Chapter 71 Yellow Number One... can't I go out?
Lin Feiran stood up and leaped to the rooftop. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the person ranked first was someone named "Chenfeng".
She looked puzzled, having never heard of this person before. But considering that the name on the list was "Wenran," she guessed that it might be a pseudonym. Staring at the character "Chen," she couldn't help but associate this person with Qi Chen from earlier.
Since Chenghua was a flower seller and the two had a deep affection for each other, how could he not have flowers on him? Just like the summer lotus in her hand, he probably had quite a few flowers that were included in the list of beautiful flowers.
Further down, she saw many familiar names, most of whom were on the Qingyun Ranking, such as Pei Yu, who had quickly climbed into the thirtieth place.
Lin Feiran continued downwards, his gaze pausing slightly. In the short time since the last battle, Wei Changzai had already reached the fiftieth place. His ranking was still slowly rising, and in just a few breaths he entered the forty-ninth place, with Qiu Tong following closely behind.
Further back is Chenqi, which ranks seventy-five.
It has to be said that even someone as temperamental as Lin Feiran felt a strange sense of unease upon seeing the list of names.
She suddenly turned around and looked back at the courtyard where the competition had just taken place, as if she had just thought of something.
Inside the hall, the lights were still on, and more than a dozen cultivators stood around the sand table, their shadows solidifying and casting a thick shadow over the sand table.
At this moment, they all composed themselves, no longer displaying the amusement they had shown earlier; instead, they frowned and looked solemn.
They took turns engaging in literary combat, but they were far inferior to Hanshan Jun. Within ten moves, one of them was defeated. This continued one after another. Some people left to seek other things, but most chose to stay.
This is the "Heart-Stealing and Lung-Stealing" Danruo. With it, you can steal other people's flower games. If you win a few, wouldn't that be twice the result with half the effort and a huge profit?
Faced with such a huge temptation, no one stepped away. After being defeated once, they immediately moved to the back and waited for the next opportunity. Next time, they would surely come up with a move to defeat Hanshan Jun and win the Danruo Flower Token!
The crowd's eyes gradually reddened, and they began entering the venue more and more frequently.
At first, some people couldn't bear to see their friends and relatives get hurt, but gradually, no one cared anymore. They stared intently at the list of names in the sky, summoning one person after another like casting out mindless puppets. They tried again and again. What did it matter if they got hurt? They would disappear immediately. If they won this Flying Flower Gathering, what healing medicine couldn't they get?
Once, twice, three times, several times, after repeated defeats, finally someone's face showed displeasure as they looked at the mortal who seemed oblivious and spoke on behalf of Lord Hanshan.
Someone else looked back and fixed a cold gaze on Lin Feiran, who stood silently on the roof ridge, lost in thought.
She actually won one.
Lin Feiran met his gaze for a moment, frowned slightly, then turned around and landed in the alley, took Ru Xian's wrist, and led him away from there.
"I feel something's not right. Let's go get some other flower games."
Ru Xian naturally had no objections, and the two quickly went to the next street. There were many houses with lights on, and although the cultivators coming and going looked somewhat anxious, they were not angry.
Despite the ominous feeling that lingered in her heart, she had no choice but to suppress it. She pulled Ru Xian closer, then let go. The two walked silently through the crowd of cultivators and stopped in front of an inn with an ever-burning lamp.
The place was not lively. Inside the shop, there was only a dim candle lit at the counter. There were no tables or chairs in the light, and the area behind the counter was empty, making the surroundings seem even more desolate and cold.
As they entered, the shopkeeper standing behind the counter smiled. His not-so-young face was shadowed by the candlelight, the shadow obscuring most of his features, making it impossible to see his face clearly.
"Welcome, gentlemen. Our inn has four types of rooms: Heaven, Earth, Dark, and Yellow. Which room would you like to stay in?"
He looked up with a smile, which was a little creepy, but Lin Feiran recognized him when they got closer.
She felt a little relieved and her eyes relaxed as she said, "I was wondering where the innkeeper had gone. Turns out he was assigned here. He told me earlier that you stood by the window for a long time on the day I left, and that you might have suicidal thoughts. He also told me to be careful."
As he raised an eyebrow, he crossed his arms and looked over, saying only, "He does have a warm heart."
Lin Feiran gave him a reassuring look and said, "Don't worry, I didn't think too much about it. With your celestial appearance, how could you possibly have anything to worry about?"
His gaze then fell upon her.
He did notice that Lin Feiran showed different sides when facing strangers and acquaintances. He was more polite but a bit distant when facing strangers, and more casual and emotionally multifaceted when facing acquaintances.
After all, she and he wouldn't whisper to each other.
Ru Xian withdrew her gaze and looked at the shopkeeper behind the counter: "What kind of game is this?"
The shopkeeper smiled slightly: "We've brought you a peach blossom with a beautiful face; would you two like to stay here?"
Lin Feiran turned around and saw that the inn was shaped like the Chinese character "回" (hui), with a skylight in the middle. The surrounding bedrooms were brightly lit, with eerie fires burning in the center.
Is the place fully occupied, or is it deserted?
The shopkeeper chuckled, “Some rooms are occupied, some are empty, but every room is brightly lit. The Heavenly Rank will grant you four peaches with human faces, the Earthly Rank will grant you three, and so on. Which Rank would you two choose?”
Lin Feiran glanced at Ru Xian and said directly, "Naturally, it's Heavenly Rank."
"Alright." The innkeeper replied, handing her a number plate. "You'll be checking in tonight. If you need to go out, just hang the number plate on the door, and I'll come to open it. I wish you both a pleasant night."
As soon as Lin Feiran received the wooden plaque, he and Ru Xian disappeared into the shop.
No sooner had the two left than several men burst into the inn. The newcomers had unfriendly expressions, their long swords gripped tightly and still dripping blood. They took a few steps to the counter and asked in a deep voice.
Was a man and a woman here just now?
The innkeeper smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, offering no reply, but simply saying as before, "Welcome to the five of you. Our inn has four types of rooms: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. Which room would you like to stay in? Or would you prefer to stay in separate rooms?"
The leader clicked his tongue and turned around: "Are you sure that female cultivator had Dan Ruo? And you saw her enter this place with your own eyes?"
The person behind replied tremblingly, "Absolutely true! I saw her defeat Hanshan Jun and win Danruo all by herself. However, this girl is quick-witted and acts on the slightest provocation. She immediately left without a trace. If I hadn't been ruthless and used the Summer Lotus Flower Token, how could I have found her so easily? If you don't believe me, you should believe the Flower Token!"
The leader pondered to himself when someone flattered him, saying, "Senior Brother Ding, there are only two ways to obtain the Danruo Flower Token right now: one is to break through the Thousand Machine Formation, and the other is to defeat Lord Hanshan. Both are extremely difficult, and many people are stuck here, unable to make any progress. If you can obtain one, you will definitely be able to enter the top ten!"
Everyone couldn't help but look out the window. Under the sky, the ranking list was changing every moment. Just a few breaths later, Ding Ming's position had dropped two places.
He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, knowing that as long as he could stay in the top ten, he could enter the Sword Mountain to choose a sword!
He glanced back at the kind-faced shopkeeper, who was still smiling, and said in a sinister tone, "You two lie in ambush here. I'll go find some flowers. When the shopkeeper moves to open the door, immediately freeze the two of you and notify me!"
In an instant, only two people remained in the shop. One of them was the trembling cultivator from before. He asked in confusion, "Immobilize someone? Senior Brother Ding... isn't this coercion or bribery?"
The other person looked at him and sneered, "Coercion and bribery? That's too much trouble. Wouldn't it be simpler to just take the spectrum directly?"
The timid cultivator gasped, "You mean, kill to seize the map? It's strictly forbidden for cultivators to kill each other. If we attract the attention of the four sacrificial officials, we'll be in deep trouble!"
The man said in a low voice, "It's normal that you don't know since you're new here. Senior Brother Ding is exceptionally intelligent and has long since found a way to avoid the eyes of the four sacrificial officials! Just follow him closely. With him around, he will definitely ensure our entry into the Pilgrimage Valley!"
Inside the inn, only a single lamp burned, and the dim light from the various lights on the upper floors couldn't illuminate the inner hall at all. The two retreated and silently disappeared into the vast darkness.
The shopkeeper just smiled and watched, not understanding what the two meant. A moment later, another man and a woman walked in. He looked over and repeated.
"Welcome, gentlemen. Our inn has four types of rooms: Heaven, Earth, Dark, and Yellow. Which room would you like to stay in? Or would you prefer to stay in separate rooms?"
Qiu Tong glanced at the person beside him and said in a clear voice, "Heavenly level."
...
Suddenly, everything blurred before their eyes, and their feet were suspended in mid-air. Lin Feiran and Ru Xian abruptly fell, crashing onto the desk together. They accidentally knocked over the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on it, causing them to clatter loudly.
Lin Feiran was fine, but Ru Xian, for the first time ever, became a human cushion beneath her.
She immediately stood up, reached out to help the figure on the table, and asked apologetically, "Are you alright?"
She was a swordswoman, and it was common for her to get injured while practicing swordsmanship. Although she wasn't exactly made of iron, she was still very strong and could withstand a fall. But Ru Xian was different.
"It's nothing."
Compared to when he had previously lifted his sleeves to show her, he now seemed completely unconcerned, waving his hand and saying, "They're just some paper and pens, far inferior to your strength."
Lin Feiran withdrew her outstretched hand, unable to refute, but then she inadvertently noticed a half-grown red mark on his neck. Feeling apologetic, she suddenly remembered something, raised the jade ring on her wrist, and took it off.
"Since the Flying Flower Gathering began, the 'Hang Huo' has been asleep for a short time. I don't know why, but I think it's better for him to stay with you... Also, thank you for leaving it to me earlier."
"No need to thank me, you didn't really need it anyway."
Ru Xian sat up, turned her wrist which was tingling, and did not refuse. Suddenly, some stray hairs fell from her forehead and eyelashes, causing a slight itch. She casually raised her hand to brush them away, tucked the long hair behind her ear, and then offered her wrist.
His long, slender hand landed in front of her. He didn't speak, but looked down at her and raised his chin slightly to indicate that he wouldn't say anything. His expression was natural and his movements were fluid, as if he were giving a command, but not forcefully.
He simply felt that it was the natural way, that's just how he was born.
Lin Feiran was slightly taken aback, but found it amusing. She smiled and put the jade ring in her hand around his wrist. When he took it back to examine it closely, she touched her neck and turned around to look around.
This was clearly a study, with towering elm bookshelves on all four sides, piled high with books and scrolls, leaving no gaps. In the center of the bookshelves, there was a desk, a high chair, and a bed just big enough for one person to sleep on.
The only source of light in the room was a bright pearl placed in the center of the inkstone.
The place was already cramped, and with all sorts of objects crammed in, it felt even narrower. If two people stood down at the same time, it would be difficult to even turn around. Therefore, Ru Xian remained seated on the table.
He leaned against the bookshelf behind him, placed his left leg on the armrest of the chair, and casually crossed his right leg—a posture that was all too familiar to others.
With a slender waist and long legs, adorned with gold-embellished brocade boots, her legs flowed smoothly and were slightly taut, exuding a relaxed and haughty air, yet also a touch of effortless elegance.
As expected of him, even his crossed-leg pose is different from ordinary people.
Seeing that he was searching for something on the table, Lin Feiran also turned her gaze away and began to investigate seriously.
There was actually a wooden door in the study for entry and exit. It was located in the corner between the two rows of bookshelves. It was an extremely low and narrow door. She gestured with her hand to show that even one person would have to turn sideways and bend over to pass through.
A nail is driven into the top of this wooden door, and next to the nail hangs a long wooden board resembling a couplet, on which several large characters are written.
She leaned closer to take a look and muttered to herself, "Number One Yellow Number... no, I can't go out?"
The character "黄" (Huang) in the first category is roughly the same as "黄" (Huang) in the four categories of Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. However, the characters after the "不" (Bu) are blurred, as if they have decayed over the years, leaving only a few old ink marks, and the original appearance is no longer visible.
After a pause, Lin Feiran glanced at the words on the door couplet and only saw the iron nail. Thinking of what the shopkeeper had said about hanging the sign, he tried to hang the wooden sign from his waist onto the iron nail. Sure enough, the nail retracted the next moment, and the wooden sign fell to the ground with a clatter.
...It's definitely not that simple.
What exactly is the blurry writing?
While pondering, he heard the person behind him ask, "What did that mean? What do we need to do to get out?"
Lin Feiran turned around and nodded: "That's the literal meaning."
“That’s quite peculiar.” Ru Xian raised her eyebrows slightly, as if she had never heard of such a strange request before.
Lin Feiran looked around and pondered for a moment: "There's nothing here but books. Perhaps there are clues in the books. I can look for them."
She looked at the room full of books, pulled one out, and flipped through it briefly. She then said, "Although this place is cramped, there are quite a lot of books. If we were to read them all, it would be a waste of time. If Biqing and the others were here, it would definitely be much faster."
As soon as the words were spoken, a few wisps of wind rippled through the closed room, and someone suddenly appeared, falling down just like they had just done.
Lin Feiran swiftly caught one of them, preventing him from falling. He instinctively said, "Thank you..."
"No need."
Their eyes met, and then they paused abruptly.
Lin Feiran looked at Qiu Tong, hesitating to speak, but Qiu Tong did not recognize her. She only knew that she had bumped into a fellow Daoist she had met before, and was pleasantly surprised: "Fellow Daoist Wen, we meet again!"
Lin Feiran sighed inwardly. She shouldn't have said anything earlier; otherwise, the already cramped study wouldn't have become even more difficult to move around in.
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