Chapter 210 Fengtian Nine Swords dared not take a second sip
With a few clanging sounds, a white chess piece rolled off the table in the secret room, ran to Lin Feiran's eyes, and spun around a few times before stopping.
In her dizziness, she raised her hand to press down the chess piece, picked it up, and then stood up while holding onto the iron box wall. For a moment, she felt dizzy and the world was spinning. Her raised hand swayed unconsciously twice and accidentally pressed on Zhang Siwo's shoulder, touching her hand with cat fur.
The room was brightly lit, and everyone turned to look at the girl, their gazes varying.
Li Changfeng couldn't help but chuckle, but quickly suppressed it.
Zhang Si looked back and couldn't help but cough lightly. Her shoulder seemed to move, but she was actually giving Zhang Si a push. She spoke up to defend herself, "Young man, your behavior is a bit exaggerated. What can a little dizziness do to her? She's faking it!"
Lin Feiran: "..."
She wasn't pretending.
But thanks to my good health, I felt much better after standing still for a few moments, even though I was dizzy just now. At least I could see who was who.
She withdrew her hand, rubbed the cat fur between her fingertips, and looked up with a blink.
This is a small, enclosed room with no windows. Inside, besides a low table and several straw cushions, there is only a chessboard made of yellow clay. A game has already been set up on the board, with more black pieces than white pieces, resembling a tilted sky.
At the very front of the chessboard, Li Changfeng sat casually, leaning against the board, his white robes rolled up in an unrestrained manner, his long sword clutched in his arms.
Above the other prayer cushions, there were five illusory figures, each outlined like a wisp of green smoke. Their general shapes could be seen, but their actual appearances could not be discerned.
On the left are two men, one with his hair down and sitting upright, and the other with his hair tied up with a hairpin but hardly moving.
On the right are two women, one with her chin resting on her hand, as if looking directly at her, and the other kneeling behind her, dressed in flowing, gorgeous robes with an elaborate hairstyle.
Between the two sides, a person was lying on the chessboard, with his hair in two buns, and he looked like a child.
Lin Feiran's mind raced slightly. Instead of stepping forward to identify them, he bowed to Zhang Siwo and Li Changfeng.
"I am very grateful to the two seniors for their help in allowing me to escape from Luoyang!"
Li Changfeng nodded slightly, but Zhang Siwo said, "It's a trivial matter, nothing to mention."
That being said, the fact that they appeared as illusory figures indicated their desire to conceal their identities. Therefore, Zhang Siwo did not introduce them one by one. After Lin Feiran greeted them, he casually remarked, "The matter we are about to undertake is of utmost importance. To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, it would be best if everyone except for Lao Li and me remained unaware of each other's identities. However, you do recognize one or two of these five people..."
One of the figures in the phantom coughed lightly, and Zhang Siwo stopped there.
Lin Feiran understood and didn't press the matter. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Seniors, why have you gathered here? What is the purpose of summoning me here today? And... why did the two of you suddenly appear in Luoyang City?"
She had a vague idea in her heart that perhaps they, like her grandmaster, were people who could "see".
Zhang Siwo picked up the sledgehammer in his hand and casually tapped the iron wall. A hidden compartment in the ground opened, and a pot of still-warm tea rose up. He stepped forward and poured a cup for everyone.
"The reason we have gathered together is because we happened to glimpse something strange during our cultivation journey. But I cannot say much about it. I can only tell you that there are already cracks in the sky."
I initially thought I was the only one who saw them, but during the investigation, I discovered several other people as well.
The brown tea was poured out one by one, with wisps of smoke rising. As it was being served to everyone else, they accepted it, but Li Changfeng politely declined.
Zhang Siwo shook his head slightly, then handed the last cup to Lin Feiran and said to her, "Li Changfeng originally didn't see it. On the day of the siege, I dragged him back to the blacksmith shop. I originally wanted to tell him about it in a subtle way, but he inexplicably went into seclusion for three days, sitting with his sword in front of him."
Three days later, after leaving the pass, he suddenly asked me if I had seen any unusual phenomena. I then knew that he, like us, had become a 'celestial observer.'
"We came together because we wanted to 'mend the sky'."
Lin Feiran had already vaguely guessed what was going on, so he simply nodded in agreement without being too surprised.
Holding the cup of tea, she realized it wasn't tea at all; she even smelled a slightly sweet and sour aroma, like it was made from some kind of dried fruit. Just as she was about to take a sip, she couldn't help but ask, "Then what about our trip to Luoyang earlier...?"
Lin Feiran did not reveal the spiritual vein. Zhang Siwo saw her concerns and said directly, "We received a secret letter earlier that the Secret Sect wanted to take the spiritual vein. We knew that they wanted to seize the vein, but we never expected that it would be you."
When we later received the news, you had already gone to the human realm. However, we were unaware of the specific plans of the esoteric sect, so we could only go together and deal with whatever came our way.
Lin Feiran waited for him to speak, taking a sip of sour tea in between.
Seeing her drink it, Li Changfeng frowned almost imperceptibly, and even took out his own wine gourd, tilted his head back and took a sip.
"How does it taste?" Zhang Si didn't continue speaking, but asked with great interest.
Lin Feiran was a little puzzled, and after tasting it a few times, said, "It tastes sweet and sour, not bad."
Zhang Siwo immediately burst into laughter twice, then turned around triumphantly: "See, Lao Li, I told you someone could understand my 'cat poop tea'!"
"What?" Lin Feiran thought he was hallucinating, probably because he had rolled around for fifteen minutes and damaged his ears.
Li Changfeng clicked his tongue in amazement: "That's made from the fermented kernels of the cinnamon fruit. This fruit is precious and delicious, but hard to find. It's a favorite of the mountain foxes, who can easily find it and consume it..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the five illusory figures paused in their act of raising their teacups, all looking at Lin Feiran with complicated expressions.
There's no need to elaborate further; Lin Feiran already understood. Seeing her hesitation, Zhang Siwo immediately stated that the fruit had been reprocessed and was absolutely clean, and even tilted his head back to drink half a pot of it to prove his innocence.
"What comes from the bellies of such cute and soft little things can never taste bad; every single fruit is carefully selected by them!"
The five illusory figures simultaneously put down their cups. One of them looked at Lin Feiran and couldn't help but chuckle. The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but not so familiar that Lin Feiran couldn't immediately recognize it. For a moment, Lin Feiran couldn't figure out who it was.
It seems there are indeed acquaintances here.
Lin Feiran withdrew his gaze, and under Zhang Siwo's earnest anticipation, hesitated for a moment, unwilling to disappoint, and took a second sip, but no longer dared to savor it.
"...delicious taste."
Sometimes, the younger generation has to take on more responsibility.
She steered the conversation back to the topic: "Senior, why did you call me here today?"
Li Changfeng moved his right hand slightly, and his long sword was drawn half a foot from its sheath, striking Lin Feiran's wrist. As a result, the water in the cup spilled out, leaving nine wet streaks on the ground, exactly emptying all the water.
Lin Feiran glanced gratefully at Li Changfeng, calmly put the cup back, and looked at it for a moment: "Is there any explanation for this?"
“Of course there is.” The girl in the illusory figure spoke, jumping down from the low table and taking a few steps to Lin Feiran’s side. “One of the reasons I called you here today is to tell you what Tantric Buddhism is.”
She took out a wooden stick and pointed at the nine marks.
"When Tantric Buddhism first appeared is unknown, after all, there are too many sects and schools in the world, and no one would pay attention to one of them, but by the time people came to their senses, it had already risen to prominence."
Every sect has its own doctrine. The Daohe Palace, the foremost of all sects, is "Be cautious in solitude and examine your heart; be one with heaven and man." Esoteric Buddhism, on the other hand, is "Create all things and do everything."
Their followers include both established sectarian disciples and independent practitioners; once they join esoteric Buddhism, they no longer need to struggle with their natural talents.
The wooden stick moved across the wet patch: "Above the ordinary followers are the incense masters, altar masters, and flag masters. Above them are the core figures of the esoteric sect, whom the followers call the Nine Swords of Fengtian."
Lin Feiran suddenly recalled what he had heard earlier and couldn't help but say, "But I heard that above the Nine Swords should be the Holy Maiden?"
“No.” The girl waved her wooden stick. “This is a misunderstanding by the world. Because it has always been the Holy Maiden who gives orders, people think that she is in charge. But she is equal to the other eight. It’s just that she appeared with the Dao Master at the very beginning. The Secret Sect was established with her, so we should give her more face.”
Lin Feiran couldn't help but look her over, but from the left and right he could only see that she was a child: "Why are you so sure, senior?"
The girl snorted and flung the wooden stick away: "Back then, I went deep into Tiger Mountain just to find out some secrets. Who knew I would do so well and become the leader of the incense hall? That's how I learned so many secrets."
"I see." Lin Feiran frowned slightly as he looked at the marks on the ground. "Why did you say that once you join the esoteric sect, you no longer have to suffer from the lack of natural talent?"
Lin Feiran was speechless for a moment. These were temptations that were almost impossible for any cultivator to resist.
She recalled her trip to Luoyu City, where Biqing's cousin, misled by the esoteric sect, mentioned something in his words: "Senior, may I ask, what is merit?"
The girl sighed and looked her up and down: "Not bad, you even know about achievements. Although everyone in the esoteric sect knows this, it's not widely known outside the sect."
Merit is practically the foundation of every follower's status. Reaching a certain level of merit allows one to cultivate veins, then bones, and so on...
She paused, and the secret room fell silent; no one else spoke.
Ordinary cultivation would never reach this speed, let alone for a demon who is struggling to break through realms. Such speed has never been seen in the demon realm before.
There are more than one person like him.
"There is a rumor in the sect that those with high enough merit can obtain anything they want, in addition to their cultivation level."
The atmosphere in the secret chamber became somewhat somber. With such a figure before them, how could the monks who had joined the secret sect remain unmoved? They would naturally risk their lives to accumulate merit without even needing to be ordered to do so.
But what exactly is the end of such achievements? Perhaps only those who have reached it can know.
Another illusory figure rose and walked over. It was the female cultivator in flowing robes. As she walked to the side, everyone could smell a faint scent of hyacinth.
Lin Feiran glanced to the side and found that her afterimage was different from the others.
The others were merely illusory figures used to conceal their true forms, while she was truly just a wisp of divine consciousness projected here.
Those who can manifest through divine consciousness are almost destined to become saints.
"Feiran, besides informing you about the esoteric teachings today, there is a second thing I need you to do, and only you can do it."
Her voice was gentle and refined, and convincing.
"But before that, you need to know your opponent."
“The incense master and altar master of Tantric Buddhism are not important; they are just extra feet. What you really have to face are these nine people.”
She raised her hand, and instantly nine figures appeared on the watermark. Lin Feiran stared intently at them, her gaze shifting slightly.
The female cultivator pointed her fingers, and a tiny red thread flew out from Lin Feiran's fingertips, spreading into the distance in a blur.
"And then there's your inevitable death."
Author's Note: Lin Feiran: Actually, I ate something I shouldn't have...
Like sleet: What?
Lin Feiran: Zhang Si, the cat poop tea I made.
Ruhae:……
So Lin Feiran slept in the next room. (X)
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