Stranger Danger

Chapter 1043: Great Animitta Dream Posting Spell

“It’s probably the legendary Great Animitta Dream Posting Spell.”

Feng Qingyou answered after mulling over Ye Qing’s words for a bit, “Legend has it that the Great Animitta Dream Posting Spell could convey a meaningful dream to others no matter the distance. It is an incredibly mysterious and powerful secret art.”

“However, it would seem that Yi Pin was unable to convey the full message to you. In fact, all he could do was to beg you for help and tell you that he is currently at the Kunlun Ruins. The Kunlun Ruins are notoriously dangerous. It’s possible that whatever anomaly is affecting that place has also diminished the effectiveness of the Great Animitta Dream Posting Spell.”

“Do you know where the Kunlun Ruins are, Qingyou?” Ye Qing asked.

“Unfortunately, I do not.” Feng Qingyou shook her head before offering a guess. “Judging from its name though, I reckon that it has something to do with the Kunlun Mountain.”

“You’re right. The Kunlun Ruins are connected to the Kunlun Mountain,” Ye Qing replied. “Unfortunately, that is the extent of my knowledge. I do not know where it is located on the Kunlun Mountain or how to enter it either.”

“Are you planning to go to the Kunlun Ruins?” Feng Qingyou asked.

“Yi Pin is my friend. I cannot do nothing during his time of need!” Ye Qing declared seriously.

“Kunlun Mountain is massive though. It would not be easy for you to locate the Kunlun Ruins.”

Feng Qingyou did not try to stop Ye Qing. In fact, she said, “Very well. I will accompany you on this journey.”

“No, you should stay here.” But Ye Qing turned her down. “There is still much work that needs to be done here, and the danger hasn’t fully passed yet. Miss Meng needs you more than I do.”

“All I ask is that you find someone to investigate the Kunlun Ruins for me. Message me if the investigator finds anything.”

“But—”

Feng Qingyou was planning to say more, but Ye Qing added with a smile, “Don’t worry. I’m not stupid. I will ask Cheng Qishang, Withered Sword and Wan Dusheng to accompany me.”

“Besides, I have the Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent. I can’t die easily even if I try.”

“Very well.” Ultimately, Feng Qingyou gave him a nod. Ye Qing was now a Great Grandmaster with the legendary Strange Artifact, the Earthly Sovereign Bell. Wan Dusheng and Cheng Qishang were quite powerful in their own right as well. He should be fine. “Nothing is more important than your safety though. Never put yourself in danger if you can help it.”

“I know.” Ye Qing smiled.

The reason he did not allow Feng Qingyou to accompany was simple. One, it was as he said before. Meng Feixue and the people of Nanjiang needed her right now. Two, it was because of the Annon Sutra’s warning.

“No one has ever walked out of the Kunlun Ruins alive.” To say that the bloody warning chilled him would be an understatement. However, Yi Pin was his friend, and he could not ignore his plight no matter what. One way or another, he had to go to the Kunlun Ruins to save the old fart.

Feng Qingyou and Yi Pin did not know each other though. There was no reason for her to take such a risk. Besides, Feng Qingyou had already helped him so much. He couldn’t allow her to risk herself any further.

“When will you be departing?” Feng Qingyou asked.

“Now. It’s clear from the message that time is of the essence,” Ye Qing answered.

“Okay.” Feng Qingyou smiled. “I’ll see you off.”

“Thanks.”

This time, Ye Qing did not reject her offer. Without alerting anyone, with the moon serving as the backdrop, they quietly left the palace, passed through the public square, and walked toward the narrow entrance filled with Purple King Yan.

The road was both very long and very short.

“This is far enough.” Ye Qing stopped in his tracks after they left the valley. He turned and looked at Feng Qingyou beside him. “You should return, Qingyou.”

Moonlight draped over Feng Qingyou like the finest cloak. It made her look like a fairy who had walked out of a painting.

“Take care, Joyless.” Feng Qingyou gave him a smile beautiful enough to make even the wind and the moon drunk.

“I will.” Ye Qing nodded in response. “You should take care of yourself too.”

They exchanged smiles. There was no need to say anything else.

May the moon shine just as bright tomorrow.

May our smiles remain the same tomorrow.

Take care, and let us meet again someday!

……

“Trust in the Golden Millet, and you shall have a good night’s rest…”

“Accept the talisman, and you will be immune to illnesses…”

“The Golden Millet will protect you from all tribulations and ensure eternal peace…”

“Trust in the Golden Millet, and you shall have a good night’s rest…”

“Accept the talisman, and you will be immune to illnesses…”

“The Golden Millet will protect you from all tribulations and ensure eternal peace…”

……

“Tsk tsk… these Golden Millet worshipers are out scamming people again!”

“Shh! Careful, Brother Feng. This is the first time you’re here at Long Qing, so I’m guessing you don’t know that the locals all worship the Great Golden Millet Celestial? They are extremely pious and cannot stand anyone disparaging their deity even a little, so you really shouldn’t say that. Besides, the Great Golden Millet Celestial is said to be omnipotent and omniscient. You would be wise not to insult him.”

“Hmph! Great Golden Millet Celestial my ass, it’s just another charlatan who’s come out of the woods to deceive the people and scam the foolish? Don’t tell me that you’re a believer as well?”

“Well, better to believe than not, right?”

“Speaking of which, a blind man could tell that this so-called Great Golden Millet Celestial is bad news. Why aren't the authorities doing anything about it?”

“They wish! But can they? Stranger sightings and attacks have become extremely frequent as of late. They simply could not afford to split their attention further than it already was!”

“That is true. It’s a complete mess in the jianghu

as well. Recently, all kinds of bad characters have crawled out of their hidey-holes and caused all sorts of trouble. It’s only the beginning, and peace already feels like a distant concept.”

“Sigh. The monsters are everywhere, and it is only a matter of time before the nation falls into chaos. It’s all because His Imperial Majesty used the Heavens’ Eye!”

“Careful, careful! That is dangerous talk!”

“Bah! He can do it, but I can’t say it? How’s that fair?”

“It’s not, but you really should keep your mouth shut. As of late, the Intelligence Department has been biting everyone they can lay their hands on like mad dogs. Those who criticize the emperor were killed on the spot, and I heard that there were countless people who lost their heads or their whole families because of this.”

“Bah… hawks and hounds, what else can they do except abuse their power?”

“Let’s not talk about this, okay? Here, have another cup…”

……

Inside a tavern called the Fast Horse Tavern, Ye Qing was drinking his wine and listening to the nearby conversation with a sigh.

“I was here last year. Long Qing is one of the more prosperous counties in Tian Liang. To think it would become so chaotic in just the span of a few months!”

Wan Dusheng was looking out of the tavern window and shaking his head as well.

Long Qing was a small county under the Xi Liang commandery and the Tian Liang prefecture. It was located right next to Wei. Although it was no fortress city, it was famous for producing an ore called the Dragon Mark Stone, an extremely important auxiliary material in weapon forging. Adding even a single piece of Dragon Mark Stone to a weapon would greatly enhance its sharpness and forging success rate.

It was thanks to the production of Dragon Mark Stone that Long Qing was fairly stable and wealthy.

That was in the past though. Today, Long Qing was filled with violent-looking jianghu warriors carrying weapons of all sorts. The ordinary people also wore fearful faces and hurried to finish their daily tasks and businesses as soon as possible. As a result, the streets were conspicuously empty even during the day, and the occasional cold wind only added to the desolation. It was nothing like the hustle and bustle back in the day.

It all began from the Nanjiang incident from three months ago. To say that it was a war that cost Chu more than they gained would be an understatement.

After destroying the Nanjiang Royal Court, Chu was hoping to conquer Nanjiang in one fell swoop. Assuming that everything went well, they would have wrapped up the war before the other nations could mount a response, added a whole new territory to the realm, and pacified the southern threat once and for all.

However, the Meng Clan remnants had interfered with their plan and nearly ruined it all. They had no choice but to activate the Heavens’ Eye.

Although the Heavens’ Eye had “successfully” wiped out the Nanjiang Royal Court and the Meng Clan remnants (Feng Qingyou and Meng Feixue had chosen not to reveal the fact that they were still alive since they needed time to rest and recuperate), and Chu had conducted an ancestral worship ceremony and announced to the world that the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang was now the Nanjiang prefecture, anyone with a pair of brain cells could tell that it was just an act. Chu had not mastered the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang at all.

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