Volume One: When Youths Meet in Humble Times Chapter Seven: Life Is a Struggle Between Powerlessness and Doing One's Best
Li Yu’s actions were straightforward and easy to understand—he was making offerings to the Earth Deity. His devotion and seriousness revealed this was a long-standing habit, not something cultivated overnight.
Lu Ming walked over, crouched down, and asked, “Did your grandmother teach you this?”
Before replying, Li Yu cast a subtle glance toward where the Earth Deity resided, then answered, “Yes. Grandma said the Earth Grandfather always looks after us. We must not forget his kindness. If we have food, we should offer it to him first.”
Lu Ming noted the look in his eyes, realizing Li Yu might truly see the Earth Deity. While the deity only manifested before them, to Li Yu, it was as if the deity was always present.
Perhaps his attentive gaze was because this was his first time seeing the Earth Deity take form.
Just then, Shui Linglong came over and asked, “You didn’t go home first after returning? You just crouched here. Aren’t you worried something happened to your grandmother?”
Li Yu glanced at the door, saying, “The door hasn’t changed. I purposely left it slightly open when I left. That means no one has gone in or out.”
She pressed, “But what if something happened to the person inside?”
Li Yu looked at her steadily, replying, “Nothing will happen.”
His confidence drew the attention of those present. Outsiders wouldn’t understand the source of his certainty, and those who did were likely only the Earth Deity and Lu Ming.
Lu Ming asked, “Then may we go in and have a look?”
Whatever thoughts Li Yu had, he seemed to decide it was time. He cleared away the water and sesame cakes he’d set before the idol. The three had made the deity conceal itself after their conversation.
Now, as they looked at the water in front of Li Yu, the three exchanged glances, realizing they were all thinking the same thing.
This place was extraordinary.
Perhaps the Earth Deity didn’t know what this bowl of water truly signified, but these three were accomplished young immortals with broad experience. In a time of scarcity, for the deity to manifest a bowl of water in the heart of the worst-stricken area, it meant there was a water vein here—and where a water vein converges, there must be a dragon vein.
This water was not just water; it was best described as a bowl of diluted dragon energy.
Ordinarily, the meager power of the Earth Deity would never be enough to draw dragon energy, but with the intervention of the one from Red Spring Mountain, all the water energy here had been gathered in one place. The deity merely had to redirect it, and could secretly siphon off a bit of dragon energy as it diffused outward.
No wonder, despite guessing that Li Yu ate little and was likely physically weak, they found no real harm in his body. Such fortune, under ordinary circumstances—drinking dragon energy water daily—would see him enveloped in spiritual energy, his spiritual apertures opening on their own, beginning cultivation without guidance. But as things were, all the spiritual energy he absorbed was spent merely sustaining his daily life and fending off the faint evil aura around him. To simply survive was already a miracle.
Yet, if not for the current calamity, the Earth Deity would not have been able to bring him dragon energy to drink, and he would never have tasted such a celestial essence. In the end, fate wound its way back to the starting point—truly, destiny was mysterious.
The three were each moved, their hearts stirred, but now was not the time for contemplation.
Li Yu led them inside, placing his offerings on the table before going to check on his grandmother. Finding her unchanged, he felt a measure of relief. Though he’d insisted nothing would happen, was he truly unafraid? Of course not—he was deeply afraid. But no matter the fear, he had to keep his life in order. Besides, if his grandmother knew he’d been less than sincere in worship, she would not be pleased, even if he had good reason. She would never wish to be the cause of his failings.
As Li Yu fed his grandmother, Lu Ming and his companions stood by her bedside, each employing their sect’s secret arts to probe her vitality. In the end, they were powerless.
Just as the middle-aged Daoist had said, her lifeblood and soul energy were gone. What kept her in this state between life and death was her own obsession and the root of dragon energy water Li Yu gave her. The moment her obsession faded, or the dragon energy could no longer suppress her deathly aura, she would pass away.
Li Yu had still harbored hope that the three might perform a miracle, but when he saw the look on Lu Ming’s face, he knew it was all just his wishful thinking.
Lu Ming was not one for consolation, but after a moment, he crouched down and said, “Life and death are fated. At least your grandmother is still alive, isn’t she?”
Li Yu said nothing, only nodded.
In truth, all three could see that Granny Li’s deathly aura was barely held at bay. Though outwardly suppressed by dragon energy, at the final steps of life, all concealment was powerless against the fragility of existence. Judging by her condition, she would likely last only until tomorrow night.
But should they say as much? Lie Yan Kong and Shui Linglong exchanged glances with Lu Ming. He’d intended to speak, but seeing the hope still lingering in Li Yu’s eyes, he held his tongue.
In that instant, he made another decision: if the loss of her lifeblood was the cause, then what if they recovered it? Might she then survive? He knew the odds were slim, but if, back then, someone had done as much for him, perhaps he wouldn’t have lost his dearest loved one.
Regardless, Lu Ming couldn’t bring himself to abandon even this faint hope—it was his way of redeeming a past regret.
That night, the three devised their plan, considering what to do, which formations to use, and what contingencies to prepare. They questioned the Earth Deity closely about the terrain of Red Spring Mountain. Before they left the next morning, they instructed Li Yu to stay home no matter what.
As dawn approached, Li Yu couldn’t help but pull out the jade pendant from his bosom. “Take this. It might come in handy.”
Lu Ming initially declined, but seeing Li Yu’s stubbornness, he relented. As he accepted it, Lie Yan Kong glanced over and noticed on one side the ancient character for “Li” engraved, the patterns ornate and exquisite, and the image of a qilin—a divine beast.
“May I see it?” Lie Yan Kong asked.
Lu Ming looked to Li Yu, who nodded, so he handed it over. Inspecting the other side, Lie Yan Kong saw it depicted a steaming lake and the majestic landscapes of Yunmeng. He gave Li Yu a meaningful look. “This boy’s family background is far from simple.”
Returning the pendant to Lu Ming, he said, “We’ll discuss his origins when we return. For now, let’s focus on the task. Keep the pendant; it may just prove invaluable.”
Because he took Li Yu’s jade pendant, Lu Ming set a protective barrier around the small house before leaving. He also instructed the Earth Deity to watch over Li Yu at all costs.
The middle-aged Daoist had been nearby the whole time, though unseen by the others. Watching them set out for Red Spring Mountain, he revealed a rare, genuine smile. “Interesting,” he mused.
He glanced at Li Yu, murmuring, “The Li clan of Yun Tomb, is it?”
The three soon reached the base of Red Spring Mountain. Before even ascending, they sensed dense baleful energy seeping from within. Though an array had been set up to screen the area, it was weakening—the drought demon’s time to emerge was near, and the array could no longer fully contain it.
They rose into the air, using their cultivation to survey the mountain’s form. The entire region was flat, with only Red Spring Mountain rising abruptly, as though reaching for the heavens. In better times, the mountain’s abundant flora and fauna would have signaled a place rich in life. The ancient treatise “Xiang Di Lue” noted, “The dragon vein of the plain, its cave at the highest point is the most auspicious.” Yet “Ode to a Pure Heart” warned, “A cave too high will emerge too swiftly; an early bloom withers soonest.” The key was balance—lofty, but not perilous.
The mastermind behind the scenes, raising corpses with earth’s dragon energy, would have chosen the dragon’s cave—the mountain’s heart.
But none of the three were experts in geomancy. Even though they deduced the drought demon hid within the mountain, they couldn’t say if they’d find it before nightfall.
Shui Linglong tried using the Profound Light Mirror, searching meticulously for a long time, but found nothing. Clearly, the mastermind had anticipated intruders and laid every precaution in the corpse-breeding ground—it would be folly not to.
“They must have used both arrays and some artifact to shield the place from divination,” she said.
They all guessed as much. With no other option, they would have to search the mountainside inch by inch.
As they prepared to ascend, a voice called out behind them—Li Yu had come after all.
“You shouldn’t be here!” Lu Ming exclaimed, both surprised and frustrated. “Go back! This is no place for you.”
Li Yu shook his head resolutely. “I figured you might not know where the drought demon is. I came to see. If I hadn’t found you at the base after waiting, I’d have turned back. But since you’re still here, it means you really don’t know the location.”
Lie Yan Kong asked, “Do you know where it’s hiding?”
Li Yu nodded. “I’ve sensed something unusual here before, when I climbed the mountain.”
Shui Linglong pressed, “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“At first, I didn’t know you. Later, I didn’t want you actually going into the mountain.”
“Why tell us now?” Lie Yan Kong continued.
Li Yu replied, “Since you’re determined to go, I think you must be confident in handling it. If I tell you what I know, it might help increase your chances.”
Lie Yan Kong was increasingly impressed by the boy’s upbringing. Not speaking earlier was self-protection; not wishing them to go was compassion; now, seeing their resolve, he offered aid out of righteousness. Thinking that such a virtuous and talented Li Yu might soon leave with Lu Ming to Great Sword Green Mountain, he felt a pang of grief.
Lu Ming asked, “Aren’t you afraid? Coming with us, you might die. If a fight breaks out, we might not be able to protect you.”
“It doesn’t matter. You don’t need to look after me. But I have one request.”
Lie Yan Kong said, “Speak.”
Li Yu looked at Lu Ming, his gaze earnest. “If I die, please take me out and bury me with my grandmother.”
Neither Lu Ming nor Lie Yan Kong answered immediately. They hadn’t expected such a request, nor for a child to face death so calmly. If it were a peer or an elder, they might accept it easily, but for a child to treat life and death with such indifference—it left them speechless.
At last, Shui Linglong answered, “All right. If you die, we’ll see to your and your grandmother’s funeral.”
Li Yu relaxed, exhaling softly. “That’s good enough.”
To him, death was of little consequence. Life had never been a gift from the heavens, but a series of hardships. Only after meeting his grandmother did he know warmth in the human world. Now, with fate set to take away the only warmth in his life, whether he lived or died no longer mattered.
The three agreed to let Li Yu join them. In this moment, the sooner they found the drought demon’s lair, the better their chances of destroying it.
If the demon were to drain the dragon’s energy from the earth vein, suppressing it would come at a terrible price.
From the moment they chose to intervene, it was always a gamble—a race against time to see whether the demon would break free first, or they would find and destroy it in its den.
Luckily, they encountered Li Yu—a boy whose very birth gave him the power to discern the workings of yin and yang, to see the transformations between life and death. Perhaps, in him, lay the turning point they so desperately needed.