As Gu Junshi stepped onto the ancient bluestone broken bridge, an anomaly suddenly occurred. The serene Buddhist lotus lanterns floating on the pond's surface all extinguished with a swoosh.
Darkness, as expected, descended.
Her pupils, unaccustomed to the dim gloom, felt as though she had gone blind. Her heart clenched with a sudden jolt.
But soon, they discovered that this secluded pond, leading to an unknown destination, was not entirely dark. Seven lotus lanterns glowed brilliantly at a considerable distance. Their flickering light in the dark, ethereal realm illuminated a small patch of clear green water and scattered golden dust in the air.
Everything in their sight transformed from bright sanctity to the hazy, star-sparse reflection of a cold moon veiled in mist.
As the light dimmed, a natural unease settled upon them. This was especially true when they saw the inscriptions that had appeared on the bridge vanish. Although the content was already etched in their minds, it felt as if some trial or unknown event had commenced.
"The loving, the hateful... what does this mean? Is it chosen based on current mood, or some other consideration?" Lu Ziyin speculated.
Cheng Hong meditated for a moment. Seeing Gu Junshi, dressed in black with a pink skirt, step onto the bridge, the formerly obscured path ahead began to illuminate with clusters of ghost-fire-like white light with each of her steps.
Amidst the light and shadow, the swirling darkness and brightness outlined her soft, radiant features. These features were not striking in themselves, but they were elevated several notches by her unique eyes, captivating and impossible to look away from.
His eyes were very calm, yet beneath this stillness, what emotions churned was something no one could fathom.
"State of mind."
Great beings spoke concisely, unlike common folk like him, Lu Ziyin mused on the word "state of mind."
He thought impishly that his state of mind was always exaggerated and fickle. To ask him to settle and choose one was akin to asking him to choose only one from three thousand weak waters. Whom should he choose?
Hua Mi was the first to "eat the crab," as they say. They watched her walk smoothly and without hindrance to the broken section of the bridge.
The broken bridge lay ahead. She paused, and then suddenly, light flared. All the clusters of fire that had accompanied her journey gathered together, transforming into five light bridges, each representing a different choice and a different color.
The loving were yellow, the hateful black, the resentful white, the envious cyan, and the wrathful red.
How would she choose?
At its core, the human heart is not entirely pure and clean. Life is also fraught with hardship and suffering; otherwise, why would one’s life be compared to undergoing a tribulation in the mortal world?
Hua Mi chose without the slightest hesitation. She directly selected the bridge indicated by the "wrathful," which was blue.
As soon as her foot landed, the bridge began to solidify, as if drawing strength from her "wrath" and absorbing crimson power to grow robust and eager.
This then caused confusion?
"Wrathful," interpreted from the word's meaning, is anger or a powerful imposing spirit. Those present did not understand the basis of her choice.
"What is she wrathful about?"
They thought perhaps she had just chosen randomly.
If this choice held significance, then her haphazard selection would lead to failure. But if it was meaningless, then they wouldn't need to overthink it and could simply choose any bridge to cross.
One step, two steps, three steps…
Under their gaze, she successfully reached the other shore without incident. The colorful bridge then disappeared, leaving them with only a black, broken bridge devoid of its radiance.
She had passed successfully… did this mean her choice was correct?
Really?
Was it based on true understanding, or mere luck of the draw?
No one could comprehend what Gu Junshi’s "wrath" signified.
Only she herself knew clearly that an unquenchable, surging fire within her heart drove her to refuse to be an insignificant person. It was like a tender sprout in black soil, pushing forward against adversity, striving, grasping, and advancing.
"Cannon fodder" was the tragic fate written for her by the Heavenly Dao, but she refused to accept it, nor would she yield to such a fate. With an unyielding, fiery defiance, she trampled over everything that obstructed her.
Liu Jiang Fusheng, with his unassailable and noble demeanor, appeared slightly dazed. He wondered if her wrath stemmed from him.
If so, he found himself… feeling gratified.
Next to cross was Cheng Hong, who seemed to have made up his mind and chose "the loving."
Great love is boundless; he embraced all worldly things with a benevolent and compassionate heart. Such a choice was not unexpected… that was how others understood it.
Liu Jiang Fusheng then chose "the hateful." With an air of detachment, as if worldly matters had long passed, he reached the other side successfully, carrying a heart filled with an unfathomable hatred.
His hatred was likely directed at his beloved wife’s past betrayal. As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the deeper the hate… others' interpretations were always so superficial and speculative.
Most surprisingly, the youth Li Sheng, who appeared as pure and untainted as a forest creature, chose "the resentful" and reached the other side without any incident.
What was this?
One shouldn't judge a book by its cover?
He didn't seem like someone harboring unresolved issues or blaming fate!
Yan Tianjiao, with a complex mood, chose "the envious." However, as soon as he stepped onto it, he was blocked by an invisible wall and repelled. He insisted on moving forward but was pushed back by a conflicting force. His brows furrowed, and a chilling aura surged around him, his agitated and violent gaze expressing his inner turmoil.
Those who remained realized the consequences of choosing "incorrectly" or not following the rules of crossing the bridge.
They would be refused passage.
The two children, Gu Sijun and Lebao, also stepped onto the bridge. One chose "the loving" without hesitation, while the other, with hesitation and deliberation, chose "the envious."
Gu Junshi had told them earlier: when crossing the bridge, don't overthink it. Follow your heart. Think about what you want most at this moment, what color it should be, and then choose it without hesitation.
When Gu Sijun thought of his mother, his heart naturally felt warm. Compared to his resentment towards his father or Lebao's envy, his love for his mother seemed more profound, so he naturally chose the warm, bright yellow.
Lebao’s thoughts, however, had been more complex since childhood. His heart was like entwined vines, making it difficult for him to be truly innocent and pure. He had suffered from illness since childhood. Gu Sijun was born only a step earlier than him and was healthy and confident, while he became the sickly child bearing all the suffering. His heart could never be as clear and serene as Gu Sijun's, hence he chose the deep cyan.
They all reached the other shore smoothly, except for Yan Tianjiao. Currently, Lu Ziyin and Fu Wanyuan had not yet decided which bridge to choose.
Seeing Yan Tianjiao unable to cross, Lu Ziyin felt an indescribable unease.
After contemplating the five choices, he finally chose the "envious" bridge, but the result was that he, like Yan Tianjiao, was forcefully pushed back.
Had he chosen incorrectly?
It shouldn't be.
The choices of others made him feel uneasy. It seemed everyone’s choice was different from their outward appearance. Only he felt that his current state of mind perfectly matched "the envious."
Not long ago, he had been fiercely jealous of Cheng Hong’s cultivation speed.
But if not, then perhaps the choice of bridge wasn't about mood, but rather… the deepest, most unfulfilled desire of one’s heart? What color would that manifestation be?
Suddenly, a strange glint appeared in Lu Ziyin’s eyes. He clutched his pounding heart; he seemed to understand.
But at the same time, thinking of a forbidden color, he felt a bit guilty and embarrassed, as if suddenly realizing how shameful his inner self was.
He no longer continued to choose "the envious." The color of his heart was bright and warm yellow, and he finally chose—the loving.
When he successfully reached the other side, his palms were sweating. His wild guess had actually been true; he had indeed been coveting someone he shouldn't have.
He couldn't help but examine his own heart. He always played the field, and although he never forgot any beautiful woman, did his philandering nature stem from love, from a longing for love?
Did he also wish to belong exclusively to someone and to possess someone exclusively?
However, this transition from being a jack-of-all-trades, untouched by anything, to being devoted to one person—when did it begin? He didn't even know himself… Lu Ziyin, flushed with shame, covered his burning face. When a playboy realizes he has been sincerely in love with someone impossible…
Like cold water dousing him, the heat on his face completely faded. No wonder he hadn't realized it; he simply didn't want to fall into such a low, painful state of despair.
Most people have some degree of self-evasion. Without deep thought or careful consideration, they can get by. But once they understand and realize everything, they become like the ancients who said wisdom brings harm.
He sighed deeply.
Who would have thought that the prodigal Young Master Lu, spoken of by the world, was actually experiencing his first true affection, his first love, but it… had withered in its bud.
After Lu Ziyin had crossed, Yan Tianjiao stood there motionless, his head slightly bowed, his sleeves trailing on the ground.
He was intelligent. Things that Lu Ziyin could figure out, he should have guessed after one setback. He probably also knew the correct choice, but he was unwilling to submit to his inner self.
His proud nature naturally couldn't accept the weakness in his heart.
He refused to admit that his heart was a deep crimson.
He would rather admit to being hateful or resentful than to being "wrathful."
For some, "wrathful" signifies immense power, proceeding forward with a fierce defiance to conquer all injustices.
For others, "wrathful" is anger.
Anger signifies a state of weakness and helplessness to change anything.
Yan Tianjiao often faced the world with an indifferent and rebellious attitude, yet his heart could never reconcile with this world.
He often closed his eyes and saw his mother, a mother who was always strong and never showed weakness, but who would often cry and wail hysterically, covering her face in private.
When he was young, he pitied her misfortune and was angry at her lack of assertiveness.
As he grew older, he felt the oppression and the sorrow beneath the dominance of that home, so he fled.
The word "flee" now seemed so enraging.
He also refused to admit that his deepest feeling was a helpless anger, a self that could not resolve it and could only choose to escape in the end.
He pulled at his thin, cold lips and gave a stiff, powerless, and mocking laugh.
In a hoarse voice, he said, "If I can't cross the bridge, I'll wait for you here."
In the end, Yan Tianjiao did not attempt to cross the bridge again.
Seeing his expression, Lu Ziyin didn't know whether to pity himself or him.
The last one was Fu Wanyuan. She initially chose "the loving" with great conviction, but in the end, she was blocked by the transparent wall.
Wasn't it?
Was her love for Liu Jiang Fusheng insufficient to cross this bridge?
Then, she chose "the envious."
She had always held a grudge against Liu Jiang Fusheng's former wife, so she should be "the envious."
But the result was the same; she could not cross the bridge.
Fu Wanyuan's calm expression began to falter. She looked at Liu Jiang Fusheng, who on the other shore was like a pearl hidden in dark mist, filling her with longing. But… she looked hesitantly and stiffly at the "resentful" bridge. Her expression became vacant for a moment, and her eyelashes drooped.
She chose not to cross the bridge, like Yan Tianjiao, and remained in her original spot.
Sometimes, people are not only unable to see their hearts clearly but even when they know something terrifying is consuming them, they dare not face it, or are too ashamed to face it.
Ashamed to admit their most hidden secrets, especially in front of others, as if peeling away a covering cloth to reveal their naked selves.
Only those who can see into their own hearts and be honest about them can reach the other shore, and this is the meaning of the crossing bridge.
Gu Junshi, of course, would not kindly wait for everyone to sort out their inner colors and cross the bridge. Before they arrived, she had already observed the surroundings.
On the other side of the bridge was a stone door. This stone door was greyish-blue. Although it looked ordinary and tall, it had no decorative patterns on its surface. Only on the back of the door did golden patterns flow, resembling the fanned tail feathers of a phoenix.
The Demon-Slaying Arrow must be inside.
"The Demon-Slaying Arrow is inside."
Cheng Hong's clear voice sounded faintly from behind her.
A hint of wickedness flickered across Gu Junshi's cool and calm expression. She glanced sideways at the person who had arrived behind her and said, "So, you won't need to accompany me from now on."
A powerful coldness swept through them, freezing them in place.
"What are you going to do?"
"Don't you already suspect?"
"Are you a ghost cultivator?"
Gu Junshi took a step forward, her outer shell melting away, revealing her true face as purple-black mist dissipated.
"Gu… Gu Junshi?!" Lu Ziyin's eyes widened.
She cast a faint glance, her robes billowing, and scooped up Cheng Hong.
"Master Cheng Hong, I need to borrow your blood."
She cut his finger and quickly drew symbols in the air. Ignoring his unwillingness, her gaze fell upon the prayer beads on his wrist, and she paused for a moment.