Tuoba Feng had the day off today, though he still didn't know if he was considered part of the official registry of the City of the Wrongfully Dead.
Ever since returning from the Western Region, he had lived in the city, patrolling with the patrol team every day, helping with heavy lifting, and occasionally going to the school gates to pick up Xiaoyun after class.
Hong Ling had told him that as soon as he was willing, he could register for citizenship at any time.
But Tuoba Feng had never quite made up his mind.
The Grave-keepers of the Western Region had done only one thing for generations.
They guarded.
They guarded that stretch of wasteland, those burial mounds, the heroic spirits of past generations, and the divine remains in the god's tomb.
Now that the tomb was empty and the coffins were gone, what was he supposed to guard?
Tuoba Feng wandered through the city with the stone coffin on his back.
When he passed Lu Cheng's workshop, he stopped in his tracks.
A large pile of stone materials was stacked at the workshop entrance—blue, white, and gray stones of all sizes and shapes, all scraps left over from building the city.
Lu Cheng was crouching at the door, tapping away with a hammer.
Tuoba Feng stared at the pile of stones for a long time before suddenly speaking, "Master Lu, these stones... could I have one?"
Lu Cheng was startled, "What do you want a stone for?"
Tuoba Feng was silent for a moment before saying, "I want to erect a stele."
"A stele?"
"Yes. In the Western Region, every grave has a stele."
"They are carved with the names of the tomb owners and the oaths of the Grave-keepers."
"The Yellow Spring Crossing also has a stele, stating that the living may not enter and the dead may not leave. Once you enter the Yellow Spring Crossing, you are in another world."
He paused, then added, "The City of the Wrongfully Dead also has city gates, so I want to erect one at the entrance as well."
Lu Cheng agreed readily and then crouched down to rummage through the stone materials.
After searching for a long time, he finally found a suitable one.
It was a blue-gray stone, as tall as a man and half as wide, with a rough surface that felt slightly prickly to the touch.
"This one will do." Tuoba Feng hoisted the stone onto his shoulder and turned to Lu Cheng, "Thank you."
Lu Cheng waved his hand, "Don't mention it. It's just a scrap anyway."
Tuoba Feng nodded and walked away with the stone.
He carried the stone through several streets and arrived at the school gates.
Xiaoyun was inside attending class. Through the window, he could see her with her pigtails, sitting up straight and reading along with the teacher.
Tuoba Feng watched for a while then turned to leave.
Still carrying the stone, he arrived at the small pond behind the Gathering Fortune Pavilion.
Yusai was chasing frogs in the water while Su Xue sat on the bank, quietly grinding medicine.
Tuoba Feng didn't disturb them and continued forward.
Finally, he went into the Gathering Fortune Pavilion and found Wu Gou.
Tuoba Feng placed the stone on the ground and caught his breath.
"Master Wu Gou, I would like to ask you to help me write a few characters."
Wu Gou sat up and looked at the stone with interest, "Write what?"
Tuoba Feng thought for a moment and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his robe.
A few lines of crooked characters were written on the paper, which he had spent all last night pondering over.
Wu Gou took it, looked at it, and burst out laughing.
"Living towards death, those who enter this gate should abandon their life's obsessions... Hahaha, Benefactor Tuoba, what you wrote is way too gloomy."
Tuoba Feng's face flushed red, "My apologies, I am not good at writing."
Wu Gou waved his hand, "It's not that it's bad, it just doesn't have the right flavor."
He stood up, walked to the stone, and looked at it for a long time. Suddenly, he reached out and began to trace on the stone's surface with his finger.
Stone dust fell in a fine mist.
"This city is named Wrongfully Dead, yet it harbors the hope of the living."
"Gods are not born holy, and even white bones can carry the Dao."
"May lotus flowers bloom from the filth, and the smiles of all beings be seen in the depths of despair."
After finishing, Wu Gou withdrew his hand, studied his work, and nodded with satisfaction.
"How is it?"
Tuoba Feng stared blankly at those three lines, unable to speak for a long time.
It wasn't that he didn't understand the characters.
As a Grave-keeper of the Western Region, he belonged to a lineage passed down through generations. Although he wasn't highly educated, he could recognize basic characters.
It was precisely because he recognized them that he understood the weight of these three lines.
May lotus flowers bloom from the filth, and the smiles of all beings be seen in the depths of despair.
Tuoba Feng suddenly thought of Lian's appearance.
Wu Gou had written it perfectly, straight into his heart.
In the filth, lotuses really could bloom.
In despair, one really could see the smiles of all beings.
Tuoba Feng carried the stele and erected it at the city gate.
The blue-gray stone stele shimmered faintly in the sunset.
The three lines of characters were etched deep and shallow, looking as if they were carved into bone.
The passing citizens gathered around curiously to look.
Someone read them aloud, and as they read, their eyes turned red.
Some stood silently, looking at the three lines without saying a word.
Some turned and ran, saying they were going to tell their families to come and see.
Tuoba Feng stood by the stele and watched their reactions, suddenly feeling that erecting this stele was the right thing to do.
Xiaoyun ran over at some point and pulled on his sleeve.
"Daddy, who wrote these characters?"
Tuoba Feng looked down at her, "Master Wu Gou wrote them."
Xiaoyun tilted her head and read the three lines aloud.
After finishing, she blinked her eyes.
"Daddy, what is a lotus flower?"
Tuoba Feng was stunned for a moment.
There were no lotuses in the Western Region.
He had only heard of them but never seen one.
"A lotus... is a type of flower that grows in water. It's very beautiful."
"The Gathering Fortune Pavilion has planted lotuses. You'll know when they bloom."
Xiaoyun nodded as if she understood, then clapped her hands happily.
She ran back into the city, shouting as she went.
"Sister Lian, Big Brother Jiu'er, shall we go to the Gathering Fortune Pavilion to see the lotus flowers?"
Tuoba Feng stood up, watching his daughter's back, and his lips curled into a smile.
He looked back at the stele once more.
Tuoba Feng suddenly felt that he had found what he was supposed to guard.
A few days later, Cangming was also preparing to return to the Eastern Region.
Before leaving, he specifically came to bid farewell to Chen Zhou.
"Lord, everything in the Eastern Region is waiting to be rebuilt. Although the black spots have been suppressed, the sea regions still need restoration."
"Cangming cannot stay for long. I hope the Lord will forgive me."
Chen Zhou nodded and gave him a few instructions like "work hard" and "don't be lazy" before sending him on his way.
When Cangming left, Cang Che came to see him off.
The two brothers stood at the city gate. One wore magnificent imperial robes, while the other wore a black robe identical to Chen Zhou's. They looked quite harmonious.
"Big Brother, work hard when you go back. Don't embarrass Lord Dragon Ancestor."
Cangming glared at him, "That's what I should be saying."
Cang Che chuckled, "Then say it."
Cangming opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Forget it, he couldn't be bothered to argue with this brat.
He turned to leave but suddenly stopped.
"Second Brother."
"Hmm?"
"Don't hang around Lord Dragon Ancestor all day. The Lord is busy with ten thousand affairs. He doesn't have time to deal with you."
Cang Che looked innocent, "I don't. I just go to pay my respects to the Lord."
Cangming let out a cold laugh.
"Pay your respects? Eight times a day?"
Cang Che was speechless.
Cangming patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "Take a piece of advice from your brother. Stay in your place, cultivate well, and take good care of Imperial Father."
With that, he led the whale guard and departed on the waves.
Cang Che stood at the city gate, watching his brother's back disappear over the horizon, and curled his lip.
He turned around and ran back into the city.
To pay his respects to Lord Dragon Ancestor!
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