401 - Woman washing clothes
Ye Qingyu could intuitively sense that Xing'er's blood had a mysterious effect. After it was tossed out, the seeping killing intent in the landscape all around all retreated, or perhaps it could be said that the killing formations hidden within this beautiful scenery fell into a half slumbering state.
Using fresh blood to open the way?
Ye Qingyu began to understand.
After walking forward for a bit.
A swathe of forest appeared.
In the tight and clustered forest, there was a slab trail heading up.
This little slab path was like it was natural. On the two sides of the trail, there were wildflowers. The silver white stone slabs connecting together seemed like there was a little snake travelling throughout the forest, that was slowly climbing up a gentle mountain slope.
The killing intent coming from the landscape all around once again gradually increased.
The feeling of being enveloped by such a killing intent, was extremely awful.
It was like this entire world was a painting scroll. Ye Qingyu and Xing'er were like two little worms lying on the painting scroll within it. An invisible force was currently distorting this beautiful scroll, and Ye Qingyu and Xing'er would also similarly be crushed into smithereens.
It was as if this piece of landscape would not allow the two to exist.
Xing'er once again let out a drop of blood.
The mysterious effect of that blood droplet once again spread around.
That terrifying killing intent once again retreated.
"Within the ancestral land, there is the most terrifying and absolute killing formation within. It was said that it was personally erected by the [Founding Heaven War God] when Snow Empire was founded. It can even kill experts at the Heaven Ascension stage. To enter here and not die, one must be the descendant of the Yu clan which has the Imperial blood running through them. Using such blood as a conveyor, it can reduce the killing intent of this formation..."
Xing'er gave a word of explanation.
"I can tell that already." Ye Qingyu calmly said, and asked again, "[Founding Heaven War God]? Who's he?"
"Oh, he's a figure that is not even very well recorded in the scrolls of the Imperial family," Xing'er said. "He was once a person that I was extremely interested in. It was said that the reason the Snow Empire was able to run rampant across so many sects was because of the martial ability of this person. With a sweep of his hand, he suppressed countless old monsters of the sects. However, it was a pity that his legend disappeared, and only left three great sword mantras behind..."
"Three great sword mantras?"
Ye Qingyu's heart moved.
He instantly thought of the War God mentioned by Dugu Quan.
Could they be the same people?
To be able to leave the three great sword mantras behind, as well as participate in arranging such a terrifying landscape killing formation for the ancestral land of the Imperial Yu clan. Such a existence, just how prodigious and peerless was he? To be able to suppress all the old monsters of the age of sects with a swipe of his hand? This seemed like a complete fairytale.
But at this time, Ye Qingyu already could not pay attention to such things.
Because as they entered deeper into the ancestral land of the Yu clan, the brass military badge became increasingly hot in his hands. It was like red hot coal, causing Ye Qingyu's mood to grow more and more unsettled. As they constantly neared, the heat of the heroic military badge continued to increase.
This meant the path Xing'er took was coming nearer and nearer to the Offering Temple.
After fifteen minutes, when Xing'er had shed the sixth drop of blood, and the killing intent had disappeared, the brass badge in Ye Qingyu's palm had already began humming and vibrating soundlessly.
Such a feeling, was as if a slumbering vagabound was finally able to return to his home. Ye Qingyu could clearly sense that impatience originating from the brass military badge.
But at that time, Xing'er finally halted her footsteps.
"We're here."
She turned her head to regard Ye Qingyu.
The Ye Qingyu who had fallen into deep thought finally lifted his head. They had already reached the end of the path.
He evaluated his surroundings.
The end of this little stone path was the Imperial Offering Temple. It's scale was not as vast as imagined. It was only like a courtyard residence that could not be counted as too large within the greenery and landscape.
The area of this courtyard was around two or three acres. From its decoration, it was not fashioned in the classical imperial style, but more like some courtyard of some rich wealthy local family. There was a golden rivet mahogany door, and red bricks and green-glazed tile at the side of the stairs. The white walls were clean and bright, without the slightest hint of dust. The building was delicate and refined, with a vermillion red pillar and intricate scenery surrounding it.
The courtyard lay on a flat of a depression in the mountain.
At the rear of the courtyard, there was a ten-meter-wide waterfall rumbling downwards like a white chain into a pool hundreds of meters below. Mist spread around everywhere, causing rainbows to be formed in the air, creating a delightful scene.
"Where is this?" Ye Qingyu was curious. "Did you not say we were going to go to the Offering Temple?"
"Offering Temple? When did I say this?" Xing'er began laughing as if she had just played a prank. "I said part of the Ancestral Hall of the Imperial family. This place is also a part of the Ancestral Hall. We have already arrived. Haha, I forgot to tell you, the Offering Temple is too central. Even I can't enter.”
Ye Qingyu was speechless
The brass heroic military badge in his hand was increasingly scorching hot. It was about to reach some sort of threshold. But it was at this particular moment, it stopped just like that. Ye Qingyu's heart was like there was a kitten scratching at it, it was extremely itchy.
But he knew that today he had no way of entering the Offering Temple.
If not for the fact there was the blood of the Imperial family running through Xing'er's body, with his current cultivation, not to mention trespassing, he would not even have walked a few steps in this killing formation before being smash to smithereens.
Feeling disappointed, Ye Qingyu stowed away the brass military badge.
However, he had understood the lay of the land and experienced the ancestral land of the Imperial family. This could be counted as a great gain. If he wanted to come again in the future, then he would not have to figure things out blindly, and could prepare some things in advance.
"I've brought you here to see two people.”
Xing'er's mood seemed to have turned for the better. Bouncing up the stone steps, she knocked on the door.
Ye Qingyu also followed up the steps.
Since he had no way of entering into the Offering Temple, then he would just go along with the flow and not think about other matters.
The courtyard building in front of them could fit several hundred people. But it was strangely quiet, without any noise sounding out, as if there was no one inside at all. Ye Qingyu was suspicious, that this was only a branch of the Offering Temple, and what contained within was stuff like ashes...
Then why did Xing'er knock on the door?
Creak!
The main door did not open.
But the side door opened.
But no one came out.
The door opened automatically.
Xing'er excitedly jumped up and down where she was. "It's open, it's open. quickly follow me inside. Hey, this time you're accompanying me, you just need to follow beside me. Remember, this place is terrifying, you must mind your words. If you say something wrong, you will be forced to remain here forever. Don't blame me for not reminding you..."
As they finished, they entered through the door at the side.
Ye Qingyu did not know whether to laugh or cry as he followed behind her.
As they stepped past the boundary, there was greenery and shrubbery inside.
There was not too great a difference from the layout of a normal family courtyard. It was only that it seemed that it had been a long time since anyone had refurbished anything, or perhaps the master liked a natural aura from the courtyard. There were weeds all around, and nameless wildflowers blooming around. One could faintly see weeds in the crevices between the stone tiles...
The courtyard was silent as if no one lived here at all. There was no one to be seen at all.
But on the rack next to the Chinese parasol tree, there were several pieces of clothing that seemed to have been recently washed. There was a faint fragrance floating in the air, and at the bottom corner of the clothing, there were clear transparent droplets of water falling to the ground. It indicated that there really was someone living here.
Seeing that Xing'er had quickly shut her mouth, Ye Qingyu felt confused.
Why was there such a place appearing in the ancestral land of the Imperial Yu family. There were little signs of a person living here, and it seemed to have been a residence that had been abandoned for a long time, with only a few female servants patiently waiting...
Walking past the front of the courtyard, and going through a corridor above water, there was another courtyard building.
Next to the flowing water, there was the the sound of splashing water.
There was a woman wearing plain white, that was currently sitting on the stone steps next to the water. Her back was bent washing clothes, her hair that was like silk cascading down, blocking her full face. From Ye Qingyu's angle there was no way of telling just what she looked like, but the white jade-like skin exposed by her sleeves and her intricate fingers that were currently holding a branch of the Chinese parasol tree as she washed, had an inexplicable charm.
The sensation this gave off was extremely elegant. She seemed to be a female goddess or female empress that was high up and mighty, surveying the mortal world, and not a person washing clothes.
“Aunt Heng'er?"
Xing'er walked over. This was the first time she was so timid, as she tentatively asked.
Even when she had directly faced the Apex Prince Yu Feiyan, this spoiled princess had never shown such an attitude. Ye Qingyu could not help but be curious. Just who was this woman washing clothes?
"You are little Xing'er?"
Hearing Xing'er's call, the woman washing the clothes finally lifted her head with a smile. Her right hand that still had water droplets fixed her long black hair cascading downwards, her movement natural and smooth. Slightly lifting her head, she smiled, "Counting the time, it was about time that you arrived. Was it not said that you would come alone, why have you brought a little tail?"
When she lifted her head, Ye Qingyu could finally see this elegant woman's face.
it was a face...
Oh, it was a dignified and composed face.
Ye Qingyu seemed to have been slightly disappointed at this moment.
This face was approximately in her twenties. Her skin was white like jade. But solely from the perspective of a woman's face, her face could not be counted as that intricate. You would not be stunned by her beauty at one instant, and could only be counted as average. Compared to the bent waist and that cascading black hair, it caused a sensation that this face was not fit for a person with such skin, body and aura.
It was as if this face completely spoiled all the invocations of beauty in Ye Qingyu's heart the instant her head was lifted.
But without knowing why, when the woman smiled, her originally normal features, suddenly emitted an indescribable warmth. there was a charm that Ye Qingyu did not know how to describe. At that moment, it was as if something fiercely struck Ye Qingyu's heart.
"That smile...."
Ye Qingyu stood dumbly where he was.