Compared to Senior Brother who was devoted to medical arts, Qin Mu was more adept at handling affairs within the valley.
With him managing Yaowang Valley, it was considered stable.
Ascending the steps and crossing the suspension bridge, Nan Shiying finally caught sight of the main hall.
She gazed at the building before her, lost in thought.
This majestic structure standing atop the mountain peak greatly resembled Chengming Hall within the imperial palace of the Great Yuan.
The sixth year of Fengli, Great Yuan.
Spring.
The Imperial Household Department was responsible for the renovation and repair of the long-abandoned Chengming Hall, as the Great Yuan's National Preceptor, Yue Sinan, had specifically requested to reside there.
"Yue Sinan, do you truly intend to live here?"
Empress Nan Fengluan stood before Chengming Hall, gazing at the somewhat desolate and shabby main hall, a result of its abandonment. She turned her head to ask Yue Sinan, who stood with his hands behind his back, clad in a moon-white robe.
"Mm!"
Upon hearing Nan Fengluan's question, Yue Sinan merely gave a faint "Mm," showing no intention of explaining his purpose or reasons for staying here.
Nan Fengluan asked no further questions, letting him have his way.
Recalling the events of that year, it felt as if they had happened just yesterday. Nan Shiying even had a fleeting illusion of time converging at this very spot.
"Martial Uncle-Master?"
Qing Zhu, seeing Nan Shiying standing still for so long, couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Hearing the voice beside her, Nan Shiying withdrew from her memories. She smiled slightly at Qing Zhu, indicating she was fine, and then, led by Qing Zhu and Qing Yuan, stepped into the main hall. Yaowang Valley's buildings were arranged around the main hall, grand and solemn. If it weren't for being located in the mountains, one might mistake it for an imperial palace. There were no guards outside the main hall, and the doors were open, giving off an inviting and magnificent aura of "Please, come in." This lack of defense was simply because ordinary people could not ascend the mountain; the dangers were all intercepted at the foot of the mountain.
Nan Shiying took another glance at the bronze furnace tripod in the center of the main hall. If she remembered correctly, this was the very same tripod from the National Preceptor's mansion back then.
It seemed Yue Ming had not only taken her, who was faking her death, but had also taken this tripod.
What preparations had Yue Sinan made before his death, such that this place... was filled with the aura of the Great Yuan everywhere?
Qing Zhu felt that ever since her Martial Uncle-Master had entered the valley, something was amiss. Her occasional lingering gaze did not seem like someone who had never been here before, but rather like one filled with reminiscence and nostalgia.
Strange, Martial Uncle-Master should not have come to Yaowang Valley before. Why would she exhibit such emotions?
Qing Zhu pondered for a long time but could not figure out the reason.
In the back hall of the main hall, Situ sat in the main seat, Qin Mu next, and Huijie at the end, still engrossed in a medical book.
Today, they were merely to observe the disciple accepted by their Senior Brother (Junior Brother). There was no need for grand fanfare. Once they had seen the person and confirmed she was indeed eligible to enter the valley, they would naturally hold an initiation ceremony to introduce this third-generation disciple to everyone.
"Martial Grand-Uncle, Martial Uncle-Master, this way."
Huijie stopped flipping through his medical book and looked outside. Their Senior Brother, whom they had not seen for several years, first appeared in his sight. Following him was a man dressed in a dark blue long gown, tall and slender, with a refined and elegant face. The man had a pair of almond-shaped eyes, but his brows were tinged with a hint of sternness, which tempered the youthful appearance brought about by his eyes. Her eyes were clear and bright, radiating a gentle soft light. People said eyes were windows to the soul. Merely by observing her appearance and demeanor, Situ and the others nodded in satisfaction.
However, Huijie recalled the content written by Nan Dynasty's Yin Xin, and his gaze towards his Senior Brother's disciple became one of scrutiny and inquiry.
Nan Shiying took in their gazes, subtly glancing at Huijie. The old man said that his Junior Brother, Huijie, was an even more bookish person than Senior Brother Situ, completely immersed in medicine. If Senior Brother Situ was immersed, then Huijie was obsessed. How could someone so obsessed with medicine, to the point of neglecting food and sleep, have any connection or friendship with that old scoundrel, Nan Dynasty Yin?
"Junior Brother, you are finally back."
The moment Du Lao stepped into the inner hall, Situ, Qin Mu, and Huijie all stood up to greet him.
Situ was a benevolent old man with a ruddy complexion and a youthful countenance despite his white hair, appearing at least ten years younger than Du Lao. Qin Mu was an old man with a somewhat stern face, a square jaw, and a full beard, appearing even older than Situ. As for Huijie, he did not look like he was over sixty. His jawline was more defined than Qing Yuan's. Perhaps due to his single eyelids, his eyes showed no fatigue, making him appear younger than the others, no more than fifty.
The four of them standing together did not look like they belonged to the same generation.