Chapter 80 Original Cloud
After hearing the purpose of Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng's visit, Xiuchu remained silent for a moment.
"What's wrong? Is there some kind of problem?"
Showing off her strange encounter, she shook her head helplessly and forced a smile; "No, it's just that I suddenly realized my guess seems to have come true."
"?"
Without offering any explanation, Xiu showed off her extraordinary encounter and looked at Chu Liuxiang once again.
"So, do you know the way back?"
This time, Chu Liuxiang finally didn't shake his head: "I know, just keep heading north."
With a clear direction, they quickly returned to shore.
Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng went to inquire about the craftsmen, while Xiu, inspired by a chance encounter in the previous level, decided to seek help from the wandering spirits nearby, given the large population of the port.
Remember the misunderstanding caused by the little beggar? Show off your amazing adventure! This time, you specially chose a deserted corner to go into a state of spiritual meditation.
As the screen turned gray, the various NPCs in the distance disappeared, replaced by wandering spirits.
As expected of a bustling port, the number of wandering spirits here is far greater than in Songjiang Prefecture.
Remembering what Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng had said, he deliberately chose a wandering spirit that looked like a craftsman to stop him when he showed off his adventure.
"Hello, can I ask you something?"
The craftsman's spirit didn't even spare a glance for Xiu Chu's extraordinary encounter, and drifted away straight away.
Having gained considerable experience from the previous level, I learned that these wandering spirits are uninterrupted. Not only can you not provide them with information, but you'll also turn into a red name when certain keywords are triggered. So, I decisively abandoned this target and turned my attention to other spirits.
I asked several questions in a row, but none of them were interactive.
Showing off her extraordinary encounter, she couldn't help but sigh: "It seems that it will be quite difficult to encounter another wandering spirit like the little girl who can interact with others."
Looking at the time, it was indeed getting late. He showed off his adventure and clicked "Return to Body," preparing to go find Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng to meet up.
Before she could even open her eyes, she heard an angry shout.
"What are you doing?"
Showing off her strange encounter, she opened her eyes in curiosity and saw a poorly modeled NPC squatting in front of her, about to reach out and take the dragon carp from her back.
Before she could even show off her amazing encounter and react, a spirited woman grabbed the NPC in front of her by the collar and threw him away with a flick of her wrist.
Just then, Xiu Chuqi looked up and saw her eyes.
"Young lady, are you alright?"
Showing off her extraordinary experience, she shook her head and said, "I'm fine, thank you."
This beautiful and kind-hearted young lady is someone I must get to know. Pretending not to see her name above her head, I smiled and said, "My name is 'Show Your Adventures,' what's yours?"
The woman opposite her was taken aback: "My name is Gao Yanan."
Having obtained the girl's name meant we were acquainted. Showing off this serendipitous encounter, she smiled brightly and said, "Hello, nice to meet you."
This was the first time Gao Yanan had met someone so outgoing, and she couldn't help but smile along.
"Nice to meet you too."
Then, she couldn't help but speak with concern to Xiu Chuqi, saying, "This place is a mixed bag. You're a girl, and so beautiful. It's best not to come to such secluded alleys alone. It's not as safe as you think."
"I understand, thank you for reminding me."
After saying goodbye to the kind young lady, he showed off his extraordinary encounter and found Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng.
"So, have you found any clues?"
Chu Liuxiang's complexion at this moment was hardly pleasant.
“We did find out a lot of information about the craftsmen, but they left home a few years ago and never came back.”
"Without exception."
Lu Xiaofeng's expression was equally grave: "It's obvious that this group of missing craftsmen is the same group that went to Bat Island. I just didn't expect the mastermind behind Bat Island to be so ruthless, actually silencing them all."
"I thought at most it would just be blindfolding them so they wouldn't know the exact location."
Hearing this, Xiu Chuqi's mood also became somewhat heavy. His murderous intent towards the island lord of Bat Island intensified.
"Now that all the leads have gone cold, what should we do next?"
Chu Liuxiang pondered for a moment: "Perhaps we should try to find out about the Huashan Sect."
"The Huashan Sect?"
Chu Liuxiang nodded: "I noticed something was wrong from the Huashan Sect leader. I was entrusted by Huangfu Gao to find out what she had done, which led to the Bat Island incident."
"And who is Huangfu Gao?"
Seeing that Xiu Chu had no recollection of him after his extraordinary encounter, Chu Liuxiang couldn't help but chuckle and offered an explanation.
"The stone camel whose face was disfigured in the desert was Huangfu Gao, and he was also a member of the Huashan Sect."
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he nodded, finally making some impression.
"Since that's the case, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry and set off for Mount Hua!"
"Don't rush, I need to talk to Xiao Hu first. He can't possibly agree to go to Huashan with us, so I have to tell him first."
"Why won't Hu Tiehua go to Mount Hua? Aren't you inseparable friends?"
At this point, Chu Liuxiang couldn't help but shake his head with a smile: "Because he needs to hide from someone."
"Avoiding whom?"
"Gao Yanan, the senior sister of the Huashan Sect."
"who?"
Showing off an amazing experience, he doubted whether he had heard correctly.
Lu Xiaofeng, who knew her better, immediately turned to look at Xiu Chuqiyu: "You know her?"
One has to admit that this world is incredibly small.
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he spoke slowly and deliberately: "If you are talking about a woman with a long sword on her back and a heroic appearance, then I met Gao Yanan, whom you mentioned, just a quarter of an hour ago."
"Why is Gao Yanan here?"
Chu Liuxiang was also very surprised.
After carefully questioning Xiu Chuqi about her encounter and confirming that the person she was talking about was indeed Gao Yanan, whom he knew, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
On the contrary, Lu Xiaofeng, as an observer, offered an explanation.
"Since you found out about Bat Island from the leader of the Huashan Sect, does Gao Yanan's presence at this port, as the senior disciple of the Huashan Sect, mean that they are preparing to go to Bat Island?"
"That possibility cannot be ruled out," Chu Liuxiang said.
"In that case, we don't need to go to Mount Hua."
"Since Gao Yanan is here, perhaps the Huashan Sect's leader, Abbess Kumei, is also here. Why don't we try to find out about Bat Island from them?"
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he nodded: "Okay."
However, plans don't always go as expected. By the time they found the group from the Huashan Sect after their extraordinary encounter, they had already arranged to go to Bat Island with another group.
"?"
"Is this what they mean by 'searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly'?"
"Then what about all those days we spent adrift at sea?"
Lu Xiaofeng suppressed a laugh: "So you have a lot of time?"
"Pfft."
Hearing this, Chu Liuxiang, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Showing off his extraordinary adventures, though ridiculed, didn't get angry. He turned to Chu Liuxiang and said, "You still have the nerve to laugh at me? You should reflect on yourself. You went out to sea and ended up in a coffin, but you still have to start all over again. You have plenty of time, don't you?"
Chu Liuxiang's smile vanished, replaced by a look of delight at his extraordinary encounter.
Seeing this, Lu Xiaofeng also joined the group of people laughing heartily.
The loud laughter finally drew the attention of Gao Yanan and her group.
Upon seeing Chu Liuxiang, Gao Yanan hesitated for a moment before walking over.
"Chu Liuxiang, what are you doing here?"
Seeing that she didn't mention Hu Tiehua, Chu Liuxiang naturally didn't bring him up either, and asked directly.
"I've been asked to gather information about Bat Island, and I just learned that you're heading there. Could you give me a ride?"
Gao Yanan was at a loss for words to respond to such an open and honest attitude.
Just as she was in a dilemma, the NPC who had spoken with them earlier came over.
Are you all also heading to Bat Island?
Upon closer inspection, the person who appeared was an NPC named Yuan Suiyun. The character model was quite handsome, but his eyes seemed somewhat lifeless. Curious, I checked his character status and discovered that he had a blindness buff.
"My name is Yuan Suiyun. Abbess Kumei and the others will soon be traveling to Bat Island on our Yuan family's ship. If any of you are interested, you are welcome to come along."
"So it's Young Master Yuan. I've heard so much about you. I am Chu Liuxiang."
Lu Xiaofeng, who was very close to Hua Manlou, could tell at a glance that the former young master of the manor had a problem with his eyes. For some reason, he had a very good first impression of the former young master of the manor.
"My name is Lu Xiaofeng. I greet Young Master Yuan."
Yuan Suiyun nodded, then turned to face Xiu Chuqiyu: "I hear from the breathing, and there seems to be another young lady here. May I ask your name?"
Showing off her amazing encounter, she widened her eyes in surprise; "You can actually tell my gender from my breathing?"
Yuan Suiyun nodded calmly, seemingly unconcerned about his blindness.
"I have suffered from an eye disease since childhood, and the only thing I can rely on is my pair of ears, so my hearing is naturally more sensitive."
"May I ask your esteemed name, young lady?"
This is the second time Yuan Suiyun has asked a question.
Showing off one's extraordinary encounters is naturally not stingy with a mere name: "My name is Showing Off My Extraordinary Encounters."
Yuan Suiyun's expression remained unchanged, and he nodded slightly: "So it's Miss Xiu."
"I've heard of you, young lady. Not long ago, you joined forces with Chu Xiangshuai to kill the leader of an assassin organization and defeated Xue Yiren, the number one swordsman in the world. I used to think that rumors were always exaggerated, but seeing you today, I realize that you are indeed as young as the rumors say."
"It's a great pity that I never had the chance to see your beauty, young lady. It's truly a great regret in my life."
Hearing Yuan Suiyun's praise, Xiuchu didn't feel particularly happy; she felt there was something strange about his words.
They shifted their questioning gaze to Lu Xiaofeng.
As a notorious playboy in the martial arts world, Lu Xiaofeng was all too familiar with Yuan Suiyun's linguistic artistry.
"This guy is flirting with someone who's about to have a lucky encounter!"
How can someone be so frivolous on the first meeting?
Lu Xiaofeng gave Yuan Suiyun a very hypocritical look, and his good impression of him vanished instantly.
"This guy is completely different from Hua Manlou."
Pulling Xiu Chuqiyu behind him, Lu Xiaofeng didn't immediately explain Xiu Chuqiyu, but instead took the initiative to continue the conversation.
"It's not exactly a regret. If fate allows, I'll be able to witness her swordsmanship someday."
Chu Liuxiang, who was standing to the side, also noticed Lu Xiaofeng's hostility towards Yuan Suiyun. He couldn't help but touch his nose and speak up to ease the tension.
"Haha, it must be that the former young master of Wuzheng Manor is exceptionally talented and rarely encounters a martial arts master of the same age. He cherishes talent and feels deep regret."
"However, life is a long journey. Lu Xiaofeng is right. There will be opportunities to see each other's martial arts skills in the future, so there is no need to feel too regretful."
He then steered the conversation back to the beginning: "Excuse my boldness, but may I ask how Young Master Yuan learned of the whereabouts of Bat Island? And why did you decide to go to Bat Island at this time?"
Hearing this almost blatant probing, Yuan Suiyun was not annoyed and maintained his gentlemanly demeanor.
"I also received an invitation from Bat Island. Something from Wuzheng Manor has fallen into the hands of Bat Island. In order to retrieve that item, I teamed up with Master Kumei to go to Bat Island to investigate."
"I see." Chu Liuxiang nodded. "But I wonder where Abbess Kumei got the nautical chart for Bat Island?"
Yuan Suiyun chuckled softly: "If Brother Chu wants to know about this, he can ask Abbess Kumei in person."
Chu Liuxiang fell silent.
That's one of the benefits of having a bad temper.
Everyone in the martial arts world knows that Abbess Kumei has a cold and hard temper. Therefore, even if there are doubts about her, no one dares to disturb her without sufficient evidence.
If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have this kind of deterrent power.
Lu Xiaofeng noticed Chu Liuxiang's embarrassment and stepped in to help, saying, "Master Kumei must be in seclusion at the moment, so it wouldn't be appropriate for us to disturb her. We'll be heading to Bat Island together in a few days, and we'll have a chance to visit Master Kumei then. Let's not bother her today."
After agreeing on a departure date with Yuan Suiyun, Chu Liuxiang left the group to search for Hu Tiehua.
With nothing much to do after their adventure, Lu Xiaofeng and Xiu had to wander aimlessly through the port city.
"By the way, have you heard of the Na Yuan Dan?" Lu Xiaofeng suddenly asked.
Showing off her extraordinary encounter, she nodded; of course she'd heard of it. That thing had earned her millions of gold.
"I've heard of it, why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
Lu Xiaofeng sighed deeply: "I don't know where His Majesty the Emperor got a batch of Na Yuan Pills. Those things can actually enhance other people's internal strength cultivation without any side effects."
"With the help of the Na Yuan Pill, the Emperor has created a group of imperial guards who recently moved into the martial arts world and built a government office. From now on, all martial arts practitioners must register at the office before they can legally roam the martial arts world."
Showing off his amazing encounter left him speechless with surprise, never expecting such a follow-up.
"Do other martial arts practitioners agree?"
Lu Xiaofeng smiled and shook his head: "Of course I disagree. Right now, the two groups are facing off."
"However, I am not optimistic about this matter. Although the emperor now has a group of martial arts masters under his control, the martial arts world has been free for a long time, and there are countless hidden masters. I am sure this matter will cause a lot of trouble."
He showed off his extraordinary encounter and then fell silent.
When she sold the Na Yuan Dan, she truly never imagined things would develop this way.
Feeling guilty, he looked at Lu Xiaofeng and asked, "Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?"
"It's hard to say whether it's good or bad," Lu Xiaofeng said as he walked, plucking a blade of grass from somewhere and putting it in his mouth. "If this matter is promoted, it will naturally be good for ordinary people to have some control over martial arts practitioners. But for martial arts practitioners, they will lose their freedom."
“Those famous sects can still survive by relying on their previous reputation, but the small sects are afraid they will disappear from the martial arts world.”
He pulled the dry grass out of his mouth and threw it away: "But this matter won't be so easy to accomplish."
"Although I am not very familiar with the situation in the court, someone in Hua Manlou's family holds a position in the court. He told me privately that the emperor himself did not expect to be able to accomplish this. He is still waiting for the leaders of other famous sects to come and negotiate."
"It is estimated that in the end, both sides will compromise, allowing the imperial court and the martial arts world to have some interaction, but not to the point that they will be completely controlled by the imperial court."
After saying that, he gave Xiuchu Qiyu a meaningful look.
"Your face was changed perfectly. If you ever have the chance to visit us again, don't mention the Na Yuan Dan to anyone."
"No matter who asks, you must insist that this thing has absolutely nothing to do with you."
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he understood. It turned out that Lu Xiaofeng had said all that to remind himself.
Touched, she looked at Lu Xiaofeng and said, "I understand your good intentions."
"I'm so glad I made you my friend!"
"But how do you know that I sold the Na Yuan Pill to your emperor?"
Hearing this, Lu Xiaofeng stroked his beard smugly: "I guessed it. Only you have something this amazing."
"And you've sold wines with other magical effects before, which makes it easy for people to associate you with them."
Showing off her extraordinary encounter, she nodded: "So I actually have so many flaws?"
"But it doesn't matter. Even if others guess it, it's fine. I just won't admit it."
"If they refuse to listen to my excuses, then I'll have to let those who come looking for trouble witness my swordsmanship."
After chatting with Lu Xiaofeng, the two wandered around the city for a long time, eating several kinds of local delicacies, before finally receiving Chu Liuxiang's signal to gather.
As soon as the two arrived at the port, they saw Hu Tiehua hiding behind Chu Liuxiang, timidly observing Gao Yanan who was following behind a disabled nun.
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he walked up to Chu Liuxiang and asked curiously.
"What's going on? Didn't you specifically go to find Hu Tiehua and ask him to leave early?"
Chu Liuxiang gave a wry smile and touched his nose: "There's nothing I can do. Beauty is alluring. Some people forget everything once they encounter beauty and wine."
Not long ago, I learned that Hu Tiehua and Gao Yanan had a complicated relationship. I showed off my strange encounter and glanced at Hu Tiehua with disdain.
"Scumbag!"
Hu Tiehua: "..."
He didn't want to, but that's just his personality. He's a born scoundrel who only likes those who don't like him, and he's desperate.
Fortunately, Gao Yanan seems to have gone through something over the years and has lost her previous obsession with Hu Tiehua. She doesn't even glance at Hu Tiehua anymore.
Hu Tiehua, hiding behind Chu Liuxiang, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and even felt a little disappointed.
"Smack!"
A clear slap rang out, and everyone looked curiously at Hu Tiehua, who had slapped himself.
He didn't explain, but silently berated himself for a while.
"The little gourd spirit is right, I really am a scumbag."
Ignoring this minor incident, the boarding process proceeded smoothly.
Yuan Suiyun truly lived up to his reputation as the young master of Wuzheng Manor. Even though Wuzheng Manor was far away in Guanzhong, he was still able to mobilize such luxurious ships to go to sea.
Lying comfortably in the cabin, a new idea suddenly popped into my head as I recounted my adventure.
"I wonder which ship, this one or the ghost ship, is faster? Could it also be considered a kind of adventure mount?"
Thinking of this, Xiu Chuqiyu couldn't sit still any longer.
She nimbly rolled out of bed and headed to the deck to find Chu Liuxiang.
At this moment, Chu Liuxiang was drinking with Lu Xiaofeng.
The two were kindred spirits, hit it off immediately, and their relationship was so good that it would make anyone who went to the trouble of befriending them jealous.
The young master of the manor, who was standing not far away and unwilling to approach, was perhaps the one harboring secret jealousy.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yuan Suiyun appear on the deck, and immediately called him over loudly.
"Young Master Yuan, over here!"
Showing off her unexpected encounter and the sudden enthusiasm startled Yuan Suiyun, but she didn't stop walking and strode over here.
"What brings Miss Xiu here?"
When showing off his adventures and interacting with NPCs, he always speaks his mind directly and asks questions bluntly.
"Young Master Yuan, I'd like to ask you how much this ship cost? Are you selling it?"
I had made countless contingency plans in my mind, but I never expected that showing off my extraordinary encounter would lead to this request.
Yuan Suiyun's face went blank for a moment, then the next second he showed his usual smile.
"Why does Miss Xiu suddenly want to buy a boat?"
Showing off his adventures, he shook his head: "It's not that I want to buy the boat, it's that I think your boat is great, I really like it, and I wanted to ask if you'd sell it?"
Yuan Suiyun did not answer directly, but instead chuckled and said, "Miss, please don't joke with me."
"This ship was specially commissioned by my father and took three years to build, so that I could travel the world like a normal person. I'm afraid I can't sell it to a young lady."
"I see." Showing off her extraordinary encounter, she fell into deep thought.
It doesn't matter if it takes a little longer, since time passes much faster in game levels than in real life, as long as you know how to craft it.
"Could you recommend a shipbuilder to me? I'd like to build a ship just like yours."
Yuan Suiyun, who had just made up an excuse, was speechless.
What should he say?
Did he silence all the craftsmen?
His identity was exposed as soon as he said that, right?
"No problem, no problem. I'll introduce you to the girl as soon as we get back from Bat Island."
This sentence structure sounds strange and ominous.
Showing off her adventures, she shook her head like a rattle-drum: "Don't wait until we come back, by then it'll be too late. Let's take advantage of this good time and recommend it to me as soon as possible."
Yuan Suiyun: "..."
Seeing Xiu Chuqi insist on getting the shipbuilder's contact address, Yuan Suiyun suddenly felt suspicious.
"Could it be that she knows something? Is that why she's using the shipbuilding excuse to test me?"
"Are any of the craftsmen from that group still alive?"
Thinking of this, Yuan Suiyun immediately felt extremely uncomfortable, and the way she looked at Xiu Chuqi was no longer the same as before.
"How did Ding Feng do his job? He couldn't even handle the unarmed craftsmen perfectly, and there were still some who slipped through the net. When we get back to Bat Island, we have to teach him a lesson."
Although I had this thought in my mind, I couldn't ignore the difficulties in front of me.
Yuan Suiyun spoke softly to Xiu Chuqiyu, "I would like to introduce the ship repair craftsmen to you, but they are in Guanzhong, while we are at sea. We are unable to introduce them to you immediately. Please forgive me."
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