Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1176 Ripples

The valley was ablaze with a dazzling array of flowers—red, yellow, pink, and purple—blooming like a sea of ​​blossoms. The fragrance, rich yet not pungent, was captivating. Walking along the path further into the valley, one soon heard the gurgling of flowing water. A few steps further, a clear pool of water appeared before one's eyes—this was Mirror Flower Spring. The spring water flowed from a crack in the cliff face, forming a small waterfall that cascaded down into the pool, creating a series of splashes that formed tiny rainbows in the sunlight. The water was so clear that one could clearly see the pebbles and swimming fish at the bottom. The surface of the pool was like a mirror, clearly reflecting one's own shadow. Fine silver scales of light drifted across the surface, flickering and fading, mirroring the light of the Quicksand River, creating a truly magical scene. "Sir, this is Jinghua Spring." Qinghe pointed at the pool, a look of awe on her face. "In our Jinghua Domain, women who reach the age of eighteen, accompanied by their families, come here to drink the spring water. After drinking the spring water, they will give birth to children within three months, and all of them are girls, without exception." Lin Yanzhi walked to the edge of the pool, squatted down, and carefully examined the spring water in front of him. He reached out his hand, wanting to touch the water and feel its temperature. The moment his finger touched the water, ripples suddenly appeared on the surface, spreading out in circles. Then, a blurry image was reflected in the ripples - the image was of a bustling street, with people coming and going on the street, mostly people wearing Central Plains clothing, and some vendors hawking their wares on the roadside. The buildings on both sides of the street were also in typical Central Plains style. Even more surprising was the familiar Jiangnan water town scenery that appeared in the image—bluestone pavements, whitewashed walls and black tiles, flowing bridges, and women washing clothes by the river… "What is this…" Lin Yanzhi was horrified, his eyes fixed on the scene on the water, his heart pounding. He tried to get a closer look, but just then, the image suddenly vanished, the water returned to calm, leaving only his own reflection. "Young Master, what's wrong with you?" Qinghe noticed his unusual expression, her face filled with surprise, and hurried over to his side, asking with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Yanzhi stood up, collected himself, and then slowly spoke, "Miss Qinghe, I just saw the scenery of the Central Plains and my hometown Jiangnan in the water. Have you…have you ever seen anything like this?" Qinghe's face was filled with disbelief. She quickly squatted down and looked carefully at the water, but there was only her own reflection, no other images. "No, sir," Qinghe stood up and shook her head. "Every time we come here to drink from the spring, we only see our own reflections. We've never seen anything else. Young master, are you seeing things? Or are you new to the Mirror Flower Realm and haven't adjusted to the environment yet, so you're hallucinating?" Lin Yanzhi frowned. He was certain he wasn't mistaken. The image, though blurry, was incredibly clear; it definitely wasn't an illusion. Could it be that the Mirror Flower Spring not only impregnates women but also reflects their hometowns? Why hadn't Qinghe and the others ever seen this before? Could it be that he was a stranger, somehow connected to the Mirror Flower Spring? Just as he was puzzled, he heard footsteps in the distance, mingled with the laughter of women. Lin Yanzhi turned and saw Mingxi, accompanied by four maids, walking along the path through the valley. Mingxi wore a lavender dress, the hem embroidered with delicate silver thread patterns, which shimmered softly in the sunlight. A white jade hairpin with a small pearl tassel dangled from it, swaying gently with her steps. "Mr. Lin, you've arrived very early." Mingxi walked up to Lin Yanzhi with a gentle smile on her face, her eyes as clear as a spring. "How is it? Is the scenery of Mirror Flower Spring to your liking? Is there anything that strikes you as special?" Lin Yanzhi quickly bowed and saluted. "Greetings, Queen. Mirror Flower Spring is beautiful and truly a wonder. But... I just saw some strange images in the spring, and I want to report them to you." "Oh? What strange images?" Mingxi asked quickly, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. Lin Yanzhi told Mingxi everything he had just seen in the spring, including the scenery of the Central Plains and the water towns of the south of the Yangtze River. Mingxi's face lit up with surprise when she heard this. She glanced at the maids around her, all of whom had blank expressions, clearly having never heard of such a thing. "Is this really true?" Mingxi walked to the edge of the pool, squatted down, and reached out her hand to gently touch the water. Ripples formed on the water's surface, but only her reflection appeared, nothing else. She tried a few more times, but the result remained the same. Mingxi stood up and looked at Lin Yanzhi, her eyes filled with inquiry and surprise. "Mr. Lin, I've lived by the Mirror Flower Spring for twenty years. I've listened to stories of it from the palace elders since I was a child, but I've never heard of its water reflecting the scenery of my hometown. It seems this spring is very special to you. Perhaps you and our Mirror Flower Realm share some special connection." "Fate?" Lin Yanzhi was stunned. He had never imagined that he would have any connection with this isolated Kingdom of Women. He was just a stranger who had stumbled upon this place by chance, desperate to find his way home. He met Mingxi's clear eyes, which held a gentle smile and a subtle curiosity. Sunlight filtered through the leaves onto her face, making her skin appear even whiter, like the finest white jade. A strange feeling suddenly arose in Lin Yanzhi's heart, as if something had gently tickled him, causing him to feel a little uneasy. He quickly turned his gaze away and looked at the pool of water, pretending to be calm and said, "Queen, maybe it's just a coincidence. I want to try again to see if I can see those pictures again, maybe I can find clues to leave." Mingxi nodded, with an understanding look in her eyes: "Okay, you can try, the maids and I will wait for you here and will not disturb you." Lin Yanzhi squatted down again, took a deep breath, and calmed himself down. He stretched out his fingers and gently touched the water surface. This time, as soon as his fingers touched it, there were a few slices of ginger and green onion on it, and a little light soy sauce drizzled on it, which looked very appetizing; there was also a bowl of chicken soup, the soup was clear, with a little oil floating on it, and a few pieces of chicken and a few red dates in it, with a rich aroma. The fungus was soaked just right, with a crispy and tender texture, sprinkled with a little sesame seeds and chopped green onions, drizzled with sesame oil, and the aroma was fragrant; a plate of steamed fish, the fish was not big, but extremely fresh, the fish meat was white and tender,