Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Great Secret

I have no idea what secret you mean, and you need not ask me. I know nothing at all.

The wild mountain ginseng looked utterly unconcerned, like a hog with nothing left to fear. It had already concluded that Lin Fan would not harm it, and so it was no longer so wary.

"I once heard that every immortal-grade herb grown through ten thousand years bears the mark of a powerful being. Some marks contain insight into the Great Way; others contain memories. Conveniently, not long ago I acquired a secret art that can strip away the soul fragments hidden within such precious herbs. Shall we try it?"

Lin Fan spoke casually, yet a strand of divine brilliance flashed in his eyes, the force of the soul itself, unsettling to the extreme.

"What? You know the Soul-Seizing Art?!"

The wild mountain ginseng trembled all over, fear flooding it to the marrow. Clearly, the art in Lin Fan's mouth inspired a terror beyond the ordinary.

"Knowing it is enough. The Soul-Seizing Art is not some mystical and unattainable method. Is it really so strange that I should know it?"

Lin Fan was rather surprised by the ginseng's reaction. The Soul-Seizing Art was a secret technique the Spear of Judgment had taught him earlier, meant to strip the marks of powerful beings from ten-thousand-year herbs. By the latter's account, this divine ability had been nearly universal in antiquity.

"You say that so lightly. To us ten-thousand-year herbs, the Soul-Seizing Art is a curse. After ancient times it nearly vanished from the world. I can tell you have not lied to me. If you want me to tell you some secrets, that is fine enough, but I want your Soul-Seizing Art."

The wild mountain ginseng hopped down to the ground of its own accord, displaying a striking human-like manner.

"What do you need the Soul-Seizing Art for? It should be of no value to you."

Lin Fan frowned in confusion, genuinely puzzled.

"That is none of your concern. I only want to know whether you agree or not."

The ginseng did not answer his question. It likely had troubles it found impossible to speak of.

"You need not tell me if you do not wish to, but I can tell you this: we have a deal."

Lin Fan did not hesitate. The Soul-Seizing Art held no real use for him, and exchanging it for the ginseng's secret was well worth it.

The wild mountain ginseng nodded. It trusted Lin Fan's character. After a brief pause, it said, "There are no fragments of the Great Way within me. There is only a small fragment of memory, the deepest memory of my former master."

"So that's how it is."

Lin Fan's eyes lit up. A fragment of memory was far inferior to a fragment of the Great Way, but he did not presently need the latter. In comparison, the memory fragment was of far greater value.

"Mount Kingwu is actually a burial ground."

After searching through its own memories, the wild mountain ginseng spoke in a grave tone.

"I know that. The Mount Kingwu clan once had a great lineage, and their ancestors are buried here."

Lin Fan nodded. He had already been tricked once by Wang Yan, so naturally he knew Mount Kingwu was the ancestral land of that clan.

"You mean that little tomb to the east of Mount Kingwu? There are indeed some secrets there, but nothing important. Even my master could have leveled that place back then, only he refrained because of lingering caution."

The wild mountain ginseng gave a disdainful laugh. It looked down upon Wang Yan's ancient ancestor, even scorned him.

"In ancient times, the custom of burying attendants and retainers alive was widespread. The royal clan was wiped out because of that."

"What?!"

Lin Fan's expression changed. "Wasn't it said that they colluded with foreign clans? How did it become a matter of burial attendants?"

The wild mountain ginseng snorted coldly. "Colluded with foreign clans? In truth, the matter is held in the hands of only a few. There was indeed some connection to foreign clans, but it could not be confirmed. My master did know that the so-called Spear of Judgment, hailed as peerless in righteousness, was the one who struck in the end. Yet it is very possible that he himself had been misled by others."

"What exactly happened?"

Lin Fan felt his mind was scarcely enough to bear it all. The ginseng and the Spear of Judgment gave accounts that differed greatly, though some parts could still be linked together.

"Who among them is lying? Or are both of them telling the truth?"

Lin Fan's brows drew together. Lost in thought, he did not interrupt the ginseng's recollection.

"After the royal clan was destroyed, they were buried to the east of Mount Kingwu. To the west was an ancient city. As far as I know, that city was not originally here; it was moved here by some mighty divine power. To the north lies an ancient mine, I do not know how many people were buried there. To the south lies a no-man's-land, devoid of people, empty of all things. Four deathly forbidden zones encircle Mount Kingwu. If I am not mistaken, you must have entered from the east."

The wild mountain ginseng described the general situation of Mount Kingwu, though it differed greatly from what Lin Fan had learned.

"You are probably describing the terrain of ten thousand years ago. It has changed by now. Around Mount Kingwu there are human cities everywhere, and Buddhist sect members also dwell there. This whole region is now known as the Ancient Buddha Domain."

Lin Fan shook his head. What the ginseng described belonged to a landscape long past and had already lost its value. Still, he did hear one thing from it: the wild mountain ginseng had likely existed for far more than ten thousand years, for what it had just described seemed to concern the closing years of antiquity.

"So, so that's how it is. I had forgotten. This is no longer the old days."

After a stretch of silence, the ginseng's helpless voice finally sounded, carrying a note of deep feeling.

"So this is the Ancient Buddha Domain. That makes sense. Buddhism has always been a guardian lineage, after all. Since their inheritance is here, the Ancient Buddha Domain should not be the ultimate ruler. What power stands above them?"

The wild mountain ginseng steadied its emotions and asked.

"The Great Jin Kingdom."

Lin Fan did not elaborate, because even if he did, the ginseng would not understand.

"A divine dynasty has become a kingdom. What fortune. Forget it, I do not wish to speak of these things anymore. Let us return to the matter at hand."

Having learned some information, the wild mountain ginseng went on, "A person is buried here. Even in antiquity, that one was renowned. All the tombs around Mount Kingwu exist to accompany this person in death. What a grand design. Yet there are rumors that some supreme existence once cut through the ages with unmatched divine power, setting this stretch of space in a blessed land solely to bury that person. Still, I can feel that heaven and earth have changed. A heaven-shaking transformation is about to descend."

"All this, just to bury one person? Who exactly was it?"

Lin Fan murmured to himself. His brow throbbed wildly, and a terror born from the heart spread through his whole body.

"I do not know. Even my master did not know. He came here back then precisely to uncover this secret, and in the end he buried himself with it."

The wild mountain ginseng shook its head. It did not know the cause or the sequence of events; after all, it was only a precious herb.

A deafening roar suddenly rolled out.

In the distance, divine light blazed brilliantly, piercing straight into the heavens. Then came a vast cloud, billowing like an ocean, drifting slowly closer. Yet this cloud was blood-red.