Chapter 905: Tiger's Lair and Dragon's Pond (IV)

After careful consideration, Mei Zichuan decided to make a bet with Xunzhen, and led them through the dark forest full of traps.

The deeper they went into the forest, the darker the light, the thicker the miasma, and the more traps there were. When they reached a place where they couldn't see their hands in front of them, Mei Zichuan ordered them to line up in a long snake, with the people behind them putting their hands on the shoulders of the people in front of them, almost stopping after every step, and crawling forward one by one, stepping on Mei Zichuan's footprints.

However, when they were surrounded by darkness and had the illusion that it would never end, there was a sudden turn of events. Through the shadows of the tall and dense trees, a blurry and mottled light gradually appeared in everyone's sight.

As we walked further, the light became brighter and brighter, the muddy path under our feet gradually turned into a gravel road, the thick fog slowly dissipated, and the smell of mold in the air was quietly replaced by a faint floral scent.

The waterfall falls straight down, the mountain spring surges, and while the sound of rushing water can be heard, a hint of refreshing, sweet and moist air also wafts over.

Unconsciously, everyone walked out of the dark forest under the leadership of Mei Zichuan, and what came into view was a suddenly open mountain canyon.

Looking far away, there are cliffs and mountains. Looking down, there are red flowers, green willows, clear water and green mountains.

Thousands of peaks are looming, green pines and white snow blend in harmony. The mountainside is shrouded in mist, and a curtain of waterfalls hangs high above the nine-sky galaxy, as if the water from the sky comes out of the mist, falls into the mist and disperses, flows to the canyon, has exhausted the turbulence, faded away the waves, and turned into a quiet and gentle, sparkling gurgling spring, which is awe-inspiring and natural yet within reach.

There is a flat open space beside the spring, with a few thatched houses built here and there. In front of the houses are lush grass, chickens and dogs are wandering around, the breeze is blowing gently, and smoke is curling up.

As the sun sets, the sunset glows red, casting a golden and red halo across the canyon, reflecting the beauty of the water and the sky, dazzling and charming.

At this moment, a "three-year-old child" was playing happily by the water, and an old man with a smile on his face was sitting leisurely next to a stove made of rocks, stirring the fish soup in the pot with a wooden spoon, while looking at the children who were singing and dancing and enjoying themselves, his eyes full of love.

Not far away, an old woman was sitting cross-legged on a bluestone, concentrating on reading an ancient book. She frowned in thought from time to time, but soon her face showed enlightenment.

How could such a pleasant scene resemble the notorious "Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond"? It is clearly a "paradise" away from worldly disputes.

The carefree child is Baoer, the son of Huang Yangming and Mei Zichuan. The old man making soup is Huang Yangming. The old woman reading a book is Xunzhen's target, Granny Taohua, the "world's number one doctor".

“After so many twists and turns, you may think there is no way out, but when you look out, you’ll find another village.” When Xunzhen gradually woke up from the shock beyond words, he couldn’t help but sigh, “I never thought that deep in the dark forest… there would be beautiful mountains and clear waters, and a different world.”

"Remember your promise. If Huaying refuses to treat Liu Xunyi's injuries, you will never leave alive."

Mei Zichuan glanced coldly at Xunzhen, who was filled with emotion, and then walked towards Huang Yangming and Baoer without looking back, leaving Xunzhen and his group at the entrance of the canyon. He neither showed hospitality by inviting them warmly nor introduced them to Huang Yangming and Grandma Taohua.

In this regard, Abaolu and others were all embarrassed, looking at each other, in a dilemma.

"Miss Xunzhen..."

At some point, Pan Yuyin came closer and stammered, "I am really touched that you are willing to risk your life to save Brother Liu. You care so much about Brother Liu, I..."

"Wait a minute!" Xunzhen seemed to hear the hidden meaning in Pan Yuyin's words, and couldn't help but frowned slightly, waving her hand to interrupt, "Miss Pan, don't misunderstand, I saved Liu Xunyi for another reason, and it's not the same as you imagined."

Hearing this, Pan Yuyin's eyes changed slightly, but she did not explain herself, and continued, "I am very worried about you."

"Why do you say that, Miss Pan?"

"Senior Mei has a very strong temper. You just used 'that' method to force her to submit... Although Senior Mei compromised reluctantly, she must be very unhappy. Therefore, you can only win this bet and not lose. Otherwise, not to mention that my plea is useless, even if Master pleads with her... I'm afraid it will be useless."

"I don't want to die here either." Xunzhen laughed at himself, his tone was unusually relaxed, "Thank you Miss Pan for reminding me, I'll make a note of it."

"Aren't you worried at all?" Seeing Xunzhen chatting and laughing calmly, Pan Yuyin was full of doubts. "Although Master's temperament is not as cold and arrogant as Senior Mei, it is not easy to convince her. Miss Xunzhen, how confident are you?"

"I don't know." Xunzhen shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying perfunctorily, "The situation just now was so pressing that I couldn't think too much. I could only take one step at a time."

"Take it one step at a time?" Xunzhen's answer surprised Pan Yuyin. "Don't you have a plan? Seeing you look so confident, I thought..."

"If I hadn't shown that I was confident, would Senior Mei have been willing to bring us in? In fact, from the moment I stepped into Changbai Mountain, all my plans could not keep up with the unknown changes."

Although Xunzhen pretended to be helpless and did her best and left the rest to fate, she actually held a sharp sword in her hand, a "double-edged sword" that could make Grandma Taohua compromise but at the same time put herself in trouble.

Xunzhen would not take any risks unless it was absolutely necessary, and at this moment he would not reveal the slightest flaw in front of Pan Yuyin.

"How about... I'll ask Master for mercy first, and if that doesn't work, you can do something about it?" "If even Miss Pan can't convince Granny Taohua, I'm afraid it won't be very effective whether I say anything or not."

"No matter what, we have to give it a try!" Pan Yuyin said firmly, "I can't just watch Brother Liu and you meet with an unexpected disaster."

"Miss Pan..."

"Rain Sound!"

Before Xunzhen could speak, Granny Taohua's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting their conversation.

"Don't worry, I will definitely convince Master."

After hurriedly leaving a word of comfort, Pan Yuyin walked quickly towards Grandma Taohua, leaving Xunzhen, who was distracted, staring blankly at her back.

"Grandma Taohua and Xiao Zhirou have a special relationship. You just made a solemn bet with Mei Zichuan. Are you planning to tell Grandma Taohua about Liu Xunyi's life experience, hoping that she will save Liu Xunyi's life for Xiao Zhirou's sake?" Abaolu walked forward slowly, looked around carefully, and asked in a low voice, "But you said before that if Liu Xunyi's life experience is exposed early, it is very likely that all our efforts will be in vain. Your decision today... is it a desperate move?"

"I do not know."

Abaolu's words revealed Xunzhen's thoughts, which cheered him up and made him look melancholy. It was the same "I don't know", but this time Xunzhen was not perfunctory, but told the truth.

"We have come to this point, we have no way to retreat. Xunzhen, you must not lose your composure." Abaolu encouraged worriedly, "No matter what you plan to do, we will follow you until death."

"Only Granny Taohua can save Liu Xunyi. If we can't even get into the tiger's den, Liu Xunyi will surely die." Xunzhen murmured to himself, as if explaining to Abaolu, and as if proving that he had done nothing wrong, "If Liu Xunyi dies, his secret will become worthless. For us, keeping his secret is certainly important, but compared to his life... it's still slightly inferior."

"That's right!"

"We have really reached the end of our rope. We have no choice but to go all out." Xunzhen was confused and hesitant, but he could not make up his mind. "However, once Liu Xunyi's life story is revealed, our situation will become very passive."

"Can we just tell Granny Taohua and let her keep the secret for us..."

"Impossible!" Xunzhen interrupted Abaolu's suggestion without hesitation and said with a wry smile, "Grandma Taohua and Xiao Zhirou have a relationship like a grandparent and granddaughter. Their relationship is much closer than you and I, and even stronger than you and I can imagine. Once Grandma Taohua knows Liu Xunyi's life experience, she may hide it from others, but she will never hide it from Xiao Zhirou. Right now, there is a 'ruthless swordsman' in Tiger Cave Dragon Pond who has a relationship like a mother and son with Xiao Zhirou. Compared with us, Grandma Taohua certainly trusts him more. Once the truth is revealed, if we try to influence Liu Xunyi's future, Tang Afu will definitely be the first to stand up and oppose it."

"This……"

"If Liu Xunyi returns to Xiao Zhirou's protection, it will be extremely difficult for us to get close to him again." Xunzhen's eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone was particularly heavy. "If Granny Taohua is stubborn and refuses to treat Liu Xunyi's injuries, we will be in a dilemma. Either let Liu Xunyi die, or... let him escape from our control."

"This won't work, and that won't work either. What should we do?" Abaolu was overwhelmed by the complicated relationships and the ever-changing situation. He muttered in an upset tone, "Can we only put all our hopes on Pan Yuyin? If Liu Xunyi hadn't been hunted down by the imperial court and the martial arts world, perhaps Pan Yuyin could have persuaded Granny Taohua. But Mei Zichuan just said it clearly. Liu Xunyi is now notorious and anyone in the world can kill him. Granny Taohua originally hated fighting in the martial arts world. In addition, saving him would most likely damage her own reputation. Eighty percent of the time..."

Hearing this, Xunzhen's eyes lit up and a plan came to mind. He looked up at Pan Yuyin who was chatting and laughing with Grandma Taohua, Huang Yangming, and Baoer. After weighing the pros and cons again and again, he finally made up his mind.

"You're right! Xiao Zhirou is not the only one who has a close relationship with Granny Taohua. Miss Pan is also very important to her."

"What do you mean?" Looking at Xunzhen who seemed to be thinking about something, Abaolu was stunned. "What did I say?"

"Back in Chenzhou, Granny Taohua admitted that she was Master Kongsheng's adopted daughter, and Pan Chuba was Master Kongsheng's direct disciple, and had saved Master Kongsheng's life. That's why she accepted Miss Pan as her apprentice."

"so what?"

"You still don't understand? Granny Taohua accepted Miss Pan as her disciple in order to repay Master Kongsheng's kindness." Xunzhen was very secretive and spoke out what he was thinking. "So, Granny Taohua's relationship with Miss Pan... is no less than Xiao Zhirou's. The reason why I am sure that Xiao Zhirou can change Granny Taohua's mind is that she has a special relationship with Liu Xunyi. Granny Taohua is very righteous and will naturally not watch Xiao Zhirou's 'closest relative' die without saving her. Similarly, Miss Pan only relied on her sweet words to plead with Granny Taohua. She would definitely not agree easily because of the feelings of the two seniors Huang and Mei and her own principles and reputation. But if... Miss Pan can poke Granny Taohua's 'soft spot' like Xiao Zhirou did, even if she doesn't speak, Granny Taohua will not stand idly by."

"What do you mean?" Abaolu was confused the more he listened, "How can I make Pan Yuyin hit Granny Taohua's weak spot?"

"It's very simple. As long as the relationship between Liu Xunyi and Miss Pan becomes extraordinary, his importance in Granny Taohua's heart will naturally be very different."

……

　In the chaos, I seemed to feel the drowsiness of Liu Xunyi who was seriously injured and couldn't even lift his eyelids. It turned out that the imagined lifelessness could be fully experienced with just a small illness.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)