Chapter 51, Chapter 51: The Two-in-One Looks Just Like Xu Zangyu...

The mountains of gold stretched endlessly, and a constant rustling sound could be heard as gold coins occasionally rolled down from them.

"So these things were all hidden here?"

Chu Shu picked up a bow and arrow, lit the arrowhead, and shot it into the coffin. Hissing sounds came from inside, and insects that tried to crawl out were swallowed up by the spreading fire and turned to ashes.

He raised his bow towards Jinshan, but Xiao Mingxin stopped him: "I just used my spiritual power to probe inside, and there are quite a few hidden there. Your bow and arrow won't burn through Jinshan; instead, it will only alert the enemy."

"Even if we alert them, this thing still dares to provoke two Nascent Soul cultivators and one Golden Core cultivator. At worst, we can just pour oil all over this place and burn these damned things to death."

The rustling sounds grew louder and louder, and several gold coins fell with a "clink, clink, clink." From time to time, the heads of insects would emerge from the top of the gold mountain, seemingly observing or perhaps making some kind of movement.

Something's not right.

Xu Zangyu looked up and saw that the gold coins were falling even more violently, and the entire mountain of gold began to surge. The insects' constant arching and probing movements were pushing the gold coins.

"Run! These mountains of gold are about to collapse!"

The underground palace has limited space. If the gold mountain collapses, they will definitely be buried inside. Although they won't die, they won't be able to escape for a while. For those insects, they will be food stuck in the spider web, easily obtained.

Disgusting insects, they even know how to scheme.

Chu Shu and Xiao Mingxin also realized what was happening, but the stone door to the exit was half-submerged by the rolling gold coins, and the entrance was blocked, so they had to find another way out.

The imperial tomb couldn't possibly have no other exits, but time was limited and they might not be able to find it in time. The group was almost cornered when Xu Cangyu suddenly heard the sound of a flute.

He groped his way over, and the sound seemed to be coming from the other side of the wall. There should be more space inside, but he couldn't find the mechanism.

The gold coin rolled to his legs, and as it spread to his waist, Xiao Mingxin blocked his way from behind. Chu Shu channeled his spiritual fire and watched warily at the bulging area in the gold coin. Sure enough, the insects had come attracted by the scent.

"What are you looking for?" Xiao Mingxin asked.

"A mechanism." He finally noticed a strangely colored stone brick above his head. He flicked it with a gold coin, and sure enough, a hidden door appeared.

Whoever designed this is being incredibly clever.

He tried to jump up, but found that his body was stuck and he couldn't get out. He struggled and his two hands lifted him up. The gold almost submerged the remaining two people. He stretched out his two hands and lay on the ground: "Senior brother, come up quickly."

Using the force, the two pulled themselves out. The swarming insects tried to bite them, but Chu Shu set them on fire.

After they went up, they were all covered in sweat.

The two asked curiously, "How did you know the exit was here?"

Xu Zangyu said, "Didn't you hear the flute music here?"

"Flute music? Where did that flute music come from?"

Xu Zangyu then realized that they hadn't heard anything.

"Perhaps... I misheard."

There doesn't look like anyone is in there.

However, there were signs that someone had lived in this dark place. There was an oil lamp and a teacup on the table. As Xu Cangyu walked in, he saw two corpses huddled together.

One of them, now just bones, still appears to be embracing another, but the other corpse is quite strange.

Although it was grayish-brown, it showed no signs of decay. In particular, the face was so lifelike that everyone was stunned when they saw it.

She looks exactly like Xu Zangyu!

Chu Shu was speechless for a long time. If Xu Zangyu hadn't been standing alive next to him, he would have been scared to death.

Although he knew the person on the ground was not Xu Zangyu, the sight of him dead still made him feel extremely distressed.

"Let me see if his face is real or fake."

Xu Cangyu grabbed his sleeve, "Don't touch him, there's something inside him."

Chu Shu looked closely and noticed a faint twitching under the corpse's skin, crisscrossing as if insects were crawling inside.

"Could the corpses be filled with those ghostly insects?"

Xu Zangyu: "Most likely."

Chu Shu picked up the bow and arrow, aimed it at the corpse, held it for a moment, and then let go.

He cursed, "Why isn't that damned thing coming out?"

After observing for a while, Xu Zangyu said, "It's possible that the insects can't get out, and this corpse has become their prison."

He approached and reached out. The insects under the corpse's skin seemed to sense the presence of a living person and surged even more violently, but they could not break free.

The guess was correct. Just who is this person?

His fingers were about to touch the corpse's face when Xiao Mingxin's heart jumped. "Be careful."

Xu Zangyu withdrew his hand, turned to his waist, and pulled out a short flute from his lower back.

The piccolo is about the length of a hand, and its entire body is snow-white, seemingly made of some kind of animal bone. It feels cool and smooth to the touch and has no strange smell.

Chu Shu: "There really is a flute."

Xiao Mingxin: "Perhaps there really was flute music just now, but only my junior brother heard it."

Xu Zangyu held this old object from the mortal world in his palm, saying, "Perhaps only the owner of the flute can tell us the answer."

With hands clasped and eyes closed, I trace back to the mortal world; past events are like smoke, drifting away and dissipating.

*

Yu'an Town.

A group of emaciated refugees, carrying bundles, trudged weakly forward. War raged across the land, causing widespread displacement and hardship; some survived, while others perished in the chaos of war or on the road.

"The fighting should stop after a while, right?"

"Probably."

"Yu'an is just ahead. I heard that the people inside can get enough to eat. If we hold on, maybe we can get a bite to eat."

"We are refugees, won't they drive us away?"

"I heard that there is a celestial being in the mountains of Yu'an who can turn stones into gold. If you pray sincerely, you can be saved, and my little girl can live." The woman was so thin that she was unrecognizable, and a five or six-year-old girl was tied to her back with a cloth rope.

Excessively weak, the little girl was skin and bones, as light as a piece of paper. Her lips were cracked, and her eyelids were weakly lifted as she was about to faint.

Others laughed at her, saying, "There are no immortals or gods out there. If they could really turn stones into gold, how could there be people starving to death in the world?"

"Yes, yes, my little girl will be blessed by the gods and live a good life."

The woman stubbornly repeated herself, as if grasping at a lifeline, not allowing anyone to refute her, gazing at the towering mountain peak, and climbing upwards without looking back.

She was so exhausted she was almost fainting, her throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire, when suddenly she heard a melodious flute tune, so beautiful, like the tinkling of a sweet mountain spring, which seemed to soothe her burning throat.

The woman knelt down in awe, pleading, "Immortal, Immortal, please save my daughter."

The flute music stopped, and she heard an even clearer, more melodious voice.

"There are no immortals here, but I think your daughter is about to faint from hunger."

Several bright red fruits were thrown down from above. The woman looked up and saw a young man sitting cross-legged on the rock wall halfway up the mountain. Several strands of his hair were tied behind his head, and a silver headband was worn on his forehead, passing through the part of his hair. A string of beautiful silver rings with tassels also hung around his neck.

But none of this diminished the beauty of her face; it only added a touch of mystery to her beauty.

What a beautiful person! Could she be an immortal?

The woman paused for a moment, then was quickly drawn to the red berries on the ground. She picked one up, quickly softened it, and pinched a small opening to let the juice flow into her daughter's mouth. After feeding her several berries, the little girl regained some of her spirits. She opened her eyes, looking dazed, and said:

"Fairy Brother".

“I’m not a deity. You can call me Cangyu.” He looked at the woman. “Are you a new refugee?”

The woman said cautiously, "Yes. I heard that there is a fairy in the mountains who can turn stones into gold, so I hope that the fairy can save my daughter and let her grow up safely."

Xu Cangyu looked at the empty bottle in front of him. After a bright red flower bloomed inside, he picked up the bottle and threw it into the bronze furnace. After burning for a while, he removed the copper plate stuck at the bottom, and a round piece of gold fell out.

The woman exclaimed in astonishment, "Turning stone into gold! You are truly an immortal!"

“These are just rumors. I’m really just an ordinary person.” He jumped down and handed the gold in his hand to the woman. “However, you can use this gold to raise your daughter.”

Tears of emotion welled up in the woman's eyes; her little girl was saved and wouldn't starve to death.

"Thank you, my benefactor."

The woman kowtowed to him, but Xu Cangyu stopped her, saying, "It's getting late, let's find a place to stay in Yu'an."

The little girl peeked out from the woman's arms, her eyes still bright despite her thin face. "Brother Yu, my name is Fang Ruo. Can I look for you in the future?"

Xu Zangyu patted her head, "Wait until you recover."

The little girl smiled happily and was carried away by the woman.

A figure leaning on a cane slowly emerged from behind the tree. His hair was gray and his face was somber. Xu Zangyu had noticed the commotion long ago and walked up to the old man like a child who had made a mistake.

"Grandpa, what brings you here?"

He slammed his cane on the ground with a thud: "And you're still talking about me? You brat, what are you doing running off to Black Mountain again? I taught you to use your Gu-controlling skills to heal and save people, not to dig for gold in Black Mountain."

Zang Yu smiled and said, "Since we're both saving people anyway, why not use our skills to save them?"

Xu Zangyu discovered the strange insects in the Black Mountain a long time ago. These insects built houses of gold and slept inside them, making them impervious to swords and spears.

When it matures, blood flowers will bloom on its body. He can use the sound of the Gu-controlling flute to hypnotize it, and then burn the flowers with a great fire to obtain gold.

The old man sighed deeply: "Zangyu, you can heal people and cure diseases, but you cannot heal the world. Everything is predestined, and neither you nor I can change it. The strange creatures in the Black Mountain may not be a blessing from heaven to help us through difficulties, but may also be a disaster that will lead to eternal damnation."

"Moreover, in times of chaos, wealth that appears out of nowhere is not a treasure."

"I understand, Grandpa. I'll try my best not to touch anything from Black Mountain in the future."

It took a lot of persuasion to coax him back.

As he walked down the mountain path, he encountered a silly little fox that bumped into him. The little fox had a limp hind leg with a bloody crossbow bolt stuck in it.

It opened its eyes and saw people trembling. Zangyu stroked its head and comforted it: "It's okay, don't move, I'll save you."

He broke off the arrowhead, pulled out the remaining half of the crossbow bolt, took out the herbs he carried, and bandaged the little fox.

The little fox was very intelligent and probably knew that he was being rescued. It was no longer afraid and carefully licked his hand with its tongue to please him.

Zangyu stroked its snow-white, smooth fur with great affection, wondering who could be so cruel as to harm a fox that looked like it wasn't even fully grown.

"Have you seen a fox?"

The voice was gentle and ethereal, coming from the forest. Sunlight streamed in, and a person dressed in a white robe with bright gold thread trimming the sleeves, and whose outer garment was embroidered with white cranes in gold thread, intertwined with long, ink-black hair, appeared in the sunlight. Cang Yu was stunned for a long time, truly believing that a deity might really live in these mountains.

The man looked down and saw the little fox nestled in his arms, saying, "This is the one I've been looking for."

The little fox trembled even more violently, and Xu Zangyu then noticed that this celestial-looking person had a crossbow tucked into his waistband.

"Did you shoot the arrow in its leg?"

"Yes, it's me." His tone was neither warm nor cold, quite calm.

The harsh words that Zang Yu wanted to say were blocked by him and he couldn't say them.

How could someone with such a beautiful face say such vicious things?

"You are not from Yu'an."

Almost everyone in this small town has seen jade, so how could they forget one with this color?

"I was traveling here to collect medicinal herbs when I mistakenly thought the noise in the forest was caused by a wild wolf, which is why I came here to treat it."

Which doctor is gathering herbs, dressed so elegantly, with a face untouched by the elements and fingers seemingly untouched by spring water? He's clearly a pampered young nobleman. What medicine could possibly make him condescend to come to such a humble place?

“Since you injured this fox, you should indeed take responsibility for it.”

Zang Yu handed the fox in her arms to the man, but as soon as he reached out to take it, the little fox bit him hard. Zang Yu quickly pulled its mouth back, but the man's hand was still bitten with a bloody tooth hole on the back of his hand.

Enraged, Cangyu flicked the fox's forehead with her finger. The little fox whimpered in pain but dared not open its mouth.

"You little brat, you still hold grudges."

The man stopped, his face showing no anger: "It's alright, an eye for an eye, and besides, I hurt it more badly."

"Would you like to come back with me?" he asked the little fox.

The little fox seemed to understand human speech, baring its teeth and growling at him as a warning, burying itself in Cangyu's body and refusing to get down.

Seeing this, the man had no choice but to give up.

"It seems you are destined for it."

He turned and left, and Cangyu hesitated for a moment before chasing after him.

"Wait, you're not going to keep it anymore? I don't know how to take care of this little thing!"

The man remained calm: "Fate cannot be forced."

"Aren't you afraid I'll skin it and make clothes from its skin?"

"If you can save those refugees, why would you hurt a young fox?"

His bright eyes narrowed instantly, and Cang Yu felt a sense of unease. The world only knew him as someone with the Midas touch, unaware that there was gold in the Black Mountain. This man's appearance was too opportune; could it be that he had been watching him all along?

The man suddenly turned around, his eyes fixed on him for a long time: "The legend of Fu Guangxian turning stones into gold is indeed true."

“I think you’re more like a forest fairy. However, there are many wild beasts and monsters in these mountains and forests, so you must be very careful not to get eaten.” Cangyu smiled, rubbing the short flute hidden in his sleeve with his right hand.

Thank you for letting me know.

The man walked away alone until he reached a thatched hut. He glanced behind him seemingly unintentionally before pushing open the door and taking out medicine to treat his wounds.

The forest was lush with vegetation, filled with birdsong and insect chirps. The subtle movements were not abrupt. A rustling sound came from the grass and bushes, and a head popped out from a low bush. Then a fluffy white head emerged, mimicking the people around it by sticking its bottom out and squatting.

"A beautiful woman appears in the desolate wilderness, a chance encounter that entangles in a dream. I actually encountered something that was written in a storybook. If it was for money, I might as well be a ghost."

He pinched the little fox's head and shook it: "You wouldn't happen to be a fox spirit from a storybook, would you? You can suddenly turn into a beauty to repay a debt of gratitude."

The little fox was so dizzy from being shaken that it lay limp in his palm, showing no signs of transforming, so Cangyu had no choice but to give up.

He looked at the thatched hut and said, "Whether it's a person or a ghost, I'll know after one interrogation."

He took off the silver ring on his hand, twisted the hidden clasp, and a white Gu worm flew out from it. He put the bone flute to his lips, and as he blew it, the Gu worm flew through the window into the thatched hut.

At that moment, the man was holding a book, staring intently at it. The Gu worm cautiously flew behind him, opening its mouth to bite, but the man suddenly turned around.

Where did the fly come from?

With a "crack," Cangyu's heart shattered.

His precious child, whom he had raised since childhood, was swatted like a fly!

I'm going to kill you today!

Zang Yu was so angry that his eyes turned red. He ran to dig up several poisonous centipedes and threw them in through the crack in the door when it got dark.

A muffled groan came from inside shortly after, followed by complete silence. Overjoyed, he pushed open the door and went straight in, where he indeed saw the man slumped on the bed.

With a ferocious expression, he took out the rope he had prepared. The person who had been unconscious suddenly came back to life, turned around, grabbed his hands, and bound him tightly with the rope he had prepared.

You're alright!

"Do you think I should have something to say?" The man picked up a bottle from the table, opened it, and inside were wriggling red-headed centipedes. "It's our first meeting, I'm afraid I can't accept this gift."

Zang Yu felt guilty, but still stubbornly insisted: "I kindly sent my little cutie to see you, but who knew you would kill him in one hit. I was so angry that I wanted to teach you a lesson."

"Look at me?" A mocking smile appeared on the man's cold lips as he slowly tilted the bottle in his hand toward Cang Yu. "Although I am not proficient in Gu magic, I have some knowledge of it. Your little cutie is not an ordinary flying insect, but a Gu worm."

The red-headed centipedes squeezed out, almost landing on him. Xu Cangyu shrank back and said:

"It is indeed a Gu worm, but it is not a harmful Gu worm; it is a love Gu."

His fingers, which had been tilting, stopped, and he continued:

"Yes, I fell in love with you at first sight. You've destroyed my love potion, so I have to resort to some underhanded methods. Anyway, these centipedes have poisoned you, so I can play the hero and save the beauty."

He forced himself to shed a few tears, sobbing:

Is it wrong to love someone? I know I am unforgivable, but dying at the hands of the one I love is enough to make me die without regrets!

The red-headed centipedes were about to crawl out, but were shaken back down. The man, holding a cup, poured several centipedes into the stove. The cup was carelessly tossed aside. His long, slender fingers wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes. His ethereal face now seemed somewhat ghostly.

"Love potion?"

The man took out a glass bottle from his sleeve, inside which was his precious Gu worm, which had not been killed by him as if it were a fly.

Zang Yu feigned being touched: "I just knew you were kind-hearted—um."

The worm was poured into his mouth, and to prevent him from spitting it out, the man deliberately covered his mouth until he was sure he had swallowed it before letting go.

Seeing that he looked normal and showed no signs of poisoning, she looked on with regret.

Zang Yu: "......"

How are you feeling?

Despite his murderous intent, Cang Yu forced a smile and said, "I love you so much."

After a brief silence, the ropes binding them were finally loosened.

Cangyu took the opportunity to cling to him, saying, "My name is Cangyu. May I ask your name, where you live, and whether you are married?"

His body, which was entangled by him, was very stiff.

"open."

He didn't let go, and was then thrown directly onto the bed.

The man walked to the side, picked up a medical book, and read it from beginning to end, his expression growing increasingly serious.

Suddenly, a weight settled on my shoulder, and a breath tickled my cheek.

"Why bother reading 'Miscellaneous Talks on Gu'? If you have any questions, just ask me."

The shoulder was suddenly removed, and Cangyu tilted to one side. She then supported herself with her hands, her smile swaying with the tassels around her neck.

The mysterious blue embroidered patterns outline a slender figure, and those unknown patterns are almost like a spell that draws people in.

The man's eyes darkened. "How do we cure the love potion?"

Zang Yu blinked. "Why do I need to untie it? If you want to untie it, you can become my wife for once."

The man was stunned for a moment, then his ears flushed red, a cold glint appeared in his eyes, and he chased him out with a gloomy face.

The door slammed shut in front of him. Zang Yu smiled silently. He wasn't afraid of being killed, but he was afraid of being raped. He thought that all the nobles were into this.

Seeing that he was unharmed, the little fox wagged its tail and limped over, whimpering. Zang Yu picked it up with one hand, saying, "You have to be good. My grandpa doesn't like furry things. If he abandons you, I won't be able to do anything about it."

It was late at night. Zang Yu cut his finger, and a moment later a white flying insect crawled out. If he hadn't been keeping this thing around, he would have been poisoned to death long ago.

As soon as it came out, the little insects tried to crawl into his bracelet, so he put it on a tree.

"Do not approach him. If he comes near Black Mountain, come find me immediately."

As the figure disappeared into the night, the person who had been hiding finally appeared in the thatched hut.

"Sir, this boy is truly rude. Shall I teach him a lesson?"

Even in his humble abode, the man's noble and upright character remained undiminished. His bodyguard, knife at his waist, awaited his command to make that audacious brat regret his actions for the rest of his life. But when the man spoke, he was stunned.

"You don't need to do anything, just keep an eye on him and report back if anything happens."

"Is Your Excellency going to take action personally?"

The man's indifferent tone carried a hint of impatience: "No need to ask any more questions."

The guard bowed his head in agreement, but was quite puzzled. He rarely saw his master angry, and now that he was so enraged, why didn't he just kill that lecherous fellow?

*

When Cangyu returned home, he found the room still brightly lit, and he knew it was all over.

Hesitantly stepping over the threshold, I heard a heavy thud of a cane hitting the ground, followed by a powerful roar:

"You dare to stay out all night now, what girl are you looking for?"

Zang Yu smiled ingratiatingly, "She's not a girl either."

"That's a man! Kid, you—"

The cane was so angry that it was about to hit him, but he quickly begged for mercy: "Grandpa, don't think too much. I was delayed by something on the way back."

He lifted the little fox nestled in his arms and said, "I was afraid you'd be lonely all the time, so I found you a little toy to keep you company."

The cane suddenly stopped and slammed to the ground with a thud. The little fox was so frightened that it shrank its ears, but still wagged its tail and tried to appease the fox.

"Look how cute this little guy is."

The old man was extremely disgusted. "I don't expect you to be very filial, but you've brought back an ancestor for me to serve. Take this little thing away from me. I already have a headache taking care of you, let alone this one."

Zang Yu stood to the side, holding the little fox, and endured a long scolding until the old man's anger finally subsided. However, seeing the little fox's bandaged leg, his anger flared up again. "How could you do this to a fox that's still nursing!"

Seeing this, the old man picked up his cane again, and Cangyu quickly said, "It was someone else who hit me. I rescued him from that person, which is why it was delayed until evening."

The old man calmed down a bit, cursing and swearing at how beastly the person who hurt the little fox was. He also scolded Zang Yu, who was standing next to him, saying that his bandage looked like a wrapped rice dumpling.

Zang Yu echoed his words, calling him a beast repeatedly. Suddenly, a tile fell down, hitting him head-on, but luckily he dodged it with his agility.

The old man breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was alright. He shook his head and looked over, saying, "It must have been a stray cat that was stealing food that broke the bricks. You'll have to fix the roof later."

After saying that, he picked up the little fox and said, "With your unlucky constitution, you definitely can't keep this little thing alive. I'll take care of it for a few days, and once it gets better, I'll send it back to the mountains."

Zang Yu resignedly moved the ladder over and found the hole in the roof to repair it.

There were no footprints on the roof tiles, and the tightly fastened tiles showed no signs of loosening. What a mischievous stray cat, deliberately stepping on his head.

He shouted into the air, "There are so many stray cats in heat in spring. Looks like I need to keep neutering tools handy, otherwise they'll be jumping around all day long."

A certain bodyguard hiding in the tree felt a chill in his groin.

The candlelight flickered in the thatched hut, and there was another person inside.

"Why did you suddenly come back?"

The guard cursed, "That brat is a real scoundrel! He's two-faced, saying one thing to your face and another behind your back. He actually called you a beast behind your back, sir. When are you going to punish him, sir? I can't take it anymore!"

The man didn't seem to care much. "Is that all the patience you have? That kid definitely knows where the late emperor's tomb is. If we can find out, others might too. There are so many eyes watching us now, we can't act rashly."

-----------------------

A note from the author: I'm sorry to have worried everyone. Actually, I'm usually quite emotionally stable, I just occasionally have a meltdown. I can't stand it when people criticize the kitten I raised; if they do, I break down.

I've been writing diligently today, and I'm living my life well. I'll continue to cherish my kitten in the future. [Laughing]