Chapter 173: Seeing Guigui Suffer a Poisonous Hand Again

However, this Donggui County was truly somewhat large; after exiting the south gate and walking for quite a while, they finally found the dilapidated temple that those two people at the inn had mentioned. By this time, night had already fallen, and the sky had long since turned dark.

This dilapidated temple looked like it had seen better days; the courtyard was overgrown with weeds and in a state of disrepair, and it was not very large. From the entrance, one could see a Buddha statue enshrined in the main hall from afar, but the statue had toppled to the ground, and the gold lacquer on it had been scraped clean, leaving only some mottled patches that appeared to have been stuck on too tightly to be scraped off, which added a touch of eeriness in the night.

Even in such a hair-raising atmosphere, the two members of the Demon Race did not appear cautious; they strode into the main hall carelessly, searching all around as if looking for someone, yet they searched the entire dilapidated temple without finding anyone.

The two met in front of the Buddha statue and asked each other if they had gained anything, but both shook their heads.

Just as the two were preparing to leave

Hearing this, Long Qi stood up immediately, pointed at Banxia, and said sarcastically, "Oh~ no wonder they say a woman's heart is the most poisonous. You are merely guessing, yet you want me to go into the water to fish someone out. If you happen to be wrong, wouldn't I also be done for in there? You... you really are..."

Just as Long Qi was thinking about how to phrase his words, Xinyi recalled the previous incident at Youran Abode.

"Previously, when you and Rendong encountered the rat demon at Youran Abode, you were both injured. Rendong was bedridden for several days due to the Demon Poison, while you were able to go out and jump around immediately. Perhaps this is the reason."

Hearing Xinyi say this, Long Qi recalled it, and it seemed that was indeed the case. At that time, he and Rendong had both been bitten by that rat demon with a Demon Core; he himself had only felt the wound burning with unbearable pain, but it was not blackened like Rendong's wound. Thinking about it, this must be the reason!

He had not expected that Lingxiang had actually planned things out for him so early on.

Long Qi suddenly lost his temper; not only did he lose his temper, but he even felt somewhat happy in his heart. Just as he was feeling happy, he suddenly remembered the matter of the Mountain God and hurriedly turned to ask Luoli: "When we went up the mountain earlier, we met the Mountain God of this place. I heard him say that you stole his head. Is there such a thing?"

Upon hearing this, Luoli looked innocent: "To change the landscape of a mountain, one must have the Mountain God's nod, but at that time, he voluntarily gave his head to me; it was not stolen by me."

Zhao Wuyang was shocked upon hearing this: "He gave his head to you himself? Is he... is he complaining that his shoulders are too heavy?"

Long Qi, however, pinched his chin and pondered for a long time before speaking: "That is really hard to say. That old monster looks neurotic; it is not impossible that he could really do such a thing. But why would he give his head to you?"

Liu Xia and Xinyi were still in the illusion at that time, and Banxia was not present, so naturally, they did not know about the encounter between Long Qi and Zhao Wuyang with the Mountain God earlier. Hearing what they said now, they were both full of disbelief—

What kind of god is this? With nothing better to do, he gives his head to others; is it treated as a ball to kick around?

"Then..." Xinyi asked Luoli cautiously: "That ball... where is that head now?"

Upon hearing this, Luoli looked toward the pool in a dilemma. Xinyi then understood his meaning, but the water in the pool was now full of Demon Poison, so how could they go and retrieve it?

Everyone turned their heads to look at Long Qi. Long Qi felt his face tighten under their gaze, and then, as if resigning himself to his fate, he said: "I treat you all as brothers and friends, but you, on the other hand, treat me like a tool, using me whenever you please without any hesitation." As he spoke, he began to take off his robes.

Just as Banxia was blushing and about to turn around, there was a sudden earth-shaking tremor, and they saw the pool water, which had been full of Demon Poison, actually beginning to turn clear.

Everyone was astonished. At this moment, a beam of light flew out from the bottom of the pool, carrying a long tail, and flew toward the path by which they had come. Accompanying that white light was a long, lingering laughter, but this laughter...

Long Qi and Zhao Wuyang looked at each other, and the latter immediately understood Long Qi's meaning.

It seems that all of this was the work of the Mountain God!

The mountain was shaking continuously, and the pool of water to the side was visibly getting smaller and smaller, until in a short while, it disappeared completely.

Now that the deep pool had disappeared and Doukou's Demon Poison had been healed, Luoli had no reason to stay any longer, so he went down the mountain with Long Qi and the others.

While descending the mountain, Liu Xia once asked them, since they could no longer return to the sea, had they thought about their future plans? Luoli just smiled, looked at Doukou in his arms, and said lightly: "The world is vast, and the four seas are home."

Hearing him say this, Banxia pondered for a moment, then took a token from her bosom and handed it to Luoli: "There is a dojo at Jiuque Mountain in Guyang called Yuanqing. Take this token and go pay a visit; I believe they will certainly accept the two of you."

Seeing her do this, everyone was shocked. This was a Mysterious Iron Tablet used by Yuanqing Disciples to prove their identity! She was just giving it away like that?

Luoli stared blankly at the pitch-black tablet in Banxia's hand, hesitating whether to take it. As a husband, he naturally wanted to provide a stable dwelling for his wife and their unborn child, but he was an outsider; how could he gain the recognition of others...

Just as Luoli hesitated, Banxia shoved the tablet into Doukou's hand. She seemed to have seen through Luoli's worries and, holding Doukou's hand, said: "Although the Elders of the Yuanqing Sect have somewhat strange temperaments, they all have excellent hearts. You can rest assured and go; they will certainly accept you."

Looking at the small tablet in her hand that felt as heavy as a stone, although the tablet radiated waves of cold, Doukou felt incredibly warm. She bowed to Banxia and was just about to open her mouth to thank her, but she was supported by Banxia.

"When I came down the mountain, my Master told me that as long as one does not commit evil, one can act according to one's heart. Since I am down the mountain for training, everything I encounter is fate; I am merely following my heart, so there is no need to be so polite."

As soon as Banxia finished speaking, a burst of laughter came from the surroundings: "What a fine 'act according to one's heart'," and with the laughter, a beam of light descended, and then an old man leaning on a long staff appeared.

He was no more than three feet tall, leaning on a wooden staff in his hand. That wooden staff looked very familiar; it was actually the one from the Mountain God's hand. Only, the person holding the staff no longer had an owl's head, but had white hair and eyebrows, looking somewhat disheveled and dusty.

Hearing the voice, they knew it was the Mountain God. As soon as he appeared, Long Qi immediately drew the Seven-Star Longyuan from his back and prepared to strike. The Mountain God retreated repeatedly, waving his hands and saying: "Young man, don't be so irritable. Let's talk things over; why resort to such violence!"

Long Qi sneered upon hearing this: "You rotten old man, you actually have the nerve to show your face. It is clear that you have been the one playing tricks behind the scenes all along, and yet you want me to talk things over. Watch as I, your grandfather, hack you to pieces today to vent the hatred in my heart!"

As Long Qi spoke, he made a move to strike, but Xinyi and Liu Xia hurriedly held him back.

Although the purpose of this Mountain God was unknown, he was, after all, a great god of a mountain. Not to mention whether Long Qi could defeat him, even if he really could, would he want to bear the crime of killing a god? That would bring down divine retribution!

Seeing Long Qi being blocked, the Mountain God seemed to heave a sigh of relief and said to Long Qi: "Young man, don't be impatient; listen to what this old man has to say first."

Long Qi lowered the Seven-Star Longyuan he had raised, but did not sheath it, and gave a heavy snort toward the Mountain God: "I would like to hear what kind of flowers you can spout."

It turned out that the lightning was the work of the Mountain God. At that time, he was visiting a friend and happened to pass by when he saw Luoli and Doukou being driven to a dead end, so he saved them as a matter of convenience. It was just that, as a Mountain God, it was not good for him to appear, as doing so would break the rules of the Divine Realm. It was fortunate that he had foreseen the arrival of Long Qi and the others, which was why he resorted to this desperate measure.

"So, you were doing a good deed then?" Long Qi said, sheathing his sword.

The Mountain God rubbed his hands with a fawning smile: "It's nothing, nothing, just a small effort."

But Banxia gave a soft snort: "What kind of good deed is this? To save two people, you made the commoners at the foot of the mountain suffer; can this also be called a good deed?"

Upon hearing this, the Mountain God looked embarrassed: "This old man didn't think much at the time; I was just in a hurry to save people. Who would have expected this kid to suck up all the water in the vicinity."

Upon hearing this, Luoli immediately bowed to the Mountain God, thanking him and apologizing, saying only that he had been reckless and was willing to accept punishment. The Mountain God did not mind, saying it was all in the past, and helped him up.

Zhao Wuyang suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked: "I once heard the villagers say that someone had come to the mountain to explore earlier but could never return. Was that also the work of the Mountain God?"

The Mountain God scratched his head and laughed: "The commotion caused by this Merfolk's deep pool was too great, attracting others to see it from far away. If those people knew of his existence, it was uncertain whether they would drive him away. I was afraid of complications, so I set up a Maze Array. Now that the array has been solved, those people naturally returned to where they came from."

Hearing this, Long Qi stepped forward and grabbed the Mountain God's robe, saying viciously: "Didn't you say earlier that the array was not set up by you? You were full of nonsense to trick me!"

The Mountain God patted Long Qi's hand with a fawning smile: "Hey~ young man, don't be so angry. Let's talk things over. If you put this old man down, I naturally still have things to tell you."

Long Qi snorted, let go of the Mountain God, and saw the Mountain God calmly straighten his clothes, after which he slipped away and disappeared without a trace.

This time, it made Xinyi and Liu Xia laugh; this Mountain God was truly somewhat unreliable.

Long Qi, however, was extremely annoyed and shouted at the surroundings: "You rotten old man, you actually used tricks again! Don't let me catch you; if I meet you, I will beat you every time I see you!"

As soon as his voice fell, a burst of laughter came from the surroundings, and then the Mountain God's voice was heard: "Being so violent at a young age will inevitably lead to suffering in the future. Now, you all had better get on your way; there is someone in the southeast waiting for you to save them!" After finishing, he laughed heartily for a while, and then no more sound came.

Everyone was confused upon hearing this. Someone in the southeast waiting to be saved? Who? And where is the southeast?

Just as everyone was at a loss, Long Qi frowned in deep thought. Seeing this, Xinyi suddenly remembered that Nanhua seemed to be in their southeast direction now. Could the Mountain God's implication be that something had happened there?

The well in Fengwu Village suddenly began to produce water again overnight, and the water tasted even sweeter than before. Even more miraculously, some old people who were on the verge of death were able to get out of bed and work the next day after drinking the water from the well.

The able-bodied men who had gone to explore the mountain had also returned to the village. When asked where they had been all these days, they could not explain it, only saying that it was like they had had a dream, as if they had gone into the mountain and slept.

The originally arid land was miraculously covered with crops overnight, and the paddy fields were lush and green, which was truly a heartening sight.

When the villagers saw Long Qi and his group return, they assumed everything was because of them, and one by one they prostrated themselves on the ground, calling them "living immortals" with every breath, which made Long Qi feel quite embarrassed.

To show their gratitude, the villagers specially prepared a banquet for them, though it was somewhat meager due to the village's long lack of harvest; however, the group did not mind in the slightest, eating the simple food and drinking the mellow rice wine, enjoying a scene of harmony and joy.

Yet, Long Qi kept the Mountain God's words in his heart, feeling that he should hurry on his way. Thus, before dawn the next day, the group quietly left the village.

Because Luoli was of the Merfolk, she could not stay away from water for too long, and since Jiuque Mountain was to the northeast of Fengwu Village, they parted ways with Long Qi shortly after leaving the village.

Before leaving, Long Qi gave Luoli a bottle of Pill, which Lingxiang had stuffed into his bag before he descended the mountain for his training; it was a bottle of Yangling Pill.

Although this Yangling Pill was a Pill, it was a tonic for gentle nourishment, and even mortals without cultivation could take it.

Doukou's Demon Poison had already been dispelled, but her body remained very weak, and furthermore, she was pregnant and should be resting; however, Luoli's Merfolk identity was too conspicuous, and if discovered by those with ill intent, given human greed, she would inevitably be imprisoned, so to avoid complications, they had to hurry, but this way, Doukou's body might not be able to endure it.

Not long after the two parties separated, the group headed straight toward Nanhua.

Along the way, Xin Yi felt a sense of unease in his heart, as the events he experienced while trapped in the Mountain God's Spirit-Bewitching Array were still vivid in his mind.

As for what he had experienced, it concerned Maidong.

In the illusion, Maidong was trapped in a dangerous situation, and he risked his life to save her, yet he always fell short at the final moment, but once it ended, it would start all over again, repeating in such a cycle.

And the one who caused Maidong to fall into danger was actually...

It was his own mother...

When the Mountain God appeared earlier, he had stared at him from time to time, as if he had words to say to him; could it be that the Mountain God was giving him a hint at that time?

Liu Xia had not expected that Banxia would join them on the road; in her words, she was following the guidance of the Eight Trigrams Plate, but he looked at that Eight Trigrams Plate and it seemed extremely ordinary, and he truly could not see any mystery in it.

Banxia naturally had questions in her heart as well; when the Mountain God was leaving, she had heard some strange words in her ear, and after descending the mountain, she discovered a strange floral pattern on her arm that could not be washed away no matter how hard she scrubbed.

Ajin was now perched on Zhao Wuyang's shoulder, and Zhao Wuyang was no longer as excited as when he had first come out, his mind occupied with unknown thoughts, and the liveliness of the past was completely absent along the way.

The group set off on the road, each harboring their own thoughts, and as for what the road ahead held, it was all a blur of uncertainty.