Chapter 997 The Back of the Chai Family
In front of the pool.
Ouyang Rong, Chen Jiaxin, and Enting were all drawn to the scene at the cave entrance behind the waterfall.
The woman in white was a figure of faint light, her steps light, bathed in the soft moonlight. Amidst the misty spray created by the violent collision of the white waterfall and sword energy, she seemed to have stepped out of a black and white ink painting, so faint as to appear unreal.
There was only one path across the pool, and Ouyang Rong happened to be walking on it. He stopped on it, subtly blocking Yun Xiangyi's path.
Yun Xiangyi took a step forward and stepped onto the "pool".
Unlike Ouyang Rong and others who walked along this solitary path, almost stepping on water, when delivering vegetarian meals, this white-clad lady was actually walking on water.
By the time the dull-witted young man belatedly realized he needed to make way, it was too late; Yun Xiangyi had already passed him by.
At the edge of the pool, Chen Jiaxin and Enting immediately came to greet them.
"Your Majesty! You have come out..."
"Master, how...how could you..."
Chen Jiaxin, who had always been bold and audacious, became like a timid lamb in front of Yun Xiangyi, somewhat hesitant and timid.
Her previously pale and injured face was now flushed red.
It wasn't that she was shy by nature; it was simply an involuntary reaction after being glanced at by Yun Xiangyi.
There were still many things she couldn't hide from this master.
Of course, the most important thing is knowing that in the end, her master will forgive her, just like she said, "Nonsense."
At this moment, Yun Xiangyi walked slowly to the shore, her gaze sweeping over her two disciples. Chen Jiaxin instinctively lowered her head, but before she could speak, Yun Xiangyi gently raised her hand, interrupting her:
"Xiao Xin, En Ting, you two stay here and wait for my return."
Chen Jiaxin and Enting were both stunned for a moment.
Although he had previously been eager for his master to come out so he could have the chance to go in, at this moment, he couldn't help but ask one more question:
"Master, where are you going so late?"
It was only then that the two women belatedly realized that Yun Xiangyi had been clutching the precious jade at her waist with her right hand.
They were too nervous to look closely, but now that they knew Yun Xiangyi's emergence from seclusion wasn't because of their "mischief," they felt a little bolder.
Yun Xiangyi, dressed in simple white, gripped the jade tightly in her hand, her expression indifferent. She didn't answer, but turned to the seemingly invisible, dull-looking young man behind her and softly instructed him:
"There is a door inside the house. You know which one I'm referring to. The vegetarian meal is on the table. Go and deliver the vegetarian meal to the door for me. Behind that wooden door are several rooms. Deliver a portion of vegetarian meal to each room. Don't go in yourself, just pass the food box in. Except for the two innermost rooms. Don't go into the innermost part. After delivering the vegetarian meal, return the way you came. Remember that."
Ouyang Rong's "dazed gaze" shifted from the precious jade at her waist, and as if only then realizing what had happened, he pointed to his own face:
"Ah, me?"
Chen Jiaxin immediately stepped forward, stood beside Yun Xiangyi, and said coldly to Ouyang Rong:
"Have you remembered Master's words? You can't miss a single word. There's a lot of danger involved. Master's words are a lifesaver. Don't ask why, just do as he says."
The taciturn young man nodded eagerly:
"Yes, yes!"
Yun Xiangyi glanced at Chen Jiaxin, said nothing, and then took out two small copper tokens from her snow-white sleeve.
The bronze token had an ancient design, covered with patterns resembling water ripples. Yun Xiangyi casually handed it to Chen Jiaxin.
"You and Enting stay here. Keep one in case of emergency. Give the other one to Liu Aliang. Take this with you when you go into the water dungeon. As long as you don't wander off, you'll be safe."
Chen Jiaxin took the two bronze tokens and nodded vigorously:
"I understand, Master."
Yun Xiangyi silently looked up, glancing at the sky.
A crescent moon hangs high in the sky.
Ouyang Rong suddenly realized that the white-clad lady's position after leaving the waterfall cave entrance was quite interesting.
She had always stood on the shady side of the waterfall cliff. Even now, as she stopped by the pool to explain to Ouyang Rong, Chen Jiaxin, and the others, she stood at the edge of the waterfall's shadow, in a place where the moonlight could not reach.
Chen Jiaxin, Enting, and others stood beside her, but because they were "in the thick of it," they couldn't see her for a moment. However, Ouyang Rong was quite far away and could see her very clearly.
However, as if in response to Ouyang Rong's sudden thought, Yun Xiangyi withdrew her gaze and stepped directly into the moonlight.
The woman in white departed swiftly.
Only the two women and the taciturn young man remained.
The three remained silent for a moment, watching Yun Xiangyi depart into the distance.
After a while, the person must have left, because they looked away.
The three exchanged glances, especially Ouyang Rong and Chen Jiaxin.
They stared at each other for a while.
Only the two of them knew how awkward and strange the atmosphere was.
Enting seemed to have noticed as well, glancing left at the dull young man and then at Chen Jiaxin.
The latter seemed to lose face, snorted coldly, and threw the bronze medal in his hand away.
"Then, hurry inside and do as Master says..."
The bronze medal flew towards him, but Ouyang Rong pretended to have trouble catching it. The medal bounced a few times in his hand and almost slipped out of his grasp, falling into the pool next to him.
Chen Jiaxin and Enting subconsciously took a step forward.
"careful!"
The former seemed a bit impatient.
At this moment, Ouyang Rong gradually regained his footing, gripped the bronze token firmly, and let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you for your concern, Fairy. Xiao Rong will go in now."
Chen Jiaxin hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
For some reason, or perhaps it was a woman's intuition, she felt increasingly displeased with Ouyang Rong.
But there was nothing she could do. Enting was right next to her, and they were at the entrance to the water prison. Her master could return at any moment. So, she could only continue to pretend that she was not familiar with Ouyang Rong.
"Wait a minute, kid. Did you remember what Master just said?"
Chen Jiaxin, with a stern face, called out to Ouyang Rong and asked him in a somewhat harsh tone.
Ouyang Rong clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Reporting to the fairy, I have remembered."
Under Enting's unwavering gaze, Chen Jiaxin sized him up, and after a moment, said with a serious expression:
"Remember, follow Master's instructions without disobeying a single word. Behave yourself once you're inside. Don't look at things you shouldn't, and don't do things you shouldn't. Especially remember what Master told you: don't go into the cells deep inside the water dungeon. Just deliver food to the cells outside... Make sure you carry the copper token with you, or you might die without even knowing how."
To those who don't understand, this "reprimand" might seem like the young lady in swordsmanship has a bad temper and is harsh and strict. But to those who do understand, it's clear that her words have a hidden meaning.
"Yes." Ouyang Rong nodded blankly, then asked curiously, "Fairy, is this a prison? Who's locked up inside?"
Chen Jiaxin got angry at his pretentious act of knowing but not understanding, and with a wave of her hand, she scolded him:
"Don't ask any more questions."
"yes."
Ouyang Rong chuckled inwardly, but still, with the bronze token in hand and an expressionless face, he turned around and returned to the cave entrance behind the waterfall.
Behind them, Chen Jiaxin and Enting seemed to be guarding the pool, following Yun Xiangyi's instructions.
Seeing Ouyang Rong go off to do his business, Chen Jiaxin finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and exchanged a glance with Enting.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Ouyang Rong, who hadn't gone far, heard En Ting whisper a question to Chen Jiaxin:
"Where is Your Majesty going? I thought it was something we did that upset you..."
Chen Jiaxin said coldly:
"Don't overthink it, you're just scaring yourself."
She paused, then seemed to glance in the direction where Yun Xiangyi had disappeared, her tone slightly puzzled:
"Master rarely acts like this, and judging from the situation, he's leaving Qingliang Valley this time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made us guard this place. In the past, as long as Master was still in the valley, there was never any trouble in the water prison... I wonder if Master went to see his other senior uncles... Perhaps it's related to our eldest senior uncle again..."
Enting listened with curiosity, without asking why it was "again".
Chen Jiaxin's tone was somewhat serious:
"I remember that the precious jade was the exclusive communication tool between the Queen and my master... I hope nothing serious has happened."
Enting nodded and said:
"There's no point in overthinking it. The fact that even Her Majesty the Queen has emerged from seclusion with such solemnity shows that this is not something we can interfere with."
"Regardless, at least we accomplished what we were supposed to do; the Queen has emerged..."
"Uh-huh."
Chen Jiaxin seemed somewhat absent-minded, muttering to herself:
"How could it be such a coincidence..."
Meanwhile, Ouyang Rong, listening to the two women's faint whispers, had already entered the cave behind the waterfall.
During this time, he looked up at the old, rusty sword stuck in the top of his head.
Just after Yun Xiangyi left, the sword energy of the rusty sword suddenly subsided, and the snow-white waterfall cascaded down again, as if the previous scene had never happened.
Whether it was a misperception or not, Ouyang Rong felt the bronze token in his hand become slightly warm as he passed under the waterfall, or rather, beneath the embroidered sword, and the embroidered sword above his head seemed to tremble slightly...
I don't know if there's any connection.
Ouyang Rong looked down and examined the bronze token.
It has been confirmed that there are no array runes or patterns on it, and there should be no remote monitoring or eavesdropping involved.
However, the bronze token must have its purpose, otherwise Yun Xiangyi would not have given it to them. Perhaps it is some kind of identity verification item, and only by possessing this item can one enter the depths of the water prison without any problems.
Ouyang Rong always felt that there was something wrong with the two wooden doors that were connected in the water dungeon; they were definitely not ordinary objects.
After passing through the waterfall's curtain of water, Ouyang Rong arrived at the cave. There was no one around, and the two women were guarding outside.
Ouyang Rong smiled slightly and walked towards the water prison, gently tapping the bamboo tube with his palm as he did so.
Chen Jiaxin's premonition was correct; Yun Xiangyi's emergence from seclusion this time was indeed no coincidence.
Just as Chen Jiaxin felt that she should do it herself, Ouyang Rong would not place all his hopes on outsiders and also adhered to the principle that doing it himself was the safest option.
On his way to deliver the food box to the Water Curtain, Ouyang Rong took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and took out the snow-white longsword hidden in the Peach Blossom Spring Map.
He poured the purple mist of merit into Zhi Shuang's unguarded sword without any charge. This time, he used the purple mist of merit to directly touch the ball of white light inside Zhi Shuang.
Ouyang Rong was right; this white light was the deepest connection between the distant Snow Candle and Zhi Shuang.
It is also an object that binds the sword owner and his natal sword.
He wasn't wrong in his gamble. Just as Xue Zhongzhu could influence Zhi Shuang through Zhi Shuang, he could do the same, using Zhi Shuang as a medium to influence Xue Zhongzhu, who was in seclusion far away.
Just like when Xue Zhongzhu suddenly attacked him in the middle of the night, pulling his mental projection into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Ouyang Rong could also do the opposite.
Furthermore, the reason why Xue Zhongzhu has been in seclusion for so long is likely because after Zhi Shuang was subdued by Ouyang Rong and put into the sword box, she was seriously injured by the Heavenly Punishment Thunder Pool. Xue Zhongzhu also suffered greatly as a result, and his heart meridian was somewhat damaged, so he had to go into seclusion to repair his injuries.
This perfectly confirms the news that Aqing brought back about the Snow Candle.
[Merit: 1,502]
On the way, Ouyang Rong took a moment to enter the Merit Hall and glanced at the cyan-gold characters above the round little wooden fish.
A significant amount of the merit-based purple mist has been consumed.
Ouyang Rong glanced at it, then left the Pagoda of Merit and opened his eyes.
"This time I spent five hundred merit points to alert them, but I didn't expect that Lady Zhi Shuang would think so highly of me, sending so many people over at once... However, it was worth it to get Yun Xiangyi out of seclusion and into the water prison..."
Ouyang Rong murmured something and slowly nodded.
It's obvious what's going on with Xuezhongzhu.
Just now, Ouyang Rong suddenly invaded Xue Zhongzhu's mind through Zhi Shuang. The latter must have been very flustered, afraid that Ouyang Rong would pull her mind projection over like last time, or that his own mind projection would interfere with or even destroy her pure sword heart.
This time, it wasn't just Yun Xiangyi who was summoned; Yu Nianyuan, and even Hua Xiangrong, who was far away in the depths of Yunmeng, were also called over.
Ouyang Rong remained calm as he walked to the water dungeon and stood before the wooden gate.
Pushing open the door, the room remained the same as always.
A small desk, Buddhist scriptures, a water bucket, and a wooden gate.
The only thing missing was the figure of the white-clad female ruler.
A faint fragrance lingered in the air.
Ouyang Rong looked around.
Four large food containers were placed on the table.
In the past, Yun Xiangyi would personally go deep into the water dungeon to deliver vegetarian meals to the prisoners, but tonight this task fell to him.
According to Ouyang Rong's observation, Yun Xiangyi probably hasn't discovered his relationship with Chen Jiaxin yet. However, she must have noticed Chen Jiaxin's previous excuse, but she probably hasn't thought about it too deeply... In this respect, Miss Chen is still very good at hiding it.
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly, walked to the table, and stood at roughly the angle where Yun Xiangyi usually sat, looking at the wooden door directly in front of him.
The wooden gate was quiet and still, as if it could be opened with a push.
Ouyang Rong didn't linger at Yun Xiangyi's spot for too long, to avoid leaving any traces that Yun Xiangyi might notice when she returned; she was actually quite vigilant.
Ouyang Rong picked up two food boxes and walked towards the wooden gate inside.
He glanced at the bucket filled with waterfall water by the wooden gate.
As instructed by Yun Xiangyi, he was to fetch a bucket of clean water every two days.
Just before Yun Xiangyi left, she only instructed him to bring in vegetarian meals for the prisoners, without giving him any other instructions, such as how to dispose of the bucket of ice-cold water.
Upon reaching the gate, Ouyang Rong did not hesitate at all and gently pushed it open.
The door opened.
It was pitch black inside.
(End of this chapter)
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