Chapter 251 An Astounding Encounter: The Pure Yang Hermit Obtains a Legacy!

We rested in the woods, and a campfire rose.

The lake fish were scaled, stuck with sticks, and roasted standing by the campfire, seasoned with wild ingredients, and the aroma of charcoal grilling wafted out.

Li Xian said, "You eat, and I'll kill you after you finish." He handed the roasted lake fish to the disciple of the Wuji Blade Sect.

The disciple was stunned for a moment, filled with fear and unease. He stammered, "Great hero... I... I don't want to die. I... I was ordered by my sect to find you, that's true. But I haven't encountered you at all. Logically speaking, we have no enmity. Could you spare my life?"

Li Xian said, "If I fall into your hands, you will kill me too. Eat quickly, I will let you die with dignity, and then I will help you dig a hole and bury you. What is your name? I can even help you erect a tombstone."

Knowing he was doomed, the disciple gave his name and finished the grilled fish with tears in his eyes. Li Xian kept his promise, killed him with a single sword stroke, dug a hole to bury him, and then carved his name on a wooden board.

After doing all that, the other two fish were cooked.

Li Xian sprinkled salt on the fish and handed it to Wen Caishang. Breaking open the skin revealed tender, juicy flesh. As he ate, Li Xian said gravely, "Madam, although we've made marks along the way and have been heading east, the dense trees make it impossible to be sure we're going the right way. Perhaps we've already lost our way!"

Wen Caishang nodded and said, "Tiger Cry Ridge is eight hundred miles long. There are also mysterious mountain ranges nearby. If you get lost, it may take ten or twenty years to find your way out."

Li Xian laughed and said, "If that's the case, I don't know whether to be happy or worried." Wen Caishang knew that Li Xian was about to say something annoying again, so she asked with a smile, "You rascal, are you happy?"

Li Xian broke off the fish head, sucked on the fish eyes, and ate with relish. He said leisurely, "Even if I can't get out, I won't be lonely. I have my wife with me, and I can sleep with her in my arms. All around me are wild monkeys, wild boars, and wild tigers. No matter how bad I, Li Xian, am, I think I still have an advantage over wild boars and wild dogs. If my wife can't find anyone else, she can only sleep with me in her arms."

"You little rascal, your words are so awful. You keep bringing up wild boars and wild dogs!" Wen Caishang felt a sweet warmth in her heart, but she retorted, "Hmph, you may be happy to be a savage, but I'm not."

Her mind wandered, and she thought to herself, "If we really can't get out, what Li Xian said isn't wrong. If we're in a place like this, what about him and me..." Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but steal a glance at him. Seeing that Li Xian had been traveling through the dense forest for several days, she noticed that he had a clear and bright temperament, a broad-minded nature, and was composed wherever he was.

Her appearance and demeanor remained undiminished. Wen Caishang's beautiful eyes lingered on her.

Knowing that Su Qiuwu and the others were in dire straits, Li Xian and Wen Caishang devised a plan. Heading east again would mean traveling tens of thousands of miles; returning west along the same route would be the safest course of action.

Wen Caishang said, "We thought we were heading east, but the terrain is complex, and we may have already deviated from our direction and are now at an unknown distance."

“If we head west now, we may not be able to get out of the forest. It will be difficult to get back to the resting forest then.”

Li Xian asked, "That's true, but we can't stay in the resting forest forever."

Wen Caishang blushed and said, "I have a solution, but you should turn away."

Li Xian turned her back and heard a rustling sound. Suddenly, she felt a piece of cloth being stuffed into her hand; its texture was silky smooth, like silkworm material.

Looking down, he saw a gold-red hue, exquisite embroidery, and lingering warmth—it was a silk sling with a warm, colorful sheen. Li Xian exclaimed, "Ah! Madam… what… do you mean by this?"

Wen Caishang said, "Why make such a fuss among us, people of the martial world?" Her cheeks flushed as she spoke. She continued, "Take out a silkworm thread and wrap it around that big tree three times..."

It turned out that a strange array was set up using silk fabric. Once the array was set up, the silk threads within several miles were attracted to each other, preventing them from losing their way.

Wen Caishang said, "Let's head west. Every two miles, we'll set up similar silkworm arrays. That way, if we get lost, we can always find our way back to the resting forest."

Li Xian cupped his hands in admiration and said, "Madam, you are truly righteous!"

Wen Caishang's cheeks flushed red, both ashamed and angry. She was extremely annoyed by Li Xian's sharp tongue and cursed, "Go to hell!" She then kicked him.

When Qiu Yue betrayed the manor, Wen Caishang used this method to find her precisely. The clothes of the manor's servants, guards, and mulberry maids were all embroidered with small arrays of silkworm threads.

No matter where she fled, she followed the trail, her search becoming more and more precise.

And so they headed west. Every two miles, they cut silkworm silk and laid it out in formation. The silkworm baskets were finely made, but with such frequent consumption, the fabric gradually ran out.

They traveled westward for three days. Both Li Xian and Wen Caishang felt heavy-hearted. The scenery along the way was completely unfamiliar. Li Xian had an excellent memory; even though the dense forest was complex, he should still remember it.

Having reached this point, there was no need to go any further. Li Xian and Wen Caishang believed they were heading east, but in reality, they had already lost their way after entering the forest for half an hour.

Li Xian said, "It's a pity I can't wear it." Wen Caishang's gloom vanished instantly, and she retorted angrily, "You're joking! It's such a shame I never teased you before!"

Li Xian thought to himself with a sneer, "If we really can't get out, I'll have to stab you in the mouth." He quickly admitted his mistake and said some flattering and auspicious words to make Wen Caishang happy.

With no other choice, three more days passed before we returned to the resting forest.

In the vast forest, two people are trapped in a lone boat. They hear the rustling of leaves in the wind and see the dazzling stars. They are at a loss and feel utterly helpless.

Li Xian was not upset. He pondered a solution and continued to practice martial arts as usual.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Seven Star Step]

[Proficiency: 1569/3000 Minor Mastery]

His lightness skill improved rapidly, and he felt quite pleased with his progress. Li Xian thought to himself, "With my wife by my side, even if I can't leave, I won't lack martial arts skills. I can improve my martial arts slowly, explore gradually, and do my best!"

He braved wind, frost, rain, and thunder along the way. He always remained vigilant, focusing on the ground beneath his feet.

There was a lake in the woods where he rested. Fish, rabbits, wild boars, snakes… common prey were plentiful. Knowing he wouldn't be able to leave anytime soon, Li Xian focused on making the most of the present. He hunted a wild boar and slowly cooked it.

Wen Caishang frowned, thinking, "In the current situation, wandering around might cost me my life. I'm at a loss for what to do, but..."

“I can stay here permanently, adapting to local conditions to find a way to cure the Gu poison. If I can cure the Qi-eating Gu, I will cultivate ancestral silkworms, collect silk, and accumulate it over ten years. This mysterious mountain range, Tiger Cry Ridge… where and where can’t I go?”

Looking at Li Xian, he felt a surge of emotion and murmured, "But... but this kid got off easy."

After ten years of loneliness, it was time to find some joy. That night, the two slept on the ground, and Wen Caishang said, "Li Lang, we can't go out for the time being. You can build a wooden hut tomorrow and stay here."

Li Xian said, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Wen Caishang said, "A wooden bed will suffice, but it needs to be sturdy." Li Xianping was usually very clever, but he didn't immediately grasp the deeper meaning and laughed, "I'll make sure it's perfectly flat and won't make Madam complain."

Wen Caishang stroked his chest, her heart stirring with desire. Early the next morning, Wen Caishang pulled Li Xian up and they practiced the "Yin Yang Immortal Couple Sword" together.

To regulate emotions.

Both of them were drenched in sweat from the dance, while Li Xian wielded his sword to chop wood. Wen Caishang sat cross-legged inside, practicing her skills. After a day of busy work, the wooden house was beginning to take shape.

Two more days.

The wooden house was square and neat, with a living room, a bedroom, and a courtyard. Though small, it had everything one needed. Wen Caishang's heart pounded, and her face remained flushed.

Wen Caishang asked softly, "Li Lang, is something on your mind?" Seeing that Li Xian seemed lost in thought.

Li Xian smiled and said, "It's alright, Madam. Please go to your room and rest first. I need to think about something."

Wen Caishang thought to herself, "Li Lang is still very young, and he must be resentful to be trapped in the forest. But he ended up like this because he was trying to save me. I shouldn't bother him."

She returned to her bedroom and waited quietly, then undressed. In the desolate wilderness, sleeping together in the same bed had a unique charm.

Suddenly, cheers came from outside the door: "Madam... I've got an idea!" He rushed into the room, looking excited.

Wen Caishang was taken aback and asked, "What method is it?"

Li Xian said, “Today, as I was cutting down trees to build a house, I kept having some thoughts, as if I had overlooked something. I remembered what my wife said: this resting grove was a place for the craftsmen to rest when they were excavating the tomb.”

“There must be tombs around here. There’s a high probability that there are maps in the tombs, otherwise why would they build tombs in the middle of nowhere? Once we get the maps, we can get out of here.”

Wen Caishang said, "It's worth a try!" Her eyes flashed. She had long suspected there might be a mausoleum nearby, but considering the dangers around her, she dared not think about it too much. Now, upon careful consideration, it was indeed feasible.

That night, the two devised a plan. Wen Caishang observed the feng shui and performed a geomantic analysis on the spot. Li Xian felled trees to make arrows, and, having made ample supplies, collected silkworm silk.

The next day.

A "silkworm array" was set up in the woods where they rested. Wen Caishang observed the stars and surveyed the feng shui last night. She guessed the tomb was in the southeast.

The two headed southeast, setting up a silkworm cocoon every two miles. If their plan fell through, they could return to the resting forest to survive.

This time we were lucky. After walking for more than ten miles, we came across another grove of trees where we could rest.

After setting up a "silkworm array" in the woods where Li Xian rested, he returned along the same route and collected the silkworm silk along the way.

This grove of trees, where people rested, was about three miles in circumference. There was a tombstone in the grove, with the inscription: "Erected on the way to build the mausoleum, when the person died halfway there."

Wen Caishang said happily, "Digging up the tomb might yield some clues."

They dug three feet into the ground and found a skeleton. Wen Caishang used her sword to pick up the tattered cloth and examined it closely, saying, "This happened a long time ago!"

"This fabric is 'hemp fiber,' which was popular during the Nanyang period. In other words, if there is a tomb here, it must be from the Nanyang period!"

Li Xian asked, "Nanyang?"

Wen Caishang said, "Now it is the 39th year of the Daoyuan era in the Great Wu calendar. The Great Wu Dynasty has lasted for 932 years."

"The previous dynasty of Da Wu was called Da Yu. It lasted for 882 years. Before Da Yu, there was a period of turmoil. At that time, many countries were established and the people's livelihood was impoverished, but many extremely powerful figures also emerged."

“The Nanyang Kingdom is located in the southern region, and it is one of them.”

"Nanyang respects the south, so tomorrow we will explore southwards!"

Rest for a night.

The two resorted to their old trick, setting up a silkworm web along the way. After searching carefully, they indeed found another grove of trees to rest in.

After going back and forth several times, passing through several groves of trees where we could rest, we finally came upon a towering mountain.

Wen Caishang said, "The entrance to the mausoleum is at 197 zhang. But it's blocked off, so we need to find another way."

"This vast tomb... perhaps the opportunity is yet to be determined!"

The tomb is located on a mountain, shaped like a square at the bottom and a round at the top. It symbolizes standing tall and upright, with a powerful and majestic presence.

It will surely bury an extremely powerful martial artist.

"Legend has it that during the Nanyang period, there was a martial artist whose fortune was extraordinary. He had consumed 'Heavenly Essence' and enjoyed 'Earthly Essence'. His skills were astounding. He could ride the wind and fly through the void, wielding his sword freely."

"That martial artist was named Lü Dongzhi, and his pseudonym was Chunyang Jushi."

"Could this be...the place!"

(End of this chapter)