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“Zhao Prince really knows how to find places, but it's a pity that this place, seemingly meant for an immortal to refine pills, has been discovered by Zhao Prince. What a shame,” Mei Shuang teased.
Nangong Nuo shrugged it off and turned to Mei Shuang, saying, “This place is known only to the heavens and the earth, and now you and I. So, Miss Mei Shuang, you must not anger me...”
Mei Shuang paused, suddenly recalling something. “That child is your bait?”
Nangong Nuo raised an eyebrow. “What child?”
“Don’t play dumb. The child named Zheng Yi. Since I’m here, shouldn’t you release him?”
Thinking of the innocent and adorable child being used to lure her here made Mei Shuang feel a pang of heartache. It was troubling to think that such a naive child was caught up in these affairs; who knew what shadows it would cast on his future growth.
“Ha, you seem quite concerned about that child. It’s a pity you don’t seem to know him well,” Nangong Nuo said as he walked over to the stone table, leisurely sipping tea while playing with the teacup. “He stumbled into my territory and saw things he shouldn’t have. I sent someone to follow him and unexpectedly discovered you instead. Speaking of fate, I thought I would never see you again. Since he was willing to bring you here to share, do you think that counts as bait? You walked right into my trap.”
Mei Shuang glanced at Chu Xiruo, who stood silently by her side with an indifferent expression.
With a self-deprecating smile, Mei Shuang realized that where Chu Xiruo was present, Pure Zen Abbot would likely not be far behind. Nangong Nuo probably knew everything that had happened during her unconsciousness, just as he said; he had been waiting for her.
“It seems I should thank Pure Zen Abbot. I thought my survival was due to her compassion, but it turns out it was orchestrated by Zhao Prince...”
Regarding Mei Shuang's statement, Nangong Nuo neither agreed nor denied it. He merely smiled knowingly and said, “You are no different from them; you are all prisoners in this place. Who gets released and when is up to me. Of course, as long as Miss Mei Shuang is willing to cooperate, I am also willing to listen to what you have to say.”
“Can we please get straight to the point?” Mei Shuang didn’t want to waste more words with Nangong Nuo.
Nangong Nuo clapped his hands and smiled. “Alright, after all this talk, we finally get to the main topic. Come in,” he called.
A few masked individuals stepped forward from behind him, each carrying a tray covered with red cloths. They placed the trays on the stone table and quietly retreated.
Nangong Nuo gestured for Mei Shuang to come closer and then began unveiling the red cloths one by one. “Do you recognize what these are, Miss Mei Shuang?”
Looking at the items on each tray with surprise, Mei Shuang cast a puzzled glance at Nangong Nuo, but his expression did not suggest he was joking.
The first tray held a white Jade Bowl, containing half a bowl of milky liquid that resembled milk. The second tray also had a white Jade Bowl, filled with small root-like pieces that looked like ginseng or herbs. The third tray was even more peculiar; it contained a heavy object resembling an iron box. She was quite curious and asked, “What are all these?”
Nangong Nuo did not respond, only slightly moved the lid of the last item to create a small gap for Mei Shuang to peek inside. Mei Shuang bent down to look, first seeing a flash of blue light, but then she was startled and broke out in a cold sweat, hurriedly closing the lid and instinctively stepping back.
The expression on her face changed color. "How did you bring that out?"
If she wasn't mistaken, the blue object inside was the Beast Eye, resembling a blue gemstone, from the staff that had caused strange occurrences in the cave at Qishan.
Oh no!
Just thinking about that pure gold staff that nearly cost her life made Mei Shuang feel uneasy.
At that time, she had only noticed how dazzlingly golden the staff was, with its beastly eyes shining bright blue and its peculiar shape exuding a hint of Evil Aura. Little did she know that staring at it for too long would lead her into a strong illusion. If Anriyan hadn't noticed her abnormality and pushed the staff away in time, she might have been driven mad by the illusions. The subsequent mental breakdowns experienced by Nangong Nuo's people also proved it was responsible. Moreover, this object not only induced hallucinations but anyone who came into close contact with it would fall ill from its radiation.
Nangong Nuo was well aware of the staff's sinister nature; so why had he brought it out? Besides, wasn't that staff buried in the ruins after the cave collapsed? How could it possibly be here?
Nangong Nuo noticed Mei Shuang's thoughts and unconsciously formed a bitter smile as he recounted what had happened.
It turned out that ever since the collapse of the Underground Palace, all treasures had been buried underground. After Nangong Nuo and his few remaining subordinates returned along their original path with the treasures they had salvaged, they discovered a shocking phenomenon.
Everyone who had been in the Underground Palace showed signs of high fever, and medication was ineffective. Eventually, there was no cure, and watching one after another leave in pain left Nangong Nuo deeply alarmed.
Although he also experienced high fever symptoms, he miraculously survived but suffered from headaches. He found that only in dark environments did his headaches subside somewhat; this was why he was here now.
As soon as he finished speaking, Mei Shuang pointed above her head without hesitation. "Then why is there sunlight up there..."
Nangong Nuo replied, "If there were not even a glimmer of light, could I still be alive? It’s relative darkness; I just cannot be exposed to direct light..."
"So this is why you live here now?"
To be honest, Mei Shuang couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude. Nangong Nuo had gone through so much effort only to find himself trapped in this dark place with barely any sunlight to enjoy, unable to step outside openly.
Nangong Nuo could certainly see through Mei Shuang's blatant schadenfreude. He frowned and was about to speak when Mei Shuang interrupted him. "Since you know this thing has its evil nature, it’s best to stay as far away from it as possible. Why did you still bring it out? Also, I'm curious about how you managed to do that."
The collapse of the Underground Palace was no small matter; the enormous sinkhole that formed at the mountaintop attests to its immense force. Treasures buried for decades must have been trapped in the lowest depths of the collapsed Underground Palace. To be honest, even if modern excavators were brought to the mountaintop for digging, it would still require considerable effort. Moreover, with such small items buried in the ruins, they would be like a drop in the ocean. It is truly astonishing that they could be excavated without damage.
Fortunately, Nangong Nuo had no intention of hiding this from Mei Shuang. With a huff, she candidly revealed, "You might not know this, but beneath the collapsed Underground Palace is not solid; there are vast spaces connected to external passages. After those treasures fell, they rolled down through the passages below, and since we happened to pass by, we naturally wouldn't miss out on what heaven has bestowed upon us. Digging deeper for those treasures will be much easier..."
"......"
Mei Shuang shrugged at her words and teased, "What’s that saying? What’s yours will never run away... Congratulations! You’ve taken this pair of Beast Eyes off separately; are you planning to keep them?"
Before Nangong Nuo could respond, she suddenly stiffened, her body swaying as if she were unsteady on her feet. After a few shakes, her brows furrowed tightly. She staggered over to a nearby stone bench and sat down, pressing her hands against her temples with great force, her eyes tightly shut and her expression seemingly filled with pain.
Nangong Nuo's sudden change startled Mei Shuang. She heard someone nearby shout, "Not good! The master is having an episode!"
Two people rushed over; one supported Nangong Nuo while the other quickly picked up a bowl containing White Liquid and brought it to her lips to drink. Then, without hesitation, they grabbed something from another Jade Bowl and forcefully stuffed it into Nangong Nuo's mouth, urging her to bite down tightly.
Before long, Nangong Nuo's headache began to ease, and her eyes slowly opened.
In that brief moment, she appeared as if she had just fought three hundred rounds—sweat pouring from her forehead and her complexion somewhat pale.
Mei Shuang then realized that the contents of the first two bowls were medicine for Nangong Nuo's ailment.
After the headache subsided, Nangong Nuo seemed quite drained. She was supported to a corner under a beam of light and began to meditate using the faint illumination.
Mei Shuang asked the person who had just given Nangong Nuo medicine, "How often does this condition occur?"
Seeing that Nangong Nuo was temporarily stable, the person stepped aside and replied softly, "Originally about once every half month; now it’s roughly every two or three days—and each time it gets worse..."
"Oh? What did you give her?"
"Guided by a wise person, the first was human milk, while the latter consisted of several herbs. The main concern is that when the master has severe headaches, she might bite her tongue; having it between her teeth also helps alleviate pain..."
The herbs were understandable, but as for the human milk, Mei Shuang felt speechless and somewhat disgusted. She couldn't fathom which perverted expert thought of such a method to treat so-called radiation side effects.
Nangong Nuo sat on the ground, focusing intently on meditating under the light that streamed in. Mei Shuang turned to glance at Chu Xiruo behind her.
Chu Xiruo appeared to be startled by Nangong Nuo's earlier episode, her face pale as she stared blankly at the distant figure of Nangong Nuo meditating.
In truth, she was unsure whether encountering Nangong Nuo after leaving Cheng En Temple was a blessing or a curse. Initially, she thought Nangong Nuo intended to use her to negotiate something with the emperor of the Great Qin Empire, but now it seemed she had overthought it.
Mei Shuang had miraculously survived, which was evidently related to Nangong Nuo's hidden ailment. No wonder Nangong Nuo had gone to such lengths to bring her here and insisted that no one could be disturbed.
Between the lines, it seemed that Nangong Nuo and Mei Shuang shared a perilous past and were privy to some undisclosed secrets.
Chu Xiruo closed her eyes, concealing the complexity within them.
After all, what did any of this have to do with her?
When she opened her eyes again, she noticed Mei Shuang was looking at her. Meeting Mei Shuang's cold gaze, she suddenly felt hesitant and chose to lower her eyes, pretending not to see.
Since she had already made her choice, there was no turning back.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mei Shuang approaching her. She turned to leave when she heard Mei Shuang call out from behind, "Miss Chu, may I have a word?"
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