Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 177: Wanling Abyss (2)

Xuefei carefully made his way, fearing that the cart’s wheels might crush the stones on the ground. When they finally reached the next town, it was already midday. After some discussion, they decided to stay in the town for two days to recuperate before setting off again.

Once their injuries were nearly healed, the five of them resumed their journey. Despite the presence of bandits, there was no great danger, and after a tough journey, they arrived at Death Valley.

"Cousin, we’ve arrived."

Feng Xuxu got out of the carriage and looked around. The place was dead silent, without even a bird in sight. Poisonous flowers and plants grew all around. Had she not read about the Flower Array in the space, she might have mistaken them for ordinary beautiful flowers. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Is there a Formation here?" Looking at the surroundings, although there was no change, she reasoned that even in a poisonous forest, there should be some wildlife. But after looking for a long time and not seeing a single feather, the only explanation was that there was a Formation here, and what she saw wasn’t the reality.

"Hehehe, cousin, you’re truly talented and beautiful." Jueqing too was surprised. He hadn’t expected his cousin to be knowledgeable about Formations and grew even more curious about who her master could be.

"Cousin, who is your master?" he asked, leading the group into Death Valley.

Feng Xuxu kept an eye on Jueqing’s steps and responded, "Self-taught."

After hearing her answer, Jueqing’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. He had spent several years learning from his master just to master the Formations, and here his cousin was, self-taught and striking a blow to his pride.

As Feng Xuxu walked, she mentally retraced her steps and realized they were in the highest level of Formation within a Nine Palaces Grid. She began to tentatively navigate the Formation ahead of Jueqing.

Seeing this, Jueqing slowed down his pace to follow behind Feng Xuxu, occasionally offering guidance. Despite the lengthy process, Feng Xuxu eventually got to experience the Formation of a Nine Palaces Grid and found room for improvement—she planned to set up her own Formation later to test its effect.

Exiting Death Valley, they arrived at a castle built of stone, with the words "Jueqing Castle" hanging above.

Feng Xuxu turned around and looked at Jueqing wordlessly. "Is this where your name comes from?" she asked, pointing at the large sign on the wall.

"...If that’s what you want to think, then sure," Jueqing said, looking up at the sky, wondering why his father had given him such a name.

Feng Xuxu blinked her large eyes at Jueqing. "...That’s also an option?"

Jueqing stepped forward and flicked Feng Xuxu’s forehead. "What nonsense are you thinking about? Come on, grandma is waiting for us!"

He took Feng Xuxu’s hand and led her to the front of the ancient castle.

"Castle Lord," two figures appeared out of nowhere, kneeling on the ground.

"Yes, this is Cousin Miss," he said, glancing back at Feng Xuxu.

The guards on the ground looked up and respectfully greeted, "Cousin Miss."

Jueqing, holding Feng Xuxu’s hand, passed the two guards and went straight to the castle’s entrance. He searched the stone wall for a mechanism, pressed it, and the stone door opened with a response.

The five of them entered the castle, where Jueqing took Feng Xuxu to the courtyard where his aunt used to live. Ever since his aunt was expelled from the clan, the courtyard had been unoccupied, and it was now just perfect for his cousin to live in.

"This is auntie’s courtyard. Ever since she was expelled from the clan, no one has lived here—not even the current Holy Maiden, as grandfather wouldn’t allow her to move in."

Feng Xuxu pushed open the door in front of her and saw the furniture inside, as good as new, showing someone must be cleaning daily. She bypassed the screen and entered the bedroom,

only to find everything kept in pristine condition. She touched the dressing table and saw through the Bronze Mirror a portrait of her mother hanging on the opposite wall. Compared to her own reflection in the Bronze Mirror, it was as though the portrait had been painted directly from her likeness.