A few miles away, Yun Xian and his group were chased to the outskirts of the city by a large group of soldiers. If the mage had not used up the last half of his spiritual energy to temporarily use the earth escape technique, they might have been driven out of the country.
This place was so desolate that few people came to dig it. The soil was also red, with a few dead seedlings occasionally dotted around. The monks sat down to repair it with a depressed look on their faces, and only silence remained.
After all, he was just an ordinary person, and the injuries were not serious. At most, he was cut by a kitchen knife twice, bleeding and bruised. These injuries were not as serious as the wounds caused by sparring in sect competitions, but now, he felt particularly uncomfortable.
It's very frustrating and unpleasant, just like when you go to save a chicken from a weasel's nest with all your heart, but the chicken not only doesn't appreciate it, but also stretches out its claws to scratch your face until it bleeds.
Yun Xian found a slope to sit down and looked up at the sky.
Xue Lingxiu was breathing lightly. He caught a glimpse of her dazed expression from the corner of his eye. He felt a sinking feeling in his heart and said, "Yun Xian, you..."
"It's okay, don't worry about it." Qiao Lingshan sat next to Yun Xian and said, "She's not sad, she just used her brain too much and is resting now."
Xue Lingxiu: “…”
No wonder his expression looks so dull, there's almost saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth.
Liu Xu couldn't sit still. She had lost the princess and blamed herself terribly. "That spiritual power that was on my back just now seems to have emerged again. I just don't understand it. I've never seen anyone use spiritual power to blow themselves away. If they were going to blow themselves up, they would definitely blow me up first... Fellow Daoist Yun, do you know where she is now?"
Yun Xian's brief period of dementia was over, and he got up again with vigor and vitality: "I'll try."
She had previously planted the same sword seal as Jimo Shu on Tang Wuke, but after trying it, she found that there was no way.
Without spiritual energy, it was impossible to respond across a distance. Yun Xian tried three or four different methods, but all were in vain.
"..." Qiao Lingshan was watching from the side and said in surprise: "When on earth did you put so many things on the princess? It's too secretive!"
"You don't understand this, do you?" Yun Xian muttered as he tried on the fifth jade pendant, "What Zhong Changyao did was called stealing. What I did was called taking precautions."
Su Chi had just covered the monks' departure, and his robes were left with many scratches. While everyone was resting, he stood at the border and paid attention to the movements in all directions.
Willow catkins moved back and forth, making Xue Lingxiu feel uncomfortable. She said, "Don't worry too much. At least for now, the princess can still be of great use to these people. They won't harm Tang Wuke. There's still time before the demon cultivator returns."
That's true. Liu Xu's heart finally calmed down a little, but he was still frowning.
At least for now, the monks could no longer enter the city. Upon hearing this, the emperor would undoubtedly continue to heavily guard the city, and with the Tangling people who viewed them as enemies, the situation would become even more difficult.
Yun Xian tried many times without success and even bribed Taiping, but the Taiping Sword was still powerless.
It really proves the saying that without spiritual energy, you can't move forward.
The big black snake was leisurely chewing an apple. It seemed that it was not afraid of being caught by the evil cultivator for doing double work. It looked very comfortable.
"There's one more thing." Yun Xian could only put the matter aside for the time being, and hurriedly asked, "Where did the demon cultivator go? The wedding was originally scheduled for ten days from now. What's the significance of this date?"
Qiao Lingshan said, "There's no guarantee he won't return early. Even if he was poisoned by the witch, with his skills, he should be able to recover quickly. We can only hope that the fox demon outside is more powerful and can hold off for a little longer."
"No, we still know too little." Yun Xian threw the jade pendant away and continued to lie down. "To resolve this matter, first, we need to find a way to get back into the city. Secondly, it would be best if the princess isn't caught. If she is, she will definitely be sent to the palace. Finally, we need to find out where this spiritual energy is coming from before the demon cultivator returns..."
Feng Ye wanted to interrupt, but couldn't. Yun Xian seemed to be talking to himself: "Big Brother's spiritual energy is almost depleted. If he goes out to replenish it and then comes back, the journey is so long that it will take four or five days at the fastest. We need to find a way to sneak in without being discovered by the people. Pretending to be a soldier? No, they will definitely be strictly checked. After thinking about it, the black robe is the only option. This spiritual energy is intermittent and cannot be controlled. It has no attributes and no spiritual roots. The princesses of all generations, the Tang Ling Kingdom, spiritual energy, inheritance, blood relationship..."
Xue Lingxiu saw that Yun Xian's eyes had closed again and her tongue had stuck out while she was talking. Feng Ye held Yun Xian's head and shouted in grief and anger, "Big Brother! Big Brother, help! Yun Xian has been using his brain too much and his forehead is burning. I'm afraid he's going to die!"
Everyone turned around in unison, horrified: "Fellow Daoist Yun! Fellow Daoist Yun, are you okay?!"
Su Chi: “…”
Xue Lingxiu: “…”
Qiao Lingshan felt gloomy and silently put Yun Xian's tongue back into her mouth.
"Wait, wait!" Yun Xian struggled to his feet and said, "There's another person we've been ignoring!!"
Su Chi held her restless hands and said briefly, "Yahe."
"Yes!" Yun Xian said, "I've always found it strange. Why would she burn the palace at this critical moment? Judging from her actions rather than her heart, what she did... could be considered beneficial to the princess."
Liu Xu hesitated and said, "Didn't she say she hated the princess? Under the truth talisman, she must be telling the truth."
"Hating something doesn't mean it's necessarily bad for the princess." Yun Xian sighed, "Hating something is complicated too."
Willow Catkins: "I don't understand."
Yun Xian gave an example: "Jimo Shu also hates me. She has threatened to skin me alive at least ten times, but I am still so calm."
Liu Xu suddenly understood: "I understand."
But there was something else. Liu Xu looked around and saw that the morale of these monks was extremely low. If they were asked to take action immediately, they would definitely be reluctant even if they didn't say it.
Human kindness is inherently limited, and to be trampled upon and suppressed like this is simply not worth it. Furthermore, most of the cultivators here had just emerged from the Four Directions Secret Realm. Simply put, they had little experience in the martial arts world and were still fledgling disciples. Their enthusiasm was dampened by such a sudden and violent outburst, and naturally, they were not used to it.
Amidst the gloomy expressions of the crowd, Zhang Heyan was the only one who remained calm, appearing quite composed. Noticing Liu Xu's gaze, he paused, then unexpectedly walked over.
"What?" He looked at Yun Xian and asked obliquely, "Want to go back?"
Yun Xian didn't have time to pay attention to him now: "Three hundred taels of silver for half an hour of conversation."
"Are you robbing?!" Zhang Heyan tightened his folding fan and, using a tone that said 'I understand best' and 'you must want to learn something from me', he slowly said, "You're still young, so you feel this way now. If you complete a few more missions, you'll know this kind of thing is all too common. When traveling the world, you can't let your emotions get the better of you. The goal is the mission, so..."
Yun Xian: "Unsubscribe."
Zhang Heyan angrily said: "Yun Xian!!!"
"I know what you're trying to say." Yun Xian had almost rested, and the minor injuries on his body had almost healed under Xue Lingxiu's violent treatment. He stood up and said, "I'm unhappy, of course I'm unhappy, but that's all. I don't see myself as a savior, nor do I have any expectations of these people. To be honest, even if I have to ask for rewards after helping others, I won't pin such hopes on them. People are so complicated, and it's easy to get disappointed if you have any expectations."
"I came here for the Heavenly Rank quest, the Golden Bell, and the Martial Arts Tournament threshold. This is the reward I want." Yun Xian said calmly, "Also, I want to escape the Sword Sect's pursuit."
Willow catkins didn't dare to say a word: "..." The word order is wrong.
"That's easy for you to say!" Zhang Heyan didn't believe she was so open-minded and asked, "So what are you going to do now?"
Yun Xian changed his tattered black robe into a new one and handed another to Qiao Lingshan. He put on his bamboo hat and began to apply dust again. He said, "Blend in with the crowd and hunt down the princess together. No matter what, the worst case scenario is that the princess has been sent to the palace. Then we will find a way to enter the palace and must see Ya He. Jimo Shu may be there, but it shouldn't matter."
"Too many people will make it very obvious. We need to sneak into the palace secretly. We don't need spiritual energy!" Yun Xian said again: "The others can rest here for the time being. Hmm? Oh, and where is Master Mingshu?"
"I don't know." Feng Ye said frankly: "It seems that I didn't see him at the beginning and got separated."
"What guarantees can you offer with just a few of you? If you can't come back, do we have to wait here forever?" Zhang Heyan snorted coldly and turned to look at Su Chi. His eyes suddenly flashed and he almost couldn't look straight: "Ugh!"
"Why do you think we were wearing hats when we came here?" Yun Xian pulled up his hat and said solemnly, "Hehe, don't get too close, or you might get hurt by Senior Brother!"
Su Chi's icy face showed some helplessness: "Stop it."
The team members put on their robes. Fortunately, Xue Lingxiu was not abnormally tall, so he could barely blend into the team. Yun Xian touched his chin, but did not set off immediately. Instead, he looked at Su Chi.
It had to be said that bringing along the eldest brother was a disadvantage. Although his fighting power was adequate in normal times, and he walked with confidence and a straight back, when it came to stealth and disguise, Su Chi was too conspicuous and was basically excluded.
"Big Brother." Yun Xian suddenly said, as if remembering something, "The hairpin you gave me before is broken. It was quite beautiful. What a pity."
"Nothing." Su Chi's expression softened a little, and he lowered his eyes and said, "That's not a rare thing."
"...Exactly, Senior Brother, that's what I mean." Yun Xian rubbed his hands and said, "Do you have any more? Can you give me another one? After all, this is a guarantee."
If something happens to someone, at worst they can come and collect the body or something.
Qiao Lingshan: “…”
It appeared! A thick skin that even a demon cultivator's full-strength attack couldn't penetrate!
Su Chi was stunned and didn't say anything. Instead, he silently took off a button from his robe, infused spiritual energy into it, handed it to Yun Xian, then turned and walked into the bamboo forest.
"What did Big Brother do?"
"Replenish spiritual energy, maybe. There are still tough battles to fight later."
"Absorbing spirits? But the spiritual power of this sword is much greater than that of ten spirits combined."
"No, he didn't draw his sword. Have you ever heard of tearing a spirit apart with bare hands?"
“…”
"Alright." Yun Xian sealed off his spiritual energy for safety, then buttoned his collar carefully. He covered himself with his robe and said firmly, "Let's go. To the palace."
The group quickly blended into the crowd.
"Where has the princess gone now?" Yun Xian walked for a while, patted someone on the shoulder, and asked in a changed voice, "Any news? Has she been arrested?"
"That would be great if that's the case!" The man said impatiently, without even turning his head, "I don't know what kind of princess this is. She's running around like a rat. She said she was seen at Lin Ping's house, but now there's no news. I guess she's been rescued by a monk again. Pah! These people really won't die!"
Soldiers armed with heavy weapons were coming and going on the streets. Daily activities in the main city had been completely paralyzed. The citizens seemed to be in some strange state, and were searching for traces everywhere with excitement on their faces.
"There's a checkpoint ahead," Qiao Lingshan whispered. "They're already asking everyone to wipe their faces and take off their black robes."
"Let's go around first," Yun Xian said. "At least now we know Wu Ke hasn't been discovered yet. He must be hiding somewhere, with a cultivator to pick him up. The others are all resting in the suburbs. They must have run into Ming Shu. We need to head to the palace dungeon before the elite troops come out in full force."
"Hmm." Xue Lingxiu frowned again and said, "What if Jimo Shu is guarding in the palace?"
Feng Ye: "Isn't that better?"
Xue Lingxiu: "What if Zhong Changyao is here too?"
Qiao Lingshan: "That's great!"
Xue Lingxiu: “…”
Witch, it seems you've failed as a witch. Now everyone knows that not only can you not kill Yun Xian, but you're even secretly helping others. It's hard to tell which side you're on.
Around the palace, the big hole that was just made by the evil cultivator was still leaking air miserably. Several craftsmen were busy piling up the bricks. The emperor sat on the dragon throne with a splitting headache.
It seems that this group of monks really caused him a lot of trouble, along with his disobedient daughter.
The four of them, just like before, gently flew up to the rooftop, quietly avoiding everyone's sight. After turning another corner, they found the stairs leading to the dungeon.
After turning another corner, you will find Jimo Shu.
Yun Xian: “…”
Jimo Shu: "..."
"Lady Saint, what a coincidence." Yun Xian blinked and said, "Let me make a deal. Can you pretend you didn't see me?"
Xue Lingxiu covered her forehead with her hands, unable to bear the sight.
How could such a coincidence happen? Jimo Shu was like a waiter waiting for a rabbit by a tree, and knew she was coming at the first sight.
But Jimo Shu actually took a step aside.
Just as everyone was about to take action, they heard her indifferent voice as her figure faded away: "If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave."
It was naturally impossible for Yun Xian to leave at this time.
The scene in the dungeon was the same as before, except that there seemed to be more people imprisoned inside. They were all lying unconscious on the ground, and it was impossible to tell who was who. The only few who seemed to be conscious were sobbing softly.
The jailer who was guarding the place had disappeared, so the group followed the route they remembered and walked all the way to the deepest part.
Ya He was much weaker than she had been a few days ago, but she was still holding on. Xue Lingxiu took out the pill from the storage ring and put it into her mouth from a distance. He shook his head slightly at Yun Xian and said, "She hasn't eaten anything."
The steamed buns that were sent to her were left untouched in the corner. Although the emperor did not order her to be killed, she was determined to die.
Yahe heard the noise, woke up, and whispered, "Who are you?"
"We're here to kill the demon cultivators," Yun Xian said briefly. "Miss Yahe, the situation is urgent. The princess is being hunted by many. If you know anything about the origins of Tang Lingguo, or the special spiritual energy of the successive princesses, could you tell us?"
Ya He's expression shifted slightly, and he rasped, "Don't you guys use that? The Mantra Talisman?"
"No need." Yun Xian said, "Because we don't have any."
Yahe: “…” It’s better to lie to yourself at this time.
Seeing Yahe remained silent, Xue Lingxiu said, "Miss, you didn't burn the palace just out of personal vengeance, did you?"
Qiao Lingshan: "At least, it shouldn't just be because I hate Wu Ke."
Yahe looked up at them with the remaining strength she had and shook her head.
"I told you, I hate her." She couldn't drink a drop of water, her vision doubled, and she finally spoke. "I hate how she seems so happy without knowing anything. I hate how she acts like she's honored to sacrifice for her country. I hate how she clearly doesn't understand anything... Is she still happy now? Can she still be happy?"
Yun Xian said: "...She is fine."
"The princess everyone remembers, the one who read, played the qin, was too sick to see anyone, and died two years later, was the princess's maidservant, my sister." Yahe chuckled and said sarcastically, "Died of illness, of course, isn't true. I thought they didn't know about the poison the emperor gave them, but it turns out I was the only one who didn't know. Every single one of the civil and military officials in the court didn't know... The previous princess, no, every single princess, died on their wedding day! Murdered! Their heads were crushed, their bones and skin removed, their bodies mutilated to pieces, unable to even be buried. The princess's tomb in the imperial mausoleum is actually a cenotaph. Isn't that ridiculous?! It's worse than being thrown into a mass grave and eaten by dogs!"
The only sound in the dungeon was her intense breathing; otherwise, it was completely silent.
"I thought it was just excessive worry. I thought it was just, just... it was just that I couldn't live with the demons, that they were just too pampered. Later I realized that I was just thinking that to comfort myself." Yahe said expressionlessly, "At that time, the Demon Lord seemed to be seriously injured, and abnormally, he kept moving up the date of the wedding. The last relics left by my sister said that the princess was sixteen when she died. That night, the screams continued until the hour of Yin, and no one came to rescue her. Everyone just stood there, with relaxed expressions, as if listening to a bird sing. She saw that the demon forcibly peeled something out of the princess's body... a powerful white light source, like a seed that never sprouted. The next day, the Demon Lord's injuries were healed."
Yun Xian's breathing stopped.
Seeds? White light? Tang Wuji's uninterrupted burst of spiritual energy.
Her face changed and she suddenly had a ridiculous guess.
"I do hate her." Ya He never said these words out loud. She said, "But I hate her, but not as much as I hate myself. Why should I know all this? Isn't it better to pretend I don't know? I don't want to know. I just want to be blind and deaf, like everyone else. The princess died, my sister died, and the next princess will die too, and the next one after that, forever. There's no other way, I'd better just cover my eyes and live on."
Tears welled up in her dry eyes as she gritted her teeth and said, "But I just... can't... pretend I don't know!!"
The door was blown up by the wind with a clang.
Tang Wuke followed Mingshu in a daze, looking at the pursuers and the middle-aged couple who had fainted on the ground, and behind them was the pale-faced girl in a black robe.
Lin Ping clenched her hands and said with difficulty: "...I'm sorry."
"I came out on my own." More footsteps were heard in the distance. Tang Wuke only had time to leave a sentence, "You are already very brave."
The wind in Tangling Kingdom was the same as usual. It was so hot and humid at noon that people were sweating profusely, but as soon as it was covered by clouds, it would become cold.
The climate and landscape were familiar everywhere, but Tang Wuke felt that this place was so unfamiliar.
Mingshu looked around for a moment, motioned her to jump on his back, and then ran towards a deserted place with a sullen face.
"Thank you very much." Tang Wuke knew this little monk. He never spoke and might be mute. "How are Miss Yun and Miss Liu?"
Mingshu shook his head.
Tang Wuke couldn't tell whether this meant "I don't know" or "not good" until Mingshu found a secluded cave and put her down.
Ming Shu silently gave her a steamed bun.
Tang Wuke took it, but he had no appetite: "Thank you."
Her injuries were very painful, and her internal organs seemed to be trembling. The herbs given by the girls only relieved the bloody bruises on her legs. Tang Wuke picked up a stone and used force!
The spiritual energy seemed to have disappeared again.
She threw the stone away in frustration. Or perhaps, she was not frustrated because of this.
Just now, she took the initiative to go out. However, Tang Wuke knew that this was not just because she was brave, but because she was too cowardly. She was afraid of seeing the group of girls pushing her out, so she simply didn't let them make a choice, but she knew in her heart -
In a moment, she would definitely be pushed out.
You can't blame them, you can't blame them, you can't blame anyone. No one is wrong.
Mingshu wrote "休" in the air, probably meaning that he would take her to find Yun Xian later.
Tang Wuwu ate her steamed buns with a dull feeling. Suddenly, she felt very aggrieved. She forced herself to hold back her tears. She had to find a way out, so she asked, "Master, have you met Yahe?"
Mingshu shook his head, but she didn't look at Mingshu. She just muttered to herself, "I remember now. On the day Yahe set the fire, she stood there and laughed at me. She asked me, 'You said your father loves you and the people respect you, do you know what love and respect are? Do you know what kind of people they are? You don't understand anything, you don't know who you are dying for.' She said that it's because you have lived too easily that you don't know what death feels like. That's why you dare to say so easily, 'It's just a sacrifice.' You don't know what love and hate are, so you call that thing love. She also said that she hated me so much. Instead of letting me die in such an unclear way, wouldn't it be better for me to die at her hands?"
"I thought she was crazy then... She was clearly laughing, but she looked like she was crying. She told me to get lost, then kicked me out." Tang Wuke swallowed, then said woodenly, "But now, I seem to understand a lot."
Mingshu listened quietly.
Tang Wuke's sleeve was touched, and she saw Mingshu write the word "go" in the air.
"Are we leaving?" Tang Wuke stood up, "But where is Miss Yun?"
Mingshu shook his head slightly and pointed to a place farther away.
"You mean, leaving Tang Ling Country?" Tang Wuke was stunned. Was she leaving? Could she leave? But she couldn't bear to leave this place. She wanted to see Yahe again. She said at a loss, "But where else can I go besides here?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Mingshu's expression suddenly changed and he stood up abruptly!
Immediately, the earth began to tremble, and outside the entire main city, a huge black and purple barrier slowly emerged, emitting monstrous demonic energy.
"I can't leave." Ming Shu opened his lips and said in a low voice, "This barrier can only allow you to enter but not exit."
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