Mortal Bones

Lin Buyu turned her head and glanced at Ziyun, then turned away and shook her head expressionlessly, saying,

"I don't remember."

The others felt a little awkward upon hearing this.

"It's normal not to remember after three years," Ziyun smiled, trying to smooth things over.

"That's true. After all, it has been three years. It's normal not to remember. Look, Buyu has grown taller now, just like me," Zhao Linglong said, making a gesture to show their height difference.

If it weren't for Xu Taiping being the first disciple she personally introduced when she went down the mountain, and if she hadn't had a similar childhood experience as Xu Taiping, she might have already forgotten that young man.

Although Zhao Linglong's father was the Sect Leader of the Seven Peaks, she was born to him and a mortal woman. She grew up in the secular world until she was seven, and her mother made a living by washing clothes. Later, when her mother fell ill, Zhao Linglong, still very young, learned how to wash clothes, cook, and even make medicine and soup.

If her mother hadn't passed away and the Sect Leader hadn't found her, she might have died that winter with her mother.

"By the way, Ziyun, are you here today to watch the Dragon Gate tournament too?"

Zhao Linglong stopped thinking about the past and immediately changed the topic, curiously asking Ziyun.

"Yesterday, when I was writing to Qingxiao, I learned that you borrowed the Mountain Watching Mirror, so I thought I would bring Buyu to watch as well. Although it's a competition among outer disciples, it's held once every three years, so if we miss it, we will have to wait another three years," Ziyun nodded.

"That's perfect. This year at the Dragon Gate tournament, Xu Taiping, who entered the mountain with Buyu, will also be there. You can get to know him again," Zhao Linglong teased Buyu with a smile.

"Mm."

What surprised Zhao Linglong and Ziyun was that this time, Lin Buyu neither ignored her nor refuted her.

...

A moment later, at a stone table in the bamboo forest.

"Alright, now in the copper mirror, you can see the martial arts arena in front of the Dragon Gate Hall. Today's competition will take place on the four ring platforms in the center of the arena," Qingxiao said as he used his spiritual power to activate the copper mirror and placed it back on the stone table.

"I'll take a look."

Zhao Linglong rested her arm on the table and leaned her head forward. She saw that, as Qingxiao had said, the copper mirror clearly displayed the martial arts arena in front of the Dragon Gate Hall.

In the image, the four ring platforms lined up in the center of the arena were most prominent, with the crowd gathered around these platforms.

"Senior Brother, do you know on which platform Taiping is?"

Zhao Linglong suddenly raised her head and looked at Qingxiao.

"Linglong, the Dragon Gate competition is based on a draw, so no one knows which platform they will be on before today," Ziyun immediately answered with a smile before Qingxiao could speak.

"Ah, then we'll have to look around," Zhao Linglong nodded.

She hadn't paid attention to the Seven Peaks selection before, so she didn't know this rule.

"I'll look for him."

Qingxiao then channeled some spiritual power into his fingertip and drew a symbol on the surface of the copper mirror. The image in the mirror began to slowly zoom in.

"Let's start with the eastern platform. You two watch carefully," he said as he gestured with his hand. The copper mirror's image zoomed in on the eastern platform.

The perspective of the copper mirror was like a bird soaring in the sky, flying over the heads of the cultivators in the arena.

"No, no, these are all old men on the eastern platform, no Taiping," Zhao Linglong scanned quickly and waved her hand, signaling Qingxiao to look at another platform.

Since she didn't know what Xu Taiping looked like now, she could only look for him based on age. Luckily, most of the cultivators participating in the Dragon Gate competition were older and mostly martial artists, so it wasn't too difficult to spot them.

"Wait, there's a young one."

Zhao Linglong suddenly stopped Qingxiao.

"This person is not Xu Taiping."

Ziyun, who had also been watching the copper mirror, shook her head as the image quickly zoomed in on the young man's face.

Although he was young, his appearance was clearly not Xu Taiping's. The face shape and eyes were very different.

"How do you know this isn't Xu Taiping?"

After confirming it wasn't Xu Taiping, Zhao Linglong curiously looked at Ziyun.

"This person is named Lu Yuan. He came to Yunlu Mountain seven years ago. Although he is a White Spirit Bone, his talent in martial arts is exceptional. He specializes in using swords and has long been under observation as an outer disciple by various peaks," Ziyun explained.

"Yes, Master told me to keep an eye on this person too," Qingxiao nodded.

"Such a strong disciple in the outer sect? Taiping, please don't run into him," Zhao Linglong muttered worriedly while continuing to search for Xu Taiping in the mirror.

"Any outer disciple who can enter the Dragon Gate Hall is no weakling. Even if Taiping doesn't run into Lu Yuan, he'll meet someone else," Qingxiao rebutted Zhao Linglong.

"Can't you say something nicer?"

"Don't move."

Before Zhao Linglong could finish speaking, Lin Buyu, who had been silent, interrupted.

"What's wrong?"

The three of them turned to look at Lin Buyu.

"That person looks a bit like him."

Lin Buyu pointed at the copper mirror.

The three of them looked down and noticed that the young man Lin Buyu was pointing at indeed had a similar silhouette to Xu Taiping in their memories.

"Senior Brother, zoom in more, hurry up!"

Zhao Linglong urged repeatedly.

"Don't rush."

Qingxiao shot Zhao Linglong a glare and gently slid his hand over the copper mirror, causing the image to keep zooming in until only the young man's figure remained.

However, because the perspective of the copper mirror was from above, and the young man was looking down, they couldn't see his face clearly.

Just as Zhao Linglong was anxiously trying to think of a way for Qingxiao to get a clearer view, the young man suddenly stopped writing, as if sensing something, and looked up to the sky.

At that moment, his face was clearly visible in the copper mirror.

It was a face that still had a youthful look but was beginning to show sharp features, especially his slightly furrowed brows beneath which his eyes contained a maturity and sharpness not typical of a boy, along with a trace of stubbornness.

"It's him, it's Taiping!"

After a brief pause, Zhao Linglong suddenly shouted excitedly.

"Although he's grown taller and stronger, his eyes and brows are the same. It's definitely him," she added, excitedly.

The most memorable thing about Xu Taiping was his gaze when they first met—suspicious yet stubborn.

"It should be him. Look at the sign in front of him," Qingxiao pointed at the table in front of Xu Taiping in the copper mirror.

The others looked at the sign and clearly saw the words "Qingzhuju Xu Taiping" written on it.

"Qingzhuju, yes, it's definitely Qingzhuju. I personally took him there back then," Zhao Linglong said with a nostalgic expression.

"Wait."

She suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Lin Buyu, then curiously asked, "Buyu, didn't you say you didn't remember Taiping? How did you recognize him right away?"

Lin Buyu stared at Zhao Linglong expressionlessly for a moment, then turned her head away and saidly,

"I guessed."