The four people hiding inside the dense forest watched as one after another Shi Zhixuan left and Shan Mu led her subordinates away, but they still undecided on which path to take.
Kou Zhong fiercely said, “If we follow behind Sha Fang, I am sure we could find the ship she is hiding in, and nine out of ten Jin Huanzhen is being held captive in that ship.”
“Then why didn’t Shaoshuai follow her track?” Zhu Yuyan commented indifferently.
Kou Zhong smiled and replied, “Because following her track is the lowest priority. Even if we could find that ship, unless we immediately make our move to charge aboard the ship, by tomorrow the ship might weigh anchor and sail away, to go into hiding in some tributary or a hidden bay on the lake somewhere, then following their track will only be a waste of time; quietly holding our move is a bit smarter.”
Frowning, Zhu Yuyan said, “With your, Shaoshuai’s style of work, the internal injury Sha Fang is bearing is obviously not light, why do you let the good opportunity to attack the enemy and rescue people slip by?”
Kou Zhong sighed and said, “It’s for your, the Senior’s sake. If we followed behind Sha Fang, it would be strange indeed if Sha Fang cannot guess our relationship.”
Zhu Yuyan was slightly startled, she no longer spoke.
Shi Feixuan spoke gently, “What does Yin Hou have in mind?”
Zhu Yuyan looked her up and down carefully several times, and then she nodded and said, “Feixuan has any suggestion?”
Inwardly Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling admired Zhu Yuyan’s broad-mindedness; she did not shame or treat Shi Feixuan condescendingly simply because she was an old enemy’s disciple or because of her status as a younger generation.
Just now Shi Feixuan already had the foresight to predict that the operation tonight would not bring any result, she was showing remarkable wisdom, so that Zhu Yuyan lowered her air and asked for advice from her in low voice.
Both Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling loved to listen to Shi Feixuan speaking, they loved to see her touching demeanor, so they concentrated their attention completely on her even more.
Turning her gaze in the direction Shi Zhixuan was disappearing, Shi Feixuan spoke softly, “Yin Hou did not pursue Shi Zhixuan relentlessly, this must be greatly beyond Shi Zhixuan’s expectation, which will make him overly suspicious, and difficult to feel at ease.”
Knitting his brows, Kou Zhong said, “There’s something that I really don’t understand. Currently, Shi Zhixuan’s top priority should be to absorb the Sheli’s demonic … oy! No! It should be holy qi. Only after succeeding will he return to the Central Plains to unify the Two Sects and Six Ways. But why did he still take the risk to lure you, Yin Hou out? Could it be that he is really unafraid of your ‘burning both jade and common stone’ move?”
The corner of Zhu Yuyan’s mouth showed a hint of bitter smile as she said, “If you asked me this question before seeing Shi Zhixuan tonight, I really did not know how to answer you with confidence, but this moment I can clearly tell you why Shi Zhixuan is using me.”
Shaken, Kou Zhong said, “I get it! Shi Zhixuan is constantly absorbing the Sheli’s holy qi. My Niang!”
Zhu Yuyan sighed and said, “Shi Zhixuan is exploiting the pressure I am giving him to spur himself on, just like people from ancient times sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall [in order to recall his humiliation (ref. King Gou Jian of Yue); fig. to maintain one’s resolve for revenge], or that kind of critical circumstances, to give him the feeling of needing to advance gradually and entrenched himself at every step, to make him too busy to remember the broken heart of the past distracting him.”
Shi Feixuan said, “Yin Hou’s analysis on Shi Zhixuan is very penetrating. If Feixuan did not guess incorrectly, tomorrow night Shi Zhixuan will resume his provocation toward Yin Hou, therefore, we definitely are not without any second opportunity to join hands to get rid of him.”
Kou Zhong laughed and said, “In that case, shall we go back to the city to have a good night’s sleep?”
“Shaoshuai seems to forget your appointment with the fake Laotan,” Shi Feixuan scolded him.
Kou Zhong sneered and said, “How can the fake Laotan meet the appointment at two different places but at the same time? Moreover, Sha Fang is injured; even if he wanted to deal with Shi Xiaojie, he only has the mind but not the power to do it. It’s a bit more sensible for us not to go on two trips in vain.”
Knitting her brows, Zhu Yuyan asked, “What are you guys talking about?”
After giving her brief explanation, Xu Ziling said, “Zhu Zongzhu, please return to the city to rest first. Even if we know we are going to make one trip in vain, we still need to keep the appointment, so that the fake Laotan won’t be suspicious.”
Zhu Yuyan slightly hesitated a moment before speaking decisively, “Considering you, these two kids are giving thought to me everywhere, I will reveal to you some information that should not be passed on outside the demonic school. Pi Chen once told me personally that in addition to Da Zun and Yuanzi, whose depth is hard to fathom, within the Da Ming Zun Jiao, nominally Sha Fang has the strongest martial art skill. But Liexia of the Five Bright Sons and the ‘Poisonous Water’ Wei Nuo of the Five Kinds of Demons, two persons have personally received Da Zun’s handed-down teachings, hence they should not be under Sha Fang. If these two persons personally make their move, with the addition of the other people, you must absolutely not underestimate them.”
“Very interesting!” Kou Zhong spoke cheerfully.
Laughing involuntarily, Zhu Yuyan said, “I nearly forget that worrying for Kou Zhong is an unnecessary, senseless act. Ay! You are on your own!”
Finished speaking, she entered deep into the forest and swiftly went away.
Quite naturally, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling’s eyes were set on Shi Feixuan, acting like they were waiting respectfully for her order and would listen and obey her instruction.
Slightly crossed, Shi Feixuan said, “Why are you looking at me? Aren’t you people who love to do everything for yourselves?”
Smiling wryly, Xu Ziling said, “Xiaojie is turning over old accounts again.” While inwardly, he mused that I, Xu Ziling loved to see your, this kind of a girl’s mood. Only when Shi Feixuan was revealing this kind of earthly mind would he have the intense feeling that she was also a human being with seven emotional states and six desires.
Grinning, Kou Zhong said, “Feixuan is getting more and more beautiful!”
Apparently Shi Feixuan was at a loss dealing with him; sighing lightly, she said, “Shall we part ways and do it separately?”
“Zhu Yuyan is right,” Xu Ziling said, “We must not underestimate the enemy and being careless.”
Kou Zhong said, “The places of these two appointments are only more than ten li apart; if you are slightly late, as soon as I see that there’s nobody there, I could immediately rush over to meet up with you. At that time, even if Da Ming Zun Jiao’s whole nest came out, we could at least defend ourselves and break the siege. As long as we can slip back into the city, we will be safe and extremely lucky.”
Shi Feixuan said, “They will surely have a way to retain you.”
Kou Zhong patted the Moon in the Well and said with a smile, “Then they need to ask this old partner that is hanging on Xiaodi’s back. I will see the opportunity and act, to change according to the situation.”
“Let’s do it this way then,” Xu Ziling replied.
Kou Zhong laughed aloud. Copying Zhu Yuyan earlier, he entered the depth of the forest first, before making a detour to meet his appointment.
When it was only Xu Ziling and Shi Feixuan, two people remained, immediately there was a subtle change in the atmosphere, a strange kind of silence.
Shi Feixuan seemed to want to dilute this kind of ‘silence surpasses noise’ atmosphere; she spoke in low voice, “Feixuan already surveyed the situation surrounding Jingpo Lake. This stone pavilion is built facing the lake. One side facing the lake, the other side facing a dense forest; it was quite hidden.”
Xu Ziling spread out his palm and stretched it toward her, he spoke softly, “I wonder if Xiaojie could draw the location of the stone pavilion, and then we could take separate ways to go to the meeting.”
Shi Feixuan hesitated slightly, and then she stretched her delicate and beautiful jade hand, and using her fingertip she drew the shape of Jingpo Lake on Xu Ziling’s palm first, and then she tapped a few timed on the northern bank, saying, “This is the location of Ma Ji’s camp.” Afterwards she moved to the northwest and tapped once, saying, “Jingpo Pavilion is approximately on this location, the terrain is comparatively higher, not difficult to recognize at all.” Finished speaking, she pulled her jade hand back.
Xu Ziling was still staring blankly at his spread palm, a fantastic feeling welled up in his heart, he was fully aware that he would never forget the touching feeling of her fingertip drawing on his palm.
This was his first ‘intimate’ contact with Shi Feixuan.
With slight displeasure in her voice, Shi Feixuan asked, “Are you clear?”
Finally Xu Ziling pulled his palm back. He mused inwardly that if this moment he told her that he would never wash his hand anymore, how would she react to his brazen, frivolous remark? This, of course, could only be thought in his heart to find relief, he could never put it into action for real.
Smiling, he said, “Very clear. Xiaojie’s fine finger is as accurate and stable as your Color Empty Sword.”
Shi Feixuan spoke indifferently, “Your palm is very unusual; did it become like this after you train the Long Life Qi?”
Confident and at ease, Xu Ziling shrugged his shoulders; sketching it in light shades, he said, “The fact is that I am not sure myself. I think it was after I learned some image method that my pair of hands started to change. Anyway, we still have time, I wonder if we could chat a little bit.”
Sighing lightly, Shi Feixuan said, “Is it all right if I don’t want to listen?”
Hearing that, Xu Ziling’s heart was swept away, but he secretly warned himself not to treat Shi Feixuan like ordinary worldly woman, which would make her despise Xu Ziling even more. Nodding his head, he said, “Of course. Everything is up to Xiaojie.”
Shi Feixuan returned to her tranquil state, she spoke indifferently, “Speak up! Xu Ziling.”
Xu Ziling suddenly had an urge to draw her into his arms. Scared to death, he hastily suppressed this longing down, and after taking a deep, slow breath, he said, “I wonder if at this moment Xiaojie has a particular feeling?”
Shi Feixuan was silent for a moment. She spoke softly, “Do you hear the cicada and the insects calling each other?”
Xu Ziling was slightly startled. He nodded and said, “Now that you remind me, I suddenly realize that we are like in a vast ocean of the cicadas’ song and insects’ cry. The world that their voices make up is ample and full of layered senses, so touchingly beautiful. The strangest thing is that before this, I was completely oblivious of their existence.”
Shi Feixuan cheerfully said, “I am not afraid to tell you that Feixuan really loves chatting with you. Toward this matter, what is Ziling Xiong’s understanding?”
Smiling wryly, Xu Ziling replied, “My understanding is too deep! One more lesson in separation, I might be able to ward it off. Problem is that love is just like a pitfall, once one falls into it, there is great possibility that one would never find a way to crawl out, to have a taste of other touching things outside the trap.”
Shi Feixuan blissfully said, “That comparison is very fitting; whether one can jump out of the trap is purely dependence upon one’s determination and great effort; furthermore, it depends whether you see love as the ultimate goal of life. Everything that happens in the secular world is merely a part of the impermanence of the universe.”
Xu Ziling laughed calmly and said, “If Xiaojie found that you fell into the pitfall of love, and then you were able to get out of the trap, I wonder if you could break and then immediately attain the Jian Xin Tong Ming [sword’s heart brightly lit] realm?”
A hint of gentle and soft smile floated from the corner of Shi Feixuan’s mouth, she rolled her eyes at him in a touching demeanor, as if to say that I knew you would ask this question to me. Casually, she said, “I wonder if Ziling Xiong is still referring to the pure spirit of love between men and women?”
Xu Ziling was very excited, Shi Feixuan’s remark was the same as saying another kind of passionate love between a man and a woman with intimate contact at the same time, which meant that at least she was thinking of that perhaps that possibility existed between the two of them. However, he really did not have any intention of holding her fairy body; therefore, he would never take advantage of the situation to press closely. Smiling, he said, “Of course. I wonder what good advice Xiaojie has?”
‘Pfft!’ for the first time, Shi Feixuan broke into a tender giggle and said, “I am still thinking it over!”
Finished speaking, she gracefully went away.
Kou Zhong arrived at the famous Moon Pool outside Longquan’s eastern gate. It was a natural hot spring pond, where the water was bubbling up from underground. Because the shape of the pond looked like a half-moon, it was called the Moon Pool.
Hot steam was rising into the air, enveloping the forest tree near the lake in water vapor. With the moon casting its light at an angle, it produced some kind of ghostly air that made people shudder, but not from the cold.
Kou Zhong did not believe in ghosts, he simply enjoyed the dreamlike, as if in fantasy – atmosphere and beautiful scenery created by the combination of the hot spring and the moonlight.
In the middle of the pond, bubbles were striving to be first and fearing to be last, rising to the surface of the water, producing gurgling noise. The Moon Pool was only about two zhang wide, the overflowing water formed a hot water stream over the open plain and through the forest, flowing toward Longquan City.
Kou Zhong mused that he must take Xu Ziling some night to come here to soak in the Moon Pool; it must be delightful. Letting his imagination run wild, he wondered how intoxicating it would be if the one accompanying him soaking and taking a bath was the national grace, divine fragrance Shang Xiufang.
Suddenly he sensed something was not right; focusing his eyes to see, he saw a lump of darkish object bobbing up and down among the weeds at the edge of the pond. Kou Zhong shivered inwardly. He stood up and swept across the pond; he landed on the bank closest to the object.
Looking closer, his hair stood on its end. To his shock, it was a floating corpse wearing identical clothes to the fake Laotan he saw earlier that day. Because the body was facing down, he could not see the face.
No matter what, Kou Zhong could not believe that the ‘Dark Qi’ Zhou Laofang, one of the Five Kinds of Demons would be this easy to die, musing that could it be that this guy was faking his death to scheme against me? Laughing aloud, he said, “The water in the pond is so hot, Laoxiong, how long can you endure it?” While at the same time he listened to eight directions, to see if he had fallen into the trap, being surrounded by the enemy.
After waiting a bit longer, he knew something was amiss; suddenly he reached down to grab Zhou Laofang’s belt and lifted him out of the water.
Zhou Laofang rolled on the grassy land by the pond, his face looked up to the sky, his two eyes wide open, he has already breathed his last a while back.
Kou Zhong never thought that such situation would arise; he stared blankly at the dead body without even half a breath of life before his eyes, momentarily his mind was in turmoil.
He quickly took a deep breath to recover, and then after examining the cause of his death, he quickly left.
Xu Ziling let out a secret signal in response. Kou Zhong’s mood immediately turned better. Because Da Ming Zun Jiao was even more terrifying than their initial estimate, knowing that Xu Ziling was ‘still alive’, it could be inferred that the venerable fairy must also be safe and sound.
Kou Zhong pounced into the forest; he entered three more zhang deeper, before leaping up and landed on a horizontal branch of an old tree near the top. Xu Ziling was sitting comfortably on the branch, while Kou Zhong was squatting down nearby. From this angle looking down, the Jingpo Pavilion was standing quietly by the lakeside. All around the insects were buzzing and the cicadas were singing; it was a harmonious, peaceful and quiet moonlit night.
Inside the pavilion, not a soul was in sight.
Casting a glance at Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling was emotionally moved, he said, “Your skill in balance has made great progress. The hardest to come by is that you are squatting like that on a young horizontal branch as thick as a child’s arm more than five zhang above the ground, yet you appear to be as comfortable and natural as squatting on the flat ground.”
Leaning close to his ear, Kou Zhong asked, “Where’s your fairy?”
Smiling ruefully, Xu Ziling said, “The fairy has never been mine, and she will never be mine. As for why she did not appear inside the pavilion, this is called the immortal heart is difficult to fathom. You are asking me, whom should I ask? Do you think we have come in vain?”
Kou Zhong sighed and said, “Zhou Laofang has turned into a floating corpse in the Moon Pool. He was hit on his back by a solid his granny’s palm strike, his heart’s meridians shattered and he breathed his last, even Da Luo Shenxian would find it difficult to make him breathe one more breath.”
“What?” Xu Ziling blurted out.
Kou Zhong smiled and said, “If we think that Zhou Laofang is the real Laotan, we might be burning with rage and immediately go to that mysterious mansion to kill and burn.”
Xu Ziling nodded and said, “Makes sense! This scheme is extremely sinister, both to borrow our knife to kill someone, and also to borrow someone’s knife to kill us.”
Kou Zhong spoke in distress, “The master of that mysterious mansion can’t be a benevolent man or trusted woman, I wonder if anybody can tell me what kind of hallowed figure he is?”
Staring fixedly at the Jingpo Pavilion, Xu Ziling said, “I dare to bet my neck that very soon the fake Laotan is going to appear in the pavilion.”
Kou Zhong said, “This is called heroes usually agree. The floating corpse in the Moon Pool is Zhou Laotan and not Zhou Laofang at all. Ay! Can Zhou Laofang still be considered a human? Even his own twin brother he harmed him mercilessly, although the real Laotan was not any benevolent elder, virtuous old man either.”
Xu Ziling said, “Could it be that because Sha Fang promised to withdraw from the fight over the Sheli, hence Zhou Laotan, husband and wife no longer had any value to them, and thus they might as well destroy another competitor, while at the same time making one move, two gains, to trick us into a battle to seek justice for them?”
Kou Zhong said, “In that case, Da Ming Zun Jiao people might really be unaware that you can tell Zhou Laofang is a fake Laotan. According to this logic, Xu Kaishan must not be a Da Ming Zun Jiao man.”
Knitting his brows, Xu Ziling said, “It’s still very difficult to say. When I saw Xu Kaishan at the Yanshan Winery gate for the first time, I already sensed that he belongs to the ‘Xie Wang’ Shi Zhixuan’s rank. If he is smart and intentionally did not tell Zhou Laofang about this matter, thereby removing our suspicion toward him, it’s not entirely impossible, is it?”
Sucking in a mouthful of cold air, Kou Zhong said, “If he is that smart, then he is really too terrifying.”
“Do you think Sha Fang would intentionally give up the fight over the Sheli to relax Shi Zhixuan and Zhu Yuyan, two sides’ vigilance?” Xu Ziling asked.
Kou Zhong was about to respond, Xu Ziling cried in low voice, “Someone’s coming!”