“…”
Xie Lian asked, “Where are the people?”
The three of them entered the small building. It was empty, and the various magical artifacts were still arranged as before, but once the door opened, they were all rendered useless. Xie Lian called out from within the spiritual communication array, "Master Wind Master? Where are you?"
On the way here, because they were in a hurry and Shi Qingxuan was overly excited, Xie Lian took the initiative to suggest that he meditate and calm down first, and stop imagining and talking nonsense, which would scare himself. Shi Qingxuan thought it made sense and gradually became less talkative. It wasn't a sudden silence, so Xie Lian didn't notice anything unusual. But now, no one responded no matter how he called out, and a sense of foreboding crept into his heart. After all, there were only two possibilities: Shi Qingxuan was deliberately ignoring him, or he had lost consciousness.
Feng Shi possessed over ten rare magical weapons, all of them valuable. Xie Lian had used them all to maintain the formation. Nothing could easily break through from the outside. Even if it were possible, as Shi Qingxuan had said, it would take at least three days and three nights, and there would be no chance of it being broken through without signs of force. However, the doors and windows of this small building were intact, and there was no evidence of a tunnel or ladder. Xie Lian retreated to the door, picked up the golden lock from the ground, held it up, and examined it carefully. He said, "He really opened the door on his own initiative."
It was clear that reinforcements would arrive soon, so why would he choose to commit suicide at this last minute? Xie Lian was completely puzzled and asked, "He said he wouldn't open the door to anyone other than us. Why would he do this?"
Ming Yi said in a deep voice, "Maybe he thought it was us who were coming."
Hearing this, Xie Lian suddenly conjured a dim image: three figures appeared outside the small building, resembling himself, Huacheng, and Mingyi, standing outside and knocking. Inside, Shi Qingxuan, ecstatic, rushed out and opened the door, but the three figures outside surrounded him, slowly giving him a strange smile. Shi Qingxuan dropped the golden lock at his feet and never picked it up again.
He quickly shook his head and said, "No. I've never heard of Baihua Zhenxian being able to transform and disguise himself."
Mingyi said, "Maybe it has found other helpers."
Xie Lian thought about it, then rejected the idea. "The events we encountered today were all sudden. We hadn't anticipated the creation of a formation like this to protect Master Wind. It shouldn't have been able to find the demonic aid so quickly. Besides, didn't we tell Master Wind that we'd notify him within the spirit communication formation when he arrived? We can easily tell if the outsider is genuine or not by asking. How could we be so easily fooled?"
At this point, Xie Lian was suddenly stunned and muttered, "Unless someone he knows told him to open the door."
Mingyi asked, "Someone familiar? How do you know?"
At this time, Hua Cheng said: "He blocked his ears and couldn't hear anything."
Xie Lian grabbed him and said, "Sanlang, well said! That's why I said it must be someone familiar. Master Feng has his ears plugged up, so he can't hear any sound from the outside world! Unless he takes his earplugs off, but would he? He's too scared to do that. So, if we want to trick him into opening the door, there's only one way."
Spiritism!
Xie Lian quickened his pace and said, "In other words, during the time we were here, someone secretly communicated with Master Wind Master, saying something to him that caused him to open the door. If they weren't familiar with him, they wouldn't have known Master Wind Master's communication password, because the priest's password is strictly confidential and not easily known to outsiders, let alone demons and monsters like Baihua Zhenxian. And he must have trusted this person very much, otherwise he wouldn't have opened the door and left without thinking twice."
Hua Chengdao: "Or maybe, he doesn't know this person, but this person knows him very well, and gave him a reason that forced him to open the door."
Xie Lian seriously considered this possibility and said, “In theory, as long as we know the spiritual communication password, we can convey information to Master Feng. But wouldn’t Master Feng be surprised if a strange voice suddenly spoke to him? As soon as he heard it, he would probably tell us right there in the spiritual communication array. Unless, the mysterious person communicating with him shocked him with the first words he said. But what could they be?”
Mingyi asked, "Threat?"
Xie Lian asked, “How could I threaten you? ‘If you don’t come out, I’ll tell your brother I’m back to haunt you?’” He immediately rejected the idea, “Not really.”
The Immortal Baihua might not understand Shi Qingxuan's concerns. Furthermore, it wasn't a priest, so how could it immediately alert the water master to its presence? Reinforcements would arrive in half an hour, so Shi Qingxuan wouldn't be so impatient to wait even half an hour. Finally, whether that creature could defeat the water master remained a question. Don't forget, it had never harassed Shi Wudu, only targeting Shi Qingxuan, picking on the weak. Perhaps it was also deeply wary of the water master and wouldn't dare to provoke him.
Mingyi said: "Finally, find another half an hour."
Xie Lian understood what he meant and nodded, saying, "Alright. If we still can't find him after half an hour, no matter how much Master Wind objects, we'll definitely notify Master Water. Let's split up! We'll go this way, and Master Earth will have to trouble you over there."
Mingyi turned and left. Xie Lian, while running to find someone, continued to call out to Shi Qingxuan from within the spiritual communication array, but there was complete silence. Huacheng asked, "How is it?"
Xie Lian shook his head and said, “No reaction at all.”
The ominous shadow in his heart grew thicker and thicker. He searched every room in every building one by one, and was about to search all the houses nearby. However, there was no trace of the ghost.
Soon, the two found the tallest pavilion in the area. This pavilion was clearly the centerpiece of the area, the central building, renovated countless times and magnificent. Many of the walls were inscribed with poetry. Xie Lian looked up at the plaque that read: "Pouring Wine Platform," and couldn't help but wonder, "'Young Master Pouring Wine'?"
Hua Chengdao: "Yes, this is the original location of 'Young Master Pours Wine'."
Xie Lian looked at him and said, "So it really is related?"
Hua Cheng said, "Yes," and then he briefly explained it to him. Legend has it that when Shi Qingxuan was a human, after cultivating his Dao, he often drank here, sleeping drunk on the high platform, feeling incredibly happy and at ease. One day, a bully who frequently exploited the locals and bullied innocent people appeared downstairs. Shi Qingxuan, observing this from upstairs, casually poured the wine from his glass downstairs. Using a small magic trick, the wine landed squarely on the bully's head, knocking him unconscious. Later, Shi Qingxuan was appointed a general by Shi Wudu, but he still loved the human world and continued to drink here. On the day of his ascension, he was drinking here as well.
Ascending to heaven while drinking may sound a bit absurd, but it is actually nothing. Sometimes opportunities come at such inexplicable moments. Xie Lian flew while he was sleeping in a dream. Perhaps in the future there will be priests who ascend to heaven while going to the toilet. It will definitely become a wonder.
In short, literati and poets have always been drawn to places steeped in legends and stories, often finding inspiration to write poems and express their yearning for the divine. Xie Lian understood: this place was a scenic spot. With no tourists this evening, tomorrow, many would be horrified to discover houses and trees blown away, exclaiming that the wind master had appeared.
However, this scene of "Young Master pouring out his wine" was quite different from what Xie Lian had originally imagined. At this moment, he heard Hua Cheng say in a deep voice, "Brother, I'm going to take care of a small matter first. Be careful here, I'll be back soon."
Xie Lian thought, “What’s going on?”
Thinking of Hua Cheng's angry voice when he was communicating with the spirit just now, coupled with his unfriendly expression at the moment, he guessed, "Are you going to look for that Baihua Zhenxian?"
Hua Cheng paused and said, "No."
Since that's not the case, then there's no need to ask any more questions. Xie Lian nodded and said, "You came here to have fun, and now you have something else to do, so just go. Just be careful."
Hua Cheng said, "Hmm." After a pause, he added, "When I come back, I'll tell you something."
Xie Lian was startled and blurted out, "What's the matter?" However, Hua Cheng had already disappeared.
Half an hour later, Xie Lian, still finding nothing, said from within the spirit communication array, "Master Geomancer! How are things over there? I haven't found anything here and am heading back."
Mingyi also said: "No!"
Xie Lian said, “No, I can’t stand this any longer. Let’s meet at the center of the wine-drinking platform. I’ll go tell the water master now.”
After saying this, he immediately recited Lingwen's spiritual command and said, "Is Lingwen here? Can you find the water master? Please tell him that it is urgent and he needs to come to the wine table to see him!"
A clear male voice echoed in his ears. It seemed that Ling Wen was now a man. He said, "Your Highness? The Admiral is here with me. He doesn't like to go out, so he probably can't come down. What do you want to talk to him about? I can tell him."
By this time, Xie Lian had almost returned to the main building of the wine-drinking platform. From afar, he spotted something hanging outside the platform. It looked like a piece of white cloth, fluttering in the night breeze. Xie Lian was stunned, thinking, "Was this thing there before?"
Walking closer, he finally saw clearly - wasn't that the outer robe that Shi Qingxuan was wearing?
At this time, Mingyi shouted from within the spiritual formation, "Your Highness! Come to the highest building of the wine-drinking platform immediately! Quick!!!"
Xie Lian shuddered. Ling Wen said from the other side, “Your Highness? Are you still there?”
Xie Lian said, “Have him come down quickly! Master Fengshi is in trouble!”
After shouting this, he rushed upstairs. There was no sound from the other side. Ling Wen was probably frightened by his words and hurried to tell Shi Wudu. And on the high floor, in the middle of the ground, there was a person lying. It was Shi Qingxuan.
Shi Qingxuan's eyes were tightly closed, his body bare of wounds and blood. Another person, Mingyi, helped him to his feet. Shi Qingxuan sat up unconscious, and something fell from his arms. Xie Lian's heart tightened as he took a closer look. It was the Wind Master's fan, split in two. Such a rare and incomparable magical weapon was something one could only come across once, perhaps even after hundreds of years of refinement. And yet, it was the Wind Master's premier magical tool, and yet it had been destroyed like this!
Xie Lian said, “We were here just now, and there was clearly no one there!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed something else was wrong. When he and Huacheng had come here before, the walls had been inscribed with numerous verses from scholars and poets—some graceful, some frivolous, some dignified. Now, they were all gone, as if wiped away with the force of a finger. Only one sentence remained, eight large characters in blood-red regular script that hadn't been there before: "No good beginning, no good end!"
It was the day when Shi Qingxuan was born that the True Immortal Baihua gave him his verdict!
At this moment, Ming Yi suddenly asked, "Your Highness, where is the person you are with?"
Xie Lian was stunned, thinking, "Oh no! San Lang is leaving at this time!"
As soon as he wasn't around, Shi Qingxuan got into trouble. It was hard to explain. However, Xie Lian remained impassive and said seriously, "I've asked him to help me find the whereabouts of the White-Talking Immortal."
Mingyi asked, "When did he leave?"
Xie Lian remained calm and said, “Just now. He’s been gone for no more than half an incense stick of time.”
In reality, the time would certainly be much longer. But Xie Lian had no doubts about Hua Cheng, and he certainly couldn't afford to give others the opportunity to doubt him and cause trouble.
At this time, there was a faint sound of thunder from the sky. It turned out that there was a golden chariot with eight riders in the night sky, breaking through the clouds and coming towards this side with great momentum.
Unable to use the teleportation technique to reach the Qingjiu Terrace, Shi Wudu had instead arrived in a golden chariot. You have to understand that this bronze-horse-drawn golden chariot makes a grand entrance. If any mortal, lost in thought, were to witness it late at night, gazing at the stars, it would undoubtedly cause a commotion in the mortal world. Shui Hengtian truly was fearless. Seeing the golden chariot approaching with such force, Xie Lian immediately said, "Master Earth Master, if a priest questions you later, please do not mention City Lord Hua, okay? Many priests in Heaven are quick to exaggerate and fabricate stories when they hear he's involved. This matter has nothing to do with him. Don't oversimplify a complicated matter."
Mingyi glanced at him and said, "Okay." She agreed without hesitation, lowering her head to continue checking on Shi Qingxuan. Xie Lian breathed a sigh of relief, but upon seeing the motionless Wind Master, his heart sank.
The golden carriage rumbled and rumbled, and soon, it landed on the ground, trailing a trail of auspicious smoke and clouds. Outside the carriage were a group of minor priests, and three senior priests got out of the carriage. They were Shi Wudu, Pei Ming, and Lingwen. Three of the top ten priests of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet came at once. Of course, Xie Lian had long forgotten that he was the top of the top ten. Shi Wudu frowned, lifted the hem of his clothes, and got out of the carriage with a sullen face. He went upstairs holding a water master fan, and Pei Ming and Lingwen followed him. When Shi Wudu saw his brother lying on the ground like a dead man, his face suddenly changed. He rushed forward and said, "Qingxuan? Qingxuan! What's going on?"
Xie Lian said succinctly, "Master Feng has encountered the True Immortal Baihua."
“…”
Shi Wudu said in disbelief, "What did you say? Baihua Zhenxian?"
Upon hearing these four words, not only Shi Wudu, but Pei Ming and Lingwen's expressions changed as well. It seemed they had long heard of Shi Wudu, their grave concern. Observing the three men's expressions, Xie Lian couldn't tell if anyone was pretending or secretly delighted; they all looked perfectly natural. Especially Shi Wudu; there was no way he was being fake. Lingwen pulled a pile of bottles and jars from his sleeves and said, "Feed them one by one."
Pei Ming said from the side: "Your Highness, it's you again."
Xie Lian said, “It can’t be helped. There are only a few people going back and forth to Heaven.”
Pei Ming said, "It seems like every time I see you, you're always connected to someone else. Is this going to be the case this time?"
Xie Lian said calmly, "No, no. Of course not."
He lied with his eyes open, and Mingyi, true to his word, remained silent. Pei Ming stopped talking, waved his hand, and led his priests to investigate the surroundings. So, Hua Cheng's departure was actually a good thing; at least he wasn't there. Shi Wudu couldn't wake Shi Qingxuan, but he accidentally glanced at the eight blood-red characters on the snow-white wall, and his face twisted.
His face turned paler than the wall, and he seemed to be shaking with anger. He shouted, "Who wrote this? Who wrote this?!"
Although he was drinking, his voice was trembling slightly. At this moment, Ling Wen said: "Master Fengshi has woken up!"
Xie Lian immediately squatted down and said, "Master Fengshi?"
Sure enough, Shi Qingxuan slowly opened his eyes. Shi Wudu pushed everyone else away and said, "Qingxuan? How are you? Is there something wrong? Who hurt you?"
Shi Qingxuan was stunned for a long moment before he gradually came to his senses. The first thing he saw was Shi Wudu's face. The next moment, something unexpected happened.
He pushed Shi Wudu away, holding his head and screaming wildly: "Ah ...
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