Mu Qingyan slowly released the silver chain, landing on the ground. An awkward silence filled the huge stone hall.
Cai Zhao felt inexplicably guilty. Taking advantage of Mu Qingyan’s distraction, she carefully pried his hand from her waist and scurried away like a little field mouse, retreating several steps.
Mu Qingyan, already upset, grew angrier at her reaction. “What’s the meaning of this?”
Cai Zhao’s eyes darted around. “I thought your arm might be tired.”
This irritated Mu Qingyan further. “Usurpers! Do you North Chen Six Sects still claim righteousness?”
Cai Zhao wouldn’t accept this accusation. “Hey now, let’s be fair. Falling Petals Valley was founded by my ancestors. Even if we used Ancestor Beichen’s silver to buy the land, we can pay it back. It was the Azure Void Sect that took over Muwei Palace on Nine Li Mountain. Don’t pin false charges on us!”
Mu Qingyan sneered, “Aren’t the North Chen Six Sects united as one?”
“We’re united, but we don’t share everything,” Cai Zhao quickly explained. “Ask Lady Su Lian if she’d open Azure Void Sect’s treasury to the Cai family!”
“Don’t forget you’re now an Azure Void Sect disciple. Don’t try to distance yourself!”
“I’ve been a disciple for less than three months. I’ve spent less time in the sect than you have. The bonds of discipleship, well, they’re not that strong yet. They need time to grow…”
“You…” Mu Qingyan pointed at the girl. Despite his anger, he couldn’t help but laugh.
Seeing his anger dissipate, Cai Zhao sidled up to him, tugging at his sleeve. “Don’t be angry. This is ancient history from a hundred years ago. What does it have to do with us?”
Mu Qingyan glanced at her. “It has plenty to do with us.”
Cai Zhao looked around, pretending not to understand.
Mu Qingyan turned to the stone wall. “You once mentioned that the master craftsman who built Muwei Palace was an old servant of Ancestor Beichen. Because he couldn’t speak, people called him Uncle Mute?”
He pointed to the mouthless old servant on the wall. “It seems to be him.”
Cai Zhao looked at the mouthless servant and exclaimed, “I wondered why he had no mouth carved! So it’s Uncle Mute. He was extraordinary. Though born mute, his skills were divine. I was curious why he didn’t leave any disciples, but now I see he came to help found your… sect.”
Mu Qingyan’s eyes shifted to her.
Cai Zhao quickly corrected herself: “Liejiao, Liejiao.”
Mu Qingyan’s expression softened slightly. He pointed to the sage-like figure on the wall. “This must be Ancestor Beichen.”
“Who could have imagined?” Cai Zhao frowned. “A hundred years ago, the founder of the demonic sect was Ancestor Beichen’s disciple. It’s stranger than fiction…”
“Don’t dodge the main point,” Mu Qingyan said ominously. “Under what circumstances do people have similar facial features and identical seven-star moles on their feet? Dare you say they’re not blood relatives?”
His long, pale finger rested on Ancestor Beichen’s upturned footsole.
It also had seven moles.
Cai Zhao stammered, “…Didn’t you say many people might have had foot moles a hundred years ago?”
Mu Qingyan glared at her fiercely.
Cai Zhao held out for a moment before conceding.
She said softly, “Could it be father and son? But I never heard that Ancestor Beichen married.”
“It could be grandfather and grandson, perhaps reunited after a separation.”
“Son or grandson, what’s the difference? The North Chen lineage isn’t a monastery. They’re not forbidden to marry and have children!” Cai Zhao quipped.
Mu Qingyan said calmly, “Ancestor Beichen might not have hidden the family relationship. Perhaps it was common knowledge at the time that his disciple was his blood descendant. Over the centuries, people deliberately erased this fact.”
The young man emphasized the word ‘people’, making Cai Zhao feel guilty.
She thought of the Thousand Gates Sect, once illustrious but now forgotten just ninety years after its destruction. How much more easily could a hundred-year-old story be buried?
The Mu ancestor, nursing a grudge, might have been reluctant to mention his lineage from the old master. The North Chen Six Sects, for various reasons, might have intentionally obscured the fact that their nemesis was their teacher’s descendant. After a century, even their descendants were largely unaware.
Mu Qingyan looked up, deep in thought. “No wonder,” he murmured. “No wonder.”
When Cai Zhao asked what he meant, he explained, “They say Yin Dai loved to emulate Ancestor Beichen. The old master had a lotus in the pond before his hall, so Yin Dai planted one outside his residence and named his daughters Qing Lian and Su Lian. But if Ancestor Beichen passed down his legacy to six disciples, why did Yin Dai take seven disciples before Qi Yunke?”
Mu Qingyan looked at the stone wall. “According to the carving, the old master only took my ancestor as a disciple. Your six sect ancestors were servants. But they saw themselves as the old master’s disciples. Add my Mu ancestor, and it makes seven disciples—though this secret wasn’t for outsiders to know.”
Cai Zhao thought of past events and suddenly understood. “I see. No wonder their original surnames were Ox, Horse, Pig, and Sheep…”
She had wondered as a child why, with only six disciples, four of whom were too young to remember their surnames when found, Ancestor Beichen hadn’t given them proper names. Instead, he casually assigned animal surnames and randomly given names.
Now she understood—they were just servants.
Who doesn’t want an illustrious ancestor?
Even street thugs who make it big don’t forget to trace their roots, boasting about how great their great-grandfather was and how they’ve finally lived up to their ancestors’ glory by claiming three street territories. Let alone those vying for the world, no longer satisfied with earthly pursuits, claiming descent from giant dragons born of the sun or conceived in houses bathed in red light and clouds.
Such a truth might be hard to accept for people like Song Yuzhi or Qi Lingbo, but for Falling Petals Valley, which had repeatedly changed its surname for female disciples marrying into the sect, would the laid-back Cai care?
She eagerly looked at the stone wall, pointing to a servant sweeping in the courtyard. “This must be our Falling Petals Valley ancestor. He seems to work hard. He even tried to mediate when the old master and his disciple argued. Honest and diligent, no wonder the old master surnamed him Ox.” Like an old ox, bearing burdens without complaint.
Mu Qingyan sighed and then smiled, suddenly feeling that his earlier anger had been pointless.
The girl’s finger moved to another servant holding brushes, ink, and books—he was carefully inventorying precious jade and jewels in the treasury. “This must be the Pei Qiong Manor ancestor. To be entrusted with the treasury, the Zhou family ancestor must have been meticulous, honest, and upright.”
Mu Qingyan coldly interjected: “That was when the old master was alive. What about after he passed? Everyone says Pei Qiong Manor’s wealth and elegance are unparalleled. Who knows how much treasure the Zhou family embezzled from the old master’s treasury!”
Cai Zhao retorted, “Can’t you think well of people? Jiangnan was already prosperous. Pei Qiong Manor has been carefully managed for generations. Its current scale is quite reasonable.”
Mu Qingyan shifted his gaze, pointing to the servant standing proudly at the entrance on the stone wall. “What about this one? Guangtian Gate was built on a mountain, dominating the area. The local people are known for their fierce temperament. Where did his family get the silver to build a fortress?”
“You’re something!” Cai Zhao said helplessly. “How much silver could one earn by guarding a gate? If the old ancestor found out, wouldn’t he immediately be thrown out?”
Mu Qingyan couldn’t help but laugh when he heard the words “guarding a gate.”
“Stop being so indignant. Look here…” Cai Zhao pointed to the many scroll boxes entrusted to Uncle Ya by the old ancestor before his death. “The Hanhai Mountains are layered and vast, with palaces, pavilions, ponds, and courtyards spread throughout. Did they all fall from the sky? This wall carving is probably just for show. Judging by the grandeur of the Hanhai Mountains, the old ancestor likely entrusted his entire fortune to Uncle Ya.”
“Your family’s ancestor had to leave Jiuli Mountain and establish a separate household, not only because of the Northern Chen Six Sects’ ancestral will but also because the heroes of the world could no longer tolerate him. Ah the love of parents is boundless. The old ancestor must have foreseen your family’s ancestor’s stubborn pride and unwillingness to compromise. To ensure he had somewhere to go after his death, he arranged this retreat with Uncle Ya.”
The girl’s smile was calm and gentle. Mu Qingyan, whose heart had been burning with resentment, felt as if a bucket of cool spring water had been poured over him. Especially when he heard the phrase “the love of parents is boundless,” his expression finally softened.
He stroked the girl’s hair, his eyes tender. “I’m sorry for my bad temper earlier and for speaking harshly. Please don’t be angry with me. It’s just… it’s just…”
“It’s just what?” the girl asked.
“My father endured a lifetime of injustice, so I can’t bear to see anyone from the Mu family suffer again.” The young man’s expression was melancholic, his profile cold and handsome, his eyes filled with deep sadness.
As they had done many times before, once they started talking, the tension dissipated, and they continued to examine the stone wall with smiles on their faces.
“The one guarding the dan furnace must be the ancestor of Taichu Observatory. Our family genealogy says that in earlier years, Taichu Observatory was famous for refining dan medicines. Later, after falling behind in several competitions among the Six Sects, they turned to martial arts cultivation.”
“The big-forehead one washing the horses is probably the ancestor of Siqimen. The Yang family’s ancestor was well-read; Siqimen sounds much more refined than the Carriage and Horse Ceremonial Gate.”
“You’re so sharp-tongued!” The young girl laughed lightly, like peach blossoms trembling in the spring breeze. “Ah the ancestor of Qingque Sect must be this young servant always attending to the old ancestor’s left side.”
Mu Qingyan’s eyes darkened slightly. “Yes, he spent the most time with the old ancestor and was closest to him. Through constant exposure, he probably learned the most skills. No wonder he was able to stay on Jiuli Mountain and inherit Muwei Palace.”
After a series of guesses, Cai Zhao’s eyes suddenly lit up. “The genealogy says that the Northern Chen old ancestor’s death was also due to the fault of the Demonic Cult’s founder, which is why they’ve been at odds ever since. When we get out, I’ll tell everyone about the story on the stone wall. Perhaps…”
“Perhaps what?” Mu Qingyan rubbed the girl’s forehead, his gaze both pitying and indifferent. “Your sect has been fighting for generations just because of something that happened a hundred years ago? Enough, don’t dwell on the affairs of the world. Let’s focus on how to get out of here.”
Cai Zhao’s big eyes flickered. ” I might already know how to get out.”
Mu Qingyan was both surprised and delighted. “Zhao Zhao has become so clever now, I didn’t even notice.”
Cai Zhao blushed. “This has nothing to do with being clever or not; only people from Luoying Valley would recognize it. Look here…” She pointed to the middle of the second stone wall.
They saw Mu Xiujue standing tall in the center, leading his newly made brothers to meet the Northern Chen’s old ancestor. Behind them, a young girl was secretly tugging at Mu Xiujue’s clothes. The Northern Chen’s old ancestor was very happy, stroking his beard and laughing heartily.
Mu Qingyan looked for a moment and noticed a difference. “In all the other scenes, the old ancestor is holding a whisk. Only in this one is he holding a branch with hanging leaves… Wait, this stone carving has been modified.”
Because the person who modified it was far less skilled than Uncle Ya, they had only roughly erased the original whisk and recarved a flower branch. At first glance, traces of the stone remained, which is why Mu Qingyan still saw it as a whisk.
“I thought so too,” said Cai Zhao. “This is a peach blossom branch.”
Mu Qingyan’s eyes lit up. “Peach blossom? Luoying Valley’s plump peach blossom?”
The girl punched him lightly in annoyance. “What plump peach blossom? It’s a mountain peach blossom, a mountain peach blossom!”
Mu Qingyan smiled and let her punch him, then looked back at the stone wall. “But it doesn’t look much like the mountain peach blossom on that jade goddess statue.”
“That’s because the statue’s mountain peach blossom is viewed from the side, while this…” Cai Zhao added, “This is carved from above, so it looks like a round little bowl. If it weren’t for the long, hook-like leaves hanging down and the three distinct layers of petals below, it would look no different from ordinary flowers.”
Mu Qingyan asked, “Is there some special significance to this?”
Cai Zhao hesitated for a moment but still explained: “This is a secret agreement in our Luoying Valley, related to the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. We in Luoying Valley are few, so we often have to use mechanical arrays to fight our enemies. During intense battles, our people often get trapped in these arrays. To avoid harming our own, we leave clues along the way to break the arrays or escape routes.”
“But wouldn’t the enemy see these too? Therefore, the Luoying Valley ancestors came up with this method—using the mountain peach blossom on this stone wall as an example, the three layers of petals from inside to out, with the innermost layer having one petal, indicating moving the Qian position one place from left to right…”
Mu Qingyan let out a soft exclamation. “Then the original Li position would be in the Qian position now.”
“Correct,” said Cai Zhao. “When you see the second Eight Trigrams diagram, according to the second layer’s four petals, move the original Qian position four places from right to left, and the original Kun position will be in Qian’s place.”
Mu Qingyan understood. “When you see the third marker, move seven positions from left to right according to the third layer’s seven petals. This process repeats three times.”
“Exactly. With this back-and-forth, even if enemies notice something odd about the mountain peach blossom pattern, they’ll struggle to decipher its meaning. According to the Eight Trigrams map, this pentagonal stone hall is the center of the underground palace, so…”
Cai Zhao walked to the iron wall added between the stone walls and pointed to the Eight Trigrams pattern through a crack. “So this is a map, and we should rotate the trigram positions three places from left to right.”
Mu Qingyan also went over to look at the Eight Trigrams map.
The beautiful and calm young girl stared steadily at the young man’s back. “I’ve carefully examined that Eight Trigrams map. Although it clearly shows the winding paths, it doesn’t mark the exit. Yet you don’t find this strange at all—now I can ask you, in which direction is the escape route from the underground palace?”
Mu Qingyan turned to look at her. “You noticed this earlier, why didn’t you ask sooner?”
The young girl shook her head. “It’s a secret of your sect. As an outsider, I shouldn’t ask about it carelessly.”
Mu Qingyan’s eyes flashed with self-mockery. “You dare to ask now because you just shared a Luoying Valley secret with me. This way, we’re even, right?”
Cai Zhao didn’t answer but looked again at the brightly lit hall. “A hundred years ago, the loyal Uncle Ya passed away after finishing these five stone walls. Sect Leader Mu Xiujue didn’t make them public but instead hid them deep underground in the Palace of Extreme Pleasure.”
“One hundred and twenty or thirty years ago, Sect Leader Mu Donglie, for unknown reasons, built this underground palace centered around these five stone walls.”
“Some years later, another sect leader added an iron wall, concealing these five stone walls.”
“And today, I discovered the secret markers passed down through generations of Luoying Valley in this most important part of the Demonic Cult.”
Cai Zhao turned her head. “Young Lord Mu, do you know the reason behind all this?”
Mu Qingyan looked at the girl, his eyes dark and flickering.
He remained silent.
“What are you afraid of?” the girl asked.
Mu Qingyan shook his head. “I’m not afraid, just worried.”
“What are you worried about?”
“I’m worried about the unpredictable future.”
The girl smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “But the future is always unpredictable, isn’t it?”
Mu Qingyan walked over and wrapped the silver chain around the girl’s left wrist, one loop at a time.
“But I hope that our future, yours and mine, is predictable,” he said, head lowered, his long eyelashes thick as he carefully wound the chain, as if tightening it would make everything alright.
Cai Zhao sighed softly and asked again, “Your sect is named the Li Sect, meaning ‘bright and glorious, radiant and splendid,’ so is the escape route from the underground palace in the Li position?”
“No,” Mu Qingyan’s lips curved slightly. “It’s exactly the opposite. The escape route is in the Kan position—yang trapped in danger, losing the way, deep and unfathomable, the path ahead winding and treacherous.”
He fastened the last link of the silver chain and straightened up, kissing the girl’s cheek once. Her skin was warm and soft.
Cai Zhao felt the opposite—his lips were cold.
She felt a surge of pity, like a thread wrapping around her heart.
She reached out to pull down his neck and kissed his cold cheek, whispering, “Don’t be afraid and don’t worry. There’s always a way.”
Mu Qingyan held the girl’s soft body tightly as if trying to embed her into his own.
He thought vaguely that staying in this underground palace might not be so bad after all.