readytorunbook Chapter 123 Reunion in the Capital
Chapter 123 Reunion in the Capital
"...Sword Immortal?"
To cut a giant in half with a single sword strike—what else could this be but a sword immortal?
"Do not."
Jian Feidao sheathed his sword, not taking the other person's words to heart.
"I am merely a passing cultivator. What are you doing here? Why are you being chased by giants?"
This is a small path on a hillside, and it doesn't look like a place that people often walk on. There must be a reason why two well-dressed scholars are here and being chased by a giant summoned by magic.
Although the sorcerers in the White Lotus Sect were not exactly law-abiding citizens, they wouldn't cause trouble without a reason. They could usually find some cause. At worst, it was a conspiracy ordered by higher-ups; at worst, it was for financial gain, or perhaps the scholar had offended someone.
"I don't know either. I had just seen the temple buildings when that big guy appeared, waving a stick at me!"
Zhu Xiaolian couldn't explain where he had offended the giant. The giant had a ferocious face and looked no different from a vengeful ghost coming to claim his life. He couldn't believe it was either a guardian deity in a temple or a heavenly soldier in a mural.
It's said that Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries can expel demons, and that if you're possessed by evil spirits, you can hide inside them. So why are there evil spirits chasing people away at the temple gate? Judging by their appearance, that giant is the one who should be driven away the most.
"This is an illusion created by human summoning; there may be mages nearby who know this technique."
It appeared from around the temple, and it is highly likely that it was summoned by the person who damaged the murals to drive away the disturbers.
"Are you going to the temple too?"
"also?"
Meng Longtan grasped the key point.
"Immortal Master, are you also going to the Buddhist temple?"
Zhu Xiaolian went to the temple because of the girl in the mural whose existence was unknown. The Yan family occupied the temple for some reason. The giant from earlier also appeared after Zhu Xiaolian stepped into the temple grounds. The white-robed, white-haired immortal in front of him was also going to that temple. Why did everyone have to go to the temple? What exactly is in that temple?
Meng Longtan was still speculating about the reason why this person, who seemed to be a sword immortal, had suddenly appeared at the temple, when Zhu Xiaolian went straight up to him. Jian Feidao killed the giant with a single sword strike. If the other party had been with him, let alone the Yan family, he probably wouldn't have to worry about even ten more yakshas.
"Please, Immortal Master, save my life!"
Thinking of all this, Zhu Xiaolian resolutely knelt down, and Meng Longtan, who was standing next to him, couldn't stop him at all, and once again suspected that his friend had gone mad.
Meng Longtan: How exactly did you manage to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar?
"Does the immortal know that there are murals painted on both sides of the main hall of that temple, and in those murals..."
"There is a world within a painting."
Seeing the man suddenly kneel down, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice, Jian Feidao wanted to reach out to help him up. However, upon hearing what the man said, he naturally followed up, silencing Zhu Xiaolian, who was about to launch into a long speech.
"I have come for that mural. How much do you know about it?"
The unexpected appearance of the immortal turned out to be someone who knew about the temple murals, and his target was precisely the murals. After clarifying this relationship, Zhu Xiaolian was even more excited, feeling that his beloved was saved.
Although he hadn't seen the golden-armored guard make a move, and had only been listening to the sounds from under the bed, he inexplicably felt that this person was more powerful than the heavenly soldiers in the painting, and that this person would definitely be able to save people.
So Zhu Xiaolian poured out his heart, recounting in detail his experiences as a guest in the temple, including his dream of a crying girl and the current situation where the Yan family had surrounded the temple.
"The Yan family..."
Jian Feidao remembered that the two illegal transmigrators who planted the cursed insects on the scholar were under the cover of the Yan family in the capital. They helped arrest people and then planted the cursed insects on the way back to the scholar.
At that time, in order to deter others and allow Shou Wanjie to infiltrate their ranks, Liu Qingyuan and Jian Feidao wandered around the capital city with their swords for a long time. As a result, rumors of a white-robed sword immortal appeared in the capital city, and illegal time travelers stopped going to the capital city.
Unexpectedly, after the illegal transmigrators left, the White Lotus Sect came again, and it was related to the Yan family once more. It was truly a case of "two plum blossoms blooming, and they are still unrepentant."
“If you only want to see her, you don’t need to look for the murals in the temple anymore.”
Jian Feidao looked at Zhu Xiaolian. So this was the lover that the Flower-Scattering Fairy wanted to find after leaving the mural.
"But if we don't go to her, she'll be arrested..."
"The flower-scattering celestial maiden has left the mural and is now with my companions."
The girl didn't tell Meng Danqing her name, not because she was afraid of being captured, but because as one of the many celestial maidens in the mural, she didn't have a separate name. The title "Scattering Flower Celestial Maiden" was the most accurate one.
The painter covered both walls of the temple's main hall with murals, depicting countless figures and numerous celestial maidens. The flower-scattering celestial maiden was merely an embellishment in a corner of the mural.
Aside from the characters who already have names and specific appearances, the rest are merely supporting characters, without names. Even her charming and lovely face was created based on the preferences of the painters at the time.
The girl and her celestial companions had no names. In that painted world, they all lived together and spent most of their time acting together, calling each other sisters. Others called them "celestial maiden" or "flower-scattering celestial maiden." At most, someone might call her "the celestial maiden who likes to pick flowers." They never had an independent name.
Zhu Xiaolian, who had stumbled upon the mural, naturally did not know her name. It was precisely because of this that Meng Longtan, as her friend, found it unusual that Zhu Xiaolian was rushing back to the temple.
You say that the beautiful girl you met was not an illusion, and your romantic encounter with the girl picking flowers in the mural was not a figment of your imagination. You dreamed that she was crying, said you wanted to save her, and even wanted to marry her. Your feelings for her have reached this point, yet you can't say the girl's real name. Isn't that absurd?
From Meng Longtan's perspective, his friend would risk offending a powerful figure in the capital who could strangle him with a single finger for a girl whose name he didn't even know, or even whose existence he was unsure of. He couldn't think of any other reason besides that he had lost his mind.
However, Zhu Xiaolian no longer needs to confront powerful figures or face someone like the giant from before. Because of Meng Danqing's accidental entry, the Flower Scattering Fairy successfully left the mural, but she was still very weak. Jian Feidao and the others were afraid of any further accidents, so they didn't bring her along.
After leaving the mural, the girl's physical condition was somewhat like that of a spirit whose painting had taken shape. Perhaps because it was the first time she had left her own place of life, she showed many signs of maladjustment. In her condition, it was not suitable for her to come directly to the temple to face the lurking enemies.
So after arriving in the capital, he first had Meng Danqing wait for her elsewhere, while Jian Feidao went directly to the temple to check on the murals.
According to the girl, time in the world on the other side of the mural is different from that in the real world outside. Time passes faster in the mural, a fact that Meng Danqing and Zhu Xiaolian, who have both entered the mural, have experienced firsthand.
According to Meng Danqing's own perception, he was drawn into the world by the light of the mural. After encountering the inhabitants of the world in the painting, he explained the situation to them and followed their guidance to leave. On the way, he met a girl who came to ask for help and bumped into the array on the mural in the capital. In a moment of desperation, he connected with the mural in Changqing County.
After all these twists and turns, Meng Danqing felt that a whole day had passed, but in reality, from entering the mural to coming out, only the time it takes for the sun to set had passed. Yuan Wuxiang and the others received the message the next day, but because the journey between the north and south was long, the message took all night to arrive.
Zhu Xiaolian was the same. According to him, after accidentally entering the mural and developing feelings for the girl, he stayed in her room for two days before being discovered by the girl's companion. However, Meng Longtan outside discovered that his friend was missing on the very night the two stayed there. He went directly to the old monk to inquire, and by the time the old monk called him back, half a day had actually passed.
This time difference wouldn't have been a big deal in the past, as the people in the two worlds had little contact, so a large time difference didn't matter. But things are different now. The spiritual energy within the murals is being eroded, and the other world will also be affected. The longer it drags on, the more dangerous it will be for the inhabitants of the murals.
“There may be other dangers here. I will take you to where the Flower-Scattering Fairy is.”
The presence of a giant summoned by the White Lotus Sect indicates the presence of White Lotus Sect sorcerers nearby. It would be too dangerous for these two scholars to remain here. Since Zhu Xiaolian is looking for the Flower Scattering Fairy, it would be better to take her back directly and allow the couple to reunite.
"Okay, I'll go down the mountain to rent a horse..."
Thinking of the hideous giant from earlier, Zhu and Meng realized that they would only be in the way if they stayed there. Since the girl that Zhu Xiaolian wanted to save had already escaped, they naturally didn't need to risk going to the temple anymore.
"No need, please forgive us."
As he spoke, Jian Feidao grabbed one of them with each arm, and before they could question his actions, he leaped up and soared into the sky.
The two men, both over twenty years old, were experiencing "ascension" in a physical sense for the first time today. There was no soaring through the clouds or dazzling light; they simply felt a weight on their shoulders, a blur before their eyes, and then a dizzying spin, during which the surrounding scenery changed dramatically.
I had no enjoyment at all, and even felt a little dizzy.
After handing the two scholars over to Meng Danqing, Jian Feidao didn't watch Zhu Xiaolian's touching reunion with the girl. He immediately returned to the temple and, after hearing Zhu Xiaolian's story, discovered a problem.
Although the temple is small, it is managed by an old monk who not only knows the wonders of the murals but can also explain them by the idea that they are illusions created by the mind, and he can calmly face other people's questions.
However, Meng Danqing didn't see any monks through the murals at the time. This could be explained by the monks being away from the main hall. But the formation that destroyed the murals was meant to devour their spiritual energy. Such a method would have to be done right next to the murals, and it was impossible to avoid the people in the temple when setting it up.
If that's the case, how did they manage to tamper with the murals without the monks' knowledge? Where is the old monk who knew the secrets of the murals? Could the involvement of powerful figures like the Yan family from the capital, who had the temple surrounded, be for the sake of this person in the know?
After all, if a monk suddenly disappears from a temple, especially in the capital city, it would be a huge problem if people found out. Killing him is definitely not an option, and imprisoning him is also impossible. If you imprison the monks who receive worshippers, and someone suddenly comes to pay their respects, the truth will be revealed immediately.
However, if a powerful figure comes to stay at the temple and declares that he does not want to be disturbed, he will surround the entire temple and not allow others to come and worship. Ordinary people, fearing the power of the person in charge, will not be able to enter and can at most verbally curse the other party's domineering behavior.
In this way, whatever happens in the temple will not get out unless someone with greater power intervenes. But the temple is just a small temple in a remote area, and powerful and wealthy people will not come here. If they hear about this, they will at most sigh that the Yan family is making a mountain out of a molehill.
The Yan family is truly adept at covering up for others' wrongdoings.
"There really is a formation."
Zhu Xiaolian was driven away by the giant only after arriving near the temple. This shows that in addition to the guards of the Yan family servants, there are also formations around the temple that can be triggered by outsiders. The giant was ugly and scary, but its actual combat power was not strong. It was even a bit slow in its movements. It should only be used to drive away the giant.
Jian Feidao first circled the temple's perimeter, destroying all the array formations he found, before leaping onto the temple's roof again to search for a place where monks might be imprisoned.
A commotion arose from below. It had been learned that the formation had been destroyed. The person who set up the formation reacted quickly, knowing that the one who could destroy it was no ordinary person. They ordered the temple guards to be on high alert and keep a close watch on all changes.
However, the guards in the temple were all servants of the Yan family. No matter how good their eyesight was, they were still mortals. It was really asking too much of them to discover Jian Feidao, a person with innate talent.
Jian Feidao merely glanced at the commotion below. He went to the main hall and heard some familiar voices inside.
"...I have a bad feeling."
Lan Ying stood in the hall covered with murals, hugging her arms and shivering. Returning to the capital, the psychological trauma of being chased like a cat by the enemy was still there. If it weren't for the need to re-establish contact with the Yan family, she wouldn't want to come back.
"Everything is going well now, so don't jinx it."
A wisp of black smoke emerged from the mural, emitting a somewhat indistinct sound.
"Can you go in now?"
"No."
"Then how can this be considered smooth sailing?"
There is also a small world in the mural, like a heavenly palace. This is why they came back to the capital. The world in the mural is quite isolated, with little contact with the outside world and no fixed route for travel.
At the same time, this small world in the painting is itself a part of the entire world of Liaozhai. If they can destroy the other world, they can silently cause serious damage to the world.
The problem is that they can't get into the mural. Apart from the array outside that's eroding their spiritual energy, the only way they can destroy it is by smashing the wall with a sledgehammer.
"If you can even get into the underworld, why can't you get through a single wall?"
Lan Ying leaned closer to examine it. It was just a relatively unusual mural. Could it be that the gate to this mural was even more secure than the gates of the underworld?
As she observed, her gaze couldn't help but fall on the various figures. The mural was indeed exquisite, with each person depicted so vividly. She wondered if it was due to the painter's superb skill or because such people truly lived on the other side of the mural.
"and many more."
As Lan Ying watched, she noticed several flower-scattering celestial maidens scattering flowers for the Bodhisattva and realized something was amiss.
"Ayan, come here quickly."
"What did you find?"
"this place."
Lan Ying pointed to a small space among the celestial maidens scattering flowers in the painting.
"It seems like someone is missing."