Chapter 437 Two Incense Sticks of Resurrection
When Yu Sui first arrived in Xiangshui Village, he heard that the village had produced many geniuses in previous years. These geniuses were discovered by Taiyi instructors who were traveling and were eventually sent to Taiyi Academy for cultivation.
Several families became very wealthy as a result, and moved to the town or city to live a prosperous life.
Yu Sui also heard many familiar names, such as Wan Qi, Pu Heng, and Ling Jian.
The reason the two stayed in Xiangshui Village for so long, besides recuperating from their injuries, was to see what was so special about this remote and impoverished village that it could produce so many highly talented sorcerers.
The mountains surrounding Xiangshui Village are rich in the five elements, and all things in the mountains grow naturally. Over time, this has made it a suitable place to nourish those who lack the five elements.
Wan Qi and his group are like ginseng essences nurtured by the sun and moon in the mountains; they are not only one in ten thousand, but their time has come.
“They’ve been in Taiyi for many years. I saw them come back four or five years ago.” Zhao Xiang followed behind Yu Sui, trying hard to recall what had happened before. “I remember one year when Brother Aheng came back, he even brought some pastries from Taiyi to our house. I think they were called something… anyway, they were delicious!”
"They haven't come back in the last few years."
Yu Sui asked, "Is the brother you're talking about named Pu Heng?"
Zhao Xiang: "It's him! Instructor Xiaoyu, do you know Brother Aheng too?"
“Yes, I know him. Don’t the villagers always talk about him? They say he’s the genius and pride of Xiangshui Village,” Yu Sui said with a smile. “The person who just passed by was your brother Aheng.”
"What?" Zhao Xiang was completely stunned. "How could it be Brother Heng? I... I didn't see anything clearly!"
Yu Sui said, "He was covered in blood, how could you not see it?"
Just now, Wan Qi carried the heavily injured Pu Heng on his back, using the Wind Control Technique to move at high speed, making it look like they were fleeing for their lives.
"I really didn't see it clearly!" Zhao Xiang raised her hand to swear, then suddenly a thought struck her, "But Instructor Xiaoyu, how do you know what Brother Aheng looks like?"
Yu Sui: "I already said, I know him."
Zhao Xiang was full of questions, but her intuition told her not to ask any more.
As you venture deeper into the mountains, you can hear the chirping of unknown insects and the warning sounds of wild animals at night. Even during the day, the elderly villagers who have lived in Xiangshui Village for decades dare not venture so far into the mountains.
The blind man's agreed-upon meeting place was under a ginkgo tree at the southeast corner of the mountain. This area was littered with many enormous, withered trees, some taller than an adult lying on the ground. They formed a towering wall of trees, obstructing the view, and people had to climb over these fallen, dead tree remains to reach the ancient ginkgo tree.
Holding a dagger, Zhao Xiang climbed up the withered tree trunk, prying at the remains.
She is not yet proficient in using the wind manipulation technique.
After Yu Sui helped her climb up, she handed her the black cloak and made her put it on. "What is this?" Zhao Xiang asked, clutching the cloak. "The fabric is cool and soft, and it feels very comfortable to the touch."
"A black robe can prevent others from seeing what you look like." Yu Sui looked ahead. "After all, some important people will be coming tonight."
Zhao Xiang wrapped herself in a black trench coat, covering herself completely, with only her bright eyes showing.
She didn't care who the important figures were coming tonight; all she wanted was to avenge her parents.
The three hid not far from the ancient ginkgo tree, and soon, figures approached rapidly from different directions.
The figure used a wind-riding technique to leap over the withered tree trunk and arrive at the ancient ginkgo tree. Wan Qi put down the injured Pu Heng, hurriedly walked to the ginkgo tree, squatted down, and pressed one hand to the ground to transmit the coded signal to the ground.
Golden incantations flashed across the ground and sank into the earth, along with Wan Qi's cold sweat dripping onto the ground.
Zhao Xiang stared at the scene in disbelief.
How could it be them!
Zhao Xiang grew up in Xiangshui Village and had met Pu Heng and Wan Qi. Especially Pu Heng, he heard that when he was a child, he got lost in the mountains and was rescued by Zhao's father who went into the mountains to hunt. From then on, Pu Heng would come to the Zhao family to give gifts and help to express his gratitude during festivals.
In Zhao Xiang's memory, Wan Qi and Pu Heng were very good friends. They often hung out together, and Wan Qi was usually there when Pu Heng came to help at the Zhao family's house.
In her great shock, Zhao Xiang cautiously looked at Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu's expressions, only to find that the two of them had calm expressions, their emotions hard to discern.
Upon noticing Zhao Xiang peeking, Yu Sui looked back at her with a half-smile.
Zhao Xiang wanted to tell her about the relationship between Pu Heng and Wan Qi, but then she remembered that Yu Sui had said she knew them, and she didn't know what to do for a moment.
Just as she was about to speak, Yu Sui made a shushing gesture at her, and Zhao Xiang immediately shut up.
The ground trembled, and Wan Qi suddenly turned around to see a thin man emerging from the soil. Only half of his head was visible, and his eyes looked like those of a rat searching for food in a garbage dump. The blind man sized up Wan Qi: "You are the distinguished guests from Taiyi?"
"We've given you the money and the code, don't you want to hand over the goods?" Wan Qi asked, panting.
He looked tired and anxious.
The blind man chuckled, puzzled. "Why wouldn't they deliver the goods? That guy over there seems to really need them."
Wan Qi glanced at Pu Heng lying to the side, and just as she turned back to the blind man, she heard the girl angrily shout, "You bunch of poisonous rats! Die!"
His expression hardened, but then a dark figure flashed from the side and lunged at the head in the ground. The gleaming scimitar made Wan Qi retreat and create distance.
Mei Liangyu asked Yu Sui, "Didn't you tell her how to cover her voice?"
Yu Sui shrugged: "I forgot."
The blind man had intended to disappear underground, but Zhao Xiang's strike forced him out of the ground. He tumbled in the air and landed angrily, shouting, "Who did you bring?!"
Wan Qi: "Me?! It's you!"
The voice sounds like that of a harmless young girl. What does it have to do with him?
"Give me back my parents' lives!" Zhao Xiang attacked fiercely, her killing intent obvious.
Upon hearing this, the blind man recalled the family the lame man had killed a month ago when he went mad, and exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing here, you brat!"
He remembered that the only surviving girl from that family was a simpleton; how could she have the audacity to seek revenge against him! Besides, he hadn't killed the girl's parents!
Zhao Xiang had only studied for a month, and her skills weren't even at the beginner level. She couldn't even touch the blind man's clothes. However, for some reason, when the blind man faced this child, his body felt as heavy as a mountain, and he was even unconsciously sealed by his five elements energy! He couldn't even use half of the nine-rank techniques!
"Who are you?!" the blind man asked in terror, but Zhao Xiang stabbed him with a knife, and he fell to the ground with a scream.
Wanqi didn't know why the blind man was being beaten so badly by a little girl who was clearly not even a novice, and was even pinned to the ground and relentlessly attacked, screaming in agony.
"You brat! I didn't kill your parents! What revenge are you seeking from me for!"
"Grandma, I'm begging you! I'll apologize to you!"
"Ancestors! I really didn't kill your parents!"
The blind man realized that pleading with Zhao Xiang was useless; the girl was frantically stabbing him with a knife. He screamed and yelled at Wan Qi, "Get this crazy girl away! I'll give you the goods! The person next to you is going to die if you don't give him the medicine soon! Do you want to watch us all die together?!"
Wan Qi was about to step forward to intervene when he was stopped by a gust of wind.
He turned around abruptly, but the person who had attacked him was nowhere to be seen.
The blind man wailed, "What are you still standing there for?!"
Wan Qi then asked, "What kind of people have you offended?"
"Who else?!" the blind man cried out in anguish. Before Wan Qi could make a move, Zhao Xiang pounced and plunged a knife into his throat. His small eyes widened in shock, blood gushing from his throat as he fell straight to the ground.
"Wait, don't die!" Wan Qi rushed forward. "You take the goods first..."
Zhao Xiang flung open the hood of her cloak and glared angrily at Wan Qi: "You actually cooperated with these damned poisonous insects!"
Wan Qi was stunned when he saw Zhao Xiang: "Zhao Xiang? What happened to you..."
"They went mad because of the orchid poison and killed my parents. I never imagined that Brother Heng and you would actually go looking for these poisonous insects to buy medicine!" Zhao Xiang was furious, her eyes red as she glared at Wan Qi. "How can you do this to yourself..."
“Zhao Xiang! It’s not what you think!” Wan Qi took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. “I didn’t know that the blind man killed your parents. He deserved to die, but Pu Heng is also dying from the effects of the orchid poison. He can’t die yet.”
"Why did Brother Heng also..." Zhao Xiang froze, her hand gripping the curved knife trembling with anger. She shouted, "You poisonous insects all deserve to die!"
Driven mad by hatred, the young girl raised her knife and lunged at Pu Heng. Wan Qi flashed forward to stop her, grabbing Zhao Xiang's knife-wielding hand, but spoke to the unseen figures around them: "Don't manipulate an innocent girl and hide behind her! If Wan Guiyue sent you to kill me, there's no need for all this. Just come out and do it!"
After hearing this, Yu Sui could roughly guess what was going on.
The Kingdom of Dan was controlled by the Mechanical Masters, and the royal family was almost entirely wiped out, leaving only a puppet monarch driven mad by the strange fire. Pu Heng's dream of returning to the country to participate in politics was shattered, and somehow he got involved with Wan Guiyue.
It is estimated that he knew Wan Guiyue's identity as a former member of the Xuan Kui Hundred Bandits and used this to threaten her, which resulted in Wan Guiyue chasing after him.
As for why Wan Qi insisted on saving Pu Heng...
Yu Sui was not interested.
Wan Qi now has only two choices if he wants to use Lan Du to save Pu Heng. The first is to persuade Zhao Xiang to help him retrieve Lan Du from underground using Shenji Meitu. The second is to kill Zhao Xiang and inherit Shenji Meitu to retrieve the medicine himself.
"Let me go! No one is controlling me, can't I avenge my parents? If these poisoners hadn't come to the mountain to sell you medicine, my parents wouldn't have died!" Zhao Xiang cursed angrily.
Wan Qi asked her in a low voice, "Who taught you those lowly arts?"
"I won't tell you!" Zhao Xiang struggled free, easily breaking free from Wan Qi's grasp. Wan Qi, on the other hand, felt a heavy force slamming into him, forcing him to let go.
"The person who taught you the Nine Schools of Arts is here too, isn't he?" Wan Qi raised his hands and faced Zhao Xiang. "Zhao Xiang, this is a matter of life and death. Even if we don't count Pu Heng, there are people waiting for Lan Du to save their lives."
Zhao Xiang: "You're lying to me! How could Lan Du possibly save someone!"
Wan Qi knew that Zhao Xiang might not be able to make the decision, but he wouldn't do something like killing Zhao Xiang to steal the Divine Mechanism Technique. After failing to persuade Zhao Xiang, he raised his voice and said, "I only need two Soul-Returning Incense sticks! You can take all the rest of the Orchid Poison!"
Zhao Xiang believed that Wan Qi was also a poison addict addicted to orchid poison. She was both anxious and angry. Suddenly, she stopped swinging her knife, her eyes blazed with golden light, and she gradually lost consciousness.
"Zhao Xiang?" Wan Qi was alert, but then he saw Zhao Xiang suddenly disappear into the ground.
Who is hiding behind the scenes?
Wan Qi focused his mind on sensing his surroundings, releasing the Five Elements Qi to expand its range, but failed to detect anything unusual.
"What did you do to Zhao Xiang..." Before Wan Qi could finish speaking, Zhao Xiang used her divine magic to appear and threw out the two sticks of resurrection incense in her hand.
Wan Qi reached out and caught it, watching as Zhao Xiang's eyes regained focus.
Zhao Xiang looked at what Wan Qi was holding, then at her own hands, and asked incredulously, "How did you get the Orchid Poison?"
Wan Qi felt a chill run down his spine. Was this the Heavenly Secrets Absorption Technique of the Ghost Daoist School, or the Heavenly Secrets Talisman of the Daoist School? Or perhaps the Heavenly Secrets Technique of the Yin-Yang School or the School of Names? He couldn't tell for a moment, but he was certain that Zhao Xiang's consciousness had been controlled and she had done something against her will.
"Thanks!" Wan Qi took the things and immediately left with Pu Heng.
Zhao Xiang wanted to chase after her, but Yu Sui called her back.
"They ran away with the orchid poison!" Zhao Xiang said urgently.
Yu Sui said, "There's still a lot of orchid poison underground. What do you plan to do about it?"
Zhao Xiang stared wide-eyed and said, "Of course, we'll give them all to Yu Lansi!"
"When Yu Lansi asks you where the orchid poison came from, what will you answer?"
Zhao Xiang: "I snatched it from the blind man!"
"Then they'll know you have the Divine Strategist Technique but not the Earth Technique. What if they secretly kill you and steal the Divine Strategist Technique?"
"Then I'll fight my way back!" The young girl brandished her scimitar. Tonight's battle had boosted her confidence, making her feel invincible.
Yu Sui replied, "If it weren't for the paper puppet helping you catch the blind man tonight, you would have died long ago."
Zhao Xiang's confidence was shattered.
"I knew it was Instructor Xiaoyu who was helping me!" But Zhao Xiang quickly cheered up, thankful that someone was there to help her.
Yu Sui smiled at her and said, "Then you go and tell Pu Heng to give the rest of the orchid poison to Yu Lan Si."
"Why?" Zhao Xiang didn't understand.
"Didn't that person just say they had their reasons? Let's see if they really only want two sticks of the Resurrection Incense, or if they want them both."
Zhao Xiang nodded: "Okay! If he wants them all, then I... I'll hand him over to Yu Lansi! But Yu Lansi also has his accomplices, what should we do?"
"Then let's get rid of Yulansi's accomplices as well."
Zhao Xiang nodded repeatedly. She was never a well-behaved child; she loved to play and was adventurous, daring and yearning for a thrilling and adventurous life.
Tonight, she killed the blind man to avenge herself. Her heart was pounding like a drum, and her whole body was filled with excitement. Although she was driven by anger to attack Wan Qi, Yu Sui's next words made Zhao Xiang's heart restless and excited again.
Not far after Wan Qi took Pu Heng away, he lit the Resurrection Incense and fed the dying Pu Heng the Orchid Poison.
Pu Heng's five fingers twitched as he clenched his clothes, immersed in the feeling of being filled with the five elements. His body was rapidly repairing itself while he was also extremely reliant on the power of the Soul-Returning Incense.
After the incense sticks burned out, Wan Qi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Pu Heng had stopped convulsing and was gradually regaining his complexion and vitality.
Wan Qi sat down on the spot and asked Pu Heng, who had just opened his eyes and regained his senses, "Are you really not going to leave me any way out? Are you only satisfied when you drag me into all this trouble?"
Pu Heng coughed, his throat dry. One of his eyes was injured and bloodshot. He slowly looked at Wan Qi: "You got the Orchid Poison?"
“Following the code you gave me, I met the person and obtained the Soul-Returning Incense, but…” Wan Qi paused, not telling Pu Heng directly, but instead saying, “Why did we make the deal in Xiangshui Village?”
“It’s remote enough,” Pu Heng said weakly. “The nearby Yulan Division doesn’t do anything serious either, so we won’t be discovered.”
Wan Qi said, "Xuan Kui's men arrived at Xiangshui Village ahead of time. While they were selling medicine, one of them was poisoned and killed Zhao Xiang's parents in the chaos."
Pu Heng was stunned, staring at Wan Qi as if he couldn't believe it.
"No……"
“Zhao Xiang gave me the Orchid Poison.” Wan Qi interrupted Pu Heng directly. “Someone is helping her in secret. Just now, she killed the blind man in front of me and obtained the Soul-Returning Incense using the Divine Mechanism without soil.”
This was nothing short of a fantasy to Pu Heng. Even if the strange fire had burned the blind man to death, it would have been more convincing than Zhao Xiang killing him.
“I’m not Wan Guiyue’s person, but Zhao Xiang knows about the Orchid Poison incident. What do you plan to do now?” Wan Qi asked. “I don’t want to get involved in these messes for you anymore. Just pretend we don’t know each other, like when we were still in Taiyi. I won’t go back to Xiangshui Village.”
"What you want is completely different from what I want."
Pu Heng stared at him blankly: "I thought... you were just enduring it, not that you had really changed. You used to be the one who hated evil the most, you wouldn't hold back, but would directly confront those people head-on, which is why you were targeted by Mu Shiyan..."
Wan Qi, however, said, "People do change."
Pu Heng remained silent, then spoke again, his tone murmured: "Back in Taiyi... I thought that if I just endured it a little longer, we wouldn't be targeted by Mu Shiyan together. If I..."
“There’s no need to bring up the past anymore, it’s all over.” Wan Qi stood up and said calmly, “I paid the price for my overestimation of my abilities, and you were also punished for your forbearance and indifference. From now on, we are strangers. You continue to try to make a name for yourself and become a superior person. I just want to live a peaceful and ordinary life with my family.”
Pu Heng laughed, leaning against the fallen, withered tree trunk. His laughter grew louder and louder, his eyes filled with a sarcastic smile: "Before my talent was awakened, I thought becoming a ninth-rate sorcerer meant becoming a superior person and gaining everything. But after going to Taiyi, I discovered that there are many things in this world that even a ninth-rate sorcerer cannot do!"
"Even the most envied sorcerers are nothing more than ants among the masses. If you don't climb up, you'll be the one trampled to death under your feet!"
Wan Qi remained silent, and in the end, without saying anything, turned and left.
Yu Sui noticed through the Five Elements Light Core that Wan Qi did not give the last stick of Soul-Returning Incense to Pu Heng when he left.
So who did he take it for?
While Zhao Xiang was moving the orchid poison in the field, Yu Sui told Mei Liangyu what he had overheard: "It turns out they have different ideals and brothers have turned against each other. I thought they had some deep hatred between them."
Mei Liangyu said, "Mu Shiyan caused trouble for Wan Qi outside Taiyi, resulting in his sister losing a leg. He only compromised later."
“Pu Heng pretended to be Mu Shiyan’s dog at the time, but in the end he collected evidence and told Dean Wu. This not only made Dean Wu teach Mu Shiyan a lesson, but also made Pu Heng famous by establishing the Qingyun Society and gaining a lot of trust.”
"Now that he and Pu Heng have completely fallen out, who is the last stick of the Resurrection Incense for?" Yu Sui asked Mei Liangyu. "Should we go and see?"
Mei Liangyu raised his chin, indicating that she could go if she wanted.
Judging from Wan Qi's words, he doesn't live in Xiangshui Village, but moved to the city with his family. The Five Elements Light Core can't be that far away, so if Yu Sui wants to know who the second Soul-Returning Incense was given to, he has to follow them personally.
After Zhao Xiangjiang moved all the orchid poison out, she was so exhausted that she collapsed on the ground, staring wide-eyed at the huge boxes in front of her: "How many people will be killed by so much orchid poison!"
Yu Sui handed Zhao Xiang a torch: "Follow the direction the torch points, and you will find Pu Heng."
Zhao Xiang took the torch and was stunned: "Isn't Instructor Xiaoyu coming along?"
“I only said I would help you get revenge, but I didn’t say I would help you deal with the orchid poison.” Yu Sui winked at Zhao Xiang. “You’ll have to figure out what to do next yourself.”
Zhao Xiang quickly got up from the ground: "What if Brother Aheng tries to keep the orchid poison all to himself and kill me!"
Yu Sui smiled and said, "Then shout 'Instructor Little Fish' before you die, and I'll avenge you."
Zhao Xiang couldn't stop Yu Sui from leaving, but she wasn't afraid. After all, she had no parents now and no one to rely on.
She took Lan Du to find Pu Heng, who was still resting in the same spot. Not long after, he saw a little girl wrapped in a black windbreaker, holding a torch in one hand and dragging a large box in the other, climbing up the dead tree and looking down at him.
Pu Heng looked around by the moonlight and only then realized in a daze that what Wan Qi had said earlier was true.
“Zhao Xiang… how could you…” Before Pu Heng could finish speaking, Zhao Xiang interrupted, “Brother Heng, after my parents died, what I hate most are people who are related to Lan Poison. I don’t know why you also became a poison person, but as long as you hand over the remaining Lan Poison to Yu Lan Si, I will trust you and keep it a secret for you.”
Zhao Xiang said, "Wan Qi said you have your reasons, so I'm willing to give you a chance to believe in you."
Following Yu Sui's instructions, she spoke to Pu Heng word by word: "But you have to tell me how you were poisoned by the orchid, why you were trading with the blind man in the village, and who is Wan Guiyue that Wan Qi mentioned? Is she his relative?"
Pu Heng laughed and said, "Why don't you tell me first who's hiding behind the scenes helping you?"
Zhao Xiang pointed the torch at the box and threatened, "If you don't tell me, I'll burn all these orchid poisons right in front of you!"
Pu Heng feared that she might act impulsively and actually burn the orchid poison, which would mean they would both die here.
“Alright, I’ll tell you.” Pu Heng took a deep breath, propped himself up on the ground and sat up, his voice low. “The Wan Guiyue he mentioned is one of the twenty-four saints of Taiyi, a Legalist saint, and also the former Taiyi Hundred Bandits of Xuankui, the mastermind behind the Orchid Poison business.”
"After the last Taiyi Hundred Bandits disappeared, Wan Guiyue took over Xuan Kui's business again two years ago. I made a deal with her, helping her transport goods abroad, and she gave me what I wanted."
He wasn't saying this to Zhao Xiang, but to the person hiding behind Zhao Xiang.
Pu Heng assumed the person behind the scenes was nearby, unaware that the two had already gone down the mountain with Wan Qi.
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