Chapter 121 Jianmu
"Xuanhe", just two short words, have very different meanings when heard by different people.
Qi Xiaopang was naive, assuming his brother, like him, was recalling the carvings on the ancestral hall's screen wall. "Xuanhe" translated from Chinese means "black crane," right? And if you call it black... well, it's certainly quite black.
Xiao Wu obviously knew more. From the moment she discovered the Black Crane, her eyes widened beneath the mask. When Qing Bai revealed its identity, Xiao Wu was so nervous that her eyes almost popped out. But she did not dare to "take the initiative" at this time. After all, "a crane turns gray at a thousand years old, and turns black at another two thousand years old. Only then can it be called a Black Crane."
Dead objects will appreciate in value and become antiques after a long time, while living objects will not only become antiques but also spirits after a long time.
Even if she counted her past life and the life before that, she could only count as a fraction of the other person's life in this world. She tried to make a move but ended up being crushed to death by a claw.
And although she hadn't been working in the underworld for long, she had heard from her superiors about this man's past deeds, and every one of them was related to Lingxi...
Xuan He really only had telepathy in his eyes. Since he appeared, he hadn't even glanced at Qi Xiaopang and Xiao Wu, who were far superior to Qing Bai in terms of tonnage and eye-catchingness. He completely treated the two of them as air and ignored them completely.
It was actually quite surprised, although it was hard to see, but that surprise soon turned into appreciation. It looked Qing Bai up and down for a while, and became more and more satisfied.
The black crane opened its beak, but out came human words: "The feng shui of the human world is more refined than that of the underworld, and even more so than a flint mirror. You are more worthy of the name of spiritual resonance."
Qi Xiaopang didn't expect that the first thing the bird said when it opened its mouth would be a compliment, but Xiao Wu cursed it inwardly, "Necrotic!" and vaguely felt that the bird's voice was a little familiar... Although their focus was slightly different, they both breathed a sigh of relief, secretly glad that they could communicate, otherwise they would be afraid of encountering someone who would refuse to communicate and hit them without saying a word.
Qing Bai accepted the compliment offered upon their first meeting very calmly. It was not because he was narcissistic, nor was it because he let down his guard due to Xuan He's friendly behavior when they first met, but because Xuan He's attitude was exactly the same as he had guessed before... Maybe after he schemed to wreak havoc in the underworld and almost wiped out the Lingxi clan, he realized belatedly that no matter how many 'dead Lingxis' there were, they would not be as useful as one 'living Lingxi'?
Unfortunately, there are only two Lingxi left in the world. One has been placed in the City of the Dead, a place the underworld calls "placed" or "imprisoned," hidden away in seclusion, like a hidden treasure hidden in a secluded boudoir. The other has only recently awakened, and it's hard to say whether her innate skills have been fully inherited... Even if it wanted to verify it, it wouldn't have the conditions.
Although it was definitely not a good thing to get such a big monster who coveted Lingxi's ability or Lingxi's body, Qing Bai really disliked the Suijing for both public and private reasons, so he still echoed the words: "Don't blame Fengshui for people's failures."
Qi Xiaopang and Xiao Wu: "..." Brother, you're really good at talking. How can anyone respond to this? What if it gets angry and attacks because of a disagreement...
Qing Bai didn't mean to choke people on purpose, he just wanted to stop there. Compared to Sui Jing who had no idea where to escape, he was more concerned about the giant tree in front of him.
"What kind of tree is this?"
The black crane spread its wings. As a great demon with a lifespan of at least three thousand years, its bird body naturally surpassed that of ordinary birds, especially its wings. When it spread out suddenly, it was full of might. The flight feathers on the edge of the long wings had lost their softness and were like sharp black sickles, and the friction between the wings made a teeth-grinding sound.
However, when the black crane moved, Qing Bai realized that its feathers were very messy, and it was definitely not because of flying.
Xuan He looked up at the tree, his tone unmistakable in its enthusiasm: "Have you ever heard of Jianmu?"
Qing Bai nodded. Legend has it that the sacred tree connecting heaven and earth, a bridge of communication between heaven, earth, and gods in ancient times, once served as a gateway for communication between heaven and earth. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors once traveled through it between heaven and earth. Of course, these sacred aspects of Jianmu are only recorded in mythological books and legends, making it difficult to discern truth from falsehood. Perhaps the tree originally named Jianmu was just an ordinary, taller tree, but the ancient people's worship of heaven and earth and their romantic ideals imbued it with mystique.
...However, some scholars now believe that the prototype of the bronze sacred tree unearthed in a well-known site is the legendary Jianmu, and they accidentally encountered the "metal Jianmu" in front of them.
"Can it connect heaven and earth?"
Wake up, artificial satellites have entered the universe.
It’s not that Qing Bai doesn’t believe in the existence of the legendary fairyland palace. After all, he has been to the underworld. It’s just that he doesn’t think that the palace is just simply suspended in the clouds, just like the underworld is not underground... Otherwise, if that is really the case, wouldn’t the airplane be better than the ancient Jianmu that only exists in myths and legends?
He thought that if there really was a fairyland or heavenly palace in this world, it should be like the underworld, "overlapping" with the mortal world, but the two worlds were not connected.
Xuan He stared at Qing Bai, not minding the implicit doubts in his words. At this moment, he was surprisingly honest: "As long as you are willing to lend a hand, little Lingxi, it will soon grow into a real Jianmu!"
Qing Bai felt uncomfortable all over under Xuan He's fiery gaze. He felt that in Xuan He's eyes, he was neither a human nor a spirit being, but a bag of inexhaustible fertilizer... maybe even organic.
However, the guardian was missing. In such a situation where he was at the mercy of others, Qing Bai did not dare to refuse outright, for fear of provoking the other party to take action against him directly. He could only take it step by step.
"I've lived as a human for as long as I can remember, and I haven't yet inherited the complete spiritual power. I might not be able to help you..." He offered a soothing, noncommittal remark. Then, before Xuan He could utter any crucial, potentially fatal words, Qing Bai rushed to send the two stunned men and ghosts away. He was afraid that if he got too far, Xuan He would react and kill them.
The two of them are not in sync with each other, so they are useless to Xuanhe. Xuanhe ignores them now, but will show no mercy when he takes action.
"...But I'm also curious about the magical effects of Lingxi on tree planting, and I'd like to hear more about it. It's just that too many people can cause confusion, and since you've been running this for many years, you probably don't want everyone to know, right?"
Although Qing Baihua's words were euphemistic, the others present were no fools. Even Qi Xiaopang realized what was going on after a few twists and turns. His face flushed crimson. Although he was known for his timidity and aspirations, he was definitely not the kind of person who would abandon his brothers and live in disgrace in a crisis.
Xiao Wu had already prepared for the battle. She had never forgotten her responsibility to send Xiao Lingxi back to the human world safely.
Qing Bai ignored Qi Xiaopang and Xiao Wu's reluctance. After all, he had no say in whether they could leave or not. It all depended on Xuan He.
Xuan He tilted his head, a gesture that even the renowned cranes looked a bit clumsy. He probably hadn't expected Qing Bai to be so bold. Even when he was clearly being forced into a trap and faced directly with the man he 'suspected' to be behind the plot, he actually dared to initiate negotiations, and the topic was to send his companions away.
But Xuan He didn't mind doing a favor to the little Lingxi in front of him who was full of spiritual energy... Anyway, with 'Jianmu' there, even if he let them go, they couldn't get out of the 'Giant Locust Tree'.
After making up his mind, the black crane spread its wings and flew down from the branch. The moment it landed, it transformed into a human form. His crane body was graceful, and after turning into a human form, he was even more elegant and handsome. However, his black robe looked particularly familiar.
Xiao Wu's heart was pounding, and he finally understood why he felt that the birdman's voice was familiar. This man was clearly the strange ghost official who had stopped them in the underworld before and tried to abduct Xiao Lingxi but failed, and instead forced them into the giant locust tree!
Xuan He adjusted his sleeves with the gentle movements of arranging feathers, and said in an exceptionally friendly manner, "Yes, I have put a lot of effort into this Jianmu, so I hope you two can keep quiet after you leave. Otherwise... I really don't want to commit murder without reason."
What he said was not a threat, but it was more than a threat.
But Qing Bai's wish was finally fulfilled. He turned around and looked at the man and the ghost whose faces almost had the words "I don't want to leave" written on them. His expression was normal, but his words were meaningful: "Didn't you promise to help Xiaoqian and her mother reunite? Why don't you go now?"
Qi Xiaopang and Xiao Wu looked at each other and did not move.
Who agreed? They didn't. It was you who agreed to help find the ashes.
Qing Bai ignored their reactions and continued, "My previous guess about the tree wasn't wrong, but the tree was wrong. It wasn't this 'living' tree, but a 'dead' tree."
"You can go back to the ancestral hall to confirm it."
After saying that, Qing Bai raised his tightly clenched hands to Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu's eyes flickered, and he immediately grabbed Fatty Qi's arm. Under Qi's shocked gaze, he half-pulled and half-dragged him towards the small door of the ancestral hall they had come from. "Okay... then let's go take a look."
Qi Xiaopang turned his head with difficulty and kept shouting "Ah hey hey", but unfortunately he could not escape Xiao Wu's clutches and could only be stuffed into the ancestral hall like a fat chicken.
He never thought that Xiao Wu would change sides so quickly!
Back in the familiar circle of clay dolls, as soon as Xiao Wu let go of them, Qi Xiaopang immediately turned around and rushed back angrily, almost losing his grip.
Xiao Wu quickly restrained the man. Facing Qi Xiaopang's accusing gaze of "I didn't expect you to be such a person," Xiao Wu rolled his eyes and said, "Alright, alright. Your brother Qing has a lot of treasures on him. Even if we die here today, he will definitely be safe!"
Qi Xiaopang paused. Treasure? What treasure did his brother have? How could he not know?
Xiao Wu understood Qi Xiaopang's doubts and smiled meaningfully, but did not say anything directly: "Don't worry, it's a big treasure..."
It was only when Qing Bai raised his hand towards him that she suddenly realized that Xiao Lingxi still had the 'amulet' left by Master Jiunian on her body... Although she had never seen the power of that treasure, even the underworld wanted to use it as a talisman to quell the floods in the Nai River, so its power was self-evident.
Qi Xiaopang was skeptical, and Xiao Wu was impatient to continue explaining, saying, "Just listen to him. Don't act on your own and ruin his plans."
Qi Xiaopang was instantly convinced. After knowing each other for a few years, he knew that his brother Qing was a very opinionated person. He should not try to be too clever and end up hindering others.
"...Then do you know what the 'dead tree' that Brother Qing was talking about is?"
"Isn't that simple? He even gave us a clear range of answers." Xiao Wu walked around the gloomy dormitory and said confidently, "This ancestral hall is made of brick and stone, and there's no greenery. The only thing that can be called a 'tree' inside is..."
"only……"
Qi Xiaopang slowly raised his head following Xiao Wu's movements, and the carved beam directly above the altar came into view.
...The woody fragrance is faint and refreshing.
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