noveltune Chapter 75: The Fragment of a Scroll and the Shadow of a Candle
Chapter 75: The Fragment of a Scroll and the Shadow of a Candle
Su Qingyao's gaze was fixed on that page of description, as if she could see through the paper to those dark red crystals soaked in sin and blood. She hurriedly turned the page until the very last page.
The edges of this page were slightly curled, and on it were the distinctive, slightly slender yet vigorous small characters of Su Yuanshan's running script. The ink was much lighter than the main text, and the arrangement was somewhat casual, as if he had jotted down annotations or thoughts as he read through the book. They would be easily overlooked if not carefully reviewed.
In the candlelight, those few lines of small characters were clearly legible:
"The shadow of the 'Blood Crystal Stone' first appeared in the hunters' rumors of Canglang Mountain, then in Lord Zhang's dying words in Black Wind Ravine, and now it is confirmed in a hidden compartment on a canal boat. This thing is not a natural product, but is forged with evil magic, the blood and soul of living beings, and is extremely insidious. Black Stone Town, Black Wind Ravine, Qingzhou Prefecture's canal transport... there seems to be an invisible thread connecting them. It is probably not an isolated case, but a net that extends from a small border town to the prefectural dock, or... directly to the upper echelons of Tianqi? The ship owner's dying words, 'No one can survive,' what did he rely on? Is the net of protection so terrifying? It is chilling to think about."
Finally, in the blank space at the very bottom of the paper, there are two even smaller lines of writing, almost visible only under candlelight. The ink is extremely faint, and the strokes are somewhat faint, as if the writer was deeply moved:
"The Minister's Residence...the Minister's Residence...?"
The heavy question mark at the end almost tore through the paper.
Su Qingyao suddenly raised her head and looked at Lin Yan, her eyes filled with shock and realization: "Father... he had long suspected the Demon Suppression Division's headquarters, suspected... Minister Zhao Yuankui?"
Lin Yan nodded slowly, his gaze deep and unfathomable: "Your father was meticulous and diligent in his work. He connected these seemingly isolated cases over the years, which all subtly pointed to the 'Blood Crystal Stone' and internal collusion, and must have noticed the huge, intricate network behind them. Zhao Mang and Chen Fuhai of Black Stone Town were perfunctory and irresponsible; the disastrous defeat at Black Wind Ravine, with Lord Zhang's dying words pointing directly to the mole; Minister Zhao of the headquarters' stern rejection of the investigation request; even the discovery of the Blood Crystal Stone at the dock, and the ship owner's arrogant death... all of this was pointing the arrow of suspicion step by step to a higher place. Your father's final writing of the three characters 'Minister's Residence' and this repeated question made his meaning clear. He probably... has already touched the core."
He paused, his tone filled with deep admiration and regret: "I suspect that after obtaining these clues, given your father's character, he wouldn't have stopped at the case files. He likely secretly went to Blackstone Town, the vicinity of the wolf den in Canglang Mountain, and may even have risked his life to explore the outskirts of Black Wind Ravine, trying to find more direct evidence. Perhaps he didn't want to implicate Lord Zhou, who was already in a precarious situation at the time, so he mostly acted alone. However, it was precisely these investigations that ventured deep into the lion's den that, perhaps at some point, were inadvertently discovered by the enemy..."
Lin Yan didn't finish his sentence. But Su Qingyao already understood. Her father's investigation, venturing deep into dangerous territory, had touched upon someone's most sensitive and fatal secret, leading to that bloody night when a demonic beast "accidentally" breached the inner city's defenses, resulting in the massacre of the entire Su family... This was no accident, but a meticulously planned cover-up!
Tears silently welled up in Su Qingyao's eyes, but she didn't fall. She bit her lower lip hard, forcibly suppressing the surging grief and pain, transforming it into a burning flame in her eyes. Her father hadn't died in an accident, but rather from loyalty and perseverance, from his pursuit of the truth, from his challenge to the giant web shrouding the dynasty in its shadow!
"So," her voice trembled slightly, yet remained unusually clear, "Liu Xiong and Zhao Kun are merely the visible henchmen. The real mastermind is likely hidden in the Demon Suppression Division's headquarters, hidden in... Minister Zhao Yuankui, and perhaps even deeper within his network of connections? Is the refining, sale, and use of these blood crystals part of a top-down, black-market chain of profit transfer?"
"Very likely," Lin Yan said in a deep voice. "Moreover, your father's investigation may have uncovered another, even more astonishing secret." As he spoke, he took out another, thinner booklet with an ordinary blue cloth cover from the bottom of the blue cloth wrapping. The cover read "A Collection of Strange Tales from Qingzhou Prefecture." "This was found next to the shelf where your father kept the case files he reviewed. It contained many annotations that your father wrote while reading."
Su Qingyao took it and eagerly opened it. This was not an official examination document, but rather a collection of anecdotes, local customs, and geographical features compiled by a local scholar. The paper was rough, and the printing was not very fine. However, her father's handwriting appeared densely in the blank spaces of the pages, some of which were questions, some of which were inferences, and some of which were excerpts from other classic texts as evidence.
Lin Yan helped her turn to a page titled "The Secrets of Kunlun and the Clarification of the Spiritual Veins of the World." Her father had made numerous annotations beside it:
"...According to the fragmentary scroll *Yu Gong Shi Yi*, a thousand years ago, humanity was in decline, and demons and barbarians roamed freely, especially the Kunlun Demon Kingdom, which gathered the power of ten thousand demons and nearly overthrew humanity. At this critical moment, the twelve remaining Mahayana-stage cultivators of humanity, atop Kunlun, used their own Dao fruits as a guide and the spiritual veins of the mountains and rivers as a foundation to set up the unprecedented 'Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Suppressing Demon Array'. On the day the array was completed, the flesh, blood, and souls of the twelve Mahayana cultivators became the array's core, forever suppressing the Kunlun Demon Cave, giving humanity a chance to breathe, and thus allowing the rise of the Great Yin Dynasty in later generations..."
"...However, since the formation was established, the flow of spiritual energy throughout the world has gradually become stagnant. In the past three hundred years, the decline of spiritual energy has become increasingly apparent, making it more and more difficult for ordinary cultivators to break through to higher realms, and rare and precious materials have become increasingly scarce. I have searched through ancient books and interviewed elders, and I suspect that this 'Demon-Suppressing Formation' is not static, but rather a bottomless pit that continuously operates, drawing upon the spiritual veins of the entire world to maintain its power. The spiritual veins of thousands of miles and even more vast continents are all slowly drawn in by its invisible force, converging at the Kunlun Formation Eye. This may be the root cause of the depletion of spiritual energy..."
Beside it was a line of smaller characters, the ink relatively fresh: "Last year, a merchant from the Western Regions said that he had looked out over Kunlun and saw towering trees in the depths of the clouds, their shadows indistinct, unlike any tree species in the world, and suspected to be related to an ancient formation. It is a pity that he was unable to go and investigate in person."
Su Qingyao was horrified. Her father was actually researching such a profound secret concerning the fate of the world and the foundation of the dynasty! She continued reading, and Lin Yan pointed to another section titled "Seven Star Valley Spirit Milk Cave and Geological Phenomena".
Father's annotation: "...Seven Star Pass is located in the Mangcang Mountains, two hundred miles west of Qingzhou Prefecture. The terrain is treacherous and teeming with poisonous miasma and demonic creatures. However, there is a natural cave within the pass. Every Jiazi year, on the night of the full moon, 'spiritual milk' oozes from the tips of stalactites. Consuming it can cleanse the meridians and enhance cultivation, which is truly rare. However, the cave is guarded by demonic beasts of the Tongxuan Realm or above, making it extremely dangerous."
"According to the incomplete 'Dragon Seeking Techniques of the Earth Veins,' the spiritual veins of the world are being drained by the Kunlun Ancient Array, causing anomalies in the flow of earth energy. Places like the Seven Star Cave's Spirit Milk Cave, in an era of spiritual vein depletion, exhibit the unusual phenomenon of spiritual energy overflowing and condensing. I suspect that such locations may be 'nodes' or 'gaps' in the network of the 'Demon Suppression Array' that covers the continent. The world's spiritual veins are being drawn to Kunlun, and must pass through such nodes for transformation and transport. Perhaps the spiritual milk is the essence of the earth vein's spiritual energy, squeezed and refined, leaking out as it passes through these nodes? If this theory holds true, then places like 'Spiritual Springs,' 'Spirit Milk Caves,' and 'Earth Fire Spirit Eyes' are all worth investigating in detail, perhaps revealing the secrets of the ancient array's operation, or even... finding a way to break the decline of spiritual veins? However, this matter is of great importance, involving ancient secrets, and cannot be spoken of lightly; utmost caution is required."
Upon seeing this, Su Qingyao was speechless with shock. She had never imagined that while investigating the Blood Crystal Stone and the Su family's wrongful conviction, her father had already turned his attention to such vast and ancient mysteries of heaven and earth. His thoughts had long transcended personal grudges and the gains and losses of a particular prefecture or region; he was exploring the root cause of the depletion of spiritual energy in this world, and even searching for possible solutions!
"Father..." Su Qingyao murmured, tears finally streaming down her face, dripping onto the old pages of the book and spreading into a small, dark, damp stain. "He actually thought so far ahead, so much..."
Lin Yan was also deeply moved and filled with awe. Su Yuanshan was not only an upright and incorruptible official and a father who deeply loved his daughter, but also a wise man and explorer with far-sighted vision and amazing insight.
"If your father's deduction is indeed true," Lin Yan said slowly, his voice unusually solemn, "the 'Blood Crystal Stone' is not merely about simple corruption, murder, and power struggles. It may very well have a deeper connection to the 'Demon-Suppressing Array' that draws spiritual energy from the world's veins, a connection we are yet to discover. Refining the Blood Crystal Stone requires a vast amount of living beings' blood and souls, and maintaining such an ancient array that covers the entire continent requires an immense amount of energy. Is there some kind of relationship between the two? Did those high-ranking 'nobles' acquire the Blood Crystal Stone to cultivate evil arts, or... for some other purpose?"
This bold and alarming conjecture seemed to freeze the air in the small flower hall. The candlelight flickered uneasily, casting the two figures' shadows on the wall, making them appear longer and shorter, like ghosts.
Su Qingyao wiped away her tears, forcing herself to calm down from the immense shock and grief. Her father's last wishes and his explorations, like a torch, had now been passed to her. She was no longer the orphan who only knew how to bear the burden of deep-seated hatred and desperately seek the truth; she had inherited her father's vision and breadth of mind that transcended hatred and sought the ultimate truth of the world.
She looked at Lin Yan, her gaze clear and firm: "Brother Lin, you must be extremely careful when you go to Liu Family Village tomorrow. Zhao Kun is ruthless, and Liu Family Village is a remote place. If he notices you, he will definitely not let the opportunity to silence you pass by. Have you thought about how to deal with this? Which men should you take?"
Seeing her quickly detach herself from her emotions and return to a calm, analytical state, Lin Yan's admiration deepened. "I will take Lu Ling and Zhou Fu with me, along with two more alert and composed brothers. We will travel light, disguised as merchants buying mountain goods. I have already inquired about the terrain of Liu Family Village from Elder Zhou. We will first observe outside the village, then try to contact Liu Qiqi's family to find out the truth, and try to avoid alerting them."
Su Qingyao pondered for a moment, then said, "Liu Qiqi has suffered a great tragedy, her appearance was disfigured, and her temperament is likely no longer that of an ordinary person. She hates Zhao Kun to the core, but she may not trust us 'government' people. Perhaps... we can start with her brothers. After all, they are blood relatives and are from a farming family, relatively simple and honest. In addition," her eyes flickered slightly, "if Liu Qiqi is truly related to the poisoning back then, she may still have some unused poison, or know the method of preparation. This is key evidence and an important clue to tracing the source of the poison, so we must pay close attention."
Lin Yan nodded: "I've got it. Qingyao, your meticulousness always impresses me." He spoke from the bottom of his heart. This conversation with Su Qingyao not only made him think more thoroughly about his trip to Liu Family Village, but also, thanks to the amazing deductions left by Su Yuanshan, he connected the chaotic clues in front of him with a grander and more ancient picture, and his vision suddenly became clear.
Su Qingyao blushed slightly at his praise and said softly, "I was just following Father's and your line of thinking and considering it from one more angle." She looked at the several volumes on the table that contained her father's hard work and life, and said softly, "Can I keep these...? I want to... take a closer look."
"It was originally found for you," Lin Yan said gently. "Your father's handwriting may offer you some comfort and help us better understand his thoughts, concerns, and fears back then."
Su Qingyao carefully reached out and gathered the dossier and "Abridged Records of Strange Things in Qingzhou Prefecture" in front of her, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world. Her fingertips brushed over her father's handwriting, and those familiar strokes seemed to still retain his warmth and presence.
Silence fell upon the hall once more. Outside the window, the sky was completely dark, and the light from the lanterns in the courtyard appeared all the more warm yet lonely. The night wind picked up, causing the window curtains to flutter slightly, bringing with it the chill of an autumn night.
"It's getting late," Lin Yan stood up. "I should go back. I have to get up early to travel tomorrow."
Su Qingyao also quickly stood up, feeling a strong sense of reluctance, but she didn't know how to stop her, so she only said, "I...I'll see you to the door."
The two walked out of the small flower hall, one after the other, and onto the corridor. The light from the lanterns cast long shadows on the ground, sometimes overlapping, sometimes separating. The chill of the autumn night swept over them, and Su Qingyao couldn't help but shiver slightly.
Lin Yan stopped and turned to look at her: "It's chilly outside, so I'll stop here. You... should go back and get some rest."
Su Qingyao looked up at him, the sunlight from the corridor reflecting in her clear eyes, creating shimmering waves. A thousand words welled up in her heart again, but in the end, they only condensed into one sentence: "You... be careful."
"I will." Lin Yan looked at her deeply, as if trying to etch the undisguised concern and worry in her eyes into his heart. Then, without further hesitation, he turned around and strode into the deep night, his figure quickly swallowed up by the corner of the corridor and the heavy darkness.