Chapter 454: Even Here, Still Having to Approve Those Little Ledgers

Xiao Ningyuan was stunned. Foot? Foot works too?

He looked at the immensely solemn and dignified gate and kept feeling something was off.

Tuan Tuan was puzzled: "What's wrong, big brother? Is foot not working? My foot looks so pretty!"

That's not a matter of looks, right!

Xiao Ningyuan cleared his throat. "Fine, foot is foot."

He squatted down, let his sister sit on his lap, and took off her shoes and socks: "Alright, let's try."

Tuan Tuan's snow‑white little feet were exposed; Xiao Ningyuan rose and steadied her: "Take it slow, don't fall."

Tuan Tuan extended her left foot, and her big toe carefully stepped into a shallow pit.

The shallow pit lit up!

"It works!" she cheered happily, and her right big toe slipped into another shallow pit, lighting up again.

She raised both little hands, reached into the other four shallow pits, and six stars lit up simultaneously.

However, directly above the space between the two dragon heads, there was a final one; even using hands and feet, she couldn't reach it.

Tuan Tuan strained upward in her brother's arms, but no matter what, she couldn't find any finger that could fit in at the same time.

Xiao Ningyuan furrowed his brows: "Tuan Tuan, come down first; we'll think of another way…"

Before he finished speaking, Tuan Tuan stared at the high shallow pit and tilted her little head.

She blinked, then suddenly leaned forward, gently pressing her small forehead against it.

The soft, warm little forehead pressed against the icy pit.

The final star suddenly shone brightly.

"Woom—"

A low rumbling sound rang out.

Twenty‑eight points of brilliance flowed simultaneously, their milky‑white halos merging into one, each star dazzling.

The light spread along the star map's pattern, crawling up the pepper map's scaled claws, flowing over the chi‑snout's mane, and finally converging in the eyes of the two dragon heads.

"Boom—…"

The deep stone‑grinder turning sound came from within the gate.

The heavy mysterious stone door slowly split a crack from the center, sliding open to both sides, revealing the dark great hall behind.

Tuan Tuan's hands and feet slipped away naturally as the gate opened, and the light on the star chart dimmed.

Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands and shouted: "The gate's open! Big brother! I opened the gate!"

"Indeed, Tuan Tuan, you're great!" Xiao Ningyuan helped her put her shoes and socks back on, then brushed the dust off her forehead with his sleeve.

"Does it hurt?"

"No pain!" she tugged her brother's hand, "Let's go in quickly!"

"Alright," Xiao Ningyuan took her hand and stepped over the high threshold.

Just as the siblings' figures entered the great hall.

Far away, in the Xuanqiong Temple of Jingcheng, within a quiet chamber.

The bronze star plate on the desk, silent for years, suddenly trembled.

The twenty‑eight stars on its surface lit up in succession.

Xuanqing Zhenren slowly opened his eyes.

His gaunt fingertips brushed the star plate, and complex ripples rose in his eyes—like reminiscence, like emotion—ultimately turning into a light sigh.

"The star map is fully lit; the Heavenly Gate has opened."

"Indeed, I was not mistaken, Little Princess, you have finally entered the Bright Hall."

"The old dreams of the previous dynasty, the fate of this age. To preserve peace in the world is the mark of a wise ruler. Now this destiny is bound to you alone, Infinite Celestial Venerable!"

In the tomb.

The siblings could at first barely see by the light of the glass mirrors outside, but after only a few steps inward, everything became invisible.

Xiao Ningyuan glanced at the glass mirrors that appeared at intervals on the wall and understood.

He squatted: "Come, sit on big brother's shoulders, we'll walk around. If my guess is right, a mirror at some corner here, just like the outside ones, can illuminate this place."

"Alright!" Tuan Tuan climbed up, and Xiao Ningyuan rose slowly while Tuan Tuan felt along the wall.

As expected, upon reaching the third corner, "I found it!" Tuan Tuan shouted and began fiddling with it.

When the glass mirror turned to a certain angle, the surroundings suddenly lit up, illuminating the entire great hall.

The hall was extremely lofty; the dome remained arched, and massive golden bricks lay beneath.

At the central upper part of the hall stood an empty dragon throne, its back carved with a soaring coiled dragon.

Along both sides of the lower passage, stone statues the size of a real person were neatly arranged; their appearances distinct, representing civil and military officials, inner court attendants, all in respectful posture.

Tuan Tuan pointed at the statues: "Big brother, isn't this a tomb? Why are there these here?"

Xiao Ningyuan surveyed the statues and sighed lightly: "Because this is the Bright Hall, the court within the underground palace, where the emperor's affairs are handled after his passing."

Tuan Tuan laughed: "Being an emperor is terrible; when alive you're too busy to play, and even here you still have to approve those little ledgers!"

Xiao Ningyuan smiled faintly: "Indeed, the rise and fall of the world rests on one person; aspiring to be a wise ruler is truly hard."

The siblings walked slowly forward, bypassed the throne, and arrived at the rear entrance of the great hall.

A splendid white marble gate blocked the way, its surface carved with exquisite auspicious clouds and celestial cranes.

Xiao Ningyuan whispered: "Inner Palace Gate; go in here, and you'll reach the center of the tomb."

Before he finished speaking, the crane on the gate spread its wings, and two red glints suddenly lit up in its pupils.

Xiao Ningyuan hurriedly pulled his sister back a few steps.

From the great hall behind, a rhythmic "click" of mechanisms turned, dull and continuous.

"Big brother, listen! Are those stone men?"

Xiao Ningyuan felt a tightening in his chest, clenched his sister's hand, and returned to the dragon throne to look toward the main hall.

He saw flowing light wandering over the golden bricks on the ground, gradually forming eight large characters:

"Lord, before you, the minister pays respect: three bows, nine kowtows."

He understood instantly, took Tuan Tuan to the center of the main hall, faced the empty dragon throne, straightened his robes, and knelt, bowing his head.

Tuan Tuan mimicked her brother's posture, kneeling with him, and her little mouth muttered, "Big brother, why are we paying respect to an empty chair? There's no one on it—will it feel embarrassed?"

Xiao Ningyuan almost failed to keep his solemn expression.

At the moment the brother and sister finished their ceremony,

Crack!

A particularly crisp mechanical click sounded from the dragon throne.

The coiled dragon on the back of the throne lifted a line of its previously closed eyes, revealing ink‑jade pupils that glowed with a subtle light, as if alive.

Tuan Tuan scrambled up, pointing at the dragon throne, "Big brother, look, the great dragon has opened its eyes!"

"Hmm, let's go and take another look," Xiao Ningyuan stood, leading her back to the inner palace gate.

He saw the tip of the celestial crane's right wing hanging down on the gate, pointing to the middle of the doorway, as the great door slowly slid inward.

Dazzling light surged out from the doorway, flashing so brightly that the two had to close their eyes.