Chapter 119 The Bamboo Seller (Two Chapters Combined) A copper coin, when viewed upright, displays characters...

Under the cold moon, a gentle autumn breeze blows.

A wisp of firelight appeared, but it was quickly suppressed, smoldering into smoldering embers.

He piled up bamboo charcoal, set up an iron frame by the light of the courtyard lamp, picked up a few pieces of wild mushrooms from the porcelain plate beside him, and started grilling them, the aroma of which was very enticing.

He looked at the grill, then glanced at Lin Feiran's bedroom, and couldn't help but chuckle.

Who would have thought that he left his room because he was hungry?

Knowing that Lin Feiran would definitely take action tonight, he barely ate any food during dinner, instead focusing on Biqing and Lin Feiran.

This wouldn't have been a big deal; as usual, I could have just let it pass by. But today I was in a great mood, and my appetite was really whetted, so I brought out the grill.

"If I told her about this, I might get a big meal in return. What a pity, what a pity."

He raised his hand and poured some sesame oil on it. Suddenly remembering something, he put down his chopsticks, rubbed his left arm, and with a little force, a crisp sound was heard. His slender arm was torn off, but no blood splattered out, only a faint fragrance of bamboo.

It hurt, of course, but he only frowned slightly, tossed his arm to the ground, and said calmly:

"Tonight won't be so easy. If something unexpected happens, you'll be lucky to die in her place."

The arm rolled down in the dappled shadows of the trees, like a piece of fallen white jade—beautiful, yes, but undeniably eerie.

A moment later, his arms began to tremble slightly, but he didn't care at all and just kept turning the wild mushrooms over.

In the peaceful courtyard, a crackling sound was heard, and the arm suddenly grew several inches longer, like a bamboo shoot breaking through the ground in winter, until it was as tall as a person before it stopped.

There was another clanging sound, like a bamboo tube bursting.

In just a few breaths, the severed arm grew into a person with a fierce expression, a tall stature, a mask covering his face, and a scar running across his right eye.

Almost without his instruction, the scarred, masked man scaled the wall and left.

However, wild mushrooms still smell better when roasted.

"This meat is good too, my junior sister can eat it when she comes back."

...

Lin Feiran was completely unaware that her late-night snack had been arranged; she was completely focused on her work and went about her business.

The Jade Clan's array formations are superb, and outsiders rarely enter. If something goes wrong tonight, they will definitely suspect me and Qingzhu first. However, if Qiyu really has dealings with that person surnamed Bai, he will definitely contact him in the next two days.

The opportunity was too good to pass up, so we had no choice but to take the risk.

Lin Feiran, wearing a mask, moved nimbly and approached Saitama's courtyard in a few leaps. As she passed a courtyard wall, she heard a strange chanting sound.

During the Flying Flower Gathering, when she followed the Taoist boy from the esoteric sect, she saw a group of cultivators dressed in cloud robes, and they were chanting in the same tone.

Tantra...

Lin Feiran paused, went around to the back of the courtyard, silently climbed onto the roof, and revealed a pair of clear eyes as she looked into the courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with jade and rocks, lush flowers and plants, and a beautiful landscape. However, it now appeared very messy, as if a fight had taken place earlier, causing the jade to fall, the rocks to tilt, and the flowers and plants to lie on the ground, making it very desolate.

However, amidst the chaos, a young man was kneeling on the ground.

He was dressed neatly in a Taoist robe embroidered with cloud patterns. He closed his eyes, formed a mudra with his hands, and then dipped a brush in cinnabar, creating an intricate totem on the ground.

This person must be Biqing's brother who mistakenly entered the esoteric sect.

Lin Feiran turned her head, looking at it from all angles, but still couldn't figure out what the totem was.

After the drawing was completed, the surroundings fell silent. The young man's hand seals changed again, and he also quieted down.

Lin Feiran waited a few more breaths, but still saw no other unusual activity. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he saw a beam of spiritual light shoot out from the totem and enter the boy's brow.

He swayed, then fell backward to the ground.

Lin Feiran was startled and peeked out again, seeing that he had indeed fainted.

She immediately turned over and went to the young man's side. She first checked his breathing, then used her spiritual power to examine him. After confirming that he was just unconscious, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Just as they were investigating, the young man's lips suddenly curved into a strange yet blissful smile. A moment later, he uttered a muffled sound, his eyes clearly closed, but his lower eyeballs continued to move, indicating that he was dreaming.

Could this totem have the power to enter dreams?

What will we see?

She turned to look at the totem on the ground, silently stood up, and as she looked at it, she silently traced it in her palm. After one look, she had already memorized the totem.

Not wanting to linger any longer, she glanced at the young man one last time before climbing over the wall and leaving the courtyard to go to Saitama's residence.

As the head of a clan, Qi Yu was not to be taken lightly by Lin Feiran. He stopped when he was about to get close, keeping a distance of five steps from the courtyard.

She formed a hand seal, and starlight appeared between her palms. With a gentle breath, it floated forward.

She turned and looked around, then immediately followed behind the starlight, step by step.

The distance shrank from five steps to three, and the starlight fell straight down and disappeared.

Sure enough, there was a magic array protecting this place.

She immediately retreated to her original position, tapped the slender blade with her fingertips, and whispered, "Senior, can this formation be broken?"

The spirit of the Golden Wave Sword revealed itself: "I'll give it a try."

"good."

Lin Feiran continued to observe his surroundings.

The sword spirit floated forward, gesturing for Lin Feiran to follow.

"You should have studied 'Complete Explanation of Formations'. Defensive formations are nothing more than 'locking' and 'protecting'. Each has its advantages and disadvantages."

This is 'protect'.

Although it was impregnable, it wasn't all-pervasive. To infiltrate undetected, one needed to find a passageway.

Lin Feiran followed behind her, naturally recalling the contents of the book.

The sword spirit continued, "In my memory, I once saw a magic array prodigy find the 'hole' in this way. You should learn from me."

She formed a hand seal, and Lin Feiran followed along attentively. The hand gestures were extremely complex, requiring complete concentration to keep up. Finally, as the last move came together, the invisible barrier slowly rippled, and a drop of spiritual energy, like a water droplet, condensed from it and settled at her fingertips.

The sword spirit said, "Send it back."

Lin Feiran did as instructed, and the water droplets flowed into the barrier, whereupon a slit of light appeared in the southeast.

"Truly a genius!"

Surprised, Lin Feiran immediately slipped through the hole and entered Saitama's courtyard silently.

She immediately went into Saitama's study and looked around.

Her study was very simple and elegant, with incense burning and orchids planted, along with a few small asparagus ferns. Calligraphy and paintings hung everywhere, and the registers and ledgers on the table were also very neat. It seemed that she preferred to stay here.

As Biqing said, Saitama rarely goes back to his room and spends most of his time in his study handling matters.

Lin Feiran walked to the desk, found the letter paper used by the cultivators to send messages, and then replaced them all with his own map letter paper.

She couldn't know the contents of Saitama's message, let alone intercept it. If she could observe it through a map or letter paper, she could achieve twice the result with half the effort.

With a weight lifted from her heart, she breathed a slight sigh of relief and began searching the room for other clues.

This simple and elegant study was not decorated with too many extraneous items. Lin Feiran did not expect to find any confidential letters; she just wanted to see if there was anything unusual.

Suddenly, a gold hairpin on the cabinet caught her eye.

It is decorated with gold and jade tassels, inlaid with jewels and pearls, and is extremely luxurious.

The hairpin was about half an arm's length long and was firmly placed on the wooden frame, which showed how heavy it was.

Saitama has the financial means to afford it, but it is too luxurious and clashes with the room's decor.

Looking at it from a distance, Lin Feiran could vaguely make out a square character that resembled both an eye and a sun.

Unable to make out the details, she gradually moved forward. When she was about two steps away, she finally saw clearly that it was a white character.

Another heavy weight was lifted from my heart.

If the previous deductions were just deductions, then upon seeing this golden hairpin, everything became certain.

Saitama is the head of the clan; without her permission, who would dare to step forward to watch?

Moreover, it was just an ordinary hairpin. Even if it was inlaid with gold and jade, it was not considered a valuable item by the wealthy and powerful jade family, and few people would even give it a second glance.

Therefore, it was placed here without any concealment, which benefited Lin Feiran.

"The fact that they're always out in front of you, instead of being hidden in a box, suggests they have a very good relationship," the sword spirit said.

Lin Feiran agreed, "If that weren't the case, why would someone who is willing to tell nine truths still try to hide something and mix in a lie?"

The letter paper has changed, and now it's just a matter of waiting.

Just as Lin Feiran was about to make his escape, he suddenly heard a bell ringing, as urgent as a sudden downpour, spreading out in a clamor!

She turned around and her eyelids twitched!

In an instant, several magic arrays lit up in the study, blocking her way. At the same time, another magic array lit up by the door, and in a blink of an eye, a figure appeared on the magic array!

It's a teleportation array!

In the blink of an eye, Lin Feiran had already formed hand seals, and as Saitama stepped out of the formation, her figure had already vanished without a trace!

Wherever the umbrella is, the swordsman will surely return.

...

The study was completely empty and there was nothing unusual about it.

However, Saitama was not relieved. Upon seeing the empty room, she did not hesitate to remove the jade bracelets from her wrists and activate the magic circle. A wave of energy suddenly rippled out, pushing Biqing, who was rushing to the door of the study, back several steps.

Throughout the entire Luoyu City, the ground formations silently flashed with light, spreading for hundreds of miles in an instant.

Saitama closed his eyes and first looked towards Qingzhu and Lin Feiran's courtyard, only to find that one of them was in the courtyard and the other was in the room.

The magic array can travel a hundred miles in an instant. Even if a saint uses a divine speed technique, it would be impossible to return to a room that far away in an instant.

Moreover, one of them is at a high level, and the other is questioning his own state of mind.

But it's better to be safe than sorry...

Suddenly, she spotted a furtive figure moving swiftly outwards in the southeast.

She turned to look at Biqing: "You stay here and wait for me to come back."

Biqing looked at her with a puzzled expression, but still nodded: "Okay, clan leader."

Saitama's figure vanished suddenly, undoubtedly using a teleportation array, something Biqing was already used to.

The clan chief was always cautious. Not only did he forbid outsiders from entering Luoyu City, but every time he returned to his courtyard, he would also re-examine the magic array, saying that there was a gap in the array and that he should be extra careful.

Over the years, no one has ever discovered a crack in this formation, nor has anyone ever broken into it, so these younger generations have never taken it to heart.

But tonight, when the clan leader was investigating, she actually saw that crack!

The moment the gap appeared, the clan leader vanished from sight.

Could it be that thieves have really broken into the city?

Thinking of this, Biqing immediately lifted her skirt and hurriedly ran outside, determined to lend a helping hand!

At the same time, Lin Feiran got up, walked to the table, poured herself a glass of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

She hadn't expected Saitama to be so cautious. Everything that had just happened happened in the blink of an eye. It was too fast. If it weren't for the Golden Wave Sword, she would have definitely run into it head-on!

As her wildly beating heart gradually calmed down, and she was reviewing the situation in her mind, Lin Feiran suddenly smelled a peculiar numbing fragrance.

She got up and went into the courtyard, only to find Qingzhu fanning the charcoal fire and grilling slices of meat.

"..."

It smells so good.

I am actually a little hungry.

Hearing footsteps, Qingzhu turned around and smiled apologetically: "You're awake? I didn't eat enough tonight, and I couldn't sleep anyway, so I got up to make some simple food. Was it too smoky?"

Lin Feiran shook his head and said honestly, "It smells too good."

Qingzhu feigned a sigh: "It seems I'll have to talk to Biqing tomorrow and ask her to provide us with more food. I have plenty of supplies here, including meat and vegetables. Why don't we eat together to relieve our fatigue?"

Lin Feiran chuckled slightly: "Then thank you very much."

She sat down to the side, took over the task, and turned the meat over while fanning herself.

Qingzhu's gaze suddenly fell on her, very carefully. He said, "Why is your forehead a little red? I heard a thud just now, did you bump into something?"

Lin Feiran felt a little embarrassed and didn't dare to say what she had just done. She just nodded slightly awkwardly and said, "I bumped into the corner of the bed, but my head is hard, so it's not a problem."

Qingzhu smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, I won't ask any more questions. When roasting meat, we shouldn't talk about painful things."

Lin Feiran couldn't help but laugh.

I have to admit, he was really good at talking. With just a few words, most of my embarrassment and restraint disappeared, and I just found it funny.

She flipped the roasted meat over and said to him, "This is ready. Would you like some?"

She paused halfway through handing it over, her chopsticks pausing: "I seem to remember you saying you don't eat meat?"

Qingzhu nodded, her eyes smiling: "It's kind of you to remember that I'm a vegetarian and don't like to eat meat."

Lin Feiran turned her head and saw that there was meat and vegetables on the plate, along with a few wild mushrooms. She put the vegetables on the grill and said.

"I've only ever met two vegetarians: one is Ru Xian, and the other is you. But I've also met someone who loves to eat meat, and that's my senior brother."

He couldn't live without meat; even when eating vegetables, he had to choose mushrooms that tasted as fresh as meat.

Qingzhu rested her chin on her hand and looked at her with a smile: "It's just a pity that I am of the Spirit Bamboo lineage, and I am born unable to eat meat, so I can't enjoy it either."

I have heard of this. The ancestors of the Spirit Bamboo and Spirit Flower lineages in ancient times only drank water and dew, and valued purity the most. Therefore, they were born unable to eat meat, and would vomit if they did.

Lin Feiran paused, then said, "Eat whatever you like. If you like vegetables, then eating vegetables is a real enjoyment for you."

He then changed the subject.

"You should be more careful in the future. It's fine in private, but you must never call the Lord by his name in front of him."

Lin Feiran then realized that she had unintentionally called Ru Xian's name.

She immediately replied, "Thank you for the reminder. I will definitely pay more attention in the future."

Qingzhu looked at her meaningfully and said, "Some things can be forgotten, but some things must be remembered, especially when facing the Lord, who is not an easy person to talk to."

Lin Feiran recalled for a moment, wanting to nod in agreement, but then felt it was too much to ask. He wanted to shake his head in denial, but Ru Xian was indeed difficult to talk to.

She nodded and shook her head, drawing a semicircle, which made Qingzhu laugh.

He closed and turned the folding fan, then held it upside down and gently tapped her head with the handle, like a willow branch brushing against her.

He said earnestly, "You must remember this."

Lin Feiran could only nod: "I will remember."

Just then, there was a knock on the courtyard gate, and the next moment, Biqing burst through the door.

"Lin Feiran, Qingzhu!"

She rushed forward, grabbed the two men's wrists, and pulled them outside.

"Thieves have broken into Luoyu City, they're in the southeast direction. Come with me quickly to catch them!"

Lin Feiran: "..."

What southeast direction?

Doesn't she live in the west?

Lin Feiran looked to her right in surprise and found that Qingzhu was also looking at her.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, then they silently looked away.

Lin Feiran couldn't help feeling a little guilty, but then she thought, "I didn't take anything, so what kind of thief am I?" So she straightened her back a bit more.

She asked, "Has something been stolen?"

Biqing nodded: "I heard on the way here that something was stolen, but I don't know what it was. I'll find out when I get there."

Lin Feiran was shocked; something had actually been stolen.

Out of the corner of her eye, she realized that she had been away from the room for a long time and didn't know when Qingzhu had cooked the roasted meat in the courtyard or whether she had noticed anything unusual.

Yu Guangzhong observed that Qingzhu's expression remained unchanged, no different from usual.

...

Under the bright sun, in the corridor, fox-clan maids were extinguishing the palace lanterns that had been lit at night.

"Princess, His Majesty is waiting for you in the side hall."

A woman with a high ponytail, two long strands of hair framing her face, and double earrings dangling from her ears walked across the corridor. She carried two maces on her back, exuding an imposing aura. Her fox-like eyes were upturned, and her face was extremely beautiful.

This is none other than Qingyao, the eldest princess of the fox clan.

She glanced sideways, nodded slightly, then paused, turned around, and asked, "Has Father had breakfast yet?"

The maid bowed and said, "I have just eaten..."

She looked up at Qingyao and hesitated, then said, "However, there is a very strange man in the side hall. He has quite a temper, and the king values ​​him highly. You should be careful when you encounter him."

Qingyao nodded: "I understand."

She walked through the corridor, turned into the side hall, raised her hand and knocked on the door. The conversation inside paused, and then she heard the voice of Prince Qingping.

"Ah Yao is here, come in."

Qingyao pushed open the door and entered, her sharp gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on the right side.

In the armchair on the right sat a lazy man. He was handsome but arrogant, with a smile on his lips. His black hair was casually tied up, and he was dressed strangely. He had many daggers hanging on his body, and his boots reached his knees. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing grotesque crisscrossing scars underneath.

Qingyao was displeased, but she did not show it on her face. She withdrew her gaze and bowed to Prince Qingping.

"I received an urgent summons from my father and am returning from the east. I have come to pay my respects."

Prince Qingping looked at her with satisfaction in his eyes. He then turned to the man and smiled.

"Divine messenger, this is my most proud child, Qingyao. Of the nine children, she is most like me!"

The man glanced at her briefly before looking away, his body slumped in the sunlight, yet a chilling aura still lingered about him.

King Qingping didn't care. He turned to look at Qingyao and pointed at him, saying, "This is the Divine Envoy... You can just call him the Divine Envoy. This mission is important, and he will assist you from the side."

Upon hearing this, the divine messenger immediately replied, "It should be her assisting me."

Qingyao didn't argue. She frowned slightly and stared at King Qingping, asking, "Which divine messenger are you?"

Prince Qingping lowered his gaze slightly: "An envoy of the Secret Sect."

Qingyao immediately asked, "That cult that has been rampant in the south lately?"

Prince Qingping glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye, but saw that he did not react. He was just playing with the dagger in his hand, as if he had not heard anything.

He looked at Qingyao and said meaningfully, "A copper coin, when viewed face up, shows characters; when viewed face down, it shows flowers. The same applies to good and evil. Besides, the esoteric sect hasn't done anything wrong; it's just been recruiting followers, hasn't it?"

Qingyao was speechless for a moment, but she did not agree.

King Qingping laughed heartily: "I know you're always stubborn, so let's put the matter of the secret sect aside for now and focus on that human envoy. I'll tell you about the rest later. What are your thoughts on assassinating that human envoy?"

Qingyao bowed respectfully: "I have already selected several experts from the clan to depart tomorrow or the day after to conduct some reconnaissance..."

"no."

The lazy man known as the messenger of the gods finally spoke, revealing a mouthful of terrifying shark teeth.

“We don’t have that much time. You will come with me in person tomorrow or the day after.”

Upon hearing this, Prince Qingping turned and walked to the window, pacing back and forth in thought: "Isn't this a bit too hasty?"

Qingyao immediately spoke up: "Father, we must not be too hasty. That person named Lin Feiran is, after all, one of the envoys. Ruxian never supports useless people, so we must not underestimate him."

When the Jingchuan Dojo was vying for the position of envoy, many young people from the clan went there, and they had actually fought against Lin Feiran.

Last night I asked them one by one, and their answers were all the same: they all said that Lin Feiran was a difficult person to deal with.

Now that we've decided to kill her, we must conduct thorough tests and make full preparations. Knowing ourselves and our enemy is the key to victory!

"no."

The man still spoke in a listless tone.

He leaned back on the armrest of the round-backed chair, his fingertips tapping the carpet absently.

"The higher-ups said we don't have much time. We must kill Lin Feiran by the end of winter at the latest, otherwise... we can't take any more action and can only let her live until spring, which is too long."

He sounded anxious, but his lifeless tone somehow conveyed a sense of weariness.

Prince Qingping frowned in confusion: "What is the reason for this?"

The man glanced at him sideways and yawned: "This is not something you should know right now."

Since you've decided to join the esoteric sect, you have no choice but to obey us completely. Besides, this isn't the first time you've worked with us, so why ask a question you already know the answer to?

"Join the religion?!"

Qingyao was startled. She turned to look at Prince Qingping, but then quickly suppressed her thoughts, remembering what her mother had said. Her eyes flickered slightly as she thought to herself, "Father has really changed a lot!"

A thought flashed through her mind, and she immediately drew a long, black mace, moved it slightly, and attacked the man.

"Don't you dare dishonor my father! Keep your mouth shut!"

While doing this, he glanced at Prince Qingping out of the corner of his eye.