Young Master System: My Mother Is the Matriarch-Chapter 62: Emerald Compass

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

The earth itself trembled as the armored war elephant advanced, each footfall sending shock waves through the soil. Trees shuddered, their leaves raining down like emerald snow. Birds erupted from the canopy in panicked flocks, their cries lost beneath the beast's deep, resonant brroooom that rolled across the land like thunder.

Atop its howdah, Li Wei lounged like a king of old, his fingers tracing the emerald compass in his palm. The artifact *hummed*, its needle spinning wildly before jerking to a stop—pointing dead ahead. The System's golden script burned in his vision:

*********SYSTEM ALERT****************

[ANCIENT CRYPT DISTURBED.....] 

[SEAL BROKEN.......]

[MORTAL REALM ACCESSIBLE....]

************************************** 

A slow smirk curled his lips. "Finally."

Beside him, Leng Yue leaned against the railing, her silver hair whipping like a battle standard in the wind. Her ice-blue eyes flicked to the compass. "That thing twitches like a dying fish. You sure it's not leading us into a pit of demons?"

Li Wei chuckled, lightning crackling between his fingertips. "Vipers can be skinned for their Death qi. We will encounter, however—" He flicked the compass, making it chime sharply. "—anything in our way deserves to be crushed."

Below, the convoy of merchants and cultivators eagerly following the convoy, whispered like frightened mice:

"By the heavens, that beast could flatten a mountain!"

"They say it once trampled an entire bandit dwelling for looking at the Young Master wrong..."

"Fools. It wasn't the elephant that killed them. It was the man resting on its back that did the deed"

A scout dropped from the trees like a shadow, landing in a crouch. His face was pale. "Young Master! The terrain ahead—it's *ah* wrong.*Haa*..... The trees grow sideways. The river flows...up.*Hah*....And the shadows—" He swallowed hard. *phew* "They don't move with the sun."

Leng Yue's short sword hissed from its sheath. "The veil between realms is rotting here. Like cloth left too long in the rain." The hardy maiden had recently acquired a short sword from her vast storage pouch.

Li Wei's grin turned feral. "Good."

With a deafening STOMP, the war elephant surged forward—

—and the forest screamed

Not wind. Not beast.

Laughter.

High, hollow, and hungry, skittering through the trees like a thing unhumored by the presence of humans. The convoy froze. Even the elephant hesitated, its massive ears twitching.

Li Wei's fingers sparked with blue lightning. "Heh. Seems the crypt isn't the only thing awake." He was really starting to enjoy the amount of freedom he had

Leng Yue flipped her dagger, its edge glinting. "Proverb for you, oh wise one: 'Only fools chase echoes in the dark.'"

Li Wei's eyes burned. "And only kings turn echoes into screams."

The laughter ceased.

The forest held its breath.

And the compass spun pointing straight into the heart of madness.

---

Not far from the Expedition Convoy

Nestled between mist-wrapped peaks, the monastery glowed like a jade lantern in the night. Moonlight bathed its courtyards, painting the stones in silver and shadow.

"To enter the Qi-refining world, you must steady your internal energy like a mountain anchors the earth."

The voice—deep, weathered—cut through the stillness. Teacher Sheng stood in the center of the courtyard, his blue embroidered cloak rippling like water. His gaze swept over his disciples, sharp as a honed blade.

"Potential is meaningless without discipline. Again."

The disciples resumed their forms, sweat glistening under the moon.

A cough broke the rhythm. A disciple bowed low. "Teacher Sheng, Little Tiger has returned from the Martial Gathering."

The old master turned. Before him stood a young man—broad-shouldered, eyes burning with barely restrained fire. Behind him, a girl with fox-sharp features watched silently.

"Ah, Little Tiger." Teacher Sheng's voice was a whetstone against steel. "Tell me. Did you remember my teachings? Or did you let pride swing your sword?"

Little Tiger clenched his fists. "Teacher, I crushed Ling Teng in two strikes. I brought no shame to our school."

A scoff came from the sidelines. A sneering disciple folded his arms. "And yet you let the 'Barbarian King' Triumph? Tch. Soft."

Teacher Sheng's staff *cracked* against the stones. "Envy is the rust of the soul. Leave us."

The disciple slunk away.

From his robes, Teacher Sheng produced a small pouch. "Talismans. Use them wisely—they are your lifeline, not your crutch." He knew his disciple had a temper, which meant he would collide against forces far greater than himself

Little Tiger accepted it with both hands. "I will return victorious."

Teacher Sheng's eyes darkened. "Beware the Protector Ba Zi. His shadow stretches far... and his son's eyes are already upon your companion."

The girl tensed. Little Tiger's jaw hardened. "Let him come, I fear no one."

As they left, Teacher Sheng exhaled, his breath fogging in the cold air.

"Too reckless. Too soon.'' Things had recently been unpredictable with heroes emerging from the woodwork and villains rising up like clouds.

He reached for a brush, ink swirling like midnight as he painted—not landscapes, but portraits. Vivid, lifelike drawings of some notable characters he had the chance to meet during his lifetime.

Ba Zi. Ling Teng. The mysterious stranger who'd humbled the Barbarian King. Two otherworldly travelers

And lastly... Little Tiger, his features twisted in battle-fury.

The ink bled like a wound.

"The board is set," Teacher Sheng murmured. "But who moves the pieces?" The old sage understood that certain characters were about to alter the course of the continent forever, which left him envious of these fierce warriors.

Far away, in a tavern in Blue Carp County, a merchant named Wu Chong slammed his cup down. "I'll find this 'Grand Master Wei' if it's the last thing I do!" He had been in the outskirts of the region during the attack on Crescent Moon City

In the shadows, a figure smirked—City Lord Jie Mu's daughter, her fan fluttering like a butterfly's wing. "Oh? And what will you do when you find him?" This girl was not a simple character, she had carefully eliminated her rivals and had entranced the enigmatic young man

Wu Chong's grin was all teeth. "Challenge him to a duel he can't possibly refuse." The young man was completely confident his skills and had bested numerous adversaries during his travel, evil had been widespread thus combatants like him were rarely idle.

The wind howled outside, carrying the scent of ozone and distant thunder.

In his grasp, an Emerald compass needle *twitched*.