CG Chapter 169: Gouging Eyes to See the Asura
The sightless are not blind. Only those who willingly favor gouging their own eyeballs, cowering and quivering away from the dissonant reality of the realm, are the truly blind ones.
Being able to face one's own hardships with a sincere heart, standing as one's own greatest faultfinder, is the mark of a great master.
From atop his familiar beast, the Soul-Piercing Crane ignored the prodigies he had come here to save. His eye sockets might have been hollow, but somehow his gaze remained glued to the nameless man standing far away.
Time felt as if it had come to a halt as the duo of the Soul-Piercing Crane and Aretius stood in place, unmoved by the wind or the puzzled stares of the two young prodigies.
This silence, surprisingly, was broken not by the two prodigies but by the Soul-Piercing Crane himself.
He spoke in a gentle voice that didn't appear to carry any hint of arrogance, "Interesting! Truly turbulent times produce rising heroes that vie for the new era's throne."
Aretius was unfazed by his words, remaining in place. He was prepared to counter any strike or attack the crane might deliver.
Surprisingly, instead of attacking from his vantage point, the Soul-Piercing Crane stepped forward.
He leapt from atop his familiar beast, descending toward the rough ground as if he were stepping on soft clouds.
Seeing the scene, the duo of Hong Gu and Li Wuyou hurried to greet him, attempting to curry favor with their savior. Unfortunately for them, their so-called savior didn't pay them any heed, as his sole focus was on Aretius.
He slowly stepped toward Aretius, not carrying any hostility. The only thing that seemed to fill his sight at that moment was a sense of pure curiosity.
He spoke once more, in that same tone; only this time, his voice seemed to carry more warmth, "Who would have known that a simple mission to rescue these two would lead me to meet such an intriguing little fellow."
He paused as he was only a few footsteps away from Aretius, his eyes widening as if he had realized something.
"Oh! How rude of me. I hope this little brother will forgive me for my rudeness. I bear the name of Gu Hong. Though I am more known by the moniker of the Soul-Piercing Crane, if you ask me, however, I am still far from worthy of such a title. To pierce the soul..." He quieted. Facing Aretius, he wore a still, knowing smile.
Gu Hong's tone throughout it all maintained a humility that only a rare few possessed. This was especially true, knowing his accomplishments at a relatively young age.
Sensing that the time was correct, Aretius began to make his own move.
"You need not be so modest, senior brother. Which aspiring Jianghu hero hasn't heard of the grand title of the Soul-Piercing Crane of Mount Dong Yun? Your name has reached the far east and distant north. It is an honor to meet you. I hope you also forgive my ignorance. I was merely surprised at meeting you so soon after making my escape from that cursed domain."
Aretius's reply held a constant tone, carrying neither the haughtiness of the young nor the excessive humility of commoners. If one listened closer, they would feel that this was an exchange of equals, not a no-name nobody and a true dragon.
At that moment, Aretius's gaze flickered between Gu Hong and the faraway duo. He sensed an opportunity for his plan to prosper afterall.
Muttering internally, 'The unholy serpent finds its way even to the lands of celestials.'
On the other side, Gu Hong said, "Not bad. I shall speak with you without much formality. If I may ask for your title?"
He didn't ask for a name due to the mask on Aretius's face. Requesting the name of someone who clearly didn't want to be known would only lead to the new, shared connection between the two to strain before it had any chance to sprout or develop.
"A self-given title is not a true one. It would be a mark of an ignorant man to declare a title I didn't claim with my own hands. Nevertheless, during my younger, conceited days, I had styled myself as White Ghost."
Gu Hong was stunned for a moment, lost in thought, before laughing out loud. His laugh startled the silent duo far away.
"Not bad. A self-given title is not a true one. The road of Jianghu is a harsh one, but having met you today, I wish to grant you a small gift as a sign of shared karmic connection. The title White Ghost fits you, but it doesn't truly capture your true path, does it? I, Gu Hong, the Soul-Piercing Crane of Mount Dong Yun, shall spread the name of the 'Violet-Blood Ghost Asura' from henceforth."
Hearing that, Li Wuyou rushed forward, shouting, "Congratulations, senior brother, on his title, one fitting for his grand demeanor."
While saying that, his hands moved swiftly through his clothes as he grabbed a plaque with the engraving of Li on one side and Honor on the other, respectfully handing it over to Aretius with a lowered head.
"I had forgotten to present this small gift from our previous meeting. This plaque is a sign of our sworn brotherhood."
Falling only a few breaths behind, Hong Gu presented a bone blade.
If one knew of the inner workings of the great clans, one would know that honorary plaques are not given lightly. They are a mark that the clan wants to stake its reputation and some of its resources on an external master.
They were betting that such a person would attain a high status within the Jianghu one day and repay the karmic debt.
If it didn't yield fruit, they wouldn't lose much in the long term, but if it did, they would have an additional master as their backing. Such an investment would guarantee the continuation of their bloodlines for generations.
As for why the two didn't offer such a plaque to the Soul-Piercing Crane of Mount Dong Yun? It wasn't because they didn't want to or didn't think about it, but because the Soul-Piercing Crane already had the backing of a great sect; offering it now would be little more than clinging to the legs of a giant.
For Aretius, however, it would be more like offering charcoal in the snow.
The conversation didn't last long as the Soul-Piercing Crane leapt back onto his crane, leaving only a simple goodbye.
As for the two prodigies, Aretius promised to make a visit to the Li Clan and the Ghost Suppressing Pagoda.
With that, this long and difficult encounter finally came to a conclusion as Aretius made his way back to Black Cloud Town for one final matter.
Unbeknownst to him at that time and on his return journey, throughout Heaven and Earth, a title not of his own choice spread.
The wise men of old once said: a name lies for a thousand li, while a title given by others carries but truth.
This title wasn't of his own choice. Nevertheless, it made itself known through the entire Great Empire of Wu, marking the birth of a prodigy who was acknowledged by the Soul-Piercing Crane of Mount Dong Yun.
There was an irony in that. The title that became famous wasn't White Ghost, which he created to mask his identity, but The Violet-Blood Ghost Asura.
For just like a Ghost Asura who walks the boundary of life and death, he engulfed himself in a violet aura to slip through the Fog, vanishing as if he were never there.