Chen Lubai's horse was gone, and she cried like Daiyu burying flowers, and she was just short of reciting a poem "Horse Burial Song" in front of the public.
He Zhizhou and Zheng Weiqi were both Taoists, and although they were strong as steel, their ability to withstand pressure and beatings was much better than that of ordinary people.
This time, they fell off the horse one after another, and except for He Zhizhou's fragile head being seriously injured, the rest were not seriously injured.
Master Chen, who rushed over after hearing the news, was so distressed that his head shook, and tears fell from the corners of his mouth: "Let's have a horse meat feast tonight!"
Ningning took the two injured people who looked like they were about to die back to the guest room. Before entering the room, he saw Pei Ji's shadow.
"Junior Sister."
He looked at the three of them calmly, and finally fixed his eyes on Ning Ning: "I got some clues."
Zheng Weiqi was embarrassed and angry by the narration of the horse-falling comment. After hearing this, she finally regained some energy and raised her head with shining eyes: "Junior Brother is still reliable! Ask a certain wild man named He to learn from you!"
He Zhizhou was thicker-skinned than a city wall. He ignored her and continued: "What clues?"
After asking, he added anxiously: "Junior Brother Pei, you don't know, the horses in the stable just now were all crazy, and my eldest sister and I fought hard to calm the chaos. According to my speculation, There must be very powerful monsters hiding in the Chen Mansion, otherwise they wouldn't react so strongly. "
Ning Ning smiled and said, "Let's go to the room and talk slowly."
Although they had discussed in front of Chen Yaoguang's door, they finally decided to wait and see, waiting for the monster gate to open at midnight, and then draw their swords to fight -
but that was just talk.
Although sword cultivators are reckless, most of them have brains.
Since they already knew that this level of the tower was extremely difficult, if they were still like frogs that moved every time they were poked, then in addition to eating horse meat tonight, they might even be able to pick off their heads and fry them. Anyway
, there is not much use in keeping them, so it is better to use them to fill their stomachs.
At that time, He Zhizhou used telepathy to tease Ning Ning "Ning Qingtian", and when she answered, he made a sound directly.
The reason was simple, just to let the mastermind who was probably secretly monitoring relax his vigilance and reduce his defense against them.
- At the same time, he was also using telepathy to tell the others his true thoughts.
"What? The mastermind secretly monitoring?"
He Zhizhou was confused after hearing this: "Who is the mastermind?" Zheng Weiqi stretched her waist and joined the telepathy group chat: "It is most likely Chen Lubai."
Pei Ji nodded.
He Zhizhou:?
Wait, are you guys really not chatting secretly? Why is the current situation the same as when he was taking math class? Everyone started from the same starting line, but when he closed his eyes, he couldn't understand anything?
"I have always been concerned about this. If the consciousness cannot be explored in the pagoda, then why did they arrange a plot where Zhao Yunluo was possessed? Wouldn't it make us watch her die helplessly?"
Ning Ning said, "This is a completely meaningless plot and can be completely discarded. Think about it from another angle. What if the problem is not with the pagoda, but with Zhao Yunluo himself?"
The three of them were silent and listened to her continue quietly: "Try it ." I thought, there is something that looks exactly like a human, can move, laugh and talk, but has no consciousness. She is certainly not a dead object like a table or chair. Apart from this, there is only one possibility. "
Pei Ji answered for the first time: "Hallucination."
As soon as these two words came out, He Zhizhou smiled bitterly: "But Ningning just analyzed it before, the problem is not with the pagoda-"
When he said this, he was suddenly stunned.
What if... the hallucination in Chen's mansion did not come from the pagoda, but was another illusion within the illusion?
"The pagoda nourishes the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and is extremely powerful. It is said that the whole play should be done well. Even if it is an illusion, the characters in it should be endowed with illusory consciousness - but ordinary monsters are far from reaching this level."
Ning Ning thought for a while, and then said seriously: "Do you still remember that when we came back with Chen Lubai, she was called away by Master Chen as soon as we arrived at the gate. His daughter-in-law was in danger, but the father called his little daughter aside to nag about other things. It's not normal no matter how you think about it."
"And as soon as we said goodbye, Chen Lubai came to the room to visit her sister-in-law. It's too much of a coincidence."
Zheng Weiqi nodded after listening: "Maybe she already knew that the dummies in the illusion have no consciousness, and guessed that once we can't sense Zhao Yunluo, we will continue to try to sense other people. If she is the creator of the whole illusion, her consciousness should be detectable by us, then all the lies will be self-defeating."
He Zhizhou emphasized Chongdi said, "Oh!" "That's why she left on purpose at that time, and waited until we left the room before investigating the situation!"
He never liked to use his brain, but now he inevitably turned into a curious baby: "But there is one thing I don't understand. If the illusion was created by Chen Lubai, then she didn't need to use the Nightmare, which would expose her too easily. Wouldn't it be better to use a different monster?"
This sentence also stumped Zheng Weiqi.
Yes, setting up a scene of Nightmare possession, deliberately exposing Zhao Yunluo's lack of consciousness -
what did Chen Lubai want?
"It should be related to the difficulty of creating an illusion."
During the silence, Pei Ji actually spoke: "I have read some books related to this. The books claim that setting up an illusion requires a huge amount of spiritual power, which is unbearable for ordinary monsters. What's more, the area of Echeng is not small. It is very difficult to cover all aspects."
This man, who has always been among the top students in the academy, spoke in a calm voice at this time, and easily killed the two poor students, Zheng Weiqi and He Zhizhou, in seconds.
It was the first time that Ning Ning heard of such a thing. She looked up at him with some curiosity, and then heard Pei Ji say: "In this situation, the most convenient way is to use memory, combining illusion with memory, which greatly reduces the difficulty of scene construction. So the scenes we see now should be the past events that Chen Lubai remembered in his mind and that really happened in E City."
Therefore, everyone in the Chen Mansion and even E City, Chen Yaoguang being attacked by the painting spirit, Zhao Yunluo being possessed by the night nightmare, and even Chen Yueming playing in the mud on the street, all really existed.
"Wait, wait, if everything around us is just a memory, then the real E City now--"
He Zhizhou paused, then suddenly realized: "I understand! Do you still remember the incident when the Demon Gate was wide open? Maybe E City really suffered a disaster, and Chen Lubai missed home so much that he created this illusion to remind him of his family."
This seems to be the most convincing explanation now.
But Ningning always felt that something was wrong, for example -
"But if that's the case, what's Chen Lubai's intention in leaving us here? How can she, an ordinary girl, have the power to create illusions?"
Pei Ji spoke in a cold voice, and it was impossible to tell the ups and downs of his tone: "The most important thing is, if she is really the only one behind the scenes, why is this floor of the pagoda called 'extremely difficult'? How can so many seniors be troubled by something that can be solved by killing her?"
He Zhizhou looked at him blankly.
Then he said to Ning Ning very moved: "Is Pei Ji also a fake person? Can he really talk so much in one breath?"
"No matter what, there are still many suspicious points in this tower."
Zheng Weiqi rubbed her brows: "How about this. Let's let one person secretly investigate the cat in Echeng, and the rest of us stay in Chen Mansion to reduce Chen Lubai's vigilance. That person should live alone and be taciturn. Even if he doesn't stay with us, she won't be suspicious. Who do you recommend?"
He Zhizhou was silent for a moment.
He Zhizhou: "Senior sister, if you want to order Pei Ji around, just say it directly. There is really no need to find adjectives according to his template."
=====
So time returned to the present.
The turmoil in the stable passed safely, and the four of them sat in Pei Ji's room, listening to his gains today.
"I discovered three things in total."
Pei Ji said, "First, if there is a barrier around E City, the sword will not be able to move forward after flying a certain distance."
Ning Ning sat on the chair, supporting her cheek and looking at him.
"...Second."
The young man in black calmly lowered his long eyelashes, his Adam's apple moving slightly: "People in the city say that Chen Lubai is a little abnormal."
Chengying chuckled twice strangely: "We are talking about serious matters, why are you still shy? Hehehe. She looks at you, so you look back at her."
Pei Ji's brows flashed a trace of annoyance, and his tone was still calm: "Rumor has it that a servant once saw her go to the backyard of the Chen Mansion alone at night, talking to herself in front of an old locust tree. What's very strange is that she clearly had her back to the servant at the time, but somehow she suddenly turned around and looked straight in the direction of that person."
It was the middle of the night, the moon was dark and the wind was strong.
You see a little girl wandering to a deserted backyard and talking to an old tree. This is scary enough, but she suddenly turns her head and stares at you.
He Zhizhou's scalp tingles when he hears Zheng Weiqi beside him saying, "The locust tree is called the ghost in the tree. It is very easy to grow into a monster and take over other people's bodies for its own use."
She hesitated for a moment and added in a low voice, "Could it be that the Chen Lubai in front of us now is not the real person, but the locust ghost? In this way, it can explain why she, a mere mortal, can create such an illusion."
"What's going on in the Chen Mansion?"
He Zhizhou shuddered and looked around with some disgust: "The painted ghosts, night nightmares and locust tree spirits were all killed at the same time. Those who don't know would think it is the lair of the demon world. And what is that 'the demon gate is wide open', the demons are coming in so much, can this city be saved?"
This was just a spur of the moment remark, but Zheng Weiqi didn't expect that after hearing it, she suddenly slammed the table with a muffled bang: "Do you remember! I said before, I seem to have heard the name of Echeng somewhere?"
He Zhizhou was startled and almost shrank into Pei Ji's arms, causing Chengying to cry out in pain, like an insulted girl.
"I remember now! E City!"
Zheng Weiqi was so excited that she almost stood up from her chair: "During the great war between immortals and demons, the demons and monsters were rampant. Among them, a group of evil demons joined forces to absorb blood and souls and attacked a small county, causing all living creatures to be killed. No one survived - the name of the county was called 'E City'!"
After these words came out, Pei Ji and Ning Ning both showed a look of "so that's how it is".
"So," only He Zhizhou's face turned pale, "the so-called 'the demon gate opens on the fifth day of June' is probably not a fabricated legend, but..."
He took a deep breath and said: "On the fifth day of June, E City was completely occupied by demons. The people in the city..."
He didn't say anything else.
Since they absorbed blood and souls, no one would survive.
The misty riverbank, the white-walled and blue-tiled pavilion, the garden-like Chen Mansion, and the group of children playing in the mud in the alley.
Everything that once existed no longer exists. Instead, there are demons that are rampant and corpses that are still alive. It is dark and bloody.
Although this fantasy is made up of memories from that year, it is very different from the real scene due to their intervention.
No one has ever escaped from the hands of demons. Those seemingly safe moments actually foreshadow everyone's death.
Chen Yaoguang was never rescued. He was bound by the painting ghost in a dark and cold cave, which sucked away his blood, soul and essence bit by bit. He gradually closed his eyes in endless fear and despair.
Zhao Yunluo failed to escape the control of the Nightmare. He experienced the torture of life and death again and again in his dreams. In the end, he completely collapsed and never woke up again.
Chen Lubai was lured by the locust ghost in the backyard. He gradually became confused and only an empty shell was left. No matter what the process was, his life was taken away and replaced.
As for the other people in Echeng, they were also buried in the sea of blood and became tools for the demons to improve their cultivation.
All the mysteries seem to be gradually dissipating, and now there is only one most important question left.
——No matter whether that person is Chen Lubai or Huai Gui, what is her purpose in trapping them here?
=====
Their plan has been mostly completed.
Chen Lubai wrote heavily on the rice paper, and the ink on the brush spread out thickly, as if it were the dark night.
She pulled a faint smile from the corner of her mouth, put the paper into the envelope, got up and walked out.
The wind in the illusion is completely different from the outside. Although it is fresh and cool, it makes her feel disgusted from the bottom of her heart. But this play is destined not to last long, and when midnight comes -
thinking of this, a hint of viciousness flashed across the girl's fair skin.
She was in a hurry, hiding her tracks in the dark twilight, and went straight to the backyard.
There were clumps of flowers and trees in the backyard, and in the center stood an old locust tree.
Locust trees are shady, and even though it was summer, I could still feel a bone-chilling chill when I got close to them.
The dense branches and leaves swallowed up most of the sunlight, casting a layer of darkness on Chen Lubai's face. This time, she did not speak to the locust tree as rumored, but placed her palm on the trunk and silently recited a formula.
The bark seemed to have received a command, and a straight crack appeared in the middle. Then the crack became larger and larger. From her perspective, the crack was not behind the trunk, but another place that was not much different from the backyard.
Chen Lubai did not make any sound, raised her hand and threw the envelope into the crack. Unexpectedly, a cold gust of wind suddenly attacked from behind.
- Someone!
She was caught off guard and could not dodge in time, and the person immediately snatched the letter from her hand.
"Miss Chen has such a refined taste. Writing a letter to the locust tree is probably unprecedented and unparalleled. You are the only one who has done it."
Ning Ning was extremely agile. After snatching the envelope, she quickly stepped back a few steps and tore open the cover deftly: "Why don't we take a look together to see what is written in the letter."
Chen Lubai glared at her, gritted his teeth and said nothing.
“The four of them didn’t notice anything unusual. They just have to wait for the Soul Refining Array to rise at midnight and offer their blood as a sacrifice.”
Ning Ning recited loudly and at last glanced at the entrance to the backyard: “Senior Sister, what is the Soul Refining Array?”
“To refine the blood and souls of tens of thousands for a whole year, and then use a living person as the guide for a blood sacrifice. This can greatly increase the cultivator’s cultivation and help him reach the sky in one step.”
Zheng Weiqi walked out slowly from the shadow of the bamboo forest, her white clothes cutting through the night: “To use the souls of others to cross over one’s own destiny is a method used only by the most vicious and evil people. It is listed as one of the ten forbidden techniques.”
Chen Lubai knew that he was no match for the sword cultivator and took a step back with a sneer. She knew her identity was exposed, but she didn't show any panic. She just said calmly, "Where did I give away something?"
This villain is actually very professional.
"My junior brother has found out something interesting. I wonder if Miss Chen is interested in hearing it?"
Ning Ning replied politely, "Everyone in Echeng says that the eldest daughter of the Chen family is spoiled and domineering. She wants to go far away to get rid of the constraints of her father and brothers in the Chen Mansion and live freely. But I clearly remember that you didn't tell me that at the time."
"You only know Chen Lubai's temper, but you know nothing about her life experience. The reason why she said to me 'I don't want to leave the Chen Mansion' is probably because she decided to wander around the world, but she was a little reluctant to leave her family, so she secretly came to you at night to confide in you - but you couldn't guess her thoughts, and mistook her reluctance before parting as her unwillingness to leave the Chen Mansion forever."
She subconsciously grasped the hilt of the sword at her waist, and took a defensive posture to be alert to the other party's sudden attack: "What should we call you? Miss Chen? Or... Sophora ghost?" There was
a moment of silence.
The Sophora tree was blown by the cold wind, and it set off a rustling sound, like the sneering of thousands of ghosts hiding in the dark, which was extremely strange.
The locust monster that occupied Chen Lubai's body seemed to have finally given up her disguise. Upon hearing this, she looked up to the sky and laughed: "So? You really think that you can leave Goose City safely by breaking my illusion? The Soul Refining Formation will take effect at midnight tonight. Every demon in the city can take your lives. Let's see where you can escape!"
She was tired of laughing, and suddenly showed a look of regret and sorrow: "The group of evil cultivators in the city wanted to break your bones directly and lock you up next to the formation to die. Only I had good intentions and created this illusion so that even if you die, you won't be too painful. Why don't you understand my painstaking efforts?"
This sentence is true.
The news of E City spread throughout the cultivation world. The major sects were too busy in the war to eliminate all the demons in the city. However, in order to prevent the demons from entering the world, the elders of the major sects were gathered together to set up a net to trap them in E City.
In order to escape from this net, they had to use the Soul Refining Array to improve their cultivation and then work together to break the array. However, the Soul Refining Array must be triggered by living people. Since the fall of E City, no living people are willing to enter.
After nearly a year, four young people finally broke into it.
This is their best chance.
If they use force, once they encounter a person with a righteous temperament who commits suicide, they will inevitably fail. It was the locust ghost who proposed to set up the illusion. As long as a few people were trapped in the illusion, they would naturally have no intention of escaping and would indulge in the illusion.
"There is no point in talking more."
Zheng Weiqi was furious when she thought that she had been fooled by this group of monsters. She drew her sword and pointed it directly at the eerie old locust tree beside her.
This tree is not only the true body of the locust ghost, but also the channel for her to communicate with the outside world. It is most likely the center of the entire illusion.
The sword light split into several white shadows, as cold as the wind.
Zheng Weiqi thought that the locust ghost would fight them to the death without knowing his own strength, but he only raised half of his lips and sneered.
Like a magic trick, the figure of the locust ghost quickly disappeared into the night, leaving only a sinister voice in the wind: "You must be prepared - I am not the only one who wants your lives outside the illusion."
=====
Zheng Weiqi's sword shone as brightly as the stars and the moon. Ningning suddenly opened her eyes from her coma and first smelled a foul smell of blood.
The stench was like blood and flesh fused together, gradually rotting over the years, making her hold her breath subconsciously and shift her attention to the present.
She was still in the backyard of the Chen Mansion, but the situation was completely different from the illusion.
The old locust tree in the backyard that had become a monster was incredibly large, with roots and branches that almost filled the entire space. Thick long whiskers crawled on the ground, extending all the way to the backyard door, and still had the tendency to grow.
The most horrifying thing was that the roots seemed to have become some kind of animal that could breathe, with dark brown skin constantly rising and falling. In the murky night, it looked like a wriggling python, which made her feel sick.
The roots coiled around, tying most of her body to the trunk like a rope, leaving only her cheeks, neck, and a little bit of her chest exposed, making her unable to move.
When she raised her eyes, she saw the real Chen Mansion.
Blood ripped the sky apart, and the night was endless. A cotton-like cloud obscured most of the moonlight, and moonlight poured out from between the clouds. It was a dark red color that was no different from blood, like tears flowing from under the eyebrows, looking down from the dome, and killing intent was everywhere.
The blood moon was in the sky, and there were ghost lights on the horizon. The remaining trees had all been sucked of their spirits by the old locust tree, and had long since died, leaving only a few corpses that looked like ghost claws.
Suddenly, a demonic wind blew, blowing through her long black hair. As her hair rose and fell, in her blurred vision, Ningning saw a skeleton paralyzed in the corner.
The wild grass was overgrown, and the walls and tiles were mottled. The silent attic was covered with bloodstains, casting a thick shadow over the cold white bones. Dense moss climbed up from the joints, dyeing the skeleton a light blue-gray.
The skeleton was very small, and it looked like a young child. She curled up and covered her head with her hands.
The cracks that penetrated deep into her bones were clearly visible in the night. One could imagine how much unbearable pain she had suffered.
Ning Ning's heart sank, and she guessed her name.
The clouds shrouding the blood slowly moved westward, quietly swallowing up the last ray of light. Ning Ning took a deep breath and secretly gathered strength in her fingertips.
The sharp sword light was as fast as lightning, and it pierced through the giant vines entangled around her body in an instant. Blood gushed out without warning from the vines.
In the distance, a wild laugh rang out, accompanied by flames.
Nearby, there was a fishy smell and bones.
The midnight hour was approaching.
"One ring after another, the brain is almost dead, and the hands are not idle."
Zheng Weiqi followed closely, leaping down from the vines, and rarely showed a bitter smile: "This level of the tower... It won't be a demon that wants us to slaughter the whole city, right?"