When he arrived at Ping An Village, it had become a pile of ruins.
Xia Shiqing watched silently, her face neither happy nor sad. When she saw Ling Ning, her eyes couldn't help but light up.
"You came."
"Shiqing, are you okay? Are you feeling better? By the way, there's also Xin'er. I almost forgot about her. Have you found her?"
Xia Shiqing nodded lightly and said: "We have found her. Her physical injuries are not serious, but... but her spirit has been 'tarnished'. We have sent her to Xianchen Xiangzhu Mansion. I believe she will recover." .”
"That's good, what about you? Are your injuries okay?"
"Well, I'm fine."
Ling Ning felt relieved when he saw that her expression was as usual. He looked at the ruins of Ping'an Village and said, "What happened here? Who did it?"
Xia Shiqing shook her head and said: "I don't know either. I came here to take a look after hearing about it from Lingxi, but I didn't expect it to be true. Lingxi has sent people to investigate, and there is no one left alive, and even the corpses were burned. It turned into ashes, leaving no clues. But...the flame of this quality should have been made by a monk."
"Monk? Who would have a grudge against an entire village?"
"I don't know either. When I got the news, I immediately escorted her safely away from the Mortal Continent. I haven't told her what happened here yet, for fear that she would refuse to leave."
Ling Ning nodded in agreement. It was obvious that everything here was inextricably linked to Ping An. No matter who did it, that person's purpose was probably Ping An.
"Lingxi...how did she know the situation here?"
"She has merchants from Lingbao Pavilion all over the world. Of course she has the best information. It's a pity that she can't find out who the murderer is. By the way, I sent a message to Mei'er, but she never replied. Why, she didn't tell you Together?"
Ling Ning sighed and said, "I couldn't contact her either. She left a message saying that there were some problems in the family and she wanted to leave first. I asked her what happened, but she never replied."
Xia Shiqing said: "Maybe there are some troublesome things in the family. You... why don't you go to Fairy Dust Continent to look for her? Why are you still staying here?"
"Me?" Ling Ning smiled bitterly. He couldn't say that he had become the master of Xuanyuan Sword so he couldn't leave for a while. He could only prevaricate: "I have finished with Jian Lingzong. Apart from that, my precious disciple My son seems to have been kidnapped, and I have been looking for traces of her."
Xia Shiqing was surprised: "You? You actually accepted a disciple?"
"Yeah! Why, not bad, right?" He put away his proud face and said with some shame: "Although she called me master, I didn't teach her for a few days, and even lost my apprentice... I am the master ...It is really deceiving the world and stealing the name, deceiving the world and stealing the name!"
"Why, don't you have any clues?"
"Yes, there is, but I don't understand what it means. The last message she left me mentioned Daiyu Fairy Mountain, saying that someone wanted to take her there, but how could I find it in this vast sea?"
Xia Shiqing pondered slightly. She looked at Ling Ning who was hesitant to speak.
Hope ignited in Ling Ning's heart and she said, "What? Do you have a way?"
Xia Shiqing hesitated for a moment and said, "Maybe there is a place that can help you find out where Dai Yu is, but I don't want you to go to that place."
"Shiqing, you know me. If there is a chance, I can't do nothing."
Looking at his firm eyes, Xia Shiqing could only sigh: "The place I mentioned is on the sea. Before that, let's get a ship. I want to remind you that there are countless sea monsters lurking in the vast sea outside the territory, so, You better have a really strong boat.”
Ling Ning smiled bitterly and said: "Maybe I can ask Shui Yuetian if there is such a boat, but I don't think they will help me because of my personal matter..."
Xia Shiqing looked like I knew it, and thought for a moment and said, "There is a ship in Xiangzhu Mansion that will dock in the next two days. Maybe I can lend it to you."
Ling Ning said happily: "This is great! But...but since it is your sect's ship, is it a bit...difficult for you to lend it to me?"
Xia Shiqing shook her head, turned around and said, "It's just a small boat, it doesn't matter."
In the early morning, thick fog rises from the sea, and a huge shadow slowly approaches. As the shadow gets closer and closer, there is a sudden "buzz" sound, and a huge steam bursts out around the shadow. This strong airflow blows away the surrounding fog. Sweep it away! A behemoth appeared in front of us. This ship was over a hundred meters long and more than ten meters wide. Three huge sails that could not be seen ended as tall as giant pillars reaching the sky.
The design of the entire ship is mainly dark green, which is not very gorgeous. Instead, it gives people a sense of oppression like a deep-sea behemoth.
"Is this the 'small boat' you're talking about?" Facing this behemoth, Ling Ning felt that it was impossible to lend it to him.
"It's just an ordinary boat. There is a bigger one in Zongli... ready to be boarded."
Two green branches suddenly "grew" on the deck. The two branches continued to change and intertwine, eventually becoming a long ladder. The two stepped onto the long ladder one after another. The long ladder slowly retracted with a burst of green light, and they boarded the deck.
"Junior sister, I haven't seen you for a long time, you are more and more dazzling." The first one shook his feather fan lightly, and the handsome young man came up with a smile that could fascinate a woman. Behind him were two men and two women, both of whom looked different in their clothes and appearance. According to custom, they should all be descendants of aristocratic families.
Xia Shiqing's face did not waver at all, she still maintained a frosty expression, and just nodded politely.
The people present obviously knew her temperament and did not show any surprise. The two young men looked at Xia Shiqing up and down, obviously impressed by her beauty. The two girls could not help but secretly look at her, unable to hide their envy.
"Huh? This brother is..." One of the purple-robed young men asked.
"Excellent..." Before Ling Ning could speak, Xia Shiqing said first, "This is my good friend, Shui Yue Tian Ling Ning."
"It turns out he belongs to Shui Yuetian... I, Xiangzhu Mansion, have always been on good terms with Shui Yuetian. I want to get closer to Brother Ling." The handsome young master brother who was the leader said that he came up to hold Ling Ning's hand.
Ling Ning secretly wondered what was wrong with this man and why he started to do things as soon as he got here? He was new here and couldn't refuse, so he extended his hand. However, seeing the mocking looks on the faces of the other people, he felt something was wrong.
The moment the two of them were about to hold their hands together, Xia Shiqing slapped the young master's hand away with a "pop" sound. Ling Ning's sharp eyes saw a glimmer of light flashing in the palm of the young master's hand, and it turned out to be an inch-long glowing needle! I don’t know what kind of material this needle is made of, and I don’t know if it is poisonous. If I had just held it without warning, I might have made a fool of myself on the spot.
"Zhao Yifan, I said before, his 'good' friend, you are embarrassing our Xiangzhu Mansion!"
Seeing the rare anger on Xia Shiqing's face, the other people's expressions changed and they stepped forward to make peace. Only the young master still smiled relaxedly and said: "Junior sister has misunderstood me. I have long heard that Shui Yuetian's technique is unique. It's a unique skill in the fairy world, and I can't help but want to try it today... Hey, I'm Zhao Yifan, I have some research on hidden weapons, brother, please don't blame me, hahahaha!"
As the saying goes, "Don't hit the smiling person", Ling Ning could only show a wry smile and said: "It turns out that brother has done some research on concealed weapons. Since brother is so honest, he should pay more attention to it in the future."
Zhao Yifan laughed and said: "This hidden weapon of mine is only for gentlemen, not villains. If brother, you are wary of me, you will not be a 'gentleman' enough."
Ling Ning secretly thought that if I were a villain, you would have been lying on the ground like a dead dog. He smiled and said: "How can a gentleman use hidden weapons? Ah, it turns out we are in the same group!"
Zhao Yifan laughed and said: "That's right! That's right! We are all gentlemen!"
Everyone laughed when they saw this, but Xia Shiqing shook her head and said: "Stop playing tricks, let's set off as soon as possible while the time is still early."
Zhao Yifan put away his smile, bent down and saluted: "Yes!" He said to the purple-robed young man: "Yu Chen, let's set sail."
The purple-robed boy slightly cupped his hands and turned around.
Zhao Yifan said: "I forgot to introduce you. Junior sister, you have been away for a long time in the sect. I have to introduce these new junior brothers and sisters to you... The one who left just now is..."
"Xiao Ning, it's windy here, let's go in." Xia Shiqing said and walked towards the cabin.
Ling Ning showed an "sorry" expression to Zhao Yifan, who looked unhappy, and followed him.
Zhao Yifan was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and said: "Junior sister, junior sister, you are still the same, wait for me!"
The ship started up again with a buzzing sound, like the roar of a giant beast. After a while, the thick fog broke out, and the orange-red sunlight shone on Xia Shiqing's cheek through the crystal porthole. It was so touching that Ling Ning couldn't help but feel a little crazy.
Xia Shiqing seemed to be aware of it. She turned to look at him. He didn't know if it was Ling Ning's imagination, but he seemed to see a gentle smile on her face, as if the ice and snow were melting. But it only happened in an instant. The touching smile disappeared in the blink of an eye, and he even regretted why he blinked.
"Look! It's a dolphin!" The little junior sister wearing pink clothes with some freckles on her face pointed in one direction in surprise.
Groups of dolphins lined up in a "human" shape and moved forward quickly. They jumped out of the sea and were dyed golden in the air. White water splashed around like sharp swords.
"Junior sister Qin'er is still so childish. Haven't you seen enough of just dolphins?" Another young man in blue robe joked.
"Some things can never be seen enough..." Ling Ning looked at Xia Shiqing's pretty face and said softly with emotion.
Xia Shiqing subconsciously recognized it too much and did not dare to look at him again.
Zhao Yifan was angry. He didn't understand why Xia Shiqing, who had always been cold and indifferent to all men in the world, favored a brat who was still young. She had never looked so shy like today. He was so angry that he stamped his feet and said loudly: "Junior Brother Yuchen, drive the boat faster! When will we reach the Fairy Dust Continent in such a slow manner?"
"Yes, I'll go right away..."
Suddenly, there was a loud "boom", and a huge creature suddenly rushed out of the sea, opened its bloody mouth and swallowed a group of dolphins in one gulp! Just one mouth is two or three times as wide as the big ship they are riding on!
"Bang!" The huge body of the giant beast hit the sea hard, causing an uproar that caused the ship to tilt around and almost overturn! Then the sea water all over the sky fell on the boat like a heavy rain, making a "crackling" sound.
Ling Ning was horrified, thinking that if this bite happened on the boat, wouldn't they be buried in the belly of the fish without knowing it?
Zhao Yifan pointed at the surprised Ling Ning and laughed loudly: "I didn't expect Brother Ling to be so timid. Is it possible that you are a landlubber and don't know how to swim?"
Ling Ning was indeed not familiar with water, so she smiled awkwardly when she heard this.
Xia Shiqing said displeasedly: "I remember Yifan, didn't you hold on to the railing and vomit for several days the first time you went to sea?"
Zhao Yifan quickly said: "I just felt uncomfortable in my stomach at that time..."
Xia Shiqing waved her hand and interrupted: "Okay, you can go out. I want to have a few words with Brother Ling alone. By the way, we are not going back to Xiangzhu Mansion. You tell the helmsman to drive in the direction pointed by the compass."
Zhao Yifan's face turned pale and he subconsciously took the compass. The junior brothers and sisters on the side were indignant when they saw their senior brother being so "humble" in front of this woman. Among them, the junior sister who was wearing pink clothes and had some freckles on her face said loudly: "Why do you, a woman, disrespect my senior brother so much? Don't you understand the meaning of superiority and inferiority?"
When the junior brother saw this, he also echoed: "That's right! We have tolerated you for a long time! You should apologize to senior brother!"
Another tall junior sister frowned and wanted to say something but held back.
Zhao Yifan said quickly: "What are you doing? It's so rude! Shi Qing has been away from the sect for a long time, so she is naturally unfamiliar with the rules of the sect. How can you juniors take responsibility for the senior sister? Hey, Shi Qing, you Don’t be offended…”
Xia Shiqing said coldly: "He is your senior brother, not mine. Take them out before I get angry."
Several people still wanted to argue, but they were stopped by Zhao Yifan, who said: "Okay, okay! Let's all go out! It's time for Shi Qing to rest. Brother Ling, you also come with us..."
"I still have something to tell Brother Ling, so I won't send it off." Xia Shiqing said coldly.
Facing the "strong" Xia Shiqing, Zhao Yifan showed his signature smile and pulled his junior brothers and sisters out.
After leaving the cabin, the little junior sister with freckles on her face shook off Zhao Yifan's hand and said: "Senior brother! You...why did you give in to that woman like this? This doesn't look like you at all!"
"That's right, Senior Brother, if you hadn't held me back just now, I would have beaten that woman! Humph!"
"Okay, okay, you guys... Senior brother knows that you are looking for me, but her status is very important in Xiangzhu Mansion, so you should respect her more. Jiang Yuan, you and Wanyun take the compass and go tell Yuchen , follow the direction of the compass.”
"Senior brother! Do you just listen to that woman? Moreover, we don't know where we are going, so... just let her make the decision?" The little junior sister with freckles on her face protested loudly.
"Shhhhhhh! Junior sister Qin'er, please keep your voice down! Jiang Yuan, you and Wanyun go first." After the two left, Zhao Yifan smiled and approached Qin'er, his hands unconsciously holding her waist. She whispered in her ear: "Brother Wei knows that you feel sorry for me the most, Junior Sister Qin'er. Ah, why don't you come to my room tonight? We have several powerful Taoist techniques in Xiangzhu Mansion. Let Brother Wei explain them to you." explain……"
"Senior...Senior brother...will...someone will see it...ah!" Qin'er let out an intoxicating moan, holding down Zhao Yifan's big hand that couldn't help but explore upwards with both hands.
"What are you afraid of... Junior Sister Qin'er's figure is really getting plumper..."
"Senior...brother, no...don't..."
"Elder brother!" A voice interrupted them at the critical moment, and the two of them quickly separated. Compared with Qin'er's panic, Zhao Yifan reluctantly took his hand away, obviously not afraid of being seen at all.
"Oh, it turns out to be Junior Brother Yuchen, what's wrong?"
Yu Chen, who was wearing a purple robe, already knew what was going on when he saw the expressions on the two people's faces. He looked at the blush on Qin'er's face and felt uncomfortable in his heart. He and Qin'er were childhood sweethearts and a couple. Unexpectedly, after joining the Xiangzhu Mansion, his junior sister would fall in love with Zhao Yifan. This made him extremely uncomfortable. However, since his cultivation and family background were not as good as Zhao Yifan's, he could only endure it. Come down.
He suppressed the unhappiness in his heart and said with a smile: "The direction pointed by the compass seems to be wrong. I want to confirm with you whether I am really going in this direction."
"Oh?" Zhao Yifan took the compass and looked at it carefully. After a while, he also discovered something was wrong. He frowned and said: "It seems that few people have set foot in this sea area. Ignore it. Let's go as she said."
…
On the other hand, Ling Ning in the cabin smiled bitterly and said, "Shi Qing, thanks to you just now, otherwise I would have made a fool of myself."
Xia Shiqing shook her head and said, "No need to worry about it, my friend, how could I sit back and watch others say bad things about you."
"But, are you too indifferent to your fellow disciples? I don't mean anything else. I'm just curious. Could it be that they have done something bad?"
Xia Shiqing looked Ling Ning squarely and said, "Xiao Ning, we have left the Mortal Continent. Outside the territory, everything depends on strength. Zhao Yifan treats me with respect on the surface, that's because my strength and status are higher than him."
"Although I can't fully understand it, you should have your own reasons..."
"promise me……"
"What?"
"Promise me to always be wary of anyone."
The figure of the Palace Master and the hatred in her eyes immediately emerged in Ling Ning's mind. Then, he thought of Xi Fei who saved him in the boundless darkness. After that time, she disappeared without a trace.
"Okay, I promise you." Ling Ning nodded.
Xia Shiqing sighed softly and said, "I hope you can really understand this truth before you lose anything."
Ling Ning said silently in her heart: "Maybe I have lost something."
Closing her eyes, Xi Fei's tear-filled eyes shone with crystal light, and she was so gentle.
"Shiqing, where are we going?"
"Black territory."
