In the Great Martial Hall ; The Crown Prince meets the Crown Prince
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Before Xie Lian's knee touched the floor,Jun Wu reached out and grabbed his elbow, preventing Xie Lian from kneeling. Jun Wu sighed and said, " Xian Le."
Xie Lian straightened up once more and lowered his head, " Sorry."
Jun Wu looked still staring and watching him,
" Then, do you admit your mistake?"
" Yes." Xie Lian answered.
" Then why didn't you tell me where you had made the mistake?" Said Jun Wu.
Xie Lian was silent and then Jun Wu shook his head. " I never thought you would find out."
The Great God seemed to shake his head, move his body and ask Xie Lian to follow him, and then both of them seemed to walk slowly toward the rooms behind the palace hall. As they walked, Jun Wu, with his hands clasped in front of his body, commented,
" Xian Le is already an a.d.u.l.t now."
Xie Lian did not dare to speak when he heard that comment.Jun Wu continued, " You have been up for some time now, but never once did you report to the Great Self-Defense Hall. If there were others who were so brash like this, Ling Wen Palace Hall would persecute them directly."
After his third ascension, Xie Lian did not dare to meet or even see Jun Wu in his Great Martial Hall because he did not know how he should behave when he met and faced this Great God, so he procrastinated and took more time. time to be able to prepare himself before actually seeing him. Of course the sentence, ' I'm sorry ' that he said earlier was not intended for this matter,and Jun Wu noticed. " If your apology is for what happened in the past,then let it go, I reject it. You say it yourself: the past is the past, and we must forget what should have been left behind."
Xie Lian winced, "How could I forget it?"
"Then look to the future. There are still many things we still need for you to do."
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead and said, "Xian Le is just a low trash god without strength. There is no need for me. Now I just ask not to become too much of a burden."
"Why are you so demeaning to yourself? Are you not so good at giving your best in your last two cases?" Said Jun Wu.
"But I have offended General Pei."
"Ming Guan is fine, you don't need to worry about yourself for what happened to him." Jun Wu answered. But speaking of General Pei, they must now relate it to the matter of Hua Cheng. "E-Ming's curved sword. Rain of Blood Reaches Flowers. Tell me, who were you involved with when you came down this time?"
Xie Lian gently cleared his throat. "My lord, I swear I did nothing. Only, one day by chance I met a child who looked so attractive on the street, and we spent time together. I didn't think much about it."
Jun Wu nodded, "Opportunity to meet, a child, who turns out to be the Great Demon King in the Ghost world. Xian Le, you know very well, that if Ming Guan asks you further about this matter and you openly admit it in front of other officials,what are the consequences? "
"Xian Le knows." Xie Lian replied sadly, "But the truth is that. If others don't believe my honest words, there is nothing I can do. I don't dare to be honest in front of them at the conference,so I'm very grateful for the generosity of interference. My lord. "
"Naturally, I know that you will not intentionally collude with the king of the ghost realm." Said Jun Wu.
"I'm grateful for my lord's trust." Xie Lian answered.
"However, with the things that have happened, it may no longer be appropriate to send you to investigate important issues that have arisen."
"Did something happen?" Xie Lian asked.
At this moment, the two of them had reached a room behind the large hall of Jun Wu's palace. The large hall and back room were separated by a large, sturdy mural, the front view of the place laying a golden palace soaring through a sea of clouds, looking so radiant and brilliant. Besides that the back side of the mural depicts a mountain and valley more than ten thousand miles.
Xie Lian looked at the mural. On the map there are shown many little pearls like stars, and each of them is marked as the Temple of the Great Self-Defense in the mortal world. Pearls embedded in the map means that there is a Temple of Self-Defense built there. Eight hundred years ago when Jun Wu brought Xie Lian who rose for the first time into the back hall room, the pearl stars that appeared on the mural were not so dense, but now, the sparkling jewelery now seemed to have smothered the place with a look so beautiful, flooding the place with their light.
Jun Wu stood in front of the mural and spoke, "Seven days ago, many people saw with their own eyes, a fire dragon that suddenly surged up into the sky from the forest in the eastern region."
Xie Lian's face instantly sank at those words.
Jun Wu, with one hand behind his back, and the other hand he used to tap the mural once so gently then said, "The fire dragon lasts for two times incense before it burns out. Do you know what that means?"
"That is the Ascending Fire Dragon spell, it will emit a powerful burst of fire but it will not harm. That spell is a sign of a request for help." Xie Lian answered.
"Right.That is a danger signal, and it came from one of the heavenly officials." Said Jun Wu.
"That spell is not an ordinary form of calling for help, it is one of the spells released from the form of despair when it is really between death and life." Xie Lian added.
This Ascending Fire Dragon spell emits a powerful flame that will not harm anyone, this spell requires enormous strength, and if one is not careful when releasing it, they can explode and destroy their own spiritual core. Therefore, if not in a state of truly hopelessness, very few will take this route. Now that it appeared, it meant that a heavenly official had fallen into great danger.
"Has an official been missing recently?" Xie Lian asked.
"The problems that occur in the Small Road Inside Ban Yue are not the only reason all officials are called back to the heavenly court this time. The ultimate goal is to use this opportunity to investigate the whereabouts of all heavenly officials there are. Besides those who usually do not appear like Master Rain. and Master Earth, even those who cannot return will immediately report it. "
After thinking, Xie Lian speculated, "Maybe in this case it's not one of the heavenly officials? Could it be one of the retired heavenly officials?"
"If that's the case, then I'm afraid our line of possibility will expand so much. Many retired officials have long lost contact with heaven. It will be difficult to determine who is in danger." Said Jun Wu.
So maybe this is the reason why Ling Wen and many heavenly literary officials have dark circles under their eyes; they were busy working on this case, and of course they would not have time to investigate the boy with human face disease from Mount Yu Jun. "To corner heavenly officials into using self-destructive spells like that, he must be fighting a powerful demon who has committed such a large crime. Is there a gathering of devils or maybe there is a demon lair in the area?"
"There is." Jun Wu answered. He turned towards Xie Lian, "Do you know about Ghost Town?"
Xie Lian thought about it and then replied, "Yes."
Ghost Town is the most prosperous place in the ghost realm, located right at the intersection of the mortal realm and the ghost realm. That's where all the spirits, ghosts, demons and monsters gather and they form associations to trade and exchange. Cultivators at some level will also go to do business or look for information there. Sometimes, there will also be heavenly officials in disguise and going there, hanging out for the sake of simply fulfilling their curiosity or personal reasons unknown to other heavenly officials. Of course, some will enter accidentally, and will be eaten alive, or frightened until they die.
There have always been many stories about Ghost Towns in the mortal world since historic times. Xie Lian recalls one of the stories about the Ghost City where there was a man who was traveling at night and he then saw a market that looked so crowded in front of him with a big red lantern and various colorful markings. He then entered the market eagerly, but later found out that everyone around him wore a mask, and if they didn't wear masks they would wear a veil, and if they didn't wear both they looked very ugly, he was very curious! He didn't think about the situation he was going through deeply, the man then bought a bowl of noodles and then sat down to eat, but when he started eating his food, the food tasted bad, and when he looked closely at the noodles, he saw that the noodles were looked really stretched in the bowl and he found strands of human hair there!
Xie Lian brought himself back to the present, and Jun Wu continued, "After seeing the burning column of fire, I immediately sent officers to investigate the forest. However, whatever was there must have moved so quickly, and the officers who were I sent it there, they found that there was no trace of anything or when anything was suspicious. I was worried that the enemy would better protect the security of the territory and themselves, so this time, I needed someone to go down in secret and investigate the Ghost Town. "
"We can't warn enemies and get them back on the move. Is that why this can't be discussed openly in the big hall with everyone and tell too many people?" said Xie Lian.
"It is true." Jun Wu answered.
"Then my lord, please give Xian Le orders."
"The first candidate I had in mind at first was you," Jun Wu said, "But for now, it might be uncomfortable for you to leave."
"How could it be uncomfortable?" Xie Lian asked.
"First, the eastern region is controlled by the heavenly official Lang Qian Qiu. If you must go, then you must cooperate with him." Said Jun Wu.
Is that true? Xie Lian replied, "That won't be a problem, don't worry."
"Secondly," Jun Wu continued, "Do you know what area the Ghost City is in?"
Surprised, Xie Lian said, not looking so sure, "Does that belong to the territory of Hua Cheng?"
Jun Wu nodded slightly. Xie Lian suddenly felt comfortable and rubbed his forehead, but something else appeared in his mind.
The fire column in the eastern forest lit up seven days ago. Coincidentally, seven days ago was the time when Hua Cheng left Pu Qi Temple. Perfect time. Is there a relationship between the two events?
"Looks like your relationship with him isn't bad." Jun Wu said, "If you accidentally meet him, then everything might still be fine. However, if he has a relationship with this case, if you feel awkward then don't force yourself. If you have other suggestions, immediately let me know at me. "
After a short silence, Xie Lian said, "I will go."
Jun Wu looked at him, "Xian Le, I know you are very capable and know what you have to do. However, I also know that you always think the best for everyone."
Hearing his words, Xie Lian smiled a little, "Please don't say it like I'm a princess who has never left her family's house. Those words really don't suit me anymore."
Jun Wu still shook his head, "I shouldn't have commented on who you will be friends with, but I will still say this, be careful of Hua Cheng."
Xie Lian lowered her head, and didn't say anything. He should have answered with "Yes, my lord," after all, it had become a habit. However, somehow, he really didn't want to say "Yes".
"Especially from the evil sword E-Ming. Don't let the sword hurt you." Jun Wu continued.
"What's wrong with the sword?" Xie Lian asked, curious.
"The wounds inflicted by the evil sword of E-Ming are all cursed. Even when the wound is healed, if Hua Cheng wants it, it will bleed once more." Jun Wu answered.
Xie Lian didn't know where the sudden self-confidence came from, but he didn't think Hua Cheng would hurt him at all. However, he replied, "Xian Le understands."
Jun Wu nodded again, "After you take this case, I will naturally feel comfortable. If you don't feel any awkwardness, it's even better. But still, carrying out this mission alone might be too dangerous and burdening you. Are there other officials who are do you want to appoint this case and help you together? "
"It really doesn't matter." Xie Lian said after thinking, "But it would be better if they were easy to get along with. It would be better if they were strong so they could lend me spiritual power at any time when I needed it."
Jun Wu smiled, "You attacked and aborted the choices for Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen with the first condition you requested."
Really, no one could say that Feng Xin and Mu Qin were someone who had a sociable personality, and Xie Lian also smiled.
"How about the three of you? Have you talked to them?" Jun Wu asked. The Great God himself never entered the ranks of spirit communication, and therefore naturally did not realize and did not know the chatter and gossip that occurred between the officials.
"We speak a few words." Xie Lian answered.
"It's been years, but you only say a few words?" Jun Wu asked, "Oh, right. I heard when you went up this time, you destroyed many castles and property from your fellow heavenly officials, and one of them was Nan Yang."
Xie Lian cleared his throat, and used this opportunity to explain to himself, "I have already paid that debt! All in total eight million, eight hundred eighty thousand merits! And for this, I need to thank my lord for giving me the opportunity to go to Mount Yu Jun and complete payment in full. "
"Thanks to Nan Yang," Jun Wu answered, "I heard from Ling Wen who said he personally approached her to pay your debt from his reconstruction fees."
Xie Lian was stunned. "This ... I have no idea about this."
No wonder the eight million, eight hundred eighty thousand reward was easily paid; most have been forgiven. But at that time, Nan Yang's palace was the most heavily damaged, they said half of the golden roof had collapsed.
"Nan Yang made sure that Wen Wen would not tell you, so naturally you were unconscious. Because he didn't want you to know, it would be better to keep pretending to be stupid." Said Jun Wu.
Xie Lian did not know how he felt about this. So complicated and bitter, his mind seemed cloudy. Finally he sighed silently and thought, 'Really, in this world, the words "don't tell anyone" are all full of emptiness'. Not useful at all!
Jun Wu pondered then said, "If Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen don't want to do it and are not the right choice, what about the Wind Master?"
Xie Lian pondered the choice, "The Wind Master looks so good, but I don't know if she wants to go to take this mission with me?"
"The Wind Master is so strong," continued Jun Wu, "A lively person who is gregarious, and thus matches the first condition you ask for, someone who is sociable. After collaborating with the Wind Master at Ban Yue, he also has the impression that good about you. I think you two will be fine. If you don't have any other questions, meet the Wind Master and go to Ghost Town. Also, "
"Yes?"
Jun Wu said wearily, "Working hard is good, but don't force yourself."
Xie Lian was shocked by those words, and smiled, "What did my lord say? I did not force myself."
Jun Wu patted Xie Lian's shoulder and didn't speak a word.
The two spent a few more minutes there discussing other administrative matters before Jun Wu called the Wind Master and let Xie Lian go. Leaving the Isatana of the Great Self-Defense Hall, Xie Lian stood for a moment near the gate, looked around the place, before finally walking back through Martial Deity Avenue (Street Name of the Martial God) to leave the heavenly court.
After he reached the heavenly staircase leading to the mortal realm, he took a walk to wait for the Wind Master. But after a while, the person who appeared was not a female cultivator in white before, but another cultivator in white.
The cultivator looked so radiant, the spiritual aura he possessed was abundantly gathered and radiated around him - the cultivator was the previous cultivator that he had seen attending the conference at the Great Self-Defense Hall, Shi Qing Xuan. He waved his arm and smiled, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Xie Lian smiled, "Greetings, fellow cultivator."
To be honest, he really wanted to ask what degree he had, but thought it was rude to do it. He would sneak a peek into his scroll to see which heavenly official named Qing Xuan when then the person walked up to him and shouted, "Let's go! Let's check the underworld."
Xie Lian was surprised, "My friend, I'm waiting for someone."
Hearing this, the cultivator seemed to put his horse's whip to the back collar of his outer robe and turned around in surprise, "Who are you waiting for?"
"I'm waiting for the Wind Master." Xie Lian answered.
The white clothed cultivator looked even more confused, "Aren't I already here?"
"..."
Xie Lian's eyebrows shot up, "You are the Wind Master?"
The Wind Master seemed to open his fan, and began fanning himself, "I am the Wind Master, what should I suspect? Don't you know who I am? Have you ever heard my name: Wind Master - Shi Qing Xuan ?"
The tone of his voice sounded indisputable and absolute, as if Xie Lian who did not know his name at all was impossible. The folding fan had the word "Wind" written on italics on the front, while the back of the fan had three slashes drawn - the exact same fan that the female cultivator in white had before!
Xie Lian suddenly remembered; Fu Yao had previously mentioned that some heavenly high court officials in special circumstances, had the ability to change their appearance. While at Ban Yue, Nan Feng also said an incomplete sentence: "The Wind Master always does."
It is always like that? Always what?
A man ?!
After being dragged a few steps, Xie Lian was still unable to fully process this information, "Um ... Master Wind Master, you, you, why did you disguise yourself as a woman last time?"
"What? Am I not beautiful?" Asked the Wind Master.
"Yes? But ..." Xie Lian still looked confused.
"If I look beautiful then it's okay, right? As long as I look fine!" The Wind Master smiled brightly, "Of course because I will look good because I'm in disguise!"
Because of this, he seemed to suddenly have an idea, and closed the fan. He gave Xie Lian once again with a calculated look, and spoke after a while, "By the way, don't we have to disguise ourselves for this mission to Ghost Town?"
"..."
Xie Lian: "???"