Song of Silent Promise

12. Echoes of Memories (1)

Pan Lang asked, "Junior Sister, do you have your jade bangle?"

Xu Yejing shook her head. When the Xu clan was herded into the prison cells like livestock, all jewelries had been confiscated.

Pan Lang nodded in understanding, "Never mind. We don't have a blood pact with the bangle anyway, so we won't be able to communicate with you regardless. It would also take a full day and night for the blood pact to be formed, and we don't have the luxury of time."

He Zhanyi, "You're right. Whoever the Empress Dowager is, if she's really someone we need to be concerned about, she will undoubtedly try to seize Junior Sister again. But we have not heard anything from Master Uncle and Master. Without Master's divination, we don't even know who we are up against at this moment."

"Fire Seeds Sect? Last I heard, they're supporting another monarchy down south... . Sword Saint Sect? A possibility, but we haven't heard about them for a while now... ."

Xu Yejing tugged He Zhanyi's sleeve, pointing towards herself and tiling her head in questioning gaze, "What is going to happen to me now? Where is Fu Yan and Fu Chun?"

He Zhanyi definitely could not mind-guess her second question, but he understood her first one, "Junior Sister. Master Uncle will have our hide for this, but do you want your voice back?"

Xu Yejing's eyes widened. "I... have a voice?"

Pan Lang's expression grew stern, "Senior Brother, her body is not yet fifteen years old and it may cause damage... ."

He Zhanyi, "Truth be told, Master gave me a Core Pill. I wanted to use it to strengthen my Inner Core to attempt a breakthrough."

"Then that pill is incomparably precious!" Pan Lang has heard about the Core Pill before. He had not needed to consume any, as his Inner Core was one of the stronger ones. Although He Zhanyi had been admitted to the Sect earlier, thus making him Pan Lang's senior brother, He Zhanyi's inner core was more feeble. But He Zhanyi was one their Master carefully nurtured, due to his aptness in pill making. Thus, for He Zhanyi to have received Core Pill, was their Master's grace to support He Zhanyi's cultivation.

"That's fine. I think I'll be able to make one myself in the future. Granted, it won't be as pure and strong as the ones Master makes, but it's good enough for my level of cultivation."

Pan Lang scratched his neck, "If that's what you think, Senior Brother. But where should we take Junior Sister Yejing to? I don't think we have the time. If the Empress Dowager and her people were the Sect's enemy, they may send more people to-... ."

He Zhanyi grinned, "The best place to hide is the most dangerous one."

*** *** ***

The Taishan dynasty had the backing of the Flaming Cauldron Sect. Although it was not explicitly announced to civilians, the fact the Sect could open a branch close to Xinlu City was enough to show it was the truth. The peace that had been attained for the past few decades had also been maintained by the cultivators in the background.

However, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor himself seemed to have support elsewhere. Otherwise, they would not have implicated Xu Bijie's family to such extent.

But why had they waited until such a timing? Xu Yejing could guess; because Fu Yan and Fu Chun had always been around previously. Whoever the other party was, they did not want to make themselves known to the Sect.

Yet, she still did not know her role in this cultivation power play.

She scanned her surroundings. The room she was in was dimly lit by a lanterns hung on the four corners. The light source did not seem to be oil lamps or candles.