Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 31 Returning to Sanyang Village, Obsession Remains in the Heart
"Is this the Three Sheep Village?"

On the morning of the second day, Chen Xiuyuan and Xiaomeng arrived at the old site of Sanyang Village. After two years, seeing this small village again, Chen Xiuyuan felt as if he had been through another world.

At this time, Sanyang Village was completely abandoned. Two years of wind and rain had ravaged this uninhabited village beyond recognition.

Wild grass has grown wildly to waist height, obscuring all traces of the past. Wild vines climb all over the collapsed earthen walls, seemingly telling the story of life's tenacity, yet also mocking its fragility.

Following his memory, Chen Xiuyuan led Xiaomeng to the street. The tragedy of the massacre of the village was no longer visible on the ground, and no bones were left behind. He figured that Zhao must have sent people to dispose of the nearby corpses after learning the news.
As he walked along the main street, he saw rows of houses that were already beginning to collapse. The mud walls had held up for two years without anyone living there, and they must have been nearing their limit.

When he fled that day, there were several houses that left a deep impression on him, because he had knocked on the doors of those houses and personally killed the bandits who had massacred the village.

But eventually, time passed and things changed. The faded wooden door creaked in the wind, like an old man in his twilight years, stepping into the end of his life.

After entering the village, Xiaomeng seemed to sense that Chen Xiuyuan was not very interested. Being very perceptive, she didn't say anything and obediently followed beside him.

Looking at the dilapidated village before her, Xiaomeng's emotions began to fluctuate. Compared to her own experiences, it seemed that the boy beside her was living a much harder life.

But after spending these days together, she didn't sense any extreme darkness in the other person caused by suffering; instead, she felt a sense of detachment and indifference.

The other person seemed to be viewing the world from a relatively objective perspective, a point in which she appeared far inferior.

Suddenly, she noticed that Chen Xiuyuan had stopped. Following his gaze, she saw that he was staring at a dilapidated house to the side, seemingly lost in thought.

"here it is?"

Xiaomeng asked in a low voice.

After a long silence, Chen Xiuyuan replied slowly, "The place where the dream began."

"Dream?"

Xiaomeng wondered to herself, "Is it a dream about dreaming? What's in his dream? Or is it a dream about aspirations? What could his aspirations be?"
Several questions flashed through my mind, but seeing that Chen Xiuyuan wasn't very interested, I didn't ask any more.

Looking at the dilapidated house in front of him, a trace of reminiscence flashed in Chen Xiuyuan's eyes. He seemed to be able to see himself waking up in a haystack, having to fight back against the murderous intent, and finally managing to escape.

"To settle the cause and effect."

He suddenly remembered what Bei Mingzi had said when he left the mountain, and a spark of inspiration ignited in his mind.

Throughout his journey, he had always believed that Bei Mingzi had sent him back to settle his karmic debts and to avenge the people of San Yang Village.

But just as he spoke of where the dream began, a sudden realization dawned on him.

Perhaps that's not what Bei Mingzi meant, or perhaps what he truly wanted to resolve wasn't revenge.

The path of spiritual practice requires facing the past, confronting the shackles of the heart, and seeking the true answers within the Tao.

Sanyang Village is just a starting point; his constraints are not there, but in his heart. National and personal grievances do not exist for him, because he is just a person, a lonely person.

"Cultivating destiny, is this what I'm attached to?"

Chen Xiuyuan suddenly smiled, looked up at the sky, and a ray of sunlight shone down through the colorful clouds.

"I don't know what my parents were thinking when they named me, but I still think this name is very good. Cultivating fate, cultivating fate, if it is about cultivating fate, then why let go?"

In a fleeting moment, the thought became clear. Although he didn't know if it was right or wrong, Chen Xiuyuan felt that the myriad rivers of autumn water and the still water of his heart within him had miraculously merged.

"Flying Tiger Village~~"

Suddenly, Chen Xiuyuan turned his gaze to the house that was nearby. Perhaps he still had to make the trip, but this time, it wasn't for revenge, but to eliminate evil.

He had already avenged himself; all the bandits who massacred the village of Flying Tiger Stronghold had died at his hands back then. As for the entire Flying Tiger Stronghold, it was nothing more than a sword in someone else's hands, a sword that was not in its own hands. Of course, this sword may have had its own flaws.

"Let's go!"

"This should be the last stop!"

As the gentle voice rang out, Xiaomeng suddenly felt that the boy in front of her had changed again. Although she wasn't sure if he had become stronger or not, she felt that he had become better.

Xiaomeng turned around and looked at the dilapidated little village. In this era, there were countless places like this, and after the war broke out, countless people would lose their homes.

If this place weren't Chen Xiuyuan's hometown, she might never have set foot here in her entire life.

Arriving at the village entrance again, Chen Xiuyuan reached out and brushed his hand over the three characters on the blue stone tablet—Sanyang Village.

"Is this the script of the Zhao state?"

Xiaomeng tilted her head and asked a question.

She was not from the State of Zhao, so the script she had come into contact with was naturally not from Zhao. Moreover, Taoism was located within the State of Qin, and the script it used was mostly Small Seal Script. Of course, there were also scripts from other countries, but not many. She had only been a disciple of the Heavenly Sect for a short time and had not had the opportunity to come into contact with those.

"Yes~~"

Chen Xiuyuan sighed softly. Once upon a time, these words that only appeared in pictures were now appearing in daily life.

Xiaomeng walked to the stone tablet, looked at the three characters, and seemed to want to write them down.

Chen Xiuyuan found this scene somewhat amusing.

"Don't worry, the classics of Tianzong are all written in Small Seal script, not the script of Zhao State. If you can't understand them, you can ask your master."

Xiaomeng pursed her lips upon hearing this. Although Bei Mingzi was her master, being around him still made her nervous, especially when he was testing her.

So most of the time, she preferred to ask the seemingly kind and approachable Chishongzi.

"I didn't know you were my senior before, but I do now."

At this point, Xiaomeng gave Chen Xiuyuan a knowing look, which made Chen Xiuyuan laugh.

"Then we'll eagerly await Junior Sister Xiaomeng's arrival~~"

Xiaomeng smiled slightly, seemingly in a good mood.

After the two left Sanyang Village again, Xiaomeng suddenly asked, "Do you know where Flying Tiger Stronghold is?"

Chen Xiuyuan replied directly, "I don't know."

Xiaomeng's face darkened. She said that the road was not right and that they had returned to the way they came.

"Okay."

Chen Xiuyuan led the little girl to a big tree and found a shady spot to sit down.

"here??"

"This is the main road to Handan, and there are a lot of people coming and going. We can just ask someone for directions later."

"."

(End of this chapter)