Imperial Treasure

Chapter 525 - 345: Book Pavilion Tower, Fragments

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When Sui Yi arrived at his accommodation in Little Lotus Village and saw the high tower of the Book Pavilion across the Lotus Pond and the river, he felt a sense of time stretched long, and the nostalgic bonds of the past were as they had been.

However, the man who used to wear light clothing, with a face as elegant and pure as a lotus but whose words were cold...

Was the same as ever.

"Looking at your eyes, could it be that you’re thinking of the time when you fell into the river and I fished you out in such an embarrassing state? Truly like a frog."

This man seldom had any nice words to say.

Sui Yi turned to look at him, "At that time, I had lost consciousness, so whether I was like a frog, I truly wouldn’t know, but I do know that Mr. Yi really has the essence of Grand Duke Jiang’s fishing skills."

"Ha, you think of yourself as Ji Fa? I never knew the great Sui Yi would boast about himself," said Yi Chilian, unable to hold back a smile, his expression relaxed and at ease, lacking the impatience and aloofness he showed when dealing with others on a regular basis.

"What I meant was you haven’t been able to catch a single fish over the years..."

As Sui Yi spoke, he glanced at the fish basket beside Yi Chilian.

Didn’t catch one then, didn’t catch one this time either...

The skill truly was at the pinnacle of awfulness.

Yi Chilian’s mouth twitched slightly, and he said lightly, "You not saying one nice thing is even less comfortable than a frog that has passed out."

Sui Yi turned his head, thinking that this man actually had the audacity to say such things...

However, Yi Chilian knew all too well that fishing was always his weak point. Seeing Sui Yi’s calm and tranquil gaze, he felt somewhat unnatural and stood up, "Although fishing can relax the body and mind, it does get boring after a while. Come, let’s go to the Book Pavilion...."

Are you sure it’s not boring simply because you’ve never managed to catch a fish?

But Sui Yi had come particularly for the Book Pavilion, and so he followed Yi Chilian.

The high tower of the Book Pavilion was a place Sui Yi had glimpsed once and longed to visit, not within the villa itself but in the direction of the backyard, and separated by a riverbank, with the tower on the opposite side.

The two men boarded a small boat, and Yi Chilian displayed some gentlemanly demeanor by rowing himself...

Sui Yi was also at ease, standing on one end of the boat amidst the slowly growing reeds in the lake, with green lotuses in the river along the shore swaying in the gentle breeze—an extremely lovely scene.

The distinguished nobleman Yi Chilian, with effortless rowing, turned his head inadvertently, and caught sight of a woman standing at the other end of the boat, dressed in deep-blue linen trousers and a grey-white linen long-sleeved shirt. The boat bobbed and swayed; her tall, slender figure and flowing black hair created an alluring yet liberated beauty that seemed almost unattainable.

The unattainable was not limited to her flowing hair; as she turned to gaze upon the distant scenery, her side profile seemed blurred by the wind, giving the impression that her brows and eyes were more sublime than the limpid water and vast sky.

For a moment, it appeared as though the person viewing her was plunged into a world akin to an ink wash painting...

Noticing the gaze upon her, Sui Yi turned her face around.

Their eyes met.

The thought that ’A gentleman does not gaze without proper reason’ suddenly flashed through the ever so self-assured mind of Mr. Yi.

Thus, he blurted out, "You’re too thin."

With such a remark out of the blue, Sui Yi’s expression inevitably changed, as if to ask... Hum? What do you mean?

Yi Chilian then solemnly explained, "You’re like a sheet of paper, as if the wind could carry you away... It’s really too thin, and it’s not good for a girl to be so skinny."

Sui Yi remained indifferent for a moment before responding, "The boat has stopped moving..."

Her intention was merely to objectively point it out, without any emotional undercurrent; however, in someone’s ears, it sounded like... If I gained some weight, you would struggle even more to row.

And then Mr. Yi felt a naked humiliation!

Hence, the boat, as if endowed with a motor, quickly reached the opposite small island.

This stretch of water was private property belonging to Little Lotus Village, with Yi Chilian naturally being the master of the estate. The two entered the tower, and Sui Yi blinked, only to see the circular shelves embedded in the walls of the tower filled with books, yet the air was devoid of any dust, on the contrary very clean and tranquil.

An elderly man strode up to them with dignity.

"Teacher,"

Mr. Yi nodded, "Uncle Wen, I’ve brought someone who loves to read to have a look around..."

Sui Yi had already realized that this elder must be the one who maintained the cleanliness of the tower on a daily basis, his being suffused with the fragrance of books, which made her quite fond of him.

"Senior," Sui Yi addressed him with flawless manners, eliciting a smile from the old man, though in his heart, he knew that the girl was not brought here for her love of books, but because she was the girl...

Because of this person.

An old hand like Uncle Wen could see through a person in an instant; thus, he said, "You can just call me Uncle Wen. Now, what kind of books would you like to see?"

"Ancients’ biographies, dynastic Records of the Grand Historian, and anything on archaeology would be good too," Sui Yi said, her tastes in books varied, but these were her favorites.

Uncle Wen was surprised; while there were not a few young people who liked to read books these days, it was very rare to see someone interested in these kinds.

"Those books are over there. The teacher knows where they are, he can take you. I’ll excuse myself," said Uncle Wen.

So, Mr. Yi, being amiable, led Sui Yi over...

The ancient texts seemed to be particularly precious, housed in a large separate bookcase...

Yet, next to the large bookcase there was another shelf, on which sat boxes one after another.

"These are ancient items that accompany some of the books... People pass on knowledge, objects serve as strategies, and every one of these cultural relics has a story behind it that could fill several volumes..."

Sui Yi nodded in understanding.

In the following days, she spent her time reading there regularly. Uncle Wen originally thought she was just a woman treated unusually by Yi Chilian, who happened to like reading books and came here for a visit, to take a few books and that would be it...

Little did he expect that her real purpose here was indeed only to read, and Yi Chilian ended up being pushed to the back of her mind...

Of course, Yi Chilian also liked reading, so the two of them got along without issues, immersing themselves in the sea of books. Five days later...

As Sui Yi was reading, she suddenly furrowed her brows, her gaze lingering on a page of the ancient tome for a long time.

"What’s the matter, is there a problem?" Yi Chilian noticed her unusual behavior and spoke up, but in the next second realized he had exposed something about himself.

For instance... whether he was truly reading the book or watching her.

However, Sui Yi obviously didn’t notice this point; she simply looked up and asked in a slightly solemn tone, "Is this the chronicle of a member of your family?"

She turned the book to show him, and on the page of the book was a slightly yellowed thin sheet of paper.

Yi Chilian only needed a glance and said, "It’s my uncle’s handwriting, it must be a handwritten bookmark he left casually, with some records on it..."

Clearly, the issue was not with the book, but with this note...

He glanced at Sui Yi, then lowered his head to read the text...

"In my youth, I obtained this ancient tome and a class of ancient artifacts, which brought me great joy. Accompanying it was an object, a fragment of a shattered mirror, shaped like a crescent moon. Due to its peculiar origins, I grew suspicious and after thorough investigation, I discovered the essence of this object was extraordinary, difficult to match with materials of this world, hence my curiosity deepened, and I carefully preserved it..."

When he read this, he understood where Sui Yi’s abnormal reaction had come from.

"Do you know what this fragment is?"

Sui Yi nodded but did not elaborate. Yi Chilian did not press further and simply looked at her, "Do you want this object?"

"Do you have it?"

"I do, my uncle has passed away... Some of his belongings were left to me, so they are in my hands," said Yi Chilian, noting that Sui Yi’s originally calm countenance showed no change, yet there was a flicker in her eyes.

She indeed seemed extremely eager...

But Sui Yi ultimately said nothing; after all, it was a relic, and this was her first visit. Although not strictly the first, it was indeed not appropriate to speak under such circumstances.

Neither to ask nor to trade would be suitable.

Sui Yi was not a person to resort to any means necessary, so she impassively turned back to continue reading when the other end of the book was held down.

"If you want it, I can give it to you."

Sui Yi looked up, "This is your uncle’s legacy..."

Yi Chilian smiled slightly, "His legacy is numerous, many of which are strange items with unclear origins. I can’t even figure out where they came from, and they just sit idle, not knowing how to handle them... I’d rather exchange it for an answer."

"What answer?"

"What is it?"

What is it? In the past, when others asked, Sui Yi might not have told because it was too mystical; she herself knew little about it, and now the matter involved a High Priest, with Cangwu undoubtedly being a major secret...

"It’s one piece of a mirror, the mirror is known as Cangwu,"

Cangwu?

Before Yi Chilian could ask further, Sui Yi already said, "I indeed need this piece, but I also do not wish for you to be involved... It’s very dangerous."

Yi Chilian was supposed to be silently upset, but he just looked at her steadily and then chuckled, "Although I’m quite pleased, it seems I can’t avoid being involved..."

"Sui Yi, I must tell you, my uncle disappeared because he sought the secrets behind it... It’s been ten years without return, this has been a hidden pain for my family. This Book Pavilion was his legacy to me... One of his lifelong wishes was to find a clue to him. Therefore, I cannot agree to this request alone,"

If it were something else, I would have agreed, right...?

However, as he expected, Sui Yi simply nodded, "Hmm."

This man... he must be incredibly indulgent towards others. With such an open and serene mindset, it made him all the more inscrutable.

Thinking this, Yi Chilian stood up, reached into one of the secret compartments of the shelf of cultural relics, popped open a hidden drawer, and handed a small box to Sui Yi.

"Take a look inside."

Sui Yi actually didn’t need to look; her touch on the box told her everything. She glanced at it and said, "It’s the one."

"I ask nothing more. I give you this fragment and this ancient tome, in the hope that when you find some clues about it in the future, you can inform me... Sui Yi, that is my request," Yi Chilian was indeed very serious, setting aside his affectionate thoughts for her, leaving only solemnity.

It seems his uncle must have been very close to him.

Indeed, if he didn’t truly value someone, why would he stay in such a small place, guarding this library for so many years...

"Alright, I promise you," Sui Yi agreed just as frankly. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)