"Those people from the Snow Forbidden City should have been watching this meeting."

The gravekeeper said earnestly, "After the Apostle War, even the slightest disturbance in the inner mausoleum of Qingzhong will attract a lot of attention. You may be targeted by many people—"

Gu Shen smiled and shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

Did he still need to care about that?

He was already being watched by those higher-ups in the Three Schools!

"Indeed."

Master Chino gave a wry smile.

"Actually, there's another reason why I asked you to enter the mausoleum," she paused, her voice gradually becoming serious, and said, "There's something else..."

The gravekeeper slowly raised her head.

Above the Four Seasons Wilderness, the clouds drifted and spread.

"Since last year, the transcendent source matter in the sky above Qingzhong's outer mausoleum has begun to become uncontrollable." Master Chino said in a deep voice, "I originally thought it was a periodic phenomenon of the Fire Seed's power dispersing, but now it seems that the transcendent source matter is gradually showing a major trend of 'losing control'."

"I have a faint ominous premonition in my heart..." The gravekeeper only said half of her sentence.

But Gu Shen understood, and his expression became solemn.

The gradual loss of control of Qingzhong's source matter might mean that Gu Changzhi's power was dissipating...

"Perhaps it's not as bad as we think." Gu Shen comforted, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"When Qingzhong was built, it had the help of favorable timing, geographical advantages, and the support of the people... Nagano had ready-made ancient drawings, transcendent array patterns, and a sufficient amount of strong logical materials." The gravekeeper said, "But now that Qingzhong is built, as time goes by, some of the array patterns on the surface of the outer mausoleum are gradually being worn away. I suspect that the loss of control of the transcendent source matter may be related to the aging and wear of the array patterns."

"These array patterns should have been maintained by the Gu family."

"However... the Gu family's attitude towards Qingzhong is changing."

She slowly said, "As you said, the gradual loss of control of Qingzhong's transcendent source matter may not be so bad, but it could be a big deal... But if someone with ulterior motives seizes on it and exaggerates it, then the debate that has just subsided will be replayed."

Does the disorder of Qingzhong... mean the decline of the Fire Seed's power, and does it also mean the imminent death of the Fire Seed's master...?

Ultimately, the final question will definitely evolve into—

Is Gu Changzhi dead or alive?

Clearly, the apostle has already appeared, so why is he still unwilling to show his face?

Hearing this... Gu Shen already understood.

"The matter of repairing the array patterns... cannot be spread."

"That's right." The gravekeeper nodded, and said helplessly, "Being in the mausoleum, in recent years, the only person I can trust... is Nanfeng."

Gu Nanfeng was the young master of the Gu family. Of course, he had the ability and the authority to mobilize the resources needed to repair the array patterns... but these methods could not avoid going through the Gu family's hands.

She slowly said, "Now, there's one more person... you."

Gu Shen was the "God-Descendant" personally appointed by Gu Changzhi's spirit.

Although they had only met once in the spiritual world.

But the gravekeeper, who was proficient in divination and physiognomy, had begun more than one deduction and prediction after that night in the capital... In the end, she was convinced that this God-Descendant was a trustworthy person.

Therefore, there was the "manifestation of the divine" assistance from the Dojo.

"This time... I'm afraid I need your help."

The gravekeeper took a deep breath, and slowly waved her sleeve.

A leaf was casually plucked by her, falling from the tree branch, and slowly swaying towards Gu Shen.

It eventually landed in his palm.

That golden leaf contained abundant spiritual power, filled with information.

On this leaf, dozens of materials were densely written and arranged.

Gu Shen frowned... he had mostly never seen these materials, and had never even heard of them.

Some of these materials could not even be found in East Continent, and it was almost impossible to collect them all with personal power.

At least a huge corporation was needed.

Could Huazhi do it, collecting these materials?

"I will try my best to collect these materials..." Gu Shen pondered for a moment, accepted the list, and said cautiously, "But I can't guarantee that I can collect all the materials."

Gu Shen never liked to make promises beyond his ability, so he did not say words like "I will definitely complete the task."

"If... I'm just asking if..."

Gu Shen carefully asked, "Because the materials are not fully collected, resulting in these array patterns not being completely repaired, what will be the consequences?"

Hearing this, the gravekeeper looked at Gu Shen meaningfully.

She did not answer, but instead asked a question.

"Why do you think... I've been guarding this mausoleum for ten years?"

Gu Shen was stunned.

In the eyes of the great families of Nagano, and the transcendents of the Three Schools.

The gravekeeper was an untainted, "martyr" who had severed worldly ties. She sacrificed herself, and fulfilled all living beings... but in this world, there had never been a person without desires.

Even "Gods" still had emotions and desires, and were still entangled with cause and effect.

Beneath the gravekeeper's deified exterior, still beat a mortal heart.

"The world always likes to create gods, imagining a person as radiant and indestructible." The gravekeeper said lightly, "But in reality, where is such a person? Because they imagine 'gods' to be too perfect, they will definitely be disappointed. So the second thing they are keen on is to destroy 'gods'."

"When Gu Changzhi was slumbering, many people would come to Qingzhong every year to kowtow and worship."

"Because I control the array patterns here, gathering the wandering source matter... so over time, they also saw me as a 'god', but in reality, I am just an ordinary person."

"For me... the greatest significance of guarding Qingzhong is not to protect Nagano."

Chino said softly, "But to wait for him to come back."

"The person who truly protects Nagano is Gu Changzhi." The gravekeeper lowered her eyes, and said, "Now I can answer your question. If the array patterns cannot be repaired, perhaps the phenomenon of 'order collapsing' will appear around Nagano, but what I care more about is... whether Gu Changzhi will be unable to awaken because of this. In fact, my ten years of guarding, day after day, are all for him to be able to wake up sooner."

Everything she did was to revive Gu Changzhi!

He protected Nagano.

And she protected him.

"After hearing these, don't you think... I'm a terrible person?"

Chino smiled slightly, and mocked herself, "I have never been a saint in their eyes, let alone a god who saves the world. I am just a lone traveler wading through the sea of suffering, who just happened to do all of this, helping many people."

Gu Shen stood under the tree, looking at the gravekeeper's frosty white hair tied up by a wooden hairpin.

Perhaps ten years ago, when this woman came to Qingzhong, she had a head of black hair.

Now it was full of silver threads.

What aged people in this world was not only time.

Burning oneself out, leaving only white ashes.

Any radiant person, breaking open their heart, always had a reason to be willing to burn... Ultimately, the criterion for judging whether a person was great was not the level of inner morality, but how much light and heat was specifically released under the drive of conscience.

"No..."

Gu Shen shook his head, and said sincerely, "Master Chino... you are a great person, and also a real person."