Longzang

Chapter 110 Preliminary exploration
The divination results were quite clear: danger was indeed waiting for Wei Yuan. The white-bearded old man died from a sneak attack from behind, compounded by a powerful blood curse. This blood curse also carried effects of defilement and bad luck, making it impossible for ordinary anti-curse magic to defend against.

Upon seeing the result, Wei Yuan actually breathed a sigh of relief.

Knowing the source of the danger made things easier. Wei Yuan was always cautious and trusted no one on this trip, making a sneak attack on him virtually impossible. The Taichu Palace also had plenty of methods to deal with the Blood Curse. Although the opponent had also inflicted filth and bad luck, among the small items bestowed by the Immortal Lord was a jade thumb ring specifically designed to defend against all filth effects. As for bad luck, Wei Yuan sneered inwardly. Even a True Lord couldn't break Wei Yuan's luck; others could try if they wanted.

The key to the smooth progress of this divination was the array plate that Wei Yuan placed within the formation. This array plate, created by a Celestial Lord, instantly elevated the formation's level infinitely, making it almost a true method of divine inquiry.

However, Wei Yuan wouldn't be overconfident; he still needed to make the necessary preparations. He took out a small rag doll from his silken space and squeezed out a little blood from his fingertip to smear on it. This rag doll was also a gift from the Immortal Lord; after being smeared with blood, it could act as a substitute, becoming one with Wei Yuan and sharing the damage.

In other words, if the opponent curses Wei Yuan, it's equivalent to cursing both the Immortal Lord and Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan wants to see if he can bear the karmic consequences of cursing an immortal.

After finishing all this, Wei Yuan put away the array plate, scrambled the array diagram on the ground, and erased all traces of it from the area. It rained every day here, and in less than a day, all traces would be washed away by the rain.

While Wei Yuan was busy, Xu Wenwu was extremely anxious, fidgeting and trying to express his opinion, but Wei Yuan showed no intention of untying the rope binding his mouth.

A moment later, the three mounted their horses again, and Wei Yuan also sent a wisp of black energy to enhance the three horses, and they galloped towards the Lan Shen Sect. An hour later, the three stood in front of the Lan Shen Palace's mountain gate.

The Lanshen Palace was built against the mountain, with its main gate at the foot of the mountain. Now, only half a stone pillar remains; the rest has either crumbled into rubble or disappeared without a trace. Behind the gate is a gentle road leading directly to the main hall. Only the foundation and a few charred, broken pillars remain of that hall. The road from the gate to the main hall was originally paved with bluestone, wide enough for two carriages to travel side-by-side, but now most of the surface is covered in mud, and the exposed stones are overgrown with moss.

The main hall of Lanshen Palace was built halfway up the mountain, more than ten miles from the mountain gate. From a distance, it appeared that a small part of the main hall had collapsed, with the remaining portion still stubbornly standing. However, the surrounding halls had been completely reduced to ruins.

Behind the main hall is a towering, precipitous peak, like a sharp sword piercing the sky. Some side courtyards and rooms for the disciples were built around the peak, but now only ruins remain.

It seems that Lanshen Palace was really thoroughly demolished. In just a few years, only half of the main hall remained, and the rest was basically turned into ruins.

"Let's go in and take a look." Wei Yuan took the lead and walked into the desolate Lan Shen Sect.

In the northern part of Quliu Town, in the back courtyard of a large house, a young swordsman stood before a handsome middle-aged man, unwrapping the bandages from his face layer by layer. A conspicuous wound clung to his nose, revealing broken bone beneath. Several cuts marred his forehead and face, the flesh turned inside out and beginning to turn white. As the bandages were removed, a foul odor filled the room, reminiscent of filth, sewage, and leftover food mixed together and left to stand for days.

The middle-aged man's expression was solemn as he carefully examined the young swordsman's wound. He then picked out some powder from several medicine bottles and sprinkled it on the wound. Afterward, his pupils turned silver, indicating that he had used a secret technique such as the Qi Observation Technique.

After trying several different medicinal powders, the middle-aged man stopped his magic and said solemnly, "You were injured by an object of destiny, but this object is very strange. It seems both real and illusory, and should be of extremely high status, yet it is also ethereal and sinister. It struck you head-on, shattering your destiny and leaving you in a state of misfortune. Your wound has also become tainted with filth, which is equivalent to being cursed by the Wuyu Clan once again. Now your wound is absorbing the decaying energy around it, so it is naturally difficult to heal."

The young swordsman was somewhat incredulous and asked, "Is such a minor flesh wound really that complicated?"

"Your injury is more troublesome than poisoning. Hmm, perhaps it could be called a poison of luck and feng shui. What have you been doing lately that you've provoked such a powerful enemy?"

The young swordsman was very aggrieved: "I didn't do anything out of line! I was just doing the usual things. I don't know what happened that day, we were just heading back to the manor as usual, and then that guy suddenly attacked and killed several of my men. Then I figured he wasn't that strong, so I chased after him..."

The middle-aged man, who had been listening, suddenly interrupted him and began to press for details, finally saying, "That man could kill nine guards in an instant, and you didn't even sense any fluctuations in his Dao power, let alone know what magical artifacts or Dao techniques he was skilled in! How could you think he wasn't that powerful? He's much more powerful than you!"

The young swordsman said, "I don't know either, that's just how it felt at the time..."

"Could it be fishing with luck? Or some other supernatural power?" Upon thinking of fishing with luck, the middle-aged man couldn't sit still any longer and said, "Take my token and go to Master Mu Shang, and ask him to cleanse your primordial spirit!"

The young swordsman was startled: "Is it that serious? Is it necessary to go see Master Mu Shang?"

The middle-aged man's face darkened: "You might still have hooks on you; who knows what stupid things you'll do next!"

The young swordsman looked pale. At that moment, the steward walked in and said, "Master, there is someone outside who wants to see you. He claims to be from the Taichu Palace."

"Go to the back first." The middle-aged man let the young swordsman into the back hall, and then sat up properly. After a while, a female cultivator entered. She was dressed in a dark red robe, with willow-shaped eyebrows and fair skin, exuding a charm that radiated from within.

The female cultivator bowed and said, "This junior is Zhu Yuanjin from Haotian Temple of Taichu Palace. Greetings, Elder Xu."

"I am Xu Zhiyuan, a mere independent cultivator from a branch sect. I am unworthy of being addressed as a senior." After exchanging a few polite words, the two took their seats. Xu Zhiyuan then said, "This place is desolate and devoid of any spiritual energy. May I ask why you have come, fairy?"

“Several senior brothers went to Ningxi to explore before, but they disappeared without a trace after they arrived. So the palace sent a few of us here to see what happened.”

Xu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Didn't Fairy Zhu come with a few fellow disciples? Why haven't they come in?"

"They went off to investigate other leads separately. Because my master had a past relationship with Elder Xu Guanwen, I made a point of visiting the elder first, and then Elder Guanwen asked me to come and find you."

Xu Zhiyuan nodded and said, "Since it is the Sixth Elder's order, I will cooperate fully. Just tell me what Fairy Zhu needs, and I will take care of it if I can. You can stay in the courtyard for the next few days; it's really not comfortable outside."

Zhu Yuanjin's face lit up with joy: "That's for the best. I've been so damp these past few days, I'm practically dripping wet."

Xu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, all the guest rooms here are equipped with a Shaoyang Xunfeng Array, so the rooms will never be cold or damp, no matter the season."

Zhu Yuanjin then said, "By the way, I've heard that your son Xu Jingfeng is outstanding in swordsmanship and Taoist arts. I wonder if it would be possible to have him accompany me these next few days? I'm unfamiliar with this place and would really appreciate guidance from an expert."

"That's unfortunate. My son was injured a few days ago, and the injury is quite complicated. I sent him to an old friend's place for treatment, and he just left yesterday."

"Oh dear, what bad luck! I've long heard that Senior Brother Xu is a high-ranking cultivator at the Heavenly Rank, with unparalleled swordsmanship and a handsome appearance. I'd love to see him for myself!"

Seeing that the female cultivator was somewhat frivolous, Xu Zhiyuan had an idea and said, "Actually, I have another junior in my clan who is quite promising and good-looking. Why don't you let him accompany you for the next few days?"

Zhu Yuanjin's face lit up with joy, and he said, "Thank you for your trouble, Elder Xu!"

At this moment, Wei Yuan stood on the ruins of the front hall of the Lan Shen Sect, looking at a stone relief on the ground. The relief depicted a huge white snake coiled around several naked women, its forked tongue slithering across their bodies.

"Oh my! This is so sexy..." Xu Wenwu blurted out, then remembered that Xu Wan'er was right next to him, and quickly tried to salvage the situation: "I meant, it's beautifully drawn..."

Wei Yuan added a surge of Dao power to the rope, sealing Xu Wenwu's mouth shut once more.

After the surroundings quieted down, Wei Yuan raised his hand and used a water spell to wash away the accumulated soil and decaying leaves on the ground, revealing the entire relief sculpture in its entirety.

The relief sculpture of a giant serpent is entwined around seven women, each with a different expression and demeanor, all vividly portrayed. The serpent itself seems to come alive from the sculpture, its eyes displaying a lewd glint on the left and a savage cruelty on the right, each with its own distinct expression.

Upon seeing this picture, Wei Yuan's heart stirred. In the storybooks of the Lying Flat Inn, there was one about a giant snake that attained enlightenment and transformed into a scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations. On his journey, the scholar encountered seven young ladies, each with her own unique charm, and the experiences of staying with them were completely different, each one making it hard to leave.

The next day, before leaving, the scholar told each young lady that he loved only her and that he would return to marry her after passing the imperial examination. He also swore a solemn oath that if he broke the oath, he would suffer torture and die.

The imperial examination results were announced, but the scholar failed.

It wasn't that the scholar intentionally wanted to break his oath, but rather that the human examiners' questions were far too difficult. The giant serpent, having just transformed into human form, had never witnessed the treachery of the human world, and as a result, he answered the questions terribly. Since he failed the test, his oath naturally became invalid.

The giant snake then transformed into a scholar, preparing to travel and enjoy the scenery on his way back home, hoping to take the exam again the following year and perhaps encounter a few more different young ladies along the way. Not long after leaving the capital, the scholar came across a large estate. A maidservant, familiar with the place, invited him inside, saying that a young lady was waiting in the backyard to spend the night with him.

The giant serpent, familiar with the subject, gladly went to the inner quarters, only to find an exceptionally festive hall where seven young ladies sat together at a table. That night, the room was filled with warmth and the air was thick with the joy of spring.

Snake meat is highly nutritious, and the seven young ladies ate until their faces were flushed, with more than half of it still left uneaten.

The story was incomplete and unfinished. Wei Yuan initially treated it as just entertainment, a cover for studying the "madman of the world" in his sea of ​​consciousness. But unexpectedly, he saw the relief from the story in the former site of the Lan Shen Palace. Moreover, the painting was on the floor of the main hall in the front hall, a very important location.

Lan Shen Palace was a fourth-tier sect, just a step away from becoming a third-tier blessed land. Its territory spanned a hundred miles, far from being a small, insignificant sect. Even if the sect were to be destroyed now, there would still be many human villages and towns nearby, inhabited by tens of thousands of people. Such a sect wouldn't be so bored as to waste so much effort carving storybooks in its main hall; the reliefs likely came first, followed by the stories. There must be another important story behind these reliefs.

(End of this chapter)