Holy Bone

Chapter 2036 Jin'an: Young Master Yiyun, I didn't expect we'd meet again.
Not long after, Jin An and his two companions landed in Ghost Moth Mountain outside the capital.

Ghost Moth Mountain was originally called Black Mountain.

Daheishan was originally called Lishan.

This place can be considered a geomantically auspicious location, situated within the territory of several ancient capitals. So you can imagine how many high-ranking officials and nobles are buried here. Legend has it that tomb raiders could unearth an ancient tomb just by urinating here.

It's no exaggeration to say that there are so many ancient tombs there that they can't all be piled up. You can often find tombs within tombs, and a single tomb raider's hole can often break through several tombs.

There is also a rumor that Mount Li originally had no mountains. Later, because there were too many ancient tombs, each tomb was sealed with earth, and these earthen mounds were piled up one after another, which is why the big hill we see today is now.

With so many ancient tombs, there were bound to be many tomb raiders' holes. Some elders say that Lishan used to be riddled with holes, and stories of cannibalism and sheep-eating were heard daily. Even now, cannibalism incidents can still be heard every few years. The dense shrubs actually made these tomb raiders' holes even more concealed and harder to detect, so few people dared to graze sheep or chop firewood there anymore. This is one of the reasons why the area was later renamed Daheishan (Big Black Mountain).

The name of Lishan was changed to Daheishan in the previous dynasty. The previous dynasty had a history of separatism with frequent changes of power and rebellions by various princes. Among them, a general with millions of soldiers was the most powerful. In order to raise funds for the final decisive battle to unify the Central Plains, he ignored the advice of his strategist and the feng shui master who accompanied the army and insisted on excavating Lishan to find the imperial tomb buried at the bottom.

It is unknown where the general got the news, but he believed that there was an ancient imperial tomb at the foot of Mount Li. He was determined to dig up the ancient imperial tomb to pay for the funds, and mobilized hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians to dig up the mountain.

According to local county records, the moment the general started digging, the weather at Mount Li changed drastically. It was constantly shrouded in dark clouds, thundered, and torrential rains, and many people died every day. Despite the advice of his subordinates in the tent, the general insisted on continuing to dig deeper and deeper.

In the days that followed, more and more strange things happened in the general's territory: floods, droughts, and plagues came in turn throughout the year...

Within two years, the once prosperous Central Plains had become a living hell where people were starving, corpses littered the fields, and people were exchanging their own children to eat.

As a result, complaints from the people and the army gradually increased. Later, several subordinate generals sneaked into the tent at night, cut off the general's head, and led the remaining soldiers, who were starving and emaciated, to surrender to another powerful warlord. This ended the chaotic situation of warlordism.

Even after the general was beheaded by his subordinates and the middle of Mount Li was dug up, the so-called ancient imperial tomb of Mount Li was never found.

Later emperors who changed dynasties dared not touch Mount Li again, saying that Mount Li was cursed and that whoever touched it would bring natural disasters and backfire on the imperial star.

Because of the ongoing wars in the Central Plains, the ravines dug in the middle of Mount Li were used as burial pits several times, filling them with hundreds of thousands of vengeful souls, and gradually no one dared to enter the mountain.

In addition, strange things happened frequently, such as people and sheep disappearing into the mountains and never returning, with no trace of them. As a result, Lishan gradually became known as Daheishan (Big Black Mountain). It was especially dark at night, with no moonlight able to penetrate. A once auspicious place was turned into a vicious place that devoured people without spitting out their bones!
Then, it gradually evolved into a notorious mass grave in the surrounding area. People who died were thrown into mass graves or tombs in the mountains, making it an excellent place to kill and dump bodies.

When Emperor Kangheng and his family of three died, the newly enthroned Emperor Kangzhao and various righteous sects took advantage of the chaotic mass graves on Ghost Moth Mountain to arbitrarily bury the remains of Emperor Kangheng and his family there, leaving them to be eaten by wild dogs and crows.

After arriving at Ghost Moth Mountain, Jin An immediately followed the direction indicated by the compass and jade disc to find Emperor Kangheng's daughter.

Throughout the journey, the old Taoist priest kept talking, chattering away curiously.

"That's strange, why would Emperor Kangheng's daughter be at Ghost Moth Mountain?"

"Could it be that Emperor Kangheng's daughter has been living on Ghost Moth Mountain all these years, never moving out, in order to avoid being hunted down?"

"But I've already seen it. Ghost Moth Mountain is filled with cold yin energy and is not suitable for living people to stay for long. Otherwise, being plagued by all kinds of diseases and having a lot of bad luck is a minor matter. What's serious is that you will encounter a fatal disaster in a few years!"

"This is so strange, so very strange!"

The old Taoist priest continued, "Young brother, is the compass still pointing to Ghost Moth Mountain? Has its location not changed?"

Jin An glanced down at the compass and replied, "I don't know whether Emperor Kangheng's daughter lived in Gui'e Mountain or not, but the compass pointer has been pointing deep into Gui'e Mountain."

As he spoke, Jin An raised his hand and pointed to the direction indicated by the compass.

"This is truly bizarre!" the old Taoist priest exclaimed, utterly perplexed.

Fatty Li walked along the mountain path of Ghost Moth Mountain, his steps uneven as he carefully avoided the potholes. He muttered to himself, "Let's not think too much about it for now. Maybe Emperor Kangheng's daughter just happened to come to Ghost Moth Mountain today to pay respects to her parents, Emperor Kangheng and the Empress... Let's find Emperor Kangheng's daughter first."

The old Taoist priest, walking with uneven steps, frowned and said, "This is the only way for now."

Ghost Moth Mountain is a vast area, and because no one has ventured into it for many years, the terrain is steep and treacherous, making it difficult for ordinary people to climb. Only Jin An and his two companions, each with their own skills, were able to walk relatively safely through the mountain.

But after walking for a while, the old Taoist priest exclaimed in surprise again, saying, "Young brother, something's not right. I have a feeling that we're heading towards Flying Crane Mountain, which is opposite Ghost Moth Mountain?"

"Take another close look at the Luogeng Jade Plate. Have we gone to the wrong place?"

"If we keep going, we'll really reach Flying Crane Mountain, which is opposite Ghost Moth Mountain. That's the direction of Prince Zunyi and Young Master Yiyun's residence..."

The old Taoist priest kept muttering to himself, insisting that Jin'an take a closer look at the Luo Geng jade plate.

Jin An looked down at the compass again. The position was correct; the compass needle was indeed pointing in this direction.

When Jin An handed the compass jade plate to the old Taoist priest, the old priest looked at it with a slightly surprised expression, then frowned and appeared to be deep in thought, even becoming less talkative.

Afterwards, the three walked for a while, passed through a canyon, climbed a small mountain, and then passed through a narrow gorge before finally standing in front of a precipice.

At the precipice, they found a pile of yellow paper, paper ingots, incense sticks, candles, and ashes left over from sacrificial offerings, resembling burn marks from paper effigies of people and horses...

"This is……"

The old Taoist priest was greatly surprised and said, "Did someone come here to perform a sacrifice, and just left not long ago?"

"Wow! Could it be that Fatty Li was right after all? Emperor Kangheng's daughter came here to pay respects to her parents and just left not long ago?"

The old Taoist priest couldn't help but take a deep breath and said with a look of astonishment.

Jin An immediately shattered the void and flew into the sky to search for people, but he did not find anyone in Ghost Moth Mountain. Apart from a few tomb raiders who were digging up ancient tombs, he did not find any women or people who matched the identity of Emperor Kangheng's daughter.

On the contrary, from his direction, one can see Feihe Mountain opposite Guie Mountain. Feihe Mountain, the ancestral tomb of King Zunyi, is brightly lit all year round, with torches illuminating the mountaintop from the foot to the top, creating a bright and dazzling scene that contrasts sharply with the eerie atmosphere of Guie Mountain.

One is that there are traces of human activity.

One is a mass grave with only signs of the dead.

Jin An looked down at the compass in his hand again. The compass needle was still moving slightly, as if the person he was looking for was walking, so the compass was also moving slightly.

Next, Jin An's expression froze slightly...

Because the pointer of the compass is gradually pointing towards Feihe Mountain...

"Young man! Young man!" "How's your search going in the sky?"

The old Taoist priest shouted at Jin An from the ground beneath his feet.

"These incense sticks and candles haven't gone out yet. I suspect the other party hasn't gone far. Go and see if you can find the owner of these incense sticks and candles!"

"This is deep within Ghost Moth Mountain. Anyone who can get here is no ordinary tomb raider. They might be quite skilled. Be careful and don't let them discover you first!"

While instructing Jin'an to find someone, the old Taoist priest also reminded Jin'an to be careful.

"Ah."

Jin'an in the sky nodded in response, and then continued searching for living people in the surrounding fields.

……

"My lord, please accept my condolences."

"The master and mistress will be overjoyed to see that their son has grown up safely. They will surely find peace in heaven."

In a carriage, Chiber sat in the driver's seat, urging the carriage on and reassuring the people inside.

"Ah."

There was only one word in response from inside the carriage.

After a while, Qi Bo said again, "Young master, in two or three days, it will be the ancestral worship ceremony held by Emperor Kangzhao. Today is neither Qingming Festival nor the day for your parents to pay their respects. Why have you come to pay your respects to your parents so suddenly today?"

Qi Bowei paused, then said in a low voice, "Young Master, have you thought it through? Do you intend to start an uprising on the day of the ancestral worship ceremony to clear the name of Master and Madam, restore their innocence, and reclaim this...land that belongs to Master and Madam..."

About ten breaths later, a voice came from inside the carriage. It was none other than Young Master Yiyun's voice.

Young Master Yiyun spoke in a calm and even voice, revealing no emotion, "I just miss my father and mother, so I came to pay my respects to them today."

Young Master Yiyun lifted the curtain of the carriage and gazed into the distance in the darkness.

Qi Bo smiled and said, "Master and Madam will surely be pleased to know that you, young master, are so filial."

"Even I am genuinely happy for the master and mistress."

Qi Bo said a few more words, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "Young Master, what do you plan to do about Emperor Kangzhao's ancestral worship ceremony?"

"Is there some profound and far-sighted plan?"

"It is Master Jin'an's words, 'Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things' and 'Peace and prosperity in life,' that have a greater impact on you, young master. For the sake of the people of the world living in peace and prosperity, free from the suffering of war, you are willing to abandon hatred and sacrifice your own interests for the greater good of the world?"

Young Master Yiyun gazed into the distance for a while, then calmly said, "Qi Bo, what do you say?"

Qi Bo scratched his head in distress and said, "To be honest, I also think that what Master Jin'an said makes some sense. Indeed, no matter who wins or loses a war, in the end, it is always the ordinary people who suffer."

“However, Master Jin’an does not know what kind of suffering you have endured in your life, and I feel that Master Jin’an’s words cannot express the bitterness in your heart. After all, it is the hatred of killing your father and mother. No one can let go of it in peace.”

"Young master, I don't know how to handle this matter either."

"Chiber said with a sigh."

Qi Bo opened his mouth as if to speak. He originally wanted to ask, "Young Master, when you killed Lü Jian at the Xianming Xinyuan Teahouse that day, did you already have a decision in mind?" But in the end, he didn't ask.

He didn't want to interfere with the young master's decision-making.

In any case, whatever decision the young master makes, he will definitely support him.

On the day the master had his accident, he wasn't by his side to protect him. Now, he must protect the young master at all times; only with the young master can he be there.

Silence fell over the carriage, and Young Master Yiyun did not answer Qi Bo's question.

The carriage traveled for a while longer, and then a light gradually appeared in front of them. The direction of that light was none other than Feihe Mountain.

As the carriage was traveling towards Feihe Mountain, suddenly, Qi Bo, who was temporarily acting as the coachman, called out to the horses. Then, Qi Bo shouted joyfully, "Master Jin'an, what are you doing here!"

"Master Chen, you're here too!"

"Hahaha, young master, young master, look who we've run into! It's Daoist Jin'an and Daoist Chen!"

Before Qi Bo could even lift the curtain of the carriage, joyful voices had already entered the carriage. Then, Qi Bo lifted the curtain, and from inside the carriage, one could clearly see Jin An, the old Taoist priest, and Fatty Li outside.

"Young Master Yiyun, I didn't expect to meet you again so soon. It's truly an auspicious day for us to run into you here. Congratulations!" Jin An said, clasping his hands in greeting to Young Master Yiyun in the carriage.

The old Taoist priest jumped up and down, waving his hands and excitedly calling out to the carriage, "Young Master Yiyun, it's me, it's me, this old Taoist priest is here! Hehe, it's been so long since I've seen Young Master Yiyun! How have you been, Young Master Yiyun?"

On the contrary, Fatty Li seemed the most normal, and greeted Young Master Yiyun and Uncle Qi.

Meeting Jin An and his group here was clearly something Young Master Yiyun hadn't expected. After a moment of surprise, she patted the carriage and said, "Is Daoist Jin An going to Feihe Mountain? You can come on up and ride with me. I'm also going to Feihe Mountain. Let's go together."

The old Taoist priest was about to speak happily, but Jin An stopped him in time. Jin An shook his head, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Yiyun. We are going to the Yinshi Niangniang Temple on Gui'e Mountain today to confirm whether Gui'e Mountain and Yinshi Niangniang Temple are safe and sound before the ancestral worship ceremony."

“Then… we won’t disturb Master Jin’an’s investigation any longer,” Young Master Yiyun said with a smile.

Jin An smiled and said, "Yes, see you next time."

Young Master Yiyun smiled and said, "Farewell."

Qi Bo chatted with Jin An for a while longer before driving away in his carriage.

As Young Master Yiyun departed, the compass pointer in Jin An's hand began to spin, pointing directly in the direction where Young Master Yiyun had left.