Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1032 News

The game only contains a few brief mentions of them holding the secret to immortality. His character, Shen Yan, is officially described as a "disciple of a declining sect," his origins shrouded in mystery, even the most seasoned fans unable to uncover a clue. "How could you..." His voice trembled imperceptibly. The leader chuckled softly, its laughter echoing metallically through the empty hall. "I know more than you think." He gestured, and Ye Jingfeng stepped forward, placing a black wooden box on the table in front of Shen Yan. "The files are in the west wing, but you need to do me a favor first." Shen Yan's fingertips hovered over the box, hesitant to open it. He mentally searched through all the information on the "Soul-Separation Sect," the official setting he'd read during the livestream, hidden plot points compiled by players, even conspiracy theories on forums... but nothing suggested any connection between the Soul-Separation Sect and Shen Yan's sect. "Why? You don't dare?" The leader's tone was a little more sarcastic, "Or is it that Mr. Shen is not really interested in his own life experience?" Shen Yan took a deep breath and opened the wooden box. Inside was a layer of dark red velvet, and half a bronze mirror was placed. The mirror was covered with verdigris, and the edges were engraved with complex cloud patterns. The broken part was uneven, as if it had been forcibly broken in half. "Send this half of the mirror to the Qingfeng Sword Sect and give it to Elder Su." The leader's voice was calm, "He will give you the other half." He looked straight into Shen Yan's eyes, "I do have a file about your master." Shen Yan's heart seemed to be tightened by an invisible hand. The Soul-Separating Sect is an ancient sect in "Jianghu Painting Scroll". It was destroyed three hundred years ago. That was the mark left by holding a pen for a long time. The leader in the game is set as a "martial arts fanatic" who never touches a pen, ink, paper or inkstone. "I heard Young Master Shen has been investigating the past of the Soul-Separating Cult?" the leader suddenly spoke, his eyes sharp as an eagle beneath his gilded mask. He'd been bothered and wanted to skip it, but it was fans in the barrage of comments, shouting, "Complete and get a hidden title," that had him go. He remembered the NPC's only three lines: "Thank you, Young Master," "I'm homeless," and "Wherever you go, I'll go." He'd randomly chosen "Stay in Taohuawu" and forgotten everything. But Ah Tao before him remembered not only his casually chosen name but also his exact words. Her eyes held no programmed gratitude, only genuine dependence, like a newly transplanted peach blossom, who considered him her only support. "Sorry, I forgot," Shen Yan's voice was a little dry. He lowered his head to tie the strip of cloth, using the "Jianghu Knot" he'd learned in the game, supposedly to stop bleeding, but now his fingers felt incredibly clumsy. Ah Tao shook her head and tugged at his sleeve with her uninjured hand. "Young Master, you're so busy, it's normal you can't remember. It's okay for Ah Tao to remember." She looked up, the raindrops hitting her eyelashes like a layer of broken diamonds. "Young Master, shall we run? Ye Jingfeng said...that you're a remnant of the Soul-Separating Cult. Neither the righteous nor the demonic sect will let you go." Shen Yan's heart sank. Ah Tao knew more than he imagined. This child was probably no ordinary NPC. "What are you..." Before he could finish his words, a sudden whoosh sounded from outside the window, the sharp sound of a garment slicing through the air. Shen Yan instinctively pulled Ah Tao behind the porch pillar. As his back touched the cool wooden pillar, he heard a clang. A dagger had appeared where they had been crouching, the blade half an inch deep into the bluestone slab, the handle still humming. It was Ye Jingfeng's "Soul-Chasing Dagger"! His famous hidden weapon in the game! Shen Yan covered Ah Tao's mouth, hushing her. Through the cracks in the porch columns, he saw a dark figure alight on the windowsill like a bat. Its hat had long since vanished, revealing a distorted face—the features were perfectly matched to the game model, the high nose bridge, the thin lips, yet combined to exude a living, ferocious ferocity. Especially those phoenix eyes, now gleaming with bloodlust. Ye Jingfeng still clutched a dagger, the blade's cold gleam reflecting on his face. Raindrops trickled down his jawline, leaving dark stains on his lapels. "Young Master Shen, stop hiding," his voice rang out against the porch columns, the texture of metal grinding against each other. "The leader said we can't let you go." Cold sweat instantly broke out on Shen Yan's back. He quickly glanced around. The doors and windows of the west wing were locked from the outside. The only exit was the moon-shaped door at the end of the corridor, but Ye Jingfeng was blocking it. He looked down at Ah Tao in his arms. The child was shaking with fear, but he bit his lip tightly and refused to cry out. His injured arm was stretched straight by tension, and dark red blood soon seeped out from under the cloth. "Why did he want to kill me?" Shen Yan thought quickly in his mind. According to the plot of the game, the leader should be using him to find the Soul-Separation Jade. There was no reason to kill him now. Unless... He suddenly remembered the sentence blurred by sweat in the file: "The Soul-Separation Jade recognizes its master, and only the bloodline of the Shen family can be awakened." Could it be that the leader had never intended to let him get the Soul-Separation Jade alive from the beginning? Ye Jingfeng's footsteps were getting closer and closer, and his black robe swept across the waterlogged bluestone slabs, making a rustling sound. "Young Master Shen, do you really think the leader will recognize you, a remnant of the Soul-Separating Cult?" His tone was filled with sarcasm, as if he saw through Shen Yan's thoughts. "He's just trying to use your blood to extract the Soul-Separating Jade. Once he gets the jade, he'll grind your bones into powder and feed them to the dogs." Shen Yan's fingertips touched the jade pendant at his waist, the cool touch calming him slightly. He remembered the message on his phone about the Soul-Separating Jade allowing him to return home, and the record in the file that the Soul-Separating Jade was hidden in Taohuawu. Suddenly, an idea came to him. "A Tao," he whispered into the girl's ear, his voice so soft that only the two of them could hear. Every path held a different ending—the "Fallen Immortal Path" in the game, or the unknown "Way Home"? He clenched the bronze mirror in his hand, the coolness spreading from his fingertips to his heart. This time, there were no guides to consult, no save files to read. Every step had to be measured on one's own feet, and every choice had its consequences. This was the real Jianghu. Shen Yan took a deep breath, carefully put his phone back into his arms, turned around and walked out of the west wing. The sunlight penetrated the clouds and mist, casting mottled light and shadows on the stone road. In the distance, the shouts of the believers training came clear and real. He didn't know what was waiting for him, but he knew that he had to keep going. A new message popped up, still from the unknown number: [Soul-Separation Jade, can let you go home.] Shen Yan suddenly looked up and looked at Duanyun Peak outside the window. In the swirling clouds and mist, he seemed to see countless roads unfolding before his eyes.