Volume Three: Blossoms on Twin Stems, One Tree Cannot Stand Alone Chapter Seventeen: Homeland

Old Master Huang sighed deeply once again, his voice tinged with sorrow as he said, “In days gone by, our ancestor Zhu Yuan invented the Tadpole Seal Script. From that moment, history and civilization finally broke free of oral tradition, and could be recorded in writing for future generations. It is said that when our forebear created the Tadpole Seal Script, heaven and earth were roused to anger; wild winds and torrential rains raged for days before subsiding. Yet now, few truly recognize this script. The Tadpole Seal Script, meant to record the legends of the world, has itself been reduced to legend.”

Lang Xian comforted him, “Elder, please do not be too saddened. Our nation of Zhu Yuan has vanished for so many years, and our people are scattered across the continents, most assimilated by other tribes. Only the old noble families have the strength to preserve tradition to this day.”

Yuan Ji erupted in anger, “All this is the fault of those scoundrels in the Cloud Palace! Had Zhu Yuan still existed, my parents would never have died from a mere minor illness! Even with money, we could not buy medicine. The Hua Xu and Changshan nations refused to sell us any, calling us demons and pariahs. We could only rely on our masters to grant us medicine—never allowed to purchase it ourselves. Only blood-sucking fiends could devise such decrees! They are worse even than the An Li tribe!”

Old Master Huang patted Yuan Ji’s shoulder to comfort him. “You have suffered much! But at least you have returned—this is your home. Let us set out at once.”

Lang Xian assumed the elder meant to lead them to excavate the Sanctuary of Moonshade Valley, and hurried to explain, “Elder Huang, it is not that we young ones are lazy, but it is difficult to start digging now. Our provisions barely last two days, so our urgent task is to replenish supplies.”

Old Master Huang tapped his cane, speaking with a hint of reproach, “I have told you—this is your home. How can you go hungry in your own house? Come, follow me.”

Yuan Ji and Lang Xian were overjoyed, quickly instructing their subordinates to pack up, break camp, and follow Old Master Huang to the ‘home’ he spoke of.

The soldiers of the helm-armored army, upon hearing there would be food, were immediately full of energy. In half an hour, they dismantled the vast encampment until nothing remained. At Yuan Ji’s command, the army set out in earnest.

Along the way, Lang Xian engaged Old Master Huang in conversation. “Elder, what became of General Huang and those ten thousand men in the end?”

Old Master Huang rode atop a gentle Windhorse Beast, swaying as he replied, “In those days, our ancestor was ordered to secretly lead the Feathered Forest Army and their families away. They settled in a hollow not far from Moonshade Valley, and quietly made it their home.”

Yuan Ji asked in confusion, “But didn’t the joint army of the Immortal Descendants and Demon Tribe search the mountains later? How did you escape?”

Old Master Huang boasted, “They did search the mountains—but never the underground!”

At those words, Lang Xian and Yuan Ji were both shocked. Yuan Ji, frightened, exclaimed, “Underground? You lived underground? Are you ghosts or the undead? No! I will not go underground; I refuse to become a ghost!” With that, he tried to turn his mount and flee.

Old Master Huang struck his back with the cane, scolding, “How did the Yuan family ever produce such a fool! Who says that living underground makes one dead?”

Lang Xian, more composed, clasped his hands in respect. “May the elder enlighten us.”

Old Master Huang took a breath and began, “When the former king ordered the valley to be filled, he left a contingency. He had many ventilation shafts built into the dome of the sanctuary, connecting it to the surface, and a tunnel dug beneath, leading to the hollow where we now live. When the joint army came searching, my ancestor led everyone secretly into the sanctuary, having already stockpiled enough grain and water for ten thousand people for five days. When the soldiers withdrew, they emerged and settled in the hollow. Many years have passed; the original ten thousand have grown to nearly thirty thousand, forming a kingdom in their own right.”

Yuan Ji asked, “Thirty thousand? Can that hollow hold so many?”

Old Master Huang rolled his eyes. “Of course not all live in the hollow. It is now the center for Zhu Yuan’s descendants—goods are gathered there, then caravans take them out to sell and bring back necessities like salt, iron, and cloth. We organize by hundreds, each hundred households forming a town, scattered deep in the great forest. This way, if anyone comes searching or to suppress us, it is easier to move.”

As they spoke, they passed through a dense forest, and suddenly the land opened up before them—a well-ordered town came into view. The group walked among fertile fields; farmers and oxen busily worked the rice paddies, while from afar came the sounds of chickens and dogs, as if they had entered a paradise of birdsong and flowers.

Old Master Huang glanced back at the helm-armored soldiers, seeing their faces filled with envy, and felt deeply gratified.

Lang Xian praised, “To transform this once devilish wild forest into thousands of fertile fields—truly a feat of divine craftsmanship! But with such a conspicuous settlement, are you not afraid the Eagle Tribe from above will see?”

Old Master Huang twirled his beard and replied with a smile, “This place is remote, and those patrolling Eagles rarely come this far. Even if they do, it matters little—these years, more and more people have fled the taxes of various nations into these wild forests. A village or two is not unusual.”

Lang Xian nodded, then seemed to think of another concern. “But elder, with so few goods here, selling only local specialties cannot sustain daily life.”

Old Master Huang replied, “You aren’t wrong, but I never said we only sell local specialties. Our old trade in stones is still doing well—we never stopped.”

Lang Xian was stunned. “What? The Moonstone and Bright Moonstone still appear in the sanctuary every year?”

Old Master Huang nodded. “Indeed! Every year, they appear in the central hall—sometimes more, sometimes less. Without these rare stones, we would have been trapped in these mountains long ago.”

Yuan Ji added, “My elder brother once studied the Xuanhuang lineage’s arts with Lady Lanling of the Sun-Worship cult. She gave him a ninth-grade Qi-Stabilizing Pearl, and he was overjoyed—boasting that on Zhengyang Street in Changshan City, it could sell for a hundred gold, enough for a middle-class family’s expenses for five years.”

Old Master Huang smiled mysteriously, “Rarity makes value. We sell only a tiny portion each year—so even the most ordinary stones fetch exorbitant prices. Our caravans detour through Xiqi Continent, then to Beilun, and finally to Zhongshen, where they sell the goods. To this day, everyone still thinks the stones are dug from Beilun’s mountains by hill folk!”

Lang Xian feigned profundity, “So those rumors about the origin of Moonstone and Bright Moonstone are all spread by you?”

Yuan Ji, suddenly excited, exclaimed, “Exactly! There are even tales that the Cangyue Pearl in Zhuohua’s hands was made from Moonstone brought by a star from the heavens! They say it tore through the void and destroyed a star to get just a couple of Moonstones. All nonsense! In truth, every Moonstone and Bright Moonstone in the world comes from Zhu Yuan.”

Old Master Huang responded calmly, “Most rare stones in the world are indeed transported by the Zhu Yuan clan, though Zhuohua’s Moonstone was truly obtained by them. Besides, the Xuanhuang lineage was once wealthy—Lady Lanling and Lord Zhuohua brought some stones with them when they came, but never sold any.”

Lang Xian asked, “So all the raw stones sold on the market are those exported by Zhu Yuan?”

Old Master Huang chuckled, “In the past, we sold raw stones directly, both ordinary and exceptional. But later, we realized a ten-gold stone, once crafted by a master, could be made into a Qi-Stabilizing Pearl worth a hundred gold. If a hundred-gold stone was used, the pearl would fetch a thousand gold—tenfold profit!”

Yuan Ji chimed in, “Exactly! Whenever these pearls appear in the market, they are snatched up immediately. The best pearls are priceless.”

Old Master Huang laughed, “Precisely! So we sent some clever children from the clan to apprentice with master craftsmen. After decades, they learned some skills, returned home, and taught the craft to village children.”

Lang Xian applauded, “This way, the Zhu Yuan clan can control not just the price of raw stones, but of pearls as well!”

Yuan Ji suddenly realized, “No wonder the price of pearls has soared these years—some people now spend thousands of gold on what used to cost only a hundred. All your doing!”

He stopped abruptly, realizing his careless words, and laughed awkwardly.

As they spoke, they arrived at a broad plaza, already crowded with men and women gathered to welcome them. Tables laden with fine wine and food filled the square.

Old Master Huang walked to the center, and with a voice not loud but firm and resolute, called out to the crowd, “Elders and youth of the Zhu Yuan clan—our lost pearls from the sea have returned!”

At those words, tears flowed from all. After years of hiding in this wild land, at last came the chance to hold their heads high. Countless complex feelings surged forth.

Across from them, the helm-armored soldiers—selected elites from noble families, steeped in tradition—though long exiled, still felt a profound attachment to their homeland. Seeing the people of Zhu Yuan so moved, they too could not help but shed tears.