Chapter 180

Qing Wu Zi is well-dressed with a shrewd look. Other than paying more particular attention to dressing up as compared to Huang Dao Zi, his manners were kind of handed down from his master --- he doesn’t look like a follower of Buddhism*.

In fact, Fan Wu She and Xie Bi An do not remember Huang Dao Zi’s appearance, but they instinctively had some disgust towards his disciple.

Qing Wu Zi can understand from seeing this, so he did not ask for a snub, and continued: "A straightforward person does not resort to insinuations, I believe the two Immortal Impermanence wasted some effort just to lure me out, right?"

Xie Bi An got straight to the point and asked: "Did you tamper with the Golden Trunk Jade Policy?"

"I don't have the ability to tamper with the Heavenly Book, I only did something to block the way."

"Why would you do that?"

Qing Wu Zi stared at Xie Bi An and said with an insincere smile on his face, "Naturally, it was to protect the Golden Core of the reincarnation of the Human Emperor from falling into the wrong hands."

Fan Wu She said coldly, "You’re lying through your teeth. You are the one who helped her find the Golden Trunk Jade Policy."

"Black Immortal misunderstood me. After the death of my teacher, I thought I was not good enough to handle the Luo Shui Jade Armor, and I was afraid of disgracing my teacher, so I concealed my identity and worked as a small accountant to make a living, but I never thought I would be found. Yun Zhong Jun brought me back to Fenglin Continent, and there were only two ways in front of me, either to die or to find the Golden Trunk Jade Policy." Qing Wu Zi laughed bitterly, "I am afraid of death, but I don't want to help the enemy, so I had no choice but to do this."

Xie Bi An said in a deep voice, "You knew that Qi Meng Sheng had arrested the wrong person, and you just want to stand by and watch an innocent person have his core dug out?"

"That person is indeed innocent, but sacrificing him alone will save the whole immortal cultivation world ah." Qing Wu Zi sighed, "At that time, Heaven Master Zhong lost his Qingfeng Sword, Lord Lan was unconscious, two of you were injured, and the people from the Immortal Alliance were also killed and injured. If we let her know that White Immortal is the reincarnation of the Human Emperor, she would have taken your core at Mount Tai. If she really got it ... "

Xie Bi An pursed his lips. His veins were protruding on his forehead, yet he cannot refute.

"I had no choice but to choose a place far away from Mount Tai to send Qi Meng Sheng away." Qing Wu Zi shook his head and sighed, "Just that it can be concealed for a while, but not for a lifetime. Qi Meng Sheng has become more and more suspicious. If she knows the truth, not only is my life at stake, you guys probably will not be able to retreat in one piece."

"Qing Wu Zi, no matter what you are deceiving Qi Meng Sheng for, whether it is really for the sake of the world or secret selfish desire, at least we do not want to let her get away with it now." Lan Chui Han said, "We have to join hands to stop her."

Qing Wu Zi smiled bitterly and said, "Lord Lan ah, what personal desires can I have? I have mediocre qualifications and I am lazy. To put it in perspective, even if I am given the Absolute Human Emperor, I may not be able to be on par with you in my entire life. I just want peace in the immortal cultivation world and also make a living for myself."

These words are quite reasonable. There are four people present, and three have top-notch roots and bones. Instead, Qing Wu Zi seems to be the rare one. In fact, the obscured qualifications of Qing Wu Zi among everyone is normal. The immortal cultivation world roughly divides the levels of cultivators into low-level cultivators, high-ranking cultivators, elder-level cultivators and patriarch-level cultivators. Even the threshold of low-ranking cultivators has eliminated 80 or 90% of the mediocre talents who can't even form a core, and those under the patriarchal level are scarce. And those further up are ranked as immortals like Zhong Kui. Many people train hard in a lifetime, but they can only become high-ranking cultivators, such as Qing Wu Zi. Even if he ate the Absolute Human Emperor, he won’t have many future prospects in this life.

"In that case, you should have already had a plan." Fan Wu She said, "How do you want to stop Qi Meng Sheng?"

Qing Wu Zi sighed, "I have also been waiting for the arrival of the two Immortal Impermanence. After all, it is impossible for me to stop her alone. I have found a secret passage that allows you to secretly enter and exit Chidi City, so this time I was able to come out unnoticed."

"If we let the people of the Immortal Alliance sneak into the dark tunnel ..."

Qing Wu Zi hastily shook his head and waved his hand: "If you are trying to assassinate Qi Meng Sheng, it is better to dismiss this idea. Sneaking into Chidi City is also undesirable."

Lan Chui Han frowned: "Why?"

"Qi Meng Sheng's body has been semi-fused with the ice crystal. Not only does she have an endless stream of spiritual power, she’s also invulnerable. Other than the Thunder Ancestor Treasure Grant, the one thing in the world which can inflict fatal damage to her in one blow is probably the Qingfeng Sword, but the Thunder Ancestor Treasure Grant is so big, how can it engage in the assassination? And the Qingfeng Sword was snatched away by her."

Without waiting for Xie Bi An to speak, Qing Wu Zi spoke again, "You guys want to sneak attack Chidi City, but Chidi City’s eight fortresses contain all the people from Cangyu Sect and 260,000 Kunlun citizens. They are naturally hostile to the Central Plains’ people, and this huge eight trigrams formation in Chidi City can give rise to countless powerful formations. Even if all the cultivators in the immortal cultivation world went into Chidi City, regardless of the final win or loss, a lot of people are going to die. It's all a fiasco ah!”

"I understand what you mean. We can only take it wisely, not by force." Qing Wu Zi's words made Xie Bi An feel distressed. Once the war starts, how many people had to die in vain here?

Fan Wu She said, "Then what do you think we should do?"

"I'll bring you guys to infiltrate Chidi City, and you guys steal the Qingfeng Sword back."

When these words were spoken, the three people present remained silent.

"When Qi Meng Sheng knows that the golden core in her hands cannot refine the Absolute Human Emperor successfully, and the Qingfeng Sword is outside, she will not dare to act rashly. After all, her life is nearing the end. The more she fights, the faster she dies. Without the Absolute Human Emperor, she’ll die by enduring for a few months, at most a few years. This is the least damaging way."

This plan does sound feasible, but there are two fatal flaws. One, if Qing Wu Zi has evil intentions, this is actually swindling them to deliver themselves. When the three enter Chidi City, they will be like turtles in a jar*. Secondly, even if Qing Wu Zi meant what he said, if they made a mistake in Chidi City, they will still be like turtles in a jar.

The three faces changed unpredictably. Qing Wu Zi is so smart, so he naturally knew what they were thinking: "This plan is dangerous. I think, to be on the safe side, White Immortal should not go and let Heaven Master personally infiltrate Chidi City ..."

"No." Xie Bi An flatly refused, "My master cannot go."

The Book of Life and Death stated that Zhong Kui will die in this battle, but it doesn't say how he will die. How can he send his master to Qi Meng Sheng without the Qingfeng Sword? No matter what this looked like, it is following fate to go and die. As Qing Wu Zi said, get back the Qingfeng sword, and then trap, drag and boil Qi Meng Sheng. To face an attack without attacking is the best thing to do.

Lan Chui Han opened his mouth, and hesitated again.

Fan Wu She stared at Qing Wu Zi with a pair of sharp eyes with a face full of compelling coldness: "If you dare to lie to us, I will cut you alive, and then beat you until your soul scatters." He had no chance to kill Huang Dao Zi in his previous life, and had no intention to keep Huang Dao Zi's disciple after it was over.

"I dare not, I dare not. I would never dare to." Fan Wu She's killing aura made Qing Wu Zi's two thighs tremble, "Please believe in me, two Immortal Impermanence and Lord Lan. I also want to escape from Chidi City as soon as possible, so that the world can restore peace."

Fan Wu She looked at Xie Bi An again. The cold ice in his eyes instantly turned into spring water: "I know if I don’t let you go, you will also not listen. No matter where you want to go, what you want to do, I will accompany you."

Xie Bi An felt extremely touched: "I must go. You are not yet skilled in the use of the soul weapon, only I can find the Qingfeng Sword. Wu She, I have averted several disasters because of you, and this time we can definitely return safely with the Qingfeng Sword and change the fate of our master."

Lan Chui Han made a fake cough once.

Fan Wu She cast a sidelong glance at Lan Chui Han, the corners of his mouth lightly pursed. Although he did not want to move together with Lan Chui Han, he now really needs this useful manpower.

Xie Bi An looked at Lan Chui Han sincerely: "Brother Lan, thank you."

"So anxious to thank me?" Lan Chui Han folded his arms across his chest and leaned on the wall, looking outstanding and elegant, "When did I say I would go with you guys?"

"Uh ..."

Lan Chui Han snickered, "I’m just teasing you. Heaven Master lost the Qingfeng Sword to save me. Even if I had to go alone, I would be obliged to do so."

Xie Bi An also smiled: "Okay. Brother Lan, Wu She, the three of us will join forces. We will definitely make this trip worthwhile!" He held out his hand to both of them.

Fan Wu She held Xie Bi An's hand one step ahead of Lan Chui Han, who held the other hand slowly. Xie Bi An tightened his palm and shook it hard and exchanged a tough, determined look with one another.

Qing Wu Zi made an appointment with them to meet at Chidi City’s Sixth Fortress, Kan, between 1-3am and secretly infiltrate the city through the secret passage.

---

The next day, Xie Bi An and Fan Wu She chopped out a month's worth of firewood for Ah Lü and her younger brother, and gave her a lot of extra silver. He didn't know when they would come out of Chidi City, nor did he know when Ah Lü's father would return. In the future, they will have to rely on themselves.

Ah Lü held the heavy bag of money and stared in surprise with clear eyes: "Why did you give me so much money? We agreed on 20 wen* for a night’s stay.”

Xie Bi An rubbed Ah Lü's head: "You just take it. I don't know when Chidi City will be unsealed, you have to take good care of your younger brother."

"You’re really giving this to me?"

"Yes."

"My father said, after one gained benefits from someone, one will have to return the favor to that person, and one can't get something for nothing, but I really need the money now." Ah Lü pursed her lips, and stammered, "Then ... I will spend it wisely. When my father comes back, I’ll, I’ll repay you the money. Really, when my father sells the wild boar, it can be exchanged for a large sum of money. We will make it up to you. You must remember to come back to get ah."

"Yes, I will come back." Xie Bi An laughed and said, "You have to hide this money well. Don't let others know, and don't let strangers stay over in the house afterward. Burn more firewood at night, don't get frozen."

Ah Lü's eyes were filled with tears: "Thank you, my lord. They all say that there are no good people in the Central Plains and look down on us, the people from outside the Pass, but you are good people. You must come back ah."

"Definitely." Xie Bi An said the promise easily, but in his heart, he felt uneasy. When they go deep into the tiger's den, can they come back in one piece?

Fan Wu She quietly held Xie Bi An's hand: "Senior brother, don't worry, we will definitely come back."

Xie Bi An entangled tightly with Fan Wu She’s fingers. He felt apprehensive, but he gave Fan Wu She a peaceful and unconstrained smile back.

----
PS: wonder if I can be on par with SQC before my intern ends. I hope I do...

 

follower of Buddhism*[善男信女]---it’s a term used in Buddhism.

https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/489257527372972652.html

(The dictionary stated ‘lay practitioners of Buddhism’, but hmmm…not sure what it means LOL)

turtles in a jar*[瓮中之鳖]---be trapped

wen*[文]---equivalent to yuan in the present day https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%96%87/146626

 

Edited on 14 May 21 (Emzie)

 

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