“This house is quite peculiar; the array used is more profound than usual,” Jiang Wen said, walking into the hall and surveying it. Then, he looked towards the corners of the room.
This place was shielded by an array, making it difficult for ordinary cultivators to see through. Plus, with the presence of human activity to conceal it, even Dao Palaces would find it hard to detect anything from the outside. It must be said that this Holy Maiden of太平 (Tàipíng, Peace) really has some ability to create such a sophisticated place.
There were four statues in the corners of the room, and Jiang Wen could tell at a glance that they were some kind of puppet. If an ordinary person were to mistakenly enter without a token, they would probably be eaten by these four puppets.
Unfortunately for them, they encountered Jiang Wen, and before they could even move, they were suppressed.
Jiang Wen then summoned the Tai Xuan Mirror, reflecting Wang Fugui's every move in the mirror. Since absorbing the Myriad Flower Mirror fragment from the Pure Yang Palace, the Tai Xuan Mirror had undergone significant changes. This ability to trace people's whereabouts could be considered a divine power.
Wang Fugui entered a certain room in the mirror, and then the image in the Tai Xuan Mirror became blurred. It seemed that the Holy Maiden of太平 had discovered them.
Jiang Wen didn't care too much and asked Bai Jing to check if there was any connection between the medicinal herbs in the house and the Soul- рассередоточение Water.
Bai Jing walked into the room and examined everything one by one.
Her initially pleasant expression turned grave, and by the end, her eyes were filled with seriousness.
She walked to the last box, picked up a piece of medicinal herb from it and smelled it. After putting it down, she looked at Jiang Wen and said seriously, “The medicinal herbs here are not commonly seen in the大干 (Dàgān) Dynasty; some of them can only be found in places where the demon race resides. This concubine is not yet clear on what they are for, but their effects should be extraordinary.”
“In that case, these things should be what the Holy Maiden of太平 uses to make Illusion God Powder?” Jiang Wen asked.
“Some of the medicinal herbs are similar to those used in the Soul- рассередоточение Water, but this concubine is not sure if there have been any changes,” Bai Jing replied after a moment of contemplation.
“It seems I was right,” Jiang Wen laughed. “This Holy Maiden of太平 has been in the帝都 (Dìdū, Imperial Capital) all along; it’s truly like being under a lamp.”
Just as Jiang Wen and Bai Jing were chatting about the Illusion God Powder, they noticed that Wang Fugui had not returned for a long time.
Jiang Wen shook his head and said, “It seems that this person is likely in grave danger.”
“Since this Holy Maiden of太平 doesn't want to see us, then let's go see her,” Bai Jing said with a smile, supporting her hand.
The three of them didn't linger and walked towards the inner part of the Píng Qīng Wǎn (平清菀). Arriving at a wall, Jiang Wen waved his hand towards it.
The luster on the wall dissipated, revealing an entrance.
Entering it, they saw hundreds of rooms appearing, densely packed like a honeycomb.
Jiang Wen simply smiled at the sight and led Bai Jing and Li Xiangyue towards the interior without stopping.
Arriving in front of a door, he gently pushed it open and walked in.
A cry of surprise came from inside the room, and an astonished female voice said, “Who! Who is so rude as to dare barge into this young lady's boudoir?”
Bai Jing snorted coldly upon hearing this and pulled open the beaded curtain to look inside.
It was Wang Fugui, lying naked on the ground, smiling strangely. His eyes were vacant as he looked at the sky. Drool dripped from the corners of his mouth as he vaguely called out for happiness.
And on the bed in front of Wang Fugui, a delicate-looking woman was hastily wrapping herself in a gauze dress, looking at the three who had entered with a face full of panic.
“T-Three young masters. Is there something you need?” the woman said, clutching her clothes and casting seductive glances forward.
Bai Jing walked up to her and tore off her clothes.
Amidst the woman's cries of surprise, she looked at the woman’s snowy white chest, where the waves rippled, and the character 太 (tài, peace) was clearly visible.
“Holy Maiden of太平, stop pretending,” Jiang Wen said calmly.
Upon hearing these words, the young woman no longer feigned weakness.
Her gaze was fixed on Bai Jing, as if trying to memorize her appearance.
“Who exactly are you, and how did you know my identity?” The Holy Maiden of太平 glanced at Wang Fugui, who was like a dead pig at her feet, and stepped on his stomach.
Wang Fugui groaned in pain, thrashed for a moment, and then fell into a coma.
“Did this dog tell you everything?” The Holy Maiden of太平 asked with a frown.
“Hmph, you're suspecting your own people,” Li Xiangyue said to her. “Do you think what you've been doing is flawless? Actually, Brother Jiang saw through you long ago.”
“If I'm not mistaken, the headquarters of the太平 (Tàipíng, Peace) Dao is located underground here in the Píng Qīng Wǎn (平清菀), right?” Jiang Wen said unhurriedly.
“How do you know about this! This should be a secret of the sect,” the Holy Maiden of太平 asked in a panic.
“Secret? What kind of secret is this?” Jiang Wen shook his head and continued, “Píng Qīng Wǎn (平清菀), 平 (Píng), 太平 (Tàipíng) Dao. 清 (Qīng), 清世 (Qīngshì) Dao. You made the name so obvious; are you afraid others wouldn't know about the things here?”
Jiang Wen was somewhat disappointed with the Holy Maiden of太平's performance.
He had thought that the太平 (Tàipíng) Dao would have something special about it, but he didn't expect that the rumored Holy Maiden of the太平 (Tàipíng) Dao would be such a mindless person.
“So that's the reason,” the Holy Maiden of太平 said with a somewhat stunned bitter smile.
“I wonder who you are, and how you discovered me? If you can explain clearly, I'll admit defeat willingly.”
Jiang Wen didn't hide anything and slowly walked in front of the Holy Maiden of太平, saying, “As for how I discovered you, I have to thank Wang Fugui.”
“As expected, it's this idiot!” The Holy Maiden of太平 kicked Wang Fugui hard. “The Daoist friends in the sect initially wanted me to bring him into the sect, and I knew this person was unreliable. As expected!”
“I'm not here to do anything to the Holy Maiden; I just want to ask some questions,” Jiang Wen said with a smile. “I've heard that the太平 (Tàipíng) Dao has an Illusion God Powder; I wonder if that's true?”
“Naturally, it's true, but that wasn't done by the太平 (Tàipíng) Dao,” the Holy Maiden of太平 replied calmly, regaining her composure.
“We've heard about the Illusion God Powder, and this person always seemed different from others after coming out of the Píng Qīng Wǎn (平清菀). Naturally, we noticed the peculiarity of the Píng Qīng Wǎn (平清菀),” Jiang Wen said, clicking his tongue while looking at Wang Fugui.
“We have to thank him for allowing us to follow the vine and find you, Holy Maiden.”
“So that's how it is; it was such a simple reason,” the Holy Maiden of太平 murmured.
Then, as if she had thought of something, she stared at Jiang Wen and asked, “You said earlier that you had something to ask me; what do you want to ask me?”
“I heard that the太平 (Tàipíng) Dao once attacked the Imperial Palace. Do you have any understanding of the大干 (Dàgān) Imperial Palace?” Jiang Wen asked.
“The Imperial Palace?” The Holy Maiden of太平 was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, “The太平 (Tàipíng) Dao does have drawings of the Imperial Palace, but that thing isn't with us now. When the太平 (Tàipíng) Dao attacked the Imperial Palace, the Saint of the太神 (Tàishén, Great God) Palace killed the Supreme Dao Lord with a single finger. The太平 (Tàipíng) Dao was annihilated, and many magical artifacts were taken by the太神 (Tàishén) Palace. The scroll with the drawing of the Imperial Palace was also taken away.”
“So that's how it is,” Jiang Wen said with great regret, not expecting that he had made a wasted trip.
“However,” the Holy Maiden of太平 changed her tone and said, “If I'm not mistaken, that thing should be in the treasury of the太神 (Tàishén) Palace. And I happen to know the location of this treasury.”
