C4 The Vermillion Bird Bathed in Fire Song

Leaning on his bamboo cane, the young man halted three hundred meters from the city gate. There, three towering figures blocked his path.

They watched the youth emerge from the blizzard with a trace of regret in their eyes. To have fought his way from the Imperial City to the very foot of Chang'an City, his robe stained with blood, he had shown tremendous courage!

Yet even the bravest must bow to the Emperor's command. Defiance meant death... The Great Tang had changed.

"We have been awaiting Lord Ye's arrival for quite some time!"

The trio greeted the man before them, their faces etched with complexity. The youth, paying no heed to the elders, silently removed the blindfold from his eyes. He glanced at the beautiful woman atop the city walls and then at the small building shrouded in shadows.

His bloodshot eyes locked with the woman's icy gaze for a moment before he turned away. He unwrapped his bundle to reveal a baby struggling to bite a candied fruit held in its tiny grip, its face smeared with sticky syrup.

Spreading the bundle's sides, he secured it to his back and positioned the infant against his chest, then faced the three old men. With a firm tug, he pulled the bamboo from the snow.

Now they could see that the bamboo's end had been sharpened like a blade. It wasn't as lethal as a sword, but it could still penetrate a man's skull. The three inches of bloodied bamboo spoke of many lives taken.

The sight of the crimson-tipped bamboo sent a shiver down their spines; this man was a madman, and madmen do not heed reason.

"Step aside, you are no match for me."

The young man shook his head, his voice rasping.

"Lord Ye, why endure this struggle? Lay it down, you are still Lord Ye."

An old man in a resplendent Daoist robe sighed, offering counsel.

"Lord, your valor is unmatched, but Chang'an City cannot endure such upheaval. Many eyes covet this place, waiting to pounce. We must not create chaos. Yet tonight, you have brought disorder. Once you do, those who could intervene will not, and those who cannot will find their efforts futile."

The higher-ups had no choice but to send us three old-timers, just about presentable enough to hold the fort."

The elderly man, his long goatee and white hair flowing, shook his head.

"Gu Chang Song of the Dao Sect, Bei Du Ce of the Tian Ji Mansion, and Dean Mo Zhong of the Imperial Academy. You three, seasoned by over a decade of understanding Heaven's Will, are barely enough to make a showing? Perhaps you could halt a hundred thousand cavalry, but stop me... impossible!"

The young man disclosed the trio's histories with a grave tone, conveying a sense of finality as if his word was law.

"Is it truly impossible to let go?"

"Once picked up, it can never be put down..."

The bamboo in his grip creaked, the veins on his wrist standing out starkly. The young man was gathering his Qi, poised to strike down his foes at a moment's notice.

"Gu Chang Song, I aided your sight restoration atop Flying White Peak twenty years ago, do you recall? Bei Du Ce, the medicine I sent to your residence eight years ago, was it not bitter? Mo Zhong, without that individual's intervention, you'd still be peddling old books beneath the bridge. I have no desire to fight, but if you remember our past bond, I ask you to step aside!"

Amidst the falling snow, the young man's robe was tinged with blood, his bamboo staff radiating a subtle aura of death. The words struck a chord with the three elders, their faces etched with reluctance. They yearned to yield, yet they were bound by duty.

A subject must obey the sovereign's command, even unto death. Moreover, a woman was observing from the city gate behind them.

"Under normal circumstances, we would brave any danger out of loyalty to past kindnesses discussed by our lord. Unfortunately, we are now compelled by imperial edict and cannot comply. Lord Ye, you've fought your way through five gates and thirteen streets, bearing grave injuries. At this moment, you're clinging to life by a mere thread. Should a battle ensue, I fear you might perish at the hands of us three old men.

Let it be, Lord. If you can, please reveal the identity of the person you're protecting. It would give us some peace of mind as we prepare for the inevitable clash. For their sake, the entirety of Chang'an City has been stirred this evening."

Gu Chang Song squinted his eyes and spoke to the youth while channeling his Qi.

"No, if you know, you might end up dead..."

The youth re-tied the blindfold and sighed. The battle was inevitable.

"If that's the case, let's begin."

The wind howled, carrying snowflakes that scattered in the air. Suddenly, the falling snow seemed to be cleaved by an unseen force. A green bamboo shoot had cut through the blizzard, aiming for three elders. The youth's movements were incredibly swift, faster than the gusts of wind.

The blood-red edge of the bamboo shoot aimed straight for Gu Chang Song's heart. If possible, no one would choose to confront this madman. He rarely took lives, but when he did, his victims ceased to be human in his eyes.

The bamboo edge tore through his robe, skin, and flesh. Propelled by Gu Chang Song's own forward momentum, the three-inch bamboo tip buried itself in his chest. Blood trickled down the green bamboo, a striking, vivid red that matched the youth's robe.

"Lord Ye, it seems your injuries have taken their toll; you're not as quick as you once were..."

Gu Chang Song's expression remained unchanged, even with the bamboo piercing his chest. He had endured much in his life, some things even more painful than this. Yet, inexplicably, a faint smile graced his aged face.

In the next moment, moonlight transformed into sand and coiled around the bamboo staff in the youth's hand. As the moonlit sand shifted, an astonishing event unfolded. The blood that had dripped down the bamboo reversed its course, flowing back into Gu Chang Song's body.

The three-inch bamboo tip lodged in his chest was repelled by a mysterious force. In an instant, time rewound to three seconds earlier. Three seconds might seem brief, but sometimes, it's enough to alter many things.

"The Hengsha Scripture from the Taoist Canon... Impressive, to grasp such a scripture. Gu Chang Song, you've made a name for yourself."

Realizing the tide had turned, the youth shook his bamboo staff and gracefully retreated. He admired the old Daoist standing in the moonlight and offered his praise.

"All beings are like the sands of Hengsha, time neither dwells in the past nor returns. I once had the privilege of reading the Hengsha Scripture. Though a fool, I managed to glean some understanding from it."

Grasping a handful of moonlight, it transformed into countless grains of sand, slipping gently through his fingers. Gu Chang Song adjusted his Taoist robe as he gazed at the young man before him. The tear from the bamboo blade had vanished, leaving the robe pristine and smooth.

"What a shame. Had you realized this a few years earlier, Chang'an City might have gained another remarkable person..."

The youth turned to Gu Chang Song with a soft sigh, signaling his regret. He gripped his bamboo staff once more, and as he swept his sleeve, grains of sand trickled down from his garment. He knew that Gu Chang Song had just repaid a debt of gratitude.

Initially, he allowed himself to be pierced by the bamboo staff, using the opportunity to apply the healing wisdom of the Hengsha Scripture. In a mere three seconds, not only had he neutralized the youth's assault, but he had also healed most of the deadly wounds beneath the blood-stained robe.

With this act, he had settled his debt. The next time he would strike, he would do so without hesitation.

Thanks to the miraculous Hengsha Scripture, the youth regained some of his fighting strength. Yet the three-hundred-meter journey out of the city remained daunting. What was once a mere step away now seemed insurmountable, with three formidable adversaries on the road and a woman with a small tower atop the city walls.

Biting down hard, the youth shattered a tooth. Swallowing it with his blood, he seemed to draw on the pain to tap into his body's utmost potential.

"Lord Ye, please don't continue. It's not worth it!"

With a heavy heart, the youth sighed, reflecting on bygone times and feeling a sudden pang of sorrow. As an earnest scholar, he had always taught the importance of gratitude. Yet now, he found himself embodying the very ingratitude he had always despised.

Through the blizzard, the youth continued forward, unwavering in his resolve. He passed by the old scholar, exhaling a faint sigh, the meaning of which remained unclear.

At last, Mo Zhong turned. With shaking hands, he drew a pen from his sleeve and inscribed the character for 'stop' in the air.

The pen, a rosewood wolf-hair brush supplied by the Imperial Academy, required no ink. As the scholar moved it through the air, the vital energy of heaven and earth gathered at its tip. With this energy, he formed the imposing character 'stop'.

As the word 'stop' was inscribed, quaint doors materialized along the road leading out of the city, firmly shut and obstructing the young man's progress.

This move was the hallmark of the Imperial Academy, the Danqing Scroll! Mo Zhong was without a doubt the one who had ventured the furthest on this path, having honed his Danqing Scroll technique to perfection. Once the word 'stop' was set down, the venerable scholar ceased his writing. He tucked the rosewood brush back into his sleeve and respectfully bowed to the city gate, as if to apologize.

Writing that single character was his ultimate concession. Mo Zhong simply couldn't bring himself to harm the youth; all he could do now was prevent him from leaving Chang'an City.

He earnestly hoped the young man would reconsider in time. All that had transpired this night could be overlooked in a moment's decision, and by tomorrow, it would be as if it had never happened, with a clear and sunny day ahead.

Regrettably, the youth did not halt before the doors created from the world's elemental energy, nor did he turn back. Instead, he gripped the slender bamboo stick in his hand and struck the robust, ancient door.

With a sharp "snap," the door vanished.

Though it was merely a common piece of bamboo, in the youth's hands that night, it had vanquished numerous formidable opponents. Even the dense elemental energy solidified by the Danqing Scroll, a product of those who understood the mandate of heaven, was scattered with a single strike.

Each step the young man took was accompanied by a soft tap from the bamboo stick.

"Snap, snap, snap, snap..."

The sounds were reminiscent of cheerful firecrackers, pleasing to the ear yet simultaneously heart-wrenching. The green bamboo shattered all eighteen Danqing doors, leaving the youth just a hundred meters from the city gate.

In that moment, with the wind and snow as his companions, the young man clad in a blood-stained robe walked with an effortless grace. He clutched the slender bamboo stick, ready to swing at whatever lay ahead.

After breaking through the final door, the young man came to a halt. He stood before an elderly man with a goatee and disheveled white hair, observing him calmly before speaking.

"Beitou Ce, is it you who guards the last challenge? Very well, make your move!"

Silently, the bamboo cane was lifted from the snowy ground. Snowflakes adorned the youth's hair, giving him an air of late autumn.

"Lord Ye, I, Beitou Ce, dare not forget the medicine you provided eight years ago. Had I forgotten, there would be more than just myself standing here today. I am old now, and my people at Tian Ji Mansion are not cut out for combat. I will make only one move. If you can withstand it, then proceed."

With a shake of his head, Beitou Ce slowly retrieved an object from his voluminous sleeve. It was an ancient stone disc, etched with the marks of many years. Upon it, a vividly depicted bird danced alone amidst the flames, its beauty captivating.

"The Vermillion Bird's Star Luo..."

Sensing the relic's ancient presence, a hint of shock surfaced on the young man's face for the first time, as if he held a deep wariness for the stone disc.

"Lord Ye, you possess a keen eye. Though I lack great skill, I currently oversee the Vermillion Bird's ancient formation within Tian Ji Mansion. Regrettably, I only have a quarter of it. I wonder if it might catch your discerning eye."

Beitou Ce's smile was tinged with sorrow as his aged hand caressed the beautifully carved bird on the stone disc.

"A quarter of Chang'an City? You're the one making grand gestures! It's enough. Let's begin, Beitou Ce."

"Then, Lord Ye, please take care."

With a slight bow, the next moment saw the ancient stone disc ignite with a brilliant flame.

In the distance, the faint chorus of a hundred birds could be heard, and among them, the song of a phoenix.