Chapter 960 Searching for Elixir in Yunmeng?

Because the curtains were drawn, the light around the bed in the inner room was somewhat dim.

The aloof young Taoist nun who came down from Longhu Mountain had, without anyone noticing, gripped the peach wood sword on her lap tightly with her two small hands.

Those clear eyes, praised by the mountain people as innocent and bright, were staring straight at the handsome profile of the young man beside her after he took off his mask.

The young man thought for a moment and replied:

"I know a little about it, I've heard about it."

Huang Xuan frowned, and asked impatiently, "Then what does my beloved brother want to do..."

Ouyang Rong suddenly turned to look at her and interrupted, "Since she can't come down the mountain, then I'll come up the mountain myself."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "There's no rule in Yunmeng Sword Marsh that says virgins aren't allowed to go up the mountain, is there?"

Hearing this joke, Huang Xuan paused, her gaze fixed on Ouyang Rong's calm yet smiling face.

The young man seemed to have slept poorly the night before; his eyelids drooped wearily, perhaps due to overuse of his eyes, which were still somewhat bloodshot. His face bore dark marks on his cheeks from wearing the heavy bronze mask for so long, some of which had become indentations that were difficult to remove for a while. Huang Xuan had just weighed the bronze mask in her hand; it was heavier than her peach wood sword. Before this meeting, he had been wearing it for an unknown amount of time, disguising himself as someone else while staying in the perilous Sword Swamp.

Actually, there was one more thing Huang Xuan hadn't said or asked... From the moment they met last night, she had sensed the faint smell of cooking oil on Ouyang Rong... His undercover identity must have been very difficult in Jianze, a world apart from being a high-ranking official sitting in his government office, deciding life and death with a single word.

For some reason, upon seeing Ouyang Rong's calm face, Huang Xuan swallowed back all the questions she was about to ask, letting them fall back into her heart and disappear...

Ouyang Rong seemed to wait a moment before taking the initiative to ask the silent young Taoist nun in front of him:

"Is there something you want to say, Xiaoxuan?"

Huang Xuan remained silent for a moment, then spoke softly:

"That's all. I already know my feelings for my beloved Tanlang. My beloved Tanlang, please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything I can do to help you."

Ouyang Rong was somewhat surprised.

I thought I'd have to use some persuasion to convince this girl.

He turned to look at Miaosi on Huang Xuan's shoulder.

The latter glared at him and pouted:

"Why are you looking at me like that? Don't worry, I won't say a good word for you. Xiao Xuan is only lenient with you because she's kind-hearted and wants to repay your kindness. If I had a choice, I would have run away long ago. I would never help you repay your debt of love... Sigh, I wonder if Xiao Xuan owed you something in her past life. She's here to repay that debt in this life. The person who owes you is truly here in this life..."

Little Mo Jing crossed her arms and leaned against Huang Xuan's temple, muttering complaints.

Ouyang Rong looked away, pretending not to have heard.

Huang Xuan stared at him intently for a while, seemingly oblivious to Miao Si's words.

The young Taoist nun suddenly took the bronze mask from his hand, looked down at it, and said:

"Does Brother Tanlang wear it all the time, even when he sleeps?"

Ouyang Rong gave a vague answer: "Sometimes, I guess."

Looking at his tired face, Huang Xuan said:

“Brother Tanlang can take it off when he sleeps. Keeping that string taut all the time is very tiring. If you’re really worried about him at night, you can ask Miaosi to keep watch for him…”

"I?"

The usually proud Miaosi suddenly widened her eyes and pointed to her own little face, asking.

She said with a displeased look, "Why is Xiaoxuan siding with outsiders? You have no idea how late he keeps us up every day. I'm so tired, even when Ah Qing comes back, he doesn't get a break. Forget about taking off the mask, he can stay up all night..."

Clearly, Little Ink Spirit had a lot more complaints to say, and with her good friend around, she poured them out incessantly.

Huang Xuan listened quietly, then asked a question midway through:

"Who is Aqing?"

A clever idea came to mind:

"Just like you, a silly girl who always sides with outsiders..."

Just then, Ouyang Rong spoke:

"Alright, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute. Also, you don't need to keep watch at night. Just keep your mouth shut in Jianze and don't go out to steal food and get caught. Those Yue women aren't like Lu Jinghong and his mother; they won't escape so easily."

Miao Si snorted, it's unclear whether she listened or not.

Huang Xuan glanced at her beloved brother Tanlang, then at the little ink spirit, and after a moment, changed the subject:

"Her name is Xiu Niang, right? Is that her nickname? I remember an old Taoist master mentioned that the contemporary Yue maiden of Yunmeng Sword Marsh was named... Zhao Qingxiu... Zhao Qingxiu... Xiu Niang... Hmm, that matches up."

Ouyang Rong nodded: "Xiu Niang was her childhood nickname back in her hometown of Nanlong. She came from the Zhao family of Nanlong, and later went to Jianze, where her master named her Zhao Qingxiu."

"I see."

Huang Xuan murmured something, then looked up and said:

"Brother Tanlang, speaking of Yunmeng Sword Marsh, there's something going on recently. I wonder if you've been lying in wait in the Sword Marsh and heard anything about it."

Ouyang Rong's expression became more serious:

"What is it? Tell me."

A look of reminiscence appeared on Huang Xuan's face:

"I previously studied thunder magic at the Celestial Master's Mansion and became quite familiar with several senior uncles surnamed Zhang. When I was going down the mountain this time, one of the senior uncles Zhang mentioned to me that I should be careful down the mountain, especially if I encountered Yue Nu from Yunmeng Sword Marsh, and that I should keep an eye on her."

Why is that?

Huang Xuan pondered:

"It seems that my senior master said that a few days ago, a woman named Jianze Yue came to the mountain gate with a letter from the Great Queen, asking the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain for a special pill... But the Celestial Master's Mansion refused, because that pill was no longer in the Celestial Master's Mansion and had already been given away."

"Those Yue women from Jianze, after failing to get what they wanted, had some unpleasantness with the Celestial Master's Mansion... They probably mistakenly thought that the Celestial Master's Mansion was making excuses. After all, Senior Brother Zhang Shixiu had brought back news about the Xunyang Buddha, and the Great Queen had always harbored resentment towards the Celestial Master's Mansion, feeling that the Celestial Master's Mansion had secretly sided with the Great Zhou Dynasty and was only superficially friendly with the Jianghu of Tiannan..."

"This attempt to obtain the elixir has failed, and the Great Queen and the Yue Maidens will surely become increasingly dissatisfied with our Three Pure Ones and Three Mountains. My master is worried that this matter will implicate me, so he told me to be careful on this trip down the mountain and to try not to go south, in order to avoid encountering the Yunmeng Yue Maidens."

This was the first time Ouyang Rong had heard of this, and suddenly the images of the Lantang Yue women who had come down the mountain with him flashed through his mind.

The whereabouts of these Lantang Yue women during their two trips down the mountain were somewhat suspicious. No one knew what they were busy with, and they weren't seen in Taoyuan Town either. So they went to Longhu Mountain to ask for elixirs…

He couldn't help but ask:

"Do the Yue women who go up the mountain to seek elixir have orchid patterns embroidered on their cuffs?"

Huang Xuan frowned and slowly shook her head: "I don't know, but when I go back this time, I can send a letter back to the Celestial Master's Mansion to ask."

"Mmm." Ouyang Rong nodded, then immediately asked, "By the way, did that senior uncle mention what kind of pills these Yue women are asking for?"

Huang Xuan glanced at Ouyang Rong and nodded:

"Some say that Brother Tanlang should recognize this precious pill. There are three of them. I heard from the Celestial Master's Mansion that Sister Xie once came to pick up one of them in person, carrying a letter stamped with the seal of the Prince of Xunyang, and took it back with her..."

Something flashed through Ouyang Rong's mind in an instant.

Before he could speak, Huang Xuan had already begun:

"This pill is called the Mortal Transformation Golden Pill. It was made from a six-winged cicada that the Grand Master of Taiqing Sect and several Celestial Masters surnamed Zhang captured by chance. It was personally refined by the Grand Master of Yuqing Sect. There are three pills in total. With just one, an ordinary mortal with a Qi-deficient constitution can obtain the opportunity to cultivate Qi and become an immortal. If one has exceptional talent in Qi cultivation, consuming it will be like adding wings to a tiger, and one can obtain a top-grade or even divine-grade embryonic bottle..."

Seeing that Ouyang Rong remained silent, Huang Xuan mistakenly assumed that this was the first time he had heard of it, and took the initiative to speak;

"Brother Tanlang, didn't Sister Xie and the Prince mention this to you?"

Ouyang Rong let out a long sigh and suddenly said:

"I ate it. This pill was borrowed for me by my junior sister and the prince."

Huang Xuan paused, stared at him for a moment, and continued:

"That makes sense... This is one of them, as for the other two..."

She paused briefly, lowered her eyes, and then spoke the truth:

"I don't know if Brother Tanlang knows about this. Although Senior Brother Lu and the other senior masters are very wary of it, Brother Tanlang is not an outsider and has a good relationship with that little princess... The remaining two Transcendent Golden Pills were taken to Xunyang by Senior Brother Lu as a gift to the little princess in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion as a greeting gift for the Three Pure Ones and Three Mountains Ancestral Hall."

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and remained silent for a moment.

He had actually guessed this long ago. First, Daoist Lu Ya had always been closer to Li Guo'er's side; second, before sending them back to the capital, Li Guo'er personally gave him one of the Transcendent Golden Pills.

When Ouyang Rong obtained this precious elixir, he already knew about the deep connection between the Sanqing Daoist sect and Li Guo'er.

While Ouyang Rong remained silent, Huang Xuan continued without pausing:

"Therefore, the Celestial Master's Mansion did not lie to those Yunmeng Yue women who came to visit in private. The three precious pills were indeed not in the Celestial Master's Mansion. They have been given away to people one by one. However, the Celestial Master's Mansion could not reveal this information when those Yunmeng Yue women pressed for details. It was also impossible for them to reveal this information."

"I just don't know how Yunmeng Jianze knew that the Celestial Master's Mansion had the Transcendental Elixir, nor do I know what use the Queen's Palace had for sending people to exchange for the elixir..."

After a pause, Huang Xuan lowered her head slightly and said:

"My senior uncles from the Celestial Master's Mansion told me to be careful after I went down the mountain because they felt that I had become quite famous in the Three Pure Ones recently and that my cultivation progress was too fast. This could easily lead the Yunmeng Yue Nu to mistakenly believe that I had consumed precious pills... which could easily cause trouble. Therefore, they told me to be careful and to have less contact with them."

After Huang Xuan finished speaking, she looked at Ouyang Rong.

The latter remained silent for a moment.

Huang Xuan watched him silently, without urging him.

At some point.

"I understand, this news is crucial, Xiaoxuan."

Ouyang Rong took a deep breath, stood up, and spoke earnestly to the young Taoist nun.

Huang Xuan shook her head:

"I'm glad I can help my brother Tanlang."

"Don't worry, Xiaoxuan, I will keep the matter of giving away the three precious pills a secret for your Sanqing Dao Sect."

Ouyang Rong walked over and lifted the curtain.

Seeing this, Huang Xuan knew he was about to leave, so she went to pour him a pot of tea.

Ouyang Rong first opened the window to let in the sunlight, squinted at the sun for a while, then went to open the door and let the Fang sisters and Xiufa in.

Everyone gathered inside the house.

Ouyang Rong took the teacup from Huang Xuan and said as he drank:

"I have a tight schedule, so I'll head out now. See you here in a month. I'll leave these two rooms to you. I won't show myself; the landlady at the front desk might get suspicious."

He paused, then said to his beautiful hair:

“Master Xiufa, go and extend your stay. You can pretend you’ve come looking for my family. If I don’t return, you can stay as long as you’re not leaving.”

"Alright, Your Excellency, please be careful."

Her hair nodded.

As Ouyang Rong walked toward the door, he couldn't help but touch the little novice monk's bald head, just like back in Donglin Temple in Longcheng County.

The latter immediately felt a little embarrassed.

Huang Xuan turned her head and whispered goodbye to Miaosi on her shoulder.

The Fang sisters escorted Ouyang Rong to the door:

"Young Master Ouyang, have a safe journey and find your mistress soon. We plan to stay another day to pack some luggage, and then set off for Xunyang tomorrow to deliver your message to Military Advisor Yan."

"Um."

Ouyang Rong nodded slightly:

"Miss Fang, heroine Fang, take care."

He glanced back at Miao Si, who reluctantly bid farewell to Huang Xuan, jumped off her shoulder, and slipped into Ouyang Rong's sleeve.

Among the crowd seeing Ouyang Rong off, Huang Xuan stood at the very back.

Before putting on the bronze mask, Ouyang Rong's gaze swept around, finally settling on the solitary figure of the young Taoist nun at the very back. He suddenly said:

"Xiao Xuan, I'll return that stack of books to you next time we meet. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten."

The young Taoist nun smiled.

They didn't see him off downstairs for long, but stopped with the others in front of the door, as if afraid of being reluctant to part.

As Ouyang Rong descended the stairs, the bronze mask he was wearing changed slightly.

He put on the fake body of a "fierce man" again.

Having left the Red Dust Inn without a sound, Ouyang Rong's figure blended into the bustling crowds on the street and quickly disappeared.

Taoyuan Town was quite lively during the day. After saying goodbye to his old friends in Xunyang, Ouyang Rong had one last "personal matter" left on his trip.

Before it got dark, Ouyang Rong went to the south side of the town. On the way, he took advantage of the crowds not paying attention and silently switched back into the fake body of "Liu Aliang".

After wandering around for a while, Ouyang Rong arrived at the Chen family's ink room, strode inside, and after a short while, he uttered the name "Chen Jiaxin" in front of the puzzled accountant.

The accountant's expression changed slightly. He said something respectfully and hurriedly left.

"Please wait a moment, esteemed guest."

Before long, Madam Chen lifted the curtain and walked straight in, sitting down next to Ouyang Rong, who was drinking tea with his head down.

"Liu Aliang, you've finished your business? Got to see your family? You're back pretty quickly, only one day. Why don't you catch up with them?"

Upon seeing Liu Aliang return, Madam Chen breathed a sigh of relief, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and chuckled.

The young man put down his teacup and shook his head blankly.

"Not yet, I have to go back later. I came here to ask for your help, madam."

Madam Chen paused in her tea-drinking motion, somewhat displeased:

"What are you busy with?" He pressed on for something more important: "Ah Liang, how long will you be busy? We need to go back by the day after tomorrow at the latest, otherwise the fairies of Lantang will blame us."

Ouyang Rong extended his right hand forward:

"Could I borrow five taels from Miss She?"

Madam Chen was taken aback at first, and then her lips twitched.

(End of this chapter)