Chapter 71: Gate of Life and Death

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Gate of Life and Death

But if the original owner was, by all accounts, an illiterate, uncultured, arrogant, and ill-mannered person with a notorious reputation, then why did all this knowledge remain in her mind?

There was only one explanation.

The original owner must have been hiding a huge secret.

She wasn’t at all like the rumors suggested or how others saw her.

In reality, she must have been a woman who had read widely across ancient and modern texts, understood languages from all eras, possessed a photographic memory, and was exceptionally intelligent.

But why would someone like that deliberately do such foolish things? Why cultivate that kind of reputation among those around her, and even throughout the entire Royal City?

Were her various actions the result of someone setting her up, or was there some other hidden reason?

But how could someone smart enough to have a photographic memory and understand all of history be so easily framed?

So, Shen Yue came to a conclusion.

There was only one possibility.

She had been pretending the entire time.

Deliberately playing the fool in front of everyone, turning herself into the laughingstock of the entire Royal City.

’But why would she do that?’

’To get herself exiled, stripped of her noble title, abandoned in this desolate wilderness... and even lose her life?’

Shen Yue fell into deep thought. She was growing more and more curious about the original owner of this body!

Beside her, Bai Chaosi’s gentle eyes glinted as he heard Mu Silin offer to teach Shen Yue how to read.

He had heard the rumors about the Duchess being illiterate.

But from what he could see, he felt Shen Yue wasn’t at all like the rumors claimed.

He spoke up:

"I actually think teaching her to read is a task better suited for us idle folk!"

"After all, the Black Panther General often leads troops into battle. You’re a bit too impatient. I’m afraid you’re not cut out for the slow, scholarly work of teaching literature!"

Mu Silin was instantly displeased.

"I am capable of quelling rebellions with martial prowess and governing the nation with literary skill. How could I not be up to the task?"

The corner of Bai Chaosi’s mouth lifted in a slight smile.

"I can’t say I’ve ever heard of the Black Panther Royal Family producing a general who could both quell rebellions and govern a nation. Aren’t you just boasting?"

"You!"

Mu Silin’s handsome face darkened, and he sneered.

"If you haven’t heard of my renowned reputation, it’s only because you, a Snow Ridge fox, are poorly informed and ignorant!"

"I’m not boasting! The entire Royal City can testify for me!"

Standing between them, Shen Yue, unable to figure out the original owner’s intentions, decided to suppress her shocking discovery and thoughts for now.

Her eyes shifted as she listened to the two of them start bickering again. She cut in:

"Didn’t you just say you’d stop arguing? Why are you starting again?"

Interrupted by her, they both hastily shut their mouths.

"We’ll stop!"

「Outside the cliff.」

After sensing the cold air, Huang Ziyue felt that there was definitely something strange below.

He was just about to probe underground with his spiritual power.

Unexpectedly, Lan Cangyue suddenly appeared behind him, holding Qibao.

Their eyes met, and both of them froze for a moment.

Lan Cangyue said, "Looks like you were faster than me. You found this place too!"

Qibao looked at Huang Ziyue’s ice-cold face and shrank back into Lan Cangyue’s arms in fear.

’Hmph, this is the bad guy who stole Third Brother, a kidnapper!’

Huang Ziyue frowned, glanced at Qibao, and said nothing.

’I don’t understand why this fish brought a child along.’

Lan Cangyue walked up to him and peered at the crack in the ground.

"They should be down there. I just tracked the auras of Shen Yue and the other two through the water sources. They’re deep beneath this cliff. If we go in from here, we should be able to find them."

Upon hearing this, Huang Ziyue coldly spat out two words:

"Step back."

Lan Cangyue immediately hugged Qibao and moved back a safe distance.

Huang Ziyue gathered his spiritual power, and the aura around him condensed.

The air currents in the forest began to surge silently.

With a raise of his hand, a formidable power shot out from his palm.

BANG!

The tremendous sound made the entire cliff tremble.

After the strike, the crack in the ground had widened into an opening half a person’s height.

Echoes emanated from within, suggesting a vast, empty space.

Huang Ziyue’s eyes narrowed. ’There’s more to this place than meets the eye.’

He raised his hand again and struck with his palm.

This time, the entrance instantly blasted open.

Light from the outside poured in.

Lan Cangyue also walked over and looked inside.

He was bewildered.

"Why is there such a thick layer of ice underground?"

Through the opening, a wall of ice was visible blocking the way.

Meanwhile, Shen Yue’s group of three, who were searching for an exit, were startled by the two consecutive loud bangs from outside.

Mu Silin’s hearing was excellent.

"That sound... it seems to be coming from outside the mountain!"

Bai Chaosi was also puzzled. ’Could someone be smashing the mountain from the outside?’

He identified the direction.

"It’s that way."

He pointed to the right side of the main hall.

Shen Yue said:

"If we can hear sounds from outside the mountain, that must be the closest point to an exit!"

Her heart leaped with joy, and she immediately headed in that direction.

The three of them arrived at the wall where the loud noise had come from, and Shen Yue shone her flashlight on it.

She had a gut feeling that this section was different from the other walls.

The entire wall was surprisingly clean, with no carvings or writing.

She gently touched it with her hand and immediately recoiled from the cold.

Mu Silin thought she had been hurt by something.

"What’s wrong?"

Shen Yue: "It’s freezing!"

Hearing this, Mu Silin and Bai Chaosi also placed their hands on it.

Both snatched their hands back. It was indeed bone-chillingly cold.

It was just like touching solid ice.

Bai Chaosi: "There’s something strange about this wall."

Shen Yue examined it carefully.

After walking around it a few times, she suddenly spotted a round, raised point near the very bottom of the wall, resembling a hidden switch.

She said:

"Leopard, press that."

She shone her flashlight on it.

Mu Silin followed the beam. The small raised point was right next to the floor, almost unnoticeable without looking closely.

He squatted down and was about to press it.

Just then, Shen Yue’s sharp eyes spotted another one.

"Wait!"

Mu Silin’s hand was already touching it, and he almost pressed down.

Shen Yue moved the flashlight beam to the other raised point.

Mu Silin and Bai Chaosi both looked over.

Mu Silin: "Why are there two?"

Two identical raised points, less than two meters apart.

Bai Chaosi’s cool eyes widened slightly as if he had realized something.

"This must be a Gate of Life and Death. These two hidden points are the triggers for life and death. Press the wrong one, and we’ll be buried here. Press the right one, and we should be able to get out."

When Mu Silin heard this, a chill instantly ran down his spine.

Thank goodness he hadn’t pressed it just now.

He had also heard of this type of mechanism, the Gate of Life and Death.

But hadn’t the method for building such a device been lost to time long ago?

He never expected to actually encounter one.

The Gate of Life and Death: one path leads to life, the other to death. The two triggers look exactly the same. Pressing one means life, pressing the other means death.

But how were they supposed to choose?

Shen Yue gripped the flashlight tightly, comparing the two triggers.

At this moment, Bai Chaosi and Mu Silin also fell silent.

The atmosphere grew tense.

This was likely their only way out.

If they pressed the right one, they might see the light of day again.

If they pressed the wrong one, or didn’t press one at all, they would remain in this abyss, sleeping eternally with these statues.

Mu Silin didn’t understand these things, so he looked at Bai Chaosi.

"You recognized it as a Gate of Life and Death. Does that mean you know how to pick the right trigger?"

Bai Chaosi looked at the two raised points and shook his head.

"I’ve only heard the clan elders speak of the Gate of Life and Death. I don’t know how to solve it."

After all, it was the stuff of legends; he never thought he would actually come across one.

Mu Silin: "Then what do we do?"

A sense of hopelessness began to settle in both their hearts.

They even began to resign themselves to the idea of dying in this abyss with Shen Yue.