Chapter 7 Tian Xin Asks the Gods

She looked at Cang Ming and said, "Don't try to deceive me. You are clearly hired by someone. That night, my deputy general was going to arrest the corrupt official, but you blocked his way and disrupted the plan."

"Yeah, I don't know who wrote to hire me to catch ghosts. I'm actually more concerned about whether I can get the money." Cang Ming couldn't help but say it.

Tian Xinshu was too lazy to bother with Cang Ming and the others, so he turned around and said, "Take it and sell it."

Cang Ming and Wei Ci simultaneously dispelled the ropes, a white light drowning out the deputy general's loud reply. Wei Ci dodged to attack Tian Xin Shu, while Cang Ming, in tacit agreement, attacked the deputy general. For a moment, the cave was ablaze with the flashing of swords and the whirling of figures.

"Go on." Wei Ci tossed his sword to Cang Ming, then used his bare hands to fight Tian Xinshu with his fists and palms, his movements light and effortless. Cang Ming tossed the sword with his left hand, then switched to his right, instantly forming a magic circle.

"Mr. Banshee, bring the dog official out for questioning. If he truly deserves death, we won't intervene." Cang Ming said as he beat him, "Stop. Your cave... is prone to collapse."

Several people restrained each other and stopped. Tian Xinshu frowned and said, "Who told you that the dog official is here with me?"

"Isn't that the kid?"

"That kid just picked it up." The deputy general glared, "Who knows why you keep trying to snatch it away? I think you are the man-eating monsters!"

Cang Ming crossed his arms and said, "Enough of the small talk. Your embroidered shoes have harmed mortals. You'd better hand them over as well."

"You are talking to the king, why don't you take off your cloak?" the deputy general shouted in a deep voice, reaching out to pull Cang Ming's mask.

A flash of silver light passed by, and Wei Ci was already standing in front of Cang Ming, grabbing the deputy general's claws: "You are looking for death."

The deputy general groaned in pain, hunched over like a giant shrimp, and let out a deafening roar. Wei Ci's thick black eyebrows pressed down, and his cold gaze almost froze the air in the cave.

Cang Ming quickly put his hand on his arm: "I'm fine."

Tian Xinshu put his hands behind his back, his face turning even darker: "Your flirting is disgusting."

Flirting? Cang Ming's mouth twitched, and he took off his hat and mask. "Sir Tian Xinshu, neither of us can defeat the other, so why not talk it over and make an equal exchange? If you hand over the evil object and stop killing innocent mortals, I can offer three conditions. How about that?"

After that, she turned her head and whispered to Wei Ci, "It's not that I don't want to take them down all at once, but the situation with this banshee is indeed a bit troublesome. She has too many subordinates, and it will take three days and three nights to defeat them all. It's better for us to outsmart her."

Tian Xinshu paid no attention to their loud plotting, nor did she even glance at Wei Ci. She simply stared at Cang Ming's face, her eyes darting up and down: "You are his."

"Who is it?" Cang Ming remembered that the deputy general had asked a similar question tremblingly that day.

Tian Xinshu's eyes were solemn: "Nakano Feiou."

Cang Ming remembered the east, west, south, north and center mentioned by the passing wild ghost, and guessed that this person was a powerful figure, so he asked tentatively: "Do you have a grudge against this person?"

Tian Xinshu said, "There is no hatred. And no one has ever seen his true self."

"Well, to be honest, I am indeed his person." Cang Ming said shamelessly, "He is very good to me..." As he said this, he lowered his head pretending to be shy.

Tian Xinshu looked nauseated again, and Wei Ci looked at Cang Ming with a strange expression. Tian Xinshu sneered, "You two have a really messed up relationship."

Cang Ming asked in a low voice: "What did he hit? It's not an old man, right?"

Wei Ci said, "No."

"That's good." Cang Ming thought, this is not strange.

"Since you are honored guests and there was a misunderstanding before, I will treat you two to a drink." Tian Xinshu waved his hand, and a group of little demons slid in neatly, each with a large plate on their heads.

Wei Ci took off his cloak, tossed it casually on the back of a chair, and sat down with Cang Ming. The deputy general was about to order the little demons to pour the wine when Tian Xinshu suddenly said, "Wait." The other three looked at her.

Tian Xinshu said, "My deputy general can only pour wine for me. But you two are pouring wine for my deputy general."

Wei Ci sneered, and Cang Ming quickly reached out and said, "I'll do it, I'll do it." Then he went to take the wine jug on the table.

Who would have thought that the seemingly delicate silver wine pot was actually as heavy as a thousand pounds. Cang Ming lifted it a few times, then stood up and pulled it with a horse stance, but the wine pot did not move at all.

"My lord, is your wine jug stuck to the table?" Cang Ming frowned slightly. Martial arts weren't Wangxian Sect's forte; Cang Ming had been practicing the art of using the opponent's force to counterattack since childhood.

Wei Ci stretched out his hand to cover the back of Shang Cangming's hand and whispered, "I'll do it."

Cang Ming withdrew his hand and saw that the veins on Wei Ci's hand were slightly blue, and the joints of his slender and strong fingers were white due to the force. Finally, he slowly picked up the wine jug and poured wine for Cang Ming, himself and the deputy general.

Tian Xin laughed heartily, picked up another wine jug, and drank from its spout. He then pointed to a narrow tunnel leading deeper into the mountain. "My cave is in the mountain, and the mountain is also in the cave. If you don't believe me, please take a look."

Cang Ming glanced at her warily and slowly walked to the narrow intersection. Wei Ci walked up behind her and stood still, saying gently, "It's okay, there's nothing in there."

Cang Ming hadn't sensed any evil spirits, so he nodded and walked in with him along the path. The stone walls on both sides narrowed and the ceiling became lower and lower.

After a few steps, the scene in front of me became increasingly dark. Suddenly, I heard Tian Xinshu's voice outside saying, "If you two can make it out alive, please sit down and have a drink."

As soon as he finished speaking, the tunnel entrance was sealed.

Cang Ming exclaimed softly: "I knew she wouldn't let us go." Wei Ci said behind her: "Never mind her, just go in and have some fun."

The two walked along the road together, finally getting used to the pitch black when suddenly a dazzling light appeared before their eyes. Suspecting an ambush, Cang Ming immediately stepped back and bumped into a warm chest. Wei Ci gently supported her from behind and said, "It's okay."

Cang Ming found himself in his arms and hurried forward. There was no trap or ambush before him. The tunnel suddenly opened up, revealing a different world.

There was indeed a mountain in the cave, towering and majestic, with peaks upon peaks. The mountain was covered with forests of strange trees, each leaf made of gemstones, shining brightly, illuminating the cave like daylight.

"This is a mountain within a mountain." Cang Ming looked up.

"Yeah." Wei Ci smiled. "The leaves here are quite nice. Do you want me to pick some for you to use as Flowing Snow Returning Wind?"

Cang Ming admitted that he was indeed tempted, but still said: "Let's find a way out first, and then rescue the living people in the cave as soon as possible."

Wei Ci whistled: "It's okay. I know the way out. The way out is through the mountains."

After hearing what he said, Cang Ming inexplicably calmed down and happily followed him into the mountains.

The fallen leaves beneath his feet were made of gemstones and coral, and the soil was powdered gold and silver. Cang Ming stroked the pine trees as he walked, looking up at the towering trees. "What is the name of this mountain?"

Before he left, he said, "Fusong Valley."

Cang Ming leaned over and picked up a fallen leaf. It turned out to be a thin, leaf-shaped piece of orange jade, indeed very suitable for making a hidden weapon. Cang Ming casually put it in his clothes and said, "Ask if you can take it with you when you go out. If not, forget it."

Before they knew it, they were deep in the mountains, where a stream of turquoise water, formed from emerald blue gemstones, cascaded slowly down the mountain. Wei Ci looked at the girl in front of him, momentarily lost in thought: "The color of the water matches your clothes perfectly."

Cang Ming's eyes lit up, and he turned around and smiled: "The towering pine trees here also suit you very well."

Wei Ci said, "It's a pity that there is no sound of wind blowing through the forest." As he spoke, he gently knocked on the tree trunk beside him. Suddenly, a breeze echoed in the mountains, and thousands of leaves began to rustle.

Cang Ming stood in the wind with his eyes closed for a moment, and when he opened them again he felt refreshed. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, he uttered a line: "I have traveled through all the green mountains, yet I am still not old."

Wei Ci stared at her, his eyes heavy. There was also a gust of wind and snow in his eyes, as if countless past events had passed by like stars, and a strange light flowed endlessly. After a long time, he said, "That's right. Even if you have traveled all over the green mountains, you will not grow old."

Cang Ming sighed and said, "I never thought I could find inner peace in a demon cave. People are really strange. But unfortunately, I have important matters to attend to. Why don't we go out?"

Wei Ci said, "Okay." So Xu supported Cang Ming's arm and went down the mountain. He found a stone wall and pressed his palm on it.

A powerful force silently emanated from Wei Ci's palm, cracking the stone wall. Stones clattered to the ground, sending dust flying everywhere. Wei Ci's palm power had opened a new tunnel, surprising Cang Ming.

"Let's go." He took Cang Ming and walked into the dim tunnel.

Cang Ming followed him and asked worriedly, "Is your hand okay?"

"What's the matter?" In the darkness, his voice still sounded like that of a cynical young man.

Wei Ci seemed to have taken a shortcut. Not long after, the tunnel turned and the hall appeared before him.

Sitting at the wine table in the hall were the deputy general with a crooked nose and Tian Xinshu with a half-smile on his face.

"Good, good, good." Tian Xinshu clapped his hands. "You two are truly not mortals. No wonder you can bully my army."

Cang Ming held back and didn't say it out loud. Are those little demons and evil spirits also considered a legion?

Tian Xinshu continued, "The jug you poured your wine into is filled with the Milky Way, which is why it's so heavy. The towering mountains you saw in the cave are the layers of folds in my garment, and the verdant forests and winding streams are the patterns in the folds."

Wei Ci said coldly: "Your Excellency is truly a person of profound cultivation."

Tian Xinshu clapped his hands and ordered someone to bring new wine: "Then please take your seats."

This cave was extremely strange, and Cang Ming took her seat with great caution, fearing the stool would swallow her up the moment she sat down. She asked, making conversation, "Excuse me, Demon King, your name is Tian Xinshu, what is your origin?"

The deputy general gave her a sidelong glance. "What does a young girl, still wet behind the ears, know? Our great king is unrivaled in talent, renowned throughout the world. Her calligraphy surpasses all the world's great calligraphers, and her prose puts all other scholars to shame, forcing them to abandon their pens and retire to the seclusion of ordinary people. Everyone says it was Heaven who, through the great king's hand, brought these peerless masterpieces to the world, hence the name 'Heaven's Heart.' And because the great king's given name is simply Shu, the name derives from this."

Cang Ming suddenly understood why Tian Xinshu looked down on everyone equally.

"Your Excellency Tianxin, you are truly a man of great spiritual power," she said sincerely. "I heard that the top scholar one year was a woman who disguised herself as a man to take the imperial examination. I have admired her for many years. Perhaps you two could become soulmates."

Tian Xinshu sneered, "That woman has been married for a long time. What's so good about a woman who has given birth to a child?"

Cang Ming choked: "Well...what if I just like children..."

Wei Ci took over and said, "One year later, there was a heroic female general who led the troops to war. She was also an extraordinary woman."

Tian Xinshu said impatiently, "I've seen that one too. It's horribly ugly."

Cang Ming and Wei Ci exchanged a glance, neither wanting to speak. Suddenly, Cang Ming jokingly said, "I guess you'll only be more disgusted with men, but the deputy general is a man... a man..."