Free Web NovelThe sky was gloomy, and Yumen City Pass under the heavy night sky resembled a huge and complex chessboard. The towering city walls surrounded the edges of the board, the crisscrossing streets were the lines on the board, and the buildings within the city were like scattered chess pieces.
However, these "chess pieces" had been idle for too long, already dilapidated and decaying, as if they would shatter at a touch.
Just like the wind blowing across a chessboard, stirring up dust, Fang Ji and Shen Baiwei, moving swiftly through the city, were like two dust particles, leaping between the "chess pieces."
And then...
Fang Ji suddenly stopped, his gaze vigilantly sweeping around, his expression grave.
After sensing someone had touched her, Shen Baiwei had been restless, preoccupied with her own thoughts, and hadn't noticed Fang Ji stopping.
After walking a certain distance, she realized there were no footsteps behind her. She turned around to look, saw Fang Ji standing there like a fool, looking around. She silently cursed a few times before reluctantly walking back, asking Fang Ji irritably, "No, why aren't you moving?"
Don't tell me he's going to cause trouble again?
Fang Ji glanced at Shen Baiwei and said very seriously, "The Elders of the Miracle Order are not far ahead. I can already sense their presence..."
Although his miracle flower had inexplicably gone to Shen Baiwei, as the Miracle Saint, his ability to sense the miracle flowers possessed by members of the Miracle Order had not disappeared.
Hearing this, Shen Baiwei rolled her eyes. "Then hurry up! Aren't you in a rush to meet them? You're about to meet them now, so why did you suddenly stop?"
"Because I feel something isn't right..." Fang Ji explained. "Don't you think our journey has been too smooth? We haven't encountered any danger at all."
He was very clear about the state of his luck right now; it couldn't be described as bad luck, but rather as having the worst luck imaginable.
This was evident from his previous encounters with various urban legend attacks and accidentally triggering various mechanisms when he was tailing Shen Baiwei.
However, ever since he and Shen Baiwei agreed to act together, he had not encountered any unexpected incidents.
This was very wrong!
Bad luck, from a certain perspective, is somewhat like a naturally mischievous child; the possibility of a sudden change in disposition is small. If it is unusually "quiet" for a certain period, it is most likely brewing a major disruption.
Now, they were about to meet the Elders of the Miracle Order. In his experience, the storm after the calm was about to arrive.
"No, you..." Shen Baiwei was speechless, even wanting to hit him.
She took several deep breaths to calm her emotions, then complained impatiently, "Why are you so suspicious? There isn't that much..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a roar suddenly erupted, and her voice abruptly stopped.
"Boom—!"
A deafening roar came from underground, as if some terrifying giant beast was roaring beneath the earth. Immediately, the ground shook violently. Along with the tremors, layers of earth waves spread from the southeast corner of Yumen Pass, eventually covering the entire City Pass.
All the buildings swayed, and rolling dust spread through the crisscrossing streets and alleys.
It was as if an invisible giant hand had suddenly slapped this dilapidated and old "chessboard," causing all the chess pieces to shake, and the dust accumulated on them to rise.
Restless.
And then...
In a daze, a sound of shattering echoed, as if someone, in an unseen place, had smashed a pottery jar, ringing in the ears of every person or urban legend within the City Pass.
The earth shattered, and hideous cracks spread from the southeast corner of the City Pass in all directions.
Immediately following, a crimson light shot into the sky, and dense black mist, radiating an ominous aura, unfurled like shapeless, tattered wings, slowly opening.
The sky was torn apart.
Although, strictly speaking, the completely enclosed Yumen Pass, as a God Kingdom, had no true sky; overhead was only an unchanging chaos.
But as that dazzling crimson fierce light ascended from underground and bloomed, that false firmament seemed to be ignited by it, stained with a deep bloody glow.
A belated roar suddenly erupted, and before it could fade, a nearly hysterical roar suddenly exploded above Yumen Pass.
It pierced everyone's eardrums, and the emotion contained in that roar, accompanied by terrifying Spiritual Energy fluctuations, surged in everyone's minds like a volcanic eruption, as if intending to incinerate everyone's souls with fury.
From afar, a point of extremely strong crimson light could be seen flickering in the sky, like a baleful star announcing the arrival of disaster. A writhing dark dense mist, like a living creature, squirmed and spread in all directions, with faint glimpses of hideous phantoms flashing within it.
Looking at such a scene, even those unfamiliar with the various legends of Yumen Pass could guess... that some ancient and evil existence had been released.
The next moment, the strong crimson light, the swirling black mist, the ominous Spiritual Energy fluctuations... everything began to contract violently, converging into a single point, and finally vanished.
As if it had merged into the darkness.
The sky returned to tranquility, as if nothing had happened, but within the City Pass, the Psychic and urban legend who had witnessed the entire process with their own eyes, and personally felt that fleeting, suffocating oppressive sensation, knew that the terrifying existence had not departed.
Everyone and every urban legend could feel a gaze sweeping back and forth over them.
Raging fury, chilling killing intent.
After a long while, Fang Ji withdrew his gaze, composed himself, and squinted at Shen Baiwei, saying faintly, "What did I just say? See, the big guy is here..."
He had experienced the Pink Fluffy Rabbit incident, and he could feel that the existence within that crimson light not only had Spiritual Energy fluctuations no less powerful than the Pink Fluffy Rabbit but was also more destructive.
On the other side, Shen Baiwei seemed not to have heard Fang Ji's question. She gazed at the sky, lost in thought for a long time, with a powerful, restrained greed flickering in her eyes.
Within that crimson light, she felt a power that could greatly strengthen her Spirit Mark...
That was power from the "past."
————
"Cough cough! Damn it, didn't you say this cellar was absolutely safe? Why did it suddenly collapse? Is it reliable or not?"
After finally climbing out of the collapsed cellar, Bai Kai had just complained a few times when he saw the anomaly in the sky. His expression immediately darkened, and he turned to look at Lord Bing, who was dusting himself off. As if afraid of disturbing the terrifying existence in the sky, he asked in a low voice, "What is that?"
"I guess... that's the legendary Shaman King," Lord Bing said gravely. "Things have gotten troublesome. I didn't expect it to still have such powerful Spiritual Energy fluctuations after thousands of years of imprisonment."
"So what do we do now?" Bai Kai asked.
Lord Bing didn't answer Bai Kai. He just lowered his head and glanced at the Feng Chan Wolf Smoke in his hand. Then, he gripped it tightly, and after a long time, he finally spoke, "To be honest, I don't know either, but what I can confirm is that tonight will be very long..."
————
It's "daybreak" already?
That's too fast, I still have many things to do...
Hearing the Miss Guardian next to her say that the "night" in Yumen Pass had passed and she had already gone out for a stroll, Lu Yibei was stunned for a few seconds before realizing that she still had a question to answer.
She composed herself, looked at the girl, and stammered, "I, I'm here, probably because... sleep, sleepwalking?"
"Sleepwalking?"
After hearing Lu Yibei's explanation, the girl tilted her head.
This explanation was a bit too far-fetched...
"Yes, sleepwalking!" Lu Yibei composed herself and said earnestly, "Senior, you may not know, but I've had a sleepwalking problem since I was a child. Originally, as my Spiritual Energy level increased, I hadn't sleepwalked in a long time, but I didn't expect my old problem to resurface last night."
"I think it might be due to too much stress?"
"You know, this is my first independent mission, and I didn't expect to encounter something like this. My stress is just too overwhelming, I can barely breathe."
As Lu Yibei explained why she was asleep in Xia Lianqing's room, she frowned slightly, raised her hand, and gently caressed her chest, as if she truly had difficulty breathing.
"Uh..." The girl pondered for a moment, then patted Lu Yibei's shoulder and instructed, "It's okay, I was very nervous too the first time I went on a mission. You'll get used to it later."
Although the excuse of sleepwalking was a bit absurd, the unperturbed "sincerity" in "Lu Qingyi's" voice when she spoke touched the girl, making her reluctantly believe her explanation.
Moreover, the girl wasn't particularly concerned about why the unconscious "Lu Qingyi" appeared next door.
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Is this important? This is not important!
As long as it can be confirmed that "Lu Qingyi" is truly a Da Chunyang Palace disciple, a beloved grand-disciple, and harbors no ill will, that's enough.
While sleepwalking is relatively rare, it's normal if it occurs in a high-level Psychic.
Which high-level Psychic doesn't have some strange habits?
I heard that Da Chunyang Palace also has a "God-level" disciple who, once he lies down by the pond in the back mountain, becomes like petrified, not moving for days, and needing a steel wool scrubber to bathe. Compared to him, "Lu Qingyi" merely sleepwalks, which can be considered relatively normal.
"However..." The Miss clasped her hands across her chest, scrutinized "Lu Qingyi," and pouted, "You sleep too soundly. The first time I came to wake you, I couldn't rouse you no matter what I did. That's quite something."
"Such a huge incident happened outside, and a guy like you, completely without vigilance, if you hadn't coincidentally met me by your side, you wouldn't even know how you died."
Lu Yibei, "???"
Say that again, who sleeps soundly? So, I should thank you then? What kind of villain accuses first?
Lu Yibei thought, suppressing the urge to retort, and said expressionlessly, "Senior's reminder is noted. Thank you for your care, Senior... May I ask, Senior, what happened outside?"
The Miss looked towards the desolate scenery of Yumen Pass, framed by the window, and frowned.
"Outside..."
Just as she was about to tell "Lu Qingyi" what she had discovered while surveying the surroundings after waking up, she heard a scream from outside the window, accompanied by a strong Spiritual Energy fluctuation filled with an ominous aura.
The source of the scream seemed to be far from the brothel, not clear, but even so, one could still feel the heart-wrenching intensity, as if someone was suffering unimaginable torture, which was horrifying.
The screams rose and fell, lasting for a good while before gradually ceasing. Once it quieted down, the Miss scratched the back of her head and said, "How should I tell you?"
"Those Half-Guitan released the legendary Shaman King. After that troublesome Shaman King escaped, I don't know if he had been suppressed in this Yumen Pass for too long and had completely fallen into madness, or if he desperately needed to replenish Spiritual Energy after just escaping. Anyway, he kills everyone he sees..."
"By the way, not only the Miracle Order and those unknown illegal Psychic organizations, but even the Half-Guitan tribes who released him, he doesn't spare them. He doesn't distinguish between friend and foe at all, and he's also elusive, appearing suddenly, killing people, and then leaving... like a ghost."
"Uh, ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) in short, those Half-Guitan messed up and released a Calamity-level monster that only knows how to kill. Now, outside is a complete mess."
"Could it be that Senior has already fought with the Shaman King?" Lu Yibei asked in confusion.
"Of course not!" The Miss shrugged, "So far, I've heard that only one Miss, dressed in white and holding a long sword, has fought with the Shaman King and left alive. Oh, by the way, she sounds a lot like Nanling Qifeng's granddaughter."
Nanling Qifeng's granddaughter... isn't that Xiao Hua? Why is she also in Yumen Pass? Lu Yibei paused, then quickly asked, "Senior, how do you know so much? Did you see it with your own eyes?" fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
"I just grabbed some people and asked them!" The Miss said carelessly, "You probably don't know, but I, Lord Huaiyuan, am a famous interrogation expert in the Night Watch."
Lord Huaiyuan? Interrogation expert? Lu Yibei caught the key information in the Miss's words and subconsciously wanted to ask how Lord Huaiyuan conducted interrogations, but then she noticed the Miss's constantly rotating wrist and the bloodstains on her fist that hadn't been cleaned yet.
Understood, interrogating with fists, right?
Very good, simple and brutal!
"As for how I caught them..." Lord Huaiyuan glanced out the window again, "You can meet several groups of Psychic and urban legend just by walking around, hiding and fleeing in all directions."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yibei pondered for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully, "I understand, I understand! It's probably like an asymmetrical competitive game, where there's a boss chasing from behind, and everyone else is trying to survive, right?"
The previous version hasn't been fully understood, and a new version has already been updated, and even the game mode is somewhat different, which is quite difficult... Lu Yibei thought.
Upon hearing this, Lord Huaiyuan frowned slightly and nodded, "Roughly..."
Although "Lu Qingyi's" description was a bit strange, the situation outside was roughly like that.
"Then does Senior have any plans?" Lu Yibei asked.
"I..." Lord Huaiyuan hesitated.
She originally wanted to tell "Lu Qingyi" that she had no plans and intended to take things as they came.
Anyway, she had always faced any crisis by charging forward with her fists and a stone stick. If she couldn't break through, she would sleep, and once her injuries recovered, she would charge again.
But then she thought that a Senior should act like a Senior in front of a junior, so she changed her words, "I have my own plans. You just need to follow me, and I will protect you."
So, no plans then? Lu Yibei muttered to herself, then nodded, "Then I'll thank Senior in advance."
As her words fell, the screams outside the window rang out again.
Under that lead-gray sky, amidst the dilapidated buildings etched with the marks of time, they drifted with the cold wind.
Lu Yibei looked out the window in the direction of the screams, lost in thought.
If what those Half-Guitan released was truly the Shaman King, then did it mean that Nanling Commander's plan to lure and suppress the Shaman King in Yumen Pass succeeded?
But, since the Shaman King was successfully suppressed, why did Yumen Pass become like this?
Could it be that the legendary Shaman King is truly so powerful that to seal and suppress him, an entire large God Kingdom must be buried with him?
Lu Yibei thought, looking up at the beam above her head, where Xia Lianqing had previously hanged herself.
She suddenly wanted to know what happened to Xia Lianqing after she read Nanling Commander's brocade pouch and received her mission.
What exactly was the specific content of the mission Xia Lianqing received?
Perhaps, I should go to that small courtyard and take a look?
And while I'm in the vicinity, see if I can find Xiao Hua...
Thinking of this, Lu Yibei looked at Lord Huaiyuan and said, "Senior, if you don't mind, may I go for a walk outside?"
"Go for a walk?" Lord Huaiyuan scrutinized "Lu Qingyi" and asked, "Do you need me to accompany you?"
Young people, their desire to watch the excitement is understandable.
"I won't trouble Senior," Lu Yibei shook her head, "I'll just be nearby, I won't go far."
She indeed wouldn't go far, after all, that small courtyard was only two or three li away from the brothel.
It was just that she couldn't think of how to explain her purpose for going to that small courtyard to Lord Huaiyuan, so she chose to be vague about the destination.
It's not like she could tell Lord Huaiyuan that she had a dream last night, in which a courtesan and dozens of Longxiang Army Armored Soldier appeared in that small courtyard, plotting to assist Nanling Commander in suppressing the Shaman King, right?
Sleepwalking was already absurd enough; if you added receiving dreams from people from a thousand years ago while sleepwalking, it would be even more absurd.
She might even be considered by Lord Huaiyuan to be possessed and parasitized by some urban legend lurking in the brothel, and have her head punched in.
However...
"Senior can take this..." Lu Yibei said, taking out a Paper Cicada Immortal from her bosom and handing it to Lord Huaiyuan, "This is a small trinket I made myself. It has some subtle connection with me. If I encounter danger, I can call for your help at any time."
Free combat power, you still have to take advantage of it when you can.
Lord Huaiyuan scrutinized the pale little paper figure handed to her by "Lu Qingyi," and frowned.
Paper Cicada Immortal?
Although Da Chunyang Palace did teach the technique for making Paper Cicada Immortal, she always felt as if she had heard someone specifically mention this little trinket somewhere else.
After pondering for a few seconds, her brow slowly relaxed, and she nodded, "Alright, in that case, I'll be more at ease."
It doesn't matter where she heard someone specifically mention the Paper Cicada Immortal; what matters is that if Lu Qingyi were to act with her and something unexpected happened, it wouldn't be good.
It wasn't that she was afraid of others gossiping about her, Lord Huaiyuan, nor was it that Zhang Huainan would be difficult to explain to; it was mainly a matter of losing face.
"..."
Was that for your peace of mind? That was for my own safety!
Muttering a complaint inwardly, Lu Yibei respectfully bowed to Lord Huaiyuan and turned to walk out the door.
