Among those present, most were men of the Min family, and they all looked toward the family head.

Min Que shook his head. “Nothing else.”

Unexpectedly, Min Yu suddenly stood up. “There was!”

“Grandfather Yu, really?” Dou Lu was even more nervous than Mo Zi.

“A’Yu, why didn’t I know about this?” Min Que was greatly startled.

“I didn’t think it was anything significant. Besides, at the time you were there furiously talking about severing the father-son relationship—why would I add to the chaos? So many years have passed, and if you all don’t mention it, I can’t think of it at all.” Old Master Yu said with a chuckle.

“What was it?” Mo Zi asked.

“A woodblock print carved by Great-Grandfather himself.” Min Yu said. “It was made when he was young. Although it could be considered a treasure, compared to his later stunning masterpieces, it seemed immature. Besides, which branch of our family doesn’t have a few small trinkets that the old master made when he was young? This woodblock print originally hung in my study. The night Fifth Son left, I discovered it was also gone. When I asked the servants, they said Fifth Son had taken it, so I thought he must have particularly liked it, and let it be.”

“What was carved in the woodblock print?” This required further questioning.

“A landscape painting, with no inscription or indication of where it was—just scenery you could see anywhere.” Old Master Yu saw Mo Zi’s nervousness. “Really, it’s nothing—just a small mountain with a few trees on it and a river below. To tell the truth, all of Ancestor Zhen’s most valuable treasures were sold off by that spendthrift. What remained was neither exquisite nor precious—just kept as mementos.”

Hearing such a “shoddy” description, Mo Zi couldn’t help but laugh. “Old Master Yu, are you completely indifferent to Great-Grandfather’s achievements?”

Min Yu waved his hand. “What I mean is, even though Ancestor Zhen’s later skills remain unsurpassed to this day, he also went through a beginner’s learning process back then. Not everything he made was a treasure. Eventually, some of our descendants will surpass him. Mo Zi girl, you have that hope.”

“Could that woodblock print have depicted Mingshan?” Yuan Cheng was deliberating. “Ancestor Min Zhen went into seclusion at fifty, but that doesn’t mean he only obtained the material at fifty. It could also be assumed that when he was young, he discovered a cave where he found precious jade, but because his skills weren’t sufficient, he never started making treasures until late in life when all conditions were met.”

They seemed to be approaching the truth.

“However, even if what you say is true and the woodblock print revealed Mingshan’s location, it was taken by Fifth Son and most likely destroyed in the fire.” The thieves’ attention was all on the Water-Purifying Pearls—who would care about an ordinary woodblock print? Min Que thought so.

“If I were him, knowing this landscape painting was suspicious, what would I do?” Yuan Cheng asked while looking at Mo Zi.

He was asking her. Mo Zi thought briefly, her eyes flashing. “I would go to that place, and even to fully investigate the secret, settle down there.”

Song County!

So complex, yet so simple.

“But Song County has no place called Mingshan.” When Jin Yin bore the title of prince, he had painstakingly studied the local gazetteers and geography of the various prefectures and counties under Yuling’s jurisdiction.

“Whether it exists or not, we’ll know once we go.” Yuan Cheng’s leisurely statement drew Mo Zi to follow.

Song County was only a hundred li from the Tajiang military camp and was now within Jin Yin’s small base territory. Along the way, they no longer saw Great Qiu people or puppet Yuling troops rampaging about—more evident was the prosperity of common people beginning to rebuild their homes.

Riding hard with whips cracking, in just one day and night they arrived at the small town where Father and Mother had once lived in seclusion. Mo Zi had been carried as an infant and naturally had no impression, but Dou Lu could point to one or two old established shops and say they looked familiar.

Jin Yin laughed at Mo Zi, saying she at five years old wasn’t as good as a three-year-old. Though she was smart now, as a child she had been slow to catch on.

On this journey there were only the four of them, plus first-rate masters like Zan Jin, Hua Yi, and Luo Yi, disguised as ordinary merchants. Because beyond Song County lay Great Qiu territory. Coming in openly and grandly to inquire would inevitably alert the Great Qiu people. No one had forgotten that two hundred thousand Great Qiu troops were on their way to annihilate them—at most five days remained before battle would be joined.

They arrived in the city late at night and found an inn to stay in. The next day upon rising, they saw the adorable faces of the twins Bai Liang and Qian Liang, plus Qi Liang’s stern uncle-like countenance.

Qi Liang had been separated from the main force in Great Qiu but had gone back to bring reinforcements, later joining up with Jin Yin in Yuling. The Silver Taels Corps that he led played a crucial role in several victories of the Yuling resistance army.

As for Bai Liang and Qian Liang joining them, the atmosphere of the journey completely changed—it became extremely cheerful and made them look even more like a harmonious extended family.

“It should be behind that forest.” Mo Zi finished reading the map on horseback and looked at the fir forest ahead.

“This must be a wonderful place in spring.” Qian Liang pulled his horse around in a circle. “Fields ahead, hills behind, and you can hear water. Jiu Jiu, you were born here—this is your first time back in so many years. Aren’t you excited?”

Dou Lu was indeed excited—so excited that tears fell with each blink.

Bai Liang swung his whip toward Qian Liang. “You blockhead brother, are you missing a brain? Why bring up sore subjects?”

Qian Liang hastily grabbed his head to apologize to Dou Lu, then leaped up to dodge Bai Liang’s whip tip, groaning, “You’re the blockhead brother missing a brain. Dou Zi isn’t petty like you—she can tell good from bad.”

Going back and forth, they started fighting. Their movements were very exaggerated and showy, making it obvious to anyone watching—they were clowning around. But Dou Lu didn’t realize it and moved her horse forward and back trying to separate the two. Bai Liang and Qian Liang’s martial skills improved daily—no matter how they fought, from beginning to end they avoided Dou Lu in the middle, flying up and flipping down, switching horses.

Jin Yin watched until his eyes spun, saying to Qi Liang behind him, “Why did you bring those two along? Besides causing trouble and holding us back, they can’t do one proper thing well.”

Qi Liang said nothing.

Mo Zi quietly whispered to Zan Jin, “I’ve discovered that the higher one’s martial arts skills, the fewer words they speak.” Back in the day, his chattiness was apparently a sign of insufficient kung fu.

“If we’re dividing by who talks more or less, among those here who know martial arts, excluding those two youngsters, am I the worst?” Zan Jin wasn’t chatty, but he definitely wasn’t a mute gourd either.

Mo Zi covered her mouth and laughed. “Someday you should spar with the most silent one. If you can beat him, I’ll increase your allowance.” She, who treated Zan Jin like a real older brother, was saving silver for him to marry a wife.

“Lan Yi then.” Zan Jin spoke a name Mo Zi had never heard before.

Mo Zi was just about to ask when she heard Yuan Cheng say to enter the forest, and she hurried to follow.

Before long, on land where fifteen years and sixty seasons had passed in a flash, broken walls and ruins appeared before them. This day was extremely cold—even wearing fur-lined heavy coats couldn’t block the chill from all directions—yet this desolate landscape that should have been even more frigid was not frozen over.

Before the charred house stood a large white stone monument with two rows of proper regular script carved on it: “Divine Craftsman Cherishes Farmers, Flower Immortal Peony Memorial of Gratitude. Erected by all villagers of Zhanqiao Village in prayer and blessing.”

Before the monument stood a bronze square-eared tripod with incense inserted in it. Red sparks flickered at the incense tips, blue-green smoke curled upward, and offerings were arranged around it, many accompanied by plum blossoms and narcissus.

“Divine Craftsman Cherishes Farmers, Flower Immortal Peony—are they referring to Father and Mother?” Dou Lu stepped forward, her eyes red.

Mo Zi couldn’t help but sigh. “According to the Flower Deity Chronicle’s records, Father and Mother did many good deeds for the local people. Most likely, yes.” This was how merit and fault were judged by later generations. Though Father and Mother were killed by others, even more people still remembered them with fondness.

“The stone monument is new.” Yuan Cheng suddenly said. “These offerings also seem fresh—the plum blossoms smell fragrant.”

“Of course.” A middle-aged man walked out from the other side of the forest, with gray beard and white robes, quite elegant with an immortal air. “How could they be preserved under barbarian trampling? This monument was rebuilt by villagers who returned home under the Second Prince’s governance. You all look unfamiliar and travel-worn—have you rushed here urgently?”

Yuan Cheng smiled and cupped his hands. “We are small merchants following the Second Prince’s army, recently touring at leisure. Song County has beautiful mountains and good water, and it’s also my wife’s birthplace, so we’re staying a few days. May I ask who you are, sir?”

“My surname is Song, given name Yan. I’m a local gentry of Zhanqiao in Song County. I was once close friends with Song Xinong, who unfortunately suffered the fire. I also lived nearest to him, just one li away. When the Great Qiu people seized my ancestral home and fields, I built a humble dwelling in this forest. The Second Prince returned my house and land, and today I came to move some things back when I heard horses’ hooves and voices, so I came to look.” From the pouch before him he took out a stick of incense as thick as a finger, lit it with a fire starter, inserted it into the bronze tripod, put his palms together, and silently recited for a moment.

Turning back, when Song Yan saw Dou Lu, his expression shook and he blurted out, “You…”

Bai Liang and Qian Liang immediately pulled Dou Lu behind them.

This person truly seemed to know Father and Mother, which was why seeing Dou Lu who resembled Mother shocked him. Mo Zi remained silent, waiting for Yuan Cheng to respond.

“What a coincidence—my father-in-law also knew this Song Xinong. Whenever he mentions him, there’s always sighing and lamentation, saying it was a tragic early death. This is my wife, Madam Song, and this one—” pointing at Dou Lu, “is my wife’s younger sister. I saw you look sorrowful upon seeing her—may I ask why?”

Song Yan bowed in apology. “The young lady bears a fifty percent resemblance to my dear friend’s wife, which is why I was startled. Forgive my rudeness.”

“They say one region’s soil and water nurture one region’s people. Since both were born in this spiritually beautiful place, resemblance is possible.” Yuan Cheng smiled.

Song Yan nodded in agreement. “Xinong and his wife Wang Shi were famously good people in this area. Not only did they help villagers build water wheels and irrigation channels, but they also improved farming tools, saving farmers great effort. Although they didn’t often go into the city, it’s not surprising that people in the city had heard of his name.”

“I wonder if you have extra incense, sir? Since we’re fated to come here, we’d also like to show a little respect.” Taking out a small silver ingot from his sleeve pocket, Yuan Cheng offered it.

“I have one more stick of incense. The silver isn’t necessary—I’ll gift it to you all.” Song Yan declined the silver and handed the incense to Yuan Cheng.

Mo Zi and Dou Lu offered incense, kneeled, and kowtowed three times.

Following them, Yuan Cheng and Jin Yin each kneeled and performed the three-bow grand ceremony.

“Everyone, it’s still early. If you don’t mind, you can follow me to my humble home for a cup of tea.” Seeing the others were well-mannered and learned, Song Yan felt inclined to make friends.

Yuan Cheng agreed.