Chapter 98 Heading Straight to the Lair (Part 1)

Countless torches were strung together, dotting the entire Linyi Gate and illuminating the night as bright as day, while the smell of tar permeated the air.

Zhao Yi and all his personal guards have left Linyi Gate. Chu Jianshan guessed that the place where Asheng was imprisoned was his old lair all along.

Chu Jianshan and Cheng Yuan stood on the high platform, looking down at the group of cultivators who were ready to go. Although the flames were already soaring into the sky, Chu Jianshan still felt it was not enough. The puppets on the ground were so huge that he had seen them with his own eyes.

If we win, all the better; if we lose... then all these people will be part of the burial.

"Chu Jianshan!"

Bai Qianfan came running up from behind in a flurry, carrying a heavy bundle on his back, which, if I'm not mistaken, was full of talismans.

"How was it?" Bai Qianfan proudly patted his gear: "It took me the whole night to put it to use!"

Chu Jianshan turned to look at the other side, where Lin Mumu was dressed lightly in a convenient dress with gathered sleeves, carrying only a sword in her hand.

Under the cover of night, Chu Jianshan could not see clearly, but it looked familiar—like Ji Shi's nameless sword.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Cheng Yuan raised his hand and pulled a talisman from Bai Qianfan's bundle, threw it into the air and burned it. The remaining ashes transformed into lingering spiritual energy, circling around in circles.

"All guards of Linyi, heed my command!"

Cheng Yuan's voice was instantly amplified countless times, lingering in the ears of every cultivator.

"Zhao Yi, the former lord of Linyi Sect, used the secret techniques of my Linyi Sect to refine puppets, harming countless people. This allowed the demon race's colossal lie to continue for five hundred years."

"Now!" Cheng Yuan raised the Flowing Sound Sword in his hand: "We shall march straight to the lair and eradicate the root of this scourge!"

"Head straight to their lair! Eradicate the root of the problem!"

"Head straight to their lair! Eradicate the root of the problem!"

The audience was united and their morale soared.

Chu Jianshan suddenly seemed to have thought of something and turned to Bai Qianfan and Lin Mumu, saying, "Notify Changjin Mountain and Shaoxuan Sect, and have them provide 30% of their resources as support. The rest can be used to protect the local people in the city. Zhao Yi is a madman... I'm afraid he has other targets besides us."

Bai Qianfan nodded: "Don't worry, we have already negotiated with all the sects, big and small. If anything happens, we will prioritize protecting the people."

Chu Jianshan then asked, "Who is in charge of Changjin Mountain now?"

Bai Qianfan replied, "Li Xi."

“Li Xi…” Chu Jianshan pondered the name carefully: “I will settle the score with her later. I just hope that with a formidable enemy at hand, she can distinguish right from wrong.”

Before he finished speaking, a blue spirit butterfly slowly flew over and landed on Chu Jianshan's shoulder. Upon seeing this, Chu Jianshan raised his hand, and the spirit butterfly spun twice before flying to his fingertip.

Chu Jianshan looked at it and nodded gently, as if he understood what it was saying.

Cheng Yuan asked, "How is it?"

Chu Jianshan: "Asheng said she is currently being controlled by Zhao Yi, but fortunately she got the mask."

Bai Qianfan hurriedly stepped forward: "Then let's not delay, let's set off right away!"

Chu Jianshan nodded, flicked his finger, and the spirit butterfly took flight again, but not very fast. It would stop for a while after flying a distance, as if waiting for someone.

Bai Qianfan asked doubtfully, "Do you really think this thing can lead us to the right place?"

Chu Jianshan said, "Asheng has a special scented powder on her body that this spirit butterfly likes. Not only will it not lead you astray, but it will also be the shortest route."

Chu Jianshan and his group were the vanguard, following Lingdie first.

The members of Linyi Sect and other sects kept a distance from them, making it convenient to provide support or retreat in case of emergencies.

The journey started smoothly, but when they reached a dense forest, the butterfly suddenly stopped, hovering low in the air and refusing to move forward.

"What... what happened?" Bai Qianfan reached out and caught the spirit butterfly, giving it a place to rest. "Is it tired?"

Chu Jianshan shook his head: "It shouldn't be that bad, we've only been gone for a short while."

Just as everyone was wondering, the sound of footsteps from another group of people suddenly appeared at the back of the procession.

Cheng Yuan's sword was already drawn three-tenths of the way from its sheath, his gaze sharp.

But then a sharp cry rang out: "Brother Bai! Wait for me!"

Liu Yin withdrew her voice. Cheng Yuan looked at the person in front of him who was panting heavily and nodded slightly in acknowledgment: "Sect Master Meng."

Bai Qianfan was somewhat shocked and exclaimed, "Meng Yufeng? Dong Qi? What brings you here?"

Meng Yufeng was about to speak when Bai Qianfan interrupted him: "No! The key point should be why you two came together?? Aren't you... enemies?!"

He looked at Meng Yufeng: "Didn't you put him under house arrest for the sake of the sect leader position?"

Before Meng Yufeng could speak, he turned to Dong Qi and said, "Isn't he your father's killer?!"

Meng Yufeng wanted to explain again, but Bai Qianfan interrupted him once more: "Wait, wait... let me sort this out."

After being interrupted three times in a row, Meng Yufeng lost his patience and shouted, "Who said that Aqi and I are enemies!"

"Ah... Qi???" Bai Qianfan looked incredulous, as if he had just eaten shit: "You're calling me by such an intimate name? What's your relationship with me?!"

Dong Qi scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed: "Back then, my father was in poor health and passed the position of sect leader to me before he died. But I knew that I was mediocre and not good enough to be the sect leader, so I asked Meng Yufeng for help."

Bai Qianfan asked, "Then house arrest...?"

"I was so heartbroken by my father's death that I stayed home and didn't go out. It was just rumors spreading outside."

Bai Qianfan wished he could slap himself right then and there: "So that's how it is..."

He suddenly punched Meng Yufeng in the chest: "Why didn't you tell me sooner!"

Meng Yufeng: "I already told you the truth, but you just didn't believe me!"

Cheng Yuan asked, "So now, do you two want to come with us?"

Meng Yufeng nodded vigorously: "How could I miss out on such an exciting opportunity? If this succeeds, I'll be a great hero who will go down in history!!"

"At that time!" Meng Yufeng looked up and imagined, gesturing wildly as he spoke: "The people will all sing praises to my heroic deeds, and I will be respected and loved by all! Just thinking about it makes me happy!"

Chu Jianshan chuckled and shook his head. Young people are always so impatient, just like he was back then.

Bai Qianfan rolled her eyes at him: "You think something as serious as this is a joke?"

Dong Qi weakly said from the corner, "Actually... it's not just the two of us."

"Huh?" Bai Qianfan asked in confusion, "Who else?"

Chu Jianshan looked behind the two of them and saw a familiar figure appear in the moonlight.

"Master Li," Chu Jianshan said calmly, "you've come too."

Li Xi bowed to Chu Jianshan and said, "I made a big mistake back then, and I know I can't get Chu Immortal Venerable's forgiveness. Now, I just want to make up for my mistake."

Chu Jianshan turned his head away from her and said softly, "That would be for the best."

Lin Mumu suddenly spoke up at this moment: "The Spirit Butterfly seems to be making a move."

Everyone turned to look, and saw the fairy butterfly spin around a few times before flying into the dense forest.

Chu Jianshan said, "Follow them!"

The group traversed the dense forest, where more and more withered branches appeared, and the fog grew thicker, blocking out the moonlight. Although guided by the faint light of the spirit butterflies, they found it increasingly difficult to see the path beneath their feet.

I thought it was just a small grove, but after another incense stick's time, the exit was still nowhere in sight, and the fog was so thick that it was hard to breathe.

"Ah!" Someone suddenly screamed from the middle behind.

Chu Jianshan called out to those behind him, "Are you alright?"

The voice that came through was Meng Yufeng's, as if he was helping someone else up: "It's nothing, Aqi just tripped and fell, she's not hurt."

It was too dark to see the road clearly, so falling was inevitable.

Bai Qianfan was worried that they would get separated if things continued like this, so he reached out and stopped everyone.

Chu Jianshan asked, "What's wrong?"

Bai Qianfan took down his bundle, rummaged inside, and pulled out a few talismans to distribute to everyone: "These are communication talismans. If you accidentally get separated, these can last for an hour."

Everyone understood and accepted the talisman.

As he walked, Chu Jianshan suddenly noticed that the footsteps around him were becoming increasingly sparse, as if there were fewer people around.

"Cheng Yuan?" Chu Jianshan called out.

"Master, I'm here."

Cheng Yuan's voice was right next to his ear, which made him feel a little more at ease.

Chu Jianshan asked, "Are there any other people with you?"

Cheng Yuan looked back and replied, "Dong Qi and Meng Yufeng are behind us."

"The remaining people... are not very clear."

Chu Jianshan stopped in his tracks and shouted to the surroundings, "Bai Qianfan! Lin Mumu!"

No one answered.

"What's wrong?" Meng Yufeng jogged over and asked, "Did you get separated from them?"

"It should be."

Chu Jianshan took out the communication talisman given to him by Bai Qianfan, drew a spell with two fingers, and after a burst of blue light, Bai Qianfan's voice came through.

"Chu Jianshan?" The voice on the other end sounded somewhat shocked.

"Why use a sound transmission talisman when we're this close? What a waste! Do you know how long it takes me to make a single talisman? You..."

"Bai Qianfan," Chu Jianshan's slightly anxious voice interrupted him, "Where are you now?"

"I..." Bai Qianfan looked around upon hearing this, "Aren't I right here among you?"

After a series of rustling sounds of clothes, he seemed to grab someone as proof: "Hey, Xiao Meng, say something."

Meng Yufeng's cheerful voice came through the talisman: "Immortal Venerable Chu, what's wrong?"

Hearing the voice, Meng Yufeng was so shocked that he couldn't speak. After regaining his senses, he cursed, "Who are you! How dare you imitate my voice!"

"Holy crap! What's going on?" Bai Qianfan was stunned. "How come there are two Meng Yufengs?"

Chu Jianshan asked, "How many people do you have there?"

It would have been better if he hadn't asked. Only after asking did Bai Qianfan realize that Lin Mumu and Li Xi were not by his side.

"Lin Mumu and Li Xi are missing."

Cheng Yuan said, "It seems to be Mianling."

Chu Jianshan nodded. He shared the same thought as Cheng Yuan: there were no traces of array spirit power here, so it didn't seem to be a man-made illusion array. Therefore, the only possibility was Mianling.

"That's right!" Bai Qianfan suddenly said, "Don't they also have sound transmission talismans? If it can be transmitted, then it must be real."

“It’s no use,” Chu Jianshan pinched his brow. “Mianling has a strong learning ability. You and I both showed them the talisman and the incantation process. They can easily make an identical one in a short time.”

"This is it, we're doomed..." Bai Qianfan cried out.

Chu Jianshan said, "Not entirely, but at least it proves that you are genuine."

Bai Qianfan said, "What's the use? I'm not even with you."

"Let's take it one step at a time. The appearance of Mianling means there is a large cemetery nearby, and perhaps we will find Zhao Yi's lair soon."

Chu Jianshan put away the talisman and continued walking forward with Lingdie.

He nudged Cheng Yuan with his elbow and tilted his head toward him: "Do you think this spirit butterfly is real or fake?"

Cheng Yuan chuckled lightly: "Why doesn't Master ask me if it's true or not?"

“Oh dear…” Chu Jianshan composed himself, sighed deeply, and pretended to be profound: “What is fake can never become real, and what is real can never become fake.”

He looked into Cheng Yuan's eyes, which shone even in the darkness: "I believe you are real, you are real."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yuan's eyes clearly held a hint of amusement as he leaned down and slowly approached Chu Jianshan's lips: "This is even more beautiful than sweet talk."

Chu Jianshan didn't stop him; instead, he went a step further and kissed him first.

Cheng Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he suddenly pulled him into his arms and kissed him fiercely.

"Ugh! Okay...okay!" Chu Jianshan finally managed to push away the person who was clinging to him tightly.

No proof is needed; this person is definitely Cheng Yuan.

Chu Jianshan adjusted his breathing and said to him, "Before we do this, shouldn't we clean up the scene first?"

Cheng Yuan raised an eyebrow, understanding his meaning.

With a clang, the sound flew out and struck Meng Yufeng and Dong Qi's necks.

"Chu... Immortal Venerable Chu, what are you doing?" Meng Yufeng hurriedly backed away.

Chu Jianshan remained unfazed and directly exposed him: "You must have infiltrated from the moment Dong Qi fell. To be able to pretend for so long, I must say, you have some skill."

Meng Yufeng chuckled lightly: "What evidence do you have to prove that I'm fake? If I were real, then Immortal Venerable Chu would have wrongly killed an innocent person."

Chu Jianshan raised an eyebrow slightly: "You've learned Meng Yufeng very well. You must have observed him for a while. But unfortunately, Cheng Yuan and I were in that situation just now. Given Meng Yufeng's personality, he couldn't possibly just stand there and watch."

"Either turn away or come and separate us. Only inhuman beings would stand there in a daze."

As soon as Chu Jianshan finished speaking, the spirit in front of him began to gradually reveal its true form.

As if realizing that the two were highly skilled, Mianling turned to run away, but Liuyin was one step ahead and pierced through both of them.

On the other side of the dense forest, after Bai Qianfan put away the communication talisman, he was certain that Chu Jianshan beside him was not the real person. Without saying a word, he used Fang Lan to slit Chu Jianshan's throat.

He looked at Cheng Yuan again, feeling that something was off about him.

“Junior Brother Cheng…” Bai Qianfan slowly approached him, put his arm around him, circled around him, and looked him up and down.

"Are you serious?"

Cheng Yuan glanced at him indifferently: "What does Senior Brother Bai think?"

Bai Qianfan patted his shoulder suddenly: "I think you're real! But... even if you are, you still need to prove it, otherwise your senior brother won't feel at ease."

Cheng Yuan asked, "How does Senior Brother intend to prove it?"

"How about this," Bai Qianfan said, "I'll ask you a few questions, and you answer them, okay?"

Cheng Yuan readily agreed: "Okay."

My birthday is...!

"The third day of the ninth month."

"Not bad," Bai Qianfan was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected this thing to be so powerful, capable of directly copying memories. It seemed to be no ordinary Mianling.

What was the reason for coming down the mountain before?

"Find my master."

"What is your master's real name?"

"Chu Qingyuan".

These questions didn't stump him at all, and Bai Qianfan was also a little perplexed. Could it be that he really was Cheng Yuan?

No, no, no, Bai Qianfan shook his head. It didn't look like it at all.

“One last question,” Bai Qianfan looked at him, already confident: “If you answer this question well, I will trust you.”

"Why did you and Chu Jianshan have a conflict back in Qingyao City?!"

"because……"

This question caused Cheng Yuan to hesitate for a moment, which was unusual for him.

Bai Qianfan looked at him with a smile. No matter how many memories Mianling had overwritten, no matter how intelligent this thing was, it was still not human and could not understand the complex emotions of humans.

Sure enough, after hesitating for a moment, Cheng Yuan replied, "Because my opinion differs from that of my master."

"Wrong!" Bai Qianfan exclaimed excitedly, "It's because Chu Jianshan doesn't agree to be with you! You're having a cold war!"

Cheng Yuan fell silent.

The two people behind them were so shocked that their mouths were agape. They slowly poked half their heads out of the bushes and looked at each other.

Meng Yufeng whispered, "My God, there's such a thing? I didn't even know?"

Dong Qi tilted her head slightly: "You look like a pity."

After dealing with the imposter, Bai Qianfan turned and walked towards Meng Yufeng and the others, his long shadow enveloping them both in darkness.

Meng Yufeng swallowed hard and asked, "Brother Bai, you don't suspect the two of us too, do you?"

Bai Qianfan smiled eerily and said, "We have to try them all to feel at ease."

Dong Qi asked timidly, "What if we can't answer either?"

Bai Qianfan pointed behind him: "The outcome is over there."

Looking at the corpse of Mianling lying on the ground, Meng Yufeng felt a chill run down his spine. He tried to defend himself, "But... we really don't know anything about you and Changjinshan. How could we possibly answer that!"

Bai Qianfan twirled the sword in his hand twice and said calmly, "That's why I'm asking you something else."

Meng Yufeng: "What?"

Bai Qianfan began by asking, "How did you initially deduce that Jiang Yan was the murderer who killed Chu Jianshan?"

Meng Yufeng calmly replied, "I saw Chu Jianshan and Jiang Yan leaving the Temple of the Sun God together."

"What are the conditions for me to join the Shaoxuan Sect?"

"I'll help you get revenge."

Dong Qi nodded in confusion and said, "How come I didn't know?"

Meng Yufeng reassured him, "I'll explain in detail later."

“One last question,” Bai Qianfan took a deep breath, as if preparing himself.

"Is it true or false that Dong Qi has a small black mole on her left buttock, three inches below her tailbone?!"

A deathly silence followed...

"Holy shit! You've seen his body!!"

Before he could even see the figure clearly, Meng Yufeng swung his sword at Bai Qianfan. Luckily, Bai Qianfan dodged quickly, or he would have two heads by now.

Seeing his excitement, Bai Qianfan couldn't help but doubt himself: "What?! You're really right? I was just making this up!"

"I don't believe your lies! Prepare to die!!"

Meng Yufeng chased after him, slashing at him, while Dong Qi stood still, holding his forehead with one hand, not daring to lift his head for a long time.

"Wait!" Bai Qianfan suddenly reached out and stopped him.

"What's wrong?" Meng Yufeng asked breathlessly, "Do you need to give your last words?"

Bai Qianfan looked up and asked, "You've only talked about me, how did you know he has a mole on his butt?"

“I…!” Meng Yufeng stammered.

Dong Qi over there wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it.

Seeing that he was no longer angry, Bai Qianfan quietly pressed down on the tip of the sword.

"Don't worry, I was just saying it casually, but I could tell at a glance that you two are really together! Really!"

"Fine, you!" Meng Yufeng raised his sword again: "You've played us!"

"No, no, no," Bai Qianfan pressed the sword down again: "It's just... to verify it."

"Now it's confirmed! You two are definitely real! Guaranteed!"

Meng Yufeng sheathed his sword and strode angrily toward Dong Qi.

"Are you really angry?" Bai Qianfan chased after him: "I promise I won't tell anyone about what happened between you two, really!"