Chapter 17: The Nine Heavens' Gateway

“but I always believed that one day, I would return to my country and reclaim the throne. So I never imagined that it could be too late for me to take back what is rightfully mine. Otherwise, why wou...Chapter 17: The Nine Levels of Heaven

At midnight, although the southern city gate was closed, Nan Lingrui presented a pass he had prepared in advance, and the three of them left the city. After galloping out for quite some distance beyond the city gate, they could still hear Nan Lingrui's boastful laughter, sounding extremely joyful.

"Are you that happy" Yun Qianmo looked at Nan Lingrui.

"Yes, I haven't felt this carefree in a long time. This little beauty is really interesting." Although Nan Lingrui had stopped laughing, his eyes were still filled with amusement. He was naturally not pretending when he said he felt carefree.

"I need to remind you again that she is Feng Jin's intended bride; put away your thoughts of seducing her," Yun Qianmo glared at Nan Lingrui.

"Got it! If that brat Feng Jin likes her, he can marry her. But if he doesn't and wants to break off the engagement, I'll take my move," Nan Lingrui smiled broadly.

Yun Qianmo snorted but, seeing Nan Lingrui in such a good mood for once, did not want to spoil his fun. She said, "Just stay within your bounds! Feng Jin is mine; you're my brother, so don't go undermining him."

"Stinky brat! You always turn against me," Nan Lingrui grumbled.

Yun Qianmo glanced at the pass he was still holding. "Who gave this to you"

"This is also a treasure, given together with that piece of gold from the mountain. Do you think there's anyone else" Nan Lingrui shook his hand and raised an eyebrow to look at Yun Qianmo. "I used to know that Rong Jing has some shady skills, but now I find out he can really reach the heavens."

Yun Qianmo remained silent.

Nan Lingrui continued, "Little missy, do you think this little piece of paper is more effective than an imperial decree It can be used to pass through customs quietly without having to report at each city. What does that mean That each city has someone from Rong Jing's side. As long as he has his token, what use are the official passes We'll have smooth sailing all along the way. Is this not reaching the heavens The old emperor likely doesn't know that every checkpoint he believes is heavily guarded is like a door in Rong Jing's house, just walk through it. Tsk tsk!"

Yun Qianmo glanced at Nan Lingrui and said indifferently upon hearing his praise, "Do you know if this works for checkpoints in the Southern Liang Empire"

Nan Lingrui's praising sounds stopped abruptly.

Yun Qianmo suddenly smiled and snatched the pass from Nan Lingrui's hand to put it into her own bosom. "This can't go to you; how could I let all good things be yours"

"Stinky brat! You've already taken his family name before marrying him, what a great achievement," Nan Lingrui sneered at Yun Qianmo. Knowing he couldn't get the item back from her hand, he stopped trying.

"Ten years ago you weren’t surnamed Yun anymore; now you are surnamed Nan, my dear brother. We’re equal in every aspect," Yun Qianmo dragged out the sound of her words.

Nan Lingrui was speechless and had no comeback for a moment.

"Lady, we still have four hundred miles to Mount Motian. You haven’t rested all night; there’s a small village thirty miles ahead. Would you like to rest" Hua Luo glanced ahead and asked Yun Qianmo.

"No need, I’m not tired as long as the two of you can keep going, we’ll make it straight to Mount Motian," said Yun Qianmo.

"Your servant can endure!" Hua Luo immediately stated firmly.

"I, your Highness Prince, cannot endure!" Nan Lingrui had drunk a jar of wine and now felt drowsy with the wind blowing on him.

"If you can’t hold out, stay here to wait for wolves," Yun Qianmo thought that only someone who was pampered could have such delicate skin after being a prince for so long.

"You stinky brat! I'm your brother!" Nan Lingrui glared at Yun Qianmo.

"No need for you to remind me, I know that you are my brother. Can't handle a little hardship Acting like a woman! Don't go around telling people that you're my brother afterwards. It's embarrassing!" Cloud Qianyue spat out the words and did not bother with Nan Lingrui anymore, squeezing her legs to make her mount gallop faster.

Hua Luo also rode fast forward beside Cloud Qianyue.

In no time, Nan Lingrui was far behind. He glared at their backs, gritted his teeth, and patted the horse under him to make it gallop ahead.

The trio spurred their horses on urgently. On the official road in the dark night, only the sound of hooves could be heard, from a distance, then getting closer, before moving far away again.

After Lancheng came Qi City, the next city was Qing Mountain City, and after that was Fenghuang Pass. The three rode throughout half of the night and into another day, reaching Fenghuang Pass at noon on this day.

Fenghuang Pass was named so because there were mountains stretching for hundreds of miles to both sides of it in a shape resembling a phoenix resting, thus earning its name.

Cloud Qianyue pulled her horse's reins and looked ahead at Fenghuang Pass. Although she was still ten li away from the pass, this area was flat, allowing one to see clearly the checkpoint up ahead with good eyesight.

Fenghuang Pass wasn't like Shanhaiguan of another era in terms of being majestic and imposing but had a touch of the phoenix's elegance. Of course, it was related to the terrain of the mountains. The inscription on the signboard at Fenghuang Pass was not as rugged and powerful as that on the one at Shanhaiguan, but it didn't look feminine either. The brushwork was just right in terms of strength, neither soft nor heavy, clear-boned and outstanding, indeed a good piece of calligraphy to remember upon first sight. The characters for "Fenghuang" were about to take flight. From afar, the three-character signboard gave one the impression that Fenghuang Pass had an ethereal feel.

"Little girl, what are you looking at" Nan Lingrui could no longer bear it and lay on his horse like a big shrimp, staring up at Cloud Qianyue. He saw her look ahead at Fenghuang Pass and stop in her tracks, so he asked.

"This is where he stood alone and repelled the Heavenly Saint Empire's 150 thousand strong troops back then." Cloud Qianyue didn't look at Nan Lingrui but spoke with a hint of pride. She could imagine that the 150 thousand-strong force was probably standing in her current position, stretching for ten li down from Fenghuang Pass. On the wall of Fenghuang Pass stood a young man. He should have been wearing no armor but instead had a dark iron mask on, dressed lightly with loose robes and wide sashes. Behind his mask were a pair of eyes which seemed to carry sorrow yet remain aloof while looking down at the 150 thousand-strong troops.

"Yeah, he's quite a hero!" Nan Lingrui was still lying on his horse, his hands weakly running through its mane and said. "One in a thousand years! He’s truly a true romantic!" Cloud Qianyue remarked, with feelings of reverence, admiration, and awe rising from within her heart.

"Little girl, you're belittling your big brother by comparing him to him!" Nan Lingrui glared at Cloud Qianyue but was too tired for his glance to be threatening or full of force.

Cloud Qianyue turned around to give him a look and huffed. "If I were belittling you here, it would still be mild! I haven't even given you a beating yet! Look at your little accomplishments! Not a single trait of his."

"He'd better not get injured if he has the ability to do so! Isn't that what happened back then Since then, he's fallen ill and hasn't been well for fifteen years." Nan Lingrui twisted his lips, looked at Fenghuang Pass, and urged Cloud Qianyue on. "Hurry up! Once we reach Mt. Miaotian, I'll sleep for three days straight."

Cloud Qianyue took one last look at Fenghuang Pass before leading her horse towards a small path to the west. Hua Luo followed behind her even though he didn't quite understand their conversation; however, he did not ask questions since he was in better spirits than Nan Lingrui. The latter remained lying on his horse like a shrimp and trailed weakly after them.

Mt. Miaotian was seventy li away from Fenghuang Pass, and an hour later the trio arrived at Mt. Miaotian's foot.

Mt. Miaotian rose into the clouds, about several thousand meters high. Looking up, it seemed almost to meet the sky. Below, grass and trees were everywhere; above, boulders jutted out wildly. There was no path going up, only some creepers sliding down along the rockface.

"Don't tell me I have to climb up using those vines," Nan Lingrui's face turned green as he said this and looked at Hua Luo.

Hua Luo glanced over at him and replied. "At a hundred zhang distance, there is a passageway, but within these hundred zhang you will need to climb up using the vines."

The color on Nan Lingrui's face improved slightly, but after calculating the distance of a hundred zhang, his complexion turned ashen again. "Are there any other ways There must be people who don't know martial arts living on Mt. Miaotian; otherwise, how would they come down"

"No! There's no one without martial arts skills on Mt. Miaotian!" Hua Luo shook his head firmly.

"I wish I hadn't come here then!" Nan Lingrui suddenly lost all energy and spirit.

"Then go back if you want to, or wait here," Cloud Qianyue flicked her reins and dismounted from the horse.

"You brat!" Nan Lingrui cursed. He really doubted this stinky girl was his sister because all she had given him so far on their journey were a few good looks. She complained about everything, disliking him for this or that. Weakly flicking his reins and standing up straight left him feeling his legs go wobbly. He admitted to himself that he had indeed been spoiled in South Liang for these years; traveling non-stop for thousands of miles on horseback was truly unbearable.

Fu Luo also dismounted from his horse after throwing a flower petal, making a whistling sound with his thumb and index finger that was extremely loud.

Nan Lingrui's eyes lit up as he looked at Fu Luo and asked, "Is someone here to take us up the mountain"

Fu Luo shook his head and said, "I am calling someone over to take care of our horses. There is a village five miles ahead that has people responsible for taking care of horses and conveying information."

Nan Lingrui's face fell as he realized he had no choice but to grit his teeth and climb the mountain.

Not long after the whistle was blown, an elderly man rushed out from a nearby forest. Judging by his appearance, he must have been over seventy years old with white hair, yet his eyes were still sharp and clear. He came closer and took a look at Nan Lingrui and Yun Qianyue before looking at Fu Luo in confusion and respectfully saying, "Young Master Fu!"

Although Hua Sheng and Fu Luo were among the seven elders of Red Pavilion, they had always been addressed as young masters and misses because of their youth. They grew up within the pavilion and were led by the seven great elders who had followed their lord in those days. Despite the fact that the seven elders left a year ago, no one called them elders out of habit.

Fu Luo nodded his head and glanced at Yun Qianyue before introducing her as "Our young lady." Then he turned to Yun Qianyue and said, "Young Lady, this is Old Man Han. He has been following our lord ever since the pavilion was built, and he’s in charge of communication between Mount Mo Tian and the village below."

The old man quickly knelt down before Yun Qianyue and respectfully said, "Old servant Han Lin greets Young Lady!"

"Old Man Han, you don’t need to be so polite," Yun Qianyue reached out her hand to lift the elderly man up. She couldn’t let this old man kneel before her, considering his age. She also admired how attractive her mother must have been that Red Pavilion had existed for decades and Old Man Han was still around.

"Young Lady has disguised herself. Old servant thought you were a young master. I guess my eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be," Han Lin carefully observed Yun Qianyue before remarking in admiration, but the joy in his eyes could not be concealed; after hesitating for a moment he added, "Although your appearance doesn’t resemble that of a lady, your features are very much like those of our lord back then."

Yun Qianyue smiled and said, "I only disguised myself so I can travel conveniently."

"Who is this gentleman His looks also bear some resemblance to Lord," Old Man Han asked in puzzlement as he looked at Nan Lingrui.

"He’s my elder brother!" Yun Qianyue introduced with a smile.

"So he’s the young master! Old servant…" Old Man Han was startled and quickly knelt down before Nan Lingrui.

"I am not from Red Pavilion, so you don’t need to be polite with me!" Nan Lingrui helplessly stretched out his hand, smiling tiredly at Old Man Han.

Old Man Han straightened up and was about to say something when Fu Luo said to him, "Young Lady has traveled a thousand miles from the capital. I will take her up Mount Mo Tian now. Please take care of our horses."

"Sure! Old servant will handle it," Old Man Han nodded his head before accepting the reins of their three horses.

"Young Lady, let me lead you there!" Fu Luo said to Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue nodded and followed Fu Luo. She walked a few steps when she suddenly reached out her hand and grabbed Nan Lingrui’s wrist, pulling him forward with her. It wasn’t that she was disgusted by this useless brother of hers; it just meant that the Southern Liang King spoiled him too much.

"I still have some conscience," Nan Lingrui smiled warmly when Yun Qianyue grabbed his hand, all his grievances instantly vanishing.

"I’m afraid you’ll fall off halfway and die if I don’t pull you along. How can I explain that to Mother" Yun Qianyue glanced at him before snorting. She saw Fu Luo climbing up the mountain by gripping onto some vines, so she also grabbed one and pulled Nan Lingrui up with her.

Nan Lingrui pursed his lips in thought: when he promised his mother that he would take care of his sister back then, he never imagined it would be the other way around. But what could he do about it It was embarrassing but true; he had no strength left to climb any higher.

After an hour, they reached halfway up the mountain where Fu Luo said there was a passageway. A huge rock wall covered in vines opened when Fu Luo activated its mechanism, revealing a cave entrance. When the three of them entered, the stone wall slowly closed again as the vines stopped moving.

The cave mouth had been carved into the side of a mountain halfway up and was polished smooth with small night pearls embedded into it to light it up very brightly. The walls were engraved with kung fu moves in seemingly finger strokes, each one looking extremely refined.

"Tsk tsk, there are actually martial arts techniques here. Who drew them Such finger strength is truly unparalleled!" Nan Lingrui wasn't tired because Yun Qianyue had pulled him up and saw the martial arts techniques on the stone wall, which perked his spirits.

“The master and the Seven Elders from back then drew these,” Hua Luo said.

"Did you draw them here for your practice" Nan Lingrui asked.

"This passage is extremely long. It takes about an hour to walk through it! To prevent people from feeling stifled going in and out of this tunnel, the master and Seven Elders used their finger strength to carve these martial arts techniques," Hua Luo explained.

Nan Lingrui nodded in admiration after hearing that. He looked at them with interest and praised, “Truly ingenious!”

"Are all of these carvings the martial arts from the Ten Great Families" Yun Qianyue glanced for a while before asking Hua Luo. She had seen the Feng Family’s martial art and Mo Family’s martial art. It was naturally due to the reason that Feng Jin and Mo Li followed her around longer, so she knew their martial arts well.

“Yes, Little Master is correct. They are indeed from the Ten Great Families,” Hua Luo nodded.

"Haha! The ten great families think they have profound martial arts skills. It’s said that a hundred years ago, the world was under their rule and all martial art techniques belonged to the ten great families. Little did anyone know there are martial arts from these ten great families and even the counter moves for them," Nan Lingrui suddenly smiled and his eyes brightened up as he asked: “If I were to learn the Lan Family’s martial arts, would it be enough to make that blue beauty fear me”

“Then you’d better master it! Lan Yi won’t let you off easy,” Yun Qianyue recalled how Lan Yi was in a panic and furious back then. She imagined her cursing Nan Lingrui right now, probably wishing for him to be torn into pieces. To avoid suffering from the revenge of Lan Yi in the future, he might as well learn the martial art of the Lan Family.

“Yeah! I must master it!” Nan Lingrui was somewhat excited.

Seeing that Nan Lingrui didn’t seem tired anymore and his eyes were shining brightly, Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. She followed Hua Luo to walk forward while looking at the martial arts techniques on the wall, thinking of how intelligent her mother and Seven Elders must have been when they carved down these martial arts techniques one by one. All martial art techniques in the world belonged to the Ten Great Families which were vast and profound. It could be said that if she mastered all of their martial arts skills, there would be almost no opponents left in the world for her to fear. She asked Hua Luo, “Can you seven people also master the martial arts from the ten great families”

“Cang Lan’s martial art is the best. He can master nine-tenths of it. I’m around eight-tenths. Feng Yan and Hua Sheng are about seven-tenths, while others are six-tenths,” Hua Luo said.

Yun Qianyue nodded her head. “That’s already pretty good! Some people might spend their whole life trying to master three-tenths of such martial arts skills. The ten great families hold a martial art competition every ten years. Learning has no limit, and neither does martial arts,” Yun Qianyue said.

“Little Master is right!” Hua Luo nodded his head.

Yun Qianyue didn’t speak anymore as she had the talent of memorizing anything she saw. She quickly recorded all the carved martial art techniques in her mind as she passed by them. In her peripheral vision, Nan Lingrui also put away his lazy expression and looked at the carvings on the wall with seriousness. She thought that her brother probably had this ability to remember things instantly as well. It was brought about by her memory skills but should have genetic factors too. She wondered whether they inherited it from their father or mother, or both.

After an hour, they walked out of the cave and found themselves facing a huge rock like when they first went into the cave, with vines covering it outside. Hua Luo led them up the cliff for tens of meters before entering another cave. This time, after walking for a short distance, he opened a mechanism on the wall to reveal a large stone tied by ropes as thick as fists from all four sides. With Hua Luo leading the way, Yun Qianyue and Nan Lingrui stepped onto it, and the three of them were pulled upward by the rope.

“This mechanism is truly ingenious!” Nan Lingrui praised again.

“It’s said that when the master chose this Red Pavilion to be on Mt. Mitan years ago, they spent three years setting up such secret passageways and carving out this cave,” Hua Luo explained.

Yun Qianyue thought that these mechanisms were ingenious indeed. Human wisdom was truly boundless! After about two cups of tea time later, the stone stopped moving; then Hua Luo pressed a button on the wall to open up a door large enough for the stone to pass through. It entered another tunnel where this time, they went down. Half an hour later, the stone stopped again as Hua Luo led them into a bright passage that turned and twisted before they finally arrived at the cave exit after walking for another cup of tea time. He said to Yun Qianyue, “We’re here!”

“Finally! I’m so hungry my stomach is growling,” Nan Lingrui sighed with relief.

Yun Qianyue nodded her head as Hua Luo pulled the thick vines aside and stepped out first. Yun Qianyue followed him out of the cave entrance and saw before her a cluster of mountains connected to each other forming tens of palaces, layers upon layers in the midst of clouds and mist like it’s attached to the sky, looking like a nine-layered heaven.

"There are actually such great places here. Mom gave them all to you! That’s so unfair!" Nan Lingrui looked at what was before his eyes with an envious tone in his voice.

“Do you want me to give up my position as the South Liang Crown Prince Do you want me to give you my palace or even my future throne” Yun Qianyue asked Nan Lingrui with raised eyebrows.

Nan Lingrui immediately felt better.

Yun Qianyue remained silent, thinking that this was undoubtedly a paradise beyond the mundane. The layout here was far more intricate than her Western Mountain Military Camp Rear Mountain, and the scenery was excellent. Although it was currently hot outside, the climate inside seemed to be a season behind. The trees on the nearby mountains were in full bloom, giving off a refreshing coolness.

As Yun Qianyue was observing, more than a hundred people flew out from various palaces and rushed towards her.

"Subordinate informed them earlier that this is why everyone from each palace has come out to welcome you!" Hua Luo said.

Yun Qianyue nodded. She saw old and young people, just as Hua Luo had said. Everyone was skilled in martial arts; they moved swiftly with their sleeves fluttering about. The elderly looked very energetic, the youth were all spirited, and there were a few children around seven or eight years old who were also trying hard to keep up. Everyone's face showed excitement.

When everyone approached, they stopped in front of her and Yun Qianyue, just like Old Han at the foot of the mountain, looking confused. They all knew that their Young Lady was a woman, but these two clearly looked like gentlemen.

"This is our Young Lady. She changed her appearance to make it easier for the journey." Hua Luo explained.

"We welcome back our Young Lady!" Everyone understood and quickly knelt down respectfully in unison, their voices loud with emotions such as joy and excitement mixed in. Some elderly people's voices were trembling from emotion; afterwards everyone looked up at Yun Qianyue whose expression was clearly visible on every face.

"All of you may rise," Yun Qianyue smiled warmly, moved by their feelings. She thought this place belonged to her mother and was a different world compared to where her mother was in the Cloud Royal Family Manor.

Everyone got up, still excitedly looking at Yun Qianyue while also looking confused at Nan Lingrui. After Hua Luo introduced Nan Lingrui to everyone, they understood and簇擁著 Yun Qianyue, Nan Lingrui, and Hua Luo towards the largest palace.

By this time it was already late in the evening, so after entering the palace, the three of them washed up and had their meal. By the end of the day, Nan Lingrui couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep immediately, but Yun Qianyue wasn’t tired at all. Rather than going to the Secret Affairs Pavilion right away, she let Hua Luo lead her around the entire Sky Piercing Cliff, getting familiar with each palace and its guards.

One of the palaces had portraits of her mother and the seven elders. The woman in the portrait was just like how Yun Qianyue remembered but also different; in her memory, the woman was gentle and graceful, whereas in the portrait, she looked radiant and vivacious. In the portrait, all seven elders were around the same age as her mother, three men and four women, with handsome male faces and beautiful female features. The expressions of all seven people were lively like her mother's.

Looking at these eight portraits, Yun Qianyue thought about how flamboyant and unrestrained those people must have been back then! How carefree they were and what kind of story did they write She was overwhelmed with感慨. Wondering if she knew that her father was alive, did she know whether her mother was still alive as well The seven elders had left Sky Piercing Cliff a year ago; no one has heard from them since then. Were they together with her parents now If so, where were they

As it got dark, Yun Qianyue finished touring all the palaces and returned to her palace to sleep due to fatigue.

The servants knew that their Young Lady had come from far away and was very tired, so no one made a sound. The night at Sky Piercing Cliff was extremely quiet.

After having a good night's sleep, Yun Qianyue woke up early the next day after it got light. After she groomed herself, Nan Lingrui came in leisurely from outside; she raised her eyebrows at him. He had rested well and looked very energetic when he said to her, "I didn't know my mother was so carefree! She’s a hit with both men and women!"

The corner of Yun Qianyue's mouth twitched slightly, knowing that he probably went around visiting the different palaces and saw the portraits of her mother and the seven elders.

"I am truly my mother's son!" Nan Lingrui stroked his chin with satisfaction.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. Someone brought in breakfast, and she sat down to eat.

Nan Lingrui also sat down and said, "Little girl, you’ve got quite a lot of peach blossoms yourself. It’s true that we inherit this trait from our parents."

Yun Qianyue pretended not to hear him as Hua Luo came in with a smile and told Yun Qianyue, "Young Lady, after breakfast I’ll take you to the Secret Affairs Pavilion."

"Alright," Yun Qianyue nodded.

Nan Lingrui looked at Hua Luo and asked out of interest, "Did those seven elders get married"

Hua Luo nodded.

"Ah, I thought the seven elders would be willing to follow my mother for life without marrying," Nan Lingrui sighed.

"You need to accumulate good karma! The women in your Crown Prince Manor should be dismissed while they are still young and beautiful. Otherwise, do you want them to die of old age in the Crown Prince Manor That would bring about retribution." Yun Qianyue glanced at Nan Lingrui and thought that this person's idea of following her mother was not marrying or taking a concubine for life What kind of logic is this She did not approve of spending one’s entire life alone.

"Yes, you're right! I'll dismiss them all as soon as I get back!" Nan Lingrui looked like someone who had been persuaded and felt full after a meal.

Yun Qianyue didn’t speak any further. After turning around for the whole morning, Nan Lingrui must have gotten hungry, so he wolfed down his food hungrily. The three of them finished their meal and were then led by Hua Luo to Secret Records Pavilion.

The Secret Records Pavilion was on an independent mountain peak. It took about half an hour for the three of them to use light body techniques to reach this mountain peak. The Secret Records Pavilion in the Library Hall was guarded by four elders and two tigers. The four elders looked over a hundred years old, but their aura could not be detected; it was apparent that they had reached the realm of illusion. Both tigers were tall and obediently stood beside the four elders.

Yun Qianyue took out her Red Pavilion token. The four elders guarding the door opened the entrance to Secret Records Pavilion, and the two tigers lay down on the ground. The three entered Secret Records Pavilion.

Upon entering the pavilion, Yun Qianyue was stunned by the books stored in the main hall. If the study of Rong王府’s (Rong Manor) Rong Jing had amazed her slightly at the time, then this place left her astonished. Rows and stacks stretched for hundreds of rows. It was impossible to see the end with just a glance; it could be said that how big Secret Records Pavilion was determined how many books were stored here. There was an abundance of medical texts, poison manuals, martial arts techniques, skills, arts, and more, countless in number.

Looking at these books or handwritten notes, Yun Qianyue thought to herself that it would take her eight years just to finish reading them all. Turning to look at Nan Lingrui, he also had a blank expression. She smiled and asked Hua Luo, "Are there separate storage areas for the Top Ten Families and Donghai"

"There should be!" Hua Luo nodded; it was his first time entering here too, and he was equally stunned. He shouted outside, "Heavenly Elder, please come in to help Young Master find the secret records of the Top Ten Families and the handbooks of Donghai."

"Yes!" Heavenly Elder walked in. Though over a hundred years old, he did not look old at all. He greeted Yun Qianyue with a bow and led her inside. After walking for about two hours in such an enormous Secret Records Pavilion, he finally stopped and pointed to a bookshelf, saying, "Here is the record of the Top Ten Families."

"What about Donghai" Yun Qianyue asked.

"Young Master, the Secret Records Pavilion never collects any records about Donghai," Heavenly Elder replied.

"Why not" Yun Qianyue was taken aback.

Heavenly Elder shook his head. "The four of us were recruited by our master and have been guarding this place since the pavilion was built; it has never contained any secrets about Donghai."

"Mother didn’t mention a reason" Yun Qianyue was somewhat surprised. Although she wanted to know about the Top Ten Families, what she really wanted to find out was about Donghai—everything related to it.

"No," Heavenly Elder shook his head.

“Has no one wondered Even the seven elders haven’t mentioned a reason” Yun Qianyue found this even more puzzling and asked somewhat reluctantly.

"This Secret Records Pavilion was established by our master and the Seven Elders together. Apart from us four guards, only you three have entered it today; no one has ever entered before. The seven elders haven’t mentioned a reason either," Heavenly Elder shook his head.

Yun Qianyue felt somewhat disappointed and nodded. "Alright, then go down."

Heavenly Elder went down.

"Subordinate only heard the Seven Elders say that Secret Records Pavilion collects secrets of the world, so I thought there must be something about Donghai," Hua Luo was also surprised.

"That means either Mother is too familiar with Donghai to need to record its secrets or she despises it and doesn’t want to hear any news about it at all." Nan Lingrui spoke slowly. "Little miss, which one do you think"

Yun Qianyue’s eyes suddenly lit up; a few gleaming stars flashed in her clear gaze.

"Little miss, so your long journey was to find out about Rong Jing! You’re afraid that the princess of Donghai might steal away your beloved man, aren’t you So you hurriedly came here to investigate Donghai’s secrets to be in control Too bad, things didn’t go as planned and there isn't anything." Nan Lingrui clicked his tongue and picked up a handbook on the Lan family's records, flipping through it.

"You’re going against the Lan family" Yun Qianyue glanced at the blue handbook in Nan Lingrui’s hand and sneered. She reached out to pick up a handbook on Chu Family, which she had not yet touched upon, and flipped it open. explanation held true."So it's like that" The old emperor squinted his eyes slightly, "I thought the seventh princess came to see you! I remember that since childhood, the seventh princess has always...