Bab 1006: Pedang dan Perisai Generasi Ini!
Meng Hao tarik napas dalam-dalam, dan matanya bersinar dengan cahaya yang brilian. Setelah sejenak, ia mengirimkan sedikit kemauan ilahi ke arah prajurit tanah liat.
Prajurit tanah liat tak bisa bertahan di luar tanah leluhur untuk lama. Setelah menerima instruksi dari Meng Hao melalui kemauan ilahi, ia menghadapinya, lalu menekukkan tangan dan membungkuk.
Meng Hao merasa kasihan untuk membelanya, namun tak punya pilihan selain menyaksikannya masuk ke celah rift dan kembali menjadi patung.
"Suatu hari aku akan melakukan hal yang sama seperti Patriark Generasi Pertama! Aku akan menggunakan sepotong dari Reruntuhan Keabadian... untuk menjemputmu. Dengan cara itu... engkau bisa mengawanku saat aku berperang di antara Langit!"
Meng Hao membuat janji ini dalam hati yang dalam. Sebuah janji, sebuah jaminan, sama seperti yang pernah ia janjikan pada Han Shan di Tahun itu di Alam Reruntuhan Jembatan. Ia takkan pernah melupakan janji-janji semacam itu.
Setelah prajurit tanah liat masuk ke tanah leluhur, celah rift pun tertutup, lalu menghilang.
Langit di atas Klan Fang kembali ke keadaan semula. Akan tetapi, tanah di bawahnya sepertinya telah hancur. Tanda-tanda layu pun terlihat pada beribu jenis tumbuhan dan pohon, dan energi spiritual seluruh planet tampaknya telah berkurang.
Meskipun kekacauan di dalam klan tak berakibat pada kerugian yang nyata, nyatanya seluruh planet telah melemah, tidak lagi menghitung kehilangan semua anggota klan yang bersimpangan.
Meng Hao berdiri sejenak dalam kepikiranku, lalu sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa melemahnya Planet East Victory pasti ada kaitannya dengan kebangkitan Patriark Generasi Pertama.
Entitas yang begitu kuat, seseorang yang rela membalikkan papan permainan alih-alih terus bermain, yang mampu menakutkan hati Tuan Ji sendiri, tentu saja tak bisa bangun dengan mudah.
Udah pulang hari, di kejauhan, matahari menaburkan sinarnya yang senja ke tanah. Para anggota klan yang telah bangkit kembali tengah mengenang, memikirkan banyak orang yang dulu ada di sekitar mereka. Tak ada kegembiraan riang yang meletup akibat penyelesaian kemusnahan klan.
Sebaliknya, dalam hati semua anggota klan terdapat rasa mendalam. Para anggota klan biasa merasakan hal itu, dan Fang Wei tentu saja tidak kalah.
Hal yang sama dirasakan Fang Shoudao, Fang Yanxu, dan Fang Danyun yang melayang diam di udara.
"Sudah berakhir," kata Fang Shoudao dengan lembut, sambil melihat keseluruhan Klan Fang. Suaranya dalam dan kuno, dan saat mengalun, semua anggota klan menengok ke langit.
"Tubuh manusia kadang-kadang bisa terkena penyakit yang menjijikkan. Jika penyakit seperti itu tak diusir, bisa berujung pada kematian.
"Klan juga bisa terinfeksi penyakit!
"Kemarin, penyakit busuk bersembunyi dalam Klan Fang. Jika mengamuk, pasti akan membahani seluruh klan! Hari ini, penyakit itu pun berakar. Meski kami Klan Fang kini berduka dan sakit, setidaknya kami kini dapat hidup baru!
"Besok akan menjadi hari baru bagi kami! Kami akan membuat semua kultivator di Sembilan Gunung dan Laut teringat pada keagungan Klan Fang!
"Aku tidak lagi akan tinggal dalam meditasi terisolasi. Dari sekarang, aku akan mengambil alih sebagai Kepala Klan. Aku akan memandu Klan Fang ke kesuccessan yang tiada batas!"
Ketika kata-kata Fang Shoudao mengalun, ia seolah membaca nyala api dalam mata seluruh anggota klan di bawah. Seolah suaranya membawa kekuatan gaib yang meresap ke dalam hati mereka dan memberi nyala tekad.
Fang Wei berdiri diam sendiri, tak ada anggota klanpun yang mau mendekatnya. Ia tak punya teman. Ayahnya, kakeknya, dan semua anggota garis darah lain telah tiada.
Ia satu-satunya yang bangkit kembali.
Fang Yanxu melayang di udara, melihat Fang Wei yang larut dalam pahit hati, lalu menghela napas. Ia menggerakkan jari tunjuknya ke arah Fang Wei, saat Fang Wei gemetar lalu tiba-tiba melompat ke udara.
Semua anggota klan menyaksikan Fang Wei terbang ke arah Fang Yanxu.
Saat Meng Hao melihat kejadian ini, tiba-tiba ia menyadari bahwa jenazah Fang Wei sudah lama menghilang dari dalam kantong penyimpanannya.
"Masih ingin mempertahankan Klan Fang?" tanya Fang Yanxu dengan tenang.
Fang Wei mulai gemetar. Setelah sejenak diam, ia menengok ke anggota klan lain dan ke Meng Hao. Akhirnya, ia berbalik lagi ke Fang Yanxu, menekukkan tangan dan membungkuk dalam.
"Untuk mempertahankan Klan Fang telah menjadi tujuan hidupku!"
Pada saat itu, seluruh anggota klan memandang Fang Wei dengan diam. Mereka semua teringat adegan tragis kematiannya; kenangan itu terukir dalam hati.
Fang Yanxu menatap Fang Wei cukup lama, hampir seolah memasuki dalam hatinya. Setelah sejenak, senyum tipis muncul di wajahnya.
"Dari sekarang, kau akan mengikutiku. Di masa depan... kau harus layak dengan namamu dan lindungi klan! Kau bukan lagi pedang klan; melainkan... perisainya!"
Fang Wei gemetar, air mata mengalir di pipinya saat ia menekukkan tangan dan membungkuk ke arah Fang Yanxu.
Fang Yanxu menghela napas, lalu berbalik dan membungkuk ke arah Fang Shoudao. Lalu ia melambangkan tangan dan pergi bersama Fang Wei, keduanya berubah menjadi berkas cahaya berwarna yang meluncur ke arah Sekte Immortal Obat.
Fang Danyun dan Fang Shoudao melihat mereka pergi, lalu menghela napas.
Fang Yanxu adalah perisai generasi ini, serta bayang-bayangnya!
Fang Shoudao adalah pedang klan, serta keagamannya, luas dan gagah!
Di setiap generasi klan, akan ada seorang matahari bersinar yang menyala dengan cahaya tak terbatas, dan di baliknya, ada bayangan. Bayangan itu hadir untuk membantu matahari bersinar, membantu orang itu mencapai hal yang sebelumnya mustahil, menanggung lebih dari yang mungkin, dan menangani hal-hal yang tak bisa disentuh oleh yang lain.
Orang sepert itu bukanlah pedang bersinar yang mendapatkan perhatian banyak orang. Ia malah menjadi... perisai yang pada akhirnya akan dilupakan!
Seseorang sepert itu harus rela diam, tak mencolok. Harus menghindari cahaya, melepaskan seluruh status dan posisinya, meninggalkan sepanjang keagamannya.
Ia adalah bayangan, dan perisai klan.
Di generasi ini, Fang Yanxu memilih Fang Wei sebagai penerusnya.
Itu adalah jalan yang mungkin anggota biasa tak mengerti. Namun, Meng Hao mengerti semuanya, dan hal itu membuatnya gemetar. Ekspresinya penuh kompleksitas saat ia menatap Fang Wei, teringat wajahnya dulu sebagai seorang anak kecil, dan kata-kata tegas yang pernah ia ucapkan dengan suara yang masih terdengar.
"Nama aku Fang Wei! Aku ingin menjadi seorang ahli kuat karena aku ingin mempertahankan klanku selama hidupku!"
Ketujuh Patriark, Patriark Kelima, dan Patriark Ketiga, para ahli Alam Kuno juga menyaksikan Fang Yanxu dan Fang Wei berpisah, ekspresi mereka berubah-ubah dengan pemahaman.
Ini adalah Klan Fang, sebuah tempat di mana aturan klan menjamin keagungan yang berlanjut. Di setiap generasi, ada dua orang penting: satu di sorot cahaya, satunya di kegelapan. Yang satu adalah pedang, yang lainnya adalah perisai.
Salah seorang basking dalam keagungan, yang lain seperti bayangan.
Meng Hao kini juga memahami mengapa, meski Patriark Generasi Pertama telah meninggalkan meditasi, klonenya berubah menjadi sebuah planet untuk mempertahankan klan. Itu karena jiwa sejati Patriark Generasi Pertama adalah pedang klan, sementara klonenya adalah perisainya.
Meskipun jiwanya sendiri akhirnya mati, klonenya tetap bisa mempertahankan klan selamanya...
"Klan Fang..." bisiknya. Perlahan-lahan, ia mulai merasa lebih menyukai klan dibanding sebelumnya.
Fang Danyun membungkuk ke arah Fang Shoudao, lalu menengok ke bawah ke arah Meng Hao dengan senyum. Senyum yang penuh dorungan, pujian, dan melebihi itu lagi, penantian untuk mencapai sesuatu yang mulia dan berbeda dari apa yang dilakukan Fang Wei.
Sambil tersenyum, ia berbalik dan pergi, kembali ke rumahnya di divisi Dao Alkimia. Masa lamanya hampir selesai, dan meskipun ia bisa memisahkan diri dari Unicorn Immortals-nya, sulit baginya untuk bertahan lebih lama lagi. Namun, ia tak merasa rugi.
Ia berharap dapat menggunakan sisa hidupnya untuk sekali lagi memandu divisi Dao Alkimia klan ke kesuccessannya.
Banyak hal tentang Sekte Immortal Obat, perisai klan, hanyalah cerita yang disengaja diciptakan oleh Klan Fang. Akan tetapi, satu hal yang nyata: dari tiga obat suci klan, Sekte Immortal Obat memang benar bisa mengusulkan dua, sesuatu yang divisi Dao Alkimia tidak mampu lakukan.
Anggota klan di bawah sekarang bersemangat untuk melihat klan bangkit. Mereka mulai merekonstruksi banyak area istana leluhur yang hancur, dan menggosok darah yang menumpuk di tanah. Takkan lama kali ini untuk memulihkannya. Mungkin besok pagi... Klan Fang tak akan terlihat jauh berbeda dari sebelumnya, setidaknya bagi yang berada di luar.
Fang Shoudao menyaksikan Fang Yanxu dan Fang Danyun pergi, lalu mulai pergi sendiri. Ketujuh Patriark dan yang lainnya pun ikut.
Meng Hao berkedip, lalu menghela napas. Suaranya tak terlalu keras, tapi cukup keras untuk terdengar di udara dan sampai ke Fang Shoudao dan yang lainnya. Namun, Fang Shoudao bertindak seperti tak mendengar dan terus melangkah ke kejauhan.
Meng Hao kini mulai merasakan sesuatu yang tidak wajar. Meskipun Klan Ji datang karena warisan Lord Li, dan mungkin masih akan menyebabkan gangguan meski peristiwa tak berjalan seperti yang terjadi mengenai Meng Hao...
Menurutnya, ia telah menjadi bagian dari rencana sejak awal, dan meskipun ia tidak keberatan digunakan oleh klan, yang ia tidak sukai adalah... digunakan tanpa mendapatkan apa-apa!
"Hey, mereka harus memberi aku uang!" pikirnya. "Aku telah mengorbankan banyak untuk membantu! Aku benar-benar ketakutan pada banyak kesempatan, dan mengalami trauma mental yang serius! Setidaknya, mereka harus memberi aku penjelasan, kan?!"
Merasa sangat tertindas, ia menatap Fang Shoudao dan yang lainnya yang semakin jauh, lalu memanggil dengan suara keras, "Para Patriark, tunggu sebentar!"
Saat kata-katanya keluar, Fang Shoudao dan yang lainnya tampak sekali. Namun, mereka menggerakkan lengan, dan tubuh mereka mulai pudar saat teleportasi.
Meng Hao kini sangat gelisah.
"Para Patriark, tunggu! Jangan pergi!! Hey, kalian ini para tua-tua, BERHENTI ＲＩＧＨＴ DI SITU!"
Fang Shoudao dan yang lainnya setengah pudar ketika Meng Hao tiba-tiba marah. Saat anggota klan lainnya di istana leluhur mendengar perkataannya, hati mereka berdebar keras.
Fang Shoudao tiba-tiba berhenti, dan bentuknya yang pudar pun kembali jelas. Menyadari tidak ada pilihan, ia berbalik dan menatap keras ke arah Meng Hao.
"Kau ini anak kerdil! Aku kakek kakebumi! Benar-benar berani menyebutku dengan sebutan tua-tua!"
Memikirkan betapa ia terganggu, Meng Hao bersiap diri dan menjawab dengan keras, "Kenapa tidak berani? Aku tak melakukan apa-apa! Aku baru saja menyelesaikan tugas heroik untuk klan!"
Fang Shoudao menatapnya lebar-kelebar mata, lalu tiba-tiba menghela tangannya. Dalam sekejap, Meng Hao menghilang dari posisinya di udara, lalu muncul di dalam sebuah bangunan.
Dia menatap sekeliling dengan hati-hati, lalu mundur beberapa langkah.
Fang Shoudao tertawa kecut sambil duduk di sampingnya, lalu menatap ke arah Meng Hao seperti menanti.
"Kau merasa dilakukan keadilan, ya?" ucapnya. "Silakan jelaskan diri."
"Saat kemusnahan klan, aku menumpahkan darah untuk klan!" jawab Meng Hao dengan cepat. Begitu kata itu keluar,
Chapter 1006: The Sword and the Shield of this Generation!
Meng Hao took a deep breath, and his eyes shone with a brilliant light. After a moment, he sent some divine will into the terracotta soldier.
The terracotta soldier could not stay outside of the ancestral land for a long time. After receiving Meng Hao’s instructions via divine will, it faced him, then clasped hands and bowed. Meng Hao didn’t feel like parting with it, and yet could only watch as it entered the rift and turned into a statue once again.
“One day I’ll do the same thing as the first generation Patriarch! I’ll use a piece of the Ruins of Immortality... to take you away. That way you... can accompany me as I wage war among the Heavens!” Meng Hao made this promise to the terracotta soldier deep in his heart. It was a promise, a guarantee, much the same as the one he had made to Han Shan that year in the Realm of the Bridge Ruins. He would never forget such promises.
After the terracotta soldier entered the ancestral Land, the rift closed, and then vanished.
The sky above the Fang Clan returned to its normal state. However, the land itself seemed wasted. Signs of withering could be seen on countless plants and trees, and the spiritual energy of the entire planet had apparently been reduced.
Although the upheavals in the clan had not resulted in any overt losses, in reality, the entire planet had been weakened, not to mention the loss of all the traitorous clan members.
Meng Hao stood there thoughtfully for a moment before coming to the conclusion that the weakening of Planet East Victory must have something to do with the first generation Patriarch’s awakening.
An intensely powerful entity like that, a person willing to flip the game board over rather than continue playing, who could strike fear into the heart of Lord Ji himself, could obviously not be awakened easily.
By now it was evening and, off in the distance, the sun was scattering its twilight rays over the land. The resurrected clan members were lost in reminiscence, thinking about the many people who had once existed around them. No wild joy broke out because of the resolution of the chaos in the clan.
In contrast, heavy sighs existed in the hearts of all the clan members.
The ordinary clan members felt this way, and Fang Wei even more so. It was the same with Fang Shoudao, Fang Yanxu, and Fang Danyun, who hovered silently in midair.
“It’s over,” Fang Shoudao said softly, looking out over the entire Fang Clan. His voice was deep and archaic, and as it echoed out, all of the clan members looked up into the sky.
“Mortal bodies can sometimes contract vile ailments. If sicknesses like that are not expunged, they can lead to death.
“Clans can also be infected with ailments!
“Yesterday, a foul disease lurked deep within the Fang Clan. If it were to explode out, it would definitely affect the entire clan! Today, that ailment was rooted out. Although our Fang Clan is now grieving and in pain, at least we now have a new lease on life!
“Tomorrow will be a new day for us! We will cause all cultivators of the Ninth Mountain and Sea to recall the glory of the Fang Clan!
“I will no longer remain in secluded meditation. From now on, I will assume the office of Clan Chief. I will lead the Fang Clan to unparalleled heights of glory!” As Fang Shoudao’s words echoed out, it caused flames to ignite in the eyes of all of the members of the Fang Clan down below. It was as if his voice carried some mysterious power that entered the clan members’ hearts and caused them to burn with determination.
Fang Wei stood there silently, completely alone, with no clan members even willing to approach him. He had no friends left. His father, his grandfather, and all of the other members of his bloodline were all dead.
He was the only one who had been resurrected.
Fang Yanxu hovered in midair, looking at Fang Wei immersed in his bitterness, and sighed inwardly. He waved his finger down toward Fang Wei, causing him to shudder, and then suddenly lurch up into the air. All members of the clan watched as he flew over toward Fang Yanxu.
As Meng Hao watched what was happening, he suddenly realized that Fang Wei’s corpse had long since vanished from within his bag of holding.
“Are you still willing to defend the Fang Clan?” Fang Yanxu asked calmly.
Fang Wei began to tremble. After a long moment of silence, he looked down at the other members of the Fang Clan, and at Meng Hao. Finally, he turned back to Fang Yanxu, clasped hands, and bowed deeply.
“To defend the Fang Clan has been my primary aspiration in life!”
By this point, all of the members of the Fang Clan were staring silently at Fang Wei. All of them remembered the tragic scene in which he had died; those images were engraved deeply on their hearts.
Fang Yanxu looked at Fang Wei for a long moment, and it almost seemed as if he were looking into the young man’s heart. After a long moment, a slight smile appeared on his face.
“Henceforth, you will follow me. In the future... you must live up to your name and protect the clan! You will not be the sword of the clan; instead, you will become... its shield!”
Fang Wei was shaking, and tears streamed down his face as he clasped hands and bowed toward Fang Yanxu.
Fang Yanxu sighed, then turned and bowed to Fang Shoudao. Then he waved his hand and departed with Fang Wei, the two of them turning into beams of colorful light that shot away from the Fang Clan in the direction of the Medicine Immortal Sect.
Fang Danyun and Fang Shoudao watched them leave, and sighed inwardly.
Fang Yanxu was the current generation’s shield, and also its shadow!
Fang Shoudao was the clan’s sword, as well as its glory, boundless and supreme!
In every generation of the clan, there would be a blazing sun who shone with boundless light, and behind that person, there would be a shadow. That shadow was there to assist the blazing sun, to help that person accomplish many things they themselves could not, to endure more than was possible, to deal with things that could not be touched by the other. Such persons were not shining swords that garnered mass attention. Instead, they became... shields that others would eventually overlook!
A person like that had to be willing to remain silent and unobtrusive. They had to shrink from the light, give up all their status and position, abandon all glory. They were a shadow, and the shield of the clan.
In this generation, Fang Yanxu picked Fang Wei as his future successor.
It was a path that ordinary clan members might not understand. However, Meng Hao understood everything, and it caused him to tremble. His expression was a complex one as he stared at Fang Wei, recalling what he looked like as a child, and the resolute words he had spoken in his tender, young voice.
“My name is Fang Wei! I want to become a powerful expert because I’m going to defend my clan for my whole life!”
The Seventh Patriarch, the Fifth Patriarch, and the Third Patriarch, the Ancient Realm experts also watched Fang Yanxu and Fang Wei leaving, their expressions gradually flickering with understanding.
This was the Fang Clan, a place where clan rules ensured the continued glory of the clan. In each generation, there were two important people, one who existed in the light, the other in darkness. One was the sword, the other was the shield.
One basked in glory, the other was like a shadow.
Meng Hao now also understood why, although the first generation Patriarch had passed away into meditation, his clone had transformed into a planet, to defend the clan. It was because the first generation Patriarch’s true self had been the clan’s sword, whereas his clone was the shield.
Even though his true self ended up dying, his clone could continue to defend the clan throughout all eternity....
“The Fang Clan....” he murmured. Gradually, he was beginning to approve of the clan much more than he had before.
Fang Danyun bowed to Fang Shoudao, then looked down at Meng Hao with a smile. It was a smile of encouragement, praise, and even more, anticipation, anticipation that he could accomplish something momentous that was far different than what Fang Wei had done.
Smiling, he turned and left, heading back to his home in the Dao of Alchemy Division. His longevity was reaching its end, and even given the fact that he could split with his Unicorn Immortals, it would be hard for him to hold on for much longer. Yet, he was without any regrets.
He hoped to use the rest of his life to once again lead the clan’s Dao of Alchemy Division into glory.
Much about the Medicine Immortal Sect, the shield of the clan, were merely stories that had been purposefully created by the Fang Clan. However, one thing was true: of the clan’s three Holy medicinal pills, the Medicine Immortal Sect really could concoct two, something that the Dao of Alchemy Division was incapable of.
The clan members down on the ground below now burned with determination to see the clan rise to prominence. They began to reconstruct the many areas of the ancestral mansion that were in ruins, and wash away the blood that soaked the ground. It wouldn’t take long to restore them. Perhaps by the following morning... the Fang Clan would not look very different than it had before, at least not to any outsider.
Fang Shoudao watched Fang Yanxu and Fang Danyun leave, then began to leave himself. The Seventh Patriarch and the others all joined him.
Meng Hao blinked, then cleared his throat. The sound wasn’t very loud, but it was enough to echo out in the air and be heard by Fang Shoudao and the others. However, Fang Shoudao pretended that he didn’t hear it and continued off into the distance.
Meng Hao was now starting to get the sense that something fishy was going on. Although the Ji Clan had come because of the legacy of Lord Li, and would likely still have caused a disturbance even if things had not played out the way they had regarding Meng Hao...
In Meng Hao’s opinion, he had been part of the plan all along, and although he didn’t mind being used by the clan, what he did mind was... being used and not getting anything out of it!
“Hey, they should give me some money!” he thought. “I sacrificed a lot to help out! I was scared to death on multiple occasions, and suffered serious mental trauma! At the very least, they have to give me some sort of explanation, right?!”
Feeling very wronged, he stared at Fang Shoudao and the others receding into the distance, and then called out in a loud voice, “Patriarchs, hold on a moment!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Fang Shoudao and the others’ faces flickered. However, they waved their sleeves, and their bodies began to fade as they teleported away.
Meng Hao was now getting very anxious.
“Patriarchs, wait! Don’t run away!! Hey, you old fogies, STOP ＲＩＧＨＴ THERE!”
Fang Shoudao and the others were about half faded away when Meng Hao suddenly burst out in anger. When the other clan members in the ancestral mansion heard his words, their hearts began to pound.
Fang Shoudao suddenly stopped in place, and his vanishing form rapidly grew clear. Realizing that he had no way to get out of the situation, he turned and glared sternly at Meng Hao.
“You little hoodlum! I’m your grandfather’s grandfather! Do you really dare to call me an old fogey!?”
Thinking about how irritated he was, Meng Hao braced himself and retorted loudly: “Why wouldn’t I dare? I didn’t do anything wrong! I performed some heroic services for the clan just now!”
Fang Shoudao stared at him wide-eyed, then suddenly swished his sleeve. In a flash, Meng Hao vanished from his position in midair, to reappear inside of a building.
He glanced around cautiously, then backed up a few paces.
Fang Shoudao laughed in spite of himself as he sat there off to the side, looking expectantly at Meng Hao.
“You feel wronged, huh?” he said. “Go ahead and explain yourself.”
“During the clan upheavals, I spilled blood for the clan!” replied Meng Hao instantly. As soon as the words left his mouth, Fang Shoudao waved his hand, causing a softly glowing light to wash over Meng Hao. Instantly, all of his wounds were healed. Actually, his wounds had already recovered by more than half, but now they were completely recovered, and even the pores of his entire body had opened up. In fact, his cultivation base was now even more stable than before.
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