Chapter 268: An Astonishing Feat
This item was actually so important?
Lin Tianlu was surprised, even more astonished that First Elder would make such a shocking move without batting an eye.
“Why would she…”
“I suppose she made up her mind the day you saved her from the sea of fire.”
Wu Jingyun lowered her eyes and sighed: “Although First Elder is older than us, she has always lived in Lunar Valley, and her personality is also quite stubborn.
Since you saved her life and saved our Lunar Valley, she will naturally do her best to repay you with her body and soul. If she simply expressed her gratitude with a few words, she would probably be very unhappy.”
It sounds like… she’s really quite single-minded.
Lin Tianlu grinned wryly.
But recalling what she had said after being influenced by the demonic corruption, it wasn’t that surprising. Her true nature was indeed somewhat obsessive and naive.
“No wonder the Valley Master agreed to let First Elder come to Changling with me, so that was her intention.”
Wu Jingyun sighed and slightly raised her head, reminding him: “I won’t interfere with First Elder’s choice, but I hope that even with this jade hairpin, Tianlu, you won’t mistreat her too much. The power of this jade hairpin might be more wondrous than you imagine.”
“Don’t worry, Martial Aunt, I won’t do anything reckless.”
Lin Tianlu’s expression turned serious as he nodded earnestly.
On this serious matter, he naturally had to be serious. As for the other wondrous effects of the jade hairpin… it wasn’t convenient to ask too much.
“That’s good.” Wu Jingyun’s eyes flickered, as if she still wanted to say something, but after a moment of thought, she shook her head and bent down, unlocking the wooden storage box beside her: “I’ll help tidy up the bedding in this room, and we can sit down and talk later.”
“Of course, I’ll follow your instructions, Martial Aunt.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled and stepped forward to help her pick up the thick bedding: “But let me help you with the work now, Martial Aunt. It would be too strange for me to just stand around and watch.”
Wu Jingyun raised her hand and tucked her hair behind her ear, her eyes showing a hint of tenderness, and smiled faintly: “If you get tired later, I’ll give you a massage.”
“Cough, cough!”
…
As night fell, the lively atmosphere turned quiet and still.
The seven people in the house gathered together and began to enjoy a warm dinner. The hot soup was especially comforting in the approaching winter.
Only… Cheng Yishi’s expression was a bit subtle.
After tasting a dish she had personally made, she almost doubted her culinary talent. If Lin Tianlu hadn’t stopped her, she would have wanted to dispose of the dish as soon as possible. To make such a blunder in front of her elders made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
But thankfully, she was well-composed and quickly revived the atmosphere at the dinner table. Her usual eloquence quickly came into play, and within the span of a meal, the conversation became lively.
Even First Elder, who had initially been sitting quietly sipping tea, couldn’t help but join in the banter.
Yun Yue and Hua Shuya, on the other hand, ate quietly, occasionally nodding and responding, like well-behaved children.
Beside them, Mao Ruoyu kept adding food to their bowls with a smile, the scene truly quite unique.
…
As the dense fog of late night rolled in, Changling County once again became quiet.
After everyone in the house had washed up, they quickly returned to their respective bedrooms to rest.
However, in the pavilion, a graceful figure had been waiting for a long time, her black hair cascading down like a waterfall, her gaze fixed on the “double happiness” character pasted on the door.
“Martial Aunt, the night wind is cold, why don’t you wear more clothes?”
A thick robe was gently draped over her shoulders, covering her slightly exposed skin. Wu Jingyun looked sideways and saw Lin Tianlu walking over with a smile and sitting down beside her.
“After living alone for so long, I might have forgotten what cold feels like.”
Wu Jingyun gently touched the warm robe on her shoulders and smiled faintly: “Have Ruoyu and Yishi gone to sleep?”
“They’re sleeping soundly. It seems they were quite nervous about preparing for the wedding these past few days.” Lin Tianlu scratched his head and chuckled: “And Shuya worked very hard today, traveling day and night to ensure the safety of Changling. Seeing her leave early and return late every day makes me feel quite guilty.”
Although Hua Shuya had never mentioned the details, Lin Tianlu knew in his heart and kept her efforts and kindness firmly in mind.
“They are all good girls.”
Wu Jingyun’s beautiful eyes shimmered like water, and she pursed her lips: “But I happened to meet a Miss Ren today, what is your relationship with her?”
“We have a lot in common, and sometimes a unique understanding.”
Lin Tianlu considered his words carefully and then said frankly: “I suppose we’re kindred spirits, so we naturally started talking. But I’m grateful that Miss Ren came all the way to Changling to visit.”
“That young lady is indeed extraordinary. Even in Lunar Valley, there are probably few women who can compare to her grace and charm. It’s truly commendable that such a wonderful woman exists in the mortal world.”
Wu Jingyun pondered.
But after a moment, she didn’t delve into it further, instead turning serious: “Tianlu, now I must ask you properly. What exactly happened in Changling County these past few days?”
“…You noticed something, Martial Aunt?”
“First Elder and I sensed something strange when we approached Changling.” Wu Jingyun frowned: “Although it’s very faint, there seems to be a trace of spiritual energy emanating from this town and its surroundings. And the earth veins beneath our feet are also very strange, as if they have been tampered with by some external force.”
“That’s right.”
Lin Tianlu nodded slightly and recounted in detail the incidents that had occurred in the past few days.
After listening, a look of gravity appeared on Wu Jingyun’s face: “As expected, it’s the Earth Dragon’s Pulse.”
“Do you know its deeper meaning, Martial Aunt?”
“It’s a mysterious thing, its records dating back thousands of years. It’s said to be the essence that controls and maintains the world’s destiny, invisible and intangible, flowing deep within the earth, only accessible through some ancient secret techniques.”
Wu Jingyun mused: “We conducted many divinations in Lunar Valley and knew that something major would happen after the new year, a great change in the world’s destiny.”
“And one of them was—the unsealing and emergence of the Earth Dragon’s Pulse, the omen of the Nine Dragons’ arrival. After carefully searching through the ancient texts left by our predecessors, we discovered that this matter seemed to be related to an incident from a thousand years ago.”
Her eyes flickered, looking towards Yun Yue’s bedroom: “And it’s related to true demons and ghosts.”
Lin Tianlu pondered for a moment and slowly said: “In the era Miss Yun lived in, true demons and ghosts did exist, but now there’s only Yin energy. This—”
“There was a world-shaking war a thousand years ago, even the mortal world was involved. The fighting lasted for years, rivers of blood flowed, and mountains of corpses piled up.”
Wu Jingyun sighed: “I suppose the demon veins weakened after that war. And now, a thousand years later, some of the methods set up by our predecessors have been fully activated, triggering the Earth Dragon’s Pulse, which is like the foundation of the world.”
“It sounds like… there’s a constant power struggle, both overt and covert.”
“Whether it’s humans or ghosts, as long as there are interests involved, there will naturally be disputes. It has been like this throughout the past thousand years, regardless of the era or dynasty.”
Wu Jingyun suddenly chuckled and gently held Lin Tianlu’s right hand: “I’m not telling you this to talk about war and bloodshed, but to remind you… remember to stay away from these noisy disputes with Ruoyu and the others in the future. As long as you are safe and sound, I will be content.”
“Don’t worry, Martial Aunt.” Lin Tianlu smiled and waved his hand: “Those who intended to cause trouble have either been killed or driven away. I don’t think they would dare to act recklessly again.”
“As for the Earth Dragon’s Pulse… I split it in half that night, there shouldn’t be any more unexpected incidents.”
“Split it… in half!?”
Wu Jingyun was stunned.
Although she had heard a bit about what had happened, she didn’t know that her son-in-law had done such an astonishing thing!
“I suppose only a strange scholar like you would have the confidence to say such a thing.”
A playful chuckle rang out.
Then, First Elder gracefully jumped down from the pavilion, her delicate bare feet lightly touching the ground, her unusual blade-like tail swaying behind her skirt as she looked back: “The Earth Dragon’s Pulse is formless and intangible, even I can barely touch it. Your astonishing feat is bound to bring… earth-shattering changes to the Changling area!”
