blogombal Chapter 34 Divergence
Chapter 34 Divergence
For the next two days, the three of them used the uncle's gym as their training ground.
Every morning at 5:30, we gather at the edge of the frozen lake and run three laps around it.
The uncle added a condition: he couldn't use his vital energy while running.
Pure physical strength, pure lung capacity, and pure willpower.
After my run, I went to the gym.
The number of push-ups was increased from 200 to 400, squats from 300 to 500, and pull-ups from 50 to 80.
The uncle stood by and watched, neither urging, scolding, nor helping, only saying "Try again" when their movements became distorted.
After the training comes the Illusion Trial.
The trials the uncle arranged for them were different.
Baozi's task was to move stones by hand from one side of the lake to the other.
His earth-attribute primordial energy was repeatedly compressed during this intense physical exertion.
Xiaoman's task is to swim underwater in the frozen lake, from one side to the other.
There were undercurrents and aquatic plants at the bottom of the lake, which extended her breath-holding time underwater from the initial three minutes to ten minutes.
The water-attribute primordial energy flowed more and more smoothly within her body.
Lu Siye has only one task: to practice Feng Xun and Han Jiang Xue.
If once isn't enough, do it ten times; if ten times isn't enough, do it a hundred times.
On the third day, the three of them sat on the steps of the gym, drinking tea brewed by the uncle and looking at the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
Baozi's face has thinned out, her belly has shrunk considerably, and the lines on her arms have become more defined.
Xiaoman's skin got a little tanned from the ultraviolet rays on the snow-capped mountains.
But her complexion was much better than when she first arrived, and the faint bluish tinge under her eyes had faded.
Lu Siye was still thin, but no longer the kind of thinness caused by malnutrition.
My shoulders have broadened, and my posture is straighter than before.
"We need to find another constellation."
Baozi spoke first, turning the teacup in her hand around.
"One leopard from the Jishui River has already taken a toll on us, and another one... but we have no choice, we have to find it."
Xiaoman nodded.
She took her phone out of her pocket, opened a page, and handed it to Baozi to look at.
The screen displays a map with a red marker in the center, slightly to the east.
"Sogaku Prefecture," she said, "is in central Japan. It takes about a day and a night to get there from Shirakawa-cho. You first take a bus to the nearest station and then transfer to a local bus line."
Lu Siye stared at the red dot on the map without saying a word.
Kang Jinlong.
According to the uncle, it is the guardian beast of the Fusang Kingdom.
His strength lies between Tai Chi and Wuji, far surpassing that of Ji Shuibao by more than one level.
The water leopard had only just arrived at the Two Elements realm when they were already overwhelmed.
What is the concept of Taiji to Wuji? He wasn't quite clear about the Xia Lan's level division.
Above the Four Symbols are the Two Forms, above the Two Forms is the Supreme Ultimate, and above the Supreme Ultimate is the Limitless.
"The uncle said he wasn't familiar with Kang Su," Lu Siye said. "He'd only seen its beast form. It's revered as a guardian beast of the nation by the locals, so its temper probably isn't very good."
"It's not just a guess," Baozi handed the phone back to Xiaoman, leaned against the railing of the steps, and looked up at the sky. "It's definitely not good."
"Think about it, an ancient divine beast, worshipped for thousands of years, suddenly has three young brats come along and say they want half of its primordial spirit. Would it be happy to do that?"
The three of them remained silent for a while.
"Let's contact Uncle Yi first," Xiaoman said, putting her phone in her pocket. "Let him help us look up information about Kang Su."
"We can't just rashly go looking for a constellation between Taiji and Wuji; that would be tantamount to suicide."
Lu Siye and Baozi both nodded.
Xiaoman picked up her phone and dialed Yi Songjin's number.
Beep—beep—beep—No one answers.
She dialed it again.
Still no one answered.
She placed her phone on the steps and put it on speakerphone. The three of them listened to the endless beeping sounds, which seemed to stretch on forever in the quiet atmosphere at the foot of the snow-capped mountain.
On the third try, the call finally went through.
"Feed?"
Yi Songjin's voice came through the phone, hoarse.
"Uncle Yi, it's us."
Xiaoman said, her voice unconsciously lowering a little.
"On the snow-capped mountains of Shirakawa-cho, we encountered the constellation mentioned in Mo Zhanchi's notes, the Jishui Leopard."
"He gave us the primordial energy of the stars and taught us some other things."
He said that there is another constellation in Fusang, in Cangyue Prefecture, called Kang Su, Kang Jinlong.
"We want to find it, could you help us look it up?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
"Kang Jinlong?"
Yi Songjin's voice came through the wind, intermittently.
He paused, as if considering his words.
"What did that star spirit say to you?"
"He said he wasn't familiar with Kang Su," Baozi said, bringing the phone closer and raising his voice. "He'd only seen its beast form, which is revered as a guardian beast of the nation by the locals, and its strength is between Taiji and Wuji."
From Tai Chi to Wuji...
Yi Songjin repeated it.
That's not bragging.
"According to ancient books, Kang Jinlong is the second of the seven constellations of the Azure Dragon, second only to Jiao Mujiao."
He didn't finish his sentence.
But all three of them understood.
"Uncle Yi," Xiaoman said, "we know."
"But we need to get stronger now. There are more and more Zeros, the Divine Pendant has been corrupted, and the Guardian Legion doesn't know which side it's on. We only have five people."
"If we don't find the constellations, what are we going to fight with?"
There was a longer silence on the other end of the phone.
The wind has died down; perhaps Yi Songjin has moved to a different location, or perhaps the wind has stopped.
"I'll help you investigate," Yi Songjin finally spoke. "Give me a few days. You stay in Baiyue Town and practice your skills with that star constellation."
"I'll tell you about Kang Jinlong's matter after I've investigated it thoroughly."
"Remember, don't act rashly."
"Understood, Uncle Yi," Xiaoman said.
The phone hangs up.
"Let's gather good news first," she said, "and wait until Uncle Yi has investigated thoroughly before making any decisions."
The three people sat on the steps, looking at the snow-capped mountains in the distance, and none of them spoke.
Everything is moving in the direction of becoming stronger.
The vital energy is increasing, physical strength is improving, and the power of the stars is being gradually digested and absorbed.
Wait a few more days for news from Yi Songjin, then go to Cangyue Prefecture to find Kang Jinlong.
If they can persuade it and obtain the power of another star, the strength of the three of them will experience a qualitative leap.
Everything is proceeding according to plan, albeit slowly, but steadily.
Then the phone rang.
It's not Lu Siye's, it's Xiaoman's.
The phone vibrated on the steps, and the screen lit up, displaying an unmarked number.
Xiaoman glanced at the caller ID, hesitated for a moment, and then answered.
"Feed?"
What was said on the other end of the phone?
Lu Siye couldn't hear clearly, but he saw Xiaoman's expression change in that instant.
"I understand," she said. "Thank you."
She hung up the phone, placed it on her lap, and lowered her head.
"What's wrong?" Lu Siye asked.
Xiaoman did not look up.
The two remained silent for a long time.
She hesitated for a long time about whether to tell him.
That night she paced back and forth in her room, from the window to the door, and from the door to the window.
She picked up the phone and put it down, then picked it up again, the screen lighting up again and again, each time unlocking and then locking it again.
She didn't want to tell him.
It wasn't because she wanted to hide anything, it was because she didn't want him to go.
Siam.
Smoke and fire are a daily occurrence, and there are armed men on the streets.
There are landmines in the countryside, and air raid sirens could sound at any time in the city.
The Four Symbols Warriors cannot withstand bullets head-on; they can only dodge them.
Given his foreign status, he would inevitably be subjected to a thorough investigation, making his chances of survival extremely slim.
She didn't want him to go and die.
But she also knew that if she didn't speak up, and if something really happened to Tang Yuan, and he only found out afterward...
He won't blame her; he's not that kind of person.
But a rift will appear between her and him, an invisible, irreparable rift.
That rift will always be there, in the gaps between their conversations, in the silences that follow.
In every moment when our eyes meet and then look away.
She didn't want to see that crack.
She walked to Lu Siye's room door, stood there for about ten seconds, and then knocked.
The door opened.
"Tang Yuan has disappeared," she said.
Lu Siye's expression changed.
Tang Yuan.
He hadn't heard that name in a long time.
Xiaoman raised her head and looked at Lu Siye.
Her gaze lingered on his face for a second, then looked away.
she knows.
She knew what that name meant to him.
She knew it from the first time she saw him at Jiugongling.
When Tang Yuan came to visit him at Jiugongling, she stood on the edge of the training ground, carrying a thermos filled with soup.
Lu Siye ran over from the training field and stood in front of her. The two of them were two or three steps apart, and neither of them spoke first.
Xiaoman stood at the other end of the training field, watching this scene, and understood everything.
"When did this happen?"
he asks.
"Three days ago," Xiaoman said, "she was last seen in a border city in northern Siam."
Lu Siye stood there without saying a word.
Xiaoman looked at his profile and wanted to say, "Don't go."
The three words were already on her lips, even touching the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.
Because she knew that saying those three words would be useless.
She didn't want him to go, but she didn't want to be the one to stop him.
If something really happened to Tang Yuan, and he didn't go because of her words, he would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.
"I see."
Lu Siye said.
His voice remained calm, but Xiaoman could hear what lay beneath that calm.
He looked at her, his gaze lingering on her face for a second.
"Thank you for telling me," he said.
Then he turned and went into the room, leaving the door open.
Xiaoman stood at the door, watching his back.
He walked to the bedside, sat down, picked up his phone from the bedside table, and started looking through something.
Xiaoman stood at the door for a while, then turned and left.
She walked slowly and lightly, her slippers making almost no sound on the wooden floor of the corridor.
When she reached her room door, she stopped and turned back to look at him.
He was still sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at his phone, his shoulders slightly hunched.
She closed the door.
The next morning, Lu Siye called everyone to Baozi's room.
Baozi sat on the bed, her hair a mess like a bird's nest, her eyes not fully open yet.
Xiaoman sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea in her hand. The tea had gone cold, but she didn't drink it.
Wen Ranran stood next to Xiaoman, while Feifei squatted on her shoulder, tilting her head and looking at this and that, probably sensing that the atmosphere was not quite right.
Lu Siye stood by the window, his back to the snow-capped mountains outside.
"Tang Yuan has disappeared," he said, without any preamble or introduction, "in Siam. I'm going to find her."
Baozi's hand, which was rubbing his eyes, froze in mid-air.
"Siam?" Baozi's voice was still a little hoarse, but his tone was clear. "There's a war going on there."
"I know."
"This isn't some small-scale battle," Baozi said, sticking her legs out of the blanket and sitting up straight. "It's a real battle with guns and bullets."
"Tanks, artillery, drones, urban warfare, guerrilla warfare."
"You know that the Four Symbols Warriors can't withstand bullets head-on."
"If a stray bullet hits you, you're no different from an ordinary person."
"I know."
"Besides, you're a foreigner, you don't have a visa or a passport, so your printed ID card is practically worthless there."
"Being detained by the military is one thing, at worst they'll be deported."
"They were detained by anti-government forces..."
Baozi didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew what the unspoken part was.
Lu Siye stood there without saying a word.
Sunlight streamed in from behind him, casting a long shadow that stretched all the way to the foot of Baozi's bed.
Baozi opened its mouth, then closed it again.
He looked at Lu Siye's face, a face shrouded in shadow, its expression obscured.
He had known Lu Siye for a long time, and he knew what kind of person he was after making a decision.
Without speaking, without explaining, without arguing, they just stood there.
No matter what you say, it's useless. Once he's made up his mind, no one can change it.
"When are you leaving?" Baozi asked.
"today."
Baozi nodded.
He got out of bed, walked to the wardrobe, and started looking through the clothes.
"Don't go," Lu Siye said.
Baozi paused for a moment.
"That's a war zone, not a place to joke around. You won't be of much help if you go; in fact, you'll have to take care of someone else."
"You and Xiaoman will stay in Fusang and continue to gather information about Kang Jinlong."
"There's been progress on Uncle Yi's side, so you guys head to Cangyue Prefecture. Don't wait for me."
Baozi turned around and looked at him, wanting to say something, but Lu Siye's gaze made him swallow his words back.
That look wasn't one of discussion; it was one of decision.
Baozi's hands loosened from her backpack and hung down at her sides.
"Then..." Baozi's voice was a little hoarse, "when are you coming back?"
"I don't know," Lu Siye said.
Baozi didn't ask any more questions.
He walked up to Lu Siye, reached out, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't die," Baozi said.
"Won't."
Wen Ranran ran over from the side and hugged Lu Siye's waist.
Her face was pressed against his stomach, and her hands were clutching his clothes.
Lu Siye looked down at her.
"Ranran," he said, "loosen up."
Wen Ranran shook her head and rubbed her face against his clothes.
"My brother will be back soon."
Wen Ranran shook her head again.
Lu Siye squatted down to look her in the eye.
Her eyes reddened, but the tears didn't fall; they just welled up in her eyes.
"You can absorb Qi now," he said, his voice softening. "Sister Xiaoman taught you, didn't she?"
Wen Ranran nodded.
"Then practice hard, and when I come back, you'll be even better."
Wen Ranran looked at him and remained silent for a few seconds.
Then she let go, took a step back, lowered her head, and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
Feifei jumped off her shoulder, ran to Lu Siye's feet, and looked up at him.
"You stay," he said to Feifei, "to keep Ranran company."
Feifei peeked out from behind its tail with one eye, glanced at him, and then buried its head back down.
Lu Siye placed it on Wen Ranran's shoulder.
He stood up, turned around, and saw Xiaoman standing in the doorway.
She didn't know when she stood up from the chair, nor when she walked to the door.
She stood there, leaning against the doorframe, holding the now-cold cup of tea in her hand.
Their eyes met briefly in the air.
Xiaoman moved it aside first. She lowered her head and looked at the teacup in her hand, on which a small tea leaf was floating.
She stared at the tea leaf for a few seconds, then placed the teacup on the cabinet next to her.
Lu Siye walked towards her.
He stopped when he reached her.
The two stood facing each other, about half a step apart, neither too far nor too close.
Xiaoman reached out and took his hand.
Then she looked up and into his eyes.
Her eyes reddened, and tears welled up in them.
She bit her lip hard.
She had so much to say, but she swallowed it back down, then tried another sentence, and swallowed it back down again.
In the end, she only said one sentence.
"You...you must come back."
Lu Siye remained silent.
He used his free hand to pull her into his arms.
Her body stiffened for a moment when he touched her.
It was very brief.
Then she relaxed, leaning her whole body against his chest and burying her face in his shoulder.
She pulled her hand out of his and wrapped it around his waist, holding him tightly.
He could feel her heartbeat through their clothes.
He held her for a long time.
After a while, Baozi coughed beside him.
He did not let go.
She didn't let go either.
"I'll be back," he said.
Xiaoman loosened her grip slightly, then tightened it again.
She buried her face in his shoulder and mumbled something.
The sound was so soft that only he could hear it.
Then he let go.
Her hair was a little messy, with a few stray strands sticking to her cheeks.
Baozi walked over, reached out, and patted Lu Siye on the shoulder.
This time the pat was harder than before; the palm was placed on his shoulder and not immediately removed.
"Be careful on the road," Baozi said.
"Um."
Wen Ranran ran up from behind, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Lu Siye's hand.
Lu Siye looked down at the back of his hand.
There was a small, wet lip print on it, which he wiped off with his palm and turned to leave the room.
The hotel lobby was quiet. The receptionist was wiping the tables. When she saw him come down, she looked up and smiled.
"Are you leaving?"
"Um."
"Be careful on the road."
"Thanks."
He pushed open the hotel door and stepped into the cold air outside.
He walked along the stone-paved road out of town.
Behind me, on the second floor of the hotel, there was an open window.
Xiaoman stood behind the window, watching him walk further and further away, becoming smaller and smaller, until he became a blurry outline and disappeared into the morning light.
She stood there, the wind blowing through her hair, cool and refreshing.