harleyscars Chapter 62 Searching for the Snake in Xiangyang!
Chapter 62 Searching for the Snake in Xiangyang!
Zhong Yuan wasn't surprised to see Zuo Zimu acting like he was trying anything, even if it seemed hopeless.
After all, Lingjiu Palace has a notorious reputation.
His method also required Zuo Zimu to endure hardship and bide his time.
It would be strange if Zuo Zimu were happy.
"Sect Leader Zuo, there's no time to lose, let's get moving!"
"Delay may lead to unforeseen changes!"
After giving Zuo Zimu some instructions, Zhong Yuan headed straight for Jianhu Palace to find Fang Liu.
Zuo Zimu didn't hesitate and ordered his disciples to collect the bodies of the deceased disciples.
Then, following Zhong Yuan's instructions, he gave orders to several of his trusted disciples.
……
Zhong Yuan returned to the guest room that Zuo Zimu had arranged for him the night before and found Fang Liu still fast asleep.
Okay.
That kid really drank too much yesterday.
I slept like a log.
Zhong Yuan stepped forward and woke Fang Liu up. Fang Liu, still half asleep, asked Zhong Yuan, "Young Master... what time is it?"
Zhong Yuan dragged Fang Liu to the basin and shoved his face into the water to sober him up.
After Fang Liu regained consciousness.
Looking at the sky outside, it was already afternoon.
He clutched his rumbling stomach and said to Zhong Yuan somewhat embarrassedly, "Young Master, um... I'm not a good drinker, I overslept."
Zhong Yuan said directly, "Pack up, we should go."
Fang Liu didn't ask any further questions upon hearing this, but he became curious when he saw that Zhong Yuan had an extra bundle on his back.
"Young Master, where did this bundle come from?"
Zhong Yuan only said one sentence.
Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask.
Fang Liu stopped talking and the two packed their bags. Zhong Yuan went to say goodbye to Zuo Zimu and then led Fang Liu out of Jianhu Palace and down the mountain.
……
After the two left Wuliang Mountain, Zhong Yuan did not allow Fang Liu to accompany him north to Xiangyang.
Instead, they first found an inn in a small town near Wuliang Mountain and had a meal.
Then, he found someone in the town and bought a not-so-tall black horse for Fang Liu to ride to the nearest big city to carry out one of his secret orders.
Just before parting.
In the mountains and forests, Zhong Yuan asked Fang Liu one last time.
"Sixth Brother, repeat what I told you to do."
Fang Liu had a good memory and said directly, "The young master asked me to go to the nearest big city to find manpower to spread the word that the Heavenly Child Granny of Lingjiu Palace is a traitor of the Xiaoyao Sect who wants to unify the martial arts world. She secretly stole the martial arts manuals of various sects and schools, including the Yi Jin Jing and the Seventy-Two Arts of Shaolin Temple, the Six Meridians Divine Sword of the Dali Duan Family, the Dou Zhuan Xing Yi of the Murong Family of Gusu, and the Dog-Beating Staff Technique of the Beggar Clan. She also hid all those martial arts manuals under the cliff behind the Sword Lake Palace of Wuliang Sword."
Zhong Yuan nodded.
"That's right. After you've finished this matter, just go back to Qingxi County. You don't need to wait for me."
Although Fang Liu did not know why Zhong Yuan wanted him to go to the nearest big city to spread the news that the Heavenly Child Granny of Lingjiu Palace was a traitor to the Xiaoyao Sect.
But he knew that the young master must have a reason for asking him to do this, so he did not hesitate.
He parted ways with Zhong Yuan and rode away.
Zhong Yuan, on the other hand, headed towards Xiangyang.
Zhong Yuan has three things to do upon venturing into the martial world. The first is to retrieve the Heart King Sutra from Shuanglin Temple.
Now, not only have we obtained the Heart King Sutra, but we are also on the right track. All that is needed is time to hone our skills, and our inner strength will grow rapidly.
The second thing was to go to Wuliang Mountain to retrieve the [Lingbo Weibu] and [Beiming Divine Skill].
He has now obtained both of these divine skills.
Moreover, he has already mastered the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique), so the trip was worthwhile.
Of course, there were also unexpected gains.
Aside from the Water-Fire Pearl obtained at Shuanglin Temple, there were also the two thorns planted inside Lingjiu Palace: Sikong Xuan and Zuo Zimu.
He had Fang Liu spread rumors because the idea he gave Zuo Zimu was related to the Langhuan Jade Cave at the bottom of the Sword Lake Palace.
In any case, he had already taken the [Lingbo Weibu] and [Beiming Divine Skill] from the Langhuan Jade Cave.
He claimed that the Langhuan Jade Cave was the place where the founder of the Xiaoyao Sect hid his books, and that the reason why Tianshan Tonglao of Lingjiu Palace wanted to subdue the Wuliang Sword was because Tianshan Tonglao, a traitor of the Xiaoyao Sect, wanted to find that place where the books were hidden.
Zuo Zimu only needs to bring the people from Lingjiu Palace to Langhuan Jade Cave.
If this matter is handled properly, Lingjiu Palace will inevitably be embroiled in a storm in the martial arts world.
Which of the Beggars' Sect, Shaolin Temple, the Murong family of Suzhou, or the Duan family of Dali could sit idly by and watch their unique skills be stolen?
In addition, there was the strip of cloth that he had Sikong Xuan deliver to Tianshan Tonglao.
Given Tianshan Tonglao's fiery temper, she'd be in for a lot of trouble.
at the moment.
He had a third thing to do: to go to the vicinity of Xiangyang City to find the Bodhi Serpent near the Sword Tomb and improve his internal strength as soon as possible.
Zhong Yuan didn't ride a horse because he wanted to test his leg strength.
He wanted to see how far he could run in one breath when he used his full power of "Flying Dragon in the Sky".
After parting ways with Fang Liu, he headed north, passing through Dali, Eryuan, and then the banks of the Jinsha River.
Zhong Yuan charged forward with all his might, and his internal strength increased instead of decreasing.
His feet barely touched the ground, only needing to use the grass and trees for support every now and then, his movements as swift as the wind.
Even after running around for days, I didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, my internal energy kept flowing out.
When he was hungry, he would eat a few pieces of dry food he carried with him, and when he was thirsty, he would drink mountain spring water.
Travel during the day and rest at night.
Seven days later, Zhong Yuan had arrived in Xiangyang.
At noon, Zhong Yuan mingled with the crowd and entered Xiangyang City.
The Han River flows swiftly around the city, and Song Dynasty flags flutter in the wind atop the city walls.
They traveled for seven days, spending all their time outdoors, eating and sleeping in the open.
Upon arriving in Xiangyang, Zhong Yuan naturally had to give himself a thorough cleaning and a hearty meal.
He found an inn to stay in, took a hot shower, had a meal, and then had a good night's sleep.
It wasn't until the next morning that he stretched and looked for the waiter, asking him if there were any snakes around Xiangyang.
Inside the inn, people came and went, and I saw many strange tales.
Therefore, Zhong Yuan naturally had to ask the innkeeper for information.
Upon making these inquiries, he actually learned something.
It turns out that this inn is also a famous restaurant in Xiangyang City that makes snake soup.
On ordinary days, we also need to collect wild snakes.
"If that's what the shopkeeper said, then Zhang Erniu, the snake catcher who usually delivers wild snakes to your shop, must know where there are plenty of wild snakes outside Xiangyang City."
The shopkeeper replied, "Of course."
Zhong Yuan then asked, "When will Zhang Erniu come to deliver snakes again?"
The shopkeeper replied.
"Judging by the dates, today is exactly the day he arranged to come and deliver the wild snake."
"If you're not in a hurry, you can wait here."
Zhong Yuan nodded slightly, not in a hurry. He ordered a pot of tea and waited quietly in the shop.
It was afternoon.
The man named Zhang Erniu did indeed come to deliver the wild snakes. After handing over a basket of wild snakes to the shopkeeper, the shopkeeper settled the bill with Zhang Erniu.
When Zhang Erniu saw that there was much more money than expected, he immediately said to the shopkeeper, "Manager Sun, there's too much money."
The shopkeeper pointed to Zhong Yuan, who was sitting by the window drinking tea.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Erniu walked towards Zhong Yuan with some confusion and asked, "May I ask, sir?"
"Are you looking for wild snakes to make snake soup?"
Zhong Yuan smiled faintly, looked at the snake catcher named Zhang Erniu, and gestured for him to sit down.
Zhang Erniu rubbed his hands and said, "Sir, what kind of snake soup would you like? Cobra, krait, water snake, or serpent?"
Zhong Yuan said, "What I'm looking for is a strange snake with fleshy horns on its head, that moves like the wind, and whose body faintly emits golden light."
"Have you seen this before?"