Chapter 1734: Mountain Melody in the Wilderness

Zu An chuckled, "Alright, I'll be counting on you from now on." Qiu Honglei's expression was peculiar. Wei Suo couldn't discern their true cultivation, as it far surpassed his own. Had he known, his reaction would have been quite something.

Zu An, however, felt a twinge of guilt. The Wei family's misfortunes might be connected to him. The Wei family in Brightmoon City were relatives of Wei Dan in the imperial palace, but Old Man Mi had eliminated their most powerful backer. Without that support, the Wei family naturally fell into decline. Yet, it was a blessing in disguise; had it not happened, Wei Suo would never have stumbled upon his fortunate encounter and gained his current abilities.

"Oh, by the way, I heard you were arrested as an imperial fugitive by people from the capital. Our Wei family had issues then too, so we couldn't help, even if we wanted to. Are you still a wanted man by the imperial court?" Wei Suo asked, recalling past events with a wistful expression.

Zu An, remembering Zhao Hao's punishment concerning the Demon Regent, replied with an odd look, "In a sense, yes."

"Don't worry, after some time, once there's a general amnesty, you should be free..." Wei Suo began to reassure him, but then a sudden thought struck him: here was Zu An, on the run, yet accompanied by such a beautiful, devoted woman, while he himself had only his own two hands for company. Who, then, should be comforting whom?

"By the way, where exactly is this place?" Zu An finally voiced his question, and Qiu Honglei, standing beside him, also perked up her ears.

"This is Ruolan Temple," Wei Suo answered instinctively. Zu An was speechless.

"I saw the stone tablet earlier; I know this is Ruolan Temple. What I want to know is what's going on with this world."

"Oh, so that's what you mean," Wei Suo said, suddenly understanding.

"I don't know." Zu An and Qiu Honglei looked at him, bewildered. Wei Suo then explained, "I was exploring a small secret realm for treasure when suddenly a black hole appeared in the sky. The realm seemed to begin collapsing and changing. By the time I woke up, I was already in this world."

"Oh, when did you wake up?" Qiu Honglei couldn't help but ask. Hearing the beautiful woman's voice, Wei Suo immediately sat up straighter, though he dared not meet her dazzling gaze. "About three days ago," he replied.

"Three days ago?" Zu An and Qiu Honglei exchanged a look. They had only just arrived in this world, yet he had been here for three days already. Could the spatial black hole have caused an anomaly in the flow of time?

"So, what have you discovered in these past three days?" Zu An asked curiously.

"Three days ago, I woke up in a small town nearby. I hadn't packed any supplies, thinking I'd find food after exploring the secret realm. I was exhausted and starving, but the people in that town showed no sympathy whatsoever; they wouldn't give me food or even let me stay the night," Wei Suo grumbled, his voice filled with resentment, clearly still vexed by the experience.

"Fortunately, thanks to my own cleverness and resourcefulness, I managed to get some food from those rude villagers from the remote mountains," Wei Suo said, puffing out his chest and speaking animatedly. "Of course, in return, I have to come here and help them exorcise ghosts."

"Exorcise ghosts?" Zu An and Qiu Honglei exchanged surprised glances. What was this about?

"Oh, these unsophisticated villagers are just spreading rumors that Ruolan Temple is haunted," Wei Suo said, waving his hand dismissively. "There are no such things as ghosts in this world. Most likely, it's just some scoundrels hiding here. To avoid detection, they've deliberately spread ghost stories to frighten the nearby villagers away. I've encountered this sort of thing before."

Zu An, however, was pensive. He had previously felt an unusual chill and strangeness in the forest outside but hadn't understood why. Now, could it truly be due to ghosts? He had transmigrated to a world of cultivation, and his experiences over the years had been incredibly diverse. Given that even immortals existed, the presence of ghosts seemed plausible. However, the demons outside weren't quite like the monsters from his previous life's imagery. As for ghosts, he had rarely encountered them. Usually, they were the result of malevolent cultivators practicing necromancy, refining departed souls that were mere constructs of soul energy and death qi, devoid of consciousness. The only conscious "ghost" he had encountered was Nan Xun, the maid of Princess Kong Nanwu of the Peacock Royal Clan. Yet, she utilized a 'chang' ghost summoned through the Tiger Clan's innate ability, combined with Kong Nanwu's unique sorcery, living in the human world as a celebrated courtesan—a far cry from the terrifying specters of his past life's horror films.

"Then have you found any traces of people or ghosts in these past few days?" Qiu Honglei asked curiously. As a high-level cultivator, she didn't fear people, but when it came to ethereal ghosts, she truly felt uncertain.

"I only arrived today. I searched the surroundings during the day but didn't find anyone," Wei Suo coughed lightly. "I suppose those scoundrels sensed the arrival of a great hero like myself and fled instantly."

Qiu Honglei smiled faintly, discreetly sending a mental message: "Zu, your former deskmate is quite... interesting." Zu An replied, "That's just his nature; he's quite amusing."

Just then, Wei Suo let out a cry of dismay. He pulled the stick from the bonfire; the bun on it was completely charred. A flicker of pain crossed his face as he tore off the blackened crust, hoping to find an edible part inside, but after roasting for so long, it was utterly burnt. He then took another bun from his satchel and began to roast it. "Have you eaten? I'll treat you to some buns. These were given by the villagers earlier; they're quite tasty."

Zu An asked, puzzled, "I thought I heard you were roasting chicken wings just now?" Wei Suo's old face flushed. "Don't even mention it; there were no chicken wings at all. I was just imagining it. My taste buds have been so bored lately. Once I've dealt with this problem at Ruolan Temple, I'm definitely going to demand the chickens from the mayor's courtyard!" As he spoke, he couldn't help but swallow.

Zu An chuckled, then took out some rare poultry and beast ingredients from his Glazed Treasure Pearl for Wei Suo. "Roast these instead; I have plenty more here." Over the years, he had traveled extensively, always gathering ingredients and herbs, given the vast space within his Glazed Treasure Pearl. Others weren't so fortunate; spatial storage bags were rare and limited, typically reserved for life-saving necessities rather than food.

Wei Suo's eyes lit up. He casually tossed aside the bun he had previously treasured, grabbed the ingredients Zu An offered, and gulped. "Why didn't you say you had these earlier? Why would I eat buns when I could have this?" he exclaimed, then hastily began to roast them, salivating as he grilled. "You truly live a comfortable life, Boss. Compared to you, I feel like I've been in prison."

Zu An chuckled. Soon, the three of them enjoyed their dinner, grilling meat while reminiscing about old times.

Suddenly, a faint, clear zither melody drifted from outside. Though Zu An wasn't musically inclined, he could discern the performer's exceptional skill. He couldn't help but praise it, prompting Qiu Honglei to let out a small hum. "It's not bad," she conceded, "but still a bit inferior to me." Zu An smiled, remembering that she had once been renowned as the "Flower Queen among Flower Queens," universally acclaimed for her unmatched beauty and artistry—unlike some women in his previous life who, despite having pretty faces, possessed no real talent beyond a casual wiggle of their hips and a dance to garner countless admirers.

Zu An stood up, preparing to investigate. At that moment, Wei Suo quickly held him back. "Boss, you need to learn from an old hand like me in this regard. How could a beautiful woman be playing a zither in the middle of nowhere? It's clearly a trap." Zu An chuckled, "I know, I just want to see what kind of trick they're up to."

"Since they're making their presence known, they clearly won't give up easily. Waiting here serves the same purpose, and it helps us avoid accidentally falling into any traps they might have set," Wei Suo explained, drawing from his own seasoned experience.

Zu An agreed. He had just entered this world and knew nothing about it; caution was indeed the best approach, and observing the situation first was wise.

As expected, the zither music played for a while, then abruptly ceased when no one emerged. A moment later, an urgent knocking suddenly sounded from outside the door, and a slender figure was vaguely visible. "Is anyone there? Please, help me!" The woman's voice was soft and melodious, conveying a sense of delicate helplessness even before her face was seen.

Wei Suo's eyes lit up upon hearing the pleasant voice, and he quickly stood up and went out to meet her.