Chapter 384: Chapter 371: A Flower Petal for You
A flicker of sorrow crossed Shen Lang’s eyes. He said softly, "The Xue Family... a Dark Gold Level Influence from the Piaomiao Domain... When she came looking for me, she came from the direction of the Profound Dao Sect. She must have stopped by here to find me. Didn’t you see her?"
"It was her!" The expressions on the faces of Su Wenxuan and the four Elders were a sight to behold.
’So after all this time, the person who came here and fiercely threatened the Profound Dao Sect’s Elder Ancestor into opening the Sect Protection Array was actually Xue Shiyin, the Elder Ancestor of the Dark Gold Level Influence, the Xue Family?’
’So Shark’s Kiss, the wielder of the Immortal Celestial Saber, isn’t even Shen Lang’s most powerful backer?’
’The Xue Family’s Elder Ancestor personally came all the way to a place like this just to find him?’
’Just what is the relationship between them!’
’The Profound Dao Sect is a Profound Iron Level Influence. The next tier up is Spirit Copper, then Secret Silver, and only above Secret Silver is Dark Gold!’
’This kid is actually connected to a Dark Gold Level Influence? And their connection is so strong that its Elder Ancestor would personally come looking for him?’
In less than half an hour, Su Wenxuan and the four Elders felt as if they were on a small boat tossed about by massive waves, soaring to the crest one moment and plunging into a trough the next.
’Damn, my heart can’t take much more of this...’ the Fifth Elder thought, subconsciously clutching his chest.
Su Wenxuan’s expression changed several times, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
He didn’t dare discuss Xue Shiyin with Shen Lang any further. A behemoth like a Dark Gold Level Influence was simply not something people from the Profound Dao Sect could get involved with. Prying further could easily do more harm than good.
’Who’s to say Xue Shiyin isn’t watching them from just outside the Profound Dao Sect right this very moment?’
’Better to just change the subject.’
Su Wenxuan finally managed to compose himself. "What do you make of the situation with the Beast Emperor Palace?"
"The Beast Emperor Palace is in Yunfeng Country, millions of miles from here. For them to show up at the foot of our mountain, wantonly slaughter our disciples, and even use Insect Techniques to control them... this is definitely not a simple matter," Shen Lang replied.
"I suspect they were looking for something... I originally wanted to leave one or two of them alive, but..."
But there was something strange about the Immortal Celestial Saber. It had fanned the killing intent in his heart, causing him to slaughter every last person from the Beast Emperor Palace who had rushed over.
Shen Lang kept this part to himself. The issue with the Immortal Celestial Saber was something he would have to resolve on his own.
The Fifth Elder spoke up, his voice resonant. "Wenxuan, have the Thunder Guard take the Void Mirror and launch a thorough investigation. I suspect other disciples among us have also been afflicted by those White Jade Insects!"
Su Wenxuan nodded. "I understand."
"Hehe, I don’t know what the Beast Emperor Palace is plotting, but it seems they only just arrived near Shuiyun Stream. Thanks to Shen Lang, their experts have been all but wiped out. They probably won’t be recovering their strength anytime soon. If they dare to invade again, we’ll have no choice but to flatten them!"
Su Wenxuan’s bravado soared, a stark contrast to his earlier composure.
He then turned to Shen Lang. "Shen Lang, focus on your cultivation. The Profound Dao Sect is willing to put its full support behind you and provide you with all the resources you need!"
The four Elders behind him nodded slightly.
"Thank you for your trust, Sect Leader, Elders," Shen Lang said respectfully. "However, the things concerning me are rather sensational. Unless absolutely necessary, it would be best if others didn’t find out..."
"Rest assured!" Su Wenxuan cut in. "We will report these matters to the Elder Ancestor, but no one else—not even the other six Elders of the sect—will know for now."
"As for everyone else, they only know a few details about the Wuling Creek incident from Jie Fengqing. Don’t worry, we’ll help you handle the fallout."
...
Shen Lang, Su Wenxuan, and the Elders talked all night, laying a trap for the Beast Emperor Palace.
By the time he walked out of the Songdu Peak Hall, the sun was already slowly rising.
Wang Dashu and Tian Mohan, who had waited outside the hall all night, had eyes as red as a rabbit’s.
The two of them looked at Shen Lang, but before they could speak, they were called inside by Sect Leader Su Wenxuan.
Shen Lang looked up at the sky. The sun was just rising, and a new day had begun.
’There’s still so much to do...’
The area around Shen Lang’s residence was as lively as ever, but both the courtyard and its surroundings had taken on a completely new look.
The courtyard was simple and unadorned, swept spotlessly clean.
In addition to the original towering, ancient trees, the area was now filled with newly planted flowers and grasses.
To the front-right of the courtyard, right up against the cliff face, a large, man-made lake had been excavated.
A channel had been carved into the cliff face, diverting water from a small waterfall in the distance into the lake. The water then flowed to the edge of the lake closest to the courtyard, where it cascaded downwards.
Ancient vines clung to old trees, a wooden bridge arched over flowing water, and a cobblestone path was laid through the middle. Bamboo pavilions and corridors were interconnected, partially hidden behind a simple brushwood gate.
From inside the stone house, opening the window was like revealing a painting: a view of the cascading waterfall and the bamboo fence surrounded by clusters of flowers. Everything looked artfully arranged, seemingly casual yet possessing a unique charm...
When Shen Lang drew near, at first glance, he thought he had taken the wrong path.
Many of his fellow disciples were still bustling about. Nalan Ziyun was lounging in a rocking chair, one long leg draped over the other. She held a finger-thick bamboo cane, pointing it this way and that as she directed the work.
Not far from her, a figure wrapped in bandages like a mummy sat bolt upright, utterly silent and not daring to even glance in Nalan Ziyun’s direction.
Yan Qi stood beside this mummy, a silly grin on his face as he watched everyone work.
Nalan Ziyun shot a look at Yan Qi, who was just standing there staring into space like a statue. "Yan Qi," she said, clearly annoyed, "you know the saying: ’Idle limbs can’t tell the five grains apart.’ Do you even know what the five grains are?"
With a woeful expression, Yan Qi shook his head. "I don’t know."
"You already can’t tell the grains apart, and you want to keep your limbs idle too? Get to work!" Nalan Ziyun’s bamboo cane sliced through the air, and the sharp WHIP of its passage made Yan Qi jump.
"Oh, okay, okay..." Yan Qi scurried off.
The mummy held back for a while, but finally couldn’t resist asking, "The five grains... what are they?"
The voice belonged to none other than Tian Hao, who was always joined at the hip with Yan Qi!
Nalan Ziyun rolled her eyes. "Duh. If I knew, why would I have asked him?"
Tian Hao: "..."
Just then, Shen Lang approached, his face dark. "What’s with all these flowers and plants? Did you really dig a giant, man-made lake? Are you planning to go swimming?"
Nalan Ziyun’s face broke into a radiant smile. "Green are your pendants, my love, long have I been thinking of you. Though I did not go to you, why did you not come to me?"
Shen Lang took a deep breath. "In plain language, please..."
"Damn it! If I don’t come looking for you, you bastard won’t even think to come look for me? I knew it! You sent me up the mountain first because you wanted to get rid of me. You’ve got your eye on some other woman, don’t you? You wanted me out of the way so you could make your move!"
Nalan Ziyun leaped to her feet, gritting her teeth. She swung the bamboo cane, which happened to smack the nearby Tian Hao.
Even though he was wrapped in thick layers of bandages, Tian Hao nearly howled in pain from the blow.
"This is your business, so why am I the one getting hit?" Tears welled in Tian Hao’s eyes as he desperately tried to signal Yan Qi in the distance, hoping his friend would carry him away.
When Yan Qi saw Tian Hao blinking repeatedly, he flashed a Mona Lisa-esque smile and winked back, as if to say he understood completely. ’I get it,’ he thought. ’Those two definitely have a thing going on!’
’Damn it, we’re on completely different wavelengths...’ Tian Hao was so furious he nearly passed out.
With a weary look on his face, Shen Lang sank into the rocking chair Nalan Ziyun had just vacated. He caught his breath and said, "What is all this nonsense... You didn’t plant all these flowers because you’re planning on moving in, did you?"
"Well... I just came over to see you, but then I saw how big your house is. So many rooms! It would be a waste not to stay."
"..."
"Besides, I need to cultivate too. Staying on Purple Stream Peak is so inconvenient." Only Shen Lang understood this sentence; Nalan Ziyun was talking about entering the Heaven-Sealing Cauldron to cultivate next to the Water Spirit Pearl.
Nalan Ziyun continued, "Plus, I can keep an eye on you. See what you get up to when I’m not around? You even got yourself accused of attempted rape... Tell me, what happened? How did that even happen?"
"..." Shen Lang simply closed his eyes.
Nalan Ziyun wouldn’t let up. "Don’t think you can get away with this just by closing your eyes and staying silent. Spit it out. Why was it only an *attempt*? With your skills, how could you fail at something so simple? What a disgrace!"
"..." Tian Hao and Yan Qi finally felt like they had found a kindred spirit.
’This woman is even weirder than we are!’ they thought.
"Hahahaha! Look at the looks on your faces! You bunch of morons, can’t you even understand a little humor?" Nalan Ziyun roared with laughter.
She was the only one laughing. Everyone else just stared, dumbfounded.
"Ahem. Anyway, don’t even think about getting rid of me," Nalan Ziyun said with a shrug. "So what happened? You look exhausted. You just lie back, I’ll go make you some soup."
And Nalan Ziyun actually got busy. Shen Lang, for a change, didn’t go off to his cultivation. Instead, he closed his eyes, looking as if he had fallen asleep.
The faces of Xue Dangdang and Xue Shiyin intertwined and shifted in Shen Lang’s mind...
One with a clear gaze and a radiant, innocent smile;
The other with deep, sorrowful eyes, a single tear tracing a path down her world-weary face.
Shen Lang opened his eyes and watched the clouds drift across the sky.
He opened his palm. A single, small petal lay there. It was pink, crystal-clear, and shimmered with a dazzling light.
"What’s this?" Nalan Ziyun walked over to Shen Lang and slowly squatted down.
With a woman’s intuition, she had noticed the shift in his mood.
"A gift from a friend..." Shen Lang murmured, his voice like a whisper in a dream.
This was the petal Xue Shiyin had given him when she sent him off the mountain peak, an Imperial Artifact more powerful than the Limb Order and the Immortal Celestial Saber.
But as he caressed the petal, Shen Lang subconsciously thought of it only as a flower petal, unwilling to see it as an Imperial Artifact.
For once, Nalan Ziyun didn’t get angry or tease him. She just looked at him with a pang of sympathy. "Drink your soup first," she said softly. "Try not to dwell on whatever’s making you sad."
Shen Lang looked at Nalan Ziyun. Seeing her smiling at him, his spirits lifted considerably.
He took Nalan Ziyun’s hand, and as her face turned bright red, he placed the petal in her palm.
"It’s for you..."
