Chapter 77: Mapping the Academy

Li Zisheng examined the newly carved stele. The marks left by the knife and chisel were still remarkably fresh; clearly, it had yet to endure any wind or rain. He had no idea what purpose this newly carved stele served after being placed beyond the ninth pavilion.

The two of them continued onward. Once they passed the stele, they arrived at the Hall of Benevolence where Li Zisheng had come before. Yet this Hall of Benevolence was utterly different from the one he had previously seen. The earlier hall had been flooded with sunlight and blessed with excellent illumination. He had no idea what means Deng Qing had employed, but the place had now been transformed into something gloomy, terrifying, and deeply unsettling.

Ba Liang stayed pressed close behind Li Zisheng, never straying even half a step away. Li Zisheng had noticed that, although Ba Liang usually feared neither Heaven nor earth, he was terrified to the extreme by anything dark and sinister.

Li Zisheng did not know the reason for it, nor was there any need to investigate further. Whatever had happened to Ba Liang in the past must have left a profound mark on him. That was presumably why he reacted so strongly whenever he encountered such things.

None of this concerned Li Zisheng at present. What truly aroused his curiosity was where the underground passage had been built. The moment he entered Lingzhou Academy, he had begun searching for footprints and other traces. The Yishan Stone Inscription was extraordinarily heavy—far heavier than he had imagined—and four sturdy men had carried it directly into Lingzhou Academy.

By all reason, there ought to have been some sign within the academy, some trace left behind when the stele was brought inside.

Yet Li Zisheng had searched with meticulous care all along the way, and to his disappointment, he had not found the slightest trace. It was as though, after carrying the Yishan Stone Inscription into the academy, the four strongmen had simply taken flight, leaving not a single clue behind. It was far too abnormal.

Then there was the appearance of this new Yishan Stone Inscription. Its craftsmanship was virtually identical to that described in Mr. Zhong’s book, yet the degree of wear on the carving clearly showed that it could not have been produced within a mere two days.

And yet it had appeared here.

That alone was enough to prove that Deng Qing and the others had seen the Yishan Stone Inscription long ago and had used it as a model to carve an identical one. This also meant that the Yishan Stone Inscription brought into Lingzhou Academy had served a greater purpose—and had already been moved once again.

Lingzhou Academy was not large. After passing through the nine pavilions, Li Zisheng had practically traversed the entire academy. Judging from that, he had already gained a general understanding of the grounds. The only possibility was that the secret passage lay within the Ten Chambers. But Li Zisheng had seen those chambers along the way, and even an ordinary stele would have been difficult to carry inside, let alone one as massive as the Yishan Stone Inscription. Furthermore, the men who carried it were four burly giants. The likelihood of them lifting the stele into one of those chambers was exceedingly small.

In other words, the secret passage could only be somewhere outside the pavilions. If so, the suspicious locations were limited to the landscape carvings beyond them. The passage must be hidden in one of those places.

That was what Li Zisheng thought, but he did not immediately search for it. He knew that even if he found the passage now, it would serve no practical purpose. On the contrary, it might bring him danger.

Instead, he took out his paper, brush, and ink and began writing and sketching. He recorded every unusual feature of Lingzhou Academy, especially the crucial details, leaving nothing out. Alongside them, he added annotations concerning everything he knew—the Yishan Stone Inscription, the bloody liquid, and all the rest—without omitting the slightest point.

The two of them wandered about for a while longer. Once he had finished recording everything, Li Zisheng and Ba Liang left Lingzhou Academy.

Li Zisheng was not worried that someone might suddenly enter the academy, or that a person might unexpectedly emerge from the underground passage. Judging from his deductions, the reason those bizarre objects had been arranged among the nine pavilions was plainly to obstruct the Heaven-Worshipping and Fengshan rites.

Thus, the purpose behind the nine pavilions was already perfectly clear: they were intended to curse Emperor Xuanzong’s forthcoming ceremony.

Within the Great Tang, opinions concerning gods, ghosts, immortals, and monsters were as varied as they were numerous. Every conceivable explanation existed, enough to leave anyone dumbfounded. But there was one thing Li Zisheng was certain of: whatever lay behind these phenomena, the ultimate purpose was nothing more than to influence the sentiments of the people.

Emperor Taizong’s emphasis on the people had reached its utmost height. If, in this Great Tang, where the people were cherished like children, the popular will united in opposition to the Heaven-Worshipping and Fengshan rites, then Emperor Xuanzong would have no choice but to abandon the plan outright. There would be no room for negotiation. By then, the matter would directly threaten his authority, and he would have no choice but to take it seriously.

Especially since the proposal for the rites had come from the father of Governor Zhang—Grand Councilor Zhang Yue. He had declared that Emperor Xuanzong had attained literary achievement and martial virtue sufficient to fulfill Heaven’s mandate, and that the Heaven-Worshipping and Fengshan rites were therefore inevitable.

After completely recording a map of the area, Li Zisheng prepared to leave.

At this point, Lingzhou Academy held nothing more of interest for him, so long as the map he had drawn remained intact.

Li Zisheng and Ba Liang returned to the streets. They were still desolate, although the stench had dissipated considerably compared with the previous few days.

Li Zisheng deliberately searched for a while. Deep down, he remained worried about the young Turk girl from the Ashina clan. He did not know where she had gone, nor whether she was safe.

Ashina Zanghe had been killed by Deng Qing. Presumably, the other Turks had found it difficult to escape with their lives as well.

The two of them returned to the camp. Its location remained ideal, nestled against the mountains and beside the water. If anyone came, they could hide in the rear hills, where no one would be able to find them. Thus, the two returned to the camp first. Although Yuecheng now appeared to be completely deserted, Li Zisheng knew that deadly danger was concealed beneath the surface. Fortunately, they had learned of it in advance and had been able to avoid disaster and evade the hidden watchers.

The moment they returned to the camp, Ba Liang was about to speak when Li Zisheng suddenly seized his arm.

There was firelight inside the tent!