Chapter 181

After nightfall, the three arrived outside Chidi City as promised. Although Chidi City is ruled by the Cangyu Sect, each of the eight fortresses has its own master. Most of the time, they do things in their own way individually. The fortress they were in was the most remote and chaotic of them all, as it was the furthest away from both Fenglin Continent and Shazhou --- the three being just in the shape of a triangle. Poverty has made Sixth Fortress Kan an unlawful place where many beggars, refugees, criminals, demonic cultivators and assassins gather. There are all kinds of shameful black market transactions. The whole fortress is dirty and disorderly, and the human lives are as cheap as grass. It is said that, as long as you have money here, you can buy anything. It can be called the Fumenghui outside of the Pass.

After meeting up with Qing Wu Zi, Qing Wu Zi led them to a hill outside the city, where there are no human traces and light. The thin moonlight sprinkled on the blanket of white snow and reflected a miserable light. On the snow, there were patches of small bulges. With one look, it looked like pimples growing on a person’s body, which is creepy as hell.

They immediately felt the thick Yin energy here. Xie Bi An's soul suppressing stick also reacted. There are uncollected evil spirits here, and there is more than one.

"Is this a graveyard?" Lan Chui Han asked.

They landed, and Qing Wu Zi’s two feet went deep into the snow. He was originally not tall, so at this time, a part of him disappeared: "Yes. This is a burial ground. The deceased who no one cares about will be thrown here and buried to the ground." Qing Wu Zi walked forward cautiously, "Sometimes they were not even buried because this soil hardens from freezing, which is very hard to dig. Anyway, when it snows, all of them will be covered, so if you walk around here, it is quite possible to step on the dead."

"The entrance to the secret passage is in such a place?" Lan Chui Han pursed his lips and looked down at his footprints.

"Only this place is not patrolled." Qing Wu Zi walked to a snow-white grave bulge, which was one of the few graves that has a monument. He chanted an incantation under his breath, and the monument silently receded to the side, revealing the entrance to the secret passage.

Xie Bi An puffed out a breath of steam, gripped his sword and went down without hesitation.

Fan Wu She followed closely behind.

The secret passage was short and cramped, filled with bitter cold air, and they had to bend over to move forward, and even had to crawl in some places, as if they were crossing a glacier's esophagus, walking right into the trap without looking back.

Xie Bi An already tried his best to use his spiritual power to warm himself, yet he was so cold that his teeth were chattering.

"How much farther is there to go?" Fan Wu She asked.

"Soon, soon." Qing Wu Zi said with a shaky voice.

"Senior brother, hold on a little longer."

Xie Bi An gave a "hmm", a sound so simple that it danced*.

After walking for about 10 minutes, they came out of the secret passage, climbed up the ladder and entered a dirty woodshed.

Qing Wu Zi held the lamp. They saw a thick layer of dust had accumulated in the house, and the footprints on the ground were clearly visible. It is obvious that this place has been abandoned for a long time.

Qing Wu Zi explained: "This place is very safe and very hidden, generally no one comes close to it. Decades ago, the man of this hunter's family suddenly went crazy and hacked his wife and children to death, spilling blood and flesh everywhere, and the scene was horrible. Since then, this house has been abandoned."

Xie Bi An did feel a deep resentment that had not completely dissipated for decades, but the evil spirits here had been transcended* by the cultivators.

"This secret passage was originally dug by someone for the purpose of fleeing for their lives. You guys should also know that Sixth Fortress Kan is extremely chaotic. Doing some impure business may inevitably lead to getting killed."

"How did you know about this secret passage?" Xie Bi An asked.

Qing Wu Zi smoothed his beard: "In Sixth Fortress Kan, as long as you spend money, you can have everything you need."

Lan Chui Han patted the dust on his clothes and said, "Qi Meng Sheng is in First Fortress Qian, so the Qingfeng Sword should also be placed in her temporary imperial residence, right?"

"Yes, but I don't know where it is exactly. I can only accompany you guys this far. Though Sixth Fortress Kan is chaotic, there are spies from various influences. We have to separate. You guys should hide your identities well and not draw attention to yourselves." Qing Wu Zi arched his hand, "I will wait for you in First Fortress Qian. When the time comes, I will try my best to help."

Qing Wu Zi left the deserted house first, and the three of them roughly checked their disguises and walked out too. The streetscape was ruined and not a single light was lit. It looked even more desolated and cold in this dark, night sky. When looked at from far away, it is like an empty city.

Qing Wu Zi told them to follow the crowd in the market tomorrow morning to leave the fortress together. They seemed to look too eye-catching if they left right now, so they walked through a few streets and found an inn.

That inn was also dilapidated. Sixth Fortress Kan is not like those fortresses in a privileged location, where there are people from the Cangyu Sect or the people from Central Plains leaving the Pass. There were no decent travelers here, so naturally there was no decent inn to be found.

They knocked on the door of the inn, gave some extra silver, and let the shopkeeper tidy out a clean room. By now it was almost dawn, and they had no time to rest. They just wanted to make some fire, get warm, and then leave when the time comes.

The three of them gathered around the charcoal fire pit and drank a few cups of warm wine before their frozen stiff bodies slowly eased up.

"Bi An has been afraid of the cold since he was a child." Lan Chui Han laughed and looked at Xie Bi An, "When you came to Chidi City to watch me quench my sword, you were wrapped up like a little dumpling."

Xie Bi An smiled embarrassedly: "I have never been to such a cold place. It was master who fooled me, saying how fun it is here. The furnace opening of Shen Nong Ding is a rare sight, so I must come and gain some knowledge and experience."

"Heaven Master is right." Lan Chui Han only moved his body, and the chair under his buttocks creaked, making one cannot help but worry that it is going to fall apart at any time. He could only sit carefully, and he said helplessly, "Back then my Xianyue Pavilion booked the four best guest houses in First Fortress Qian for my guests. Now we’re like rats burrowed out through the hole in the ground and hiding in such a shabby place making fire. Things are not as good as they used to be ah."

"Yeah. At that time, a guy I don’t know lived next door to me. His snores were like thunder…”

The two talked about their past, and Fan Wu She was sitting at one side unhappily. He silently observed Lan Chui Han. His memory of Zong Zhong Ming's face has already been blurred, and moreover at that time, Zong Zhong Ming was only seven or eight years old, so he naturally cannot imagine his adult appearance. But the more he looked at Lan Chui Han, the more he felt like they’re similar, and the more unhappy he was.

However, if Lan Chui Han is really Zong Zhong Ming's grandson, then he is his great-grandnephew. They’re three generations apart. At the thought of this, he started to feel delighted.

When the two people were chatting about Huayueye, Fan Wu She took the opportunity to interject: "Lord Lan, I heard that the history of the origin of Xianyue Pavilion is quite legendary. I don’t know whether the wild history in the miscellaneous articles is true or not."

Xie Bi An stole a glance at Fan Wu She. In fact, he has long wanted to inquire discreetly about Lan Chui Han’s grandfather, but has not yet found the opportunity to speak. It is smoother for Fan Wu She to speak up. After all, Fan Wu She has never been afraid to offend Lan Chui Han.

"Oh, those ah, some are true and some are fake." Lan Chui Han smiled, "Even if it's true, it's just adding oil and vinegar*, so you can't believe it all."

Xie Bi An said, "Hua Yuan Zhen Ren is very low-key and mysterious. I heard that during the years of establishing a sect, he didn’t really connect with other sects, and only silently guided disciples and cultivated."

"Grandfather was an introvert, and did not like to make friends with people." Lan Chui Han's tone has some pride in it, "With the powerful Junlan Sword Technique, if grandfather had the heart to operate, he would not only have a few dozen disciples. My father, on the other hand, was of a completely different nature, so it was only after he became the head of the pavilion that Xianyue Pavilion developed and expanded."

Fan Wu She asked, as if inadvertently, "Hua Yuan Zhen Ren has always shown himself by his Daoist name, I wonder what his real name was."

Lan Chui Han raised his eyebrows.

Xie Bi An felt a little nervous. He pretended to rebuke lightly, "Wu She, do not be impolite. The elders' names should not be asked casually." He looked at Lan Chui Han, "However, it seems that not many people have heard of Hua Yuan Zhen Ren’s real name. Could it be that there are some scruples?"

Lan Chui Han said frankly: "No ah, it's just that the Daoist name Hua Yuan seems to be very important to grandfather, and grandfather wants this name to be passed on more than anything else. Grandfather's name is Lan Zhong Ming."

Xie Bi An quietly took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. Although he had been prepared for this, his heart still trembled when he heard the word "Zhong Ming". He knew that this throb did not belong to him, but came from Zong Zi Heng.

"Lan Zhong Ming." Fan Wu She silently recited these three words, "I don’t know who Hua Yuan Zhen Ren’s master was. The Junlan Sword Technique only appeared in the post-Emperor Zong era, right?"

Such powerful swordsmanship would have shone in any era. The Junlan Sword Technique will never be a dusty pearl*. The only explanation is that he really has not seen it.

The answer was already crying out.

Fan Wu She recalled Lan Chui Han and Song Chun Gui’s wonderful sparring on that day in Yunding’s Eight Trigrams Platform. Compared to the ruthless and aggressive Zongxuan Sword Technique, and the old-fashioned and conservative Wuliang Sword Technique, Junlan Sword Technique is elegant and suave, yet it does not lose its sharpness, and each move is rigid in its stance. There is a degree of advancement and retreat, just like an orchid standing pretty in the turbid world, natural and restrained, gentle and firm.

Is this the sword technique created by Zong Zi Heng? And does it project the creator's ego?

Fan Wu She suddenly became jealous. Big brother had said more than once that although Zongxuan's sword technique was powerful, it was too hostile and looked like a hungry wolf pouncing on food when fighting, and he wanted to create his own set of swordplay that was elegant and powerful. This set of swordplay has already been available, but he never heard his big brother mention it to him even until his death, yet he gave the swordplay to a wild child with no blood ties.

The Junlan Sword Technique should have belonged to him, just like every hair of his big brother, they all belonged to him.

Lan Chui Han sensed that the two were too curious about his family history: "Why are you guys suddenly interested in my Lan family's family history?"

Xie Bi An hastily retracted: "Just a casual question. This question is really a bit overstepped. If it's not convenient for Brother Lan to say, then don’t mention it."

Lan Chui Han smiled faintly and did not express his opinion.

"Let's discuss again how to act when we reach First Fortress Qian. We don't know what will happen along the way. We have to improvise by then, but our purpose remains the same --- to find the Qingfeng Sword and return it to its original owner." Xie Bi An patted his qiankun bag, "Wuqiongbi can sense the Qingfeng Sword from a few miles away, and First Fortress Qian is not big, so let's try to find the estimated location before it gets dark today."

 

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PS: feeling quite distracted today. This was supposed to be uploaded in the morning, but now it's 4pm xD

 

danced*[三道弯]---a type of dance movement:

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B8%89%E9%81%93%E5%BC%AF/9102826

transcended*[超度]--- perform religious ceremonies to help the soul find peace

adding oil and vinegar*[添油加醋]--- adding details while telling a story (to make it more interesting). Or加料 (add ingredients). I usually say 加料 when talking to my parents and friends.

dusty pearl*[蒙尘的珍珠]---or, 珍珠蒙尘 难自弃。The pearl is precious, it also knows its own precious value, so even if it is covered with a layer of dust, making others unable to see it, or look down on it, it will not give up on itself

 

Edited on 16 May 21 (Emzie)

 

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