Chapter 79: Water Ripple

My gaze followed those seven blood holes downward, finally stopping below the sword tip, and only then did I realize the sword wasn't plunged into the mud and sand—it was stuck inside a bronze cauldron.

The bronze cauldron was buried underwater; I could only see its upper rim.

Just as I wanted to sink a little lower to see the cauldron clearly, a woman's face suddenly appeared inside it, startling me.

The woman's face was very pale, and she looked utterly weak.

I kept staring intently at her face—like, it seemed familiar!

The woman's eyebrows and eyes bore a five- or six-tenths resemblance to Liu Junyan's.

Who is she?!

"Child, don't be afraid." The woman suddenly spoke, "You being able to come here shows you have a close relationship with Āyàn. Child, could you do me a favor?"

I felt dazed, my mind a jumble, not knowing how to answer.

The woman didn't wait for my answer, but urgently said, "There's no time, child. Remember: Wangting Mountain, Furong Cave—where the water is deep, dig seven meters, bring back what you dig up, and give it to Āyàn."

As the woman's voice grew fainter, the scene before my eyes faded, and the whole space twisted and collapsed…

Huff!

I jolted awake from my dream, sat up suddenly, and gasped for breath.

My entire respiratory tract burned with pain.

Though it was just a dream, the sensation of suffocation was all too real.

I panted for a while, and only when my breathing finally eased did I reach to turn on the light.

As I reached out, I felt my palm was damp.

The moment the light came on, I saw a ripple of water flash across the middle finger of my left hand.

How…… what's going on?

Could it be that what just happened wasn't a dream?

At least my soul body was truly drawn to that body of water?

Then… who was that woman?

She looked so much like Liu Junyan, she called him Āyàn—could she be…

I daren't think further; the more I think, the more absurd it seems.

Yet the more I try to ignore it, the more my thoughts cling to it.

I remember the woman's final instruction to me with perfect clarity.

"Wangting Mountain, Furong Cave…"

Wait!

Wangting Mountain?!

Isn't Second Master Liu also from Wangting Mountain?

What did the woman want me to retrieve from Wangting Mountain for her?

Such an item must be very important to Liu Junyan, right?

I had no sleep left, leaning against the headboard, trying hard to sort out the various clues.

Suppose… let's boldly assume that the woman in the bronze cauldron underwater is Liu Junyan's mother.

Li Qingying once told me that Liu Junyan's mother had been the beloved little princess of the Linghai Dragon Palace, but she suddenly disappeared for many years, and when she returned, she brought Liu Junyan with her.

Moreover, Liu Junyan and Second Master Liu have countless secret ties.

In that case, could the years when Liu Junyan's mother vanished have been spent in Wangting Mountain?

Now she wants me to go to Wangting Mountain to find something—could it be what she lost there back then?

The more I think, the more likely it seems.

Wangting Mountain… it looks like I have to go there myself.

I immediately took out my phone and began searching online.

Online there are some fragments about Wangting Mountain, but it's hard to piece together an exact address.

After scanning many entries, I finally pinned down Wangting Mountain's location—Huicheng!

Wangting Mountain is actually in Huicheng?

I immediately thought of calling Tang Tang to ask if she knew about Wangting Mountain.

But then I remembered she had gone with her instructor to excavate a tomb; if she returned, she'd contact me right away.

Thinking that, I put down my phone, turned off the light, and lay down again.

Outside the window a faint light appeared; dawn was approaching.

I barely slept all night, but now my mind is racing nonstop.

If the woman in the underwater bronze cauldron really is Liu Junyan's mother, why would she be there?

And why would Liu Junyan's natal magic weapon be stuck in that cauldron?

That area is, after all, a forbidden zone of the Linghai Dragon Clan!

Could this matter also be secretly related to Liu Junyan being trapped in the Wufu Town Pawnshop?

Unfortunately, even Li Qingying knows little about what happened back then.

Perhaps once Liu Junyan leaves his seclusion, I can try probing him with questions.

·

Early the next morning, I actually received a call from Tang Tang.

Her voice sounded weary.

She told me she had already returned to her home in Huicheng, and that she had a week off coming up, asking me to bring that stamp over to see her.

Thinking back to how Tang Ao had helped me before, I prepared a gift and set off for Huicheng after breakfast.

This time, I let Li Qingying stay behind to guard the Dang Pu.

Lately it's been a turbulent time, Liu Junyan is in closed-door cultivation again, but we still need someone to stay at the Dang Pu.

I came out of the station, Tang Tang was already waiting at the exit; we chatted and laughed as we got into her car, and drove straight to the Tang Family's old residence.

I asked, 'Do you usually live at the old residence as well?'

'Yes.' Tang Tang said, 'I like staying with my aunt; it's peaceful. My father is too annoying.'

I let out an 'oh' and said, 'But I brought a gift for Uncle Tang.'

Tang Tang gripped the steering wheel and said nonchalantly, 'It's fine; I'll have the butler send it to my father's place, junior sister—you don't need to be so polite.'

We exchanged a few pleasantries, and Tang Tang then told me some amusing anecdotes about this tomb expedition. When the car got onto the mountain road, I cautiously asked, 'Senior sister, I heard there's a Wangting Mountain in Huicheng—is that right?'

'Wangting Mountain?' Tang Tang said, 'I think I've heard of it—there seems to be a pavilion left from before, backed by a mountain. It was originally meant to be developed into a tourist spot, but for some unknown reason it was shelved, and now that area is probably overgrown.'

No wonder I can't find any useful information online.

I asked, 'What caused this tourism project to be shelved? Do you know?'

Tang Tang shook her head: 'I'm not sure either, but when we go back we can ask the butler—he's a native elder of Huicheng, well-informed, so he should know something.'

I nodded; since Wangting Mountain lies within Huicheng's territory and we have the Tang Family's connections, it shouldn't be hard to look into.

While Tang Tang was speaking, her eyes kept glancing at my left hand.

I puzzled, 'Senior sister, what are you looking at?'

By then the car had arrived outside the old residence; she simply pulled the car over, reached out, grabbed my left hand, and felt my left middle finger.

Upon that touch, she suddenly exclaimed 'ah ya,' and immediately, blood welled up from the finger she was touching.

That wound looked as if something had bitten it open.

Tang Tang shouted, 'Junior sister, what is tattooed on your middle finger? Why does it bite?'

Tattoo?

What tattoo?

I lifted my left hand and looked at my middle finger.

Only then did I notice that, at some point, a ring-like pattern resembling ripples had appeared at the base of my left middle finger.

It really looks like it was tattooed on……