Zhao Rong was a little surprised, but seeing that everyone's eyes were focused on him, he did not refuse the request of this academy scholar. He took out his gray pipe and handed it over.
In fact, before this, he had assumed that this gray pipe was his trophy.
As if he had also seen through Zhao Rong's thoughts, Sima Duyi shook his head and said, "Don't worry, I'm just taking a look. This thing... seems to be quite similar to something in my memory, whether it's the magical power you described or its appearance."
As he spoke, he lowered his head and looked at the gray pipe carefully. After thinking for a moment, he took out a communication jade token from his bosom.
Sima Du closed his eyes, seemingly communicating with the academy to confirm something.
After a moment, Sima Duyi suddenly opened his eyes and said directly:
"This is the falling sword bag."
Zhao Rong raised his eyebrows, but was not too surprised, because he already knew the name of this strange gray pipe after refining it with the help of the transparent woman.
I'm just not very familiar with its origin and magical powers, and I haven't used it yet...
He looked at the expressions of Zhu Yourong and others around him without any expression.
I found that everyone seemed very surprised and astonished, their eyes were all on the gray pipe called "Luojiandai", as if they couldn't understand why it appeared here.
Before Zhao Rong could continue to be curious, Sima Duyi's voice came again.
"There is only one Falling Sword Bag in the entire Wangque Continent, and it is in... Weiwei Mountain."
Zhao Rong was stunned. Could it be that there were more than one of these gray pipes?
Is it a set of rare treasures?
Or is it a replica of a divine object that once left a great reputation in the world of cultivation?
As if seeing Zhao Rong's doubts about the treasure he was carrying but didn't realize it, Zhu Yourong explained softly:
"Strictly speaking, the birthplace of the Falling Sword Bag is the North Sea of our Wangque Continent. It is a rare treasure that originated from the North Sea. It was made by ancient immortals on the sea using fallen wood from the North Sea. It took mortals six generations of time..."
"I heard that there are nine swords in the world, with different colors and qualities. The sword bag you are looking at is dark gray, and its rank should be in the middle, not the highest, nor the lowest."
Zhao Rong couldn't help but take a look at this ordinary gray pipe.
Does it have brothers and sisters?
He suddenly remembered the image of a strange island forest shrouded in gray mist that appeared in his mind when he had just refined the Falling Sword Bag... Sword cultivators at sea could not fly over it.
Is this the fallen tree?
Such a large forest, but now it seems that it has only been made into nine small sword bags by ancient immortals?
Zhao Rong pondered and murmured, feeling that there were indeed fewer of them, but it was also easy to see how precious and rare they were.
At this time, Yan Jidao nodded and continued:
"Mr. Zhu is right. However, even a sword-falling bag of the lowest rank can become a treasure of many great immortals in the mountains."
He stroked his beard and said in a more serious tone:
"Because this falling sword bag is extremely powerful against sword cultivators in the world, at a critical moment, it can restrain the sword cultivator's life-defining flying sword, greatly reducing the fighting power, and can really cost the sword cultivator his life... Therefore, every falling sword bag is registered by Tai'a Sword Pavilion. It records which forces or individuals have it, how it is traded, and whether it changes hands. Everything is recorded in the book."
"Moreover, they are listed as foreign treasures that are prohibited from entering the human race. In particular, they are strictly prohibited from entering the Monster Desolate Gate in Kundu, West Fuyao Continent..."
Inside the palace.
Meng Zhengjun frowned and shook his head, saying, "There are only nine of these rare treasures in the world. I remember that the Fuyao Electorate Palace in Kundu has a very high-quality one, and there are also a few in Zhongzhou... The rest are almost all in Tai'a Sword Pavilion and Nan Xiaoyaozhou."
The so-called rare treasures have special magical effects and may not be suitable for mainstream cultivators. However, for a certain type of cultivator, or when they fall into the hands of a certain type of cultivator, they are extremely powerful, such as the sword bag in front of everyone.
Meng Zhengjun frowned and turned to look at Sima Duyi with a puzzled look:
"This falling sword bag really shouldn't appear in our Wangque Continent. Although this is the birthplace of this rare treasure, the nine falling sword bags that were born in the North Sea have long been snatched away by forces from other continents over the years. I remember that there shouldn't be any in our continent. What do you mean by there being one in Weiwei Mountain?"
Sima Duyi shook his head and said:
"Weiweishan purchased a falling sword bag from Nanxiaoyaozhou by chance. This matter is relatively secretive and happened quite a long time ago."
"It is well known that in the north of Wangque, Weiwei Mountain and Xinran Sect do not get along well. The two families have many grievances. Xinran Sect has many sword cultivators, and recently many geniuses from Taiqing Xiaoyao Mansion have joined. Weiwei Sect is uneasy, so it has been collecting things that can restrain sword cultivators everywhere."
He paused, looked at the small gray pipe, and narrowed his eyes coldly. "There was an old family in Nan Xiaoyaozhou that had declined. They wanted to sell a sword bag that was treasured in the family at auction. This matter was also approved by Tai'a Sword Pavilion... After hearing the news, the deputy mountain master of Weiwei Mountain went to Nan Xiaoyaozhou to bid for it."
"But I heard that the competition was very fierce. Although Weiwei Mountain is the largest sect in the north of Wangque Continent, the immortal forces in Nanxiaoyao Continent who want the Luojian Bag are also not simple. Logically, it should not have been Weiwei Mountain's turn to obtain it. But then the two largest sword tombs were enemies and they competed with each other to raise the price, causing the Luojian Bag to fail to be sold several times. The competition was endless, and neither side would let the other get it..."
"In the end, we had to compromise. After many twists and turns, it fell into the hands of the deputy mountain master of Weiwei Mountain from the neighboring continent and was registered by Tai'a Sword Pavilion. For Weiwei Mountain, this is also a big surprise."
"So the falling sword bag has become a sect's important weapon and has been kept inside the mountain gate. It's rarely used, but it's used to intimidate the Xinran Sect. A secret weapon is more intimidating when not in use than when in use. So, few people on the mountain other than the two families know about this."
Everyone nodded.
The atmosphere in the hall fell silent.
Their eyes finally fell on the small gray pipe in front of them at the same time.
So the question is, is this Falling Sword Bag the one that the Weiwei Sect treasures? If so...
Meng Zhengjun waved his sleeves and said in a deep voice: "How did this sword bag from Weiwei Mountain appear in the hands of the thieves who attacked and killed the students of our academy?"
Everyone was silent.
There is another question here, that is, is it necessary to use the Falling Sword Bag to kill a small Confucian scholar in the Fuyao realm?
So is this a coincidence, a deliberate arrangement, or even a frame-up?
Zhao Rong rolled up his sleeves and muttered "Weiwei Mountain" in his heart.
He was very familiar with the name of this great northern sect, but Zhao Rong was unfamiliar with the monks of Weiwei Mountain.
Unlike Xinran Sect, because of Qingjun, he knew Senior Sister Ning who served as the elder of Xinran Sect.
In my impression, the monks of Weiwei Sect seem to have always been very low-key in the mountains, while the big businesses that handle their business in the mountains are the opposite. Their business is spread all over the continent, and they even run intercontinental ferries, which is a big business that requires strength to back it up...
Sima Du thought quietly for a moment, made a decision, and spoke.
He is the direct disciple of the deputy headmaster of the academy and a scholar. Although Sima Duyi is half a generation lower than Zhu Yourong, Meng Zhengjun and other teachers in the academy, this investigation is secretly led by him and he represents the deputy headmaster.
"We have almost finished investigating this incident here, and the follow-up clues are clear. I will make arrangements for the next trip."
Everyone can agree.
Sima Duyi turned his head and said, "Mr. Yan, please go to the Wei Dynasty to investigate the family behind Qin Jianfu... Follow this line of inquiry... Find out what Qin Jianfu went through after escaping death, and whether there was any 'expert' to help him..."
"Mr. Meng, the academy has a lot of assessments to do recently. As a principal, it is not suitable for you to go too far. Then stay here and continue investigating Zhang Huizhi. Also, keep an eye on the Dali royal family..."
"As for me... I will take the teacher's place and go to Weiwei Mountain."
Meng Zhengjun and Yan Jidao nodded.
Sima Duyi moved his eyes, but his gaze steadily passed over Zhu Yourong without arranging any tasks for her.
He looked at Zhao Rong and handed the sword bag back directly. This belonged to this Junior Brother Zhao. Linlu Academy never had the reason for its students to return things when they were wronged.
"Junior Brother Zhao, if there is nothing else to add, then you should return to the academy first. The exam is not over yet, and your studies are more important. I will leave the follow-up matters to my senior brother and the other teachers."
Zhao Rong nodded, took the sword bag and put it away again, "Thank you, Senior Brother Sima, Mr. Yan, and Mr. Meng. I will take my leave now."
Sima Duyi suggested again: "Be careful on the road, but you can also ask Mr. Zhu to take you back, which will be safer."
Zhu Yourong knew that this was just a suggestion. She certainly would not go back with Zhao Rong, and Zhao Rong would not mention it either.
Because he has a wife and the protection of a second-rank warrior named Li Bai, he doesn't need her protection anymore.
Besides, the misunderstanding was cleared up yesterday, and the two of them have started to be more cautious about the difference between men and women, unlike before when they were close friends who ignored gender and were casual and intimate.
However, Sima Duyi didn't know this and his words were only spoken out of good intentions.
At this time, Zhu Yourong and Zhao Rong didn't look at each other, but nodded tacitly, knowing that there would be nothing for them to do next.
They all turned around, left the hall and entered the dark tomb passage.
Zhu Yourong and Zhao Rong walked one after the other in silence for a while.
Wait until you are away from the main hall.
Inside the dark tomb passage.
A woman suddenly said, "I'm leaving."
The calm man nodded without replying, and did not even care that the woman walking in front of him could not see his nod at all.
He lowered his eyes, rolled up his sleeves and walked forward, as if he was thinking about something again.
The woman in Confucian robes in front seemed to have something to say. She suddenly stopped and turned around.
A man named Zhao was walking in a trance and didn't react for a moment, so he didn't have time to brake.
You must rush headlong, recklessly, with great force and with a stern look, into the vast and gentle ocean ahead.
At this moment.
Zhao Rong had only one thought in his mind.
No way, it's so ridiculous? Besides...
Will I suffocate to death?
Inside the dark tomb passage.
A breast murder is about to happen.
Someone suddenly felt that it would be a good idea to be suffocated to death before being beaten to death by Mr. Zhu.
However, the next second, the man with his head rushing forward suddenly stopped.
Of course, it didn't crash into the buffer zone that was as soft as marshmallow, but hit the target accurately and bloodily.
A jade hand suddenly appeared between him and her.
When it was about to touch, it immediately stopped the momentum of 'the students rushing towards the canteen without hesitation'.
Mr. Zhu put his jade hand on the bad student's dog head as he rushed forward.
She looked at him expressionlessly.
It seems to be saying...Little Ziyu, what are you thinking about?
Well, according to Mr. Zhu's habit of asking questions, the word "想" here should have two meanings.
Zhao Rong: “…”
Not long.
The two of them adjusted their distance back to a safe distance in a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
"Ahem, thank you."
Zhao Rong lowered his head and straightened his clothes.
This time the distance was farther.
He actually felt that it was not entirely his fault. First of all, in this dark and narrow tomb passage, why did Zhu Yourong stop and turn around for no reason?
Isn't this a sting operation?
Secondly, the radius of Zhu Yourong’s son’s cafeteria was too large. If it was a normal cafeteria, he would have been able to brake in time and not go in.
And if it was Jingzi, Zhao Rong estimated that he could leave one more step of distance after braking.
Absolutely safe.
So sometimes a smaller canteen not only saves food and fabric, but also saves trouble.
However, Zhao Rong was unable to share and popularize this new ideological awareness with Zhu Yourong at this time.
At the moment, his thoughts had no focus and were wandering aimlessly.
Whatever you think of is there.
It has been like this since morning. All day long, Zhao Rong was in a daze and distracted from time to time.
Zhu Yourong didn't give him time to explain.
She said directly: "Tzuyu, what are you thinking about?"
Zhao Rong shook his head and said seriously, "I really didn't mean to do that. I didn't know you were going to stop. Sorry, I almost bumped into you. I'm so rude..."
"No." Zhu Yourong couldn't help but interrupt.
She pursed her red lips and looked at him.
How could she be angry about him almost falling into her arms? How could she be angry with him for something like this?
"I'm asking you what's going on in your mind right now. I felt something was wrong with you when we met this morning. You seemed to be absent-minded when we were talking just now, and you were careless about important things."
Zhu Yourong lowered her head a little.
Although the two have always been close friends, have a great understanding and often communicate with each other, Zhu Yourong could not understand his mind today and did not know what Zhao Rong was thinking.
Even when they were walking just now, the two people who used to have a tacit understanding almost bumped into each other, just like one person tripping over his left foot and his right foot.
She raised her head, "Also, you said this morning that you couldn't use the elixir of immortality, and even wasted it... What does that mean?"
Zhao Rong tilted his head and reached out to touch the rough and cold tomb wall. "Zhu Yourong, what do you think...what is the purpose of your life?"
The woman in the Confucian robe didn't even think about it and blurted out: "It's a waste of food, a waste of cloth, and I'll teach you how to do things."
Zhao Rong: “…”
Not to the extent that...
I didn't expect that such a broad-minded woman would hold such a grudge.
At this time, Zhu Yourong raised his eyebrows, "So, you have been thinking about this question? What is the purpose of your life?"
Zhao Rong heard this and thought about it seriously.
He nodded and then shook his head.
Zhu Yourong said seriously, "There is nothing wrong with this question itself, but when you really think about it, then you have a problem. And when you have a problem, everything you see, hear, and think about is problematic. Ziyu, I suggest that you don't think about anything now, go home immediately, have a good sleep, or focus on writing, reading, or chatting with Sister Lingfei and Sister Qian'er. Sleep when you are tired, and you will be fine when you wake up."
"After waking up, I continue to deceive myself that my current life is interesting and I like it very much, and then continue to hold Qingjun Qian'er in my arms and live a happy life as a lovely wife and beautiful concubine?" Zhao Rong smiled.
Zhu Yourong frowned, "Ziyu, what do you mean?"
"Nothing, I just feel... a little boring."
Zhu Yourong was a little angry, and said seriously, "Zhao Ziyu, are you saying that you are bored with the two childhood sweethearts who loved you so much and dedicated themselves to you? What about Xiaoxiao? Is it the same? Are you tired of playing with her? Why... why are you like those unfaithful men who get bored with the old and love the new?"
She said every word.
Zhao Rong had no doubt that if he dared to nod, Zhu Yourong would beat him up severely in the next second.
"That's not what I meant."
Zhao Rong calmly shook his head, "It's not that I think Qingjun and Qian'er are boring, and Xiaoxiao is the same. They are all the best women in the world. It's just that I think the current life is boring. Because of my selfishness, I trapped them and bound them around me, making them lose their spirituality and freedom."
He raised his head and looked directly at the woman in the Confucian robes, and said sincerely:
"They shouldn't be like this. They were originally very good women, but because of me, they became humble, fragile, suspicious and jealous... Yesterday they even misunderstood you and me and were jealous for no reason... They weren't like this... They shouldn't have ended up living like this."
Speaking of the latter part, Zhao Rong turned around, looked at the long dark tomb passage, and murmured softly.
"Zhao Ziyu!"
Zhu Yourong frowned and said bluntly:
"If you feel that the life you have now with them is not what you want, if you feel that their current appearance and personality are not what you want to see, then go and change them! Change this kind of life! What's the point of just avoiding and perfunctorily doing things?"
"You are the head of the family, you are their beloved husband, you are their heaven, is there anything you can't say honestly? Is there any change you can't work hard to make? The person in this world who can change them the most is you!"
"This life and days are shared by the three of you, and you are a man, so you live with them!"
"How can you break up now and leave them with a boring and dead look just because you feel that your life is boring now?"
The woman in the Confucian robe became angrier as she spoke. She stared at Zhao Rong:
"Look into my eyes, Zhao Ziyu, look into my eyes... You don't even have the sense of responsibility to work hard to change their lives and lead them to a good life, so why do you marry them and let them give their hearts to you?"
Zhu Yourong suddenly reached out, grabbed his sleeve and pulled it closer.
"This is not the Zhao Ziyu I know!"
Their eyes met, and she said seriously:
"The Zhao Ziyu I know is the one who will face challenges head-on and solve them.
"Teaching calligraphy in Ruxing Hall and Zhengyi Hall is one thing, leading the companions to successfully hold the Fengshan Ceremony is one thing, and standing on Qin Jianfu's corpse in the dark underground palace is one thing!
"Rather than being intimidated, confused, and drifting with the flow."
Zhao Rong looked at her in surprise.