The Reverse Reincarnation Mirror, according to legend, was an otherworldly object that fell into this realm, moved by Dao Venerable Suihan Zi’s teachings. It landed on his sacred grounds. The Dao Venerable claimed it could deduce past and present events, allowing those with affinity to return to the past and even participate in historical events.
Some asked if the mirror could change one’s fate. The Dao Venerable replied that all things exist within cause and effect. Even with the strongest will, one couldn’t alter heaven’s predetermined course.
After the Dao Venerable’s ascension, the mirror fell into obscurity, merely revered as a holy relic of Daosheng Tian.
“… The Yellow Springs Mirror is a replica of the Reverse Reincarnation Mirror, originally owned by Nan Rao herself. She was clever. After the bloodshed in Yigu, before departing for Fan State, she left the Yellow Springs Mirror in Linglong Capital. First, to uncover the truth of that year, and second, to lure out those behind the scenes.”
“I don’t quite understand.”
“She was quite shrewd. By leaving the Yellow Springs Mirror in Linglong Capital, any guilty party who tampered with it would lead me to the mastermind behind it all. But by chance, it ended up in her daughter’s hands.” Ao Guanghan’s lips tightened, seemingly unwilling to look at Nan Yan’s face, so similar to her mother’s. “It’s too late to discuss this now. Did you notice anything suspicious in the Yellow Springs Mirror?”
Nan Yan shook her head. “I only saw the gruesome scenes of my aunt’s murder and my uncle… massacring the city.”
Ao Guanghan picked up his chopsticks. “Your uncle and I grew up together. I know his nature well. Charitably put, he’s docile; less charitably, weak. Once someone finds his weakness, he’s easily manipulated. Chen State’s people have been outraged about the Linglong Capital incident for years. As the State lord, despite my doubts, I couldn’t say much without evidence. Now that the time is right, once we confirm the culprit behind Nan Rao’s demise in Fan State, I won’t be lenient anymore.”
Nan Yan: “Thank you for your guidance, Dragon Lord, but…”
Ao Guanghan: “What is it?”
Nan Yan looked down at her bowl, piled high with spirit food, trying to stop Ao Guanghan from adding more. “I… can’t eat this much.”
“Children need to grow. Eat as much as you can.”
Seeing Ao Guanghan add another piece of seven-colored deer meat to Nan Yan’s bowl, Mu Zhanting spoke up, “Dragon Lord, Ah Yan has taken Buddhist vows. She doesn’t eat meat.”
Ao Guanghan felt a complex emotion. He remembered Nan Rao, once known as the “Little Red Hare of the Grasslands,” who would eat anything in sight. He never expected her daughter to be so extraordinarily well-behaved, not only keeping herself pure but also being a Buddhist cultivator.
A Buddhist cultivator…
Feeling even more distressed, Ao Guanghan said, “Buddhist rules are numerous. After this matter is settled, I’ll speak with Treasure Qi Tathagata. You should return to secular life.”
Nan Yan hastily replied, “I’ve been cared for by my master in the Buddhist sect since childhood. I’m devoted to Buddha and accustomed to this life. I have no thoughts of returning to secular life.”
Mu Zhanting, munching on spirit fruit, interjected unclearly, “But didn’t your mother entrust you to Ji Yang as a child bride? Since you want to shave his head and he wants you to return to secular life, why don’t you two fight it out? The winner can settle this once and for all.”
After Mu Zhanting finished speaking, Ao Guanghan suddenly slammed the table in anger. “What nonsense? Children shouldn’t discuss marriage. I forbid it! Who is this boy?”
The twenty-something Nan Yan, under the fury of a Nascent Divinity cultivator, dared not lie. She confessed everything about her mother’s search for her destined partner when she was a child.
Unexpectedly, Ao Guanghan’s expression grew even stranger after hearing this. “Say that again. What’s this person’s courtesy name?”
Seeing no reason to hide it, and hoping to learn more about Ji Yang’s past from the Dragon Lord, Nan Yan said, “His courtesy name is Shao Cang, but we got separated during a secret realm adventure many years ago.”
A flash of surprise crossed Ao Guanghan’s eyes. At that moment, someone came to report that Nan Yi, hearing that Dragon City had brought his niece back, had sent a message asking to take her home.
“Then I’ll go speak with my uncle first. Please excuse me.”
“Go ahead.” After Nan Yan left, Ao Guanghan tapped his fingers on the table and said to Mu Zhanting, “You’re not allowed to leave.”
Mu Zhanting sat back down. “Dragon Lord?”
“Have I ever told you how the previous Emperor of Daosheng Tian died?”
Mu Zhanting thought for a moment. “Officially, it was said he died suddenly during cultivation due to demonic interference. But in reality, he was tainted by evil ways and was purged by Daosheng Tian and the Righteous Law Palace… What about it?”
“I never believed his master would be responsible for that child’s death.” Ao Guanghan still remembered that year, outside the Sea Mountain Forbidden Decree’s secret realm. The young man, covered in wounds, walked through the sea of people, stepping over the resentful gazes of the defeated, bowing his head to thank his master for his teachings.
The master was the world’s teacher, the disciple a dragon among men, envied by countless peers.
Even after the young man became the Emperor of the Four Seas, handling major affairs of punishment, and could no longer address anyone as master, he still respectfully called Ying Ze Weiyi “teacher.”
“… Few knew his real name besides those in his sect. People, out of respect for his position, only called him ‘Lord Shao Cang.’ After his sudden death, some other direct disciples of Daosheng Tian were also executed, mostly Lord Shao Cang’s junior fellow disciples. After this incident, Ying Ze Weiyi seemed to go into seclusion for years, supposedly grieving the loss of his beloved disciple.”
Ao Guanghan continued, “This matter is best left unmentioned. But since you’re going to participate in the Sea Mountain Forbidden Decree, and I need to handle the Qitian Plains issue, I should inform you. The previous Emperor’s matter is taboo in Daosheng Tian. If you must investigate after arriving in Zi State, don’t make it too obvious.”
Mu Zhanting nodded, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself.”
Ao Guanghan replied emotionlessly, “I couldn’t care less if you die. Just bring Nan Yan back safely. If anything happens to her or if some brat from Daosheng Tian takes her away, don’t bother coming back.”
Mu Zhanting: ???
…
The letter read: “Greetings. I’ve recently settled affairs in Yin State and should have escorted you back. However, remnants of the Empress Dowager’s faction still linger in the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace, posing a potential threat. Hence, I’ve delayed our return. Regarding our elder sister’s remains, I’ve confirmed that Daosheng Tian privately took them away years ago. I suspect she had a prior agreement with them, so I’ve kept this information private. After repeated requests, I finally glimpsed her body at the source of Daosheng Tian’s Soul River. I’ve sent three elders from Yin State to watch over her. Additionally, I heard from Master Baoqi Rulai that you passed the Imperial Heir’s trial. If you wish to visit your mother in Zi State at night, use the Mountain and Sea Forbidden Technique, but keep your heart lamp burning. I’ve enclosed our elder sister’s old phoenix tail bell. Please cherish it.”
…
“In Zi State at night, keep your heart lamp burning.”
Nan Yan carefully folded and put away Nan Yi’s letter, then gently picked up the phoenix tail bell that came with it. The bell chimed crisply, scattering faint motes of light as it moved.
She hung the bell on a willow tree and, resting her face on her hand in the afternoon breeze, murmured, “Mother, since coming to the Upper State, I’ve heard so much about how beautiful and charming you were back then. It’s as if they’re talking about someone who should have been freely roaming the Upper State, not someone who belonged to me.”
Nan Yan had grown up in the mundane Fan State, cherishing every simple moment of her daily life. She wondered if Nan Rao ever regretted giving birth to her or felt burdened by her daughter’s presence, preventing her return to the Upper State.
As she sighed softly, Nan Yan’s expression suddenly changed. A distant commotion interrupted her reminiscing.
The secluded spot where Nan Yan was clearing her mind was near the Western Palace complex, home to the Ao clan’s female relatives. Peering over two flower walls, she saw two Foundation Establishment cultivators dragging a tightly bound young woman into a stone house and locking her inside.
“Behave yourself, or we’ll break your legs if you try to escape again!” one of them threatened.
After being locked in, the girl cried out, pounding on the door, “I want to see the Dragon Lord! He won’t let you get away with this!”
The cultivators sneered, “The Dragon Lord is far too busy to care about a distant niece like you. What’s wrong with marrying into Hai State? Others would jump at the chance.”
Noticing the girl’s blue dragon scales at the corner of her eyes, Nan Yan realized she must be from the Ao clan. Once the two cultivators left, she silently moved to the back of the stone house.
Unable to break through the barriers surrounding the building, Nan Yan tapped on the stone window in a corner. “Miss, why have they locked you in here?” she asked.
The girl, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, was huddled in a corner, covered in wounds and sobbing. Surprised by the voice, she looked up to see a backlit figure of a female cultivator at the window. She quickly crawled over. “Please help me, cultivator. Tell the Dragon Lord that I’m the granddaughter of Fifth Elder Ao Zhang. Since he was placed under house arrest, he’s been arranging marriages between clan members and heirs from Shen and Hai States without the Dragon Lord’s approval. My uncles are trying to marry off me and my sisters, but we refused, so they locked us up…”
Nan Yan remembered Fifth Elder Ao Zhang from her first visit to Dragon City. He had shown hostility towards Nan Fang Zhu’s descendants and conspired with the Yun clan leader from Shen State to capture someone. Cautious, she replied, “Surely this can’t be kept secret for long. The Dragon Lord might find out in a few days.”
The girl’s eyes shifted nervously. “If my father discovers this in a few days, it’ll be too late!”
Sensing something amiss, Nan Yan warned, “Please don’t lie to me, young lady. If you do, I’ll have to leave.”
“Don’t go! Please!” The girl rushed to the window, sobbing, “My name is Ao Xueru. I’ve been betrothed to Prince Chu Ning of Hai State since childhood. I’m supposed to marry him in half a month, but I’ve never even met him. I’ve heard he already has seventeen or eighteen concubines…”
Nan Yan replied, “If you want to back out, you should have informed your parents and elders earlier. If they wouldn’t listen, you could have appealed to the Dragon Lord. Changing your mind just half a month before the wedding could damage the Ao clan’s reputation.”
Ao Xueru’s face crumpled in tears. “But… but I love Brother Zhanting!”
Nan Yan: “…”
Nan Yan: “You’re very brave, miss. I can’t ignore this. When did you fall in love with your Brother Zhanting? I’ll help you sort this out.”
Ao Xueru thought for a moment, stammering, “A year… um, a month… three days ago, I think.”
Nan Yan: “Are you serious, miss?”
Ao Xueru whimpered, “That’s what all the girls do! When we don’t want to get married, we just say we love Brother Zhanting, and the elders leave us alone…”
…So all these women claiming to love him are just using him as an excuse?
Nan Yan thought to herself that her brother hadn’t had it easy these past few years. While he was at home composing poetry, he was unknowingly becoming everyone’s scapegoat. Fortunately, his dedication to the literary path had kept him from being manipulated by women—a blessing in disguise.
“How about this,” Nan Yan suggested. “Wait here for half a day while I ask someone if they can help you. If not, I’ll report your situation to the Dragon Lord. Does that sound alright?”