Chapter 105 Bronze Mirror
"Even with the entire nation's resources mobilized and thousands of lamps lit, it still wasn't enough?!"
The sound of shattering objects echoed from inside the hall. "Useless charlatan, drag him away and behead him!"
As Yi Fu arrived outside Xianning Palace, he heard a furious shout from the East Hall. The next moment, the palace doors swung open, and the Hidden Scale Guards filed out, dragging dozens of ashen-faced sorcerers down the steps without a word. A flash of blade, and blood splattered across the sky.
After a while, the person inside seemed to have calmed down and said without any emotion, "Come in."
The young man's voice was like the gentle clashing of jade, yet also carried a low, rumbling thunderous quality. Its power was immense, causing anyone who heard it to involuntarily clench their legs.
Yi Fu closed the door and said, "Your Majesty, Yongning Temple, which embodies the collective will of countless people, is now completed."
Yan Dibai lay listlessly on the couch, his long, dark hair obscuring half his face, silent as a jade statue sunk into a deep pool. Only when Yi Fu presented the unfolded scroll to him did his thick eyelashes tremble almost imperceptibly. Yi Fu felt a pang of pity, but he was already used to this scene.
Five years have passed.
Everything changed after the girl vanished from the city walls. The young emperor, transformed into a demon, returned, traversing mounds of corpses and seas of blood. He publicly claimed that the empress was seriously ill and recuperating, refusing to acknowledge her departure. He then spent four years sweeping away the enemy, pacifying the north, and then, disregarding the opposition of the entire court, requisitioned the Yangzhou governor's mansion and the Liangzhou city government offices to convert them into a temporary palace. He would stay there for a month during festivals.
Today, the entire Great Jin Dynasty is filled with the sounds of Buddhist chants, and the newly rebuilt imperial city of Shangjing is filled with incense smoke day and night.
But all of this couldn't bring back even a trace of her.
Yan Dibai firmly believed that she was not dead, and searched high and low, but she vanished without a trace.
Yi Fu waited quietly for a long time before whispering a reminder again.
"They said that this time they might be able to find the Empress's whereabouts."
Yan Dibai paused slightly in stroking the dog's head in front of the bed, and finally looked up: "Prepare the car."
Yongning Temple was magnificent and imposing. When the emperor arrived, the temple was packed with monks. The abbot saw a very tall young man with unbound hair descending from the palanquin and immediately went to greet him.
Yan Dibai didn't even glance at him, surveying the magnificent temple, the most prestigious temple in the area, before heading straight into the main hall specially built for Yang Liuqing. He closed the door and stated bluntly: "How to perform this ritual, and what offerings are required."
The abbot hurriedly and solemnly took out two yellow talismans from his bosom.
"The three thousand masters of Yongning Temple have devoted their utmost efforts to creating this talisman for transmitting wishes. Your Majesty needs to use the object to which you have poured the most effort as a medium in order to use this talisman to... find the Empress's three souls and six spirits and rekindle our karmic bond."
He pointed to the courtyard where thousands of people were imprisoned and wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
The abbot, though called an abbot, was actually more like a gatekeeper or jailer.
The origins of Yongning Temple are simple and bloody. This ambitious emperor, emulating Emperor Taizu Yan Chong, forcibly conscripted ten thousand cultivators from across the land, imprisoning them in Yongning Temple to research methods that defy the heavens. Among them were nuns from the nunnery and Qingyun Temple who had served Yan Chong in the past. There were also several middle-aged Taoist priests who had followed him from Liangzhou.
Five years passed, the temple was completed, and only three thousand people remained after the massacre. If these three thousand still fail to succeed this time, they too will be reduced to bones beneath the temple walls to guard the temple.
Yan Dibai's gaze finally settled on the pair of yellow talismans. He picked one up and casually stroked the vermilion patterns on it.
"Searching for the Soul".
The abbot nodded: "All of you have consulted the heavens for a hundred days and all your prayers have pointed here. The Empress's soul is not here. If you wish to find her, you must first find her soul."
Yan Dibai's emotions were hard to discern, but he did not show any anger.
"The thing to which I poured my heart and soul..."
He poured all his heart and soul into Yang Liuqing, and his true feelings were naturally reserved for the golden scepter he had never been able to give away.
Yan Dibai suddenly scoffed coldly.
"They certainly know how to choose. Even if this item is offered up, it still won't bring her back..."
His words were filled with murderous intent, causing the incense smoke drifting in the hall to freeze.
Yi Fu bowed his head deeply. The abbot trembled all over and dared not speak.
Yan Dibai turned his back, holding the talisman paper and staring at it for a while.
"..."
Yan Dibai originally thought he could find her soon.
He had considered many possibilities. He would bring her back, interrogate her carefully about where she had gone, and then explain the misunderstanding to her.
But reality slapped him in the face time and time again.
The emperor, who believed himself to be omnipotent and in control of everything, searched almost every place within human reach, yet found no trace of the little girl.
Panic grew within him, binding and imprisoning him.
After several rounds of doubt and confirmation, Yan Dibai even gradually began to speculate.
Could it be that Yang Liuqing and Liang Shi both returned to the same place?
Since Yan Chong had no remains and disappeared in Yanxiao Ridge, he must have gone to the home mentioned by the Liang family.
If our ancestors could do it, why can't he?
But what should he do if Jin Sheng is gone and she doesn't come back?
But... he missed her so much that he couldn't suppress all his reason.
Yan Dibai touched his chest. He stared at the sandalwood box for a long time before finally making up his mind. He opened the lid, and inside lay a golden phoenix ornament. The red jade in the center shimmered with a warm luster in the dim light, reflecting off the metal on his fingertips, which had become brighter from years of handling.
He squeezed the gold shard tightly, causing blood to gush from his palm. Yan Dibai was completely unaware, placing the gold shard on the talisman and staring intently at the yellow talisman.
There was no change.
Yan Dibai's face darkened. "A charlatan!"
The abbot's legs went weak. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I beg Your Majesty to allow this old monk to go and inquire—"
"Get out of my way!" Yan Dibai tried to snatch back Jin Sheng, but the blood droplet in his palm dripped onto the talisman and spread rapidly.
A flash of golden-red light appeared, and the talisman seemed to come alive. The cinnabar on it began to twist and engulf Jin Sheng.
Yan Dibai held his breath as the original runes transformed into the shape of a golden phoenix! Bloodstains blended into the phoenix pattern, and in the blink of an eye, both yellow talismans were restored to their original condition.
Almost simultaneously, Yan Dibai felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, and an indescribable tremor ran through his soul.
It wasn't pain, but a distant yet incredibly clear... pull.
Could it be true? Yan Dibai's hands trembled as he softly called out, "Yang Liuqing?"
But he was disappointed.
The talisman lay quietly on the incense table beneath the Guanyin statue.
The youth's face, which had been momentarily filled with joy, instantly turned into a sinister murderous intent. In his haste, the abbot grabbed a bronze talisman placed on the incense table. "Your Majesty, this... this talisman is only effective when used in conjunction with a ritual implement! Finding a soul requires the power of will. Your Majesty, why not use this mirror as a medium to see where the Empress's soul is, and then we can think of another method?"
Seeing Yan Dibai looking at him with a deep gaze, the abbot hurriedly lowered his head and forced a lie: "To find Her Majesty the Empress, only someone with His Majesty's powerful will can accomplish this. However, the world is vast, and searching from realm to realm will take considerable effort. You see, this talisman absorbs the golden scepter and changes the incantation, which proves it's feasible!"
"..."
The incense flickered, and all the ever-burning lamps throughout the hall went out in a flash.
The abbot trembled, and after a long while, the terrifying gaze on his back slowly moved away.
Yan Dibai pushed open the door of the side hall, "If there is no result within three days, you will bring me your head."
The abbot gasped for breath, "Yes, yes...!"
Yi Fu stepped aside, allowing him to stumble and escape through the door.
"Your Majesty. These ever-burning lamps..."
The cold echoes of the figures behind the side hall door:
"If she were here, she might complain about the extravagance."
"Let's talk about it in a couple of days."
Yi Fu left the main hall and closed the door almost silently. Almost simultaneously, a junior eunuch rushed in with an urgent report from Hedong.
"Commander Yifu, Your Majesty..."
"Put it aside." Yi Fu said calmly. "Send it to the imperial prison and have it approved by Feng An."
The eunuch trembled in shock: "That false emperor?! Commander, this is a matter of national importance!"
Yi Fu did not answer, but stared intently at the tightly closed palace doors. His meaning was self-evident.
The eunuch dared not speak further and bowed as he withdrew. Yi Fu stood alone under the corridor, the incense in the temple intertwined with the red glow of the sunset.
He paused, and for some inexplicable reason, he also sensed something strange.
"Yang Liuqing!" Accompanied by Yan Dibai's urgent shout, a beam of light suddenly burst forth from within.
"Your Majesty?" Yi Fu hurriedly pushed open the door and entered, only to see Yan Dibai holding the bronze mirror close to his chest, as if on guard: "It's nothing. You don't need to guard it today."
"Can--"
"go out!"
Yan Dibai seemed to be about to kill someone, and Yi Fu dared not disobey, so he hurriedly ran away.
With no one in sight, Yan Dibai stealthily and slowly raised the mirror. He silently recited those three words, and a "ding" sound came from the bronze mirror.
The mirror suddenly changed, and Yan Dibai, fully focused, saw the girl sleeping soundly in the narrow bed again.
She slept just as I remembered, nestled in oddly patterned and unattractive bedding. Her hair was much shorter, a messy, disheveled mess. On the other side of the bed lay piles of strangely styled clothes.
It looked like it was made of wool, but it was tight and narrow, only big enough to be worn over the head. And... two semi-circular pieces of fabric were placed together and sewn together to make two things that looked like shoulder straps.
"..." I never expected it to actually be true this time.
He had been thinking about her voice and appearance repeatedly when the yellow talisman accidentally touched the bronze mirror and suddenly disappeared. In its place came a short, sharp sound, like metal striking stone. Then, the mirror rippled like water, and the reflected palace scene gradually faded, revealing a small, strangely furnished room that he had never seen before.
The person he had been thinking about day and night for five years was fast asleep among them.
Soften your breathing. The young man carefully raised his hand, his fingertips gently tracing the mirror's surface.
—It can't be inserted.
Yan Dibai, who was full of excitement, was immediately drenched in cold water. He tried a few more times, but finally his face darkened and he became unusually calm.
The person in the mirror turned over, muttering something. After a while, the room light brightened. She slowly opened her eyes, then stared blankly at the direction the mirror was pointing.
Yan Dibai stared greedily at her every move, his grip on the mirror tightening several times.
He had never seen her so relaxed and carefree after waking up.
He didn't rush to find the abbot, but leaned against the headboard and watched intently. At the same time, countless questions swirled in his mind: What would she do back home? How was her home different from this one? And why had she disappeared?
She... misses him just as much as I do, doesn't she?
The person in the mirror had finally had enough of lying down. She sat up straight in one go, took off her pale purple, form-fitting pullover, and her two soft, pinkish-white breasts sprang free. Yan Dibai's pupils constricted, and her breath caught in her throat. She watched as the woman, completely naked, reached to her left, grabbed the two oddly shaped round pieces of fabric, and skillfully covered her breasts. Then, she straightened up, put on her white sweater, and stood up from the covers.
His gaze swept uncontrollably over her entire body, finally settling on the triangular piece of cloth covering her crotch.
This item is wondrous, its curves fully revealed. Unlike the understated, flowing robes and sleeves that exude an ethereal beauty, it is quite striking.
"..." Yan Dibai swallowed hard and continued looking down.
Qingqing had already put on pinkish-purple underwear to cover the black briefs. Then she put on socks, shoes, and combed her hair. She went to the toilet out of sight, and then ate her meal.
She always kept a flat, glowing rectangular block beside her. Whether eating or sitting, she would hold that block and look at it, occasionally chuckling softly. She would also speak in a language he couldn't understand. All her actions exuded a chilling "normality." She never revealed the slightest trace of lingering affection for him or for the past.
Until she slung her bag over her shoulder and left, completely disappearing from sight, Yan Dibai remained expressionless with his arms crossed.
His melancholy eyes were reflected in the mirror.
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Author's Note: Hehe [emits a perverted laugh]
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