Volume Four: The Wind Sweeps Away All—The Four Continents Sink Chapter Three: An Old Friend

Doumu Xie glanced at Kui Mu Wolf, who stood dumbfounded beside him, and gently patted his shoulder. “Young man of the Yu family, many things are not as simple as they appear on the surface.”

Kui Mu Wolf bowed respectfully. “I am eager to hear the details.”

Doumu Xie sipped his tea, then spoke slowly. “The Immortal Lady’s decision to leave this place was largely influenced by the mysterious visitor from Southern Yan Continent.”

A storm of thoughts stirred within Kui Mu Wolf. He leaned in and whispered, “Such earth-shattering secrets—how did you come to know them, elder? That mysterious visitor is a taboo in the Cloud Palace.”

Doumu Xie chuckled. “Taboo or not, it matters little to me. At my age, I’ve seen all manner of things. My entire life, I’ve had no martial cultivation to speak of, but with spirit insight, I’ve watched over the Cloud Palace and detected all anomalies across the world. The Cloud Palace has accomplished many admirable feats over the years, but has also engaged in plenty of questionable deeds. Of course, in terms of ruthlessness and cunning, our Lord cannot compare to the Immortal Lady. Think back—when she was present, who dared cause trouble in all the void? But now, not only have the Dragon Shark clans rebelled, even our own Immortal Descendants are a chaotic mess. Why? Our Lord is far too indulgent.”

Kui Mu Wolf, startled by the old man’s words, hurried to close the hall’s doors, pressing his ear against them to listen for any sign of eavesdroppers. Finding nothing amiss, he returned anxiously to Doumu Xie’s side and whispered, “Elder, how did the mysterious visitor come to be involved in all this? There’s nothing we can change about it. Please, tell me why the Immortal Lady left.”

Doumu Xie snorted, continuing, “It is but my own conjecture, though based on facts. Do you recall when the mysterious visitor appeared at the Zhu Yuan clan in Southern Yan? The Cloud Palace sent a great number to investigate, but after half a year, not a trace was found—not even the shadow of that mysterious figure.”

Kui Mu Wolf nodded. “Indeed, I was part of the coalition’s search—wandering that vast forest countless times, yet finding nothing. The Immortal Lady flew into a rage, ordering the Zhu Yuan clan to be slaughtered on the spot. Only our Lord’s plea turned it into their exile to the heartlands instead.”

Doumu Xie smiled mysteriously. “But afterward, the Immortal Lady did find that mysterious person.”

Kui Mu Wolf sucked in a breath. “Is that true?”

Doumu Xie glanced at him. “This begins with your return from Southern Yan. The Immortal Lady brought you all back empty-handed, furious and, more importantly, afraid. Imagine—a flawless rift defense breached, a secret passage allowing outsiders to come and go as they pleased. How could she not be alarmed? From then, she remained in the Imperial Observatory, tirelessly employing the Xuanhuang Mirror to deduce the whereabouts of the mysterious figure.”

Kui Mu Wolf shook his head. “Our intelligence was scant—a search like that is just grasping at straws.”

Doumu Xie laughed. “True, but our persistent Lady of Lanling did indeed find the needle in the haystack.”

Kui Mu Wolf asked, “How do you know?”

Doumu Xie looked proud. “I remember that night—I was on duty at the Imperial Observatory. The Immortal Lady had just gone to meet our Lord, instructing me to notify her immediately should the Xuanhuang Mirror yield results. I thought, after a month of fruitless searching, how likely would it be to find something today? But, as luck would have it, less than an hour after her departure, the Xuanhuang Mirror ceased its calculations, and a vast place name appeared within it. I will never forget it.”

“The mysterious person’s hiding place? Quick, tell me!” Kui Mu Wolf pressed anxiously.

“Far away, yet right before our eyes.” Doumu Xie shook his head. “In the Xuanhuang Cave by the Stele Path beside Cangwu Mountain.”

Kui Mu Wolf exclaimed, “Right by the gate of our Cloud Palace?” Then, sensing something amiss, he whispered the name to himself, feeling it was vaguely familiar.

Doumu Xie grinned, watching Kui Mu Wolf scratch his head in confusion. After a while, seeing he could not recall, Doumu Xie prompted him, “Su Xin!”

Kui Mu Wolf slapped his thigh in realization. “That’s why it sounded familiar! It was the very cave where young Su Xin once played the bandit queen, even abducting our Lord in hopes of marrying him!”

Doumu Xie smiled contentedly at Kui Mu Wolf. “Exactly—that cave. It was indeed the first place the mysterious visitor settled.”

Kui Mu Wolf still didn’t understand. “But what does this have to do with the Immortal Lady’s mysterious departure?”

Doumu Xie stood, pacing slowly as he explained, “After learning the location, I swiftly informed the Immortal Lady. She did not share the news with our Lord, and sternly warned me that if a third party learned of it, my family would be wiped out.”

Doumu Xie shrank his neck, recalling the chilling look Lanling gave him then.

For a moment, the air seemed frozen. Realizing a pair of intense eyes were fixed on him, urging him to continue, Doumu Xie gave a sheepish smile and went on, “The Immortal Lady mounted her Water-Smoke Beast and sped away. She returned to Cloud Palace after a day and a night. When our Lord asked where she’d been, she simply replied, ‘I visited an old friend.'”

Kui Mu Wolf, half understanding, said, “There’s nothing wrong with visiting an old friend, is there?”

Doumu Xie shot him a glance and continued, “From my observation, after that visit, the Immortal Lady lost interest in Cloud Palace affairs, often traveling the lower realms, and returning less and less. At last, before she set out to campaign against the neighboring void, she vanished mysteriously.”

Beneath Kui Mu Wolf’s dark brows, his bright eyes stared fixedly at Doumu Xie, hoping for more, but Doumu Xie, hands behind his back, had already walked to the window, admiring the drifting clouds over Mount Cuiwei.

Kui Mu Wolf coughed lightly, seeing Doumu Xie lost in the winding memories. He stepped forward and bowed, asking, “Yu Blackstone is dull—please, elder, enlighten me. Who was the mysterious person? Why did the Immortal Lady leave? You’ve stopped halfway, truly leaving me anxious!”

Dragged from his reverie, Doumu Xie was displeased, but seeing Kui Mu Wolf’s earnestness, he sighed and explained, “You’re skilled at capturing cities, but your mind twists not at all. Think—if the mysterious visitor in Xuanhuang Cave was the Immortal Lady’s old friend, who could it be? What did this person say to change her so greatly, that she departed without a word?”

Kui Mu Wolf slapped his hand. “I know! It was our Lord’s romantic rival!”

Doumu Xie nearly choked at that. He thumped the window frame and said in a low voice, “Hopeless! That person was, of course, from Xuanhuang Void, with a deep connection to the Immortal Lady. According to my deductions, the mysterious visitor must have told her about a plan to restore Xuanhuang Void. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have abandoned the Cloud Palace and our Zhuohua Lord when everything was in turmoil.”

Kui Mu Wolf listened and muttered, unconvinced, “So after all that, you don’t actually know who the mysterious visitor was.”

Doumu Xie’s blood boiled again. He rushed to the chair, grabbed his cane, and was about to leave when Kui Mu Wolf caught him. “Elder, you haven’t explained the ancient rift yet—why hurry off?”

Doumu Xie paused, cane in hand, and said angrily, “You’ve confused me completely. As I said, the mysterious visitor must have told the Immortal Lady about the ancient rift, and she left through it. The rift appeared briefly in the Observatory’s rift map, then vanished mysteriously. I suspect our Lord did that intentionally.”

“But why? What’s the purpose? Surely our Lord wouldn’t leave the back door open for thieves, like the arrival of the Dark Vanguard—almost certainly tied to that ancient rift.” Kui Mu Wolf countered.

Doumu Xie stroked his long beard thoughtfully. “Purpose? That’s not for us to guess. As they say, the ruler’s intentions are unfathomable. For now, remember this: our Lord likely knows everything, and is fishing for a big catch. I sense he’s playing a vast game, encompassing the whole universe and all involved. I came today to remind you—our Lord has his own plans. Do not act rashly, always remember your identity, and don’t let your recklessness disrupt his strategy.”

Kui Mu Wolf replied angrily, “How am I reckless? And what identity should I remember? I am the Chief Star Lord of the White Tiger Palace, responsible for the absolute security of the Void and Cloud Palace. Opening the back door for intruders, even by our Lord, cannot be allowed. I’ll go to him now and demand that the rift be closed, or at least heavily guarded. This is nonsense—treating the safety of the Void as a child’s game! How can a little personal romance justify putting countless innocents at risk? Is our Lord still the benevolent ruler he once was?”

Doumu Xie closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “Yu Blackstone, you truly live up to your name. We were both personally enlightened by the Lady of Lanling. Now that she’s committed such a grave disaster, how could our Lord not be wary of us? And yet you still charge ahead?”

With those words, the two fell into a long, silent pause.