Jiapingguan Chronicle

"The Imperial Observatory?" Shen Cha chuckled. "The Yun family of Wujiang is a family of cultivators. I must say, this place is quite suitable for them."

“Indeed, this place seems tailor-made for the Yun family. Observing celestial phenomena and judging good and bad fortune are their specialties.” Song Yaojia smiled. “Of course, these are not their specialties. The Yun family’s ancestor, who is so wise that he is almost demonic, is no ordinary person.”

“That’s true.” Shen Cha nodded. “However, the rest of the Yun family have also lived up to expectations. Although they can’t compare to the Yun family’s ancestor, they have done very well.”

"That's right. It can be said that at its peak, the Yun family was able to share the world with the Xuanyuan family and the Eagle King's Mansion."

"Really?" Jin Miaomiao rested her chin on her hand, looking at this and then at that, and said, "Is it that powerful? Being able to share the world with the Xuanyuan family and the Eagle King's Mansion is not something that ordinary families can do."

"Everyone reveres the Wang and Xie families, but compared to the Yun family of Wujiang, the so-called great families led by the Wang and Xie are worlds apart." Song Yaojia raised an eyebrow at Jin Miaomiao. "In the past, the Yun family had many famous and influential figures, such as Yun Dan, who was skilled in geomancy; Yun Jing, who was skilled in feng shui for residences; and Yun Mo, who was skilled in exorcising evil spirits. Although they were separated by several decades, they were all relatively well-known talents in the Yun family. Of course, there were many other famous members of the Yun family, but their family has always been low-key and not as ostentatious as those so-called great families."

Jin Miaomiao looked at Song Yaojia, opened her mouth but then closed it again, unsure whether what she was about to say was appropriate.

"What's wrong?" Noticing Jin Miaomiao's hesitation, Song Yaojia smiled and said, "What do you mean by being hesitant? Just say what you want to say, there's no need to hold back."

"Yes, Your Highness, what I wanted to say was," Jin Miaomiao hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously, "that Yun Dan that Your Highness just mentioned, is it the legendary Golden Double Pupil?"

"You actually knew that?"

"Really?" Seeing Song Yaojia nod, Jin Miaomiao looked at him with admiration. "I read Master's handwritten books before, and there were a few that were clearly not left by him. The paper was yellowed, and the handwriting was flamboyant, much of which I couldn't understand. But what I could understand was the signature at the back of each book, which read the character 'Dan'." She looked at Song Yaojia, then at Shen Haolin. "I heard Master mention before that there was a very famous young talent in history whose name was Dan. He had very rare golden double pupils. I just heard His Highness mention him again, and connecting the two, I guessed it."

"He actually left behind a few handwritten notes?" Song Yaojia sighed softly. "Everyone thought his things were all gone, but unexpectedly, some were left behind. However, it makes sense that they ended up in your hands."

"why?"

“Master Qingsong is a descendant of Yun Dan, so it’s not surprising that his family has this.” Song Yaojia sighed softly and said, “I heard my uncle say that Yun Dan was an extremely powerful person. He was the second person in the Yun family after our ancestor who could be called a genius. He was a born geomancer. He was very young when he was conferred the title of god, only seven or eight years old.”

"Seven or eight years old?" Jin Miaomiao exclaimed in surprise. "Normal children are just beginning their education, right? How can he already be like this?"

"Because he's different from other kids!"

“That’s true.” Jin Miaomiao took a sip of tea, accepted a candied fruit from Shen Cha, and said, “Master mentioned him before, saying that his golden double pupils are very special. Other geomancers might use various tools to determine where is suitable for building a mausoleum. But he is different; he can determine the location with just a few glances.”

“Yes!” Song Yaojia nodded. “Yun Jing is his nephew. Although he is good at feng shui, it is only for houses. He is completely incapable of looking at mausoleums. Even for houses, he sometimes has to consult Yun Dan when he can’t make a decision. Moreover, my uncle said that those golden double pupils have other uses.”

"Other uses?"

“He is very accurate at reading faces and predicting fate.” Shen Haolin raised an eyebrow at Jin Miaomiao. “Master said that he is actually a very well-rounded genius. However, after entering the world, he only looks at mausoleums and only seeks suitable mausoleums for those with high social status. Occasionally, he will look for mausoleums for long-lived royal relatives. As for other people, he will not accept any offer, no matter how high the reward is.”

"Why?" Jin Miaomiao spread her hands. "It's not a difficult thing for him, is it?" "Many people think like you, but those who know him know that whether it's geomancy, feng shui, or fortune telling, it will consume his own lifespan."

"Huh?" Jin Miaomiao was taken aback. "How could that be?"

“Why not?” Song Yaojia spread his hands. “In their line of work, truly capable people are all like that. Yun Dan became famous early, but he didn’t live long. It wasn’t until he died young that many people realized that his refusal wasn’t because of arrogance or haughtiness, but rather…” He smiled bitterly and said, “The earlier you become famous and the stronger your abilities, the earlier you die.”

"So that's how it is."

“The Yun family patriarch, Yun Kuizi, should be the longest-lived member of the Yun family, without exception.” Shen Cha sighed softly. “He lived to the age of ninety-seven. That’s quite a long life for him, isn’t it?”

“Yes!” Shen Haolin nodded. “After him, no one lived past fifty-five.” He looked at Jin Miaomiao. “Master Qingsong passed away at fifty. The youngest was that golden-eyed one, who died at twenty-five. It is said that he died from vomiting blood.”

"Oh my god, this is too... tragic!" Jin Miaomiao exclaimed in disbelief. "Is it really not someone who deliberately set them up?"

“With their abilities, they couldn’t possibly have designed this.” Song Yaojia spread her hands toward Jin Miaomiao and said, “This is divine punishment. In their own words, it’s the backlash from uncovering the secrets of heaven.”

"This..." Jin Miaomiao stroked her chin. "It's too mysterious, a bit hard to believe. Since it wasn't designed by someone else, could it be some kind of illness?"

“The Yun family initially thought the same way, but…” Song Yaojia sighed and said, “Besides their great achievements in metaphysics, the Yun family is also highly accomplished in medicine and witchcraft. Of course, everyone knows that those who cultivate Taoism generally study these two areas, since they are closely related.” He looked at Jin Miaomiao, “Of the famous medical masters in the Central Plains over the past four hundred years, seven or eight out of ten came from the Yun family. The remaining two or three out of ten, although not from the Yun family, are still related to the Yun family. They don’t have the surname Yun, but they are disciples of the Yun family.”

"Just like me?"

“Yes!” Song Yaojia nodded. “So, after all their research, they found that it wasn’t a disease at all, so there’s only one explanation left.”

"The backlash from uncovering the secrets of heaven."

“Hmm!” Song Yaojia and Shen Haolin exchanged a glance. “And it started with the Yun family’s ancestor.”

"Was that ancestor particularly powerful?" Jin Miaomiao blinked, looked at Song Yaojia, then at Shen Haolin, her face full of curiosity, and said, "Tell me, tell me."

"Master said that Yun Kuizi, the ancestor of the Yun family, was an exceptionally talented genius. Not only was he good-looking, but he was also very knowledgeable. Most importantly, he was very approachable and had no airs of a national advisor. Whether you were a young master or a child from an ordinary family, he treated everyone the same."

“Yes!” Song Yaojia nodded. “Uncle said that the Eagle King’s Mansion has an ancestral rule to be very polite to the Yun family. They are not only very capable people, but also not arrogant.” He sighed softly. “It’s just that the things they do…” He shook his head. “I asked Uncle, knowing that these things will shorten their lifespan, why do they continue to do them?”

“Yes!” Jin Miaomiao exclaimed, her face full of confusion. “Why?”

"He said," Song Yaojia paused, "that if he could exchange his life for peace and prosperity for the people, it would be well worth it!" (End of Chapter)