Chapter 207 Suspicion: He was engaged to someone and burned incense today.
"Qiu Tong, it's been almost three days since we returned from the library. If we really can't find the next volume, we should go back to Qingqiu first."
The spirit of the Tai'a sword would occasionally glance at the disciples passing by outside the window, a feeling that something was amiss.
"The Kunwu Sword Master told you to return as soon as possible. Was he trying to give you some hint?"
Qiu Tong sat cross-legged on the bed, her hands forming a mudra with their palms facing each other. An intricate plum blossom pattern appeared between her palms, which was the secret technique used by the fox clan to locate objects.
She frowned and said only, "Wait a little longer, there are only a few places that haven't been searched..."
When I finally walked out, I realized it was already dusk.
At that time, day and night alternated, and there was no sunset. Only a cold gray line stretched between black and white. Wei Changzai sat below, a book open on his lap, as if he was meditating. The Kunwu sword, which everyone coveted, was casually placed under the corridor by him, containing a bit of purple light.
Qiu Tong didn't explain why she had stayed inside for so long, but simply stepped forward and said, "Senior Brother Wei, thank you for today."
Wei Changzai opened his eyes, glanced at her sideways, and then stood up with his sword in hand: "I will take you into the library. You can answer my questions without needing to thank me."
After speaking, he returned the book to the library, so that if his master asked about it on a whim, he would have something to say.
After the matter was settled, the two stood in front of the library, neither of them speaking, and remained silent for a moment.
The gray light of the sky alternated behind me, making the sky even darker, which made the eaves lamps hanging under the eaves appear even softer and brighter.
A lamp fell from above, swaying in the wind, pulling the two figures backward at an angle, preventing them from interacting.
A moment later, Wei Changzai broke the silence: "If you need to enter the library again in the future, you can come to me again. Once you have found what you are looking for today, return to the demon realm as soon as possible."
Alternatively, I need to go down the mountain. You can come with me. There's been some unusual activity at the boundary gate lately; I can escort you back to the demon realm.
Qiu Tong looked at him, puzzled, and asked, "Are you going to the Demon Realm too?"
Wei Changzai simply shook his head without explaining his destination: "If you wish to travel together, you can send me a message before noon tomorrow. After noon, I will be heading down the mountain."
In the past, Qiu Tong might have overthought things, but now, she seems to be able to sense the subtle coldness beneath this composed demeanor.
Wei Changzai was polite in his conduct, but that was only because it was written in the book, so he simply followed the book. In fact, he didn't care much about etiquette.
The implication of this statement is that it will be too late.
"Why must I return to the demon realm?" Qiu Tong asked, puzzled, her tone hardened by what had happened earlier.
Wei Changzai remained unmoved, merely blinking before pointing to his mouth and then to his heart: "As I said before, with the silencing spell and the oath placed upon me, I cannot tell you the reason."
Qiu Tong paused, but before she could say anything, Wei Changzai bid her farewell and then left with his sword on his back.
The pale blue Taoist robe appeared even darker in the twilight, and the snow in front of the library was trodden out in footprints as he walked steadily and slowly outwards, then turned right.
Qiu Tong pursed her lips and stopped thinking about it. She carefully lifted her skirt and stepped outwards in his footprints. She didn't want anyone to know that there were two of them today, but when she reached the door, she had to turn left because the disciples' quarters and Ninghe Residence were in two different directions.
They came together originally, so what's the point of hiding it now?
She paused, unsure of what she was feeling, pursed her lips, and turned left on her own.
Qiu Tong naturally didn't want to stay here any longer. While grumbling to herself, she headed towards the disciples' quarters. Once back in her room, she couldn't wait to start reading the "Song of Remembrance" that she had found that day.
The beginning is indeed a regular sheet music, but in the middle and later parts, it mentions the matter of clear sound breaking the nightmare.
She immediately focused intently on flipping through the pages, until the very last page, where the text was broken in half, and the ending read: "No money for ink, come back for the next volume."
Qiu Tong almost choked on her breath. She had planned everything, but how could she have known that such a complete booklet actually had two volumes!
A dignified grandmaster like you, so short of money?!
Recalling this, Qiu Tong couldn't help but exclaim, "Grandmaster is really something! If the book had two volumes, it should have been labeled Volume One and Part One. How could it look like a complete book, but when you open it, it's broken in half!"
The spirit of the Tai'a Sword said, "When I was born, my master was still alive. I heard many stories about him with my former master. I heard that he was a well-known poor man before he founded his own sect."
Qiu Tong suddenly realized: "No wonder when the demon race transplanted spiritual plants in the past, our master didn't want anything, he only wanted money."
But precisely because of this, she cannot leave the mountain right now, yet she is so close to the answer, how can she give up?
The fox clan is undoubtedly top-notch in tracking and finding people, so she sent the Tai'a Sword Spirit to hide the seal, and then she would perform the seal to search for it.
Fortunately, she had already searched many places before, so searching again now was not too difficult.
The spirit of the Tai'a Sword couldn't help but sigh, "However, I once went to a room with flowing gauze curtains and mostly women's items, but there was no dressing table, so I couldn't tell if it was for men or women. Inside, there was a painting of 'Moonlit Night on the Twenty-Four Bridges' hanging. Such a spiritual mirror treasure is very rare..."
Before the sword spirit could finish speaking, the plum blossom in Qiu Tong's palm twitched slightly, showing a change: "Found it!"
The spirit of the Tai'a sword immediately stepped forward: "Where?"
Qiu Tong recalled the layout of Daohe Palace. A moment later, a chill ran through her heart, and she immediately withdrew the mark, not daring to leave a trace.
"That is... Zhang Chunhe's study."
Qiu Tong's heart sank instantly. In this way, there was almost no chance of finding the second volume. The sword spirit was a spiritual body, which could help her carry the mark and assist her in the search, but it could not search for her.
However, if one wants to collect books, one should collect both volumes together. Why would one collect only the second half of the volume?
The more Qiu Tong pondered, the more something seemed amiss. She got up and paced back and forth for a long time, unable to find a solution.
Zhang Chunhe's study was almost the most secure place in the entire Daohe Palace, with layers of magic arrays. Apart from him and those who carried his edicts, it was almost impossible for anyone to enter. They could only be informed by the young boy outside the hall.
As for sword spirits, they are naturally born spiritual beings, sharing the same origin as the spiritual power of the magic array. They can pass through without any hindrance, but if the sword and its master are not by their side, they can do nothing.
She was just an ordinary disciple, and even if she asked to see him under the pretext of seeking enlightenment through cultivation, Zhang Chunhe might not pay her any attention.
Right now, only his personal disciples can enter. Do we have to ask Consort Wei for help? Two or three days have passed; he should have returned by now, right?
Qiu Tong was unwilling, but she had already started walking towards Ning He Residence while hesitating. Just as she was hesitating, she suddenly heard an argument.
It was time for the disciples to rest, and everyone was tired, so it was normal for arguments to break out. Qiu Tong originally wanted to avoid it, but upon closer listening, she realized it wasn't the boy's voice.
A thought struck her, and she quietly crept up, only to see Taihui and Qingyu arguing not far away.
The two must have been arguing for a long time, their faces already red. However, since they were of similar temperament, as soon as Qiu Tong stopped, they turned to look at her. She had no choice but to bite the bullet and go forward to greet them. The two of them also had forced smiles on their faces.
Taihui nodded slightly, then turned and left, leaving only Qingyu behind, her face still showing anger.
"Elders, what's wrong with you all?" Qiu Tong asked subconsciously. "I just returned to the mountain not long ago, but I don't think I've seen you all."
Qingyu's face was tense, and her eyes were tired, as if she had been traveling for a long time. She originally did not want to speak to Qiutong, but the child seemed to have a special kind of affinity, and she felt a lot of goodwill towards her as soon as she saw her. In addition, she had some acquaintance with him before, so she couldn't help but speak.
“I’ve been down the mountain for the past few months. As you know, I cultivate the unity of man and sword, which requires nourishing my life sword with my own body, but it was broken by the traitor back then!”
At this point, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes slightly, and swallowed her hatred.
“The Sword of Fate is difficult to cultivate, and it is not something that only a skilled person can do. Currently, only Zhang Siwo in the world can do it, but he has disappeared for several years and his whereabouts are unknown. I have been searching for news of him at the foot of the mountain.”
I heard he had appeared in Luoyang a few days ago, so I rushed back in a hurry, but he disappeared again!
Fortunately, he's still alive; where there's life, there's hope.
Qiu Tong feigned sudden realization. These things weren't really secrets in Daohe Palace. Elder Qingyu's near-madness in trying to repair the broken sword was a well-known secret.
Qingyu clenched her hands, slowly exhaled, and was able to release some of the panic and anxiety of the past few months: "I just returned to the mountain. Is the chief still there?"
Qiu Tong's eyes flickered slightly: "Yes, I am."
"This time, I must ask the chief to calculate Zhang Siwo's whereabouts."
Just as Qingyu was about to leave, she swayed and couldn't help but shiver. She quickly glanced at Qiutong and saw that she was still bewildered and had no problem with it. Only then did she feel a little relieved.
“The wind and snow on the mountain are different from other places. I was also very uncomfortable when I came back a few days ago.” Qiu Tong picked up the fish pendant at her waist and leaned closer to Qing Yu. “This is the first time I’ve spent the winter inside the sect. I really don’t understand. We are all cultivators, yet we can’t stand this kind of cold.”
Qingyu felt much more at ease knowing that she didn't understand the intricacies of the situation: "The spiritual energy here is exceptionally rich, so it's natural that it's cold. Otherwise, why would we give our disciples the Double Fish Pendant? Good child, why don't you come with me to the Qianyuan Hall? After I've met with the head monk, I'll find you a cold-resistant pill, which is better than the jade pendant."
The words left Qiu Tong no room to refuse, but fortunately, she didn't want to refuse anyway, so she went along with it.
During the journey, the two inevitably brought up Wei Changzai. Qiu Tong only vaguely said, "He went down the mountain a few days ago. I heard he took on a mission to exterminate a demon beast. I don't know if he's returned yet."
Qingyu said firmly, "He hasn't returned. When I returned to the mountain gate, I met a disciple sweeping snow. He was just muttering that his task was difficult and he hadn't returned yet."
“Such things rarely happened before. After all, the children have grown up, and Mount Sanqing can no longer hold them back.” She spoke pointedly, “When I was traveling around before, guess what ridiculous things I saw?”
Qiu Tong shook her head: "What is it?"
"The top spot on the Azure Cloud Ranking has actually been taken by Lin Feiran!"
Qingyu smiled, but her tone was far from as calm as she appeared.
"Now that she has murdered the emperor, she is clearly guilty, but all I've heard along the way is praise for her making the prescription public and warning the world. It's almost a good thing. Isn't that absurd?"
Qiu Tong initially pursed her lips, wanting to refute, but upon hearing about the murder of the Human Emperor, her eyes widened and her voice cracked: "What! When did this happen!"
A deep and powerful drumbeat almost resounded in my mind.
Wei Changzai, who was sitting next to the noodle stall, paused and slowly turned his head to look. A very tight cowhide drum brushed past his back, and the vibrating drumhead hit the Lianyan sword, producing a few clear rings.
He frowned slightly, took the sword from his hand, placed it across his lap, patted it, and then moved to sit opposite him.
In the market next to the noodle stall, a group of people playing musical instruments and singing walked by. Behind the windows and railings of the buildings on both sides, many people gathered to watch the excitement. They ate melon seeds and occasionally made loud comments, showing a rare bit of enthusiasm on such a winter day.
Wei Changzai was not used to such noise, but sitting here and listening to the gongs and drums, he felt quite peaceful.
The noodle stall owner came over to tidy up and, as usual, made him a bowl of noodles: "Little Taoist priest, you've been staying here for several days, coming to my place every morning for noodles. No scallions, no garlic, no meat, just some broth, a little salt and sugar... Tell me quietly, is there some secret to prolonging life?"
Wei Changzai paused, then shook his head: "Those who cultivate must abstain from their desires."
Hearing this answer, the boss was somewhat disappointed: "Among all the cultivators who come and go in Dongping Warehouse, only you eat special food. I thought there was some reason behind it, but it turns out it's just this. Other cultivators don't eat like this."
He walked to the stove and sighed, "Human desires are endless; one thing rises while another falls, and abstinence is not enough."
Wei Changzai did not answer. His abstaining from certain foods was just an excuse. He was simply a picky eater and only abstained from foods he didn't like.
As he ate, he looked around; this was the Dongpingcang they spoke of, his "hometown."
Based on his previous deductions, there must be something wrong with where he came from. Ji Changying had followed his master for many years and must know some secrets, but they were in the same boat, so he couldn't ask him.
So he made a quick decision to come and explore Dongpingcang himself first.
Dongpingcang is located in the southern part of Dongyu Prefecture. It is a rich and prosperous place. Even in winter, a warm sun hangs in the sky, and the people passing by have lazy smiles on their faces. They can lie on the roof and take a nap with their heads resting on the bricks and tiles.
But he had no recollection of it whatsoever.
On his first day here, he pondered for a long time before deciding to start with himself and try to find a family with the surname Wei. But to his surprise, there was a Wei family ancestral hall here, and almost half of the families had the same surname as him.
He had no choice but to search everywhere, but no children with the surname Wei were missing. Helpless, he settled down in the busiest street and wandered around all day, searching and observing, hoping that someone might recognize him by his appearance.
This search lasted for several days.
Sometimes he would appear on the rooftop, sometimes in the trees, and sometimes in a corner of the courtyard, looking straight ahead with a gaze that was either inquisitive or expectant, before quickly disappearing.
But most of the time, he would just wander around each street.
People who frequently went out in Dongpingcang were almost all familiar with this elusive cultivator. At first, everyone thought that some kind of demonic beast had appeared, and people were in a state of panic. But after seeing him for a while, they got used to it.
Everyone was guessing when he would leave, but he never did. Little did they know that it would happen today.
Wei Chang had already made up his mind. He had already traveled all over this town and thought there would be no more unexpected events. He would eat this bowl of noodles today and then leave.
The drum troupe left, and he finished his noodles. He then slung the gleaming sword over his shoulder, walked up to the stall owner, and gave him a few taels of silver.
The stall owner exclaimed in surprise, and upon seeing this, said, "I only charge two coins for a bowl of plain noodles, how can I give you change?"
Wei Changzai said, "It's not just about the noodles; please pack some of your candy for me."
The boss stared at him for a long time before he suddenly realized, "What do you mean by 'abstaining from certain foods'? It just means you don't like eating onions, garlic, or meat!"
The shopkeeper laughed heartily, wrapping up a generous amount of candy for him as he said, "You little cultivator are interesting. What's your name? Next time you come, I'll only charge you one coin!"
Wei Changzai always answered questions.
The shopkeeper was taken aback, then laughed even harder, saying that he had a special connection with Dongpingcang: "What a coincidence! There's a kid in our town named Wei Changzai!"
Wei Changzai paused, then looked up.
"Did you see that wedding procession just now? It's because of him. He's getting engaged today and burning incense, so his parents hired people to play drums and gongs to announce it to the neighbors!"
Author's Note: After much consideration, I've decided to proceed at my own pace. This is the penultimate volume, and there are many storylines to explore, so it will likely be the longest and most difficult to write. The final volume will be the ending, and I expect to finish writing it quickly then...
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