Her beautiful eyes were like water, neither spring nor stream, but two bottomless pools, so deep and unfathomable, as if beckoning one to explore their depths. But she wouldn't jump in, because she knew that if she did, she would be the one who would be seen through.
Then she smiled.
With a cold snort, the person opposite her removed their gentle mask. After a moment, their gaze lingered on her wooden sword.
"What, someone in Jiangdu has also asked the Heavenly Dragon Sect to perform rituals?"
"The master always performs rituals." He even goes so far as to undercut prices to steal business from his competitors. "Moreover, there are many people in Jiangdu these days, and where there are many people, there are naturally many ghosts."
“Where there are many people, there are many ghosts.” Shangguan Yi murmured softly, then smiled, “It seems that Zigui had quite an interesting time while I was away.”
She sighed, "If someone visits every night, then this is considered interesting."
"Where did Zigui get into so many romantic entanglements? Every night, lovestruck young heroes visit her boudoir."
Upon hearing this, she nearly coughed up blood. Looking up, she found his eyes cold and deep, showing no hint of a joke.
"It's all because Jade Sword Manor is too big, and Madam Man and I live in adjacent houses, so those curious heroes often go to the wrong place, making it hard for me to sleep. It's really painful."
"Oh? And then what happened?"
The coldness in his eyes melted away instantly; this man seemed to revel in her suffering—truly "compassionate."
"Sigh." She sighed again, "Later on, whenever I heard the door open, I would remind them that 'the person is next door.' A few times, I think I even heard people thanking me. They were probably touched by my kindness."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yi burst into hearty laughter, his eyes sparkling like peach blossoms about to bloom. Fortunately, he managed to suppress his laughter before turning into a seductive apricot.
"Does Zigui know where I've been for the past two weeks?" His gaze was intense, certain that she knew.
Wei Bai allowed martial artists to infiltrate Jade Sword Manor at night, and the Third Master Qing never addressed her as Madam Yu. Ultimately, this stemmed from suspicion. If they didn't believe her, the martial arts world wouldn't believe her either; how could this charade continue?
When falsehood is taken for truth, even truth becomes falsehood; when nothingness is taken for existence, even existence becomes nothingness.
She was the first person in the martial arts world to turn anecdotes into historical fact. She lifted the curtain and looked at the carriage behind her: "So it turns out that Young Master Qiyang's nemesis is the Old Man of Nanshan."
"I really hate to see this play end so soon." A soft laugh rang in my ears.
No, it's been far too long.
She lowered her eyes.
A boat adrift on the water, clouds and mist floating in its reflection, a stream of green water flowing gently beneath the bridge.
Volume One, Chapter Eight
The martial world has no place for immortals, Buddhas, or Taoists; all I do is travel and ask about the longsword. If you wish to know the old stories of the martial world, wait patiently for the old man of Nanshan.
On the shores of Dongting Lake, at Nanshan Academy, the history of the martial world is recorded, and its inhabitants are discussed. No martial artists are seen, only scholars. Nanshan Academy has sixty-four rooms, each door concealing secrets of the martial world. The pen and sword are not used for officialdom, but to illuminate the martial arts world. The academy's successive heads are all called Nanshan, and are respectfully addressed as the Old Man of Nanshan. The Old Man of Nanshan recorded the secrets within secrets, compiling them into the hidden book, *Anecdotes*, before sealing it away within the Nameless Gate.
There is no right or wrong before the wordless gate; those who seek right and wrong cease at the wordless gate. This is the precious quality of Nanshan Academy, and it is also the duty of the abbot, Elder Nanshan.
Cong Luan, the seventeenth head of Nanshan Academy, is a woman.
She was not only a woman, but also a remarkable woman who could tame the young master of Qiyang.
Yu Zigui looked at Xiao Kuang, who was following behind Cong Luan and respectfully holding a red lacquered brocade box, and sighed to himself.
All the members of the four major sects and seventy-two cave dwellings had arrived. Cong Luan, wearing a Confucian cap and a blue robe, walked into the Righteousness Hall of Jade Sword Manor under the watchful eyes of everyone.
"Elder Shan," the leaders and elders of the various sects greeted him.
Cong Luan returned the greeting with neither servility nor arrogance, her gaze lingering on Madam Man beside her.
"Is this the one?" Cong Luan asked.
Master Sanqing's stern eyes narrowed: "Please, Elder Shan, make a careful judgment."
“Of course.” Cong Luan smiled casually and took the brocade box from Xiao Kuang’s hand. Then she took out a strangely shaped key from her sleeve and inserted it into the gold lock on the lacquer box.
Snap.
The crisp sound of the lock being opened drew gasps of amazement from those present.
"The Hidden Records of Anecdotes!"
“That’s right.” Cong Luan took out the blue-covered book and said seriously, “According to the rules of Nanshan Academy, ‘right and wrong do not leave the wordless gate,’ and no one except Nanshan should be able to see the Hidden Book. If it weren’t for Young Master Shangguan’s words, ‘right and wrong can be settled outside the gate,’ our academy would never have brought out the Hidden Book.”
Wow, what a big face!
Yu Zigui glanced to his side and met Shangguan Yi's ambiguous smile.
"However, there is a saying in Nanshan: 'A book should not be taken out of the house, or it will be destroyed.' No matter what the outcome is today, this secret book that records the past events of Yu Zhanyuan and Liu Ti will not exist in the world."
The words drew countless sighs. Yu Zigui looked at the blue-covered book, a sense of curiosity he had never felt before welling up in his heart.
"Want to see?" Shangguan Yi asked, leaning down.
"Yes." Her gaze remained fixed on the blue book, and her voice was hoarse. "I really want to."
"Then let's see." A very gentle instruction.
She looked up in confusion, only to hear Cong Luan say again, "To ensure fairness, this court will invite a martial arts expert to examine the hidden register and then determine whether this lady is indeed Yu Liushi."
His amber eyes swept over the eager crowd, finally settling on her.
Yu Zigui was slightly taken aback.