Chapter 16 The Ups and Downs of a Turbulent World, The Play of Immortality 2: I feel like you're not quite up to the task...
In a secluded alley in Yun Street, the gate of a small courtyard with blue bricks was ajar. Several strings of dried chili peppers and corn hung under the eaves. The stone slabs in the courtyard were clean, and a neat stack of firewood was piled in the corner. A speckled hen was scratching at the ground.
Agou stood outside the house and called out, "Grandma Wang, Grandma Wang!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than rustling footsteps came from the backyard. Granny Wang, carrying a vegetable basket, swept her over sharply and asked, "What is it?"
Ah Gou presented a small wooden statue: "Grandma Wang, I found this in the temple."
Granny Wang took it with trembling hands, and the wooden statue suddenly opened its eyes, turning into golden light in her hands.
A blue mist floated in the courtyard, and Mingying smiled as she revealed herself from the halo, dressed in a moonlit gown: "Queen Zhu, you are devout, I am the Moon Goddess, and I now hear your prayers."
Xiao Jingze, dressed in black, stood behind her: "I am a servant of the Moon Goddess, awaiting your decree."
Upon seeing this, Wang Zhu took two steps back, dropping the vegetable basket in his hands, his lips trembling: "A deity... a deity has appeared!"
She swayed, and Agou steadied her. Xiao Jingze glanced indifferently at Mingying, who then "floated" into the room, her voice ethereal: "Wang Zhu, your wish has reached my ears. To trace its origin, you need something to rely on, attendant—"
Xiao Jingze paused for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Yes."
"Give me his token to see."
Mingying's expression was solemn and aloof, like the melting snow on the summit of a snow-capped mountain, and her appearance was exactly the same as that of a deity.
After she finished speaking, she looked away somewhat guiltily. The lines that Xiao Jingze had made her read sounded really off; it was like two thugs robbing someone.
But Xiao Jingze said that's how immortals act, and since he was willing to be her servant, Mingying read it aloud anyway, hoping that the old lady wouldn't throw Xiao Jingze out with a broom.
Xiao Jingze's gaze slowly swept over the furnishings in the room, lingering for a moment on the vegetable jar in the corner before turning to Granny Wang, his face expressionless: "Granny Wang, if you want to trace the whereabouts of your child, you need something to connect the truth and the falsehood, to verify the truth of life and death."
Agou also looked at Granny Wang. Granny Wang did not immediately take out her "relics" with tears of gratitude. Her cloudy eyes stared at the "Moon Goddess". The Moon Goddess was dignified and her eyelashes trembled slightly.
Granny Wang muttered to herself, "So be it, so be it."
She walked shakily to the vegetable jar, took out an object wrapped in blue cloth, and placed it on the table: "This is my son's belongings."
Mingying kept her eyes lowered and didn't move. Xiao Jingze stepped forward and lifted the blue cloth, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Wang Huan's belongings were actually a sword.
The sword gleamed with a pale purple light, indicating it was a well-maintained sword. Xiao Jingze's gaze darkened slightly as he lifted the hilt and reached out to examine it. It turned out to be a sword bound by a contract.
This matter became more complicated. Xiao Jingze presented the sword with both hands. Mingying pretended to look at it for a while, then said with an air of superiority, "I know where he is. All I need to do is have the servant lead the sword into the Realm of Return to Nothingness, and he will return within five days."
Wang Po hesitated as she looked at the two of them. Ming Ying smiled faintly and met her gaze calmly and gently.
After a moment of silence, Granny Wang's lips moved slightly: "I believe in the fairy."
Xiao Jingze originally thought he would have to use more words, but he didn't expect the trip to go so smoothly. He glanced at Wang Po with a complicated expression, then turned to Ming Ying, who had a calm expression. It seemed that the goddess's appearance and aura were indeed intimidating.
He sheathed the sword in his storage ring, secretly cast a spell, and the two disappeared from the house amidst the rising mist. Granny Wang looked at Agou, who was huddled against the wall fidgeting with his fingers: "Do you know who these two are?"
——
At the highest point of Baifeng Tower, Mingying sat opposite Xiao Jingze, staring at the sword on the table: "Didn't you say that the compass could find Wang Huan's location, or has it been too long to find him?"
Xiao Jingze tapped his fingers on the table and changed the subject: "Did you know that people and swords can form a bond?"
Mingying nodded: "I know that. Has this sword also been bound to a contract?"
Mingyan and her Bixiao Sword formed a pact. On the day of the pact, Mingyan was very proud and kept humming at her all day.
Xiao Jingze slowly said, "Sword cultivators form a bond with their swords. As long as one is alive, the sword will remain. As long as one is willing to investigate, one will know that Wang Huan is still alive."
He looked at Mingying, who had her head hanging low: "In other words, from the time Wang Huan disappeared until now, no one in the Shen family has investigated his location, and they have directly judged him to be dead."
Mingying frowned: "But not everyone in the Shen family is a cultivator. How could a mortal who sent the relics know that this sword is unusual?"
"This is the strangest part of the matter—Wang Huan is a cultivator, so the person who can control him must be more powerful than him and could not possibly be unaware of this. Why would he deliberately or casually leave this sword behind?"
Mingying rested her hands on her forehead: "Why? Because he knows no one can find Wang Huan through this sword? Or does he not care whether Wang Huan will be found by us?"
She looked up: "Can't even a compass pinpoint the location?"
Xiao Jingze circled the compass needle: "There's only one situation where the compass can't locate the position."
——
Ah Gou was suddenly called out. She looked left and right, then scratched her face. The two of them left in a flash, leaving her alone to continue acting!
She cleared her throat: "Uh... Granny Wang, you know that I'm the one who discovered the Moon Goddess Temple, right?"
Wang Zhu watched her silently, while A Gou forced herself to continue her fabrication: "Back then, I made a wish to the gods, and the wooden statue actually fell out of the shrine! Amazing, isn't it, hehehe..."
Wang Zhu smirked, "Heh, I didn't see it then, but now I do? You deliberately let me hear what you said in Yun Street, didn't you? You've been putting on this show for so long, going to all this trouble to fool this old woman, all for the Shen family... I've waited until now, and Huan'er is finally saved..."
Ah Gou's scalp tingled. What? They're targeting the Shen family? Isn't this just a coincidence? Brother Xiao and Sister Ming never said they were looking for that Granny Wang from Yun Street!
——
"It's the Four Directions Spiritual Veins... You mean, the Four Directions Spiritual Veins of the Huai River have also encountered problems?"
Mingying still remembers the trip to Liuzhou. The damage to the spiritual veins was no small matter. It seems that the situation in other areas is not optimistic either. Could this be a coincidence?
Xiao Jingze looked at her with a half-smile: "Miss Ming, what have you thought of this time?"
"I'm wondering whether my grandmother only learned about the Four Directions Spirit Veins after I arrived, or whether she discovered them before I arrived."
"Regardless of Shen's intentions, the most crucial aspect of these matters lies in the spiritual veins of the four directions, which will be readily apparent upon investigation."
"But why would the Shen family do these things? They have no reason."
Xiao Jingze toyed with the gold ring in his hand, his eyes dark: "Not finding it doesn't mean there's no reason. This matter is getting more and more out of control, but the Shen family seems to be enjoying their leisure time and hasn't done anything about it."
Mingying smiled slightly at him: "Look, now half of the Shen family is willing to take care of it."
Xiao Jingze looked at her expressionlessly: "The Shen family is inextricably linked to this matter. Miss Ming is quite magnanimous, able to laugh so happily."
Mingying's smile faltered slightly, her lips flattening out. The two usually cheerful people faced each other expressionlessly, the air momentarily still. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting shadows on their faces, one side dark and the other light.
After a long silence, the two of them smiled at the same time. Xiao Jingze put his sword back into his storage ring and looked out the window: "Let's go now."
Mingying also turned to look out the window. Two orioles were chirping in the tree. She stood up and asked, "You mean, just leave?"
Panting, A-Gou ran up to the rooftop, banged on the door, and shouted, "Brother Xiao! Are you there? Sister Ming?"
There was no response from inside. A-Gou pushed open the door and rushed in, but the room was empty and there wasn't a soul in sight. She grabbed her hair, thinking, "It's all over. Brother Xiao, Sister Ming, will they ever come back?"
——
Jueying moved through the forest, the wind rustling through the treetops. Xiao Jingze had never ridden with anyone before, so he didn't think much of it at first. But as he held the saddle, it was as if he were holding her in his arms, and he could smell the fragrance of her hair.
The distance was too intimate; Mingying's hair brushed against his face countless times, so Xiao Jingze chose to pull back a little.
Mingying leaned back with him.
She didn't know what Xiao Jingze was thinking; she only felt dizzy and nauseous. She had always been fine riding horses recklessly in Yunchuan, but now she felt like she was being tossed around, and could only try to stay close to Xiao Jingze to keep herself steady.
Xiao Jingze moved back a little, and she moved back a little too. Xiao Jingze was driven to anger by her teasing, so he reined in his horse and turned her face towards him: "Are you doing this on purpose?"
Mingying, still dizzy, had her cheeks pinched by him. She shook her head, trying to say something, but before she could speak, Xiao Jingze quickly released her. She fell back into his arms with a thud: "...I'm dizzy...Why don't you knock me out and wake me up when we get there..."
She rubbed uncomfortably against his collar. Xiao Jingze looked up at the sky, a lump in his throat that he couldn't let out. Why did he bring this sickly girl along?
Mingying, with her eyes closed, tugged at his sleeve and pointed to her head: "Quick, knock me out."
Xiao Jingze was so angry he laughed. He looked at the top of her head with an inscrutable expression and put a sleeping talisman on her forehead.
Mingying fell asleep peacefully.
Mingying woke up refreshed, peeled back the talisman blocking her view, and found herself lying on horseback, surrounded by ancient trees. She looked around and then at Xiao Jingze, who was leaning against a tree: "Have we arrived?"
Xiao Jingze didn't look at her, tossed the gold ring in his hand aside, and said bluntly, "We're here. Come down and look for it."
Mingying dismounted and casually patted Jueying's head. She was amazed that he even possessed such a magical artifact. What kind of carefree life did Xiao Jingze lead?
Xiao Jingze didn't even want her to touch it, so he stingily put it away and strode into the woods.
Mingying jogged to catch up, somewhat puzzled: "Are you angry? I wasn't angry with you before, so why are you angry now?"
Xiao Jingze paused, then turned around and hugged Mingying tightly again. Mingying covered her forehead and took a few steps back: "Why did you suddenly stop again?"
Xiao Jingze really didn't know what to say, and only felt uncomfortable all over: "You..."
Mingying looked at him sincerely: "Aren't we partners? If there are conflicts, we should speak up so that they can be resolved."
Some word seemed to have struck a nerve with him, and Xiao Jingze turned away, refusing to speak to her again.
Mingying was very lively after her nap. Even though Xiao Jingze suddenly became mute, she kept chattering: "Is this an array? You're so amazing, you know so many things."
After a while, she said again, "Didn't Mingyan find the boundary markers very quickly last time? You were so slow. Mingyan is much better."
Seeing the two of them spinning around in place, Mingying tilted her head and said, "I think we should have Mingyan come and help. I don't think you're very capable."
As Xiao Jingze listened to her gradually demote him and approach her step by step, he said, "I said, Miss Ming—"
His lips curled slightly, and every word he spoke carried an invisible sense of oppression. Mingying suddenly felt a chill from him and took a few steps back to keep her distance. Xiao Jingze quickly leaned in again, and the two of them moved one in front of the other until Mingying's back hit a tree trunk, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.
Mingying smiled brightly: "Young Master Xiao is magnanimous and will surely not hold it against me."
Xiao Jingze brought his face close, his breath spraying against her ear. Mingying felt her ear was very itchy and couldn't help but reach out and scratch it.
Xiao Jingze chuckled, making Mingying feel uneasy. She quickly softened her tone, saying, "Young Master Xiao, I was wrong. You were busy and I even poured cold water on you. Could you please..."
Can you please stop having this attack?!
She was just saying it in her heart when Xiao Jingze lifted his eyelids and said, "Oh? Miss Ming is very clear about what she has done."
Mingying guiltily looked away, but she wasn't wrong. She had been wandering around in the woods for ages, her knees aching, and she still hadn't found the key point of the formation.
But she didn't have much of an aura right now, so she tried to negotiate with him: "How about I do it?"
Xiao Jingze raised an eyebrow: "Why are you here?"
Mingying answered seriously, "Go in the direction Mingyan went last time."
She simply lacked spiritual power, but she remembered the formula.
Xiao Jingze straightened up: "Then you do it."
Mingying rubbed her ears, which seemed a little hot. She calmly put her hands down and cleared her throat: "Then I'll give you directions."
Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, casting dappled shadows as the two walked through the woods, the light shifting between light and shadow, the fallen leaves rustling beneath their feet.
Mingying quietly observed each tree, then tugged at Xiao Jingze's sleeve and wandered around aimlessly.
Xiao Jingze was pulled to the left by her one moment and to the right the next. He spoke sarcastically, "Is this what you meant by 'you do it'?"
Mingying ignored him. Cultivators can use changes in spiritual energy to determine direction when breaking through an array, while mortals cannot sense spiritual energy and will not know they are wrong if they go the wrong way. However, every time Xiao Jingze sensed something was wrong, Mingying would lead him in a different direction.
Xiao Jingze let her lead him, staring at the back of her head with an inscrutable expression: "Did you learn formations at the Ming family?"
Mingying responded with a soft "hmm" and then pulled him in another direction.
Xiao Jingze didn't know how to evaluate the Ming family's actions. A group of cultivators were actually idly making mortals learn formations. He didn't know if it was because of the title of goddess, or if they simply assumed that everyone had to learn.
Mingying's movements were slow and hesitant, which made Xiao Jingze impatient. Just as he was about to pull her back, Mingying excitedly grabbed him and ran into the depths of the forest. In a small clearing, four boundary markers stood quietly in the center, their runes settling silently through the years in the leaking sunlight.
A note from the author:
----------------------
I forgot to type the 'z' when I was typing, and I typed Xiao Jingze as Little Brother Jin. I have to say, this title is quite fitting. [Yuanbao] Calling him Jin Jingze seems pretty good too?
Mingying (with an approving look): I also think it's good; it suits Prince Xiao's temperament very well.
Little Jin: Hehe.
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