Unlock the game
Shangguan Yuqi coldly replied, "Rules are made by people. Times change, and family rules are not static. As long as Young Master Xiao knows that the martial arts tradition of my Shangguan family has been upheld by generations and will never be interrupted, that's enough. As for the identity and background of each successor, I have no obligation to tell you."
A-Qiu watched her repeatedly touch and probe the stone slab and said, "Judging from your gestures and mannerisms, you seem to be more familiar with unlocking than I am."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yuqi's usually serene face softened with a gentle smile. She said calmly, "When I first entered the forbidden area, my aunt saw I was depressed and didn't rush to urge me to learn martial arts. Instead, she gave me seven or eight locks this big as toys to solve. At that time, I didn't know their power and thought they were just ordinary Kongming locks or something, fully expecting to solve them in half a day at most. Who would have thought…"
She suddenly stopped what she was doing, her face showing a blank expression, lost in memories of the past.
A swordsman like Shangguan Yuqi, once she starts doing something, possesses a level of focus that is beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Her sudden cessation of action at this moment must be due to the profound impact of past events on her.
Ah Qiu could also imagine that Shangguan Yuqi must have been an ethereal and refined young girl when she was little. Solving games like the Nine Linked Rings and Kongming Lock was probably a game she often played at home, so he didn't take her seriously and underestimated her at the time.
She couldn't help but ask, "And then what happened?"
Shangguan Yuqi took a deep breath, her eyes revealing a dreamlike and intoxicated expression, and said, "That is the essence of the mechanisms and keys that originated from the Mohist school during the Warring States period and were modified by each generation of Shangguan family tomb keepers. Things like 'Seven Stars Linked,' 'Sun and Moon Gourd,' and 'Nine Yin and Yang Combinations,' each set of locks opens and closes in layers, with countless changes and endless fun. And just when you think you've reached the end, another layer of mechanism emerges. The changes are full of hidden connections and correspondences. It really broadened my horizons, and I was so engrossed in it that I forgot to eat and sleep for seven days."
A Qiu and Xiao Chang'an were speechless with astonishment.
According to Shangguan Yuqi, she mastered the seven or eight large locks, representing the highest level of mechanical locks from ancient times to the present, in just seven days. She had completely mastered their intricacies. Such amazing talent and comprehension truly befits her status as a peerless sword immortal.
In terms of mechanical contraptions, based solely on the seven or eight locks that Shangguan Yuqi has dismantled, she is probably the greatest contraption expert in the Southern Dynasty. Even disregarding her status as a member of the Shangguan family, if she cannot open this "Eight Directions of Star Fortune Lock," then probably no one in the entire Southern Dynasty can.
Shangguan Yuqi looked up at the dome carved with star and cloud patterns and continued, "After I had dismantled all the locks, due to the excessive mental and physical exertion of the past few days, I felt as if I had woken up from a long dream, and I was in a daze, wondering what day it was and what era I was in. The sky was vast with sparse stars, and the mountains and rivers of the world were clear and distant. I also forgot all the worries I had before entering the forbidden area. I felt that all the gloom and resentment had been swept away, and I felt like I had been reborn. It was only after that that my aunt began to teach me swordsmanship."
A Qiu listened intently. At this point, Shangguan Yuqi finally revealed to Xiao Chang'an the identity of the previous tomb keeper who had taught her: since she referred to her as "aunt," she must have been a woman.
Xiao Chang'an, contrary to his usual behavior, did not show any pride or ridicule, but simply said: "I never expected that the peerless first swordsman of the Southern Dynasty's aristocratic families, the detached and otherworldly Miss Shangguan, would also have such a severe period of depression and sadness before entering the family's forbidden area for cultivation."
A Qiu hadn't noticed this detail until Xiao Chang'an pointed it out, and then she realized it was true.
Shangguan Yuqi repeatedly mentioned how engrossed she was in that "unlocking game" for seven days and seven nights, but wasn't that just an escape from her current situation? And with her exceptional comprehension and temperament, it took her so many locks to clear her mind before her instructors could see that she was finally ready to practice swordsmanship and martial arts, which shows how gloomy her state of mind was at that time.
Xiao Chang'an's keen eye for people surpasses even his own.
Shangguan Yuqi gave a bitter smile and slowly said, "That's because at that time, I lost my aunt who had protected me since I was a child."
As she spoke, she began to exert force with her hands.
The internal mechanism of the stone disc began to operate at an accelerated speed, with the sand first spinning rapidly and then pouring out.
Then the stars and constellations above them kept changing positions, making a grinding sound as they moved against each other. But this sound was not muddy; on the contrary, it was as beautiful and clear as musical music, with five notes in a cycle and a well-ordered rhythm.
After a moment of identification, Lord Liyang said, "These are the tones of 'Huang Zhong' and 'Da Lü'."
By this point, even a fool could see that Shangguan Yuqi had successfully activated the Star Fortune Lock.
A rumbling sound came from the ground, growing louder as it approached.
A Qiu thought to himself, "I'm afraid that tomorrow, the imperial court will report again that there are signs of an earthquake in the central palace of Jianzhang City."
As the rumbling sound grew closer, the stone gate in front of them finally slowly parted to the sides.
A magnificent underground palace stood before them. Mercury formed the sea, bronze the mountains, and armored soldiers and chariots lined the streets, as opulent and luxurious as the imperial palace of a king.
Just as Xiao Chang'an was about to be the first to slip in, Lord Liyang said calmly, "This tomb is being opened for the first time. Unlike the ones you've been to, which have been entered and exited by tomb raiders many times, the traps and hidden arrows have been almost exhausted. If you go in first, you'll most likely be the target."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chang'an stopped, then said defiantly, "I originally thought that since I have more experience, I could take some risks for you, but since you've warned me, you should go first!"
Sure enough, he raised his hand and made a "please" gesture, stepping aside.
Lord Liyang did not refuse, and simply told Aqiu, "Follow behind me." His meaning was clear: he would take care of her.
A Qiu had faced countless life-and-death situations in his life, traversing many dangerous places as if they were flat ground. However, entering the tomb chamber was a first for him. He suffered from not knowing the terrain, so he obediently followed behind Lord Liyang, only able to nod in agreement.
But this warm feeling of being cared for and protected seems familiar.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chang'an immediately tried to follow A Qiu to keep an eye on her, but Shangguan Yuqi blocked his way and said casually, "You stay behind so you can run faster if anything happens."
Xiao Chang'an angrily said, "Am I that kind of person?" But as soon as he said it, he immediately realized that he was indeed that kind of person.
It wasn't that he was afraid of death; it was just that in his heart, he was much more important than others, and there was no need for him to share life and death with these people.
Shangguan Yuqi said calmly, "Don't worry, this tomb was built under the supervision of my thirteenth uncle. As a family of gentlemen, since we have allowed you to enter, we will not set up any traps or mechanisms to harm you."
She had already stated that whoever could open this lock must be a descendant of the Shangguan family, or perhaps an unfathomable being like the Divine Lord of Liyang. Otherwise, recklessly attempting to unlock it would only cause the Lingwei Underground Palace to sink eternally underground, never to be unearthed again. The designer, Shangguan Jin, meant it clearly: he would no longer lay ambushes or plots against anyone who could reach this place and fully unlock the lock.
Shangguan Jin, who was described as "a man in green robes with a sword, who could conquer the Jiangnan region," was not only a man of both literary and martial talents, but also a man of noble character who would not stoop to such underhanded tactics.
Even with Ah-Chiu's eyesight, he found it difficult to see anything upon arriving here. Some of the corridors and corners in the underground palace were inlaid with luminous pearls, which could vaguely illuminate the surrounding scenery, but most of the time it was pitch black.
Lord Liyang led his group, calmly weaving left and right, seemingly heading deeper into the earth. Yet, he appeared to see everything as if it were daytime, unaffected by any obstacles.
A-Qiu couldn't help but ask, "Where are we going?"
Although she couldn't see things very clearly, she could sense that she had passed through many palaces and pavilions, but Lord Liyang did not stop to investigate.
When Liyang Shenjun heard her question, he turned around and waited until she was very close before patiently answering, "We are going to the main hall where the coffins of the emperor and empress are placed. Since the set of illustrated books of 'Shao' and 'Wu' are placed in the main hall, there is no need to look at the other palaces." He raised his voice slightly and said, "After all, we are here to ask for dance, not to rob tombs."
Xiao Chang'an knew these words were mocking him, but he only sneered, "The most precious artifacts in the world belong only to the capable. If those emperors truly have spirits in the afterlife, how could they allow outsiders to tamper with the things in their tombs? If they have no spirits, then they are no different from the stones and wood in the mountains. Why can't I take them?"
Although A Qiu felt that he was being unreasonable, Shangguan Yuqi interrupted him, saying, "If you still consider yourself to be of Chinese descent, then you cannot disturb the ancestral tombs of others. This has nothing to do with whether there are spirits or not; the question is whether you have reverence in your heart and whether you belong to them."
In fact, Xiao Chang'an was the most outstanding talent among the Xiao clan, the foremost aristocratic family of the Northern Dynasties, while Shangguan Yuqi was undoubtedly the representative figure of the foremost aristocratic family of the Southern Dynasties. Their verbal sparring here can also be seen as a clash of political views between the two major aristocratic families of the North and South, who could influence the entire political situation.
Although Shangguan Yuqi was refuting, her words were balanced and moderate, with a profound and thought-provoking meaning, subtly hinting at the secrets of swordsmanship.
Xiao Chang'an's words seemed self-contained and logical, but the biggest problem was what Shangguan Yuqi pointed out: "disrespect." A virtuous person is cautious even when alone, cultivating sincerity and reverence within. How could one change one's actions of taking or giving up based on whether external objects possess a spirit or not?
If Xiao Chang'an regards other people's ancestors as nothing, how would he view his own ancestors? If he also regards his own ancestors as nothing, the biggest problem is not whether his ancestors would mind, but whether his own heart has a place to rest and find solace.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chang'an did not immediately refute as usual, but seemed to fall into thought.
A Qiu suddenly couldn't help but move a little closer to Lord Liyang and said, "Let's hurry up, I feel a bit cold."
In truth, the underground is always filled with a dense, damp, and chilly atmosphere, and the long-closed underground palace is also shrouded in miasma. Traveling through it like this would have caused an ordinary person to experience hallucinations and shiver from the cold. Of the four people in this group, one was of unknown human or immortal nature, while the other three were all martial artists with extremely high cultivation levels, which is why they were able to withstand the cold and heat.
With A Qiu's current cultivation level, which is enough to make her stand out in the martial arts world, the mere miasma of the underground palace should not be able to affect her. Logically speaking, she should not be afraid of the cold.
Almost instinctively, Lord Liyang reached out and grasped her right hand, but hesitated slightly before withdrawing it.
A Qiu felt that there was Yang energy in his palm, flowing continuously into his meridians. In a short while, his vision became much brighter and he was able to see again.
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