Chapter Sixty-Five: The Bald Monk

Although Nangong Xi knew she would eventually break free from the shackles of the shadow spirit, she still found it hard to believe at this moment. “You... I... thank you...” Nangong Xi stammered, managing only those few words. In the end, perhaps overwhelmed with emotion, she threw her arms around me, crying bitterly in my embrace.

“It’s all right now, everything is all right,” I said, doing my best to comfort her, though soothing others was never my strong suit. I could well imagine how wretched it must feel for a young girl to die unexpectedly, only to be captured and forced into servitude. I had long regarded her as family; for the sake of family, I would never regret anything I did.

Second Uncle had also promised her that, after she recovered for a while, he would teach her the way of cultivation.

“You won’t be bullied anymore, not with me here,” I gently told Nangong Xi, my eyes brimming with affection.

“Brother, it’s so good to have you...” she murmured.

That night, I kept Nangong Xi company until dawn. She said she was so happy, so happy that she couldn’t sleep. Who would refuse the chance to live again? It wasn’t until after seven in the morning that she finally lay down and fell asleep. I quietly covered her with a blanket and slipped out.

With another matter settled, my spirits were greatly lifted; I even felt as though walking was lighter. Yet a single message dragged me back into sorrow.

“Classmates, tomorrow you will receive a new game. Prepare yourselves well.”

Yes, it was that damned Ghost King. Seeing his message made my lips twitch in irritation, such was my hatred. But this time, no one in the group discussed the game; not a single word was uttered. Perhaps everyone had already come to terms with it.

I made my way to the nearest park and began practicing my martial arts. I poured all my frustration with the Ghost King onto a nearby tree—one punch, two punches, three punches—each blow whistling with tremendous force until, finally, there was a resounding crash as my fist struck the trunk.

Sometimes, we are not even as carefree as a tree—trees have no worries.

“Even a young hero has people he cannot bear to draw his sword against?” came a voice.

I paused and turned toward the speaker. At first, I was startled; it was a monk! Was this some kind of cosplay? But the next moment, I was stunned—a surge of spiritual energy emanated from the monk, boundless and immeasurable, far greater than anyone I’d ever encountered.

“Sir... no, Master,” I said, folding my hands in greeting as I’d seen in the movies.

The monk’s face radiated compassion, his head bald like all monks, yet beneath his kindness there was a hint of fierceness, a touch of heroism.

“A gentleman debates the way, but the youth acts upon it,” he said. “Young man, are you troubled by something?”

I pondered and then asked, “Master, why are so many people dissatisfied with their circumstances these days?”

The monk replied without hesitation, “Too many people reach out their hands, yet cannot take a step forward.”

I nodded, half understanding, and he continued, “Don’t always keep your troubles bottled up, unable to express them.”

With those words, the monk walked away in the direction behind me.

I stood there in a daze for a long while. Yes, we always make things so complicated, when we could simply face them—and yet, we fear to do so.

I was lost in thought until an elderly lady passing by patted me on the shoulder, pulling me from my reverie.

“What’s wrong, young man? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, no, thank you,” I replied, thanking her and taking my leave, leaving her bewildered.

That chance encounter with the monk untangled so many knots in my heart. If escape is impossible, then I must face it bravely!

I jogged home, where Nangong Xi was still asleep. I ate a simple meal and sat on the sofa, lost in thought. Suddenly, the ringing phone startled me.

“Hello, kid—is that girl awake yet?” It was Second Uncle.

“She woke up early, but she’s sleeping now.”

“That’s good. Keep an eye on her,” he said, about to hang up when I suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, do you have any sword techniques?”

I thickened my skin and asked.

“You rascal, always looking for a bargain,” he scolded, but after thinking a moment, he said, “I do, but they’re all basic techniques—practically useless. If you have time, go check out Qulong Town; you’ll definitely find something there.”

I’d heard of Qulong Town more than once, and my curiosity was piqued. “What kind of place is it?”

Second Uncle patiently explained, “Qulong Town has a long history—over a thousand years old, they say. But it wasn’t always called that. After a great war, most of the town was destroyed, and it was renamed Qulong Town.”

“It’s not a place ordinary people can find,” he added, suddenly stopping halfway to tease me.

“Come on, tell me already!”

“Hahaha... It’s a secret realm!”

A secret realm? I had no idea what that meant.

“You probably don’t know what a secret realm is. In simple terms, it’s another world—just smaller.”

With that explanation, I understood a bit more. It was similar to the principle of the ring.

Second Uncle then regaled me with stories about Qulong Town, telling me it was located behind the Spirit Martial Hall.

We chatted for quite some time before he had to attend to other matters and hung up.

I resolved that, if I had the chance, I would definitely visit Qulong Town. Even if I couldn’t buy anything, it would be good to see the world.

The rest of the day, I continued cultivating, though I seemed to hit a bottleneck. It wasn’t too serious, though—the process was still fairly normal.

Nangong Xi woke up in the afternoon and insisted on going out for a walk, since she hadn’t left my house since arriving. I was still worried, so I accompanied her.

She was curious about everything, asking questions like a child. I took her to try all the amusement park rides; on the roller coaster, she kept her eyes shut, too frightened to speak.

Nangong Xi was naturally beautiful. When I took her shopping for clothes, the shopkeeper kept complimenting her looks and even gifted us a piece of clothing.

As dusk approached, Nangong Xi and I sat together on a bench by the roadside, watching the sunset. She suddenly asked, “Brother, what does the sun symbolize?”

I glanced at the setting sun and replied, “Hope.”

We had a wonderful afternoon, but it left Nangong Xi exhausted. She fell asleep as soon as we returned home.

I could only purse my lips helplessly and turn on the television, which I hadn’t watched in ages.

“Today, a remarkable figure appeared in our city, flying through the sky. Some citizens witnessed this scene...”

I was about to drift off on the sofa, but the news woke me up instantly.

I squinted at the screen, then burst out laughing.

Wasn’t that monk?

On the screen, a bald monk in robes floated across the sky. In reality, his speed was incredible, but because he flew so high, he seemed to drift slowly above the city.