Chapter 1024 The Gate of the Kui Xing Talisman [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
At the end of the narrow passageway, there stood a strange bronze gate.
After the aloof young Taoist nun calmly finished asking her question, Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.
“That’s right, Xiaoxuan is very smart.”
He increasingly felt that Xiaoxuan was a typical good student, the kind who could understand anything after being told it only once, and if the matter was simpler, Xiaoxuan could understand it instantly without him having to explain it.
However, what makes Xiaoxuan so endearing is that even if she has already figured something out on her own, if you explain it to her again, she will listen attentively without being impatient or arrogant.
Even though he had always thought highly of Xiao Xuan, Ouyang Rong was now filled with emotion, increasingly understanding why the senior celestial masters of the Sanqing Taoist Ancestral Hall loved this junior, Xiao Xuan.
It's not just about the legacy of Master Yuan.
Good students are those who are likable at first glance.
People often praise so-called wise teachers, but even rarer are good students who can adapt to any teacher, regardless of whether the teacher is wise or foolish.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but reach out and pat Xiao Xuan's head.
The latter, who was frowning in thought, was also stunned for a moment, as if he never expected Ouyang Rong to suddenly make such a doting gesture.
Ouyang Rong also realized what was happening and immediately withdrew his hand.
Huang Xuan lowered her head. The dim lighting in the tomb passage, with only the yellow glow of the firelight, made it uncertain whether her face was flushed.
Ouyang Rong glanced at Huang Xuan's Shangqing Sect Taoist crown out of the corner of his eye.
For some reason, he suddenly felt that Huang Xuan's hairstyle with her hair down was more pleasing to the eye and made it easier for him to habitually touch her head, especially in that dilapidated little courtyard during the day.
Now, with her formal Taoist hat on, she looks a bit too dignified, making the young girl seem aloof and less approachable.
Xiao Xuan's busy appearance in the old courtyard kitchen during the day reminded Ouyang Rong of the small courtyard in Xunyang City, the very courtyard where Ouyang Rong had fought with Rong Zhen and Lady Zhi Shuang.
For a moment, Ouyang Rong was unsure whether it was truly the right decision to have her follow Lu Ya back to Maoshan of the Shangqing Sect.
Some choices, once made, can never be reversed, but a little girl always has to grow up.
"Brother."
Huang Xuan suddenly spoke.
"What's wrong?"
Ouyang Rong came to his senses.
Huang Xuan pointed to the blood-red bronze gate in front of her and asked:
"So, where did the tomb owner obtain the blood bronze from to build this gate? And it's located near Yunmeng Marsh. Did the Yue women of Yunmeng Sword Marsh know about it? Was he a petty thief disliked by the Queen's Palace, or was it tacitly approved by the Queen's Palace?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at Huang Xuan, somewhat moved:
"Xiao Xuan is so smart. That's why I want to find out more. Something is definitely amiss when things are out of the ordinary."
Huang Xuan spoke in a crisp voice:
"Brother Tanlang, I'll go with you."
"Um."
Huang Xuan approached to examine it and discovered that in the center of the blood bronze gate, there was a groove that vaguely resembled the shape of a hand.
She pointed at it thoughtfully and asked:
"Brother Tanlang, how do we open this door? I think there's a mechanism on it. Have you and Miaosi gone in before?"
"Xiao Xuan, step back."
Ouyang Rong gave a word of advice, and then, under the curious gaze of Huang Xuan who was retreating, the Peach Blossom Spring painting on his waist automatically floated up and slowly unfolded in the air without making a sound.
Huang Xuan saw the young man reach into the drawing paper and pull out a small bamboo tube stained with blood. When the tube was opened, a foul smell of blood wafted into his nostrils.
Huang Xuan raised her hand to cover her nose. Before she could ask any more questions, she saw her brother Tanlang directly sprinkle the mysterious blood from the bamboo tube onto the palm groove in the center of the blood bronze gate.
Huang Xuan subconsciously held her breath and waited.
At first, there was nothing unusual.
She saw the taciturn young man keep his palm pressed against the groove and slowly close his eyes.
Three breaths later, a purple mist, unlike anything Huang Xuan had ever heard of before, appeared. It seemed to be spiritual energy but was not spiritual energy. She didn't know where Tanlang Gege came from, but it vaguely resembled a meridian in his palm... This purple mist continued to flow out, along his arm, and touched the groove in his blood-stained palm.
The purple mist, like flowing water, was drawn into the vortex of the groove and surged in wildly.
A few breaths later, Huang Xuan heard a booming sound, seemingly coming from behind the surrounding stone walls.
"Boom!"
As the roar grew louder, Huang Xuan subconsciously took a step back.
The tightly closed blood-red bronze gate in front of them was slowly opening to both sides.
Her beloved brother had already withdrawn his hand and was wiping the blood off with a handkerchief.
Huang Xuan didn't immediately look at the scene of the blood bronze gate. Instead, she stepped forward, took off a water pouch, poured it onto Ouyang Rong's palm, and helped him wipe away the bloodstains.
She asked with some concern:
"Brother, is it in pain?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head, not looking at her, his eyes fixed on the now-open entrance door, and said softly:
“It’s not my blood. I wasn’t injured, but I did consume a lot of blood…” He seemed to be referring to the purple mist, but he didn’t go into details with Huang Xuan. Instead, he changed the subject and explained, “This is the palm blood of a direct descendant of the Lu family of Fanyang. I collected some. Only this blood can open this Blood Bronze Door.”
"A member of the Lu family of Fanyang?"
Huang Xuan chewed for a moment, glanced at Ouyang Rong, and didn't ask any further questions.
After washing his hands, Ouyang Rong turned around and led the way into the room.
As soon as the bronze gate opened, a musty, decaying smell wafted out.
The circular hall covered with murals seemed to have been deserted for a long time. Although Ouyang Rong and Miao Si had visited just last month, it had been silent for who knows how many years before that.
Ouyang Rong, holding a torch, walked at the forefront. The bronze scroll was not put away and remained suspended beside him.
Huang Xuan followed closely behind, the peach wood sword on her back still in her hand. She held the sword horizontally and slowly stepped forward, seemingly in the guarded state of a Taoist Qi cultivator, something Ouyang Rong had seen on Lu Ya before.
Miaosi rode on the back of the white sturgeon, while the sturgeon, which was supposed to be responsible for lighting, fell behind the group.
Ouyang Rong was already used to it.
"Xiaoxuan, wait a moment."
He reached into the painting, took out a prepared bundle, opened it, took out torches, and walked around the circular hall, sticking the torches into the painting one by one.
The rotunda was so large that the torchlight was not enough to fully illuminate it, but it did reveal the general surroundings.
Unlike Miao Si, Huang Xuan stepped forward and, without waiting for Ouyang Rong's instructions, helped to light the torches.
Soon, the four sides of the rotunda were enveloped in firelight, revealing the strange paintings on the walls.
Beneath the mural in the hall, Huang Xuan took advantage of the brief moment between lighting torches to slowly walk past the mural, tilting her head to examine its contents.
She soon understood why Ouyang Rong had said that these murals depicted ancient stories.
"Brother Tanlang, is this... about the Qin Dynasty? Is it about the burning of books and burying of scholars? Is the emperor the First Emperor?"
Ouyang Rong countered with a question:
"Xiao Xuan also knows about the First Emperor?"
Ouyang Rong was indeed a little surprised, because in this era, apart from Confucian scholars and officials, few people paid attention to the old almanac. They were all concerned with making a living in the present. Even Taoists and Buddhist monks were the same. They would not delve into the history of hundreds of years ago. They could not be well-versed in ancient history and could only know the names of some dynasties at most.
Not to mention political matters. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, gossiping could get you beheaded, especially a few years ago when the Empress of Wei changed the name of the country and caused disputes among the Wei clan. Being "too knowledgeable about history" was not a good thing. Randomly "discussing politics" could easily lead to being reported, caught by cruel officials, and taken to the marketplace to be executed.
In short, Xiao Xuan's knowledge at such a young age did surprise Ouyang Rong, considering that she had been cultivating Taoism on the mountain for the past few years, rather than studying at an academy.
Huang Xuan seemed to notice Ouyang Rong's surprise and explained softly:
“I often correspond with Sister Xie. She sent me many books from the Xie family library in Wuyi Lane, including many pre-Qin classics and works from various schools of thought…”
She paused, then said somewhat shyly:
“Brother, actually I only have a superficial understanding of a lot of the content, but I just like reading it. Perhaps it’s what you mean by not seeking a thorough understanding, although I think it’s because I’m stupid.”
Ouyang Rong immediately waved his hand, interrupting the young lady's modesty:
“Xiao Xuan is already more capable than many of her peers who are scholars. She knows more than them. No wonder my junior sister always regrets to me that she didn’t make a firm decision to send you to Bailudong Academy for further studies. It would have been much better than being a leisurely Taoist priest.”
Huang Xuan shook her head firmly with a small face:
"No, Brother Tanlang, Taoists are not idle. Even in the almost secluded Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, the Celestial Masters and elders are mostly worried all day long and have little leisure. Sometimes, what happens down the mountain is also what happens up the mountain, and no sect or school can escape it."
"This... is also why I want to walk down the mountain."
Ouyang Rong remained silent for a while.
Xiao Xuan is right. The so-called affairs of the world are the affairs of everyone in the world. They cannot be escaped by living in seclusion or giving up. In this era, even Taoists are not at peace. Look at Master Yuan back then, the dead were busier than the living.
Due to time constraints, Huang Xuan only glanced around briefly, not examining it as closely as Ouyang Rong had done. She turned back and asked:
"Brother Tanlang, where is that black door?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at Huang Xuan's expression, seemingly unaware of anything unusual about the mural.
He asked:
"Xiaoxuan, have you finished reading? Did you find anything?"
"Um."
Huang Xuan pondered for a moment and said:
"I've read it once, and it's about the burning of books and burying of scholars alive. It seems to be mostly accurate, but the mural isn't finished. It abruptly ends, and it seems to depict other things afterward, which I don't quite understand..."
She paused for a moment, then added:
"However, although it's about the burning of books and burying of scholars alive, I feel something's off. I can't quite put my finger on it, maybe it's because of that little green-painted figure in there..."
Ouyang Rong smiled but didn't say anything.
Xiao Xuan's feeling was indeed correct, but now was not the time to discuss this in detail. The two of them were still in the tomb, so they had to deal with the matter of the Dark Gate first... Moreover, regarding the anomaly on the mural, everything was still just speculation.
"Xiaoxuan, that door is over here."
The sound of a brilliant idea came from not far away.
After patrolling the hall on her white sturgeon, the female immortal, having confirmed that there were no demons or monsters left, approached the dark wall at the end of the mural.
At this moment, she calmly pointed to the dark wall behind her and called out to Ouyang Rong and Huang Xuan.
Seeing this, the two walked over.
Huang Xuan looked towards the dark wall.
Ouyang Rong pushed aside the inconvenient Miao Si and Bai Shu, preparing to introduce them to her. But when he turned around, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Huang Xuan was frozen in place, her expression somewhat dazed.
Ouyang Rong waited a while, then suddenly asked:
"Xiaoxuan saw it?"
Huang Xuan didn't look away from the dark wall, and nodded directly:
"Hmm... I saw it."
Ouyang Rong seemed to have anticipated this, knowing that if Xiao Xuan's Innocent Spirit Eyes were useful, he certainly wouldn't need to point out the location unnecessarily.
He asked softly, "It's this door. Miaosi and I can't see what's inside. This door is a bit eerie. Xiaoxuan, could you take a look and get closer? Just don't go inside."
Huang Xuan surprisingly remained silent and did not respond to Ouyang Rong. She quieted down, took a few steps forward, and came to the black square door on the wall.
Her entire attention seemed to be drawn to the dark door in front of her.
Ouyang Rong did not urge him and waited patiently.
Miao Si frowned, seemingly worried. She patted the big white dog beneath her and swam forward, preparing to circle around Huang Xuan. However, the next second, she was stopped by Ouyang Rong's hand.
Miao Si hesitated, but met Ouyang Rong's warning gaze, so she had to suppress her thoughts for the time being.
“Brother Tanlang”.
After an unknown amount of time, Huang Xuan, who had been staring at the black door, suddenly spoke.
Ouyang Rong asked softly:
"What's wrong?"
Her eyes didn't leave the dark door; her voice came through:
"This door didn't appear out of thin air; it seems to be a formation... or at least contains the functions of a formation."
Ouyang Rong asked earnestly:
"What did Xiaoxuan see?"
“I… I saw a familiar rune floating inside this door.”
"What is that?"
Huang Xuan slowly said:
"It's...it's the runes on that blood bronze door. Brother just activated it with his blood."
Ouyang Rong's gaze suddenly sharpened:
You mean the Kui Xing talisman?
"Is it called the Kui Xing Talisman...? Yes, it's the same talisman as the one on the outside door, exactly the same shape. But I see it's attached to the area around this black door... Brother, the pitch-black space you see might be constructed by this talisman..."
"However, although I have some knowledge of formations, my uncles and the others said that the Innocent Spirit Eye is a powerful tool for breaking formations, so they taught me some..."
At this point, she sighed softly and pointed to the "black door" on the wall in front of her:
"But I can't understand the runes on this door at all. They are too complicated and mysterious. Staring at them for a long time makes my eyes dizzy... Brother, this door and this formation must be the work of a top master. His spiritual energy cultivation is definitely no less than the upper grade."
Ouyang Rong was startled upon hearing this.
In fact, when Huang Xuan mentioned that there was a Kui Xing talisman on this door that ordinary people could not see, many thoughts had already flooded Ouyang Rong's mind.
(End of this chapter)
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