Night fell over Falling Sword Peak like ink spilling across parchment. The stars blinked faintly through swirling clouds, and the mountain's spirit veins pulsed with a gentle golden light, the lingering effect of Shen Liang's Heavenly Sweep: Cleansing Mode.
All was peaceful. Too peaceful.
Shen Liang sat cross-legged in his courtyard, broom resting across his knees like a sacred relic. A pot of tea steamed beside him, unattended, because, for once, his usual grin was absent. His eyes were closed, breath steady, as he entered deep meditation.
[System Notice: Cultivation Mode – Active.][Harmony Resonance (Su Qinglan link) detected. Cultivation Efficiency +30%.]
For a while, all he heard was the soft hum of Qi circulation and the distant rustle of night insects. But then… something shifted.
The air grew colder. The light around his body dimmed, as if the world itself were holding its breath. From deep within his consciousness, an unfamiliar whisper slithered through the silence.
"...You sweep Heaven's dust… yet forget whose hands held the broom before you."
Shen Liang's eyelids twitched. "Who's there? If this is Elder Zhou pranking me with voice transmission again, I swear I'll make him scrub every outhouse in the sect—"
The voice laughed — a hollow, echoing sound that carried ancient malice.
"No mortal voice, little laborer. No sect elder dares speak from there."
Shen Liang's surroundings warped. His inner world darkened until he stood upon a vast, shattered plain. Endless chains stretched into black voids, and in the distance, colossal shadows writhed like imprisoned storms.
A massive, crimson eye opened in the abyss below him.
"You… too… were Heaven's tool once…"
Shen Liang blinked. "Uh. I think you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm more of Heaven's janitor, thank you."
The voice rumbled like thunder through the void. "Janitor… yes. The same title your predecessor bore before the betrayal. You sweep away filth… but do you know whose filth?"
Shen Liang scratched his head. "...You're saying Heaven's dirty? Should've guessed. No wonder the clouds smell weird some mornings."
A low growl vibrated through the dimension, shaking the air. "Mockery… in the face of truth?"
Shen Liang raised an eyebrow. "That's not mockery — that's customer feedback."
A pause. Then, unexpectedly, the voice chuckled — a deep, unsettling sound. "Bold tongue. Even bound gods once trembled under this darkness, and you make jokes."
"Hey," Shen Liang said, crossing his arms. "Fear burns energy. Laughter's more efficient."
The red eye narrowed. "You wield Heaven's Labor. You carry a broom forged from divine order. Yet… you are not one of them."
Shen Liang's smirk faded slightly. "Not one of who?"
"The Forgotten Laborer. Heaven's Hand. The one who swept the Eternal Halls clean of sin — before Heaven betrayed him."
[System Alert: Hidden Memory Fragment Detected.][Echo of the Forgotten Laborer – Resonance Strengthening (4%).]
The world trembled. Shen Liang saw flashes — a silhouette sweeping stars from the sky, mountains bending under celestial will, and a golden broom striking down gods. Then, a crack. A shattering. A divine seal breaking apart.
Then silence.
When the vision cleared, Shen Liang was back in his courtyard. Sweat beaded his forehead, his heart pounding. His broom still glowed faintly, humming like a caged beast.
"...So," he muttered, "either I'm going insane, or my cleaning tool just gave me flashbacks to divine union labor strikes."
Su Qinglan's voice came from behind him, calm yet alert. "You were trembling. I sensed demonic Qi inside your spiritual sea."
He turned and smiled weakly. "Ah, Qing-Qing, good timing! I was just having a chat with someone from management."
"Management?" she frowned.
"Yeah," he said, tapping his temple. "Big scary voice, deep echo, mentioned betrayal and cosmic chores. The usual."
She stepped closer, concern softening her tone. "Shen Liang… that's not something to joke about. Voices like that can shatter even a Nascent soul."
He grinned. "That's why I keep my mind full of jokes — can't shatter what's already cracked."
Despite herself, she laughed softly. "Still the same idiot."
"Correction," he said with mock dignity. "Core Formation Peak idiot. Soon to be upgraded."
She rolled her eyes. "Did the voice say anything else?"
"Just that Heaven's got skeletons in its broom closet," Shen Liang said, leaning back against the courtyard railing. His gaze turned distant. "And that I might've been one of their tools before."
Su Qinglan frowned deeply. "Reincarnation?"
"Maybe. Or Heaven's just recycling janitors," he said with a smirk.
But inside, his heart wasn't laughing. That voice had felt real. Ancient. Heavy with truth.
[System Notification: Hidden Quest Unlocked – "Echoes Beneath the Halo."][Objective: Uncover the truth of the Forgotten Laborer's betrayal.][Warning: This knowledge is restricted by Heavenly Edict.]
Shen Liang whistled. "Restricted by Heaven? That's practically an invitation!"
"Please," Su Qinglan said dryly, "try not to antagonize Heaven again this week. We just rebuilt the courtyard."
"No promises," he said, grinning. "Heaven started it."
Then, his broom trembled faintly in his grip, releasing a tiny spark of golden light, almost like a heartbeat.
Somewhere far above the mortal sky, a celestial bell rang once. And somewhere far below, in the abyss that once whispered, a crimson eye blinked open again.
"Cleanse all you wish, mortal," it murmured. "But when you sweep Heaven's gate… remember who waits beneath it."
Shen Liang opened one eye, glancing up at the stars. "If Heaven's keeping secrets, I'll just have to mop them up later."
He took a sip of cold tea, made a face, and sighed. "Still bitter. Guess enlightenment doesn't fix taste buds."