After rebirth, I became a treacherous minister Black Moonlight

Chapter 758 (Twenty-One)

Before the founding of the Liang Kingdom, it had also enjoyed a period of mutual respect with the Miao region.

The two sides agreed to jointly resist the neighboring country, but unexpectedly, the old Miao king surrendered to the Great Zhou.

Emperor Liang's biological father, the then-King of Qin, felt betrayed. Fortunately, he had a good relationship with the Great Zhou, and it was better to rely on the Great Zhou than to rely on another country.

Not long after, the old Qin King's sister eloped with the old Miao King's brother. A year later, the old Qin King's sister died of illness in Miao territory.

The old King of Qin went to the old King of Miao's house to seek justice for his sister and beat up the old King of Miao's brother.

Perhaps because he had been too ruthless, the old Miao king's younger brother suffered internal injuries and died not long after.

The feud between the two sides was now firmly established.

Meng Qianqian never expected that the little guy was actually a descendant of the Liang Kingdom princess and the old Miao king's younger brother.

"Little Nine."

Shang Jue winked at Meng Qianqian, signaling that it was time to leave.

Meng Qianqian understood and said to Meng Lang, "Bring the Rabbit."

Meng Lang glanced at Shang Jue, his words of rebuttal stuck in his throat, and obediently carried Mao Tu on his back.

Then Meng Qianqian said to Yu Zichuan, "Bring the Medicine King along."

The Medicine King was startled.

Meng Qianqian did not explain.

"Walk."

Shang Jue made the final decision.

He respects all of his daughter's decisions.

Neither the Snake nor Ji Li said anything.

The group followed the sound of flowing water to a cave, where there was indeed a pool of water.

However, when the group swam ashore, they did not find the so-called exit.

"It's just a spring, and in front of it is a thick mountain wall."

The snake said.

The hope that had been so hard to rekindle was dashed once again.

Even more frightening was that after several setbacks, everyone's physical strength was exhausted to a certain extent, and they lacked food and could not survive for long on water alone.

Meng Qianqian's gaze swept over the weakened Medicine King, Mao Tu, and Tan'er, who needed to recuperate, and she knew that none of them could withstand any more major trauma.

"Let's rest here for now."

She began issuing orders: "Meng Lang, go into the water and catch a few fish. Yu Zichuan, start a fire. Ji Li, is your compass still working?"

Even in dire straits, she remained calm and composed, just like her mother when she was young.

Shang Jue looked at his eldest daughter with relief, as if he saw the shadow of Zhong Liyuan.

The group had a clear division of labor and got to work.

Meng Lang caught three fat fish.

The snake took the dagger, walked to the other end, and with a swift and clean motion, cleaned the fish.

Shang Jue observed everyone one by one.

Like their daughter, they showed no sign of dejection.

Ah Yuan, did you see that?

Little Jiu has grown up.

She had found her own power, and it came from people as brave as she was.

While eating fish, Meng Qianqian suddenly remembered something, took out a hairpin from her bosom, and told him about how someone had repeatedly tried to take the hairpin from her.

"A Wind and Fire Token fell from his body."

She looked at Yun Xiyao.

Yun Xiyao said, "The Wind and Fire Token has been placed in the Holy Temple."

Meng Qianqian asked Shang Jue, "Father, did you send that person?"

Shang Jue shook his head: "It wasn't me."

"Not Father? But he—"

Meng Qianqian didn't understand.

At this moment, the Medicine King, who had been sitting to the side with his eyes closed in meditation, spoke softly: "It is the Holy Maiden."

Everyone looked at him.

The Medicine King said, "It was only after you mentioned this matter that I remembered that when the Holy Maiden was setting up the formation in Medicine King Valley, she took out the Wind and Fire Token of the Holy Temple and handed it over to someone. As for who that person was, I did not know him, and I knew even less about what the Holy Maiden ordered him to do."

Meng Qianqian murmured, "What is Mother's intention in doing this? Is there anything special about this hairpin?"

"It was a token of love I gave to your mother."

Shang Jue said with utmost solemnity.

Since it was a gift from him to A Yuan, it was naturally extremely valuable.

Meng Qianqian was both amused and exasperated. Her father was always showering her with affection.

"But why did it end up in Aymulan's hands? Mother sent people to retrieve it years later—did she foresee all of this, or—"

Shang Jue was stumped by the question.

Just as everyone was puzzled, the pool suddenly trembled, and someone broke out of the water.

Startled, Meng Lang threw the fish bone in his hand away.

Chenlong, his face dark, spat out the fish bone from his mouth.

Meng Lang stammered, "Master? Master?"

Then he looked to the side, "Brother-in-law?"

Lu Yuan and Chen Long, soaking wet, went ashore.

Chenlong was carrying a man who had drowned and fainted.

Lu Yuan captured the person.

But he wouldn't do something as inelegant as moving things.

However, the moment he stepped ashore, he snatched the "hostage" from Chen Long's hands and walked righteously to Shang Jue: "Father-in-law, your son-in-law is late!"

Shang Jue: "..."

Chenlong: "..."

The others were also dumbfounded, not because they were surprised by Lu Yuan's shamelessness—this guy had long since lost all shame—but because they were wondering how he recognized Shang Jue.
Lu Yuan is the Grand Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If he doesn't even have this much ability, it would be too unreasonable.

First, he had seen a portrait of Shang Jue when he was young.

Secondly, Tan'er nestled beside the other person.

The moment she and Chenlong broke through the water, the other party clearly made a protective gesture towards Meng Qianqian and Tan'er.

Moreover, at such a critical juncture, Shang Jue should show himself.

Meng Qianqian was taken aback when she saw Lu Yuan being so obsequious.

It's said that the more a father-in-law looks at his son-in-law, the more irritating he becomes.

But there's also a saying: you can't hit a smiling face.

Shang Jue felt a lump in his throat, unsure whether to spit it out or not, and even his joy at seeing his son was disjointed.

Chenlong walked towards him step by step, seemingly unsure if what he was seeing was real: "Father...it really is...you..."

Shang Jue took a deep breath and patted his shoulder: "It's me, I'm back."

Chenlong's eyes were red, and the corners of his eyes glistened with tears.

Even a cold-blooded killer felt an urge to shed tears at this moment.

"Father-in-law, he's awake."

Chenlong's emotions came to an abrupt halt.

Lu Yuan interrupted the heartwarming scene of father and son reuniting.

He was so angry he wanted to draw his sword!

Meng Qianqian recognized the man as the one who had tried to take back her mother's hairpin.

Speak of the devil and he appears. "You..."

Just as Meng Qianqian was about to question him, he fainted again.

Lu Yuan said, "It's alright, he was mute anyway."

Meng Qianqian: "Then..."

Lu Yuan: "But I've already asked the questions I needed to ask."

There is no one in the world that the Grand Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard cannot interrogate.

"He was the Holy Maiden's confidant. Years ago, the Holy Maiden entrusted him to deliberately 'send' the hairpin to Tohtai. However, the Holy Maiden also instructed him to retrieve the hairpin before the next alignment of the seven stars and send it to the forbidden area of ​​the temple on Liuli Island."

"That's all he knows. He doesn't know anything else. He just follows orders."

Meng Qianqian suddenly realized: "So Mother made arrangements so early on, letting the hairpin fall into Tuohetai's hands... probably to protect the hairpin."

This is true.

The hairpin has been preserved intact to this day in the hands of Tuohetai and Aymulan.

"What's the use of a hairpin?"

Tan'er tilted her head and asked.

Meng Qianqian pondered: "Such a grand undertaking must be for a very important purpose."

"Oh right, he has this on his back."

As Lu Yuan spoke, she ripped open his clothes.

The group then saw a star chart drawn in tattoo on the other person's back.

Tan'er scratched her head: "This is..."

Meng Qianqian looked at the hairpin, then at the tattoo: "Ji Li!"

Ji Li held the compass, took out the tortoise shell, and cast a divination according to the star chart.

"The Gate of Life!"

He exclaimed in surprise, "This place is actually a huge Bagua formation!"

"key!"

"key!"

Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan stared at the hairpin and said it in unison.

This hairpin is the true key to the gate of heaven and earth.

Ji Li drew the route diagram according to the divination symbols.

Lu Yuan said, "So it was in the first secret room. It seems we have to go back the way we came."

The group jumped into the pool and wandered back to the first secret room.

"it's here."

Lu Yuan found the mechanism, pressed it, and a crack appeared in the stone wall, revealing a groove that happened to be the shape of a hairpin.

Meng Qianqian put the gold hairpin inside.

Surprisingly, the locked room did not react.

Meng Lang stroked his chin: "Could it be... that we need the blood of the Twin Flowers?"

Lu Yuan slapped him on the back of the head.

Meng Lang: "Why did you hit me? That's what it says in the storybooks!"

Chenlong said solemnly, "If this was Mother's plan, Mother would never have the heart to let her daughter bleed."

"I come."

Shang Jue stretched out his hand and cut his palm with a dagger, the blood dripping onto the hairpin.

No response.

Shang Jue: "I knew it! A Yuan wouldn't let me shed a single drop of blood!"

Everyone: "..."

Lu Yuan pressed the hairpin down.

click!
The groove returned to the stone wall.

With a loud bang, a stone door slowly opened to the right of the group.

Meng Lang's lips twitched: "So it was just placed in the wrong position..."

Everyone instinctively took a few steps forward.

Shang Jue stopped everyone: "I'll go in first."

The stone gate was shrouded in mist.

Shang Jue disappeared as soon as he entered.

Tan'er cried out anxiously, "Father!"

Shang Jue: "I'm here. There are no traps inside. Please come in."

"Me first."

Yun Xiyao was worried about several children.

Tan'er, however, could not contain herself any longer and rushed inside in a flash.

"Tan'er!"

She called out, "General Shang, Tan'er has gone inside!"

"You kid."

"Whee!"

The voices of a father and daughter could be heard from within the mist; they must have run into each other. Yun Xiyao breathed a sigh of relief.

Following that, Si She, Ji Li, Meng Lang, Yu Zichuan, and others went in one after another.

Lu Yuan and Meng Qianqian were the last to enter the fog.

The passageway is narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

"You first."

Meng Qianqian said.

"you sure?"

Lu Yuan asked.

"Ah."

Meng Qianqian nodded.

“Okay,” Lu Yuan said. “Then stick close to me.”

Meng Qianqian did not follow.

The fog was so thick that she couldn't see anything, so she measured the ground beneath her feet again and again with her own feet.

This was an utterly empty cave, completely devoid of anything.

Meng Qianqian was utterly disappointed.

What happened to the promised alignment of the seven stars?

Where is the promised Gate of Heaven and Earth?

In the end, it turned out to be just an escape route.

"Is the story of 'the seven stars aligning and the saintess appearing in the world' truly just a lie told by the high priest?"

Overwhelmed by grief, she gave a self-deprecating laugh, tilted her head back to force the tears back into her eyes, and turned to walk outside.

Just then, a voice that seemed to have traveled across a thousand years came from behind.

Ethereal and delicate, with the ultimate gentleness.

"Little Nine."

(End of text)

Phew, I've finally gotten to this point. I was just discharged from the hospital and my body is really too weak to handle it. I might have to write the side story later. For now, I'll focus on Zhongli Yuan and Xiao Baozi.

The updates for this story weren't very good in the later stages, so thank you all for your understanding and tolerance. I'll try my best to adjust my condition as soon as possible and return in full force.