In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Su Han's face.

He slowly opened his eyes, feeling refreshed after a night of cultivation.

Turning to look at the bed, Biyao was no longer in the room, and the quilt was neatly folded.

There was a note on the table, the handwriting delicate yet playful: "This young lady is going to find something to eat and also to inquire about some news. Don't worry about me."

Su Han smiled slightly and put the note away.

This is definitely Biyao's style—restless and always eager to join in the fun.

He got up, quickly washed up, and prepared to go to Shanhaiyuan.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Lu Xueqi walking out of the next room.

The two looked at each other and remained silent for a moment.

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

Today she changed into a light blue dress, which made her look less sharp and more gentle.

"Good morning," Su Han said, breaking the silence first.

"Good morning." Lu Xueqi nodded gently. "Are you going to Shanhaiyuan?"

Yes, you.

“I will go with you.” Lu Xueqi’s tone was calm, but with an undeniable firmness. “I am also interested in the books in the Shan Hai Yuan collection.”

Su Han did not refuse.

The two walked down the stairs side by side and met Biyao in the lobby of the inn, who was carrying several oil paper packages back.

"Oh, you're heading out together so early?" Biyao raised an eyebrow, her tone slightly teasing.

She handed the oil paper package to Su Han: "Here, the most famous crab roe buns and almond tea in Heyang City. I queued for a long time."

Su Han took it; it was still warm. "Thank you."

"Hmph, at least you have some conscience." Biyao looked at Lu Xueqi and shook another oil paper package in her hand. "Senior Sister Lu, I also brought you a portion, but I don't know if it will suit the taste of a fairy like you."

Lu Xueqi was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Biyao to bring her breakfast. After a moment of silence, she accepted it and said softly, "Thank you, Miss Biyao."

Biyao waved her hand, moved closer to Su Han, and whispered, "I heard that Qi Hao left the city early this morning with several Qingyun disciples, saying he was investigating the recent unusual activity outside the city. He shouldn't be coming back to bother us for a while."

Su Han nodded; this was indeed good news.

After a quick breakfast, the three of them headed to Shanhaiyuan together.

Located in the east of Heyang City, Shanhaiyuan is a magnificent architectural complex with flying eaves, arched beams, and ancient trees reaching for the sky.

Disciples were on duty at the entrance, checking identities.

Lu Xueqi displayed the token of the head of Xiaozhu Peak of Qingyun Sect, and the disciples on duty immediately let them pass respectfully without even asking about Su Han and Bi Yao's origins.

Biyao whispered to Su Han, "Tsk tsk, the name of Qingyun Sect is really useful."

The interior of Shanhaiyuan appears more spacious than the exterior, with pavilions, towers, winding corridors, and a faint fragrance of books and ink, as well as a tranquil atmosphere that has been refined over time.

The person in charge of managing the library was an elderly man with white hair and beard, whose Taoist name was "Qingxu". He was an elder placed here by the Qingyun Sect and his cultivation was unfathomable.

He saw Lu Xueqi and nodded slightly: "Junior Nephew Xueqi, what brings you to my humble abode today?"

“Uncle-Master Qingxu,” Lu Xueqi greeted him with the respect due to a junior, “My two friends and I would like to consult some ancient books, especially records about ancient artifacts, legends and secrets.” Elder Qingxu’s cloudy gaze swept over Su Han and Biyao, lingering on Biyao for a moment. Biyao immediately felt an invisible pressure, but she still smiled and met Qingxu’s gaze without fear.

A barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in Elder Qingxu's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said slowly, "On the east side of the third floor, you can find the classics such as 'Records of Strange Things,' 'Records of Ancient Secrets,' and 'Searching for Wonders of the Nine Provinces.' Go and consult them yourselves. Remember, do not damage the books and do not make any loud noises."

"Thank you, Martial Uncle." Lu Xueqi bowed again.

The three of them did as instructed and went up to the third floor.

The third floor was even quieter, with towering bookshelves reaching all the way to the dome, densely packed with countless bamboo slips, jade slips, silk books, and thread-bound ancient books, exuding an air of vicissitudes.

Following Elder Qingxu's guidance, they arrived at the eastern area and began searching separately.

Su Han headed straight for the bookshelf labeled "Ancient Artifacts." His goal was clear: to find clues about the Reincarnation Mirror and the mysterious compass.

Books are vast, and many ancient books are written in obscure ancient characters, making them quite time-consuming to consult.

Su Han calmed down and began to read through the books one by one.

Lu Xueqi, on the other hand, was more interested in books that recorded strange tales and geographical records, perhaps hoping to find records about the underworld or spatial rifts.

Biyao patiently flipped through a few books, but soon felt dizzy and her eyes were blurry. She couldn't muster much interest in these old books, so she quietly slipped away to the bookshelf section that recorded local customs, traditions, and anecdotes, where she found them quite fascinating.

Time passes slowly in silence.

Sunlight streamed through the high windows, forming beams of light in the dusty air.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Han picked up a jade slip containing a fragment of a book called "The Record of Myriad Treasures" and immersed his divine sense into it.

It contains illustrations and descriptions of countless rare and precious treasures, most of which are incomplete.

Suddenly, his consciousness focused on a blurry pattern.

The pattern depicts an ancient compass with engravings of the sun, moon, and stars around it, and what appears to be a small indentation in the center.

Next to the image are only a few words: "The compass, said to be able to guide lost items, but due to its age, its authenticity is hard to determine, and it may be related to the concept of 'reincarnation'."

Compass!

Su Han was shocked. He suppressed his excitement and continued reading, but unfortunately, the record of this "compass" was interrupted, and the jade slip seemed to be incomplete.

He quietly noted down the name and continued his research.

A moment later, in another book made of animal hide, "Miscellaneous Records of the Underworld," he found a record about the "Mirror of Reincarnation," which was also very brief: "The Mirror of Reincarnation is a supreme treasure of the underworld, holding the secrets of life and death and reincarnation. It was shattered in the ancient war, and its fragments were scattered throughout the world. Whoever obtains it can glimpse a thread of reincarnation."

This information largely matched what he already knew, but there wasn't much new information.

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

Su Han shared the records he found about the "Compass" and the "Mirror of Reincarnation" with Lu Xueqi and Biyao.

"A compass?" Biyao tilted her head. "Never heard of it, but it sounds pretty powerful. It can guide lost items. Is it specifically used to find fragments of the Mirror of Reincarnation?"

Lu Xueqi pondered for a moment and said, "Ancient records are often a mixture of truth and falsehood, and need to be verified. However, since this category exists, perhaps more can be found in other classic texts."

At this moment, Biyao suddenly remembered something and took out a rather worn-out book with a gaudy painted cover from her bosom: "I did flip through an interesting book called 'Strange Tales of Heyang City.' It contains some local tales of the strange, saying that hundreds of years ago, in the Black Stone Mountain area outside the city, strange lights often appeared at night. Some people said it was the birth of a treasure, while others said it was will-o'-the-wisp. Later, the matter was left unresolved."

Su Han and Lu Xueqi exchanged a glance.

Black Rock Mountain? Strange radiance? (End of Chapter)