Chapter 74 Chapter 74 It’s chilly in spring, Brother, don’t get beaten…
Ye Nanque was quick-eyed and quick-handed. He pressed his right hand with his left hand, and the flying sword deviated and just passed by Mu Jiulin's ear.
Ye Nanque said angrily: "Why don't you hide!"
Mu Jiulin raised his eyes, not knowing what to say. He cast a spell to collect the sand in his hand: "It's my fault. I didn't notice it."
These words were like a basin of cold water poured down on Ye Nanque, sobering him up a little.
He realized that his accusations were totally groundless. Mu Jiulin trusted him and had no defense against him, so he naturally did not expect that he would suddenly attack him. Otherwise, with Mu Jiulin's strength, he would not be unable to avoid it. It was just that Mu Jiulin had a good temper and had no complaints about his groundless accusations.
Just as he was feeling awkward, Yan Xi Chuang took out another identical small piece of sand and said, "There's definitely something wrong with this thing. The same piece of sand was placed in the two bodies of the disciples we've found so far, and I still can't figure out what it is."
"It's the Sorrow Stone. Or rather, it's a small part of the Sorrow Stone." Ye Nanque said.
Yan Xi Chuang repeatedly confirmed: "Really?"
Ye Nanque: "I can feel it."
No one knew Sorrow Stone better than him. It was he who had brought Sorrow Stone into the world, and it was he who had manipulated Sorrow Stone to start the war. That power that was full of malice but also made him happy was undoubtedly Sorrow Stone. However, this stone was too small, and there was still a big gap between it and the true power of Sorrow Stone.
Yan Xi Chuang glanced at Ye Nan Que and said, "The Sorrow Stone is now guarded by the Painting Immortal Sect. Fortunately, apart from you who was able to control it back then, there is currently no one who can control the Sorrow Stone."
Thinking of the bad things he had done in the past, Ye Nanque broke out in a cold sweat out of guilt.
Yan Xi Chuang continued, "The Huaxian Sect sent word ten days ago that they are ready to seal the mourning stone with an earth spirit formation within Yunshagang on the ninth day of this month. They are requesting that the elders of the seven sects be present to protect the Dharma and bear witness."
The territory of the Huaxian Sect is indeed home to a hill called Yunshagang, a place plagued by constant flying sand and rock formations, with extremely low visibility. The original book describes it as "so thick with wind and sand that ordinary people can barely move. The sand is a blood-red color, and within it lie seven red stone pillars covered in lotus flowers." The Huaxian Sect has designated this area as a forbidden area, and its secrets are unknown to all but the most senior elders. However, the choice of this location for sealing must have been a deliberate decision.
Ye Nanque thought about it carefully and figured it out. Although the Sorrow Stone was made of stone, its properties were more water-oriented. Sealing the Sorrow Stone with an Earth Spirit Formation was a feasible approach.
Yan Xi Chuang pondered: "The seal is about to be sealed, but something like this happened. These two disciples both returned from the Huaxian Sect seeking medical treatment. It seems that someone is deliberately causing trouble in the Huaxian Sect."
Ye Nanque didn't say anything.
Yan Xi Chuang looked at the two of them and said, "I must go to the Huaxian Sect in advance regarding this matter. Today, I presume that only the three of us know about it. Since you two are determined to retire, please do not interfere in this matter."
Mu Jiulin returned the gravel and the two said goodbye. Yan Xichuang looked at the two pieces of stone fragments in his hand, and then looked at Ye Nanque's back as he walked away, thinking about something.
These two stones clearly reacted to Ye Nanque... She could see it, and Ye Nanque himself should have felt it too...
However, she did not intend to tell it. It was rare for the two of them to have a stable life. Ye Nanque now seemed to have turned over a new leaf and no longer did evil things. Since he had realized this and was with Mu Jiulin, it would be better for him not to get involved.
Unexpectedly, Ye Nanque came to visit before dawn.
Yan Xi Chuang waved her hand and the room became bright. She looked at Ye Nanque standing in front of the door with a sword in his arms, his face not looking relaxed. She knew that he had something to say to her, so she said, "Come in."
Ye Nanque got straight to the point and said, "I have a connection with those two stones. I've been having hallucinations frequently these past two days, and that's probably why. I think this matter might be related to me, or perhaps it's directed at me. If I don't understand the cause, my hallucinations will be difficult to resolve, and it will also pose a threat to Jiuzhou. I can't stay out of this matter. I want to go to the Huaxian Sect with you, senior."
Yan Xi Chuang asked, "What does my nephew think?"
"I haven't asked Junior Brother Mu, nor do I want him to risk it with me. His current situation is special, and it would be embarrassing for him to run around for me. I sealed his spiritual veins, cast a sleeping spell, and added nine seals to the Peach Blossom Villa. It's best to wait until he wakes up and everything is resolved."
"Nine seals, you don't think it's troublesome." Yan Xichuang snorted and laughed.
Ye Nanque had originally intended to add only three seals; if the final one was triggered, Mu Jiulin's sleepiness would automatically break. But then he decided three seals were too few and not safe enough, so he added three more, and a moment later, three more, bringing the total to nine.
Yan Xi Chuang pulled out a bottle of pills from his sleeve. "It's not like I haven't thought about you and that thing before. It would be better if you could go with us, but you can't show up in this appearance. Take this face-changing pill and you can change your appearance."
He knew about the art of disguise, as it had been used in many novels, movies, and TV series.
Ye Nanque took the face-changing pill, and Yan Xichuang tapped his face a few times, and it was as if a pleasant breeze blew on his face. After the breeze, the reflection in the mirror had changed, and the face of a young boy was revealed, which was completely different from his original appearance.
"This is He Yuan's appearance. You will accompany me as He Yuan. He Yuan was one of the accompanying disciples who recently went to the Huaxian Sect to practice medicine. He was also the first corpse found in our sect with a fragment of the Grief Stone the other day. I have blocked any information about him, so no one will be able to find out in the short term. Since someone has tampered with him, if you use his identity to enter the Huaxian Sect, it may be easier to find the truth."
Ye Nanque himself was also worried that his identity would be exposed and cause unnecessary trouble, so it would be a good idea to use Yan Xichuang's face-changing pill to change his appearance.
Yan Xichuang packed up a bit and called a few disciples to set off with Ye Nanque. Among these disciples, Ye Nanque only recognized one, Zixiao. She had been accompanying Yan Xichuang during the last siege of the Wu Sect. It seemed that she was Yan Xichuang's right-hand man.
As soon as the three of them left Yunting Mountain, Ye Nanque felt someone following them. The person following them didn't seem to intend to hide their whereabouts. They didn't restrain their aura at all and were very arrogant.
Zixiao naturally noticed this openness. Before Ye Nanque could speak out to stop her, she drew out her long sword and swung it backwards. A ray of purple light struck, but hit nothing. Instead, she staggered back a few steps as if she had been counterattacked by someone.
Ye Nanque hurriedly said, "Don't fight, we are one family."
Before he finished speaking, a familiar figure walked out from the woods behind them and strode towards them with an expressionless face.
Yan Xi Chuang looked at him with a half-smile: "Sleeping Secret?"
Yes, the Sleeping Technique! He had indeed cast the Sleeping Technique on Mu Jiulin, and even added a seal with a sleeping effect. Who would have thought that Mu Jiulin would still catch up.
Looking at Mu Jiulin's expression, Ye Nanque walked up to him tactfully: "You're awake."
After a moment, he suddenly realized what was happening and said angrily, "You used spiritual energy? Didn't the senior tell you not to use spiritual energy again? Why are you so willful and reckless?"
"If senior brother hadn't cast a spell on me while I was sleeping, why would I have used my spiritual power to break through the seal that senior brother had placed on me?" Mu Jiulin said lightly and Ye Nanque shut up.
With outsiders present, Ye Nanque was afraid that Mu Jiulin would start arguing with him about topics like "Senior Brother left me again". If Yan Xichuang and the others heard it, where would he put his old face? Mu Jiulin didn't care about face, but he didn't want others to think... that he was weird!
Fortunately, Mu Jiulin only warned me briefly and softly: "Brother, this is the last time. If there is a next time... you know my temper."
Mu Jiulin's call of "Senior Brother" was still very gentle, but when he said the following words, the chill in his tone almost froze people.
Ye Nanque knew that he had reached his limit, so he immediately interrupted and said with a laugh: "Ahem, there won't be a next time, ahem, ahem."
Mu Jiulin leaned forward and said seriously: "You promise?"
Ye Nanque looked around: "Ahem, I promise, ahem."
Mu Jiulin hummed, and finally a smile returned to his face: "Then I will accompany you, Senior Brother."
Along the way, Yan Xichuang's gaze always carried an inexplicable deep meaning. When the weather turned cloudy with a slight drizzle, Mu Jiulin and Zixiao went to buy an umbrella. When they were alone, Ye Nanque couldn't help but ask Yan Xichuang, "Senior, why do you keep looking at me like that all the way?"
Yan Xichuang's eyes turned wisely, his hand resting on his chin: "Are you well from your cough?"
Ye Nanque: “?”
Yan Xichuang's eyes lingered on him, wanting to say something but holding back. Just as she was about to speak, Ye Nanque, who had keenly sensed what Yan Xichuang was about to say, spoke first, "Alright, Senior, you don't have to say anything."
Yan Xi Chuang: "No, I want to say it."
Ye Nanque: “…”
Yan Xi Chuang: "I used to see him always chasing after you, and I thought you had him under your thumb, but I didn't expect you to be the same way. But then again, you're really reserved. You know seven points in your heart, but only show three points. You know ten points in your heart, but only show six points. I thought you were the only one who could have him under your thumb, and he couldn't have you under his thumb."
What's with the seven, three, ten, and six points? That's too corny. Ye Nanque got goosebumps when he heard it. He smiled awkwardly, "The most important thing right now is to think about how to resolve the grief stone issue."
When I looked up, Mu Jiulin just came over with an umbrella. "Brother, I bought it. What are you guys talking about so happily?"
Ye Nanque: "Of course, we're talking about how to solve the grief stone."
He glanced at it casually and paused: "Why did you only buy one?"
Mu Jiulin smiled and said, "There's only one left."
Ye Nanque looked at Zixiao who followed and asked: "Why did Zixiao buy two?"
Mu Jiulin answered very smoothly: "That's right, she bought two umbrellas, so only one is left."
Ye Nanque glanced at Mu Jiulin and thought, "Guess whether I believe it or not." Sure enough, the next moment, his upright junior brother naturally opened his umbrella and walked over to him, holding his wrist and saying caringly, "It's still chilly in spring, senior brother, don't get wet."
The various little tricks that had happened during the past few days were too numerous to list. By the time they arrived at the Painting Immortal Sect, Yan Xi Chuang and Zi Xiao were no longer surprised by the intimate behavior of these two people.
Upon meeting Luo Heng, Ye Nanque finally realized that he had indeed caused quite a bit of trouble for the cultivation world. Luo Heng seemed to be extremely troubled by the recent events surrounding the mourning stone, his expression even more serious than usual. As he led them to Yunshagang, he even scolded Xue Shaoyan, demonstrating the Huaxian Sect's usual strict academic style. He first scolded Xue Shaoyan for his inefficiency, then scolded him for his low level of comprehension, saying he hadn't yet reached the Golden Core stage and was of no help at all.
Xue Shaoyan is also an old acquaintance of Ye Nanque. It seems that every time she sees him, she can hear Master Luo Heng scolding him. As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the more severe the criticism. It seems that Master Luo Heng has put a lot of effort into her disciple.
Fortunately, Jiang Caiyu's teaching style is not like this, otherwise he would not be able to endure it for long in the Yu Jian Sect and would have run away.
Jiang Caiyu... Ye Nanque paused for a moment, then hurriedly followed.
As expected, when he arrived at the entrance of Yunshagang, he saw Jiang Caiyu standing with a sword on his back. He looked as graceful as before, so Ye Nanque recognized him at a glance even from dozens of meters away.
Of course, the fact that she was so easy to recognize was also due to the efforts of Qin Qi and Miao Jue who were standing next to Jiang Caiyu.
Yan Xi Chuang: "Oh, you are here too."
Jiang Caiyu's gaze swept across Mu Jiulin and fell on Yan Xichuang, and she nodded slightly. Qin Qi and Miao Jue greeted Yan Xichuang obediently, but when they saw Mu Jiulin, their expressions immediately changed, and they pretended not to see anything at all, very deliberately.
Qin Qi even secretly made a move and hit Mu Jiulin while no one was paying attention. This little move didn't hurt Mu Jiulin at all, so he didn't take it seriously. Instead, Jiang Caiyu glanced at Qin Qi and said softly, "Don't mess around."
Ye Nanque is now extremely glad that he used the face-changing pill.
Luo Heng Zhenren said, "They just arrived today too. Let's go in together."
True Man Luo Heng led everyone into the Yunshagang barrier. In the red sand, seven stone pillars were painted with lotus buds about to bloom. The Huaxian Sect was the best at this skill. Although the painted lotus flowers were not filled in with color and still the original blood red of the stone pillars, the plump and blooming buds were lovely, which made this secret realm of red soil and wild sand more elegant.
Yan Xi Chuang said, "This lotus is painted so vividly."
Luo Heng said, "When our ancestors discovered this secret realm, they wanted to use it for themselves. However, this secret realm was unusual. Several stone pillars seemed to be forming an evil formation. So, our ancestors used the 'Wonderful Brushstroke Technique' to paint lotus flowers. The lotus flowers' noble and beautiful beauty could drive away evil spirits, transforming them into an earth spirit formation, allowing them to be used by the sect. However, for many years, no one in the sect dared to truly activate Yunshagang until today when they wanted to suppress the Stone of Sorrow."
Luo Heng unleashed his magic brush, and a picture appeared in the air. It was a bird's-eye view of Yunshagang.
"Wait a few days until all seven sects arrive and they will follow this direction to protect me."
Yan Xichuang said, "Of course, but where is the mourning stone?"
Luo Heng: "It has been locked in the center of the formation. I've used the illusion technique to hide it. The monster is growing stronger day by day. This time, we must seal it."
Yan Xi Chuang asked again, "Have the demon soldiers imprisoned during the Hengshui battle made any unusual movements recently?"
Luo Heng Zhenren collected the painting and glanced over. "Why, you don't believe in the strength of our Painting Immortal Sect? Some of those demonic troops are imprisoned in Xuanzong's Fancheng Prison, and some are imprisoned in our sect's Painting Prison. There's nothing unusual in Xuanzong, so there's no chance of any unusual activity here."
Yan Xi Chuang smiled slightly: "That's good. I have heard of the prison in the painting a long time ago. I heard that no demon can escape from the prison in the painting. However, the master still needs to be more careful."
As they spoke, Ye Nanque's eyes were drawn to a lotus pattern. The lotus swayed gently, as if it were actually swaying in the breeze in a lotus pond. The bud slowly fluttered and actually bloomed.
Ye Nanque was stunned, his head buzzing and stabbing with pain. He could not see the scene in front of him clearly, but only saw lotus flowers blooming in the vast expanse of scarlet.
He took a deep breath, raised his hand and injected spiritual power into his forehead, and instantly became much more awake.
Mu Jiulin kept an eye on him all the time, not missing any subtle changes in his expression, and naturally saw Ye Nanque's actions.
He moved sideways to block Ye Nanque and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? Did you see the illusion again?"
When Ye Nanque opened his eyes again, everything had returned to normal. The lotus patterns had not moved at all, as if they had not yet bloomed.
Seeing Mu Jiulin's concerned look, Ye Nanque didn't want to make him worry, so he just said, "It's okay, it's just a headache."
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