Chapter 6: Wuweilou Brings Wealth from Five Paths, Granting All Wishes
Pei Xueyi's entire face was scrunched up, but her appearance was so delicate and cute that even with this expression, she still looked quite playful.
She stuck out her tongue and said, "It's so dry, how many more days do we have to eat this stuff..."
Xie Jiming immediately took out his water bottle and hurriedly handed it to Pei Xueyi.
The young girl said softly, "Thank you, Xiao Xie, but I won't drink it."
Her gaze shifted to Pei Xuexiao, and her deliberately softened voice became even more coquettish: "Brother... how long are we going to keep traveling? Can I have some honey water?"
Xie Jiming took back the kettle, looking somewhat embarrassed.
He was usually very attentive to Pei Xueyi, and Pei Xueyi's attitude towards him had also become much closer in recent days.
However, they were clearly not close enough for the pampered young lady to accept his kettle, especially since there seemed to be a better option at the moment.
Jiang Geyun patted the crumbs off her hands, rewrapped the remaining dry rations, and prepared to eat them for the next meal.
Hearing the three people talking, she showed no outward reaction, but was secretly pondering.
She knew that things like rice and chicken blood were used in exorcism rituals, but what was honey used for?
If she remembered correctly, honey generally symbolizes sweetness and prosperity, and is used more in sacrificial rituals... Could it be required for a soul-summoning ceremony?
"Calming tea" before the soul-summoning ceremony?
Jiang Geyun looked at Pei Xueyi, who seemed to have expected it. Seeing the look in her eyes, she suddenly gave her a sly smile.
It seems this Night Watcher is no ordinary person.
How did I end up in the harem...?
Should we...?
But what if they really did it voluntarily...?
Jiang Geyun pondered for a moment and decided to hold back and observe the situation before making any further moves.
She is now in dire straits herself, and needs help from others more than she needs to help others escape their fate.
Pei Xuexiao's cold voice was tinged with helplessness, clearly having anticipated that her younger sister would come up with this idea. She frowned and scolded, "Don't you know why you brought the honey?"
After saying that, he glanced at Jiang Geyun casually, and then lectured Pei Xueyi: "Even the suspect is more self-aware than you."
Jiang Geyun was indeed indifferent to the taste of food; she had no desire to pursue gourmet food, since she didn't have much time to devote to eating on weekdays.
If I had to pinpoint her food preferences...
She prefers foods that are convenient and easy to eat, and that are nutritious enough to prevent her from getting sick and spending money. If she were to transmigrate to a future interstellar world, she would be happy to consume something called nutrient solution.
but……
Thinking back to Pei Xuexiao's low, scrutinizing question from horseback not long ago: "Did you do this on purpose?"
Jiang Geyun was puzzled and asked, "What do you mean by 'deliberately'?"
His voice drifted over lightly: "You know your own talent, and you deliberately disrupt the ceremony at a crucial moment."
Not entirely correct, Jiang Geyun laughed.
After thinking for a moment, she leaned forward slightly and whispered, "Will Lord Pei kill me? Can you kill me?"
At that time, they had just set off and Jiang Geyun had not yet witnessed how Pei Xuexiao easily dealt with some bandits or monsters that blocked their way when the four of them were traveling at high speed.
If you have already witnessed the opponent's strength...
She can still say that.
With the princess's decree, Pei Xuexiao certainly wouldn't dare kill her now, so there's nothing to be afraid of.
No, not.
The two had not spoken for a long time since that encounter.
Jiang Geyun would naturally be happy to let Pei Xuexiao suffer a setback at this moment.
She raised her hand and replied in a flat tone, "Honey water? I'd like some too."
Pei Xueyi was sullenly stuffing the dry food she had barely eaten back into her pack.
Upon hearing Jiang Geyun's words, she jumped up and exclaimed, "Right, right!"
Pei Xuexiao saw through Jiang Geyun's deliberate act and said coldly, "Since that's the case, then you two can dream together."
After he finished speaking, without even realizing it, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed.
The three men's banter allowed Xie Jiming to quietly withdraw the awkwardly offered water bottle.
The potentially tense atmosphere has been completely dispelled.
The four men tidied themselves up, mounted their horses, and continued their journey.
Overall, riding with Pei Xuexiao wasn't as painful as Jiang Geyun had imagined.
The saddle is wide enough that, unless the ride is too bumpy, the two people's bodies will not come into contact.
Moreover, Pei Xuexiao not only has an exquisite and beautiful appearance, but she also wears a light fragrance that is as clear and cold as snow water.
After ignoring some factors, the experience was actually pretty good?
While lost in thought, Jiang Geyun asked the system, "At this rate, how many more days until we reach the capital?"
There are 94 days left until she is eliminated by the system.
Jiang Geyun once asked Xie and Pei, "Isn't there a faster way to travel?"
Pei Xueyi told her that she did have friends.
If prepared adequately, the Nightbringer can use the ritual "Borrowing a Path Through the Underworld":
By entering another world through a ritual at the starting point, and then finding the correct exit in that world to leave, one can directly reach the destination.
However, this method carries certain risks.
Given their current abilities, the three of them can use this route to enter another world, but whether they can find the correct exit or return alive is another matter entirely.
Anyway, there's no rush. The princess has given us plenty of time, enough for the four of us to ride back to the capital.
Aren't you in a hurry? Yes, you are.
After all, not everyone has a sword of Damocles hanging over their head.
Jiang Geyun thought with a bittersweet smile, "What do you mean by 'deadline'? This is the real deadline."
The system's response was also somewhat weak:
[It is expected to take another 10 days.]
Yes, this guy even has feelings of helplessness, which shows how rich his emotional system is, almost like a person.
Mingming's voice was a mechanical, emotionless tone.
Then, the mechanical voice suddenly changed, taking on a provocative tone:
[Host, you also want to get to the capital quickly, right? The main villain, Prince Su, is definitely in the capital right now. Once we're there, the mission progress will definitely be much faster!]
[Ding-dong! System suggestion: Why not ask Xie Jiming for help to increase your travel speed?]
The system's intention was clearly not to ask Xie Jiming himself for help, but rather to the "old man" behind him.
Good suggestion; she knew this thing wasn't human.
Jiang Geyun, of course... is not prepared to adopt this suggestion.
It doesn't take much effort to deduce that if that "old man" knew that Jiang Geyun knew of his existence, he would definitely try to eliminate her as a potential threat before helping her.
Only when she possesses the strength to engage in dialogue with him on an equal footing will she truly have the right to negotiate with him.
This is difficult...
Ignoring the grumbling, useless system, Jiang Geyun grabbed the fabric of the person in front of her from behind and gently tugged at it: "Lord Pei, how far is the nearest place to stay? Let Miss Xueyi rest for a while."
Landing on the last light-colored horse, the girl, who was not good at riding, looked miserable again, her hands gripping the reins tightly, leaving red marks.
After leaving Yunshui Temple, we didn't encounter any rainy days along the way.
The four of them traveled at full speed without taking a long break, so it's normal for a young lady like Pei Xueyi to feel uncomfortable.
Pei Xuexiao's movements seemed to stiffen slightly, but it was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible before she quickly returned to her original rhythm.
Jiang Geyun heard his voice coming from ahead, sounding somewhat muffled: "We'll be there soon."
*
When they reached a point where they could clearly see the specific shapes of the rows of houses in the town, the four of them dismounted.
Pei Xueyi kept saying she wanted to come down as soon as she saw the smoke from the chimneys in the distance, but Jiang Geyun persuaded her with the proverb "looking at a mountain makes you run to death," so she had to pout and persist for a while longer.
At that moment, her feet finally touched solid ground, and she immediately cheered.
Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel where they could finally rest, Jiang Geyun sighed and said to Pei Xuexiao, who was comforting the horse, "Thank you."
Pei Xuexiao didn't turn around to look at her, still focused on tidying up the saddle, and replied indifferently, "Don't flatter yourself, the itinerary was arranged this way."
Jiang Geyun had no interest in continuing the conversation with him, so she casually replied, "Thank you anyway," and quickened her pace to catch up with Pei Xueyi, who had already reached the front of the group.
Xie Jiming led the horse for Pei Xueyi. The girl first stretched out her arms and ran forward a few steps like a bird released from its cage. In the end, she was too tired to run anymore and started walking briskly, rubbing her waist.
Seeing Jiang Geyun follow, Pei Xueyi pointed energetically to the mountain behind the town: "Ayun, it should be faster to cross the mountain from here!"
The town is nestled against the mountains and beside the water, with a wide official road on one side. In early summer, the distant mountains look like creamy tops sprinkled with matcha powder, a lovely sight.
It was still early, and the wind that swept past them carried the warmth of the day, but it wasn't hot; it was a gentle, pleasant breeze.
Ever since hearing Su Guang call Jiang Geyun that during the soul-summoning ceremony, Pei Xueyi has also started calling her "A-Yun".
Jiang Geyun wasn't used to Pei Xueyi calling her that; she didn't think the two of them were that close.
However, since she had already called him that, and the atmosphere was just right, she felt unusually relaxed and replied, "I hope so."
Clearly, Jiang Geyun's luck had not improved.
Once inside the town, the four immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Outside the town, the sky was clear and there was no sign of fog.
But once you enter the town, it feels like stepping into another space.
As the four walked, a thick white fog began to spread, and the surrounding temperature plummeted.
The road was deserted, with only the sound of horses' hooves lightly tapping the pavement.
Fog again?
Do the monsters here always appear with the fog?
Pei Xuexiao pulled Pei Xueyi, who had walked ahead in excitement, back. Jiang Geyun, who was beside Pei Xueyi, also slowed down. The four of them gradually moved closer together.
Pei Xuexiao took out the bronze mirror from her bosom and frowned as she looked at it.
Jiang Geyun glanced at Xie Jiming, who also looked somewhat bewildered.
However, the confusion quickly dissipated, turning into a kind of... thoughtful look?
Is the main character up to his clever trick again?
Seeing Jiang Geyun's gaze directed at Xie Jiming, Pei Xuexiao coughed lightly a few times.
The three of them turned to Pei Xuexiao at the same time, waiting for his judgment.
Pei Xuexiao said, "There's nothing unusual. It's probably just ordinary fog. If we find someone in town to stay with, the fog should dissipate by noon tomorrow at the latest."
Jiang Geyun nodded along with the other two.
The marks of the shackles on his neck remained silent.
Even though he wasn't as "powerful" as Xie Jiming's "old man," he still harbored deep suspicions about her for some unfounded reasons.
But Pei Xuexiao couldn't possibly be unable to distinguish between normal fog and the work of demons and ghosts.
It can't be that bad... right?
"Huh?"
Pei Xueyi suddenly let out a soft, questioning sound.
Jiang Geyun glanced at her sideways, waiting for her reaction.
Jiang Geyun's two memories are of little use here.
Therefore, she also noticed the thing by the roadside, but since she didn't know whether it was normal or not in this area, she kept quiet.
Seeing Pei Xueyi staring at the thing with a puzzled look, he was certain that his intuition was right; the thing was indeed strange.
Those things—no, strictly speaking, those things—were found at the entrance of every household in the town. They were small shrines, like miniature earth god temples, about waist-high to an adult.
Compared to Chinese-style temples, they are more like roadside shrines in Japan. There must be eight million gods to worship in order to have so many temples.
Out of curiosity, Pei Xueyi went straight to a small temple and bent down to examine the interior. Pei Xuexiao quickly stepped forward and opened her mouth to reprimand her.
Pei Xueyi had already finished her exploration. She straightened up and pointed at the temple, saying, "The statues inside all look the same. The way the temple is set up here is so strange."
Pei Xueyi strode forward, slapped her sister's hand away, and said sternly, "Don't speak recklessly! And put your fingers away. Have you forgotten what the Supervisor taught you?"
Pei Xueyi paused for a moment, then awkwardly withdrew her finger and explained, "I'm sorry... this must be some low-class fairy, it's alright."
Through the gap between the brother and sister, Jiang Geyun saw what the statue looked like.
The sculptor's skill was mediocre, so the statue was naturally not very lifelike. However, it was clear that the statue was of a young man with a solemn face, and his clothing was deliberately elaborate.
Not only were the clothes elaborate, but the surroundings also seemed to completely disregard the beauty of negative space, with layers upon layers of stone-carved bats, children, snakes, and rats as decorations, as if every imaginable element had been added to this "deity"...
An evil god? Not necessarily.
Jiang Geyun recalls that bats, snakes, and rats also have positive connotations in folklore.
The words "May wealth come from all directions, and may all your wishes be granted" are written on the left and right sides of the temple.
The bricks and tiles used to build the temple were dilapidated and old, but the paint on the statues looked as if it had been freshly painted, extremely bright and strange at first glance.
Even more bizarrely, the statue's lips and eyes were painted with a dark red color, completely obscuring the original color of the stone sculpture.
Looking at the statue's lowered eyes, Jiang Geyun felt a chill run down her spine...
Is this dark red color really pigment?
Xie Jiming suddenly said, "Miss Jiang, do not act rashly."
Jiang Geyun looked up and saw that Xie Jiming looked somewhat embarrassed for disturbing her. He said in a low voice, "I was worried that Miss Jiang might accidentally break a taboo, so I reminded her."
Pei Xuexiao was still lecturing her younger sister: "Listen to what you're saying, 'a nobody fairy'? So what if you're a nobody fairy? How come I didn't know that the 'Heron' level Night-Shining Immortal was arrogant enough to look down on immortals? If you really anger an unknown being, you'll suffer the consequences!"
Pei Xueyi muttered something like, "Being worshipped doesn't necessarily mean you're a deity," and was stared at by her brother for a long time before reluctantly admitting her mistake.
After reminding Jiang Geyun, Xie Jiming walked past her towards the two siblings, pointing to the "Five Flavors Restaurant" signboard that was faintly visible in the mist in the distance, and suggested, "Brother Pei, why don't we go take a look there?"
A note from the author:
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Should any adults be able to guess the true identity of this mini-boss? The features are quite obvious, and I didn't deliberately avoid or use any trickery this time, but the direction of the dungeon was still designed by me, hmph! (But will anyone actually guess?)
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