Special Chapters

SC25 - Test of Huiyi

There's a newfound sense of urgency as Future Sizhui, his voice taking on a serious tone, addressed the remaining cultivators.  "Juniors," he said, his gaze sweeping over the assembled group, "Please excuse yourselves.  Rest for an hour, and prepare yourselves for what lies ahead."

As the younger cultivators quietly filed out of the dining area, a palpable tension settled over the room.  The past selves of Sizhui, Jin Ling, and Jingyi, along with Lan Zhan, Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Cheng, remained seated, their faces etched with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

Future Sizhui, his eyes filled with a mixture of determination and weariness, took a deep breath.  "I need to explain something," he said, his voice a low murmur.  "We've come from the future.  Nineteen years from now, to be precise."

The room fell silent.  The words hung in the air, heavy with disbelief and a hint of fear.  Past Sizhui, his eyes wide with shock, stared at his future self, his mind reeling.  "The future?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Future Sizhui nodded, his gaze unwavering.  "Yes," he said, his voice firm.  "In our timeline, the heirs of the three of the five great sects – Lan, Jin, and Wen – have all traveled to different timelines."

"Wen?" Past Jingyi uttered his voice a mixture of disbelief and horror.  "How come Wen is one of the great sects again?"

Jiang Cheng, his face hardening, echoed his sentiment.  "That's what I was thinking," he said, his voice a low growl.  "How is that even possible?"

The Wen clan, once infamous for their cruelty and ambition, had been eradicated decades ago, their name synonymous with darkness and despair.  The very idea of them being one of the great sects, a beacon of power and influence, seemed impossible, a nightmare come to life.

Future Sizhui, his gaze fixed on the faces before him, sighed.  "You knew Liu Yang, right?" he asked turning to Wei Wuxian, his voice a gentle murmur.

The mention of the name sent a wave of unease through the room.  The three remaining cultivators and Wei Wuxian exchanged uneasy glances.  They knew Liu Yang, the herb collector they had met in that snowy mountain, a playful soul with a quiet determination.  Lan Zhan, his expression unreadable, nodded, his knowledge of Liu Yang stemming from Wei Wuxian's tales.  Jiang Cheng, however, remained clueless, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Liu Yang?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.  "Who is he?"

Past Jin Ling, his eyes widening in recognition, turned to his uncle.  "He's the herb collector we met once," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and concern.  "We met in one of our night hunting. He was introduced to us as a Wen.

Future Sizhui, his expression turning somber, nodded.  "He was more than just a herb collector," he said, his voice low and steady.  "You who have met him that he is training with Uncle Wen Ning as a cultivator."

The room fell silent, the weight of his words settling upon them.  Wen Ning, the gentle giant, the former Wen cultivator who had renounced his family's ways, was now training a young Wen to become a cultivator.  It was a revelation that sent a shiver down their spines.

Future Sizhui, his gaze fixed on Jiang Cheng, added, "He's the A-Yang I asked to go upstairs earlier."

The realization struck Jiang Cheng like a bolt of lightning.  The stoic, silent figure who had been helping with the chores, the one who had seemed so ordinary, was actually a Wen cultivator, a descendant of the very clan that had brought so much pain and suffering to their world. 

A cold dread crept into Jiang Cheng's heart.  "What does this mean?" he asked, his voice a low growl.  "Is the Wen clan back to their old ways?"

Future Sizhui, sensing his apprehension, raised a hand, his expression calm and reassuring.  "Before you jump to any conclusions," he said, his voice steady.  "The Wen clan is no longer the same as before.  Wen Yang has risen because of his medical expertise.  He is training to become a cultivator, but because of Jingyi's persuasion, he pursued to study more as a doctor."