2026-07-08 15:41:16When Rong Tian arrived at the ancient graveyard at the bottom of the abyss, his focus sharpened like a newly honed blade.
He set aside his personal thoughts and sat cross-legged in a lotus position atop an old, damaged grave. Its inscription had long become impossible to read.
The tombstone leaned to one side, half buried beneath the earth. Whoever rested there had been forgotten by the world above long ago.
Yet a dangerous and te
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The Eyes of the Crowd
Zhao Hua recognized Rong Tian before the young man even stopped. The grief she had arranged so carefully across her face cracked for an instant.The change was slight, but Chang Zhong saw it.Guang Jiang remained beside the procession. His gaze followed Rong Tian’s approach without haste or aggression, though there was already calculation behind his eyes.Rong Tian did not look at Zhao Hua first. He stopped before the funeral carriage, adjusted the sleeve of his robe, and bowed toward Zhao Lin’s coffin.Several townspeople who had been mocking him moments earlier fell silent.A thin man at the side of the road whispered, “Wait. That young man paid his respects to the coffin first. He understands proper conduct better than many people here.”“Do not praise him so quickly,” someone else replied. “Isn’t he the son
A Flower in the Dust
The man beside him still tried to defend her. “Perhaps she has her reasons.”“Whatever the reason,” the merchant replied, “insulting an old man in front of your own father’s coffin is still ugly.”Guang Jiang heard the murmurs. He neither stopped Zhao Hua nor defended her.Instead, he stepped half a pace forward and spoke loudly enough for those nearby to hear. “Grief makes it easy for people to lose their sense of measure. Everyone here should be careful with their words.”The remark sounded calming, but because he did not directly name Zhao Hua, the stain she had placed upon herself remained visible to everyone.Chang Zhong finally spoke as well. “This is a funeral procession, not a road for trading insults.”His voice was brief and cold. He did not defend Rong Ma, but neither did he allow Zh
The Road of Mourning
The carriage slowed, and the white horses snorted as the rhythm of the mourning drums faltered before stopping altogether. Every eye along the main road turned toward the old man kneeling there with a small bundle of flowers in his hands.The procession halted with such suddenness that it felt as though something had been pulled taut across the middle of the road. The white horses raised their heads, the city guards moved at once, and the voices of the crowd broke apart into unfinished breaths.Rong Ma remained on his knees. He held the flowers at chest height before raising them slightly when the funeral carriage finally came to a complete stop in front of him.From this distance, he could see the edge of Zhao Lin’s black coffin, the white cloth hanging from its corners, and the thin incense smoke drifting in the breeze above the main road. His face was not wet with tears, but the grief in his eyes was so unmistak
Before the Carriage Passed
For the townspeople, the sight already said enough. The Zhao household was not standing alone.A cloth merchant at the roadside rubbed his nose and whispered, “Look at that. The Radiant Sword Sect came in full force.”His companion swallowed. “Then this really is a serious matter.”An old woman standing behind them shook her head. “Serious or not, the Vice Minister was cut down on the road. Bai Feng is becoming less safe by the day.”A man on the right joined in. “If the Black Bat King truly did it, that demon should be hunted all the way into whatever hole in the sand he crawled into.”“Someone like that should never be allowed to roam free,” a shoemaker agreed. “Look at Miss Zhao. Her father has not even been buried yet, and she still has to stand before everyone like this.”A thin old man near the bamboo fence clicked his tongue softly. “The girl is pitiful, that much is true, but look at who is walking behind her. With the Radiant Sword Sect standing beside the Zhao family, this i
The Mourning Road
“Then why did you come?”“To see the coffin of a man who once helped me.”The answer silenced two nearby listeners. Cities were full of many kinds of relationships, and simple bonds like that were often the hardest to defend before the gates of great households.Not long afterward, the servant who had gone inside returned. His face was tenser than before.“Miss Zhao has heard,” he said. “But the mourning residence is full. People like you do not need to enter the inner hall.”Uncle Wu narrowed his eyes slightly. “If we cannot enter the hall, then let us leave the flowers in the courtyard.”The servant held his breath. “I am only delivering the words of the household.”A collective breath moved through the crowd around the gate, not loud enough to be called protest but
Voices at the Door
The second guard clicked his tongue. “People like you do not need to make an effort to embarrass anyone. Just standing here is enough to ruin the view.”Several nearby townspeople frowned at that. Not everyone enjoyed watching an old man treated like refuse, even if few of them were brave enough to intervene.Uncle Wu looked at the guard without smiling. “Watch your mouth. Words like that spoken at a mourning house can stain your master as well.”The guard was about to answer when a household servant hurried out from the courtyard. His face was tense, as though he had just received an unpleasant order.“What is happening here?” he asked.The first guard gave a brief salute. “These lowborn men are trying to force their way inside.”Rong Ma lowered his head slightly, but his voice remained steady. “I am Rong
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