Chapter 488: Long Qi Returns to Leisure Abode

The moon climbed above the treetops, and Long Qi was startled awake from his dream once again.

For a year, the same dream had repeatedly tormented Long Qi; in the dream, there was always a weeping woman in white, and whenever he drew near, he would be startled into a cold sweat.

That woman had no face!

It was this same dream that had caused Long Qi to wake up a year ago, and every night thereafter, he would encounter that woman.

Long Qi did not know what was wrong with him; he always felt as though he had lost something important, yet he could not explain what it was.

So Long Qi left; he left the Yuanqing Sect because he had forgotten everything, and everything else had only been told to him by others.

A blank space had appeared in his life, and this blank space seemed to be related to that woman in white.

Long Qi had once revisited the old Long Family residence, a pain in his memory that could never be erased; just as he was about to leave, he was swept by a strange wind into an underground palace.

The one who had invited him there was a snake-like monster who claimed to be an ancestor of the Long Family, by the name of Wuji.

After hearing Long Qi's confusion, Wuji only sighed and said, "In the end, there is fate but no affinity!" and said nothing more.

If this had been in the past, Long Qi would certainly have gotten to the bottom of it, but the current Long Qi had inexplicably seen through many things, and for the things he did not understand, he was mostly not one to dwell on them.

Because Long Qi understood that many things could only be understood after one had personally experienced their twists and turns.

So after bidding farewell to Wuji, Long Qi set off alone to find the answers.

During this year, Long Qi had traveled across mountains and seen all there was to see, chasing after that missing piece in his heart.

Yet the result remained that he had gained nothing.

With the end of the year approaching, Long Qi decided to return to Yuanqing.

That was the place where he had woken up, and it was also the place where everything had begun.

After wandering around, he had returned to Guyang; approaching the city gate and looking at the stone carvings on it, Long Qi was suddenly filled with a hundred emotions.

It was as if an invisible hand were gripping his throat, or as if some force were pushing him to leave; this feeling of dissonance made Long Qi inexplicably irritable.

Long Qi reached into his bosom, where a jade flute lay.

This flute had been with him ever since Long Qi woke up, and whenever he felt irritable, its warm, smooth touch could always calm him down.

It was just like a long-lost old friend, patiently soothing all his restlessness.

Stroking the warmth of the flute's mouthpiece, Long Qi's mind steadied, and he strode into the city.

The city was bustling with activity, with peddlers and pedestrians passing by in an endless stream.

Today was the Shangyuan Festival, and it was once again time for the Half-Mountain Temple to be lively; people from all around gathered here to pray for blessings for the dead and make wishes for the living.

Although it was not as prosperous as in previous years, it was still crowded with people, and some small paths were so packed one could hardly walk.

Having endured three years of disaster and torment, everyone hoped that in the future they would be safe and sound, with everything going smoothly.

But regarding the three-year catastrophe that everyone spoke of, Long Qi truly had no impression; his last memory stopped at the Taishang Sect.

He remembered that he had gone to the Taishang Sect to seek entry into the Daoist Sect; firstly, to cultivate properly so he would have more confidence in taking his revenge, and secondly, to scout for news of his enemy.

One moment he had learned that the Taishang Sect had lost someone, and the next moment he had arrived at the Yuanqing Sect.

To avoid drawing attention with his white hair, Long Qi tightened his cloak and covered his head more securely.

Passing by the entrance of an alley, a scent of medicine wafted toward him; after smelling it, Long Qi felt refreshed and, as if guided by a ghost, turned into it.

Most of the storefronts in the alley were closed, with only two or three eateries and taverns still open, and there were very few customers.

They had probably all gone up the mountain to pray for blessings.