Chapter - 272 - It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Was it an ancestral artifact left by the Primordial Witch, her legacy, or perhaps a cultivation technique? The box, once hidden away, was now brought back into the light, revealing its contents to everyone present. Even Ye Lingxuan, usually indifferent by nature, couldn't help but have her gaze drawn to it. No matter how composed a goddess may be, the lure of gossip and curiosity is irresistible. Mu Zhian's eyes followed, freezing upon the items within the box. He paused for a moment. Inside the box was neither an ancestral artifact, nor a technique, nor any form of legacy. There lay a peach blossom. And a paper crane. "…A paper crane?" Gu Hua murmured, confusion and perplexity evident in his eyes. Was this paper crane all the Primordial Witch left for future generations…? Since the beginning, Mu Zhian hadn't uttered a word. He only stared at the peach blossom in the box, his fingers trembling slightly as he picked it up. Ye Lingxuan squinted slightly, suspicion flickering in her eyes. Why did this peach blossom look identical to those in the Temple of Pilgrimage…? The blossoms in the Temple were a mix of pink and white, imbued with a unique spiritual aura. This blossom shared a similar aura. Ye Lingxuan glanced at Mu Zhian, seemingly about to say something, calling softly, "Mu brother…" However, Mu Zhian's gaze remained fixed on the paper crane, his eyes glazed over. The folding technique of this paper crane matched his own exactly. Could it be a coincidence…? With unease, Mu Zhian slowly unfolded the paper crane, revealing the underside of the letter. It contained only one sentence. "Long time no see." A letter from a box left by the Primordial Witch thousands of years ago bore only four simple words. Additionally, there was a peach blossom that had not withered over time. Clearly, the Primordial Witch did not leave this black box for the descendants of the world's ocean but intended it as a 'gift', or rather, as a token of her longing for someone in particular. The message within the letter was an unmistakable greeting to the person she yearned for. Had Mu Zhian not been the one to open this box, he might have pondered from a distance who the Primordial Witch was addressing. Yet… The box, which no one had opened before, was effortlessly opened by him without even using spiritual energy… Mu Zhian's mind was in chaos as he stared at the letter and the four words inscribed there. Anxious, he closed his eyes for a moment. Holding the sheet, he replayed the paper crane folding technique in his mind, then refolded the sheet into a crane. He then slowly opened his eyes, looking expressionlessly at the crane in his hands. Indeed, the paper crane's folding matched exactly with those he had made for other girls before. Was it mere coincidence…? For a long time, Mu Zhian was lost in thought. Ye Lingxuan took the peach blossom out from the black box, scrutinizing it closely with a doubtful gaze, and softly muttered, "Could it be that the Primordial Witch visited the Temple of Pilgrimage in the past?" In his heart, Mu Zhian felt a strong sense of unease. He turned to Ye Lingxuan, who had already noticed the similarity between the peach blossom she held and those from the Temple. Unlike others, however, she stayed silent, contemplating the intricate connections. Mu Zhian himself was clueless about what thoughts lingered within Ye Lingxuan’s mind as he stared at the letter once more, flipping it to find no trace of additional writings. "The tone suggests familiarity, as if she knew me..." Mu Zhian pondered over the four words, flashes of memories streaming through his mind like a slideshow. As he continued examining, the letters seemed to blur and double. Suddenly, he felt as though engulfed by a mutable light, seemingly standing amidst a river of time, with countless images swiftly passing through his mind. Many of these were scenes unfamiliar to him, perceived in fleeting moments before transitioning to new visions. Mysterious black mist silently enveloped the courtyard, progressively enclosing around Mu Zhian, rendering his vision into a pitch blackness. Then, suddenly from the mist, a light akin to a ribbon cutting through night silently illuminated the darkness. Instinctively, Mu Zhian glanced upward, and a pair of cool hands emerged silently from the darkness, cradling his cheeks. A woman stood before him, her face obscured. "I've seen her somewhere..." A thought surfaced inexplicably in Mu Zhian’s mind. "…Who are you?" Mu Zhian spoke softly, realizing to his surprise, he could indeed speak. The woman lowered her head slightly, a faint smile accompanying her entrancing voice whispered close to his ears, "I've been waiting for you all along." Yet I’ve never met you, beautiful stranger… Mu Zhian thought, poised to voice, but he was immediately seized by a sudden vertigo, his vision accelerating backwards as his mind went blank. Fighting the dizzy sensation, he fixated on the indistinct woman, forcing himself to ask, "Who are you really?" At the very instant his words faded, his consciousness completely blacked out. "Mu brother?" Suddenly, Ye Lingxuan's gentle voice echoed in his ears, and he abruptly opened his eyes. Ye Lingxuan, with obvious concern, held onto his shoulder, inquiring tenderly, "Are you alright? Do you feel unwell?" Mu Zhian, confused, glanced at the purple-dressed girl beside him, and then surveyed the surrounding environment. Tang Sufei’s lips were pressed into a tight line, her gaze fixed intently on him; meanwhile, Gu Hua wore a similarly grave expression. "Brother Mu, did you discover anything from that paper crane?" Gu Hua queried. "Did I faint?" Mu Zhian asked. Ye Lingxuan nodded softly, "Your consciousness was dormant for nearly a stick of incense time. I just confirmed with her, and there are no dangers or aftereffects." The "her" Ye Lingxuan referred to was naturally the Reincarnated Empress. Ye Lingxuan finished her words and continued, "How do you feel now?" Her normally calm eyes were filled with deep worry. Gradually regaining clarity, Mu Zhian gazed at the paper crane in his palms, somewhat absent-mindedly shaking his head. "Nothing…" "Nothing…" He murmured softly. While reading the paper crane’s contents, for a moment, he felt as if the surroundings shifted, cloaked by a thin mist. Initially, it seemed as though everyone was engulfed in that mist. However, upon reflection, it became clear that it wasn’t the environment that changed. Instead, after looking at the letter, he had fainted and experienced a dream. In that dream, a woman appeared… Despite her blurred features, considering that the letter was left by the Primordial Witch, the woman he saw in his dream was undoubtedly her. "Tang Sufei suddenly spoke, "May I see the letter, Master Mu?" Suppressing the swirling confusion within, Mu Zhian nodded slightly, handing the letter to the Saintess from the World Sea. "Brother Gu, do you know the real name of the Primordial Witch?" Mu Zhian suddenly inquired. Gu Hua, examining the letter alongside Tang Sufei, shook his head, regret tingeing his voice, "We don’t know. In the end, the cultivators from the World Sea referred to her as the Primordial Witch mainly because her real name was unknown. Few had ever seen her." After speaking, with a hint of frustration, he picked up the black box, meticulously examining it for some time. Within it, rather than leaving behind any tangible legacy or techniques, lay merely her longing… The realization only compounded the disquiet of their gruelling journey to the Liangyi Sect. Suddenly, Ye Lingxuan asked, "When did this black box first appear in the World Sea?" Tang Sufei replied, "Approximately ten thousand years ago." She then appeared to guess Ye Lingxuan’s train of thought and shook her head, "It’s impossible. Even if she were the Primordial Witch, she couldn't foresee events from millennia past, nor predict that the box would ultimately find its way into the hands of someone capable of opening it." At this, her gaze towards Mu Zhian turned inquisitive. Beyond this mystery, another issue also weighed on their minds: From the past till now, no one could open the box, yet Mu Zhian did… the box indeed resonated with him. Could this imply that Mu Zhian was the one acknowledged by the Primordial Witch, and that the box was intended for him? The notion of a black box preserved meticulously for tens of thousands of years, only to contain a solitary message and a peach blossom, seemed peculiarly enigmatic. Moreover, how could a young cultivator, having joined the Liangyi Sect less than half a year ago, possibly have ties to the Primordial Witch, who vanished nearly a millennium ago? Mu Zhian gazed at the black box in Gu Hua's hands, then at the peach blossom he held, a shadow clouding his eyes. Tang Sufei was right. Even a mighty cultivator merging with the Dao couldn't predict future events spanning thousands of years. The Qing Emperor and other leaders in history had emphasized that calculating the celestial mechanics invites backlash, and the longer the timeline, the more severe the repercussion. No matter how extraordinary the Primordial Witch was, it seemed implausible for her to foresee events from a millennium past to millennium future. Mu Zhian looked up at the two of them and said, “Might I borrow this black box for a few days?” "There are still many unsolved riddles within this box. If I uncover something new upon returning, I'll be sure to inform you two." Mu Zhian continued. Gu Hua and Tang Sufei exchanged glances, seemingly communicating telepathically, resulting in a lengthy, contemplative silence in the courtyard. Mu Zhian did not rush them, choosing instead to wait patiently for them to reach a conclusion. Ye Lingxuan, her gaze lowered, a fleeting shadow of concern passed through her eyes. At that moment, she felt a warm hand gently encase her own. Instinctively, Ye Lingxuan turned to find Mu Zhian giving her a reassuring smile, his voice soothing as he said telepathically, "Don't worry, I'll always be by your side." So please, put away your Hourglass of Desolation... Mu Zhian’s eyes fell on the item peeking from Ye Lingxuan’s sleeve, a trace of wariness in his gaze. Seeing the smile on Mu Zhian’s face, Ye Lingxuan briefly hesitated but soon found herself smiling softly in return. Indeed, regardless of whether the Primordial Witch knew Mu Zhian, or if the letter was meant for him, he was here by her side now. Even if the Primordial Witch was alive and really knew him, she’d keep Mu Zhian with her in the future too. After all, the Hourglass had already bonded with Mu Zhian the day she claimed it. No matter where Mu Zhian ventured, Ye Lingxuan could always track him. In the future, she could even use the Hourglass to bring Mu Zhian back to her side at any time. Her thoughts brought a lovely, gentle smile to Ye Lingxuan's alluring face, catching Gu Hua, who was debating the black box with Tang Sufei via telepathy, by surprise. "Gu Hua, don't forget we're discussing serious matters now," Tang Sufei reminded him in a muted telepathic message. Snapping back to the present, Gu Hua shook his head helplessly. Even the World Sea’s well-groomed Saint Son felt a tinge of envy upon seeing the radiant smile Ye Lingxuan reserved solely for Mu Zhian. Compelling his thoughts back in order, he asked Tang Sufei, "What do you think, Lady Saintess?" “The black box didn’t respond to either of us. If there were secrets to unravel, we’d have done so long ago.” Tang Sufei replied, "Since the box resonates with Mu Zhian, it means the Primordial Witch acknowledged him. I see no harm in letting him try." "After all, it's of no disadvantage to us." After a brief moment of contemplation, Gu Hua nodded lightly in agreement. "So, have you two reached a decision?" Mu Zhian inferred from their exchange. Tang Sufei looked up at Mu Zhian and said, "If you can unlock the mysteries of this black box, I promise you, the World Sea will forever be your ally. Should you need anything, simply ask." Unraveling the secrets of the peach blossom and the letter contained within the box was a matter of great interest not just to the two of them, but to the entire World Sea. Since Mu Zhian seemed destined to be connected with this box, there was hope that he might solve the mystery.