Chapter 105 Lingyun Citadel

Two of them entered the town. Xiao Chen sold the low-grade Demonic Beast Internal Elixirs and earned several dozens silver ingots. By now, they were extremely tired. The inns that they looked up had no rooms. At long last, they settled in a small inn.

They ordered a few random dishes. Soon, this small inn at the corner of the street filled up. The hall was bustling and people talked loudly.

"Haven't you heard? A disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan turned up at the Immortals League Competition!"

"I have! He set up formations, condensed his Qi into blades, conjured up illusionary doubles... he even summoned an archean dragon in the end. Oh ho, the disciples of the Ancient Immortal Clan are all turning up. Looks like our continent will be very lively these days!"

"But I heard that he betrayed the Zhou State yesterday. Seemed to be forcing Princess Xuanye to marry him. He and the Zhou Emperor fell out... "

Xiao Chen almost spew out the rice in his mouth. Gossip had spread even faster than him running for his life. He raised his head and saw the solemn look on Luo Shangyan's face. He picked up a piece of fish and put it in her bowl, saying quietly, "It's alright. Take your meal."

After the meal, he ordered the inn's waiter to buy him a large Violet Manor map from an outside store. When they returned to their room, Xiao Chen spread out the map on the table and scrutinized the territories on it. His expression became more and more solemn. Luo Shangyan saw him knit his brows. She asked, "What's wrong? Will we take long to reach Qing Province?"

Xiao Chen exhaled a deep breath. He rolled up the map and shook his head, smiling, "Not really. We'll take about half a month on horse carriage."

He was worried not about this matter. He had discovered that the territories on the map--the East Divine Continent, the West He Continent, the South Zhan Subcontinent, the North Lu Continent, plus the Middle Continent--the geographical locations of all these five continents seemed to him like a massive, Archean Formation.

Luo Shangyan smiled quietly. "Sister Xian'er is very sharp. She will be fine. You don't need to worry too much."

Since their encounter at the Teal Jade Sect, Xiao Chen had rarely seen her smile so radiantly. He smiled lightly and nodded. "You'd better go and rest. We need to resume our journey tomorrow."

There were two beds in the room. He was afraid that Yu Wenmu might come after them and had chosen to stay in the same room. Luo Shangyan went up the bed and placed her head lightly on the embroidered pillow. She watched his back as he faced the night sky at the window, gazing up fixedly. After a long time, she asked softly, "Junior Brother Xiao, shouldn't you go to bed?"

Xiao Chen turned around and smiled gently. "I'm not tired. You sleep first."

Moonlight shone on one side of the young man's face, revealing his faint melancholy. Luo Shangyan acquiesced quietly, then gently shut her eyelids. By now, she had understood that he had intervened requesting a marriage from the Zhou Emperor to stop her from marrying Yu Wenmu. Maybe there was a corner in his heart no one could get in...

She was right. Right now, Xiao Chen had locked up his heart. No one could get in. Ever since he recalled Flower Yet-ending, he had locked up his heart.

He turned around slowly, facing the lone moon in the high sky. He sighed gently in his heart. "It's been several millennia. Are you still alive, Yet-ending... ?"

Moonlight was all over the place, turning into a melancholy which could not be undone.

The next morning after breakfast, they went to the town to look for a horse carriage. It seemed that lately, many were hiring horse carriages. The merchants took the chance to jack up the price. After all, not everyone could afford a Flying-cloud Stone. There was no way out but to pay.

Xiao Chen had limited silver. They could not hire a horse carriage alone and had to travel in a group. About a dozen people soon squeezed into the carriage. It was no problem for himself, but Luo Shangyan was too beautiful. The eyes of his fellow travelers would rest either intentionally or unintentionally on her. A few even tried to edge closer to her in the swaying carriage.

Xiao Chen felt disgusted but would rather not make any trouble. He let Luo Shangyan sit on the outermost seat and interposed himself in between.

They needed to travel through many towns and a few large cities to reach Qing Province. Their next stop would be a middle-sized city, Lingyun Citadel.

Along the way, although there were green mountains and emerald waters to keep them company, it was still quite boring. Seven or eight of these strangers began to chat.

"I heard that at the Immortals League Competition, a disciple from the Ancient Immortal Clan injured the young master of the Ling Family badly."

"He's not just badly injured! Both his arms are maimed. What kind of feud was between them?"

"Tut, tut, tut... he has almost reached the Core Forming Realm. A pity, what a pity!"

The company began to shake their heads and sigh. Xiao Chen pressed Luo Shangyan's hand and did not say a word.

"The Ling Family will not let him off, I'm sure!"

"But what can they do? He's a disciple of the Ancient Immortal Clan. No matter how powerful the Lings are, they can only create a din in the Qing State. Can they get their man from the Ancient Immortal Clan?"

"Shh... don't talk nonsense when you reach Lingyun Citadel later. You might get beheaded!"

"Alright, alright, let's change the subject. Some upheavals are mounting in the Qing State recently. I bet that Wuwang Wind Cloud City would suffer a bloodbath in a few days. Bodies will piled up high in the city."

"You're right. An Ancient Immortal Clan ruin! God knows how many of their magic treasures and skills are hidden inside! So nearly ten thousand people have turned up there in the past few days? Perhaps even Nascent Soul Cultivators might show up to fight!"

Xiao Chen gathered his thoughts. He had always suspected Violet Manor to be the Great Divine Continent several millennia ago. Now, he had overheard something about an Ancient Immortal Clan ruin... how could he be unmoved?

"I beg your pardon. The Wuwang Wind Cloud City and the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin you were saying refer to... ?"

Everyone turned their heads and scrutinized him like at something amusing. One spoke. "Are you serious? You don't even know the Wuwang Wind Cloud City?"

"I really don't." When he heard at the Immortals League Competition that Leng Ningfeng was from the Wuwang Wind Cloud City, no one spoke about the city at length. He was interested in the ancient ruin. If he could discover some place he once knew, he would be able to locate the Mystic Cyan Sect ruin using his former memory.

Another said, "Wuwang Wind Cloud City is an independent city in the Qing State, located in the middle of a desert. News came from the city a few days ago that an oasis, 15 kilometers west to the city, has been discovered. It seems to be an Ancient Immortal Clan ruin, several millennia old."

"Thank you for your information." Xiao Chen became very agitated. He tried to speak calmly. He had a faint premonition that all these past secrets would soon be revealed. His Master had protected his Soul at his "execution"... yet he could not understand why the Immortals and Devils had perished. Or why he had awakened several millennia later...

If even the Immortals and Devils had perished, who else had the power to resurrect him in the Samsara again, millennia later? Even more importantly, why resurrect him... ?

All of a sudden, he thought of the heavens and earth as a vast chessboard and mortals as chesspieces. In fact, at the Heaven Mountains, Qing Feng had told him about decades ago.

It was a silent night. Xiao Yifan was carrying the infant Xiao Chen up the mountains. His Soul was battered and he was about to die. Yet before he came, someone had sent a stone coffin with another infant inside there too. Qing Feng was an expert in Soul sorcery. He immediately transferred the soul of the baby into Xiao Chen's body...

Now, Xiao Chen recollected the scene in detail. It might not have happened this way. Another terrible possibility seized him. Elder Qing Feng might have lied. He might not have transferred the soul of that baby into the body of the baby in his father's arms, but the other way round!

He was that baby in the stone coffin! That was why his body was so different from other mortals'. His wounds could heal by themselves. His was an Undead Body!

A bone-chilling cold coursed through his entire body, making him shudder. Luo Shangyan saw him turn ghastly pale and whispered, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Chen finally recovered after a long time. He shook his head. "No... nothing!" He quietly made up his mind. He had to visit the Ancient Immortal Clan ruin no matter what, even if it meant a few days' delay. He vaguely sensed that some interesting secret would be discovered in the ruin.

After passing through a few desolate towns, it was near dusk. The carriage entered Lingyun Citadel. He had heard from the passengers in the carriage that the Ling Family was the overlord of Lingyun Citadel. Although Lingyun Citadel seemed to be part of the Qing State, it was really under the family's control.

Never mind. He would only stay for one night and would leave the next dawn. Besides, there were nearly a million inhabitants there. No one would notice a young, ordinary couple.

Once they arrived, they found an inn to stay. After a meal, Xiao Chen arranged for Luo Shangyan to take lodgings in the farthermost room on the second floor. He told her not to walk around. Just before dusk, he left hurriedly to buy some materials to disguise himself.

After turning a few blocks, Xiao Chen did not discover any store selling these materials. He could not ask the people since it would give them the impression he was doing something improper.

After turning a few more blocks, he still did not find a store. Instead, two familiar faces walked toward him. One had the bearing of a rich man's son. The other was a pretty girl, dressed in an alluring, light yellow skirt.

Xiao Chen was stunned. They were none other than Ling Yuxuan and Su Wan. Ling Yuxuan was Ling Yingfeng's younger brother. Ling Yingfeng had been soundly thrashed by Xiao Chen at the Skygale Sect in the Human World. Su Wan had been disfigured by Shangguan Yan. Yet, he could not see any trace of a disfigurement on her face now. The medical skills of the Su family were indeed exceptional.

He did not need to know why they were here. But if he turned to go now, he would surely attract attention. He quickly turned his head toward a small jewelry stall.

"Young master, we are a branch of Lingliufu. Our goods are genuine, our prices reasonable. Please choose whatever you like." The peddler greeted him warmly.

Xiao Chen's gaze shifted here and there on the dazzling, resplendent jewelry. Yet his Divine Sense was behind on the two persons.

"I sneaked out this time and need to go back tomorrow. An aunt turned up at my home some days ago. Well, I don't like her! I must find a way and throw her out!" Su Wan was frowning, speaking in a dissatisfied tone.

Xiao Chen gathered his thoughts. The aunt she spoke about must be his mother. So Mother had returned to the Su family at long last. He could not help but frown upon recollecting the girl's tone.