The Fairy: From the Traveling Merchant

Chapter 915 Fruit
“My… teacher’s… cave.”

Xue Bailing spoke through her soul, her words broken and intermittent, seemingly resisting answering Zhao Chen's question.

"Who is your teacher?" Zhao Chen asked again.

This time, however, Xue Bailing remained completely silent. It was unclear whether she did not know her teacher's name or was under a restriction that prevented her from speaking it.

Seeing this, Zhao Chen thought for a moment and changed his question: "Your teacher... is he 'God of Calamity' Song Wurui?"

Xue Bailing possesses a complete outer sect inheritance of the "Ten Thousand Beasts Sect," and the layout technique looks so familiar. How could Zhao Chen not make the connection? Moreover, he had just conducted an in-depth "investigation" of this female cultivator's soul. Although the information he obtained was still not much, he vaguely saw the shadow of the divine beast "Yonghe."

"Harmony and transformation, care for all living beings" is Song Wurui's signature supernatural power, which is rarely mastered even within the "Ten Thousand Beasts Sect".

Xue Bailing's translucent face showed a struggle, and after a long time she finally spoke: "I'm not sure... but I guess it's him."

In other words, Song Wurui did not reveal his identity when he taught you the martial arts.

Zhao Chen nodded and continued, "So, what made that guess?"

"That was many years ago. The Zhuge family in Xuzhou was robbed, and a large-scale manhunt for the thieves was launched. At that time, my teacher was seriously injured and was recuperating in this cave. It was also at that time that my teacher took me as his disciple... That's why I have this guess." Xue Bailing answered much more smoothly this time, obviously breaking through some kind of limitation.

Qizhou and Xuzhou are adjacent, so Song Wurui is practically hiding right under the nose of the Zhuge family... This cave is quite powerful. You know, the Zhuge family has a "Profound Ascension" True Monarch whose divine sense can "illuminate" an entire prefecture. And Qizhou doesn't have any top-tier forces, so the Zhuge family has nothing to fear.

Or perhaps the Zhuge family didn't value the lost "Key of Dawn," so the True Lord didn't make a move at all.
Even so, it is quite remarkable that they were able to evade the investigations of so many skilled divination masters from the Zhuge family!
In addition, I remember that Song Wurui once used "Yonghe Wanhua" to massacre the people of three counties in Qizhou, turning the surrounding area into a "dead land". After doing such a thing, he still dared to go back to Qizhou to hide. He really has a big heart.

Zhao Chen stared at the "flower" pattern on the gate, lost in thought. After a while, he asked again, "Why did you go to such lengths to open this formation?"

"My teacher has been healing for many years and hasn't responded to me for a long time... So, I became greedy and wanted to take my teacher's belongings for myself." Xue Bailing's soul frankly admitted her despicable thoughts.

So you didn't know that Song Wurui had already recovered from his injuries and left Qizhou? I remember that he later wiped out a branch of the Zheng family and seized a treasure called the "Spring and Autumn Annals Brush".

That makes sense, though. Not long after the incident, and since the damage wasn't significant and the "Spring and Autumn Brush" wasn't a particularly valuable treasure, the Zheng family kept quiet and only sent Zheng Qingyan, a newly promoted supernatural being, to handle it. As a result, things went wrong, and Fei Meng benefited instead.

So, it seems there's nothing of value in this cave. Rather, the cave itself is more valuable, since its existence is what makes the aura of the entire mountain special. Even the slightest leak of its aura has created a spirit fruit tree.

As his thoughts raced, Zhao Chen asked a few more questions before withdrawing Xue Bailing's soul and turning his gaze back to the flower-shaped portal.

"The portal itself has little power; it only isolates vital energy and divine consciousness. What truly seals it is a certain superior divine power of Song Wurui."

"No wonder Pei Niang couldn't break through it in a short time, and Zong Fangqing, Xue Bailing and the others were even more helpless, and could only rely on the 'blood sacrifice' method to slowly wear it down."

"Heh, even if they succeed this time, they might not be able to break through. It will probably take two or three more tries..."

"No wonder Xue Bailing has been trying to stay out of it and even found Zong Fangqing as a scapegoat. After all, if you want to do this job again, you can't be targeted by the Six Doors."

“However, just because they can’t open it doesn’t mean I can’t… After all, I can use a ‘magic weapon’!” After observing for a long time, Zhao Chen took out the “Xiande Qintian Calendar” and made it float in mid-air. Then he signaled Fang Peiniang to step back and prepare to provide support. Only then did he borrow the fake “Dongxuan” position, turn to the first page of the book above his head, and release a special divine power for breaking the seal, “Three-Colored Void-Breaking Nail”.

As a "sharp nail" flashing red, blue, and yellow pierced the very center of the "flower," the invisible force sealing the door instantly dissipated.

The problem that had troubled Xue Bailing and Zong Fangqing for many years was easily solved by Zhao Chen.

However, Zhao Chen did not rush to open the door. Instead, he exchanged one of his own from the "Star Chariot" and had the person inject magic power into the "flower" to open the cave door.

Zhao Chen and Fang Peiniang remained on high alert throughout, ready to escape using the "Black Domain" at any moment.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened. After their "own people" took a look around the cave, they quickly confirmed that it was "safe."

Zhao Chen relaxed slightly. While Fang Peiniang continued to keep watch at the cave entrance, he himself leaped into the cave that Song Wurui had once used.

The interior of the cave is not large, about the size of a basketball court. It is filled with some miscellaneous items and books. Apart from that, the only eye-catching thing is a bright flower that is taller than a person in the center.

At this time, the flowers were in full bloom, and in the middle of them was a pale purple fruit shaped like a pear.

However, the moment Zhao Chen's gaze fell upon the flower, it withered rapidly without any warning, and the fruit that had formed quickly darkened in color and fell off.

At this moment, the "cowlick" on Zhao Chen's head... no, it was the golden-haired little monkey that had followed him out of "Seven Springs Cave Heaven" that suddenly transformed back into its original form, nimbly jumping under the flower and catching the purple fruit.

Seeing this scene, for some reason, Zhao Chen suddenly remembered the "reward" that Tantai Zhugong had mentioned to him not long ago at the "Thousand Bamboo Garden" in the capital.

The other party said at the time that I had passed the test of a certain being, so I would soon receive an opportunity...

Could this fruit be what they call "fortune"?

Yes, that aligns with my understanding of those behind me; they like to use other people's schemes to achieve their own goals.

If things go as expected, this place, including Xue Bailing, is most likely a backup plan or "beacon" set up by Song Wurui for "returning," just like the "Three Evil Blades" he cultivated in Mo Nan.

Otherwise, Song Wurui wouldn't have been so bored as to take on a disciple even when he was seriously injured...

He really made thorough preparations in order to return from the "fog of history"!

Unfortunately, even so, he is still trapped in "history".

Shaking his head, Zhao Chen turned his gaze to the little monkey clutching the fruit tightly, and then asked in a gentle tone, "Do you know what it is?"

(End of this chapter)