Chapter 726: Seventy-one, Blood Bronze Gate

Seventy-one, Blood Bronze Gate

Midnight.

Inside a long, secluded tomb passage.

One person and one fish walked inside, and a palm-sized little person was riding on the white fish.

The white sturgeon was like a walking white lantern, illuminating the road ahead.

Ouyang Rong walked alone for a while.

The tunnel was made of cold stone bricks on all four sides, and occasionally water droplets would drip from above.

Perhaps because it was located in the Yunmeng Swamp and had been in disrepair for a long time, this tunnel was somewhat damp and leaking.

Overall, it was still going downward.

Not to mention the narrow space, which increasingly gave people a sense of claustrophobia, making timid people feel suffocated.

Ouyang Rong maintained vigilance throughout, taking Miaosi and the white sturgeon, and walked for about a quarter of an hour.

Nothing happened along the way.

Finally, they arrived at a place suspected to be the end.

The white sturgeon flicked its tail and rose into the air, and the bright white light illuminated a huge stone wall in front of them.

The stone wall stood motionless in front of them.

Ouyang Rong walked back and forth under the stone wall, and the light illuminated a double-leaf door with a metallic texture.

"Strange, what is this place?"

Miaosi muttered, riding the white sturgeon, and flew all over the door, looking carefully.

Ouyang Rong's gaze followed their movement, and at some point, he suddenly reached out and touched the material of the metal door.

This metal material, the color was hard to describe, it was dark red with a bit of purple tone.

He faintly discovered some familiar things.

Ouyang Rong subconsciously injected Dantian spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy was like a stone sinking into the sea, the metal door remained motionless, with no reaction.

He was too familiar with this feeling.

After studying for a while, Ouyang Rong suddenly took out the Yunmeng Order from the Peach Blossom Source Map and corresponded it with the bronze door.

It was blood bronze.

The entire bronze door was made of blood bronze material.

"Little Rongzi, is this the thing that Little Cui taught you?"

Miaosi suddenly spoke, pointing to the edge of the blood bronze door and asking.

Ouyang Rong turned and walked over, touched the place she pointed, and there were faintly some runes there.

He fumbled for a while and fell silent.

Miaosi asked curiously:

"Why don't you speak? Is it that talisman of yours?"

Ouyang Rong frowned tightly and nodded.

"It's the Kui Star Talisman, you didn't see it wrong."

Miaosi muttered: "Why is it on this door? Could it be related to Little Cui? It wouldn't be his family door, hahaha."

Ouyang Rong didn't laugh, his eyes moved closer, staring straight at the runes carved on the door.

He took the initiative to fumble around.

He found that the edges of the entire blood bronze door were carved with patterns of Kui Star Talismans.

He didn't know what the function was.

Regarding the usage of the Confucian Kui Star Talisman, Ouyang Rong had only mastered a part of it for the time being, which could be considered fur.

But the part he had already studied faintly told him that this top-tier Confucian technique had an extremely wide range of uses. Currently, it is known that it is a superior starting move for Confucian alchemists to set up formations and cast spells. Currently, he hadn't seen anything better than it.

Cui Hao back then relied on the compatibility of the Kui Star Talisman to improve the initial version of the Peach Blossom Sword Formation created by Tao Yuanming, making one fake tripod sword turn into countless fake tripods, which had a far-reaching influence.

At this moment, the Kui Star Talisman appeared at the end of the secret tunnel in Lu Changgeng's cenotaph, and the usage was unknown.

Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment.

He didn't reply to Miaosi's joking words.

Because he wasn't sure if this Kui Star Talisman Confucian technique was only mastered by Cui Hao, or if he also inherited it from elsewhere?

So Lu Changgeng also knew it, and came from the same source as him?

Just as Ouyang Rong was thinking.

"Little Rongzi, look here!"

Miaosi rode the white sturgeon and flew to a place very close to the ground, suddenly shouting at the place in front of her.

Ouyang Rong frowned, walked over to take a look, and found that this was the center of the bronze door.

By logic, if placed outside, it should be the position of the door handle.

And on the blood bronze door, there was dark red blood stained here, barely able to see it outlining the shape of a human handprint.

Moreover, in the middle of the indentation of the handprint, there was also an indented intaglio of the Kui Star Talisman.

Ouyang Rong observed for a moment and took the initiative to take a few steps back.

After moving away, he carefully examined the layout of the Kui Star Talisman on the entire door.

Having become somewhat familiar with the Kui Star Talisman Confucian technique recently, he faintly developed some ideas about the formation on this door.

If he wasn't mistaken... this handprint position was the "Life Gate" of the entire bronze door's Kui Star Talisman formation.

And the Life Gate position is generally the key position that affects the success or failure of the formation.

Placed on this tightly closed blood bronze door, it was very likely the switch to activate the door.

Ouyang Rong first took out Cui Hao's half-silk book and pressed it on the Kui Star Talisman position on the door, trying it several times, especially at the palm print, but there was no reaction.

Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment, stretched out his palm, and placed it in the groove.

Waiting for a moment, there was still no reaction.

He couldn't help but frown slightly.

Miaosi also rode the white sturgeon to search around, but didn't find the opening to open this strange door. After she returned, she asked impatiently:

"How is it, Little Rongzi, any discoveries?"

Ouyang Rong didn't speak when he heard this, silently looking up at the blood bronze door.

He also looked at the Kui Star Talisman in the palm groove.

This Kui Star Talisman was intaglio, meaning it was indented.

Faintly having some intuition, Ouyang Rong took out a small knife, cut his palm, and dripped it into the intaglio Kui Star Talisman in the palm print.

The blood really filled the intaglio Kui Star Talisman, and the whole door vibrated slightly.

Finding that his judgment wasn't wrong, Ouyang Rong immediately pressed his palm hard on the handprint, almost perfectly fitting.

The whole door rattled and vibrated.

Ouyang Rong looked up, holding his breath and waiting.

Miaosi on the side also looked expectant, stepping back a bit.

Time passed second by second.

The vibration of the bronze door slowly leveled off.

Ouyang Rong's brows gradually furrowed.

Miaosi also went up to look suspiciously.

"Strange, why did it stop moving? Little Rongzi, is it not recognizing you?"

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and didn't speak.

After being quiet for a while, he withdrew his blood-stained palm.

Looking down, the blood on the intaglio Kui Star Talisman disappeared, as if it had been absorbed.

After waiting for a while, there was still no movement.

Ouyang Rong silently wiped his palm and turned to look at the pitch-black tomb passage.

"This is Lu Changgeng's tomb, and this is the ancestral grave of the Imperial Teacher's branch of the Fan Yang Lu Clan."

He suddenly spoke.

Miaosi nodded:

"That's right, what's wrong?"

Ouyang Rong didn't know what he thought of, lowered his head to bandage the wound, his tone somewhat calm:

"Perhaps because I am not a descendant of the Fan Yang Lu Clan, I am not qualified to enter."

"So this door was despising you."

Miaosi thought for a while, her little face seriously suggesting:

"Why don't you kowtow twice, Little Rongzi, and try to recognize your ancestors and return to the clan?"

"Not funny."

Ouyang Rong shook his head, narrowed his eyes slightly, and stared at this bronze door blocking the way.

One thing could be roughly determined.

Lu Changgeng also knew the top-tier Confucian technique Kui Star Talisman, or rather, the person who built this door knew the Kui Star Talisman.

Because the Fan Yang Lu Clan had a long tradition of passing down Confucian studies, similar to Cui Hao of the Qinghe Cui Clan, Lu Changgeng or some clansman of the Fan Yang Lu Clan must be a top-tier Confucian alchemist.

This bronze door and the exquisite Kui Star Talisman formation on it were constructed by him.

Ouyang Rong's heart flashed with the day Li Wan and Lu Jinghong came to worship and burn incense.

A bold thought suddenly popped into his mind:

Could it be that the "southern opportunity" that Li Wan and her son often boasted about refers to this door?

Ouyang Rong turned to look at the Kui Star Talisman in the handprint groove, and at some point, somewhat self-talked:

"Perhaps Lu Jinghong's blood can open it, or rather, the bloodline of the direct line of the Fan Yang Lu Clan will do...

"Is it a door that can only be opened directionally by the corresponding bloodline? Interesting, this Kui Star Talisman can still be used like this..."

Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment and met Miaosi's eyes.

The latter nodded: "Try it with the Xin Dingjian."

Ouyang Rong curled his lips: "The craftsman is still in the sword box, there is a thunder pool, trapping it. However, you can try the fake tripod sword."

After speaking, he sat cross-legged and spread out a painting scroll in front of him.

There was a Peach Blossom Source on the painting.

The next instant, sky-blue sword energy poured out.

It hit the blood bronze door.

Before the harsh sound was emitted, Ouyang Rong immediately closed the painting scroll in front of him.

The sky-blue sword energy disappeared without a trace.

The door remained motionless, and the place hit by the sky-blue sword energy was not damaged at all.

The fake tripod sword couldn't split this door, and Ouyang Rong's expression didn't have the slightest surprise.

He was mentally prepared.

Miaosi was a little disappointed and shook her head:

"If 【Craftsman】 were here, maybe it could help you break in."

Ouyang Rong shook his head:

"Not necessarily. This object is blood bronze, which has the function of absorbing various spiritual energies. The Xin Dingjian might be the first-class sharp, but the sword energy will be dissolved by it, and my spiritual energy is not enough to split this door with it, just like chopping fish with a knife blade, the knife can cut in, but my strength is not enough to push it forward."

Miaosi looked regretful:

"Then what should we do now."

"Go home and sleep."

Ouyang Rong dropped the four words and turned to walk away with big strides.

Ouyang Rong returned to the small island before dawn, just like yesterday.

After hiding the bamboo raft, he returned safely.

No one discovered him throughout the process.

Ouyang Rong studied the blood bronze door in Lu Changgeng's tomb for a while, and didn't see any blessings triggered, so he decided to shelve it for the time being.

The opening method that can be tried at present is the blood of direct bloodlines like Lu Jinghong.

Ouyang Rong was also somewhat curious about what was behind the door.

Could it be Lu Changgeng's real tomb?

Different from the plain cenotaph above, if it is a real tomb behind the door, it is likely to hide Lu Changgeng's relics.

From the dense Kui Star Talismans on the blood bronze door, it can be inferred that Lu Changgeng might be a top-tier Confucian alchemist.

Similar to Cui Hao.

There is a known detail that can be used as evidence.

That is the Lu family medicine bottle that Lu Jinghong was tested by Headmaster Tang during his second test.

This fetal bottle is naturally top-grade, and seems to be unique to the direct descendants of the Fan Yang Lu Clan.

In other words, descendants of the Fan Yang Lu Clan are naturally prone to alchemy, at least in terms of talent and physique, they have natural advantages, leading ordinary people by a large margin.

Therefore, it is not strange to give birth to a top-tier Confucian alchemist similar to Cui Hao.

Plus, the aristocratic families in the Northern and Southern Dynasties had a tradition of thick burial, so the relics in the real tomb are naturally extraordinary.

Ouyang Rong felt that he could try to explore.

But not now.

Daytime.

Ouyang Rong went out as usual, preparing to work.

Chen Niangzi gathered everyone and informed them:

"No need to move today, the ingredients and other things are almost enough, you can rest for two days, waiting for the return trip. However, if you have any private needs, you can tell me, I will go to the street with the fairies, and bring them for you by the way, but you cannot take any family letters out..."

Chen Niangzi exhorted the crowd.

Everyone gathered around excitedly.

Ouyang Rong was somewhat silent.

He turned and went back to sleep.

Anyway, this Chen Niangzi could go out, but she definitely wouldn't take him.

If he wanted to go out, he'd better think of a way himself.

Ouyang Rong took a nap at noon, and in the afternoon, he circled the small island and observed for a while.

Most of the Orchid Hall Yue women had already gone out and hadn't returned yet.

They finished moving the goods and stayed on this island, so they should be waiting for them.

After pondering for a long time, Ouyang Rong stood up and went back to the room to prepare.

At dusk, he decided to go out again, to Taoyuan Town, anyway, since he was already here.

Sunset and dusk, fishing songs singing late.

However, there were no fishing boats near the small island.

In addition, a small number of Orchid Hall Yue women were patrolling the island.

Chen Niangzi was not there, and most of the servants had returned to their rooms to rest.

According to Ouyang Rong's observation over the past few days, there was no nightlife on the small island, and no one came to find him in the middle of the night.

This also gave Ouyang Rong a chance to slip out.

Inside the room, Ouyang Rong was ready to go, and taking advantage of the darkness, he slipped out quietly.

Before long, he avoided the patrolling Yue women one by one, came to the shady side of the hillside, found the bamboo raft, pushed it into the water, and boarded the boat to leave.

During this period, Miaosi couldn't help but poke her little head out to look, but was silently pressed back by Ouyang Rong, suppressing her fuss.

The whole process of coming out was silent.

About half an hour later, the bamboo raft arrived at the ferry of Taoyuan Town.

Ouyang Rong had already changed into a fake body, originally prepared to choose the image of Zhang Qian, a female worker of the Ancient Yue Sword Manual of Longcheng County.

But after switching to a female body, it was a bit strange, so he changed back to a male one.

He didn't choose Wei Shaoxuan and others collected in the bronze mask, but carefully picked an inconspicuous fake body—Zhao Rushe, a party member of Zhu Lingxu, who was beheaded and sacrificed to the sword by him in the street of Longcheng County.

Ouyang Rong looked down at the strong body, and the face reflected in the water was somewhat fierce.

He nodded lightly, quite satisfied.

The bamboo raft docked, and there were still many people at the ferry, all fishermen returning at dusk.

Ouyang Rong, who looked unfamiliar, arrived by bamboo raft, attracting the attention of the local snakes at the ferry, but every day there were tourists who were not afraid of death going deep into the Yunmeng Swamp, so they didn't lack Ouyang Rong, this fierce-looking man.

Ouyang Rong looked straight ahead, walked out of the ferry, and merged into the crowd. Taoyuan Town didn't allow going out at midnight, but the night market from dusk to before midnight still had many people.

He strolled in the street for a while, feeling the few vague gazes behind him gradually disappear, and no one followed anymore.

Regarding this, Ouyang Rong remained calm throughout, and it could be considered that he muddled through.

However, these people who followed from the ferry might not be the people monitoring the town, but could also be thieves and pickpockets. Seeing that Ouyang Rong's face was not easy to mess with, they gave up.

Ouyang Rong strolled through a few more streets in the night market, and then, he began to walk toward the letter shop hall he had inquired about... ===== CHAPTER 727 =====