670: To Be Truly Free

To Be Truly Free

The two of them sat together on the grassy plain, looking out at the endless gray horizon. There was silence between them, waiting for the darkness above them to go.  2

Ming Yue seemed lost in thought, no doubt there was a lot on her mind. 

"I have to wake up quickly. Is everyone safe? The job... it's nearly done, I just need to kill two more and that's it. But am I strong enough to go for the Ascetic? They're stronger than Langshen, maybe not as strong as the Idol of Chaos but still. And after that, I should go back to Heaven's Gate! I have to check up on Hongyu!"

Despite the calming atmosphere around them, her mind was racing, moving from one problem to another. 

Her eyes seemed focused and yet she felt scattered. There were so many things that she had to deal with and it made her feel a certain way. 

Her breath quickened as if an invisible pressure was placed on her body. 

It just felt so suffocating. 

"... Ming Yue... Ming Yue... Hey, snap out of it!" 

She suddenly gasped, breathing hard before turning to face Xue Yue, who looked at her in concern. 

"Are you alright?" she asked. 

The cultivator was at a loss for words but soon answered. 

"I... I don't know. I don't know anymore. I just... they got hurt because of me. If I had died, everyone else would have followed me. And knowing that it just... I feel like I can't breathe." 

She looked down at the grass, watching it sway in a gentle breeze. 

"Well, now you know what it truly feels to hold responsibility."

Both Ming Yue and Xue Yue looked up when they heard an elderly man's voice before them. And it was just as they had expected, there was one standing in front of them. He held his hands behind his back and stood there with a small smile. 

The two women furrowed their brows as the realization kicked in. 

"Senior Zhen?" 

"Old man?"

Both of them spoke at the same time, addressing him in completely different manners. But he didn't seem to mind at all. 

"Yes, it's me. Don't forget that I'm a Sword Spirit just like you, entering someone's inner world is not a difficult thing to do", he said, looking at Xue Yue. 

Then he turned to Ming Yue. 

"As for you, I won't say anything about the fight but I will say that since you've grown stronger, you've also gained more responsibility. As free as you may feel, there are just some things that will tie you down" he told her.

"To be truly free, you must learn to let go of everything but that is not always the best thing to do. You'll find that freedom can come with loneliness." 

She was quiet. Both of them were silent. 

"But then... I..." 

Ming Yue tried to speak but she was at a loss for words and Elder Zhen just chuckled. 

"I know, I know, you are confused. In this path of yours, you seek freedom, to roam wherever you please and do what you wish to do. At the same time, you are bound by those you care about, you yearn for a place to call home. Your desires seem to contradict each other but they do not have to, not if you make them. In the same words as that Sword Elder of yours, if you do not believe that it a blade of grass is a sword then it is not a sword but if you do, then a whole forest could be a field of swords."

Finishing his words, the darkness above them began to dim with light as the skies slowly returned.

All three of them looked up, seeing it fade away. 

"Mm, looks like it's time to wake up", he said. 

Senior Zhen looked at the both of them before booking down at his own body. He began to disappear, slowly turning into wisps of light and energy. 

"You know, there's still plenty of time left and you'll need it to rest. Take this as a chance to truly think on my words and to think about what you truly desire. That is the purpose of one's Dao, finding your way of life."

And then he finally vanished, leaving Ming Yue and Xue Yue alone. 

The pair just looked at where he once stood, staring for a while before looking to one another. This time, Xue Yue had a softer expression on her face, one filled with concern. 

"Truly think about this. At the core of it, these are your decisions to make, think about it." 

After saying this, Xue Yue vanished as well, returning to Blood Moon and leaving Ming Yue. Now it was just her and she was in utter silence. 

Looking up at the sky, the young woman just sighed. 

"Why is it like this?" she asked herself. "The stronger I am, the more lost I feel."

Ming Yue just sat there, lost in thought. 

But she had to return to the real world soon enough, whether or not she was unsure of herself. 

The gray world faded away as her eyes fluttered open, looking up at a wood ceiling. She blankly stared before getting up though it took some time and plenty of groaning coming from her.

"Agh, damn... I know I pushed it but I didn't think it would be this painful", she muttered. 

Sitting upright on the bed, she looked at her room, finding it to be quite lavish. The table in front of her was made of a rich mohagony wood and held several bowls of fruit. Her swords and equipment were all neatly folded and taken care of, placed on a separate, smaller table. Even her bed was big!

"This could probably fit a whole family." 

Touching the bed sheet, it felt soft and somewhat bouncy, though it seemed like she could just sink into it if she wanted to. 

This was certainly better than any inn that she had been in and yet, there was a somewhat melancholy look on her face. 

Turning towards the window, she saw the night sky and slowly stood up to walk towards them. As she looked out, she saw thestars above her and the lit up city below her.

It was a beautiful sight, light twinkling everwhere she looked. But then she furrowed her brows. 

"Where is this?" she wondered. 

She looked out and straight down, seeing that wherever she was, it was a large and gave off a noble aura. There as a massive courtyard surrounding the place along side numerous little houses and walkways. Among other things, the more eye-catching thing were the sculptures, all of which were mythical beasts like dragons and poenixes. 

"Wait a minute, I've seen this place before. Isn't this... the emperor's palace?!" 

Leaning forward even more, Ming Yue took a much better look at her surroundings, confirming her suspicions. Leaning back, she walked away from the window and sat back down on her bed, somewhat dumbfounded. 

"To think that I'm at the palace... what exactly happened when I fainted?" 

Ming Yue scanned the room once again before looking down. 

"Mm, Xiao Yin and Hei Yue aren't here so they must be with Elder Fei and the others. But if thats the case then what am I doing here? Did Rou'er not bring me away? I should focus on recovery first and then... i will find answers."

She got off her bed and sat down on the floor, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. 

Her meditation began, cycling whatever energy she had in her body to slowly nourish and repair. In another part of the palace, the emperor was in his room, speaking with Tang Guang. 

Both of them had a cup of wine in their hands, sipping it away. 

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