Chapter 340: 346. Chapter 346: Observations Outside the Valley

346. Chapter 346: Observations Outside the Valley

"Senior Brother, what happened?"

Lin Ke immediately appeared and asked.

Stone Senior Brother merely froze slightly at Lin Ke's way of appearing, then immediately accepted it.

After Hu Suqi agreed to his confession, the two indeed enjoyed a period of shamelessly happy life, being completely open with each other and having no secrets.

From his girlfriend's mouth, Stone Senior Brother learned things he had never known in the past thirty-odd years.

He gained many different experiences and observations.

When happy, he laughed heartily; when feeling stifled, he held his waist and sighed.

In the process of their unreserved communication, Stone Senior Brother learned about the various miraculous aspects of his own eighth junior brother.

Especially this way of appearing and disappearing mysteriously, so he was not overly shocked.

Stone Senior Brother continued sharpening his blade and said calmly: "The court has sent an envoy to order Governor Hu to dispatch troops to thoroughly search Death Valley, pluck the Longevity Peach, and present it as tribute to the Kangqian Emperor. If he disobeys or fails to accomplish it, it will be a grave crime of exterminating three clans. Most of the Hu clan relatives in the capital have already been placed under surveillance. Governor Hu, being stern, regarded it as a rebellious order, refused to comply, and voluntarily went to prison. Suqi and the other children of Governor Hu were detained together."

"So, Senior Brother, are you planning to break jail?"

Lin Ke frowned slightly, intuiting that this matter was not so simple.

In this era, both immortal and mechanical martial arts flourish openly, while ancient and heretical witchcraft societies have sunk into the shadows without waning; yet the court remains firmly in control of the world, with no turmoil, naturally wielding the greatest power.

The envoy represents the Kangqian Emperor's will, and the entourage includes experts sufficient to suppress Hu Suqi and Hu Songqi, which is only natural.

But that does not mean Hu Suqi and Hu Songqi lack the ability to escape.

Especially Hu Songqi, who hides half-hidden in the shadows, can withdraw at the slightest sign of trouble.

Lin Ke also did not believe Hu Suqi was the type to surrender meekly.

Therefore, Lin Ke did not approve of Stone Senior Brother's rash plan to break jail and rescue people.

One person's death is trivial, but implicating the entire Eight Extremes Martial Hall is major.

"Rest assured, I'm not that stupid."

Stone Senior Brother obviously knew what Lin Ke was worried about; he washed and dried the sharpened blade, applied anti-rust oil, and performed maintenance.

"Then, Senior Brother, what is your intention with this attire?"

Lin Ke, having his thoughts laid bare, felt no unusual emotion, such as guilt.

He continued to speak straightforwardly, and had also made a decision in his heart.

If Senior Brother's plan is not outrageous, I will still lend a hand and contribute some effort.

I intend to enter Death Valley to seek the so-called Longevity Peach, to see what charm it possesses that could prompt the Kangqian Emperor to issue such a foolish order.

Stone Senior Brother's tone was indifferent, yet it revealed deep hatred.

As for Governor Hu, setting aside personal virtue and judging solely by ability, he is top-notch strong.

This province used to be the stronghold of the conservative faction, not limited to just Heavenly Water Commandery, adhering strictly to tradition.

Since taking office, Governor Hu has wielded the seal in one hand and the blade in the other, establishing authority, then relying on a purse of money to lure people with profit, successfully breaking through the conservatives' defenses and opening up the situation.

After that, the province, in less than fifteen years, relied on vigorous development of the mechanical industry to leap from being the lowest-ranked province to becoming one of the top three.

Lin Ke, thinking of this, said gloomily: "Senior Brother, have you considered that the Kangqian Emperor's move might be a scheme that kills multiple birds with one stone?"

"What do you mean?"

Stone Senior Brother's motion of oiling the blade paused.

"The talk of the Longevity Peach is not baseless; both official and unofficial histories contain many records. The Kangqian Emperor, being aged, desires the Longevity Peach to prolong his life—that is one reason."

Lin Ke leisurely revealed his speculation.

"Second, thousands or tens of thousands of martial artists swarming in constitute a force insufficient to achieve anything but sufficient to cause trouble, which must be controlled."

"Third, Governor Hu has taken root in this province for fifteen years, enjoying an excellent reputation and great authority; holding power, money, and the military, he is effectively a local emperor of the province! The Kangqian Emperor wishes to test whether Governor Hu remains loyal to him. If not, he will be killed; if loyal, he will be transferred."

After a pause, Lin Ke cited something that could substantiate his speculation: "As Senior Brother said, Governor Hu voluntarily went to prison without resistance. This is Governor Hu's great wisdom: it shows loyalty, protects himself and his clan, and also keeps him clear of the murky waters of Death Valley."

"There are still so many intricacies?"

Stone Senior Brother was completely stunned; he had not thought of so much.

Hu Suqi told him not to break jail; they would safely come out on their own—now it makes sense.

"Senior Brother, do you still intend to enter Death Valley, find the Longevity Peach, and exchange it for Hu Suqi's family?"

Seeing this, Lin Ke directly exposed the plan that Senior Brother had not voiced.

"Ah!"

Stone Senior Brother sighed, sheathed his blade, and said, "I don't want to anymore."

According to Junior Brother Lin, intruding into Death Valley would likely be of no help to Suqi, and would instead likely entangle oneself.

Otherwise, by the time Suqi is released from prison, he might end up dead in the valley.

After these days of interaction, Stone Senior Brother is deeply fascinated, yet does not wish to leave regrets.

"Senior Brother, return to Fuli County and ask Master and Mistress to recall all disciples abroad, then go together to the Bright Heart Sword School to lay low."

Lin Ke suddenly thought of a possibility and immediately spoke in a low voice.

"Huh?"

Stone Senior Brother was somewhat puzzled.

Are you worried that he might appear to give up but secretly still intend to enter Death Valley?

Seeing this, Lin Ke guessed what Stone Senior Brother was thinking and explained: "The court has already sent an envoy; of course it won't just drop the matter. I estimate that the martial artists now gathered outside the valley will be used as stepping stones for reconnaissance. If Death Valley is truly as terrifying as legend, those martial artists filling it would still not be enough. Therefore..."

Having said that, Stone Senior Brother had already realized, picked up the thread, and sighed softly: "So the court will certainly send more people to scout the route—either mustering a large army or summoning renowned martial artists from the martial world, such as the semi-reclusive master, right?"

"Yes."

Lin Ke nodded, affirming Stone Senior Brother's uh statement.

"I will set off now."

Shi senior brother didn't dare to linger; he immediately got up and walked outward.

The preparations made for entering the Dead Person's Valley happen to be usable, allowing Shi senior brother to quickly return to Fuli County.

Lin Ke watched Shi senior brother leave in a hurry; he himself didn't linger, his figure flashed, and he appeared in the boudoir of Hu Suqi's separate residence.

Sniff, sniff…

The smell in the room is somewhat unfriendly.

Especially for Lin Ke, this kind of "single dog", it's indeed quite a stimulus.

"Damn!"

Lin Ke rarely swore.

With a thought, he lowered his sense of smell's sensitivity, and Lin Ke began searching the room.

He didn't manually search, but used his mental power to scan.

Hu Suqi, as the founder of the "Wu Mei" organization, is highly accomplished in ancient witchcraft.

Indeed, as Lin Ke guessed, the clues left behind are likely left using ancient witchcraft methods.

As expected, Lin Ke found a trace on the dressing table.

Sisters are indeed sisters, even though they share only a father and haven't spent much time together.

Hu Suqi and Hu Songqi both like to make some arrangements on the dressing table.

Of course, this perhaps relates to the fact that ancient witchcraft and evil witchcraft often use mirrors and powders as casting media.

He remotely opened a small drawer and drew out a tiny round makeup mirror from inside.

Lin Ke's thought slightly moved, the small round makeup mirror hovered in the air, aligning its center point with the large square makeup mirror built into the dressing table.

A beam of light shot from Lin Ke's right hand, which was making a sword finger gesture, landed on the small round makeup mirror and reflected into the large square makeup mirror.

Hu Suqi then appeared before Lin Ke in the form of a hologram-like projection.

"You came."

"I came."

"You shouldn't have come." "I still came."

This projection possesses extremely high consciousness, almost like a real person.

Lin Ke felt curious about the technique Hu Suqi used to achieve this effect.

In the large volume that Hu Suqi gave, there is no record of a technique capable of achieving such an effect.

Either it's a bottom-of-the-box secret, or it was recently newly created.

The former possibility is somewhat higher.

Hu Suqi said at this time: "This turmoil, my Hu family will surely get through safely; keep an eye on your senior brother, don't let him do something stupid."

"Don't worry, I've already persuaded him."

Lin Ke replied lightly.

"What does he want to do?"

Hu Suqi was startled by the words, and asked with concern.

"He wants to enter the Dead Person's Valley to find the longevity peach, in exchange for your safety."

Lin Ke didn't conceal anything, and told the truth.

"Really stupid!"

Hu Suqi lightly scolded, yet a happy expression appeared in her eyes and on her face.

It's really good to have someone willing to give his all for her.

At this moment, Hu Suqi's projection fluctuated, showing signs of instability.

She quickly left a warning, then disappeared: "Before July 15th, absolutely do not enter the Dead Person's Valley."

"July 15th?"

Lin Ke looked at the spot where the small round makeup mirror had turned to ash and dissipated in the air, muttering to himself.

July 15th is the Zhongyuan Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival.

In places influenced by Daoist culture in this world, they all have the custom of this festival.

Linking the Ghost Festival timing with the Dead Person's Valley's formation and the longevity peach tree's strange connection, Lin Ke instantly had some conjectures.

However, these currently don't have much relation to him.

"Huh?"

Lin Ke suddenly noticed something odd, turned his head toward the 9 o'clock direction.

His eyes gleamed, penetrating curtains and walls, crossing space, directly "seeing" inside the Governor's mansion.

Only seen in a courtyard, an old Daoist priest wearing Daoist robes was setting up an altar to perform rites.

A strange undulation surged outward in all directions, probing the entire province inside and out.

Is this intended to search out all hidden martial artists or spellcasters inside and outside the city?

"Dao arts?"

Lin Ke, however, doesn't care about the old Daoist's purpose; he only cares about the method the old Daoist is using now.

"Who!"

The old Daoist, who was performing the rites, felt a sudden surge, his mind greatly shocked, feeling as if a pair of eyes were spying on him, and he couldn't help but let out a loud shout.

"Indeed, there's some skill."

Lin Ke promptly withdrew his gaze, severed all traces of his presence in Hu Suqi's bedroom, and his figure silently vanished.

Just that glance, Lin Ke saw many things.

The Dao arts mentioned by Master Jingxu indeed exist, and are not much different from the Dao methods Lin Ke remembers from his previous life (?)—treading the Big Dipper, making hand signs and chanting spells.

It's getting more and more interesting.

Lin Ke's entire figure retracted, appearing outside the Valley of the Dead, recalling the old Daoist's furious shout, which contained a sound attack technique, he let out a sigh.

Human Immortal Martial Dao, Mechanical Martial Dao, ancient witchcraft, evil witchcraft, Dao arts, method arts.

The transcendent Dao of this world is rather complicated.

Moreover...

The history of those who succeeded in ascending to the upper realm yet left no news, and formations like the one in the Valley of the Dead, show many extraordinary places worth exploring.

Thinking of exploring the Valley of the Dead, Lin Ke couldn't help but direct his gaze downward.

A force of the Mechanical Martial Dao dispatched over fifteen hundred scout-type robots, successfully clearing the mist that filled the valley entrance.

But after a few days, having advanced some distance, they also paid a heavy price.

At a rough glance, about twelve hundred robots were totally destroyed, leaving only over three hundred battered robots still barely functioning.

The Mechanical Martial Dao Second Realm cultivators controlling the robots, under the custody of the imperial army, were forcibly squeezing themselves, commanding the robots to violently explore, triggering traps.

The gathering of martial artists outside the valley had in fact been completely controlled by the domineering army personally brought out by Commander Hu.

Cannons were set up, the army formed ranks; not to mention merely three thousand plus martial artists of varying realms, even if another three thousand came, as long as they dared to resist, their fate would only be to be slaughtered to the last man.

Even a peak Cavity Void Realm martial artist like Li Shuwen, if he came, could be hard-pressed and cut down by the army with its formation.

Even the imperial army would suffer high casualties.

Who?

In the camp guarding the martial artists outside the valley, a thunderous rebuke suddenly rang out.

Clang!

A fully armored general smashed through the camp gate, flew up into the air above the camp, and began searching in all directions.

Inside the camp, there was an immediate reaction.

Rows of fully armed soldiers, with extremely practiced movements and extreme speed, quickly formed another small formation.

Blood and qi surged like wolf smoke, while true qi and true essence frenziedly surged.

In an instant, a light-shadow of a striped giant tiger was summoned by the newly formed small formation within the army array, roared once, and landed beside the armored general.

Lin Ke, who had not been noticed by the general, unexpectedly felt a sense of being stared at.

Not exactly chilling, but it also carried a hint of sharpness at one's back.

Obviously, the light-shadow giant tiger had discovered Lin Ke.

Which petty brat dares to spy on my Great Yong camp? Your crime deserves death!

The armored general immediately followed the light-shadow tiger's gaze, fixed on the empty space where Lin Ke stood, raised his Azure Dragon Halberd, let out a great shout, and swung the halberd downward in midair.

The great shout was a sound attack technique, like a tiger's roar, shaking the heart.

The true gang light wave produced by the Azure Dragon Halberd's strike truly resembled an azure dragon.

Both attacked Lin Ke together.

Hah!

Lin Ke actually had the leisure to let out a light laugh, yet he did not dodge or evade, stubbornly taking the shout and the strike.

Even before his figure was discovered, Lin Ke had already employed the clone and displacement technique.

What remained was merely a clone that could die as horribly as it liked.

As for Lin Ke's true self, after breaking free of the light-shadow tiger's lock, he personally experienced the attack strength of the armored general.

If the senior brother were to come, he'd probably already be dead.

After pondering and comparing, Lin Ke made a judgment in his heart.

The armored general also cultivates Human Immortal Martial Dao, just like the senior brother, both being at the early stage of the Return to One Realm.

But by relying on the army formation, he can unleash attacks comparable to those of the Cavity Void Realm.

This is merely a minor officer of a battalion, his rank not particularly high.

The Great Yong Dynasty's prestige overwhelms the world, truly living up to its name.