Entering the Spirit Void 149: Those Involved Are Blind

Xiaomei naturally could not admit to it and replied immediately, "Does Eldest Sister believe it?"

Yin Tianlan shook her head and said, "I don't know. Well, yes, but I always feel he is a bit strange."

Confused, Xiaomei asked, "My elder brother is strange? In what way is he strange?"

Yin Tianlan shook her head again without answering. A thought flashed through Xiaomei's mind, and she continued, "Most likely, all these things were told to you by the master of the horse ranch, am I right?"

Yin Tianlan gave a bitter smile and still remained silent.

Xiaomei let out a slight sigh and said, "It seems I have already brought trouble upon you and your husband."

Yin Tianlan glanced at Xiaomei without speaking. Suddenly, Xiaomei said, "Eldest Sister, I think it is best we do not go to your manor right now!"

Startled, Yin Tianlan asked, "Not go? Why?"

Xiaomei smiled and said, "Since the master of the ranch is already suspicious of me, if Eldest Sister insists on having me as a guest at your manor, won't it just make him even more displeased? Therefore, I think..."

Interrupting her, Yin Tianlan said, "This is a matter between him and me, Little Brother need not worry about it!"

Shaking her head, Xiaomei said, "It cannot be put that way..."

With a flash of her starlit eyes, Yin Tianlan asked, "Could it be that Little Brother is no longer going to look into the matter of the missing miners?"

With a solemn expression, Xiaomei replied, "Of course I am going to look into it, and I will overcome all hardships to do so!"

Yin Tianlan let out an "Oh" and said, "That settles it, let's go."

Mo Dao and the others resumed their journey with Yin Tianlan. However, Xiaomei remained deep in thought and puzzled, wondering whether Yin Tianlan's demeanor was merely an act or genuine sincerity.

Suddenly, a mountain wind blew, and Xiaomei caught the scent of thick fog in the air, causing her to frown. Yin Tianlan's starlit eyes changed expression. She looked up at the sky and said, "Everyone, a heavy snow is coming. We won't make it to the next station. We must find a place to shelter from the wind and snow immediately."

Xiaomei said, "You know the way well, we will follow you!"

Yin Tianlan gave a low cry and spurred her horse into a gallop! The others followed closely behind. At this moment, they were on a mountain trail, and the fierce headwind was almost suffocating. The horses could hardly move forward. Yin Tianlan turned her head and shouted, "The fierce wind has picked up, we can't go any further. Let's head right, there is a cave not far ahead."

The wind was too strong for Xiaomei to easily open her mouth, so she simply nodded in response instead of answering. Sure enough, as soon as Yin Tianlan finished speaking, she steered her horse to the right and, after traveling the distance of an arrow's flight, they reached a natural cavern. Dismounting, they pushed aside the tangled weeds and vines to enter the cave.

The entrance of this cave was over a zhang high, and the interior twisted and turned, extending into an unfathomable depth. Outside, the cave was heavily concealed by entwined vines and thick weeds. The moment Mo Dao stepped inside, he immediately projected his spiritual sense.

Glancing at Yin Tianlan, Mo Dao asked, "Miss Tianlan, this cave is quite large, isn't it?"

Yin Tianlan smiled and said, "Young Master Mo is truly clever. This cave has countless branching paths, like a spider's web. Legend has it that it leads all the way to the back of the mountain, but no one has ever dared to test it!"

Mo Dao chuckled deliberately and said, "I suppose Miss must have tried it long ago!"

Yin Tianlan cast a sideways glance at Mo Dao and said mischievously, "I won't tell you!"

Those four words stirred up suspicion in Mo Dao's mind once more—she refuses to tell me; though she sounded playful when she said it, perhaps she is actually harboring malicious intentions. I must be cautious!

While he was lost in thought, Yin Tianlan spoke again, "Can the Young Master guess what this cave was originally used for?"

Xiaomei had already noticed everything inside the cave and now feigned a guess: "This cave is definitely not naturally formed, because there are traces of axes and chisels everywhere. And since Miss said the cave is extremely deep and vast with countless branching paths, could it originally have been a mine pit?"

Yin Tianlan burst into a laugh and said, "You've guessed yourself into a dead end!"

Shaking his head, Mo Dao said, "Then it's hard to tell. However, I dare say this cave was definitely not formed naturally, and it was excavated through the joint efforts of many people!"

With her starlit eyes rolling continuously, Yin Tianlan asked, "How can you tell?"

Pointing at the stone wall, Mo Dao explained, "Chiseling stone to make a path involves a different set of skills. Every worker has his own distinct techniques and habits—some work from bottom to top, others from left to right."

Interrupting him, Yin Tianlan asked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Mo Dao replied, "It has a lot to do with it. The walls of this cave are not only uneven but also chaotic and disorderly. At a single glance, one can tell that many people were working on it at the same time!"

Yin Tianlan let out a soft exclamation and said, "I yield to you then. This was indeed the place where enemy forces excavated a cave to hide troops and horses when attacking a stronghold back in the day."

Upon hearing this, Mo Dao hurriedly interrupted, "Is this the famous 'Divine Soldiers Cave'?"

Nodding, Yin Tianlan said, "I often played in this 'Divine Soldiers Cave' since I was a child, so of course I am very familiar with it. However, there are some areas that I have never walked through."

Mo Dao let out an "Oh" and asked, "How should that be explained?"

Opening her starlit eyes wide, Yin Tianlan asked, "Can't you figure it out?"

Mo Dao shook his head.

Yin Tianlan continued, "When I was little, I came here following the adults. There are several passageways marked with stone tablets indicating extreme danger, so the adults never took me in there. Later, as I grew up, it became a habit."

Mo Dao said, "Surely you never had the urge to give it a try?"

Yin Tianlan looked at Mo Dao, and suddenly her whole body shuddered, as if recalling something terrifying. Noticing this, Mo Dao could not help but feel extremely puzzled.

After shuddering, Yin Tianlan sighed and said, "I did try!"

Anxious, Mo Dao quickly asked, "What happened?"

Shaking her head, Yin Tianlan said, "Something happened, an event that I will never forget for the rest of my life!"

Gasping, Mo Dao said, "Could there really be ghosts and monsters?"

Yin Tianlan lowered her head and softly recounted that past event—

At that time, Yin Tianlan was just reaching the bloom of her youth. That was the year Ma Fengyang brought his martial arts skills to apprentice under the old hero Yin, becoming his disciple. Meanwhile, Yin Tianlan had been betrothed to the young master of the Huo family since childhood.

The young master of the Huo family had come to the Yin household to fulfill their marriage. He and Yin Tianlan were childhood playmates, but having parted ways ten years ago, they were only now reunited. Therefore, the two elders intended to let them spend a few months getting acquainted first. The incident occurred after they had been going everywhere together for more than two months. On this particular day, Yin Tianlan, the young master of the Huo family, and Ma Fengyang went out hunting together.

Unpredictable are the winds and clouds in a gloomy sky, and halfway through their trip, they were caught in a heavy downpour. Intending to find a place to shelter from the rain, Ma Fengyang suggested heading to the Divine Soldiers Cave!

Hearing this, Mo Dao could not help but ask, "Did the master of the horse ranch know about this 'Divine Soldiers Cave' back then?"

Yin Tianlan nodded and said, "He knew, and he had been here once before with my late father."

Mo Dao asked, "I suppose that previous visit was also to shelter from the rain?"

Shaking her head, Yin Tianlan said, "Not quite. Fengyang had admired the reputation of the Divine Soldiers Cave. As it happened, he had accompanied my late father to Bayan at the time, and on the return journey, he mentioned wanting to see the Divine Soldiers Cave. Since it was on the way and he was in high spirits, my father brought him here once."

Mo Dao acknowledged this with an "Oh" and did not interrupt further. Yin Tianlan continued the story of what happened back then. As soon as Ma Fengyang mentioned the Divine Soldiers Cave, the very name first aroused the curiosity of the Huo family's young master, and the group made their way to the cave.

At that time, they had already hunted two hares and brought along fine wine. At Ma Fengyang's suggestion to gather firewood and start a fire to dry their clothes, it was only natural that they roasted and ate the hares over the fire.

It was the young master of the Huo family's first time in the Divine Soldiers Cave. Lighting a torch, he wanted to walk around and explore. Ma Fengyang repeatedly warned him that he must never enter the passageways marked with stone tablets, otherwise he would likely encounter danger!

The Huo family's young master smiled and agreed, asking Yin Tianlan if she wanted to go. Because her clothes were completely soaked and she felt uncomfortable, Yin Tianlan shook her head and declined. Instead, she set up a bonfire in another passageway to dry her clothes by herself.

Until the hares were roasted and their aroma filled the cave, and Yin Tianlan's clothes had dried, the young master of the Huo family still had not returned. Everyone could not help but grow anxious.

Immediately, Ma Fengyang lit a torch to go look for the young master of the Huo family. Feeling uneasy, Yin Tianlan wanted to go as well. Ma Fengyang then told Yin Tianlan to take a different passageway so they could search separately and avoid missing him.

Later, in one of the passageways, the two of them bumped into each other. When they questioned one another, neither had found the young master of the Huo family. Unwilling to give up, they teamed up to search again!

They searched from around noon until dusk. The storm outside had not stopped, and inside the cave, there was still no trace of the Huo family's young master. Anxious, Ma Fengyang disregarded the muddy mountain paths and the pouring rain and rode back to the mine on horseback.

Upon hearing the report, the old hero Yin turned pale with fright. He brought miner's lanterns, ropes, iron hooks, food, and water bags, and led twenty-four strong men to rush into the cave through the night.

Mo Dao suddenly interrupted again, "I'm afraid the young master of the Huo family was never found after all?"

With sorrow in her eyes, Yin Tianlan nodded and said, "We searched every single large and small branching path and passageway in this cave, taking ten full days. In the end, we returned in disappointment, and Elder Huo also returned home alone in grief."

Mo Dao furrowed his brows deeply and said, "Even now, there is still no news?"

Casting a resentful glance at Xiaomei, Yin Tianlan said, "Do you think there would be?"

Mo Dao said, "Years have passed, so whether he is dead or alive must be certain. However, even if a person dies, their bones remain. Surely the young master of the Huo family could not have simply vanished without a trace like a ghost!"

Yin Tianlan let out a sigh and said, "Yet such is the reality, what else can be done?"

After a brief moment of thought, Mo Dao said, "Your esteemed father and the others spent ten days thoroughly searching this cave. Even if they didn't find the young master of the Huo family, they should have discovered some clues, right?"

Yin Tianlan said, "Originally, everyone was still unwilling to give up. It was only when we reached a certain passageway that we discovered a bottomless black cliff, and right before the cliff were the torch and the broken sword of the young master of the Huo family."

Mo Dao uttered an "Oh" and said, "Is that why everyone gave up in despair?"

Yin Tianlan said, "What else could we do if not give up?"

Mo Dao asked, "That broken sword, was it a personal possession of the young master of the Huo family?"

Yin Tianlan nodded and said, "Of course, there is no mistake about that!"

Standing nearby, Xiaomei gave a cold laugh and asked, "How did that sword break?"

Yin Tianlan replied, "According to our judgment, it was likely that his torch suddenly went out, causing him to misstep and fall off the cliff. He must have drawn his sword and stabbed it into the ground in an attempt to save himself, but the sword broke and he fell."

Xiaomei clapped her hands lightly and said, "Indeed, that is a possibility!"

Before Yin Tianlan could speak, Xiaomei continued, "Was this your esteemed father's judgment?"

After thinking for a moment, Yin Tianlan said, "No, it was Fengyang who first made this determination. After deep consideration, my late father and Elder Huo also agreed that nine times out of ten, this was what happened."

Xiaomei then made a startling remark: "Could someone have plotted against him?"

Yin Tianlan abruptly raised her head and said, "What did you say? How could you have such a thought?"

Calmly, Xiaomei said, "When an unexpected event occurs, we should judge its possibility from all angles, whether favorable or unfavorable!"

Yin Tianlan lowered her head. After a long while, she spoke in a skeptical tone, "Perhaps what Little Brother says is right, but there is absolutely no possibility of him being harmed. He had no enemies, and at the time, he was exploring the depths alone, away from the others."

Mo Dao interjected, "Surely the Miss knows the ancient proverb: 'An innocent man is guilty of hoarding jade'?"

Yin Tianlan raised her delicate eyebrows and asked, "An ordinary man commits a crime because he possesses jade, but him?"

Mo Dao spoke up again: "He possessed a 'bright pearl'!"

Astonished, Yin Tianlan asked, "A bright pearl? How can you make such a judgment?"

Yang Yifei let out a cold snort and said, "That is a fact, it is only a pity that those involved are blinded by the situation!"

Growing even more puzzled, Yin Tianlan said, "Elder Huo never said that he possessed a 'bright pearl'?"

Xiaomei suddenly said, "Eldest Sister, the words 'bright pearl' are merely a metaphor!"

Yin Tianlan let out an "Ah" and asked, "What exactly does it refer to?"

With a hearty laugh, Xiaomei said, "The bright pearl is Eldest Sister, do you understand now?"

Yin Tianlan did not laugh. Her heart shook violently, as if struck by lightning!

Xiaomei continued, "Eldest Sister is an immortal maiden banished to the mortal realm, not to mention that your family's wealth is beyond calculation. To compare you to a 'bright pearl' is probably not even enough to describe one ten-thousandth of your worth!"

Yin Tianlan did not answer. With her delicate brows tightly furrowed, she was lost in the contemplation of past events. Scene after scene of the past emerged vividly upon the tablet of her heart, revolving endlessly. After a long, long time, she finally let out a long sigh and said, "It's impossible!"

Xiaomei suddenly changed her tone and said, "I merely thought of this as a possibility by chance; I did not say it must be so. Of course, an accidental misstep is even more likely!"