Immortalis

Hero's Tomb: Part Five

Even without Yang Wujian saying it, it was clear that after waking up, the young master was likely terrified and couldn't bear to stay alone in the Heavenly Mystery Tower for long.

Considering Zhou Huai had suffered two episodes in a single day, Zhou Jinglei didn't dare face his son himself. Instead, he handed over the medical record of Zhou Huai's consultation that Yang Wujian had previously requested.

Strangely enough, although Zhou Jinglei didn't appear before them, a basket containing the booklet quickly reached the two of them via a mechanism made of ropes and wheels.

Finally, Zhou Jinglei asked them to look after Zhou Huai more closely upon their return, assuring them that they could ask for anything they needed—after all, the White Rainbow Tower never lacked silver notes.

They took another route back to the Heavenly Mystery Tower. As soon as they went upstairs, the pale-faced young master rushed over in a panic, asking, "Did I hurt either of you earlier?"

It seemed that after previously stabbing Shen Qingshi, he had developed a psychological shadow. Rather than worrying about his own condition, Zhou Huai was more concerned about the two of them.

Yang Wujian smiled wryly, "Young Master, there really can't be a third time. No matter how skilled Young Master Shen and I are, we can't withstand your attacks like this."

He then mentioned that Shen Qingshi's wound had reopened, causing Zhou Huai to wilt like frostbitten eggplants, murmuring softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect something like this to happen as soon as I returned to the tower."

Later, after repeated reassurances from Yang Wujian, Zhou Huai finally dared to cautiously return to his room.

He explained, "I came back earlier to look for that record, but then the candle suddenly went out... My father installed mechanisms for me, so the candles in my room automatically relight. It only went dark for a moment, so I didn't think much of it. But then I suddenly heard a thud in the room. I already felt something was wrong, and when the candle relit, I saw a finger rolling toward me..."

"So, the finger appeared suddenly—it wasn't hidden somewhere for you to discover, and you didn't sense anyone in the room beforehand."

Shen Qingshi frowned. She knew well that although Zhou Huai was timid, his martial arts were top-notch. For someone to hide in the room without Zhou Huai noticing, their skills must far surpass those of the three of them.

Could it be Shen Xin?

Shen Qingshi thought that with the Chaofeng Envoy's lightness skill, achieving this wouldn't be difficult. However, since he was still counting on her to extract the location of the treasure room from Zhou Huai, frightening Zhou Huai into madness would offer him no benefit.

Or was there another master hidden within the White Rainbow Tower?

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Qingshi said, "This matter is rather peculiar. If the other party is targeting you, why don't Yang Wujian and I keep watch for you in the adjacent room tonight?"

"Keep watch?"

Zhou Huai never expected to hear those words from Shen Qingshi and widened his eyes in surprise, "Did my father hire you as my bodyguards?"

"What, Young Master, are you unwilling?"

Yang Wujian thought that Shen Qingshi's actions were undoubtedly to secure their stay in the tower. He wondered if the Zhaoming Division had assigned her some task, requiring her to gain the trust of Zhou Huai and Zhou Jinglei by any means necessary.

Could it be that the emperor was uneasy because the White Rainbow Tower was simply too wealthy?

Yang Wujian scoffed inwardly, then thought, since they were here, they might as well make the best of it. He, too, was keen to understand the connection between Guanri and Zhou Huai, so he decided to follow Shen Qingshi's lead.He said, "There aren't many martial artists in your tower—it all relies on your father's mechanisms. But mechanisms are dead, while people are alive. If something strange really happens, Young Master Shen and I are far more reliable than those mechanisms."

The young master, unaware of the complicated thoughts in their minds, was immediately moved by these words. Yet, constrained by pride, the peacock-like figure refrained from tearfully throwing himself at them, merely murmuring, "But Young Master Shen is still injured, and Miss Yang, you're a young lady. Having you keep watch for me is truly..."

"Just sleep. Since Young Master Shen and I are helping you with this, we won't stand on ceremony with your father either. Our travel expenses for the next while will depend on you, young master."

As Yang Wujian spoke, she went out and called two maids to tidy up the adjacent room. She and Shen Qingshi then slept on either side of Zhou Huai, hoping to prevent trouble before it arose.

In the blink of an eye, night deepened, and the Heavenly Mystery Tower fell into silence.

Yang Wujian had been tense and alert, but by the hour of Zi, Zhou Huai's room remained undisturbed. The day had been undeniably exhausting, and as fatigue washed over her, Yang Wujian closed her eyes and sank into a deep sleep. Unbeknownst to her, a servant dressed in attendant's clothes emerged silently from the shadows of the room.

His lightness skill was exceptional, and he was even more adept at suppressing his breath, allowing him to approach the bedside without a sound, like a night owl fixated on its prey.

This person was none other than Shen Xin.

Previously, upon learning that Shen Qingshi had been impeached by the Ya Zi Envoy and dispatched to the jianghu as a spy, Shen Xin had found it highly peculiar. After all, Shen Qingshi was Cao Zhao's right-hand man and a favorite in the inner court—sending her so easily beyond the court's reach didn't align with Cao Zhao's usual methods.

Thus, Shen Xin had his own agents in the jianghu gather intelligence, only to discover that Shen Qingshi had not only passed the Four Seas Alliance's martial examination but was now also investigating the old case of the Longevity Palace alongside others.

Naturally, Shen Xin had heard of the so-called Longevity Palace.

He immediately realized that Cao Zhao hadn't sent his trusted subordinate to the jianghu to lay low—his ambitions were far greater than infiltrating the Four Seas Alliance.

Such as the Longevity Heart Sutra.

Gazing at Yang Wujian on the bed, Shen Xin recalled how, during Zhou Huai's earlier episode, he had witnessed this young girl twist the Golden Rings into a rope to restrain Zhou Huai.

This was no ordinary martial feat—unless she could draw internal energy from her body, much like the White-faced Guest who had caused havoc at the Seven Killings Tower during the day, condensing internal energy into a force as sharp as blades or axes to strike enemies from a distance.

And without a doubt, this was the Longevity Heart Sutra.

In other words, Yang Wujian was likely a member of the Longevity Palace. And since Shen Qingshi had been present at the time yet pretended not to see it, there was only one explanation.

She had designs on Yang Wujian, or perhaps was deliberately putting on an act to gain her trust.

All for the sake of the Longevity Heart Sutra, right?

Shen Xin sneered. Having worked with Cao Zhao for years, he knew Cao Zhao's methods—they were all about anticipating the Son of Heaven's desires and thinking as the Son of Heaven thought.

But what if he could deliver Yang Wujian to the Emperor first?

Compared to the single-minded Ya Zi Envoy or the Chiwen Envoy, who was obsessed with women, Cao Zhao's ambitions were undoubtedly the greatest and the opponent Shen Xin was bound to clash with in the court.

If he couldn't outpace Cao Zhao, he feared that by the time he realized it, the Zhaoming Division would be dominated solely by the Bi'an Department.After hesitating for a moment, Shen Xin slowly retreated into the darkness.

He naturally knew—he now had a more important task at hand. He had to thoroughly investigate the shady dealings within White Rainbow Tower before thinking about anything else. Because of this, he needed to wait a few more days...

Soon, the night passed.

When Shen Qingshi woke up, dawn was approaching. Her fever had completely subsided, but the wound on her shoulder throbbed faintly. She guessed the effects of the medicine powder Yang Wujian had applied yesterday had worn off.

Why was Yang Wujian being so kind to her?

Or was his current treatment of her related to what happened fifteen years ago?

Shen Qingshi still remembered the sensation of leaning against Yang Wujian yesterday. In the past, even Cao Zhao had never applied medicine for her when she was injured. Cao Zhao had said that, being in the Zhaoming Division, she must always remember not to trust anyone. Therefore, she should never expose her wounds to others.

Yet, this was already the second time Yang Wujian had treated her injuries.

Shen Qingshi also found it strange—she seemed instinctively inclined to trust this person. When Yang Wujian pressed that excruciating hemostatic powder onto her wound, she hadn’t even stopped to consider what it was or whether it might kill her.

Yang Wujian wouldn’t harm her. Or perhaps, they hadn’t reached that point yet...

At this thought, Shen Qingshi felt a rare unease. She threw on her clothes and stepped out of her room. There was no movement from Zhou Huai’s room next door. After a moment’s hesitation, she quietly pushed the door open and entered.

To be honest, Shen Qingshi’s desire to help Zhou Huai wasn’t solely about staying in this tower.

Ultimately, it was all because of that Blood Cleansing Pill...

A night had passed, but Zhou Huai’s room was still brightly lit. Even as Shen Qingshi approached his bedside, Zhou Huai remained unconscious, emitting soft snores from the bed.

It seemed nothing had happened last night.

Shen Qingshi stared at Zhou Huai’s oblivious, sleeping face and was about to turn and leave when, suddenly, Zhou Huai grabbed something on the bed and rolled over. In an instant, Shen Qingshi’s expression changed.

“Yang Wujian!”

The commotion next door immediately woke Yang Wujian. Thinking something had happened, he rushed into Zhou Huai’s room only to find Shen Qingshi standing by the bed. Seeing Zhou Huai rubbing his eyes and about to wake up, she quickly hid her hands behind her back.

“What’s wrong, Young Master Shen? Why are you in my room?”

Perhaps because of his recurring illness, Zhou Huai had slept in a daze. Though awake, his mind seemed foggy, and his reactions were slow.

Yang Wujian had already glimpsed what Shen Qingshi was holding out of the corner of his eye. Not wanting to startle the young master further, he simply said, “Zhou Huai, get up and wash your face. Young Master Shen and I will explain everything to you later.”

“Oh...”

Zhou Huai obediently got up and went to freshen up. When he returned to his room, he noticed Yang Wujian and Shen Qingshi staring grimly at something covered by a cloth on the table.

“What is this?”

A sense of foreboding washed over Zhou Huai. He immediately took a pill and said tremblingly, “I feel relatively clear-headed now. Go ahead and remove the cloth.”

Yang Wujian knew there was no hiding this matter. After confirming the young master showed no abnormalities, he lifted the cloth. Beneath it lay a pale, severed arm—apparently chopped off cleanly.

“This...”Zhou Huai's face turned deathly pale as he recalled the faint strange odor on his hands during his morning wash. He shuddered: "This thing... it couldn't be..."

"It was found on your bed."

Shen Qingshi turned the arm over, revealing numerous calluses on the dried-up left palm.

As seasoned martial artists, the three of them could tell at a glance that the owner of this hand must have frequently practiced sword techniques. Judging by the callus patterns, his former sword moves must have emphasized thrusting, slicing, and chopping.

They had witnessed such cunning and fierce killing techniques not long ago.

"It's Floating Clouds Embracing Moon, and what's more, this person used his left hand for swordplay."

Yang Wujian took out the booklet Zhou Jinglei had given him last night, murmuring while looking at Gui Sanyan's name written inside: "Gui Sanyan's right hand was crippled, so he later wielded his sword with his left hand..."

Shen Qingshi said: "This is also one of the martial arts masters whose techniques Zhou Huai manifests during his Evil Sickness episodes. In other words, this should be a corpse that belongs in the Hero's Tomb. Yet someone dismembered it and sent it to White Rainbow Tower. If we want to know why, we have no choice but to visit the Hero's Tomb."

As she spoke, she turned to Yang Wujian: "Unless something unexpected happened, Crescent Moon Blade's corpse should be there too."

"Are you sure, Young Master Shen? That place is completely inaccessible."

Zhou Huai, remembering he had slept embracing this severed arm all night, felt his scalp crawl: "And why me? These spirits possessing me is bad enough, but why deliver corpses to my room too!"

The bizarre experiences of the past two days flooded his mind, agitating Zhou Huai's emotions. Seeing this, Shen Qingshi wordlessly snatched the brain-refreshing pill bottle from his hand, stuffed another pill into his mouth, forcibly cutting off Zhou Huai's impending lengthy complaints.

"Since you're being targeted, you need to stay calm even more. Otherwise, wouldn't you be playing right into their hands?"

Shen Qingshi said calmly: "Both Yang Wujian and I are here with you. There's nothing to fear. Take us to the Hero's Tomb, and we'll investigate thoroughly what has happened."