novelraw Chapter 237 - 105: Search
Chapter 237 - 105: Search
"For this situation to arise, either the intelligence we received was written by the City Lord of Canghui City in the early days, or the City Lord of Canghui City deliberately concealed it." Yue Zhao’s eyes flickered slightly, and the smile at the corner of his lips looked very gentle as he spoke lightly."Did you already think of this before, which is why you didn’t let me reveal our identity to those guards at the city gate?" Nan Hua looked at Yue Zhao, a spark of realization in his eyes as he asked.
Upon hearing this, the others also looked at Yue Zhao, eager to know if Yue Zhao had indeed anticipated this in advance.
"Not really; I just wanted to be cautious and avoid exposing our presence in the city too soon. We need to investigate the situation; it’s best to start searching secretly and then approach the City Lord of Canghui City. This way, we can better uncover the truth." Yue Zhao elegantly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief as he spoke.
Although he said this, Gu Qingqing and the others once again witnessed Yue Zhao’s remarkable insight.
"Earlier, we saw black gases above Canghui City, indicating that there might be Evil Cultivators or Demon Cultivators here, and recently, the Demon Path has been restless. Perhaps this issue is related to them. In any case, everyone needs to be cautious." Yue Zhao’s gaze swept over everyone as he gave a sincere warning.
"Understood, we’ll be careful," Nan Hua said with a smile, fanning himself.
Gu Qingqing and the others also nodded, heeding Yue Zhao’s advice.
"If everyone’s finished eating, let’s split up and walk through all of Canghui City to get familiar with the terrain first. This way, no matter what happens later, we’ll find a way out." Yue Zhao stood up and instructed.
Gu Qingqing and the others naturally had no objections and began to act separately according to Yue Zhao’s instructions.
Yue Zhao, Yun Ran, and Zhuo Tingqiu formed one group, Nan Hua and Mu Chen another, while Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu paired together, dividing into three groups to act.
The innkeeper tried to persuade them not to go outside as they were leaving, but Gu Qingqing and the others ignored him. The innkeeper could only shake his head, lamenting that Gu Qingqing and the others were brave like newborn calves unafraid of tigers, and then returned to close the inn’s door.
Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu chose to explore the West District of Canghui City, an area predominantly populated by commoners. The houses here were cramped, and the environment wasn’t particularly good. As they walked, they observed their surroundings.
Besides their own footsteps, there was no one else on the street. Occasionally, some people peered at them through windows but quickly hid when noticed, avoiding detection.
"Do you feel that something’s off?" Gu Qingqing observed their surroundings, frowning as she asked Jun Wu beside her.
"Are you referring to the feeling that someone is watching us?" Jun Wu immediately understood Gu Qingqing’s meaning and asked.
"Exactly, I felt that gaze just now; it was very uncomfortable." Gu Qingqing found nothing unusual around them and frowned even more tightly, speaking to Jun Wu.
Jun Wu’s expression also darkened. Like Gu Qingqing, he felt the watchful gaze, which was unbearably discomforting for them. Despite this, they couldn’t find any trace of the source.
As they explored the street, that gaze followed them persistently, filled with malice and evil, making them uneasy.
They hastened their pace, pausing briefly as they passed a house with a white lantern hanging outside.
This house was unlike the others. Though the door was closed, it was merely ajar and could be easily pushed open. Inside, faint sobbing could be heard.
Exchanging a glance, Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu watched as Jun Wu cautiously pushed the door open and walked in.
Inside was a small courtyard, and from the entrance, they could see the situation within at a glance. The central hall clearly served as a mourning hall.
They ventured further in, spotting a memorial tablet and a coffin. Exchanging another look, they approached.
Kneeling in front of the shrine was a woman dressed in mourning clothes, the source of the sobs they’d heard earlier.
Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu made no effort to conceal their presence, and the woman quickly noticed them, turning her head to look at them.
The woman appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. Pale from grief and crying, her eyes were swollen, yet despite her sorrowful state, she was unexpectedly attractive, especially her tear-stained face, which evoked sympathy.
However, Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu felt none of this.
Gu Qingqing was merely surprised by the woman’s looks, while Jun Wu, his attention unwavering from Gu Qingqing and his mother, spared only a glance before averting his gaze.
"Who are you guys, and why are you in our house?" Startled by their appearance, the woman initially took in their looks before remembering they were strangers, quickly curling into a defensive posture while keeping a wary eye on them.
Her gaze lingered longer on Jun Wu, repeatedly glancing at him.
Noticing the woman’s focus, Gu Qingqing felt inexplicably annoyed. Subtly, she positioned herself to shield Jun Wu, speaking softly.
"Apologies, we didn’t mean to intrude; we heard sobbing and noticed the door ajar while passing by, so we came to check." Her demeanor was polite, actions appropriately cautious as she maintained a respectful distance from the woman, "May I ask who lies within the coffin?"
"It’s my father who’s passed away," the mention of her father brought fresh tears streaming down the woman’s face, "I’m sorry, but we’re in mourning and can’t host you. Please, you need to leave."
"I heard that many people in Canghui City have died recently. Does your father’s death have any connection to this?" Now inside, Gu Qingqing didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she seized the opportunity to inquire.
The woman’s expression shifted, "Who are you, really? My father is already gone; I don’t want to entertain you now, please leave!"
Gu Qingqing was taken aback by the woman’s intense reaction. It seemed she was reluctant to disclose anything related to her father’s death, which surprised both Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu.
"Since we’ve come in by chance, it might be considered fate. Can we offer an incense stick for your father?" Gu Qingqing pondered briefly and decided not to press the issue further.
The woman hesitated for a moment, glanced at Jun Wu, and appeared to make a difficult decision, "Quickly finish and leave, don’t linger here."
Exchanging another look, Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu approached the shrine together, each taking three incense sticks and lighting them before placing them in the Incense Burner. Behind the burner was the coffin, and as Gu Qingqing glanced inside, she was shocked to find it empty!
Just about to inform Jun Wu, she suddenly saw the woman behind them draw a sword and thrust towards Jun Wu’s back.
"Be careful!" she shouted immediately, rushing towards Jun Wu.
Jun Wu had sensed something was amiss before Gu Qingqing called out. The silver scimitar instantly appeared in his hand, and he turned to block the woman’s sword directly.
The woman’s appearance now was completely different from before. Her face was still pale, seemingly lifeless, and her eyes were utterly vacant. If one looked closely, her movements were somewhat stiff, though her moves were vicious, as if she bore deep hatred toward Jun Wu.
"It’s a puppet, be careful," Gu Qingqing warned Jun Wu, as she drew out the Mixed Immortal Silk to attack the woman.
Jun Wu, skilled in Artifact Refining, recognized her nature at a glance. Although surprised, he didn’t panic and handled it adeptly.
The woman’s cultivation level was not high, probably only around the eighth tier, unable to defeat even Jun Wu alone, let alone Jun Wu and Gu Qingqing together. Within ten rounds, Gu Qingqing’s Mixed Immortal Silk pierced through her heart.
In an instant, her body turned into a paper doll. After Gu Qingqing withdrew her Mixed Immortal Silk, it suddenly caught fire and was instantly reduced to ashes, disappearing with the wind.
Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu stood with grim faces, keeping their weapons at the ready, surveying their surroundings.
"We’ve been tricked; there’s an array set up here!" Following Nan Hua for years, Gu Qingqing was quite adept with arrays and quickly noticed the anomaly.
As she spoke, the illusion realm they were in changed from a courtyard to a vast expanse of white space.
The two stood back-to-back, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
A whistling sound suddenly came, followed by countless arrows flying out from the surrounding white fog. The two hurriedly wielded their weapons, deflecting the arrows.
However, the arrows were too numerous. They couldn’t keep up with deflecting all of them, feeling as if they were uncontrollable. While swinging the Mixed Immortal Silk, Gu Qingqing retrieved a stack of talisman paper from her Storage Bracelet, quickly drawing out one. Infusing it with Spiritual Power, the talisman immediately activated, and a golden shield appeared in front of them, covering them.
Arrows bounced off the shield, which trembled slightly, then fell to the ground.
"How long can this shield last?" Jun Wu, not entirely familiar with Rong Ye’s talismans’ effects, turned to ask Gu Qingqing.
"Under normal circumstances, it should last for an hour," responded Gu Qingqing after some consideration.
Hearing this, Jun Wu nodded, sat down directly on the ground, and watched the persistent arrows while looking around, trying to find a way to break the array. Gu Qingqing, likewise, sat back-to-back with him, also searching for the array’s weak spot with her eyes.
After half a quarter of an hour, perhaps realizing the arrows could not harm Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu, they suddenly vanished, with even the ones on the ground disappearing, leaving only the two inside the shield.
Jun Wu raised an eyebrow, leisurely observing outside the shield, not believing the adversary would cease their attack so easily.
"Creak! Creak!"
A scraping sound came. Then, a group of armored soldiers emerged from the white fog. Initially stiff as they appeared, they became as flexible as normal humans once fully out of the fog.
Like the arrows, they surrounded Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu from all sides.
Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu stood up, gripping their weapons tightly, watching the armored soldiers outside the shield.
Some soldiers wielded spears, others wielded broadswords, and some held swords. Once they reached the shield, they began hacking at it with their weapons.
Their attacks were much stronger than the previous arrows. Before long, cracks appeared on the shield, growing larger until it shattered, leaving Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu facing the armored soldiers directly.
Gu Qingqing, skillfully wielding the Mixed Immortal Silk in one hand, continually threw talismans at the armored soldiers with the other.
After tossing a dozen talismans, she found that the Blast Thunder Talismans inflicted the most damage on the soldiers.
"Jun Wu, cover me," she called out, bowing her head to look for more Blast Thunder Talismans in her storage space.
Rong Ye would always give Gu Qingqing many talismans when drawing them, and most of his top-grade talismans were with Gu Qingqing. She had quite a few in her storage space, taking a while to find a stack of Blast Thunder Talismans.
"Step aside," she commanded Jun Wu, clutching the Blast Thunder Talismans.
Without a word, Jun Wu stepped aside from Gu Qingqing’s path.
Gu Qingqing targeted the advancing soldiers, and under her control, the talismans floated in the air, flying towards the armored soldiers one by one.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Amid a chorus of thuds, the armored soldiers fell to the ground under the effect of Gu Qingqing’s Blast Thunder Talismans, twitching before gradually stilling.
In a moment, all the soldiers vanished. Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu didn’t relax, continuing to brace for the next wave of attacks while seeking the array’s core.
...
Nan Hua and Mu Chen were searching the South District of Canghui City, where many merchants were stationed. Though Canghui City was not large, it held a strategic location, attracting many merchant associations, including most leading ones in the Sub-immortal Realm.
At present, it was eerily quiet, just like the other streets they’d passed, as if deserted.
Yet, Nan Hua and Mu Chen knew people lived here, as they’d noticed many sneaking glances at them upon entering.
As they reached the center of the street, Nan Hua abruptly stopped, a cold smile on his face as he glanced around and spoke loudly.
"Who’s lurking around here? What’s the point of hiding? Come out and fight if you have the guts! This peeping is utterly disgusting!" From the onset of entering, Nan Hua felt watched, which made him uncomfortable. Unable to bear it anymore without finding any fault, he finally shouted.