Chapter 112

After dinner, Song Chun Gui ‘invited’ Fan Wu She out alone. Before he left, Xie Bi An repeatedly warned him, fearing that he might offend someone or be bullied.

He wouldn’t mind if it’s someone else. After all, depending on Zhong Kui’s face, plus Fan Wu She has the ability to protect himself, he wouldn’t worry too much. But Song Chun Gui was different. At least on earth, Li Bu Yu's disciples care about their faces more than Zhong Kui's disciples, and they had a history of fighting in Fumenghui, and Song Chun Gui's cultivation and swordsmanship were higher than theirs. If Fan Wu She seriously offended Song Chun Gui, it is unclear how disadvantageous he will be.

Fan Wu She said comfortingly, "Senior brother, don't worry about me. I'm not stupid. I won't get into trouble with him."

"I'm not only just worried about you. Now Li Bu Yu is obviously targeting us, you can't give them anything that can be used against you and make things difficult for master."

"Don't worry, I understand." Fan Wu She put both arms on Xie Bi An's shoulders and pressed his whole body towards him, acting coquettishly, "Senior brother is so concerned about me, why don't you come with me?"

"No, I have things to do." Xie Bi An laughed and pushed him, "Enough, don't lean on me. You’re heavy."

"It's already dark, what else do you have to do?"

"I need to find the Chunyang Sect people and ask them if they know about this place called Gutuo."

Fan Wu She stood up straight after hearing his words and frowned, "That was just an illusion you saw, mostly an inn or restaurant you had been to but just that you don't remember it yourself, so why get so worked up about it?"

"Perhaps those two words are indeed irrelevant, but the clues I’ve gotten are too little. Nevertheless, I have to ask before I drop the matter."

Even though Fan Wu She did not want Xie Bi An to investigate, he could not find a reason to stop him. However, even if that place was still there, probably not many people would know the matter that happened more than a hundred years ago, when both the Supreme Demon and the Human Emperor were still teenage emperors, so he could only hope for that. After all, the more Xie Bi An knows, one day, he will inevitably suspect that he is the reincarnation of Emperor Kong Hua.

"Then be cautious when you ask around. We have many secrets that should not be told to outsiders, don't get wormed* instead."

Xie Bi An snorted a laugh, "I should be the one to remind you of this. Don't forget that I am your senior brother, always pretending to be matured."

"Yes, senior brother." Fan Wu She gave him a quick kiss and turned to run away.

Xie Bi An stood in place for a while until the touch of that feather gently caressing his cheek was completely unrecognizable, before leaving with a smile on his face.

He found a cultivator he had connections with during the time at Luojinwu and asked about the name "Gutuo".

The cultivator said without hesitation, "Yeah, it's in our Chu land."

Xie Bi An did not expect an answer this easily: "Are these the two words?" He even deliberately traced the words on his hand.

"Yes, there is a mountain there, called Mount Gutuo. At the foot of the mountain is Gutuo Town. Why did White Immortal inquire about Mount Gutuo? There doesn't seem to be anything there."

"Master asked me to come and inquire about it. He has been traveling for many years and once befriended a casual cultivator and had a good conversation with him. That casual cultivator talked about his hometown, but my master couldn't really remember it, so he asked me to ask if this was the place. One day, he would like to look for his old friend."

"Oh, if that casual cultivator is a Chu person, then he should be from Gutuo. After all, this place name is not common either."

"That's great."

The cultivator said, "Does that casual cultivator have a name and a number? Gutuo Town is a small place, so if there's really someone who impresses even the Heaven Master, maybe I've heard of him before."

Xie Bi An made up a random name, which the other party naturally did not know. He then asked, "From what Zhen Ren is saying, that Mount Gutuo is really a small, unknown place ah."

"Its location is remote, mountain roads are everywhere to get in and out, and the area is very poor. You're asking the right person. My hometown is only about two hundred miles away from Mount Gutuo , so I've somewhat heard about it. Many Chu people probably never heard of that place."

"I understand. Thank you very much."

"White Immortal is very kind."

Xie Bi An was about to bid farewell when the cultivator sighed, "I suddenly remembered something. The people of Mount Gutuo have bragged that it is the only place in the region that can be considered as a place of excellence that the Human Emperor passed through when he was on a trip outside the palace a hundred years ago."

The cultivator also heard the story by ear and said it out casually, and the details were unclear. According to what Xie Bi An heard, it sounded like Zong Zi Heng had passed through Gutuo Town after becoming the Human Emperor, so he naturally did not make any associative connections. He plotted in his heart; after this matter was over, he might as well go to Gutuo Town himself. Maybe he could find more clues.

Neither Xie Bi An nor Zhong Kui slept until midnight, when Fan Wu She returned.

The two of them looked at him impatiently.

"Master, senior brother, why aren't you guys resting?"

"Nonsense. Did Song Chun Gui give you a hard time?" Zhong Kui said unhappily, "I really regret taking in such a troublemaker like you."

"Master, don't say that." Xie Bi An whispered.

Fan Wu She said frankly, "He asked and I answered, remaining silent when knowing nothing, what else can he do?"

Seeing that Fan Wu She was indeed intact, Xie Bi An was relieved: "Song Chun Gui is a big and stout person after all, so I don't think he would make things difficult for a junior like you."

"It is not Song Chun Gui's intention to investigate this matter, but this man obeys Li Bu Yu and there is no guarantee that he will not use some extraordinary means to find your master. Now that you have violated Li Bu Yu's taboo one after another, first with the Zongxuan sword technique and then the demon foal Wuya, Li Bu Yu will definitely not spare anyone related to the Zong clan." Zhong Kui looked at Fan Wu She, "Do you really not know where that master of yours is and who he studied under? If you don't help him and he is found by Song Chun Gui first, I am afraid it will be too late."

"Master, I really don't know where he is. With his cultivation, no one would be able to find him if he sincerely wanted to hide his trail." Fan Wu She thought to himself: what could Song Chun Gui find out about someone who didn't even exist? But precisely because that person didn't exist, Song Chun Gui would soon discover the loopholes in his set of excuses when he goes to Mount Qingcheng to investigate. By that time, it would be best if they had already gone back to the Underworld and saved themselves all this trouble.

"Now that this matter is still unresolved, Li Bu Yu can't spare his energy for the time being." Zhong Kui rubbed his chin, "We'll just go back to the underworld when it's over. If he wants to find trouble, we'll talk after he dies."

Xie Bi An laughed out loud.

Fan Wu She also had something different in mind. This half-hearted drunkard Zhong Kui was always scolding and punishing him, but he was also defending him every time.

He had lived two lives, and actually never had a genuine and sensible master before. In his previous life, he and Zong Zi Heng had been taught by their uncle, but his uncle had gone into seclusion in his cave when Zong Zi Heng became an adult. He was only six or seven years old at that time, and he never saw his uncle again until his death. Zong Zi Heng was the one who guided him in cultivation, sword training, whereas clearing doubts and achieving enlightenment on the method of the Dao depended on Zong Ming He and plenty of elders. In this life, "that person" only raised him until he passed the infant stage and was able to take care of himself. He had memories of his previous life, so who else needed to teach him?

Therefore, Zhong Kui was at least the first person he called "master".

He didn't take this "Master" or "Senior brother" seriously, but these two people did.

As he watched the pair smile at each other, the corners of Fan Wu She's mouth could not help but rise. For a moment, he suddenly thought: maybe it's better this way. Xie Bi An won't become Zong Zi Heng, they will just be little underworld generals, cultivating the Dao and collecting souls, and ... there’s nothing bad?

But as soon as this thought emerged, it was washed away by the obsession in his chest. The people who had harmed him were not only not dead, but also ranked as Immortal Lord. The defeat he had tasted under Mount Luofeng, the suffering he had suffered in the Infernal Hell, he had to get it back. He had supreme power and strength and the whole of Jiuzhou trembled under his feet. His magical weapons, his cultivation, his roots, everything he had carried, all of them made him unwilling to do nothing. He can not be a Supreme Demon, but he still had to have, all, his, needs.

"Master, this matter of junior brother’s, let's forget about it for now. We should discuss how to save big brother Lan and stop Qi Meng Sheng."

Speaking of this, Zhong Kui's face was again clouded with sorrow, "Two days ago, Pavilion Master Lan came up to the mountain alone. Xianyue Pavilion and Cangyu Sect have always been good friends. He hopes that Qi Meng Sheng will think for old times’ sake and at least release Lord Lan first."

"And then what?"

Xianyue Pavilion could be said to be the closest to Cangyu Sect among the Central Plains sects. After all, one was a new sect with an unstable foundation, and the other was a demonic cultivator from the Pass who was scorned and ostracised by the Central Plains, so it was natural for them to huddle up. Even so, Qi Meng Sheng did not hesitate in the slightest when she used Lan Chui Han as a hostage.

"Of course it's useless. Qi Meng Sheng told Pavilion Master Lan that: if he wanted Lord Lan back, let him come to me. How wise was Pavilion Master Lan? After he came down from the mountain, he didn't tell Li Bu Yu. He found me privately and learned that we had the same thing that can exchange hostages with Qi Meng Sheng."

"And how does Master intend to exchange?"

"Save Lord Lan before Qi Meng Sheng finds the Golden Trunk Jade Policy." Zhong Kui said, "If she finds the Golden Trunk Jade Policy, she will have more leverage in her hands, but she will also attract the siege of the entire immortal cultivation world. At that time, she will probably use Lord Lan to blackmail Xianyue Pavilion into working for her."

Xie Bi An gasped, his heart felt the chills non-stop.

"Pavilion Master Lan said that there is a person beside Qi Meng Sheng who is likely to be the disciple of the divine predictor Huang Dao Zi, and has the long-lost Luo Shui Jade Armor in his hands, so it is only a matter of time before she finds the Golden Trunk Jade Policy."

Xie Bi An looked at Fan Wu She in amazement. This was not the first time that Fan Wu She seemed to have the ability to foresee, already guessing all these long before Zhong Kui.

Zhong Kui looked at the two men in confusion, "What?"

"Well, junior brother had guessed before that Qi Meng Sheng was so confident in herself, most likely because she had the Luo Shui Jade Armor in her hands and knew she would definitely be able to find the Golden Trunk Jade Policy."

Zhong Kui also made a surprised face, "You can guess this too?"

Fan Wu She said, "I grew up in the marketplace and have heard many true and false stories about Huang Dao Zi, but I guessed blindly."

Zhong Kui glanced at Fan Wu She suspiciously, "Anyway, I plan to go up to the mountain myself, save Lan Chui Han and let the Immortal Alliance take advantage of the opportunity to sneak attack."

"Master, what can we do then?"

Zhong Kui extended his hand towards Xie Bi An, "Give me the item."

Xie Bi An gave Zhong Kui the ice coffin containing Cheng Yan Zhi's body along with Gong Shu Ju.

Zhong Kui looked at the two strange objects in his hand, "This Gong Shu Ju, we can use it.”

 

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Wormed*[套话]--- obtain information from (someone) by cunning persistence.

 

Edited on 18 Apr. 21 (Emzie)

 

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