"These letters… I can decipher them"
Xuelan muttered as she saw the metal gate bearing the symbol of the Heavenly Destruction Sect
"What does it say?" Ming asked curiously while carrying Xuelan on his back
Xuelan went silent, her eyes focused on the engraved ancient writings as she recalls how to read them
Meanwhile, Zhu Lian was begrudgingly pouting at Ming for giving Xuelan a piggy back ride because she lost too much blood to walk properly. She tried offering to carry Xuelan instead but, Xuelan denied her outright, saying that only Ming's back is wide and reliable enough to carry her comfortably
Needlessly to say, this irrationally riled Zhu Lian up
Ming had to step in and stop the two women from bickering
"It reads, uhh… U-usurp the heavens, raze the land, desolate life itself" Xuelan paused, shocked at every word leaving her mouth as she darted her eyes down to the Sect's symbol, there was text in the middle, where "Heavenly Destruction Sect" should it
With hesitant breaths, Xuelan read the Sect's name out loud "Fated Desolation Sect"
"The Heavenly Destruction Sect is hiding something… this mantra, the name, it's not…"
Zhu Lian gasped, covering her mouth
"Not something that an Orthodox Sect would ever condone" Ming answered solemnly, perhaps they've found out about something they even never meant to
The three went through the gate, Xuelan looked around the clearing, eerie, apathetic and brutally desolate, that was the feeling that Xuelan got from this place
They found Li Wei cultivating on the ground, circulating his Early First Rate Qi, his face as calm as the night sky
Hearing their footsteps, he opened his eyes and gracefully stood up
"Ah you guys are here, this clearing is quite interesting, there seem to be a test to be taken over at that statue" Li Wei said, casually pointing at the black statue with burnt skeletons littered underneath
"It's a shame we don't know what the test entails, if only we could decipher these letters" Li Wei said as he stared at the floating Qi letters where the invisible barrier was
"Well, we're in luck, because we have Xuelan here who can read these just fine, hehe" Ming chuckled as he gestured his head back at Xuelan who was holding tightly to his neck
"Hmm? Miss Xuelan, you can read these words?"
"Indeed…I can" Xuelan blushed, she wasn't used to this much acknowledgment
"Oh yeah, you haven't told us why you know how to" ever the curious guy, Ming asked bluntly, completely forgetting that it's rude to ask of such things, especially in the universally mysterious Jianghu
"Oh… Well you see, my Diancang Sect had existed for thousands and thousands of years, our sect is very well hidden, we don't get ourselves involved in conflicts due to our nature. So we've been sticking around for longer than a majority of the Ten Pillar Sects" She paused, pondering if she could continue, for she was essentially revealing the secrets of her Sect to them
But then she looked at Ming's enthusiastic eyes, and remembered that he was the person who unconditionally extended a hand to help her, she might've been starving at a roadside by now had he not helped her back at Golden Carp Town's street market
Xuelan took a deep breath and continued
"So most of our scripture, history and even martial techniques are written in the same ancient language used here, it prevents outsiders from stealing our information and techniques. I've been taught to read this since young by my master" Xuelan finished, parts of her was anxious that her actions today might jeopardize her Sect later on
"Wow, that's really cool" Ming said excitedly, thinking that Jianghu is such a magical place
"Cheh, your Sect is impressive, I'll give up that much" Zhu Lian sneered outwardly, but Xuelan could tell that she too was impressed
Li Wei smiled knowingly and nodded
"Don't worry Miss Xuelan, none of us here will tell a soul about what you've told us, rest assured"
"Mhm!" Ming nodded hastily
"Absolutely" Lian too confirmed
"Thanks everyone" Xuelan sighed in relief and turned her attention on the floating writings
"Give me a few minutes, I'll decipher this and explain the trial"
Ming helped her down as he sat behind her, lending his back for her to rest her body on while she focused. Zhu Lian wasn't happy about it and sat opposite to Ming, cutely staring daggers at him while pouting. Ming could only sit there awkwardly in silence, unnerved by Zhu Lian's equal parts adorable and threatening face
After a few minutes of intense focus, Xuelan relaxed her body
Feeling her petite frame deflating against his back, Ming turned his neck and asked softly as to not disturb her progress if she was still deciphering
"Are you done?"
"Mhm" Xuelan nodded and started to speak
"Brother Wei was right to assume that the test was involved with the statue, these writing claims that this is an inheritance site for the successor of the Fated Desolation Sect, which we now know as the Heavenly Destruction Sect"
"Cool… so what's the test about?" Ming uttered in amazement, finding the whole situation they're in very fantastical
"Well, the writing claims that to be the successor, someone within the Third rate realm must stand in front of the statue, learn its teachings and successfully break it before the statue kills them"
"So that's what happened to those skeletons… yikes" Zhu Lian remarked, even more creeped out after knowing the reason for their demise
"The writing claims that only a talented direct descendant of the Fated Desolate Sect who had learned their philosophies and mastered their arts can have a chance of success, it told outsiders to give up for their own good, in a very arrogant tone to boot" Xuelan finished, relaxing against Ming's back she remarked
"So Ming's the only one of us who can even attempt this test huh"
"No, no! Absolutely not! He is NOT doing the test!" Zhu Lian immediately interjected, she is not letting him walk into this blatant death trap, not under her watch
"I suppose you're right, it said that only someone with the incredibly destructive techniques of the Fated Desolation Sect can break through" Xuelan shrugged, already given up on this legacy site
"I might have a chance…" Ming uttered hesitantly
"Huh?" X2, Lian and Xuelan exclaimed at the same time in astonishment
"Are you revealing it now, brother Ming" Li Wei asked calmly
"I suppose I have no choice" Ming sighed and stood up
"Ming what are you-"
"Arghh!!" Suddenly Ming screamed out in pain as he fully opened his dantian and let it flow to his hand, the raging Qi tearing through his body as it seeped agonizingly into his arm
"Ming!" Lian shouted as she jumped up at Ming, trying to stop whatever he's doing to himself
Li Wei appeared in her way and stopped her
"Calm down Miss Lian, Ming is trying to show you something" Li Wei said as he stepped to the side
Revealing Ming standing there, clenching his teeth in pain as beads of sweat formed on his forehead
A black and red crackling Qi was swiftly chaotic in his palm, simultaneously breaking apart and scorching his skin. Zhu Lian could tell from a glance that this energy was extremely volatile
Seeing that he'd displayed it clearly, Ming promptly turned off the flow as the wild and unruly Qi retreated back into his body. His body visible tired from just channeling his Qi fully
Lian's face turned ashen as she realized the implications, all this time, Ming had been under this much strain? Without her even knowing?
"Lian… I'm sorry for hiding it thus far but, I feel like this legacy might be a chance for me to… survive my own body" Ming spoke, his voice defeated, although he had put on a brave face so far, a part of him had always gnawed away at him with feared that his condition will inevitable kill him violently just as it did Li Wei's elder brother
"Ming suffers from Chaotic Structure Syndrome, an innate dantian and spiritual deformity that causes his body to only produce extremely volatile Qi, terrifyingly potent, but actively harms him to use, his body eventually tear itself up from within, the more he progresses in martial arts the faster his life ends" Li Wei explained solemnly, his eyes held a deep and all too familiar grief
"This isn't real… that can't be true right? Maybe the last part is just a false rumor?" Unable to process this information, Zhu Lian was quick to turn to denial. However that too was immediately shut down by Li Wei's explosive remark
"Denying it will get us nowhere! Miss Zhu Lian, I assure you that I speak the truth…" Catching his slip in emotion, Li Wei quickly composed himself and continued
"My elder brother had Chaotic Structure Syndrome, with symptoms even lighter than Ming's, and yet" tears welled up in his eyes. Li Wei looked away, as if running from the memories
"I saw him combust before my very eyes, his own Qi, the part of a martial artist that should always be completely under their reins. It swallowed him, leaving not even a limb to bury…"
Unable to grapple with reality, Zhu Lian hurriedly ran over to Ming, hugged him and buried her face into his bandages up shoulder, completely forgetting that he's injured
Ming let out a pained yelp but Lian didn't let go
"Ming… let's go back, back to the manor, you give up being a martial artist and I'll give up too, we'll live quiet lives together-" with her tears soaking up Ming's chest, Lian begged desperately
"Lian… that's not possible" Ming answered coldly, his voice uncharacteristically helpless
"Why! Why is it not! Tell me Ming, why are you so eager to die out here in this dangerous world!!" Holding onto his cloth, Lian screamed at him, the grief in her voice awfully vivid
"Because he's already awakened his dantian, the most letting go and living a quiet life can buy him is a few extra painful years" Li Wei answered, knowing too well the despair of having a loved one with Chaotic Structure Syndrome
"That's why I must fight on Lian, I'll get stronger, I'll wander the land and find a way to suppress my Qi, I promise" Ming smiled reassuringly and he stroked Lian's soft auburn hair affectionately
Her looked up to lock eyes with him with tears invading her usually lively ruby eyes, her tears weighing Ming down with sadness and despair
Seeing her like that Ming's brave smile couldn't help but break down, the grin turned flat as his eyes became eerily hollow and his posture unconsciously shrunk
She saw in his eyes something she never wished to see in him again ever since he had promised her to change himself back in the hallway of Crimson Cloud Manor
She saw despair, defeat and utter self resentment in her beloved
"No… not like this" Lian muttered, realizing that she was beating down Ming's resolve with her irrational reaction
Biting her lips, Lian hastily wiped away her tears with her sleeves and pulled herself away from Ming
Putting both hands on Ming's face, squishing his cheek comically as Lian fixed his gaze onto hers
"Listen Ming! I, Zhu Lian, young miss of the Crimson Cloud Manor, will not give up on you for as long as I live" with new flame ignited in her eyes, Zhu Lian glared at Ming with all the love and care she could muster
"So Ming, my faithful bodyguard, I order you to defy heaven's will and survive at any cost! I will give you all the support I can!" Zhu Lian claimed with full confidence in her voice
Ming will live, and she herself will make sure of it!
After hearing Lian's declaration, Ming chuckled
"Thanks Lian, I couldn't have asked for a better pep talk"
Ming said as he leaned in towards her face, Lian's hands slipping from his face as it approached her
Mwah~
Ming pecked Lian on the cheek, smiled innocently and wordlessly walked towards to the black statue for the test
Lian froze in shock, her face crimson like an overripe tomato as she muttered "abbaababaaaba" over and over like a broken toy
Xuelan, who kept quiet the entire time blushed at the sight of Ming's kiss
"Mr dense himself finally made a move huh" Li Wei simply talked to himself in an amused mutter
Snapping out of her daze, Zhu Lian turned to Ming walking away and shouted with all the love in the world
"Don't you dare fail this! You adorable meat head!!"
As he walked in front of the black statue, Ming simply extended his left hand and gave her a thumbs up, signaling
'I've got this!'