Chapter 31#
“Me? Yes, I have…” Junti’s hand rested gently on Yu Lin’s back, half-embracing him. Her gaze drifted toward the main gates, yet seemed to look even further.#
Yu Lin’s attention had been entirely on Immortal Lord Chongwu just now, so he hadn’t noticed the movements of the High Priest and Junti. Hearing him mention it, he asked with a face full of confusion, “…What do you mean?”
Immortal Lord Chongwu gave him a helpless look and replied, “Junti is merely a dancer, yet when the High Priest answered Prince Peisha’s words, she didn’t look surprised at all. Her expression was entirely knowing, which means she already knew about the sacrifice beforehand.”
“The High Priest also spoke very highly of her. But when he mentioned her, his tone was full of pride. Why would he be so proud?”
Seeing him say this, Yu Lin also lowered his eyes and frowned slightly, recalling the scene from just now.
Immortal Lord Chongwu continued, “The way he looked at her was like looking at an exquisite work of art, yet also like looking at a highly trusted subordinate.”
“His gaze made me feel that in his eyes, Junti is both perfect and satisfying to him, yet also merely a disposable object.”
“In his eyes, is Junti both a person and an object?” Yu Lin’s eyes shifted as he asked hesitantly.
Immortal Lord Chongwu nodded. “Yes. I don’t know what their exact relationship is, but I’m sure it’s not simple.”
Yu Lin pondered for a moment, but he was still left rather muddled by these words, not knowing what this had to do with the sacrifice. “So, what do you plan to do now?”
Just as he raised his eyes, he saw Immortal Lord Chongwu curving his lips, looking at him with a beaming smile. Yu Lin felt his scalp go numb under the gaze. “What?!”
“Perhaps we still need you… to go pay her a visit.”
…
The buildings of Qinan Kingdom were constructed from pale orange-yellow brick. The weather was hot and extremely arid, leaving the streets completely empty. A look of decay and desolation hung over the royal city.
Wanhua Pavilion was situated in the western part of the royal city. The four-story structure was magnificent and resplendent, its yellow-carved architecture tinged with touches of vermilion, while its towering pillars reaching into the clouds exuded a sense of solid grandeur.
Once Yu Lin arrived at Wanhua Pavilion, he went straight to find Junti.
Junti sat by the edge of the bed, her head slightly tilted as she stroked her soft hair. Lost in thought, she didn’t even notice that her smooth, dark hair was becoming slightly tangled in her fingers.
Only upon hearing footsteps did she turn her head. Seeing it was him, Junti blinked in slight surprise and asked, “Xiao Lin, why are you here?”
Yu Lin’s current identity was that of a young host who had grown up in Wanhua Pavilion, so he was naturally familiar with Junti. Thus, he followed the example of the other dancers and called her “Sister Junti.”
Yu Lin smiled and said, “Can’t I come visit you if nothing is wrong, Sister?”
Junti smiled faintly, took his hand to lead him to sit down, and replied, “Of course you can.”
Junti treated him exceptionally well; her warmth could be felt even in her tone of voice.
After exchanging some pleasantries, Yu Lin seized a gap in the conversation to ask, “Sister, what is this sacrifice you all were talking about yesterday?”
Hearing this question, the smile on the corners of her mouth stiffened. She turned her head away slightly, lowering her eyelids.
After a long silence, she raised a hand to gently cover his mouth and whispered, “Dancers do not meddle in politics. Don’t ask again.”
Junti’s voice grew quieter, carrying an indefinable emotion. Having said this, she had assumed Yu Lin would drop the matter.
But to her surprise, Yu Lin blinked his eyes in a curious manner, meeting her gaze with a look of worldly innocence.
Like someone naive to the ways of the world, he pressed on inquisitively, “Then how does Sister Junti know about it?”
Junti stiffened visibly. She stared at him intently for a moment, momentarily speechless. After a long while, she let out a deep sigh.
Yu Lin had grown up in Wanhua Pavilion and had never been one for schemes. Now, she simply assumed he had brought it up mindlessly, and the sharp glint in her eyes caused by the subject softened.
“…Fine, I watched you grow up. Now that you are of age, there’s no reason you shouldn’t know.”
Junti looked at him and posed a question, “Do you know about the drought in Qinan Kingdom?”
Yu Lin nodded.
“The natural disaster had been predicted, but the High Priest did not take it seriously, causing the deities to bring down an even heavier punishment. Qinan Kingdom cannot hold out much longer now. Only by offering an exceptionally sincere sacrifice can the wrath of the gods be appeased.”
“…Exceptionally sincere?”
Junti gave a small smile and smoothed his clothing. “You don’t need to worry about that. Rest easy.”
Her gaze shifted slightly, her murmur so soft that it seemed meant only for herself, “I won’t let the drought touch you all… After seven days, everything will be fine.”
Before Yu Lin could ask in confusion, she smiled and shifted the topic, “How did last night go?”
Yu Lin’s mind was entirely on what she had just said. Taken aback by her question, he froze slightly and asked, “…Last night was your doing?!”
Junti did not give a direct answer, saying only, “That immortal master is an immortal lord invited by the High Priest, and he is extremely powerful. Since the Immortal Lord thinks highly of you, just follow him. It’s better than staying in Wanhua Pavilion for the rest of your life.”
Yu Lin went along with it and replied, “There’s nothing wrong with Wanhua Pavilion.”
Junti smiled helplessly and tapped the tip of his nose. “That’s because you haven’t seen the world outside; it’s our fault for raising you with such a narrow view. You’ve been in Wanhua Pavilion for twenty years now. It’s about time you went out to see the world.”
“Go where?”
Junti made idle conversation, “Go with the Immortal Lord. Anywhere is fine, anywhere is better than staying in Wanhua Pavilion…”
At the mention of going out, her thoughts began to wander, and her voice grew softer. A faint, broken light shone in her eyes as she lowered her long eyelashes, a barely perceptible smile hovering on her lips.
Yu Lin watched attentively, and looking at her gentle eyes, his heart softened as he thought of his senior sister.
Yu Yuan was just like this, always keeping his best interests at heart.
Yu Lin leaned in and hugged Junti. “Can’t I stay by Sister Junti’s side?”
Junti was amused by him. “You, you really know how to act spoiled. What’s so good about playing music and dancing with me all day?”
Yu Lin smiled. “Then has Sister Junti seen the world outside?”
Junti froze slightly, then squeezed out a strained smile. A bitter trace escaped her lips, and Yu Lin could visibly sense her dejection and helplessness.
“Me? Yes, I have…” Junti’s hand rested gently on Yu Lin’s back, half-embracing him. Her gaze drifted toward the main gates, yet seemed to look even further.
“The westernmost part of Qinan Kingdom is a beautiful place. If you ever get the chance… you should go see it.” Her voice grew increasingly soft, carrying an ethereal quality.
“Is it a nice place?”
“It is my home.”
…
“Come to think of it, I did indeed see that place on my way here,” Immortal Lord Chongwu pondered.
After Yu Lin returned, he repeated everything Junti had said to Immortal Lord Chongwu. He hadn’t expected the Immortal Lord to actually have a clue.
“What I saw in the far west was a great mountain, lush and green, while the cities and forests along the way all showed signs of withering. That mountain looked quite different from the landscape of Qinan Kingdom’s cities, which is why I subconsciously paid it some extra attention.”
“But…” Immortal Lord Chongwu frowned slightly, looking somewhat puzzled. “When I saw that place, the mountain was uninhabited. If that is her home, why would there be no friends or family?”
Yu Lin shook his head. Time was tight now, and the far west of Qinan Kingdom was far away. Moreover, Junti’s hometown might not necessarily be related to the sacrifice, so logically they shouldn’t waste their time on it.
Immortal Lord Chongwu had clearly thought of this as well, adding, “Qinan Kingdom worships gods. If it requires an exceptionally sincere sacrifice, ancient texts should have records on this matter.”
Immortal Lord Chongwu gestured toward the door with his chin. “While you were looking for Junti, I concealed my presence and searched around. I discovered a long-dusty library tower not far from here. Let’s go take a look.”
…
The library tower was hidden deep within the woods. Countless fallen leaves littered the ground, letting out extremely crisp rustling snaps as they were stepped upon.
Yet, one could tell with the naked eye that the path leading to the library tower was frequented by travelers, meaning this place wasn’t entirely abandoned. But if people came often, why hadn’t they swept the path?
Did they feel it was unnecessary, or… were there some books inside that could not be openly displayed outside and had to be hidden away?
Looking closer, the main door of the library tower was a dilapidated wooden gate. With a gentle push, the door slowly creaked open, revealing the dim interior within.
Yu Lin stood beside Immortal Lord Chongwu, entering together with him.
Upon entering, the scent of books mingled with a slightly decaying odor in the air wafted over them. Yu Lin frowned slightly, taking in the scene before him.
Cobwebs hung from the bookshelves, which hadn’t been dusted in quite some time. Several bookshelves stood in neat rows.
Immortal Lord Chongwu walked forward, examining each bookshelf.
“What are you looking at?” Yu Lin asked.
“The dust,” Immortal Lord Chongwu replied.
“Since people come often, they will definitely leave traces when taking out books to read.” Immortal Lord Chongwu observed as he walked, stopping in front of a particular bookshelf. Seeing this, Yu Lin followed him over.
Yu Lin carefully picked up an ancient text in front of him, waving away the dust that drifted toward his face. He covered his mouth and coughed twice, squinting his eyes to read the characters on the cover.
The dust beneath this ancient text was messy, showing signs of having been moved. Seeing him take it, Immortal Lord Chongwu leaned over to look as well. He squinted, “…The title is illegible.”
Yu Lin nodded. “It must be a book from a very long time ago, heavily worn down.” He carefully pinched a page, gently flipping it open.
The book read—
The gods dispatched the clan of High Priests, granting them sacred blue eyes to observe the world and listen to divine revelations.
If a natural disaster falls and the High Priests do not handle it properly, the deities will bring down divine punishment. At that time, a High Priest must be sacrificed to appease the wrath of the gods.
After Yu Lin finished reading, his hand pinching the page paused. “Blue eyes… if I remember correctly, Junti also has blue eyes. Could the two of them be of the same clan?”
Immortal Lord Chongwu fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. “According to the book, the High Priest clan is already scarce in number, so they should cherish each other all the more. But the way the High Priest looks at Junti does not resemble how members of the same clan should treat each other.”
“Furthermore, since it says ‘a High Priest must be sacrificed’, that High Priest shouldn’t have many days left to live. Yet he remains completely calm, acting as though it has nothing to do with him.”
Yu Lin shifted his gaze back to the book, lowering his eyes in deep thought. After a long while, he said, “If all of this is related to the High Priest clan… perhaps we really must go and take a look at Junti’s home.”
[Author’s Note]
I really like Junti (I‘)
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