Book 4: Chapter 76: Fire Calabash
Book 4: Chapter 76: Fire Calabash
Now that Li Shenji and Ye Shenzhen knew Gongyang Sheng’s location, they started making their moves.
At the same time, this information reached Long Shenwu and Sima Changkong.
When the two heard Ye Shenzhen’s account, they felt at a loss as well.
“Princess Wanyu? We searched for so long to no avail. To think she found him with just a thought?” Sima Changkong said with a bitter smile.
“Long Wanyu? Ha!” Prince Shenwu revealed a bitter expression.
“Indeed. No matter what, Mister Gu and Princess Wanyu found Gongyang Sheng’s rough location after working together. He is in Bat Valley to the west of the city. I have already brought this information to you two. As for how to find him, that’s up to you,” Ye Shenzhen said seriously.
Prince Shenwu nodded.
“Are there any movements from Li Shenji?” Sima Changkong asked curiously.
Ye Shenzhen nodded. “His Holy Eminence said that saving Gongyang Sheng would be a major contribution. Mister Sima should understand that even clearer than me. How can Li Shenji not know?”
“A major contribution is like having a death-exemption token. Barring the crime of betraying the nation, it would save one once from the death penalty in the Qian Nation. How could Li Shenji let it slip through his fingers?” Prince Shenwu said.
“That’s right. The entire Divine Strategy Battalion has been mobilized, scouting around Bat Valley to the west of the city. However, how could it be easy?” Ye Shenzhen nodded.
“It is not just that. This time, the Bat Ancestor is furious. If not for Imperial Emperor Xi Yu, he would have erupted in rage long ago. As long as the Qian Nation envoys approach, he will want to flay their skins and pull out their tendons immediately. Furthermore, the vampires and bat spirits stay around Bat Valley; all of them are the Bat Ancestor’s trusted people. How could they let any outsiders approach?” Sima Changkong shook his head.
“Indeed. That’s why this matter is so tricky. That’s why we could not find his location until today. Princess Wanye and the others are acting overtly, while you are acting covertly. I hope you can save Gongyang Sheng as soon as possible.” Ye Shenzhen nodded.
“By the way, what are Gu Hai’s plans?” Sima Changkong asked out of curiosity.
“Hall Master Gu? Ha! Hall Master Gu did not do anything, so I don’t know,” Ye Shenzhen said with a bitter smile.
“You don’t know?”
“Indeed. While you could say that Hall Master Gu did not go searching, it was Hall Master Gu who worked with Princess Wanyu to find Gongyang Sheng’s location first. Now, Li Shenji has already mobilized his entire Divine Strategy Battalion. However, the people Hall Master Gu brought are touring around. They did not even search for Gongyang Sheng. Hence, I am somewhat unable to figure him out,” Ye Shenzhen said with a bitter smile.
“Gu Hai wants to protect Long Wanyu and keep her safe. That’s why he is reluctant to take risks,” Prince Shenwu said.
“Perhaps.” Ye Shenzhen nodded.
“Never mind. If he is not searching, then we will search ourselves. Bat Valley to the west of the city? We will think of a way to enter,” Prince Shenwu said.
——
Mo Residence:
After Gu Hai released Chang Ming, he did indeed not go searching for Gongyang Sheng.
It was as Prince Shenwu guessed. Gu Hai could not risk putting Long Wanyu in danger. No matter how important Gongyang Sheng was, how could he be more important than Long Wanyu? Major Metropolitan City was rife with danger. Who knew when an arrow might suddenly appear? He needed to keep his guard up.
After Chang Ming left, he did not return to cause more trouble.
Perhaps he had been overly stimulated over the past few days. Gu Hai just ignored him, going to the Mo Residence’s kitchen instead.
“I’m finally half full. This feels good.” Longevity rubbed his belly.
The Mo Residence servants who were continuously delivering food felt their knees go weak from fright.
You ate endlessly for several nights and days without stopping, and you are only half full?
Only the Mo Clan would be rich enough for you to eat your fill. If you were outside, you would eat up the rations of an entire army.
“Are you two not full yet? There is still more food in Mister Mo’s residence.” Gu Hai smiled.
Mo Yike smiled bitterly. He had tried speaking to the two over the past few days. However, his greatest gain was just finding out that these two could eat a lot—quite a lot.
While it would be fine for Mo Yike to maintain this upkeep for ten days or so, he definitely could not do so indefinitely. Where did such demons come from?
“We are stopping. We need to save space for something else,” Purple Subtlety said as he wiped his lips.
“Oh? The purpose of your trip to Major Metropolitan City, which you mentioned previously?” Gu Hai felt slightly startled.
Purple Subtlety and Longevity exchanged looks. After some silence, they nodded.
“Gu Hai, over the past few days, Longevity and I found that you are a friend worth making. We’ll bring you along to eat!” A gleam flashed in Purple Subtlety’s eyes.
“Eat what?” Mo Yike asked, feeling curious.
“Oh! That…it’s…nothing! Mister Mo, don’t you have things to do? You should get on with them,” Purple Subtlety said with a shrug.
Mo Yike showed a faint, bitter smile. It looks like I treated them to food over the past few days for nothing?
“That’s fine. Mister Mo, I’ll accompany Longevity and Purple Subtlety around Major Metropolitan City today. There’s no need to worry,” Gu Hai said with a bitter smile.
“Alright!” Mo Yike nodded.
Although Mo Yike felt somewhat curious about the food that the two gluttons mentioned, if the three did not bring him, it would not be good for him to take the initiative to join them.
“What good food? I want to go too!” Long Wanyu cried out.
Longevity and Purple Subtlety exchanged looks and thought for a while.
Purple Subtlety nodded and said, “Alright. You are Gu Hai’s little sister-in-law, so you are not an outsider. It will just be us four, no one else.”
“Alright, alright. That’s not a problem. Sima Feng, you lot wait in the city,” Long Wanyu immediately instructed.
Gu Hai remained silent for a while before eventually nodding.
Bing Ji and the others remained in the city while the group of four slowly made its way out of Major Metropolitan City.
——
In a corner of a city gate tower:
Archduke Xi Kang watched coldly as the four figures in the distance disappeared into the forest.
“Archduke, isn’t that the direction where you met that demon woman when you went to provide relief for the disaster, the place where those two gluttons sneak-attacked you?” one of the subordinates behind asked in surprise.
“Follow them. See where they are going,” Archduke Xi Kang instructed.
“Yes!” that subordinate answered.
——
Somewhere else:
“Follow them!” Mo Yike instructed his subordinates.
——
Elsewhere:
“Follow them!” the Chang Clan elders instructed as well.
——
When Gu Hai’s group left the city, it drew the attention of the various factions.
As Gu Hai’s group walked through the forest, many people followed.
However, Gu Hai’s group soon lost its tails.
——
Inside the mountain forest, Li Shenji looked sullenly at the subordinates before him.
“Battalion Commander, they entered a foggy region. Then, nothing.”
“Nothing?” Li Shenji frowned.
“Yes. We searched the surroundings for a long time, but there was nothing. There were no underground tunnels, either. We only discovered a group of vampires.”
Li Shenji narrowed his eyes slightly before eventually saying sullenly, “Never mind. They are looking for food. Let them do as they please. This is the west of the city. We still have things to do. Just ignore them. We are going to Bat Valley.”
“Yes!”
——
Gu Hai’s group managed to lose the tails from the various factions and arrived at a big tree.
“This is?” Gu Hai marveled.
“That old fogey set up this entrance back then. Only we know how to enter. Let’s go. That thing should ripen soon. We were preparing to enter previously, but we happened to see Archduke Xi Kang trying to shoot Fairy Waner, so we got delayed,” Purple Subtlety said excitedly.
Gu Hai nodded.
Long Wanyu did not sense any danger, so the four stepped into the tree, strangely passing through the wood, and appeared underground, where a long and narrow tunnel led south.
This tunnel was very long. As the four traveled through it, they walked for nearly two days, and they still had not reached the end.
——
However, the people outside went mad looking for them.
The subordinates of Mo Yike, Archduke Xi Kang, the Chang Clan, the Qin Clan, Li Shenji, and Yu Shenzhen searched the surroundings several times but failed to find anything.
It has been two days. Where did they go?
——
In the underground tunnel:
The four sensed that they were going increasingly deeper.
“Why have we not arrived yet?” Long Wanyu asked, feeling depressed.
“Soon, soon. There is one more day of walking,” Longevity answered.
As the group walked and made a turn, surging heatwaves rushed over.
“Huh?” Gu Hai appeared slightly suspicious.
The deeper the group went, the stronger the heatwaves.
Gu Hai activated his fire deity palace, absorbing the heatwaves as he walked. This made the heat more bearable for Long Wanyu.
Soon, another day passed. The four eventually reached the depths of the long and narrow underground passage.
A blue barrier blocked the entrance, the source of the heatwaves. Despite the blue barrier, the surging heatwaves still penetrated, going through the surrounding rocks and earth.
“This is very hot. The surrounding rock and dirt in this tunnel are already burned a fiery red. What exactly is in there?” Long Wanyu exclaimed.
At this moment, Gu Hai was already carrying Long Wanyu on his back while the fire deity in his body frantically absorbed the heat.
Longevity and Purple Subtlety did not seem to fear the heat. They walked up to that blue barrier together.
“The old fogey and we discovered it three thousand years ago. That old fogey laid this barrier, using one of his strongest treasures. Unfortunately, it looks like it will not last for much longer. Look inside.” Longevity pointed to the other side of the barrier.
“Oh?” Gu Hai looked through the translucent, blue barrier.
Boom!
An intense, surging flame burned inside. Blood roiled above the fire, continuously bubbling.
There was also plenty of blood below the fire but it was calm.
Strangely, an azure vine floated in the middle of the roaring fire. A completely red calabash grew out of the vine.
Despite the intense flame, the azure vine and the calabash did not get burned. The calabash only matured further.
“This is? Wait, that’s not right. Is the calabash giving off the fire? The fire here all came from the calabash?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows.
“Hey! Why does this calabash vine not have any roots? It is just floating in the air?” Long Wanyu felt astonished.
“Of course. The vine’s roots are not in the land of the living.” Excitement flashed in Longevity’s eyes.
“Oh? In the nether realm?” Gu Hai asked out of curiosity.
Previously, the century lifespan immortality peach tree’s roots were not in the land of the living, either.
“I don’t know. In any case, they are not here. Three thousand years ago, this calabash only just started growing. Now, it has finally matured. Haha! We can eat it now!” Longevity laughed excitedly.