Mountain and sea lantern

Chapter 631 Freedom
The next day, the sun shines brightly.

Outside the temple gates, watching Feng Jue depart to carry out the clan leader's decree, Feng Qingping, standing beside clan leader Feng Xi, asked, "The Golden-haired Rat clan has been enslaved by my Phoenix Clan for countless years. Are they really all being released like this?"

Feng Xi snorted, "I don't want to let go either. The Demon Queen has discovered that we are helping the Eastern Sheng Royal Court without informing us, and she is very unhappy. It would be inappropriate to resist her at this time."

The goddess Feng Qingping sighed, "I understand the reasoning, but my Phoenix Clan has enslaved the Golden-haired Rat Clan for too long. Can they really forget this humiliation? If they ever rise to power, how can they not avenge this?"

Feng Xi said indifferently, "That day will not come. If they continue to be slaves, they can continue to live a miserable life. If they leave, they will only face death. Let them be for now, let them have some fun, and we can deal with them after things have calmed down."

Having said that, Feng Qingping understood and remained silent, nodding slightly...

Inside the mountain gate at the foot of the mountain, a group of people gathered on both sides to watch the spectacle, observing a large, filthy rat that was trembling and blocking the entrance.

The 'demon-locking rings' on the big rat's nose have all disappeared; they have all been removed.

The crowd on both sides were whispering among themselves, wondering why the sacred mountain would suddenly grant these golden-haired rats their freedom.

With a clang, a gong sounded, and the ripples inside the mountain gate archway opened up an exit.

The door was already open, but a group of large rats cowered inside, none daring to take a single step out.

Then, Huang Yingying, who had transformed into human form and was wrapped in rags, ran out first, followed by a swarm of rats.

They went out without stopping, looking back from time to time, rushing forward all the way out of the small town-like mountain gate guard post, but instead of taking the right path, they rushed into the heart-wrapping grass forest by the roadside under Huang Yingying's lead, running wildly under the lush green leaves.

As they ran, one by one they transformed into human form, men and women, naked and yet knowing shame. They jumped up and picked grass leaves to make aprons. The clan leader, Jin Fu, was already an old man in his eighties, but he still ran wildly.

Many of the little mice cannot transform into human form, but that doesn't stop them from running wildly, even jumping and leaping on blades of grass.

Or gallop between the shadows and dappled sunlight on the ground.

No one uttered a sound; they all sped along silently, as if afraid of falling behind.

Whether human or mouse, they all frequently looked up at the blue sky and white clouds peeking through the gaps in the grass.

The sky above was no different from the sky above the mountain, yet it was endlessly fascinating and incredibly fresh, giving one an extra drive to roam freely. Even though my body was somewhat weak from not having enough to eat for a long time, it displayed its strongest side at this moment.

After a while, the little mice couldn't keep up, and they gradually stopped. Some looked around excitedly, while others suddenly knelt down and cried, which infected everyone else. The scene was filled with tears, and many knelt down as well.

Chief Jin Fu was the first to calm down. He wiped away his tears, found Huang Yingying, and said, "We can't stay in Jukuzhou for long, lest the Phoenix Clan change their minds. We need to leave as soon as possible. Leaving requires money. Go to Dazhi City quickly, find your wife Bai Qiru, and ask her to leave with us." He glanced back at the clansmen behind him, "She should be able to easily come up with the money for our clansmen to leave."

Last night he mentioned money to Shi Chun. Leaving Xunmen would definitely cost money, and not just a little, considering there are so many clansmen.

However, Shi Chun did not give it to him. It was not that Shi Chun could not produce it, but that he was afraid that if they suddenly had enough money, it would cause unforeseen problems. He meant that they should ask Bai Qiru for the money, so that the money would be considered reasonable.

Huang Yingying was somewhat troubled after hearing this. "How could she possibly come with us? Not to mention whether she would even respect us, her clansmen are still in prison."

Chief Jin Fu said, "Mr. Wang said that as long as we say we're leaving, she will come with us."

Seeing that he was still pondering, she immediately urged him, "Don't hesitate any longer. Since Mr. Wang said that, he won't harm us. Go quickly. We'll wait for you in the bushes ten miles south of Yaoshan City."

"Okay." Huang Yingying finally agreed, then jumped onto the grass, looked around to confirm the direction, and quickly flew away.

Shi Chun, who was looking out from the grass in the distance, turned to the people around him after confirming that the golden-haired rat clan had been released, and said, "Let's go."

The three of them quickly disappeared into the depths of the bushes...

In a lane in Yaoshan City, Xi Quan, the disciple in charge of business in the area from the Extreme Fire Sect, observed the surroundings, then pushed open the gate of an ordinary house, quickly went inside, and closed the gate.

After Qiu Ben, the leader of the Martial Hall, and others were captured on the sacred mountain, Xi Quan quietly left the Extreme Fire Sect's venue there and hid here.

In fact, the Phoenix Clan did not hunt down the disciples of the Extreme Fire Sect everywhere, but he still changed his appearance and disguised himself.

After passing through the courtyard and pushing open the door, a man in disguise was sitting cross-legged inside.

The Extreme Fire Sect disciples were captured, and after repeated unsuccessful attempts to communicate with the Phoenix Clan, they sent people here to oversee the situation.

After Xi Quan closed the door, he immediately stepped forward and whispered, "Uncle-Master, the patrolman on the sacred mountain named Po Yuan has sent word that the Phoenix Clan Chief has ordered the release of the Golden-haired Rat Clan, saying that the rats have already come down the mountain."

The person sitting cross-legged slowly opened his eyes. "The rat spirits that Qiu Ben mentioned, which are related to Shi Chun and can be caught by keeping an eye on them?"

Xi Quan: "Yes."

The person sitting cross-legged asked in bewilderment, "Those rats have been enslaved for countless years, why would they suddenly be released at this time?"

Xi Quan said, "Po Yuan isn't quite sure either. He asked Feng Jue, but Feng Jue didn't want to say much and just glossed over it, saying that he was under some kind of pressure."

"There probably aren't many people who can put pressure on the Phoenix Clan Chief..." The person muttered to himself for a while, then raised his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Never mind those, first find those rat demons, keep track of their movements, and whether or not to take action against them will be decided by the sect."

Xi Quan agreed, "Yes. However, we don't know where those rat spirits went. We're afraid we don't have enough manpower to search here. We'll have to ask the sect to send more people."

The meditator stood up. “I’ll make the communication. Let’s find people one by one. I’ll go too. Also, you can arrange for two people to keep watch at the Xun Gate on the exit side. If they find anything, have them follow immediately.”

After finishing their conversation, the two quickly left.

Shortly after the two left the courtyard, a gecko-like animal crawled out of a leather bag hanging on the wall, quickly jumped onto the roof beam, and left.

It scrambled along the walls and rooftops, climbing into several houses outside, then leaped onto a man's arm and chirped in his ear for a while.

After listening and understanding, the man quickly left. He walked through the streets and alleys and arrived directly at Zhu Lang Pavilion. In a secluded corner of the pavilion, he met with the second steward, Tian Shen.

Ever since the proprietress here, Yin Xu, sided with Shi Chun, she has been keeping a close eye on the members of the Extreme Fire Sect who were opposing Shi Chun. When Xi Quan disguised himself and moved away, he was discovered here, so they tried every means to keep an eye on him. This whole thing was really done with great care.

After hearing the report, Tian Shen quickly left, went straight to the top floor, found Yin Xu, and reported the information he had overheard.

After tending to the flowers and plants, Yin Xu paused and paced back and forth for a while, seemingly talking to himself, "The Golden-haired Rat Clan has actually been released by the Phoenix Clan. Is they related to Shi Chun?" Now that things have come to this, it is known that Wang Ping is Shi Chun.

The situation was simply because the actions taken against Shi Chun in Jukuzhou had been going on for far too long. Although she wasn't exactly well-informed, she was still able to get in touch with the outside world to some extent, and over time she would have learned something about the situation.

Regardless of whether it was related to Shi Chun, she took out the mother-child talisman and urgently sent a message to Shi Chun about the situation.

If those rat spirits really are in cahoots with Shi Chun, and Shi Chun doesn't find out in time, something bad might happen.

However, after the message was sent and sent several times, Shi Chun still did not respond.

Therefore, Yin Xu immediately instructed Tian Shen to mobilize forces to secretly find the Golden-haired Rat Clan.

The reason why Shi Chun could not receive Yin Xu's message at this time was because he was no longer in Jukuzhou, but had arrived in the capital of Beiju.

The main purpose was to see Situ Gu about turning himself in. The woman in red and her family were a safety net, but Shi Chun was worried about something going wrong, so he wanted to trouble Situ Gu again.

He knew Situ Gu's temperament and didn't want to cause trouble for everyone, fearing it would arouse suspicion of blackmailing others. But with his life at stake, the only person he could persuade was Situ Gu.

However, before that, he first met with Lao Changtai, who was waiting there.

Once you get here, you can contact Lao Changtai. Shi Chun figured that the task he entrusted to Lao Changtai was already done.

Sure enough, as soon as they met, Lao Changtai gave him the positioning compass and told him the relevant information: "We found him. He went to Wenzhou and settled in a place called 'Zhisang City' in Wenzhou."

"It's good that you've found him." Shi Chun told him to wait here until he had seen Situ Gu before taking him away together...

In Dazhi City, at Bai's Rice Shop, Bai Qiru was stunned and surprised to see Huang Yingying, who had secretly climbed over the wall and was caught, revealing her true appearance. He immediately asked what had happened.

She was unaware that the sacred mountain had already released the golden-haired rat clan.

Upon learning that the Golden Rat Clan had been freed and that she would be taken away, Bai Qiru excused herself to consider it briefly, and after avoiding Huang Yingying, took out the Mother-Child Talisman to contact the outside world.

Yin Fei, one of the patrolling guardians of the central region, avoided people and took out the Mother-Child Talisman to check the message.

After some communication, he continued to wait until his shift arrived.

When the time came, after handing over his duties, he immediately went to the prison. Taking advantage of the opportunity to patrol, he approached Granny Qi, who was imprisoned, in the cell corridor and whispered the relevant information.

Even the usually composed Granny Qi was incredibly surprised at this moment. "Are you sure the entire Golden-haired Rat clan has been released?"

Yin Fei said in a low voice, "Yes, there is no mistake. It seems that someone is putting pressure on the Phoenix Clan."

Grandma Qi paced back and forth inside, seemingly excited, muttering to herself, "It's right, it must be right, I was right after all. They actually managed to rescue the entire Golden Rat Clan. What a skill! What a skill! I really don't know how they did it."

What she didn't know was that it was simple; someone had just made a small request.

The wish that the golden-haired rat clan had struggled for countless years to fulfill was solved by someone with just a single sentence.

In her excitement, she quickly approached the bars and whispered, "Go, let her go with them, tell her not to worry about us, just make sure she remembers what I said."

“Okay.” Yin Fei agreed, then looked around and, realizing it wasn’t wise to linger, left quickly without further ado.

Soon, Bai Qiru, owner of Bai's Rice Shop in Dazhi City, also made the decision to abandon his family and business, packing his things and leaving with Huang Yingying.

Huang Yingying blinked repeatedly as she stared at him, thinking to herself, "Brother Wang Ping was right after all. He's really coming with me!"

The couple quickly disguised themselves, but after being repeatedly arrested, Bai Qiru became much more cautious. After changing their appearance, the two quietly left through the side door of the rice shop.

With Bai Qiru traveling with them, things became much easier once they left the city. Regardless of Bai Qiru's cultivation level, at least he possessed the Wind Scale skill, allowing them to quickly travel away with Huang Yingying.

It didn't take the couple long to reach the agreed-upon location outside Yaoshan City and find the Golden-haired Rat clan hiding there.

Upon seeing Bai Qiru arrive in person, and seeing that Bai Qiru had made a decision so quickly, willing to abandon his family and leave with their lowly clan, the clan chief Jin Fu's eyes revealed a complex emotion. He guessed that Mr. Wang had indeed been right.

This place was not a place to linger. The Golden-haired Rat Clan was extremely afraid that the Phoenix Clan would change their minds. After a brief exchange, the two sides quickly departed.

However, they hadn't run far when they were stopped by a figure that seemed to descend from the sky in a vibrant springtime glow. The newcomer was a woman with a face that could shame the moon and flowers; it was none other than Yin Xu.

In terms of business operations in the Yaoshan City area, her sense of touch far surpasses that of the Extreme Fire Sect, which is why she discovered it first and rushed over immediately upon hearing the news.

Fearing hostile intentions, the golden-haired rats hiding in the shadows of the grass all retreated in fear. Bai Qiru quickly stepped forward to confront them and asked in a deep voice, "Who goes there?"

Yin Xu said, "Yin Xu of Zhu Lang Pavilion, I have no ill intentions. I just want to ask where you want to go and whether you have prepared a place to stay?"

Zhu Langge Yin Xu? Bai Qiru's eyes flickered slightly. She knew from her grandmother that this woman had a close relationship with Shi Chun. After her grandmother was trapped, she had been communicating with Shi Chun secretly through this woman.

Chief Jin Fu tentatively asked, "What makes you say that?"

Yin Xu didn't waste any words and directly warned, "The Extreme Fire Sect has its eyes on you and is searching for your whereabouts everywhere. If you don't have a safe place to go, you may be in danger."

Upon hearing that the Extreme Fire Sect was looking for them, the Golden-haired Rat Clan immediately became extremely nervous.

Although he was imprisoned on the sacred mountain and never came out, he had heard people mention him and knew that the Extreme Fire Sect was a powerful sect in the cultivation world.

Bai Qiru's eyes flickered. He already knew that the Golden-haired Rat Clan had no good place to go for the time being and only wanted to leave Juku Continent. Therefore, he took the initiative to say, "They have no good place to go for the time being. Since you mean well, do you have any suggestions?"

Yin Xu: "You can go to Qingqiu. With the protection of the Qingqiu Fox Clan, the Extreme Fire Sect will not dare to act recklessly. However, the premise is that the Qingqiu Fox Clan is willing to protect you."

There are some things she still needs to confirm. She needs to confirm whether these people are in cahoots with Shi Chun. If so, then she can let these people go to Qingqiu and say that they were introduced by the ancestor's friend.

(End of this chapter)