Chapter 1739: Mountain Music in the Wild

Zu An chuckled, "Alright, I'll rely on you from now on."

Qiu Honglei's expression was peculiar. Given that their cultivation levels now far surpassed his, Wei Suo couldn't tell. She wondered what his reaction would be if he knew their true power.

Zu An, on the other hand, felt a bit apologetic. The changes in the Wei family might have been related to him. The Wei family of Brightmoon City and Wei Dan in the imperial palace were relatives, but Old Man Mi had removed their biggest backer. Without that support, the Wei family naturally declined.

However, as the saying goes, "a loss may turn out to be a gain." Had it not been for this, Wei Suo wouldn't have had his fortuitous encounter and acquired his current abilities.

"Oh, by the way, I heard you were arrested as an imperial fugitive by people from the capital," Wei Suo said, reminiscing about the past with a sigh. "Our Wei family was also in trouble at the time, so we couldn't help even if we wanted to. Are you still an imperial fugitive?"

Zu An recalled how Zhao Hao had punished him over the Beast Race Regent's matter. He replied with a strange expression, "In a way, yes."

"Don't worry, after some time, with a general amnesty, you should be fine..." Wei Suo said, trying to comfort him. Then he suddenly realized that even during Zu An's fugitive period, such a beautiful girl was devotedly following him. Meanwhile, Wei Suo himself only had his left and right hands for companionship. He wondered who should be comforting whom.

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

"This is Ruolan Temple," Wei Suo replied instinctively.

Zu An was speechless.

"I just saw the stone tablet, so I know this is Ruolan Temple. I meant, what exactly is going on with this world?"

"Oh, you meant *that*," Wei Suo said, understanding dawning on him. "I don't know."

Zu An and Qiu Honglei looked at each other in confusion.

Wei Suo then explained, "I was originally exploring a small secret realm for treasures. Who knew a black hole suddenly appeared in the sky? That secret realm seemed to start collapsing and mutating, and 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 question, Wei Suo immediately sat up straight. However, her radiant beauty was such that he dared not meet her gaze. "About three days ago," he replied.

"Three days ago?" Zu An and Qiu Honglei exchanged glances. They had only just entered this world, yet the other person had been here for three days already.

Could it be that passing through the spatial black hole caused an anomaly in the flow of time?

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

"Three days ago, I woke up in a small town nearby. Before that, I had been thinking about having a good meal after finishing my treasure hunt in the secret realm, so I hadn't prepared any supplies. I was exhausted and starving, but the people in that town showed no sympathy whatsoever. Not only did they refuse to give me food, they wouldn't even let me stay for a night," Wei Suo grumbled, his voice full of resentment, clearly displeased with his experience.

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

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

"These rustic villagers are ignorant. They're just spreading rumors that Ruolan Temple is haunted," Wei Suo said, waving his hand dismissively. "There are no ghosts in this world. In my opinion, it's most likely some scoundrels or thieves hiding here. To avoid being discovered, they deliberately spread rumors about ghosts to scare away nearby villagers. I've encountered this kind of thing before."

Zu An, however, was pensive. He had previously found the forest outside particularly eerie and strange, but couldn't quite figure out why at the time. Now, thinking about it, could it really be due to a haunting?

He had transmigrated into a world of cultivation, and his experiences over the years had been varied and diverse. Since even immortals existed, the presence of ghosts didn't seem so unusual.

However, the beast races outside were somewhat different from the demonic creatures he knew from his previous life. As for ghosts, he had rarely encountered them. There were evil cultivators who practiced necromantic skills and refined spirits, but those spirits were purely soul energy and death qi, without any consciousness.

The only conscious ghost he had encountered seemed to be Nan Xun, the maid of Princess Kong Nanwu of the Peacock Royal Clan.

However, she utilized the Tiger Clan's innate ability to summon *chang gui* (ghosts of people killed by tigers who then serve the tiger), combined with Kong Nanwu's special spells. She lived in the human world just like anyone else, even becoming a famous courtesan, which was quite different from the ghosts in horror films from his previous life.

"So, have you found any traces of people or ghosts these past few days?" Qiu Honglei asked curiously. As a high-level cultivator, she wasn't afraid of people, but as for ethereal ghosts? She wasn't entirely confident.

"I only just arrived today. I searched around during the day but didn't find anyone," Wei Suo said, clearing his throat. "I suppose those evildoers sensed my arrival, and each one of them fled at the first sign."

Qiu Honglei smiled subtly and secretly transmitted a message: "Ah Zu, your former deskmate is quite... interesting."

Zu An replied, "That's just how he is; he's quite amusing."

Just then, Wei Suo exclaimed, "Oh!" and took the stick from the bonfire. The flatbread on it was already burnt black. A hint of pain flashed across his face as he tore off the charred outer layer. He had hoped there might still be something edible inside, but after being roasted for so long, it was completely ruined.

So he took another flatbread from his satchel and began to roast it. "Have you two eaten? I'll treat you to some flatbread. The villagers gave them to me earlier; they're quite tasty."

Zu An asked, puzzled, "I thought I just heard you say you were roasting chicken wings."

Wei Suo's old face flushed. "Don't even mention it. There were no chicken wings; I was just imagining it. My mouth has been so bland these past few days, it's driving me crazy. Once I eliminate the hidden danger at Ruolan Temple, I'm definitely going back to demand the chickens from the mayor's courtyard!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but swallow.

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. He took out some ingredients from rare birds and exotic beasts from his Glazed Pearl and offered them to him. "Roast these instead. I have plenty more."

Over the years, as he traveled far and wide, he would casually collect ingredients, herbs, and the like, as his Glazed Pearl had ample space.

Others didn't have his luxury. Spatial storage bags were rare items, and their space was limited, usually only storing life-saving necessities, rarely used for food.

Wei Suo's eyes lit up. He casually tossed aside the flatbread he had previously treasured and took the ingredients, swallowing hard. "You should have said so earlier! Why would I eat flatbread when I have these?"

With that, he eagerly began to roast them, salivating as he cooked. "You're still living the good life, Boss. Compared to you, my existence is like being in prison."

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

Suddenly, a clear and melancholic zither tune drifted in from outside. Zu An wasn't skilled in music, but he could still tell that the player's technique was exceptionally refined.

He couldn't help but praise it, causing Qiu Honglei to let out a soft huff. "It's not bad, but still a little inferior to me."

Zu An smiled subtly, then remembered that she had once been the "courtesan of courtesans," renowned for both her beauty and artistic talent.

Unlike some women in his previous life who only had pretty faces and no actual skills, only knowing how to twerk and dance to gain countless fans.

Zu An stood up, preparing to investigate.

Just then, Wei Suo quickly pulled him back. "Boss, you should learn from a seasoned veteran like me in this regard. How could a beautiful woman be playing the zither out here in the wilderness? It's clearly a trap."

Zu An chuckled, "I know, I just want to see what kind of trick they're playing."

"Since they have intentions, they clearly won't give up easily. It's the same if we wait here, and we avoid accidentally falling into any traps they might have set," Wei Suo explained, drawing on his past experiences.

Zu An considered this and agreed. Having just arrived in this world, he was still completely in the dark about it. It was better to be cautious and observe the situation first.

Sure enough, the zither music played for a while, and when no one came out, it suddenly stopped.

After a moment, a series of urgent knocks suddenly sounded from outside the door. Faintly, a slender figure could be seen. "Is anyone there? Help!"

The woman's voice was soft and melodious, and even without seeing her face, one could feel a sense of pitiful vulnerability emanating from her.

Hearing the pleasing voice, Wei Suo's eyes immediately lit up. He quickly stood up and went to greet her.