Chapter 174 Did Qin Shi Huang's refusal to plead guilty mean he was trying to prevent such a thing from happening again...?
Ah Cong dived into the water and glided forward like a fish.
Lu Bing silently nestled at the back of the small boat, his thin eyelids drooping, covering half of his dark brown pupils, his gaze following Ah Cong as he disappeared beneath the water.
Lu Bing held the Yin Sui, whose effects were unknown, in his hand, his mind more active than ever before.
Does this thing really work?
If the evil spirits that afflicted the fishing village earlier were indeed summoned from the sea by him, could those mysterious ships ahead also be ominous creatures born from his evil intentions?
After all, along the way, he held the Yin Sui with utter resentment, eagerly hoping to perish together with the Gu Master and this group of Wang Xiang.
Although Lu Bing did not believe that holding a seashell could make his dream come true, judging from the current situation, his concocted Fuxi body could indeed control the Yin Sui and create some extraordinary scenes.
Despite the talk of Fuxi's Hand, Lu Bing stared at his own hands and could see the snake veins lurking beneath the thin skin, tinged with a faint blue. As long as the Gu snake was well-behaved, it looked no different from the meridians.
Chen Ying turned her head and looked at Lu Bing, who was calm and composed, seemingly detached from the situation, as if nothing in front of him mattered.
"You're so calm, aren't you afraid there might be danger ahead?"
Lu Bing felt as if he had heard a joke. He was already in danger by the side of that venomous woman, so what danger could he possibly be afraid of?
She should be the one who's afraid, Lu Bing said, raising his head. "I'd love to die together."
Caught off guard by these words, Chen Ying paused for a moment. She stared at Lu Bing's upturned lips, a smile that was extremely sarcastic.
Regardless of whether it was sarcasm or something else, Lu Bing had never smiled at her before, but now he actually smiled and said: Let's die together.
For no apparent reason, these words made Chen Ying's scalp tingle. She felt as if she were terminally ill, and her heart was beating more than twice as fast as usual.
She had heard countless sweet words from Shen Yuanwen and felt happy, but never before had her heart been pounding like a drum.
For no apparent reason, Chen Ying grinned and laughed silently and unabashedly. She laughed so hard she bent over, then sat down on the bow of the boat clutching her stomach, looking as happy as if she were seriously ill.
What's so funny?
Lu Bing frowned as if she were a lunatic, completely baffled as to what was wrong with her this time.
Having laughed enough, Chen Ying wiped her eyes and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you die."
“Is that so?” Lu Bing readily agreed. “Given the chance, I will definitely kill you.”
Chen Ying said in a mocking tone, "Young Master Lu, you're really heartless."
Lu Bing was extremely annoyed: "I'm not as ruthless as you."
"We've been together for so long, and you keep talking about dying, can't you hope for something better?"
"It won't get any better."
Chen Ying had always found him interesting, and the time she spent with Lu Bing day and night was simply delightful. Suddenly, she changed the subject and asked, seemingly out of the blue, "Do you want to go back to Bei Qu?"
"What?"
"Wait until I send Acong and the others back..." Chen Ying paused halfway through her sentence, because it would be useless to say anything after that. From the very beginning, she had done all sorts of bad things, and she knew that she would never have a good ending.
The reason she's survived all these years is entirely due to Ah Cong's constant protection. Once she sends Wang Xiang back to her homeland, what future will she have? It's all pointless to say anything more. Chen Ying was too lazy to waste words. She took out a porcelain bottle from her sleeve, poured out a pill, and fed it to Lu Bing. Then she put the bottle into his inner pocket: "These medicines are enough for two months."
Lu Bing raised his eyelids and saw that, sure enough, the celestial phenomena were unusual and people had changed their ways.
The wicked woman always liked to use medicine to control him. Whenever Lu Bing disobeyed, Chen Ying would delay giving him the medicine until he could no longer bear it.
Now she's actually shoving the whole bottle of medicine into his hands. What trick is this wicked woman playing now?
Chen Ying let out a breath and kindly reminded her, "If you don't want to suffer, then you should obediently follow me. I will help you continue your studies in two months."
She knew that the torment caused by the Gu serpent was worse than death, and even Lu Bing, with his strong will, couldn't withstand it. If he stopped taking medicine for seven days, the Gu serpent would turn on him, slowly devouring his flesh and blood. Chen Ying didn't hide this from him, and Lu Bing naturally understood the severity of the situation, so there was no need for her to repeat her threats.
"And another thing, stop defending that damned blind monk, or Ah Cong might stab you when he gets angry."
"Who's afraid?" Lu Bing thought to himself, "You're the ones who deserve to die." But he said aloud, "It's counting on me to take them back."
Strictly speaking, Ah Cong and these scoundrels valued his life more than Chen Ying did.
Chen Ying glanced at him: "So this is what you call being fearless because you have nothing to lose?"
Lu Bing didn't even bother to respond: "I just think they're pretty brainless."
"You have a brain, but how much do you really know? Let's not even talk about how difficult it is to find the secret realm; no one has ever ventured there before. Who knew Fuxi had already discovered it? It's normal for them to suspect there's a traitor, right? Besides, Fang Xiandao, who broke into the secret realm, only knew him, A Zhaosu, and A Zhaosu himself admitted that he had saved those sorcerers..."
"You saved him?" Zhou Yaren was very surprised to hear this.
The situation Bai Yuan learned from the underworld was actually not complicated. It was a rainy day, and a huge storm arose at sea, capsizing several ships. Somehow, A Zhaosu witnessed this scene and, being nosy, rescued a few people.
"And the people he saved were Xu Fu and his companions who had set sail to search for the immortal mountain." Bai Yuan glanced at Zhou Yaren, whose face was pale. "Xu Fu had set sail twice. The first time he was in danger and was saved by A Zhaosu. The second time he was fully prepared."
The injustice was not explained in detail, nor was it necessary; Zhou Yaren could easily piece together the whole story.
Fang Xiandao's purpose in setting sail to find the Immortal Mountain was quite clear. Xu Fu's initial goal was to find the secret realm. They found the vicinity of the secret realm with the Hand of Fuxi, but then encountered a monstrous wave and were rescued by A Zhaosu.
They had already made tremendous efforts and paid a heavy price to enter this sea area. Fuxi even used the Yin Sui to find the location. Who else could appear in this sea area openly and legitimately besides the Undying People?
Did Xu Fu know A Zhaosu's identity at that moment?
Perhaps Azhaosu couldn't bring outsiders into the secret realm, but could these people have followed and stalked him?
He could swear to God that he had never colluded with these people, nor that he had brought foreigners into the country, but could this calamity be because he had revealed his whereabouts?
In the end, even Azhaosu himself couldn't be sure. He gradually felt that the foreign invasion was inextricably linked to him.
He is willing to accept punishment, but he will never admit guilt.
Because he never colluded with foreign tribes from beginning to end, and he never betrayed the secret realm.
But he also felt that the secret realm and the suffering of his people were related to him. If he hadn't saved those people in the shipwreck, if he hadn't saved Xu Fu...
Otherwise, why would He Yan, after learning the truth, have stayed on the green pine mountain in Zhongtiao, guarding the alchemy furnace that refined his clansmen, burning himself with incense day after day, leaving his body covered in scars and scars, and finally, overwhelmed with guilt, setting himself on fire?
These are the truths that Bai Yuan never mentioned to Zhou Yaren. She feared that Zhou Yaren would follow in He Yan's footsteps, falling into endless guilt and self-blame, unable to forgive herself until her death.
Since you've forgotten, why carry the burden of the past again?
Those past events crushed He Yan, and it's hard to say they won't crush Zhou Yaren as well.
At this moment, they finally discovered the truth in the secret of the fishing village: how Fang Xiandao had gone to great lengths to find the Boundless Secret Realm step by step. Even if A Zhaosu had not appeared, Fang Xiandao would have found the secret realm smoothly.
Perhaps A Zhaosu was always cautious and was not followed by anyone. Fangxiandao, the second place he went to sea, was a secret realm that he found with the help of Fuxi.
Even if Xu Fu had followed A Zhaosu, the outside world would not have been able to find the secluded secret realm in the vast sea using only a sense of direction.
Therefore, the Undead firmly believe that unless one of their own kind has a connection with the secret realm, the outside world will never be able to find it.
Once a foreign tribe invades, there will always be a traitor within the tribe leading the invasion.
After Fang Xiandao broke in, Xu Fu naturally helped the Undead people find out that A Zhaosu was the traitor.
Clearly, whoever knew these invaders was the traitor, and Azhaosu had no way to defend himself.
Bai Yuan, looking at the faint redness in Ya Ren's eyes, said, "Ya Ren, I don't blame you."
The salty, gusty wind whipped up his black hair, tangling it with Bai Yuan's dark hair.
"It must have been tough on you," Zhou Yaren said, gripping the fan tightly. "You've been keeping it from me all this time."
Even though Bai Yuan returned to the source, he took the opportunity to spy on the Death Umbrella. Countless times, Bai Yuan did his best to conceal and protect it.
Zhou Yaren was prone to overthinking. Even if he wouldn't follow in He Yan's footsteps, Bai Yuan didn't want Zhou Yaren to bear such a heavy burden and live his life in guilt and self-blame towards his clan. It would be better for him to simply believe that he was wronged.
Now that she finally knows how Fang Xiandao found the Boundless Secret Realm, it is enough to prove that their invasion of the secret realm has nothing to do with A Zhaosu. Only now, having arrived at the place where A Zhaosu was being punished, has she chosen to tell the whole story.
"Bai Yuan, thank you for everything you've done for me." Zhou Ya's heart was filled with complex emotions, far beyond what could be easily summed up with a simple expression of gratitude. "I will..."
Bai Yuan pointed to the right front, indicating that the bow of the ship should shift to the right, interrupting Zhou Yaren's words: "I should have cleared the name of the world, what I did was just my duty, there is no need for thanks." However, something went wrong along the way, and she herself was imprisoned, which is why A Zhaosu's injustice has been delayed until now. "It has been hard on you, suffering so much in this world. It is a bit late, but this time when you come back, I will definitely make sure that the secret realm clears your name."
Zhou Yaren stepped forward and gently embraced her amidst the turbulent waves. The unique, cold fragrance of Bai Yuan filled his nostrils, inexplicably making his nose tingle. This injustice, descended from the secret realm, was like a curse, haunting him through life and death: "If I could be cleansed of this injustice, would I no longer have to suffer the torment of torture?"
Bai Yuan smiled faintly and replied, "Of course."
The crux of the problem lies at its root, so of course we must address the problem at its root.
Zhou Yaren asked, "Will they believe it?"
Bai Yuan said confidently, "Yes, it will."
She patted Zhou Yaren on the shoulder: "Don't get distracted by such big waves, or the boat will capsize."
Master Fang and the mirror polisher, who were tightly strapped to the boat bench, had vomited at least three times. The mirror polisher was completely dizzy and seeing stars, his vision blurred. He regretted getting on this ship countless times, regretting it to the core. Even the boatmen, who were used to sailing at sea, were no exception. Their stomachs churned along with the ship, and they just hoped that this deadly storm would pass soon.
Zhou Yaren steadied the boat in time, braving the wind and waves; the calm sea was now within reach...
Lu Bing subconsciously glanced back, but the magnificent, surging waves were no longer visible. The surroundings were quiet except for Chen Ying's voice: "So what if Fang Xiandao found the secret realm using Fuxi's hand? Who cares if A Zhaosu is innocent or not? What does it have to do with me? I only care about finding the secret realm and sending Acong and the others home."
Indeed, Chen Ying was a ruthless killer, and she didn't distinguish right from wrong with this group of scoundrels.
Lu Bing, whose hands and feet had been crippled by Chen Ying and taken from Bei Qu to Mizhou, was now in this state and could no longer remain uninvolved. As he learned more and more of the truth, Lu Bing thought about many things, his mind filled with Fuxi, Fangxian Dao, the Immortal People, the Secret Realm of the Sea, and so on. His thoughts were chaotic and disordered. At this moment, he suddenly thought: "Fuxi is the ancestor of mankind and the first of all kings. Historically, only emperors could offer sacrifices to him. If I remember correctly, this rule seems to have originated in the Qin and Han dynasties, and it should have started from the Qin dynasty."
"That's right. The emperor sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, while the feudal lords sacrifice to mountains and rivers. Qin Shi Huang honored Fuxi as the god Taihao and stipulated that only the emperor could worship Fuxi, and prohibited the common people from worshipping him."
This is why Fuxi was completely separated from the people of the world.
Throughout the world, there are countless temples and monasteries that enshrine various gods and Buddhas, and people can worship them to their heart's content, but there are very few temples dedicated to Fuxi.
Fang Xiandao was able to unearth so many things from the relics of Fuxi, through the imagery of the Eight Trigrams, and even went so far as to fabricate a body of Fuxi. Could there be a deeper meaning behind Qin Shi Huang's actions as well?
Why did Qin Shi Huang burn books and bury scholars alive? Could this be related to this event?
Undoubtedly, the sorcerers whom Qin Shi Huang ordered to be executed were advocating the pursuit of immortality and elixirs every day, and they clearly knew about the connection between Fuxi and the secret realm. Therefore, it is hard to say that the books burned were not related to Fuxi.
After the burning of books and burying of sorcerers, these events became secrets that would never be known for a thousand years. No evil cultivators were ever heard to mention the secret realm of the sea again, nor was anyone heard to have concocted the body of Fuxi. Even the art of Gu (a type of magical artifact) disappeared as a result.
So, was Qin Shi Huang's move intended to prevent this from happening again?
It's hard to say for sure.
If Wang Xiang hadn't crawled out of the Taiyin/Dao body in Beiqu and gone to the East Sea with Chen Ying to search for their homeland, they probably wouldn't have dug out the body that was used to create Fuxi's body.
Of course, these were all guesses that Lu Bing suddenly came up with: "Xu Fu submitted a memorial to Qin Shi Huang, claiming that there were divine mountains and immortals in the sea, and that he had built a high platform in Langya to view the sea. Such a big fuss must mean that he wanted to see something different. I think it was Fang Xian Dao who did this on purpose. Anyway, they can have Fu Xi hold the Yin Sui and create a mirage in the East Sea, saying that seeking immortality and medicine is the only way to convince Qin Shi Huang."
Qin Shi Huang, like him, was a country bumpkin who had never seen the sea. Seeing this scene, he was easily fooled.
"Fang Xiandao's aim is simply to use the emperor's power to go to sea." Although the bamboo slips and stone carvings she plundered did not record these unimportant details, the necessary power must be substantial to go to sea to invade the secret realm and capture the Undead to refine pills.
The most perfect solution was to bring in the emperor of a country, thereby gaining direct support from the court. Qin Shi Huang provided this assistance with all his might, giving him manpower and money as needed, and even personally went to Langya to pay homage to the sea to see him off.
As the two were talking, Wang Xiang, who was standing around the boat, suddenly patted the gunwale and pointed ahead.
Chen Ying looked up and saw the leaden-gray sea fog gradually spreading closer. A Cong had already disappeared on the surface of the water and had not returned for a long time.
The three ships still stood amidst the sea fog, seemingly drifting slowly, yet also seemingly stationary. Chen Ying sensed something amiss and shouted, "Ah Cong!"
Ah Cong swam a long way on his own before finally reaching the vicinity of a huge ship. When Ah Cong surfaced, he saw that the ship was rotten and dilapidated, with green moss and cracks covering the planks. The canvas was torn and hung tatteredly on the poles, swaying in the wind.
It was covered by a skin peeled off a dead person, so it couldn't feel the cold or warmth, but Ah Cong still felt a chill run down his spine.
The design of this ship is unforgettable, because it was these very ships that carried them to hell on earth, from which they were doomed forever.
This was the trail left by Fang Xiandao when he traversed the secret realm. At this moment, A Cong seemed to be frozen in place, unable to move for a moment. The massive ship slowly tilted down and rolled over it directly.
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