The three fellow disciples were slightly stunned. They were all figures from myths and legends. Let alone them as cultivators, even ordinary people had heard of this immortal.
Nan Zhu replied, “I have heard of them. Could the clue the senior mentioned refer to the legendary ‘Mirror Flower Immortal Garden’?”
Li Niang: “Yes. The so-called clue was merely an immortal attendant passing by and chatting with someone, which I happened to overhear. They said that when leaving the ‘Mirror Flower Immortal Garden’, countless orchids bloomed instantly at the exit, which was quite beautiful, so they casually picked one to keep its fragrance. Another person said it was because when the ‘Mirror Flower Immortal Garden’ opened, the immortal energy from the immortal mansion overflowed, causing the secluded orchids to bloom and the hundred grasses to return to spring.”
Having said this, she stopped.
The three fellow disciples waited blankly. After waiting a while with no continuation, Nan Zhu said in surprise, “That is it?”
Li Niang: “That is it.”
After looking at each other for a while, the three fellow disciples, Nan Zhu scratched his plump face, “What kind of clue is this?”
Yu Qing remained silent for a moment, then seemed to be lost in thought.
Mu Aotie suddenly blurted out, “The entrance to the immortal mansion has many orchids.”
Nan Zhu was stunned for a moment, then also seemed to react. Immediately after, he gave a bitter smile, “This is thousands of years old. The seas have changed and the land has shifted countless times. Let alone where to find it, whether orchids would still grow there is a problem. A nest of wild boars could ruin it.
Furthermore, even if we found a place with many orchids, how could we confirm it is the entrance to the ‘Mirror Flower Immortal Garden’? Even if we confirmed it, what method could we use to enter? We do not know the answers to any of these questions. Taking a step back, even if we knew all these answers, does the ‘Mirror Flower Immortal Garden’ have a guardian beast?”
He did not need to mention how dangerous it was. In any case, everyone had already explored two immortal mansions and experienced the might of the guardian beasts. This Nether Sea could also be considered a third immortal mansion, except the guardian beast had been destroyed by someone else. But the danger brought by human hearts was no less severe.
That was true. The three fell silent again.
Li Niang seemed to have said all she intended to say, and demanded, “Return the ring to me.”
Yu Qing looked at the ring on his hand. He felt that returning the ring would mean being shown the door, and he still had many questions. He immediately tried to ask, “Your brother was previously normal human size. What was the matter with him turning into a strongman?”
Li Niang was silent for a moment, but still informed them, “Some tasks would be very slow if done by ordinary human strength. Naturally, becoming a giant would be much faster. So the immortals gave ordinary people a type of immortal pill, and then ordinary people would turn into giants. It is just that the process of growing larger is extremely painful. They would keep eating non-stop until they grew into the strongmen the immortals needed. The giant skeletons you have seen in the outside world were all transformed from ordinary people. They are not another race as you thought.”
Yu Qing: “What exactly happened? Why did the various immortal mansions suddenly close? Why have there been no traces of immortals since then?”
Li Niang: “I also want to know what happened. I only felt that at the time people were panicked and evil energy was rampant, as if something had happened. But I was of lowly status then and knew very little. Asking would only invite a scolding.”
Evil energy rampant? The three fellow disciples looked at each other again. Nan Zhu asked, “Where did so much evil energy come from?”
Li Niang: “I do not know. It felt like those immortals did something to cause it. Alright, give me the ring.”
Yu Qing was somewhat reluctant to part with the ring in his hand. Although he did not know how much benefit it held, it was after all an immortal item. Having it was better than not having it. So he probed, “I hit it off with your brother at first sight and still remember him fondly. Could his ring be left to me as a keepsake?”
Nan Zhu hurriedly nodded along, having the same idea. After all, it was an immortal item.
Li Niang: “My brother gave it to me. I do not keep it as a memorial, but instead give it to you. What sense does that make?”
Nan Zhu hurriedly said, “The senior’s ring could be left to us as a memorial too.”
Li Niang: “Are you worthy?”
She said this so bluntly, so unforgivingly, making people quite embarrassed. Nan Zhu gave a dry smile and stopped talking, silently cursing in his heart.
Yu Qing pursed his lips, but still continued to express his opinion, “The senior’s words are quite unreasonable. We ran errands for your brother. Could it be that we get no benefit at all, that we made this trip for nothing?”
Hearing this, Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie both nodded. Especially Nan Zhu, who chimed in, “That is right. There should be some benefit. We cannot have busied ourselves for nothing, can we?”
Li Niang snorted, “What benefit do you want?”
The three fellow disciples looked at each other. What benefit could they ask for? Asking for power was nonsense. Since they could not obtain glory, they could only seek wealth. Yu Qing coughed dryly, “Forget it. We cannot do something greedy and insatiable. Being vulgar is actually simpler. I presume the senior is not short of money. Just give us some money to send us away. It would also give us an explanation to ourselves.”
Nan Zhu nodded repeatedly again, “Exactly, exactly. Just casually send us off with something.”
Li Niang asked in a tone devoid of emotion, “How much money do you want?”
Yu Qing raised his hand, crossing two index fingers, “One billion taels of silver will be enough.”
Nan Zhu agreed, “That sounds about right.”
His eyes were shining with anticipation. He was already calculating how much he could get. He estimated that even if Old Fifteen was not decent, he would get at least one hundred million.
Li Niang retorted, “I heard you owe a mountain of debt?”
Yu Qing sighed, “Nothing can be hidden from you. There is no other way. Otherwise, I would not have the cheek to ask you for money.”
Nan Zhu also sighed, “I have made the senior laugh.”
Li Niang: “Did you not enter the Golden Ruins? That bit of debt is nothing to the Golden Ruins. You could have settled it by casually moving some things. Did you not claim to have hit it off with my brother at first sight? How could my brother not even give you time to move some money out? Do not tell me you forgot to move some gold out.”
Her words left the three speechless. They only now realised that their previous cleverness had backfired.
In any case, she had blocked all their arguments. Yu Qing could only smile bitterly, “Senior, you really must believe me. The situation was urgent at the time. We truly forgot to move some gold out.”
Li Niang clearly did not want to argue further, “Whether your friendship with my brother was real or fake, since the ring has been given to me, I can give you some money. But I cannot give you one billion. One billion is not a small sum. There are many people watching you. Too much money in your hands would raise questions about its origin. There is no need to be pursued and investigated by those major powers.
Your debts can be settled for you. The twenty million borrowed from Qing Ya can be written off. The two hundred million owed to the Blue Sea Shipping Company can also be guaranteed by Gu Qingzhao and transferred to Qing Ya’s head. You took Qing Ya hostage, and the Red Orchid Pavilion was more or less aware of it. Having Qing Ya help you repay this debt is somewhat justifiable, and the origin can withstand investigation. Do not create further complications. Being pursued too closely by others is not good for you either.”
Yu Qing was slightly stunned, then hurriedly said, “Actually, our debts are not limited to this amount. The batch of immortal peach trees from Little Cloud Realm, I took them to plant in the Great Wilderness. I also owe a lot of wages and expenses. I do not want much. Just give me another one hundred million.”
Li Niang: “I said, do not create further complications. Not a single cent more. Take it or leave it. Have I been too kind to you?”
Yu Qing immediately softened, “Alright, we will do as the senior says.”
He was somewhat speechless in his heart. He had never intended to repay Qing Ya’s twenty million. What was the point of including it?
But in any case, having something was better than nothing.
“The ring.” Li Niang urged again.
Yu Qing looked at the ring on his hand, his eyes flashing slightly. He stepped forward and walked toward the inner hall. He had never been able to see her true face clearly, and wanted to take the opportunity of returning the ring to get closer and have a look.
When he reached the pearl curtain and casually pulled it aside, he suddenly hissed and urgently withdrew his hand.
Nan and Mu thought something was wrong and hurriedly rushed over to assist.
Yu Qing urgently spread his arms to block them, “Do not come over.”
After stopping the two, he turned his hand to look at the one that had pulled the curtain. He saw two bloody cuts on the edge of his palm, with fresh blood seeping out.
Nan and Mu did not understand what was happening, “What is going on?”
Yu Qing extended his hand again and slowly parted the pearl curtain. This time, all three discovered the abnormality. Behind the pearl curtain were vertically stretched fine threads. He scraped them with his fingernail, and they turned out to be metal threads of unknown material.
They were extremely fine, meaning they were sharp, and hidden behind the pearl curtain, very difficult to discover.
Yu Qing could imagine that if he had forcefully pulled the pearl curtain just now, he would probably have lost at least one finger. If someone had ill intentions and rudely forced their way in, they might have lost their life under this pearl curtain.
After a wave of lingering fear, he held up the combined ring with his bloodied hand, “Senior, we are so close. Will you not let us pay our respects to your true face? Do you still not trust us?”
Li Niang: “Trusting you may not be a good thing. Not trusting you might instead allow us to coexist peacefully. Leaving room in all matters is good for both you and me. Do not be long-winded. Hand over the ring.”
After thinking about it, not knowing her depth, he did not dare to act rashly. Yu Qing waved his hand and flicked the ring, which flew through the gap in the pearl curtain.
Li Niang’s cloak moved, the lamp went out, and the scene instantly fell into darkness. She should have caught the ring, and Li Niang’s voice rang out in the darkness, “Go back.”
Yu Qing quickly asked another doubt in his heart, “Senior, how did those experts back then break through the Nether Sea and kill their way into the Nether Sea Immortal Mansion?”
However, there was no further response. After a moment, there were footsteps leaving. He took out a fluorescent stone to illuminate the area, and only saw a retreating figure heading inward.
Helpless, the three could only exit the cabin. The sky was faintly bright. They saw a faint figure at the bow of the ship. Upon approaching, it was Gu Qingzhao. On the deck lay Qing Ya with his four limbs bandaged and treated. Yu Qing illuminated him with the fluorescent stone in his hand and then put it away.
The ship suddenly turned sharply. There was a splashing sound at the stern. The several people flashed to the side of the ship and looked. The light was not good, and they could not clearly see what it was. It was vaguely a huge tentacle or something sinking into the water, which was startling and suspicious.
Yu Qing turned his head and asked the woman beside him, “What is that thing?”
Gu Qingzhao: “I do not know. This is also my first time seeing this iron ship.”
The ship was travelling very fast, countless times faster than the merman ferry boat. It had a feeling of riding the wind and breaking the waves, splashing spray all the way. After about half an hour, they saw the sea area where light and darkness intertwined again.
When they saw the waiting flower boat again, Li Niang’s emotionless voice came from the cabin once more, “Go.”
Gu Qingzhao bowed slightly toward the cabin, then bent down to pick up Qing Ya and flew away.
The three fellow disciples could only cup their hands toward the cabin in farewell, then also flew away treading on the waves.
When they returned to the flower boat and looked back, that tower ship had already quietly vanished, with no one knowing where it had gone.
The flower boat also started shortly after. Yu Qing was still staring in the direction where the tower ship had disappeared, still pondering who this Li Niang was. He wondered if Liu Piaopiao, after receiving the message from “Big Head”, could cooperate to find out her identity.