MOF Chapter 70
by VolareFrom the city gate to the city center, the road was crowded with people in various costumes, a mixed bag of humanity. Like steamed buns packed into a steamer, flesh pressed against flesh, shoulder to shoulder. Xie Yiling originally wanted to walk ahead to lead the way, so that Nangong Ci could have a slightly easier time following him. Who knew that as soon as they entered the crowd, the force of each side pushed him in an unknown direction.
He was pushed and shoved to the center of the long street, where it was slightly wider, and finally there was space between people. Looking back, Nangong Ci was a head taller than the crowd, approaching him with some difficulty but unhurriedly.
When the distance was shortened to the point where Xie Yiling could grab Nangong Ci’s sleeve, he said, “If I were any thinner, I wouldn’t even need to walk, I’d just be carried along.”
Those who go to the Immortal Sect to cultivate immortality will inevitably spend less time with their families.
Si Wumian, in these years, except for returning home once to visit relatives, spent the rest of his time in Nan Gui. This time out of the mountain, the excitement in his heart was no less than Xie Yiling’s. He looked around and asked, “What are these merchants selling?”
Xie Yiling said with great interest, “Let’s go take a look!”
Because the flow of people at the Gathering Righteousness Festival was too large, there were almost no stalls on both sides of the street, only fixed shops with open doors welcoming guests. Many hawkers wandered the streets, their burdens filled with all kinds of strange and wonderful things.
Xie Yiling took a fancy to a lantern in one person’s burden, stopped him and asked, “Boss, how much do you sell this for?”
Seeing him looking so calm and composed, Si Wumian was sure that he couldn’t find a penny on him.
“Oh, esteemed customer, you have a good eye!” The hawker didn’t put down his burden, but moved it to the side, making it easier to take out the item the customer liked, pointing to the burden and saying, “This is usually called a revolving lantern, but my revolving lantern is different from ordinary ones.”
Speaking of this, he suddenly trembled all over, as if he had been robbed of his essence, energy, and spirit. His eyes were empty for a moment, but the corners of his mouth kept rising. He winked at Xie Yiling for a while, bent his waist even lower, and lowered his voice, “What I sell here can communicate with spirits!”
Xie Yiling glanced at him strangely, and asked calmly, “How much money?”
The hawker mumbled something but didn’t say the price, looking like he wanted to continue to dissect the unusual aspects of this thing inside and out, and explain it in detail. It didn’t seem like he was begging to support his family, but rather that telling people what the things in this burden were for was his main purpose.
Xie Yiling crossed his arms in front of his chest and nodded to the hawker, “Then tell us about it.”
“Okay, okay, okay!” As soon as the hawker heard this, he quickly shook the carrying pole on his shoulder again, and took his hands off the pole, maintaining his posture. After completing this action, he said with a mysterious expression, “You all look extraordinary, you must not be ordinary people, presumably you must have heard of the name of Cangnan Daoist, right?”
Cangnan Daoist, one of the founders of Shuo Cheng Cang Ling Du. In Xie Yiling’s daily homework, they specifically learned a book called “Washing Aspiration,” which recorded many outstanding people who served the people and the world, so naturally he wouldn’t be unfamiliar with this title.
Xie Yiling said, “I’ve heard of him.”
As soon as the hawker heard this, he was even more interested in his words, saying, “It is rumored that Cangnan Daoist fell after fighting the ancient vicious beast Snake-Jiao, and the Snake-Jiao also met the end of having no bones left. It’s just that although the Snake-Jiao died and its soul dissipated, it still had lingering baleful aura that was not cleared.”
Speaking of this, the hawker clapped his hands, “That’s the baleful aura of an ancient vicious beast! Although it comes from despicable heretical ways, it is also extremely rare, even priceless.”
“You’re saying all this to tell us that the revolving lantern you’re selling has the lingering baleful aura of the Snake-Jiao?”
There were many people around, and the hawker’s volume was not deliberately lowered. Passersby could hear it as long as they had ears, and his pretended mysterious state also seemed less necessary. Therefore, Xie Yiling didn’t quite believe his words, and asked, “Since it’s the lingering baleful aura of the Snake-Jiao, you’re selling it, wouldn’t that be harming people?”
Such a great crime came down, causing the hawker’s face to turn pale. “Young master, don’t talk nonsense! As the saying goes, fight poison with poison. The Snake-Jiao, regardless of its deterrence or status, is unparalleled among all demons. If used well, it is a magical talisman that wards off evil and ensures peace, how could it harm people?”
Xie Yiling became a little interested, “It sounds like everything is being used to its fullest potential, but how did you, an unarmed merchant, get this thing?”
The hawker’s action of bending over slowed down a beat, and his body trembled again. After shivering from head to toe, he acted as if he hadn’t heard Xie Yiling’s words, and naturally took out a delicate and small revolving lantern and handed it to Xie Yiling, “Here, young master, take it.”
Xie Yiling’s eyes changed slightly, and he looked at the hawker a few more times, took the revolving lantern, and turned it around a few times. He didn’t find anything different, let alone the so-called baleful aura.
Xie Yiling turned and left with the lantern, the smile on the hawker’s face froze. Just as he was about to call him to stop, a hand like carved jade stretched out from the side, pinching a tael of silver between its fingers.
The hawker hurriedly said, “Thank you, young master!”
After walking a distance, Xie Yiling still didn’t hear Si Wumian’s footsteps. He turned his head, only Nangong Ci had followed him. He looked around a few times, and then discovered that Si Wumian was still standing in front of the hawker.
The hawker had flipped out another lantern, speaking eloquently, talking to Si Wumian.
Xie Yiling shook the lantern and urged people, “Si Wumian! What are you standing there for, hurry up and come!” At the end, he said to Nangong Ci, “Sixth brother, don’t mind him. He, ah, must be acting foolish again!”
The Si Wumian over there didn’t know why, but only stared blankly at the thing in the hawker’s hand, his eyes absent to the point of being without spirit, as if his primordial spirit had left his body.
Nangong Ci’s face instantly became solemn. Xie Yiling also realized that something was wrong. The seeds of doubt that had been buried in his heart earlier due to the hawker’s strange reaction sprouted.
He tapped the ground with his feet and quickly returned to Si Wumian’s side with Nangong Ci. As soon as he got there, he pushed the hawker and questioned, “What did you do to my junior brother?”
The hawker’s expression was blank, “Young master, I’m telling this young master about the revolving lantern in my hand. Although it’s not the same style as yours, the price is the same…”
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Xie Yiling’s action of snatching the lantern in his hand.
Xie Yiling glanced at Nangong Ci. Their eyes met, and Nangong Ci nodded.
At first glance, the two revolving lanterns looked the same, but in Xie Yiling and Nangong Ci’s eyes, there was obvious baleful aura attached to the second lantern.
Xie Yiling understood that the hawker had been controlled by the baleful aura on the lantern at that time. Revealing the matter of the Snake-Jiao’s lingering baleful aura to them was also caused by the baleful aura.
What a sinister and cunning wisp of lingering baleful aura.
Xie Yiling bent down, scanned the burden, put the original lantern back in, and said, “I want to exchange it for another one.”
Si Wumian’s eyes gradually cleared as Xie Yiling shook the lantern.
The hawker naturally didn’t say a word, exchanged the lantern, and went to sell it to other places.
Xie Yiling said, “Sixth brother, look at him, is he stupid?”
Nangong Ci observed Si Wumian’s face and said, “There’s nothing serious.”
Si Wumian’s spiritual consciousness went to the ninth heaven for a while, and gradually returned to his body. He turned his head, saw Xie Yiling standing beside him holding the lantern, scratched his cheek, and asked, “Senior Brother Xie, do you really believe that there’s any lingering baleful aura on this thing?”
Xie Yiling stared at him, who had just been played around by the lingering baleful aura, “Originally, I didn’t believe it.”
“Then why did you buy it?” Si Wumian was completely unaware of what had just happened, and asked doubtfully, “It’s okay if it’s fake, but if there’s really something unclean, wouldn’t it be troublesome?”
Xie Yiling shook his head when he heard this, “By the time you realize there’s trouble, I guess people won’t even have reacted.” He didn’t explain the problem of the lantern too much, but only exchanged a glance with Nangong Ci, and they both had considerations in their hearts.
Passing through streets that were sometimes crowded and sometimes wide, the three headed towards Water-Ink Immortal Estate. Entering the territory, white mist buried the road, making it impossible to distinguish directions. Fortunately, looking from afar, there was an ancient maple tree guiding the lost, its size covering the sky and sun, making it difficult to ignore.
This was Xie Yiling’s first time coming to another Immortal Sect, and he only felt that everything was new and interesting. The disciples guarding the gate saw them, recognized them keenly, and gave a respectful salute.
Nangong Ci stated his intentions, and one of the disciples led the three of them to see the head of the sect.
Halfway there, Xie Yiling wanted to leave. Before he could speak, Nangong Ci had already seen his intention and said, “When you’re out, you must be extremely careful and cautious in your actions. If you encounter anything, find me as soon as possible.”
The disciple leading the way glanced at the two of them secretly, and then looked at Si Wumian next to him, wondering in his heart: These two look like ordinary disciples, how could Immortal Lord Fufeng only tell the other one like that?
Xie Yiling said, “Got it!” After saying that, he pulled the still unaware Si Wumian away.
Si Wumian said, “Senior Brother Xie, where are we going?”
Xie Yiling said, “Such a big Immortal Sect, are you afraid we won’t find a place to go?”
“Hey, don’t mess around.” Si Wumian was worried that he would act recklessly, and said with some concern, “After all, we are on other people’s territory now. Even if we unintentionally break the rules, we are still in the wrong.”
Seeing him looking ahead and behind, and not having the interest to force others to do something difficult, Xie Yiling waved his hand at him and said, “Then I’ll go myself, you just stay where you are, and wait for birds to land on you and build nests and settle down.”
He originally wanted to hand the lantern he was carrying to Si Wumian to hold, but he was worried that the baleful aura on the lantern would attack him again, so it was best to keep it himself, so he dismissed the idea.
By the time Si Wumian realized what this meant, Xie Yiling had long disappeared.
Coincidentally, the place Xie Yiling entered was the Book collection Pavilion. Although he usually didn’t want to read books, he still recognized the words. He wondered what the contents of the Water-Ink Immortal Estate’s Book collection Pavilion were like, and intended to go in and take a look with the purpose of broadening his horizons.
Unfortunately, there were disciples guarding the Book collection Pavilion. As soon as Xie Yiling stepped in, he was stopped by two disciples wielding swords.
“Sorry, the Book collection Pavilion is an important place in the Immortal Estate, you cannot enter without a token!”
The two disciples’ tone was kind, but their attitude was very firm. Xie Yiling said with a smile, “Nan Gui and Water-Ink Immortal Estate have always been on good terms, can you two be accommodating and let me go in and take a look?”
The two said sonorously, “No.”
Xie Yiling had no choice, and was about to leave and look for another entrance when a gentle and jade-like voice suddenly came from behind, “Since they are distinguished guests from Nan Gui, then please go in and take a look.”
He turned back in surprise and saw a man in black robes walking over leisurely. The comer was dignified in appearance, extraordinary in bearing, and had an elegant temperament, neutralizing the slight oppressive feeling on his face when he wasn’t smiling.
It seemed that he should be one of the Mo family’s three young masters, but he didn’t know which one specifically.