Dusk Returns to the Ruined Building

The sound of a pipa played all night in the small building; under the green persimmon tree, I awaited the dawn.

Shen Yichen played the purple jade flute for half the night, but he didn't know what tune he was playing.

As dawn broke, the lanterns remained lit, for the surrounding area was shrouded in thick fog, and without the lanterns, it seemed impossible to see what was happening in the courtyard and attic.

Yi Xuan quietly watched Shen Yichen until midnight, when he withdrew the Heavenly Jade.

Shen Yichen had no idea that their presence here was closely related to the Tianxianglong in Yixuan's possession, but Yixuan did know that the Ji family was in this strangely secluded courtyard, or more accurately, the owners of this place should be members of the Ji family!

It wasn't just because of the Heavenly Auspiciousness; another reason was the sound of the pipa. That melody was the music used by the Ji family during their sacrifices. Not only did outsiders not know about it, but very few members of the Ji family could play it either.

Yi Xuan became even more curious about Shen Yichen's identity. These musical pieces certainly didn't come from Ji Xuanfeng, because Ji Xuanfeng didn't know them either; they belonged to the three royal families.

Each of the three royal families had a place called the Chongsi Hall, which was a place specifically for the Ji family's sacrificial rites. These musical pieces originated from the Chongsi Hall.

The people in the small building did not appear to come from the Sacrifice Hall, because in addition to the Sacrifice Hall, the Ji family had another place responsible for sacrificial rites, namely the Zhidian Hall in Ling Shuang Valley.

Yixuan guessed that the person in the small building must be from Ling Shuang Gu Zhidian Hall!

Shen Yichen was completely unaware of these matters, but Yixuan's guess was correct: Shen Yichen's musical pieces were not passed down from Ji Xuanfeng, but from his father Ji Qingyun, which naturally came from the royal family's ancestral hall.

Outside the courtyard, if Shen Yichen knew that the people in the small building were from the Ji family, how could he possibly have the mood or the courage to play music together?

Music resonates with people!

Shen Yichen stood on the carriage and bowed deeply!

"This junior, Shen Qingchen, has mistakenly wandered into this place. I humbly request that you, senior, appear and meet me!"

Yi Xuan shook his head, smiled slightly, and stood up, standing with his hands behind his back. He didn't speak or show any respect; instead, he exuded arrogance.

There was no response from inside the small building.

Shen Yichen frowned slightly. He had been playing the purple jade flute all night, and he felt that the people in the small building should be good people, or rather, they should be magnanimous people like him, and would not be so rude!

Shen Yichen glanced at Yixuan and thought, "Good heavens, Yixuan is acting like a spoiled young master, so domineering and arrogant!"

Shen Yichen slapped his forehead and reached out to tug at Yixuan, his meaning clear: he wanted Yixuan to be more polite, but Yixuan remained unmoved.

Ling Shuang Valley's Zhidian Hall is the maintainer of all order in the Ji family and the setter of all rules. The proper order between elders and juniors, and the proper hierarchy, are all governed by regulations. Of course, Yi Xuan wants to test the people in the small building.

Yi Xuan felt that Shen Yichen should be from the Ji family royal family like him. Regardless of whether the people in the small building were from the Zhidian Hall, they should be treated with due respect. Otherwise, they would be traitors to the Ji family!

As for whether the people in the small building could determine their identities, Yi Xuan had no idea; he wanted to make his stance clear.

Shen Yichen was truly speechless and frustrated! They were already fish on someone else's chopping board, yet Yixuan was still so arrogant. He could feel Yixuan's arrogance, let alone the people in the small building. But what could he do?

Shen Yichen kept giving him meaningful glances, but Yixuan completely ignored him.

After a long while, the sound of a pipa rang out again from inside the small building.

This time, Shen Yichen did not play the Purple Jade Flute. Instead, he closed his eyes and listened intently, but Yixuan played a tune together with the Heavenly Jade Flute.

Its sound is melodious and lingering!

Shen Yichen also knew this piece. Suddenly, Shen Yichen realized that the people in the small building were probably from the Ji family, because all the pieces he remembered were passed down from his father, Ji Qingyun.

Shen Yichen was secretly startled. He had to ask himself, was their appearance here really a coincidence?

Shen Yichen slowly opened his eyes and looked at the Tianxianglong in Yixuan's hand. His death tribulation should have been resolved by the Tianxianglong, which meant that the Tianxianglong led him and Yixuan here.

Shen Yichen seemed to understand why Yixuan held this attitude!

Shen Yichen hesitated for a moment, then bowed deeply.

"Junior Shen Qingchen has strayed into this place by mistake. Please guide my brother and me so that we may leave!"

Yixuan chuckled!

"Who said I'm your brother? You're just being presumptuous!"

Shen Yichen was slightly taken aback, wondering what kind of trouble Yixuan was up to now, and he ignored Yixuan.

The window of the small building slowly opened, revealing a man inside. He wore a veil, a long purple robe, and had long hair draped over his shoulders. His eyes were gentle as he quietly watched Shen Yichen and his companion.

Shen Yichen was startled. This was the first time he had ever seen a man wearing a veil. It was different from the face coverings of the Shadow Hall. This was a light veil, not a face covering. Logically, it should be used by women.

Before Shen Yichen could say anything more, the man in purple used his fingers to control his qi, and a beam of qi shot straight at the flatbed cart, shattering the fishing net outside the cart.

Shen Yichen sighed softly in his heart:

"My connection with the Ji family is truly profound!"

The man in purple robes was using the Holy Emperor Technique, and Shen Yichen was very familiar with that true essence. However, Shen Yichen found it strange that the fishing net restricting him and Yixuan and the restraints on his body did not have the aura of the Holy Emperor Technique.

Yi Xuan jumped off the carriage and stood directly in the center of the courtyard entrance. Shen Yichen had no choice but to comply, but he was still very polite and bowed slightly.

Two beams of energy shot out from the purple-robed man's hand, each containing a bottle of medicine, which landed right at Shen Yichen and Yixuan's feet.

"Are you mute? The Ji family's etiquette doesn't seem to be like this!"

Yi Xuan didn't pick up the medicine bottle, but Shen Yichen didn't think much of it and picked it up and ate it directly. This should be the antidote; the restrictions on their bodies didn't come from cultivation techniques, but from medicine.

Shen Yichen had no doubts; it was obvious he didn't intend to harm them. If he did, he wouldn't have played music together all night.

Shen Yichen took the loss himself, picked up the medicine from Yixuan's feet, and handed it to Yixuan.

Yixuan, taking advantage of the situation, complained:

"Brother Qingchen, I heard my master say that the Ji family is the leader of the righteous path and the most respectful of worldly etiquette. How could someone be so rude?"

Shen Yichen was truly speechless, muttering to himself:

"Just pretend!"

Shen Yichen neither responded nor exposed the matter.

After taking the medicine, Yi Xuan looked at Shen Yi Chen and asked softly:

"Aren't you a member of the Ji family? How come you have the surname Shen?"

"I told you long ago, I'm not a member of the Ji family. You didn't believe me, what can I do? My name is Shen Qingchen, a wanderer just starting out in the martial world!"

Shen Yichen was also saying this to the people in the small building.

"Shen Qingchen, Shen Qingchen, why does that name sound familiar?"

Yi Xuan frowned, deep in thought.

Shen Yichen was startled. He was worried that Yixuan would have heard of Shen Yichen's name.

"Alright, Brother Yixuan, stop thinking about it. Let's ask the senior how to leave this place!"

After Shen Yichen finished speaking, he bowed again!

"May I ask, senior, where is this place? How can we leave?"

Shen Yichen knew this place was definitely not simple, because the fog was really strange. It was daytime, but the fog around them was dense and did not dissipate, and it was full of gloomy atmosphere.

Inside the small building, the man in purple robes seemed truly unable to speak. He reached out and used his aura to write four characters at the feet of Shen Yichen and Yixuan:

Bottom of Jingyun Gorge!

Shen Yichen's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"Senior, you...you mean this is the bottom of Jingyun Gorge?"

The man in purple nodded.

Shen Yichen looked up at the void, but could see nothing but mist. He walked across the Tianzhan Bridge, and although he didn't fall off, he eventually arrived at the bottom of Jingyun Gorge.

Shen Yichen murmured to himself:

Is this fate?

Fate is truly amazing!

Shen Yichen guessed that Jingyun Gorge must be very, very long, and this place was definitely not under Tianzhan Bridge.

Yi Xuan obviously didn't expect that he had entered Yanquan from the southernmost edge of Jingyun Gorge, and he had even looked at Jingyun Gorge from afar. He never expected that he and Shen Yichen would fall down.

Yi Xuan looked at the purple-robed man in the small building. He couldn't understand why the people from Zhidian Hall would hide at the bottom of Jingyun Gorge. Was it because they were afraid of being hunted down?

Yixuan turned his gaze to the couplet and read it aloud softly:

"If you have the intention to do the right thing, you forget the right thing; if you have no intention to do the wrong thing, you still think about the wrong thing!"