Chapter 411

"."

Shen Yao looked at the little Junior Sister poking her head out from her shoulder and finally couldn't help but lower her eyes and curve the corners of her mouth.

She actually didn't quite understand why giving up the Sword Selection Meeting was "better to break than to bend," because she didn't know where the coercion she couldn't see was. Things had already settled, and the Immortal Platform in Bowang showed a kind of relaxed busyness. Why couldn't they go to the Shaolong Sword Selection Meeting first and continue the investigation when they returned?

She also didn't understand why the young girl was so determined. Wasn't Qu Zhu's trail already lost? The next step was naturally the Immortal Platform's business. Even if they, Cuiyu, took this as their own responsibility, where could they find clues?

But since Li Piaoqing didn't tell her, she wouldn't ask any more.

Shen Yao had long known that she was not the decision-maker. On that morning at the Changdao Martial Arts Hall, she had already revealed her truest inner voice to the young girl.

She absolutely trusted the young girl before her—not that she believed she was always right, but she was willing to follow her to destruction.

". Okay," Shen Yao said. "Then what do you want me to do next?"

"Just take my words back to the Prefecture Office, Senior Sister, and then keep a good watch on Bowang City. If there is any unusual movement, send me a message via the sparrow," Li Piaoqing returned the umbrella to her. "I will wait here. You take the few Senior Brothers outside and leave. No one should come to find me tonight."

". Yes." Shen Yao cupped her hands and left.

These departing footsteps stepped over the groaning old wooden boards, stepped over the wet, rainy ground, and were gradually completely drowned out by the sound of wind and rain.

In the dilapidated warehouse, only the young girl's own even breathing remained.

She wasn't in a hurry to go in. She just put the umbrella down, sat quietly on the steps, stretched out her two shapely legs, and looked up at the dirt ceiling.

She didn't know what she was thinking about.

It wasn't until quite a while later that she struck a fire starter and threw it in. The flame flickered, but in the end, it didn't go out.

Only then did Li Piaoqing get up, still with the steadiness of a stroll, and walked into this empty room.

It was indeed full of traces of long-term use. Some dust-covered tables and chairs were still placed there, but they had already been cleaned up, and everything that could be taken away had not been left behind.

And what was left... Li Piaoqing came to the most conspicuous east wall of the whole room. This was a strange creation.

Occupying more than half of the room, half of the wall had been chiseled into. The "main body" was placed in this space, mainly composed of gold, iron, and jade, and there were many materials in the fine parts that could not be distinguished.

What protruded from the wall were mostly the parts for people to use: a platform like a cutting board, with a walnut-sized depression in the center for placing objects, and two long tubes like telescopes hanging above it. Li Piaoqing stepped forward and tried it; if she were taller, she should have been able to put her eyes on it just right.

Complex carvings covered the surface of all materials.

An imaginative structure, a strange yet coordinated combination, and amazing complexity and refinement... it was just that they had all been scrapped.

The carvings had been destroyed in large swaths, and many key materials and parts had also disappeared—the two long tubes were empty. Li Piaoqing was very sure that something must have been embedded there before.

A line of carved characters remained on the side: Fourth attempt, failed. This attempt is terminated.

Li Piaoqing frowned and looked at it for a while, put down her sword, and took out a thick, snow-white letter from her bosom.

She unfolded it under the candlelight, placed it in front of such a creation, and read it in comparison.

"Respectfully to Sect Li Li Zhangmen,

Thank you for your inquiry. 【Zhao You】 is an instrument of Zhou Zhou Muwang's prison. The book says 'candle inside, observe outside,' and it is a legendary divine artifact that is almost omniscient.

There was no physical object before, and we were full of doubts about it, finding it hard to imagine its shape and operation. Now, fortunately, we have been informed. After the scholars of the sect discussed it, there is already a result. Now, the information about 【Zhao You】 is stated below for your reference.

'Candle inside, observe outside' is not a parallel description, but two functions that truly complement each other. Their carriers are also two parts that can be separated.

The shapes of these two parts are manifested as a white jade in the shape of an eye and a round, black bead. We temporarily call them 【Eye】 and 【Pupil】.

Now, the 【Eye】 has reached Young Hero Pei through Yang Yan's hands, while the 【Pupil】 was taken away by Qu Zhu twenty-seven years ago.

The 【Eye】 is for 'observing outside,' which is what is called 'guarding.' It frames a piece of landscape, outlines a mystic array, and places the 【Eye】 in the center. Then, within this mystic Qi, the human eye becomes the eye of 【Zhao You】. Wherever a person reaches, it is all within the insight of the instrument's owner.

The ancient Zhou Zhou Muwang's prison was like this, and the Valley of Hushan is also like this now.

The 【Pupil】 is for 'candling inside,' which is what is called 'illuminating the heart.' If worn on a person's body, then all their actions, deeds, thoughts, and ideas are all recorded in the bead, whether at the ends of the earth or in the white day and dark night. However, if one wants to observe, one should also place the pupil in the eye and check the 'records' through the 【Eye】.

What Sect Li Li Zhangmen mentioned about what Young Hero Pei experienced should be the 【Eye】's record of the Hushan Sword Sect; and the 'Soul-Snatching Bead' that Qu Zhu took out is very likely obtained by imitating 'candling inside' and 'sword heart illumination.'

Tianshan, September 30th, written by Zhanxue."

Li Piaoqing gestured at the two long tubes in front of her. It was very obvious that something had been embedded inside them before.

Then, was this the "eye" imitated by Qu Zhu after he came to Bowang with the 【Pupil Bead】?

The young girl's clear and moist face appeared and disappeared in the dim light and shadow, her features as quiet as a statue.

She lowered her head and took out another piece of paper.

It was also another kind of handwriting.

".

The first direction is the origin of the 'Soul-Snatching Bead.'

According to current deductions, he first imitated the 【Pupil Bead】 and made a Heart Amber bead that also recorded human actions. After joining the Joyous Death Tower, he changed it into a Soul-Snatching Bead based on it.

This kind of bead that records actions can know everything about a person that is unknown. Since there is 'recording,' then that is the most important thing.

So one can try to trace this line and find out how he accomplished all this before leaving Bowang. Some ordinary objects left in the corners of the dust twenty years ago might be the fatal sword piercing the present."

Li Piaoqing raised her eyes, frowned, and stroked the depression on the desk... In the silence, her eyebrows suddenly lifted slightly.

This depression was a semicircle with a diameter of one inch and five fen. Calculated by Heart Amber, such a bead would weigh about two taels and two.

The two long tube ports were perfectly round, with a diameter of one inch and five fen, and the thickness of the embedded marks was about two fen... She had read the "Zhoubi Suanjing"; four such small mirrors would weigh about two taels and eight.

Five taels of Heart Amber.

Li Piaoqing narrowed her eyes. Twenty years ago, the Heart-Spirit treasure material that Qu Zhu first purchased from Yu Chaotai was a precious object that required him to pay with "Snow Collapse" at that time. Li Piaoqing could almost see the young man under the candlelight, planning carefully without any effort.

So this was not an instrument he used to analyze the 【Pupil】, but an accessory to that Heart Amber bead. The 【Pupil Bead】 Qu Zhu obtained was like a dead object, but he analyzed and dismantled it bit by bit, and actually almost sorted out its function, so he used Heart Amber to imitate a fake.

It certainly couldn't illuminate the thoughts in the heart, but it could also record actions, so this was the instrument for viewing those records.

It was also at this time that Li Piaoqing caught a glimpse of three small characters inside the mirror tube, which seemed to be the name of this thing: 【See Body Illumination】.

This Heart Amber bead named 【See Body】, Qu Zhu's first creation on this road... The young girl's emotions rose, and she turned her head fiercely, searching everywhere with eyes as sharp as swords.

But this was a cellar abandoned for twenty years, buried in dust. In the darkness, there were only cracks eaten by insects and ants and the smell of damp rot.

Li Piaoqing quickly came back to her senses, shook her head, and smiled slightly—he might have left a set of tables and chairs, but he would never leave anything more important. Since the observation instrument had been destroyed, how could she hope that the bead was still left here?

He had indeed read it countless times here, but now it was long gone. Qu Zhu could dispose of this 【See Body】 at will—carry it with him, hide it, throw it into the Lu River... or destroy it directly.

This was not a clue that could be traced.

Li Piaoqing sighed silently, lowered her head, and continued to look at the paper in her hand.

". However, there is not much hope in this regard, so don't force it."

The young girl smiled, but didn't look any further. She turned around, raised the candle, and looked around the entire secret room.

It could vaguely be distinguished into three parts.

In addition to this Heart Amber venue, the opposite wall was also fully utilized, but it was flat drawings. The tables and chairs were also pushed against this wall, and the remaining carved marks and ink traces still showed a strange beauty.

Li Piaoqing recognized this kind of line; this was an array diagram.

They almost filled every space, fine and tough, so overflowing and striving, squeezing as if to break through this wall.

Li Piaoqing knew that at that time, a sky curtain was blocking the owner of this secret room.

Nothing was left here either, and this was not the place she needed. Li Piaoqing's candlelight passed by and arrived at the last venue.

This was the cleanest and most empty place.

There was also only one set of tables and chairs, with some sundries piled up on the side, as if just to make it look less abrupt.

Li Piaoqing walked over slowly, placed the candle on the table, and took out another letter here.

"Pu Huaimeng of the Shaolong Immortal Platform notes:

Thank you for your inquiry, Sect Li Li Zhangmen.

【Pulling Silk】, twenty years ago (checked at your request, it was the 20th day of the 7th month of the Guihai year), the Immortal Platform took the lead and invited the Great Master Nangong Zhai and two artifact masters from the Yangyi Tower to refine the 【Pulling Silk Jade Tiger Sword】. This was its first appearance in the world, so it was named after the sword instrument.

Since then, this array pattern has gradually spread in the artifact refining path of Shaolong and has been praised by many, but artifact masters competed to use it, yet were often troubled by it. Occasionally, there were some achievements, but there was no refinement like the 【Jade Tiger】.

I just looked at the pulling silk drawn by the Kongdong 【Sword Dragon】. The strokes are extremely precise and appropriate, almost the top five applications of this pattern. It is a pity that what was used is the simplified version supplied to ordinary artifact masters one year after 【Pulling Silk】 came out.

It is too difficult to answer what traces will be left by developing 【Pulling Silk】.

The creation of an artifact pattern is nothing more than three steps: inspiration, design, and testing. Inspiration is elusive; design is pen and paper, and a set of tables and chairs can be used for it; testing depends on what the artifact master intends to use it for... I have drawn this pattern below, and you can refer to it for searching.'"

The second page was a huge and detailed drawing.

Li Piaoqing looked quietly at the table in front of her, as if she saw the figure lost in thought under the candlelight twenty years ago again, with a piece of white paper half-drawn in front of him, and countless messy waste drafts piled on the ground.

"So the most important direction is still 【Pulling Silk】."

Li Piaoqing lowered her head and looked at the paper in her hand.

"【Pulling Silk】 is something that cannot be erased. It has truly existed in Shaolong for twenty years. Its origin is recorded in black and white in the books of the Immortal Platform and the Industry Platform. Everyone can check it. It was born on the 20th day of the 7th month of the Guihai year.

But you and I know that before this day, it had already appeared in a room in Bowang.

Perhaps it was a quiet cellar, perhaps there was only a table and a chair. At twenty-seven, he sat before the candlelight and outlined this artifact pattern with a pen.

I hope you find this room, find this set of tables and chairs, and find the traces of his testing for this.

We want physical evidence."

Li Piaoqing raised her head expressionlessly, unfolded the drawing gifted by Pu Huaimeng, and held it up to the fire to look. However, there were no traces of lines left in this space. The table, the floor, were empty, and even the wall skin had been peeled off a layer.

She squatted down, and there were faint fine marks on the wall next to the table.

Li Piaoqing distinguished what this was almost in an instant.

Every Jianghu person has such intuition carved into their bones—sword and blade marks.

They were not slashed on; there was no point of force, and they were not deep enough. In fact, there was no need to sell the secret. Li Piaoqing also distinguished at a glance how this was formed.

—It was only because the wall quality was not hard, so when the blades and swords were stacked here with the edges facing inward, such uniform marks would be pressed out.

So... he really did countless tests.

But they were gone.

Those engraved swords and blades, those most powerful physical evidences, had been thoroughly cleaned out more than a dozen years ago. Before sealing this cellar so ordinarily, they had already turned it into a truly ordinary appearance.

Li Piaoqing stroked these patterns silently, and in the end, only sighed softly.

The wind was heavy and the rain was gloomy. She put down the candle, lowered her hand, and gently grasped the cold sword hilt of Shicui. This was an action with a familiar feel.

It was also at this time that a falcon like an arrow broke into the passage from outside. The paint-coated, water-repellent wings were smooth and shiny. Li Piaoqing let it stop on her broken elbow and reached out to untie the letter tube on its leg.

She unfolded the letter and read it. On it was a line of hurried and continuous fresh ink.

"Sect Master, the Prefecture Prison was in a panic a moment ago. Zhao Fu is nowhere to be found!"

Li Piaoqing exhaled softly. She lowered her eyes and glanced at her waist, her expression serious to the point of solemnity for the first time.

Pei Ye pursed his lips twice, but still couldn't help laughing. He looked back at this young girl, and there was still a carriage following her behind.

The young man said happily: "Little Physician, you don't even know the direction, how did you come here alone from Mount Taishan?"

"Because polite people will tell me."

"."

"Occasionally, there are impolite people who laugh at me, so I treat them as quacking male ducks." Qu Xin hugged her medical book, her clear eyes looking at him quietly.

(End of Chapter)

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