Chapter 1047: For the Sixteen Years of Severed Past

While Sun Yiqiu was still dazed, his father returned, carrying the water buckets. Sun Yiqiu quickly went to help, and together they poured the water into the large vat beside their stall. As they worked, Sun Yiqiu recounted what had just happened, and after finishing, he took out the brocade pouch to show his father.

His father took the brocade pouch and examined it carefully.

"This brocade pouch is exquisitely crafted; it looks expensive. From what you said, if that customer wasn't insane, he might be an eminent figure. After we close the stall, I'll go to the City God Temple and ask the old temple keeper to check if there's anything unusual about this pouch. If there isn't, you can keep it."

In truth, Sun Yiqiu quite liked the brocade pouch himself; it was small and exquisite, and the embroidered characters were very beautiful.

Sure enough, after examining it, the temple keeper at the City God Temple told Sun Yiqiu's father that there was nothing wrong with the pouch. However, the talisman inside wasn't a common design, and he didn't recognize what was drawn on it. As for whether it was effective, he couldn't say.

Meanwhile, the peculiar customer Sun Yiqiu mentioned was hurrying on his way. He had covered a distance that would take an ordinary person two or three days in less than four hours, and by now, he had arrived in front of the gate of an old mansion in Desheng Prefecture.

The sprawling mansion was extensive yet full of character. Its buildings, a mix of old and new, had undergone several renovations. The plaque at the entrance simply read "Wei Manor," indicating it was the ancestral home of the Wei clan.

However, not many Wei clan members, from the patriarch down to the younger generations, currently lived in the ancestral home. The Wei clan had branched out and spread across the world, but the ancestral home remained extremely important to them. Under a rotating system, it was constantly looked after and maintained.

After the visitor was verified, inspected, and announced, and learning the whereabouts of the person he sought, he hurried all the way to the Cloud Pavilion without even stopping for a drink of water. This place not only housed the original Wei clan genealogy but also numerous records and books, mostly ancient texts, including many rare and invaluable editions.

The visitor approached the entrance of the Cloud Pavilion and presented his jade token. His gaze swept over the ornate eaves, carved upturned corners, and hanging bells. The seemingly ancient building was full of hidden mechanisms and wards everywhere.

"Wei Zhengming? What brings you here?"

A voice came from within the Cloud Pavilion, and Wei Zhengming quickly replied.

"Your junior has an important matter to report to the clan elder."

"Hmm, come in."

The doors of the Cloud Pavilion opened automatically. Wei Zhengming put away his jade token and stepped inside. The moment he entered, he felt a distinct difference; it wasn't a spiritual energy fluctuation, but rather that there was almost no wind or dust within the pavilion, the temperature and humidity remained constant year-round, and there was a faint scent of ink and old books.

"Follow me."

"Yes."

Wei Zhengming cupped his hands in greeting to the old man at the door, then followed him through the central courtyard and up the stairs, stopping only after climbing five floors. Here were numerous rooms, each with walls and doors made of transparent glass. Exquisite calligraphy on them noted the contents of the collections within, and through the glass, many bookshelves and artifacts were visible, giving an impression that was both understated and luxurious.

In the second room on the right, an old man with a white beard and white hair was reading. He sat in a large armchair, one hand propping his head, the other holding a book. On the desk, there was no shortage of anything: sandalwood incense, tea, preserved fruits, pastries, and the Four Treasures of the Study were certainly present.

"Wei Zhengming pays his respects to the clan elder!"

"What is it?"

The old man didn't look up, asking in a low voice. After completing his bow, Wei Zhengming stepped forward a few paces.

"Clan Elder, previously, ominous dark clouds had gathered menacingly over Ning'an County, then suddenly dispersed, which was truly abnormal. Your junior happened to be nearby and went to investigate, especially making a few rounds in Tianniu Ward, which is highly regarded in our ancestral precepts."

The old man looked up and put down his book. At the mention of Ning'an County's Tianniu Ward, even if just for appearance's sake, he couldn't help but become serious.

"What did you discover?"

Wei Zhengming took out a slightly greasy bowl and chopsticks from his sleeve, explaining as he did so:

"This set of bowl and chopsticks belongs to a noodle stall on the street outside Tianniu Ward. It was returned by a remarkably beautiful woman of considerable cultivation after she bought noodles and ate them as takeout. The strange lingering scent on them must be ambergris!"

The clan elder's expression also grew serious. He took the bowl and chopsticks and sniffed them. There was indeed a strange lingering scent, but he wasn't sure if it was ambergris.

"Zhengming, can you confirm this scent is ambergris?"

"Replying to the Clan Elder, some years ago, when your junior was assisting in Tianyu Prefecture, he once handled a shipment that included a small bottle of genuine ambergris. Its scent was almost identical to this, and the flowing, spiritual essence was exactly the same. Therefore, I dare to confirm that this was left by a lord of the waters."

"So, those dark clouds were also caused by a true dragon? A true dragon... a true dragon going to Ning'an County... Could it be Lord Yinglong or Lady Ying? But why would it..."

The clan elder's expression grew solemn. He stood up from his seat and paced back and forth, then glanced at Wei Zhengming.

"Follow me."

The two quickly left the room and once again ascended the stairs. On the ninth floor, there was only one room, and its interior walls were built with spiritual jade. The old man pushed the door open and entered, with Wei Zhengming following behind. Inside, there were only six bookshelves; the central one held the original Wei clan genealogy and lineage records.

The old man rummaged through the lower shelves of the central bookshelf and pulled out a thick, weighty volume. He carried it to the desk in the room before slowly opening it.

Wei Zhengming knew this book; many of the Wei family's inherited traditions originated from it. He quickly glanced at it, seeing in the margins of the title page that the author was none other than the Ancestor Wei Wuwei.

Core direct descendants of the Wei clan were qualified to read this book once they reached a certain stage; it was even a strict rule. However, its contents were complex and varied, and over time, it was inevitable that many parts would be forgotten.

The clan elder carefully perused the book, finally finding a passage that corresponded with a faint intuition he had in his mind. His heart subtly trembled.

"Was that stunning woman wearing green robes?"

Wei Zhengming quickly replied.

"Replying to the Clan Elder, the woman was wearing bright red scholarly robes."

"Bright red? And were the noodles from the Sun family's noodle stall?"

"Precisely. Six or seven bowls, five pairs of chopsticks."

The clan elder's gaze repeatedly swept over several passages in the book, his eyes constantly flickering.

"Could it be... could it be that the Venerable Ancestor's spiritual abode is about to reappear in the world!"

Wei Zhengming's heart also began to pound as he remembered a clan legend known only to core descendants.

"Clan Elder, could it be the Ju'an Pavilion?"

The clan elder nodded slightly.

"It is indeed the Venerable Ancestor's spiritual abode, the Ju'an Pavilion. This abode relies on a Heaven-Earth spiritual root tree, transcends the Three Realms, and has been hidden for nearly a thousand years. Even though the clan records state it unequivocally, many among our Wei descendants believed it to be merely a legend. But the Ju'an Pavilion truly exists, and it is in Ning'an County, or at least it once was!"

"The Ancestor's writings say that the Venerable Ancestor and Lord Yinglong of Tongtian River were close friends, often accompanying each other to discuss the Dao. When Ju'an Pavilion had not yet become hidden, there was frequent contact with the Ying clan. And among the Venerable Ancestor's favorite foods was Sun's Braised Noodles from outside Tianniu Ward."

During their turns guarding the Wei ancestral home, one of the duties for the Wei family was to confirm whether Sun's Noodle Stall was still operating, though they were not allowed to interfere excessively. Hence, the old man had a deep impression of it.

"You cultivated at Yunshan Temple for twelve years, and your spiritual perception is incomparable to ordinary people. This is likely a karmic connection! This matter is of great importance and must be reported to the patriarch immediately. Prepare yourself; you will come with me to the heavens."

"To the heavens?"

Wei Zhengming hadn't quite processed it when the old man already wore a smile.

"It is currently the Heavenly Mother's Dharma Assembly in the Northern Heavens. The patriarch was invited to attend and is currently in the Luxuan Cloud Sea, so naturally, we're ascending to the heavens."

"Yes, Clan Elder, no need to prepare, I can set off immediately!"

Wei Zhengming became even more excited now. To him, the Ju'an Pavilion was, after all, somewhat ethereal, while the majesty and mystery of the Heavenly Realm were clearly more ingrained in his mind.

"No need to be so formal. If you look closely, our relationship isn't that distant."

"Yes, Grand-uncle!"

"Hahahahaha, good, let's go."

The old man nodded with satisfaction, then took Wei Zhengming from the Cloud Pavilion, stepping directly onto the clouds and soaring into the sky.

A few days later, the Wei clan patriarch also excused himself from the Dharma Assembly, though naturally, it was impossible for him to attract as much attention as the old dragon.