bookbashuk Chapter 1330 The Key to the Jade Pavilion
Chapter 1330 The Key to the Jade Pavilion
Shao Yun was indeed intrigued by the topic that Ginitch had changed.
"Hibarak?"
Actually, when Sora returned from the Kingdom of Night Gods, he had mentioned to him that Shibarak was going to be revived from the ley lines.
So when I heard the news, I was only slightly interested and not too surprised.
Seeing that he knew about this, Kinich immediately nodded firmly, his tone serious and unquestionable: "Yes! Grandma Cetalli also admitted it, so it can't be wrong."
Then, Kinic changed the subject and tried to suggest to Shao Yun:
"Mr. Shao Yun, don't you want to watch the final competition? You've already missed the earlier rounds, it would be such a pity to miss the final too."
He paused, then added a rather enticing remark.
"And you are also the hero who saved Nata! You fought alongside Lady Mavica against the Abyss and protected Nata."
"Lord Shibarak might be eager to meet you, the valiant warrior who has rendered great service, now that he is back! This is a rare opportunity."
Upon hearing this, Shao Yun also wanted to take advantage of the excitement of the Returning Fire Saint Night Pilgrimage to give himself a short break, to see the grand finale, and perhaps even meet the legendary first-generation fire god, Shibarak.
But just as he was about to agree, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the backyard ranch. He then shook his head helplessly, pointed there, and said:
"Of course I'd like to take a break and join in the fun, but you know how it is, my cattle and sheep can't be left unattended."
“Especially this past week, with Ying not at home, my biological clock has been completely messed up.”
Immediately afterwards, Shao Yun sighed with a wry smile, his tone full of helplessness.
“Look, it’s almost noon now, and the cattle and sheep are still locked up in their pens. The ranch needs people to work, and I really can’t leave.”
Ginich glanced at the backyard in the direction Shao Yun was pointing, and could vaguely hear the sounds of cattle and sheep. He knew that the work on the ranch couldn't be delayed.
He could only nod helplessly and say, "Alright then, I understand your difficulties. The ranch is indeed important. I won't bother you any longer. I wish you a happy life."
"Okay, I wish you good luck in the competition and hope you win the championship!" Shao Yun smiled and waved to him.
Kinich waved in response, turned and walked out of the ranch, quickly disappearing into the distance.
……
After Kinich left, Shao Yun carried the package and hurried back to the main house, his curiosity completely piqued.
The package only had his home address written on it, without indicating the sender or the contents... Shao Yun thought it was a package Ying had ordered delivered to his home.
He placed the package on the coffee table in the living room, pulled out a dagger, and carefully cut the rope on the outer layer of the oil paper.
The oil paper wrapped the package very tightly, and Shao Yun had to unwrap several layers before he could finally see what was inside.
Three rosewood boxes, square and identical in size, with simple patterns engraved on their surfaces, look... kind of familiar...
I feel like I've seen this before in Liyue... I think it's... the Hall of Rebirth? This is an urn!
Shao Yun almost thought it was a prank. Who would send an urn containing ashes to his home?!
It wasn't until he reached out and picked up the top wooden box that he noticed a small note stuck to the edge of the lid, with a name written in neat handwriting.
Shao Yun leaned closer for a look, his pupils shrinking slightly: "This name is... Baiwen?"
He immediately took the three wooden boxes out of the package one by one, placed them neatly on the coffee table, and carefully examined the note on each box.
The other two boxes were labeled "Hundred Knowledges" and "Hundred Abilities" respectively.
Upon seeing these two names, Shao Yun instantly realized that this was no prank at all; these were the ashes of Ningguang's three secretaries in Liyue!
Shao Yun was stunned when his gaze suddenly fell on a white envelope pressed against the bottom of the package. The upper right corner of the envelope clearly read "Sender: Ye Lan".
He picked up the envelope, his fingertips gripping the edge, without the slightest intention of opening it.
Yelan was Ningguang's former subordinate, and this letter was clearly written to Ningguang. It may contain information about the aftermath of the three secretaries or the current situation in Liyue.
But these are all Ningguang's private matters, and he has no right to look into them without permission.
Shao Yun placed the envelope next to the three urns, knowing that this matter had to be handled by Ning Guang herself. All he could do was hand the contents over to her untouched.
So he called out towards the second floor, "Ningguang, come here for a second!"
No sooner had the sound faded than a series of hurried footsteps echoed from the second floor.
Ningguang was cleaning the bedroom on the second floor when she heard Shaoyun's call. She immediately put down the broom and ran downstairs.
She ran up to Shao Yun, slightly out of breath, and asked in confusion, "Mr. Shao Yun, what's wrong? Is there anything you need?"
Shao Yun didn't answer directly, but stepped aside to make way, pointed to the three rosewood boxes and the white envelope on the coffee table, and explained:
"Ginich just delivered a package. I thought it was something Ying sent back, so I opened the outer packaging."
"The contents of the box contained the ashes of Baiwen, Baishi, and Baixiao, along with a letter from Yelan to you..."
Fearing that Ningguang might misunderstand and think he had looked at the content, he quickly added a sentence.
"Don't worry, I didn't touch the urn or read the letter. I just confirmed the name and knew it was yours. You can see for yourself the details."
The moment Ningguang's gaze fell upon the three rosewood urns on the coffee table, her heart skipped a beat.
The familiar name, and the words "urn" that Shao Yun had just mentioned, caused her heart to ache.
“Ashes…” Ningguang’s mind went blank for a moment, and her lips moved slightly uncontrollably.
Those memories of spending time with Baiwen, Baishi, and Baixiao come to mind.
The three people who stood firmly by her side when she was in trouble, the three people who smiled and said they would follow her forever... But now, those three vibrant figures can only be turned into these three cold wooden boxes in front of us.
Seeing Ningguang's distraught state, Shao Yun picked up the intact envelope from the coffee table, handed it to her, and said:
"Why don't you take a look at the letter Ye Lan wrote to you? Perhaps it contains things you want to know, such as... the arrangements for the three secretaries' funerals?"
The moment Shao Yun picked up the envelope, he clearly felt that the letter was heavier than ordinary letters. His fingertips also touched the tiny bumps inside the envelope, indicating that small items were packed inside.
However, he didn't say much, but simply handed the envelope steadily to Ningguang.
Ningguang blankly took the envelope, then tore open the seal and reached inside to feel around. As her fingertips touched the paper, she also touched a cold, hard object.
She instinctively turned the envelope upside down, and a neatly folded letter fell out, landing in her hand along with a brass key.
The key was entirely brass-colored and looked quite old.
Ningguang looked down at the key in her palm, her eyes suddenly narrowed, her pupils dilated instantly, and disbelief replaced the sadness on her face.
"This is... the key to my Jade Pavilion?"
When Shao Yun heard that the key in Ning Guang's hand actually belonged to Qunyu Pavilion, he was somewhat surprised and subconsciously asked, "Does your Qunyu Pavilion still have keys?"
Ningguang gripped the key tightly, her emotions gradually calming down.
She nodded, carefully put the keys into her pocket, and explained with a sense of loss:
"In the beginning, Qunyu Pavilion was only the size of one room, and it was just my personal residence. Since it was a residence, it definitely needed a lock..."
She paused, then continued, "But as you know, the Jade Pavilion is suspended high in the sky. Ordinary thieves simply don't have the means to fly that high, and the door locks are useless."
"Moreover, as my business has grown bigger and bigger, Qunyu Pavilion has also been expanded, and we have hired servants to be responsible for daily security."
"After I become the Tianquan Star of the Liyue Seven Stars, the Jade Pavilion will be under the 24/7 security of the Thousand Rock Army, with defense measures more stringent than any lock."
"Later on, Qunyu Pavilion became my office. Subordinates and guests came and went every day. It would be inconvenient to lock and open the door every day."
"Over time, I even forgot that Qunyu Pavilion had a door lock, and I didn't pay attention to this key either, thinking that I had lost it long ago."
"I never expected... that Ye Lan would actually find it and send it to me..."
After listening to Ningguang's explanation of the key to the Jade Pavilion, Shao Yun nodded in understanding.
“That makes sense. With so many servants and the Thousand Rock Army maintaining the safety of the Jade Pavilion, the defenses are already tight enough. Locking the doors is unnecessary and would only cause trouble.”
Ningguang gave a soft "hmm" and her gaze returned to the letter in her hand.
She was just about to unfold the letter when she suddenly stopped.
Then, she raised her head, turned her gaze to Shao Yun, and said softly, "Why don't you take a look first, Mr. Shao Yun..."
As he spoke, he handed the unfurled letter to Shao Yun.
Upon seeing this, Shao Yun froze on the spot, instinctively taking half a step back, and quickly waved his hand to politely decline:
"No, no, this is a letter Yelan wrote to you; it's your private letter."
"I don't want to pry into your privacy. You can look at it yourself. If there's anything I can help you with, we can talk about it after you've finished reading."