AUBTN -Chapter 22 Seeing Through

Yu Qing didn’t even lift her eyelids. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a heavy ingot of silver, which she slammed onto the merit box with a clang.

“Master, my master runs a big business. This time I’ve come just to pray for safety. You can use this as incense money however you see fit. As long as the Bodhisattva blesses my master with abundant wealth, it’s no problem at all!”

The usually stern face of Master Jingxu instantly bloomed into a chrysanthemum-like smile the moment she heard the crisp sound of the silver hitting the box.

“Such generosity, devoted one! Please, take a seat. I shall have someone prepare the finest vegetarian tea right away.”

Yu Qing fanned herself with a handkerchief while casually scanning the surroundings, though in truth her internal commentary machine had already gone into overdrive.

【Tsk tsk tsk, look at the way this old nun is looking at me—does that look like she’s seeing a devotee? Clearly she’s looking at the God of Wealth!】

Lu Yan observed the surroundings calmly, hearing Yu Qing’s inner voice in his mind. He hid a glint of sharpness in his eyes behind the motion of sipping tea.

At that moment, a young nun approached with a tea tray, her steps steady and soundless.

As she set down the teacup, Yu Qing suddenly let out an exaggerated cry: “Ah! This cup has a chip! How am I supposed to drink this?”

The young nun’s hand trembled, spilling a few drops of tea. She abruptly looked up, her eyes flashing a sharpness that did not match her identity.

Yu Qing, however, acted as if she hadn’t seen anything, continuing her noisy complaints: “Is your temple so poor you can’t even keep a decent pot? You bring this broken thing to entertain honored guests?”

【Did you see that, Lord Lu Yan? Look! The young nun’s palms are full of calluses. The placement of those calluses isn’t from counting prayer beads—it’s from years of holding a blade! This isn’t a nunnery; it’s a bandit’s hideout!】

Lu Yan’s heart gave a slight jolt. He could see the signs too, though this girl usually seemed scatterbrained. Yet at the crucial moment, her eyes were razor-sharp. He pressed down on Yu Qing’s hand, pretending to calm her: “Madam, don’t be angry. Since we’re here, let Master show us the backyard to take a walk and clear our minds.”

Master Jingxu’s eyes flickered as she was about to refuse, but Yu Qing slammed another gold ingot on the table: “What? Afraid we can’t pay?”

“Oh, no, no, devoted one, please,” Master Jingxu said, her greed flashing as she looked at the gold, finally making way.

At the same time, on the back mountain of Ciyun Temple…

Here, weeds grew unchecked and jagged rocks jutted out, a stark contrast to the bustling incense-filled front courtyard. The air was thick with a sense of gloom and death.

Shen Jue, dressed in black, stood with his hands behind his back before a broken stone tablet, his gaze heavy.

“This is the place.”

Su Hewan held the yellowed, tattered scroll in her hands and, comparing it with the surrounding mountain terrain, spoke with certainty yet with a hint of gravity.

“According to the secret phrases left by the Shen family ancestors in the Yingzao Fashi, ‘The exalted dragon regrets, the hidden dragon should not be used.’ The entrance should be beneath this cliff.”

Shen Jue looked up at the moss-covered stone wall before him, a self-mocking smile tugging at the corners of his lips: “Back then, my father oversaw the construction here to accumulate merit and blessings for the royal family. I never imagined it would now become a den of filth and corruption.”

“Master Shen, the past cannot be pursued,” Su Hewan gently interrupted his thoughts. She approached the stone wall and pushed aside the thick vines.

What was revealed was not ordinary rock, but a bronze circular plate etched with strange patterns.

“This is a Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Lock,” Su Hewan said, her fingers tracing the lines as her mind raced. 【Qian three continuous, Kun six broken, Li middle empty, Kan middle full… It’s now the hour of Si; the Life Gate is in the southeast.】

She took a deep breath and looked at Shen Jue. “Master, may I borrow your dagger?”

Without a word, Shen Jue’s fingers glinted coldly, and a knife as thin as a cicada’s wing landed in her hand.

Su Hewan did not hesitate. She pressed the tip against the Xun position on the plate, pushed down, rotated it three times counterclockwise, then one turn clockwise.

“Click.”

Immediately, the ground trembled slightly, and the seemingly solid stone wall slowly slid apart on both sides, revealing a dark, yawning entrance.

A strong, foul wind, tinged with the stench of blood, rushed out, making Su Hewan cough twice instinctively.

Shen Jue’s eyes sharpened, and he instinctively stepped in front of her, the nanmu prayer beads in his sleeve already clenched tightly.

“Let’s go.”

They descended the narrow stone steps. The deeper they went, the more oppressive and damp the air became.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the space before them suddenly opened up.

This was no mere underground chamber for prayers—it was a massive armory!

The torches along the stone walls burned perpetually, illuminating the entire underground hall as if it were daylight.

Su Hewan covered her mouth in shock.

All around, the walls were densely lined with weapons of every kind: swords, spears, halberds, and blades, their cold steel glinting sharply. The sheer quantity was enough to equip an army of tens of thousands!

Even more shocking was the enormous sand table placed in the center of the hall.

Shen Jue strode forward quickly, his gaze fixed on the table, his pupils contracting sharply.

This was no ordinary topographical map.

It was a full defensive map of the capital!

The imperial palace’s inner chambers, the Nine Gates Commander’s offices, even the secret posts of the Eastern Depot and the Jinyiweis were all clearly marked. Red cinnabar lines traced every planned route of attack.

“This is insane…” Su Hewan stared at the table, feeling her limbs go cold.

Is the Prince planning… a city-wide massacre?

A murderous intent churned in Shen Jue’s eyes.

“What a regent prince, aiding the young ruler…”

“He’s not just plotting rebellion—he’s dragging the entire capital’s populace into clearing the way for his claim to the throne!”

At that moment, a strange, sharp, urgent chime came faintly from the front courtyard.

Su Hewan’s expression changed: “No! That’s an alarm! Something’s happened to Lu Yan and Qingqing!”

“Master, the soles of these shoes are made with the palace’s ‘lotus-step’ design. Ordinary merchants’ wives probably wouldn’t even have the blessing to wear them.”

The timid little nun from earlier now had a gleaming short dagger in her hand, pressed against Yu Qing’s lower back.

Yu Qing froze, and her inner voice went wild: 【I told you these shoes were uncomfortable! I said it! This isn’t ‘lotus-step’—it’s ‘ascending to heaven’ with every step!】

Lu Yan reacted instantly. Almost the moment the nun spoke, he threw his teacup, which smashed onto her wrist with a loud crash.

“Move!”

He yanked Yu Qing along. Even without drawing his embroidered spring blade, he used it like a staff, sweeping across several armed nuns and forcing them back three feet.

At the same time, the back-mountain entrance exploded with a deafening roar.

Shen Jue shielded Su Hewan as they shot out of the tunnel.

【They’ve regrouped! They’ve regrouped!】 Yu Qing, seeing Su Hewan, ran toward her as if she had seen family, ignoring all decorum and lifting her skirt to sprint.

“Wanwan!”