At first, Mu Aotie thought he had stumbled into a hollow tree, but after going deeper inside he realised it was not merely a tree hollow. It was also a man made passage. After turning a corner, he saw tiers of steps rising one above another.
Many patches of the faintly glowing moss also grew inside the passage. With his cultivation, he could see the surroundings clearly.
The moss lay like a thick carpet. It looked soft underfoot, yet Mu Aotie found each step difficult to take.
The reason was that with every step, a streak of light suddenly slid across the moss and vanished. This made him very nervous, but he had no choice and had to press on.
The divine tree trunk was truly enormous. The passages inside it stretched in every direction. Once he went a little deeper, it was as if he had entered a maze.
After climbing around to another level, Mu Aotie saw a hall like chamber. The ceiling and the surrounding walls were covered with dense clusters of five coloured bees, but the swarm was not very active. They moved slowly, as though they had entered their night time rest.
There were few five coloured bees on the ground. Only a handful that seemed unable to sleep crawled about here and there.
The bees’ eyes reflected the light of the moss. Countless tiny points of light seemed like countless eyes staring at him. The scene was chilling, but Mu Aotie gritted his teeth and risked pushing forward. To save Yu Qing, he was ready to stake his life. He looked around in every direction, searching for the honeycomb.
On the flat platforms high in the branches above the divine tree, the singing and dancing had stopped. Even the firelight had dimmed greatly, and of the large fire braziers, only one was still burning.
Whether it was Xiang Zhen or the man in the flowered robe, both were seated cross legged in meditation. Their cheeks were flushed red as they forcibly resisted the surges of desire churning through their minds.
On the whole, Xiang Zhen was faring better. He could still circulate his qi to resist and did not suffer quite so badly, but he had to admit that this aphrodisiac was truly fierce. Perhaps it was because it was his first time falling victim to such a drug, and his mind kept wavering.
The man in the flowered robe, along with A Chi and A Cheng, did not have it so easy. They could not circulate qi to resist. They were enduring the drug’s effects purely by willpower, so their bodies trembled from time to time.
For now, there was no choice but to endure. Each was forcibly fighting against his own nature. What is cultivation? It is stepping beyond one’s former self and becoming better.
A faint streak of light rose from below and lit up the green vines above them. One glossy green leaf flashed brightly for an instant.
Then, point after point of light continued to rise, making the vine leaves overhead flicker now and then.
The three demons who were enduring the drug all looked up at the leaves flashing above. A Chi said in a low voice, “Someone has broken into the palace.”
The man in the flowered robe frowned and said nothing.
Xiang Zhen raised his head and asked, “Who is it?”
No one knew. A Cheng said, “I will go and look.”
The man in the flowered robe gave a soft grunt. “In your current state, you cannot go. A Qing and A Lan should return at latest before dawn. If they are people from Kunling Mountain, and it is not necessary, then endure and avoid conflict.”
Xiang Zhen did not quite understand why this demon king had suddenly become so forbearing. Until now he had not known how great the effect of the aphrodisiac was on the demons.
Then the man in the flowered robe added, “A Chi, you go too. If it is Little Beard and his companions, do not let them escape, and do not let them fall into the hands of Kunling Mountain. Do you understand? Take them down at all costs.”
A Chi and A Cheng exchanged a glance. Only the two of them understood what “at all costs” meant. At least one of them would have to forcibly drive his cultivation to seize the intruders, which would amount to suicide.
Even so, they both clasped their fists and accepted the order without hesitation. “Yes!”
“Logically speaking, it should not be that boy and the others. Judging by the time, the poison should already have erupted. They should be lying down by now, and unable to come. It is unlikely they could have held out until now. I do find it strange. They were poisoned, yet they did not come seeking a cure. Could it be that they do not know how to detoxify, or do they have their own remedy?”
The man in the flowered robe muttered to himself, utterly puzzled. His own kin would not lie to him. Since they said those men had been badly stung, it must be true. Yet even after waiting this long, he had not been able to force them over. It greatly surprised him.
What he did not know was that, first, Yu Qing felt that since he and his fellow disciples had soaked in the underground spring, ordinary bee venom should not be able to harm them. They had already tested various poisons at Youjiao Wharf, and those poisons had no effect on them.
Second, they had run into disciples of Kunling Mountain and feared Huan Yushan, or rather had been frightened by Huan Yushan into fleeing too far away. By the time they sensed something was wrong, it was already too late.
Xiang Zhen pressed his lips together and said nothing. If those men really had died from the poison, he could not blame this side for breaking its promise.
A Chi and A Cheng paid no attention to such matters. Demon qi burst from their bodies at once, and in an instant they transformed into two enormous five coloured bees. In a flash they flew away and vanished into the hollow below.
By the time they revealed their true forms, flew down, and found Mu Aotie, Mu Aotie had already found the honeycomb.
The honeycomb was not hard to find. Not far inside the divine tree, there were plenty of them. Before him now there was a great amount.
Mu Aotie stood before a huge comb hanging down. He swung the sword in his hand and slowly brushed aside the bees crawling over it. He found that the bees at night were very docile and did not react much, so he proceeded with relief.
Each exposed honey cell was as wide as the mouth of a small teacup. At a glance he could see the smooth, glossy honey inside, though its pearl like colour did not quite look like honey.
With the time they had and the danger of the place, there was no chance to verify it slowly. To confirm whether it was honey, he dipped one finger into a cell, brought out a little, and put it in his mouth. Instantly, a rich sweetness filled his palate.
Not far away, two enormous five coloured bees were watching his every move. There was no longer any doubt. This taste was bee honey.
Mu Aotie dared not hesitate any longer. With one horizontal sweep of his sword, he cut down a large piece of the comb.
But this act immediately angered the normally docile night time bees. At first, a few let out fierce buzzing, then the entire swarm seemed to awaken from sleep in an instant and attacked Mu Aotie on the spot.
Trapped in the nest of the five coloured bees, Mu Aotie had nowhere to avoid them. He ignored everything, clutched the piece of comb, and ran.
He did not strike back and let them surround and attack him. It no longer mattered whether his protective qi could shield him, since he was not afraid of bee venom anyway.
Under the siege of countless five coloured bees, he could not even see the path ahead. He truly had no choice but to force his way through.
Outside, Nan Zhu was hiding among the flowers and grass. When he heard the thunderous buzzing coming from the hollow ahead, he knew something had gone wrong. While he was anxious, he suddenly saw a figure flash out and could not help but stand up.
Mu Aotie, pursued by the swarm, swept past him. “Go, quickly!”
Nan Zhu dared not hesitate and fled at once.
As the chasing swarm burst into the vast darkness of night, they instantly fell into confusion. Once in the darkness, they seemed unable to tell direction and could no longer pursue.
The two fellow disciples, fleeing in panic, looked back from time to time. When they saw the bees were no longer chasing, both breathed a sigh of relief.
Nan Zhu glanced at what Mu Aotie held and asked with a hint of joy, “Did you get it?”
Mu Aotie grunted in reply, but kept looking back. A little puzzled, he said, “With such a huge commotion, the king could not possibly have failed to notice. We broke into his nest and stole something. Why is he not chasing us?”
At this, Nan Zhu also sensed something was wrong. Surprised and doubtful, he said, “Could the pollen have already taken effect?”
Mu Aotie said, “In other words, he may already have fallen for it. Then why are we still running? Why not take the chance to go back and capture him?”
Nan Zhu waved his hand. “Do not be foolish. Is this the time to invite more trouble? Old Fifteen is waiting for the antidote to save his life. If our guess is wrong, we could cost him his life. Even if he has fallen for it, according to the vine demon, any time within three days will do. Save the person first, and once he is better we can come back.”
Mu Aotie thought this made sense. At this moment it truly was not wise to gamble with Old Fifteen’s life. Still, he had another worry. He looked at the comb in his hand and said, “If the bee king really has fallen for it, can we give this honey to Old Fifteen and the others?”
As he spoke, he remembered that he had tasted it earlier to check whether it was honey, and he could not help feeling worried.
Having also been dusted with pollen, Nan Zhu understood what he meant. Before, he had only thought of getting something to save lives and had not considered this. Now he hesitated too. “Looking at the number of bees, enough to cover the entire divine tree, there must be far more inside than the bit you cut, right?”
Mu Aotie said, “Of course far more. What I took is probably not even a hair on nine oxen.”
Nan Zhu hesitated. “Could it really affect such a large area? You only cut one piece at random. Surely it cannot be that much of a coincidence.”
Neither of them could be sure.
After long thought, Nan Zhu’s eyes suddenly flashed. For some reason, he reached out with a solemn expression and said, “Give it to me.”
Mu Aotie said, “It is fine. It is not heavy.”
Nan Zhu simply reached out and snatched the comb from him. He dipped one finger in the honey and was about to lick it.
Seeing this, Mu Aotie was alarmed. Knowing this thing might be dangerous, how could he let his senior brother take the risk? He acted at once and seized Nan Zhu’s wrist. “What are you doing?”
Only then did Nan Zhu explain. “I will taste it first. If something happens, at least I will be prepared.”
Was he planning to test the poison himself? Mu Aotie paused for a moment. He was about to say that if testing was needed, it did not have to be him. They still had two hostages. But at that thought, he suddenly realised what Old Seven was trying to do. Then he remembered he had already tasted it himself and at once refused. “No need. Earlier, to check whether it was honey, I already tasted it. There is no need for both of us to take the risk. We must keep one of us clear headed, just in case.”
This made sense. They certainly needed to keep one person clear headed. Nan Zhu’s mouth twitched. For a moment he could not find another reason, so he sighed and said, “Whether there is a problem or not no longer matters. We have to give it to Old Fifteen. It is better than losing his life.”
Mu Aotie nodded in agreement and released his hand.
The two did not flee in a straight line. Along the way they kept changing direction.
At the mouth of the cave, Baili Xin quietly stepped out and looked around under the moonlight. There was a trace of anxiety in her eyes. Inside the cave, Xiang Lanxuan had already fallen unconscious, Qin Fujun had also lost clarity of mind, and Yu Qing’s awareness was growing hazy, yet the one who had gone out to find the antidote still had not returned.
She wondered whether she had misunderstood earlier. It was only to fetch water. How could it take so long? Had something happened?
High in the divine tree, A Chi and A Cheng, who had returned to human form, quickly came to the man in the flowered robe and reported, “Great King, there was only one person. He has already left.”
The man in the flowered robe frowned. “Only one? Who was he, and what did he come here for?”
A Cheng said, “He was a disciple of Kunling Mountain. He cut off some honey and fled.”
The man in the flowered robe immediately looked suspicious. “Would a disciple of Kunling Mountain have such boldness?”
He could not help doubting. Even Huan Yushan did not dare act recklessly. How would a mere disciple of Kunling Mountain dare break in and steal honey?
A Chi said, “The disciples of Kunling Mountain wear unified sect robes, which are easy to recognise. Our kin confirmed it.”
The man in the flowered robe did not understand. “Not affected by bee venom, yet risking coming here to cut honey. What for?” Beside him, Xiang Zhen suddenly spoke up. “What did the intruder look like?”
In truth, he was very concerned about whether Yu Qing and the others were alive or dead, especially Yu Qing. It could be said that he cared only about Yu Qing.
Asked by the two of them, A Chi and A Cheng seemed to think of something. They suddenly looked startled and doubtful, exchanging glances.
In the end, A Cheng looked at him with doubt and said, “Now that I think of it, the intruder really did look a little like the big fellow Mr Xiang mentioned. He was a little shorter than me, strongly built, with sharp features and a square shaped head.”
Before he finished, Xiang Zhen said with certainty, “He is not a disciple of Kunling Mountain. It is Dou Guan.”
Even now, he did not know Mu Aotie’s real name.
The face of the man in the flowered robe darkened at once. He swept a cold gaze over his two subordinates.
A Chi and A Cheng immediately trembled with fear.
Fortunately, the man in the flowered robe did not blame them too harshly. He merely gave a cold snort. “How cunning he is, and how foolish you are. A single set of robes deceived you. Now they have obtained the antidote. What do we do?”
In other words, his plan to force them over with bee venom had failed.
The two who had been scolded looked embarrassed. They had heard Xiang Zhen describe Mu Aotie’s appearance, but had never seen him. Their kin had firmly stated it was a disciple of Kunling Mountain, so they had believed it. They had not expected the outsiders to be so cunning. Truly, as the saying goes, the human heart is hard to fathom.
Turning back, the man in the flowered robe frowned and muttered again, “Poisoned, yet still able to hold out until now.”
Xiang Zhen, however, breathed a sigh of relief. Being able to come and fetch the antidote meant that “Zhang Zhichen” and the others were holding on. Once they had the antidote, there would be even less to worry about.
While A Chi and A Cheng were being scolded, inside the divine tree, Big Head was quietly wandering about. Out of curiosity, it had followed Mu Aotie in, and had been ready to leave with him, but when Mu Aotie cut the honey and caused a huge commotion, the swarm’s attack became fierce. Naturally, it hid wherever seemed safer.
Sneaking about, it slipped wherever there were fewer bees. Fortunately it was small, and Mu Aotie had drawn the bees’ attention. Along the way it either hid motionless in corners or played dead, taking any chance it could to slip through.
After slipping here and there, it no longer knew where it had ended up.
Stealthily, it finally crept into a hidden space, a place where not a single five coloured bee could be seen.
After confirming it was safe for the moment, it beat its wings and landed on something like a wooden perch in the centre of the hidden space.
It had just folded its wings and settled down when it seemed drawn by the surroundings, turning around now and then to take in the area.
It was a hemispherical space. Apart from the glow of moss, there was no other source of light, and the dimness was thick.
But the moss light here was strange. Unlike the moss elsewhere, which grew in spreading patches, here it grew in some places but not in others, forming odd glowing lines.
Only the pattern formed by the moss on the dome above did not look strange and was easy to make out. It consisted of three faintly glowing characters, and they were the words “Xiao Chong Jing.”