The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 241 Confusion, Drifting

Mu Wanqing realized she was lost.

After entering this beautiful, pristine place within the Great Snow Mountain, I have been completely lost.

The scenery here is beautiful, the climate is warm like spring, and the sun shines with holy light, illuminating the magnificent and precious kingdom below.

The meadows are like a soft, emerald carpet, the lakes are like deep, azure eyes, wildflowers bloom freely, and a gentle breeze carries their intoxicating sweet fragrance.

Countless magnificent palaces and halls, with the occasional distant sound of bells, and the golden roofs of distant temples shining brightly, resemble the paradise described in Buddhist scriptures. The peaceful atmosphere makes people feel comfortable and at ease.

But Mu Wanqing knew this was wrong. She was in the snowy mountains, where the cold and desolate landscape was not a place like a paradise.
Could it really be the legendary Shambhala?
But whether it was Shambhala, the land of Amitabha Buddha, or the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha, she didn't want to stay here. Looking at the dreamlike scene before her, she felt a little panicked and afraid.

Upon first stepping into this place and looking around, she unconsciously took a few steps before wanting to turn back.

But when she turned around, she saw that the path she had come from was gone. The snow-capped mountain pass that led here had turned into a shady path bathed in starlight. She ran there and ran to the end, but she was still in this mysterious country.

She ran back, and nothing had changed; it was like a sacred place. She had been lost since then, and no one knew how much time had passed.

Mu Wanqing initially thought it was a hallucination. The mountain folk from her hometown had said that the higher you go, the colder it gets, and the harder it is for people to catch their breath. If it gets to a certain point, it can cause hallucinations. But she knew it wasn't.

She possessed internal martial arts skills and had tested her various reactions, confirming that the illusion before her eyes was not caused by her aloofness.

Had she really stumbled into the paradise of Shambhala? She was somewhat at a loss. The atmosphere here was peaceful and warm, and she couldn't help but feel that the people living here must be kind-hearted, helping and loving each other, without strife or suffering. But she still wanted to leave. She wanted to go home. She wanted to go to Tokyo.

Mu Wanqing wandered through this world for countless days, yet she did not see a single person, not a single fish in the river, not a single bird in the sky, and not a single insect in the grass.

There was no one, no living being. The bell was rung by the wind, and the mallet struck automatically. But the wind was not strong, so how could it move the mallet?

These days, when she was thirsty, she drank the water from the azure lake; when she was hungry, she ate the flower petals on the grass and the fruit on the trees. The fruit was sweet and sour, very delicious, and after eating it, a warm feeling rose from her body, as if her inner strength had improved.

She had long since moved away from the valley passage where she had first come from, to the shaded spot, but she still couldn't find the exit.

She entered many halls, many strangely styled houses, many dwellings that looked like people's homes, and many temples, all of which were empty and deserted.

Mu Wanqing sat by the blue lake, gazing at the jewel-like surface of the water. A gentle breeze rippled the surface, and there were no other noises around. The sound of bells and some magical artifacts was like celestial music, bringing a sense of peace to her heart.

But she was incredibly melancholy. Although the scenery here was picturesque, peaceful and beautiful, she didn't want to stay here for even a moment longer. Even if it really was the ideal country of Shambhala, a paradise, she would still leave.

She stood up, her slender white fingers plucking what appeared to be a legendary pine flower, and continued walking forward.

I don't know how long we walked this time, but there were more and more magnificent buildings, including a huge palace. The palace seemed to be made of pure gold, luxurious and gorgeous, inlaid with jewels, and wafted out a strange fragrance.

The domed Buddhist temples became even more densely packed. She casually walked into a few of them to look around. The wind blew, bells rang, and ritual instruments played, but there was no one there.

Finally, after countless days, Mu Wanqing passed through the area and saw a green field ahead. Beyond the field stretched an endless, interconnected vast Buddhist kingdom. She walked across the grass and arrived before this Buddhist kingdom. Watching the wisps of smoke rising and the gentle scent of sandalwood wafting through the air, she felt a sense of clarity and peace.

But for some reason, even before entering the Buddhist kingdom, the thought arose in my mind that there was still no one here.

But if no one is there, then who lights the sandalwood incense? Could it be that the breeze can not only agitate the bells and ritual implements, but also ignite the incense...?

Inside the Canhe Manor, Gongye Heihu walked out of his room.

His expression was extremely unpleasant at this moment, and he was carrying a small, neatly packed blue and white floral bundle in his hand, as if he was about to leave.

Murong Fu, who was standing outside the door, was taken aback when he saw this, and hurriedly asked, "Where are you going, Senior?"

Gongye Heihu paused, his expression turning solemn as he looked at Murong Fu: "I'm going back to the palace. Are you going to stay here?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Fu's mind raced. He thought that his martial arts skills were currently weak, and he was being hunted down by the court. He didn't know where he had gone. This senior had superb martial arts skills and spoke of palace gates and imperial edicts. He must have a powerful force behind him. He might as well seek refuge with him, bide his time, and then devise a plan to restore his country.

He said respectfully, "Senior, didn't you say that I should serve you around? How can you walk alone? Please take me with you."

Gongye Heihu looked at him and pondered for a moment: "Although you and I share the same surname, which is rare in the world, we must have been from the same family hundreds of years ago, but my palace gates do not allow outsiders."

Murong Fu immediately said, "Senior, since we are family, how can you call us outsiders? The surname Gongye is rare, and I may even be from the same branch as you."

Gongye Heihu looked at him and said quietly, "Even if that's really the case, there still needs to be a hierarchy and a system of conduct so that it can be explained back in the palace and people can believe it. Otherwise... it won't work."

Upon hearing this, Murong Fu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly fell to the ground: "Senior, since we are both from the Gongye family, if you don't mind, Gongye Qian is willing to acknowledge you as his father. I hope you will agree."

"You acknowledge me as your father?" A glint flashed in Gongye Heihu's eyes. "Is that truly what you think? Is it from the bottom of your heart?"

Murong Fu bowed his head and said, "I have been wandering all my life and have never had anyone to rely on. Since we are from the same family, if you do not mind, I would like to recognize you as my father, serve you by my side, be filial to you, and bring you joy."

Gongye Heihu burst into laughter, his beard trembling slightly. He had never married and had no descendants. Although he had traveled to many places outside Kunlun Mountain over the years, he had never met a person with the surname Gongye.

He had never thought about having an heir, but unexpectedly encountered someone with the same surname in Canhe Village. Gongye Qian's background was not a problem, after all, he was rescued and taken care of by the people of Shenjian Palace. If it weren't for the enmity with the Song State, Zhou Yan would not have brought him to meet.

So taking him in as a son isn't out of the question. Bringing him back to the palace would mean having a successor, making those old fogies envious. Moreover, it would prove that Zhou Yan did indeed die at the hands of Xiaoyaozi, and not just disappeared by accident on the way, thus giving the Divine Sword Palace an explanation.

He nodded and smiled, "Very well, since that's the case, I'll accept you. My son, get up now and come with me."

Murong Fu got up from the ground and asked, "Father, where are we going?"

Gongye Heihu tossed the small blue and white floral bundle into his arms and said leisurely, "Kunlun Mountain, Bihan Palace!"

(End of this chapter)