Chapter 252 The Tomb's Legacy: The Pure Yang Hermit, as if in a Fairyland

The mountains are majestic and possess extraordinary charm. Colorful cranes fly south, and white mist swirls around them.

Green pines hang from the cliffs, and lotuses bloom in the earth. Crimson clouds drift eastward, and neon lights shimmer. Tranquility knows no winter or summer, and far-reaching vision makes the passing of time imperceptible.

Hidden in the treacherous mountains is a fairyland.

Wen Caishang smiled and said, "Even if we can't find a map to get out, it won't be a waste of this journey. Settling down here is better than resting in the forest."

We entered the mountains where the tombs were hidden.

It's like stepping into a new world. The stuffy, damp feeling vanishes completely, replaced by a refreshing and invigorating feeling, like being reborn. This place has been nurtured for thousands of years, giving birth to wondrous fruits.

A vine hung down, with a small, crimson fruit at its end. Li Xian casually plucked it and swallowed it. His blood and energy surged, and his hair turned much blacker.

[You consumed the Green Vine Crimson Fruit; skill proficiency increased by 5.]

[Taking]

[Proficiency: 1036/3000 (Mastery)]

...

Li Xian leaped and bounded, light and agile. He gathered all the vermilion fruits, storing them away. The tomb was nestled in a vast mountain range stretching for miles, with side peaks, front peaks, and other features overlapping in a majestic and orderly manner.

Wen Caishang used all her knowledge to observe the mountains and survey the land. She deduced that the layout of the tomb involved "Nanyang customs," "feng shui construction," "favorable timing and location," "Taoist doctrines," and many other miscellaneous disciplines. She even determined that the tomb owner was "Lü Dongzhi, the Pure Yang Hermit." Even for someone of her status, hearing about clues from ancient hermits, she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

She was generous in offering her advice.

His words revealed his erudition and were full of rare and unheard-of secrets.

Li Xian, though of humble birth, possessed extraordinary intelligence. He knew that "martial arts are hard to find" and "talented knowledge is even harder to acquire." Having heard Wen Caishang's eloquent discourses throughout the journey, demonstrating how she could overcome numerous difficulties and skillfully avoid various calamities solely through her knowledge and wisdom, he felt even more strongly the value of "talented knowledge." Whenever he had the chance, he would gather as much as possible, absorbing all the knowledge and secrets into his mind.

After half a day of exploration, having surveyed the entire mountain, Wen Caishang shook her head and said softly, "The owner of this tomb is far more skilled in geomancy than I am."

Li Xian said, "We can't get in?"

"No," Wen Caishang said.

"The tomb owner had a grand vision, with several lakes nestled among the mountains, the mountain range possessing a majestic, star-embracing-the-moon quality. This implies a boundless and expansive mind. Given such a temperament, I suspect he wouldn't have completely sealed off the tomb, fearing future generations might enter. Instead, he let things take their course, and the entrance might be somewhere. But one would have to find it by oneself."

Cranes sing in spring, and the rosy clouds bring warmth. Wen Caishang climbs the mountain gracefully, her thoughts running deep, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, yet her eyes are filled with excitement.

They climbed over 190 zhang. The main entrance to the tomb faced a lake nestled in a lush, verdant forest. That lake, named "Dianjing Lake," was a crucial point in the tomb's feng shui. Wen Caishang had long ago foreseen this, thus confirming the existence of a main entrance. But the tomb, the tomb… the main entrance was often difficult to pass through.

I went up the mountain specifically to observe the demeanor of the person buried there. There are countless tombs in this world, and the degree of danger of the tombs varies greatly depending on the different circumstances, temperament, methods, preferences, etc. of the deceased in life.

Although Wen Caishang was increasingly certain that the tomb belonged to Lü Dongzhi, her knowledge of Lü Dongzhi was entirely based on ancient records, which were bound to contain inaccuracies.

Therefore, one should examine the main entrance of the tomb and try to discern the degree of danger within the tomb from the details.

The gate is situated on the mountainside, overlooking a sea of ​​green. The gate is square, exuding an air of embracing the world.

The view was expansive, and the air was crisp and clear. There was no trace of yin energy. Wen Caishang secretly admired her, thinking that if she were dead, the tomb would surely be full of traps and mechanisms, ensuring that anyone who came would never return. The tomb entrance was certainly dignified and magnificent, but within a radius of several miles, danger and peril began to lurk.

Wen Caishang murmured:

"A guest comes from the clouds; please take the elixir from the crane."

A stone tablet stands before the gate, inscribed with a few words in a chaotic cursive script, its unrestrained and wild spirit fully displayed in every stroke.

Wen Caishang said, "During the Nanyang period, calligraphy emphasized meaning rather than form. It was vastly different from the calligraphy of the Dayu and Dawu periods. The great calligraphers of the Dawu era, such as your brother's master Fu Haoran, always looked down on the Nanyang school of calligraphy."

"However, in my opinion, this flamboyant calligraphy has a certain charm. At that time, the situation was chaotic, so it was natural for the layman to be unrestrained. But it is difficult for later generations to find such a person."

She spoke eloquently, gently stroking the stone tablet. I couldn't help but ponder the meaning of the inscription. Her personality was by no means open-minded, completely contrary to that of the tomb owner, and I truly couldn't understand its meaning.

Li Xian had limited knowledge, but possessed a magnanimous spirit. Although he was not skilled in calligraphy, he stood before the stele with a graceful demeanor, pondering its meaning.

At first glance, Li Xian thought the characters were ugly and chaotic. But upon closer inspection, he sensed that the writer must have been unrestrained and bold, and must have laughed loudly while writing. So he abandoned the form of the characters and began to appreciate the subtle rhythm.

Wen Caishang said, "Although cursive script is hasty, it has its own rules." She then took the opportunity to teach Li Xian calligraphy and literature.

Li Xian's understanding deepened, and in a trance, he felt as if he were communicating with the tomb's occupant on a spiritual level. He even felt a strong connection with the tomb's owner, thinking to himself, "Am I just daydreaming? How could such a powerful tomb owner possibly communicate with me on a spiritual level?"

His head was spinning, and he was feeling tired and drowsy. Li Xian looked up at the mountains and called out twice, and his mind cleared, and he felt much better.

The stone gate, long sturdy and covered in moss, was difficult to move, so we sought another way.

Wen Caishang observed that the feng shui was flawed. In the side peak of the mountain where the tomb was located, there was a crack caused by years of wind and rain erosion and geological disturbance.

The crack leads into the tomb. Although the location is relatively remote, following the path leads to the main burial chamber and other areas. If there is indeed a map in the tomb, this would be a breakthrough.

The mountain crevice was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for a person to pass through. Li Xian peered into the darkness, but the jumbled rocks obscured his view, making it difficult to see the bottom.

Li Xian thought to himself, "Never mind all that, I'll give it a try!" He let loose, tied the silkworm jade rope to the tree trunk, pulled hard to make sure it was secure, and then used the Seven Star Steps to explore downwards.

Wen Caishang was extremely embarrassed and spat out a curse. The method of binding was derived from the "Silkworm Garment Jade Inlay Technique." Originally meant to be tied to her own body, it was now tied to the tree trunk.

"You brat, you're deliberately teasing me." Wen Caishang's eyes welled up with tears, her feelings growing stronger. Having spent so much time together, sharing life and death... many emotions had accumulated in her heart.

The area ahead was pitch black and cramped, but as you ventured deeper, glimmers of light appeared on the stone walls, making the space a bit more spacious and open.

A breeze blew from below, ruffling the hems of his clothes and the tips of his hair. Using the light filtering through the cracks in the wall, Li Xian ventured several more feet deeper. He had already used more than half of his silken jade rope, and now he found himself lost in a vast expanse of darkness.

Li Xian thought to himself, "I don't know how deep this crevice is, and the silkworm jade rope is only a limited length. Going deeper and deeper is not advisable. I need to think of a way to explore the bottom first."

Seeing glimmers of light in the cracks, like starlight, he reached out to grab them. Touching some small fragments of stone, he immediately understood: "These stones are like pebbles, but they emit a faint glow. They must be the star-patterned stones. They were originally hidden deep in the mountain wall, but sun and rain have washed them out of the cracks. I'll borrow them for now!"

Using his "Mysterious Cloud Hands" to probe the clouds and mist... he explored the walls and retrieved stones. After several attempts, he had taken all the star-spotted stones from the surrounding area. Still feeling it wasn't enough, he leaped and swung lightly, trying his best to collect more "star-spotted stones".

Having collected enough, Li Xian opened his palm, which shone brightly with starlight.

He secretly channeled his "Azure Palm," causing water mist to burst forth from his palm. He forcefully kneaded and gathered it into a ball. The star-patterned stone glowed with a deep blue light, illuminating his entire body for a distance of ten feet.

Then throw the star-shaped stones down.

A few breaths later, a loud "bang" was heard as it shattered upon hitting the ground. Stardust scattered everywhere, revealing a scene at the bottom of the crevice. Roughly estimated, it was only about ten feet wide.

There were some poisonous snakes among the weeds. Li Xian thought to himself, "I wonder how potent these snakes are. If I get bitten, it could be very bad." He hooked his toes into a crevice in the stone wall, took out his bow, and fired a series of shots, eliminating all the dangers.

Li Xian used his lightness skill to land. After checking the surroundings again, there was no further danger, and it was indeed the entrance to the tomb. He climbed up the crevice and caught Wen Caishang.

Wen Caishang knew what Li Xian had done and praised him happily, "You are very cautious, very good." But then she thought that Li Xian had done so much for her, and she became even more infatuated.

Torches were lit, but the path ahead was narrow.

The two walked one after the other and came to an empty room. Inside the room, candles burned, and they had not gone out for thousands of years.

Li Xian bowed sincerely and said, "It is truly inappropriate to disturb your peace, senior. I have come to borrow some things, and I hope you will grant my request."

Wen Caishang nodded slightly and followed suit with a "Nanyang clasped hands salute." She observed the four walls. The east wall depicted a dragon, the north wall a tiger... any one of these paintings was priceless. But being in such a dangerous place, any greedy thoughts would surely bring disaster.

Therefore, they only admired them and did not touch them. Wen Caishang said, "These four murals actually foreshadow the layout of the tomb." She then elaborated on what she knew and observed.

The tomb is filled with intricate mechanisms and labyrinthine passages.

Wen Caishang skillfully avoided the traps and mazes, exploring deeper into the tomb. She saw countless miscellaneous items, including Nanyang jade artifacts, stone carvings, and murals.

Entering the tomb was like returning home; he was elegant and composed, yet he took not a single penny. Although Li Xian was naturally fond of wealth, he was not attached to it. He didn't even glance at it twice.

However, the tomb's layout was intricate, and some traps were unavoidable. The two walked for an unknown amount of time before coming to a narrow passage.

Wen Caishang stopped and said gravely, "This is bad." Li Xian asked, "Why? Is there a trap hidden in this path?"

Wen Caishang said, "There are no traps, but the mystery is very deep. It contains Yin and Yang, the Eight Trigrams, and the changes of the Five Elements. This path is called 'The Intestine Cord.' Although the path is narrow, it is complicated to navigate. Sometimes, the difference between taking one step forward and one step back is enough to separate two people by a great distance."

Li Xian said, "Then we'd better hold on tight." He took the opportunity to pull her close and began to caress her. Wen Caishang's body went limp, feeling both helpless and embarrassed, and she said softly, "You're taking advantage of me again."

Wen Caishang shook her head and said, "This winding passage has a complex mechanism. It doesn't harm people's lives, but it separates them. If you hold me, you won't be able to get out. If you don't hold me, you will definitely be separated."

Li Xian said, "Should we find another way?" Wen Caishang replied, "The owner of this tomb is a man of great vision and profound character. Although there are traps in the tomb, they are only to guard against petty thieves. If we find another way, we may still encounter a winding and difficult path."

"In that case... I will tell you everything I know about the tomb. You should enter the winding passage and find the mountain map. It is safest for me to wait here."

Wen Caishang knew her luck was bad. Although she was learned, she lacked internal energy. She would be unable to cope with the unexpected. For months, she had relied on Li Xian for care and had become dependent on him. The thought of parting in the tomb suddenly made her feel completely insecure.

Through the tomb's contents, one can glimpse the tomb's occupant's broad-mindedness and boundless spirit. Though the tomb is unusual, it is neither malevolent nor cruel... If one knows how to deal with it, self-preservation should be assured.

So he came up with this compromise. Li Xian said, "Alright! For my lady's sake, I'll take the risk!" He was magnanimous and uninhibited. But his naturally amorous nature was truly hard to change.

Wen Caishang knew that Li Xian was speaking with seriousness, but she couldn't help but feel emotional, saying, "You mustn't get hurt, you mustn't die. If... if it really happens..." Her eyes even reddened slightly.

They embraced for a long time, and several days followed.

Wen Caishang imparted to Li Xian a wealth of knowledge, including miscellaneous studies on tomb excavations, strange tales of Nanyang, and feng shui. Wen Caishang's words were concise, and Li Xian, being clever and quick-witted, soon mastered the knowledge of tomb excavations, Nanyang-related matters, anecdotes about Lü Dongzhi's life, and so on.

After making thorough preparations, Li Xian, with his bow and sword at his sides, stepped into the winding path. After walking a few steps, the road before him became intricate and complex, twisting and turning, unsettling his mind.

Li Xian thought to himself, "The Flower Cage Sect's 'Small Steps of the Intestines' also possess this ability. I wonder if the two are based on the same principle?"

Indeed, they are interconnected. The principles behind "small, winding steps" and "narrow, winding paths" are similar, both involving the Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams. However, "small, winding steps" are confined and narrow, while "narrow, winding paths" are vast and complex, making them somewhat more powerful.

Li Xianxing had been traveling for about half a day. He had no idea where he was.

(End of this chapter)