"Who's the elder, Miss Yuan?" Qin Shen asked.
His expression had suddenly turned serious.
In the carriage, Yuan Shuchun just smiled and didn't say anything.
Qin Shen frowned upon getting no response, but he didn't ask again.
Although Yuan Shuchun wasn't famous for her nature, Qin Shen had already received a long report about her when he got the mission.
Crown Prince Xin had personally warned him not to piss her off and that her power and ability should never be underestimated.
He had predicted that it wouldn't be long before the whole Lower Heavens heard of her name as she rose to become one of the most talented and ruthless cultivators of this young generation.
Qin Shen didn't know if this would ever happen, but he would rather believe in Crown Prince Xin's words than doubt them.
*zzzzzz* *zzzzz*
Qin Shen looked up and smiled, "We will soon reach the Waterfall. Please brace yourself; the carriage will get slippery and extra bumpy."
Just as they had finished, the carriage came out of the jungle and was out in the open.
Ye Tian Yun, whose carriage came out at the very last, was quite surprised at the sudden scene in front of them.
"Wow!" He couldn't help but call out.
The whole place had an ancient and majestic feel to it.
And this wasn't just a normal waterfall.
Everything around it spoke of great history and seemed to have a story of its own.
At the far end, Ye Tian Yun could see the mountains and between them was a river.
The water was crystal clear, but as it got closer to the waterfall, it became foamy due to its rapid flow.
However, the most interesting thing was that there were pillars on both sides of the river.
The pillars were tiled as if pushed to the side over time.
Covered with intricate design at the top and weeds at the bottom, it was hard to judge how long ago they were last touched by humans.
If this wasn't surprising enough, Ye Tian Yun noticed a palace along the walls of the waterfall.
The palace seemed deserted, yet it had a very majestic look to it.
Ye Tian Yun couldn't help but sigh at the magnificent scenery, "What is this place? How come I have never heard of this?"
Fu Kai smiled, "Didn't I mention that this place was my favorite? Well, now you know."
"This whole place is actually the old royal palace. That is why it's not famous."
"That's weird. If this was the old royal palace, everyone should know about it."
"Ah, that's not what I meant," Fu Kai shook his head, "This place is not treated like a tourist spot, and not anyone can pass through this place. There are some traps to warn others."
"Oh? And you were able to avoid them." Ye Tian Yun remarked.
Fu Kai nodded, "This is the first time I have come here. And also the reason why I was chosen for this mission was that we needed to pass through this place."
"Ah, that makes sense. So, we will be meeting Crown Prince Xin in the palace?"
"Not in the palace," Fu Kai shook his head, "He will be somewhere close. It will waste a lot of time if we tour around the palace."
"Indeed."
"You see these pillars?" Fu Kai turned his head to the left as they passed by.
The pillars might seem small, but they were gigantic when one came close to them. It was all a matter of perspective.
"What are these pillars?" Ye Tian Yun asked.
The diameter of a single pillar was much more than the length of all the carriages combined.
"These pillars… are actually weapons." Fu Kai smiled.
"Weapons?"
"Yes. You will see that these are double-sided spears if you notice carefully, and there's even a handle-like place to hold them.
"Yeah… now that you say it…. But why do I feel these spears are a bit small?"
"They are compressed."
"And they are made of stone?"
"Well, not really. But the problem is, no one knows how to use them. In fact, no one knows anything about them. This is why they are still here."
"That's weird… don't tell me they just fell from the sky?"
"Um… yeah, kind of. Why would you think Xin Royal Clan would leave such a majestic place and live in the plains?"
"Well, the history of the Xin Kingdom is quite complicated. And for some reason, the Xin Royal Clan doesn't advertise it much. They prefer to make the least noise about their past as much as possible. It's as if everything that happened before they changed their palace is something of a taboo."
Ye Tian Yun shrugged, "They must have offended some really powerful. If these weapons did fall from the sky, everything that must have happened must have shaken the foundation of Xin Royal Clan. I am surprised they even exist. As far as I know, I am pretty sure such things don't even exist in the Middle Heavens."
"I can't be sure about that," Fu Kai remarked, "Neither you nor I have ever gone to the Middle Heavens. I am sure there must be some even more crazy powers in that place."
Ye Tian Yun shrugged but didn't comment anything further on it.
Soon they came close to the bridge.
"Where's the lake that you talked about?" He suddenly asked.
"Um… well.. The thing is, this place is kind of different. It's known for the lake, not the landmarks or the waterfall. The lake is pretty special, but it's down, at the end of this waterfall."
"Oh? What's special about it?" He asked.
Fu Kai smiled, "Well, a lot. But it's not something I would want to discuss right now."
"Hmm?"
Fu Kai pointed ahead, "We have reached the meeting point. Crown Prince Xin and his guards will be around the corner.
Ye Tian Yun looked ahead, and indeed, there was a small group of people sitting on the ruins of a building.
[A/n: Check paragraph comment here for the scenery.. Or check the chapter comment.]