92 Locking the Spirit (Part Four)
"Take me away."
The Tower of the God Transformation Realm.
Ran Qinghe was idly picking at the bricks on the ground when a pair of black-and-red boots stopped in front of her. Only then did she look up and casually glance at the person who had come.
"It seems you're doing quite well in this prison. I've been busy running around for you outside."
Ran Qinghe said, "I must thank Sect Leader Lin. Otherwise, if I had been subjected to those eighty-one Spirit-Locking Whips, it would have been a miracle that I survived."
She continued to probe, "I wonder if the sect leader has investigated the matter of Ye Buchen that we agreed upon before?"
She had made a pact with Lin Ge: she would help him plan the destruction of the Azure Sky Spiritual Vein, and in exchange, Lin Ge would investigate the truth behind Ye Buchen's "betrayal" of the sect. She never believed the so-called facts told by Lou Guan.
Lin Ge paused, his expression stiffening slightly for a moment, before saying, "Of course."
"As you said, Ye Buchen was indeed Lou Yunya's disciple, but he later left the Discipline Hall because of a disagreement with Lou Yunya over the Qingxiao matter."
Ran Qinghe pressed further: "About Qingxiao?"
Lin Ge continued, "More than a hundred years ago, Qingxiao and the Discipline Hall were like fire and water. The Discipline Hall even established Yunya Academy with the intention of developing the Discipline Hall into the number one sect in the world."
"Therefore, the conflict between the two factions ended before Lou Yunya and Qianxue formed a pact."
"Later, because of Qianxue, the Discipline Hall and Qingxiao became even closer, and the Discipline Hall even voluntarily gave up its spiritual veins, becoming a vassal of Qingxiao for a time."
“There were radical disciples in the Discipline Hall who protested, and your master was one of them.”
Ran Qinghe secretly sensed something was amiss, but she didn't rush to refute it. Instead, she continued:
"Ye Buchen once said that the Mortal Valley was originally a place rich in spiritual energy, unlike now, where spiritual energy is scarce and one even needs to go to the Qingxiao Mountain Gate to get some spiritual energy for cultivation."
Mentioning this topic, Lin Ge's expression turned solemn, and he lowered his voice, saying:
"Indeed, this matter has a deep history. That is why I came here to find you."
Do you know about the Spirit Locking Array?
Ran Qinghe frowned, feigning ignorance: "What kind of formation is this? And what does it have to do with the events in Mortal Valley?"
Lin Ge said, "The Spirit Locking Array is a high-level array that can absorb and exhale spiritual energy. I only learned about it during this investigation. The Spirit Locking Array was created by Lou Yunya, and there is a Spirit Locking Array set up under the dozens of spiritual veins you destroyed."
"Spiritual power is channeled into the Azure Sky Spiritual Vein through the Spirit Locking Array, and ultimately can only be used by Azure Sky."
Ran Qinghe adopted a cautious yet knowing attitude: "So that's how it is. Lou Yunya and Qian Zhong actually came up with such a plan."
Lin Ge observed her reaction without showing any emotion. Seeing this, he added fuel to the fire and sighed softly, "Perhaps, it is precisely because of this that your master Ye Buchen was trapped in the Valley of Mortals and could not make any progress in his life."
Ran Qinghe said, "So, what is the purpose of the sect leader coming to find me? I am trapped in the Tower Prison and have no freedom..."
Lin Ge said, "The Five Sects Conference has ended. Sect Leader Bukong is indifferent to worldly affairs. Sect Leader Chang and I both believe that since you are kind-hearted and destroyed the spiritual vein for the sake of the cultivators of Mortal Valley, you can be spared the suffering of imprisonment."
"But Qianzhong and Yunxiu..."
Ran Qinghe said knowingly, "So, what Sect Leader Lin means is that he hopes I can win over Sect Leader Yun, but I may not have that ability."
Ran Qinghe deliberately didn't point it out, but she knew that Lin Ge had been intentionally or unintentionally leading her to oppose Qingxiao, and that his revelation of the Spirit Locking Array was definitely meant to make her the knife that would stab Qingxiao.
Even the initial act of destroying the spiritual vein might have been something Lin Ge had planned long ago.
The Spirit Locking Array connects the five sects. As the sect leader of Feifeng Sect, Lin Ge could not possibly be completely unaware of the inside story. The reason he has revealed this matter now is simply because he is dissatisfied with the fact that most of the spiritual energy is concentrated in Qingxiao.
Upon closer reflection, it's simply a matter of not being concerned about scarcity but about inequality.
Lin Ge initially smiled but remained silent. Seeing that Ran Qinghe truly did not respond, he then leisurely said, "The matter of the Spirit Locking Array is your opportunity."
"Based on the exposed spirit-locking array, I have roughly calculated that, according to the layout of the array, Qingxiao must have hidden many spirit-locking arrays. As long as we find the array core, we can destroy the spirit-locking arrays."
"At that time, spiritual energy will be able to return to the world, and the other four sects that will benefit will surely not allow you to be imprisoned in this tower prison..."
Only when the surrounding air quieted down again did Ran Qinghe slowly say, as if talking to herself, "Is what she said true?"
Lou Yunya chuckled lightly: "I think you've already made your judgment."
Ran Qinghe closed her eyes: "I think I need to know why you drove Ye Buchen away back then?"
Lou Yunya said, "Having been trapped in this great formation for so long, if you hadn't mentioned it, I'm afraid I would have almost forgotten all the old friends."
"Ye Buchen believed that I was capable of counterbalancing Qingxiao, but after I handed the Spirit Locking Array diagram to Qianxue, he chose to leave."
"Perhaps, it's because they don't want to believe that a leader who indulges in romantic love can become a qualified leader."
Suddenly, Ran Qinghe seemed to recall the water-ripple jade tablet that Qianzhong and Qianxue shattered when they confronted each other in the Mirror of Past Lives.
"Did you seal the Spirit Locking Array diagram inside a jade tablet?" Ran Qinghe asked to confirm.
Lou Yunya said in surprise, "Indeed."
The truth seems to be within reach.
The things she and Lou Tinglan had seen in the Mirror of Past Lives, which seemed completely incomprehensible at the time, are now crystal clear and well-understood.
Lou Yunya personally placed the Spirit Locking Array into the jade tablet symbolizing the next leader of Qingxiao Sect, and then handed the jade tablet to Qianxue.
However, Qianzhong discovered the spirit-locking array within, and in the ensuing struggle, Qianxue perished.
However, the only thing she couldn't understand was how Qianzhong could replicate the spirit-locking array since the jade tablet had already been destroyed.
Furthermore, given Lou Yunya's cultivation level, how did Qianzhong manage to trap him in the Spirit Locking Array and make him the container of the array's core?
She always felt that she was overlooking something.
She thought that perhaps she should verify one of her guesses first.
Thinking of this, she suddenly dug her nails into the flesh of her arm, so hard that blood almost seeped out.
Lou Tinglan, sitting alone in the quiet room, seemed to sense something as well.
He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a bloody red welt on his left arm.
He immediately stood up without the slightest hesitation.
However, that bloodstain was only the first. Immediately afterward, Lou Tinglan felt another painful sensation intersecting with the red mark.
The third stroke, the fourth stroke, the fifth stroke...
More and more red marks appeared on my arm, as if they were piecing together some words.
Lou Tinglan's heart sank. He understood that Ran Qinghe must have discovered the Injury-Bearing Technique he had planted on her, and even wanted to use it to send a message.
The dense, crisscrossing red marks pieced together three hastily written words:
"Take...me...away..."
*
When Lou Tinglan stepped into the Tower Prison, the surroundings were so quiet that only the sound of his footsteps could be heard. He walked straight to the deepest part without pausing.
Ran Qinghe was leaning against the wall, the bloodstains on her arm had dried. She looked up at Lou Tinglan, who had suddenly appeared at the door, and her lips twitched slightly, as if she had expected it.
"Let's go." Lou Tinglan said succinctly, and spiritual energy flowed between his palms, causing the black iron gate binding Ran Qinghe to open immediately.
Ran Qinghe quickly bandaged the hideous wound on her arm. Although she couldn't feel any pain, she still hastily bandaged it up before standing up for someone's sake.
"It came faster than I expected."
Lou Tinglan didn't reply, but turned around and led her away. It seemed that violating the rules of the Discipline Hall and releasing prisoners from the tower prison had become a trivial matter.
Ran Qinghe continued to provoke, "Senior Brother Lou, aren't you afraid that if I go out and blow up dozens of spiritual veins in Qingxiao, I'll cause you trouble?"
Lou Tinglan paused slightly, but still replied, "You don't."
Having started the conversation, he continued to persuade her: "Sect Leader Fei Fenglin asked you to damage the Azure Sky Spirit Vein, not necessarily for the sake of the cultivators of Mortal Valley, but because she also has her own selfish motives."
“I just don’t want you to become a victim of someone else’s selfishness.”
He knew nothing at all, yet he saw things more clearly than she did.
The two walked one after the other through the long passageway of the tower prison. Ran Qinghe looked back one last time, hesitated for a moment, and still did not tell Lou Yunya about it.
However, just as the two passed through the tower's restrictions, a deep, cold voice rang out from the shadows.
"Tinglan".
Lou Tinglan suddenly stopped, but then wrapped his long arm around Ran Qinghe and shielded her behind him without making a sound.
In the shadows, Lou Guan stood silently, her gaze fixed on Lou Tinglan, her eyes filled with disappointment. Then, her gaze swept coldly over Ran Qinghe, carrying undisguised disgust.
Where are you taking her?
Lou Guan didn't move, but his voice rose slightly, carrying a sense of impending doom.
Lou Tinglan calmly replied, "Leave this place."
"Leave?" Lou Guan chuckled as if he had heard an absurd joke.
Lou Tinglan.
“I thought you had repented by obeying the Discipline Hall’s punishment of Ran Qinghe. When did your judgment, as the chief disciple of the Discipline Hall, become so easily swayed by a woman like this?”
She paused, her tone suddenly turning strange: "You and your father are exactly alike!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
Ran Qinghe vaguely sensed that the unusual sharpness in Lou Guan's words was different from the elder's concern for his disciple; it seemed to be mixed with something else.
An intense possessiveness, even an almost obsessive desire for control...
In the blink of an eye, the past scenes gradually became clear.
It seems that every time Qianzhong tries to take her away, it is Lou Guan who stands in the way.
She was the second elder of the Discipline Hall and a junior sister trusted by Lou Yunya. Her extraordinary attention to Lou Tinglan pointed to one fact.
Her feelings for Lou Yunya may not be just a simple bond between fellow disciples.
Ran Qinghe's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. What role did Lou Guan, her seemingly outsider junior sister, play in what happened back then?
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