As Su Xiaoxiao was too unpredictable and morally fickle, Qi Hai had destroyed her cultivation and disowned her after she killed all of the living beings in an entire world. Since then, she’d disappeared from the world of immortals.
And yet, here her tomb was.
The Deaf Prince’s explanation answered Lu Yun’s question. No wonder there was a pearl-in-jade layout here. Doctor Poison could save countless lives with her medicinal expertise, but she could also kill an entire world with her unrivalled mastery of poison. Her notoriety and history of committing mass murder fulfilled the prerequisites for this kind of feng shui layout, and it was only natural that a pearl-in-jade layout would emerge.
Lu Yun didn’t ask how the prince knew about the doctor, or how he’d recognized this as her tomb. After all, xianglius were ancient water gods and had their own secrets.
Having identified the tomb’s owner, Lu Yun’s heartbeat and breathing quickened in anticipation. It was said that Lü Guhong’s Poison Wheel and the Poison Fiend within it were both Su Xiaoxiao’s handiwork! Thus, she might be able to cleanse Qing Han’s poison!
“Alright, let’s head in!” Lu Yun made the decision.
“What?” the little fox whined. “Didn’t you say this isn’t my ancestor’s tomb? Why should we enter?”
“Because I want to.” Lu Yun glanced at Qing Han with a smile.
“Fine,” grumbled the little fox. “Maybe we’ll find some clues in the doctor’s tomb that will lead to my ancestor.”
Knowing Lu Yun’s thoughts, Qing Han bit his lip, a conflicted look flashing through his eyes. The current Dusk Province and Lu Yun weren’t powerful enough to face an enemy as strong as House Donglin. Qing Han wasn’t just someone with a cosmic constitution, but was also a dao sovereign who’d restored the path of cultivation. If House Donglin found out about him, they would throw all caution to the wind and come for him, holding nothing back.
House Donglin was very, very powerful. The Lin Clan of Primus Major was the greatest clan in the world, surpassing even the Primus court. However, House Donglin had earned their independence from this exalted faction and settled down in Aureate Major, establishing their dominance there.
Few things escaped the house’s notice. Xing Mou’s cosmic constitution had yet to awaken and she resided in a lowly place on Levitating Island. Despite that, House Donglin had found her and killed everyone around her, allowing her free-range growth until she reached maturity.
Qing Han had been so blissfully oblivious to all the ramifications at first. He—she—had thought that once she told Lu Yun the truth, and if Lu Yun accepted her, they could be together. Chen Xiao and Qing Buyi would deal with House Donglin for her—her two brothers had promised as much.
The more involved she became in the world of immortals, though, the more terrifying she found House Donglin. It seemed that if she told Lu Yun the truth now, she would be dragging him down with her. No matter how powerful Chen Xiao and Qing Buyi were, they were but two men.
Qing Han knew what he had to do to keep Lu Yun safe—leave, and never darken his doorstep again. Then he would stop risking his life for her and wouldn’t make House Donglin his enemy.
……
“What’s wrong?” Lu Yun asked with a frown when he noticed Qing Han’s pale face.
“If I disappear one day,” Qing Han couldn’t help but ask, “would you hate me?”
“Disappear? Where to?” The question escaped his mouth before Lu Yun could think.
“I....” Qing Han stopped helplessly. That was right; where could she possibly go?
The Qing Clan had branded her a traitor. They wanted her back only because of her title as the Youth Dao Sovereign—which she didn’t deserve—and because they wanted to use her to develop their own void realm methods.
As for the Chen Clan, they’d moved into Dusk Province with the help of the Panorama Pavilion and the Skandha Range. Chen Xiao and Qing Buyi would probably settle down in Dusk Province after they returned, too. Where could Qing Han possibly go?
“Alright, stop thinking all these wild things.” Lu Yun put his arm around Qing Han’s shoulder to pull his friend in close and grinned. “I don’t know what you’re worried about, but don’t be so pessimistic. Two years ago, I was a nobody, forced to face the giants of the world of immortals alone. Those lofty immortals could kill me with a sneeze, let alone dao immortals!
“I said then that I wouldn’t back down from fighting immortals and heaven itself! Let’s see if I’ll puncture a hole in the sky first, or if the heavyweights in the world will slap me down before that.” An arresting confidence radiated from Lu Yun’s expression and he levelled a piercing gaze at Qing Han. “I know you’re hiding something big from me. I can sense it!”
Qing Han felt himself relax, and his lips curved into a smile on their own accord. A great weight lifted from his chest.
“I’ll tell you once you become an immortal,” the disguised girl said with a smile.
“Alright, wait for me!” Lu Yun smiled slightly. Breaking through the void realm and reaching immortality were as easy as a flip of the hand for him.
The Method of Life and Death was his natural-born method. After the wheel of reincarnation shattered and hell was destroyed, the Tome of Life and Death had claimed Lu Yun as its host and created this method for him.
Even if the path of cultivation hadn’t been restored, he would still be able to ascend to the void realm and fully complete his cultivation. As long as he accumulated enough goodwill, he’d be able to ascend immediately. Thus, it was only a matter of time before he became an immortal.
“Remember to invite Qing Yu the day I become an immortal,” Lu Yun chuckled. “I want to marry her if she’ll have me!”
Qing Han couldn’t help his blush as he nodded.
“There’s definitely something going on between them!” The Deaf Prince craned his neck and cast a curious glance at the two men. Although he couldn’t hear their conversation, he could tell there was something not quite platonic about their expressions.
“Qing Yu?” muttered the little fox. “So the girl who’s a little prettier—pah, a little less pretty than me is called Qing Yu!”
Her current human form was too embarrassing to transform into. A delicate, eight-year-old girl was too different from the image she’d dreamed up for herself.
……
At the entrance of the tomb was a giant stone door. It’d been opened by a hair, making it clear that someone had entered.
“Wait, this isn’t right!” Lu Yun’s hackles raised right before he and his companions entered the door. He immediately pulled Qing Han and the Deaf Prince back.
“What’s wrong?” the Deaf Prince asked in bewilderment.
“This is a fake tomb!” Lu Yun breathed out deeply. “This ancient tomb consists of a yin tomb and a yang tomb. One is real and the other is fake. I almost fell for it!”
A luopan appeared in his hand and the indicators rotated before settling in one direction.
“I get it now. The fake tomb is safe, but empty. The real tomb is dangerous, but that’s where Doctor Poison was buried! No wonder I made the wrong call. Follow me!” He took Qing Han’s wrist and walked in the direction the luopan was pointing. The Deaf Prince hurriedly caught up with them.
Within the Tombs of Yin and Yang, yin and yang were reversed, and heaven and earth were in disarray. The information Lu Yun had gathered about the tomb owner with his Spectral Eye was incomplete due to the disturbance from the reversal. Even the location of the tomb’s owner was false.