The night was deep. Inside the Star Palace, where stars seemed to blink all around, Amu gently caressed the stone walls that emanated a dark golden glow, her gaze distant as she contemplated something unknown. Beside her were two maidservants in light blue lotus-patterned dresses. They had been sent by Wu Yan to care for Amu. One maidservant noticed Amu staring entranced at the golden light and couldn’t help but say, “The stone walls contain components of Ink Star Rock, which is why they shimmer.”
“Ink Star Rock.” Amu withdrew her gaze.
“That’s right. The source is near the sacred Eagle Beak Cliff behind Xingtian City,” the maidservant said playfully. Her slightly older companion beside her tugged at her, signaling her not to speak too much. The maidservant suddenly realized she had spoken out of turn and quickly covered her mouth, not daring to say more.
Amu observed everything and smiled sweetly at the maidservant who had just spoken, asking nothing more. She didn’t want to make things difficult for those who were kind-hearted at their core. Amu wandered aimlessly through the spacious and profound Star Palace, seemingly speaking to no one in particular, her voice gentle: “Starlight, starlight, twinkling bright, does this place resemble that place? If you were here, I would know the answer.”
A fierce wind swept up behind Amu. A black-clothed figure wearing a face veil knocked the two maidservants unconscious. The figure in black looked at Amu and removed the veil—it was actually Mita.
“Amu, this place is too dangerous. Come with me quickly.” Mita stepped forward and embraced Amu. Amu didn’t agree: “If I leave, the people of Xingtian City will make things difficult for you.”
“Don’t be foolish, girl. Look, I’m wearing a mask—they won’t know who it is. Hurry, while Wu Ying isn’t here, we need to escape to the outer city quickly.” Mita pulled her veil back on and dragged Amu out of the Star Palace.
Two people suddenly sprang out from the shadows of the seventh gate—they were Wu Ying’s subordinates, Banxi and Banna. Banxi blocked their path and said, “The Guardian really predicted this correctly. Mita, no need to pretend anymore. I know it’s you.”
Mita simply removed her veil and said defiantly, “So what if it’s me? You two, don’t block my way.”
Banxi snorted, “You dare to kidnap the Holy Maiden without authorization. Do you know you’ve violated the sacred rules of the Ancient Yao Sect? Let me give you some advice—surrender now and obediently go to the Grand Elder to await your punishment.” Banxi and Banna showed fierce expressions like evil wolves. Mita lowered her head: “Let me think… Take this!”
With the word “this,” Mita flung a handful of white sand from her hand. Banxi and Banna were caught off guard, their eyes blinded. Mita kicked them both down, one foot each. Mita pulled Amu along and pushed open the seventh gate. “Swoosh!” A whip shadow viciously lashed Mita’s wrist, and her dagger fell to the ground with a “clang.”
Mita looked up in shock toward the other end of the gate. Wu Ying was looking in with a sinister expression.
“Leaving isn’t that easy.” Wu Ying’s black whip twirled between his fingers, his tone devoid of any emotion. “Mita, you’ve privately released the Holy Maiden and committed a capital offense. I am the Guardian, and in times of crisis, I have the authority to kill first and report later. So this time, Man Kua cannot protect you. Forfeit your life!”
The black whip’s shadows multiplied like countless black snakes flying toward Mita. Mita wanted to retreat but it was too late. At this critical moment, a strangely-shaped curved blade suddenly cut through the night sky and struck the black whip. The curved blade and black whip clashed and separated. Wu Ying said sternly, “You Huai?”
You Huai walked over from the direction of the giant stone hall and picked up his curved blade: “Wu Ying, we haven’t crossed hands in a long time. Looks like your whip skills have improved considerably.”
“Enough nonsense.” Wu Ying said coldly. “You Huai, do you know what crime Mita has committed, yet you dare to stop me!”
You Huai said nothing. From the depths of darkness, another voice drifted over slowly: “I told him to stop you.”
Grand Elder Wu Yan had arrived.
Wu Ying’s sharp edge retreated. He knelt on one knee: “Man Kua, Mita she…”
Wu Yan pressed his hand forward. A flash of anger appeared in Wu Ying’s eyes, but he obediently fell silent. Wu Yan’s tone carried overwhelming authority: “I know everything, but Mita has not violated the Ancient Yao Sect’s taboos. Taking the Holy Maiden away was permitted by me. Mita and the Holy Maiden have spent three months together day and night. Their bond is deep and difficult to sever, so I specially allowed Mita to take the Holy Maiden to her wooden building to stay for one night. However, Mita’s theatrical pretense and her wounding of Banxi and Banna without cause is indeed wrong. You Huai, effective immediately, confine Mita to the area outside the third inner city and do not allow her to enter without permission. If she acts rashly again, the Ancient Yao Sect’s laws will be strictly applied.”
“Yes.” You Huai knelt on one knee.
Mita stood rooted to the spot like a wooden chicken. You Huai looked at her and said, “Mita, will you not obey the Grand Elder’s judgment?”
“Mita obeys the Grand Elder’s judgment.” Mita fell to her knees with a “thud,” turning her face reluctantly to look at Amu, who was about to be taken away. But Amu comforted her gently: “Thank you, Mita. I’m very happy to have come here, and very happy to have met you.”
Amu was led away by You Huai. Although Wu Ying was unwilling, he could not argue and could only leave resentfully with Banxi and Banna.
In the blink of an eye, only Wu Yan and Mita remained outside the seventh gate. Wu Yan looked at Mita, whom he had watched grow up since childhood, and sighed silently: “Your Man Father was someone I admired, and he was the ancient tribe’s first warrior. I deeply regret his death. Because of him, I’ve helped you once, but this is also the last time. If you violate the Ancient Yao Sect’s sacred rules again… you will be killed without question.”
“You may go.” Wu Yan stood immovable, like Shifang Mountain in the darkness.
Mita walked out from the seventh gate in a daze. Behind her, the gate closed with a thunderous boom. Mita stood bewildered, isolated outside the red and blue gate. Something in her heart seemed to have disappeared, and scalding tears fell silently.
This giant stone hall was built by Shi Ze, the first generation Grand Elder of the Ancient Yao Sect, and was named Shifang Hall. Wu Yan walked wearily into a room in the deepest part of Shifang Hall. Inside the room stood a statue cast in brass of the first generation Grand Elder Shi Ze, with a lifelike expression. In front of the brass statue was a blue and white cushion and a bronze incense burner. Sandalwood smoke wafted thickly, its fragrance swirling around.
Wu Yan sat silently on the cushion, his gaze looking through the curling smoke toward a corner of the room. There, kneeling respectfully in attendance, was a person with various colored divination stones hanging around his neck and a wooden cane placed at his side—it was Ritual Follower Yun Yan.
“How is it?” Wu Yan spoke.
Yun Yan raised his head: “I have calculated the fate pattern of this girl named Amu. It is absolutely certain that she possesses the Fierce Star Water and Fire Double Calamity fate pattern, which exactly meets the requirements for the Holy Maiden. Even so, however…”
“What?” Wu Yan’s eyes flashed like lightning toward Yun Yan.
“However, I always feel that Amu is somewhat different from previous Holy Maidens. She has some special quality, as if… as if she’s a celestial maiden from heaven who doesn’t partake of mortal food.” Yun Yan thought before speaking.
“Oh, that’s somewhat unfortunate. But this is not what you and I need to concern ourselves with. How is the ritual star divination proceeding?”
Yun Yan nodded: “The star divination shows that the sacred fire cave will be extinguished tomorrow at the first quarter of the Hour of the Rat.”
“Very good. Everything will proceed according to plan.” Wu Yan said in a deep voice.
“Grand Elder, what does the Evergreen Duke’s descendant want?” Yun Yan was somewhat curious about Gongyang Yan’s purpose in coming to Xingtian.
The corners of Wu Yan’s mouth twitched: “A foolish youngster with wild fantasies. He actually wants to possess an invincible army like the Iron Flame Army, pestering me to give him the ‘Bone-Bewitching Demon Medicine.'”
“Bone-Bewitching Demon Medicine?” Yun Yan’s expression changed. “Although the Bone-Bewitching Demon Medicine can greatly increase a person’s physical strength and explosive power, converting it into jaw-dropping combat capability, in the end, the damage to those who consume the medicine is too great. Without heaven-defying divine medicine, those who consume the Bone-Bewitching Demon Medicine will inevitably dissolve into a pool of blood within two years. This is also the truth behind the Iron Flame Army’s mysterious sudden deaths back then, including that invincible Great Yuan War God, Wei Qing.”
“The ancient tribe has been passed down within Shifang Mountain for twelve hundred years. The Bone-Bewitching Demon Medicine, along with two other evil methods, were listed as the three great forbidden techniques because they harm the natural order. Back then, Wei Qing had saved the life of the third generation Grand Elder and used honeyed words to coax the third generation Grand Elder into giving him one of the forbidden techniques, the Bone-Bewitching Demon Medicine. Wei Qing then became the War God who looked down upon the world. The third generation Grand Elder already violated the ancient tribe’s ancestral teachings. How could I follow in his footsteps? However, the Evergreen Duke did show grace to the ancient tribe, so in two or three days I’ll send that youngster away.” Wu Yan spoke without showing any emotion.
“Grand Elder, the Left Guardian seems to still be with the Evergreen Duke’s descendant.”
Wu Yan’s eyes became somewhat turbid again and slowly closed: “I know. It doesn’t matter. Young people are always curious about things from the outside.”
Seeing the Grand Elder close his eyes to rest, Yun Yan dared not speak further. He picked up his wooden cane and retreated backward step by step.
Shortly after Yun Yan left, Wu Yan’s tightly closed eyes suddenly opened. A glimmer of light drifted toward the back of the brass statue, where a secret door was slowly opening. You Huai emerged from within and walked out.
“How are things?”
You Huai knelt on one knee: “I have arranged everything properly. I guarantee it will be foolproof.”
Wu Yan made a sound of acknowledgment through his nose, his eyes shimmering with unusual brilliance as they gradually became immersed in the endlessly swirling incense smoke.
At the end of the Hour of the Pig, Li Si tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Sleeping on this comfortable stone bed was actually less restful than sleeping in Fuwa Village with the sky as a blanket and the earth as a mat. Waves of heart palpitations continued, as if foretelling that something was about to happen. Li Si simply sat up cross-legged. The bed next to him was still empty—the fat Taoist was still wandering outside.
A “crack” sound came from outside the window, as if someone had stepped on and broken a tree branch. Li Si became alert: “Who’s outside? Fat Taoist?”
An ancient tribe person wearing a yellow cloak and a round folded-corner hat suddenly appeared below the window. The ancient tribe person had his back to Li Si. Li Si felt even more puzzled: “Are you sent by the Grand Elder?”
The ancient tribe person didn’t speak. Under Li Si’s gaze, he took off running wildly forward. Li Si was startled. The ancient tribe person stopped three zhang away and didn’t move, seemingly waiting for Li Si. Li Si understood, jumped out the window, and chased after the ancient tribe person.
The ancient tribe person ran ahead while Li Si chased behind. After chasing and running, they arrived outside the seventh gate. The gate had been left with a gap, and the ancient tribe person twisted his body and squeezed through. Li Si hesitated but followed. The ancient tribe person circled around the giant stone hall and ran behind it. During this time, Li Si tried to catch up using lightness skills but failed, arousing his suspicions.
After circling around the giant stone hall, Li Si suddenly lost sight of his target. Only after calming his mind and concentrating did he discover the ancient tribe person standing motionless in front of the dilapidated wooden door recessed into the city wall. When Li Si approached again, the ancient tribe person flashed behind the door like a ghost. There had originally been an iron lock the size of a baby’s skull on the wooden door, but now it had been thrown into a corner. Li Si looked at the open wooden door, his brows furrowed in contemplation.
What was behind this wooden door? Did it relate to some secrets of the Xingtian ancient tribe or the Ancient Yao Sect, which was why it had been locked with an iron lock? Who was the ancient tribe person who had lured him here? What did the scene behind the door look like… After hesitating for a moment, Li Si decided to enter the wooden door and take a look.
Pushing the door open and entering, Li Si seemed to smell a trace of faint, elusive fragrance. The scene behind the door was beyond Li Si’s expectations. Ahead was a circle of broken and crumbling walls, and inside was a dilapidated circular ancient building. Its exterior looked like an ancient temple. The already ruined outer door lay to one side. Li Si walked around looking carefully. The surroundings were tranquil and empty, giving one the illusion of walking through an ancient world.
There was no trace of the mysterious ancient tribe person. Li Si slowly walked to the entrance of the ancient temple. What met his eyes was a pitch-black corridor that seemed to have no end. Looking at it for too long made one feel as if their entire being would be sucked in. Had the mysterious ancient tribe person gone inside?
Li Si’s heart held some hesitation, his footsteps wavering. Just then, a small patch of light suddenly flickered in the dark depths.
Someone was inside! A faint fragrance drifted over with the wind. Li Si stared at the flickering firelight, drew in a breath of cold air, and walked into this dark corridor.
What exactly awaited Li Si? The answer might be hidden in that faint glimmer of light…