Chapter 301: Strange Object

Chapter 301: The Strange Object

At the break of dawn, within the Eight Guilds Alliance, Xu Qing maneuvered a concealed magic boat, which howled forth.

The speed was so swift that it departed the main city in an instant.

Initially, he followed the route of the Yun Xian Wan Gu River, but the magic boat soon altered course, veering away from the Tai Si Du E Mountain, racing toward the direction of the Tai Si Xian Men, desperate to flee.

"Xiao Qing Ge, this is my first outing since arriving in Ying Huang Zhen, so if I do anything improper, please tell me, and I’ll correct it." On the magic boat, Ding Xue, a pretty face flushed with a hint of crimson, her curled eyelashes beneath her bright eyes blinking softly, spoke in a clear voice.

She then withdrew a scroll of spiritual stone tickets, appearing to be around twenty or thirty in number, and naturally extended them to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing instinctively took them, glancing at Ding Xue.

Ding Xue slightly lifted her chest without making a sound.

Today, Ding Xue wore a purple-splendor sheer dress, her waist bound with a red flow-cloud silk sash, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, and behind her rested an ancient sword. Overall, she seemed less mesmerizing than Purple Xu, the immortal, yet her youthful aura and the rosy hue of her face radiated beauty and vitality from top to bottom.

Especially her slender waist, constrained by the flow-cloud silk, gave a further delicate sensation, while her obedient expression and the spiritual stones she offered Xu Qing, based on her respect for knowledge, made Xu Qing find her companionship acceptable.

This journey, however, did not include Seventh Uncle.

Since he was fishing, he naturally hid in the rear, for otherwise the fish would not bite. Moreover, to make it more convincing, perhaps Ding Xue had spread the word through her aunt, so... this outing became one where Ding Xue and Xu Qing traveled together.

Their mission was to investigate the strange occurrences in a minor country that had chosen to depend on the Seven Blood Orb.

Additionally, Xu Qing understood that Seventh Uncle’s arrangement also intended for him to bring Ding Xue along. For in this chaotic age, Ding Xue’s cultivation had broken through to the Foundation Building stage, yet not yet reached the First Fire.

Especially her temperament still needed further refinement.

The best way to refine her was to let her witness the sorrows of the world.

What puzzled Xu Qing was that he did not see Zhao Zhongheng.

But he did not go to inquire either, instead retrieving his gaze from Ding Xue and speaking calmly.

"Ying Huang Zhen is far more dangerous than Nan Pin when outside. You must be careful, and whatever is on the boat, do not touch it—it may be poisonous."

Facing Ding Xue, Xu Qing was as calm as ever, finishing his words and closing his eyes to sit in contemplation, his face and aura also concealed.

Though Seventh Uncle was fishing, if he did not conceal himself, it would be too obvious.

Ding Xue quickly nodded, her heart full of excitement and pride, for this outing, she had long flirted with her aunt to secure this opportunity.

At that moment, as she observed Xu Qing’s cultivation, she sat quietly beside him, occasionally glancing at Xu Qing.

Though Xu Qing had concealed his appearance, Ding Xue could mentally picture his form from her memories. Recalling his clear, almost fairy-like face, her cheeks would flush.

Even in the main city of the Eight Guilds Alliance, she had seen many people these past days, yet none could compare to Xu Qing in terms of beauty.

This made her determination to capture Xu Qing even stronger.

Time passed, and three days had gone by.

In these three days, their companionship was mostly quiet—he sat in meditation, she watched him. Each time Xu Qing opened his eyes, Ding Xue would offer him some pills, along with spiritual stones and inquiries, appearing very earnest.

Xu Qing found this mode of companionship quite pleasant. After tasting the pills, he also, based on his knowledge, guided Ding Xue with care.

She listened attentively each time, her eyes showing admiration, and her words carried a soft, gentle tone that was soothing to hear, making one want to continue listening.

This was a quality Ding Xue lacked before. Xu Qing, sensing this, also looked at Ding Xue more frequently.

Ding Xue inwardly rejoiced—this was what her aunt had taught her.

At the same time, she constantly observed the weather, waiting for the right moment. Seven more days passed.

Finally, Ding Xue awaited the weather change she desired.

That night, thunder roared, lightning scattered, and torrential rain poured. While the outside world was cold and rainy, thunder crashed endlessly.

Ding Xue looked pale. Her seat was not far from Xu Qing, but whenever thunder crashed, her body shivered slightly.

Xu Qing opened his eyes and noticed Ding Xue.

"Xu Qing Ge, since I’ve had no father or mother, every thunderstorm night I’ve hid in a corner. Though I’m a cultivator, I still have a primal fear of thunder, especially in rainy nights when I feel cold. But it’s okay, I can handle it. Xu Qing Ge, continue your meditation; don’t pay attention to me."

Her voice was light, and in the end, it whispered weakly.

"I’ve grown accustomed to it." With that, she curled up in the bow of the boat, appearing pitiful and fragile.

Xu Qing pondered for a moment, then handed her a wine gourd.

"Ah?" Ding Xue blinked.

"Drink some; it’ll warm you."

Ding Xue hesitated, glanced at Xu Qing’s calm face, then, with a click of her teeth, drank a large mouthful.

Too fast, she coughed uncontrollably, but in an instant, a pill flew toward her.

"This pill halts coughing."

Ding Xue was bewildered, and after a moment, took the pill with a pitiful look at Xu Qing. At that moment, thunder roared, and she shivered again.

Xu Qing’s expression remained unchanged as he gazed at the lightning, listening to the rumbling thunder and rain. For some reason, he thought of a month prior—another rainy night, another boat, and the figure of a young, valiant woman leaning against the railing.

After a long while, in the rolling thunder, Xu Qing took out a willow flute and lightly blew, its melancholy melody hovered over the magic boat, drifting through the heavens and earth. The thunder’s roar seemed to gradually become the beat for the flute’s accompaniment.

The melody carried the flavor of the martial world, as well as Xu Qing’s thoughts. When it echoed, Ding Xue’s eyes went blank.

She stared at Xu Qing, at his purple robe, at the jade-green flute beneath his starry eyes. Time seemed to freeze in her world.

Who knew when the melody ended, who knew when dawn broke, who knew when the thunder and rain ceased.

"Xu Qing Ge, what is the name of this tune?" Ding Xue inhaled deeply, regaining her composure, murmuring softly.

Xu Qing shook his head and did not answer. He stood, gazing at the sunrise scattering across the land. There, a small country came into view.

That was their destination: Si Tong Guo.

A human minor country, originally unaligned with any force, until the Seven Blood Orb arrived. The former ruler was an elder of the Seven Blood Orb generations ago, whose talent made him be taken by the Alliance, never allowed to return.

Until his death, he chose to settle here, founding the small country. Until his final day, he could not return to the Seven Blood Orb.

Such a country, the Seven Blood Orb naturally paid attention to its affairs.

Originally, he had planned to send a Second Fire disciple, but since Seventh Uncle was taking Xu Qing out, he assigned the matter to Xu Qing instead.

At sunrise, the smoke from the households rose gently, looking peaceful from the sky, a relatively safe state.

This was due to the array formed by the Seven Blood Orb elder who founded the country, protecting the surroundings. This array allowed those below the Golden Dan to enter only with permission.

Clearly, the array had recently developed a leak, leading to the strange occurrences.

The specific matter was something Xu Qing had reviewed in the documents upon arrival. Twenty days prior, 99 people died and turned into corpses due to an epidemic. The country, depending on the Seven Blood Orb, had arranged a sixth-grade Foundation Building disciple to patrol. This disciple, though not yet a First Fire, was no ordinary loose cultivator, and under his hand, the issue was quickly resolved, and he found and killed the culprit.

But ten days ago, the same scene repeated itself, the culprit still the same person, identical in every detail.

Thus, the sixth-grade disciple realized this must be a strange occurrence and reported to the clan, requesting that people be sent within ten days. He analyzed that the next incident would be in ten days.

Xu Qing arrived on the very day—the tenth day.

Upon arrival, he did not inform the country’s ruler or the sixth-grade disciple, instead controlling the magic boat to fly far away from the small country, and stealthily descended with Ding Xue, moving without trace, carrying the affinity talisman in hand, wandering the city’s main streets.

The surroundings looked ordinary, for the array’s presence made them seem better off than people in other places.

Though it possessed some strange qualities, it had not yet reached the point of full bodily decay and near-transformation into something else, and there were many passersby on the streets, with laughter echoing here and there.

Ding Xue cast a curious glance around her.

She had never been to such a human small country in her life, but she was not naive. For this world, she also understood it through the case documents, and knew that the current task was to seek out the anomalous. Without disturbing Xu Qing, she tightly followed behind him.

Xu Qing strolled through the streets; to outsiders, his figure was invisible, a low-level concealment talisman's effect. Unless one's cultivation had reached the Foundation Building stage, the fluctuations of the talisman could not be sensed.

Thus, after an hour's journey, Xu Qing circled the small country and finally stopped in front of a civilian residence. He glanced down at his shadow, where thoughts rippled out, sensing something amiss here.

This task seemed simple to others, but for Xu Qing, it was effortless. Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped forward, entering the moment the house. In an instant, a Yin wind assaulted him.

No need for Xu Qing to act—the shadow suddenly scattered, devouring the Yin wind fiercely. The strange aura dissipated as the wind fell into the shadow's mouth. With the sound of chewing came the dispersal of the anomaly.

Xu Qing stood motionless, waiting silently. After a moment, his eyebrow twitched; the shadow's message informed him that another anomaly had been found elsewhere.

"Could it be another Diqiu Clan?" Xu Qing mused, bringing Ding Xue to the place the shadow indicated. There, he sensed the strange aura, and in the shadow's ingestion, the anomaly vanished.

"…Not… the… treasure… sub-state…"

The shadow, while chewing, scattered emotions; Xu Qing frowned, and the old ancestor of the Golden Hard Clan transmitted a swift message:

"Master, the shadow's meaning is that this is not an anomaly, but two distinct entities. It bears no resemblance to the Diqiu Clan's essence, so this is not the Diqiu Clan—it resembles an anomaly born from a certain object's sub-state."