Chapter Sixty-Five: Nanmen Luo, Unchanged and Unmasked

Jiang Yan walked out of the artifact refining chamber, intending to return to the main hall of the sect. Yet when he thought about who should be appointed as the chief officer of the refining chamber, he found himself at an impasse. The person in charge ought ideally to cultivate a fire-based technique, but among the few at Mount Hua, there were those who practiced wood, metal, earth, and water techniques—none cultivated one of fire.

As he walked, Jiang Yan suddenly heard the sound of Nanmen Luo practicing his technique. Turning around, he saw that beside the cliff on the mountain path, Nanmen Luo was leaping and twirling, practicing with the Golden Flame Sword Jiang Yan had just bestowed upon him.

The Golden Flame Sword possessed both gold and fire attributes, and Nanmen Luo cultivated the Golden Flame Technique, a metal-based method, perfectly suited to wield this sword. The sword transformed into a stream of golden fire, swirling in the air as Nanmen Luo rose and fell. Occasionally, when it grazed the stone beneath his feet, it cut cleanly through, leaving a thin blade-mark on the stone.

With shouts and cries, Nanmen Luo’s agile form spun and danced, surrounded by a circle of fiery golden-red sword shadows—a dazzling ring of flame, strikingly beautiful.

Suddenly, Nanmen Luo’s acrobatics ceased. He raised his right hand, two fingers forming a sword, held upright before his eyes. The Golden Flame Sword hovered above him, blazing with fierce flames. Paired with Nanmen Luo’s ungainly face, the scene radiated an aura of grim determination.

“Go,” Nanmen Luo whispered, thrusting his finger-sword forward.

With a hum, the Golden Flame Sword’s fire surged. From its sharp blade, wisps of fire shot forth, accompanied by the rush of wind, separating from the sword and transforming into a rain of fire that struck the cliff face ahead.

Countless droplets of fire hit the cliff, piercing it with holes large and small. The fire’s nature left the edges of these holes smoldering, wisps of smoke rising as the stone burned.

As time passed, the rain of fire dwindled and eventually ceased altogether, leaving only the Golden Flame Sword hovering in midair.

With a thud, Nanmen Luo dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.

The fire on the Golden Flame Sword faded away, and it fell to the ground, its tip plunging into the stone, the blade buried entirely save for the hilt, which protruded from the earth.

Nanmen Luo knelt, his chest heaving violently.

“Junior brother, if there is anything weighing on your heart, you may confide in your senior brother,” Jiang Yan said, approaching Nanmen Luo from behind and speaking gently.

Nanmen Luo turned in surprise. Seeing the upright, imposing figure of his sect leader, he hurriedly rose, his tone tinged with alarm. “Greetings, sect leader senior brother.”

Jiang Yan waved a hand, indicating Nanmen Luo need not stand on ceremony, then asked, “Junior brother, some days ago I gave you the Bone-Changing Pill. You’ve already taken it, but why haven’t you used it to alter your appearance? Was this not always your wish?”

Since returning from Qingyang Town, Jiang Yan had wanted to ask Nanmen Luo about this, but sect affairs had kept him from doing so. Now was the perfect opportunity.

Upon hearing this, Nanmen Luo’s face took on a trace of sorrow. He sat down heavily, his voice tinged with sadness. “Sect leader senior brother, do you remember how old I was when I first came to the mountain?”

Jiang Yan was taken aback. He honestly did not remember—perhaps the original Jiang Yan would have, but he himself did not. He was about to change the subject when Nanmen Luo continued, speaking to himself.

“I was eight when I came up the mountain. Before that, I lived with my mother and elder sister. We depended on each other for survival. Later, our family fell into hardship and could barely survive. My sister intended to sell herself so that my mother and I could go on living. But on the way to the marketplace, we encountered evil men. At that moment of peril, our master intervened and saved us. I admired his martial skill and begged him to buy me, so my sister would not have to sell herself.”

At this point, Nanmen Luo’s eyes had reddened. After a pause, he continued, “Master was moved by compassion. He gave my mother a dozen taels of silver, saying he was buying me, and promised that when I completed my training and descended the mountain, we would be reunited. I worried that if I changed my appearance, my mother and sister would not recognize me. That is why I have not altered my face.”

Jiang Yan asked curiously, “Junior brother, in all these years, have you never returned home?” He was puzzled—given their master’s temperament, he should not have forbidden Nanmen Luo to visit his family. With a son cultivating immortality, Nanmen Luo’s family ought to be living well.

Nanmen Luo’s awkward expression deepened, his dark face flushing red. He replied shyly, “Sect leader senior brother, I—I am hopeless with directions.”

Jiang Yan suddenly understood: Nanmen Luo was hopeless with directions and could not remember the way home. Master Ding Yuan had been busy with sect affairs and had no time to escort him. Now, with Ding Yuan gone, the only clue Nanmen Luo had to find his family was his distinctive face. Naturally, he would not change his appearance.

“No matter, junior brother. As long as your mother and sister are still alive, just tell me their names, and I can help you find them. You need not worry.”

Jiang Yan felt confident about finding people. He had the sect leader’s system—once accessed, no disguise or name change could hide from him. Finding a woman was a trifling matter.

Nanmen Luo’s expression grew even more troubled. Tears welled in his tiger-like eyes, and he spoke with embarrassment, “To be honest, sect leader senior brother, I am useless—I can’t remember my mother’s or my sister’s name.”

Jiang Yan could only pat his own head, looking out toward the distance in frustration. Not only was Nanmen Luo hopeless with directions, he had forgotten even his mother’s and sister’s names. This would make finding them even harder, but Jiang Yan was not about to be discouraged.

“That’s not a problem, junior brother. Once the sect grows strong, I will certainly have a way to help you find your kin. For now, focus on your cultivation and reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible. Leave the matter of finding your family to me.”

Jiang Yan pounded his chest in assurance, his tone full of certainty and confidence.

Nanmen Luo’s ugly face broke into a smile—having his senior brother’s promise set his mind at ease. Since their master’s passing, Jiang Yan had become more mysterious, the sect stronger, new techniques and pills appearing one after another, and spiritual artifacts that Nanmen Luo had never seen before were now common. He had even taken the Bone-Changing Pill, which could alter his innate talent. All this made Nanmen Luo respect Jiang Yan ever more deeply.

Though Senior Sister Wan had said the sect leader had help from an extraordinary figure and told Nanmen Luo and Junior Brother Mu to rest assured, Nanmen Luo himself didn’t care whether Jiang Yan had received aid. He only wished to work hard under Jiang Yan’s guidance and someday shoulder some of the sect’s burdens.

Having untangled Nanmen Luo’s heart, Jiang Yan straightened, flipped his wrist, and produced a black token. He handed it to Nanmen Luo, then asked with clear intent, “Junior brother, are you interested in artifact refining?”

PS: This week, Three Rivers. If you like this book, feel free to cast a vote. Of course, I don’t expect to make an appearance on the Three Rivers channel—so long as it isn’t too hard to read, that’s enough. It’s Monday; if you have recommendation votes, please cast them. The better the results, the more motivation Hong Yan has to write~~