Half a year later, near a little-known ruin in Jing Prefecture of the Yue Kingdom in the Tiannan region, a man in blue robes stood at the end of a narrow path, gazing motionlessly at a fragment of a crumbling stone wall lost in thought.
The ruins had clearly stood here for untold ages. Not only was the entire site choked with waist-high wild grass and scrub, but layers of dark green moss had accumulated on the broken stone bricks and crumbling remnants.
The small patch of gray-white surface occasionally visible on the stone wall before the blue-robed man bore what appeared to be a partially preserved raised character — "Han."
After an unknowable stretch of time, the sound of footsteps came from the path behind the blue-robed man. Moments later, a couple with a young boy emerged around the bend, chatting and laughing together.
The couple did not look particularly old — perhaps in their early thirties. The man had dark, weathered skin with thick, rough hands and feet. The woman was passably pretty, with a faint blush on her cheeks. Both bore the look of people seasoned by wind and hardship. The bamboo baskets they carried held incense and candles — nothing more than common country folk on their way to offer prayers. Upon spotting the figure ahead, both of them froze in surprise.
It was the boy, around seven or eight years old, who reacted first. Exceptionally adorable in appearance, his jet-black eyes carried a glimmer of alertness as he studied the stranger before him with undisguised curiosity.
"Th-this… sir, may I ask who you are?" The man hesitated for a moment before walking over with his wife and son, speaking in a somewhat halting voice.
Even from behind, the stranger clearly radiated the bearing of an educated man from beyond these rural parts — a sight that naturally filled this village man, who seldom ventured far from home, with considerable awe.
"Nothing of importance. My surname is Han. I've come to pay respects at the Han family ancestral hall," the blue-robed man replied in a calm, indifferent tone before finally turning around. His features were ordinary and unremarkable, yet between his brow and eyes there flickered a trace of resemblance — perhaps three parts similar — to the man standing before him.
"Sir, you are also surnamed Han! Then you must be from one of the scattered branches of the old Han family. My great-grandfather once told me that the Han clan was prosperous for a time over a thousand years ago, and many of its members dispersed to other lands. People used to come here to pay their respects in years past. But in recent decades, we've seldom seen anyone else from the other branches return." The thirty-some-year-old man did not seem overly surprised by this revelation. On the contrary, a hint of delight surfaced on his face.
"That's right. After so many generations of turnover, those branches have probably all but forgotten that this place was the Han clan's ancestral home. Why would they come back to pay respects? But your branch has done well — you've stayed here and guarded this place all these years without ever leaving." The blue-robed man regarded the couple with a measure of approval.
"Hehe, according to my great-grandfather, even his generation thought about leaving at one point. But they simply couldn't bear to leave the place where the Han family had once prospered. Besides, they say that one of our ancestors was an immortal. If even we left, and the immortal ancestor ever returned, he truly wouldn't be able to find any of his descendants. That's why they gave up the idea." The Han-surnamed man spoke with a simple, honest smile.
"An immortal ancestor, eh? I've heard that rumor too, but it dates back several thousand years. It probably isn't something anyone can take seriously." The blue-robed man's response was noncommittal.
"That, I wouldn't know. But the elders have always said so. Besides, during the great ceremony, great-grandfather once brought out what he claimed was the scabbard left behind by the immortal ancestor. Surely that lends at least some credibility to the story." The Han-surnamed man grinned broadly.
"The scabbard of a divine sword?" The blue-robed man's eyebrows lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
Back when he had left the scabbard of the spirit sword forged from the Gold Devouring Beetles, it had been condensed from a wisp of his spiritual energy. After being drawn more than three times, it should have dissipated into nothingness.
But after a brief moment of thought, he understood.
This so-called "scabbard" was almost certainly not the original — but a replica crafted by later generations of the Han family.
"That's right. According to the elders, the divine sword once hung in the ancestral hall for many years and saved our Han clan from annihilation on several occasions. Unfortunately, after one final use, the sword vanished in a shower of golden light, leaving behind only the scabbard — which still exists but has long since lost any divine properties. Our branch has been its custodian ever since. But it was precisely because the divine sword was gone that the Han family ultimately declined in the next great calamity, and the remaining members were forced to scatter in all directions." For reasons he could not quite explain, the Han-surnamed man felt an inexplicable warmth toward the stranger and found himself sharing everything he knew without reservation.
"I see. I wasn't actually aware of most of this. But the rise and fall of any clan is a natural thing — no one can avoid it. Is this your son? He looks quite sharp. What's his name?" The blue-roved man sighed softly upon hearing this, then let his gaze drift to the boy beside the couple and asked, seemingly in passing.
"Hehe, this is my third son, Han Ming. Come here — quickly kowtow to your clan uncle!" The Han-surnamed man beamed with pride at the compliment and pulled the boy forward from behind him.
The boy, though young, showed no shyness. He promptly dropped to his knees before the blue-robed man and knocked his head twice against the ground with two loud thumps. After calling out "Clan Uncle," he stood back up.
"Good. A fine child indeed. Since fate has brought us together, that means something. Here — I have a gift for him. If he is truly blessed, a great fortune may await him in the future. And if not, this will at least ensure he lives a long life." With a single glance, the blue-robed man had already perceived the presence of a spirit root within the boy — an ordinary one, to be sure, but enough to stir something within him.
He turned his palm over, and a translucent jade pendant materialized in his hand. After pressing a minor spiritual seal into it, he threaded a red cord through its center, bent forward, and hung it directly around the boy's neck.
An eerie sight then appeared!
The jade pendant first blazed with brilliant white light, then blurred — and in the next instant, it vanished together with the red cord, disappearing without a trace around the boy's neck.
The Han-surnamed couple stared in shock. When they raised their heads again, the area before them was completely empty. Not a single soul remained.
"Heavens above — did we just see a ghost in broad daylight?!"