Mountain and sea lantern

Chapter 635 Distinguished Guest Arrives

Emerging from the stream area, only a hazy light remained as we waded through a knee-high patch of grass.

The meadow was dotted with wildflowers, and at the end of the meadow stood a huge, dark red stone monument, as lustrous as blood jade, with a majestic green hill behind it.

The mist that shrouded everything was strange and turbulent, sometimes feeling like the void was twisting, sometimes like someone was blowing air, and sometimes like many fox shadows chasing and playing.

Yin Luo cast a spell and transmitted his voice to the blood-red stone tablet, saying, "Yin Luo pays respects to the Ancestor."

After saying this, he knelt on the grass to pay his respects.

A moment later, a woman's giggling voice suddenly came from the surrounding mist, followed by a cheerful, bell-like voice, "I told you, you can handle things yourselves. I don't have the time for that, so don't ask me."

Yin Luo respectfully replied, "Ancestor, if it weren't for the fact that I absolutely needed you, I naturally wouldn't have come to disturb you."

Yinling laughed and said, "Oh, what is it?"

Yin Luo: "I've come specifically to ask, does the Ancestor have a good friend named Shi Chun?"

The occasional giggles that echoed through the mist suddenly stopped, and after a brief silence, the silvery laughter resumed, "What makes you say that?"

What else could Yin Luo do but recount the entire story of what was happening?

After hearing the story, Yinling laughed and said, "I don't know any Shi Chun, and I don't have such a person among my friends. I'm disliked by many people and don't have any friends. Why would that fox clan junior spread such a false rumor? Surely it wouldn't be without reason. Go and find out the truth and report back to me."

Yin Luo's expression darkened. Thinking about it, it made sense. The Ancestor had lived in the Divine Tomb for so long, how could he possibly know such a nobody? She hadn't expected that someone would be so audacious as to drag the Ancestor of Qingqiu into this. She immediately bowed and replied, "Yes."

As soon as he finished speaking, the laughter in the air receded like a receding tide, and in an instant, the place returned to deathly silence.

Yin Luo bowed again before getting up and leaving...

Bai Qiru, who was inside the hall, suddenly made an excuse, saying something about being presumptuous and disturbing people, and tried to leave, but was stopped by Yin Ning.

This is alarming the patriarch; how could we let them leave before we get a reply?

Having no power to resist the other party, Bai Qiru could only stay put, her mind in turmoil. Her grandmother couldn't possibly lie to her; Yin Xu and Shi Chun should be in cahoots. Why would Yin Xu tell such a lie?
She couldn't immediately tell the golden rat clan what had happened.

They didn't have to wait long before the figure in white, as white as snow, reappeared. It was Yin Luo, the chief of the Qingqiu clan, who had returned. After returning to his position, his expression had changed. Gone was the politeness he had shown when entertaining guests. He asked indifferently, "Was it that so-called pavilion master who told you that Shi Chun is a good friend of my ancestor?"

Bai Qiru tried to remain calm and said, "It was Yin Xu, the proprietress of Zhu Lang Pavilion in Jukuzhou, who told us to come here to seek refuge."

Yin Luo said indifferently, "Since you're already here, all guests are welcome. Let's settle you in first." He gave Yin Ning a wink.

Yin Ning immediately waved for people to come over and had his clansmen take them away to settle them.

"Thank you, Chieftain."

"Thank you, clan chief."

"Thank you for taking me in, clan chief."

Upon hearing this, the golden-haired rats beamed with joy and, as usual, chattered amongst themselves, finally putting everyone at ease.

Bai Qiru, who was leaving, was the only one who couldn't bring herself to smile.

With these mischievous demons gone, Yin Luo slowly descended the steps from the head of the table. Yin Ning, noticing something amiss, immediately stepped forward and asked, "Clan leader, what did the ancestor say?"

Yin Luo rolled her eyes at her, "What else can I say? What kind of status and position does the Ancestor have? How could he possibly know such a nobody?"

Yin Ning frowned. "How could this happen? Who would be stupid enough to invite this kind of trouble? Or is someone plotting something?"

Yin Luo: "The ancestor is also curious as to why Yin Xu would do this. He wants us to find out what happened as soon as possible. You should go there yourself. Keep an eye on these guys who just arrived before we confirm the truth."

"Yes." Yin Ning accepted the order and left.

Phoenix Clan's sacred mountain has been shrouded in the vast darkness of night.

Yu Xuanbing had also infiltrated the great array barrier, found a secluded spot to hide, and used the 'Dividing Spirit and Soaring Through the Subtle Technique'. An invisible red mist fish, pulling a red thread, began to survey the situation of the sacred mountain...

Two figures flashed out from the void entrance. Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang also rushed back to Jukuzhou in the vast night. When they landed, they could see the bright lights of Yaoshan City.

The two who landed first looked towards the sacred mountain, but they didn't know how Yu Xuanbing was doing and couldn't communicate with him. They gave Yu Xuanbing a mother-child talisman, but Yu Xuanbing refused to accept it, saying that he didn't like to be disturbed during his mission, so they couldn't keep track of the situation in time.

The two turned back to look at Yaoshan City. Right now, the Zhu Lang Pavilion was more important to them. Shi Chun took out the mother-child talisman and started sending messages to Yin Xu. But strangely, Yin Xu didn't reply at all. He waited and sent another message, then waited again, repeatedly, but there was still no response. This was something they had never encountered before.

This is really strange. We can't get in touch with Yu Xuanbing, and we can't get in touch with Yin Xu either.

Shi Chun's gaze toward Yaoshan City was solemn. He really wanted to go to Zhulang Pavilion to inquire, but he was also very hesitant.

For no other reason than that so many people connected to him had been arrested to put pressure on him, while Yin Xu remained untouched. He worried that someone was deliberately leaving a loophole, waiting for him to fall into it.

The fact that Chaoyue Pavilion is safe can be attributed to the protection of the Demon Queen. Does a mistress of a domain lord really have that much influence?
Wu Jinliang asked with great concern, "Could something have happened to her?"

At this very moment, it is quite possible, which is one of the reasons why Shi Chun dared not go there easily.

Wu Jinliang noticed his hesitation and suggested, "Provincial Governor Xiao happens to be here. Why don't we have him go and investigate?"

"I'll go myself. Your height is too conspicuous. Just wait here." Shi Chun said, got up, and flew away.

In his view, everyone around him has been thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities, and anyone who goes to a sensitive location is likely to be exposed. However, thanks to the predictive ability of his right eye and the protective magic items he carries, he has a certain ability to maneuver in case of trouble.

In front of a window on the upper floor of Zhu Lang Pavilion, the head steward, Hu Gongxian, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking somewhat uneasy.

His anxiety stemmed from the arrival of a distinguished guest at Zhu Lang Pavilion, a guest whose presence was prompted by the news he had spread. He feared that the guest's intentions were not good.

The distinguished guest he was worried about was none other than the Western Emperor, the Lord of Hanzhou.

Previously, in order to search for the whereabouts of the Golden-haired Rat Clan, Yin Xu mobilized a lot of people from Zhu Lang Pavilion. Such a commotion naturally could not be kept from Hu Gongxian. After learning about it, Hu Gongxian immediately reported the matter to the Western Emperor.

He hadn't expected that the Western Emperor would rush over from so far away after hearing the news.

At this moment, the Western Emperor was in Yin Xu's room, completely naked, as was Yin Xu. The two were making love, a scene that was almost always present whenever the Western Emperor came.

This is also why Yin Xu did not receive Shi Chun's message. He was naked, his hair was disheveled, and the Qiankun bag containing the mother-child talisman had long been thrown aside. Since the item was not with him, he did not sense the message.

After a long while, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped. The two of them, naked, soaked in a carved and jade-paved bath, basking in the clear water of flower petals.

At this moment, the Western Emperor was quite unpretentious. He scooped water and scrubbed Yin Xu's back while he was half-submerged in the water and half-lying on the shore. While serving him, he chuckled and said, "Zhu Lang Pavilion has made quite a commotion today."

Yin Xu, who was enjoying the moment with her chin resting on the back of her hand, opened her eyes in surprise and asked, feigning ignorance, "What's that noise?"

A cold glint flashed in the Western Emperor's eyes, but he gently patted her fair back and said, "Still playing dumb with me? You sent so many people to find the Golden-haired Rat Clan, making such a commotion, do you think I'm blind?"

Yin Xu was startled by these words, quickly stood up and turned to look, asking in surprise, "Do I have a spy around me?"

The Western Emperor raised his hand and pushed her head back, then pressed her down to the ground and scolded, "Lie down properly."

He then continued to scoop water and gently rub her back, a gesture that gradually relaxed Yin Xu, who was tense.

The Western Emperor continued, "Isn't it normal for me to have spies around you? Do you think I really don't care about you at all? Do you think you've been able to stay here all this time solely because of your own abilities? I've secretly resolved some troubles for you, I just haven't told you. But you, why do I seem to be constantly on guard against me?"

"It's not what you think..." Yin Xu was getting anxious and tried to get up to explain, but was pressed down by the hand behind her.

"Alright, no need to explain, I believe you." The Western Emperor's touch was gentle, but his tone became heavier. "The Phoenix Clan just released the Golden-haired Rat Clan from the Divine Mountain, and you rushed to find them and even started monitoring the Extreme Fire Sect. Neither the Phoenix Clan nor the Extreme Fire Sect are people we can afford to offend. Although I don't know what you're doing, it really makes me feel uneasy. I simply couldn't sit still any longer, so I had no choice but to come here. Yin Xu, we think we should have an open and honest talk. You can't keep making me live in fear all the time, don't you think?"

Yin Xu, who was lying there, fell silent, unsure how to explain the situation.

The Western Emperor sighed, "Alright, I'm here to solve the problem, not to force you. I heard it's related to Shi Chun, is that true?"

Yin Xu hesitated for a moment before finally giving a soft "hmm".

The Western Emperor stopped what he was doing on her back, pondered for a moment, and then said, “You have your own ideas, which I have always respected. Since you are unwilling to say, I will not ask any further. If you want to help Shi Chun leave Jukuzhou, although the Xunmen is heavily guarded, it just so happens that the person on duty this time is one of our own. If we can get him out, it shouldn’t be a big problem. If he wants to leave, this is a good opportunity.”

Yin Xu had also heard that Shi Chun had been trapped and died in Jukuzhou, unable to escape. Upon hearing this, he suddenly turned around and asked, "Really?"

The Western Emperor's face darkened. "Helping is one thing, but there's something you must understand: I can only help you with this once, there won't be a second time. And you can't let anyone know I'm involved. Also, Shi Chun is in a lot of trouble. After you get rid of him, you have to promise not to have anything to do with him until things are settled. Only if you agree to these things can I help you. If you don't agree, don't blame me for not giving you face."

Yin Xu thought for a moment, then rushed over and hugged the other person's neck, kissing him as she agreed, "Okay, I promise you."

The Western Emperor, his eyes cold as he held her neck, gently patted her back and said, "It's no use just for you to agree to this. We still need to ask for his opinion. Why don't you contact him and ask?"

(End of this chapter)