Chapter 456 Isn't he an old acquaintance of yours from Taiyi?
Ji Hongxing crawled for a long time before finally emerging from the dark tunnel back to the surface. As he emerged from the well, he muttered to himself that surviving such a calamity meant good fortune was on his side. He struggled to his feet. The night was cold and damp, the sky was dark, and the stench of the desolate land, mixed with the foul smell of blood, was nauseating.
The corpses in the swamp had not been disposed of and had begun to rot and stink.
Ji Hongxing didn't have time to identify who they were; he only wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
He was too badly injured to use his wind manipulation technique, and stumbled and ran away. Just before dawn, he encountered a group of people. Ji Hongxing thought they were a merchant caravan cooperating with the underground castle and was about to hide when a flying arrow accurately knocked him to the ground.
Ji Hongxing cursed under his breath, but when he saw who was riding towards him, he was both anxious and overjoyed: "Sheng Fei! It's me! It's Ji Hongxing!"
He was covered in blood and looked utterly disheveled, unrecognizable from a distance. It was only when he lay on the ground, raising his hands and shouting hoarsely, that Sheng Fei was able to recognize him.
Sheng Fei and the others dismounted as they approached, and Sheng Fei grabbed the other man by the collar: "How did you get yourself into such a mess?"
Ji Hongxing cursed, "Help me up!"
Sheng Fei pulled the man up from the ground, and Ji Hongxing took the water pouch from the others and drank it down in large gulps. Jiang Chi and Qiao Yuande checked their surroundings; it was all barren land, easily visible at a glance.
After finishing his water and catching his breath, Ji Hongxing looked at the convoy behind him and recognized it as the Azure Dragon Army. He asked in surprise, "The Zhongli family has come too?"
"I came to see you make a fool of yourself," Sheng Fei sneered. "I met a messenger from the Ji family on the mountain path. I heard that you had gone missing while transporting goods, so I rushed over."
Judging from his appearance, he must have suffered a lot.
"Don't even mention it." Ji Hongxing's expression, which had just recovered, turned grim again. "I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to have to deliver this shipment!"
This concerns the Ji family's shady business, so even if he has a good relationship with Sheng Fei, he can only keep it to himself for the time being.
Sheng Fei immediately saw what was going on and said directly, "You won't tell us? Then go back and tell His Majesty that we were ordered to escort the treasure to Nanjing. Zhong Lique followed along and recorded the constellations, but I noticed that in addition to recording the constellations, she also noted other things to report back to him."
Ji Hongxing's expression changed. Zhong Lique had never shown his true colors before, but in the past two years he had suddenly become Qin Zunzhe's disciple in painting, which was unpredictable.
The woman appeared gentle and quiet, but she was also stubborn. In addition, she came from a prominent family and had her father and brother protecting her, so no one dared to offend her easily.
Ji Hongxing glanced at Zhongli's carriage behind him and felt a terrible headache. He quickly asked for another pot of water.
Sheng Fei had someone give him some protective and nourishing pills to help him recover his energy and blood, while his attending physician treated his injuries.
Ji Hongxing, holding his breath, said, "You have no idea what I went through down there!"
Sheng Fei stood to the side, completely at ease: "Didn't I tell you to say it?"
Ji Hongxing looked up at him with a strange expression, opened his mouth, and then held it back.
If Sheng Fei knew that his rebellious sister, who was wanted by six kingdoms, was also there, this man might just put on a show of "face-changing acting" for him.
Jiang Chi received a signal from Sheng Fei and called out from a distance, "Young Master, Miss Zhongli is asking us what happened. She wants to know if we should take Young Master Ji over there to rest and be questioned!"
Sheng Fei glanced at Ji Hongxing and said, "I'll go talk to her."
"Wait, what are you going to say?" Ji Hongxing hurriedly grabbed him.
Sheng Fei: "To tell you the truth."
Ji Hongxing grabbed him, preventing him from leaving: "Good brother, this matter shouldn't be publicized. There's a battle of the gods down there right now, so let's not join in the fun. Let's just go to Nanjing and get the job done!"
"A battle of gods?" Sheng Fei's eyes swept over him. "Are they fighting you?"
Ji Hongxing touched his face and said angrily, "Our caravan was just passing through this place. When we were resting, Ji Meng brought Gu Gan back. Without saying a word, Gu Gan slaughtered our caravan and dragged me into the underground city."
"Gu Gan?" Sheng Fei's expression changed instantly. "Are you sure?"
Jiang Chi also heard this and raised his eyebrows.
They had been searching for Gu Gan for many years without any news, and everyone thought he was dead. The prince was very anxious about this.
"He punched me several times, how could I be wrong!" Ji Hongxing was furious at the thought, grinding his teeth as he said, "It was definitely Gu Gan, and Xun Zhiya was with him too. That kid isn't dead at all!"
"Where is he? Why are they arresting you? And where is Ji Meng?"
"Did you understand what I just said?" Ji Hongxing looked up at Sheng Fei.
Sheng Fei frowned and repeated, "Your caravan was just passing through when it was captured by villains."
Ji Hongxing then continued, "Gu Gan dragged me into a well, which led to an underground city. I didn't know what they were planning to do. Once inside, I met a renowned sage, and then I got separated from Gu Gan. I struggled to climb out!"
"That's all?" Sheng Fei asked, staring at him.
Ji Hongxing took another sip of water, took a deep breath, and his expression became slightly serious: "It's really lively down there right now."
Sheng Fei keenly pressed on, "Who else is there?"
Ji Hongxing confirmed with him repeatedly that this matter had nothing to do with their Ji family. He had just been captured and on his way back from his escape, he heard Gu Gan looking for someone: "Gu Gan used a megaphone to shout that he was going to kill Mei Liangyu and wanted Nangong Sui to come out and see him."
Sheng Fei's expression seemed to freeze for a moment. The person who had become cold over the past two years looked even more unapproachable with his tense features.
Jiang Chi pricked up his ears, signaling to the surprised Qiao Yuande to lower his voice.
"Nangong Sui".
He pronounced the name very slowly.
"She's not dead?" Sheng Fei pressed in a deep voice.
"I didn't see anyone!" Ji Hongxing said cautiously. "I only heard Gu Gan going crazy, but I didn't see anyone else!"
When Qingyang searched for Yu Sui's body, they couldn't find it. They didn't know if she was alive or dead. Some people thought she was dead, while others thought she was still alive.
Sheng Fei believed that Yu Sui was dead.
Because her father had said that Madam Su had the Cold Mountain Poison in her body, coupled with the seal of the Ghost Dao family, Yu Sui risked his life to kill Madam Su and steal the Breath Soil, but he was unable to merge with the Breath Soil under the sealed power of Kun and Gen.
So if she kills Madam Su, she will die too.
How could she remain silent for three years without making a move when she hated the Nangong family so much?
After killing Madam Su, the next step should have been to kill the others, but they were all still alive and well, except for Nangong Sui, who was nowhere to be found.
But now Ji Hongxing is telling him that Yu Sui is not dead.
It felt as if a fire had been ignited in my heart, yet it sank into a frozen wasteland, burning with flames as sharp as ice.
Sheng Fei gave a silent, cold laugh, grabbed Ji Hongxing by the collar, and demanded, "Where are you?"
"I'm definitely not going back with you!" Ji Hongxing raised his hands, ready to die. "You'll see a well in the swampy wasteland ahead. Go down into the well and you'll find out!"
"Lead the way, let's go." A hint of gloom appeared in Sheng Fei's eyes. "Whether she's human or ghost, I want to go and see."
"Why don't you go by yourself? I've already told you!" Ji Hongxing lay on the ground, refusing to move.
Sheng Fei didn't even consult him, and ordered Jiang Chi: "Take him with you."
"Sheng Fei!" Ji Hongxing exclaimed angrily.
Jiang Chi brought Qiao Yuande over, smiling amiably, but his subordinates were quite unceremonious. "Third Young Master, what did Miss Zhongli say?" Jiang Chi turned to ask Sheng Fei.
"Tell her to wait where she is." Sheng Fei said without turning his head. "If she refuses, then let her go back to the city."
Jiang Chi asked, "What if Miss Zhongli also insists on coming along?"
Sheng Fei said coldly, "Tell her that this is a family matter of the Nangong family, and the Zhongli family has no right to interfere."
Jiang Chi relayed Sheng Fei's instructions to Zhong Lique, who remained silent and did not respond, nor did she immediately follow.
Ji Hongxing was snatched away by Qiao Yuande like a chick being picked up by an eagle. No matter how much he begged and cursed, it was no use. Sheng Fei asked him to lead the way, and the group traveled lightly and quickly to the swampy wasteland.
The stench of blood had not completely dissipated when Sheng Fei saw signs of a fight in the swamp reeds. According to Ji Hongxing, these people were killed by Gu Gan.
If Gu Gan didn't die, why hasn't he come looking for the Nangong family all these years?
Does he believe that Nangong Sui wants to kill him, and therefore no longer trust the Nangong family?
"Third Young Master, the well is here," Qiao Yuande called out.
Sheng Fei ignored Ji Hongxing's gaze and went over to ask him, "Go down from here? What's down there?"
"Didn't I tell you everything already!" Ji Hongxing complained. "If you can't remember, I can write it down for you, anyway I don't..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qiao Yuande picked him up, preparing to throw him down the well.
"Sheng Fei! If you don't treat me like a brother, then you're..."
The rest of the words were swallowed up in the well.
Yu Sui was completely unaware of Gu Gan's threatening words. Zhu Laosan was also unaware of the love and hatred between them; he was only thinking about when his young master could resolve the trouble at the workshop and retrieve the Resurrection Incense. He ordered Dou Wu and Ye Shuiya, who were guarding the workshop, to launch a direct assault.
If all these worms crawl out of the pond... how terrifying that would be! The situation would be uncontrollable, and he would suffer heavy losses.
Gu Ganshou waited outside the barrier.
Inside the mountain's protective barrier, Wan Qi thought for a moment before asking, "Who is this person?"
"Judging from the voice, it's Gu Gan, isn't it?" Kong Yiyi frowned upon returning. Mei Liangyu had mentioned before that they had come here with Gu Gan.
“No wonder he dared to say he could break the barrier with a single gesture; it’s because of the Divine Mechanism Official.” Xing Chun suddenly realized, “He’s using us to threaten Sui Sui into coming forward.”
“He said Yuezhen is dead,” Kong Yiyi said softly, slowly clenching her fists.
"You all go to the back, I'll take the Resurrection Incense with me," Mei Liangyu said, standing up.
Xing Chun asked, "What are you going to do with the Soul-Returning Incense?"
Mei Liangyu did not answer, but said, "Junior Sister has found Yuezhen's remains through someone. You go to the back of the workshop and take some people with you. They are the evidence for you to expose this place. I will clear a way for you to leave after I reduce the water luck hexagram."
“This underground city is a mirror array of a famous family. I’ll find a way to get Gu Gan to use his divine magic to eliminate the array. Then you can go out directly and return the way you came on the snowfield.”
He'd already made all the arrangements. Xing Chun asked, "So what about you?"
"I'll handle it myself." Mei Liangyu said without turning his head. "After you leave here, go find Su Tong immediately and have the people from Shuizhou take over. Then, no matter which country they are from, they won't be able to get away from here."
Xing Chun watched his retreating figure and fell silent.
He has indeed changed. The once arrogant and unrestrained man has become very "quiet." He no longer seems like Mei Liangyu living in Taiyi, but more like Donglan Li living in Yan.
Within the timeframe given by Mei Liangyu, Xing Chun and the others departed in the direction he indicated. He used the Mechanism to cut through the terrain, relocating the intact Orchid Poison Resurrection Incense to the entrance of the barrier.
Just as Gu Gan was about to lose his patience, he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure emerge from the dark cave entrance.
When he saw who came out, he couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
Rob was right, it was him.
"Mei Liangyu, it's been a long time." Gu Gan's dark eyes stared straight at the person behind the cave entrance. "You're the one who caused the chaos at the workshop?"
"The incense you requested is all here." Mei Liangyu didn't waste any words with him. "You open the barrier, and I'll light the incense. When this entire quantity of incense is lit together, the toxins emitted will cover the entire dungeon."
Gu Gan didn't seem threatened: "Are you trying to take me down with you?"
Mei Liangyu didn't reply, but his indifferent face seemed to reveal a hint of a smile, making him unfathomable. "I'll count to three. Even if you fail to break the barrier, I will still light the Soul-Returning Incense." He ignited his protective aura, and lightning crackled around his body, as if he were about to ignite an electric fire immediately.
"Where is Sui Sui?" Gu Gan asked, seemingly unconcerned. "Is she with you? Is she the one at the insect pool?"
"three."
Mei Liangyu completely ignored him.
Gu Gan also activated his protective aura: "I know your Divine Mechanism Technique. You can use the harmony of heaven and earth to exchange qi and not be contaminated by the Orchid Poison. You can ignore the Soul-Returning Incense poison that will cover the entire underground. So you don't care about Sui Sui at all?"
"two."
Before Mei Liangyu could finish speaking, Gu Gan launched his attack. The Divine Mechanism Official was activated, and the barrier that had been preventing them from entering the workshop vanished instantly. Ye Shuiya and Dou Wu, who had been lurking in the shadows waiting for their chance, shot out like arrows.
As if it had been anticipated, the thunder and fire instantly ignited the prepared incense sticks, spreading the flames all the way inside.
Mei Liangyu stood amidst the raging thunder and fire, but in the eyes of others, he was like a shattered mirror broken into pieces.
When Ye Shuiya and Dou Wu touched him, they heard the sound of the mirror shattering, and the terrain in front of them turned into pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, falling into the depths of the mountain.
The feeling of weightlessness made them leap into the air using their wind manipulation techniques.
As Gu Gan fell, he looked up in astonishment and saw the terrain constantly changing. His gaze darkened slightly.
The heart of the organization.
Just as they said!
Even if it's incredibly powerful, it's still just a manifestation of the Nine Schools of Arts that rely on the Five Elements!
"Young Master! Beware of the Orchid Poison!" Dou Wu and Ye Shuiya warned Gu Gan from above, telling him how to avoid the large-scale outbreak of Orchid Poison gas.
Gu Gan's expression hardened as he desperately expanded the range of his Divine Mechanism Technique. Remembering Xun Zhiya, Xuehe, and Zhu Laosan still above, Gu Gan fought even harder, determined not to let them die at Lan Du's hands!
The smoke that erupted at this moment resembled the white smoke and cold mist of winter. It overflowed from the mountain and blended with the cold mist rising from the city moat, making it difficult to distinguish.
Unaware of what was happening, Wang Jun and his men, who were guarding outside the workshop, inhaled an immeasurable amount of the Resurrection Incense in a short period of time, and died from their bodies exploding and bleeding from all seven orifices.
The smoke rose and billowed from underground.
Gu Gan was underground and did not know his current location, but there was too much Resurrection Incense that had erupted. He was not sure of the quantity, so he dared not let too much Resurrection Incense get close to him.
Thanks to Gu Gan's desperate efforts, the Legalist mirror array shattered. Xing Chun and the others emerged from the cave and happened to arrive at the first floor of the Black Castle. The door was wide open, and they could see the blizzard outside.
"Take your men and leave first," Xing Chun said to Wan Qi.
Wan Qi asked in surprise, "Am I alone?"
Kong Yiyi then pulled Xing Chun aside: "He already told us not to go back, so don't go back and cause trouble."
Xing Chun: "No! Sui Sui is probably stuck in the Insect Pool and can't get out. Aren't we supposed to retrieve Yue Zhen's remains?"
"I'm afraid if we run into those Wang soldiers later, it will be too late to get my men out."
Wan Qi thought it made sense, and since he didn't want to stay in this godforsaken place any longer, he nodded and said, "Okay, okay! I'll take my men and leave right away!"
This task is perfect for him.
Before leaving, Wan Qi gave the two some pills to prevent the orchid poison from entering their bodies. Whether they were effective or not was unclear, given the large amount of orchid poison that had exploded below, but they did have some psychological effect.
After the mirror magic circle was broken, some of the orchid poison gas that had previously overflowed from the mountain instead dissipated downwards from the top of the Black Castle.
The underground explosion of the orchid poison caused the entire Black Castle to shake violently. Zhu Laosan stumbled and almost fell into the Dragon Ladder Well. Before he could regain his footing, a second wave of explosions hit, causing him to fall next to Xuehe. He grabbed Xuehe's feet with both hands and cursed loudly.
The wellhead collapsed, and many people fell in. Dark water and insects flashing with blue and purple light overflowed from the rising steam, quickly swallowing up most of the ground.
It was as if the Black Castle had a hole in it, with worms and black water gushing out.
Xuehe lifted Zhu Laosan with the Wind Riding Technique and ascended, his gaze fixed in shock on the surging black water below.
All the word fish he released disappeared, and even the faint sound of the Spirit Flute probing the pool was gone.
Originally intended to control parasites, the medicine has somehow somehow become one with the parasites.
"Old Xue!" Zhu Laosan exclaimed in surprise, only then did Xuehe realize that a huge black wave had already risen behind him.
He tossed Zhu Laosan aside, ignited his protective aura, and pressed his finger heavily onto the Spirit Void Flute. Countless wisps of energy flew out, transforming into a golden, spreading-winged roc, allowing Zhu Laosan and the others to ride away on it.
Zhu Laosan was still yelling at the other protectors and Wang Jun, ordering them to channel the erupting orchid poison into the pool to stop the venom from flowing out.
The sorcerers from the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Taoism are working together to reverse the Nine Streams Technique, sending the scattered orchid poison into the insect pool.
Just as Xuehe was about to help, her sharp eyes spotted Yu Sui and the other person emerging from the insect pool. A unconscious A-Ling lay on the back of the Word Spirit Bird. The golden Word Spirit Bird flew out of the insect pool, with Yu Sui standing in front, a surging, powerful wave clearing the way.
Now Xuehe understands that the sudden surge of water vapor in the insect pool was not caused by the insects, but by the mysterious person standing on the spirit bird.
Who is this person, that he dares to cause trouble here!
"Stop running!" Xuehe roared, giving chase to Yu Sui.
Yu Sui had already sent another spirit bird to carry Shi Yuezhen's remains to Xing Chun and the other two. She planned to lure away the biggest threat, the snow crane, so that Mei Liangyu would have time to deal with the mysterious sacred stone underground, and also allow Xing Chun and the others to leave safely.
She deliberately revealed herself to lure away the snow crane, then rode the spirit bird and flew far away into the snowfield.
The snow crane relentlessly pursued them from behind.
In the blink of an eye, the two had left the crumbling Black Castle.
On their way upstairs, Xing Chun and Kong Yiyi were forced back by black water falling from above. The corrosive black water made them retreat all the way outside.
As the two were surprised, they saw the spirit bird carrying the remains approaching them.
The spirit bird swept them away with one wing, heading in the direction leading outside.
The wellhead passage had many branching paths, and before Sheng Fei and his group reached the exit, they heard a deafening explosion ahead.
The passageway swayed, scattering many loose stones, which landed all over Ji Hongxing's head. He covered his head and said, "We can't go any further."
Sheng Fei ignored him and continued forward.
Ji Hongxing didn't want to go in, so he deliberately led the way the wrong way, wasting a lot of time. At this moment, an explosion was heard inside, and Sheng Fei could find the exit by following the sound even without Ji Hongxing's guidance.
Just as Sheng Fei was about to reach the exit, he bumped into Wan Qi and his group.
Jiang Chi didn't recognize Wan Qi, and he and Qiao Yuande were the first to block Sheng Fei's way. Sheng Fei, however, said, "Wait, I know him."
It was because of Yu Sui's matter that Sheng Fei remembered Wan Qi.
“You…” Wan Qi recognized Sheng Fei and immediately felt overwhelmed. “The Resurrection Incense in the workshop exploded, and there’s poisonous gas everywhere. We can’t go in.”
He explained quickly, hoping that Sheng Fei would not block his way.
At least don't block the exit.
Sheng Fei frowned: "Orchid Poison?"
Upon hearing Wan Qi's words, Ji Hongxing turned pale and grabbed Sheng Fei, saying, "Quick, let's go!"
"Where is Gu Gan? Where is Nangong Sui?" Sheng Fei shook off Ji Hongxing and grabbed Wan Qi, demanding answers.
Wan Qi was caught off guard when he was captured. Du Zheng and his sister tried to help, but Sheng Fei kicked them to the ground.
"I don't know!" Yue Ge Wanqi gritted his teeth and said, "I just came to take people out!"
He insisted he knew nothing, while on the other side, a blizzard swept in, carrying with it the scent of the Resurrection Incense. Jiang Chi looked outside, then returned with a grave expression and said, "Third Young Master, he's right, we have to go."
“Let’s go up first and keep watch at the wellhead. If Young Master Gu and Miss are underground, they will eventually come out,” Jiang Chi added.
Sheng Fei then agreed and led Wan Qi and his group back.
They returned the way they came. Once on the ground, Sheng Fei glanced at Du Zheng and the others before pressing Wan Qi for information about what was happening underground.
Wan Qi glanced at the collar that had been grabbed: "This isn't Taiyi anymore, and there are no trial rules between us. You are now the heir of the Qingyang royal family, and I am a commoner from the Dan Kingdom. Isn't your behavior...?"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Sheng Fei interrupted him with a stern face.
"I don't know!" Wan Qi retorted dismissively. "No matter how many times you ask, I still don't know. I'm just the accompanying physician, responsible for treatment. I don't know anything else!"
Sheng Fei asked, "Who's in charge?"
"Why don't you ask that guy over there?" Wan Qi looked at Ji Hongxing suspiciously. "Didn't he really tell you?"
Sheng Fei looked over, and Ji Hongxing roared, "I don't know him! Isn't he an old acquaintance of yours from Taiyi? I've never been to Taiyi!"
Wan Qi acted like a scoundrel, and Ji Hongxing concealed the fact that he had Lan Du medicinal herbs. Both sides were playing coy in their conversations. Just as Sheng Fei's patience was about to run out, Xing Chun and Kong Yiyi emerged from the well with Shi Yuezhen's remains.
The two groups of people looked at each other in astonishment.
Sheng Fei flung Wan Qi away from him and looked at Xing Chun and Kong Yiyi with a cold smile.
"Take them down."
He said to the people behind him.
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