Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 659 A Child Blocks the Way
Xiao Ran had barely left the Underworld when, unbeknownst to her, two figures had already arrived on the city wall of Fengdu.

"left already?"

"This kid is lucky; he's managed to get on Meng Po's good side."

"Meng Po?"

The little old man with a full beard under his straw hat looked up at the bald monk beside him.

The senior monk held a small, golden-haired beast that resembled a Pekingese in his arms. The beast had a lion-like face but large ears, and it would occasionally raise its head as if it were saying something to the senior monk.

"This kid is getting bolder and bolder. It's one thing to smuggle goods in and out of the underworld, but now he's even starting a wholesale business. Are you sure you're not going to stop him?"

The senior monk squinted at the old man.

The old man wearing a straw hat frowned upon hearing this, but after a moment he said, "He is an inspector personally appointed by His Majesty. How do you expect me to manage him? Besides, an inspector of such stature doesn't even have a single soldier under his command. Throughout history, no one who started from scratch has ever been completely clean. Forget it..."

Upon hearing this, the senior monk immediately understood and placed one hand on his chest, saying, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, I admire the Emperor's benevolence."

After saying that, the head monk patted the golden-haired beast in his arms with a smile: "Did you hear that!"

The golden-haired beast's eyes darted around, and it immediately understood. It leaped down from the monk's arms and transformed into a streak of golden light, flying straight towards the pharmacy in the city where the demonic calamity was located.

The old man glared at the monk, who maintained a constant smile.

"Don't go too far. If something goes wrong, I won't be able to handle it."

"Even this humble monk can't handle it." The head monk put his hands together, then suddenly his brows twitched slightly. He did some calculations with his fingers, and his brows immediately furrowed: "This fellow is really unruly. Aren't you going to do something about him?"

"It's better if you handle this. You're the leader, and he's the deputy leader. Isn't this your business?"

Upon hearing this, the senior monk frowned. He had no intention of turning against Yu Zi at this time; after all, it wasn't the right time yet.

However, this monk was very cunning. He quickly realized something and laughed, "You're right. Neither of us can cover up this kind of thing. In that case, I'll go and find him someone who can."

After saying that, the senior monk got up and left.

Seeing that the senior monk was heading towards the secluded mountain, the old man's expression immediately changed: "Where are you going?"

The senior monk didn't turn his head, but quickened his pace considerably. From afar, you could hear him shout two words: "Hey, dog..."

……

On the other hand, Xiao Ran's trip was quick, and she returned just as quickly.

Riding on a paper boat, they returned in just three days.

Although the round trip took six days, time in the Underworld is different from that in the outside world. In reality, Xiao Ran's time away was only about a day.

"Sir, if we walk a few more hours, we'll head back."

Cao Shi pointed ahead and said to Xiao Ran.

"Alright, thank you for your hard work on this journey. When we get back, I'll need your help to get the goods to Jingqi Pavilion as soon as possible."

Xiao Ran took out a letter that she had written earlier and handed it to Cao Shi.

Most of the shopkeepers in the Amazing Pavilion have learned some spiritual communication techniques from Xiao Ran, and they will be sent to receive the goods.

When the ghost gold arrives, it can be distributed to these shopkeepers, and I can pass on the Zhou family's secret techniques. Even if I am no longer in the shop, it can still operate normally.

"okay."

Cao Shi put the envelope away, and the five brothers quickened their pace.

However, they hadn't gone far when all five brothers stopped in their tracks and looked around in confusion.

"Fifth brother, did you lead us the wrong way?"

Cao Shi looked suspiciously at the fifth brother, Zhu Guang, who was walking in front.

Zhu Guang stammered, shaking his head repeatedly when he heard his older brother's question: "No...no...no, it's just...it's just..."

"Oh, this is the road. We came in this direction the right way."

The fourth brother, Wang Ren, spoke up.

"That's not right, we've never been to this place before. Where did all these ghost willows come from?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Shi looked around.

All I could see in front of me were densely packed ghost willows.

These ghost willows are different from real willows. They twist and entwine on the collapsed riverbank, their bark cracked like scales, each leaf oozing a bluish-green sap. The branches are covered with dark green spots resembling corpse spots, and the raised burls resemble the bulging Adam's apples of a hanged person, striking the branches with a dull thud like an empty bamboo tube.

This kind of thing is rarely seen in the underworld, how could such a large area suddenly appear?

"Cao Shi!" At this moment, Xiao Ran also realized that something was wrong.

He looked down at Cao Shi and asked, "Have we taken the wrong path?"

“This…” Cao Shiyi didn’t know how to explain: “Grandpa, our route is correct, but the situation in front of us is not right. Why don’t we go back first and look for other routes?”

"Okay." Xiao Ran didn't waste any words and immediately told Cao Shi and the others to turn around and walk back. For some reason, he suddenly felt uneasy.

After walking for about five or six minutes, the faces of the Cao brothers suddenly turned ugly.

They couldn't even find the way they came.

Looking around, all you can see are vast stretches of ghost willows.

The ghost willows stretch out in one continuous line, seemingly endless.

"Five Paths to the Divine!"

Upon seeing this, the Cao brothers immediately changed positions, their bodies transforming into a wisp of shadow, lifting the paper boat beneath Xiao Ran's feet as if to unleash their supernatural powers and forcefully break free from this place.

"Whoosh..."

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, and the willow branches of the ghost willows around them swayed slightly. Then, they suddenly began to whip wildly in all directions with a crackling sound. The next moment, the Cao brothers were beaten back, their faces bruised and swollen, and even their clothes were torn.

Even if Cao Shi and his five brothers were slow to react, they should now know what's going on.

"Sir, this... I'm afraid there's a powerful figure blocking our way, and we can't get out."

Cao Shi and his men even used their supernatural powers, but instead of breaking through, they were beaten black and blue by willow branches. If someone wanted to kill them, it would probably only take a moment.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran stood up, a bright red thought flashing between her brows. A massive banner appeared behind her, radiating light and carrying an immense pressure that caused Cao Shi and the others to involuntarily kneel on the ground. Yes.
Xiao Ran took a deep breath and shouted to the surroundings, "May I ask, who is this expert who is blocking my way!"

The sound was like a thunderclap, echoing through the vast Ghost Willow Forest.

At this moment, a cold wind suddenly arose, causing the ghost willows around to rustle loudly. From each ghost willow came a hoarse human voice: "What a powerful wind..."

As the sound faded, the ghost willow in front of them swayed, and a path appeared out of nowhere.

"uncle!"

Cao Shi looked at Xiao Ran.

"You all wait here, I'll go in and take a look myself."

Xiao Ran signaled to Cao Shi and the others not to follow her. It was obvious that the other party was after her. If Cao Shi and the others stayed here, they might still have a chance to survive. If they came in with her, and she failed to reach an agreement, the other party would not let Cao Shi and the others leave.

"Grandpa, we..."

Now, Cao's fifteen brothers were filled with shame.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. If you can get out of this predicament, help me deliver the goods to the Amazing Pavilion as soon as possible. Once this deal is done, we can split the money among ourselves."

Xiao Ran patted Cao Shi and the others on the shoulder, then jumped off the small boat and leaped onto the bluestone slabs, walking straight inside. After Xiao Ran passed by, the ghost willows around immediately blocked the path behind her again, as if afraid that Xiao Ran would run away.

Dark red blood seeped from the cracks in the bluestone slabs beneath their feet, and thick plasma gushed down the tree trunk.

After Xiao Ran passed through the willow grove ahead, she saw a Taoist priest sitting there waiting for her.

Xiao Ran's heart skipped a beat when she saw the old Taoist priest for the first time.

There was no other reason than that he had seen this old Taoist priest before; he was none other than the Ghost Emperor who had once tried to put him into a deep sleep in the Ghost Market so that someone could completely possess his body.

"Oh no, it's him!"

Xiao Ran felt a sense of unease, but she had already made preparations in her mind, ready to summon the Plum Blossom Taoist if anything went wrong.

"I hope that Plum Blossom Taoist can defeat this Ghost Emperor."

Even with such a plan, Xiao Ran still felt uneasy, after all, this was the Ghost Emperor, also known as the Burning-Faced Master, the Lord of the Netherworld.

Xiao Ran didn't think he had any chance of winning against Plum Blossom Taoist alone; he was just hoping that he could escape with him.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ran immediately quickened his pace, stepped forward, and bowed to the old Taoist priest in front of him: "Greetings, Lord of the Netherworld, may the Great Emperor of the Netherworld enjoy long life and good health."

"I am safe!"

The old Taoist priest waved his whisk, and Xiao Ran involuntarily straightened up. Then, as if she were being pressed down by four or five burly men, she sat down on the ground.

"Young friend, our last meeting was too rushed, and I miss you dearly. Why do you seem unwilling to see me?"

Yun Jie smiled and squinted at Xiao Ran.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "The Master's achievements surpass the entire universe, and his virtue is comparable to that of Yao and Shun. His strategies and tactics are in perfect harmony with the mystical symbols of the Yellow River and Luo River, and his tactics rival those of the Purple Palace. With a wave of his sleeve, the fierce winds of the nine heavens subdue; with a shake of his robe, the miasma of the eight wastelands vanishes. His dragon-like insignia displays the might of Xihe controlling the sun, and his tiger-like stride possesses the power of Yinglong suppressing the sea..."

Xiao Ran rambled on and on, practically praising the person in front of her as unparalleled in history. Her sincerity made even Yun Jie blush.

"Hahaha, fellow Daoist is truly a remarkable person, able to take things in stride and let them go. You are indeed worthy of being called the Plum Blossom Daoist of our time."

"I dare not accept such a title as Plum Blossom Taoist. It is worthless before the Master. I would never dare to accept it."

Xiao Ran continued to back down. What else could she do but back down? She couldn't beat this powerful figure in front of her, and she couldn't run away either. Was she supposed to fight him head-on?
Now we have no choice but to back down. Not only do we have to back down, but we also have to flatter them and praise them highly, because you can't hit a smiling face.

However, Xiao Ran underestimated the shamelessness of Emperor Fu Zi. Upon hearing this, Fu Zi suddenly changed his tone:
"What is a worthless title in your eyes, fellow Daoist, is of immeasurable value to me. Since you don't care for it..."
that……

How about handing it over to this humble Taoist priest?!

(End of this chapter)