Chapter 664 - 281: In Hand
Chapter 664: Chapter 281: In Hand
Although this was a decoy placed on the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams platform, it might not be entirely useless.
He then turned his gaze to the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams platform itself.
After reaching out to test it, he found that the platform could indeed rotate.
"The Eight Trigrams correspond to the directions."
Fang Shuwen first rotated the entire lower platform. The eight corners of the octagonal platform perfectly aligned with the eight trigram directions: Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui.
He then pressed down on the five-sided platform resting atop it, aligning Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth with their respective trigram directions.
A loud CLICK rang out.
The entire surface suddenly split into two, then four, its layers unfolding like a blooming lotus.
Finally, the lotus platform arched upward, revealing yet another Profound Celestial Iron Mirror resting upon it.
As Fang Shuwen reached out, Luo Shuqing couldn’t help but warn, "Be careful."
Fang Shuwen waved a hand dismissively and picked up the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror.
The surroundings remained perfectly calm; nothing changed.
"We did it!"
Luo Shuqing and Shui Tianxin exchanged a glance, both breathing a sigh of relief.
Fang Shuwen carefully examined this Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, but he still couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
Aside from text, there were engraved drawings on it, but Fang Shuwen understood neither.
He knew absolutely nothing about Mechanical Art, and the writing was a relic from countless years ago.
To be honest, if this thing didn’t bear the title of the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, probably no one would give it a second glance if it were tossed onto the street.
Shui Tianxin and Luo Shuqing stepped forward, looking at the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror in Fang Shuwen’s hands.
"We finally have it," Shui Tianxin slowly exhaled. "This journey has been much easier than I originally anticipated."
Luo Shuqing looked at Fang Shuwen. "After all, our Guard Fang is proficient in everything, including the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams."
Fang Shuwen felt she was being a bit sarcastic, but he couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. He reached out and tapped her mask. Just as he was about to say something, his brow twitched. "Someone is coming."
With a thought, he tucked the real Profound Celestial Iron Mirror into his robes and took out the fake one, placing it back onto the lotus platform.
Luo Shuqing and Shui Tianxin exchanged a glance, both realizing what Fang Shuwen was planning. They didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"Guard Fang isn’t just proficient in the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams; he is also incredibly wicked."
But Fang Shuwen had already pulled her and Shui Tianxin back into the Qian gate to peek outside.
Footsteps rapidly approached, and a figure flew out from the Xun gate, though he looked somewhat disheveled.
This person wore a black robe with numerous tears in it. It was none other than the master of Little Night Valley, Ye Weiyang!
Stepping out, he immediately spotted Hong Yingqing, who had been dead on the ground for quite some time. He paused slightly. "This is..."
Amidst his confusion, he lifted his gaze and noticed the "Profound Celestial Iron Mirror" resting on the lotus platform.
His eyes instantly narrowed. Ignoring everything else, he stepped forward and was just about to grab it when something occurred to him. He stopped, hesitating to advance.
Seeing this, Fang Shuwen was amused. "Hong Yingqing is dead, but he didn’t see what killed her. He suspects she died from trying to take this item."
Shui Tianxin and Luo Shuqing both nodded.
While there were many reckless people drifting through the Jianghu, Ye Weiyang managed the massive Little Night Valley. Naturally, he was not the impetuous sort.
It was only natural for him to think things through.
At this moment, another person arrived. However, this person was neither Hong Zhengwu of Wuyan Island nor Dugu Sheng of the Lingbo Sect. It was someone from the Profound Ice Hall... but it wasn’t Bai Qianfang. It was a young man—Bai Qianfang’s son, Bai Yunbo.
He didn’t step directly out of the door. Instead, he peeked his head around the doorway. He saw Hong Yingqing’s corpse, and then he saw Ye Weiyang.
He instinctively shrank back, wanting to retreat, but Ye Weiyang barked, "Come out."
Knowing he couldn’t hide, Bai Yunbo had no choice but to step out from the doorway. He forced a dry laugh. "Greetings, Night Valley Master... My father is right behind me. He will be here shortly."
Ye Weiyang didn’t care in the slightest. Since the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror had appeared, everyone would naturally have to rely on their own skills to claim it. Moreover, so what if it was Bai Qianfang? Was he, Ye Weiyang, supposed to be afraid?
He immediately beckoned with his hand. "Come, help me retrieve this Profound Celestial Iron Mirror.
"I will share this treasure with your Profound Ice Hall."
"This..." Bai Yunbo glanced at Hong Yingqing lying there, then looked at the seemingly accessible "Profound Celestial Iron Mirror." Since Ye Weiyang deliberately chose not to take it himself, Bai Yunbo naturally understood that there was a catch. He shook his head and said, "My father must be the one to decide on this matter... I wouldn’t dare act on my own authority."
"Cut the crap."
Ye Weiyang spread his five fingers. As streaks of black shadows expanded, Bai Yunbo was suddenly bound as if by a massive, invisible hand and dragged right in front of Ye Weiyang.
Ye Weiyang clamped his right hand onto the young man’s shoulder and, with a flick of his wrist, spun him around.
Following that, he jammed two fingers into Bai Yunbo’s back, causing the young man to let out a miserable shriek.
"Come, listen to me, and retrieve this Profound Celestial Iron Mirror for me.
"Otherwise, with a slight twitch of my hand, even Immortals wouldn’t be able to save your spine. You will spend the rest of your life confined to a bed."
Heavy beads of sweat broke out on Bai Yunbo’s forehead. "Night Valley Master... I-I am the Young Hall Master of the Profound Ice Hall. If you treat me like this... my father won’t let you get away with this."
"Shut up!"
Hearing this only further fueled the flames of Ye Weiyang’s anger.
The Profound Ice Hall had a Young Hall Master, but his Little Night Valley also had a Young Valley Master!
If it hadn’t been for that Fang Shuwen, how could Ye Wusheng have died?
Why did his own son have to die while the son of a bastard like Bai Qianfang got to live?
He immediately spoke in a sinister tone, "If you help me retrieve the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, we can leave it at that. Otherwise, I will skin you alive."
"The Night Valley Master is in such high spirits. Instead of looking for the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, you’re here skinning people?"
Another voice rang out as a middle-aged scholar walked out from a different doorway. It was Hong Zhengwu of Wuyan Island.
He wore a smile on his face, just about to make a few more jests. However, the moment he caught sight of Hong Yingqing’s corpse, his smile instantly froze. "Ye Weiyang! What is the meaning of this?!"
Just as Ye Weiyang was about to speak, Bai Yunbo screamed at the top of his lungs, "Island Lord Hong, save me! Ye Weiyang has gone mad from the pain of losing his son... He can’t stand that my father has a son, and he can’t stand that you have a daughter...
"He murdered Hong Yingqing, and now he wants to kill me too!"
Ye Weiyang’s face filled with sheer bewilderment. "You little beast, what nonsense are you spouting?!"