Chapter 331: Chapter 295: All Shall Stay

Back in Wangshan City, Sang Que had once used the Yin Child’s Ghost Eye to see scenes from Yu Da’s past.

She knew that Yu Da’s hometown had suffered a famine, and it was during that time that Yu Da tamed the greedy ghost within him and became a Yin Walker.

At the time, Yu Da was still very young and couldn’t control the greedy ghost; he was also very scared.

But Yu Da was very fortunate to meet Wu You, who was in fact Sang Que’s biological mother. She used the name Wu You in the Deceit Dynasty.

In the exploration with the Ghost Eye, Wu You’s appearance was unclear, likely difficult to see clearly by any other means as well.

“I am actually from Jinzhou. That year, Jinzhou suffered a severe drought with corpses everywhere. Your mother appeared with her Nine Songs group, under the name of Witch Lady, to aid the common people. She helped me control the ghost inside me and taught me witchcraft. The witchcraft I taught you also came from her. After the disaster in Jinzhou stabilized, she left, and when we met next, she was already carrying you.”

“I also don’t know how she knew for sure that it was a daughter in her womb. She handed me that painting, saying that I would meet you one day and that I should give the painting to you then. She left something for you inside, which only you can find. When I first met you in Wangshan City, I had a premonition, but it felt like fog was covering my eyes; I couldn’t see through it and couldn’t confirm your identity. Everything was in the realm of suspicion, so I didn’t dare to hand over the painting lightly.”

“There’s no need to mention the later events. I don’t know much about your mother or the Nine Songs. I initially refused to join Nine Songs because I felt the mission was too heavy, and I feared I couldn’t bear it or do it well. Joining the Evil Suppression Bureau, I always stayed at the bottom level, not wanting to take on too much responsibility either.”

“I feel that having enough to eat and drink each day, helping the common people with small matters that I can handle, and seeing them live peacefully and happily in the city is enough. These things already give me a sense of satisfaction. I think your mother wanted me to pass this item to you personally, without going through Nine Songs or the Evil Suppression Bureau, maybe so you could choose for yourself what you want to do and what kind of person you want to become.”

Sang Que lowered her head, somewhat ashamed. Her mother was right; before understanding the full picture, one cannot judge a person as good or bad.

Yu Da chuckled and said, “Sorry, I had no choice this time but to use this painting. Fortunately, it didn’t get lost, and now that it’s returned to its rightful owner, my task is complete.”

Sang Que picked up on Yu Da’s intention to leave and directly said, “Stay, don’t go. I’m clearing land and building a city on Bright Moon Mountain to do what I can for these people living at the bottom. I don’t know what the future holds, but for now, if I can protect one, I’ll do my best to protect one. Stay and help me, won’t you?”

Yu Da looked around hesitantly.

Sang Que urged, “You’re not fully recovered yet; just stay for a while as a period of recuperation. Once you’re fully recovered and find you’re not happy here, I’ll never stop you from leaving, okay? Don’t make me oblige you by virtue, I did pull you out of the river just now.”

With these words, Yu Da became quite embarrassed.

Upon reflection, Sang Que rushed back to Wangshan City and used the Yin Child to drag him into the Hidden Realm, saving his life.

She had just fished him out of the river again, saving him another life.

Sang Que’s mother had saved him and taught him back then as well. If he refused, it indeed seemed inappropriate.

“Alright… alright then.”

Sang Que smiled, and the talent pool of Bright Moon Mountain increased by one—not just one, there was also Liu Tianyou, Xia Chan, and Qiao Ling. In one night, there were four more people.

With Qiao Ling, Sang Que didn’t even need to say anything; Yao Zhen was already draping an arm around Qiao Ling’s shoulder, telling her about the goodness of Bright Moon Mountain.

“By the way, do we need to let the Nine Songs people know about your identity?” Yu Da asked Sang Que.

Sang Que thought for a moment and said, “Not for now. Since my mother gave me the chance to choose, I should follow my own path. Thinking carefully, Nine Songs have been passed down through generations. Whether they want to or not, they’ve carried too much responsibility. If the leader of Nine Songs reappears, the current situation would inevitably lead to a conflict with the Evil Suppression Bureau.”

“I also don’t want to be tied by Nine Songs, forced into a life-and-death struggle with the Evil Suppression Bureau. Since Witch Lady has become a thing of the past, let the Nine Songs draw an end to this era, giving them a chance to choose anew.”

“I also hope that if they choose to help me in the future, stand by my side, it’s not because I’m the daughter of the Nine Songs’ leader, but because of what I’m doing, they see it as the right thing. They’re willing to support me for the sake of that right.”

Sang Que’s perspective left Yu Da filled with respect.

“So please, Old Yu, try to continue helping me keep this a secret.”

Yu Da nodded solemnly, “Don’t worry, I agree with your thoughts and know what to do.”

The lamb was already over the fire, releasing a fragrant aroma, and Yu Da sniffed and rubbed his stomach.

Seeing Qiao Ling’s rough grilling technique, Yu Da hurriedly rushed over, “Your sheep-slaughtering technique is impeccable, but your grilling is really lacking. Don’t ruin a good sheep; put it down and let me do it.”

Yu Da ran over to the fire to grill the lamb, while Sang Que went to chat with Liu Tianyou for a while, asking if he was willing to stay.

Liu Tianyou, with a mournful face, said that if Sang Que asked him to leave now, he wouldn’t dare to go.

Firstly, he was afraid he’d die halfway, and secondly, he was worried that after his death, the Zhuangyuan Ghost would go out of control and kill more people. Only by staying beside Sang Que and Yao Zhen could he feel safe.

“Don’t worry, soon I’ll…”

Suddenly, Sang Que stopped speaking. She had intended to say she’d soon hunt down evil spirits and Evil Ghosts, but right now her Bright Moon Mountain was cleaner than her face, and westward from this region was the direction Xia Chan and her group came from.

The Zhuangyuan Ghost had come from that way, so the forests were likely clean; those who could run had probably run.

For a moment, Sang Que didn’t know where to hunt; she looked at the river, which was very calm.

Sang Que patted Liu Tianyou on the shoulder, “In a couple of days, I’ll have a way to help you suppress the Zhuangyuan Ghost. Just hang in there for another two days.”

“Another two days?” Liu Tianyou was about to cry.

Xia Chan and Xuan Yu were squatting by the fire watching Yu Da grill the lamb, their faces glowing orange from the fire, and the two hungry cats, big and small, were almost drooling.

Sang Que took back the painting from Yao Zhen, who was with Qiao Ling slaughtering the second sheep.

“…My good sister, I’m really not lying to you. I really saw a large patch of Lingzhi in the mountains, bigger than my head…”

Sang Que found a quiet place to sit down and slowly spread open the scroll again.

Once everyone had emerged from it, the original painting disappeared, leaving only a blank space.

Sang Que stared at it for a while, and delicate characters began to appear one by one from the left edge of the scroll.

“In the era of Jin Taiyuan, there lived a fisherman from Wuling. Following a brook, he forgot the distance he traveled. Suddenly, he came upon a forest of peach blossoms, stretching for hundreds of steps along both banks…”

Reading the content, Sang Que was stunned.

“The Story of the Peach Blossom Spring?”

“…The fisherman was greatly fascinated and continued onward, wishing to see the limits of the forest.”

The characters paused at the last sentence of the first paragraph of “The Story of the Peach Blossom Spring,” with vast empty spaces behind, no new words appearing, as if awaiting someone to fill in the rest.

Sang Que wore a strange expression and called out to Liu Tianyou.

“Liu Tianyou, have you ever heard of an article called ’The Story of the Peach Blossom Spring’?”

Liu Tianyou thought carefully and shook his head.

Sang Que repeated the opening sentences to check if it had spread but under a different name.

Liu Tianyou racked his brain and the memory of the Zhuangyuan Ghost for all the articles they knew, finding no match, he couldn’t help but say, “Jin Taiyuan, what era is that; who wrote this article, with its elegant words and vivid imagery, it’s a great piece, what about the rest?”

Liu Tianyou’s curiosity was piqued, and he looked longingly at Sang Que.

“I also… don’t really know the rest.”

Sang Que drooped her eyelids; the article was so long, and it was a lesson from middle school. She had memorized it well back then, but now she didn’t dare guarantee she could recite it word for word without missing a beat, she’d have to think hard.

To use this classical text as the ’key,’ you’re something else, mom!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep