In the early morning, a streak of fish-belly white slowly lifted the horizon. On the Qingzhu River, still in early summer, wisps of white mist rose.
Chen Jiuyang opened his door and sat on the eaves to meditate and comprehend the Dao.
Before long, Yu Neizhu arrived with her father, who was a psychologist.
"Hall Master, what are you doing?" Yu Neizhu's voice sounded in his ear.
Chen Jiuyang slowly opened his eyes and saw Yu Neizhu and Yu Cong'an.
Yu Cong'an smiled and said, "Hello, Hall Master Chen. I am Yu Neizhu's father. She has been learning from you for a few months and her martial arts have progressed by leaps and bounds. Thank you, Hall Master Chen."
His daughter had said this Hall Master Chen was a bit eccentric, but she couldn't deny that he possessed genuine skill. He decided to start with such a conversation to relax the other party's guard before investigating the cause of his "illness."
Chen Jiuyang said slowly, "You're welcome. I'm paid to do this, so I naturally have to be serious and responsible."
"Yu Neizhu, you go and practice first."
Yu Neizhu winked at her father and walked into the martial arts hall to begin practicing her moves.
Yu Cong'an sat down beside him, glanced at Chen Jiuyang, and asked, "Where are you from, Mr. Chen?"
Chen Jiuyang replied frankly, "I am from here."
Yu Cong'an shook his head, "My ancestors have all been from here, and I've never seen anyone named Chen. This old district also happens to have no families with the surname Chen."
At this point, Chen Jiuyang's eyes showed a hint of regret.
Even to this day, with the karmic debts on his body and the dissipation of his Yin extreme destiny, looking back, Chen Jiuyang increasingly felt that he had been too hasty and too goal-oriented in his actions back then.
He said, "I am indeed from here, but it was a very, very long time ago."
Yu Cong'an asked, "May I be so bold as to ask, Mr. Chen, how old are you?"
Chen Jiuyang's eyes showed thought, and he mused, "If we don't count the time I was in hibernation, it should be eight thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight years."
Yu Cong'an glanced at Chen Jiuyang's youthful face and thought to himself, "As expected, his illness is quite severe."
Yu Cong'an carefully said, "But Mr. Chen, you look no older than twenty-two or twenty-three."
Chen Jiuyang looked at him in surprise, "Don't you know that martial artists can maintain their appearance unchanged once they reach the fourth layer of the Earth Realm?"
Yu Cong'an said, "This is the first time I've heard of this. After all, Grandmasters of the Earth Realm are all influential figures, not someone we ordinary people can easily interact with."
"But if Mr. Chen is truly a martial artist of the Grandmaster level, he should be a significant figure. Why would he open a martial arts hall in this old district?"
Chen Jiuyang chuckled, "As I said, I am not from this era."
Yu Cong'an asked, "Since Mr. Chen is not from this era, where have you been all these years?"
Chen Jiuyang replied, "I don't know if Mr. Yu has heard of Canlao Village. I live in seclusion there."
Yu Cong'an said, "I haven't heard of it, but Mr. Chen, you could tell me about the times you lived in."
He was almost certain that this Hall Master Chen suffered from delusional disorder. To treat him, he first had to enter his imagined world.
Chen Jiuyang looked at him with slight surprise, "Mr. Yu is interested in listening?"
Yu Cong'an smiled and said, "Of course, I enjoy listening to stories."
Chen Jiuyang's gaze seemed to fall into memory, and he began to narrate, "A long time ago, this place was called Qingzhu Village..."
He spoke of his humble beginnings as an ordinary village boy, how he received the inheritance of an immortal physician, and everyone he met in his life.
From the Wang family, to Ji Lengyue of the Six Doors, then to the Sharp Blade Legion, Zhang Jialong, Yao Zixuan, then to Qiu Yihan, Marquis Feng Han, Yun Jingbai...
Then to the Sword Bearer, the King of Seals, and he recounted the magnificent events of that era, the Dragon Country Martial Rankings, the World Martial Rankings competition, the five great sacred lands within the country, the nine forbidden areas, the demonic path, and so on...
He mentioned Emperor Yan, King Gong, Yan Hongming, Ye Tiannan, Gong Liexian, Ming Huatong, Old Mother Lotus, and many others.
Chen Jiuyang spoke with genuine emotion, causing the few apprentices in his martial arts hall to lose their focus on training and quietly listen to Chen Jiuyang's stories.
Even those who heard Chen Jiuyang recount these past events seemed to be drawn in.
Even Yu Cong'an, a psychologist, felt his heart tremble. This Hall Master Chen's delusions were too terrifying, involving so many people, and every detail seemed to be true.
Chen Jiuyang spoke at an appropriate point and said, "Those of you who should be in school, go to school. Those who should be at work, go to work. It's getting late."
Yu Cong'an said, "I'll visit Hall Master Chen again when I have time."
Chen Jiuyang smiled and said, "Good."
Then, Chen Jiuyang's martial arts hall was left with only one or two disciples practicing.
Yu Neizhu recorded what Chen Jiuyang had said and posted it online:
[Thanks for the invitation—Sharing the last era of Chinese history compiled by my master]
Following this were tens of thousands of words. As soon as it was uploaded to the internet, it immediately became popular, attracting many people to read, discuss, and comment.
...
In Minghua Country, there were two top-tier institutions.
One was Jixia Academy, the most prestigious institution of learning.
The other was the Guardian.
The most powerful person in the current Minghua Country was gathered at the Imperial Capital Headquarters of the Guardians.
In a pool of spiritual liquid, an old woman was soaking, seemingly unconscious.
Someone asked, "How is it, Guardian? Has the identity of this person been verified?"
The Guardian replied with a complex expression, "Through joint investigation by the Guardian's semi-ancestral artifact and Jixia Academy, it has been confirmed that she is Gong Liexian, the legitimate wife of the second-generation Guardian, Chen Beixuan."
"Hiss!"
The people present immediately gasped, their expressions becoming complicated. The second-generation Guardian, that would have been tens of thousands of years ago at least.
The current Headmaster of Jixia Academy said, "Provide full treatment. The records from long ago have been lost. Whether we can recover information about China's lost eras may depend on this ancestor."
"Broadcast the information related to this ancestor through television."
"Yes, Headmaster!"
The current Headmaster of Jixia Academy and the current Guardian walked to a secluded spot and sighed, "What other unknown secrets are hidden in the Seven Great Life Forbidden Zones?"
At this moment, a middle-aged man in a Confucian robe walked in, "Report—"
"What is it?"
"There is a post online. The individuals mentioned in it claim to be friends with the second-generation Guardian's wife, Gong Liexian, and even claim to be comrades-in-arms with the first-generation Guardian."
The current Headmaster of Jixia Academy and the current Guardian immediately frowned.
"Bring it over for me to see." The current Guardian's eyes turned cold.
After the two of them finished reading, the Headmaster said, "It must be fabricated. The news yesterday has already broadcast information about the ancestor."
The current Guardian said, "Dispatch people to investigate and find out the origin of the person who posted this."
How could he tolerate someone slandering the reputation of his Guardian ancestor and also trying to take advantage of the Guardians?