Chapter 258 The Broken Ore Vein "Like hailstones, it's good that nothing happened."...

Following the guidance of the divination, Lin Feiran and Gu Yu arrived at Yingzhou City, located at the border of Zhongzhou and Dongyuzhou.

There were no lights in front of Yingzhou City. As night approached, there were only dark, eerie shadows of trees. The two were both cultivators and could see normally at night, but they were still surprised by the deathly silence and the eeriness.

Even within the nearby city of Yingzhou, only scattered lights could be seen, making it appear as if the city were deserted.

As soon as they landed, the two smelled an indescribable odor. It wasn't foul, but rather the damp, dusty smell of summer before a rain. However, it was winter, and there was no rain; the city was covered only with endless snow.

The city wall is made of grayish-blue long stones, and the tightly closed city gate is covered with verdigris. On the left and right gray walls, there is a large gold and red character engraved on each side: the left side reads "Forbidden" and the right side reads "Closed".

This means that the city is closed and entry is only possible with a warrant.

Lin Feiran sheathed his sword, glanced at it briefly, and then looked at the long slip of paper in Gu Yu's hand.

"What direction are you heading? Are you in the city?"

Gu Yu calculated and calculated, circling around several times, before finally speaking.

"They're not in the city, but they're not outside the city either, yet their destination is definitely in this area."

He stroked his chin and said confidently, "There is a secret realm here. If it is a secret realm, it cannot be entered by simply calculating; we must find the 'door' to enter."

Lin Feiran looked at the yin-yang fish in his palm. It was in better condition than before, so it floated up and swam around once before hesitatingly looking west.

"It seems it's not entirely sure either." Gu Yu retracted the long slip of paper, looked around, and asked curiously, "Aren't there post stations near the city? Why are there only a few piles of broken planks left here?"

Lin Feiran turned around and looked down at the wooden planks. There was some flattened snow underneath, most of which did not look old. So he replied, "It should have been demolished not long ago."

"Senior, how do we find the entrance to the secret realm?"

Gu Yu tucked his hands into his sleeves, looking distressed: "Only naturally formed secret realms are difficult to predict. Finding the entrance depends on fate."

He looked at Lin Feiran, but she was not discouraged. Instead, she observed the surroundings more carefully: "At least the general location has been determined. Next, we just need to explore inch by inch. As long as we are fast enough, it will be only a matter of time before we find the entrance."

Therefore, I will trouble you, senior, to search with me; you go east, and I will go west.

Gu Yu initially wanted to agree, but considering Lin Feiran's current situation, she shook her head.

"No, no, although Ru Xian is currently missing and his whereabouts are unknown, at least his life is not in danger. You, on the other hand, are being hunted by the Secret Sect, and you might be in even greater danger than him. We can't let him be caught before he is found."

Let's work together and try to be as fast as possible!

Lin Feiran pondered for a moment, knowing that he couldn't waste any more time on this matter, and quickly nodded: "Okay."

Naturally formed secret realms are not easy to find, but for those that have already defined a general area, finding them is at least not as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

Such a secret realm is surrounded by spiritual energy, with an excellent landscape and rare and exotic plants. They only need to focus on such places.

In the dark forest, a streak of azure lightning flashed repeatedly, moving with incredible speed. One moment it illuminated the night birds perched on the branches, and the next it was several meters away. The movement was so subtle that it didn't shake off a single snowflake.

Gu Yu rubbed her shoulders, wrapped her long velvet cloak tighter, and followed closely behind the figure in front of her without daring to stop for a moment, already panting with exhaustion.

That's too fast.

Before setting off, they divided the approximate location into four areas: east, south, west, and north. In just an hour and a half, Lin Feiran had already searched the western area.

He was initially worried that the cult would come after them, but at her speed, she could finish searching before dawn as long as she didn't rest.

...This person has a body of iron.

After searching the west side, the two headed south. Gu Yu turned her gaze away from Lin Feiran's focused and anxious expression and looked around, her heart filled with increasing doubt.

Even in winter, this place is far too desolate.

Most of the trees were withered, there were no traces of animals, and even the bushes in the snow were few and far between.

He had previously thought that this was only the case in the west, but now that he had arrived in the south, the scene was exactly the same, no, even worse than in the west. The water here had dried up to expose the riverbed, devoid of any life.

Because the south was so desolate, let alone places rich in spiritual energy or teeming with exotic flowers and herbs, they didn't even see a single blade of grass. It took them only an hour to search the entire area.

The shorter the time, the more Lin Feiran frowned.

She suddenly spoke, her voice carried by the wind, strong and clear: "Senior, if the spiritual energy here is no longer abundant, will the secret realm still exist?"

Gu Yu spoke, choking on the snow wind, and said intermittently, "If the skin is gone, where will the hair attach? Secret realms also need spiritual energy to maintain them. Without these, natural secret realms will naturally perish."

Lin Feiran responded.

Since the secret realm is here, there must be other places nearby with abundant spiritual energy, but in her opinion, this is not logical.

Although the spiritual energy in different parts of the world varies in abundance and scarcity, this is only relative. When distributed in a city that is not very large, the spiritual energy should be balanced, with some areas being abundant and others scarce. It is impossible for one place to be particularly strong.

However, she didn't have time to think about it. After searching the southern area, she planned to head east. But as she leaped high from the treetop and was about to turn around, she suddenly caught a glimpse of several clusters of sparks in her peripheral vision.

She stopped and looked north into the distance. Those clusters of flames were not sparks, but real bonfires.

There are people there, and a lot of them.

While he was pondering, Gu Yu hurriedly caught up. He stopped, propped himself up on his knees, and swayed up and down in the treetop. He cleared his throat before saying, "Why did you suddenly stop? Are you finally tired?"

Lin Feiran shook his head and pointed there: "Let's check the north first."

People subconsciously gravitate towards places with spiritual energy, and perhaps all the spiritual energy of this place is gathered there.

"I'm sorry."

After saying this, Lin Feiran grabbed Gu Yu's right arm and, before he could refuse, took him and drove away at breakneck speed.

Traveling from south to north, they inevitably passed through Yingzhou City. There were no restrictions placed on cultivators there, and as the two of them leaped over, they both looked down at the same time.

This wasn't a ghost town, but there weren't many people on the streets either. Many sat dejectedly by the roadside, with a copper basin in front of them. Cheap straw paper, cut into the size of ghost money, round on the outside and square on the inside, was then thrown into the basin, sparks flying everywhere.

Their actions resembled a memorial service. Lin Feiran and the other person sped past overhead. She watched them closely, but Gu Yu's eyes were stung by the smoke, and she coughed for a long time.

"Why is everyone in the city burning paper money? Is it some kind of memorial festival?" He wiped away his tears and looked at the city that had been left behind.

"have no idea."

Lin Feiran turned to look at him, somewhat surprised. Even though she knew that Gu Yu was a cultivator of divination and was physically weak, he was still a cultivator after all. She did not expect that he would be choked by the thick smoke.

"Senior, are you alright?"

Gu Yu rubbed her eyes and said, "It's alright, it's alright, I can bear it. You, you mustn't let go of my hand just because you think I'm being nosy!"

Lin Feiran took out a handkerchief and handed it to him, but she didn't slow down. She said, "I won't mind if anyone is being nosy."

Gu Yu took it casually and sighed in the wind, "That's true. You and I are both people who can endure even the smallest things. How could you be so narrow-minded?"

Even at this moment, Lin Feiran still took the time to explain: "He's just different from most people in his habits, it's nothing to worry about."

"..."

Gu Yu paused, unsure whether to bring up the past. Back when Xian was still in Langhuan Sect, he was indeed quite charming and imposing, arousing the imagination of many. But almost no one would deny that he was "meddlesome."

To save face for his friend, he reluctantly admitted, "I misunderstood him."

Admittedly, after being teased like this, Lin Feiran's tense nerves relaxed slightly. She said seriously, "Many people misunderstand him. When I didn't know him well, I had similar thoughts."

"It would be great if everyone understood him."

Gu Yu: "..."

There was absolutely no misunderstanding!

With business at hand, he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

Gu Yu, being carried by the fur collar by Lin Feiran, sped through the withered snow forest. Now that she had a destination, her speed was even faster than before. In this way, she traversed from south to north in just half an hour.

The closer they got to the north, the more intense the fires, which were originally the size of fists, became, forming one large fire after another, illuminating the area so brightly that the faces of the people sitting around the fires were clearly visible.

Lin Feiran leaped down with him without making a sound, but shook off most of the snow piled up beneath their feet, drawing everyone's attention.

There were several low thatched huts piled up in the snow, and most people chose to stay by the fire. Their eyes, which were either gray or dull, reflected the firelight, and they looked calm. They were not at all frightened by the sudden appearance of these figures.

If one becomes too numb and exhausted, one will no longer be easily frightened.

Lin Feiran glanced around and saw that in this snow-covered forest full of withered branches, they were not using firewood to start a fire, but pieces of crystal-clear spirit jade.

They are setting up an array with spirit jade to generate spirit fire, a flame that will almost never go out in the cold wind.

Gu Yu finally stood up straight, wrapped her fur coat tightly around herself, and peered out. She rubbed her eyes again and exclaimed in surprise before the others.

"Could it be that I haven't left Rainfall City for too long, and therefore I'm unaware of the changes in the world? Even mortals can use magic arrays now?!"

Lin Feiran was also somewhat stunned, but she quickly realized the cause and effect. It was probably because the book "The Great Sound is Silent" had spread widely and had already achieved results. She felt a little relieved. At this point, at least she had not failed her ancestors' wishes.

The widespread popularity of "The Great Sound is Silent" was not solely due to her efforts, and she dared not take credit for it. She omitted the details and simply explained the matter to Guyu before moving on.

The fact that these people chose to use jade instead of broken wood means that there is a lot of spiritual jade in this place. Only a place with auspicious feng shui can produce such treasures. By finding out the source of the jade, we can further determine the location of the secret realm.

Lin Feiran looked around and paused slightly. The people gathered here had almost turned white or gray in their facial features and limbs, but most of them had gray in their eyes. Some had gray in their left eye, and some had gray in their right eye.

This place is full of people suffering from cold-related illnesses, without exception. Most of them are young and middle-aged, while there are not many elderly people. There are a few children mixed in.

They were gathered here as if they were waiting to die, so they were not at all bothered by Lin Feiran and her companion's arrival. When she chose a place to sit down, she even moved half a seat to make room for them.

"Excuse me..." Before Lin Feiran could finish speaking, the young man who was almost blind spoke up blankly.

"This is Yingzhou City. We are all citizens of the city. We were driven here because we were suffering from a cold. Although someone brings us steamed buns and pastries every day, it's just keeping us alive. The city gates will not be opened for us."

He spoke very fluently, as if he had been asked the same question many times before.

Gu Yu rubbed her hands together to warm them by the fire, and asked in surprise, "How did you answer so quickly?"

Another woman replied just as quickly: "Our area used to be rich in jade, and cultivators often came here to collect it. But a few months ago, a cold disease broke out, the mine veins broke, and the amount of jade decreased. This news has not yet spread, but there are still many cultivators coming here."

Therefore, if you two have come for the jade, please leave.

The jade we have now is fine for burning like this, but it's far from enough to support your grand magic arrays.

After speaking, she stretched out her pale and stiff hand and pushed the jade stone. Even when it came into contact with fire, she seemed not to feel the pain of being burned, and only focused on fiddling with the magic array.

Lin Feiran pursed her lips, reached out to help her rearrange the formation, and then asked, "Sister, we didn't come here to get the jade, but we do want to know where the mine is. Could you tell us?"

Not only this woman, but everyone else looked at Lin Feiran, sneered, and no one spoke again.

Lin Feiran knew this statement was contradictory and was thinking about how to explain the secret realm when she heard Gu Yu whisper, "Miss Lin, explaining is more like covering up. If they don't want to talk about it, we'll find it ourselves. We can still calculate the mineral veins."

Just as he was about to draw the long slip, the woman tending the fire suddenly looked up. Her eyes were intact, and she did not look like she was about to die. She just looked at Lin Feiran with a probing gaze, and then looked at the sword and umbrella behind her.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise and asked, "You...you're Lin Feiran?"

Upon hearing this, the people who had been sitting there in a daze all looked over, and some even stood up as if they were about to walk over.

Gu Yu hadn't forgotten about Lin Feiran being hunted everywhere. His scalp tingled, and he immediately stood up and stood next to Lin Feiran, taking the lead in questioning, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who are you cursing! There are many magical artifacts for cultivators. Does that mean every person carrying an umbrella is named Lin Feiran?"

Lin Feiran looked up at him speechlessly: "..."

The blind young man standing nearby spoke up: "I've seen her wanted poster!"

Gu Yu turned to look at him, her throat tightening, feeling utterly absurd, and her voice even cracked slightly: "Brother, what did you see? Are you blind?!"

Lin Feiran also stood up, her eyes immediately scanning her surroundings, watching for any possible signals. She didn't want to clash with them, but she also didn't want to make a scene. Just as she was thinking about knocking them out, the woman also got up.

She said urgently, "Don't misunderstand, we're not here to capture you, at least not the people here! If you hadn't distributed the prescription and 'The Great Sound is Silent,' we would have died months ago, how could we be alive today!"

Gu Yu was even more shocked. She turned to look at Lin Feiran, her voice still cracking: "That book is also related to you!"

Lin Feiran understood why Ru Xian always pursed her lips and clicked her tongue when she mentioned him, saying that she should be more tolerant.

Having received Gu Yu's reaction, the others were almost certain of Lin Feiran's identity. Their previously blank expressions finally became more lively, and many people moved their stiff bodies, struggling to gather around.

Among them was a child with short, gray hair. She shakily squeezed into the crowd, cautiously and curiously looking at her, and exclaimed, "Sister, you're so tall!"

The joy on everyone's faces was genuine. To them, Lin Feiran was like a famous figure whose name was widely known but whose true face had never been seen. Her deeds were talked about, but there were many different opinions about her as a person, and nothing specific was said about her.

Some say Lin Feiran is a cold, flamboyant, and unruly great cultivator; others say she is an unparalleled master; still others say she is a treacherous person who turns to both sides.

But I never expected that Lin Feiran would be such a quiet and young man.

They had imagined many different looks for her, but upon seeing her, they felt an immediate sense of agreement—this was the expression and demeanor that "Lin Feiran" would have.

For a moment, no one knew what to say, and they could only look at her with eager eyes. The woman realized what was happening and immediately became warmer, unable to resist moving closer and saying, "You just said you wanted to find a mineral vein? If it's you, of course we can tell you!"

Gu Yu was surprised by this change in attitude. He looked at Lin Feiran, then at the others. Everyone knew that he had come with Lin Feiran, and their gazes toward him became much more friendly.

He tentatively asked, "Where?"

The woman replied, "The mine is located beneath that jade lake in front of us, but... since the vein broke, water has flowed back into the mine, and there's nothing left but these scattered jade fragments. We can make do with them, but you can't."

Lin Feiran stepped out of the crowd, looked in the direction she pointed, and said with pursed lips, "I'll go take a look first."

"But……"

The woman wanted to say something more, but Gu Yu raised his hand to stop her.

"Let her go, we're not here to find jade."

Lin Feiran nodded to him, said "Wait a moment," and then leaped into the air, his figure quickly disappearing into the night. Gu Yu stayed behind and talked to everyone about the cold illness.

He wasn't one to go out much, nor was he interested in news from outside Yuluo City. Although he had heard of the cold illness, he had only assumed it was some kind of troublesome disease and hadn't paid much attention to it. But now, seeing the appearance of these people, he couldn't help but feel horrified.

This doesn't look like a lesion at all; instead, it resembles the irredeemable death aura emanating from him when he was on the verge of death.

He chatted with these people for a long time when a faint breeze suddenly blew in the air. When he looked back, Lin Feiran had returned, soaking wet.

She was wearing a protective robe, which also had some water and fire protection properties. The fact that it was soaked was enough to show how long she had been in the water. She shook off the dripping water from her arms, and as she circulated her spiritual energy, water vapor rose from her clothes.

When she reached Gu Yu's side, her robes were completely dry, but a few strands of hair were still stuck to her face, the sticky marks indicating the direction of the water flow.

"Have you found the entrance?" Gu Yu asked immediately, but seeing that her expression wasn't good, he paused and said, "Aren't there any signs?"

Lin Feiran shook his head: "No, although the mineral vein in the cave has broken and the large rocks have turned into ordinary rocks, there is still extremely pure spiritual energy there."

It's as if all the spiritual energy of the entire Yingzhou City is concentrated in that one place.

She pondered, "I found it strange, so I searched back and forth for a long time, but there was only a faint trace of life there, and it was even more desolate than the area above and below. I found nothing."

"Entrance?" The woman seemed to remember something. "Although I don't know what kind of entrance you are looking for, I met a few cultivators when I went up the mountain half a month ago. They were carrying a lot of wedding silks and went up the mountain. They also mentioned the word 'entrance'."

Gu Yu asked in surprise, "What wedding silk?"

The other person shook his head: "When we were still in the city, we heard from passing cultivators that there seemed to be a wedding banquet going to be held here, but we haven't seen any celebrations since. Could it be them?"

Gu Yu was pondering, stroking his chin, when Lin Feiran disappeared again. He sighed and simply sat by the fire, waiting for her to reappear before speaking.

"Concern leads to confusion. You couldn't find it on the mountainside, so what could you possibly find at the summit? The entrance to the secret realm must be under their control. Since there's such a strange event as a wedding banquet, they're bound to have other plans. Why don't we lie in ambush here and wait for them to appear before following them in?"

This idea is not perfect, but it is the most feasible method at present.

No matter how anxious Lin Feiran was, she couldn't just run around like a headless fly. She closed her eyes slightly and finally sat down patiently.

Gu Yu sat down and couldn't help but say, "You've barely rested since the beginning. Even the strongest physique can't withstand such torment, and even the most abundant spiritual energy can't withstand such depletion. Tonight, you should rest and recuperate, and we'll see what happens tomorrow."

Lin Feiran sat beside the flames, his gaze fixed on the heart of the fire, still not relaxing.

The little girl with dry, white hair quietly approached and looked up at her: "How did you just fly away in a flash?"

Lin Feiran turned to look at her and saw that she was eager to try, so he asked, "Do you want to give it a try?"

"Is it possible!" She wrapped her robe tighter around herself, stood up trembling, and exhaled a misty white breath of cold air with excitement.

"Can."

Lin Feiran couldn't deny that she was indeed too anxious to sit still, so she simply gave in to the little girl's wish, got up, picked her up, and leaped into the air. A clear and cheerful laugh finally echoed through the deathly silent forest.

Seeing this, Gu Yu could only sigh; he really didn't know how to persuade Lin Feiran to rest.

He had always heard Ru Xian say that Lin Feiran was the most obedient and lovable person in the world, and he still admired Lin Feiran's personality. He just never expected that she had this side to her.

He sighed and looked at the group: "Why are you all wandering outside the city? The cold is strange, but I've heard it's not contagious."

The woman looked gloomy and sat back down: "Many doctors and cultivators have come to our city. Although they all say it's not contagious, this disease has spread so quickly that with so many people infected, it's hard to tell whether it's contagious or not."

Luoyang has a new emperor, but something has happened and the court is in chaos. There is no solution yet, and the various prefectures are left to handle the situation as it comes.

The county magistrate could only resort to methods for preventing the plague, isolating us here and sending us food and water periodically; the rest was up to fate.

Lin Feiran was leading the child up and down when she heard this. She rushed back to the fire, put down a few bags, and then quickly left.

Gu Yu lifted the lid and saw that there was a lot of food inside. Although it wasn't particularly fancy, it was definitely better than the bag of steamed buns piled up not far away.

"Let's bake some meat patties." He untied the bag, distributed the food, and rubbed his slightly frozen hands. "But aren't you all cold staying here?"

The woman looked at Lin Feiran with a touch of sentimentality, then couldn't help but smile: "Immortal Master, we suffer from a cold ailment, and the snow here is warmer than we are."

Gu Yu didn't know much about cold-related illnesses, and upon hearing this, he smiled awkwardly and said, "My knowledge is limited, please forgive me."

One of the young men sighed, “It’s not the immortal’s fault. I’ve heard that very few cultivators suffer from cold-related illnesses. It’s strange, though. Are we mortals really destined to die?”

What was said unintentionally was taken seriously by the listener. Gu Yu found it hard not to take it personally. He paused, unsure how to respond, and could only offer a few words of reassurance before changing the subject.

Lin Feiran took these words to heart, which was also her question: why are mortals more prone to cold-related illnesses than cultivators?

She looked at the child in her arms and couldn't help but ask, "Does this kind of expulsion of people from the city only happen here?"

The little girl was excited. She looked at the clouds that seemed within reach, and a blush appeared on her pale face: "It's not just us. This is actually the idea of ​​the prefecture. Many cities are doing the same thing."

Seeing that her breathing was a little rapid, Lin Feiran picked her up and stopped her on one of the dead trees. After a pause, he asked, "When did you get the cold illness?"

The girl looked down, pursed her lips and whispered, "I'll tell you a secret, I got it three years ago. My mother hid it very well, and no one knows. But don't be afraid, this disease is not contagious at all, otherwise my mother would have gotten it a long time ago."

She was held in Lin Feiran's arms, looking at the dim, starless night sky, her eyes still brimming with excitement.

"When I first fell ill, she heard me keep saying I was cold and thought I had caught a cold, so she went to the doctor to get medicine. By nightfall, my hands were covered in frost. She was so scared that she hugged me tightly and kept boiling water to warm me up. She was busy all night."

Gradually, the frost turns into ice crystals, which will emerge from the skin and flesh. Surprisingly, there is no bleeding, but it is very cold.

Later, I became unable to move. While the other children went to play shuttlecock, I could only lie at home. My legs and hands were weak, and I would tremble when I walked. I could only hold onto things, and the house was filled with small stools that my mother had made.

Lin Feiran was almost stunned upon hearing this. She remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "Then you were banished from the city..."

“It’s okay, they all take good care of me. I even brought two small stools.” Her eyes were bright, seemingly untroubled by the situation. “I was only four years old when I got sick, and I’d never even left the city before. Now I’m finally out. When spring comes, I’ll be able to see streams and wildflowers.”

And then I met you. Without you, I would never have seen what was on the tree.

Lin Feiran remained silent, fully aware of what the child was thinking at that moment.

She heard the child's voice gradually fade: "But I'm not looking forward to the stream and wildflowers anymore. I want to see my mother, even if it's just a small stool."

The only warm breath in the chilly air was Lin Feiran's own. She looked into the distance and asked, "Where do you live?"

The little girl paused, then suddenly looked up at her, her eyes shining even brighter: "Is it okay?"

"Okay," she replied again.

Her figure disappeared again, along with the children, but no one asked. They just silently ate the fragrant roasted meat pies, gazing into the silent night.

The city was filled with the smell of burning straw paper ash. Lin Feiran raised his hand and waved it away, looking at the small house in the distance.

The mother dared not light a lamp, but simply held her daughter, whom she had lost and found again. The two figures embraced in the night, their grateful gazes directed in this direction. She merely nodded slightly, then turned and left.

She walked alone on the street, with few people around and only embers scattered on the ground.

She was filled with an indescribable emotion, with nowhere to vent it. In the end, she simply plucked a few grayish-white shavings from her arm, stomped her foot, and the scattered embers were swirled by a gust of air and gently fell back into the copper basins in front of each house.

...

Lin Feiran was filled with mixed emotions. As she walked through the yin-yang symbol with her eyes closed, the yin-yang symbol, which had been listless for a long time, suddenly reacted. She immediately stopped, opened her eyes, and then heard a familiar voice.

"Lin Feiran, where are you?"

He paused, then said, "I'm fine."

In a daze, Lin Feiran heard a sharp clang, the sound of a taut string suddenly being released.

It wasn't until she felt a slight pain in her palm that she realized that after releasing her strength, her whole body relaxed, and she sat down on the spot, her palms supporting her on rough bluestone, with a few pebbles pressing against her palms.

Just hearing his voice makes me feel inexplicably sleepy.

She let out a long breath and then said, "Ru Xian, it's good that you're alright."

Author's Note: [Heart emoji]