NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: What You Shouldn’t Have Seen
Chapter 3: What You Shouldn’t Have Seen
The August morning had a fresh, crisp quality that was unique to the season. A light mist lingered in the air, perhaps mingling with the rising smoke from cooking fires. Before the oppressive heat of summer fully set in, many breakfast stalls had already opened for business.
You Su walked slowly through the streets, heading out to buy breakfast for himself and his junior sister.
By now, You Su knew every road in Chuyun City like the back of his hand. Combined with the heightened perception that came with being a cultivator at the Spirit Platform Realm, navigating the streets posed no real challenge. To any stranger passing by, it would be impossible to tell that this bright, youthful young man was actually blind.
“You Su, why are you out so late? It’s almost the third quarter of the Chen Hour, and you’re just buying breakfast. What did you do last night?”
“Uncle Liu is joking. What could a blind man like me do?”
“You’d be surprised! You can do a lot, probably more than most!”
As he made his way through the streets, many passersby and shopkeepers warmly greeted You Su. He responded enthusiastically to each of them. Although he lacked sight, his other senses were exceptionally sharp, and his memory was excellent – he recognized people by their voices.
When he reached a stall named “Wang’s Crispy Oil Pancakes,” You Su finally stopped.
The elderly woman selling the pancakes greeted him with familiarity as soon as she saw him:
“Two beef-filled pancakes for yourself, and two preserved vegetable and meat ones for your junior sister, correct?”
“Aunt Wang, your memory is as sharp as ever. Don’t go around saying you’re old.”
“What needs to be remembered will always be remembered. The streets are quiet now, so I’ll pick out some bigger ones for you – don’t let anyone else see.”
“Thank you, Aunt Wang.” You Su handed over the appropriate amount of silver coins, his gratitude sincere.
Although blind, You Su was very sensitive to the kindness of others.
Aunt Wang quickly wrapped the pancakes in oiled paper and carefully handed them to You Su. As he took them, something seemed to occur to him and he hesitated before asking:
“Aunt Wang… have you ever seen my junior sister?”
“Of course I have!” Aunt Wang replied confidently, not questioning why You Su had suddenly brought her up. “Even though my eyes aren’t what they used to be, a beauty like your junior sister is unforgettable once you’ve seen her. Although she rarely leaves the house or interacts with people, there are quite a few young men in this city who’ve fallen head over heels for her. At sixteen, a girl is of marriageable age. Your junior sister’s prospects are good-you, as her senior brother, should keep an eye on things.”
“My junior sister… she’s solely focused on cultivation. She probably doesn’t think about such things right now.”
You Su felt an inexplicable sense of unease and instinctively uttered the absurd lie that his junior sister was entirely devoted to cultivation.
“Sigh, isn’t cultivation just a gamble? If her luck runs out and she grows old without achieving anything, wouldn’t that be a waste of such a beautiful face?”
Aunt Wang spoke with real regret. In her view, countless people pursued cultivation, but very few succeeded – it wasn’t unreasonable to call it a “gamble”.
“My junior sister… is she really that beautiful?” Su murmured.
“Of course she is! She’s like a goddess descended from the holy mountains!” Aunt Wang grew excited and was about to launch into a detailed praise of the girl she’d only met a few times when her husband interrupted, emerging from the kitchen.
“Women always nagging about marriage,” the old man grumbled, carrying a freshly kneaded ball of dough. “You Su, don’t listen to your Aunt Wang. Both you and your junior sister should focus on your cultivation. Don’t disappoint your master.”
“Grandpa Li, I won’t.”
You Su had received the answer he sought, but instead of feeling joy, he felt strangely empty. Shaking off the thought, he picked up the pancakes and prepared to leave:
“Grandpa Li, Aunt Wang, I’m leaving now. Take care.”
“All right, be careful on your way back.” Aunt Wang smiled warmly.
Grandpa Li broke off a piece of pancake and watched the thin figure of the youth disappear down the street. After giving his wife a reproachful glance, he called out:
“Su, don’t think too little of yourself just because you’re blind. Even though I’m old now, in my youth I went to Eternal Height City under Eternal Height Divine Mountain and saw those so-called divine sons and daughters. You may not be able to see, but you’re no less remarkable than them. Never underestimate yourself.
You Su turned around and smiled, feeling a little better:
“I will remember, Grandpa Li.”
…
You Su continued to walk at a leisurely pace. Although he couldn’t see the road, his faint memories from his past life allowed him to imagine the world around him in ways that differed from those born blind. For instance, he often pictured the cobblestones beneath his feet, the geckos climbing the alley walls, and the dewdrops clinging to mossy surfaces, using these images to fill the void in his mind.
He had also imagined his junior sister’s face many times, tweaking details here and there – perhaps her eyes should be bigger, or her nose straighter. But now, whenever he tried to picture her in his mind, the monstrous visage from his nightmare inevitably surfaced.
“It shouldn’t be like this.”
You Su paused, closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to banish the bizarre dream from his thoughts.
When he opened his eyes again, all he saw was chaos. Suddenly, he heard a strange sound nearby. Instinctively turning his head, he froze – a black, grotesque creature loomed within his field of vision.
The monster had the head of a fish, covered in sharp teeth and gill-like fins, yet its body and limbs resembled those of a powerful canine. It crouched over a corpse, hungrily gnawing at it.
You Su stared intently at the monster and the corpse beneath it, his brow furrowing slightly.
Sensing someone watching, the creature turned its head slowly. The fleshy protrusion atop its head, resembling a small lantern, pulsed with an eerie crimson glow, as if luring curious prey to their doom like moths to a flame.
You Su instinctively took a step forward, but suddenly realized something astonishing – he had regained his sight! However, the range of his vision seemed to be limited to this bizarre apparition…
Before You Su could fully process what was happening, an overwhelming surge of oppressive energy crashed down on him, almost suffocating him. Sensing danger, the monster retracted its bloody light. The “Blood Lantern” transformed into a grotesque, swollen tumor, and the creature bared its gleaming white fangs in what appeared to be a sinister grin.
“Evil spirit, perish!”
A hoarse but righteous voice rang out, followed by several sharp whistling sounds that cut through the air. These noises jolted You Su from his daze.
You Su felt a chill run down his spine. Although he couldn’t see the sudden appearance of the white-bearded, white-robed Immortal Master, he could clearly observe the now cowering monster softly trembling and whimpering. Multiple gashes had appeared on its body, oozing fresh blood, while black worms wriggled out of the wounds.
The monster didn’t fight back, seemingly resigned to its fate. Its round, fish-like eyes were filled with fear, pleading, and perhaps even a hint of confusion. The once silent tumor began to blink again, but instead of exuding menace, the red glow was submissive, almost ingratiating.
“Seal!”
The ancient voice commanded again. A blinding white light enveloped the monster, which writhed in agony, its teeth bared. In the blink of an eye, both the creature and the corpse vanished completely, presumably sealed into one of the old immortal’s magical tools.
Before You Su could utter a word, the elder immortal spoke first:
“You… can see it?”
“Esteemed Senior, I am blind,” You Su replied, bowing respectfully. Despite his blindness, he met the immortal’s gaze without arrogance or deference.
“Blind?”
The elder immortal had snow-white hair and a weathered face, but his eyes burned with a piercing intensity. He scrutinized the young man in front of him. You Su’s handsome features-his jade-like complexion and dignified bearing-made it hard to associate him with the term “blind.” Yet his unfocused, vacant eyes and sincere tone suggested that he wasn’t lying.
“You are not lying. You are truly blind.” The elder Immortal’s wrinkled face twisted into a knowing expression. “But that doesn’t mean that you didn’t see it.”
His words were firm, as if he saw no contradiction between the two statements.
You Su knew that his ruse wouldn’t fool the elder immortal for long. His earlier fixation on the monster must have been noticed. With calm acceptance, he admitted it:
“Esteemed Senior, I did indeed see it.”
“And do you know what it is?”
“I do not, Senior.”
“It is called a Lantern Ghost. It roams at night, carrying its lantern to lure curious victims into its trap, and then devours their flesh and blood.”
“So it is such a terrifying evil. Thankfully, the Esteemed Senior intervened to rid the world of this menace.”
The Immortal Elder paid no attention to You Su’s flattery. Instead, he unsheathed the radiant sword at his waist and twirled it to form a sharp, blooming sword flower.
“And do you know that this creature only preys on cultivators and excels in concealment? Only those at the Water Condensation Realm or higher can perceive its presence.”
The cultivation path had nine stages: Meridian Opening, Spirit Platform, Water Condensation, Feather Transformation, Void Realm, Heaven Awakening, and the legendary Half-Eternal and Great Spirit Realms. Ninety-nine percent of all cultivators remained stuck at the Meridian Opening stage. The Spirit Platform Realm marked the initial steps on the immortal path, while the Water Condensation Realm allowed one to transcend mundanity and secure a place among the sacred mountains.
This malevolent being, which had been utterly powerless against the elder immortal, required at least the perception level of the Water Condensation Realm to be detected. And yet…
I’m only at the Spirit Platform Realm!
The oppressive aura that was already weighing on him grew even stronger at this moment, becoming almost unbearable!
The old man sighed deeply, his voice echoing with solemnity: “You shouldn’t have seen it…”
Along with the ancient voice came a flash of cold steel – a swift, unstoppable sword strike aimed directly at You Su!