Chapter 29
To A thousand caves
A beautiful burgundy palanquin passes by streams of water in a mossy forest, full of fireflies dancing all around. Chu Qiao asked Viper to stop for a while and witness the fireflies' dance, which brought her back to her childhood memories. Her thoughts wandered to her family, her brother Ling Xi, her sisters, and Yuwen Yue.
Those memories were from the time she was Xinger, a favored maidservant of the fourth young master of the Yuwen household.
She recalled how fear constantly gripped her heart for the lives of her brother and sisters. However, that fear never weakened her will; instead, her determination blossomed amidst the cruel slavery system, the aristocrats' dominance over what they called their "lowly slaves," dogs, and pigs.
Her memories were bittersweet, filled with moments of death and short-lived happiness, battles, and the struggles of a dog slave fighting against the rotten system of the dynasty's luminaries.
Viper asked, "Fireflies in fall?"
"It's amazing," said Chu Qiao, "since they usually only appear in summer." As Chu Qiao continued watching them, they stirred recollections of the past, as if she were journeying back in time.
Yuwen Yue was one of the coldest nobles she had ever met, but despite his coldness, she remembered the warm safety of the Green Hills Courtyard, the silent care her young master showed, and the attention Yuwen Yue gave to Xinger.
Unfortunately, her memories of Yuwen Yue were also filled with pain and tears. Her heart longed for the young master's love, hoping that his gestures might lead to a bright future with him.
However, everyone knew that without a miracle, she would remain just a bedchamber maid to the fourth young master.
It was a better position than being a dog slave, but the respect and admiration typically given to others were not part of it.
Even though she wasn't entitled to much, she seized her only chance. She did her best to win, hoping to save her sisters and live a free, healthy life.
Becoming the fourth master's bedchamber maid would also give her the opportunity to kill him and avenge her brother Ling Xi, whom Yuwen Yue had killed with his sword.
This part was the hardest. Yuwen Yue tried to explain why Ling Xi had to die, it wasn't his will, but rather her brother's dying wish.
Yuwen Yue had honored Ling Xi's last request. But how could a mere slave like Ling Xi ask such a thing of the fourth young master? A lowly servant wouldn't dare.
It wasn't Yuwen Yue's character to obey slaves. Aristocrats didn't act that way. Yet Yuwen Yue had broken this tradition to fulfill Ling Xi's final wish.
Out of guilt, Ling Xi asked his master Yuwen Yue to end his life.
And out of mercy, Yuwen Yue granted his request.
Ling Xi believed that his careless actions had caused chaos and led to the death of Yuwen Gao, the grandfather of his fourth young master, Yuwen Yue, who was already in a life-and-death situation.
Yuwen Yue did not want Ling Xi to die, but the only available antidote for the poison was enough for one person, and both of them had been poisoned that night.
Ling Xi, in his hopeless state, thanked his young master and begged him to end his life, not by poison, but by Yuwen Yue's own gentle hands. Yuwen Yue was forced to choose between two dying people: he had to save one and kill the other.
From a cold distance, Xinger saw what her master did to his fifth brother, and from that moment, she vowed to avenge her brother's death, unaware of what had truly transpired that night. She believed only what her eyes had seen, her brother's death, followed by his body being burned.
She also remembered the sunny Prince of Yanbei, Yan Xun, who became her pillar of strength. He saw an opportunity and made her his comrade and general of the Xuili Army.
Her memories of Yan Xun were a mix of light and shadow. He had saved her from countless difficult situations and offered her more choices, becoming her escape. Eventually, she decided to leave the green pastures of the Yuwen household and join his envoy.
However, her painful memories were marked by Yan Xun's total devastation: the murder of his family. She became the deadliest pawn in his rebellion against the Shen Jin Emperor, part of Yanbei's rebellion against the throne.
Cast out from royalty, Yan Xun was stripped of his royal title and turned into a rebel.
She remembered the time when she was called A'Chu. Yan Xun made her dreams come true by freeing her from her slave status and defying custom. They lived without barriers between them, as equals.
At least inwardly, they lived as if no boundaries existed. Whatever Yan Xun possessed, A'Chu shared equally.
A'Chu's dream of a better world began in Changan and extended to Yanbei territories. Yan Xun commissioned her to expand his influence, even at the risk of her own life. She accompanied Prince Xiao Ce of Liang to bring chaos to Changan, ensuring their escape by turning Xiao Ce's death into their means of escape. Yan Xun also gave her command over the Xuili Army, vowing to fight until the last drop of their blood had dried.
Yan Xun could never forgive Xuili Army's mistake of allowing the Wei army to breach their borders, which paved the way for the annihilation of the Yan royal family and the massacre of Yanbei's citizens by the Wei's hungry blades, leaving only him as the scapegoat.
Buried under the weight of her mortal memories, Chu Qiao accepted that this part of her past was permanent. She could not choose which memories to keep or delete.
She knew she had to recover those missing fragments of herself before her powers caused her to fall into unconsciousness, which might lead her to erase them completely.
Chu Qiao also knew that one day she would have to face those memories again. She hoped that when the time came, she would do so with full awareness and not stumble blindly.
"Let's go," Chu Qiao said after a pause of lingering thoughts, captivated by the mesmerizing fireflies and the mossy forest. She climbed into her palanquin as Viper took the reins of the three horses, continuing their journey to the Thousand Caves. The Skyshadow woman was not with them.
Chu Qiao wondered where she had gone, but Viper reassured her, saying that she would appear whenever needed.
At the Thousand Caves, Zao Baocung had just arrived after a long journey from the borders of Liang and Wei. He planned to stay longer than usual, as his mission was to find Yuwen Yue, on orders from the Prince of Liang. The prince hoped to confirm that the former heir of the Eyes of God was still alive, despite the Yuwen household's official statement.
Zao was busy feeding his hamster pets when one of the biggest hamsters approached, munching on a special mooncake with a note inside. The hamster's cheeks were full, but Zao managed to retrieve the note and read: "Come to see me. I need secret information."
As Zao prepared to meet the visitor, he changed his outfit, donning his blood-red hood and tying a rope around his waist as a belt.
After adding some finishing touches to his face, he finally resembled an ancient priest about to perform a dark ritual.
He smiled at himself, his appearance truly frightening. This eerie look added to his credibility as one of the master healers for the underworld spies.
Whatever he earned from his work, he sent to the treasury of the Chu Jing Kingdom to help rebuild its ruins.
The gatekeeper of the cave, on his usual duty, sat at the entrance like a blind beggar, his old, wrinkled hand outstretched, asking for a gold coin.
The cave, consisting of literally thousands of caverns beneath the earth, is treacherous. If you fail to follow the gatekeeper's instructions carefully, you might never come out alive, as countless unwise visitors have perished, their bones buried within.
The gatekeeper requires a special gold coin, one that must be tested before it can be accepted. Any attempt to deceive, attack, or offer a fake coin will lead to dire consequences.
Legend says that if you try to trick the gatekeeper, he will feed your soul to the underworld as payment for your treachery. In exchange for the deception, he demands a life.
After meeting the spiritual healer, visitors can only exit the cave after being blindfolded and walking three times around the spiral temple located within the cave. Disoriented and unsure of direction, whether north or south, the healer will guide the way out.
The journey takes a full day. You must be well-prepared, as this trip through the Thousand Caves requires not only physical strength but also great endurance.
Yuwen Yue and Zuo were determined. Both were masters of disguise, allowing them to bypass Qinghai's royal protocols and roam freely.
At the cave entrance, the gatekeeper declared, "Only one can pass, the other cannot." Determined to break the rule, Yuwen Yue replied, "I have not brought just one coin, but a thousand coins for my brother. Please, I am buying his way in, he cannot survive without me."
Zuo acted the part of a helpless, disabled brother, hunchbacked and dressed in filthy clothes, while Yuwen Yue disguised himself as a rugged man, far removed from his usual rich appearance. Once again, they lived up to their reputation as masters of disguise.
The gatekeeper tested one of the coins in the water. When the coin did not change color, he poured more until the stone basin was filled with a thousand coins. While waiting at the entrance, Yuwen Yue and Zuo kept an eye on a potential escape route in case of an emergency.
The gatekeeper did not care whether the guest was rich or poor. Anyone could enter the cave, as long as they carried a gold coin from a true and accepted source.
Anyone could pass.
The gatekeeper is blind, forbidden from seeing who enters the cave. Yet, its duty is to spiritually discern the intentions of the heart. Whether those intentions are good or evil, the outcome is not its concern.
"Zuo, this is uncharted territory. It's scarier than I thought," said Yuwen Yue.
"I know, Your Highness. Be careful not to show your sword, or we're done for," Zuo whispered.
Yuwen Yue observed the old gatekeeper and sensed something was amiss. However, they were allowed to pass. The two walked forward, guided by a map handed to them by the gatekeeper, who vanished like the wind.
Zuo, immature as ever, wanted to jump and laugh out loud. For the first time, they had surpassed the gatekeeper's cruel entrance requirements, despite its sharp senses.
Yuwen Yue gently tapped Zuo and warned, "Keep still. We need to follow the map precisely, or we'll end up buried alive or lost forever."
In a hushed voice, Zuo whispered, "I should have invited you here before we went to Qinghai. Our visit is long overdue." He giggled like a boy, but Yuwen Yue quickly tapped him again, placing a hand over Zuo's mouth to silence him.
Before long, they reached their destination. Before they could react, Zao Baocung stood with his back turned to them, then slowly turned to face them.
Yuwen Yue, despite his rugged appearance, stood tall and handsome, his cold eyes fixed on Zao Baocung. Zuo, still maintaining his hunchback disguise, looked comical by comparison.
Zao Baocung, whose eyes had been closed and droopy, opened them and stared at his visitors. In a chilling voice, he said, "You both broke the rule."
Yuwen Yue quickly replied, "We did not. The gatekeeper let us pass. This is legitimate."
"No," Zao Baocung responded. "The Skyshadow is following you. You're doomed. I'm finished here."
Suddenly, Yuwen Yue's brows furrowed in anger. His hand twitched, and he grabbed Zao Baocung's wrist.
Zao, sensing danger, reached for the sword at his waist, ready to strike. But before he could, Zuo straightened up, abandoning his disguise. Without hesitation, he grabbed the sharp blade with his bare hands, which immediately began dripping with blood.
In the chaos, Yuwen Yue acted swiftly. As Zuo bought him time, Yuwen Yue drew his Poe Yue Jian sword, and in the rush, his hood fell, revealing his identity.
Zao, shocked to see the very man he had been sent to find standing before him, lowered his blade. Yuwen Yue tore a piece of his cloak and quickly wrapped it around Zuo's bleeding hands.
Yuwen Yue then handed Zuo a small celadon bottle.
Yuwen Yue moved to finish Zao Baocung, but before he could strike, Zao fell to the ground, looking up at him and shouting, "It's me! I didn't recognize you until your hood fell, and I saw the sword you're holding, one of the Lover's Swords."
At the mention of the Lover's Sword, Yuwen Yue recalled the time he had revealed its significance in front of his apprentice, Xinger. He had given her the Canhong sword when he was still the master of the Eyes of God.
It was during the time they were both trapped inside Zao Baocung's cave.
Xinger and Yuwen Yue had felt awkward when Zao revealed that the swords they carried were part of the Lover's Swords pair.
During that time, Yuwen Yue had suddenly fallen ill with typhoid fever, and Zao had revealed that it was an inborn condition. Zao had warned that if Xinger didn't care for Yuwen Yue, he would die. Zao, ever the opportunist, took advantage of their three-day stay in his cave, teasing Xinger.
Sensing that Xinger had lost her past memories, Zao offered to cure her, promising the service for free. Being a crafty merchant, he added a condition: when Xinger recovered her memories of the Wind and Cloud Decree, she would owe him a debt. "Not a bad business," Zao had thought.
Zao had placed Xinger in a hypnotized state, during which she recovered memories of her past, who she truly was and what she had done before arriving at the Yuwen household. However, Yuwen Yue had interrupted the process, forcing Zao Baocung to let them out of the cave.
Yuwen Yue snapped back to the present, realizing who this druid-priest-like figure in front of him truly was. Suddenly, Zao's pets appeared, one by one, nipping at the ground. Yuwen Yue, his sharp memory kicking in, recognized them all and said, "Zao Baocung! A not-so-pleasant surprise."
Without hesitation, Zao Baocung rushed to Zuo and warned Yuwen Yue, "Zuo will die in a few hours if the poison in his wound isn't treated with an antidote." Zao swiftly produced a small bottle and acupuncture needles, unwrapped Zuo's wounds, and began pricking needles around the injury to stop the poison from reaching his heart.
Zuo collapsed as Zao inserted a needle at the center of the wound, applying the antidote. Zao turned to Yuwen Yue and said, "He'll be unconscious for about an hour, but soon he'll vomit the poison and recover. The poison hasn't reached his heart."
For the first time, Yuwen Yue knelt, looking visibly worried. His cold eyes shot a stern glance at Zao, but he said nothing. He simply held Zuo in his arms, his usual icy look softened by concern.
Suddenly, Zao Baocung stood up and countered an attack from the Skyshadow gatekeeper. "Old woman," Zao said sharply, "they are not enemies. He holds the Poe Yue Jian sword."
The old woman, still hidden in the shadows, spoke: "I know he carries the Poe Yue Jian sword. My master was attacked by him, and the sword was abandoned. Now, I am here to reclaim it. He is the son of the man who slaughtered the entire Chu Jing Kingdom. He must die."
Just as the Skyshadow prepared to strike, Yuwen Yue rose and slowly unsheathed the Poe Yue Jian sword. A whirring, ear-splitting sound filled the air as the sword emitted a blinding light, its inscriptions glowing along the double-edged blades.
The Skyshadow's eyes caught the light, and as her hood fell, her face was exposed. In an instant, the old woman transformed back into her younger, beautiful self. The curse had been lifted by the Poe Yue Jian sword, and she collapsed, unconscious. Zao rushed to her side to offer aid.
After a few minutes of ensuring the woman was unharmed, Zao turned to Yuwen Yue, who remained alert, his guard still up. Kneeling before Yuwen Yue, Zao Baocung said, "You! You are the reason I have continued to live this life, for the sake of the secret princess. I cannot be mistaken; you are the lost son of the Qinghai King." Tears welled in his eyes as he begged for forgiveness.
Meanwhile, Zuo began to stir, slowly regaining consciousness. He noticed the needles still embedded in his hands. Yuwen Yue approached him and said, "Do not move. The hour has not yet passed. The antidote is working, eliminating the poison. Stay still and stay alive." The Skyshadow woman remained unconscious, yet to awaken.
Zao Baocung, still on his knees, looked up at Yuwen Yue. Yuwen Yue, cold and stern, said, "Very well. You nearly killed my brother. If he doesn't recover within the hour, I will cut off your head."
With his icy gaze, Yuwen Yue dismissed Zao but continued, "We came here seeking information about the secret princess and the Chu Jing Kingdom, and this is what we find."
Zao, now humbled and serious, replied, "Anything you wish to know, Your Highness. I am at your service." Gone was his arrogance, replaced by a servant's attitude.
Satisfied with the day's progress, Yuwen Yue stated, "I need the key to the secret door of Chu Jing Kingdom. My brother said no one has dared step inside and survived since its walls were breached. After its shutdown, the land turned parched and dry, and a fragrant flower poison grew around its perimeter, making entry impossible."
Zao hesitated before asking, "Your Highness, if you don't mind, may I ask a question?"
Yuwen Yue gave him a cold stare and said, "Ask."
"Did you bring Yue Qi here?" Zao Baocung asked, eyeing Zuo suspiciously. "This guy over here looks just like Yue Qi without the hunchback and dirty face. Did you disguise him?"
In the back of his mind, Yuwen Yue wondered if Zuo Zong really resembled Yue Qi that much, or if Zao had mistaken him for Yue Qi because of the similarity. Could Xiao Ce have met Yue Qi first and somehow involved him here? But that seemed impossible, Yue Qi had a long journey back to the East.
"You know," Zao continued, "I had that same impression the first time I met Zuo Zong. They look alike, yet they're so different."
Zao Baocung let out a deep breath, as if releasing his worries into the wind. "I really thought he was Yue Qi."
Yuwen Yue shook his head. "I read his obituary in the newspapers. He's dead." Yuwen Yue sat down, waiting patiently for Zuo to recover.
Zao Baocung, realizing that Yuwen Yue might not know the full story of Yue Qi, thought to himself:If Yuwen Yue doesn't have inside information on what happened to Yue Qi, that means Xiao Ce is far more cunning at keeping secrets than I thought.
"Your Highness," Zao said, breaking the silence, "while we wait, we should talk. You must listen to me. I am your loyal servant from now on."
Yuwen Yue gave him a cold, piercing stare. "What makes you so sure I'll become your master?"
"Your Highness, I know things you seek, things not only about the Chu Jing Kingdom but also secrets that concern your bodyguard, Yue Qi."
Yuwen Yue's expression darkened at the mention of Yue Qi. "You can't bring the dead back to life."
Zao Baocung replied calmly, "Your Highness, who said I cannot? You've never given me the chance, and I haven't even properly introduced myself."
Yuwen Yue didn't respond, dismissing Zao with a wave of his hand. But Zao, not deterred, pressed on. "I assure you, Yue Qi is alive and well. As for what happened, that is something you must discover, Your Highness."
Frustrated that Yuwen Yue was disregarding everything he said, Zao sulked, sitting down on one of the stone walls, his lips pouting.
Sensing the tension and feeling somewhat guilty for his coldness, Yuwen Yue stood and walked over to the woman lying unconscious. "Can you bring her back to life?" he asked Zao. "It seems she died when she saw my sword."
Zao didn't respond, hoping to draw more attention from Yuwen Yue.
Yuwen Yue was about to approach when suddenly Zuo vomited, expelling the poison from his body. Slowly, Zuo sat against the cave's stone wall, still feeling drowsy and exhausted. Yuwen Yue turned toward him instead and asked, "How are you?"
Zuo opened his eyes, meeting his master's gaze, and replied, "I'm fine, Master, but I need water." Yuwen Yue handed him a drink. Meanwhile, Zao observed them both, seemingly convinced that Zuo could be Yue Qi's doppelgänger. Even in his hunchback disguise, Zuo's resemblance to Yue Qi was striking.
As Zuo regained his strength, he asked, "What do we do next?"
Zao replied, "Nothing. Just wait here until the Skyshadow wakes up."
"Really?" Yuwen Yue said, recalling the last time he and Xing'er were trapped in the cave with Zao. He started to feel warm, leaning against the cave wall as a wave of heat rushed over him.
While Zuo's strength was returning, Yuwen Yue was growing increasingly unwell. Zao glanced at him and repeated the same thing he had told Xinger before: "He has typhoid fever. It's inborn."
Zuo, in disbelief, said, "I've never seen my master brother sick before. Why now?"
"What can I do?" Zuo asked, concerned.
"I can make it go away," Zao replied. "He'll recover soon."
"Do it now!" Zuo demanded, pressing Zao for action.
"We must wait until nightfall," Zao said calmly.
Frustrated but resigned, Zuo fell silent and sat beside Yuwen Yue. He placed his hand gently on his master brother's head. Yuwen Yue, his eyes closed, lay down, drifting into sleep as fatigue and fever took hold.
Zao began calling his hamster pets, and soon they scurried over. He whispered instructions to them, and the small, intelligent creatures dispersed. After an hour, they returned one by one, their mouths full of herbal leaves that Zao had sent them to gather. He took the herbs from their mouths, cleaned them in his small kitchen area within the cave, and began preparing them.
Zuo quietly watched Zao, his attention shifting only when the Skyshadow woman suddenly woke up. She quickly reached for a small dagger hidden in her old boots and pointed it at Zuo as she crawled backward, her eyes filled with suspicion.
Zuo, calm and collected, raised a hand in a gesture of peace. "I'm not your enemy," he said calmly, making no sudden moves to avoid provoking her.
The Skyshadow woman slowly relaxed and asked, "What just happened?"
Zuo, with a hint of sarcasm, replied, "I was going to ask you the same thing. What happened?"
The Skyshadow woman's eyes moved to Zuo's hand, noticing the healing wound. She understood that the antidote had worked.
Zao, having just finished his work in the kitchen, saw the Skyshadow woman and greeted her with a smirk. "Welcome to the cave world."
Annoyed, the Skyshadow woman quickly threw a star dart at Zao, but he dodged it effortlessly, acting as if nothing had happened. She scowled. "You mean underworld?" she retorted with a smirk of her own before turning her gaze toward Yuwen Yue, lying on the ground. Though rugged in appearance, his features were striking, like a god in her eyes.
"And this man, who is he? The Poe Yue Jian sword at his side," she grunted, her annoyance evident.
Zuo, still limping, stepped in front of her and said with a grin, "Hey, hey, you're not allowed to get too close to a god."
The Skyshadow woman bristled, ready to start a fight with Zuo when Zao interjected, "Two is company, three is a crowd, and four is a mass!" His sudden comment made both Zuo and the Skyshadow woman pause, realizing the futility of their bickering.
Zao added, "We all know the rules of the Thousand Caves. Save your strength for later. We need to leave before dawn. We'll take the shortcut on this journey, it usually takes a day, but these herbs will only work for a short time. They're like a band-aid. Our Highness needs fresh air; he's suffocating, and the fever is a result of his rising temperature."
"His Highness?" The Skyshadow woman looked directly at Zao Baocung, waiting for further clarification.
Zao caught her gaze and added, "Show respect to His Highness. Without him and his sword, your curse would have no cure."
Suddenly, the Skyshadow looked down at her hands, her feet, and then touched her hair and face. Realizing her transformation, she exclaimed, "Zao, I'm back! I'm no longer blind, and people can see me, even before sunset!"
Zao smiled and said, "The credit goes to His Highness. Now, we need to help him get out of here."
"Of course, I'll cooperate," she agreed, though she shot a stern glance at Zuo. Zuo, noticing her look, stepped closer to her and said with a sly smile, "You know, if you had looked like this before, instead of how you did earlier, I might have been a much better boy."
The Skyshadow woman, ready to slap him, was interrupted by Zao, who reminded her, "What happened to saving your strength for later?" The Skyshadow paused, halting her hand mid-swing, while Zuo gave her a peace sign and said, "Another time!"
Irritated, the Skyshadow woman turned her attention to Yuwen Yue. Gazing at his face, she suddenly said, "The man who freed me from my curse was my Mimi Gongzhu's archenemy."
"Not exactly," Zao responded.
"Why not? He's the son of Yuwen Hao. Did you lose your memories too, like the secret princess?" The Skyshadow woman sneered at Zao.
"This is difficult to explain," Zao said, dismissing her concerns. "But you'll understand it soon enough."
As nightfall approached, Zao gave Yuwen Yue some herbal leaves and they carried him on their backs. Zao opened a hidden portal within the Thousand Caves, revealing a shortcut path. Zuo watched in amazement, and Zao, noticing, said, "Guard those secrets well. They may save lives one day."
After a few hours, the group emerged from the cave, just as the moonset and sunrise met the horizon. Zuo Zong was fully recovered, and Yuwen Yue had started to feel better, his fever now gone. Zao Baocung and the Skyshadow woman closed the portal behind them, and together, they began walking through the mossy forest.
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