Chapter 170

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Hearing this question, Shaowei gave a "Mm," her steps unceasing, not turning back, and said in a low voice: "I've been here, it was a coincidence."

Because she killed Feng Xian, she coincidentally entered this mountain, and then coincidentally met him, killing him with a single sword strike.

This path was discovered by him back then; it was just that he himself no longer had the strength to walk further, nor the willingness to walk further. As repayment for killing him, he gifted her his sword along with this path, letting her escape with her life.

She couldn't be bothered to recount her experiences and the way out to a dying man, so he had no way of knowing that her life could not be escaped; even if she fled this mountain, she could not escape the Yan Luo Hall already right before her eyes.

At that time she was numb and bewildered, but propping herself up on a final breath, still unwilling to halt her steps, she lifted that sword and walked alone onto this path.

Right now she also holds the same sword, walks the same path, but...

Shaowei couldn't help but look back.

She helped him carry the sword, so he could wholeheartedly lean on that straight, well-proportioned tree branch; the youth walked with a green staff, his robe tattered, his hair crown slightly askew, blood specks on his face, yet under the moonlight he still appeared transcendent and clear, his face several parts pale, making his brows and eyes seem all the more ink-like.

If she didn't look it was fine; but with this sudden glance, he actually looked like a transparent, about-to-shatter beautiful ghost.

Combining matters of her previous life, Shaowei involuntarily looked at his feet; fortunately there was still a loyal shadow willing to vindicate him.

His shadow was tall and swaying, longer than him, and caught up to her first, already arriving at her side a step ahead.

The shadow drew near, and the voice drew near: "Does the Mountain Lord suspect I am a transformed ghost, come to harm you?"

Shaowei turned her head back, continued forward, and answered with several parts arrogance: "Even if you turned into a wild ghost, I wouldn't fear you; let alone harming me, I could instead subdue you well enough."

Whether as a human or a ghost, her fierce aura was top-tier. And just based on his auspicious appearance before death in his previous life, even if he became a ghost, he probably wouldn't have much of a contentious temper left, and would most likely be very easy to subdue.

Yet she heard him say leisurely from behind: "Then subdue me; serving as the Great Witch God's ghost servant would be a pretty good post."

Words finished, even though only her back could be seen, her expression invisible, Liu Qi could still imagine she had most likely rolled her eyes, that eye-roll entirely contained in her disdainful tone: "Right now you're still human, so speak less of these ghost words."

Shaowei lengthened her stride somewhat, hearing Liu Qi follow behind, the staff he leaned on emitting a light sound.

Only a living person would make such noise; he is human, not a ghost. In his previous life he pointed the way for her; now she leads the way for him.

Following the small path out of this mountain, arriving at the mountain foot, the view opened up considerably.

This clearing was the same as what she saw before her death in her previous life: lush vegetation, mountains on three sides, behind her the mountain forest she had just exited, further away another continuous great mountain, on the left a steep mountain barrier where two mountains joined, on the right a road leading out of the mountains.

In her previous life, Shaowei failed to walk out of these mountains, stopping right there.

Same as in memory, she soon saw that winding stream; back then Xiao Yu ran across this stream water, crying loudly for help.

Back then it was a clear day; now it is night; no Xiao Yu and no villains, clear silent moonlight covering the wilderness.

Shaowei ran to the stream bank first, crouched down, washed her hands first, then cupped water to drink; after quenching her thirst, she wanted to wash her face, but saw her reflection in the water, thought of Liu Qi's words "leave it for others to see," and withdrew her hand.

Just as she was about to turn and urge Liu Qi over, Shaowei suddenly seemed to think of something, and fixed her gaze back onto the stream water.

The flowing stream faintly reflected the girl's puzzled gaze; before long, Liu Qi's walking figure appeared in the water, and he also looked into that stream.

Just now he was walking and looking; now he asks: "... When you came by chance before, was the scenery here also like this?"

Shaowei finished nodding, then raised her face to look at him, and said seriously: "Yes, no difference."

Liu Qi looked toward the direction the stream wound: "This place isn't right."

Shaowei had also reacted; previously in non-drought times, lush vegetation wasn't worth noting, but now drought has appeared, yet here even the fine grass is still thriving, and this stream, though shallow, is more continuous and unbroken than what was seen in the mountains...

Thinking of a possibility, Shaowei's spirits rose, and she hurriedly followed the direction from which the stream water came to search.

The stream wound and twisted, turning round and round, arriving at the left side of this mountain valley, before that steep mountain barrier where two mountains joined.

Shaowei tilted her head to look at this mountain stone barrier; she saw its form was steep and ferocious, like a giant monster overlooking and intimidating in the dark night, possessing a strong sense of oppression.

Liu Qi had already followed over; he bent down and pulled out a slender green grass, saying: "This is lampwick grass, which likes to grow in perennially damp places."

Words finished, he used the long staff in his hand to dig at his feet a bit, reached his hand into the pit, pinched a handful of soil: "Clumping and not loose, underground there must be deep water."

And Shaowei was already nearly certain; she stretched her hand pointing at that imposing mountain barrier, saying: "Behind this mountain barrier there is most likely a hidden wild valley; that dark water the hunter spoke of should be concealed in the valley!"

A hunter reported the matter of the dark water to Witch God Hua Li; this matter was not fabricated.

During those days at the nunnery, many commoners insisted on bowing in thanks to the Witch God, and because the Witch God symbolized ghost and god matters, one day some commoner started talking about a mysterious event in their household, wanting the Witch God to resolve their confusion; immediately quite a few commoners followed suit, strange events pouring toward the Witch God like beans, just short of burying Hua Li in a bean mountain.

But those events were true and false mixed; behind the strangeness, most were ignorance deceiving the eye, mistaken for traces of ghosts and gods.

That old hunter who claimed he accidentally entered a wild valley and saw ink-like dark water also had much mystery in his words; for example, after he returned home, a black snake suddenly appeared in his courtyard, and he determined that a flood dragon was hidden in that dark water; fearing to offend the flood dragon, he dared not mention it to anyone for many years; today seeing the Witch God, he mustered courage to try speaking, thinking the Witch God must have divine power to suppress that flood dragon.

The Witch God had no power to suppress flood dragons, but had a set of cunning calculations; Shaowei listened and formed a plan, deciding to use this matter as a cover for the plan, to help Rui Ze lure and kill Liu Qi.

Previously Shaowei and Liu Qi already had a plan, just waiting for a suitable cover; entering the mountain to seek dark water, and with a hunter as witness, this cover could be called seamless.

Only using it as a cover, and wholeheartedly preoccupied with her own private scheme, Shaowei's heart did not truly believe the hunter's words, until this moment accidentally finding this place, then recalling the old hunter's words, did she feel that those contradictory words just happened to correspond with the terrain here.

For example, the old hunter once said, after he mistakenly entered that wild valley and luckily escaped, when he looked back, he could no longer see that entrance — this mountain barrier before us is incomparably solid, both sides also have dangerous mountains; the entrance is indeed concealed, further covered by vegetation and chaotic rocks; the weak hunter of that year, in panic, could no longer see the entrance, which makes sense.

Shaowei was eager to try, immediately wanting to go search for the wild valley's entrance, but was pulled back by Liu Qi.

"This place is precipitous, and has wild beasts appearing; no one has set foot here year-round, not without reason." Liu Qi dissuaded: "That entrance is also certainly concealed; we don't yet know which mountain it hides in; searching will certainly consume much time; you have injuries, unsuited for night risks."

Also said: "The dark water won't pack up and flee overnight; better wait for the Imperial Guard to come search, inform them of this matter, let them bring enough manpower in daylight, only then is it absolutely foolproof."

The urgency brought by treasure-seeking seems to amplify animal nature; persuaded by him, Shaowei's human rationality returned, and she quickly calmed down, compromising: "Fine; if we wander randomly again, they'll truly be unable to find us."

Moreover, how she tosses about is secondary; Liu Qi is still dragging a leg that's adding insult to injury; if she acted obstinately, it would seem like deliberate abuse.

Shaowei found a dry spot nearby and sat down, planning to rest right there, patiently waiting for the Imperial Guard to arrive.

Liu Qi drank water, came to Shaowei's side and lay down, but was driven away by Shaowei: "Lie farther away; later if the Imperial Guard see you and me this close, they'll suspect our relationship."

Forced to cooperate for survival in a perilous situation is understandable, but their usual incompatible relationship stands there; once out of peril, they should turn their backs and keep distance.

"Reasonable words." Liu Qi agreed quite readily: "Physical distance can reveal intimacy or estrangement, liking or dislike."

Shaowei just wanted to nod, but her movement stalled again; intimacy or estrangement, liking or dislike — it is intimacy not estrangement, liking not dislike; estrangement and dislike are both false, intimacy and liking are the truth... intimacy and liking?

These two simple words, however, left Shaowei momentarily surprised.

She and Qingxiang Sister were both close and fond; this feeling was not unfamiliar, but suddenly placing it on Liu Qi made it indescribably strange.

Over there, it has already moved five away?

Shaowei reluctantly nodded, and Liu Qi then lay down again.

Amidst the insect cries and the sound of the stream flowing, Liu Qi spoke with eyes closed, like sleep-talking: "This place is truly a treasure land."

Shaowei's eyes scanned the surroundings: "On the contrary, from a feng shui perspective, this is a fierce land."

The mountain shape is ferocious and treacherous; once entered by mistake, it is very hard to escape. Such ferocious viciousness suits her, no wonder in her previous life she was mysteriously buried here, and perhaps borrowing this fierce qi, fierce upon fierce, she escaped reincarnation, becoming a stray fish under the Heavenly Way.

"Formerly a fierce land, henceforth it will be a treasure land." Liu Qi still kept his eyes closed: "The Mountain Lord entered the treasure land and has already transformed this place."

Shaowei softly "tsk"ed, and also lay down.

Again heard him half-dreaming half-awake: "Perhaps some extraordinary person was buried here; it is said immortal bones entering a fierce land can alter its qi..."

Shaowei silently turned her head, discerned for a moment, and saw he had truly fallen asleep just like that.

She originally thought, with him by her side, she could sleep peacefully with the bird despite her fatigue... could it be he has the same feeling?

Shaowei turned her head back, facing the night sky and blinked, yet had no sleepiness at all, spreading her four limbs wide in the grass bush.

Once the underground dark river in the mountain is discovered, stone must be chiseled and paths dug to guide water; the commotion will not be small, and in her previous life she never heard of this matter; if this time they truly find the dark river, this will be another change.

The appearance of this change is because she and Liu Qi arrived here alive.

From this it can be seen, people really must be alive to be good; even struggling to live, there will always be unexpected gains.

She must live, Jiang Fu must also live, being alive is good.

Shaowei slowly clenched her spread hands at her side.

Although time is pressing, only thirty days remain, but today breaking one tribulation and crossing another mountain means another step closer; once back in the city, she can let loose to interrogate and search...

In the moonlit grass bush, the young girl's slightly red eyes were bright and spirited, more sparkling than stars, more steadfast and constant than the night sky.

A flock of crows flew across the night sky, covering the crescent moon for an instant.

Shaowei looked toward the mountain forest from which the crows came, and knew roughly that the Imperial Guard would arrive.

Crows flew over layer upon layer of mountain peaks.

Under the night, mountain peaks changed one group after another, crows also changed one group after another; they flew over the highest layer of mountain.

Compared to the ferocious wild valley where Shaowei was, Lingxing Shan naturally possesses a majestic righteous air; after the crows swept past, a gust of wind also passed from here.

On the tenth day of Immortal Master Chiyang praying for rain, the night sky still glittered with stars.

In the Main Hall of Lingxing Terrace, doors and windows tightly shut, several Daoists took turns guarding outside the hall, yawning under the high-hanging lanterns.

Inside the hall, Chiyang in gray robe and white hair sat cross-legged with eyes closed, body not moving an inch.

Wind howled past once more, but this time different; for some reason that wind actually drilled into the tightly shut Main Hall, blowing out the only candle flame in the hall.

Chiyang abruptly opened his eyes; in the dimness, he saw the lamp candle had gone out, leaving only a wisp of scattered green smoke.

That was a lamp candle he specially left behind.

The Calming Heart Seal his hands pinched slowly changed into a Thunder Seal, clenching into two fists on his knees.

He looked toward the tightly shut door, his gaze seemingly piercing through the door crack to the mountain outside.

Stars gradually hide, sun about to rise, the east reveals dazzling golden light.

The city gate is open, messages from all routes transmit swiftly.

Rui Ze, accustomed to rising early, even while half-real half-feigning illness, rose early every day.

He planned to return to court in a few days; before that, he wanted to hear the good news he ought to hear.

Rui Ze sat behind the book desk; the messenger knelt before him, and as soon as he opened his mouth, his voice was trembling.

That trembling voice said: Cang Shan died, the people Cang Shan led out also nearly all died, while Liu Qi did not die, and was already found by the Imperial Guard overnight.

Rui Ze shocked and angry, suddenly stood up, immediately asked: "Where is the flower fox?"

"The flower fox survived nine deaths, seemingly found by the Imperial Guard together with Liu Qi... most of our people died at the hands of unknown persons; they had many hands, unknown whether to ambush the flower fox or Liu Qi..."

Because most of their own people died, the few survivors were also taken by the Imperial Guard; these people waiting far away for news could not discern the specific situation at the time.

But the flower fox certainly knows clearly; she must know what happened.

Rui Ze's face sank to the extreme, forcibly suppressing the anger to immediately seize the flower fox for questioning.

He began pacing back and forth in the study; as he thought, he only felt this matter not only came to nothing, but might bring extra trouble; for a moment he was agitated to the extreme.

Just what change occurred... how could it be like this!

"How could it be like this..."

The same question appeared in another place in the Capital.

Behind a carved small lattice window, a pair of eyes slowly blinked, muttering uncomprehendingly: "It should not be."

That flower fox is indeed extraordinary, but still merely mortal flesh; no matter how vigilant, with the accumulated manpower arrayed there, how could she escape?

The black shadow kneeling on the ground roughly explained the course: "... borrowed someone's unknown power, afterwards, that Sixth Prince also panicked and rushed in; her hidden hands only acted at the end."

"Like this ah." A long sigh sounded; after a long while, as if realizing: "It seems worldly methods cannot easily erase heavenly secrets; only fear she will grow stronger with each setback, both good and evil thought power will assist her growth..."

"Send Song Ya to find Chiyang; must think of another way..."

The black shadow obeyed and left; the eyes behind the small lattice window again overflowed with dazed sighs.

"Such a mess, the Emperor will certainly be angry... trouble ah."

The dazed eyes gazed through the hollow window toward the flowers in full bloom in the courtyard; the flowers are surely precious, but the most precious thing about morning flowers lies in their vigorous youth.

Equally precious flowers and plants are placed in the Weiyang Palace flower room.

The Emperor in Weiyang Palace is not just angry, but furious.

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