Chapter 11: His Highness Descends into the Well, the Immortal Arrives in a Sedan Chair

“Just down this street is Jiazi Hall, the imperial city’s secret vault. It houses the history and top secrets of the Zhao Kingdom, along with many ancient artifacts. However, the hall is extremely heavily guarded, so much so that even a bird would struggle to approach it,” Zhao Shisong slowly explained, pointing to a large expanse of seemingly unremarkable residences.

Ning Changjiu followed his gaze, looking at the deep gates, grand residences, stone lions, and lanterns. Guards moved to and fro, orderly and seemingly unaffected by the recent turmoil in the imperial city.

Beside him, Ning Xiaoling rubbed her eyes, still somewhat groggy from sleep. After her senior brother woke her, she hadn't had a chance to ask what happened before being bewilderedly pulled out.

Ning Changjiu withdrew his gaze. “Such powerful sword intent and killing aura.”

Zhao Shisong's fist tightened in his sleeve, then he smiled. “The Zhao Kingdom has been established for over a hundred years; naturally, Jiazi Hall contains many instruments of war.”

Ning Changjiu glanced at the young girl beside him and asked, “Junior Sister, can you feel anything?”

Ning Xiaoling looked at the deep palace complex, frowned, and shook her head.

Zhao Shisong looked at the delicate and charming young girl and said, “I heard that Miss Xiaoling was also attacked last night?”

Ning Changjiu nodded. “Yes, it was her people too.”

Recalling the events of last night, Ning Xiaoling said with lingering fear, “Thankfully, Senior Brother arrived in time and pulled me out.”

Zhao Shisong sighed. “Actually, I've always wondered, Little Daoist, with your cultivation, why do you stay by Ning Qinshui's side? What exactly are you after?”

Ning Changjiu didn't want to answer the question, merely smiling. “Even if I had been a bit late last night, Junior Sister wouldn't have died. This little girl is quite formidable.”

Ning Xiaoling was stunned for a moment. She lowered her head slightly, her expression becoming extremely indifferent in that instant, as if snow and wind swept through her eyes, then quickly calmed.

She looked up and smiled sweetly. “What are you joking about, Senior Brother?”

Ning Changjiu ruffled her hair and smiled faintly.

Zhao Shisong looked at the brother and sister, finding them increasingly unfathomable.

The three gradually moved further away from Jiazi Hall.

Zhao Shisong held a respected position; along the way, everyone who saw him would bow and exchange a few pleasantries.

Ning Changjiu would stop with him, quietly observing the ancient city as it woke.

Passing through the arched gate beneath the imperial palace walls, and walking not much further, they could see a large lake. Mist swirled over the lake's surface, and red leaves piled up on its banks. Court ladies cast fish food into the water, creating ripples across the lake.

Zhao Shisong smiled. “This is Qifeng Lake. It wasn't artificially dug. The Zhao Kingdom was built amidst mountains and rugged terrain, which was no easy feat.”

Ning Changjiu looked back. The imposing and magnificent imperial palace was built against the mountain's contours, while the layout of the imperial city was much flatter. Beyond the continuous halls, markets were interconnected, and looking further out, villages and fortresses were also well-distributed.

Zhao Shisong recalled something and let out a long sigh. “Originally, the Zhao Kingdom occupied much fertile land in the south, but over ten years ago, much of it was ceded to the Rong Kingdom to secure temporary peace... Sadly, later, because of Princess Xiang'er's incident, everything was ruined.”

Ning Changjiu pointed south of the great lake and asked, “Following this road forward, that would be the National Preceptor's Manor, wouldn't it?”

Zhao Shisong nodded. “Yes, two years ago, the National Preceptor still had a full head of black hair and was full of vigor. Now that the national fortune is waning, and the National Preceptor bears the nation's destiny, he has aged into an old man near the end of his years.”

Ning Changjiu asked, “The National Preceptor bears the nation's destiny, so what does the Shaman Lord bear?”

Zhao Shisong explained, “The line of Shaman Lords primarily focuses on annotating ancient esoteric texts, preserving Daoist techniques, and defending the city. The Shaman Lord's authority in the imperial city is second only to the Emperor. Therefore, if the imperial city is damaged, the Shaman Lord also suffers a backlash. When the Blood Feather Monarch wreaked havoc in the imperial city back then, it was the Shaman Lord himself who stepped in to suppress it.”

Ning Changjiu was somewhat puzzled. “The National Preceptor bears the nation's destiny, and the Shaman Lord bears the city's destiny?”

Zhao Shisong said, “Precisely.”

Ning Xiaoling listened from the side and whispered, “That sounds like the National Preceptor is much more powerful.”

Zhao Shisong gave a bitter smile and did not reply.

Ning Changjiu knew he was still hiding something, but since it involved the Zhao Kingdom's top secrets, he did not press further.

The three walked along the lakeside. Ning Changjiu looked at the scattered red leaves on the ground and wondered, “Records state that the Blood Feather Monarch was a half-step Purple Court demonic bird, of very high status. Why would it appear in the imperial city of the Zhao Kingdom?”

Zhao Shisong replied, “The establishment of the Zhao Kingdom involved opening up many previously wild and desolate areas. Perhaps that was originally the Blood Feather Monarch's territory, and its unprovoked occupation naturally provoked its wrath.”

Ning Changjiu asked, “Was that Blood Feather Monarch killed?”

Zhao Shisong said, “It was merely driven away. The Shaman Lord also suffered severe injuries because of it.”

As the two exchanged questions and answers, they covered a considerable distance. The great lake was covered in mist like gauze, and the morning sun's light streamed through from behind, like sharp swords, slowly parting the cool mist. On the other side of the lake, armed guards moved back and forth. Behind their interweaving figures lay a large expanse of ruined debris.

“Qianyu Hall?” Ning Changjiu asked.

Ning Xiaoling stood on her tiptoes to look. Her gaze passed through the long corridors between high walls, vaguely discerning only a collapsed corner of the grand hall. Even after a long time, the cracked bricks and broken tiles along the way still carried a damp, killing aura.

Zhao Shisong clasped one fist in front of him and held the other behind his back, his eyes filled with melancholy and lament. The hall, once revered as a sacred place, had, after a devastating fire, ultimately failed to rise like a phoenix.

“It's a pity I never met the empress in person. Her celestial beauty can only be glimpsed through Princess Xiang'er.”

Ning Changjiu cupped his fists and said, “Thank you, Your Royal Highness, for clarifying things along the way.”

Zhao Shisong waved his hand. “Compared to the life-saving grace of the little Daoist, it is nothing.”

Ning Changjiu said, “Next, I'd like to walk around with my junior sister. Is that alright?”

Zhao Shisong said, “Of course. However, Little Daoist, you must not trespass into those secret vaults and important areas I mentioned earlier.”

Ning Changjiu said, “I have my limits. I will naturally avoid those places.”

Zhao Shisong's expression suddenly became somewhat troubled. “As for the Prince's Manor... and that Tang Yu, I...”

Ning Changjiu said, “Just follow the agreement. Don't interfere in this matter anymore. Zhao Xiang'er probably doesn't have time to bother with you.”

After parting with Zhao Shisong, Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling strolled leisurely by the lake. In the distance were ancient palaces, and nearby lay damp fallen leaves. Golden light burst forth from the sky, and the mist on the lake gradually dispersed, reflecting scattered gold.

Ning Xiaoling rustled through the fallen leaves, her arms crossed, clutching her somewhat thin Daoist robe. Her delicate cheeks were flushed from the cold. She glanced again towards Qianyu Hall, her brows slightly furrowed, lost in thought.

“Senior Brother...” Her gaze moved along the imperial city's high walls as she spoke slowly. “What realm are you in right now?”

Ning Changjiu looked at her with a puzzled expression, then smiled and shook his head. “Realms are merely human constructs and imaginings. It's like a cup of water: an empty cup is empty, pour some water in and it has water, if it overflows, it's full... To conveniently record this process of pouring, people carved many marks onto the cup as milestones. I don't think that has any meaning.”

“Why?” Ning Xiaoling was somewhat unconvinced.

Ning Changjiu said, “Because the water is ultimately still in the cup. Only when the water jumps out of the cup and begins to seek a larger container—that point is the true milestone of a realm...”

Ning Xiaoling sighed softly and smiled wryly. “But Senior Brother, have you ever thought that most cultivators in this world will never see the edge of the cup in their entire lives?”

Ning Changjiu stopped and thought for a moment. “Hmm, for most people, cultivation itself is just castles in the air. But you, Junior Sister, are different. Since you can form an Innate Spirit, you are already above ten thousand others.”

As he spoke, Ning Changjiu thought of his current body, his heart sinking slightly. He wondered how far he could truly go in his present state.

Ning Xiaoling also remembered her rat-sized, tail-less fox and puffed out her cheeks with little confidence. She looked up at Ning Changjiu, curious. “Does Senior Brother have an Innate Spirit?”

Ning Changjiu hesitated for a moment before slowly uttering a single syllable: “Yes.”

Ning Xiaoling's body stiffened, and she almost blurted out, “What is it?”

Ning Changjiu looked at her calmly. “My Innate Spirit is gone.”

Ning Xiaoling was momentarily stunned.

Once an Innate Spirit appears, it becomes one with the Qi Sea. If an Innate Spirit is forcibly removed, the Qi Sea will shatter, rendering the person useless...

What exactly did he experience that night? Who exactly is this person standing before her now?

Ning Xiaoling felt a chill, the fear she had suppressed for so long now felt like needles piercing her skin, making her shiver to her core.

She asked, feigning casualness, “How could an Innate Spirit just disappear? Did you misremember, Senior Brother?”

Ning Changjiu shook his head gently and did not reply.

In that distant, almost illusory memory, the last scene he recalled was an intensely pure sword light piercing his heart. Beyond that ultimate sword light was a face of the utmost indifference and beauty.

He didn't know her name, but he knew she was his master.

In his hazy memory, he vaguely recalled his Innate Spirit being forcibly extracted by her and severed with a single sword stroke.

She seemed to have said something to him, something that felt very important, but he couldn't recall it.

The memory of that lifetime ended abruptly there. From then until he awoke in this body, he only vaguely remembered being trapped in a desolate place like a graveyard.

He stopped thinking about those things and gazed at the city walls of the Zhao Kingdom. The light of the rising sun illuminated the city's ancientness, making it look like an old beast trapped in a cage.

“Do you like this city?” Ning Changjiu asked suddenly.

Ning Xiaoling sat down by the lakeside, her small, beautiful reflection shimmering in the water. She said calmly:

“I've only been here a few days. How can I talk about liking or disliking it?”

Ning Changjiu said, “The Zhao Kingdom has surely endured many hardships over the past century.”

Ning Xiaoling nodded. “With the two hungry wolves, the Rong Kingdom and the Jin Kingdom, constantly eyeing it, how could it ever satisfy them, even if it carved off much of its own flesh?”

Ning Changjiu smiled. “Then do you know why, a hundred years ago, the Zhao Kingdom was able to forcefully carve out its own territory among them?”

Ning Xiaoling said, “I wasn't even born then, how would I know?”

Ning Changjiu smiled. “Because immortals helped.”

Ning Xiaoling also smiled. “Senior Brother, do you believe those legends?”

Ning Changjiu said, “I once read some ancient texts from human dynasties. Back then, I also thought they were legends. But these days, staying in the imperial palace, I vaguely feel that those legends might be true.”

Ning Xiaoling swung her legs gently and said, “What are you talking about, Senior Brother? What legends?”

Ning Changjiu sat down beside her. “That is the true foundation of the Zhao Kingdom's establishment. Junior Sister, you're too young; hearing these might be a bit frightening right now.”

Ning Xiaoling blinked. “It's alright, Senior Brother, tell me about it?”

Many strange birds gathered above the National Preceptor's Manor. Some rested on the ridgepoles, while others circled overhead, but they remained eerily silent, as if afraid of disturbing the young girl inside the manor.

The legend of the Sparrow Ghost caused great panic in the imperial palace. The news of Zhao Shisong's attack last night also spread in a small circle, but Zhao Shisong's own account was very vague, only saying that a malevolent ghost sought his life and that he was saved in time by the young Daoist from his residence. Meanwhile, the Shaman Lord's appearance and words that day identified the Sparrow Ghost as the demonic bird, the Blood Feather Monarch, who had wreaked havoc in the imperial city many years ago.

Many elders who had lived through the Blood Feather Monarch's chaos still felt a lingering fear and hoped that the Shaman Lord would act again to completely kill that demonic bird.

However, those who knew more about the inside story did not believe the Blood Feather Monarch's explanation. What they truly feared most was the young girl currently residing in the National Preceptor's Manor.

She now wielded the authority of the National Preceptor's Manor's grand formation and was connected to the National Preceptor's life, so they naturally found it difficult to act.

But Zhao Xiang'er would eventually leave the manor, so secretly, many had already contacted the Jin Kingdom to prepare diligently. From the moment they conspired to kill the Empress, everything became irreversible; they had to go all the way and kill this princess as well.

The young girl remained within the manor, but assassins were already on their way.

Yet, the young girl in the National Preceptor's Manor seemed oblivious to all of this.

In the early morning, after Zhao Xiang'er woke up, she bathed and changed into a long black silk dress. Her ink-dark hair, still wet, lay draped over her shoulders and back, like clouds pregnant with rain.

Winding corridors were entwined with ancient vines. On one side of the corridor, there was an old well with yellowish moss.

“This well connects to an underground spring of Qifeng Lake. The water is very sweet. If you wish to brew tea, I can prepare a pot for you.”

At the corridor entrance, the National Preceptor stood leaning on his cane. His spirit seemed even more listless, and his voice slower.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the well and said, “The well water doesn't interfere with the lake water. Sir, you don't need to hide it; I already know everything.”

The old man's stooped body trembled. His hand gripping the cane involuntarily tightened, and even though his spiritual energy was sealed at that moment, cracks appeared in the floor tiles beneath the cane's tip.

Zhao Xiang'er smiled. “There's a well like this in Qianyu Hall, one in the Undying Forest, and also one in the imperial palace. When I was very young, I heard ghost cries from beneath the well and once went down to investigate.”

The old man stared at her. “So, you knew all along?”

Zhao Xiang'er said, “Now Qianyu Hall is destroyed, and the well leading to the depths of the underground palace is sealed. I can't go to the imperial palace or the Undying Forest anymore, which is why I came to the National Preceptor's Manor.”

The old man gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I thought my frail, aging body might still earn some regard from Your Highness. Now I realize I was arrogant.”

Zhao Xiang'er shook her head. “Teacher, there's no need to be modest.”

The old man sighed, his earlier speculation now confirmed. He spoke with a heavy tone, “Do you know what kind of monster lies beneath that underground palace?”

Zhao Xiang'er said, “I once saw it through the furnace grate. It's a very, very powerful old demon. All the assassins I've ever seen combined aren't half as strong as it is.”

The old man said with anguish, “Then don't you understand that the very existence of the Zhao Kingdom is for its sake? If it escapes the underground palace, the entire Zhao Kingdom will cease to exist!”

Zhao Xiang'er looked at him calmly and slowly began to recount that history: “My mother once told me that five hundred years ago, dozens of powerful great demons with monstrous demonic power emerged like mushrooms after rain between heaven and earth. Besides the twelve hidden realm masters, there were very few beings in the world who could truly kill them. And the hidden realm masters, limited by the laws of heaven and earth, could not directly interfere with the mortal world. So they sent envoys to the human realm to suppress these great demons by leveraging the destinies of human cities and states. Many of the wild lands where these demons were suppressed had no established nations, so the envoys helped people establish territories and build city-states there. That is the legend of immortals forging nations.”

“Over these past five hundred years, many nations have successively risen, and their very foundation was to suppress these malevolent beings that caused chaos in heaven and earth.”

“And a hundred years ago, a great demon escaped. An immortal pursued it for thousands of miles, finally shattering its physical body beneath Xiantai Mountain. Then the immortal established the imperial city at Xiantai Mountain and secured the nation with four treasures. Thus, "Zhao" was born.”

As Zhao Xiang'er spoke, she walked towards the well. Her dark skirt swayed in the autumn wind, like a piece of night.

The old man's expression gradually changed from intense to desolate. He said hoarsely, “Even so, you still want to enter the well? Do you know how powerful it truly is? It could kill you in the blink of an eye.”

Zhao Xiang'er said, “Then you must also know what it is truly consuming. Where do the earthquakes, floods, plagues, and numerous other natural and man-made disasters in the Zhao Kingdom truly originate? Surely, as one who bears the nation's destiny, you are aware, aren't you?”

The old man said desolately, “So what? No matter how difficult these disasters are to endure, they cannot shake the foundation of the Zhao Kingdom. Since this is the very foundation of the Zhao Kingdom's existence, it is naturally the destiny Zhao must bear!”

Fallen leaves lay piled by the ancient well, like red and yellow ink, like rusted swords.

After the autumn rain, the well water had risen significantly. Her beautiful face shimmered in the water, reflecting the well water's emerald beauty.

She looked at her reflection in the water and said, “I want to try and kill it.”

The old man looked at her, almost pleading, “Xiang'er... stop now. It's still not too late. Those people outside who want to kill you, I will risk my life to stop them, only I beg you...”

Zhao Xiang'er interrupted him: “I will return a clear and peaceful world to the Zhao Kingdom.”

With that, she lifted the front of her skirt, gripped the ancient umbrella, and leaped into the well.

The sound of water roared in his ears. The old man gasped sharply, his cane slipping from his grasp with a clatter as it fell to the ground. He clutched his chest and collapsed onto the ground in despair.

Moments later, a servant suddenly rushed from the pavilion. He prostrated himself on the ground, his voice frantic to the extreme: “National Preceptor... Esteemed National Preceptor, this is terrible! The Imperial Seal... it's gone!”

The old man stared blankly for a long time. Trembling, he picked up his cane, threw it towards the ancient well, covered his face, and cried out in sorrow:

“Mad... Mad, they've all gone mad...”

The waters of Qifeng Lake undulated with shimmering light. As the distant chimes of the imperial city's bell rang, Ning Changjiu finished recounting the legend of the Zhao Kingdom.

Ning Xiaoling stared intently at him, her thoughts slightly returning to the present, and asked curiously, “Are we really walking on top of a great demon?”

Ning Changjiu said, “Perhaps it's true, perhaps it's just a story.”

Ning Xiaoling worriedly said, “What if it escapes from underground one day?”

Ning Changjiu looked up at the sky. “Then I'll just have to take you and run for our lives.”

Ning Xiaoling looked at him with watery eyes. “Then you absolutely mustn't leave me behind, alright?”

On the official road not far away, two rows of officials knelt. The city gate was now wide open, and light shone through the tall brick walls.

On the distant arched bridge, Ning Changjiu once again saw Song Ce's figure.

Behind him, a small blue-and-white palanquin floated in mid-air without bearers, rising and falling evenly as it approached, as if the surrounding air were lake water gently supporting that single small boat.

The world was bright now, and the blue-and-white palanquin had its curtains drawn. Looking through the sunlight, one could vaguely discern a graceful figure inside, like a celestial being from another world, seen through a mist.

Ning Changjiu remained unmoved.

Ning Xiaoling, however, gazed blankly, having forgotten how to speak.