Chương 58: A Human Bone
Following the dim passage of the dark room downward, Hua Qiuyuan found an iron door.
Faintly hearing sounds from the other side, he cautiously explored the edges of the door, finding a tiny window at the top.
Hua Qiuyuan held his breath, leaning softly against the small window on the door, straining to see into the dark room. The silhouette inside seemed particularly familiar, but as it faced away from him, he couldn't recognize it immediately.
Inside the room, Shentu Zhajia also heard the noise and turned his head.
"Master!"
Hua Qiuyuan now saw clearly that the person confined in the room was indeed Shentu Zhajia.
"Qiuyuan? How did you find this place?"
Shentu Zhajia, upon hearing the voice, guessed who was outside the door and was somewhat surprised.
"Since you emerged from seclusion last time, your temperament and actions have been markedly different, and you constantly wear a mask, forbidding anyone from serving you in the sleeping quarters. I felt something was amiss and discovered clues in this room, leading me here to investigate. I didn't expect to find you, Master." Hua Qiuyuan explained.
"Did anyone see you come in?" Shentu Zhajia asked. Hua Qiuyuan had been his trusted confidant, so he naturally trusted him deeply.
"No one, Master. Let me get you out of here first." Hua Qiuyuan was about to break open the iron door when he heard the voices of the ghostly servants.
"Greetings, Demon Lord."
"Qiuyuan, you are no match for him. Leave now; we will plan my rescue later." Shentu Zhajia also heard the voices.
"Yes." Hua Qiuyuan responded and quickly left quietly.
Just as Li Minghan entered the sleeping quarters, he sensed that someone had been there but was unaware of Hua Qiuyuan hiding in the beams above.
"Demon Lord." A ghost servant walked in with a change of clothes.
"Has anyone been here?" Li Minghan asked.
"Demon Lord, earlier we wanted to clean, but Commander Hua drove us away. We only cleaned up some debris before leaving." The ghost servant kneeling beside replied.
"Understood. You may leave." Li Minghan waved his hand.
Feeling somewhat fatigued, Li Minghan removed his cloak, casually throwing it over the screen, and walked behind it. Slowly removing his mask, Hua Qiuyuan from above saw Li Minghan's true face.
"It really is him."
Hua Qiuyuan had seen Li Minghan before, as Li Minghan and Shentu Zhajia were close friends, often frequenting the Demon Lord's palace. Upon noticing the slight differences in the Demon Lord after his return from seclusion, Hua Qiuyuan's first thought was Li Minghan, but he had no evidence at the time, merely suspicions.
"Master, the War God of The Liao Yin Immortal Realm requests an audience." The ghost servant outside reported.
"Understood." Li Minghan put the mask back on and walked out.
Hua Qiuyuan then gracefully descended from the beams and quickly left.
In the marketplace of The Flatland, Hua Ruoying was shopping enthusiastically with Qingping.
"This, this, and this, I want them all. Send them to Master Nan Zhe's residence." Hua Ruoying unceremoniously picked various rare treasures from the stalls.
"Sister Ruoying, we are currently living under someone else's roof. Isn't it improper to buy so many things and let him pay?" Qingping asked nervously as she watched Hua Ruoying's carefree selection.
"He asked me to stay. Besides, I need these things to refine poisons, and if he doesn't have them, I'll buy them myself. What's the issue?" Hua Ruoying replied indifferently.
"But, but..." Qingping tried to say something more.
"Ah, there's no 'but.' He hasn't been home these days, so we just need to..." Hua Ruoying was cut off by a clear voice behind them.
"Need to do what?" Nan Zhe's cold voice suddenly appeared behind the two.
In a private room at the Flatland Inn...
Nan Zhe ordered a large table full of delicious dishes and fine wines, and Hua Ruoying indulged without any hesitation.
After spending these days together, Hua Ruoying thought she had figured out Nan Zhe's temperament. He often just scared her without really doing any of the cruel things rumored about him, and her wariness had gradually faded.
"Are your purchases complete?" Nan Zhe asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft, his eyes particularly indulgent.
"Almost. Why? Spending your money makes you feel bad?" Hua Ruoying asked while pouring herself a drink.
"This amount of silver, my Nan Zhe residence can afford. However, since you have spent so much of my money, shouldn't you give something in return?" Nan Zhe chuckled softly.
"What do you want?" Hua Ruoying asked casually, not paying much attention. Seeing Nan Zhe remain silent for a while, she then looked up and realized something.
"Qingping, leave us." Hua Ruoying gestured.
Qingping obediently left the room, standing at the door waiting.
Nan Zhe cast a spell that seemed like a barrier at the door but was actually a spell that allowed those outside to hear the conversations inside clearly.
"I want a few Qian Mo pills." Nan Zhe said slowly, glancing briefly towards the door out of the corner of his eye.
Hua Ruoying seemed unaware of Nan Zhe's change. However, she did stop her actions when she heard about the Qian Mo pills.
She looked at Nan Zhe closely, then leaned in and looked again, saying,
"Are you out of your mind? Don't you know that the Qian Mo pills are exclusive to the Demon Lord? Are you planning a rebellion?"
"How could I rebel against my close friend, the Demon Lord?" Nan Zhe found it amusing.
"Not following the Lord's orders? Then how do you have the Lord's token?" Hua Ruoying asked, puzzled.
"I have known your Lord for a long time. It's not surprising to have this token." Nan Zhe responded.
"You know what the Qian Mo pills are for, right? Asking for them without reason surely means you have ill intentions." Hua Ruoying continued.
### Continuation of the Translation:
"I am aware, the Qian Mo you create is no less effective than the puppet control techniques of the past." Nan Zhe spoke loudly, his voice clearly reaching Qingping outside, who couldn't help but be shocked.
"Shh, lower your voice. Don't let Qingping hear." Hua Ruoying quickly tried to stop Nan Zhe.
"I can't give you Qian Mo right now. Even if you threaten me with Qingping, it won't work. I simply don't have it."
"Why can't you make more?" Nan Zhe asked.
"There's an issue with Qian Mo. You saw it that day as well. The Qian Mo previously attached to Mi Xingzhe shattered without any reason. Although I'm not particularly fond of you, anything that comes from my hands, Hua Ruoying, is never substandard. Until I find out why Mi Xingzhe's Qian Mo shattered, I can't make more for you." Hua Ruoying explained.
"Very well. But I've heard that Qian Mo can control others. Does it have any other functions?" Nan Zhe wanted to probe deeper into Hua Ruoying's knowledge.
"There's nothing special about it. I simply mimicked... mimicked the puppet control techniques of the past (speaking very softly). The Demon Lord once had a puppet-controlled earth mole beast, and I copied it to create a similar item. It simply causes the person to lose their mind and obey all commands of the controller, similar to ordinary puppets." Hua Ruoying explained.
Bang!
The door to the private room was suddenly pushed open, and Qingping stood at the entrance, her face full of anger, her clenched fists making cracking sounds.
"Qing... Qingping."
Hua Ruoying hadn't expected Qingping to overhear everything just said and was at a loss for words, trying to explain.
Standing at the entrance, Qingping said nothing. Her eyes were filled with unspeakable disappointment and fury, glaring at Hua Ruoying.
She wanted to say something but didn't know what to say. Standing at the doorway for a long time, her body trembling uncontrollably, she finally smashed a fist into the wall beside her and turned to run away.
"Qingping, let me explain, Qingping."
Hua Ruoying hurriedly chased after her, trying to explain, leaving Nan Zhe alone in the private room, fanning himself leisurely, enjoying the spectacle.
In the Mirror Cloud Residence,
Mi Xingzhe gently applied ointment to Yun Qingyi's wounds, while Li Luoning was reading nearby.
"Brother Qingyi, I haven't seen Bingo for several days. Do you think it might have gotten lost?" Mi Xingzhe asked worriedly.
"Bingo is not an ordinary spirit beast. It's a rare beast, a Huang. It won't get lost easily. It has probably found some comfortable place and decided to stay there for a few days. It might come back in a few days, so don't worry too much, Xingzhe." Yun Qingyi reassured him.
"Xingzhe, take this medicine and decoct it." Li Luoning handed over a prescription.
Taking the prescription, Mi Xingzhe went out, and Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi exchanged a knowing glance.
"Master didn't tell Xingzhe about what happened that day?" Yun Qingyi asked.
"I inquired with the War God of The Liao Yin Immortal Realm. I heard that Wuming Demon Mountain has a new puppet control technique called Qian Mo. Xingzhe was likely poisoned with Qian Mo, which caused him to act that way. Hurting you was not his intention. Since he doesn't remember what happened, I didn't tell him to prevent him from feeling guilty." Li Luoning explained.
"As expected, Master is thorough in his considerations. Thank you for saving me that day. But what exactly is this Qian Mo?"
"It's said that Qian Mo is a puppet poison recreated by the Demon Lord, based on the puppet control techniques of the past. It is used to control puppets more easily. Since Xingzhe was captured by them and made to ingest Qian Mo, it's not surprising. This Qian Mo is said to be incurable, but for some reason, when it came into contact with your blood, it suddenly lost its effect, giving me the chance to save you." Li Luoning explained.
"Is there no way to remove it? Does this mean Xingzhe will always be controlled by them?" Yun Qingyi asked worriedly.
"If I'm not mistaken, Qian Mo was specially developed by Hua Ruoying for the Demon Lord. There are no records of a cure in any ancient texts. Since that incident, Hua Ruoying has also disappeared. If we can find her, we might find a solution." Li Luoning said.
"What are your plans, Master?" Yun Qingyi asked.
"Senior Brother has been searching for the Shangwei Heavenly Stone in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion with no news. I will send a message to him to also investigate the puppet control techniques of the past. Once your injuries are better, I plan to visit the Hidden Scripture Pavilion myself." Li Luoning said thoughtfully.
"Uncle Minghan is gentle and loves ancient texts. He's probably engrossed in some ancient book again. If he finds any information, he will inform you immediately, so there's no need to worry." Yun Qingyi said.
"First the Medicine King was poisoned, then the Dragon King died at Mirror Cloud Residence. It all seems too coincidental. But I can't figure out the cause behind all this. That person we met in the alchemy room seemed to have a deep grudge against me. I'm afraid he is involved in these incidents." Li Luoning said, deeply troubled.
"Master, Master, something is wrong with Uncle Minghan's bead string! I saw it flickering and dimming when I passed your study."
Mi Xingzhe hurried in, handing the bead string to Li Luoning.
Seeing the flickering beads, Li Luoning felt something was amiss and quickly went to the study to find the letter Minghan had left.
"Luoning, upon reading this letter, know that my fate is inevitable. It has been an honor to be part of the sect in this life, everything has long been predestined. Remember, no matter what happens, perseverance brings hope."
Minghan
Li Luoning read the letter with trembling hands. He never expected that his parting with Senior Brother that day would be forever.
"Master, what did Uncle Minghan say?" Mi Xingzhe asked.
"Senior Brother has ascended to the heavens." Li Luoning's face turned pale, his eyes stung, and his voice trembled uncontrollably.
"What?"
Mi Xingzhe and Yun Qingyi were equally shocked.
Li Luoning felt a surge of heat rising within him, uncontrollably flowing upward. The more he tried to suppress it, the stronger it became. In a fit of rage, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Master!" Yun Qingyi and Mi Xingzhe shouted simultaneously.
"I'm fine."
"Xingzhe, quickly bring the Fushen incense and the heart-protecting powder. I'll help stabilize Master's mind. It's likely due to the overexertion of internal energy from the other day combined with sudden anger." Yun Qingyi said, helping to support Li Luoning.
"Okay." Mi Xingzhe nodded quickly and ran towards the door.
Just as he reached the door, someone outside asked for an audience.
"Is Immortal Li Luoning here? I am here to deliver something according to the last wish of the late Yanding Dragon King." The person at the door said.
Li Luoning composed himself, took the box from the visitor, and said, "Thank you."
He forced himself to calm down and opened the box, revealing two dragon scales and a bone.
Mi Xingzhe and Yun Qingyi looked at each other in confusion.
Li Luoning picked up a dragon scale, which transformed into a blue energy that entered his body upon sensing him. Watching the blue energy flow through his body, Li Luoning then picked up the bone. The blue energy from his arm flowed into the bone, transforming it into a short sword with a brilliant blue glow.
The three of them were baffled by the sight.
"What is the Dragon King playing at?" Mi Xingzhe wondered.
"Dragon scales are the toughest armor on a dragon. For the Yanding Dragon King to entrust these to Master, it must be something important." Yun Qingyi said insightfully.
"What about this bone? What is it for?" Mi Xingzhe asked.
"This is not a dragon bone." Li Luoning said, caressing the short sword.
"Not a dragon bone? Then what is it?" Mi Xingzhe asked.
"A human bone."
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