Chapter 256: Chapter 254: No Way
"Your father and I happened to acquire a Fragmented Map from some Adventurers. There were many points marked on it, and at first, we had no idea what they meant. We guessed they might be treasure locations, but when we visited many of the places on the map, we found nothing. The mountains were just mountains, and the rivers were just rivers..."
Lin Yunlan leaned against the headboard. Her body was still recovering, but her spirits had completely lifted. Seeing her daughter all grown up, with such an outstanding son-in-law by her side, brought her immense comfort.
"Later, we arrived at the entrance to the Mysterious Land near the Songfeng Sect and accidentally ran into a Spirit Beast. Neither your father nor I were very strong, and we were no match for it. Just as we were about to be overwhelmed, an energy gate suddenly appeared on the cliff for some reason. We didn’t have time to think and just went through it, entering that magical world."
So they really had just stumbled in by accident. This was quite different from what Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu had guessed at the time.
"Then how did you end up joining the Songfeng Sect?" Shangguan Shiyu asked, holding her mother’s hand with deep affection.
"After we entered, we felt that the Spiritual Qi in that place was incredibly abundant. ’A place like this must have Top-Grade Spiritual Medicine,’ we thought. Back then, we had no concept of a ’Mysterious Land.’ But your father was very clever. He immediately put the map in an iron box and buried it near the entrance."
Lin Yunlan gave a wry smile, her gaze distant as if recalling the past. "Later, we met a group of young people. They asked if your father and I were from the Divine Eagle Sect. Of course, we said no. Then they asked how we got in, and we told them the truth. They brought us to the Songfeng Sect, and that’s how we joined and began our training there."
"And after that...?" Shangguan Shiyu looked at her mother and asked hesitantly.
"Later, your father and I wanted to go back and bring you in with us, but the Sect had rules. Not just anyone could leave as they pleased. The people there were very powerful, so we didn’t dare try to sneak out. We just studied and trained desperately. Finally, we both reached the Celestial Level, strong enough to be allowed out for missions. We only had to complete one more Sect mission, and we could have come back to see you."
As Lin Yunlan spoke, her eyes reddened. "But it was that very mission that separated your father and me forever. That damned Grand Elder of the Divine Eagle Sect... they overheard your father and me talking and got greedy. He ambushed and killed your father, then interrogated me about the map’s location. I tried to self-detonate but didn’t have the chance. You probably know what happened after that."
Shangguan Shiyu couldn’t hold back her tears and wept in her mother’s arms.
After a long while, mother and daughter finally stopped crying. Lin Yunlan looked at Qin Li, a little embarrassed. "I’m sorry you had to see that, Qin Li. Is your mother doing well? Back in the day, Shiyu’s father and I were good friends with your mother!"
Qin Li nodded. "My mother is doing very well. She’s on Profound Island now!"
"Profound Island... another Mysterious Land, I suppose?" Lin Yunlan sighed softly. "Your mother has also had a hard life. I can’t imagine what she’s been through all these years. By the way, Shiyu, tell me about the Shangguan Family. How have they treated you?"
Shangguan Shiyu calmly recounted the story of the Shangguan Family. Lin Yunlan said nothing, merely sighing. "Forget it. Your father is gone, and I have no desire to go back there. As for your grandfather’s family... I don’t want to go back there either. Your grandmother passed away long ago. After you were born, when your grandfather’s family learned of your situation, he disowned me. A family like that isn’t worth returning to."
Shangguan Shiyu nodded and said softly, "Mother, come with us to Profound Island. I promise I’ll take good care of you."
Lin Yunlan gave a slight nod. "You two should go retrieve that map. It might be useful to you. As for your father’s revenge..."
"We’ll take it now!" Shangguan Shiyu declared, her expression turning cold and murderous.
Lin Yunlan was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head. "No, you can’t! The Divine Eagle Sect is filled with powerful experts, especially their Sect Leader. His strength is unfathomable. I forbid you from going for revenge!"
Qin Li smiled. "Auntie, please don’t worry. If we could get you out of there, we are naturally confident we can get revenge. We would have gone back that very day if we weren’t worried about you!"
Lin Yunlan stared at her daughter and Qin Li, dumbfounded. Suddenly, she asked, "I forgot to ask... what level have you two reached?"
"I’m already in the Celestial Integration Realm. Qin Li... he is too. But killing a Martial Artist at the Celestial Embracing Realm isn’t difficult for him!" Shangguan Shiyu stated calmly.
Lin Yunlan couldn’t help but gasp, staring at the young couple in disbelief. After a long moment, she sighed. "If you insist on going, then I’ll go with you. The Songfeng Sect would certainly be happy to see it happen."
Qin Li held up a hand and shook his head. "Auntie, the one group we absolutely cannot involve in this is the Songfeng Sect!"
Both Shangguan Shiyu and Lin Yunlan looked at Qin Li. Shiyu asked in confusion, "Why? Aren’t the two Sects mortal enemies?"
Qin Li gave a faint smile. "Think about it. If the two Sects were truly locked in a death feud, they would have fought to the bitter end long ago. Why have they both coexisted from ancient times to the present day? Of course, part of the reason is that neither can truly defeat the other. But more importantly, their struggles serve as a training opportunity for their disciples! Not to mention, there are numerous marriage alliances between the two Sects. If a real war broke out, we would be the true outsiders!"
Lin Yunlan pondered for a moment before looking up, a wise light flashing in her eyes. She looked at Qin Li gently and said softly, "Qin Li is right. That’s indeed how it is. In that case, I won’t stop you. If this deep-seated hatred can be avenged, I believe your father’s spirit in the heavens can finally rest in peace. However, you must guarantee your own safety first. Never forget, your lives are what’s most important!"
"We understand, Mother. Don’t worry!"
Shangguan Shiyu stood up, her face resolute. She turned to Qin Li and said, "Let’s go!"
When the two reappeared at the entrance, their state of mind was completely different. Qin Li could feel the hatred pent up in Shangguan Shiyu’s heart, like a volcano on the verge of erupting. Though she appeared calm on the surface, a turbulent undercurrent was already surging within.
They first went to the spot Lin Yunlan had mentioned where the map was buried. Without much effort, they found the iron box. Inside was not a folded map, but a Scroll. Unrolling it revealed a map about a foot square. Based on the markings, they easily located their current position.
The map was made of some unknown animal hide. Despite the passage of ten thousand years, it was still as tough as new. Judging by the cut along the edge, it had been deliberately separated. It looked as if it had been divided right after it was made. If one didn’t look closely, it was impossible to tell that it was a Fragmented Map.
On the back of the map were some characters and mysterious symbols that neither Qin Li nor Shangguan Shiyu recognized. Shangguan Shiyu said softly, "The script of Ancient Times is almost identical to modern script. But this... we don’t even recognize this, yet it’s clearly one of our written languages. There’s only one possibility: this is the script of Primeval Times!"
"Perhaps," Qin Li said, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "It looks like the complete map must be very large. We can study it slowly when we have time. Who would have thought something so precious would be buried in such an inconspicuous place? And it led to such a tragedy. From what the Divine Eagle Sect’s Second Elder said, we know his sect was annihilated because of this map as well."
Shangguan Shiyu nodded. "Every injustice has its source, every debt its debtor. The one who ambushed and killed my father was the Grand Elder. He must die!"
...
This time, they didn’t sneak in. They were stopped at the main gate of the Divine Eagle Sect by the Mountain Guard Disciples. But how could those disciples possibly be a match for them?
However, the two didn’t go on a killing spree. They simply knocked out all the Mountain Guard Disciples and kicked them to the side.
Such a commotion quickly drew a response from the Divine Eagle Sect. In an instant, dozens of people were rushing over.
When the Seventh Elder saw Shangguan Shiyu, he was utterly dumbfounded. His mouth fell slightly open, unable to form a single word. This girl looked far too much like the woman he had been calling his wife for several years!
If not for the fact that this girl was clearly younger and even more beautiful than his "wife," he might have thought she had returned.
Similarly, others who had seen Lin Yunlan were also shocked. But they quickly understood. The recent incidents that had thrown the Divine Eagle Sect into turmoil must have been the work of this young couple before them!
The most furious, naturally, was the Grand Elder, his face dark and sullen. He had been unjustly blamed for the chaos, and one of his trusted disciples even had an arm severed, unable to be reattached, turning him into a cripple.
The one with the most complicated feelings was the Seventh Elder. He stared at Shangguan Shiyu, dumbstruck. Although he knew it was very likely these two who had killed more than a dozen of his Celestial Shattering Realm disciples, he found he couldn’t bring himself to completely hate them.
’If I saw my own mother abducted and taken as someone’s wife,’ he thought, ’I would definitely kill the person responsible. Hacking them into a thousand pieces wouldn’t be enough to satisfy my hatred!’
He was by no means a good person, but he wasn’t irredeemably evil either. In the end, he still had a shred of humanity.
At this thought, the Seventh Elder sighed and said in a heavy voice, "Youngsters, I know why you’re here. It’s hard to judge the rights and wrongs of what happened back then. This young lady’s father did indeed die at our hands. However, you’ve also caused a huge ruckus in our Divine Eagle Sect these past few days. Let’s... call it even. Let this matter drop, and you should leave!"
"No!" Qin Li and the Grand Elder shouted at the exact same time, their voices overlapping.
