Chapter 168: 168. [The plot isn’t unfolding as it should]

Translator: 549690339

Even with the knowledge from his past life, Lu Xun was unable to deduce who could have constructed the altar, so much so that he almost burnt the dish he was cooking.

Cooking was the key to Lu Xun’s survival on the back mountain; it was his unique skill, superior to everyone else’s.

Yes, everyone needs to have a special skill.

He was proud of his cooking expertise. He wouldn’t even dream of making something that isn’t tasty!

If you want to conquer someone, start with their stomach!

Get to their stomach first!

As for whether others have been conquered, Lu Xun had no idea. What he did know was that Mao Nanbei, the little hanger-on, had certainly taken a liking to him.

“So spicy! But so tasty, Little Junior Brother! Slurp!”

At the dinner table, Mao Nanbei’s small hands held the chopsticks, eating like there’s no tomorrow.

Her body was very peculiar; where she should put on weight, she didn’t, and where she shouldn’t, she didn’t either.

She matured very slowly, maintaining a petite and cute figure for many years. But she never gained any weight, always remaining petite and adorable.

Of course, her young face was round which bothered Mao Nanbei for quite some time.

Lin Chan wasn’t good with spicy food. After trying a bite of the Sichuan dish that Mao Nanbei couldn’t stop praising, she felt like spitting out her tongue from the spiciness.

“If you can’t handle spicy food, don’t try it. Eat something else.” Lu Xun poured her a glass of water.

While gulping down her food, Mao Nanbei asked, “Little Junior Brother, why should we stay in this boring Tianque Gate for a few days?”

“Fourth elder sister, don’t you think it would be nice to go sightseeing and enjoy the towering mountains and flowing rivers in the Three Thousand Mountains?” Lu Xun said with a smile.

“Humph! Could they be more beautiful than our back mountain?” replied Mao Nanbei.

“In terms of beauty, they certainly can’t compete,” Lu Xun honestly answered.

Labeling a mountain as “beautiful” might sound a bit strange, but the back mountain was truly stunning. It felt like a carefully pruned oversized potted plant.

Considering how long he lived and his leisurely nature, it wasn’t impossible for him to have treated a mountain as a potted plant and carefully pruned it.

Seeing that Mao Nanbei was not interested in sightseeing, he changed tactics and said, “Fourth elder sister, there should be some pretty good game in these Three Thousand Mountains.”

“Really? Slurp! Then we might as well stay for a few days. I’m a little tired from traveling anyway. Slurp!” Mao Nanbei’s large eyes sparkled a little.

Lu Xun grinned satisfied.

Mao Nanbei was easily fooled, while Little Chan… well, the obedient Little Chan didn’t need any fooling at all.

After dinner, all was still.

The satiated Mao Nanbei returned to her room to digest, while Lin Chan remained by Lu Xun’s side.

“You can go inside too. I have some things to take care of outside,” Lu Xun told her.

Lin Chan obediently nodded and even washed a spirit fruit for Lu Xun, suggesting that he could eat it while he was out.

Lu Xun received it with a laugh and then ruffled her hair, before leaving the small courtyard on his own.

On the way, the disciples of Tianque Gate he came across bowed to him in respect, as instructed by the sect leader and the elders.

Aside from the patrolling disciples he met that day, none of the disciples from Tianque Gate knew Lu Xun’s real identity. They all believed him to be an honorable guest.

Despite wearing a bamboo hat, everyone thought he had an ethereal presence, giving an impression of a sage. It made them naturally want to steal glances at him.

Lu Xun leisurely descended the mountain. No one dared to question him, let alone stop him.

Being of special identity had its advantages. Even though his cultivation base was at the initial realm, there were people wanting to flatter him.

“Having someone backing me up feels so good!” Lu Xun thought to himself while munching on the spirit fruit.

Who could possibly not enjoy the feeling of having a backer? Hehe.

No wait, it depended on who the backer was.

Departing from the Great Empty Peak of the Tianque Gate, Lu Xun wandered aimlessly on a paper crane across the Three Thousand Mountains.

He circled a large area, only to end up near the Great Empty Peak again.

“You dare to call yourself Taishan?” Lu Xun looked at the small mountain in front of him, muttering to himself.

As mentioned before, for some unknown reason, many mountain names in the Three Thousand Mountains coincide with some earth’s mountain names, some are homonyms, others are directly identical.

The small mountain before him is called Taishan, but this cannot be compared to earth’s First Mountain among the Five Sacred Mountains!

Taishan, also known as Daizong, Dongyue, etc., is known as the First Mountain among the Five Sacred Mountains. From the Qin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, 13 Emperors personally ascended Taishan for the Heaven Worshiping Ceremony or sacrificial rites, while even more emperors sent officials to perform the rites.

Besides its awe-inspiring grandeur and majestic aura, Taishan carries a unique symbolic significance.

The small mountain in front might appear petty in comparison, even its vegetation is sparse.

It reminded Lu Xun of Shen Ludan, who was short and completely hairless.

This mountain could be called the “Shen Yan among Mountains”!

“I thought sharing the name Taishan would denote a towering peak. I circled the nearby peaks without finding one, I least expected it to be this small mountain near the Tianque Gate.” Lu Xun thought to himself.

According to his memory, the key would open a secret realm inside Taishan.

Having never been to Taishan, Lu Xun didn’t have any impression of it. Luckily, every mountain in the Three Thousand Mountains area had a stone tablet with its name written on it.

The sects in the Three Thousand Mountains region were mostly established on high mountains. These smaller mountains were generally unoccupied, and there were no sects on Taishan.

Lu Xun guided the paper crane to the foot of the mountain, blasted a hole in the mud using Sword Qi, and buried a leftover fruit core, essentially planting a tree.

He laughed, “Let’s call it a hair transplant for the Shen Yan of the Mountains.”

In the middle of the night, he aimlessly wandered on a desolate mountain. He was holding the necklace, instilling a bit of Spiritual Power after every few steps.

He had no choice, he had no idea where the “door” was, and thus kept attempting to “unlock” with the key.

But his spiritual force was substantial, so by trying often, he may stumble upon the secret realm unintentionally.

Technically, as long as he infused Spiritual Power near the entrance, he could immediately open the secret realm’s gate.

Though the operation was a bit ridiculous, it definitely worked!

Dressed in a black robe, wearing a bamboo hat, and toting a black sword sheath in hand, Lu Xun roamed the mountain like a lonely ghost. After nearly an hour, he stopped.

“It’s right here!” Lu Xun looked around, cursing himself, “The entrance was on the mountain top all along!”

God damn it! Can it be any more haphazard?

I had been running around the most inconspicuous areas!!

After he instilled a wisp of Spiritual Power into the necklace he held, the deep sapphire gemstone started flickering with a strange light.

Lu Xun knew that a single thread of Spiritual Power was not enough to break through the front block and enter. He needed a more potent force.

He hurriedly infused his body’s Spiritual Power into the necklace. The strange light didn’t get brighter, but there was an energy rotation within the gemstone.

Lu Xun’s sight blackened, and his figure disappeared.

By the time he regained his sight, he had already entered the secret realm.

The altar was tall and spacious, but quite empty.

Such a big place, and there was no one… wait! Why is there someone!

About thirty or forty meters away from Lu Xun, a silhouetted figure in a similar black robe was squatting!

Lu Xun clearly saw that, on his neck, hung a necklace identical to the one in his hand!

At that moment, dark purple blood was flowing from his fingers. The blood was dripping one drop after another onto the center of the altar!