Chapter 14: Secrets Beneath the Pavilion
Night cloaked the Ji estate like a velvet shroud. The moon hung low, barely a sliver, and the gardens outside the east wing were hushed except for the soft rustle of plum blossoms brushing one another in the wind.
Lin Ma sat cross-legged on the bamboo mat, his fingers pressed together in a meditative seal. Hei Gou lay curled near the door, ears twitching at every sound.
> [Passive Skill Activated: Shadow Pulse]
> [Whispers Detected. Location: East Pavilion—Below the Courtyard Well.]
Lin Ma opened his eyes. The system hadn't lied once yet.
He stood.
If there were secrets buried beneath the Ji clan's ancestral lands, he needed to see them for himself.
---
Ten minutes later, he crouched behind a stone lantern, facing the abandoned well at the far end of the courtyard. Moonlight filtered through broken tiles, the well casting an uneven shadow across the cracked earth.
There it was.
A faint shimmer in the air. A boundary seal.
He reached out.
> [System Skill Used: Third Eye]
The veil rippled, revealing a staircase spiraling into the dark. Dust swirled in unnatural patterns—no wind, no airflow, but movement, as if the place breathed.
Hei Gou snarled softly.
"Stay here," Lin Ma whispered.
Then, barefoot and silent, he stepped into the dark.
---
The descent was longer than expected. Seventy-two steps.
The number mattered.
In cultivation lore, seventy-two was a sacred number—used in ancient tombs to lock away celestial beings.
He reached the bottom.
A chamber, circular and dimly lit by jade crystals embedded in the ceiling, sprawled before him. Runes lined the walls—old, forbidden script—twisting and twitching as if they resented being seen.
And at the center stood a sarcophagus.
Black stone. Unmarked. But pulsing.
He approached cautiously.
> [Warning: Curse Level High. Forbidden Object—Heaven-Bound Seal Detected.]
> [Optional Task: Disengage Runes for Deeper Access? Risk: 87%]
> [Recommended: Investigate Through Observational Means.]
He circled the sarcophagus. On the far side, something glimmered.
A hairpin.
Ornate. Gold-trimmed, with a phoenix feather design. Recent.
His breath hitched.
That wasn't just anyone's.
That hairpin belonged to Ji Yanyu.
He had seen it in her hair the day before.
Why was it down here?
> [Clue Obtained: "Betrayer's Trace"]
> [Connection Threaded: Ji Yanyu—Linked to Sealed Chamber]
So she knew about this.
And lied.
Suddenly, the air shifted. Coldness surged through the floor. The runes on the walls flared.
A voice whispered—not in the air, but in his mind.
"He is not ready."
Lin Ma staggered back, gripping his temple.
"Who—?"
The sarcophagus rattled. Only once.
He bolted.
---
Outside, Hei Gou barked as Lin Ma emerged, gasping, covered in sweat. He grabbed the edge of the well, trying to still his pulse.
> [Quest Unlocked: "Tomb of the Phoenix Curse"]
> Objective: Unravel Ji Yanyu's connection to the sealed relic. Survive the awakening.]
His hands clenched into fists.
She'd lied to him. Not just about the elders, but something deeper. And whatever was sealed down there—it recognized him.
No one should've survived the whisper of an ancient.
But he had.
And that changed everything.
---
Back at his room, he found Yanyu waiting.
Her expression was unreadable.
"I told you not to leave the east wing."
"I went for air," he said, stepping past her.
"You found something."
He paused.
So she already suspected?
"What's under the well, Yanyu?"
She flinched.
Silence.
"Tell me," he said. "Or I'll tell Qingshan what I found. And then we'll both be buried for it."
Her jaw tightened.
Then, finally, she spoke.
"My mother."
Lin Ma blinked.
"What?"
"My mother is buried there… at least, that's what they told me." Her voice cracked. "But they won't let me confirm it. They say she died protecting the clan from a demonic invasion. But I think… I think she was sacrificed."
> [Hidden Truth Unlocked: Ji Yanyu's Mother – Phoenix Bloodline Carrier]
> [Note: Story thread connects to ancient celestial system.]
Lin Ma stared at her. Something inside him clicked.
Yanyu wasn't just another noble. She was tied to this madness as tightly as he was. And if they wanted answers—real answers—they'd need to risk everything.
Even trust.
"I'll help you," he said quietly. "But we do it my way."
She looked at him with guarded eyes.
And nodded.
---
End of Chapter 14