Wang Xio remained silent for several long moments. His eyes never left the words carved into the stone. He searched his memory again and again, hoping the name would mean something, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing came to mind. Finally, he slowly shook his head. "I don't know." His voice was calm, but there was frustration hidden beneath it. "I've read many ancient records with my grandfather. I've heard stories about forgotten kingdoms, vanished clans, sealed ruins, and ancient disasters..." He let out a slow breath. "But I've never once seen that title before."
Qing Li lowered his eyes. His fingers slowly tightened into fists. "Then how are we supposed to find someone whose name nobody remembers?" he asked quietly. "First the First Weaver... now the Forgotten Child..." He looked back toward the glowing inscription, his expression becoming more troubled. "Every answer we find only creates another mystery." Hei Long remained standing silently beside them.His eyes rested upon the glowing words for several long moments before he finally spoke. "Maybe..." His quiet voice echoed softly through the chamber. "...that's exactly why they're called forgotten." Qing Li immediately looked toward him. Hei Long slowly continued, "If someone erased the Valley of Silent Threads from history..." His gaze drifted toward the ancient map. "...then perhaps they erased the Forgotten Child as well."
Wang Xio's eyes narrowed. "You think someone deliberately removed every trace?" Hei Long slowly nodded. "Maybe nobody remembers... because nobody was allowed to remember."Before anyone could speak again, the stone wall suddenly trembled. A low rumbling sound echoed throughout the chamber as crimson light slowly spread beneath the map once more. All three of them instinctively stepped back. Wang Xio immediately moved in front of Qing Li and Hei Long again, his eyes never leaving the glowing wall. "Be careful!" he said quietly. "Something else is happening."
Fine cracks of crimson light spread across the stone before invisible force slowly began carving another sentence beneath the previous inscription. Tiny fragments of stone fell onto the floor one after another as each character appeared. None of the three dared interrupt the silence.They simply watched. *He is still waiting.*The moment the last character appeared, the entire wall glowed brightly before slowly calming once again. Qing Li's eyes widened. His breathing unconsciously became uneven. "He is still waiting?" he whispered. His gaze slowly shifted toward Wang Xio. "Waiting where?"
Then, without warning, another section of the map suddenly began glowing.It wasn't the Valley of Silent Threads.The crimson light appeared much farther away near the southern edge of the enormous map. All three immediately looked toward the new glow. Qing Li pointed toward it with surprise. "Look!" Hei Long's eyes followed the spreading light. "That place wasn't glowing before." The crimson light slowly spread across a small settlement hidden between mountains and forests. Unlike the valley, only one narrow ancient road reached it, making the lonely settlement appear completely isolated from the rest of the world. As the glow grew brighter, ancient characters slowly emerged beside the new location.Unlike the crimson light surrounding the valley, these words shone with a pale silver glow.
Wang Xio slowly stepped closer. His eyes carefully studied every ancient character until he finally understood their meaning. His expression quietly changed. Qing Li looked at him anxiously. "What does it say?" Wang Xio remained silent for a brief moment before softly reading the ancient name aloud. "Moonfall Village."Qing Li repeated them almost unconsciously."Moonfall Village..." He frowned deeply. "I've never heard of that place." Hei Long slowly shook his head. "Neither have I." Wang Xio continued staring at the glowing location, his expression becoming more solemn with every passing second. "We've found another place that no longer exists on any modern map."The words had barely left his mouth when something stirred deep inside his mind and his pupils suddenly trembled. A forgotten scene surfaced from the corner of his memory.
Rain tapped against the wooden windows of his grandparents' house while a warm fire crackled quietly inside the room. Little Wang Xio sat cross-legged on the floor with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, resting his chin on his hands as he looked expectantly at his grandmother. She smiled gently while mending an old piece of cloth, her White hair glowing softly beneath the lantern light. "Grandmother," little Wang Xio asked curiously, "tell me another story." She chuckled warmly. "Another one? Didn't I already tell you three tonight?" He nodded eagerly. "Just one more."
She laughed and lightly tapped the tip of his forehead. "You're never satisfied." He grinned proudly. "Stories are better than sleeping." His grandmother shook her head with an affectionate smile before setting her sewing aside. She looked toward the dancing fire for a long moment, her smile gradually fading into something quieter. "Then tonight..." she whispered, "I'll tell you a story that most people have forgotten."
Little Wang Xio's eyes immediately lit up. "A secret story?" She slowly nodded. "Long ago... before your grandfather was even born... there was a village hidden beyond the mountains where the moon always seemed brighter than anywhere else." Wang Xio tilted his head. "What was it called?" His grandmother looked into the flames before softly answering, "Moonfall Village."
Little Wang Xio repeated the name several times with fascination. "Moonfall Village..." Then he looked back at her. "Why doesn't anyone talk about it now?"His grandmother slowly reached forward and held both of his small hands. "Because some places disappear twice." Little Wang Xio blinked in confusion. "Twice?" She gave a slow nod. "The first time... they disappear from the world." She gently squeezed his hands. "The second time... they disappear from everyone's memory." Wang Xio stared at her without understanding. "Who made it disappear?"
The old woman remained silent for several long moments before quietly answering, "The people who survived never agreed on what happened." Her voice became almost a whisper. "Some said Heaven abandoned them. Some said Heaven destroyed them. Others..." She hesitated. "...claimed the village simply vanished overnight, leaving nothing behind except empty land."She slowly reached forward and took both of his small hands into hers. Her palms felt warm, but her eyes carried an emotion he had never seen before. "Listen carefully, An Xio." Her voice became unusually serious. "If you ever hear someone mention Moonfall Village..." She paused, as though choosing every word with great care. "...do not go looking for it."
Little Wang Xio blinked in confusion. "Why?" She slowly lowered her eyes. "Because the people who searched for it..." Her fingers tightened slightly around his hands. "...never came home." Wang Xio swallowed. "Did monsters live there?" His grandmother quietly shook her head. "Something much worse." He looked at her nervously. "Then... who destroyed the village?"she gently placed one finger against his lips. "Some stories are dangerous simply because they're remembered." She forced a small smile and stroked his hair. "Promise me." Little Wang Xio looked into her eyes before quietly nodding. "I promise."Then memory shattered like broken glass.
Wang Xio suddenly returned to the hidden chamber. His breathing had become uneven without him realizing it. Qing Li immediately noticed the change in his expression. "Wang Xio?" Hei Long also stepped closer. "You know it?" Wang Xio remained silent for several seconds before giving nod. "Yes." His voice was much quieter than before. "I've heard that name once." Qing Li's eyes widened. "Where?" Wang Xio slowly answered,"From my grandmother." Hei Long watched him carefully. "What did she say?" Wang Xio lowered his eyes for a brief moment before looking back at the glowing words on the wall. "She warned me never to search for it." Qing Li felt another chill run through his body. "Why?" Wang Xio took a slow breath. "Because it was destroyed..." He paused, his expression gradually darkening. "...over twenty hundreds years ago."
Qing li stared at him in disbelief."Destroyed?" Hei Long slowly repeated the word. "But if it was destroyed..." He looked back toward the glowing map. "...why does it still appear here?" Before anyone could answer, the old letter still resting in Qing Li's hands suddenly trembled violently and faint crackling sound echoed throughout the chamber. Qing Li instinctively lowered his head. "What's happening?" Without warning, pale blue flames suddenly burst across the paper. They weren't red. They weren't golden. They burned with a cold blue glow that gave off no heat at all. Qing Li gasped and instinctively tried to drop the letter. "It's burning!" Wang Xio immediately reached toward him. "Wait! Don't throw it away!"
All three stared in stunned silence as the blue fire quietly consumed the letter. Yet instead of turning into ash, glowing words slowly formed inside the dancing flames. One sentence gradually appeared before their eyes. *Don't let him remember.*The glowing words remained suspended within the pale blue flames. None of them moved.Qing Li's fingers unconsciously tightened into fists as he stared at the burning sentence."Who?" he whispered quietly. "Who is 'him'?" His voice trembled slightly."Why... why would someone need to stop him from remembering?" He slowly looked toward Wang Xio, his eyes filled with confusion. "Do you think Ling Yuan wrote this?"
Wang Xio didn't answer immediately. His brows remained tightly furrowed as he carefully observed the strange blue fire. After several long moments, he slowly shook his head. "No." His voice was unusually calm. "The handwriting belonged to Ling Yuan... but these words..." He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "They feel different." Qing Li frowned. "Different?" Wang Xio nodded slowly. "Everything Ling Yuan wrote before was explaining something... warning us... guiding us." His gaze returned to the burning sentence. "But this..." He quietly continued. "This sounds like someone speaking directly to another person."
Hei Long remained silent, his golden eyes fixed upon the glowing words. The longer he looked at them, the stranger he felt. He unconsciously placed one hand against his chest. Qing Li immediately noticed. "Hei Long?" Hei Long blinked and slowly lowered his hand."I don't know why." His voice was barely above a whisper. "But these words..." He hesitated."They make my heart hurt." Qing Li stared at him in surprise. "Your heart hurts?" Hei Long gave a small nod. "It's strange." He frowned slightly. "It feels like I've heard those words before."
Wang Xio immediately turned toward him. "Before?" Hei Long slowly shook his head. "No..." He closed his eyes briefly."Not heard." He slowly opened them again."Felt." Qing Li's heartbeat unconsciously quickened. He looked from Hei Long to the burning sentence before quietly asking," Do you think..." He swallowed nervously. "Do you think these words are talking about one of us?" Wang Xio remained silent. His expression became more serious. "I don't know." He answered honestly. "But Ling Yuan hid this letter inside a place that nobody was meant to find." His eyes slowly lifted toward the glowing map. "Every message inside it was left for whoever reached this chamber." He looked back at the burning words. "I don't believe this sentence appeared by accident."
Qing Li slowly lowered his head. "Then someone..." He whispered, "Someone is supposed to remember something." Hei Long quietly added, "And someone else wanted to stop it."None of them spoke after that. The blue flames quietly flickered for several more seconds. Then the glowing sentence slowly broke apart into countless tiny lights. One by one, they floated upward before quietly disappearing into the darkness above. The fire vanished completely and old letter disappeared with it.Not even a single piece of ash remained behind.Only the glowing map remained.
Qing Li slowly lowered his eyes before softly whispering, "Moonfall Village..." He repeated the unfamiliar name several times beneath his breath. "First the Valley of Silent Threads..."He looked toward the glowing map again. "Now Moonfall Village." He let out a slow breath."Every answer only leads somewhere even stranger."Hei Long quietly turned toward Wang Xio. His expression had become calmer than before, but his eyes remained serious. "If that's where the Forgotten Child is waiting..." He paused briefly before finishing. "...then that's where everything begins." Wang Xio remained silent for several long moments. His gaze never left the glowing village marked upon the ancient map. Finally, he slowly nodded. "Yes.That's where we go."
Qing Li immediately looked at both of them. "Even if nobody has returned from there?" Wang Xio nodded without hesitation. "Even then." Qing Li frowned. "What if the stories your grandmother told were true?" Wang Xio slowly smiled, though there wasn't the slightest trace of happiness in it. "That's exactly why we have to go." Qing Li looked at him in confusion. Wang Xio continued, "If everyone avoids the truth because they're afraid..." His eyes slowly returned to the glowing village. "Then the truth stays buried forever."
Hei Long gave a small nod."And Ling Yuan didn't leave us this path so we could turn back now." Qing Li looked at the two of them for several long seconds before finally letting out a slow sigh."You two really make it impossible to refuse." A faint smile appeared on Wang Xio's face. "Were you planning to stay behind?" Qing Li folded his arms and snorted softly. "Of course not." He looked toward the glowing village once more.He slowly clenched his fists and gave a firm nod. "Then let's find Moonfall Village... and uncover the truth everyone else wanted to erase."
Back Far beneath shirne masked figure quietly opened one eye.He watched the threads for several long moments without speaking.Then he whispered, "Someone opened it." His calm voice spread throughout the cavern. The Threads immediately became even more restless. Several circled above his head while others quietly brushed against the ancient chains.The masked figure lifted his gaze toward the darkness above."Ling Yuan..." he murmured softly. "So your final move has finally begun."
Then footsteps echoed from the passage behind him.The sound was steady and unhurried. A young man wearing a dark blue robe calmly walked into the cavern,his long black hair tied neatly behind him,
and although he looked young, his eyes carried unusual calmness. He stopped a respectful distance away before bowing slightly. "Lord."
The masked figure didn't turn around. "Yu Shen." Yu Shen slowly straightened. "The Threads reacted the moment the seal was broken." He looked toward the countless black Threads filling the cavern. "I've never seen them behave like this." The masked figure remained silent. Yu Shen continued speaking. "The hidden chamber beneath the shrine has awakened." His expression gradually became more serious. "Ling Yuan's jade seal has been opened."
The masked figure quietly closed his eye again, listening without interrupting. Yu Shen slowly drew a breath before continuing. "The jade box was unsealed and letter has been read." He paused briefly before saying, "Moonfall Village has appeared once again."
Yu Shen carefully watched the masked figure's reaction, but the man didn't move at all. After several long moments, Yu Shen quietly spoke again."They also learned about the First Weaver." The masked figure slowly opened his eye once more. A faint crimson light reflected within it. Yu Shen hesitated before asking the question that had been troubling him since entering. "Should I erase them now?" The chains quietly creaked. The Threads drifted slowly around the chamber. Finally, the masked figure answered. "No."
Yu Shen's brows immediately knitted together. "No?" He couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. He took one careful step forward before stopping himself. "Lord... they've already found Ling Yuan's hidden chamber." The masked figure remained silent. Yu Shen continued, "They've read the letter." "They've uncovered Moonfall Village. And now they know about the First Weaver." He slowly lowered his voice. "If we allow them to continue..." "...they may eventually reach the truth."
The masked figure slowly raised one chained hand. A nearby black Thread quietly drifted toward him before gently wrapping itself around one finger. He calmly watched it for several moments. "Not yet!" he said softly. Yu Shen looked at him in confusion. "...Lord?" The masked figure slowly loosened his fingers. The Thread quietly slipped away before disappearing back into the countless others. "They only know a name." His calm voice echoed throughout the cavern. "Knowing a name..." He paused for several seconds while watching the restless Threads circling above. "...is not the same as knowing the truth."
The masked figure looked back toward the darkness above. "Moonfall Village is only the beginning." Yu Shen quietly drew a slow breath. "Then the Forgotten Child..." The masked figure interrupted him before he could finish. "...Will decide whether they deserve the truth." Yu Shen remained standing there, his thoughts growing heavier with every passing moment. Finally, he slowly broke the silence. "Lord." The masked figure didn't respond. Yu Shen carefully chose his words before continuing."If we aren't stopping them..." He glanced toward the restless Threads. "What about Heaven?"
The masked figure slowly lifted his gaze toward the darkness above. His single crimson eye reflected the countless threads drifting through the cavern. Several long moments passed before he finally spoke. "Heaven...Still believes Shou Heng started everything." Yu Shen remained silent. The masked figure continued speaking. "They have believed that..." He slowly closed his eye. "...for thousands of years." His fingers lightly tightened against the heavy silver chains wrapped around his arm.
The chains produced a faint metallic sound that echoed throughout the cavern. Then... he slowly shook his head. "They are wrong." Yu Shen frowned slightly. "Wrong?" The masked figure laughed. It wasn't loud. It wasn't mocking. It was a laugh filled with endless weariness."Poor Shou Heng...Even now..." He lowered his head slightly. "...he's still carrying someone else's sin." Yu Shen's expression changed. "Someone else's?" His eyes widened slightly. "Then... everything Heaven knows..." He couldn't finish the sentence. The masked figure remained silent. Yu Shen slowly lowered his head. "No wonder..." he whispered quietly. "...The truth has remained buried for so long."
After several minutes Yu Shen gathered enough courage to ask the question that had troubled him for years. "Lord." The masked figure slowly opened his crimson eye once more. "Speak." Yu Shen unconsciously clenched his fists."Then..." He hesitated briefly before quietly asking."Who is the First Weaver?" This time... the masked figure didn't answer immediately.Yu Shen patiently waited without speaking again. Then the masked figure slowly lifted one chained hand.
From somewhere within the countless Threads drifting through the cavern, a single black thread quietly floated downward and slowly wrapped itself around one of his fingers. The masked figure silently watched it sway back and forth. His crimson eye reflected the thread's dark surface. Finally... he quietly spoke. "The First Weaver..." He gently raised his hand a little higher. The black Thread became perfectly still. Another long silence followed. Then... he finished the sentence. "...never disappeared."
Yu Shen's pupils instantly contracted. His breathing unconsciously stopped for a moment. "What?" The masked figure slowly lowered his hand again. The black thread quietly loosened itself before drifting back into the countless others. He looked toward the darkness beyond the cavern entrance. "Some truths..." he said quietly. "...cannot be buried forever."Yu Shen stood frozen where he was. His eyes slowly moved from the black Threads back to the masked figure. "If the First Weaver never disappeared..." he asked quietly, "...then where has he been all this time?"
The masked figure remained silent. The heavy silver chains around his body gave a faint metallic rattle as he slowly leaned back against the ancient stone behind him. His crimson eye gradually closed once more. Several long moments passed before he finally answered."Waiting." Yu Shen frowned. "Waiting for what?" The masked figure slowly opened his eye again. "For the Threads..." he replied calmly. "...to complete their weaving."
Yu Shen's expression became even more confused. "Their weaving?" The masked figure gave a small nod. "Every choice." "Every death,every forgotten name and every stolen memory." His voice remained quiet, yet every word echoed clearly throughout the enormous cavern."Each one became another thread." Yu Shen slowly looked toward the countless black Threads floating around them. He noticed something he had never paid attention to before.No two threads were exactly alike.Some were thick and some were thin. Some carried faint crimson light deep within them, while others looked completely black.
They slowly crossed each other, separated, then intertwined again, forming an endless pattern that seemed impossible to understand."They're not random..."Yu Shen whispered unconsciously. The masked figure quietly replied, "Nothing about them has ever been random." Yu Shen slowly stepped closer. "Then all these years..." He looked around the vast cavern. "The Threads have been building something?" The masked figure nodded once. "Yes." Yu Shen's breathing gradually became heavier. "What?"
The masked figure lifted his gaze toward the endless darkness above the cavern. His voice became almost a whisper. "A road." Yu Shen blinked in confusion. "A road?" "One that leads back..." The masked figure paused briefly. "...to the beginning." Yu Shen lowered his eyes as countless thoughts raced through his mind. Finally, he quietly asked, "And Moonfall Village..." "...Is part of that road?" The masked figure slowly nodded. "It is the first gate." Yu Shen's heart sank. "Then the Forgotten Child..." The masked figure calmly finished the sentence for him. "Has been waiting there since the day history was rewritten." A cold chill ran through Yu Shen's entire body. "Thousands of years..." he whispered. "Has someone really been waiting that long?"
The masked figure slowly looked toward the threads drifting through the darkness. "Some promises..." he quietly said. "...cannot end until someone returns to keep them." The cavern fell silent again.Then suddenly every thread inside slowly turned toward the same direction once more. This time... they didn't point toward Moonfall Village. They pointed much farther away. Toward something hidden beyond even the ancient map Ling Yuan had left behind.
The masked figure quietly watched them for several long moments before whispering, "It's almost time." Yu Shen slowly raised his head. "For what?" The masked figure's crimson eye reflected the endless sea of black Threads."For the one who was forgotten..." He paused. "...to remember."Yu Shen lowered his eyes before quietly asking, "When that day comes..." He hesitated for a moment. "Will everything truly end?" The masked figure gave no immediate answer. His gaze remained fixed upon the threads drifting silently through the darkness. After several long moments, he quietly replied, "No." Yu Shen slowly looked up again. "No?" The masked figure gently shook his head. "Some endings..." His calm voice echoed softly between the ancient pillars. "...are only another beginning."
Yu Shen frowned slightly. "Then Moonfall Village isn't the end either?" "No." The masked figure answered without hesitation. "Moonfall Village is only the first door." Yu Shen fell silent once more. He slowly looked toward the restless Threads surrounding the cavern. "Then..." he whispered. "...Once they step through that door..." The masked figure quietly finished his sentence. "Nothing will ever return to the way it was." Yu Shen's eyes slowly drifted toward the heavy silver chains wrapped tightly around the masked figure. "Lord..." he asked softly. "After all these years..." He hesitated briefly. "...Have you been waiting for this moment too?"
The masked figure remained motionless. His crimson eye slowly narrowed as though looking far beyond the underground cavern itself. "Yes." His answer was quiet. "For a very long time." Yu Shen lowered his head respectfully. "Then..." he whispered. "...I'll prepare everything." The masked figure gave a faint nod. "There is nothing to prepare." Yu Shen looked at him in confusion. "Nothing?" "The Threads..." The masked figure quietly said. "...have already begun."