Chapter Fifty-Four: The Four Gates

"Others may not succeed, but I certainly will. What do you think, Bamboo Maiden?" The serene, detached voice floated down from the hillside.

Xiao Zhu was startled, her delicate head turning to gaze upward. All she saw atop the slope was the cold wind stirring the hem of a lone figure's robes, seated in a wheelchair, a crimson mark at his brow shining brilliantly.

"Ye Liuyun!" Xiao Zhu hissed through her teeth.

Ye Liuyun gazed deeply at Xiao Zhu, this wife who had not yet entered his home. The handles of his wheelchair launched two claw-like mechanisms, embedding themselves in the earth before Xiao Zhu.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Liuyun was before her, the iron claws retracting.

Xiao Zhu was taller than most women; Ye Liuyun had to lift his gaze slightly to look at her.

He sighed, "No matter how reckless you were in the past, I never grew angry. But why must you take the Ice Jade as well? Do you truly wish for me to fail the 'Path of Self-Inquiry' at Qingxuan?"

"You claim yourself born with the bones of the Dao, yet such a trivial path could trouble you?" Xiao Zhu looked down at Ye Liuyun, a faint smile on her lips, though her eyes lingered on his legs.

Staring at a cripple’s legs was the utmost insult.

Yet Ye Liuyun did not erupt in fury. He merely said, "Preparation wards off calamity. Besides, I have never walked this path myself. How can I know if it will prove difficult? Should I falter at the final step, the Ice Jade might help me cross."

"Can you even walk anymore?" A trace of mockery flickered across Xiao Zhu’s exquisite face.

"Stop sulking. Give me the item," Ye Liuyun lowered his head slightly. No one in the world could make him bow, save for Xiao Zhu.

"I’ll give it to you—if you promise to break our engagement."

"You know that's impossible."

"Why?"

"Because you are Xiao Zhu, and I am Ye Liuyun. Our union is destiny," Ye Liuyun lifted his head, his gaze deep as a secluded spring, holding countless secrets tinged with melancholy.

Nine out of ten women would be powerless against such eyes, but Xiao Zhu’s heart was as hard as iron.

She said, "Ye Liuyun, do you think every woman in the world should love and pity you? Let me tell you—I simply do not like you. I have someone I love."

"Tell me who, and I’ll kill him." Ye Liuyun replied leisurely, unmoved by her words.

"His name is Shen Lian," Xiao Zhu replied with a soft smile.

"So it’s him. I suppose that’s reasonable. But how did you meet?" Ye Liuyun asked.

Xiao Zhu pointed toward the direction of Su Family Fortress, speaking slowly, "He’s right there. Do you dare go?"

The land here was flat and open; Su Family Fortress could be seen in the distance.

Kuhui pressed his palms together and said, "Ye Benefactor, do not heed Miss Xiao’s nonsense. Today is her first time meeting Shen Lian; there is an extraordinary man there, skilled in Daoist arts."

Kuhui understood Ye Liuyun’s pride well—counseling him not to go would only backfire. Better to remind him and let him decide for himself.

Ye Liuyun glanced at Kuhui and smiled lightly. "I was so caught up in matters of the heart that I forgot to greet Master Kuhui. Forgive me."

"You and I are friends beyond the world, heart matters more than form," Kuhui stood alone, his tattered monk’s robe fluttering. He wondered how Shen Lian was faring inside, and whether he truly received guidance from that extraordinary man.

In both martial and Daoist pursuits, only through effort does one grasp the importance of lineage and fate.

"So you’re scared off by a rumor of prowess?" Xiao Zhu pressed.

Ye Liuyun gazed toward Su Family Fortress and murmured, "I remember, it used to be flat ground, nothing there."

Xiao Zhu giggled, "You truly don’t dare go."

"If something strange lies there, why should I?"

As he spoke, Ye Liuyun’s fingers moved like lightning, striking Xiao Zhu’s vital points.

His martial skill was even deeper than when Shen Lian last saw him. Xiao Zhu felt a stabbing pain in her head, a slight dizziness, and was subdued.

Ye Liuyun gently cradled the fainted Xiao Zhu, smiling at Kuhui, "Master, would you care to honor my Sword Manor with a visit? Shen Lian and I have an agreement—if he survives, he will surely come. All will become clear then."

Kuhui nodded slightly. Both men had great potential for immortality; he would not miss the chance to witness their meeting.

******

The moon was mellow, the pavilion lonely.

Now only Shen Lian remained in the pavilion; the second trial was, unexpectedly, to walk out alone.

Shen Lian felt his own pulse as time slipped by.

He did not act rashly, nor did he cultivate his energy.

It dawned on him—no wonder they had been told to eat and drink their fill beforehand, for the second trial was a test of endurance.

He did nothing, simply waited.

He waited for the moon to set and the sun to rise.

At least nine hours had passed since the master of this domain vanished.

The food he had consumed was gradually digested.

The moon was indeed moving, but there was still a long way before it disappeared, and no hope yet for sunrise.

The entire pavilion and the garden beyond were real—the fragrance of flowers and the sound of flowing water were not illusions.

But one thing was odd: there was no sound of insects.

Not a single insect, not even an ant, appeared.

Shen Lian’s soul could sense the subtlest things, but no living creature could be detected.

Save for the occasional stirring of wind, there was no other sound.

Even nine hours in such an environment—let alone half an hour—would make one uncomfortable.

Shen Lian tried to enter meditation, but no matter what he did, he could not reach that state; his mind remained exceptionally clear.

A wordless loneliness flooded his heart. In this state, he felt himself no different from the plants and stones around him.

Only in such absolute solitude, with nothing to do, does one encounter the most terrifying enemy—loneliness.

Shen Lian had always believed he was unafraid of solitude, able to converse cheerfully or walk alone.

But now, he realized that having someone to speak with—even a cat or an insect—would be welcome.

He needed a response.

But all that answered him was the cold moonlight and the whisper of wind.

Besides the moon’s subtle shift in the sky, the courtyard changed little.

The wind blew from each of the four directions in turn, its force nearly identical each time.

In truth, the scenery on all sides of the courtyard was precisely the same; only as the moon moved did the shadows alter the landscape.

At last, Shen Lian stood, walking in one direction. He passed through the flowerbeds and saw the dense mist.

He stepped forward without hesitation. The water flowed gently, like a magnificent melody.

Beneath his feet lay a stone path; each step was firm and steady.

Ahead, the mist parted to reveal four doors.