Gong Xichou's answer disappointed Shen Tang.

He shook his head: "I don't know..."

Ji Moqiu left in a hurry, and even the return date was only approximate. Gong Xichou had no idea what the other party was going back to the old clan land for. The only thing he knew was that his brother was going to retrieve something.

"Does your tribe not have any special methods of communication?"

The origins of the Gongxi people are mysterious, and they may have similar methods.

“Perhaps the High Priest knows, but I am not the High Priest.” Gongxi Chou said that this question was really too difficult for him.

Shen Tang took a deep breath to suppress her anxiety.

Gong Xichou said, "Mama has quite a few skilled fighters under her command. Let's call them all over and attack together. Even if it's a war of attrition, we can wear down that old bastard Yunda. After all, he's not his true self; an avatar is easier to deal with..."

Shen Tang was almost speechless.

"Feng En, you are truly a brilliant person."

With their current military strength, they could severely injure not only an avatar of Yun Da, but even Yun Da himself. The question is, can they even muster enough troops to form a force? Doesn't she need to be wary of her ally, Gao Guo? Doesn't she need to be cautious of her neighbor on the southern border?

Don't these places need to be guarded by generals?

She issued an edict to all sides, dragging these people to the northern desert battlefield to set up a scheme to slaughter Yun Da, completely disregarding border security? If only things were that simple. The reality is that her neighbors are all unreliable; if the border is even slightly lax, their troops might become restless, reaching out to test Kang Kingdom's attitude. Especially those neighbors on the southern border!

After all, Wu Xian, this old man, still has some sense of shame.

He himself is indecisive and suffers from severe decision-making difficulties. By the time he makes up his mind to launch a surprise attack on Shen Tang's hometown, Shen Tang might have already wiped out the Northern Desert. The neighbors on the southern border are different; they've all been dealt with by Zheng Qiao, and it's said they suffered terribly.

How terrible was it?

During the Zheng-Qiao Dragon-Slaying Era, these neighboring countries were nearly wiped out by the Allied forces. They couldn't muster a decent army to threaten the border, and each was embroiled in internal chaos, unable to care for themselves. Once the turmoil subsided, they either split or merged into new nations. When they came together to reconcile their accounts, they discovered that many of the things they had done weren't their fault; someone had framed them and sowed discord among them!

The investigation led them to Zheng Qiao.

By this time, the grass on Zheng Qiao's grave was already as tall as a person.

Under Shen Tang's command, Kang Kingdom integrated most of Zheng Qiao's legacy, maintained friendly relations with Wu Xian's Gao Kingdom, and even opened trade routes with its centuries-old nemesis, Bei Mo, seemingly indicating a three-way alliance. The neighbors could only watch, blinking in disbelief.

Liquidation is no longer possible.

But you have to get your revenge for what you've suffered.

It doesn't matter that Zheng Qiao is dead, isn't the one surnamed Shen still alive? These interest payments can be collected from the one surnamed Shen as well! However, Shen Tang is different from Zheng Qiao. In the years since Zheng Qiao took power, he has not cared about domestic affairs and only thought about making everyone suffer. Shen Tang, on the other hand, only cares about domestic affairs and makes his subjects live a good life. Under Shen Tang's leadership, Kang Kingdom has become more and more stable, prosperous, and militarily strong, which naturally makes the neighbors feel bitter.

The more powerful Shen Tang becomes, the more threatened his neighbors feel.

Should we allow Kangguo to continue to grow stronger?

The neighbors probably have to hide a kitchen knife under their pillows when they sleep, for fear that one night when they get up to look around, they'll find that Kang's army has arrived.

To ensure their own safety, joining forces to eliminate a neighbor with the potential to grow stronger is almost a consensus among the nations of this continent.

Therefore, Shen Tang attaches great importance to the border.

Gong Xichou's suggestion was utterly ridiculous.

“Mama was clearly praising my intelligence, but why did I hear a hint of sarcasm in her voice?” Gong Xichou’s lack of critical thinking didn’t mean he was brainless. He leaned closer to Shen Tang, demanding an explanation, “Every time you call me ‘Feng’en,’ you have ulterior motives.”

Mama normally calls him by his full name.

Once you properly address him by his courtesy name, it takes on a different meaning.

Shen Tang said sincerely, "You are my soulmate, how could I possibly belittle you? To belittle you would be to belittle myself, wouldn't it? You agree, right?"

Gong Xichou gave her a look, and she understood on her own.

His eyes seemed to suggest he actually believed that nonsense. But, considering Mama's recent stress, he was considerate and didn't expose her. Let her tease him; after all, Mama was both her confidante and her savior.

Gong Xichou changed the subject and promised Shen Tang, "If I have any news about my elder brother, I will inform Mama immediately."

Shen Tang could only accept the current situation: "Mm."

Why didn't Ji Moqiu return as promised?

The real reason is somewhat absurd, yet very true.

Because he got lost _(:з」∠)_

From the moment he was adopted and taken in by his teacher, he was never alone again—the two of them first rescued Lin Chao, turning the two into three, and they wandered all over the continent, from the northwest to the central region, traveling to various countries along the way. A few years later, they unexpectedly rescued Fang Yan and two others, expanding the team to six. Afterwards, they came to Kang from Qi, and Ji Moqiu followed the main force of Kang to Yaori Pass and Camel City.

Over the years, he has never actually taken any action on his own.

Some experience is naturally lacking.

His estimate to Gongxi Chou that he would return in "one or two days at the shortest, three or five days at the longest" was based on written data, but he forgot that he had never been to the old clan territory. These were not the worst things. The worst thing was that both the brave warriors and the learned scholars were walking terrain-changing machines. In the past hundred years, the iconic mountains and rivers left by their ancestors had been updated several times.

The map in Jimo Qiu's hands was still version 1.0.

It would be strange if he could find the place within expectations.

He traveled, asking for directions while getting lost. Three to five days passed, and he still hadn't found his destination. How could he possibly return on time? The only saving grace was that the map provided accurate directions. As long as Ji Moqiu didn't deviate from the right direction, he could sense its presence as soon as he approached the old clan's territory. After several twists and turns, he finally located it.

"This is so hard to find... Teacher, you didn't say beforehand that the entrance to the old clan's territory was hidden so deep..." There is a special barrier around the clan's territory, which prohibits all speech-based magic. You can only walk in. The higher your strength and the deeper your cultivation, the stronger the suppression you will encounter, and the more physical strength you will expend.

Ji Moqiu used the wooden staff as a hiking stick, climbing mountains and wading through rivers, finally arriving at a dark cave covered in dust. The high priest's robe was quite long, and the hem was covered with a lot of mud and wild grass seeds.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and gathered his strength at the entrance.

The cave was about two people tall and three people wide, and the air was dry.

Ji Moqiu walked for an unknown amount of time before finally reaching the end, where he was stopped by a tightly closed circular gate. The gate was shaped like a yin-yang symbol, with various seals of dim light on it. Ji Moqiu inserted his wooden staff into a keyhole.

As the patterns on the gate lit up one by one, dispelling the darkness, a strange female voice echoed from within the cave: "Who goes there?"

Ji Moqiu said, "Gongxi tribe, Ji Moqiu."

The pattern's light flickers, sometimes bright, sometimes dim: [Please verify.]

A stone pillar, half a person's height, rose from the flat ground in front of him.

There is a groove on the stone pillar that resembles the shape of a palm.

Having heard the procedure from his teacher, Ji Moqiu placed his right hand on the stone, channeling his divine power into it. As the power surged forth, the dusty gray stone pillar shed its previously ugly and unassuming exterior, revealing its purest imperial green. The patterns on the door brightened further, and a female voice replied: "Verification successful. Welcome home, Ji Moqiu."

Then came the subtle sounds of rocks rubbing together.

The massive stone gate, shaped like a yin-yang symbol, slowly opened.

The air behind the gate was incredibly rich in spiritual energy.

A hint of surprise flashed in Ji Moqiu's eyes.

He asked, "May I ask who the lady is?"

Step into the world inside.

Wherever it passed, the mountain walls lit up with patterns of light.

Despite hearing the teacher describe it countless times, seeing it with my own eyes still felt magical; it seemed like something only a deity could do. As Ji Moqiu walked forward, the female voice that reached his ears remained at a constant distance, as if its owner was omnipresent.

The female voice replied emotionlessly: "Since you, young man of Jimo, knew it was presumptuous, you shouldn't have asked. However, this question isn't unanswerable. I am nameless, and if I truly wish to speak—"

The other party deliberately dragged out the sound, whetting people's appetites.

Ji Moqiu subconsciously stopped and waited for an answer.

But the answer is—

The voice switched to a male voice.

I am a relic of a bygone era, a tombstone.

Ji Moqiu exclaimed in surprise, "And who are you?"

"Ah, these are all me, young man, there's no need to panic."

Then the voice switched to that of an old man, then a child. Ji Moqiu tried his best to interpret it using what he knew, and came to the conclusion—this mysterious person had excellent oral skills and a first-rate ability to imitate.

Ji Moqiu asked, "Are you alive?"

The other person replied: "No one can live for a thousand years."

The implication is that he is not human.

Ji Moqiu was not much surprised by this.

The teacher asked a similar question back then, and the answer given was exactly the same as today. The person's presence can also be found in the earliest clan records. The teacher even speculated that this "person" likely existed before the clan's territory was established.

But what about its past before the establishment of its territory?

There was only one answer from the other party.

[Data corrupted, unable to be queried.]

Ji Moqiu, not believing in superstition, asked again, without changing a single word.

Undeterred, he asked again, "Can this damaged data be repaired? Is there anything I can help you with?"

The other person's voice seemed to have some inflection.

【you? 】

You can't do it.

No one in this world can fix it.

Ji Moqiu: "How will you know if you don't try?"

The female voice replied, "Because it's not worth trying," and then ignored Ji Moqiu. He called out twice but received no response, guessing that she had left. The layout of the old clan territory still retained its original appearance before the clan's migration, and even the various palaces and pavilions had not faded. Many houses maintained a lived-in atmosphere, as if the owners had only gone out for a short while and would return in a few hours.

Ji Moqiu searched around and found the high priest's residence.

The entire territory is roughly circular.

In the very center is the old house left by the Gongxi people, whose architectural style is not much different from that of the outside world. Surrounding the old house are fields belonging to various families, which are now long abandoned. Further outward, the fields stretch all the way to the foot of the mountain shrouded in mist.

Standing here in Jimo Qiu, one can vaguely see the outlines of some mountain peaks. The mountains surround the old clan's territory.

No one can climb these mountains.

Let alone living people, even small animals will be repelled by the mountain mist if they approach, and those who force their way in will suffer a backlash. Every few years or months, the mountain mist will change drastically. It will return to calm again in a few days, with no discernible pattern to the changes.

One of the high priest's duties was to observe changes in the mountain mists.

It is said that by finding the patterns of change, one can access the realm of God.

Ji Moqiu gazed at the mountain mist and murmured to himself.

It was as if there was something there that was very attractive to him.

He vaguely felt that these mountain mists were somewhat familiar.

It's all fake.

The female voice, which had been absent for several hours, suddenly reappeared.

Ji Moqiu asked instinctively, "Why?"

The female voice said indifferently: "Because the 'god' has fallen, killed by humans, there are no gods left here. The changes in the mountain mist have nothing to do with the god, and they have no pattern. The so-called place behind the mountain mist... is nothing more than a pile of tombstones that have lost their meaning."

"Grave, tombstone?"

"Every mountain you see is a tombstone." The female voice seemed to sigh. "They are tombstones erected by those people themselves. Until the world changes, they stand here lonely, unnoticed, uncared for, forgotten."

"What do you mean by that? Don't speak in riddles!"

[Data corrupted, unable to be queried.]

Even someone as impatient as Ji Moqiu got a little annoyed and said, "You really are as the teacher said, using this excuse to brush off questions you don't want to answer..."

The female voice replied: [Data corruption...]

"Unable to find out, huh? I'm not even curious..."

The other person was thinking that they didn't want to know yet.

The female voice said with a hint of helplessness: "I truly don't know... Time has passed far too long. In the outside world, has it been a thousand years? Or two thousand? No one maintains it regularly. If it weren't for the special circumstances here, how could you possibly still be able to speak to me?"

Ji Moqiu: "One or two thousand... for so long?"

He immediately thought of something and felt pity.

"You've been here all this time?"

I can only stay here.

Ji Moqiu decided to be nicer in tone and attitude.

He went straight to the secret library in the old clan's territory.

He had only gone halfway when he noticed something, and crouched down to examine it closely: "These footprints, are they new?"

Judging from the size of the footprints, it should belong to an adult male.

The soles of your feet are wider than your body.

The female voice said: 【Yes, it's new.】

He added: "[Left a quarter of an hour ago.]"

Ji Moqiu was stunned, almost unable to react: "A quarter of an hour? But these aren't my footprints, a quarter of an hour ago—"

A guess suddenly popped into my head, and my hair stood on end.

There are still living people in the clan's territory!

After the clan's territory was sealed, only the high priest could return!

No one else in this world should be able to enter except myself!

Who is that person?

Ji Moqiu had just asked the question.

A chilling murderous intent approached from behind.

He swiftly dodged to the side, then retreated rapidly to create distance, only then seeing clearly the person who had ambushed him—the man was indeed the size of an adult male, dressed entirely in black, his face covered with a black cloth, only his eyes visible. Seeing Ji Moqiu dodge, the man suddenly closed in again, his immense martial energy surging towards his vital points like a tidal wave!

Ji Moqiu swung his wooden staff to raise a barrier to defend himself.

He said sternly, "Who dares to trespass on the territory of the Gongxi tribe!"

A hint of surprise flashed in the man's eyes.

Before there was any response, a water dragon descended from the sky.

Wherever the water dragon passed, everything froze.

Half the mountain was instantly frozen!

Ji Mo Qiu was greatly alarmed.

Another one!

"Who are you? If you don't answer, you'll lose your lives!" He flung his wooden staff, conjured a long spear with his hand, and his martial energy surged from his meridians, transforming into martial armor on his body!

(ノ￣▽￣)

Tangmei's arduous and eventful journey through tribulations—

It's said that those in the Heavenly Dao's household register have a grudge against those undergoing tribulation; no matter how simple the process is, it will collapse.