Chapter 4: The Eve of Departure
At dawn, the village gathered to bury the dead.
Long after everyone else had left, Wei Lin knelt by Grandpa Lu’s grave. Tears came unbidden, as they had throughout the night. “This is my fault. I caused this.”
He held his trembling hands in front of him, gazing at them with anguish and despair. “Why… why did I have to be so curious in the forest? Why did I pick up that talisman?”
Angrily, he snatched the talisman from his pouch, clenching it tightly in his hands as if willing it to break, but it only glowed softly, as if unbothered by his destructive intent.
He felt a soft touch on his shoulder. He turned to see Auntie Hua gazing at him with a complicated expression, tinged with both sadness and resolve.
Her words were soft, but firm. “Wei Lin, I need you to come with me.”
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Inside Auntie Hua’s hut, the air smelled of dried herbs and woodsmoke, as it always did. But today, the warmth of the hearth couldn’t chase away the chill in Wei Lin's chest. Auntie Hua closed the door behind them, her movements slow, deliberate, as though she were steeling herself for what came next.
“Sit down,” she said softly, gesturing toward the low table in the center of the room.
Wei Lin obeyed without a word, his eyes still glassy from the tears that refused to stop. The talisman lay cold and heavy in his lap, its glow dimmed but persistent.
Auntie Hua took a deep breath and sat across from him. She folded her hands in her lap, her fingers trembling just slightly. “What happened last night… I know you’re blaming yourself. But it’s not your fault. There’s something you need to know, Wei Lin. Something I should have told you long ago.”
Wei Lin looked up, confusion flickering across his face. “What do you mean?”
Auntie Hua’s tone was gentle but steady. “You’ve always believed you were born here, in Tianmu Village. Your parents passed away, but you were always one of us. And in every way that matters, you are.
She hesitated for a heartbeat, as if gathering the courage to say what comes next. "But... the truth is, you're not... of this village. It was nearly eighteen years ago. I was out gathering herbs near the edge of the Voidwood when I heard a cry—faint, but insistent.”
Her voice wavered, and she clasped her hands tightly together. “You were just a baby, wrapped in a thick blanket. Left there, all alone. The only thing with you was this.” She reached into a drawer and pulled out a small jade pendant, its surface smooth and cool, intricate carvings glinting faintly in the dim light. As she placed it in Wei Lin’s hands, the pendant flared softly, pulsing in rhythm with the talisman at his side.
Wei Lin gasped as a wave of warmth coursed through him. His fingertips tingled, and the air around him seemed to hum with energy. The carvings on the jade, which had appeared merely decorative at first, now shimmered faintly with shifting patterns, almost like a living map etched into stone. A deep resonance filled the room, a harmony between the pendant and the talisman that seemed to vibrate within his very soul.
“What is this?” Wei Lin whispered, his voice barely audible. The pendant’s glow settled into a steady pulse, as though waiting—watching—for something only it could sense.
“It’s more than just a keepsake… it’s part of who you are,” Auntie Hua said, her eyes filled with something between awe and regret. “I didn’t know what it truly was when I found you, but... Grandpa Lu and I always knew it was important—connected to your past in ways we couldn’t understand.”
Wei Lin stared at the pendant, his fingers tracing its delicate patterns. “You... you should’ve told me,” he whispered. His voice cracked. “But... I get it. You and Grandpa Lu—you were trying to protect me.”
Auntie Hua placed a hand on his, her touch steady despite her trembling lips. “You’ve always been my son, Wei Lin. I just wanted you to believe you belonged here. That no matter where you came from, this place—this family—was always yours.”
Wei Lin looked at her, his jaw tightening. “You are my family. You and Grandpa Lu... you’re everything to me. And Tianmu Village—it’s my home. I’ll protect it, no matter what.”
Auntie Hua covered her face with her hands. “Grandpa Lu… he always talked about sending you to one of the sects, where they can teach you and protect you. He knew you were destined for more than what we could ever give you—what this village could give you.”
“I should’ve told you long ago,” she whispered. “But every time I thought of it, I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. And now, it’s my fault that this all happened.”
Wei Lin wrapped his arms around Auntie Hua. “No, you were just trying to protect me. It was me… I should never have taken the talisman back to the village.”
His hand tightened around the two artifacts in his hands, pulsing faintly in tandem, as if echoing his resolve. “But you’re right about sending me away. I can’t stay here anymore. I have a feeling... if I stay, the village will be in great danger again. Grandpa tried to protect us. I can't let his sacrifice be for nothing—I made a promise to him.”
Auntie Hua’s eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. “I knew this day would come. You’re meant for much more than this village, Wei Lin. But no matter where you go, remember this: you will always have a home here. And you will always be my son.”
Wei Lin swallowed hard, fighting back the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He slipped the jade pendant around his neck, its weight both unfamiliar and comforting. As the pendant rested against his chest, a strange warmth bloomed in his core. For a fleeting moment, Wei Lin felt something beyond the room—a vast, silent presence stirring, like the first breath of an ancient being. A whisper brushed against the edge of his consciousness, faint and fleeting, too quick to grasp but undeniably real.
“I promise I’ll come back stronger,” he said quietly.
The talisman flared briefly, its light warm and steady, as if in agreement.
Auntie Hua embraced him tightly, her voice trembling. “Go. Find your strength. But promise me—never forget who you are.”
Wei Lin stepped back, nodding. Determination burned in his eyes, chasing away the grief that had gripped him since the night before. His path lay ahead—uncertain and dangerous—but for the first time, it felt clear.
He would leave Tianmu Village.
And one day, he would return—with the strength to protect his home.
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Below is a translation of the chapter into Chinese (via ChatGPT).
以下是通过ChatGPT将本章翻译成中文。
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封天遗志
第四章：离别前夕
晨曦微熹，薄雾未散，天木村的村民默然聚集，将逝者安葬于山林之间。天地间寂静无声，唯有风拂过苍茫群山，携悲意远去。
待众人散去，魏林仍跪伏在陆爷爷的坟前，身形孤寂，泪水无声滑落，宛如断线之珠，自昨夜至今，未曾停歇。
“这一切……都是我的错……”
他的声音微弱，带着无尽悔恨，指尖深深扣入泥土，浑身颤抖不止。
他缓缓抬起双手，凝视着那双满是伤痕的掌心，眼底尽是痛苦与自责。
“为什么……为什么我非要去那片森林？”他的声音低沉而哀伤，像是向苍天质问，亦似对自己审判，“若不是我拾起那玉符……这一切便不会发生……”
怒火与懊悔交织，他猛地探手入怀，狠狠抽出那枚玉符，指节泛白，恨不得将其捏碎！
然而，玉符静静躺于掌心，温润如初，微微泛着柔和的光芒，似乎全然不受他的怒意所撼，反倒散发出一种难以言喻的安静气息。
魏林咬紧牙关，指尖发颤，他恨不得将它摔碎，可无论如何用力，那玉符依旧完好无损，静静地闪烁着淡淡的光辉。
忽然，一只温暖的手轻轻落在他肩上。
魏林猛然一震，回头望去，只见花姨立于晨雾之中，静静看着他，眼神复杂，既有哀伤，又有一丝难以言喻的坚决。
她的声音温和，却透着不容拒绝的坚定。
“魏林，跟我来。”
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花姨的屋中，空气中弥漫着干草药与淡淡柴火气息，温暖而熟悉，仿若从未改变。然而今日，炉火的暖意却无法驱散魏林心中的寒意。
房门缓缓闭合，花姨的动作沉稳而克制，仿佛在为接下来的话语积蓄勇气。
“坐下吧。”她轻声道，指了指屋中低矮的木桌。
魏林默然照做，双眼依旧氤氲着未干的泪痕。膝上的玉符冰冷沉重，光芒微弱，却依旧顽固地闪烁着，宛如未曾熄灭的微光。
花姨深吸一口气，缓缓坐在他对面，双手交叠于膝，指尖微微颤抖，声音低沉而坚定：“昨夜之事……我知你心有愧疚，怪罪自己。但魏林，这不是你的错。有些事，我该早些告诉你。”
魏林抬起头，泪痕未干的脸上浮现出一抹疑惑：“什么意思？”
花姨注视着他，目光温柔却不容回避：“你一直以为，你生于天木村，父母离世后，便在村中长大。你是村里的一员，而在我心里，你的确是……”
她顿了顿，似是在斟酌言辞，沉默了片刻，终于缓缓开口：“但事实是……你并非生于此地。”
魏林的瞳孔微微收缩，心中掀起惊涛骇浪。
花姨目光沉静，回忆缓缓流淌而出：“十八年前，我在村外的林间采药，靠近虚空林的边缘时，听到了微弱的啼哭声……那哭声微弱而执着，仿佛在竭力向世间宣告自身的存在。”
她的声音微微颤抖，双手紧握，似是不愿忆起当日之景：“当我循声望去，便见你被包裹在厚厚的襁褓之中，被遗弃在林间，孑然一身。而你的身旁，唯有这个。”
她伸手入柜，缓缓取出一块温润的玉佩，青白交映，雕刻繁复，暗淡的光影在其表面浮现，映着屋中微弱的烛火，显得古朴神秘。
她将玉佩轻轻放入魏林手中。
刹那间，光华流转——
魏林惊愕地瞪大双眼，一股奇异的温暖瞬间涌入四肢百骸。指尖微微发麻，空气中似有某种无形的韵律流动，玉佩之上的纹络竟微微亮起，浮现出隐约变幻的光影，宛如一幅流动的地图，又似古老的铭文跃然石上，与他怀中玉符的光辉遥相呼应。
屋内骤然寂静，只余微光交错、灵韵回荡。
魏林怔怔地望着掌心的玉佩，喉头干涩，声音沙哑：“这……这到底是什么？”
玉佩的光辉缓缓稳定，仿佛静静等待着某个契机，某个它早已知晓的归宿。
花姨的目光中闪烁着哀伤与敬畏，轻声道：“它不仅仅是你的遗物……它是你的一部分。”
她抬手轻轻抚摸着玉佩，目光幽远：“当初，我并不知它的真正来历，只知它绝非凡物。陆爷爷与我皆曾怀疑，它与你的身世息息相关，只是……我们始终无法窥探其中的秘密。”
魏林缓缓握紧玉佩，手指轻轻摩挲着上面的纹理，心头翻涌着难以言喻的情绪。
“你……你们应该早些告诉我……”他的声音微颤，透着难以掩饰的苦涩。
但话音未落，他又苦笑一声，低声道：“不……我明白了，你们是在保护我。”
花姨的眼中泛起泪光，伸手覆在他的手背上，尽管指尖轻颤，掌心却依旧温暖而坚定：“魏林，你一直是我的孩子。我只希望你相信自己属于这里，不论你的来历如何，天木村……永远是你的家。”
魏林咬紧牙关，目光倔强地望向花姨，喉间哽咽，终是低声道：“你就是我的家人。你和陆爷爷……是我的一切。而这座村庄，是我的故乡。”
他深吸一口气，眼神逐渐坚定：“不管如何，我都会守护它。”
花姨低低啜泣，脸庞隐没在掌心，声音微颤：“陆爷爷……他一直想着，若有一日，能送你去修行宗门，那才是真正的保护。他知道，你的命运，不止于这片小小的村庄……”
她缓缓抬头，眼眶泛红，声音低得仿佛喃喃自语：“我早该告诉你的……可我害怕，一旦说出口，就会失去你。”
魏林轻轻抱住花姨，低声道：“不……你只是想保护我。而我……是我把玉符带回村子，才招来了灾祸……”
他低头看向掌中的两件古玉，皆泛着淡淡光辉，如同心跳相合，彼此共鸣。
他的指尖微微收紧，目光沉静而坚定：“但你说得对……是时候离开了。我不能再待在村里，否则……危险终究会再度降临。”
他缓缓闭上双眼，似能看到陆爷爷倒下的那一刻，听见他最后的嘱托——
“变得更强，保护他们。”
他缓缓睁眼，望向花姨，声音微哑却坚定：“我不能让陆爷爷的牺牲白费……这是我对他的承诺。”
花姨泪光闪烁，最终点头，声音低而哽咽：“我知道……这一日，终究会到来。”
她的目光温柔而哀伤，轻声道：“魏林，你的路在远方……但无论你去往何处，记住，你永远有一个家。你，永远是我的孩子。”
魏林喉头发紧，深深凝望花姨，沉默许久，最终缓缓将玉佩挂于颈间。那冰凉的触感贴在胸口，却带来一丝温暖与安定。
而就在玉佩落定之刻，他的意识深处，隐隐掀起一丝涟漪，似有某种亘古久远的存在苏醒，一道微不可闻的低语，飘渺地回荡在灵魂之中，稍纵即逝，却真实无比。
魏林深吸一口气，缓缓道：“我一定会回来，变得更强。”
玉符骤然一颤，光辉微微明灭，如在回应他的誓言。
花姨哽咽着抱住他，声音颤抖：“去吧，寻找属于你的力量……但答应我，永远不要忘记你是谁。”
魏林缓缓点头，目光如炬，悲恸之中燃起未曾有过的决意。
他的路，已然清晰。
他会离开天木村。
但终有一日，他定会归来，强大到足以守护此地，再无人能夺走他最珍视的一切。
