Zhang Mo tightened his grip on the elixir in his arms. Its texture was cold and solid, which was the only proof that he was not sleepwalking in this adventure. Ever since he learned that he had passed the Liuyun Mountain assessment in a daze, his state of mind was like being in a misty fantasy. Everything seemed too unreal, as if he would wake up the next moment.
Along the winding mountain path, he followed the footsteps of the thin monkey. The two figures were staggered, like two stumbling animals. The surrounding wind gradually picked up, which was in sharp contrast to the tranquility and harmony of Liuyun Peak behind him. They walked cautiously down the mountain, exchanging uncertainty and excitement from time to time.
The two returned to Qinglian Academy, which was a small academy located in a lush valley. It was shrouded in a light layer of mist, giving people a hazy and mysterious feeling. The green mountains surround the college, like a natural barrier, isolating it from the troubled world. In the morning light, the dewdrops in the valley shone with crystal light, like stars falling from the mortal world.
In the academy, quaint buildings are scattered in the mountains, and paths paved with bluestones wind up. All kinds of flowers and plants can be seen along the way. They exude a light fragrance and make people feel relaxed and happy. The wooden doors and windows of the teaching building glow with a faint golden light in the sunlight, and time has carved heavy traces on their textures.
For Zhang Mo and Shouhou, this is not only a place where they learn the way of cultivation, but also the sustenance of their youth and the memory and warmth of home in their hearts.
No matter how long the road ahead is, the tranquility and innocence belonging to Qinglian Academy will always be engraved in their hearts and become their eternal concern.
Zhang Mo and Shouhou walked through the pavilions and pavilions of Qinglian Academy. As they walked, all the familiar scenery became more and more precious.
Their steps couldn't help but slow down, and even the closing procedures were completed slowly, as if they were saying goodbye silently. These years in Cultivation Academy seem to flash before their eyes, and every scene is a witness to their growth.
When they arrived at the Internal Affairs Hall, the two of them seemed a little solemn.
The Internal Affairs Hall is a loft with a simple style. The wooden lintel is engraved with complex patterns, and the years have left mottled traces on it. As soon as you enter the door, you can smell the scent of ink and paper, mixed with the tranquility of sandalwood, which makes people feel peaceful immediately.
Hall Master Duan is an old man over fifty years old with a kind face. The corners of his eyes were covered with wrinkles, but his eyes still shone with a sharp light. Seeing the two of them, Hall Master Duan couldn't help but show a surprised expression.
"Auxiliary door?" Hall Master Duan raised his eyebrows slightly. His surprised expression was like a key, opening a dusty door.
"Dad Duan, have you heard about the auxiliary sect?" Shouhou called him affectionately. They were somewhat son-like towards this usually amiable old man.
Hall Master Duan sighed deeply, and his voice seemed to have some echoes of ancient times: "Assistant door, that is a hard job." He shook his head, the expression on his face seemed to be recalling those past events, and his voice He also became much lower-pitched, "I heard that many of the disciples there would rather join the mortal world of blacksmithing and ink grinding than learn skills from that sect."
Zhang Mo felt his heart tighten, and inexplicable worries surged into his heart: "Dad Duan, what kind of bad idea is that?"
"I don't know the specific bad methods. I have heard people say this, but it is probably an exaggeration. If you go to Liuyun Mountain, no matter how bad it is, it is still better than working as a civilian." Hall Master Duan said The words were ethereal, as if they were gently brushing from the depths of memory.
After saying that, he took out an old copper box from a yellowed cabinet. There was a sealing talisman affixed to the box. After many years, the talisman had changed color.
"This box is the only thing left for you in your home."
"Dad, tell me, my family used to be very powerful and from a famous family." Zhang Mo played with this ancient box.
Zhang Mo's eyes were full of longing for the unknown, and his fingers gently slid over the discolored talisman. It was like a dusty window, with an unknown story hidden behind it. "Dad, what do you mean, this sealing talisman protects my family secrets?" His voice trembled slightly, and complex emotions surged in his heart.
Hall Master Duan nodded, a trace of respect flashed in his eyes, "That's right. Such a sealing talisman cannot be made by ordinary sects. I'm afraid your family is not simple."
Zhang Mo's heartbeat accelerated, and the weight of the copper box in his hand seemed to become heavier. He asked with a nervous and expectant heart: "Then when can I reveal its secret?"
The old man pondered for a moment, as if recalling the blurred past, "This kind of talisman has a time limit, and it will naturally open when the time comes. At that time, just a drop of your blood will be able to reveal its secrets."
Zhang Mo clenched the copper box tightly, his eyes burning with hot light. In that internal affairs hall full of historical deposits, the two of them not only passed on an object, but also passed on the memory of an era. In this memory, the possibilities of the future are like a winding road, waiting for Zhang Mo to explore step by step.
Zhang Mo laughed and said: "Dad, do you think there is money in it?"
His words were somewhat relaxed, trying to cover up the beating in his heart.
Hall Master Duan's laughter was like the guqin in the breeze, revealing a hint of sadness: "I'm overthinking it, maybe it's a token, or a relic of your parents. The person who sent you here was an old servant, and it seemed that he was a gift. When I was injured, I just told you your name and birthday, and then died without saying a few words. There are many such things these days."
Zhang Mo's eyes flashed slightly, and the trace of relaxation in his heart disappeared. His voice lowered a bit, with a hint of contemplation, "Who is the old servant...? Who are my parents?"
Hall Master Duan sighed. The bookshelf behind him was covered with the dust of time, just like the scattered fragments in his memory. "The old servant's appearance before his death is still lingering in front of my eyes..." Hall Master Duan paused, seeming to recall the scene at that moment.
Zhang Mo held the copper box tightly, and the sealing talisman on it looked more and more mysterious. There were ripples in his heart, like stones thrown into a pool of still water. "I really want to see it soon..." His voice was filled with expectation and uncertainty.
The two stood in the inner affairs hall, surrounded by silence, with only their conversation echoing among the ancient walls. Hall Master Duan's face looked darker in the shadows, while Zhang Mo's eyes flashed with endless reverie about the future.
The copper box and the talisman are not only the transfer of objects, but also the intertwining of fate. They lie quietly in Zhang Mo's palm, waiting for the day they will be opened.
During the war years, many people could not afford to raise children, or their families were ruined, so they quietly threw them at the door of some government offices. They usually put something on them, which might be some token to prove their identity, but it was basically worthless.
What was placed next to the orphans was just a few ordinary little things, so that these children could have a clue of their life experience in the vast sea of people.
As the morning light began to shine the next day, Zhang Mo held the copper box close to his chest, as if it was all his roots and refuge. After packing up my things, I actually didn’t have much, just a few rags, bedding and the like.
