Chapter 94: Humanity, Little Girl!

  "What? Aren't we together?" Xiao Yun was taken aback.

  Yan Yunwen shook her head and said, "These eight roads, each can only enter one person!"

  "Will there be no danger?" Hong Kexin asked again with her most concern.

  Yan Wen smiled, "How can there be no danger? Danger often comes with opportunity. You want the cow to produce milk but don't give it fodder, is that possible?"

  Hong Ke Xin heard this and also felt a bit embarrassed.

  "The road is under your feet, whether to go in or not, it's up to you. If you're afraid of danger and don't want to go in, then just wait for me here!" Ji Yunwen didn't say much more, his gaze lingered on the Imperial Way for a moment before turning towards the "Buddhist Way".

  Xiao Yun and Hong Ke Xin were left staring at each other, paused for a moment, then Xiao Yun said, "You choose one too!"

  "Which way are you going?" Hong Kexin asked Xiao Yun.

  Buddha, Emperor, Chivalrous, the three paths have been taken. The remaining five paths are: Yao, Mo, Gui, Xian and Human. First, eliminate the three evil paths of Yao, Mo and Gui. Then, only two paths remain: Xian and Human. Xiao Yun looked at Hong Ke Xin and said, "You choose first!"

  Hong Ke Xin shook her head, somewhat indecisive, "You go first!"

  Xiao Yun Dao said, "Didn't Elder Ji say that every path has its own destiny, just follow your heart and you'll be fine, no need to worry about which way to go."

  "Follow your heart!" Hong Kexin murmured, looking up at the stone gates, "We cultivators only seek to become immortals and gods, so I shall embark on the path of immortality!"

  Xiao Yun nodded, "Then the Tao is mine!"

  As they finished speaking, the two of them walked towards the stone gate one after another. Hong Ke Xin pushed open the Immortal Gate, while Xiao Yun pushed open the Human Gate.

  ——

  What appeared in front of Xiao Yun was a narrow and long passageway, with stone walls on all sides. The stone walls emitted a faint blue light, winding and mysterious, and it was unknown where it led to.

  Turning back to look, the big gate where people just came in has disappeared, and behind is only a dark and bottomless passage, which is indeed strange and inexplicable.

  "Senior Ji said that there is an opportunity on this road, but I don't know what kind of opportunity!" With doubts, Xiao Yun carefully and cautiously explored the depths of the mountain cave.

  "Knock knock knock!"

  Not long after walking, a faint drumbeat came from the depths of the cave, and Xiao Yun's heart tightened slightly. Along with the drumbeat, there was also a melodious singing voice. Xiao Yun thought it was an illusion, stopped in her tracks, and listened intently.

  It sounds like a young woman's voice, as if whispering in my ear, Xiao Yun stops in her tracks, suddenly feeling a chill run down her spine. Isn't this a one-way path that only allows one person to enter? Did she take the wrong path? Has she entered the ghostly realm?

  It's unthinkable yet it can't be helped. I clearly took the human path, while the ghostly path is on the other side. I'm not so confused that I don't even distinguish between humans and ghosts.

  The female voice coming from the cave was like a female ghost in an opera, and the sound was quite desolate. Coupled with the surrounding environment, Xiao Yun's heart had a kind of inexplicable fear.

  "Beat the drum and sing, joyfully lead the troops. The city of the earth is distant, I alone head south. Following Sunzi's strategy, we conquered Chen and Song. Not returning with me, my heart is worried. Where to reside? Where to settle? Where to lose one's horse? Where to seek it? Under the forest. Life and death are far apart, let us make a pact together. Hold your hand, and grow old together. Alas, how vast! I am not alive! Alas, how deep! I do not believe!"

  Pressing down the panic in his heart, Xiao Yun listened carefully for a while. Although the voice was very small, he roughly understood the content of the song. The lyrics seemed to be an excerpt from the Book of Songs.

  "Who is singing?"

  Xiao Yundong calmed down, looked at the passage in front of him, and immediately stabilized his mind. With an extremely curious and nervous heart, he walked towards the deep cave.

  The road ahead grew wider and wider, a cave appeared in front of Xiao Yun, the singing voice was coming from inside the cave, Xiao Yun tiptoed past, peeking into the entrance of the cave.

  The cave is not very large, looking more like a stone room with an area of about 100 square meters. Inside the cave there is a pool of water, and on the top of the cave hangs a stalactite, from which drips of calcified water fall into the deep pool, producing a tinkling sound, causing ripples to spread out across the surface of the water.

  At this time, Xiao Yun's gaze was drawn to a figure beside the pond.

  It was a little girl, no more than twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a snow-white long dress with wide sleeves, singing and dancing lightly.

  Her facial features are as if naturally carved, her long hair cascades down in front of and behind her, her figure is slender and elegant, ethereal and otherworldly. She's not very old, but she's a beautiful young woman.

  "Whose child is this, singing here all of a sudden?"

  Xiao Yun stood at the entrance of the cave for a while, and felt that the little girl's dance steps and singing voice were both delightful to watch and listen to. However, such an adorable little girl appeared in such a gloomy place, which made people feel eerie.

  "Who are you?"

  The singing stopped abruptly, Xiao Yun came back to her senses, heard a questioning voice, looked up and saw that the little girl by the pond had disappeared. She lowered her head, but was startled, for the little girl had somehow appeared beside him, no more than half a meter away, looking up at him.

  Xiao Yun was stunned. He hadn't even seen clearly how the little girl appeared beside him, and he had a feeling of encountering a female ghost in his heart.

  "My name is Xiao Yun, I'm from outside. And you are?" Xiao Yun composed himself and hastily replied to the little girl, although she was still below his chest height. However, Xiao Yun could sense a mysterious aura emanating from her, accompanied by a faint pressure.

  "Huh?"

  The little girl tilted her head and looked at Xiao Yun without answering his question, but instead asked, "Are you here to practice again?"

  Xiao Yun nodded, "Little sister, why are you alone here?"

  "Come in with me!"

  The little girl seemed to have not heard Xiao Yun's words, and directly turned around, walking into the cave with a gentle pace. Xiao Yun looked puzzled, and also followed her in.

  "Little sister, you haven't told me your name yet?" Xiaoyun said as they entered the cave.

  "My name is Yue, but don't think I'm some little girl. If we're talking about age, I could be your great-grandmother!" The little girl turned around and gave Xiao Yun a white eye.

  Xiao Yun sweated, this little girl is too rude.

  "The little girl said, 'This road has been deserted for nearly a thousand years. Can you tell me why you chose this 'human path'?"

  Her expression was that of an elder, yet her appearance was comical to behold. However, Xiao Yun did not laugh. As the saying goes, "you can't judge a person by their appearance." This young girl may look weak on the outside, but who knows what kind of person she really is?

  "The Music God Li Er said, 'Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Way, and the Way follows Nature!' As humans are born of Heaven and nurtured by Earth, we are the spirits of all things, the foundation of all living beings. I am a member of this human tribe, so choosing the human way should be acceptable, shouldn't it?" said Xiao Yun Dao.

  The little girl looked at Xiao Yun with a strange expression, "Then why didn't you choose 'Xian Dao' or 'Fo Dao'? Don't ordinary people all want to become immortals and Buddhas?"

  "Immortals and Buddhas exist because of humans, demons and monsters are born from humans. Even if one becomes an immortal or a Buddha, they will still eventually meet their end on the day their lifespan is exhausted." Xiao Yun shook his head, "Moreover, I have another reason that makes me choose the path of humanity!"

  "Oh?" The little girl looked at Xiao Yun curiously.

  "Because..." Xiao Yun's mouth curved into a mysterious smile, "All the other roads have been taken by others, so I can only come here!"

  "Huh?"

  The little girl heard this and hesitated, her face twitching for a moment. After hearing what Xiao Yun said earlier, she had taken it seriously, but after hearing the last sentence, her emotions were like heaven and earth apart.

  Xiao Yun smiled to herself for a moment, then said, "I heard from a senior that there is an opportunity on this road, but I've almost walked the entire way and haven't encountered anything. Lele, do you know where this opportunity is?"

  The little girl fell silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "I can tell you because you seem so sincere."

  "I'd love to hear more about it!" Xiao Yun suddenly became spirited.

  The little girl tilted her head and said, "However, since we are not related in any way, I shouldn't just tell you for free, should I?"

  Xiao Yun heard this and smiled in agreement, "Then what do you want?"

  The little girl pinched her chin, pretended to think deeply for a moment, and said, "I like listening to songs, give you one chance, sing a song for me to listen to, it must be one I've never heard before. If you can move me, I'll tell you where the opportunity is!"

  ————

  Thank book friends "Little Gray Wolf z" and book friend "jx05" for their rewards, Gui Gu knocks to thank them. Also, begging for three rivers votes!