Exploring the Illusory Tomb Part 1 [Ancient Times Version] - Chapter 33: The Earth Like Jade

Chapter 33: The Earth Like Jade

“My face, can you see it now?” 

She suddenly smiled faintly. Without the mask covering her, her jade-like face blossomed with layers of gentle smiles. She was like the most fragrant and soft flowers of spring.

In my whole life, I had never seen such brilliance. And for a moment, I was dazed.

“You really are very beautiful,” 

I murmured, 

“Why hide it? Wouldn’t it be much better like this?”

Much better, indeed—it’s enough for someone to look once, and be captivated for a lifetime.

Her expression suddenly became slightly serious. Her eyelids lowered, her half-closed eyes seemed to be veiled in mist. After a while, she said, 

“You say it’s good, then it is.”

I was startled. I was just about to guess the meaning behind her words. But then I saw her point at the food box beside us and softly say, 

“Lotus fish soup, may I try it?”

I heard this and smiled, 

“Of course.” 

I took out the fish soup—there was still warmth at the bottom of the bowl. She stared at the soup with curiosity and said, 

“This fish soup is as clear as jade. It’s very pleasing to the eye. How is it made?”

I said, 

“Take wine-fed fish, slice it thinly, pair it with tofu as flowers, and season it with spring onion and raw ginger — this is called ‘lotus’.”

She nodded. I scooped a spoonful of fish soup and brought it to her lips. While feeding her, I secretly observed her. Her face up close was radiant. The cinnabar between her brows were glowing as if it might bleed. For a moment I was in a trance, as if in a dream. And in my heart, I wished this moment would last forever. That I would never wake again.

At dawn, the sun already hung in the east. I took the Jin Se Sword that Yu Linxing had given me and walked out the Prince’s mansion gate. There, in the small world outside the door, disciples of Mo Yin Valley were all holding horses waiting. Yu Linxing was standing beside a chestnut-colored steed. She was dressed in fiery red. She held a whip in her hand, stroking the horse’s head. She was muttering something.

I walked up and gently patted her on the shoulder. When she saw me, she smiled brightly, 

“Shishi, come look. Isn’t this horse handsome? Try riding it.”

I saw the horse had a fine build. Its eyes were bright and shiny. I greatly admired it in my heart. I stepped into the stirrup, sat steadily on its back, stroked its mane, and praised, 

“Truly a fine horse. It’s unlike any I’ve ridden before.”

As I spoke, suddenly there were gasps of surprise all around. Yu Linxing stood dazed beside me. I felt a chill at my ankle—Yu Linxing had grabbed it.

“Witch, what are you doing?” 

I frowned, but she pinched my ankle hard. It made me suck in a breath. She mumbled, 

“I must be dreaming. Shishi, pinch me. My eyes must be playing tricks on me.”

“Whether you’re dreaming or not, pinch yourself! Why pinch me?” 

I glared at her angrily. But I saw Yu Linxing’s eyes widened. Her gaze was fixed ahead.

There, a woman in plain clothing with graceful brows and a radiant face was walking toward us. She had floating steps like drifting clouds.

Yu Linxing pointed at the approaching Luo Shen and said with a trembling voice, 

“You—stop—stop right there!”

Luo Shen ignored her, walked past, leapt onto a horse, pulled the reins, and trotted over slowly. Looking down from above, she said coldly, 

“Linxing, the journey from Ying City to the Numa Grassland is long. Don’t delay.” 

With that, she flicked her whip and left like a breeze.

Yu Linxing stood frozen for a long time. She then clutched her chest and said, 

“She… she really is that ghost girl? Where did her mask go?”

Suddenly understanding, I laughed, 

“Of course she’s Luo Shen. What’s the matter, witch? Watch out or your eyeballs will fall out, and you won’t find them.”

I too flicked my whip and sped off like the wind. I left Yu Linxing shouting behind us, 

“You two scoundrels, stop right there! And you, ghost girl! Just because you look better than me doesn’t mean you can show off! This lady isn’t to be messed with! Stop, I say!”

Hearing her wind-blown shouting behind me, I laughed heartily.

Galloping fast, the breeze brushed my face. Willow fluff still floated in the city. It fell softly all along the streets. Looking up, the sky was blue and high. It had only drifting white clouds. The bustling cityscape retreated behind us. It faded into a corner never to be seen again.

One month later.

We had wandered this vast land all day. It was my first time stepping onto the grasslands—a world where the sky was jade, and the land also jade. My chest filled with the vast wind. If I didn’t grip the reins tight, I feared I’d be blown to the edge of the sky. Scooping the air lightly, the lush green grass seemed to spill through my fingers.

This expanse of green was far from the world. It stretched endlessly to the horizon.

Yu Linxing pulled out a leather water pouch. She then took a sip, opened a yellow map, and frowned, 

“Why didn’t old man Dong draw this map clearer? Qisha, Qisha, where exactly is it?”

I said, 

“By the map, Qisha should be nearby. But strange fog has risen here—it’s clear someone has set up a formation to block our view.” 

I turned to Luo Shen. 

“Luo Shen, can you break this formation?”

Luo Shen shook her head. 

“I can’t find the core. It can’t be broken.”

Disappointed, I gazed into the distance. And I suddenly spotted a black dot in the green grass. I was overjoyed and cupped my hands around my mouth to shout, 

“Hey, person over there! Can you come here for a moment?”

After several shouts, the black dot came closer. Eventually, we could see a burly man with a thick beard riding a horse. He was dressed in strange clothing. He grinned at us, 

“Guests from afar, what do you need?”

Yu Linxing, like seeing a savior, quickly dismounted. 

“Brother, may I ask which way to the Qisha tribe?”

The man’s flushed face immediately darkened in caution. 

“Why are you going to Qisha?”

I understood then—he clearly knew where Qisha was but didn’t want others to know. He was wary.

Yu Linxing’s black eyes spun quickly. She smiled sweetly and said, 

“Brother, I’m from the Central Plains. These two are my friends. When I was little, my parents disappeared. Now that I’ve grown up, I heard from my uncle they came to Qisha in the Numa Grasslands. I came just to find them. I have no other intention. I just want to ask why they abandoned me as a baby, letting me suffer alone…”

As she spoke, she pretended to wipe her eyes. She was sobbing softly, pitiful and delicate. Her story grew more far-fetched. She was dragging in distant relatives—I was dizzy listening. Luo Shen looked away into the distance as if used to Yu Linxing’s antics.

The man couldn’t resist her soft, seductive words. And seeing her so pitiful, he believed her lies and said in a gruff voice, 

“I’m called Suo’erhan. Girl from afar, you’re truly beautiful! I know the pain of being without parents. I’m from the Qisha tribe. I’ll take you to our chief!”

Yu Linxing smiled triumphantly. I twitched my lips—Witch, you really spun that tale. The previous Valley Master and his wife supposedly resting in Mo Yin Valley—when did they end up in this northern land of cattle and sheep?

Her trick wasn’t very noble. But it solved our problem. Suo’erhan led the way. And we followed closely, slowly stepping into the thick fog. After walking for some time, the mist suddenly parted as if pushed by a giant hand. It revealed another scene.

Busy grassland men and women moved about. Scattered yurts dotted the lush green. Herds of horses, cattle, and sheep filled the land. The richness of the prairie appeared before us. It was full of laughter.

We all dismounted. Suo’erhan said, 

“I’ll go see A’erzhen. Wait here.” 

He scratched his head and added with a smile, 

“A’erzhen is our chief. Any big matter has to go through him.”

We nodded gratefully. He walked to a nearby yurt, where a young man stood out front with a red headband. Unlike other tanned prairie men, he was pale. I wondered—could this young man be the chief? Isn’t he too young?

The young man glanced coldly at us. He then turned to say something to Suo’erhan. Though it was a bit far, we could hear clearly.

Suo’erhan shouted angrily, 

“Kasha! What do you mean?”

So that young man was named Kasha—not the chief.

Kasha said coldly, 

“What do I mean? Bringing outsiders in so casually—do you want Qisha to nearly perish like years ago? Don’t forget, you are a son of Qisha!”

Suo’erhan shouted, 

“I’m a son of the prairie, a son of Qisha! When have I ever forgotten? But they’re not bad people!”

“You say they’re not bad, and that makes it true?”

Suo’erhan trembled with anger. He rolled up his sleeves, 

“Kasha! Pick up your fists! You don’t like me, fine—but don’t always oppose me! Let’s settle this like men!”

Their shouting drew a crowd. Seeing things getting out of hand, we rushed over—after all, Suo’erhan was arguing with his tribesmen for our sake. But as outsiders, we didn’t know how to intervene.

Just then, the crowd parted. Everyone’s face showed respectful awe. Then, a middle-aged man slowly walked out.

He wore a sheep-bone headdress. He was wrapped in luxurious clothes unlike common herders, with an air of authority. His cold eyes swept the scene. 

“Suo’erhan, Kasha—what are you doing?”

Suo’erhan immediately bowed. Kasha, still angry, was also respectful.

“Speak! What are you doing?” 

The man demanded sternly.