Chapter 584: The Death of the Master

In the cave, a weak fire flickered from stacked branches, and the entrance was concealed with leaves.

Luke sat beside the fire, eyes vacant, occasionally flickering with inexplicable sorrow.

Ye Nan stretched his limbs, feigning great difficulty, though his minor injuries had long healed; before Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi, he still pretended to have recovered just a little.

Obi-Wan Kenobi thought to himself: “Leaves block the firelight, and force insects mask our scent—but none of this will work against Superman Clark.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi said, “Luke, go hunt a bug.”

Luke looked up, confused, at Obi-Wan Kenobi.

“I’ll use the bug’s corpse to lure others, making them circle outside—then they’ll serve as early warning. Even if those two come, we can escape.”

Looking at Luke’s clenched fists, Obi-Wan Kenobi added, “Don’t provoke those two. You can’t fight them. Even if you reach Master level, you still can’t defeat them—only when you reach the peak of Jedi Knighthood can you kill them.”

“Besides, I’ve told you before: they didn’t kill your uncle and aunt.”

“Not them, but they’re connected.” At this, Luke no longer cared whether there was a connection—he now hated Clark and Hancock.

Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed. He felt he had failed terribly. He had waited here for over a decade, and this was the outcome. Sometimes he felt lost, wondering if his actions were right.

When Luke’s father, Vader, was seduced by the dark side of the Force, he took Luke and Princess Leia out. He entrusted Leia to Bail Organa, while he brought Luke here—to the Force’s homeland.

In his plan, Luke would grow closer to the Force insects here, laying a solid foundation.

But he never expected events to unfold so soon—he was unprepared. Clark and Hancock severed all his escape routes, forcing him to hide on this planet and wait for an opportunity.

“Three days have passed. Others have noticed something’s wrong here.”

For Obi-Wan Kenobi, any spaceship sent to investigate this place was their only hope of escape.

Cough. Cough.

Obi-Wan Kenobi coughed twice, then suddenly spat out a large gout of blood. “So I can’t suppress it anymore?”

“What’s wrong?” Luke, lost in thoughts of avenging his uncle and aunt, rushed forward to support him upon seeing Obi-Wan Kenobi’s condition.

“I’m fine,” Obi-Wan Kenobi shook his head. “Just a minor wound.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed inwardly: “Though the laser didn’t hit vital organs, the wound was cauterized instantly—but it’s worse than I thought. I don’t know how long I can last. I hope I can teach Luke as much as I can in this time.”

“Yoda, no matter what, I must get him off this planet. He’s the only hope.”

Luke gave Obi-Wan Kenobi a suspicious glance, then said nothing and turned away.

After Luke left, Obi-Wan Kenobi coughed violently twice, spitting out another large gout of blood.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Nan asked anxiously.

“I’m fine,” Obi-Wan Kenobi waved him off.

“For some time now, the Sith Emperor has foreseen that Luke would pose a great threat to him. So he used the dark side of the Force to seduce Luke’s father—Anakin Skywalker, whom you call Vader.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi stared blankly into the distance. “By absorbing Vader, the Sith Emperor hoped to prevent Luke’s birth—but Luke was still born, and lived here.”

“Do you know why I brought him here?” Obi-Wan Kenobi’s thoughts jumped abruptly.

“I don’t know,” Ye Nan shook his head. “Princess Leia only told me to find you. As for Luke, I met him purely by chance.”

“We were being chased by the evil Imperial forces. Princess Leia drew all their attention alone so that I, R2, and PO could escape.”

“Then we were captured by natives and sold to Luke. At the time, I was desperate to leave, so I tempted Luke by claiming Jedi could marry Leia. I truly didn’t know he was Luke—Leia’s own brother, Anakin Skywalker’s son.” Ye Nan spoke with fear.

“I know—even Leia didn’t know Luke was her brother, or that she was Anakin’s daughter.”

“When Luke and Leia were infants, their talents were nearly identical. Their blood contained comparable levels of Force insects, proving both were ideal candidates for Jedi. But because of the prophecy, I had to take Luke away and devote all my energy to him.”

“Every time I think of it, I feel I’ve wronged Leia.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed. “Too bad, under these circumstances, I don’t even know if I’ll live to see Leia again.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi looked at the wound on his shoulder, offering a bitter smile. “This pierced through my shoulder. With proper medical equipment, I might survive—but here, it’s impossible.”

“Arrival 1994” Ye Nan stared at Obi-Wan Kenobi’s wound, his brow furrowed deeply.

So far, Obi-Wan Kenobi had never taught Luke how to cultivate the Force—only how to sense it. Ye Nan remembered: some Jedi had consumed an entire planet’s Force. That power was what he craved. Before he uncovered the Force’s secrets, Obi-Wan Kenobi could not die.

“Don’t worry. Everything will get better,” Ye Nan said casually.

“I know my own condition. I won’t last much longer. If I die, take Luke to Dagobah and find Master Yoda.”

“I will,” Ye Nan nodded solemnly.

“And….” Obi-Wan Kenobi rose from the ground, stepped before Ye Nan, and extended his hand. “I’ll imprint some Force knowledge into you. If I meet with misfortune and can’t teach Luke, help him learn the most basic Force applications. The deeper studies, Yoda will teach him.”

Ye Nan’s eyes flickered with delight. “Then give me some advanced methods of Force control.”

“No,” Obi-Wan Kenobi shook his head. “Neither you nor Luke can learn those. You must study under Yoda’s guidance—otherwise, you’ll be seduced by the dark side and fall.”

This is no longer the golden age of Jedi Knighthood. Back then, any Jedi could teach their tribe’s gifted children; the Force was pure light, and no Jedi ever sensed the dark side during cultivation.

But since the dark side’s iron curtain spread across the galaxy, it has grown stronger. Ordinary Jedi, without elder guidance, easily fall to its seduction—even those who’ve passed trials are tempted when sensing the dark side, and succumb.

That’s why Obi-Wan Kenobi couldn’t reveal deeper cultivation methods—he feared Luke would sense the dark side during training and fall.

Obi-Wan Kenobi placed his hand on Ye Nan’s head. “Close your eyes. Sense the knowledge I transmit. If I meet misfortune, replace me and teach Luke.”

“Mm,” Ye Nan nodded. Though he lacked advanced techniques, he felt some satisfaction—gaining basic knowledge was still valuable.

“Prepare to receive.”

A stream of strange knowledge flowed into Ye Nan’s mind. He sensed it once, then sealed it away.

After an unknown length of time, Obi-Wan Kenobi withdrew his hand. The knowledge transfer had exhausted him—he grew frail and listless.

“There,” Obi-Wan Kenobi exhaled. “Remember: tell Luke to cultivate the Force gradually. Don’t seek instant mastery. And above all—never let the dark side seduce you. Never easily sense the dark Force permeating the galaxy.”

“I will. I’ll take Luke to Master Yoda,” Ye Nan smiled faintly. “Also, I have a secret to tell you.”

“What secret?” Obi-Wan Kenobi asked.

“I am Clark’s Emperor.” Ye Nan’s hand pierced through Luke’s chest, crushing his heart. “Everything was a disguise. I’m not Leia’s servant—I’m the Emperor of the Temporal Empire.” (To be continued.)