Chapter 694: Entering the Divine Water Palace
Chapter 694: Entering the Divine Water Palace
Even in the midst of danger, Song Tian'er couldn't help but ask, "How do you know the secret passage entrance is here?"
"Isn't that how it's written in storybooks and novels? It's either under the bed or under the seat," Jin Banhua replied.
The group remained silent.
Jin Banhua, addressing the unseen person behind the yellow curtain, said, "The person over there is formidable. It's better if you come with us. Once Jellyfish Yin Ji confirms their martial arts skills, they won't blame you for abandoning your post."
As Jin Banhua's words fell, she stopped persuading and pulled Yan Dianhong into the secret passage.
Seeing Yan Dianhong's apprehension towards the swordsman behind the curtain, even the highly skilled Jin Banhua didn't want to engage in a fight. The group, startled, quickly followed and entered the secret passage.
As everyone else went in, the man in the green robe, still holding the nun, stood there for a moment before following behind.
...
The secret passage was dim and damp, filled with the constant sound of dripping water. Occasionally, a gust of wind would bring in endless moisture and the mixed scent of decaying plants.
Next to the passage was an underground stream, clearly part of the Divine Water Palace's intricate water network.
"I've heard that within the Divine Water Palace, there are waterfalls and a divine lake, surrounded by streams. This might be the underground water flowing out from that lake," Li Hongxiu said.
"So, if we follow this secret passage upwards, we can enter the Divine Water Palace?" Li Yuhuan asked anxiously.
The shadow of a famous tree, Jellyfish Yin Ji, was renowned, and even at his peak, Li Guanyu wouldn't dare to challenge her. He hadn't expected to enter the Divine Water Palace himself.
Now that Liu Wumei's lethal poison had been resolved, and a bright future awaited him. He didn't want to die in the Divine Water Palace.
"Strictly speaking, we should be reaching the core area of the Divine Water Palace, where the divine lake is located," Jin Banhua said solemnly.
Li Yuhuan felt even more desperate.
Liu Wumei held Li Yuhuan's hand, giving him some courage, and he grasped Liu Wumei's hand in return.
Yan Dianhong, however, remained calm.
He had never been one to value his life, and if not for Qu Wurong's support, he might not have resisted the mastermind behind the scenes.
Song Tian'er felt thrilled, Hei Zhenzhuang was curious, and Qu Wurong's face showed hope.
Li Hongxiu glanced back at the man in the yellow curtain, who was trailing at the rear, and turned to Jin Banhua, unable to hold back her question, "Brother Jin, the move you just used to subdue that Shifang's technique didn't resemble the styles of the major sects in the martial world. What kind of martial art was it?"
Li Hongxiu had a vast knowledge and extensive experience in the martial world, familiar with various anecdotes, famous figures, and martial arts techniques. There was hardly anything in the martial world that she didn't know.
However, Jin Banhua's move, which appeared and disappeared in a flash, had left her deeply impressed.
"That martial art is called Flower Shift Jade Capture, and it's the pinnacle of martial arts. It's ingenious and mysterious, borrowing and redirecting force, and it's practiced by a proud, beautiful, and invincible woman who thinks I'm handsome, so she taught it to me," Jin Banhua said with a smile.
Everyone rolled their eyes simultaneously.
Just then, they had reached the end of the secret passage.
At the end was a cave entrance, concealed by plants, and a faint light shone from outside, indicating that night had fallen, with the sun setting and the moon rising.
"Is it appropriate to enter the palace at night?" Li Yuhuan asked weakly.
"It's not very appropriate, but we were forced to come here. If she blames anyone, it should be those who forced us, not us."
Jin Banhua spoke with righteous indignation.
Li Yuhuan forced a bitter laugh, "But Jellyfish Yin Ji isn't one to reason with."
Jin Banhua nodded, "Those assassins aren't ones to reason with either."
As her words fell, the group had already exited the secret passage, and before them was a serene lake. It turned out that the entrance to the secret passage was actually on the shore of the Divine Water Palace's divine lake.
Looking around, they were surrounded by endless mountains, encircling this small lake. Directly ahead, a waterfall descended from the heavens, cascading over several cliffs before flowing into the lake.
Although the falling water created a dazzling spectacle, it lacked the thunderous roar, instead carrying a crisp sound akin to a master musician plucking a jade zither, a melody that made one forget the mundane world.
The bright moon hung high, bathing the night in its glow, and a gentle breeze cooled the air. Lights were lit in the buildings scattered throughout the valley, making it resemble a tranquil mountain village rather than the feared martial arts sanctuary.
However, just as the group had barely emerged from the secret passage and moved a short distance away, three white-robed figures appeared in the darkness, approaching swiftly from three different directions.
All three were women, their white robes fluttering gracefully. Their exceptional light body skills made their approach seem like a gentle breeze, truly worthy of being disciples of the Divine Water Palace.
Jin Banhua swiftly released the acupoints of the Green Robe Nun, then took a step forward and bowed.
"Greetings, Senior Sisters. This kind-hearted Shifu saved us and brought us here to seek refuge. There are still vicious assassins pursuing us from behind. Please be careful, Senior Sisters!"
"Eh?"
The three white-robed women halted involuntarily, all of them stunned by Jin Banhua's sincere and grateful smile, momentarily unsure of what to say.
At that moment, another white-robed girl flew over and scolded harshly, "The Palace Master has just captured three intruders in the valley. Now, there are more people appearing within the valley. What are all of you doing here?"
As her words landed, everyone's faces changed color.
Song Tian'er exclaimed, "Chu Dage has been caught?"
In everyone's minds, the capture of three intruders in the valley by the Palace Master of the Divine Water Palace could only refer to Chu Liuxiang, Hu Tiehua, and Su Rongrong.
However, Jin Banhua knew that those three were Hu Tiehua, Huang Luzhi, and an elder of the Beggar's Sect, Dai Duxing.
"I didn't expect that even after rushing here as fast as we could, we still missed the grand spectacle of Jellyfish Yin Ji's mighty display," Jin Banhua sighed inwardly.
In the original story, when Chu Liuxiang, Hu Tiehua, and Su Rongrong arrived at the mountain city, they coincidentally met Dai Duxing from the Beggar's Sect. Then, they encountered Huang Luzhi and the Heroine.
The Heroine brought Huang Luzhi to meet Situ Jing, but Gong Nanyan appeared and claimed that Situ Jing was already dead. The Heroine didn't believe it, so to avoid implicating the others, she knocked out Huang Luzhi and Dai Duxing and decided to infiltrate the Divine Water Palace alone.
Chu Liuxiang, who was immune to mind control poison, asked Hu Tiehua to take care of Huang Luzhi and Dai Duxing while he secretly followed the Heroine. He discovered a route to infiltrate the Divine Water Palace but unexpectedly found Gong Nanyan blocking the way.
The Heroine tried to seduce Gong Nanyan, who pretended to welcome her, only to take the opportunity to kill the Heroine. Chu Liuxiang's rescue attempt came too late.
Chu Liuxiang followed Gong Nanyan into the Divine Water Palace and remained hidden. He witnessed Hu Tiehua and the other two recklessly charging into the palace, displaying their prowess before being captured by Jellyfish Yin Ji with a single move.
If Hu Tiehua and the others had already been captured at this moment, and if Jellyfish Yin Ji and Chu Liuxiang had not yet engaged in a battle within the lake...
Then, Jellyfish Yin Ji should have returned to the secret chamber, driven Gong Nanyan away, mistaken Chu Liuxiang for the Heroine, and locked him in the stone cabinet, from whom Chu Liuxiang had already uncovered many related secrets.
(End of Chapter)
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