Chapter 182: Hidden Passageways (1/2)

Despite her attempts to lift it, the jade ink container did not budge. She let go and thought to herself.

”Something is strange about this. If I cannot lift it then maybe there is something else I should do.”

She fiddled with it, pushing it in different directions, twisting it both ways. Then, she began to exert even more strength on the jade ink container but nothing she had done worked. However, all of this proved that this was no ordinary object.

If she could not move it, then there must be something she had to do with that container.

Ming Yue decided to look closer at what had grabbed her attention in the first place. On the rim of the jade, she saw something inscribed, some words that she could not make out. It wasn't until she was an inch from it that she was able to read the words.

”The ink is my mind, the brush is my sword, and paper my body.”

She repeated those words in her mind before moving towards the cabinet. Taking out a bottle of ink, a simple brush and a piece of paper, she placed it all on the desk.

With that bottle of ink, she poured some of it into the jade container. With the brush and paper at hand, she dipped into the ink and was about to place it onto the paper but she paused.

What would she do now?

”Is this right?” she thought, ”Was there something she missed?”

She had all of the items: the pen, ink, and paper. So, what was left?

They had to be used, but what should be written?

With the first paper, she casually wrote characters but nothing seemed to happen.

”Should it be something connect with the garden?” Ming Yue thought.

She brought out another piece of paper and began to ponder on what had to be written. At the same time, she began to doubt herself. Could she have interpreted this incorrectly? Was here something she had overlooked?

She went through all that she had seen in the garden: the puppets, the words on their backs, the voids in their chests. Then something crossed her mind and she grabbed the brush, dipping it in ink. With some simple but confident brushstrokes, she wrote a few words on the paper and watched the ink glow with power.

The fireplace suddenly burst aflame and the paper flew into the raging fires, turning to ash. Suddenly, the fireplace rumbled before moving backwards and revealing a hidden passageway!

”Yes!” Ming Yue rejoiced and looked at the floating ashes of the paper

”Innovation!”

That was what she had written on that paper. When the mind and body is ready, one needed innovation! Ideas, changes, revolutions! Such a thing applied to warriors, scholars, everyone! Changing one's techniques, combining and separating strategies, it needed innovation, inspiration, that stroke of brilliance that allowed one to evolve!

She was an example of this, creating and studying cultivation and medicine, finding ways to improve her skills.

Ming Yue stood up and walked towards the fireplace, still blazing away. At the entrance, she felt a cold rush of air come forth and she entered.

As she descended down, the passageway lit up through torches and showed what seemed like an endless set of stairs spiraling down. The further she descended the colder the air became and she felt energy coming from the deeper regions of the spiral staircase. Reaching the bottom took several minutes but at the end of the it, she found herself in pathway that splintered off into many others. Each one seemed to have multiple rooms.