The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 260: Peeling off the cocoon
Tong Qin led the way to the kitchen door and pushed open the slightly ajar wooden door.

A plump, white monk was busy in front of a pot. Hearing the sound, he turned around in surprise.

"Young master, my senior brother is steaming barbarian cakes," Tong Qin said.

Man Gao is also known as Man Tou or Man Tou, and in the Central Plains at that time it was called Chui Bing.

"Steamed manga cake." Zhao Ti nodded: "The food is good."

Tong Qin said, "Young master, please don't misunderstand. Our temple is poor and we don't use white flour. It's a mixture of coarse and mixed flours."

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "Mixed flour is more nourishing, while white flour is just for a smoother texture. Is it a whole pot of barbarian cake?"

Tong Qin nodded: "Bring them out together tomorrow morning, so we don't have to go through all that trouble later."

The plump, white monk approached with a slight bow, performed a Buddhist salute, and said, "Everyone..."

Tong Qin said, "Senior brother, it's still about Miss Mu. This young master is new here and came to take a look."

The plump monk said, "I see."

He glanced at Chu Wanli, whom he recognized, having visited many times before. Then, looking at Zhao Ti, he smiled wryly and said, "Young master, please feel free to look at whatever you like. We monks are also familiar with Miss Mu. Miss Mu often listens to Master's sermons, so we can be considered fellow disciples. We all hope that you can find Miss Mu as soon as possible."

"We're practically from the same sect..." Zhao Ti smiled. "This pot is quite big. Is it just for steaming barbarian cakes? Are there any other dishes?"

The plump monk replied, "Reporting to your question, young master, I cooked some mushrooms."

Zhao Ti glanced at an earthenware pot beside him. It was steaming, but the steam was faintly shimmering with a bright blue light. He couldn't tell if it was the sunlight shining in or something in the kitchen making the light.

"Is it almost done?" Zhao Ti asked.

"It's almost done," the chubby monk said with a forced smile.

Zhao Ti squinted at him and asked, "What is your name, monk?"

The plump, white monk whispered the Buddhist chant: "My Dharma name is Tong'an."

Zhao Ti said, "That one is called Tong Qin, and you are called Tong An. What's the other name?"

Tong Qin said from the side, "The one who went out to pick wild vegetables and fruits is the eldest brother, whose Buddhist name is Tongjiao."

Zhao Ti said, "This naming system is not related to any place in the Central Plains, nor is it found in Tibet, nor is it found in the original Western Xia."

Chu Wanli said, "There isn't one in Dali either. The Prince of Zhennan was puzzled at the time, saying that the origin of this temple was unknown, and it was probably a lineage that had been passed down from ancient times."

Zhao Ti said, "Those who are not truly isolated are not too rare. There are many in the Central Plains, and they are all called 'wild temples'."

Upon hearing this, Tong Qin hurriedly said, "Young master, my master said that we also have a lineage, and are not some wild temple."

Zhao Ti said, "Your master's name, Juefa, is acceptable, but it's broken here. Your master is also a lazy monk. The Dharma names he gave you weren't even worth pretending for. It's clearly the name of a remote mountain temple."

Tong Qin opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't find a reason, and was speechless for a moment.

The plump monk Tong An said, "What you say makes sense, young master. My master once sighed that the three of us had chosen our Dharma names arbitrarily, without any Buddhist principles behind them."

Zhao Ti smiled and glanced outside: "It's getting late, time for dinner."

Tong An said, "Our temple does not eat after noon, so it is indeed time for us to eat."

Zhao Ti nodded and said to those behind him, "Go tidy up and put the table for dinner. You must be tired from climbing the mountain. Eat your fill first."

Tong Guan and Zhu Chuyi immediately got to work. After going out for a while, they moved a table from somewhere and placed it in front of the door. Then they washed and rinsed the bowls and basins in the kitchen again and again. After that, they lifted the pot lid and began to fill the basin with Man Gao (a type of rice cake).

Tong Qin and Tong An stared in disbelief. Tong Qin said, "Young Master, do you want to eat too? If you eat everything, what will we, your fellow monks, eat?"

Tong Guan said, "Skipping one meal won't kill you." As he spoke, he reached for the mushrooms in the earthenware pot.

Tong An hurriedly stopped them, saying, "Esteemed benefactors, this mushroom is poisonous and cannot be eaten. We eat it regularly without any problems, but people from outside the mountains should not eat it casually."

Tong Guan said, "Could it be that they're afraid we'll eat it all, so they're making up lies to deceive us?"

Tong An hurriedly waved his hand: "That's not the case. This kind of mushroom is naturally bluish-green and has a name called 'Swallowing Year Blue'. After eating it, you may experience various hallucinations and not know where you are. In severe cases, it can be fatal. If you don't believe me, go ask the mountain dwellers and you'll find out."

“Swallowing the Green…” Zhao Ti pondered for a moment.

"Is it a blue mushroom?" Zhong Ling asked from the side. "This kind of mushroom is indeed poisonous. It's common in the mountains, and it's also found where I live. If it's not cooked properly, it can really poison you."

Zhao Ti smiled and asked, "How does it taste?"

Zhong Ling said, "It is indeed very delicious; I haven't tasted it in a long time."

Zhao Ti said to Tong Guan, "Bring them all over."

Tong Guan smiled broadly and agreed, filling several large bowls with mushroom soup.

Tong Qin murmured, "Being poisoned is not our fault. We have already reminded you all..."

The group then sat down at the table. Chu Wanli recognized the mushroom and said, "This mushroom needs to be kept for a long time and cooked over a strong fire to be safe. I don't know how long the temple has been working on it. However, it has internal energy and can neutralize the poison when it takes effect."

Then they started eating and drinking, finishing off the rice cakes, and everyone enjoyed a large bowl of mushroom soup before standing up.

The two monks looked grim, their stomachs rumbling. Tong Qin said, "The benefactors haven't left this humble monk a single bite..."

Tong Guan said, "Young monk, your cultivation is not up to par. I have heard that Buddha cut off his own flesh to feed eagles to benefit all living beings. How can you not even endure a meal of hunger? How can you become a Buddha like this?"

Tong Qin said, "I can bear it in my heart, but my stomach won't listen to me. I'm so hungry that my legs are weak and I feel dizzy all over..."

Tong An said, "Junior brother, don't panic, senior brother will steam another pot right away."

Tong Qin said, "I'm afraid that if I eat it again, I will break the precept of observing the midday meal."

Tong An sighed, "There's nothing I can do. All my years of cultivation have come to nothing. But I can't go hungry. My master isn't home anyway. I'll just have to make sure he doesn't find out when I get back."

Tong Qin said, "That's the only way..."

Seeing the two of them exchanging pleasantries, Zhao Ti said calmly, "Lead the way to your master's room."

Tong Qin said "Oh" and walked to the front. A few moments later, he arrived in the middle of a row of houses, opened the door and said, "Young master, this is my master's residence."

Zhao Ti went inside and found it to be very simple, with only a wooden table, an oil lamp, Buddhist statues and scriptures, and nothing else, which roughly matched the saying "ancient Buddha and green lamp".

He picked up the scriptures and flipped through them for a while, then looked at the Buddha statues. In addition to the Buddha statues, there were also guardian deity statues, which were images of the eight heavenly dragons and gods.

Zhao Ti frowned slightly. For some reason, Kufan ​​Temple was very obsessed with the Eight Legions. The Eight Legions of Heavenly Dragons were enshrined together with Nagarjuna Bodhisattva in the outer hall, and there was also a small statue of the God King in the abbot's room.

After observing for a while and finding nothing unusual, Zhao Ti wandered around the temple for a bit before saying, "Let's go to Wanqing's house."

This place has already been inspected twice by Duan Zhengchun, Huo Linglong, and others. The ground has been turned over for miles, but nothing was found. So there is indeed nothing hidden here. However, Zhao Ti felt that something was not right. This temple looked rather mysterious.

The group followed the path towards the mountain village. They had only gone halfway when Tong Guan exclaimed, "Your Highness, why did Black Rose follow us?"

Zhao Ti raised an eyebrow: "Where is Black Rose?"

Tong Guan exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness, Black Rose has turned into a young girl, and she's quite pretty, but she has a cold and aloof demeanor, and two dragon horns on her head... Oh no, oh no, why is she scattering flowers like a celestial maiden? That monk's mushroom must not be cooked properly, and I've been tricked."

Zhong Ling suddenly stopped and glanced at Zhao Ti, her cheeks slightly flushed: "I, I also saw some strange sights... I didn't cook the Devouring Year Green for long enough, so I had hallucinations."

Chu Wanli hurriedly said, "Everyone can use their internal energy to eliminate it. It is indeed an obstacle for ordinary people, but those with internal energy can still eliminate it."

At this moment, Zhao Ti saw many tiny monks, no bigger than a thumb, descending with colorful parasols, calling him "Great Freedom" and bowing to him with Buddhist gestures, their expressions respectful and solemn.

He thought for a moment, then slightly activated the Illusionary Yin Sutra. Not only did the little monks not disappear, but they all turned into golden bodies. Flowers rained down from the sky, golden lotuses sprang from the ground, and everywhere there were monks chanting the Great Freedom. Before his eyes, a world of supreme bliss and splendor had been transformed.

Zhao Ti frowned. Why hadn't the hallucination disappeared? Was it the hallucinogenic properties of the Illusionary Yin Scripture itself that reacted with the Devouring Year Green Mushroom?

He then activated the Eternal Youth and Longevity Technique, but the scene before him suddenly froze as his power circulated, and then, like a shattered mirror, it broke and vanished.

Seeing that the others had also recovered, Tong Guan wiped the sweat from his forehead with a grim expression: "Your Highness, I didn't expect the mushroom to be so poisonous. The hallucination was almost real."

Zhao Ti asked, "Why are you sweating so much?"

The others were no different; they had already stopped practicing their techniques. Only Tong Guan was drenched in sweat.

He said with lingering fear, "Your Highness, you may not know, but the dragon girl that Black Rose transformed into had a cold and aloof expression. With a flick of her jade hand in the wind, she produced a three-foot-long sword. She denounced me as a sycophant and said that I would sooner or later become a treacherous villain who would ruin the country. She said that it would be better to kill me with one sword."

Zhao Ti stroked his chin: "Illusions arise from the mind. Didn't you usually talk nonsense to the horses when you passed by the stables?"

“How dare I, your humble servant!” Tong Guan said, “When I see Black Rose, I always shower her with auspicious words and flatter her. I never imagined that in this illusion she would actually try to kill me…”

Zhao Ti smiled. Tong Guan had ambitions to climb the social ladder and was used to using flattery as a means to achieve them. This could be considered as having a sinister heart. He knew that doing so was a treacherous act, so he revealed his true feelings in the illusion. His worst fear came true: the characters in the illusion wanted to kill him, this treacherous minister.

"Let's go, stop overthinking."

He walked forward, and the others followed. After a while, they arrived at the dwelling of a mountain family. Zhong Ling led the way to the gate of a small courtyard. At this moment, a beautiful woman came out. She was pretty and delicate, with a fair face and cherry-red lips. Although she was middle-aged, she had a unique charm. Her features vaguely resembled Zhong Ling's. It was Gan Baobao.

“Mother…” Zhong Ling ran ahead, Gan Baobao asked with a worried look, “Ling’er, why did you go out by yourself?”

Zhong Ling said, "I'm going to Kufan ​​Temple to pray for Sister Wan'er, that's all."

Gan Baobao linked arms with Zhong Ling and said, "Your sister Wan'er had this accident after burning incense at a temple. Do you still dare to go to that place? Don't go out alone again."

Zhong Ling said, "Didn't you say it had nothing to do with the temple? I used to go out on my own, so why can't I go out now?"

Gan Baobao said, "This place is unusual, as you know... By the way, why is General Chu back? And who is this young master?"

As she spoke, she looked at Chu Wanli, then glanced at Zhao Ti.

Chu Wanli stepped forward and said, "Madam Gan, this is His Highness the Prince of Yan of the Great Song Dynasty. He has come personally to investigate the disappearance of Princess Yiqing."

"So it's His Highness Prince Yan." Gan Baobao's face flushed slightly. Although she was middle-aged, her shyness was no less than that of a young girl. She looked very gentle and graceful. She bowed and said, "Gan Baobao greets Your Highness."

Zhao Ti smiled slightly: "Madam, there's no need for such formalities."

Gan Baobao looked delighted and said, "Your Highness, please come in and talk. I will go and tell my senior sister so she can come out to greet you."

Zhao Ti nodded, and then Gan Baobao moved gracefully, turned around and went to the front of the house. The group had only walked a few breaths when a woman in dark clothes came out of the door.

The woman had a pointed face and long, thin eyebrows, and should have been very beautiful, but at this moment she was pale, very thin, and looked rather listless, as if her soul had left her body.

Gan Baobao followed behind and said as she approached, "Senior Sister, this is His Highness Prince Yan. He has come in person to find Wan'er."

Zhao Ti looked at the woman in front of him, and it was Qin Hongmian. He had seen her from afar when he parted ways with Mu Wanqing in Dali that day.

Qin Hongmian bowed and said, "Your Highness, this humble woman greets you, Your Highness..."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, a mixture of stubbornness and helplessness in them. Zhao Ti sighed softly and reached out to support her, saying, "Madam, there's no need for this. Now that I'm here, I'll find Wanqing and return to her. You can rest assured."

Gan Baobao handed over a silk handkerchief, and Qin Hongmian wiped her tears, saying, "It was a blessing that Wan'er met His Highness in her past life, but I never expected this to happen, and I don't even know where she has gone..."

Gan Baobao said, "Senior Sister, since His Highness said he would find Wan'er, you can rest assured. His Highness is a person of such status, he will surely be able to find her. Please invite His Highness into the house to sit down."

Qin Hongmian nodded: "Your Highness, my humble abode is simple. If Your Highness does not mind, please come in and rest. I will brew some tea for Your Highness."

Zhao Ti said, "What are you saying, Madam? Why are you showing any dislike? Let's go inside and talk."

Afterwards, everyone went inside and sat down. Zhao Ti looked around and saw that although the furnishings were simple, they were very warm and cozy, with a homey atmosphere.

After drinking a cup of tea, he said, "Where is Wanqing's room? I'd like to go take a look."

Qin Hongmian said, "I will show Your Highness around."

As she spoke, she got up and went to a room opposite. It was clearly a young woman's boudoir, with some unique and thoughtful decorations inside, including cut-out colorful flowers and embroidered brocade hanging on the walls.

Zhao Ti's gaze fell on the bed, where two bundles lay. Qin Hongmian, seeing this, said, "Wan'er packed these that day, including some of her childhood belongings, saying she wanted to take them with her. Then she went to Kufan ​​Temple to offer incense to the Bodhisattva, and never came back..."

Zhao Ti nodded, stayed in the room for a while, then returned to the hall and asked, "Where have Huo Linglong and the others searched?"

Chu Wanli said, "King Huo and his soldiers have probably advanced more than two hundred li into the mountains."

“More than two hundred li.” Zhao Ti nodded. The search has already taken quite a while, but two hundred li is still less than half of the mountain range. The mountain range is more than a thousand li long, and at this rate, it may take one or two years to finish searching.

Moreover, such a search is bound to miss some things. The longer it takes, the more likely the omissions will be. If nothing is found at first, most of the later efforts will be in vain.

He said to Zhu Chuyi, "Send a message to Huo Linglong ahead, saying that I have arrived and will be there tomorrow."

Zhu Chu nodded and asked Zhu Danchen to lead the way. The two of them went out and left.

Then Zhao Ti looked at Qin Hongmian and said, "I originally planned to go directly to the mountains today to check the situation, but it will be late by the time we get there. We still need to inspect some places here, so we will set off tomorrow."

Qin Hongmian said, "Your Highness, please don't be in a hurry. Let's get some rest for the night first."

Zhao Ti said, "No need to rest. I have already seen the lady. I'm going to go out and walk around to see if I can find any clues."

Qin Hongmian said, "This humble woman will accompany Your Highness."

Zhao Ti shook his head: "Madam, please stay here. I will take my men out."

"Then let me prepare dinner for Your Highness at home," Qin Hongmian said. "But the food in the mountains is simple and there's nothing fancy. I don't know if Your Highness will find it palatable."

Zhao Ti said, "That's alright, Madam, you're overthinking it. I've never been picky about these things."

“I… I’ll accompany Your Highness to see it. I’m already familiar with this area,” Zhong Ling said.

Qin Hongmian nodded upon hearing this: "Ling'er will follow Your Highness and guide you on your way."

Gan Baobao said, "That's good. Ling'er, remember not to go too far into the mountains and protect His Highness well."

Zhong Ling couldn't help but stick out her tongue: "Your Highness is highly skilled in martial arts, do you still need me to protect you?"

Gan Baobao said, "Ling'er, don't be naughty. His Highness's status is so precious. Remember to protect him and clear the way ahead."

Zhong Ling said, "I understand, Mother."

Afterwards, the group left the room and arrived at the courtyard gate, where they could see the Kufan ​​Temple in the distance. Zhao Ti said, "If Wanqing had encountered any villains on her way home from the Kufan ​​Temple that day, she would have made a sound, which could be heard from here."

Chu Wanli said, "That's true, but if..."

Zhao Ti said, "But if the opponent's martial arts are extremely high, they can subdue Wanqing and take her away without anyone noticing."

Chu Wanli said, "Your Highness is wise; that is indeed the case."

Zhao Ti shook his head: "Wanqing has a clean background and is not involved in any worldly interests. Moreover, in this desolate mountainous area, what kind of person with high martial arts skills could there be? Unless it's the monks of Kufan ​​Temple, but although that temple is a bit strange, it doesn't seem to be related to Wanqing's disappearance."

There are only three people who have a reason to attack Mu Wanqing: Duan Yanqing, the Crocodile God of the South China Sea, and Li Qingluo.

At this point, Li Qingluo could no longer pursue Mu Wanqing, and even if she sent people, they were not experts and had no chance of taking Mu Wanqing away quietly. As for Duan Yanqing and the Crocodile God of the South Sea, they were unaware of this place.

Chu Wanli said, "Your Highness means..."

Zhao Ti said, "Wanqing should have left on her own, or perhaps she was attracted by something and left; she wasn't kidnapped."

Zhong Ling asked, "But where can Sister Wan'er go?"

Zhao Ti looked at the path and slowly walked forward, followed by several people. After a while, they reached the middle of the path, which was a fork in the road. On one side was a road leading down the mountain, and on the other side was a path leading into the mountain.

He said, "If Wanqing was attracted by something, she should have turned around and left here. After all, we had already checked the area outside the road and there were no broken thorns or trampled flowers or plants."

Zhong Ling looked enlightened: "Your Highness means... that Sister Wan'er turned away from this fork in the road and went somewhere else?"

“That’s right.” Zhao Ti nodded. “She might have been attracted away, or she might have gone somewhere else on her own, but it’s more likely that she was attracted away, since Wanqing has already packed her things and plans to leave for Tokyo the next day.”

Chu Wanli said, "What Your Highness says is absolutely right; that is exactly the point."

Zhao Ti looked at the path leading down the mountain and into the mountains: "What do you think is attracting Wan Qingruo? Is it more likely that she's heading down the mountain or deeper into the mountains?"

“It seems more likely that we’ll head deeper into the mountains,” Zhong Ling pondered.

“It’s definitely more likely that she went into the mountains. If she was attracted by something, what would it be most likely?” Zhao Ti looked at Zhong Ling. The little girl’s eyes were bright and clear, and her face was fair with a hint of pink. She was very cute.

"Your Highness, what could be in these mountains that would attract Sister Wan'er? It's unlikely to be a human, so what kind of wild animal could it be?" Zhong Ling pondered.

Zhao Ti nodded slightly: "That's right. It's very likely that some strange and rare animal attracted Wanqing's attention, so she chased after it to investigate. But if it's an animal... it would definitely have run into the mountains when it ran away, not down the mountain."

He pointed towards the mountain path and said, "Wanqing must have gone into the mountains along this path that day."

"Your Highness has meticulously analyzed every detail, each link intricately connected; this is indeed the case," Chu Wanli exclaimed excitedly.

"But, but Sister Wan'er went into the deep mountains to chase after animals, but disappeared. Was she eaten by wild beasts?" Zhong Ling's expression changed drastically.

Zhao Ti slowly shook his head: "That won't be the case."

"Then why?" Zhong Ling asked anxiously, "If Sister Wan'er wasn't eaten by wild beasts, how come she's disappeared again?"

Zhao Ti said, "Wild beasts eat people but not clothes and weapons. If Wanqing had met with misfortune, she would have left something behind. Not to mention the distance, the soldiers and men must have searched the area within a hundred miles carefully, but there was no trace of her. They even emptied the beast's den but did not find any of Wanqing's belongings. This means that Wanqing was not eaten by wild beasts."

"But won't the wild beasts go to farther places to commit their crimes?" Zhong Ling asked, puzzled.

“Wild animals wouldn’t carry a person that far before eating them.” Zhao Ti shook his head. “It’s impossible for them to travel more than a few dozen miles, let alone more than a hundred miles. Most importantly, ordinary wild animals can’t hurt Wanqing at all. She has a hidden arrow in her sleeve, so even if a tiger or leopard were to injure her, it would be difficult.”

"Where did Sister Wanqing go?" Zhong Ling asked, her face showing doubt.

Zhao Ti gazed at the path leading into the mountains and slowly said, "Wanqing must have gone deep into the mountains in search of that thing, or perhaps she chased it out of the mountains from the other side..."

(End of this chapter)