Chapter 1451 - 785: The Real Deal (Double Length) (Part 2)

"Pretending to be mystical!" Liu Laosan shouted fiercely, suppressing the chill in his heart, knowing that retreating now would lead to certain death.

Greed and the desire to survive transformed into a brutal ferocity; he wielded his family's saber technique with impeccable defense, the saber light flashing as he engaged in battle with several dark figures.

For a moment, the clashing sounds of metal rang out before the Dragon-breaking Stone, mixed with cries, screams, and dull thuds. The fog was stirred by the powerful gusts, swirling more violently, with shadows flashing intermittently, adding an even more eerie atmosphere.

The more Liu Laosan fought, the more alarmed he became. The moves of these shadows weren't particularly exquisite, but their strength was immense, their bodies sturdy, coupled with intelligence, making their tactics seasoned and more troublesome than those of typical Jianghu experts, unlike mindless ghosts or demons.

The veins on Liu Laosan's forehead bulged as he braced for a blow of palm wind. His viscera shook as he suddenly closed in on a shadow, his left hand stretching out like an eagle's claw, firmly gripping the opponent's throat, while his right hand swiftly sliced with the steel saber.

A crisp sound of bone cracking echoed, and the shadow's movements finally halted.

Panting like a bull, Liu Laosan threw the shadow to the ground, stumbling backward a few steps before barely steadying himself by leaning on his saber.

He felt like his entire body was falling apart, his inner breath tumultuous, and his throat with a coppery taste; the fierce battle earlier had nearly exhausted him, sustained only by the determination, "I cannot die here; the treasure hasn't been attained yet."

At this moment, whether due to the battle stirring the airflow or some change in the mountain fog itself, the previously impenetrable fog slightly thinned and dispersed.

A faint light, coming from who knows where, illuminated the blood-stained ground before the Dragon-breaking Stone.

Breathing heavily, Liu Laosan instinctively looked down at the shadow he had killed.

At this sight, his entire body suddenly froze.

What kind of ghost or demon was this?

On the ground lay none other than Cui Tu, one of the "Longxi Double Killers," with eyes wide open and a deep cut on his throat, courtesy of Liu Laosan!

"Cui… Cui Laoer?!"

He raised his head abruptly, scanning his surroundings as the fog partially dispersed, clearing his view considerably.

Before the Dragon-breaking Stone, only three or four persons remained standing, with bodies strewn about, apart from the earlier fire fight casualties, five or six more bodies had been added, unmistakably his own allies by their attire and build…

Outside the dense fog, at a slightly distant height, Chen Yi and his companions witnessed the entire scene.

Donggong Ruoshu covered her mouth, her eyes wide open: "So… they were fighting their own people?… How could they fight their own people? And kill so many?"

Beside her, Yin Weiyin seemed a bit flustered, as the dense fog muddled people's minds. At that moment, she too saw a group of shadows attacking the Jianghu guests; then, in a blink, felt something amiss, silently reciting a spell to discern the truth.

To reach such a depth, clearly the Mountain God was quite powerful, she even felt a strong urge to turn back and return to the carriage.

Not out of fear for her life.

But out of fear of accidentally hitting Chen Yi beside her…

He was so vindictive that even if it wasn't intentional, she would suffer the consequences.

However, with the stupid girl present, it was hard to show weakness. Yin Weiyin suppressed her feelings, slightly shook her head, and said: "Blinded by greed, the three poisons of desire, anger, and ignorance are burning fiercely, their minds have long been obscured by illusions. This mountain fog is unusual; those with weak will or agitated spirit fall deeply into confusion, experiencing sensory chaos and illusions, perceiving companions as enemies or ghosts. It's not surprising.

Moreover, they each harbored hidden motives and murderous instincts; the fog merely magnified and accelerated these feelings."

Donggong Ruoshu suddenly understood, although not entirely comprehending, at least she had an explanation.

Yin Weiyin coughed lightly, feigning calmness, and said, "Given this, there's no point in staying here. Let's go."

Chen Yi remained silent, just watching the few who survived by luck yet were on the verge of collapse, then gazed at the forbidding Dragon-breaking Stone, his eyes filled with thought.

Was he pondering who was behind all this?

Yin Weiyin speculated inwardly, having spent time together for long, though not as perceptive as the Little Fox's Heavenly Ear, she occasionally could guess his thoughts.

And following this line of thought, indeed, the Jin Family's treasure rumor had persisted for years, yet only now has it attracted so many Jianghu guests for an event even stirring the Mountain God.

Yin Weiyin started contemplating too.

The fog seemed to thicken again.

Noticing this, Yin Weiyin swallowed, fearing unintended consequences should something go wrong, risking destruction, turning her solution back to Chrysanthemum Tea...

Thankfully, Chen Yi didn't seem eager to linger, saying, "Let's go."

Miss Donggong was a bit hesitant, she didn't want to leave just like that. She had indeed just had a nightmare; in the dream, a deer was shouting and calling, its voice was very mournful and panicked.

Chen Yi said to leave, and he really turned around, stepping in the direction from whence they came.

Yin Weiyin breathed a sigh of relief, following closely behind, she kept an eye on her steps while her mind hadn't fully returned, still involuntarily thinking about matters in the mountains.

As she pondered, she also heard hesitant footsteps behind her and the chirping voice of Donggong Ruoshu:

"Hey...are we, are we really leaving now? That...that Emperor's treasure, aren't we going to take a look? Perhaps...perhaps there's something truly amazing in there? The Spirit Deer is leading the way! Sounds so interesting!"

Donggong Ruoshu jogged a few steps to catch up to them.

"Do you think the Emperor really achieved enlightenment inside? Would he leave behind a relic like a Monk? Are relics very valuable? Oh no, people who renounce the world don't talk about money... then, are there any formidable secret martial arts manuals?"

She asked one question after another, Yin Weiyin couldn't help but slightly furrow her brow, while Chen Yi walked and responded slowly.

Yin Weiyin was still pondering, unwilling to pay her any attention, so only Chen Yi had the patience to provide answers.

The three gradually distanced themselves from the place of trouble amidst their back-and-forth questioning. The thick mist seemed to sensibly no longer cling persistently, drifting and rolling gently.

Donggong Ruoshu's questions gradually reduced, probably having asked all she could think of, yet she was still unwilling, turning back to look at the depths of the forest.

The three gradually moved out of the densest mist area, though there was still thin mist lingering around, visibility improved significantly, at least to ascertain the contours of trees and rocks several yards away.

It seemed as if intentionally sending them away.

Perceiving this, Yin Weiyin suddenly gained a slight understanding.

Jianghu guests gathered by chance, the path sealed by mountains, suddenly noisy ancient rumors, cliff carvings and Dragon-breaking stone, Mountain God's rage, timely outbreaks of internal strife and slaughter, mind-bewildering dense mist... These clues scattered like pearls, connected one by one in her mind.

So that's how it is...

She suddenly had a flash of insight.

Then slowly curled her lips.

The truth among them, not even the stupid girl, nor Chen Yi probably understood.

The familiar silhouette of a carriage could be faintly seen amidst trees, a Paper Maid stood silently beside the carriage, as if she'd never moved.

Donggong Ruoshu jumped onto the carriage step but didn't immediately enter the cabin, her brows slightly furrowed for once as she looked at the forest behind her, muttering softly:

"I still feel... a bit odd."

Her words were disjointed, like talking to herself, or like pent-up doubts finally leaking out.

Yin Weiyin, immersed in her own deductions, felt rather subtle at this point. Hearing this, her steps slightly paused, turning her head to look at Donggong Ruoshu, speaking calmly:

"Oh? What do you find strange?"

Donggong Ruoshu scratched her head, trying hard to organize her words, "It's... that dream, right? Didn't I say I had a dream? I... I dreamt of a deer, a very beautiful white deer, but it looked very scared, almost like crying, running constantly in the woods, as if chased by something very frightening behind... But what does it have to do with these Jianghu people? They talked and disputed, weren't those about the Emperor's treasure?"

"Your feeling is not wrong. The crux of this matter isn't about any Jin Family hidden treasure."

Yin Weiyin paused a little, managed her sleeve slightly, and slowly said:

"The rumors suddenly became rampant, attracting many Jianghu guests, and yet they really found cliff carvings and Dragon-breaking stone, then to mountain upheaval and mind-ensnaring mist... It seems none of these were coincidences, but rather someone carefully designed a trap.

A... immortal's conspiracy."

"Immortal?"

Donggong Ruoshu widened her eyes, opened her mouth, intending to ask further.

But then Yin Weiyin said, "Come out now, we've covered this far, why bother hiding."

With Yin Weiyin's voice falling, a genteel man emerged from the woods, unexpectedly it was the coerced guide, the scholarly teacher, now wearing a coarse cloth scholar robe seeming somewhat like wide sleeves in the mist,

"Friend, you misspoke. The treasure is real, the cultivation technique is real, even human greed... is real.

Real things can't deceive."