Qin Yan felt a little strange when he asked this question.
Although Shangguan Mingyan is only at the foundation-building stage, he is indeed a cultivator. Baiyu City can accommodate people like Fu Changling, but it definitely cannot accommodate an "immortal" like Shangguan Mingyan. Qin Yan has to rely on the robe and pills given to him by Fu Changling, and he is worried about the leakage of Yin energy when he speaks. Where did Shangguan Mingyan get such a strong Yin energy that no ghosts in the entire Baiyu City came out, making it difficult to distinguish between humans and ghosts?
Shangguan Mingyan listened to Fu Changling's question and gave a wry smile before saying, "I ate a ghost."
"have eaten?"
Fu Changling cried out in surprise and looked at Qin Yan. Qin Yan frowned and didn't know what to say for a moment.
If someone else ate a ghost, it would be nothing, but Shangguan Mingyan was such a gentle boy, how could he eat a ghost alive?
In any case, anything obtained through "plunder" is already close to being evil, let alone such a cruel act as eating it raw.
Shangguan Mingyan noticed the two men's shock. He turned around, pulled the blanket over Yun Yu's coffin, and whispered, "Senior Brother Yun and I were being hunted and brought into Baiyu City. We were kindly taken in by an old ghost. This old ghost is the owner of this coffin shop. We thought he was kind, but we didn't expect him to want to eat us."
Shangguan Mingyan said, looking up at Qin Yan and Fu Changling: "Senior Brother Yun was seriously injured in order to protect me, so I chose to eat him."
Shangguan Mingyan didn't say how he ate it, but judging by his expression of encouragement, it certainly wasn't a good memory. Fu Changling twirled his fan, seemingly lost in thought. Qin Yan raised his hand and transferred some spiritual energy to Yun Yu, dispelling the negative energy from him. Yun Yu's expression finally improved slightly.
"Put him on the bed."
Qin Yan turned his head to look at Fu Changling, and Shangguan Mingyan immediately said: "The yin energy here is so strong that it blocks the immortal energy on him. If we move away..."
"The yin energy here is too strong," Fu Changling finally spoke. He untied his robe, draped it over Yunyu, and lifted him up. He said to Shangguan Mingyan, "If we stay any longer, he'll die. This robe is enough to mask his aura. Let's go to the bedroom first."
Shangguan Mingyan was stunned for a moment, then reacted and said quickly, "Okay."
Shangguan Mingyan walked in front and led Qin Yan and Fu Changling into the bedroom. After entering the bedroom, Fu Changling took Yunyu's pulse and Qin Yan sat beside him. Shangguan Mingyan watched Fu Changling take Yunyu's pulse, give him acupuncture, and get some pills for Yunyu to take. Seeing that Yunyu's complexion had improved a lot, Shangguan Mingyan exhaled, suddenly took a step back, and collapsed on the chair.
"Are you okay?"
Qin Yan spoke slowly. Shangguan Mingyan heard Qin Yan's question and forced a smile, saying, "Brother, come here. Everything will be fine."
Fu Changling raised his eyes to glance at Shangguan Mingyan without leaving any trace, and said slowly: "Don't you still have me? Are you still worried about my senior brother?"
"Yes," Shangguan Mingyan finally showed his first smile since they met, "and Brother Chen, I feel relieved to see that Brother Chen is fine."
"You make it sound like I'm making things worse," Fu Changling smiled, collected the needle, and said slowly, "He still needs some herbs. I'll go to the ghost market and get some later. Let's talk about the situation first. Mingyan," Fu Changling said with some curiosity, "Mingyan, you're in the city, so you should know a lot, right?"
"I know a little bit about the situation," Shangguan Mingyan said seriously when Fu Changling asked, "The main reason is that I got the old ghost's memory."
Fu Changling nodded. He sat on the other side of the chair, leaning lazily on the armrest as if he had no bones, supporting his chin. "Tell me, how did you know the Ghost King was in that tower today?"
"I'm now living in the ghost town as this old ghost's grandson." Shangguan Mingyan began, explaining his situation. "This old ghost was once the owner of a coffin shop. He was unpopular and unfamiliar with the people around him. He had a grandson who died as a baby and had never been outside. My brother and I were picked up by him at the edge of the town. When he led us into the town, we were spotted by other ghosts, and he explained that I was his grandson who had grown up, so now I am his grandson."
Fu Changling listened and couldn't help but ask, "So ghost babies can grow up too?"
"No." Shangguan Mingyan shook his head. "Only one soul of that child remains, and it's been there for so many years. The old ghost has always hoped that the child would grow up. He tried every means to bring Yunyu and me back. He heard that if they ate the flesh and blood of immortals, they would be able to transcend."
"Is there such a legend?"
Fu Changling was rather surprised. Shangguan Mingyan responded and said slowly, "By eating this old ghost, you gain his memories. I calculated his memories and it's about 6,600 years old. In other words, 6,600 years ago..."
"Eighteen years."
Fu Changling corrected him. Shangguan Mingyan was stunned for a moment. Fu Changling said to him, "Have you noticed that I've grown taller?"
Shangguan Mingyan looked Fu Changling up and down before realizing, "Why have you suddenly grown so much taller?"
"I've been here for eight years."
Fu Changling opened his fan and said, "One year here is only one day outside, so more than 6,600 years ago is eighteen years ago in Yunze's life."
This statement shocked Shangguan Mingyan, who was momentarily stunned, but he quickly reacted and said, "That was eighteen years ago. This old ghost was originally in a country called 'Le'. This country was once prosperous. There was a sect next to it called Baile Sect, which was also once a great sect in ancient times."
Fu Changling looked at Qin Yan, who shook his head: "I've never heard of it."
He had never heard of Qin Yan getting full marks in all his literary exams, so it was possible that Yun Ze had no record of it at all. Fu Changling nodded and said, "And then?"
"But one day, the spiritual energy of this country suddenly began to decline. From a paradise, it slowly became barren. As a result, their country became smaller and smaller, and finally only a few hundred thousand people were left. The nearby Baile Sect also declined and became an unknown small sect."
"Day after day, the spiritual energy became increasingly thin. Finally, a severe drought struck Le Country. This drought lasted for nearly two years. Everyone kept migrating in search of water. One day, a strange thing happened. They suddenly heard that a small town with a population of several thousand had disappeared."
"What do you mean by disappeared?" Fu Changling frowned. "What does it mean by disappeared?"
"That city was completely deserted," Shangguan Mingyan explained seriously. "In this old ghost's memory, it was a rumor that shocked the whole country. It was said that people who went there to do business suddenly found the city turned into a deserted city. There was no one inside, as if everyone had disappeared into thin air. The city was empty. There were large pots that were still cooking but the firewood had burned out, and there were also pieces of cloth that had just been placed on the counter. There was blood in some houses, and there were signs of fighting. These signs all indicated that the people of this city did not leave voluntarily and suddenly."
"Indeed." Fu Changling said with emotion, "Then he must have encountered something very terrible."
"You don't have to express so much." Qin Yan said calmly, reminding Fu Changling not to interrupt Shangguan Mingyan. Fu Changling was a little embarrassed and opened his folding fan to cover half of his face. He said to Shangguan Mingyan, "Go on."
Shangguan Mingyan smiled, looking at the two men, his expression slowly relaxing. He continued, "The people didn't know what had happened, so rumors began to spread. Some said the people had encountered a monster, while others said there was an evil spirit. Many people were terrified and began to burn incense and offer sacrifices to the Baile Sect. This alarmed the King of Le, Xie Shen, and he promised the people that he would quell the situation. He sent people from Le to seek help from Hongmeng Heavenly Palace."
"Hongmeng Heavenly Palace?"
Qin Yan's expression finally showed some signs of change: "Since there are sects guarding nearby, why are you asking for help from Hongmeng Heavenly Palace?"
Shangguan Mingyan shook his head. "The people didn't know what the king was thinking. They only knew that not long after, many immortals suddenly arrived."
"Save someone?"
"No."
Shangguan Mingyan's eyes turned cold. "They set up a barrier, driving everyone into one place. Then, every day, they sent teams of people to the mountains they designated. They didn't know what was in the mountains, but they knew that those who went there never returned. The entire country was in panic. The king and his preceptor were nowhere to be found. Then one day, the earth shook, and suddenly a fire appeared on the other side of the mountain. Then, all the immortals flew into the sky and disappeared."
"They set up a barrier, and no one could get out. Xie Shen appeared again and told everyone to wait, saying someone would come to rescue them."
"But you didn't come back?"
Fu Changling was a little uncertain, and Shangguan Mingyan nodded. "No one came back to save them. But one day, many cultivators suddenly descended from the sky. They drew many formations in the sky, and then the formations descended. When the old ghost woke up, everyone had become a fierce ghost like him. When Xie Shen became the Ghost King, the first order issued by Wanguya was that any cultivator encountered must be killed without mercy."
"So," Qin Yan said slowly, "they are immortal cultivators. Kill them."
Shangguan Mingyan remained silent. Fu Changling opened and closed his folding fan and slowly said, "This incident actually caused quite a stir in the Immortal Realm back then."
The two of them listened to his words and looked over together. Fu Changling said calmly, "Lin Chen, do you still remember?"
"Lin Chen who uses human meridians to refine his body?"
Shangguan Mingyan showed a shocked expression.
Fu Changling nodded.
This was a major case that shocked the fairy world back then. Eighteen years ago, the head of the Lin family, in order to seek a breakthrough, set up a small formation in a remote area and used people to practice spiritual veins. It was said that she slaughtered nearly a thousand people, and was then hunted down by the fairy world. Finally, she was captured alive and brought back to the trial platform, where she was publicly sentenced and executed.
This case was incredibly sensational, yet the people and events involved were all kept secret. Whether it was the head of the Lin family, one of the four great families, or the unholy art of refining human meridians, it was unsuitable for public discussion. Therefore, the immortal world did its best to suppress all relevant information about this incident, including the person named Lin Chen and the specific events involved. However, the case was so large that it was impossible to completely conceal it. Therefore, over the years, some people still knew about this incident.
When they linked Lin Chen to this matter, the three people's expressions suddenly changed.
If the Wangu Cliff was indeed an injustice fabricated by Lin Chen, it meant that when Lin Chen used human meridians to refine human veins, he slaughtered not a thousand people, but nearly a hundred thousand civilians.
"absurd……"
Qin Yan couldn't help but cry out in anger. Fu Changling's expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, "So, what happened back then was most likely that Lin Chen instructed the Baile Sect to refine the meridians of others. As a result, Xie Shen had no intention of joining the Baile Sect, but instead joined the Hongmeng Heavenly Palace. As the head of the Lin family, Lin Chen intercepted the news along the way and personally killed Xie Shen to silence him. However, the matter was still discovered by the upper echelons of Yunze, and he ended up dead. The people of that country died with hatred, and that became the Ten Thousand Bones Cliff."
Fu Changling's tone was very calm. He was rarely so serious. Qin Yan couldn't help but glance at him. Shangguan Mingyan listened quietly and frowned. "But this old man's death didn't leave any memories. It wasn't a tragic death, was it? So many people in a country, have they all become evil spirits?"
This question stumped Fu Changling. Shangguan Mingyan continued, "Also, when did Yunze find out about Lin Chen? Lin Chen was stopped once, so everyone was waiting for that person to rescue them. Who was the person who stopped her?"
When Fu Changling heard this, he suddenly thought of someone and said hesitantly, "There's one person I think is possible..."
Qin Yan looked over, and Shangguan Mingyan also looked at him. Fu Changling hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "I'm not sure yet, let me think about it."
Shangguan Mingyan hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something, but finally said, "Let's ignore this for now. I'll continue to tell you what I know."
"Since then, these ghosts have been trapped in the Cliff of Ten Thousand Bones for six thousand years... which is eighteen years in the outside world. They actually want to leave the Cliff of Ten Thousand Bones, but because of their obsession, they can't leave. There is a rumor among the ghosts that if they eat the flesh of immortals, they can be reincarnated. So they have been seeking a way to reincarnate, or a way to leave the Cliff of Ten Thousand Bones."
"What does this have to do with Senior Sister Xie?"
Qin Yan listened to Shangguan Mingyan and spoke. Shangguan Mingyan pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Ghosts can't leave Wanguya, but people can. Wanguya has always wanted to find someone who can go to Yunze and find a way to rescue them. I guess they hope that Senior Sister can fulfill their wish?"
"Isn't that stupid?"
Fu Changling sneered and said, "Regardless of whether Senior Sister is the Ghost King's daughter or not, there's no way I'm going to sell my life to them here. They're all vengeful spirits and evil spirits. Who dares to let them out? The only way is to ferry them away and let them reincarnate, but there are a hundred thousand evil spirits here. Who can do that?"
After Fu Changling finished speaking, he suddenly remembered that in his previous life, the last 100,000 evil spirits in Wangu Cliff were indeed gone.
He didn't know what Qin Yan had done, maybe he had killed them all, or maybe he had saved them all. But no matter what, this was beyond the capabilities of an ordinary cultivator.
To convert evil spirits, one must resolve their grievances. It is difficult for just one evil spirit, let alone hundreds of thousands of them?
Fu Changling sat on the chair, looking down at the small fan in his hand, feeling a little depressed.
Qin Yan listened quietly for a long time before he said, "We still need to contact Senior Sister as soon as possible."
"Oh, there's a rumor going around town right now," Shangguan Mingyan said hurriedly, "that the Ghost King is planning to find a husband for Senior Sister. I think he's trying to use this method to keep Senior Sister here."
"Xie Shen's brain really isn't working very well."
Fu Changling sighed. No wonder he'd been deceived time and again by cultivators. Did he think women were devoted to him after marrying and having a child? Just look at the sword in Xie Yuqing's hand. If you find her a Taoist partner, she'll probably only think about cultivating together.
"However, since he is looking for a son-in-law, it will be easy." Fu Changling nodded and said, "When I go to participate in the competition, I will contact Senior Sister."
"I'll go too," Shangguan Mingyan said quickly. After he finished speaking, his face flushed slightly and he whispered, "I... although my magic power is low, I can still do my best..."
"You ate a ghost," Fu Changling glanced at him calmly, "This is a serious crime. I'm afraid Xie Shen won't forgive you."
Shangguan Mingyan's face froze. Qin Yan opened his mouth, about to say something, but Fu Changling immediately laughed, "Senior Brother, it's even worse. Senior Brother, you have cultivation, you're not an ordinary person. It will be very difficult to deal with you if you are discovered. After thinking about it," Fu Changling opened his folding fan with a "swish" and sighed, "I am the only one who has this qualification."
Qin Yan thought about it and felt that what Fu Changling said made sense. He nodded, took out a sword tassel from his sleeve and handed it to Fu Changling.
This sword tassel was a heart-shaped knot with a peculiar weaving. Fu Changling glanced at it and remembered that it was the heart-shaped knot used by Yunze lovers. When elders used it for engagement, they would often give it to two children together.
Fu Changling's heart skipped a beat. He quickly glanced at Qin Yan and then quickly lowered his head.
What does Qin Yan mean by giving him this...
He wanted to ask, but didn't dare to speak. Qin Yan would not do anything too romantic, especially in this situation. This heart knot must represent other meanings. Fu Changling was very clear about this rationally, but for some reason, his mind would always wander involuntarily and he would think about other possibilities.
But before he could run too far, he heard Qin Yan say, "Take this knot with you. If there is any special moment, you can say that you are her fiancé."
"fiancé?!"
Fu Changling and Shangguan Mingyan spoke at the same time. Fu Changling reacted quickly, holding the heart knot, and asked anxiously, "Are you saying that Senior Sister also has one of these?"
"So if something goes wrong, maybe Senior Sister can save Brother Shen. Then Brother Shen can use this heart knot to verify his identity with Senior Sister, increasing the chances of being saved. Wonderful!"
Shangguan Mingyan clenched his fist, patted his palm lightly, and smiled slightly.
Fu Changling was still looking at Qin Yan in shock: "How could you...how could you have this thing?"
"In the past, Uncle Sanggan hoped that my senior sister and I would become Taoist companions in the future, so he gave us this sword tassel as a token of our love." Qin Yan replied calmly.
"Why would he have such thoughts when he's fine?" Fu Changling's face was filled with shock.
"Our physiques complement each other, our mental methods are the same, and our Dao hearts are similar."
"They are truly a match made in heaven. Practicing together is perfect!" Shangguan Mingyan concluded again. Fu Changling could no longer tolerate this and turned around and shouted, "Stop talking!"
Shangguan Mingyan was stunned. Fu Changling was holding the knot of love. He had been holding it in for a long time. It seemed that he had many words about to burst out, but he remained silent.
Qin Yan raised his eyes to look at him and said calmly, "What's wrong?"
Fu Changling was speechless.
What happened?
He didn't know what happened either.
What should he say? Say you two are not suitable?
If someone wants to get engaged and practice dual cultivation, what does it have to do with him?
Why did he bother with Xuanji Secret Realm when he already had an engagement? And why did he treat him so well later?
But he didn't provoke him. Qin Yan was just a little nice to him, but isn't he nice to everyone like this?
When he finally learned that Qin Yan liked him, it was a memory he had dug out from Qin Yan's sea of consciousness. And in that memory, when he said that sentence...
Xie Yuqing has been dead for many years.
When Fu Changling realized this, he suddenly felt a little flustered.
He was a little confused. For a moment he didn't know whether Qin Yan suffered for him and got the flower of rebirth for him because he loved him.
Was it him, Fu Changling, who he liked at that time, or... or...
Fu Changling was completely stunned. Shangguan Mingyan looked at Fu Changling sitting on the chair, his emotions fluctuating greatly, while Qin Yan remained cold and watched from the sidelines. Shangguan Mingyan hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "Brother Chen, if you have something on your mind, why not say it out loud..."
"It's okay." Fu Changling's emotions gradually calmed down. He looked down at the heart knot on his hand, stood up and said, "Everyone, let's rest first. Tomorrow I'll ask Zhang Er to inquire about the situation of recruiting a son-in-law."
Shangguan Mingyan responded, then said, "There are no extra rooms here, only the room next door. I'll use it to take care of Senior Brother Yun, Senior Brother, and Brother Shen..."
"We'll do as we please." Fu Changling smiled, then walked out and turned to Qin Yan and said, "Brother, let's go."
Qin Yan nodded, and Fu Changling led Qin Yan to the next door.
Although there was a room next door, everything was covered in dust, indicating that no one usually lived there. Fu Changling quickly wiped out a stool and said to Qin Yan, "Brother, please sit down first. I'll clean it up quickly."
Qin Yan knew Fu Changling wouldn't let him do anything, so he didn't argue. Fu Changling moved quickly, cleaning the room in less than a moment. He had placed the bedding in his spirit bag in the cold pond cave, so Qin Yan took out his own and gave it to him, letting Fu Changling throw himself on the bed.
Qin Yan's bedding was very plain in color, like the color of moonlight, and the quilt cover and sheets were made of brocade, flowing like water on his hands.
Under normal circumstances, Fu Changling would probably have thought a lot, but at this moment, any thought made him feel a little sad.
He suddenly thought, maybe Qin Yan a long time ago... didn't like men.
Maybe he is just like an ordinary man, who likes women, children and wants to have a family.
In fact, Shangguan Mingyan was right. Xie Yuqing was such a good girl. If Qin Yan liked her, then they were truly made for each other. Maybe Xie Yuqing just... passed away too early.
When Fu Changling thought about this, he felt like a huge rock was pressing down on his heart.
He made the bed and whispered, "Brother, you sleep on the bed."
Qin Yan was a little surprised when he heard this. He couldn't help but ask, "You don't want to sleep?"
"I'm fine. I'll just sit and meditate."
Fu Changling did not hide his emotions at all, and his voice was muffled.
When Qin Yan heard this, he hesitated for a moment, but finally chose not to say anything. He got up, washed up, and lay down on the bed.
Fu Changling turned off the lights, found a cushion and sat down to meditate.
However, he couldn't calm down. After enduring for a while, he finally couldn't help but say, "Senior Brother."
"Um?"
Qin Yan replied quickly. Fu Changling knew he was awake, so he didn't dwell on it. He tried to hold back his laughter, but forced a smile and said, "Um, when are you and Senior Sister planning to get married?"
"No."
Qin Yan's "decisive" words left Fu Changling bewildered. Joy welled up in his heart, yet there was also a touch of timidity. Fu Changling controlled the joy in his tone and feigned surprise, "Didn't Master Sanggan want to arrange a marriage for you? He even gave you the sword tassel."
"My senior sister wasn't happy at the time and said I was short, so it didn't work out."
Qin Yan spoke calmly, and Fu Changling was immediately delighted. For the first time, he felt that it was a good thing that others looked down on Qin Yan, but he still felt a little unhappy.
Xie Yuqing actually looked down on Qin Yan? What was wrong with Qin Yan? In this world, Xie Yuqing couldn't find anyone better than Qin Yan.
But fortunately Xie Yuqing is blind.
Fu Changling felt somewhat relieved. He secretly rejoiced for a moment, then quickly stood up, took off his coat, and rolled onto the bed.
After he went to bed, he found that Qin Yan had been sleeping inside, leaving half of his body outside.
Fu Changling was stunned for a moment, then said in disbelief: "Brother, you have been keeping the position for me?"
Qin Yan turned over and said calmly: "You can't sit still all night."
Although this was still a slur, Fu Changling felt very happy. He leaned over and said happily, "Brother, are you waiting for me?"
"Asleep."
"You replied so quickly just now, have you been awake?"
Qin Yan remained silent, and Fu Changling felt even more confident that his inference was correct. He propped himself up halfway and continued, "Brother, didn't you actually sense that I was unhappy a long time ago? But you didn't know how to comfort me?"
Fu Changling talked too much, and Qin Yan seemed unable to bear it any longer, so he raised his hand, rolled up his sleeves and slapped him.
But Fu Changling was prepared. The moment Qin Yan waved his hand, he grabbed his wrist.
He half-supported his body, making him slightly taller than Qin Yan. He looked down at Qin Yan and saw a hint of anger on Qin Yan's face.
Qin Yansheng was thin and had a fair complexion. His hair was a little messy and fell on his face. Blending with his face, which was slightly flushed with anger, he looked stunningly beautiful.
Fu Changling looked at him quietly. The eight years he had spent at the foot of the cliff had made him grow much taller. He was used to being unruly, with his clothes half open, revealing his lean physique, which gave him a bit of the heroic and handsome look that only young people have.
He had a pair of beautiful eyes with upturned corners. He was usually not serious, but a slight smile would make him look charming. But now he was staring at something quietly, which made him look a bit oppressive.
He blocked most of the moonlight, but some residual light still fell on Qin Yan's sideways body, outlining the curves beneath the smooth brocade.
Fu Changling couldn't help but use force while holding Qin Yan's hand. He stroked his wrist and felt the skin under his hand was as smooth as the brocade quilt, as smooth as running water.
The night seemed to quiet everything, only amplifying the sound of the heartbeat. Qin Yan's usually calm eyes also showed a moment of confusion.
Fu Changling slowly lowered his head. The moment he approached, Qin Yan seemed to suddenly wake up and tried to retreat in a hurry. However, Fu Changling chased him closely and forced him directly into the corner. Then, before Qin Yan made a move, he gently placed his hand on his earlobe and laughed as if nothing had happened.
"Brother," he suppressed the hoarseness in his voice, "your earrings are too eye-catching. Should I help you change them?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
