Chapter 205: Asking the Jiao

The cold light on Cheng Xinzhan's sword rose and fell like breathing, stinging Yuchi Zhenyan's face and making his eyes feel as if they were being pricked by needles. At such close range, he could not guarantee that the "Earth Gold Fire Cloud Pocket" on his body could block this sword.

He drove his Primordial Spirit back into his physical body. The "Chiting" flying sword and the "Heavenly Dry Fire Spirit Pearl" were both put away by him.

"Kill or carve, do as you please."

The Fire Child put on an appearance of letting you slaughter him.

Seeing that Yuchi Zhenyan was also controlled, the other two from Emei completely gave up hope. Originally, they had held their heads high even while hanging, but now they finally lowered them.

Cheng Xinzhan's hand holding the sword was very steady. He said,

"Three lives, three questions. If you answer them, I will let you go."

The other two people immediately looked at Yuchi Zhenyan.

The Fire Child knitted his brows. "You speak first."

"Whose orders are you following to slay Jiao, why are you slaying Jiao this time, and how many Jiao are you going to slay? This is one question. Second, who are the people ordered to slay Jiao this time, which Jiao are you targeting, and where are the others? This is also one question. As for the third one, it is not a question. Pass your "Thread-Pulling Puppet Method" to me."

"I will answer the first question!"

The person who was hung up by Shen Zhaoming's whisk said loudly.

"I, I, know, know!"

The person who was put around the neck by Cheng Xinzhan's Yin-Yin Yin Yang Wu Xing Hoop said with all his might.

Yuchi Zhenyan glared at the two people. The easy ones were all said by them, and when it came to him, it was a sect secret method!

"Then you two speak first."

Cheng Xinzhan said, incidentally loosening the Yin-Yin Yin Yang Wu Xing Hoop.

"This time we are following the Dharma decree of True Person Lingqiu to come out of the mountain to slay Jiao. We really don't know the reason, we are just following orders, but we must bring back at least eight Jiao pearls."

That person answered quickly.

Cheng Xinzhan frowned. It was her again. True Person Lingqiu was the honorific title of Lady Miaoyi!

The second person was released from his neck by Cheng Xinzhan and was still panting heavily. At this moment, seeing Cheng Xinzhan look over, he hurriedly answered,

"This time, four high-ranking seniors, Ancestor Li, Ancestor Jin Chan, Ancestor Zhuge, and Ancestor Yuchi, received the decree. We juniors followed orders. There should be thirty people in total. The Jiao we are targeting this time are all of the same kind, called Jade Fat Little Qiu. We saw one in a mountain stream two days ago, not even two hundred years of cultivation, only two or three feet long, but it was quite alert. After being discovered by us, it fled into the great river. We chased all the way here. As for the others, we really don't know. After leaving the sect, we all looked separately."

Cheng Xinzhan turned his head to look at Yuchi Zhenyan again.

However, Yuchi Zhenyan closed his eyes. It seemed he didn't want to answer.

The other two knew that Yuchi Zhenyan was a stubborn one, but they didn't expect him to be so stubborn, so they persuaded,

"Ancestor, we don't know the "Thread-Pulling Puppet Method," so we can't answer. You know it, so what is there that cannot be answered?"

Yuchi Zhenyan opened his eyes violently upon hearing this, fire erupting from his eyes. "That is a sect secret method, how can it be passed on to outsiders!"

Having said that, he closed his eyes again, looking like he was ready to die.

The two of them secretly thought that this Fire Child was worthy of being from the Wild Man Mountain. How could he be so honest and dull? It was just that if this Fire Child lost his life and couldn't go back, then the two of them would definitely be skinned by the Bearded Immortal if they went back. So they had to persuade him again,

"Ancestor, although the "Thread-Pulling Puppet Method" is a secret method, it is not unique to our Emei. Qingcheng and Heming can all do it. Besides, even in our Emei, it is not something only you know. If our merits are enough, we can also exchange for it to learn. So even if it is passed on to outsiders, no one will know it was you who passed it on. I am persuading you. If the crime is the same, it will not be passed on to outsiders."

One of them said earnestly.

Yuchi Zhenyan's eyelids trembled, and he seemed somewhat moved.

The other one also followed up, "This is true. I think, maybe it was passed on long ago. Who knows where this Daoist learned it from."

Yuchi Zhenyan's breathing became chaotic.

"And Ancestor, if you lose your life just to guard this secret method, how sad will Ancestor Li be!"

One of them added fuel to the fire.

"Ancestor Li will be sad, and we two will have no way to live! Ancestor, please spare us!"

The other one cried on the spot.

Cheng Xinzhan watched the play from the side, thinking to himself that these two people were really interesting.

Master.

Thinking of the master who had loved him since childhood and raised him to adulthood, Yuchi Zhenyan slowly opened his eyes.

He transformed a blank jade slip, stuck it to his brow, and recorded the "Thread-Pulling Puppet Method" into it. Subsequently, he looked at Cheng Xinzhan, his black face now turning bright red, and spat out a sentence like a mosquito's hum,

"I have one condition: do not reveal my name."

Seeing this person almost suffocating himself, Cheng Xinzhan said,

"Rest assured."

Subsequently, he pulled the jade slip from Yuchi Zhenyan's hand. He probed his thought into it and scanned it roughly, knowing that it was a mysterious and wonderful method. As for whether there were any traps or omissions, he would only be able to figure it out after studying it later. It was useless to delve into it now.

However, looking at Yuchi Zhenyan being so honest, he shouldn't be a villain who says one thing and does another.

"I see your face is black but your heart is red, and your nature is still acceptable. It must have been quite difficult in that big dyeing vat of Emei. Just take this Jiao-slaying, for no reason. They were living in the stream, but you insisted on taking their lives. Did that Little Qiu ever flood the water? Did it ever harm anyone? You hang slaying demons and eliminating devils on your lips every day. I think you should think about whether you are the demons!"

"I will spare you this time. Next, we are going to walk along the Yangtze River. You don't have to worry about that Little Qiu anymore. In addition, if I run into you slaying Jiao for no reason again in the future, I will definitely kill you without mercy!"

Cheng Xinzhan put away his long sword and dispersed the Yin-Yin Yin Yang Wu Xing Hoop. Shen Zhaoming also loosened his whisk.

"Hmph."

Yuchi Zhenyan snorted coldly and flew away immediately. The other two hurriedly followed.

However, after flying out several dozen feet, the Fire Child stopped again and turned back to ask,

"What are your names?"

Cheng Xinzhan answered immediately,

"Kui Nandou."

Shen Zhaoming glanced at Cheng Xinzhan and followed up,

"Kui Beichen."

"Are you brothers?"

Yuchi Zhenyan was very surprised.

"Indeed."

Cheng Xinzhan and Shen Zhaoming said in unison.

"Good! I will remember you. I will ask for advice again in the future!"

Yuchi Zhenyan left a harsh word and flew toward the west of Shu.

"Xinzhan, did he really believe it?"

Shen Zhaoming asked.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled. "He should have."

Then, he shook the jade slip in his hand. "Find a quiet place, let's study this."

"Good."

Shen Zhaoming was also very interested in such a secret method.

————

Seven days later, in a stone cave by the Yangtze River.

Cheng Xinzhan and Shen Zhaoming walked out of the cave, both of them looking satisfied.

"Truly a whimsical spell."

Cheng Xinzhan praised. This Yuchi Zhenyan did not harbor any bad intentions and wrote down the key points of the "Thread-Pulling Puppet Method" clearly.

Now, he had not yet refined a Primordial Spirit, but the principles were the same. After practicing this method, when his soul was outside, he could also control his physical body.

Humans have three souls: the Youjing governs emotion, the Shuangling governs wisdom, and the Taiyuan governs life. Each has its own duty, and none can be missing. But Cheng Xinzhan had practiced the "Secret Decree of Longevity Taiyuan Manifestation" and the "Taiyi Golden Flower Purpose" for many years, and his three souls were tough, stable, and very spiritual. Although each soul still had its own focus and preferences, they could also perform the duties of the other two souls, and all could leave the body and be released outside. So now with this set of secret methods, as long as he was not too far from his body, he could completely use his three souls to control treasures or drive an external incarnation while simultaneously manipulating his physical body for close combat.

This had great potential.

"Not bad, using the Primordial Spirit as the driver, spiritual energy as the thread, and the Zhou Tian star acupoints of the limbs and bones as nodes, treating the physical body as a puppet—truly a wonderful method!"

Shen Zhaoming was also full of praise.

"Eh?"

While speaking, Shen Zhaoming's gaze shifted to the great river. Cheng Xinzhan followed his gaze and also let out a surprised sound. At the bottom of the river, there was clearly a white Qiu lying there!

The white Qiu clearly knew that the two were looking over, so it took the initiative to swim over, revealing its Qiu head, and spoke in a child's voice that was hard to distinguish between male and female,

"Greetings, two masters."

The two looked at each other and guessed something. Shen Zhaoming asked,

"Are you the Jade Fat Little Qiu chased by those three from Emei?"

The white Qiu nodded.

"Are you waiting for us here?"

!

The white Qiu still nodded.

"Why don't you run further away, what are you doing coming to find us?"

The white Qiu replied in a soft, glutinous voice,

"That day, the two masters were fighting with Emei. This little child actually didn't go far and was watching nearby. Knowing that the two masters were high-level cultivators who cherished life, and this master has the smell of a Jiao dragon on him, this little child dared to come forward to seek an audience."

The white Qiu said, looking at Cheng Xinzhan.

"Oh? Then what is the matter?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked.

The white Qiu replied,

"I would like to inform the two masters, this little child fled into the great river, went down the river, and only after reaching the Wu Gorge did I find that there were Jiao-catchers waiting, so I had to return the same way. This little child wants to leave the great river and find a wild lake to stay temporarily, but I am afraid that as soon as I leave the river surface, I will be seen, and I am also afraid of being intercepted on the way to find a lake. So I came to beg the two masters to lend a helping hand, take this little child away from the great river, choose a wild lake to put me in, and save this little child's life."

Having said that, the white Qiu clasped its front claws, learned to bow like a human, and nodded repeatedly.

The two looked at each other again and immediately agreed.

"Does Zhaoming have a container for holding Qiu?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked. He only had a gourd and a cave stone on him. If he really had to count, he could count the Shangqing Talisman, but none of them could hold the Little Qiu.

Shen Zhaoming nodded. Wouldn't it make people laugh if the Jingming Sect didn't have a container magic treasure?

He saw his wrist turn and a jade clean bottle appeared.

Cheng Xinzhan took a look and asked with a smile, "Zhaoming, with such a small mouth, can you take the Little Qiu in?"

Shen Zhaoming smiled upon hearing this, pinched a formula in his hand, and pointed at the river. The white Qiu, along with the surrounding river water, was taken in, shrunk in the air, and finally thrown into the bottle.

"Let's go, give this Little Qiu a home."

Thus, the two flew up.

The two flew southeast all the way, thinking of staying further away from the Emei area. After walking about two or three hundred miles, they reached the border of Jing and Chu and saw a vast forest sea. Knowing that they had reached Shennongjia, it was the place where the ancestor Shennong built ladders to pick herbs and educate the ancestors.

The two landed and began to search on the outskirts of the forest area. It was not good to go too deep, as there were many hidden sects and hidden monsters inside, which was inconvenient to disturb.

Not long after, the two found a deep pool. Neither inside nor around the pool were there any traces of human or great monster activity. Thus, Shen Zhaoming released the Little Qiu.

"Take a look, is this suitable?"

The Little Qiu looked around and was very satisfied. It plunged into the pool. After patrolling under the water, it quickly revealed its head from the pool again, still clasping its claws and nodding, bowing repeatedly,

"Thank you, two masters, thank you, two masters!"

The two smiled and waved their hands to indicate it was nothing. Immediately after, Cheng Xinzhan asked curiously,

"Little Qiu, what is your name?"

The white Qiu replied, "Returning to the masters, this little child is surnamed Bai, called Yuhua."

"Yuhua, then do you know why Emei wants to hunt you down?"

The white Qiu nodded and replied, "I know, this is not the first time. I heard my elders say that the Qiu pearls of our Jade Fat Little Qiu have many uses, but the only one Lady Miaoyi fancies is the effect of beautifying the face."

Cheng Xinzhan and Shen Zhaoming looked at each other, both seeing horror in their eyes. Is this Lady Miaoyi treating herself as the Queen Mother of the West? Killing Jiao to take pearls just for beautifying the face?

"Then what about your elders?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked.

"We fled and got separated, but it doesn't matter, this little child has grown up and can live alone!"

The white Qiu was a bit carefree and could still laugh at this moment.

Cheng Xinzhan felt a bit heartbroken looking at it, which reminded him of Green Chi. At this moment, a flash of inspiration struck him, so he asked,

"Yuhua, about sixty or seventy years ago, there was a large-scale Jiao-slaying in the Shu region. Do you know about it?"

The white Qiu nodded. "I know. That Jiao-slaying was for Lady Miaoyi to be promoted to True Person."

"Yes, among the Jiao dragons captured and killed at that time, there was a Green Chi. Do you know about it?"

The white Qiu's voice became louder. "Naturally I know, that is the Music Immortal!"

Cheng Xinzhan's heart jumped a few beats faster when he heard there was a clue, and he asked repeatedly, "Do you know if the Music Immortal is dead or alive now?"

The white Qiu said, "I heard my elders say that when the Music Immortal was captured at that time, he was still alive."

"Then do you know who captured the Music Immortal in the end?"

The white Qiu thought carefully for a long time before saying, "I also heard it from my elders. At that time, the Music Immortal should have wanted to end his own life and fight to the death with Emei. But at that time, a person suddenly came and captured the Music Immortal alive. The people of Emei all called him Ancestor Xuanzhen."

"Ancestor Xuanzhen?"

Cheng Xinzhan repeated.

At this time, Shen Zhaoming, who had been listening, interjected,

"Emei has a Xuanzhenzi, who is the martial brother of True Person Miaoyi, a Fifth Realm True Person. I heard that his cultivation is even above True Person Miaoyi. However, this Xuanzhenzi likes to practice in seclusion overseas on weekdays and rarely stays in Emei, so not many people know about him."

Cheng Xinzhan's heart sank upon hearing this.

However, he quickly adjusted and said gently to the white Qiu,

"Good, Yuhua, then you can practice here with peace of mind. If you have time in the future, we will come to see you again."

The white Qiu nodded. "Respectfully send off the two masters."

After the two flew away from Shennongjia, Shen Zhaoming asked with concern,

"Xinzhan, that Green Chi Music Immortal?"

"He is the father of my own martial sister."

Shen Zhaoming suddenly realized, but after a moment of silence, he said, "Xinzhan, we practitioners, it is not too late to take revenge in a hundred years. That Music Immortal senior has an even longer lifespan and will definitely be able to wait for the day you go to save him. Before your strength is sufficient, you must not be reckless!"

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. "Zhaoming, rest assured, I understand."

Shen Zhaoming was not at ease and continued to ask, "Then where does Xinzhan want to go next?"

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head. "Nowhere, just stay in Kuizhou, continue to borrow heavenly thunder to temper the core. Moreover, in Shizhou, Kuizhou, there are many devil sects gathered. Taking advantage of the fact that the Green Robe Old Ancestor hasn't taken a fancy to this place yet, you and I will go and suppress them. How about it?"

Cheng Xinzhan had one more sentence he didn't say: if he ran into Emei hunting Jiao again, he would definitely not be as easy to talk to as he was a few days ago.

Shen Zhaoming nodded. As long as Xinzhan didn't get angry and go to seek trouble with Xuanzhenzi, it was all up to him.