Chapter 11: The Corpse Battle of the Yellow Springs

After listening to Second Uncle's misgivings, Dad said in a deep voice, "Since the 'Elder-Child Banquet' has already been thrown, what else can be done? With so many people watching, Third Brother Li will have to play by the rules. Don't worry, whatever schemes he might cook up, I've already anticipated them all."

Hearing Dad speak with such bold confidence, I couldn't help feeling puzzled. Why was their gathering tonight called the "Elder-Child Banquet"? I only found out later that it was merely a superficial front. With so many underground kingpins gathering in one place, the commotion would inevitably be substantial. By throwing an Elder-Child Banquet and casually inviting some local villagers to mingle among them, they could easily deflect suspicion.

Next, Dad began making arrangements for tonight's events.

I guessed there would surely be a place for a confidential meeting among insiders. Dad instructed Third Uncle to lead men to stand guard outside, while having me, Second Uncle, Qin Feng, and Second-Blockhead from the Liu family follow right behind him.

Third Uncle was not an entirely honest man, but his observational skills were exceptionally sharp. Stationed outside, he would spot even the slightest disturbance at once.

With everything arranged, before I could even speak, Dad summoned me alone into an inner room.

The moment Qin Feng closed the door from the outside, Dad immediately dropped his previous imposing demeanor and gave me a sharp knock on the forehead.

"Hiss... Dad, what are you doing?" I cried out in pain.

"What am I doing? How the hell did you end up here?" Dad glared at me fiercely, looking like a terrifying demon.

I pouting my lips, recounted what had happened earlier.

Upon hearing me mention the Eldest Maiden, Dad's expression instantly grew noticeably grave. And when he learned that the map of the Mirage Snow Forbidden City was in my hands, the old man practically leaped out of his chair.

"What! You found the map?" Dad shouted, startling me out of my wits. Realizing his reaction was too intense, he quickly reined it in and glanced anxiously toward the door.

Then, Dad turned back to me and asked, "Did you bring the map with you?"

I nodded, then pulled that old, weathered wine flask out of the inner pocket of my trousers. When Dad took it from me, his hands were actually trembling slightly.

At first, he stood there in a daze, as if unable to believe it. After a long while, he muttered thoughtfully, "No wonder we could never find it no matter where we looked. So 'Pockmarked Sun' hid it there. Ha, I'll be damned, I really got outsmarted by my own cleverness."

Dad seemed to be vexed about something, but then he chuckled, speaking to me with a trace of excitement, "Humph, the hardest thing to get is now in our hands. Yuanzi, within a year or two, we'll be able to gather all the pieces of the Four Regions River and Mountain Map."

"Dad, Peanut said he'll be going there too. What is this all about? Didn't you guys seem to be at odds with each other before? Why is he suddenly willing to give you news about the Four Regions River and Mountain Map? And why is he urging you to hurry over?" Upon careful thought, I felt that Peanut's arrangement must be a plot against my father.

Dad smiled and waved his hand. "You're wrong. If he hadn't let you bring the map to me, that would have been a plot. Now that he's done this, it proves he is still fulfilling his duty."

"Duty?" I thought to myself, putting the word 'duty' together with a tomb robber sounded so absurdly out of place.

Dad gently placed the wine flask on the table. Looking at me, he said, "Peanut... is the core."

Dad's words left me bewildered once again. I stared blankly at him, and without waiting for me to ask, he continued, "Everything we are doing is to find the answers to those secrets. The Great Luo Feng Shui Formation, the Four Regions River and Mountain Map—these are all vital components of that secret. Only by solving these puzzles can the curse resting upon our families possibly be lifted. I originally planned to tell you all this after you had gained some understanding of these matters, but now that you even know about the Eldest Maiden, it no longer matters whether you understand it or not."

The things Dad spoke of were extraordinarily complex, and every single one of them pertained to Feng Shui and destiny, making it sound as though the past, present, and future of this world were being manipulated by a single entity. In the end, I still didn't understand why our Yuan family was so deeply entangled in this, but I did manage to grasp some of the meaning Dad was trying to convey.

Just as I had previously deduced, Dad was after the Four Regions River and Mountain Map. By finding it, he could peer into that secret and take certain actions.

And if the Eldest Maiden were to master the Great Luo Feng Shui Formation, she too would be able to peer into that secret. However, there was a world of difference between the two outcomes.

Because that ultimate goal, viewed by Dad and Peanut as the final destination, would manifest in two completely opposite ways under the guidance of the Four Regions River and Mountain Map and the Great Luo Feng Shui Formation respectively.

Needless to say, one outcome would be favorable to us members of the Yuan family, while the other would favor the Eldest Maiden.

Yet, worldly affairs are often amusingly fickle; generally speaking, when you desperately desire something, the result rarely turns out quite as you wish.

Both Dad and the Eldest Maiden wanted to peer into that object, but the object itself did not wish to be seen by anyone, which was why Peanut appeared.

According to Dad, Peanut was the only person in this world who had ever had contact with that secret. Having touched that secret, Peanut had ceased to look entirely human; or rather, he had transcended the concept of a "human."

That contact had been passive, leaving traces of that core upon Peanut, yet he had no idea why any of this was happening. Just like Dad and the others, he was also in pursuit of those things.

However, Peanut had his own duty. In other words, he was controlled by a curse that could be called "Fate," and he began to prevent people like Dad and the Eldest Maiden from prying into that object.

Killing them?

I figured that shouldn't be difficult for Peanut, but Dad and the Eldest Maiden were also part of this grand scheme, and they likewise held significance for that secret. Therefore, Peanut was like a ghost weaving through these families, overtly or covertly suppressing the desires of these individuals.

Dad told me that the Peanut he was referring to now was not necessarily the person I knew. As for what kind of existence he truly was, Dad said he wasn't certain either. But one thing was certain: Peanut was definitely more than just a single person.

A flash crossed my mind, and I thought of that black coffin once again.

Dad looked aside and said in a low voice, "No matter the era, people from our families always encounter a very special young man. That person is terrifying; he always crawls out of a black coffin. Whether it was your grandfather, you, or me, the ancestors of the Yuan family have all encountered such a person. It is almost like a legacy—these people are very young, yet their memories seem to belong to a single entity. Take Peanut, for instance; he knows not only about my affairs, but also about your grandfather's, and even your ancestors'. He has almost complete mastery over those of us cursed by fate. Sometimes I wonder, could Peanut be an immortal being who has looked just like this from the very beginning, hiding by our sides all along? That's why we call people like Peanut 'You' [in the plural form]. But after hearing what you described about the supernatural transformation that occurred when Peanut eliminated the Nether Fiend, I am even more inclined to believe we should call him 'You' [in the singular form]. If that truly was 'Degeneration,' then as long as conditions permit, Peanut can live for a very, very long time."

"What?" Hearing this, a chill ran through my entire body.

Did Dad mean that across generations, the young man seen by the Yuan family members might actually be the same person? In other words, Peanut's age...

"Yet that is impossible," Dad suddenly added. "There are no immortals in this world, especially within the domain of that secret—such a thing would never be allowed to happen. Even if Peanut is not human, he could not possibly live that long within this game. Because anything that lives too long becomes a threat to that secret."

"Doesn't what you just said contradict itself?" I couldn't help asking.

"Yes," Dad smiled at me. "It's a huge contradiction, Yuanzi. But if these matters didn't contain contradictions, then the likes of us wouldn't have to be so troubled. That's why I say Peanut is the core. Perhaps when we gather all pieces of the Four Regions River and Mountain Map and lay eyes upon that secret, we will turn our gaze back to that person once again."

At this point, both Dad and I fell silent.

He stared at the wine flask, lost in thought. As for me, I gazed at him without moving a muscle.

Thinking carefully, everything Dad said should be true. But at the same time, I also felt that Dad was still concealing some very important matters from me. There was basis for this suspicion, because from beginning to end, he had never once uttered that crucial word—the Boat!

I felt that was the truth Dad saw—something that went deeper and further than what Peanut and the others could perceive.

Moreover, in all of Dad's words, there were no concrete details; everything he spoke of consisted merely of conceptual theories. Even though all of this had long since surpassed my understanding, I still believed that those excruciatingly tedious details were the actual truth.

Yet, why did Peanut say that the truth I sought was "right by my side"? Could it be that I had overlooked something? (To be continued...)