"Your father won't wake up so soon. Besides, Ya is in the house. Come here and take a look at this. You two have come a long way to be here with the Prime Elder and haven't had a moment's rest so far. The south wing-room is unoccupied, and Ya has just cleaned it. If you don't mind its narrowness, you may take it as a temporary convenience. You can wash and change clothes there," said Mr. Mu, walking inside.

Ling Zhang nodded. He indeed could use a room to talk with Yuwen Tong about something private.

The south wing-room was not big, with only a bed, a table, a couple of chairs and a wardrobe inside, but neither Ling Zhang nor Yuwen Tong was picky. Besides, they were in someone else's house. They each had a quick bath and changed. After everything was handled, they sat down to talk.

"Back there in the great hall, why did you take Ji Yanlai's offer without asking about the details first? The Millennium Pavilion is not just any organization. What he wants is definitely something big. What if his terms are too difficult for us to meet? What are we going to do then?"

Ling Zhang had given it a lot of thought and still felt that Yuwen Tong's immediate acceptance of Ji Yanlai's conditions had been too risky a decision.

Yuwen Tong replied, "What Ji Yanlai wants undoubtedly has something to do with the Millennium Pavilion. With the strength of this clan, they could have thrown the whole Great Yue into chaos over the past hundreds of years and one of their leaders could even have taken the throne, but they didn't do that and have been living in seclusion all along, which shows that it's not power that they seek. As long as they don't want to wreak havoc on this country or put the common people's lives in danger, for the handbook they gave you on mental cultivation method alone, I would've agreed to the deal, not to mention that this will save Uncle Ling. I think it's a pretty good deal.

On top of that, the miracle drug is the very thing we came here for. Since Ji Yanlai is willing to give it to us, we will have to accept his terms eventually, no matter how hard we try to delay it. He had a quite straightforward take on this, which made it inappropriate for us to hesitate. Think about it, if he'd changed his mind because of our hesitation, wouldn't we be regretting not having taken his offer while it's available?"

Ling Zhang knew in his heart of hearts that even if Yuwen Tong hadn't agreed today, sooner or later he himself would have to accept Ji Yanlai's terms. He just wanted to find out more details about what Ji Yanlai might ask him to do. After all, Ji Yanlai had made it very clear that he'd need Yuwen Tong's help to fulfill his end of the bargain. If it endangered Yuwen Tong's life, he would never agree to it. It was true that he wanted very much to save his father, but Yuwen Tong was not someone that could be sacrificed to that end.

"Take it easy. I know what I'm doing." Yuwen Tong held Ling Zhang's hand. "You forgot what I talked with Ji Yanlai about on our way in here?"

Ling Zhang looked at him in puzzlement. "What did you talk about?"

He remembered that Yuwen Tong had seemed to be having some small talk with Ji Yanlai at that time.

Yuwen Tong explained with a smile, "Actually Ji Yanlai was confiding something to me at that time. Yes, he's the leader of the Millennium Pavilion, but the yearning for another life of the younger generation of this clan have been getting increasingly intense. Your uncle was the first one to put it into action, and there might be others following his suit. All these people are yearning to get out of this place and see what the world outside is like. No matter how beautiful or good this secluded place is, it's a prison for youngsters, and they want to break out of it. Although Ji Yanlai, having the big picture in his mind, is unwilling to let them go, he knows very well that he cannot force them to toe the line forever, because if he tries to do that, sooner or later it'll backfire on him very hard. In comparison with holding them back, channeling their enthusiasm would be a wiser choice. Ji Yanlai disclosed some of his thoughts to me during that talk. He was considering whether or not he should move the Millennium Pavilion somewhere else and give the younger generation a chance to seek their fortune in the world outside. Maybe at that time, though having made up his mind, he still had some concerns about his plans, and the reason why he asked me about it was that he wanted to hear my opinions. I told him expressly, so he made his choice. As a result, Ji Yanlai's so-called terms definitely have something to do with transferring the Millennium Pavilion elsewhere – at least with the future of the younger generation of this clan."

Ling Zhang's mouth fell wide open with astonishment, his eyes fixed on him. "You...caught on to his intentions after talking with him for merely a few moments?"

Yuwen Tong said, "After all, I'm the commander of the North-western Army, and there are occasions when my subordinates have needs that cannot be met without breaking the rules. I know it's impossible to have them suppressed all the time, that I've got to compromise when necessary, which is why I could guess some of Ji Yanlai's thoughts."

"Besides..." Yuwen Tong broke off in the middle of a sentence.

Ling Zhang looked at him anxiously. "Besides what?"

"Ji Yanlai would never place a hundred percent of his trust in us. He let us in, allowed your grandfather to impart the mental cultivation method of internal energy of the Millennium Pavilion to you, and even turned a blind eye to you instructing your security guards in those martial formations – all these are against the rules of the Millennium Pavilion, otherwise the situation wouldn't have been that difficult for your mother. According to the rules, your grandfather is not allowed to teach you the cultivation method, and you're not supposed to teach those formations to your security guards, which means that you, your grandfather as well as I and your father who have gained entry into this place are all supposed to be hunted by the Millennium Pavilion, for after all, dead people are the only ones in this world who would never divulge secrets, and killing us is the most secure way to make sure the existence of their clan does not come to the knowledge of any outsiders."

Ling Zhang, who had never thought of this before, widened his eyes, breaking out in a cold sweat in spite of himself. Didn't this mean that they had had brushes with death? Ji Yanlai's kung fu was unbelievably high, and neither his grandfather nor Yuwen Tong was a match for him.

"You were aware of all this before we came here?" Ling Zhang stared at Yuwen Tong. Otherwise, given how cautious he had always been, Yuwen Tong would never have made such a risky move as to bring him to the Millennium Pavilion.

Yuwen Tong replied, "Sort of. What happened to your mother and all those things that occurred after we met your grandfather made me feel that the Millennium Pavilion's current way of handling things doesn't correspond with the rules they're rumored to have, so I had a bold guess that there'd been some kind of change of situation in this place."

Ling Zhang glared at him. "But this is still too risky! How could you not have warned me?!"

Yuwen Tong hastened to hug him. "Easy, easy. Don't be mad. Actually... I sounded out Mr. Ji's attitude with a couple of questions during a brief private talk. Mr. Ji is an astute man and he might've confided a thing or two to me, which is why I have such confidence."

Ling Zhang was antagonized even further. Why hadn't Yuwen Tong told him about these dealings he'd had with his grandfather in private?

"Because I don't want you to get worried. Uncle Ling is here, so nothing would stop you from coming here. Had I told you about it beforehand, you definitely wouldn't let me come with you. How could I let you come here alone? And surely you won't expect me to stay home alone enduring the torturous, long wait? This is the reason why I didn't tell you."

Ling Zhang was consumed with anger. This guy actually thought he'd done the right thing?

Seeing that Ling Zhang really got angry, Yuwen Tong craned over and kissed him. "Stop being mad. Think about it, if I'm in trouble, will you stand by and do nothing?"

"Of course I won't!" Ling Zhang shot him a sulky glance.

"Exactly. That's why I cannot let you face all this alone. I care about you too much to do that," remarked Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang, "..."

Seeing Ling Zhang's countenance soften somewhat, Yuwen Tong hurriedly resumed coaxing him. After the sulk on Ling Zhang's face disappeared completely, he felt a sense of relief and continued, "The facts confirmed my conjectures. The situation in the Millennium Pavilion has indeed changed, and Ji Yanlai has been considering finding a way to get his clan out of the predicament. There's yet another reason why I can be positive that Ji Yanlai's terms have something to do with his intention of transferring his clan – he didn't kill us and has decided to let us leave, but he also cannot trust us completely, and difficult to reach as this place is, people could still find it if they're determined to; by doing this, he's disclosed to us the location of the Millennium Pavilion. Although this place is easy to hold and hard to attack, it will become his grave if besieged. The only plausible explanation is that he's set out to move to another place."

Ling Zhang asked, "If he wants to find a way out, why does he need you to make it happen? Since his way out has nothing to do with power, is it about your armies, by any chance? But that's also a form of power, isn't it?"

Yuwen Tong smiled, "You're constrained in your perception of this matter. You forgot our final goal? The one I told you about before we came here?"

Ling Zhang's eyes gradually dilated. "But how could he have known that?!"

Yuwen Tong's smile faded away. "Ji Yanlai is an extremely formidable man. You see, he has the ability to command all kinds of birds and communicate with almost all other animals, and the Millennium Pavilion has its own sources of information in the world outside, but most importantly, I feel that the way his eyes see things is different from the one ours do."

"Different?" Ling Zhang was perplexed. "Different how?"

"You forgot what your grandfather told you that day? Anyone who manages to cultivate the mental cultivation method to the extreme develops the power of foreseeing the future. I think he's foretold something."

Ling Zhang was shocked at first, and after a few moments, rapturous. He sprang to his feet and said, "If that's the case, if Ji Yanlai has really foretold something, doesn't that mean you'll..."

He'd succeed!

Ecstasy flooded Ling Zhang in waves. The thrill brought by this conjecture left him unable to think about anything else for quite a while. It was like a giant, intangible rock weighing his heart down gradually dissolved, and though it hadn't disappeared completely, he was feeling much more relaxed.

Yuwen Tong said, "What he's foretold could just be taken as a blessing. The key to success is still efforts. I think you should put more trust in my abilities than you do in Ji Yanlai's prophecy."

Seeing that he looked more relaxed, Yuwen Tong felt both somewhat relieved and a trifle jealous.

Ling Zhang fixed him with a gaze, his eyes glittering. "Of course I trust you. I trust you more than anybody in the world."

These explicit words brought Yuwen Tong's heart fluttering, his jealousy vanishing instantly. Lips curving in a grin, he put his arms around Ling Zhang and kissed him again and again. "I know. I trust you the most, too."

Ling Zhang's cheeks were wet with saliva from his sloppy kisses, but he didn't push him away. After a few moments, feeling that it was about time Yuwen Tong stopped kissing him, he said, "Okay, that's enough. If you give me one more kiss, I'm going to have to wash my face!"

Yuwen Tong chuckled, holding him in contentment. "So there's nothing for you to worry about. Just stay here for half a month. After getting the drug, we'll take Uncle Ling back to Tanyang and then we'll return to the capital city."

"Um," said Ling Zhang. Naturally, he was the happiest one to know that they'd get the drug. "You still haven't told me about the specific connections between Ji Yanlai's plan and you."

"No matter what his plan is, there's no doubt that I'll have to gain the required power first before I can help him carry it out, and because of this..." Yuwen Tong gave a mysterious smile and continued beside Ling Zhang's ear in an undertone, "maybe we could use these people a little."

Ling Zhang's face took on a quizzical expression. Use them? How?

"Me getting the required power is a precondition for helping the Millennium Pavilion move to another place, which means that for their own good, they will definitely give me a hand if the occasion arises."

Ling Zhang's eyes instantly lit up at this remark Yuwen Tong made in a low voice beside his ear. He caught on to what Yuwen Tong meant.

"You're pretty good at this. I was worried that we were in a passive position. It didn't occur to me that you seized the initiative," Ling Zhang also breathed beside Yuwen Tong's ear.

Yuwen Tong smiled and gave him a kiss. "In order to shape a bright future for us, I've got to make full use of everything within my reach. It's a natural thing."

Ling Zhang gave him a pinch on the arm. "Lower your voice."

Arms around Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong rubbed himself against him. "Relax. There's no doubt Ji Yanlai knows I'll figure this out. What's the point of worry about him finding out something he's already known?"

Ling Zhang let out a soft cough and listened hard to the sounds from outside, but this was the Millennium Pavilion, and he really couldn't say for sure that he wouldn't mishear. There was no telling whether or not some kung fu expert was hiding somewhere outside this house.

Yuwen Tong, however, was totally unworried, a quite relaxed and contented look on his face.

...

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong stayed in this courtyard house. Later this day, Ling Zhaowu woke up but appeared a little listless. With his pallid face and thin figure on top of it, he looked as though he could collapse at any moment. Seeing this, Ling Zhang knitted his brows.

Ling Zhaowu's eyes was obviously still a little unfocused when they fell on Ling Zhang, who tentatively walked over and sat opposite him. "Father."

Ling Zhaowu looked at him, opened his mouth to utter "Ah" and then averted his gaze. After a while, his eyes moved onto Ling Zhang against, as though he had something to say to Ling Zhang but was somewhat afraid.Update by

"Father, you don't have to be afraid of me. I'll stay here to take care of you as well, okay?" Ling Zhang tried to make himself sound as mild as possible, fixing his father with a sincere stare.

Eyes on him, Ling Zhaowu understood. After quite a while, he bobbed his head and replied, "Okay."

Ling Zhang inwardly let out a sigh of relief and hesitantly reached out his hand to take his father's arm. "Father, let me support you outside to go for a walk."

Ling Zhaowu didn't flinch at Ling Zhang's approach and stood up with his help. Ling Zhang brought him out of the house to have a stroll in the orchard outside the front yard. Maybe it was because of that brief mental stimulation he'd been subjected to at noon, Ling Zhaowu had been a trifle dull since he'd awoken, and he wasn't walking with as much ease as he used to. Though Ling Zhang was guiding him, he still tripped over small rocks or short clusters of grass occasionally, and Ling Zhang had to watch his step for him all the time, his arms steadily supporting Ling Zhaowu to prevent him from falling.

Maybe because Ling Zhaowu had realized that Ling Zhang was reliable, he gradually became much more relaxed, smiling at Ling Zhang from time to time. Though his smile was simple and barely contained any emotions, Ling Zhang felt a brief twinge of sadness every time he saw it.

After walking around the front yard twice, worrying about Ling Zhaowu's physical condition, Ling Zhang intended to take him back, but Ling Zhaowu seemed to have gradually taken a liking to walking with Ling Zhang. He grabbed Ling Zhang's hand, pointed at the fruits on the trees and told Ling Zhang excitedly, "We can eat those!"

Those were plum trees. The climate in the Sanguan Mountains differed greatly from area to area. It was very difficult for plum trees outside this basin to successfully fruit, but those inside were now laden with plums some of which were beginning to redden and would be ready to eat in a few days. Ling Zhaowu was pointing at a couple of relatively red ones on a twig from which plums were hanging in clusters.

Ling Zhang looked at him. "You want to have a try, Father?"

Ling Zhaowu gave a nod, his expectant eyes on Ling Zhang.

Ling Zhang turned his head around, shifting his gaze to Yuwen Tong, who took the hint and returned to ask Mr. Mu about it. Mr. Mu replied, "It was Ya who grew all those fruit trees. Please help yourself."

So Ling Zhang had Ling Zhaowu stand under a tree. "Just stay here, Father. Don't walk away."

Ling Zhaowu inclined his head, eyeing yearningly at those plums, swallowing hard.

Ling Zhang released Ling Zhaowu's hand, took a flying leap upward, nimbly picked the couple of plums hanging from the twig and then landed steadily on the ground, the several reddish plums lying in his palms, along with a few leaves.

Judging from their color, these plums had a faint sweetness in the outer layers of their flesh at the most and were largely tart and astringent.

Seeing Ling Zhaowu was straining at the leash to taste them, Ling Zhang hastily removed the leaves, wiped those plums with his sleeve and then handed one to Ling Zhaowu. "Father, these plums are very sour. You–"

Before he could finish his sentence, Ling Zhaowu had taken the plum and stuffed it into his mouth. The next moment, his brows contracted, his countenance changing, and as though what was in his mouth tasted terrible, he instantly spat out the plum, an aggrieved expression in his eyes which looked at Ling Zhang incredulously.

Ling Zhang almost dissolved into laughter at the sight of Ling Zhaowu's amusing reaction, but he forbore from doing so, for after all this man was his father, and he had to show him some respect. Otherwise when his father recuperated from his amnesia and recollected this, he'd probably feel embarrassed and angry.

"I can't eat these," said Ling Zhaowu in an aggrieved and quizzical tone of voice, as though unable to understand why the plums he'd had in the past had been sweet but these were so tart.

Ling Zhang explained, "These plums are still green, so they're sour. They'll taste sweet when they turn red."

Ling Zhaowu, who'd lost interest in plums and didn't want to see plums any more, swept the remaining couple of plums in Ling Zhang's palms off to the ground and said to him, "Don't eat them."

He seemed to want to prevent Ling Zhang from eating the plums and tasting the tartness.