The first to come out did not wait too long outside the Spirit Valley. The other visitors also came out shortly after. Yu Qing could not delay for too long. If he overdid it, it would become abnormal. Abnormality would arouse suspicion, and suspicion would be unfavourable for future matters.
Lu Youming bowed at the main gate to see the guests off. The guests thanked him and walked down the long steps through the archway.
The three martial brothers met again. Without a word, a single nod from Nan Zhu told Yu Qing that he had succeeded. There was no need to say anything more. Everything could be discussed after they returned.
Although they had obtained the item, the three of them still felt somewhat uneasy in their hearts. After all, it was a painting hanging on someone else’s wall. They had simply taken it away. To say they were not at all worried about being discovered after losing a decorative item would be a lie.
Yu Qing’s action inherently carried an element of gambling. The furnishings in that room were not neatly arranged, and there was often no one there. This indicated that there was probably nothing important inside. Furthermore, the owner of that room was slovenly and unkempt. He was gambling that the owner was not someone who paid attention to small details.
If it was discovered later, it was just a map. Who knew if it was lost or taken somewhere?
In short, as long as they were not caught with the stolen goods, no one could be certain they had done it.
Baili Xin, who had been closely following the three, had been sizing them up with an examining gaze, as if trying to detect something amiss.
The carriage that had brought them was still waiting. This time, as they walked down the steps, everyone carefully observed the horses pulling the carriage. They found them taller and more robust than ordinary horses, and also more spirited. However, the fact that a single horse could pull a carriage full of people galloping vigorously along the mountain road, and even go uphill as if walking on flat ground, still made everyone feel it was incredible.
Chan Shaoting, who had walked to a position directly facing one of the horses, suddenly exclaimed, “This is not a horse. This is a ‘Quanshu’!”
Upon hearing this name, everyone immediately walked to the front of the horses to observe. They then discovered that the three horses’ foreheads originally should have had single horns growing from them, but they had clearly been sawn off. This was why no one had noticed their difference from ordinary horses.
Quanshu. Everyone had heard of it. It was said to look very much like a horse, with a single horn growing from its forehead. It was an extremely rare spiritual beast, capable of running at high speeds and truly covering a thousand li in a day. Most people were seeing the real thing for the first time.
And this Quanshu with its horn sawn off, if they had not been reminded, even if they had seen it, they might not have made the connection. In the end, it was Chan Shaoting who had greater knowledge and experience. He was indeed a disciple of a prestigious sect, well-informed and widely experienced.
Zhan Yunqi smiled and nodded, indicating that it was correct.
Nan Zhu said in surprise, “Kunling Mountain actually uses such a spiritual beast to pull a carriage. How many of them must they have raised?”
Yes, everyone felt this was a bit too extravagant.
Zhan Yunqi said modestly, “We haven’t raised that many. We only use them when entertaining guests and need to save time. The place where you are staying is indeed a bit of a distance to travel back and forth from here.”
Although he said this, everyone could understand. But they could still see from this the financial power of the number one spirit plant great sect in the world. Using spiritual beasts to entertain guests without being ostentatious, they had actually sawn off the spiritual beasts’ horns. The low-key luxury of a thousand-year-old great sect was evident at a glance.
The group got into the carriages. Only two carriages were provided for the return trip. When they came, they did not know how many people Ke Ran would bring, so they had prepared extra vehicles. At this time, Zhan Yunqi and his disciple would not be returning with them, so two carriages were enough.
After watching the carriages depart along the mountain road, Lu Youming then turned and went back inside. In the corridor, he saw the slovenly figure returning and quickly went over to greet him.
Yan Yao, who had first walked to his own doorway, stopped and waited for him to approach. He asked, “How did it go?”
Lu Youming, “They have all left smoothly.”
Yan Yao, “No problems?”
Lu Youming, “Fortunately, I didn’t see any problems.”
Yan Yao was silent for a moment, then waved his hand and said, “Alright, go about your business.”
Lu Youming, “Shishu, I need to leave for a bit. Shizun seems quite concerned about this matter. I need to report the situation.”
His shizun was none other than the Sect Leader of Kunling Mountain.
He was not human either. He was considered a demon cultivator. He was originally a spirit pet by the side of the Kunling Mountain Sect Leader. After cultivating into human form, his master had placed him in the important location of the Spirit Valley.
Yan Yao also knew the Sect Leader’s intention in placing his trusted aide here. Although the Spirit Valley had always been under the watch of their lineage, the Sect Leader could not possibly remain indifferent. It was normal to place a trusted aide here to act as eyes and ears. So he waved his hand and said, “Go.”
“Yes.” Only then did Lu Youming take his leave.
Yan Yao returned to his room and looked around. Then he untied the gourd from his waist. When he pulled out the stopper, a waft of wine fragrance overflowed. He took two gulps directly from it, walked around behind the desk, sat on the chair, put his legs up on the desk, and hugged the wine gourd, enjoying it contentedly.
He also saw the painting on the opposite wall, but he did not realise at all that it had been switched. The paintings in the porcelain jar were all ones he had hung on the wall before. None of them were famous paintings. He had no particular interest in them. Occasionally, when he got tired of looking at one, he would switch it for another to hang. They were casual decorations.
To some extent, Nan Zhu’s act of replacing it with another painting was appropriate. It could also be considered a mature move. If it had been completely blank, it might really have attracted Yan Yao’s attention…
On the journey back, it was again like the wind galloping, and the bells also rang all the way.
When getting off the carriage, Yu Qing noticed that the driver had removed the bells again. He asked an extra question, “What is the meaning of this?”
The driver replied, “I am afraid the mountain guardian spirit beasts might startle the honoured guests. These bells can soothe the guardian spirit beasts and prevent them from attacking.”
Yu Qing made an “oh” sound, thanked him for the pick-up and drop-off, and then returned to the mountain with the others.
When they reached the mountaintop, everyone thanked Ke Ran again. Being able to enter the Spirit Valley today to broaden their horizons was all thanks to him.
Ke Ran said there was no need to thank him and said some words about it being a small effort.
After watching everyone return to their respective small buildings, Xiao Changdao and Wu Ronggui had no intention of going back. The two of them strolled to the edge of the mountain.
After looking left and right, Wu Ronggui said in a low voice, “That surnamed Ke must have quite a background. Looking at the situation, Chan Shaoting won’t be able to scare him away.”
Xiao Changdao let out a “heh”, “Being able to easily arrange for everyone to visit the forbidden grounds of Kunling Mountain, now even Chan Shaoting obviously thinks highly of him. It’s unlikely he will look for trouble with him again. I’m afraid it won’t be easy to drive a wedge between them.”
Wu Ronggui reminded him, “Chan Shaoting, Zhao Qing, plus those four great archers, and now this Ke Ran has appeared. It is very likely that they have already taken up seven of the spots in the Dingyin District. Only three spots remain. Who knows who else will come later. The two of us might not be secure.”
Xiao Changdao let out a sigh.
The two of them still did not know that the “four great archers” had already very readily agreed not to use bows and arrows in the competition. In any case, when they went out together today, they did not detect the slightest bit of unhappiness from the four of them. So after a round of whispering, the two of them went down the mountain again to find the participants they had incited yesterday, wanting everyone to continue demanding an explanation from Kunling Mountain.
Back in their own room, it goes without saying that Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie immediately called Yu Qing upstairs for a secret discussion. Baili Xin could only watch helplessly. It was not appropriate for her to actively enter other men’s rooms.
After entering the room and closing the door, Nan Zhu immediately pulled out the stolen map from inside his clothes and slapped it into Yu Qing’s hands. “I say, old fifteen, are you sick? You come up with one thing after another, suddenly making me do this. You scared me to death!”
He himself did not know how to describe what he had done.
At the time he was doing it, being in the midst of the matter, he did not think much about it. He smoothly stole the item. It was not until he was on the carriage on the way back that he gradually began to feel afraid. He began to reflect on himself and found that he seemed to be becoming more and more impulsive. The old him would never have had such guts. Now he actually dared to run into the forbidden grounds of the number one spirit plant great sect in the world and steal something as he pleased.
It caused him to have no mind to pay attention to Baili Xin along the way. He was on tenterhooks the entire journey, vigilantly watching outside the carriage, ready to shatter the map inside his clothes into dust to destroy the stolen goods if he discovered anything was amiss.
Yu Qing let out a scoff, ignored him, and opened the map to examine it. Seeing the sloppily torn edge, he was stunned for a moment, pointed at it, and asked, “What the hell?”
Nan Zhu said with a “hai”, “It was not easy to carry two sticks on my body. Don’t worry, I destroyed the evidence and cleaned it up.” Seeing him spread the map out on the table, he leaned in again and asked, “What are you doing with this?”
Yu Qing, “Do I even need to say? To prepare for sneaking into the Spirit Valley again. Otherwise, being unfamiliar with the place, and it not being easy to ask Kunling Mountain disciples for information, asking too much would easily arouse suspicion. With a map, it would be much more convenient. At the very least, we can avoid some heavily guarded important areas, so as not to barge into the wrong place and walk right into a trap.”
Nan and Mu were both stunned. Nan Zhu asked in surprise and suspicion, “You still want to sneak over there privately? Are you crazy? Did you forget what the driver said? Apart from the mountain guardian disciples, there are also guardian spirit beasts. Wanting to pass through such a long distance without being discovered is impossible. Furthermore, we have already gone in and looked around once, and we didn’t see anything special.”
Yu Qing leaned in closer to the two and lowered his voice again, “The entrance to the Jinghua Immortal Garden is very likely right above that abyss.”
The moment these words were spoken, Nan and Mu were petrified. Both of them recalled the situation at that time.
After a good while, Mu Aotie opened his mouth and asked, “Above that abyss where the chain-locked vine demon is?”
Yu Qing nodded.
Nan Zhu said suspiciously, “Why did I not see anything abnormal?”
Yu Qing, “With your eyes, apart from women and money, what else can you see? Just using your eyes to look is useless. You also need to observe with your mind’s eye. The mist drifting above the abyss is abnormal. There seems to be something in the void. If what Lady Li said is true, then it is very likely the entrance to the Jinghua Immortal Garden.”
If he put it this way, after Nan and Mu exchanged a glance, they no longer expressed any objections. Regarding old fifteen’s eyesight, this was not the first time they had experienced it. They had already felt that old fifteen probably knew some kind of spell. When they were attacked by mermaids in the Nether Sea and he still managed to bring them to the mirage city, the two of them had strongly felt it. Since old fifteen said so, then he should really have discovered something.
Nan Zhu did not know whether he was excited or nervous. He rubbed his hands together, “Have we found another one? Are you sure?”
Yu Qing, “I only took one look. How dare I be absolutely certain? There are only two ways to confirm. One is what was said earlier, to see if the so-called withered wood meeting spring in the Spirit Valley has any relation to that great formation. The other is to sneak back to the scene to carefully investigate.”
Nan Zhu sighed, “The great formation is inside the Spirit Valley. To confirm whether it has a relation to the great formation, isn’t that the same as going to the scene to investigate? What is the difference between this and the second method?”
Yu Qing held up the map in his hand, “That is why we need to get this map.”
Nan Zhu spread his hands, “Isn’t that nonsense? I already said that wanting to pass through such a long distance without being discovered is impossible. What use is a map?”
Yu Qing’s gaze fixed on the map, “Back when I abandoned my official post and fled the capital, even thousands of troops and horses could not easily catch me. If I really want to charge in there, they might not be able to discover me. It just depends on whether Heaven gives me the opportunity.”