Standing at the doorway of the room, eavesdropping, Baili Xin, whose mental state still seemed not quite normal, suddenly heard these words. She seemed to wake up abruptly, staring blankly at the shamelessly boastful Nan Zhu. She wanted to ask him, on what basis did he represent all the great archers in the world?
The words reached her lips but were ultimately left unsaid.
Yu Qing and Mu Aotie could not help but look up at the ceiling. They knew in their hearts that this fatty dared to speak such wild words because he did not care. After all, they had no intention of participating in the competition at all. He was making himself out to be a good person, and he did it with such smoothness and shamelessness.
Especially Yu Qing. He could see that this old seventh fellow was no longer like he was when they had first left the mountain together. Back then, he had been cautious and timid when facing various people, even trembling with fear as if walking on thin ice. He had not dared to speak such wild words even to someone like Zhan Yunqi. Now, after experiencing some of the world and having been imprisoned twice, he had truly gradually changed. His bearing and courage were indeed different. At least when facing someone like Zhan Yunqi, his back was straight and firm, showing no fear. He was now bold enough to deceive people to their faces.
Upon hearing this, Zhan Yunqi immediately looked at the reactions of the other three “great archers.” Seeing that none of them expressed any objection, he smiled and said, “Good, it is a deal!”
He smiled happily. A troublesome matter had been resolved. Otherwise, Kunling Mountain really would not have known what to do.
He then cupped his hands toward everyone. “Then I shall not disturb your cultivation.”
With that, he was about to leave. Everyone was also about to see him off, but Wu Tian quickly stepped forward to stop him. He pointed to Ke Ran, who had been listening the whole time. “Uncle, Ke Ran is here. This is him.”
Zhan Yunqi stopped in his tracks and looked Ke Ran up and down.
Ke Ran cupped his hands and bowed. “Ke Ran pays his respects to Mr. Zhan.”
Zhan Yunqi nodded in acknowledgment and said while sizing him up, “Before coming here, I specifically took a look at your registration details. It seems you are just a wandering cultivator. It should not be that simple, right? For Elder Huan to speak on your behalf, you must have another background.”
Elder Huan? An elder of Kunling Mountain? The eyes of Yu Qing and the others all turned toward Ke Ran in unison. They all knew that an elder of such a great sect held an unusual status in the cultivation world.
Ke Ran cupped his hands again and said, “I truly am just a wandering cultivator. As for my background and origins, it has nothing to do with the competition. The competition is my own affair.”
Hearing him say this, Zhan Yunqi nodded slightly and did not ask further. He directly stated his purpose. “I have prepared three carriages. Is that enough?”
Ke Ran hurriedly said, “Enough, enough. Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Zhan. I will call my friends over right away.”
Zhan Yunqi gave a sound of acknowledgment. “The carriage is waiting at the foot of the mountain.”
With that, he strode away. Wu Tian, who nodded slightly to everyone, followed after him.
Ke Ran still thanked him from afar. Afterward, he said to Yu Qing and the others, “Everyone, you can go to Spirit Valley now. You also heard what Mr. Zhan said. Hurry to the foot of the mountain to meet up. I will go invite Chanshao and the others.”
He had actually come to inform them of this matter. He had not expected that before he could even speak, Zhan Yunqi had already said it. Now, after finishing his greetings, he also hurriedly left.
The four people remaining in the hall looked at each other. Nan Zhu clicked his tongue. “It really is settled. It seems this Ke Ran truly has some backing!”
Baili Xin, however, asked, “Are you all going to Spirit Valley?”
Nan Zhu hurriedly said, “Yes, yes. Not ‘you all,’ but ‘we all.’ Let’s go. It’s a rare opportunity. Let’s go broaden our horizons.”
Baili Xin hesitated again. “All of you are going?”
Nan Zhu said, “Why not go when there is an opportunity?”
Baili Xin silently nodded, turned around, and went back into the room. She came out again shortly after, with the quiver and the Qiu Dragon Bow on her back once more.
The three senior brothers were slightly taken aback. It was not as if they were going to fight and kill. Why bring that thing? However, looking at the swords at their own waists, they said nothing.
The four of them quickly went out. There was still chattering coming from Chanshao Ting’s small building. Ke Ran seemed to still be in the middle of inviting them. So the four walked over to take a look. As soon as they reached the doorway, they saw Ke Ran and Chanshao Ting walking out side by side, talking and laughing. Zhao Qing and the others followed behind.
It was obvious that Chanshao Ting’s attitude toward Ke Ran was clearly different. However, as soon as he ran into Yu Qing and the others outside, the smile on his face immediately vanished. That slightly disdainful attitude emerged once more.
Yu Qing also no longer acted like he had the previous two times, trying to curry favor with them. They no longer had any value to be used. He similarly could not be bothered to pay attention. The key point was that there was no need to press a warm face against someone’s cold backside. Was the dignified Sect Leader of Linglong Guan not supposed to have face and dignity? There was no need to keep acting like a grandson for meaningless matters.
Regardless, the two groups still came together under Ke Ran’s influence and went down the mountain together.
At the foot of the mountain, there were indeed three carriages waiting for them. Moreover, Zhan Yunqi was also waiting there. The group hurried over to pay their respects.
Zhan Yunqi looked at the number of people and calmly instructed everyone, “Logically speaking, you should not be able to leave the Dingzi District. The sect is making a special exception this time. However, you must remember that you are not allowed to leave the carriage without permission during the journey. You must not run around everywhere either. Otherwise, if you encounter an attack from a mountain guardian spirit beast and something happens, Kunling Mountain will not take responsibility. Those who can do this, get in the carriage. Those who cannot, go back and rest.”
“Yes.”
“Noted.”
Everyone agreed one after another. Then, under Zhan Yunqi’s indication, they got into the carriages one by one.
Yu Qing and the other four squeezed into the same carriage. Chanshao Ting and his four companions took one carriage. Ke Ran’s original intention seemed to be to squeeze in with Yu Qing and the others, but Zhan Yunqi called him over to sit in the leading carriage.
Before the driver whipped the horses to set off, he hung a bell on a corner of the carriage eaves. As soon as the carriage moved, it immediately rang with a constant clinking sound, ringing all the way.
The three carriages were clearly all vehicles accustomed to running on the mountain roads here. They galloped swiftly all the way along the mountain roads that were sometimes straight, sometimes turning, sometimes going uphill and downhill. Sometimes, at the turns, the carriage even had a drifting sensation. The speed at which they galloped was extremely fast.
The scenery along the way outside the window was indeed very beautiful, like paintings drifting past the window. However, Yu Qing and his two senior brothers had no mind to watch and appreciate it. It was their first time riding such a wild carriage. It was also their first time riding a carriage that ran so fast. They were constantly worried that the carriage would overturn. They had no choice but to use their internal energy to maintain their balance inside the carriage.
They could see that the horses outside were probably not ordinary horses. Just based on their ability to go up and down hills as if walking on flat ground, this was not something ordinary horses could do.
It was just that, was this kind of wild way of receiving guests normal?
Inside the carriage, Baili Xin held the bow in one hand and gripped the edge of the seat to stabilize her body with the other. The body of the Qiu Dragon Bow was a bit long. It was inconvenient to carry it on her back while sitting in the carriage, so she held it in her hand.
Seeing this, Nan Zhu said in a gentle and caring tone, “It is a bit bumpy. Let me hold the bow for you.”
Yu Qing and Mu Aotie watched coldly from the side, feeling goosebumps rise all over their bodies.
Normally, whenever Nan Zhu had something heavy to carry, he would basically throw it to Mu Aotie to carry or bear on his back, except for that big gourd.
Of course, Yu Qing usually did the same thing. He called it helping Mu Aotie temper his body, but in reality, he was just being lazy. Fortunately, Mu Aotie did not mind in this regard and liked to mistreat his own body.
“No need.” Baili Xin refused very straightforwardly.
Nan Zhu laughed, not taking the rejection to heart. He faced it calmly, looking like someone who believed that good things come to those who wait. The corner of his eyes occasionally still glanced at Baili Xin’s bulging chest.
Yu Qing and Mu Aotie looked at each other, feeling slightly puzzled.
Based on their observations over the past two days, they really had not seen any sign that Baili Xin had any fondness for Nan Zhu. Regarding Nan Zhu’s so-called “chest-rubbing” remarks, the two of them were growing more and more suspicious. They suspected that Nan Zhu was bragging.
Yu Qing even wanted to find Baili Xin to confirm whether that incident had happened or not. However, how was he supposed to bring up such a matter? He did have the idea of urging Mu Aotie to go ask, but Mu Aotie would rather die than agree, firmly refusing. Even when Yu Qing brought out his status as the sect leader, it was useless.
When large stretches of buildings built against the mountain appeared outside the window, along with many Kunling Mountain disciples coming and going, and the magnificent buildings on the highest mountaintop, Yu Qing knew that this should be the core of Kunling Mountain’s sect. Having arrived here, they should not be far from Spirit Valley.
After the carriages went over a hillside, the number of Kunling Mountain disciples coming and going on the road suddenly decreased, and the environment grew increasingly serene and quiet.
Soon, the three carriages slowed down. Hearing Zhan Yunqi’s call, everyone got out of the carriages one after another. Looking around, they found that they had stopped in front of a long stone staircase built against the mountain. The staircase was hidden among lush greenery. Under the shade of the green trees, the end of the staircase could not be seen.
The crowd’s gazes were quickly drawn to what was directly opposite the staircase. The buildings on the high peak were magnificent and spectacular. There were countless pavilions and towers. There were also waterfalls hanging down the mountainside. There were also winding paths on that high mountain leading to this side.
Seeing this, Zhan Yunqi introduced, “That is where our sect’s main hall is located.”
Nan Zhu was filled with admiration. “Magnificent, imposing. It truly is the bearing of a thousand-year-old great sect.”
Zhan Yunqi turned around and waved his hand at the stone staircase before them. “Let’s go. Spirit Valley is just ahead.”
He took the lead up the stone staircase, and everyone immediately followed.
The staircase was very long, nearly a hundred zhang. It seemed to be built diagonally onto the mountainside. Reaching the end of the staircase was equivalent to reaching a mountaintop. Only then did everyone see a stone archway that had previously been blocked from view by the green trees. The words “Spirit Valley” were written on it. Behind the archway, it was like a mountain pass.
There were Kunling Mountain disciples guarding the entrance. There was also a disciple who smiled and waited upon seeing them, seemingly there to greet the guests.
His name was Lu Youming. After meeting Zhan Yunqi, he smiled and said, “Senior Brother Zhan, you have arrived.”
Zhan Yunqi said, “Junior Brother Lu, you know our purpose, right?”
Lu Youming nodded. “I know. The sect has already sent someone to inform me, saying that you were bringing some guests to Spirit Valley to sightsee.” He looked up at the group of people behind him. “Are these them?”
Zhan Yunqi stepped aside to give him a clear view. “Yes.”
Lu Youming counted the people with his eyes. “Nine people in total.” He then also stepped aside to clear the way and extended his hand in invitation. “Everyone, please follow me.”
Everyone followed him up the stairs again. The guards let them pass without stopping.
After entering from the mountain pass entrance, the newcomers realized that what seemed to be a mountain pass was actually a corridor passage. There were many rooms on both sides, presumably for people to live in. At this moment, it was cold and deserted, with no one in sight. It was evident that this place was usually not very populated.
Lu Youming brought everyone to the doorway of a room and said to Zhan Yunqi again, “Senior Brother Zhan, Spirit Valley is a forbidden area. Entry and exit must follow the rules. Anyone who enters must be registered in the records.”
Zhan Yunqi nodded. “That is only natural.”
Lu Youming entered the room first. After walking around inside and coming back out, he said strangely, “Uncle Yan is not here. Perhaps he did not know when you would arrive. Senior Brother Zhan, please wait a moment. He should be in the valley. I will go find him.”
“No rush.” Zhan Yunqi nodded with a smile.
The group had no choice but to wait at the doorway. Yu Qing, who was standing at the side of the door, suddenly paused as he glanced into the room. His gaze fixed on a painting hanging on one side of the wall inside.