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墨書 Inktalez
The Full Moon has always symbolized reunion throughout history, and this time is no exception. Although a few clouds may obscure its light, the bright moonlight ultimately delivers warmth to everyone who gazes up at it. However, the wait for the clouds to disperse often comes with coldness and torment. For Ran Xing, who has just awakened, this might be a new beginning. Just as An Qi departed, he received a benefit from Ziyuan, who specially created a window in this windowless place. Although Ran Xing does not recognize the people who come and go aside from An Qi, this rare opportunity to see the light brings him a different feeling after days of darkness.
Upon returning to the Refined Hall, You Long found Shaomeng waiting anxiously. The courtyard of the hall was quiet, but today it had miraculously survived the stormy night; the trees in the yard swayed gently in the sunlight.
"Teacher You Long, how is everything?" Shaomeng set down his broom, frowning as he awaited You Long's response.
During this time of seclusion, Shaomeng had heard many rumors, even hearing the word "traitor" multiple times. He understood that although his friend had made a grave mistake, it was not enough to label someone a traitor. Even as he recalled his father's death at the hands of an Evil Spirit, he gripped the broom tightly for a moment before letting out a sigh and setting it down.
"Are you anxious? Today's arrangements are a bit different; get ready," You Long said briefly. Noticing that You Long's expression had relaxed somewhat, Shaomeng stepped closer but still wore a worried look. "With things like this going on outside, it might attract too much attention."
You Long did not continue to answer his question because behind his back was a new scroll hidden away. Through a gap, one could see neatly written characters; though he did not know what they said, there was no need to guess. Since both You Long and Shaomeng shared an understanding of this matter, they ceased their chatter and began preparing for their tasks.
This time upon returning, aside from catching up with Qianwen, You Long received new instructions after many days—his team would take over Luo Yue's guardianship in a week. At that time, Shaomeng would be directly responsible for taking care of Luo Yue while You Long had other plans.
As the moment approached, Ziyuan brought An Qi to meet Qianwen, who was sipping tea near a chessboard. It was rare for several Taiji heroes from the Trial Ground—who seldom showed themselves—to gather around Qianwen today.
To Qianwen's left sat Meng Jiang from Mountain Sea Hall; behind him were Shentu from Heavenly Zephyr Hall and Mo Ming from Eternal Life Palace. These three were all disciples of Xing Han's father and former Taiji hero Xiao Jiang. They had come here today to submit their respective halls' participant lists for the Convention.
The Trial Tournament is an annual friendly competition held by the Trial Ground for new arrivals. Each Hall Master must bring these newcomers after they have completed tasks or training for assessment, which will affect their respective halls' rankings within the Trial Ground and subsequently influence each Hall Master's standing.
Ziyuan and You Long were also present; Qianwen’s other assistant Shen Ju was included along with Shan Qing, who had defected and was part of the previous Jiangshan Hall. Meng Jiang was taken in personally by Qianwen and had become a Taiji hero through years of training under him to nurture future talents for the Trial Ground.
Since Shan Qing's defection, Jiangshan Hall—previously under his leadership—had been taken over by Ziyuan. Once ranked second in the Trial Ground, Jiangshan Hall now languished in fifth place. Meanwhile, You Long’s Refined Hall consistently held second place; first place belonged to Shentu—a comical-looking hero who stood beside Qianwen—and like Ziyuan, he was also a metal-element hero. There had always been animosity between Shentu’s hall and Ziyuan’s hall.
“Everyone take a seat; now that everyone is here and the day is approaching, let’s not act so formal,” Qianwen began directing his subordinates to serve tea to each person while he sat at the center of the chess table in order: Meng Jiang, Shentu, Ziyuan, and Mo Ming.
“Commander, we have submitted the lists from each hall; this is the final compiled list,” Ziyuan said as he handed over the document to Meng Jiang beside Qianwen. Meng Jiang took a look at several Hall Masters around him before finally passing it on to Qianwen.
“Why isn’t Ran Xing’s name on here?” Qianwen glanced through it quickly and noticed something amiss.
The Hall Masters exchanged glances; Meng Jiang waited for either Qianwen or Ziyuan to speak up while Shentu remained quietly seated. Mo Ming scanned around with an expression that showed discontent towards this unfamiliar name.
“Commander, Ran Xing is still under interrogation; it’s not appropriate to include his name on the list for now,” Ziyuan explained his reasoning. Meng Jiang nodded slightly while Shentu continued sipping tea quietly; Mo Ming seemed to be contemplating something.
Qianwen furrowed his brow slightly; although there were reasons not to include that name, the Trial Ground had never abandoned any participant's eligibility due to one mistake. That was an inherent right of being a hero; if someone truly repented and turned over a new leaf, as commander or Hall Master, one could still grant them eligibility to participate again in that session. This approach allowed everyone to unite against challenges ahead.
"Ming, it seems you have something to say." Qianwen turned and noticed Ming had been waiting for a long time.
Ming, a Water Attribute Taiji swordsman, had once apprenticed under Xiao Jiang. He harbored resentment towards Evil Thought, similar to Shaomeng, as his family had also fallen victim to the massacre by Evil Spirits. He had heard of Ran Xing; just a few days ago, Xing Han had specifically sought him out to discuss the matter of Ran Xing injuring a companion during a mission using Evil Thought.
"Commander, the Trial Ground has always been at odds with Evil Spirits. Ran Xing possesses the power of Evil Thought; he may not truly be here for our cause but rather sees the Trial Ground as a stepping stone to further his own goals. Such a person remaining in the Trial Ground could become a significant threat in the future. Therefore, including him in the upcoming Convention list may be inappropriate and warrants further discussion."
As soon as Ming spoke, several Hall Masters turned pale. Hadn't they just heard the Commander say something different? The notice they received earlier clearly stated that Ran Xing was being interrogated by Ziyuan. How had it turned into what Ming described? The shocked Hall Masters glanced at Ziyuan and Qianwen, each gripping their teacups tightly, afraid to even lift the lids.
Ziyuan, however, paid no mind to Ming's words and calmly sipped her tea. Qianwen cleared his throat lightly and continued to respond to Ming.
"Ming, do you remember what your teacher taught you back in the day?" Qianwen was unfazed by Ming's comments; after all, Xing Han had mentioned similar things recently. However, with the Convention approaching, this was not the time for such discussions.
"I remember," Ming replied with great certainty.
"Then could you share with us how Teacher Xiao Jiang instructed you?" Qianwen asked leisurely, lifting his teacup to sip while other Hall Masters finally took their cups and began drinking.
"Power is a Double-Edged Sword; that is not wrong. The wrong lies in human hearts and those who wield power. If one's heart is righteous, then power can be used for good; but if Evil Thought occupies one's heart, it will inevitably lead to evil and cause chaos in the world. I believe Ran Xing belongs to the latter category," Ming continued. None of the Hall Masters responded to his remarks.
Qianwen saw an opportunity and subtly smiled; it seemed Xiao Jiang's student had some awareness after all.
"Ming just mentioned that power is a Double-Edged Sword, depending on whether its wielder's intentions are righteous. So I ask: Ran Xing is a newly admitted swordsman whom I personally interrogated; his intention is to find his lost family members. Perhaps these reasons resonate with what you have experienced yourself, Ming. I believe everyone can understand such feelings; there is nothing wrong with that. But if Ming claims that Ran Xing has malicious intent, who among us agrees?"
At this question, silence fell over the room. Ziyuan set down her teacup, Meng Jiang closed her eyes tightly, Ming showed slight disdain, while Shentu kept his eyes shut.
Qianwen scanned the room and seeing no one speak up continued, "Ziyuan, what do you have to say?"
Seeing that several Hall Masters had no objections, Qianwen turned to Ziyuan and gestured for her to speak.
"Ming, you claim that Ran Xing has malicious intent; may I ask where your evidence lies?" Ziyuan suddenly pressed forward, pulling out a document from her bag but not rushing to present it. Qianwen did not demand it either but smiled slightly while sipping his tea.
It turned out that yesterday when An Qi left home, she encountered Ziyuan who had been observing for some time. Their conversation was entirely recorded by Ziyuan while also reviewing An Qi's own notes. After exchanging a few simple words with An Qi, Ziyuan prepared two statements which resulted in the document she now held.
"Swordsmen have always regarded each other as comrades through thick and thin; yet Ran Xing injured a companion using Evil Thought without any public acknowledgment and even treated the assailant with fine food and drink. I wonder if this reflects a misjudgment on your part or if there is indeed truth in what Ming says?" Although Ming's tone softened slightly, his probing was evident.
"What Ming says makes sense; however, this document contains interrogation materials related to both Ming and others involved at this time. I would like to ask Ming a few questions based on recent investigations—would that be acceptable?" Ziyuan then handed the document over to Meng Jiang who personally delivered it to Qianwen.
The document was sealed tightly with the recognized seal of the Trial Ground and issued directly from the command level. Upon seeing this situation, Ming's brows involuntarily twitched as he sensed something ominous.
Xing Han, you cunning bastard! Using my mouth against me—what a clever tactic! Ming composed himself, took a sip of tea to calm down before nodding in agreement with Ziyuan's proposal.
"Alright then; since Ming has nodded in agreement and all of you Hall Masters have witnessed this as well, I will begin my questioning—what does everyone think?" Ziyuan surveyed her surroundings while Qianwen publicly opened the seal using Vitality and retrieved two statements along with Ziyuan's own summary proposal.
Seeing Qianwen nod slightly while others showed no dissenting opinions, Ziyuan began her first question—the key point from last night's interrogation: Ran Xing had confirmed that all memories from when he unleashed his power until he injured someone were completely lost.
"I would like to ask Mo Ming, since you mentioned that Ran Xing has a malicious intent, why is it that a wicked person does not recognize their own evil? Instead, after awakening, they first concern themselves with the condition of the injured and clearly have no memory of this period?"
Mo Ming did not respond. Due to Qianwen's information blockade, the details did not align with what Xing Han had said about Ran Xing's actions. He had no reason to counter this investigation, as it completely adhered to the Trial Ground's procedures. Mo Ming scratched his head, unsure of where to begin.
"Since Mo Ming has not answered my first question, I will proceed to my second point: Did Ran Xing's extreme behavior result from a loss of control over their powers? If it was intentional, then how could there be the detail mentioned by An Qi about Ran Xing attempting to retract the Evil Thought directed at Luo Yue? If it was indeed malicious intent, why show pity towards the target? If there is malice, why take such unnecessary actions?" Ziyuan's sharp questioning left Mo Ming momentarily speechless, forcing him to stand up and respond.
"It seems I lack a comprehensive understanding of the situation. I have listened to rumors and drawn incorrect conclusions about those involved in the incident. For this, I must apologize to the Commander and everyone present. Next, I would like to hear Ziyuan's account in full," Mo Ming's change in attitude caused Shentu, who had been keeping his eyes closed, to open them and start sipping tea. Meng Jiang wiped the sweat from his forehead, allowing Ziyuan to continue presenting the investigation results.
At this moment, Qianwen had finished reading the documents. He set down his teacup and slowly placed the remaining chess pieces on the table into Ziyuan's hands before passing them to Mo Ming.
"It seems this game can finally reach its conclusion. Let Mo Ming take the final move," Qianwen said without rushing to speak himself, handing the last piece to Mo Ming while instructing Ziyuan to sit down and rest. The others watched as Mo Ming prepared to make his move.
Mo Ming handed the piece back to Ziyuan. "Today's remarks may have been offensive; how could I be the one to make the final move? It would be more prudent for Ziyuan to do so."
With utmost respect, he extended both hands to pass the piece to Ziyuan. Only then did Qianwen show a satisfied expression and begin his speech.
"I intentionally kept this matter under wraps earlier, which may have led everyone to only know certain parts of it. This indeed reflects my shortcomings at this level. Given that the Convention is approaching, this should be a significant event for the Trial Ground; a minor issue involving Ran Xing does not warrant notifying everyone or creating such a commotion. Therefore, this matter was kept confidential from the start. Just now, Ziyuan has recounted the general sequence of events so that everyone can understand its aftermath and entirety—this is what both Ziyuan and I hope for."
Before he could finish speaking, several previously silent Hall Masters began applauding. They did not want any factors affecting the Convention's proceedings at this time; even if someone made a mistake, they merely noted it down after verbal education without pursuing further accountability.
"Today I called you all here to understand what happened and enjoy some lively discussion; now we should talk about how to handle this matter—this is something you need to know. First of all, based on Ziyuan's materials and her statements, we can confirm that this was not an intentional act of malice; we can offer a chance for rehabilitation. If rehabilitation fails, then we will enforce immediate justice by erasing their memories and having them leave here—that is also our rule." After Qianwen finished speaking, the expressions of several Hall Masters relaxed completely. The sound of teacups clinking filled the air as Ziyuan received a nod of approval and began rewriting names on-site to include this controversial individual.
The Hall Masters dispersed one by one. An Qi approached Ziyuan near the chessboard and briefly explained her actions before Qianwen praised her.
"Very good; those who make mistakes need guidance. People often need an outlet for their feelings before they can express themselves. You handled this matter well. Moving forward, share some words as appropriate—like in Luo Yue's case—people who are feeling down always need something like that to vent." As Qianwen spoke, he patted An Qi on the shoulder while reminiscing about her past. Ziyuan watched from the side as everyone laughed and chatted, seemingly having put aside earlier tensions.
You Long and Shaomeng had followed Qianwen's instructions before the meeting and were now with Shu Yuen as they helped Luo Yue, who had begun her recovery process. Luo Yue’s hair was loose; Ziyuan had specially brought new clothes—a light blue short-sleeved shirt and long pants that fit perfectly. At first glance, Luo Yue appeared somewhat unsteady while walking; Shaomeng marveled at how he had underestimated her beauty—the curves and gradually fuller figure made him feel as if he were encountering a stranger.
On the night following another full moon’s rise, Luo Yue awakened and gradually began rehabilitation training with Shaomeng’s assistance. You Long finally wore a smile as he awaited Ziyuan's return.
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