HMHSE - 29

After the prolonged earthquake and mountain tremors, an eerie silence enveloped the area.

Shen Rong lay sprawled at the bottom of the pit, still conscious but with a buzzing in her ears as if she had been struck by a heavy blow. Her entire body felt powerless.

Only after the shaking subsided did the ringing in her ears gradually fade. She managed to move slightly, her hand slowly reaching for her waist.

She remembered that when she fell, an arm had wrapped around her waist, cushioning her fall and preventing her from crashing headfirst to the bottom.

At that moment, she had glimpsed the dark hem of a man’s clothing before everything went black.

Indeed, she could see nothing now—no light at all, just an abyss of darkness.

Just as she began to doubt whether she had misremembered, a hand suddenly grabbed her arm.

Behind her, the faint rustle of clothing signaled his presence. She heard Shan Zong’s voice: “Don’t move. Are you injured?”

Shen Rong paused, realizing she hadn’t been mistaken—it was indeed him who had caught her.

She gently moved her neck but was choked by the floating dust, coughing softly. In a weak voice, she replied: “I don’t know.”

Shan Zong’s hand tightened, pulling her up into a sitting position. His other hand reached over, pressing lightly on her arm, then moving to her shoulder, the back of her neck, and finally sliding down to her waist before withdrawing. He said: “You should be fine. Just rest for a bit.”

Nothing seemed broken; she had likely just been jolted during the fall.

Shen Rong leaned entirely on his arm, half her body resting against him. In the darkness, she tilted her head slightly to look at him: “The pit entrance has collapsed.”

That’s why it was so dark.

“Mm,” Shan Zong murmured, shifting her to the side and helping her lean against the wall. With the top buried, debris could fall at any moment, so moving to a safer spot was prudent.

It was unclear how deep the collapse had been. No other sounds could be heard—it was as if they were cut off from the world.

Shen Rong glanced at him, only vaguely making out the outline of his figure. He seemed to adjust his robes before sitting beside her, one hand resting on his knee, his face turned toward her: “Sit here. Once you recover, we’ll talk.”

Shen Rong suddenly realized she couldn’t afford to rest. Leaning forward, she tried to move.

Shan Zong’s hand gripped her shoulder: “What do you think you’re doing?”

“My book,” she said, reaching out beside her. Amidst the chaotic dust and hard rocks, her fingers brushed against the man’s boot-clad leg, grazing the sturdy leather of the boot shaft.

Shan Zong shifted his leg, simultaneously gripping her wrist. He chuckled mockingly: “And here I thought you cared more about your life than a scroll.”

Unable to move, Shen Rong furrowed her brows in the darkness: “This scroll is more important than my life.”

“What did you say?” Shan Zong almost doubted his ears: “A scroll of The Book of Feminine Virtues is more important than your life?”

Shen Rong instinctively retorted: “Who said this was The Book of Feminine Virtues ?”

“Then what is it?”

She hesitated, her voice lowering: “You wouldn’t understand.”

Shan Zong chuckled again, genuinely amused. Risking her life for a scroll of The Book of Feminine Virtues was something he found difficult to comprehend.

He released her hand, pushed himself up from the ground, and began inspecting the surrounding cave walls. The scabbard of his sword scraped against the rocks, creating a sharp sound.

Shen Rong looked up at him. Though she couldn’t see clearly, she guessed he was crouching low. The collapse had made the tunnel even more cramped.

She pursed her lips but, unwilling to give up on the book, finally spoke: “Will you help me look for it…?”

“It’s just a scroll of The Book of Feminine Virtues . Once we get out, there will be plenty more,” Shan Zong said dismissively.

“I told you, this isn’t an ordinary Book of Feminine Virtues ,” she insisted.

“What makes it so extraordinary?”

The conversation had come full circle.

Shen Rong’s brows furrowed even tighter as she whispered: “Only those of the Changsun family can know its secrets. You and I aren’t family.”

Shan Zong paused upon hearing this. After a moment, he remarked: “We were technically family for half a year. Does that count for nothing?”

Shen Rong shot a glare in his direction, though the darkness rendered it invisible.

What nonsense about being family for half a year—he was deliberately trying to irritate her.

Sensing her gaze, Shan Zong assumed she was staring at him. It seemed she had recovered somewhat, regaining enough strength to feel annoyed. He reminded her: “I told you not to bother looking. Our priority now is survival.”

Shen Rong bit her lip, scanning their surroundings. Anxiety welled up within her. Though he was right, the scroll was of utmost importance—she couldn’t abandon it.

After a moment’s hesitation, she glanced at the blurred silhouette of the man before her and finally said: “If I tell you, will you help me find it?”

Her strength hadn’t fully returned, and though her tone was earnest, her voice remained weak.

Hearing this, Shan Zong felt as if something had tickled his ear. He squatted down and sat beside her again, his demeanor growing more serious: “Tell me.”

Shen Rong thought for a moment before solemnly beginning: “This goes back to my ancestor, Changsun Sheng.”

Shan Zong pondered briefly: “The famous general Changsun Sheng from the previous dynasty?”

Shen Rong nodded in the darkness: “Yes.”

Changsun Sheng was a prodigy, becoming a high-ranking official at just eighteen.

Legend had it that during the Tujue invasion, when the situation was dire, he remained calm, outlining the enemy’s weaknesses while drawing maps of mountains and rivers, thereby determining their vulnerabilities.

People attributed his precise knowledge of terrain to years of espionage among the Tujue. However, the truth was far more profound—it was deeply tied to the Changsun family’s accumulated wisdom.

Generations of the Changsun family had built this knowledge, which Changsun Sheng masterfully applied to great effect.

Later, through dynastic changes, the family continued to thrive.

Changsun Sheng’s daughter, Empress Wende Changsun, left behind a personally written book titled The Book of Feminine Virtues .

When it was first published, it reportedly contained thirty volumes—or perhaps twenty—but only ten volumes were circulated publicly, detailing the remarkable deeds of women throughout history.

However, only the Changsun family knew that the remaining volumes had been condensed into one—the very scroll Shen Rong now possessed. This scroll wasn’t about women’s achievements but rather contained the Changsun family’s unparalleled expertise on mountains, rivers, and geography.

Through generations of oral and written transmission, the Changsun family had become uniquely skilled in mining and exploration.

This single scroll, sealed away for generations, had finally been deciphered by Shen Rong, allowing her to inherit its secrets.

Thus, this was no ordinary Book of Feminine Virtues —it was the crystallization of her ancestors’ efforts.

Having brought it here, she could not afford to lose it.

“You know now,” Shen Rong concluded, looking at the shadowy figure beside her.

Shan Zong’s face remained turned toward her. After a brief silence, he said: “So that’s why you said you understand mountains.”

“Yes,” Shen Rong affirmed. “Would I lie to you?”

Shan Zong continued to stare at her silhouette in the darkness. He had heard of the Changsun family’s skills but never imagined their true nature.

No wonder she had risked her life for the scroll.

While using it to search for people and stabilize the mountain, she had wielded an unparalleled tool—one only she could use.

“I’ve told you. Will you help me find it or not?” Shen Rong pressed.

But Shan Zong remained seated.

Growing impatient, she steadied herself against the cave wall and prepared to stand.

“Extend your hand,” Shan Zong suddenly said.

Shen Rong paused: “What for?”

“Aren’t you looking for your book?”

Hesitant but trusting, she extended her hand, unsure if he could see in the darkness.

A familiar weight settled in her palm—the smooth silk of the scroll—and she immediately grasped it.

Realization dawned on her as she turned to him: “So it was with you all along? You tricked me?”

When Shan Zong had caught her during the fall, the scroll had landed near him. Naturally, he had picked it up, knowing how much it meant to her.

“I’m teaching you a lesson,” he said. “Books are dead; people are alive.”

With that, he stood up once more.

Shen Rong carefully tucked the scroll back into her sleeve. Having retrieved it, she didn’t mind his mischief anymore.

Looking around, she also prepared to rise: “We need to leave quickly. If we stay here too long, we’ll suffocate.”

A hand pulled her up. Recognizing her intent to stand, Shan Zong extended his hand. Rising meant he intended to move.

“Where to? Lead the way,” he said. If she understood the mountain, she would guide them.

As Shen Rong stood, she coughed twice, choking on the floating dust. Covering her nose and mouth, she mumbled: “We can only go deeper.”

Shan Zong moved ahead: “Follow me.”

Shen Rong felt his robes brush past her as she followed, leaning against the cave wall.

At the end of the tunnel, there was no path forward. Shan Zong stopped, feeling along the walls. There were no other collapses—this route was impassable.

He turned to look at her.

Shen Rong, leaning against the wall, asked: “What? Isn’t there a hollow space?”

“No,” he replied. A wooden pillar remained intact here, holding up the structure.

Frowning, she covered her mouth and coughed again, muttering: “This is bad.”

Shan Zong responded: “Bad? Are you saying this tunnel will be our grave?”

Hearing this, Shen Rong retorted: “Impossible. I won’t let us get trapped.”

Shan Zong thought of her earlier confidence and realized the source of her certainty.

He chuckled softly: “The Changsun family…”

Shen Rong caught only half the sentence and instinctively asked: “What about the Changsun family?”

Shan Zong had been about to say that the Changsun family had entrusted such a treasure to him, but he stopped himself mid-sentence.

Instead, he listened intently: “They must be searching for us outside.”

With both the mountain stabilizer and the overseer missing, chaos surely reigned above.

Shen Rong guessed they were likely trying to dig them out, but the lack of noise indicated the collapse was deep and the burial extensive.

Suddenly, she recalled something: “There’s another way.”

Shan Zong immediately understood: “You mean the path where they were swept away?”

Shen Rong nodded, clarifying: “Yes, that path.”

Shan Zong drew his sword: “Step back.”

Shen Rong retreated a few steps, her hand against the wall. In the pitch-blackness, she could barely make out his towering figure. The sound of his blade scraping against the rock was sharp.

“Tell me, where?” His commanding tone betrayed his experience leading armies, yet here he awaited her guidance.

Shen Rong instructed: “The movable section at the bottom of the pit—the rock must have cracks.”

No sooner had she spoken than Shan Zong located the spot. Moving swiftly, he thrust his blade into the crack and pried forcefully.

The blade nearly snapped before a deep rumble signaled the rock shifting.

Shan Zong abandoned the sword, gripping the rock with his bare hands. Even in the darkness, the tension in his shoulders and arms was evident.

With a muffled thud, the remaining wooden pillar swayed, and finally, a narrow gap opened—just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Without hesitation, Shan Zong declared: “I’ll go first.”

He intended to scout the way.

Shen Rong approached the gap, still shrouded in darkness, but the wind guided her to its location.

With no water suction and the geothermal winds finally calming after the quake, this was the time to move.

The sound of Shan Zong’s clothing grew fainter as he descended, eventually fading completely.

Shen Rong leaned over the gap, her heart racing. Uncertainly, she called out: “Shan Zong?”

A deep voice responded from below: “Here.”

She exhaled in relief.

He instructed: “Come down.”

Shen Rong removed her cumbersome cloak and prepared to descend, seeking him out one last time.

Seeming to sense her hesitation, Shan Zong said: “I told you to jump directly.”

“What?” Despite her caution, Shen Rong had no choice but to comply.

The moment she jumped, she landed safely. A pair of strong arms caught her securely.

Instinctively, she clung to his shoulders, feeling the lingering tension from his earlier exertion.

Fearing the worst, she tightened her grip: “How could you let me jump like that?”

In the darkness, Shan Zong’s face was close to hers, his arms steady as he supported her: “What’s there to fear? I still need you to get us out. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

Gradually, her heart calmed.