Chapter 253: Chapter 251: Sleeping Beauty
When Qin Li saw Shangguan Shiyu waiting quietly inside the stone cave, a pang of sorrow struck his heart. She was sitting there, hugging her legs, her chin resting on her knees, lost in thought. All the clues pointed to a single, sobering fact: the woman who had been comatose for years within the Divine Eagle Sect was, in all likelihood, Shiyu’s mother, Lin Yunlan.
How could he tell her?
Hesitantly, Qin Li walked slowly into the stone cave.
Shangguan Shiyu lifted her head. Even in the darkness, her eyes were as bright and captivating as ever. "Husband, you’re back so soon. Did you find out anything?"
"Yes, I heard a few things... but I’m not sure how to tell you," Qin Li said hesitantly, but he knew he had to.
After all, the cruelest thing in the world wasn’t ignorance, but uncertainty.
Shangguan Shiyu’s Star Eyes dimmed slightly, but she kept her gaze fixed on Qin Li. "Just say it. I can handle it. Because... I still have you."
Her voice was laced with sorrow. Clearly, Shangguan Shiyu had already braced herself for the worst.
Qin Li sat down beside Shangguan Shiyu, who tilted her head and leaned it gently against his shoulder. Shiyu’s voice had a beautiful, melodious quality. To close one’s eyes and listen to her speak was a true pleasure. Even now, though tinged with melancholy, it was as lovely as ever.
"You know, ever since I was a child, I’ve had the same dream over and over."
With her head on Qin Li’s shoulder and her eyes closed, tears began to stream slowly down Shiyu’s face. "In my dream, I see my father, but I never see my mother. He always looks so anxious, like he’s trying to tell me something, but I can never make out what he’s saying. Then I wake up crying."
"It’s only a dream, Shiyu."
"No, I know it was real. My father... he must be gone now. And what he wanted to tell me must have been to come here and save my mother. Qin Li, tell me... is that it?"
"Perhaps," Qin Li said, his voice low. "Tonight, I learned a few other things as well. Your parents... they were far more exceptional than you might imagine." He then gently recounted everything he had heard from the Second Elder.
"So, you’re saying that all we have to do now is find that woman at the... what was it, the Seventh Elder’s place? Once we confirm if she’s my mother, we can figure out everything else, is that right?"
At some point, Shangguan Shiyu had lifted her head. The tear stains on her face had yet to dry, but her eyes now glinted with a cold, hard light.
...
Under the cover of night, two figures moved through the mountain wilds.
Perhaps the Divine Eagle Sect had lived too peacefully for too long in this Mysterious Land. Even the deaths of several Celestial Level Spirit Pets during the day hadn’t prompted them to heighten their security at night.
And so, the pair searched four mountain peaks before finally locating the Seventh Elder.
They recognized two Divine Eagle Sect disciples they had seen earlier. In retrospect, those disciples must have been under the Seventh Elder’s tutelage.
The buildings on the Divine Eagle Sect’s various peaks followed no discernible pattern; from the outside, it was difficult to tell who lived where. Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu proceeded cautiously with their search. From his earlier encounter with the unfathomably powerful Grand Elder, Qin Li knew this Sect was far stronger than the Paradise Celestial Palace. There was no telling what kind of experts might be lurking within.
’Even with the Suppression Technique, I can’t just assume I’m invincible. Treasures that can resist powerful auras and pressure exist in this world. They may be rare, but who knows who might possess one? If I can plot against others, I must also be wary of them plotting against me.’
Halfway up the mountain, a centrally located courtyard caught their attention. Of all the places on the peak, its security was by far the tightest.
As Qin Li’s Divine Sense swept the area, he detected over a dozen Celestial Shattering Realm Martial Artists scattered throughout the courtyard. They were positioned perfectly; anyone who entered rashly would be ambushed instantly.
Shangguan Shiyu’s fragrant body pressed tightly against Qin Li. His Innate Purple Qi enveloped them both, lifting them into the air. Defying gravity, they drifted slowly upward, like a single dandelion seed floating on the breeze.
They rose seventy or eighty meters until they seemed to merge with the night sky itself. Only then did they begin their slow descent toward the roof of the house below.
Qin Li let out a quiet breath as his feet touched down on the rear section of the roof. Behind them were lush trees growing against the mountainside; the courtyard lay before them.
To think that a dozen Celestial Shattering Realm Martial Artists could be hidden in a courtyard less than thirty meters long and twenty meters wide, one filled with all manner of flowers and trees... it spoke volumes about how much the Seventh Elder valued this place.
Fortunately, no one was positioned at the back.
Lying flat on the roof, Qin Li and Shiyu remained still. Qin Li’s Spiritual Power flowed downward like water. His immense Divine Sense instantly captured the image of a woman lying on a large bed inside the room.
A tremor ran through Qin Li.
The woman bore a striking resemblance to Shangguan Shiyu.
Time seemed to have left no mark on her face; she looked like a young woman of twenty-seven or twenty-eight. She was truly beautiful. Though her features might not have been as exquisitely delicate as Shangguan Shiyu’s, she would still be considered a peerless beauty anywhere she went.
Two servant girls, in another room, were chatting softly, a hint of drowsiness in their voices.
"YAWN!" A young girl, about eighteen or nineteen, covered her mouth and yawned. "Sister," she said, "how much longer do you think the Madam can last?"
"Sigh... who’s to say? I heard that the disciples under Fifth Martial Uncle who went out into the mortal world failed to find that Spiritual Medicine. The Seventh Elder flew into a rage this afternoon. Without it, I’m afraid the Madam... won’t be able to hold on for much longer."
The younger girl sighed as well. "I always get the feeling that even though she’s always comatose like this, she understands everything. Remember that time we were talking about never having met our own parents, and she started crying?"
The slightly older girl nodded. "I remember. The Seventh Elder was so happy that day. He said she was about to wake up, but it turned out to be false hope. It’s a shame. The Seventh Elder is young and handsome, but he’s just too infatuated. And... it’s a little delusional, isn’t it? Making us call her ’Madam.’ I bet if she ever woke up, she wouldn’t like that title at all. She had a husband before, and I hear he was quite handsome, too!"
Shangguan Shiyu heard every word the two girls said. Her entire body trembled as she fought to keep her emotions from erupting.
Anyone who saw their mother, comatose for years, being treated as a wife by a strange man—or more accurately, by an enemy—would find it impossible to remain calm.
Qin Li’s arm tightened around Shangguan Shiyu’s waist as he poured a steady stream of Innate Purple Qi into her, terrified she might lose control and do something rash.
Just then, the sound of soft footsteps came from outside. Someone in the courtyard announced in a hushed tone, "The Seventh Elder has arrived."
"Mm," came a deep, magnetic voice in response.
The moment she heard that voice, a murderous aura erupted from Shangguan Shiyu. Qin Li, who had been anticipating this, instantly smothered it with his Innate Purple Qi, preventing it from spreading.
Qin Li whispered into her ear, "Shiyu, just a little longer. Once we know the truth, I’ll support you even if you want to start a bloodbath."
Shangguan Shiyu’s emotions gradually subsided.
"Seventh Elder!"
The two girls stood up and greeted the newcomer in unison.
’I can’t use my Divine Sense to see what the Seventh Elder looks like,’ Qin Li thought. ’I don’t know his true strength, and anyone who has reached the Celestial Embracing Realm is many times more sensitive to things like Spiritual Power and Divine Sense. Even though my Innate Purple Qi is incredibly subtle, it’s better not to take unnecessary risks.’
"How is the Madam today?" the Seventh Elder asked, his voice low.
The older girl replied softly, "Reporting to the Seventh Elder, the Madam’s condition is unchanged."
"I see. You are dismissed. I’ll stay and talk with the Madam for a while." His voice was steady and calm, betraying no emotion.
The two girls answered in low voices, then opened the door and left.
The Seventh Elder entered the room and looked at the exquisitely beautiful woman on the bed. He sighed softly, then sat beside her. As he gazed at her, his eyes softened with affection.
"My lady, I’m so sorry. Those useless fools returned today. Sigh... I suppose I can’t entirely blame them. That Spiritual Medicine is simply too rare; every bit we use is gone forever. It looks like I’ll have to make another trip myself. But I can’t bear the thought of leaving you here alone. The Grand Elder has always had designs on you. Yet, if I don’t go, I’m afraid you... you won’t make it through the year..."
The Seventh Elder’s voice was filled with sorrow. He continued in a whisper, "I admit, at first, I was after your Fragmented Map. But that changed. I fell in love with you. I don’t even know your name, but I truly love you. That’s why I’ll search to the ends of the earth to find that Spiritual Medicine for you. More than anything, I hope you’ll wake up one day. I don’t ask for your forgiveness, and I don’t expect you to love me back. I only wish... that you’ll stay here, where I can see you every day. That would be enough."
With a long sigh, the Seventh Elder stood. "People from the Songfeng Sect killed several of our Divine Eagle Spirit Pets today. Heh... I don’t know why, but instead of being angry, I’m actually a little pleased. The Grand Elder and I were never the same kind of person. But... sigh, I’m no saint myself. But at the very least, I would never do anything to hurt you. Ever."
With that, the Seventh Elder turned and walked out. Standing in the courtyard, he issued a stern command: "I am leaving on a trip tomorrow. Remember this: no one, under any circumstances, is to enter this courtyard. Especially anyone from the Grand Elder’s faction! If they try to force their way in, kill them without mercy!"
And with that, he drifted away.
