Chapter 390

"Who do you think the Flower Queen will be today?"

"How would I know, but I heard she's even more beautiful than that Miss Zhang Yunzhi of the Zhang family."

"I think Miss Li Shuwan of the Li family is even better; that temperament, that figure, tsk tsk..."

"If you ask me, Lady Zhao is the most beautiful."

The person lying on the small boat suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a touch of deep meaning.

"You haven't seen the back of Lady Zhao when she walks; it's just like a gourd, twisting and turning, especially in the front... I'm afraid she can't even see her toes when she looks down."

He said this and chuckled, "It's just a pity that the Second Master doesn't come back all year round, and even if he does, he never enters Lady Zhao's room."

"You're crazy!"

Another person's face changed drastically, hurriedly reaching out to cover his mouth, "If this reaches the ears of the Second Courtyard, our little lives won't be saved!"

"What are you afraid of?" The person pushed away his companion's hand, pouting indifferently, "You, you're afraid of everything, afraid of wolves in front and tigers behind, what can you achieve? Do you really want to serve the Xie family for a lifetime?"

"Exactly," the third person echoed, "We are in this lake, who can hear? You're used to being cautious, can't we satisfy our mouths today when the young ladies, young masters, and stewards of the mansion have all gone to the Flower Banquet?"

On the lake in the backyard of the Xie Mansion, a small boat swayed lightly with the waves, and three green-clad servants leaned on the bow of the boat, talking in low voices.

The three were servants in the mansion of the Xie family's Old Matriarch, because the Old Matriarch liked the "Mother Lake" of the Hongjing Courtyard very much and had to clean up the fallen leaves drifting into the lake every day.

The three were servants born for this matter.

Because it was the Old Matriarch's mansion, they were a little less "cautious" than the servants in other courtyards.

The lake reflected the waning moon in the sky, and as the breeze blew, ripples sparkled.

On the lake, the small boat swayed leisurely, and the three continued to talk and laugh in low voices.

"I heard from the maid of the Second Courtyard that the Lady even wraps her chest..." one lowered his voice, his tone carrying a touch of inexplicable ambiguity.

"Eh? Is this true? Then her size, how shocking!"

Another person stared in astonishment.

"Hehe, isn't Master Hong extremely happy at night, I'm afraid he needs both hands to fully enjoy it."

The three looked at each other and smiled, their laughter rippling on the lake, disturbing a few water birds roosting at night, which flapped their wings and flew away.

"You, you don't have the life of a master, but you have the bird of a master."

One joked, and the other two burst into laughter, leaning forward and backward.

The small boat rowed slowly across the center of the lake, the lights of the Hongjing Courtyard reflected in the water, like a brilliant galaxy, beautiful beyond compare.

One person pillowing his hands behind his head, looking up at the starry sky, suddenly frowned:

"Look, Above Bianjing was suddenly as bright as day just now, what is this? Fireworks?"

Another followed his gaze, only to see a layer of glazed cover vaguely appearing on the horizon, enveloping the entire city, mysterious and unfathomable.

"What is this? Why is there such a cover in the sky? Could it be that the celestial phenomena have changed? The people of Above Bianjing often say that the Ziwei star moves, and the Yinghuo star moves to the Big Dipper, could it be..."

"Stop worrying about such idle matters!"

The person poling the boat interrupted, "We are servants, why do we need to worry about this? If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up."

"Eh? Isn't that where the Academy is, could it be a fire?"

"How could it be a fire, how could fire burn to the sky."

Suddenly!

Before the words fell, the lake surged, as if a behemoth was churning under the water.

"What's going on!"

The person poling the boat exclaimed, lowering his head to stare into the lake.

But he saw an ink-colored flood dragon swimming at the bottom of the lake, its body incomparably huge, its scales flashing with a cold light.

Its tail flicked lightly, setting off huge waves, the small boat shaking violently, almost capsizing.

The three's expressions changed drastically, falling into the boat cabin, hurriedly grabbing the edge of the boat.

"Demon... monster!" one's voice trembled, his eyes full of terror.

"Like... a snake? Or a dragon?" Another stuttered, his gaze fixed on the black shadow in the lake.

Before they could see it clearly, the flood dragon in the lake suddenly transformed into a mass of ink-colored mist, condensing into a huge "Xie" character, floating on the surface of the water.

The "Xie" character's brushstrokes were vigorous and powerful.

After a while, the ink-colored mist condensed again, transforming back into the appearance of a flood dragon, rushing straight into the sky and disappearing into the night sky.

The three had long been scared out of their wits, their faces bitter, rowing their oars in a panic, desperately driving the small boat toward the shore.

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Mount Zhongnan.

It was late autumn!

The persimmons on the mountain were ripe, hanging sparsely on the branches like red lanterns, looking exceptionally pleasing.

All over the mountains and plains, there were golden leaves falling on the steps up the mountain, and the fragrance of fruit trees.

The Sanzhen Sect welcomed pilgrims widely, and the fruits in the mountains were picked by people, children often playing here, laughter and joy, often returning fully loaded.

People coming to offer incense and pay respects every day were endless, and pedestrians on the mountain road were like weaving, extraordinarily lively.

The huts on Mount Zhongnan were remote, and the foot of the mountain was also noisy with carriages and horses.

On the main road, people were crowded and hard to walk!

In the back mountain of Mount Zhongnan, however, a winding path up the mountain was hidden, difficult for the world to find.

Only the elite disciples of the Sanzhen Sect and the local mountain people knew its true appearance, and it was difficult for ordinary people to know.

On both sides of the mountain path, ancient trees towered, branches and leaves dense, the sunlight filtered by the dense canopy into mottled light and shadow.

The roars of wild beasts in the forest appeared from time to time, frightening people.

The vegetation was lush, reaching the knees, plus the slippery mossy stone road, and cliffs below.

The mountain road was steep, and those without skills did not dare to walk from here.

It was exceptionally quiet, lacking the noise and crowding of the front mountain.

Only occasionally did travelers pass by in a hurry.

At this time, on the quiet mountain path, two unusual figures walked slowly forward.

The green-skirted woman had a petite figure and light steps, with a string of silver bells tied around her waist, making a crisp "ding-ding-dang-dang" sound with her steps, as if mountain springs were flowing.

She was beautiful, her brows and eyes curved, like peach blossoms in full bloom in the sixth month, revealing a clever and strange energy.

The woman asked with a smile: "Brother Mu, do you think Mount Zhongnan is this lively every day?"

"If you opened a shop selling candied haws and sesame cakes at the foot of the mountain, wouldn't you make a fortune?"

The person she asked was a tall middle-aged man with a handsome appearance and an aura of masculinity.

He wore a black headband on his head, his eyes steady as a mountain.

This person was the third son of the Xie family, Xie Mu, who had once traveled the world with Huang Dao.

After Huang Dao ascended, the two peerless secret manuals, "Heavenly Demon Strategy" and "Dao Heart Seeds Demons," were both kept by Xie Mu.

Xie Mu decided to return these two manuals to the Demon Sect.

However, people in the Demon Sect saw that he was alone and not a disciple of the Demon Sect, so they harbored evil intentions and joined forces to surround and kill Xie Mu.

Xie Mu had followed Huang Dao for many years, and his cultivation had long since reached the top of the current generation.

Coupled with witnessing Huang Dao's ascension, his state of mind had climbed to the realm of a Grandmaster.

That escape and killing did not let him perish, but instead fueled his cultivation, making him truly rank among the top experts of the current generation.

The green-skirted woman was originally a Demon Sect saint of the "Flower-Among Sect" that he had captured on the way while fleeing, originally intending to use her as a hostage.

After going back and forth!

Xie Mu was not a person who loved to kill, and influenced by Huang Dao, he had been taking her with him.

The green-skirted woman looked up slightly, revealing her snow-white neck, a trace of undisguised admiration in her eyes.

Seeing Xie Mu silent, the woman's voice dragged on long, "Brother Mu—"

"Are you listening to me?"

Xie Mu then spoke slowly, his voice steady:

"In these years, Daoism has flourished to the extreme; whether it is the Demon Sect or the Buddha Sect, there have been signs of decline in the last ten years. After the Demon Master died, the nine lineages of the Demon Sect fought endlessly, already reaching the point of life and death."

He paused, his gaze looking toward the distant mountain peak, and continued: "And as the exoteric sect of Buddhism, regardless of the Mahayana or Hinayana schools, the Flower Garland, Three Treatises, Pure Land, and Chengshi... a group of Buddhist sects have been suppressed by the Sanzhen Daoist Sect to the point of avoiding the world and not asking about worldly affairs."

The green-skirted woman blinked, nodded as if she understood, and then smiled: "No wonder the people of the world say, 'Why travel a thousand miles to worship the Spirit Mountain, Zhongnan has a living Buddha.'"

"This so-called living Buddha refers to the Prince of Yan."

Following the ascension of Huang Dao, the Empress, and Lu Yu, the Prince of Yan, Lu Chen, had long been firmly at the top of the world.

His power alone suppressed the world to the point of gasping for breath!

And the iron cavalry of the Great Yan of the world, how could the people of heaven not fear!

Hearing this, Xie Mu revealed a faint smile.

"A mountain is not high, but it is famous if there is an immortal."

"As long as Lu Lu Shaobao is here for one day, the incense of Mount Zhongnan will be as prosperous as the sun."

The world called Lu Chen the Prince of Yan, but Xie Mu was a person of the Great Qing, used to calling him Lu Shaobao.

He looked up at the peak of Mount Zhongnan, and between the clouds and mist, he could vaguely see the ancient Daoist temple.

The green-skirted woman asked softly: "Brother Mu, do you regret it? Risking your life to return the manuals out of kindness."

Hearing this, Xie Mu shook his head:

"Senior Huang Dao was kind to me; if I didn't return them, I would feel guilty in my heart."

His voice was low and firm, like a rock in the mountains, unmoved by wind and rain.

The green-skirted woman asked again, "Brother Mu, then what is your relationship with Senior Huang Dao?"

Xie Mu did not answer.

The woman pursed her lips, a flash of complex color in her eyes, and then returned to her playful appearance.

She hopped to Xie Mu's side, the sound of bells echoing in the mountains: "Then where are we going next? We can't just keep wandering around Mount Zhongnan, right?"

The breeze blew, bringing the fragrance of fruit trees.

Xie Mu said in a low voice: "Go up the mountain!"

The green-skirted woman's eyes were shocked; Mount Zhongnan today.

The Prince of Yan is still in his prime, suppressing the world, and the Seven Sons of Zhongnan are all Grandmasters of the current generation.

It can be called a true dragon's pool and tiger's den.

As people of the Demon Sect, how could they easily step into this holy land of the righteous path?

However!

The woman looked up at Xie Mu's broad back, a flash of firmness in her eyes.

She bit her lip and said softly: "Okay, Brother Mu, I'll accompany you."

Hearing this, Xie Mu revealed a faint smile: "Then don't drag your feet."

After saying that, he stepped forward.

The green-skirted woman stamped her foot and hurriedly followed, the sound of bells echoing in the mountains.

She couldn't help but ask: "Brother Mu, how are you so familiar with this road on Mount Zhongnan?"

Xie Mu did not look back, saying indifferently: "I have been here with someone before."

"Been here? It wouldn't be a woman, right? Doing it in the woods is indecent."

Xie Mu smiled, ripples appearing in his eyes.

Just at this moment!

A grand sound suddenly rang out, shaking the heavens and earth.

"Clang—"

The sound was like a bell yet not a bell, like a drum yet not a drum, as if it came from the horizon, and also seemed to be something else.

On Mount Zhongnan, wild beasts all lay on the ground and barked low, and even the birds in the mountains flew up in surprise, fleeing in all directions.

Xie Mu frowned, his gaze like electricity, shooting straight toward a place on the mountain peak.

He saw ten thousand rays of rosy light there, like the rising sun.

"Tomb of the Living Dead?"

"Lu Shaobao!"

He muttered in a low voice, then his eyes condensed, he picked up the green-skirted woman, his figure like an arrow, exploding out, shuttling through the woods.

The green-skirted woman was picked up by his waist, a blush appearing on her face, but she did not struggle, just tightly grabbing his lapels.

In the blink of an eye!

The two had already landed in front of the Tomb of the Living Dead on Mount Zhongnan.

Only to see that at the entrance of the cave, quite a few people had already gathered.

Seven figures wearing Daoist robes stood at the very front, their auras profound, either carrying swords or holding rulers, their expressions solemn, their gazes fixed tightly on the tomb.

The green-skirted woman recognized at a glance that these seven people were the world-famous Seven Sons of Zhongnan.

Her heart tightened, she subconsciously lowered her head, her eyes dodging, not daring to look them in the eye.

The head of the righteous path in the world, people of the Demon Sect were all afraid of them like snakes and scorpions.

Yang Su, the fifth of the Seven Sons of Zhongnan, looked at Xie Mu and nodded slightly, saying: "Young Hero Mu!"

Xie Mu bowed in return.

A flash of surprise crossed the green-skirted woman's eyes; Brother Mu seemed quite familiar with the Seven Sons of Zhongnan.

That's strange!

She looked up at the Tomb of the Living Dead again, and vaguely guessed in her heart—this person in the tomb was likely the senior uncle of the Seven Sons of Zhongnan, the Prince of Yan, Lu Chen, who lived in seclusion and practiced in legend.

Xie Mu's gaze was calm, looking into the depths of the tomb, as if waiting for something.

The green-skirted woman stood beside him, feeling both nervous and expectant, as if a heaven-shaking event was about to happen.

"Clang—"

Another loud sound, the heavens and earth shook, the mountains moved.

The sound was indescribable, as if it gathered all the vicissitudes, heaviness, and ancient simplicity of the world.

Everyone looked up, only to see a phantom great cauldron quietly appearing above Mount Zhongnan.

This great cauldron was so huge it was suffocating, its size already exceeding the entire Mount Zhongnan.

Its shape had high ears, four steady legs, and complex totems were engraved on the cauldron body, mountains and rivers winding and twisting, flowers, birds, fish, and insects vivid.

The green-skirted woman's eyes were full of shock and awe; she seemed to witness the arrival of a miracle at this moment, muttering to herself:

"This... what is this?"

Everyone only felt an indescribable sense of oppression rushing toward them; they seemed to have fallen into an endless abyss, and their cultivation was so small in front of this power that they couldn't exert it at all.

The green-skirted woman's mind was blank; she couldn't even think, only one thought echoed in her mind: could it be... is this the world's tribulation, the end of the world?

She turned to look at Xie Mu, tears swirling in her eyes, her voice trembling as she said: "Brother Mu... I want to tell you..."

Xie Mu's gaze was locked on the entrance of the Tomb of the Living Dead, and the Seven Sons of Zhongnan were also solemn, not blinking.

Inside the tomb, a figure walked out slowly.

A middle-aged man with slightly gray temples who looked somewhat vicissitudinous, with a pair of exceptionally bright eyes, walked out with a calm gait.

"Lu Shaobao!"

"Senior Uncle!"

However, with the appearance of the middle-aged man, the pressure between heaven and earth became increasingly intense.

Xie Mu only felt his muscles and bones trembling, unable to stand steady anymore, kneeling on one knee.

Although the Seven Sons of Zhongnan could barely support themselves, they were also pale, cold sweat seeping from their foreheads.

The power of heaven and earth, like power and prison!

Only that middle-aged man seemed to be unaware of the power of heaven and earth, looking up at the great cauldron in the sky.

The sky of Mount Zhongnan appeared to transform into a scene.

The four were seriously injured!

An old man said slowly, "I have long since been invincible in this world, you now."

"Do you still have a backup plan?"

Lu Chen listened, standing with his hands behind his back.

(End of chapter)