Chapter 280 A Return Everyone saw that Lin Feiran had returned. ...
The silence of the crowd in the scene seemed so eerie compared to the triumphant tone.
No sooner had the words been spoken than a commotion erupted in Luoyang City not far away. People began to appear on the city walls, climbing one by one to the highest point to look at the scene on the Heaven and Earth Bell and at Chen Qi, who was sitting in it with his eyes closed.
Besides the people of Luoyang, his face was also displayed on the yellow bells of other prefectures and cities.
Shen Qi has been walking in the world for many years, and although he has always concealed his identity as a prince, the fact that no one knows Shen Tu Qi does not mean that no one knows Shen Qi, especially the people of Nanpingzhou, where the Imperial Academy is located, are particularly familiar with him.
He was both a cultivator and a prince, which made people even more astonished. The lineage of the Human Emperor had been passed down for hundreds of years, and no one had ever been born with a spiritual vein or been able to cultivate. Yet today, an anomaly had emerged from the hands of the Secret Sect. How could this not cause an uproar!
Lin Feiran and Gu Buhui watched, pondering in their hearts, remaining silent for a moment, while the injured disciple beside them had already begun to feel indignant.
"These are false rumors! Mortals have no spiritual foundation; how can they possibly cultivate?"
"Even if they wanted to incite public sentiment, what are the Secret Sect planning to do by capturing Senior Brother Qi and the others? Are they trying to extract their spiritual veins?!"
Such speculations echoed in everyone's minds. Mortals cannot cultivate because they lack spiritual veins, but this does not mean that changing veins will enable cultivation. Over the past few hundred years, it is not uncommon for people to have performed such a forbidden act.
During the great war between the two realms, chaos reigned. Some mortals took advantage of the chaos to intercept cultivators. Whether human or demon, some had their spiritual veins extracted and given to others, but it was all in vain.
It is precisely because of this cause and effect that everyone knows this method is ineffective, and now...
Things had changed, and the group decided not to wait there. They quickly tended to their wounds, turned around, thanked Gu Buhui first, and then looked at Lin Feiran, who was dressed similarly and whose identity was unknown.
"Fellow Daoist, we will remember this kindness today. May we ask which sect you belong to? Our sect will surely repay you handsomely in the future!"
Lin Feiran stood atop the tree. Although she was dressed in black, her figure was still clearly visible in the night. People could see her hand holding the sword, her straight back, and her chin, which was faintly visible.
She shook her head, said nothing, but raised her hand to indicate "please".
Seeing that she was unwilling to reveal her identity, the others stopped asking: "Then let's remember this favor as Senior Gu's. If you need anything in the future, you can ask Senior Gu to help you. Farewell."
After exchanging a few hurried words, the group summoned their magical artifacts, dared not continue along their original path, and turned away like streaks of light.
Gu Buhui withdrew his gaze and looked at Lin Feiran, asking in confusion, "Could it really be to exchange for a spiritual vein? But capturing just a few people won't get you much."
Lin Feiran rubbed his fingertips, his gaze slightly darkening, and said, "It's definitely not about exchanging spiritual veins. Their words only need to be transmitted through the Yellow Bell of Heaven and Earth, and they don't need such a scene to prove them. The reason why Shen Qi and the others are showing themselves is not for the common people to see."
Gu Buhui looked back again, and the bell was silent, no longer making a sound, but that scene still stood there.
Lin Feiran gripped the hilt of his sword and looked straight ahead: "The purpose of revealing these people is to show them to their teachers and sects."
Those who came to the rescue were almost all the best of their respective sects, the cream of the crop. Nurturing talent is no easy feat; capturing them meant capturing these sects.
Gu Buhui suddenly realized, then smiled, but his eyes gradually turned cold: "People have attachments, so they have weaknesses. They are not like you and me, who are all alone. But this method of taking people hostage is still too immoral."
Lin Feiran lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment: "They just said that they sent out invitations to various sects and factions. I think the answer is in these invitations. Now everyone's mind is in turmoil, and they might all rush to the esoteric sect. The city is bound to be in chaos for a few days. Let's go back first."
"good."
Lin Feiran retrieved the goods and returned with Gu Buhui. On the way, he woke up the Yin-Yang Fish and asked, "Ru Xian, are you still in that dense forest?"
"You're back? Did anything happen on the way?" He asked first, and after receiving Lin Feiran's answer, he continued, "Those two siblings were too stubborn. Before I could get anything out of them, I threw them into a mustard seed bag and went back to the city to seek medical treatment."
Lin Feiran paused, then asked, "What is the situation inside the city now?"
"It's a mess," he replied in a cool voice. "But the medical tent is alright. I'll wait for you here."
Lin Feiran responded and sped up again, the two heading directly towards Luoyang City, only slowing down when they approached the city gate.
There were quite a few people like them in Luoyang who concealed their faces. They entered the city without attracting attention. The two talked in hushed tones as they walked through the city gate. As soon as they entered, they couldn't help but be taken aback. The once quiet and deserted streets were now filled with people running around. One of them even bumped into them.
The one who rushed in was a young man dressed as a martial artist. He showed no signs of having contracted the cold disease. Although he was the one who charged in first, Lin Feiran did not move an inch, while he took several steps back.
The young man immediately glared at them, but upon seeing that they were two people of extraordinary bearing, the anger on his face quickly faded, replaced by a subtle scrutiny and disdain.
"Once I become a cultivator myself, I won't let you bump into me anymore..."
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he murmured this out loud, making sure Lin Feiran and the other person heard it clearly. They quickly ran into the crowd and headed towards a tall building on the east side.
That was a temporary stronghold of the Esoteric Buddhism in Luoyang.
Lin Feiran glanced at it from afar, then looked at the scene on the Yellow Bell. At this moment, not only Shen Qi, but also the sect disciples who had been kidnapped earlier had closed their eyes. Some of them had their brows furrowed slightly, as if someone was saying something to them.
After that, except for the occasional opening of someone's eyes, the scene remained unchanged, with everyone sitting quietly in meditation, saying nothing.
Lin Feiran withdrew his gaze and went to the medical tent with Gu Buhui. Previously, there was a long queue here, but now there were only a few people. There were still quite a few people standing in front of the tables and desks, about four or five people.
He looked up and saw Lin Fei, then neither sped up nor slowed down, but proceeded with his consultation and acupuncture as usual, unmoved by the number of people present, nor anxious because of her arrival.
Lin Feiran simply waited quietly by his side, occasionally fetching medicine and handing him needles. After seeing the four or five people off, the three of them went against the flow of people towards their lodgings to the west.
Lin Feiran said to the two of them, "After I go back, I will write to Senior Zhang Siwo to see what exactly is written on the invitation from the Secret Sect."
Gu Buhui nodded: "You go and ask first, I'll go and find out where they're being held. The world has changed so much, who knows what will happen next... By the way, great physician, I'd like to ask, can mortals really cultivate?"
Ru Xian glanced at him sideways, raised an eyebrow, and said, "What, even the chivalrous hero is tempted?"
Gu Buhui laughed a few times and said frankly, "If it were a proper method, I would certainly be interested, but they are not a proper sect, and I don't care about the methods they use. Being an ordinary person is fine too."
I just want to know, is it really possible?
Ru Xian shook her head: "It's impossible. Spiritual veins coexist with humans. When they are separated, they die along with the human. There is no such thing as changing veins unless one possesses another body and enters a new body."
Gu Buhui clicked his tongue in surprise: "I forgot about that. Then I must go and find them. I'll go first!"
He bid Lin Feiran a hasty farewell, then leaped up and his figure gradually disappeared into the crowd.
Lin Feiran and Ru Xian returned to their room together. The two sat at the table, and the dog couldn't wait to jump out, eager to show off its goodness by letting Ru Xian touch it.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at it for a moment, then raised his hand to gently stroke its head. His gaze then shifted to Lin Feiran, and he took the initiative to lift her veil, revealing that familiar face.
"Did Gu Buhui find the person you were looking for?"
“Found it.” Lin Feiran placed the jade tablet he had taken out on the table, made a hand seal, and then continued to answer, “He found two people, one is me, and the other is Wei Changzai.”
When Ru Xian heard the name, her eyes flickered slightly, and she said meaningfully, "He really is everywhere."
Lin Feiran was waiting for Zhang Siwo's response. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but look at him. She wiped away her sweat and glanced at him a few more times.
Like a wisp of smoke, he took out a gold ingot and fed it to the idiot's mouth: "What do you want to ask?"
Lin Feiran took out a folding fan, and a gentle breeze rose up, blowing across their slightly flushed faces. As she fanned herself, she quietly moved her stool toward him.
She couldn't help but ask, "Your tone towards him doesn't seem as cold as before."
Although the sourness was still there, the tone had indeed softened considerably.
Ru Xian looked up at her, the red mark on her eye lengthening slightly. After a moment, she lowered her eyes again: "In these three months, he helped me a lot while I was searching for a way to revive myself."
Therefore, I can be a little nicer to him, but that's all.
If you wish to find him and see him, you must first tell me.
Lin Feiran shook his head and said, "I'm looking for someone to extract my heart's essence blood. If I ask him for it rashly, he won't give it to me. Going to him would just be troublesome. Since I'm the same kind of person, it's more convenient for me to get the blood myself."
Ru Xian said, “Heart’s blood is not so easy to obtain. After it is obtained, you need to take some time to rest. If you want to do it, it is best to wait until this period of turmoil is over.”
Lin Feiran nodded: "Okay."
The two chatted for a while, but the jade tablet still didn't respond. Lin Feiran frowned and looked at it for a while. She felt that something was hanging in her heart. She couldn't sit still for a moment, so she opened the stone book and looked at the last page.
The grandmaster stopped fishing and instead squatted in the reeds, looking deep in thought with his brows furrowed. However, the ink used to depict his figure seemed to have faded a bit.
Lin Feiran couldn't help but raise his hand and rub those ink marks. They did look much lighter, probably because his master had been casting spells outside all along.
She immediately swallowed the question in her mouth, took out the golden ink she had obtained in the Valley of Pilgrimage, and tried to add color as before. However, the ink disappeared as soon as it was drawn into the ink, and the image of her master never became vivid.
Just as I was wondering, my master stood up from the reeds and threw away his fishing rod: "What are you doing? It's itchy."
As Ru Xian watched from the side, her eyebrows slightly raised. It was the first time she had ever seen this book and this scene.
Lin Feiran immediately asked, "Grandmaster, why can't the ink be applied?"
The grandmaster chuckled softly, gathered his sleeves, and looked at the river. Occasionally, small, dark fish would leap up. He smiled and said, "I recently used up a lot of spiritual energy, so it's alright if it's faded. Don't worry about it. Have you found that last person?"
Lin Feiran paused for a moment, not discussing the issue with him at this time, and only replied, "We found them. Senior Gu said there were two people, one is me, and the other is Wei Changzai."
The grandmaster turned around, a hint of doubt appearing on the dark lines: "How could it be him? It's actually him..."
Lin Feiran then asked, "Grandmaster, if there are two people here, can my blood be used?"
Unexpectedly, the grandmaster shook his head and said, "No, no, no, you are the variable, the one who obtained this Iron Khitan Book. Even if you have the same great fortune, you cannot use your blood to open it."
Lin Feiran asked, puzzled, "Why?"
You should have learned that all things in the world, whether good or bad, easy or difficult, even if you calculate everything, can only produce 49, and will never be complete. And the 'one' in that is the inevitable variable, the glimmer of hope.
When we gathered together to divine the meaning of this stone book that appeared, the divination result said this: Since you are the 'one', how can you enter the 'four nine'?
To unlock the secrets of this book, one must draw upon his heart's blood.
Lin Feiran remained silent, but Ru Xian looked at her and asked, "Don't you want to see him?"
She shook her head: "In his eyes, I am no longer alive, so everything can truly end here. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, why should I disturb it any further?"
Ru Xian approached her, scrutinizing her face, and said, "If you were to appear, it might not be a disturbance to him."
Lin Feiran sighed.
Ru Xian didn't leave, but instead moved even closer: "However, it's fortunate that I wasn't the one who chose to leave you back then."
Lin Feiran is the kind of person who seems soft-hearted, but once he makes up his mind, he will never turn back. For him, this is indeed very reassuring, but for others, isn't this a kind of cruelty?
A cruelty that once lost, can never be regained.
He lowered his head and kissed Lin Feiran's lips. Since she woke up again, he had grown to enjoy this kind of intimate entanglement even more, and it had become quite frequent, as it allowed him to feel her presence more truly.
Only a few breaths later, the jade tablet rang, and Zhang Siwo's voice came from inside.
"Feiran, where are you now?"
Lin Feiran was feeling a little dizzy, but the familiar voice immediately brought her back to her senses. She leaned back slightly and met Ru Xian's ambiguous gaze, and her ears immediately flushed red.
She immediately raised her hand and hastily wiped her lips, cleared her voice, and replied, "Senior, we are in Luoyang City."
Ru Xian smiled, but made no sound. She simply straightened up, leaned against the table, and looked at the jade pendant with her chin propped up.
Zhang Siwo's throat tightened: "How did you end up in Luoyang? That city is full of esoteric Buddhists now. Are you alright?"
"It's alright for now," Lin Feiran replied seriously. "Senior, we also heard that telepathic message earlier. You should be with many sect leaders right now. I'd like to ask, what exactly did that invitation say?"
Zhang Si sighed briefly: "I knew you could guess. The reason I didn't reply to you earlier was because I was discussing this matter with them."
A creaking sound came from the direction of the jade plaque, like the sound of a door closing.
Zhang Siwo continued, "This invitation is to invite the leaders of various sects to attend the sacrificial ceremony. However, attending the ceremony is a pretense. The real purpose is to use those disciples as hostages and demand that each sect hand over its spirit mines. One spirit mine will be exchanged for one disciple."
Lin Feiran's brows furrowed slowly, and Ru Xian looked over, her fingertips tapping lightly on the table.
She asked, "What do they want the spirit ore for?"
“As we discussed before, most of the world’s spiritual energy has been absorbed by that ice pillar. They probably want to gather these mineral veins and refine spiritual energy. As for what they will do next, opinions vary.”
Zhang Siwo's tone was unusually distressed.
Giving away mineral veins is no different from aiding and abetting evil.
But if we don't give them the mine, are we just going to watch those children die?
When Zhang Siwo talked about this, he felt a headache coming on. He couldn't help but take out a few walnuts and crack them open while eating: "Nobody can make a move now. They've been arguing about this ever since they received the invitations. It's all about the big picture, the big picture..."
Lin Feiran pursed her lips, then said, "The sacrificial ceremony hasn't started yet. Senior Gu has gone to investigate where they're being held. I'll go later too. Maybe we can find them tonight. I can..."
“It’s no use,” Zhang Siwo sighed. “The invitation clearly states that they will be right next to Bi Sheng. She will stay there until the ceremony begins, so a sneak attack is not going to work.”
Moreover, none of us are strong enough to fight her right now. What if we anger her and she kills all her disciples in a fit of rage?
No one would dare take this risk without absolute certainty.
Lin Feiran wanted to speak, but this matter involved many sects, and it wasn't up to her to decide alone.
Zhang Si blew on the walnut shell in his hand and chewed, "Once you get too involved, you can't do this or that, so I hate getting involved with them the most."
The esoteric sects have put on a good act before, and many people think they are a benevolent religion. They have quite a few followers, and now they are even making bold statements that ordinary people can also cultivate. They will definitely have even more followers in the future. Any sect that dares to step forward will probably be labeled as a heretical sect.
I bet in the end they'll go to the temple, and then peacefully hand over the mineral vein—the bigger picture is what matters.
Lin Feiran frowned even more: "What big picture?"
Zhang Siwo laughed loudly: "Who knows what the big picture is? The mine belongs to them. Whether we give it to them or not is not up to us. We just discussed it with Lord Murong and the others. We will not interfere in the affairs of the sects and aristocratic families. We will wait until after the ceremony and then we will act accordingly..."
The light on the jade pendant dimmed, and Ru Xian looked at Lin Feiran, asking, "What do you think will happen?"
Lin Feiran stood up: "I also guessed that the mine would be given away, but there are still three days before the ceremony. I won't let these three days pass by. I want to try to see if I can rescue the person."
Ru Xian nodded and stood up as well: "I'll go with you."
"good."
Just as Bi Sheng's invitation stated, their location was not hard to find; it was even located on the high-rise building guarded by the secret sect.
The surrounding area was brightly lit, like daytime. Downstairs, there was a continuous stream of people. More and more people rushed here. After seeing with their own eyes that offering their energy would not be fatal, they rushed to get in, fearing that they would not be able to.
Among the group of people were men, women, young and old, not just ordinary people, but also high-ranking officials and nobles living in Luoyang. They no longer kept their doors closed, but gathered here to try their luck at entering the Dao.
Standing on the rooftop, looking at the tall building and the dense crowd below, Lin Feiran actually felt the absurdity of the word "big picture".
There is absolutely no possibility of a sneak attack here. Given Bi Sheng's personality, unless the Dao Lord is in trouble, she would never use a diversionary tactic. She has not made a single move since Fu Yin and her brother went missing.
And those followers below, now that Tantric Buddhism has the support of the people, anyone who makes a move will only become the common enemy of all of them.
For three whole days, Lin Feiran couldn't find a breakthrough. She was also caught up in the "big picture" and couldn't let those sect disciples get hurt because of her.
For three whole days, the esoteric Buddhist strongholds in various states continuously accommodated the people, creating a truly impressive spectacle.
On the third day, the entire city of Luoyang was lit up, as bright as day. The vermilion gates of the palace were tightly closed, but streaks of spiritual light flashed across the dark sky, which were the cultivators from various sects who had come to attend the ceremony.
They flew into the palace, where several cultivators, led by Shen Qi, sat cross-legged on the high platform that had originally been used for watching dances. Behind them sat Bi Sheng and others. Below the platform, in addition to the cultivators and their followers, there were countless mortals.
Everyone is waiting for the Dao Ancestor to arrive in person.
Not far away, the Heaven and Earth Bell reflects the grand scene here, so that people from all states can clearly see this grand ceremony, see the Daoist master, and see the Esoteric Buddhism.
Bi Sheng looked at the approaching sect cultivators and raised his eyebrows slightly: "The timing is perfect, please take your seats."
They sat down on the opposite side of the platform, separated from Bi Sheng and the others by a sea of people.
Not all the cultivators who came to participate in the ceremony were sect leaders or sect masters. Each of them first glanced at the Yellow Bell, the magical treasure used by their ancestors to transmit messages, which now reflected their gradually cold and stern expressions.
This is no longer just about rescuing disciples of our own sect. So many major sects are giving away spirit ore in front of the whole world. What kind of impact does this have on the Secret Sect?
But if we go back on our word now, not only will our disciples' lives be in danger, but the reputation of our sect and family, built up over hundreds of years, will be ruined in the eyes of the world.
The principle that "those who follow the right path will find many supporters, while those who stray from it will find few" is ironically quite frustrating and laughable when applied here.
"Gentlemen, please have some tea."
Bi Sheng raised his hand, with faint spiritual threads hanging between his fingers, and the other end of the spiritual threads landed on the hearts of the disciples sitting cross-legged.
However, no one touched the teacup.
Bi Sheng smiled and didn't care: "Everyone, today's sacrificial ceremony is to retrieve the secret treasure of the esoteric sect and welcome the Dao Lord to appear in the world."
The crowd erupted in commotion, and even the original members of the esoteric sect couldn't help but show interest. In the esoteric sect, only those who have achieved perfect merit can stand before the leader and make a wish.
Many of them had never seen it before, and were naturally very excited to see it today.
When he mentioned the word "treasure," Bi Sheng's hand slowly fell on Shen Qi's shoulder. In the image reflected on the yellow bell, there were only his lightly closed eyes and his constantly opening and closing lips.
He was reciting something. Bi Sheng glanced to the side, but could only vaguely hear a few words.
"I would rather die suddenly and be exiled than endure such a state... I would rather die upholding my integrity and dying upright, as the ancient sages valued..."
She chuckled and looked ahead: "Gentlemen, why don't you take a look at the gifts you brought?"
Upon hearing this, the disciples who had been imprisoned here slowly opened their eyes, but they did not see any joy on their teachers' faces, only uncontrollable self-blame and reluctance.
The arena was almost silent for several breaths until one of them released a ray of spiritual ore. The azure light wandered in mid-air, bringing a breath of fresh air, which was quickly caught by Bi Sheng and placed in his palm.
She looked down, a smile playing on her lips, and in full view of everyone, severed the hidden thread in the heart of one of the sect disciples.
A moment later, one, two, three... all nine veins emerged and fell into Bi Sheng's hands. The moment the many hidden lines broke, dozens of disciples were about to fight back when she raised her hand and pressed it on Chen Qi's shoulder. A powerful spiritual pressure rippled out, actually knocking everyone back several meters!
Bi Sheng has now reached the state of selflessness, and dealing with ten disciples is effortless. The sect cultivators who came were about to fly over and catch the disciples who were knocked back when they found that their spiritual veins were suppressed and they could not use them!
The esoteric Buddhist followers couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, but the sound was not one of dissatisfaction, but rather one of joy.
"Retrieve the sacred artifact! Retrieve the sacred artifact!"
Bi Sheng lowered his eyes to look at Shen Qi and said in a low voice, "Young man, you still have time to finish reciting this poem before we retrieve the Reincarnation Pearl. After you finish, there are not many people like you in the world."
A sudden burst of light appeared in her palm, instantly spreading throughout Shen Qi's entire body.
At that very moment, Shen Qi immediately felt a heart-wrenching pain. He couldn't help but cry out in pain. It seemed as if something was turning inside his body, like a seed that had been deeply embedded in his flesh and blood struggling, breaking through the soil, and sprouting!
His eyelashes trembled rapidly, and the veins on his neck bulged, but he still did not open his eyes. He quickly swallowed the cry of pain and continued to chant in a trembling voice.
"Though my body be torn apart, my resolve remains unchanged; how can my heart be punished..."
Just then, a sword light came from the west and stabbed at Bi Sheng in full view of everyone, but she stopped it halfway by raising her hand.
The followers below the stage immediately took out their magical artifacts, and several of the Nine Swords sitting at the back also stood up. However, Bi Sheng simply raised his hand to stop everyone and looked at the person who was attacking.
Dressed in black, with her hair adorned with plum blossom hairpins, her dark eyes were like the deepest, coldest pools, reflecting her face in a deep, icy light.
Bi Sheng was already extremely impatient: "It's you again. You can't beat me, so I won't kill you. Is this stalemate interesting?"
Wei Changzai remained unmoved: "Either kill me, or be killed by me."
Even so, everyone could tell that his words revealed an even stronger desire to die.
Bi Sheng chuckled, as if she was about to retrieve the Reincarnation Pearl today. Her expression was better than ever before, and she even smiled as she looked around.
"Are you coming to kill me alone? Can you do it alone?"
No one in the room spoke.
Her hands continued, blood dripping from the corners of her lips and under her eyes, her broken voice continuing to chant.
"What is not righteous, yet can be used? What is not good, yet can be obeyed?"
One bell tolled after another, the rhythm of the war bells struck by our ancestors before the great war between the two realms.
Suddenly, everyone turned to look, and for some reason, Wei Changzai also stopped his sword and turned around.
Under the cover of night, above the lamplight, a tall, slender figure in black stood beside the Heaven and Earth Bell, her long hair flying, and a gauze curtain swaying in the wind.
Through the reflection of the Yellow Bell of Heaven and Earth, everyone in every state heard this ancient war cry and saw this solitary figure.
"...The road ahead is long and arduous, but I will persevere in my pursuit..."
Shen Qi's hoarse voice gradually stopped, and he finally opened his bloodshot eyes and looked in that direction. On the high wall, the lights were bright, the shadows were imposing, and the banners fluttered in the wind.
Bi Sheng's smile froze. She looked at the lingering figure, wondering who it was. Her eyes turned cold, and she struck Wei Changzai away with a single palm strike.
In the night wind, a flash of lightning streaked across everyone's eyes. The next moment, the figure crouched on the mast of the tall flag and grabbed Wei Changzai's wrist.
The swaying boy's right arm was grabbed and stopped in mid-air, halting his fall. He remained motionless, as if in a daze, only looking up.
She crouched atop the mast, the night breeze lifting the sheer curtains to reveal her face as she looked down at him.
At that very moment, a tear suddenly fell from her eye, scattered in the cold night wind, yet its warmth lingered.
Everyone saw that Lin Feiran had returned.
Author's Note: Even a triumphant return must be extraordinary...
Note: The poem Shen Qi recited was Qu Yuan's "Li Sao".
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