Desolate Era (Book 1 - Book 5)

“Yes, Mother.” Ning rose to his feet.

Behind him, out of nowhere, a pair of wings appeared. And then, forcibly resisting the pain in his heart, Ning began to execute the Windwing Evasion. Ning moved about like a giant Roc, gliding through the air, landing atop of a distant roof, and then with another flash, gliding to another place. His two wings trembled, and his movements were like that of an illusion.

Ning, in this moment, was whole-heartedly focusing on displaying the Windwing Evasion, because this was the last request of his mother.

“Wind!”

“Wind!”

As Ning displayed it, the wind blew against him, like his mother’s hand gently stroking his face. The touch of the wind was a caress of someone who didn’t want to let go.

Slowly…

Ning’s movements became all the more marvelous, and he seemed to have truly become a giant Roc, moving all the more faster and all the more freely, incomparably agile.

He was a giant Roc, a giant Roc who flew in the skies beyond the Nine Heavens. Ning, unconsciously, was unconsciously incorporating that insights he had gained that night into the True Meaning of the Wind, and merging it with the Windwing Evasion. He even incorporated some deep emotions into them, like a bird who was longing for the wind.

“The great Roc.” Snow’s eyes lit up as she watched, and she murmured softly, “The great Roc…”

She seemed to have seen her older brother.

That tall, stalwart man who had protected and cherished her since she was young. Her brother’s usage of the Windwing Evasion was so similar to the way in which Ning’s Windwing Evasion looked…

“Big Brother…” Snow seemed to have returned to the past.

A large courtyard. Her older brother was there, training in the Windwing Evasion, while her, as a toddler, was running around calling out, “Big Brother, Big Brother.”

“Little Sis.” That man, as tall and mighty as a mountain, turned to look at her.

“Big Sis, Father.” She saw two more figures, one an elegant middle-aged man with a long beard, while the other was a seemingly cold and arrogant young woman. This was her father and her older sister.

“Big Brother. Big Sis. Father…I’m coming.”

The child-Snow ran forward, ran to the side of her older brother, her older sister, and her father. Together again. They were finally together again…

………

Lying in Yichuan’s arms, Snow closed her eyes.

A peaceful smile was on her face.

“Ahh…ahhhh….aaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Yichuan opened his mouth, making some noise, but wasn’t able to speak. He tightly clutched his wife, raising his head high, but the tears still came spilling out.

The distant Ning came to a halt. His entire body trembling, he took one step forward after another, walking towards his mother’s side, then kneeling down.

“Mother!” Ning began to sob, a rumbling, heart-broken sound.

………..

The sound spread outside of the courtyard. The servants outside, hearing the sobs of their young master Ji Ning, filled with such agony, misery, and sadness, immediately understood that their mistress had already died. All of them couldn’t help but to lower their heads, their tears spilling out. They would never forget this benevolent mistress of theirs.

………..

Ning left West Prefecture City, going to live on the island in Serpentwing Lake.

According to the dying wishes of his mother, he personally scattered her ashes within the waters of Serpentwing Lake. From that day onwards, Ning gained a new hobby. He liked to lie down atop a small boat, allowing the boat to drift freely in the waters of Serpentwing Lake.

It was like…

Lying in the embrace of his mother. So very warm.





* * *





Book 5, Chapter 10 - Unfathomably Deep


Time flowed on like water, silent and soundless. In the blink of an eye, nearly five years passed.

Serpentwing Lake. Brightheart Island.

Brightheart was the name which Ji Ning had given this island in the center of the lake. The island had multiple buildings constructed atop it, and the formerly desolate island had been made into a beautiful place, like an unearthly utopia. It was currently at the changing of seasons from spring to summer, and all sorts of flowers were blooming and eye-catching. After careful arrangements by some servants, they appeared all the more beautiful and captivating.

“Big Sis Autumn Leaf, Big Sis Autumn Leaf.” A youth dressed in blue clothes ran over while shouting.

Autumn Leaf, who had been boiling a kettle of tea, turned to look. Laughing, she said, “Bluestone, your archery lessons have concluded? Did your Master Blindfish rebuke you?”

“This…” Bluestone rubbed his head and said resignedly, “How can I not be rebuked? Each time I practice archery, Master Blindfish will always lecture me. He’ll also often compare me to Big Bro. But how can I compare to Big Bro? You know what a genius he is!”

“You need to treasure this chance.” Autumn Leaf viewed Bluestone as she might her own little brother. She said seriously, “Young master himself said that although Master Blindfish had his dantian destroyed, that just made him become even more focused on archery…and his archery abilities have risen to a whole new level. It’s only because Master Blindfish is living here on Brightheart Island and because the young master asked him to do so that he is willing to teach you. You need to work hard. If you master it, it will be a consummate technique for you.”

Bluestone immediately nodded. “I understand.”

Bluestone’s life on Brightheart Island was quite carefree. Ning whole-heartedly treated him as he would a little brother, and acted towards him as an older brother would. One could tell how close their relationship was, just by the way Bluestone addressed him; generally speaking, a younger individual would address a more senior one as ‘Elder Brother’. Only someone who grew up together and thus were very close to each other would use the term ‘Big Bro’.

“Right.” Autumn Leaf laughed and nodded.

“Where is Big Bro Ji Ning?” Bluestone asked. “Training with the sword?”

Autumn Leaf laughed, “He’s not training the sword.”

“Oh. Then he’s sleeping on Serpentwing Lake.” Bluestone laughed. After having lived on Serpentwing Lake for five years, he had become well acquainted with Ning’s habits. Ning, aside from training with the sword, spent most of his time casually drifting on Serpentwing Lake aboard a small boat while napping.

“Right. He’s sleeping.” Autumn Leaf turned to look towards that boundless lake as well.

Bluestone couldn’t help but say, “Originally, I asked Big Bro Ji Ning why he is always sleeping on Serpentwing Lake. Big Bro just said…he is training. I don’t get it. How can sleeping atop Serpentwing Lake be training? But Big Bro Ji Ning’s swordplay really is becoming increasingly more powerful. Two years ago, Commander Yichuan acknowledged that he didn’t believe he could beat him!”

“Right. The young master’s swordplay has reached an unfathomably high level.” Autumn Leaf sighed. “I once watched the young master train with the sword, and when I did, I saw some aquatic birds flew over en masse, then fly around him in a circle for some time, unwilling to leave.”

“So bizarre!” Bluestone was surprised.