Chapter 627
Chapter 627
Thirteen masters and thirteen scholars from Fudao Mountain, having completed all preparations, donned thick protective suits and entered the ancient ruins with various equipment in hand. Wu Daozi said.
“I’m going in too! I will find the Marrow Cleansing Crystal.”
The Master of Fudao Mountain nodded. Wu Daozi put on a protective suit and followed them into the ancient ruins. Shen Lang did not follow them, nor did he ask to. He knew in his heart that he was merely an outsider. No matter how great his contribution in opening the ancient ruins, exploring them was none of his business; it was a task that could only be entrusted to the core members of Fudao Mountain. This was a clear boundary. Shen Lang was a man of the secular world, and Fudao Mountain was a transcendent power; the boundary should not be crossed.
Shen Lang did not stand at the entrance but wandered around the island leisurely. More and more people from Fudao Mountain were landing on the island, and the number of large ships at sea was increasing. These ships all belonged to the South Sea Sword Sect, their fleet patrolling the surrounding waters. Fudao Mountain had not only occupied the entire island but also knew how to secure the surrounding sea.
Could Yan Nanfei be in that fleet? Shen Lang soon had his answer. Yan Nanfei had arrived. A massive ship approached and anchored near the island, flying a banner with the character for ‘Yan.’ A hundred disciples of the South Sea Sword Sect landed on the island, formed a defensive line, and became a human wall, blocking Shen Lang's path. Yan Nanfei had come to meet the Master of Fudao Mountain. Shen Lang was so far away that he couldn't even see Yan Nanfei's shadow. Moreover, Yan Nanfei had organized the island, keeping Shen Lang hundreds of meters away. Soon, more and more ships from the South Sea Sword Sect appeared, blockading the entire sea around the island and seizing complete naval control of the surrounding waters.
Shen Lang narrowed his eyes.
‘I never expected this. The South Sea Sword Sect and the Xue Clan possess such a vast maritime force. That must be at least a hundred ships. And their crews can be considered combat troops, so all together, there must be ten thousand men. Why have the Xue Clan and the South Sea Sword Sect cultivated such a large fleet and so many warriors? The Xue Clan has no share in Raging Tide City’s trade routes. Could it be that the Xue Clan has opened another trade route in the southern seas? A southern trade route?’
Furthermore, the fact that the Xue Clan and the South Sea Sword Sect had mobilized such a large fleet to guard the ancient ruins and secure the surrounding waters suggested that their relationship with Fudao Mountain was much closer than he had anticipated. This was a very complicated situation. The Xue Clan was Shen Lang's mortal enemy. Once the war with Prince Gong was over, the Xue Clan would have to be eliminated. But now, it seemed that eliminating the Xue Clan would be more difficult than eliminating Su Nan.
Su Nan was a formidable hero and a great man, but he had directed all his strength toward rebellion, dedicating very little to dealing with Shen Lang. In contrast, the Xue Clan would not rebel against the State of Yue, so if Shen Lang tried to eliminate them, a massive power would retaliate with its full force. The Third Prince, the Zhong Clan, the Xue Clan, and Yan Ye of the Blackwater Terrace were practically one and the same; to eliminate one, he would have to eliminate them all.
The Xue Clan’s power was far greater than he had expected. What everyone saw now was just the tip of the iceberg; most of their strength lay hidden beneath the surface. But what was the relationship between the Xue Clan, the South Sea Sword Sect, and Fudao Mountain? Shen Lang's mind raced as he began to plan how to eliminate the Xue Clan. To eliminate the Xue Clan, he first had to eliminate the South Sea Sword Sect. However, the South Sea Sword Sect was isolated across the sea, so to eliminate them, he first had to destroy their fleet. How could he do that? How could he use the timing of the heavens and the lay of the land? Shen Lang wracked his brain.
What is a genius? Someone who starts thinking about how to harm you more than two hundred days before the plan is executed. Even before he had eliminated Prince Gong, Shen Lang was already pre-planning how to eliminate the Xue Clan. Shen Lang walked around, carefully observing the black island, sensing its climate and tides. Sometimes he would lie down and press his ear to the black island, closing his eyes and visualizing the map of this sea.
‘Is the South Sea Sword Sect located not far from this black island? If so, in the future, could I use this black island, or even the ancient ruins, to eliminate them? Yes, let’s focus my thoughts in that direction!’
* * *
After paying his respects to the Master of Fudao Mountain, Yan Nanfei had a private discussion with Elder Gong of the Disciplinary Hall.
“That wretched bastard went to Fudao Mountain. Elder Gong, why didn’t you kill him?”
Elder Gong said to Yan Nanfei.
“Wu Daozi protected him at the risk of her own life. She was even willing to give up her position as an elder of the Hall of Harmony. She had Shen Lang solve the riddle at the entrance to the ancient ruins, and unexpectedly, he actually solved it.”
“That wretched bastard is alone on the island now. Can I kill him?”
“No! The Master has spoken. He is a genius in mathematics, and there may be more places inside the ancient ruins that need to be deciphered. He might be of use later.”
Yan Nanfei’s eyes narrowed, a chilling glint flashing through them. Elder Gong told him.
“Ning Yuanxian has repeatedly warned us, sending three letters to the Master. He said that Fudao Mountain should not interfere in the affairs of the State of Yue and should not touch Shen Lang. Fudao Mountain’s foundation is in the west; if we cause trouble within the State of Yue’s borders, not only the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion but also His Supreme Majesty the Emperor will be displeased.”
Yan Nanfei sneered and said.
“His Highness, our King of Yue, can barely protect himself, yet he worries about Shen Lang. It seems the two have truly hit it off.”
“The Master has said that court matters should be resolved by the court! We transcendent powers should not excessively interfere in the courts of various nations. If we were to incur the wrath of His Supreme Majesty the Emperor, the losses would far outweigh the gains.”
With every word, Elder Gong referred to “His Supreme Majesty the Emperor,” showing even more reverence for the emperor than a secular person would. Yan Nanfei no longer mentioned Shen Lang.
“Elder Gong, our South Sea Sword Sect is loyal to Fudao Mountain. To protect the naval control around the ancient ruins this time, we have mobilized almost our entire fleet. So, couldn’t Fudao Mountain share some of the weapons and scriptures of the mysterious civilization it possesses with us? The stronger our South Sea Sword Sect becomes, the more say Fudao Mountain will have in these waters.”
“Rest assured. The Master has already spoken! The Hall of Grace is preparing the items to be sent. In a few days, many scriptures and weapons will be transferred to the South Sea Sword Sect. You just need to be ready to receive them!”
“Thank you for the mountain villa’s grace!”
Yan Nanfei, the master of the South Sea Sword Sect, stayed on the island for only half an hour before departing with great fanfare. Shen Lang was still exploring the black island, while around him, countless disciples of the South Sea Sword Sect and Fudao Mountain came and went, building fortifications and establishing defensive lines. Everyone saw Shen Lang but acted as if he wasn't there, as if he had no right to set foot on this island.
After circling the entire island, Shen Lang returned to the entrance of the ancient ruins and waited anxiously. At any other time, he would have been curious about what lay inside the ancient ruins. But now, he cared about only one thing. Was there a Marrow Cleansing Crystal inside? Even if all the treasures in the world were placed before Shen Lang, they would not be worth as much as Mulan alone.
‘Please, may the heavens protect her. May there be a Marrow Cleansing Crystal in these ruins.’
According to Wu Daozi, the probability of a Marrow Cleansing Crystal appearing in ancient ruins was one in six. However, she hadn't mentioned that in the past hundred years, six ancient ruins had been excavated throughout the entire Eastern world. That meant only one Marrow Cleansing Crystal had been found in the last century. Therefore, whether the ruins contained a Marrow Cleansing Crystal that could save Mulan was all up to the will of heaven.
‘Why hasn’t Wu Daozi come out yet?’
Shen Lang grew more and more anxious. The sky soon darkened, and the sun set in the west. Shen Lang became increasingly tense, even beginning to feel a sense of dread. If Wu Daozi couldn't find the Marrow Cleansing Crystal, Shen Lang would, without a second thought, enter the ancient ruins himself to find it. Even if there was no Marrow Cleansing Crystal, he would find something else to save Mulan. But suddenly, a familiar scent wafted over. Wu Daozi had emerged from the ruins. She immediately tore off her protective suit and took a long breath.
Wu Daozi looked at Shen Lang and said.
“Congratulations, Shen Lang. Your wife is saved. I found the Marrow Cleansing Crystal. Not only will she be revived, but she will also transform into a second-generation bloodline mutant.”
Then, Wu Daozi handed a jade bottle to Shen Lang. Shen Lang was ecstatic.
‘Heaven must have taken pity on me and watched over my beloved Mulan! Mulan, wait for me. Your husband is coming to save you!’
Shen Lang clutched the bottle tightly. The bottle in his hand was translucent, and he could faintly see three pills inside. Shen Lang was surprised to see them.
‘Could these all be Marrow Cleansing Crystals? Why are they in pill form? Is this something to be taken directly, not a liquid to be injected into the spine?’
Wu Daozi told him.
“The Marrow Cleansing Crystal is inside the pill. This is the only way to preserve it for a long time. When you need to use it, just make a hole. They are in a deep sleep as well.”
“Then are the other two pills also Marrow Cleansing Crystals?”
“I don’t know. But from their appearance, they probably aren’t.”
“Master, don’t you need these other two pills?”
“When I research, I focus on only one thing. If you give those two to me, they would surely distract me.”
Shen Lang immediately understood her words. Wu Daozi was a great scientist with a strong curiosity for mysterious things. To control that curiosity, she disciplined herself not to be distracted by other things and to focus solely on specific research. That was why she had no interest in the ancient ruins at all. Wu Daozi had no interest in the other two pills in the jade bottle and immediately entrusted them to Shen Lang. If she took them, what would happen? She would die of curiosity.
She would constantly wonder what they were, and if the things inside turned out to be incredibly strange, it would be an even bigger problem. She would want to study them thoroughly to the end, which would interfere with her original field of research, wouldn't it? Shen Lang himself was a good example. She had originally been dedicated to cultivating and researching high-level protozoa, but then Shen Lang came to her island, and his blood killed all the high-level protozoa, making them disappear without a trace.
‘It’s too strange and bizarre.’
She then thought she must study Shen Lang and immediately changed her research direction. If she changed her research direction again, she felt her research path would be completely ruined.
‘So, no one should come and tempt me!’
Shen Lang tucked the bottle into his robes.
“Master, I’ll be leaving then!”
He naturally couldn’t delay for even a moment and had to return home as quickly as possible.
“I’ll go with you.”
Shen Lang was startled by Wu Daozi's words.
‘What do you mean, you’ll go with me? Do you mean you’ll travel with me and then head north back to Fudao Mountain? Or are you coming with me to the Marquis of Xuanwu's Estate?’
“I’m going with you to the Marquis of Xuanwu's Estate.”
‘Ah!’
“My father failed, but you succeeded. I want to witness that scene.”
Shen Lang understood her feelings. Wu Daozi was not a completely heartless person; at the very least, she felt guilt toward her mother. In a way, her mother had died because of her birth, and despite her father's best efforts, he ultimately couldn't save her mother's life. Now, Shen Lang saving Jin Mulan was a form of atonement for Wu Daozi as well. Even the fact that Wu Daozi had dedicated her life to studying bloodlines was to resolve the regret in her heart.
“Very well. You are welcome at the Marquis of Xuanwu’s Estate.”
The two then prepared to leave the black island. The Master of Fudao Mountain was quietly reading a book. Seeing Wu Daozi about to leave, he spoke.
“Rabbit, are you leaving?”
This time, Shen Lang heard it clearly. The master of Fudao Mountain, a being of supreme status, had not called her Daozi, but *Tuzi* (Rabbit).
“Yes!”
The Master of Fudao Mountain glanced at Shen Lang, frowning as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he did not voice it.
“Go on!”