Late at night, Yunzhou City.
After Lin Zhao, accompanied by Nuo Zhi and Yu Wan Ning, paid respects to Xiao Mu Han of the Qing Luan Sect, the trio arrived at Yunzhou City under the cover of darkness.
The Heavenly Mechanism City had only recently returned to human hands, with Chen Xi still serving as the Lord of Yunzhou. However, the city was in ruins everywhere. Before the demon race retreated, they had plundered extensively, burning down several famous buildings in the Yunzhou cities. Many shops along the streets had been vandalized, and repairs would undoubtedly take a long time.
"Who goes there?"
On the north city wall, a guarding general drew his sword and questioned the three approaching figures below in a low voice.
Although most of Yunzhou's territory had been reclaimed by the human race, many straggler demon and beast races were still roaming the area. Therefore, the civilian and human resources from Jiuzhou had not yet been massively relocated north. The human presence in Yunzhou was predominantly military. Even lone martial artists generally avoided this perilous region.
Lin Zhao glanced up at the city, clasped his fists, and said gravely, "From the Mountain Peak Villa, Lin Zhao. I am returning to Yunzhou City to visit old acquaintances. I hope for your Lordship's permission to enter."
"Ah?"
The guarding general on the city wall was momentarily stunned. He quickly leaped down from the wall with a group of guards. Under the torchlight, the extraordinary demeanor of the three individuals revealed a sense of unease in his heart. Ten years ago, when Lin Zhao served as the human marshal, his portrait had already been circulated to prefectural offices everywhere, making him easily recognizable. Moreover, the two women accompanying him fit the descriptions of Nuo Zhi, the Left Hand Sword Immortal, and Yu Wan Ning, the Rebirth Realm cultivator.
Most importantly, both Lin Zhao and Yu Wan Ning emanated the aura of the Five Realms, which could not be faked.
"This subordinate greets Marshal Lin!"
The guarding general quickly clasped his fists and knelt on one knee. Behind him, the guards also knelt.
"You may rise."
Lin Zhao nodded. "There's no need to make a fuss. I wish to enter the city quietly."
"Yes!"
The guarding general raised his hand. "Guards, open the city gates!"
Lin Zhao nodded his thanks and then stepped into Yunzhou City with Nuo Zhi and Yu Wan Ning. He then gently waved his hand, signaling the guard not to follow with his men, and that they would simply tour at their leisure. The trio walked forward along the main avenue of Yunzhou City, just as they had in the past.
Alas, Yunzhou City had long since fallen into disrepair under the demons' rule for several years. The entire city was silent, devoid of any human voices, save for the occasional sound of hooves from the Yunzhou cavalry in the distance.
"Mountain Lord."
Yu Wan Ning pursed her red lips. "Are you intending to visit Yun Xiang Tower?"
"Mhm."
Lin Zhao nodded, his clear eyes looking in the direction of Yun Xiang Tower. He said, "Miss Shi's fire burned away the demons' arrogance and spirit, letting them know how firm the human race's resolve to protect the nation is. And I… owe Miss Shi far too much. If I don't see Yun Xiang Tower, my heart will never be at peace."
"Mhm."
Nuo Zhi said softly, "We will accompany you."
The three passed through narrow alleys, heading straight for Yun Xiang Tower. As they crossed the stone bridge, Lin Zhao couldn't help but feel a sense of disorientation. In his vision, it was as if he could still see the eleventh-realm Mohist swordsman standing by the bridge, and the sight of Yun Xiang Tower filled with red sleeves. Sadly, all of it was gone. Yun Xiang Tower had been razed to the ground, leaving only ruins and ashes.
"Hoo..."
Lin Zhao walked forward. The vermilion gate of Yun Xiang Tower had been burned away, leaving only the stone walls on either side. The courtyard was filled with ashes, which even numerous rains and snows could not completely wash away. As he stepped into the grand courtyard where he had once listened to music, he found only charred stone pillars. The wooden structures of the courtyard and the stage had long since been reduced to cinders.
In the dead of night, a cold wind blew.
Lin Zhao appeared lost. Looking up, his eyes brightened, as if he could again see the stage, and on it, the peerlessly beautiful woman who sometimes played the pipa and sang, and sometimes danced with flowing sleeves – Shi Han Yin, the most beautiful woman in the Great Shang. Ultimately, fate had been unkind, and she had turned to dust beneath the soil.
He frowned. The vibrant scenes before his eyes vanished, replaced by the burnt-out stage, and those black walls and pillars. The entire Yun Xiang Tower no longer existed.
That fire burned spirit stones, so the temperature was extremely high. Not to mention ordinary people, not even the mid-fifth-realm generals of the demon race could escape, all turning to ashes.
Suddenly, a woman's soft singing drifted to his ears, filled with sorrow and resentment.
It was Shi Han Yin's voice!
Lin Zhao frowned. He had long heard that Yun Xiang Tower was haunted, and the legend was that Shi Han Yin's lingering spirit remained restless. After the demon race retreated, some human cultivators had come here to explore. However, either Shi Han Yin's remnant soul was unwilling to appear, or even if they saw her remnant soul, they found the most beautiful woman of the Great Shang transformed into a ghostly apparition, her appearance no longer the same, and they left disappointed.
Lin Zhao sighed, bowed slowly towards the stage, and said softly, "Miss Shi, Lin Zhao has returned..."
His words caused the chilling singing in the night sky to abruptly cease.
"Mhm?"
Nuo Zhi's delicate eyebrows furrowed. She sensed a spiritual fluctuation in the air. The legend was true; Shi Han Yin did indeed have a remnant soul left at Yun Xiang Tower. Others might not appear, but now that Lin Zhao was here, she would naturally come out to meet him.
On the stage reduced to ashes, a figure slowly coalesced, eventually solidifying into a figure in a red dress. Her face was blurry; perhaps due to her weak soul, her features were no longer discernible. One could only faintly see the appearance of flesh and blood burned by flames, exposing white bones, which was quite terrifying.
"Young Master..."
Upon seeing Lin Zhao, she was on the verge of tears, but she quickly realized something was amiss and hurriedly covered her face with her sleeves, saying tearfully, "Han Yin is now hideous. I fear I will taint your eyes, Young Master."
"Miss Shi."
Lin Zhao's eyes reddened. "You dared to burn hundreds of demon beasts with a single fire, and yet you dare not look at me, Lin Zhao? In my eyes, even if Miss Shi truly became a skeleton adorned with rouge, she would still far surpass the heavily made-up women in the world."
"Young Master, I..."
Shi Han Yin still dared not show her face, kneeling on the ground and trembling. She said, "Young Master, Han Yin is now merely a remnant soul about to dissipate into heaven and earth, utterly defiled. I am no longer worthy to stand before you, Young Master. Please... please return."
"..."
Lin Zhao stood in place, his heart filled with a thousand emotions.
"My Lord."
Nuo Zhi transmitted her voice. "Shi Han Yin's remnant soul is extremely weak, just as she said, it will soon dissipate into heaven and earth. She is no longer the most beautiful woman of the Great Shang, her former glory long gone, so she feels incredibly lowly… When she wanted to follow you, you feared she would implicate the Mountain Peak Villa. Later, she still chose the path she believed was right, resulting in this outcome."
She frowned. "My Lord, if you turn and leave now, it will be as if you are abandoning Shi Han Yin for the second time. The first time, Nuo Zhi believed it was right, but this second time, it is absolutely wrong."
"I know."
Lin Zhao sighed and looked at Shi Han Yin. "Han Yin, this time Lin Zhao will not abandon you. I will find a way to preserve your remnant soul, and I will find a way to reconstruct your physical body, and I will also find a way to secure a path of great cultivation for you."
As he spoke, he looked at Nuo Zhi. In fact, although Lin Zhao was a sword cultivator of the Upper Five Realms, he knew very little about things on the mountain. His greatest skill was drawing his sword and fighting with the Eternal Sword Scripture; he had almost no other abilities.
Nuo Zhi smiled slightly. "I don't know much about the Way of the Soul Nature either, but there is someone in our Mountain Peak Villa who is deeply versed in this art. Young Master Gu Ling Yu, a thirteenth-realm Confucian scholar, has extensive knowledge and is proficient in all sorts of spells and techniques. If you pity Shi Han Yin, my Lord, you could bring her back to the Mountain Peak Villa and entrust her to Gu Ling Yu as a student. Shi Han Yin has a resolute and upright disposition, and Gu Ling Yu should gladly accept her as a disciple."
She paused and continued, "The Hefeng Academy has a pure and righteous atmosphere. As long as her remnant soul can be preserved, even working as a tea-serving maid at the Hefeng Academy in the future would be better than becoming a lost and lonely ghost here in Yunzhou City, to be bullied by fierce ghosts and malevolent spirits. What do you think, My Lord?"
Lin Zhao hesitated slightly, fearing that Gu Ling Yu might not agree.
Just then, a ray of auspicious light shot from the Northern Region and transformed into a pale golden white leaf. It was one of Gu Ling Yu's Great Dao manifestations. The next moment, Gu Ling Yu's voice echoed in Lin Zhao's ear. "Little Uncle-Master, I must first state that I really didn't intend to eavesdrop on Little Uncle-Master's situation. It's just that Miss Nuo Zhi mentioned my name, and as a thirteenth-realm cultivator, Ling Yu can perceive everything like a sage, so I overheard."
Lin Zhao couldn't help but chuckle. "I know, I know. Even if you were eavesdropping, I wouldn't blame you. It's not anything shameful. What is the origin of this white leaf?"
"It has no particular origin; it is merely a wisp of literary fortune."
Gu Ling Yu said, "Miss Shi Han Yin's remnant soul is truly too weak. Even a slight storm or gust of wind could be enough to obliterate her spiritual energy. Therefore, Little Uncle-Master can let her reside within this leaf; it will protect her and bring her to the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool. Once we reach the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, everything will be easier to handle. I have my own means to give her an opportunity for rebirth."
"Alright!"
Lin Zhao was overjoyed. He then raised his hand and picked up the leaf. "Han Yin, there's no need to hesitate. Come back to the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool with me. I have a way to give you a new life, and moreover, I have found a learned scholar for you. You can study with him from now on."
"Ah?"
Shi Han Yin murmured, "The scholar you found for me, Young Master… who is it?"
"Gu Ling Yu."
"Could it be…"
Shi Han Yin pursed her red lips. "The scholar from the storybooks who transformed into a white tree and guarded the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool during the Battle of White City?"
"Precisely!"
"Good…"
Shi Han Yin gently bowed. "Han Yin is willing to go with you, Young Master."
...
In the depths of the Northern Region Fault, within the Misty Robe World.
A new sect was established on a mountain range called Zhaoshan. The sect was named Zhaoshan.
The sect leader was an old man who carried a sword, named Huang Da Li. He stood on the mountaintop every day, gazing out at the human world.