Chapter 113: The Strange Condition of Crimson Glory

However, Li Zisheng was not foolish enough to blurt out his questions directly. Dragging his exhausted body, he had followed behind that hoarse voice for about the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, and finally, they reached the exit of the tunnel.

Just like before, the exit of this tunnel followed the same pattern, concealed within an artificial rockery. Everyone followed the hoarse voice out of the tunnel.

True to her word, Yanhong was indeed waiting outside. Seeing Li Zisheng and Liu Ziling emerge, a smile appeared on Yanhong's face.

"Esteemed young masters, you must have had a tiring journey. Yanhong has already prepared fine food and wine. Would you care to partake in a meal before continuing our journey overland?" Yanhong asked, looking at the group who had just reached the surface.

"We shall defer to Hall Master Yan's arrangements," Liu Ziling answered on behalf of everyone. The others silently tacitly agreed with his words.

The group followed Yanhong to the quarters prepared for their rest. Along the way, everyone remained tight-lipped, not uttering a single word. However, Li Zisheng noticed something peculiar: Yanhong's demeanor had undergone a transformation. If the Yanhong he had seen previously could be considered a standard template, this Yanhong appeared far more composed than the one he remembered, almost as if her entire personality had been swapped out. Yet, the discrepancy between this Yanhong and the one he knew was stark, a fact he was entirely certain of.

What on earth was going on here? Li Zisheng was utterly baffled as to why Yanhong could change so rapidly; this was simply not normal.

A rather surreal thought crept into Li Zisheng's mind—could this Yanhong perhaps not be the same Yanhong after all?

Could there truly be two people in this world who looked so remarkably alike? Even down to the most minute detail, such as her pale complexion, which bore the posture of someone who had lived underground for years—that was something impossible to fake. Perhaps he was simply being overly sensitive; after all, how could such a coincidence happen in this vast world?

Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, Li Zisheng stopped dwelling on the mystery and continued following them until they arrived outside a pavilion.

Engraved upon the exterior of this pavilion were the three characters: "Three Tastes Residence".

Yet another Three Tastes Residence.

The architecture of this Three Tastes Residence was nearly identical to the one Li Zisheng had seen in Lecheng, Lingzhou.

As soon as everyone stepped into the Three Tastes Residence, fine wine and exquisite dishes were already neatly arranged across the tables. Seeing the spread of food and wine, a wave of hunger washed over them, so they cast aside formalities and took their seats one by one. Throughout the meal, silence prevailed. Even Yanhong, who in Li Zisheng's previous experience had been quite talkative, remained tight-lipped now, not uttering a single word during the entire repast. She did not inquire about a single thing concerning their journey along the way. Yet, her silence felt somewhat ordinary under the circumstances, as nothing particularly momentous worth recounting had happened during their trip, or so Li Zisheng reasoned to himself.

During the meal, Liu Ziling maintained an air of utter calm, keeping silent and refusing to cast even a single glance in Li Zisheng's direction. He simply occupied himself with the food and wine at his own table.

Li Zisheng also sensed the abnormality of the gathering; it was as if everyone was entirely absorbed in their own affairs, completely lacking the proper atmosphere that a dining table should have. This was truly abnormal. However, Li Zisheng failed to discover any other peculiarities, so he simply followed the others' example and ate quietly. As for Ba Liang, he had long since lost himself in the intoxicating aroma of the food, completely incapable of paying attention to anyone else, let alone noticing anything unusual.

Once the meal was finished, everyone returned to the individual rooms Yanhong had arranged for them beforehand, with each person occupying a separate chamber.

Upon entering his room, Li Zisheng prepared to take a short nap on the bed.

The room had been prepared well in advance, and sandalwood incense was already burning. Li Zisheng had caught the scent of this fragrance early on; it was rich and deep, yet not pungent. Burning it in such a manner, even if it didn't necessarily aid sleep or calm the mind, certainly helped him relax considerably.

The sky outside was still bright. Although they had spent nearly the entire night traveling underground in the wind-driven carriage, the glaring daylight outside left Li Zisheng entirely devoid of sleepiness. In fact, inhaling the dense aroma of the sandalwood only made him even more wide awake.

Therefore, he took out two volumes from his cloth bag—*Records of Heavenly Destiny* and *Comprehensive Interpretation of Seal Script*—and began to read, hoping to find a method to decipher the Yishan Inscriptions before reaching Feilong Valley.

The Yishan Inscriptions were the legendary masterpiece of Prime Minister Li Si of Qin. Although the lines between the texts exclusively praised the monumental achievements of Qin Shi Huang, the true meaning hidden beneath the surface remained completely unknown to him. Therefore, he still needed to grasp the profound and obscure truths hidden within the Yishan Inscriptions as quickly as possible before arriving at Feilong Valley in Lingwu.

Li Zisheng began comparing the *Records of Heavenly Destiny* word for word. He had no idea who the author of this text was, but it harbored numerous esoteric Daoist philosophies of the Five Elements alongside an overwhelming abundance of intricate ritual protocols for sacrificial ceremonies—a feat that Li Zisheng could not help but deeply admire. If the author of the *Records of Heavenly Destiny* was indeed a single individual, it was impossible that he had never left a trace in historical records; such a colossal masterpiece could truly be described as magnificent.

Although Li Zisheng had yet to fully comprehend the contents, he had already gained a tentative, half-understood grasp of them. The material recorded herein far exceeded his imagination. The further he read, the more he realized how complex and convoluted the text truly was, and the greater his awe grew toward the author's boundless capability.

As Li Zisheng was engrossed in reading the *Records of Heavenly Destiny*, the dim oil lamp emitted a faint popping sound. He had no idea how the buildings of the Three Tastes Residence were constructed; while daylight illuminated the entire room, the writing desk happened to be trapped in a shadow, forcing him to light a lamp even in broad daylight just to make out the characters in the book clearly. Thus, Li Zisheng had no choice but to tend to the lamp and continue reading by its flame.

However, before he had been reading for long, a series of light taps sounded against the door panels.

Li Zisheng walked over to the door and, sure enough, found a figure standing outside.

"Young Master Li, Yanhong has come to pay her respects."

"Please, come right in, Hall Master Yan."

Yanhong pushed open the door and stepped into Li Zisheng's room.

"Young Master Li, might I ask if Young Master Liu Ziling has said anything specific to you?"

Li Zisheng never expected Yanhong to be so direct; the moment she saw him, she brought up this very question. Yet, during the meal just moments ago, she had remained completely silent. Could all of that posture have been merely an act put on for Liu Ziling's benefit?

Even so, the question Yanhong posed caught Li Zisheng somewhat off guard, leaving him uncertain of how to respond.

However, Li Zisheng was no ordinary man. After a brief moment of reflection, he knew exactly how to handle the situation.

"I am not quite sure why Hall Master Yan is asking this. Li finds himself somewhat at a loss."