Chapter 975 Sword Opens White Waterfall
The three umbrellas that Wu Cui had prepared in advance came in handy.
She, along with Ouyang Rong and Gao Shi, each holding an umbrella, followed Li Xianzi and the other Jade Hall fairies out of the dining hall and headed into the Cool Valley.
Ouyang Rong only needed to carry a normal food box, so he had a free hand to hold the umbrella.
Wu Cui and Gao Shi were not so relaxed; they were carrying large food boxes, and even two of them.
They had no choice but to follow the example of the fairy maidens around them, holding a food box in their arms and using one hand to hold up an umbrella.
Ouyang Rong showed no intention of helping them carry heavy loads. Wu Cui, Gao Shi, and the surrounding Yue women also did not think there was anything wrong with him, a grown man, not helping women carry heavy things. They considered it a matter of course that he should earn his own living.
In Yunmeng Sword Marsh, as the old saying goes, women hold up half the sky.
What men can do, women can do too; there are no delicate young ladies, and no need for men's help... This is the biggest "political correctness" in Jianze.
Ouyang Rong thought this idea was quite good.
Besides, he also understood one thing in his heart: Senior Sister Li only let him carry one food box, instead of carrying two like Wu Cui and Gao Shi. This move was not a benefit or a coincidence; it must have a purpose.
Ouyang Rong carried the food box in one hand and followed behind the Yue women of Yutang, holding an umbrella.
He glanced at Wu Cui and Gao Shi beside him.
One, two, three, four... seven, eight, nine.
He counted silently in his mind.
The three of them carried a total of five food boxes. Four of them contained double portions of vegetarian food, while the food box that Ouyang Rong was holding, which was handed to him by Senior Sister Li, contained a single portion of vegetarian food.
It can feed nine people in total.
This number doesn't seem like a coincidence.
In addition, according to Chen Jiaxin, the reason why Ouyang Rong and the other two were called in by the Yue Nu of Yutang to deliver food was most likely because they were going to the water dungeon to deliver food to the Five Goddesses who had not left the water dungeon for two consecutive nights.
Based on the amount of food consumed, it can be inferred that there were nine people inside the water prison.
Excluding the five female rulers, the number of prisoners is... eight.
From "A" to "Gui", there were a total of ten prison cells, but only eight prisoners were held in them. They were not all full.
Ouyang Rong's eyes flickered.
Soon, the frequency and force of the rain hitting the umbrella increased.
The night rain poured down.
On the previous occasions when Ouyang Rong entered Qingliang Valley, he always met with Chen Jiaxin in the pavilion in the outer area.
At this moment, they were led into the valley by Senior Sister Li and other Yue maidens from the Jade Hall. They were on a proper path that led directly into the interior of the Cool Valley.
The road is winding and complex, with left and right turns along the way.
Even with Ouyang Rong's keen sense of direction, he was still unsure whether he could return the way he came.
The main reason is that the forest vegetation in this cool valley is too lush. As far as the eye can see, there are similar forest paths. In addition, the clouds and rain cover the area, creating a feeling of "not being able to see the true face of Mount Lu, only because I am in the mountain".
I don't know how those Yue women from the Jade Hall managed to find their way around; it's not something that can be explained simply by saying they know the way well.
The deeper one goes into Qingliang Valley, the more the night wind howls around them.
Compared to the relaxed and carefree attitude of Senior Sister Li and others, Wu Cui, Gao Shi, and Ouyang Rong, who pretended to have no cultivation, all struggled to hold up their umbrellas and move forward in the wind.
Water droplets wove a circular curtain of rain under the eaves of everyone's umbrellas. The rain falling outside the umbrellas slammed heavily on the ground, splashing up a misty spray that soaked the hems of everyone's clothes.
Suddenly, Ouyang Rong, who was walking forward, looked up and looked ahead.
The misty air obscured the view of the lush trees lining both sides of the road, but his attention was elsewhere.
And on the ears.
From a great distance, he could hear a sound of rushing water that was even more intense than the sound of torrential rain.
In this torrential rain, there is a kind of water flow that is more violent than the roar of the heavens.
Before Ouyang Rong could fully react to what this was, Senior Sister Li and her group had already led them across the jungle and out to a clearing.
The lush green of the forest has disappeared, replaced by an open plain and black rocky cliffs in the distance.
The scenery before me was completely new and suddenly opened up.
Compared to Wu Cui and Gao Shi's stunned expressions, Ouyang Rong turned his head, looked in the direction of the sound, and finally saw clearly the source of the violent rushing water.
Fall.
A waterfall as white as a snow dragon hangs on a hundred-foot cliff, like a piece of flawless white cloth just cut in a tailor shop, waiting for a noblewoman to choose.
Below is a churning pool of water, which receives the immense force of this waterfall cascading down three thousand feet.
The spray from the waterfall hitting the rocks and the pool was swept up by the night wind and rushed towards them, wetting the stunned faces of Ouyang Rong and the others who were looking up.
"arrive."
As if to avoid her voice being diluted by the sound of the waterfall and the heavy rain, Senior Sister Li raised her hand, signaling the people behind her to stop.
It finally stopped, as if it had arrived at its destination.
Having walked this far, by the time they arrived here, the hems of their dresses were already mostly soaked, not to mention their shoes.
However, since Ouyang Rong was wearing woven straw sandals, it didn't matter.
The food box in his hand was specially made to be waterproof and insulated. Ouyang Rong finally understood why the food boxes prepared by Yutang were so exquisite and durable, and why Yutang and Yue Nu had to personally deliver the meals to him every night.
Given the extreme environment inside Qingliang Valley, getting something hot to eat is really difficult...
Is this the location of the water dungeon?
Ouyang Rong silently reached out and helped Gao Shi, who almost fell, then wiped the water stains from his face and looked around.
He secretly estimated that it had taken him more than an hour to travel this distance.
However, the heavy rain tonight slowed them down, and since he, Wu Cui, and Gao Shi were all ordinary people without cultivation, Senior Sister Li and her group needed to accommodate their travel speed.
If only Yu Tang and Yue Nu were to deliver the food, they could probably do it much faster.
Ouyang Rong understood why the silver-medal Yue maid had reminded them to prepare dinner an hour and a half earlier last night.
It turns out that everything had been carefully considered beforehand, which also means that having these servants deliver meals was not a first-time occurrence, and they already had experience with it.
After everyone stopped at the pool at the foot of the waterfall, the Yue women of Yutang split into two groups.
A group of Vietnamese women, carrying all the vegetarian food boxes, continued on their way, crossing the pool and heading towards the jungle on the other side.
There seems to be a main road over there, which looks like it leads up the mountain.
Another group of Yue maidens from the Jade Hall, numbering only five, including their leader, Senior Sister Li, had already handed over their food boxes.
They remained in place, empty-handed, holding only their umbrellas, guarding Ouyang Rong and the other two.
As expected, the group ahead continued on to Yutang to escort the vegetarian meal.
The remaining senior sister Li and the others were responsible for supervising Ouyang Rong and the others as they went to the water dungeon.
But where is this water prison?
Ouyang Rong silently looked around, but didn't see any obvious buildings by the pool, not even a thatched hut.
Could this water prison be located in this pool of water?
When Ouyang Rong saw that Senior Sister Li and the other four Yue maidens from the Jade Hall had serious expressions and were scattered around the pool, he inexplicably thought of something.
However, he quickly came to his senses and focused his attention on Wu Cui's face beside him.
The freckled girl was holding a food box, tilting her head slightly as she gazed at the magnificent, snow-white waterfall in front of her.
Ouyang Rong squinted and followed her gaze.
There are many waterfalls of varying sizes in Qingliang Valley, which Ouyang Rong had seen from afar before.
Excluding the inconspicuous small waterfalls, there are roughly ten truly large waterfalls.
Among these ten, one snow-white waterfall with the largest flow left a deep impression on Ouyang Rong.
At this moment, the torrential rain obscured his vision, and Ouyang Rong was unsure whether the largest waterfall was the one right in front of him.
If so, he could probably determine his current location.
However, the grandeur and characteristics of the waterfall in front of us are quite similar to those of the largest waterfall.
The deafening roar, coupled with the cool mist that wafts through the air as the white waterfall crashes down onto the hard rocks, rushes towards those below.
It suddenly gives people a refreshing feeling.
This feeling is hard to describe.
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face hard, his palms were wet, and his upper body, which had been protected by the umbrella, was gradually soaked by the spectacular mist of the waterfall.
But this kind of soaking wetness isn't the disheveled state of being drenched in the rain; rather, it's a refreshing and invigorating feeling that comes from within, giving one a slightly excited mood.
The visually overwhelming impact of the waterfall, the continuous, ear-splitting sound, the refreshing coolness of the mist covering your face, and the soothing sensation of the cool water spray seemingly penetrating your pores and causing your muscles to tremble slightly...
Standing beneath the waterfall, it's hard for anyone not to feel a surge of exhilaration and excitement.
At one point, Ouyang Rong, looking up, felt as if the bronze mask on his face had disappeared. The water mist even reached his dry, stiff face behind the mask, bringing a cool sensation.
Ouyang Rong kept his head tilted back, but slowly lowered the umbrella brim with his hand to cover his head, so that the Yue women around him could not see his face.
"Is it inside?"
The sudden voice beside her startled Wu Cui.
She snapped out of her daze, turned her head, and saw that it was the taciturn young man beside her who had spoken. His voice was very soft, but just right, so that only she, who was close by, could hear it.
Wu Cui first looked around uneasily, then lowered her umbrella to cover her face, and then made a nasal sound:
"Um."
A moment later, Wu Cui couldn't help but glance at the taciturn young man who was being shielded by the umbrella.
She discovered that Liu Aliang was even more perceptive and intelligent than she had imagined; he had noticed the unusual situation on her side and was able to calmly deduce the truth.
Just then, Senior Sister Li, who had been checking the surroundings, walked back to the three of them and nodded in acknowledgment:
"Come with me. From now on, no matter what you see, don't make a sound. Keep quiet."
Without hesitation, Ouyang Rong took the lead and stepped forward, ahead of Wu Cui and Gao Shi.
Senior Sister Li and four other Yue maidens from the Jade Hall led the way, walking forward.
Ouyang Rong noticed that Senior Sister Li and the others did not go around in circles, but instead headed straight for the pool in front.
Upon reaching the pool, they showed no sign of slowing down and stepped into the water.
Ouyang Rong paused slightly, then noticed with sharp eyes that there was a path paved with "bluestone slabs" in the middle of the pool. The water in the pool just submerged it, but it was still wide enough for people to stand on and walk across the pool.
When Ouyang Rong noticed that Wu Cui was not afraid and took the lead, he followed. Seeing this, Gao Shi behind him also timidly stepped forward.
As Ouyang Rong walked, he observed that the pool was actually very deep, but each of the "bluestone slabs" was actually a bluestone pillar, standing firmly in the water, providing footholds. At first glance, it looked like a "bluestone slab" path in the forest.
This water route is fixed; if you miss a step, you will fall into the water.
This must be the road leading to the water dungeon... Ouyang Rong's gaze fell on Senior Sister Li and her group ahead.
They walked along the "blue stone path" on the water, heading straight for the snow-white waterfall.
Ouyang Rong noticed that at the end of the road was a place where the water flow slowed down slightly to the right of the snow-white waterfall.
You won't notice it unless you look closely. The reason why the waterfall curtain here is "gentle" than in other places is because there seems to be a protrusion on the cliff face ten feet directly above.
It collided head-on with the waterfall, which plunged three thousand feet, and cushioned the impact.
Otherwise, if the water flowed down from other parts of the waterfall, it would probably break the bones of an ordinary person, let alone an umbrella.
The waterfall looks beautiful from a distance, but imagine being hit by it, not to mention that it seems to be the largest waterfall in Qingliang Valley.
As they moved forward, Ouyang Rong glanced around curiously, and at one moment, he suddenly noticed the shape of the protrusion on the cliff face directly above him, and paused in surprise.
At first, he subconsciously thought it was a protruding rock, a masterpiece of nature.
But at this moment, a sword was seen stuck in the cliff face.
An old, rusty sword.
Half of its blade is submerged in the purplish-black rocks behind the waterfall.
The dull, rusty blade silently sliced through the white waterfall.
If someone were to look at it from a distance, they would notice that the lower right end of this magnificent hundred-foot white waterfall is vertically cut by a speck of rust.
It was just a rusty sword, yet it possessed the imposing presence of a single man holding off ten thousand.
I wonder who planted this sword in the white waterfall!
Even Ouyang Rong was somewhat amazed.
This is not the work of nature, but the masterpiece of a sword cultivator.
Noticing that Senior Sister Li in front of him seemed to turn around, Ouyang Rong immediately looked away.
Led by Senior Sister Li, the group held up umbrellas and passed through a thin curtain of water compared to other parts of the White Waterfall.
Upon reaching the back of the waterfall, the view ahead suddenly narrowed and became dark.
Ouyang Rong looked around and found himself outside a cave entrance.
A deep, dark passageway leads into the depths, the surrounding walls damp and dripping water incessantly.
I don't know if it was just my imagination, but after entering the cave, the sound of the waterfall outside seemed to be quieter, like listening to the torrential rain outside while staying in a warm room with the doors and windows tightly closed and burying your head in the blankets on a rainy day.
Senior Sister Li led the way and stopped in front of the cave entrance.
She walked empty-handed to a table placed at the entrance of the cave by an unknown person.
Several food containers sat quietly on the table, already cold.
Ouyang Rong recognized it at a glance; it was the vegetarian meal from the previous two nights.
I saw Senior Sister Li lower her head and check it.
There were no signs that it had been disturbed.
She turned around and looked at the three of them, saying each word clearly:
"The rules here restrict our movement. We must stop here. We would like to trouble the three of you to bring us our food."
(End of this chapter)
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