“The people around him grew fewer and fewer, until only seven or eight remained by his side. Yan Yao gradually sensed something was wrong.
They had pursued for only about a dozen or so li, and the sixty or so people around him were nearly gone, all due to encountering suspicious signs. For instance, there was blood in another direction, and he would send people to investigate that direction and so on.
What truly aroused his suspicion was not that he had nearly sent away all the people around him, but that none of those sent out to investigate had returned to report back. This was somewhat abnormal. Could it be that every group had discovered something suspicious and had continued pursuing? The more he thought, the more wrong it felt. Yan Yao suddenly raised his hand, stopping himself, and also signalled the seven or eight Kunling Mountain disciples travelling with him to stop.
Only two people remained by Le Shu’s side, still observing as they continued forward.
Sensing that the Kunling Mountain people had stopped, Le Shu merely glanced back, paid them no mind, and continued leading his people in their search.
Watching them go further away, one Kunling Mountain disciple asked in surprise, “Uncle Yan, why are we not going?”
Yan Yao said in a deep voice, “Our people are getting fewer and fewer. Something is not right. Go back. Go back along the road and look.”
The accompanying disciples only then noticed the abnormality, and followed him to return swiftly.
Just as the group was about to enter the canyon again, a team of people emerged from one side of the canyon, blocking the entrance.
The Kunling Mountain crowd had to stop urgently. Looking by moonlight, they discovered it was the Great Enterprise Bureau forces, led by a woman, precisely Gan Li.
The semicircular encirclement formation adopted by the Great Enterprise Bureau forces made the Kunling Mountain crowd sense something clearly abnormal. Sensing movement behind them, they looked back again and discovered another batch of people had encircled them from the rear, led by none other than Le Shu, whom they had parted with earlier.
The Great Enterprise Bureau forces swiftly gathered, encircling from front, back, left, and right, surrounding the group of eight Kunling Mountain people in the middle.
Without needing a reminder, the Kunling Mountain crowd swiftly drew their weapons, standing back to back on guard. Yan Yao said in a deep voice, “Two Walking Officers, what is the meaning of this?”
Le Shu said, “No particular meaning. We just want to know what Kunling Mountain means by this.”
Yan Yao: “Walking Officer Le, I do not understand what you are saying.”
Le Shu: “We still need to hurry to meet with the Great Walking Officer. We have no time to beat around the bush with you. Those missing Kunling Mountain disciples of yours are all dead. We killed them!”
Hearing these words, the Kunling Mountain crowd was all shocked beyond belief. Several dozen fellow disciples had died just like that, silently?
Yan Yao was even more furious, waving his finger and roaring, “You kill the innocent so wantonly. This is simply too much!”
Le Shu: “Whether it was killing the innocent or not, we will naturally confront Kunling Mountain about it. Now we are giving you a chance. Make clear what exactly Kunling Mountain is trying to do. If you make it clear, the Great Enterprise Bureau can pardon you of guilt. If you cannot make it clear, you will all have to die, and we will investigate the rest ourselves.”
By now, he no longer needed to conceal anything. As he said, there was no time to go in circles. He was anxious to lead the main force to protect Xiang Lanxuan.
The reason they had not acted directly before was because Kunling Mountain had greater numbers, and they worried that if they moved, someone might escape. Once someone went to report the news, it might create an unfavourable situation. The few remaining here now could not escape.
Even if it was a misjudgement now, they could die without leaving evidence.
The Kunling Mountain people wanted to set up a situation to control the circumstances, and these Great Enterprise Bureau people, when facing unexpected situations, also wanted to control the situation in their own hands.
Beneath the “Divine Tree”, Xiang Lanxuan and Great Elder Huan had already drawn quite close, standing beneath the tree looking up. To say they were close, there was actually still half a li of distance, simply because that tree was far too large.
The gnarled, intertwined tree roots covered a vast area on the ground. The roots were covered in moss emitting a faint glow. The two stood before the tentacle-like roots that splayed out to grip the earth.
Elder Qu led a group lurking hidden in the lush flowers and grass, secretly watching the two people’s movements, not daring to bring too many people close.
He had already led a group of Kunling Mountain disciples to search around the “Divine Tree” once, and had not discovered any abnormality or danger. This place seemed rather peaceful.
At present, having investigated up to this great tree, they dared not act rashly anymore.
The night was quiet. From high in the tree, there seemed to be faint sounds of singing and dancing, too distant to hear clearly.
“It seems this tree might be the key.”
Great Elder Huan still hoped to instigate Xiang Lanxuan to go up and investigate. He had already said several times before that their side’s cultivation was insufficient, and they were clumsy, afraid of startling the snake by beating the grass.
Xiang Lanxuan was silent for a while, then slowly said, “Whether it is the key, and how to touch upon this key, at present there seem to be only three methods. One, investigate directly. Two, hide outside and wait to observe, to see if anything will appear. Three, find that Flower-Controlling Top Scholar, who dared to barge in. He might know something. It would not be too late to gather more information from his mouth before making a decision. Great Elder, which method do you think is most suitable?”
Huan Yushan naturally approved of the third, but would not say so. Instead, he pondered and said, “The problem is that Top Scholar currently has an unknown whereabouts. We do not know when he can be found.” He looked up toward the top. “Could he be up there? Could the singing and dancing up there be related to him? For instance, could it be welcoming a guest?”
In fact, he was quite clear where Yu Qing was at present. The person Yan Yao had sent had already made contact with him here, informing him that Yu Qing was now under their control.
Xiang Lanxuan also looked upward. “What you said is not impossible, but this matter cannot be gambled on. Leave a portion of people here to secretly watch and observe. The rest should search around first for now.”
Before her Great Enterprise Bureau’s powerful forces arrived, she did not want to act rashly. Even if Le Shu and Gan Li came, she would not act rashly. She would certainly wait for the result of the Earth Master’s side exerting force. If the Earth Master could personally arrive, that would be even better.
Upon hearing this, Huan Yushan more or less guessed the other party’s intention. He already knew the sect leader’s resolve. That Top Scholar, he would not hand over, nor could he let the other party wait until the Great Enterprise Bureau forces arrived. Since this Great Walking Officer was unwilling to be used by him, then he did not want to leave this stumbling block either. Killing intent gradually emerged in his eyes.
However, looking at where the singing and dancing came from, he knew this was not a place to act. Once they acted, they might alarm unknown dangers to appear. Thus he nodded and said, “The Great Walking Officer speaks reasonably. Let them watch here. The matter of finding people can be handed to Elder Qu to arrange. We should first leave this Immortal Mansion and return to Kunling Mountain to make more preparations before speaking.”
Xiang Lanxuan thought for a while, nodded and said, “Very well.”
Just as she was about to turn around, she still could not resist her curiosity and extended her finger, trying to touch that faintly glowing moss.
When her finger touched it, there was no other particular feeling. It seemed like ordinary moss, except the place she pointed at darkened. Yet the instant she released her finger, the darkened place flashed with a stream of light slightly stronger in luminosity, shooting along the spreading moss. It was also like a chain reaction from the tree roots to the trunk. The stream of light suddenly shot upward, disappearing into the tree crown.
This scene was beyond the two people’s expectations. They did not know what the situation was, nor had they expected the moss on this tree could produce such a reaction. The two immediately tensed their heartstrings, looking up quietly at the top. After waiting a short while with no reaction, the two then quietly withdrew from before the massive, intertwined tree.
Elder Qu, hidden in the flowers and grass, suddenly popped his head out and stretched his hand, pointing upward at the sky above the two, signalling them to be mindful of above, then shrank back again.
Xiang Lanxuan and Huan Yushan immediately turned their heads to look. They saw something drifting down from the air. The two immediately went on high alert.
When the things fell and became clear, everyone discovered they were actually flower petals.
Many flower petals drifted down, like a colourful heavy snowfall, against the backdrop of the large-area glow of the moss. The scene was nearly dreamlike.
Yet no one was in the mood to appreciate this beauty. All were on tenterhooks, yet dared not act rashly.
Xiang Lanxuan and Huan Yushan knew that if the two of them dared to run now, the people hiding in the flowers and grass would necessarily flee together. It seemed there was no longer any need to run. Two human figures had already drifted down from the sky, lightly falling amidst a rain of flowers, landing barefoot on the tree roots and standing firm.
They were two women of cloud-like height and resplendent beauty, their faces half-covered by white gauze, making it impossible to see what they looked like. But from their half-exposed faces, they should be beautiful. Their seductive physiques of ice-like skin and jade-like flesh made people somewhat afraid to look directly. Their upper bodies had only a circle of flower petals wrapped around their chests, with not another strip of cloth. Their waists were very slender, navels exposed. Their lower bodies were long skirts made of colourful flower petals.
Looking down at Xiang Lanxuan and Huan Yushan with nervous, guarded faces, the two women’s voices were as clear as orioles, speaking in unison, “Guests have arrived. The Great King has sent us two to welcome the guests. Please!”
The two women together extended their bare jade arms in an inviting gesture. The colourful petals in the upper sky were still falling, though gradually thinning.
The two, Xiang and Huan, looked at each other, not knowing how to respond. After hesitating for a while, Xiang Lanxuan finally mustered her courage and spoke, “Who is your Great King?”
One woman smiled and said, “You will naturally know when you see him.” The two again extended their jade arms together in an inviting gesture.
Such politeness truly made it hard to refuse the hospitality. The problem was the situation was unclear, and they dared not run.
In the end, Xiang Lanxuan still braced herself and nodded, saying, “Thank you for your trouble.”
Great Elder Huan also cupped his hands in thanks.
Given the two people’s experience, making this decision was not difficult. If they could truly run away, even if they confronted that so-called Great King, they need not fear. If they could not run away, running now had no meaning whatsoever. The other party was so polite. There was no need to anger them.
One woman again glanced toward the flower bushes. “Just the two of you? Above there is jade nectar and dew. Will the others not drink a cup?”
At these words, everyone knew the hidden people had also been discovered.
Huan Yushan hurriedly said politely, “They are all vulgar people. Do not let them sully your precious blessed land. We two will represent everyone to pay respects to the Great King and return.”
The two women nodded, making no force whatsoever. With one word, “Please,” they both rose into the air together, drifting toward the upper sky.
Seeing this manner of flying up, the pupils of both Xiang Lanxuan and Huan Yushan suddenly contracted, realising these two women who welcomed guests were at least of the High Profound realm in cultivation.
Elder Qu and the others hiding in the flower bushes were so frightened they did not even dare to breathe.
Xiang Lanxuan was fine. She could also float up into the air without needing external assistance, following unhurriedly.
Huan Yushan flashed into motion, flying to land on the tree trunk, occasionally using the tree trunk to gain force to ascend.
The petals gradually drifting in the air finally ceased.”