Thirty-nine Mountain Hidden Roads
Lu Yinche's biggest flaw was his random thoughts and his rambling words. When facing Lu Denghe, he still knew to maintain his image as a senior, but with people he knew well, especially those he knew well, he wasn't so particular.
Although he hadn't been close to Yan Yanshu before, he now felt he was quite reliable, so naturally, he could afford to chat with him. As for the guide he had fooled, he was completely relying on the fact that no one knew who he was, giving off a completely sleazy "I don't care about anyone here" vibe.
Yan Yanshu was very cooperative.
He nodded: "Yeah."
The person who frightened the innocent people turned out to be a homosexual.
Thanks to my reputation as the world's best Taoist couple, the tolerance for homosexuality among the people is surprisingly high. You say that those who pursue the great Dao must have a gay relationship, and that aristocratic families don't care about male wives. How can this be considered a heinous crime?
Of course, Lu Yinche's heinous crimes were his own business. Who made him promiscuous and do all kinds of evil? It's a pity that even his love for the Sword Saint at first sight could not offset the bad things he did. It's not so easy for him to quit. It can only be said that it's lamentable and sad.
Lu Yinche himself didn't care. Rumors were easy to explain. The only thing was that he hoped Yan Yanshu would hold a grudge against him and stab him with a sword one day when he couldn't get over it.
Thinking of this, he felt a little embarrassed and asked Yan Yanshu: "Did we really cook?"
He wanted to talk about the part where the rice was cooked, after all, it was a pre-project that required responsibility by force and robbery.
Yan Yanshu didn't answer but asked, "Do you want to try again?"
"Okay, I get it." Lu Yinche immediately made a gesture to shut up and ran away.
The valley the guide had been so wary of was right before their eyes. Surrounded by dense forests and overgrown weeds, it was obvious it was rarely visited. If it weren't for the well-preserved roadbed, even paved with bluestone slabs, there wouldn't even be a path left. Turning a corner, the valley's interior became visible: abandoned houses scattered about, a desolate atmosphere permeated the air. The surrounding weeds were half a man's height, and strangely brightly colored flowers bloomed, their scent unpleasant.
That is a flower that blooms next to a dead person.
Lu Yinche felt around but didn't detect any distinct presence of wronged spirits; the mountain breeze was simply refreshingly cool. He didn't understand why the guide was so wary; simple fear wasn't enough to explain it. In this world, when times get really tough, let alone cannibalism, even a place where people have died, if it can become a major transit point, could certainly open a restaurant or inn. A few wandering ghosts wouldn't be a cause for concern.
The leader was trembling with fear and urged the people to move forward and not to stop.
Suddenly, a few rapid whistles were heard, emanating from a half-collapsed old house on the roadside. It was impossible to tell which direction they were coming from; all we could hear was branches rustling in the wind. Everyone's faces were tense, and they hurried to run. The road ahead was like a maze. No matter how we pushed, the valley's exit remained inaccessible. On either side, there were only the same, dilapidated old houses.
Going back further, the same thing happens.
The wind continued to blow, the whistle disappeared, and only the panicked voices of the group remained.
The guide wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Lu Yinche and the others for help: "Two immortal masters, what should we do?"
"Don't worry, let me take a look." Lu Yinche followed the crowd, reining in his restless horse, muttering, "Why are there ghosts everywhere?"
Gong Jin is really not working hard. If he can get rid of all these ghosts, then isn't it a win-win situation for everyone?
Yan Yanshu mocked him: "You can do it too."
Yes, it is possible. Lu Yinche has learned a lot of knowledge. He knows how to use formations to capture ghosts. He can also recite some scriptures and perform rituals to convert them. However, he does not believe in Buddhism and is not professional enough.
"Let's invite our old friend to come on stage," he said.
Yan Yanshu watched him rummage through his chest pocket until he pulled out a magic weapon the length of a finger. "Seven Wonders Pagoda?"
"Do you know him?" Lu Yinche was a little happy to see that the other party seemed to know the treasure. After all, this was not some ancient secret treasure with a great origin. It could only be regarded as his biological son - and the biological son of his pen pal.
"Well, very good." Yan Yanshu blinked. Lu Yinche always felt that he knew more, but for some reason he didn't say it.
"I refined this a long time ago, when I had just reached the Palm Realm. So it only contains the sword energy of the Daluo Jinxian level. The advantage is that there is enough of it. I originally took it with me everywhere, feeding it with everything I encountered. It can be regarded as my hard work."
As he explained, he enlarged the magic weapon, causing it to hover in the air, emitting a golden sword light in all directions. The Seven Pagodas spun in the air, the sword light searching the surroundings, exercising the authority of "Heavenly Law" to judge whether crimes had occurred, emitting a faint humming sound.
Lu Yinche looked at it and was quite satisfied: "Come to think of it, this place looks familiar to me, as if I've been here before."
Yan Yanshu said, "This place is not far from Qichuan. Maybe you have traveled here before."
Yeah?
Lu Yinche didn't take it seriously and looked around at the surroundings. This type of building was not popular in his memory and it certainly didn't exist back then. It was just that the shape of the valley had a familiar feel. A wide road ran through it from east to west, with most of the buildings lined up on both sides of the road. There were also some side buildings branching out from the main road. One road was hidden in the hills on both sides and seemed to lead somewhere else. Perhaps it was because the road was built more carefully or what, but there were fewer weeds than the others.
"I'll go and have a look." He pointed to the trail, dismounted, and returned the instinctively frightened beast to its owner.
Yan Yanshu naturally followed, leaving only the Seven Special Towers in the sky, illuminating the frightened mortals.
"I wouldn't listen to the Immortal Alliance so much... I won't run away."
"I'm worried about you."
Seeing his sincere face, Lu Yinche had to say, "Well, not really. I won't die so easily. Look, I'm so alive and kicking." After moving, he coughed twice, and he felt very embarrassed.
Yan Yanshu said, "I want to see your sea of consciousness."
"Here? You want to communicate with me spiritually? There are so many people here, right behind me, it's not good." Lu Yinche said this deliberately, but took two quick steps.
Yan Yanshu would not fall for his trick. He grabbed his wrist and stroked his pulse with his fingers. Before Lu Yinche could say "Can you also take a pulse?", he felt his heart flutter. A very recognizable spiritual sense came in, tickling his heart.
In the past, he would have reflexively ejected the intruder. But now, his sea of consciousness was like an iceberg shattered by an avalanche, shattered to pieces. It was difficult for him to clean up the mess himself, so how could he have the energy to do so?
Yan Yanshu's spiritual consciousness shuttled through it, and he was frowning, which showed that the situation was not good.
His movements were already very gentle, but Lu Yinche still looked obviously uncomfortable.
He quickly withdrew: "We have to find Wei Qi again."
"Mother Wei said it's difficult to treat, so I'll just take care of it myself." Lu Yinche added the second half of the sentence himself. "You all say I've already made arrangements. I can't possibly have arranged a dead end for myself—one where I forget my past and die without worries?"
Yan Yanshu's expression turned grim. He refused to let go of Lu Yinche's hand, nor would he let him move forward. It was as if he was about to change his mind and immediately drag him away and bring him back to Chengxiao Sect for medical treatment.
Lu Yinche: "Hey, I was just kidding. It's not that serious. Doctor Wei patched it up a bit, so it's still of some use. Spiritual energy can't enter the body, and I can't use my spiritual consciousness. At least it doesn't hurt, and I can't feel anything. It's not a bad thing."
Yan Yanshu knew he was telling the truth, but he remained serious. "A shattered soul isn't a simple injury. If there's a gap or something gets lost, it'll be troublesome. You can't leave me."
"Am I a fragile bottle? It's not that easy to make a chip on it."
Yan Yanshu refused to give in.
"Okay, okay, I won't leave you. How about I be your pendant or your follower? Or I can be your scabbard. You can carry it with you wherever you go, and I won't have to do anything."
He was talking about Qianyuan or Qiwu. These two fine swords were put into the space magic weapon that Yan Yanshu carried with him and were not taken out.
But Yan Yanshu didn't know what he was thinking about. His ears turned red and he turned his face away, not looking at him: "Take care of yourself. I will take care of you."
Well, what a great bodyguard and nanny, Cheng Xiaozong is really doing charity. Lu Yinche stroked his hair and did not agree to his request. He said yes, and only then did he get the freedom to move on.
The path extends out from the Wine Fragrance Valley and goes into a stone cave behind a hill. It looks like a hollowed-out tunnel, but no one knows who built it. It is hidden and not very tight, with only some wild grass and shrubs covering the entrance.
Yan Yanshu used his spirit to explore the way and said there was a way out at the other end, and it wasn't a dead end. Lu Yinche went in and felt the air was a little damp, maybe it was connected to an underground river.
The cave was winding and twisting, and they hadn't walked far before they saw the light outside. Yan Yanshu thoughtfully held out his hand to shield Lu Yinche's eyes, making it easier for him. Lu Yinche thanked him, and Yan Yanshu squeezed his hand in response.
Weirdly intimate.
After coming out, before he could take a look at the whole outside, Lu Yinche saw some blue-gray stones at his feet.
It was the old friend again, the Soul Locking Stone. He kicked it, his face confused: "When did this kind of mineral vein appear in Nanjun?"
Yan Yanshu shook his head and answered him that he had never heard of it and that it must have been transported from somewhere else. However, these stones looked only roughly polished, unlike those in Yaocheng that were made of evil magic and mixed with human blood.
Lu Yinche let go of the rocks. Before him lay a compacted dirt road. It wasn't wide, just the kind of common country path, but it was definitely different from the ones outside. It was well-traveled, with no signs of abandonment. The sides of the road were clearly well-maintained, with grass and trees planted in a regular pattern, interspersed with seasonal flowers. It must have taken some careful planning. The path extended to another mountain not far away. A stream cascaded down from the top, forming a multi-tiered waterfall, washing over the stone walls before converging into a small stream.
There is a bridge over the stream, and next to it is a thatched courtyard with flowers and plants, which looks very familiar.
"Is there a barrier?" Lu Yinche narrowed his eyes, unsure.
The colors and seasons inside are similar to those outside, but the exquisite feeling here must be maintained by someone.
Yan Yanshu sensed it and said, "It's just the formation operating, it's not isolated."
They walked along the road, and the more they looked, the more familiar it seemed.
Lu Yinche slapped his head and said, "I've dreamt of this place!"
"Hmm?" Yan Yanshu tilted his head and waited for his explanation.
Lu Yinche hesitated.
It was the absurd dream he had outside Yaocheng. He couldn't say that he dreamed of Yan Yanshu wearing a red dress and wedding gown, and calling him "husband" as soon as the veil was lifted. It was so embarrassing.
So he only vaguely told about his dream and the room where the letter "Written by Ming Ye himself" was placed.
Yan Yanshu said, "You dreamed of this valley, maybe you have been here before."
"You said I was here again, forget it, I don't remember anyway--" He suddenly realized that Yan Yanshu had said this several times, and there might be something hidden in his words, hinting at something, "You mean--"
Yan Yanshu nodded.
Lu Yinche understood and took a few steps forward to see if the yard was just like his dream. The arrangement of the flowers and plants was indeed exactly the same, even the fences seemed to be the same, ugly in a strange way. The craftsman who had made it had a lot of room for improvement.
The room had a door and a window, but unlike in the dream, the door was ajar and the layout inside could not be seen.
After getting Yan Yanshu's approval, Lu Yinche walked forward and knocked on the door gently. Just as he was about to push the door open, he heard a sound like a jar being slammed onto the table.
Anyone there?
Even Yan Yanshu frowned, obviously he didn't notice it and didn't think about it.
A man walked out of the house. His hair and beard were all white, but he had a childlike face, which was very different.
Lu Yinche was startled: "Master?"
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