Zhu Tian: A journey of spiritual practice starting from Joy of Life

Chapter 223 Tracking down the Rao Jiang people's trip to Hangzhou
On an open space in the seventh-floor herb garden of the Twelve-Story Tower.

Leng Feibai stood in front of a large table, analyzing the components of the poison in the blood.

As for the analysis methods and tools, they came from the notes given by Fei Jie and the three major workshops of the Imperial Treasury commissioned by Fan Xian.

With the testing techniques Leng Feibai learned when he was a forensic doctor, he was also able to perform liquid analysis.

"Pity!"

Leng Feibai said regretfully, "We don't have enough testing equipment and reagents, otherwise I could have analyzed the components in more detail. Right now, we can only determine that the blood contains more than just snake venom. There are at least three other different types of highly toxic substances present."

Looking at the result before him, Leng Feibai sighed, used the Feng Hou Qi Men technique to clean the equipment on the table, and then turned and left the Spirit Herb Garden.

At this moment, the sun is setting in the west, and only a faint red glow remains on the horizon.

Upon seeing this, Leng Feibai turned and entered the simple inn in the village.

"Guest officer!"

The shopkeeper, who was doing his accounts at the counter, looked up when he saw Leng Feibai and asked, "Are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"

Looking at the dilapidated inn, Leng Feibai calmly asked, "Do you have a better room for one night?"

"Hi"

The innkeeper sighed and said, "This is a small inn in the mountains, where would we find good rooms? There are three guest rooms upstairs, which have already been cleaned and are barely habitable! If you want to stay, it's one tael of silver per night."

Leng Feibai didn't say anything after hearing this, but took out a coin of silver and placed it on the counter.

"Room A upstairs!"

As the shop owner spoke, he placed the key on the counter.

"Would you like to have dinner in your room? Or...?"

"Need not!"

Leng Feibai said calmly, "I have some dry rations on me, enough to last me the night. Just bring me a pot of hot water!"

After saying that, Leng Feibai went straight to the guest room on the second floor.

It must be said that Leng Feibai has stayed in several different kinds of inns.

But the worst inn is definitely the one right in front of us.

The room was at most five square meters in size, and besides a hard wooden bed and a bamboo table and chairs, there was nothing else inside.

Leng Feibai sighed, tossed out a cleaning talisman to quickly clean the room, and lay down on the bed, ready to get a good night's rest.

About an hour or two later, the entire Liushugou Village was shrouded and swallowed by the night.

In every household, apart from the person who was designated to keep vigil, everyone else had fallen asleep.

But just then, a plume of emerald green smoke appeared from somewhere.

The cool night breeze blew into the entire Liushugou Village.

"Hmm! A powder with calming effects?"

Sensing the smell of poisonous fog, Leng Feibai immediately held his breath using the Turtle Breathing Technique, and in an instant transformed into smoke, flying out the window and looking around the village.

Before long, two men dressed in Raojiang clothing were seen carrying two unconscious villagers on their shoulders, running briskly towards the mountain path in the village.

Upon seeing this, Leng Feibai raised his hand and shot out two bursts of energy, which struck the two men directly in the back.

The two men immediately collapsed, a trickle of bright red blood appearing at the corner of their mouths.

Leng Feibai then stepped forward and killed the two men, finding the location where they had gathered in their memories.

It was pitch black by now. Leng Feibai glanced at the lifeless Willow Valley Village, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"I'm actually quite curious about what those guys from Raojiang are up to here. Perfect, when I'm going to deal with Ding Chunqiu later, I'll test my skills on these poison-wielding guys first! Let's see how much better the poison techniques in this world are compared to those in Joy of Life?"

After saying that, Leng Feibai used his Cloud-Stepping Technique to pass through the village and head onto the mountain path leading to Hangzhou Prefecture.

As soon as he reached the mountain path, Leng Feibai activated the Emperor's Qi Observation Technique, carefully sensing the surrounding situation.

The night breeze is cool, and the willow branches along the mountain path sway in the breeze.

But as Leng Feibai ventured deeper into the mountain path, a subtle, fishy stench entered his nostrils.

Leng Feibai dared not be careless and carefully sensed everything around him. At the same time, a burst of emerald green light erupted beneath his feet.

"Five Qis Returning to the Origin - Wood"

In an instant, Leng Feibai's body emitted a rich green light, and his movement speed increased by nearly three times compared to before.

Traveling swiftly, in just a few breaths, a dark cave came into Leng Feibai's view.

The cave entrance emitted a strong, fishy stench, along with a unique fragrance that Leng Feibai had never smelled before.

"Nine out of ten points, those so-called Raojiang people are right here."

Upon seeing this, Leng Feibai raised his hand and drew a concealment talisman, which he then implanted into his body.

After concealing his presence, Leng Feibai swaggered inside.

There are many branching paths inside the cave entrance, but surprisingly, there are road signs marked on each of them.

Using these things, Leng Feibai quickly found the path to the bottom of the cave.

Along the way, you'll often see human bones of different shapes on the mountain path.

The bones were blackened and emitted a smell similar to the poisonous blood that Leng Feibai had obtained before.

"Is this here?"

Leng Feibai dropped the bone in his hand and went straight to the bottom of the cave.

Upon entering, Leng Feibai felt a chill run down his spine.

At the bottom of the cave, there were more than a dozen corpses lying haphazardly, their bodies completely black. Among them, two of the corpses were smaller and were clearly the bodies of children.

Above the corpses, seven or eight large snakes, each as thick as a bowl and in various colors—red, blue, and black—crawled up and down, a sight that was utterly disgusting.

In a corner to the side, there was a huge stone door.

Upon seeing this, Leng Feibai raised his hand and pressed down sharply.

Five Elements Force Field
A massive force field was generated out of thin air, instantly crushing the corpses and venomous snakes on the ground into a pool of blood mist.

"Hey"

Leng Feibai sighed and walked straight toward the stone door.

Upon arriving, Leng Feibai was overjoyed to find that the stone door was only slightly ajar and not completely closed.

Thinking of this, Leng Feibai quickly activated the Feng Hou Qi Men technique, transforming himself into a wisp of smoke and slipping straight through the crack in the door.

Behind the stone gate was a long passageway, and at the end of the passageway was a huge stone chamber. Inside, there were felt rugs, and men and women dressed in Raojiang clothing sat cross-legged on the rugs with their eyes closed.

On their bodies, five kinds of poisonous insects—scorpions, spiders, snakes, lizards, and toads—crawled up and down, and each of them emitted a faint, foul, and disgusting odor.

"Are these guys practicing poison techniques?"

Leng Feibai observed these guys, sensing their cultivation levels from afar.

These people are quite strong; each of them has around the seventh rank of strength.

But compared to Leng Feibai, they were still no match.

Leng Feibai flew straight to the center of the stone chamber, regained his human form, looked at the men and women in front of him, calmly poured the true qi in his body into his right leg, raised it, and stomped it down hard.

As Leng Feibai's foot landed, his powerful true qi transformed into a boundless wave of energy that erupted with a deafening roar. Under the impact of this energy wave, the poison on the men and women was instantly blasted into a cloud of blood mist.

At that moment, the men and women coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, clearly seriously injured.

This was only because Leng Feibai showed mercy; otherwise, these people wouldn't have been left with even a single unharmed corpse.

"You, who are you!"

One of the women said weakly, "Why are you disturbing our practice?"

Leng Feibai looked at them and said coldly, "The people of Liushugou Village who were bitten to death by poisonous snakes, and those corpses outside, were all killed by you, weren't they!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of panic flashed across the woman's face, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "You, you and they are..."

"It doesn't matter!"

Leng Feibai turned to look at them, and said in a playful tone, "But when you went to the village to arrest people tonight, you almost poisoned me. Tell me, who are you people!"

Seeing this, the woman gritted her teeth and said, "You, do you know you've stirred up a huge mess? You'd better leave now, or else..."

"never mind!"

Leng Feibai covered his face and said, "I'll just kill you all and then watch you all carefully!"

After speaking, Leng Feibai moved his hands swiftly, and seven or eight crimson sword energies burst forth in an instant, directly entering the bodies of those Rao Jiang people.

Under the heavy blow, the group of Raojiang people vomited blood and died on the spot.

Upon seeing this, Leng Feibai stepped forward and placed his hand on the head of one of the corpses.

The double-handed technique flashed with blue light, instantly pulling out the corpse's memories.

The body belonged to He Chunying, a young chieftain of a tribe in Raojiang.

Having failed in his struggle for the position of clan leader with his sister, he stole the clan's sacred artifact, the Azure Water Toad, and the clan's supreme technique, the Five Poisons Mystic Art. He then led a group of clansmen to this place to cultivate poisonous insects and accumulate strength, preparing to return to Raojiang and reclaim the position of clan leader when his strength was sufficient.

As a result, these guys have already ravaged several villages in the surrounding area, killing nearly a hundred people.

"The story is a bit melodramatic."

Leng Feibai looked at the woman's memories, and his lips twitched involuntarily. He then searched her body.

Before long, a bright green toad stone carving and a scroll of animal skin written in Miao script came into his view.

Leng Feibai glanced at it a few times, then casually found a piece of cloth to wrap the item up and put it away. He then threw it into the Twelve-Story Tower and left the cave that reeked of a foul stench.

Before leaving, Leng Feibai shook the cave ceiling, causing countless boulders to fall and completely cover the cave.

After doing all this, Leng Feibai did not choose to return to Liushugou Village, but instead headed to Hangzhou under the cover of night.

The next morning, near West Lake in Hangzhou, Leng Feibai held a local specialty snack in his hand, admiring the scenery around West Lake.

The scenery around West Lake is truly beautiful and breathtaking. Especially since it has not been affected by modern industry, it possesses a pure and natural beauty.

Leng Feibai enjoyed the delicious food and admired the scenery of West Lake, his face full of joy.

In this way, Leng Feibai used the Cloud-Stepping Technique to travel all over West Lake and the surrounding mountains for a whole day, and only entered Hangzhou city when the sun was setting.

Although it was just after nightfall, many people were still strolling around Hangzhou, and the street vendors and peddlers had no intention of packing up and were still shouting their wares.

"It has to be said that although the Song Dynasty's military strength was lacking, its cultural and economic level was indeed quite good. The nights in Hangzhou are even more lively than the nights in Suzhou in the Joy of Life story. It's a pity that Fan Xian and Duo Duo can't see it."

After Leng Feibai finished speaking his mind, he couldn't help but think of Haitang Duoduo and the other two who were still in the Twelve-Story Tower reshaping their bodies. He wondered how long it would take for them to finish reshaping their bodies and reunite with him.

Meanwhile, in a room resembling a home theater, Haitang Duoduo, Sang Wen, and Si Lili sat in chairs, enjoying various fruits and snacks on the table in front of them.

A screen resembling a movie theater was floating in front of the three of them, showing Leng Feibai's situation outside.

"It seems my husband misses us quite a bit. It's a pity, I wonder what he's thinking."

Sang Wen, resting his chin on his hand, looked at Leng Feibai's lovesick face and said, "Speaking of which, how much longer are we going to stay here?"

"Didn't that senior say that once we comprehend the Dao Crystal and understand the cultivation techniques inside, we can rebuild our physical bodies and return to our husbands' side?"

As Si Lili spoke, she summoned two crystals. The crystals were half red and half white, and two characters resembling oracle bone script could be vaguely seen on them: "stone" and "sand".

Seeing this, Haitang Duoduo and Sang Wen also summoned two crystals that were half red and half white.

The two pieces of paper in Sangwen's book were inscribed with "purification" and "sound".
The crystals of the crabapple blossoms are inscribed with thunder and lightning.

"I want to read it faster!"

Haitang Duoduo said calmly, "If we don't get out soon, we'll probably be welcoming Fourth Sister."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sang Wen and Si Lili both looked at the screen.

A quarter of an hour ago, in the Forget-Worry Restaurant in western Hangzhou, inside the Xuan-character private room.

Leng Feibai ordered several decent Hangzhou dishes, such as braised bamboo shoots, deep-fried crispy tofu skin, West Lake water shield soup, honey-glazed ham, and vegetarian ham from Hupao.

"Anyway, apart from West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce, most of them are pretty good."

Leng Feibai enjoyed the food in his mouth while mentally complaining.

However, when he apprenticed to learn cooking skills in his previous life, his master, who taught him about hot-dish cooking, had mentioned it briefly.

The West Lake Vinegar Fish sold in the market is not tasty because it is too difficult to cook.

In particular, the grass carp should be kept in clean water for two days in advance to allow them to purge the mud and sand from their bellies.

Otherwise, the earthy taste simply can't be removed. As for cooking...

Before Leng Feibai could finish recalling, a roar from outside the door reached his ears.

The character "巽" (xùn) - Listening to the wind

Leng Feibai paused, then activated Listening to the Wind to eavesdrop.

"What? All the private rooms are full? Do you expect me to dine here with a bunch of commoners?!"

Upon hearing this, Leng Feibai, who was eating, couldn't help but change his expression and sighed helplessly.

I spent the whole day wandering around Hangzhou, inside and outside the city, without encountering any trouble, but then, of all times, trouble struck.

When Leng Feibai entered the private room earlier, he glanced at the surrounding private rooms.

The guests inside were either wealthy merchants dressed in luxurious clothes and accompanied by several servants.

Or they are middle-aged men with an air of officialdom about them.

There were also a few martial arts practitioners who carried swords and knives.

There was simply no other choice for a lone, young diner like myself.

If nothing unexpected happens, in three to five minutes, the guy who was yelling downstairs will lead a group of people to rush to his private room and spout nonsense. Then he will have to beat them up and cause a bunch of new trouble.

Thinking of this, Leng Feibai became inexplicably irritable. Whether he was afraid of trouble or not was one thing, but if a fight broke out later, the food he hadn't eaten would probably be wasted.

Left with no other choice, Leng Feibai quickened his eating pace, while Ting Fengyin focused on the conversation between the waiter and the manager of the restaurant.

As Leng Feibai had expected, after listening to the waiter's report, the innkeeper immediately ordered the waiter to go to Leng Feibai's private room and try to persuade him to leave, even offering to give him a free meal.

Meanwhile, Leng Feibai had already eaten most of the food on the table, silently picked up a cup of tea and drank it down, calmly saying, "Three, two, one! Come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter pushed open the door and walked in, saying nervously, "Sir, you..."

Before he could finish speaking, the waiter, seeing the half-eaten food and cold dishes on the table, breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Sir, have you finished your meal? Can you settle the bill now?"

(End of this chapter)