Chapter 191

Chapter 191: Alternating Control of Magical Weapons

Every member of the Tianjiao group, including Lou Yun, shared a common trait: they all possessed a powerful force within their bodies that they couldn’t control, and it only erupted in times of danger. Wen Hou was no exception.

Yet at this moment, Chang Xiang actually sensed that the energy in Xiao Huo’s body was resonating with the energy in Wen Hou’s body! What did this mean?

Could it be that the powerful force within Wen Hou was somehow related to Xiao Huo?

While the origins of Xiao Huo weren’t entirely clear, it was known to be a Fire Spirit Mouse, which naturally loved fire and even fed on it!

With this thought, Lou Yun reflexively asked Chang Xiang, "Could that powerful force inside Wen Hou also be a Heavenly Fire?"

"It’s impossible!" Chang Xiang flatly rejected Lou Yun’s idea. "If Wen Hou’s power were Heavenly Fire, then given Xiao Huo’s instincts, it would’ve already actively approached him instead of just passively letting him pet it. Remember how Xiao Huo acted when it first saw you?"

When Xiao Huo first encountered Lou Yun, it had affectionately stuck to him persistently and couldn’t be driven away—that was because Lou Yun had Heavenly Fire Fusang within him. So Chang Xiang’s reasoning made sense: Wen Hou’s force probably wasn’t Heavenly Fire.

Still, regardless, there was undoubtedly some connection between the energy in Xiao Huo and that in Wen Hou, though exactly what it was would have to be clarified only when an opportunity arose.

After petting Xiao Huo for a while, Wen Hou praised it with a laugh, "This little demon beast’s temperament is so gentle."

Lou Yun thought to himself: That’s only toward you; it would never be this obedient with anyone else.

After they chatted a bit more, Lou Yun glanced at the large circular magical weapon whose flying speed had noticeably slowed and addressed Wen Hou: "If you’re too tired, let’s stop and rest. Go on after you recover some spiritual energy—there’s no need to hurry this much."

Controlling a magical weapon for flight consumed a large amount of spiritual energy, especially for Wen Hou, who was carrying two passengers and had just used Spirit Transformation. His spiritual energy expenditure was immense.

Wen Hou laughed lightly and said, "It’s fine. My spiritual energy can still last a while longer—don’t worry about me. I’ll stop and rest when it’s gone! Aren’t we pressed for time? We can’t waste any!"

These words made Lou Yun feel deeply ashamed—Wen Hou was exhausting himself over Lou Yun’s own matters.

The distance from Yao Lin Valley to near Yuyang City was considerable. If Lou Yun used his Wind Play Decision at full speed, it’d take nearly two months to arrive. While flying with a magical weapon was much faster, Lou Yun estimated it’d still require at least ten to fifteen days.

Yet when Wen Hou heard Lou Yun’s estimate, he shook his head with a smile and said, "It won’t take that long—seven days at most!"

Lou Yun couldn’t believe such a long distance could be covered in just seven days of flight. But he eventually understood why Wen Hou said this, and in fact, when they reached their destination, it only took six days.

This was because Wen Hou wasn’t the only one flying during the journey. Whenever Wen Hou’s spiritual energy was nearly depleted, Tie Sha would stand up and toss out his two-meter-long giant sword magical weapon. The three would then switch from the large circular magical weapon to the giant sword mid-air, and Tie Sha would take over flight control. At that point, Wen Hou would sit in meditation on the giant sword to restore his spiritual energy.

In this way, Wen Hou and Tie Sha took turns controlling their magical weapons to carry Lou Yun. Six days later, they arrived at their destination.

Evidently, the two were accustomed to alternating like this during long journeys. Upon landing, both appeared perfectly normal and had ample spiritual energy.

Wen Hou smiled lightly at Lou Yun and said, "See? I told you it wouldn’t take so long!"

Lou Yun stepped back two paces and bowed deeply to both of them, clasping his hands respectfully as he said, "Thank you!"

He wasn’t skilled at pleasantries, but these three words conveyed his gratitude to Wen Hou and Tie Sha adequately. The two weren’t fools—they recognized Lou Yun’s sincerity. Wen Hou softly smiled, while Tie Sha snorted from his nostrils, sounding dismissive. Only after getting closer to him later did Lou Yun realize this reaction was Tie Sha’s way of showing friendliness…

Now, the three had arrived at a small village called Bian An Town—the exact place Shui Lingluo had earlier told Lou Yun about as her aunt’s residence. Lou Yun was visiting for the first time.

Though just a small village, its proximity to the capital city, Yuyang City, meant residents had seen much of the world. Seeing Lou Yun and his companions didn’t surprise them; magical weapons masters often passed through here.

The town area wasn’t large. After casually asking two people, Lou Yun got the address for Shui Lingluo’s aunt’s home, so the three headed there.

Looking up, they saw a rather dilapidated house with a pair of wooden doors bearing a couplet—but wind and sun exposure had caused the words to fade.

This sight prompted a sigh from Lou Yun inwardly: If the Shui family truly possessed the ability to control water as Chang Xiang claimed, its descendants living in such impoverished ruins signified profound decline.

The gate was ajar, not fully shut. Lou Yun naturally didn’t push it open; instead, he stood at the entrance, cleared his throat softly, and called out clearly, "Excuse me, is Miss Shui at home?"

As his voice faded, Lou Yun distinctly heard a loud "thud" from inside the house—as if something had fallen to the ground. After a brief silence came hurried footsteps, accompanied by a crisp, slightly excited voice: "Mr. Lou? I’m here, I’m here!"

Lou Yun recognized immediately: the respondent was Shui Lingluo. Unexpectedly, she had recognized his voice, too.

The door creaked open, and standing inside was Shui Lingluo. However, she now wore simple, coarse clothes patched in several places. Her hands were wet, and she unconsciously rubbed them hard against the apron tied at her waist, betraying her nervousness. Though she had just called out for Young Master Lou, she kept her head lowered, not daring to look at Lou Yun.

This simple, unadorned attire didn’t hide her beauty; instead, it added a touch of rustic charm.

Lou Yun didn’t care about distinctions of wealth, poverty, beauty, or ugliness. He smiled slightly. "Miss Shui, it’s been too long. It’s truly a wonder you still remember me!"

Hearing Lou Yun’s voice seemed to snap Shui Lingluo out of a daze. She hurriedly smoothed her slightly messy hair with her hands, then curtsied towards Lou Yun and his two companions. "Young Master Lou is Lingluo’s savior," she said softly. "How could Lingluo ever forget?"

"Miss Shui, please don’t say that," Lou Yun replied instantly. "I cannot bear the title of ‘savior’."

Shui Lingluo opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly, a hoarse woman’s voice came from inside the house. "Lingluo, who’s there? Why haven’t you invited them in?"

"Oh!" Shui Lingluo answered quickly. "Aunt, it’s the young master I told you about, the one who saved me. Young Master Lou is here."

After saying this, she turned back to Lou Yun. "Young Master Lou, I was overly pleased and forgot my manners. Please forgive my lack of courtesy. If Young Master Lou doesn’t mind our humble dwelling, please come inside and sit."

Judging from Shui Lingluo’s current state, it was nine times out of ten that the water contract on her hadn’t been lifted. Combined with seeing the Shui family’s evident decline, Lou Yun knew a swift resolution was unlikely. He nodded. "Very well, we accept your hospitality."

A faint blush appeared on Shui Lingluo’s face. She lowered her head and led the way inside; Lou Yun and the other two followed.

Passing through the main gate and down a small path, they entered a courtyard. There was a well in the middle, and beside it sat a basin of clothes. It was clear that Shui Lingluo had been washing just moments before.

The house itself consisted of only one room divided into areas: the outer section served as a main hall, while the inner was the bedroom. Lou Yun could hear heavy, labored breathing coming from within.

The furnishings were indeed old and sparse: just a single Eight Immortals table with four chairs. Shui Lingluo gestured for them to sit. "The house is very humble; I apologize for treating you poorly. Please wait a moment; I’ll fetch some water."

Lou Yun immediately stopped her. "Miss Shui, please don’t trouble yourself. Could you take me to pay my respects to your aunt first?"

Shui Lingluo hesitated, but before she could speak, her aunt’s voice sounded again from the bedroom. "Young master understands propriety, but this old woman is unwell and not fit to be seen. Do not concern yourself, young master."

With Lou Yun’s spiritual perception, he had already detected the aunt’s illness. He smiled. "I know a little of medicine. Aunt, if it’s not beneath you, please try giving this pill a try. It might help your condition."

As he spoke, a small pill appeared in Lou Yun’s hand, which he offered to Shui Lingluo.

In truth, Lou Yun knew nothing of medicine. He had simply sensed a pervasive coldness within Shui Lingluo’s aunt through his perception and had found one of the basic cold-expelling pills left by his master among his own supplies, hoping it might work.

However, Shui Lingluo looked at the pill without reaching to take it. Her aunt’s voice rang out once more from the inner room. "Your kindness is deeply appreciated, young master, but this old one’s illness cannot be cured by ordinary pills."

These words caused Lou Yun’s eyebrow to arch involuntarily. It seemed Shui Lingluo’s aunt understood her own ailment well, knowing ordinary pills wouldn’t help. Just what disease was afflicting her?

It was then that Chang Xiang finally spoke up: "Kid, tell her that ordinary pills won’t cure her, but maybe you can!"

"I can cure her?" Lou Yun was stunned. "Brother Chang, don’t joke around! I know nothing of medicine! I just have some pills Master left me. How could I possibly cure her?"

But Chang Xiang was adamant. "No. Her illness… it likely truly can only be cured by you!"

This only deepened Lou Yun’s confusion. "Why only me? How would I do it? Brother Chang, you don’t mean… you already know what disease she has?"

"I don’t know what disease she has," Chang Xiang answered. "But I can sense… Shui Lingluo’s aunt is the bearer of a water contract, just like Shui Lingluo herself!"