boyutpedia Chapter 262 The Mysterious Garden
Chapter 262 The Mysterious Garden
The night in the palace of the Nanzhao Kingdom was quiet and deep. The moonlight, like water, gently spilled onto the glazed tiles of the palace, giving off a cool, shimmering glow. Gu Liuli turned over in her sleep, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she had fallen into a strange dream.
Suddenly, a pure white nine-tailed raccoon quietly appeared beside her bed. This raccoon was agile, with a tail divided into nine segments, each shimmering with a faint halo, like nine nimble little snakes. Its eyes were like two dazzling rubies, radiating a mysterious light in the darkness.
The nine-tailed cat leaped lightly onto Gu Liuli's bed, nuzzling her cheek with its head and making soft "woof" sounds. Gu Liuli felt this affectionate gesture in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes.
"You... Nine-Tanuki, where is this?" Gu Liuli asked groggily, her voice still languid from just waking up. When she saw the Nine-Tanuki in front of her, she instantly snapped awake, her eyes filled with surprise.
The nine-tailed fox didn't answer, but instead winked at her, then turned and ran towards the door. Reaching the door, it stopped, turned back to look at Gu Liuli, seemingly gesturing for her to follow.
Filled with curiosity, Gu Liuli got up, put on an outer garment, and followed Jiu Li Mao barefoot outside. Jiu Li Mao walked ahead at a leisurely pace, glancing back at Gu Liuli every few steps to make sure she hadn't lost her.
After passing through a long corridor and winding through a quiet courtyard, Nine-Tails led Gu Liuli to a secluded corner of the palace. There stood an ancient stone gate, covered with strange symbols and patterns, which appeared mysterious and solemn under the moonlight.
Nine-Tanuki walked to the stone gate and gently pressed its paw on one of the patterns. The stone gate slowly opened, making a creaking sound, and an ancient and mysterious aura wafted out.
Gu Liuli cautiously followed the Nine-Tails through the stone gate, and the scene before her stunned her. A dreamlike garden appeared before her, filled with colorful mist, and all sorts of exotic flowers and plants bloomed in competition. The flowers had all sorts of strange shapes, some like fairies dancing gracefully, some like birds about to take flight, and some like sparkling gems.
A clear stream flows gently through the middle of the garden, its waters making a crisp, melodious sound, as if playing a beautiful tune. A group of small, shimmering fish swim in the stream, their scales sparkling with iridescent light, adding a touch of liveliness to this mysterious garden.
"Where...where is this?" Gu Liuli exclaimed, her voice filled with shock.
The nine-tailed cat remained silent, running merrily ahead, occasionally stopping to sniff the flowers, sometimes chasing after the small fish in the stream. Gu Liuli followed behind, admiring the dreamlike scenery, her doubts growing ever deeper.
As they walked, they came to a small pavilion. Green vines climbed all around the pavilion, adorned with delicate purple blossoms that emitted a faint fragrance. Inside, there was a stone table and several stone benches. On the table sat a book with strange symbols engraved on its cover, symbols Gu Liuli had never seen before.
Nine-Tanuki jumped onto the stone bench and pointed at the book with its paw. Gu Liuli stepped forward, gently picked up the book, and opened the first page. It was written in some ancient characters, which were obscure and difficult to understand, but Gu Liuli felt a strange sense of familiarity with them.
Just as Gu Liuli was engrossed in her book, a sudden gust of wind swept through the garden, thickening the fog and blurring the surrounding scenery. The nine-tailed fox let out an urgent cry and jumped into Gu Liuli's arms.
"What happened?" Gu Liuli asked anxiously.
Nine-Tanuki nestled tightly in her arms, nuzzling her with its head as if to comfort her. Just then, Gu Liuli suddenly felt a dizzying sensation, her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.
When Gu Liuli woke up again, she found herself lying in her own bed, sunlight streaming through the window onto her face, warm and gentle. She sat up, recalling her dream from the previous night; everything felt so real, yet so unbelievable.
"Was it all a dream?" Gu Liuli muttered to herself. She looked down and found that she was holding the book she had seen in her dream in her hand. The symbols on the book were still mysterious and ancient.
"This...this isn't a dream!" Gu Liuli exclaimed in surprise. She eagerly opened the book, wanting to uncover its secrets, only to find that the words on the page had become blurry, as if deliberately hiding something.
Gu Liuli sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the book she had brought back from the Secret Garden tightly in her hand, her brows furrowed, lost in thought.
She knew that this was no ordinary dream, but a mysterious door that fate had quietly opened for her.
"Someone come here," Gu Liuli called softly. A moment later, her personal maid hurried in and bowed respectfully. "Go and invite the Imperial Preceptor to the palace. Tell him I have important matters to discuss with him." The maid accepted the order and quickly withdrew.
While waiting for the Imperial Preceptor, Gu Liuli carefully examined the book in her hands once again.
The book's cover is made of a strange material, warm to the touch, and the engraved symbols seem to pulsate slightly, radiating an indescribable mysterious power.
She gently stroked the cover, trying to find some clues, but her mind was a complete blank, and she had no clue whatsoever.
Half an hour later, the Imperial Advisor arrived in a hurry. He was dressed in a long black robe embroidered with golden star patterns, his long hair was tied up, and his face was solemn and dignified.
Upon seeing Gu Liuli, the Imperial Preceptor immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, may I ask what brings this old minister here?"
Gu Liuli stood up and handed the book in her hand to the Imperial Advisor: "Imperial Advisor, take a look at this book. Have you seen it before?"
The Imperial Advisor took the book, and the moment he touched it, his body trembled violently, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes: "This...this aura..." He held the book with both hands, carefully examining the symbols on the cover, and then slowly turned the pages, his brows furrowing more and more tightly.
"Imperial Preceptor, this book was obtained by me in a dream last night, led by a nine-tailed fox, in a pavilion in a mysterious garden. The scene in the dream was so real that when I woke up, the book was actually in my hands." Gu Liuli told the Imperial Preceptor about her dream experience in detail.
After listening, the Imperial Advisor's expression turned solemn: "Your Majesty, this is an ancient and mysterious book. According to ancient records, this book may contain secrets that can change the fate of the Nanzhao Kingdom, but for thousands of years, no one has been able to decipher its contents. Now that it has appeared in Your Majesty's dream and been brought back by you, it may be a sign from Heaven, indicating that the Nanzhao Kingdom will face a major transformation."
"What should we do?" Gu Liuli asked anxiously.
The Grand Preceptor pondered for a moment and said, "I have heard that in the far north of the Nanzhao Kingdom, there is an ancient ruin, which is said to hold the key to deciphering ancient scripts. Perhaps we can send someone to explore it."
Gu Liuli nodded slightly: "This matter is of great importance and cannot be easily handled by sending people. I have decided to personally lead an elite team to the far north."
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!" the Imperial Advisor hurriedly dissuaded. "The far north is a harsh environment, fraught with danger, and contains many unknown and mysterious forces. Your Majesty is of inestimable value; how can you risk your life?"
“It is precisely because this matter concerns the fate of the Nanzhao Kingdom that I must go there in person.” Gu Liuli’s eyes were firm and unwavering. “Grand Preceptor, please help me select some highly skilled, loyal, and reliable guards and scholars who are well-versed in ancient texts. We will depart in three days.”
Seeing that Gu Liuli was determined, the Imperial Advisor could only sigh helplessly: "Since Your Majesty has made up your mind, this old minister will certainly do everything in his power to help you."
Three days later, a group assembled outside the palace. Gu Liuli, dressed in light, practical clothing with a white cloak, looked dashing and spirited. She rode atop a white steed, her gaze fixed firmly on the north. Her accompanying guards, clad in black armor and wielding sharp blades, exuded an imposing aura; the scholars, carrying bags filled with ancient books and research tools, wore expressions of anticipation and tension.
"Let's go!" Gu Liuli gave the order, and the large group set off towards the far north. Along the way, they traversed mountains and valleys, crossed dense forests, and forded swift rivers. Gu Liuli always led the way, her perseverance and courage inspiring everyone.
After several days of arduous travel, they finally reached the far north. Here, the wind howled, and the world was a vast expanse of white snow. In the distance, an ancient ruin loomed, exuding an air of mystery.
"That's it," the Imperial Advisor said, pointing to the ruins.
Gu Liuli took a deep breath and led the team toward the ruins. As they approached the ruins, a powerful force rushed towards them, almost making them lose their footing.
"Be careful!" the Imperial Advisor shouted. "This ruin is surrounded by a powerful barrier; we must proceed with caution."
The group cautiously approached. Gu Liuli carefully observed the patterns and rules of the barrier. Suddenly, she remembered the movements of the Nine-Tails in her dream. An idea struck her, and she imitated the Nine-Tails' actions, gently pressing a few times on the barrier. A miracle occurred; the barrier slowly opened a gap.
"Quick, let's go in!" Gu Liuli shouted. The group quickly passed through the gap and entered the ruins.
The interior of the ruins was dark and gloomy, with walls covered in strange patterns and characters. Gu Liuli took out the book and compared it with the text on the wall, and was pleasantly surprised to find that there seemed to be some connection between the two.
The scholars immediately gathered around and began to carefully study the text and patterns on the wall. They sometimes discussed in hushed tones, and sometimes wrote furiously, trying to find clues to decipher the ancient books.
Time ticked by, and the group remained clueless. Just as they were beginning to despair, a young scholar suddenly exclaimed, "I think I've discovered something!"
The crowd immediately gathered around, and the scholar pointed to a set of patterns on the wall and said, "The order of these patterns seems to correspond to some kind of symbol in ancient books. Perhaps we can decipher the contents of the ancient books through this correspondence."
A glimmer of hope welled up in Gu Liuli's heart: "Quickly, give it a try."