Chapter 485: Help! Someone, come!

Sanqing Hall is situated in the southwest corner of Shoucheng Palace.

A few people pushed open the hall doors, and a whiff of aged sandalwood scent rushed onto their faces.

Inside the hall was silent; moonlight slanted through the window lattice, barely illuminating the hall's outlines.

Tuan Tuan still pulled at her face, pursed her mouth, and sulked, perched on Xiao Er's back.

Xiao Ningyuan looked at his sister, sighed, and whispered, "Tuan Tuan, did big brother, who used to run a trading firm outside, ever know how business is done?"

Tuan Tuan lifted her eyes and shook her head.

"Doing business means using a ledger to record every transaction."

"Sometimes you profit, sometimes you lose, but it doesn't matter; record everything, and only settle the accounts at the end."

Xiao Ningyuan patted his sister's back and said, "We're not refusing to punish them; it's because we have more important matters, and we can't let others notice us now."

"So, write down the misdeeds they commit in your little notebook in your heart, and when the time comes, settle the final accounts with them and give them a good lesson!"

Tuan Tuan's eyes gradually brightened, and she nodded vigorously, "Alright, I'll note them all!"

The young lady is truly adorable! Lu Qi and Xiao Er exchanged glances and both laughed.

The group together looked toward the three statues on the altar, each about a person tall, standing side by side.

In the center stood Yu Qing Primordial Celestial Venerable, with a clear, vigorous face, long beard hanging to his chest, and his right hand supporting a perfectly round precious orb.

On the left was Shangqing Lingbao Celestial Venerable, whose features were slightly softer, holding a jade ruyi; on the right was Taiching Daode Celestial Venerable, composed in demeanor, holding a Whisk.

Tuan Tuan asked, "Grandpa Taoist Priest used to worship these three old gentlemen every day; they're a family, right? They look alike!"

"Uh," Xiao Ningyuan was momentarily stumped by his sister's question, then pondered, "They're not a family, but they are three incarnations of the Dao."

Tuan Tuan was puzzled, "Then isn't that a family!"

Xiao Ningyuan shook his head helplessly, "Fine, they are."

"The Primordial Celestial Venerable is in the center," he scanned the three statues, "If the key truly lies hidden in a statue, it should be this one. Let's start searching here."

Lu Qi said, "If that precious orb is hollow, it could very well be used to hide something."

Xiao Er slightly furrowed his brows, "Wouldn't it be too conspicuous?"

Tuan Tuan was unconcerned, "Just try it and we'll know!"

The three adults laughed, "Tuan Tuan is perceptive, makes sense; just give it a try."

In front of the statues was an ebony offering table, complete with incense burner, candle holder, and everything.

Xiao Er placed Tuan Tuan on the offering table; she carefully circled the incense burner and candle holder, leaned forward, and stared at the orb, "Why is this orb all patterned?"

Lu Qi sprang up, moved beside the statue, and upon close inspection saw several thumb-sized colored inlays on the orb's surface.

The red ones were agate, the yellow were beeswax, the blue were lapis lazuli, deeply set into the jade‑like orb, forming scattered, unordered speckles that at first glance resembled natural grain on the surface.

"It really does have color! The young lady's eyes are sharp."

Tuan Tuan stood on tiptoe, pointing a small finger at the orb, "The red is here, the yellow over there, the blue underneath!"

Xiao Er also leapt up, focused his gaze, and saw that the orb was not a seamless whole; between the three colors were extremely fine circular seams.

He extended both hands and tried to turn the precious orb; with a light "click," it actually shifted half a notch. "It can turn!"

Xiao Ningyuan's eyes brightened, "You try it—could it be a mechanism?"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi, one on the left and one on the right, each placed a hand on the orb; together they coaxed it to turn slowly.

Tuan Tuan lifted her little head high, "A bit from the left, then turn it down a little more!"

The two grown men, listening to her childish commands, fumbled to adjust force and direction.

Xiao Er's hand slipped heavily with a "gak," sliding over the top; Lu Qi hurriedly pulled back, but the seam jammed again.

Tuan Tuan hurried, "Uncle Two, let me!"

Xiao Er lifted her up, brought her to the orb, and Tuan Tuan extended her small hand, turning it forcefully.

The three colors slowly shifted, forming a simple three‑petal flower on the orb's surface.

Click.

A faint mechanism click sounded from within the orb.

Immediately, a thin crack opened at the orb's center, like a bud slowly blooming.

It revealed a small object wrapped in oil paper.

Tuan Tuan happily reached out, took the oil‑paper bundle out, and the orb slowly closed, returning to its original state.

The three leapt down from the offering table; Xiao Ningyuan took the paper bundle, crouched, placed it on the ground, and upon opening found nine bronze pieces, each less than an inch long.

Tuan Tuan picked one up, raised it toward the moonlight, and said, "Big brother, why does this look so much like something on the Heavenly Son Sword?"

The adults each took one as well, examining them carefully.

Xiao Ningyuan's eyes lit up, "It's the handle of the Heavenly Son Sword!"

He counted, "Exactly nine!"

The group's spirits lifted, and Xiao Er asked, "Is this the key?"

Lu Qi stared at the patterns on the handle, "It seems only a component; we have the handle, but where's the blade?"

Xiao Ningyuan looked up at the statues, "It appears this key was split by Xuanwei into three parts, each hidden within these three statues."

He placed the nine handles back into the oil‑paper bundle, tucked them carefully into his chest, raised his hand, and pointed at the Taiji ruyi in the left‑handed Shangqing Lingbao Celestial Venerable's grasp: "Go up and take a look!"

Xiao Er lifted Tuan Tuan, and together with Lu Qi they sprang toward the Shangqing Lingbao Celestial Venerable's statue.

Lu Qi balanced on one foot on the statue's raised left arm, reached out, and grasped the jade ruyi.

Its touch was warm and cool, crafted from fine Hetian nephrite.

He tried turning it left and right, but the ruyi's pattern didn't move; he also pushed it inward and pulled it outward, yet there was no response.

He examined it closely, shook his head, and whispered, "It won't work; this ruyi differs from that orb—there's not a single seam, doesn't seem like a mechanism."

Xiao Er circled to the other side, extending his hand to delicately feel along the junction where the ruyi's handle meets the statue's finger.

He frowned: "Indeed, there isn't even a crack; if something were hidden inside, there should be an opening."

"Could the mechanism be elsewhere?"

They glanced at each other, moved to the statue's shoulders and arms, twisting, pulling, pressing, probing, yet the scepter stayed firmly gripped in the stone-carved hand, unmoving.

Xiao Ningyuan watched from below: "There must be some other mechanism; Tuan Tuan, go see if that scepter will do."

"Mm-hmm." Xiao Er lifted Tuan Tuan beside the scepter; Tuan Tuan answered and reached out a small hand.

She muttered softly: "Grandpa, could you give me what's in your hand?"

Gripping the scepter's handle, she pulled outward with both small hands.

With a crisp "click," the scepter's handle was pulled open by her, revealing a clump inside.

Lu Qi was quick-eyed and quick-handed, reaching out to take that clump from the scepter: "Miss, put it back."

"Oh." Tuan Tuan raised her hand and refastened the scepter's handle.

The three returned to ground; Lu Qi spread their palm, catching the moonlight, and exclaimed, "The blade!" Xiao Ningyuan blurted out.

"Gods, the statue is showing its power! Come quickly, someone! The patriarch has manifested!"

Suddenly a loud shout came from outside the door, and several people's faces changed drastically.