Chapter 273: Zheng Wan, Xuanlan

"This Xue Bangzhu really did play a good game of chess."

Li Miao sighed.

"She left behind three back-up plans after her death to ensure Xue Hanmeng's safety."

"The first was Yan Fan, guiding Jianghu people to dig out 'No-Trace.' If they could kill him, that would be best; even if they couldn't, they could dig up her own bones, guiding Xue Hanmeng to discover his true face and get rid of his control early."

"The second is Xue Hanmeng herself."

"When she told Xue Hanmeng about this place before she died, I estimate 'No-Trace' was eavesdropping nearby, and Xue Bangzhu also knew he was eavesdropping."

"So those words were also said for 'No-Trace' to hear."

"Think about it, what would 'No-Trace' do after knowing she left behind a secret treasure?"

Zheng Yi realized.

"He wouldn't be in a hurry to harm Xue Hanmeng... and he would even actively cover up Xue Hanmeng's identity, actively creating an environment suitable for Xue Hanmeng to practice Wu Gong, so she could reach the conditions to excavate this place early!"

"Xue Bangzhu was also using 'No-Trace'!"

Li Miao smiled.

"Exactly."

"She knew her daughter too well; Xue Hanmeng wouldn't come to excavate this place before reaching the two-level Heaven-Human realm, nor would she tell 'No-Trace' the secret of this place."

"When she died, Xue Hanmeng was only fifteen; her Wu Gong wasn't practiced, and her mind wasn't mature, making it hard for her to live alone."

"So she used the secret of this place as bait, dangling it in front of 'No-Trace,' letting him take care of Xue Hanmeng for her."

Li Miao walked a few steps and continued.

"With Xue Hanmeng's aptitude, reaching the two-level realm would take at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight."

"By then, she would be old enough, her mind mature, and her Wu Gong would have the strength to protect herself—'No-Trace' would have no value."

"With Xue Hanmeng's idiot mind, if Yan Fan hadn't succeeded, she would definitely have been devoted to 'No-Trace.' When she came to excavate this place, she would definitely have brought 'No-Trace' along."

"And 'No-Trace' would definitely be afraid that Xue Bangzhu had left behind statements unfavorable to him in her legacy, so he would likely follow Xue Hanmeng into this place to destroy the evidence while she wasn't paying attention."

"Then—he would be dead."

"And Xue Hanmeng could take the legacy she left behind, take the two-level Heaven-Human realm, and leave this place, burying everything in Kaifeng, with no one else knowing."

Zheng Yi didn't speak for a long time.

How much did Xue Bangzhu consider for Xue Hanmeng before she died?

Forty-seven years ago, she was already at the end of her rope, her Wu Gong destroyed, coughing blood daily, yet she still endured the pain and left behind so many methods to ensure Xue Hanmeng's safety.

The more truth revealed, the more concrete Xue Bangzhu's image became in her mind... and the more she hated Xue Hanmeng to the bone.

After a long time, Zheng Yi looked up and said.

"My lord, what is the third back-up plan?"

"You said just now that Xue Bangzhu's method was also to deal with Penglai sect members; what does that mean?"

Li Miao smiled.

"Do you remember what I said to you yesterday when you wanted to draw your sword and go out to find someone?"

Zheng Yi nodded.

"You said that after nearly fifty years, the surviving Penglai sect members likely wouldn't assist me in seeking revenge on Yingzhou, and perhaps if they saw me coming to their door, they would attack me..."

She widened her eyes violently.

"I understand!"

"Xue Bangzhu is the kind of person you mentioned... she didn't want to seek revenge on Yingzhou, or rather, Xue Hanmeng's safety was far more important to her than seeking revenge on Yingzhou!"

"The clues she left outside could only stop outsiders, but couldn't stop Penglai sect members."

"She left behind a test."

Zheng Yi said in a low voice.

"First, if a Penglai sect member found Xue Hanmeng, Xue Hanmeng would definitely tell them what Xue Bangzhu said before she died before letting them in."

"If this person had enough strength to protect Xue Hanmeng in front of Yingzhou, then naturally they could come in and take what she left behind."

"And if this person lacked strength and didn't care about Xue Hanmeng's warnings, then they were likely like me, a sect member eager for revenge on Yingzhou."

"Xue Bangzhu didn't want Xue Hanmeng to be involved in Yingzhou's affairs; if the person who came had the ability to protect Xue Hanmeng, that would be fine, but if not... then they would die here just the same."

"This is the third back-up plan Xue Bangzhu left behind."

After finishing, Zheng Yi let out a long sigh and didn't speak again for a long time.

Times change, and human hearts change.

Fifty years passed, and even the sect members who escaped from Penglai back then had long been carved by time into another appearance.

When Penglai was massacred back then, Xue Bangzhu was a witness... for Zheng Yi, only her mother died; but for Xue Bangzhu, almost all her peers, teachers, and friends died.

Yet she still made this choice.

How could Zheng Yi, who had always held beautiful fantasies about her peers, not be disappointed, not feel dejected?

Li Miao had no intention of interrupting her contemplation, turning and walking to the stone wall at the very back of the stone chamber, examining it, touching the stone wall, and pulling out a secret compartment at waist height.

Inside lay a booklet.

This booklet was made of sheepskin, and after decades of storage, only the edges were slightly yellowed and curled. But sheepskin is not as thin as paper, so the booklet wasn't thick, only about ten pages or so.

On the cover of the booklet, Xue Bangzhu had carved a poem with the tip of her sword.

Li Miao glanced at it, tore off the cover, and threw it in front of Zheng Yi.

"This Xue Bangzhu wasn't as heartless as you thought."

Zheng Yi reached out to catch the cover, confused, just about to ask, but her gaze swept over the cover.

She froze, reaching out to touch the sword marks on the cover.

When Xue Bangzhu escaped from Penglai back then, she was already a two-level Heaven-Human expert, and her sword technique was already effortless. But the sword marks on this cover were such that every stroke exceeded the original pattern and penetrated the back of the sheepskin.

Even after decades, Zheng Yi could feel that when Xue Bangzhu carved this poem, her hand was trembling uncontrollably.

She read it out softly.

"Snow sounds lean, beside the bamboo..."

"Cold dream... never leave home."

"Xue Bangzhu, Xue Hanmeng."

"So that's it..."

Zheng Yi felt a sourness in her nose, clutching the sheepskin to her chest, as if finally liberated, letting out a long breath.

"You didn't forget Penglai."

"I know... I know."

Zheng Yi carefully flattened the sheepskin in her palm, flipped it over, and finally found what she wanted to know on the back.

"I know your name."

"Zheng Wan."

And Li Miao also opened the first page of the booklet, and just by looking at the first line, he suddenly laughed.

On the first page of this booklet, only four words were written.

"Artistic conception."

"Xuanlan."