Chapter 623
Chapter 623
After everyone left the island, Wu Daozi finally lowered her hand. At that, all the butterflies returned to the flowerbeds. At a glance, the butterflies looked like brightly colored flowers. Wu Daozi remained silent, seemingly having no intention of speaking further. Shen Lang could no longer hold back and used his X-ray vision to examine her body. Just a moment ago, she had said she was not a complete woman, that she didn't have her monthly visitor, and that she was a person befitting the nickname 'Stone Witch'. As Shen Lang scanned her body, he found that she did indeed have a uterus and ovaries in her abdomen, but they were much smaller than a normal woman's, appearing underdeveloped. Furthermore, her innate bloodline was indeed high, but it wasn't gold. It seemed to be red, or perhaps orange, and even looked as if it were constantly changing color.
"Are you observing my body right now?"
Shen Lang nodded.
"Don't waste your energy. I've examined myself over a thousand times."
"Are all second-generation bloodline mutants like this?"
"Almost all second-generation bloodline mutants are abnormal. But each one is abnormal in a different way. You've heard the story about me kicking and breaking one of a suitor's eggs, haven't you?"
Not only had he heard it, but he had even had nightmares about it several times.
"That story is true. But that trash from Jucheon Pavilion knew I was abnormal and proposed to me anyway, which was an insult. The fact that I only broke one of his eggs was me showing great restraint. If I hadn't considered his future wife, I would have made him a eunuch long ago."
*Ugh!*
"An abnormal person is seen as nothing but an anomaly in everyone's eyes!"
Shen Lang was reminded of those with blank bloodlines. They, too, were seen as anomalies in the eyes of others. However, the anomaly before him was particularly strong and vicious—or to be more precise, ruthless. In her eyes, a human life was no different from a lab rabbit or mouse.
About thirty minutes later, another small boat arrived at the island. This time, it wasn't Wu Jue or Inspector Na, but three elderly-looking men. They were men of formidable power; even someone like Shen Lang, with no martial arts, could feel the intense aura emanating from them. A moment ago, when Inspector Na and the other four had visited the island, their auras had been completely suppressed by Wu Daozi alone. In contrast, the entire small island was now completely overwhelmed by the aura radiating from the three elders.
"Martial Sister, don't cause a scene. Hand over the man."
As one of them spoke, Wu Daozi's gaze turned icy, and without a word, she raised her hands.
"Hoo!"
Once again, in an instant, thousands of butterflies from all the flowerbeds took flight, and an even more astonishing scene unfolded. Even the leaves from all the bushes took to the air—they were all butterflies, tens or even hundreds of thousands of them. The butterflies blotted out the sky, circling in the air. Shen Lang was so shocked by the sight that his hair stood on end. But this was only the beginning. A moment later, the ground swelled, and countless venomous snakes burst forth. Thousands, tens of thousands, perhaps even more. The venomous snakes intertwined, forming a wall that blocked the three elders of Fudao Mountain. A black rampart rose, and in the sky, the butterflies circled ceaselessly. The scene was more astounding than anything he had ever seen in a movie.
*My dear benefactor, Wu Daozi, I underestimated you. I never knew your abilities were this incredible. No wonder there isn't a single living person on this island. It wasn't just that you disliked visitors; others didn't dare to come here. They didn't even want to set foot on this island because no one knew how many poisonous creatures you had. But Master Wu Daozi, you have quite the fiery temper. Starting a battle just because of a disagreement, and confronting three great elders so sharply. I don't know how she became an elder, but her relationships within Fudao Mountain must be terrible.*
Just then, Shen Lang quickly stepped forward and said.
"Wait a moment, please wait!"
"You insect!"
One of the elders of Fudao Mountain coldly rebuked Shen Lang.
Shen Lang said.
"Three Elders, please listen to what I have to say."
"Act now, capture and kill this bastard!"
The three elders had no intention of listening to anything Shen Lang had to say and immediately moved to capture him. No, to kill him! Treating a human life like a weed—truly the style of Fudao Mountain. What an arrogant, condescending attitude.
"I can open the entrance to the ancient ruins in the southern sea."
Shen Lang got straight to the point. The three elders were startled by his words but didn't hesitate for a moment and continued forward. The three men emanated an incomparably strong energy, turning countless venomous snakes and butterflies to dust in their path and even several meters away. Their martial arts were so profound that Shen Lang couldn't even begin to guess what level they were at.
"If my guess is correct, there is a map at the entrance of the ancient ruins. Is that right?"
Upon hearing that, the three elders of Fudao Mountain stopped in their tracks.
*How does that pretty boy know that?*
No more than twenty people had seen the entrance to the ancient ruins firsthand, and none of them would have told Shen Lang about it. Even Wu Jue didn't know, so it was natural that Wu Daozi wouldn't know either.
"The various factions must have used all their wisdom and abilities, but they still haven't been able to solve the map's riddle! According to the rules among the transcendent powers, the organization that first solves the map's riddle earns the right to open the entrance to the ancient ruins and develop them, correct?"
It had always been this way; there was never any joint development of ruins.
"I can solve that riddle!"
The three elders did not believe Shen Lang. The transcendent powers like the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, Fudao Mountain, Hyeongong Temple, Tongcheon Temple, and Jucheon Pavilion had invested immense effort to solve this problem. They had gathered the most intelligent people in the world to try and solve the puzzle, but all had failed. Shen Lang was probably just one of the hundreds who had boasted they could solve this puzzle. They hadn't been bluffing; they genuinely thought the puzzle wasn't difficult and that they could surely solve it. But the moment they faced it, they discovered that solving it was harder than ascending to the heavens. To this day, countless geniuses from all the eastern nations were pouring their hearts and souls into finding the answer, forgoing sleep and rest.
"Seize him!"
The three elders of Fudao Mountain paused for a moment but were not swayed by Shen Lang's words and continued to advance, all the while pulverizing Wu Daozi's snakes and butterflies. Forging Fudao Mountain's token was a grave crime punishable by death. Furthermore, in the eyes of the three elders, Shen Lang had just added an even more serious crime to his list. The crime of seducing Wu Daozi. Wu Daozi was naturally a solitary star of misfortune and associated with no one. For such a person to be protecting Shen Lang as if she had taken a love potion... For that alone, Shen Lang deserved to be torn to shreds.
Wu Daozi suddenly interjected.
"Three Elders, let Shen Lang try. If he cannot solve the puzzle at the entrance of the ancient ruins, I will step down from my position as the elder of the Hall of Flowers and Wood!"
Hearing this, the three elders were even more astonished.
*Shen Lang, is this pretty boy that remarkable? He's completely captivated Wu Daozi in less than two hours? She's willing to resign as an elder of Fudao Mountain for him? This man is a true calamity, a menace to women! But the position of elder of the Hall of Flowers and Wood is far more precious than this pretty boy's life.*
The three elders exchanged glances and then replied.
"Then it is decided. We will depart in an hour!"
At last, the three elders retreated. Wu Daozi also took half a step back, her footing a little unsteady. All the snakes scattered and returned underground, and all the butterflies returned to their places—the leaf-shaped ones back to the trees, and the flower-shaped ones back to the flowerbeds. Shen Lang stared at Wu Daozi in disbelief, utterly stunned.
*Benefactor? We haven't shared that deep of a connection, have we?*
"The elder of the Hall of Flowers and Wood is a position I inherited from my father. I'm an elder in name only here. I've never done any work, nor have I ever set foot off this island. But the Mountain Lord insisted that I take the position, so I did. In truth, it doesn't matter to me whether I hold the title of elder or not."
*So that's the reason! But what did the three elders mean by departing in an hour? What are they giving me and Wu Daozi an hour to do? I'm completely innocent with her! What kind of person do you take me, Shen Lang, for?*
"Let's go!"
Wu Daozi headed straight for the pier. A moment later, a small boat appeared on the water's surface. Wu Daozi boarded the small boat, and Shen Lang, though a little surprised, boarded as well. There was no boatman, no oars, and no sail, yet the boat moved on its own. It was fascinating. Shen Lang lowered his head to look into the water and discovered three large water snakes swimming and pulling the boat forward. Each water snake was six or seven meters long. Shen Lang was once again impressed.
*My beautiful benefactor is truly amazing.*
"This is my innate ability. I can communicate with animals. So, every animal on this island was raised and tamed by me. All the butterflies and snakes here hatched from their eggs under my watch, so they see me as their mother."
In that case, it was truly a pity. Her heart must be aching after so many of her animals were killed in the fight with the three elders of Fudao Mountain.
"Master, is there nothing you need to pack?"
"What?"
"For example, a change of clothes? Don't you like to be clean?"
Wu Daozi was the most cleanliness-obsessed person Shen Lang had ever seen, like someone with a severe case of mysophobia.
"There's no need!"
A moment later, another small boat followed them, flying a flag with the character 'Xian' written on it. That was probably the elder of Fudao Mountain's Hall of Law. Behind him followed Wu Jue.
"Sworn brother, are you coming too?"
Shen Lang asked with immense delight, and Wu Jue replied with just as much intimacy.
"That's right. I couldn't bear to let Aunt and Younger Brother Lang go alone, so I volunteered. I'll attend to Elder Gong on the way. Younger Brother Lang, we can talk again, even from a distance."
Wu Jue's fraternal loyalty was not only fake, but his perfunctory relationship as aunt and nephew was also on full display.
Wu Daozi explained from the side.
"If I step down as the elder of the Hall of Flowers and Wood, Wu Jue's father will take the position. He is my older brother."
*Wow, and now we're adding a not-so-close sibling relationship to the mix?*
Soon, the two small boats were sailing one after the other. Shen Lang and Wu Jue, separated by a few meters, interacted with the utmost enthusiasm. To an outsider, they looked closer than real brothers.
* * *
A dozen or so hours later, the small boat carrying Shen Lang arrived back at the pier at the entrance to the Bu Sea. The Sword King, Li Qianqiu, was still there, waiting anxiously. Fudao Mountain was a very dangerous place, and he feared Shen Lang might have died a horrible death by going there. But when he looked up, he saw Shen Lang had returned safely, and what's more, a peerless beauty was sitting beside him.
*Is... is that Wu Daozi? Did she really fall for Shen Lang? His methods are truly admirable. A descendant of farmers like me could never learn such things!*