A Chaotic World

Where is this?

Lu Tianzi wondered as he surveyed the world of frost laid out before his eyes.

The landscape certainly resembled the Shimmering Plains, but wasn't he back in the cave with the Frost Guards?

How did he end up here on top of a cliff?

Unless…

"Master..." an unfamiliar female voice called out from behind him.

Lu Tianzi found himself sighing involuntarily, and immediately understood what was going on.

He was seeing through someone else's past memories again.

However, who could it be this time?

"What do you think, Wenxin?" Lu Tianzi found himself saying without looking back. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is..." the reply came back with a slight tremble in her voice.

"Do you know, Wenxin? This place used to be a burning desert," Lu Tianzi asked.

"A... desert?" this time, there was uncertainty.

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Lu Tianzi let out a slight chuckle. "Back then, your master's comrades sacrificed their lives to aid me in battle, allowing me to eventually defeat the tyrant of the desert and seal his evil artifact once and for all. That's how a place that was once a desert became what you know as the current Frostguard Mountain."

"...Do you regret it?" the reply came after a few moments of hesitation.

"Regret? Why would I?" Lu Tianzi shook his head. "Back then, the tyrant of the desert was performing all sorts of evil deeds. By doing this, your master managed to rid the world of a huge evil!"

"But master's comrades had to sacrifice their lives for it..."

"..." Lu Tianzi remained silent as he looked up at the skies.

It was a clear blue sky, though perhaps a little too peaceful-looking for the atmosphere right now.

"Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made for the greater good," Lu Tianzi finally said.

"Perhaps that is true sometimes, but this does not apply every time! Since you have already sacrificed for the world once, there is no need to do it again!" she replied in a pleading tone.

"No, Wenxin," Lu Tianzi let out a bitter smile. "It is because I have already sacrificed once that I should do it again. I know how it feels, so why would I choose to subject others to the same pain?"

"But...!"

Lu Tianzi raised a hand to stop her. "If you are lost in the future, do not hesitate to head over to Sky Sabre Mountain. They will take you in."

"Those cowards! I will never resort to relying on them even if the only other option is to die out in the wilds!" her voice was filled with anger this time.

"You have the right to choose how you wish to lead your life," Lu Tianzi said with a sigh. "But remember, Sky Sabre Mountain is not wrong. We just have different ways of handling things."

"They are wrong to me!"

Lu Tianzi turned around to look at the young lady.

The young lady bit on her lower lips with eyes that were unnaturally moist. She was shivering a little, but it was not from the cold winds.

In her gaze was a sense of anger, perhaps tainted with a tinge of grief. These strong emotions on full display were the true culprits behind her trembling.

Step by step, Lu Tianzi slowly approached the young lady named Wenxin, until he was standing within an arm's length of her. He smiled, then lightly patted Wenxin on the head. "Silly girl. You are still young, so you might not know this. However, there isn't just black and white in this world. Sometimes, there are grey areas that can belong to both sides."

"Yes, I don't know that. I don't know anything yet, so I still need you around to teach me!" a tear fell from Wenxin's eyes.

"This is my final order to you as your master," Lu Tianzi maintained his smile. "Live, Wenxin. Do not think about revenge, and live your life to the fullest."

His words caused another drop of tear to flow from Wenxin's eyes. "Do you really have to fight?"

"That is the same question that I want to ask."

The remark coming from behind her caused the young lady to spin around in alarm, glaring at the newcomer with extreme animosity in her eyes.

"You are here," Lu Tianzi said nonchalantly, not at all surprised by the appearance of this newcomer.

But when he turned his head up to look at this newcomer, the Lu Tianzi within this body could not help but freeze.

Walking up to the duo was someone whom he was able to recognise in an instant, and also someone whom he had never expected to see here.

This time, instead of the loose and dirty looking long robe, this person was donning an exquisite set of battle robes that fitted him perfectly. His long black hair was no longer let down freely but tied back in a high ponytail. Instead of the long and unkempt beard that Lu Tianzi remembered, his features were clean and sharp.

Yet even though the attire was different, there was no doubt that it was the same person in Lu Tianzi's memories.

Xihuang Yuanfeng.

His demon master trapped on Crimson Mountain now stood before him, this time with an outfit well befitting his strength.

However, why was he here?

"Since you are already here, I guess this means that time's up," Lu Tianzi said with a composure completely unlike what he was feeling right now.

That was only to be expected as well, for Lu Tianzi's personal emotions had nothing to do with the body that his consciousness was currently residing in.

"You still have a choice. Surrender, and I can ensure your safety," Xihuang Yuanfeng replied in a dignified manner that Lu Tianzi was not used to hearing at all.

Hearing his words, Wenxin immediately turned around to look at Lu Tianzi with pleading eyes.

"There is no need for that. If I have intended to surrender, I would have done so the previous time," Lu Tianzi shook his head lightly. "However, I do hope that you will let Wenxin go. Or at the very least, I hope that you won't personally pursue her."

"That I can do," Xihuang Yuanfeng agreed. "But if you are so worried about her, why don't you choose to survive and take care of her yourself?"

"There are certain things that a man simply cannot give up on," Lu Tianzi mused as though he was thinking about something that happened in the distant past. After which, he tapped Wenxin lightly on the shoulder. "You should go now."

"But Master! You don't have to do this!" Wenxin tried to persuade her master one final time, but to no avail.

"Go. And live," Lu Tianzi said before turning his attention to Xihuang Yuanfeng. "If you stay any longer, you will only serve as a distraction to me."

After gazing upon her master for another few moments, Wenxin shot one last glare at Xihuang Yuanfeng before flying off.

She never looked back again.

"Now then, shall we begin?" Lu Tianzi got into a battle stance.

"What's the point of this? You should know by now that you are not my match," Xihuang Yuanfeng said nonchalantly.

"Even so, I will not go down without a fight," Lu Tianzi replied. "This is a promise to my dead comrades."

"What a pity," Xihuang Yuanfeng flicked his wrist, and a sword appeared in his hand. "To think that the story of Hui Lingcong the Immeasurable Frost will be ending in such a way."

Hui Lingcong the Immeasurable Frost?

Lu Tianzi finally heard the name of the body that he was in. Still, it was a name completely unfamiliar to him.

"What do you mean? Didn't you see me send Wenxin off?" Hui Lingcong smirked. "As long as she lives, the story of the Immeasurable Frost will continue to live on. One day, she will come to surpass the current me, and become the new Immeasurable Frost."

"I see. So you have already accepted your fate and decided to leave a seed for the future," Xihuang Yuanfeng shook his head. "Still, I can only say that you are gambling with the odds stacked against you. What are the chances of her surviving long enough for that? It doesn't seem like she is willing to seek refuge at Sky Sabre Mountain either."

"Perhaps it truly is a gamble on my part," Hui Lingcong said. "But if we want to talk about the odds, there's something else that I am betting on which might have even worse odds."

"Hmm? And what might that be?" Xihuang Yuanfeng asked.

Hui Lingcong grinned before pointing straight ahead.

"I am betting on you."

Xihuang Yuanfeng widened his eyes in surprise, then a rare chuckle escaped his solemn countenance. "You are truly an interesting person, Hui Lingcong."

As he spoke, countless swords appeared around Xihuang Yuanfeng, each with its own unique shape and size. However, one thing was common about them.

They were all pointed towards Hui Lingcong.

Xihuang Yuanfeng closed his eyes, and the numerous swords shot forward towards Hui Lingcong like a wave of steel.

And at that very moment, Lu Tianzi's mind froze.

Even though Xihuang Yuanfeng did not seem to have put much effort into the attack, the moment the swords moved, Lu Tianzi felt like time had suddenly slowed to a crawl.

Unfortunately, this was nothing like when he saw everyone else's movements slowing to a sluggish pace while he could move as per normal, allowing him to outmanoeuvred his opponents with ease.

This time, it felt like his mind was the thing that had slowed.

Right now, he was incapable of even thinking about avoiding or blocking the attack. All he could do was stand there and watch as the numerous swords came straight at him.

Facing this wave of swords from Xihuang Yuanfeng, Lu Tianzi experienced true helplessness.

He knew that it was dangerous, yet his mind refused to cooperate.

There was absolutely nothing he could do apart from watching himself die.

Be it fortunate or not, Lu Tianzi was unable to see or feel what happened next as his surroundings faded out into darkness just before the swords connected...

***

Lu Tianzi opened his eyes to a cool sensation running down his back.

"How are you feeling?" Nanlan Qianxue's voice was like a melodious tune that rescued his mind from the shock, and brought him back to the safety of reality.

Lu Tianzi slowly sat up.

He was lying on an ice bed while Nanlan Qianxue sat a distance away, her hands busy sculpting some wooden token.

"How long have I been out for?"

"Just half a day or so," Nanlan Qianxue answered. "What happened back there?"

What happened?

Even Lu Tianzi himself did not fully understand.

"Did you manage to gain the acknowledgement of the Winter Stone?" Lu Tianzi asked again.

"Who knows?" Nanlan Qianxue shrugged before continuing on her sculpting. "The Piercing Wind Overlord said that we will only know for sure when we enter the vicinity of Frostguard Mountain."

"We will only know when we enter the vicinity?" Lu Tianzi frowned before sinking his perception into his inner world.

Indeed, he was unable to find anything different about himself.

"In any case, the Piercing Wind Overlord told you to let him know once you are done resting," Nanlan Qianxue added nonchalantly.

"Is there something else he needs?" Lu Tianzi asked.

"Mm," Nanlan Qianxue put away her wooden token before standing up. "He said that it is time to begin preparations for the attack on Frostguard Mountain."