At the foot of Sacrificial Moon Mountain, under a cliff, the forest was dense.
A waterfall cascaded down the cliff.
At the base of the cliff, it gathered into a pool.
The sound of the waterfall could be heard from several miles away.
It was late at night, and the forest surrounding the cliff’s pool was lit by fire torches every ten steps.
Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that a group of soldiers in black armor stood guard along the forest path leading to the pool, ten steps apart.
If Zhao Rong were present, he would immediately recognize these soldiers as the elite of the Great Li Imperial Army.
No one knew why they were there at this time.
Within the forest, only the sound of the waterfall could be heard, and no other sound arose.
At a certain moment, a few leaves suddenly fell on the head of one of the motionless guards on a section of the path.
The nearby soldiers glanced sharply upward but, seeing no abnormalities, slowly retracted their gaze.
Subsequently, these elite Imperial soldiers remained vigilant, continuing their watch.
This night, under secret orders from the Empress Dowager, they were here to escort the late emperor’s dragon coffin into the royal tomb. Any negligence would lead to the death penalty...
Around the waterfall pool guarded by layers of Imperial soldiers, there was a silent bustle.
The bustle was due to many figures by the pool.
Somewhat crowded, even:
Strict soldiers in black armor armed to the eyes, their weapons’ blades gleaming under the cold moonlight.
Numerous craftsmen, silent as cicadas in winter.
These craftsmen, young and old, secretly and diligently repairing the royal tomb, huddled together despite ample space.
Under the cold stares of those black-armored soldiers, the craftsmen shivered without noticing.
At the front, near the waterfall, a group of musicians from the Li Clan played stringed instruments.
They numbered a dozen, wearing white gauze garments, ethereal and elegant.
Behind the group of Li Clan musicians stood a team of strangely dressed figures:
Wearing white mourning clothes, seemingly all women, yet their faces were covered, eyes blindfolded, leaving no appearance visible...
As for the silence, except for the clashing sound of the waterfall, everyone remained speechless and muted.
Neither the craftsmen perhaps quivering with fear nor the Li Clan musicians, whose faces showed cold indifference, uttered a word.
It was as if they were silently waiting for some outcome.
Meanwhile, what the crowd failed to notice was the figure of a young Confucian scholar quietly appearing on a secluded tree behind them...
"Is it that unlucky Great Li emperor entering the royal tomb?"
Gui glanced down, speaking with curiosity.
Zhao Rong furrowed his brows slightly, not responding.
Seemingly knowing what he was thinking, Gui said with a chuckle, "Truly unlucky: In the prime of his reign, he perished early, leaving behind a delicate empress and a mighty grand dynasty... Hm."
The Sword Spirit nodded.
What do you mean by ’Hm’?
Zhao Rong was speechless, yet he still didn’t reply.
He suspected Gui was about to bring up the Du You family, suggesting that Zhao Rong should aid the Great Li emperor in looking after his family...
Take care of your own mess.
Zhao Rong reached out, pressing down the leaves before him, peering intently through the larger gaps among them.
At this moment, the crowd by the waterfall pool seemed to be quietly awaiting something, with all the Li Clan musicians facing in the waterfall’s direction...
So the royal tomb was built here?
Where though? There seemed to be no sight of any structures...
Zhao Rong’s eyes swept over the area around the pool, finally settling on the waterfall hanging like a white silk drape against the cliff.
"Interesting, is the entrance built on the cliff face behind the waterfall’s stream?"
"Hey Zhao Rong, why are we still here? The dragon energy is likely emanating from that dragon coffin, not anything else. We can leave now, head up to Sacrificial Moon Mountain and have a look."
Gui urged impatiently.
Zhao Rong shook his head, speaking to himself, "Let’s wait a bit longer."
"You’re not reassured?"
Tomorrow was the grand altar sealing ceremony, and this matter of the dragon coffin entering the royal tomb was happening right under his nose.
Moreover, a certain responsible person had chosen this moment—just as he had arrived at Sacrificial Moon Mountain, at the silence before dawn—to carry out the sealing.
With the main army stationed further away having traveled several days and just arrived at the resting site.
This moment was when everyone was most relaxed.
Zhao Rong pressed his lips together.
Yes, especially since the Du You family had never mentioned the dragon coffin entering the tomb to him, the one organizing this grand altar ceremony; he had discovered it himself...
"Alright then, let’s watch and see."
Gui pondered for a moment, then nodded without further urging.
"Hey, Zhao Rong." It called to him again, chuckling:
"Do you think later, we might uncover some big secret, like an evil antagonist walking out from the royal tomb, boasting loudly about his plan? Hmm. Turns out the entire altar sealing ceremony was orchestrated by him, and the Academy, the Great Li dynasty, they were all his pawns..."
The Sword Spirit laughed, feigning earnestness.
Zhao Rong nodded, "That would be worth examining closely, to see if he’s as formidable as you, a peerless master."
Gui, hearing the compliment, couldn’t help but let out a slight "eh," just about to retort when Zhao Rong’s words continued.
"However, even if such a person exists, likely they wouldn’t be so verbose." He nodded, analyzing seriously, "After all, peerless masters like you are exceedingly rare."
The air fell silent for a moment.
"Zhao Rong, are you saying I talk too much nonsense?"