The Tale Never Ends Chapter 187 Master Six's Returning

Before we could say anything else, a child's crying voice broke just outside. An old lady walked through the door and spoke to the old man, "Look at your grandchild! He is not coming off the electric car that he just got on outside! He's not listening no matter what I say!" Aunt Fen scrambled forward, saying, "We'll have ways for him to show himself, but we'll just need you to help calm him down when he comes!" She held out a key, "This is the key for the electric car outside."

Before Master Six's eldest brother could yelp any protest or assent, a portly man walked through the door this time. When he saw Mr. Zhang and Aunt Fen, he immediately addressed them respectfully, "Master Zhang! Mrs. Zhang!" He took the key from her and muttered a quick "Thank you" before walking out. Next, we heard him saying outside, "Come on, son! There's no need to cry! Come, let Daddy take you for a ride!"

So that man was this old man's grandson! He's also Mr. Zhang's business partner! By accounts of seniority, Mr. Zhang was in the same generation as his grandfather, and the child crying outside was his son! The old man looked amused; Mr. Zhang and Aunt Fen had as good as bribed him and he was only compelled to play along with our tune now. "Wait. Let me think of an excuse," he said at last. But it did not take long; barely a split second later, "Very well. I'm ready now. So, where do you intend to find him?"

"We'll only need Master Six's birthdates and time!" Aunt Fen pointed out. The old man nodded and told us just that. I nodded to Chongxi, gesturing to him that it was up to him now. He began calculating, his fingers fiddling as he worked his numbers. But he stopped suddenly, and he began calculating again. Then he stopped again, this time with beads of perspiration rolling nervously down his forehead. "Strange... I can't seem to get anything right today..."

Aunt Fen reached for her phone and made a call. "Where are you guys now?" She barked into the mouthpiece. But just as quickly, an ancient but no less vile voice broke the silence, "I am here!" Old Man Chen walked in, with two of Mr. Zhang's female staff helping him through the door!

So, these were the phone calls that they were making! Mr. Zhang was making arrangements for somebody to help him purchase an electric car while Aunt Fen was calling for someone to fetch Old Man Chen! The Blind Master entered the house, and we made space for him. Aunt Fen then said, "Please give your brother's birthdates and time of birth to him." She indicated towards the blind Old Man Chen. But when Old Man Chen realized who the birthdate and time belonged to, he screamed, "Just wait a minute! Of all people! I cannot do this! I'll regret doing this!" I hurried to him and whispered into his ears, "Come on, Old Man Chen! You can just lie to us or keep some of the details hidden! We have prepared insurance! He'll never harm you! There will be no problems with his brothers here agreeing to help us!"

"But... but that's sacrilege..." Old Man Chen stuttered hesitantly. A cold voice cut through the room with the keenness of a knife, "And right you are. Put down your hand." The voice smothered what warm merriment going on in the little living room of the cottage, and everyone froze. We whirled and saw a man standing at the door, stroking a little bird lulling idly on his palm as he landed a foot through the door. The man of the hour, Master Six!

Old Man Chen immediately fell unnaturally silent as his hand sank back to his side. With a wry but no less dangerous smile, Master Six eyed the Blind Master viciously as he hissed like a slithering serpent, "So... Aren't you the soothsayer?" Old Man Chen, now fidgety and fearful like a frightened little child, whimpered, "Err... No... I'm just a simple fortune teller..." "How about a prediction then? Just for sports. What am I going to do with this bird? Will I release it or will I kill it?" "Err..." The Blind Master muttered meekly. The immortal smiled again. "What about this? My feet. One of my feet is inside while the other is outside. Will I be walking in, or will I be retreating out?" Knowing that he'd better not antagonize a true demigod with powers beyond any comprehension of anyone present, Old Man Chen croaked hoarsely, "I'd just decline..."

Master Six smirked. But he did not notice his eldest brother wearing a dark look, glowering at him scathingly. His youngest brother walked up to him, "Brother! Finally! You're back!" Master Six threw him a look, and he asked dryly, "Am I not welcomed now?" He walked inside, drifting past us, ignoring our greetings of "Master Six!" and stood before the Blind Master. "You still haven't learned your lesson, have you? You dare overstep your boundaries and try divining about me?" Old Man Chen could hardly emit so much as a whimper as sweat rolled down uncontrollably his forehead. But an angry voice boomed, breaking the palpable ice in the living room, "I AM THE ONE WHO ASKED FOR HIS HELP!"

Surprisingly, the immortal's head retracted into his shoulders when he heard the thunderous shout like a frightened tortoise retracting its noddle within the shelter of its shell. It was Master Six's eldest brother, the third of their generation, who had shouted so loudly that no one missed the hint of rage in his voice. Instead, all bitterness that Master Six exuded immediately vanished as he smiled with the gentleness of a little brother, "Heh heh heh! Big Brother! There's no need to shout like that! Come on, you don't have to rely on such a way to find me!" "I made him do it! Otherwise, how else do you think I'm to find you? Your phone never seems to work whenever we call! It's a wonder that you still remember us, including me! It's a marvel that you still call this place home!"

Master Six muttered a string of yeses and of-courses as his brother's reprimanded continuously like an elder rebuking his son. After a while, his elder brother simmered down and said, "I'm calling you back because I'm calling everyone back. Every single one of our brothers. Surely you still remember what day is two days after?" "It's your birthday, Brother, after two days," Master Six admitted docilely, and his brother merely tapped the floor with his walking stick in agreement.

In fact, in two days, it would be the Spring Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. What a stroke of timing that his birthday would coincide with such a propitious festivity.

In fact, there was no way that Master Six would not realize that I was the hidden hand instigating the whole debacle, although he feigned ignorance in front of his brother. One day, he called me to the banks of Huan Xiang River, asking me to go for a walk with him. But deep inside me, I was dreading any punishments that Master Six might have had in store for me.

Still, the dark peal of apprehension hung over us as we walked. We strolled along the course of the river with hardly a word to each other, and I hardly dared to make a sound.

At length, he stopped at the pier of the bridge and set alight a cigarette. "Ask away," he said suddenly, "I'm sure that's the reason for all these fracases." A wispy tendril of fumes sprouting out of his nostrils as he spoke.

I nodded. Finally, I felt at ease. At least he's not going to kill me or turn me into a ferret after all. I quickly reorganized my thoughts, and finally, I summoned enough courage to speak. "Master Six, there are things that Father is keeping from me. This is the reason I have wished to speak to you. I need to know what actually happened between Father and the Dragon-slaying Blade. And who was it that charged him to guard it? Where is it now? And who are those still vying for it? But why did he not eliminate them once and for all?" Master Six merely stared at me with his same uninterested look. My heart thumped for seconds as I waited, and finally, he tossed off the stub of his cigarette. "What use is the Blade now? The Blade is no longer the Blade since the day I sealed the dragon leys of the Qing Court. What good can it do now? As for the whole fiasco between your father and the Blade..." His voice faltered again.

But I knew about Master Six's sealing of the dragon leys. Father had long told me about it. After visiting Chen Yixuan, I had spoken to Father, and it was he who had told me that Master Six had reincarnated to Mortal Plane only because of this.

Silence prevailed for minutes until Master Six finally made a sign of moving. He sighed and waved at me to come closer. I cantered over with two quick steps, and he pointed to the pier of the bridge. "Go see for yourself if you will. Only then, you'll know." I looked to where his hand was pointing to, and I saw with disbelief a door materializing on the wall of the stone and mortar column! It was like a cut, a large gash in the shape of an entrance. But it was dark on the other side, pitch-black and empty like outer space, saving for the countless sparkles that twinkled back at me like stars.

Master Six's finger was still pointing at the breach. He gave me a look and motioned me to enter. Despite the fear of not knowing what could be waiting on the other side, I was sure that Master Six would never wish me ill. With a curt nod, I walked through the gash.

When I walked through the entrance, it closed and vanished! I was left standing, or rather, hovering in the middle of nowhere! There was completely nothing around me as if I was hanging in the middle of outer space, and I would have freaked out if not for the corporeal but invisible feeling of something solid under my feet despite the dark, star-speckled void that I was engulfed in.

Suddenly, I noticed a light flickering somewhere far away. It was shining so brightly that its brilliance dwarfed the rest of the sparkling stars blinking at me so that I was unconsciously drawn towards it. Step by step, I slowly began to walk, hoping to reach the flickering light as if it was summoning me. But no matter how many steps I took, I was hardly making any progress as if I was being suspended in nowhere, and I cannot escape!

Dread began to creep up my spine as panic slowly took hold of me. My pace increased as I broke into a run, and finally, the stars slowly crawled to my back as I finally began to make headway. I was moving finally! But the stars began to fleet more and more quickly. Before long, I was running so quickly that I would have thought that I was running at the same warp-speed I saw on Star Wars movies! Like an arrow let loose, I shot as quickly as I could towards the flickering light!

I ran through the boundless space of this outlandish and surrealistic domain that I lost all sense of time. I began to wonder about the time. How long have I been here?! Trepidation grew within me like a monster waiting to devour me as I once again felt how helpless and trapped I was, being caught up in the middle of nowhere in space.

Just as my fear and panic slowly taking over any curiosity left in me, the flickering light grew in size and intensity suddenly! The blinding white light grew so rapidly that I was immediately flooded in white!

Chapter end