Instantly, three women, swords in hand, walked out from the blue stone path on the right. The woman in the lead, dressed in blue and appearing to be in her thirties, demanded before even reaching them, "Who dares to trespass on the island?"
“Madam Qing said she has a token from the Palace Master and wants to see the Palace Master.”
I handed the gold lock to the woman: "This is a token of Palace Master Murong. I am Yun Mo from the Xiaoyao Sect. Please announce my presence."
Madam Qing took the golden lock and looked at it. Seeing that I was unarmed, she nodded and said, "Wait here and do not move rashly. Otherwise, if you trigger the mechanism, don't blame Jinbo Palace for not being hospitable."
After a short while, Madam Qing came quickly to me and said, "Come with me."
Jiang Chen and I exchanged a glance, and Jiang Chen nodded at me. I suddenly felt nervous. My mother, was she really on the island? I hadn't had much hope to begin with, but now that I was about to see her, I felt uneasy and anxious, like someone who was afraid to go home.
Following Madam Qing, Jiang Chen and I walked along the bluestone path towards the center of the island. The bluestone path crisscrossed and branched off frequently. I followed behind Madam Qing without daring to deviate even slightly. I had heard that this place was full of traps and mechanisms. Although I did not understand the art of divination and escape, looking at the stone path under my feet, I felt that the layout was very strange and eerie.
Passing through a coconut grove, a palace-like house came into view. With its vermilion glazed tiles and jade walls, it shimmered and shone under the June sun, as magnificent and beautiful as a mirage.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, looked up and examined the palace, and sighed, "No wonder it's called Jinbo Palace. It's truly a place where misty waves ripple and the sky is blue, with buildings standing tall against the setting sun."
Madam Qing stopped in her tracks: "The Palace Master is inside. Please, both of you."
I slowly stepped onto the stairs, my heart pounding. Jiang Chen held my hand tightly, as if trying to give me some strength.
The main hall is deep and spacious, decorated only in black, white, and gold, exuding wealth without being ostentatious or extravagant, and solemnity without losing its bright and grand atmosphere. In the center of the hall, four massive pillars, each requiring two people to encircle, stand with coiled dragons spiraling upwards to the caisson ceiling.
A tall woman stood backlit in the hall, dressed in deep purple robes and with her face veiled in white gauze. She stood in the shadow of a dragon pillar, solemn and indifferent, exuding a cool and distant aura.
For a moment, I felt like I was walking into a dream, a dream I'd had since I was a child, in which my mother came to see me.
I slowly walked over, meeting her gaze. From the moment I learned about my past, I had been imagining what she looked like and what it would be like to meet her. But it shouldn't be like this. I knew she wouldn't be very excited or emotional when she saw me, but at least, she shouldn't be veiled, her eyes so cold.
She is my mother, and she won't even let me see her face? An indescribable disappointment welled up in my heart.
"You are Yunmo?"
Her voice was different from what I expected; it was completely devoid of excitement, cold and calm, as if she were asking a stranger, an uninvited guest.
The overwhelming excitement and anticipation I felt on the way here were shattered by her indifferent greeting, leaving only a faint bitterness and disappointment. She really didn't like me, and didn't want to see me. Had I come to the wrong place?
I answered hesitantly, "Yes, it is."
She gave a faint "oh" and turned her gaze to Jiang Chen, seemingly distracted even when looking at me.
The disappointment in my heart was indescribable. It seemed that my master was only comforting me; she didn't actually care for me as he claimed. At this moment, she stood only three zhang away from me, yet it felt like we were a million miles apart. I couldn't take another step towards her.
She turned her gaze away from Jiang Chen, then looked at me and asked calmly, "What brings you here?"
Looking into her calm, unwavering eyes, my sense of loss intensified. A lump rose in my throat, and it took a great deal of effort to catch my breath before I whispered, "I... I just wanted to see you."
Given her attitude, I can no longer express my intentions. If I did, it would probably just be a joke, and would only invite her ridicule or sarcastic rejection.
“I haven’t seen a stranger in decades. My appearance is nothing but a stinking carcass. Whether I see him or not, it makes no difference. I don’t believe you risked coming to the island just to see me.”
Jiang Chen quietly took my hand and gently pinched my palm with his nail.
I didn't understand what he meant, so I glanced at him. He looked serious, his starry eyes slightly narrowed, and he was quietly watching Murong Qiao, as if the pinch he gave me was just an unintentional act.
Jiang Chen smiled and said, "Senior, Xiao Mo came here because she wanted to ask about her background."
"life experience?"
"Yes, that golden lock was a gift from Palace Master Murong. I suppose the Palace Master knows about Xiao Mo's background."
"This, this golden lock is indeed mine, but I cannot disclose her background."
I was stunned! Her attitude and tone made it seem as if she didn't know me at all. My heart was stabbed hard. Just a moment ago, I was standing precariously on the edge of a cliff, but now, I felt like I had plummeted.
Jiang Chen cupped his hands and said, "Then we'll take our leave. We apologize for any inconvenience caused, senior."
He shook my hand and said softly, "Xiao Mo, let's go."
I nodded silently. I hadn't expected her to be so cold and aloof, so unapproachable. All the words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat. Mother and daughter were like strangers—wasn't that a tragedy?
I said with a wry smile, "Sorry to bother you." I had indeed oversimplified things. I thought that because I was her daughter and she was willing to give me the female version of the Chongshan Sword Technique, I had the audacity to come and get the male version back for the Jiang family. I was so naive.
"Jinbo Island has not been visited by any guests for decades. Since you two have come from afar, why don't you have a meal before you leave?"
Jiang Chen and I declined in unison, but she said, "The food and wine are ready. I suppose you two have already enjoyed the delicacies. Today, I have prepared two special dishes for you."
Before he finished speaking, several women filed in, bringing two dishes and a pot of wine. Then, a man entered from outside the hall. He was tall and straight, and his face was covered by a half-gold mask, making it impossible to tell his age.
"This is Protector Zhou. I am not good at drinking, so I specially asked him to accompany this young hero."
"I wouldn't dare accept that, and I'm not good at drinking either," Jiang Chen politely declined with a slight smile.
Protector Zhou smiled and said, "Come, please sit down."
As he spoke, he and Murong Qiao sat down first. I forced myself to sit down with Jiang Chen. The maid behind Murong Qiao lifted the lid of the plate. I glanced at it and almost vomited.
It turned out to be a plate of locusts and a plate of silkworm pupae!
Murong Qiao said unhurriedly, "This dish is called 'Soaring to Success.' This dish is called 'Unrivaled Courage.' These are rules personally set by the former Palace Master. Everyone who comes to Jinbo Palace as a guest must eat these dishes before leaving, as a way to bring good luck to guests who have come from afar. Please, both of you."
I really can't eat it, and I don't dare to eat it.
Murong Qiao gave a cold laugh: "Are you two afraid of poison?"
Jiang Chen quickly replied with a smile, "No."
Murong Qiao first picked up a locust, then a silkworm pupa, and put them in her mouth one after the other. I watched her swallow them calmly and without making a sound, and a wave of bitterness surged in my heart.