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Chapter 483 No Official Status

Mr. Feng Si and Lady Miaoyan were the coordinators and commanders of the Southern Jiaozhi operation under the jurisdiction of the Supervisory Authority.

After the war in Champa ended, the two used the "Harmony Wheel" to contact Lucheng and Liancheng.

After daybreak, two other third-generation disciples of the Supervisor's School arrived from the two cities respectively.

They were all fourth-rate, not as good as Zang Tianlan, but they were all strong in the outside world.

There were still some finishing touches to be done, so Mr. Feng delegated the tasks and finally had some free time.

Although he hadn't rested for several days, Mr. Feng was still in good spirits.

He strolled over to Lin Wanmo's courtyard with his hands behind his back, and shouted in his hoarse voice, "Little Lin, come out and greet your fourth brother!"

Lin Wanmo sneered disdainfully in the courtyard: "A defeated opponent dares to call himself Fourth Brother?"

Mr. Feng was furious: "You're the one who lost! Do you dare to fight again?"

"Not fighting is for dogs!"

"it is good!"

Under Lin Wanmo's deliberate guidance, the two engaged in a heated debate over two precious materials: "Ten Thousand Soul Bat Skin" and "Water of Oblivion Mixed with Turtle Blood".

What kind of crafts should be made?
What kind of material should be used as an auxiliary material?
Mr. Feng spoke freely this time.

Regardless of whether Lin Wanmo's words contained a trap, she let her mind wander completely and said whatever came to mind.

By the time it was getting dark, the refining strategies for the two materials had been finalized.

Under Lin Wanmo's pressure, Mr. Feng was "forced" to send out several high-quality materials to assist in the refining process.

After discussing the two pieces of material, Mr. Feng suddenly fell silent.

Lin Wanmo had a bad feeling.

Looking back, it seems that getting something for nothing from Mr. Feng Si today went a little too smoothly.

It's as if your best friend deliberately came to your door, revealing a flaw that you could exploit.

"You..." Lin Wanmo had some guesses, but didn't want to say them out loud.

Mr. Feng Si sat down, his large robe covering his somewhat thin body, giving him a desolate air.

"I have to go back now." Mr. Feng smiled, looked up at Lin Wanmo, and said, "We won't have many chances to meet again in the future."

Lin Wanmo exclaimed, "They left so soon..."

The two shared the same sense of loneliness.

In this world, skilled craftsmen are extremely rare.

Even those of the same standard may not necessarily be compatible.

For example, a new craftsman and an old craftsman, let alone discussing issues and promoting each other, would probably just release their craftwork the moment they meet and eliminate this heretic.

Although there is a significant age gap between them, both are stubborn and often argue fiercely when discussing issues, with neither able to convince the other.

But it is rare that they can keep up with each other's thinking and inspire each other.

But Mr. Feng's identity destined him to travel all over the Ming Dynasty.

The inevitable farewell has arrived.

Today, Mr. Feng was exceptionally "generous," giving Lin Wanmo whatever she wanted.

Because he knew that he probably wouldn't be able to help this confidant anymore.

Mr. Feng hesitated for a moment. There were some things he shouldn't say as a disciple of the Imperial Academy.

But in his heart, he scoffed, "Whatever, Fourth Brother, I'll do as I please."

"Xiao Linzi, I've seen some of the files about the rioters in the six villages back then in the palace."

Lin Wanmo's expression changed slightly.

Mr. Feng continued, "If it weren't for this layer of identity, that kid Xu Yuan would definitely have been able to enter the Beidu General Administration, and you could have gone to Beidu to enjoy yourselves."

"Speaking of which... what your ancestors did back then can be described as 'righteous'."

"The imperial court is well aware that the so-called Divine Water Sect has nothing to do with your six clans."

"The six families were forced to bring their fellow villagers to southern Jiaozhi to dredge the canal."

"They were deceived by the Grand Canal government and had their food rations withheld, so we couldn't even get enough to eat."

"In the end, we had no choice but to lead everyone in rebellion."

Xu Huanyang had explained everything that happened back then to Lin Wanmo in detail.

When Lin Wanmo heard Mr. Feng say these things again, he could only sigh softly.

"But in the end, we were still labeled as criminals."

Mr. Feng expressed his deep sympathy: "A hundred years is neither a short nor a long time. The descendants of those who judged this case back then are still in the court and still wield considerable power, so this case cannot be overturned."

Lin Wanmo did not say anything to put Mr. Feng in a difficult position.

In fact, as long as the witness speaks up, any case can be overturned.

If Mr. Feng hadn't brought it up himself and asked the supervisor for help, Lin Wanmo wouldn't have made the request.

After spending more than ten days together, Lin Wanmo was able to deduce from the occasional remarks Mr. Feng made:
The Superintendent may seem glamorous, but in reality, he walks on thin ice.

Anyone who bears the title of "Number One Person Under Heaven" and "Second Strongest in the Ming Dynasty" would probably feel lonely at the top.

The Imperial Censor protects the Ming Dynasty, but he is also a figure feared by both the Emperor and the Dragon King of the Grand Canal.

"It's alright, my family and I are doing quite well in southern Jiaozhi."

Mr. Feng said mercilessly, "It's hopeless. The longer Ghost Witch Mountain exists, the stronger Lord Ruan Tian's power will become, and the more severe the backlash will be against your arrangements targeting Lord Ruan Tian."

I've done a rough calculation, and I'm afraid it will happen in the next few years..."

Lin Wanmo interrupted him: "We'll figure something out."

Mr. Feng then dropped the subject, remained silent for a while, and then said, "Let Xu Yuan have a son as soon as possible."

They cannot have a formal title.

If it were Hegong Lane… I, your fourth brother, would risk everything to ensure the Xu family line continues.”

Lin Wanmo was moved and this time sincerely said, "Thank you, Fourth Brother!"

Mr. Feng nodded, got up and walked outside. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned back to Lin Wanmo, saying, "Actually, you can't solve Ruan Tianye's problem, but if you have other great achievements, such as solving the hidden danger of Yuanxu, you can also ask the emperor to issue an edict to pardon your crimes."

Lin Wanmo gave a bitter laugh: "That one is even more difficult."

Mr. Feng thought about it and realized it might really be more difficult, so he shook his head and left.

……

Luofeng Mountain.

The palace was deep and secluded, with spirit banners hanging everywhere.

A cold wind blew, and the spirit banners fluttered.

Two generals escorted the Forgotten River Turtle back.

The Venerable One in the hall closed the scroll in his hand.

The bamboo slip on the back of the Forgotten River Turtle flew back.

But the wound won't heal!
The blood continued to flow.

The Forgotten River Turtle still has no ability to regain its voice.

It trembled uncontrollably from the pain, knowing that this was its master's punishment.

"Go back to the River of Oblivion!"

The Forgotten River Turtle kowtowed repeatedly, thanking the Venerable One for sparing its life, and then obediently rolled back into the Forgotten River.

He didn't even dare to argue with His Majesty: This isn't my fault.

The River of Oblivion is utterly silent.

The rolling, dark yellow water flows ceaselessly.

Its origin is unknown, and its destination is unknowable.

Even the Wangchuan Turtle, which was born in the Wangchuan River, doesn't know how long the river is.

It sank into the river and lay on the bottom.

The riverbed is filled with cold, hard, translucent fluorite, which is formed from the slowly accumulated and transformed souls of those who stumbled and fell into the River of Oblivion.

The yin energy was extremely strong.

It stretched its head out and licked the wound on its back.

But as soon as my tongue touched the wound, I felt a sharp pain on the tip of my tongue, as if I had been struck by lightning.

The turtle from the River of Oblivion shed tears of grievance.

Suddenly, it felt a slight movement in the river above its head. It looked up and saw a familiar... fishhook.

The fishhook is straight.

There was no bait on it.

The Forgotten River Turtle couldn't help but shudder.

The last time, it was this "token" that tricked it into following the City God of Lucheng, taking a piece of the River of Oblivion to the turbid realm of Champa.

The wound on my back hurt even more.

But the fishhook was gently swaying in the water, having already found it, and then it drifted toward it.

The tears of the Forgotten River Turtle, filled with grievance, flowed out even more turbulently.

It finally figured it out: Why do you "high sages" have to drag me, a mere fish or turtle, into your battle of magic?
The one on the river, I've already been tricked by you once, can't you just leave me alone this time?

And the one in Zhou Jue Yin Tian Palace was also unkind!
You know perfectly well who is instigating me. You don't want to break ties with them, so you just oppress me?

Despite its heart full of complaints, the Forgotten Turtle knew it couldn't escape.

So he moved his limbs and floated up in the water.

Unexpectedly, when they were still five feet from the river surface, a cold force suddenly enveloped the entire river surface.

It was as if a five-foot-thick layer of ice had been sealed over the River of Oblivion.

The turtle from the River of Oblivion could no longer float to the surface.

A voice came from the riverbank: "Three days later, go upstream, to a place thirty-three and a half li away, and retrieve the soul that fell into the water."

Remember, his name is 'Xu Huanyang,' don't get it wrong!

The turtle of the River of Oblivion found the voice somewhat unfamiliar, but one that could suppress the entire River of Oblivion was a being in the underworld, second only to a few Venerable Ones.

It's easy for me to control myself.

The Forgotten Turtle wanted to speak, but found its voice was still sealed, so it could only nod in the water.

So the fishhook was removed, and the river was unblocked.

The Forgotten Turtle rushed up the river in a hurry, but there was no sign of it on the riverbank.
The Forgotten River Turtle was furious: "Your order is so vague and incoherent. After I received that 'Xu Huanyang,' what am I supposed to do next?"
Are we just supposed to keep carrying this guy around in the River of Oblivion?
But it dared not disobey the fishhook's owner's command, so it swam upstream.

The location of "Thirty-three and a half li" has been found.

I popped my head out of the water and looked around:
This place is located at the foot of a solitary stone peak.

On the stone peak stands a strange rock, the famous "Three Lives Stone".

The Forgotten River Turtle began to have doubts.

Some resentful souls, if they possess strong soul power, can withstand the powerful evil winds on this desolate stone peak and walk all the way to the Three Lives Stone to see their past and present lives.

In reality, perhaps only one in a million souls could actually ascend to the top.

The Forgotten River Turtle once hid underwater and overheard a certain Venerable One say that the evil wind on the Three Lives Stone Peak was a trace of the most terrifying "Bi Wind" from the Netherworld Void, which was then transformed.

The Forgotten Turtle then began to speculate:

That "Xu Huanyang" climbed this stone peak, looked at the Three Lives Stone, and then his mind and spirit were shaken so much that he fell from it into the river.

This was the most likely scenario for the place before them. Having made this guess, the Forgotten Turtle subconsciously glanced at the stone peak—and its eyes nearly popped out of their sockets!
On the mountainside of that solitary peak, a vague soul was struggling to climb upwards, just like a gecko!

The fierce winds on the mountain swirled and surged, and with each gust, they could blow away a layer of soul power from his body, like a black veil or smoke!
He had only climbed halfway, and his soul was already so blurred. If he continued to climb, he would probably be blown away by this fierce wind!
The Forgotten Turtle instinctively cried out from the water—but still could not make a sound.

This also calmed it down.

His Majesty's arrangement had its own profound meaning. If I were to alarm that person and ruin His Majesty's important matter, my fate would not be much better than being utterly destroyed.

So the Forgotten Turtle could only float blankly on the river, gazing at the soul struggling to climb the lonely peak.

Judging from the other person's speed, he would indeed need three more days to climb to the Three Lives Stone.

He is currently halfway up the mountain.

In other words, this guy has been climbing for three days!
Even the Forgotten River Turtle itself dared not imagine that it would be possible to endure being blown by the evil wind for six whole days!

The more Wangchuan turtle looked at him, the more admiration it felt for this "Xu Huanyang".

Unbeknownst to them, three days had passed, and the Forgotten Turtle saw that the soul had become so thin that it resembled a mere phantom!
It was as if another gust of wind could blow him out completely.

But he persevered and finally managed to stand up in front of the Three Lives Stone.

Then he was completely stunned.

The Forgotten River Turtle couldn't see the scene on the Three Lives Stone, but it saw the person freeze for a moment before suddenly roaring madly, "Supervisor?!"

Then, just as the Forgotten River Turtle had predicted, it suddenly swayed and fell from the summit.

The evil winds on this solitary peak are also extremely strange, only blowing on the souls that climb upwards, while ignoring those that fall down.

The man stumbled and tumbled down the lonely peak.

With a "plop," he fell into the River of Oblivion.

It sank straight down!
The Forgotten Turtle was so engrossed in watching that it didn't have time to react when it rolled down. Now, it was startled and quickly plunged into the river.

We must not let this guy fall to the bottom of the river.

Once they reach the bottom of the river, they will be sucked in by the cold, hard fluorite and never be able to come out again.

Even the Forgotten River Turtle would be helpless.

As soon as the Forgotten River Turtle exerted its strength, the wound on its back throbbed with excruciating pain!
Tears streamed down its face, yet it still forced itself to accelerate rapidly.

However, for some unknown reason, this "Xu Huanyang" sank much faster in the River of Oblivion than the other souls.

The Forgotten River Turtle exerted all its strength, but couldn't stop its momentum and crashed headfirst into a fluorite at the bottom of the river. It trembled all over in pain, but finally managed to catch the person's soul at the last moment.

But when I caught it, I couldn't feel the creature on my back.

The Forgotten River Turtle stretched its neck as far as it could, turning its head to look behind it.

Then you see that thin, almost transparent soul, with empty, lifeless eyes, lying motionless.

The Forgotten Turtle is incapable of comforting people, and now that it has lost its voice, it is even less capable of offering comfort.

So it slowly rose to the surface.

Blah blah blah...

The waters of the River of Oblivion slid down his back, carrying him to the surface of the river.

The commotion finally brought the man back to his senses.

Looking around blankly, then down at his feet: "The Forgotten River Turtle?"

The Forgotten River Turtle stuck its head out, waved it at him, and gave what it thought was a kind smile.

Fortunately, although the Forgotten River Turtle admired the other party, it had not forgotten the mission of that venerable one.

From the wound on its back, blood gushed out and condensed into three words in mid-air:

Xu Huanyang.

Be careful not to pick up the wrong person.

"How did you know it was me?" Xu Huanyang immediately became wary. "Who sent you to pick me up?"

The Forgotten River Turtle did not answer.

Then, carrying Xu Huanyang, they drifted aimlessly across the River of Oblivion.

Xu Huanyang's mind was in turmoil. The scene he saw on the Three Lives Stone, and the fact that a high-ranking official in the underworld arranged for the Forgotten River Turtle to come and pick him up—these things were all mixed together, leaving him completely baffled and clueless about all sorts of problems.

But after a moment, Xu Huanyang calmed down.

The Forgotten River Turtle was just a tool; since we couldn't get anything out of it, we should... make the most of it.

As soon as Xu Huanyang opened his mouth, he sucked in the blood that had coalesced into his name!

The blood of the Forgotten River Turtle is considered a valuable ingredient in the mortal realm, and in the underworld... it is also a highly nourishing substance.

After drinking the blood, Xu Huanyang's soul became more solidified.

It is even stronger than an ordinary soul.

But Xu Huanyang was not satisfied. He looked down at the wound on the back of the Wangchuan turtle—the one who could injure the only living being in the Wangchuan to this extent must be extraordinary.

Xu Huanyang knew that he might have been drawn into a huge conspiracy.

Or rather, the entire Hegong Lane was part of this conspiracy.

Xu Huanyang saw that the wound was bleeding continuously and he couldn't stop it.

He then asked, "You don't want this blood anymore, do you?"

The Forgotten River Turtle was speechless for a moment: What kind of question is that?!
Its admiration for this guy vanished instantly.

She tilted her head in a huff and ignored him.

Xu Huanyang: "If you don't answer, that means you agree."

If you don't want it, then I can drink it.

For Xu Huanyang, this is a very simple logic.

So Xu Huanyang lay down on the wound, and drank some of the blood that flowed out.

His soul grew stronger and stronger, even solidifying to the point of being like a real person.

Xu Huanyang, however, always felt that something was still missing.

He simply lay down on the wound and sucked on it...

I'm finally satisfied.

The turtle from the River of Oblivion was so angry it almost jumped out of the river!

However, as Xu Huanyang inhaled, the power that the bamboo slip had left in his body also disappeared!
The pain that had been tormenting the Forgotten Turtle finally ended.

The wound on his back gradually healed.

The Forgotten River Turtle was even more puzzled.

The one who sent me to pick up Xu Huanyang was... that Venerable One.

Why was Xu Huanyang able to heal the injuries inflicted by that Venerable One in the Yintian Palace of Zhou Jue?
Even if the Wangchuan Turtle had thought about it for three lifetimes, it still wouldn't understand.

With Xu Huanyang's current soul strength, while it's hard to say he can go anywhere in the underworld, at least he won't be in constant danger of his soul being scattered.

He sat cross-legged on the back of the Forgotten River Turtle, resting his cheek on one hand, lost in thought.

The Forgotten River Turtle continued swimming downstream.

Suddenly, Xu Huanyang saw a hint of dawn ahead and instinctively said, "It's almost daylight..."

Then it suddenly dawned on me: No, this is the underworld!
Upon hearing these words, the Wangchuan Turtle trembled violently, followed by a loud splashing sound.

Xu Huanyang fell into the surging river, and the Wangchuan Turtle beneath his feet had disappeared.

Xu Huanyang was still a soul after all, and was not afraid of the river. He quickly walked out of the river.

As dawn broke, he found himself standing in a vast, ancient mountain range.

Ancient trees and wild grasses grew all around.

The distant roars of wild beasts could be faintly heard.

Above him, a thick, emerald-green venomous snake, about the thickness of an arm, was perched among the branches, its head slightly raised, its cold eyes fixed on him.

Xu Huanyang gave a cold laugh and exhaled a stream of yin energy.

The venomous snake then stiffened and fell to the ground.

Xu Huanyang felt a strong impulse surging within his body.

They wanted to skin and debone the snake and eat its flesh raw!
"This is bad!" Xu Huanyang immediately realized, "This is a forbidden land!"

Sophistry is possible here, but far more so than outside.

Xu Huanyang instinctively strode forward, wanting to break out of this uncivilized place as soon as possible.

As soon as I took that step, I felt something was wrong; there was a heavy weight behind me.

Xu Huanyang grinned and shouted, "Get down here!"

The body trembled with a chilling aura, like a strange, unseen technique.

Boom!
On his shoulder, a tiny ghost baby fell to the ground, howling and screeching like a small beast, circling and spinning wildly.

It had a huge head, a small body, sparse baby hair on its head, and a pair of dead white eyes that were cold and filled with fear as it stared at Xu Huanyang.

When Xu Huanyang walked out of the river, the thing was perched on his shoulder.

Stunned by a "tricky technique," the little creature was still somewhat unconvinced.

That loud scream just now was a call for help.

In the nearby river, one ghost baby after another tumbled ashore with a gurgling sound.

It has the same big head and sparse baby hair, like a gourd floating in the air.

Xu Huanyang suddenly grinned: "I was going to let you go, but you still have so many underlings, so you're still somewhat useful, and I can't let you go so easily..."

The ghost baby sensed something was wrong and turned to rush into the river, but it was too late!

Xu Huanyang stretched out his hand and grabbed it from the void.

The giant brain of the ghost baby fell into Xu Huanyang's hands and was coiled up like a gourd in his hand.

"Ouch!"

The ghost baby screamed in protest.

And he added: I also have powerful backers!

You've arrested me! My master, Lord Xu, will not let you get away with this!

Xu Huanyang chuckled, completely unconcerned: "Also surnamed Xu? What a coincidence, we were from the same family five hundred years ago."

Xu Huanyang held the ghost baby's head in one hand and stepped into the river.

He took the leader of the ghost infants hostage, used the ghost infant minions in the river as a raft, stepped on their heads, and floated downstream.

"Get me out of the mountains as soon as possible, and I'll spare your life!"

As he spoke, Xu Huanyang clenched his fists, as if he could crush the ghost infant's skull at any moment.

……

In Hegong Lane, Grandpa Shen had just opened his eyes and reached for the pipe by the bedside, about to sit up and smoke a pipe...

Suddenly, the little box under the pillow jumped up.

Grandpa Shen felt as if someone had punched him on the head.

"Ouch!"

This box was originally kept by Lin Wanmo, who gave it to him when he went to Champa.

Before he could even take the box out, he heard the urgent and chaotic voices of his ancestors coming from inside: "Something's happened! Something's happened!"

"Xu Huanyang is in trouble!"

(End of this chapter)