The Glory After Rebirth

Yuwen Tong read the next few pages and found something intriguing. The manuscript said that all emperors of the Xia dynasty had great trust in the Foreseers Agency, that they not only stored in the department manuals on martial formations they collected, but also wanted the department to stand for all eternity, as they believed the Xia would, which was why they conferred on the Foreseers Agency another name – the Deca-millennium Pavilion.

‘The Deca-millennium Pavilion...’ He remembered that the words written on Ling Zhang’s handbook were A phoenix secluded itself in mountains shall transcend eternity.

‘Deca-millennium, eternity... there seems to be some kind of connection between the two.’

His speculation was confirmed in the next few pages of the manuscript, the author mentioned foreseers of the Deca-millennium Pavilion were descendants of phoenixes, which were ancient sacred birds.

First the saying ‘A phoenix secluded itself in mountains shall transcend eternity.

Now this manuscript, plus Deca-millennium…

Yuwen Tong didn’t think this was a coincidence.

Back in that year, as the Xia, a powerful united nation, fell apart splitting into four smaller countries, the Foreseers Agency of the Xia also disappeared in that disaster, but maybe it didn’t thoroughly perish, maybe it survived.

At the end of the manuscript, there was another sentence: A phoenix flying out of seclusion shall rule all.

Yuwen Tong recalled that when he’d been a young boy, he’d once followed his grandfather into this book chamber and accidentally disarranged the books on one of the bookshelves. One of the books had fallen down. He’d picked it up out of curiosity, casually cast an eye over it and seemed to have read this sentence. But he’d been too young, and his memory had not been as amazingly retentive as he’d been afterwards. On top of this, at that time his vocabulary had been quite limited, and after picking up that book, he’d just casually browsed it for a few moments when his grandfather had taken it away and put it back onto the bookshelf, which was why that sentence on Ling Zhang’s handbook had seemed familiar to him but he couldn’t remember where he’d read it no matter how hard he’d tried.

Yuwen Tong finished reading the manuscript in his hand. Most of the contents were about martial formations of the last dynasty. Information about the Deca-millennium Pavilion in it was rather sketchy. The main point of it was about those martial formations collected by the imperial family of the Xia. The manuscript said that diagrams of many formations had been consigned to oblivion with the division of the Xia.

‘Maybe those formations Ling Zhang know about were among those.

Ling Zhang once said that it was his mother who taught him those formations. His mother’s family background was very mysterious, and Ling Zhang has been quite secretive about it...’

Yuwen Tong checked some other books and found that there was no other useful information, but at least he was now positive about one thing: though the Xia had perished, the Foreseers Agency of the Xia had not really disappeared. It’s been hidden in the shadows and unknown to the whole world for centuries.

From Ling Zhang’s unwillingness to talk about his mother’s parentage, it could be deduced that this organization had very strict rules, and members of it were not allowed to disclose its existence to outsiders.

After locking the door of the book chamber, Yuwen Tong, who had a shrewd idea, planned to had his subordinates look into it as soon as he returned.

However, on his arrival at the Ling Mansion, he sensed that something was not quite right in the residence.

“Marshal, Childe Ling came back. He’s in a filthy mood. I think something happened. He wants you to go to the study to see him after your return.”

Yuwen Tong’s brow corrugated in a slight frown. ‘At this hour?’

Miao Shiba walked up on his own account and told Yuwen Tong what Ling Zhang had done earlier this day.

‘The new professor, in all likelihood, is a descendant of a member of the Foreseers Agency of the last dynasty. Did Ling Zhang by any chance go to meet him because he is...’

Yuwen Tong immediately hurried to the study and pushed the door open.

Ling Zhang was sitting inside contemplating, appearing in low spirits. As he saw Yuwen Tong walk inside, his face softened noticeably.

“Yao Yi said that you went back home to look into something. Did you find what you want?”

Yuwen Tong inclined his head. “I did.”

He felt Ling Zhang’s forehead, stroked his cheek and said, “What did that old man say to you to make you so down?”

Ling Zhang’s lips clamped tightly together. After a long silence, he replied, “It was about my parents.”

‘Then it was definitely not some very good news. Otherwise he wouldn’t have been in such a foul mood,’ thought Yuwen Tong. Recalling what he’d just ascertained, he queried, “You want to talk about it?”

Ling Zhang gave a nod. Before Yuwen Tong’s return, he’d been hesitating over it, but now he’d made up his mind.

“Do you know that there used to be a department called the Foreseers Agency in the last dynasty?” Ling Zhang inquired.

‘I knew it.’ Yuwen Tong’s heart gave a slight lurch. He answered, “I do. When the Xia still ruled this land, the Deca-millennium Pavilion’s standing was second to only that of the emperor. It was very influential at that time. Rumor has it that foreseers of the Deca-millennium Pavilion were descendants of phoenixes and wielded great powers. Afterwards the Xia perished and the Foreseers Agency disappeared...”

After saying this, Yuwen Tong told Ling Zhang what he had just found. “Just now I went back home, checked the books in my grandfather’s book chamber and found out one thing – the mental cultivation method you’ve been following is related to the Deca-millennium Pavilion of the last dynasty. Am I right?”

Ling Zhang looked at him in amazement. It’d never crossed his mind that Yuwen Tong would find out about this so quick.

‘It seems that even if I don’t tell him anything, he would ascertain everything sooner or later.’

“Yes.”

With this as a start, telling the rest of the story was much easier. Ling Zhang informed Yuwen Tong of all that his uncle and the old man – the one who claimed to be his maternal grandfather – had told him previously.

“... He hasn’t come back home for so many years, showing a total disregard for our feelings. I should’ve kept hating him, but when it came to my knowledge that he’d sustained severe injuries and narrowly escaped death and had been in a coma all these years, I found that I no longer hated him that much, but the very thought of him leaving me and my grandfather keeps me from granting him forgiveness. And there’s also the matter of the Millennium Pavilion – the relations between my mother and this organization was too complicated, but it was also the reason why my father survived. Right now I’m totally confused as to what my attitude should be towards it. Just now I was in an unquiet state of mind, and I left in such haste that I didn’t even call him grandfather.”

Yuwen Tong a few moments ago had got a shrewd idea of what was going on, but it surprised him that the context of it was so complex. No wonder Ling Zhang was now in a somewhat troubled state of mind.

He was aware that Ling Zhang was telling him these things not only because he trusted him but also because he wanted him to help him make a decision.

Yuwen Tong said, “From the vantage point of the present, the Millennium Pavilion harbors no hostility towards you. Otherwise they wouldn’t have allowed you to teach those martial formations to others. Also, your grandfather specially gave you a handbook on mental cultivation. On top of this, they saved your father’s life. As regards what happened to your mother... I understand what you feel, and I think instead of mulling over it in this room, you might as well ask them, get to the bottom of the business and put an end to it.”

Ling Zhang’s perplexed mind gradually cleared. He looked at Yuwen Tong and asked, “Are you saying that I should go to the Millennium Pavilion and figure everything out?”

Yuwen Tong inclined his head. “If I were in your shoes, I’d talk to people of the Millennium Pavilion face to face and settle it once and for all. You have hatred for the Millennium Pavilion, so you should go there and bring this hatred to an end, but because they saved your father’s life and you don’t know whether it’s right or not to keep hating them, you should also go there and repay this favor. The two of them are not mutually exclusive. Given that these things have just come to your knowledge, it’s normal that you’re in a confused state of mind and your judgement feels clouded, but be it resentment or gratitude, once you talk things through with them face to face, you’ll know what you should do. Besides, you father is still healing his wounds in the Millennium Pavilion. We have to go and see him, no matter what.”

The puzzlement in Ling Zhang’s eyes gradually dissolved. ‘Yuwen Tong’s right. I should go and talk it over with them instead of staying here overthinking. No matter whether I should have hatred for or gratitude to them, sooner or later the day would come when I have to get this matter settled.’

As if a giant rock weighing him down had just been removed, he couldn’t help but heave a deep sigh of relief.

Yuwen Tong, seeing his relieved expression, came to know that he’d come round, so he offered, “I’ll go with you if you like.”

Of course Ling Zhang would like Yuwen Tong to go with him. Yuwen Tong’s company always gave him the feeling that no harm could ever come to him.

“Tomorrow I’ll pay another visit to... my grandfather and talk things through with him.”

The words ” grandfather” still felt unacquainted. Ling Zhang entertained a complaint against the old man as well, but contrary to the complaint, there was also gratitude, for the old man had come to his father’s rescue... Just like Yuwen Tong had said, these were separate issues, and it was undeniable that the old man was his maternal grandfather.

“I’m going with you,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang was somewhat hesitant. “He doesn’t know yet that I’ve told you about these things. I fear that...”

Yuwen Tong, who understood what Ling Zhang was worrying about, remarked, “As far as I could tell, given that he’s given you the handbook, he should’ve anticipated that you’d tell me about these things. Tomorrow I’ll pay him a visit with you. After we meet him, we listen to him and play it by ear.”

Ling Zhang gave a bob of his head. “Okay.”

A while ago his mind had been in a whirl, but Yuwen Tong had helped him sort his thoughts out in such a short time. Ling Zhang, having figured out what he should do, was naturally in a much better mood.

He opened his mouth intending to thank Yuwen Tong, but then recalled that Yuwen Tong didn’t like it when he said thanks to him, for it made him feel like a stranger. Therefore, he walked up to Yuwen Tong, hugged him and rubbed his face against his chest. “I feel much better now.”

Yuwen Tong, who understood what he meant, gave a smile, lowered his head and kissed him on the forehead, putting his arms tightly around his waist.

The matter of the Millennium Pavilion was by no means a trifle. Even if the imperial family of the Great Yue didn’t believe this kind of things, once the existence of the Millennium Pavilion came to their knowledge, they would definitely take action, and the other countries would no doubt make their move as well, so for the moment, the fact that the Millennium Pavilion still existed must be kept secret.

It was Ling Zhang’s maternal grandfather that the two of them would be meeting the next day. Though it’d been merely one day that Ling Zhang had come to know the old man’s true identity, it didn’t change the fact that he was Ling Zhang’s elder, which was why Yuwen Tong was now pondering what presents he should bring the old man the next day.

People in the residential compound, seeing Ling Zhang was in a much better mood after Yuwen Tong’s return, all felt a sense of relief.

Had it not been the case, they might have resorted to kidnapping the new professor of the Imperial College.

“The Imperial College is so troublesome. Young Master suffers wrong in there every two or three days. The way I see it, Young Master might as well drop out!” huffed Wang Dashan.

“Tell me about it. Young Master’s admission to it was granted by the emperor, so what? He cannot forbid people from dropping out, can he? Clearly Young Master’s original choice was the Oriental Rite Academy,” sniffed Qiu Bing.

“That’s enough. Cut the chatter. We cannot talk this matter to a settlement,” observed Liu Yi.

Having already returned, Ling Zhang had no intention to go back to school this day. He consulted with Yuwen Tong about what he should say to his grandfather when they met him the next day.

“By the way, my grandfather is in disguise. I don’t know whether Professor Gu is aware of it or not. Maybe people of Gu family have no knowledge of my grandfather’s true identity,” confided Ling Zhang. He felt that this was more likely to be the truth. After all, Gu family had too many dealings with the imperial family. If the Millennium Pavilion really wanted to stay in seclusion, they should avoid getting involved in Gu family’s business.