Legend

Xie Qingying retreated into the vast fog, barely managing to stop her escape.

Looking back at the Central Region, the bluish-gray mist had completely swallowed up Sword Peak, the Yuanming Sword-Playing Sect, and the mountains and rivers of the Central Region.

The fog was thick, obscuring the sun; only the setting sun cast a dark gold glow on the fog, a poignant and blood-red hue.

"Miss, that is..." Elder Xie Clan's voice trembled behind him.

"The Mingyang Decoy Tomb," Xie Qingying said softly, her eyes glistening with tears, seemingly grave.

"Or rather, it's a gateway to the dungeon."

The bluebird on her shoulder trembled slightly and let out a low, mournful cry.

The cry carried an indescribable sorrow, as if it had sensed something.

Xie Qingying raised her hand to gently stroke the bluebird's wings, but her gaze remained fixed on the sea of mist.

"Miss, we..."

"Wait."

Xie Qingying interrupted him.

"Wait for the right person to come."

She paused, then suddenly murmured:

"Mist shrouds the river, twilight falls, the setting sun casts its last rays, a sense of parting lingers... This doesn't seem like Mingyang's work."

"What does Miss mean?"

"It's Greater Yin tactic!" A strange light flashed in Xie Qingying's eyes.

"Hazy, bewildered, unable to obtain what one desires, unable to reach what one longs for, loving and hating each other, resenting separation... it's just like the notes left behind by our ancestor True Lord."

Xie Qingying recalled the scattered records in the clan's ancient books.

Legend has it that the teachings of the Greater Yin School are vast and boundless, and that a pure and flawless fairy, residing high in the moon palace, controls the ripples of time and space.

He has the power to control the Cangxuan and mysterious underworld, the cycle of reincarnation, and all living beings, including ghosts.

Judging from this, if my guess is correct, it should be the work of the legendary goddess who resides in the Greater Yin Hidden Realm Palace.

Legend has it that she never appears for thousands of years, indifferent to worldly affairs and the causes and effects of life.

However, there is a legend that has been passed down to this day.

That was a legend about her and the former Wei Zu, Divine Lord Mingyang.

Divine Lord Mingyang, the ancestor of the Wei Imperial House, was a great figure who single-handedly inherited the Greater Yang Dao Lineage sun and moon during a time of celestial upheaval and chaos, when all schools of thought had fallen into decline.

In his youth, he came from an official family and had lofty ambitions. He wished to become a general who would conquer the west, eliminate all the barbarian tribes, and bring Huanyu.

He rose to prominence in a chaotic world, turned the tide in times of crisis, seized the Flame Han emperor to command all the sects, swept away the demons and stabilized Cangxuan, and also gained the inheritance of both military and legalist schools.

He recruited talented individuals, composed poems while brandishing his spear, and possessed a spirit that encompassed the mountains and rivers.

He pacified the world and won over the people, and reformed the government to bring peace to the common people. He established the foundation of the Great Wei Dynasty. He was a hero of his time, and his achievements were remarkable. His power and prestige extended to all corners of the land.

Legend has it that he once encountered the Goddess of the Greater Yin in the depths of the Great Void.

That one glance lasted a thousand years.

What happened next is unknown.

All that is known is that Divine Lord Mingyang never set foot in the Greater Yin Hidden Realm Palace again throughout his life.

He conquered the world, experienced the ups and downs of life, grew old on the imperial throne, and finally passed away in the magnificent imperial palace.

Some say it was because the goddess was heartless and the emperor was disappointed.

Having witnessed this today, one should know that the Goddess of the Greater Yin must have been waiting in the Hidden Realm Palace all along.

Waiting for someone who will never come.

"A thought from Mingyang travels a thousand miles..." Xie Qingying murmured softly, "Why does Your Majesty not come again?"

The Emperor passed away, ultimately unable to keep that appointment.

At this moment, is this sea of mist, these prophecies, these formations... all her doing?

She's waiting for him.

Xie Qingying suddenly said, "After waiting for so many years, are you still waiting?"

The bluebird chirped softly, as if in response.

"Miss, you mean this suspected tomb... No! Could this be an imperial mausoleum?!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"If it truly is an imperial tomb, how could the Mingyang Imperial Mausoleum be located in the Ruin Realm outside of Cangxuan?!"

Elder Xie Clan stared in disbelief and exclaimed in surprise.

Xie Qingying sighed softly, her words carrying a deeper meaning.

"Perhaps it's the lingering affection of the Greater Yin, or perhaps... it was specially prepared."

She looked up into the depths of the sea of fog, where eerie green lights drifted through the mist, flickering like ghostly lanterns.

"The mist and haze gathered into layers of pavilions, the celestial abode she once dreamed of living with him in, which could be called [Mist Pavilions]."

"The moonlight spreads out a thousand layers of labyrinth, a protective barrier she set up for him; it must be the [Moonlight Labyrinthine Crossing]."

"Peach Blossom Spring Gaze, a lonely inn in the chill of spring, the setting sun... all of this is her."

"She's all alone in this world, waiting for someone who will never come, or perhaps who has already vanished from this world."

Elder Xie Clan remained silent, watching as the young lady seemed somewhat immersed in the poignant beauty of this legendary tale.

After a moment's hesitation, he said in a low voice, "Miss, there's no need to be sad. We want our ancestor to record this story in his journal."

"This must be a warning, a reminder to all members of the Xie Clan family that we must purify our hearts and reduce our desires, and remain steadfast in our pursuit of the Dao! We must strive to cultivate ourselves diligently."

Even a powerful and influential figure like an emperor, captivated by the tragic beauty of love, ultimately succumbed to the torment of his inner demons...

Love is something you shouldn't become obsessed with!

So, Miss, the key to this inheritance lies in the treasures...

"There must be a legacy she left behind, and also Mingyang's."

Xie Qingying said, a complex look flashing in her eyes, perhaps regret, or perhaps a renewed resolve.

"Among such important figures, there may be regrets that can never be overcome! And the issues involved are probably more than just these..."

"The key now is to enter the Mingyang Decoy Tomb, or rather, what might be the real imperial tomb!"

"If the Xie Clan were to successfully inherit the throne, how much benefit would they gain?"

As Xie Qingying was pondering, a gust of wind swept up from the Central Region, and the sea of mist surged and spread rapidly.

One by one, eerie green ghost lamps appeared and began to move, heading towards the direction where the Xie Clan had gathered.

Amidst the swirling mist, a massive stone tablet vaguely emerged. The tablet was broken and covered in moss, and it appeared to have inscriptions on it.

The Xie Clan family members stared intently at the inscription, and the moonlight shone precisely on it, revealing two lines of blurred characters.

The moonlight is hazy and indistinct; all things are but illusions.

The yellow sands settle the path, the cold moon shines on the ford, and the true road opens itself.

As Elder Xie Clan read the inscription, his pupils constricted slightly.

Before the words were finished, a strange sound suddenly came from deep within the fog.

Xie Qingying's gaze sharpened.

Someone's coming from that direction!

The sound was extremely soft and delicate, like the rustling of flowing sand, or like someone slowly walking on withered leaves.

A Xie Qingying pearl suddenly appeared in front of Xie Qingying, and the feathers of the bluebird on her shoulder burst open, emitting a sharp alarm cry.

The clear, melodious sound of the phoenix echoed through the mist, forcing the surrounding fog back a hundred feet.

Then the figure slowly emerged from the mist.

The man, dressed in a dark yellow robe and carrying a heavy ruler on his back, with a kind and handsome face, came stepping through the mist.

Wherever he walked, the mist dissipated as if it had met its nemesis, turning into fine yellow sand that formed a path.

The moonlight shone on him, casting a long shadow.

Within that shadow, countless will-o'-the-wisps seemed to flicker, eerily green and cold.

"Chen Yi?" Xie Qingying blurted out.

Chen Yi stopped and looked up at her. A cold light flashed in the depths of her seemingly honest eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Xie."

He spoke, his voice calm.

"You've come."

Xie Qingying put away the pearl, gently stroked the bluebird on her shoulder, and said softly, "Young Master Chen has come all this way; is there anything you wish to discuss with me?"

Chen Yi nodded, then turned to look at the stone tablet in the deep fog and said softly:

"I came here to ask Miss Xie a question: do you believe in the concept of an afterlife?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Qingying froze.

In that instant, it was as if I saw something.

Light and shadow flickered in the fog.

The imperial carriage of Emperor Mingyang, resplendent in gold and jade, exuded power and majesty, traversing the heavenly light.

A figure sat vaguely within the emperor's carriage, his crown imposing, his face obscured, yet his majesty radiant as the sun.

The imperial chariot sped in a certain direction, heading towards nothingness, piercing through clouds and mist, tireless.

No matter which way it goes, the future is always a vast emptiness, with no end in sight.

It was actually a wisp of Mingyang's true spirit's remnant consciousness! The remaining Daoist essence of his Golden Core!

The Emperor has kept his promise! The Goddess is not heartless!

So who made up this legend?!

("A single thought of the Mingyang travels ten thousand miles a day; why does the Emperor not return?" This alludes to the Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin's line, "The Eight Steeds travel thirty thousand miles a day; why does King Mu not return?")

(This is a spontaneous author, writing whatever comes to mind. The story is fictional, and please do not take it as a reflection of reality. The author wanted to write a love story, but I've only thought of the ending; I haven't figured out the middle part yet, haha. Also, I don't know if Cao Cao had such a love story in history. You can use historical references, but don't apply them completely, haha. The author is illiterate, so please don't criticize me.)