Chapter 60 060 People would probably think Duan Lansheng's wife had just died...
After saying goodbye to Yue Hong, Lu Yuanyuan rushed to the agreed meeting place as fast as she could.
Over twenty years ago, a princess was born in Xiangcheng, Yong Kingdom. She was the youngest daughter of the late emperor, the younger sister of the current emperor, and the aunt of Yue Hong. Legend has it that when she uttered her first cry, flowers bloomed in the bitter winter, rain fell on the parched land, and the Yong Kingdom soldiers on the front lines broke the stalemate and returned in triumph… The late emperor was overjoyed and regarded this daughter as an auspicious sign sent by heaven, raising her with utmost pampering. Sadly, this princess passed away before she was twenty years old. The late emperor was heartbroken and fell ill, building temples for her in various places to pray for her well-being. One of these temples was located in Xiangcheng.
Because Xiangcheng is the birthplace of a princess, it holds special significance. The princess temple here is more elaborate and larger in scale than those in other places, making it the most famous spot in Xiangcheng. In modern times, it would be one of the must-visit tourist attractions in Xiangcheng.
Lu Yuanyuan and Qi Chang's group decided to meet at the Princess Temple.
The Princess Temple doesn't offer accommodation. She arrived ten days late, so there's no reason for everyone to still be waiting foolishly at the entrance; she's probably moved to another location. However, rather than wandering aimlessly around the city like headless chickens, let's try our luck there.
The Princess Temple was located in the east of the city. Unable to reveal her identity, Lu Yuanyuan did not use her sword. By the time she reached the temple on foot, it was completely dark, a black curtain of light. A magnificent temple stood atop a high, long staircase, its eaves soaring upwards, its roof covered in glazed tiles—more imposing than even the royal palaces of the living, a testament to how much this princess had been favored during her lifetime.
Lu Yuanyuan looked around but couldn't see any familiar faces, so she went into the temple to look for them.
Three high walls of the temple were lined with ever-burning lamps, surrounding a statue of a deity. The lamplight illuminated the princess's lowered face and the devout faces of those kneeling before her statue.
At this hour, the temple is still packed with people.
This princess may have been born during some strange celestial event, but she was essentially just a mortal, not a god commonly worshipped by the people, and she did not accomplish any extraordinary feats. So why is she so popular with worshippers?
Just as Lu Yuanyuan was wondering what was going on, she saw an old woman leaving with her grandson, so she went up to her and asked, "Excuse me, ma'am, what are you all praying for at the Princess Temple?"
The old woman glanced at her warily before saying, "Everyone is just seeking protection from evil spirits and peace of mind."
"To ward off evil spirits?"
"Yes, last month, a corpse collector came back from the battlefield and was haunted by evil spirits. He kept saying he saw ghosts every day, and at night he even went into a daze and almost chopped his parents into pieces. But then, he went to the Princess Temple and slept for one night, and he was fine. During the war, everyone was afraid of offending something, so when they heard this news, they all came to seek peace of mind."
Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback.
In this era, after each large-scale battle, in order to prevent the spread of plague and harm to themselves, the army would clean up the battlefield, send people with black cloths covering their faces to collect the corpses, and then bury the remains together.
Too many people have died violently in those places, and the resentment is deep-seated. It's quite normal for ordinary people to encounter evil spirits if they go there. But these things can't be solved by worshipping gods, and besides, they're not even worshipping gods, just mortals.
After the old woman left, Lu Yuanyuan's curiosity only grew stronger. She circled the temple and actually managed to figure out some of its secrets.
The layout of this temple is very elaborate, unlike ordinary temples. The position of every ornament and every pillar has a specific meaning, as if it was built by royal experts according to the shape of an exorcising magic array.
The only one, the princess statue in the very center, was carved from poplar wood.
Normally, this kind of wood is rarely used to make statues of gods, because poplar is the most yin and ghost-attracting tree.
Isn't this just using a bunch of warding-off-evil items to encircle something that attracts evil? That's too bizarre.
Royal architects shouldn't be making such basic mistakes. So, is there a deeper reason behind this?
Lu Yuanyuan looked up at the statue, a slight unease stirring within her, though she couldn't quite grasp the reason. Just then, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching, and abruptly, a hand pressed down on her shoulder: "Senior Sister Lu?!"
Lu Yuanyuan was startled and turned her head abruptly. She saw that the person who was excitedly grabbing her shoulder was actually a disciple of Mount Shu who had come down to the mortal world with her.
After a short while, Lu Yuanyuan and the disciple arrived at an inn two streets away from the Princess Temple.
This place has been booked by disciples of Mount Shu.
It's like searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly.
It turns out that, apart from her, the other four of the five disciples who came to the mortal realm to provide support had arrived in the first three days and joined the first batch of five Shushan disciples who had not gone missing.
Since Lu Yuanyuan had disappeared without a trace, everyone compromised and chose to stay at this nearby inn as a base. They searched for the missing Duan Lansheng and his group while also going to the Princess Temple every day to see if they could run into Lu Yuanyuan.
At this moment, apart from the junior disciple from before, only Qi Chang was in the inn.
Upon seeing her suddenly appear unharmed, Qi Chang was also taken aback and hurriedly went to greet her, asking why she had only arrived now.
This was a private room on the second floor of the inn, and there was no one else around. After thinking for a moment, Lu Yuanyuan decided to tell Qi Chang the truth: "Daojun, this time when I came to the mortal realm, I met someone I knew before."
Qi Chang was taken aback: "Someone you knew before? Didn't you forget about the mortal world?"
Lu Yuanyuan hadn't forgotten the lie she told to stay in Shu Mountain. She calmly replied, "I have indeed lost most of my memories. But strangely, as soon as I see that person's face, I remember many things from before. That person's identity is somewhat special... He is the third prince of Yong Kingdom. I think I should tell you, Daojun, first."
Qi Chang pondered for a moment, then asked, "Does he know your identity? How did you come to know someone like him before?"
“He probably already guessed that I’m a cultivator, but he doesn’t know that I’m a disciple of Mount Shu.” Lu Yuanyuan twisted her fingers tightly and said, “I used to be… a princess sent by the Yan Kingdom to the Yong Kingdom for a marriage alliance. But because the Yan Kingdom broke its promise, the marriage was null and void. I was originally going to be executed by the Yong Kingdom as a warning to others, but the Third Prince spared my life. So, when he encountered trouble this time, I couldn’t abandon him, which is why I arrived in Xiangcheng so late.”
The royal family of the Yan Kingdom in the mortal realm is surnamed Lu. Qi Chang initially thought it was a coincidence, but now it seems she really is connected to that country. Qi Chang paused for a moment, but did not blame her: "Being grateful is what a disciple of Shu Mountain should do. You haven't done anything that requires an apology."
Lu Yuanyuan breathed a sigh of relief and said sincerely, "Thank you, Daojun."
"It's nothing. However, you'd better not make a fuss about this, and don't let too many people know about it."
Lu Yuanyuan knew he meant well, so she quickly made a pleading gesture and said, "Then please help me keep it a secret, Daojun."
Qi Chang paused for a moment, then reminded him, "Before you came back, we had already discussed it. In the mortal realm, we will temporarily hide the titles like Daojun and Yuanjun, and replace them with Senior Brother and Senior Sister. During this period, you can also call me Senior Brother."
Lu Yuanyuan nodded, breathed a sigh of relief, and readily changed her form of address before getting down to business: "By the way, senior brother, has there been any progress on the disappearance case these past few days? Have you heard anything about Duan Lansheng and the others?"
Qi Chang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually..."
Just then, the two of them heard a commotion coming from the lobby on the first floor. Qi Chang perked up and stood up, saying, "Looks like they've returned."
"Them?" Lu Yuanyuan was confused. She quickly put down her teacup and followed him out. As she ran down the stairs, her gaze stopped at the doorway, and she suddenly stopped.
Outside the inn, a light rain had started to fall. A group of Shu Mountain disciples entered from outside the door. Duan Lansheng, dressed in white, with a cold expression on his face, put away the oil-paper umbrella he was holding.
His skin and hair were clearly dry, without any rainwater, yet his complexion was pale and unsightly, his face thin and gaunt, with pale blue veins under his eyes, as if he hadn't rested well for several days.
Those who didn't know the situation might think that Duan Lansheng had just lost his wife, which was why he had such a gloomy face, looked like a widower visiting a grave.
Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao will appear.
A lithe, fiery red figure whirled through the rain and burst into the inn, shaking its head like a small animal. The surrounding area was filled with the concerned greetings of the Shu Mountain disciples: "Miss Xiao Ruo, your leg injury from helping Junior Brother Duan hasn't healed yet, be careful!"
"Miss Xiaoruo, slow down!"
"You didn't get wet, did you?"
...
Just as the original storyline described, Xiao Ruo caught up with the group of Shu Mountain disciples and joined them in their adventure.
Lu Yuanyuan involuntarily gripped the stair railing and lowered her head.
She remembered that when she went down to the mortal realm, the excuse she used was that Duan Lansheng was in trouble and that as his friend, she had to go to the mortal realm to help him.
But an excuse is just an excuse. The male lead is always saved by the female lead; she, as cannon fodder, never needs to lift a finger.
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