The Burning Chronicles Chapter 1

"Knock, knock, knock."

Three clear sounds were heard in the silence.

The old woman who was in a light sleep was suddenly awakened. She turned her head with a slight trembling hand and saw something slowly climbing up the tree trunk outside the tightly closed window. It was swaying through the window paper, bringing with it a faint light.

The light was green and eerie, definitely not the light of a candle.

The old woman shuddered and woke up instantly. "Who are you?" she asked in a trembling voice.

The thing on the other end didn't answer, but knocked on the window three more times: "Knock, knock, knock."

It was early spring, and the weather had already warmed up, but the old woman felt a chill. She saw something outside holding a green light, and its distorted shadow was projected on the window paper. It was not a human figure at all, but a small, strange thing curled up on a branch like a little monkey. It was entangled with the branch with its claws and teeth, and its movements were very slow and strange.

"Get lost!" The old woman stood in the dark room and shouted, "Get lost! Don't bother my granddaughter! If you dare to do anything to her, I will kill you even if I have to sacrifice my life!"

The old woman's hands couldn't stop shaking as she said this.

There was a long, suffocating silence.

The thing outside the window tilted its head, as if thinking about something, and then, holding the green light in one hand, it climbed slowly towards the window with the other. This time, it did not knock on the window anymore, but pulled hard at the window frame!

The bamboo window frame could not withstand such pulling and broke into pieces instantly, with bamboo pieces falling and paper scraps everywhere.

The old woman took a few steps back and opened her eyes wide in fear - that thing was about to break in!

As soon as we entered Qingshui Town, it started to drizzle.

Luke Lu raised his head, squinted his eyes, looked at the green forest, and smiled. He was not upset by the sudden rain even though he did not bring an umbrella. The tall and handsome man, carrying a half-worn saddlebag, walked in the damp and quiet world.

The official road ahead, paved with bluestone, is the only road leading to Qingshui Town. People here don't like to interact with outsiders. Luke Lu saw that there were old trees on both sides of the road, and bright green moss grew on the edge of the stone slabs. There was no passerby in front of him, and no visitor behind him. The world was desolate and silent. The people who called him here lived in this secluded mountain.

"Luke Lu is here to visit Qingshui Town. I hope the lords of the mountains, streams and rivers will allow him to go." The man said gently to the endless rain curtain in front of him with a smile in his eyes.

Suddenly a breeze blew by - as if it had life, surrounding Luke Lu for three circles, extremely gentle, like the faint murmur of a mountain spirit.

"Luke Lu thanks you here." He clasped his hands together and said with his face facing the void. Then he pulled his sling bag and walked towards the depths of the lush green official road...

Qingshui Town is all green.

The roads in the town are all paved with rounded stones, with moist moss growing in the gaps between the stones. Even the walls on both sides are made of bluestone and covered with gray-black tiles, making the whole town immersed in a thick green.

When he first entered the town, the townspeople who rarely saw outsiders looked at Luke Lu with a little surprise, and then all smiled kindly. When he walked among them, barefoot children chased him with smiles. They wore green bamboo hats, and occasionally turned their heads to look at Luke Lu curiously with their bright eyes. There was also an old farmer who was leading a plowing ox, biting a straw in his mouth. When he saw Luke Lu, he shouted, "Young man, please make way first. This animal has a bad temper, please don't B*tt you!"

---The people in this town are isolated, but extremely simple.

The family that summoned him lived at the end of Qingshui Town. It was a lonely house, still with green walls and gray tiles, which was different from the greenery in the town that almost spread into the eyes. There was a small courtyard in front of the house, and a crabapple tree was planted in the courtyard. The crabapple tree must have been quite old, and it was quite tall, and had already grown to the second floor of the house. The crabapple flowers were in full bloom at that time, and the bright pink flowers were like auspicious clouds that filled the entire tree canopy, crowded together, noisy and lively.

Occasionally, a gust of wind blew, and the huge pink crown of the tree made a crackling sound. Then, the pink color of the tree flew down with raindrops, like a pink whirlwind, gently sprinkling towards the man in white under the tree.

In an instant, Luke Lu's head and shoulders were covered with crabapple petals.

The green town of Qingshui seems lively and lively because of this crabapple tree.

Luke Lu brushed off the petals on his collar and knocked gently three times on the old wooden door: "Knock knock knock."

Then an old woman's voice came from the door, full of vigilance, "Who is it?"

"My name is Luke Lu. The old lady summoned me last night, and I came here as promised."

There was a long silence inside the door.

Luke Lu then asked gently, "Madam, are you still there?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other end roared fiercely, "Get out! You deceiving witch! Although I am old, my mind is still confused. If you want to fool me by pretending to be a ghost, wait until next life! I don’t know anyone else, and I have never asked anyone for help! You monster, get away from here as soon as possible, otherwise don’t blame me for being rude! Cough cough cough..." Maybe he spoke too fiercely, and the old man started coughing violently.

Luke Lu smiled helplessly. He had walked the world for many years, and every person who summoned him was overjoyed to see him. Some even cried bitterly. He had met so many people, but he had never seen anyone who summoned him but wanted to drive him away.

Luke Lu was not angry. Tossing away anger is the basis of cultivation. He said loudly, "Old lady, I know what kind of pain you have in your heart: your only granddaughter is now ill and is terminally ill. You have sought medical treatment everywhere, but no one can cure her. She is sleeping on the second floor of this house, in the room with beige window paper, right?" He raised his head and looked at the window, "In that place, I think you can see the crabapple tree if you raise your eyes, but unfortunately... she doesn't even have the strength to raise her head. Forgive me for being rude, judging from your granddaughter's current condition, she will not survive this spring, but I have a way to cure her, she..." Before he finished speaking, the door in front of him was suddenly pushed open, and an old man with a hunched back looked at the stranger with burning eyes, "You, what did you say... You can save Piper Xiao?!"

Outside the door, there was a silent spring rain. A figure stood in the flowers and rain against the light. He was wearing a long white gown as clean as moonlight. His sleeves, which were much longer than ordinary clothes, hung down, covering his hands. He was obviously a stranger, carrying a half-worn saddlebag, but there was no sign of fatigue on his face.

This young man, who was about 23 or 24 years old, had long hair tied up with a cloth strip, but it was not messy at all. His skin was pale and almost bloodless, his eyebrows were deep, and his eyes were like a bottomless autumn pool, but he had a soft smile, which made people feel like being bathed in spring breeze, and they couldn't help but feel close to him.

Looking at the earnest old man, Luke Lu nodded with a smile, "Piper Xiao's life span is not over yet, I naturally have a way to save her."

The old woman suddenly covered her face with her hands and cried miserably, "If it can be cured, it's fine... If it can be cured, even if it means I have to go to hell..."

Hearing the old woman's worry, Luke Lu patiently explained, "Don't worry, old lady. I'm not a demon. I won't harm Piper Xiao, let alone you. I come here only to practice. If you still don't believe me, look here." As he spoke, Luke Lu raised his hand, and a soft halo flashed across his palm. A pure white thousand-petal lotus slowly bloomed in it, shining brightly with the Buddha's light that soothed people's hearts.

"Demons cannot transform into this white lotus. Old lady, do you trust me now?"