Chapter 72: The Mirage Demon

The Mirage Demon replied with a bitter smile, "This little one truly does not know. At the time, Baie Hou did not elaborate; he only mentioned it vaguely, saying it was an Ancient Jade inscribed with characters. This little one was merely acting on Baie Hou's orders; I was helpless in the matter."

Su Yuanshan pressed on, step by step.

"Why did Baie Hou want you to search for that Ancient Jade in the Gumu Jinxu? What exactly is the use of that object?"

The Mirage Demon answered pitifully.

"This little one truly does not know why Baie Hou cares so much about that Ancient Jade."

Su Yuanshan ignored the Mirage Demon and spoke indifferently to Ji Wenqing.

"Wen Qing, you handle this lying Mirage Demon. Take him to the Rapid Report Department to receive karmic punishment! End his cycle of reincarnation right here!"

Wen Panguan Ji Wenqing acknowledged the order and was about to act.

The Mirage Demon turned pale with fright, hurriedly kowtowed, and smiled bitterly.

"Please, Lord Prefect, withdraw your order! I will speak, I will speak!"

Su Yuanshan narrowed his eyes and said.

"If you are not honest again, do not blame this seat for not giving you a chance. Do you understand?"

The Mirage Demon was like a deflated ball, becoming much more honest.

"Understood, understood. This little one will definitely confess honestly."

Su Yuanshan nodded then and said indifferently.

"Speak, what is the use of that Ancient Jade, that even Baie Hou values it so much?"

After hesitating for a few seconds, the Mirage Demon finally gritted his teeth.

"I only heard Baie Hou mention it once by accident, while he was chatting with a mysterious guest."

Seeing Su Yuanshan and Ji Wenqing both staring at him, the Mirage Demon looked around vigilantly.

Su Yuanshan understood; he bowed his long sleeves, and suddenly a gust of yin wind blew, closing the doors and windows.

Only then did the Mirage Demon speak.

"The exact words Baie Hou said at the time were: 'That Ancient Jade is merely one of the keys to opening the Baoxu. If one wishes to bring the Middle Antiquity...'"

"That was all he said at the time. I could not hear the rest. Baie Hou seemed to realize something and immediately used his magic power to isolate the area from the outside."

Middle Antiquity? Baoxu? One of the keys?

To be honest, Su Yuanshan was also completely confused at this moment, unable to make sense of it, so he waved his hand and had the puppets drag him away.

Only then did Wen Panguan Ji Wenqing say.

"Lord Prefect, looking at what this demon said, it seems to be the truth!

I wonder what Baie Hou is plotting again? But whatever it is, it certainly isn't anything good!"

Su Yuanshan nodded.

"You do not need to say this; this seat understands!"

He paused and suddenly asked.

"Do you know about the Gumu Jinxu? Could the so-called Baoxu be related to the Gumu Jinxu?"

Ji Wenqing was startled.

"Gumu Jinxu?"

"Oh! You are referring to that mysterious ancient battlefield around the Gumu in Huangliang Xian, right?

As for what connection the so-called Baoxu has with that ancient battlefield, this subordinate does not know and dares not speculate recklessly, but what is certain is that the ancient battlefield is very strange, and it is true that many secrets are buried within it!"

Su Yuanshan pondered.

"Hmm, it seems I must make a trip there, not only to search for the whereabouts of Huo Jun, but also to see what kind of conspiracy this Baie Hou has!"

Ji Wenqing agreed, but he also reminded him.

"That place is fraught with danger. If the Lord Prefect is going, you must be careful."

Su Yuanshan nodded slightly.

"I know. Go and call the little white fox over!"

"Yes!" Ji Wenqing bowed and left, not forgetting to carefully close the door as he went.

Outside the window, yellow leaves withered, the setting sun was like blood, and the chilly autumn wind blew through the chrysanthemums in the courtyard, blowing away the haze in the temple.

The golden mist descended in the west, the jade rabbit rose in the east, and the cold moonlight poured down like mercury.

Outside the ancient building complex of the Huangliang County Chenghuang Temple, along with a swirling whirlwind, a blurry figure gradually took shape. It was a handsome youth, but his face was deathly pale. He wore a green robe, had a long sword hanging at his waist, and wore a look of sorrow, pacing back and forth outside the Chenghuang Temple, sighing and lamenting.

Suddenly, two puppets appeared in front of the Chenghuang Temple gate and shouted loudly at the handsome youth.

"What kind of wandering soul is so bold as to dare to cause trouble outside the Chenghuang Temple? There is a path in heaven you do not take, and there is no gate to hell yet you come here yourself, so stay."

One puppet shook a soul-locking chain and threw it, aiming to loop it around the handsome youth's neck, shocking him into hurriedly bowing and begging for mercy, saying with a bitter heart.

"Officer, you have misunderstood. This little one has come here to pay respects to the Chenghuang Lord Prefect. I would never dare to stir up trouble. I hope the officer will have mercy and make it convenient for me to see the Lord Prefect!"

However, the puppet did not say a word, 'clanged' the chain onto the handsome youth's neck, and snorted coldly.

"The Lord Prefect is busy with ten thousand matters a day; is he someone a little ghost like you can see just because you want to? You had better follow me to the Rapid Report Department to settle your karma, then go to the Reward Good Department and Punish Evil Department to be tried before saying anything else!"

Saying this, he dragged the handsome youth away.

The youth's heart was dead, his face full of bitter smiles. He had traveled over a hundred miles to seek the Chenghuang for help, but at this moment, he could not say a single word.

Just as they were about to enter the temple gate, a person and a fox stepped out of the temple in the moonlight—the person, white-robed as snow; the fox, white as snow.

It was Su Yuanshan and the little white fox. They were planning to head to the Gumu Jinxu at this moment.

Of course, the happiest one at this moment was not Su Yuanshan, but the little white fox, because it had another chance to go in and search for its mother, so it was in high spirits and full of joy.

Su Yuanshan looked up at the low-hanging full moon in the sky and calmly stepped over the threshold. The Yinchai puppets nearby bowed to him one after another. At this moment, the handsome youth being dragged by the puppet saw this scene and suddenly went crazy, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Lord Prefect, is that the Chenghuang Lord Prefect? This disciple, a cultivator of the Yaoguang Sword Sect, pays respects to the Lord Prefect, pays respects to the Lord Prefect."

He forcibly pulled on the chain and actually knelt down, which even surprised the puppet next to him.

Su Yuanshan only then noticed the handsome youth upon hearing the sound, and seeing the puppet servant about to drag the person up, Su Yuanshan could not help but frown slightly and ask indifferently.

"What is going on!"

The puppet servant replied respectfully.

"Reporting to the Prefectural Lord, this little one saw this wandering soul lingering outside the temple gate for a long time and, fearing he might cause trouble, apprehended him."

Su Yuanshan nodded, looked the handsome youth over, and asked with confusion.

"You wandering soul look somewhat familiar, get up and speak!"

"Thank you, Prefectural Lord!"

The handsome youth then stood up and said with a sorrowful expression.

"In my lifetime, this humble one was the chief disciple under Danyangzi of the Yaoguang Sword Sect, Ouyang Jianyi, but unfortunately, I was harmed by Huo Jun, leaving me unable to return home and wandering about!"

"Ouyang Jianyi?" Su Yuanshan nodded slightly and said with his hands behind his back.

"This seat remembers now!"

Ouyang Jianyi seemed somewhat surprised.

"You know this humble one?"

Suddenly, he seemed to recall something and said with a face full of shame.

"I almost forgot, this humble one once spoke boastfully at the Tushan Xian Chenghuang Miao and slighted the Prefectural Lord; I am truly guilty! It is only natural that the Prefectural Lord knows this humble one."

Su Yuanshan said indifferently.

"You have said so much, what exactly is your business in coming to see this seat?"