Chapter 920: Xuanpin

Chapter 920: The Mysterious Female

"Hmm." Zuoqiu Yong scrutinized the papers, reading every detail Li Sui had recounted. When she reached the part where the Great Qi was utterly annihilated by the God of Yu'er, the entire empire swallowed by that grotesque liquid, her brows furrowed slightly.

"Hmm, one hundred and eighty years from now, the Great Qi is to suffer such a calamity. Could it be that the Imperial Observatory of the Great Qi was unable to stop it? I must plan carefully for what is to come."

After pondering with great intensity for a moment, she took the brush from the ink-monkey, circled that passage, and continued reading.

Whenever she discovered a piece of useful information, she would circle it, though there were few such gems among the accounts of a century and eighty years hence.

However, when she spotted the passage about a Heart-Pawn trading a fan for the Upper Pole Irrigation Mouth, her eyes suddenly brightened.

She knew of the Upper Pole Irrigation Mouth, but had always dismissed it as mere hearsay, never having seen the real thing. She had never imagined that finding it was tied to the arts of geomancy and numerology.

This was a treasure; with enough secrets to trade, it was far more useful than any divination, hexagram, or flying phoenix omen.

"If my estimation is correct, this Zhuge Yuan must be a Heart-Pawn of the Three Pure Ones; otherwise, an ordinary person could never have located the Upper Pole Irrigation Mouth so easily."

Zuoqiu Yong could not help but gloat. After so many years of misfortune, she had finally struck gold. "I cannot let her leave. I must find a way to keep her steady. The fewer people who know these secrets, the more valuable they remain."

The next morning, as soon as Li Sui woke up, Zuoqiu Yong brought her breakfast.

"Come, eat, have plenty. This lamb spine soup is quite flavorful." Zuoqiu Yong wore a kindly smile as she set the basin of meat and bones before Li Sui.

"Thank you, Auntie~" Li Sui replied, her human skin splitting down the middle. The faceless dog head emerged from within, crunching the bones into shards with a rhythmic snap.

Li Sui found that her aunt understood her cravings perfectly and was even happy to celebrate festivals with her; she grew quite fond of this aunt.

"I didn't look after you before, but hearing you speak of those pitiful times... tsk tsk, my heart aches. From now on, if your father won't care for you, your aunt will." Zuoqiu Yong reached out and stroked Li Sui's canine head.

"Mmh!" With her mouth full, Li Sui nodded vigorously, muffling, "Auntie, when are we going to the Great Liang?"

"Why? Are you not happy staying with your aunt?" Zuoqiu Yong asked with a playful, feigned annoyance.

Li Sui shook her head repeatedly, hastening to explain, "No, I love staying with you, Auntie. I just want to go see the Great Liang."

"Fine, fine, I'm just teasing you. Why are you taking it so seriously? After we eat, I'll take you to the Great Liang's Imperial Observatory. The Great Liang's Observatory is called the Mysterious Female, right? The one with six arms who likes to wear red Taoist robes?"

"Yes!"

"I've contacted him. Listen to your aunt, and you'll be fine. Such a good person as your aunt wouldn't lie to you, would I?"

Hearing this, Li Sui nodded firmly, devouring the lamb spine as she yearned to see the Mysterious Female as soon as possible.

That there were acquaintances from one hundred and eighty years ago was something Li Sui had never expected.

The meal was finished quickly, and Li Sui, impatient, pulled Zuoqiu Yong along to leave.

Under Zuoqiu Yong's guidance, Li Sui left the Observatory and boarded a carriage heading out of the city. "Don't be impatient. Once he heard about your situation, the Mysterious Female came over early and is waiting outside the city."

"Really? That's wonderful." Li Sui craned her neck, peering through the carriage window.

Although her father held some grievances toward the eccentric Mysterious Female, the prospect of seeing a familiar face made Li Sui feel a deep sense of intimacy; at least, across such a vast expanse of time, she was not alone.

Under Li Sui's expectant gaze, the carriage gradually came to a halt in a bamboo grove, where the breeze made the leaves rustle. The entire setting felt deeply evocative.

In a verdant bamboo pavilion, Li Sui saw the tall figure of the Mysterious Female, hidden within wide red robes—a sight so familiar and comforting.

With excitement on her face, Li Sui leaped from the window and ran toward the red-robed figure.

But as she charged, her pace slowed, the excitement fading from her face, replaced by a look of trepidation as she stared at the Mysterious Female in the pavilion.

"What is it? Why are you standing there? Weren't you in such a rush to find him? He's here, why don't you go over?" Zuoqiu Yong, her brow slightly furrowed, came up behind Li Sui and gently stroked her back.

Li Sui grabbed Zuoqiu Yong's sleeve and hid behind her. "Auntie, did we find the wrong person? This man doesn't seem to be the Mysterious Female."

Hearing this, Zuoqiu Yong's expression tightened. "What? Is that not what he looks like? Isn't he wearing red Taoist robes?"

Li Sui shook her head hesitantly. "The Mysterious Female wears red robes, just like my father's, but his robes are covered in moving characters. This Mysterious Female's clothes have none."

"What moving characters? Why haven't you mentioned them before?"

Li Sui extended a tentacle, gesturing wildly in the air. "Because I never learned those characters; my father never taught me, so I didn't know how to tell you."

Zuoqiu Yong thought this over carefully, then suddenly burst into a laugh. She pulled a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and tapped Li Sui lightly, saying with an air of indifference, "You silly child, why are you so stubborn? Do you wear the same set of clothes for one hundred and eighty years?"

"After so many years, isn't it perfectly normal for him to have changed his attire? Whose clothes stay the same forever?"

Hearing this, Li Sui was suddenly enlightened. "Oh, right! One hundred and eighty years later, the Mysterious Female surely wouldn't be wearing this same robe! My mother bought me many different outfits!"

"There, now that you've figured it out, go on. Tell him everything you need to say."

Li Sui walked into the bamboo pavilion, but as she faced the Mysterious Female, she felt a sudden surge of nervousness.

After gathering her thoughts, Li Sui spoke: "You must help my father! One hundred and eighty years from now, the Dharma Sect's Fate-Controller will battle my father atop the White Jade Capital. If my father loses, not only will the Great Qi be lost, but the Great Liang will be doomed as well!!"

Once the first words were out, Li Sui opened the floodgates, rapidly recounting everything she knew to the Mysterious Female.

When she finished, Li Sui waited anxiously for a response. The Mysterious Female of the past, though often the subject of her father's complaints, was still a good man.

Moreover, as the head of the Imperial Observatory, this matter should fall under his purview. Yet, there was a gap of one hundred and eighty years; Li Sui had no idea what kind of person the Mysterious Female of this era truly was.

After a long silence, Li Sui finally saw the Mysterious Female slowly nod his head, which remained shrouded in the red robes. "I understand. I shall make my own judgment."