95 Chapter 095
Chapter 95
"Let's go, let's see what else is ahead," the old man said calmly.
The people around were stunned for a moment, then quickly obeyed and returned to their seats. Not to mention the other side, even their own people were afraid of being directly cleaved in two by the old man's Cloud-Piercing Mountain-Splitting Hand.
Sure enough, anything associated with the words "piercing through the clouds" and "breaking through the mountains" was anything but ordinary.
The old man and Bai Cen continued to lead the horses, while Wang Sumo, the old man, and Jiang Yutang got back into the carriage.
After the two scenes just now, things seemed to suddenly quiet down in the Enchanted Town.
"Grandpa, guess what it could be next?" Bai Cen was half teasing him.
The old man frowned: "It's a ghost."
Bai Cen: "..."
But as soon as the old man finished speaking, the bells hanging there immediately rang out in the wind. Both the old man and Bai Cen felt a cold wind blowing from the front and sides, straight up their backs.
That perfectly matches what the old man just said.
Bai Cen immediately shivered and whispered, "Won't a ghost really fly out in a moment?"
The old man said calmly, "That was just a person pretending."
Indeed, just as Bai Cen finished speaking, his foot suddenly seemed to step on something, and with a "whoosh," at a speed too fast to see clearly, the rope looped around his ankle, hanging him upside down from the tree.
The old man was right next to him, but he didn't even have time to reach out.
Suddenly, Bai Cen's wails echoed through the night sky.
The old man was in a bind; the ghostly figure didn't fly out.
He flew out first.
Wang Sumo was initially horrified and worried, but upon hearing such a drawn-out scream, he was relieved that someone had stepped into a trap.
"Alright, stop calling. Are you alright?" Old Master Qu asked, looking up.
Bai Cen then opened his eyes and indeed stopped shouting.
When it was yelling earlier, it wasn't out of genuine panic; but now that it's stopped yelling, a chill can be seen in its eyes.
“Grandpa!” Bai Cen’s tone suddenly became serious and cold.
"What's wrong?" the old man asked impatiently.
Bai Cen said in a deep voice, "This is the Bagua Formation. We've come so far, and we've only just gotten a short distance."
"How is that possible?" Wang Sumo exclaimed in surprise.
But indeed, Bai Cen was hanging high, so he could see far, but he was also terrified by what he saw: "We've been going in circles."
Bai Cen affirmed, "Grandpa, we've been circling around on the outermost edge the whole time."
After Bai Cen finished speaking, he looked at the old man in horror.
Wang Sumo and the old man exchanged a glance. Bai Cen hadn't lied; they really might have been going in circles.
*
Bai Cen stepped down and casually drew circles on the ground with the sword in Jiang Yutang's hand: "This is what we just saw. We are on the outer layer, and there are several more layers inside. We have to go through the inside to get around to the exit on the other side. Although we just passed over there, we can't get out because of the high mountains. The whole town is like a Tai Chi symbol."
Bai Cen's drawing is very clear.
That means they passed through the farthest place, but couldn't get out. They had to find a way inward and then go around layer by layer to get out.
"So, the town's name, 'Bewitching Town,' isn't just a random name; the town itself is a natural Bagua (Eight Trigrams) topography built against the mountains and beside the water," Wang Sumo wanted to confirm.
Bai Cen nodded.
Perhaps due to the high humidity, the fog was concentrated at the bottom. He was hanging from that tree, where the fog wasn't as heavy, and he could see further.
Wang Sumo said, "I've seen similar towns in the novel 'The Tale of Delicacies' before. To get out of such a town, you either need to know the art of divination or be able to figure out the mechanisms or paths leading to each level. It's in a different place."
Bai Cen asked curiously, "Does the 'Record of Delicacies' also record these things?"
Wang Sumo looked at him and said, "The Record of Delicacies originally recorded the delicacies and seasonings of various places. The places naturally include local customs and traditions. Some villages thrive because of the mountains and rivers, so it is not surprising that they have these things."
“Grandpa,” Wang Sumo suddenly remembered something, “I wasn’t so obvious in the carriage, but when you and Bai Cen were in front, did you ever feel a sudden gust of cold wind and a chill down your spine when you passed by a certain spot?”
Bai Cen nodded first: "Isn't it just ahead? I was just telling the old man that there was a chilling wind and that we were worried a ghost might appear and suddenly get caught in this trap."
After Bai Cen finished speaking, the old man nodded.
Grandpa Weng understood what Wang Sumo meant.
“The entrance to the next level should be nearby!” Wang Sumo said, standing up. Bai Cen and Old Master Qu both looked at her in surprise.
Weng He explained, "When the surrounding environment remains largely unchanged, the presence of wind indicates that the air is being exchanged. The fact that we've walked for so long with only fog and no wind means the environment has remained the same. Wind only becomes noticeable when the environment changes!"
Grandpa Weng understood: "There's a passage leading to the inner floor, that's why the wind blows in here."
"So, the entrance is right here?" Jiang Yutang realized.
Weng He nodded: "Yes, that's why Bai Cen could see so far when he was hoisted up, because the wind dispersed the fog in the vicinity."
I see!
Everything around me became clear, and because the direction suddenly became clear, hope was rekindled.
Since the entrance is nearby, we can just check it carefully.
"You all wait here, Bai Cen and I will go." After saying this, the old man instructed the others, "Get in the carriage, activate the mechanism if there is any situation."
Wang Sumo nodded.
Bai Cen and Grandpa Weng went to the left first. The two of them were together, and their torches were quite bright. You could tell where they went just by looking at that ball of light.
There's wind around; just follow the wind and you'll find it—it's just a matter of time.
However, it does seem to be getting rather chilly.
Jiang Yutang also rubbed his hands together.
My clothes are all in the carriage. I didn't feel cold before, but they were in my way. Now that it's a bit chilly, I don't want to go and get them, for fear of causing trouble here.
Old Master Weng should have seen this, and he took off the outer robe he was wearing and gave it to her: "Wear this first."
Jiang Yutang looked at Old Master Weng, who didn't say anything else. Wang Sumo was right there, and Old Master Weng was still talking to Wang Sumo: "This town of Bewitching Souls is full of twists and turns, with vicious dogs and Fengyang Gate. It must be more than just disaster relief grain..."
Not wanting to interrupt them, Jiang Yutang reached out and took the sash, then draped it over her shoulders.
A wave of warmth instantly dispelled the chill from before.
Jiang Yutang didn't finish speaking, but looking at Grandpa Weng and Wang Sumo, although their experience in the Enchanted Town was strange, it didn't seem like anything was wrong since they were with the people from the Eight Treasures Pavilion.
"I wonder how Brother Zhao is doing?" Wang Sumo was also worried.
At first, I didn't know that the town of Bewitching Souls was so complicated. I thought that as long as we passed through quickly, the old man and Bai Cen could come back to find Zhao Tong later.
But as things stand, it's unclear when they'll even be able to leave the Bewitching Town.
Even if there is no immediate risk for Zhao Tong falling down the slope, there will be hidden dangers in the long run.
For example, traps, hidden weapons, even the simplest of which are the most terrifying: if someone falls into a granary, they will slowly sink in, and even if they find it, they won't be able to pull them out...
These all seemed like unknown dangers hanging over Zhao Tong's head, but they were not in the same place and had no clue what to do.
“Don’t think too much about it. With Zhao Tong’s abilities, getting into a desperate situation won’t be that easy. Maybe he’ll discover something before we do, or maybe he’s looking for us right now.” After Weng He finished speaking, Wang Sumo nodded.
Bai Cen's voice came from not far away: "Found it!"
Wang Sumo and the others were pleasantly surprised; it happened so quickly.
Not far away, two torches were being waved vigorously, indicating their direction and guiding them along this path. Old Master Weng led the horse, Jiang Yutang guarded the back of the carriage, and Wang Sumo drove the carriage towards the direction of the torches.
The wind is definitely blowing from this side.
Moreover, the fog here is noticeably less dense than the previous ring.
At least, with the torches held high in their hands, they could vaguely see some distance away, unlike before when they were completely blind.
But once I saw it clearly, I felt even more troubled.
This area is mostly waterway, which means crossing bridges. The Bazhen Tower is so big that finding a bridge that can smoothly cross it is no easy task.
This point was underestimated beforehand.
“This place is hard to find.” Bai Cen also frowned. The winding water town, the bridges of all sizes, and the water of unknown depth were all a headache.
No wonder people always say that people can get into this Enchanted Town, but they can't get out.
Even if you're lucky, with vicious dogs, a maze-like environment, and water and bridges everywhere, it would be a miracle if you managed to get out alive.
The only safety is that the fog here isn't too thick, and you can barely see further into the distance.
“A town like this couldn’t possibly not have reserved a space the size of the Eight Treasures Pavilion,” Weng He said confidently. “Towns in the country are divided into large and small, and an important criterion for judging their size is whether they can accommodate larger horse-drawn carriages to facilitate the transportation of goods within the town.”
Weng He continued, “Bewitching Town is very large. It must have a place where a carriage as big as the Eight Treasures Pavilion can pass. Besides, the carriage is folded up in a wooden box, and it is far from being raised. There must be a road that can travel together.”
This set of standards for local division and jurisdiction came from him.
For the sake of the central government's control, these were all mandatory matchings, so Weng and others were clear about it.
This period was more than ten years ago, before he went to Zhenhu Division, and no one dared to conceal or falsify these matters, so he was certain.
Moreover, this road, wide enough for horse-drawn carriages, must be the main road, meaning it can shorten the journey and lead directly to the destination.
"I think I see it." Jiang Yutang pointed to the right front with her sword. "Over there."
Following the direction Jiang Yutang pointed, they indeed saw a wide avenue.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Bai Cen couldn't help but exclaim.
The old man said irritably, "Do you think the title of 'know-it-all of the martial arts world' is just for show?"
Bai Cen was rebuked again.
And so, the group continued forward with the Eight Treasures Pavilion. Bai Cen curiously threw a pebble into the water, wanting to see if there were any fish or anything like that left over the years.
As a result, when a pebble was thrown in, it startled all sorts of fish in the water.
In an instant, many fish gathered from where the stone fell, some even leaping up and opening their mouths.
This scene startled Bai Cen.
The old man was very knowledgeable: "Piranhas, they're everywhere in the water."
Bai Cen: "..."
Bai Cen's face turned green, and he dared not approach any further.
It's so powerful! Not only did it crush the stone, but the one that jumped out first was also bitten by its companion as soon as it landed.
Bai Cen shuddered.
Weng and Shen Sheng said, "With vicious dogs and piranhas, we really don't want anyone to leave here alive, nor do we want anyone to come in..."
"Wait a minute," Jiang Yutang called out.
Wang Sumo tightened the reins and quickly brought the carriage to a stop.
As soon as the carriage stopped, the two horses nearly knocked Bai Cen directly into the water to feed the mermaids!
Whew, that was close!
Bai Cen was just a hair's breadth away from being there, and was still in shock.
“There are words on the wall,” Jiang Yutang pointed to the nearby wall.
While everyone was busy finding their way forward and watching the piranhas in the water, they noticed that on the row of houses to their right, someone had written in bright red, blood-like ink: "Monsters, get out of here!"
After Jiang Yutang finished reading, she herself felt a chill.
Wang Sumo also felt that these words were a bit scary, but they were on the outer walls of several houses in a row.
Wang Sumo also felt a chill run down his spine. He stepped forward, reached out and touched the bloodstains on the wall, then another spot, and finally frowned: "These bloodstains are quite old."
Everyone recalled the year that haunted the town of Bewitching Souls; it wasn't just a rumor.
Bai Cen suddenly felt that piranhas weren't so scary after all.
"Keep moving forward, don't stop." The old man increasingly felt that these strange events in the Enchanted Town were related to the person who took the Kunlun Ring…
"Grandpa, wait for me." Bai Cen scurried over like an eel.
Wang Sumo also brought Weiwu out, firstly to bolster his courage, and secondly because it was quite cold near the water, and Weiwu could keep him warm.
Right now, she doesn't need to hold two torches in one hand. She can hold Weiwu in one hand and hold the reins in the other, since the torches in Bai Cen and the old man's hands are enough to illuminate her.
The carriage continued forward, traveling a little further.
Ahead was a house, and on the outer wall of the house was written a large character in blood—"Return!"
Bai Cen swallowed lightly.
[Author's Note]
It's past midnight today.
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