As Chu Qiao gazed at the double-edged sword through the inner door, her dark brown eyes were filled with awe and fascination. The sword's tip had a flawless silver finish, and its handle, resembling gold, was adorned with delicate silver bells.
She reached out and touched the tiny bells, their crisp, melodious chime sending a tingling sensation through her ears.
In that moment, vivid memories from her past surged to the forefront of her mind, triggered by the sound of the bells.
The sound of the tiny silver bells echoed in Chu Qiao's ears, stirring memories of someone named Xinger. She wasn't sure if Xinger was herself or another person.
Her thoughts shifted to a contest held by Yuwen Yue to choose her bedchamber maid, trying to connect this memory with the present moment.
Xinger had won the tea-making ceremony and the writing contest, among other events.
Chu Qiao remembered Xinger's first night as her bedchamber maid, when Xinger was awarded the silver bell.
Chu Qiao remembered several key events:
Yuwen Yue trained her to become an official spy for the Eyes of God and presented her with the Canhong Jian sword.
She recalled a confrontation on the castle peak where Yuwen Yue and Xinger fought; Xinger was about to fall and ultimately let go of Yuwen Yue's hand.
She remembered Yuwen Yue coming to save her from Yuwen Huai's dungeon by using a needle to temporarily kill her.
Yuwen Yue had said, "A woman who cannot be controlled is worse than dead."
Chu Qiao also saw the graves of her siblings, Ling Xi and Zhi Xiang, as well as Xinger's tomb. Yuwen Yue, who believed Xinger had perished in the fire, found the ring Yuwen Yue had given Xinger among the ashes. This discovery left Yuwen Yue, the young master of Green Hills courtyard, devastated for days.
Chu Qiao's memories flashed back to when Yuwen Yue assigned Xinger her first mission but then rescued her.
Next, they were locked in a cave with the shop owner, Zao Baocung. The old man revealed that the Canhong Jian sword Yuwen Yue had given Chu Qiao was actually a lover's sword, paired with Yuwen Yue's Po Yue Jian sword.
Yuwen Yue, genuinely unaware of the swords' history, blushed and stayed silent. Zao Baocung teased them, but Yuwen Yue looked too exhausted and unwell to respond.
"That's it! I knew it! This is the Po Yue Jian sword!" Chu Qiao exclaimed.
She examined the sword closely, touching its blade. As she closed her eyes, memories from the sword's past began to flood her mind. She realized she had a new power to access these memories.
After several minutes, she opened her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She saw fragments of Xinger's memories and her connection with Yuwen Yue, but she chose not to delve further.
"Who are you, Yuwen Yue? Did you really love Xinger all this time? Why is this sword hidden here?" Chu Qiao wondered aloud before reluctantly setting the sword aside.
Realizing she was running out of time, with the tall incense outside marking the end of her training session, Chu Qiao hurried to leave the obstacle course. She placed markers on the four sides of the sword's location to ensure she could find her way back through the maze-like course.
Mimi Gongzhu, noticing Chu Qiao's unusual silence, asked Viper if something had happened inside. Viper, intrigued by Chu Qiao's extended quietness, sensed that something was troubling her.
Chu Qiao was in the hidden mini-library beneath her diamond hall, poring over ancient texts. The library was concealed underground, accessible through a series of stratagems along the path. Lion head statues on the old palace walls would light up when a hidden switch was activated, illuminating the pathway to an iron door, cold and stone-like, resembling ice.
The library itself was built from pure limestone, with only one entrance—the Canhong (dark red color) door. This door was sealed to protect the library from external fires, ensuring its preservation.
Chu Qiao often visited this library, treating it as a personal retreat where she could study the kingdom's history and navigate the obstacles with ease.
Viper, busy preparing tea for the afternoon, was waiting for Chu Qiao to answer her earlier inquiry. Chu Qiao was absorbed in a book in the hidden library, and her silence hinted at something bothering her.
Viper's patience waned, and she asked, "Is it about the lost Po Yue Jian sword?"
Chu Qiao didn't respond, as if she hadn't heard. Viper pressed on: "Did you find it?"
Chu Qiao, looking frustrated, retorted, "Why? Did you hide the sword?"
Viper was caught off guard, as if an open can ready to spill secrets. She asked, "Does this sword belong to you or someone else?"
"I only realized it wasn't mine after seeing it," Chu Qiao said coldly, her sarcasm evident.
Viper, sensing Chu Qiao's annoyance, explained, "I asked because the Po Yue Jian sword belonged to the Qinghai King's son. It was protected by our ancestors and given to the prince by his father, the King. The King considered his son his moon, ruling at night while the King ruled by day."
Chu Qiao, now standing close to Viper, asked urgently, "Where can I find the Qinghai King? Is he still alive?"
Viper hesitated, taken aback by the question. "The Qinghai King is still alive, but he's cursed, causing his empire to decline. His whereabouts are unknown. He was taken somewhere, and he's locked away until the curse is broken or his son returns."
Chu Qiao leaned in, her eyes full of sadness and cold determination. "Who cursed the Qinghai King?"
"It was the Queen," Viper replied.
Chu Qiao thought, She's a witch. "Sort of," Viper confirmed, as if reading her thoughts.
Chu Qiao then asked, "How is the prince doing?"
According to the underworld spies, the baby prince was abducted by his maiden slave mother from the Xie household. The King, furious over the disappearance, ordered the Xie household to be burned down. The mother escaped to the Wei empire, and the King, unable to risk publicizing the loss of his son and sword, sent underworld spies who failed to find them.
Viper reluctantly continued, "The King's mother advised a long-term strategy before the curse. She believed the baby prince was alive since no body was found. This plan was to avoid public shame and risk of exposure."
Chu Qiao, having digested the information, was more relaxed. "So, what does this have to do with the Chu Jing Kingdom?"
Viper, still uneasy, replied, "Your mother believed in a subtle, long-term plan. The King trusted that if the prince was indeed alive, there would be a chance to find him and lift the curse."
Viper continued, her voice steady but tinged with gravity. "Your father, Chu Teng Gao, was deeply concerned about the lost Po Yue Jian sword. This sword, tied to the bloodline of the Ximeng continent, was believed to be crucial for maintaining balance. If it was lost, chaos would ensue, and that's exactly what happened. Other empires sent their men to find and seize it, driven by greed. The sword, forged in cold fire and bound by the blood of King Yue of ancient times, was called 'The Gentleman of All Weapons.' Whoever wielded it would command great power, causing all to bow before its might."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "The initial strategy was to suppress the news, a temporary fix to the growing crisis. But the news leaked, and the chaos erupted like a storm. The Wei Empire attacked the Qinghai Empire, exposing its vulnerability. In a critical moment, the Chu Jing Kingdom stepped in to defend Qinghai, blocking further disaster."
Viper's tone grew somber. "Chu Jing, ever vigilant at night, once shone brightly over the realm, casting its light upon the lakes. But as the sun continued to shine, the moon of Chu Jing faded, leaving only ashes and darkness. The moon's rise would one day return, but until then, it waits in obscurity."
Chu Qiao, now deeply engrossed, felt like a master drunk on the rich stories she heard. She asked, "Is that all there is? Did Qinghai's fate truly end there? And what about the stars scattered across the night sky?"
Viper nodded, her expression thoughtful. "There's more, but it's wrapped in prophecy and uncertainty. The moon may rise again, but for now, it remains hidden in the darkness. The stars, too, are scattered, their fates uncertain."
Chu Qiao was left with lingering questions, her mind racing through the implications of the prophecy and the histories intertwined with the Po Yue Jian sword.
Viper leaned in, her tone serious. "Princess, there's an old prophecy I remember from my childhood. It says that Chu Jing will rise again, but only if certain things happen."
Chu Qiao's eyes were fixed on Viper as she continued. "The prophecy says Chu Jing needs to align with the ruler of Southern Liang. This ruler will give up their throne, and Chu Jing will start to rise. But the Dragon from the north will attack and try to destroy it. Meanwhile, the Lion King from the west is waiting for a child who will eventually challenge the Dragon and take back what was lost."
Viper paused, then added, "In the end, Qinghai's sun will shine again, and the moon of Chu Jing will be redeemed. What is meant to happen will come to pass."
The prophecy's gravity hung in the air, hinting at future challenges and hopes.