Linjiang (5)

In the distance, there were layers of mountains, with clouds rolling and swirling like a sea. Cranes fly through the clouds, their clear cries echoing from far to near. Nearby, the waves were blue and the springs were clear and refreshing. Rare and exotic animals play or lie quietly on the ground. It’s a picturesque scene, a veritable paradise on earth, and everywhere one looks, it’s breathtakingly beautiful.

Thousands of cultivators were casually thrown on the ground. After a crane’s cry echoed through the sky, people woke up one after another, all stunned by the beautiful scenery before them.

“Where…where is this?” Someone woke up under a towering ancient tree and looked up at the tree in amazement, “It’s redwood! The redwood that has long been extinct in the seventeen states!”

The existing redwood in the seventeen states were all remnants of the past. A palm-sized piece of redwood could cause a bloody storm, let alone such a towering tree!

That cultivator’s shout attracted many people’s attention. Immediately, some people wanted to put it in their bag. But before they could act, they heard someone shout, “It’s a nine-tailed spirit fox! A heavenly spiritual beast!”

By the clear spring, a spirit fox as tall as a person lazily laid on the grass. Its fur was snow-white and flawless, and its nine fluffy tails swayed. Its beautiful fox eyes were full of charm, and the corners of its eyes were tinged with a seductive crimson, which made people’s hearts flutter.

“Catch it!” Immediately, someone took out a beast-catching net. However, as soon as he moved, he exploded and died, turning into a pool of blood that dripped onto the grass.

The spirit fox licked its paw indifferently, lazily glanced at the many cultivators, yawned, and continued to sleep.

It seemed completely unafraid of them.

Suddenly, thousands of cultivators were gathered in this fairyland full of treasures. Naturally, some people were greedy. However, without exception, as soon as they used their spiritual power, they would immediately die in strange ways.

“You can’t use spiritual power here!” A woman shouted loudly, “Everyone, stop!”

The woman was Mei Luoxue, the hall master of the Four Seasons Hall. She was beautiful and voluptuous, and her eyebrows and eyes carried the majesty and oppression of a superior. More than a dozen cultivators from the Four Seasons Hall, dressed in yellow robes, loyally guarded her, forming a star-like formation around her.

“Hall Master Mei is right, everyone quickly put away your magical artifacts and treasures, and don’t touch those spiritual beasts and trees lightly!” A cultivator in a robe and holding a Buddhist cane also shouted loudly. Although he did not use spiritual power, he could still make the cultivators within a few miles hear clearly.

“It’s Zen Master Bai Yu from the Jiting Sect!” Someone recognized him, “Zen Master Bai Yu is also trapped in Linjiang City!”

(t/n: Zen Master-honorific title for a Buddhist monk)

Bai Yu was one of the top hundred monks in the Tianji List, a disciple of the top of the Tinaji List, Zen Master Ming Sang, and one of the three direct disciples of Ming Sang. As soon as he spoke, the people around him quieted down.

(t/n: Tianji-nature’s mystery; sth. inexplicable like nature’s mystery; the secret like God’s design)

“Zen Master Bai Yu, do you know where this is?” A handsome young man in red asked him with a smile.

Bai Yu shook his head, “This poor monk does not know.”

“It’s Qing Yan from the Huanhuan Sect!” Someone exclaimed, “There are three people in the top hundred of the Tianji List in Linjiang City?”

“Didn’t you forget His Holiness Dulu?” Someone said, “Speaking of which, why hasn’t His Holiness Dulu shown up? We came to Linjiang City to attend the Linjiang Conference, but we suffered this unwarranted disaster. As the master of a city, shouldn’t His Holiness Dulu come out and give us an explanation?”

“Right! Hall Master Mei, where is your master?” Someone with a lot of guts asked directly.

Mei Luoxue’s face looked very ugly, but she still reassured in a deep voice, “Everyone, calm down, the urgent task is to get out of this strange place first, and my master will definitely give everyone an explanation afterwards!”

The cultivation world had always respected the strong. With Mei Luoxue, Zen Master Bai Yu, and Qing Yan here, the anxious hearts of the people were barely calmed down. Thousands of cultivators from various factions and sects gathered together, or those who had close relationships with the sects and wandering cultivators simply joined together, found their own leaders, and went to Mei Luoxue and Bai Yu to discuss solutions together.

Now there was only Chu Xin left in the Wushi Sect. He dared not rashly come forward, and even hid his sect’s jade token. He squatted with Feng Zizhang and Jiang Yizheng not far from Ning Buwei, watching those big shots.

Ning Buwei had just woken up and was fiddling with the two broken sword blades in his hand. It was unknown what he was drawing on the ground. His movements were very casual. At this moment, he had just finished the last stroke, squinted his eyes to look at the place where several groups had fallen, and then lowered his head to add a few strokes.

“Qing Yan entered the top hundred of the Heavenly Secrets List when he was only twenty-one.” Chu Xin said enviously, “It is said that he is a heavenly spirit body, and cultivating with every breath he takes. Now he is already an elder of the Huanhuan Sect.”

“I hadn’t even built a foundation when I was twenty-one.” Feng Zizhang said with shame, “No wonder my master often scolds me as a waste.”

“He looks so handsome.” Jiang Yizheng’s focus was obviously a bit off, “Just a bit worse than our father.”

Feng Zizhang looked at Ning Buwei. That Qing Yan was indeed a rare beauty in the seventeen states. But Ning Buwei always had a stinky face all day long. When he didn’t smile, he looked like he was going to kill someone at any time. He felt that Jiang Yizheng’s statement was a bit biased, but he didn’t dare to refute it.

He was afraid that before recognizing as father, Ning Buwei would chop him off.

At this moment, Ning Buwei was solemnly taking out a small bag of rice paste from his storage ring, worrying about how to feed Ning Xiu.

Ning Xiu was obviously hungry, humming and gnawing at his finger. But there were no teeth in his mouth. He looked at his father with a grievance and impatience, “Ah~”

Hungry~

“Ah~ Ah~”

Father~ Food~

Jiang Yizheng, who had recognized him father on her own initiative, came up with a thick face. She didn’t dare to call her father as soon as she came up. She took out a pot from her storage ring and said respectfully, “Senior, I have a pot here. It’s very clean. It’s just right for cooking rice paste for the younger brother.”

“Senior, the branches I just picked up can be used to make a fire.” Feng Zizhang put a pile of firewood, not known where he had picked up form and placed them under the pot that Jiang Yizheng had set up.

“Senior, I’ve tasted this spring water. It’s sweet and there’s no problem.” Chu Xin poured the spring water into the pot with a bamboo tube, “It’s just right for cooking rice paste.”

Ning Buwei: “…”

It seems that there is no way to refuse.

He didn’t have the good habit of carrying a pot with him in his storage ring.

Jiang Yizheng even took out a few sweet potatoes from her storage ring, saying enthusiastically, “This fire is just right for roasting sweet potatoes.”

Ning Buwei sat on the ground, plucked a foxtail grass to weave a small grasshopper for Ning Xiu to play with. The other three really started roasting sweet potatoes around the fire, and he didn’t bother to manage them.

In this immortal land-like scenery, when everyone was anxiously gathered together discussing how to escape, the sweet smell of rice paste and roasted sweet potatoes suddenly filled the air, which was out of place with the tense atmosphere and beautiful scenery.

Even Mei Luoxue, Bai Yu, and a few others looked over at them.

On the fire, there was a shiny iron pot, in which was sweet rice paste. In the nearly extinguished fire, there were a few sweet potatoes buried. Next to this out-of-place iron pot, four cultivators were sitting.

A waste man with a handsome face holding a baby in his arms.

A woman with poor aptitude and a heroic appearance.

A young man with sword eyebrows and bright eyes, but looking stupid.

And a young man with a baby face full of worry.

And except for that waste man, the other three were all dirty and bloody, looking miserable. These people gathered together, and none of them could fight.

But the problem was that everyone here was racking their brains to think of a way, these few were like going on a picnic in the suburbs, cooking rice and roasting sweet potatoes, comfortable and arbitrary, how to look at it was annoying.

Ning Buwei had always ignored the eyes of others. He scooped a small half bowl of rice paste from the pot, took out a small porcelain spoon from his storage ring. The small porcelain spoon was exquisitely made, and there was a cute yellow-haired chubby dog painted on it, hanging its ears and sticking its tongue out at Ning Buwei.

Probably something was painted on it, the little dog’s eyes would blink, and its tail would wag, just like a living thing.

Ning Xiu stared at the little spoon for a while, squinted his eyes and stuck out his tongue at his father like the little fat dog.

“Stupid.” Ning Buwei was very disgusted with his son, and also very disgusted with the little spoon prepared by the shop’s waiter, but still honestly took the little dog spoon and scooped a spoonful of rice paste into his mouth to taste it, and only fed it to Ning Xiu after confirming that there was no problem.

Jiang Yizheng used her sword to dig out the sweet potatoes from the ashes. Feng Zizhang reached out to take it but was scalded. He kept blowing on his scalded fingers. Chu Xin simply cut it open with a sword, elegantly peeling the sweet potato with his sword.

If his biological father and master saw him using the famous Wushi Sword Technique of the Wushi Sect to peel sweet potatoes, they would probably be so angry that they would execute him on the spot.

Jiang Yizheng picked the biggest sweet potato and respectfully placed it on the grass in front of Ning Buwei.

“Senior, you eat.”

The respectful attitude was like offering to the ancestors.

Feng Zizhang was still holding his scalded hand and gasping in pain.

Chu Xin took a bite of the sweet potato, looking longingly at the rice paste in the pot, and asked Ning Buwei, “Senior, may I have a taste?”

Ning Buwei, his hand smeared with rice paste spat out by Ning Xiu, said impatiently, “Whatever.”

So Chu Xin happily asked Jiang Yizheng for a spoon.

Jiang Yizheng even gave him an extra bowl.

If Chu Xin was greedy, then Feng Zizhang was just getting used to not eating grains, and shamelessly asked Jiang Yizheng for a bowl. Jiang Yizheng, who had not abstained from grains, found the sweet potato a bit dry and mumbled, “Senior, can I drink half a bowl?”

Ning Buwei took a handkerchief to wipe Ning Xiu’s mouth and closed himself off from wanting to speak.

The three of them sat around the pot with their bowls, divided the remaining rice paste in the pot, and ate it with the sweet potatoes, very satisfied.

Many onlookers’ eyes on Ning Buwei changed from resentment to sympathy.

No wonder he would do such outrageous things, a waste man with three fools and a baby, it’s not easy.

But why does it look like they’re eating so deliciously!?

“Fellow Cultivator.” Just as everyone had given up on watching the excitement, a middle-aged man with half-white hair and beard came up and saluted Ning Buwei, “This lowly one is Changseng Valley’s Lu Nan, I have something to say, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say it.”

Ning Buwei gave him a cold glance.

The smile on the face of the self-proclaimed Lu Nan remained unchanged, “I see that this fellow cultivator is very similar to an old friend of mine, but unfortunately my old friend died early…Since we two have a fate, I will help you calculate a hexagram for the child in your arms.”

Lu Nan sighed deeply, looking at Ning Xiu in his arms and said, “This child was born against the heavens. From birth, he has to go through forty-nine life tribulations. Even if he survives the life tribulations, he is a lone star of the heavens, controlling the father and mother. You, fellow cultivator—”

(t/n: controlling the father and mother-There is a kind of fortune-telling in ancient China, which is an academic method that uses the year, month, day, and hour of your birth to calculate a person’s life destiny. It is said that this time contains a lot of information about the past and the future. Some information reflects that the parents died early, and some horoscopes reflect that the parents are well-developed, which is said to be not 100% guaranteed.)

His words were interrupted by an angry voice.

“I’ve never heard of any Changseng Valley!” Chu Xin angrily said, “You’re clearly talking nonsense!”

“Although my cultivation is not deep, I have a deep study of hexagrams, and every hexagram I break is accurate.” Lu Nan smiled at Ning Buwei, “Such a life pattern is rare in a hundred years. The last one I calculated to be a Tiansha Lone Star who controls the father and mother was Ning Buwei.”

(t/n: Tiansha Lone Star-According to folklore, Tiansha Lone Star Fate refers to a person’s destiny of being alone all his life . Although the evil star has a very bad aspect, the evil star does not affect the person himself, but has an extremely evil influence on the people around him.)

As soon as Lu Nan said the three words “Ning Buwei”, the originally noisy environment suddenly became quiet.

Even Chu Xin was choked.

Who is Ning Buwei?

At the age of six, both his parents died. The Ning family branch he belonged to was left with only him. He was later taken to the Ning family’s main house. The people in power in the Ning family fell one after another, leaving only Ning Xingyuan, the main family’s grandson who was less than a hundred years old, in power. But even Ning Xingyuan, who was such a genius, fell early.

In those days, the Ning family, a large family that dominated the Xun Prefecture, not a single blade of grass survived in the two states of Can and Shang, which had millions of people. Only Ning Buwei survived.

If he was not a Tiansha Lone Star, then there really was no second cultivator in the seventeen states who could be called a Tiansha Lone Star.

Not to mention that wherever Ning Buwei had been over the years, there had been a bloody storm. In the hearts of the people, the name Ning Buwei was always closely linked with death. If anyone gets involved with him, they would be cursed as unlucky.

Lu Nan seemed very satisfied with the effect created by Ning Buwei. Seeing that everyone fell silent, he smiled slightly and said, “Everyone! I observe that this place is a phantom array created by that demon vine. As long as we work together to find the eye and of the array and break it with force, we will surely be able to get out!”

“Where is the eye of the array?” A cultivator couldn’t help but ask.

“That demon vine is very sinister, it has set the eye of the array on a living person!” Lu Nan pointed his finger, landing on Ning Buwei’s arms, “The living eye of the array is the baby he is holding in his arms!”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Feng Zizhang was angry when he heard this: “You first talked about fate, and now you’re talking about the eye of the array, it’s clear that you’re plotting against the child!”

“That’s right! On what basis do you say that the eye of the array is on the child!?” Jiang Yizheng was also very angry.

“Ah.” Lu Nan bowed his hand in the direction of Zen Master Bai Yu, Mei Luoxue and several others, and asked loudly, “Zen Master Bai Yu, Hall Master Mei, Elder Qing Yan, is this place an illusion formation?”

Mei Luoxue frowned. “Indeed, that demon vine has a high cultivation base, and the illusion formations it sets up are all like entities.”

Bai Yu also nodded.

Qing Yan leaned on the redwood with his arms folded and smiled without saying a word, but he didn’t refute it either.

“This child was born with a golden core body, he doesn’t know how to resist at all, it’s more than appropriate to use him as the eye of the array, as long as everyone uses a little spiritual power to slightly probe, they can sense the sinister aura on this child, he is the eye of this array!” Lu Nan said loudly.

As soon as someone wanted to use spiritual power to enter Ning Xiu’s sea of consciousness, they were blocked by a strong force and almost died from their bodies exploding.

Ning Buwei stood up holding Ning Xiu, glanced at the people who had surrounded him, and opened his mouth to challenge arrogantly, “A bunch of worthless trash.”

Such a small child couldn’t withstand their spiritual power probing, Lu Nan clearly wanted the child to die.

Jiang Yizheng, Feng Zizhang and Chu Xin who were blocking him were dumbfounded.

“Se…Senior, at least provide an explain…” Jiang Yizheng said softly.

“It’s clearly them who are picking a fight! They don’t have any evidence yet!” Feng Zizhang was about to explode, “Just because they say it is, it is?”

Chu Xin saw more and more people surrounding him, and hurriedly said, “How can you determine that the child is the eye of the array based on his word?”

“Whether it is or not, we’ll know once we try!” Someone shouted. “Hand over the child!”

“That’s right, hand over the child!”

“Hand over the child!”

Jiang Yizheng’s hand holding the sword was trembling a bit, she shouted loudly towards Mei Luoxue’s direction. “Hall Master Mei! Please uphold justice! We can’t just let them bully a child who doesn’t understand anything, can we!?”

However, Mei Luoxue, Bai Yu and others were all silent, and many cultivators maintained a neutral attitude and watched.

If the child was the eye of the array, these excited people could kill them and get out once they snatch him. If he was not the eye of the array, then it’s these people who were indiscriminately killing the innocent, and it had nothing to do with them.

Even the majority were cold onlookers.

Mei Luoxue did not respond for a long time, and Jiang Yizheng looked a bit lost.

Lu Nan said righteously. “Fellow Cultivator, for the sake of everyone’s life and safety, you should hand over the child.”

Before he finished speaking, a piece of broken blade rushed straight to his brow, and the thick black fog suddenly exploded, turning into countless sharp blades stabbing at everyone’s throat!

Some used their magical power to block it, but as soon as they used their spiritual power, they exploded into a cloud of blood mist. The rest remembered not to use spiritual power, but it was too late to dodge, and they were directly pierced by the sharp blade and fell to the ground.

“How come he can use spiritual power!?”

Someone questioned, but those black mists scattered like living things, and everyone fled in all directions. When they came back to their senses, they found that the cultivator carrying the child and those three fools had disappeared.

“They went into the Redwood Forest! Go after them!” Lu Nan was the first to rush in, and many cultivators followed him.

Even Mei Luoxue took the cultivators of the Four Seasons Hall and chased after them.

Qing Yan leaned against the tree trunk and raised an eyebrow, “Have they all gone mad?”

Bai Yu sat cross-legged and chanted sutras, blocking the lingering black fog outside.

Qing Yan laughed and said, “Zen Master, what do you think?”

“Formation within formation.” Bai Yu frowned and stared at the place where Ning Buwei and others had just been, “The reason we can’t use spiritual power is not because we are in the illusion formation of the demon vine, but because the cultivator who was holding the child just now set up another formation in the illusion formation of the demon vine, this person——”

“Evil heretic, his heart can be punished.” (TL: means a person’s motives are impure or even sinister)