Chapter 152 Traces

In the wooden box, its color deep and yellowish, lined with black velvet, the famed sword, once a legend of great renown in ancient times, lay quietly. Its blade was broken, and rust speckled its surface, making it seem like a weary old man.

Nü Jiao’s hand trembled slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. Her fingers gently brushed across the blade. After a long silence, she said,

“You’ve returned, haven’t you?”

“It seems you saw through the secret Su Yu’er carried.”

She spoke softly.

Wei Yuan hummed in acknowledgement. “It’s related to Di Xin, a chance to travel from the mortal realm to the Shanhai Realm.”

After his first visit to Qingqiu, Nü Jiao had sent the three fox maidens, Su Yu’er, Hu Mei, and Su Yan’er, into the mortal world. Then, by chance, he and Su Yu’er had triggered the first resonance of the Shang Dynasty bronze artifact, creating the opportunity to enter the Shanhai Realm.

Now it seemed all this was connected to Nü Jiao.

Nü Jiao gently stroked the Yeying Sword, finally placing the spiritless blade back in its box. She closed the lid, as if calming the waves in her heart, and her face returned to its usual calm. Smiling, she said, “Not bad, you’re quite clever, discovering it so quickly.”

“Then…”

Nü Jiao blinked, leaning forward slightly, her hands supporting her chin. “Did you go to Kunlun?”

Wei Yuan paused in the act of drinking tea.

He lowered his gaze, held his fist to his chin, and coughed slightly.

“Cough, ah, that…”

“Well, I went there briefly.”

Nü Jiao drew out her words, her voice full of playful mockery. “Oh~ Just briefly, was it…”

Wei Yuan’s lips twitched.

He felt even more uncomfortable than having a blade at his throat, and for some reason, it felt familiar.

The only difference was that back then, there were three of them sitting side-by-side, and now there was only one.

*Yu, what should I do…*

Seeing Wei Yuan’s expression, Nü Jiao couldn’t help but laugh. She leaned back slightly and shook her head. “Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. It seems you’ve finally woken up to things with Jue. That’s rare.”

Wei Yuan said, “Jue and I are still just friends…”

“Friends?”

Nü Jiao raised an eyebrow. “Then how about spending some time with a fox maiden?”

Wei Yuan answered decisively, “No.”

“Tch…”

Nü Jiao shook her head regretfully, holding the sword box. “It’s rare for you to come, so have a meal here before you leave. I’ll have the little ones in the Fox Clan prepare something for you.” She casually sent out a command, and slowly sipped her tea. Soon, fox clan maids and guards brought over low tables and cauldrons.

The cuisine of Qingqiu now held a unique flavor.

Of course, chicken dishes were predominant.

Wei Yuan picked up a piece of tender chicken with skin, placing it on his rice. Then, using a spoon, he scooped up the golden, clear chicken broth, gently pouring it over the rice, allowing the broth to soak into every crevice. He also added two pieces of shiitake mushroom cut with crisscross patterns. After a long simmer, the chicken was tender and flavorful, not tough at all, and the shiitake mushrooms were even more exceptional.

These were dried shiitake mushrooms that had been soaked, allowing them to better absorb the broth. Cooked for a sufficient time, their flavor was extremely delicious, even better than the chicken.

He scooped up seventy percent rice, a piece of chicken, a piece of shiitake mushroom, and a bit of broth, and took a large bite.

First, a burst of umami filled his mouth, followed by the rich aroma of meat. The texture was rich and enticing, and Wei Yuan ate quickly, without pausing.

Nü Jiao didn’t eat, but simply watched Wei Yuan eat with relish.

“How does it taste?”

Wei Yuan gave a thumbs up. “Amazing!”

The white-haired woman smiled and shook her head, then seemed somewhat regretful. “It’s a pity, last time it was Jue, this time it’s you. It would have been wonderful if you both had come together. Speaking of which, back then, Chi and Yu and I, we tried every possible way to find a woman you could marry. We put in a lot of effort, but it was all useless. I wonder if all you had on your mind back then was pottery.”

Wei Yuan was taken aback. “Did you?”

“Of course, we did.”

Nü Jiao said with a smile, “Let’s not even mention Yu’er, but why do you think I sent the daughters of the Su and Hu families to the mortal realm, and had them live next to you? Besides… back then, in the Women’s Kingdom, that general, wasn’t she very beautiful?”

Wei Yuan paused, recalling the valiant woman with her spirited eyebrows.

“…Kua Lin.”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you all get along very well back then?”

Nü Jiao recalled, “Back then, overseas, you and Yu insisted on going to Mount Changyang, south of the Women’s Kingdom, to see the place where the Yellow Emperor and Xing Tian fought, saying you wanted to gather material to write the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*. Chi and I couldn’t stop you. And you wrote about it in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, didn’t you?”

“Xing Tian was clearly beheaded, but still had the strength to fight, wielding his shield and axe.”

“You went there so excitedly, and returned wailing like ghosts and wolves.”

“Yu fought with Xing Tian once and was bedridden for half a month. If Kua Lin hadn’t carried you back then, you might have been left there.”

Wei Yuan felt Nü Jiao’s gaze, coughed, and lowered his head to eat obediently, muttering,

“That can’t be blamed on me… Yu said it was rare to encounter the Yellow Emperor’s opponent.”

“He was determined to pull Xing Tian into a fight. Wu Nü Jiao, do you think I could have stopped him?”

He paused, softened his tone, and said,

“But Kua Lin… yes, I owe her a life.”

Nü Jiao said, “Yes… If Kua Lin wasn’t the daughter of the Kua’e clan, even if Yu had held back Xing Tian, the two of you wouldn’t have been able to escape. The Kua’e clan, the Kuafu clan, they used to have a very close relationship with Xing Tian, and you two were lost in the forest for seven days before finding your way out.”

“It seems you were able to distinguish between food and medicinal herbs, which is how you survived.”

“After that, Kua Lin wanted to keep you there.”

Wei Yuan’s lips twitched as he recalled almost being tied up in a blanket and carried into the bridal chamber back then. Suddenly, he thought of a possibility, and looking at the white-haired woman with her phoenix eyes narrowed and her gentle smile, his expression stiffened slightly. “…That matter, was that you, Wu Nü Jiao, who did it?”

“Of course not, that was Kua Lin’s own decision.”

Nü Jiao shook her head, then smiled gently.

“I only told General Kua Lin, when she was hesitant.”

“That you ate the fruit of Mount Chongwu.”

What?!

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Wei Yuan almost choked on his rice, raising his hand and heavily patting his chest. Seeing Nü Jiao in front of him, cupping her cheek and watching him with a smile, he looked up at the sky, speechless, and gritted his teeth. “No wonder she suddenly tied me up.”

Nü Jiao helplessly shook her head, her expression strange. “We didn’t expect that, it was just a joke, we wanted to bring you closer, but she directly fast-forwarded to the final step, tying you up in one go. The overseas countries really have no sense of propriety. According to custom, she should have exchanged tokens with our Tushan tribe.”

“We originally intended to bring you out.”

“But, thinking about it, perhaps it was a good thing.”

“…After all, you weren’t that young anymore at the time.”

“Even though you had eaten many rare and exotic animals, and could still follow us across mountains and seas, we couldn’t keep going on like that. In that era, the mountains and seas were not peaceful, and everyone felt that you should settle down, at least we felt that you had toiled your whole life and deserved a place to settle down.”

“Kua Lin had a good relationship with you, and since she was interested, it was a good ending.”

“The secrets of the Shanhai Realm, endless dangers, even Yu was seriously injured facing Xing Tian’s remnant body. You were able to survive this time, but what about next time? And the time after that? I didn’t want to gamble…”

“Yu agreed to this matter as well.”

Wei Yuan said, “What about Chi… surely he didn’t agree either?”

Nü Jiao said gently, “I tied him up.”

Wei Yuan: “…………”

“Please, continue.”

Nü Jiao joked, “Isn’t that a bit too feudal and patriarchal?”

Wei Yuan said:

“In that era, I understand your difficulties…”

“Then why did you change your mind?”

Nü Jiao hesitated, blinked, and said with a smile, “Guess?”

Wei Yuan: “…………”

“You and Da Yu, who learned from whom?”

Nü Jiao smiled without speaking, but subconsciously thought of the past—in the capital of the Women’s Kingdom at that time, the white-haired witch, whose hair was still black, bit her lip and leaned against the animal-drawn cart, struggling with her decision—

Should she leave her companion here for a safe life, or follow the potter’s idea and set off together, even if there were dangers of life and death?

Yu lay on the roof of the animal-drawn cart, looking up at the starry sky, a willow leaf in his mouth.

Both were caught in a struggle of choice.

But in reality, they had already made their final choice.

Then, Chi, tied into a dumpling with hemp rope, poked his head out from behind the animal-drawn cart, the calm young sorcerer spitting out the cotton cloth in his mouth, looked at the thoughtful Yu, then turned to Nü Jiao, and said to the frowning witch in a calm voice—

‘Without Yuan, will you be eating Yu’s cooking all the way?’

This became the last straw that broke the balance.

So Yu laughed and jumped off the animal-drawn cart, tying his friend out of the bridal chamber again. The other side tied up his people, so he tied Yuan back. In the Women’s Kingdom, this was legal, reasonable, and justified. Afterward, they ran wildly away from the Women’s Kingdom. Wei Yuan recalled the events of the past and whispered,

“Kua Lin… it’s a pity. In the end, I didn’t even get a chance to thank her, and left without saying goodbye.”

Nü Jiao shook her head.

“No, you didn’t think about that at all at the time.”

“All you had on your mind at the time was pottery and cooking.”

Wei Yuan: “…………”

………………

Nü Jiao didn’t eat much during the meal, she just watched Wei Yuan eat with relish.

She even scraped down the last of the rice, pouring it directly into the plate of vegetables, absorbing all the broth until it was almost like amber-colored rice, eating it all without leaving a single grain. Nü Jiao watched him finish eating and handed him a cup of tea.

It was rare to visit Qingqiu, and Wei Yuan ate his fill and chatted for a long time, only saying goodbye and leaving when it got dark.

“Still need to prepare to deal with Gu.”

Just as Wei Yuan was leaving, he heard a voice from behind. He stopped subconsciously, turned his head, and saw Nü Jiao gently stroking the sword box, her eyes slightly lowered, her expression soft and peaceful. After a long time, she suddenly raised her hand, and the sword box containing Yeying flew directly over. Wei Yuan raised his hand and caught it, looking back in confusion.

Nü Jiao folded her hands in her sleeves, and smiled as usual.

“This was left for you by Yu.”

“I can’t take it…”

“Keep this sword for yourself as a memento.”

Wei Yuan was stunned.

Seeing that he seemed about to say something.

Nü Jiao suddenly waved her hand, interrupting his actions, and smiled playfully.

“Besides, having it stuck in front of your grave for five thousand years is too unlucky.”

“You don’t mind, but I mind it very much.”

“Go, go.”

“After you beat Gu, come back and wander around.”

Wei Yuan had no choice but to smile and nod, put away the sword box, and when he left Qingqiu, he saw two fox maidens secretly watching him there. The wind carried the fox maidens’ whispers to his ears: “Is that the person the Ancestor is going to receive?”

“Yeah… This time, the Ancestor even cooked herself.”

“The last time those two, the Heavenly Maiden and Yu Ji, came, that didn’t happen.”

“I wonder who he is?”

Just as they were secretly watching, they suddenly noticed that the person in front of them had disappeared. They were still wondering.

Suddenly, a strange cry came from behind.

The two little foxes directly sprouted fox tails, the fur on their tails exploding into a cloud of cotton candy.

A voice behind them said with a smile:

“Are the little ones of the Tushan tribe starting to secretly follow people now?”

“Eek?!”

The two little fox girls, who looked fourteen or fifteen years old, screamed and turned around, seeing the youth standing behind them.

First, they breathed a sigh of relief, then were frightened and ran away.

Wei Yuan smiled as he watched the two little white foxes run away, stretching his back.

He ate familiar food and teased the little ones of the Tushan tribe as he always had.

So that was why he didn’t want to stay in the overseas countries back then.

Today, he felt more comfortable and relaxed than he had in a long time.

He raised his hand to put the sword box into his sleeve and stepped out of Qingqiu.

……………………

After contacting Old Daoist Zhang, he prepared to set off the next day, needing to prepare to deal with Gu.

When he returned to the museum, he saw Feng Siyu there, busy cooking. The girl had opened a shop specializing in collecting old snacks, and was now seriously learning how to cook. Her black hair was tied up, and her bright brown eyes were wide as she followed the food tutorials step by step.

Her aura had the presence of the first priest of the Fire God Zhurong in the memories of the leader of the Feather Tribe.

Pinpointing the timer, she waited for the time to arrive, the girl’s eyes lit up.

“Ta-da-da-da… The moment of witnessing a miracle!”

She suddenly opened the pot.

Steam rose, almost glowing.

Then,

Wei Yuan saw a pot of charcoal.

And the bewildered, and finally tearful, face of Feng Siyu.

Wei Yuan looked at the unknown object in the pot, his lips twitching.

Good heavens… worthy of being Zhurong’s priest.

She hadn’t wasted the Fire God’s name.

They both liked to eat, and made a mess every time they tried. You, little girl, definitely have something in common with Yu.

He shook his head and smiled, returned to the museum, took out the sword stand that had previously held the Eight-Sided Han Sword, and placed the Yeying Sword in the front of the museum. He meditated overnight, and the next day, carrying the sword box of the Eight-Sided Han Sword, along with Zhang Daoling’s Dharma Sword, he also put it in.

After preparing enough talismans and elixirs, he pushed open the door. As soon as he opened the door, he saw two high school students with bags on their backs, looking at the museum, their eyes scrutinizing. Seeing someone come out, they gave an awkward smile and hurriedly left, whispering to each other.

Wei Yuan could hear the voices coming from afar.

‘Hey, hey, weren’t we going to take a look? Maybe we can find some kind of fortuitous encounter.’

‘Hey, are you stupid? Such a small store, without any reputation and not a quaint place, and the owner isn’t one of those white-haired old men. It’s obvious that there’s nothing there.’

‘Oh… that’s true.’

‘Spiritual energy is recovering recently, let’s go around and take a good look, maybe we can find a treasure? But definitely not in this kind of small place. Let me tell you, the books say that those reclusive experts have all kinds of quirks, such as…’

Watching the two kids, at most high school sophomores, leave excitedly, Wei Yuan pushed open the door. The museum was not lit, only the dim light pouring in from the windows and door seams, falling into the locked cabinet, where there was a new exhibit.

A sword in a box.

Below it was a piece of paper with its back facing up, the writing solemn and dignified, one stroke at a time. There were not many words on it, and the description of the antique was even shorter, only three lines and twelve characters.

Forged by Xuanyuan.

Obtained by Zhuanxu.

Used by King Yu.

Museum Collection—007, Ancient Sword·Yeying.

Wei Yuan watched the two children leave, casually closed the door, and with a creak, the shop door closed, and the bell hanging on the door jingled. The room was once again shrouded in shadows, returning to its former tranquility.

And the sword was hidden in the shadows, inconspicuous.

ps: Today’s second update… 4,600 words, I finally finished it on time.

Xing Tian fought with the Emperor for divinity; the Emperor cut off his head and buried it on Mount Changyang… The Women’s Kingdom is north of Wu Xian. *Classic of Mountains and Seas·Overseas Western Classic*

Thank you to *Little Erii likes to read books* for 90,000 Qidian Coins, thank you~