Volume 2: The Ancient Country of Lando Chapter 26: The Enchanting Shadow of the Flute

  In front of us, the mountain valley is rugged and winding, and we can vaguely see the traces of glaciers tens of thousands of years ago. However, at this moment, the scorching sun is overhead, and it's extremely rare to be so hot. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is located in the subtropical region, but its elevation is very high, making it the southernmost large snow mountain in the Northern Hemisphere, which is why the climate here changes dramatically, especially in the valley.

  We walked south along the valley and arrived at around 3 pm, when a very steep cliff appeared in front of us. The cliff stretched for several miles, with both ends blocked by huge rocks, and the terrain was roughly the same as marked on Liu Dapao's route map. This should be the southernmost end of the valley, and to climb the mountain, we would have to ascend from the precipice.

  At this time, Liu Dapao suddenly said to me: "Young master, the princess's tomb seems to be just below this mountain wall. Let me think..."

  After finishing speaking, he carefully observed the terrain here, seemingly unable to recall the direction clearly, so he beckoned us to walk to the front of the mountain wall first, allowing him to take a good look. Not long after, he remembered and led everyone along the mountain wall to the left, about 120 steps away, where they saw a small hill in front of them, formed by many boulders leaning against the mountain wall. Liu Dapao said that this was the tomb of the princess who encountered the walking corpses at the Transmission Mountain team back then, but it seemed that this cave had completely collapsed.

  I walked closer to observe carefully and found that the cave was indeed completely covered by rocks, it's probably not realistic to go in. I knew that everyone now has only one way to go up the mountain to find the Orchid Palace, but I didn't give up, so I asked Liu Dapao: "Uncle Liu, do you still remember the specific situation inside this ancient tomb?"

  Liu Dapao shook his head and said, "It's been too long, my memory is poor, forgive me, I really can't remember. All I recall is that the ancient tomb was very deep, with a passageway leading directly into the interior of the mountain, how deep it was exactly I don't know, in any case we didn't reach the deepest part back then."

  At this time, Su Qin suddenly said to the crowd: "I don't know if you have discovered a problem. Judging from the geological conditions and crustal structure of this mountain body, it is absolutely impossible for landslides to occur here, unless this place happens to be on the fault zone of the mountain range. But how can there be a princess tomb in such a place? It's really strange!"

  "Youzi said to Su Qin, 'Perhaps it's true what Long Qiu's father said back then - this place is a crucial location. The Queen of the Subgods must have arranged for someone with a noble status and who was closest to her to be buried here.'"

  "But what kind of important role does this position have? I really don't understand." Su Qin sighed, the things in the Ya Shen tribe ruins were simply beyond her comprehension.

  At this moment, I found that it was no longer possible to enter the ancient tomb. I didn't want to waste my time in vain, so I urged everyone to hurry up and climb the mountain. However, at this time, a strange flute sound suddenly came from somewhere.

  Everyone was shocked and looked around, trying to find **person**, but there was no one in sight.

  Youzi frowned and said to us, "In a place like this, it's impossible to tell where the sound is coming from. Dammit, who would be playing the flute in a haunted place like this?"

  As soon as he finished speaking, I suddenly felt a wave of nausea, and my head was spinning. Oil and Liu Dapao also seemed to have the same symptoms, both pale-faced and sitting on the ground. Zhou Xing's eyebrows furrowed tightly, and I knew this situation couldn't be simple. Just as I was about to ask, I heard Zhou Xing say: "Relax, don't let this sound confuse your mind, it seems like 'that Qi Jing'!"

  Earlier in the tomb of the Witch King, we were already given a hint by the "Chui Chong Jing" on the stone wall. Now hearing Zhou Xing say that this is the "Na Qi Jing", I wonder if this flute sound is also a technique left behind by the Ya Shen tribe? Hurriedly asking, I saw Zhou Xing nodding and saying to me: "This is the 'Le Jing' in the technique of incantations..."

  The "Gu" created by the ancient goddess was not simply a matter of using poisonous insects, as it was originally inscribed on turtle shells, so it also had another name - "Jiawu". The technique of Jiawu is the general term for what later became known as "Gu", which is divided into three volumes: "Caojing", "Chongjing" and "Yuejing".

  The Cao Jing's method is used by doctors to treat illnesses, but it is quite different from traditional Chinese medicine and is similar to folk remedies. The Chong Jing's method, on the other hand, is used for military battles and defense against enemies, and the "Quan Xue" we encountered earlier belongs to this category.

  And among them, the most mysterious one is the third volume of Jia Wu, "Yue Jing".

  The uniqueness of the "Music Scripture" lies in its use of special sound waves to achieve magical effects, rather than relying on physical media. The whistling sound we hear now is likely a type of sorcery from the "Music Scripture" called "Na Qi Jing". However, according to Zhou Xing's account, this sound is not produced by a long flute, but by a specially crafted jade flute. The sound waves emitted by this jade flute are extremely unusual, and when combined with a special melody, they can induce a trance-like state. If the person being affected has even a hint of evil thoughts in their mind, they will be led to hallucinate by the sound of the flute, driving them mad.

  My face turned green as soon as I heard it, and I never thought that this flute sound was also a kind of evil spell. Just as I was about to ask everyone to cover their ears, Zhou Xing seemed to know what I wanted to say and added: "Covering your ears is useless, you have to find the caster as soon as possible."

  Youzi said that the sound was reverberating back and forth in the valley, making it impossible to tell where the person playing the flute was. It would be easy to find this person? I'm afraid by the time everyone goes crazy, we still won't know if he's male or female, fat or thin! Damn these "Black Button" bastards, I think they're probably aware that we've arrived, so they're deliberately staying here to launch a sneak attack and give us a "one-pot meal".

  Zhou Xing shook his head, thinking that "Black Button" wouldn't know how to use the technique. Liu Dapao suspected that the flute player was also a member of the gang and quickly suppressed his discomfort by holding his breath, shouting out a phrase: "Green mountains and green waters, geese pass through the Dragon Gate, the Dragon Gate has a mountain, named Transmission Number, under Pingxi King, with the word 'righteousness' on top. Since you've already announced your sect, I hope you won't make things difficult for me again!"

  It's strange to say, but as soon as Liu Dapao finished speaking, the flute sound really stopped. I suddenly felt a sense of relief all over my body and quickly looked around, feeling very strange. I thought that the person blowing the flute on the mountain was actually a member of the ancient tribe? If so, who is this person, and what is their purpose in coming to Yulong Snow Mountain? Since they know how to use the magic of the ancient tribe, what kind of connection do they have with the ancient tribe?

  Just as I was about to ask, a voice suddenly came from the mountain - "Tuanhao Mountain? ... Where is Long Hao?"

  Liu Dapao thought the other party didn't believe him, so he hastily replied: "The master is not here, but I have a token from Mount Transmission..."

  But before he could finish speaking, the other party seemed to have gotten angry and shouted: "Who wants to see your token? I'm asking you where Long Hao went!"

  Liu Dapao was taken aback, and just as he was about to continue speaking, I quickly pulled him back and said: "Uncle Liu, it seems that this person knows my father, but I don't know what grudge they hold against him. If there's some deep-seated hatred, you'd better not answer rashly, or you might provoke him."

  Youzi thought I was right and also asked Liu Dapao to hold back his words for the time being. At this moment, Su Qin suddenly said to everyone: "I feel that the person on the mountain seems to be a woman."

  "I exclaimed in surprise: 'A girl? How did you know? I thought that voice sounded like a boy's.'"

  Su Qin said: "I don't know either, it's just a feeling. I think the person on the mountain speaks with a tone that sounds like a woman, and..."

  She said and glanced at me, then continued: "And when she asked your father, her tone was like... as if she was looking for her lover..."

  I obviously couldn't have thought that Su Qin would say something like this, and after being stunned for a long time, I couldn't help but laugh: "Miss Su, you're not joking with me, are you?"

  Su Qin glared at me and said: "I'm not joking with you, I'm telling the truth, I really have this feeling!"

  At this time, the flute player on the mountain seemed somewhat impatient and said to us: "Since Long Hao is not here, you can go back. This road cannot be passed by you."

  Everyone was anxious upon hearing this, having finally arrived here, how could they just turn back? I was about to ask the flute player on the mountain if he could make an exception, but unexpectedly, Su Qin suddenly grabbed me and turned to shout towards the mountain: "Long Hao is no longer here, now the master of Tonghuashan is Long Hao's son Long Qiu, and Long Qiu is right here!"

  I cursed inwardly, thinking to myself: "Has Su Qin gone mad? We haven't even figured out whether the people on the mountain are friends or foes, and she's already sold me out! What if that flute player has a deep grudge against my father? Won't I be wrongly killed here?" I glared at her fiercely and said: "What nonsense are you spouting?! Do you want to get me killed?!"

  Who would have thought that Su Qin this time did not argue with me, but instead chuckled and winked at me, saying: "Don't worry, my intuition tells me that if I say so, the people on the mountain will definitely let us go up."

  I almost hit my head against the stone wall, what kind of joke is this? She's actually willing to gamble with my life based on intuition alone! Dammit!

  Just as I was about to complain, the flute player on the mountain suddenly said to us: "You... come up..."

  I was shocked to hear this, and I thought to myself, "Could it be that Su Qing, that stinky woman, has actually been right all along?" I exchanged a glance with the others, then shouted up at the mountain, "Alright, let's go!"

  Liu Dapao furrowed his brow from start to finish, and when he saw me starting to pack up the mountain climbing equipment, he hastily reminded me: "Young master, beware of treachery!"

  I nodded and said to Liu, "Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion. You guys send one person with me to go up and take a look, see if the water is muddy or clear. If there really isn't any problem, I'll call you guys to come up."

  Su Qin said to me: "Should be no problem, I'll go up with you."

  So I and Su Qin used the flying tiger claw and other tools to climb up along the stone wall, while Youzi and others stood below with guns to cover us. After more than five minutes, Su Qin and I climbed to the top of the stone wall. I looked around and found that in front of me was a gentle slope, where rocks and shrubs were scattered all over, but not a single person could be seen.

  I saw Su Qin was about to speak, worried that she would talk nonsense again, and hastily stopped her: "Miss Su, although you are a master in the field of archaeology, I think you still don't understand the rules of this fight. This time, I'm the leader, as the saying goes, 'no rules, no square circle'. Since I'm the boss, I should speak first, it's better for you not to overstep your bounds."

  Su Qin glanced at me and said disdainfully: "You're still pretending to be a leader! Who wants to argue with you? If you have something to say, just say it."

  I smiled and pretended to be grateful: "Thank you, thank you!" Then I shouted forward: "Senior, we've come up, where are you?"

  As soon as the voice fell, a green shadow suddenly appeared from behind the giant stone in the distance. My pupils contracted, and I saw that this person's speed was extremely fast, with just a few light taps of his feet, he jumped to five zhang away from us. I couldn't have imagined that this person's qinggong would be so divine, so I focused my attention and looked carefully, wanting to see what kind of extraordinary being this person was.

  But when I saw the figure in front of me clearly, I was stunned - only to see that this person was wearing a pale green long skirt, with a cyan gray cloak on her body, her hair reaching her waist, and a beautiful figure hanging down - it really made Su Qin say it right, the flute player turned out to be a girl!

  Su Qin's mouth slightly curled up as she glanced at me, I saw that she was quite pleased with herself, and immediately shook my head in bitter laughter, thinking to myself that this woman's intuition is indeed terrifying, if it wasn't for today's experience, I really wouldn't have dared to believe it.

  I only saw the woman in green standing straight in front of me, not saying a word. She wore a golden mask that covered her entire face, with only a pair of bright eyes staring at me quietly. I didn't know what she meant by this, but I felt that her gaze was cold and arrogant, yet seemed to be mixed with some kind of strange emotion.

  I saw her dressed in a peculiar way, speaking with elegance and refinement, with elegant manners. I knew that this person must have been living here for generations, untouched by the worldly dust, still preserving ancient customs. Breaking the silence, I followed the old rules and bowed to him: "May I ask your honorable name..."

  But the woman in green didn't answer me, instead she asked: "Are you Long Hao's son?"

  Her voice was no longer as low and husky as before, but crisp and clear like a silver bell, very pleasant to hear. I saw that she recognized me and knew that this person must have seen my father, seeing that I looked similar to my father, which is why she asked this question. Since that's the case, I couldn't hide it either, so I nodded and said: "Yes."

  No one expected that as soon as my words fell, the toes of the woman in green suddenly pointed to the ground and swiftly swept towards me. I didn't expect her to suddenly attack, until her jade palm pressed against my face and I reacted, hastily dodging to the side. The woman in green seemed unwilling to let me off easily, turning around on the spot and charging at me again.

  "You..." I had only said half of the word "you" when the green-clothed woman's palm struck again, and in my frustration, I could no longer utter a single word. In my heart, I had already scolded Su Qing to pieces - what was the point of revealing my identity?! Intuition, intuition, what a load of crap! It seems that this green-clothed woman probably really does have some grudge against my father and is trying to get me to pay for his debts!

  Su Qin saw the woman in green clothes suddenly attack me, and she was also very surprised. She shouted "Senior, let's talk" and rushed up to help me out of trouble. But her three-legged cat kung fu was no match for this woman, and after just two or three moves, she was thrown aside by the woman with a "pushing the boat with the current".

  I'm no match for her, barely dodging two slaps and retreating to the edge of the cliff. In a flash, I see a green shadow swooping in, the woman has transformed her palm into claws, swiftly swiping at my neck.