At the crossing of the Forgetful River, there was no boat, no bridge—only a shore veiled in gray mist.The river did not flow, yet its surface mirrored ten thousand reflections:
some laughing, some weeping, some kneeling in supplication, others roaring at the heavens."This is the River of Memories," Bai Ying whispered. "To cross, one must offer a memory as a vessel. If your mind is too hollow… you'll sink into its depths and become a shadow for eternity."The gray thread on Xie Wuchen's right arm had now crept to his jawline. His memories were nearly gone—like sand slipping through a broken hourglass.Only three things remained:
—the warmth of his mother's bowl,
—the weight of his wooden sword,
—and a woman beneath a pear tree, saying softly:"Wuchen… don't walk so fast. Wait for me.""Who?" he asked Bai Ying."What do you mean?""The one… who asked me to wait."Bai Ying was silent for a long moment. Then she sighed."Perhaps… the one person you should never have forgotten."Suddenly, a clear sword-chime rang from the woods behind them.A figure in white emerged beneath the moonlight—jade flute at her waist, longsword in hand.
Carved upon the scabbard were four characters:"Sever Emotion, Cut Attachment."Her face was cold as frost, a single vermilion mole between her brows.
She was Luo Qingyi—the only woman in a century to ascend Qingming Sect's famed Path-to-Inquiry Cliff, a prodigy spoken of in hushed awe.Xie Wuchen's pupils contracted.The woman beneath the pear blossoms… and this warrior before him—were one."Senior Sister…" he breathed.Luo Qingyi paused mid-step. A flicker of pain crossed her eyes—gone in an instant.She raised her sword, its tip aimed at his heart."Xie Wuchen. By order of the Sect Master: eliminate the traitor, cleanse the sect."Bai Ying stepped in front of him."He's been framed by Heaven's Dao! Will Qingming Sect truly serve as the Shepherds' hounds?""Heaven's Dao is order," Luo Qingyi replied evenly. "Those who disrupt it must be removed."Her sword flashed forth—
No light, no shadow—only a blade of pure spiritual chill piercing straight for his soul.It was The Severing Heart Scripture, Qingming's forbidden art—designed to shatter a cultivator's emotional core, leaving behind an empty, obedient shell.Xie Wuchen instinctively drew his wooden sword to block—but the gray thread surged into his mind!Visions exploded:
—Luo Qingyi handing him a jade slip beneath pear blossoms: "This is my notes on the Dustless Scripture. Take a look."
—Her kneeling before Sect Master Xuanwei: "Disciple volunteers to bear the Demon-Slaying Edict… and execute the traitor myself.""Why?" he rasped. "Didn't you once say… 'The Great Dao is too cold—we need someone to walk it together'?"Her sword faltered—just slightly. Turmoil flickered in her eyes, but her voice stayed ice-cold:"Precisely because we walked it together… I know you've strayed beyond redemption."The blade lashed out again—aimed at his right arm, seeking to sever the Cauldron-Brand and cripple his cultivation!In that sliver of time, Xie Wuchen did not parry.
Instead, he grabbed the blade bare-handed.Blood ran down the fuller, dripping into the River of Memories.The waters boiled instantly!Fragments of memory erupted from the depths:
—young Xie Wuchen bullied by sect brothers, Luo Qingyi standing between him and their fists;
—his failed Foundation Establishment, her guarding him through three snowbound nights;
—his mother dying, Luo Qingyi secretly scouring the scripture vaults for a cure…"See?!" Xie Wuchen locked eyes with her. "Can Heaven's Dao steal this?!"Luo Qingyi's wrist trembled.She cultivated The Severing Heart Scripture—but every time she cut away emotion, another crack split her heart.
Last night, she'd dreamed again of pear blossoms dusting her shoulders, a boy turning back with a smile:"Senior Sister, after we ascend… can we still watch the snow together?"She'd answered: "Yes."
Awakening to a pillow soaked in tears."Enough!" She suddenly sheathed her sword and turned her back on them. "Go. While I… haven't changed my mind."Bai Ying narrowed her eyes. "You're letting us leave?""I'm not letting you go." Luo Qingyi gazed into the gray mist. "I'm letting him go."From her sleeve, she tossed a jade talisman."This will shield you as you cross the River of Memories. But remember—
if you uncover the truth in the Nether Realm… come back and tell me:
Is Heaven's Dao truly unbreakable?"Xie Wuchen caught the talisman. Warm to the touch—it was the birthday gift she'd given him years ago."Senior Sister…""Don't call me that." Her voice was barely audible. "The day you questioned Heaven's Dao… Qingming Sect lost Luo Qingyi."She walked away, her white robes vanishing into the forest mist.But Xie Wuchen saw clearly: her left hand clutched a faded handkerchief—
its corner embroidered with twin lotuses… clumsily stitched by a ten-year-old boy."She let you go," Bai Ying said softly, "because she's doubting too."Xie Wuchen tightened his grip on the jade talisman and stepped toward the river.His reflection shimmered on the water—then twisted into another self:
black-robed, crimson-eyed, smirking."Think fleeing to the underworld will save your mother? Fool. You're forgetting even yourself."It was his Dao Phantasm—the shadow born of the Cauldron-Brand."Be silent," Xie Wuchen murmured. "As long as I remember someone is waiting for me… I won't lose my way."He stepped into the river.The talisman bloomed into a small boat, carrying him toward the far shore.Behind him, on the bank, Luo Qingyi hadn't truly left.She watched his receding form—and finally shed a single tear.The tear struck the ground… but the gray mist did not consume it.
Instead, it transformed into a translucent blue lotus, drifting silently into Xie Wuchen's shadow.Far away, atop a distant peak, the old beggar observed all this and sighed:"All beings guard the word 'love'—though Heaven's Dao forbids it…
At last… someone has made a move in this game."(End of Chapter Six)