The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace-Chapter 197 Why Keep You Here?

"Big Sister Baili, how are your injuries?"

Yun Yanshui strolled into the courtyard with his younger sister, Yun Yanshuang, carrying a few gifts. He spotted his elder brother, Yun Yantian, helping Baili Moxue to a seat. With his usual carefree demeanor, he made his way over.

"Much better," Baili Moxue replied with a soft smile.

Thanks to the numerous elixirs and nourishing supplements provided by the Yun family, her pale complexion had greatly improved. Her cheeks now glowed with a healthy flush, evidence of her recovery.

"That's good to hear."

Yun Yanshui set the gifts down and casually plopped into a seat by the stone table. His gaze shifted mischievously between the couple. "So, Brother Yantian, Big Sister Baili—when's the wedding? Got a date in mind?"

"By the end of the year," Yun Yantian replied with a laugh.

"That's soon! Less than half a month away," Yun Yanshui exclaimed, clapping his hands.

"Haha! That's right," Yun Yantian affirmed.

"Great! Guess I'll have to start calling you Sister-in-law, huh?" Yun Yanshui teased, clearly delighted by the thought.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction seeing the two of them together. Their journey hadn't been easy, with interference from the Crown Princess and attempts from the Tongshan Xia clan to tear them apart. Yet, through their resilience and unwavering commitment to each other, they had finally found happiness.

"What's that you're wearing around your neck, Big Sister Baili?"

Yun Yanshui's attention was caught by the small shard of a bronze mirror hanging from Baili Moxue's neck.

"Oh, this?" she said, holding up the piece. "It's something my father gave me. He said it's an heirloom left by one of my ancestors and told me to keep it safe."

"I see…" Yun Yanshui muttered, his interest piqued.

The shard of the ancient bronze mirror was a tantalizing object. Though he was tempted to study it further and uncover its secrets, he reminded himself that it was a gift from Baili Xi to Baili Moxue—a personal keepsake. He decided not to press the matter.

"It's beautiful," Yun Yanshuang remarked, her tone light yet purposeful. She had noticed her brother's fascination with the mirror shard and decided to try her luck.

"It is," Baili Moxue agreed, a hint of melancholy crossing her features. "But for my ancestor, it was a cursed object. This shard brought them great suffering."

Baili Moxue gently ran her fingers along the shard, her expression contemplative.

"I've been thinking of getting rid of it. Even though my father said it's the only relic left by my ancestor, I can't shake the thought of the harm it caused them. It doesn't feel right to keep it close."

With a decisive motion, she pulled the shard from her neck and held it in her hand, her gaze cold.

"It's such a shame to throw away something so beautiful," Yun Yanshuang said with a sly grin.

"You seem to like it," Baili Moxue observed, catching the underlying intent in her tone.

"Hehe! I do! It's not every day you see such a lovely shard," Yun Yanshuang said, leaning closer with an innocent smile.

"But it's a cursed object," Baili Moxue cautioned, her brows knitting with concern. "I'd feel awful if anything happened to you because of it."

"If it's from you, it can't possibly bring harm," Yun Yanshuang replied confidently. "Besides, I'm sure I can handle any ill effects it might carry!"

Baili Moxue hesitated for a moment before chuckling softly. "Alright. If you truly want it, I'll give it to you. But promise me this—if it ever shows signs of being dangerous, you must get rid of it immediately."

"Of course! Thank you, Big Sister Baili. I promise I'll be careful," Yun Yanshuang said gleefully, holding the shard with both hands as though it were a treasure. Her cheeks flushed with excitement as she admired its intricate design.

Yun Yanshui watched the exchange with thinly veiled envy but kept his composure.

"Well, Brother Yantian, Big Sister Baili, we'll leave you two lovebirds alone. You've got some bonding to do," he said, rising abruptly and pulling his sister along.

"Let's go, Shuang'er. We have business at the forge."

As the siblings left in a rush, Yun Yantian couldn't help but laugh. "Yanshui's personality hasn't changed one bit. He's still as carefree as ever."

"Having a younger brother like that keeps life interesting, doesn't it?" Baili Moxue said with a gentle smile.

"True enough," Yun Yantian agreed with a chuckle. "Still, I wish he'd settle down. He refuses to marry, and our fourth uncle doesn't seem to care. We can only let him be."

"Marriage is a personal choice," Baili Moxue said thoughtfully. "It shouldn't be forced."

"You're right, my dear," Yun Yantian said, grinning. "You always know best."

"You're getting cheeky," Baili Moxue teased with a playful glare.

"Haha! Let's take a walk to the spirit fields in the back hills. I'd like to see how Wenyu and Wenrun are doing with cultivating the Purple Jade Bamboo."

Taking her hand, Yun Yantian led Baili Moxue away, their laughter echoing through the quiet courtyard.

"Do you have the shard?"

In a secluded corner of the Yun estate, Yun Yanshui's excitement was impossible to miss as he turned to his sister.

"Look at you," Yun Yanshuang teased, holding up the shard. "Here, take it!"

Seeing her brother's barely-contained excitement, Yun Yanshuang couldn't help but laugh. With a playful grin, she handed over the shard of the bronze mirror.

"I'm heading home to check the bronze mirror," Yun Yanshui declared, already turning toward the exit.

"You go handle the forge yourself," he added, leaving no room for discussion.

"Fine, fine!" Yun Yanshuang shouted after him, clearly amused. "And while you're at it, ask Mom to make spicy crab and lotus root stew for dinner. Use those spirit lotus roots that Yan Tian has been cultivating—they'll make it taste even better!"

"Got it!" Yun Yanshui waved a hand in acknowledgment, disappearing around the corner in a flash.

The Cellar

Yun Yanshui quickly descended into the dimly lit cellar, the shard of the bronze mirror clutched tightly in his hand. As he approached the ancient mirror resting on the altar, an eerie glow began to emanate from its surface, faint but mesmerizing, like moonlight dancing on water.

At the same time, the shard in his hand started to tremble, as if alive. It quivered with an unseen force, yearning to escape his grasp and rejoin its source.

Suddenly, a terrified voice echoed in his mind.

"Don't... don't let the shard merge with the mirror!"

Startled, Yun Yanshui instinctively scanned his surroundings with his spiritual sense. Yet no matter how thoroughly he searched, he found no one nearby.

"Who's there?" he demanded, his tone sharp.

The voice returned, desperate and pleading.

"I'm inside the shard! Please, I beg you—don't let it merge with the mirror! If you do, I'll die. I swear I'll die!"

Yun Yanshui stared at the shard in his hand. As he looked closer, a figure emerged within its surface—a man dressed in black, his pale face contorted with fear.

"You... you're the one who killed the imperial ancestor and the patriarchs of the Three Great Clans, aren't you?" Yun Yanshui's voice was calm, his expression unreadable.

"Yes! That's me!" the figure admitted, his voice shaking. "But please, listen to me! If you don't let the shard merge, I'll swear loyalty to you! I'll help you achieve immortality! With me by your side, no one in this world can stop you!"

"Do you really think I'd believe such nonsense?" Yun Yanshui scoffed.

He knew all too well the devastation this entity had wrought. The imperial ancestor's life had been drained away year by year because of this creature. Now, trapped within the shard, it posed no immediate threat—and Yun Yanshui had no intention of releasing it.

"I'm telling the truth! Please, just give me a chance!" the figure cried out, his desperation mounting.

Yun Yanshui hesitated briefly, then smirked. "You want your freedom?"

"Yes! I'll do anything—anything you ask!"

"Fine. Answer three questions honestly, and I'll consider it."

"Really? You're not lying, are you?"

"What choice do you have if I am?" Yun Yanshui replied coldly.

The figure in the shard fell silent, then nodded reluctantly. "Alright. Ask your questions."

"First question: What is the origin of this bronze mirror?"

"I... I don't know!"

Yun Yanshui's brows furrowed.

"I'm serious! I really don't know!" the figure stammered, panic clear in his voice.

"Fine," Yun Yanshui said after a moment, his tone icy. "Second question: What exactly are you?"

"I am a being from the Spirit World," the figure confessed. "I was born from the essence of life and the hatred of the dead, feeding on their souls and grievances."

"The Spirit World?" Yun Yanshui echoed, intrigued.

"Yes," the figure confirmed. "It is a world beyond yours, one of countless realms in the vast cosmos. Your world is just one among many."

Yun Yanshui's eyes widened slightly as pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. It made sense now why the imperial techniques of his world had little effect on this creature—it wasn't of this world to begin with.

"Third question: How did you end up trapped in the mirror?"

"I... I don't know," the figure admitted again, his voice trembling.

"What? You don't know?" Yun Yanshui snapped, his frustration boiling over. "What good are you to me if you don't know anything?"

Before the figure could respond, Yun Yanshui's temper got the better of him. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the shard toward the altar, where the bronze mirror awaited.

"No! Stop!" the figure screamed, his voice filled with terror.

The shard soared through the air, trembling violently as it neared the mirror. The glow from the mirror intensified, its surface rippling like water. As the shard closed the distance, the air in the cellar seemed to freeze, and a low, otherworldly hum began to resonate.

Yun Yanshui's heart raced as he watched the shard draw closer to its destined reunion.