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Dao of Healing - Chapter 91
🕑 Added 2025-03-26 14:12:40 +0000 UTC<< Chapter 90 | Index | Chapter 92 >>
The valley was a lot larger than it seemed from the peak of the hill. It was a bowl shape, seeming to go deeper into the earth than the land outside. We first made our way to that river, finding that it was almost a hundred metres wide!
It had barely looked like a stream from above, but that was a strange illusion. Perhaps the dim evening light had played tricks on my eyesight.
“I don’t think we can jump over,” Wang Ren sighed. “Let’s look for a bridge. There should be one closer to that city.”
With no other options I consented and we began walking along the river bank. Despite its size, the river was rather lazy, gentle eddies appearing every now and then as it slowly flowed through the valley.
In the distance I could see a few dancing lights in the air, with the shape of the walls a darker shadow against the blackish-green silhouette of the hills on the opposite side of the valley. It took us almost an hour to reach the city and we didn’t spot a single bridge along the way.
When we reached the riverbank opposite the city, I spotted a gate with a stone watchtower on either side. There were no lights in the towers, presumably to hide the presence of guards, but I could make out a human silhouette in the left tower.
“What do you think? Should we call out to them? That gate looks like a drawbridge. Maybe they’ll let us cross?” I asked my companion.
“Why not. What’s the worst that can happen? I don’t know of any city governors above the Qi Gathering Realm, so I doubt some guards have the strength to kill us. If they aren’t friendly, we can just run away and camp for the night,” he replied with a shrug.
Wang Ren’s words made sense. I doubted those guards would be able to see us across the river, but that was easy to solve. Taking a breath, I then shouted at the top of my lungs.
“Hello friends! We come in peace. We wish to stay in the comfort of your walls for the night, would you be able to let us across the river?”
My voice echoed through the valley, growing softer and softer. At first there was no response and I wondered if they were ignoring me or if they simply hadn’t heard me.
I shook my head. That was impossible. If my voice could echo through the valley beyond the city there was no way the guards at the gate hadn’t heard my shout.
However, a few seconds later I received a reply. There was a metallic clanking sound like a large chain tapping against a wall and I watched the drawbridge begin to lower.
“Of course, travellers. Our Dancing Lights City welcomes all with open arms. Come in and escape the dangers of the night in one of our inns,” the guard cheerily called back.
Wang Ren and I shared a look. Being friendly wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes it was best to be suspicious of those who were overly jubilant.
“Would you so freely welcome two strangers in the middle of the night when your job is to protect a city?” Wang Ren murmured, a conflicted expression in his eyes.
“To be honest, I would. However, I’m a naturally trusting and open person,” I chuckled in reply. “Either way, we should be stronger than most of the people inside. Let’s just keep our wits about us and head out early in the morning.”
Even if the situation was a little bizarre in this Dancing Lights City, we weren’t going to refuse the chance to have a warm meal and a soft bed for the night. The drawbridge slammed against the riverbank with a reverberating thud and we shared a final look before heading towards the gate.
A guard greeted us on the other side, a wide smile on his face as he offered us a bow. “Honoured guests, welcome to our city. Come, come, get out of the darkness,” he said, waving us to follow after him.
With a shrug we walked into Dancing Lights City after our guide. The drawbridge began to clink as it was raised back up. I hoped there was an exit onto this side of the valley, or we might not be able to leave as easily as we hoped.
“Let me show you to one of our finest inns. You can have a delicious meal prepared by Madame Zhang and listen to the songs of a travelling bard. It’s only two silver a night,” he told us with a glint in his eye.
This guard was more like a salesman than a soldier. Looking around the city, I saw that even though it was late in the evening there were many lanterns filling the paved streets with a golden glow and dozens of people were chatting and dancing, eating and drinking, and enjoying themselves.
No wonder it was called Dancing Lights City. It was a fitting name. I looked around in wonder as the guard took us towards the inn.
Halfway down the street I felt my arm suddenly get grabbed by a nearby woman. “Come, dance with me, traveller!” she exclaimed in delight, twirling me around before I could resist.
“Wha-” I could only sigh and give in, dancing a little with the woman. She was quite pretty, with a round face and big eyes.
However, I didn’t let myself get distracted. Pulling away, I turned back to the middle of the street. “What? Where did Wang Ren and that guard go?” I muttered in confusion.
While I had been dancing, my Senior Brother and the guy who’d led us into the city had vanished into the distance. Suddenly the aroma of grilled meat and spices wafted into my nose.
“I suppose he can handle himself. I’ll find him soon. It has been a while since I ate and that meat smells incredible,” I muttered, turning my head to find the source of the tantalising aroma.
****
While Zhao Dan had ran off in search of grilled meat, Wang Ren had continued to follow after the guard. When that strange woman had pulled his Sect Leader to dance, he had immediately halted and grown suspicious, however the guard reassured him it was fine.
“Don’t worry, our Dancing Lights City is one of the safest in this entire region!” he proclaimed boldly. “Your friend will be fine. Look, he has a big smile on his face dancing with Han Ai. Leave him be. I will show you to the inn and you can wait for him there.”
Wang Ren’s mouth curled downwards slightly. He felt as if there was something wrong with the guard’s suggestion, but he couldn’t fault it. He followed after the man, giving a final glance at Zhao Dan as he did.
As the guard had said, his Sect Leader was happily dancing with that cute woman and had a smile on his face. He knew that Zhao Dan could handle himself, so he would wait for him at the inn.
If he didn’t come back after a few hours he could always go out and search for his Junior Brother. The guard was only a two-star Qi Gatherer, so Wang Ren doubted there was anyone in this city strong enough to stop him if he needed to go on a rampage.
For now, that seemed like a foolish idea. This city was full of laughter, joy, and light. He didn’t want to ruin that atmosphere simply to drag his friend away from a dance.
The guard led him through countless twisting and turning streets, each of them filled with similar scenes as the first. It seemed as if every citizen of this Dancing Lights City was leading a satisfying life.
If only the rest of the continent could experience such bliss… Wang Ren thought that life here seemed to move at a different pace to outside.
Thinking back to the days of the past where he engaged in nothing but ruthless slaughter and intense training, he wondered if it was all worth it. Why had he gone to such lengths?
It would be better to simply relax and enjoy his life. After all, as a six-star Qi Gatherer he would have centuries to live in decadence. Perhaps after they returned from this trip he might be a little more carefree.
“Here we are, Madame Zhang’s place. It’s the best inn in all of Dancing Lights City!” the guard proclaimed, opening the door for Wang Ren with a smile.
Wang Ren wasn’t that impressed by the plain exterior, but appearances could be deceiving. He entered and immediately was struck by the powerful scent of cooking and a delightful tune being played on the zither.
Those two comforts relaxed him immediately and he lowered his tense shoulders. There was no reception area, unlike many inns, and instead the entire ground floor seemed to be a restaurant and bar combined into one.
There was a small stage upon which a man with long, green hair sat and played the zither. His fingers danced across the strings in a mesmerising blur, the sounds they produced exceptionally pleasant.
“Come, I’ll introduce you and leave you to your meal, friend,” the guard said, grasping Wang Ren’s wrist and pulling him towards the bar.
“Hmm? Oh sure,” he replied, letting the guy lead the way.
“Madame Zhang, a traveller from outside the city. I told him your inn is the best in Dancing Lights, don’t make me look bad,” the guard said to a plump lady behind the bar, nudging her with his elbow and winking.
“Pui! Tang Bai, go back to your job and stop teasing me,” the lady retorted, though her tone was light and airy, clearly joking. Turning to Wang Ren, she smiled brightly and took a cup from behind her.
“Here, you have to taste our city’s famous fire wine,” she told him with a sparkle in her eye. “There’s nothing like it in all of the continent! I’ll have the boys in the kitchen start preparing you a meal. Is it just you staying the night?”
“No, I came with…” Wang Ren began to say, but suddenly his mind grew foggy. Why was he going to say he came with someone else? He’d been alone this entire time. “Yes, it’s just me,” he eventually replied.
“Wonderful! I’m sure you will find many new friends here,” she beamed, waving around the lively room full of dancing and joking patrons. “Here, your wine. Take it slow. First one’s on the house, but the next will be a silver coin. Sit at that empty table over there, I’ll bring your food when it’s ready.”
Wang Ren took the offered cup and raised it to his lips. The cup was cold, but when the wine touched his lips he felt a stinging sensation. At first he recoiled, but then a fruity, sweet aroma tingled his nostrils. At that moment it felt as if all his worries were lifted from his shoulders.
He took a sip. The fire wine made his tongue sting, but the flavour was unbelievably delicious. It was as though he was savouring a bite of a fresh, ripe plum.
In fact, after he swallowed that sip he felt that the stinging sensation wasn’t so bad. Combined with the flavour it was a truly unique experience.
“That wine is not bad. I will definitely have another cup, Madame Zhang!” he announced, draining the rest of the fire wine in a single gulp.
A loud cheer erupted around him as the patrons noticed his actions. The madame’s lips curled upwards into a smile as she took his cup and began to pour another.
“Truly, you are a dragon amongst men,” she joked, handing him the wine and then holding out her palm.
Wang Ren tossed a silver coin into it and then made his way to the empty table she’d suggested. Taking a seat, he let the atmosphere wash over him.
A few of those boisterous guys who’d cheered him on came over a few seconds later, taking a seat and engaging him in conversation. He relaxed in his chair as he sipped the wine, roaring in delight when a huge plate of meat and vegetables along with a bowl of noodles was brought out.
He felt as if he could spend the rest of his life enjoying that tavern and its delights. He didn’t even notice the passing of time as that lively atmosphere carried on well into the night.
****
In the centre of Dancing Lights City, there was a tall tower with eighteen floors. On each of those floors, there were only one or two occupants.
Every single floor was either brightly lit as though it was the middle of the day or dark as a moonless night. On the outside of the tower, there were countless inscriptions of flames and lanterns in gold and jade.
The very top floor of the tower, eighteen stories above ground, was wreathed in absolute darkness. Inside, one wouldn’t even be able to see their own hand held in front of their face!
Deep in the midst of the darkness, resting on a sturdy web that stretched out into every corner of the shadowy room, there was a creature with eight eyes and eight legs, which could see every part of Dancing Lights City as if it were right in front of it. Suddenly that creature began to laugh, a creepy sound which echoed down through all the floors of the tower.
The occupants of those floors echoed the laughter with their own reactions, although all of them shared a single emotion: delight! Delight at the fact that there was going to be entertainment in the near future.
That shadowy creature at the top of the tower stopped laughing and rubbed two of its legs together in anticipation. “It has been a long time since this place received visitors. The locals all got scared and moved away after a few hundred years,” it sighed wistfully, remembering the days it would have boundless new faces to greet and play with each day.
“My children, this is a special occasion. Make sure to thoroughly entertain our guests and prepare them for the main event. Hold nothing back!” it chittered.
At once all the occupants of that tower raced out into the city, spreading across its various districts. Only one remained, sitting in silent meditation on the seventeenth floor.
That figure, without opening its eyes or moving a muscle, opened its mouth to speak. “Mother, those two are quite strong. Both six-star Qi Gathering Realm cultivators. Isn’t this a little dangerous? We could let them be on their way and not take this risk,” it said, a hint of fear in its voice.
“Nonsense, Zhu Lai. What does it matter even if they were nine-star Qi Gatherers or even Foundation Building experts! None can escape my web once they are wrapped in its strings. You should know this. Do not doubt me. From the moment they entered my city walls, their fate was sealed,” the creature on the top floor replied sternly.
“Yes mother, as you say,” the one below replied, returning to silent meditation.
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