The Ask-Heaven Stone’s Revelation

“Back then, a sliver of hope still clung to my heart; each morning, I would arrive early at the long pavilion, meticulously grooming myself, eager for his appearance.”

“But as one month, then two, then three slipped by, I finally understood that I had been abandoned, and he would never return.”

“Yet, I refused to give up, desperate to ask him why he had forsaken me, especially when we had spoken so joyfully just the day before.”

“I inquired everywhere, but my efforts yielded nothing.”

Her voice gradually choked with emotion.

It was inevitable that Zhang Jingya’s investigation would yield no results; at that time, she was merely an inner sect disciple, and the suppression of the Zhong family by Lin Xingjian and the Shadow Sect was a closely guarded sect secret.

How could such a minor disciple be privy to its intricacies?

“Seeing me mired in gloom day after day, unable to eat or drink, my master showed me a path forward.”

“They told me that if I cultivated diligently, I could one day join the Dao Gate Sect, which stood above Xuantian.”

“Legend had it that the Dao Gate Sect possessed an Ask-Heaven Stone, and every disciple, upon entering the sect, could pose one question to it, and the stone would provide a fitting answer.”

Zhang Jingya’s expression remained serene, yet her eyes betrayed an uncontrollable blend of obsession and madness.

She resembled a lovesick fool, utterly unwilling to give up until the very end.

To finally ask that question, she cultivated desperately, enduring the hardships and solitude of her training.

Within her heart, a singular conviction burned: to uncover the truth behind Lin Xingjian’s departure.

“You used it?”

“You used that Ask-Heaven Stone to inquire about his name?”

Lin Xingjian nearly dropped his jaw in disbelief.

This Zhang Jingya was truly insane!

The Ask-Heaven Stone of Xuantian Dao Sect was renowned throughout the Southern Frontier cultivation world.

Legend claimed it was a divine stone left over from the ancient era’s mending of the heavens, connected to the Heavenly Dao.

Cultivators could infuse it with spiritual power and pose a question, and the Ask-Heaven Stone would reveal a hint or two, provided it did not divulge heavenly secrets.

As Lin Xingjian recalled the legends surrounding the Ask-Heaven Stone, an ominous premonition surged within him.

Indeed, among the Dao Gate Sect’s initiation rewards was one opportunity to consult the Ask-Heaven Stone.

However, most cultivators would inquire about matters pertinent to themselves.

For instance, future opportunities, cultivation paths, or potential inner demons they might encounter.

Yet Zhang Jingya had actually used this precious chance to ask about the identity of her missing lover.

“Yes, I did.”

“I believe it was worth it, and the Ask-Heaven Stone gave me an answer.”

Zhang Jingya smiled, her eyes flickering with a wild, erratic glint.

Her smile, though satisfied, carried an unsettling strangeness.

“Then… what did the Ask-Heaven Stone say?”

Lin Xingjian swallowed hard, striving to compose himself.

Since Zhang Jingya hadn’t reacted when he introduced himself earlier, it implied he was still safe for the moment.

“The Ask-Heaven Stone didn’t directly tell me who he was; it only gave me twenty characters.”

“But from them, I could discern that my lover is a fated individual, whose identity even the Ask-Heaven Stone cannot easily reveal.”

Zhang Jingya’s smile grew even brighter.

She carefully retrieved a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Lin Xingjian.

Her movements were slow and solemn, for the paper held all her hopes, a testament to her belief that these twenty characters were the bond between her and Lin Xingjian, the key to unlocking the truth.

As if seized by a phantom, Lin Xingjian’s hand trembled as he slowly unfolded the plain sheet.

Upon it, black characters writhed like ink-snakes, each one piercing his gaze.

It read:

[Shadow Sect Swordsman, sixteen years old, destined by Heaven, embarks on the deepest night, entangled in karmic love debts.]

“Th-th-this!”

Lin Xingjian’s lips quivered, his voice caught in his throat, breaking off intermittently.

His eyes wide, he darted his gaze back and forth across the twenty characters, as if desperate to gouge them from the white paper.

Damn that Ask-Heaven Stone!

No wonder Zhang Jingya had learned of his Shadow Sect identity.

The four characters “Shadow Sect Swordsman” directly exposed his secret to the light of day.

But what truly infuriated him were the four characters “entangled in karmic love debts.”

He was a seventeen-year-old Shadow Sect youth, upright in conduct and wholly devoted to the Dao.

When had he ever incurred such romantic entanglements?

This was utterly preposterous, akin to black ink raining down from a clear sky.

Slander, it was absolute slander!

“Senior Sister Zhang, is this truly the answer given by the Ask-Heaven Stone?”

Lin Xingjian forced down his panic, yet his trembling tone still betrayed a hint of alarm.

As he questioned, he extended the paper towards Zhang Jingya, his movements stiff as a rusted mechanism.

“Isn’t it a bit too… ambiguous?”

“Initially, I harbored the same doubts as you.”

Zhang Jingya tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting into the distance, as if recalling an ethereal dream.

“Yet, I have always firmly believed that the Ask-Heaven Stone could not be wrong.”

A faint, bittersweet smile bloomed on the woman’s lips.

Her eyes were filled with the fervent obsession of one deeply ensnared by love, like a moth drawn irrevocably to a flame.

Lin Xingjian felt his scalp prickle, his hairs standing on end as if lightly pricked by a myriad of icy needles.

He hastily averted his gaze.

If Zhang Jingya were to discover that he was the lover she had so desperately sought, given her current state of obsessive love and the hatred born from it, there was no telling what terrifying acts she might commit.

At this thought, Lin Xingjian’s heart tightened.

He secretly mused that it would be best to speak less, absolutely not revealing the slightest flaw.

For the rest of the journey, Lin Xingjian’s steps became heavy and dragging.

He kept his lips tightly sealed, daring not to engage further with Zhang Jingya.

Zhang Jingya had been polite and courteous to Lin Xingjian upon their first meeting.

However, her mind was meticulous, and she quickly detected his unusual behavior.

Her previous actions had, in fact, been a deliberate test.

While Zhang Jingya might not have been proficient in cultivation techniques or martial arts, her sixth sense for deducing clues was truly exceptional, earning her widespread renown within the sect.

“Shadow Sect Swordsman, sixteen years old.”

The second line was undeniably clear.

Just moments ago, Zhang Jingya had secretly observed Lin Xingjian’s bone age.

Using her unique perceptive abilities, she had determined that Lin Xingjian was under twenty, and quite close to that age, meaning he was either seventeen or eighteen this year.

But this “Shadow Sect Swordsman”…

Zhang Jingya’s delicate brows furrowed tightly, like tangled threads.

She had acted too swiftly against Liu Jinyao earlier, leaving her no time to ascertain whether Lin Xingjian was proficient in the way of the sword.

Lin Xingjian was a cultivator of the Shadow Sect.

It was said that Shadow Sect members used a wide variety of weapons; many excelled with daggers and hidden weapons, while others were remarkably skilled with swords, sabers, spears, staffs, and other diverse armaments.

Zhang Jingya slowly lowered her gaze, letting it fall upon Lin Xingjian’s waist.

It was empty.

‘Could it be that I truly misunderstood this Junior Brother?’

Zhang Jingya sighed softly, realizing it was so.

The appearance of her lover was like a snowflake held in her palm, melting in an instant.

“Junior Brother Lin, we’ve arrived.”

After an unknown duration, a gentle smile, like the warm spring sun, once again graced Zhang Jingya’s lips as they stopped before the Enforcement Hall.

“This is the Enforcement Hall; any important matters can be reported here.”

Lin Xingjian nodded slightly in acknowledgment, raising his gaze to the Enforcement Hall before him.

The building was grand and magnificent, constructed entirely of black-gold stone, imposing and majestic in its presence.

Before its gates stood two colossal stone beasts, baring their fangs and claws, guarding the hall’s justice and prestige day and night.

Inside the hall, a massive plaque hung high, emblazoned with the four characters “Ming Jing Gao Xuan” (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning ‘a bright mirror hangs high,’ symbolizing impartial justice).

The calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, constantly reminding the enforcers to be fair, selfless, and unbiased.

The Enforcement Hall sat firmly at the sect’s core, positioned on slightly elevated ground, like a majestic emperor.

It overlooked all parts of the sect, naturally exuding an inviolable solemnity that inspired awe.

Lin Xingjian quickly thanked Zhang Jingya, and after calming his nerves slightly, he stepped into the Enforcement Hall.

The main gate was cast from massive profound iron, which emanated a cold metallic sheen, like frost in a winter night.

The roof was laid with glazed tiles, reflecting a cool, clear light under the sun’s rays.

Inside, the layout was orderly and precise.

The floor was paved with polished bluestone, each slab meticulously smoothed and its grain clearly visible.

As one walked upon it, footsteps echoed crisply.

Portraits of past Enforcement Elders hung on the surrounding walls, their gazes sharp as eagles, constantly observing every movement within the hall.

As Lin Xingjian walked through, he felt an invisible pressure surge over him like a tide.

“Who dares to enter my Enforcement Hall?”

“If you have urgent business, present it swiftly.”

“If you are merely idle, depart at once, for the Enforcement Hall is not a place to be entered casually.”

A booming voice, like a resonant bell, emanated from the deepest part of the Enforcement Hall.