Exploring Yong'an City Part 2

It was already afternoon when they arrived at the place where the stone tablet had landed.

It was the off-season for farming, and there was almost no one around the stone tablet. However, there was a wooden sign next to the tablet that read: "Cherish life, stay away from the stone tablet."

As the human and the demon drew closer, no reaction occurred around the stone pit. They walked directly to the opposite side of the stone tablet. Huaiwen stared wide-eyed, examining it several times, but she couldn't make out the words on the tablet. She muttered a few words, then asked Xuan Ye if he could see whether there were words on the tablet or not.

Before Xuan Ye could speak, a voice suddenly interrupted: "Of course there are words, but ordinary people definitely can't see them."

Huaiwen and Xuanye turned to look, and Huaiwen recognized the man and exclaimed in surprise, "You, you are that fellow Daoist from Qingyun Temple."

"Oh, I didn't expect it to be you," the man replied.

Huaiwen smiled ingratiatingly: "Yes, I didn't expect to see you here."

“It seems we’re really destined to meet! Last time at Qingyun Temple, you left too quickly, I didn’t even have a chance to ask you a question…” the man said, “Hey, last time I saw you, this person wasn’t with you.”

The man circled around Xuan Ye, but Xuan Ye ignored him, which was considered extremely impolite.

Huaiwen immediately tried to salvage the situation: "He's a bit aloof and not good at talking to people."

"Oh, I see. Alright. It's fate that we meet again. I'm Ayan, and you are?"

"My name is Huaiwen."

Ayan pointed at Xuan Ye: "Where is he?"

Huaiwen glanced at Xuan Ye beside him; anyone could see the unapproachable aura emanating from him. But since Ayan had already asked, he couldn't very well not answer.

But it wouldn't be good if she directly called him the Demon King Lingshan Xuanye. If she didn't say it, she wouldn't know what to call him for a while.

Huaiwen stammered, "Um... his name is..."

“Ruan Lingshan,” Xuan Ye replied softly.

Ayan subconsciously reacted to the name: "I didn't expect this brother to have the same name as the Demon King Lingshan Xuanye."

Huaiwen asked in surprise, "Is there a problem?"

Ayan waved his hand, bent down and pretended to be mysterious: "Of course I have no problem, but I'm just afraid that if other little demons hear this and pass it on to that 'Blood Bell,' it will take your life."

Xuan Ye crossed his arms and said, "He's not that free."

"?" Question popped into Ayan's head.

Huaiwen patted the outside of his thigh: "He's right! That 'Blood Bell' has no time to bother with us nobody. Brother Ayan, we're all here for the stone tablet, why don't we take a look at it first?"

After saying this, Huaiwen stole a glance at Xuan Ye. He wondered if he was just imagining things, but Xuan Ye's face seemed somewhat disappointed.

“That’s true. Brother Huaiwen just said that he couldn’t see the words on the stone tablet, right?” Ayan said.

Huaiwen nodded, then said with a hint of shyness, "I really can't see the words on the stone tablet. Brother Ayan, can you see them? What's written on them?"

Ayan smiled and then held up the package she always carried: "I heard that this stone tablet has been enchanted. It is said that only by performing a ritual can one see the words on it! Brother Huaiwen, why don't you help me try it?"

Huaiwen hesitated, wondering whether she should tell Ayan that she was from the transvestite organization. If there was an array on the stone tablet, she would still be able to find out.

But Ayan was completely blinded by his emotions, and Huaiwen also wanted to know if he really had a way to check. Let's wait and see.

Ayan was the first to pull a thick stack of talismans from his bundle, then jumped into the pit and began sticking them onto the stone tablet. After finishing, he stood a little further away, clasped his hands together, and chanted a spell. After a while—only the surrounding sandstorm intensified, nothing else happened.

Without a word, Ayan pulled a mirror from her package. Huaiwen's eyes lit up when she saw it; wasn't this the mirror the transvestite had sold?

Just as Huaiwen was hoping his mirror would work its magic, it remained unresponsive. Huaiwen sighed inwardly; this mirror was merely a demon-revealing mirror, sold specifically to those who needed protection from demons. How could it possibly reveal anything about this stone tablet?

“Um… Brother Ayan… why don’t you come up first?” Huaiwen called out to him.

"Don't worry, brother! This is only the second method! I have many other methods!" After saying that, Ayan picked up his sword and slashed at the stone tablet a few times. Apart from leaving a few marks on the stone tablet, there was nothing else.

Xuan Ye couldn't stand it any longer and said, "If you scratch a few more times, you'll turn this blank stele into a stele with inscriptions."

"I refuse to believe there's no way!" Ayan drew his sword and plunged it into the ground. "If there were no inscription, why did half the city die overnight?"

She spoke so softly that Huaiwen and Xuanye didn't hear her. But seeing that Ayan was even more insistent on whether the stone tablet had inscriptions or not than she was, Huaiwen said, "Brother Ayan, come up first. Let's discuss it and find another way. Or maybe it really is a blank tablet. Besides, if we could find out anything, wouldn't something have happened already?"

Upon hearing this, Ayan turned to look at Huaiwen, then jumped out of the pit and, in a flash of inspiration, suggested, "Brother Huaiwen—"

"how?"

"You know that blood is a magical technique that can seal, and it can also unseal." Ayan suggested cheerfully, resting his chin on his hand. "How about we kill a chicken! We'll get some chicken blood and splash it on, and see what happens!"

"This isn't quite right..."

"What's wrong with it? How will you know if it will work if you don't try?"

As she spoke, Ayan grabbed Huaiwen's hand and pulled her towards the pheasants. Huaiwen was no match for Ayan's strength, and her feet left a trail in the sand. She could only use a little magic to push Ayan away. But she didn't expect that this push would send Ayan tumbling into the pit again.

Ayan, who had fallen and hurt his bottom, could only yelp a few times and mutter complaints about Huaiwen's inhumanity. On the other hand, Xuanye remained quiet from beginning to end, basically not participating in their conversation, and did not care about Ayan's actions.

Huaiwen was quite concerned; surely the Demon King could see through something? She turned her head and asked, "Can you see anything?"

Xuan Ye nodded.

Huaiwen's eyes lit up, and he pressed on, "What is it? What does it say?"

Xuan Ye snorted: "Useless thing."

Huaiwen frowned, then looked at Xuan Ye's arrogant face, and following his gaze, he instantly understood.

Huaiwen sighed inwardly. It seemed no one could receive praise from Xuan Ye. Because everyone was inferior to him! They were all useless.

After climbing out of the pit, Ayan dusted himself off and asked Huaiwen if he wanted to go back to the city. They could get there around evening, which would be perfect for dinner. After all, he'd mentioned that Huaiwen had left a note inviting him to dinner last time.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ye turned and glanced at Huai Wen. His unspoken meaning was that it was unacceptable. But since this incident had occurred before meeting Xuan Ye, Huai Wen feigned ignorance, saying, "That's true..."

"In that case, let's go." Ayan didn't even see Xuan Ye's cold gaze, and was only focused on packing her belongings.

Huaiwen turned around and looked at the stone tablet in the pit again. She thought, "Is this really a wordless tablet? Or is it as that old demon tree said, that only those with the right destiny can see it?"

Seeing Huaiwen standing there, Ayan urged him a few times before Huaiwen finally moved and walked forward.

The sun sets, casting a rosy glow over the sky.

The three walked into the city. Ayan saw someone ahead and quickly went to inquire. Xuan Ye and Huaiwen walked behind. Huaiwen was lost in thought; she had assumed that this stone tablet must be different from others.

If even a stone tablet that appeared out of nowhere could solve a problem, then the cursed shackles on her body certainly could too. But as it stands, there seems to be no hope. She couldn't help but feel distressed.

"We'll come again tonight," Xuan Ye said calmly.

Huaiwen paused for a moment, then nodded calmly.

Upon entering the city, Ayan went straight into a high-class restaurant, which made Huaiwen quite flustered.

Although Ayan had treated her to meals before, the amount was far beyond her means. Left with no other option, Huaiwen began rummaging through her treasure bag to see if she had any valuables inside.

But no matter how many times he looked through the menu, none of the items were worth buying. Huaiwen looked up at Ayan, but Ayan was only focused on ordering food and didn't notice the worry on Huaiwen's face.

Left with no other choice, Huaiwen could only look to Xuanye for help. Xuanye turned to look at Huaiwen with pure, emotionless eyes.

Huaiwen sighed and could only whisper to Xuanye, "Consider this debt as me paying you back on credit."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ye nodded in agreement.

What a heartless businessman.

During the meal, Ayan asked Huaiwen whether she had come out to travel the world or to seek immortality, otherwise what was she doing at Qingyun Temple?

Huaiwen was unguarded: "I guess so, but most of them are just trying to collect debts because they don't have the money."

Hearing this, Ayan seemed to sense something juicy. He pressed Huaiwen about where he was going to collect the debt, and whether he needed help. He said it wouldn't cost him much to be an assistant, and with more manpower, the debt collection would be faster.

Huaiwen refused him without hesitation. With Xuan Ye already in the picture, he didn't even have enough money to pay off his debts. He couldn't possibly have someone who would eat for free and give him money.

Ayan could only feel regretful. When she wanted to ask Huaiwen where he was going to collect the debt next, Xuanye said, "Eat your food and don't ask."

"Can't I just ask? Are you her helper? Are you worried about her taking your spot?"

You don't deserve it.

"Hey! What do you mean by that? Why are you talking so rudely? Why is your mouth so foul? Can't you speak properly? If you can't, let Grandpa teach you—" Before Ayan could finish speaking, his mouth was covered. He kept pounding his chest with his right hand, feeling pain but unable to cry out. He looked quite pitiful.

Huaiwen saw that Ayan was really pitiful, and she could sense that if Xuan Ye wanted to kill you, it would only take a moment, and this kind of punishment would not even be considered a punishment.

She looked at Xuan Ye, her voice a little loud: "City—"

Before she could finish speaking, she quickly lowered her voice and changed her words: "Lord City Lord! Please let him go, he definitely won't dare to do it again, otherwise if he keeps hitting him, his internal organs will rot!"

"Ah—" Ayan cried out. He suddenly stood up, stopped using his right hand, and looked at Xuan Ye and then Huai Wen with a panicked expression, questioning, "Who is he! How could he be so unkind? We're all here to cultivate immortality and seek the Dao, why is he throwing a tantrum!"

Huaiwen quickly made a "shh" gesture. Ayan was both angry and resentful, but not wanting to be tortured, she had no choice but to shut her mouth.

The meal was ultimately finished quietly and cautiously. Before parting, Ayan didn't look at Xuan Ye, but only said to Huaiwen, "Brother Huaiwen, farewell in the martial world."

Then she pulled Huaiwen away a little and whispered in his ear, "Brother, if you're forced to go with him to collect debts, then come with me. He's no good. How can you cultivate immortality and seek the Dao? You have to be upright in your actions and conduct."

Huaiwen's eyes flickered. She thought, "If she had known she would owe so much money, she would never have cursed herself and Xuan Ye!"

Since things had come to this, all she could do was pray for a safe journey! So she forced a smile and told Ayan that she wasn't forced and that she was happy to go.

Ayan expressed her doubts, but seeing that Huaiwen wasn't going with her, she gave up. But before leaving, she slipped a few talismans to Huaiwen.

Xuan Ye, standing nearby, observed everything but remained silent and indifferent.

Night had fallen, and Huaiwen asked Xuanye in the guest room if they were going to go to the stone tablet now. Xuanye shook his head and replied, "I left something there to watch over it, let's wait a bit longer."