This is a completely different scene from the desert.
The three of them seemed to be in a courtyard. The walls were as white as clouds in the clear sky, spotless, as if they had just been painted. The courtyard is well laid out, with rocks, water, flowers and trees. The flowers are either exotic varieties or common peonies, gorse, peonies, etc., all in a variety of colors. Regardless of whether it should be opened in this season or not, it is rare to see such a special scenery in the desert. It should even be said... is this still the same desert as before?
Someone was watering the flowers not far away.
Han Chang held his breath, and every step was so light and silent. The other two people stood still for the time being, and he slowly moved forward alone. The person watering the flowers has long, shiny black hair, as smooth as a black cat's fur. At first glance, the figure from the back looks like that of a woman, but if you get closer, you will find that he is actually very tall, with wider shoulders, and is clearly of a male figure.
Although Han Chang's footsteps were so light that they could be ignored, the man still turned around quickly and was not surprised at all when he saw him. It was as if he was expecting it, and he still held the kettle in his hand steadily. He is indeed a handsome young man, with a heroic look on his brows and a somewhat humble smile. His long coat is black, with turned-out collar, tied sleeves, and waistband, creating a solid frame. There are some golden smiles embroidered on it, making the overall look less gloomy.
His hair is very long on one side, almost completely covering his right eye.
Now that Han Chang has been noticed by him, the two people behind him also stepped forward to salute. Han Chang opened his mouth, a little at a loss, but he clearly wanted to say something or ask something. Before he could speak, the man spoke first. He put down the kettle and asked:
"Who are you looking for?"
"Uh, I, let's find, Lord Baiskeleton..."
"What do you want to say?"
"I want to know the whereabouts of a monster."
"A monster?"
"Yes...a monster."
The man looked him up and down, then turned his head and glanced at the two people behind him. His eyes lingered on the sword that had just been withdrawn from Xie Zhe's waist for a while. He turned his head again, looked at the surrounding environment, and then said:
"Since you have appeared from here, maybe someone has given you some advice. Since you are distinguished guests from the Six Paths of Impermanence, Shi should treat you well."
"Are you the Master of the Hundred Skeletons?" Xie Zhe blurted out.
"Why, doesn't it look like it?"
With a smile on his face, the Master of Hundred Bones closed the fan that appeared in his hand at some point and clapped it on the palm of his other hand. He moved the fan handle away, gestured to the side, and said:
"please."
The three of them were still in a daze, and unknowingly they had followed Shi Wuqi on to the boat outside the courtyard. There are no streets outside this courtyard, only narrow paths leading down to the waterway with stairs. The wide water surface is the street here, extending in all directions and pervasive. Shi Wuqi was holding the boat, and it seemed like it could go very fast without much effort. There are buildings of different heights on both sides of the waterway, all with white walls and black tiles. It's like admiring a long ink painting along the way.
It is very quiet here, there is no one around, it can be called a ghost town - well, maybe not that big, just a town. But the town stretches on almost infinitely, until far into the distance it is a vague shape with vague edges and corners, and no one knows where it ends. This makes this place seem a bit weird. In such a large place, there is not a single living person except its owner. When it comes to the breath of life, they are not sure. There seemed to be people moving around here, such as farm tools, clothes drying racks, and fresh flowers being taken care of, but it didn't seem rich enough, and it looked as stiff as a painting. After all, there is really no sign of life here.
But Xie Zhe felt strange and couldn't explain it. Even in such a deserted place, he felt as if something was lurking in the dark, watching them quietly, and there was more than one. Although it was a bit absurd, and there was no trace to prove this idea, he still had such a weird feeling. Maybe this is... the so-called extreme things must be reversed, right? He glanced at the people traveling with him. Han Sheng's focus had never been on the scenery, and Ye Lingyu was even more unaware.
On the way, Ling Huan asked: "How...how did you know that we would appear there?"
"Water the flowers, just a coincidence."
Ye Lingquan glanced at Xie Zhehan, who was still confused, and then asked: "Then, how do you know that we came here through the recommendation of the Six Paths of Impermanence?"
"There are many roads leading to the Eclipse Palace. Each place can be reached from different places and in different ways. No matter who appears from somewhere here, I know where you are coming from."
As he said that, the boat passed the double ques on both sides of the strait. These two towers are very large, and their bases, tower bodies, and roofs are all very elegant and magnificent. They suddenly remembered that they had also experienced such a pair of double ques when they walked out of the courtyard, but they were much smaller. Could it be that every double palace is an entrance? Just sitting on the boat, you can see there are several such buildings along the way.
"So that's it... We were still in the desert at the beginning, and the mirage suddenly became real, like a dream. How did you achieve such a superb illusion?"
Shi Wuqi turned back from the left, glanced at Ling Huan, smiled, and said:
"You'll find out soon."
He stopped the boat and led several people ashore. The buildings are all in the same style, so they can't even tell there's anything different here. After passing through the long corridor, the four of them walked into a small building and came to the living room. They walked around a screen and Shi Wuqi invited them to take a seat. The air was filled with the fragrant smell, which actually came from the brewed tea on the small table. The tea was still steaming, and there were small flowers floating in it. I didn't know what they were, but the aroma was refreshing. But there didn't seem to be any trace of anyone coming here. Shi Wuqi had been with them before and didn't seem to be in contact with anyone. So who prepares these drinks? Could it be that this is also some kind of magic he has? This is even more amazing than Gaoyue-kun pouring tea with a spiritual butterfly.
Shi Wuqi sat behind a long table, covered with a cloth. The table looked like one of those storyteller podiums in a theatre, with some clutter on it. Most seemed to be fragments of minerals, some they couldn't name. Xie Zhe looked at the moved screen. The cabinets and shelves nearby were also filled with rare objects for decoration, mostly minerals. There is no way to know their prices, but both of them look decent and have a unique style.
There was also a small silver incense burner on the table, emitting fine white smoke that melted into the air. Could it be that the sweet fragrance they smelled came not from the tea, but from the stove? But Ling Huan took a sip of tea and felt it was sweet. It seemed that the smell he smelled was right.
"Is that... one of the seven magical weapons?"
"Oh? This young master is really discerning." Shi Wuqi patted the incense burner gently, as if introducing his proud child, "To be honest, the entire eclipse building is built on water, including waterways. The light tower is just an illusion of this platinum and silver incense burner."
"Hiding the residence in a place like this... is really ingenious."
"It was indeed placed in the real world before, but I like it here more now. Think about it, the poor people who have the ability to come here to entrust me must have encountered difficulties that they can't do anything about. Shi Mou also has What’s the reason not to lend a helping hand?”
Han Chang smiled bitterly and said: "If you say this, it seems that our efforts are a bit ordinary."
"No, as the saying goes, all comers are guests. Since you are all sitting here, why not tell me your request first. If I read it right, among the three of you, only Brother Fox is a real monster. Rules ...you should know, right?"
"We all know that I am the only one who needs help from you. I am ashamed to say that ever since I met these two companions, I have always been spotted by all kinds of people. As a result, I have always questioned my own behavior. Have you slacked off in your form skills?"
"You're joking. It's just luck. I always meet some powerful characters."
When talking to the Hundred Skeleton Master, I feel more relaxed than in the Death Shadow Pavilion. Regardless of the differences between the two owners, it is just a change in environment. People with experience will naturally prefer the latter. Although the courtesy is similar, the humanistic style is still more cordial.
Hanshang quickly introduced himself to his family, and also introduced his two human friends. He summarized his purpose of coming in a familiar manner, and also mentioned Satsuki-kun who recommended him to come here and Mutsuki-kun who led the way. Shi Wuqi listened patiently, occasionally tinkering with the bits and pieces in front of him. After Han Chang finished speaking, he stopped polishing a piece of jade in his hand.
"In other words, you want to know about your junior brother Zhongli Wenjiu?"
"Exactly."
"Um……"
Shi Wuqi pondered for a while, then raised the half-polished blue stone and looked at it with one eye, not knowing what he was thinking. After a while, he put down what he was holding and took a deep breath.
"I have indeed heard about this person. I learned from the visiting monsters that this person is quite famous in the monster world. Just talking about where he is now...I am afraid I will disappoint you. It is not too much. That’s a lot of news. But there’s something that might be helpful to you. I’ll get it for you.”
After that, he stood up and walked towards the screen behind him. There was another room there, and the three people at the table heard some rummaging sounds coming from inside. Soon, Shi Wuqi reappeared with something else in his hand. It was a short sword, and the scabbard was polished with some kind of black ore, inlaid with golden edges and patterns. He came over, held it in one hand, and handed it to Han Shang. Han Chang stood up in advance and took it with both hands, held it in his hands, and looked at it carefully for a while.
"I just thought that maybe this sword flowed into the Eclipse Palace just for me to give it to you in the first place."
The Master of Hundred Bones said so.
