582: Lu Xueqi (59)

Su Han remained calm, injecting a trace of spiritual power to investigate.

The compass showed no reaction, and that ancient fluctuation was faint and indistinct.

"Boss, how much for this?" Su Han asked.

The stall owner's eyes darted around, and he held up five fingers: "Fifty taels of silver!"

"Fifty taels? Why don't you just rob us!" Miss Bi Yao, standing nearby, immediately cried out, "This piece of junk is worth five taels of silver at most!"

The stall owner smiled apologetically: "Young Miss, this really is an ancient artifact..."

Bi Yao put her hands on her hips and began to display her bargaining skills: "Ancient artifact? Look at this rust; it might have been buried yesterday! Ten taels! Take it or leave it!"

"Young Miss, this..."

"If you're not selling, then forget it. Su Han, let's go, there are better things ahead!" Bi Yao made to pull Su Han away.

"Hey, hey, don't go! Twenty taels! Twenty taels and it's yours!" The stall owner quickly lowered the price.

"Fifteen taels! Not a single coin more!"

"Alright, alright, fifteen taels it is. Consider it my loss to make a friend!" The stall owner looked pained.

Su Han paid the money and put away the compass.

After leaving the stall, Bi Yao looked at Su Han triumphantly: "How was that? Am I amazing?"

Su Han smiled: "Thank you, Miss Bi Yao, you saved me a lot of money."

"Of course!" Bi Yao lifted her chin, then asked curiously, "But why did you buy this broken compass? Is it really useful?"

Su Han's gaze narrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice: "This item seems to be more than it appears. I'll examine it closely when we get back."

Seeing his serious expression, Bi Yao also put away her playful mood and nodded.

The two strolled for a while longer, then returned to Yuelai Inn.

Back in Room Four of the Heaven-tier, Su Han set up a simple soundproofing barrier.

Then, he took out the ancient compass and placed it on the table.

"What exactly is this?" Bi Yao leaned over, curiously examining it.

Su Han said in a deep voice: "I sense a faint Qi on it, similar to that of the reincarnation mirror, though extremely weak."

Hearing this, Bi Yao's expression also grew serious. She activated the Ghost King Sect's secret technique to sense it, and after a moment, she exclaimed in surprise: "It seems... there is a very strange fluctuation, extremely ancient, almost imperceptible."

Su Han tried various methods to activate the compass: dripping blood, injecting spiritual power of different attributes, chanting incantations... but the compass remained unresponsive, like a truly useless piece of scrap metal.

"Did I sense it wrong?" Bi Yao asked, puzzled.

Su Han shook his head, his brows furrowed: "No, I couldn't be wrong. This fluctuation is very special. Perhaps it requires specific conditions, or... it itself is only part of a larger artifact."

He carefully traced the rust and blurry runes on the compass, trying to find clues.

Suddenly, his finger stopped at an extremely inconspicuous indentation on the back of the compass.

The shape there... seemed somewhat familiar.

A thought flashed through his mind, and from his Magical Artifact, he took out the reincarnation mirror fragment, no bigger than a fingernail, that he had obtained from the Underworld!

He carefully brought the fragment close to the indentation.

The size and shape fit perfectly!

Just as the fragment was about to touch the indentation, an unexpected change occurred!

Buzz—!

The previously silent compass suddenly emitted a faint hum!

Immediately after, a faint light glowed at the center of the compass, and some of the bronze rust peeled off at a visible speed, revealing more complex and ancient runes beneath!

An aura far clearer, more desolate, and more vast than before instantly filled the entire room!

Although it was only a fleeting moment, and the compass quickly returned to calm, that brief change and aura caused Su Han and Bi Yao's expressions to change dramatically at the same time!

"It is related, after all!" Su Han took a deep breath, his eyes showing excitement.

Bi Yao also looked at the compass and the small fragment in shock: "This... can this compass sense the reincarnation mirror fragment?"

Su Han carefully put away the fragment and the compass, suppressing the excitement in his heart: "It seems so. Although the range might be limited, this is undoubtedly a major clue for finding other fragments!"

He had originally thought that finding the fragments of the reincarnation mirror would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, but he had unexpectedly obtained such a crucial "compass" at the night market in Heyang City!

"That's great!" Bi Yao was also happy for him, "Now you won't have to wander around like a headless fly!"

Su Han nodded, looked at Bi Yao, and said solemnly: "Miss Bi Yao, this matter is of great importance, please be sure to keep it a secret."

Bi Yao rolled her eyes at him: "Do you even need to say that? Do I look like someone with a big mouth?"

Although she said that, Su Han knew that Bi Yao, despite appearing carefree, was actually meticulous in thought and clearly understood priorities.

Having obtained this unexpected clue, Su Han looked forward even more to going to Shanhai Courtyard tomorrow to consult the ancient books.

Perhaps he could find records about this compass, or more specific information about the fragments of the reincarnation mirror, in the ancient books.

Night deepened.

Bi Yao yawned: "Alright, this Young Miss needs to rest. You can continue studying your treasure."

With that, she walked to the bed, lay down fully clothed, and turned her back to Su Han.

Su Han looked at her back, then at the compass in his hand, his heart in turmoil.

The secrets of the Underworld, the fragments of the reincarnation mirror, the mysterious compass... a seemingly distant path seemed to be slowly unfolding before his eyes.

And what roles would this eccentric Young Miss of the Ghost King Sect, who was both righteous and evil, and that cold and immortal-like Prodigy of Qingyun, play on this path?

The future was full of unknowns and challenges.

Su Han put away the compass and walked to the window, looking at the myriad lights of Heyang City outside, his gaze gradually becoming resolute.

No matter what, he had to continue.

To uncover the truth, and to possess enough power to face the coming storm that might sweep through the Three Realms.

He sat down cross-legged and once again entered a state of Cultivation.

Only this time, his mind was more immersed in comprehending the sensations from the mysterious compass and the reincarnation mirror fragment.

The long night stretched on, Heyang City slept amidst starlight and lamplight, while certain gears that would change the trajectory of destiny had already begun to quietly turn.

In the adjacent room, Lu Xueqi stood by the window, also gazing at the city's night view, her clear, cold eyes filled with countless thoughts.

Qi Hao's appearance, the sect's expectations, the subtle relationship between her, Su Han, and Bi Yao, and the heavy secret of the Underworld, all weighed on her mind.

She sighed softly, feeling an unprecedented sense of confusion.

And in Qingyun Courtyard, on the other side of the city, Qi Hao was also awake. He stood in the courtyard, listening to his Disciple's report on the scarce information about Su Han and Bi Yao, his face appearing somewhat uncertain in the moonlight.

Tonight, for many, was destined to be a sleepless night. (End of chapter)