice rumbled from the depths of the endless space: "Yes, Lu Yao is you, and you are Lu Yao."

The officer Lu Yao who struggled and fought in the great chaos 1,700 years ago was the same as the discontented clerk Lu Yao 1,700 years later.

"Yes, I am awake." Lu Yao paused, feeling a bit regretful: "Unfortunately, I wasted more than twenty years..."

The voice laughed deeply: "Since you have already traveled back over a thousand years in the river of time, what is a mere twenty years?"

Indeed, what is a mere twenty years? Moreover, during these years, even though his memory had not awakened, he had done quite well. Lu Yao thought with self-mockery and then felt invigorated.

"Let's start. Quickly recover. A new life is about to begin!"

He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and began to guide the boundless power to descend. No one had taught him these actions, but Lu Yao seemed to naturally understand the secrets.

The power came from the deep and boundless, and Lu Yao knew it was called "Xuanming." The power of Xuanming gradually infused his severely injured body, producing incredible effects.

Wherever this power flowed, Lu Yao immediately felt his damaged organs recover their functions, and broken blood vessels reconnect. The vast power surged in his body like a tide, expanding the meridians throughout his body. The life force within his body responded to the boundless Xuanming, reaching its maximum potential. Lu Yao almost felt the process of countless cells dividing and multiplying. At the core of the cells, the genetic chains replicated, deconstructed, recombined, and changed, with profound mysteries far beyond his knowledge.

The power soon faded. Compared to the infinite power of the speaker in the void, the part Lu Yao could extract and use was so minuscule it could not be described as a grain of sand in the ocean. This power was enough to rejuvenate his body, which was on the brink of death, but for Lu Yao, it was sufficient.

"I should set out!" Lu Yao said as he stood up.

"Go! What will you do? I am looking forward to it..." The voice laughed and gradually faded away.

Lu Yao felt himself floating, and his consciousness became blurred.

******

Some people have repeatedly criticized the term "Xuanming" in this chapter, thinking it is a reference to "Yitian Feng." I can no longer tolerate this. Here is a serious explanation: The term "Xuanming" comes from Zhuangzi. In the Western Jin Dynasty, Guo Xiang wrote "Zhuangzi Zhu," proposing "Therefore, in the realm of all things, even the shadow of a shadow, none fail to transform in the realm of Xuanming." That is, Xuanming is a non-material spiritual concept, but all things transform and grow within it. Using it here is to closely align with the historical background of the Western Jin Dynasty.

Jin Yong was very knowledgeable, but to treat the concepts he cited as his original creations is very frustrating. I kindly ask all readers to understand. Thank you.

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