Chapter 103 Crane Cry (1)
Jian Shiyuan played with the jade pendant and glanced at the puppet again.
The puppet closed its eyes and pursed its lips, like a lily of the valley in its silent breath, with a quiet color and a somewhat cold feeling when viewed up close.
Jian Shiyuan smiled faintly. He held the jade pendant and was about to use [Time Exploration] to check the past fragments, but the Golden Chain of Laws excitedly interrupted him.
"Wait! Didn't you steal a portion of the divine power of time? I'll teach you a method to refine it so you can access the past at will."
[Time Exploration] is not a complete divine art. It can only "trigger" fragments of the past. Jian Shiyuan cannot fast forward or pause the illusion, so every time he checks it, he has to read the entire story, which consumes a lot of the reader's energy.
Jian Shiyuan lowered his eyes. The golden chain of law was tied around his neck. Looking up, he could only catch a glimpse of his jade-like chin. Perhaps because it was too close, it looked a little pale.
Her slender fingers touched the golden chain pattern on her neck. The golden chain of law was completely integrated into Jian Shiyuan's skin, and it felt like the delicate touch of her skin. "No, I will temper it."
When Jian Shiyuan spoke, the Golden Chain of Laws could feel the vibration of his vocal cords. Every word Jian Shiyuan said was vibrating. The vibration lasted for a very short time, but every word made the Golden Chain of Laws numb. It was not only numb in the physical sense, but also caused a deep fear in his heart.
Can he, can he temper his divine power?
He only possessed divine power after stealing a portion of it! He had easily mastered this immense power?!
This is terrible!
The Golden Chain of Laws reminded me of Paviloin—
None of the beings who can become "seeds" are cowardly. It is also accustomed to Paviloin's outrageous operations, but no matter how Paviloin acts, the Golden Chain of Law will not find him scary. But when it followed Jian Shiyuan, it suddenly realized Jian Shiyuan's "specialness".
At least, it is impossible for Paviloin to master the divine power so quickly in a short period of time, let alone apply it flexibly.
Jian Shiyuan had a faint smile on his lips. He casually pointed at the air, and whoosh, a huge golden lotus suddenly opened. The light fell on his shoulders, making his eyebrows look soft. His glass-textured eyes hid inexplicable emotions, like a flickering candle flame, a little light could color the entire night.
All the colors around me are fading——
Suddenly, a clear crane cry sounded in Jian Shiyuan's ears.
Like an ancient temple in the fog, the first bell sound ringing in the early morning, with just one sound, penetrates hundreds and thousands of miles away, so crisp that it makes people clear-headed.
Several white cranes appeared, circling above Jian Shiyuan's head, flapping their wings and soaring. They flew forward, rising higher and higher, faster and faster. As they flew away, the scenery around Jian Shiyuan seemed to be reset, and everything was changing -
Everything is twisted!
Jian Shiyuan held the white crane jade pendant, and ripples appeared under his feet. The moonlight was quiet and beautiful, and he could vaguely see the blurry moon. It seemed to happen in an instant. The leading white crane suddenly turned its head, its eyes bright. It smiled at Jian Shiyuan and shook its snow-like feathers.
It flew upwards, its white feathers layered like waves, light and soft, swaying slightly. It flew around in circles and finally disappeared from Jian Shiyuan's sight.
Jian Shiyuan looked up at the twin moons in the sky, but heard a melodious sound of a piano. He lowered his head to search for the sound, and found that the memory illusion had stabilized. He stepped on the waves and stood in the center of the lake. Not far away, in a pavilion, sat a young man playing the piano. After carefully identifying his appearance, he found that it was a puppet!
The puppet sat upright, dressed in a white shark gauze robe. He had a very fair complexion, thin eyebrows and a beautiful nose, and wore only a simple white crane hair crown. The elegant moonlight enveloped his side. He played the piano and tuned the instruments with a leisurely expression, like a fairy in the moon, as if he was not a real person, cool and elegant, making people forget the world when they saw him.
The moonlight was soft, but it was clear through his hair, as if he had scooped up a bucket of water to catch the moonlight, and the halo was shaking.
His beauty makes people hold their breath. The Golden Chain of Law disdains beauty. It has found some useful information.
[He has quite a talent, having reached the Golden Core stage at the age of nineteen. His name is Shu Su, and his courtesy name is Bingxin.]
Jian Shiyuan raised the corner of his mouth.
His surname is Shu, and his name is Baihe. Is he from the Shu family, one of the four great families?
There are four powerful families in the world of immortal cultivation, namely Feng, Shu, Pei and Jing.
Among them, the Shu family was renowned for its craftsmanship. Of the four great families, the Shu family was the most refined, with their disciples all admiring refined scholars. The "Six Arts of the Monk" revered by later generations was based on the Shu family's family rules for educating their disciples, after eliminating the dross and retaining the essence.
(Six Arts: Poetry, Classical Chinese, Chess and Music, Horseback Archery, Swordsmanship, Weapon Refining, Talismans, and Taming Beasts)
The Shu family's ancestors deeply loved the white crane, and their descendants, influenced by their love for the crane, also favored it. They often used white crane patterns as decorations, and crane-shaped patterns were incorporated into clothing and accessories. The crane became the symbol of the Shu family. However, as the Shu family's reputation spread far and wide, many cultivators imitated their clothing. For a time, crane-themed decorations were so prevalent in the cultivation world that it was difficult to identify a Shu family member based solely on their hair crowns and accessories.
Looking at the comfort of playing the zither in the pavilion——
Shu Su's hand stopped on the strings, testing the sound intermittently. His fingers were long and white, with clean and neat nails. His fingertips were cold and a little pale. When he played the piano, his back was straight, and his long black hair lay obediently on his waist.
Although Jian Shiyuan doesn't know how to play musical instruments, he can hear some emotions from the intermittent piano sounds. Does Shu Su seem to be worried?
Jian Shiyuan slowly approached and sat next to Shu Su. He turned his head to admire the pink lotus flowers in the lake. Shu Su was breathing slowly. No matter how close they were, no extra noise could be heard, only the frequent sound of the strings.
As Shu Su played, he began to laugh, a smile that shook the moon reflected in the lake. In the quiet moonlight, Shu Su's eyebrows cast a shadow. Several night-shining pearls were set high in the pavilion, just bright enough to illuminate the strings.
Jian Shiyuan turned his head and was able to see Shu Su's eyelashes clearly.
His lips were stained red, as if he had applied a little rouge, revealing a tender color from the inside out. His long black hair hung down obediently at his waist. Although he had a cold appearance, his smile was particularly lively. The soft light illuminated his appearance. Looking closely at his facial features, no matter whether they were separated or put together, there was a light and quiet beauty.
Like the lily of the valley blooming in the valley, it is extremely elegant and wonderful.
Zheng——
A string sounded, the air was clear and bright, and the lotus flowers in the center of the lake bent down one after another. The lotus leaves trembled one after another, as if blown by the wind, or like birds resting. One by one, they clustered into lines. From time to time, dewdrops rolled down the edge of the lotus leaves, and the moment they fell into the pond, the dewdrops turned into flowing light.
Shu Su's long hair fluttered slightly. "Wu Bao, my little sister's birthday is in a few days. There are ghosts haunting Minzhou again. This trip is full of dangers. I'm worried about her. Should we go too?"
A male voice flatly refused, "Don't even think about it. I'm not Shu Baoxiang's spiritual weapon. I can't possibly help her."
Shu Su was not in a hurry. He leaned over the strings and said coquettishly, "Wu Bao—just think of it as helping me."
His upper body pressed on the strings, which were stretched straight, each one like a sharp blade, but he didn't care at all, letting his soft long hair cover the guqin. He was like a rolling cat, turning over and over on the strings, as if saying, "If you don't agree to him, he will continue to roll."
When he acts coquettishly, his eyes curve into crescents, his voice is soft, and he looks very innocent.
Before the "treasure" reacted, the Golden Chain of Law teased Jian Shiyuan.
[Learn from him, look at how sweet he is, how good he is at acting like a spoiled child, and then look at you, you either don’t smile or when you do, it creeps me out.]
Jian Shiyuan kept smiling and didn't care about the complaints of the Golden Chain of Law.
[This sound, is it the system?]
Jian Shiyuan had heard the system's voice, which was consistent with the voice of "treasure".
[yes]
He guessed correctly, Shu Su was once the host of the system.
Treasures, no, the system was stunned for a moment. Perhaps it couldn't stand Shu Su's coquettishness, so it spoke again, "Your sister has bad intentions. If you help her, she will think you are trying to steal her credit. Not only will she not be grateful to you, but she will also blame you for meddling in other people's business. Why bother yourself with trouble?"
"But she's a girl, I'm worried, why don't we go together? I also want to go out for a walk, okay -"
The system sighed and, still in the tone of coaxing a child, gently advised:
"The Shu family's [Gentleman Sword] is renowned, and she brought several highly skilled servants and precious magical instruments with her. This trip to Minzhou to quell the demonic rebellion is simply to gain fame and prestige, so she can compete for the position of leader. How could she not be prepared? Don't worry."
Jian Shiyuan automatically extracted the keywords [person in charge] [gentleman sword].
[Master] means the head of the family. Different families have different titles for the person in power.
The Shu family is also good at swordmaking. The family has a collection of ten famous swords, which are not circulated in the world and are only available for borrowing by outstanding children in the family. Among them, the [Gentleman Sword] ranks second.
Where there are people, there is competition. The aristocratic families monopolize the resources for cultivation and have trained many disciples. The competition among the children of the aristocratic families is very fierce, which is more exciting than the changes of dynasties and the fight for the throne among heroes.
It's not just about cultivation, but also about skill. Aristocratic families like the Shu family see talented young men emerge year after year, but only one in ten survives to adulthood. While aristocratic families forbid internal fighting, some geniuses inevitably die young. Shu Baoxiang is Shu Su's younger sister, no older than nineteen. Her successful contract with the Gentleman Sword at such a young age speaks volumes about her skill.
The contract conditions for the Shu family's famous sword are very strict. The children who can borrow the sword are all outstanding people:
First, they must be legitimate sons and daughters of the main lineage, of noble descent. Second, they must possess superior talent, both in spiritual roots and comprehension, far surpassing others, and must be proficient in the Six Arts. Furthermore, they must possess a certain reputation; Shu family members often use the incense and fire dharma as their primary spiritual path.
The ten famous swords were ranked by power, with the higher the ranking, the harder it was to borrow. Every fifty years, the Shu family held an internal trial competition, where only the top-ranked disciples were eligible to touch the famous swords. Once a disciple successfully contracted a famous sword, no other disciples could seize it unless they died.
The life span of a cultivator is very long. Normal geniuses can live to nearly a thousand years old without any unexpected events. The Shu family holds a trial conference every fifty years. The number of swords is fixed, and each contract has one less sword. The competitive pressure can be imagined.
Shu Baoxiang was able to contract the second-ranked [Gentleman Sword], and was indeed qualified to compete for the position of leader.
"Go ahead, go ahead—"
Shu Su insisted on going. His voice was soft and obedient, and he pestered the system to act coquettishly. After a while, the system gave in and said in a muffled voice: "Okay, let's go."
Shu Su smiled, her eyes reflecting the moonlight, sparkling, "The moonlight is so beautiful, I want to write lyrics again."
Looking at Shu Su who was singing and playing the guitar, the golden chain of the law was weird.
[Oh, he doted on me like his own son. No wonder he didn't want to accept a new host after Shu Su died. The father-son bond is truly moving.]
Jian Shiyuan remained silent.
He stretched out his right hand and pressed the air. The illusion in front of him was covered by a golden light. The lake water was surging, moving and then suddenly stopped.
Invisible waves exploded from a distance, and the entire picture froze. The Golden Chain of Law watched as a control panel appeared in front of Jian Shiyuan, just like watching a video, with a play button, a pause button, and even a draggable progress bar below the panel.
Jian Shiyuan's smile remained unchanged, "Let's go straight to the climax."
As he spoke, he dragged the progress bar, and the picture twitched frame by frame—
Shu Su stretches, Shu Su drinks tea, Shu Su practices sword, Shu Su writes poetry
Every frame and every scene is full of comfort and is filled with him.
This was the system's most important memory; even the most ordinary moments of rest were remembered and preserved forever. Jian Shiyuan, emotionally deprived, couldn't understand this obsession. From an outsider's perspective, these were indeed beautiful memories.
Jian Shiyuan pulled slowly, and when he saw a certain scene, he stopped.
At the same time, the illusion shook violently and turned directly into a city.
Mincheng is a mountainous city, and its fortifications are built into the hillsides, creating a magnificent spectacle. The city walls, like a mountain range, wind their way around, like a sleeping dragon, enveloping the city, which can accommodate nearly a million people.
At this time, lanterns were hung at the doorsteps of every household in Mincheng. Apart from this, there was no other light source. Every courtyard and house was completely dark. Someone was beating gongs in the streets and alleys, saying, "Exorcise the ghosts throughout the city! Do not open windows or go out. Anyone who disobeys will be killed!"
Jian Shiyuan was hovering high in the sky, just able to see clearly what the people in the city were doing.
Someone built an altar in the center of Mincheng. Incense burners of all sizes were filled with burning incense, creating gusts of fragrant wind. The smoke, like fog, slowly enveloped the entire city. Although it was a colorless and invisible object, it forced Jian Shiyuan to calm down. Slowly, he saw countless twisted ghosts, both good and evil, being hooked by a transparent silk thread.
Incense magic!
These ghosts include the souls of the newly dead as well as evil spirits that have committed many evil deeds. They have dull eyes and are being fished by silk threads, like fish on a hook, unable to move.
Some evil ghosts have high cultivation levels and still retain consciousness. After being caught, they struggle desperately, roaring silently and spewing out smelly black smoke, but the transparent silk threads pierce into their bodies, and no matter how they twist and tear their bodies, they cannot break free from the fishing line.
The more they struggled, the duller their expressions became, and slowly, they seemed to lose consciousness and became dull and inert.
The fishing line extended endlessly. Jian Shiyuan was looking for the source. He walked through many alleys and could hear the sound of prayers. They were praying for the protection of the Xiang Fairy. When Jian Shiyuan came to a big house, he saw dozens of servants sitting in the courtyard. There were countless eternal lamps in front of them, and they were chanting scriptures with their eyes closed.
The lights were flickering, and in the center stood a god plaque as tall as a person.
The fairy on the card is handsome, wearing armor, holding a long sword, with his chin slightly raised, standing proudly. In the lower right corner is engraved a row of golden characters:
[The deity of the fragrant fairy Shu Baoxiang]
Jian Shiyuan understood that these people, or rather their masters, were followers of Shu Baoxiang. When ghosts were causing trouble, they dared to light eternal lamps and pray in the courtyard. From this, it can be seen that the owner of this house was very superstitious about Shu Baoxiang, and it can also be seen that this fairy of fragrance was quite famous.
Moving forward, suddenly, Jian Shiyuan raised his head——
This is it!
What caught the eye was a huge and exquisite sedan chair, carrying sixteen crystal clear skeletons. They were yellow in color and had a texture like gold and jade. Two balls of blue ghost fire burned in their eye sockets. They said nothing and stood there silently.
A fairy sat in the sedan chair, her eyes were like stars, her expression was solemn, and when she wasn't smiling she had the aura of a superior. Although she was very young and beautiful, people dared not look directly at her. If it weren't for the lingering fairy aura lingering around her, anyone who saw her would have thought she was an ordinary empress.
And under her was a dense network of transparent fishing lines.
The fishing lines were gathered together in a jade-like cage. From a distance, Shu Baoxiang looked as if she were sitting on a jade cushion, pure and clean. But up close, it looked quite eerie. The lines pierced her skin, as if they had come to life.
Jian Shiyuan took a look and felt a pang in his heart.
Before he could think about anything, he sensed a crisis in an instant, and at this moment, a terrifying aura came crashing down!
Shu Baoxiang has collected the hook!
call!
Mincheng was shrouded like an invisible hand. Countless bright fishing lines were tightened with a "whoosh". Starting from the altar, they spread rapidly in all directions. Wave after wave, countless fishing lines were straightened, and the entire sky of Mincheng seemed to be covered with moonlight silk, sparkling.
Along with the invisible smoke, ghosts were fished out one by one, and the figures of resentful ghosts slid through the city. They were like fish out of water, controlled by people, flying in the same direction.
Thousands and tens of thousands of ghosts are running in the sky. Now, if you look up, you can see countless evil ghosts with strange shapes.
The resentful ghosts were directly wiped out and the living souls were liberated.
Jian Shiyuan raised his head and looked at the dense swarms of resentful ghosts flying towards the sedan chair. They gathered more and more. This small Mincheng could actually nourish tens of thousands of ghosts. The ghost disaster here was serious.
Shu Baoxiang was enveloped in a hazy glow, like a lamp lit in the night, not blinding but dazzling. The entire city, high-ranking officials and common folk alike, stared blankly at Shu Baoxiang as she rode in a sedan chair. For a moment, Jian Shiyuan saw countless pairs of eager eyes.
They long for the power of the monks and the protection of Shu Baoxiang!
Suddenly, a cool breeze blew through the whole city, and countless resentful ghosts were like burning papers, their outlines were blown away bit by bit by the wind. They did not struggle and were wiped away bit by bit.
The evil ghost who killed countless people just disappeared like that?
The stunned people suddenly woke up, bowed down to Shu Baoxiang and praised his name loudly.
Jian Shiyuan heard countless cries of "Fragrant Fairy" and saw countless forces of faith surging into the sky. The fishing lines scattered like sharks that smelled blood, each looking for their own prey, and pierced into the bodies of the believers, sucking away their faith.
In just one night, nearly one million people in Mincheng became followers of Shu Baoxiang.
Amid the cheers and prayers, Jian Shiyuan saw Shu Su in the corner.
He frowned, not knowing what he was thinking, and looked quietly at Shu Baoxiang's sedan chair.
The system sneered repeatedly, "Your sister is really powerful. If she doesn't take action, it's fine. But once she does, she will win the support of an entire city. No wonder she is reluctant to act. How can she achieve such a good effect without the death of a few more people? Look at these fools. They now regard her as a god, kneeling and kowtow to her. If they knew that the ghost disaster could have been resolved more quickly and that so many people didn't have to die, would they still kneel and worship Shu Baoxiang?"
Shu Su frowned and said nothing, covering the wound on the back of his hand.
The system continued, "You went ahead of time to eliminate the ghost generals and destroy the Yin Pond for her. Not only did she not appreciate your kindness, she also reprimanded you for saving too many villagers, affecting her plans. You were injured on the back of your hand by the newly-born Ghost King, but she laughed at your clumsiness and made fun of your scar, haha."
"I've told you many times that you can't be soft-hearted in this world. Why don't you listen? Don't get hurt again, okay?"
Tick.
A drop of rain fell. Jian Shiyuan looked up and saw the moon was covered by clouds. Soon, the rain poured down.
He heard Shu Su's voice, very softly, saying, "But she is my sister. If I don't take care of her, no one will care about her."
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