I Will Leave Before Dawn

Chapter 23: A place to belong

It was the night of the blood moon, and with it, a thunderstorm raged as the crimson moon concealed itself behind the ominous clouds. Despite the synchronous rhythm between the thunder and Lu Ye's scream, no rain fell from the sky.

Witnessing this awe-inspiring scene before them, the people of the Qing Shan Sect gasped and murmured in surprise. While such sights were familiar to the seasoned immortals, they instilled fear in the hearts of the newer generations, prompting them to retreat in trepidation.

A reddish bone, as sharp as a knife's edge, pierced through the center of Lu Ye's forehead, causing blood to trickle down his face. His agonizing screams filled the air as tears continued to spill from his eyes, his pupils nowhere to be found.

"Bai Chang! It's truly Bai Chang! We could never forget such a beautiful form! Our lord resides in that vessel!" The residents of the Grim City erupted in joy, celebrating the momentous event with unrestrained jubilation.

Damu Lan attempted to approach Lu Ye, but a swirling black mist enveloped the suffering man, preventing anyone from getting close.

Amidst the excruciating pain, Lu Ye's mind wandered through the fragmented memories of his past, leaving him unaware of his current condition.

As the memories unfolded, and he had experienced it all over again, Lu Ye finally realized the undeniable truth—he had been Bai Chang all along. However, his former life had ended tragically, taken by the hands of the person he had once trusted the most. Even in death, he could find no peace.

"Why? Why do I have to be this person who I don't want to be the most?" Bai Chang wailed, feeling the forceful grip of those he had slain in his past life choking the life out of him.

With one final demise, he awoke in a place starkly different from his nightmare. Everything around him was bathed in an ethereal white light, resembling a shallow flowing sea of water.

Now inhabiting the body of Lu Ye, he found himself no longer in the body of the person he once was, Bai Chang.

The intensity of the light caused him to flinch, and he instinctively shielded his vision. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He pleaded, overcome with fear, afraid of the people that would strangle him again.

As nothing seemed to happen, slowly, he dared to peek through his protective cover, and to his surprise, a figure appeared before him, seemingly out of thin air.

Bai Chang fixed his gaze on the figure of the hooded cloaked man who knelt before him, his face hidden behind a mask. Slowly, the man stood up, removing the black mask that concealed his face.

"Yin...Xuan?" Bai Chang called out in surprise.

Yin Xuan's gentle and tender gaze met Bai Chang's as he spoke, "My lord, this is a realm devoid of time. If you can see me like this now, it means that I am no longer anywhere in the world. I cannot be with you at this moment, and I apologize that I cannot alleviate your worries."

Confused, Bai Chang attempted to touch Yin Xuan, but to his surprise, his hand passed through as if Yin Xuan were nothing more than an illusion.

"My lord, I hope you like this body that I have crafted and carved for you. I spent centuries cultivating my qi to match the strength you once had, though it seems it falls far short of yours," Yin Xuan explained.

"Crafted? Carved? What are you saying?" Bai Chang asked, trying to comprehend Yin Xuan's words, yet met with no response to such a question.

"My lord, I didn't have enough time to explain. I was running out of time, so all I could do was bring this body to the eternal forest and leave you a little note. I apologize for being forgetful and not providing proper guidance," Yin Xuan said with regret, bowing slightly.