Chasing Rainbows

Chapter 27

He replied, "I didn't think it was you yesterday. It was Aunt Liu who sells steamed buns up ahead who told me that you were arrested by that shopkeeper."

I chuckled: "I wasn't arrested. What, don't you all know the owner of the woodworking shop?"

He shrank his neck slightly: "It's been over ten years. He has a bad temper and doesn't like to talk to people. We really don't know his surname."

I couldn't help but think to myself: This is definitely Yi Ge's father; he's the kind of guy who'll die if I say another word.

We walked back to Yitianling. The horse I borrowed—after chatting with Uncle Leng yesterday, when we returned to the inn, the waiter told me it had run away. Sigh, I guess I'll just have to pay the Ouyang family some compensation today.

He said he knew a shortcut; although crossing the mountain was more arduous, it would lead directly to the back cliff of the Crimson Demon Palace. He knew that path well enough to not stray even at night.

He didn't say much along the way; it was mostly me asking questions and him answering. He said that the fragrant wood ball was carved by him, from a whole piece of nanmu wood. It took him a long time to make, and he only made two. He gave the ball to Yi Ge's mother, but he didn't know why it was sold by someone else, or whether it ended up in existence before or after her death. I thought about it; I bought this ball about seven or eight years ago. Was Yi Ge's mother dead then? The timing seems to match. Thinking of this, it suddenly dawned on me: Guo Cheng, the boy who sold the wooden ball, could he be young Yi Ge? Did I actually meet him once?

Another flash of inspiration streaked past, but I missed it. Even so, I was overjoyed, as if I had untied several knots.

In the distance, we could see the huge rock on Yitian Ridge. This road was indeed short; it took about the same amount of time as riding a horse along the official road.

As we passed a place called Paiyun Ridge, Uncle Leng suddenly said, "I think I see someone I know. I'll go take a look. You go ahead. Just follow this path straight down to the back cliff of Chimei Palace. I'll find you at the wooden house in Songxi Village." I looked in the direction he was looking, but I didn't see anyone.

Paiyun Ridge is separated from Yitian Ridge by only two peaks. Paiyun Ridge is slightly higher than Yitian Ridge, which actually only has a few boulders and is relatively flat. Paiyun Ridge is more lush with trees and has more undulations than Yitian Ridge.

It was nearly noon, the sun was quite strong, and the forest was very quiet, save for the sound of my own footsteps and the gentle murmur of the stream beneath. I went down to the roadside ditch to wash my face, and as I turned my head, I suddenly saw a narrow, silvery flash across the hillside above—it seemed to be the glint of a weapon. Suspicion immediately arose in my mind; it was clearly a drawn weapon. Who was carrying a weapon here? Could there be a private duel? But I heard no shouts or sounds of fighting. Either they were too far away to hear anything, or someone was lying in ambush.

I lightly leaped up a tall cedar tree, shaded my eyes with my hand, and looked carefully into the distance.

The only sound in the woods was the chirping of cicadas, but in the distance, several birds circled above a small grove of trees. Seeing how dense the trees were, with branches intertwined, I had an idea. I leaped and darted through the woods like a monkey, heading towards that spot. When I was very close, I crouched among the branches of an oak tree to get a closer look.

Sure enough, the glint of weapons flashed in the sunlight through the woods. This time I could see clearly; the silver light was concentrated, and there were probably quite a few people in the forest. I dared not leap among the branches anymore, for fear that the whistling sound would startle those in the woods. After determining my direction, I carefully climbed down from the tree and slowly made my way through the woods. This grove of trees was right by the road to Yitian Ridge; I could have avoided them, but it would have taken more time. However, curiosity always triumphs over reason, and I stepped into the woods step by step.

A sound of clothes fluttering in the wind brushed past my ear, and I jumped back to my feet. Looking around, I saw two people in blue robes standing silently to my northeast and northwest. I quickly looked around, then turned around and saw two more people in blue robes standing to my southeast and southwest. I was now surrounded by them.

I held my breath, my mind racing as I considered all possible escape routes. I could see the gleam of armor in the woods, the red tassels of helmets swaying gently—a troop of soldiers. Moving forward was out of the question; retreating was the only option. Only by defeating the two men in blue behind me could I escape. The forest was unsuitable for large-scale marches, but with my light-footed skills, I should be able to shake them off. However, I couldn't get a clearer look at these soldiers.

I flicked my Swift Shadow and swept it towards the person in the southeast corner behind me. At the same time, I leaped backward. The person dodged, but three swords were thrust out simultaneously. Swift Shadow swept past, and the swords all veered slightly. The four of them quickly changed positions again, and the one who had first dodged my Swift Shadow was now standing to my right. Alas, I was now in a small clearing. Though small, the trees were all behind them, and I was surrounded only by bushes.

That single lash, however, allowed me to test the waters and discover that while these four possessed decent lightness skills, their martial arts weren't exceptional. I still had a chance of winning. But while I was fighting, I couldn't alert the soldiers in the forest. I lashed out again, sweeping across the feet of the men in blue on my left and in front of me. As they dodged, I lunged forward, intending to climb a tree. Unexpectedly, their repositioning was incredibly fast; the one behind me had already moved to my left, while the one on my right filled the gap behind me, thrusting his sword at me. My silence was understandable, but strangely enough, these four also remained silent.

I exerted my strength, dispersing the swift shadow. The white shadow, like a net, enveloped the person in front of me, preventing him from moving. I used the opportunity to leap up. While I was in mid-air, swords from my left, right, and behind me simultaneously attacked. The swift shadow spun lightly, and the silken threads split into several strands, gently binding the two swords and guiding them to one side. The two swords clashed, producing a crisp "clang." Using the momentum, I flew towards the nearest tree.

The clanging sound startled the soldiers in the forest, and someone shouted, "Who goes there?" Footsteps approached in that direction.

I was in the tree, and the four people below were still positioned at the four corners. A small squad of soldiers appeared from the woods, wearing golden helmets and armor, but their undergarments were royal blue. That bright royal blue, that familiar blue. Duanzhou soldiers, those were the guards of the Prince of Huaiyi's mansion!

My heart settled down, but I still didn't climb down the tree. The junior officer at the front called out to one of the men under the tree, "Guard Liu, what's going on?"

The guard Liu pointed in the direction I was standing and said, "There is a woman spying on the camp."

As soon as he said that, the junior officer waved his hand, and seven or eight soldiers surrounded the tree, nocked arrows, and pointed them at me.

I originally climbed the tree to leap from the branches, but now I can't escape. However, my own guards don't need to leave.

I jumped down from the tree, straightened my clothes, and asked the junior officer, "Soldier of the Prince of Huaiyi's Palace in Duanzhou, whose subordinate are you?"

The junior officer was taken aback, looked me over with suspicion, and replied, "He is one of General Wang Xi's men."

I asked casually, "Has General Wang arrived?"

He replied, "General Wang is not here."

I frowned. I could recognize them, but it wouldn't be good if they didn't recognize me, so I asked, "Then do you recognize me?"

His face showed even more suspicion. After a moment's hesitation, he suddenly knelt down and said, "This humble servant, Shao Wen, greets Princess Neon." He then waved his hand behind him, and the soldiers quickly put away their bows and arrows.

The four men in blue were all surprised, and immediately knelt down, saying, "We have offended the princess."

I asked, "Who are you...?"

Among them, Guard Liu seemed to be the leader. He kowtowed and said, "I am Liu Yuntian, a secret guard of the Prince Huaiyi's Mansion. I used to be under the Prince Consort's command, but I have never had the chance to meet the princess."

There were over a hundred men in the woods, led by a military officer surnamed Qiu, who was under Uncle Yu's command. I had seen him before. After asking him, I learned that this was actually the third batch of soldiers sent by the Northern Barbarians.

When we set off south, a contingent of over a hundred Northern Di imperial guards accompanied us, but Qi Long arranged for them to stay separately and not travel with us. However, General Qiu said that a little over a month ago, the Prince of Duanzhou's residence received a message from the Prince via carrier pigeon, ordering another troop to be sent. General Wang then set off with about 160 or 170 men. Half of them traveled faster, while the other half served as the rear guard, slowly following behind and awaiting further instructions to enter Lingnan. But a little over half a month ago, the Prince sent another message, instructing the rear guard to stay in Lingnan, southeast of Qushui. I deduced that when Qi Long sent the first message, we had only recently arrived in Qushui, and the second message came when Yi Ge said that the eldest son of the Ouyang family was being held hostage with great suspicion.

It seems Qi Long was prepared all along. So, Uncle Xu, you've been away from Qushui for the past two weeks; have you been making some moves as well?

When I arrived at the back cliff of Yitianling, I was stunned by what I saw.

Author's note: Next update on May 5th.

Chapter Forty-Four: Slaughter

When I arrived at the back cliff of Yitianling, I was stunned by what I saw.

I left here only a day ago, how did this place become a battlefield? But the war doesn't seem to have even started yet.

Four armies stood silently encircling Yitian Ridge. I perched in a tree, looking ahead. Directly opposite me were Uncle Xu's Yunyang Imperial Guards; to the left of Yitian Ridge were Western barbarian soldiers in dark green robes; to the right were Qi Long's Prince Duan's troops; and in front of me were about a hundred soldiers in red short-sleeved shirts, rattan armor, and helmets. Judging from their dark complexions, I could easily guess they were Nandan soldiers. But seeing them and guessing were two entirely different things.

The Northern Barbarian Imperial Guards and the Prince Duan's troops had informed Yunyang of their entry, but how did the Southern Dan soldiers and Western Barbarians manage to get in? Although their numbers were relatively smaller.

The soldiers from the four kingdoms occupied the small hills surrounding Yitian Ridge, giving them a commanding view that the martial arts heroes below might not even notice them. All four kingdoms remained silent, seemingly waiting for something.

The scorched earth surrounding the Ghost Palace of Yitianling, with its ruins and broken walls, was littered with corpses. There wasn't a single living person left. It had long since become a battlefield, no wonder it was so silent.

However, this is only the surface; we have no idea what the underground landscape is like.

Qi Long is there, Qianqian must be in Songxi Village, and Zibu, Ziqian, Chunman, and Eunuch Jing must be together. But where is Yi Ge? Where is Yi Mei? Where is Baima Village? Where are Cheyu Village, Nanfeng Fort, the Ouyang family, Suyi Gate, Liuhe Village, Famen…? There's a distance between them, so I can't tell if they're among the fallen. But I believe Yi Ge isn't among them; if he is, he must be in the underground palace.

Passing through Nandan's camp is the shortest route into the underground palace, but after thinking about it, I didn't force my way through Nandan's camp. Instead, I went around to Qilong's camp on the right.

It took me almost half an hour to circle around a small slope and enter the Duanzhou Prefecture garrison. As soon as I climbed down from the tree, I was spotted by a sentry. I didn't have time to waste with him and said directly, "I am Princess Neon. Take me to see the Prince."

When Qi Long saw me, his eyes and brows were filled with surprise and delight: "Wu'er, how did you get out? I sent people to look for you but couldn't find you."

I was a little confused: "Where did you come from? I came back from Laichun Town."

Qi Long's brows furrowed: "You weren't kidnapped by the Ouyang family? But Eunuch Jing went to Laichun Town to look for you. People in the town said they saw a girl in a green gauze dress being chased and kidnapped by a middle-aged man."

Remembering what the coffin shop owner had said, I suddenly realized, "Was it Eunuch Jing who was looking for me? I did fight someone, but that person was Young Master Hanyu. What does he have to do with the Ouyang family? Besides, he didn't kidnap me. I just went to Laichun Town to relax."

Qi Long punched his palm and said, "Damn it, Yi Ge has been tricked."

"Yi Ge, what are you falling for?"

Qi Long said, "Yesterday afternoon, the Second Young Master Ouyang brought one of your wooden hairpins to Yi Ge, saying that you were in their hands and that Yi Ge needed the key to the last door of the underground palace in exchange. Fearing there were traps in the underground palace, he wanted Yi Ge to enter with them. Later, the other five sects found out and demanded that everyone enter at the same time, and the distribution of the treasure was re-arranged. After the six major sects sent people in, the other smaller sects learned of the news and gathered in front of the underground palace, only to be intercepted and killed. We don't know how many people entered the underground palace. But so far, ten hours have passed, and none of the important people have come out. Those who did come out were shot and killed by the Western Di and Southern Yi people on the other side."

I was startled: "The key? Yi Ge has the key to the last door of the underground palace?"

Qi Long nodded: "It's the sapphire you used to wear around your neck. Didn't you give it to him? I didn't know you went to Laichun Town again. When the Ouyang family used you to blackmail me, I didn't believe it at first, but I sent Eunuch Jing on a fast horse to Laichun Town. He searched the whole town but couldn't find you. People in the market were saying the same thing, so I believed it. However, before Eunuch Jing returned, Yi Ge had already entered the underground palace."

So that's how it is. He didn't actually want the token back to give to someone else; I was just being petty and overthinking things. But why didn't he tell me it was the key to the door?

But he's been inside for ten hours already. What's going on inside? Is he alive or dead?

I grew anxious and said to Qi Long, "I want to enter the underground palace."

Qi Long said, "No, we don't know what the situation is inside. You should wait. If he's alive, he'll come out eventually. If he doesn't, I'm afraid he's in grave danger. If you don't appear, I was planning to wait another hour, then clear out the Westerners on the other side, and then enter the underground palace."

I shook my head: "I can't wait. Anyway, I'm back now, and the Ouyang family and the Western Barbarians have nothing to rely on. Why don't you deal with them outside, and I'll go into the underground palace to investigate?"

He pondered for a moment and said, "Then I'll send someone with you. Also, how about I give you an hour? If you can't find anyone, come out quickly, don't worry about whether there's any treasure or not. I've already found the Thunderbolt Hall and had them plant mines. When they explode a couple of places, we're bound to find something."

I hesitated. My motivation for seeking Yi Ge was to find him alive or dead. I still had so much to tell him. I wanted to tell him who his biological father was; I wanted to ask him if he was the one who sold me the wooden ball back then; I wanted to ask him who the little girl he liked back then was. No, I wouldn't ask that. I would just tell him directly that I liked him, and liked him more and more. I didn't care about his identity as the young master of the Ghost Palace (no, he wasn't actually the young master of the Ghost Palace). At worst, I would give the Mist Token to A Yan. I wanted to tell him that even if we couldn't find the Rainbow Chasing Blade, it didn't matter. My biggest wish now wasn't to find the blade, but to find a place with him and live together peacefully. Maybe to Duwang Village, maybe back to Snow Peak Mountain. Anyway, my mother and father were both in Dragon Mist Mountain now.

Actually, my biggest wish right now is that he can live!

Seeing my hesitation, Qi Long said, "Otherwise, you shouldn't go. I'll have Zi Bu and Zi Qian keep an eye on you."

I gritted my teeth and said, "Whatever you say."

I leaped towards the Asura Hall, not worried about becoming a sitting duck, as my brother and Uncle Xu would cover me.

Sure enough, as soon as I got up, I heard the soldiers of Duanzhou suddenly shout: "The princess is back! Kill the Western barbarian thieves!"

The battlefield is always like a game of chess; one move can affect the whole game, and the area around Yitian Ridge began to boil over.

Chaos always makes it easy to find gaps, and I approached the Asura Hall without incident. Qi Long sent a small squad of seven or eight soldiers to follow me. The leader was extremely skilled in light footwork, and I suspected he was also a former secret guard, but I didn't have time to ask him.

Unlike the bustling atmosphere on the ridge, the underground entrance to the Asura Palace was eerily silent, though the entrance itself was open. It was a rainy season, and to prevent rainwater from flooding the underground passage, Master Tao had reminded everyone to close the entrance when entering or exiting; the same applied to the exit behind the Crimson Demon Palace.

The tunnel was quiet, with only scattered footprints, but no one was around. Every door on the path from the Asura Hall to the Crimson Demon Hall was closed, but thankfully, I already knew how to open them. However, when I reached the deep underground hall of the Crimson Demon Hall, I found many bodies lying there. I searched each one; most were from smaller sects, but there were also people from Liuhe Manor and the Plain Robe Sect. None of the people I knew were among them, and I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, I heard light footsteps on the stone steps to the left leading to the hostage quarters outside the palace. The soldier leader behind me drew his sword with a "whoosh" and shouted, "Who goes there?!"

Before I could finish speaking, the sound of a hidden weapon whistling through the air came from the direction of the little leader. I flicked my Swift Shadow and slashed at the source of the weapon. The weapon missed its mark and shot towards the stone wall. With a "clang," it fell to the ground. It was a throwing knife.

Then, several people came down the stone steps, moving quickly and silently.

I was surprised when I saw the face of the person in front of me, but I recognized him. It was Qi Yi, who was standing next to Yi Ge.

He was also surprised to see me, but a look of joy appeared on his face. He said, "Princess, you're really alright? Did the Prince find you?"

I asked urgently, "Qi Yi, what are you doing here? Didn't you go with Yi Ge?"

He nodded: "After entering that door, the young master sent me out to guard this place and not let anyone out."

I was somewhat surprised: "What? Why won't you let them out?"

He said, "The young master's initial plan before entering the tunnel yesterday was to prevent outsiders from entering, but he changed his mind later. After entering the door, he gave me the token and asked me to come out after noon today to find the princess and return the token. He also instructed me not to let anyone out before noon, and to kill anyone who escapes." As he spoke, he handed over two items, which were indeed the sapphire and the blue crystal.

"And what about him? How many people went through the last door?"

"There were about thirty people, including people from Baima Village, Nanfeng Fort, Ouyang Family, Famen, Liuhe Village, and Suyimen."

What's inside that door?

"Qi Yi doesn't know. But the young master has another message for Qi Yi to pass on to the princess." He glanced at my waist and said, "That jade pendant is the token of the princess's secret guards. If the princess needs it in the future, she only needs to raise the pendant, and someone will respond."

I followed his gaze downwards and saw the jade pendant, a semi-circular one engraved with lotus and fish. I had taken it from Yi Ge and casually tucked it into my waistband. It almost slipped out on the way to Laichun, so I tied it to my belt along with the sandalwood ball.

However, there was a sense of foreboding in his words: "Aren't the princess's secret guards under the command of the prince consort? What does he mean by saying this? Does he not intend to come out?"

Qi Yi said, "If the young master doesn't say, this subordinate doesn't know."

A wave of sorrow washed over me: "Qi Yi, you don't need to stay here anymore. I'm going in to find him. You can follow if you want, or wait here if you don't. But don't go out. The world is in chaos outside."

Qi Yi said, "Naturally, I will follow the princess."

I twisted the mechanism inside the table, and the hidden door in the wall swung open with a bang, releasing a pungent smell of blood.

The dim light of the luminous pearl illuminated the eerie passageway, beyond which lay the library. However, the passageway was littered with several corpses, some with their heads facing the library, while others faced the passageway itself, as if they had been killed from behind while trying to escape.

The library was in complete disarray, shelves were overturned and most of the books were knocked to the ground. Several people lay dead on the floor. I went over and turned over the bodies, but I didn't recognize any of them. One of the men had a book sticking out of his clothes; he must have stolen one, fought with someone, and been killed. His killer was probably also dead.

I shook my head and continued walking. I found the wall, felt around it, and sure enough, there was a small indentation.

I held that sapphire in my palm the whole time. I put it in the hole, which filled the void, but I didn't know how to open the door.

Qi Yi said, "I noticed that when the young master opened the door, there seemed to be a handle on the back." I pried off a luminous pearl from the wall and examined it closely. I then discovered that the grass pattern engraved on the back of the sapphire was actually a small movable handle. After prying it out and standing it up, I carefully rotated it, and sure enough, I heard a crisp "click" sound from the wall. The wall moved away silently.