Chapter 186: Ten Nights Of Entanglement
Jumped into Bing Zu Marsh, the sea was ice-cold, Qi Wangshu and Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan instantly woke up. Then the four people submerged and swam underwater, heading west.
After experiencing this hair-raising moment, the four had no mind left for joining the excitement, only wanting to escape as far as possible.
When the four landed at a seaside fishing port, it was already an hour later.
They used magic energy to steam dry the robes on their bodies, then immediately circled around to Western City, re-entering the city from West City Gate.
They didn’t dare take the nearest South Inner City gate, fearing surveillance, tracking, or ambush by Sui Sect masters led by Yang Qingxi, preferring to spend more time taking a longer detour.
Along the way, the four sighed endlessly, all vowing never to eat free banquets again.
“What level of master was that monster under Qian Yan Zhen’s human skin?” Li Weiyi asked Shi Shishi.
Although in Que Fang, Li Weiyi had also clashed with that monster, after breaking through to the Third Realm of Five Seas Realm, he really had no clear understanding of his current combat power level.
His record of clashing with Sixth Sea and Seventh Sea powerhouses could be called a complete blank, so he could only ask Shi Shishi, the strongest among the four.
Shi Shishi had taken a full palm from Qian Yan Zhen, fortunately protected by a defensive magic tool soft armor, barely holding on; at this moment, she was utterly listless: “That has cultivation attainment comparable to Dao Seed Realm level, undoubtedly an existence of Successor Level. For us to escape alive from his hands and even wound him, spreading this battle record would be enough to make us famous under heaven. Of course, it was all luck; if the other had been serious from the start, I dare not imagine the result.”
Qi Wangshu was greatly shocked, somewhat disbelieving: “How could there be so many Successor masters under heaven? We encountered one and survived?”
Shi Shishi said: “Anyone who can casually and offhandedly block my Soaring Fist in haste cannot possibly not be a figure of that Successor level.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan said: “Under Young Esteemed One, the Ash Spirits of Successor Level are only Qi Jin and Cang Jin among Hua, Qi, Ming, and Cang; while Hua Yuzi and Ming Nian Sheng are both bloodline descendants of Flying Phoenix Luan Bird.”
Shi Shishi circulated magic power to heal injuries while pondering and muttering: “Not sure if it’s Qi Jin or Cang Jin.”
“If it’s really Successor Level, it should be Cang Jin, who has never appeared before.” Li Weiyi said.
Shi Shishi asked curiously: “Brother Weiyi, how are you so sure?”
Li Weiyi sighed with unbearable recollection: “I’ve already crossed paths with Qi Jin! These Ash Spirits all seem to favor beautiful appearances; everyone pay attention to that from now on.”
“Then I’m very safe.” Shi Shishi said with great self-awareness.
“Pa!”
“It’s all my fault.”
Qi Wangshu fiercely slapped himself: “Though I and Qian Yan Zhen are both Zhizhou martial cultivators, we’ve only met a few times without deep acquaintance, so I couldn’t see through that the essence under his human skin had already changed. Thinking back carefully now, his contact with me was clearly to blend into the Zhizhou martial cultivator group, avoiding being too isolated and conspicuous, getting noticed for abnormalities.”
Li Weiyi didn’t blame him: “Brother Qi need not self-reproach; unless extremely familiar with Qian Yan Zhen, who could see through the disguise of a figure like Cang Jin?”
“Come on, I’ll treat; today no matter what, I must make amends to you two.” Qi Wangshu felt guilty, yet also very much wanted to befriend Li Weiyi, this person who could discuss matters with Zuo Qiu Ting’s siblings.
Li Weiyi looked at Shi Shishi, thinking she would be anxious to find a place to heal injuries, yet unexpectedly hearing of a free big meal made her more eager than anyone. Completely forgetting her earlier complaints about never eating free banquets again.
Seeing Li Weiyi’s preoccupied look, Qi Wangshu hurriedly said: “No need to worry about Yang Qingxi and Cang Jin; Qiu Prefecture City is huge, with vast crowds, and we’re now in Western City. Find a lively but not overly high-profile place, and wait for news from Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion. I’m very curious how the situation will develop after Zhu Huan’s killing and Cang Jin’s appearance.”
Li Weiyi said: “Then find a place where we can conveniently change clothing, discard all our current outfits, or store them in boundary bags.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan’s expression turned solemn: “Brother Li worries that Yang Qingxi and Cang Jin did something to our bodies? But we soaked in the sea for over an hour; everything should have been washed clean.”
“Better safe than sorry. Yang Qingxi and Cang Jin’s cultivation far exceeds ours; who knows what methods they have?” Li Weiyi said.
Qi Wangshu said: “Listen to Brother Li; he’s someone who survived Qi Jin and Cang Jin, not comparable to us.”
In a large restaurant in Western City near the Inner City gate, the four changed their robes, checked every detail, and emerged refreshed; the second-floor banquet was also ready.
The sky darkened.
At dusk, the air temperature dropped sharply, and snowflakes began falling again on the streets outside.
Various news from Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion finally reached Western City, sparking heated discussions among the restaurant’s diners.
“The Far West Ash Region is too arrogant, publicly killing Zhu Men’s Successor.”
“That Young Esteemed One is simply heaven-defying; Dragon Banished Immortal and Lu Cangsheng joined hands, Eastern Territory’s Number One and Number Two, yet still lost.”
“Impossible! Dragon Banished Immortal is hailed as True Dragon reincarnation, undefeated in a hundred battles, a figure aiming to challenge Ge Xian Tong for the Number One Person of the Younger Generation spot. Lu Cangsheng is even Lei Xiao Sect’s only one in a thousand years to cultivate the Thirty-Six Lightning Array in Five Seas Realm, an outstanding person. The two together could sweep all enemies.”
…
News kept coming, causing shocks in streets and alleys.
The most explosive was undoubtedly the clash between Luan Sheng Lin You and Ge Xian Tong over Bing Zu Marsh. After one battle, both fled, victory unknown.
There was also news that multiple “Dead Ash Lamp Extinguished” incidents occurred in Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion, with heavy casualties among the younger generation martial cultivators.
Hearing “Dead Ash Lamp Extinguished,” Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan’s face turned extremely ugly: “The thing Zuo Qiu Gatehouse feared most has happened!”
“What’s wrong… What does Dead Ash Lamp Extinguished mean?” Qi Wangshu asked.
Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan said: “Death Ash is equivalent to the dead soldiers cultivated by our human major powers, but even more terrifying. The Dead Ash Lamp Extinguished they cultivate is a mutual destruction annihilation technique; once unleashed, the body instantly glows to its brightest, like a lamp lit. Then it explodes, burning a large area into Ash Region, extinguishing with the lamp in death. Good thing we escaped!”
Qi Wangshu drew in a cold breath, scalp numb, unable to imagine if they had encountered not Cang Jin but a Death Ash, could any of them survive?
“Since they’re so dangerous, why doesn’t Zuo Qiu Gatehouse directly send out elders to root them all out and kill them?”
Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan sighed: “Because the Far West Ash Region is so powerful, even all the strength of Lingxiao Twenty-Eight Prefectures combined might not prevail. They have Transcendent, right in the city, and have already negotiated rules with Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s Old Ancestor and Du’e Temple Immortal Master.”
Shu Zhou borders Western Territory, so Shi Shishi knew quite a bit about Far West Ash Region; while devouring food on the table, she said: “No one can do as they please under heaven; though Far West Ash Region is strong, the threat of Nether Realm of the Dead similarly keeps them from sleeping or eating well. In this world, everyone has their position; only when balance breaks will everything change.”
“It could be because one side suddenly becomes very strong. Or because one side suddenly becomes very weak.”
“World situation is too far from us; what we see is just the surface.” Li Weiyi had been in deep thought: “Just now I heard someone say Dragon Ting is dead, and under the human skin is an Ash Spirit, so he suddenly acted to kill Zhu Huan. Assuming that’s true, what is Far West Ash Region’s goal? Merely to strike Zhu Men?”
“If only to kill Zhu Huan, Young Esteemed One could do it directly. Why expose Dragon Ting?”
In Nether Realm of the Dead, Jiang Ning had pursued and killed Dragon Ting; during that process, she was ambushed by Night City’s Young Master Yuwen Tuozhen, Dharma Truth, and Nirvana Truth, poisoned by Night Emperor Toad Poison.
So it was possible Dragon Ting was killed then, his human skin taken.
But this assassination had too many doubts.
If Qian Yan Zhen’s body held Cang Jin, who was in Dragon Ting’s? Couldn’t be Qi Jin, right?
Were there other Ash Spirit masters?
Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan said: “Ten Million Gateways’ Zhu Men has long dominated Western Territory, always a mortal enemy of Far West Ash Region. Young Esteemed One probably worries that after Zhu Men cooperates with Dragon Gate and Lei Xiao Sect at Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, they’ll target him first, so used this move to preemptively divide them.”
“With Zhu Huan dead in plain sight, will Zhu Men still trust Dragon Gate? Who would believe a figure like Dragon Banished Immortal couldn’t see the Ash Spirit under Dragon Ting’s human skin?”
“Lu Cangsheng is probably suspecting Dragon Banished Immortal now; the cooperation between Lei Xiao Sect and Dragon Gate will surely develop rifts because of this.”
Shi Shishi said: “Western Territory’s strongest of the younger generation isn’t Zhu Huan, but his hundredth grandfather, Zhu Yi Bai. It’s said Zhu Yi Bai has been polishing in the military, with illustrious war achievements; just the eight malformed riders personally trained under him have terrifying combat power to sweep same-generation martial cultivators.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan nodded: “East Dragon West Pig, South Tiger North Sword. This West Pig refers not to Zhu Huan, but Hundred Grandpa Zhu Yi Bai. It’s said he’s already on the road to Qiu Prefecture City. If Dragon Banished Immortal can’t capture Dragon Ting and give an explanation, Hundred Grandpa absolutely won’t cooperate with them. Young Esteemed One used a brilliant scheme; now no one knows Dragon Ting’s true situation.”
Li Weiyi laughed: “This Hundred Grandpa doesn’t have ninety-nine older brothers too, does he?”
The three nodded seriously in unison.
“Zhu Men’s that Transcendent always thought his bloodline extraordinary, so he often had offspring born; Zhu Yi Bai is his youngest son, of a generation higher than many Longevity Realm giants, so under heaven all call him Hundred Grandpa.” Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan said.
Night fell, lanterns lit up one by one on the streets.
The snow seemed heavier.
After a full meal, the group had recovered from their shock.
Li Weiyi temporarily stopped thinking about the world’s grand trends, or who was First Rank, who was Number One under heaven; none of it concerned him now.
He was just an insignificant person of Five Seas Realm Third Realm; today he had just witnessed some worldly spectacle—what Dragon Banished Immortal, Ge Xian Tong, Hua Yuzi, Young Esteemed One, only heard their earth-shaking reputations, but hadn’t seen a single one.
Before New Year, break through one more realm, get the invitation for Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival—that was the urgent matter.
Let those famous immortals or monsters fight it out!
Stars filled the sky, visible but unattainable.
Exiting the restaurant gate, standing under the lights, looking at the bustling crowds on the street, Li Weiyi had found his place: he was just one of the nameless, countless martial cultivators on this street, separated from them by several tiers, not in the same world.
World winds and clouds, fame and fortune, rivers and mountains.
His wind had not yet arrived…
“What fragrance is this?”
Li Weiyi sniffed, lifted his arm to smell closely.
Sniffed toward Shi Shishi, Qi Wangshu, Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan, finally back to himself. He said: “The fragrance is on me!”
Shi Shishi said: “What fragrance, meat? Wine? We just ate; isn’t it normal?”
“It’s floral… like a woman’s body fragrance. Impossible; after changing clothes, I haven’t contacted any woman or touched flowers or grass.” Li Weiyi didn’t dare be careless; success or failure in life and death often hinged on details.
The other three were all martial way masters, but all sniffed and shook their heads, saying they smelled nothing.
Li Weiyi said: “My sense of smell far surpasses same-realm martial cultivators; I’m certain there’s a fragrance, emanating from the skin, unrelated to clothing.”
Qi Wangshu said: “At Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion, Yang Qingxi sat next to you; could she have done something? But after soaking in the sea so long, any fragrance should be gone! Besides, if there was something unusual, Brother Li would have noticed earlier; why wait until now?”
Li Weiyi nodded slightly, thinking Qi Wangshu’s words made sense.
Could it be something accidentally touched in the restaurant just now?
Shi Shishi looked at the streetlights and the pitch-black sky like a cave, suddenly thinking of something: “Not Ten Nights Entanglement, is it?”
“What’s that?”
The other three were all puzzled.
Shi Shishi said: “A special exotic fragrance; once stuck on, doesn’t fade for ten days, can’t be washed off unless you peel your own skin! Even stranger, those affected can’t smell it during the day; only at night does the fragrance emerge.”
“After drifting with the wind, there’s a strange insect-level bee insect that can detect it from a hundred li away.”
“My good sister Shi Qiqing raises such bee insects, masters this exotic fragrance to mark men she fancies.”
Zuo Qiu Bai Yuan said: “Let’s not scare ourselves; even if such night fragrance exists in the world, it must be extremely rare.”
Li Weiyi shook his head gently: “I can almost affirm Yang Qingxi applied Ten Nights Entanglement to me. It’s been nearly an hour since nightfall; the fragrance has long drifted out—she could appear before me anytime like a vengeful ghost.”
The three were chilled by his words, all growing uneasy.
Qi Wangshu asked curiously: “Brother Li, how are you so sure?”
“Do you still remember what Yang Qingxi said when she left today? She told me, night roads are hard to travel, everyone is prey. I was very puzzled then; it was midday—why say that?” Li Weiyi said.
“I remember; she did seem to say that.”
Shi Shishi panicked, her small eyes scanning around.
Li Weiyi immediately donned night-walking clothes, using magic energy to gather his body odor, hoping to cut off the fragrance source, and rapidly left the restaurant with the three.
