In the future, Earth becomes a relic of the mythical era.

Chapter 92 The Cry of the Cranes of Western Shu

Chapter 92 The Cry of the Cranes of Western Shu
"Be careful!"

Upon entering the domain, I found myself in the same place I had left before.

Cui Hong, Zhu Wenjie, and Liu Sanxian also appeared at almost the same time.

I didn't see Bai Ruhui.

It seems these people have been active here for a while now.

Liu Sanxian yelled and pounced over, startling him.

Xie Lingxin crossed her arms in front of her: "What are you doing?"

Liu Sanxian slapped him hard: "What's your reaction? Do you think I'm going to eat you up?!"

"Not always……"

"Hmm~?"

Xie Lingxin quickly changed the subject: "It's nothing, what were you trying to say just now?"

Liu Sanxian said, "I just heard that the Chen family originally had a spot, but they were excluded from this development of the domain. Is that related to you?"

Cui and Zhu also came to look.

This sounds unbelievable, since they didn't know that Xie Lingxin was the one who deciphered the ancient scripture.

However, given the Chen family's status in Leizhou, it was already unusual for them to be excluded from this development project.

They learned of this news from their elders, right after Jin Su made her move that day.

Given Captain Jin's strength, and considering Xie Lingxin's address of "sister," this is quite possible.

Judging from the situation that day, Xie Lingxin and the Chen family must have had some kind of grudge.

Two identical faces, one belonging to the Chen family's young master, and the other to someone from the slums.

This in itself is a big problem.

All indications suggest that the Chen family being ranked is related to Xie Lingxin, which is absolutely logical.

"Why do you ask?"

Xie Lingxin neither admitted nor denied it, and the others knew that it was true!
He couldn't help but be secretly surprised.

His influence over the Environmental Protection Bureau, or rather, over that Captain Jin, is truly considerable.

Even a large clan like the Chen family can refuse to give face if they want.

"Hmph! Serves her right! That bitch must be regretting it now!"

"They've lost the real gem and are treating a worthless rock as a treasure!"

Liu Sanxian gritted his teeth, looking both fierce and smiling.

Having heard Xie Lingxin tell her "story" at Guanyin Temple, she knew more about it, and that woman's behavior really infuriated her.

Now that it's confirmed, I've finally gotten my revenge, and it feels great.

Xie Lingxin pouted: "Alright, are you here for gossip or for training?"

Cui Hong said, "Brother Xie, you must have heard that the major families and sects in Leizhou are planning a joint siege against Daheishan, right?"

Xie Lingxin nodded, knowing what the other person wanted to say: "But I don't plan to go."

"why?"

Several people were stunned.

This is definitely a great opportunity.

Although it is dangerous, as important members of their respective families, their safety is generally not a major concern.

Whether it's to broaden your horizons or to find a bargain, it's worth taking a little risk.

How can one cultivate oneself without taking any risks?
"There's no other way, the bureau has a mission."

Xie Lingxin didn't say much; in fact, he didn't want to join in the fun if there was no mission.

"Oh."

This made it difficult for the others to ask any further questions.

Liu Sanxian frowned and said reluctantly, "Ah, then we can't be together."

She didn't have any other thoughts; it was just that the group had been through life and death together, and they got along well, so she was just used to not wanting to separate.

Zhu Wenjie said, "Brother, you'd better be careful."

"Yes, I will, and so will you. Be careful, your lives are more important."

There was already one Huo Shan, and Xie Lingxin didn't want to see anything else happen to them.

After exchanging a few words of advice, they walked out of Luohunpo together and then went their separate ways.

Xie Lingxin returned to Luohunpo alone.

According to Su Lifa's report, the last place Song Dingbo was seen was also Luohunpo.

After the female ghost appeared in the ash pit of Luohunpo, many men who passed by were killed by her.

The officers in the bureau who were conducting searches found that one of the men was from Wancheng and had a father who was an old night watchman in Wancheng.

The old night watchman, upon learning that his son had been killed by a vengeful ghost, wanted revenge, but knew he was no match for the ghost.

He then sought out extraordinary people and masters everywhere, and later, he somehow obtained "immortal magic" and returned to seek revenge on the female ghost.

Some people have witnessed the old night watchman battling a female ghost.

Not to mention the female ghost's bizarre methods, the old night watchman, a mere mortal, also became incredibly powerful, possessing immense strength, invulnerability to weapons, and moving like the wind.

In the end, however, he was no match for the female ghost and was defeated and fled.

Later, the old night watchman returned to Wancheng to continue his work.

It was as if nothing had happened.

But from then on, people and livestock frequently went missing at night in Wancheng.

The government searched everywhere and found the missing human and animal corpses in Luohunpo. They had all died from blood loss and had several holes in their chests that looked like sharp teeth.

People believed that the vengeful ghosts in Fallen Soul Slope had become even more vicious, no longer satisfied with just killing passersby, and had sneaked out of Fallen Soul Slope to suck blood and harm people.

So they invited a highly skilled person surnamed Song to subdue the demon.

It is said that this master enjoyed playing tricks on ghosts and monsters. He even once tricked a monster into changing its original form after capturing it, and then tied it up and sold it at the market.

However, after this master was invited to Fallen Soul Slope, he disappeared.

People thought he was harmed by ghosts, and they consulted several experts, but the result was the same.

Knowing that the ghost was powerful, they let the matter drop.

From then on, pedestrians continued to be murdered on Luohunpo Slope from time to time.

People and livestock were frequently kidnapped and disappeared in Wancheng, but they could only accept their bad luck.

This information does seem to suggest that it could indeed be Song Dingbo, but it's not necessarily true; it's all just speculation.

Last time I was in a bit of a rush and didn't get a chance to explore Fallen Soul Slope properly, so this time I'll go back and take a good look.

His resurrected memories told him that this Fallen Soul Slope was most likely a treasure trove.

Xie Lingxin returned to the Ash Pit at Fallen Soul Slope, and soon after, she confirmed that her thoughts and memories were correct.

Further ahead from the ash pit, there is a mountain wall.

A high platform was carved out of the mountain wall.

Eight stone pillars stand in a staggered arrangement in front of the high platform.

There is a stone table on the platform, most of which has been weathered and worn.

This place is very likely the altar set up by the Taoist priest who left behind the paper effigy of the underworld.

He found a spiritual plant under a stone pillar.

It looks like a person's fingers.

The *Youyang Zazu* records: "The *Ghost Soapberry* grows beside old graves and tombs. Its pods are shaped like human fingers. At night, phosphorescent lights swirl around the tree. Taoist priests use the pods to draw talismans to communicate with the underworld."

"Mountains obey my command, waters return to their source; I will wield the whip to make mountains and rivers my source!"

Using the Mountain-Driving Whip: [It absorbs the bones and blood of the deceased, combining with the essence of the stars and moon to gain spiritual power, and has miraculous effects on body refinement. Cut it with the whip, place it in a jade vessel, and its spiritual essence can be preserved for seven days.]

nice one!
The old graves on Luohunpo are filled with countless corpses; who knows how many ghostly soap pods they might give birth to.

Xie Lingxin felt she was about to strike it rich!
He immediately squatted down, sticking his butt out, and swept the area inch by inch with his whip.

[By absorbing the bones and blood of the deceased and combining them with the essence of the stars and moon, one gains spiritual power, which has miraculous effects on body refinement. Cutting it with a whip and placing it in a jade vessel can preserve its spiritual essence for seven days.]

[Smoking...]

【…】

……

"what!"

Before long, they found a total of seven Gleditsia sinensis plants next to several stone pillars!

[The resentment and malevolence of those who died unjustly, combined with the essence of the stars and moon, give rise to a spirit; refining the body with this spirit has miraculous effects. Cut it with a whip, place it in a jade vessel, and its spiritual essence will be preserved for seven days.]

"Yo?"

There are new varieties.

Xie Lingxin looked at the strange plant at her feet. The ghost soapberry still resembled human fingers, but this thing had hands and feet, and even had a flower bud that looked like a head, like a corpse lying there. She carefully used the mountain-driving whip to cut off the root, skipping the jade artifact and directly putting it into the clean bottle, along with some spiritual essence.

The plants that were planted earlier have long since turned into nectar. When you put your eye close to the bottle opening, you can see the clear, pure nectar swaying and rippling, with a wonderful fragrance.

It's done!
Information also flashed through my mind—

The Compendium of Materia Medica states: "[The *Symplocos sarcodactylis* grows where corpses are abandoned. Its roots are shaped like a human figure; burning its ash can dispel the poison of corpses.]"

Am I a walking encyclopedia?
The information provided by the Mountain-Driving Whip leans towards the essence of spiritual plants and their effects on cultivation, with clear and detailed direction.

It even includes instructions on how to harvest and preserve the fruit.

It is clearly a deliberate, intentional refining process.

The information in one's own memory is rather general, but it often has a remarkable effect that even the mountain-driving whip cannot identify.

Together, the two complement and reinforce each other!
The eighth one!
He took out the magic pot and suddenly realized...

Oops.

There are too many spiritual plants.

The spiritual energy I had previously used up was long ago.

This plant of the Corpse Forest Grass no longer has any spiritual energy left.

"Tsk!"

I had no choice but to insert it into the clean bottle first.

The jade vase is also a jade artifact, and a legendary treasure at that. It should be able to be preserved for a period of time, right?

However, we have no choice but to suspend the looting operation for now.

You need to at least farm some spirit essence first.

However, it seems that there are fewer ghosts in this place. We've been here for so long and haven't encountered a single one.

I don't know if it's because the female ghost died, or because I was attacked too much by others.

I connected with Baishitong and opened the group chat to take a look.

It was bustling with activity.

They were all discussing the encirclement and suppression of Daheishan, and they were very excited.

Bedtime Explorer: Want to make a bet? I bet Xie Lingxin is just lucky, and he'll definitely be exposed in this raid on Daheishan. I bet he won't even make the top 100!

He's so well-behaved and honest, he doesn't even chat in the group, yet people still mention him.

It seems that many more people have joined this trial, but the total number of people, including the first trial, is at most a little over 100.

This person has directly pushed themselves to the very bottom of the countdown.

Xie Lingxin really wanted to fight this lowly servant for three hundred rounds.

But thinking about it, there's no need to waste precious time on this.

Wait until we get out, then Brother Xie will give you a piece of his mind!
Chishang Longshe: @Xiaoxinxinshiya, are you coming to besiege Daheishan? Let's take the King of Nine Mountains as our target and decide the winner.

Good heavens, he suddenly challenged Chen Jinxin directly, and with the King of Nine Mountains as his target.

This immediately drew everyone's attention in the group.

Little Heart is Me: Huh? I didn't know that, wasn't it said that its supernatural powers were unbreakable?
I don't know what this girl is doing; she seems a bit out of touch with the world.

Chishang Longshe: The Environmental Protection Bureau has found clues to crack the supernatural power. Since the time for the encirclement and suppression has been set, there should be no problem.

Little Heart is Me: Oh, I remember now, you've joined the Environmental Protection Bureau, that's amazing! If I can break through, I'll try my best to get there, but I don't have the ability to deal with that giant snake, the gap is too big.

Chishang Longshe: Naturally, it won't be a head-on confrontation. Adults have their own way of fighting, and we have ours.

Their conversation caused a stir in the group chat.

These two are now the two most prominent figures at Seven Star Academy, and also the two most eye-catching prodigies in Leizhou recently.

Naturally, every move he makes captivates people's hearts.

Moreover, no one expected that this "dragon and snake on the pond," namely Li Jingzhe, had actually entered the Environmental Protection Bureau.
He's only been at Seven Star Academy for about six months, right?

Entering the Environmental Protection Bureau without graduating and still a freshman is the first case in Leizhou!

So fierce!
Holding Hands with Guanyin: @Chishanglongshe, the Leizhou Environmental Protection Bureau has been quite aggressive lately. First, they deciphered the ancient scriptures, and now they've even found a way to deal with that giant snake. I heard a couple of days ago that everyone suffered huge losses because of this snake, and there were even casualties. They're all having a headache.

Kick the lame man's good leg: I'm also wondering, I've never heard of such a fierce person in the Environmental Protection Bureau. Oh, there's a woman surnamed Jin who's been making quite a name for herself these past few days. Could it be that she personally took action?

"Among all the monkeys on the mountain, my butt is the reddest": After all, it's the Environmental Protection Bureau, full of hidden talents, so it's not surprising. But could these two things have been done by the same person? If so, that's truly a remarkable person. I'm curious, who exactly is this remarkable person? @池上龙蛇, could you satisfy everyone's curiosity?
The dragon and snake on the pond ignored it.

I don't know if it's because of confidentiality regulations, or if they genuinely don't know, or if they're just too arrogant to talk to anyone else.

Xie Lingxin smiled smugly.

Someone mentioned me again, so I can talk more. I like that.

But when did this guy join the Environmental Protection Bureau? I've never seen him before.
Little Heart is me: @Little Heart Bu Lingling, are you coming? I'll protect you!

"..."

This guy suddenly had another episode, and the group chat fell silent.

Xie Lingxin also disconnected immediately.

How annoying!
I watched the spectacle for a while, but didn't get much useful information.

This reminded him of his purpose in coming here.

I almost forgot, Fatty Orange asked me to investigate Song Dingbo's whereabouts...

He patted his bottom and stood up.

I started looking around.

Trees, ash pits, eighteen clay figurines, eight stone pillars...

There is nothing else besides that.

The female ghost is dead, and the clay figurine has become a real clay figurine; only the ashes in the ash pit remain incredibly thick.

Stone pillars...

Xie Lingxin circled the broken and incomplete stone pillar, examining it little by little.

In fact, the people in the bureau must have already checked. Since it wasn't mentioned in the information they received, it means they couldn't find it.

However, Xie Lingxin has always trusted herself more than others.

The stone pillar is clearly engraved with many lines, crooked and twisted, and although it has been weathered a lot, it is also broken and incomplete.

But it is clearly some kind of rune.

I don't know what it's used for.

The origin of this ash pit is that a Taoist priest performed rituals here to deliver the souls of the dead from the mass grave.

This place is most likely the remains of the altar left by that Taoist priest back then.

Nothing useful could be found.

He didn't understand talismans either, otherwise he might have been able to get some information.

"Ok?"

He didn't find it on the stone pillar, but he did see something on the altar at his feet.

He quickly knelt down, pulled out the grass roots sprouting from the crack in the rock, and brushed away the dust to reveal a line of writing:
"West, Shu, Crane..."

Even the stone altar was cracked and weathered, overgrown with grass, and the inscriptions on it were blurred and difficult to decipher.

Xie Lingxin's eyes ached from looking so hard before she could make out three words.

"What's that thing in the back?"

"Mouth, left-falling, hook... chirp?"

"The Crane Cries in Western Shu!"

Xie Lingxin was overjoyed; finally, there was a complete sentence!
"East, what dragon... tiger?"

"Success... Success, then travel south..."

WTF?

Xie Lingxin felt dizzy and lightheaded, so she simply plopped down on the floor.

Calm your mind and clear your thoughts.

Cranes cry in Western Shu... Dragon and Tiger...

Headache!