My enemies became my companions

Chapter 623 Chen Zunming?! (Two Chapters Combined)

Yin Weiying, whose spirit had wandered far away, disappeared into the shadows and traveled with the wind, returning to the place where his physical body was in an instant.

The female Taoist priest, who was sitting cross-legged, opened her eyes, circulated her Qi throughout her body, and a gentle breeze stirred around her, causing the branches and leaves to swirl and turn before finally settling down. Her mind also took a long time to calm down.

Instead of relying on the Supreme Method of Forgetting Emotions, Yin Weiying calmed his mind on his own. Having cultivated Taoism for many years, he should have been quite adept at it, but this time he sat cross-legged for a long time before getting up.

What's the reason?

Simply put, it was just so awesome!

The thought of that arrogant woman who could only silently clench her fists and swallow her anger in the end showed that her first wife's show of force was indeed very effective and hit the nail on the head.

Moreover, there were old grudges between them, and now Qin Qingluo had no choice but to bow her head... Yin Weiying stopped his thoughts to avoid stirring up ripples in his heart again.

"She does value her family. As soon as Zhu E showed up, she immediately fell silent. She's someone you can get close to." Yin Weiying thought for a moment, then suddenly wondered, "I mentioned Chen Yixu was in the Prince's mansion earlier. Why did she react so strongly? Could it be someone else besides Zhu E?"

The female Taoist priest made a series of hand gestures and performed divination, but could not obtain any results. Perhaps there was no one else involved, or perhaps the royal palace had a formation that interfered with the divination, or perhaps both.

She didn't insist on finding out the truth. This show of force was enough. If she were to openly perform divination and it were discovered, wouldn't that weaken her prestige?

With a flick of his sleeve, Yin Weiying turned and went back to his room. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Lin Wanguan propping her cheek up and raising her eyes. The light flickered, but when she realized it was her and not Chen Yi who had returned, the light quickly went out.

"How come it's you..." Lin Wanguan muttered.

"How could it not be me?" Yin Weiying disliked these words and subtly reminded him, "Here on Gaoliang Mountain, he's not here right now. Besides me, who else can protect you?"

Lin Wanguan swayed slightly. Having grown up in seclusion, she knew nothing of the turmoil of the martial world, but she had heard of the Demonic Sect's reputation. Legend had it that they captured children to make medicine, ate human flesh and blood, and raised demons and monsters, torturing their own people to the point of unbearable pain... Thinking of this, she felt that Yin Weiying was right. Apart from this Taihua Goddess, who else could protect a few weak women like them?

She lowered her voice and said, "I know you mean well, but I'm the kind of person who... doesn't like to accept favors from others."

"I can see that."

"Then you... are too magnanimous to hold a grudge against a petty person?" Lin Wanquan was aware that she was living under someone else's roof, but she just found it hard to admit it.

“That’s not difficult,” Yin Weiying said, going along with the idea. “Call me Sister Yin.”

"you!"

“You don’t have to call me that,” the female Taoist priest said calmly.

Lin Wanguan struggled for a while. She was unwilling, but she and Xiuhe were alone and helpless, with neither martial arts nor magic to protect themselves. How could they protect themselves?
“…Sister Yin…”

Most women find it difficult to convince themselves at times, but easy at others. This seems contradictory, but it's not hard to understand. Convincing oneself to do things for others is difficult, but convincing oneself to accept the protection of others is easy... Yin Weiying understands this perfectly. It is precisely because she knows the baseness of these ordinary people that she can remain untainted by the mud and transcend the mundane world.

The female Taoist priest knew that the young woman had already yielded upon hearing the address "Sister Yin," and was about to return to her room to meditate when Lin Wanguan pressed her for an answer:

"Sister Yin...when is he coming back?"

Yin Weiying smiled calmly and slowly shook his head, saying, "It cannot be said."

Lin Wanquan looked dejected, and after a long while she said, "If he doesn't want to reply, then he doesn't have to. He's probably already forgotten about you and me."

"Don't take me with you."

“…So you’ve forgotten me, haven’t you…” Lin Wanguan buried her face in the table. “Coincidentally, I’m also forgetting him. I’ve already forgotten most of him.”

The female Taoist priest thought to herself, "Although this young lady didn't get what she wanted from Chen Yi, she is different from before. Although she is still confused and worried these days, her face has become more rosy."

Yin Weiying observed this and, based on his past experience, made a preliminary judgment about the crux of the problem.
There's still not enough grass...

...............

Nanwei is very close to India and has been known as the "Fragrant Buddhist Kingdom" since Dali. The Duan and Gao families who ruled there built many Buddhist temples, and there was even an emperor who became a monk. A thousand years have passed, but the temples still exist. Most of the local people believe in Buddhism. There is a poem that says, "Three thousand halls and pavilions of the temples, eight hundred palaces of the Prajna."

The Ming and An Shen sect also adapted to local customs, changing the name of Mingzun to Da Mingzun Buddha, and took root and sprouted in this place, growing into a towering tree.

The mountain road is grayish-purple in color, with strange rocks protruding along the edge, and red spider lilies growing on its rugged curves.

Ancestral temples are the dwelling places of ancestors and also the passage connecting the living world and the underworld.

Since leaving the ancestral temple, Chen Yi followed Qin Xuzhi's guidance and went straight into the underworld to find the whereabouts of the Boundless King. He had already been to the underworld several times, and each time he became more and more familiar with the place.

The terrain of the underworld is similar to that of the human world, but not quite. It retains most of the terrain outline, but adds many twists and turns. The southern border is already rugged, and with these additional twists and turns, one would get dizzy just walking through it.

Along the way, one could see a few wandering souls. They were neither heading towards the gates of hell nor frantically searching for a way back to the mortal world. Instead, they were all walking around in a daze. Chen Yi knew that they were people from the southern border who had eaten mushrooms and mistakenly entered the underworld.

The underworld is unpredictable and ever-changing. These wandering souls of the living might just end up here and never be able to return. So Chen Yi offered guidance along the way and helped whenever he could. Afterwards, he told Yin Tingxue about it, and the little fox was happy for quite a while.

Yin Tingxue was most pleased by his charitable deeds. She would think to herself that although her husband was a bit wicked, she had not married the wrong person.

Chen Yi chuckled to himself, realizing he was now completely ensnared by the little fox.

They had been traveling through the underworld for nearly a month, but still hadn't reached their destination. It wasn't that there was no way out, but rather that there were too many ways out, one after another, which inevitably raised their doubts.

He did indeed follow the direction Qin Xuzhi pointed out, and even used his third eye to divine the future.

From this perspective, it seems that Qin Xuzhi regarded Wuliang Wang as a leech, and Wuliang Wang was also wary of Qin Xuzhi and the Qin family. Three hundred years of open and covert struggles made him extremely vigilant, and he gradually transformed the already complex terrain into a huge maze.

Chen Yi disliked the winding paths of mazes and preferred to go straight ahead.

But now they are in the forest, lost and unsure of how to break the deadlock.

Just as he was pondering this, Chen Yi looked up and saw one after another souls drifting aimlessly in the distance. Recalling Qin Xuzhi's description of the Boundless King "gathering and howling demons and evil spirits," he suddenly had an epiphany.

He immediately shared his thoughts with the old saintess, and the knowledgeable old man immediately guessed what was going on.

No matter how vast the Southern Frontier is, it is still just a remote province of the Great Yu Dynasty. Its population and manpower are not comparable to the prosperous Central Plains. Moreover, Buddhist temples are everywhere. With few people, there are naturally few demons. With many Buddhist temples, there are even fewer demons. In such a situation where even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice, how difficult it is to gather demons and evil spirits.

Only by tempting people to become demons and monsters.

These wandering souls, seemingly aimless, are actually like ants eating honey, all following the same path upon closer inspection.

Having found a way, Chen Yi didn't hesitate any longer and secretly followed these souls. Several dozen days passed in a row.

The endless mountain range finally came to an end.

It felt like we had arrived at a basin, where the mountains suddenly cascaded down like a precipice.

Wuliangwang chose an excellent hiding place, which seemed to be the border between the southern border and Sichuan.

Chen Yi looked down and saw ravines ranging from hundreds of feet to just a few feet deep, spewing out colorful mist, which was quite eerie.

Souls hovering between life and death surged into the dark cave like a flock of sheep.

He came to the right place, right here, this place is like a den of demons.

A demon's lair in the underworld.

Without further hesitation, Chen Yi drew his sword and leaped into the abyss.

After passing through the fog and layers of darkness, and after an unknown amount of time, Chen Yi finally found a place to land.

Beneath his feet lay the heavy, muddy water and scattered pebbles. Looking up, he could see rows of stacked pillars. Chen Yi raised his eyebrows as he gazed at them.

Is this... a palace?
The wood was abnormally swollen, the stone surface was cracked, and the curtains hung wetly on the facade. One could vaguely see the former magnificence, but the whole palace looked as if it had been soaked in water and was swollen.

As Chen Yi looked around, he saw that the souls in the distance were all drifting towards a certain place. Upon closer listening, he could hear the sounds of drums and trumpets, along with the chanting of Buddhist hymns, coming from the direction they were heading.

It is Buddhist music, but it is quite different from the Buddhist music of the Central Plains, and is more ancient and mysterious.

After casting a simple illusion spell, Chen Yi followed the music and the wandering souls formed a long line, squeezing into the palace through a small door.

That's the direction from which the music was coming from, and this is the only small door that's open here.

Chen Yi immediately went inside. Although the Buddhist music was moving, it was not enough for Chen Yi, especially since Qin Xuzhi had given him three sacrificial animals.

Entering through the small door and walking through the long corridor, Chen Yi saw a faint blue light at the main gate ahead, as if guards with lanterns were screening and examining the souls that stepped through the gate.

Those ghostly flames illuminated a person's three souls and seven spirits.

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. He was not good at magic and had always been content with what he had. He only knew the basics of illusion magic and might not be able to fool the eyes of these lantern-carrying guards. He might even be exposed.

What can you do if you're exposed?

Then let's begin the slaughter.

Soon, Chen Yi reached the door. A guard in black approached with a lantern, the dim blue light illuminating his face.

The guard examined it carefully for a long time.

Chen Yi remained calm, his hand slowly moving towards the hilt of his sword.

The guard raised his hand.

He waved him away.

Chen Yi was slightly taken aback, but he did not turn around and continued into the crowd.

………………

Like a sudden burst of light after passing through a dark willow grove, the scene before my eyes suddenly brightened up as soon as I stepped through the door. There were magnificent palaces and carriages, with carved beams and painted rafters. The maids and servants, dressed in light gauze and with graceful figures, came in an endless stream. They held jade plates and golden goblets in their hands, with smiles on their faces and their movements as light as smoke.

The air was filled with a lively scene and a captivating fragrance. An indescribable, rich aroma permeated the space—neither orchid nor musk, sweet enough to make one's heart itch, yet carrying a hint of stale, aged scent, like perfume buried deep underground for years. Together, they created a strange, intoxicating fragrance. The melodious strains of string and wind instruments were otherworldly, and deep within the spacious hall, dancers gracefully moved to the music, their movements exquisite, each step perfectly timed to the beat of the heart.

The scene was magnificent to the extreme, bustling and noisy to the utmost, resembling a paradise of heavenly bliss.

However, Chen Yi's heart sank little by little.

Those souls who lined up, dazed and confused, poured into this place. As soon as they entered this "paradise," the confusion and struggle on their faces quickly faded, replaced by a kind of obsessive, fervent joy. Like moths drawn to a flame, they rushed to the fine wine and delicacies, and thus remained here forever.

Chen Yi took a deep breath, memorizing these scenes. He had come here solely to investigate.

After surveying the terrain and finding a secluded corner, Chen Yi leaped forward and approached the interior of the palace.

He scaled the walls and rooftops of the bloated, twisted palace. His eyes darted like lightning as he rapidly memorized the false, opulent layout and the distribution of guards below, while simultaneously sketching out the interior of this demonic lair in his mind. Though the palace was vast, its structure possessed a strange, bloated, and twisted quality, as if it had been soaked in water. The pillars leaned, the eaves drooped low, and walking through it felt as if one were inside the entrails of some enormous monster.

Suddenly, just as he gracefully turned a corner with upturned eaves, Chen Yi abruptly stopped.

It wasn't that he heard any strange noises or saw any figures; it was that someone was following him.

The aura was concealed extremely well, appearing and disappearing like ink painting blending into the shadows, and it maintained a considerable distance, making it almost impossible to detect.

However, there was one thing that, no matter how well concealed, could not escape Chen Yi's perception: sword intent.

Chen Yi remained calm, paused slightly, and did not turn around.

Just as he started moving again, a sword light shot out from the shadows behind him!

This sword strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless!
He was an extremely skilled swordsman who sensed a hint of danger from Chen Yi's composure and immediately struck first.

The instant the sword light touched his body, Chen Yi twisted his waist violently, as if he had lost all weight, and spun to the side at an incredible angle! The sword blade almost grazed his clothes.

Clang!
Almost simultaneously with the dodge, Chen Yi's longsword was already drawn. There was no earth-shattering dragon roar, only a short metallic clang, and a streak of bright, white sword light flashed upwards, slashing with unparalleled precision towards the direction from which the sword light had come.

Chen Yi recognized the man; it was the black-clad guard who had been standing in front of the door earlier.

Ding!Ding!Ding!
In a flash, a series of rapid, crisp sounds, like a sudden downpour hitting banana leaves, exploded above the empty, twisted palace. Two figures leaped and darted among the staggered eaves and swollen beams, so fast that only two afterimages, one bright and one dark, remained.

The two exchanged several blows, neither gaining the upper hand, when Chen Yi suddenly heard the guard exclaim in surprise:

"Chen Zunming?!"

Min Ning?!
(End of this chapter)