"This is the first time my sister has ever scolded me."...

Yan Huanyue sat behind the crack in the stone door and watched as a man wearing a koi mask and carrying an unstrung crossbow walked to the white jade platform.

With hands clasped in reverence, she tilted her head back and said something to the white-robed man chanting sutras on the jade platform.

However, since the other party ignored him in public, he seemed somewhat resentful. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, he pulled out a candle and threw it into the other person's arms, causing the white-clad man to emit a wisp of black smoke.

People from sects rarely do things this way, but it's not impossible. Yan Huanyue gripped the hilt of her knife tightly.

But the man on the white jade platform stopped chanting the scriptures, flicked away the candles, and said something to the man wearing the koi carp mask.

The man then clasped his hands in greeting, looked up at the person on the white jade platform, obedient and devout, as if he had been comforted.

Perhaps he's just someone who needs to be kept in custody, otherwise he'll cause trouble.

The fresh scent of fruitwood, like snowmelt, carried a refreshing coolness as it flowed in. Yan Huanyue quietly pulled the door back a crack to prevent the stench from escaping.

At this moment, those guarding outside the restaurant had not made a fuss, which meant that after Senior Brother Mingqing and the others dealt with the people behind the stone gate, they had returned to the restaurant and dealt with the people outside.

They may have discovered the body of the man behind the counter.

But they certainly didn't expect that if the corpse were moved a little further to the side, the floor tiles would flip down, revealing the entrance to the secret room.

Yan Huanyue's gaze swept over the person below the white jade platform, and she looked around for Su Xianqing and the others.

The secret room was about thirty inches off the ground, and she seemed to be sitting on a position about seven or eight steps above it, peering out.

Although you can't see the whole picture, you can still see the corners and edges on the opposite side.

In the crowd, she only saw Su Xianqing walking around the tables, stopping and starting, secretly observing every woman who passed by.

Jian You and Li Ji were not present.

At this point, in this place full of wicked and evil cultivators, she still had to wait until Su Xianqing figured out the current situation and officially launched his attack before going out.

Her gaze lingered on Su Xianqing for a while.

At this time, the place was relatively peaceful. People trading things mostly talked in hushed tones, but they would also fight over the same item.

Therefore, it is not uncommon to find someone lying next to the person inspecting the items, bleeding under a mask, unable to move, or even already dead.

There are even those who covet what the other party brings and force them to buy or sell it, and it is quite common for them to fight and kill each other while fighting for the goods.

Bright light shone on the white jade platform, and the sound of chanting sutras filled the air.

Beneath the Mingguang Terrace, fighting and cursing erupted, blood flowed freely, and as the chanting of sutras grew increasingly peaceful, the thousands of candles in the vast hall also became violent, frenzied, and greedy.

The dome is carved with clouds and painted with the moon, and the white walls are outlined with auspicious clouds. The chanting of the people on the white jade platform is used to dispel all the bloodshed and resentment here, whether it is killing to steal treasures or using elixirs and magical artifacts made by demons and humans to resolve resentment.

The candlelight cast a bright glow, bathing everything in a sacred, hazy light.

Yan Huanyue felt that the giant lizard and the woman in the secret room seemed to have been half-converted.

In a hazy state, she turned her head slightly and seemed to see the woman, also bathed in the dim moonlight, sitting in the secret room, eating the broken limbs on the ground with a satisfied expression, together with the giant lizard that shimmered with a cold white light.

Yan Huanyue blinked, and everything in front of her disappeared again. A leaping ray of light struck the floor of the secret room, illuminating the woman's wide-open, blood-red eyes.

Yan Huanyue found the chanting outside the door very annoying. Something was surging in her soul, and wave after wave of pain shot from the back of her neck to the top of her head.

She was in so much pain that she felt dizzy and couldn't help but cover her mouth with her bloodied hand and gag silently.

Suddenly, a loud bang was heard outside the door, followed by a violent tremor, and a burning pain immediately spread across my face.

She thought someone had discovered her, but after a few breaths, the tremors subsided, and she heard the outside becoming increasingly chaotic, along with the smell of burning wood gradually drifting in.

She peered through the crack in the stone gate and saw that the once pristine white jade platform had been blasted open, with blood-stained fragments scattered everywhere.

The person on the white jade platform was like a broken porcelain vase, with blood-stained white gauze even sticking to the dome that resembled a heavenly palace.

The candles beside the jade platform rolled all over the ground; some had gone out, while others had ignited the surrounding wooden tables.

Instead of rushing to put out the fire, the crowd began to fight even more violently, slaughtering and plundering each other.

Whether or not one recites scriptures is merely a psychological comfort; no one really cares. But the immediate benefits are the most real.

She saw a figure in a pale yellow dress sweep across several tables with overwhelming force amidst the chaos, leaving no one able to touch the hem of her skirt.

A woman like Tan Guiyi, ambitious and full of vitality, would not fare badly anywhere.

Yan Huanyue even admired Tan Guiyi's ambition, momentum, and shrewdness. Tan Guiyi was more worldly-wise than Fu Yinhuan and was more willing to humble herself.

Many people's actions probably only remain in their imagination. People like Tan Guiyi and Fu Yinhuan, who are full of desire to improve their cultivation and are extremely willing to put their knowledge into practice, may also have achieved great things if they did not build their own high platform on the bones of others.

Tan Guiyi grabbed a tall man and shoved him under the shattered jade platform, ignoring the flames around them, and asked urgently:

"Where is the Destiny Bottle? Aren't you a member of the Mystic Realm? Where is the Destiny Bottle you mentioned earlier?"

The man was burly, yet she gripped his wrist by the wrist, like a chicken being held down for slaughter. He stammered, "It's broken, all the life bottles are broken..."

Beside the increasingly intense flames, Tan Guiyi, in a daze, clutched her suddenly empty chest. Even after arriving at the Ghost Market, she couldn't reclaim those ten years of lifespan...

Even if you make up for a hundred years lost, you'll still be missing ten years.

Why is Heaven so unjust?

"Fellow Daoist Tan?"

Jiang Xusheng held a box of red pills in both hands, and the servants behind him began to put out the fire and suppress the chaotic crowd, breaking the legs and tying them up one by one.

But the fire grew larger and larger, thick smoke rose up, and coughs echoed everywhere.

Tan Guiyi killed the man on the ground with a single sword stroke; his eyes, hidden behind the mask, were bloodshot.

She glared at Jiang Xusheng and said through gritted teeth, "This is a traitor from Xuanjiang, selling his life-saving bottle here in an attempt to exchange it for the Marrow Cleansing Pill."

Jiang Xusheng said, "Let's go first. The fire here is getting bigger and bigger. People from various sects are guarding the passage, waiting for these people to leave."

Tan Guiyi got up and followed Jiang Xusheng out. As they reached the edge of the passage, she turned back to look at the chaotic crowd amidst the fireworks. If...

If Father were here, with so many people, plus so many spiritual artifacts and pills, he would surely have a way to refine and absorb them all directly, increasing his cultivation level and adding countless years to his lifespan...

The fire spread, yet there was no spiritual energy. Why is the way of Heaven so cruel to mankind?

Acrid smoke drifted into the secret room. Yan Huanyue tore off a piece of coarse cloth, crawled to the woman's corpse, soaked it, and covered her face with it.

He climbed to the door and observed for a while, then pushed the door open, tucked the sword behind his back, grabbed the stone edge with both hands, rolled outwards, and landed on the ground with both feet.

With her hands still gripping the stone edge, she heard footsteps behind her. She quickly freed one hand, drew her sword, and slashed it backward, spurting hot blood onto her back.

She slowly turned her head and saw a group of masked people who knew that the sect members guarded the passage outside and were searching for other escape routes.

Those people saw that her long hair was disheveled, her clothes were stained with blood, and she was wearing a blood-stained face mask. Her eyes were cold and sharp, like blades. They could tell at a glance that she was a practitioner of evil arts.

He immediately said, "We are just seeking a way to survive, fellow Daoist, please do not block our way."

Yan Huanyue's hand, which was wrapped in coarse cloth around her wound, hung limply from the edge of the stone, seemingly oblivious to the pain. Suddenly, she let go, half-paralyzed on the ground, and said dejectedly, "We can't get out of here. They broke my leg and threw me back here."

Among the group, some who didn't believe in the superstition rushed forward, braced themselves on the stone edge, and climbed over. As soon as they entered, a stench assaulted their nostrils, and the first thing they saw was a female corpse and the carcass of a lizard.

Inside the high stone walls of the secret chamber, there was no other exit in sight.

As soon as the first person went in, a group of people hoping to get away with it rushed in.

Yan Huanyue gripped her sword and climbed along the edge of the wall toward the passage. Just as she was about to reach it, she keenly sensed a series of subtle tremors coming from the ground.

She remembered what Fu Yinhuan had said about exploring the ghost market.

She hadn't been able to figure out how to dig, but now she instantly understood. Before she could even react, she instinctively started crawling out.

Suddenly someone shouted, "The ground is cracking! Run!"

The sight completely startled those who were still looting the remaining items in the hall. Everyone looked up and saw a wisp of smoke rising from beneath the white jade platform that had just exploded.

From beneath the shattered jade base of the white jade platform, a thin crack flashed like lightning across the stone bricks on the ground.

The underground palace trembled, and the stone bricks on the ground began to split and collapse downwards. The cracks in the ground grew larger and larger, and warm earth energy rose up, but it chilled people to the bone.

As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.

With an internal enemy present, everyone surged towards the passage and charged outwards, their battle against the sect disciples guarding the passage nearly turning the entire street upside down.

However, some people discovered that the crack in the underground palace actually pierced through the entire ghost market, expanding endlessly.

The ground shook continuously, strong winds swept through, and a series of harsh, mournful cries rose from underground, sending chills down one's spine.

The entire area where the ghost market is located shows signs of imminent collapse and destruction.

Su Xianqing said to the disciples of various sects who had been hiding here, "Drive these people out of the Ghost Market and to the riverbank. There are already people waiting to set up an array."

Jian You said, "I'm going to find Senior Sister Yan!"

Su Xianqing raised his hand to stop her, "Send people to the river. Shuangying and Henghua are waiting for you there. I'm going to find Baoying."

After saying that, he turned around, drew his sword, and rushed into the edge of the huge crack, into a small eatery that had already collapsed halfway.

Too many people were trying to escape from the underground palace, so Yan Huanyue had to hide in a corner to avoid being trampled to death before she could get out.

The cracks in the ground grew wider and wider, and the ground continued to crumble and fall. One of her feet was already hanging on the edge of the cliff, feeling the breeze blowing up from below.

Once most of the people had run away, she immediately continued crawling forward.

But when they reached the vicinity of the passage, a sudden tremor caused the collapsed stone wall to completely block the passage.

She climbed up to the rubble and used a horizontal chisel to push and chisel outwards. When the crack in the ground was almost up to her waist, she could faintly hear the sound of someone moving stones outside.

Those outside heard her voice and called out urgently, "Baoying? Baoying! What are you still doing inside!"

Yan Huanyue gripped the stone steps at the entrance of the passage with both hands, her lower body dangling in the air. Suppressing the stinging in her eyes, she shouted, "Senior Brother Xianqing, let's go quickly."

Suddenly the ground subsided and collapsed, and she fell straight down, gripping her sword, only to see someone leaping down from the edge of the ground above.

It was that troublemaker wearing the koi fish mask.

Yan Huanyue held her sword against the jagged rock face for a long time, sparks flying, before it suddenly got stuck.

She hung suspended in mid-air, watching the masked man fall silently and swiftly past her, accompanied by a gust of cold wind.

As he passed by her, he looked at her quietly, his expression a mixture of helplessness and sigh.

Then, he plunged directly into the even darker abyss below.

In such a desperate situation, Yan Huanyue inexplicably felt like laughing.

This koi fish really does admire the man chanting scriptures on the white jade platform that much?

Has it really come to the point where they're willing to die for each other?

She stopped looking down into the abyss and waited until the falling rocks stopped. Then, relying on the strength of her waist and legs, she swung herself little by little to the rock wall.

If she hadn't lost sensation below her knees, she might have been able to exert much less effort.

He gripped the uneven rock face with one hand and pulled out a horizontal knife with the other to probe upwards, but the knife was too long to maneuver on the rock face.

She paused for a moment, then tucked the sword back into her waistband, took out a long hairpin and bit it in her mouth. With her other hand, she began to climb upwards, using her knees instead of her feet to support her body on the uneven rocks.

A moment later, Su Xianqing's head popped out from above. Upon seeing her, he immediately said excitedly, "Baoying, take a rest. Don't waste your energy. I'm here to pick you up!"

Yan Huanyue lay on the rock to rest and catch her breath. When she saw him, her eyes lit up and her heart leaped with joy. "Senior Brother!"

Su Xianqing immediately put the rope around his waist and was about to jump down.

But from the dark abyss, several golden vines emerged, their claws outstretched, and wrapped around Yan Huanyue, dragging her downwards.

"Baoying!"

Su Xianqing's mind went blank, and he leaped into the great crevice with his sword in hand.

He fell halfway down when the rope reached its end. The people guarding above quickly grabbed the rope and pulled him up.

Su Xianqing's vision went completely white, and his ears were ringing incessantly.

Many years ago, Master brought home a baby, who was said to be the child of Junior Brother Yan and Junior Sister Jiang, who had recently left the sect.

Unfortunately, the couple lacked talent and remained in the outer sect for many years of cultivation. This time, they went to Yunjing but became heroic spirits in Qiaoran Valley.

He remembered that Jiang Yingyun, the junior sister from the outer sect, was a very lively and boisterous person, while Yan Yi, the junior brother, was a bit more quiet and shy. Their Bao Ying looked like their mother but had the temperament of their father.

When I was little, I lay in my cradle and was very well-behaved, rarely crying.

People were coming and going in Changqing Palace, and she listened with her big, curious eyes.

When he finishes his cultivation and goes to see her, she will definitely smile at him and stretch out her chubby little hands, wanting him to hug her.

She's finally grown up, but she's only a few years old...

.

As Yan Huanyue continued to fall, she removed the long hairpin she had been biting between her teeth, pulled out the outer bamboo sheath, revealing a small knife.

He lashed out at the golden mist with a fit of rage, severing many strands and stimulating even more golden mist to climb up with renewed fervor.

She gritted her teeth, sliced ​​off a strand of golden mist that had finally made it into the queue and happily wrapped around her wrist, and muttered a curse under her breath: "You bastard..."

"This is the first time my sister has ever scolded me."

The person behind her was laughing a little too heartily. He avoided the unsheathed sword at her waist, gently embraced her, and sighed.

"I couldn't find you... Why are you covered in blood? Where are you hurt?"

Yan Huanyue suppressed her strong urge to stab herself in the back, remaining silent.

Pei Xuanzhi touched the strip of cloth binding her hand, but fearing it might aggravate the wound, he didn't dare to move it.

First, remove the blood-soaked coarse cloth from her face, then wipe the blood off her face with your sleeve. In the dim golden light, you can vaguely see a long bloodstain on her face.

"Why is your face injured too? Hmm? Why are you ignoring me again? You can scold me if you want."

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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:37:02 and 23:25:39 on May 15, 2024!

Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: only 1 out of 5;

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Huo Xixi (10 bottles); Tool Preset, Xixi, and Zhou Man (1 bottle each);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!