Chapter 34: Appear, Lang Chen!

  "It's not entirely hopeless to thoroughly defeat Sīyīmó, that ghost once said we need to go to five places to find the five crystal stones, which are ancient divine stones. Then merge them into one body, and that kind of power is enough to contend with Sīyīmó." Yín Yuè said.

  "Have you guys seen that crystal before? I mean, at least let me know what it looks like so I can find it." I said to Yin Yue.

  "Have you seen the ring on Yin Yue's hand? It's exactly like this one, and this small one is a part of the crystal that fell off from it. It's a symbol of the highest status in the underworld." Ni Tian pulled up Yin Yue's hand and stretched it out in front of me. The crystal was teardrop-shaped and sea-blue in color, especially with the unique aura it emitted.

  "How come it wasn't taken by Sui Mo?" I asked Yin Yue, such a huge energy Sui Mo she couldn't possibly not want to get.

  "It can only be taken down by me willingly, this ring is passed down to each generation's King of Ghosts, and the secret about the crystal stone is also known only to each generation's King of Ghosts. Father only told my brother and me."

  "Where are we going next?" I asked them.

  "Corner of darkness." The speaker was Ni Tian, and at the same time he gave me a very meaningful look. I looked at him in confusion, but he turned his head away.

  "Xi Meng, you should know that the scope of each one is very large, and I'm not sure if I can find them. Even if I do find them, it's probably going to be difficult to take them away," Yin Yue said.

  "I know. But before I go, can I say goodbye to Grandpa Landa and the instructors?"

  "It's all arranged, your mentor is waiting outside the college now, we'll go to Langda Mingzun together first and then set off," Yin Yue said. It seems that many people know about this matter, but I was kept in the dark all along.

  After discussing, Yin Yue and the others headed to another part of the room. It was strange that Bai Hun didn't open his eyes but could still move freely. I didn't think much about it, who doesn't have secrets? Yin Yue pressed a few places on the wall, and a narrow door appeared. I followed them inside, where nothing could be seen at first, but when there was light, I found that we had already left the academy.

  "I'm over here." The voice of Nian sister came from the woods not far away from us. A figure in a black cloak appeared before us, and nothing could be seen.

  "I'm not comfortable being outside for too long, let's hurry." Nian sister said. There were many people waiting for us along the way, although Xiuyi was in a period of cultivation, but her eyes were too many, and now we didn't have the protection of the college, there was always a risk of being eaten at any time, although the probability was not high, it's still good to be careful. According to what Yin Yue said before, Xiuyi had no intention of keeping the agreement between humans and prisoners, she wanted to occupy the human world, and I, as a mere human, wouldn't even be in her eyes.

  "Come on in, it's safer here." He said as he took off the black cloak. Although it was his second time coming to Grandpa Landa's place, he felt a sense of familiarity, like being not far from home.

  "Have you arrived? Haven't found any suspicious shadows?" Grandpa Landa asked as soon as he came out of the house.

  "No, I've been paying attention all along," said Nian's sister.

  "Alright then, come on in."

  Having entered the house, it was discovered that the three elders of the college were also present. It seems they already knew the inside story and stood on Silver Moon's father's side.

  "Alright, let's get straight to the point and have you set off as soon as possible. This is your first time leaving all the shelters to go on an adventure. However, children, we will always stand by your side. The future of both the Underworld and the Human World depends on you, you are all our hope, this adventure will bring you many things, but it's up to you to experience them for yourselves."

  "Silver Moon, you'd better take good care of that ring on your hand. Any race from the underworld will show respect to it, and even if you encounter someone stronger than you, they'll still be somewhat intimidated by it. After all, your aunt hasn't made a move against you yet, and as long as the ring isn't in her hands, we won't acknowledge her as the Ghost King. However, you should still be careful; if you can't succeed before your aunt is released from her seal, I'm afraid both of you will be in danger."

  "Xi Meng, this is the reward for this competition, now I give it to you." The Great Elder looked at me and said.

  "No need, Great Elder, I am no longer a disciple of the Dou Huang Silver Palace."

  "Shut up and take it." The eldest elder sitting on the edge glared at me with a fierce expression. Instantly, I didn't dare to speak again.

  The old man smiled and shook his head, took out a ring for me, very ordinary, a ring with a purple gemstone inlaid on it.

  "Hurry up and put it on, this is a treasure." Grandpa Randa said with a smile. I looked at him in confusion.

  "It can detoxify, and no poison in the three realms will have any effect on you." Grandpa Landa said with a smile.

  "Thank you, elder." I heard and quickly thanked him.

  "Child, you don't have to thank me, this time the prize was prepared by Old Third." I looked at Eldest Senior Brother Three, he didn't seem to know what he was thinking about, slightly lowering his head without looking over here.

  I still said, "Thank you, Third Elder. I will definitely succeed!" For some reason, this ill-tempered Third Elder left a very deep impression on me. Later, when I thought back to all the times I had seen him before, he wasn't actually that scary.

  "Alright, kids, we'll be watching over you, go ahead and depart." The second elder said. As everyone was heading towards the entrance, I suddenly remembered something.

  "Wait a minute, Grandpa Landa, have you forgotten what we agreed on before, Nian sister and I?" I'm referring to the re-emergence of Lang Chen.

  Lao Landa's face suddenly froze, he asked me: "Is there still hope? How confident are you?"

  "I said it's no good, as long as your son hasn't been born yet, there is still hope."

  "It's been so long since it happened, I hope he has already reincarnated, hell is no good place."

  "Let Rong Da Ming try, maybe he still has something to say that can't be said," Nian sister said, I know she still remembers the promise of that year, she wants an answer.

  "Alright, let's give it a try. It doesn't matter if we fail, Xi Meng." Grandpa Langda patted me gently on the shoulder.

  I nodded heavily. I can do it, as long as he hasn't been reincarnated yet. Just like that female ghost last time, I'm sure I can.

  "Xi Meng is here, sincerely asking the god of hell to summon Lang Da's son Lang Chen, come back home once, sing for him at night, dance for him in the moonlight, and cover his sorrowful soul with light. Please let dawn guide Lang Chen's arrival." The gate of hell opens! It has been a long time since I used this spell, it is very quiet around me, and I am a bit nervous.

  As time passed in waiting, after a long while, Grandpa Langda smiled and said: "It's good this way, he should have been reincarnated long ago. Alright, don't waste any more time."

  "Father, I'm back." I turned around abruptly, and what entered my eyes was a refined and handsome appearance. His phantom-like figure stunned Grandpa Landa, who had just turned around.

  "Why, why haven't you been reincarnated yet?" I didn't expect Grandpa Landa to say this as soon as he opened his mouth, but it wasn't hard to hear the sadness in his voice.

  "Sorry, Father. Every time I'm about to reincarnate, I involuntarily stop for a while, it's been too long, and I seem to have forgotten something that I should remember." Lang Chen furrowed his brow.

  "Child, do you still remember what happened to you?"

  Liang Chen shook his head and said, "I don't remember clearly. I only remember that I was injured on the battlefield, with a wound on my head. My body felt like it had been crushed to pieces. I kept telling myself not to die, but when I woke up in hell, I forgot why I wanted to live. I've been thinking about it all along."

  Just as everyone was about to fall silent, Nian sister, who had been quietly standing by, spoke up and said: "You still owe me an answer."

  Just as Lang Chen turned his head towards Nian, Nian took off the black cloak on her head. At this moment, her eyes were so clear that I easily saw the sadness inside.

  "Who are you?" Lang Chen said something that shocked me. Nian Yi stared at him motionlessly, as if using all his life to look at him. The atmosphere became heavy, and everything fell silent again. I regretted it, maybe I shouldn't have let Lang Chen reappear.

  "I remember, you're Bi'er, right? One of my former students, a Dreamweaver from the Mortal Realm." Lang Chen said with a smile, his tone was very casual, as if he was talking about something very ordinary. Looking at Nian's expression, Lang Chen still remembered her, but his tone made it clear that she wasn't the one he cared about most.

  Liang Chen continued, "It's been so long and you're still bothered by that matter. Actually, your talent was quite good back then, I didn't want anything to disturb you, so I made up an excuse. I've always considered you my most valued student, I hope you can understand."

  She clenched her fists tightly, bowing her head and trembling all over. She whispered softly: "It turns out that it was just my own imagination all along. For so long, it was just a dream."

  The first time I saw her so desperate, I rushed to her side and hugged her, saying "I'm sorry" nonstop. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't be so desperate.

  "You're right, Ximeng. This place can't compare to the mortal realm; for us Dreamwalkers, it's just a dream. I've slept too long, it's time to wake up." Nian struggled free from me.

  She looked at me with a somewhat hollow gaze and said, "I abandoned everything for a dream - family, responsibility, hope. But it's not too late yet. Sorry, Xi Meng. I promised to be your sister and protect you, but it seems that won't work out. I've lost my foothold in life here, and I'm sorry for Grandfather's trust in me. I want to go back while he's still alive; once he passes away and his soul disperses, I'll never be able to return again."

  I didn't expect that today I should have summoned Lang Chen, but instead drove away Nian sister. However, this may be the best destination for Nian sister, here she is destined to be lonely for a thousand years, living for a ghost that no longer exists, it's better to leave and return to her family's side.

  A pair of hands behind me gave me a powerful assist, and when I turned around, I saw Yin Yue and his firm gaze. I maintained a subtle distance from him without any expression, but seeing Nian Jie today, I also understood that people are ultimately human after all. At this moment, I also overlooked another pair of eyes that were even more persistent.

  It wasn't until my sister disappeared silently that I slowly came to. But then, Grandpa Randa's words confused me again. He said, looking at Lang Chen, "Child, why did you lie to her? Didn't you tell me before that you wanted to be with Nian?"

  Liang Chen remained silent for a long time, his expression no longer as relaxed as before. He looked very tired. "Can't you bear to see her grow old and die here relying on the memories of our past? After all, the mortal realm is her home."

  If I was holding back my sadness earlier, now I really can't bear it anymore. I looked at Lang Chen and loudly questioned him, "Can you tell Nian sister? Didn't you see the desperate look in her eyes when she left? Do you think you're great, leaving your own sister behind for hundreds of years?"

  "Tell her it doesn't matter, I'm still going to leave her. I really had forgotten the reason why I need to live on, but when I appeared here, just feeling her breath made me remember, and I couldn't be reincarnated because of that. What I owe her isn't an answer, but a promise. Sigh... it doesn't matter what I say now anyway. But thank you so much, little girl, this way I can finally be reincarnated."

  "Sorry about what I said earlier." I felt guilty, it was my own selfish thoughts, and I didn't consider his feelings at all. But at least it proved that Nian sister didn't misjudge this guy.

  "Lang Chen, you scoundrel!" Just then, a voice came from the doorway.

  "You, how did you come back again?" Lang Chen looked at Nian sister in surprise.

  "At first, I was really deceived by you. You said you forgot some things, but how did you remember my name? It's been hundreds of years, even I myself have forgotten. If you just treated me as your student, how would you remember?" Yeah, when I asked about Nian sister's name before, she said she had long forgotten it.

  "Don't be obsessed anymore, I've been dead for a long time, do you understand? Hurry back and return to your world!" Lang Chen said excitedly.

  "It's impossible. Now that I know the truth, I won't be apart from you again. Let's go to hell together, let's reincarnate together. In our next life, we'll definitely find each other, okay?"

  "Is it worth it?"

  "Because it's you, it's worth it."

  Sister Nian smiled, smiling so beautifully. She knew that Lang Chen had surrendered. "Xi Meng, sister is very selfish, don't learn from me. Your talent is high, the safety of the human world still has to be handed over to you. No matter where I am, I will always protect you."

  "I know, sister. I wish you two can be together in your next life." I smiled as I looked at them.

  "Father, we're leaving. I'll bless you from another world." Lang Chen and Nian sister bowed to Lang Da grandfather. Lang Da grandfather smiled and nodded, watching them disappear.

  "Alright, it's time for you to set off. I'll be waiting for your return, kids." The Great Elder said with a smile. Ni Tian instantly transformed into a dragon, indicating for us to get on. And so, our true adventure began. Come on, Dark Corner.