Chapter 246: Yellow Wind Ravine
Though he almost got caught by Tianmu Mountain’s Lu's Alchemy House, it really gave him quite a scare. But thinking about it afterward, it wasn’t all bad; it actually showed that the aftershocks from Wulong Mountain had reached all the way to the marketplace at Chicheng Mountain, two thousand li away. That’s some serious intimidation power right there.
As the saying goes, you can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can’t guard against one for a thousand days. After all this back-and-forth over the years, tell me... how comfortable can Tianmu Mountain really be feeling now?
This trip to Chicheng Mountain’s market turned out to be pretty fruitful. Altogether, the spirit stones they traded and earned came to 27 pieces. Liu Xiaolou gave seven to Fang Bu’ai and kept twenty for himself.
Since Tianmu Mountain was on high alert for now, there’s no need to rush into the next move. With enough spirit stones on hand, it’s better to take this time to focus on cultivation. So, he hired a big cart and set off on a leisurely journey back home. They cultivated in the carriage by day, stopped at inns for meals, and rested for the night whenever it was time.
After doing this for a month, the finally returned to the shores of Dongting Lake. By then, Liu Xiaolou had opened the Shenmen acupoint, leaving only two more to complete the seventh layer.
From here, they e could no longer follow the main road. Sending the carriage back, they turned onto a secluded mountain path. After traveling for a day and night, they finally reached Yellow Wind Ravine, eighty li south of the Taoyuan mountain range.
This was Captain Hu’s hiding spot, tucked away on the southeastern edge of the Tianmu Mountain territory. Liu Xiaolou planned to use it as a temporary rest stop while he figured out their next move.
Following the directions Captain Hu had left behind, they entered the ravine and kept to the eastern side. Before long, they came upon a stretch of wild peach trees. Beyond the grove lay the crumbling remains of walls.
These ruins weren’t new. Vines and weeds had long since covered them, and much of the stonework had sunk into the earth, as if the ground itself had grown around it. Just looking at it, you could tell it had been there forever. Maybe hundreds, maybe thousands of years.
They moved carefully through the ruins when suddenly a noise came from up ahead. It sounded like someone was fighting, the thuds heavy and muffled. Both of them crouched low, slipping behind a pile of broken stones. They held their breath, listening for a moment, then cautiously peered toward the source of the sound.
In the distance, they spotted a large tomb. In front of it, a cultivator stood by a stone tablet, looking around as if keeping watch. He seemed a little on edge, constantly scanning the surroundings, but every now and then he’d lean toward the back of the tablet, as if checking on something there.
And the dull thuds of the clash were coming straight from behind the stone tablet.
If Liu Xiaolou guessed right, that ancient tomb had to be Captain Hu’s hiding place. But who would’ve thought it was already being watched by the enemy?
Even from a distance and without ever having fought him, they couldn’t gauge the watchman’s cultivation. But judging by the way he kept peeking around nervously, he probably wasn’t all that powerful.
So, Liu Xiaolou and Fang Bu’ai exchanged a quick glance, then split up. One circling left, the other right. Using the broken walls and rubble for cover, they quickly closed in on him.
When the man leaned out again to peek from behind the gravestone, Liu Xiaolou seized this perfect moment. With a flick of his wrist, the Mysterious True Cord shot out, wrapping around the man in the blink of an eye. He was just about to throw out his formation disk to trap him completely, only to realize there was no need.
The man was already bound tight by the Mysterious True Cord, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
As Liu Xiaolou’s cultivation advanced, more of his acupoints had opened, making the Mysterious True Cord far deadlier. It now caught people almost instantly. And this man’s level was clearly lower. Every one of his acupoints had been sealed shut by the cord!
Fang Bu’ai had never seen Liu Xiaolou use the Mysterious True Cord before. He rushed over, ready to seal the captive’s meridians, then realized it was unnecessary. The man was already immobilized. The sheer power of the cord left Fang Bu’ai stunned. He glanced back at Liu Xiaolou, who was already hurrying over.
Behind the gravestone, they discovered a hidden tunnel. The muffled sounds of a fight echoed from within. Liu Xiaolou dragged the bound man over and said quickly, “I’m going to unseal your acupoints. Don’t make a sound, or you die. Got it?”
The man blinked. Liu Xiaolou released his meridians, then asked, “Where are you from?”
The man coughed hard, catching his breath, then snarled, “You dare interfere with Tianmu Mountain’s business? You’ve got a death wish!” Then his eyes widened as it hit him: “Wait, you’re from Wulong Mountain?”
Liu Xiaolou pressed on, “How many of you are down there?”
The man’s eyes darted around, and he started to shout, “Enemy—”
But the words died in his throat. The Mysterious True Cord had him so tight his face went bright red and his tongue stuck out. He couldn’t get another sound out.
Liu Xiaolou was furious. “You really don’t fear death, do you…”
Fang Bu’ai drew his sword and ran it across the man’s neck. Then immediately tried to rush into the tunnel. Liu Xiaolou grabbed him in time and held him back. He crouched, listening for a while. The fight below was still loud and fierce; whoever was down there hadn’t heard the failed shout. He reeled in the Mysterious True Cord, then slipped down into the tunnel, moving slowly and quietly, one careful step at a time.
They’d gone down more than twenty feet when the passage bent sharply. The battlefield was just around the corner. The fight was so intense that I even heard someone yell, “In the dark, I’ll still beat you down...”
Tan Bajhang?! He’s back? What on earth is he doing here?
Liu Xiaolou tilted his head for a better look. It turned out to be a burial chamber. Three people were attacking the inner chamber, and Tan Bazhang’s voice kept echoing from inside.
Perfect. The ideal moment for the Bewildering Fragrance Tendon to strike.
A strand of Bewildering Fragrance Tendon stretched out and, guided by Liu Xiaolou’s true qi, slowly moved into the tomb.
The Bewildering Fragrance Art was one of the Three Great Legacies of the Sanxuan Sect. Its power grew hand in hand with one’s cultivation. Now that Liu Xiaolou had reached the seventh layer, his strength had multiplied several times over since his days at the third or fourth layer. Naturally, the power of the Bewildering Fragrance had grown just as fearsome.
What’s more, this Bewildering Fragrance Tendon wasn’t just any ordinary one; it had been refined on Jade Goose Peak of Mount Luofu, tempered in the Vermilion Bright Cave fire. That alone made it three times as potent as usual. Now, driven to its fullest by Liu Xiaolou and unleashed in a sealed chamber like this, its effect was devastating.
Before even an inch of incense had burned away, one of the three suddenly collapsed to the ground.
“Old Cheng?” one of them shouted in alarm.
“Steward Cheng’s been hit!” the other cried.
Then came the realization. “Someone’s poisoned us!”
The two still standing were clearly no ordinary fighters. Anyone who could resist the Bewildering Fragrance this long had to be at least at the tenth level of Qi Refinement. As soon as they sensed something was off, one of them spun around, and spotted someone lurking just beyond the corner, up to no good.
Without hesitation, he charged straight at him.
Liu Xiaolou shot out the Mysterious True Cord, and at the same time, activated the formation disk, dragging the person straight into the formation.
The fight inside the tomb suddenly turned around. He had managed to knock one out and trap another, leaving only the strongest. Noticing this, Tan Bajhang and the others in the inner chamber struck back without hesitation.
“In the dark, I’ll still beat you down!” Tan Bajhang bellowed as he charged out first, swinging his iron staff with viciously at the enemy.
Right behind him came Zuo Gaofeng and Captain Hu, the three of them joining forces against the lone survivor.
The man, already dizzy and reeling from the Bewildering Fragrance, couldn’t hold up under their combined assault. He stumbled again and again, his defense full of openings.
A flash of sword-light shot out from behind Liu Xiaolou and slammed straight into the enemy.
Caught off guard by Fang Bu’ai’s all-or-nothing attack, the enemy was ripped open in an instant and dropped dead on the spot.