"Although I immediately realized something was wrong and blocked my breathing, the fragrance was very strange. It could penetrate the protective aura, touch my skin, and quickly seep into my body."
"At first, nothing seemed amiss, but unexpectedly, as I circulated my Cultivation Method and my Law Power surged, just as I was about to slay that group of Bandit Cultivator, I sensed something was wrong."
At this point, Lu Mingxuan's embarrassment became even more apparent, but his tone turned icy.
"This poison is a kind of aphrodisiac, capable of clouding the mind and arousing desire. In a fit of shock and anger, I realized the danger and knew that if I were to be controlled by this poison, the consequences would be unimaginable. I could only fly away while simultaneously circulating my internal Cultivation Method to suppress the poison."
"They were also chasing after us, and as for what happened afterward... you should know the details, Junior Brother Chen."
Chen Shuangbai nodded slightly, trying to keep her expression calm so as not to embarrass Lu Mingxuan.
Fortunately, Lu Mingxuan was also a disciple of the Empty Sword Sect, and his temperament was up to par; he regained his composure after a short while.
He bowed to Chen Shuangbai again.
Chen Shuangbai also took out his Jade Spring Disciple Jade Token, poured his Law Power into it, and the token flew into the air. Then, it flashed with spiritual light and flew in a certain direction.
Chen Shuangbai glanced at the flying jade token, then turned to Lu Mingxuan and said, " Senior Brother Lu, please come with me to find the Plane Tree that our sect leader owns nearby."
Lu Mingxuan had also heard of the Jade Spring Sect's special technique of transmitting messages through wood, and out of curiosity, he went with Chen Shuangbai.
Not long after.
The two landed on the ground and approached a tall, but not particularly outstanding, tree.
Lu Mingxuan, slightly intrigued, looked at the tree and asked curiously, "Is this the Plane Tree tree?"
Chen Shuangbai nodded slightly.
This tree, which is somewhere between Spirit Plant and an ordinary tree, was discovered by an ancestor of the Jade Spring Sect during his travels. It has natural, tiny pores that resemble wind chimes, allowing it to resonate with other trees of the same species. This enabled the creation of Wooden Bell Message Transmission Secret Method.
For many years, the Jade Spring Sect has sent people out every year to scatter Plane Tree seeds. Over the years, not only has the entire Jing Kingdom been covered by the Jade Spring Sect's communications, but the three states of Feng, Qing and Jade Province have been firmly held in the hands of the Jade Spring Sect.
Chen Shuangbai had learned this method of using a wooden bell to send messages when he was being taught by Daoist Lingxiu.
Lu Mingxuan knew this was the Jade Spring Secret Method, so to avoid suspicion, he immediately moved further away and withdrew his spiritual sense.
Chen Shuangbai used a special Law Power to strike the Plane Tree tree trunk dozens of times. The pale golden spiral patterns on the trunk seemed to come alive, slowly flowing and emitting a soft, faint halo.
In a daze, Chen Shuangbai seemed to hear the tinkling of tiny wind chimes, carrying a unique rhythm that spread into the distance.
This fluctuation will continue to spread along the next Plane Tree until it encounters another Yuquan disciple holding Jade Spring disciple's Jade Spring Sect token. And in such a remote place, the Jade Spring Sect disciple is most likely from the Evil Hunting Hall.
After Chen Shuangbai finished, she turned around and said to Lu Mingxuan, "The message has been sent out. Soon, my senior brothers from the Evil Hunting Hall will go to wipe out the Bandit Cultivator at Emerald Screen Mountain. Senior Brother Lu, you can return to the sect safely."
Lu Mingxuan nodded.
It wasn't that he didn't want revenge, but the Empty Sword Sect and the Heart-Eroding Stronghold were locked in fierce combat, and the battle was a race to see which side could secure its logistics!
He now carries not only the spiritual materials he has purchased, but also a large quantity of Spirit Stone from his own shop in the market to be brought back to the sect, which he needs to send back to the Empty Sword Sect as soon as possible.
Lu Mingxuan thanked Chen Shuangbai again.
The two talked for a while longer before parting ways.
Chen Shuangbai continued on her journey.
Three days later.
Chen Shuangbai finally entered the territory of Wind Howling County. After crossing several steep peaks, a great river came into view, rushing out from the distant mountains and crashing into another, even larger river. The two rivers met and formed a ferry crossing.
Within the territory of the Jing Kingdom, there is a great river that runs through it, which is the Li River. The river that rushes out from the mountains is a tributary of the Li River, called the Ming River. Therefore, the two rivers converge here, and the ferry crossing formed is said to be filled with howling winds that seem to shake the heavens, hence the name Wind Howling Ford.
The waters of the two rivers collide and merge here, creating a powerful current with a thunderous roar. The river is very wide, and the green mountains on both banks are shrouded in mist, giving it a fairyland feel.
This place is also one of the major ferry crossings in the Jing Kingdom. The ferry crossing is built against the mountain, and a narrow boardwalk made of wood and bluestone is built along the steep riverbank, as if it were extending into the river.
Along the edge of the pier, boats of various sizes were moored. To Chen Shuangbai's surprise, this ferry crossing was clearly of great potential, capable of handling a large volume of goods from the downstream Zhao Kingdom and Qian Kingdom, but it was mostly fishing boats with relatively few merchant ships.
After observing the area for a while, Chen Shuangbai did not appear directly. Instead, he went down into the nearby woods and followed the foreign caravan into Quling County Town, which connected to the ferry crossing.
The Obscuring Mist Method is an illusion technique that manipulates smoke and clouds. Chen Shuangbai has studied it for a long time and has gained some understanding of it.
He used illusion magic to blend into a small caravan from a neighboring county and successfully entered Quling County Town.
His attire was different from that of the ordinary merchants dressed in coarse linen, but strangely, the soldiers guarding the city seemed to be blind and did not see him at all.
Wind Howling County is much larger than White Water County, with wider streets and a number of shops, but few customers and mostly listless shopkeepers and employees.
Chen Shuangbai was somewhat surprised that there were so few pedestrians on the streets of such a large county town.
Chen Shuangbai observed the scene discreetly, then arrived near a relatively bustling market. He found a high spot, ordered a small dish of side dishes and some yellow wine, and began to observe the ancient ferry town.
Chen Shuangbai quietly released her spiritual sense, listening to the conversations between nearby merchants, vendors, and pedestrians.
"... Sigh, life is getting harder and harder. Business on the river was already tough, and now the crossing fee has increased by 30%. Are they trying to kill us?"
Below the restaurant, in a secluded spot, a man dressed in a short jacket, with dark skin, who looked like a boatman, was speaking, his voice full of resentment.
Opposite him was a man dressed as a boatman, but with graying temples, clearly quite old.
He lowered his voice. "Shh! Keep your voice down! If those people hear you, you'll be in trouble!"
"These days, who in Wind Howling Ford doesn't pay this Dragon King Levy? Even the county government has tacitly accepted it."
"Are you saying this because you don't want to live?"