Chapter 256

Chapter 256

Wen Qiao and the others walked along the streets of Jisha City.

As a large cultivation city on the edge of the Black Wind Desert, Jisha City not only had cultivators at the Emperor Yuan realm stationed there but also had sand towers for cultivation. It was renowned far and wide, attracting many cultivators from afar. This bustling city was one of the more famous large cultivation cities in the area.

Especially recently, with the black winds blowing through the desert and a group of cultivators returning from it, the city became even more lively.

In every street and alley, people seemed to be discussing the bounty notices issued by the Xiao and Shen families.

The three of them listened as they walked, their expressions unchanged.

Su Molan maintained her guise as an adorable little girl, but her mood was terrible. She was grateful that Ning Yuzhou had foreseen everything and made preparations in advance, preventing her from being caught off guard by the actions of the Xiao and Shen families.

Su Molan wasn't surprised that Xiao Minxin and Shen Yuanjin were still alive.

When Wen Qiao asked her if she wanted to kill them, she had struggled internally. Regardless of the Xiao family's intentions, they had raised her. When the Demon Sect attacked the Xiao family, many Xiao disciples sacrificed themselves to protect her. She owed the Xiao family a great deal and did not truly wish to kill Xiao Minxin.

So when the sand lizard suddenly appeared, she felt relieved.

She knew that Xiao Minxin had a teleportation scroll.

Teleportation scrolls were rare across the entire continent, and only the Xiao family could produce a few.

It was said that a genius array master once emerged from the Xiao clan's ancestors. With his exceptional array skills, he transformed the Xiao clan from an obscure small family into one of the top forces on the Pleiades Continent. Unfortunately, the array master later perished in an accident, but before his death, he left behind numerous teleportation scrolls, ensuring the continued prosperity of the Xiao clan.

Although the number of teleportation scrolls had dwindled over time, as the patriarch, Xiao Xiankai naturally provided his daughter with a teleportation scroll for protection during dangerous times.

***

They chose a relatively secluded and quiet inn to stay in, booking two rooms—one for Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou, and another for Su Molan. The innkeeper didn't notice anything unusual; in his eyes, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou were male cultivators, while Su Molan was a female cultivator, so they naturally needed separate rooms.

The effects of the shape-changing pill were beyond what ordinary cultivators could discern.

Although the inn was in a remote location, it looked clean, with complete furnishings and protective arrays, providing a sense of security.

After inspecting the room, Wen Qiao was about to ask Ning Yuzhou if he wanted to rest when she heard a knock on the door.

Sensing outside, she found it was Su Molan. Wen Qiao opened the door, let her in, and then closed it again.

When Su Molan saw the two of them, she hesitated.

"Sit down," Wen Qiao said.

After sitting down, Su Molan bit her lip and said, "I'm sorry, I've caused you trouble."

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou just looked at her without saying anything.

Su Molan gave a bitter smile and apologized again.

Apart from apologizing, she didn't know what else to say.

Initially, she did indeed intend to use them, but she paid a price and decided to give them the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map. However, after spending more time with them, she realized that they weren't interested in the map and didn't find her troublesome, genuinely taking her with them. This made her feel both grateful and helpless.

Ever since she could remember, everyone around her had ulterior motives. They approached her, flattered her, and admired her all for the sake of the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map.

With such people, she could put up a thick mask and deal with them purely for self-protection.

But facing those who had no ulterior motives, she didn't know how to interact with them.

Throughout her life, she had met many people, but those who treated her without any hidden agenda were so rare that she cherished them deeply, unwilling to tarnish their kindness.

That was why she felt apologetic.

If these two had taken her because of the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map, she would have felt more at ease.

Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard Wen Qiao say, "What are you apologizing for? Taking you with us was my own choice."

"Chui is right," Ning Yuzhou said calmly. "I anticipated this situation long ago, so I don't find it surprising."

Su Molan looked up at them, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Don't cry!" Wen Qiao quickly said.

Su Molan held back her tears, "I'm not crying, it's just uncontrollable."

"Then control it quickly. Don't let your tears conquer you."

Su Molan: "..."

Due to Wen Qiao's interruption, Su Molan's emotional state was almost shattered, leaving her with a familiar feeling of being choked up, making it hard to speak.

Ning Yuzhou cleared his throat and asked, "Miss Su, what are your plans now?"

Su Molan's expression turned serious. This time, she didn't mention following them further, knowing that they weren't interested in the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map, so saying more would be pretentious.

She said solemnly, "I want to return to the Su Star Valley."

When the Su Star Valley was massacred, countless disciples died, leaving only Su Molan. The once glorious Su Star Valley was reduced to a mere name, with only loyal disciples maintaining its operations.

However, going back to the Su Star Valley now would be extremely difficult.

The disappearance of the only successor of the Su Star Valley had a greater impact than they imagined. What they saw in Jisha City was just the tip of the iceberg. Su Molan could imagine the reactions of the various forces on the Pleiades Continent—they must be anxious and would use all available resources to search for her.

The Xiao and Shen families issued the bounty notices urgently to find her and keep her under their watch, fearing someone might seize the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map.

As the guardian of the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map, the Su Star Valley would be closely watched, and any stranger approaching would be scrutinized. Therefore, going back wouldn't be easy.

Ning Yuzhou said, "It's very dangerous there. With our current strength, we'll definitely be discovered if we get close."

Su Molan pursed her lips. "I know, but to open the Twenty-Eight Mansions Four Symbols Map, we need to return to the Pleiades Valley. Moreover..." She lifted her gaze to look at the two of them and spoke softly, "I've heard that the inheritance of the Pleiades Valley can be traced back to ancient times. Perhaps we can find information about the teleportation array between continents in its collection."

Ning Yuzhou's eyes deepened slightly. "Miss Su knows?"

Su Molan nodded lightly, looking down at her hands as she said softly, "I only deduced it later. I wasn't entirely sure at first, but after hearing what Miss Wen said, I finally confirmed your origins."

In fact, since traveling with them, she had noticed that Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou did not deliberately hide their actions. These two seemed intent on letting her know their origins.

She wasn't stupid. Connecting the events after meeting Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou, she realized they had likely just arrived on the Pleiades Continent recently, appearing deep within the Black Wind Desert. As for how they got there, she had no idea.

She thought they were searching for the teleportation array between continents to leave the Pleiades Continent.

"Besides finding the continental teleportation array, we also want to find a sea map," Ning Yuzhou explained.

"A sea map?" Su Molan was puzzled.

Ning Yuzhou didn't elaborate further. Instead, he took out the sea map he and Wen Qiao had drawn and spread it on the table.

Su Molan looked curiously, her gaze immediately fixed on the sea map. Her eyes widened, and her expression became incredibly bright.

So this was what the world below looked like.

But after a while, Su Molan's expression turned pensive.

This sea map did not include the Pleiades Continent.

Su Molan looked up at Ning Yuzhou. "Why isn't the Pleiades Continent on it?"

"I don't know either," Ning Yuzhou admitted. "We drew this map based on the original one we saw. The original sea map is owned by a force with a Primordial Sage sitting at its helm."

Su Molan understood. For cultivators on the Pleiades Continent, a Primordial Sage was akin to a legend.

Even if she knew little, she understood that only Primordial Sages could travel freely between continents and possess knowledge of various continents, which they would compile into a sea map.

"Could it be that those Primordial Sages have never been to the Pleiades Continent?"

"Perhaps," Ning Yuzhou said, staring at the sea map. "But I have a theory."

"What theory?"

Su Molan and Wen Qiao both looked at him.

Ning Yuzhou pointed at the sea map. "The continents marked here might all be those with Primordial Sages. If there are no Primordial Sages, they aren't recorded."

Both the Sacred Martial Continent and the Pleiades Continent share the commonality of lacking Primordial Sages.

"Of course, this is just a theory. I don't know much about this and can't make accurate speculations," Ning Yuzhou added.

After learning from Su Molan that this continent was the Pleiades Continent, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou studied the sea map and found that it did not include the Pleiades Continent, similar to the situation with the Sacred Martial Continent.

They couldn't help but speculate, but without additional information, their guesses remained just that—guesses.

Thus, Ning Yuzhou decided to continue interacting with Su Molan, hoping to find relevant records or information in the Pleiades Valley, the top valley on this continent.

Su Molan looked at the sea map again, still deeply shocked.

The outside world was vast, with countless continents beyond the Pleiades Continent, surrounded by an endless ocean.

Ironically, the Su family had been trapped on the Pleiades Continent for generations due to the Twenty-Eight Mansions Four Symbols Map, never considering leaving to explore the outside world.

Suddenly, Su Molan wanted to leave this cruel continent and see the world, to go to a place where no one knew her, to cultivate and live well.

Her thoughts were tumultuous.

Ning Yuzhou put away the sea map, glancing at Su Molan, whose mind was elsewhere, with an inscrutable expression.

Wen Qiao sat there expressionlessly, looking like a handsome young man, but his cold demeanor belied any warmth.

When Su Molan came back to her senses, she saw Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao drinking tea.

The fragrant aroma of spirit tea filled the air.

Su Molan suddenly said, "You two probably don't know what the Twenty-Eight Mansions Four Symbols Map is, right?"

"We indeed don't," Ning Yuzhou said calmly, looking at her. "Actually, we don't really want to know."

Since it was someone else's treasure, knowing too much wouldn't benefit them. They weren't greedy for such things and didn't need to understand them, lest it affect their cultivation mindset—after all, most cultivators had the instinct to seize more treasures and resources to build themselves up, and few could remain true to their original intentions.

Su Molan was taken aback once again.

She felt that this couple always managed to block others' words effortlessly, yet made people want to open up to them. Perhaps it was their indifference to her secrets that made her relax and inadvertently reveal her own secrets.

Su Molan found these two truly terrifying, almost as if they could bewitch others.

She took a deep breath. "Actually, I don't know what the Twenty-Eight Mansions Four Symbols Map is either. From my earliest memories, they told me that the Su family is its guardian, and only our bloodline can open it. I am the last descendant of the Su family, and they both want to kill me to obtain the map but fear that if I die, no one will be able to open it again."

At this point, a mocking expression appeared on her face.

Clearly, it was something the Su family guarded, yet as the sole heir, she was kept in the dark, knowing only what others allowed her to know.

Perhaps they feared she would do something if she knew.

That was why she wanted to return to the Pleiades Valley to uncover the origin and purpose of the Twenty-Eight Mansions Four Symbols Map.

Wen Qiao suddenly said, "You've had it tough."

Growing up in such an environment, she hadn't become bitter or vengeful; instead, she simply wanted to escape it all.

Su Molan smiled bitterly, knowing she couldn't fight the entire continent alone. She lacked the strength, and those people wouldn't allow her to grow strong.

Just like her parents and the other members of the Su family, they were also cut down before they could grow.

If she had stayed with the Xiao family, they would likely have forced her to find a man for dual cultivation once she reached the Yuanzong realm, to leave behind the Su family's bloodline, and ultimately fulfill her existence's value as her mother did, only to be disposable afterward.

Perhaps because everyone had laid their cards on the table, the atmosphere between the three became much more harmonious.

Thus, the three of them temporarily formed an alliance.

Given their current situation, it was destined that they would find it easier to cooperate than others, each serving their own needs.

Su Molan needed to rely on them to evade the entire continent's pursuit, while Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao needed to rely on Su Molan to enter the Su Xing Valley and investigate its records.

"Right now, things are tense. It's best not to go to the Su Xing Valley yet. If we must go, we need to find a safe method," said Ning Yuzhou.

Both Su Molan and Wen Qiao nodded.

Su Molan said, "As long as they don't find me, I'm not in a hurry."

She had waited over a hundred years; there was no need to rush now. Instead, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou seemed anxious, probably wanting to return to their own continent.

Although these two didn't explain much, Su Molan felt that their efforts to find resources related to the continental transmission array and maps of the lower realms weren't just for training or treasure hunting but rather to locate a specific continent.

Ning Yuzhou said calmly, "We're not in a hurry either. We can wait patiently; opportunities will come."

Wen Qiao glanced at him but said nothing. If Brother Ning says they're not in a hurry, then they aren't.

***

After Su Molan left, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou finished the remaining spirit tea and lay down on the bed.

They weren't really sleeping but chatting while lying there.

"Husband, this continent is truly not good. If it doesn't work out, let's return to the Black Wind Desert and leave through the transmission array there," said Wen Qiao. She had a bad feeling about this continent, especially since they were wanted across the entire land shortly after arriving.

They weren't afraid of this, as the transmission array in the Black Wind Desert was their fallback plan.

Ning Yuzhou smiled, "Chui is right."

"Do you think the Su Xing Valley has what we need?"

"I don't know, but the Su Xing Valley has a long heritage. Since it dates back to ancient times, it must have collected many useful records, which might help us find the Shengwu Continent."

"Let's hope so."