Ye Changfeng walked out from the steps and approached the lava. The two stone guardians still stood in the molten rock.
The Fire Guardian and the Water Guardian congratulated him in unison. "Congratulations on obtaining the Earth Fire. It seems you are the only one who can withstand the trial."
"This is nothing. It's just that my brothers will be forever lost here. I've failed them."
The Fire Guardian asked, "Are these the brothers you speak of?"
As he spoke, he pulled three people from his waist belt.
Ye Changfeng cried out in disbelief, "Second brother, third brother, fourth brother, is it really you?"
Fu Zimo said sheepishly, "I thought I was dead for sure, but then someone sent me back to the surface. Brother Shuixing told me to wait here for you, so I've been waiting."
Zhu Yan also said with embarrassment, "I remember being surrounded by bat-men. After self-detonating, I inexplicably woke up here. The moment I opened my eyes, I saw fourth brother."
Gui Ye happily recounted, "After I jumped into the ten-thousand-foot abyss from the Earth Fire, I inexplicably fell from the sky and was caught by the Fire Guardian. So, I waited here with them. We wanted to tease big brother earlier, so we hid."
"You... it's good that you're alive, it's good that you're alive." As he spoke, Ye Changfeng couldn't help but shed tears.
The Water Guardian and the Fire Guardian set the three down. They rushed forward and hugged Ye Changfeng, weeping with joy.
At that moment, the entire mountain began to shake. Suddenly, the lava receded, revealing countless white bones. Green light flew from the bones towards the sky.
"What is that?" Fu Zimo asked curiously.
Gui Ye replied, "It should be the resentment of those who wanted to obtain the Earth Fire over the millennia."
"There's so much of it."
At this moment, the Fire Guardian and the Water Guardian also cracked and fell to the ground.
Fu Zimo quickly shouted, "Brother Huoxing, Brother Shuixing, what's wrong?"
However, they did not reply. The stone statues all cracked open, revealing two soul bodies within.
The two flew into the air and explained to them. "We were originally from the divine race. We came here to seek the Earth Fire after believing slanderous words. However, because our intentions were impure, we were burned to death by the Earth Fire. Our souls were imprisoned here, guarding the Earth Fire for eternity. Now that you have obtained the Earth Fire, we have regained our freedom."
Fu Zimo quickly asked them, "Brothers, I still don't know your names?"
The one on the left said, "My name is Huo Lian."
The one on the right said, "My name is Shui Yu."
"Huo Lian, Shui Yu, good names. You must remember me, my name is Fu Zimo."
"Alright."
At this moment, Shui Yu asked them with confusion, "What is the name of the Demon King you mentioned?"
Ye Changfeng asked, puzzled, "Why do you two seniors ask about this?"
"I feel that someone who can have such loyal subordinates is very much like someone I once knew."
Ye Changfeng replied, "My Demon King is named Liu Muye. I don't think you two seniors would know her."
"Liu Muye!"
Upon hearing the name, the two exchanged glances. Huo Lian quickly asked him, "Is her name really Liu Muye?"
"Yes."
Hearing this, Huo Lian couldn't help but laugh. "Muye, Muye, if we had listened to your advice back then, we wouldn't have ended up like this. It's fate."
The four were confused, not knowing what he was talking about.
At this moment, Shui Yu requested, "When you four return, could you please convey a message for us brothers?"
"What message do you two seniors want to convey?"
Shui Yu said, "Please ask your Demon King if she still remembers Shui Yu and Huo Lian."
"Alright, we will definitely deliver it."
"Then thank you all. We are leaving."
"Farewell, seniors."
With that, the two flew into the sky without any regrets, disappearing into the clouds.
After all the souls and resentments had dissipated, they were about to leave and return to the Western Purple Kingdom. Suddenly, a voice asked them, "Are you leaving?"
The four turned their heads and saw an old man with white hair and a white beard standing before them.
Ye Changfeng blurted out without hesitation, "Earth King!"
The others were also surprised. "You, you are the Earth King?"
The Earth King looked at them and laughed heartily. "I am indeed the Earth King."
Fu Zimo exclaimed, "Grandpa Earth King, are you still alive?"
He shook his head. "No, I am already dead. What you see is merely my spirit."
The four were dumbfounded and didn't know what to say.
The Earth King sighed helplessly and began to tell them some old stories. "Tian Qian and I were once rare friends. But later, I heard that he was slandering my reputation everywhere, saying that my Earth Fire was far inferior to his Heavenly Water. He also said that my strength was far inferior to his, so I became enraged and challenged him to a duel. He repeatedly refused, which angered me, so I went to his doorstep myself. He then summoned me to this area, and we fought fiercely. I was indeed defeated by him. Then I remembered what others had told me, and in a fit of rage, I took out the Earth Fire Bead and made a wish, gaining the power to defeat Tian Qian. However, I was also backlashed by the Earth Fire and fell onto this mountaintop, becoming the later Blazing Mountain. Later, I learned that it was instigated by a villain that caused such a great disaster, and I held a grudge ever since, never trusting anyone again. Therefore, I set up numerous trials to test people's hearts, until today when I was enlightened by young Master Ye Changfeng's words."
Ye Changfeng asked him, "Since you have had an epiphany, where will you go from now on?"
"Since the Earth Fire has been taken by you, I can reincarnate with peace of mind. I overheard your conversation with Shui Yu just now. Is that Demon King really Liu Muye?"
The four were once again bewildered. Gui Ye asked him curiously, "Why do you ask this, sir?"
"Ten thousand years ago, I heard of a woman named Liu Muye. I heard she was exceptionally talented. Many people had received her favors, but I had no fate with her and never met her."
Zhu Yan also wondered, "Our Demon King doesn't look very old. How could she have appeared ten thousand years ago? Perhaps it's just someone with the same name?"
"It's hard to say, but it's also fate. It seems this Earth Fire Bead was destined to fall into her hands. If that's the case, please convey a message for me to her. Say that we had fate in this life and I wish her well."
"Alright, we will definitely deliver it."
"Now that I have no more worries and no unfulfilled wishes, I shall take my leave."
"Farewell, sir."
With that, the Earth King turned and left, disappearing into the wind.
Fu Zimo wondered, "Could it be that our Demon King is really from ten thousand years ago?"
Gui Ye laughed at him, "How is that possible? Perhaps it's just someone with the same name."
"Oh."
At this moment, Ye Changfeng became jealous and punched Fu Zimo on the head. "How can you casually call someone else big brother? I am your only big brother."
Fu Zimo asked his big brother plaintively, "Big brother, why are you so angry?"
Zhu Yan said casually, "It's obvious big brother is jealous."
"Big brother, are you jealous?" Fu Zimo blinked and looked at him curiously.
Ye Changfeng's face turned red, and he said proudly, "Jealous? Who, who is jealous? Do I look like that kind of person? Let's hurry back to the Western Purple Kingdom."
"Oh, let's go."
And so, the four returned to the Western Purple Kingdom.
...
Hanshan is located at the junction of three lands, which is the border of the Western Purple Kingdom to the north, the northwest border of Beishen Capital, and the junction with the northern extreme cold region. This place is where the cold and warmth alternate, with snow flying day and night, a remote and desolate area. Legend has it that Liu Xiang resides in this northern extreme cold region. Therefore, a thousand miles north of Beishen Capital, in a desperate situation, a forbidden secret realm has been demarcated.
Hei Feng had already arrived at Hanshan and had been waiting outside the cave for two days. He was traveling light and had revealed his true form to reach this place faster. A black phoenix had rushed day and night, arriving at Hanshan in just a few days. He had lingered outside the Ghost Mother's cave for a long time, waiting for his uncle to arrive. It was now the fourth day. If his uncle didn't come, he would have to break in himself to snatch the ice silkworm silk, but he decided to wait a little longer.
A voice from inside the cave said, "Go back. Even if your uncle begs me, I won't see him."
Hei Feng pleaded, "Aunt, it's fine if you don't want to see my uncle, but you should see me, right? I'm not here to speak for him."
The person in the cave angrily said, "Who is your aunt? I won't see anyone."
With a wave of her hand, a stone door blocked the cave entrance again. He exhaled, smiled slightly, and felt a bit more confident. He remembered when he first arrived here, he brought nothing, not even a thick coat. He shivered from the cold. After finally climbing to the cave entrance, he cried out to the person inside, "Aunt, Aunt." The person inside found it jarring and ignored him. Later, she couldn't bear it and threw him a grass-skin coat from inside to wear. He thought that the Ghost Mother wasn't so heartless after all, and perhaps there was still hope for his uncle.
At this moment, he heard someone calling from the sky, "Feng'er, Feng'er." He looked up and saw a white bird circling in mid-air, with a person sitting on its back.
Hei Feng complained to him, "Uncle, why are you so late? I've been waiting for you for so long."
Hei Yun said helplessly, "You know how far away I am. I rushed here as fast as I could."
As he spoke, the bird slowly descended, landing on the snow, and then transformed into a jade bird in Hei Yun's hand. Hei Feng looked at his uncle, who was wearing a square felt hat, a white goose-down coat, and fur-lined gloves for bird hunting. He truly looked like a powerful official. Hei Feng couldn't help but envy him. "Uncle, how did you get such an outfit?"
Hei Yun looked at Hei Feng, who was curled up in the grass-skin coat, trembling. He couldn't help but tease him. "Look at you, you clearly didn't prepare well for the journey. Uncle had been preparing meticulously since receiving your letter. See, don't I look very stylish?"
Hei Feng was speechless. He had rushed here day and night to reach Hanshan. His uncle was still agonizing over which outfit to wear. He couldn't help but feel contempt and said to him, "Uncle, since you're here, go say hello to Aunt."
"You should have called her Aunt long ago. Come, watch this."
With that, he slowly walked to the Ghost Mother's cave, cleared his throat, and said tenderly into the cave, "Yan Niang, I've come to see you."
The person inside remained silent, only to wave a palm that grazed his face. Hei Yun exclaimed, "Yan Niang, why do you still attack me as soon as we meet?"
Hei Feng, watching his uncle make a fool of himself, couldn't help but chuckle. He wrapped his coat tighter and stood aside to watch the show. He worried about getting hurt if a fight broke out, so he moved further away, close enough to hear.
The Ghost Mother angrily said, "We swore an oath with a palm strike never to see each other again. Why have you come!"
Hei Yun explained, "We separated due to a misunderstanding. After so many years, we should resolve these misunderstandings."
The Ghost Mother calmed down and asked him, "Did you come here for my ice silkworm silk?"
"Yes and no."
"What do you mean yes and no?"
"It's true that I came for the ice silkworm silk, and it's true that I came to win you back."
"We swore an oath long ago never to see each other again. If we must meet, let it be when we are both dead, and we meet again on the Styx."
Hei Yun was surprised that she was still so heartless. He sighed helplessly and asked her, "Must we go to that extent?"
"Yes, leave. I don't want to see you."
Hei Yun sighed helplessly again. Hei Feng saw that they weren't fighting, so he boldly stepped forward and asked his uncle, "Uncle, how is it?"
Hei Yun said irritably, "You saw it all clearly, didn't you?"
Hei Feng asked curiously, "What was the reason you parted ways with Aunt and made the oath never to see each other again?"
Hei Yun helplessly pulled him aside and told him about the past. "Back then, I was young and impetuous, always liking to venture out. Once, I stole away while my father was not home, imitating others in chivalrous deeds and traveling far and wide. It was then that I met a beautiful woman who made a living by robbing. She was your aunt, Yan Niang. At that time, I was solely focused on chivalry and justice, so I detested those mountain bandits who robbed and plundered. She was the daughter of the mountain lord of Dongtou Mountain, leading a group of thugs. Although she was a woman, she often did things like a man. Despite having a beautiful face, her demeanor was like a rough man. I happened to travel to that area at the time and saw them always descending the mountain to rob at fixed times. So, to punish them, I disguised myself as a merchant passing by and let them rob me. Later, when they carried the goods up the mountain, they discovered they were all stones. They then shouted and descended the mountain to seek revenge on me. I had been waiting for them at the foot of the mountain for a long time. When enemies meet, their eyes burn with hatred, so we had a real fight. Although I barely won, Yan Niang whipped me several times and injured me. Later, I remembered them. Whenever they descended the mountain to rob, I would appear and disrupt them, letting the traveling merchants escape. After several repetitions like this, everyone was exhausted, and we reluctantly shook hands. Somehow, Yan Niang fell for me. She insisted on being with me. I didn't agree at the time, thinking she was too superficial and like a man."
Hei Yun spoke with great passion and depth, as if he hadn't forgotten any of the past events, as if everything had happened just yesterday.