Mountain and sea lantern

Chapter 585 Yu Xuanbing

Time passed in the cave; judging by the time on my fingers, it should be the next day.

After closing the book and gathering the pile of books on the ground, Shi Chun glanced at a well-dressed man lying motionless on the ground beside him.

The man was captured while searching for a suitable messenger. He was a street thug, and no one knew what his background was. Anyway, he bullied the kind-hearted people and people didn't like him, so they just captured him.

With a flick of his fingers, Shi Chun lifted the man from the ground, his throat falling into his hand. Ignoring the man's terrified and pleading eyes, he snapped his neck with a snap.

After confirming that it was completely dead, Wu Jinliang chuckled and took out the incense burner, hooked his little finger, and released an open flame to burn it.

The two, who were very familiar with the process, quickly created a black hole leading to the underworld.

Before entering, Shi Chun instructed Wu Jinliang, who was eager to go, "I don't know where the cave entrance will appear outside. I'll go first and wait for my instructions."

Wu Jinliang naturally understood his meaning. In case of any changes, he would still have the possibility of being there to provide support. He nodded without saying a word.

Shi Chun flashed into the cave, and the instant he emerged, he quickly used his Cloud-Stepping Boots to steady himself.

For no other reason than that the cave entrance appeared at a high position this time, with the city lights shining dimly below him, like scattered or dense starlight in the sky, the lights red, white, blue and green.

It has houses, streets, and pedestrians; it is a vast city.

The incense of death, when applied to different creatures, opens exits in different locations. I wonder if this place is within the territory of the Stronghold Palace.

He quickly took out the mother-child talisman to contact Lao Changtai and asked: Are you there?
Lao Changtai quickly replied: Yes, where are you?

Shi Chun didn't reply immediately. He turned around, tiptoed through the air, ran to the hole he had emerged from, and used magic to hiss twice inside, saying, "Come here."

"Coming!" Wu Jinliang responded, and the figure shot over.

As Shi Chun reached the exit, he scooped up Wu Jinliang and simultaneously released the bundle of golden threads that had been used to cast the spell. The opening immediately vanished.

"Wow, why is it so high this time?" Wu Jinliang, who was hanging from someone's hand, asked in surprise, "What city is this? It looks quite lively."

Shi Chun had no idea what city it was; he just figured out where the exit would be.

However, based on previous experience controlling those golden threads, the cave entrance should be quite a distance from the destination where the golden threads go to collect souls, but it doesn't seem too far, so it's not advisable to stay here for long.

There seems to be no definite answer as to how long one should not linger here; naturally, it's best to leave as soon as possible.

The key issue is that the rules in the underworld cities seem to be the same as those in the outside world. For the sake of the privacy of the city's residents, flying in the air without official permission is also prohibited within the city.

The sudden opening of the exit in mid-air was a trap, making the two of them feel very uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the two showed no signs of flying; they appeared out of nowhere and have not yet attracted attention.

However, if they take off and land, they are still easily spotted.

Realizing something was wrong, Wu Jinliang said guiltily, "Damn it, am I going to get arrested as soon as I arrive?"

Shi Chun glanced at the dark surroundings, a thought flickered in his mind, and suddenly took out the 'Three Corpse Mirror'. He cast a spell and threw it above the two people's heads, controlling it from a distance. A dark light enveloped the two of them.

The Three Corpse Mirror, with its dark light, along with the two of them, slanted towards an area with few lights.

Shi Chun controlled his orientation entirely thanks to the special ability of his right eye.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Shi Chun immediately reached out and grabbed the 'Three Corpse Mirror' that was falling from above and put it away.

Wu Jinliang chuckled crookedly, never expecting that this magic weapon, designed to target others, could also be used on himself.

Shi Chun didn't want to listen to his nonsense, so he quickly told him to change seats. Who knew if someone would notice something was wrong and come to investigate?

While wandering through the streets and alleys, they also got in touch with Lao Changtai again.

Lao Changtai asked them where they were, but Shi Chun and the other two didn't know either. They only knew they were in a city. After communicating with each other and reporting the landmarks in the city, they realized they were in the same place, in Qiangyu City, located at the foot of Qiangyu Palace.

Shi Chun didn't know why he had ended up in the city this time, but he knew that the location in the underworld was indeed related to the starting point outside. However, this connection was too difficult to figure out, and he couldn't calculate the way to go for the time being.

The meeting method is easy to arrange; it will take place at the foot of the tower near the landmark building.

Walking through the streets, most of the people passing by had their heads covered with white or black cloths, and it was rare to see someone like them casually grabbing a mask and putting it on their face.

Fortunately, they realized quickly that they were out of place and attracting attention. So they found an alley, grabbed a piece of black cloth, cut it up, and draped it over their bodies before going out on the street again, which made them feel more at ease.

However, the constant invasion of yin energy into the body was truly uncomfortable.

The two discovered that there seemed to be no difference between before and after the Underworld was sealed off. According to the records they had read in books, the people of the Underworld loved singing and dancing. Along their journey, they indeed saw many houses filled with the sounds of singing and dancing, and it seemed that there were many people living in a state of decadence. Some sang passionately, while others howled like ghosts.

The world is monotonous in color and has no distinct seasons, so people go to great lengths to decorate it with lighting and color.

There are no carriages or horses in the city. Those who can survive in the underworld are not ordinary people. Therefore, there are many people who use humans as cattle or horses and carry sedan chairs at high speed.

The sedan chair is also very distinctive. Unlike sedan chairs outside, where the lifting poles are located at the waist, the lifting poles here are located at the feet of the sedan chair. The lifting poles have high or low legs at both ends, which can be raised or lowered according to the environment when the sedan chair lands.

The sedan chair had a seat, a side room for people to lie down, and a simple version with gauze curtains hanging on all four sides.

After wandering around, Shi Chun and his companion finally arrived at the foot of a towering tower. They were not allowed to enter the tower, as it was guarded by underworld officials.

According to the book, there are twelve such towers in each city of the underworld, which serve as both high-rises for monitoring any anomalies within the city and as timekeeping tools.

When the appointed time arrives, lights will illuminate the corresponding tower, and bells will ring accordingly.

While Shi Chun and his companion were still looking around, two people covered with white cloths walked quickly toward them from among the passersby.

It was Lao Changtai and Chu Jingtang. Because of Wu Jinliang's height, they recognized him at a glance, even though he was covered by a black cloth.

The reason the two appeared here at the same time was also Shi Chun's idea. Shi Chun told the two to each take a coyote carcass and act separately, in case something unexpected happened if both coyote carcasses were on one person.

"Boss." The two greeted each other with some joy.

There was no need for formalities between them. Chu Jingtang said, "This is not the place to talk. I have already rented a place to stay here. Come with me."

So the four of them walked quickly.

It's rare for the head of the gang to come here, and Lao Changtai originally asked them if they wanted to do some sightseeing first, but Shi Chun felt that there would be plenty of time to do sightseeing later, and that it was more important to do business first.

After wandering through the streets and alleys for a while, we entered a house in a secluded place where we could not hear any singing or dancing. It was even quieter after we went inside and closed the door.

As soon as they sat down, Chu Jingtang tossed two sets of white clothing to Shi Chun and his companion. “Boss, the black robes you’re wearing are not right. Black robes can help absorb Yin energy, while white robes can block it. Only those who cultivate Yin-world techniques wear black robes. You should wear white robes, otherwise it will easily arouse suspicion. Boss Wu, you try them on. I know you’re tall, so I prepared them for you in advance.”

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang immediately changed their clothes. Sure enough, these specially made white cloth clothes were effective at blocking yin energy. The effect was even better after the white cloth was draped over their heads.

"If you haven't tried it before, it's not bad." Lao Changtai also brought out a plate of colorful pastries, as well as red wine and other drinks.

Shi Chun glanced at it, smelled it, but didn't swallow it. He told them to explain the situation first, and he wanted to see where it would be appropriate to use the "Deadly Incense".

Seeing that he didn't eat, Wu Jinliang tried everything instead.

If Shi Chun eats, then he will do the opposite, temporarily refraining from touching these foods and drinks.

After having a general idea of ​​the location, Shi Chun asked, "Lao Changtai said before that you had found suitable thugs and were trying to contact them. I didn't have time to ask more questions at the time. What's the situation?"

Chu Jingtang smiled and asked in return, "Boss, have you ever heard of a person named 'Yu Xuanbing'?"

The name sounded familiar, and Shi Chun and Wu Jin exchanged a glance.

With something in his mouth, Wu Jinliang tried to speak: "I heard that there used to be a famous assassin in the cultivation world who killed many officials from the Heavenly Court and the Royal Court. He was wanted everywhere, and I think he was also called that. Besides that, I don't know anything else..."

Chu Jingtang nodded and said, "That's right, it's him. He's currently in the Underworld."

Wu Jinliang was surprised, "He's still alive?"

Chu Jingtang: "He's alive and well, so you can imagine his cultivation level; he's already broken through to the Celestial Immortal realm. It's probably not that he wanted to stay in the Underworld, but rather that he was unlucky enough to be hiding there when the Underworld was closed. The problem is, the area where he was wanted included the Underworld. He assassinated too many people at the time, including some Underworld officials. How could the Underworld possibly let him go? That's why he's been in hiding."

Legend has it that no one knew he was living in seclusion in the underworld. After the underworld was sealed off, he gave up his life as an assassin. Who would have thought that an honest man who stayed at home doing odd jobs could be an assassin? Few people knew the true identity of 'Yu Xuanbing' until his family accidentally found his belongings and someone with a keen eye recognized him, thus exposing his identity. Only then did everyone realize that this famous assassin had actually settled down in the underworld.

This resulted in a bloodbath; he killed all his familiar neighbors and acquaintances, and the underworld officials who came to hunt him down also suffered heavy casualties, but he still managed to escape. Perhaps realizing that his hiding in the underworld had been exposed, he later went back out to take on jobs.

"Boss, this guy is a loner, and his style of getting things done for money is incredibly honest and fair. Plus, neither the outside world nor the underworld would tolerate him. Don't you think he's the perfect henchman?"

Those present immediately understood his meaning: this person was the least likely to expose the passage between the two worlds by bringing the underworld out.

Shi Chun pondered for a moment and realized that the person Chu Jingtang had chosen was indeed quite good, so he asked, "Celestial Immortal realm, the fee must be quite high, right?"

Chu Jingtang nodded and held up three fingers, saying, "It's indeed not cheap. It starts at 30 million units, and the price increases depending on the target. Moreover, he's selective about the jobs because the Underworld keeps setting traps to catch him, so he doesn't take just any job. It's said that he rarely gets any business. He's the type who doesn't get any business for three years, but when he does, he can live off it for three years."

Only thirty million? Shi Chun breathed a sigh of relief, but considering the value of the currency, he realized it was still quite expensive, though he could afford it. He immediately asked, "So, how did the negotiations go?"

(End of this chapter)