Chapter 236

Chapter 236

Linglong Castle is nestled amidst mountains and water, with beautiful scenery where rivers and lakes are everywhere.

Choosing a sunny day, Wen Qiao, who rarely left her small pavilion for cultivation, decided to go fishing with Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun.

As she stepped out of the guest courtyard, she happened to meet Wu Qijie coming out from Xiling Pavilion.

"Miss Wen, where are you going?" Wu Qijie asked with a smile.

Wen Qiao replied honestly, "I heard that the fish in Mingxin Lake have delicious flesh, so I want to catch a few."

Mingxin Lake is located to the east of Linglong Castle, where numerous lakes abound, nurturing many aquatic beasts. However, most of them are used as sparring partners for the disciples of Linglong Castle and are quite ferocious. A smaller portion are ornamental fish.

But in Wen Qiao's view, all of these were edible, and the fiercer they were, the tastier.

Wu Qijie didn't find anything wrong with this and said with a smile, "Since I have nothing to do, let me accompany Miss Wen there."

Wen Qiao did not refuse, and the two of them, along with the two beasts, headed towards Mingxin Lake together.

Even before reaching Mingxin Lake, they could see the shimmering lake and mountain scenery in the air, the ripples like brocade, breathtakingly beautiful.

To the world, Linglong Castle truly lives up to its name, with every corner exquisitely crafted and beautiful. However, if one only sees it as a place of beauty, they would surely suffer losses. The intricate network of waterways and the cleverly designed pavilions within Linglong Castle form a massive defensive array, protecting the castle.

When Ning Yuzhou first arrived at Linglong Castle, he noticed this situation and warned Wen Qiao not to wander alone inside without a guide from Linglong Castle.

So Wu Qijie volunteered to lead the way, and Wen Qiao readily agreed.

Wu Qijie asked, "Miss Wen, what kind of fish do you want to catch? Need any help?"

"No need, we can handle it ourselves. If Senior Wu has something else to do, feel free to go ahead," Wen Qiao said considerately.

"I don't have much to do, so I'll stay," Wu Qijie sat down on the stone by the lake, hinting, "Just in case some troublemakers might disturb you."

Wen Qiao blinked but said no more.

Wen Qiao walked around the lake, leaped onto a small boat moored at the shore, and went fishing with the two beasts.

Sitting by the shore, Wu Qijie watched the lively scene in the lake and couldn't help but chuckle, thinking that indeed, she was still a young girl, full of energy at this age, how could she always be cooped up in a small pavilion practicing?

Perhaps because Ning Yuzhou could save Su Wangling, Wu Qijie had a very good impression of Wen Qiao and felt that whatever they did was right, indulging them greatly.

When Wen Qiao returned to the shore, Wu Qijie saw her holding a string of fish tied with thin vine threads, wriggling fiercely but unable to escape their restraints.

Wen Qiao held the string of fish tied with Thousand Silk Vine and said to Wu Qijie, "Senior Wu, do you have time? I'd like to invite you for grilled fish."

Wu Qijie happily accepted, "Then I will intrude."

They brought the string of fish back to the guest courtyard to find Ning Yuzhou.

Soon after, the aroma of grilled fish wafted from the guest courtyard, spreading far and wide, even reaching Su Wangling, who was recuperating in Xiling Pavilion.

The scent of the grilled fish was so enticing that even the most ascetic person couldn't resist it.

Before Su Wangling could get up to investigate the source of the smell, Wu Qijie returned with a grilled fish, inviting him to eat, "Young Master, this is the grilled fish made by Young Master Ning! The fish were caught from Mingxin Lake. I don't know how Young Master Ning prepared it, but the taste is exquisite."

Su Wangling looked at the grilled fish, golden and crispy, sizzling with oil, truly a feast for the senses.

He felt a bit hungry.

"Why did Young Master Ning suddenly make this?" Su Wangling asked curiously.

"It was Miss Wen who suddenly wanted grilled fish. I accompanied her to Mingxin Lake and caught a string of fish, which we brought back for Young Master Ning to prepare," Wu Qijie couldn't help but laugh, "Indeed, the smell is heavenly. I saw several junior disciples from our castle lingering outside the guest courtyard earlier."

Su Wangling sat down at the table and slowly savored a piece of grilled fish.

The taste of the grilled fish was indeed excellent. As he ate, he felt warmth throughout his body, and his primordial spirit power gradually became abundant.

After watching him finish, Wu Qijie asked, "Young Master, how is it? Has your primordial spirit power increased?"

Su Wangling tasted carefully and nodded, "Indeed."

Hearing this, Wu Qijie took out several pieces of amber-colored honey fat, "These are from Young Master Ning. Try them."

Seeing the honey fat, Su Wangling finally understood.

Back in Heavenly Plains, they had seen Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou using this to replenish their primordial spirit power. At the time, they thought it was some kind of spiritual honey, though its taste was indeed tempting, they hesitated to ask for it.

"Young Master Ning said this can nourish the body. You should eat more. After you finish, I'll buy more from him," Wu Qijie said.

"Buy?" Su Wangling was surprised. With such an effective item, would Ning Yuzhou really sell it?

Then, Su Wangling learned from Wu Qijie that they had reached an agreement: Wu Qijie would collect rare seeds of herbs and medicines from Flying Star Continent, and they would pay him with honey fat.

To command a cultivator of the Primordial Emperor realm in exchange for some honey fat was a reasonable deal.

Both Ning Yuzhou, Wen Qiao, and Wu Qijie were satisfied with this arrangement.

***

Wen Qiao, Wen Tutu, and Wen Guangun ate the grilled fish together, whispering to Ning Yuzhou.

"Husband, the protective array of Linglong Castle is indeed remarkable. We are quite safe here," Wen Qiao told him about what she saw and heard while catching fish, "We encountered a few servants from Linglong Castle with suspicious looks, but with Senior Wu present, they dared not show any abnormal behavior."

Ning Yuzhou understood that those servants Wen Qiao found suspicious were likely spies who had infiltrated Linglong Castle.

While Linglong Castle's selection of disciples wasn't as stringent as Feixian Island, it was still stricter than many sects, valuing quality over quantity and ensuring high loyalty. If anything happened to Linglong Castle, everyone would unite, making it impossible for outsiders to interfere.

Ning Yuzhou was also pleased with this. The better the defense of Linglong Castle, the safer they would be.

Moreover, Wu Qijie, a cultivator at the Yuanhuang realm, could naturally detect the anomaly as well. He didn't act against them, probably because he had his reasons.

Wen Qiao stuffed the last piece of grilled fish into her mouth and asked, "By the way, husband, is the Immortal Nectar useful for Young Master Su's condition?"

Ning Yuzhou replied, "Of course it is; it can help regulate his body."

The Immortal Nectar was inherently gentle and perfect for body regulation. Ning Yuzhou had a good impression of Su Wangling and felt that trading the Immortal Nectar for a Yuanhuang realm expert's service was a fair deal.

Wen Qiao was immediately satisfied and decided to inform Wen Qiuball later about how useful its Immortal Nectar was, even capable of securing a Yuanhuang realm cultivator's service. She encouraged Wen Qiuball to continue its efforts.

***

Another month began, and Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao were once again guarding the Xiling Pavilion.

At dawn, Su Wangling lost consciousness again, only to regain it by daybreak.

After examining him, Ning Yuzhou found that the dark substance in his sea of consciousness had diminished further. He reported to Su Shouling and his wife, "Young Master Su's condition has stabilized. With continued treatment, he will recover soon."

Su Shouling and his wife were overjoyed.

Despite his exhaustion, Su Wangling couldn't hide his happiness, a faint smile appearing on his face.

When Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao returned to their guest quarters to rest, they saw Wu Qijie approaching.

"Wu Senior, is there something you need?" Wen Qiao asked, puzzled.

Wu Qijie took out a storage bag and smiled, saying, "This is a token of appreciation from our castle lord. If there's anything else you desire, please let us know, and we'll do our best to provide it."

Su Shouling and his wife knew that Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao were cultivators from another continent and were determined to return to the Shengwu Continent. Instead of making promises, they preferred to give something tangible.

The storage bag contained not only dazzling spirit stones but also various treasures collected by Linglong Castle. Su Shouling decided to present these directly to them.

Though the treasures were rare, they paled in comparison to their only son and heir. Wen Qiao was impressed by the castle lord's sincerity.

Ning Yuzhou did not refuse but did not accept everything. He chose a few items and returned the rest to Wu Qijie, saying, "These are not useful to us, but they are valuable to others. Please take them back, Wu Senior."

Wu Qijie couldn't argue and complied.

Later, he discussed with Su Shouling and his son, praising Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao for their integrity. Other cultivators would have greedily taken all the treasures, but Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao remained clear-headed, taking only what they needed.

Su Shouling smiled, feeling that Ning Yuzhou was indeed remarkable. No wonder so many people protected him during the fight for the Jingling Water Lotus.

It wasn't that they weren't tempted; rather, they believed Ning Yuzhou himself was worth befriending more than the water lotus.

Indeed, cultivators often faced dangerous situations and injuries. Having a skilled alchemist like Ning Yuzhou ensured better chances of survival. They were grateful to have met him when Su Wangling was injured.

As Su Wangling's condition gradually improved, Qiao Leshan and his brother arrived at Linglong Castle.

When the disciples informed them, Wen Qiao's eyes lit up, and she quickly pulled Ning Yuzhou to meet the Qiao brothers.

Upon arriving at the reception hall, they saw Su Wangling talking with the Qiao brothers.

Seeing Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao, Qiao Leshui's face lit up with surprise.

"Mr. Ning, Miss Wen, long time no see! How have you been?"

Wen Qiao replied, "Not bad."

Ning Yuzhou nodded with a smile.

At this moment, Qiao Leshan stood up, pressing his brother's head down and solemnly said, "Mr. Ning, Miss Wen, I am deeply grateful for your saving my brother. If you ever need our help, we will not hesitate."

They then sat down and began chatting.

Ning Yuzhou asked, "Senior Qiao and Young Master Qiao, did you come from the Qiao family?"

"Yes," Qiao Leshan confirmed without hiding anything. "We recently returned to the Qiao family to settle matters and investigate what happened to Leshui. Unfortunately, Qiao Daxun is dead."

"Dead?" Su Wangling frowned. "Was it those people?"

Qiao Leshan nodded grimly. "If I hadn't reacted quickly, I might have been targeted too."

He then recounted their experiences upon returning to the Qiao family.

After being bullied and nearly killed by their own clan members, Qiao Leshan sought justice for his brother. Upon returning, he single-handedly disabled everyone involved in harming Qiao Leshui. The clan's Yuanhuang realm ancestor intervened, preventing him from disabling the clan leader as well.

Although the clan leader was not directly involved, he knew about the plot and hoped that with Qiao Leshui dead, nothing could be traced back. However, Qiao Leshui returned alive with Qiao Leshan, seeking justice.

The clan leader regretted his actions but could do nothing. Eventually, he followed the orders of the Yuanhuang realm ancestor to help Qiao Leshan uncover where Qiao Daxun obtained the means to harm others.

However, just as they discovered some clues, Qiao Daxun and his family died suddenly in the dungeon, and Qiao Leshan narrowly escaped an ambush.

Qiao Leshan stated, "The assailants claimed to be disciples of the Nether Palace."

Su Wangling's expression turned cold, his voice tinged with chill. "This Nether Palace appeared out of nowhere. I suspect the items used against us came from the Netherworld."

Qiao Leshui exclaimed, "Could it be the Netherland of Tianzhiyuan?"

"It might be, or it might not be," Su Wangling said. "A place like the Netherworld in Tian's Plain can be created with just a bit of effort. I think it could also be from the Netherworld."

"Impossible!" Qiao Leshan refuted decisively. "Long ago, the passage between the three realms was sealed. Cultivators cannot enter the Netherworld, and vice versa."

Su Wangling did not argue. Anyone who knew the cause and effect of the three realms would understand this, but as guardians of the Flying Star Continent, the Su family knew that one should never speak too definitively about anything.

After discussing for a while, they soon set the matter aside.

Regardless, without capturing someone from the Nether Palace, they couldn't fully understand the situation, and further discussion would be futile.

Su Wangling said to Qiao Leshan and his brother, "Since Fellow Daoist Qiao has come such a long way, why not stay at Linglong Castle for a few days?"

Qiao Leshan did not object. Ever since he learned that Su Wangling was also a victim of the Nether Palace, he wanted to join forces with Linglong Castle to investigate the matter. This was not only to avenge his brothers but also to uncover the origins of the Nether Palace to prevent more cultivators from suffering.

As disciples of Feixian Island, they had a duty to address this issue.

Thus, Qiao Leshan and his brother became guests at Linglong Castle, staying in the guest courtyard next to the small building where Wen Qiao and the others resided.

The next day after arriving at Linglong Castle, Qiao Leshan and his brother went to visit Ning Yuzhou.

Coincidentally, Ning Yuzhou was explaining to the Tianfu Sect disciples about their experiences with ancient runes. Standing outside the small building, Qiao Leshan and his brother could see inside through the windows. When they saw Venerable Hongfu squeezed among the Tianfu Sect disciples, asking Ning Yuzhou questions like a low-level cultivator, they were both taken aback.

Anyone seeing this scene would find it hard to adjust.

However, Venerable Hongfu did not feel there was anything wrong with this. In learning ancient runes, he started on the same footing as the Tianfu Sect disciples, and he did not find it embarrassing.

Qiao Leshui thought to himself that these Tianfu Sect disciples truly do not care about formalities.