Journey to the End of the Night
Chapter 58 - 58 58 Sunken Ship at Sea

58: Chapter 58: Sunken Ship at Sea 58: Chapter 58: Sunken Ship at Sea Because he saw that the old man on the tree has now entirely merged into the trunk of the ancient tree.

Only an old face covered in tree rings remained, perched and growing within it, even turning his neck was extremely difficult.

It seemed he heard Baili An’s voice, his eyes moved slightly.

Those aged eyes were also turning to wood, murky and stiff, appearing like an ancient tree demon about to perish.

He moved his mouth, saying, “Destiny decrees it so, fate dictates, you cannot escape, and we…

cannot escape either.”

While speaking, a crisp wooden crack sounded, and a small slit opened at the center of the old man’s forehead, emitting a faint golden light.

With great difficulty, he pulled a smile across his face, “Child, come here.”

At this moment, Baili An’s mind was a complete mess; everything had happened too swiftly.

How could he not see that the old man was about to return to Chaos?

His soul, his origin, had all in the passing moments of the Mountain Seal’s transition, transformed into Mountain Spirit Power and merged into his palm.

“Why?” Baili An stepped forward as told, feeling melancholic.

A golden thread emerged from the old man’s forehead, fine as human hair, slowly floating down.

The thread seemed to have its own life and consciousness, gently wrapping around Baili An’s fingertips.

The old man’s gaze rested on the golden thread, seemingly seeing the near future, unintentional sadness and deep pain reflected in his wooden eyes.

He slowly said, “Child, keep this thread safe.

It will be of great use to you in the near future.”

Baili An’s expression was complex as he looked down at the golden thread on his finger, which quickly turned pitch black after leaving the old man’s body.

“Can you not take back your Golden Seal, I cannot be bound by this mountain like you, I need to search for my lost memories.”

“Heh, bound?”

The wistfulness in the old man’s eyes deepened: “You say that, and it is not incorrect, I defied divine punishment, forsaken my homeland, and suffered punishment here awaiting the day I could return home.

But tens of thousands of years can change many things, I found Lin Yuan and Lin Guiyuan later on, raised them as my own children.

Gradually…

I found that with them here, this place too is a home.

The binding turned into voluntarily drawing my own prison, even though I cannot leave this Water Realm, I find myself willing nonetheless.

The moment this thought formed in my heart, I knew…

I was no longer a divinity, but a mortal assimilated into the natural world, and I could never…

return there.”

Amidst the deep desolation there was a touch of invaluable tenderness.

“Child, I only ask one thing of you, protect this mountain for me, along with Guiyuan and little Yuan, their stories will continue through you.”

Baili An was a headstrong person, he never made promises lightly.

Because he knew, once a promise was made, he would surely endeavor to fulfill it.

Now such a heavy burden had fallen upon him, and he didn’t know how to accept it for a time.

The old man chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, unlike me, I guard this mountain to atone, thus I must pay the price of freedom to guard.

But you guard this mountain, not due to atonement or duty, but because of destiny, and destiny cannot bind your freedom, you can leave the mountain at any time.”

Even his usually clear and sharp mind felt somewhat dizzy at this moment.

Baili An looked up at the gray-faced old man and said heavily, “If you die, Lin Guiyuan and Sister Lin Yuan will be sad.”

“There is no banquet under heaven that does not disperse, they will meet better people.”

On the old man’s face, there was no fear of death, only a sense of relief.

Baili An lowered his head with a sad expression: “I cannot understand.”

Everything was happening too absurdly.

He was merely a corpse demon with no life, barely able to protect himself, let alone guard the spirit of this mountain.

Suddenly, he realized…

From the moment he met the little deer, its inexplicable closeness and joy were all within this cycle of causality.

With a slight movement in his gaze, the old man seemed to sense some change: “Good child, it’s time, you should leave here now.”

“Leave?” Baili An’s eyes widened, again confused.

Wasn’t he told to guard this Kongcang Mountain?

Why was he being asked to leave now?

Without giving him time to think, a massive vine with the power to break gold, split the ground and swung towards Baili An.

Instinctively, Baili An raised his hand to block, a Gale swept around, the vine did not hit him directly, but violently swept him into an ancient well.

A splash of water.

This time it was not his soul falling into the Star River sea, but his physical body also disappeared into the well.

…

Consciousness engulfed by the Star River well water, when Baili An awoke again, he found himself in a room.

The room was quiet, neatly arranged.

Inside there was not much furniture, just a bed, a low table, and a swaying green lamp.

Covered by a blanket made of unknown animal fur, from beneath the bed came a soft sound of deep sleep.

Baili An looked down to see that it was the little deer sleeping beneath his bed.

Like a grand dream…

He hurriedly lifted his hand, watching the lifeline that had long been broken, he pondered for a moment, then channeled Spiritual Power to his palm.

Suddenly, the cold palm radiated a burning warm golden light, the faint signal of the spirit platform confirming to him.

That night in the Water Realm, with the old man in the tree, everything was not a dream.

He had fallen into that mysterious ancient well, and then appeared here?

Moreover, what was more astonishing was that the little deer, which should have been in the Mountain Realm, also appeared here.

Why was it so?

The old man in the tree entrusted everything about Kongcang Mountain to him.

Every word was a sincere request, hoping he would continue to protect Kongcang Mountain.

But since so…

why did he send him away?

As the chaotic mind slowly deduced and thought clearly, it suddenly became lucid.

His clear eyes suddenly widened, Baili An threw off the blanket from his body, and got out of the bed, his face pale as paper.

No, this isn’t right!

The old man’s actions seemed to have foreseen some forthcoming disaster on Kongcang Mountain.

Thus, he had sent him, the new yet weak Mountain Master, to another safe place.

At this moment, if Baili An still had a heartbeat, it would certainly be pounding beneath his chest like a battle drum.

Baili An stood in place for a good three breaths, his mind blanking for a moment, before realizing the room he was in seemed not to be a real place.

Undulating, like a sunken boat on the sea.

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