179 Former Dynasty Secrets

e time. If it were last year, I wouldn’t have been able to do it at all. Now my body is no different from an ordinary person, what's the problem with that"Ye Li shook her head; she had accompanied Mo...Mountain River Memorial 179: Secret Stories of the Previous Dynasty

179. Secret Stories of the Previous Dynasty

"W-Who... who is there" Seeing his companion suddenly collapse silently on the window with no sound, the middle-aged man warily stared at the window, his voice involuntarily trembling. He glanced over at Dr. Lin standing by the side and quickly stepped forward to hold him in front of himself as he slowly approached, "Who's out there Show yourself!" Sweat started to bead on the middle-aged man’s back; originally, this trip was only for delivering items for his boss, not a difficult task. Therefore, they did not bring too many people along, yet never expected that such an isolated mountain village would have hidden experts.

"Come out! If you don’t come out, I’ll kill him!" Holding Dr. Lin tightly, the middle-aged man stared at the window but no longer moved forward instead slowly moving towards the study door.

Swish—

A gray shadow flashed past the window; the middle-aged man widened his eyes as the gray figure moved too quickly for him to see clearly. Tightening his grip on the dagger in his hand, he quietly swallowed and pulled Dr. Lin back towards the door. Just as they were about to reach the door, a creaking sound came from the window, startling the man who immediately pointed his knife at it but only saw an intense dark beam shoot towards him, causing him to weakly lower his head to see a rough wooden hairpin piercing through his throat. Blinking his eyes, he found himself unable to do anything other than releasing Dr. Lin and collapsing backwards.

Dr. Lin looked down at the middle-aged man lying on the ground with wide-open eyes, knowing who the owner of the wooden hairpin was. Looking up towards the window, there was no sign of Ye Li’s figure. Soon after, heavy footsteps approached from outside; Ye Li appeared in front of the study door and looking at Dr. Lin's lost-in-thought expression asked worriedly, "Master… are you alright" Dr. Lin silently shook his head to look at Ye Li.

Ye Li forced a smile, “Did I scare Master I...”

Tired from the events, Dr. Lin sat down in a chair beside them after a while and said, "Initially, this old man thought you were extraordinary; now I know that I was mistaken. I won’t ask about your background; just leave on your own when you’re ready. This place isn't safe anymore." Ye Li frowned at the corpses lying on the ground and by the window, knowing it wasn’t a good idea to discuss matters in a room filled with two dead bodies but she lacked the energy to deal with them right now. Finding a spot to sit down, she calmed the uneasy baby inside her and said bitterly with a frown, "Master, given my current condition... where do you expect me to go" Not even considering encountering venomous snakes or fierce beasts, just scaling mountains and crossing ridges was already exhausting.

Dr. Lin sighed and shook his head, “Do you think I’m forcing you out An old man like me is also leaving; if we don’t leave soon... it might drag these innocent villagers into trouble.” Saying this much, the elderly man's expression turned sorrowful. For an over-sixty-year-old person to leave a place they have lived in for decades was certainly not a pleasant thing.

"Is it… Lin Yuan" Ye Li pondered and asked softly.

Dr. Lin was taken aback and remained silent for a long time before letting out a deep sigh. Since Dr. Lin didn't want to talk about it, Ye Li didn't want to force him either. Although she had no idea what this Lin Yuan wanted from Dr. Lin, she didn't hope that Dr. Lin would regard her as someone who coveted his treasures. After pondering for a moment, she said, "If Master truly doesn’t want to give them to him, why not destroy it That way, he won’t be able to get any ideas... He’s the one whom you raised from childhood. If you don’t give it to him, who will" Dr. Lin forced out a smile and shook his head before getting up and heading towards the door.

Ye Li did not move; she looked at the two corpses lying on the floor with worry. If this had happened in the past, dealing with these bodies would have been easy for her, but it wasn’t possible now. Dr. Lin was an old man; there was no way he could handle such matters. Just as she was thinking about what to do next, Dr. Lin returned holding a simple unadorned small porcelain bottle. He walked over to the middle-aged man lying on the floor and opened the bottle, sprinkling some of its contents onto the body. To Ye Li's surprise, when the powder touched the corpse, it emitted an acrid smoke that began corroding the bodies on the ground. In no time at all, the muscular man was reduced to a puddle of water, leaving behind nothing but his clothes and fabric. Then, Dr. Lin walked over to another body and sprinkled some powder onto it as well, causing the other corpse to be similarly corroded away. Ye Li couldn't help wiping her nose; after spending so much time with him, she realized that this unknown master of hers was actually quite ruthless.

Seeing Dr. Lin calmly deal with both corpses, Ye Li now believed that her earlier actions hadn’t frightened the old doctor at all. His proficiency and composure suggested he wasn't a novice in such matters.

After completing everything, the two unfamiliar master and apprentice looked at each other for a long time before remembering to move to the outer room. Although there were no more disturbing objects inside the room, the lingering smell was quite unpleasant.

Sitting down in the outer room, Dr. Lin calmly poured tea for both Ye Li and himself. After drinking two sips of tea and seeming to have recovered somewhat, he said, "I can’t involve these innocent villagers; we need to leave this place…" Ye Li remained silent for a moment before saying, “From what Master is implying, that person... isn't someone who’s merciful or kind-hearted. How can Master be sure that leaving won’t harm these villagers If it’s like that... why would Master advise me to leave Although I’ve only known Master for a short time, I feel that he's a good person.”

Dr. Lin was speechless; indeed, he couldn't guarantee that after his departure, the other person wouldn’t return and out of frustration hurt innocent people. Otherwise, all Dr. Lin needed to do was place Ye Li in any household within the village without making her leave with an infant-sized belly.

No matter what, the outside world was far too dangerous for a woman who had been pregnant for several months.

After some time, Dr. Lin asked, "Do you have any ideas"

Ye Li shook her head and looked at him with regret in her eyes: “I don’t even have the ability to protect myself right now; unless I can leave here as quickly as possible and return to Hongzhou…”

"Hongzhou…" Dr. Lin stared at her, "Why do you think I’m capable of helping"

Ye Li smiled as she pointed to the books in the study room, saying, "The villagers told me that for the past thirty years you have never left here. But… they also said that when you first arrived, you only brought simple luggage and a child. Those books clearly could not be delivered so easily, which means that over these years, you must have left this place many times without anyone knowing about it. Moreover, there’s no need for you to stay away from here for several months."

Dr. Lin sighed as he looked at her and said, "You are indeed very clever. You figured out everything right from the start" Ye Li gave a faint smile but did not speak further. Dr. Lin shook his head and said, "It’s useless now; I haven’t walked that path in over twenty years. Now you can’t go, neither can I—I’m too old." Ye Li had already thought this through long ago, so she wasn’t overly disappointed. She turned her head and asked after pondering for a moment: "I think you took the water route When I fell from the cliff near Hongzhou, I was thrown into the river and sucked into an underwater whirlpool before being carried by underground rivers to here" Dr. Lin nodded with approval, saying, "You were very lucky; not only did you avoid drowning but also didn’t hit any rocks in the water and even your child remained safe." Ye Li raised her eyebrows as she said lightly, "I don’t think it’s because I was lucky; rather, it must be due to how meticulously that underground river was built, which is why I wasn’t hindered by any stones in the riverbed. So… Master, what kind of person would put so much effort into building such a secret passage Or perhaps this village itself harbors some secrets"

Dr. Lin was stunned for a moment and looked at Ye Li with more scrutiny and danger. Ye Li no longer pressed him but quietly sat by the table, lowering her gaze to her slender fingers that had grown rough calluses. These hands had easily snapped someone’s neck just half an hour ago.

"Girl, what exactly are you" Dr. Lin asked after staring at her for a long while.

Ye Li pondered for a moment before softly saying, "If Master really hasn’t left this place in over twenty years, then who I am doesn’t matter to you anymore, does it" Dr. Lin said as he looked at her, "At the very least, I need to know that you are not part of the Imperial family of the Great Chu Dynasty." Ye Li sighed inwardly; the way Dr. Lin asked this question revealed a lot about his thoughts already. She shook her head and firmly stated, "I am not part of the Imperial family of the Great Chu Dynasty." Although Mo Xiurao also had the surname Mo and shared a common ancestor with the founding emperor of the Great Chu Dynasty, their bloodline was already very distant by now. Without an inherited title, they were basically unrelated to the Imperial family. In everyone’s perception, it seemed that there was always a clear distinction made between the Mo Army and the Imperial family of the Great Chu Dynasty. Therefore, Ye Li felt completely at ease in believing she had no relation with the Imperial family.

After receiving Ye Li’s answer, Dr. Lin’s expression eased considerably. Ye Li looked at him earnestly and suddenly asked, "Master, what is your relationship with the previous dynasty’s imperial family"

Dr. Lin stared blankly at Ye Li; clearly, he hadn’t expected her to ask such a question. After some time, he asked, "Why do you think there might be any connection between me and the royal family of the former dynasty" Ye Li smiled slightly as she idly toyed with the rough teacup in her hand, saying casually, "Master is so concerned about whether I am related to the Imperial family of the Great Chu Dynasty. Yet, here you are living reclusively, which clearly shows that you have no good feelings toward the Great Chu Dynasty’s imperial family—though not necessarily a blood feud. Since this place is still within the territory of the Great Chu Dynasty and you don’t look like an outsider, there’s another point: from where I fell off the cliff to where Master saved me, it was at least twenty miles in a straight line. Such an underground artificial waterway could not have been constructed by just anyone near the riverside. Moreover, its exit is located in such an isolated village, which is rather strange. Lastly, this village has reportedly existed for nearly five hundred years, and there’s an ancestral rule that forbids villagers from learning to read or write. I think… they didn’t come here by chance; they are protecting something. Although most of the villagers may not know what it is anymore, surely someone does"

Seeing this articulate woman in front of him, Dr. Lin couldn’t help but sigh, "You know too much."

Ye Li blinked her eyes innocently and looked at the old man with longing eyes, saying, "Is Master going to kill me to keep secrets Like those two people did earlier" She then pointed towards the study room inside. Dr. Lin couldn’t help but twitch his mouth; who had killed those two people!

Shaking his head helplessly, Dr. Lin said, "You don’t need to test me this old man; from what I saw of your moves just now, it’s not clear whether you or I would end up being the one killed." Ye Li smiled sweetly as she picked up her teacup and made herself look more innocent and kind, saying, "Once a master, always a master. Disciple will never do anything this outrageous. Master, let’s think about how we can survive in the future Given that both of us want to live well.

Dr. Lin glared at her irritably and said, "I’m an old man who has lived long enough; it’s you who wants to live."

Ye Li smiled as she poured him a cup of tea and said, "The villagers in this village still want to live." When Ye Li mentioned the simple villagers, the old man held his teacup tightly with both hands, looking conflicted and guilty. "These people… they are descendants of loyal officials… but after so many years, I fear that they have forgotten their ancestors. Actually, there’s nothing wrong about it. Isn’t a peaceful life better than what others outside this village experience But if something happens to them due to those old events… I really can’t bear with it."

As she listened to Dr. Lin, Ye Li tried her best to recall any information about the previous dynasty that she could remember. This northwest region had been remote since ancient times; at least compared to the prosperity of Chu’s capital and southern China. She couldn't understand what connection events from the previous dynasty might have with this place. After a while, an idea flashed through her mind. Ye Li blinked and試探性地問道：“前朝皇陵是不是在這裡？”

Seeing Dr. Lin's shocked expression, Ye Li knew she had guessed correctly.

The imperial tombs of the previous dynasty!

In Ye Li’s mind, historical records and ancient texts flipped through quickly. The previous dynasty lasted for over 370 years with twenty-one emperors. Apart from the last emperor who was buried according to the rites of a prince by Chu’s founding ancestor, the tombs of the other nineteen emperors were either destroyed in wars or plundered by tomb raiders, almost all ruined. However, there was one emperor's mausoleum whose whereabouts remained unknown. It was the imperial mausoleum of the founding emperor of the previous dynasty. Ye Li suddenly remembered something; it seemed that the royal family’s surname during the previous dynasty was Lin.

Seeming to sense Ye Li’s gaze, Dr. Lin looked at her calmly and said, “Don’t think too much; I’m not a descendant from the previous dynasty.”

"Could it be that this has something to do with Lin Yuan" If Lin Yuan was looking for an emperor's mausoleum from the previous dynasty, then it would make sense.

Dr. Lin remained silent; Ye Li could only look up at the sky speechlessly. So… she guessed correctly again

——r to you, I don’t mind occasionally being a gossip and chatting with Minister Tan about the things that happened between Nanzhao’s Holy Maiden and Qingchen. There's definitely something worth talking...