Chapter 523: Uninvited Guest

Ning Zhixi's eyes flashed with excitement.

"The first month of spring, the hibernating creatures stir, thunder stirs in the east."

Chen Mu repeated slowly, his eyes gleaming with clarity, "The first month of spring—the beginning of spring. Qi Zhe is the old term for Jingzhe, referring to the first thunder of spring awakening all hibernating things. The time should be around the Jingzhe solar term, when the spring thunder first stirs."

"Direction: the east, where Jia and Yi wood flourish, corresponding to the Jia-Yi eastern wood position in the heavenly stems and earthly branches, and the Zhen trigram also represents the east and thunderous movement."

"'The Green Emperor holds dominion'—the Green Emperor is the Emperor of eastern wood virtue. 'Wood qi converges, the gate of growth and emergence'…"

"This likely refers to the geographical characteristics where the 'Spring Key' may appear—a place in the east where wood elemental qi and the qi of growth and emergence are especially dense and concentrated, perhaps an ancient forest, a valley rich with spiritual trees, or a special earth vein node tied to 'wood'."

"Finally, 'the key senses itself manifest'—similar to how the 'Winter Key' appeared, when conditions are met, the 'Spring Key' may be triggered by other 'keys' or a specific environment and reveal itself spontaneously!"

"Correct."

Ning Zhixi nodded repeatedly: "And judging by this clue, it emphasizes celestial timing even more than finding the 'Summer' or 'Winter' keys! It must be found during a specific season—around Jingzhe, when the spring thunder stirs! The location must be where wood qi converges in the east."

Chen Mu fell into thought.

The acquisition of the Summer and Winter Keys seemed to emphasize 'geographical advantage' (Yanzhuo Mountain, Yin Pole Node) and mutual resonance between the keys themselves.

But the 'Spring Key' explicitly introduces 'celestial timing' as a crucial factor—and it is the 'Spring,' the beginning of the four seasons, perhaps carrying even greater significance.

"What month is it now?" Chen Mu asked.

He had been traveling and paid little attention to the exact date.

Ning Zhixi calculated briefly: "We left Shancheng in the late twelfth month, lingered several days at Yanzhuo Mountain—now it should be the early first month of Bingwu Year."

"Bingwu Year…" Chen Mu's gaze flickered; Bingwu, a year of strong fire.

The Jingzhe solar term usually falls in the second lunar month (Mao month).

This year, Jingzhe will be around early February.

"Less than a month left."

Chen Mu said, "We still have time. The key is determining the exact location of the 'eastern wood qi convergence point.' The fragmented lines on this shard may be clues, but they're too vague."

Ning Zhixi studied the intermittent lines newly emerged yet fading on the stone fragment, striving to match them with her memory of geographical records.

"East… Jia-Yi wood position… wood qi convergence… places in the east include 'Qingmu Plain,' 'Wansen Sea,' the ancient forest deep in Zhuilong Gorge… the range is still too vast."

"We need more precise clues," Chen Mu mused.

Perhaps information could be obtained from other factions also seeking the 'Four Seasons Keys.'

The Blood Refining Sect, the Ten Thousand Poisons Cult, even Jiuyou Sect—they all seem to possess ancient texts or secret knowledge unknown to outsiders.

Just as the two were intently pondering, a peripheral warning formation Chen Mu had set up transmitted an extremely faint, nearly imperceptible ripple.

Not an attack, nor a forced breach—more like someone had left a faint stream of information at the formation's edge using a special method, like casting a stone to test the waters.

Chen Mu's spiritual sense instantly spread outward.

There, beneath an unremarkable rock at the valley entrance, embedded a leaf the size of a thumb, entirely emerald green, like jade.

On the leaf, with exquisitely fine spiritual energy, a line of tiny characters was inscribed:

"To learn the spring message, three days hence, at You hour, eight hundred li east, Qingyun Town, Guanyu Pavilion."

The script was elegant, brimming with the vitality of plants and trees, yet tinged with an indescribable ethereal detachment.

After the message was transmitted, the emerald leaf rapidly lost its luster, became an ordinary leaf, then shattered into powder and vanished into the wind, leaving not a trace.

The message technique was sophisticated, and the manipulation of wood elemental qi was exquisitely precise.

More importantly, the sender directly mentioned the spring message.

Clearly, they knew what they were seeking—and perhaps had been observing them secretly all along.

Friend or foe?

Another faction coveting the 'Four Seasons Keys,' or a third party with insider knowledge?

Chen Mu informed her of the situation.

Ning Zhixi's face darkened slightly: "Those who come uninvited are not benevolent; those who are benevolent do not come uninvited. Such covert messaging suggests ulterior motives. Brother Chen, we…"

Chen Mu's gaze settled on the words "Qingyun Town, Guanyu Pavilion." Qingyun Town—he knew it, a modest town on the eastern border of Jiannan Dao, nestled against the rolling hills known as Mangdang Mountain, neither spiritually auspicious nor a renowned convergence of wood qi.

"The sender can roughly track our movements and deliver messages this way—his strength and background are no ordinary matter. Since he mentioned the spring message, whether true or false, trap or opportunity, it's worth investigating."

Chen Mu's tone was calm, yet a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "Besides, we need more concrete information about the 'Spring Key.' Qingyun Town, eight hundred li east, is not far."

"Then let's meet this messenger," Ning Zhixi steadied her resolve.

With Chen Mu beside her, even if it were a dragon's den or tiger's lair, she felt more confident.

Chen Mu waved his hand, retrieving the three items and dismantling the formations.

"Let's leave this place first, find somewhere else to rest. Three days from now, we go to Qingyun Town."

The two moved again, vanishing into the valley.

…

Three days later, You hour, the sky darkened but had not yet turned night.

Qingyun Town lay at the foot of the Mangdang Mountain's outlying ridges—a small, ordinary market town, inhabited by a few low-level cultivators and herb gatherers.

The town's only inn was the Guanyu Pavilion, a three-story building built beside a river.

It was dinnertime; the inn buzzed with chatter from townsfolk and passing merchants.

Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi slipped into town, dressed as ordinary travelers, their qi suppressed.

Chen Mu still wore his disguise as a middle-aged scholar; Ning Zhixi covered her face with a light veil.

They ascended to the third floor of Guanyu Pavilion, found a quiet window-side seat, ordered light wine and dishes, feigning casualness while their spiritual senses already enveloped the entire third floor and the inn's interior and exterior.

Precisely at You hour, slow, unhurried footsteps sounded at the staircase entrance.

A woman ascended slowly.

She appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in a simple, elegant moon-white dao robe, with a few emerald bamboo leaves embroidered on the sleeves and hem—nothing else adorned her.

Most striking was the long sword at her waist, its scabbard made of ancient, unadorned wood, faintly glowing with inner radiance.

In her hand, she carried a delicate little basket woven from thin bamboo, inside which lay several herbs still coated with fresh soil, emitting a faint, fresh herbal fragrance.

She possessed the Foundation Establishment realm, and her level was not low—at least at the "Five Qi Converging to the Source" stage.

Yet her aura was pure and gentle, carrying not the slightest trace of demonic corruption, instead radiating a natural, flowing Daoic resonance.

The woman's gaze swept briefly across the third floor, then walked straight toward the table where Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi sat, stopping before them and giving a slight nod; her voice was clear and soft, like jade striking jade.

"Are you Young Master Chen and Miss Ning? I am Bamboo Green, uninvited but come nonetheless; please forgive my presumption."