Chapter 118 Waiting for a Rabbit to Fall into a Trap "He has really grown up a lot."
The person had only glanced at her casually, but Lin Feiran could sense that the moment her gaze swept over her, it suddenly fell upon her.
The two looked at each other for a moment, and Lin Feiran nodded in response. The other person blinked and looked away.
"Little Saitama!"
Elder Da Shi leaned on his Dragon-Subduing Staff and strode forward, his expression revealing undisguised joy.
"Biqing is finally back today!"
Biqing followed behind him, tiptoeing, displaying the timid demeanor of a junior.
After all, she was going to meet the head of a clan, Saitama.
The four of them walked to the front of the house. Qi Yu first carefully examined Bi Qing. His cold eyes showed a hint of concern, and the cracks on his face did not look ferocious, but rather revealed a mysterious air.
She spoke bluntly: "We have guests today, so we'll treat them as guests. As for the examination, come find me tonight."
Biqing glanced at her furtively, then had no choice but to bow and agree.
With a white chess piece between her fingers, Qi Yu gently rolled up her sleeves and placed the piece back on the chessboard before looking at Lin Feiran and Qingzhu.
"Since you have something to ask, there's no need to linger. You two stay here. Elder Dashi, please take Biqing to the small study and teach her how to enter the city."
These words were perfectly reasonable and left no room for negotiation. As a result, Biqing looked grief-stricken and before she could even speak, Elder Dashi grabbed her by the back of her collar and dragged her away.
Qingzhu chuckled and knelt down before the table with Lin Feiran. She spoke slowly, "Although Biqing is lively, she is not actually playful. She has worked very hard in her cultivation in the Demon Capital. Clan leader, you don't need to be too strict with her."
Saitama lowered his eyes, moved the chessboard aside, and ordered a cup of bamboo tea for the two of them.
"Given the lessons learned from the past, how can we relax our guard? She has several mentors in the Demon Capital, and as an elder, I should express my gratitude. A cup of tea is my way of showing my appreciation."
After pouring the tea, Saitama looked at Lin Feiran and spoke just as bluntly.
"I heard from Biqing that you have several complex seals in your mind, which is why your past memories are blurred. You've come here to seek a way to break the seals?"
Lin Feiran nodded: "Yes, there are very few people who are good at array formations, which is why we came to Luoyu City. We hope that the clan leader can lend a helping hand."
Upon hearing this, Qingzhu glanced at Lin Feiran with some surprise. He was unaware of the sealing matter and, in his shock, subconsciously asked, "Can the sealing in the brain cause any harm to the body?"
Lin Feiran was taken aback and replied, "The Venerable One examined me before and said that it would not harm my body, but my past memories are much more blurred."
Qingzhu let out a barely perceptible breath, then frowned and said, "The seal placed in your mind is not simple. If you are not careful, it may damage your soul. Who is so ruthless as to use such methods on you?"
“I don’t know who is behind this.” Lin Feiran shook his head and looked at Qi Yu. “Even if this seal cannot be broken, I would still like to ask the clan leader to examine it and see which sect’s method of sealing the formation is it.”
Saitama nodded: "I already promised, so there's no problem. As for the matter of the disciple of the Sage, I was young at the time and not very familiar with them, so I can't tell you much."
Lin Feiran stood up and bowed: "Thank you, senior... I have another request, I wonder if you could enlighten me?"
Saitama looked her up and down without any displeasure, and said in a calm voice, "You speak first. If it's not some unspeakable secret, I will tell you everything for the sake of the Lord."
Lin Feiran sat down again, took out two jade pendants from her bag, and placed them on the table.
One piece fell from that strange Taoist boy on the day I first arrived in the demon realm, but she quietly picked it up.
The other piece is the Jade Token for Transmitting Voices, which Princess Mingyue obtained as part of her dowry.
However, she did not present the jade pendant that her mother had given her to protect her life.
She had analyzed with Ru Xian that the jade token that came from the palace and the jade pendant given by her mother were made by the same person, while the jade plaque that fell from the Taoist boy's body was made by another person.
To investigate the matter of the jade pendant, one only needs to find out where this voice-transmitting jade token came from.
In this way, she might be able to get to know another of her mother's "old friends".
Saitama held the two jade pendants in front of him, examined them carefully, and his eyes flickered slightly.
A moment later, she raised her finger and pointed to the jade token that transmits sound.
"This piece of jade contains spiritual energy and comes from our clan's Jade Mountain. However, in recent years, the spiritual mines have declined, and there is no longer any such spiritual jade produced. As for the ones from the past, most of them were sent to the human royal family."
Judging from the strength of the jade carving and the crafting techniques, it should have originated from the Qin clan of Nanping Continent.
However, their power has waned for a long time, and none of their descendants possess the ability to create such a magical artifact that even mortals can use. There must be someone else, but I do not know who it is.”
Her hand then fell on another jade pendant: "As for this one, I wouldn't have been able to determine its origin before, but ever since that unfilial descendant returned from the esoteric sect, I've seen jade pendants made in this style on his waist."
This must originate from esoteric Buddhism, but yours is far more advanced.
Saitama looked at Lin Feiran, and with just one glance, an endless aura of power pressed down, causing ripples to spread across the tea on the table and the chess pieces to tremble.
She asked calmly, "What is your relationship with Tantric Buddhism?"
As the head of a clan, Saitama's cultivation level was not low. Under such spiritual pressure, Lin Feiran felt her shoulders become much heavier. However, after being pressed down by half an inch, she straightened up again, like a resilient bamboo being pressed down by a strong wind.
Qingzhu's eyes deepened slightly. She unfolded her gold-flecked fan and waved it gently, causing a soft breeze to spread out, and Lin Feiran's back relaxed instantly.
He laughed and said, "Although Fei Ran is an envoy, he is still just a young man who has just started out. How can he handle this 'powerful' jade tablet?"
The clan chief is eager to protect them, but he shouldn't let his emotions cloud his judgment.
Saitama glanced at Qingzhu, withdrew his imposing aura, and continued to ponder with his eyes lowered.
Lin Feiran understood her concern, and since she was Bi Qing's elder, she simply relaxed her shoulders and neck and took the initiative to change the subject.
“This jade pendant does not belong to me. I only took it back after being attacked by the person who possessed it. That person attacked me for no reason, which made me suspicious. That's why I asked about it today. Please don't misunderstand, clan leader.”
Now that the matter of the jade pendant is clear, why don't we talk about the sealing?
Saitama looked at her and saw that she didn't take it to heart, so his doubts subsided considerably.
Most people in esoteric Buddhism have eccentric personalities; none are as peaceful as she is.
"You don't need to be confused. I had a fight with the esoteric sects when I was in the south. If you were attacked without cause, you must have blocked their way somewhere."
Lin Feiran's eyes flickered slightly, and she secretly memorized those words.
Saitama raised his left hand and quickly formed three hand seals. Then he pointed his fingers out, and a beam of spiritual light flew into Lin Feiran's brow. At the same time, the cracks on her face gradually lit up with a faint light, as if the light was shining through from below.
Saitama closed his eyes slightly, formed a hand seal with one hand, and with the other hand, he flicked the chess piece away, sketching on the chessboard.
She drew with extreme detail, and when she finished, a complex array was drawn, which was the seal in Lin Feiran's mind.
Qingzhu immediately leaned over to look, her gaze focusing, and a solemn expression gradually appeared on her face.
"What an intricate formation! It looks like two formations are interlocked. To break it, they must be broken at the same time."
The dark array patterns fell onto the chessboard. Unlike the other two, Saitama's eyes lit up slightly as he traced the array with his fingertips, marveling at it.
"Although the formation set up by the first person was also extremely ingenious, it was far inferior to the one set up by the second person, which was so perfectly natural."
Just as Lin Feiran was about to speak, he heard Qingzhu beside him say, "Clan leader, this formation is so complicated, is there a way to break it?"
She couldn't help but glance at it sideways, feeling a little strange.
He seemed even more eager than I was.
Saitama nodded, then shook his head: "Since any formation in the world can be created, it must be able to be solved. I can take it back and study it, but whether I can solve it is unknown."
Lin Feiran pondered for a moment, then steered the conversation back to the original topic: "I've heard that the Sage of Gengan once took on a disciple surnamed Bai?"
Saitama got up and went to the window to retrieve paper and pen. He copied the magic circle while answering the question.
I don’t know if her surname is Bai, but I often hear the saint call her “Little Bai”, and we call her Miss Bai out of respect.
The young lady, Bai, was exceptionally talented. When she first came with the Sage, she was about my age, only five or six years old, running around the mountain with two braids. The first formation I learned was drawn by her.
At this point, she looked up at Lin Feiran and said, "If it were her, she could break this formation in less than three days."
After learning that the person did exist, Lin Feiran felt a slight relief.
"Where is this successor now?"
Saitama pondered for a long time before saying, "They stayed in my clan for ten years, researching how to integrate the spirit jade with the array. After they succeeded, the Gengan Saint left us several books, and the two left. All we know is that they returned to the human world."
Later, our clan was embroiled in conflict, and the entire clan migrated, losing all contact with us ever since. We don't know if they are still alive today.
Upon hearing this, Lin Feiran's eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded in thanks: "I see. Then, can you tell which sect created these two combined formations?"
Saitama finally put down her brush. She lifted the paper, blew on the ink, and nodded, saying, "I can tell. This first one should be from the Longhu Mountain sect in Zhongzhou. They are more skilled at drawing talismans, so their array formations are more elegant and dynamic."
She paused, seemingly apologetic, "I couldn't tell the difference in the second one."
Lin Feiran and Qingzhu exchanged a glance, their expressions unchanged. Suddenly, they heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the corridor. Qi Yu frowned, immediately put the paper away, stood up, and looked towards the door.
The one who arrived was a young man, also a member of the Jade Clan. He looked flustered and was covered in sweat. He said intermittently, "Clan...Clan Chief, Changjue has gone mad again. He keeps saying he's going to the Secret Sect to pray for blessings and has injured many people!"
Saitama sighed silently and turned to the two of them: "Please stay here for now. I will have Biqing entertain you. There is an urgent matter in the clan right now, so we will postpone the matter of resolving your doubts until tomorrow."
Lin Feiran also stood up and said, "Of course, the clan's important matters come first, there's no need to consider the two of us."
Saitama said no more, just nodded slightly, and then walked out with the young man.
Qingzhu watched her retreating figure, gently waving her folding fan, and said slowly, "Feiran, do you think what Chief Qiyu said just now is true or false?"
Lin Feiran remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Nine parts true, one part false."
"Oh?" Qingzhu raised an eyebrow, looked at Lin Feiran with a smile, then made a gesture, and the two walked together toward the outer corridor.
"Why do you say that? I didn't find anything wrong in her words."
Lin Feiran walked alongside him and said in a clear voice.
You must have recognized it.
She first said that she was not familiar with the two sages, Gen and Gan, and did not say much. Later, she said that she and Miss Bai were about the same age, and that Miss Bai taught her the first formation. Finally, she subconsciously called her Xiao Bai.
The two women were definitely not strangers.
She only gave a vague answer, obscuring what happened after the two sages left. That white-clad girl must have had some contact with her later, but whether the two are still in contact is uncertain.
Qingzhu smiled without saying a word, but sighed, "So that's how it is. Only when truth and falsehood are mixed together can one gain people's trust the most."
"But I think she didn't do it intentionally."
Lin Feiran spoke slowly.
"Miss Bai's matter must involve some unspeakable secret, which is why she has kept it half-hidden. Since the two are good friends, it is understandable that she would keep it a secret for her."
Qingzhu chuckled softly, "You're quite open-minded. Aren't you going to keep asking?"
Lin Feiran shook his head, his voice firm: "She is Biqing's elder and is on good terms with the Lord. For both reason and duty, I should not continue to press her for answers. Besides, we have already asked enough."
Chief Saitama is unlikely to be lying about unraveling the formation. She may indeed be unable to unravel it at present, but to say that she does not know which school the second formation originated from is pure fabrication.
She knew the faction that the second formation originated from, but she was unwilling to tell them.
But some things don't need to be said outright.
Saitama has been covering up for this "white girl" from beginning to end, so the source of the array she concealed is naturally inseparable from this white girl.
Although it remains shrouded in mystery, for Lin Feiran, the answer is more than halfway to the mystery.
The person who sealed it is either Miss Bai or someone related to her, and the first step to breaking this extremely complex magic array is to find Miss Bai.
What needs to be done next is quite clear.
She relied on the Jade Clan Chief, whom she had known since childhood.
Lin Feiran gradually understood.
My visit to the Jade Clan today is no small matter. Regardless of whether it was done by Miss Bai, as long as they are still in contact, Saitama will definitely find a way to ask her about it.
What we need to do now is wait patiently for the opportunity to come to us.
...
Upon hearing this, Biqing hurriedly returned and led the way for Lin Feiran and the other person. After arriving at the inn, she burst into tears and began to complain.
"Thanks to my brother who is not related to me by blood, if he hadn't suddenly attacked, I would still be memorizing the magic array, and I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep all night."
Qingzhu asked in confusion, "What exactly did he do?"
Biqing looked somewhat frightened as she recounted this: "Every day at noon he would kowtow to the heavens, muttering incoherently. Some people couldn't stand it and tied him up."
He couldn't perform the midday prayer, and immediately began to struggle. His clansmen tried to pull him back, but he threw them violently to the ground, which led to the altercation. What a strange and wicked sect!
Lin Feiran, however, remembered the jade tablet left behind by the Taoist boy.
The identity of the young Taoist is now quite clear; he must be a member of the esoteric sect, and of a high rank.
During the Flying Flower Society, he acted with the boy whose words became law, and was accompanied by many cultivators, who were undoubtedly also members of the sect.
Thinking about the actions of the believers in the Flying Flower Society, their complete disregard for their own lives, Lin Feiran felt a chill run down her spine.
They came to the Flying Flower Society to seize the spiritual vein, but the spiritual vein is currently in his mustard seed bag. Will they come after him?
How should we deal with it then?
Lin Feiran spent the entire afternoon pondering the matter of the esoteric sect, only managing to gather his thoughts around dinner time.
Biqing sat at the table, eating slowly, clearly not wanting to leave.
As she was dawdling and preparing to add a third bowl, Elder Da Shi suddenly appeared, grabbed her, and thus Bi Qing was angrily dragged away for the examination.
For a moment, only Qingzhu and Lin Feiran remained in the courtyard.
He glanced at Lin Feiran, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, but then stood up and said, "I'm a little tired after a long day's journey. I'll go back to my room to read a book and then rest. Feiran, what about you?"
Lin Feiran stood up and nodded, saying, "I'll practice my sword in the courtyard for a bit, and then I'll go rest."
"good."
Qingzhu responded and then returned to her room, lit a lamp, and cast a shadow of a person reading a book onto the window.
Lin Feiran planned to sneak into Qi Yu's residence at night, but there was no rush. Qi Yu would test Bi Qing in the evening, and that would be a good opportunity.
That night, Lin Feiran returned to his room, washed up, placed the red umbrella on his back beside the bed, and pulled out the long knife from the umbrella ribs, tied it with cloth, and carried it on his back.
She blew out the candle, waited quietly in the room for a few moments, and then went out through the back window, her figure silently disappearing into the night.
A moment later, a soft creak was heard, and the door to the opposite room opened by itself without any wind.
Qingzhu emerged from the darkness, her face partially illuminated by the moonlight, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
"You've really grown up a lot."
Author's note: o_o Shocking!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
