Chapter 448: Boiling a pot of tea, clapping in delight

The group traveled day and night without rest, and finally, on the morning of that day, they arrived at the foot of Phoenix Nest Mountain.

The mountain range resembled a phoenix lowering its head, with two wings of peaks embracing it, and at the central axis lay a straight Spirit Way of Han white jade.

Along the way, the stone statues were lifelike: civil officials held tablets, military officers gripped their swords, and qilin and pixiu stood in majestic poses.

"What an excellent spot for gathering wind and qi, an auspicious land." Xiao Ningyuan looked out the carriage window, "No wonder this place was chosen for the imperial mausoleum; it truly is a feng shui treasure ground."

Everyone reined their horses and stopped before the Spirit Way; Xiao Ningyuan led Tuan Tuan down from the carriage and walked toward the Spirit Way.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi led the guards, closely following behind.

They had taken only a few steps.

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!"

Dozens of crossbow bolts shot out violently from the left-side woods.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi reacted instantly, throwing Xiao Ningyuan and Tuan Tuan to the ground, then backhandedly drew their blades to deflect the incoming arrows.

The guards drew their swords and surrounded the few people in the middle.

Several black-clad figures rushed over, some wielding long blades, others launching hook‑claws straight into the crowd; clearly, they intended to take captives!

Xiao Er blocked a hook‑claw, while Lu Qi charged forward head‑on to cut it off; the two groups instantly met.

The clashing of metal rang out incessantly, shattering the mountain's tranquility.

They fought while retreating, unknowingly stepping onto the Spirit Way.

Suddenly, "Boom—boom—boom—"

A deep bell toll rang out from the direction of the Hall of Offerings!

An aged, mighty voice pressed down from all directions, clearly filled with anger:

"If you want to fight, take it outside! This is an imperial mausoleum—the resting place of emperors—how dare you disturb it!"

Both sides shuddered and involuntarily halted.

Xiao Ningyuan stared around in alarm, wondering who was speaking.

This former dynasty's mausoleum—could it still be guarded to this day?

He clasped his hands before the empty air and spoke loudly, "Junior, I was ambushed by bandits and inadvertently disturbed the spirits; it was not my intention. Please, seniors, do not hold it against me!"

His voice echoed among the stone statues, then fell silent.

A clear child's voice suddenly rang out: "Grandpa! Are you playing on the roof of that big house?"

Tuan Tuan pointed to the roof west of the Hall of Offerings not far away and said, "It's windy up there, isn't it? Are you cold lying there?"

Everyone was stunned; even the black‑clad attackers all looked up in unison.

One of them frowned, gave a low shout, and all the black‑clad men snapped to attention, raising their blades and charging again.

Evidently unwilling to quit, the two sides plunged back into a melee.

A furious shout rang out: "Are you deaf?"

Dozens of figures descended like falling leaves, striking sharply and instantly separating the two groups.

Leading them was an old man with white hair and beard; he glanced at both sides and said, "Phoenix Nest Mountain has been tranquil for so many years, yet today it's lively."

"Get out, all of you!"

Tuan Tuan toddled up on her little legs, pattering to his face, looked up, and said, "Grandpa, please don't be angry, okay?"

"We've been good; it's they who ran out to attack us."

The old man lowered his gaze to the Xiao Tuanzi before him—her face round, eyes bright, her attire ordinary yet she feared no one, utterly endearing.

"Hmph," he snorted, ignoring her but glaring at the black‑clad men, "Why don't you scram?"

Seeing suddenly so many strong foes, the black‑clad men all looked toward their leader.

He readily replied, "Go!"

Dozens of men swiftly retreated into the woods, vanishing in an instant.

Only then did the old man look down at Tuan Tuan and ask, "Little one, how did you know I was on the hall's roof?"

Tuan Tuan blinked and said, "Because Grandpa's voice fell down from above like rain!"

The old man stared at her for a moment, then swept his gaze over the crowd: "Who are you, and what brings you here?"

Xiao Ningyuan clasped his hands in salute, his thoughts racing.

These people must be the guardians of this mausoleum, likely loyalists of the former dynasty; if they knew my identity, wouldn't we be enemies meeting?

But if I were not frank and instead spoke deceitfully, I feared this treasure would be even harder to obtain.

He stepped forward two steps, respectful, and said, "Junior, this is my first time here; I see no dust anywhere, the stone statues look brand‑new, every plant and tree shows meticulous care."

"Despite a hundred years of vicissitudes, the appearance remains unchanged—this shows your devotion, seniors, and I am deeply grateful."

The old man's expression remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on his face.

Xiao Ningyuan then asked, "Senior, I have a matter I don't understand; I hope you can instruct me."

"If treacherous ministers hold power, turning black and white, slandering loyal officials as Ni Ze, grasping the court's laws, deceiving the populace, causing the faithful to suffer injustice, and the realm teeters on collapse,"

He paused, then fixed his gaze on the old man: "Senior, you hold something capable of setting right heaven and earth—how should it be dealt with?"

The old man fell silent for a moment: "If that is indeed the case, we ought to unite righteous scholars, purge the court, rectify the laws, and restore clarity to the world."

"Senior, your righteousness is great!" Xiao Ningyuan interjected immediately, his expression solemn, "I dare not conceal it; what I just said is precisely the current state of the court."

"Prince Chen and Prince Ke abolished the throne, installed a youthful ruler, and slandered Prince Ning for fleeing the battlefield."

"Countless soldiers shed blood fighting at the frontiers, yet were branded rebels."

"I have come today," he said, bowing deeply to the ground, "to use this place's treasure to unite righteous scholars under heaven, save the people from water and fire, and uphold the collapsing realm."

His words fell, and all fell silent.

The old man regarded him for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

His laughter grew louder and louder, finally taking on a hint of desolate madness: "Hahaha! Excellent! Excellent—saving the people from water and fire! Upholding the collapsing realm!"

The laughter stopped abruptly.

He stared fixedly at Xiao Ningyuan, cold light flashing in his eyes: "The Xiao family has seized our dynasty's rivers and mountains; how is that any different from the Ni Ze?"

"Now brothers fight each other, uncles and nephews slaughter one another, and you suddenly think of using relics of the former dynasty to patch up their own loopholes?"

He stepped forward, almost pressing his face against Xiao Ningyuan's: "I might as well tell you plainly, the treasures within Phoenix Nest Mountain were prepared precisely to restore the rivers and mountains and eradicate the Xiao clan!"

He flicked his sleeve, pointing beyond the divine path: "Get lost! Even if the Xiao family fight until the rivers and mountains run red with blood and corpses pile into mountains, I will only be here at the summit of Phoenix Nest Mountain, boiling a pot of tea and clapping my hands in delight!"