Chương 184: Venerable Yunfu

Deep in a dense forest!

In the secluded canyon, a stream murmurs, fragrant grasses grow, and the sound of breathing fills the air.

Cough!

Wrong movie set!

Seeing that they had shaken off their pursuers, Zhao Rui and Mo Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief and emerged from the tree canopy.

Why are you looking at me like that?

When Mo Ling'er saw Zhao Rui staring at her face and looking her up and down, her cheeks flushed. She touched it and found that there was nothing on it.

"Hmm, you look much prettier. Doing good deeds really does make people more beautiful!"

Zhao Rui raised an eyebrow and said.

"Hmph, stop trying to manipulate me!"

"Oh? You know about PUA? You've learned quite a bit."

Zhao Rui was slightly taken aback, then smiled.

"We've occupied the countries of Stan for quite some time now, and I know more about some things than you do."

Mo Ling'er raised an eyebrow and said with a hint of smugness.

Upon closer examination, it's clear that the Guixu visitors have been secretly taking over these small Central Asian countries for quite some time now.

"Okay, thanks this time. Until next time."

After Zhao Rui finished speaking, he was about to get up and flee.

Mo Ling'er grabbed his waistband and scolded, "If you run any further, you'll reach the Guixu territory—" Zhao Rui stopped in his tracks and turned to ask, "Is this your territory, or your rival's territory?"

"Of course, it's our rival's territory."

Mo Ling'er's expression darkened, and she continued, "If we hadn't had nowhere else to retreat, we wouldn't have gone to your desolate territory."

"Only a bunch of country bumpkins like you would think this is some kind of wonderful place."

Zhao Rui looked around at the tall trees, the clear stream, and the air rich in spiritual energy, and couldn't help but smile.

Indeed, compared to that small place, Earth.

This place is truly more suitable for human habitation.

Of course, this is all on the premise that there are no such incredibly powerful alien beings or beasts.

"The destination is Guixu; if we don't go through Guixu, how can we get back?"

Zhao Rui glanced at Mo Ling'er and continued, "We don't have any deep-seated hatred for each other, why must we get entangled? Wouldn't it be better if we went our separate ways?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Ling'er was speechless and said, "Ever since you practiced the Phoenix Hairpin Technique, we've been bound together."

"Who tied whom up?"

Zhao Rui narrowed his eyes slightly. Among the secret techniques, there was only one hidden effect: the superior could control the inferior. There were no strict conditions that required them to be closely intertwined. Could there be some secrets that he didn't know about?

Logically speaking, it shouldn't exist; the cultivation method copied by the system is absolutely 100% original.

"I'll tie you up, I'll tie you up! I'm the support, I'm the support!"

Mo Ling'er is going crazy!

In this vast wilderness, she simply didn't want to walk on alone.

Since she formed a bond with Zhao Rui through the phoenix hairpin, her level of trust in Zhao Rui has absolutely skyrocketed to 100%.

After all, even with that level of direct control, Zhao Rui didn't do anything excessive to me.

Even if he hated himself and wanted to kill himself, he didn't do it.

Being with someone like that, at least, gives you peace of mind.

"You play a lot of games, and you even have a phone?"

"Your focus is quite unique!"

Since Mo Ling'er had already admitted defeat, she naturally wouldn't say anything more forceful.

Instead, he walked directly to Zhao Rui's side, pointed ahead, and said, "Let me tell you about the power distribution of Guixu."

"As far as I know, the Ruins of Guixu are divided into four major forces. The largest force is the Great Zhou Dynasty, followed by the Wilderness Barbarians—"

"We are descended from the Yin Shang dynasty and believe in the phoenix totem. We have now basically withdrawn from the Guixu Realm, and only half of the continent is still fighting. We have not yet withdrawn."

"Another group consists of your Central Plains martial arts world. They were forced to leave Guixu after we squeezed them out."

"But they're too shrewd, hedging their bets—" Mo Ling'er carefully recounted what she knew about the Ruins of Return.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Rui thought to himself, "According to this logic, the original inhabitants of this Guixu land were wild men, and later, during the Shang-Zhou war, Guixu welcomed the first group of outsiders from the Central Plains—"

"After a thousand years of development, the second batch came during the Song Dynasty."

"So, is our next step to find your tribal companions?"

"Yes, only by finding them can we return to Earth."

Mo Ling'er nodded.

"Understood!"

"If you want to go back, you'll have to listen to me for the time being."

"Okay, no problem."

"Then the first thing we need to do is change our clothes!"

"clothing?"

Mo Ling'er pointed to Zhao Rui and her own clothes, saying, "We must wear the attire of Guixu!"

"Uh! It's not animal hide, is it?"

"We're not that backward! Come with me!"

After Mo Ling'er finished speaking, she darted out of the dense forest and flew away into the distance.

Seeing this, Zhao Rui hesitated for a moment, then followed.

Half a day later, outside the dense forest, Mo Ling'er carried two sets of clothes and proudly showed them off to Zhao Rui.

"It's made of deer hide. It's very precious."

After saying that, she tossed the clothes to Zhao Rui.

Zhao Rui caught it casually, glanced at it, and thought it was quite nice.

It was made of a material similar to linen inside, and wrapped in a kind of yellowish-brown animal hide on the outside. It looked quite nice.

Zhao Rui looked up, about to ask Mo Ling'er where she got it.

Then a snow-white figure appeared before him.

"Ahem, it is very beautiful, but can you please respect me as a man?"

Zhao Rui glanced at it twice; it was indeed not bad, but he quickly turned his head away.

"I didn't avoid you because I respect you!"

"Is it pretty?"

Mo Ling'er's logic is always so strange.

"Beautiful. So white and big!"

"I meant the clothes!"

Zhao Rui sighed; after all, he was a young man full of vigor and passion.

He quickly activated the Frostbite Technique to suppress the restlessness that had been simmering in his heart for a long time.

She turned and hid behind a big tree, changing into the clothes she was holding.

After he changed, he came out from behind the tree.

Mo Ling'er walked over with a smile, looked her over, and said, "It fits perfectly! Let's go! My little slave!"

"......"

Zhao Rui glared at him, then walked forward without saying a word.

We were now close to the Great Zhou Ruins. Unlike the desolate lands, flying through the air here would be too ostentatious.

They had no choice but to walk there.

After walking for half a day, Zhao Rui finally saw the appearance of the Guixu people's settlement.

It turned out to be a city surrounded by walls!

The cities are built like those in ancient times, nestled against mountains and beside water. The only difference is that these cities are enormous.

Each foundation stone is several meters high.

Even the city gates are over thirty meters high.

"This is way too big!"

Zhao Rui was dumbfounded.

Compared to this behemoth, the pyramids are nothing.

"This is still small; their capital is much larger and more prosperous."

"bustling?"

"Um!"

"Let's go, don't say anything out of line, just listen to me!"

After Mo Ling'er finished speaking, she wiped her face, and a bright totem of a strange beast immediately appeared on her forehead.

After flashing a few times, it transformed into a tattoo-like mark, which was embedded in the center of her forehead.

Then she wiped her hand across Zhao Rui's forehead, and instantly a five-pointed dragon totem appeared on Zhao Rui's forehead.

"You didn't dodge?"

Mo Ling'er was slightly surprised.

"Since I've decided to cooperate with you, I naturally have no doubts."

Zhao Rui said casually.

As for how much is real and how much is fake, that depends entirely on the acting skills.

"Yes, you're not lying to me, and I won't lie to you!"

Mo Ling'er nodded.

Once everything was ready, the two revealed themselves and headed towards the city together.

Outside the city, there were many pedestrians dressed in various styles of clothing. Some wore cloth under their clothes and leather over their clothes, just like Zhao Rui and his group. Others were dressed in gorgeous silk or cloth, while still others wore only animal skins.

There were even people with bodies, whose vital parts were only covered by leaves.

The less clothing one wears, the lower one's social status.

Those leaves that cover the lowest-ranking slaves are basically the ones who live the lowest lives.

"Are there still people like this where you live?"

Zhao Rui asked curiously via telepathy.

"Yes, of course they are. Those rebellious dead Tanks were, of course, slaves."

Mo Ling'er said emotionlessly, as if enslaving others was a matter of course.

Zhao Rui hummed in response and then remained silent.

If there is an irreconcilable conflict between two people, they definitely cannot be friends.

He didn't want his relatives and friends to become slaves of the Guixu people.

"Halt! Which tribe are you from?"

Mo Ling'er swaggered toward the gate. Beneath the towering city gate, a squad of Guixu soldiers were on duty.

Everyone entering the city needs special identification or a guarantor.

"How dare you!"

Mo Ling'er gave a light rebuke, and the beast-shaped pattern that had appeared before instantly reappeared on her forehead.

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency! I deserve to die!"

The soldier on duty immediately knelt down on one knee and bowed his head to Mo Ling'er to apologize.

Zhao Ruibing narrowed his eyes slightly, not expecting Mo Ling'er to have such "prestige". The mark on her forehead was probably a noble mark.

But where did she get it from?

Zhao Rui couldn't help but touch Qian Yi's forehead, where there was also a beast-shaped pattern, but it wasn't showing at the moment.

Only when spiritual energy is infused will the skill manifest.

"It's no offense, please get up, don't delay my journey."

Mo Ling'er smiled sweetly, seemingly in a good mood.

Perhaps it was because he had been constantly tormented by Zhao Rui or hiding from the wild men during this period, enduring wind and rain, which had been truly exhausting.

"Please wait a moment, Your Excellency. I will prepare a carriage for you."

The leading soldier captain grinned and quickly ran into the city.

A moment later, they dragged over something that looked like a horse-drawn carriage.

However, the chariot was not pulled by fine horses, but by a strange beast with horns as strong as a rhinoceros.

This strange beast has its nostrils pointing upwards, and the water vapor it exhales forms two small clouds, which is quite interesting.

"This is called a Cloud Beast!"

Mo Ling'er didn't refuse and nimbly jumped onto the carriage behind the frame.

"A cloud beast? Such a large creature, yet it's called a cloud beast? It's really just basking in the glory of its arrogant appearance."

"You sit in the front and be the driver!"

Just as Zhao Rui was about to follow and crawl into the back carriage, Mo Ling'er stopped him with a telepathic message.

Zhao Rui's face twitched. He looked outside the carriage and saw a large empty seat at the front, with two whips hanging on it.

"Hurry up, don't give anything away!"

Zhao Rui was speechless for a moment, then sat down in the driver's seat in front, and was about to grab the whip.

Then a soldier obediently walked to the reins of the cloud beast, pulled the reins, and led the cloud beast toward the city.

Zhao Rui slowly put down the whip, then released his divine sense to observe everything that passed by.

The city wall is at least one or two kilometers wide, and it would take most of the day to walk across it.

It's practically comparable to the small tunnel from my past life.

Once outside the city walls, the entire view opened up, and a bustling crowd appeared before us.

Tall ancient buildings, streets wide enough to run 400 meters, strangely shaped altars, all kinds of passersby, and strange beasts of various sizes beside them.

The impact of the entire scene left Zhao Rui momentarily dazed.

If one doesn't know deep down that they owe something to themselves, it's because of the phone they were using not long ago, the movies they watched, and the T-shirts and jeans they wore.

He was afraid that he would become confused and unable to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

"Here, only nobles are qualified to ride mythical beasts. Ordinary people must walk."

As the carriage moved forward, Mo Ling'er explained the things and objects she saw around her to him.

"This is Varugara, the place where the Venerable Ones worship. By the way, the Venerable Ones mean the shamans, the soul of a tribe."

He was often able to communicate with the gods and obtain divine power. He could also bestow divine power upon the people of his tribe. It was a very prestigious title.

Mo Ling'er said smugly.

"So, now that you've disappeared, does that mean your tribe no longer has a shaman, meaning there's no one to pass on divine power?"

Zhao Rui frowned slightly as he spoke.

If that's the case, wouldn't solving the problem of the political shaman indirectly solve the problem of the entire tribe?

Upon hearing Zhao Rui's words, Mo Ling'er's expression suddenly softened, but a hint of fear and anxiety appeared in her eyes.

He had momentarily forgotten Zhao Rui's question.

"What's wrong? Can't you tell me?"

Zhao Rui asked curiously.

"No, it's nothing!"

Mo Ling'er seemed somewhat evasive, but fortunately, Zhao Rui had his back to him and didn't notice her strange expression.

The car continued on the road and soon passed the area where vendors gathered.

Most of the vendors here wear animal skins and sell edible and wild materials.

"How dare they try to fool me with a fake boulder! They deserve to die!"

Just then, a shout rang out from a stall not far away.

"My lord, have mercy on me! My lord, have mercy on me!"

Before the words were even finished, a snap was heard, and the begging vendor's head fell to the ground, leaving him a corpse.

His body was quickly swallowed whole by the strange beast beside the killer.

Then the man and the beast walked casually towards the outside of the city.

Aside from kneeling and kowtowing, people next to the vendors were running around in a panic, as if their lives and deaths were entirely in the hands of the enemy.

Soldiers who heard the commotion quickly surrounded the man, but after glancing at him, they obediently retreated.

"Who is this guy?"

Zhao Ruiran said.

This survival-of-the-fittest mentality, while a bit more extreme than the Wilderness Principle, still challenges our values quite a bit.

"They must be relatives of the city lord. In this city, the city lord has the final say in everything."

"What if he takes a liking to you?"

"Marry him! He's the most powerful and influential man in the entire region!"

Mo Ling'er chuckled.

Zhao Rui narrowed his eyes slightly, and the words Liu Bang had said to Qin Shi Huang during his excursion involuntarily came to mind: "Alas, this is what a true man should be like!"

The vehicle continued onward, passing through a large residential area, and then turned into a mansion with a luxurious entrance hall and a tall, spacious building.

The walls here are extremely high, more than 20 meters high.

Although it can't compare to a city wall, it's still quite awe-inspiring to be below and look up at it.

The carriage headed straight for the entrance.

Zhao Rui couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Where are we going?"

"Just follow along, Pi, be serious, don't worry."

The carriage quickly stopped at the gate, and the two guards immediately thrust their spears forward, demanding, "This is the mansion; who goes there?"

"It is a distinguished person from your esteemed household!"

The soldier explained in a panic.