Chapter 83: Infiltrating Azure Bird Lake
The Empress Dowager walked out of the library and strolled through the imperial gardens. Partly to dispel her sorrow, and partly to investigate Xueze’s whereabouts.
The sun had set behind the western hills, its rosy glow filling the sky, yet no one paused to truly appreciate such a magnificent sunset. Too many hurried footsteps, too few interesting souls; people came and went, seldom lifting their heads to gaze at the heavens in leisure.
She had just arrived in the gardens and had barely had a chance to admire the scenery when Eunuch Li rushed over in great haste.
“Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!”
“What is it? Why are you so flustered?”
“Those two masters have entered the forbidden grounds of the imperial gardens!”
“What? Where are they now?”
“Forgive my incompetence—I dispatched many to follow them, but we lost track!”
“When did this happen?”
“They have been missing for three hours!”
“This—”
Anxiously, the Empress Dowager hurried toward Azure Bird Lake, paying no heed to the maids and eunuchs who tried to stop or persuade her.
Fengxing, patrolling nearby, witnessed this scene with surprise and quickly went to inform Liu Li.
Liu Li was deeply stirred upon hearing the news and followed Fengxing to Azure Bird Lake. By the time they arrived, night had already fallen. The lake was deserted, silent, its emptiness almost oppressive.
Only the shimmer of the lake and the chorus of insects brought some vitality to the scene; everything else echoed with deathly silence, sending involuntary shivers through those who entered.
“Your Majesty, there is no one here. Perhaps we should return?” Fengxing suggested.
“Did you truly see my mother come this way?” Liu Li was worried and astonished. He thought: I took Xueze to the manor, she has learned much about the case, why would she still come here to investigate? Could it be they suspect something unusual about this place?
“I only saw the Empress Dowager walking in this direction, with palace maids trying to dissuade her. Most likely she has already returned, Your Majesty need not worry.”
“But those two are still here, with no news. How can I not be concerned?”
“They are extraordinarily capable; Your Majesty needn’t fret. If anything, Your Majesty, so full of masculine vigor, encountered a female ghost just last night. Tonight, it’s best not to wander too much!”
“You think I truly fear such things? My martial arts may not match Gao Hai’s, but I am not far behind, and I know some methods for dealing with demons and spirits. How could I shrink back?”
“But Your Majesty is the pillar of the nation; you must care for your own safety!”
“Enough. As the pillar, I must bear the weight and protect others. Those two are now missing, their fate unknown—how can I rest easy? If you’re worried, pay close attention to our surroundings. We’re going in to investigate!”
Fengxing glanced at the lake, feeling a chill. Only moonlight and a few fireflies lit the place; the dim light, the biting wind, and the suspicious shadows made it truly unnerving.
As they walked, a strange object suddenly appeared on the path, causing both men to stop in surprise.
“What is that?”
“It looks like a frog!”
Their sudden movement startled the frog, which hopped into the lake, sending up a splash. Fengxing shielded Liu Li, but some droplets still landed on his hand.
“This water feels oddly warm,” Liu Li remarked.
“I feel it too. Please wait, Your Majesty; let me examine it more closely.”
Fengxing crouched, alertly surveying their surroundings.
“Your Majesty, try it yourself.”
He scooped some water, letting Liu Li feel it. Liu Li reached out and was taken aback.
“The water is actually this hot?”
“Yes, at first I thought it was just the heat from my skin, but it’s truly the lake’s temperature. The plants and air are cold, the wind biting, yet the water is so warm—quite strange.”
“If the shore is like this, the center must be even warmer. Perhaps the two stayed because they noticed the unusual temperature?”
“Is there no other way out around Azure Bird Lake? Do you think they lingered here?”
“There’s only one entrance, always guarded. If they stayed for hours by the lake, they would have been found. It seems they are truly not here.”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty? Could they—”
Fengxing looked at the lake, his thoughts seeming incredible. Such a vast lake, with deep waters—who could stay submerged for so long?
Liu Li’s expression grew grave. “Perhaps the secret is hidden within the lake, and they have already discovered it.”
“What should we do?”
“What do you think?” Liu Li shed his outer robe, thinking: Xueze, how reckless you are! The environment below the lake is not fit for prolonged stay. You and Gao Hai, please be safe—wait for me!
Fengxing was startled, staring at Liu Li in disbelief. “Your Majesty wouldn’t actually go in, would you? The water is unfathomably deep, and who knows what awaits below. It’s not wise!”
“It doesn’t matter. I know you can’t swim—I won’t ask you to go in. Stay here and wait for me. I’ll investigate and return shortly.”
Fengxing grabbed Liu Li, whispering, “Your Majesty, weren’t we searching for the Empress Dowager? If there’s no one here, and they aren’t in danger, shouldn’t we ask her? If you go underwater and she learns of it, she may—”
“No need to worry,” Liu Li replied, taking two steps forward. “Mother hasn’t found them, she must have returned to the palace. It’s not important now. Those two have been underwater for so long, their situation unknown, likely in peril—I must see for myself!”
“Your Majesty, please don’t! Let me find someone skilled in swimming—”
“No need. Keep this quiet—the fewer who know, the better! I’ve barely explored half my own realm, but I’ve seen the palace scenery thousands of times. Now that I have a chance to discover something new, how can I let it slip by?”
Immersed in Azure Bird Lake, it was as though sinking into a hot spring, warmer the deeper he went.
Diving dozens of meters below, the heat was stifling, as if a great fire burned at the bottom, yet the source shifted unpredictably.
“There is indeed something strange here. My master once made me practice holding my breath underwater—now it finally comes in handy!”
Thinking this, Liu Li was about to swim deeper when a sudden flash of light startled him.
In that moment, a whirlpool rushed from behind, and before he could react, he was swept into its grip. Unable to resist, he followed the vortex downward.
After a long while, he felt himself touch ground.
About a quarter hour later, Liu Li awoke, surprisingly able to breathe normally. Looking around, he realized he was still underwater.
How could this be?
Though still damp, his clothes were nearly dry; the temperature here felt as if he stood under the summer sun. Yet where did this dry, airy atmosphere come from, with wind blowing on all sides?
“How can there be such a place at the bottom of a lake? This resembles the legendary underwater palace—”
He stood, bewildered, discovering he could walk freely as if on land. Surveying the area, nothing stood out except for a transparent barrier that kept the water at bay. The place looked just like a room submerged in the lake, surrounded on all sides by water.
“What is this place? Why did I end up here?”
His soft exclamation attracted many dark shapes, all pressing against the thin transparent wall, fierce and terrifying.
“What are these?”
Liu Li paused, refusing to dwell on the ghastly forms. Instead, he found a path and walked forward.
“They must have discovered this place too, likely searching nearby for clues. Yet I’ve lived here for years and never knew Azure Bird Lake hid such oddities. Could she have uncovered something extraordinary? Forbidden grounds truly conceal secrets!”
He walked quickly, suddenly hearing a strange sound, prompting him to glance around.
Everywhere he stepped, fiery red marks appeared, each resembling a burning flame, with fierce, penetrating eyes staring out from within.
“What are these things?”
Without pondering, he spotted a glimmer ahead and hurried toward it.
Looking back occasionally, Liu Li noticed that the closer he got to the light, the fewer red marks there were, and so he quickened his pace.
Arriving at the source, he found a brilliantly glowing red pearl. The gem shone with a vivid red, tinged with purple.
It rested on a large round pedestal, from which red liquid flowed—either colored by the jewel’s radiance or resembling the hue of blood.
Above the pedestal hovered the radiant red pearl, casting its strange light in all directions.
“How could a thing like this be here? The furnishings seem designed around it, marking its importance. Could it belong to the master of this place? If so, is the master the culprit? If the master is the murderer, then this must be their most prized possession!”