The Letter

Accompanied by the others, the group arrived at the Blacksmith Shop.

Because of Miss Jia's special status, there were naturally no livestream cameras along the way. Everything was carried out in secret.

Before long, everyone reached the Blacksmith Shop.

The Blacksmith Shop no longer even resembled its original form.

If not for the discovery of stone inscriptions, followed by all kinds of tests and analyses, no one would have been able to confirm that this place had once been a Blacksmith Shop.

Now, Miss Jia stood before the Blacksmith Shop in silence. Yet everyone could clearly sense a peculiar emotion rising from her.

The female soldier glanced at Liu Chengchao and Li Yangji. Understanding her meaning, they all retreated several dozen meters, leaving Miss Jia alone there.

Dressed in black, Miss Jia gazed at the Blacksmith Shop ahead, an unreadable look in her eyes.

"Heize..."

She called out once, but received no response.

After a long while, a letter appeared in her hand.

The paper of the letter had yellowed. Though it had undergone special treatment, it still could not withstand the erosion of time.

Outside, Li Yangji asked, "Why did this Miss Jia come to the Great Wilderness Mountain Range?"

Liu Chengchao was puzzled as well.

The Great Wilderness Mountain Range did conceal a history shocking enough to shake heaven and earth.

But that history would probably only interest history enthusiasts.

Miss Jia did not seem like someone particularly interested in history.

Instead, she appeared to be very interested in someone named Heize.

"During your research into Heize so far, haven't you found any historical records related to him?" the female soldier asked.

"No." Liu Chengchao replied, "Everything excavated from the Great Wilderness Mountain Range is all we have."

Thinking of something, Liu Chengchao's expression became excited.

The female soldier had brought this up—could it be...?

"Could it be that you have records concerning him?"

If they did, then there would at least be some documentary proof that Heize had destroyed the Wolf Guard in the Great Wilderness Mountain Range.

"Miss Jia does." Reverence appeared on the female soldier's face. "Miss Jia's family is an aristocratic clan. Even though it declined many times over the years, in quite a few dynasties, they produced people of considerable renown.

Her ancestors seemed to have had ties with a man named Heize during the Dafeng Period."

"The Dusu Jia Family?" Liu Chengchao blurted out.

During the Dafeng Period, there were many prominent figures surnamed Jia in both military and political circles.

For example, Gun King Liu Xiu's junior disciple-brother was Jia Zhengdao, the head of the Dusu Jia Family at the time.

Jia Zhengdao was a Martial Man and a military officer, yet he was renowned for his great talent.

The Qianmo Policy he introduced, along with the large-scale construction of trade routes, was uniquely ingenious.

The state determined the road projects, while wealthy gentry competed to build the roads.

This move settled many refugees who had fled due to the Wolf Clan invasion, while also opening up trade routes and laying a solid foundation for the Rule of Da Xing later established by Emperor Fengxing.

"That's right. Miss Jia's family genealogy can indeed be traced back to the Dusu Jia Family," the female soldier said.

Li Yangji sucked in a sharp breath.

Was that really so outrageous and terrifying?

Liu Chengchao was also shocked, though not as visibly as Li Yangji.

Such millennia-old clans were rare, but they did exist in Great Xia.

These families had known low points and glory.

Their direct lineages might even have been wiped out, yet they had still endured.

Among the aristocratic clans Liu Chengchao knew of, the most famous was the Wen Family.

Since ancient times, the characters wen and wu had carried extraordinary meanings.

And the origin of writing itself came from the Wen Family.

It could be said that the Wen Family had defined the meaning of wen.

That terrifying family had endured to this day.

Even in present-day Great Xia, the Wen Family could be found in every walk of life.

Who would have thought that Miss Jia came from the Jia Family?

If Heize truly was Gun King Liu Xiu's disciple, then he really might have been connected to the Jia Family.

At that thought, Liu Chengchao's heart surged with excitement.

If there were further chains of evidence proving Heize's existence, it would be tremendously important.

"I have a letter written by Heize."

A voice came from ahead. Miss Jia appeared before them.

In her hand was a withered yellow letter.

The letter was covered by a thin film and had clearly undergone special treatment.

Liu Chengchao immediately looked over.

There were not many words on the letter, only a few plain sentences.

The handwriting was Yan Script, commonly used during the Great Feng Dynasty.

"Xiangjun, the Wolf Guard has come. I've decided to take revenge.

It's a pity I couldn't see you one last time. You're much prettier than Widow Liu and Empress Dowager Feng.

—Heize."

Liu Chengchao read the words on the letter aloud.

Everyone present was somewhat astonished.

The letter seemed like an ordinary personal note, yet it revealed a great deal of information.

Heize really had gone to deal with the Wolf Guard.

Miss Jia took the letter back, as though it were incomparably precious to her.

Her gaze was clear and limpid, but no one saw it.

"If you need this letter later to clear Heize's name, you may contact me," Miss Jia said calmly.

"No problem," Liu Chengchao said from the side.

Though the letter was brief, it revealed much.

It seemed Heize had been quite young back then.

He must have shared some sort of romantic relationship with a woman from the Jia Family at the time—an ancestor of the Miss Jia before them—named Xiangjun.

"Let's go take a look at the Shrine of Life and Death," Miss Jia said in an even voice.

"Alright." Liu Chengchao and the others immediately led Miss Jia to the Shrine of Life and Death.

The Shrine of Life and Death had now been treated, and its lighting was somewhat brighter.

"The Shrine of Life and Death records that Heize held back ten thousand alone and slaughtered the Wolf Guard.

The wording of this record is likely exaggerated.

But it can still prove that the Wolf Guard's destruction was truly connected to Heize."

As Liu Chengchao spoke, he kept glancing at Miss Jia. Unfortunately, the thin black veil kept him from seeing either her face or expression clearly.

"Combined with the letter in Miss Jia's possession,

Heize likely wrote a letter to his lover Xiangjun, then came to the Great Wilderness Mountain Range and went to war against the Wolf Clan."

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Liu Chengchao felt that when he said the word "lover," Miss Jia's body seemed to react slightly.

"According to the description here, Heize slaughtering over ten thousand Wolf Guards by himself is indeed highly unscientific," the female soldier offered her opinion.

"As Gun King Liu Xiu's disciple, Heize was indeed very powerful.

But no matter how powerful he was, he was only one man.

The things recorded at the Shrine of Life and Death cannot be accepted entirely as fact," Liu Chengchao said.

He treated the contents of the Shrine of Life and Death as though he were reading a book.

Some materials could be used as reference.

As for the rest, it was enough just to read it.

Otherwise, if everything were taken as truth, did that mean ancient myths were real too?

"Heize was very strong." Miss Jia, who had remained silent and rarely spoke, looked at the Shrine of Life and Death and sighed. She seemed to have sunk into some memory.

"Holding back ten thousand alone may have been exaggerated, but I believe he could have held back a hundred by himself," Miss Jia said, her voice certain.

"One against a hundred is indeed possible." Liu Chengchao did not deny it.

Ten thousand people and one hundred people were different matters.

A rabble of one hundred could very well be scattered by a single man.

But ten thousand elite Wolf Guards? Impossible!

"The pace of excavation can be accelerated." Miss Jia looked at Li Yangji. "I am willing to provide your work group with some financial support."

Hearing Miss Jia's words, Li Yangji's heart swelled with excitement.

"No problem!"

What excited him was not the money.

It was that he had established a connection with Miss Jia.

Sometimes, connections mattered more than money.

Miss Jia looked toward the construction site ahead. "I want to see his remains."