Trésor de Jianghu

Chapitre 19

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Picture Appears

This conversation was probably the one where we talked the most, but looking back, although it confirmed some of my previous speculations, there wasn't any real progress.

People were still dying off the cliff, but the fatal wounds were becoming more varied. I asked Yi Ge if it was Gui Ye or one of the newly returned old ghosts who were responsible, and he denied it. So there's only one possibility: the power struggle between martial arts sects has already begun, even though the treasure in the underground palace is still nowhere in sight.

I once asked Yi Ge, "Since Master Gui is the protector of the Ghost Palace, shouldn't he know the entrance to the underground palace? Why didn't he mention it to you?"

He said, "Master Gui said that the Ghost Palace has many tunnels, and the underground palace probably has more than one entrance. He knows one, which is in the Crimson Demon Hall, but the Crimson Demon Hall was destroyed, so the mechanisms on the walls are definitely gone. He doesn't know if there are any other entrance mechanisms elsewhere. Moreover, even if there are, the Crimson Demon Hall seems to be guarded by a god, and it is not easy to approach."

Yes, the Crimson Demon Palace has now taken shape. Which of those who died wasn't trying to sneak into the Crimson Demon Palace at night? So, it's hard to say whether there are guards or if they're killing each other.

The Crimson Demon Palace was finally cleared out. Some pillars remained, and several skeletons were found inside, suggesting that people had indeed been buried there. Everyone removed only the rubble, broken stones, and charred remains, leaving the pillars and beams untouched. The skeletons were also left untouched initially. It was unknown which of them belonged to the Ghost Palace Master, or whether they had long since vanished.

That night, Yi Ge went out, and for some reason, I followed him. He was heading towards the Crimson Demon Palace. When he reached the two broken stone pillars and the slanted beam at the entrance, he went inside without hesitation. In an instant, torchlight illuminated the hall. Fearing he too had been murdered, I didn't bother to conceal myself and went in. He was inserting a torch into a gap, preparing to move the skeletons. Turning around and seeing me, he wasn't particularly surprised, saying, "I want to put them together." I understood; who knew if his father's remains were among them? So I silently helped him move the dark, skeletal remains.

We had just moved one body when more people entered through the main hall entrance. I turned around and saw it was Qi Long, Zi Bu, and Zi Qian. Zi Bu and Zi Qian were quite surprised when they saw what we were doing, but Qi Long didn't say anything. He simply found a place to stick the torch in, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to help. I asked, "Why are you all here too?"

Qi Long said, "Zi Bu saw you leave and noticed you were heading in the direction of the old site. He was worried it might be dangerous to come here at night, so he came to call me. Was there anything suspicious when you came in?"

I shook my head; we really didn't see or hear anything.

Working together, the five of them were much faster, quickly moving all the remains to a corner on the west side of the main hall. Yi Ge then found some reeds to cover them up before we all came out. After taking a few steps, I heard a long, drawn-out sigh coming from inside the hall, which sent chills down my spine. I tugged at Yi Ge's arm and asked, "You, did you hear anything?" They both shook their heads. Was I just imagining things, or was I hearing things again?

During the day, when there are many people, the Crimson Demon Palace is still safe. However, after searching several times, the location of the mechanism could not be found.

As the weather gradually warmed up, even the slightest movement would leave me drenched in sweat. The trees at the site of the former ghost palace had been burned down to almost nothing, so there was no hope of finding shade. I grew impatient to go there every day to dry my oil, and I stopped going there much less often.

That morning, Chunman brought me a basin of water to wash my face. While washing, I went to the window to talk to Yige. After I finished washing, I threw the water into the basin from a distance, but I threw it too hard, and a lot of water splashed out, wetting several books on the table. Chunman picked up the books, wiped them with a cloth, and then took them to the window to air them out.

I took a look and realized they were the martial arts manuals that Yi Ge had brought back from Duwang Village. The Tongda Gong manual was also wet and somewhat heavy. I looked at the side and saw some dark stains in the middle, like ink had seeped out. I couldn't help but lament: the martial arts manual that someone had kept for over twenty years without incident had been ruined by me.

Looking at Yi Ge again, I suddenly reached out and took the wettest copy of Tongda Gong, flipping through its pages. His expression remained largely unchanged, but his brows were slightly furrowed. This must be one of the few things his mother had left him; getting it wet like this would likely ruin it. I felt a pang of guilt and whispered, "I'm sorry, I was rash." He ignored me, continuing to hold onto the Tongda Gong book. I repeated myself, but he remained unmoved. I reached for the book, intending to find a sunny spot to dry it, but as soon as my hand touched it, he twisted his body away. I was slightly taken aback. Was he angry? I had never seen him angry before. But what should I do now?

I think it's better to avoid him while he's emotionally charged, and apologize again after he calms down, or try to dry the book. If he still doesn't get better, then so be it. If this causes a rift between us, then it really means we're not meant to be.

I'm still feeling a bit down.

Once outside, I found a shady spot by the stream to hide in.

Yi Ge's taciturn nature meant he wouldn't say anything, and even his scolding was better than that little tantrum. But I didn't mean it, and the thought that he seemed unwilling to talk to me made my eyes well up with tears. Just as they were about to fall, I heard footsteps approaching the stream, and I quickly darted up into a tree with thick foliage.

Chunman and Muying arrived, each carrying a basket of clothes to wash, chatting and laughing. They put the clothes down by a small pond not far from me, and soon the sound of splashing water and their voices could be heard. After a while, someone else came this way, asking from afar, "Chunman, Miss Mu, have you seen the Prince and Princess? Why is only the Prince Consort at home?"

Chunman replied, "The Prince and Miss Qian went out together, but the Princess wasn't seen. Wasn't she just in the room? Is there something you need, Eunuch Jing?"

Eunuch Jing said, "I would like to go to Qushui with Young Master Biao. I would like to ask if you two masters have anything you would like to bring back?"

Chunman said, "The princess hasn't mentioned wanting anything recently. Perhaps you could buy some fresh fruit and bring it back. Your Highness, don't ask. Why don't you ask Miss Qian what she wants? But I guess it'll be similar to what the princess wants."

Eunuch Jing agreed and went back.

By the small pond, Mu Ying smiled and said to Chun Man, "Where did Brother Qi and Miss Qian go? Did they go to that old site of the Ghost Palace again? I was a little curious at first, but now that I see them fighting amongst themselves, I'm getting more and more impatient. But I think Brother Qi and Miss Qian aren't very interested either. They probably went sightseeing somewhere again. These two are really inseparable now. It's quite enviable."

Chunman said, "Yes, the princess used to joke around between them, but now she doesn't get involved anymore. The princess and her husband aren't as close as they are."

Mu Ying asked curiously, "I don't think Sister Qi and Brother Yi are very close. Brother Yi takes care of Sister Qi, but he's too cold. Sister Qi doesn't seem very enthusiastic towards Brother Yi either. It doesn't seem like Brother Qi and Miss Qian are very affectionate."

Chunman sighed and said, "Your Highness, that's the girl you chose yourself, and they've known each other since childhood, so it's naturally a good thing. But the princess..."

Mu Ying said, "But I heard that it was Sister Qi who arranged the marriage herself. Could it be that Brother Yi is unwilling?"

Chunman said, "The prince consort wasn't unwilling. But the princess was heartbroken before, so she wasn't very enthusiastic and just randomly chose someone. The two of them are much more harmonious now than when the princess was first married. The prince consort is actually quite protective of the princess, but he's more like a guard than a husband."

Mu Ying asked in surprise, "I thought Sister Qi was quite cheerful, but she's also been hurt in love and is heartbroken? Who could have hurt her like that?"

Chunman said with some disdain, "I didn't know at first either. It wasn't until last year in Hengshan that I found out that he was the young master of Baima Manor. Although he is good-looking, he is not worthy of the princess at all."

Mu Ying nodded and said, "Young Master Bai? He looks quite handsome, but it turns out he's heartless and ruthless at heart."

Chunman said, "What do you mean by 'handsome and talented'? I think the prince consort is more pleasing to the eye."

I almost burst out laughing while hiding in the tree. First, I laughed because wherever there's a江湖 (jianghu, a world of martial arts and chivalry), there's always gossip, and one day it'll all end up on my head. Second, I laughed because Chunman is really protective of her master, betraying her conscience by stepping on him.

Mu Ying immediately chimed in, "That's right, Brother Yi is handsome and dashing, a perfect match for the princess. Young Master Bai deserves to be unlucky."

This girl, it turns out, is just as naive and straightforward as Chunman.

But then she asked, "But Sister Qi, does she like Brother Yi? And what kind of feelings does Brother Yi have for her?"

Chunman hesitated for a moment, but then said, "I think the two of them treat each other with respect, and their relationship seems to be good, but they don't quite seem like a married couple. But Eunuch Jing said that the prince consort must like the princess. You can tell from their daily meals. The prince consort never serves the princess any food, but if the princess wants something, without her saying a word, the prince consort seems to be able to read her mind and will put that food in front of her. As for the princess, I can't see anything special about her. She's nice to everyone, and she doesn't treat the prince consort any differently. Unlike Miss Qian, who would act coquettishly with the prince, throw a tantrum, or take care of him."

I couldn't help but smile wryly. He acts like this in front of others, so I'm embarrassed to act cute with him in public. I'm afraid he'll be at a loss for words.

Mu Ying continued, "Actually, I also think that Brother Yi is quite good to Sister Qi. I remember how anxious he was when he hugged Sister Qi after I caused trouble. But Sister Qi really doesn't treat him any differently than she treats others. I think she's even closer to the two Young Masters Xin."

Oh, Yi Ge and I have been a bit distant lately. I thought it was because Gui Ye and the others were looking for him, and he seemed preoccupied and preoccupied. Could it be that my closeness with Zi Bu and Zi Qian hurt him and made him angry? Never mind, explaining this only makes things more complicated. I'd better just be careful. If he has a grudge because of these things, then today's events might just be a trigger. In short, taciturn people are the most troublesome, especially since he already has a lot of problems. If he gets angry, it'll be a clean break in no time.

As I was thinking this, I heard that the two people by the small pond had finished washing their clothes. Chunman said, "Just spread them out on the big rock by the stream, and we'll come back to collect them this afternoon."

There was a rustling sound by the pool, presumably from the two people getting up and walking back, but then they heard the two people's surprised voices: "Prince Consort (Brother Yi)?"

I peered through the gaps in the leaves and could only see Yi Ge's blue silhouette. His voice remained clear and cold: "Chunman, Miss Mu, have you seen the princess?"

The two said in unison, "No."

Yi Ge nodded to them: "Then I'll go look for her again."

The footsteps of Chunman and the other person faded into the distance, but I didn't hear Yi Ge's footsteps. He didn't leave, and I didn't turn to look at him again. I leaned against the branches of two trees and closed my eyes.

After a long silence, his voice sounded tentatively: "Misty Baby!"

I remained silent.

He seemed to deliberately make his footsteps heavy as he arrived at the foot of the tree: "Misty Baby, I know you were in the tree. Why did you come out without a word?"

I rang, but you ignored me.

Suddenly, the leaves in front of me swayed, the branch on my right sank, and Yi Ge's voice rang out above me: "Wu Bao, are you really up there? Are you asleep?"

I had to open my eyes. Yi Ge's face was right in front of me, his eyes filled with joy and concern. There was no trace of what had happened before. I looked at him, somewhat confused.

Seeing that I opened my eyes, he smiled and said, "Misty, I've found a map of the Ghost Palace tunnels."

The author has something to say: Men and women think differently, and I also encountered a dull person with whom I had no communication skills.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Unveiling the Secret

He said, "Misty, I've found the topographical map of the Ghost Palace tunnels."

I gaped in astonishment, forgetting even Nacho.

He said, "That picture was actually tucked inside the pages of 'Tongda Gong,' and it only showed up when it got wet. It took me a while to notice it. I wanted to tell you something, but you're nowhere to be found. I clearly remember you were right next to me."

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself: while I was so preoccupied, he hadn't noticed a thing, he was just observing the inner pages.

He took my hand and said, "I've taken it out. Go back and take a look."

I wished I could jump back into the room in one step. I wasn't interested in the treasure of the Ghost Palace; I was more curious about the labyrinthine tunnels beneath it.

It was a thin sheet of silk, even thinner than the Xuan paper used to copy the Tongda Gong (a type of Buddhist ritual). I had flipped through it several times before, but I hadn't noticed anything sandwiched between the folded pages. The drawing on the silk, though wet, wasn't blurred and remained quite clear. The drawing was divided into two parts. The upper part showed neatly arranged houses and buildings, clearly a floor plan of the Ghost Palace. The lower half, however, consisted only of narrow lines. But by comparing it with the upper half, it was easy to deduce which buildings had underground tunnel entrances. We discovered that the underground stone chamber in front of the Crimson Demon Lord connected to four tunnel entrances. Besides the tunnel leading to the Asura Palace, it connected to three other tunnels. Initially, we had only seen narrow black lines connecting the back of the stone walls.

Ingenious mechanisms and tricks are really not our forte, and these past few days, the area in front of the Crimson Demon Palace has been practically a battlefield. If we were to go down to investigate, we might have to break through their encirclement. But going at night—that sigh from that night still sends chills down my spine—I don't dare let Yi Ge take any risks. So, clutching that handkerchief, I remained sitting by the window, lost in thought.

Yi Ge gently nudged me: "Wu Bao, look at the four passages under Lord Chi Mei. It's one thing if they lead to the Shura Hall. But the other three, the one on the left leads to a small house behind the Chi Mei Hall, but now that house is no longer visible. The middle one leads to the back hall, and the one on the right turns a corner, going in the same direction as the middle one. But if these two directions pass through the back hall, they will enter the mountain. Could they just be escape routes?"

If it's not just a passage, then this underground palace—no, this treasure vault—should be in the back cliff mountain. Is that mountain hollow? As I thought this, I was suddenly horrified. Anyone who gets close to the back cliff will die, but those who enter the Crimson Demon Palace might not. It seems that someone is guarding that cliff, or rather, the back hall of the Crimson Demon Palace. No matter how many people there are, they are in the dark, and we are in the light, yet we can never catch a glimpse of them.

I was itching to explore, but I knew it wouldn't be easy, and I didn't want to expose the Northern Di and Yunyang soldiers so quickly. I said, "We might not be able to get close to the tunnel."

Yi Ge nodded and then said, "I have a way. We can explore together with the six major sects."

I was quite surprised and wanted to wait for his next words, but he said, "You'll know tomorrow."

Dead people are nothing new these days, especially in this treasure-hunting world. So, when Ziqian and Zibu returned from the old site the next day and said that more people had died on the back cliff, I wasn't too surprised. But Zibu's next words left me speechless: "It's complete chaos up there. This time, they even found half a map on each of the two dead bodies. They said it was a map of the underground passage of the Ghost Palace. It seems they died in a fight over the map. Nobody got anything out of it."

Well, this is Yi Ge's scheme, it's a bit cunning. Anyway, the dead can't speak, so no one knows the origin of this picture.

Ziqian added, "Now the map is in Master Tao's hands. In front of the assembled heroes, he said to draw several copies of the map, first giving them to the six major sects, and then passing them down one by one." So everyone gets a copy in the end?

I thought for a moment and said to Zibu, "Why don't you go to Master Tao's place and make a copy? You're good at drawing anyway."

Okay, if you're going to pretend, at least make it look convincing.

I know that the Crimson Demon Prince's tunnel is going to be incredibly congested again. I just wonder how the demons and monsters guarding the Crimson Demon Prince will react.

As for us, not everyone goes every day; we only send two people down to take turns checking.

On the third day, Young Master Ouyang found the mechanism for the passage on the left. It turned out to be a stone on the ground under the stone wall. We had seen it before and thought it was just a stalactite in its early stages. But it could be twisted left and right. After turning it three times to the left and four times to the right, the stone wall slowly moved to create an opening.

Inside the cave was indeed a passageway, sloping gently downwards and forwards. Like the passageway in front of the entrance, it resembled a relatively primitive cave, though several torches adorned the walls. The path was short, ending in a stone chamber. The chamber reeked of blood. It was empty except for a stone bed, with iron shackles on the wall beside it. Two feet from the bed was a stone pipe—not a complete pipe, but two interlocking semicircles. The stone itself seemed crystal clear, translucent and tinged with a blood-red color. The stone pipe ran between the bed and the wall, penetrating directly through it.

They knocked on the stone wall, but it made no sound. The other side should also be empty, perhaps a stone chamber or a passage, but they couldn't find any mechanisms here. The group speculated about the purpose of the stone chamber, and someone thought it was probably used by the Gu King to collect vital blood. Could the Gu King be located next door? But it seemed they could only take another route.

There was another mechanism inside the stone chamber. Pressing it revealed a staircase leading upwards. The group climbed the stairs and soon emerged from the tunnel. Outside, there was a pile of ruins. Looking east, they saw the remains of the Crimson Demon Palace. One of the people who participated in the destruction of the palace twenty years ago recalled, "This was where the hostages were held. After we rescued them, we burned it down. There were two rooms; one housed newly captured people who hadn't yet had their blood drawn, and the other housed those who had been drawn blood and were either half-dead or already dead. When we arrived, there were still two skeletons there that hadn't been disposed of, and a person on the verge of death. It was truly a tragedy. That Ghost Palace Master was like a vampire."

I stole a glance at Yi Ge, who had followed me. His face remained expressionless, neither happy nor angry, completely calm.

Everyone's attention seemed to be focused on the tunnel in the middle, while the tunnel on the right side of the map was rarely mentioned.

After searching for a long time, Young Master Ouyang finally found a thumb-sized protrusion at the lower right corner of the stone wall. He tried to turn it using the method for opening the tunnel on the left, but it wouldn't budge. Some guessed that the young master might not be strong enough, so they asked someone stronger to try again. Several people tried, but the protrusion remained unmoved. Qiu, the leader of the Giant Axe Gang, was impatient. Seeing that it wouldn't budge, he said, "I'll try." He gathered his strength and exerted force with his right hand, but the protrusion still didn't move, so he put in more effort. I suddenly noticed that Young Master Ouyang's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something. He had just opened his mouth to say "Wait..." when we heard a "crack," and the two-inch-long stone pillar was reduced to half. Leader Qiu stood there, holding the other half in his hand, stunned. Some of the heroes sighed in regret, while others whispered, "What a reckless fool."

Young Master Ouyang said, "Perhaps it's not rotating, but being pulled outwards?" He then grasped the half-section of the stone pillar and tried to pull it outwards, but the pillar remained unmoved. At this point, no one dared to try again, fearing they might end up destroying the mechanism like Chief Qiu had done. Nan Cong then said, "Why don't we stop here for today and discuss it further back home?"

After leaving the stone chamber, I saw that it was still early, so I decided to explore the passage on the right. I said to Zibu, "Why don't you go and call Qilong and the others to come too? Let's go see what's on the right." Zibu nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go back and get some tinder and torches." Yige accompanied me and the others to a clean spot outside the Crimson Demon Palace, but we didn't say a word.

A little while later, Zibu arrived with Ziqian, Qilong, Qianqian, and Muying. The seven of us had just returned to the stone chamber when we heard more people coming down. Turning around, we saw two people from the Fengming Sect and Sun Jing from the Lingnan Famen Sect, accompanied by a man and a woman. We all understood each other perfectly, so without beating around the bush, I nodded to Sun Jing and the two from the Fengming Sect and said, "I wish to explore to the right. Which path do you all wish to take?"

Sun Jing laughed and said, "Great minds think alike. We also want to explore the right side."

I smiled and said, "Then let's go together."

Mu Ying, who had been standing at the very back, hidden by Qi Long and Zi Bu, suddenly emerged. Upon seeing Sun Jing, she asked in surprise, "Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Senior Sister?"

Sun Jing and the other two asked in surprise, "Ying'er? What are you doing with Lady Qi? Didn't you go to your uncle's house in Laishui? When did you come back?"

Mu Ying said, "I've been back for a month. I came back with Sister Qi and the others, just to join in the fun. How come our sect is involved too?"

Sun Jing laughed and said, "Yes, with such a big commotion, Master naturally sent us to join in."

It turns out that Mu Ying is from the Famen sect. She has been here for more than a month, and although she visits the old site of the Ghost Palace every few days, she has never encountered Sun Jing and the others.

The senior and junior disciples were there reminiscing about their parting when someone pressed the button on the stone door. Qi Long led the way in, and we filed in. Sure enough, the right side was a natural karst passage, just like the left, with rough stone walls and uneven ground. We lit torches, two to a torch, looking out for each other.

Soon, there was only a stone wall ahead again, no path. Last time, Master Tao and his group must have turned back here as well. Having learned from the experience of the left passage, we shone our torches haphazardly on the ground. Sure enough, just like on the left, there was a stone pillar. Sun Jing stepped forward, grasped the pillar, and gently rotated it. A slight creaking sound was heard, and we all breathed a sigh of relief; at least the mechanism could be rotated. Again, three turns to the left and four to the right, and the stone wall indeed shrank to the right, revealing an opening.

This time, Sun Jing led his men in front, and we followed behind. The passage was very dark, but every now and then, there was a very simple oil lamp on the stone wall, which still had oil in it. We lit the lamp to save some torches.

The path beneath our feet rose and fell, and the cave grew increasingly cold and damp, with occasional drops of water falling on our heads. I felt we had definitely entered the heart of the mountain, but the passage ahead remained, not entirely straight, but without any forks. After walking about ten paces, the oil lamps on the wall went out, so we had to light our torches again.