Chapter 764: 111. Exploring the Ancient Tomb Again

111. Exploring the Ancient Tomb Again

Actually, while secretly discussing in the room with Xiaoxuan in the morning, there was one thing Ouyang Rong did not mention at all.

That was the Thunder Method of Long Hushan.

As one of the few remaining disciples of the Shangqing Maoshan Ancestor Hall, Xiaoxuan, like Lu Ya, was a descendant left behind by the venerable and respected Old Heavenly Master Yuan.

Within the Three Pure Daoist Sects, her status was somewhat special.

Because the Shangqing Sect had few disciples and was low-key and secretive, liking to walk in the secular world, according to the unspoken rules, every generation's "Mountain-Walking" disciple of the Shangqing Sect was always responsible for helping the Three Pure Daoist Sects resolve "troublesome matters," responsible for maintaining a bright, clean, and unstained reputation.

It was inconvenient for the Sect Masters of the Three Pure Daoist Sects to stand out and express a firm stance on these matters on the surface, because they could not easily get stained with dust on their reputation.

If they were stained with dust, there would be no room for maneuver in the matter.

For example, Lu Ya had followed the Xunyang Prince's Mansion ever since Xunyang, guarding the Prince and the little Princess.

He was the Mountain-Walking disciple of the Maoshan Shangqing Sect. Throughout the whole process, the other two sects of the Three Pure Daoist Sects had hardly sent disciples down the mountain to contact the Prince's Mansion, except for that one time with Zhang Shixiu, when the Long Hushan Heavenly Master Mansion was truly forced into a corner by the Yunmeng Sword Swamp and had to come forward to dissuade...

Because of this, although the Maoshan Shangqing Sect had few people, every Mountain-Walking disciple was very popular within the Three Pure Daoist Sects and had "extensive connections," and they were not just for show; they had real, solid skills.

And these real skills were naturally the unique techniques of the Ancestor Halls of the other two mountains.

That was why Xiaoxuan could, after achieving success in her cultivation at Maoshan, change to cultivating by the Lotus Pond of the Taiqing Long Hushan. One must know that in the past, this was a treatment that only the Yellow-Purple direct-line Daoists within the Heavenly Master Mansion could enjoy. Yet Xiaoxuan could also obtain it; it was not just because the Uncle Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Master Mansion loved this outstanding young junior.

The reason was simple: since you, a direct disciple of Maoshan and a future Mountain-Walking disciple, have the effort to learn, the talent to learn, and the willingness to learn, then what harm is there in teaching you the Taiqing Thunder Method? Anyway, everyone was family, all of the Sanshan Blood-Dropping generation; they just lacked the surname Zhang. In the face of the benefits to their reputation and substance in the future, it was not an issue at all.

There was a reason why the Long Hushan Heavenly Master Mansion could continue for hundreds of years until today as the leader of the Three Pure Sanshan; they were not blockheads who only knew how to stick to same-surname reproduction.

Ouyang Rong heard Huang Xuan say in the morning that she had already comprehended the Thunder Method by the Lotus Pond of the Heavenly Master Mansion, and this was also verified during their previous exchange of blows.

At the moment he heard this, it would be a lie to say he didn't have that thought of "getting a free ride."

After all, the true body of 【Craftsman】 was still trapped in the Heavenly Punishment Small Lei Chi inside the sword case.

But this thought only flashed for an instant. Even at that time, he incidentally raised his hand and silently pressed down on the Peach Blossom Spring Map, which was showing some signs of movement.

It was the little guy 【Craftsman】 who sensed the 180-degree turn in the sword master's thoughts.

Finally, until he said goodbye to Xiaoxuan, Ouyang Rong did not privately ask her for the Five Thunder Orthodox Method of the Heavenly Master Mansion.

The reason was simple.

To learn the Thunder Method to dissolve the Heavenly Punishment Lei Chi, he did not want to, and at the same time could not, "get a free ride" from Xiaoxuan.

Because apart from direct disciples like Zhang Shixiu, those who were proficient in the Long Hushan Five Thunder Orthodox Method were only a few outer-surname disciples like Xiaoxuan.

Whether Lu Ya knew it or not, Ouyang Rong, as a non-Three Pure disciple, even if he hid his true identity and only performed it in the guise of a bronze mask, would still cause the Taiqing Long Hushan to be furious and suspect a traitor.

Xiaoxuan was the latest outer-surname Daoist nun to learn the Thunder Method, so her suspicion was not small, and she would be implicated by him.

Therefore, Ouyang Rong did not open his mouth from beginning to end, although he knew in his heart that Xiaoxuan would most likely hand it over to her "Tanlang Brother" without hesitation, and with her quiet nature, she wouldn't even ask him what he wanted to do.

Although he hadn't seen this little girl for several years, she seemed to have never changed, just like when they first met; she believed from the bottom of her heart that this benefactor of hers would never do anything to intentionally harm her.

It was precisely because Ouyang Rong felt this that he kept his mouth shut.

He would find the Thunder Method to crack the Heavenly Punishment Lei Chi himself; he could not implicate Xiaoxuan.

Having temporarily shelved the thought, Ouyang Rong headed east to one of the busiest markets in Taoyuan Town.

He strolled through the shops along the street, silently selecting, and using those five taels of silver, he purchased some tung oil, fire starters, hooks, shovels, and besides that, enough dry rations and water for three days... these were things needed to go deep into the tomb passage at night.

After purchasing, Ouyang Rong carried his bundle on his back, blended into the crowd, and disappeared into the bustling street.

High above his head, the sun hung obliquely in the western sky; it was almost sunset.

Deep in the night, on the shore of Zhuo Island.

The figure of a fierce, burly man hid the boat that he had borrowed but not returned in the reeds, then went ashore and walked toward the depths of this uninhabited small island.

No one had come to this island for a long time, and the night ferry at the shore had long been abandoned into a muddy swamp, prone to running aground.

The bluestone path Ouyang Rong was walking on should have been walked by people in the past; now it was overgrown with weeds.

Ouyang Rong held a fire starter in his hand, following a certain sense, and walked toward a valley.

Arriving outside the valley, a white sturgeon emitting a fluorescent white light was wandering in place, waiting for its master.

A group of fireflies curiously circled around it, as if attracted by the hazy fluorescent light on its body.

The white sturgeon floated and swam in the air, flicking its tail from time to time, brushing away a few unlucky fireflies. The little guy, tempered by the thunder tribulation, had a muddled spiritual intelligence and did not know the difference between good and evil in this action.

"You're here."

Ouyang Rong met the waiting white sturgeon and said with a smile, greeting it.

The light on the white sturgeon seemed to brighten a bit, circling around Ouyang Rong as he entered the valley.

The latter felt the joyful emotion transmitted by the little guy in his mind, smiled, and scratched its head with his finger.

The white sturgeon rubbed against his finger from time to time, as if using the finger to rub its fish face, repeating the cycle; it was somewhat cute.

That must be a place that was easy for it to itch but that it couldn't scratch.

On the way to Lu Changgeng's tomb, Ouyang Rong curiously observed the white sturgeon's little actions.

"This kind of spiritual intelligence born in the thunder tribulation is no less than that of a cat or dog; it is a true living creature. It's just that the body is still a blood-bronze body. It's truly magical; clearly, there are no runes similar to the Kui Star Talisman on its body, so what exactly drives such spirituality..."

He murmured, feeling a bit moved.

After entering the valley, traveling west for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the man and the fish arrived before Lu Changgeng's tomb.

With the fluorescent light of the white sturgeon illuminating the path ahead, Ouyang Rong extinguished the fire starter in his hand, stood before the familiar grave, and looked around.

The surrounding graveyard was gloomy, and no strange, extra traces could be seen.

During the month Ouyang Rong was on the mountain, the white sturgeon had guarded Lu Changgeng's grave day and night for him.

Ouyang Rong untied the bamboo tube, took out the bronze scroll from it, and tossed it into the air.

The scroll unfolded, and Ouyang Rong took out a shovel and other items from the painting, beginning to dig up the wild soil on the grave mound.

This wild soil was buried on it before he left last time.

Digging up someone's ancestral grave and intercepting their opportunity was not very good to begin with. Although Ouyang Rong did not respect ghosts and gods, he still had the proper etiquette... He could not let someone's coffin be exposed in the wilderness. Most ancients emphasized "peace in the earth," even if Lu Changgeng's corpse was not inside, even if it was just a cenotaph.

The white sturgeon circled above, responsible for lighting. While Ouyang Rong lowered his head to dig the grave, Miaosi "whoosh" slid out from his sleeve, leaped up, and jumped onto the white sturgeon's body.

Seeing an old friend, the white sturgeon flicked its tail joyfully, welcoming her.

The little ink spirit hugged her chest and lectured the jubilant fish beneath her bottom with a straight face:

"Big stupid fish, what are you happily laughing about? This Immortal Lady has been taking Little Rongzi to eat and drink well this month. Little Rongzi is very bad; he left you here to guard the grave, and you're still happily laughing."

The white sturgeon, however, did not understand this sowing of discord.

Miaosi curled her lips: "You deserve to be stupid."

In the deepening grave pit below, Ouyang Rong's urging words came:

"Stop talking nonsense, come down and help."

Miaosi curled her lips:

"If it really doesn't work, why don't you just let 【Craftsman】 split it open and be done with it."

"No, 【Craftsman】 doesn't know its own strength; it cannot damage someone's coffin. It's already not very good to dig up someone's ancestral grave."

Miaosi hugged her chest and sneered:

"If you really had a kind heart, you wouldn't be feeling guilty and repenting while digging."

Ouyang Rong's words were calm: "One ink stick."

"Three sticks."

"Two."

"Deal."

Miaosi was decisive, then also ran to the side of the Peach Blossom Spring Map, took a small shovel, jumped into the grave pit, and helped dig.

The white sturgeon, responsible for lighting, circled around the big and small people with muddled curiosity.

Below, the Immortal Lady dug while glancing upward, complaining:

"Sigh, you say this big stupid fish, if only it could transform."

Ouyang Rong seemed to frown, not turning his head:

"Transform into what?"

"Have you forgotten that hundred-zhang white dragon it was in the Xunyang Grotto? If it could transform back, wouldn't that be cool? With just one claw, it would help us dig up this Lu family's ancestral grave. Just thinking about it is very domineering, alright."

Ouyang Rong:...

White Sturgeon:...

"I see you just want to ride the white dragon."

Ouyang Rong pointed it out directly.

Miaosi pretended not to hear, instead complaining:

"A perfectly good white dragon, raised by you into a cowardly fish. Sigh, Little Rongzi, you really are a cowardly general leading a cowardly army... If Little Cui were here, maybe it could really be realized..."

Ouyang Rong straightened his face, annoyed:

"Then you go with him."

"No, he doesn't have many true words in his mouth; it's tiring to get along with him. You are still more honest and simple, although sometimes you speak quite unpleasantly, but it's fine, this Immortal Lady can't hear it. Not listening, not listening, the turtle chanting scriptures."

Ouyang Rong did not reply, although he quite approved of a certain evaluation Miaosi gave of Cui Hao.

A moment later, the hoe touched something hard.

It was the grave soil reaching the bottom.

Ouyang Rong took a deep breath, bent down, and opened the coffin.

A pitch-black, broken tomb hole appeared before his eyes.

Ouyang Rong carried his bundle and jumped down.

Miaosi rode the white sturgeon, bringing the floating, glowing Peach Blossom Spring Map and followed inside.

One man, one spirit, and one fish returned to the tomb hole, walking toward that blood-bronze gate in the depths... ===== CHAPTER 765 =====