Xing Zhi Zhenren!
Standing in front of the ancient stone gate, Ji Ping'an stared at this line of text, with a storm in his mind.
"Senior brother...Senior brother have been here before?"
At this moment, Ji Ping'an's pupils shrank and he was shocked.
Jiuzhou is so vast that there is not only one person with the Taoist name "Xingzhi", but the familiar handwriting on the stone gate clearly told him that this was indeed the handiwork of Senior Brother Liyang, the head of the "Shoushan Sect".
In other words, the history of this cave can be traced back at least five hundred years ago.
"Is it related to what happened in Qixia Town? Before or after that?"
After Ji Ping'an was briefly surprised, he quickly realized the key issue:
Xingyue Cave and Qixia Town are located in the same Sanhuang County, and both have traces of their senior brothers' passing.
This is no coincidence.
Whether Master Xingzhi came here first and then went to Qixia Town, or vice versa, represents a completely different meaning.
At this moment, Ji Ping'an had a strong urge to summon "Huang Ying" for questioning, but he resisted.
"Xingzhi Zhenren!"
While his mind was spinning, Wei Huayang, who was next to him, also noticed this small line of characters, and the first-generation headmaster's face changed visibly.
Ji Ping's curious appearance:
"Do you know Master Xingzhi? I have read in a book that in the past when the human and demon clans were competing against each other, the last head of the Shoushan Sword Sect seemed to have this name."
Knock it down!
When Wei Huayang was questioned, he ignored Ji Ping'an's abnormality just now, hesitated for a moment, nodded and said:
"I'm not familiar with him, but I've met him once."
As a disciple of the "Beixi Sect", it is normal for him to overlap with the era of Master Xingzhi.
She frowned:
"But why is the name of Master Xingzhi left here? Is it a forgery? Or did he really come here back then?"
Xingyue Cave... Headmaster Huayang tried his best to recall this name, but there was no answer.
This made her curious.
Ji Ping'an exhaled, raised his hand to take back the paper crane hovering in the air, and said:
"It seems that the reason why the paper crane deviated from the direction of Yuhang is that it was attracted by this place. Let's go in and have a look."
He didn't think that Qin Tianjian would be able to get here in advance, but if he noticed it in advance, it was possible that he would have this kind of experience when he returned to Yuhang.
Moreover, the revelation he received from his own horoscope also clearly mentioned:
This trip will bring rewards and opportunities.
Could it be that it should be here?
Wei Huayang pursed his lips, raised his hand and pushed the brim of his hat away, thinking the same thing:
Could it be that the fortune teller mentioned that the opportunity for my trip should be here?
The two people, who had the same idea, tacitly pressed their hands on the left and right sides of the two stone doors and pushed hard.
"Zazaza——"
A gap opened in the center of the stone door, and smoke and dust fell. The light from the outside entered this cave that had been sealed in dust for hundreds of years, and what came into view was a corridor.
The two looked at each other and stepped in side by side. The ground was covered with thick dust, but the air was surprisingly fresh.
Soon, when the two of them walked through the corridor, a circular hall came into view in front of them, and they finally understood the reason why the air does not rot:
In the center of the carved stone cave, above the dome, there is a round hole leading to the outside world. Sunlight shines down from it, and dust floats in the golden beam.
And in the middle of the beam, which is also the center of the hall, is a huge stone platform, with a statue about seven or eight meters high standing on it!
It was a statue of a Taoist, wearing an ancient Taoist robe with layers of skirts like cloud patterns.
Wearing a high crown on his head, his eyebrows are square and deep, he holds a whisk in his right hand, the stone whisk is placed on the other arm, and his left hand holds a stone scroll.
This image is familiar to both of them.
"Tao Zun!"
Ji Ping'an and Wei Huayang read the name in unison.
Yes... the whisk in the right hand and the "Tao Jing" in the left hand. This is the classic image of one of the saints recorded in ancient murals, the ancient strong man who opened up the path to Taoism, and the Taoist Master.
"This is not a Taoist temple, why is there a statue of a Taoist priest?" Wei Huayang expressed confusion.
Ji Ping'an shook his head and said:
"Perhaps it was carved by the master of Xingyue Cave. I have read in a book that in ancient times, there was a popular method of visualizing saints and trying to communicate with heaven and earth. Maybe this stone sculpture is for visualization."
Who could imagine such a big... large figure... Wei Huayang complained, but did not refute.
The two looked at each other, and immediately went around the stone sculpture to carefully inspect it several times, confirming that it was indeed just an ordinary stone sculpture, nothing special, and it could not form a formation.
Feeling disappointed.
"There are no worship incense near the stone platform, which means that at least it is not for worship." Ji Ping'an pondered for a moment, turned to look around the hall, and said:
"Look over there."
There are "rooms" carved out on the stone walls around the hall, but it is difficult to see clearly because of the dim light.
Wei Huayang nodded, looked around, bent down and pulled out an old torch from a pile of scattered stones on the ground, and lit it with sword fire.
Tsk - the flames light up the surroundings.
The orange-red light spread out around the two of them, and the darkness ebbed like a tide.
The two walked into the first "room" and found that it was a living room with a stone bed, a stone table, and some wooden utensils, which were quite simple and covered with dust.
Ji Ping'an shattered into ashes as soon as he touched it.
Wei Huayang pinched his nose and rummaged through the ash-like garbage on the ground, but found nothing of value.
The two walked into the second room and found that it was a training room with only a tattered futon and a few bundles of rotten bamboo slips on the floor.
Ji Pingan picked it up carefully and could barely make out some scattered words:
"It is a text from the early Daqian Dynasty, and it may have been written a thousand years ago."
Wei Huayang said doubtfully:
"Master Xingzhi said he was 'going here for a visit', which means this is not the cave he dug. In addition to these ancient bamboo slips, could it be said that the Xingyue Cave was built by Qi practitioners thousands of years ago? Someone once visited Practice here?"
Ji Pingan nodded:
"It's very possible. Therefore, Master Xingzhi came here for some reason. And when he arrived, the owner of this cave was probably dead or left. Otherwise, if the owner was still there, he wouldn't let Xingzhi go. Leave a message on the door.”
Wei Huayang pursed his lips and agreed with this guess.
The two continued to walk to the third room and found that it was an alchemy room, in which a bronze alchemy furnace was left.
But from the current perspective, it is really not a good thing. There is a thick layer of ash accumulated at the bottom of the alchemy furnace, which has become as hard as stone.
Ji Ping'an took out three or five "elixirs" from his middle sword, sniffed them, and found that they had already lost their potency.
The fourth room is a herbal medicine shop, which contains some long-rotted herbs and even animal bones.
The fifth room is a dry pool, which should be a hot spring, but the spring has long dried up...
The two walked around the cave holding torches.
Gradually, I pieced together a boring picture in my mind of an ancient Qi practitioner who dug a cave in this deep mountain thousands of years ago, collected medicine in the mountains, refined elixirs in his room, and carved and visualized statues of Taoist statues.
"It seems that there is nothing here, or in other words, if there is something left behind, it was taken away by Master Xingzhi."
After viewing the last "room", the two people who found nothing returned to the center of the hall and sat cross-legged in front of the Taoist statue.
When Wei Huayang said these words, he threw the burned out torch on the ground, making a "bang bang" sound. The flame went out, leaving only a wisp of black smoke.
Ji Ping'an was silent for a moment and suddenly asked:
"How much do you know about Dao Zun?"
Wei Huayang was stunned for a moment and looked at him warily:
"Why do you ask about this?"
Ji Ping'an smiled and said:
"Just brainstorming, I always feel that fate will lead me here, and I won't get nothing."
Wei Huayang pursed his lips, thought for a while, and said:
"I don't know much about it. We... the Beixi Sect are always shrouded in wind and snow, and the news is always blocked. If I have to tell... there is probably only one legend worth mentioning."
"oh?"
"In the Beixi Sect... there is a story passed down by word of mouth. A long time ago, the founder of the Beixi Sect went deep into the north to practice hard. As a result, after entering the black forest, he met a Taoist by chance, who once asked for help. Drink a bowl of hot soup and claim to be in the north to meet a friend...
The founder of the Beixi Sect was curious. After the Taoist said goodbye, he quietly followed him to find out. However, no matter how hard he tried to catch up, he kept getting further and further away from the Taoist. The last scene he saw was the Taoist walking on a field. Lake, and there is a figure waiting on the lake.
He wanted to look again, but his eyes went dark. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in his tent, as if nothing had happened. "
Wei Huayang hesitated and said:
"Later, when the founder of the Beixi Sect returned, he drew the Taoist's appearance. Later, when the sect interacted with the Central Plains, it was discovered that the Taoist was quite similar to the legendary Taoist Master who had died long ago."
These words were not made up, Wei Huayang indeed learned them from the powerful people of the Beixi Sect in the past years.
Ji Ping'an was stunned for a moment, he didn't know this legend.
After all, the founder of the Beixi Sect lived much earlier than him, and the sect was isolated from the rest of the world.
If a normal person hears this story suddenly, he will probably not believe it and feel that it is either a fabrication or a mistake.
But Ji Ping'an felt that it was true.
...If it is true, then the time when Dao Zun finally appeared in the world has been moved back. How many years did he live? What kind of person is the "friend" that he can let him meet in person?
In the Xingyue Cave, the brilliant beams of light overhead hit the stone statues diagonally, and the atmosphere was extremely quiet.
Wei Huayang pursed his red lips and looked at the little Xingguan who was frowning and thinking, and suddenly found that this "junior" turned out to be a little cute when he was thinking seriously.
It's also a bit...familiar.
However, it was clearly the first time I saw him, so why did the feeling of familiarity in my heart keep getting stronger as I walked along? Yes, maybe it's because of tacit understanding.
This is true whether it is when fighting the enemy or the pace of walking.
Sometimes, the relationship between people is very strange.
Perhaps two strangers who have never met before meet for the first time, somehow there is no barrier or strangeness, as if they can smell each other's similar scents and get together naturally.
Even if we are in the same room without saying a word, it will not be awkward.
According to Buddhism, it is the word "fate".
Wei Huayang has always disliked those great monks.
Especially after she heard about the scandal between the vixen named Liuli and Li Yang, she disliked her even more.
But even so, she had to admit that this feeling was a bit strange.
...No, wake up, Huayang, Huayang, don't be fooled by this little star official's hypocritical appearance... The man's mouth is a liar... Have you forgotten what Li Yang told you so many times?
Wei Huayang suddenly pulled back his wandering thoughts, thinking about the word "Li Yang", and his eyes gradually became firm.
Especially when I think of not long ago, in order to escape from the sea of clouds, I was forced to stick to the man in front of me...
Although it was not what she wanted, it was not good after all.
If he had not relied on this person to solve the plague of poisonous insects and contact Xin Yaoguang, Wei Huayang would have even had the urge to cross the river and demolish the bridge and kill the scumbag in front of him.
After all, Headmaster Huayang was never a good person.
However, just as the heroine in red dress was running through various thoughts in her little head, Ji Pingan suddenly said:
"Something's still wrong."
"Ah?" Wei Huayang was stunned for a moment and looked at him blankly.
Ji Ping'an suddenly raised his head, looked at the huge statue, and said:
"There is no reason why Paper Crane would bring us to a worthless cave...and don't you think this statue is too inexplicable?"
He stood up, his whole body bathed in golden light, and his pupils seemed to have flames burning.
The next second, he suddenly bent his knees, jumped up, and landed on the Taoist's arm above the statue.
Wei Huayang's face sank: "You are so disrespectful..."
As the leader of the Taoist sect, she considers herself to be the orthodox lineage of Dao Zun. In other words, in a sense, Dao Zun is the "ancestor" of Wei Huayang.
Nowadays, it is inevitable to be displeased to see someone playing with the statue of the founder like this.
However, Ji Ping'an ignored her. Instead, he fumbled for a moment and suddenly reached out to pull the "Tao Jing" book on the left hand of the statue.
First it was stagnant, and then the heavenly book that should have been integrated into one piece actually "clicked" and was "rotated"!
At the same time, on the dark stone base below the statue, there was a sudden friction sound of the stone door opening. Wei Huayang's pupils shrank suddenly and he subconsciously drew his sword in front of him.
Smoke and dust fell, and the stone in the center of the base suddenly protruded, and then separated in an interlocking manner, and a deep and dark passage emerged.
At the same time, some fixed lighting fluorites on both sides of the passage lit up, emitting a faint light.
"found it!"
Ji Ping'an raised his eyebrows with joy, jumped up, and slowly stood on the ground like a fallen leaf, secretly thinking that this was indeed the case.
Just now, he suddenly thought of the way to open the underground palace in Qixia Town. There was also a stone turtle sculpture, and there was also a hidden passage behind a wall.
So, I tried to find the mechanism, and I succeeded.
How to say? It can only be said that the monks of that era lacked imagination when it came to hiding secret passages. Just like many people set passwords, which were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7... or with an initial in front of it...
Don’t crack it too easily!
"How did you find out?" Wei Huayang's eyes widened.
Ji Ping'an smiled and said:
"intuition."
Then without waiting for the lady in the red dress to answer, she took the lead and walked down the stairs.
The space under the stone platform was not large. When the two of them walked down the steps, they saw a "room" that was almost the same as the one above.
In this room, apart from the inlaid lighting fluorite, there is only a sarcophagus.
"Coffin? Is it the tomb of the Qi practitioner?"
Wei Huayang's thin eyebrows were raised, with an eager look on his face.
How did I know... Ji Ping'an breathed out, and after confirming that there was no danger around him, he walked to the sarcophagus, looked at Wei Huayang standing opposite, and said:
"You'll know if you open it and take a look."
"It makes sense." Wei Huayang's eyes showed anticipation and he resisted the urge to rub his hands.
The two looked at each other, and in tacit agreement, they pressed their hands on the sarcophagus.
Sudden exertion.
"Zazaza——"
The heavy coffin lid was pushed open little by little without any pressure, and finally it was lifted violently and fell to the ground with a "bang".
The two of them also saw clearly what was going on in the sarcophagus:
I saw a skeleton lying flat in the simple sarcophagus. It was already dead. It was of medium build and could not be identified as male or female. The rotting robes on its body could vaguely see the service style of the ancients thousands of years ago.
Its bones are dark, but they have not been shattered after thousands of years, indicating that it is not an ordinary person.
If nothing unexpected happens, he is probably the owner of this cave.
The bones were placed in a slightly messy position, as if they had been moved out and put back together again.
And at the edge of the corpse, there were actually golden bamboos placed. The bamboo joints and leaves seemed to be made of gold, which was extremely magical.
But as the coffin was opened, the golden color of the bamboo faded away between breaths.
It's like an oil painting reduced to a black and white sketch.
While the two of them were stunned, their remaining lives expired, and they shattered with a "click" and turned into powder.
"this……"
The man and woman who opened the coffin looked at each other in confusion, their cheeks twitching at the same time, giving rise to a strong sense of physical pain.
But soon, the two adjusted their emotions, looked at each other, and suddenly accelerated their movements to search the coffin.
The skeleton that had been forcibly pieced together suddenly fell apart again.
"There are words here!"
Wei Huayang said suddenly.
Ji Ping'an also noticed that there was a line of strange symbols engraved on the bottom of the sarcophagus. They were not words, but they revealed a mysterious and ancient meaning.
"What is this?" Wei Huayang was confused.
However, Ji Ping'an's heart suddenly moved. He also didn't recognize these symbols, but they looked familiar.
It was strikingly similar to the symbols written on the golden bamboo slips that the sword attendant had described to him under the Qixia Town Underground Palace!
And it is similar to the patterns on the "Starry Sky Fragments", and is suspected to have some connection.
Almost subconsciously, he remembered these symbols in his heart, and tried to combine them with the ones he had obtained before, and then connected them with the starry sky fragments. Suddenly, an idea seemed to appear in his mind.
Ji Ping'an was in a trance, as if he had caught a spiritual light, but he missed it just a little bit and could not completely grasp it!
"What’s wrong with you?"
Wei Huayang noticed his changes and couldn't help but ask, but Ji Ping'an was immersed in thinking and did not answer.
The female headmaster was a little unhappy, thinking that the little star officer had discovered something and didn't tell her, and couldn't help but feel a little aggrieved.
Thought:
Just now you asked me, Taoist Master, and I shared the information with you.
But now he is hiding it from himself... Wei Huayang's face turned cold, and he hummed in his heart, thinking that the man was indeed unreliable, and Li Yangcheng would not deceive me.
He lowered his head and carefully looked at the symbols on the bottom of the coffin, and said expressionlessly:
"This carving is very similar to the mark left by Master Xingzhi on the door. They should all be his handiwork."
She reached out and touched it gently, but she only felt that her fingers were vaguely cut by invisible airflow.
Wei Huayang suddenly fell silent. Perhaps because of the special nature of the coffin, even though it had gone through hundreds of years, the sword intent of the Shoushan Sword Sect still remained on the carvings.
However, it was not this that made her silent, but... familiarity.
Yes.
Because they come from the same source, although there are differences between Xingzhi Zhenren's sword intention and that practiced by Li Yang, they are still very similar.
It's a pity that no matter how similar they are, they are not the same person.
"What's wrong?"
Suddenly, Ji Ping'an's voice came. Xiao Xingguan held the edge of the coffin with both hands. He first raised his hands to rub his sore eyebrows, and then looked at the woman in the red dress opposite who suddenly felt depressed, with some doubts.
He tried his best to think, but in the end he only had a little bit of inspiration.
"What does it have to do with you?" Wei Huayang suddenly said coldly.
Ji Ping'an was confused, wondering if women's thoughts were so unpredictable? Why are you so angry all of a sudden?
He said seriously:
"We are partners now, and your situation is of course related to me, so if there are any problems, I hope you can speak out frankly."
Wei Huayang sneered:
"Partner? When did we become partners? Don't forget, you are still my prisoner."
Why did this woman suddenly act like this... Ji Ping'an frowned, and his tone seemed a little cold:
"I thought that we are now grasshoppers on the same rope, comrades in the same boat."
Wei Huayang looked at him:
"You think too much, please pay attention to your identity."
Under the Taoist statue, in the stone chamber buried in time, the atmosphere suddenly became stiff.
The two people stared at each other, not giving in, their eyes sharp and cold. The warmth that had gradually developed along the way seemed to have been frozen, and everything was back to where it started.
Ji Ping'an didn't know why, but felt a little angry.
Wei Huayang didn't know why he was acting like this suddenly, and he also felt a little angry.
Perhaps it was because Ji Ping'an ignored her just now and felt neglected.
Perhaps it was because she did not hesitate to tell Tao Zun's secret, but she did not get the same feedback, which caused her grievance.
Perhaps he suddenly thought of Li Yang and realized that along the way, he had become a little too "close" to the little star official in front of him.
She instinctively wanted to "cut" her off from the bottom of her heart, and she wanted to be clear about each other, and she didn't want to have any entanglements other than "interests" with men other than Li Yang.
perhaps……
Many conflicts and quarrels in the world, and the cooling of relationships, seem inexplicable and without warning when they break out, but in fact, if you look back afterwards, you will find that everything has its roots.
"Okay." Ji Ping'an laughed at himself and said:
"I'm just being sentimental."
Wei Huayang said nothing, his eyes were firm, and only the hand holding the coffin was slightly strong, showing his inner uneasiness.
The air became quiet, and the two sides looked at each other indifferently across a coffin.
At this moment, suddenly, the Taoist scripture in Ji Ping'an's arms vibrated, and "bumps" bulged on the surface, which meant that the "iron catcher" was struggling again.
"You open it, and I'll seal it." Wei Huayang frowned, with a businesslike tone.
"I can do it myself." Ji Pingan replied calmly.
He flicked his finger slightly, and then, the "Iron Catcher" that was expected to be "thrown" did not appear.
A stream of light suddenly emerged from inside the Taoist scriptures, condensing into a woman wearing a yellow skirt, with a round face and bright eyes, holding a guzheng in her arms.
Sword Attendant: Huang Ying!
Ji Ping'an was stunned, and then his expression suddenly changed, and he realized that it was not Tie Captou who was troubled at all, but Huang Ying.
This Shoushan Sword Spirit probably sensed the sword intention that was left in the sarcophagus and originated from "Xingzhi Zhenren", so he rushed out forcefully!
It's going to happen! !
He opened his mouth, his mind spinning rapidly, thinking about how to interrupt Huang Ying, explain his origins, and prevent his identity from being exposed by the stupid swordsman.
Well, it shouldn't be a big problem. Logically speaking, a disciple of the Beixi Sect would never have seen the Shoushan Sword Spirit...right?
Just when his thoughts were turning and he was about to speak, Huang Ying rushed out and turned somersaults in the air. He first looked at the row of symbols in the sarcophagus, his face was excited, and he shouted:
"It's the breath left by Xing Zhi! Li Yang, how did you find it?"
After saying that, she turned back and looked at the man and woman confronting each other next to the coffin, and saw Wei Huayang staring at her with dull eyes.
…
Correct typos first and then correct them
(End of chapter)
