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The morning light of spring was reflected into the room from the window, and the walls and floor were shrouded in hazy skylight.
Jiang Mi was still asleep when Yao Yue woke up. His face was so close, and when he closed his eyes, he could see the thick eyelashes more clearly, as well as the faint blue circles. He probably struggled until late at night before falling asleep.
She can’t help but smile.
"Stupid…"
She actually had a good sleep. This illusion had not arranged any danger so far, and it was strangely peaceful.
Early in the morning, there were already villagers carrying hoes and standing in neatly arranged fields. As soon as the hoe was pulled, dust flew into the air, and sweat dripped under the grass, leaving traces of moisture one after another. The top of the furrow is light red, and the areas on both sides of the furrow are earthy red and maroon.
She saw the two children again, suddenly remembered what they had asked yesterday, and realized that the cow belonged to her.
The ox was curled up in the field directly in front of him, motionless as if sleeping. She couldn't help but walk in and take a closer look. She felt that the cow looked a little weird. After taking a closer look, I finally discovered the problem.
Its conical horns taper upward from the bottom, the surface is jet black, and the lower part is lighter in color, grayish brown. There are obvious serrations at the bottom.
This is not an ox horn, but a rhino horn!
The rhinoceros has a strange fragrance, and people can distinguish between ghosts and evil spirits. Burning rhinoceros is the way to break this illusion!
She walked quietly to the cow, put her hands on its slightly longer left horn, and broke off the horn without even using any strength.
In an instant, the vision was blurry, with all kinds of pictures that could not be spliced together, incomplete like fragments, hazy, and distant. Her five senses seemed to be completely released from the small black box after being overly squeezed and gradually expanding into reality.
***
Next to the bases of the four Buddha statues, big red candles as thick as a child's arm were lit one after another, exactly one hundred and eight. The candles were burning brightly, reflecting the golden light of the Buddha statue. The black mist that was ready to move lingered around but could not get any closer.
The two of them still stood hand in hand in front of the everlasting lamp. The candle on the everlasting lamp was still bright, as if it had never been blown out.
As long as the heart is not extinguished, the lamp will always be on.
Turning around, she saw Jiang Mi standing next to her with his eyes closed tightly. Everything happened too fast just now, and she didn't have time to call him.
That village should be an extremely comfortable environment for him, and I don't know if this fool can come out on his own.
Although she was still in the illusion, she held his hand tightly, as if she were afraid that he would run away. She was just thinking about how to wake him up when she saw the man slowly open his eyes. He stared blankly at the bright Buddhist hall in front of him until his vision gradually became clearer. He smiled with a hint of relief.
"Yao Yue."
The candle flickered slightly and made a slight crackling sound.
"Are you awake?"
She smiled brightly, shook their intertwined hands, and said with a playful look in her eyes.
"Your hand is so strong, I can't even break free."
Jiang Mi's face turned red, and he let go hurriedly. The smooth touch still lingered on his fingertips. He put his hands behind his back and rubbed his thumb and index finger together like thieves.
"Let's go, that bald donkey is waiting for us."
When they reached the top of the tower, Ku Ming was taking a pair of small fire tongs to loosen the hair in the clay stove. Although the flames could not be seen, wisps of green smoke and the fragrance of tea came out of the top cover with small holes, and the hazy mist lined the way. He also became kind-hearted.
The old monk was leaning against a simple door. The color was similar to bronze, but not as cold as bronze. There were two red rings nailed on each door, which was very solemn. He was not surprised to see them coming.
"You two came at the right time. The tea has just been brewed."
"Who wants to drink your tea?"
Yao Yue snorted coldly.
"Your illusion has been broken by us, what else can you do?"
"I just want to invite you to tea, and I don't want to stop you. The secret realm is behind me, you two just go in."
Ku Ming sighed and then changed the topic with a murderous tone.
"But what Lao Na Chou said is here. Up front, if you have evil intentions to harm my disciple after entering, I will make you lose your soul."
Before she could speak, Jiang Mi beat her to it.
"Master, Yao Yue is not a bad person!"
"Whether she is a bad person or not, I will make my own judgment. Okay, go and come back quickly. I am still waiting to teach you the skills."
The girl gave him a cold look and pulled Jiang Mi over.
"Let's go."
The two of them each held two red rings and pulled them outward. The door opened in response to the situation, making a loud noise, and suddenly a strange wind blew out. It seemed as if it had stirred up the silent years and awakened countless sleeping souls, chirping and shouting around her, shaking her eardrums.
The wind was so strong that it shook the earth and the mountains, making them stagger and unsteady, so they could only move in close to the door. The thick walls seemed to be shaking. She felt a sense of fear in a trance, and a vision of the sky falling and the earth collapsing appeared in front of her.
Then the wind suddenly stopped, and she finally had the chance to see clearly what was inside—it was a living room that was not very spacious. The living room was spotless, and the furniture was as clean as new, but there were four skeletons scattered crookedly in the corner.
It seemed that they were people who entered this secret realm from different eras. Two of them were dry and white, their surfaces were covered with cracks, and they were already showing signs of weathering. The other two seemed to be older, with several living green plants growing out of their mouth holes and eye sockets. The greenness was in stark contrast to the death around it, and there was a delicate little flower blooming on the top of one of the plants.
Walking around the screen and walking in, you will see a red tent with hanging curtains hanging on the ground. It has a round top ring, folds, and drooping dragon gauze. It seems that it will float in the wind at any time and be reflected by the bright candlelight. There is a large, open square box on the small table outside the red tent.
It’s decorated with a star on the left, a crescent moon on the right, and a light yellow Ruyi branch between the two.
What was placed in the box was the Heavenly Star Scripture.
Yao Yue took the first few steps to pick up the yellowed scripture and read through it. The more she read, the more her brows furrowed. When she reached the end of the page, she threw the book down with an expression that didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The master had already taught her the mental techniques in this book!
Now that I think about it, isn't it because her cultivation speed is much faster than ordinary people's because of this Heavenly Star Scripture?! The old man always said that she was the star official who came into the world. It seemed that he was also an immortal himself. If not, how was he able to teach her the method in such detail?
This trip was difficult and dangerous, but it turned out to be nothing.
Jiang Mi didn't dare to come forward and disturb her, but seeing her strange expression, he couldn't help but be concerned.
"Yao Yue, what's wrong?"
She let out a long sigh, walked over, and patted the book on his chest.
"It's okay. You read it slowly. I'll go out first."
But when she turned around the screen, she discovered that the door to the secret realm was gone. Where the door was originally, there was a white wall with eight large scarlet characters written on it.
Only when everyone learn it can the door of life be opened.
She felt a thump in her heart and looked at the four withered bones again, finally realizing how dangerous this secret place was.
"Where's the door?"
Jiang Mi looked at the wall in astonishment. He pushed up and pushed it a few times in vain.
"What does this word mean?"
Yao Yue stood with her arms folded, with a subtle look on her face.
"Everyone alive in the secret realm must learn the Heavenly Star Scripture, and then the door will reappear… I already know the Heavenly Star Scripture."
"Then I'll start learning now!"
She pointed at the skeletons in the air.
“If the Heavenly Star Scripture is so easy to learn, do you think these martial arts wizards would have died?"
"Died here?"
"There are no traps in this secret realm, and their cultivation will not lead them to starve to death. They might have been killed by their companions. After all, who doesn't want to enjoy this peerless book all to themselves?"
Under Jiang Mi's horrified gaze, she raised an eyebrow subtly, and a chilling smile appeared on her pretty face.
"Those who have learned how to kill those who can't will go out, right?"
*Translator notes:
-Using a wicker basket draw water(idiom) = wasted efforts