Eldest Young Master

The voice was somewhat hoarse, its gender impossible to discern and its source unknown. It seemed to ring directly inside his skull, and it appeared to have seen the original text of the Nine Songs.

At that thought, Qin Yi drew a deep breath. Looking at his elder sister, who was murmuring tonal patterns to herself, he said softly:

"Sis, go practice your saber in the yard for a while. I'll focus on cultivating in the room. I'll make dinner and call you when it's time to eat."

"Mm? All right."

So as not to disturb Qin Yi, Ruan Su did not remain in the small courtyard. Instead, she went directly into the woods outside to practice her saber.

Everything around him fell quiet. Qin Yi did not answer the question raised by that voice. He silently circulated the Disrupted Scripture and once again examined the state of his body.

This time, however, he did not use his eyes. He simply closed them and sensed the rhythm of spiritual essence flowing through his limbs and bones.

Very soon,

fine threads of pathways began to emerge in his mind.

They spread outward from his lower abdomen—through his belly, torso, limbs, and palms—until they finally reached the brain, which Qin Yi had never been able to observe with his eyes!

His inner vision had completely taken shape.

Qin Yi had previously believed that the densest concentration of cultivation meridians was in his hands and lower abdomen. Yet when the spiritual essence mapped out the meridians inside his skull, he suddenly discovered that their density far surpassed even his lower abdomen and both hands combined.

And at this moment,

at the very center of that immense meridian system within Qin Yi's skull, some foreign thing had taken root. It was a mass of bewitching crimson.

What was this?

Was this the thing Meng Peijiu had planted inside his body?

As he pondered, Qin Yi suddenly observed the bewitching crimson mass give off a pulse. The next instant, pain exploded in his mind, as though ten thousand needles had plunged into his brain!

He had barely managed to seize the edge of the table and force himself steady when that hoarse voice came again:

"Little thing, I asked you a question. You'd best not try my patience."

The pain came from the voice. Its purpose was to make him obey, but it was only pain; it had caused no actual injury.

A string of information flashed through his mind. Qin Yi forced himself to gulp down breaths, then asked in a trembling voice:

"Y-you... who are you?"

Bzz—

The pulse swept through him again. This time, the pain drilling into his brain lasted several breaths. The hand gripping the table trembled faintly from the force he exerted.

When the pain faded, the voice spoke unhurriedly:

"I am asking you... have you read the Nine Songs before?"

"N-no."

This time, Qin Yi immediately answered while gasping for breath, then continued trying to ask:

"Are you... the thing Meng Peijiu planted in my body?"

Boom—

A pain even fiercer and more violent than the previous two eruptions burst within his skull. Qin Yi's body tipped sideways, and he rolled straight onto the floor.

"I don't particularly like it when others ask me questions, especially things like you."

The hoarse voice seemed able to see Qin Yi's current condition, its tone utterly casual and unconcerned:

"Still... I'm in a fairly good mood after just waking up, so I'll answer one question for you.

"Meng Peijiu... I don't know her. But if you mean that remnant soul that entered your body earlier, I do know a thing or two about it."

Qin Yi lay sprawled on the floor, his body trembling slightly as he gasped for breath:

"...What?"

"I ate him."

Feng Commandery, Duckweed Water Pavilion.

A fine drizzle still pattered beyond the window lattice. The panicked clamor of the marketplace drifted in, yet the man and woman seated by the window seemed not to hear it. Their gazes were fixed upon the cup of tea, its surface gently rippling.

Only after the trembling ceased did the two slowly withdraw their eyes.

Shang Jin wore a plain white dress untouched by dust. After several moments of silence, she spoke with slight concern:

"This... was merely an ordinary earthquake, wasn't it?"

Fan You, ever stern and unsmiling, considered for a moment before replying:

"The Shu Region should not yet have a Disaster Realm."

"That's true..."

Shang Jin murmured softly, relaxing slightly. Through the window lattice, she watched the people outside who had run into the market through the rain to escape the tremors, her voice distant:

"Sometimes, I rather envy the people in these remote backwaters. They know nothing, so they have nothing to fear."

Fan You shook his head lightly and said:

"The Black Sun will spread here one day. But if a Disaster Realm were to descend upon the Shu Region, it would not be without opportunity for the two of us."

Shang Jin immediately gave a soft snort and said irritably:

"This young lady has no desire to risk nine deaths for one life in pursuit of some illusory opportunity."

"If it truly happens, I can go alone."

"Then we must first find the eldest young master!"

Shang Jin rolled her eyes and gave a cold laugh:

"Madam has issued a death order. We must find the eldest young master before anyone else does."

Even after the tremors had stopped, the marketplace remained noisy. Many people had returned beneath the eaves to shelter from the rain, while many more still stood fearfully in the curtain of rain.

Shang Jin frowned and waved a hand.

"By the way, where did Fu Ming go? The moment we entered the Shu Region, he vanished without a trace. With that carefree attitude of his, I'll have to report him to Madam once we return to the residence."

After some thought, Fan You finally said:

"He went to the provincial capital."

"The provincial capital? Is he planning to go directly to the Shu Court for help?"

Shang Jin's voice rose slightly, her expression turning somewhat strange. After pondering for a moment, she waved her hand again.

"Let him go. After all, he's a guest official. But what are we supposed to do now? The Shu Region is so vast, and there are seas of people everywhere. How are we meant to find the eldest young master?"

Fan You fell silent for several breaths, then cautiously said:

"Shang Jin, there's something I've always wanted to ask. The young master was such a small child, and so many years have passed. Could it be that he has already..."

Fan You stopped there. To continue would have been too disrespectful.

After considering for a moment, Shang Jin answered truthfully:

"You needn't worry about that. Madam personally saw a month ago that the young master's life plaque was still lit."

Hearing this, Fan You stopped hesitating. He immediately took an Ancient Shu map from his robes. It was extremely detailed, showing everything from mountains and rivers to commanderies, counties, and even the distribution of towns. He analyzed softly:

"Over the past few days, I investigated the powerful clans and great families throughout Ancient Shu. Their internal affairs are even more chaotic than we imagined. If the Black Sun spreads here, they will likely split apart at once..."

"I didn't ask you to analyze Ancient Shu's political situation." Shang Jin cut him off impatiently. "Get to the conclusion."

Fan You's brow furrowed so faintly it was almost imperceptible. Suppressing his dissatisfaction, he pointed to a continuous mountain range in the eastern part of the map and patiently said:

"Given the young master's age, if he is still alive, the place he is most likely to be is around Compassion Mountain."

"The reason?"

Shang Jin leaned back against the chair, folding her arms over her chest.

After glancing at her, Fan You explained softly:

"This place is closest to the Central Plains, and it is also the most orderly place in all of Ancient Shu."

"What?"

Shang Jin raised a brow and glanced at Compassion Mountain on the map. "Are you joking with me? A border region like this has order?"

"I already said it—I investigated."

As he spoke, Fan You drew a deep breath, already prepared for her to circle back to the beginning and ask how he had investigated.

"How did you investigate? Could you have made a mistake... Forget it."

Shang Jin indeed asked, but after thinking it over, she did not pursue the matter further.

"I'll take it as true, then. But if you are wrong when the time comes... you should know the consequences."

Fan You nodded expressionlessly and continued:

"There is a force in this place called Immortal Guest House. A few days ago, I met the man behind it—a person of considerable ability and ambition. I promised his son a slot on the Path of Soul Mounds in exchange for his help finding the young master."

Shang Jin looked at him strangely.

"Have you gone mad?"

"The slot is mine."

"Tch."

Shang Jin gave several cold laughs without mocking him further, merely asking:

"What if the young master isn't in this place?"

At that question, Fan You suddenly felt a little contempt for stupidity, especially when he thought that this trip's credit would likely be snatched away by her in large part...

Still, he endured it.

At least she would give him a share. Had it been that guest official Fu Ming, he likely would not even have been given a sip of soup.

Drawing a breath, he said softly:

"We must certainly proceed along several lines. Besides the owner of Immortal Guest House, I have also met with the great families in several nearby commanderies. We should have results within the month..."