Two-Headed Red Snake 2
The two slept until late morning the next day, and this continued for the next few days. After all, nothing serious happened, so there was no need to worry.
"Follow it."
"What's wrong?" Xiao Congzhi asked, still half asleep, as he approached Xie Mowen and squinted at him.
Xie Mowen held a note in his hand. Xiao Congzhi knew that this type of note came from the Demonic Sect. He had been receiving notes from time to time these past few days, and they were all important communications.
This time, the message only had two words: "Come quickly," without any signature.
"This is?"
"Shaocheng."
"Something happened at the Martial Arts Alliance?"
"I suppose so." Xie Mowen slowly burned the note. "Shao Cheng won't contact me unless it's urgent. I have to go to the Martial Alliance."
"Okay." Xiao Congzhi replied while tidying up his clothes.
Xie Mowen chuckled: "You don't have to go."
"ah?"
Xie Mowen leaned closer, gently scraped Xiao Congzhi's Adam's apple with his knuckles, and asked meaningfully, "Are you feeling unwell? If you are, then don't go."
Xiao Congzhi was stunned for a moment, then slapped Xie Mowen's hand away after realizing what was happening. He glared at Xie Mowen with annoyance, but under Xie Mowen's teasing gaze, he replied softly and aggrievedly, "It doesn't hurt."
When Xie Mowen stepped into the Wulin Alliance's courtyard again, it was once again as noisy as a vegetable market.
There were even more people this time.
Xu Tan was definitely there, with Yun Shaocheng standing beside him. Ji Buyu was there, along with several of his disciples. Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu were there, as were their masters. The leaders of Kunlun and Huashan were both present, so Ji Zhou must have been there as well. Liao Fei and Liao Hetong from Emei were both there, surrounded by several disciples. There were also representatives from Shaolin and Wudang.
Yang Yanshu was the first to see Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi. He quickly got up and stepped forward, asking in a low voice, "Why are you here?"
Xie Mowen was somewhat puzzled and glanced at Xiao Congzhi. Xiao Congzhi was also confused and asked Yang Yanshu, "What's wrong?"
"It can't be explained in a short time."
Seeing the heated argument in the hall, Xie Mowen decided to cut to the chase and said, "Let's make this quick."
Yang Yanshu clenched his fist, glanced at the situation in the hall, and said, "This morning, Liao Fei, the eldest disciple of the Emei Sect, came to the Martial Alliance and said that he had something important to tell Alliance Leader Xu."
"The leaders of Shaolin and Wudang were present at the time, and Liao Fei did not let them leave. She told them all that she was suffering from Gu poison and only had three days left to live. After thinking it over, she believed that the Demonic Sect was behind it."
Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi exchanged a glance, their hearts skipping a beat.
She gave three reasons: First, the poison would take effect on Mid-Autumn Festival night, coinciding with the time of the Demonic Sect's banquet, which was too coincidental. Second, this poison had not appeared in the Central Plains martial arts world for hundreds of years, so it was likely brought by the Demonic Sect from beyond the Great Wall. Third, given the current situation of Emei, if she were to die, the Demonic Sect would benefit.
To be honest, while this reasoning seems plausible, it's actually quite flimsy. However, those present were from Shaolin and Wudang, and they immediately united in their hatred to punish the demonic sect. Leader Xu was actually unwilling, so he summoned the other sects. But we weren't sure of their strength and dared not say anything.
Xie Mowen raised his hand to rub his temples and said wearily, "It was destined that I would get involved in this matter."
Xiao Congzhi curled the corners of his lips and said lightly, "Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"
Yang Yanshu was puzzled: "This is a matter of life and death!" He tugged at Xie Mowen's arm, "The calls for war are growing louder right now. Shaolin, Wudang, and Emei are all major sects. If we decide to head to Youheng Mountain, what about your plans for Mid-Autumn Festival..."
Xie Mowen raised his hand to stop Yang Yanshu from continuing in this crowded place, nodded to Xiao Congzhi, and then walked into the hall.
Although Xie Mowen was not a big shot, the people in the hall had been arguing for a long time, and when they suddenly saw someone come in, he was a stranger to many of them, so they had to stop for a moment and be stunned.
Ji Buyu didn't know why Xie Mowen had come here, but seeing him arrive, he finally felt half relieved. He had been pondering and calculating every word, and he was exhausted.
Yun Shaocheng also breathed a sigh of relief. Although the sect leader was often unserious, he was always reliable when it came to serious matters.
"Who comes here?" the Shaolin abbot asked in a strong voice.
"Junior Mo Huan." Xie Mowen bowed respectfully. "I originally came to the Martial Alliance to seek guidance from Miss Xuan on some matters, but I did not expect to witness your dispute."
Miss Xuan has been staying at the Martial Alliance for some time now, praying for Dong Jing.
The Shaolin abbot didn't know much about the details of the Midnight Bell incident, but he had heard of Miss Xuan's mystery and power, so he asked, "What can I do for you?"
"I would like to ask Miss Xuan if she knows the solution to the 'Moonlight Over a Thousand Cuts' affliction."
"How do you know the moon is full of a thousand cuts?!"
"It was this young hero who discovered I was afflicted with this Gu yesterday," Liao Fei explained.
Xie Mowen nodded: "Yes, after returning, I really couldn't bear to watch Lady Liao die from the poison, so I thought I'd try my luck here with Miss Xuan today."
Xu Tan sighed: "Young Master Mo is kind-hearted, but there's no need to ask. We just asked, and Miss Xuan only said that she wanted to find the legendary two-headed red snake, and didn't know anything else."
Xie Mowen looked puzzled: "So, are you all gathered here to discuss how to remove the curse?"
Xu Tan was taken aback and didn't know how to answer for a moment.
It's ridiculous that they're gathered here discussing whether or not to set out to attack the Demonic Sect, yet not a single person cares about the Gu poison that has afflicted Liao Fei.
Xie Mowen's question made everyone's faces turn somewhat ugly. It was Liao Fei who spoke up: "No, there is no cure for this Gu. I have already come to terms with it. We are discussing whether or not to attack the Demonic Sect."
Why?
Liao Fei explained the three reasons.
After listening, Xie Mowen stood there for a moment, his face showing deep confusion. He sincerely asked for advice: "The Demonic Sect will be hosting a banquet for the nine major sects in three days. If you want to attack, you can just wipe them all out at that time. Why do you want to set off for Youheng Mountain now?"
Everyone: ...
These words struck a chord with Xu Tan, who then said, "Yes, we were being too rigid. Young Master Mo's words were truly enlightening."
Xie Mowen humbly replied, "I wouldn't dare."
Xu Tan, feeling refreshed, laughed and said loudly, "If we are to deal with the Demonic Sect in three days, I would appreciate it if Young Hero Mo could lend us a hand!"
"Of course, of course, it's my duty as a junior," Xie Mowen replied with a smile.
Having said that, Shaolin and Wudang could no longer insist on going to Youheng Mountain, so they had to back down and say, "Whether we should wipe out the Demonic Sect in three days, we would appreciate it if Alliance Leader Xu could give us a plan."
Xu Tan was well-versed in the art of evasion and maneuvering, and said in a drawn-out tone, "This matter is not urgent, let me think about it for a couple of days."
The Shaolin abbot rolled his eyes, his gaze shifting to Liao Fei: "What does Miss Liao mean by this?"
Liao Fei did not answer, but Xie Mowen spoke first: "Abbot Tan Jue, please forgive my bluntness, but Lady Liao should first find a way to remove the poison from her body."
“Ah… Young Master Mo, there’s no need to be so formal. I’m fine with this.”
Xie Mowen said very seriously, "Now that I know about this matter, I will do my best to help."
Xie Mowen's words made most of the people present blush, and even the Shaolin abbot could no longer press him, so they all took their leave.
Liao Fei was the last to arrive. She told Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi about the Martial Alliance. She said solemnly, "Young Master Mo, I did not know you were so chivalrous. Yesterday, when we first met, I did not allow you to explain before I used my whip to attack you. I am truly ashamed."
Xie Mowen waved his hand: "It's alright, I wasn't hurt."
"But you really don't need to worry about my poison, young hero."
"Do your best and leave the rest to fate. I'll go and look through some ancient books. If I can cure this curse, then our acquaintance will not have been in vain."
Liao Fei cupped her hands in greeting: "I really wish to join you, young hero, but Emei still has many internal affairs to attend to."
"Miss Liao, please go ahead. If I find any leads, I will come and inform you."
After seeing Liao Fei off, Xie Mowen breathed a sigh of relief, then complained to Xiao Congzhi with a bitter face, "I broke out in a cold sweat."
"That's right." Xiao Congzhi smiled faintly, "You promised inside that you would attack the Demonic Sect."
"Although we've managed to get through this temporarily, this curse is truly difficult to cure."
"Let's talk as we walk." Xiao Congzhi pulled Xie Mowen along, heading towards the inn, and began to analyze, "Leaving aside whether this poison can be cured, we need to find evidence that Liao Hetong used it within three days. A few days ago you mentioned that you learned that Liao Hetong had ambitions to usurp the throne?"
"Liao Hetong is ambitious and secretly developing his power. We have spies in Emei, so it's not hard to discover this, but we have no evidence."
Xiao Congzhi lowered his brows and nodded.
"Compared to this, I would prefer to start with removing the Gu poison, because as long as the Gu poison that Liao Fei is afflicted with can be removed, Shaolin and Wudang will lack the strength to make trouble over this matter, and we can get through the Mid-Autumn Festival peacefully. As for the conflict between Emei, we should avoid getting involved if possible."
Do you have any leads on how to cure the curse?
"Shaocheng."
As soon as he finished speaking, a person emerged from the shadows around the corner; it was Yun Shaocheng.
"You entrusted this matter to me, but did you ask me if it was feasible?"
"Is it okay or not?"
Yun Shaocheng sighed, his brows and eyes revealing exhaustion and weariness: "It's not as legendary as it seems, but it's still very difficult."
Xie Mowen's eyes lit up as he glanced at Xiao Congzhi, who in turn turned to Yun Shaocheng with an expectant look on his face.
"If we were to classify Gu worms, the two-headed red snake would be at the very top, extremely difficult to refine, hence its legendary status. She can indeed cure all Gu poisons in the world, but she can cure the poison of Moonlit Thousand Blades, because she herself is the Gu worm of Moonlit Thousand Blades."
Xiao Congzhi's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "So, there must be a two-headed red snake in the world."
Yun Shaocheng glanced around and nodded.
Xie Mowen narrowed his eyes at Yun Shaocheng, but said to Xiao Congzhi, "We should not delay, let's go investigate Liao Hetong."
"It seems that both things must be resolved at the same time."
Xie Mowen nodded with a wry smile.
Yun Shaocheng coughed lightly and continued, "The two-headed red snake prefers shady places and cannot be too far from the Gu Master. Since Liao Hetong is in Anling, the Gu worm must be there as well."
"It's too risky to keep the Gu worms in Emei. Liao Hetong must have found a place to put them after he arrived in Anling. I'll have Liuli investigate."
"Liuli?"
"They are our moles in Emei."
"So, this isn't my business anymore?" Yun Shaocheng chuckled and patted Xie Mowen's shoulder. "I have to keep an eye on Xu Tan. I'll leave the task of finding the Gu worms to you. The two-headed red snake is the Gu Queen, and she must have other Gu worms and poisonous insects around her. Be careful in everything you do."
Xie Mowen slapped Yun Shaocheng's hand away, snorted coldly, and said nothing more.
Liuli quickly sent back intelligence. Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen discussed Liao Hetong's whereabouts after arriving in Anling and began to plan the location of the two-headed red snake.
There is a Guanyin Temple in the east of Anling City. Underneath the temple is an air-raid shelter that has been there for hundreds of years. It is a mess of broken earth and no one goes there usually. However, Liao Hetong has been there a few times.
Xie Mowen held the note in one hand and wrapped his other arm around Xiao Congzhi's waist, gently nuzzling his head against Xiao Congzhi's neck. He said slowly, "Although we definitely have to go to the Guanyin Temple, how can we prove that the two-headed red snake inside belongs to Liao Hetong?"
"According to intelligence, Liao Hetong has only been in Anling for five days and visited the Guanyin Temple twice. I think either the two-headed red snake needs regular care, or she doesn't trust the idea of being a hands-off manager."
"There are only three days left until the Mid-Autumn Festival. I won't be able to find the time on the day itself. I'm betting she'll go again in the next couple of days?"
Xiao Congzhi slapped Xie Mowen in annoyance, pushed him off, grabbed the note from Xie Mowen's hand and burned it, before saying, "Let's go to Emei first."
Xie Mowen publicly vowed to undo Yue Man's Thousand Blades in front of everyone at the Martial Alliance, so it is perfectly reasonable for him to visit the Emei Sect now.
Emei is a major sect, with the most disciples among the nine major sects. Therefore, the sect is strictly divided, with direct descendants and collateral descendants clearly distinguished and having different statuses.
After the Qian Lin disaster in Xiacheng, the direct descendants of Emei were almost wiped out, leaving only a handful. Jing Nuan was one of them who greeted Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi at the entrance and led them into the inner courtyard.
Jing Nuan, the heroine, is Liao Fei's junior sister. The two joined the sect in the same year, grew up together, went through thick and thin together, and have a life-or-death friendship.
Jing Nuan's face was very pale, her eyes were not very bright, and her brows showed signs of exhaustion. However, when she saw Xie Mowen, she forced a smile and exchanged a few pleasantries.
Xie Mowen didn't have the energy to offer words of comfort, so he went straight to the point: "I've discovered something suspicious and I'm planning to investigate. I've come to ask Miss Liao if she'd like to come along."
Jingnuan's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly asked, "But what about that two-headed red snake! Where is it? How was it discovered? Can I go there?"
Xie Mowen paused, shook his head, and said, "Let me see Lady Liao first."
Jingnuan realized her rudeness, stopped talking, and continued leading the way.
After bringing the person to the inner courtyard and seeing Liao Fei, Jing Nuan left without saying a word.
Xiao Congzhi suddenly found it amusing, turned his head and stared blankly at Jing Nuan's departing figure for a while.
"Young Master Mo, Young Master Xiao, have you discovered anything?"
Xie Mowen nodded, but said, "I have a question first. Does Miss Liao really think this poison was administered by the Demonic Sect?"
Liao Fei frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled as to why she asked such a question.
Xie Mowen continued, "The three reasons you gave at the Martial Alliance weren't entirely without merit, but upon closer examination, they don't quite make sense. If the Demonic Sect wanted to use Gu poison to remove obstacles and help them relocate to the Central Plains, why would they only target you? Alliance Leader Xu of the Martial Alliance, Abbot Tan Jue of Shaolin, and Headmaster Meng of Wudang are all eyeing the Demonic Sect covetously. Which one shouldn't be eliminated? Forgive my bluntness, but Miss Liao, do you have any special qualities? Does Emei have any special qualities?"
Liao Fei stood there, stunned, her eyes blinking slightly. Xie Mowen's words were too direct and unpleasant, but they hit the nail on the head. Liao Fei took a deep breath and asked, "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that this time it is probably an internal disaster."
Liao Fei bit her lower lip, her face calm, but a thousand thoughts flashed through her mind, which she tried to piece together.
“When Qian Lin committed the crime in Xiacheng, I talked with Brother Xiao and several Emei disciples about the night Qian Lin killed your master.”
Liao Fei's expression hardened.
"At the time, I had one question: why did you choose Emei?" Xie Mowen said, sitting down opposite Liao Fei. He poured himself a cup of tea, pulled out a chair for Xiao Congzhi, and continued, "After everything was settled, I visited the Diancang Sect and found something at Qian Lin's place: Hetian jade, silver-rimmed, with phoenix patterns and jade beads."
Liao Fei suddenly stood up, walked quickly to Xie Mowen, and asked urgently, "Where is the thing?"
Xie Mowen's tone was gentle: "I certainly wouldn't carry it with me at all times. If I'm not mistaken, it's a family heirloom of Emei. Has it been lost?"
"The Phoenix Jade was stolen two years ago." Liao Fei gripped Xie Mowen's shoulder tightly, extremely anxious. "If this item is in Young Master Mo's hands, Liao Fei... Liao Fei is willing to give everything."
Xie Mowen smiled and said, "It will be returned soon. But what if this item hadn't been stolen two years ago?"
"Does Young Master Mo mean that two years ago, someone in the sect stole the Phoenix Jade and then recently gave it to Qian Lin, conspiring with Qian Lin to murder my master?"
"A few months ago, you were also going to Xiacheng with Heroine Liao Heyun," Xie Mowen said meaningfully. "If you and Heroine Liao Heyun had died, who would have controlled Emei?"
Liao Fei stood there, unable to recover for a long time. After a while, she closed her eyes in pain, took a few deep breaths, and when she could speak again, her voice was hoarse. She said with a heavy heart, "Young Master Mo, if this is really the case, what should I do?! What should I do?! There are only three days left, what should become of Emei?"
Xie Mowen showed no concern for the future of Emei. He said indifferently, "I already have a clue about the two-headed red snake."
Liao Fei glanced at Xie Mowen, her eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.
"The two-headed red snake is the King of Gu, and the surrounding area is extremely dangerous..."
"Young Master Mo!" Liao Fei lifted her robe and knelt on the ground, her words crisp and earnest. "I will go myself. If I am saved, I will be eternally grateful to Young Master Mo for saving my life."
After saying that, he was about to bend down, which startled Xie Mowen so much that he immediately stood up and supported Liao Fei. Xiao Congzhi also stood up from his chair. The martial arts world is not like the imperial court. Both men and women have money under their knees and it is not customary to kneel.
Liao Fei was genuinely anxious and grateful to Xie Mowen, but Xie Mowen was too self-serving and couldn't accept the gift.
“Miss Liao, that’s not what I meant!” Xie Mowen forcibly pulled Liao Fei up from the ground and said seriously, “This trip is dangerous, so I invited you to come along. However, we can also use this trip to find out who is behind us.”
Liao Fei was puzzled.
Xiao Cong stepped forward to explain: "The two-headed red snake was not born naturally, but was artificially created. It is also the source of the Gu poison of 'Moon Full of a Thousand Blades,' which means that the Gu master of this two-headed red snake is the instigator. This time, you can claim that you want to go to that place with us. The person behind it will definitely be nervous and take action. Perhaps we can even catch them in the act. However... you need to find a trustworthy person to act as your eyes when you are not around."
Liao Fei quieted down, staring at the ground without saying a word, seemingly lost in thought.
Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi did not urge her, waiting for Liao Fei to make her plans.
As dusk fell, Liao Fei made her move. She went to the outer room, called Jing Nuan over, and without hiding it from Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi, clearly explained what she needed to do and what Jing Nuan needed to do.
Having said that, without waiting to see if Jing Nuan understood or responded, he turned to Xie Mowen and said, "Please."
Jing Nuan stared at Liao Fei with disbelief in her eyes. Just as Liao Fei turned to leave, Jing Nuan suddenly turned back, grabbed Liao Fei's arm, and said nothing more than, "Take care."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com