Ein Reisender, der alle Himmel und unzählige Welten durchquert

Kapitel 76

Yuwen Luo was very busy visiting each of the small houses every day to keep records.

Ning Lang was quite content, spending his days recuperating from his injuries, practicing martial arts, visiting Lan Qi, and talking to her.

Song Gen and Xie Mo were caught up in sparring with Mei Hongming and Hua Qinghe, and spent their days dodging Tao Luo Men's hidden weapons and enduring the Hua family's "Hundred Flowers Bloom" palm strikes, which was quite arduous.

While practicing their skills, Hua Fushu, Qiu Hengbo, and the other female warriors also chatted about the young heroes in the valley, or shared their girlish thoughts, which made them very happy.

As for those who followed Qingchen and his sect, they rarely went out, so naturally, no one in the valley would bother them.

By the time all the heroes had recovered from their injuries, it was December 8th.

That day, the valley was unusually quiet. Even Yuwen Luo, who loved to gossip and shout, stayed indoors to practice his skills and recuperate. That night, after the heroes had dinner, they all took out their weapons, polished them until they gleamed, and then went to bed early.

The next day, December 9th, at dawn, the imperial heroes set off from the valley and headed north.

At 9:00 AM, the heroes arrived at the southern peak of the Northern Palace in the Eastern Sea.

The South Peak still stands tall and majestic, the trees at its base remain the same, and the stone houses stand there. There is no sign of anything unusual, nor can one smell any trace of blood.

The fierce battles that once took place, and the hundreds of lives lost, have left no trace here.

At the foot of South Peak, the heroes stood solemnly, preparing to face the unknown situation that was about to unfold, or perhaps an even greater battle than before.

The heavy stone gates ahead opened, and the experts from the Eastern Sea stood on either side, in a welcoming posture.

"Let's go." Ming Er waved his sleeves and stepped onto the stone steps with an air of nonchalance.

“This time, Yun Wuyai has learned how to treat guests.” Lan Qi tapped her jade fan and walked alongside him.

The heroes followed closely behind.

That night, I didn't get a good look at it, but now, under the bright winter sun, I can finally see the cluster of stone houses at the bottom of the winding peak.

All the buildings are built along the mountainside, with simple yet grand architecture. They are built layer upon layer, yet they also appear complex and profound. A stone staircase leading straight to the summit winds its way through the many stone gates.

After the heroes passed through, the stone gates closed one after another, and the Dongming masters, standing with their swords drawn, all had solemn expressions.

"Is Yun Wuyai planning to trap us like a turtle in a jar?" Yuwen Luo couldn't help but whisper to Ning Lang.

Ning Lang glanced back at the closed stone door and said, "Don't worry, the Second Young Master and the Seventh Young Master dared to agree to Young Master Yun's request, they must have made preparations."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Luo didn't know whether to laugh or sigh, wondering what made Ning Lang trust Ming Er and Lan Qi so much.

They climbed up the stone steps, turned many bends, and passed through the stone houses on the mountainside that had once imprisoned them and brought them unprecedented torment. Finally, they reached the summit.

At the summit, they stood on a stone platform that could accommodate hundreds of people. Before the platform were stone houses built into the mountainside in a layered fashion. Unlike the rugged simplicity at the foot of the mountain, these stone houses had roofs and eaves carved or decorated with various birds and beasts, and colorful flowers and trees planted in front of the platform and below the steps, making them much more delicate and beautiful. Behind them were the stone steps they had just climbed, and stone railings surrounded the platform on both sides, beyond which were steep and precipitous mountain walls.

Standing atop the peak, the mountain wind rustled, their clothes fluttered, and they could look down upon the Dongming Islands and the myriad worlds, gaze into the distance at the vast and boundless sea, and look up at the clear blue sky with flawless white clouds. For a moment, all the heroes felt a sense of elation, as if they were above all living beings and had the whole world at their fingertips.

"The scenery here is truly exceptional." Lan Qi turned his head to look around. On the opposite side, the North Peak stood tall and majestic, and one could clearly see the magnificent palaces on the peaks, with people moving about. They seemed so close that they could almost touch them, but in reality, they were more than a hundred feet away.

“That’s why talented people like high places.” Ming Er smiled, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"It's so high, if you fall, you'll be smashed to pieces." Yuwen Luo ran to the edge of the platform and craned his neck to look down.

"Big brother, be careful." Ning Lang pulled him further in to prevent him from accidentally falling.

Mei Hongming then surveyed the distances in all directions to see which angle the hidden weapon couldn't reach.

Hua Qinghe silently gazed at the multi-story stone house in front of him, wondering if people from the imperial martial arts world were also imprisoned there.

Xie Mo and Song Gen wondered how their senior brother was doing.

"Where is Yun Wuyai?" This was the question on the minds of the heroes.

"I wonder what his intentions are in inviting us here?"

"Since the Second Young Master and the Seventh Young Master dared to agree, they must have a foolproof plan."

As they were talking, the stone gate in front opened, and a person stepped out and stood on the eaves of the corridor. He was tall and slender, with a calm and dignified demeanor. He was none other than Yun Wuyai, the young master of Dongming. Qu Huailiu and Wan Ai followed behind him.

As soon as he appeared, everyone in the building turned their attention to him.

"Yun Wuyai has been waiting for you all for a long time," he said, bowing slightly.

The heroes remained silent, except for the Second Young Master Ming, who stood at the forefront, who smiled and returned the greeting with clasped hands.

"Young Master Yun's promise has been kept by all the officials of the Imperial Court. We just wonder what Young Master Yun's plans are?"

Yun Wuyai said, "No rush, please meet with your old friends first."

After he finished speaking, footsteps were heard coming from behind the stone gate, and then a master from the Eastern Sea strode out carrying a chair on his shoulder. The person sitting on the chair was none other than Ming Kong, the number one martial artist in the Imperial Dynasty.

"Master Ming!"

"Sect Leader Ming!"

Before the exclamations of the heroes could subside, another expert from the Eastern Sea Sect emerged from behind the stone gate, also carrying a chair on his shoulder. Seated in the chair was none other than Qi Shier, the Palace Master of the Guardian Palace. Several more people followed, each carrying a chair: Qiu Changtian, Nan Wofeng, Yuwen Lindong, Feng Yi, Ren Qi, and Lie Chitang. The Eastern Sea Sect experts easily spread their chairs across the eaves, then gently set them down on the ground.

"So I really was invited as a guest," Lan Qi said with a smile, glancing at Feng Yi before looking away.

"I wonder where Brother Lie has gone." Ming Er's gaze swept over the people on the eaves, but Lie Chifeng was nowhere to be seen.

“Perhaps…” Lan Qi’s green eyes flashed, and she said in a low voice, “With this young master Yun’s intelligence, he must be well-versed in the art of managing people.”

Ming Er's brow twitched, then he nodded and said softly, "Everyone knows the power of the 'Blazing Sun Divine Blade,' but they don't know..."

"What did you do to Master Ming and the others?!"

"What despicable tricks have you used this time?!"

Upon seeing Mingkong and the others being carried out, the heroes were reminded of the torture and humiliation they had suffered, and their emotions were immediately stirred with indignation.

"Sect Leader Ming, Hero Qiu, are you injured?"

The heroes all asked Mingkong and the others with concern.

Mingkong shook his head, slightly raised his hand, and then lowered it again. But with just this small gesture, the heroes fell silent and watched Mingkong quietly.

"Thank you all for your concern. We are just feeling weak and not injured. However, I, Ming, have failed to live up to your expectations and feel deeply ashamed."

Ming Kong's voice was extremely light, and his eyes were weak and listless, clearly indicating that he had little strength. After he finished speaking, Qi Shier, Qiu Changtian, Nan Wofeng, Yuwen Lindong, and Lie Chitang all nodded, while Feng Yi only glanced at Lan Qi before lowering his head and looking down, remaining silent and indifferent as always.

Upon hearing this, the heroes understood. They must have been drugged by Dongming, just like they had been before, and the drug was probably even stronger than what they had taken. Seeing that their clothes were clean and tidy, and that they seemed to have no injuries, they were relieved.

"Fortunately, Father is alright," Yuwen Luo murmured. But thinking of his deceased brother, his heart ached, and he dared not look up at the corridor again, afraid of seeing his father, and even more afraid that his father would ask about his brother.

When Lan Qi's gaze swept over Ren Qi, a strange smile suddenly appeared on her lips. "What about you, Senior Brother Ren?"

Ming Er glanced at Lan Qi, his eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything.

Lan Qi's question immediately drew everyone's attention to Ren Qi. Seeing that his eyes were bright and his complexion was much better than Ming Kong's and the others, they couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Those few who knew the truth, such as Yuwen Luo, understood that Ren Qi had taken so many "Phoenix Robe Pills" that he was immune to all poisons, so neither Dongming's poisons nor sleeping potions would likely work.

"My acupoints have been sealed," Ren Qi said helplessly.

"Oh?" Lan Qi blinked her emerald eyes, seemingly still having some questions.

This question also crossed the minds of all the heroes. For a top-tier master, sealing acupoints can be easily broken in an hour or two. Could it be that Dongming had been sealing his acupoints continuously for the past few months? And with his martial arts skills, if his full power were intact, would he just let himself be slaughtered like this?

Under the questioning gazes of everyone, Ren Qi's originally calm face suddenly turned embarrassed.

"Young Master Yun, sealing acupoints for a long time will cause poor blood circulation and even paralysis. Isn't your treatment of Senior Brother Ren worse than torture? It's really too much!" Lan Qi accused Yun Wuyai with righteous indignation.

Upon hearing this, Ning Lang became extremely anxious and looked at Ren Qi with concern, asking, "Senior Brother, are you alright?"

Only Yuwen Luo looked at Lan Qi with suspicion.

The other heroes shared the same sentiment upon hearing this.

Some shouted, "This is inhumane!"

Some shouted, "Quickly release Young Hero Ren's pressure points!"

Ren Qi, sitting under the eaves, inwardly groaned, trying to recall what he had done to offend this Seventh Young Master Lan. In fact, they had only met twice, once on Ying Mountain and once at the Xicheng Restaurant. He couldn't believe he had wronged the Seventh Young Master Lan either time. Little did he know, Lan Qi didn't need a reason to make someone sad; she only needed to make them happy.

Listening to the clamor of the heroes of the Imperial Dynasty below, Yun Wuyai frowned slightly, glanced at Lan Qi, who was full of indignation, and Ming Er, who was leisurely, and then turned to look at Qu Huailiu and nodded.

Qu Huailiu stepped forward and raised his voice: "Gentlemen, my young master has always respected the martial arts and character of these seniors and young heroes sitting on the eaves, and has been treating them well these days. However, their martial arts are really too high, so we have no choice but to temporarily make them unable to move. Apart from that, there is no disrespect in the slightest. All of you here can testify to this."

Hearing his words and seeing that the people on the eaves did not deny it, the heroes felt somewhat relieved. In their hearts, any insult to Mingkong would be far more unbearable than being slapped in the face.

They only represent an individual or a faction, but Mingkong represents the face and dignity of the entire imperial martial arts world.

"As for this young hero Ren Qi..." Qu Huailiu turned to look at Ren Qi.

"What? Why aren't you releasing his pressure points?!" someone shouted.

"We didn't seal his acupoints all the time. It's just that no medicine was effective on him, so we were missing a piece of clothing among the things we were serving him. And the people serving outside were our Dongming beauties," Qu Huailiu said slowly.

The room fell silent.

Then I understood everything.

To put it bluntly, Qu Huailiu stripped Ren Qi naked and threw him into a room, while a group of women guarded the outside.

If a person has no clothes to cover their body, how dare they appear in public?

Given Ren Qi's background and upbringing, he would never dare to go out naked, let alone with a group of beautiful young women surrounding him outside.

Then, a series of "pffts!" sounds rose and fell from the crowd, followed by a clear and charming laugh, which belonged to Lan Qishao. Immediately, many people also laughed out loud, but they did not dare to be as unrestrained as Lan Qishao. They just lowered their voices, but the sound was still loud enough with so many people.

On the eaves, Ren Qi lowered his head, his face flushed, wishing he could disappear immediately.

Among the crowd, Qiu Hengbo, Hua Fushu, and others found it both amusing and embarrassing, and dared not look at Ren Qi again, even though he was now dressed neatly.

Mingkong, Qiu Changtian, and the others couldn't help but chuckle. Although they were all imprisoned together at the summit, they were all alone and didn't know the situation of others. They really hadn't expected Ren Qi to be in such a predicament.

"Sigh, it turns out our senior brother is even worse off than us." Song Gen and Xie Mo sighed.

“Your senior brother is much luckier than us,” Yuwen Luo said to Ning Lang, unable to hide his smile.

“This…” Ning Lang was speechless.

"Absolutely amazing!" Lan Qi clapped his hands in praise.

Ming Er glanced at him and said, "Seventh Young Master, do you feel like we've known each other for a long time?"

“Heh…” Lan Qi shook her head. “Yun Wuyai’s move is ruthless and vicious, but it’s only effective against a gentleman like Ren Qi. If it were the Second Young Master…” She turned her head and glanced at Ming Er with her green eyes. “In the end, I’m afraid all those beauties will just be left with nothing but clothes.”

"Then... I wonder how it would work on Seventh Young Master?" The Second Young Master Ming used the same tactic against him.

"Well..." Lan Qi's emerald eyes shimmered with a captivating light as she whispered in his ear, "Would the Second Young Master like to try it himself?"

"..." Young Master Ming paused for a moment, then smiled elegantly, "It's not impossible."

"..." Lan Qishao was speechless, then smiled and said, "I'll be waiting."