Heavenly Secrets Elder stroked his white beard, then turned to Su Muqing with a kind gaze. "Heh, heh, heh. Young friend, this bridge is called 'In a Single Thought.' Do you perhaps wish to walk across it?"
Su Muqing glanced at the others around her, then pointed to herself and asked the Heavenly Secrets Elder, "Just me?"
"Yes! You arrive burdened by worldly affairs, cross bearing prosperity, pass through complexity, and depart in flourishing glory. This bridge is fraught with peril, and not everyone can traverse it. Should you fail, what lies below is more than a thousand fathoms deep. May the Heavenly Venerate bless you!" The Heavenly Secrets Elder spoke in riddles, his gaze frequently appraising Su Muqing and Lu Yuzhi.
Su Muqing stretched her neck, looked down at the abyss, and swallowed. She had always had a fear of heights, and facing an unknown depth like this filled her with a subtle dread.
She couldn't help but wonder if they should have agreed so readily to follow him. This old man must have seen her skills and figured she couldn't be defeated, so he planned to separate them and eliminate them one by one.
As if divining Su Muqing's thoughts, the Heavenly Secrets Elder shook his head with a hint of amusement. He was merely trying to verify something. "Young friend, many things are not as they appear, nor as you imagine them to be. You should try to think with your eyes and see with your heart. In doing so, you might find a different answer!"
Su Muqing seemed to block out his words, shaking her head vigorously. "No matter what you say, I will not be separated from my friends. We do everything together!"
Leng Ren and the others nodded in unison. Yes, that's right!
The Heavenly Secrets Elder found Su Muqing unwilling to cross the bridge and was at a loss. Since he only sought verification, he waved his horsetail whisk, and a suspension bridge capable of carrying two people simultaneously appeared before them.
He then said to Su Muqing, "Then perhaps this old one could escort your friends across first?"
Seeing the suspension bridge before her, Su Muqing's gaze toward the elder became even more displeased. Was this man insane? With such a wide bridge available, why insist she walk the narrow wooden one? He was clearly trying to kill her!
Su Muqing finally couldn't hold back her words. "Are you doing this on purpose? You have a safe, wide path here, but you won't let me take it, and insist I walk that dangerous narrow path. Tell me, what are your intentions?"
"A soul from another world, a venerated being in this life. Young friend, do you not wish to resolve the doubts in your heart?" Seeing Su Muqing's anger, the Heavenly Secrets Elder finally couldn't help but reveal a mysterious expression on his face. He whispered this to her.
Hearing this, Su Muqing, though outwardly showing nothing, felt a jolt in her heart. What did this man mean? Did he know something? Or had he seen something?
The Heavenly Secrets Elder walked up to Su Muqing, his eyes fixed on hers. "To be frank, I and Master Zhi Kong, the abbot of the Great State Temple, have been long-time friends. We have both been waiting for someone. This person can save one, and can also save many!"
"The reason this old one wished for young friend to traverse the wooden bridge was to seek an answer for his own heart's verification. Young friend, you may rest assured, the dangers you perceive are not true dangers. Like reflections in a mirror, reality and illusion intertwine, merely a dream. For you, young friend, this is a small matter of whether to walk or not. For this old one, and indeed for all the people in the Unmanned Zone, this is a matter of great importance. I implore young friend to agree!"
After speaking, the Heavenly Secrets Elder clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Su Muqing. He had initially not wanted to reveal this matter to anyone other than those he waited for. However, the young lady before him refused to step onto the test bridge, which caused him immense frustration. In his helplessness, he could only disclose a portion of the truth.
Su Muqing couldn't help but ponder. Master Zhi Kong again? It was this same Master Zhi Kong who had prompted Lu Yuzhi and the others to find her for the antidote.
Looking at the sincere plea of the Heavenly Secrets Elder, Su Muqing sighed. She then helped him up. "Alright. You take them across the suspension bridge first, and I will walk this wooden bridge to see what its mystery truly is!"
"I'll walk with you!" Lu Yuzhi, seeing her agree to cross the single-plank bridge, immediately stepped forward, his gaze firm as he looked at her.
Su Muqing looked at him with concern. "Brother Lu, your..."
Lu Yuzhi felt a warmth in his heart seeing the worry in her eyes. "Don't worry about my health, I know what I'm doing..."
Unexpectedly, Su Muqing's next words almost made Lu Yuzhi stagger in anger. "I'm not worried about your health. I'm worried that you have no inner strength now, and I'm afraid you might..." Su Muqing didn't voice the words "hold me back," but those who understood knew what she meant.
Lu Yuzhi pursed his lips: So you're worried I'll be a burden to you!
But on second thought, it was indeed true. Although Muqing possessed special abilities and inner strength, she had not been practicing for long. Sometimes, her control was not perfect. If he went with her, he might indeed hinder her.
Thus, Lu Yuzhi could only join Leng Ren and the others and walked onto the suspension bridge with the Heavenly Secrets Elder.
As the Heavenly Secrets Elder and the others reached the middle of the bridge, the group following behind them also stepped onto the suspension bridge. In a short while, only Su Muqing remained on this side of the abyss.
Looking at the empty surroundings, Su Muqing couldn't help but blame herself. Why had she almost refused when Brother Lu offered to accompany her just now?
She had worried about him getting hurt, but then found an excuse about him being a burden. Brother Lu must be unhappy with her attitude just now.
She wondered if it was still too late to regret it.