“Creak, creak…”
The sound of fingernails scratching the coffin lid came from inside the coffin, especially clear and particularly unsettling in the silent night.
Chen Xuedao and Zhang Yuanqing stood up abruptly, their eyes fixed on the coffin.
The former slowly picked up the long saber leaning against the table, and a thick, viscous yellow light rose from his body. He exuded a majestic and imposing aura, like an insurmountable peak. So strong, invincibly strong.
Zhang Yuanqing finally determined Chen Xuedao's level—undeniably level six Mountain God. Moreover, it’s a Mountain God whose domain is expanded. He can’t compete with him in his current state, and he can't compete no matter what he does... Of course, if he doesn't enter the opponent's domain, with his Item Celestial's foundation, he can still run away even if he can't win, so there's no life-threatening danger.
Personally experiencing Chen Xuedao's power, Zhang Yuanqing felt much more at ease. "Creak, creak…"
The sound of scratching the coffin lid grew louder, and there were faint signs of something breaking out of the coffin.
The entire coffin was vibrating slightly, and the thing inside seemed ready to burst out.
Zhang Yuanqing silently took out the Corpse Suppressing Talisman and Spirit Sealing Talisman. As for items, he didn't take them out immediately. Although Chen Wei and others fully accepted the existence of the two Yin Corpses, the item bar and the endless stream of items were still a bit bizarre.
It was hard to guarantee whether they would accept it naturally, so he planned to wait and see what happened. It wouldn't be too late to take them out when things got dangerous. "Creak, creak…"
The scratching sound continued, and the coffin shook even more violently. Chen Xuedao looked at his adopted son, Lin Ci, and said in a deep voice:
"Place a Corpse Suppressing Talisman and a Spirit Sealing Talisman on either side of the coffin." Zhang Yuanqing nodded. To be cautious, he summoned the Blood Rose from the corner of the room, handed the talismans to her, and manipulated the Yin Corpse to complete the talisman placement.
The moment the two talismans were attached to the black coffin, the originally vibrating coffin stopped.
Is it being obedient? Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief, but was also a little surprised. He had thought he would have a big battle. He thought he would have a big battle.
"Adoptive father, it seems to have stopped," Zhang Yuanqing said, maintaining his persona, looking at Chen Xuedao.
The latter's stern face showed a hint of confusion, and then he nodded. This is really good.
After speaking, he leaned the saber back against the table and sat down again. It is really good.
Zhang Yuanqing also returned to his seat, but his eyes were still fixed on the coffin. Just to be safe, he used Soul Devour to check the state of the sinister creature in the coffin. As he saw during the day, it was eerie and terrifying, but nothing had changed.
Strange, it was fine during the day, why did it suddenly become active at night...? Zhang Yuanqing frowned as he analyzed.
He looked at Chen Xuedao, hesitated, and said:
"Adoptive father, did Zhang Hu and Zhao Ma hear the commotion last night, so they cut the copper lock and came into the house to check?" Chen Xuedao nodded, then shook his head:
"They are both experienced escorts. In this situation, they should have reported to me first."
He sighed: "But one thing is certain: they were murdered, and indeed died because of this coffin."
They didn't come back after waiting a whole day! Combining that with the commotion in the coffin just now, it's not hard to guess the fate of Zhang Hu and Zhao Ma. Zhang Yuanqing took the opportunity to raise a second question. The coffin obviously couldn't be opened, so how did the sinister creature inside kill them, and without leaving any bones? At this point, a flash of inspiration came to him. "Adoptive father, let's open the coffin. The coffin lid couldn't be opened during the day, perhaps it can be opened at night?" Chen Xuedao frowned and shook his head:
"No, our mission is to transport the coffin to Divine Sword Manor, not to deal with it. Besides, this is an inn. If we can't control the sinister creature, countless people in the city will suffer."
Even if the people in the city die, new ones will come, but adoptive father is right. If the sinister creature escapes, my side quest will fail, Zhang Yuanqing agreed with a nod.
"Judging from tonight's situation, as long as Chen Xuedao and I guard here, the sinister creature in the coffin won't break out of the coffin. Transporting it to Divine Sword Manor shouldn't be difficult," Zhang Yuanqing muttered in his heart:
After completing the side quest, I should be able to find out who my teammates and enemies are at Divine Sword Manor.
There are many level-six The Way of the Extraordinary, but there are only a limited number of level-sixes. I wonder which enemies I will be matched with.
Zhang Yuanqing felt someone nudge his shoulder. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw that the sky was turning blue, and the east was faintly revealing the white of dawn. It was almost dawn.
Did I fall asleep? He turned his head in surprise and saw that it was Chen Xuedao who had woken him up. "Go wake up the brothers. As soon as the messenger returns, we'll set off immediately." Chen Xuedao glanced at the sky, his brow furrowed with concern: "Yes, adoptive father."
Zhang Yuanqing responded as if nothing had happened, but he was secretly puzzled.
He was a Night Wanderer, a favored one of Taiyin, a spirit of the night. How could he have unknowingly fallen asleep at night?
This is like drowning a water controller and burning a fire controller to death. How absurd. As Zhang Yuanqing got up, he subtly scanned the room. The coffin lay quietly, and Blood Rose and Princess Yinyao stood quietly in the corner... There was nothing unusual about himself either.
Although it was strange to be drowsy at night, he really didn't find anything wrong. The night had been uneventful.
So Zhang Yuanqing left the backyard with doubts and went to the inn's lobby.
At this time, the sky was not yet bright, and the lobby was dimly lit. The inn's door was already open, and the waiter was sweeping the garbage in front of the door, yawning.
In the direction of the kitchen, flames flickered, and a dense mist filled the air, bringing the unique aroma of steamed buns.
Zhang Yuanqing stepped on the wooden stairs and went to the second floor, knocking on the door of his fourth brother, Zhao Youcai, who was closest.
He knocked for a long time before Zhao Youcai hurriedly opened the door, while shouting, "Don't knock, don't knock, I'm getting dressed!" "Why are you so slow?" Zhang Yuanqing poked his head into the room. "I drank the two jugs of wine I brought back yesterday," Zhao Youcai explained casually, asking, "Was everything peaceful last night?"
Zhang Yuanqing told his fourth brother what had happened last night. "How strange," Zhao Youcai said thoughtfully.
Zhang Yuanqing's heart stirred, and he asked, "What do you think, fourth brother?" Zhao Youcai thought for a while and blurted out,
"That sinister creature must have known that adoptive father was guarding outside and gotten scared."
I shouldn't have had expectations for a fire controller... Zhang Yuanqing didn't waste any more words: "Fourth brother, please help me wake everyone up. We're preparing to set off. I'll go wake up third sister." Leaving Zhao Youcai behind, he walked straight down the corridor, stopping at Chen Wei's door and knocking lightly.
"Coming!"
Chen Wei's voice came from inside the house, but after a long time, she opened the door.
Peeking her head out and looking around, seeing no one in the corridor, she pulled her lover into the room. "Seventh brother,"
Her moist, fragrant lips pressed against his. Chen Wei obviously had rich experience in lovemaking. Just a few back-and-forths made Zhang Yuanqing feel restless. "Don't make trouble, we're about to set off," she said, moving her hands up and down, her little tongue skillfully hooking.
His mouth was dry.
Zhang Yuanqing didn't deliberately refuse. Instead, he maintained his persona and dealt with her for a few back-and-forths before forcibly cutting off his desires and pushing Chen Wei away:
Having undergone the test of the Mountain God's scepter, he had extremely strong endurance in this regard. Chen Wei's face was flushed, and she was content, giggling. "When we get to the next city, we'll have a good time. Fire controllers are so good... Ah, fire controllers have no worries..." Zhang Yuanqing, who was carrying a mission, sighed enviously. At this moment, hurried footsteps came and stopped at the door. Zhang Yuanqing and Chen Wei separated decisively. The next second, the inn's door was violently pushed open. Being so frantic must be the fire controller. Zhao Youcai stood at the door, his expression extremely ugly, and shouted, "Something's wrong! Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle are missing!" Zhang Yuanqing and Chen Wei said in unison, "What?!" Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle had mysteriously disappeared last night.
Chen Xuedao closed the inn's door and summoned all the escorts to the backyard. Everyone's expression was unusually solemn, and an oppressive atmosphere shrouded everyone's heart. The scout in the escort team reported:
"I've checked the doors and windows. There are no signs of forced entry. There are no signs of fighting in the rooms. According to Fourth Master's description, the doors to both rooms were unlocked. Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle must have left the rooms voluntarily."
"I've already questioned the brothers in the escort agency, as well as the innkeeper and the waiter. No one heard any noise last night."
After reporting, the thin, wiry scout returned to the team. Chen Xuedao stood on the steps of the east wing, lost in thought. Apart from Chen Wei and Zhao Youcai looking around, everyone else showed a thoughtful expression. Zhang Yuanqing frowned, feeling heavy and confused.
He thought to himself, I don't understand this mission. The disappearance of Zhang Hu and Zhao Ma has been confirmed to be related to the coffin, but what about Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle? Could the disappearance of the latter two be unrelated to the coffin? But it's too coincidental. It's still two people, and it's still a mysterious disappearance.
But if it was the coffin that killed them, why did Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle disappear, while Chen Xuedao and I are fine?
Also, if the coffin really killed the two of them, then guarding it tonight is meaningless. Two people will still die every day, and perhaps it will be my turn tomorrow. No wonder the副本 introduction said that strange things happen frequently. It's really damn strange!
Zhang Yuanqing hadn't encountered such a troublesome 副本 in a long time. Complex relationships, a strange black coffin, unknown dangers... It's a complete mess.
Based on my understanding of the Spirit Realm, the more chaotic and unknown a 副本 seems, the more attention needs to be paid to details. There's no way the Spirit Realm would leave the The Way of the Extraordinary completely in the dark.
Most of the information has actually been given out, but it's often missing a few key pieces of information, making it difficult to connect everything. That's the situation I'm currently in, Zhang Yuanqing thought quickly. At this moment, Chen Xuedao said:
"Time is pressing. We can't continue to delay here. Everyone do your jobs. After breakfast,"
Let's set off immediately. It seems he plans to give up on Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle.
He directly skipped over Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle.
The impatient Chen Wei shouted, "We can't leave. We have to find out. Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle are our escort agency's brothers. How can you ignore them?" Chen Xuedao glared at her sternly, suppressing his volatile fire controller daughter. Chen Wei was unconvinced, pouted, and turned her head to face Chen Xuedao.
Chen Xuedao suppressed Chen Wei's complaints in the Heavenly Emperor Forum. "Peiran and Ci'er, stay behind. Everyone else, do your jobs." After everyone dispersed, he looked at Zhuo Peiran, "Come in."
The father and son went into the house and closed the door.
Zhang Yuanqing outside the courtyard perked up his ears to listen, but even with his excellent hearing, he couldn't catch any sound.
Could it be that the Mountain God's domain ability is isolating the sound? Zhang Yuanqing understood in his heart, giving up on eavesdropping and patiently waiting.
After a while, the door to the east wing opened, and Zhuo Peiran stepped across the threshold with a gloomy expression, walking away quickly. "Ci'er, come in!" Chen Xuedao's voice came from inside the house.
Zhang Yuanqing stepped across the threshold, closed the door, and saw Chen Xuedao standing with his hands clasped behind his back, standing at the edge of the black coffin.
"Adoptive father?" he asked tentatively. Chen Xuedao stared at the black coffin, his tone low and slow: "I fell asleep last night, and you fell asleep too?!"
A simple sentence, but it made Zhang Yuanqing's eyes suddenly constrict, and a stormy sea rose in his heart.
It seems you've already realized where the problem lies. Chen Xuedao gently stroked the coffin lid. "When I woke up this morning, I saw you sleeping by the door and realized something was wrong. But at that time, I had a fluke, after all, nothing had happened, until Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle disappeared." Speaking of which, he raised his eyes to look over and said:
Why would a Dream Weaver target us?" Zhang Yuanqing shouted in his heart.
"We've been targeted by a Dream Weaver." Chen Xuedao sighed softly:
"Everyone fell into a deep sleep, so no one heard Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle leave... There are only a handful of Dream Weavers in the jianghu, and they're all gathered in the northwest. Why would the Yellow Banner Escort Agency be targeted by a Dream Weaver?" It's The Way of the Extraordinary!
Zhang Yuanqing finally confirmed one thing: the Five Elements Chaos 副本 is indeed a factional对抗副本. The evil职业's side quest is to prevent the escort agency from transporting the black coffin to Divine Sword Manor, or to wipe out the escort agency's team.
He finally understood why the Spirit Realm gave him the "Lin Ci" identity instead of the Primordial Heavenly Lord identity to enter the team. It was for his protection.
"The lawful职业 have the protection of identities and the help of the escort team, so they obtain very little information. And the evil职业 have to take on the entire team alone, so the information they (she) obtain must be
"The Dream Weaver who can make Chen Xuedao and me fall asleep is definitely level six. There are only so many level-six powerhouses in the Nihility Sect. I wonder if it's Tian Mao Electronic
Zhang Yuanqing sadly discovered that the enemy he was matched with was indeed a level six. How terrifying are level six practitioners? Killing level four is like slaughtering a dog.
Moreover, the opponent is hidden in the dark, making it difficult to defend against. If he's not careful, the great Primordial Heavenly Lord might die in the 副本.
"I knew the side quest wouldn't be
That simple,
"I wonder if that Dream Weaver is in the team or lurking around. Well, based on my personal situation, although I've replaced the identity, my职业 is the same, and there doesn't seem to be an Illusionist in the escort agency's team? Lin Ci's memory doesn't have this information." As thoughts flashed through his mind, Chen Xuedao said:
The coffin!" "Take another look at this
Zhang Yuanqing immediately used Soul Devour, examining the coffin.
Upon this look, his expression changed drastically. The Yin energy in the black coffin was so thick that it made his eyes sting and his heart palpitate.
Zhang Yuanqing suddenly closed his eyes and looked at Chen Xuedao, feigning horror and saying, "Adoptive father, it, it's stronger." As he spoke, he immediately realized the Dream Weaver's purpose—to sacrifice fresh life to help the sinister creature in the coffin revive.
Based on this conclusion, the evil职业's task is to help revive the sinister creature in the coffin and wipe out the escort agency. Stronger, Chen Xuedao's face darkened. He pondered for a moment and said:
"Wan City is six days away from Divine Sword Manor. We don't have much time. We must whip the horses and send the goods as quickly as possible."
Is he planning to race against time with the Dream Weaver in the dark? This method isn't very clever. The Dream Weaver's methods are difficult to defend against. If the coffin eats a few more people, the sinister creature inside will directly break out of the coffin. Sigh, it's a bit tricky. With the elusiveness of an Illusionist, it's really difficult to find him. Well, I can't find the Illusionist in the city, but in the mountains and countryside, as long as the Dream Weaver dares to follow, he will definitely be discovered. Chen Xuedao must be planning to do this." Zhang Yuanqing sighed: "Yes, adoptive father."
He led Blood Rose and Princess Yinyao away, using the Night Wanderer's exclusive communication method to say:
"Princess, you take Blood Rose out of the city first, tail the team from a distance, and see if anyone is tailing the escort team."
If the Dream Weaver isn't in the team, he will definitely be following. The princess can ferret him out. If the Dream Weaver is lurking in the team, if he's too active and purposeful in investigating, the lurking Dream Weaver will realize that Lin Ci is me, The Way of the Extraordinary, and that would be dangerous. Of course, Zhang Yuanqing is proceeding based on his actual situation, believing that the possibility of the Dream Weaver being in the team is low
But he can't be careless.
His trump card is usually that once the master falls into a deep sleep, the Yin Corpse becomes
Princess Yinyao is useless
But the princess is different. The princess is a Yin Corpse with independent consciousness. Whether the master is asleep or awake doesn't affect the princess's actions.
The Dream Weaver lurking in the dark doesn't know the princess's special nature. Zhang Yuanqing decided to use this information to turn the tables and make the princess his last resort.
After a simple breakfast, four escorts carried the heavy black coffin, placed it on a flatbed cart, covered it with oil-coated linen, and left the inn, pulling the horses. "Oh, where's seventh brother?"
, "Chen Wei cared about her lover, and asked when she didn't see Lin Ci in the team. He left something in the guest room," Zhao Youcai said.
The black coffin
Not long after, Zhang Yuanqing strode out of Wan City. "Make way, make way!" Two escorts rode fast horses, driving away the people in front, while Chen Wei rode a fast horse, shoulder to shoulder with her father, asking, "Father, aren't we waiting for the brothers going to Xiu City?" Chen Xuedao said in a deep voice, "Chai Gui knows the route and will follow us." "Why are you in such a hurry?" Chen Wei muttered.
Stepping out of the inn,
Taking the reins from the escort, the group of people cleared the road for the caravan.
Zhang Yuanqing was riding a horse for the first time, but he didn't feel any unfamiliarity. With the physical qualities of a Saint, he could easily learn by simply watching Chen Xuedao and the others' postures!
Fifteen horses, plus a cart carrying goods. Quickly passing through the city gate and galloping along the official road, the sound of hooves and wheels became the only main melody.
Zhang Yuanqing turned his head and glanced at the city wall, which wasn't very tall. In his heart, he sighed, "Wan City, this is a long official road, the sun is shining brightly, the roadside is lush green grass, and in the distance, the mountains are undulating."
The ancient wilderness was full of the desolation of wild plants and trees, which was completely different from the modern world that Zhang Yuanqing lived in.
Then there's the official road, which is wider and more solid than expected. Thanks to the economic prosperity of the Song Dynasty, the official roads were better built than in other dynasties.
"I feel like if I come to this kind of 副本 a few more times, I can become an excellent historian
Once a little bear
Zhang Yuanqing looked away and looked at the escort agency's flag inserted on the flatbed cart. The Yellow Banner Escort Agency's flag was earthy yellow, fluttering in the wind. A meme flashed through his mind for no reason: Flowing Yellow Banner!
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Galloping all the way, at noon, the escort team stopped in the shade beside the official road.
Chen Xuedao sat high on horseback, looking around, and said, "Rest for a quarter of an hour."
Everyone dismounted from their horses one after another, and immediately took out water skins, gulping down water. It was early autumn, and the sun was scorching. The escorts had been traveling for two hours under the scorching sun, and their clothes were already soaked with sweat, and their throats were parched.
Zhang Yuanqing finished the second skin of the suit in one breath, then took down his travel bag and enjoyed the meat buns, roast chicken, and other delicacies brought out from Wan City with everyone.
Most of the time, they could only eat dry food and water. Only when they passed through cities and towns could they have a few good meals.
Zhang Yuanqing and Chen Wei sat side by side, eating fresh fruits, meat, and soft buns.
Zhao Youcai led the escorts to feed the horses grass and shouted, "Adoptive father, is there a water source nearby? We should rinse the horses' nostrils." Chen Xuedao was about to reply when he suddenly heard the sound of hurried hooves on the official road
The escort agency looked over in response and saw a horse galloping towards them, the rider wearing the earthy yellow uniform of the escort agency
Heavenly Emperor Forum
"Chai Gui is back
As a fire controller, Zhao Youcai showed a happy expression.
"Father, Chai Gui is back?" Chen Wei also shouted. The returning rider was Chai Gui, who had gone to Xiu City to deliver the message. Chen Xuedao nodded slightly, hung up his water skin, and took the initiative to greet him. "Hiss~
Chai Gui reined in his horse, and the steed under his crotch raised its front hooves high, stopping abruptly. He couldn't care less about wiping his sweat and dismounted, rushing over. "What was Xuan Yu真人's reply?" Chen Xuedao asked.
Zhang Yuanqing, Chen Wei, Zhao Youcai, and Zhuo Peiran, the four core members, greeted him. Standing beside their adoptive father.
Chai Gui's face suddenly became strange, hesitant to speak. Seeing this, Chen Xuedao frowned and said, "Speak without restraint."
Chai Gui swallowed,
Lowering his voice, he said:
"Xuan Yu真人 said that Divine Sword Manor was destroyed three years ago, and more than 300 people were killed from top to bottom." ps: The wrong words will be corrected after the update.