"Who... who's there?" The middle-aged man stared warily at the window, his voice trembling involuntarily as he watched his companion collapse lifelessly against the window frame. Glancing at Doctor Lin standing nearby, he quickly grabbed the physician and held him in front as a shield, slowly stepping forward. "Who's out there? Show yourself!" Cold sweat began to seep down the man's back. This mission had originally been a simple task—just retrieving something for his master. That was why they hadn’t brought many men. Yet who would have thought such a remote mountain village would hide a formidable expert?
"Come out! If you don’t, I’ll kill him!" Clutching Doctor Lin, the man kept his eyes fixed on the window but didn’t advance further. Instead, he began inching toward the study door.
Whoosh—
A gray shadow flashed past the window. The man’s eyes widened—it had moved too fast for him to make out what it was. Gripping his dagger tighter, he swallowed hard and continued retreating toward the door with Doctor Lin in tow. Just as he was about to reach it, the window creaked and rattled. Startled, he immediately pointed his dagger toward the sound—only for a dark streak to shoot toward him. His mouth fell open as he weakly lowered his head, spotting a roughly carved wooden hairpin embedded in his throat. He blinked, realizing helplessly that there was nothing he could do. With a resigned sigh, he released Doctor Lin and collapsed backward.
Doctor Lin looked down at the middle-aged man lying motionless on the floor, his eyes still wide open. He knew exactly who the owner of that wooden hairpin was. Raising his head, he turned toward the window—but Ye Li was nowhere to be seen. Moments later, heavy footsteps sounded outside, and Ye Li appeared at the study door. Seeing Doctor Lin’s dazed expression, she asked worriedly, "Master... are you all right?"
Doctor Lin shook his head silently, studying her. Ye Li forced a weak smile. "Did I scare you? I..."
Exhausted, Doctor Lin sank into a nearby chair. After a long pause, he finally said, "I always thought there was something unusual about you, girl. Now I realize I still underestimated you. I won’t ask about your background. When this is over, leave on your own. This place isn’t safe anymore."
Ye Li frowned at the corpses on the floor and by the window. Talking in a room with two dead bodies wasn’t ideal, but she didn’t have the strength to deal with them right now. Finding a seat, she gently soothed the restless baby in her womb before sighing bitterly. "Master, in my current condition... where could I possibly go?" Even if she didn’t encounter venomous snakes or wild beasts, the sheer exhaustion of traversing mountains was more than she could handle now.
Doctor Lin sighed and shook his head. "Do you think I’m forcing you out? This old man has to leave too. If I stay any longer... I’ll only bring harm to the innocent villagers." His expression darkened with sorrow. For a man in his sixties, leaving the home he’d lived in for decades was anything but a happy prospect.
After a moment of silence, Ye Li asked softly, "Is it... Lin Yuan?"Doctor Lin was taken aback and remained silent for a long while before letting out a deep sigh. He was unwilling to speak, and Ye Li didn’t want to force him. Though she didn’t know what exactly Lin Yuan wanted from Doctor Lin, she didn’t want the old physician to think she was coveting his treasures either. After some thought, she said, “If Master truly doesn’t wish to give it to him, why not destroy it? That would cut off his hopes completely. Besides… if he was raised by you since childhood, who else would you give it to if not him?” Doctor Lin managed a faint smile, shook his head, and stood up to walk toward the door.
Ye Li didn’t move. She frowned wearily at the two corpses, troubled. In the past, disposing of them wouldn’t have been difficult for her, but now it was impossible. Doctor Lin, being elderly, couldn’t possibly handle this either. As she pondered, Doctor Lin returned holding a plain, unadorned small porcelain bottle. He walked over to the middle-aged man lying on the ground, opened the bottle, and sprinkled some powder onto the corpse. To Ye Li’s astonishment, the moment the powder touched the body, pungent smoke erupted, and the corpse began to corrode. In less than a moment, the burly man had dissolved into nothing but a puddle on the floor—not even a shred of clothing remained. Then, watching as Doctor Lin moved to the other corpse and repeated the process, Ye Li couldn’t help but cover her nose. After all this time together, she had just discovered how ruthless her unnamed master truly was.
Seeing Doctor Lin calmly finish disposing of the two bodies, Ye Li now believed her earlier actions hadn’t frightened the old physician at all. His practiced and composed demeanor clearly showed he was no novice at this.
With the task done, the two unfamiliar master and disciple stood facing each other in silence for a long while before finally moving to the outer room. Though the corpses were gone, the lingering odor was far from pleasant.
Settled in the outer room, Doctor Lin poured two cups of tea—one for Ye Li and one for himself. After a few sips, seeming somewhat recovered, he spoke, “I can’t implicate the innocent villagers. We can’t stay here any longer…” Ye Li was silent for a moment before replying, “From what I gather, Master, that man… isn’t the merciful type. How can you be sure he won’t harm the villagers if you leave? If that’s the case… why would you urge me to leave as well? Though we haven’t known each other long, I’ve always felt you were a good person.”
Doctor Lin had no answer. He truly couldn’t guarantee that the man wouldn’t vent his frustration on the innocent villagers if he left and failed to find what he sought. Otherwise, he could have simply left Ye Li with any family in the village instead of sending her away while she was several months pregnant.
No matter what, the journey outside was far too dangerous for a woman in her condition.
After a long silence, Doctor Lin finally asked, “Do you have any ideas?”
Ye Li shook her head, looking at him regretfully. “Right now, I don’t even have the ability to protect myself. Unless I can return to Hongzhou as quickly as possible…”
“Hongzhou…” Doctor Lin studied her. “Why do you think I have a way?”Ye Li pursed her lips into a faint smile and pointed to the bookshelves filled with volumes in the study. "The villagers told me you haven't left this place in thirty years. But... they also mentioned that when you first arrived, you only brought simple luggage and a child. Those books clearly couldn't have been delivered here so easily. So, over the years, you must have left many times without their knowledge—and certainly not for trips lasting months."
Doctor Lin sighed as he looked at her. "You're truly clever. You've seen through it from the start, haven't you?" Ye Li smiled without responding. Shaking his head, Doctor Lin continued, "It's no use. I haven't taken that path in over twenty years. You can't go now, and neither can I—I'm too old." Ye Li had already guessed as much and wasn't overly disappointed. Tilting her head thoughtfully, she asked, "I assume it's a water route. I fell near Hongzhou, plunged into the water, and was swept into a hidden whirlpool before the underground river carried me here?" Doctor Lin nodded approvingly. "You were indeed fortunate—neither drowned by the water nor dashed against rocks by the current, and even the child was unharmed." Ye Li raised a brow with a faint smile. "I don't think it was luck. The underground river was built too meticulously, so I wasn't blocked or crushed by any potential rocks along the way. So, Master... what kind of person would go to such lengths to construct such a hidden passage? Or... does this village itself conceal some secret?"
Doctor Lin stiffened slightly, his gaze turning more probing and dangerous. Ye Li didn't press further, quietly sitting at the table and lowering her eyes to her slender fingers, now roughened with faint calluses. These same hands had effortlessly snapped a man's neck just fifteen minutes earlier.
"Girl, just who are you?" Doctor Lin finally asked after a long silence.
Ye Li paused briefly before answering softly, "If you truly haven't left here in over twenty years, then who I am holds no meaning for you, does it?" Doctor Lin studied her. "At the very least, I need to know you're not from the Great Chu imperial family." Ye Li sighed inwardly—his question alone revealed much. Shaking her head, she replied firmly, "I am not from the Great Chu imperial family." Though Mo Xiuyao shared the same surname and distant ancestry with the dynasty's founding emperor, their blood ties were faint. Without the hereditary title, the Mo family would have no connection to the imperial house at all. And in everyone's eyes, the Mo Family Army and the Great Chu royalty had always been distinctly separate. Thus, Ye Li had no qualms claiming no relation to them.
Hearing her answer, Doctor Lin visibly relaxed. Ye Li met his gaze intently and asked abruptly, "Master, what is your connection to the previous dynasty's imperial family?"Doctor Lin stared blankly at Ye Li, clearly not expecting her to ask such a question. After a long pause, he asked, "Why would you think I have any connection with the former dynasty's imperial family?"
Ye Li smiled faintly, idly toying with the rough teacup in her hand. "Master, you're so concerned about whether I'm related to the Great Chu imperial family, yet you live in seclusion here. It's obvious you have no fondness for them—if not outright enmity. Considering this place is still within Great Chu's borders, and you don't appear to be a foreigner..." She paused. "Also, from the river where I fell off the cliff to where you rescued me, even the straight-line distance must be at least twenty li. An artificial underground waterway like that isn't something just anyone could build. And the exit was constructed in such an isolated village—that's strange. Lastly, I heard this village has existed for nearly five hundred years, and their ancestors decreed that no one in the village should ever learn to read. I think... they didn't come here by chance. They're guarding something. Though most villagers probably don't know anymore, surely someone still does, right?"
Looking at the woman speaking so confidently, Doctor Lin couldn't help but sigh. "You know too much."
Ye Li blinked innocently, gazing at the old man with wide eyes. "Are you going to silence me, Master? Like those two just now?" She pointed toward the study. Doctor Lin twitched his lips—who exactly had killed those two?!
Shaking his head helplessly, he said, "No need to test me, old as I am. From what I saw earlier, it's hard to say who'd be silencing whom."
Ye Li grinned, lifting her teacup and making her expression even more harmless. "A teacher for a day is a father for life. This disciple would never commit such an unfilial act. Master, let's think about what to do next, shall we? Since we both want to live well."
Doctor Lin glared at her irritably. "You're the one who wants to live. I'm an old man—I've had enough of life."
Ye Li poured him another cup of tea, smiling. "But the villagers next door haven't had enough yet."
At the mention of the simple villagers, the old man's grip on his cup tightened, his expression conflicted and remorseful. "These people... they're descendants of loyal subjects... But after so many years, they've probably long forgotten their ancestors. Maybe it's for the best—living peaceful lives here is far better than the turmoil outside. But... if they were to die because of old grudges..." His voice trailed off. He couldn't bear it.
As she listened, Ye Li racked her brain for any memories about the former dynasty. The northwest had always been a remote place, far from the prosperity of Chu's capital or the southern regions. She couldn't fathom what connection the former dynasty might have with this area. Then, a thought flashed through her mind. She blinked and ventured, "Is the Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum here?"
Seeing Doctor Lin's stunned expression, Ye Li knew she'd guessed right.The Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum!
Ye Li's mind rapidly flipped through volumes of historical records and ancient books. The former dynasty lasted over 370 years, with twenty-one emperors. Among them, apart from the last emperor who was buried with the rites of a prince by the founding emperor of Great Chu, the tombs of the other nineteen emperors were either destroyed in wars or plundered by grave robbers, nearly all reduced to ruins. However, the location of one emperor's tomb remained unknown—the mausoleum of the founding Gaozu Emperor of the former dynasty. Suddenly, Ye Li remembered something: the imperial surname of the former dynasty seemed to be Lin.
As if sensing Ye Li's gaze, Doctor Lin looked at her and said calmly, "Don't overthink it. I'm not a descendant of the former dynasty."
"Then could it be Lin Yuan?" If Lin Yuan was searching for the tomb of a former dynasty emperor, it would make sense to call it his.
Doctor Lin remained silent, leaving Ye Li speechless as she looked up at the sky. So… she had guessed right again?
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
Well… regarding the pricing issue, I thought it was based on word count, not the number of chapters. Alright… today I bought a chapter myself to check, but it was only one page long. It seems my habit of not breaking paragraphs has struck again. I’m not sure if it affects your reading experience—I sincerely apologize. Also… about whether it’s expensive or not, I haven’t adjusted the prices; they’ve always been set according to the academy’s rates. So… are you all saying I’m too long-winded?
P.S.: Should we go tomb raiding together?
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