Days passed, and Mu Yanfeng and I continued our daily cultivation. Yet my heart remained unsettled, haunted from time to time by the thrilling and terrifying experience at the back mountain that day, leaving a lingering, inescapable sense of unease.
That day, I was sitting quietly in meditation in my room, trying to calm the ripples within my heart. Suddenly, a commotion from outside shattered the peace. A chill gripped my heart, and I stood up to go check. A group of disciples were gathered together, whispering and discussing among themselves, their faces etched with varying degrees of tension and confusion.
I hurried forward and anxiously asked, "What has happened?"
A disciple replied with a nervous expression and a trembling voice, "I hear strange phenomena have occurred in the nearby villages. Many villagers suddenly fell ill overnight, and the nature of their illness is bizarre and completely baffling."
Hearing this, my heart plummeted as if a heavy boulder weighed upon my chest, and a heavy sense of foreboding surged like a tide.
At that moment, Mu Yanfeng hurried over as well. Upon hearing the news, he turned to look at me, his eyes full of concern, and said, "Junior Sister, I fear this matter is not so simple."
We exchanged glances, and as if moved by a shared intuition, we went together to Master's room, intending to ask for instructions on whether we should go investigate.
Master was sitting upright at the desk, holding a scroll with a focused expression. Hearing our footsteps, he raised his head, his gaze calm and profound.
"Master, strange occurrences have happened in the nearby villages, and numerous villagers have fallen ill overnight with a bizarre sickness. We request permission to go and investigate," Mu Yanfeng said straight to the point.
Master put down the scroll, contemplated for a moment, and said, "Yanfeng, take a few disciples to the village and make sure to find out the cause."
Mu Yanfeng accepted the order and hurried off to the village with me and several other disciples.
Upon reaching the village, a strange and oppressive atmosphere washed over us. The entire village seemed shrouded in a haze, terrifyingly silent. The villagers looked haggard, lying in bed and moaning in misery, their sounds wretched and helpless.
Mu Yanfeng began questioning the villagers one by one about how the illness started, but everyone was either too delirious or incoherent to give a clear account.
Just as we were at our wits' end with no clues whatsoever, I suddenly noticed some black marks by a well in the village. The marks were irregular in shape, exuding a mysterious and evil aura.
"Senior Brother, come look!" I called out to Mu Yanfeng anxiously.
Mu Yanfeng walked over quickly, observed carefully, and his expression grew grave. "This appears to be the imprint left by some kind of dark magic."
Just as we were preparing to investigate further, a dark figure flashed past us like a ghost.
Mu Yanfeng reacted swiftly, giving chase without a moment's hesitation, and I followed closely behind.
The figure was extremely fast, darting through the woods like the wind, leading us to a dilapidated temple.
The interior of the temple was gloomy and terrifying, reeking of a rotting stench that forced one to cover their nose and mouth.
"Be careful!" Mu Yanfeng warned vigilantly.
Suddenly, a group of figures dressed in black robes rushed out from the shadows, instantly surrounding us.
Facing the sudden appearance of the black-robed figures, Mu Yanfeng quickly pulled me behind him, his gaze sharp as a blade, staring intently at them.
"Who on earth are you? How dare you engage in evil deeds here!" Mu Yanfeng rebuked loudly, his voice echoing in the temple, filled with majesty and anger.
A tall figure stepped out from among the black-robed men, his voice hoarse and gloomy, like an evil ghost from hell. "Hmph, meddling fools, today shall be your day of death!"
With that, the black-robed figures waved their gleaming weapons and charged at us like a tide. Mu Yanfeng showed no fear, instantly drawing his sword to meet the enemy. Sword shadows flashed like a dragon emerging from the sea, engaging the enemy in a fierce battle.
I did not fall behind either, unleashing the spells I had learned. Brilliance flashed as I assisted Mu Yanfeng against the enemies. However, the strength of the black-robed men was not to be underestimated; they coordinated seamlessly with orderly offense and defense, and for a time, we found ourselves locked in a bitter struggle.
Fine beads of sweat seeped onto Mu Yanfeng's forehead, trickling down his cheeks, yet his moves remained fierce, every sword stroke carrying the momentum of splitting bamboo and a rainbow-like vigor. I shielded him as best as I could from the side, silently praying in my heart that we could turn the tide as soon as possible.
Just then, relying on his keen insight, Mu Yanfeng spotted a flaw in the black-robed men. With a sudden burst of strength, his sword pierced like a shooting star straight into the vital spot of the ringleader. Seeing this, the rest of the group instantly fell into disarray.
"Junior Sister, now's our chance!" Mu Yanfeng shouted loudly.
I immediately understood and unleashed my strongest spell. A dazzling flash of light swept past, a powerful force erupted instantly, and the black-robed men tumbled to the ground one after another.
Only then did we breathe a sigh of relief and begin cautiously searching the temple for clues to unravel the conspiracy behind it all.
The temple was steeped in a decayed atmosphere, covered everywhere in Spider webs and thick dust. We walked with utmost care, our sharp gazes scanning every corner, leaving no trace unchecked.
Suddenly, behind a dilapidated statue, I discovered a yellowed scroll. I picked it up gently, carefully blowing away the dust on top, and saw four twisted and bizarre characters written on the cover: Dark Secret Record.
"Senior Brother, look at this." I handed the scroll to Mu Yanfeng.
Mu Yanfeng took the scroll and began reading through it with intense focus. As he read deeper, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter, as if he had plunged into deep thought.
"Junior Sister, this scroll records an evil magic capable of manipulating human minds and draining life force. It seems the villagers' strange illnesses stem from this," Mu Yanfeng said with a solemn expression, his eyes filled with worry.
Just then, I discovered a stone tablet engraved with strange symbols in a corner.
"Senior Brother, could this also be related to the matter?" I asked, full of confusion.
Mu Yanfeng walked over, squatted down, and studied the symbols on the tablet closely. After pondering for a moment, he said, "These symbols appear to be markings for some kind of formation, perhaps the key to casting that evil magic."
We continued searching through the temple, missing no place that might hide clues, and found some leftover medicinal herbs and strange magical artifacts.
"Judging by these clues, there must be an organization proficient in dark magic manipulating all of this behind the scenes," Mu Yanfeng said, his expression grave and heavy.
"Then we must root them out and not let them harm anyone else," I clenched my fists, my gaze resolute, my heart filled with righteous fury.
Mu Yanfeng nodded, his gaze as firm as iron. "Let's go. We must return to the sect first, report these clues to Master, and then deliberate on our next steps."
With the clues in hand, we hurried away from the mysterious and dangerous temple.
Back at the sect, we wasted no time and headed straight to Master's quarters.
"Master, we found important clues in the temple," Mu Yanfeng said eagerly, a trace of anxiety in his voice.
Master sat at the desk, holding a brush as if writing something. Hearing this, he raised his head, his gaze filled with concern and anticipation. "Quickly, tell me what you found."
Mu Yanfeng presented the yellowed scroll and the stone tablet engraved with strange symbols to Master, detailing our discoveries and deductions at the temple.
Master carefully examined the scroll and tablet, his expression growing increasingly heavy, as if a haze hung over his face. "This dark magic is exceedingly malicious. If we fail to stop it in time, I fear it will cause even greater harm."
I continued, "Master, we also found some leftover herbs and strange magical artifacts, suggesting they are plotting an even larger conspiracy."
Master remained silent, stroking his chin in thought for a moment before saying, "Judging by these clues, this matter is by no means accidental. Yanfeng, go quickly and gather the elite disciples of the sect. Prepare to investigate this matter thoroughly, and be sure to root out the mastermind behind it."
Mu Yanfeng cupped his fists in salute. "Understood, Master!"
I quickly added, "Master, I wish to go along as well."
Master looked at me and nodded slightly, his gaze full of care. "Exercise caution."
Fearing for my safety, Mu Yanfeng did not want me to go. He looked at me with a stern face and said, "Junior Sister, this mission is fraught with unknown perils. The enemy is powerful and vicious, and you lack experience. I cannot let you follow me into danger."
I replied anxiously, "Senior Brother, precisely because of that I must go. I want to face this together with everyone and fight for justice. I will not become a burden—trust me!"
Mu Yanfeng frowned, shook his head, and said, "No, I am responsible for your safety."
"Perhaps through this trial I can recover my memories." I gazed into the distance with a steadfast look, murmuring to myself. Ever since those days, the lost memories had lingered in my mind like a shroud of fog, often leaving me feeling lost and unsettled.
Yet at this moment, that thought grew stronger in my heart, acting like a ray of light in the darkness that granted me hope and courage. I firmly believed that through continuous trials, those forgotten pasts would gradually become clear.
Still refusing, Mu Yanfeng furrowed his brow deeply and said in a solemn tone, "Junior Sister, the path of trials is fraught with danger and variables. I cannot let you take such risks. Even if there is the slightest chance it might put you in danger, I will never agree."