NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 238-243
Chapter 238: Chi Guyan’s abilities
Fang Zhengzhi said confidently and with a slight challenge in his voice.
Chi Guyan was solemn when she saw Fang Zhengzhi’s expression.
Cang Ling Mountain was one of the ancient mountains of the Great Xia Dynasty. It had almost 10,000 years of history, and was more ancient than the Great Xia Dynasty.
Just because they had conquered the land did not mean that they had finished exploring every part of it.
Cang Ling Mountain was something like this. It was a mystery, an unexplored mystery. No one knew what kind of beasts were in there, or how many there were.
Humans had trained some ferocious beasts to boost the army. However, the truly ferocious ones were all intelligent, why would they be subservient to humans?
These beasts stayed in deep inside the mountains, eating the treasures of the land as they strengthened themselves and understood the Dao of their surroundings. Frequent battle built their cruelty and savagery. They were incredibly powerful and even the Emperor, the Four Sages, and the 13 Constabularies would not go up against them willfully.
Normally…
These most ferocious beasts would stay at the pinnacle of the mountain. Much like their human counterparts, they liked the high ground.
As such, the danger levels there were obvious.
Cang Ling Mountain had existed for many years. As such, the beasts who ruled the land were powerful beyond imagination. Some of them may even be heritage worthy.
Chi Guyan did not believe that a sane human would dare to venture into the center of Cang Ling Mountain. Furthermore, why would he dare to do something so audacious as taking a bath…
But, this was Fang Zhengzhi.
This made her think, Could it be possible that this shameless boy had a way to sneak into the center of the Mountain? How does he do it?
“Can you really get to the middle of Cang Ling Mountain?” Chi Guyan spoke again after a moment of silence.
“I just asked you if you believe me!” Fang Zhengzhi replied flatly.
“I believe you!” Chi Guyan’s heart fluttered.
“Aish… I never thought that you could be so naive. I guess I must have overestimated you. Get to the center of Cang Ling Mountain? You believe a statement that we use to bluff three year olds?” Fang Zhengzhi smirked, then bolted into this room.
He left Chi Guyan rooted to the spot, staring at his silhouette…
“Shameless!”
…
Inside an ancient residence in Huai An County.
A lady in green was pacing about frantically. She passed through a door and arrived at a loft.
“Master!”
“What’s up?” A crisp voice came from inside the loft.
“We have finished setting up at Cang Ling Mountain. “The Vast World” can be activated at any time!” The lady in green was visibly excited when she said “The Vast World”.
“Is there any news about Fang Zhengzhi?”
“To reply master, Fang Zhengzhi arrived in the city today. He left after a quick meal. He should be at the Northern Mountain Village by now.” The lady in green replied promptly.
“Mm, if he is going back to find his relatives, he should be going to pray to his ancestors tomorrow morning. Send the order, activate “The Vast World” tonight!”
“Yes!”
The lady in green disappeared in a flash.
A lady stood by the window of the loft. Her gaze was locked on the mountains in the distance.
“Everything will be a done deal after tonight. The Stabilisation Constabulary is in shackles. The only variable is Fang Zhengzhi and Chi Guyan… if you all can’t even get into the Vast World, how are you going to save the Stabilisation Constabulary?”
…
There was a path from the Northern Mountain Village that led straight to Cang Ling Mountain.
This was a path chosen by hunters for many years. Just a couple of hours ago, this path was guarded by four soldiers.
But now, they were gone.
In order to enter Cang Ling Mountain, Fang Zhengzhi had to change his dress up. He could no longer wear that tiger hat. He chose a black leather one instead.
He also wore a tight fitting beast hide suit.
All these years, Fang Zhengzhi had roamed the mountains. He had never stopped training, and he was relatively fit.
However, his suit had significant wear and tear. The fur was gone in some portions, revealing some ugly spots. There were also spots that had been mended with cloth.
It was a far cry from Chi Guyan’s top grade suit.
However, Fang Zhengzhi was not bothered by this.
The dragon could not suppress a snake. Even if Chi Guyan was a dragon, this was his territory. All she could do was follow his instructions.
“Do you know that you should walk on the left?”
“Not the right?”
“The right side is for outsiders. If you don’t think it is of too much inconvenience, you can walk on the right. However, you must be prepared to face pitfalls every 10 steps.”
“Setting up traps based on the habits of others. This method is crude, but effective.”
“The village people are actually quite ingenious. There are frequent battles amongst villages here. However, you will never understand this.”
Chi Guyan did not rebut. She may be a Heaven’s Pride Talent and the most precious girl in the Divine Constabulary. She may have studied the “Law of Dao” since a young age. She may be familiar with various military strategies.
However, this did not mean that she understood human nature.
This had nothing to do with intellect and ability.
This was experience.
Only those who grew up in the mountains would have this kind of experience. She did not have any of that. She was lucky that Fang Zhengzhi had such experience. However, that was also a curse.
However, this internal conflict was easily resolved.
Fang Zhengzhi’s experience allowed him to understand the battles of the villages, and also allowed him to know the area. As such, he walked quickly, like a leopard prowling its territory for prey.
Fang Zhengzhi was surprised to see that Chi Guyan matched his speed, her eyes glimmering brighter with each step.
Fang Zhengzhi could not understand this.
He walked quickly because he knew the area well. He knew where there were rocks in the way, or vines on the ground. He knew where to take small steps, where to take large strides, where to duck, where to jump…
But… Chi Guyan did not.
Despite this, Chi Guyan matched Fang Zhengzhi’s speed, following closely behind.
The two of them navigated the mountain paths, hidden amongst the trees.
When he was young, Fang Zhengzhi followed the hunters up the hill. The journey would take over four hours to get to the outskirts of the mountain. Now that he was unrestrained, the journey took less than an hour.
Fang Zhengzhi finally stopped.
When he stopped, he turned to look behind him.
He saw that Chi Guyan was still behind him, her eyes glimmering as brightly as before, her suit still without a speck of dust.
Her expression was as calm as a lake, her skin glowing subtly. She was not panting, neither was she sweating. It was almost as if she had just taken a walk in the park.
Fang Zhengzhi only took a single glance at Chi Guyan.
His ego had been damaged slightly. He was running the entire time, why is Chi Guyan able to follow?
So easily at that!
This was his territory!
Is the difference in our abilities really so great?
This girl…
Is he even human?
Fang Zhengzhi could not believe his eyes. If this was Yan Xiu, he would definitely have questioned him.
But, this was Chi Guyan.
Fang Zhengzhi chose not to ask. One of the reasons why was because he saw a fire nearby. The sparks lit up the night sky.
In the middle of the light was an armored soldier. He paced around solemnly with a spear in his hand.
This was clearly a military camp.
This was also a reason why Fang Zhengzhi had stopped. From what he saw, it looked like Cang Ling Mountain had been surrounded by a large army.
However, based on the direction and layout of their camp…
There was something visibly wrong.
If they were just here to capture a beast, then the movements would be more frequent and the camp would be a temporary one. Its layout may be orderly, but definitely nowhere near as ordered as the one in front of his eyes.
Furthermore, there was a two meter high barricade around it.
This was clearly a permanent camp.
“Let’s go around it?” Fang Zhengzhi asked. He was not too afraid of this army camp. However, according to Zhang Yangping, the mountain was surrounded. This was definitely not the only camp.
The moment they were spotted by one camp, they would trigger a chain reaction. All of the soldiers would start treating him as an assassin. That would not be good.
“The army camp is 537 meters wide and 425 meters deep. Based on the coverage of the fire and the seven hidden guards, it would take us at least 15 minutes to go around it.” Chi Guyan murmured.
Fang Zhengzhi did not bother asking Chi Guyan why.
This was not difficult. Each pole that made up the barricade was of similar length, and it was just estimation as to how many there were.
He could have just as easily calculated the area of the camp. However, he had never measures the poles in this world, making his calculation significantly less accurate than Chi Guyan’s.
“And so?” Fang Zhengzhi pressed.
“We will take less than five minutes if we went right through.” Chi Guyan was not surprised that Fang Zhengzhi did not ask her how she did it. This was mutual understanding between people of similar intellect.
This may also be a reason why Chi Guyan was so arrogant.
She could figure out so many things whilst the people around her could not. In such situations, choosing not to explain may be easier than explaining.
This ego massage would make someone more arrogant.
Fang Zhengzhi knew what Chi Guyan meant. They would take much less than five minutes to cover that distance.
Her five minutes included breaking through the door, knocking out the guards, and breaking out the other side…
Amongst other complicated procedures.
“Ladies first!” Fang Zhengzhi invited Chi Guyan to take point.
“Do you believe me if I my estimate of five minutes was for you?” Chi Guyan looked at Fang Zhengzhi calmly.
“No!” Fang Zhengzhi was not falling for it. He had used this trick so many times. Do you think you’re going to get me with the same trick?
He would never reply yes.
“Then follow closely.” Chi Guyan was not surprised by Fang Zhengzhi’s response. She smiled faintly.
Fang Zhengzhi was just about to reply “how close” when his eyes widened. For the first time, he was made to swallow his words.
What he was witnessing was utterly breathtaking.
Under the light of the fires, a smirking Chi Guyan shot towards the army camp, her eyes glimmering like stars in the night sky
Her speed was so quick it was terrifying.
It felt like a meteor had brushed past Fang Zhengzhi and was headed straight for the camp.
If even Fang Zhengzhi could not react in time, how could the two ordinary guards react in time?
“Smack smack!” Two soft smacks rang out. The two soldiers stood rooted to the ground, stunned by what the just experienced. They looked like two statues in front of the camp.
It was ridiculously fast.
Fang Zhengzhi had seen Nangong Mu’s speed in the World of the Sage. He was at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Reflection State. However, Nangong Mu was like a kid in the face of Chi Guyan.
Why is Chi Guyan so fast? They are in the same realm, why is there such a huge difference in their abilities?
Fang Zhengzhi had a feeling that Chi Guyan was even slightly faster than Ying Shan.
It did not seem very possible, but the truth was laid out for him to see.
Even so…
This was not the most stunning thing. Fang Zhengzhi was stunned to see that Chi Guyan’s feet had not moved at all.
She was not walking, or jumping, or floating. She was moving…
She had moved from Fang Zhengzhi’s side to the entrance of the camp.
“F*ck… me! A flying goddess… does she need to be this ridiculous?”
Chapter 239: Overtake
Fang Zhengzhi was shocked by this.
The Dao of all Creation was extremely cryptic and embodied the constant changes in the world. However, there were still rules that governed it. For example, for one to ride the wind, one had to go in the direction of the winds.
One could not simply fly in a desired direction.
That was simply ridiculous.
All this while, Fang Zhengzhi had thought that he was already quite powerful. He had topped both the County and Provincial Examinations easily.
He also topped the theory portion of the imperial examinations.
After seeing Xing Qingsui’s and Nangong Mu’s abilities in the combat examination, he knew that it would be difficult to top the combat examinations.
Even so, he had confidence to rank in the top three.
With such a smooth sailing journey, it was inevitable that he would be a little arrogant. However, after seeing Chi Guyan’s strange powers…
He finally understood why all of the officials in the Divine Constabulary and the capital were in disbelief when he said that he would defeat Chi Guyan in two years.
The top ranked individual on two dragon rolls.
Just a year ago, Chi Guyan had attained the pinnacle of the Heavenly Reflection State at 13, surpassing all the other talents under 18.
There were no less than 15 pinnacle Heavenly Reflection cultivators on the Rising Dragon Roll.
They were all in the same cultivation state, but their abilities were vastly different.
Furthermore, this was a year ago. Over the past year, Chi Guyan had not involved herself in the affairs of the world. She had focused on cultivating all this time. How powerful was she now?
No one knew.
He was slightly exasperated and heartbroken.
However, Fang Zhengzhi would not give up so easily. A battle did not depend solely on abilities. Plan, strategy, technique, all played an important role.
For example, if he could not beat her with just his hands, he would use his feet, or secret weapons, powder, etc. He could use them at the most critical moments. If all else fails…
He could use his teeth!
This was scientifically proven. In his previous world, one of the fighting champions had used this method to great effect. Imagine this, two people are fighting when all of a sudden, one of them opens his mouth wide. This would surprise his opponent and render him unable to defend in time.
In actual fact, Fang Zhengzhi wanted to ask Chi Guyan how she did it. But, he had to keep up first…
Follow closely.
Chi Guyan was already through the main door of the camp. She was already about to disappear.
Fang Zhengzhi charged towards the camp like an agile leopard. Even though he was nowhere near as quick as Chi Guyan, he did not lag far behind.
Furthermore, Chi Guyan had to despatch the sentries as she went along. This slowed her down and gave Fang Zhengzhi a chance to catch up.
Before long.
He saw Chi Guyan once again.
Chi Guyan rushing through an army camp was the soldiers’ worst nightmare. Before they could react, they were suppressed by her.
In the moment Chi Guyan passed them, they froze in their positions, just like what happened with the two guards at the main gate.
“Dead? Or suppressed?”
Fang Zhengzhi did not take a close look. His main objective was to follow closely behind Chi Guyan.
“Quickly! Just a little quicker!” Fang Zhengzhi muttered encouragement to himself. He controlled the wind under his feet and swept through the camp.
He was close!
Fang Zhengzhi could see that he was closing in on Chi Guyan. His lips twitched in disdain. She isn’t that fast after all…
Of course, Fang Zhengzhi did not have to go through the hassle of despatching all those soldiers. He completely ignored that fact at this point.
“What if I overtake her? She would be so embarrassed…” Just as Fang Zhengzhi was thinking about that, he smirked, “Just before I overtake her, I should smile and pat her on the shoulder. Then, I should give her a friendly greeting! That would drive the point home!”
He began to think of Chi Guyan’s reaction, making him smile even more radiantly than before.
“I will make sure you will be… embarrassed!”
He was getting close…
He was getting really close!
Fang Zhengzhi was so close to Chi Guyan that he could smell the fragrance she wore. His eyes glowed, almost like a wolf who had spotted its prey.
“Okay, let’s start with a greeting!”
Fang Zhengzhi extended his hand and reached for Chi Guyan’s shoulder.
“Haish, why are you so slow? I’ll be on my way… f*ck… me!” Before Fang Zhengzhi could finish, he felt himself crash against her.
He finally reached her!
Fang Zhengzhi never expected that to happen, neither did he expect Chi Guyan to stop all of a sudden.
But it happened.
Chi Guyan had stopped all of a sudden. She had stopped with no warning or greeting.
She was speeding away one moment, and completely stationary the next.
She looked like she was floating away elegantly one moment, and then it was almost as if time froze.
Fang Zhengzhi was definitely not as elegant.
He had calculated Chi Guyan’s speed. He knew that he did not have to slow down when approaching her.
Even if he went at full speed, he would require at least three seconds before he could slowly overtake Chi Guyan.
What was even more shocking was that the moment Chi Guyan stopped, her aura seemed to completely vanish.
If Chi Guyan was like an unsheathed sword previously, then she was like a bamboo shoot in the forest when she stopped.
Fang Zhengzhi crashed right into her, pushing her into the ground.
She did not even resist.
He felt like he was lying on a soft sponge. She was soft and warm, but Fang Zhengzhi could not enjoy it. Chi Guyan turned around and stared at him.
Her eyes continued to glimmer like stars in the sky, her gaze stilled filled with her congenital arrogance.
But this was not the most important point.
There was a trickle of red by Chi Guyan’s mouth, and it stood out from her pale complexion. It was like a rose petal in a bed of snow.
“She’s injured?!”
Fang Zhengzhi could not believe that Chi Guyan was injured. Did she injure herself? Or was it from the fall I caused?
This did not seem quite possible. No matter how fast or powerful he was, Chi Guyan’s abilities should have been sufficient to prevent her from getting injured.
In the end…
Before Fang Zhengzhi could come to a conclusion, he heard Chi Guyan’s voice.
“What are you doing here?”
The question was quite queer. Fang Zhengzhi was certain that Chi Guyan did not direct the question to him, but, who was she directing it to?
He subconsciously raised his head.
He suddenly realized that there was someone in front of Chi Guyan.
This person was dressed in ordinary armor and wore the helmet of a Great Xia Dynasty soldier. This person did not look any different from any other soldier.
However, this person had crystal clear eyes.
Eyes as clear and pure as water.
Fang Zhengzhi recognized these eyes. He had only seen one person in the Great Xia Dynasty with such clear eyes.
That person was Ping Yang.
“Sister Yan!” The crisp voice rang out, confirming Fang Zhengzhi’s suspicions. However, it also piqued his curiosity.
Ping Yang?!
“What are you doing here?” Fang Zhengzhi repeated Chi Guyan’s question.
What would a princess of the Great Xia Dynasty be doing in an ordinary army camp in Cang Ling Mountain?
There was nothing more surprising than this.
Fang Zhengzhi could not think of something more unbelievable.
Why would Ping Yang, who was supposed to be in the capital, appear in the Northern Territories? Furthermore, why would she be in an army camp, and one that they were passing through?
The probability of this happening was so incredibly slim it was almost negligible.
“Oh? It is you? The shameless one?! Oh my god… why are you lying on Sister Yan, get up!” Ping Yang’s voice rang out again in displeasure.
Fang Zhengzhi could hear what Ping Yang was driving at.
Indeed.
Even though what Ping Yang said was simple, it revealed that she had expected to see Chi Guyan here.
How did Ping Yang know that he and Chi Guyan would be on Cang Ling Mountain today?
That was impossible.
This was a last minute decision. How could Ping Yang possibly have known about it? How could she have planned to be here beforehand?
Fang Zhengzhi wanted to ask why.
But now was clearly not the right time. They were still in an army camp.
Furthermore…
This was an army camp on high alert.
If Chi Guyan had continued on at her speed, she could have shut each soldier up before they had the chance to speak.
However, Chi Guyan was squashed underneath Fang Zhengzhi.
The result was well within expectations.
“We’re under attack!”
“Someone has sneaked up the mountain, lock the gates!”
“If you see the intruder, kill him!”
Voices rang out from all around them. In an instant, the entire camp sprang to life as soldiers rushed out from their tents.
“Outrageous!” Ping Yang looked on haughtily, her arms akimbo.
At this point, Fang Zhengzhi felt a powerful wave of force from beneath him. Then, his body was carried by this wave of force.
“Let’s go!”
Chi Guyan carried Fang Zhengzhi as she left. Surprisingly, she did not blame Fang Zhengzhi, instead, she carried him and Ping Yang and rushed out of the army camp.
Fang Zhengzhi began to get a little suspicious.
Why would a small army camp make Chi Guyan so nervous?
Chapter 240: Sage
Fang Zhengzhi had many questions that he wanted to ask. However, there somethings were more important than others.
Whilst finding out why Ping Yang was in the camp and why Chi Guyan was so nervous was important, getting out of the camp was even more pressing.
Fang Zhengzhi felt that he had the responsibility to clear the path now that Chi Guyan was injured.
However, Ping Yang didn’t plan to give him that chance. Even though a Star Conglomerate cultivator was not powerful in the imperial examinations, she was like a death god inside the army camp.
“Hahaha… who dares to stand in my way!”
Ping Yang was much less refined than Chi Guyan.
She chuckled as she barged through the camp.
Before long, Fang Zhengzhi, Chi Guyan, and Ping Yang had broken through the gates of the camp and dashed into the darkness…
…
Night time on Cang Ling Mountain was not as serene as one would expect. People worked in the day whilst beasts roamed the night. Most of the carnivores were nocturnal creatures.
Ever so often, one could hear the howls and roars of beasts, even the cries of prey. There were clearly some intense battles under the shroud of night.
Fang Zhengzhi had hunted in these lands since he was seven. He knew it like the back of his hand.
He was probably the most knowledgeable about this place amongst everyone in all the surrounding villages. He knew where the beasts were and where it was safe.
As a result, the three of them had a pretty smooth journey.
The beasts that they met were all herbivorous. They only ones of concern were a large green horned goat. A visibly excited Ping Yang lunged and grabbed the goat, kicking it viciously…
Before long, the green horned goat was knocked unconscious.
Ping Yang was still uncontented.
“The beasts on this mountain are too gentle. Are there no powerful ones?” Ping Yang was still unsatisfied as she looked at Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi just gave her the middle finger.
“Is your brain damaged?”
“What do you mean?” Ping Yang fumed.
Fang Zhengzhi simply looked at Ping Yang condescendingly, not bothering to explain it to her.
Ping Yang pouted and readied herself to hit Fang Zhengzhi. However, upon seeing the paling Chi Guyan, she stopped herself.
After barging through the army camp, they continued walking, almost to the edges of Cang Ling Mountain. During this time, Chi Guyan swallowed a green pill.
Color rushed back to her face, but it was still much paler than before.
Fang Zhengzhi could tell from this that Chi Guyan had probably not entered the Supernatural State. If she had, why would she need the help of pills to heal?
Even so, what had happened just now? Why was Chi Guyan injured all of a sudden? Furthermore, the injury looked quite severe…
“Sister Yan, it’s my fault. If not for the fact that I appeared all of a sudden and forced you to hold back, you would not have been injured.” Ping Yang felt extremely guilty as she looked at the paling Chi Guyan.
“It has nothing to do with you.” Chi Guyan shook her head.
“Why not we descend the mountain first? We can rest at the Northern Mountain Village or Huai An County. Afterall, the issue with the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet is not pressing!” Ping Yang suggested.
Fang Zhengzhi was stunned when he heard what Ping Yang said
Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?
What is that?
“Since we are here, we should take a look before descending.” Chi Guyan shook her head lightly as she glanced at Ping Yang and Fang Zhengzhi.
“Shall we find a place to rest first then?” Ping Yang pointed to a huge rock up ahead as she supported Chi Guyan by her arms.
“Mm…” Chi Guyan hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“Sister Yan, just focus on resting. There are no ferocious beasts here. Even if there are, I will finish them off easily.” Ping Yang pounded her chest after Chi Guyan agreed to take a break.
Fang Zhengzhi looked on in disdain. Will that make you stronger? Obviously you don’t know your place.
However, he began to ge a little more suspicious when Chi Guyan agreed to take a break. With her arrogant character, she would not agree to rest so easily. This could only mean that her injuries were extremely severe.
Chi Guyan quickly arrived at the side of the limestone, supported by Ping Yang.
Then, she closed her eyes and lay on it. Her great figure was accentuated by her sleeping posture, but traces of weariness were clear on her face.
Chi Guyan rested as Fang Zhengzhi and Ping Yang found a place to sit nearby. They stared at each other.
“What are you looking at!” Ping Yang fumed after five minutes.
“How would you know I was looking at you if you weren’t looking at me?”
“Humph! That’s because you were looking at me!”
“Forget it, I am in no mood to argue with you. Tell me, what were you doing in an army camp on Cang Ling Mountain. Furthermore, what’s up with the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?” Fang Zhengzhi wanted to glean information from Ping Yang.
“Hahaha… you want to know? I’m not telling you!”
“It’s okay. I am going to make a trip to Huai An County tomorrow. When I am there, I will go to the restaurant and tell them about how Princess Ping Yang made her way into an army camp, filled with men…”
“You… you won’t dare!”
“Why don’t you wager me a few thousand silvers?”
“Please, I am a princess, why would I place a bet with you? Since you want to know it so badly, I will tell me my heroic story.” Ping Yang said haughtily even whilst her eyes revealed traces of fury.
Fang Zhengzhi smiled. He knew that Ping Yang just wanted to maintain her reputation.
“I need to first tell you about the Purple Lightning Dragon Stallion that I got recently. You know…” Ping Yang hesitated, then coughed, “I can’t possibly be riding such a great stallion around the city in circles, right?”
“Mm, so you decided to ride towards the Northern Lands?” Fang Zhengzhi smiled and asked.
“Yes, I rode for days and finally arrived at the Northern Lands. I arrived at the Northern Mountain Village, but it was occupied by soldiers. Furthermore, those soldiers were occupying the rooms of the villagers. I didn’t like what I saw, so I came up the hill alone.” Ping Yang snuck a look at Fang Zhengzhi’s expression.
Fang Zhengzhi did not believe that Ping Yang would ride to the Northern Mountain Village ‘by accident’. Furthermore, Ping Yang had mentioned a Heaven Dao Sage Tablet.
Ping Yang definitely had a motive for coming here.
As to why she chose the Northern Mountain Village…
That was still a huge question mark. After all, it would be easy for Ping Yang to know that he had left with Chi Guyan.
Furthermore, he had toured around during this time and had not rushed for home. As such, Ping Yang could have easily overtook them and waited for him on Cang Ling Mountain…
No!
Ping Yang was waiting for Chi Guyan!
She had guessed that Chi Guyan would scale Cang Ling Mountain, likely from the Northern Mountain Village. As such, she lay in wait in the army camp.
Ping Yang seemed to know why Chi Guyan was here.
“Tell me about the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet.” Fang Zhengzhi felt that the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet was the key to solving this mystery.
“You don’t know?” Ping Yang was slightly surprised by Fang Zhengzhi’s question.
“Should I know?”
“I guess not. This is what of the greatest treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty. You would naturally not know about it. However, if you don’t know about the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet, why are you at Cang Ling Mountain?”
Fang Zhengzhi knew that the answer to the question was simple but with far reaching ramifications.
“Just out for a walk!” Fang Zhengzhi decided to shut Ping Yang up with this reply.
“Oh please, who will believe that?” Ping Yang pouted. Then, her eyes glimmered uncontrollably, “The Heaven Sage Dao Tablet is something that everyone wants to get their hands on! The Great Xia Dynasty, the Northern Barbarians, even the demons view it as a treasure. It can make someone a sage immediately!”
Chapter 241: Earthquake
Fang Zhengzhi’s mouth twitched when he heard that.
He did not know what Ping Yang meant when she said sage, but she knew that there was a saying in the Great Xia Dynasty that went ‘one pavilion, four sages, 13 constabularies.’
The pavillion referred to the Heaven Dao Pavilion, whereas the 13 constabularies referred to the 13 pillars of support in the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty.
These were all powers in their own right.
However, the four sages were four individuals.
The fact that the four of them stood above the 13 constabularies was testament to the power they had.
Fang Zhengzhi did not like to be restrained, but he knew that someone of lesser power and ability would always be restrained. Only when he was at the level of the four sages could he roam the empire without restraint.
“The Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?”
Fang Zhengzhi looked into the depths of Cang Ling Mountain. He smiled as he looked past the tall dense forest and the night mist.
Cang Ling Mountain…
This was his territory!
“Oh yes, I saw you kill some people just now?” Fang Zhengzhi asked as he recalled Ping Yang’s brazzen charge through the army camp.
“Is there a problem?” Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi doubtfully.
“Killing is against the law. Furthermore, you killed quite a few soldiers. That’s akin to rebelling!” Fang Zhengzhi reminded Ping Yang helpfully.
“Law? I am the law! Rebel? They attacked me, they are the rebels!” Ping Yang said arrogantly, completely ignoring Fang Zhengzhi’s reminder.
“Everyone is born equal. Their job is to guard the camp. How can you call them a rebel just because they are of lower rank?” Fang Zhengzhi continued.
“What’s the problem? I am the princess!”
“Princess is just a title, just like my Sword Envoy post. I can’t possibly charge them simply because they raised their voice at a higher official, can I?”
“Why can’t you?”
“I can?”
“Of course!”
“Oh I see, thank you your highness!” Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.
“How stupid. How can you not know this? How did you manage to become a rank four sword envoy?!” Ping Yang replied haughtily when she saw Fang Zhengzhi’s expression of gratitude.
Chi Guyan could not help but open her eyes when she heard this. Her eyes glimmered like stars in the night sky.
“You’re getting more and more shameless!”
“Sister Yan, you’re awake?” Ping Yang rushed over when she saw Chi Guyan open her eyes.
“Mm, let’s go.”
“Sure!”
…
The deeper into Cang Ling Mountain they went, the thicker the mist was, almost as if there was a layer of dust and ash intent on blocking one’s line of vision.
The mist was extremely heavy near the center.
This made it the perfect hunting ground for the ferocious beasts. They had superhuman olfactory senses and night vision. They became the masters of the mountain with these talents.
“Roar!”
An earth shaking roar rang out from deep inside the forest.
The ordinary soldiers would never wander this deep into the mountain. They were just in charge of holding the perimeter. The depths of the mountain were not a place they should be in.
Ping Yang was not as calm as before. She clinged onto Chi Guyan’s arm tightly. She even took some time to don her Red Flame Flower Armor.
However, the moment Ping Yang finished wearing her armor, Fang Zhengzhi covered her with a black cloth.
What a joke.
This was the depths of Cang Ling Mountain.
The gaudiness of the Red Flame Flower Armor was like a shining beacon for ferocious predators to flock towards.
“Didn’t you want to find a few powerful beasts to play with? Now you’re scared? Actually, there’s no need to be scared. This is my territory. Just follow behind me and you’ll be safe. Just remember to tip me afterwards!” Fang Zhengzhi ‘comforted’ Ping Yang.
“Oh please, like I’ll ever believe you!” Ping Yang was put off by Fang Zhengzhi’s actions. However, after Chi Guyan advised her, she swallowed her pride and put on a black cloak, pouting as she did so.
Fang Zhengzhi was way more calm and composed than Fang Zhengzhi. He sauntered, almost as if he was taking a walk in the park.
Surprisingly, even though they heard the roars of beasts as they went along, they never actually ran into any powerful ones.
Chi Guyan kept staring at Fang Zhengzhi’s leisurely expression, her eyes revealing traces of surprise. She knew that their safety was all due to Fang Zhengzhi’s abilities.
“You know the territories of all the beasts?” Chi Guyan guessed.
“Of course.” Fang Zhengzhi replied without hesitation.
“However, even if you know their territories, you can’t possibly know how they will move or where they will be. The hungry beasts will still infiltrate other territories to hunt. Furthermore, there are so many overlaps. After some beasts die, their territories will be taken over by others, how do you…” Ping Yang was discontented with Fang Zhengzhi’s reply.
“Do you know how to judge position by sound?” Fang Zhengzhi replied condescendingly.
“Judge position by sound?” Ping Yang said in surprise.
“You won’t understand it with your intellect.” Fang Zhengzhi replied.
“Isn’t it just judging position by sound? What’s the big deal? I thought that you were doing something special, but you’re just hiding!” Ping Yang huffed.
“I see.” Chi Guyan nodded. She finally understood why they had yet to be attacked by any beasts.
After understanding the territories of the beasts, Fang Zhengzhi had planned the best possible route. Along the way, he pinpointed the locations of the beasts through the sounds they made.
That way, their journey through Cang Ling Mountain would be much safer.
…
Fang Zhengzhi led the group on a four hour journey towards the depths of Cang Ling Mountain.
The mist around them got thicker as the roars also got fewer and far between.
At this point, Fang Zhengzhi stopped all of a sudden. Even Ping Yang and Chi Guyan stopped at the same time.
In the middle of the fog was a faint glow.
“Is there a fire?” Ping Yang looked at the light doubtfully.
“No, I think we are here.” Chi Guyan looked at the faint light, her tone calm, almost as if she had known it all along.
“It’s a bit different from what I expected.” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head as he looked at the light.
“What were you expecting?” Ping Yang asked curiously.
“The location of the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet should be well lit, immaculately clean, and there should be lightning, thunder, and tremors! That is the only way to match its power!” Fang Zhengzhi lamented.
“Your imagination is quite vivid!” Ping Yang said disapprovingly.
“Boom!”
A loud sound echoed out just as PIng Yang finished.
It was almost like a thunder clap in response to Fang Zhengzhi’s comment.
“Is it about to rain?” Fang Zhengzhi raised his head and looked to the sky.
The light glowed weakly above them. The moon was also shining brightly on the land, but most of its light was blocked by the foliage.
“It doesn’t look like it’s about to rain…” Fang Zhengzhi murmured.
At this point, the earth shook, almost as if something had tunneled from underneath.
“Kaboom!”
The intense tremor and the subsequent boom caused Ping Yang’s expression to change as she jerked her head towards Fang Zhengzhi.
“Is it really an earthquake?!”
“Boom!”
A loud boom echoed throughout Cang Ling Mountain.
However, there was no accompanying lightning.
A ray of light shot skyward. The intense boom was caused by the ray of light when it exploded from the surface.
“Is that the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?” Ping Yang asked.
“No!” Chi Guyan shook her head, her eyes glimmering like stars in the sky as she stared intently at the ray of light.
Chapter 242: The Vast World
Fang Zhengzhi looked at the sky.
He had thought that the light was from a firework. However, it did not explode into various patterns in the sky, it simply spread outwards and downwards.
It was almost like the moonlight before, covering the entire land below it.
In the blink of an eye, it had enveloped the entire Cang Ling Mountain, including Fang Zhengzhi, Chi Guyan, and Ping Yang.
Soon after, the entire area began to shake and the earth began to crack. Black crack lines began to form, and the entire area threatened to collapse.
This was a familiar feeling.
Fang Zhengzhi had felt this way in the World of the Sage once before. The entire world had collapsed, sending him crashing into a sea of swords below.
But this time…
Cang Ling Mountain was collapsing.
“What’s going on?” Fang Zhengzhi was confused.
“The collapse of the World of the Sage was understandable since it was a pocket dimension. However, Cang Ling Mountain existed in the real world. Why would it collapse?
Was this the apocalypse?
Questions flew by in Fang Zhengzhi’s mind.
Chi Guyan’s expression became increasingly solemn. Her eyes glowed icily as her posture became more and more aggressive.
However, she waited and did not move.
Ping Yang had also experienced the same thing in the World of the Sage. Even so, she was still taken aback by what was unfolding. She clearly did not know what was happening either.
“Boom!”
A loud sound echoed out.
The cracks in the ground began to disappear, healing as quickly as they formed. In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal, the stars and the moon shining brightly on the land.
The mist was heavy inside the woods. It was almost as if nothing had happened.
Fang Zhengzhi was getting increasingly suspicious. He quickly scanned his surroundings. The flora and the sky were completely unchanged…
It seemed like a happy ending. The worst was finally over. However, he still had a bad feeling in his gut.
What just happened? Why did it disappear so quickly?
If it had truly blown over, it would be so underwhelming.
It was just thunder and light showers…
“Sister Yan… what’s going on?” Ping Yang looked at Chi Guyan.
“If my guess is right, I think we are trapped!” Chi Guyan looked around her and frowned, deep in thought.
“Trapped? But we didn’t step on any traps, why would we be trapped?” Ping Yang was still confused. However, she did not mention that what she just saw was quite similar to what had happened in the World of the Sage.
This was Cang Ling Mountain, in the real world.
Such a scene did not make any sense.
Fang Zhengzhi was also at a loss. As such, he did not interrupt Chi Guyan. He listened intently by the side.
“If the entire Cang Ling Mountain is a trap, then we stepped right into it from the moment we entered.” Chi Guyan looked up at the night sky.
“The entire Cang Ling Mountain? How can this be? Cang Ling Mountain has existed for aeons, yet no one has ever said that it was a trap. Furthermore, to make the entire mountain a trap…” Ping Yang was in disbelief.
“Is impossible right?”
“Yes.” Ping Yang nodded.
“Normally, yes. That would be impossible due to the sheer size of Cang Ling Mountain. No one in the world would have the ability to incorporate Cang Ling Mountain into their pocket dimension. However… all that just happened meant that we have entered a whole new world!” Chi Guyan explained.
“A new world… does Sister Yan mean that someone transported the entire Cang Ling Mountain to a different… space?” Ping Yang said hesitantly.
“Mm.” Chi Guyan nodded.
“But didn’t Sister Yan just say that no one could possibly do such a thing?”
“No one can do it, but a treasure that exists in our legends can.”
“What treasure?”
“The Vast World!”
“The Vast World?! What is that?”
“It was something that was destroyed centuries ago. I never expected it to resurface.”
“It was destroyed?”
“Yes, it should not exist anymore. However, there is no other item in the world that could possibly turn the entire Cang Ling Mountain into a giant trap.”
“What does The Vast World do?” Ping Yang was curious.
“The Vast World is one of the nine Divine Equipment. However, it is not like the others. The others are able to change the forces of battle in the blink of an eye. However, The Vast World is unable to do much in battle. The way to use it is extremely specific, however, it is still a Divine Equipment because… it can make a huge world a drop in the ocean!”
Chi Guyan paused.
“A drop in the ocean?” Fang Zhengzhi knew what that meant.
This term had originated from the Su’s “First Visit to the Red Cliff”. It represented a drop in the ocean, and was used to describe something incredibly minute and insignificant.
But, what did that have to do with the current situation?
Could it be…
Fang Zhengzhi thought of something all of a sudden.
The entire Cang Ling Mountain could be made into a drop in the ocean.
“What Sister Yan is saying is that someone has used The Vast World to morph Cang Ling Mountain into a drop in the ocean and absorbed it?” Ping Yang seemed to understand now, her eyes glimmering in disbelief.
“I doubt that it is that simple. If Cang Ling Mountain was merely absorbed into The Vast World, it could not be termed as one of the nine Divine Equipment.
“What else could there be?”
“I don’t know either. The books do not describe it in detail, but there is one sentence which lucidly summarizes its prowess.”
“What is it?”
“No one who enters The Vast World comes out alive!” Chi Guyan did not elaborate further, a conflicted look in her eyes.
She was slightly lost and depressed, but there was a hint of steely determination and excitement in her eyes.
It was impossible to know what Chi Guyan was thinking.
Fang Zhengzhi’s thoughts were a lot simpler.
“That’s it, we’ve been trapped… if we can’t get back to the Northern Mountain Village by morning, what would happen… if the army came back?”
That was the top concern on Fang Zhengzhi’s mind.
Chapter 243: Altar
One could not blame Fang Zhengzhi for worrying to much. After All, his appointment as Sword Envoy in the throne room had only spread within the capital.
Even if it had spread to Huai An County, it could not possibly have reached the army.
If he was still in the Northern Mountain Village, then the issue would be easily resolved. But what if he wasn’t? Could the villagers stand up to the wrath and fury of the army?
Fang Zhengzhi became increasingly worried.
At this point, the fire ahead seemed to become brighter and brighter, almost as if it was being fueled. There were also soft sounds of killing…
“Sister Yan?” Ping Yang looked to Chi Guyan for advice.
“Can we advance?” Chi Guyan did not reply instantly. She turned to Fang Zhengzhi, asking him if there were any dangers up ahead.
“Walk by the left.” Fang Zhengzhi was getting worried about the Northern Mountain Village. He was determined to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible…
…
At the base of Cang Ling Mountain was a small stone cottage hidden deep inside the woods. It was surrounded by ancient trees, giving it a lonely and isolated aura.
A black altar was right in the middle of the stone house.
There was a faint silver glow on the altar.
The glow originated from a whitish silver square gem. It was clear, but there was an extremely complicated rune that flickered on its surface.
Around the altar were nine men dressed in black. They knelt in a circle around the altar, a green jade like pearl on each of their heads.
This was the demon eye. A green one meant that they were in the Supernatural State.
“It has begun, let’s go!”
A voice rang out behind the nine men. Then, a previously seated figure stood up. This figure was dressed in a black cloak, and wore a hat.
If any of the surviving soldiers from the incident at the capital’s gates were here, they would recognize this man as the one who had killed quite a number of guards without reason.
“Okay!”
Another voice rang out.
This man was wrapped around by green rattan. He was steely, and a dense beard covered his throat. He wore no armor.
He looked like an aborigine.
He did not have a demon eye on his forehead. This man was human.
There was one strange thing about this man. Despite his barbaric aura, he held a jade green flute in his hand.
This was something for the cultured and civilised. For someone as barbaric as him, a wolf canine may have been a much better fit. However, he was indeed holding a flute, very carefully at that.
The cloaked male glanced at his barbaric counterpart, looking at the flute in his hand. Then, he quickly looked away and walked towards the altar.
He disappeared in an instant.
After the barbaric man saw the cloaked figure disappear, a hint of unwillingness appeared in his eyes. He murmured something before finally stepping into the altar five minutes later.
…
The mist on Cang Ling Mountain became thicker and thicker.
Fang Zhengzhi led the group through the dense forest and closer towards the spark. The roars around them became louder and more chaotic.
The air was heavy with the smell of blood.
It took the three of them quite a while before they finally got to the edges of the flame.
Fang Zhengzhi’s expression changed when he saw it.
He could clearly make out an army camp under the light of the flame. This camp was better built and guarded than the one before.
The perimeter was not built with wood, but with tall stone pillars. They formed a huge circle, making the camp look like a castle.
But now, the castle had been breached.
It had been breached from all directions. There were large cavities everywhere, and bodies littered the surroundings.
Having read his fair share of history, Fang Zhengzhi knew how cruel and savage the battlefield was. However, seeing it in person was a completely different experience.
This was a massacre, a complete and utter massacre…
“It’s the Mountain Breaking Army, the Mountain Breaking Army of the Stabilisation Constabulary, and…” Ping Yang’s voice rang out. Her eyes were filled with disbelief. She was keenly aware of how powerful the Mountain Breaking Army was.
They were the pillar of the Stabilisation Constabulary and by extension, the Great Xia Dynasty.
Each member of the Mountain Breaking Army was an elite handpicked from tens of thousands of soldiers. Each one of them was a cultivator. Just like the Red Pinion Squad of the Divine Constabulary, they were one of the four ace armied of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Chi Guyan did not look well either.
Even though Ping Yang did not say it, she had seen bodies of Red Pinion Squad members amongst the mountain of Mountain Breaking Army bodies.
More importantly, there were no other bodies in the pile…
No other bodies?!
How were the defences breached? How did so many members of the Mountain Breaking Army and the Red Pinion Squad die? What is the origin of all the killing noises to their side?
This was quite the strange sight.
Even Chi Guyan looked lost for the first time. If they weren’t being attacked, where was that noise coming from?
“Sister Yan, come and take a look!” Ping Yang’s voice rang out again, her eyes filled with shock as she pointed to a location with her right hand.
If one followed the direction of Ping Yang’s finger…
Fang Zhengzhi quickly realized that there was a higher concentration of bodies to the right of the camp. There seemed to be signs of digging in the middle of the bodies.
It looked like an entrance to a tunnel.
“If I am correct, that should be the entrance to the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet. The Mountain Breaking Army and the Red Pinion Squad must have retreated there.” Chi Guyan’s eyes glimmered as she spoke.
“Then let’s go quickly!” Ping Yang said hurriedly.
“What do you think?” Chi Guyan looked at Fang Zhengzhi.
“I think it could be a trap.” Fang Zhengzhi said as he looked at the bodies. He hesitated for a moment, “However, even if it is a trap, we must go in. We can’t just stay out here and wait.”
“Oh? I thought you would choose to stay outside… I didn’t expect you to say go in?” Ping Yang was slightly surprised by Fang Zhengzhi’s response.
“How did you know I meant that you all would enter whilst I wait outside?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang in surprise.
“You… humph, I knew that we couldn’t rely on you!” Ping Yang pouted.
“You will have to find out for yourself how reliable I am.”
“How do we find out?”
“Yes, how do we find out?” Fang Zhengzhi mocked as he looked at Ping Yang’s puffed chest, sneering as he did so.
Ping Yang became a little suspicious as she heard Fang Zhengzhi’s words. She realized that Fang Zhengzhi was looking at her…
“Shameless!” Ping Yang fumed.
…
In the end, Fang Zhengzhi still went through the tunnel. As to why he would lead the entire group when he initially wanted to stay outside…
That was a long story…
Fang Zhengzhi entered happily whereas Ping Yang’s face was completely flushed. She pouted as she gave the death stare to Fang Zhengzhi.
If looks could kill, Fang Zhengzhi would have been dead many times over.
The tunnel was lit by stones which glowed white. As such, it was not as dark as expected. It was not large, about five people abreast at most.
With the carnage outside the tunnel, Fang Zhengzhi expected bodies to litter the tunnel. To his surprise, the inside of the tunnel was clean.
There were no bodies. More surprisingly, there were no signs of a battle.
However, the sounds of killing continued to echo out. From the direction of the sounds, it sounded like it was coming from within the tunnel.
Why would there be killing sounds when there are no signs of battle?
What is going on?
Fang Zhengzhi was beginning to get suspicious.
Chi Guyan was silent, deep in thought.
The angry Ping Yang ignored Fang Zhengzhi. She simmered by the side, waving her fist at Fang Zhengzhi’s back every now and then.
She had completely forgot to consider the fact that there were no bodies in the tunnel.
The tunnel extended downwards. The further they went, the more precipitous it got. Fang Zhengzhi felt that they were almost there.
Just as he was thinking about it, the killing sounds became clearer and clearer.
Very quickly, there was a ray of light up ahead. It felt like the first ray of sunshine at sunrise, lighting up the entire tunnel in an instant.
Fang Zhengzhi subconsciously quickened his pace.
Ping Yang’s anger was also replaced by excitement. However, it was still laced with anxiety. Every now and then, she would grab onto the edges of Fang Zhengzhi’s clothes whilst her other hand gripped onto Chi Guyan.
Chi Guyan was much calmer, her eyes glowing brighter by the second.
“Kill!”
“Oh oh…”
“Go to hell!”
The group of three exited the tunnel completely just as the killing sounds got clearer.
Light shone down on them. It was so bright Fang Zhengzhi found it difficult to open his eyes. It was almost as if there was an intense sun beating down on them.
But this was underground.
How could there be a sun?
Furthermore, it’s nighttime now, where is the sun coming from?
Fang Zhengzhi grew increasingly suspicious. However, his questions were quickly answered by a breathtaking scene.
There was an intense source of light above him.
It was not a sun, but a ball of fire. A golden ball of fire.
A tall golden stone pillar supported this ball of flame. There were various carvings on the pillar. Some were of flora and fauna, others were of scenery and ferocious beasts.
It was at least a hundred meters tall and ten meters thick.
Why would such a large golden stone pillar be constructed underground? This was a strange sight.
Other than the golden stone pillar, there was yet another strange sight. There were eight statues kneeling around the golden stone pillar.
Each statue was carved with pure white stone.
Their expressions were solemn, and they were covered in armor from head to toe. They held blades, spears, swords, poles, axes…
More importantly, each of the eight statues were the same height as the golden stone pillar.
An ancient, divine aura emanated from these eight stone statues. It made people want to pray to it upon looking at it.
The killing sounds originated from these eight stone statues. However, there were no soldiers or bodies in sight.
“This is?”
“An altar! The Heaven Dao Sage Tablet was borne from the Dao of Heaven. When it appears, it would always be accompanied by an altar, used to offer sacrifice to the Heavenly Dao!” Chi Guyan seemed to be murmuring to herself, whilst explaining to Fang Zhengzhi at the same time.
“Offer sacrifice to the Heavenly Dao?”
“Yes, only the sincere would be chosen by Heaven, and will be given the opportunity to peep at the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet through the altar.” Chi Guyan replied.
“Where do we pray?” Fang Zhengzhi had no objection if he simply had to pray.
One could kneel to the heavens, to hell, and to one’s parents…
Now that he was kneeling to the Heavenly Dao, he may get lucky and be enlightened immediately. He could become a sage and get his freedom.
“The door to the altar has already been opened!” Chi Guyan did not know what Fang Zhengzhi was thinking. She pointed towards the golden stone pillar.
“Door to the altar?” Fang Zhengzhi followed Chi Guyan’s hand and realized that there was a half opened door at the base of the pillar.
Half opened?
Someone had already entered? He had better not be enlightened, or we would be in trouble.
Fang Zhengzhi wanted to leave this damned place and return to the Northern Mountain Village. However, he had no way to do so.
The only way he could think of was to get the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet. That should be his way out of this place.
Even though Fang Zhengzhi had never gotten any of these storylines right…
Since he was here, he would try his luck at getting a look at this Heaven Dao Sage Tablet. He was already one step closer to it.
Furthermore, after seeing Chi Guyan’s abilities, Fang Zhengzhi’s curiosity about the Dao of All Creation was piqued.
Someone in the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State…
Could travel at a faster speed than someone in the Supernatural State?
If Chi Guyan can do it, why can’t I?