"Damn it, we're here for the general's tomb. So, do you know or not? Give us an answer." Commander Luo couldn't stand the two of them beating around the bush anymore. He directly cursed and revealed his target. Lu Xuan glanced at him. This guy was rough on the outside but shrewd on the inside. He seemed clueless, but he was actually quite clever, not much less so than Chen Yulou.
"You should have said that earlier. It's a pity I've never been to Ping Mountain." Lu Xuan's words infuriated the group. Hong Guniang, standing to the side, immediately rebuked him.
"I don't know what you're laughing at. You're talking like you know everything."
"I don't know, but the child beside me knows the way." Lu Xuan stared at the angry face of the girl in red, lost in thought.
With a whoosh, a cold glint grazed Lu Xuan's scalp. It was a throwing knife, grazing his face and embedding itself in the wooden wall behind him. However, Lu Xuan seemed not to see it, still staring at the red girl's face. With his sharp eyesight, he could identify her target before she even made a move. Naturally, he wasn't worried about being hit.
"You're still looking..." Red Girl shouted angrily, and another throwing knife appeared in her hand.
"A girl is naturally beautiful; isn't she meant to be seen?"
"If you look again, I'll gouge your eyes out."
"That wouldn't be nice. I want to keep these eyes open to see more." *Whoosh*... Before Chen Yulou could speak, Hong Guniang attacked again. This time, it was a real strike aimed at Lu Xuan's shoulder. While not fatal, it certainly had the intent to harm.
The next second, however, Chen Yulou and the others discovered that the throwing knife that had been aimed at Lu Xuan was now in Lu Xuan's hand. At a distance of just a table, even Chen Yulou couldn't have caught the knife thrown by Hong Guniang. But this hunter surnamed Lu seemed to be playing around, casually picking up the knife in his hand. No one had even seen what happened.
After a long while, Chen Yulou finally spoke with a complicated expression.
"Brother Lu, your skill is impressive. May I ask which school you belong to?"
"Don't even think about it, we're not on your side. The famous leader of the Unloading Ridge Sect, Chen Yulou, would naturally never have heard of an unknown like me. But Miss Hong's Moon Gate throwing knife skills are quite rare."
The Moon Gate is an ancient school of magic and illusion. It blends elements of illusion, acrobatics, and martial arts. It possesses eight key techniques: sticking, swaying, combining, passing, moon, separating, chasing, and opening. Mastery requires rigorous training from a young age, enduring all sorts of unimaginable hardships. Once mastered, one can use these skills to make a living through magic tricks, or to deceive and kill.
“Brother Lu, we may not be on the same side, but Brother Lu is exceptionally skilled and surely no ordinary person. You also recognize our identities. How about we cooperate? If there are any treasures, you, Brother Lu, will also get a share.”
Lu Xuan played with the throwing knife in his hand, pondered for a moment, and then said...
“I have no interest in the treasures you see. But I really want to go to the Ping Mountain Tomb. Although I have never actually been there, I have learned about it through other means. If you want to disturb the Ping Mountain Tomb, you should be prepared to suffer heavy losses and even lose your lives.”
"Slap! Damn it, you think I'm easily scared? I, Commander Luo..."
"This is different from leading troops into battle. There are no bullets and shells there. There are poisonous insects, ferocious beasts, traps and mechanisms. In that case, you might die without even knowing how you died."
"You..." Commander Luo froze. He really did only know these kinds of things. And he didn't have any talent like that under his command, which was why he dragged Chen Yulou along.
"Brother Lu, don't worry. Now that you know what we do, you should also know that our Unloading Ridge lineage has some tricks up our sleeves. Just leave these dangers to us."
Chen Yulou finally understood. The Miao people were xenophobic and rarely discussed matters of Old Bear Ridge with them. This child was easy to talk to and knew the way. However, the child also listened to Lu Xuan. Therefore, he still needed to win over Lu Xuan.
"Since Chen Kui has said so, it would be rude of me to refuse. How about this, let's make some preparations today and set off tomorrow."
"It's still tomorrow, I think we should leave now." Commander Luo couldn't wait a moment longer. But Lu Xuan glanced at him.
"The further you go into the Old Bear Ridge area, the more dangerous it becomes. It's not just the poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts; there's also miasma that seals off the mountain. Without preparation, no matter how many people go, they'll all die. Chen Kui, you must trust me. Let's wait one more night and make preparations before we go."
“Brother Lu is right. We are not familiar with things in these mountains. We will have to ask Brother Lu for more guidance.”
"No problem. Prepare plenty of lime, sulfur, and strong liquor, as well as strips of cloth to cover the mouth. As for the rest, you are all experts, so I won't go into too much detail."
After Lu Xuan finished speaking, he walked up to Hong Guniang and handed her the throwing knife.
The young woman in red glanced up at him, somewhat annoyed, and reached out to catch the throwing knife. But the instant her hand touched the knife, everyone felt a blur before their eyes. When they looked again, they saw that the throwing knife had somehow transformed into a sachet. Even from two meters away, Chen Yulou could smell a faint, yet lingering, medicinal fragrance emanating from the sachet.
"This is... the Moon Character Technique? You're also from the Moon Sect?"
"Not really, just... a little bit."
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Chapter 185 I'll be right back (Second update, please subscribe)
The medicine pouch that Lu Xuan gave him was a top-tier product, crafted from dozens of precious medicinal herbs he collected in the mountains, combined with various ancient and secret formulas. While the claim of bringing the dead back to life and curing all ailments is nonsense, it is undeniably excellent at repelling mosquitoes, neutralizing miasma, and calming the mind. It's absolutely essential for venturing deep into the mountains and forests.
When Commander Luo heard how good this thing was, he said he wanted to buy one too. However, Lu Xuan shut him down with a single sentence.
"Gifts are given only to beauties."
.............
Chen Yulou and his group naturally stayed at Lu Xuan's bamboo house. The reason was simple: to keep an eye on Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan didn't mind, giving his bedroom to Hong Guniang while he meditated in the outer room. As for the others, they could sleep on the floor. Why would Lu Xuan, who himself didn't sleep in a bed, give them one?
Lu Xuan's meditation attracted Chen Yulou's attention.
When Lu Xuan opened his eyes, Chen Yulou stepped forward to strike up a conversation.
"What kind of skill is Brother Lu practicing?"
"Ape Strike Technique".
"Ape Strike Technique." Chen Yulou pondered these three words, without any related memories flashing through his mind.
"Judging from Brother Lu's deep breath and gleaming eyes, he must have already mastered his skills." Chen Yulou's martial arts prowess was among the best of the ordinary. Crucially, he possessed innate night vision, his eyes possessing a certain spirituality. When Lu Xuan meditated, drawing upon the primordial energy of heaven and earth, he could faintly see certain blurry phenomena.
"It's alright, I've made some progress."
"Congratulations, Brother Lu! I'll definitely like to see your skills sometime."
"The opportunity will come soon," Lu Xuan said meaningfully. Chen Yulou also seemed to be thinking about it. The two fell silent. Just then, the door to the inner room opened, and Hong Guniang came out.
"Can't sleep? Let's go for a walk." She said irritably when she saw Lu Xuan and Chen Yulou looking at her.
“It’s dark outside, I’ll stay with you, young lady,” Lu Xuan said, ignoring Chen Yulou’s eye roll. He then followed her.