Mu Qingyan slowly loosened the silver chain, landing on the ground. The enormous stone hall was filled with an awkward silence.
Cai Zhao inexplicably felt a pang of guilt. Taking advantage of Mu Qingyan’s distracted state, she carefully pried his large hand from her waist and, like a timid little field mouse, stealthily retreated several steps.
Already in a foul mood, Mu Qingyan grew even angrier at the sight. "What’s the meaning of this expression of yours?"
Cai Zhao’s gaze darted around. "I was just worried your arm might be sore."
Mu Qingyan’s temper flared further. "The dove occupies the magpie’s nest, the guest usurps the host—and yet your Big Dipper Six Sects still have the gall to justify yourselves!"
Cai Zhao refused to take the blame. "Hey, hey, hey! One thing at a time! Fallen Blossom Valley was founded by my ancestors themselves. Even if they used Old Ancestor Bei Chen’s silver to buy the land, we can pay it back. As for occupying Dusk Micro Palace on Nine Conch Mountain—that was Azure Tower Sect’s doing. Don’t pin false charges on us!"
Mu Qingyan sneered. "Aren’t the Big Dipper Six Sects supposed to be united as one?"
"United, yes, but we don’t share the same pair of pants!" Cai Zhao hurriedly defended. "If you don’t believe me, ask Madam Sulian whether she’d be willing to open Azure Tower Sect’s treasury for the Cai Family to use!"
"Don’t forget you’re already a disciple of Azure Tower Sect. Don’t act so detached!"
"I’ve only been a disciple for less than three months. The time I’ve spent in the sect isn’t even as long as yours! As for sect loyalty… well, it’s not exactly deep-rooted yet. It’ll take time to cultivate…"
"You—!" Mu Qingyan pointed at the girl. Though he had been seething with anger, he couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.
Seeing that the hostility on his face had faded somewhat, Cai Zhao cautiously sidled back over, tugging at his sleeve with righteous solemnity. "Don’t be angry. These are century-old grudges—what do they have to do with you and me?"
Mu Qingyan glanced at her. "They do have something to do with us."
Cai Zhao looked left and right, pretending not to understand.
Mu Qingyan turned his gaze to the stone wall. "You once mentioned that the master craftsman who built Dusk Micro Palace was an old servant who attended Old Ancestor Bei Chen. Because he couldn’t speak, people called him Mute Uncle?"
He pointed at the servant on the wall who lacked a mouth. "Seems this is him."
Cai Zhao also looked at the mouthless servant and suddenly understood. "Ah, so that’s why there’s no mouth carved. So this is Mute Uncle! He was truly remarkable—though born mute, his craftsmanship was divinely skilled. I always wondered why he left no successors. Turns out he followed your ancestor to establish the Demonic Cult!"
Mu Qingyan’s eyes flicked toward her.
Cai Zhao immediately corrected herself. "Nether Sect, Nether Sect."
Mu Qingyan’s expression eased slightly as he pointed at the ethereal, immortal-like figure on the wall. "This must be Old Ancestor Bei Chen."
"Ah, who would’ve thought?" Cai Zhao grimaced. "The one who founded the Demonic Cult a century ago was actually Old Ancestor Bei Chen’s direct disciple. This is even stranger than a storybook tale…"
"Don’t evade the main issue," Mu Qingyan said darkly. "Under what circumstances would two people share similar features and identical constellations of seven moles on their soles—dare you say they aren’t blood relatives?"
His slender, pale fingertip rested on the upturned sole of Old Ancestor Bei Chen’s foot.
There, too, were seven moles.
Cai Zhao mumbled, "…Didn’t you say that a century ago, many people might’ve had moles on their soles?"
Mu Qingyan glared at her fiercely.
Cai Zhao held out for a moment before conceding.
She whispered, "Could it be father and son? But I’ve never heard that Old Ancestor Bei Chen took a wife."
"Or grandfather and grandson. But they must’ve been separated for a time before being reunited."
"If it’s descendants, then just say descendants! The Northern Star Lineage isn’t a monastery—they don’t forbid marriage and children!" Cai Zhao grumbled.Mu Qingyan said calmly, "Old Ancestor Bei Chen may not have concealed his descendants' identities. It's possible that everyone in the world knew his direct disciples were his blood descendants at the time. It's just that over the past century, people deliberately erased this fact."
He emphasized the word "people," making Cai Zhao feel guilty.
She thought of the Thousand Gates Sect, once a prominent and powerful sect. After being wiped out merely ninety years ago, few in the Martial World remembered it, let alone grudges and stories from a century ago.
The Mu ancestors, burdened by their own grievances, were unwilling to mention their lineage from the Old Ancestor. The Big Dipper Six Sects, for various reasons, deliberately obscured the fact that their sworn enemy was the Old Ancestor's blood descendant. Thus, after a century, even the descendants of these sects barely knew the truth.
Mu Qingyan looked up thoughtfully and murmured, "No wonder, no wonder."
When Cai Zhao asked what he meant, he replied, "It's said that Yin Dai loved imitating Old Ancestor Bei Chen the most. The lotus plant in the pond before the Old Ancestor's hall—he planted one outside his own residence too, even naming his daughters Qinglian and Sulian. But if the Old Ancestor passed down six descendants, why did Yin Dai accept seven disciples before Qi Yunke?"
Mu Qingyan glanced at the stone wall. "According to the inscriptions, the Old Ancestor only accepted my ancestor as his disciple. The ancestors of your six sects were merely servants. Yet, those six clearly regarded themselves as the Old Ancestor's disciples in secret. Adding my Mu ancestor, that makes seven disciples—though the truth was too shameful to speak of openly."
Cai Zhao, recalling past events, immediately understood. "So that's why their original surnames were Ox, Horse, Pig, and Sheep..."
As a child, she had also found it odd. Old Ancestor Bei Chen didn't have thousands of disciples he couldn't manage—he only had six, four of whom were picked up so young they couldn't even remember their own surnames. Under normal circumstances, a master would give his disciples proper names, not casually assign them animal surnames like livestock.
So, they were just servants.
Who wouldn’t want a glorious and illustrious ancestor?
Even a street thug who rises to power would boast about how his great-grandfather was once mighty, and how he, as a descendant, has finally claimed three blocks of territory. As for those who vie for the world, earthly origins no longer satisfy them—they either claim descent from dragons or divine conception under auspicious signs.
Such a truth might be hard for someone like Song Yuzhi or Qi Lingbo to accept. But Fallen Blossom Valley was the kind of place that repeatedly changed the surname of its family business to sons-in-law. Would a little salted fish like Cai Zhao care?
She eagerly turned to the stone wall, pointing at a servant sweeping the courtyard. "This must be our Fallen Blossom Valley ancestor. He looks very diligent at his work. He even tried to mediate when the Old Ancestor and his disciple quarreled—honest and hardworking, no wonder the Old Ancestor gave him the surname Ox." Like a faithful ox, toiling without complaint.
Mu Qingyan sighed, then laughed, suddenly feeling his earlier anger had been pointless.
The girl shifted her finger to another servant holding brushes, ink, and books—he was carefully inventorying precious jade and gems in the storeroom. "This must be Jade Pendant Mountain Manor's ancestor. Entrusted with the storeroom, the Zhou ancestor must have been meticulous, rigorous, and utterly incorruptible."
Mu Qingyan coldly interjected, "That was while the Old Ancestor was alive. After his death? Everyone says Jade Pendant Mountain Manor is the epitome of wealth and elegance in the world. Who knows how much treasure the Zhou family embezzled from the Old Ancestor's storeroom!"Cai Zhao said irritably, "Can't you think better of people? The Jiangnan region has always been prosperous, and Jade Pendant Mountain Manor has been meticulously managed generation after generation. Its current scale is quite fitting."
Mu Qingyan shifted his gaze and pointed to the servant standing tall and proud at the grand entrance on the stone wall. "Then what about this one? Vast Heaven Gate was built against the mountains, dominating the region. The local customs are fierce and martial—where did the silver for their fortress come from?"
"You're really impossible!" Cai Zhao sighed helplessly. "How much silver could one possibly embezzle from gatekeeping? If Old Ancestor Bei Chen found out, they'd be driven out immediately!"
Mu Qingyan couldn't help but laugh at the words "gatekeeping."
"Stop being so resentful. Look here..." Cai Zhao pointed to the many scroll cases Old Ancestor Bei Chen had entrusted to Mute Elder before his death. "The vast mountain ranges, the palaces, pavilions, ponds, and courtyards covering the hills—did they all fall from the sky? This mural is probably just symbolic. Judging by the grandeur of the mountain ranges, the Old Ancestor likely entrusted his entire fortune to Mute Elder."
"Your ancestor had no choice but to leave Nine Conch Mountain and establish a new sect—not just because of the will of the Big Dipper Six Sects' ancestors, but because the heroes of the world at the time couldn't tolerate him anymore. Ah, the heart of a parent is ever pitiable. The Old Ancestor must have foreseen your ancestor's stubborn pride and refusal to compromise, so he arranged this retreat for Mute Elder to ensure your ancestor wouldn't be left with nowhere to go after his death."
The girl's smile was serene and gentle, like a clear spring dousing the burning resentment in Mu Qingyan's chest. Especially when he heard the phrase "the heart of a parent is ever pitiable," his expression finally softened.
He stroked her hair, his beautiful eyes tender. "I was in a bad mood earlier and spoke harshly. Don't be angry with me. It's just... just..."
"Just what?" the girl asked.
"My father suffered grievances his whole life, so I can't bear to see anyone from the Mu family suffer again," the young man said wistfully, his profile coldly handsome yet shadowed with melancholy.
As had happened many times before, their argument dissolved into laughter, and they turned back to the stone wall.
"This one guarding the alchemy furnace must be the ancestor of Grand Beginning Temple. My family records say that in the early years, Grand Beginning Temple was most famous for its alchemy. But after losing several times in the Six Sects' competitions, they shifted their focus to martial cultivation."
"That big-browed one washing the horses must be the ancestor of Four Stallions Gate. The Yang family ancestor had a way with words—'Four Stallions Gate' sounds much more refined than 'Chariot and Horse Ceremonial Gate.'"
"You're so mean!" The girl giggled like a peach blossom trembling in the spring breeze. "Ah, the ancestor of Azure Tower Sect must be this young attendant who served the Old Ancestor closely."
Mu Qingyan's eyes darkened slightly. "Yes, he stayed with the Old Ancestor the longest and was the closest to him. Over time, he probably learned the most skills—no wonder he was the one who remained at Nine Conch Mountain and inherited Dusk Micro Palace in the end."
After their speculations, Cai Zhao suddenly brightened. "The records say that the death of Old Ancestor Bei Chen was also the fault of the Demonic Cult's founder, which is why the two sides have been sworn enemies. After we get out, I'll spread the story of this mural. Maybe..."
"Maybe nothing," Mu Qingyan ruffled her hair, his gaze both pitying and indifferent. "Do you think generations of bloodshed between the two sides are just because of something that happened a hundred years ago? Enough—stop dwelling on the affairs of the world. Let's focus on how to get out instead."
Cai Zhao's large eyes sparkled. "Actually, 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 see it at all!"Cai Zhao flushed slightly. "This has nothing to do with intelligence—only someone from Fallen Blossom Valley would notice. Look here..." She pointed between the two stone walls—
There stood Mu Xiujue, tall and graceful, leading his newly sworn brother to meet Old Ancestor Bei Chen, while a young girl secretly tugged at the hem of Mu Xiujue's robe from behind. The Old Ancestor was overjoyed, stroking his beard with hearty laughter.
After observing for a while, Mu Qingyan noticed the discrepancy. "In all other scenes, the Old Ancestor holds a horsetail whisk. Only in this one does he hold a drooping flowering branch... Wait, this carving has been altered."
The modifier's skill was far inferior to Uncle Mute's. They had merely erased the original whisk and crudely carved a branch over it. At first glance, traces of the stone markings remained, which was why Mu Qingyan had initially mistaken it for the whisk.
"I thought so too," Cai Zhao said. "Actually, this is a peach blossom branch."
Mu Qingyan's eyes brightened. "Peach blossoms? The plump peach blossoms of Fallen Blossom Valley?"
The girl punched him in annoyance. "Not plump peach blossoms—mountain peach blossoms, mountain peach blossoms!"
Mu Qingyan chuckled, letting her hit him, then turned back to the wall. "But it doesn't look much like the mountain peach blossoms on that jade goddess statue."
"That's because the blossoms on the statue are shown from the side, while this..." Cai Zhao explained, "is carved from a top-down perspective, so it looks like a small round bowl. If not for these slender, hook-like drooping leaves and the three distinct layers of petals below, it would hardly differ from any ordinary flower."
Mu Qingyan asked, "Is there some hidden meaning to this?"
Cai Zhao hesitated before answering. "This is a secret signal used in Fallen Blossom Valley, related to the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. Our valley has few people, so we often rely on mechanical traps and formations to fend off enemies. During intense battles, even our own people can get caught in them. To avoid friendly casualties, we leave clues along the way—either methods to dismantle the traps or escape routes."
"But then the enemy would see them too. That's why the ancestors of Fallen Blossom Valley came up with this method. Take this mountain peach blossom on the wall as an example: the three layers of petals spiral outward. The innermost layer has one petal, so we shift the Qian (Heaven) trigram from left to right by one position..."
Mu Qingyan gasped softly. "That would move the original Li (Fire) position to the Qian position."
"Exactly," Cai Zhao said. "When you see the second Eight Trigrams diagram, follow the four petals in the second layer and shift the original Qian position from right to left by four positions. The original Kun (Earth) position will then be in place."
Mu Qingyan understood. "And when you see the third marker, shift the trigrams left to right by seven positions, corresponding to the seven petals in the third layer. Repeat this cycle three times."
"Precisely. With these convoluted shifts, even if the enemy notices the unusual peach blossom pattern, they won't decipher its meaning. According to the Eight Trigrams map, this pentagonal stone chamber is the center of the underground palace. So..."
Cai Zhao walked to the later-added iron wall between the stone walls and pointed through the crack at its Eight Trigrams pattern. "This is the first diagram. We should rotate the trigrams left to right by one position."
Mu Qingyan also stepped forward to examine the Eight Trigrams map.
The elegant and composed young girl fixed her gaze on the man's back. "I studied that Eight Trigrams map carefully. Though it clearly depicts the winding paths, it doesn't mark the exit—yet you didn't seem the least bit surprised. Now I can ask you: which direction is the way out of the underground palace?"
Mu Qingyan turned to face her. "You noticed this long ago. Why didn't you ask earlier?"
The girl shook her head. "Your sect's secrets aren't for an outsider like me to pry into."Mu Qingyan's eyes flashed with a hint of self-mockery. "You dare to ask now because you just revealed a Fallen Blossom Valley secret to me. This way, we're even, aren't we?"
Cai Zhao didn't answer, turning her gaze back to the brilliantly lit hall. "A hundred years ago, the loyal mute elder passed away after carving these five stone walls. Mu Xiujue, the leader of the Demonic Cult, didn't make them public but instead hid them deep beneath Paradise Palace."
"About 120 to 130 years ago, for unknown reasons, Mu Donglie built this underground palace centered around these five stone walls."
"Some years later, the subsequent leader added an iron wall for unknown reasons, concealing these five stone walls."
"And today, in this most vital place of the Demonic Cult, I discovered the secret mark passed down through generations of Fallen Blossom Valley."
Cai Zhao turned her head. "Mu Shaojun, do you know the reason behind all this?"
Mu Qingyan looked at the girl, his gaze profound and flickering.
He remained silent.
"What are you afraid of?" the girl asked.
Mu Qingyan shook his head. "I'm not afraid, just concerned."
"What are you concerned about?"
"About the unpredictable future."
The girl smiled, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "But the future is always unpredictable."
Mu Qingyan stepped forward, wrapping the silver chain around the girl's left wrist, loop by loop.
"But I hope our future can be predictable," he said softly, his long lashes casting shadows as he focused on securing the chain, as if tightening it could make everything right.
Cai Zhao sighed gently and asked again, "Your sect is named Nether Sect, symbolizing the brilliance of separation, radiant and splendid. So is the exit from this underground palace in the Li position?"
"No," Mu Qingyan replied with a slight curve of his lips. "Quite the opposite. The exit is in the Kan position—where yang meets danger, the abyss is unfathomable, and the path ahead is twisted and rugged."
After fastening the last link of the chain, he straightened up and kissed her cheek. Her skin was warm, soft, and inviting.
Cai Zhao felt the opposite—his lips were cold.
A wave of pity rose in her heart, winding around it like a delicate thread.
She reached up, pulled his neck down, and kissed his cool cheek in return, whispering, "Don't be afraid, and don't worry. There's always a way."
Mu Qingyan embraced her soft body tightly, as if merging her into his own.
Faintly, he thought, staying in this underground palace might not be so bad.
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