The Mystery Of The Forest Plum Valley

Yi Ziling was fortunate; the day after she met Lin Youning was Sunday—a wonderful day of rest.

Early that morning, Yi Ziling arrived at Meng Shan’s home. She glanced around; apart from Meng Shan, who was busy preparing tea, Ran Jiu—who usually lived there—was nowhere to be seen.

“Brother Dashan, where is Sister Ran?”

“She went to the market for groceries. She probably won’t be back for a while.”

Meng Shan pushed a freshly brewed cup of tea toward her. “Drink some tea, rest, and then tell me what brings you here. If you’re here to apologize for your parents’ behavior yesterday, forget it. I’ve already told you: no one was in the wrong, so there’s no need to apologize.”

Yi Ziling picked up the cup, slowly blowing on the rising steam. At that moment, Lin Youning’s voice rang out in her mind.

“Is this the fellow you called Meng Shan? Built like a bear… he doesn’t look like a good person. Even though he’s a commoner, he carries a heavy aura of slaughter. He’s likely killed a fair share of people in his time.”

Yi Ziling explained internally, “Brother Dashan used to be a soldier. He fought for the country for years; it’s normal that he’s killed people.”

“Is that so? Perhaps I misjudged him. Never mind that—listen to me. First, ask him if he knows anything about the jade bangle.”

Yi Ziling set her teacup down and spoke sincerely. “Brother Dashan, even if you say that, I still feel I must apologize. I’m so sorry for how my parents treated you and Sister Ran yesterday; it was terrible. But besides apologizing, I came to ask about something else.”

She pointed to the jade bangle on her right wrist. “Brother Dashan, do you know the history of this bangle?”

“Not bad, not bad. Compared to before, you’ve improved quite a bit in intelligence gathering. You’ve realized this bangle isn’t ordinary. I thought you’d be fooled into thinking it was just some old trinket.”

Meng Shan smiled. “I picked this up from an antique shop; it’s a very valuable piece. Luckily, the shop owner didn’t know its true worth and sold it to me at a low price.”

“He’s lying,” Lin Youning said decisively in her head. “People who own shops are the shrewdest of the shrewd. How could he ‘accidentally’ sell something this precious for a pittance?”

Swayed by Lin Youning’s suspicion, Yi Ziling asked, “Brother Dashan, was this really bought at a low price?”

Meng Shan countered with a question: “Xiao Yi, how much do you think this bangle should be worth?”

“A… priceless treasure?”

“And why is that? Why would it be priceless?”

Lin Youning’s voice shrieked again: “Xiao Yi, don’t answer him! He’s fishing for information!”

But the warning came too late. The words had already tumbled out of Yi Ziling’s mouth: “Because this bangle is a treasure of the Frost Plum Valley.”

“Hahaha, quite right.”

To Lin Youning’s surprise, Meng Shan laughed heartily, appearing very satisfied with the answer. “It seems you’ve done your homework, Xiao Yi. So, do you know anything else?”

Remembering Lin Youning’s instructions, Yi Ziling shook her head. “I don’t know anything else.”

“Considering you’ve only had one night, knowing this much is impressive. You’ve really grown. Since that’s the case, there’s no need for me to hide it anymore.” Meng Shan leaned back. “You’re right, I didn’t buy this with money. A friend gave it to me—didn’t cost a cent.”

(In reality, Meng Shan and Liang Jiuyi had given that “friend” a very “friendly” lesson in exchange for it.)

“So,” Meng Shan asked, “Xiao Yi, what is it you truly want to know?”

Yi Ziling hesitated. “I want to know why the Frost Plum Valley vanished. I found some things online, but nothing explains why they disappeared.”

“What’s wrong, Xiao Yi? Worried there are still descendants out there who might come knocking for their treasure? Don’t worry, that won’t happen. But since you’re curious, I’ll tell you what I know.”

Meng Shan began his tale. “Between two and five hundred years ago, the Frost Plum Valley was a dominant sect entrenched near City D. About two hundred years ago, they vanished. The entire sect, along with every disciple, disappeared without a trace. As for why… even I don’t know for sure.”

“Even you don’t know, Brother Dashan?”

“That was two centuries ago. I’m not omniscient. However, I do have a theory.”

Meng Shan opened a drawer and pulled out several old photographs, spreading them before her. They appeared to be very old, depicting massive, bowl-shaped basins overgrown with vegetation. At first glance, there was nothing special about them.

However, before Yi Ziling could even take a closer look, Lin Youning gasped in her mind. “That’s the site where the Frost Plum Valley sat! But why is there only a pit left?!”

“Brother Dashan, what are these photos?”

“They were taken about a hundred years ago with a newly invented camera,” Meng Shan explained. “I looked up the ancient coordinates of the sect and surveyed the site. Aside from the terrain being lower than the surroundings, there was nothing left. I figured time and human activity might have buried the clues, so I looked further back in time. These photos were the result.”

Yi Ziling scratched her head. “What clue is in these pictures?”

“Look at the shape. This is where the sect used to be, yet there’s nothing there. It looks like someone took a giant scoop out of the earth, like a spoon in ice cream, doesn’t it? What does that make you think of?”

Lin Youning whispered: “A Transfer Technique. And an incredibly powerful one at that.”

“A Transfer Technique? Like… space jumping?” Yi Ziling repeated aloud.

Meng Shan nodded. “Exactly. Spatial transfer. And considering the sheer area moved, it would take an exceptionally powerful Transcendent to pull it off. My guess is that two hundred years ago, the Frost Plum Valley was attacked by a hostile Transcendent who used a massive spatial ability to move the entire complex—and the people inside—to an unknown location.”

“Then… they just vanished? To be targeted by someone that strong, they likely met a grim end. I’m certain you aren’t the first person to look for them in the last two centuries. But as for who did it or why? I have no idea. It happened too long ago to dwell on.”

Meng Shan pushed the photos closer. “Look at the quality; these were taken a century ago. Cameras were expensive and bulky back then. No one took photos for fun. The person who took these must have realized, just like us, that this was the work of a spatial Transcendent. They wanted to preserve the evidence before nature erased the scars.”

“But why they were looking for the sect, I don’t know. Wealth, treasures… it’s not surprising. Well, that’s everything I’ve dug up. Anything else?”

Yi Ziling checked internally: “Sister Lin, anything else?”

“No… that’s enough.”

Lin Youning’s voice sounded hollow. She had suspected the sect was gone, but having it confirmed was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Sister Lin, don’t be sad. I’ll stay with you.”

Hearing this, Lin Youning forced herself to perk up. “Who needs your comfort? I am the Valley Master! The old sect is gone, so I’ll just build a new one. As for those enemies who destroyed it… one day, I’ll find them and wipe them out!”

“She’s so strong,” Yi Ziling thought.

Seeing Yi Ziling dazed, Meng Shan asked, “Xiao Yi? Are you listening?”

“Ah! Sorry, Brother Dashan, I drifted off. I just… I just…”

“Just didn’t sleep well last night, right? It was your birthday; it’s normal to stay up late, but don’t make a habit of it. You’re still growing.”

Yi Ziling nodded. “Okay, Brother Dashan. I should be going now.”

“What’s the rush?” Meng Shan shook his head. “Well, fine. It’s good for young people to stay active. Since it’s your day off, go find Xiao An and Xiao Yun. They seemed worried about what happened yesterday.”

Yi Ziling’s expression dimmed for a moment before brightening again. “I will, Brother Dashan.”

“Good. Have fun. But get home early; you have training with Ah Mei tomorrow.”

As she walked away, Lin Youning asked: “Ah Mei? Is that the Ran Jiu woman? She’s going to train you?”

“Yes, is something wrong?”

“Hmph. You are the successor of the Frost Plum Valley! Some unknown woman dares to train you?”

“It’s not like that. Sister Ran is very strong.”

“I don’t believe it. You’re so weak—how could the person teaching you be strong?”