Chapter 179: “A Hidden Paradise”

While Mu Sheng was lost in thought, Gu Ning’an motioned for her to get onto the carriage before taking hold of the reins and heading straight toward the canyon’s edge.

The several dozen meters to the cliffside passed in an instant.

Seeing Gu Ning’an step forward without hesitation, standing directly at the precipice, Mu Sheng—despite knowing everything would be fine—couldn’t help but feel her heart clench.

Then, without pause, Gu Ning’an and the entire carriage descended into the abyss.

As they descended, Mu Sheng’s gaze was drawn toward the strange glow emanating from the valley floor.

From above, it appeared to be a square-shaped structure, radiating a shifting, multicolored light.

Its shape resembled that of a modest house, though the glowing haze surrounding it obscured whatever lay inside.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, they landed smoothly on one side of the valley floor, about ten steps away from the glowing structure.

Surprisingly, despite the fierce gales raging above, the valley floor was calm and still.

There was no snow accumulation, and small blades of grass peeked out from the cracks in the cliffside walls.

Clang—clang—clang—

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to undulate in a rhythmic motion, as though the earth itself was breathing!

The horse neighed in distress, and Mu Sheng, gripping the carriage rails tightly, braced himself to avoid being thrown off.

Boom!

From beneath the shifting earth, a row of towering figures burst forth—each standing nine feet tall, broad-shouldered, and identical in appearance.

They were mud golems, yet despite lacking facial features, they could speak!

“Leave at once~leave at once~”

“Intruders will die~intruders will die~”

Their strange, droning voices sent waves of dizziness through those who heard them.

Gu Ning’an immediately recognized these golems as guardians created by Shi Yi—set in place to protect his former dwelling.

Each golem bore a dark purple flame burning at the center of its chest.

This type of puppet technique did not require constant energy infusion—instead, it drew power from the essence of earth from the five elements, the ambient yin energy, and the remnants of Shi Yi’s own spiritual power.

In simpler terms, unless the dark purple flames in their chests were extinguished, these golems could regenerate indefinitely.

“Leave at once~leave at once~”

“Intruders will die~intruders will die~”

As the mud golems continued their monotonous warnings, they steadily advanced toward Gu Ning’an and Mu Sheng.

It seemed that once they crossed a certain threshold, the golems would abandon their warnings and attack outright.

Not wanting to destroy the protective guardians left behind by his student, Gu Ning’an instead retrieved a blue blindfold from his robes and raised it high.

“Golems, hear my command! I am your master’s teacher, here to lay him to rest!”

“Leave at once~leave at once~”

“Intruders will die~intruders will die~”

It seemed the golems could only follow the original instructions Shi Yi had programmed into them.

Just as Gu Ning’an was about to immobilize them with his power, the golems unexpectedly halted.

One by one, they dropped to one knee, then cupped their hands in salute.

“By our master’s decree~his teacher may pass…”

Seeing this, Gu Ning’an retrieved the reins and calmly led the carriage past the kneeling guardians, stepping through the radiant glow behind them.

Beyond the light lay a world dreamlike and surreal—a hidden paradise, untouched by time.

Here, mountains rose high in layered peaks, majestic and imposing.

Crystal-clear waters flowed gently, producing a melodious, soothing sound.

The land was encircled by lush greenery, while soft pink petals danced gracefully in the wind.

“So beautiful!” Mu Sheng couldn’t help but exclaim.

Gu Ning’an nodded with a smile. “To stumble upon a paradise like this… what an impressive arrangement my student has made.”

Mu Sheng hesitated before asking, “Sir, is this place real? The valley floor shouldn’t have… No, I’ve never seen such a breathtaking scene before.”

“The mountains, rivers, and streams are all real—this is a world created through spiritual power…” As he spoke, Gu Ning’an walked toward a peach blossom grove not far ahead, where two graves stood side by side.

Each tombstone bore an inscription, engraved with the names of those who had passed.

[In memory of my late wife, Yun Yao]

[In memory of my late daughter, Shi Shuiyun]

These were the graves of Shi Yi’s wife and daughter.

Chirp, chirp~chirp, chirp

Two oriole birds flew down from a nearby tree, each holding a rosy pink peach in its beak.

Upon landing in front of the graves, they carefully placed the peaches before the tombstones.

Clearly, these birds were not living creatures, but manifestations of Shi Yi’s power—created to offer peaches to his wife and daughter at regular intervals.

To the right of the two graves, there was an empty plot of land. From its size and placement, it was evident that Shi Yi had prepared this space for himself.

“Daughter-in-law, granddaughter… I have brought back your husband and father.”

After a respectful bow toward the tombstones, Gu Ning’an walked over to the empty burial site.

Crunch!

With his bare hand, he plunged into the soft earth, as if using his fingers as a shovel—clearly intent on digging Shi Yi’s grave himself.

“Master Gu! I have a shovel!” Mu Sheng, in a flurry of movement, rummaged through a large wooden box, pulled out a shovel, and hurriedly jumped off the carriage to offer it to Gu Ning’an.

“No need, I’ll dig with my hands.”

“But…”

“It’s fine. You can rest for now. Once I’ve finished digging, you’ll need to help me with the burial.”

“…Alright then.”

Gu Ning’an worked quickly yet meticulously, scooping away handfuls of earth with steady movements. With each handful of soil he removed, he muttered to himself—almost as if speaking to someone unseen.

“Daughter-in-law, I don’t even know if we’ve ever met…”

Crunch!

“We probably did, but I can’t seem to remember anymore…”

Crunch!

“Even my own student… it was only after his death that I learned he was my student…”

Crunch!

“He was deceived—tricked into taking his own life…”

Crunch!

“Rest assured, I will avenge him. That much, I swear…”

Sentence by sentence, he spoke without knowing how long had passed.

Finally, as the grave reached the right size, Gu Ning’an leapt out of the pit.

Mu Sheng, who had been watching, immediately stepped forward. “Sir, are your hands alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Gu Ning’an brushed the dirt off his hands, and dark soil cascaded down in clumps. “What’s next?”

“Sir, since this will be a cenotaph, we just need to place the symbolic token—the blindfold representing the deceased—into the coffin and seal it.”

Hearing this, Gu Ning’an walked over to the carriage and lifted the coffin out with his bare hands.

Mu Sheng’s coffin craftsmanship was exquisite—the nanmu wood was finely polished, and the seams of the planks fit together seamlessly.

Removing the coffin lid, Gu Ning’an’s expression remained calm as he placed the blue blindfold inside.

He gazed at it for a moment in silent contemplation, then gently closed the coffin.

Taking the hammer and nails from Mu Sheng, he secured four nails into the coffin’s corners, following the prescribed burial rites.

With that, the final preparations for the burial were complete.