Wang Xio stared at him. "You knew?" White haired man slowly released Ling Yuan's wrist before quietly nodding. "I feared this day would come." Xu yang frowned. "Then why didn't anyone tell us?" White haired man looked toward the mountains instead of answering right away. "Some futures can be delayed." His gaze slowly returned to Ling Yuan. "Not all of them can be avoided."He entered the cottage and returned carrying a small wooden box. Opening it carefully, he removed several pale jade-colored pills and a tiny porcelain bottle filled with clear medicinal liquid. He handed them to Xu Yang. "One pill every sunrise." Then he placed the bottle into wang xio's hands. "Mix three drops into warm water every evening." Wang Xio accepted them respectfully. "Will this heal him?" The man slowly shook his head. "No." That made everyone shocked."It will delay the collapse." he continued quietly. "Not cure it."
Xu yang's hands tightened around the medicine. "Then tell us how to cure him!" His voice echoed through the quiet valley, filled with desperation. "There has to be something!" The man remained silent for a long time before slowly turning his face away. His voice became almost inaudible. "Some illnesses..." He paused briefly. "cannot be cured by medicine." Xu yang's face paled. "Then what cures it?" The man looked at him with unreadable eyes, but this time he gave no answer.
Xu Yang refused to lower his gaze. He took another step forward, clutching the small wooden box of medicine so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Please!" he said, his voice no longer loud but carrying even more desperation than before. "If you know something... anything... tell me. I don't care how difficult it is. If there's even the smallest chance, I'll do it." The man remained silent. The wind stirred his long white hair, yet he neither answered nor looked back.
Qing Li stepped forward as well "Senior!" he said, trying to keep his voice steady, "we didn't come all this way just to hear that nothing can be done. If there's a mountain we have to climb, we'll climb it. If there's a place we have to reach, we'll go there. Just tell us where." Beside him, Hei long silently lowered his head before speaking. "If something is needed... I'll find it." Wang xio also stepped forward, respectfully cupping his fists. "Please. We are prepared for any price."
White haired man slowly closed his eyes and sighed. "Young people..." he murmured. "You always believe determination can overcome everything." He turned around to face them again. His weathered eyes lingered on Ling Yuan's pale face before he spoke. "Medicine can strengthen the body. It can stabilize spiritual energy. It can slow death." His voice remained calm. "But it cannot repair something that has already begun breaking from its origin."
Xu yang's heart sank. "Origin?"The man nodded faintly. "His illness is not merely within his body." He gently tapped his own chest. "Nor is it only within his spiritual veins." His finger slowly rose until it rested lightly against his forehead. "...It reaches even deeper than that."Everyone exchanged confused glances.Wang xio frowned. "Then what exactly is collapsing?" The man remained quiet for several moments before answering. "His destiny." Qing li blinked. "Destiny?" "From the day a person is born," the old man explained quietly, "their fate flows together with their spiritual veins. If fate itself becomes damaged... the veins eventually follow."
Xu Yang shook his head. "Then how do we repair fate?" White haired man looked at him with an unreadable expression. "...If I knew that answer..." A faint, bitter smile appeared on his face. "many people would still be alive today." Ling Yuan, who had remained quiet all this time, slowly lifted his head.His face was pale."Senior..." The man looked toward him. Ling Yuan smiled faintly. "Thank you." Xu Yang turned toward him. "Why are you thanking him?" His voice carried obvious frustration. "He hasn't told us anything useful."
Ling Yuan slowly shook his head. "He told us... the truth." He looked back at white haired man. "That alone... is enough." White haired man's gaze softened.After a long silence, he quietly walked back inside the cottage. The others looked at each other in confusion until he returned carrying a small jade pendant tied with a faded red cord. The jade was cloudy and worn with age, yet a faint spiritual aura still lingered around it.He held it out toward Xu yang."Take this." Xu yang carefully accepted it. "What is this now?" "It belonged to someone..." man answered softly. "who once refused to surrender to fate."Xu yang looked at the pendant in surprise."It won't heal Ling Yuan," man continued. "It may not even protect him." His eyes rested quietly on the worn piece of jade. "But sometimes... hope itself is enough to keep someone walking."
White haired man slowly turned away once more and returned to grinding herbs.The rhythmic sound of stone against stone echoed gently through the peaceful valley.
Xu Yang carefully tucked the jade pendant inside his robes. He looked once more at man and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Senior."
One by one, the others followed him before quietly helping Ling yuan back onto the mountain path.
After hours of walking,their village appeared beyond the forest. Everyone instinctively quickened their pace. Xu yang looked ahead with visible relief. "We're finally back." Qing Li stretched his aching shoulders and let out a long breath. "I never thought I'd miss this place so much."Hei long glanced toward Ling Yuan, who looked exhausted after the long journey, and quietly said, "We'll let you rest as soon as we get back." Ling Yuan smiled faintly and nodded. "I'm alright... thank you." Wang xio folded away map and looked toward the village entrance. "Something feels..." He paused. "strange."
The closer they walked,the quieter everything became.Xu yang's smile slowly disappeared. "Where is everyone?" he asked softly. Normally, the village would still be lively at this hour. Children would be chasing one another through the streets, merchants would be packing away their stalls, and warm laughter would drift from every courtyard as families gathered for dinner. But tonight... there was nothing.There wasn't a single laugh and not a single conversation.Not even the sound of dogs barking.
"What?!" Qing Li whispered as his eyes slowly widened in disbelief.The entire village had changed. There were countless colorful threads stretched across every rooftop like enormous spider webs, wrapping tightly around wooden houses, ancient trees, stone wells, fences, bridges, and every narrow street they could see. Some threads were floated through the air while others crawled slowly across walls as though they were alive. Even the village shrine stood completely surrounded by endless layers of shimmering threads that pulsed faintly with an unnatural light.
Xu yang slowly tightened his grip around the medicine in his hand."This..." he murmured quietly. "...wasn't here when we left." Hei long took a slow step forward as white flowers quietly bloomed around his feet, their petals trembling as though they had sensed something deeply unsettling."They're everywhere." he whispered. Ling yuan remained silent as he stared at the endless sea of threads covering the village.Suddenly, a weak cry echoed from one of the nearby houses. "Help..."
Everyone turned toward the sound.And they saw elderly man stumbled out from behind a broken doorway, his clothes covered with dust and torn in several places. Thick colorful threads were tightly wrapped around one of his arms and across his waist, making every step painfully difficult. The moment he recognized xu yang and the others, relief flooded his frightened face. "Xu Yang!" he cried desperately. "Thank heavens... you're back!" Without a moment's hesitation, Xu Yang rushed toward him and grabbed the glowing threads with both hands, trying to tear them away. "Uncle Zhao!" he called anxiously. "What happened here?"
The threads refused to budge no matter how much force he used. Uncle Zhao struggled to catch his breath before speaking. "After... after you all left..." He swallowed hard as fear filled his eyes once more. "...these things started appearing everywhere." His trembling gaze slowly swept across the silent streets. "At first... there were only a few." His voice shook violently. "But every single day... there were more." Qing Li hurried over and released a burst of spiritual energy, managing to slice through several thinner strands wrapped around the old man's arm. "Did anyone get hurt?" he asked quickly. Uncle Zhao lowered his head, his face turning pale. "Yes."
Before he could explain further, another frightened voice suddenly called out from nearby. "Young Master Xu!" Everyone turned to see a middle-aged woman cautiously stepping out from another house while tightly holding a little girl against her chest. The child's tiny face remained buried against her mother's shoulder, trembling uncontrollably. Tears filled the woman's eyes as she looked toward Xu Yang. "They won't leave us alone," she said desperately. "Every night..." Her voice broke. "...they move." The little girl slowly lifted her head, revealing frightened eyes filled with tears. "They whisper..." she said softly. "...They keep whispering outside our window." Hei Long's expression darkened as he gently knelt before her. "What do they say?" he asked quietly. The little girl hugged her mother even tighter before answering in a trembling voice. "They keep saying..." She paused, terrified. "...'Come home'...''
Moments later, another villager slowly emerged from behind a broken wooden cart. His face looked exhausted, and several glowing threads remained tightly wrapped around one of his legs. "We tried cutting them." he said bitterly. "Axes don't work. Fire doesn't work." He slowly pointed toward the rooftops where countless threads continued swaying unnaturally. "Every time we destroy one... ten more appear." As his words faded, more villagers gradually stepped out from hiding. Some looked frightened beyond words. Some looked exhausted after days without proper rest and others simply looked completely hopeless.
An elderly woman slowly clasped her hands together as tears rolled down her wrinkled cheeks. "Please..." she whispered helplessly. "Save our village." A young man nearby clenched his fists in frustration until they trembled. "We've been trapped inside our own homes for days!" he shouted angrily. Another villager stared toward the shrine buried beneath countless layers of colorful threads before lowering his head. "It feels like..." he whispered. "...this village doesn't belong to us anymore."
Xu yang slowly looked around at every frightened face surrounding him.He saw children hiding behind their parents, elderly villagers unable to stop shaking, and families who no longer dared leave their homes. He slowly lifted his gaze toward the countless threads stretching endlessly across the darkening sky. His eyes gradually filled with determination as he tightened his fists. "We're going to stop this."
Villagers looked at one another uncertainly, wanting to believe him but no longer knowing what hope felt like. A wind swept through the empty streets, making the countless threads above them sway.Uncle Zhao slowly grabbed Xu yang's sleeve, his weathered hand trembling uncontrollably."Young Master xu..." he said in a hoarse voice, "please be careful." He slowly looked toward the shrine. "These things..." His breathing grew heavier. "they're becoming smarter."
Everyone's expressions changed.Wang xio frowned. "Smarter?"The old man nodded weakly. "At first they only wrapped around houses." He swallowed nervously. "Then... they began following people." His frightened eyes shifted toward the villagers standing nearby. "If someone cries... they gather around them." His voice dropped even lower. "If someone talks about leaving the village... they appear outside that person's house before sunrise."
Qing li's sharp eyes carefully followed the countless colorful threads stretching across the village before he spoke in a low voice. "They're watching us." Uncle Zhao gave a weak, bitter smile and slowly shook his head. "No!" he whispered, his tired eyes filled with fear. "They've always been watching." The middle-aged woman instinctively hugged her little daughter even tighter, as though she feared something might snatch the child away at any moment. She lowered her head for a moment before quietly speaking. "Last night..." Her voice trembled as she struggled to keep herself together. "my daughter suddenly woke up crying." She gently stroked the little girl's hair while tears slowly filled her own eyes. "She said someone was singing outside our window." She swallowed hard before continuing. "I thought someone had wandered into the village, so I gathered my courage and opened the door..." Her lips began trembling uncontrollably. "But there was nobody there." Very slowly, she raised her shaking hand and pointed toward the roof above her home. "There were only those threads... hanging there... moving by themselves."
The little girl clung tightly to her mother's clothes, her tiny fingers refusing to let go. She slowly peeked out with frightened eyes before hiding again.Her small voice was barely louder than a whisper. "They... they knew my name..." Everyone immediately looked toward her then tears felled down as she buried her face against her mother's shoulder once more. "They kept calling me..." she whispered fearfully. "Again... and again... telling me to come outside."
The entire street fell deathly silent.Hei Long slowly raised his head toward the threads swaying gently above the village.Around his feet, the white flowers that had bloomed only moments earlier slowly began folding their petals shut one by one.Hei long quietly watched them before softly murmuring, "Even they're afraid." Qing li narrowed his eyes, his expression becoming unusually serious.Tiny light flickered around his fingertips, casting an blue glow across his face. He stared at the endless sea of threads above them before speaking in a cold voice. "This isn't just spiritual energy anymore." His gaze slowly swept across the frightened villagers. "...It's attacking people's minds."Ling yuan silently nodded,"Fear feeds it," he said quietly. "The more frightened the villagers become... the stronger those things will continue to grow."
Xu Yang looked around at the frightened villagers gathered before him.Some were holding their children tightly, others were supporting elderly family members, and many could not stop glancing nervously at the colorful threads stretching across every rooftop.He took a slow breath before speaking, "Everyone, listen to me." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried through the silent street. "From this moment on, don't face these things alone. No matter what happens, stay together."
Uncle Zhao nodded before asking in a worried voice, "Young Master Xu... then what should we do? We can't hide forever."Several villagers looked toward Xu yang, waiting for an answer.Before Xu yang could speak,Wang xio calmly stepped forward."First," he said quietly, "nobody leaves their home alone after sunset."He slowly looked around at everyone."Travel in groups. And watch each other. If someone disappears, everyone searches together. Never split up." The villagers nodded nervously while listening carefully.
Hei Long stepped forward beside Wang Xio, his gaze gentle but unusually serious. "If you hear someone calling your name..." He paused briefly before continuing. "don't answer immediately." Confused expressions appeared among the villagers.Hei Long lowered his eyes for a moment before adding, "Even if the voice sounds familiar... don't trust it." Qing Li folded his arms and nodded in agreement. "He's right." His usual cheerful expression had disappeared completely. "Even if it sounds like your parents... your children... or someone you care about..." He looked directly into the villagers' frightened eyes. "don't follow the voice."
The street became even quieter after hearing those words.A young man near the back swallowed nervously before raising his hand slightly. "What if..." His voice trembled. "...what if it calls my mother?" The question hung heavily in the air. Qing Li slowly looked toward him before answering with unusual seriousness. "Close your eyes!" he said softly. "Turn around..." He clenched his fists slightly. "and walk away." The young man's face immediately turned pale. "But... what if it really is her?" Nobody answered.
Hei Long quietly looked toward the countless threads above the village before speaking. "Fear is exactly what it wants." He slowly closed one of the flowers blooming beside him as if demonstrating his point. "The more afraid you become... the easier it is for them to reach you." The villagers exchanged uneasy glances. Some nodded, trying to remember every word. Others still looked completely terrified. A woman holding two small children slowly stepped forward, tears filling her eyes. "How long..." she asked quietly. "...How long do we have to keep living like this?" Xu Yang looked at the frightened children hiding behind her before answering honestly. "Until we find a way to stop them." He refused to lie to them. "I don't know how long that will take." He slowly tightened his grip around the medicine the white-haired man had given them. "But I promise..." His eyes gradually filled with determination. "we won't give up."
Ling Yuan, who had remained quietly standing beside hei long throughout the conversation, slowly lowered his head.After a long moment, he quietly spoke. "I'm sorry." Everyone turned toward him. Ling Yuan forced a faint smile despite the exhaustion in his eyes. "All of this happened..." He looked toward the villagers before lowering his gaze again. "...while I couldn't help anyone." Guilt was written clearly across his face.Before he could continue, Xu Yang suddenly reached over and lightly flicked his forehead.Ling Yuan blinked in surprise.Xu Yang folded his arms and frowned at him. "Stop apologizing." His voice sounded firm, but there was obvious concern hidden in it. "You're making it sound like this is somehow your fault."
Ling Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but Xu Yang cut him off again. "You're injured." He pointed directly at Ling Yuan's chest. "Your only job right now..." He sighed before smiling faintly. "is staying alive."Qing Li grinned and nodded. "Exactly!"He stepped over and gently patted Ling Yuan's shoulder. "Leave the dangerous work to people like us." Xu yang raised an eyebrow. "People like you?" Qing Li proudly placed both hands on his waist. "Naturally." Xu yang looked at him without changing his expression. "You tripped over a bucket yesterday." Qing Li coughed awkwardly. "That bucket attacked first." Then everyone laughed at him.Even Ling Yuan couldn't stop smile from appearing on his face. Xu Yang noticed it and smiled back. "See?" he said softly. "That looks much better."
Without the slightest warning, several colorful threads suddenly slithered across the ground.They crawled over broken stones, wrapped around abandoned carts, coiled around lantern poles,and tightened themselves around wooden fences with unsettling speed. The villagers immediately shout out in fear and stumbled backward. "They're moving again!" someone shouted. "Everyone get back!" Xu Yang yelled as he instantly stepped in front of the villagers and pulled his sword from its sheath with a sharp metallic ring.
Qing Li jumped backward just as one thread shot toward his feet. "They're back!" he shouted, nearly losing his balance. Hei Long raised one hand without hesitation, and dozens of white flowers bloomed around him. Their petals shot forward like tiny blades, slicing through several approaching threads. The severed strands writhed violently on the ground before slowly dissolving into colored mist. Wang xio calmly pulled several silver needles from his sleeve and flicked them through the air with astonishing precision. Each needle pierced a thread exactly at its center, forcing it to loosen before dropping lifelessly onto the ground. Ling Yuan, despite his weakened condition, gathered what little spiritual energy he could and formed a thin spiritual barrier around the frightened villagers. "Stay behind us," he said softly. "Don't panic."
More threads suddenly burst from beneath the cracked road, lashing wildly toward everyone. Xu Yang swung his sword in a wide arc, releasing a wave of spiritual energy that cut through several threads at once. "Back off!" he shouted. Qing Li grabbed a broken wooden pole lying nearby and began wildly batting away every thread that came close. "Why do these things always come after me?!" he complained as another thread wrapped around the end of the pole. He yanked it free before stumbling backward. His heel caught on a loose stone and he fell flat onto the ground with a loud thud.
Xu yang glanced over his shoulder and couldn't help laughing despite the situation. "You're fighting threads, not dancing!" Qing Li quickly scrambled back onto his feet, brushing dirt from his clothes while glaring at Xu Yang. "I'm trying!" he shouted. "These stupid things keep grabbing my legs!" Even Ling Yuan, standing quietly behind them, couldn't stop the corner of his lips from lifting into a faint smile. Seeing Ling Yuan smile made Xu Yang grin even wider. "See?" he laughed. "Even Ling Yuan thinks that was funny." Qing Li puffed out his cheeks. "Very funny. Next time you can trip instead!"
For a few moments, the fight remained under control. Every thread that approached was quickly cut apart by Xu Yang's sword, Hei Long's flowers, Wang Xio's needles, or Qing Li's clumsy but surprisingly effective swings. The villagers slowly began calming down as hope returned to their faces.Then everything became quiet. Every remaining thread froze exactly where it was, hanging motionless in the air as though time itself had suddenly stopped.The leaves on the nearby trees became perfectly still.Xu yang slowly lowered his sword, his smile disappearing as he looked around cautiously. "Why did they stop?" he whispered, his voice barely audible in the unnatural silence. Wang Xio's expression changed immediately. His sharp eyes slowly swept across every motionless thread surrounding the village, carefully observing their strange behavior before he quietly warned, "Don't move."
No one dared make a sound. Even the frightened villagers instinctively covered their mouths, afraid that the slightest noise would disturb whatever was happening.The threads suddenly began moving again.Every single strand twisted in the same direction. Every single thread followed. Thousands upon thousands of shimmering threads gradually turned together until they all pointed toward one person and that was Ling yuan.Xu yang's gaze slowly followed their movement, and the moment he realized where they had stopped, his pupils suddenly contracted. "Ling Yuan?" he whispered in disbelief.
Ling yuan blinked in confusion and looked around at the countless threads now surrounding him from every direction. "Me?" he asked quietly, unable to understand why they had suddenly chosen him. Before anyone else could react, Hei Long stepped in front of Ling yuan without hesitation, spreading one arm protectively across his chest. Dozens of pure white flowers instantly bloomed around them, their glowing petals circling through the air to form a living barrier. Xu Yang rushed to Ling Yuan's other side and raised his sword defensively, never taking his eyes off the countless threads surrounding them. His grip tightened until his knuckles turned white.
Qing Li hurried over as well, clutching the wooden pole so tightly that his hands began trembling. He looked from the threads to Ling Yuan before asking nervously, "Why are they all looking at him?" Wang Xio remained perfectly still, his eyes fixed upon the endless sea of colorful threads surrounding the village. After several unbearably tense moments, he answered, "They're after him."
Before anyone could react, the ground beneath Ling Yuan suddenly split apart with a sharp cracking sound. Dozens of colorful threads burst out from the earth like living roots, moving far faster than before. They shot toward him from every direction. One instantly wrapped tightly around his ankle. Then another. Before Ling Yuan could even take a step back, more threads coiled around his wrists, tightening so quickly that he couldn't pull free. Another thick strand wrapped itself around his waist and dragged him backward. "Ling Yuan!" Xu Yang shouted in panic, throwing himself forward. His sword flashed through the air, cutting several threads apart in a single strike.
The severed strands had barely touched the ground before countless new threads burst from beneath the earth and replaced them. "Damn it!" Xu Yang growled as he slashed again and again, but no matter how many he cut, more continued appearing."Ling Yuan, hold on!" Qing Li threw away the pole and grabbed the threads with both hands, desperately trying to pull them away from Ling Yuan's body. His palms burned from the strange spiritual energy flowing through them, but he refused to let go. "Come on! Break already!" he shouted through gritted teeth.
Hei Long hurried forward as countless white flowers bloomed around him.Their glowing petals became sharp blades and repeatedly sliced through the colorful threads, but something was wrong.The moment each flower touched the threads, its petals instantly withered, turning gray before falling lifelessly to the ground. Hei Long stared in disbelief as more flowers died one after another. "No..." he whispered. "Why...?" His hands trembled as he continued summoning more flowers despite knowing they were failing.
Wang Xio rushed to Ling Yuan's side and threw several silver needles toward the threads, hoping to weaken them, but the needles bounced away as though striking solid steel."They're rejecting everything."The threads suddenly tightened.Ling yuan gasped as they lifted him several feet above the ground. Xu yang reached upward, desperately trying to grab his hand. "Ling Yuan!" he shouted, his voice breaking. "Take my hand!" Their fingertips brushed for the briefest moment before another violent surge of threads pulled Ling Yuan even farther away.
Xu Yang stumbled forward, refusing to give up. "No! Give him back!" He continued cutting through the threads with desperation, but every path he opened closed again within seconds. Qing Li's eyes had already turned red from panic. "Stop!" he screamed at the threads. "Leave him alone!" Hei Long forced more spiritual energy into his dying flowers until blood slowly ran from the corner of his own lips. Even then, the flowers continued withering the instant they touched the threads.
Suspended within the countless strands, Ling Yuan slowly lifted his head. His face remained pale, and the silver cracks beneath his skin had spread farther than ever before. Yet when he looked at Xu Yang... he smiled. It was the same gentle smile Xu Yang had always known."...Xu..." he whispered. Xu Yang immediately shook his head, tears already filling his eyes. "No!" he cried desperately. "Don't say anything! I'm getting you out!"
Ling Yuan slowly closed his fingers around the thread wrapped across his wrist before quietly speaking again."Promise me..." Xu Yang continued struggling toward him, his entire body shaking. "No!" he shouted. "Don't make me promise anything! Just come back! Please!" Ling Yuan's smil didn't disappeared. "...Keep... smiling..." Xu Yang froze. The world around him seemed to stop.
Then darkness exploded beneath Ling Yuan's feet and black flames erupted from the ground like a pillar reaching toward the heavens. Endless threads surged upward together, surrounding Ling Yuan from every direction until they completely swallowed him inside a massive cocoon of darkness. The sky itself seemed to darken as the black flames twisted together with the endless threads."LING YUAN!" Xu Yang screamed with every bit of strength he had left, throwing himself toward the cocoon. Qing Li, Hei Long, and Wang Xio rushed after him without hesitation, each desperately trying to reach Ling Yuan.
Then, without any warning, the enormous black cocoon suddenly collapsed inward. The countless threads twisted together until they became nothing more than a single point of darkness. The black flames that had reached toward the heavens flickered before vanishing completely. The endless threads disappeared one after another, the overwhelming spiritual pressure dissolved into nothingness, and the blinding light slowly faded from the village. When everything finally became still again... Ling Yuan was gone. Xu Yang stared blankly at the empty ground before him, his outstretched hand still trembling in the air.Then, all at once, a heart-wrenching scream tore through the silence. "LING YUAN!"
Adult Qing Li suddenly rushed forward and shouted, "Ling Yuan!" His face turned completely pale, his breathing became uneven, and his whole body shook. Beside him, Hei Long and Wang Xio quickly turned to look at him, both startled by his sudden reaction.