Night of the Broken Gliph

Chui Yim’s life at Cloud Palace was fantastic.

It was just like camping in the mountains, being able to enjoy the sunlight and living frankly and openly, unlike South Imperial City where he had to lead a life full of lies in the shadows.

Thus, he never had the intention to keep his father’s identity a secret, until one fateful day when he went to Cloud Forest to read.

Cloud Forest consisted of two floors and an unsaid rule – they were only allowed to access the books about cultivation on the second floor after finishing all the books on the first floor, which were ordinary books that consisted of novels, diaries, travel notes, and even illustrated books like the Illustrated Guide to the Continent’s Plants and the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Thus, the teens were forced to read with Siu Chu on the first floor.

This was when Chui Yim found a small sentence at the end of a scroll, reading “Everything belongs to Cloud Palace. Please find the man named Chui Tin and tie him up in front of Cloud Forest to reflect on his mistake.”

He then saw another note at the end of another book. “Chui Tin, that damn bastard! How could he do this!?”

“I hate you, Chui Tin!”

Chui Yim came across so many notes that it made sweat roll down his forehead. He immediately went to ask Cheuk Kwun about them, but he couldn’t seem to care less.

“I have no idea what actually happened, maybe only the palace master knows. But it’s the job of every librarian to not only monitor the world for abnormalities daily but also to find the man named Chui Tin,” Cheuk Kwun said and pointed to the Celestial Pearl on top of Cloud Forest.

Chui Yim was drenched in cold sweat after hearing this, but he tried to play it cool. “How are you supposed to find him? Do you have a painting of him? I’m curious.”

“No painting.” Cheuk Kwun shook his head, making Chui Yim heave a sigh of relief that didn’t last long because of Cheuk Kwun’s next words. “But we can track him with a tiny bit of his spirit.

“I have no idea how badly that librarian hated him, but it was enough for him to waste huge efforts for that tiny spirit. I heard that Chui Tin snuck into Cloud Forest and stole every book on the first floor, so whatever you guys are reading now is a copy from that librarian who had to rewrite everything with his photographic memory.

“He spent thirty years doing so to make up for the loss, and it’s said that every time he did so, he felt strong hatred for Chui Tin, thus there’s the notes that you saw.”

Chu Yim was flabbergasted as he remembered the books he read during his childhood.

So they were… stolen from Cloud Palace!?

The books I read were stolen from Cloud Palace?!

He did not pretend to act calm because he was so shocked he couldn’t even close his jaw. Cheuk Kwun expected his reaction though as everybody reacted the same way when they heard this story.

“So did you succeed in finding him with his spirit?”

“Never.” Cheuk Kwun shrugged. “It’s been a few hundred years, and Chui Tin might already be dead. If not for the rules, I would have long given up trying to find that dead man every single day.”

Chui Yim forced out a laugh and said no more because he was very clear that his father was still alive.

Thus, he couldn’t answer Sung Tsz Hin because who knew what they would do to him after knowing that he was Chui Tin’s son? Maybe like what Chui Tin told him previously, chop him into eighteen pieces…

Seeing how Chui Yim did not answer him, Sung Tsz Hin did not pressure him. “Back to the main topic; you must use flame to tattoo your next five gliphs, and they must be of a certain level in order to not be swallowed by the best of all flames in the world, the Heaven’s Flame. It would be problematic if that happens.”

Chui Yim nodded; he had been living with the Heaven’s Flame since the day he was born, and he was aware of how violent it was. “Is that spark of flame the only thing I can depend on?”

Sung Tsz Hin nodded. “It might be weak, but I could feel a divine intent in it, proving that it’s more than an ordinary flame. I feel that you can give it a try, and it would be a good opportunity if you obtained it.”

“Alright. But it’s far to the west, and it would be too late by the time I make it there.” Chui Yim smiled bitterly.

Sung Tsz Hin smirked. “Little Junior Brother’s Floating Cloud has almost reached success, but with your weak cultivation state, it’s unsuitable for long-distance trips anyway, so Third Junior Brother will go with you on this trip. With his capability, you will be safe.”

“With Third Senior Brother’s character!?” Chui Yim exclaimed after realizing what Sung Tsz Hin said.

Hui Sai Cheong was a gentle and happy man with the heart of a child, which made him prone to being scammed; in short, unreliable!

“Junior Brother, how do you view your third senior brother?” Sung Tsz Hin said with all seriousness. “I was planning to bring you and Sixth Junior Brother to the West together to look for a precious opportunity when he was about to break through, but I have to stay with him since he’s in a coma now, and Third Junior Brother has to pay the price for being part of the fish stealing incident.

“That’s it – you’ll set off tomorrow at dawn.” Sung Tsz Hin waved his hands, making the final decision.

The next day, Chui Yim woke up rubbing his eyes.

Even though meditation was the best substitute for sleep as well as a method to cultivate, Chui Yim still needed sleep as that was the only way he could fully relax. So, he tended to sleep a few days per week.

He went to a pitch-black stone desk and pressed onto it, which lit up in red gliph patterns as Chui Yim inserted energliph into it. At last, it formed the simple Blazing Sun gliph.

When it took form, he placed a metal can on top of it, which contained plain water, allowing the water to be heated by the gliph. Seeing that it was boiling, Chui Yim nodded satisfactorily and placed tea leaves in the can before heading to wash up.

He then returned and drank it after some time.

At the same time, someone knocked on his door.

“Big Brother Chui, it’s me.”

“And me, Little Junior Brother.”

It was none other than Lam Ming Sum, and the excited voice was none other than Hui Sai Cheong.

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