《The Devil is My White Moonlight》 CH 1 ¡°Kill him! Kill him!¡± yelled the enraged audience, encircling a high platform. Shouts were heard wave after waves. This was Linmo Yuan, the juncture between the human and demon world. There was a slight smell of blood lingering in the air just after a great war, which heightened people¡¯s emotions. The majority of those gathered around the platform were Moyun Mountain disciples, and their humble and exquisite white robes pricked the eyes whenever reflected under the strong sunlight. A man on the stage was covered in blood. His wrists were firmly tied to his back by an immortal rope, yet his torso was straight despite kneeling on the floor. His bun was loose, and his piercing eyes searched the crowd through the few strands of long hair that hung in front of his face. ¡°Gu Qingqiao, do you admit to your crime?¡± questioned a middle-aged man sitting at the head, who was dressed in a white Moyun Taoist robe embroidered with golden clouds patterns, symbolizing the head of the Moyun Mountain. The kneeling young man only sneered and didn¡¯t answer, making the surrounding spectators under the stage to become all the more excited. ¡°What else is there to say? He was caught red handed killing an elder, the proof is clear!¡± ¡°He killed an elder at a crucial point in the struggle between the immortals and the demons, he is unquestionably a traitor!¡± Suddenly they noticed someone approaching from a distance with a sword in hand. The uproar subsided, and the crowd parted like tides in the surf, allowing the figure to pass. Step by step, the handsome young man in white with a long sword approached the high platform. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mu Xiyun? Wasn¡¯t he on the southern section of the battlefield?¡± someone whispered amongst the crowd. ¡°Well, he is a disciple of Tianliang Peak,¡± another sighed, ¡°he must have hurried over after receiving the news of his master¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Is he going to kill the traitor with his own hands?¡± The audience became lively again. Mu Xiyun stood on the stage, unsheathed his long sword and pointed it directly at Gu Qingqiao¡¯s chest. He had just returned from a great distance with his sword after a grueling battle. His face was pallid, and fine beads of sweat were gathering on his brow. Despite this, the hand holding the blade did not shake in the least, and his face was icy. He locked his gaze on the kneeling man¡¯s eyes. For a moment, they just stared at each other. ¡°Why?¡± He asked. Gu Qingqiao merely closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he suddenly smiled. ¡°Ah Yun¡­¡± Just as he was about to say something, his countenance abruptly turned pale. The whole person curled like a ball on the ground as if he was dealt with a heavy blow on the stomach. ¡°What is that?¡± Shouts were heard from the crowd below. Wisps of black qi quickly rose from Gu Qingqiao¡¯s body, covering his whole person within a few breaths. Mu Xiyun subconsciously took a step back. However, as he retreated, Gu Qingqiao suddenly sprang off the ground. His arms had already broken free from the immortal rope, and a shining machete in his left hand slashed through the black qi, creating afterimages as he aimed for Mu Xiyun¡¯s throat. He gripped his sword as he parried the machete. The machete in Gu Qingqiao¡¯s right hand arrived fast, and Mu Xiyun raised his left hand like lightning at the same time. The two came face to face after two sharp ¡°ding¡± sounds. Gu Qingqiao¡¯s eyes were blood red, and the black qi from his body was constantly leaking, and soon covered the high platform. ¡°Ah, it hurts!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Several Moyun disciples rushed to the high platform, but they didn¡¯t anticipate the black qi to instantaneously infiltrate the meridians as it touched the body. Higher-level practitioners just felt a cold rush against their meridians. Those with inferior skills, on the other hand, instantly vomited blood. People began to cry out one after the other at that point, and they backed away involuntarily. ¡°What are you panicking about, move back!¡± The middle-aged man shouted in a deep voice. With a wave of his hands, a barrier was formed and covered the high platform like a dome. The black qi that wanted to rush out, curled backwards as it hit the barrier, unable to extend out any farther. In the dense black mist, all of Xiyun¡¯s strength was poured into the blade. He mobilized his spiritual energy into the sword¡¯s edge and the long sword emitted a shining silver light, resisting the black qi from the opposite side¡¯s machete. His lower abdomen was already in a searing pain, and what little remaining spiritual energy in him rushed out eagerly. He could feel his golden core being overburdened, but he didn¡¯t care, and still continued to use his spiritual energy to the extreme. ¡°Crack!¡± His golden core suddenly shattered. Blood oozed from the corner of Mu Xiyun¡¯s mouth, but he still recklessly kept on, even extracting spiritual energy from his sea of ??consciousness. In his struggle, his vision suddenly became blurred. However, he finally saw that, under the pressure of his powerful spiritual force, the black qi on the machete receded little by little, and Gu Qingqiao¡¯s eyes slowly changed back from blood red to normal. ¡°Ah Yun!¡± A familiar shout sounded, yet it seemed to be from a distance away. He closed his eyes and darkness eventually came. It was dark all around. Mu Xiyun floated in the void, surrounded by chaos. His consciousness responded reluctantly as a weak but warm beam of white light descended on him. The white light encircled him gently, as though gentle hands caressed him, attempting to wake him up. His memory still lingered on the earlier scene; the hellish battlefield in Linmo Yuan, the little junior brother who came to report the news, the young man who was bound on the high platform, and the blood-red eyes surrounded by black qi¡­.. No, no! He could still recall the teen Qingqiao deep in his memory. The one who played with him and fought alongside him in times of difficulty, whose every word and deed he treasured, and whose smile warmed his heart. Yet, how can such a person hurt the master he most respects! Where and what went wrong? Then, Mu Xiyun opened his eyes. The author has something to say: New people and new articles, please excuse me. Low magic cultivation is not an upgrade flow. The upgrade flow is so simple that it is just a background setting. Please don¡¯t take it seriously. Translator¡¯s Note Linmo Yuan-Demon Abyss CH 2 There was a thick fog in front and the surroundings were extremely cold. The body seemed to be laying inside a tight space, with a translucent slate right just above the tip of the nose. The white breaths of air in front was somewhat dispersed, condensing into small water droplets that created fine ice particles. Xiyun¡¯s body was stiff and the arms were too heavy to lift. He tried to move his legs and pressed a knee against the slate. He applied more force. The slab made a ¡°kacha¡± sound as it cracked and shattered on one side. When his arms regained some strength, and with the help of his knee, he shoved aside the whole slab with difficulty, sat up, and discovered that he was inside a cave. It was unlike the dim scene he had previously seen inside his consciousness. There were lights lit and it was quite bright. It¡¯s just that the cave was filled with fog and cold air. Mu Xiyun looked down at himself, he was wearing a white robe with silver cloud patterns embroidered on the hem and cuffs. This is¡­ Moyun Mountain disciple uniform. Was he back at the mountain? Suddenly, sounds of hurried footsteps were heard, and a figure in white robe suddenly entered inside the cave. It was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, he was short in stature and tiny beads of sweat were oozing out from his chubby face. He couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he stepped inside. ¡°Oh my God, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± The middle-aged man was astonished for a moment before dropping the book and a clump of hay he was holding and stepping forward to stop Mu Xiyun. ¡°Don¡¯t get up yet. Please pay attention to your body!¡± Although he didn¡¯t know the other party¡¯s intention, he didn¡¯t notice any malice. Xiyun sat back down as he said and waited attentively. The visitor¡¯s left palm pressed against his back, sending a soft and warm spiritual energy into his body. The body gradually warmed up. After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the middle-aged man stood up and walked slowly to the side of the cave. Only then did Mu Xiyun finally get a clear view at everything around him. This was a small stone room, which was constantly pervaded by frigid air. A cold jade coffin with its lid opened, sat in the center of the stone room, where he had just exited from. Beside it, was a small topaz bottle, a tool used to gather and store souls. At this time, the middle-aged man opened his mouth. ¡°If I may take the liberty to ask, can you tell me your name?¡± With a dry throat, Mu Xiyun tried several times, and finally made a sound, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sure enough, it¡¯s you.¡± The middle-aged man seemed to be relieved. He helped him sit down and added, ¡°Brother Mu, I¡¯m Mo Zhiqi, Tianji Peak¡¯s elder. ¡° Moyun Mountain was a big mountain with five peaks: Tiankui, Tianxiang, Tianliang, Tianji and Tianxian. Ancestors of Moyun Mountain discovered this place in the early years, and realized that five peaks of this mountain towered into the skies, and the people¡¯s life below the mountain was relatively simple. What made this mountain even more significant was that it¡¯s full of spiritual energy. They cultivated here, absorbed the spiritual essence of heaven and earth and got twice the result with half the effort. Later, they decided to just settle here and took root. At the start, there was only Tiankui Peak, but as time passed, the sect grew in size and number of disciples increased. As a result, they agreed that each of the five peaks should be occupied by an elder. Each one of the five peaks specialized in a different area, and medicine was Tianjin Peak¡¯s expertise. The current elder, Mo Zhiqi, took over Tianji Peak from the previous elder, who enjoyed wandering around the world, ten years ago. He was indifferent by nature, and was even more of a medical fanatic than the former. In addition to completing the usual routine work of teaching disciples, he was either buried in ancient medical books all day, or studied herbal medicines in the alchemy room. However, every first and fifteenth day of every month, Elder Mo would go to Tianji Peak¡¯s rock caves. Tianji Peak had wide varieties of medicines. Many medicinal herbs and ready-made medicines that were even sensitive, that sometimes required a cool place to be stored. The Tianji rock caves were natural caves which had countless small compartments. The cave¡¯s temperature was warm in winter and cool in summer, and it used spiritual stones to separate the chambers of varying temperatures for storing various types of medicinal herbs. When he took over Tianji Peak ten years ago, the former elder Huang Zelin brought him here and gave him a confidential task. Mo Zhiqi was shocked by what he had discovered, yet he still remained silent as he assumed the position of Tianji Peak¡¯s elder. Twice a month, he would come to this cold room and spend three or four hours exploring with his spiritual power the Soul Gathering Bottle that contained Xiyun¡¯s soul. The two generations of elders had worked hard for over a thousand times during the last fifty years, but the Soul Gathering Bottle still had not made any movement. Mo Zhiqi no longer had any hope. Yet he stayed diligent because he did not want to betray his master¡¯s trust. He would come here every first and fifteenth of the month without fail and eventually treated it as a meditation practice as time went by. Mo Zhiqi sat quietly in front of the jade bottle today with that same mentality, and suddenly realized that in the medicinal book he had read yesterday, there was a summary of the curative ability of different portions of Chengfeng herb. He hastily left and headed to the next door medicinal room to look for that specific herb medicine, however Xiyun unexpectedly woke up at that point. Xiyun was still a little weak, and said with a little difficulty. ¡°Thank you!¡± Then he wondered. ¡°I remember that the elder of Tianji Peak was surnamed Huang, I don¡¯t know where he is now?¡± Mo Zhiqi wiped the sweat that was almost frozen on his face, and replied, ¡°No need to thank me, Elder Huang was my master, and he resigned from the position of elder ten years ago.¡± ¡°Ten years ago¡­¡± Xiyun remained silent for a moment before raising his eyes to look at Mo Zhiqi and asked softly, ¡°How many years have I been lying here?¡± Mo Zhiqi looked into his eyes, ¡°It had been fifty years since the battle at Linmo Yuan.¡± Fifty years, converted into an average person¡¯s lifespan, it was nearly a lifetime of reincarnation. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, things remained as what they were, yet the people are not¡­¡± Xiyun sighed in his heart. ¡°But brother Mu eventually woke up. If Master knows about it, he will definitely be very happy.¡± Mo Zhiqi¡¯s voice was filled with joy. ¡°Don¡¯t say it¡¯s just him, even me, it¡¯s been ten years since I waited for this day and I finally saw you regain consciousness today. I finally fulfilled my promise to my master.¡± ¡°Elder Mo has worked hard.¡± Xiyun secretly suppressed the sadness in his heart, and instead said with concern, ¡°Elder¡¯s face is pale, I am afraid that the loss of spiritual energy just now was too great. You might as well rest first. Although there are still countless doubts in my heart, fifty years have already passed, and there is nothing to worry about at the moment. It¡¯s not too late to ask Elder Mo for advice in the future.¡± Mo Zhiqi was indeed a little exhausted, and the cave was so frigid that he couldn¡¯t help but tremble a few times. He cast a glance at Xiyun. The disciple¡¯s uniform appeared to be unsuitable on his body. He fetched a spare cotton robe from a cabinet on the side, handed it to Mu Xiyun to put on, and swiftly led him out of the rock cave. The cold, humid winter air outside rushed into Xiyun¡¯s lungs as he took a deep breath as Mo Zhiqi brought him to a disciple¡¯s room in Tianji Peak. ¡°It so happened that I was very busy and didn¡¯t make any preparations. Brother Mu, you rest here first. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Mo Zhiqi hesitated, Although there aren¡¯t many disciples on the peak these days, it will be difficult to explain why there is one more person. If you encounter them, please hide and don¡¯t be seen.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xiyun saluted, ¡°This elder will now take a rest.¡± Mo Zhiqi was no longer polite, turned around, walked out of the disciple¡¯s house, and went back to his own room. Mu Xiyun remained standing inside. Fifty years have passed, and yet the disciple¡¯s room was still the same as it was back then. He reached out and brushed the edge of the window, looking up at the full moon in the sky through the open window. The full moon was undisturbed, sprinkling silver frost to the world. It had been so long since the last time he saw something like this. He didn¡¯t sleep well that night. He didn¡¯t know if it was because his soul had been floating in the void for so long that there was some kind of resistance when it entered this body. Blood vessels across his body were tingling, and his sea of consciousness was even more excruciating. It seemed that there were thousands of thorns crawling left and right across his body. Mu Xiyun lay down for a moment with his eyes open, then sat up after a while. There was another stir in his body. He coughed a few times, sat cross-legged in meditation, and peered inside his body. The meridians have not yet been widened, the spiritual power is low, and¡­ this body hadn¡¯t yet formed a golden core! Mu Xiyun was taken aback for a while. Fifty years ago, his golden core was already established, his sea of consciousness was vast, and his swordsmanship was at its pinnacle. Even if it¡¯s fifty years of deep sleep, the body should not be like this, narrowed meridians and depleted sea of consciousness. After pondering for a while, Mu Xiyun sighed, walked out of the room and arrived in front of a large mirror stone. There was a rule in Moyun Mountain that every disciple should be upright in mind and body. Etiquette and manners were also strictly enforced. In fact, Moyun had been famous for having cultivated a large number of modest gentlemen. Mirror stones were placed in front of the disciples¡¯ rooms in each peak which had been polished with a spell so that the disciples could get their clothes correctly. The large stone reflected the morning sun, and the smooth mirror clearly reflected his image. He saw a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, hair as black as ink and draped like soft satin on his shoulders; a face as white as jade, but pale and bloodless; light and shallow brows, and its ends were like smoke; light colored eyes, with a hint of youthful softness, and was as calm as the sea; grecian nose and a slightly pointed chin. His slender and small frame was faintly outlined behind his oversized Moyun disciple uniform. The face resembled his, but the entire person feels entirely different. Fifty years ago, Xiyun was one of Moyun Mountain¡¯s most remarkable disciples, with sharp and resolute eyes, his whole person was cold and lofty, like a bright sword. However, as he gazed at his reflection, there was no trace of sharpness. Just like a sword sheathed back to its scabbard. For no apparent reason, the individual appeared soft and gentle. Tianji Peak disciples were already in their morning lessons, and there was no one else nearby. Mu Xiyun stayed in front of the mirror stone for a while before noticing Mo Zhiqi walking over. Before Mu Xiyun could inquire, Elder Mo had already said, ¡°This body is not yours.¡± Xiyun did not appear surprised. He had suspected it for some time. He didn¡¯t say anything and just silently waited for Elder Mo to continue. ¡°I have no idea what happened back then. I merely followed my Master¡¯s orders. How much do you remember?¡± Mu Xiyun closed his eyes. Memory fragments appear one after the other, but they were exceedingly jumbled and mixed together. ¡°Sorry, my memory is a bit confusing. Was it Elder Huang who saved me?¡± ¡°When Master treated you back then,¡± Mo Zhiqi explained, ¡°you had already ruptured your sea of consciousness, your meridians were damaged, and your spiritual energy was drained. He tried his best and barely protected your body from disintegrating. Fortunately, your soul has not yet scattered, and can still be collected using the soul gathering jade bottle in time. The Master returned your body, along with your sword, to Tianji Peak and hid it in a rock cave. He attempted to re-establish your meridians. But he was unable to do so in the end. He could only bury you a year later.¡± ¡°After exhausting the spiritual energy until the golden core is shattered, the body and the sea of consciousness would be in irreparable damage, and the soul would simultaneously be scattered. This is a warning that every cultivator has received when he starts his path in cultivation.¡± Mu Xiyun¡¯s eyes were clear, ¡± It is impossible to save a person in that kind of state, yet Elder Huang has gone against the laws of heaven for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand.¡± Mo Zhiqi breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°However, Master, he was not reconciled, but became more persistent. For decades, he has traveled all over the world, searching for spiritual stones and ancient medicines. Finally, twenty years ago, in an iceberg cavern in the far north, he found a piece of spiritual jade. He used the spiritual jade as the base, the mountain spirit plum at the back of Tianji Peak as the bone, plus a body nourishing elixir and your preserved blood, it took him thirteen years to finally cultivate a body. The body was kept in a cold jade coffin for seventeen years. It¡¯s a pity that your soul hasn¡¯t awakened over the previous seventeen years and hasn¡¯t been able to enter the body sooner. You must feel a tingling sensation throughout your body, as well as some pain in your sea of consciousness, right? ¡° ¡°Well,¡± Xiyun replied, ¡°I just woke up yesterday, so it should be. But it would certainly get better with time.¡± ¡°It would have been preferable if the soul had been incorporated into the body seventeen years ago, but several years have passed now. The spiritual plum needs some time to get adapted to the soul, but this is not a considerable issue. With the improvement of practice, it should become better slowly.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xiyun coughed a little. Elder Huang had worked so hard, Xiyun was ashamed of himself. ¡°Alas,¡± Mo Zhiqi sighed, ¡°Master, why did he want to save you so much? He didn¡¯t tell me the reason. He just said that when things were suspicious back then, you were deeply involved in it and saving you was just a matter of obeying the mandate of the heavens.¡± Xiyun looked at him and said respectfully, ¡°No matter what. For decades, Elder Huang has been running around and Elder Mo had been patiently waiting. For Xiyun, it is a big favor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, I just followed Master¡¯s instructions.¡± Mo Zhiqi stood up and walked around the room while saying, ¡°You are originally a disciple of Tianliang Peak. I don¡¯t know if your old friends are still there, you might as well come and study medicinal skills in Tianjin Peak than be an outer disciple of Moyun Mountain.¡± Although Moyun Mountain had five great peaks and five elders, all disciples learned the same fundamental Kung Fu skills. The difference only lies in the direction of cultivation. After all, each individual had their own strengths. When disciples first entered the mountain, there was not much difference in what they knew and what they learned. Unlike other sects, Moyun does not have factional disputes. Instead, it encourages the disciples to study and practice more. Whichever peak someone wants to go to learn from, they will just have to go directly to its master. The master will also consider the disciple¡¯s qualifications and recommend them to other peak masters. Tianji Peak mainly focuses on medicinal skills, and it¡¯s a place where disciples come to exchange and learn the most. No matter which skill was cultivated, basic healing skills must be mastered before traveling down the mountain in the future. As a result, the disciples of Tianji Peak had grown accustomed to seeing unfamiliar faces. Instead, they acquired an open-minded and pleasant disposition that allowed them to better interact with newcomers. ¡°I think that¡¯s all. Also, before I forget, it¡¯s not good to address you using your old name. The Linmo Yuan battle had a big impact, and storytellers in teahouses were still telling your story up until now.¡± Mo Zhiqi pondered for a moment, ¡°How about the name ¡®Mu Yun¡¯? ¡®Mu¡¯ as in ¡®admiration¡¯ and ¡®Yun¡¯ as in ¡®luck¡¯.¡± ¡°Mu Yun..?¡± Xiyun¡¯s soft eyes showed a smile, ¡°Thank you, elder!¡± The author has something to say: Sorry, because of the overhaul, the first four chapters have changed a lot, please bear with me! Love you! CH 3 Mu Xiyun settled in Tianji Peak and was warmly welcomed by all the disciples. They enthusiastically came to greet him one after another. He followed Elder Mo¡¯s advice and made a random story about himself. Fortunately, the disciples of Tianji Peak were used to seeing new disciples coming and going, so they were not that surprised. Although the disciples thought their new junior disciple looked a little weak, he had soft brows and eyes, and a gentle demeanor which made him very likable. Mu Xiyun would attend classes with the other disciples to learn medicine in the morning and then practice swordsmanship alone in the afternoon. He was naturally familiar with the basic skills taught in Moyun Mountain and after a few more days of sword practice, he had regained proficiency in various sword strokes. Despite the fact that the meridians had still been throbbing for a few days, he would take time to meditate every day, albeit with little progress. Today, he meditated under the plum tree in the back mountain. There seemed to be a strange movement in his sea of consciousness. A very inconspicuous Qi was also wandering through his meridians which he slowly guided to his sea of consciousness. The winter sun was already sinking into the horizon, and its rays shone on his face through the gaps of the plum tree¡¯s branches. When suddenly a surge of powerful Qi abruptly overwhelmed his soul. In an instant, Xiyun¡¯s divine consciousness floated out of his body and rose above. He instantly saw mountains in the distance surrounded by mists; the sinking winter sun in the west that shone with warm and golden light on the plum trees; the flowers on its branches, its red petals and the golden flower hearts swaying in the wind that looked very vivid to him, as if seeing every details of it at a close distance. However, that moment shortly ended and his consciousness was immediately pulled back into his body. Strong winds whipped around, and the spiritual energy in the mountains rushed to his body like a turbulent wave. It rushed through his meridians, and to his sea of consciousness. Like a vortex, it sucked all the Qi around him. It spins rapidly, getting faster and faster and the overwhelming energy in his meridians and his sea of consciousness made him feel like his body was about to burst. Petals fluttered and swayed around due to the strong wind¨C With an abrupt pull of his sword out from its sheath, he stabbed a flower petal in a quick move. Again with another petal, yet before his sword arrived, the flower petal swayed as if deliberately avoiding his strike. His sword rises again, chasing it, but always separated by a certain distance. Mu Xiyun changed his style and with a decisive and heavy horizontal strike, his sword qi surged, destroying the surrounding floating petals. The plum tree¡¯s branches shook due to the force, its many flowers floated and rained down on the person under. ¡°Concentrate! Guide the spiritual Qi in your body!¡± Mu Xiyun immediately sat down in lotus position and meditated again and only when the sky was completely dark and the stars were shining brightly did he open his eyes again. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to make a breakthrough so quickly! In just half a month, you have already broken through the Qi condensation stage and directly established a foundation.¡± Mo Zhiqi sighed. ¡°As expected of Moyun Mountain¡¯s top disciple fifty years ago.¡± Mo Zhiqi grabbed his wrist and felt his pulse. ¡°Not bad, your soul and body are more integrated now. Your body should feel more comfortable compared to before.¡± ¡°Yes, I thank the elder for the guidance today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Today is the Lunar New Year. I looked for you all over the place to invite you to have the New Year¡¯s Eve banquet together with us, but I didn¡¯t expect to witness your breakthrough.¡± ¡°New Year¡¯s Eve banquet?¡± Xiyun was embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for delaying your reunion with your disciples. ¡° ¡°What¡¯s the matter,¡± Mo Zhiqi laughed, ¡°I¡¯m even happier that you have made progress. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go to the dining hall together. Today, everyone should stay up until dawn and have fun. ¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mu Xiyun followed behind with a smile. The dining hall was very lively. The disciples set two long tables with a lot of appetizing and still steaming hot foods. When everyone saw the master coming, they quickly offered him their seats. The cook added two more dishes that Mo Zhiqi liked and served them hot. When they noticed a rise in Mu Xiyun¡¯s cultivation and his bright countenance, they immediately congratulated him one by one. The dining hall was full of laughter and clunking noise from the tableware and chopsticks, making Xiyun rather nostalgic. After a while, the banquet was over, and because tonight was a special occasion, there was no need for the disciples to abide by the peak rules of sleeping early. They carried wine and tea, chatted in groups to wait for dawn, and some even went and lit a big bonfire at the center of the training ground platform. The crowd was talking and laughing, and some were running around amongst the crowd. It was rare for the peak to be this lively. Mo Zhiqi took out a pot of wine and two wine cups from his room, and handed one to Xiyun. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Come and have a drink with me. I heard that you can down a thousand cups without getting drunk.¡± ¡°Ah, Elder Mo, it was all a mischievous act of a youngster.¡± Mu Xiyun answered modestly. Before, when he was still studying at Tianliang Peak, the elder of Tianliang Peak Li Yao who was adept in martial arts and a very chivalrous man, was an alcoholic. The disciples often had to give in and get used to drinking due to his persistence, to the point where Tianliang Peak disciples became incomparable when it comes to drinking. Every Lunar New Year, disciples would compete among themselves for who was the best drinker. They would drink to their hearts content until some eventually fainted on the spot and got up with a huge hangover the day after. However, his so-called title of ¡°thousand cups without getting drunk¡± was actually gained at a restaurant near the foot of the mountain. That time, he was dragged by his senior martial brother and had no choice but to join a drinking game. He emptied five jars of fine ¡°Chufeng Zui¡± without saying a word, and became famous since then. The two sat on the stone chairs outside the dining hall, holding wine cups in their hands, looking at the Tianji Peak disciples laughing in the distance, chatting without a care. ¡°You were brought up to the mountain by Li Yao, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Back then, my family was very poor. Although I have an older brother who learned martial arts and helped support the family, it was not enough. My parents still have me to support and to be taken care of,¡± Xiyun¡¯s voice was soft yet with a hint of self-deprecation, ¡°I was a boy over ten years old at that time when the family eventually had no more money and food to eat. They were thinking of finding someone to take me to the capital to be an errand boy or an apprentice. ¡° ¡°I was so scared and I didn¡¯t want to leave. They got fed up and eventually slapped me in the face until I got knocked to the ground. Master just happened to be passing by at that time and saw the situation. He gave my father some silver and took me away. In the next six months, I followed him to many places, and only went up the mountain at the age of eleven.¡± ¡°For me,¡± His face lit up with a warm smile, ¡°Moyun Mountain is my home.¡± The evening breeze suddenly blew and it carried the laughter and chatter of the disciples of Tianji Peak, further erasing the gloomy atmosphere around Mu Xiyun. ¡°Master, master!¡± Ge Liang, the youngest disciple in Tianji Peak, suddenly ran over, followed by five other disciples, ¡°Senior Brother Gu just told me about the battle that took place at Linmo Abyss fifty years ago. Was it true that martial uncle Mu really didn¡¯t make it? But he was Moyun Mountain¡¯s top disciple!¡± Mo Zhiqi touched his nose in embarrassment and glanced secretly at Mo Xiyun on the side. ¡°There was no other way. A cultivator¡¯s spiritual energy is akin to a mortal body¡¯s bones and muscles. It completes and supports the body becoming its main foundation. In a life and death battle, when a cultivator exhausts his spiritual energy, eventually shattering his core and damaging his meridians, it would be the end.¡± Ge Liang looked disappointed. ¡°That traitor in the Southwest Medical Valley is really abominable!!! If it weren¡¯t for him, we wouldn¡¯t have lost two great cultivators!¡± His little face was red with anger, ¡°What eventually happened to him, Master?¡± ¡°Go, go away. Don¡¯t be nosy. Don¡¯t disturb your master!¡± Elder Mo impatiently shooed the couple of disciples away and secretly glanced again at the person sitting to his side. Gu Weijie, the storyteller, guiltily pulled the junior brother while explaining to him in a hushed tone, ¡°Of course, pull out the core and burn the body into ashes. The soul would certainly be scattered, leaving no trace behind!¡± Xiyun, holding a cup of wine, paused. In the dead of night these days, he had repeatedly searched for his last memory fifty years ago. He only remembered that person¡¯s red-blood eyes turning black and a voice calling him eagerly until he lost consciousness. He should have gotten back to normal that time. But, what happened after? People were so reluctant to face reality. Without definitive information, he could only leave it to his imagination. Fifty years was a long time, but it was not enough to consume a cultivator¡¯s life. Maybe he was saved by someone and fled, maybe they¡¯ll cross paths again if given the chance, or maybe he had already died and entered reincarnation. Maybe he was born to a good family, living a safe and happy life right now. Or maybe¡­¡­. like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, as long as there was such a thought, that the person would still be in this world, there would still be a chance for everything to recover. However, when Xiyun heard the last sentence, his body went cold and he got up unconsciously. His head was a little dizzy and everything around him seemed to be blurry. Putting down the wine cup, he heard himself say to Mo Zhiqi in a calm voice, ¡°This disciple is incapable of drinking. Elder, please continue, I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Before Mo Zhiqi could respond, he got up and walked away. Mo Zhiqi looked at his fleeing thin back and sighed. He doesn¡¯t know what happened back then, and what kind of grievances and entanglements they had, however only the involved parties know. Mu Xiyun was in a daze, and when he came back to his senses, he was surprised to only find out that he was at the back of the mountain, under the plum tree where he had made his breakthrough today. It was said that part of his body came from this plum tree, but no one knew that fifty years ago, part of his life was also related to this plum tree. In a trance, Xiyun seemed to see the young man again, facing the sunset, leaning against the plum tree, and showing him a smile. Outside Fumo Town. A yellow kitten with black round spots peered at the sparrows perched on a tree. Its round, jade-like brown eyes didn¡¯t blink even for a moment while its fluffy paws were lying on the window of the carriage and its tail swinging from side to side leisurely. Only when the first rays of daybreak hit its face did its pupils turn into slits. In the carriage, a young man in black was lying on a hemp of soft pile of cloth, looking fixedly at the roof. This young man had a handsome face and deep eyebrows, with a bit of the characteristics from the Western Regions. Golden light flickered around his eyes as he took a glance at the sunrise outside the window. A voice suddenly came from outside the carriage, ¡°Cousin, come down for a meal.¡± The young man in black slowly got up, picked up the kitten from the window, and got out of the carriage lazily. He finally got out and stood firmly on the ground under the light of the sun when sudden bouts of dizziness attacked him. ¡°Oh, be careful!¡± Sister Chen, the cook, hurried to help him. The boy was very handsome, but his body was too skinny. His face was so pale that it made his eyes look like black jade. ¡°Young Master Zhang, where are you going?¡± Sister Chen asked the older young man as she was serving some dishes. ¡°Just call me Zhang Jinjin. My cousin and I will go to Nanping.¡± ¡°Nanping!¡± Sister Chen sighed, ¡°But it¡¯s a thousand miles away!¡± ¡°Alas, there¡¯s no other way!¡± Young Master Zhang sighed and added softly, ¡°My cousin¡¯s house was hit by a disaster. His parents died in a landslide. He is weak and has no way to earn a living. I feel sorry for my sister¡¯s early death. That¡¯s why I decided to take him with me, handle some business along the way, and go back to Nanping together.¡± Uncle Zhao, sister Chen¡¯s husband, filled a bowl with rice, piled it with lots of vegetables, and he handed it to Zhang Jinjin. ¡°Eat it quickly while it¡¯s still hot. Don¡¯t eat it when it¡¯s already cold or else it will upset your stomach. Follow our carriage to Yiyun Town. It¡¯s better than going alone with only your cousin. Nanping won¡¯t be that far from there!¡± ¡°Okay, thank you uncle.¡± After finishing his meal, the young man in black carried the kitten back to the carriage and leaned against its wall in a daze. The horse neighed, the carriage shook gently, and it set off again. Zhang Jinjin who sat on the other side of the carriage, suddenly heard the young man in black ask lazily. ¡°Where did you get that kind of story to deceive people? I was even moved. The aunty even gave us another serving of meal. I could hardly finish my own let alone another one.¡± ¡°Alas, you¡¯re still like this.¡± Zhang Jinjin sighed. ¡°Why are you complaining when I¡¯m being nice to you? If I had known earlier that it was you, I would have not dug you out of Fumo Mountain. ¡° ¡°Regretting it now?¡± The young man glanced at him sideways. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s too late for that, don¡¯t you think.¡± Zhang Jinjin sighed again, ¡°It took me so many precious medicinal herbs and spells to finally turn you from a pile of nothing into a human being. It wasn¡¯t easy for me, Gu Qingqiao!¡± The author has something to say: Small Theater: Gu Qingqiao: Oh, it¡¯s not easy, I, who only lived in memories, finally appeared. Why so late? Author: I¡¯m afraid you will steal Ah Yun¡¯s role! How about I add a little more to you? Gu Qingqiao: Forget it, my family¡¯s Ah Yun is more important! CH 4 Days passed, and Mu Xiyun had been studying in Tianji Peak for three months. Spring came just as fast and in the blink of an eye, the grasses grew taller and warblers flew, while the bare branches of the plum trees were now thick in leaves. Cherry blossoms at the mountain¡¯s base were now in full bloom, however the disciples remained as cheerful and carefree as always. Since Xiyun¡¯s advancement on New Year¡¯s Eve, his sword technique also made great progress. In the past three months, he had practiced hard day and night and he can now control his sword qi to move freely, like surging and amassing the flow of the qi to attack as to that of a sword strike. Its effect was as equal as that of a real sword. In his sea of consciousness, spiritual energy was gradually gathered and the meridians were also greatly expanded. According to his experience fifty years ago, developing a sword intent should not be far away. However, he always felt that his cultivation was hindered and couldn¡¯t make further progress. On this day, after he finished his practice, he returned to his room and meditated. After a while, he felt that there was a sudden movement in the meridians. His qi was flowing faster and becoming erratic and there was a faint sense of breaking through. Xiyun took a deep breath and immediately guided it into his sea of consciousness. The spiritual energy was constantly circling in the sea of consciousness but the body felt stiff as a stone and did not feel as comfortable as it should. Suddenly, his body shook violently and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Ge Liang, who was playing near his room at the moment, heard the strange movement. He poked his head into the open window and saw that his brother was vomiting blood and his face was pale. He hurriedly called his other martial brothers for help. Gu Weijie took Mu Xiyun¡¯s hand and felt his pulse, only to discover that Xiyun¡¯s qi was chaotic. He tried to send a small amount of spiritual energy but was immediately counterattacked. Gu Weijie¡¯s right shoulder became sore and went numb. He took two steps back and did not dare to try again. That¡¯s when Mo Zhiqi strode in. As soon as Mo Zhiqi grasped his hand, he knew that the matter was serious. He hurriedly asked his disciples to move him into the cold rock cave and instructed the disciples to continue practicing outside and not to disturb him. Only then did he open the mechanism and put the person into the cold jade coffin, made a hand seal and transferred qi into the cold jade coffin, enveloping Xiyun¡¯s entire body. An hour later, Xiyun¡¯s face slowly recovered a little blood and his body no longer trembled. Mo Zhiqi withdrew his spiritual energy and asked the disciples again to send him back to his room. When Mu Xiyun woke up, it was the next morning. He fixedly looked at the ceiling, the pain in the meridians was still tingling yet he was not really afraid of pain. The pain that he felt served as assurance that he¡¯s still alive. If no one saved him yesterday, would he just let things be? Would there be a sense of contentment after? Along with the sound of footsteps coming from outside, Mo Zhiqi pushed open the door and entered. Mu Xiyun immediately got out of bed and saluted, ¡°Thank you Elder for your help!¡± ¡°No need.¡± Looking at his expression, Mo Zhiqi knew that his body should already be fine. ¡°Do you know why you had qi deviation yesterday? According to your temperament, you shouldn¡¯t be too impatient.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really strange,¡± Xiyun pondered. ¡°Fifty years ago, when launching an attack using spiritual force, I knew the process and the way by heart. When doing it yesterday, there was no abnormality.¡± With that, Xiyun described the feeling at that time. Reaching out his hand to check his pulse again, Mo Zhiqi said, ¡°The chaotic qi in your meridians had been straightened out, but there is this coldness in your body, which had remained stagnant.¡± Mo Zhiqi got up and poured two cups of tea. He picked up a cup by himself, pondered for a while, and asked, ¡°Do you remember what helped you advance that night? Did you come across something?¡± ¡°That day?¡± Xiyun thought back, ¡°Before the abrupt surge of spiritual energy, under the plum tree¡­ I remembered an¡­ old friend.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the difference?¡± Mo Zhiqi asked. The feeling in his heart was uncertain, and Xiyun hesitated. ¡°Last time, there seemed to be an inconspicuous unknown force that hindered the flow of spiritual energy in the meridians. Yet when I broke through, it disappeared. ¡° ¡°Then what about this time?¡± ¡°The same as when I¡¯m about to advance in my cultivation back then, signs of a rise in spiritual energy and a smooth attack using spiritual force, made me think that I was about to break through. I tried my luck and released more force. That time, I hadn¡¯t felt that inconspicuous force¡± ¡°Fifty years ago, Brother Mu entered the Dao through sword cultivation, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Zhiqi was silent for a while, then raised his head to look at Xiyun. ¡°Then this time, the opportunity for you is probably not through the way of the sword but through the heart.¡± There were thousands of cultivators, but each had different opportunities. The reason why no one can explain it clearly was because of the profoundness of the way of entering and breaking through, it may be the knowledge of the sword, or the sense of sight, or even enlightenment by unraveling the knot of the heart. That¡¯s why one should ¡°put down the butcher knife and become a Buddha on the spot.¡± When the opportunity comes, it will naturally be understood. If an opportunity does not arise, it is useless to worry. The two were still talking when they heard a knock on the door. It was the eldest disciple, Gu Weijie, who came in. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Mo Zhiqi nodded and signaled him to come over. ¡°Sect Master Zheng sent someone to say that this year¡¯s array inspection will be the turn of Tiankui and Tianji Peak disciples and asked if you have decided on the candidate. If there is already, he will go down the mountain in a few days.¡± ¡°I understand. I need to think about this matter again and I will send someone to deliver a message later.¡± Mo Zhiqi sent the eldest disciple away and then turned back to ask Xiyun. ¡°Brother Mu doesn¡¯t know about the inspection of the spirit array?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about this.¡± Xiyun replied. ¡°Oftentimes I hear disciples mentioning it, but it¡¯s just a few words, and I don¡¯t know the details.¡± ¡°The spirit array was built after your death, therefore you wouldn¡¯t know about it.¡± Mo Zhiqi put down the teacup. ¡°However, it was also because of the Linmo Abyss War that year.¡± During that year, all the disciples of every Immortal Sect participated in the war and the losses were not small. The head of Moyun Mountain was injured and Mu Xiyun died. The head of the Qin family in Taiyuan fell as well. From large to small sects, many died and many got wounded. The vitality of the immortal world was greatly damaged including the children of different factions. At that point, Zheng Genran, the head of Moyun Mountain, proposed to gather the power of various factions to find a place full of spiritual energy in the Central Plains, and build five great spirit arrays. The spirit array absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, ¡®gathering sand into a pagoda¡¯ and creating a holy place for cultivating immortals. Disciples of all sects can send their disciples to cultivate in the spiritual array by doing their best to replenish a certain number of spiritual stones for the spiritual array every year. Prior to this, there were already many cultivators in the human world and they all knew that cultivating to such a place would get them twice the result with half the effort. That¡¯s why cases of competition for territory often arose. In the early years, there was even a battle over a spiritual mountain, where human monks were said to have slaughtered a demon clan, forcing the demon clan to move back to the Demon Realm. Moreover, the faction that had won the spiritual land must also be on high alert, for fear of letting others take advantage. Regardless of the friction between other sects, just robbing them would cause a lot of internal friction in the Immortal Cultivation World. The battle of Linmo Abyss had aroused some people of great wisdom. The human world cannot avoid disputes and enjoy peace forever. If the talents were not replenished in time and enhanced their strength, someday the demons from the Demon Realm will stir up trouble again and the consequences cannot be imagined. Therefore, when the Sect Master Zheng, who led the heroes to turn the tide in the battle of Linmo Abyss, proposed to build a spiritual array, everyone expressed their support. In just two years, the five major spiritual formations have been completed. The various sects send their disciples to go there every year and disputes disappear for a while. The various sects cooperated with each other. Moyun Mountain had also won the unanimous praise of various cultivation schools. The spiritual array runs automatically and does not require much maintenance. Moyun Mountain will send several disciples to inspect every year, replenish spiritual stones, and solve some local troubles along the way. This year, it was the turn of Tiankui and Tianji Peak¡¯s disciples. Mo Zhiqi went back and thought about it for a few days. After morning class one day, he called for Xiyun to stay. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for the past few days,¡± Mo Zhiqi started, ¡°You were originally a disciple of Tianliang Peak and you were already a renowned swordsman fifty years ago. No one can teach you anything about swordsmanship. You have to work hard on your own and you can only gain insight in actual combat. You will never learn anything new in my peak. You are talented and smart. Now that three months have passed, you are better than most of my disciples in terms of medical skills. There is really no reason to keep you in the peak. That being the case, it would be better to leave this inspection of the spirit array to you.¡± There was another reason that Elder Mo did not explicitly say. Mu Xiyun hasn¡¯t had any major emotional fluctuations since his breakthrough. Looking at such a stone-like person every day, Elder Mo felt that life was not very easy. Why not let him go down the mountain for a walk, maybe he¡¯ll have a chance encounter due to fate that will help him in his progress. ¡°This disciple understands,¡± Xiyun saluted. ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare now. ¡° He turned around and walked out of the room. Under the eaves, a pair of swallows were flying out of their nests and chasing away in the sun. CH 5 He said that he¡¯ll prepare, but in actuality, Mu Xiyun had nothing much to prepare. Returning to this world all by himself, what he had with him now was only a few sets of Moyun Mountain disciple uniforms and a few medical books. After putting them in a small bag, he¡¯s all finished. The night before he left, Mo Zhiqi came to his room. Looking at Xiyun¡¯s small package, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. If you find someone at random and give him a chance to live again, in all likelihood, that person will be cautious and be well prepared, lest this second chance will be in vain. But only a few people will live carelessly, like this person. Mo Zhiqi took off the sword he was carrying and handed it to Mu Xiyun. ¡°This sword is named Chixia, and it was obtained by chance when the master was traveling. Although it is not comparable to spiritual mountain treasures, it was also from a famous master.¡± Mu Xiyun drew out the sword. The sword glare was sharp and piercing. When the light hit the thin blade, it radiated a sense of coldness. ¡°Good sword!¡± Xiyun returned the sword on its scabbard, ¡°Elder Mo is too polite. Mu Xiyun is ashamed to receive such a gift.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, nothing,¡± Mo Zhiqi said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m a medical practitioner, and practicing swordsmanship is just to strengthen the body. I can¡¯t compare to you slaying demons outside.¡± After speaking, he took out some silver taels, dry food, and some personal items. He handed them all to Xiyun while exhorting. ¡°Be careful when you go out, your body is different from before, and the integration of soul and body is not so easy. I have never experienced this kind of thing, so I can¡¯t give you much advice. ¡± He said, then he took out another bottle of medicinal pills, ¡°This bottle of Guling pills. These can help you stabilize your spiritual energy and soothe your meridians. If you really feel uncomfortable, take one or two pills.¡± ¡°Actually¡­.¡± Xiyun pondered. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Pain makes people know that they are still alive. Mo Zhiqi raised his head and said sternly. ¡°Brother Mu, although I don¡¯t know how you feel about being reborn, I can tell that this time you actually have some resistance in your heart¡­¡± Mu Xiyun suddenly drooped his head and under the dim light, his eyelashes cast long shadows, making it difficult to see his expression. Mo Zhiqi continued. ¡°This brother is not talented, but he also knows that life is precious. Those who cultivate Taoism are nothing but destiny and chance encounters. Brother Mu has been in a deep sleep for the past fifty years, however, because it was your destiny, you finally woke up. So why not just follow along this path and seek that opportunity?¡± ¡°Opportunity¡­.¡± Xiyun finally raised his head, ¡°The words of the elder are very meaningful, and Mu Xiyun is taught!¡± ¡°I am not worthy of such compliments,¡± Mo Zhiqi¡¯s chubby face showed the usual smile again, ¡°Master travels around the world, and from time to time will contact the disciples of the various sects. This time down the mountain, you also pay attention to it. If you can find the master, all your doubts can be easily solved. ¡° Early the next morning, Gu Weijie took Ge Liang to say goodbye to Mu Xiyun. Weijie said something like taking care of himself as someone normally would. However Ge Liang blinked his big eyes and said mysteriously. ¡°Senior Brother Mu, I heard that the Tiankui Peak disciple dispatched this time was Senior Brother Su, Su Yanjun!¡± ¡°Gentleman¡¯s Sword Su Yanjun?¡± Gu Weijie asked, ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s him! When I went to eat wontons yesterday, I heard that from a senior brother of Tianxiang Peak.¡± ¡°Su Yanjun is the direct disciple of Master Zheng. I also heard that his sword already developed a sword intent. He had been roaming among the mortals for many years, eliminating evil and supporting the weak. In Tiankui Peak, apart from the senior brother Zheng Yude, he is the second most favored by the sect..¡± Gu Weijie patted Mu Xiyun on the shoulder, ¡°Junior brother is lucky, this inspection will definitely yield something.¡° Mu Xiyun thanked the two fellow disciples and carried his baggage to the front hall. In the front hall, Su Yanjun, dressed in white, was drinking tea at the table, and he was indeed a well-mannered talent. ¡°Junior Brother Mu is here!¡± When he saw Xiyun come in and give a salute, he quickly stood up as well. ¡°I heard that Junior Brother Mu fromTianji Peak was very successful in his studies and was gentle and easy to get along with. It¡¯s really good to see him in person today.¡± Then he shook Xiyun¡¯s hand but frowned, ¡°Junior martial brother, your hands are so cold, you need to wear more. Although spring is warm now, it will be cold sooner or later. Don¡¯t get sick.¡± Xiyun smiled in return and replied, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother.¡± Without delay, the two went to the elder¡¯s room and bid farewell to Mo Zhiqi, and then walked down the mountain together. Walking to the mountain gate, two carts filled with herbs and common spiritual tools were parked outside. The two went down alongside two other Tianxiang Peak disciples. Su Yanjun spoke as they walked, ¡°This year¡¯s inspection, just like the previous years, we will go to Shanhai City first, then Baihua Valley, Crescent City, Xuanbing Ridge and Wujin Grassland, and return from there. It just so happens that today is also the time to deliver medicinal materials and magic tools to Yiyun town. Let¡¯s drop to Moyun Medicine Hall first to help arrange it, and we will start tomorrow morning.¡± Xiyun smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s up to senior brother to decide.¡± Yiyun Town, Moyun Medicine Hall Liang Zheng handed a prescription to Young Master Zhang Jinjin. He advised the gentleman earnestly. ¡°Your cousin¡¯s illness originates from a lung fire. It should be due to some great tragedy he encountered earlier. His meridian was injured and he was susceptible to wind chills under yin deficiency and the lung fire. The key to cultivating one¡¯s health is to regulate one¡¯s mind. I¡¯m afraid that with such injury, simple acupuncture and medicine will not be enough.¡± Zhang Jinjin nodded, took the prescription, and went to the front hall to get the medicine when he saw two Moyun Mountain disciples step into the medicine hall. Moyun Medicine Hall was originally under Moyun Mountain¡¯s name and it was not surprising to see disciples come in and out every day. He noticed that one of them was as fresh and straight as a pine and cypress, and the other was as slim and elegant as a plum branch, which makes people feel good at first sight. Zhang Jinjin couldn¡¯t help but take a second glance before walking out with the medicine. From a distance, he heard the medicine hall disciple say. ¡°Two brothers, please come in. I received a message from the mountain this morning, and your room is ready. Brother Liang is in the back.¡± ¡°Thank you Junior Brother, you have worked hard.¡± Su Yanjun nodded slightly. He smiled at Xiyun and explained, ¡°This Senior Brother Liang is a strange man. He is highly skilled in medicine, and as his name suggests, he is very obsessed with medicine. If he encounters any intractable disease, he must definitely find a solution even if he doesn¡¯t sleep for days.¡± The two stepped into the room and were about to greet Liang Zheng when they saw a Moyun Mountain disciple rushing in from the outside. ¡°Senior Brother Liang, please come to the front hall!¡± ¡°The disciple¡¯s voice trembled like a leaf in autumn frost, and the corners of his eyes were red. Moyun Mountain Sect had always been very strict on its disciples mannerism. Yet this brother was trembling all over. What made him show such a state of panic? What happened? Liang Zheng was only stunned for a moment, and then quickly hurried to the front hall. There was no abnormality in the front hall, but there was a strong man of about thirty years old, wearing a government¡¯s uniform. He should be a local constable. The disciples of Moyun Mountain were born to cultivate into immortals. Immortal cultivators and ordinary residents of Yiyun Town were undeniably two worlds apart. Except for some new disciples who sometimes go home, others do not have close contact with mortal people. But when Moyun Mountain decided to station a medicine hall in Yiyun Town, it had to also take on the responsibility of keeping the mortals safe. Zheng Genran¡¯s generation even set up the Moyun Medicine Hall to share the medical skills of Moyun Mountain with the townspeople. Therefore, if the local government had some difficult and miscellaneous cases, they would occasionally come and ask for help. If it involves a case of a cultivation family, Moyun Medicine Hall will be notified immediately and will report the case to Moyun Mountain. The man saluted Liang earnestly and said, ¡°Immortal Master Liang, some villagers found some¡­¡­..bad signs this morning. I¡¯m afraid it can¡¯t be solved by ordinary means. I ask the Immortal Master to go to Fu Street with me to take a look.¡± Liang Zheng pondered for a moment. He is a medical idiot, he would rather bury his head in medical books or seek for people to save every day. However he was not good at dealing with officials. But the expression of that disciple just now made him suddenly have an ominous premonition. Then he looked at Su Yanjun and Mu Xiyun who had followed him out. Su Yanjun immediately noticed Master Liang¡¯s intentions, and immediately stepped forward and said, ¡°This disciple of Moyun Mountain, Su Yanjun, agrees. We¡¯ll go and see it with Brother Liang.¡± The constable was also straightforward and immediately thanked him and turned around to lead the way. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the matter is. Perhaps Your Honor can let us know a thing or two first?¡± Su Yanjun asked as they walked towards Fu Street. ¡°Why so polite? My name is Gu Mingshun, you can just call me Mingshun.¡± The constable replied modestly then added, ¡°This morning, old man Wang residing in the west of town went to Cuiping Mountain to cut firewood when he suddenly stumbled upon a corpse. I have seen all kinds of cases in the Yamen, but I suspect that it was not done by a mortal, so I came to trouble the Immortal Master Liang to take a look.¡± What kind of corpse needs the assistance of a Brother Liang? Su Yanjun was silent. The group soon came to the Yamen office, Constable Gu entered through the side door without going through the main gate, and took people to the morgue in the backyard. The Yiyun Yamen¡¯s place was small, and the morgue was even cramped, with small windows and extremely poor lighting. A Wutong tree in the courtyard swayed in the wind, depicting eerie shadows on the window papers. The warm and cold wind slid in and swayed the hanging oil lamp. Inside, there was a stretcher. Laid on it was a human figure covered in white cloth. Under the soft cloth, it could be seen that the person was not tall. A hand was hanging down from the stretcher and on a small wrist was a silver bracelet with a bell, which seemed to be a customary accessory for children, was seen. Could it be¡­? Liang stepped forward and lifted the white cloth, and the group lowered their eyes unbearably. It was a child less than ten years old. The child¡¯s face was as pale as paper, helplessness and fear solidified on his little face, there were scars on the side of his neck, arms, and thighs, his chest was covered with a skirt, yet it could be noticed that his chest was open and hollowed out. The heart was obviously not there. What kind of devil can do such a thing! Liang¡¯s eyes were red, as if hot magma was about to erupt from the crater. He took two steps forward, pulled the child¡¯s wrist with his left hand and placed his right hand just above the hollowed out chest, releasing his spiritual energy. After a while, he retrieved his hands, yet his brows furrowed fiercely. After a while, Su Yanjun slowly stepped forward, pressed a hand on his shoulder, and took him out of the morgue. They sat on the stone chairs in the yard. Su Yanjun raised his head and asked Gu Mingshun who followed them out. ¡°Brother Gu, tell me first, what do you think?¡± Gu Mingshun was also a direct man, he stepped forward and answered, ¡°The body was found in the morning. After the examination, we deduced that the child should have been dead for two days already. Judging from the scars, the heart should have been directly pulled out from the chest,¡± Gu Mingshun paused for a while and continued, ¡°The sternum is hard and normal people would use some kind of tools, but this child only has knife cuts on his wrists and no trace of sharp segmentation tools was used on the chest.¡± ¡°Both the Yamen high officials and Yamen runners felt that it was not done by an ordinary person, so they sent me to inform the Immortal Master. ¡° Su Yanjun nodded and asked again. ¡°Have you asked around town, which one has recently lost a child?¡± ¡°A notice has been posted, and Yamen runners have also spread out and went to various streets to inquire.¡± At this time, Liang Zheng had recovered. Even though he had seen some tragic state of various diseases and even witnessed clashing of swords, death and blood on the battlefield, yet when he saw the ten year old child suffer such a great disaster, this kind-hearted doctor still felt like his heart was cut by a knife into a thousand pieces. This only fueled his fire of anger unto the perpetrator. There were successive reports from the errands, and no one in Yiyun Town had lost a child. ¡°Senior Brother Liang,¡± Xiyun suddenly said, who had been silent all the time, ¡°The senior martial brother who called you a while back looked anxious and seemed to know something. Why don¡¯t we go and ask him?¡± CH 6 It was only then that everyone recalled the strange reaction of that certain disciple. The pale sweaty face was so agitated that even Liang Zheng assumed that Moyun Sect had met with some kind of calamity. It stands to reason that practitioners were pure and indifferent and they were naturally much calmer than ordinary people when they encountered troubles. Even if he didn¡¯t participate in the battle on Jianghu, he would already be used to seeing sword wounds and shouldn¡¯t be so concerned about a mere corpse. Even Liang Zheng, who was a physician, only had a tight expression at first sight and didn¡¯t appear as perplexed as that person. ¡°That should be Guo Qi from Tianxiang Peak,¡± Su Yanjun thought for a while and said, ¡°I saw him once at the Sword Debate Convention last year.¡± Su Yanjun had a strong memory. Whether it be some classics of Immortal cultivation or the martial arts of Jianghu, he could easily recall, not to mention a mere disciple of the sect. There were many disciples of Moyun Mountain, but Su Yanjun can basically remember them as long as he had seen them even if only once. ¡°It¡¯s him, Guo Qi is now studying medicine at Moyun Medicine Hall, and he is my apprentice.¡± Liang Zheng said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m afraid he knows something. Go and ask him.¡± A young disciple of the medicinal hall ran out, and soon came back to report, ¡°Senior Brother Guo is not in the medicine hall. I also sent a word to the mountain gatekeepers, and they all said that they had not seen him.¡± At this time, all the Yamen runners dispatched on afternoon duty had returned. They had gone door-to-door to ask questions, but still none of the families had lost a child. Gu Mingshun also said that the population of Yiyun Town was not too large. The government was clean and honest, and there were no major conflicts between them and the common people. If a family truly loses a child, they will definitely seek help. But in recent months, no such thing had occurred. Mu Xiyun sighed and suggested to Su Yanjun, ¡°Senior brother, why don¡¯t we go to the place where the body was found again, maybe we¡¯ll discover something else.¡± Su Yanjun nodded. Although this junior brother was relatively young, when he observed him today, there was something unexplainable from the other party. It was not the sense of silence where he had nothing to say, nor was it a silence where he seemed indifferent to the things around him, but it was like a traveler standing on the edge of the long river of worldly affairs, watching it flow by and understanding its depthness. This young man had a sense of perceptiveness beyond his age, which was a bit out of tune with his youthful appearance. But when you see his calm eyes, you feel that this kind of heaviness was strangely integrated with his temperament. Gu Mingshun immediately agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll take the immortals over there.¡± There were still patients in the medicine hall and Liang Zheng was also concerned about Guo Qi¡¯s whereabouts, so he went back first. Su Yanjun and Xiyun, accompanied by Gu Mingshun, went on their way out of town. The three passed by a courtyard wall of gray tiles. The wall was not high, and a Wutong tree can be seen in the courtyard. Green leaves the size of a palm grew abundantly from the branches hanging outside the wall, while half of it was scorched and tangled branches. Mu Xiyun stopped and asked suspiciously, ¡°Is this a Shantang?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Mingshun replied. He followed Mu Xiyun¡¯s gaze and looked at the dead tree, and took the initiative to explain. ¡°About two months ago, a fire broke out. It is said that a child played with snow and wet his clothes, so he hung his outer robe above a charcoal fire to dry it. Yet unexpectedly it caught fire.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Su Yanjun had also heard of this incident. ¡°It was also said that the fire was so severe that four children in the same room were not spared.¡± A small life was lost just like that. The fragility of life really makes people sigh. Mu Xiyun glanced at the courtyard and saw a tall and thin man talking to an old man inside. He didn¡¯t know why, but the figure felt somehow very familiar to him. His heart skipped a beat, as if something was wiggling outward, and a desire to go in and take a closer look arose spontaneously. Su Yanjun and Gu Mingshun had already walked some distance. Seeing that Xiyun was still standing there, they called for him aloud, ¡°Junior Brother Mu, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing.¡± Xiyun immediately walked and caught up to them, continuing their way outside of town. After a while, a figure flashed out of the door of the orphanage, staring at the backs of the three for a long time, seemingly pondering. Going out of the town and up the mountain, mostly bamboo and pine trees covered the Cuiping Mountain. Occasionally, there would also be a few camphor trees and ginkgo trees. Because spring was warm, many shrubs sprouted under the trees. There were also many dead branches everywhere. It was indeed a good place for people to gather firewood. Gu Mingshun led the two of them for about half a mile, then pointed to an empty space in the forest and said, ¡°This is where the body was found.¡± The clearing in the forest was not large. Certain patches of weeds on the ground were crushed and there was a sharp hatchet on the edge of the clearing. Uncle Wang might¡¯ve panicked and ran away after noticing the dead body. There was no blood on the grass or on the hatchet. ¡°After the body was discovered today, I did an autopsy and carried the body back. There are only two constables in Yiyun Town and my master is already old. He suffered from a cold some time ago and is currently recovering at home.¡± Gu Shun explained, ¡°At the moment, I hadn¡¯t truly investigated the situation because I sent the runners to encircle this place and not let the townspeople approach it. If the two immortals don¡¯t dislike it, why don¡¯t we split up here and have a look around?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Su Yanjun nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s look for it separately, everyone be careful. If you find anything, send a signal.¡± Then the three split up. Mu Xiyun walked along the bushes to the depths of the woods, paying attention to his feet as he walked. Inside the mountain forest in March, green grasses had already covered the soil. Under the sunlight, the air after the rain was filled with the clear woody fragrance of camphor trees. If such a terrifying case did not happen, it would be a good spring for children to go out for an outing. Thinking of this, images of a group of children suddenly appeared in Mu Xiyun¡¯s mind, those children in the orphanage who were running and holding toys made of paper, although these children in his mind were a memory of fifty years ago. Nevertheless, the charred Wutong tree he saw just now made him feel faintly uneasy. Before he could return to his senses, he suddenly heard a shout from Gu Mingshun, ¡°Here! I found something!¡± Xiyun hurried over, so was Su Yanjun, who was in the opposite direction. Gu Mingshun bent over and was looking at a bush. Some bushes in the forest mountain were thorny, and when people walked by, their robes were often snagged. He saw a small piece of cyan fabric hooked on the thorny bush, embroidered with a half huizi pattern on it. The color and texture were very similar to the fabric of the shirt on the child corpse back in the Yamen. The three of them straightened up and looked around. This was already deep in the mountains. What was a child doing here alone? Could it be that he was being chased by a wild animal? Gu Mingshun put away the fabric, and the three looked around again, but they didn¡¯t find any other clues, so they decided to go back to the Yamen first. Back in the small room of the morgue, Gu Mingshun took out the cloth and compared it with the child¡¯s clothes. It turned out to be a piece torn from the child¡¯s left sleeve. Gu Mingshun pondered. ¡°According to the width of the snagged piece of cloth, the child must have been in a hurry. If we assume that he was running forward at that time, then his direction should be down the mountain.¡± ¡°Then,¡± Su Yanjun considered, ¡°He should have ran out of the mountain.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s very strange.¡± Xiyun¡¯s eyes were a little confused. ¡°What¡¯s so strange?¡± ¡°The child ran out of the mountain and fell into the clearing not too far. If he was chased and then killed in the clearing, there must have been a lot of blood on the ground. But we clearly didn¡¯t see any blood a while ago.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s impossible if the incident happened before running out of the mountain towards the clearing!¡± Gu Mingshun¡¯s face turned pale at the thought of such a terrifying scene. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Xiyun pondered. ¡°What if the child was put into the clearing after being killed?¡± ¡°But what is the purpose of this? Could it be some kind of ritual?¡± Su Yanjun shook his head, feeling that there was something odd about this matter. It was already getting late and the case was still far from being solved. The three agreed to continue investigating the next day and Su Yanjun and Mu Xiyun went back to the medicine hall together. Liang Zheng had been busy all afternoon and the two relayed to him about the investigation that happened in the afternoon. Liang Zheng sighed. ¡°Seeing the child¡¯s face in the morning was terrifying and I lost my composure for a while. But the deceased is dead, and I don¡¯t have the ability to investigate the case. Just this afternoon, I reported the situation to the head. Being stationed in a town of common people, such a thing is inescapable. Junior Brother Su was in charge of some mundane affairs back in Tianliang Peak and Junior Brother Mu had also went down the mountain to experience things, I ask the two of you to worked hard and stay for a few more days to assist the Yamen.¡± ¡°Senior martial brother, you¡¯re too modest,¡± Su Yanjun said with a smile. ¡°Since the senior brother said so, we should stay for two more days to contribute. Have you found senior brother Guo yet?¡± ¡°Not yet, I have sent a letter back to the mountain, asking whoever sees him must bring him to the medicine hall first.¡± After dinner, Su Yanjun and Liang Zheng played chess, but Xiyun kept thinking about the incident in Shantang and the back of that familiar figure. He sat and watched for a while, yet his heart was faintly anxious. He simply stood up, excused himself saying that he wanted to go out for a breath of air, and then left the medicine hall. On a spring evening, the wind was still cool, which relieved indoor stuffiness. A little bit of dim yellowed warm light can be seen in the windows of every household. People who come home late were in a hurry, eager to find their own places. Mu Xiyun walked slowly towards the Shantang, the wind blew up his large disciple uniform and his silhouette appeared lonely in the night. There were only a few old people living in Shantang now. The lights were out, and the doorman, who didn¡¯t know if he was going to drink or gamble first, had disappeared. Mu Xiyun gently pushed the gate of Shantang and it made a slight squeak. After hesitating for a moment, he jumped silently and landed firmly in the courtyard. This Shantang in Yiyun Town was large, with two rows of bungalows housing more than 20 elderly and children. The top room that caught fire had its half structure collapsed. The Wutong tree near it was half charred. The pale moonlight casted shadows from the charred branches on the blackened walls, looking like an outstretched arm of an evil spirit. A yellow kitten with black spots squatted by the wall, watching Mu Xiyun with round eyes as he was slowly walking forward. Mu Xiyun walked into the pile of debris. Presumably, because it was in such dire financial state, that the burnt house had not yet been cleaned up. The burning carbon stove was crushed under the collapsed bricks and tiles, and faint four notable burn marks were next to it. Xiyun moved two steps forward and was about to take a closer look when the kitten squatting down on the wall, suddenly meowed. He abruptly drew out its sword and looked around, yet he didn¡¯t find nor noticed anything. He closed his eyes and calmed down, returning his sword to its sheath. Yet a strange feeling suddenly rose up, as if a string in his heart had been plucked fiercely, and his heartbeat accelerated. Before he could tell what that feeling was, he twisted his body abruptly and took a half-step back. Sure enough, a palm strike came just missing the tip of his nose coming from above and it was immediately followed by another. Mu Xiyun greeted it this time with his own and the two of them had exchanged a dozen moves. However they were very silent and did not alarm anyone inside. The visitor¡¯s face was covered with a cloth, but his eyes were surprisingly bright. The two of them tacitly did not move around and only used their hands to fight in the narrow space. After a few moves, the masked man suddenly approached and seemed to want to collide his head with his. Mu Xiyun took a step back, but was tripped by an overturned chair. The opponent immediately grabbed his right wrist to steady him. He was about to fight back, but the masked man suddenly made a ¡°shush¡± sign. A sound of a door opening came from the gate of the courtyard. The middle-aged doorman hummed a little song drunkenly, pushed the door open and approached the courtyard. Both of them quieted down, listening to the man closing the door, pouring water to wash his face, walking into his room, and snoring after. It was only then that Mu Xiyun realized that while one of his wrists was being held, the other was already twisted behind him. He was in a posture where he was almost being hugged by the stranger and the other person¡¯s eyes were even staring heavily at him. He blushed inexplicably and kicked the masked stranger. The masked man seemed to chuckle lightly and raised his leg to block the kick. His hands clenched tightly and whispered in Xiyun¡¯s ear, ¡°Stop hitting, this place is weird.¡± The hot breath of air lingered in his ears making the tips of Xiyun¡¯s ears turn red. He forcibly broke free from his bind and immediately drew out his sword. The man retreated three steps in a flash. The sword¡¯s edge caught the masked man¡¯s sleeve and was cut into a large slit. The masked man was stunned, but did not move anymore, letting Xiyun¡¯s sword to eventually rest on his neck. ¡°Who are you?¡± Xiyun asked in a low voice. The man raised his hand and gently pushed the blade away, and said softly, ¡°I am not your enemy. Look,¡± he pointed at the pit, ¡°Don¡¯t you find these four marks strange?¡± Xiyun doesn¡¯t know why, but his intuition tells him that the other party was not malicious. On the contrary, there was a trace of¡­ closeness. This feeling made him quite embarrassed, so he had no choice but to turn his eyes away and look at the dirt pit. When he entered the house just now, he could only judge that the four children were burned to death near the stove and that it would definitely leave some traces. Yet looking closely now, the four traces were actually similar in color and very uniform. ¡°It¡¯s really weird,¡± he thought. ¡°The fire started from the charcoal stove by the wall, therefore there would undeniably be smoke. These few children will inevitably cough and choke on it no matter how fast asleep they are. How can they still fall asleep neatly? Could it be that the children were comatose or dead at that time? Even if they were already comatose and the fire started to burn from one side of the wall, these four traces should not be so even. ¡° ¡°Indeed,¡± the masked man said, ¡°but the incident happened two months ago, and nobody cares about some few orphans. It is estimated that the Yamen just went through the motions and left it afterwards. Now that their bodies have been burnt to ashes, I am afraid that it will be impossible to re-examine it. ¡° ¡°But what¡¯s the point of killing a few orphans?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± The masked man gave him a deep look and said, ¡°People are unpredictable. Some things in this world, even if you see them with your own eyes, are not necessarily the truth.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiyun blurted out, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± The masked man didn¡¯t answer and took a few steps back out of the burnt and dilapidated room. As soon as he jumped up to the wall, he turned his head and said softly. ¡°You are busy. I will help you keep a look out of this place.¡± After speaking, he disappeared. Linjia Inn. Zhang Jinjin was sitting at the table, examining a stack of scripts he bought from the town when the door suddenly opened. A masked man in black ripped off the cloth on his face, holding his sleeves that were half torn open, and asked leisurely, ¡°Profiteer, up for doing medicinal business in town?¡± CH 7 The next day, Gu Mingshun came to the medicine hall early to pick them up, and the three of them went back to the mountain on the west side of the town together. Walking up the mountain along the place where they found the torn piece of fabric the day before, the woods gradually deepened, and the mountain road became steeper. It was hard to imagine how a child of less than ten years old could escape a murderer¡¯s pursuit while running in such a downhill road. Thinking of the bruises and scars all over the child¡¯s body, it was most likely caused by this section of the road. Although the sky was bright, there was still a faint white mist floating around the mountain forest. It tightly coiled around the trees and shrubs like ribbons. The three walked in the fog for nearly an hour, and stopped at the same time as Su Yanjun. ¡°There¡¯s an array.¡± Mu Xiyun suddenly said. ¡°Before it takes to burn a stick of incense, we¡¯ve already repeated the path we¡¯ve taken.¡± Gu Mingshun frowned and asked, ¡°We¡¯ve been walking around in circles?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Su Yanjun said, ¡°but it¡¯s more refined than a normal array, as if to prevent people from approaching.¡± ¡°The drunkard from Zhang¡¯s family once said that he got lost while in the mountains.¡± Gu Mingshun added, ¡°It is said that after walking a long time in the mountains, he finally fell to the ground tired. When he woke up after drinking himself to sleep, he found himself already lying on the road at the foot of the mountain. But not many people believe this, and they all think that he was drunk and was just talking nonsense.¡± Now that he knew that they had fallen into a confusion, Mingshun was still certain that it would not be difficult for the two disciples of Moyun Mountain to broke free from it. Su Yanjun formed a seal in his hand and took the lead in walking in front, while attentively feeling his surroundings. After a short while, the three came out of the fog and stopped just outside the dense weeds. It was strange. The tall and dense grass looked white from afar but upon closer inspection, the grass was still green, even a delicate green, but on top of each grass stem, was a bunch of snow-white flowers. The flower had a strange shape, like a small white snake, twisting towards the sky. In the center of the grass was a large camphor tree, the crown of which was like a giant umbrella, covering a radius of dozens of feet. The trunk was thick, and it may take seven or eight people to encircle it. Below the trunk, there was a wide hole. Who knows when it was formed, but strangely it didn¡¯t interfere with the growth of the tree. Inside the hole was a small incense case covered with a thick layer of ash. The two red candles had been burnt out, and the wax, like two big red tears, was left on the desk. Food was supposed to be served on the table before it, but it was no longer there. Behind the incense table was a small statue of a god. Su Yanjun looked at the statue carefully, and asked slowly, ¡°What kind of god is being offered here?¡± No wonder he couldn¡¯t recognize it for a while. The face of the stone statue was as sharp as a stone cone, and its two eyes were slender, with a trace of bewitching horror, which was completely different from the kind-hearted look of ordinary Buddha statues. Gu Mingshun stepped forward and looked at it carefully. He felt that it was strange too and suddenly blurted out, ¡°Is this stone statue engraved like Wong Tai Sin or a fox immortal?¡± ¡°It should be a fox,¡± Xiyun replied, ¡°but there hasn¡¯t yet been a fox that had cultivated to immortality. So, it¡¯s still up for debate. ¡° ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± Gu Mingshun was a little perplexed. He himself was a native of Yiyun Town and has worked in the Yamen for more than ten years, yet he had never heard that there were people worshiping some kind of fox immortal on this mountain. Mu Xiyun explained with a smile, ¡°I also heard that about a hundred years ago, there was a fox demon in Yiyun Town, who cultivated by himself, yet unfortunately violated the killing ban once. Moyun Sect decided to spare the life of the fox demon but because the villagers knew his magical powers, they built a shrine to worship him. However, more than fifty years ago, the fox demon suddenly disappeared. This shrine must have been what¡¯s left from that time.¡± Although Su Yanjun and Gu Mingshun still had doubts, they had nothing to say. Su Yanjun took a deep look at Mu Xiyun, the legend could not be refuted, but why was he so sure? Gu Mingshun, out of a constable¡¯s habit of catching fast cases, had already approached and looked at the small shrine carefully several times. Suddenly, he stepped down and shouted at the two of them, ¡°There is a palm print here!¡± On the thick dust by the foot of the incense table leg, was a vague half palm print. The palm print was not large, roughly the size of that child¡¯s hand. Maybe the child arrived here by accident, fell to the ground exhausted or maybe he was too tired and just rested against the tree. Yet, who could have thought that his heart would be dug out and lose his life so soon? ¡°Let¡¯s continue to move forward,¡± Gu Mingshun suggested, ¡°at least it shows that there is no problem with our current direction.¡± The group continued to move forward. There was no road in the forest. The woods and shrubs stretched in all directions, like a cluster of arms reaching out everywhere, trying to impede them from walking forward. There was no one in the mountains, only the breeze blew the leaves, and occasionally a bird or two would chirped, which made the forests even more quiet, amplifying the footsteps of the three people that even they couldn¡¯t help but hold their breath. Su Yanjun, who was walking in front, was about to step over a sizable stone, yet paused for some reason, but he immediately raised his leg and kept the pace just as usual. He made a secret gesture to Mu Xiyun with his right hand. Xiyun immediately understood and put more focus on the surroundings. Sure enough, in addition to the sound of their footsteps, there was a slight rustling sound, which came not far from their left rear. The two of them slowed down slightly. Gu Mingshun hadn¡¯t noticed the abnormality yet, but when he saw the two of them slowed down, he stopped immediately. Just as he was about to question them, a red figure suddenly flashed coming from the side and quickly passed through the gap between the three. Su Yanjun and Xiyun immediately followed. The figure in red was not tall and was very slender, smartly running and jumping in the forest. It runs on the left and protrudes on the right, often turning abruptly to jump out of the encirclement. They couldn¡¯t use their swords in the dense forest even more so with their hidden weapons. They can only keep a close pursuit on it when unknowingly, they run out to a clearing. The road to the top of the mountain was even narrower. After running around a huge boulder, Su Yanjun, who was at the forefront, suddenly stopped. Mu Xiyun was surprised but stopped in time and hurriedly caught Gu Mingshun who was behind still rushing forward. Just ahead of them was a cliff. The red figure, like a mist in the mountains, disappeared without a trace. Gu Mingshun was still panting and his face was pale. If it wasn¡¯t for Xiyun who grabbed him in time, he might have fallen off the cliff now. After a few deep breaths, he stretched out his head and looked beyond the cliff, only to see that sharp rocks were exposed and no trace of vegetation was growing, as if an ancient divine sword splitted the mountain in half. On the opposite side of the cliff was the other side of the mountain, and there was a faint sound of water at the bottom of the cliff that was as wide as a hundred feet in between the other side. It was absolutely impossible for that person to jump over to the other side. Su Yanjun summoned his sword. This sword was said to have been obtained by him when he was eighteen years old and the named it ¡°Gentleman¡±. Indeed, the sword was like a person. Its shape was tall, straight and slender, and the form was simple and clear. Although its color was plain white, it shone brightly under the sun. Yet not too dazzling, on the contrary, just like warm jade, giving people a feeling of warmth. Su Yanjun rode on his sword and went to the opposite cliff to check carefully. Mu Xiyun and Gu Mingshun also checked the situation around them. The boulder was nearly the height of three people combined and was very huge. Half of it was sitting atop of the mountain while the other half was stretched out of the mountain. When strong winds blew, it somehow made people faintly worry that this big rock would be blown down the mountain. There were also a few delicate purple flowers under it. This was already the top of the mountain, with only a few small trees growing sparsely. The sight was unobstructed and there was no other place to hide. At this time, Su Yanjun also finished checking on the opposite side, he flew back and shook his head at the two of them. Unexpectedly, the clue was cut off like this, and the three had to go down the mountain to discuss the matter thoroughly. Su Yanjun and Xiyun returned to the medicine hall when night had started to cover the sky. Liang Zheng was in the guest room. It was said that two pharmacists came to the medicine hall and brought along with them a lot of precious medicinal materials, which made Ling Zheng treat them as guests. There was a strong wind that night. Not long after, spring thunder rolled and it started to rain heavily. When the sun shone unto the courtyard again the next day, a burst of rapid hooves ended people¡¯s dreams. Gu Mingshun dismounted from his horse, carried a person into the medicinal hall and immediately said to Su Yanjun and Mu Xiyun who walked out of the room, ¡°I found Guo Qi!¡± Guo Qi was the Moyun Mountain disciple who showed a tremendously horrified expression a few days ago. When everyone rushed back to the medicine hall, he disappeared. Unexpectedly, he appeared today. Guo Qi looked very haggard, with a loose bun, and a lot of dead branches in his hair. He was wearing a white Moyunshan disciple¡¯s uniform that could no longer be recognizable. It was all muddy and stained with black water. There were also several tears on his chest and back, which was very embarrassing. Liang Zheng checked his pulse. After a while, he raised his eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just that he¡¯s too tired. It will be fine after some rest.¡± After saying that, he took a Qingxin Pill, fed it to him, placed his hand above Gou Qi¡¯s chest and slowly transferred some spiritual energy. Soon, Guo Qi¡¯s eyelids moved and he slowly woke up. When he opened his eyes, two clear lines of tears suddenly gushed out. Liang Zheng patted his hand and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened to you, but at the present, if you know anything about the incident, please speak out quickly.¡± Guo Qi lowered his head and said, ¡°Yes, I acted very flustered at that time and aroused everyone¡¯s suspicion. I¡¯m very sorry.¡± He sat up with the help of Liang Zheng¡¯s hand. As if he had made up his mind, he looked up and explained to everyone. ¡°I was born in Qingxi Town, fifty miles north of Yiyun Town, and I have a younger brother¡­..¡± Ten years ago, Guo Qi was only ten years old, and his younger brother Guo Lin just turned six. The Guo family was not wealthy, so the two brothers often gathered firewood and picked fruits to help make up for the family. When they were not busy, they played and wandered in the mountains beside the village all day. One day, the two brothers discussed going to the woods in the mountains to pick wild fruits, so they left home early and climbed halfway up the mountain. It was foggy in the mountain that day, Guo Qi asked his younger brother to wait under the tree with his basket, and went up to the tree himself to pick the fruits. After picking a basket full of fruits, when he jumped down, he noticed that his brother was nowhere to be seen and only his basket was there. The ten-year-old boy immediately panicked, dropped the wild fruits, and shouted his brother¡¯s name while searching, sweating profusely. Later, he met some villagers who went up the mountain to chop firewood. They helped him tell his family and also reported to the Yamen officials. The Yamen dispatched officers, and they searched for a few days with the self-organized villagers, but they found no trace. If it was said that he was dragged and eaten by a wild beast, they could still find some trace of bloodstains and wreckage, but Guo Lin seemed to have turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared without a trace. Later, there were rumors in the village that the child was eaten by monsters in the mountains and was left with no remains. As Guo Qi explained, tears were flowing down his eyes continuously. ¡°That day, when Uncle Wang found the corpse and came back to report to the Yamen officials. This disciple was discussing the cooperation between the government and the townspeople next year with Gu Mingshun in the Yamen office. Upon hearing Uncle Wang¡¯s report, this disciple decided to go together with them to check the scene. On the corpse¡¯s wrist was a silver bell bracelet. My brother also wore the same kind of bracelet. It looked the same and was very similar in size. I..I thought it was my brother who came back, but, but the child was not¡­¡± He raised his head and looked at Liang Zheng, ¡°Master ,my brother, he¡­¡± Liang Zheng sighed and patted his shoulder, ¡°After so many years, don¡¯t hold out too much hope. Where have you been these days?¡± ¡°I went home,¡± Guo Qi wiped the corners of his eyes, ¡°and found something.¡± CH 8 It was said that on that day Guo Qi saw the corpse, he immediately rushed back to Qingxi Town in a state of anxiety fifty miles away just because he saw the silver bell bracelet and remembered the disappearance of his younger brother. The parents in the family were already old, and they were naturally happy to see the eldest son come back, and hold the son to talk for a long time. Guo Qi, however, was distracted all the time. After settling his parents to rest, he wandered around the town twice aimlessly, and unknowingly, he came to the place where his younger brother disappeared that year. The fruit tree back then had grown a lot taller now. Back then, the child still needed to climb up slowly, but now he only needs to jump up to reach the top of the tree. Guo Qi felt like a knife was twisting his heart. If he had half of his ability back then, his younger brother wouldn¡¯t have been kidnapped. Behind the woods, was the mass grave of Qingxi Town. The poor people in the town who were unable to repair their tombs will be buried here wrapped in a straw mat. Guo Qi glanced at it and planned to go down the tree, but unexpectedly there was a flash of light on the burial mound, which attracted his attention. Guo Qi got down from the tree and walked slowly to the mass grave to check. Before entering, a large group of crows flew up, yet did not fly away and only gathered nearby, looking at Guo Qi, this uninvited guest, with fear and greed. Guo Qi looked back at the fruit tree, adjusted his direction according to where the light flashed just now and took a few more steps forward. The mass grave was eerily silent except for the occasional caws of the crows when he suddenly stumbled upon a protruding human hand. It was wearing an emerald ring which shone under the sunlight. Guo Qi braced himself and dug the corpse out from the dirt. He turned it over and couldn¡¯t help but be surprised and be terrified at the same time. He inexplicably glanced at the dug pit when he noticed another arm. After a moment, Guo Qi couldn¡¯t help widening his eyes, his scalp tingling. There were several corpses buried in the mass grave and each of the corpse¡¯s chest had a gaping hole in them, exactly the same as that child¡¯s corpse. Guo Qi was in charge of the cooperation between the medicine hall and the Yamen back in Yiyun Town, and knew how to deal with such incidents. At this time, he calmed down and hurriedly returned to the town, notified the Qingxi Town¡¯s Yamen, and carried a few corpses back to the Yamen office and went back to Yiyun Town overnight. Who would have guessed that there would be a sudden storm, and walking in the mountains would inevitably be dangerous. He almost fell off the cliff several times which was very embarrassing. One case rose after another. Gu Mingshun immediately sent someone to Qingxi Town to check. However, Mu Xiyun suddenly stopped him, ¡°Brother Gu, wait a moment, let me ask Martial Brother Guo something.¡± After getting along with Xiyun for two days, Gu knew that he was a very careful and reliable person, he pressed the anxiety in his heart as of the moment and waited for Xiyun to ask questions. ¡°Brother Guo,¡± Mu Xiyun turned to Guo Qi, ¡°Think about it carefully, if the silver bracelet with bell was not your brother¡¯s, then do you somehow have an impression where your brother got it?¡± This question suddenly pulled Guo Qi out of the thorns he had been drilling for the past few days, he tilted his head and thought about it carefully and hesitatingly answered, ¡°My brother¡¯s bracelet was given by a relative from our mother¡¯s side on the night of the full moon. My mother was originally from Ping County.¡± Ping County was in the southwest of Yiyun Town, more than a hundred miles away. Mu Xiyun looked up at Gu Mingshun. Mingshun suddenly came back to his senses, he nodded immediately and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to Ping County to see if there are any missing children.¡± After that, he turned around and went out. Su Yanjun and Liang Zheng also understood that small ornaments given on the night of the full moon, such as longevity locks and silver bracelets, were generally the same in form, but the craftsmen¡¯s craftsmanship and preferred styles were also different depending on the tradition of each place. Guo Qi would inevitably confuse the child¡¯s corpse¡¯s silver bracelet with his younger brother¡¯s own. It was very much likely that the two bracelets came from the same place, so the child¡¯s corpse likely came from Ping County. Xiyun frowned and pondered for a moment, then said to Liang Zheng, ¡°Senior brother Liang, there is still a need to do an autopsy on the child¡¯s corpse and someone to visit Qingxi Town. You and Brother Gu are more than enough to deal with it. I have been brooding about the mysterious array we encountered yesterday, and I still want to visit it again today. ¡° Su Yanjun mulled over it for a while and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go explore with you.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Xiyun declined. ¡°Martial brother Guo currently needs to rest, and someone is needed to communicate between Qingxi Town and Moyun Mountain. Yesterday¡¯s spiritual array was not that strong, I can handle it. ¡° Su Yanjun thought about it and agreed, and the group immediately set off for Qingxi Town. Mu Xiyun, alone, walked slowly towards the west of the town. The town of Yiyun in March had warmed up, and the breeze no longer felt cold under the heat of the sun. Yiyun Town was not big, and a long clear river runs through the town, dividing the town into two parts: east and west. Slowly walking on the river side, there were various stalls lined up on both sides of a stone arch bridge and the sounds of hawkers could be heard all the time. Mu Xiyun¡¯s eyes fell on the bridge. He didn¡¯t know when this bridge was built, but it must have been here already by the time the Yiyun Town was built. Under the exquisite bridge railing, the word ¡°Qingqiao¡± was engraved. The masked man he met last night suddenly overlapped with the figure in his memory, and a scene from the past jumped out of his mind. It was the Lantern Festival, Mu Xiyun was twelve years old and he had just been up the mountain for less than a year. It was the New Year¡¯s Eve, although cultivators were pure-hearted and had few desires, but they can¡¯t stop the little disciples from taking advantage of the festival to have fun. That night of the Lantern Festival was the last enjoyment for everyone before going back to the mountain. Holding a rabbit lamp in his hand, Mu Xiyun followed behind his senior brothers, yet he only kept on thinking about when he could finally return to the mountain. He had not been up the mountain for that long and he was still young. When he entered the Tianliang Peak, he was the only one who was still learning basic spells and swordsmanship. Li Yao handed him over to the eldest disciple in the peak to learn from. Most of the brothers are already 16 or 17-year-old teenagers. When they were hyperactive, they would often perfunctorily finish their homework and disappear, leaving only Mu Xiyun behind to learn by himself. In order to catch up with the progress, he had to practice hard from time to time. He can only watch the senior brothers laugh and play together, unable to blend into their world. There were many people that evening. Individuals were beaming with joy, children were running around with lights, and adults were smiling. A four or five-year-old child fell, and the mother stepped forward to help them up, comforting them softly, while the child¡¯s father watched them with a big smile. Mu Xiyun watched silently for a while and then hung his head low and looked at his feet. When he looked up again, he noticed a boy sitting on the bridge¡¯s railing. The boy looked fifteen or sixteen years old. He was in the stage where his body began to grow taller and had the elegance of a young man. His eye sockets were deeper than ordinary people, and his eyes reflected the bright lights, which looked very mesmerizing. A gust of wind blew, and the few strands of hair on his forehead were ruffled by the wind. With a lazy smile on the corner of his mouth, he showed a kind of free and uninhibited demeanor, as if nothing in this world would leave traces in his life. The moment Xiyun raised his head, he seemed to feel a stare and inexplicably glanced at the young man. The eyes of the two met for a moment, and Xiyun felt a little embarrassed, and was about to look away, but saw the young man jump off the bridge¡¯s railing and smiled at him. ¡°Ah Gu¡­¡± Someone shouted from behind. It turned out to be an acquaintance of the young man. Xiyun lowered his head and walked a few steps quickly to catch up with his senior brothers. When he looked back, the two teenagers had already stood together and talked in high spirits. That smile came and went just as fast, but it was like a dragonfly lightly tapping on the lake¡¯s stilled surface, leaving a faint trace in the heart of the twelve-year-old boy. The mother stepped forward to dance and everyone was beaming when a hawker of candied gourd¡¯s shout pierced his ear making him come back to his senses. The memory of the previous life was still permeating his heart, but everything had already changed in front of him. Xiyun lightly laughed to himself. On that New Year¡¯s Eve, when he heard the news that Gu Qingqiao¡¯s soul might have been scattered, the little hope in his heart since his rebirth was burned to ashes like a wildfire passing through. From then on, walking in the world was nothing but a matter of repaying the two elders of Tianji Peak for their dedication towards him for decades. Although Elder Huang explained that things were suspicious back then, the person was already gone. Even if he really had grievances, would he be able to come back? What¡¯s more, up to this day, he still had not yet been able to confirm what kind of feelings he truly had for the young man who was called a traitor. Out of town and up the mountain. Not long after, Mu Xiyun walked into the mist again. There were many kinds of confusion arrays, most of which can cause people to lose their way, but disorientation was only the basic means. Its true purpose was nothing but to lead people to a certain place or to avoid a certain place. Yesterday, Su Yanjun directly broke through the formation and brought them in and out of the fog. However, he felt a faint abnormal spiritual energy in the formation. He guessed that it might lead him to some other place. Mu Xiyun closed his eyes, felt that energy again and walked slowly up the mountain. Today¡¯s fog was thicker compared to yesterday making it hard to see where his foot was stepping. The thick white fog was like substance, enveloping the whole person and a faint scent can also be smelled. As soon as he smelled the scent, he immediately held his breath. Cutting off his sense of sight and smell, the other senses become more acute. Mu Xiyun pulled out the Chixia Sword with his right hand, casted a fire spell with his left hand, and wiped it on the sword¡¯s body. The Chixia Sword immediately turned ablaze and burned the surrounding white mist within five feet. Yet it didn¡¯t take long for the mist to come back again and return to its original state. Xiyun suddenly smiled. In the gap when the thick fog dissipated and replenished just now, Xiyun clearly felt the flow of spiritual energy within it. This fog was not ordinary. It was like a pulse, moving forward wave after wave. Mu Xiyun carefully felt the pulse of the dense fog again, but he did not stop and went straight forward. He abruptly opened his eyes after a moment. Sure enough, he had actually walked back to the cliff blocked by a large boulder. However, he still felt the pulse in his heart, but there was no other path or road ahead. After thinking about it carefully, he returned the sword to its sheath, closed his eyes gently, and slowly took a step forward. The feeling of colliding on a hard surface never came and he directly passed through the huge boulder. He didn¡¯t encounter any barrier and passed through like nothing. It turned out that the boulder was just a disguise. Xiyun stopped, opened his eyes and looked around. He noticed that he had arrived inside a stone chamber. Its space was not that large. For mortals, there was absolutely no gain in breaking in by mistake, and they can only retreat. But for a cultivator like Xiyun, since the barrier had been broken, what was in front of him was just a crude trick. Mu Xiyun pressed a hand on the wall and released his spiritual energy to explore. Sure enough, on one side of the stone wall, he found a mechanism. He slowly drew out his sword, in case of an accident as he pressed the mechanism with his left hand. The stone wall in front of him suddenly rose up and a hidden staircase was revealed. Mu Xiyun walked down the stone steps. According to the direction in which it extends, he speculates that he had already entered the mountainside. A corridor appeared in front of him. The corridor was long and there were obvious traces of artificial construction. There was a little water seepage on the stone walls on both sides. After a period of time, water droplets fell making this ¡°plink, plink¡± dripping sound, which resounded in the quiet corridor. On the other side of the mountain, Qingxi Town. Liang Zheng and Su Yanjun followed Gu Mingshun to the Qingxi Town¡¯s Yamen. Herbs were burning in the backyard and a strong smell of herbs was mixed with a choking stench. Five corpses were lined up in the backyard. All five were young men with strong bodies. Judging from the calluses on his hands and the condition of his body, they had learned some martial arts. Their corpses had already begun to rot, there were also obvious scars on their body as well as a big gaping hole in the center in which the heart was located. Liang Zheng looked at the wounds of the five people and his frown deepened. After chatting with the local constable, he finally asked, ¡°Have the identities of these deceased been identified?¡± The head constable was over forty years old and he was very familiar with Qingxi Town. At this time, he stepped forward and answered, ¡°These five people are not citizens of this town. After some estimation, these people should have been dead for a month now. Yet no outsider visited Qingxi Town last month.¡± They were not locals, and no one saw them. Could it be that these people were brought from other places in the middle of the night and deliberately killed in the mass graves? Everyone fell silent for a while. After a while, Liang Zheng said in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°These five people and the child are a little strange.¡± Everyone looked at him suspiciously. ¡°The heart is the place where blood gathers. If a person¡¯s heart was dug out, he would inevitably bleed a lot and die. The place where the blood flows abundantly should be on the front chest. But look at these people, although there are a lot of blood stains on their bodies, it was not really concentrated on the chest area. It seems that the heart was poached after death.¡± Liang Zheng explained. ¡°Even more so with the child. No blood stains were found on his body and even on the place where he was found.¡± ¡°Then,¡± Gu Mingshun pondered. ¡°There are now two doubtful points. First, that child and these people did not die on the spot, but were thrown into the place where they were found; Second, they probably did not die because their hearts were dug out and that their hearts presumably were only poached after death. Isn¡¯t this a little unreasonable?¡± At this time, Su Yanjun suddenly asked, ¡°Brother Liang, is there a record in medical books that says that people can be used as medicine?¡± Liang Zheng was shocked and immediately raised his head. ¡°Yes.¡± CH 9 According to ¡®The Yellow Emperor¡¯s Classic of Internal Medicine¡¯, ¡®the heart is the official of the monarch and the gods come out¡¯. The heart is one of the most important organs of the human body. In the body of a practitioner, the heart is like the second sea of consciousness, which is also used to gather spiritual energy and warm the soul. Even in ordinary people, the heart is the most dynamic organ inside the body. Because of ethics and morality, humans would never dare to use people¡¯s hearts as medicine, but there was no guarantee that morally depraved beings wouldn¡¯t try. As for the demon clan who had no scruples about cannibalism, the human heart may be some kind of cultivation method or good medicine for curing diseases. Su Yanjun and Liang Zheng hurried back to Tianji Peak of Moyun Mountain to meet the elder Mo Zhiqi. Knowing their intentions, Mo Zhiqi immediately brought the two to the library on Tianji Peak. If there were ten thousand volumes of medical books in the world, Tianji Peak¡¯s library should account for more than half of them. The library had a total of seven floors, with rows of shelves standing on the ground, from the modern paper woodblock printing to the manuscripts of sages, silk books, even bamboo slips and inscriptions. Although Liang Zheng presided over the medicine hall at the foot of the mountain, he had also spent almost half a month here. In his impression, it was only mentioned in some ancient books, but he had never seen the details of the prescriptions related to the use of human hearts as medicine. Mo Zhiqi walked into the library, but did not rush to flip through the books, but took the two of them to a row of bookshelves by the stairs. On this row of bookshelves, records of all the names and lives of the disciples of the Tianji Peak in the past dynasties were placed. Only a few people usually cared to take a look in this area. Mo Zhiqi took out a jade pendant, injected spiritual energy, and placed it lightly on a dent on the bookshelf. The bookshelf shook and slid a little silently, revealing a space that only one person could pass through. Behind, was a downward stone steps leading to an underground stone room. Mo Zhiqi picked up an oil lamp beside the table and led the two down. After three entered, the bookshelf slid back silently. Although the stone room was located underground, it didn¡¯t feel stuffy. Apparently a spell was casted for ventilation. Mo Zhiqi pointed to a bookshelf on the side and said, ¡°Here is the collection of cultivation methods of demon alchemy that was collected by the previous disciples of Tianji Peak. Because of its strange effect and the cruel and bloody process, it is listed as a forbidden book. This stone room is sealed. The prescriptions found cannot be transcribed or memorized. After going out, people will only be left with a fragmented impression, in case someone uses evil prescriptions to harm others. What you reported should be recorded in this row.¡± After that, he heavily patted Liang Zheng¡¯s shoulder and went upstairs first, leaving the two to their own devices. Liang Zheng and Su Yanjun each took a few copies and sat down to examine them carefully. Su Yanjun also studied at Tianji Peak for a year and spent many years walking around the world helping the people to eliminate demons. Therefore he also had a lot of experience in healing spells. At present, it was not that difficult for him to read a medical book. Liang Zheng even read ten lines at a glance and was already finished with several books in a short while. It¡¯s just that the prescriptions recorded in the books were mostly based on human organs as medicines and also indicated all kinds of strange methods of killing, which made the two feel very uncomfortable. After patiently flipping through several books for an hour, Liang Zheng suddenly let out a surprised sound. He hurriedly shared what he found with Su Yanjun to take a look. It was an ancient book called ¡°Demon Fang Ji¡±. The scorched yellow pages seemed to have been burned by fire and there was a pool of dark red on the cover, like bloodstain. It was recorded in the book that the heart of the dead, white snake grass and discrete flowers can transform the strong resentment and obsession of a person into a cultivation base. Using a spell to charm and captivate a soul and take the heart when the person was full of pain, the demon caster can coagulate the pill easily and take the form of a person immediately right after. On the next page was a drawing of a tripod and flowers. Su Yanjun stared at the pattern closely. Human heart, white snake grass, discrete flowers. The lost heart of the child¡¯s corpse, the shrine to worship the fox immortal, the white grass, the purple flowers under the big boulder. Shit! Brother Mu! Mu Xiyun had been walking for half an hour. The corridor seemed to have no end and there were scattered shimmers on the stone wall in the dark, like the stars falling in the sky, or like countless fireflies spreading their wings on the wall. But upon closer look, those shining light spots silently form a huge spiral, turning the entire corridor into a rotating tunnel, as if leading all the way to the center of the earth, with no end in sight. There was still that faint fragrance that permeated through the air and the unhurried sound of dripping water in his ears. Walking in the corridor was like entering into another world. The swirling spots of lights, the occluded air, and the monotonous sound of water droplets, if he was an ordinary mortal, he would have already fallen into confusion. Xiyun closed his eyes slightly, continued to hold his breath, kept his mind clear, and continued to walk forward. Suddenly, the sound of water droplets stopped for a while and then he heard a sharp sound of what seemed like multiple jade beads hitting a hard surface. When he opened his eyes, he was immediately blinded by the light of the sun. In front of him was the ¡®Qingqiao¡¯ of Yiyun Town. The twelve-year-old Mu Xiyun trotted up the bridge, holding a scroll in hand. The master explained that the scroll should be brought to the martial uncle of the medicine hall. He still had short legs and he was already sweating profusely upon reaching halfway through the bridge. Xiyun stopped, wiped his forehead, and looked up again only to see someone standing in front of him. ¡°This immortal, may I ask how to get to Moyun Medicine Hall?¡± Mu Xiyun looked at the mischievous haphazard hair and the smile at the corner of his lips, and it suddenly overlapped with the person memory in his heart. It was the young man that day! The person who was called ¡®Immortal¡¯ was stunned, and looked around and finally confirmed that the other party was referring to him. He finally answered in astonishment. ¡°Cross the bridge and move forward, then¡­¡± The way to the medicine hall was a bit complicated. He had only been there a few times. Although he knows the way, he can only walk him along to the place. It would be very difficult for him to explain the directions. The young man kept staring at him, waiting patiently for him to finish. ¡°I happen to be going there too, you follow me.¡± Mu Xiyun¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Okay, thank you immortal!¡± Mu Xiyun wanted to say something but hesitated. This was the first time he was called an ¡®immortal¡¯ by someone and he felt his face was burning. He unconsciously took larger strides as if running away and hurriedly went down the stone bridge. Fearing that his pace was too fast and that the other party would not be able to keep up, he looked behind while slowing down his steps. Surprisingly, the young man was able to follow behind him, seemingly unhurriedly, still with a lazy smile on his face. The alleyways near the river had many twists and turns yet it was quiet at noon. The footsteps of the two resounded in the alley, their steps matching at the same time. As if they had been friends for many years, walking together under the warm sun and gentle breeze, and enjoying the scenery and the tranquility around. Mu Xiyun brought the young man to the medicine hall, excused himself and hurriedly ran to the backyard. He handed the scroll in his hand to an uncle. He was then asked to stay put and was interrogated with a few questions. When he returned to the front hall, the young man was not there anymore. Stepping into the alley again, listening to the sound of his lonely footsteps, he pouted. The time he walked alongside that person was like the little droplets that a pebble caused when it fell into the water, it disappeared after a while. However, it didn¡¯t take long for the little droplets to turn into huge waves. Looking at the familiar back in front of him, for some reason, Xiyun stopped, took a step back and hid in the shadow of the eaves. The boy carrying two packs of medicine was circling around the alley. When he returned to this intersection for the third time, Mu Xiyun reluctantly appeared from the corner. ¡°Alas,¡± the boy sighed and his face was full of frustration. But when he suddenly spotted Mu Xiyun, he smiled, ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see you again Immortal. It seems like¡­ I am lost. ¡° The twelve-year-old boy tried his best to straighten his face, but blushed. ¡°Please don¡¯t call me Immortal. I, my name is Mu Xiyun.¡± ¡°Xiyun as in sunset clouds? Sunset clouds in the sky?¡± This name really matched with his current face. ¡°No, Yun as in big river waves.¡± The boy showed a surprised expression. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll call you Ah Yun?¡± Mu Xiyun was stunned. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know whether to refuse immediately or just turn around and leave. While hesitating, he heard the boy say happily, ¡°Ah, my name is Gu Qingqiao!¡± The scene of the smiling face of the young man in front of him suddenly became blurred and distorted. Like being veiled by a hazy fog. When everything cleared again, the scene changed. The alleyways were replaced with mountain peaks and individuals dressed in white robes. It was Moyun Mountain. Little Mu Xiyun followed his senior brothers and stood amongst Tianliang Peak disciples. Today was the spring competition. The day where all Moyun Mountain disciples can exchange pointers with each other. Disciples from different mountain peaks mixed together and were divided into groups according to their cultivation bases. The elders of each peak also rarely gathered together and were seated in the hall drinking tea and chatting. It hadn¡¯t been a year since Mu Xiyun entered Tianliang Peak and he still hadn¡¯t learned much swordsmanship, therefore he was exempted from taking the spring competition. After a while, he was led out of the team by Li Yao and took him along into an inner room. Huang Zelin, the elder of Tianji Peak, was examining Zheng Genran¡¯s pulse. He frowned and said, ¡°The head has been injured for two years. Although the external injury is no longer a problem, the internal damage is large, and there is a faint appearance of poisoning. If the residual poison is not cleared, I am afraid it may affect future cultivation. This foolish brother is very ashamed. He is not proficient at learning and has not been able to find the source of this poison for the past two years, enabling to help detoxify the poison in senior martial brother¡¯s body.¡± Huang Zelin looked guilty, but Zheng Genran just laughed. ¡°Junior brother, don¡¯t be discouraged. As the saying goes ¡®Heaven never seals off all exits¡¯, junior brother Li Yao has asked someone to find the great witch in the Southwest Medicine Valley. That person went up the mountain a few days ago. Let¡¯s just wait and see first.¡± ¡°Southwest Medicine Valley,¡± Huang Zelin pondered, ¡°We may as well try. Witch physicians do not discriminate and their many treatment methods are completely different from those in the Central Plains. There is no shortage in medical skills, but we can learn more. Maybe they have a way to detoxify senior brother.¡± Not long after, a young disciple came bearing the news that an elder of the Southwest Medicine Valley had arrived at the mountain gate and asked if he could be invited inside. Zheng Geran readily agreed. Li Yao stood up and went down the mountain to meet the guest while Mu Xiyun followed his master down the mountain road. He saw the gatekeepers leading a few men in black up the mountain. The person at the forefront was tall and slim. At that time, because it was still early spring, the weather on the mountain was still cold. Yet the person only wore a single black coat, which swayed gently in the cold wind. The man¡¯s face was extremely long, his eyes were sunken and his cheeks were thin which made him look like a skeleton. There were two teenagers trailing behind him. One of them was staring at him with the corner of his mouth slightly raised. It was Gu Qingqiao, whom he met in Yiyun Town the day before yesterday. The scene was put to an abrupt stop. Fogs swirled again making the picture blurred and distorted. It changed and now depicts a scene inside a disciple¡¯s room. Gu Qingqiao smiled at Mu Xiyun while saying, ¡°Ah Yun, Master Zhu will stay on the mountain for three months, how about I stay here with you for that duration?¡± ¡°Ah Yun, my junior brother wants to help Master and no one is gonna be playing with me¡­¡­ Can I follow you to your morning class?¡± ¡°Ah Yun, the road on your mountain is so hard to recognize, will you take me every time you go out?¡± ¡°Ah Yun, there is a fox demon on the mountain west of Yiyun Town, do you know that?¡± ¡°Ah Yun, I¡¯ll take you to the back mountain to catch hares.¡± ¡°Ah Yun¡­¡± Tianliang Peak¡¯s little disciple kept on trying to cover his ears, but was always stopped by the black-clothed boy again and again. A few days later, the disciples of Tianliang Peak have become accustomed to watching their junior martial brother walk in front with a paralyzed face and a handsome and unrestrained Gu Qingqiao following behind, going to the morning class together, going to the practice grounds together, and returning to the disciple¡¯s room together¡­¡­¡­ Therefore, when the seniors came to Gu Qingqiao to ask him to have dinner together, they would also bring their junior brother Mu Xiyun with them; when the martial sisters blushed and brought snacks to Qingqiao, they would also not forget to bring a portion to give him as well. The first time he went down the mountain to eat with his senior brothers, the first time he was patted in the head by a senior martial sister, the first time he got a hare in the back mountain, the first time he went fishing in the stream, the first time he secretly drank wine¡­¡­..He realized that the young man with bright eyes and was always smiling had brought him into the warmth he had been longing for. While Mu Xiyun was under a spell, he had already reached the end of the corridor and in front of him stood a huge elixir furnace. A slender hand gently placed a basket full of white snake grass and flowers beside it. The owner of the jade hand was dressed in a red gauze, and was actually a beautiful young girl. It¡¯s a pity that after the girl put down the herbs, she pulled out a sharp knife from her waist and went to stab it into Xiyun¡¯s heart. CH 10 Liang Zheng and Su Yanjun hurried down the mountain and returned to the medicine hall. They immediately inquired about Mu Xiyun and all the medicinal hall disciples replied that Mu Xiyun had not yet returned since the time he went out early in the morning. The two hurried to the west out of town again, went up the mountain to search. Yet no matter how much they searched, they still couldn¡¯t find him. Even the spirit array they encountered yesterday disappeared completely. The two carefully searched the mountain road twice for any signs, but still found nothing and decided they had to go back to the medicine hall first. Back in Shantang. Gu Qingqiao sat inside a tea stall not far away, received the tea handed over by the boss¡¯ mother with a smile, and for the third time declined the matchmaker at the next table, Mrs. Wang. He appeared very idle but he kept glancing at the door of the Shantang from the corner of his eye. A middle-aged man walked out of the door, it was Zhang San, the doorman. He had a long, thin face, a grayish-yellow complexion. His clothes were fine, yet they appeared wrinkled and seemed not to have been washed for a few days. Gu Qingqiao had been keeping an eye on him for sometime now. This person had been idling for three days straight. He wakes up at noon, eats a meal casually, then goes into a gambling house after. He only leaves when it¡¯s already evening and even goes to another place to get himself drunk. Qingqiao was really intrigued as to where this man gets his daily money to spend. Today, however, was different. Zhang San did not go straight to the gambling house. Instead, he went to the city gate and strolled inside an alley near it while Gu Qingqiao followed from afar. A chubby little boy, holding a bunch of candied haws in his hand, hopped past the alley. A sound of an object hitting the pavement was suddenly heard. Not knowing what had fallen, the child stopped and bent over. That¡¯s when Zhang San emerged from the alley and leaned forward while saying, ¡°This little boy, may I ask how to get to Zhangjiagang?¡± The child frowned and looked at him defensively. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Zhang San rolled his eyes and pretended to be angry. ¡°Which family¡¯s child are you? Your uncle asks the way yet you don¡¯t want to tell me?¡± Frightened, the child hurriedly took a step back, raised his stubby calves, turned around and ran. Zhang San immediately got up and tried to give chase, yet stopped when he heard a loud shout coming from the corner of the street. ¡°Zheng Xiaobao, where are you going!¡± Zhang San was so frightened that he staggered three steps back. A fat woman rushed over and slapped the fat boy on the head. ¡°You always keep on running around. Is it that easy for me to keep an eye on you all the time? Be careful or else you¡¯ll be caught by traffickers, stew your fat and eat you!¡± After saying that, she grabbed Zheng Xiaobao¡¯s arm, walked away while half-dragging the chubby child. Zhang San turned his head bitterly and walked back to the alley. Gu Qingqiao¡¯s heart throbbed and he immediately went to a clothing store nearby and bought a set of children¡¯s clothes. When he went back, Zhang San was still squatting in the alley. Quietly walking into a deserted corner, Gu Qingqiao took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve. It was a bottle of transforming water that was taken out from Zhang Jinjin¡¯s inventory when he was pretending to be a medicine dealer. After a while, a six- or seven-year-old child walked out of the corner and walked past Zhang San while looking around. ¡°Hey, little boy,¡± Zhang San stopped him, ¡°How can I get to Zhangjiagang?¡± The child showed a look of fear. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Dad came to do business and we¡¯ve only been in town for a day.¡± Zhang San seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and looked left and right at the empty alley. The smile on his face seemed a little sincere and he said in a soft voice, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be afraid. Uncle is not a bad person. Then you take me to where you¡¯re staying and I¡¯ll ask others instead.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The little child showed an innocent smile on his face, turned and walked out of the alley along with the man. One step, two steps, three steps¡­.. And sure enough, a knife hand strike heavily landed on the child¡¯s nape. The child¡¯s body softened and fell to the ground, but was immediately picked up. He was then sacked and stuffed into an ox cart full of goods. In the darkness, Gu Qingqiao carefully raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, closed his eyes and concentrated. Mu Xiyun, who was in front of a pill furnace, was still immersed in his memories. Happy days were always fleeting. Like the snow-covered grounds of Tianliang Peak yesterday was now lush with vegetation today and the time of March was approaching in a blink of an eye. One evening, after finishing the day¡¯s homework, Xiyun went to the dining hall to get food for two people and walked quickly to the back mountain of Tianji Peak. Under the plum tree, Gu Qingqiao was leaning against the trunk, looking down the mountain. They stumbled upon this place while trying to catch a hare the other day. He didn¡¯t know how many years this plum tree had been growing on the mountain behind Tianji Peak. Under the spring breeze in March, the crown of the tree was like a canopy. Sitting under the tree and looking into the distance, the winding Baishui River down the mountain can be seen. Mu Xiyun sat side by side with him under the tree and gave Gu Qingqiao a steamed bun. Gu Qingqiao took it and held it in his hand, but his eyes kept staring at the sparkling water of the river. After a while of silence, he said, ¡°Ah Yun, I heard a story when I was a child.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mu Xiyun turned to face him while munching a steamed bun in his mouth. Gu Qingqiao glanced at him, then turned to look into the distance. ¡°In the story, Ananda said to the Buddha: I fell in love with a woman. The Buddha asked Ananda how much he liked this woman. Ananda answered: I would like to be transformed into a stone bridge and be exposed to the wind for five hundred years, the sun for five hundred years and the rain for five hundred years. All I ask is for her to cross the bridge. ¡° Mu Xiyun looked at him again. ¡°This story is fake.¡± ¡°Hmm, I know.¡± Gu Qingqiao faced him and chuckled, ¡°But I believe that there are such people in the world.¡± The sun was about to fall under the distant mountains. The sky turned crimson as sunset rays shone on the young man¡¯s smiling face. With the help of the warm light of the setting sun, in Gu Qingqiao¡¯s clear eyes, Mu Xiyun saw his own reflection¡­ Suddenly, the sky turned completely black and the setting sun turned into dim candles beside a table. Xiyun pushed open the door of his master¡¯s room and saw the figure that appeared in his memories countless times, stabbed a dagger into Li Yao¡¯s heart. Intense pain swept through like a storm, and all the sweet memories, like fragile porcelain, shattered in the wind and rain. The woman in red raised the sharp knife in her hand and stabbed it fiercely into Mu Xiyun¡¯s chest. ¡°Stop! Cough, Hong Yu, what are you doing!¡± There was an angry shout from behind, yet it sounded out of breath and was even followed by a violent coughing. The woman who was called Hong Yu was shocked, yet was unable to withdraw her strength and the sharp knife under her hand was still coming down fast. The point of the knife pierced through the clothes and cut through the skin when suddenly, a bright light burst from Xiyun¡¯s chest, stopping the knife¡¯s momentum for a moment. Those few seconds was enough. A sound resonates in Xiyun¡¯s consciousness making his mind instantly clear. The pain of the sharp knife cutting through his skin came and the left side of his body instinctively dodged to the back. Before she could withdraw her dagger, Mu Xiyun immediately gave her a palm strike. The woman holding the knife noticed yet could not retreat in time. She was hit on the shoulder and flew out sideways. The Chixia Sword being drawn from its sheath immediately followed, and like a shooting meteor, it caught up with the woman who was thrown away. Its blade was already across her neck. ¡°Immortal Master, please have mercy!¡± Mu Xiyun turned around and noticed a young man in white staggering over. The young man was tall and handsome. The most conspicuous thing was his long silver hair, which was draped over his shoulders. It¡¯s a pity that this person appeared sickly and pale. How stunning would he be if he was healthy. When Hong Yu saw the person coming over, her eyes suddenly turned red. The silver-haired young man took a few steps closer, but suddenly stopped. He looked at Xiyun carefully and hesitantly said. ¡°Little benefactor?¡± When Mu Xiyun heard the title, he couldn¡¯t help but look at the young man more, recalling something in his memory, ¡°Are you that silver fox?¡± It turned out that this person was actually the silver fox demon who attained the Dao a hundred years ago and who suddenly disappeared more than fifty years ago. Mu Xiyun¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold and his voice was like frost of an autumn night. ¡°Back then, you fell in love with a mortal woman, yet that woman died by your hands. You said that what you did was unintentionally and that you will never harm others, therefore you made a solemn oath that you will never do any harm to human beings again. That¡¯s why I¡­¡­.. that¡¯s why Senior brother let you go. Yet, how do you explain this?¡± Mu Xiyun looked around the cave and pointed to the pill furnace and the herbs beside it. Only then did the young man notice the white snake grass and flowers on the side and understood everything with his experience of hundreds of years of cultivation. Startled in his heart, a violent cough came up, to the point where he coughed up blood. When he finally calmed down, a large amount of bloodstains was already on his sleeves. He raised his reddish eyes and looked at the girl with despair in his eyes. ¡°Hong Yu, is this true?¡± ¡°I, I¡± Hong Yu¡¯s tears came down like rain and she was about to rush up to the silver haired young man regardless of the sharp edge placed close to her neck. Xiyun hurriedly withdrew his sword and saw her pounce on the young man. Supported him and shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t die, I don¡¯t want you to die!¡± He raised his hand, wiped away the girl¡¯s tears and said solemnly. ¡°If I die, you will be sad, but those who were killed by you also have relatives, have you ever thought that those people will feel the same heartache as you?¡± Hong Yu raised her ignorant eyes and looked at him with tears. Mu Xiyun watched with a cold expression. This little fox called Hong Yu still treats everything around her out of instinct and does not really understands the human feelings and morals that the silver fox said. ¡°I am the body of sin. There are obstacles that I can¡¯t overcome on the road of cultivation and I¡¯m destined to atone for my sins with my life. You are born with a spirit, and if you can already take the form of a human being in less than fifty years, you can become a powerful demon in the future..¡± The young man¡¯s face showed a gentle smile, ¡°I¡¯m just a passer-by in your life¡­¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to be a powerful demon, I just want you.¡± Hong Yu¡¯s tears fell on their clasped hands like broken pearls. ¡°Little benefactor,¡± the silver fox raised his head. ¡°I was injured. Hong Yu made a big mistake because she wanted to make medicine for me. I would like to bear all the guilt on her behalf. Let me bear all the guilt.¡± Xiyun shook his head and answered coldly. ¡°Everything has its own cause and effect. If anyone can just take the place of another as you suggested, how can there be a cycle of heaven and justice? Although she is trying to save you, her methods are cruel and cannot be forgiven lightly. ¡° After he finished speaking, he pointed at Hong Yu with his long sword. ¡°Go back to Moyun Mountain with me, and the Immortals will decide.¡± In the previous life, Mu Xiyun subjugated and eliminated demons in the human world and also handled many cases of demons hurting mortals. Now, on one hand, it was necessary to give an explanation to Yiyun and Qingxi Town¡¯s Yamen, and on the other hand, it was also because the two demons looked pitiful and he¡¯s unwilling to let the silver fox witnessed his lover¡¯s tragic death on the spot, so he proposes to bring Hong Yu to the mountain to be judged before the elders. The silver fox looked at Mu Xiyun helplessly, his eyes darkened, as if he had accepted reality. He supported Hong Yu to stand up slowly, straightened the front of his clothes, and saluted Mu Xiyun with difficulty, saying, ¡°It was because of me this time, so I¡¯ll go with you instead.¡± Hong Yu was about to say something, but was suddenly pushed to the side by the silver fox. She staggered a few steps but immediately turned around. When she looked back, she only saw that the silver fox and Mu Xiyun were already fighting together. Silver fox¡¯s fingernails elongated, as if wearing two pairs of steel claws and actually emitted a silver light. The fox¡¯s actions of poking, scratching and stabbing was extremely fast and he always stuck close to Mu Xiyun, having the momentum of a violent storm, suppressing Xiyun¡¯s long sword on the spot. Yet even under the vicious attack of the fox demon, he didn¡¯t panic. He defended while instilling spiritual energy on the sword and with every strike and slash, he released thread like spiritual energy, seemingly weaving an invisible net. The silver fox was already weak and only relied on his demon strength. After a while, his movements slowed down. Under this change, Mu Xiyun¡¯s sword glowed and the intersecting qi threads appeared. It shrank in size and immediately rushed towards the silver fox. Suddenly, a red shadow dashed over. Hong Yu went to the silver fox trying to block the incoming attack, but the silver fox instantly raised his hand and pushed her to the left. Chixia suddenly pierced the silver fox¡¯s shoulder with a puff and blood splashed everywhere. However, he immediately used a spell to stop the bleeding. The two of them became entangled once more. The silver fox released a spiritual force which collided with Mu Xiyun causing a cloud of white light to erupt. The silver fox was about to sacrifice all the remaining demonic energy in his body, fighting to the death. Mu Xiyun frowned and shouted, ¡°Stop! She had killed someone and dug their hearts. She had succumbed to her inner demon. Even if she escapes today, she will still face a backlash in her cultivation. Don¡¯t be stubborn!¡± The silver fox looked at Hong Yu and a clear line of tear slid down his face, but he still continued to stimulate his remaining demonic energy. Hong Yu only paid attention to the silver fox when he appeared. From being pushed out to the time of the fast paced battle between the two. Yet, only at this moment did she understood what Mu Xiyun meant, and she was shocked. She hurried over and shouted in panic, ¡°Immortal, I didn¡¯t kill anyone!¡± CH 11 Mu Xiyun and the silver fox were caught off guard when these remarks were spoken. They exchanged glances before gradually withdrawing their spiritual energy. As soon as Chixia was pulled out, the silver fox¡¯s left shoulder bleed again. Hong Yu hurriedly came over and covered his wound. Xiyun sighed softly, stepped forward and tapped several of his acupoints, took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, and poured out a pill for the silver fox to take. Although the silver fox described the situation as some kind of embarrassment, he still did not lose his demeanor. He smiled at Mu Xiyun and said, ¡°The healing elixir of Moyun Mountain¡¯s Tianji Peak is indeed well-deserved. Thank you little benefactor.¡± With that, he gently stroked Hong Yu¡¯s head and spoke softly, ¡°What¡¯s going on, don¡¯t hide anything, you can tell the benefactor.¡± Hong Yu still had tears in her eyes. She nodded after listening, looked at Xiyun and said, ¡°Brother Yin is injured and I don¡¯t know how to heal him, so I thought about going to the medicine hall at the foot of the mountain to steal some herbs.¡± Half a month ago, little Hong Yu sneaked down the mountain and broke into a medicine hall in Ping County without anyone knowing. Facing the rows of medicine cabinets in the medicine hall, she just used her keen sense of smell to search for healing herbs. Suddenly, there was a soft noise in the darkness, the little fox was immediately startled and hid in the corner of the medicine cabinet. A person walked out of the darkness. Because the person was in the shadows, she couldn¡¯t see his face clearly. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t approach where Hong Yu was hiding, but she clearly felt that the other party¡¯s eyes were always trained on her. After a moment of silence, Hong Yu became exceedingly frightened that she almost ran out of the door, when the man suddenly said, ¡°Little fox, the medicinal materials you took are useless. To save the silver fox, you need to refine a heart pill.¡± Hong Yu was still a naive little fox. Seeing that the man didn¡¯t do any harmful actions and spoke to her gently, her courage gradually grew, and she asked softly. ¡°What is a heart pill? I don¡¯t know how to refine pills.¡± That person answered very patiently. ¡°The refining method of the pill is very simple, I can teach you.¡± After that, he actually told Hong Yu the material and method of refining it in detail. Because Hong Yu was hellbent on treating the silver fox¡¯s wounds wholeheartedly, she didn¡¯t suspect the man at all. ¡°Brother Yin said to not hurt people. I don¡¯t know where to get a heart.¡± ¡°If you can get the heart of a living person or even a cultivators¡¯, of course, the effect would be better. But if you can¡¯t, it¡¯s easy, just find some people who have just died and take their hearts.¡± After this sentence, the figure suddenly disappeared within the darkness. The little fox was confused. She sneaked out of the medicine hall in a daze, and walked on the road back to the mountain. Having not walked that long, she suddenly heard several screams. Hong Yu hurriedly hid behind a big boulder, and listened carefully. There seemed to be many people fighting just ahead, mixed with loud scolding and crying. The little fox didn¡¯t dare to look or show her face, and kept shivering behind the boulder. She waited until everything was quiet and slowly came out behind the boulder. Up ahead, a cart was overturned on the ground and several dead bodies were scattered around. Everything was a mess. Hong Yu was petrified and it took a long time for her to relax. She suddenly remembered what the mysterious man told her. She cautiously approached the corpses lying around, unhesitatingly took their hearts and brought them back to the cave. She also found white snake grass and lisan flowers near her cave dwelling. Although she was doing things hurriedly while in a daze, she didn¡¯t know where the luck came from, but she really made a few heart pills. In the face of the silver fox, Hong Yu only said that she went down the mountain and stole some medicine pills from a Lang Zhong. She was scolded by the silver fox for a few words and muddled through. The silver fox ate the heart pill she refined and his face became better day by day. Hong Yu couldn¡¯t help but rejoice at her good luck. (t/n Lang Zhong-Langzhong is a senior official who is in charge of the affairs of various departments, and its position is second only to the prime minister. Later, the title of Langzhong as a doctor began in the Song Dynasty. Respectfully calling doctors Langzhong is a southern dialect, which was caused by the proliferation of official titles after the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties.) (t/n muddle through-Chinese idiom, pinyin is m¨¦ng h¨´n gu¨° gu¨¡n, which means to evade inquiry or censorship by means of deception.) ¡°What about that child?¡± ¡°Child?¡± Hong Yu said blankly, ¡°I met that boy in the mountains the day before yesterday. I don¡¯t know where he came from, but I just saw him lying on the ground. When I dug the heart, he was already dead.¡± ¡°Is there anyone else?¡± ¡°No, no more. That, today¡­¡± Hong Yu shrank back, her face flushed, and she dared not say more. This young fox hadn¡¯t been a human for very long, and her natural instinct was still present. Given the effectiveness of the heart pill, it was reasonable to feel dissatisfied and desire more. The remaining heart pills had been consumed in recent days, and numerous towns at the mountain¡¯s base were on high alert against the heart poaching incident, with town residents temporarily suspending activities such as going up the mountain to chop firewood. She intended to go to Yizhuang in the town to look for a corpse, but she couldn¡¯t find one. She was anxious and apprehensive. (t/n Yizhuang-The place where the coffin is temporarily housed and built by local or fellow villagers.) When Mu Xiyun broke into the array and was trapped by the illusion, Hong Yu saw that someone delivered themselves to her door, blinded by evil thoughts, she planned to take the opportunity to kill the person and take their heart. Mu Xiyun glanced at her, grasped the situation, and felt apprehensive about it all. Furthermore, even if Hong Yu failed to obtain his heart, he would have been gravely hurt if it hadn¡¯t been for the assistance of the white light suddenly emerging from within his heart. This force had helped him twice, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it was the spiritual power of the Ling Yu plum branch or something else. At this time, he can¡¯t find the answer and can only keep it to himself. The silver fox was covered in fresh blood at this time, and Mu Xiyun¡¯s front was also torn by a sharp knife. The two faced each other, feeling quite embarrassed. The silver fox then ordered Hong Yu to fetch two of his own robes, and to make a pot of tea along the way. The two left the stone room and into a makeshift hall. The two of them sat down, and the silver fox bowed to him again and said, ¡°The little demon is still alive, and I almost killed my benefactor today. This silver fox really doesn¡¯t know how to make amends.¡± Xiyun waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not mention this, what do you think about what Hong Yu said just now?¡± ¡°The mysterious man must be the key to everything.¡± the silver fox pondered. ¡°Indeed.¡± Xiyun looked up at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know where your injury came from?¡± The silver fox¡¯s heart froze and he already understood what Xiyun meant. If it was a coincidence that Hong Yu refined the elixirs, the person who told her how to make the elixir must have done it on purpose. In several towns down the mountain, there were more than a dozen medicine halls, yet Hong Yu just happened to meet someone who knew how to make the heart pill. This only meant that the person followed Hong Yu. But why? From this, it was very likely that someone had arranged it in advance. But why do so? The two discussed for a while, but could not come to a conclusion, Hong Yu had already brought them clothes and tea. Xiyun took off his outer robe and replaced it with the one she brought, stood up and said to the two demons, ¡°This matter is strange, and I am afraid there¡¯s more to come. Today, I found out that the two did not commit murder. As God has the virtue of good life, I also won¡¯t temporarily hold you accountable. But I will report it to the elders. If you still plan to practice here, Moyun Mountain will send someone to pay attention to your every move. If you hurt others again, you will be severely punished. That heart pill that uses the human heart as one of its main ingredient is definitely not a good prescription, and it cannot be practiced again in the future. ¡± (t/n God has the virtue of good life- God cares for every living beings) Hong Yu was anxious when she heard it, and was about to plead, but was stopped by the silver fox. Mu Xiyun got up to leave, and he hurriedly saw him outside the cave. Without the array, there was only a short way directly out of the boulder. Xiyun looked at his tired body due to fatigue, sighed softly, and handed him a medicine bottle. The handsome silver-haired young man took the medicine bottle in disbelief, knelt down and bowed in agitation, ¡°Benefactor, more than fifty years ago, your senior brother and you gave me a way out, and now you¡¯ve even given me medicine for healing. If ever you encounter any problem, together with Wan Niang, we will not hesitate to help you.¡± ¡°Wan Niang?¡± Mu Xiyun said in surprise. Hong Yu was actually¡­? ¡°Yes.¡± Wan Niang was the woman who died fifty years ago for falling in love with the silver fox. ¡°Is there such a coincidence in the world?¡± Mu Xiyun asked. The woman he loved was reincarnated as a fox, and even met the lover of her previous life. ¡°It¡¯s not so much a coincidence,¡± The man¡¯s eyes were full of tenderness, ¡°it¡¯s better to say that Wan Niang tried her best to come back to me.¡± ¡°You are lucky. However, take care of your little lover, and don¡¯t be deceived again.¡± Xiyun turned around and went down the mountain. The silver haired man coughed a few times, and looked at the lonely back as it disappeared under the dim light of the moon, and said with a small smile, ¡°How do you know you don¡¯t also have this luck?¡± It was already past the third watch when Mu Xiyun returned to the medicine hall. Su Yanjun was tossing and turning, and was unable to fall asleep. In the end, he decided to just meditate on the bed. When he saw him back, he immediately greeted him. He took his pulse, gave him medicine and asked a disciple to bring hot water. He also personally cooked a bowl of egg noodles and watched him eat it. (t/n third watch- refers to 11:00 am to 1:00 am) Xiyun watched him go back and forth busily, and his heart felt warm. While eating noodles, he explained to him about what happened today. Su Yanjun agreed with Mu Xiyun and the silver fox. They all believed that someone deliberately lured Hong Yu into digging some corpses¡¯ hearts and refined them into pills. At the same time, he also raised new questions. Is there any connection between the murdered people Hong Yu met and the body found in Qingxi Town? And how did that child corpse come to the forest near Yiyun Town? They thought that the real murderer had been found, but later, it was discovered that all those people had died before the fox demon dug their hearts. The murder cases were also scattered in several places, and the mysterious person who lured Hong Yu into refining the pills¡­ Thousands of threads were entangled together and obscured the truth. After a few hours of rest, Xiyun had a bunch of messy dreams. At the crack of dawn, Xiyun got dressed and went to the courtyard. The aunt who specializes in mending clothes came out of the guest room with a few robes. It was said that there lived two medicine dealers from the north. Xiyun saw a young man seeing her out of the door and thanking her. When the young man noticed Xiyun standing in the courtyard, he made a salute and then closed the door. The aunt greeted Xiyun with a smile, murmuring in a low voice, ¡°Young people love to fight all day long. Look at how big the tear of the sleeve of this fine dress is.¡± Xiyun looked up and saw that the torn clothes seemed very familiar. At this time, Liang Zheng and Su Yanjun also came to the courtyard and this thought was immediately thrown on the back burner. The three met, and each of them recounted what happened yesterday in detail. While they were discussing, Gu Mingshun sent someone to report that the identity of the corpse had been confirmed, and that he was currently in the Ping County¡¯s local government office. Ping County was located in the southwest of Yiyun Town. According to the division of the government, Ping County and Yiyun town belong to two prefectures respectively. A distance of more than a hundred miles can be reached by a quick horse in two hours. The three borrowed horses from the Yamen, and when they arrived at the Ping County¡¯s government office, the court was already in session for the case hearing. A woman sat in the hall, shivering under a startling sound of the gavel and began to explain. Gu Mingshun¡¯s colleague explained. ¡°Yesterday, when Constable Gu came to Ping County, he met with Ping County¡¯s constable, and only then did he know that Feng¡¯s family here was missing a young master. When Constable Gu took out the bell bracelet, the wife immediately recognized it. Feng Mansion sent someone to identify the corpse, and it was confirmed that the child whose heart was dug was undoubtedly the young master of the Feng Mansion. Because Ping County and Yiyun Town belong to two prefectures, the case was not reported in time, so we have never known. ¡° ¡°Kneeling in the hall is the concubine of the Feng family, who is said to be hateful. Since she has never had children, she is not used to the family¡¯s favor for the young master. After Feng Xiaobao disappeared, she was placed under house arrest by the Feng family. Yesterday, her maid reported that the second wife once asked her to burn a child¡¯s clothes. The maid kept it in her thoughts but eventually reported it. When Madame Feng saw the clothes, she fainted¡­¡± At this moment, the woman in the hall let out a burst of laughter. ¡°Hahaha, the head of the Feng family caused me to have no children, so I sold her child to the frontier, making him a slave, and be torture all his life, hahahaha!¡± The onlookers couldn¡¯t help but look sideways. The Feng family was rumored to have internal disputes, but who would have thought for the child to be killed. Not long after, the concubine of the Feng family helplessly offered the person who bought the child, and Gu Mingshun sent someone to look for the said person. Wang Ping was the man¡¯s name, and he had been in this industry for decades. He had a house on the outskirts of Ping County that he normally used as a Yaxing, where he gathered all the young boys and girls he had purchased and taught them some manners and etiquette so that he could make more money when he sold them to a large family. (t/n Yaxing -a firm or middleman that negotiates and introduces transactions for buyers and sellers in the market, and collects commissions. Sometimes also referred to as the dental trade association.) Everyone rushed to the Yaxing and knocked on the door for a long time, but only a half-deaf and half-mute old man came to open the door. Constable Chen asked the old man patiently and it took a long time to figure out that Wang Ping and four other people had already gone out along with more than a dozen children half a month ago. The old man was just hired to watch the door, and he didn¡¯t know where the owner went. A group of people looked at each other. Constable Chen gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Search the whole place!¡± The author has something to say: Little Theater: Gu Qingqiao: What about me? What about me? Why am I missing again? CH 12 The officers dispersed and scoured the entire house and its surroundings, but they found nothing or any sign. Other than the side room where the old man stayed, the other rooms had already been covered with a thin layer of dust after more than half a month. Gu Mingshun had already learned from Mu Xiyun¡¯s mouth where Hong Yu found the bodies, and after discussing it with Constable Chen, he let a few guards to get the old man out of the house. Afterwards, sealed the place and took the rest out of town and up to the mountain. Ping County was in the southwest of Yiyun Town. Together with Yiyun Town and Qingxi Town, the three towns surrounded the Cuiping Mountain like a person encircling it with its arms. The group hurried to the foot of the mountain and walked along the mountain road for nearly ten miles, only to find several wrecked ox carts by the corner of the mountain road. There was some jewelry, expensive clothing, silvers and other valuables nearby but no dead bodies. Moreover, due to a recent rain, traces of blood and wheel tracks had been washed out, but after careful inspection, Mingshun found some dried bloodstains on the rocks in the leeward side of the road. ¡°It can be speculated that the group wanted to trade the dozen or so children to another place that¡¯s why they left half a month ago.¡± Constable Chen said with a while stroking his beard, ¡°This road is three miles to the north, eastward to Yiyun Town, and westward to all parts of the Central Plains.¡± Before he could finish the words, the sound of horses¡¯ hooves came, and a person immediately dismounted from his horse and took out a stack of paper from his arms. It turned out to be the corpse portrait from Qingxi Town. Constable Chen saw the portrait and immediately recognized that the five corpses were Wang Ping and his company. Gu Mingshun frowned and said, ¡°These five people should have died here and got their hearts dug out by the demon fox after, but how did the corpses get to Qingxi Town?¡± Su Yanjun pondered, ¡°Perhaps someone deliberately moved the bodies? But for what purpose?¡± For a moment, everyone was silent. After a while, Mu Xiyun broke the silence, ¡°What is the purpose of the person who moved the corpse, we can check that later, but according to the old man who guarded the Yaxing, these five people were on the road with a dozen children, regardless of how the Feng family¡¯s young master ended up in Yiyun Town, but where are the rest children now?¡± Six hours ago, Gu Qingqiao was dragged to a place by an ox cart. When he was put into a sack and placed on the cart, it was still in the middle of the afternoon, but when the ox cart finally stopped, it was already dark all around. Judging from the feel of how the ox cart traveled to its destination, they passed a section of mountain road, a section of official road and finally into a town. The ox cart entered into a courtyard. He was unloaded together with the goods on the cart. Besides that, there was no other noise. Zhang San, who abducted him, silently placed him and the other goods on the ground. After that, he drove the ox cart out the door. The sound of the rolling cart wheels gradually faded away. Gu Qingqiao was lying among the pile of goods and only heard a few cat meows on the street in the distance. Lying on the ground for almost half an hour in a curled up position, his waist and legs were sore, pondering that maybe Zhang San got to the wrong place? However, he abruptly felt the ground tremble, but then, it was gone in a split second. Gu Qingqiao thought it was only his illusion. A knife silently slipped out of his sleeve, and he was about to open the sack to take a look, but then he heard a slight sound of footsteps not long after. Based on the sounds of the footsteps, there should be more than one person approaching, yet not one still made a sound. When the strangers arrived, all seemed to only focus on moving goods. One of them hauled Gu Qingqiao¡¯s sack, and immediately realized that there was a child in it. A sound of a door opening was heard, he was carried over and placed down once again. As the sack was loosened and pried open, he pretended to be unconscious, and only opened a small slit of his eyes. He noticed that he was inside a small room. The room was not big, and a dim candle light was coming in from outside. Seeing that he didn¡¯t move, the person didn¡¯t bother to care either, and quickly walked out of the door and closed it. ¡°Why is there still a child coming in? Wasn¡¯t it still enough?¡± One asked in a low voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t one die a few days ago? Who cares, they¡¯re going to be taken away eventually. By the way¡­¡­¡­.¡± The voices gradually became smaller as though the two of them walked a little farther away. Gu Qingqiao turned around and crept forward based on his impression. The moment when the dim candle light illuminated the inside of the room from outside before the man closed the door, he had seen a wide bed facing the door, and there were several children lying on it. Gu Qingqiao touched the edge of the bed, climbed up silently, and gently pushed the child closest to him. The child was pushed askew, yet there was no response. Gu Qingqiao stretched out his hand and probed for the child¡¯s pulse. Fortunately, it was still there, but it was so weak that he could hardly detect it. The children on the bed were all in similar conditions, and none of them looked like they could wake up anytime soon. If he was still Gu Qingqiao fifty years ago, things would just be as easy as pushing the door and directly going out, regardless of how many people there were outside. The situation isn¡¯t looking great, even more so because the effect of the Huaxing water was not yet over. Looking at his little hands and feet and the little spiritual energy in his meridians, Gu Qingqiao sighed and slowly moved to the door, listening carefully to any movement outside. It was estimated that it was already the dead of the night, and there was no sound coming from outside the door. Gu Qingqiao waited for another stick of incense time before trying to gently open the door. The door was easily unlocked. There was only a hook keeping the door closed, presumably because they felt that a few frail children were not worth looking after, and the person guarding the door even disappeared somewhere. Gu Qingqiao quietly went out. Outside the door were a circle of corridors, and the yard was planted with different flowers and plants, looking like a backyard of some big family. The whole house was silent, and only one room was lit. He walked cautiously along the veranda and crept under the lighted window. There was no moonlight tonight. Gu Qingqiao quietly tucked himself into the darkness and sneaked under. ¡°This time the movement was loud. This one has deliberately avoided Moyun Mountain, how come they were alerted?¡± Someone spoke. Another person replied, ¡°Or you are not careful enough. Isn¡¯t that child¡¯s body already buried? How could it appear in Yiyun Town?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t figure this out either, and this kind of thing has never happened before. Do you think it¡¯s because you¡¯ve provoked some enemy and have been targeted?¡± ¡°This possibility cannot be ruled out. How many more days still?¡± ¡°Until tomorrow night.¡± ¡°Good, pack up tomorrow and leave immediately when things are done.¡± The door opened, and a man in black walked out of the room and looked around. Under the window, Gu Qingqiao was no longer there. The man summoned his sword and flew away. The lights in the house went out, and after a while, Gu Qingqiao emerged from the shadows under the veranda and quietly returned to the room. At dawn, the people in the courtyard received orders and began to clean up everywhere. An old servant with a stiff expression came to the room where the children were placed. He was probably not surprised when he saw that there was another child added and even conscious on top of that. After giving Gu Qingqiao a steamed bun, he climbed up to the bed, served a half bowl of porridge for each of the unconscious children and patiently tried to feed them one by one. He then cleaned up the dishes after and walked out the door. Gu Qingqiao was eating a steamed bun and looked outside through the crack of the window. There were not many people in the courtyard, and there were only a dozen faces coming and going along. It was almost noon when a sudden knock was heard at the gate of the outer house. The people in the courtyard froze, quickly piled up the items in the corner, and each drew out their weapons to be on guard. The stiff faced old man walked slowly to the front hall probably to open the gate. At the same time, Gu Qingqiao felt the ground tremble again. There was a commotion, some Yamen runners entered and began to search everywhere. Three Yamen runners opened the courtyard door, walked around the courtyard, pushed open doors and entered various rooms to search, but they soon turned around and left the courtyard, completely ignoring the messy items in the corner, the room where the children were in and the people holding weapons in the veranda. Gu Qingqiao furrowed his brows. Judging from the actions and expressions of the Yamen runners just now, it doesn¡¯t look like they were bribed or colluded to deliberately feign ignorance. Those three Yamen runners really seemed genuine in their search. Plus the two tremors of the ground, last night and just now, were abnormal. Then, Gu Qingqiao suddenly realized. The courtyard was actually inside an array. Yet this array was somehow different from an ordinary hallucination array. Ordinary hallucination arrays just make people see a different sight and would also lead people to make wrong judgments. Like the white fog outside the fox demon cave. One only needed to directly walk past it carefully to break out of the formation. However, this array formation was different. Those who entered were like entering another dimension, and the five senses would also be confused at the same time. If one caught a bird inside the barrier, but the caster wanted him to see a cat, then the animal in his hand would not only look like a cat, but would also sound like a cat. Because of this, this kind can only be casted once. The formation will remain effective all the time but the caster must stay inside as well. And because it consumes a lot of spiritual energy, it was necessary for a pre-drawn spiritual formation to gather spiritual energy or the use of magic weapons and spiritual stones to act as aid. At the same time, it also had a high requirement on the cultivation of the caster. Gu Qingqiao was surprised and delighted. The happy thing was that if the traces of the spiritual formation or the magic weapon can be found, this barrier can be broken. On the other hand, he was surprised that such a practitioner was present and because of that, saving the children may not be so easy. He carefully felt the little spiritual energy in his meridians, and couldn¡¯t help frowning. Against a cultivator of this level, he may only have the power of a single blow. On the mountain road, the group of people who had gained nothing helplessly returned to the government office. It was getting late, hence Gu Mingshun took Xiyun and others to the Ping County post house. Several people ate dinner, and got together to re-evaluate the existing clues again. Except for knowing that another ten or so children were missing, compared to the previous analysis, there was no progress. Mu Xiyun was inexplicably upset, and excused himself. ¡°I¡¯m a little restless today, and I want to go out for a walk alone to relax.¡± After speaking, he turned around and went out. Su Yanjun knew that he was worried about those children, he didn¡¯t blame him for being so. Instead, he stepped forward and told him to return early. Ping County was smaller than Yiyun Town. There were already no people on the street after night and only a little warmth from the dim lights coming from the windows of houses can be seen. Mu Xiyun lowered his head and walked for a while, and when he raised his head again, he found that he had unknowingly come to the front of Yaxing again. (t/n Yaxing is a firm or middleman that negotiates and introduces transactions for buyers and sellers in the market, and collects commissions) There were two officers guarding the front door. He stepped forward and said,¡±The two officials have worked hard. Can you let me in and have a look?¡± The two of them had seen Xiyun in the daytime when he along with other Yamen officers came inside to have a look. When they saw him come, they knew that it must be related to the investigation, hence it was not difficult to open the door and let him in. Mu Xiyun walked slowly around the house. He didn¡¯t know if it was because his body was made from spiritual things, however, he seemed to be particularly sensitive to spiritual energy. When he came to this yard this morning, he felt that some parts of the yard were different from usual. But during the daytime, there were so many people, and what he felt was not very clear even for him, thus deciding to not mention it. But tonight, when everything was silent, Mu Xiyun simply let go of his thoughts and felt the surroundings again. A faint spiritual disturbance coming from the corner of the back garden was felt. The author has something to say: Small Theater: Gu Qingqiao: The author is out! How did you arrange this timeline? Author: It¡¯s very simple, when you were loaded into the cart, Ah Yun was in the fox demon cave, and then you went to the trafficker, and the next day Ah Yun and others also went there, that¡¯s it! Gu Qingqiao: Then why not write it in chronological order? The paragraph where I went to the Yaxing should be in the front! Author: Ah, do you want to be adjusted to the front? Then you have to be separated from Ah Yun¡¯s play. Gu Qingqiao: Oh, forget it, my family¡¯s Ah Yun is more important! Author:¡­¡­.. CH 13 Gu Qingqiao wanted to sneak out before nightfall, but he underestimated the patience of the caster. Although no one came to visit, the small courtyard was still tightly covered with a barrier. What¡¯s even more unfortunate was that the person driving the cart for transport with people inside happened to stop near the room where he was in. Let alone going out, even if just opened the window, he would probably be seen immediately. There was a sound of footsteps, the door opened, and several big men walked in. A horse-faced man glanced at Gu Qingqiao, pointed at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s rare that there is one who was not unconscious. Take this to the master and the others go to the cart.¡± Immediately, one person stepped forward, grasped his back collar, picked him up and went out of the room. This was really stepping through the iron shoes, there is nowhere to find it, and it takes no effort to get it. Gu Qingqiao pretended to struggle twice and the man scolded him. Holding his collar with one hand and his arms with the other, he was half dragged into the room he had eavesdropped on the night before. (t/n Stepping through the iron shoes, there is nowhere to find it, and it takes no effort to get it is a Chinese term. It is a metaphor for something urgently needed that took a lot of effort to find, but got it inadvertently.) There was no light in the room, and it was divided into an inner and outer room separated by a bamboo curtain. One person sits cross-legged on the futon on the inside, holding a gourd bottle that was glowing red. Behind the bamboo curtains, the faint flickering light can be seen. The seated man raised his face. He looked to be in his forties, with gray hair and a pale face, with a high collar clipped around up to the neck. He waved his hand, and Gu Qingqiao¡¯s body was immediately surrounded by a white light. He floated and immediately flew towards the old man¡¯s side. The gray-haired man grabbed Gu Qingqiao¡¯s shoulder with one hand, and stuck the glowing gourd on his forehead with the other, muttering an incantation. Gu Qingqiao only felt a sharp pain in his heart and his mind suddenly became blurred. He felt that his soul was like being caught by a big hand and was about to be pulled out of the body. During the struggle, he bit the tip of his tongue, with the sharp pain, his sanity somewhat regained, albeit only a little. ¡°Huh?¡± There was a hint of surprise on the gray-haired old man¡¯s pale face, ¡°Why is this child¡¯s¡­¡­how can your soul be incomplete? Enduring the dizziness, Gu Qingqiao secretly scolded in his heart, ¡°Isn¡¯t stealing souls disgusting? You care a lot about my soul, did I say I would give it to you?¡± Gu Qingqiao secretly gathered spiritual energy in his hand covered by his sleeve. It was condensed into a small light ball and was ready to go. The door of the small courtyard was suddenly pushed open, and Mu Xiyun came in. The barrier fluctuated for a moment, and the red light on the gourd suddenly dimmed. Now! The ball of light in Gu Qingqiao¡¯s hand shot out instantly and hit the gourd. The gray-haired old man was caught off guard and screamed. Mu Xiyun only came to this small courtyard based on his intuition. Yet no one would have imagined that the gang of murderers who cut off Wang Ping¡¯s group and robbed the children, actually used a carbine and hid it in the Yangxing, which eventually led him here. Because of Mu Xiyun¡¯s appearance, the distribution of the old man¡¯s spiritual energy wavered and under Gu Qingqiao¡¯s full-strength blow, the barrier was broken from the inside. Under Mu Xiyun¡¯s eyes, the empty courtyard suddenly became brightly lit. A dozen people in the courtyard were stunned and no one moved for a while. Mu Xiyun glanced around and noticed a wide flat cart with a wooden fence parked in the center of the yard. There were more than a dozen children sitting or lying on it, all of them seemingly listless and unconscious. Mu Xiyun immediately understood. He swiftly raised his left arm, fired Moyun Mountain¡¯s alarm signal above the sky and it shone with a brilliant golden light. With his right, he drew out his sword, and his sword Qi came out like a surging tide. The three people who were close had no time to block it, and immediately fell down. Only then did everyone in the courtyard come to their senses. Because they were already exposed, they hurriedly pulled out their weapons and rushed towards Mu Xiyun. Under the blow of Gu Qingqiao, the two strands of spiritual energy collided. He was thrown back due to the impact and his back hit the door frame. His mouth instantly was filled with fishy sweetness. He cursed Zhang Jinjin in his heart, ¡°Why is this fucking Huaxing water lasts this long?¡± (t/n Huaxing- a Chinese word, pinyin is hu¨¤ x¨ªng, which means to change shape) He lifted his sleeve and wiped the blood that was spilling from his mouth, turned sideways to the door, pushed the door and rolled out. As he came to a stop and inadvertently looked up, he met Mu Xiyun¡¯s gaze as he was also attracted by the noise inside the room where Gu Qingqiao came from. Both of them became suddenly stunned. Mu Xiyun was shocked at how a child could be in such a danger, however Gu Qingqiao didn¡¯t expect to meet him again but in such an embarrassing state. As Mu Xiyun watched the child get out of the house, his heart inexplicably tightened, and the movements of his hands became faster. The three swordsmen in the courtyard were already approaching and their long knives gleaming. As far as weapons were concerned, an attack of a long knife should be inherently stronger than that of a sword, and the three individuals used this advantage and cooperated tacitly. The three knives were like a whirlwind, giving the other party no chance to breathe. Mu Xiyun fought fast. He flickered his sword and moved in the slightest gap he created between the long knives. His sword light gradually converged, and when it was suppressed to the extreme by the opponent¡¯s sword light, it would burst out again. The three long knives suddenly fell to the ground, and the three swordsmen groaned, holding their wrists. Blood was dripping and all three had suffered a serious sword injury making them unable to hold the long knife again. Gu Qingqiao had already rushed into the yard at this time, and Mu Xiyun immediately took him behind him. The signal had been sent, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before Su Yanjun, Moyun Mountain disciples, officers from Ping County, and even garrisons from the capital to encircle the courtyard. Mu Xiyun was holding Gu Qingqiao and was planning on taking the child to a safe place. As for the children lying in the cart, they couldn¡¯t be taken away in one go, he could only wait for the others to arrive to rescue them. As Xiyun took Qingqiao and leapt above, ready to take him away, unexpectedly, before he could even reach the top of the wall, there was a sound of breaking wind, and an arrow came towards him with a whistling sound. The angle of the arrow was very accurate, forcing Xiyun to wave his sword to meet it, making him fall back to the ground. Immediately afterwards, the sound of releasing arrows came one after another, and there were seven or eight big men aiming at the two people in the courtyard. Gu Qingqiao felt extremely regretful, but at this time the effect of the Huaxing water was not over, therefore he couldn¡¯t help at all and could only glanced up at Xiyun. When Mu Xiyun saw the child¡¯s big eyes and concerned face, he lowered his head and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Gu Qingqiao looked into his eyes and only shook his head childishly. Dense arrows immediately flew towards the two, and Mu Xiyun¡¯s long sword burst into a bright sword light. The sword qi overflowed, he waved his sword and deflected the incoming rain of arrows. After that round, another one followed immediately. Mu Xiyun draws more spiritual energy from his dantian, surging his sword qi to disperse the swirling rain of arrows again. Gu Qingqiao had already exhausted his spiritual energy due to that blow a while back, and was now only constantly adjusting his position away from the attack range so as not to make Mu Xiyun worry. The horse-faced man who took the lead suddenly showed a wretched smile. Silently, two flying knives were shot at Xiyun just after he deflected the arrows just now. He immediately noticed the incoming knives and hurriedly stopped it with two moves, however he suddenly noticed that another small knife was closely approaching towards the back of Gu Qingqiao¡¯s head. In desperation, he stretched out his hand and pulled Gu Qingqiao urgently, narrowly avoiding the third knife, but the back of his hand was grazed instead. There was a burst of numbness in his left hand, simultaneously, the third round of arrows rained down. Mu Xiyun ignored the injury of his left hand and forcibly transferred spiritual energy into the sword again, and the Chixia Sword emitted a blinding light. Under the impact of huge spiritual energy, the sword¡¯s body cracked as he waved it to stop the incoming arrows and afterwards, was broken into tiny pieces. This action accelerated the heartbeat violently, the numbness on the back of the left hand spread rapidly into the body through the blood vessels, and just within a few breaths, the whole body went numb. Mu Xiyun staggered forward, knelt on one knee while gasping for breath and his vision becoming blurry. Gu Qingqiao was startled. He immediately took his hand, examined it and noticed that black blood was flowing out of the wound. That knife was actually smeared with poison! The hidden dagger in Gu Qingqiao¡¯s sleeve quickly slid down into his palm, he made a cut on his fat little palm and dark qi mixed with blood immediately poured out. He pulled the other over, pressed the wound of his hand to the other¡¯s lips and whispered in his ear, ¡°Drink this!¡± The rust-smelling liquid poured into his mouth, and before Mu Xiyun could react, it had already entered his throat. There was even a hint of sweetness in it. The amazing thing was that the numb feeling of his body slowly went away, his vision gradually became clearer, and most of the poison inside had been eliminated in an instant. He pushed away Gu Qingqiao¡¯s palm, and he felt a familiar and vague feeling in his heart, but he couldn¡¯t be sure¡­ However, the fourth round of arrows came flying abruptly. Mu Xiyun was caught off guard and could only hug the child¡¯s small body into his arms and protect it tightly. Yet, the imaginary pain did not come, and a light blue barrier suddenly descended, encasing the two of them. The arrows fell one by one as it hit the barrier. The ¡°Gentleman¡± sword swept from the sky, several people on the wall screamed, and the archers fell to the ground one after another. The reinforcements finally arrived. Gu Mingshun jumped off the wall, followed by Su Yanjun and Liang Zheng. Ping County Yamen officers rushed in and the situation was immediately reversed. Seeing that the situation was not good, the horse-faced man immediately ordered the remaining few people to escape through the monk¡¯s room. Before the remaining people of the courtyard could follow, the room suddenly exploded and a huge fire shot up to the sky, illuminating half of Ping County like daytime. Everyone in the courtyard was thrown backwards due to the explosion. Liang Zheng only got to create half of a protective barrier in a hurry and could only protect a few people in the courtyard before it was torn to shreds. After a long while, each and everyone started to regain consciousness. The houses in the small courtyard had been razed to the ground, the trees had fallen, and everywhere was a mess. The disciples of Moyun Mountain got up first and checked the situation. Nothing was left of the place where the explosion occurred, and it was unknown whether the monk and the horse-faced man had escaped. Fortunately, the children on the cart were blocked by a barrier on time, and most of them were still lying on the cart and were not hurt. After Liang Zheng checked the pulse of those who were wounded, he hurriedly sent someone to Ping County Medicie Hall, and prescribed a prescription for nourishing blood and qi. Most of the officers who came here were also wounded, but they were nonetheless fine after waking up. Gu Qingqiao wanted to take advantage of the chaos to leave, but the effect of the Huaxing water was still there, and he sighed gloomily in his heart. Then he looked up at Xiyun standing in the courtyard. A plan came to his mind. Mu Xiyun¡¯s sleeve was abruptly tugged. He looked down only to see a shivering child, grasping his sleeve and refusing to let go. Mu Xiyun squatted down and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name? Where do you live?¡± ¡°My name is Xiao Liu and I live in Yiyun Town.¡± The six-year-old replied softly, and then whispered in his ear and asked, ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t want to go to the medicine hall, can I stay together with you tonight?¡± The author has something to say: Small Theater: Author: Hey, hey, what are you doing? What are you doing tonight? What are you doing together? Gu Qingqiao: I¡¯m just six years old, can¡¯t I? Author: Huh?¡­ CH 14 After dealing with the situation, the Ping County officials took over the management of Yaxing while Su Yanjun and others returned to the post house. After the third watch of the night, everyone was exhausted and went back to their rooms to wash. Xiyun looked at the small figure in a trance. This child gave him too many accidents today and the memory of his poisoning and detoxification was still lingering in his mind. He wanted to ask the child how he did it. Mu Xiyun waved at him and led him into his room. The little child immediately took off his outer shirt and climbed the bed as soon as he entered the room, tucked his tiny body under the quilt, only showing a pair of big eyes, smilingly watching Xiyun as he took off his own crown and his outer robe. ¡°Xiao Liu,¡± Xiyun said hesitantly, ¡°When I was poisoned today, did you detoxify me with your blood?¡± Gu Qingqiao was shocked. At that time, as the arrows were approaching, and thinking of being unable to protect Mu Xiyun, in a desperate situation, any method as long as it¡¯s effective, he would do it. As for how to smoothen things out after and avoid suspicion, he had no time to think about that. Now that he heard him ask about it, he had no choice but to talk nonsense. So he explained, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It was my father who said that when I was bitten by a poisonous snake and was about to die, I met an immortal grandfather who gave me a pill. From then on, I was no longer afraid of snake venom. I think that maybe my blood can also detoxify you, so I gave it a try¡­¡± The voice became lower and lower, Gu Qingqiao pretended to yawn, turned over and pretended to fall asleep. This explanation made Mu Xiyun speechless and he didn¡¯t really know how to evaluate Xiao Liu. However, it seemed that the little child had fallen asleep and asking anything appeared impossible. He had no choice but to go to bed and lie down beside the child. Gu Qingqiao leaned sideways and listened to Mu Xiyun¡¯s breathing getting longer behind him, then quietly turned around and looked at his quiet sleeping face. Mu Xiyun¡¯s sleeping face looked peaceful, with long curled eyelashes, and lips slightly parted. Looking at his face, he couldn¡¯t help recalling the twelve-year-old boy he saw on the night of the Autumn Lantern Festival. That night on the bridge, while he was waiting for someone, he saw the child with the rabbit lantern at a glance. Although standing with a group of senior brothers, his alienation and loneliness could be easily noticed. There was a deep isolation on that small face. For some reason, Gu Qingqiao¡¯s heartstrings were tugged hard, and he wanted to go up and hug him impulsively, thinking of ways he could possibly make the child smile and feel warm¡­ Gu Qingqiao stared at Mu Xiyun¡¯s sleeping face, pondering to himself that he could just about spend the whole night without sleep and just stare at him. A small spark ignited within his heart, but soon became ablaze and engulfed it entirely. He imagined himself reaching out and hugging the person in front of him¡­ His breathing gradually became shorter and shorter, and the fiery longing was churning inside, as if it was about to overflow, but he didn¡¯t dare to move, thinking, as long as he got to look at him, it was enough. However, resisting but still unable to hold back, Gu Qingqiao finally stretched out his hand, which was a child¡¯s small hand, he carefully touched Xiyun¡¯s face and bitter tears eventually poured out from the child¡¯s eyes. Early the next morning, when Mu Xiyun woke up, he found that Xiao Liu had rolled into his arms at some point, and his breathing was quiet and long. One or two buttons of his inner robe were opened, and the little boy¡¯s fleshy face was pressed against his chest, sleeping soundly. The soft flesh against his skin made his body tingled and made his heart feel like it was scratched by something. He sat up quietly and carefully, tucked the quilt for Xiao Liu, and after a little wash, he went out. Xiyun meditated and practiced in the courtyard. Yesterday¡¯s battle caused the spiritual energy in his sea of consciousness to rush through the meridians. The blockages in the past few days seem to have melted a little, and the flow of spiritual energy today also feels smoother than usual. Mu Xiyun felt delighted. After some time, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth suddenly came and rushed towards his body. When Su Yanjun stepped into the courtyard, he immediately felt this unusual flow of spiritual energy. He took a step back and stood guard at the courtyard gate. After an indefinite amount of time, Xiyun suddenly felt a movement in his sea of consciousness, and with a clear roar, he rose into the sky, bringing with him a storm. Because Chi Xia broke and was unusable, what he was holding at the moment was an ordinary long sword Gu Mingshun gave him last night. As he rose, the sword also swept out an awe-inspiring sword qi. Su Yanjun shouted good, raised his sword and stepped forward. The ¡°Gentleman¡± sword was gentle and breezy and forcibly contained Xiyun¡¯s strong outburst so as not to affect the area. Mu Xiyun¡¯s figure was agile. His sword movements were like twisting dragons and winding snakes. The sword he was holding shone a blinding light, a burst of sword qi was released but was blocked by Su Yanjun¡¯s constraint. His sword qi was clear and sharp but was forcibly held down by the other until it slowly deformed. It became light and flexible until it gradually sank and disappeared. By the time it was already dusk, the sword light completely dissipated. Su Yanjun laughed and said, ¡°Congratulations, junior brother, you¡¯ve made a breakthrough again!¡± Afterwards, the group rode their horses back to Yiyun Town, and Gu Mingshun took Xiao Liu back to the Yamen with him. Gu Qingqiao secretly sent a voice transmission through a paper crane to Zhang Jinjin, and after a while, the middle-aged man came and led him out. In a room located at the backyard of a painting and calligraphy shop across Fu street, Zhang Jinjin looked at the child in front of him with a suppressed smile. With the crackling sound of bones, hands and feet gradually stretched out, and in a blink of an eye, the six-year-old child turned into a young man in his twenties. Gu Qingqiao was covered in cold sweat. When he needed to fight the night before, he couldn¡¯t because the effect was still there. Yet, just this morning, he suddenly felt a surge in his body. He pressed to maintain his child form so as to not suddenly transform as a young man in front of the Yamen officials. Looking at Zhang Jinjin, who was gloating at his misfortune, Gu Qingqiao deeply doubted the reputation of this profiteer. Because Zhang Jinjin still had to manage the business in the painting and calligraphy shop, Gu Qingqiao changed his clothes and walked to Moyun Medicine Hall alone. Walking down the street, he heard the sound of children¡¯s laughter. He spotted a young boy holding a toy crossbow in his hand, simulating the sound of an arrow with a ¡°swoosh¡± in his mouth and chased a group of children across the street. When the small crossbow entered his field of vision, Gu Qingqiao suddenly recalled the scene that night: arrows flew fast in the sky, and Mu Xiyun, who was isolated and helpless, held him in his arms without hesitation, and blocked all the incoming arrows with his body. ¡°Fool¡­¡± Gu Qingqiao murmured, but he was truly afraid at that time. If Su Yanjun hadn¡¯t arrived in time, if Liang Zheng hadn¡¯t had time to set up a protective barrier, what would have happened to Mu Xiyun? The picture of falling to the ground on the eve of fifty years ago slowly flashed through his mind, and Gu Qingqiao¡¯s heart clenched fiercely. Walking into the front hall of the medicine hall to the guest room at the back absentmindedly, Gu Qingqiao sighed and was about to pour a cup of tea for himself placed on the table, when suddenly his eyes narrowed as he detected someone behind him! The teacup in his hand was thrown out fast, and the person who came in moved quickly. The teacup flew out of the door and smashed into the ground with a ¡°pa¡±. A long sword was already placed on his shoulder. Gu Qingqiao turned his head, his heart skipped a beat when he saw that the other person was Mu Xiyun looking at him with cold eyes. ¡°You¡­¡± Mu Xiyun suddenly became hoarse, stared at his face for a while, and the disappointment on his face disappeared for a moment. Immediately he calmed down and asked, ¡°Who are you? What was your purpose at the Shantang that night?¡± Hearing this, Gu Qingqiao was stunned, and then he recalled the conversation with Zhang Jinjin at the inn that night after returning from Shantang. That night. Gu Qingqiao held a masked cloth in his hand, holding a half-torn sleeve, and asked leisurely, ¡°Profiteer, are you up for a business in medicinal materials?¡± Zhang Jinjin asked without raising his head, ¡°What¡¯s the benefit?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡­.. I am just in the mood to do so.¡± Zhang Jinjin finally raised his head and gave him a deep look. ¡°It¡¯s for that little immortal.¡± Gu Qingqiao didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Okay¡± Zhang Jinjin dragged his tone, ¡°It can be regarded as an expression of my sincerity. After all, I still have a request for you, so it can be considered as an investment now. But¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you not thinking of changing your face? The little stories on the street say that you are the enemy and a murderer. In case of a head-on encounter,¡± Zhang Jinjin glanced at the piece of cloth in Gu Qingqiao¡¯s hand, ¡°You can¡¯t always cover your face, can you?¡± It was a rare time that Gu Qingqiao felt that the profiteer in front of him was indeed a little clever. Although there were countless elixirs in the world that could temporarily change the face, Gu Qingqiao still used another method. The one that he¡¯s familiar with. Southwest Medical Valley was good at witchcraft, and using a Gu worm was not a problem. One could easily change the shape of the eyebrows or the length of the jaw, making Gu Qingqiao a completely different person. When he came back to his senses, Gu Qingqiao smiled lightly, ¡°I said, I¡¯m not an enemy.¡± The sound of the teacup shattering attracted Liang Zheng, and when he saw what the commotion was about, he hurriedly rushed to them and said, ¡°Junior brother, wait a minute, this is the medicine dealer with whom I do business with.¡± Xiyun still held the long sword around Gu Qingqiao¡¯s neck, but he relaxed his hand and said coldly, ¡°I met this person in the burnt down Shantang a few nights ago, and his behavior was suspicious.¡± Gu Qingqiao immediately cried out in grievance, ¡°What does the Immortal gentleman mean? If you were allowed to break into the Shantang that night, couldn¡¯t I too?¡± Mu Xiyun choked, but there was no way to refute what the other said. Gu Qingqiao stretched out his hand and slowly pushed the sword away, and said with a smile. ¡°I am Gu Xiaobo.¡± As soon as the name came out, Gu Qingqiao immediately felt a scorching stare at him, but he did not dare to look up, and continued, ¡°Although my cousin and I are just a traveling businessman, we worshiped in the name of Daoist Baishi when we were young. When I was still a child, I came to Yiyun Town with my master, and he and an old man in Shantang used to be fellow villagers. I wanted to visit my Master¡¯s old friend, but I didn¡¯t expect the Shantang to suffer a disaster, so I checked on my own initiative.¡± ¡°Shantang?¡± Liang Zheng was puzzled, ¡°Could it be related to the child abduction case?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not completely certain.¡± Gu Qingqiao answered with a solemn face, ¡°The accident had happened too long ago to be re-examined, but the cause of death of the four children was suspicious, and the gatekeeper Zhang San is likely involved in the accident and might as well be in the case of the abduction too.¡± Originally, Zhang San¡¯s crime of kidnapping and selling children had been confirmed, but because of the disappearance of ¡°Xiao Liu¡±, it cannot be proven true. After he finished speaking, he looked at Xiyun again. Mu Xiyun had already retracted his sword and sheathed it, but he continued to stare at Gu Qingqiao¡¯s face without saying a word, as if he was a little lost. ¡°Junior brother?¡± Liang Zheng gently nudged Xiyun. Mu Xiyun came back to his senses. At this moment, there were multitudes of questions in his heart, but he didn¡¯t know how to say it out loud. In the end, he just cupped his hands and said, ¡°I was too impulsive and misunderstood this gentleman. I¡¯m sorry.¡± After speaking, he looked away, turned and walked out of the guest room. Gu Qingqiao looked at his back, not knowing why, but he felt a little disappointed. CH 15 The child abduction case and trafficking came to an end. Liang Zheng told Gu Mingshun what Gu Qingqiao suspected. After the investigation, it was found out that Zhang San left Yiyun Town a few days ago and never came back. Soon after, a message was also sent from Ping County, saying that the dozen or so children had also been returned to their families. On the Moyun Mountain side, Su Yanjun and Mu Xiyun who originally set out to inspect the array a few days ago, but because they encountered an incident, it was put off. Su Yanjun could only return to Tianliangfeng on the same day to report what happened. In the afternoon of the second day, Liang Zheng was sitting in the hall when there was a sudden noise in front of the door. A carriage stopped right in front of the medicine hall. The horse¡¯s waist was fat and strong, the carriage was light, the vermilion lacquer and the gilt roof gleamed under the sun, and the windows were fitted with beaded curtains. When moving, the beads trembled and made a crisp sound. A faint aroma emanated from the carriage. Outside the carriage were four maids, eight servants, and another seemingly small servant holding miscellaneous items. They stood halfway across the street. The town of Yiyun was not poor, but it was still a small place. Such a luxurious carriage and such a display of grandeur were still rare in the town. The people who were watching immediately gathered around, guessing that maybe it was a person from a big family who was on tour or a lady from the capital who came to seek medical treatment. Liang Zheng stood at the door of the medicine hall and noticed Su Yanjun helped a woman out of the carriage. He was shocked, pondering over if Su Yanjun was already married and he didn¡¯t know. Was this him setting off with his wife? Looking closely at the woman, although the figure was well-maintained, the corners of her brows and eyes appeared to have some wrinkles. Maybe not a wife, but could be a mother perhaps. Liang Zheng and the surrounding audience all had varied expressions, yet Su Yanjun turned a blind eye to it and introduced the person with a smile, ¡°Madam, this is the renowned physician of Moyun Mountain, Master Liang.¡± Then he turned to Liang to explain, ¡°This is Madame Zhu, the mistress of the Green Willow Villa.¡± There were many people at the door, and Liang Zheng hurriedly welcomed everyone inside the hall. It turns out that today when Su Yanjun went up the mountain to explain the details of the child abduction case to the master Zheng Genran, Mrs. Zhu was also there for a visit. The disciples of a small cultivator family like Green Willow Villa were not prosperous, so they have always tried their best to flatter big sects like Moyun Mountain. Now, when Mrs. Zhu appeared in the medicine hall, the first thing she thought about was not to seek a physician, but to present a gift to Liang Zheng. Zheng Genran had always been indifferent to this, merely out of courtesy and not saying much. After Zheng Genran listened to Su Yanjun¡¯s report, he nodded and instructed a martial brother of his to send someone to clear up the matter. The inspection of the spiritual array was already delayed for a few days, but it must be done no matter what and sent Su Yanjun away immediately after. As he was going down the mountain, coincidentally, Madame Zhu was also, and both went down together. Madame Zhu smiled before saying a word. She first praised Su Yanjun and Liang Zheng, and then stretched out her hand to let Liang Zheng diagnose her pulse. Liang Zheng quietly diagnosed her for a while and became puzzled after. Judging from the pulse condition, Madame Zhu was not in serious condition. At most, her meridians were just slightly weakened due to old age. As long as she pays attention to maintenance, she may be healthier than most young people of ordinary families. While pondering, he heard Madame Zhu say in a low voice. ¡°Please don¡¯t blame this mistress, Immortal physician. This mistress just wants to invite you in your spare time in the evening. My family¡¯s patient¡­it¡¯s not convenient to bring him here at this time.¡± People from large families, a patient with special identity, or a person with a hidden disease that no one wants to know about, they would often use this method to quietly make an appointment with the physician. Liang Zheng immediately understood, nodded to Madame Zhu, took the pen and ink and wrote the prescription for tonifying qi and nourishing the spirit, and asked a disciple to take it for dispensing. In the evening, Madame Zhu came to the medicine hall again, with a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy behind her. Entering the medicine hall and seeing Liang Zheng, Madame Zhu pulled the boy forward without any explanation. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t do this!¡± The boy¡¯s face was full of helplessness, all he wanted to do was to quickly escape, but his sleeves were tightly held by his mother, making him unable to move. ¡°Little bastard, don¡¯t try to run.¡± Madam Zhu frowned and held onto her son tightly, then turned to Liang Zheng with a smile, ¡°Immortal Physician, please take a look at this child.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the madam¡¯s son?¡± Liang Zheng caught the boy¡¯s pulse, but there seemed to be nothing unusual. ¡°There is not!¡± The boy finally broke free from his mother¡¯s clutches and hurriedly ran to the side to sulk. Madame Zhu sighed and could only explain herself to Liang Zheng, ¡°This child has been smart since childhood, and he built a foundation at the age of fourteen, but he has never been willing to participate in Lingshan discussion. Now that he is seventeen, he is only a few years away from his coming of age. I¡¯m just afraid that he won¡¯t be on the list of Lingshan young masters.¡± Madam Zhu lowered her voice, ¡°I heard that there is a kind of elixir that lets someone pass the test if you eat it¡­¡± Liang Zheng laughed in his heart. The Lingshan¡¯s rank list of young masters was determined according to one¡¯s performance of Lingshan¡¯s theory of Taoism. The disciples of major immortal sects naturally don¡¯t care. However, the children of sects like Green Willow Valley, who might get on the list, may be appreciated by a major immortal sect in the future and may be also granted to practice in the spiritual energy gathering array. It can also be used as a bargaining chip to increase goodwill when joining a renowned sect, which made many parents to either force or encourage their children to participate. Although aptitude should be naturally determined, in fact, the major immortal sects do not care about age at all, and the number of disciples who are admitted to big sects after their coming of age were not known. Where did Madam Zhu hear such a legend, and even came up with such an idea? He answered her seriously, ¡°Lingshan¡¯s discussion of the Dao is a test for immortals, where can we intervene? I can understand your feelings, but such a medicinal pill is nonexistent. I don¡¯t know where you heard such a rumor.¡± Whether it was an illusion or not, Liang Zheng felt that the child breathed a sigh of relief. Madam Zhu was greatly disappointed and left dejected along with her child. Early the next morning, Su Yanjun and his party set out on the road. Although it was said that a person who cultivates can ride the sword, after all, it takes up spiritual energy, and experiencing people¡¯s livelihood along the way was also beneficial and harmless to the practice. Therefore, if it was not a particularly urgent matter, cultivators usually choose the mundane way of traveling. Therefore, Su Yanjun and Xiyun rode on horseback and started their journey to the South. Not long after they rode out of Yiyun Town, a sound of horse hooves catching up was heard from the rear. It was the young man brought by Mrs. Zhu last night, along with a little servant. The young man was actually handsome, wearing a vermillion robe and a jade belt. He appeared not that tall on horseback, but his back was particularly straight, and he had a kind of hearty air, which was completely different from the way he was wrestling under his mother¡¯s hands the night before. With a slightly shy expression, he bowed his hands to Su Yanjun and said, ¡°I¡¯m Zhu Yicheng of the Green Willow Valley. I don¡¯t know where the Gentleman¡¯s Sword is going?¡± Su Yanjun returned the salute with a smile, ¡°My junior brother and I will inspect the spiritual array and go to Shanhai City.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just about right, I¡¯m also going to Hongye City. If you don¡¯t mind it, can I go with the two of you?¡± Going south from Yiyun Town to Shanhai City, if one would take the official road, one will pass through Hongye City on the way, therefore Su Yanjun readily agreed. Zhu Yicheng smiled smugly, and said to the little servant, ¡°Go back and tell my mother that I want to go with Immortal Master Su Yanjun, let her go back to the villa quickly.¡± He looked back at Su Yanjun and Mu Xiyun, and touched his nose embarrassedly. ¡°My mother, hehe, let the two immortal masters witness something laughable.¡± Among the three, Su Yanjun was easy-going, and Xiyun was indifferent, but Zhu Yicheng was very generous. He told the two some interesting stories about Immortals along the way, which added a lot of fun to the journey. Before entering the town the next day, the three of them decided to set camp in an open space on the side of the mountain for the night and sleep in the wilderness. Under the night sky, a rush of hooves sounded from far to near, the three of them looked at each other, secretly preparing. The visitor dismounted not far away, and one person asked from a distance, ¡°There was no inn on the way, I wonder if we can join in the fun with these gentlemen?¡± Two young people appeared from the darkness, one wore a light robe while the other wore a dark robe. They were surprisingly Zhang Jinjin and Gu Qingqingqiao. The two saluted and Zhang Jinjin said to Su Yanjun, ¡°Your Excellency is the Gentleman¡¯s sword?¡± Su Yanjun returned the salute. ¡°Exactly.¡± Zhang Jinjin: ¡°My cousin and I are traveling south and noticed that there were no inns along the way. In the wilderness, I spotted you camping here for the night and hope that we can squeeze in with you. I wonder if you guys mind?¡± Su Yanjun smiled and said, ¡°It is inevitable to take care of each other when going out, so why not. The two of you can freely join us.¡± After letting down their guard, the atmosphere became much more relaxed. Everyone took out dry food and roasted it over the fire. Gu Qingqiao glanced at Mu Xiyun, walked to him, smiled and greeted, ¡°Immortal Master Mu, we meet again!¡± Su Yanjun was surprised, ¡°Do you know each other?¡± ¡°We had some encounters back in Yiyun Town.¡± Then Mu Xiyun stood up, ¡°Senior brother, I¡¯m going to fetch water.¡± After speaking, he walked aside. There was a small stream not far from the camp. Mu Xiyun washed his face and took out the water bag he carried with him. There were light footsteps behind him but he did not look back. The visitor squatted beside him and said, ¡°Immortal Master Mu¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me Immortal Master Mu. My name is Mu Yun.¡± ¡°Twilight clouds? Sunset clouds in the sky?¡± The person beside him asked with a smile. Mu Xiyun glanced at him sideways. This question was very familiar and for some reason, Mu Xiyun suddenly blurted out an answer, ¡°No, it is ¡®big wave on the river¡¯.¡± For a while, the two remained silent, and only the gurgling sound of running water was heard, as if the Baishui River from fifty years ago was rushing forward with time. A wolf¡¯s howl came from the upstream direction of the creek and was then immediately followed by a few screams. The author has something to say: Small Theater: Author: Big Sale, Melatonin, Luck Peach K, A Beneficial Egg, Calming for the Mind Oral Liquid¡­ Mrs. Zhu: I am healthy, I am healthy City Management: Catch that stall owner!!!! CH 16 Gu Qingqiao and Mu Xiyun exchanged glances before standing up and running towards the camp. The three people around the fire also heard it, and when they saw the two hurrying over, Su Yanjun immediately said, ¡°You two go to investigate first, I will go around to the rear, it¡¯s better to go with someone. Brother Zhang and Xiao Zhu pack their bags and lead their horses to follow.¡± Several individuals nodded as they went about their own tasks. Gu Qingqiao and Mu Xiyun soared over the creek and a faint scent of blood wafted in the air as the night wind blew towards their direction. They continued sprinting for almost two miles before spotting the mountain¡¯s base in the distance. They both halted. Several dead wolves were lying on the ground and seemed to have been stabbed several times, but the fatal wound was to the head because the skulls appeared sunken. Four gray wolves roared around a camp, their front claws impatiently hitting the ground, but they seemed to be afraid. Immediately afterwards, a few people gathered near a stone wall. Although there was a bonfire, its light was faint. Under the dim light, several men with the appearance of family servants holding knives and were already covered in blood were seen as they formed a circle and defended several women inside, one of which was even holding a child. In front of them, stood a young girl. The girl was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, and she was not tall. She was dressed in a light green dress and held a moon-white silk in her hand. It was unknown what the white silk was made from but it seemed to be very tough, and it shone slightly under the girl¡¯s spiritual power. Both ends of the silk were tied with a fist-sized silver ball, which was full of delicate patterns. However, at the moment, they were covered in blood. The girl was obviously exhausted from the ongoing battle, but she still stood tall and straight as she faced the alpha wolf with her vigilant eyes. The situation was at an impasse and only an occasional growling sound could be heard. The crowd surrounded by wolves focused their attention on the alpha wolf and did not notice that the grass in the distance shook gently. It turns out that the wolves still have companies, and at this moment they have quietly filled the gap in the encirclement. Finally, the alpha wolf howled, and the three gray wolves rushed towards the girl at the same time. The girl inhaled sharply and waved the silk in her hand. The silver ball glowed a little under the moonlight and charged towards a wolf¡¯s head. One wolf leaped and was already in the air at this time, if it successfully landed on her, it would bite off her throat immediately. But suddenly, a silver light flashed, the silver ball at the end hit the wolf¡¯s eye sideways and a dent was immediately formed on its head. The wolf was thrown to one side and a servant behind the girl took advantage of it and immediately stabbed the wolf with the knife, resulting in it immediately losing its breath. At the same time, the girl¡¯s silver ball swung up and knocked down the two incoming wolves from behind, but then she heard a sudden cry not far behind her. It turned out that while she fought the three wolves, another wolf took the opportunity to attack the crowd behind her. The girl gritted her teeth and turned around to stop the wolf, but that¡¯s when the alpha wolf jumped up towards her and went straight at her back. She smelled the wolf¡¯s putrid smelling mouth and felt the humid breath to her ears. The girl shivered and hurried forward with a stiff head to only hear a sharp ¡°ping¡¯ sound in the next second. The wolf was blocked and its teeth behind her seemed to have bitten something solid. The girl continued to charge forward with another two steps, waving the silk to knock the two gray wolves out of the camp, and then looked back. She saw a young man dressed in black clothes, holding two short knives, fighting with the alpha wolf. The wolf was very strong, standing almost as high as the man, with sharp fangs and fierce eyes. The young man had a lazy smile on his face. His movements were not quick, but every move he made felt like he was weightless. It seemed that he had seen through its attacks, and inadvertently turned the attack of the alpha wolf into nothing. After several rounds, he decisively stabbed the wolf in the neck. The blood of the wolf sprayed everywhere. It whimpered unwillingly and eventually fell to the ground. The girl turned her head to look at the camp again, and two white-clothed men had already killed the wolves that came up to them. The girl in green felt relieved, and only then did she realize that she had lost all her strength, and fainted. Gu Qingqiao was the closest to her. Seeing her fall, he quickly supported her and subconsciously glanced at Mu Xiyun in the distance. With the sound of hooves, Zhu Yicheng and Zhang Jinjin rushed forward. Zhu Yicheng was stunned when he saw the girl in green, and blurted out, ¡°Miss Luo!¡± After speaking, he immediately turned over and dismounted, and helped Gu Qingqiao bring the girl to the camp. Only then did everyone in the camp came back to their senses. They thought they would die, but they were suddenly rescued. They were so excited that they were left speechless. The hands of several servants loosened, and their swords fell to the ground. The women all let out a suppressed cry. Mu Xiyun and Su Yanjun helped everyone bandage their wounds and treated two seriously injured with a healing technique. Zhang Jinjin called Gu Qingqiao for help, and disposed of the wolf corpse far away so as not to attract other beasts. Two women in the camp volunteered to wipe the face and feed the girl in green. Zhu Yicheng stood by, seeing that she was unconscious, he secretly said ¡°please excuse me for my actions¡±, and probed the girl¡¯s condition with his spiritual energy. Fortunately, the girl was not injured. She at most only lost her strength and would soon wake up after a while. At this time, everyone had been settled properly, and a woman walked out of the camp, with a seven or eight year old boy in her hand. She bowed to everyone delicately and said gratefully, ¡°This woman is a concubine of Lin family, and I live in Fangcheng. We were going to Hongye City to visit relatives, but unexpectedly encountered wolves. Many thanks to this girl and fellow heroes for saving us.¡± The Lin family was originally from Hongye City. Ten years ago, she married Lin Xuewu, the head of the Lin Family Security Bureau in Fangcheng. Half a year ago, Lin Xuewu had to escort goods to Taiyuan. He had agreed to go home for the New Year, but he had not come back for a long time, and the escorts who accompanied him also disappeared. Concubine Lin reported to the government, but learned that the escort team had not arrived at the delivery office in Taiyuan at all and feared that they had encountered an accident on the way. Concubine Lin was extremely sad, but she refused to believe that her husband was dead. She had been sending people everywhere to look for him. For several months, she had heard nothing from him. Unexpectedly, news came recently that someone saw a lunatic in Hongye City, who looked very much like Lin Xuewu, who had been detained by the Hongye City Government for hurting people on the street. When she heard the news, she hurriedly took several men to Hongye City with her. Concubine Lin originally planned to spend the night at Hongye City, but unexpectedly, the little boy was unable to bear the bumps and vomited all the way, delaying the trip. Everyone had no choice but to sleep outside. Unexpectedly, they were unlucky and encountered a wolf pack attack. However, when Miss Lou, who also traveled to Hongye City alone, saw the injustice, came forward to help kill the wolf. Then Mu Xiyun and his party arrived. Zhu Yicheng¡¯s eyes toward the girl became more sincere and warm. The girl in green had already recovered at this time, and saluted everyone. ¡°Luo Qingyao from Baihua Valley. I greet all the immortal masters.¡± She looked up at Gu Qingqiao, as if she had something to say, hesitated for a moment and then said softly, ¡°Many thanks to this young master, if it wasn¡¯t for your timely rescue, Qingyao would have been buried in the mouth of the wolf at this moment.¡± ¡°Miss Luo disregards the danger of her life and saves people in danger. I really admire her!¡± Gu Qingqing said seriously. Zhu Yicheng couldn¡¯t hold back at this moment, he waved at Luo Qingyao and asked, ¡°Miss Luo, do you still remember me?¡± Luo Qingyao took a closer look at Zhu Yicheng, and then smiled. ¡°It turned out to be Young Master Zhu, thank you for your help.¡± ¡°Where did I help..¡± Zhu Yicheng was at a loss for a while, he wanted to say something, but he didn¡¯t know what to say and his face immediately flushed red. Seeing him like this, everyone was secretly amused, and the previous tragic and tense atmosphere was immediately diluted. ¡°There are still two or three hours before dawn, everyone, hurry up and take a rest,¡± Su Yanjun suggested. ¡°It¡¯s not safe in the mountains, let¡¯s set off at dawn. I¡¯ll keep watch tonight.¡± All the women including the servants had been terrified by the unfortunate encounter and were very exhausted. After hearing the words, and thanking them one by one, they were ready to go to sleep. Luo Qingyao went to rest with the women in the camp. The little boy of the Lin family who was frightened, still cried non-stop no matter how much he was being persuaded. ¡°Hey, little boy, look at what this is?¡± Zhang Jinjin beckoned the boy in front of him, put his hand into his sleeve pocket, and pulled out a kitten. At a glance, Mu Xiyun saw that it was the cat that he met in Shantang that day. Children were naturally fond of small animals. Holding the kitten¡¯s warm body, he gradually stopped crying, but he seemed to be still a little scared, so he squeezed in front of the fire and stared at Su Yanjun and Lin Xiyun with wide eyes. Zhu Yicheng didn¡¯t do much in the battle. At the moment, he was no longer sleepy. When he looked back and saw that Luo Qingyao had fallen asleep, he took out a booklet from his sleeve, lit a fire, and looked at it very seriously. Zhang Jinjin stepped forward and glanced. ¡°Ah? Lingshan Taoism Discourse War Preparation?¡± Unexpectedly, there was still someone who knew about the book, and Zhu Yicheng¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes, yes, it is Lingshan¡¯s latest guide book of this year, including all the Lingshan successful participants that have successfully reached the top for the past three years, as well as an exclusive summary of the Lingshan chief.¡± Zhang Jinjin waved his hand. ¡°Lingshan¡¯s illusion is changeable, and the illusion changes with people. What¡¯s the use of seeing successful examples? When you go in, the illusion has already changed. It¡¯s better to look at the failed cases and summarize the reason for those failures.¡± Looking at Zhu Yicheng with a sluggish face, he added casually. ¡°The chief of Lingshan, wasn¡¯t he nabbed by the Golden Pavilion two years ago?¡± Zhu Yicheng was immediately dumbfounded. ¡°Immortal master, Immortal master,¡± the Lin family¡¯s child called while pulling Su Yanjun¡¯s sleeve, and asked, ¡°are they talking about Lingshan?¡± Su Yanjun raised his hand and scratched the kitten¡¯s forehead lightly, then laughed softly, ¡°Yes, what they are talking about is the Lingshan Lun Dao.¡± ¡°What is Lingshan Lun Dao?¡± ¡°Lingshan is not far from here, just beside Hongye City.¡± Su Yanjun¡¯s voice was as cool as a jade, and it was very pleasant. People who hadn¡¯t slept in front of the fire were attracted to him and listened to his explanation quietly. ¡°It is said that Nie Wuya, the first ancestor of the Nie family in Lingshan, was only a blacksmith in Hongye City in his early years, specializing in weapons, but he entered the Dao in the process of forging iron day after day, and finally cultivated and ascended. Before his ascension, he made a lot of spiritual weapons. I don¡¯t know what fortuitous encounter he had, but he actually mastered the method of forging celestial weapons. The weapon forged by him would be connected to its master¡¯s soul, and can be upgraded along with the cultivator¡¯s realm.¡± ¡°Before Nie Wuya¡¯s ascension, he lamented that no one could inherit his skills, so he set up a formation in the mountain where he was casting swords every day, and recruited immortal disciples above the foundation realm to participate in the trial. The immortals would enter the mountain and compete with each other. The winner had to pass the test of the Lingshan array. If you can get its approval, you can get a celestial weapon at the Immortal Lake on the top of the mountain. ¡° This was a story that had been widely circulated in the Immortal World, and many children have grown up listening to it. ¡°What kind of treasure is Brother Zhu¡¯s book?¡± Su Yanjun was an upright person, he didn¡¯t care about what circulated in the markets. In addition, it was seven or eight years ago that he participated in Lingshan Taoism Discourse. He didn¡¯t understand the so-called ¡°Lingshan preparation for war¡± which only emerged in recent years, and he didn¡¯t know how to explain it. ¡°Little goblin, that¡¯s not a treasure.¡± Zhang Jinjin smiled and said. ¡°It¡¯s just a few stories in Lingshan, which are fun to read. If you want to know, when you get to Hongye City, ask your mother to buy a copy for you.¡± When the kid heard that it wasn¡¯t a treasure and he could buy it everywhere, he immediately lost interest, made a big yawn, and soon went to sleep. Gu Qingqiao sat beside Mu Xiyun and said softly. ¡°You can sleep for a while, and I will help your senior brother watch for the night.¡± Mu Xiyun didn¡¯t speak but he made a gesture to Su Yanjun. The two men stood on one side of the camp and meditated silently. Gu Qingqiao watched as Mu Xiyun walked away. He raised his head and inadvertently met Zhang Jinjinye¡¯s teasing eyes. He was not annoyed. He picked a place where he could see Mu Xiyun and lay down to rest. The author has something to say: Small Theater: Gu Qingqiao: Ah Yun ignored me, so sad. Author: Who made you change your face? Gu Qingqiao: You say, who was it, hmm? Author:¡­ I have something to do, I¡¯ll leave first. CH 17 Probably because the fight was too loud that it scared away the nearby beasts, the group got to sleep peacefully in the second half of the night. As soon as dawn broke, the group packed up and got ready to go. It was dark yesterday night, therefore when the women saw the bloodstains next to the camp the next morning, they couldn¡¯t help but feel scared again. If help hadn¡¯t arrived on time that night, they would¡¯ve probably fallen into the belly of the wolves long ago. They couldn¡¯t help but feel even more grateful to the girl. Luo Qingyao recovered quite quickly. She got up to the stream early in the morning to wash her face and neatly packed her luggage. She drove her horse near Gu Qingqiao and said in a low voice, ¡°Thank you so much for your help last night. I wonder if this gentleman could tell me his name?¡± Gu Qingqiao replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Gu Xiaobo. What happened last night, no matter who took action, Miss Luo doesn¡¯t need to care too much.¡± Luo Qingyao¡¯s eyes fell on his face, and for some reason, she became a little dazed. Gu Qingqiao felt strange in his heart, but the other party was a girl and he couldn¡¯t just outright ignore her. However, he didn¡¯t want to get involved with her anymore. It happened that Zhu Yicheng caught up and shouted happily. ¡°Miss Luo!¡± Gu Qingqiao quickly gave up his position and slapped his horse to catch up with Mu Xiyun. ¡°Junior Brother Mu, didn¡¯t you sleep well last night? Here, this will freshen you up!¡± After speaking, he reached out his palm. In the palm of his hand was a small open paper bag, and a few crimson sour fructose were exposed inside. ¡°Ah Yun, wake up, your master told you to go!¡± In his memory, a voice whispered in his ear. It was so annoying. Who dragged him to catch the fox demon in the afternoon and didn¡¯t return to the mountain until midnight?, feeling lethargic at being called up again just after lying down on the bed. That¡¯s what Mu Xiyun felt at the moment. While being immersed in his memory, something touched his lips, and then a small lump was stuffed into his mouth. Before he could react, an extremely sour taste rushed to his head, which made him wake up immediately. Mu Xiyun raised his head to look at Gu Xiaobo. The earnest smile on his face was exactly the same as the one who woke him up that day. After a while, Mu Xiyun withdrew his gaze, and slightly urged his horse to the front of the team. Gu Qingqiao shrugged, having lost the person he wanted to feed the sugars to. After rushing for another two days, they finally arrived at Hongye City in the afternoon of the third day. Clear stream flows from the top of the green mountain. The empty water was clear and bright in autumn. Thirty miles separated from the red dust, two white clouds and red leaves. (Note: The verse is from Zhu Xi¡¯s ¡°Autumn Moon¡±) Lingshan opens every three years, and every time it opens, countless people flock from all over the Central Plains. Many big and small traders took advantage of the crowd to do business. The originally small wrought iron town, has now developed into a big city. The opening time of this year was approaching, and Hongye City was obviously bustling. Residents in the city were also used to this triennial change and automatically became shop owners. All the houses facing the street had stalls set up. In addition to weapons forged at ordinary times, they also sold various books, spiritual tools, clothes, shoes and hats, and even sculpted edible foods. There were a variety of goods everywhere. On the street, there were young masters in brocade clothes and swords, beautiful women with spirit beasts, as well as Hu merchants from the western regions and the Eastern Sea Spirit Clan. All kinds of hawkers yelling in the bustling street was endless. Among all these, the most conspicuous was the three-story building. The building was painted red, with flying eaves and bucket arched glazed tiles, and on the plaque at the main entrance, the three characters ¡°Golden Pavilion¡± were shining brightly. On the white stone steps, several guys were shouting vigorously. ¡°Golden Pavilion¡¯s special edition, the latest Lingshan guide, including the interviews of the top three mountain climbers, points out the latest direction of the trial!¡± ¡°Pre trial service, specialized soul array experts, one-to-one design trial simulation, so that you can earn enough experience before the formal trial!¡± ¡°Immortal medicine spirit tool. It can replenish physical strength and spiritual power after going up the mountain. It is very useful for the trial!¡± After saying goodbye to several benefactors, Concubine Lin and her party returned to the Lin family. The family had already cleared the relationship between them and the so-called lunatic and was already given permission to visit the prison Su Yanjun and he should have continued south, but it was almost evening. If they continued on the way, they feared they would have to sleep in the wilderness again, therefore they decided to spend the night in the city. Unexpectedly, after asking some few inns, all were full, and there were no vacancies. Zhu Yicheng naturally wanted to show off in front of a beauty, and was about to spend a lot of money to open a few upper rooms, when Zhang Jinjin smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone, every time Lingshan opens, Hongye City is like this. I run a post house in the west of the city. Why don¡¯t we all go there to rest?¡± Most of the Central Plains post houses were set up by the government. They were used for the transmission of battle reports and official documents between the governments of various states. Most of them had rooms and small courtyards. If there was a lot of local correspondence, especially in towns where cultivators were stationed or where grand gatherings were often held, private post houses would be set up for local civilians. Seeing that it was getting dark and there was nowhere to stay in the city, everyone readily agreed. Zhang Jinjin walked with a few people to the west of the city, and from a distance, they could see a red lantern hanging under the wall beside the road, illuminating the street. The door of the post house was not wide, and the style was ordinary. After entering the door was a two-story bungalow, which was no different from a post house in other places. Zhang Jinjin led the crowd through the bungalow and out through a door in a corner. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Behind the post house was a manor with pavilions, carved beams and painted buildings, and a small lake. The lakeside veranda twists and turns, and then widens into a pavilion at intervals. During the day, one can enjoy the scenery. At night, one could slowly wind up, listen to music and meet with friends. Now it was naturally full of people, and almost every pavilion had a party going on. On the other side of the veranda was a stretch of pine forest. When the breeze blew, it brought along a burst of fragrance. Zhu Yicheng smiled and said, ¡°Brother Zhang¡¯s business is very interesting!¡± ¡°Where is it interesting,¡± Zhang Jinjin said with a smile. ¡°Every three years is such a lively period of time. Usually, I can only rent it out to local wealthy households to entertain customers, enough to provide food and clothing.¡± Zhang Jinjin led everyone into a small courtyard. There was a Begonia tree planted in it and its flowers were gorgeous like a red cloud. The courtyard was close to the lake but far from the veranda, so it was very quiet and elegant. Zhang Jinjin greeted everyone and said, ¡°I have already ordered the kitchen, where do you plan to eat?¡± Although children of martial artists don¡¯t care about trifles, there were all men in this small courtyard except for Lou Qingyao and it was inconvenient for her to stay. Therefore, Zhang Jinjin arranged for her to go to the small courtyard next door, which housed immortal maidens from Meishan. Zhu Yicheng loved to be lively and went to the hall, whereas Su Yanjun and Mu Xiyun ate on the stone table under the tree. Dinner was over in a moment. A servant took the empty plates and brought a pot of tea. Su Yanjun took a sip of tea, looked at Mu Xiyun, and said, ¡°Has Junior Brother Mu ever planned on participating Lingshan¡¯s Taoism discourse?¡± Of course, he had participated more than fifty years ago. At that time, sixteen-year-old Mu Xiyun was in high spirits, and he had already taken half a step to forming his golden core. He and several brothers from Tianliang Peak participated in the Lingshan Taoism discourse. After successfully climbing to the top, he obtained a celestial sword named ¡°Daoxin¡±. Daoxin accompanied him for the next nearly ten years. After waking up, he also tried to summon this sword, but it was not successful. He shook his head at Su Yanjun. Su Yanjun was a little surprised. Although this junior brother was young, he had already established his realm. It stands to reason that he should be sent to Lingshan this year instead of inspecting the spiritual array. How would Su Yanjun know that Mo Zhiqi had always regarded Mu Xiyun as a senior martial brother and had never thought about Lingshan¡¯s Taoism discourse. Su Yanjun, who couldn¡¯t help but love talents, said softly. ¡°The session will be open in two days, why don¡¯t you rest here for a few days and participate in the trial!¡± ¡°Is that alright?¡± Mu Xiyun was a little surprised, after all they still had a task to do. ¡°No harm,¡± Su Yanjun said. ¡°Tomorrow, I will rush to Shanhai City. In addition to inspecting the formation, I will also practice cultivation. If the locals need help, it will take time to deal with it. The trial will only last three or five days, there¡¯s still time. Although the ranking list is limited, master does not force the disciples to obtain it, and the disciples of Moyun Mountain usually don¡¯t care about ranking circulating in the market. However, the Lingshan law is special, and it tests the mind and skill of the participants, which is very beneficial to cultivation. It is rare to have such a chance. Junior Brother, you might as well give it a try.¡± Mu Xiyun was very grateful, but before he could convey his thanks, Zhu Yicheng rushed in like a gust of wind. ¡°Brother Su, Brother Mu,¡± he panted, ¡°someone is visiting.¡± Before he finished speaking, there was a burst of hearty laughter from outside the small courtyard. ¡°The Gentleman¡¯s Sword, hope you¡¯ve been well.¡± One person stepped into the courtyard accompanied by Zhang Jinjin. The appearance of the person was probably over fifty, but an immortal cultivator would look younger compared to their actual age. This person should probably be far more than fifty years old. He was dressed in a light gray robe with red edges, covered with a dark gauze coat, square faced, thick eyebrows, and a healthy body. He was the head of the Lingshan Nie family, Nie Yuanshan. Nie Yuanshan was followed by a young man, the same red-edged gray robe, slender, with bright eyes, but like Zhang Jinjin, he also looked like a rich family brother. Su Yanjun and Mu Xiyun hurriedly got up to salute the visitors. After a while of greeting, Nie Yuanshan said, ¡°The Lingshan family has been in Hongye City for more than 200 years, and the people of Hongye City are as close as fish and water, just like your Moyun Mountain and Yiyun Town. Some time ago, the Hongye Yamen came to report that there was a lunatic in the town, and it was verified that it was Lin Xuewu, the head of the escort of Fangfe Town. I also learned this afternoon that you rescued the mother and son of the Lin family on the way, so you must already know about the situation. ¡° ¡°Senior came in person, is it because Senior is suspicious of Lin Xuewu¡¯s situation?¡± Su Yanjun pondered. ¡°I came in person because I wanted to meet the two immortal disciples of Moyun Mountain.¡± Nie Yuanshan said with a smile. ¡°But Lin Xuewu¡¯s situation is really not right. This old man has no knowledge and has no clue. Lingshan is about to open, and things would be a bit busy, so I want to ask the two masters from Mo Yunshan to help me tomorrow. I already know about the kidnapping and trafficking case you dealt with a few days ago. There are so many talents in Moyun mountain now. If you go and have a look, maybe you will find something the Hongye Yamen haven¡¯t.¡± Mu Xiyun¡¯s heart moved, and secretly said that the news traveled to the Nie family very fast. Lingshan and Moyun Mountain had always been friends. Su Yanjun had no objection to this arrangement and agreed on the spot. Nie Yuanshan also introduced the young man who came with him. This man¡¯s name was Nie Yao, and he would be the leader of the Nie family¡¯s next generation. In recent years, Nie Yuanshan had gradually become lazy with the affairs. Except for some important affairs that need to be handled personally, the usual ones were handed over to Nie Yao. After the business was finished, Nie Yuanshan got up and said, ¡°Young people are busy having fun together, I won¡¯t stay long and spoil your fun! I¡¯ll return now.¡± After speaking, he walked towards the courtyard door with a smile. At the entrance of the courtyard, Gu Qingqiao was coming in and encountered Nie Yuanshan coming out. Nie Yuanshan let out an ¡°ah¡± and glanced at Gu Qingqiao again. Seeing the latter¡¯s confused look, he smiled and said, ¡°This little brother¡¯s physique and temperament are quite similar to an old friend of mine.¡± Gu Qingqiao lowered his head, secretly smiled and said, ¡°To tell you the truth, this is the first time I¡¯ve been to Hongye City. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve identified the wrong person.¡± ¡°Alas, I¡¯m really old and my eyes are bad.¡± Nie Yuanshan continued on his way with a hearty smile. Gu Qingqiao walked into the courtyard and saw everyone sitting around the stone table. He didn¡¯t join in on the fun, but leaned on the trunk of the Begonia tree and watched everyone talk. Zhu Yicheng had already started to chirp, ¡°Brother Nie, the journey to victory before the celestial formation was based on personal strength. But Lingshan only provides a few spiritual weapons every three years, and most people have difficulty passing the formation. You are from Lingshan and have probably seen many people successfully reach the top, do you have any secrets to success?¡± Nie Yao glanced at him with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± Unexpectedly, the other party refused so bluntly, Zhu Yicheng sighed, but he didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Then can you tell me what is the Lingshan Celestial Formation?¡± Nie Yao did not answer immediately, but faced in a different direction. The folding fan he was holding turned a half circle. The handle of the fan pointed at Zhang Jinjin and he said, ¡°This is a gift from me, and it is not to be passed on.¡± Zhang Jinjin sighed. ¡°Everyone says I¡¯m a profiteer. Compared with you, I¡¯m as innocent as a baby.¡± After speaking, the innocent baby waved his hand and walked out of the courtyard. The crowd held back their laughter and watched him leave. Nie Yao then arched his hands to Su Yanjun and said, ¡°What does the Gentleman¡¯s Sword think of the trial array left by the ancestors of the Nie family?¡± Su Yanjun answered with a smile, ¡°Is this a test for me?¡± Zhu Yicheng¡¯s eager eyes shot at him immediately, and he had no choice but to answer. ¡°The major schools recruit disciples. The roots and bones are the second, but the minds are the first. In my opinion, the Lingshan test is also to test one¡¯s mind.¡± ¡°Well said, direct and on point. Definitely worthy of being named the Gentleman¡¯s Sword.¡± and he added, ¡°Although our ancestor was a blacksmith, he did not read any books when he was a child, but he experienced peace, famine and prosperity in his life, and deeply felt that human nature is unpredictable. What the Nie family makes is a weapon, and if it falls into the hands of a pure-hearted person, it will save the world. But if it falls into the hands of the wrong person, it is an accomplice for disaster. Therefore, Lingshan Taoism discourse is all about the nature of mind. ¡° ¡°Nature of the mind?¡± Zhu Yicheng, as if realizing something, said excitedly, ¡°Then in the trial, as long as you work hard in the direction of being kind and good to others, isn¡¯t it enough?¡± Nie Yao and Su Yanjun looked at each other and smiled. He took out another folding fan and tapped Zhu Yicheng¡¯s wrist with it. ¡°How can it be that simple? You think that after entering the array, there will be old people everywhere waiting for you to help them up the mountain?¡± Zhu Yicheng was stunned, and everyone laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hint,¡± Nie Yao stood up, ¡°the trial will not let you make judgments easily. ¡° After he finished speaking, he turned to Su Yanjun and Mu Xiyun, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow morning to go to the government office. Have a good rest today.¡± He patted Zhu Yicheng on the shoulder again, nodded to Gu Qingqiao, and walked out of the small courtyard. The author has something to say: Small theater: Gu Qingqiao: Why are there so few weapons in Lingshan, but I did get one in my last life right? Author: Because you have the aura of the protagonist! Gu Qingqiao: What about the Zhang family? Author: Guess? CH 18 In the early morning of the next day, Mu Xiyun woke up to the faint sound of the lake water lapping on the shore. In the breeze, a few pink begonia petals floated into the half-opened window and landed on the table in front. Mu Xiyun picked up a petal, and inadvertently saw a person leaning sideways under the begonia tree outside the window. It was the young man who called himself Gu Xiaobo. He didn¡¯t know how long he stood there, but several petals had fallen on his head and shoulders. His face was slightly raised and the halo of the rising sun shrouded it. His eyes were slightly closed, and the corners of his mouth were slightly hooked, as if reminiscing something good. Although that face was ordinary, it became brilliant and bright because of that gentle smile. At the entrance of the small courtyard, Luo Qingyao gently pushed the door open, and what she saw when she raised her eyes was this smiling face. She couldn¡¯t help blushing, and said softly, ¡°Can I ask the young master to step outside with me for a moment?¡± Gu Qingqiao seemed to have woken up from a dream, and his smile was immediately lost. He glanced at the window inadvertently and saw Mu Xiyun who happened to turn around and leave from the window. He couldn¡¯t help but froze. Although he was annoyed in his heart, he had no choice but to follow Luo Qingyao out of the small courtyard, came to the lake, and stood one step away from her. The breeze blew the girl¡¯s forehead. Luo Qingyao hesitated for a while before asking, ¡°Is the young master from the desert? If it was the Gu Qingqiao before the disguise, the outline of the appearance was more three-dimensional than the average Central Plain person, the bridge of the nose was higher, and the eye sockets were deeper. Now that the disguise had been planted, the appearance had already been revised to an ordinary Central Plain person, and no longer have the characteristics of the western regions. Could it be that this little girl knows something? Gu Qingqiao secretly became on guard against her and asked, ¡°Why did Miss Luo say this?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m looking for someone who is very important to me, and the only clue is a portrait.¡± ¡°Let me guess, that portrait is from the desert, why do you think I¡¯m from the desert? Do I look a lot like the person in the portrait?¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± Luo Qingyao looked at his face again, lowered her head and whispered, ¡°Mingyue Sword Technique.¡± The rising sun illuminated the distant green hills golden, just like the golden sand dunes in the desert. There seemed to be camel bells ringing in his ears, and a group of teenagers waving their knives in the sea of sand. That was the memory of Gu Qingqiao more than 60 years ago. But now standing by the lake was Gu Xiabo, Zhang Jinjin¡¯s cousin. No matter what this girl was looking for, now was not the time to revisit the past. It was not a surprise if she could easily guess his sword technique. Gu Qingqingqiao breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and took two steps, stopped and said, ¡°The Mingyue Sword Technique created by the Mingyue Desert Immortal, was originally for the people of the desert to defend against the western demon clan, and was widely spread in the western desert regions. My swordsmanship was learned from a martial artist that also taught other children other martial arts. He probably thought that I was more suitable practicing this technique, so he supervised me to practice for a few years. Sorry, but I can¡¯t help you much. ¡° ¡°I see.¡± Luo Qingyao said in a low voice. The two were speechless for a while, and the atmosphere was very awkward. Gu Qingqiao was only thinking about Mu Xiyun and didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. Just when he was about to say goodbye or something, Luo Qingyao spoke first, ¡°Such an encounter is out of luck, I was also curious for a moment, you don¡¯t need to care about it. I¡¯ve been giving you trouble these days!¡± He didn¡¯t expect such a little girl to be so open-minded and transparent. Gu Qingqiao glanced back at her with a little surprise, then waved his hand and walked back towards the small courtyard. Nie Yao came to the small courtyard while he was talking with Lou Qingyao. In such a short time, the small courtyard became empty and only the begonia tree was still swaying gently in the wind. Gu Qingqiao rubbed his forehead with a wry smile, and quickly went to the front hall to find Zhang Jinjin. Hongye City Yamen. Nie Yao took Su Yanjun and Mu Xiyun to sit in the side hall as Lin Xuewu was brought out by several officers. Unexpectedly, Lin Xuewu was very calm. Lin¡¯s family had been taking care of him. At this moment, he was neatly dressed, his face was clean, his hair was neatly combed, and there was nothing wrong with his behavior. If it weren¡¯t for the chains on his hands and feet, he would be more respectable than any ordinary person on the street. Nie Yao had participated in the interrogation before, but he was afraid that his opinion would affect their judgment, so he asked Lin Xuewu to recount his own experience again. It was actually very simple. Lin Xuewu set out for Taiyuan half a year ago, but he didn¡¯t reach his destination at all. The night before arriving in Taiyuan City, the escort team spent the night in a small inn. Lin Xuewu had two drinks at dinner and went back to his room to rest early. He had no memory of what happened after that. When he woke up, it was already half a year later, when he arrived at Hongye City, his hair was disheveled and his body was stained like that of a beggar. A few gangsters on the street saw that a piece of jade pendant on his waist was valuable, and they became eager to snatch it. Unexpectedly, Lin Xuewu was a martial artist, and several gangsters were injured in the fight. Yamen officers immediately came upon hearing the news and fought against Lin Xuewu fiercely, injuring several of them and sending Lin Xuewu to prison. Lin Xuewu had been in a daze for a few days, but he slowly came to his senses. But he couldn¡¯t remember the experience from when he was in the small inn until the time he came to Hongye City. ¡°Hongye City Government Office also contacted Taiyuan Prefecture, and sent someone to check the inn.¡± Nei Yao added, ¡°The inn has been empty, but there is no trace of a fight, and the goods escorted are still in the room. The Yamen and the owner of the goods have settled the accounts. Nothing was lost, but those were still valuable products that should¡¯ve been sold a year ago. Although there were many treasures of high value, there was nothing special.¡± ¡°It sounds like ¡®soul capture¡¯,¡± Su Yanjun pondered. ¡°But the soul of the victim should be damaged, and likely impossible to restore to normal. Brother Mu, what do you think?¡± Mu Xiyun frowned and shook his head. He had no way of knowing what happened to Lin Xuewu, but this memory loss made him secretly startled. While thinking about it, he suddenly heard a choking sound. That¡¯s the sound a person makes because of throat spasm when they¡¯re particularly frightened or distressed. Lin Xuewu clutched his heart with his hands and fell to the ground. Mu Xiyun raised his head, only to see his face becoming pale and was sweating profusely. Mu Xiyun took two steps forward to support Lin Xuewu, but found that a cyan totem suddenly appeared on his skin. That totem was like a living creature, spreading like branches and leaves from the neck to the face quickly. Lin Xuewu suddenly widened his eyes and suddenly stepped away from Mu Xiyun¡¯s reach, broke free from the chains and waved it to attack him. He was caught off guard and it was too late to draw the sword. Instead of retreating, he advanced, ducked and avoided Lin Xuewu¡¯s raised arm. At the entrance of the side hall, Gu Qingqiao and Zhang Jinjin rushed in. When Gu Qingqiao found out that Mu Xiyun was already gone when he came back to the small courtyard, he went to find Zhang Jinjin. But he didn¡¯t expect that the Young Master Zhang was busy with business, and it took nearly half an hour before they got out. The two rushed to Hongye Yamen in a hurry. The totem on Lin Xuewu¡¯s face was extremely hideous, making his face look like an evil demon. Gu Qingqiao stopped abruptly and looked at the totem in disbelief. The chain that Lin Xuewu was waving was in front of him, but he didn¡¯t move and stayed rooted on the spot. Zhang Jinjin pulled him from behind, and Su Yanjun had already come forward at this time, pulling Lin Xuewu¡¯s arm to the side, and several officers rushed up and pinned Lin Xuewu to the floor. When Gu Qingqiao came back to his senses, he forced himself to bow his hands to the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was scared for a moment.¡± After speaking, ignoring the doubtful eyes casted by Mu Xiyun, he retreated to the wall and remained silent. The totem on Lin Xuewu¡¯s body had receded, and at this moment, his whole body was curled up and was shivering. After this scene, although everyone was full of doubts, they knew that nothing would come out of the trial. Nie Yao ordered the officers to take Lin Xuewu back to the prison and put him under strict supervision, and returned to the small courtyard of the post house with everyone. Although they¡¯ve discovered something, but everyone can¡¯t think of why the totem on Lin Xuewu¡¯s body suddenly appeared, and why he suddenly burst out and hurt people, they only agreed that the totem was the key. Mu Xiyun was the closest to Lin Xuewu that time, and he drew a few copies of the totem on paper based on his impression. Nie Yao took a copy and took it back to Lingshan. Su Yanjun entrusted Zhang Jinjin¡¯s post house to send a copy to Moyun Mountain to ask the leader and several elders to help. After that, he set off for Shanhai City according to the original plan. Sitting alone in the room, recalling Lin Xuewu¡¯s changes and the hideous totem, he always had a strange feeling in his heart. He seemed to have seen this totem somewhere, but he could only remember it vaguely. Unknowingly, it was already time to light the lamp. Mu Xiyun simply lay down and decided to take a nap, but the terrifying totem kept flashing before his eyes, causing him to feel uneasy. Half-dream and half-awake, a face suddenly appeared in Mu Xiyun¡¯s mind, and the pattern that flashed on his face completely overlapped with the totem on Lin Xuewu¡¯s face today. Mu Yun suddenly sat up from the bed, it was¡ª ¡°It¡¯s Li Yao.¡± Gu Qingqiao whispered to Zhang Jinjin. The two of them were wearing dark clothes at the moment, lying on the roof of the Hongye Yamen house, waiting for the time of the shifting of prison guards. ¡°That totem, I have seen it on Li Yao¡¯s face.¡± Gu Qingqiao continued in a low voice, ¡°On the night he¡­.on the night he died.¡± ¡°You really killed Li Yao?¡± Zhang Jinjin asked in surprise. ¡°You could say it was something like that.¡± Gu Qingqiao looked bleak. ¡°What do you mean? Killing is killing, not killing is not killing,¡± Zhang Jinjin felt that this person must be stupid. ¡°Look at how deeply you are in love with that little immortal, don¡¯t you think there is a misunderstanding between the two of you that needs to be solved? I didn¡¯t really expect the legends on the streets to be true!¡± Gu Qingqiao¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, there is nothing between me and him, he is a disciple from a decent immortal family¡­¡± Halfway through his sentence, there was movement below, and several officers took advantage of the shift and chatted together in the yard. The two crept close and like a puff of black smoke, slipped inside quietly. Hongye City was adjacent to Lingshan Mountain, therefore the security was good. As they passed through rows of cells, none had any prisoners inside. Lin Xuewu was kept in the innermost room. The two swept past like a gust of wind, and saw him still curled up on the bunk. Zhang Jinjin waved his hand and added a simple barrier outside the prison door, so that people outside could not see or hear what was happening inside the prison for the time being. When Gu Qingqiao approached Lin Xuewu, he saw that he shrank deeper, his breath shortened, and he looked in pain. Before long, the totem gradually appeared on his face. ¡°Strange,¡± Zhang Jinjin said, ¡°how do you feel that because of you he suddenly turned berserk and attacked people?¡± Thinking about what occurred during the day, Lin Xuewu really behaved fine, and it was not until the two of them came to the side hall of the Yamen office that the totem appeared. Could it be? Gu Qingqiao suddenly had an idea. He took out a dagger, lightly cut Lin Xuewu¡¯s wrist, and also made a small cut on his finger. He pinched his finger to bleed a drop of blood onto Lin Xuewu¡¯s wrist while also probing Lin Xuewu¡¯s body with his spiritual energy. Probably because it had already happened once today, this time Lin Xuewu only struggled for a while and immediately became powerless. Gu Qingqiao keenly felt that the drop of blood traveled through Lin Xuewu¡¯s veins and his spiritual energy through his meridians, and when it reached the heart, it was blocked. Gu Qingqiao let out a surprise sound, opened the front of Lin Xuewu¡¯s shirt, stared at the position of his heart. He decided to increase the input of spiritual energy and erased the trace of his blood in Lin Xuewu¡¯s body. The skin at Lin Xuewu¡¯s heart suddenly moved, as if some living thing was wriggling inside. Gu Qingqiao raised his hand and tapped a few acupoints in his chest, took out a porcelain bottle from the Qiankun pouch, and poured some powder on his skin. The living creature under the skin became restless, writhing like crazy. ¡°Quick, cut it open with a knife!¡± Gu Qingqiao ordered. Zhang Jinjin was stunned and blurted out, ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± ¡°Then you catch it?¡± Gu Qingqiao gave him a sidelong glance. Zhang Jinjin touched his nose, accepted his fate and resignedly pulled out his dagger. He carefully cut the skin of Lin Xuewu¡¯s chest and a fat worm emerged from the wound. ¡°Gu worm?¡± Zhang Jinjin took a step back in disgust. ¡°En.¡± Gu Qingqiao stretched out his hand fast, and before the bug could react, he firmly caught it. But he did not stop there, he took out another medicine and sprinkled it lightly on the Gu worm. When Zhang Jinjin saw him like this, he knew that things were not so simple. Sure enough, not long after, from Lin Xuewu¡¯s wounds, crawled out of more than a dozen of tiny Gu worms, which were all caught by Gu Qingqiao. After waiting for a while, after confirming that there were no more worms, Gu Qingqiao took out an empty porcelain bottle from inside his shirt and put the fat worm in it. ¡°How did you know it was a Gu worm?¡± ¡°You said it just now.¡± Gu Qingqiao glanced at him, ¡°You said that it was because I was near that it caused him to attack.¡± ¡°Is it because you studied in the Southwest Valley?¡± Zhang Jinjin asked curiously. ¡°There are many poisonous insects in the Southwest Valley, and all the disciples would decisively refine them to cure the sick.¡± Gu Qingqiao explained, ¡°But it did not became agitated because of this.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gu Qingqiao¡¯s eyes flashed gloomily. ¡°It¡¯s because of my blood.¡± Lin Xuewu¡¯s breathing had calmed down. Gu Qingqiao didn¡¯t want to say more, and simply applied some medicine on the wound, straightened his clothes, and stood up. The two packed up their things, removed the barrier, and quietly slipped out of the prison. The author has something to say: Small theater: Gu Qingqiao: Ah Yun, Miss Luo came to see me on a business matter! It¡¯s not what you think! Author: Bwahaha, be careful, the more you try to explain, the darker you get! Gu Qingqiao: please help me explain it! Author: Okay, I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go. Ah? anyone here? Ask yourself for more blessings! CH 19 The moment Mu Xiyun remembered Li Yao, he couldn¡¯t sleep anymore and decided to sit under the begonia tree in the courtyard. The moonlight bathed him under its glow, just like that night. That year, Li Yao brought the disciples of Tianliang Peak to Linmo Abyss. The battle was imminent, but this carefree master did not feel any nervousness at all, and even had the leisure to make fun of his little disciple. Why did the Master laugh at that time? Mu Xiyun closed his eyes and tried to recall. Yes, in the assembly that day, he saw the disciples of the Southwest Medical Valley, and kept looking for Gu Qingqiao in the crowd, which made him not hear the Master¡¯s question. Later, after Master went out for two days, he helped him organize his belongings when he came back, but found that Master¡¯s blue dragon pendant was nowhere to be seen. Although Li Yao said that it didn¡¯t matter, Mu Xiyun still persevered thinking he might find it by luck. That night, he searched carefully everywhere to no avail. When he looked up, he inadvertently looked outside the window and saw the master sitting by the table. He looked like he was suppressing something, and a blue totem flashed on his face. It was too fast, and it made him wonder if saw it wrong. When he looked more closely, Li Yao had returned to normal. What happened to you, Master? The courtyard door swung softly, and Gu Qingqiao and Zhang Jinjin swept in. Unexpectedly, they spotted Mu Xiyun in the courtyard, and both of them were stunned. They were forced to stay rooted in place. An awkward atmosphere spread in the small courtyard. Gu Qingqiao opened his mouth and thought to just say a bunch of reasons like stealing things, drinking flowers and wine, listening to storytelling and a lot of messed up answers, yet in the end, he eventually chose to tell the truth. ¡°Gu worms?¡± Mu Xiyun was startled, a bold and unbelievable thought suddenly flashed in his mind, and for a while, he felt like a knife twisted in his heart, and his face quickly turned pale. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Gu Qingqiao was shocked and immediately grabbed his hand. His palm was cold and covered with a thin layer of sweat. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Mu Xiyun reluctantly withdrew his thoughts and said casually, ¡°I am a little afraid of bugs since I was a child.¡± Although it was a little girly to tell that he was afraid of bugs, the Central Plains people had always thought that the Gu Art was vicious and mysterious, and it was not easy to avoid Gu worms and treat Gu witchcraft. Therefore, it was normal for some to overreact. Gu Qingqiao hesitated at first but eventually took out the porcelain bottle. He put it on the stone table, but did not open it. The moonlight shone on it and the porcelain vase seemed to emit a cold chill . ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Qingqiao continued, ¡°Lin Xuewu is no different from an ordinary person when he is sober, but I can¡¯t say the same when he goes insane. It should be a manifestation of his mind and spirit being controlled. When I probed him using my spiritual energy just now, I focused on the condition of his heart and brain. Fortunately, I happened to detect the Gu worm.¡± Mu Xiyun looked at Gu Qingqiao, and there seemed to be doubts in his eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the people from Lingshan detect it before?¡± Gu Qingqiao felt nervous. One must know that Gu worms are usually dormant unless the caster decides to act. The Gu worms in Lin Xuewu¡¯s body were connected to his heart and blood and it was hard to detect a Gu worm when one is sober. Today, Lin Xuewu had two attacks, both when Gu Qingqiao was near. When it sensed the threat, naturally, it would become irritable and uneasy. Furthermore, Gu Qingqiao probed it with his blood, revealing its exact location. If he says all this, his identity as a disciple of the Southwest Witch Medical Valley would be inevitably exposed. I don¡¯t know how he will react. He could finally be able to sit together with him like friends, Gu Qingqiao doesn¡¯t want to take risks. So he grimaced and simply answered with a smile. ¡°Must be my lucky day. I just so happened to discover it on him that time. As for who was controlling him and for what purpose, we need more clues.¡± Mu Xiyun seemed to be persuaded, and nodded lightly. Gu Qingqiao breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Cousin, I want to participate in the Lingshan discourse with Mu Yun and to also obtain a celestial weapon.¡± Zhang Jinjin, the cheap cousin, had a toothache for a while, and quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you two go together and take care of each other.¡± Without waiting for Mu Xiyun¡¯s reaction, he immediately put on airs that of an older brother and pushed the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, go to bed, prepare for tomorrow, and leave early the next morning.¡± When it came to preparation, Gu Qingqiao didn¡¯t care, he might just as well meditate in his room, but Zhang Jinjin sent some healing medicine pills in case he needed it from time to time. Gu Qingqiao went out all day the next day, and only returned to the small courtyard in the evening looking excited. Both Zhu Yicheng and Mu Xiyun were still in the courtyard at this time, and were about to go to the hall to have dinner when Gu Qingqiao came in with a box in his hand. Zhu Yicheng¡¯s eyes lit up, he rushed over to him and smiled. ¡°I say, why did you stay in the Qianjin Pavilion for so long? Did you really buy something good?¡± The Qianjin Pavilion of Hongye City, a side branch of the Nie family in Lingshan, inherited the secret method of forging iron from the Nie family, specializing in the creation of various weapons. It was famous in the human world and even in the immortal world. Zhu Yicheng opened the box, and inside was a long sword. The style was ordinary but the sword¡¯s edge was excellent, and the blade was flexible. It could be regarded as the best work of Qianjin Pavilion. ¡°Oh, I thought it was some kind of divine weapon! The sword is not bad, but it¡¯s not of the highest quality.¡± After blurting out, Zhu Yicheng closed his mouth immediately, feeling uneasy in hindsight. Gu Qingqiao didn¡¯t care, he took out the sword and handed it to Mu Xiyun. ¡°Your Chixia was broken in Ping County. I went to Qianjin Pavilion today and saw this sword and felt that it is suitable for you to use. It¡¯s not of good quality, but it is stronger than what you¡¯re using now.¡± Before Mu Xiyun could decline, he continued, ¡°You will definitely be able to get your destined celestial weapon when you go up the mountain, but the trial is dangerous after all, so don¡¯t be careless. If you really don¡¯t want it, just take it as you are borrowing it from me, and when you finally get a good sword, you can return it to me later.¡± Having heard that, Mu Xiyun didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse. He took the sword and touched the hilt with his fingers, and surprisingly felt a very familiar feeling. The pattern on the handle, the length of the sword and even the weight of the sword were like the Daoxin sword of the previous life. Mu Xiyun raised his eyes to look at Gu Qingqiao, as if he wanted to see through this person¡¯s soul through his eyes. Zhu Yicheng saw that the two fell into silence again, and was about to speak, but Gu Qingqiao spoke first and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, let¡¯s go eat.¡± The three walked towards the hall together, passing by the small courtyard of the immortal maidens from Meishan, Zhu Yicheng poked his head and glanced at the window, Gu Qingqiao pulled his back collar and smirked. ¡°Looking for your Miss Luo again? Say, what¡¯s the relationship between you two?¡± Zhu Yicheng was startled, his face flushed red, however, he was bright and straightforward. He didn¡¯t hesitate and answered generously. ¡°Three years ago, My mother sent me to participate in the Lingshan discourse. That¡¯s when I met Miss Luo.¡± Mrs. Zhu was right, Zhu Yicheng indeed had good roots. He inevitably became the pride of his parents to show off since he was a child. Most of Green Willow Villa¡¯s disciples only had average aptitude, and mostly were only in the middle stage of core formation, and so far there was no breakthrough. That¡¯s why Zhu Yicheng¡¯s parents put all their hopes on their son. Two years ago, Mrs. Zhu¡¯s close friend Mrs. Luo from Baihua Valley wrote a letter saying that her son Luo Ziqi was going to participate in the Lingshan discourse. Zhu Yicheng hesitated in his heart. He had just established his foundation and his realm had not yet been consolidated. When he met Mrs. Luo and her party, he saw Luo Qingyao. Luo Qingyao was about thirteen years old at that time, but she already had a slender figure and a picturesque appearance. She was the concubine¡¯s daughter of the Luo family, and this time she just came along to gain experience. She stood inconspicuous among the sons and daughters of the Luo family. For some reason, it made the young man¡¯s heart burn. At that time, Zhu Yicheng asked about her secretly and found out that Luo Qingyao was only at the stage of Qi refining and she planned to come to Lingshan three years later. Zhu Yicheng also wanted to only go there three years later to be with her. He acted shamelessly to his mother, and finally persuaded her to postpone it to three years later. ¡°Speaking of it, why do you have to be with her? Is there anything particular about it?¡± Gu Qingqiao was puzzled. The three had already arrived at the door at this time, and before Zhu Yicheng could answer, there was a sudden commotion in the hall. The hall was already full of people, and everyone stretched their necks to look at the wooden platform at the front. This platform was usually used for storytelling, but now there was Zhang Jinjin standing on the platform, speaking to the crowd. ¡°Thank you for taking care of the Golden Pavilion. Hongye City¡¯s Golden Pavilion has always been committed to helping everyone win in Lingshan Taoism discourse. Everyone here has purchased the guidance books produced by Golden Pavilion. Today, we specially invited the Lingshan Nie family¡¯s Elder to answer the questions of everyone.¡± After speaking, the forty-year-old Nie family elder stood on the wooden platform. Zhang Jinjin waved his hand, and about a dozen young men dressed in the same sky blue robes, holding jade slips, immediately dispersed into the crowd. Someone in the audience immediately asked, ¡°Senior, why do the experiences of some old participants often contradict each other? Some say they were together with a group but wound up alone upon entering and some say that although you might be with someone you know, who knows if that someone was truly the person you know ¡± Near him, a servant from the Golden Pavilion faithfully recorded. The Nie family replied with a smile, ¡°The Lingshan Illusion is different from the general magic circle. After entering the mountain, everyone faces different situations. Let¡¯s put it this way, the person who entered the illusion with you may be himself, or it may be the entities generated in the illusion or even your own demons. You can¡¯t judge this. So I advise everyone to be firm in your belief, mind and heart so as not to be easily fooled and to be tenacious.¡± Everyone in the audience was stunned. Then someone asked, ¡°I have heard people say that someone has completed his own trials but stayed in the mountains for two more days. Why¡¯s that?¡± The middle-aged man on stage said with a smile, ¡°Someone may have passed the trial, but someone else¡¯s trial needs the other person¡¯s presence to complete his own. Therefore the magic circle will temporarily keep him until they meet so that the other person can complete his. Of course, the magic circle will ensure his safety.¡± Hearing this, Zhu Yicheng¡¯s face showed excitement, he pulled Mu Xiyun and Gu Qingqiao and whispered, ¡°Do you know? In the past, an immortal disciple named Cheng from Moming Lake, was injured in the trial, and everyone around her was disappearing out of thin air. It should be considered as the end of the trial for her, but she stayed in the magic circle for another day until a senior brother from Qingcheng Mountain rescued her. ¡° Having said that, he stopped for a while. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit baffling,¡± Gu Qingqiao raised his eyebrows. ¡°Then?¡± Zhu Yicheng squinted at him. ¡°And then of course the two fell in love because of this, and became a Daoist couple!¡± Gu Qingqiao couldn¡¯t help laughing, and patted Zhu Yicheng¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Turns out that was the reason why you wanted to participate together with Miss Lou!¡± Being seen through, Zhu Yicheng was not annoyed. He just blinked, feeling pleased that his conspiracy had succeeded. Mu Xiyun shook his head with a smile, but suddenly remembered that when he participated in the Lingshan discourse in his past life, he had also met a person. A person that somehow had become the pain in his heart forever. As Gu Qingqiao sat at the table, he noticed the brilliance in Mu Xiyun¡¯s eyes dimmed, and he couldn¡¯t help clenching his fists. The exchange between the audience and the Elder continued, until the discussion went to nonessential details. After a while, Zhang Jinjin announced that it was over, and sent Elder Nie away. The young people in the hall were still excited and chatted while eating. Mu Xiyun didn¡¯t like the noise, therefore after eating silently, he excused himself, got up and left. Gu Qingqiao got up also and chased after him. The gentle evening wind carried the noise into the distance, and the two walked on the path along the lake without speaking. The lake water gently slapped the shore, and in the shallow splashes of water, only the footsteps of the two of them could be heard on the stone slabs. Mu Xiyun stopped. The lights in the distance could not illuminate Gu Qingqiao¡¯s face and somehow he reminded him of the teenager of that year. For some reason, this person always made him recall his distant memories of him. ¡°I have a friend,¡± Mu Xiyun said in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°I trust him very much, but he has hurt my dearest person. If you were me, what would you do?¡± Gu Qingqiao¡¯s heart immediately sank, thousands of words came to his mind but he could not speak. He tried his best to suppress the tone of voice and asked, ¡°Do you still believe him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.¡± Mu Xiyun looked at the lake and replied in a voice so low that it was almost inaudible, ¡°Does it matter whether I believe him or not? Things have already happened and cannot be changed. ¡° Perhaps the sadness in the words was too obvious, Gu Qingqiao¡¯s heart ignited a fire. For a time, he gave up his usual probing and cautious nature, pulled Mu Xiyun¡¯s shoulder, forced him to face himself, and said word by word, ¡°If you are really friends, then your opinion is the most important thing to that person.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Mu Xiyun looked back at him in a trance, and his eyes seemed to gradually recover their usual light. ¡°I just want to know what happened back then.¡± ¡°Then we will find out!¡± He stared at Mu Xiyun¡¯s eyes, ¡°Even if it¡¯s not for him, then it¡¯s for yourself!¡± The word ¡°we¡± gave Mu Xiyun a slight start, and subconsciously wanted to refuse, but there was a longing in his heart, which was the warmth he had experienced more than fifty years ago. Even if I¡¯m like an ostrich, who temporarily buries its head in the sand, I still want to feel the warmth and be reluctant to leave it. The night wind blew, and whisked the two people¡¯s robes upward until both gently touched together in the air. The moonlight illuminated the white-robed Immortal eyebrows, and his crow-like eyelashes cast a long shadow on his face. At this moment, the entanglement and hesitation of the past few days seemed to be washed away by the moonlight, and Mu Xiyun raised his face with a smile. ¡°En. ¡° CH 20 On the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, the day where it was advisable to travel, seek wealth, set up a bed, get married, and worship a teacher, the Lingshan mountain opened. The entire Hongye City was boiling. The young cultivators walked out of the inn and post houses, and gradually gathered into a stream of people and rushed to the west of the city. Some people walked alone, some with company, what¡¯s more, some were with their parents and servants following behind. Outside the west city gate, the Nie family in Lingshan had already prepared a short-distance flying boat. The Nie family¡¯s disciples in red and gray robes performed their respective duties and led the people to board the boat in an orderly manner. Short distance flying boats have simple functions and no complicated structure, just like ordinary river boats. It¡¯s just that if it¡¯s an immortal family¡¯s artifact, even if there was nothing special in its shape, it will definitely pursue appropriate improvements in function. Therefore, even if the boat looked small on the outside, it was very spacious on the inside. There was an inner cabin in the middle and front part, and there was a circle of soft chairs along the side of the ship for rest, and the seats can be retracted. It was also very convenient to look out by the railing. The stern was wide and there were several large tables with small colored dots. There were also groups of low tables and low chairs scattered about. Most of the parents and elders who sent off their children entered the inner cabin to rest, while most young people chose to feel the wind outside the cabin. Many people participated in Lingshan discourse for the first time, and they couldn¡¯t restrain the excitement on their faces. The flying boat shook gently and slowly rose to the sky. The last time Zhu Yicheng came, he was held by his mother all the way and couldn¡¯t free himself. This time he was finally left alone, just like a wild horse running amok on the flying boat. He looked around in the crowd, but unfortunately Luo Qingyao was dragged to chat by the immortal maidens of Meishan, and he was unable to get close to talk to her, so he had no choice but to walk to the direction of Mu Xiyun and Gu Qingqiao. A person on the side of the ship suddenly turned around and squatted down quickly, startling Zhu Yicheng. It was a chubby young man, he was wearing a green robe that was bulging, his hands were slightly trembling, his knees were curled up, his head was bent deeply, as if he wanted to form himself into a ball. A man who looked like a gentleman said from the side. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of such a height? In the future, you will also fly up using your sword. How can you be afraid of heights?¡± But the young man still did not move. He became so angry that he blew his beard and glared at him. After a while of trying to no avail, he stamped his foot and went inside the inner cabin. At the stern of the boat, Mu Xiyun leaned against the fence, and quietly watched everything underfoot gradually dwindle. Someone came to the side and blocked the cold wind from the high altitude. Gu Qingqiao smiled and handed over two pieces of snacks. ¡°Lotus cake, eat it quickly while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Mu Xiyun couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Last night, the knot in his heart was untied, and this person immediately got a bargain and started to show off his cleverness. In the morning, he ran over to help out carelessly. He took his Qiankun pouch and put things in it, and didn¡¯t stop until he almost missed breakfast. Now, he was worried that he didn¡¯t eat well and brought some food and came to offer food like presenting a treasure to an emperor. Mu Xiyun gave one to Zhu Yicheng. When Young Master Zhu saw the cake was exquisitely made, he ran to Luo Qingyao again. The sun was suddenly blocked, and people discovered that the flying boat had begun to descend slowly behind a mountain. Below, was a huge square. Looking down from the flying boat, the square was like a huge chessboard, divided into squares by walnut-colored slim blocks. After the flight landed on the ground, people discovered that these ¡°blocks¡± were actually carts selling goods. The carts were of the same size and had roofs. They were neatly arranged in the square, and cloth banners printed with the characters of Golden Pavilion were dangling on the roofs. Next to the entrance on the left, there were all kinds of medicine pills, weapons, Qiankun pouches, water pouches¡­all the items that can be used in the mountain. On the right side next to the exit, was a large area with soft chairs, where the accompanying family and servants could rest. On the other hand, there were also carts selling purified water, elixir, fans, storybooks, and even handkerchiefs and flowers. Several tents were placed aside, and inside sat the Nie family¡¯s medical practitioners. Zhu Yicheng patted Gu Qingqiao and sighed. ¡°Your cousin is really amazing!¡± Gu Qingqiao looked at the surroundings with a wry smile, but his heart slowly became vigilant. Zhang Jinjin¡¯s cultivation was not low and he was rich enough to rival the country. What was there in himself that was worthy of his risky investment? The disciples of the Nie family, who were wearing red-edged gray robes, came over and gave each person who would enter the mountain a jade plaque. The jade plaque was engraved with a teleportation circle. If one wanted to withdraw halfway after entering the mountain, one only had to inject spiritual energy into it and it would automatically send the person to the exit of the back mountain. The staff of Golden Pavilion presented a piece of jade slip, saying that the jade slip would automatically record the challenger¡¯s encounters in the mountain and display the ranking. If they were willing to sell the experiences recorded in them to the Golden Pavilion, they could exchange the jade slips for silver after going down. If there was no such intention, only the ranking will be recorded and the jade slips will be emptied in every aspect. Although it was a competition for victory, it was not worthwhile to make enemies in the mountain, therefore the participants usually don¡¯t make a ruthless attack and cause serious injury or death. The Lingshan Formation was gentle, only focusing on the practitioner¡¯s heart rather than physical attacks, and the mortality rate of participants has not been high over the years. Therefore the participants were basically relaxed, and the square was full of laughter and excitement. As the auspicious time arrived, Lingshan finally opened. A gentle vibration swept across the square, and the spiritual energy in the air suddenly moved. The cultivators present felt their skin go numb. Then, white mist filled the air, the several hills at the entrance and exit disappeared out of thin air, and a sinister looking peak appeared half-covered with the slowly drifting fog. The people in the square went quiet, then came Nie Yuanshan¡¯s voice, amplified by his spiritual energy, reached everyone¡¯s ears, ¡°The Lingshan Mountain has opened, please proceed to enter now.¡± The crowd began to walk towards the entrance, leaving behind a crowd of people waving their hands at them. Gu Qingqiao took Mu Xiyun¡¯s Qiankun pouch and checked it three times with his divine sense before returning it to him while also reminding him anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself when you enter the mountain, don¡¯t put yourself in danger for others, don¡¯t be stingy in using pills in case of injury¡­¡± Mu Xiyun didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. According to his cold personality, he would immediately ignore the other and walk away, but now, as he heard the other party¡¯s nagging instructions, he felt a little warmth in his heart. He adjusted his steps as followed him slowly and answered obediently. ¡°En.¡± At the entrance, Zhu Yicheng rushed over, pulled the two of them, and made sure to walk with them, yet his eyes were staring straight at Luo Qingyao walking in front of them. Gu Qingqiao smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s useless, in order to prevent a fight as soon as you enter the mountain, everyone would be teleported to a different place after entering the mountain. Didn¡¯t elder Nie say that in the hall that day?¡± Zhu Yicheng still insisted. ¡°Sincerity of the heart leads to spirituality. Maybe the immortals can understand my intentions and give me a surprise during the trial!¡± (t/n Sincerity of the heart leads to spirituality-idiom, it means to be single-minded with one¡¯s heart and respectful in doing things, and then one can obtain efficaciousness. It is just like the righteousness, sincerity, and knowledge in the Book of Rites. As long as you are sincere, you will be able to achieve efficacies; as long as you have a firm belief and a correct attitude, your wishes will be realized.) While talking and laughing, the three entered Lingshan. The entrance was shrouded in mist. At the moment he stepped into the mist, Mu Xiyun immediately felt the clear resistance, as if he was passing through a wall of water. Everyone who entered the mountain struggled under this pressure. This was Lingshan¡¯s judgment on the basic cultivation of every person entering the mountain. The icy mist tried to penetrate the body one by one, and Mu Xiyun hurriedly used his spiritual energy to resist. When he made a breakthrough at the Ping County last time, his golden core had already been formed, and the bottom line of Lingshan¡¯s discussion of Taoism was to only accept practitioners who already built a foundation, so for him, it was easy to force out the invading mist. There was a muffled groan from a little far away, probably because someone was pushed out of the barrier due to an unstable realm. Mu Xiyun continued to move forward, and after half a stick of incense, the pressure suddenly lightened, and he had passed through the barrier. The laughter of the two friends was still ringing in his ears, but at this moment he was all alone. He stopped involuntarily and looked back at the fog in front of him. After a stick of incense, the boundary of the thick fog rolled from top to bottom and a layer of white light rolled over. The barrier was closed. There was no one else on this road. He felt a little regret in his heart. Mu Xiyun smiled lightly. As expected, he was very reluctant to be apart from the recently obtained warmth. Turning around, the fog dissipated, and the colors suddenly became brighter. In front of him was a forest path. The mountain road wound up, and there were Sycamore covered pavilions on the side of the road. The sun shone through the leaves and sprinkled tiny shining dots on the road. Breeze blew, birds sang and fragrant flowers were smelt. Mu Xiyun walked up the mountain road, thinking slowly in his heart. Since awakening, he had been immersed in a deep self-doubt. Fifty years have passed by, and it was enough for people to experience the absurdity that while things stayed the same, the people were not. Even the familiar Moyun Mountain had changed in the past fifty years. What was the meaning of returning to this world? Mu Xiyun in his previous life firmly believed that it was his life¡¯s mission to be a powerful immortal and save the world, but after experiencing a life-and-death catastrophe, he faintly felt that there were more important things that he had neglected. There were a few little squirrels jumping up and down the tree just now, but suddenly their movement ceased. Mu Xiyun became vigilant, he secretly scanned the area with his divine sense to investigate. Two people, one in the late stage of foundation building, hid behind the big tree in front to the right, however, he was unable to directly judge the cultivation base of its companion. A masked figure clothed in red suddenly jumped out from behind the tree and started to say, ¡°I opened this mountain¡­ah!¡± Mu Xiyun¡¯s sword had been unsheathed, and the person with the sword came like a bolt of lightning, intending to hit the masked man with a single blow, restrain the said stranger, and then concentrate on guarding against the other person in the forest. The masked man exclaimed but the astonishing pressure of Mu Xiyun was approaching him. The masked man could hardly even lift his arm. With the long sword on his shoulder, he had no choice but to close his eyes and shout, ¡°Immortal Mu, spare my life!¡± Mu Xiyun became puzzled, but he did not decrease his momentum and swiftly spun around behind the masked man, restrained his shoulders with one hand, pressed the long sword against the opponent¡¯s throat, and glanced cautiously at the woods. It seemed that the other was leisurely walking out from the woods and the strange thing was that the other party was not worried about being discovered. The person walked slowly and his shoulders were shaking, as if ¡­ laughing? The masked man before him spoke with difficulty, and he was careful not to stimulate the long sword beside his throat. ¡°Master Mu, Senior Brother Mu, it¡¯s me, I¡¯m Zhu Yicheng!¡± The person finally showed itself. It was Gu Qingqiao. At this moment, he stopped and leaned on a short tree. He bent over while laughing, and was unable to speak. ¡°Ah?¡± Mu Xiyunun immediately let go of Zhu Yicheng, sheathed his long sword, and looked at Gu Qingqiao. Mu Xiyun¡¯s shallow cold eyes floated in a daze for a while, and he looked stupefied at the moment, which made people feel that he was very¡­. cute. ¡°Cough, cough,¡± Zhu Yicheng blushed, not knowing whether it was because he was restrained or because he felt embarrassed, he pulled down the cloth mask and smiled bitterly, ¡°When I entered the mountain just now, I managed to get out of the barrier, but suddenly found myself falling from the sky¡­..¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Gu Qingqiao¡¯s ears were red and dared not look at Mu Xiyun again, he turned to Zhu Yicheng instead and said. ¡°I already passed the barrier when I heard him screaming and falling from a tree. ¡° Zhu Yicheng also laughed, and said proudly. ¡°What did I say before entering the mountain? Sincerity of the heart leads to spirituality. Brother Gu also said just now that I was right. That¡¯s why he said to wait here and that maybe we can see you. You really came. Lingshan really heard my prayers and let us meet in the trial.¡± Mu Xiyun turned his head and saw Gu Qingqiao¡¯s smiling eyes, and there was a faint hint of warmth when their eyes met. ¡°Yes,¡± Mu Xiyun chuckled lightly, ¡°Thank you for your prayers!¡± CH 21 Zhu Yicheng got two companions and was very excited. With each one at his side, he happily continued to walk up the mountain. The trial of Lingshan was still a long way at the top of the mountain, and the competition among Taoists had not yet begun. Now, spring was just right, it gives people a feeling of going out with friends for an outing. The three walked leisurely on the mountain road together. While Zhu Yicheng was still chatting non-stop, Gu Qingqiao suddenly noticed something and slowed down. At the same time, Mu Xiyun also noticed it and pulled Zhu Yicheng to a stop. Not far ahead, in a corner, a vague human voice was heard. The three of them restrained their breath and crept forward quietly. A fat young man was standing in the road, and in front of him stood a wild person who was waving a long knife and yelling in a vicious voice. ¡°Hey, give me your Qiankun bag!¡± He was being robbed! The fat boy took a step back, guarding the bag at his waist with both hands. His legs trembled involuntarily and said with a pale face. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The other party obviously had no plan of listening. Zhu Yicheng asked quietly, ¡°What should I do?¡± Gu Qingqiao glanced at him and smiled lazily, ¡°Whatever you want, you can do as you like.¡± The eldest young master of Green Willow Villa had been familiar with street stories since he was a child. Ever since he was young, he had always yearned to be a chivalrous man who would help people in the face of injustice. Now that the opportunity to become a chivalrous person was in front of him, how could he pass it up easily? The young master got up in a frenzy of joy and shouted excitedly in accordance with the standard routine written in the storybook. ¡°Stop!¡± This roar was really full of vigor. Although there was a slight tremor due to excessive excitement, it also completed the task perfectly. Not only was the robber stunned for a moment, he was frightened even and sat directly on the ground due to his legs going soft. However, the robber was obviously experienced. After the shock subsided, he immediately returned to his senses and pulled himself up. With a swipe, he pulled out his long knife from his waist. Mu Xiyun wanted to move forward, but was held down on his shoulder. Gu Qingqiao whispered softly to his ear, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Young Master Zhu take action along the way, don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s have a look first.¡± The voice was right next to his ear, and the breath passed by his ear hole. Mu Xiyun¡¯s whole body froze, and he only kept staring straight ahead. After a while, he felt that the hand on his shoulder was dropped casually as if nothing had happened. There, Zhu Yicheng had already rushed forward to the bandit. The robber was in the middle stage of foundation building, holding a sharp long knife that could easily reach the opponent in just a few steps. The sharp blade slashed straight at Zhu Yicheng¡¯s nose like wind and thunder. Zhu Yicheng reached into his sleeve and took out a golden-edged folding fan. When the robber saw the fan, he was overjoyed. Thinking about which young master of a rich family that overestimated his own strength. The bandit added a little bit of force and planned to split the fan in half along with him. The fat guy who rolled aside had closed his eyes. Zhu Yicheng¡¯s footsteps changed. At the moment when he was about to meet the robber in close combat, he deviated slightly to the side. This move was very subtle, and immediately swiped the direct strike of the long knife. The folding fan collided with the blade at the moment before the blade was at its highest momentum. The blade and fan were entangled with each other, and the folding fan did not resist the blade¡¯s force, but slid out obliquely. The friction between the fan¡¯s bone and the blade made a harsh sound. Zhu Yicheng was using an iron boned fan. The folding fan suddenly stabbed forward, the robber¡¯s sword was suddenly caught, and the man and the knife fell forward. Zhu Yicheng turned around in an instant, kicked him out, and the robber immediately fell to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t, stop, help!¡± The robber immediately changed his stance based on his profound understanding that a ¡°person who helps someone in distress¡± was a powerful practitioner. Only then did Mu Xiyun and Gu Qingqiao come over. When the robber saw them, he deflated all the more. The fat guy had already stood up at this time, saluted towards the three of them, and stammered. ¡°Thank you all for your help.¡± Gu Qingqiao glanced at him and was slightly surprised. This little fat guy actually already formed a golden core. How could he not beat a small fry of a middle stage of foundation building? The little fat man seemed to be aware of it, his face became even redder. He stood by with his head bowed speechless. Gu Qingqiao pulled the robber¡¯s belt, tied his hands and feet. Took the robber¡¯s knife, patted his face, and asked, ¡°Come, tell me, why did you rob this guy?¡± When the robber heard this, he almost burst into tears. ¡°How dare I? I just saw that this young brother was timid and scared him.¡± When it comes to cultivating immortality, most people think of traveling by swords and enjoying the world. But where are the many amazing talents in the world? Most practitioners even struggle hard at the threshold of foundation building and many may not be able to advance in their lives. The robber was one of them. After finally going from qi refining to foundation building, his cultivation was stuck there. Since his aptitude was not good, and he cannot enter even in the eyes of the Xianmen aristocratic family, he begins to ponder some crooked ways. He had just established his foundation three years ago and participated in the Lingshan discourse that year. However it goes without saying that he was eliminated from the competition as early as halfway up the mountain. But before going out, he unexpectedly picked up an embroidered pouch owned by some young master of an aristocratic family and it so happened to have a bottle of elixir that could improve his cultivation. Relying on these spiritual pills, he cultivated to the middle stage of foundation building. Having tasted the sweetness, an idea naturally brewed in his mind. On the flying boat just now, he saw this young man dressed in high quality materials but behaved shyly, he was sure that he was timid. That¡¯s why he regarded him as a fat sheep. It was also the bad luck of the young man. The two of them met shortly after entering the mountain, and the robber immediately became malicious. ¡°It¡¯s your bad luck to have met us.¡± Gu Qingqiao pulled him up, and in a moment he found the jade plate on him, injected a trace of spiritual power, grabbed the robber¡¯s hand and pressed it on the jade plate. There was a flash of light then the figure of the robber disappeared. Only then did Zhu Yicheng pay attention to the fat young man. After a glance, he remembered that it was the one on the flying boat who was afraid of heights. He felt amused in my heart. How could there be such a timid immortal cultivator? He asked, ¡°I don¡¯t know the name of this little brother?¡± The little fat man said quickly, ¡°My name is Qin Le, from the lineage of the original Qin family.¡± His voice became lower and lower as he spoke. All three present were startled. When it came to the Qin family in Taiyuan, everyone in the cultivation world knew them. Qin Zhishen, the ancestor of the Qin family, originally came from a Jiangnan aristocratic family, with extraordinary talent and intelligence. He had created countless arrays in his life, and was a recognized genius in the world of immortality. He was the first to seal Linmo Abyss with a barrier and save the northerners from fire and flood. At the same time, this array master took up the responsibility of guarding the formation without hesitation, and moved his family to Taiyuan. Since then, the Qin family leaders in all dynasties have scrupulously abided by their duties, braved life and death, and maintained the border near the Linmo Abyss without compensation, and become the powerful barrier for the Central Plains in the north. Fifty years ago in the Battle of Linmo Abyss, Qin Pin, the patriarch of the Qin family who died of serious injuries while repairing the barrier, should be Qin Le¡¯s grandfather. The children of the Qin family have lived in the north for many years, and most of them were cheerful and bold, and they were well-received in the cultivation world. The current head of the family was Qin Yu, the eldest son of the Qin family. This little brother, Qin Le, was not very famous. After only a moment of silence, Mu Xiyun said softly, ¡°Young Master Qin, it is dangerous to fight alone. One more person means more strength. I wonder if Young Master Qin is willing to join us?¡± He didn¡¯t mention the aide they provided him, as if it was just a friendly meeting, and only made a request for an alliance. Qin Le¡¯s heart warmed, and gratefully said. ¡°Thank you, immortal gentleman!¡± Zhu Yicheng pulled Qin Le up and introduced everyone to him. Walking on the mountain path in the dusk with Gu Qingqiao on his side, Mu Xiyun was looking at the two teenagers in front of him. The two seemed to be already very familiar with each other, and a sensation of tranquility washed over him. Maybe life should be like this, just follow your heart and watch as the world changes. It¡¯s a pity that most people were already going farther and farther on the road of pursuit, either for fame and profit, or for money and gold, or for Taoism. Few people can really calm down and look at the world. The four of them walked less than a stick of incense when another group of robbers came to their door. This time, Zhu Yicheng didn¡¯t need to say hello and rushed out, while Qin Le stood there, a little overwhelmed. Afraid that Zhu Yicheng would suffer, Mu Xiyun joined the battle in a flash. Two against eight, but it was still handled easily. Gu Qingqiao stopped a robber who rushed up, kicked him aside, turned around and patted Qin Le¡¯s shoulder, and asked with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go up and play?¡± Qin Le had a look of fear. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± Gu Qingqiao wanted to test him. He didn¡¯t say anything afterwards and turned around and joined the battle. He fought with a man in black in a cat and mouse chase, and unknowingly approached Qin Le. Qin Le shivered, took a step back, avoided the meteor hammer of the man in black in a hurry. ¡°Not bad, not bad.¡± Gu Qingqiao said with a smile. After that, he left the robber, flew away, and threw himself into the melee on the other side. The robber and Qin Le stared at each other with big eyes, and neither dared to take the first move. There was a cry of ¡° ahhh¡± ¡°uugghh¡± in the distance, and the robbers were about to lose their support. The man in black soon gritted his teeth and the meteor hammer shot out and went straight at Qin Le¡¯s face. Qin Le was so frightened that his face turned blue and his lips turned white, and unconsciously stretched out his hand to block it. No one came to help. The man in black was secretly delighted, stepped forward, prepared to restrain Qin Le when he was knocked down, and thought that maybe he could get some money out of him. Ping The meteor hammer made a crisp sound. At some point, a golden light emitted from Qin Le¡¯s left hand, and a defensive barrier half a person¡¯s height stood in front of him. The barrier had firmly blocked the heavy blow of the meteor hammer, then Qin Le stretched his right hand forward, grabbed the chain behind the hammer, turned around and shouted loudly. With the meteor hammer as the center, he directly swung it around towards the robber. Everyone: ¡°¡­¡± The battle was immediately over. The group of robbers staggered around, activated the jade plate under the watchful eyes of the four, and left Lingshan. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there would be so many robbers in Lingshan.¡± Mu Xiyun sighed. Gu Qingqiao said with a smile. ¡°The disciples of Xianmen have family sects to support them and do not worry about their livelihoods, but it is different for folk cultivators. Many people come to Lingshan, but they don¡¯t really care about the discourse. Lingshan is full of spiritual energy, and celestial herbs and beasts are everywhere. You can go out and sell them for money. As for robbery, to be honest, if you can¡¯t even win against such robbers, what qualifications do you have to climb to the top of the mountain?¡± Mu Xiyun nodded silently. The rule of Lingshan was that the strong are kings, and those who were too weak cannot be blamed onto others. Thinking of this, he turned to look at Qin Le. The little chubby still looked like he had lingering fears. Zhu Yicheng came over and shouted at him, took Qin Le¡¯s hand and said, ¡°What a powerful enchantment, hurry up, show me another one.¡± Qin Le smiled and waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not that powerful, my brother¡¯s enchantment is much more powerful than this. I, I¡¯m not good at learning¡­¡± The three smiled at him, patted him on the shoulder and continued on the road. Probably because of the rise of the Golden Pavilion in the past few years, the Lingshan guide books have spread all over the Central Plains. Not only were the experiences of successful competitors was widely known, but also the way of mining, animal hunting and herbs digging have become popular. The four of them encountered five groups of robbers along the way. In the end, even Qin Le was no longer afraid. Although he still does not take the initiative to fight, when someone picks a fight against him, he can successfully subdue the opponent. Unknowingly, the bright sky gradually turned to night. In the mountains ahead, there flickered many tiny lights. It was¡­ a village. CH 22 Although they entered Lingshan and entered a competition, the participants were reluctant to reveal their strength prematurely. The first day was just basically sweeping the weak, and driving out some unreliable cultivators and lone disciples with too weak aptitudes. Experienced competitors would find someone to form an alliance and go up the mountain together until the final trial. Therefore, there was usually not much conflict the night before, and everyone strives for time to rest. Especially for the team that formed an alliance, there was no risk at all. Therefore, when Mu Xiyun and his party saw a village, not only were they not nervous, but they felt relaxed. Who would want to sleep in the wilderness if they could spend the night in a village? However, the four of them still approached the village slowly with a little bit of vigilance. The village was not big, and there were dozens of houses scattered along a stream that flows down from the mountains. The lights were already lit in every house, and it was especially tempting for young people who were nervous when going out. In front of the door of a family, two figures, one big and one small, were standing. The older one looks about thirty years old, with an ordinary face but a gentle expression, which makes people feel good. The youngest was only about four or five years old. He was not tall, with a small round face and big watery eyes as he watched the four approaching curiously. Judging by their similar appearance, they should be father and son. Mu Xiyun stepped forward and said, ¡°This big brother, my party and I had just gone up the mountain and passed this place, I wonder if it would be convenient for us to stay overnight at your house?¡± The father returned the salute neatly, and said with a loud laugh, ¡°No problem, no problem. This child was curious and said that he wanted to come out to see the immortals, it was fate that you¡¯ve come to our place and met you.¡± After speaking, he opened the door and invited everyone in. There was no woman at home, but the inside was clean and well organized. The owner introduced himself. ¡°Zhu Li, and this child is Zhu Qi, nicknamed Hu Zi.¡± After that, he patted Hu Zi¡¯s head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s prepare some food for the immortals.¡± Hu Zi didn¡¯t see the four guests as outsiders and walked around the four of them with a smile and ignored his father¡¯s words. In the end, as if he had made up his mind, he ran to Xiyun, hugged his leg, and looked up with a big smile. Mu Xiyun was a little overwhelmed by his embrace. In his previous life, he had a cold temperament. Although he often helped orphanages and had dealings with children, the children mostly respected and feared him, therefore he had no experience in getting close to children. He didn¡¯t expect to wake up 50 years later and be liked by a child. ¡°This kid is funny,¡± Zhu Yicheng laughed and said, ¡°What are you doing holding Senior Brother Mu?¡± Hu Zi didn¡¯t speak, but stuck out his tongue at him. He then ran to his room, dragged out a wooden box from under the bed, picked out a tortoiseshell-colored flat stone, and ran back to Mu Xiyun to present it to him. When Zhu Li saw the stone, he glanced at Huzi in surprise, and then laughed, ¡°Ah!, this is his most precious thing!¡± Mu Xiyun looked at the stone carefully, the size was just right, enough to be held in the child¡¯s hand. The stone flickered a crystal clear light, and it was warm and gentle, but he didn¡¯t know this stone¡¯s origin. Zhu Yicheng came over and looked at it, and said strangely ¡°This seems to be a ¡°Chan Yin¡±.¡± The so-called ¡°Chan Yin¡± was a small spiritual tool in the market. If it was injected with spiritual power and held in the hand, it can make people hide their breath for a certain period of time and not be detected by the people around them. Because refining it was not easy, it was rare in the market. Hu Zi grabbed the stone and stuffed it into Mu Xiyun¡¯s hand. ¡°This is¡­ for me?¡± Hu Zi nodded. ¡°How can this be?¡± Mu Xiyun was afraid that because he was still a child, he couldn¡¯t recognize the preciousness of Chan Yin. So he smiled and said to him, ¡°This is a very precious thing, I can¡¯t accept it. Hu Zi should keep it for himself.¡± After that, he wanted to return Chan Yin to Zhu Li. Zhu Li smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Hu Zi only regards it as a beautiful stone. This precious stone, we ordinary people can¡¯t use it, so just keep it.¡± Gu Qingqiao next to him took out his Qiankun bag and took out a bright red warm jade. ¡°We¡¯ll give you this as an exchange!¡± This jade had its own spiritual energy, and when it was cold, it would warm up slightly, which could warm up the body and the quilt. As Hu Zi touched this beautiful and warm stone in surprise, he took it happily, and put it inside his precious box. Looking at Hu Zi¡¯s innocent expression, Xiyun¡¯s heart moved, and he suddenly thought of Xiao Liu. The kidnapping case was resolved that day, but he heard that Xiao Liu had been taken away by his family, and he also left the city on his own the next day. He wondered what happened to that child now. Just as he was thinking about it, another hand stretched out beside him. Gu Qingqiao held a few pieces of maltose in his hand and held it out to Hu Zi with a smile. When Hu Zi saw the candy, he not only let go of Mu Xiyun, he also grinningly squeezed the candy and fed it into his mouth, and went to his father. They originally wanted to give the father and son some silver taels, but Zhu Li refused to accept it. The four of them discussed that they would go to the creek to catch a few fish, which could be used for dinner, and the extra ones could be sun dried. The stream was clear and swimming fish were clearly visible. Xiyun¡¯s sword qi went down, and the water splashed up, and it flew to the shore along with a big fish. ¡°Brother Mu, what¡¯s the fun in catching fish like this!¡± Zhu Yicheng shouted. After that, he pushed Mu Xiyun directly to Gu Qingqiao to let them go back first. He then pulled Qin Le, took off his shoes and rolled up his pants, and went into the water. The two laughed and stepped on the stream acting to lively. After a while, two strings of fresh fish were caught. Then suddenly, they heard a voice. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The two of them turned back, and a tall young man stood not far away, looking at them menacingly. The visitor was wearing a moon-white long gown, with intricate peony patterns embroidered with gold thread on the hem, layered wide sleeves, looking quite like an immortal, but his expression was arrogant and impatient. Seeing them looking over, the man continued, ¡°This stream is not yours! I was downstream with my fellow disciples, and you are making such a fuss, where can there be fish for us to catch?¡± Zhu Yicheng stepped ashore from the stream, scratched his temples, and said calmly, ¡°Ah, we were just merely playing, We didn¡¯t expect to disturb you. We¡¯re really sorry.¡± After speaking, he took out a basket full of fish and handed it to the man with a smile. ¡°This basket of fish is our sign of apology.¡± Although they really disturbed the people downstream, Zhu Yicheng was so frank that most people would not care about it anymore. The young man, however, only raised his head arrogantly, and squinted his eyes at them. ¡°You guys, bring me all the fish, and then kowtow to me to make amends, Only then would I ignore what happened today.¡± Zhu Yicheng almost laughed in anger. Does he think we¡¯re easy to bully? He raised his head and said, ¡°Why would we?¡± Qin Le also went ashore at this time, but before he could even roll down his trouser legs, there was a sudden flash of light, and a sword¡¯s edge appeared in front of him. He hurriedly leaned back, slipped on his feet in a panic, and directly sat down on the ground, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge, but the bun on the top of his head was broken, and a few strands of hair floated down. Unexpectedly, the other party actually took the lead, Zhu Yicheng was furious, pulled out the folding fan and rushed out. The young man whistled, and four more people rushed up from the lower stream. Several people dressed the same, obviously disciples of the same family. Mu Xiyun and Gu Qingqiao were helping out in the kitchen, and the big fish had turned into a pot of thick white fish soup. The aroma was tempting, and Hu Zi¡¯s eyes were glued to the pot as he looked at the constant bubbles inside it. But when they heard a whistle, the two looked at each other and flew out immediately. Zhu Yicheng was already in a difficult situation at this time. The five youths who fought against him surrounded him. Their footsteps were the same, and every sword strike handed out filled the gap between Zhu Yicheng¡¯s movements. After a while, Zhu Yicheng was in danger. Mu Xiyun squinted and said in a low voice, ¡°It seems to be a Hundred Flowers Sword Formation, but there are not enough people. It¡¯s simpler than a regular big formation.¡± Baihua Valley¡¯s Hundred Flowers Sword Formation was famous for its mysterious footwork. It may not be possible for each person to pull out to fight alone, but the sword formation¡¯s footwork changes a lot, and the rhythm of sword moves was strange, making those who entered the formation to feel that there were sword edges in all directions, and if they were not careful, they would be heavily injured. Mu Xiyun had been in Moyun Mountain for many years and had studied all kinds of Taoist formations. If he encountered a Hundred Flowers Formation, of course, he had to go all out to observe it carefully before daring to break it. However the sword formation in front of him was only performed by a few foundation-building disciples and the footwork was also greatly simplified because of their small number. Breaking the formation should not be difficult. He was about to step forward, but was gently pulled back by Gu Qingqiao. ¡°This trivial matter, you don¡¯t need to do anything, I¡¯ll do it.¡± After speaking, he leaped up and jumped into the sword formation. When Zhu Yicheng saw him, he was in high spirits. They were back to back, so that they had less scruples about their actions. After stabilizing his position, Gu Qingqiao released his divine sense to probe, and immediately noticed that one of the five disciples seemed to be slightly weaker in skill, and his footsteps were slightly slower due to the pressure. With saber in hand, Gu Qingqiao rushed towards the disciple. The man was startled, his footsteps became disorderly, and he could no longer cooperate with others. The battle formation collapsed. Gu Qingqiao pressed the saber against the opponent¡¯s throat in one hand, and grabbed his shoulder with the other. As soon as he grabbed him, he noticed that although the opponent¡¯s shoulders and backs were thin, the feeling of his shoulder under his hand was very soft, as if they were boneless. This is a woman! Gu Qingqiao looked into the other¡¯s eyes, but saw her blinking lightly. Zhu Yicheng also rushed over at this time, and he was shocked when he saw it. Gu Qingqiao quickly let go, and the other party immediately turned its body, got out from under the saber, and flew towards the people of Baihua Valley. Gu Qingqiao grabbed Zhu Yicheng¡¯s wrist and gave him a look. Young Master Zhu didn¡¯t even get to say ¡°Miss Luo¡±, yet his face was already flushed. Gu Qingqiao raised his eyebrows. ¡°I have heard the name of the Baihua Valley¡¯s Hundred Flower Sword Formation for a long time, and when I saw it today, it really lives up to its reputation. I wonder if Your Excellency is Luo Ziqi, the young master of Baihua Valley?¡± The man was indeed Luo Ziqi, the son of the leader of Baihua Valley. The last time he went up to Lingshan Mountain, it was not very good, so this time he brought more than a dozen disciples above the foundation building to the mountain. Hearing this, he didn¡¯t know whether the other party was being polite or sarcastic. Just as he was about to get angry, Gu Qingqiao opened his mouth and continued, ¡°Today we occupied the upstream and bothered you. Sorry. You¡¯d better take this fish.¡± Luo Ziqi understood that it would be senseless if he continued to fight them. Since the opponent gave way, naturally, it¡¯s right to go back down stream. Immediately, with a cold snort, one of the disciples took the fish, turned his head and went down. In the distance, they could still hear the scolding of the young master. ¡°Useless, none of you can fight, you won¡¯t be allowed to eat tonight!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Yicheng became worried again. He wanted to rush over again, but was immediately dragged back by Mu Xiyun. ******** Dinner was fish soup and pancakes. Everyone ate happily, except for Zhu Yicheng. This was already the third time they saw him almost poking pancakes into his nostrils. Gu Qingqiao stretched his arms around Zhu Yicheng¡¯s neck and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can see your Miss Luo tomorrow at the latest.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Zhu Yicheng¡¯s eyes lit up, but then dimmed. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, how is this possible?¡± Gu Qingqiao didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, forget it, why don¡¯t you ask your Senior Brother Mu?¡± Along the way, although Mu Xiyun doesn¡¯t express his opinions often, he always said the right thing every time, which virtually won the trust of his fellow travelers. Glancing at Gu Qingqiao, he turned to Zhu Yicheng and said, ¡°Based on Young Master Luo¡¯s behavior, he wanted to take revenge. You and Brother Gu broke his sword formation just now. As they left, he kept looking back at Brother Zhu¡¯s house several times. It¡¯s very likely that he will come to seek revenge tonight.¡± ¡°Miss Luo¡­¡± ¡°Miss Luo deliberately showed her flaws today and didn¡¯t want to let the two sides continue to fight. If Young Master Luo is coming to seek revenge, she will naturally follow.¡± Zhu Yicheng was also a smart person, but because he was flustered, he lost his propriety for a while. With this sense of proportion, now that Xiyun had made the words clear, he also became clear at one point, and immediately put his mind at ease. When he let go of the worries in his heart, he immediately felt hungry. Zhu Yicheng first glanced at the pot and saw that there was no fish soup left inside, and there was only a little bit of crumbs on the pan on which the pancakes were placed. Zhu Yicheng: ¡°¡­¡± He looked up at everyone, wanting to cry without tears. Everyone burst into laughter, Qin Le shrugged his shoulders while laughing, and made a trick. A pale golden barrier ball appeared in the air and slowly floated in front of Zhu Yicheng. Inside was a large bowl of steaming fish soup and a stack of pancakes. Zhu Yicheng¡¯s eyes were full of tears. Junior Brother Qin is really reliable! The author has something to say: Small Theater: Gu Qingqiao: That child is really annoying, it¡¯s enough for Ah Yun to have Xiao Liu! Author: Then, will you change into Xiao Liu? Gu Qingqiao: Stop and don¡¯t run! CH 23 That night, light rain drizzle down the mountains. The raindrops fell on the eaves, covering the stream and the sound of footsteps from far to near. A black shadow appeared downstream, jumped lightly several times, and quietly approached the wing of Zhu Li¡¯s house. Zhu Li¡¯s house was not big, and there was only one wing room outside the main house, which was reserved for guests. The shadow lightly pierced the window paper, and peeked into the room with his eyes against the hole. There were two small beds and two futons inside the room, and four figures lying motionless and sound asleep. The black shadow slowly extended a pipe-like object into the room and a wisp of blue smoke emerged from the chimney which emitted faint aroma that quickly spread inside of the room. The sleeping incense produced by Linchun Pavilion produced a lot of smoke three times its weight, which can make people¡¯s muscles and bones soft and lethargic. After a stick of incense, the black shadow quietly made a sound transmission paper crane and gave out two orders. The paper crane flew and turned into a spot of light as it disappeared out of sight. When the task was completed, and just as he was about to step back to join his companions, he was suddenly patted on the shoulder. Someone asked in a very affectionate tone, ¡°This brother, you¡­¡± ¡°Ahh¡ª,¡± Before he could let out a scream, a slender and powerful hand covered his mouth instantly. Then the shadow swayed and fainted under the powerful spiritual pressure that suddenly surrounded his body. Gu Qingqiao shrugged and made a helpless gesture. People in Baihua Valley really have no sense of humor. The rain became heavier, and four figures quietly walked out of Zhu Li¡¯s small courtyard, went downstream, and went rushing towards a group of people. ¡°Hey, Xiao Le!¡± Gu Qingqiao patted Qin Le¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t look very happy!¡± Qin Le looked down at the short knife in his hand and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t like violence.¡± Gu Qingqiao laughed and remarked, ¡°Since you entered Lingshan, I am afraid that escaping is not the way to go. What¡¯s more, sometimes violence is not used to hurt people, but to protect them instead.¡± Before Qin Le could say anything, he rushed like a meteor over to Mu Xiyun into the rain. Qi enveloped his body which blocked him from the raindrops as much as possible. The water droplets were like fine porcelain that was broken into tiny pieces by the Qi as it surrounded him, as if a circle of mist had been casted on his person. Go! When the people in Baihua Valley heard the signal from their companions, they flanked proudly. But before they could do what they came for, they saw a figure roaring like a wolf. As soon as they met, a dagger flashed in the hand of the person who came, and two people flew out and fell to the ground, unable to move. This was still Gu Qingqiao showing them mercy. When the dagger touched the body, the straight stab was changed to a horizontal strike. If they were really fighting for their lives, the two would have had their throats severed a long time ago. The leader, Young Master Luo shouted loudly, and the disciples hurriedly began to form the formation. Where would Gu Qingqiao give them a chance? The flying figure flickered in the crowd in a dazzling movement that showed his skills to the extreme. The sword formation had not yet formed, however all disciples of Baihua Valley had collapsed to the ground screaming. Gu Qingqiao wiped the rain off his face and pushed back Mu Xiyun who had just stepped out of the eaves. ¡°It¡¯s raining, be careful not to catch a cold!¡± Luo Ziqi had just ordered the crowd to form the array just now, yet before he could step on the right position, he was immediately struck by Gu Qingqiao with a knife and fell into the stream. Seeing that the sword formation had dissipated, and all the disciples he had brought were lying on the ground, unable to fight any more, he couldn¡¯t help but feel scared. Before everyone noticed him, Luo Ziqi quietly climbed out of the creek and ran towards the woods beside it. Zhu Yicheng raised his eyes and saw Luo Ziqi running wildly, he couldn¡¯t help shouting, ¡°He¡¯s running away!¡± But before he could finish speaking, he saw that the figure that had just entered the dense forest shot backwards and out of the woods, followed by a silk with silver balls tied at each end which carried spiritual energy. It shot straight down just as fast under the heavy rain. The silk was soft and the spirit balls looked delicate. It seemed to be like those silk cloths that existed on a graceful stage in the hands of a dancer. However, such cloth was a killer that even wild wolves were afraid of. In the blink of an eye, the silver ball was in front of Luo Ziqi¡¯s eyes, he screamed and fell to the ground, and kept on crawling backwards. The silver ball with the silk went around Luo Ziqi¡¯s neck like a long snake, and pulled him straight up then a girl in green appeared from the forest. ¡°Luo Qingyao, you two-faced little girl who was raised by a slut, how dare you hurt me!¡± Luo Ziqi roared angrily. ¡°Who are you calling a slut?¡± The moment Zhu Yicheng saw the silk, he was already rushing towards the edge of the forest. Hearing Luo Ziqi¡¯s roar, he was furious and threw a punch at his face. ¡°Young Master Zhu!¡± Luo Qingyao¡¯s crisp voice sounded. ¡°This is Baihua Valley family¡¯s business, please let me do it myself.¡± Zhu Yicheng put down his fist angrily, instead he stood aside while still feeling uneasy. ¡°So you know that this is a family matter! Do you still consider yourself a member of Baihua Valley?¡± Luo Ziqi said angrily, ¡°Is this how you treat your Little Valley Master, your elder brother?¡± ¡°Brother¡­¡± Luo Qingyao walked in front of Luo Ziqi, ¡°I called you brother because we¡¯re blood related. I can¡¯t get rid of this, but it doesn¡¯t prove that I agree with you.¡± ¡°You, you colluded with outsiders to murder the disciples of Baihua Valley. Now that the evidence is solid, what else is there to say? What are you planning? Do you think you can still compete with me for the position of the Valley Master of Baihua Valley?¡± ¡°No,¡± Luo Qingyao looked into Luo Ziqi¡¯s eyes and said word by word, ¡°I don¡¯t care about being the Valley Master, I just want to get my mother¡¯s things back.¡± ¡°Your mother, haha, your mother,¡± Luo Ziqi subconsciously stroked the red pouch on his waist and said contemptuously, ¡°Your mother is just a dancer of the Luo family, who shamelessly climbed onto the master¡¯s bed¡­.¡± As soon as the silk cloth moved, Luo Ziqi¡¯s neck was immediately tightened, and his face flushed red. ¡°Take it out!¡± Luo Qingyao said angrily, ¡°Otherwise¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Zhu Yicheng. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hands dirty, I¡¯ll do it.¡± After that, he took out his folded fan, and its sharp fan bone immediately left a wound on Luo Ziqi¡¯s temple. ¡°Take it out, or your little white face will definitely bloom red!¡± Warm blood flowed down to his cheeks from his temple, Luo Ziqi stared at Zhu Yicheng fiercely, his trembling hand reached to his sleeve pocket, took out a white satin embroidery, and held it tightly in his hand. ¡°Cough, cough,¡± he loosened the silk. Luo Ziqi bent down and coughed violently, but a vicious smile like that of a poisonous snake appeared on his face. ¡°Who cares about a concubine¡¯s belongings!¡± Luo Ziqi threw the embroidered bag on the ground, took advantage of Luo Qingyao¡¯s distracted gaze, clapped his hands, conjured a spiritual ball, and threw it towards the bag to smash it. The speed of the spirit ball was extremely fast and it burst into a violent white light. Zhu Yicheng grabbed Luo Ziqi and sent one swipe of his folding fan, but Luo Ziqi had already rolled out. Before standing up, he took out the teleportation jade plate, pressed his hands on the magic circle, and his figure immediately became blurred. In the dark night, Luo Ziqi¡¯s vicious voice sounded, ¡°This matter is not over, just you wait and see!¡± When the white light dissipated, where the embroidery bag was, lay¡­¡­..a half charred fish. Qin Le¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really don¡¯t have anything else on my body to use.¡± It¡¯s a pity that a fish can¡¯t stop an explosion caused by the spiritual ball. However, the white embroidered bag seemed to contain an attack spell and the huge impact of the spiritual force triggered the spell. But the bag was still blasted into pieces, it laid in taters in the grass along with what¡¯s supposed to be inside, mixed in mud. It was a mess. Luo Qingyao looked at the ground in astonishment. Not knowing whether it was rain or tears, it slowly dripped down her cheeks. ¡°That¡­¡± Zhu Yicheng said loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, see if this is what you want?¡± Zhu Yicheng held a fan in his right hand to block the rain, and in his left was a red embroidered pouch, which was the one on Luo Ziqi¡¯s waist just now. Luo Qingyao was stunned for a while. As if in a daze, she reached out and gently took the embroidered bag. After a while, as if she had made up her mind, she opened the embroidered red pouch. Inside was a jade. The eyes of the green-robed girl slowly brightened. It was obviously a rainy and miserable weather, but Zhu Yicheng felt that a bright moon rose in front of him, and the girl¡¯s smiling face illuminated the night sky, making the falling raindrops extraordinarily cheerful. At this time, Mu Xiyun and Gu Qingqiao had also sent the disciples of Baihua Valley out of Lingshan. However, they did not approach the two after, and stood side by side under the eaves to watch them. Luo Qingyao wanted to look up and glanced at Zhu Yicheng, who was hesitant to speak. Zhu Yicheng originally only knew that she was the Ninth Miss of Baihua Valley. After the conflict just now, he realized that Luo Qingyao¡¯s situation in the Luo family was not as good as people imagined. For a while, he was curious about her life, angry towards Luo Ziqi, pity for Luo Qingyao¡¯s sad tears, and that astonishing smile on her face all flooded into his heart, and the expression on Zhu Yicheng¡¯s face became entangled in every possible way. Luo Qingyao chuckled softly. ¡°Simpleton.¡± The ¡®simpleton¡¯ suddenly laughed cheerfully, wiped the rain on his face, and invited her. ¡°The rain is getting heavier, you should come with us into the house and rest.¡± The girl walked into the direction of the house with a smile, and Zhu Yicheng quickly followed. Qin Le was standing in the stream, but at this time, he turned around and walked back, but also made a strange ¡°cough¡± sound. The stream that had not reached his waist just now retreated to his knees. The more they go upstream, the more shallow the water becomes. The entire creek was losing water. The stream quickly receded at a speed visible to the naked eye. When Zhu Yicheng walked to the edge of the stream, the pebbles at the bottom of the stream had already emerged from the water, and the stream disappeared, leaving only the dry channel. Several large fish struggled in the puddles at the bottom of the creek. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhu Yicheng and Qin Le looked at each other. A figure then flashed, Mu Xiyun, who was at a distance, realized that something was wrong, and ran to the stream with Gu Qingqiao. A bad premonition came to his mind, and the two looked at each other with a solemn expression. ¡°It¡¯s not good, I¡¯m afraid there will be a mountain torrent, go save people, and gather them at the village behind the mountain!¡± After Mu Xiyun said this, he immediately dashed into Zhu Li¡¯s house and the other four instantly ran to the nearest houses upstream and downstream. CH 24 Lingshan Nie family, Qingfeng Lou. The Qingfeng Luo was a place built by the Nie family that was completed in the past two years. The small building stood high on the mountainside, facing the Lingshan Mountain across the small square. When Lingshan was not opened, it was the tallest building within a radius of dozens of miles. One could enjoy hundreds of flowers in spring and leaves in autumn, the breeze in summer and snow in winter. As Lingshan opened, it was the closest building to Lingshan Mountain. Sitting here, one could get an overview of the overall situation and facilitate deployment. Therefore, it became Nie Yao¡¯s favorite. Tonight, everything was stable. Nie Yao and Zhang Jinjin were playing chess here at the moment. Nie Yao looked at the chessboard pieces worth three thousand spirit stones on the table, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. Lingshan opens every three years in accordance with the ancestral tradition. Although the immortals were cut off from the world, the ancestor of the Nie family, Nie Wuya, realized the Tao in the process of making iron was connected to a person¡¯s daily life, and practiced in the family for a long time. It can be said that the whole family¡¯s strength was used for thousands of years before his ascent. He personally brought many family members to the path of immortal cultivation. A person that had lived for nearly a thousand years, naturally had seen many partings of life and death, and the vicissitudes of the world. Leaving the Jianlu Lingshan Mountain before the ascension, although it was for the benefit of the immortal world, it had left a rich legacy for the descendants of the Nie family. However, whether the inheritance can be managed well depends on the ability of the Nie family. After Nie Wuya¡¯s ascension, the Nie family really enjoyed a good time for a while, and were hailed as one of the five famous masters in the world of immortality. But it was a pity that the Lingshan Nie family did not have any amazing talents in the next few hundred years, and the descendants who were sitting on the mountain would not be able to run it. Although several generations of family owners struggled to revitalize in the middle, the good times did not last long. Lingshan was such a big sect that once fell to the point where even a monthly salary could not be paid out. Cultivation of immortals costs quite a lot. Before the establishment of the Moyun Mountain Spirit Array, it would take a lot of money and manpower just to explore, occupy and maintain the immortal cultivation place full of spiritual power, not to mention purchasing medicinal pills and spiritual tools to aid in cultivation. Even if it was self-sufficient, the medicinal herbs needed for medical practitioners, and the ore equipment used for refining tools were all huge expenses. From one school to another, if outstanding disciples can continue to emerge and make the world feel promising, there would be wealthy children vying for apprenticeships, and there will naturally be no shortage of offerings. Practitioners, from then on, would embark on a virtuous cycle and return to the next cycle. Therefore, unless one was a rare genius, it would be extremely difficult for a loose cultivator without wealth and power to succeed in the world of immortals. Families on decline would only enter into a vicious cycle of getting worse and worse. Nie Yuanshan, the patriarch of the previous generation, was still very competitive. The young man studied hard and deliberately traveled all over the world. It was said that he went to the Eastern Sea to catch mosquitoes, explored the deserts and made great efforts in overturning the battle that occurred in the Linmo Abyss. He gained fame in the immortal world and made many friends. Only then did he slowly pull the family out of the quagmire, but he was also lukewarm and could barely maintain the dignity of a sect. Until ten years ago, Nie Yao began to take charge of family affairs. However, Nie Yao was able to take charge of the clan affairs because of Zhang Jinjin. Ten years ago, Nie Yao was considered talented and intelligent in the family. At the age of 13, he successfully passed the Qi condensation stage and built a foundation at the age of 15. However, at the age of 17, when he formed his golden core, he signed up as a deacon in his family. One must know that good resources in the big family were always reserved for the talented disciples, and errands of the deacon were all left to the unlucky people who can¡¯t make it. Nie Yao had excellent results in the family selection. He could have learned advanced skills with Nie Yuanshan, but unexpectedly, he chose to wear a deacon hall dress. His father became so angry that he blew his beard and glared with hateful eyes. He immediately led him to find Nie Yuanshan to be judged. At that time, Nie Yao only said, ¡°Cultivation is in the heart, and freedom can only be achieved. Otherwise, it is easy to have inner demons, which is not good for cultivation. This son does not like to follow steps in his cultivation, but he is very interested in managing family affairs. Dad, don¡¯t worry, I will not definitely let go of my practice, but I also want to do what I like.¡± Seeing the old father¡¯s face that was about to choke to death, he lowered his voice and persuaded, ¡°Is it because you are afraid that this son will not be able to practice with good spiritual stones and spiritual tools in the future? When this son becomes the chief steward, those things will naturally come. Do you think this son will treat himself unfairly?¡± His words made his father stunned, and he couldn¡¯t find a reason to refute it. After struggling for a few days, he let him be. On this day, the newly promoted deacon Nie Yao went to the street to shop, then found a new calligraphy and painting store called ¡°Golden Pavilion¡± on the corner of the street. It was said that the people who buy and sell calligraphy and painting were all elegant people, no matter how poor, they must all be ingenious. The word ¡°Golden¡± on the sign of this shop was enough to make those hypocrites avoid it, however Nie Yao admired his attitude of rather being a real villain, and walked in like a ghost.. The shop was not big, there was only one boss and one waiter, there were no famous masterpieces, but the main focus was on storybooks. At that time, most of the popular storybooks in the market were based on ghost legends, with crude and vulgar content. There were even so many copies of storybooks with printed changed covers and names to cheat money. The storybook of Golden Pavilion mainly focuses on legendary stories, mainly on bizarre events that happened in various places, supplemented by commentary analysis, which was very fresh and refined among a lot of shoddy ghost legends. It¡¯s just that on a pamphlet about Lingshan¡¯s Taoism discourse, there were several obvious mistakes in it, and even the steps to go up the mountain were reversed. Nie Yao pointed it out on a whim. Zhang Jinjin suddenly felt like he had won a prize, and pulled Nie Yao out for dinner. The two went to Taibai Building, the largest building in Hongye, and between cups of wine, they found that they were like-minded in ¡°custom affairs¡±. After the meal, they called each other brothers. Zhang Jinjin patted Nie Yao¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Brother Nie, you really entered the mountain and returned empty? Thinking about your family¡¯s spiritual mountain, there are at least a dozen people who acquire celestial weapons every year, and these dozen people must have something special. Who they are, how they learn from teachers, how they cultivate, what they encountered in Lingshan, and how to acquire the celestial weapon in the end, these are all living materials! Lingshan Mountain is open every three years, and when the mountain is not open, the world remembers the successful contenders! And the dozens of stories of these dozen people are enough for the cultivators in the Central Plains to discuss for three years. By then, more people will come to Lingshan, and more cultivators will join your Nie family.¡± Nie Yao was enlightened, and he took a crucial step in Nie¡¯s family¡¯s secular affairs. In the first year, they traveled to the southern countries together, went to various teahouses and taverns to listen to storytellers, hired local talents to write legendary storybooks, sent them to various states for sales, and secretly collected public comments. When reprinting, they adjusted the story according to the trend of the comments. In the second year, when Lingshan Mountain opened, Zhang Jinjin gathered people from the two states and eight cities around Hongye City, made on-site records in the square in front of Lingshan Mountain, and the legendary experience of the five of the eleven outstanding people of that year. He compiled the first set of ¡°The Legend of Lingshan Mountain¡±. ¡°The Legend of Lingshan Mountain¡± had been selling well in various places, and after three years of unabated popularity, it had become the most discussed topic in the market. Three years later, the second time Lingshan opened, the number of people who entered the mountain doubled, and many young people came here to also worship Lingshan Nie¡¯s family. Three of them have even made great achievements in the few years after entering the mountain, and the number of worshippers and disciples of the Nie family in Lingshan had increased sharply. At this point, Nie Yao¡¯s business was recognized by the family and awarded the post of general manager, and Zhang Jinjin became the only merchant that could enter the Lingshan Square. Now, the only business partner was fiddling with two chess pieces in the palm of his hand, but didn¡¯t put them on the chessboard. Looking at the drizzling rain outside the window, he said absently, ¡°This year¡¯s market is not right.¡± ¡°What? Another competitor has appeared? Isn¡¯t Yuntao Society already broken up and absorbed by you?¡± ¡°A mere Yuntao Society is nothing, it¡¯s just a talented person with a sharp view. It¡¯s enough to dig it out.¡± Zhang Jinjin lowered his eyes and said, ¡°I mean, in the surrounding three states and fourteen cities, the consumption of Zhu crystals in the past half year was too large.¡± ¡°Zhu crystals are mostly used for arrays, especially superimposed arrays. Could it be that something happened in Taiyuan?¡± ¡°I was worried about that. I sent someone to see it last month. It is said that everything is fine, The Qin family in Taiyuan replied that they did not buy a lot.¡± ¡°Then where were the rest of the crystals?¡± Nie Yao frowned and said, ¡°How large?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 30% more than that in the previous years. It¡¯s about to catch up with your family¡¯s mountain consumption. Moreover,¡± Zhang Jinjin put down a piece and continued, ¡°This is the most we are familiar with. If the whole Central Plains would also do this, I¡¯m afraid something big will happen.¡± Nie Yao was speechless. The oil lamp on the table burst with a piercing sound, and broke the silence of the two. Nie Yao suddenly raised his head and looked at Lingshan not far away. There was a faint sound of thunder coming from the mountain. *** At this time, it was already the period between 11 pm and 1 am, and it was the time where people sleep soundly the most. Zhu Yicheng directly broke into a family. A family of three were sleeping soundly and it was not easy to wake up. But when they came to, the head of the family was confused for a long time and didn¡¯t understand what happened. When he finally understood, he began to pack up in a panic. Zhu Yicheng didn¡¯t dare to stay long, he told the family to go out quickly, and then ran to the next house. When Qin Le led a family of five and rushed to the meeting point far away from the brook in a hurry, Gu Qingqiao and Mu Xiyun each brought their second batch to gather. ¡°No, this is too slow!¡± Mu Xiyun, who had always been calm, began to worry, wiped the rain on his face, and planned to run back. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Gu Qingqiao handed the old man he was supporting to Qin Le, and followed Xiyun forward. It had been almost half an hour since the stream dried up, and no one knows when the torrent will come. There were still three or four people at the foot of the mountain who had not been evacuated. There is no time! Both of them used their skills to the extreme and ran down the mountain like meteors chasing the moon. Halfway through, a green shadow suddenly flashed in front of his eyes. It was Luo Qingyao who came up from the mountain and panted, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go back, they¡¯re all here, they¡¯re all here!¡± Behind her, a group of people wearing green bamboo robes Taoist disciples, were helping the old and the young, and came to them. ¡°Green bamboo robes, Qingcheng Mountain?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Luo Qingyao replied, ¡°Although Qingcheng Mountain and Baihua Valley are close, they don¡¯t have much friendship. When Luo Ziqi entered the village before, Qingcheng Mountain disciples were already there. There was some conflict between the two sides, but luckily they didn¡¯t fight. ¡° Gu Qingqiao laughed, ¡°This cousin of yours is really a troublemaker, he attracts trouble anywhere.¡± As soon as the voice fell, a strange feeling suddenly rose in everyone¡¯s heart. The thunder of the upper stream stopped suddenly, and the surroundings fell into a dead silence. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Mu Xiyun shouted coldly. Then he picked up a child in one hand and an old man in the other, jumped up with the two of them, and ran towards the high slope of the side of the mountain. The rest of the people also hurriedly took childrens and elderlies and walked towards the mountain road on the side of the mountain at the fastest speed. The yellow mud soaked in water after the rain wrapped people¡¯s shoes, adding a heavy burden to the people fleeing for their lives. For a time, there was chaos, and the cries for fathers and mothers came one after another. Zhu Li was tough, followed the team closely, and shouted loudly. ¡°There is an open space in the middle of the mountain. It should be safe there!¡± ¡°Okay! Keep up!¡± The leader of Qingcheng Mountain agreed, directing the other disciples to move on. Soon, the thunder-like roar sounded again, and on the mountain upstream, a big tree swayed and fell down. Then, from its round canopy to the roots, it seemed to have disappeared from sight. Like an invisible beast rushing down from the mountain, the trees fell to the ground one by one, and then, a turbid mud flow rushed down the stream quickly. The mud flow was much wider than the creek, with countless tree trunks, broken branches, and gravel that rushed down the mountain with great force. A wild boar who could not dodge, ran hard, but was soon caught up by the mud flow. In an instant, it turned into a mud pig and was submerged by the rolling mud waves. The mud flow was invincible and soon reached the village. The muddy water slammed on a house with an angry roar, and the house let out a whimper and was immediately torn to shreds. The villages built along the stream were submerged in a few breaths. However, the turbid water was like an endless stream, rushing down the mountain without stopping. Back at the Qingfeng Luo. The roar of the Lingshan mudslide made Nie Yao¡¯s brows frown. Zhang Jinjin¡¯s smile also became solemn. The two looked at each other and saw fear in each other¡¯s eyes. CH 25 Two hours later, the sky was still gloomy. The villagers stood on a platform on the side of the mountain, listening to the roar of water waves coming from below, and couldn¡¯t help but be afraid. The women and children let out soft cries. This was an open space next to the dense forest in the mountain. There was a half-person-high stone platform beside the road, which could be climbed and viewed from afar. Fortunately, it was far away from the water, and as the torrent below was rolling, it did not threaten the people above. The disciples of Qingcheng Mountain had already lit two fires, and the villagers and the cultivators both surrounded each campfire. Zhu Li hurried between the two groups, acting as the link between them. Hu Zi seemed to be frightened, holding Mu Xiyun¡¯s arm and refusing to let go, therefore he had no choice but to take him with him. After a long time of tossing and turning, the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, and the thrilling night finally passed. The villagers were extremely tired. The adults held their children, and the old people supported each other and fell asleep around the fire. Mu Xiyun handed the sleeping Hu Zi to Zhu Li, got up and walked towards the disciples of Qingcheng Mountain. The young man in the lead immediately got up and saluted him. ¡°Qingcheng Mountain, Deng Xian, this one greets Senior Brother Mo of Moyun Mountain.¡± Mu Xiyun took two steps forward, humbly supported his elbow, and said sincerely, ¡°Thanks to everyone in Qingcheng Mountain this time, if it wasn¡¯t for your help, the consequences would have been unimaginable.¡± ¡°Senior brother¡¯s reputation is too honorable. It is the duty of cultivators to save people in danger.¡± Deng Xian said sternly as the dim morning light illuminated his face and tall figure. What a heroic boy! After a few chats, everyone warmed up. Two female cultivators from Qingcheng Mountain had seen enough men since they entered the mountain. After finally seeing a girl, they quickly pulled Luo Qingyao to talk about themselves. ¡°Junior Sister Luo, your piece of jade is so unique!¡± The senior sister of Qingcheng Mountain suddenly shouted. Luo Qingyao looked down. What she meant was the jade she retrieved with the help of Zhu Li and company before. Afraid of it being lost in the chaos, Luo Qingyao used a plain silk fringe and hung it around her neck. It was originally stuffed inside the clothes, but when she went up the mountain just now, as she was pulling the elderly and children, it was exposed unknowingly. ¡°Yuyao? That means there is a pair! I don¡¯t know which immortal husband has the other one?¡± The little junior sister asked with a knowing smile. The martial brothers of Qingcheng Mountain had long since pricked up their ears, and when they heard the words, they all looked at her quietly. Luo Qingyao¡¯s face turned red, but she didn¡¯t dodge, and took off the jade generously, ¡°This is my mother¡¯s, and I don¡¯t know it origin!¡± Although it was said that it was something left by her mother, it was probably related to her own life experience, but the origin of the jade was a mystery. Luo Qingyao had the heart to inquire, so she simply showed it to everyone to see if she could find someone who could help her. The jade was not big, and the little hand of the girl could easily hold it in the palm of the hand. A deer was carved at the bottom of the round jade. The body of the deer was round and sturdy, the four hoofs were curved upwards following the shape of the Yujiang River, and the tall deer had long antlers on its head. The branches and willows of the antlers were stacked in layers, forming an elegant arc in the upper part. Under the glow of the fire, the jade was as warm and moist as congealed fat, as if the deer¡¯s body really had flesh and blood. The disciples of Qingcheng Mountain took a look and shook their heads one after another. Only one disciple on the side hesitatingly answered. ¡°When I was a child, I listened to my grandmother¡¯s story. There is a deer in the west, from a distant snow-capped mountain. Its antlers are like the branches and willows of an ancient tree and it takes a hundred years to grow a layer. A thousand years after that, the deer would transform into a human and become a goddess in the human world. The goddess prays for the human world, so that it will rain in the Gobi desert and become an oasis. It was also said that the blood of the goddess can keep people¡¯s souls alive.¡± After speaking, he blushed first, glanced at Luo Qingyao, and said, ¡°My old grandmother¡¯s story is not necessarily credible, I don¡¯t know if it helped this sister.¡± Before Luo Qingyao could speak, the senior sister of Qingcheng Mountain laughed first. ¡°It¡¯s rare that Xiao Ke said so much today, remember to tell a story to Senior sister tomorrow!¡± After some remarks, the younger martial brother could not wait to find a hole to hide in. Then a group of young people discussed a few more words, but there were no new ideas. Luo Qingyao put the thread around her neck again, and took the two female cultivators to rest. Zhu Yicheng and Qin Le just went to see the situation of the villagers, and came over now, and then sat down with the disciples of Qingcheng Mountain. Although they hadn¡¯t slept all night, the youngsters were full of energy, and not one showed weariness. A disciple of Qingcheng Mountain asked, ¡°Say, this mountain torrent and mud flow, could it be an illusion in Lingshan?¡± Zhu Yicheng was confused. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be, it doesn¡¯t say in the ¡°Lingshan Collection¡± that after a day or two, one can already reach the array formation. We¡¯ve only been gone for a day, so we probably haven¡¯t arrived yet. ¡° ¡°But does this kind of catastrophe and danger also happen on the Immortal Mountain? It is said that Lingshan is the blessed land of the immortals. How can such a catastrophe happen?¡± Another disciple immediately yelled. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to know. You can jump down and try. If you won¡¯t drown, then it must be an illusion.¡± The disciples burst into laughter, however Deng Xian frowned when he heard their laughter. ¡°Junior Brother Deng, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Mu Xiyun asked as he saw him frown. ¡°Cough. I¡¯m worried about what would happen to these villagers.¡± As the sky gradually brightened, the dark clouds dissipated, and the newborn sun illuminated the scene under the mountain. The village had disappeared without a trace, and the valley where the houses used to be had been replaced by a large river. The river was turbulent, and there were broken branches and broken trees floating on the water. The small village that was originally quiet and peaceful had disappeared. Mu Xiyun raised his eyes and looked into the distance. Yesterday, the top of the hill covered with lush trees seemed to be drawn from top to bottom by an immortal expert. A huge waterfall hung upside down like a sea of ??stars, crashing down from the top of the mountain. However, the huge current last night had already covered the narrow riverbed of the previous creek, scouring out a new channel. As for the lower reaches of the river, it seemed that¡ª Seeing Mu Xiyun¡¯s solemn expression, everyone stood up and looked downstream. For a moment, several people let out a gasping sound of surprise. Qin Le murmured, ¡°Is that¡­ the sea?¡± Far downstream of the river, the field of vision was divided into three sections: the misty sea of ??clouds above and the nearby rocks below, and between the two, under the illumination of the rising sun, a dazzling golden light shone. Outside the mountain, more than two hours ago. Nie Yao and Zhang Jinjin were upstairs in Qingfeng, and when they heard the huge roar in Lingshan, they couldn¡¯t help but change their expressions. Nie Yao took out his sword ¡°Yupeng¡±, squeezed a sword spell, pulled Zhang Jinjin to jump on the sword, and went straight to the entrance of Lingshan. All those who entered the mountain had already entered the mountain, and the spiritual mountain¡¯s barrier had been sealed. Although the roar on the mountain was heard, there was still silence at the foot of the mountain. The exit array at the other end of the square had become restless at this moment. A guide boy beside the magic array just showed a quitter the way out of the mountain to the post house, and was about to sit down and take a nap, when the exit magic circle suddenly flashed frantically. A man covered in mud appeared in the magic circle, the muddy water had already covered his whole body, even his long loose hair was covered with mud, and the daoist robes on his body were tattered and heavy that it was very difficult to even lift his hands. When the guide boy saw that he was making a mess, he pouted in disgust, and was about to scold him when another person flashed out of the formation. This one was even worse. Half of his clothes were torn, his messy hair was covered with dead branches and leaves, and he was holding a tree trunk in his hand. Before the guide boy could react, several more people appeared in the formation, all of them in messy clothes. After a few breaths of effort, the platform was already full of people. ¡°What are you still standing there, get out of the way!¡± The boy felt a pain in the head, and his cheeks bloated out of anger as if he had chestnut in his mouth. When he turned his head, he saw a Senior brother of the Nie family and a few guys from the Golden Pavilion. The boy was pushed aside, and a few young people quickly came to the front of the formation and pulled the people away. There were more and more people coming out of the magic circle. If you don¡¯t evacuate quickly, you will be trampled to death in layers. The teenagers who were pulled out of the magic circle looked at each other, and all stood aside. The little boy was stunned for a while, but then came back to his senses and ran to the crowd, guiding them to the hospital or the post house. At the entrance, Nie Yao and Zhang Jinjin urgently transmitted their voices, dispatched their staff to the exit to respond, and planned to enter the mountain. Nie Yao was in a hurry, and rushed up the mountain with a stride, but only saw a flash of golden light, and with a bang, his entire body was bounced out by the barrier. Zhang Jinjin was fortunate that he was behind a few steps, but he asked curiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you from the Nie family?¡± ¡°Who told you that a Nie family¡¯s biological member can enter at will?¡± Nie Yao got up in dismay, ¡°Hey, no, I am biologically from the Nie family.¡± After he finished speaking, he paused, ¡°Why am I telling you about this? ¡° This friend¡¯s focus is always amazing. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll ask again.¡± Zhang Jinjin couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°After the barrier is closed, your Nie family won¡¯t be able to enter?¡± ¡°Probably, you have to ask the head of the family. But there has never been an accident before, and no one had ever thought of going in after it¡¯s closed. ¡° Young Master Nie patted his clothes. At this time, I don¡¯t know if the Patriarch could do it. A faint vibration came, and it was impossible to see through the white fog of the population, however Nie Yao¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. The roar came from far to near, and suddenly, a large tree appeared in the air, its roots were like the outstretched arms of despairing people, twisting toward the sky, and the dense crown of the tree hung down. The big tree roared from afar, heading straight for Nie Yao and Zhang Jinjin. The two hurriedly jumped aside, but the speed of the big tree flying was too fast, and it was in front of them in an instant. There was no way to avoid it. In a flash, Nie unsheathed ¡°Yu Peng¡±, Zhang Jinjin used a blasting talisman to smash the tree. However, they only heard a loud thud, the tree seemed to have hit a wall and was smashed to pieces in mid-air. Immediately afterwards, the mud that was wrapped in thousands of sundries poured in, and a shocking wave was slapped on the transparent barrier of Lingshan. The flood came violently, but they were all blocked by the enchantment. The calls of the disciples came from behind, and the momentum of the surging mountain torrent was too terrifying, even if one was standing outside the barrier, one couldn¡¯t avoid the feeling of fleeing for survival. Zhang Jinjin stared at the bottom of the barrier in front of him, and said nothing. Nie Yao followed his gaze in confusion, and after a while, he also began to feel his scalp tingling. Inside the barrier, a circle of water marks appeared on the bottom of a large stone, and unknowingly, the stagnant water slowly climbed up the stone wall. Waterlogged!? CH 26 On the stone platform, Qin Le looked at the distant scene and murmured, ¡°Then, is that the sea?¡± Lingshan was located in the Central Plains, surrounded by hills, and the nearest water area was Yinlong Lake, which was a hundred miles away. Could one really move Lingshan, isn¡¯t it just a petty trick? But someone had to come and see. Mu Xiyun¡¯s golden core had just been formed, and he had not tried riding a sword yet. However, he was already skilled at this in his previous life, and when reborned, he naturally remembered how to do it, therefore manipulating the sword was not a problem. Immediately, he pulled out his long sword, cast an enchantment, and the sword really floated smoothly. Mu Xiyun jumped on the sword and flew down the mountain. Most of Qingcheng Mountain¡¯s disciples had just built their foundations, and a flying sword was very attractive to them. Mu Xiyun¡¯s speed was very fast. The young men were full of excitement and jumped while watching him go away. The two females looked at this group of lively brothers. If they didn¡¯t need to maintain their image, they really wanted to roll their eyes in front of them. Really shameless. Not before long, he turned around. In the early morning, the sun rose, and golden light shone and became a backdrop to the Immortal with fluttering white robes as he came back in a sword. The sun shone on his face, and the originally pale complexion was imprinted with a light glow. Under the crow¡¯s feather-like eyelashes, the slightly indifferent eyes were soft and peaceful. The wind blew his black hair, and his robes flew up. After a moment, he descended to the ground, really looking like an immortal, coming from the end of the earth to ride the wind. Qingcheng Mountain¡¯s sisters sighed softly, blushed, and silently joined their junior brothers team. Mu Xiyun took back his sword, almost missed a step, but was immediately pulled by Gu Qingqiao, who was by his side. His soul was not fully fused with his body yet, and it took a lot of spiritual energy to fly the sword. He was a little stiff for a while. Gu Qingqiao asked, ¡°How are you, are you okay?¡± After speaking, he released his divine sense and carefully checked whether he was injured. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Mu Xiyun replied. Deng Xian also came over at this time, and hurriedly asked, ¡°Senior Brother Mu, how are you?¡± When Mu Xiyun looked back, he saw that the villagers were curled up beside the fire, sleeping soundly. He gestured to Deng Xian and went to the side to speak. ¡°I didn¡¯t go very far just now, but there is no way down the mountain.¡± ¡°There is no way? How can there be no way?¡± ¡°Qin Le is right, the bottom of the mountain is already a vast ocean.¡± Qin Le, who accidentally guessed the answer correctly, pointed at himself in disbelief. ¡°How could this be?¡± Mu Xiyun looked at the waterfall in front, and his delicate eyebrows gradually fell into a frown. ¡°This water is strange. It is reasonable to say that a sacred mountain such as Lingshan exists independently in the world. The water runs through the mountain and the mountain accepts water, and there is a certain amount between the two. It is said that Lingshan does not change therefore there could only be so much water. But you see, compared with the previous streams, the water volume now has increased a lot, and it may have exceeded the storage capacity of the mountain. And the enchantment outside Lingshan, after we came in, was already closed.¡± ¡°So¡­.¡± Zhu Yicheng grabbed his hair, ¡°It¡¯s like watering a flower pot, too much and it will overflow?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Mu Xi glanced at the golden light in the sky again , ¡°Either break the barrier, or find the source of the water, otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise,¡± Gu Qingqiao understood. ¡°In three days at most, Lingshan will become an underwater mountain.¡± ¡°My God, what should we do?¡± The disciples of Qingcheng Mountain panicked for a while. ¡°Can we break through the barrier and go out?¡± ¡°Where did this water come from, and will it really flow out and drown Lingshan?¡± ¡°Wuwuwu, I don¡¯t know how to swim..¡± Suddenly, a disciple slapped his forehead and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°The Jade tablet! It is a teleportation array, and we can go out using this!¡± As if a word awakened their dazed state, the disciples of Qingcheng Mountain each took out their jade tablets one after another. Seeing the teleportation array, they immediately felt at ease. ¡°There¡¯s no problem going out,¡± Deng Xi said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Senior Brother Deng, just what?¡± Mu Xiyun and Gu Qingqiao looked at the villagers in the distance in unison. ¡°What should we do about these villagers?¡± The sky was already bright, and many villagers had woken up. After a night of fright, the villagers were all distressed and looked haggard. The old people leaned their bodies, and the children looked around in panic with their big innocent eyes. Zhu Li had already stood up, took care of himself and Huzi, and looked at the immortal cultivators gathered around, and seemed to have guessed something. But he didn¡¯t move, just stood there quietly. Mu Xiyun and the others walked towards Zhu Li. ¡°Excuse me, Brother Zhu, is there anyone in your village who¡¯s a cultivator?¡± ¡°No,¡± Zhu Li said with a wry smile. ¡°The mountain villagers rarely have a cultivator. The mountain residents all do hunting and farming for a living, and only occasionally go down the mountain to Fufeng Town to barter food and clothing. ¡° ¡°Fufeng Town?¡± Gu Qingqiao¡¯s eyes jumped, ¡°You mean Ningzhou Fufeng Town?¡± ¡°Yes, Ningzhou Fufeng Town.¡± Ningzhou was located in the northwest, and Lingshan Hongye City was in Xiangzhou, the two were thousands of miles apart. Why do mountain people from a small town in the northwest appear in Lingshan, thousands of miles away? ¡°But everyone speaks with a Jiangnan accent.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know, the ancestors of Linxi Village went to Jiangnan, and the villagers made a living by making weapons. Fifty years ago in the war in Linmo Abyss, the village chief led the whole village to travel thousands of miles to help the local ordinary residents with the immortal family in Jiangnan who participated in the war in resisting the demons. After the battle in Linmo Abyss, some people chose to stay in the local area and found a beautiful valley to live in. Over the past few decades, some families have intermarried with the locals and moved out of the valley. The remaining were all Jiangnan people who were left behind.¡± For a time, Deng Xian already felt that his head was as big as a bucket. Several people thanked Zhu Li and slowly walked back to the edge of the cliff. Deng Xian said, ¡°The life experience of this group of people is really bizarre, and we can¡¯t tell the truth from the fake.¡± He looked up at Mu Xiyun. ¡°What do you think, Senior Brother Mu?¡± ¡°It is unnecessary to distinguish between them. What is the benefit of lying?¡± Zhu Yicheng patted his head and asked in confusion. ¡°What are you talking about? Aren¡¯t we discussing something? What does it have to do with their life experience?¡± ¡°Fool,¡± Gu Qingqiao patted Zhu Yicheng on the back of the neck and said with a smile, ¡°You have one piece of a jade plate, if you don¡¯t care about these villagers, of course you can go out.¡± ¡°Can you ignore these villagers?¡± Zhu Yicheng felt that the river had been poured into his mind, and he could only struggle to repeat the other party¡¯s words. ¡°This is Lingshan. No one in Lingshan¡¯s illusionary realm knows whether the other party really exists, right? These villagers say that they live in Ningzhou, but they appear in Lingshan, which really makes people suspect that they are only an illusion!¡± ¡°But what if, indeed, they are just ordinary villagers?¡± Zhu Yicheng said with difficulty. ¡°So, we shouldn¡¯t have doubted it!¡± Mu Xiyun¡¯s cold voice sounded. ¡°Immortal Sect disciples should save lives and heal the wounded. That night, the elder Nie also said to stick to the principles in your heart, and don¡¯t give up your own standards of doing things because of who the other party is.¡± After speaking, he took out his jade plate and placed it on the stone platform in front of him. Gu Qingqiao hooked the corner of his mouth, and the people next to him were stunned. The mountain wind brushed past his pale face, but his dark eyes were filled with determination. Deng Xian was the first to react and smiled heartily. ¡°Well said! This is the mind and spirit that an immortal should have!¡± Deng Xian beckoned to summon the disciples of Qingcheng Mountain, and conveyed their concerns and discussed it to them one by one. The disciples of Qingcheng Mountain exploded immediately! ¡°You want to give the jade plate to those villagers?¡± ¡°Then how can people who don¡¯t have the jade plate get out?¡± ¡°Senior brother, can¡¯t two people use one jade plate?¡± ¡°Maybe the water will soon stop, let¡¯s wait a little longer, maybe we can all go out!¡± Deng Xian didn¡¯t make a sound, just waited quietly. The voices of the crowd slowly fell silent. Deng Xian looked at the silent disciples, took out his jade plate, and placed it on the ground in front of him. ¡°Senior brother, I¡¯m with you!¡± Xiao Ke, who blushed when he saw a senior sister, suddenly spoke, took a step forward, and put his jade plate next to his senior brother together. ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± After a while, more than a dozen jade plates were raised high, reflecting the fine light in the sunlight, illuminating the clean and clear faces of the Qingcheng Mountain disciples. Gu Qingqiao chuckled and said, ¡°Only that ox-nosed Jingci can teach such a group of disciples.¡± The scene of that year suddenly flashed in front of him. The same green bamboo Taoist robe and the funny hair bun. The ox-nosed old Taoist put him on the high platform, although he did not express any kindness, he did not mock or ridicule, but solemnly instructed his disciple, ¡°Although this person needs a public trial, he should be regarded as innocent before he is convicted, and should not repent.¡± He admitted that he was kind, because this sentence saved him from a lot of torture. Someone had already called Zhu Li and carefully explained the situation in Lingshan to him. Zhu Li looked at the jade plates on the stone platform, his face was pale, and he said repeatedly, ¡°How could this be¡­.how could it be used¡­ ¡° How could it not be used? Immortal cultivators have spiritual energy that would enable them to stay in the mountains for a few more days. ¡°Right, when you guys go out, quickly tell the Nie family and the immortal disciples waiting outside of the situation, and let them find a way to break the barrier.¡± The strong sense of responsibility stirred in their hearts. The disciples of Qingcheng Mountain had completely accepted the choice of staying in Lingshan, and in turn comforted Zhu Li. Mu Xiyun said warmly, ¡°Brother Zhu doesn¡¯t need to delay, please report the number of villagers, and we can arrange it.¡± Zhu Li quickly relayed that there were eight families who escaped, with a total of twenty-one people. The twelve Qingcheng Mountain disciples present, plus Mu Xiyun¡¯s group of five, only had seventeen jade plates in total. Even if all the jade plates were given up, it would still not be enough. Deng Xian frowned. ¡°A child is light, can he share a jade plate with an adult?¡± This has never happened before, and no one knew if it was feasible. ¡°That, that¡­¡± A small voice sounded, and Qin Le raised his hand timidly. ¡°Xiao Le, what do you want to say, say it loudly.¡± When a senior sister saw this, she urged. ¡°I, I, I think¡­¡± More than a dozen pairs of eyes were all fixed on his face. Qin Le only felt that his whole body was hot, and the words were stuck on his throat. Eventually, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I think I have a way to use jade plates to form a teleportation array, which can teleport a lot of people. This way everyone can go out.¡± CH 27 ¡°I think I have a way to use jade tablets to form a teleportation array that can teleport a lot of people so that everyone can go out.¡± After speaking in one breath, that he almost choked on his saliva, Qin Le blushed again. After a while, no one spoke, as if everyone was struggling to understand what he had said. Suddenly, the disciples of Qingcheng Mountain cheered. Although a decision had already been made just now, staying here also meant giving up hope of life for the time being. Who could be completely calm? Gu Qingqiao smiled and patted Qin Le. ¡°Pretty good, but how sure are you?¡± ¡°Ninety percent.¡± The cubby young man¡¯s eyes were firm. ¡°I have studied the teleportation array of Lingshan before in the Qin family. The one on the jade tablet is the simplest transmission array. If combined together, add some magic seal or magic tools that can magnify the array, we can form a large array, the spiritual energy can reach more than twice the original, therefore there is no problem with taking more than thirty people out.¡± The crowd moved quickly. Zhu Li went to the villagers, explained the current situation to everyone, and inspected their physical conditions. The three beauties took out dry food and distributed it to everyone to somehow satiate their hunger. Mu Xiyun took his sword again to observe the rising water level. Others took out the talismans they were carrying for Qin Le to use. He chose the stone platform as the place to cast the formation. After cleaning it, he placed the jade tablets one by one into a huge circle, took out a cinnabar from his Qiankun pouch, and began to draw complicated patterns on the ground, filling the gaps between the jade tablets. A circle of talismans and instruments were placed surrounding the jade plates, and they were also carefully drawn and connected with the cinnabar. The Senior Martial Sister of Qingcheng Mountain took the younger martial sister, Luo Qinghai, in her arms, and whispered to the side. ¡°Do you remember Young Master Hu who you saw last year? The gentle and affectionate mouth with beautiful looks. As a result, a bear monster scared him into fainting. Fortunately, you were only obsessed with him for half a year.¡± The junior sister¡¯s face was flushed, and she said angrily, ¡°Senior sister, why are you saying this all of a sudden?¡± Her Senior Sister pointed at Qin Le¡¯s direction with her chin. ¡°Look at him, he seems timid and stammering in normal times, but now he has a heavy responsibility, and when he does things, he immediately becomes very focused. His mind is without any distractions. Sometimes, people who first tremble at the sight of a battle don¡¯t know how strong they really are.¡± After she finished speaking, she touched her Junior Sister¡¯s forehead then continued, ¡°Remember, stop being wanton, this is the best choice.¡± Luo Qingai smiled and looked at the little fat man who was crouching on the ground, covered in dust and cinnabar, unaware that he had become ¡± the best choice¡±. ¡°All right!¡± Since it had to accommodate dozens of people, the diameter of the array was two meter wide. In order to facilitate the villagers to enter the array, Qin Le had to really quickly finish and fill in the remaining gap of the array. ¨CAfter this would be finished, the villagers could then enter formation and sit at the center. The elderly, women and children included, and the young and middle-aged men were outside, holding hands and forming one body. The cultivators in the periphery would sit cross-legged with their backs to them, with Qin Le touching two jade tablets which were the head and the tail with both hands, and the others placing one hand on the shoulders of others, forming a circle. When activated, everyone would use their bodies as a medium to combine their spiritual energy into one. Finally, through Qin Le, this combined energy would then enter the jade tablets, which would connect seventeen small magic arrays together, and then through the magnifying effect of the talisman and magic weapon, a large magic circle would be activated¨C Qin Le squatted outside the formation, drawing complicated patterns with his brush. As soon as they thought that they could go out of the mountain, people couldn¡¯t help but relax, and a few young men had even started to discuss their plans after going out. However, at this moment, something unexpected occurred! In the dense forest on the side, a tree noticeably shook. Mu Xiyun and Gu Qingqiao immediately raised their heads. Qin Le was drawing lines sweating profusely, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a cold light flashing in Gu Qingqiao¡¯s hand, and a knife suddenly passed by near his ear. Qin Le was startled, and went down to the ground in confusion, but he heard a ¡°puff¡±, when the short knife shot into the dense forest behind him, as if it had hit something. Qin Le was so frightened that his face turned pale, Gu Qingqiao had already stood up, turned over and jumped out of the formation, blocked Qin Le¡¯s back, and said in a low voice, ¡°Continue painting!¡± A dark figure came rushing out from the dense forest. At that time, the sky was bright, and the sun clearly illuminated everything around him, but the shadow was so fast that it was like a ghost and it was immediately in front of them before they could even see what it was clearly. In a flash, Gu Qingqiao reacted fast and collided with the shadow. The shadow was extremely tall, and Gu Qingqiao, who was more than seven feet tall, looked like a child in front of it. Gu Qingqiao raised his twin sabers upwards, his spiritual energy gathered his arms, and blocked the opponent¡¯s powerful hand smashing down with both hands, and the two became deadlocked for a moment. The crowd exclaimed for a while, and only then did they discover that the visitor was covered in black hair all over his body, his lower jaw protruded and his eyes were red. It was actually a huge black ape. The ape was extremely powerful, his arms stretched out nearly ten feet, and his arms swayed with a whistling sound, and his movements were huge. The claws seem to be very hard, and when they hit the saber, sparks burst out. After a few moves, Gu Qingqiao only felt that his arms were sore and numb, so he had to make a clever move¨C blocked its claws and slid it to the side, then kicked the belly of the black ape. The black ape fell to the ground with a bang, blood dripping from the corner of its mouth, but it didn¡¯t stop, instead, it was agitated by the blood. After getting up and staggering for two steps, he let out a roar and rushed over immediately. ¡°Oh my God, how can you still fight!¡± The disciples of Mount Qingcheng exclaimed. ¡°Where did the ape come from, from the mountains?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, two more shadows emerged from the dense forest, rushing towards the crowd. Mu Xiyun¡¯s heart froze, and he pressed Zhu Yicheng, who was eager to fight, and whispered, ¡°Take care of several junior sisters!¡± After saying that, he took advantage of his shoulders and jumped out of the magic circle. On the other side, a green bamboo shirt flashed, and Deng Xian also jumped out. The two looked at each other and each faced a black ape. Qin Le knelt beside the formation, the spiritual power and gust of wind brought by the fight rolled behind him, he gritted his teeth, and with shaking hands, he didn¡¯t dare to stop for a moment. The magic circle was finally complete. Qin Le hurriedly jumped into the formation. The positions of the three people in the formation were originally scattered. Qin Le hesitated for a moment, and asked the Qingcheng Mountain disciples beside the gap to relocate to ensure the connection of spiritual energy. At the same time, he made room for the three men to stand in the array when they came back. After nervously finishing the array, Qin Le shouted: ¡°Come quickly, it¡¯s okay to go!¡± The three were still fighting with the black apes. These black apes were nimble in shape and excellent in physical strength. They were also rough and thick-skinned, and their long fight did not even consume much of their physical strength. Everyone was secretly anxious inside the formation, and the disciples of Qingcheng Mountain couldn¡¯t hold back, so they had to step up to support. The platform suddenly trembled. The next moment, all the people swayed. Unexpectedly, the water already reached the bottom of the stone platform, a large hole suddenly appeared on the soft soil, and the entire stone platform trembled and tilted to one side. For a time, everyone in the formation was in danger, and the disciples of Mount Qingcheng hurriedly stabilized their bodies and helped the fallen villagers. The children cried out in fright and were hugged by their mothers. ¡°Qin Le!¡± Mu Xi shouted without looking back. ¡°Activate the array!¡± ¡°What?¡± Qin Le shouted. ¡°Then what about you?¡± The three did not answer, only the sounds of swords clashing were heard. Looking from a distance, four black apes seemed to have rushed out of the forest, and the three of them had been surrounded and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. Qin Le¡¯s eyes were filled with the panic-stricken faces of the villagers and the crying eyes of the children. He looked back at the three people who were fighting in full swing, and his head was full of mad cries. ¡°What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?¡± But time did not allow him to continue to hesitate. The shaking of the stone platform intensified, and the soft soil under the platform was washed away by the torrent. Fortunately, this time it was the other side. After a while, the stone platform leveled again, but its whole body sank suddenly, as it fell more than five feet high. All the people in the array exclaimed. We can¡¯t wait any longer. The flood had already licked the edge of the stone platform, and a moment later, the water would flood the entire platform. If the formation drawn by cinnabar was washed away by water, no one would be able to get out. Deng Xian¡¯s voice came from a distance from above. ¡°Qingcheng Mountain disciples obey the orders, go all out to protect the villagers, you are not to leave their side without permission!¡± ¡°Senior Brother Deng!¡± The younger sister was so anxious that she burst into tears, but she did not dare to disobey her brother¡¯s order. This was the most tangled moment for Qin Le since his birth. On one side were the helpless innocent villagers and on the other side were his comrades in arms who never despised his cowardice and always helped him. This young man who is afraid of flying boats, now bore the burden of life and death. His face was pale, and suddenly, the last words of the ancestors of the Qin family sounded in his mind. ¡°The Qin family guards the people, and will not hesitate to die!¡± Qin Le closed his eyes and let the tears roll down, and stretched out his hands to the jade tablets. When the spiritual energy was transmitted, the jade plates lit up one after another. The lines drawn by cinnabar gave off a faint red light and all the lines were connected into one. The runes and magic weapons in the inner circle were also activated by the spiritual energy. Red light rose from the ground and began to bend inward after rising ten feet high. It was woven into a dome, covering everyone in the formation. Qin Le looked at the three through the red light of the circle, but could only see the messy footsteps of the black ape. The dirt beside him came down, and the ground continued to tremble. The formation flashed, and the people inside the array disappeared and the water finally submerged the stone platform. Beside the dense forest, the battle of the three was still going on. The open space at the edge of the forest was not large. Previously, the three of them had to pay attention to the direction of their strikes from time to time, so as not to interfere with Qin Le¡¯s teleportation array, and they had to try their best to take the black ape away from the stone platform, which resulted in a deadlock. But now that everyone had been sent away, the three had no scruples. For a moment, the saber on the open ground was shining and sword lights were flying. The black ape was driven backwards to the edge of the clearing. The ground shook again, and the edge of the clearing suddenly collapsed. Three black apes had no time to respond, and fell into the torrent with a howl. The three of them felt the pressure lightened, and the remaining four black apes became somewhat scared, and eventually were also defeated one by one and fell into the river. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Deng Xian took a breath. The Qingcheng Mountain Taoist disciple Deng Xian¡¯s weapon was a whisk, which was now covered with blood. He appeared nonchalant about it, and merely walked to the water and washed it casually, then turned his head and asked, ¡°What should we do now?¡± Gu Qingqiao raised his eyebrows. ¡°You rushed out without knowing what to do?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Deng Xian scratched his hair and smiled bitterly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it that much at that time.¡± ¡°Alas, what a pity!¡± Gu Qingqiao cried out sadly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get out either! Do you know how Master Mu?¡± Mu Xiyun looked up at him, his pale eyes showing no expression. Just when Gu Qingqiao was about to surrender and said ¡°I was wrong¡±, he turned around without saying a word and went to wash his sword by the water. Gu Qingqiao looked at him in surprise, and the corners of his mouth twitched quietly. Deng Xian looked at his silent back and said in shock, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped!¡± After speaking, he immediately realized he made a mistake, and quickly comforted him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s find a solution together.¡± Gu Qingqiao patted Deng Xian¡¯s shoulder with emotion, ¡°Junior Brother, you are really a good person!¡± While Deng Xian was confused, Mu Xiyun, who finished washing his sword, turned around and said, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go up the mountain.¡± CH 28 ¡°Right, let¡¯s go up the mountain.¡± Deng Xian understood. ¡°Senior Brother Mu is going to find the source of the water.¡± ¡°En,¡± Mu Yun replied, ¡°Although it may be an illusion created by Lingshan, I still feel a little worried if I don¡¯t go see it in person. Besides¡­¡± Mu Xiyun looked up at Gu Qingqiao. ¡°Besides,¡± Gu Qingqiao nodded at him, ¡°There is a teleportation array in the Lingshan Illusionary Realm, which can also teleport one out of the mountain.¡± Deng Xian was stunned for a moment, and then he slapped his thigh and said, ¡°How could I forget that those who enter the Illusionary Realm will be transported down the mountain by a teleportation array, regardless of whether they¡¯d obtain a celestial weapon or not.¡± After a while, he responded, ¡°Then you two just¡­¡± Mu Xiyun coughed lightly and walked up the mountain, while Gu Qingqiao only blinked at Deng Xian, and followed up with a smile, leaving the Senior Brother of Qingcheng Mountain, who only realized that he had been deceived at this moment, and then helplessly followed behind. The three of them went up the mountain road, but this time they did not encounter any obstacles. Only the occasional one or two small animals that would jump over the road in a panic, and quickly hid when they saw people. Not long after walking, a clear sound of running water became louder, and its mist that rushed toward their faces moistened its surface. At the corner of the mountain road, a white streak fell from the sky and crashed on the mountain wall, causing bursts of water spray. Mu Xiyun stretched out his hand to the waterfall, but before he touched the water, he was pulled back by Gu Qingqiao. He looked at Gu Qingqiao with helplessness and then the other instead reached its hand to the water. Afterwards, he retracted his hand after confirming that there was no problem and simultaneously released his sleeves. Deng Xian, who was on the side, didn¡¯t pay attention to them, and directly put his hand into the edge of the waterfall, and then shrank back with an exclamation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Xiyun glanced at Gu Qingqiao¡¯s hand, feeling a little nervous. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s okay.¡± Deng Xi waved his hand. ¡°This water is just so cold.¡± The weather in April in the south was already very warm. Although the mountains were cool, there was no colder feeling than this. At the moment, as the three of them stood beside the waterfall, they felt the freezing cold sensation coming from the water. When one placed their hand in the water, it was even more chilling to the bone. Suddenly, in front of their eyes, a small black shadow mixed with running water quickly fell. By the time the three of them leaned over to look, it was long gone. Presumably just a random animal on the mountain that stumbled down. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Gu Qingqiao said after not seeing any clues for a while. ¡°Go up to the source and see.¡± Lingshan was not too high, based on the previous Lingshan Taoist discussion, one could reach the magic array on the top of the mountain in the evening of the next day or in the morning of the third day. A section of the road before the formation was called ¡°Chuang Feng¡±, because people from all walks of life would show their spiritual powers on this road, compete with others, eliminate opponents, until the moment when the enchantment before the phantom formation disappeared. At this moment, the three of them were walking on this ¡°Chuang Feng¡± road, and it was peaceful until they reached a small house. Although Immortal Sect disciples were full of admiration and fantasies about Lingshan, everyone who had already climbed Lingshan knew that the entrance to the illusion was not as tall and brilliant as people imagine, on the contrary, it looked very shabby. According to legend, this was the place where Nie Wuya lived before his ascension. The thatched hut was built on the mountain and was located in a small open space. In front of the door, a sloping fence enclosed the small courtyard, with a few bamboo chairs in the courtyard and a few green bamboos beside the house. At first glance, it looked like a quiet and simple house. At present, outside the small courtyard, a group of people were standing. The flash flood occurred on the night of the first day. During this time, most of the people had not yet reached halfway up the mountain. The group of people here should all be survivors from the flood. There was no need to climb the peak, the torrent had already made a choice for them. The three slowly walked towards the crowd. A burly man with a beard turned his head, saw Deng Xian, and nodded to them. ¡°Longhu Villa, Fang Rui.¡± Seeing both of them looking at him, Deng Xian explained in a low voice. After he finished speaking, he stepped forward to give a salute and asked, ¡°Brother Fang, you guys¡­why are you standing here?¡± Fang Rui raised his head in the direction of the hut. A tall and thin young man pushed the door into the room, and after a while, came out again. There was a sigh of disappointment from the crowd. The Lingshan Illusion had disappeared. ¡°Could it be because it isn¡¯t time yet?¡± ¡°Let another person go in and try?¡± Mu Xiyun took two steps to the side, sat cross-legged beside the bamboo forest, closed his eyes, and felt the spiritual power of this place. The disciples of Moyun Mountain had always had a good reputation in the Immortal world. At this moment, Mo Xiyun¡¯s face looked steady and calm, and when everyone saw this Immortal brother in white sitting under the breeze and green bamboo, with his eyes closed, showing a state of solemn compassion, the anxious and irritable mood was comforted for a moment, and everyone slowly calmed down. After a while, Mu Xiyun opened his eyes, stood up, and asked the people in front of the house, ¡°Is there a descendant of Lingwu Sect here?¡± A Taoist priest in black robes came out. ¡°Wen Zirui of Lingwu Sect, Taoist Priest Bai¡¯s disciple.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Mu Xiyun said, ¡°I heard that Lingwu disciples have a skill that can detect the distribution of spiritual energy in one place, and even make invisible enchantments appear. I wonder if this Senior brother can use it.¡± According to legend, Qi Weiling, the founder of Lingwu Sect, was a spiritual stone miner. He was born with a special sensitivity to spiritual energy since birth and often uses this skill to explore spiritual veins in the wild. Later, Qi Weiling became successful in cultivating immortals. Qi Weiling then gradually summarized this skill into a single one. In Lingwu Sect, there had always been a daily pulse inquiring session, which was used to recruit people who were sensitive to spiritual energy to practice this method, specializing in spiritual vein exploration, and to use spiritual stones to support the school. Wen Zirui nodded and replied, ¡°The method of sensing spiritual energy pulse is beneficial to practice, and the disciples in the sect naturally learned a thing or two.¡± ¡°En, then please feel the fluctuations of this place, Senior brother.¡± Wen Zirui went out to the yard, sat down with his legs crossed facing the hut, and made hand seals with both hands. In a short while, dense beads of sweat oozed out from the tip of his nose and on his forehead, obviously, his spiritual energy was close to being exhausted. Seeing this, Mu Xiyun said in a low voice, ¡°Senior Brother Wen, continue to cast spells, I¡¯ll help you.¡± After speaking, he placed his hand on Wen Zirui¡¯s back and transmitted his spiritual energy to him. Indistinctly, Wen Zirui saw the spiritual flow of the hut in front of his eyes, but he still couldn¡¯t see it clearly. Mu Xiyun frowned. Gu Qingqiao immediately reached for his back and injected spiritual energy. Deng Xian and Fang Rui also joined in. The five people¡¯s spiritual energy were combined, and Wen Zirui¡¯s vision became much clearer immediately. In front of him, a powerful spiritual current was like a rushing river, hovering and churning on the ground. The five-colored spiritual currents continued to surge upwards as if they were about to break through some shackles. But no matter how hard it struggled, as soon as it left the ground, it would be scattered by a pair of invisible hands, and would never take shape. Wen Zirui opened his eyes and described what he saw to everyone. ¡°So, the Lingshan Illusory Formation was actually suppressed?¡± Deng Xian asked in surprise. The illusion that the immortal left behind was actually suppressed, which surprised everyone. And the source of this oppression¡­.. Everyone looked up at the same time on the cliff with a height of fifty feet above. There was a thin white mist and above the white mist, there was a huge cave. From that huge cave, water was gushing out as a ray of sunshine was reflected on its spraying water. The huge stream of water crashed down with a heavy chill. ¡°Then let¡¯s go up and have a look?¡± Fang Rui asked tentatively. For a time, everyone looked at Mu Xiyun. Those who arrived at the hut were all young and talented, and it stands to reason that no one could be trusted. But everyone had been here for several hours, and they had already tried various methods to no avail, and they each were anxious. At this time, seeing Mu Xiyun raise his hands in a stable and peaceful manner, and found the source of the contradiction not long after he arrived, all of a sudden they all cast a trusting look at him. Although Mu Xiyun had a light temperament and doesn¡¯t like to take responsibility, but now that everyone was panicking and waiting for him to speak, he didn¡¯t cowered down and said lightly, ¡°Lingshan has changed abruptly, this strange waterfall comes from nowhere, and even suppressed the powerful illusion, which only shows that it is dangerous. If you have no intention of exploring, and you still have the jade plate in hand, it is better to stay away from here and use the jade plate to teleport out of the mountain.¡± Most of the immortal disciples who participated in Lingshan¡¯s discourse were the proud disciples of their own sect. They were arrogant and had a high opinion of themselves. Now is a great time to make a name for yourself, anyway there¡¯s still the jade plate, why not take a look? Because some just survived the flood, there would be considerably weaker ones. The people who could enter the realm were only a dozen. If someone could break the suppression, they could enter the realm and get a celestial weapon. If they could just follow others, why wait? Only a young man in a blue shirt stepped forward and said to Mu Xiyun. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Senior brother. I won¡¯t join in on the fun.¡± After saying that, he waved his sleeves and went down the mountain with a ??laugh. Everyone looked at his back full of spirits as he went away, and for a while they had their own thoughts. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± The arrogant sons of heaven couldn¡¯t hold back for a long time, and several teenagers immediately drew out their long swords, recited the spell to go to the cave hole where the waterfall was gushing out. However, not one flew. All the sword spells were ineffective, most of the spiritual swords remained motionless. The one or two that had considerable energy only bounced, turned over the ground, and then fell motionless. Everyone looked at each other. Even the Imperial Sword Art was suppressed. To go up the mountain, there was only one way left. This rock wall was straight upward, as if it was split by a giant knife. The remaining half acted as a barrier at the rear of the hut, and the other until its tip pierced through the clouds. Fortunately, there were many vegetations on Lingshan, and there were many vines and shrubs in the stone cracks, there¡¯s still something one could hold on to. Without saying a word, his figure swayed and his robe flew lightly in the wind, like a big white bird, leaping up the rock wall lightly and skillfully. When he gained a foothold, he lightly stepped on the stone wall, and then rose up another ten feet. Gu Qingqiao followed closely, but he went straight up. They didn¡¯t see how he borrowed such force, but the cooperation of his hands and feet was very tacit, and the speed of the rise was comparable to that of Mu Xiyun. A dozen or so teenagers also jumped up and climbed the stone wall. What Mu Xiyun used was Moyun Mountain Tianliang Peak¡¯s unique skill ¡°Crossing the Clouds¡±. It stresses ¡°lightness¡±, ¡°dexterity¡±, ¡°smartness¡± and ¡°speed¡±. When one reached a high level, one would be like a white crane spreading its wings and flying a dragonfly on the water. One would be extremely agile, and it also only required very little spiritual energy. Even so, Mu Xiyun still felt that the higher he climbed, the more difficult it was to mobilize the spiritual energy in his body. ¡°Could it be that there is another problem with the fusion of body and soul?¡± He was secretly perplexed. There was a layer of white fog in front of him. The mist was wispy, constantly flowing in front of the eyes. Mu Xiyun took a deep breath, exerted force on his feet, and half of his body thrust into the white mist. In a flash, a gust of wind descended with enormous pressure. Although Mu Xiyun had been mentally prepared, Mu Xiyun did not expect the wind to be so strong. His feet and hands slipped, and his body was suddenly lifted to the side inside the mist Mu Xiyun¡¯s heart was startled as the wind whistled in his ears. The spiritual energy in his body was heavily suppressed that he could not move at the moment, and only witnessed as he was getting farther and farther away from the white fog. Suddenly, a long arm was wrapped tightly around his waist. His body was still falling, however he saw that the man¡¯s other hand flashed with light, and the tip of the knife went in and out in a string of sparks on the rock wall, making a sharp noise. Finally, the blade cut into a crack in the stone, and the two fell slightly slower. Mu Xiyun immediately reached out and grabbed a vine to stabilize his body. Both of them gasped violently, Mu Xiyun turned his head and saw Gu Qingqiao¡¯s terrified face that was close at hand. His eyes were still staring at him for a moment, almost in a daze. ¡°You¡­¡± But before Mu Xiyun could speak, he felt his arm tighten around his waist, and he was tightly hugged by the other party as a whisper sounded in his ear. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here, don¡¯t be afraid. ¡° Mu Xiyun was a bit lost, but he didn¡¯t dare to push him away and simply let him hold him. ¡°Hey, are you all right?¡± Fang Rui¡¯s voice came from far away. Gu Qingqiao¡¯s body jerked, as if he was awakened. Then, as if being scalded by the fire, he suddenly let go of his arms and hurriedly clambered on the vines, and then said, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± The warmth that shrouded his body suddenly disappeared, and Mu Xiyun somehow felt that his heart was empty for a moment. He raised his head and glanced at Gu Qingqiao, then lowered his eyelashes, and said below. ¡°We¡¯re fine. There are strong winds and spiritual energy in the mist, everyone be careful.¡± When he turned his head again, Gu Qingqiao had regained his composure, looked up at the white mist, and asked, ¡°Continue?¡± ¡°En.¡± Mu Yun nodded and continued to climb up. CH 29 He came to the mist again, but paused for a while and looked at Gu Qingqiao behind him. After receiving an affirmative look from the other party, he cautiously entered the mist. The powerful pressure that attacked him was comparable to that of Mount Tai, and all the spiritual power of the whole body was used to resist the pressure. Until, eventually, the body would be drained of spiritual power, and became incomparably heavy like that of a common man. The roar of the gust of wind sounded very loud in the ears, and there was a ruthless intent in the wind, which scratched the skin painfully. Time seemed to be extended indefinitely, and with every inch one climbed up, there would be thousands of tiny pains and aches, that seemed like needles were raging on the skin. The bone-chilling cold froze the blood into ice. The endless pain and cold made Mu Xiyun a little dazed, and there seemed to be a song coming from the whistling wind. ***** ¡°¡­..February is tired of falling plums. On the way home from Xianyuan, Bi Tao urged. Weicheng Siyu persuaded to leave the cup¡­.¡± In the distance, the ethereal female voice sang softly, with soul-stirring tenderness. The young people in the small town, fascinated by the singing, wandered through the streets and walked towards the top of the barren mountain like corpses. It was a Snow Demon that ran rampant in a small town in the northwest, specializing in luring young men with strong vigor to absorb yang energy to aid in cultivation. When Mu Xiyun received the news and went, the Snow Demon had just finished eating, and her soft and beautiful body, which was only covered with only a layer of snow-white tulle, got up from the paralyzed man. She raised her pretty face and looked at the young man in front of her. There was unadorned desire in her eyes. Her red lips parted slightly, and she asked softly, ¡°Is the husband willing to go with me?¡± Mu Xiyun¡¯s answer was a ray of sword light. That year was the first time Mu Xiyun went down the mountain. The seventeen-year-old boy had an indomitable drive and hatred of evil, but he ignored the gap between himself and the other party¡¯s cultivation. Although swordsmanship and will made him last for a few more hours, he was still lost in the end. The Snow Demon leaned over to look at him, as he was hanging on the edge of the cliff with only a few fingers. Below was an endless abyss. The Snow Demon smiled and stretched out a delicate jade hand to him. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance, handsome young man. Would you like to go with me?¡± The pressure came from the top of his head. In the weather in March, an extremely cold wind blew. The fierce cold wind carried ice spears of the Snow Demon, cutting blood on his face, but it caused a wisp of lingering in his heart, just like a person who was on the verge of freezing to death that would suddenly feel extremely hot, became dazed and confused. Pain forced him to give up resistance, entanglement tempted him to hold tenderness. The Snow Demon¡¯s charming laughter sounded in the wind. ¡°You are young, don¡¯t you already have someone you like? You know that human love is fleeting, and having fun is the right thing to do.¡± Silly demon! Why would you say that to a cultivator? Love-he doesn¡¯t understand all these things. He only had a simple thought in his heart: ¡°I finally went down the mountain, I want to see that person again.¡± He didn¡¯t know how long he had been dangling in the wind and snow, but the wind suddenly stopped. A scimitar slashed across, and Snow Demon¡¯s bewitching smile suddenly solidified, and her head separated from her body, turning into a lump of snow. Black boots appeared and stopped in front of his field of vision. He was stunned, and a hand quickly grabbed his wrist. Is it a hallucination? Did God hear his voice and gave him some false comfort when he was dying? The young man he met on the Qing bridge back then had grown into a straight and tall man. His broad shoulders contain explosive power, and with just a little effort, Xiyun was pulled up to the top of the cliff. What remained unchanged was his familiar deep eyes, with bright light and a faint smile. ¡°Ah Yun!¡± Gu Qingqiao¡¯s voice contained surprise, but then he became stern, ¡°Why are you so careless? This Snow Demon has been cultivating for hundreds of years, and its realm is above a golden core. You¡¯re only a small foundation level, why do you go straight to a hard fight? You were very clever when you were young, how come you¡¯re dumber as you get older?¡± He cursed impolitely in his mouth, but his hands kept injecting him with spiritual energy. Mu Xiyun looked at him for a moment, his body slowly warming up. As if his mind had not recovered from the huge surprise of meeting each other, there were suddenly tears in his eyes. Mu Xiyun¡¯s voice was hoarse, as if there were thousands of words, but he couldn¡¯t utter a single one. ¡°Senior martial brother?¡± A young boy¡¯s voice sounded from behind, and a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy turned around the corner of the cliff. The same black dress as Gu Qingqiao, the same black gold belt, hair tied up with a narrow vermilion band with gold edging. There was no flaw on the boy¡¯s face, white as a cloud in the sky, with a hint of femininity in his beautiful eyebrows, and a little red mole on the corner of his left eye, revealing a little seductiveness and the corners of his mouth curved into a perfect smile. There seemed to be a trace of embarrassment in Gu Qingqiao¡¯s eyes, his hand suddenly exerted force, and Xiyun¡¯s wrist tingled for a moment. ********** ¡°Junior Brother Mu, Mu!¡± The stabbing pain in his wrist and the call in his ear made Mu Xiyun suddenly come back to his senses. He had climbed to the edge of the cave, and the icy waterfall splashed on his arms, his hands turning red from freezing. Gu Qingqiao had already climbed into the cave, and was standing on the edge of it, reaching out and grabbing his wrist. Xiyun tapped lightly on his feet and jumped into the cave with the other¡¯s pull. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Gu Qingqiao stood in front of him, rubbing his hands and helping him warm it. ¡°Let¡¯s take a rest first and wait for them.¡± This wait took half an hour. The cave was not big, and the water rushed past, splashing countless tiny droplets, dampening their clothes. Mu Xiyun sat cross-legged on a slightly protruding rock at the entrance of the cave, as far away from the icy water as possible. Gu Qingqiao squatted behind him and checked the Qiankun bags of the two of them carefully. Finally, Deng Xi¡¯s voice came from below, and it seemed that Fang Rui was also there. They heard Deng Xian ask, ¡°Junior Brother Fang, is there anyone else coming up below?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Fang Rui said with a snarl. ¡°They are all lazy. Many of them went back halfway through, and there were two or three who followed me, but they couldn¡¯t hold on much longer. Now there¡¯s only two of us. How about you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy,¡± Deng Xi¡¯s voice came. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of pressure in the fog, along with a violent wind. With my cultivation, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to last for half a column of incense.¡± ¡°What the hell, but I am not as good as you!¡± Immediately afterwards, Fang Rui shouted, ¡°The two senior brothers, have you arrived yet? We can¡¯t go up!¡± Mu Xiyun looked back at Gu Qingqiao, and it seemed like that he¡¯s not planning on helping. Gu Qingqiao shouted, ¡°We are here. If you can¡¯t come up, go down first.¡± ¡°Then take care of yourselves!¡± Fang Rui yelled again. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Mu Xiyun stood up, and a gust of wind blew over his head, making him almost stumble backwards. Gu Qingqiao quickly stood up, and the wind immediately eased up. It turned out that this man had been behind him to shield him from the wind. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Gu Qingqiao turned and walked forward for about ten steps, but did not hear Mu Xiyun¡¯s footsteps following him. He turned back strangely and saw him standing at the entrance of the cave staring at him. The sunlight outside the cave gave the immortal cultivator in white a layer of glitter, but also not seeing his expression clearly. Gu Qingqiao hurried back and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Xiyun lowered her eyes and said, ¡°There is ice on your back.¡± When he was protecting him from the wind, with clothes that were already soaked in the icy water mist, it was suspected that it frosted due the biting cold wind. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not feeling cold.¡± Gu Qingqiao grinned. Gu Qingqiao still led the way. The pressure in the cave was still there, and both of them were low on spiritual energy. He really couldn¡¯t tell how much spiritual energy was needed to dry his clothes. After walking for a while, he just suddenly felt that his vest warmed, and that a low-level fire talisman was on his back, making his clothes instantly dry. The corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help bending upwards, he whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡± There was a muffled laughter behind him, Gu Qingqiao stopped and smiled. ¡°I said, I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t burn¡­¡± At the beginning, their smiles couldn¡¯t be contained. Knowing that there was really nothing funny, the two of them couldn¡¯t stop laughing. The cave had come to an end, and there was a curtain of light in front of them. It was impossible to see what was glowing, but there was still space behind the light curtain, and the icy river water was pouring out from this gleaming space. The two reached out and probed, and their palms passed directly through the light curtain. In the space behind the light curtain, there was a gust of wind, and as soon as the palms of the two entered, they felt a strong gust of wind. They both groaned and pulled back together. The spiritual power was still suppressed, but there seemed to be no other damage. After calming down, the two stood side by side in front of the light curtain and stepped forward together. The pressure immediately came crashing down, and the little remaining spiritual power in the body was immediately suppressed to the death, Gu Qingqiao took two steps forward, and a wind unexpectedly came his way, he hurriedly pulled out his knife to block, and the wind hit the knife with a ¡°ding¡± sound as if it was solid thing, and his arm instantly became sore and numb. He pulled Mu Xiyun behind him, held both knives together, and walked forward against the wind. After walking less than three feet, the two knives had blocked more than a dozen winds in a row. His hands were already trembling and sore and his breath had also become labored. He paused in footsteps, and Mu Xiyun immediately stepped forward, unsheathed his long sword, and blocked a gust of wind with a ¡°ding¡±. Without turning his head, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s change!¡± Fortunately, the space behind the light curtain was not too long. After the two exchanged five or six times, they finally reached the edge of the barrier. As they took a step forward at a time, their eyes were slowly filled with a river full of waves. The exit of the barrier was actually in a big river. Xiyun let out a soft grunt, and the long sword in his hand turned and stabbed, and sure enough, it stabbed a hard object with a ¡°ding¡± sound. It only needed little strength to break. Afterwards, Mu Xiyun flew up lightly, with the other hand on Gu Qingqiao¡¯s arm, the two of them flew up in mid air. There was a burst of relief on his body, and it seemed that the pressure of the enchantment was limited to the side of Lingshan, but it had no effect on the inside. Mu Xiyun chanted an enchantment and the long sword became bigger and floated in the air. The two turned around and stood on the sword, and then they began to look around carefully. There was chaos in front of them. The mountains, water, and sky were all shrouded in a thick gray fog, which could not be seen clearly. Behind the thick fog, there seemed to be countless pairs of eyes peeping; in the sound of the wind, there seemed to be countless creatures whispering. ¡°Here¡­.is?¡± ¡°Bei Yuan.¡± Bei Yuan, located in the north of Linmo Abyss, under the Snow Mountain, was already within the scope of the Demon World. Legend has it that the spiritual energy here was withering, and that it was a barren land. Even in the Demon World, there was no creature that could survive here for a long time. But it was the source of all rivers in the entire continent. The meltwater on the snow-capped mountains merged into glaciers, rushing from here to all around. Where the two were now was the largest of them. The galloping river was majestic, with a thunderous roar running downstream in a destructive way. But now, in the middle of the big river, there was a small island. The island was not naturally formed. A round shape like a pig crystal was built into a high platform, and most of it was submerged into the river. The side of the high platform was facing the river and a huge array was flashing slightly. When the surging river hit the array, it didn¡¯t create any splashes or waves but only disappeared into the array. CH 30 ¡°The source of the big river that suddenly appeared on the Lingshan Mountain should be here.¡± Mu Xiyun looked at the high platform under his feet, and pondered. ¡°It looks like an array, connecting this place to the Lingshan Mountain.¡± ¡°This place is thousands of miles away from Lingshan. What kind of array can have such great power and connect such a long distance?¡± Although Gu Qingqiao only had a general understanding of array formations, he also knew that space teleportation arrays consume a lot of energy. Transporting enough water to submerge Lingshan thousands of miles away, it¡¯s absolutely with only this small platform. ¡°Moreover,¡± Mu Xiyun wondered, ¡°Why did the people who set up the array take great pains to lead the water here to Lingshan? If it¡¯s just to submerge Lingshan, wouldn¡¯t it be better to divert water from nearby?¡± ¡°Lingshan only opens every three years. When the mountain is closed, the mountain disappears without a trace along with the space formation connecting the two ends of the immortal and demon world. How should the person who set up the formation arrange everything on Lingshan?¡± When they didn¡¯t see the source of the waterfall, they looked for the source. When two finally found the source, various questions instead arose that were even more troublesome than before. ¡°Forget about these for now,¡± Gu Qingqiao asked, ¡°Do you know how to break the formation?¡±. ¡°It¡¯s easy to break the formation. If you destroy the runes or the high platform, the formation will naturally be broken.¡± Mu Xiyun thought about it and added, ¡°But the caster will definitely not leave it without any defense.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try it.¡± Gu Qingqiao said, took out two blasting talismans from the Qiankun bag and raised his hand. One of the two talisman papers flew to the side of the high platform and hit the magic circle directly, as the other rushed to the center of the high platform. Before the talisman paper could land, light suddenly appeared on the high platform, intertwined into a circular enchantment until to its border. It enveloped the high platform and the magic circle like a big egg. As talisman paper collided with the barrier, only two loud bangs were heard, then a flash of fire, as the talisman exploded into pieces in the air. ¡°A defensive formation is superimposed on the magic circle and the high platform.¡± Gu Qingqiao said. ¡°Indeed,¡± Mu Xiyun murmured, ¡°That ochre spar was also to strengthen magic circles, I have a way, I can try it! It¡¯s just¡­¡± The two were hanging in the air at this time, all thanks to Mu Xiyun¡¯s sword. If he wanted to break the formation, Mu Xiyun had to use the sword¡­ What should I do, let Gu Qingqiao go swimming? Mu Xiyun rubbed his nose, realizing for the first time that his ¡°no scruples¡± on life would also bring trouble. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I have a solution.¡± Gu Qingqiao took a step forward, looked down at the magic circle, and reached towards Mu Xiyun¡¯s waist. Mu Xiyun didn¡¯t know what he meant, but he stepped back subconsciously, reached out and patted the back of Gu Qingqiao¡¯s hand. He only heard a crisp sound of ¡°pa¡±, as he took a straight shot. Both of them froze for a moment. Gu Qingqiao withdrew his hand, and noticed that there was a red mark on the back of his hand. He rubbed it, pointed at Mu Xiyun¡¯s waist and said, ¡°The Qiankun bag.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Mu Xiyun finally understood, took the Qiankun bag and handed it to him, and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. ¡° For a moment, both of them were speechless in embarrassment. After a while, Gu Qingqiao opened the Qiankun bag, and took out two lotus leaf-shaped disks from it. ¡°Jiangtian lotus leaves are boundless green,¡± Gu Qingqiao said with distaste. ¡°It is produced by the Golden Pavilion, and it will bring you to enjoy the fun of flying atop it just like flying on a sword. Tsk tsk, fortunately, those disciples from Qingcheng Mountain are not here¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡± As he spoke, he took out two more spirit stones and inlaid them on the lotus pads. The lotus pad floated in mid-air. The two of them stepped on one of them and tried to move back and forth, and found that they were very flexible. Mu Xiyun retracted his long sword, channeled his spiritual energy, and rushed down from the air. When he got close to the magic circle, he popped a spirit stone from his left hand and when the spirit stone touched the defensive formation, it immediately sparked a golden light. Mu Xiyun waved his right hand, and slashed down with all his might. The spiritual power on the sword collided with the spiritual stone, and immediately drew out the huge spiritual power crashing into the defensive formation. The defensive array trembled, but it still firmly shrouded the high platform. Mu Xiyun raised the lotus plate, ready to charge again. ¡°Jie Jie Jie¡± Suddenly, a sharp cry came from the air. In the mist, there seemed to be a huge creature approaching. ¡°Be careful!¡± Gu Qingqiao yelled, drew out his two sabers, and flew to Mu Xiyun¡¯s side on the lotus plate. The two drew their weapons back to back and looked up to the sky vigilantly. A large bird appeared from the mist. The body of the bird was huge, the wings spread out to a length of ten feet, and its slender beak was extremely sharp. ¡°Is that an¡­iron-winged morant?¡± ¡°It is said that the iron-winged morant is a monster raised by the Demon King. Its realm is equivalent to a monk at the Nascent Soul level. But the territory of the Demon Clan is farther north of Beiyuan. How can there be an iron-winged morant here?¡± Demon Clan¡­¡­Gu Qingqiao seemed to have a flash of thought in his mind, but he didn¡¯t have time to think about it¡­ As it didn¡¯t give them the time to be distracted. The iron-winged morant in the air flapped its wings, bringing up a whirlwind and water mist, and then, the big bird shot towards the two of them like a sharp sword. The two of them dodged to both sides at the moment when the big bird rushed down. Mu Xiyun swung his sword to meet him, but he didn¡¯t meet its edge head-on. He dodged sideways the moment before the bird¡¯s beak struck, and slashed diagonally at the bird as hard as black iron. On the beak, the huge impact caused the bird¡¯s head to deflect to one side. On the other side, Gu Qingqiao had already sacrificed a pair of knives, one knife was against the claws of the bird, and the other knife slashed at the root of its wing. The iron winged morant felt pain and pulled upwards with a scream. There was another sound of flapping wings, and in the mist, two more big birds appeared. ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Gu Qingqiao pushed Mu Xiyun, ¡°Go and break the formation!¡± After speaking, he drove the lotus pad and went to meet the three big birds. Mu Xiyun turned around and rushed towards the magic circle, as he heard a dense sound of metal and stone clashing behind him, mixed with a few muffled groans and the screeching of an iron winged bird. Throwing the spirit stone in his hand, Mu Xiyun swung his sword and slashed it down, turned around and threw it again, and slashed again. The defensive magic circle finally showed signs of collapse, it flickered then dimmed. There was a sound of breaking wind behind him, and an iron-winged morant flew at an extremely fast speed. Mu Xiyun leaned aside and took a closer look. Gu Qingqiao was soaked in blood, and he was riding on the neck of an iron-winged morant, as his hands were filled with spiritual energy trying to control the bird¡¯s head. Behind him, the other two iron winged morants chased after him like lightning. Gu Qingqiao controlled the big bird to rush towards the magic circle, but suddenly controlled it to fly upwards at the moment when it was about to touch the defensive barrier. The two iron-winged morants who were chasing after them slammed into the magic circle fiercely as they couldn¡¯t react in time. The golden light of the magic circle shone, and the two birds fell into the water with a wail. The defensive formation was still there, but before Mu Xiyun could step forward, Gu Qingqiao had already shouted loudly, one person and one bird spun sharply in the air, rushing straight towards the formation with the sound of whipping wind. There was a loud bang, and the defensive array disintegrated under the huge impact. The big bird had already broken its neck when it hit it, and fell slumped towards the river. Gu Qingqiao was bounced into the air by the huge spiritual force, spit out a mouthful of blood, and almost fainted. A pair of hands embraced his back instantly, and spiritual energy was injected into his back to sort out the retrograde and chaotic spiritual flow in his meridians. The barrier on the stone platform was finally broken. Mu Xiyun supported Gu Qingqiao, and controlled the lotus pad to slowly land on the stone platform. There was no longer any barrier separating them and the stone platform with the magic array. Mu Xiyun supported Gu Qingqiao to sit down, and asked him in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m going to break the formation. But I don¡¯t know what will happen when the formation breaks. Do you want to take a rest first?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Gu Qingqiao looked into his worried eyes and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t die. This place is so weird, you should break the formation quickly, the situation may change unfavorably if you delay.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Mu Xiyun felt that his aura had stabilized a lot, and the spiritual flow in his body had also become smoother. He nodded immediately, and walked towards the edge of the stone platform with his sword in hand. The river was still roaring and rushing forward, setting off mist on both sides of the high platform. The long sword shimmered because of its full spiritual power, Mu Xiyun held the sword with both hands, and slashed down with all his strength. Kachak! The sword body was embedded into the high stone platform, and the slowly flowing pattern of the magic circle stopped turning. Kachak, chak¡­ Few big cracks appeared on the stone platform and soon small cracks spread out in all directions like vines. ¡°The array is broken!¡± Mu Xiyun turned around happily, but unexpectedly, there was a violent shock under his feet, and before he could see Gu Qingqiao¡¯s frightened and worried eyes, the stone platform collapsed suddenly, and his figure quickly fell down. The spirit array shattered. Huge spiritual power gushed out from the spirit array, pushing the river back three feet. The turbulent river water was lifted high, gathered more force to sweep over, and slapped heavily on the high platform of the ocher spar. The high platform at this end of the magic circle was instantly shattered. The rest of the magic circle turned the river into a huge vortex, trying to swallow everything nearby. All this happened in a flash. Gu Qingqiao was situated in the center of the high platform by Mu Xiyun just now, which was two feet away from the edge of the high platform. When the array broke, he had already started running towards the edge of the platform, and after only a few breaths, when he reached the edge, Mu Xiyun had already disappeared without a trace. The power of the array faded quickly, and the vortex on the river was already ten feet wide. Gu Qingqiao lifted his robe and jumped into the vortex without hesitation. **** Lingshan. The disciples who had just climbed the mountain wall had already returned to the hut. More than half of the people have chosen to use the jade token to leave. Wen Zirui was still sitting cross-legged in front of the hut, feeling the changes in Lingshan¡¯s spiritual power. Deng Xian and Fang Rui stood beside him, looking up at the cave on the top of the mountain. If their fiery gaze could be turned into substance, the mountain wall and waterfall in front of them would have been cut into pieces. The waiting people gradually lost their patience, and people kept coming to say goodbye to them. Two hours later, only the three of them were left in front of the hut. ¡°Brother Deng, can they do it?¡± Fang Rui asked carelessly. ¡°This,¡± Deng Xian didn¡¯t dare to take it seriously, ¡°I met them after I entered the mountain¡­¡­¡± Deng Xian slowly told him about what happened to the mountain village. ¡°So, without the jade token, the three of you can only rely on the illusion of Lingshan to get out?¡± Wen Zirui also heard Deng Xian¡¯s narration, and interjected. ¡°You can put it that way.¡± Deng Xian replied, ¡°But they took the risk to relieve everyone¡¯s difficulties, I still admire them very much.¡± Hearing these words, the three of them raised their heads at the same time, looking at the cave above the mist on the top of the mountain. Suddenly, Wen Zirui¡¯s body shook, and he blurted out in surprise, ¡°There is movement!¡± Before the words fell, the ground, and there was a sharp roar from the cave on the top of the mountain, like a pack of wolves howling at the moon, shaking the three people down the mountain almost out of their wits. Immediately afterwards, bursts of thunderous roars came from the cave, and the water of the waterfall suddenly increased, like a big wave. It fell down like scattered flowers. ¡°Ah-¡± The three of them were about to hug their heads, but they felt spiritual power gushing out from their feet. If Wen Zirui could use his skills to investigate at this time, he would definitely see the colorful spiritual energy flowing that was suppressed on the surface of the ground at this moment, had now risen to the sky, and the stirred spirit flow was soaring like a tornado, covering the space above the hut and up to the top of the cliff in an instant. The three of them had no time to dodge, and instinctively fled to the only hut that could provide shelter. Fang Rui was the last to rush to the door of the hut. Before entering the door, he looked up again. It seemed that a white shadow fell with large and small stones in the sky. At the next moment, he stepped into the hut and saw a flash of light. Deng Xian and Wen Zirui had already disappeared. After a breath, the cabin was empty. The Lingshan Illusory Formation was activated at this time. CH 31 That falling white shadow was Mu Xiyun. When Mu Xiyun fell from the stone platform, a huge burst of spiritual power threw him directly into the water. Before he could take a breath, the turbulent water engulfed everything in a vengeful manner, and hit the platform again. The remaining magic circle formed a huge vortex, spinning and sucking everything around. Mu Xiyun was caught in the running water and returned to Lingshan. The huge impact produced by the eruption of spiritual power on the high platform made Mu Xiyun¡¯s meridians almost shattered, and his hands and feet were so weak that he couldn¡¯t move. When he appeared in the cave, he was instantly hit by the flowing water and fell off the cliff. It was said that when a person was about to die, he would recall his whole life in an instant. The moment his body was falling in mid air, Mu Xiyun thought blankly, ¡°Ah, right, that boy was called Wu Ying.¡± **** The child turned around from the cliff, glanced at Mu Xiyun¡¯s grasped wrist, and said in surprise, ¡°You are amazing! Do you know, you are a level behind that snow demon, how can you last so long!¡± Gu Qingqiao had already let go, frowned and said, ¡°What¡¯s so great? Is the gap of one realm interesting? If I¡¯m not around today, are you going to be eaten by her or fall from here?¡± Mu Xiyun opened his mouth, but before he could answer, the young boy spoke first, ¡°Senior brother, don¡¯t be so fierce, the immortal is about to cry because he was scolded by you. ¡° Mu Xiyun suddenly hated him a little, because he definitely wasn¡¯t crying because he was being scolded. That night, all three of them stayed at an inn in the city. The boy kept pulling Mu Xiyun curiously, and looked at him carefully, from head to toe. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an immortal disciple like you,¡± he said shyly, ¡°Brother Mu, are all the disciples of Moyun Mountain as good-looking as you?¡± ¡°Brother Mu, how did you meet my Senior brother?¡± ¡°Do you know, my Senior brother is very kind to me. When the master asks us to work, the Senior brother always lets me rest and he would also pick the dirtiest and most tiring work for himself.¡± ¡°I like going out with Senior Brother the most!¡± Mu Xiyun had already forgotten how he had answered that time, he only remembered that he was full of excitement of their reunion after the long separation, but he had to suppress his mood, smiled and listened to the little boy talking to himself. Gu Qingqiao didn¡¯t say anything, just sat on the porch and watched the moonlight. After the moon was high in the sky, he turned his head and said to the two of them, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, Wu Ying, let the Immortal Gentleman Mu rest.¡± It turns out that his name was Wu Ying. Hearing the words ¡°Immortal Gentleman¡±, the fire that had been suppressed in Mu Xiyun¡¯s heart all night suddenly burst into flames. He got up and gave a stiff salute, and walked towards the room without saying a word. Behind him, Wu Ying asked in a low voice, ¡°Senior brother, Brother Mu seems to be a little angry, did Wu Ying say something wrong?¡± Gu Qingqiao¡¯s voice came, ¡°Good boy Wu Ying, it¡¯s none of your business. Go and have a rest.¡± Mu Xiyun closed the door heavily. Early the next morning, Wu Ying came to look for him. ¡°Brother Mu, let¡¯s go to the barren mountain outside the City again!¡± ¡°Why? Are there still snow demons there?¡± ¡°The snow demon is gone, my Senior brother said that the Snow Demon killed yesterday was quite high-level, if that is her lair, maybe we can find something valuable inside.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your Senior brother?¡± ¡°Senior brother received a summons from the master last night. He said that he would go to that mountain when he came back, Wu Ying knew that the senior brother worked very hard every day, and even with such small things, Senior brother would always help Wu Ying .¡± Mu Xiyun was somehow angered when he heard the last sentence said by Wu Ying. Mu Xiyun and Wuying came to the side of the mountain, and they searched the snow demon¡¯s lair all the way up, but found nothing. Soon, the two came to the top of the mountain again. Under the sunshine of March, the body of the Snow Demon had already disappeared without a trace and a snow-white bead had fallen in the grass. ¡°Ah, demonic bead!¡± Wu Ying ran over happily, picked up the bead, and waved happily. ¡°Brother Mu, come and see, this bead is so beautiful¡± Mu Xiyun walked over. There was not much space on the top of the cliff, and because Wu Ying squatted in the inner position, Mu Xiyun could only stand on the edge of the cliff. Holding the demonic bead high in Wu Ying¡¯s hand, he suddenly stood up happily. Following his movements, the rocks under Mu Xiyun¡¯s feet unexpectedly shook and collapsed, just like the stone platform just now¡­. Time seems to be stretched. Memories turn back and forth but only for a moment. The whistling wind was still wailing in his ears, and the rapid fall bulged his wide sleeves and robes. Mu Xiyun turned his face to the sky, watching the cave as it appeared farther and farther away quickly. It¡¯s great that the water has gradually diminished. The source of the originally rushing water was cut off after that burst of spiritual power, and the wide waterfall at the beginning quickly shrank into a small stream in a few breaths. Mu Xiyun tried his luck, but after experiencing the collapse of the high platform, the impact of the water flow, and the friction when he was rushed out of the cave, his whole body suffered from major and minor injuries; to make matters worse, the spiritual explosion from the crystal platform had also impacted his sea of ??consciousness, the backflow of spiritual power in the meridians of his whole body caused him severe pain, and his whole body lost strength. Mu Xiyun had no choice but to gather what little spiritual energy he had, and set up a simple defensive array behind him to resist the impact of the landing. Bang! The defensive array was shattered upon impact, and his back hit the ground heavily, stirring up a cloud of dust. Mu Xiyun instantly spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision gradually blurred. When he opened his eyes again, it was already dusk. Pieces of burning clouds floated in the air, and the rocks in the valley were dyed bright red. Valley? Mu Xiyun raised his head with difficulty and looked around. The huts, stone walls, and waterfalls all disappeared without a trace. There was only a large piece of dry and barren stone land in front of him and the sharp stones made my body ache. There was a feeling of familiarity in his heart, and the scenery here seemed to him like something he had seen before. Mu Xiyun slowly sat up and silently checked his condition. Numerous flesh wounds on his body were still oozing blood, and the more serious ones were two broken ribs, dislocated left hand, and displaced internal organs. The spiritual energy in the body was also almost stretched to its limit Mu Xiyun held his left wrist with her right hand, gritted his teeth, then pulled it hard¨Chis wrist was reset. The severe pain made him see black spots, and he took two quick breaths. Mu Xiyun took out the Qiankun bag, trying to find if there was any elixir that could be used. He scanned the bag with his consciousness, and he couldn¡¯t help being stunned. In the corner, there was an exquisite medicine box, and there were about twenty small porcelain bottles neatly stacked inside the medicine box. There were pills for treating internal injuries and replenishing spiritual energy, medicinal powders for treating trauma, stopping the bleeding and promoting muscle growth, potions for enhancing physical strength and enhancing spiritual awareness¡­..There were all kinds of them. Suddenly, he remembered that person¡¯s advice. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard when you enter the mountain, don¡¯t put yourself in danger for others; if you get hurt, don¡¯t be stingy with medicine¡­¡­¡± Mu Xiyun lowered his head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s really not worth it for him to worry about me too much. I don¡¯t know how he is doing now.¡± He casually took the elixir for wounds and ate it, sat cross-legged in meditation, and used his spiritual energy to drive the effect of the medicine and to slowly repair his body. When he opened my eyes again, the sky was already full of stars. The wounds on his body had stopped bleeding, the ribs were connected but still aching, the more troublesome thing was the damage to the meridians, the tingling pain that was incompatible with the body when he just woke up once again covered his whole body. Mu Xiyun endured the pain and stood up, looked around, and walked forward to the right by instinct. Turning around at the foot of a mountain, a bamboo forest suddenly appeared in front of him. That¡¯s right, Mu Xiyun finally understood where the familiarity just now came from. This was the place where he came into when he joined the Taosim discourse of Lingshan. Mu Xiyun of the previous life met two senior brothers after entering Lingshan Mountain. The three of them broke through the barrier and entered the illusion. They were attacked by a huge snake monster. In the fierce battle, a senior brother fell to the ground seriously injured and was about to be killed by the snake monster. Mu Xiyun rushed forward to protect his senior brother, but was bitten on the shoulder instead by a huge snake. The tusks went deep into his muscles, but Mu Xiyun endured a sharp pain and stabbed the snake near its head. After the death of the giant snake, strong winds blew, it carried dust and sand hit their faces, making it hard to keep their eyes open. After waiting until it cleared again, the two senior brothers had suddenly disappeared. At that time, Mu Xiyun staggered aimlessly with a shoulder injury, and finally saw this bamboo forest at sunset. Remember passing through the bamboo forest, there would be a small building ahead. In the previous life, he was poisoned by the snake venom and his vision became blurred. When he struggled to finally arrive downstairs, he had completely lost his sight. In the darkness, a warm hand held his wrist, led him upstairs slowly, helped him to bed, and prepared medicine for him. **** Mu Xiyun walked slowly through the bamboo forest, and the small building really stood beside the bamboo forest. ¡°Oh,¡± Mu Xiyun lowered his head and smiled secretly. I really don¡¯t know how likely it is that in the second life, I still would encounter the same illusion? Or, is it because the soul was the same, therefore the illusion will be the same? This was a question that will not be explained in any ¡°Lingshan Treasure Book¡±. The moon had risen, and the bright moonlight covered the starlight, coating the bamboo building with a layer of white frost. In the bamboo building, a lamp was like a bean, and a black figure sits in front of the lamp. Who is that? Mu Xiyun stood in the bamboo forest, and mottled bamboo shadows covered his whole body. There seemed to be a sound approaching rapidly in the distance. Mu Xiyun subconsciously glanced at his Qiankun Bag. Right, he had Huzi¡¯s stone that had the effect of concealment. He took it from the bag, held it in his hand to input spiritual energy, it lighted up slightly, and a layer of slightly fluctuating enchantment immediately enveloped Mu Xiyun¡¯s whole body. Swoosh. Two black shadows passed by quickly, one of them stopped suddenly, and turned back. With the help of the moonlight, Mu Xiyun saw that it was a big gray wolf. ¡°What is it?¡± The other, which was a smaller creature, had a woman¡¯s voice. The gray wolf sniffed in Mu Xiyun¡¯s direction, and then stood up with a kick of its hind legs. Under the bamboo shadow, the mane on the wolf¡¯s face fell off, and a tall and strong man appeared in front of him. It was actually two transformed demon cultivators! ¡°There seems to be someone here, can you see it?¡± The man sniffled and walked two steps forward in doubt, almost in front of Mu Xiyun. Even though he knew that the cicada barrier was very reliable, Mu Xiyun still subconsciously held his breath. ¡°Come on, big dog, the Valley Master is waiting!¡± the woman urged, ¡°I don¡¯t want to offend him for being late.¡± ¡°Smelly fox, don¡¯t call me a big dog!¡± the man growled. After sniffing the air again, he finally gave up and turned to chase the woman. After a few ups and downs, the two went up to the small building. Mu Xiyun¡¯s hand with the cicada shook, and then he sneaked towards the bamboo building.