Chapter 132 The Kingdom of Women is a place where men are completely invisible...
“As long as the person who enters the memory has a cultivation level far exceeding that of the original owner of the memory, it is possible to modify the memory,” Zhiwei explained. “Does Your Highness suspect that Immortal Lord Zhujing’s memories have been tampered with?”
Yun Tianjiao said, "I didn't see anything wrong with it. But putting myself in others' shoes, if I were the Divine Venerable Gongxin, knowing that Zhu Jing's memories might expose my true identity, I wouldn't sit idly by."
Shen Qiongzhi immediately started counting on her fingers: "Those with higher cultivation than Zhu Jing include Gong Xin, Mo Bei, Yu Li..." Then she looked at Zhiwei, "And you."
Zhiwei wasn't annoyed, and nodded, saying, "That's right, those who have the ability to tamper with memories are all listed here."
Yun Tianjiao said, "Regardless of whether Zhu Jing's memories have been altered, the truth always leaves traces. The ruins of Xuanxiao Sect still exist. Why don't we go and explore to see if we can find any clues and find out who the god behind Elder Xiyuan was back then?"
Zhiwei and Yun Tianjiao originally planned to send Shen Qiongzhi and Zhu Jing back to the Netherworld first, but Shen Qiongzhi had been trapped in the Tongbei Tower for many years. Now that she finally had a chance to get out and breathe some fresh air, she was unwilling to miss it and insisted on going with the two of them.
"We might encounter some dangers on our journey to Xuanxiao Sect. Having another person means more protection. Besides, given Immortal Lord Zhujing's constitution, the Ghost Realm might not be conducive to her recuperation. We are also worried about leaving her alone somewhere, so it would be better to bring her along with us."
The placement of Zhu Jing was indeed a problem, and this reason greatly shook Yun Tianjiao.
Shen Qiongzhi quickly pressed on, "Don't worry, I'll take care of Zhu Jing along the way and I definitely won't hold you back!" With that, she steadily carried Zhu Jing on her back, as if she were carrying a feather.
Zhiwei opened her hand, and a paper umbrella flew out from her sleeve, automatically placing itself on Shen Qiongzhi's head. She explained, "Miss Shen is, after all, a ghost, and she is seriously injured. This umbrella will make it easier for you to walk in the mortal world during the day."
Shen Qiongzhi thanked him and then looked longingly at Yun Tianjiao.
Yun Tianjiao smiled helplessly, "You've prepared so thoroughly, what reason do I have to refuse?"
Shen Qiongzhi was delighted, so the four of them went to Xuanxiao Gate together.
There was quite a distance between their location and the Xuanxiao Sect. Teleportation via a magic array would be the fastest method, but firstly, since the four of them possessed both ghostly spirits and immortal bodies, the magic arrays they used were not entirely compatible. While it was not impossible to forcibly teleport, they were all injured to some extent, and forcibly teleporting would result in significant losses. Secondly, they did not know the current situation at the Xuanxiao Sect, and there would be risks involved in rashly teleporting there.
Therefore, the four decided to fly using their magical artifacts. Yun Tianjiao summoned the Vajra Pestle, enlarging it hundreds of times, making it resemble a giant golden ship, and they traveled through the vast sea of clouds.
"Sister Tianjiao, at this speed, how long will it take us to get there?" After settling Zhu Jing down, Shen Qiongzhi lay on the edge of the Vajra Pestle and peered down, just in time to catch a glimpse of a flock of geese below.
"It will probably take more than ten days if we travel day and night," Yun Tianjiao said.
"Judging from the direction we're heading, it seems we'll pass through Yunchi Kingdom. Should we go down and take a look?" Shen Qiongzhi asked tentatively.
Yun Tianjiao hesitated for a moment. She understood that compared to her, Shen Qiongzhi had a deeper attachment and affection for her homeland, after all, there were traces left by her father and brothers there.
"That's perfect, it's been a long time since we went back to visit."
Previously, the weather was bad and it had been raining continuously, so Yun Tianjiao had the Vajra Pestle fly above the clouds. Now that the rain has stopped and the weather has improved, she manipulated the Vajra Pestle to lower the flight altitude so that she could see the scenery of the mountains and rivers below more clearly.
The familiar scenery unfolded before their eyes, but their homeland was gone. The two former Yunchi people fell silent, gazing quietly at the land beneath their feet.
Shen Qiongzhi rested her chin on her hands, seemingly lost in thought, her double-bun hairstyle swaying in the wind. Suddenly, she shouted, "There are people down there!"
Yun Tianjiao also noticed that on the desolate grassland, a girl who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old was stumbling and running wildly. Behind her, there were three cavalrymen chasing after her, shooting arrows at her as they chased.
In fact, given the cavalry's speed, they could have caught up with the girl long ago if they wanted to. However, they treated the chase as a game of amusement, deliberately avoiding the girl with their arrows and only shooting at her feet or in front of her, forcing her to run in the direction they had set up, like driving away wild beasts.
"These people are despicable!" Shen Qiongzhi was furious, wishing she could jump down and tear those three thugs to pieces.
Yun Tianjiao stopped her in time, "Qiongzhi, you can't do it. Besides, if you show yourself like this, not only will those three cavalrymen be terrified, but even the girl will be scared."
Shen Qiongzhi was already a vengeful spirit, her resentment overwhelming. Now that she had finally managed to suppress it, she could no longer harbor any murderous thoughts.
"But Sister Tianjiao, are we just going to leave her like this?! That girl looks like she's covered in injuries and has obviously suffered a lot. If those three bastards catch up with her, won't she be in dire straits?"
"Don't worry, I have a plan."
Yun Tianjiao aimed at a grove of trees not far away, the same route the girl had taken to escape. She signaled Zhiwei and Shen Qiongzhi to use their flight spells, then put away the Vajra Pestle and transformed herself into a black cat.
"Wait for me in the woods ahead." After giving this instruction, she leaped to the ground, landing lightly in the grass in her black cat form, and galloped towards the three cavalrymen.
She was too fast, like a black lightning bolt, flashing between the legs of the three galloping horses. The three horses were startled and reared up, throwing the three cavalrymen off their horses.
Hearing the commotion, the girl turned around and glanced back. She seemed to be quite skilled in horsemanship. In between her escapes, she whistled a few times, and the three frightened horses galloped away in the direction they had come from.
The three cavalrymen were caught off guard and thrown to the ground. They were already cursing and swearing, but when they realized that their horses had run away, they ignored the pain and scrambled to their feet to chase after them.
In these chaotic times, a horse's life is more valuable than a human's. Losing a warhorse is a capital offense, so they have no time to care about the girl.
As the three horses and three people gradually ran away, the girl still seemed uneasy and continued running towards the woods until she was completely hidden in the dense forest and the figures of the three cavalrymen were no longer visible. Only then did she breathe a slight sigh of relief.
At this moment, Zhiwei and Shen Qiongzhi led Zhu Jing out from behind the bushes.
The girl was startled by the voice, but after realizing they weren't in military uniforms, she calmed down slightly. "Who are you people?"
Shen Qiongzhi comforted her, "Don't be afraid, young lady. We were just passing by and saw you being chased, so we helped you out."
"Help?" the girl asked doubtfully, thinking to herself, "I haven't seen you do anything, so why would you offer help?"
At this moment, Yun Tianjiao, who had transformed into a black cat, also entered the woods. With a meow, he jumped onto Zhiwei's shoulder in a few moments.
Upon seeing the black cat, the girl exclaimed, "I recognize this cat! It's the one that scared away those three bastards' horses, allowing me to escape! So this cat belongs to you?"
Zhiwei stretched out a hand in front of Yun Tianjiao, gesturing for her to jump on.
Yun Tianjiao hesitated for a moment. In order to make herself look more like an ordinary cat, she had no choice but to jump onto Zhiwei's arm.
Zhiwei smiled triumphantly, flipped the black cat over, and held it in her arms. She gently stroked the cat's head and said to the girl, "My cat is very intelligent and likes to stand up for the weak."
Yun Tianjiao: "..."
The girl clearly also liked small animals. Standing next to Zhiwei, she was very envious as she watched him pet the cat with ease. However, considering that the black cat was her savior and she could not be disrespectful, she forcibly suppressed the urge to touch it and instead clasped her hands in a respectful bow.
"Thank you so much, Master Cat, for saving my life. I have no way to repay you, so I would like to offer you ten catties of dried fish!"
Yun Tianjiao: "..."
Shen Qiongzhi couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at! What, you think ten pounds isn't enough?" The girl looked conflicted, and after thinking for a while, she said, "Fifteen pounds at most! No more than that! These days, my life is only worth fifteen pounds of dried fish."
Shen Qiongzhi's smile vanished, and she said dryly, "Dried fish, dried fish is so expensive now..."
"You're from out of town, aren't you? Or are you newly arrived cultivators?" The girl had a sharp eye and guessed pretty accurately. "You probably don't know, but these days it's not dried fish that's expensive, it's human life that's cheap!"
"Why were those three cavalrymen chasing you?" Zhiwei asked.
The girl sighed, "Well, it's a long story. If you don't have anywhere else to go for the time being, come home with me. I'll have my mother give you some dried fish."
Yun Tianjiao and the others were also very curious, and worried that the girl would be chased again on the way, so they agreed to go home with her.
The girl was quite eloquent and very lively. During our conversation, I learned that her name was Qiu Feiyan and that she lived in Ji'an Township.
"Aren't you tired of carrying this young lady on your back? I can help you carry her for a while." Seeing that Shen Qiongzhi was carrying Zhu Jing, Qiu Feiyan didn't ask any questions but instead offered to help.
Shen Qiongzhi liked her very much and smiled, "It's alright, I'm very strong. If I get really tired, I'll ask you for help again."
Qiu Feiyan nodded and didn't say anything more. Instead, he glanced a few more times at the oil-paper umbrella hanging above Shen Qiongzhi's head and commented cheerfully, "Your umbrella is really nice."
Yun Tianjiao discovered that although Qiu Feiyan was pretty and delicate, she had a kind of dashing spirit in her bones, like a boy, which made him curious about her family.
Even though they were mentally prepared, the place that could raise such a person must not be an ordinary place. Yun Tianjiao and the others never expected that the Ji'an Township where the girl lived was a "land of women" where no men could be seen.
Even on the earthen walls surrounding the towns and villages, the soldiers on guard duty were all female soldiers in armor!
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