Chapter 00336: The Divine Maiden
# The Divine Maiden
Chapter 336
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 336: The Divine Maiden
Just as Lan Xiaobu was about to study the void array patterns on the giant stone, the communication bead on his wrist lit up.
The message was from Qi Yunshu, informing him that there was news about Liu Li.
The information came from Gu Feng Village, and it was said that the person who knew about Liu Li's whereabouts was a divine maiden.
The fact that the divine maiden could relay this message to Qi Yunshu indicated that she was still alive.
Lan Xiaobu immediately concealed the giant stone with a hidden immortal array and summoned his flying treasure, heading straight for Gu Feng.
...
Despite Lan Xiaobu's top-tier immortal artifact flying at its maximum speed, it still took him five days to reach Gu Feng Village.
What greeted Lan Xiaobu was a lush, verdant landscape.
Apart from the lack of immortal spiritual energy, the area was filled with green mountains and clear waters, making it hard to believe that this place had suffered a three-year drought.
However, with just a slight sweep of his divine sense, Lan Xiaobu could tell that the drought was indeed real.
The vast area was sparsely populated.
Where had all the people gone? It was clear that most had perished during the drought.
The current greenery was a result of the intervention by the Forbidden Immortal Bureau, as well as the efforts of Teng Mo, the acting Immortal Court King of the Ascendant Star Immortal Court.
Teng Mo had taken charge of Gu Feng's affairs, ensuring that the area didn't fall into complete ruin.
"Grand Marshal!" Seeing Lan Xiaobu arrive, Qi Yunshu, who had been waiting for some time, quickly stepped forward to greet him.
"I'm the Grand Immortal Officer, not the Grand Marshal," Lan Xiaobu chuckled.
He had already decided to hand over the position of Grand Immortal Officer of the Forbidden Immortal Bureau to Qi Yunshu.
Qi Yunshu awkwardly scratched his head and said, "Now I am the Grand Immortal Officer of the Forbidden Immortal Bureau. The new Immortal Court King has appointed you as the Grand Marshal of the Forbidden Immortal Bureau. The previous Grand Marshal disappeared along with the old Immortal Court King in the ancient battlefield."
Lan Xiaobu couldn't help but marvel at the speed of his promotion.
However, he wasn't particularly interested in such matters and instead asked, "Where is this divine maiden?"
Qi Yunshu quickly replied, "The divine maiden is waiting for you in Gu Feng Village. Thanks to the improvements made by the Ascendant Star Immortal Court, although the population of Gu Feng is still small, many people are already starting to settle here, drawn by its reputation."
Since Lan Xiaobu had tasked Qi Yunshu with managing Gu Feng's affairs, Qi Yunshu felt it necessary to update him on the current situation.
Lan Xiaobu nodded, "Take me to see this divine maiden. What is her name?"
"Yes," Qi Yunshu responded, despite now being the Grand Immortal Officer.
"No one knows her name. Everyone here simply calls her the divine maiden."
...
Gu Feng was actually a rather pleasant place.
Apart from the lack of immortal spiritual energy, the area was surrounded by mountains and rivers, with fresh air and a serene environment that brought a sense of tranquility.
The village now had many newly built houses, all of which followed a uniform style.
Lan Xiaobu could tell that this was also part of Teng Mo's efforts.
The divine maiden's residence wasn't one of the newly built houses but an old-fashioned bamboo hut.
Outside the hut was a grove of bamboo, with a small pond at the edge.
A gravel path wound through the bamboo grove, leading to the hut by the pond.
At the entrance of the gravel path stood a sturdy young man.
"Immortal Officer..."
The young man quickly bowed upon seeing Qi Yunshu and Lan Xiaobu approach.
He seemed hesitant, as if he wanted to say something but didn't dare.
Qi Yunshu took the initiative to explain, "Grand Marshal, I'll wait here for you. The divine maiden holds a high status here. She only wishes to see you and not me."
"Alright," Lan Xiaobu chuckled and patted Qi Yunshu's shoulder.
He understood what Qi Yunshu meant.
As the Grand Immortal Officer of the Immortal Court's Forbidden Immortal Bureau, Qi Yunshu could easily visit any rural woman without anyone daring to stop him.
In fact, no rural divine maiden would have the right to demand Qi Yunshu's presence; it should be the other way around.
Qi Yunshu's words were simply a reflection of his understanding of Lan Xiaobu's character.
Lan Xiaobu didn't use his divine sense.
He walked straight to the bamboo hut, but before he could knock, the door opened.
Standing before him was a woman dressed in a simple blue linen dress, her long hair cut short, and her face covered in scars.
Two deep gashes ran from her eyes down to her nose and mouth.
Though the wounds had scabbed over, they still looked horrifying.
Despite her disfigured appearance, Lan Xiaobu could sense an extraordinary grace about her.
Her eyes, though scarred, were clear and pure, giving off a sense of warmth and kindness.
In terms of figure alone, even Teng Man'er, the most beautiful woman in the Ascendant Star Immortal Court, couldn't compare to this woman.
Though she didn't appear particularly alluring, there was an indescribable beauty about her.
However, as soon as one's gaze moved up to her face, all sense of beauty vanished.
If only her face hadn't been ruined...
Lan Xiaobu now understood why the Rain Master had coveted this divine maiden.
"Yu Ruo greets Brother Lan," the woman bowed gracefully and invited Lan Xiaobu into the hut.
Lan Xiaobu entered but didn't offer her any pills to restore her appearance.
If she had wanted such pills, she would have asked Qi Yunshu long ago.
Even a True Immortal could easily provide her with the necessary pills to heal her scars.
The fact that she still bore these scars meant she had no intention of restoring her appearance.
After Lan Xiaobu sat down, Yu Ruo poured him a bowl of clear tea.
Lan Xiaobu had tasted countless varieties of immortal tea, let alone ordinary tea, so he had no intention of drinking it.
However, as his gaze fell on the tea, he felt an inexplicable sensation.
Curious, he picked up the bowl and took a sip.
A sense of tranquility washed over him, and Lan Xiaobu was startled.
It was as if he had touched upon a trace of the Dao's essence, much like how he had grasped the basics of spatial rules to unleash his Boundless technique.
Could this simple bowl of tea also contain a hint of the Dao's aura?
Lan Xiaobu quickly dismissed the thought, realizing that Yu Ruo hadn't cultivated at all.
Yu Ruo's voice interrupted Lan Xiaobu's musings, "Brother Lan, are you looking for a friend?"
Lan Xiaobu nodded, "Yes, her name is Liu Li. She appeared in the Mysterious Profound Immortal Domain but was later hunted down and disappeared. Do you know where Liu Li is?"
Yu Ruo must know something; otherwise, she wouldn't have summoned him here.
Yu Ruo replied, "I've seen Liu Li's image from Officer Qi Yunshu. In my memories, I've also seen her. She and I both lived in the Laundry Maiden Palace..."
Lan Xiaobu stared at Yu Ruo in disbelief, then shook his head in disappointment, "You must be mistaken. Liu Li and I come from the same place. I'm certain she wouldn't live in a place like the Laundry Maiden Palace."
The Laundry Maiden Palace sounded like a place for menial labor.
Liu Li was the Holy Maiden of the Western Kunlun Sect in Yuan Continent.
How could she end up in such a place?
Yu Ruo shook her head, "I'm absolutely certain. Liu Li was in the Laundry Maiden Palace."
"How long have you been here? How long were you in the Laundry Maiden Palace? And where is this Laundry Maiden Palace located?" Lan Xiaobu asked.
Yu Ruo spoke slowly, "Brother Lan, I know what you're asking. I don't remember how long I was in the Laundry Maiden Palace, but it was definitely more than a hundred years. As for the Laundry Maiden Palace, it's located in the Holy Sect. These are all memories from my past life. I regained some of these memories six years ago."
"Are you saying that Liu Li, in her past life, was also in the Laundry Maiden Palace of the Holy Sect, just like you?" Lan Xiaobu asked.
Yu Ruo nodded, "Yes, these are memories from my past life."
Lan Xiaobu couldn't help but laugh, "Let's not even discuss the accuracy of your past life memories. The Liu Li I'm looking for isn't the one from your past life but the current one. Besides, in the vast universe, there are countless people who look alike. How can you be sure it's the same person?"
Yu Ruo said firmly, "I'm certain that the Liu Li you're looking for is the one from my memories. I will never forget her eyes."
"Alright, even if your assumption is correct, I still don't know where Liu Li is now," Lan Xiaobu said helplessly.
Yu Ruo shook her head, "No, as long as it's the Liu Li from my memories, I can find her. My sisters and I had a pact. If any of us regained our memories in the next life, we would use a blood ritual to find each other. As long as I perform the blood ritual, I can sense Liu Li's location. However, I have one condition. Please hear me out before deciding whether to let me perform the ritual."
Lan Xiaobu wasn't entirely sure what a blood ritual was, but he knew of similar techniques that used objects to locate people.
For example, back in Yuan Continent, a mysterious expert had once predicted events in the Mubei Market using a similar method.
"Go ahead, as long as it's within my power," Lan Xiaobu said without hesitation.
Yu Ruo stood up and bowed, then said, "The reason I dared to say I know Liu Li's whereabouts is because I know your character, Brother Lan. If it weren't for you, Gu Feng would still be a wasteland, and no one would have survived. So, I hope that when you leave here, you can take me with you."
"..."
Lan Xiaobu was momentarily at a loss.
Take Yu Ruo with him? She was a mortal, and it would be inconvenient to have her by his side.
Could he place her in his True Spirit World? But a mortal in the True Spirit World would likely go mad from the pressure.
Yu Ruo continued, "After I was saved by the people here, I've been living here ever since. Because I can heal some illnesses and predict certain events, the people here call me the divine maiden. It wasn't until one day that I regained my memories..."
"If you've regained your memories, you should be able to leave here anytime. According to what you've said, you must have come from a major sect, and your memories include cultivation techniques. Why haven't you started cultivating? Is it because you lack resources?" Lan Xiaobu asked, puzzled.
"Resources are indeed scarce, but that's not the main reason I haven't started cultivating. The cultivation technique I practice is very special. It requires a specific environment to lay the foundation. My technique comes from the Holy Sect and is one of the most advanced cultivation methods..."
After listening to Yu Ruo's explanation, Lan Xiaobu understood.
Yu Ruo's cultivation technique was a Saint-level method.
Once mastered, it would allow her to stand at the pinnacle of the universe, as it was a technique of the Saints.
(That's all for today's update.
Goodnight, friends!)
(End of Chapter)