Chapter 42: Shadows of Doubt

After spending a few days at the medical clinic with Canshu, Ye Minwei watched Axi return from the gates of the underworld, finally recovering completely and hopping around with vibrant energy.

At only six years old, Axi was a cute and endearing little girl. Unlike her brother, who was remarkably thin, her face was pleasantly round, as if the family kept whatever good food there was exclusively for her. Carefree day in and day out, she smiled even when she was neither well-fed nor warmly clothed, skipping and bounding about like a little immortal who knew nothing of mortal suffering.

Yet, she truly knew nothing of mortal suffering—not because she was an immortal, but because she was a little mad. Not only was she simple-minded, unable to understand human speech, but she could not speak either, capable of producing only vague, incoherent murmurs. Anyone in the refugee camp who caught sight of her would invariably heave a sigh and mutter what a pity it was.

Using the remainder of their money, Ye Minwei and Canshu bought some winter cotton-padded clothes and anti-frostbite ointment for Ayan and Axi. When Ayan looked at the garments that finally covered his wrists and ankles, and caught the scent of fresh cotton, his eyes reddened once again. He was never afraid of being scorned or broken by hardship, but he dreaded being unable to repay the kindness of others.

Therefore, Ayan said solemnly, "I will definitely repay you in the future!"

Dragging his innocent little sister, who was swathed in her new cotton jacket, he bowed deeply alongside Ye Minwei and Canshu to express his gratitude. Axi waved her arms, blurting out a few unintelligible babbles, but upon seeing Ayan beside her, she obediently lowered her head as well.

Canshu helped them up, patted Ayan on the shoulder, and said, "You want to raise your sister well, you want to learn sorcery to become a sorcerer, and you want to exact revenge while repaying kindness. How old are you to be carrying such heavy burdens? If you ask me, you are already doing quite well and are a fine older brother."

Canshu chuckled and pointed at himself. "I am not as good as you; I am not a fine older brother."

"It's fine. Even though you're lazy, gluttonous, look strange, and have poor health, you're a good person, and Sister Yunchuan won't hold it against you," Ayan said loudly.

Canshu's finger froze mid-air.

This matter could be considered settled. True to Ye Minwei's usual style, once she did a good deed, she would not continue to meddle, yet Ayan and Axi quickly grew close to her. Especially Axi: ever since the day she was made to thank Ye Minwei and Canshu under her brother's coercion, she seemed to have taken a liking to them, bringing them little surprises every single day.

At least three times a day, Axi would deliver something to Ye Minwei or Canshu, usually fractured bones, shredded flowers, or dismembered insects, small birds, and tiny snakes. Judging by the contents of these tokens of appreciation, one could easily suspect that Axi had pierced the secrets of heaven and returned to avenge her brother.

One day, Ye Minwei carried back an earthenware jar with a wide belly and a narrow mouth, found a corner in the refugee camp, and asked Ayan to help her dig a hole. They buried the jar so that only its mouth remained exposed, sealing it with a thin layer of hide. Ayan worked efficiently, but failing to understand her purpose, he leaned on a hoe taller than himself and asked perplexedly, "Sister Yunchuan, why are you planting an earthenware jar?"

"Not planting. Listening." Ye Minwei dropped to the ground, pressing her ear against the membrane stretched over the jar's mouth.

Her field of vision was filled with Ayan's large eyes. The boy also dropped his hoe, imitated her posture, pressed his ear to the ground, and asked earnestly, "What are we listening to?"

"There is a Ming'an Stage opposite the medical clinic. There was a performance the day Axi went to see the doctor. The barrel drum was placed on the ground, and when it was struck, the sound didn't seem quite right." Ye Minwei closed her eyes as she spoke.

Ayan closed his eyes as well, trying hard to listen, but he could only perceive the footsteps of everyone around him with absolute clarity, sensing nothing unusual.

Meanwhile, in Ye Minwei's world of darkness, sounds from near and far intersected and mingled. Her fingers traced patterns back and forth across the ground, all information shifting and processing within her mind.

"The medical clinic is like this, and here as well... The ground beneath us is hollow."

"Hollow?" Ayan asked in astonishment.

Ye Minwei opened her eyes, only to find not just Ayan sprawled before her, but Axi as well. Head-to-head with Ayan, the little girl lay prone on the ground imitating her brother, her red cotton coat making her look precisely like an apple that had grown arms and legs.

Seeing Ye Minwei open her eyes, she burst into giggles, her round eyes brimming with joy. She waved her arms, babbling cheerfully as she thrust her tightly clenched little fist right in front of Ye Minwei.

It seemed she was about to offer another little gift.

Ye Minwei sat up and obligingly extended her hand. Axi unclasped her fist, and the object within dropped into Ye Minwei's palm.

It appeared to be a warm stone.

As Axi withdrew her hand, Ye Minwei's eyes widened.

Lying in her palm was a radiant, glowing azure crystal.

Beneath that earthenware jar, deep within the earth of Qizhou, in a little-known and unfathomable subterranean palace, a man dressed in deep purple brocade robes sat on a small rosewood triangular chair, casually reaching out to warm his hands over a brazier.

A dark figure approached, his shadow elongated by the firelight on the wall and falling before the man. Without lifting his head, the man asked, "Still no news of Ye Minwei?"

The newcomer, draped in a black cloak with a pulled-up hood, bowed deeply and replied, "None received yet."

After a brief pause, the masked figure asked, "This subordinate does not understand. Now that Ye Minwei has lost both her cultivation and her memory, she is merely an ordinary mortal. What use is there in capturing her?"

The man chuckled softly, reaching for some incense nearby to scatter into the brazier. Amidst curling white smoke and drifting fragrance, he answered indifferently, "What do you know? Memories and cultivation amount to nothing; what I want is the most precious thing residing within Ye Minwei."

Lowering his head, the subordinate said, "This subordinate is dull-witted."

The man raised his eyes to look at him and asked, "Have you found what you lost?"

"This subordinate is incompetent and has yet to find it." The man in black bowed deeply once more.

The man stood up, walked directly in front of the subordinate, and leisurely flipped back the newcomer's hood. Strands of white already laced the man's hair, making him look older—around forty years of age. His hair was meticulously tied, and his expression was solemn and tense.

Then, the man patted the subordinate on the shoulder and murmured, "Since I have given you power, you must wield it well and not disappoint me."

Clenching his fists, the subordinate replied, "This subordinate understands."

Back at the refugee camp, in the most secluded corner, four people sat facing one another on the ground: Ayan, Axi, and the sibling pair of Canshu and Yunchuan. Ayan stared at the solemn faces of Yunchuan and Canshu, feeling somewhat baffled. Previously, when Axi had presented Yunchuan with a snake, Yunchuan had accepted it with utter composure; why was her reaction so dramatic this time over a mere stone?

"Ayan, where has Axi been and whom has she seen recently?" Yunchuan asked.

Her tone carried an unusual gravity, prompting Ayan to straighten his posture. He replied, "Aside from those few days at the clinic, Axi has stayed right here in the camp and has never gone anywhere. Wherever I go, she goes, and the people she sees are just the uncles and aunts of the camp. There hasn't been anyone unusual."

Clasping the blue stone, Yunchuan pondered for a moment before lifting her gaze to Ayan, saying slowly, "Ayan, the doctor at the clinic said that Axi didn't lose her voice from shock; she was muted by medicine poured down her throat."

Ayan's eyes widened gradually, his fists clenched tight, and an unmistakable look of guarded hostility surfaced on his youthful face.

"Is there something you're hiding from us?" Canshu pursued.

Ayan bolted upright, pulling Axi tightly into his embrace as he demanded, "What are you trying to ask? You helped us, and whatever I owe you I will certainly repay in the future, but don't even think about taking Axi away from me!"

"I have no intention of—"

"What right do you have to interrogate me? Haven't you been hiding things from me as well? What is this stone? Who on earth are you? Where did you get so much money? Why have you become refugees? What are you doing coming and going early every day? Clearly, you haven't been telling the truth yourselves either!"

Ayan bristled like a cornered hedgehog. Though he was a precocious child who observed many things, he had asked no questions out of gratitude toward his benefactors.

Axi, smiling carefree, reached out to hug Ayan, entirely indifferent to the tense atmosphere.

Shielding Axi like a mother hen guarding her chicks, Ayan declared, "We're leaving."

Watching Ayan's resolute retreat, Canshu remarked, "Well, look at that. We've thoroughly offended him."

By evening, gazing at the cotton jacket returned to the bed, Canshu sighed. "We've offended him to the bone."

Ye Minwei replied, "There's no jacket on my bed, just a slip of paper with a thumbprint."

"He doesn't know how to write, so he left you to draft the IOU while he pressed his thumbprint in advance. The jacket he returned was his, but he still owes for his sister's jacket and ointment."

Canshu clicked his tongue in admiration. "Such a stubborn bull."

Since the proper path was blocked, they had to resort to underhanded methods. Axi was energetic all day long and disliked sleeping at night; instead, she loved to sneak out of the tent to wander around the camp, returning just before dawn to pretend she was asleep.

This habit was likely unknown even to Ayan, who slept so soundly that thunder could not wake him, yet Ye Minwei was fully aware of it.

Because she didn't sleep at night either.

That night, Axi bounced out of the tent once more, and immediately two heads peeked out from behind the tent flap.
Canshu worriedly whispered, "Ancestor of Myriad Paths, you're not planning to steal a child, are you?"

"No," Ye Minwei shook her head.

With Ayan shadowing Axi all day, she truly could not have encountered strangers without Ayan's knowledge. Since Ayan claimed he had no idea where the stone came from, it evidently hadn't been acquired during the day.

Perhaps she obtained the azure crystal somewhere while wandering out to play at night.

Tiptoeing behind Axi, Ye Minwei and Canshu trailed after the little girl as she occasionally dug up stones or chased butterflies along the roadside. After playing for half an hour, Axi suddenly looked back.

And spotted the stealthy figures of Ye Minwei and Canshu.

Amidst the silent surroundings, Axi burst into a happy laugh and ran toward them with outstretched arms. Evidently, her brother had told her to stay away from these two, but Axi had either ignored the warning or failed to understand it.

Ye Minwei and Canshu were caught off guard as the little creature rushed into their arms. Axi wasn't heavy, yet for some reason, at that exact instant, a sudden dizziness overcame them, causing both to stagger and fall backward.

A wave of damp, chilling dust washed over them. Ye Minwei's back struck something hard and cold, and her head snapped down, leaving the back of her skull buzzing with pain.

Opening her eyes, she discovered that she was leaning against a towering stone wall, upon which flaring torches cast a reddish glow.

Axi beamed up at her from her embrace. Within this narrow stone chamber, right behind Axi's round head, sat an entire chest of gleaming azure crystals.

Canshu's voice rang out beside her as he rubbed his head in astonishment, asking, "Where... where is this?"