Chapter 257 The price for finding him was that he would be confined to a high place, forever alone...
A light drizzle was still falling outside, and large fish kept returning from the clouds, their washing droplets falling like strings of pearls, hitting the roof edge and splashing a little pink.
Lin Feiran was stunned for once, and only snapped back to reality when a cool drop of liquid fell on the back of his hand.
She rarely has a blank mind.
A moment later, she immediately got up and put on her outer robe. At the same time, she turned her palms and formed a seal. Because of her urgency, the fluctuations in her eyes were very obvious. The black fish that was floating and resting was almost shaken over. It hurriedly jumped out from under her eyes and hovered up and down in front of her.
"Ru Xie?"
She called out several times, but there was still no response. Even the yin-yang fish seemed to be affected, its tail drooping and its head bowed listlessly.
Lin Feiran raised his hand and shook it, then asked, "Where is Ru Xian?"
The yin and yang fish are interconnected, and following them can lead you to the right direction. However, after it only slightly roused itself and circled around once, it stopped as if it had lost its way, seemingly quite dizzy.
Lin Feiran pursed her lips and clenched her fist, not even bothering to put it back. She hastily lifted the curtain in the room and rushed out the door. She hadn't taken two steps when she encountered Gu Yu carrying various bottles and jars.
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Feiran quickly interrupted him: "Have you seen Ru Xian?"
Moreover, he waited for me to bring him these seasonings; without them, he had no interest in going out.
He's gone?
Lin Feiran nodded: "I didn't see him when I got up. Senior Guyu, would you mind searching around the city for him?"
Gu Yu nodded like a pecking rice, hurriedly stuffed the food plate in his hand into her hand, then raised his hand to form a seal, and a drop of dew appeared in his palm. He silently chanted an incantation, and the moment the dew fell to the ground, the entire crystal-clear Rainfall City immediately shimmered with a bit of light.
He finished all this in a flash. He paused, his expression not looking good, and tears welled up in his eyes a second time. Finally, he turned and looked at the long, dark corridor, somewhat speechless.
"...He is not in the city."
With such tight security and such a secluded location, Rainfall City was originally intended for seclusion. Who was it, and what method did they use, to take away a cultivator at the Divine Travel Realm so quietly?
Gu Yu felt a chill in his heart, fearing that such a person was still hiding in the city and had not left. Although he was good at escaping and hiding, he was not good at fighting. If such a powerful person really broke in, he might not be able to deal with him.
As for Ru Xian, although he was somewhat worried, he was not to the point of being extremely anxious.
He knew his friend's strength all too well; even if someone managed to kidnap him, he would never be in any danger.
Thinking of this, his heart calmed down a little. When he turned around, he saw her standing there, dressed in black, her black hair disheveled and unkempt, and even her sleeves were only tied up on one side.
Since he met Ru Xian, even when he was in Langhuan Sect and had not yet broken through to the Divine Travel Realm, he had almost never seen anyone worry about Ru Xian.
If Xue is strong enough, his cultivation, physical skills, and intellect will far surpass those of ordinary people.
To worry about him is simply another form of overestimating one's own abilities.
In the past, this would have been ridiculed, but at this moment, Gu Yu couldn't muster the slightest smile.
He pursed his lips and lowered his gaze, then conjured a long slip of paper from his sleeve, finally displaying the composure and calmness expected of a senior.
"Don't worry about it for now. Let's find his location first. I'll do some divination."
Lin Feiran then remembered that his divination skills were exceptional, and immediately looked up and said, "Thank you, senior!"
Gu Yu nodded, closed her eyes, and runes flowed around her body. The long divination stick also began to spin in her palm. This divination took longer than usual. Lin Feiran stared intently at it until it finally stopped at a certain moment.
With a clear sound, the long stick shook and fell to one side.
Gu Yu opened her eyes, her brows furrowing slightly: "Someone is trying to stop me from finding him, but I still figured it out; he's in the east."
Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Feiran shoved the food plate back into Gu Yu's hands, immediately went back to her room to pack her things, and prepared to head directly east.
Gu Yu quickly followed, stuffed the food plate into the hands of the servant beside her, and said to her through the window.
"Miss Lin, please wait a moment. I will not stand idly by in this matter. I will go with you to find it! Besides, the east direction is only a general direction. The exact location needs to be calculated again. After I go back and make some arrangements, we will set off immediately!"
Gu Yu jogged away from this place, which was his residence. After only a few steps, he turned into the room, where something was being arranged with a clattering sound.
Lin Feiran never had many things, and she was very quick. She prepared everything in a few moments. As she turned to carry the Golden Wave Umbrella and was about to step out of the room, she suddenly remembered something and immediately raised her hand to form a seal, summoning the sword spirit.
She originally wanted to tell him about what happened in her dream, but the Golden Wave Sword Spirit swayed, and she immediately raised her hand to support it, subconsciously asking, "Are you alright?"
The sword spirit straightened up with the help of the weight, shook its head and yawned: "It's nothing, I just used up too much spiritual energy recently and need to slumber and recuperate. What's wrong?"
Lin Feiran looked her over. In comparison, her figure was indeed much paler than when she first left the Pilgrimage Valley, like a somewhat faded painting.
She felt something was amiss.
The sword spirit did indeed appear to help her many times. When she escaped from Jinling Ferry and was almost captured by the Holy Maiden of the Secret Sect in Beiyuan, it was the sword spirit that blocked Bi Sheng's attack for her, which allowed Wei Chang to pull her into the Abyss.
She tightened her grip on the sword spirit's hand slightly: "Is it just because you've consumed too much spiritual energy?"
Sword Spirit put his hands on his hips and looked at her, laughing, "Of course. Do you think I'm the kind of person who only reports good news and not bad? I'm not. If something unexpected happens, it's best to deal with it together."
Don't worry too much. I will be in a short period of slumber to repair myself. If necessary, I may need to borrow your spiritual power. If there is any emergency, just call me.
Why did you suddenly call me out? Where's the little peacock?
Lin Feiran wanted to tell the sword spirit about what she had dreamed about last night, but when she tried to speak, her lips and tongue seemed to be blocked by something, and she couldn't make a sound.
A chill ran through her, and she stopped trying to speak. Seeing the sword spirit leaning against the cabinet door, looking quite exhausted, she decided not to reveal Ru Xian's situation, and only said...
"He's not here right now. Take good rest these next few days and take care of yourself."
Just as the sword spirit was about to return to her sword, she suddenly asked, "Are you really alright?"
The sword spirit turned to look at her, stepped forward and patted her head, drawing out her words: "It's true, it's just that she used up too much spiritual energy and needs to be repaired."
She watched as the sword spirit disappeared, a faint light flashing across the blade, but the edge was no longer as dull as before, as if it had indeed recovered after rest.
Her expression was clearly reflected on the blade, and soon another figure appeared in it. She looked up.
Wrapped in a thick fur coat, Gu Yu hurried to the door. He handed the letter to the servants, instructing them to give it to Miao Shan, and then, holding up the long scroll, pointed outside and said, "Rainfall City is all set up. Let's set off now."
Lin Feiran glanced at the Golden Wave Sword again, nodded in agreement, and took Gu Yu with him as they flew away on their swords.
He said, "Rainfall City can appear in any drop of rain, but recently there has been a lot of snow in the human realm and little rain. The nearest place is the border between Zhongzhou and Dongyuzhou."
Lin Feiran nodded: "That's enough."
In an instant, the two passed through the raindrops the size of beans and appeared in the sky above the boundary.
"Here, hang this up."
Gu Yu took out a token from her fur coat and hung it on Lin Feiran's waist.
"Their methods of finding people are nothing more than a few. As long as someone divines your location, the divination will shift slightly. It can't guarantee complete success, but it can still temporarily conceal it."
If they catch up, we'll immediately return to Rainfall City and then take another route. Back in the day, my nickname was "Runaway Valley."
He tried to lighten the mood, and Lin Feiran smiled, but her tension was still evident.
Gu Yu sighed softly, flipping the divination sticks while adjusting the direction with Lin Feiran. The two cooperated quite well, and their travel speed was faster than expected. Half a day later, they arrived at the southern part of Dongyu Prefecture.
But the closer they got, the slower Gu Yu's divination became. It wasn't until nightfall that the two arrived at Yingzhou in the southern part of Dongyu Prefecture.
"Don't worry, since we can calculate his location, it means he's safe for the time being."
Lin Feiran knew he was trying to comfort her, so she responded and then descended on her sword: "Senior, we've arrived."
**
At the same time, a slight noise came from the somewhat empty house. Ru Xian sat up from the couch, her face not showing the drowsiness of someone who had been sleeping for a long time, but rather being very awake.
Almost the instant he stood up, he sensed something was wrong.
He first looked down at the small couch beneath him. It was too narrow for a second person to fit on. The room contained only a few simple tables and chairs, and the furnishings were not typical of Rainfall City. The pain he felt as his spiritual energy circulated within him indicated that this was not a dream.
He glanced around with a cool gaze, got up from the bed, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the heavy object transformed into a long, emerald-green spear, which he held behind his back with one hand.
Just as he was about to reach the door, a magic circle suddenly lit up, seemingly trying to trap him there. But he paid no attention, turned his spear blade, and thrust it straight into the circle. A fierce burst of spiritual light shone, reflecting a brilliance in his emerald eyes before disappearing.
The magic array shattered like a spider web, cracks spreading outwards and even breaking open the tightly closed door.
With a bang, he stepped out through the debris, his gaze fixed on the lamp in the courtyard, which was surrounded by moths and butterflies, and the two people sitting under it.
"Teacher, I told you, this kind of magic array can't stop him." The hoarse-voiced boy spoke, his gaze unfathomable as he looked at the person approaching with a gun.
As he strode down the stairs, he immediately recognized the boy whose throat he had crushed: A-Cheng.
His gaze shifted to the seated old man, and he raised an eyebrow, saying, "A member of the Tantric sect? I've never seen you before."
The old man stood up, his gaze sweeping over him as well, his admiration and wonder evident in his eyes.
As Ru Xian approached, he snapped out of his reverie and laughed, "I am but a nobody, yet I have earned this reputation. The disciples in my sect all call me Elder Chen, which is nothing compared to the name of the Demon Lord, which resounds throughout both realms."
Ru Xian wasn't interested in his name; now that he knew their identities, he was more concerned with something else.
"Since you claim to have a good reputation, then I must be the only one invited here, and there is no other young lady?"
Old Chen paused, and after a moment he understood the implication of his words. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, Your Excellency. That little girl's matter has nothing to do with me. We only need you, and only you."
After they were five steps apart, Ru Xian stopped and looked down, saying, "That would be best."
With a slight movement of his right hand, the spear in his hand transformed into a white fox. It nimbly and silently leaped onto his shoulder, its once round fox eyes now elongated, looking warily at the old man. Its tail stood high, and its expression was no longer simple and honest, but exuded an undeniable sense of intimidation.
Old Chen looked it over and exclaimed in amazement, "What a wonderful magical treasure!"
Ru Xian ignored his praise. He stared intently at the person in front of him, and upon discovering something, his expression became clear. His eyebrows relaxed, but it wasn't a happy look; instead, it carried a sense of annoyance and coldness.
"So it was you. No wonder you were able to bring me here so quietly."
...
Meanwhile, as Qiu Tong and Wei Chang arrived beneath the illusory moon and were about to escape using their usual method, a figure suddenly appeared above the moon.
His Taoist robe was dusty, his hair was adorned with hairpins, and his shoes were gray. From afar, he looked like an immortal chasing the moon, but he came from this direction and landed in front of the two of them.
Zhang Chunhe looked up and sized up Wei Changzai, clearly puzzled. He shook his head and said, "Changzai, I didn't expect you to come. I thought you were with Lin Feiran right now."
Qiu Tong subconsciously took two steps back, wanting to hide behind Wei Changzai, but then paused and stepped forward again.
Since we've already been caught red-handed, why bother arguing with him anymore?
"Where is my Tai'a sword?" she asked. "This is the sword I chose. Does Daohe Palace intend to take this opportunity to possess it?"
Zhang Chunhe smiled faintly: "I haven't stooped that low. To seize a spirit sword would be an insult to it. I've only sealed it. If you're really capable, then summon it yourself."
Before Qiu Tong could speak, he looked at Wei Changzai and said to himself, "Fortunately, I arrived in time. If you had escaped back to the fox clan first, how could this wedding banquet have taken place? Let's separate for now."
With a wave of Zhang Chunhe's hand seal, Wei Changzai's figure vanished from the spot, leaving only him and Qiu Tong behind.
Qiu Tong immediately stepped back, looking at him warily: "What are you going to do?"
“Nothing much.” Zhang Chunhe swept away the dust and snow around him, and a path appeared in an instant. “The snow is vast and white. If you feel tired, just follow this path up the mountain. There is a house there.”
Qiu Tong scrutinized his expression: "How could you possibly have such good intentions?"
"Is this what you call kindness? We're guests, this is just a matter of courtesy. Whether you stay or not is up to you." He turned to leave, but then suddenly remembered something and turned back to look at her.
"By the way, if you have any thoughts of having your family come to rescue you in the next few days, you should give up on them as soon as possible."
I heard that your mother has fallen ill with a cold and is now on the verge of death. Your brothers and sisters are busy and unable to leave. Moreover, the snow clouds in the demon realm are spreading and are about to move to Qingqiu. Your clansmen are also extremely worried about this.
Everyone is too busy to pay attention to you; just stay here and wait for the wedding banquet.
At this point, he seemed to recall something, and suddenly smiled, gazing at the dim moon with an expression that was difficult to decipher, filled with a sense of obscurity and emotion.
“In the past, you two were deeply in love. I couldn’t bear to see Changzai’s cultivation go to waste, so I went through all sorts of hardships and tried every possible way to stop you. But it seemed to become a stepping stone for your love to be stronger than gold.”
You two stayed together and became a renowned couple.
Later, he decided to descend the mountain and travel the world with you, forgetting only Daohe Palace. The sect subsequently plummeted in status, becoming known as the "fallen tiger of Pingyang" in the eyes of many.
Your relationship with him has come to an end.
Grandmaster is right. All things in the world are nothing more than "planting flowers with intention" and "planting willows without intention"...
Qiu Tong, having been reborn, naturally remembered what he had said. After Wei Changzai left, Daohe Palace suffered from a lack of successors and eventually declined silently among the rising new sects, failing to even make a ripple.
She shook her head: "How can a sect prosper forever? It's clearly a problem with your teaching methods. Does he have to bear this burden?"
"Is there a problem with the parenting methods?"
Zhang Chunhe smiled again, a mocking smile on his face; he hadn't shown such an expression in many years.
"During the great war between the two realms, all the disciples of Daohe Palace who had broken through to the Zhaohai Realm devoted themselves to protecting the displaced mortals. Apart from us, what other sects would do such a thing?"
And what was the result?
My master and uncles suffered countless deaths and injuries, and most of my fellow disciples also perished in that great battle. All the pillars of our sect were consumed in that great war.
Not long after I joined the sect, my grandmaster finally succumbed to his injuries and passed away. Since then, there have been very few strong members left in the sect.
I used to wonder what I could gain by sacrificing myself for others, but it turns out, I can't gain anything in return.
Otherwise, how could someone with such dull-witted abilities be appointed as the head of the household?
He wasn't resentful, he just felt it was unfair.
"Changzai is exceptionally talented, and his future is bright. With him in charge, Daohe Palace can continue for hundreds of years."
Zhang Chunhe withdrew his gaze, looked at the stunned girl, and replied, "Didn't you always question me before, asking why I wouldn't let him pursue love? This is the reason. I was indeed repaying a debt of gratitude."
Daohe Palace gave him a second life, but the price was that he would be confined to a high place, forever alone.
If he refused, he would repay with his life; all grudges and debts were settled so simply.
Having lived through her past lives, Qiu Tong did not accept this explanation: "It's all sophistry. Did our ancestors sacrifice themselves just so that the world would remember them, or to gain something? When they made their choices, they were already practicing the Way!"
Zhang Chunhe stared at her for a long time, his expression no longer peaceful, and finally showing human emotions.
"They certainly don't want anything in return, just as you won't remember anything."
But as their descendant, I cannot stand by and watch them disappear, watch their hard work be trampled on. As long as Daohe Palace exists, the past will be forever remembered.
He rarely said such things to anyone, so he closed his eyes slightly and suppressed his emotions with each breath.
"Getting married, isn't this what you've always looked forward to the most?"
"Don't worry, to avoid any trouble, the wedding date has been moved up. I'll arrange it according to your preferences; after all, no one knows this grand event better than me."
After saying that, he ignored her and turned to leave.
The next moment, he appeared in a dark room and looked at the figure standing there like a pine tree.
"Changzai, I am indeed surprised by your presence today, but I do not wish to say much to you. The wedding banquet has been moved up and will be held in the next few days. Are you ready to do that thing?"
"……What?"
Zhang Chunhe simply smiled at his resistance, and as he turned to leave, he left behind only a casual remark.
"You shouldn't have forgotten what I've been telling you all these years."
Naturally, I was prepared to kill Qiu Tong when the marriage contract was finalized.
Author's Note: Actually, Zhang Chunhe realized long ago that Lin Feiran's talent was no less than Wei Changzai's, but there was no obligation between her and Daohe Palace. Therefore, he wouldn't force her to support Daohe Palace just because she had talent. He's a very complex person. He doesn't appear much, but every time I write about him, I feel a lot of emotion. In fact, he's the beginning of all the hidden plots.
P.S.: This book is indeed very long, so I can only thank the readers who have been following along with the updates by giving out red envelopes. I will try my best to push the plot forward in each chapter, and if everything goes smoothly, I can finish the main text by the end of the month. If not, it will be next month at the latest. It won't take long to finish. [Thumbs up][Thumbs up]
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