Chapter 186: The finishing touch, but Xia is missing
In front of the dragon-patterned stone gate, Lingxiang stared at Long Qi, frowning and saying nothing. She was confused: if Xinyi and the others had been bewitched, why was Long Qi still safe and sound?
Long Qi felt a little uncomfortable being stared at. Although Lingxiang had accepted his feelings, there was no one around, so she couldn't just stare at him like that. It was embarrassing. But then he thought, since they both knew each other's feelings, not only looking at each other, but even holding hands was reasonable, right?
Thinking of this, Long Qi suddenly felt at ease and stretched out his hand to pull Lingxiang, but Lingxiang suddenly reached into her arms and took out the Panlong gem.
Previously, the first door had a mechanism on it, easily found with a little exploration. Now, there were only two bare stone doors, and even the gaps between them were tightly closed, leaving no way for anyone to break in. She had also carefully examined the two dragon-shaped stone pillars at the entrance, and they were just launch points for flying knives, with no mechanism at all.
Considering that Long Qi stepped on the magic circle but was not trapped in it, but instead an entrance to the mechanism appeared, could it be because Long Qi is a descendant of the Long family that this happened?
In this case, if one wants to open these two stone doors, it must be Long Qi.
Lingxiang was momentarily perplexed, looking at the dragon pattern, which resembled the one on the Coiled Dragon Jade. She walked to the door and reached out to touch the dragon pattern. This dragon pattern was different from the one on the nailed door. It was exactly the same as the Coiled Dragon on the jade, both coiled. However, the Coiled Dragon on the jade had its eyes open, while the one on the stone door, while open, had blank eyes.
Could it be...
Long Qi was extremely depressed, one hand hanging awkwardly in the air, neither reaching out nor retracting. He had just finally mustered up all the energy to hold Lingxiang's hand, but she was such a spoiler, completely focused on the stone gate before them. It was really un-Fengyue.
Just when Long Qi was feeling depressed, Ling Xiang suddenly pulled him to her side. Long Qi was extremely confused. What was this little girl trying to do by being so hot and cold?
However, Lingxiang pulled Long Qi's hand and pressed it against the eyes of the dragon pattern on the stone door. But after waiting for a while, the two stone doors remained motionless.
This puzzled her. If the magic circle in the cave could identify the Long family bloodline, why couldn't this dragon pattern? Looking around, the only thing she could make a fuss about was this dragon pattern.
Long Qi was suddenly held by the hand. He was startled at first, but then he came to his senses and was delighted. This Lingxiang wasn't completely unmoved. But when Lingxiang pressed his hand towards Long Wen, he was stunned again. After all these twists and turns, Long Qi couldn't help but sigh inwardly: He had overestimated her. This was clearly a young girl who hadn't yet begun to fall in love. What else could he expect?
Forget it, it’s better this way. It will save him from being cheated by others in the future. Who can he turn to for justice then?
Now, this is the only way to comfort myself, so that Long Qi can feel better...
Long Qi was still sighing, but Lingxiang was confused. She didn't know how to deal with the current situation. The people in the Long family were really weird. They had to make a good secret room like a tomb. What shameful thing was there in it that was worth hiding like this?
Otherwise, how can we say that they are in sync with each other? On this matter, Lingxiang and Long Qi thought the same thing.
Lingxiang was truly annoyed. Seeing the way out right before her eyes, yet unable to do anything about it, how could she not be annoyed? But right now, she couldn't find the answer. Where, exactly, was the secret?
The red nail-head door outside, while adorned with coiled dragon patterns, wasn't entirely coiled, unlike the jade. This door, however, had the same dragon pattern as the Coiled Dragon Jade, the only difference being the lack of carvings where the eyes would be.
Eyes...eyes!
Lingxiang pinched her chin and fell into deep thought.
I remember the dragon patterns on the two red doors also had a secret in their eyes. When Lingxiang placed the coiled dragon jade into the dragon head carving, the two dragon eyes opened. Could it be that they had already hinted that the stone doors were the secret mechanism of the eyes?
Lingxiang picked up the fine cloth on the ground that had been used to treat Long Qi's wound and carefully wiped the eyes of the dragon pattern on the stone door. At this moment, the two stone doors suddenly loosened and dust fell from the top of the door.
Long Qi hurriedly pulled the incense over and swept away the dust. But to his dismay, the two stone doors only loosened slightly but did not open.
Even so, it did reveal the stone door's mechanism: the eyes of the coiled dragon. Why would a simple wipe trigger the mechanism? She had been groping for a long time, but hadn't seen any movement.
Lingxiang looked at the fine cloth in her hand in great confusion, only to find that the bloodstain had faded considerably. This was rather strange; logically, the bloodstain should have become darker once it dried, so how could it have faded? She then looked towards the stone door and saw a faint red glow at the eyes of the dragon pattern on the door.
The ancestor of the Long family was quite tasteful, and this mechanism was the finishing touch!
However, I think it would take the blood of the Long family to open it.
Thinking of this, Lingxiang quickly grabbed Long Qi's arm and ripped open the fine cloth covering his wound. Long Qi felt a pang of pain; the wound must have been torn open, and blood oozed from the still-uncovered fine cloth. Long Qi was completely baffled. While Lingxiang's temperament was a bit peculiar, she wasn't one for harassing others. Why would she treat him like this?
Lingxiang took advantage of the bleeding on Long Qi's arm and smeared some of his blood on the eyes of the dragon pattern on the door. At this moment, the eyes of the dragon pattern turned blood red, and then there were loud rumbling sounds.
The stone gate is opened!
But Long Qi Lingxiang was not happy at all, because Xinyi, Lu Ying and Zhao Wuyang fell on an open space behind the door!
The two hurried forward to check, and only after Lingxiang felt their pulses did they feel relieved. These three people must have gone through a mental and physical struggle, which made them weak. They would wake up after a while of rest. Clearly, there was something fishy going on in the Long family's secret room, but why were Liu Xia and Banxia not there? Could it be...
…
Banxia continued to explore the tunnel, which was extremely narrow, and even she was struggling alone. But as she walked, the view suddenly opened up. For some unknown reason, the tunnel ended at a towering city wall. Beneath the wall were rows of military tents, guarded by soldiers. Though those soldiers wore armor and held spears and halberds, their faces looked somewhat dejected.
It seemed they had most likely suffered a defeat, so morale was extremely low, a cardinal sin in warfare! However, these soldiers looked like they were defending the city. The gates were still standing, so why were they so dejected?
At this time, Banxia was also discovered by the guards. Although their morale was low, they still had to do their duty and quickly stepped forward to surround her, asking her where she came from.
Banxia wanted to point behind her and tell him the truth, but when she looked back, she couldn't see the cave entrance she had come from. She felt a little uneasy, but she didn't show it on her face.
"I'm a wandering immortal. I saw dark clouds covering the sun here, so I came to investigate. I didn't expect to stray into the military camp." Who can't lie? After all, I am also a person of the outside world. How can I fool these mortal soldiers?
Banxia, already wearing a cassock and holding a Bagua plate, spoke with a swaying head, seeming to speak in a mystical manner, which made the soldiers believe her somewhat. However, the war was now tense and the front was not going well, so the soldiers dared not relax.
Banxia was thus escorted into the military tent. However, to her surprise, the general on the throne looked very familiar, but she couldn't immediately place where she had seen him.
The soldier who was escorting Banxia reported the situation. The general sitting there was not angry at all. Instead, he looked very happy. He hurried to Banxia and bowed to her.
Seeing this, not only were the soldiers surprised, but even Banxia scrambled to avoid it. Although she had no fondness for military men, this was, after all, a general commanding three armies. How could she accept such a generous gift with such composure?
"General, what are you doing now? Please don't embarrass me." Banxia quickly clasped her fists in return and asked.
Upon seeing this, the general hurriedly dismissed his attendants, then extended his hand to invite them to sit down before saying, "Your Excellency, I am Liu Xian, and I am here on the border of Lindong under the order of the Emperor of the Celestial Empire. But..."
Before he could finish his words, General Liu sighed heavily. Banxia, listening, frowned. Lindong City? Wasn't that a city on the border between East and West? In just a short while, she had traveled across half of the Celestial Empire? And this general actually had the same surname as Liu Xia? How could it be such a coincidence?
Banxia was just pondering when she heard General Liu speak again: "That barbarian found a sorcerer from somewhere. Every time we fight, he always wears a mask, setting up formations and casting spells on the battlefield, which really makes our army suffer a lot. And..."
"And I don't know what method he used to kidnap my wife and children. Now he is threatening me to open the city gates and surrender to him! Poor my little son, he was only three years old, but he was dragged to the battlefield by him to see all the swords and blood..." As soon as he finished speaking, General Liu sighed deeply again.
Upon hearing this, Banxia suddenly felt that the sorcerer was truly despicable. Battlefields were supposed to be fought between men, but to use women and children as a threat was truly despicable.
But she had just said it casually. Since the sorcerer had the ability to give advice on tactics, what could she, a mere cultivator at the Qi-refining stage, do?
Just as Banxia was feeling anxious, she saw a man stumbling into the tent, crying, "General, General, Nathuurhan and that weird-faced witch are holding the lady and the young master outside, yelling at you to surrender quickly..."
General Liu Xian was furious when he heard this. He slammed the table beside him, shattering it into pieces. He shouted at the visitor, "How can you be so whimpering like this? You don't even look like a soldier!" He then sighed heavily.
Banxia saw the young soldier who had come to report the news. He was only a teenager, wearing ill-fitting armor, with red eyes and stifled tears, looking pitiful. She was immediately filled with righteous indignation, thinking that war was a terrible loss, but her face remained calm.
"General, don't panic. Listen to me. Since that thing is so despicable, why don't you take me to the city wall to test the waters first? If I can break the sorcerer's formation, I will definitely help you."
Despite her indignation, her words were powerful and resonant. However, Banxia was deeply concerned. Now that the words were out, it was difficult to take them back.
Never mind, let's just fight when the enemy comes and block when the water comes! I just hope that this plate can give her some face when the time comes.
When General Liu heard this, he was overjoyed and quickly invited Banxia out of the tent.
Banxia followed General Liu up the city wall and peered out. True to General Liu's description from his tent, the barbarian army's formation was not only bizarre, but also inexplicably filled with mist, a sign of some kind of sorcery. However, having only recently entered the Dao and lacking Lingxiang's extensive knowledge, she had no idea what it was, and for a moment, she had no idea how to decipher it.
Looking at Banxia's frown, General Liu's heart sank. He believed that those in seclusion were usually composed and composed, but Banxia's solemn expression made him feel that victory was hopeless. Unfortunately, his wife and children were still in the enemy camp; it seemed he could only apologize to them.
After he has fulfilled his loyalty to the Celestial Empire, he will go to the underworld with her and her son!
Thinking of this, General Liu immediately climbed up the battlement, knelt on one knee, and with a heavy breath and a sorrowful expression on his face, he shouted towards the enemy camp with all his strength:
"My wife, Ah Lu, has managed the household, supported her husband and raised her children, and given birth to three sons and one daughter for our Liu family. Xian is deeply grateful to her and loves and respects her. Now, Ah Lu is trapped in the enemy camp, and the enemy generals are using this as a threat. However, as a minister of the emperor, I must share his worries while receiving his salary. I must never do such a thing as betraying my country. I have wronged my beloved wife, and I hope she will forgive me. When I am out of this predicament and relieve your worries, I will follow you. I hope Ah Lu will wait for Xian on the road to the underworld. I will definitely not let you cross the River of Forgetfulness alone!"
Every word he spoke was sonorous, and General Liu burst into tears. However, the previous decadent atmosphere around him was completely changed. The morale was unprecedentedly high, and everyone was in high spirits and full of energy.
The general was so aware, wouldn't it be unfair to him if I held him back? Not to mention being a soldier, even as a man of seven feet, how could I not have such integrity?
Although General Liu's words boosted morale, they exhausted all his strength and he had to be helped down the battlements. Meanwhile, Banxia, standing beside him, relaxed.
Previously, she could not see the enemy's magic, and the Bagua plate did not give any clues, but somehow, after General Liu finished his previous words, the plate in his hand suddenly flashed.
According to the hexagram, this fog is nothing but the magic of the five elements. Although he is not as proficient in the five elements as Lingxiang, if he can break it with a battle formation, he should be able to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop.
However, to be on the safe side, it would be best to first inquire with General Liu about the details of the previous battles. Banxia didn't waste any time, but went straight to the point, asking General Liu about the circumstances of the previous battles. As she had expected, it was the mist that obscured the Liu family army's vision, making it impossible for them to identify the enemy's position, and even causing casualties among their own men.
And those soldiers who were trapped deep in the fog were all poisoned! However, the poison was very strange. Although it caused them to have severe abdominal pain, it did not cause their intestines to rupture. They just needed to recuperate for a long time before the pain would subside.
Hearing this, Banxia frowned slightly. Although she had read some books on the art of incantation when she first started, she had never practiced much. Moreover, according to General Liu's explanation, the art of incantation was probably unbreakable and would require medicinal techniques to resolve.
If I had known this earlier, I should have asked Lingxiang for advice on pharmacology...
Banxia sighed, and General Liu, who was standing by, felt a chill in his heart.
Could it be that there is really no way to break the formation of this barbarian witch?
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