583: Lu Xueqi (60)

The first ray of morning sunlight passed through the window lattice and shone upon Su Han's face.

He slowly opened his eyes; a night of Cultivating left him refreshed and energetic.

Turning his head toward the bed, Bi Yao was no longer in the room, and the blanket was neatly folded.

A note was left on the table; the handwriting was elegant with a hint of playfulness: "This Miss has gone to find food and inquire about some news. Don't worry."

Su Han smiled slightly and put the note away.

This was indeed Bi Yao's style—restless and fond of excitement.

He got up, quickly washed, and prepared to head to Shanhai Courtyard.

Just as he opened his door, he saw Lu Xueqi coincidentally stepping out of the adjacent room.

Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither spoke.

The morning sunlight shone on Lu Xueqi's cold face, adding a touch of warmth to her.

Today, she had changed into a light blue dress, appearing less sharp and more gentle than usual.

"Morning," Su Han was the first to break the silence.

"Morning." Lu Xueqi nodded lightly. "Are you going to Shanhai Courtyard?"

"Yes, and you..."

"I will go with you." Lu Xueqi's tone was calm but carried an undeniable firmness. "I also have some interest in the books stored at Shanhai Courtyard."

Su Han did not refuse.

The two walked down the stairs side-by-side and encountered Bi Yao in the inn's lobby, who was returning carrying several oil-paper packages.

"Oh, going out together so early?" Bi Yao raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.

She handed the oil-paper package in her hand to Su Han. "Here, the most famous crab roe buns and almond tea in Heyang City. This Miss queued for a long time for them."

Su Han took them; they were still warm. "Thank you."

"Hmph, at least you have some conscience." Bi Yao looked at Lu Xueqi, shaking the other oil-paper package in her hand. "Senior Sister Lu, I brought a portion for you too, but I don't know if it suits the taste of a Fairy like you."

Lu Xueqi was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting Bi Yao to bring her breakfast. After a moment of silence, she took it and said softly, "Thank you, Miss Bi Yao."

Bi Yao waved her hand, leaned close to Su Han, and whispered, "I found out that Qi Hao left the city early this morning with a few Qingyun Sect Disciples. He said he was investigating recent unusual movements outside the city. He shouldn't be back to bother us anytime soon."

Su Han nodded. That was good news.

After the three of them quickly finished their breakfast, they headed together to Shanhai Courtyard.

Shanhai Courtyard is located in the east of Heyang City. It is a magnificent complex of buildings, with flying eaves and brackets, and ancient trees reaching the sky.

Disciples were guarding the entrance, checking identifications.

Lu Xueqi showed the token of the Xiao Zhu Peak Head of the Qingyun Sect. The guarding Disciples immediately let them pass respectfully, without even questioning the background of Su Han and Bi Yao.

Bi Yao quietly said to Su Han, "Tsk tsk, the name of the Qingyun Sect is certainly useful."

The interior of Shanhai Courtyard was even more expansive than it looked from the outside, featuring pavilions, towers, and winding corridors. The air was filled with a faint fragrance of books and ink, along with a serene Aura of accumulated history.

The person in charge of managing the library was a white-haired Elder whose Daoist title was "Qing Xu." He was an Elder assigned by the Qingyun Sect to this location, and his Cultivation was unfathomably deep.

When he saw Lu Xueqi, he nodded slightly. "Niece Xue Qi, what brings you to this old man today?"

"Junior Martial Uncle Qing Xu," Lu Xueqi performed the Junior's salute, "My two friends and I wish to consult some ancient books, especially records concerning ancient artifacts, legends, and secret histories."

Elder Qing Xu's cloudy gaze swept over Su Han and Bi Yao, lingering slightly on Bi Yao for a moment. Bi Yao immediately felt an invisible pressure, but she remained smiling brightly, meeting Qing Xu's gaze without fear.

A hint of imperceptible surprise flashed in Elder Qing Xu's eyes, but he quickly returned to his placid state and slowly said, "The third floor, eastern side. Classics such as 'Record of Strange Objects,' 'Ancient Secrets Compendium,' and 'Wonders of the Nine Provinces' are all there. You may go and consult them yourselves. Remember, you must not damage the books or speak loudly."

"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle." Lu Xueqi saluted again.

The three followed the instructions and ascended to the third floor.

The third floor was even quieter. The bookshelves were towering, reaching the ceiling, densely packed with countless bamboo slips, Jade Slips, silk scrolls, and thread-bound ancient books, exuding an Aura of antiquity.

Following Elder Qing Xu's guidance, they arrived at the eastern section and began searching separately.

Su Han walked directly toward the shelf labeled "Ancient Artifacts." His goal was clear: to find clues regarding the reincarnation mirror and that mysterious compass.

The books were vast as the sea. Many ancient books used obscure ancient characters, making the consultation quite time-consuming.

Su Han calmed his mind and flipped through them one by one.

Lu Xueqi, on the other hand, was more interested in books recording strange tales and geographical records, perhaps hoping to find descriptions of the Underworld or spatial rifts.

Bi Yao patiently flipped through a few volumes before feeling dizzy. She truly couldn't muster much interest in these piles of old paper, so she quietly slipped away to the section recording local customs and strange anecdotes, where she read with great enjoyment.

Time flowed slowly in the stillness.

Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, forming columns of light in the dusty air.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Han picked up a Jade Slip titled "The Ten Thousand Treasures Record: Incomplete Manual" and immersed his Divine Sense into it.

It recorded the diagrams and brief descriptions of countless rare treasures, most of which were incomplete.

Suddenly, his Divine Sense stopped on a blurry pattern.

The pattern depicted an ancient compass, with carvings of the sun, moon, and stars around it, and a small indentation seemingly in the center.

Next to the pattern were only a few words: "Si Nan Astrolabe. It is rumored to guide lost objects, but its age makes its authenticity hard to ascertain. It may be related to the concept of Reincarnation."

The Si Nan Astrolabe!

Su Han's heart trembled. He forcefully suppressed his excitement and continued reading, but unfortunately, the subsequent records about the "Si Nan Astrolabe" were interrupted; the Jade Slip appeared to be incomplete.

He calmly noted the name and continued his search.

After a while longer, in another book made of animal hide called "Underworld Miscellany," he found a passage about the "reincarnation mirror." It was also very brief: "The reincarnation mirror, a supreme treasure of the Underworld, governs the secrets of life, death, and Reincarnation. It was shattered during the ancient war, and its fragments were scattered across the world. Those who obtain them can glimpse a thread of Reincarnation."

This information generally aligned with what he already knew, but it didn't contain much new content.

As noon approached, all three had found some information, but none seemed to have found a decisive clue.

Su Han shared the records he found concerning the "Si Nan Astrolabe" and the "reincarnation mirror" with Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao.

"The Si Nan Astrolabe?" Bi Yao tilted her head. "I've never heard of it, but it sounds impressive. Guiding lost objects—is it specifically used to find reincarnation mirror fragment?"

Lu Xueqi pondered for a moment and said, "Records in ancient books are often mixed with truth and falsehood and require verification. However, since this name exists, perhaps we can find more discoveries in other classics."

Just then, Bi Yao suddenly remembered something and pulled out a rather worn book from her embrace, its cover featuring gaudy illustrations. "I actually flipped through a fun book called 'Heyang City Strange Tales.' It contains some local legends, saying that hundreds of years ago, strange light often flashed at night around Black Stone Mountain outside the city. Some said it was a treasure appearing, others said it was ghost fire, but later the matter faded away."

Su Han and Lu Xueqi exchanged a look.

Black Stone Mountain? Strange light? (End of Chapter)