Chapter 56: Inquiry

When an elder gives, one dare not refuse.

Especially when it's Prince Pingshan treating guests.

The three followed Zhu Kaoshan into the Prince's Mansion, passed through three spacious courtyards, and arrived at a magnificent hall.

This hall had jade pillars and golden lamps, with glazed tiles on the floor; in the center was a crystal-clear jade table, behind which was a gleaming golden throne; on both sides were two rows of gleaming silver tables, and beneath the tables was a vermilion carpet embroidered with gold thread.

Nouveau riche.

Just this decoration far exceeded five-star hotels on Earth.

Entering the hall, Zhu Kaoshan walked straight to the throne behind the jade table and sat down.

"Two nephews, please sit!" Zhu Kaoshan raised his hand.

The two of them were confused.

How do we sit?

Seeing this, Zhu Dafu quickly reminded them in a low voice: "Brother Xingyu, Brother Hu, go sit on the carpet behind the long table on the left."

As he spoke, he walked lightly to the first table on the right and knelt down.

Imitating the little fatty, the two of them also walked on tiptoe to the two long tables on the left and knelt down.

Zhang Xingyu muttered to himself: Damn, we still have to do this kneeling thing. Is this the Xianxia World?

The hall was quiet.

Zhu Kaoshan sat upright without saying a word, and Zhu Dafu sat straight like a sculpture.

Hu Siping was restless, and Zhang Xingyu could even hear Hu Siping's slightly rapid breathing.

Zhang Xingyu felt annoyed. He wanted to say a few words to break the dull atmosphere. Fortunately, at this moment, a team of maids holding trays walked in through the door and lightly placed golden cups and jade vessels, as well as several dishes of wine and food, for the four of them.

After the maids retreated, Zhu Kaoshan picked up his golden cup and thanked Zhang Xingyu and the other two again.

"Two nephews, a cup of thin wine to express my gratitude. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" The two quickly picked up their wine cups.

After finishing the cup of wine, Zhu Kaoshan symbolically ate a bite of food and then stood up and left.

After he left, the clouds cleared in the hall, and the oppressive atmosphere disappeared instantly.

"That suffocated me."

The little fatty lay on the ground without any decorum, rubbing his sore and numb legs incessantly.

Zhang Xingyu also straightened his legs and asked in a low voice: "Zhu Little Fatty, does your family always eat like this? Doesn't it feel tiring?"

Zhu Dafu waved his hand: "Not at all. This is just a place to entertain guests. Father said that only by entertaining guests in this place can we show the style of our Prince's Mansion."

"Forget it, let's eat a few bites and get out of here," Hu Siping reminded from the side.

Zhang Xingyu nodded: "This place is oppressive with wealth; it's not a place for poor people to stay. Let's get out of here quickly."

Outside the Prince's Mansion, at the entrance.

The two bid farewell to Zhu Dafu with a bow.

"Zhu Little Fatty, hurry and go see your sister," Zhang Xingyu laughed.

Zhu Dafu nodded and bowed: "The green hills remain, the green waters flow, we'll meet again."

Zhang Xingyu was shocked: "Zhu Little Fatty, who did you learn this from?"

Zhu Dafu pointed to Hu Siping: "Brother Hu taught me. Brother Xingyu, you've been in the Jianghu, don't you even know this?"

Zhang Xingyu shook his head and looked at Hu Siping: "Fourth Brother, it's not right for you to teach a child these things."

Hu Siping had a black line on his forehead.

Leaving the Prince's Mansion, the two found a restaurant, ordered a few dishes, and finally filled their stomachs.

Zhang Xingyu stood up and was about to call the waiter to pay the bill, when he heard two diners at the next table discussing something in a low voice.

Diner A: "Have you heard? A soul-sucking demon has appeared outside the city, specifically sucking the divine souls of young boys and girls."

Diner B: "There's such a thing? Tell me in detail."

Diner A: "I heard people say that a few days ago, many young couples who went to Nanshan for an outing lost their souls and fell into a coma."

Diner B: "Really or fake?"

Diner A: "Absolutely true. It is said that even Princess Yun of the Prince Pingshan's Mansion was harmed by the demon."

Diner B: "The demon is so rampant, don't the officials care?"

Diner A: "How could they not care? I heard that the City Lord's Mansion, Prince Pingshan's Mansion, and Nanhua Immortal Academy all sent people to Nanshan to investigate, but they didn't find a single clue."

Diner B: "If they didn't find anything, doesn't that mean they didn't catch the demon? Then who would dare to go to Nanshan in the future!"

Diner A: "Isn't that so? Nanshan is a place with picturesque scenery, and it has become a dangerous place. What a pity, what a pity!"

Pausing, Diner A lowered his volume: "I also heard that because of this, the City Lord's Mansion has lost quite a few people."

Diner B was shocked: "How is that possible? Did the demon kill his way into the city?"

Diner A shook his head: "Not the demon. I heard that in order to pick the Ghost Face Flower to treat the young men and women who lost their souls, the City Lord's Mansion sent people to Death Valley. As a result, they didn't pick the Ghost Face Flower, but instead, more than a dozen people died, and only two or three people luckily escaped back."

Diner B sighed: "Death Valley, that place is already extremely dangerous. The City Lord's Mansion sending people there is clearly sending them to their deaths!"

"Shh! Keep it down. I heard that most of the people whose souls were sucked by the demon were rich or noble. The City Lord's Mansion had no choice but to send people." Diner A whispered.

Hearing the discussion between the two, Zhang Xingyu felt puzzled.

He knew about Zhu Yun'er's damaged divine soul.

But according to Jin Muyun, they didn't encounter any demon.

And Death Valley, he knew the situation inside the valley too well.

He didn't encounter anyone sent by the City Lord's Mansion in the valley.

Could it be that the City Lord's Mansion sent people only after he left the valley?

Forget it, the City Lord's Mansion had no intersection with him, so he was too lazy to worry about it.

Leaving the restaurant, Zhang Xingyu returned to the inn with Hu Siping to rest.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, the sun was high.

Zhang Xingyu had just woken up from his dream when he heard his room door being knocked "thump, thump."

He stretched and pushed open the door, seeing Zhu Dafu standing at the door covered in sweat.

"Zhu Little Fatty, it's early in the morning, why aren't you sleeping at home, why did you run to the inn?"

Zhu Dafu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said loudly: "Brother Xingyu, hurry and come with me, my father invites you."

Zhang Xingyu glanced at Zhu Dafu: "Zhu Little Fatty, eating at your house is too uncomfortable. Go back and reply to your father for me, I'm not feeling well, so I won't go."

"It's not inviting you to eat," Zhu Dafu said anxiously.

"It's not inviting me to eat, then why are you asking me to go?" Zhang Xingyu asked back.

"The Dean of the Immortal Academy and the City Lord have arrived at the Prince's Mansion together. They want to ask you about the situation in Death Valley?" Zhu Dafu explained.

Dean of the Immortal Academy, City Lord, what a big deal.

These two looking for me definitely means no good, I must be cautious.

Say what should be said, and absolutely don't say what shouldn't be said.

Making up his mind and thinking of his words, Zhang Xingyu followed the little fatty to Prince Pingshan's Mansion.

Walking into that magnificent hall again, Zhang Xingyu felt extremely uncomfortable all over.

In the center of the hall, behind the jade table, Zhu Kaoshan sat on the throne like a general.

Below him sat an official in purple robes and an old Daoist with a crane-like appearance and a youthful face.

That official must be the City Lord of Nanhua Cheng.

As for that old Daoist with a crane-like appearance and a youthful face, he should be the Dean of Nanhua Immortal Academy.

"Greetings to the Prince, greetings to the City Lord, greetings to the Dean," Zhang Xingyu bowed to the three big shots.

After finishing the salute, he stood there, secretly examining them.

Eh! This old Daoist looks familiar.

Zhang Xingyu couldn't help but look at the old Daoist with a crane-like appearance and a youthful face a few more times.

At the same time, the City Lord and the Dean were also carefully examining him.

Especially the Dean, upon seeing Zhang Xingyu's face, he was clearly stunned.

"Nephew, City Lord Liu and Dean Xu Yun want to know the situation in Death Valley, tell them in detail," Zhu Kaoshan said loudly to Zhang Xingyu.

"Yes. The situation is like this. That day, I went to Death Valley together with Brother Jin, Brother Hu, and Brother Dafu... The situation is like this." Zhang Xingyu told the three big shots in detail about the things in Death Valley, of course, he didn't mention falling into the cave at all.

City Lord Liu listened to Zhang Xingyu's introduction, his face full of disbelief.

"Zhang Xingyu, tell me, how did you escape from that black fog?" City Lord Liu shouted.

"Reporting to the City Lord, after I was swept into the black fog, in a panic, I hugged a large rock at the bottom of the valley. The black fog kept spinning, almost making me dizzy. I bit my tongue hard to keep a trace of clarity. Later, the black fog disappeared, and I fainted," Zhang Xingyu explained.

"Nonsense. I have never heard of anyone who fell into the black fog and came back alive. Most likely you were just on the edge of the black fog, so you were able to save your life," City Lord Liu said.

"The City Lord is absolutely right. At that time, I was indeed on the shore," Zhang Xingyu bowed and replied.

Zhang Xingyu thought to himself: City Lord, thank you for your imagination, I was just feeling that some things were hard to explain.

"Zhang Xingyu, in that Nine Nether Underworld Qi, what kind of feeling did you have?" Dean Xu Yun asked.

"No feeling, just very dizzy," Zhang Xingyu replied.

Looking at this Dean Xu Yun, Zhang Xingyu always felt he had seen him somewhere.

Dean Xu Yun? Daoist Xu Yun?

Oh my, isn't this Dean Xu Yun the Daoist Xu Yun who saved Bai Yujing in Yunshen Mountain? ===== CHAPTER 57 =====