Chapter 322 - The Flare-up of the Heartless Curse (1/2)
Chapter 322 The Flare-up of the Heartless Curse
The Three Friends of Winter and the City Master, Ye Lingfeng, soon welcomed the group of youngsters. The eyes of the Three Friends of Winter were brimming with tears of excitement. “Hero Xiao, you’re finally here! We thought you were…”
Xiao Chen immediately saluted them with a smile. “Senior Plum, Senior Bamboo, Senior Pine.” Seeing as he had given them his promise, he would have spared some time and men to check on their situation even if the Immortals’ League didn’t send him.
“Very well, very well! Friends who have traveled a long distance, please come in!” Elder Plum remained emotional. Zhiluan jumped from Ziyun’er’s embrace and landed in front of him. “Is the fish ready? You can’t cheat me by saying things like water that is too clean holds no fish!”
“There’s fish! There’s fish! Of course, there’s fish!
Behind them, Ziyun’er and Xiao Chen exchanged looks and burst into laughter. Everyone then entered the manor. Xiao Chen was familiar with the place as it was his second time here, so he began making introductions as if he was the host.
Zhiluan went even further. Like the master of the manor, he told everyone not to be polite and to eat and drink as much as they wanted to…
Moments later, everyone reached the drawing room. Ye Lingfeng said, “Please forgive me if my hospitality lacks in any way in welcoming you from your faraway lands.”
Mid-conversation, a dozen or so servants and maids arrived with platters of fruits and light refreshments. The proximity of this place to the Thousand Summits Mountain meant that it was colder here, so braziers were brought in as well. Even though everyone here could ward off the cold with their True Qi, the proper etiquette still had to be observed.
Zhiluan wasn’t at all courteous. Producing a fish from god knows where, he ran to the brazier and started roasting it. He said, “The fish here is really tasty, you know. But don’t you ever believe Old Man Plum’s words. He told me something about how water that is too clear holds no fish, but it’s actually just a name for a clear soup! The anger nearly killed me…”
Over the past few days, Qing Yu, Zhou Li, and the rest had gotten close to the leopard cat. They stifled their laughter with their hands as they listened to him ramble.
In less than ten minutes, the rest began making self-introductions. The Three Friends of Winter were stunned to hear that Xiaoyue was the heir of the Thousand Feathers Sect. After all, the sect was an Ancient Immortal Clan with thousands of years of history and an equally formidable reputation.
When they heard that Xu Gu hailed from the millennium-old Wuyin Monastery and was the disciple of one of the four Great Divine Monks, Xuanji, they were full of praises.
Finally, Elder Plum asked Xiao Chen, “Hero Xiao, why isn’t Miss Huangfu here today? Has she recovered?”
The mention of Huangfu Xin’er’s name reminded Xiao Chen of the many incidents that they went through and an intense pain pierced his heart. The pain gradually traveled to all corners of his body. He forced a smile. “She’s preoccupied recently, so she’s unable to come.” Then, he changed the topic. “Oh, that reminds me. What’s the situation at the Abyss of Devil’s Aura? On our way here, I noticed many people infected by the Devil’s Carnage outside the city. What’s going on?”
A troubled look immediately clouded Elder Plum’s face. The rest refocused their attention and looked in their direction upon hearing the mention of the Abyss of Devil’s Aura. While grilling the fish, Zhiluan nonchalantly commented, “What else can it be? The Devil’s Aura must have thickened. I think you should just evacuate everyone as soon as possible. To mortals like you, nothing’s more important than your lives.”
Elder Plum heaved a deep sigh. “Immortal Zhi is right. The Devil’s Aura has thickened in recent days and many have been infected by the Devil’s Wisdom. But for generations, my family has made this place our home. We have millions of people living in the Burg of the Feral Phoenix and the large and small towns nearby; how can we evacuate them so easily?”
Ye Lingfeng had once suggested evacuating the people, allowing their return only when the Devil Aura had stabilized. It was one thing to convince the young ones, but the old refused to leave. They would rather die in the Burg of the Feral Phoenix, for this was their home. Since the old wouldn’t leave, it was impossible for the young to abandon their parents for survival.
Xiao Chen’s brows furrowed. It was likely that all their group was good for was an investigation. The true problem-solvers would be the seniors of the league and the hidden seniors from various factions in the five continents. He said, “Please rest assured for now, Senior Plum. Tomorrow, we’ll examine the abyss.”
The words had just left his mouth when a voice as clear as silver bells came from outside the door. “May I tag along?”