Chao Lun Hui had not slept.
This was not entirely his fault.
Ancient artefacts should not be allowed to recognise someone as a bloodline successor, refuse to explain what that meant, cause another person unexplained pain and then expect everyone involved to rest peacefully.
It was Irresponsible.
Extremely irresponsible.
The Luo Clan jade had identified Luo Yanhe as a successor hidden beneath forgotten time.
The Truth Stone had recognised both Luo Yanhe and Shen Yan Ting.
Shen Yan Ting had repeatedly moved to protect him before appearing to understand his own actions.
After creating that collection of problems, every artefact involved had fallen silent.
Chao Lun Hui stared at the ceiling.
Luo Yanhe : “This disciple respectfully requests all mysterious objects to learn basic communication.”
The room remained silent.
Luo Yanhe : “See?
Even the room has better manners.”
Unfortunately, complaining did not produce answers.
The jade had recognised Luo Yanhe’s blood, body and spiritual signature.
Chao Lun Hui still recognised none of the history surrounding them.
Even worse, Shen Yan Ting appeared connected to the same missing history.
By dawn, Chao Lun Hui had abandoned sleep and marched towards his master’s courtyard with the determination of a man preparing for battle.
Unfortunately, his opponent was mutual ignorance.
Shen Yan Ting was seated beneath the pavilion, pouring tea into two cups.
Chao Lun Hui crossed the courtyard, sat opposite him without invitation and accepted the second cup as though it had been prepared under legal obligation.
Shen Yan Ting : “You did not sleep.”
Luo Yanhe : “Master can tell?”
Shen Yan Ting raised his gaze.
Shen Yan Ting : “You complained before greeting me.”
Chao Lun Hui lowered his head.
Luo Yanhe : “That is convincing evidence.”
He drank some tea.
Luo Yanhe : “Good morning, Master.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Good morning.”
Luo Yanhe : “Ancient artefacts have no manners.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Reasonable.”
Chao Lun Hui froze with the cup halfway to his mouth.
Luo Yanhe : “Master agreed?”
Shen Yan Ting : “Yes.”
Luo Yanhe : “That was too quick.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Your complaint was reasonable.”
Shen Yan Ting : “The Luo Clan jade kept you awake after refusing to explain itself.”
Luo Yanhe : “That is convincing evidence.”
Chao Lun Hui placed the cup down and pointed at him.
Luo Yanhe : “This disciple suddenly feels understood.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Do not become emotional.”
Luo Yanhe : “Too late.”
For several breaths, the courtyard returned to peace.
Birds moved among the flowering branches, and steam curled above the teacups.
Then Chao Lun Hui remembered that he had come to conduct an interrogation.
He lowered the cup and leaned across the table.
Luo Yanhe : “Since Master understands the problem, this disciple has several questions.”
Shen Yan Ting : “I expected that.”
Luo Yanhe : “Why did the Truth Stone recognise both of us?”
Shen Yan Ting : “I do not know.”
Luo Yanhe : “Why did the Luo Clan jade cause Master pain?”
Shen Yan Ting : “I do not know.”
Luo Yanhe : “Why does Master keep protecting this disciple before deciding to move?”
A brief pause followed.
Shen Yan Ting : “I do not know.”
Chao Lun Hui narrowed his eyes.
Luo Yanhe : “Master genuinely knows nothing?”
Shen Yan Ting : “Correct.”
Luo Yanhe : “Not secretly knows nothing while actually knowing something?”
Shen Yan Ting : “No.”
Luo Yanhe : “No, Master does not know, or Master refuses to answer?”
Shen Yan Ting : “I do not know.”
Chao Lun Hui sat back.
Luo Yanhe : “This is inconvenient.”
Shen Yan Ting : “I agree.”
Luo Yanhe slapped one palm against the table.
Luo Yanhe : “See?”
Shen Yan Ting : “See what?”
Luo Yanhe : “Master agrees.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Because it is inconvenient.”
Luo Yanhe : “Exactly.”
At least someone shared his suffering.
Shen Yan Ting placed his cup down.
Shen Yan Ting : “The Truth Stone is older than Azure Cloud Sect.
Its purpose is poorly understood.”
Luo Yanhe : “It reveals forgotten truth.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Sometimes.”
Luo Yanhe : “That word is doing dangerous work.”
Shen Yan Ting continued without reacting.
Shen Yan Ting : “The Luo Clan records were deliberately removed.
Your bloodline is genuine, and the jade recognised you as a successor.”
Chao Lun Hui : “It recognised Luo Yanhe.”
Shen Yan Ting’s gaze rested on him.
Chao Lun Hui did not explain further.
The distinction mattered to him even if nobody else could see it.
Shen Yan Ting : “It recognised your body, blood and spiritual signature.”
Luo Yanhe : “That still does not explain why Master reacted.”
Shen Yan Ting : “No.”
Luo Yanhe : “Did Master remember anything?”
Shen Yan Ting : “No.”
Luo Yanhe : “Not even part of the battlefield?”
Shen Yan Ting : “No.”
Luo Yanhe : “The child?”
Shen Yan Ting : “No.”
Luo Yanhe : “Then what did Master feel?”
Shen Yan Ting was quiet long enough to consider the answer properly.
Shen Yan Ting : “Pain.”
Luo Yanhe : “That is all?”
Shen Yan Ting : “And the certainty that I should stand between you and the jade.”
Chao Lun Hui’s next question died before reaching his mouth.
Shen Yan Ting had not described a memory.
He had described an instinct without a source, much like Luo Yanhe’s body reaching towards the black-haired child in the Truth Stone’s vision.
Chao Lun Hui had expected concealment.
Concealment could be exposed.
Honest uncertainty was far less cooperative.
Luo Yanhe : “So nobody knows anything.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Correct.”
Luo Yanhe sighed hard enough to disturb the steam above his tea.
Luo Yanhe : “Ancient cultivators truly refused to provide clear instructions.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Apparently.”
Luo Yanhe straightened and adopted the solemn voice of an ancient messenger.
Luo Yanhe : “Congratulations.
Please proceed to the next location.”
Shen Yan Ting watched him.
Luo Yanhe : “Estimated travel time: two hours.
Please bring sufficient food and water.”
Shen Yan Ting refilled his cup.
Luo Yanhe : “That would be considerate.”
Shen Yan Ting : “You would complain regardless.”
Luo Yanhe looked offended.
Luo Yanhe : “This disciple complains only when necessary.”
Shen Yan Ting : “You complain often.”
Luo Yanhe : “Frequently.”
Shen Yan Ting said nothing.
Luo Yanhe : “Precision matters.”
By afternoon, Chao Lun Hui had successfully discovered nothing.
This was not due to a lack of effort.
He had searched three shelves, questioned two archive disciples and asked one senior elder whether ancient prophecies came with user manuals.
The senior elder had not appreciated the question.
Chao Lun Hui had also opened a scroll so dusty that he nearly sneezed himself into spiritual collapse.
The two archive disciples immediately stepped away from him, although whether they feared illness or Luo Yanhe’s reputation remained uncertain.
Despite all this scholarly bravery, he received exactly zero answers.
By evening, his room contained another organised investigation.
Other people might have called it a crime scene.
Scrolls covered the table.
Two had rolled onto the floor.
A third had somehow reached his bed.
Chao Lun Hui suspected the ancient records were attempting to escape before he asked them more questions.
A knock Interrupted him.
Luo Yanhe : “Come in.”
A junior disciple entered carrying a wooden box secured by three official seals.
He held it with both hands and kept a cautious distance from the table.
Junior Disciple : “Senior Brother Luo.”
Luo Yanhe : “That box looks important.”
Junior Disciple : “Sect Master Qing Xu ordered it delivered under Elder Shen’s supervision.”
Luo Yanhe : “Master is not here.”
The junior disciple’s grip tightened.
Junior Disciple : “This junior has already sent someone to inform him.”
Naturally, the sect trusted Luo Yanhe enough to test him with dangerous objects, but not enough to leave him alone with one afterwards.
Junior Disciple : “The Luo Clan jade began reacting inside the sealed chamber.”
Luo Yanhe : “Of course it did.”
The disciple placed the box on the table and retreated immediately.
Luo Yanhe : “You may leave normally.”
Junior Disciple : “Yes, Senior Brother.”
He left at nearly running speed.
Chao Lun Hui examined the box.
Luo Yanhe : “That was not normal.”
He broke the outer seals and opened it.
The same dark-green Luo Clan jade rested inside.
Its broken-circle symbol glimmered faintly beneath the lamplight.
Luo Yanhe : “We have already completed the examination.”
The jade remained silent.
Luo Yanhe : “This disciple would appreciate written notice before any additional tests.”
Nothing.
Luo Yanhe : “Basic courtesy continues to suffer.”
Chao Lun Hui touched the jade.
Warmth spread through Luo Yanhe’s body at once, followed by the same disturbing familiarity he could not consciously share.
A narrow thread of golden light rose from the jade and stretched across the room.
It pointed through the northern window.
One ancient character appeared above it.
RETURN.
Chao Lun Hui stared.
Luo Yanhe : “Return where?”
The light continued pointing north.
Luo Yanhe : “That is a direction, not an answer.”
Footsteps approached outside.
Shen Yan Ting entered and looked directly at the glowing jade.
Chao Lun Hui raised it.
Luo Yanhe : “Master.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Hm?”
Luo Yanhe : “This disciple has bad news.”
Shen Yan Ting : “What did it do?”
Luo Yanhe blinked.
Luo Yanhe : “Master immediately assumed it did something.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Did it?”
Chao Lun Hui looked aside.
Luo Yanhe : “Yes.”
Shen Yan Ting approached the table.
Luo Yanhe : “It is pointing somewhere.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Where?”
Luo Yanhe : “Towards the northern mountains.”
The jade’s light brightened slightly as Shen Yan Ting came closer, but no new message appeared.
Shen Yan Ting studied it.
Shen Yan Ting : “We leave at dawn.”
Luo Yanhe : “Master is not stopping me?”
Shen Yan Ting : “You would go anyway.”
Luo Yanhe brightened.
Luo Yanhe : “Master understands me.”
Shen Yan Ting : “That is not always a compliment.”
Luo Yanhe : “Honesty is truly brutal.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Rest.”
Luo Yanhe glanced at the jade.
Luo Yanhe : “If this becomes another ancient disaster…”
Shen Yan Ting : “It likely will.”
Luo Yanhe : “Master could have lied.”
Shen Yan Ting : “No.”
He turned towards the door, then stopped.
Shen Yan Ting : “Do not investigate alone tonight.”
Chao Lun Hui smiled.
Luo Yanhe : “Master is worried.”
Shen Yan Ting : “Rest.”
Luo Yanhe : “That was not a denial.”
Shen Yan Ting left without answering.
The jade pulsed in Chao Lun Hui’s hand, its light still pointing north.
Somewhere beyond Azure Cloud Sect, the inheritance that had recognised Luo Yanhe’s blood was waiting.
Chao Lun Hui still did not know whether following it meant uncovering another man’s history or stepping deeper into a life that continued to recognise him.
At dawn, he and Shen Yan Ting would follow.
The chapter has now been updated to the latest revised version.
I truly appreciate everyone who waited and continued supporting this story while I worked on improving it.
I hope this updated version gives you a smoother and more enjoyable reading experience.
Thank you for staying with me.
Happy reading!