Chapter 481: 481. No one can leave

Translator: 549690339

The fake Elder Song, Lao Mu, followed Mo Yan’s orders and found Elder Pang, but he didn’t tell him not to leave the forbidden area; instead, he told Elder Pang to go look for Gu Ling outside.

“The master wants us to search the City Lord Mansion first and find where Gu Ling is hiding.” Lao Mu looked serious and pointed in one direction. “You go that way, I’ll go the other. We’ll meet here in half an hour, regardless of whether we find anything.”

Elder Pang didn’t realize Lao Mu’s disguise and left the forbidden area without hesitation, heading towards the garden.

Meanwhile, Lao Mu turned back and approached the cave again, standing outside, listening for any sounds from inside. However, the cave was so deep that he couldn’t hear anything from the outside.

Lao Mu was considering finding an excuse to go back in and take a look, but he couldn’t come up with a good reason.

On the other side, guided by Lao Mu, Elder Pang entered the City Lord Mansion’s garden alone and quickly approached the Bajiao Pavilion. He saw the curtains on the third floor were down, so he leaped up, grabbed the pillar with one hand, and lifted the curtain with the other.

What he saw was a cold silver mask and a pair of emotionless eyes, very close to his face.

Elder Pang’s eyes widened in horror, and he tried to let go and jump down. His hand did let go, but at the same time, his neck was grabbed by a pair of hands and dragged into the pavilion!

Even the most skilled masters could do nothing when their throat was held by the enemy before they had a chance to move. They wouldn’t dare to struggle in order to stay alive, as that would only make them die quicker.

Gu Ling didn’t intend to waste time talking to Elder Pang, and she forced him to open his mouth and shoved a truth-telling drug down his throat. This drug was created by Su Liang and her two masters, and Gu Ling brought all of her family’s stock with her on this trip to deal with the people on Xingluo Island.

Gu Ling let go of Elder Pang and let him fall to the ground.

As the drug took effect, the questions Gu Ling asked were the same as those she asked Elder Song not long ago.

Elder Pang held the same position as Elder Song, and the information they knew about Mo Yan and the magic treasure was almost identical. Under the effect of the truth-telling drug, he gave nearly identical answers.

Gu Ling was not surprised but still somewhat disappointed. She didn’t dare to reveal herself recklessly. Sheng Yue was untrustworthy, but he was the only one who had a chance to get close to Mo Yan and do something. Gu Ling couldn’t predict the outcome of the truth-telling drug she gave to Sheng Yue yesterday because the key to the situation still lay in Mo Yan’s magic treasure. Whether it was an object or something that existed only in his thoughts and couldn’t be transferred to others would directly determine Sheng Yue’s actions and how Gu Ling should respond.

For safety reasons, Gu Ling couldn’t know when the truth-telling drug would take effect, so she couldn’t be there. She couldn’t let herself fall into Mo Yan’s hands and lose her freedom, as doing so would mean losing everything.

“Throw him in the dungeon too,” Gu Ling ordered Feng Ming. By now, the real Elder Song had already been locked up in the City Lord Mansion’s dungeon.

Although Elder Song had mentioned that there was a secret passage in the dungeon that led to the seaside, they were locked in there as prisoners and were chained. There was no chance of escape.

Gu Ling decided not to kill them for the time being and wanted to wait and see how the situation would develop.

Feng Ming took the unconscious Elder Pang away, and the pavilion became quiet again, with only Gu Ling left inside. Lao Mu pretended to be Elder Song, and Cheng Yun pretended to be Gu Ling, both infiltrating the forbidden area.

The mute servant brought hot tea to Lao Mu, who took it and told her he was about to enter the cave to report an important matter and would take it in with him.

After the mute servant left, Lao Mu carried the tea and stepped into the cave, only to see Sheng Yue hurriedly coming out from inside.

Lao Mu’s eyes narrowed, “Young Master Sheng, this is hot tea for the master.”

“I know you’re not Elder Song,” Sheng Yue frowned deeply, “Hurry up and tell Gu Ling that I’ve used the truth-telling drug she gave me on Mo Yan. The ring is not the magic treasure; the magic treasure is in his mind and can’t be transferred. I don’t know when Mo Yan will wake up.”

Lao Mu’s expression changed, and he no longer pretended, “Damn it! Didn’t you make him release the hostages?”

Sheng Yue sighed, “I tried. I asked him how to use the magic treasure and wanted him to demonstrate it, but he only described it and wouldn’t follow my commands. You know that the drug can only control people to tell the truth. Don’t waste any more time; go tell Gu Ling. After this incident, my relationship with Mo Yan has completely broken down, and I need to stay away.”

Lao Mu instinctively reached out and grabbed Sheng Yue, “We agreed to cooperate; you can’t leave! You have to go find Xiaogu with me!”

Sheng Yue sighed, looked back at the depths of the cave, and said, “Let’s go quickly!”

All Lao Mu regretted now was not having any explosives on him. If he had, he could have taken the opportunity to move Mo Yan and blow up the cave. The reason he couldn’t move Mo Yan was that Mo Yan still had hostages, including Yan Shiba, in his hands, and he might wake up at any moment.

Just as Lao Mu stepped out of the cave, he paused, “You didn’t give him some more sedatives to make him unconscious for a while longer, so we have more time to figure something out?”

Sheng Yue shook his head, “It’s not that I didn’t want to, but I didn’t have any. I’ve been living in the cave for a long time and had no use for those.”

Lao Mu took out a bottle of sedatives, “Here, go now!”

Sheng Yue didn’t hesitate to refuse. “It’s too dangerous! I won’t go back!” With that, he quickly moved away from the cave.

Lao Mu frowned, “Go inform Xiaogu!” After saying that, he turned around and rushed back into the cave. Although he knew it was risky, there was no time to waste. If Mo Yan was still unconscious and he could successfully drug him to make him lose his ability to act, the situation might improve significantly.

Lao Mu arrived at the usual spot, slowed down, and cautiously peeked in, but there was no one by the water. He only saw the small bed where the little girl had slept before and a small square table.

Sensing that something was wrong, Lao Mu was about to leave when a powerful palm attack came his way!

Lao Mu dodged quickly but was still hit on the shoulder. He let out a muffled grunt and tried to run, but he was forced back to the depths of the cave…

Just as Sheng Yue was about to leave the forbidden area, he ran into “Gu Ling” impersonated by Cheng Yun.

Cheng Yun had also been hiding near the forbidden area earlier and overheard Lao Mu and Sheng Yue’s conversation. He didn’t trust Sheng Yue and decided to confront him as Gu Ling’s substitute, just to see how things would unfold.

“Gu Ling, perfect timing!” Sheng Yue’s eyebrows were knitted tightly. “The magic treasure is not the ring, nor any other object. It can’t be transferred. What should we do next?”

“What about Mo Yan?” Cheng Yun asked in Gu Ling’s tone.

“He’s still in the cave. He wasn’t awake when I left, and he has hostages in his hands, so I don’t dare to do anything to him. If I stay and wait for him to wake up, I’ll either be killed or captured.” Sheng Yue frowned, “Your master insisted on going in to give Mo Yan some sedatives.”

Cheng Yun looked toward the back of Sheng Yue, where the towering ancient trees and the strange rocks of the low mountain where the cave was located could be faintly seen.

“What do you think we should do next?” Cheng Yun asked Sheng Yue.

Sheng Yue shook his head slightly, “I can’t get the magic treasure, so I plan to leave. I won’t interfere with what happens next. You can figure it out. Farewell!”

As Sheng Yue was about to leave, Cheng Yun blocked his way, and pressed on his shoulder, “The matter is not over. You can’t leave.”

Sheng Yue’s eyes narrowed, and he struck a palm towards Cheng Yun’s chest!

Cheng Yun dodged, and they began fighting. Sheng Yue snorted coldly, “You’re not Gu Ling! You shouldn’t stop me! I’m not your enemy!”

Cheng Yun’s face was cold, “I will not let you leave unless Gu Ling agrees!”

“Cheng Yun? I thought it was Qiao Jing.” Sheng Yue stared, “You are my brother, I don’t want to make things difficult for you. I just want to leave as soon as possible and I won’t do anything to harm you all! Let me go!”

“You’re not my brother!” Cheng Yun replied coldly, his attacks becoming fiercer.

However, even with only one hand left, Sheng Yue was more than a match for Cheng Yun. They were surrounded by dense trees, so their fight could not be seen from the garden’s direction.

Just after Cheng Yun was hit by Sheng Yue’s palm and spit blood, Sheng Yue was about to leave when Cheng Yun grabbed tightly onto his leg as he lay on the ground.

Sheng Yue dragged Cheng Yun for two steps, looking impatient, “Let go!”

Cheng Yun remained silent, refusing to let go even in death.

Sheng Yue glanced in the direction of the cave, “Your master… Gu Ling’s master hasn’t come out yet. Mo Yan might have already woken up. If you continue like this, you’ll get us all killed! Let’s leave here first!” As he spoke, he stooped down, pulled Cheng Yun up, and quickly headed outside of the forbidden area.

After leaving the forbidden area, Sheng Yue didn’t ask where Gu Ling was but just took Cheng Yun and ran towards the City Lord Mansion. He was very fast.

“You…” Before Cheng Yun could speak, he was knocked out by Sheng Yue, who then carried him on his back.

Not long after Sheng Yue left the City Lord Mansion with Cheng Yun on his back, Gu Ling’s voice echoed nearby, “Stop.”

Sheng Yue’s face darkened as he stopped, laid Cheng Yun on the ground, and looked up to see Gu Ling not far away.

Sheng Yue took a deep breath, “Yan Shiba was forced into the water for the third time today, and after coming out, he quarreled with Mo Yan. I took advantage of Mo Yan’s distraction and put the sedatives in his tea. He drank it without realizing it. Unfortunately, the magic treasure is not a ring or any object. As he once told me, it is a gift from heaven for him to travel through time and is in his consciousness. No one can steal it. If he dies, those trapped inside will be doomed too. Yan Shiba betrayed me today, and Mo Yan’s trust in me was already in jeopardy. He kept me alive, knowing that no one could steal the magic treasure, and couldn’t do anything to him. I don’t want to be killed or captured, so I have to leave. Your master insists on going in to drug him, and she may have been captured by now. Cheng Yun showed up and blocked the road. I’ve gone too far not to care about him, but he is my brother. I can’t kill him. Honestly, I think your chances in the next events are slim. Mo Yan’s magic treasure is invincible. You don’t even dare to get close to him, let alone do anything to him. Once he finds out that Yan Shiba is fake, he will be furious and may even go on a killing spree to teach you all a bloody lesson! His patience is already wearing thin! I plan to take Cheng Yun with me, just to keep him from losing his life for you! This has nothing to do with him! He is too naive, willing to protect you even at the cost of his own life!”

Gu Ling looked at Cheng Yun and emotionlessly asked Sheng Yue, “Didn’t you always say you wanted to travel through time?”

Sheng Yue shook his head, “The premise of everything, is to stay alive. Our original plan was to steal Mo Yan’s magic treasure, or at least prevent him from using it. But now that there are living people in his space, we can neither kill him nor control him, and we certainly can’t force him to go to the pool to explore. He will never release everyone inside. It’s his lifesaver, but we have no means to deal with him. If you insist on keeping Cheng Yun here, I can ignore him. I believe you won’t let anything happen to him. But I can’t help with what comes next. Let’s part ways now.”

“You can go.” Gu Ling said, taking out a bottle of medicine. “First, eat a truth-telling drug to prove that what you said is true.”

Sheng Yue frowned, looked back towards the forbidden area, “You’re wasting time. Aren’t you afraid that your master might be killed by Mo Yan?” He then took a step forward, accepted the pill from Gu Ling, and put it into his mouth, “You know, I’m immune to poison. This drug might not work on me.”

Gu Ling bent down and pinched Cheng Yun’s acupoint, waking him up.

As Cheng Yun stood up, he instinctively wanted to hit Sheng Yue but was stopped by Gu Ling, “Wait.”

By this time, the truth-telling drug should have taken effect, but Sheng Yue still stood there calmly without any changes. He even opened his mouth to show Gu Ling that he had swallowed the pill.

“Gu Ling, thank you for the drug. It made me give up on Mo Yan’s magic treasure.” Sheng Yue then turned and run in another direction, “Let’s part ways now. Take care of yourselves!”

“Should we let him go?” Cheng Yun turned to ask Gu Ling, but saw that he had already chased after Sheng Yue.

Cheng Yun immediately followed suit.

It wasn’t until they reached the dense forest by the seaside that Gu Ling finally caught up with Sheng Yue and began fighting without a word.

Soon after, Cheng Yun also caught up and joined the battle.

Sheng Yue, with a helpless look on his face, fought while saying, “Have you both gone mad? Why do you insist on entangling with me? Gu Ling, do you really suspect that I’ve deceived you? You can’t possibly think that I’ve already stolen the magic treasure, can you? If that were the case, why would I need to fight you at all? I’d just snap my fingers and capture you all!”

Cheng Yun hesitated for a moment, “That makes sense.”

“There’s no point in you holding me back! Even if I stayed, would you actually believe that I would sincerely help you?” Sheng Yue asked coldly.

Cheng Yun then proposed, “Why not kill him? Then we won’t have to worry about him causing any trouble.”

Sheng Yue’s face darkened, “I am your brother!”

Gu Ling’s face was icy cold, and his sword was sharp. He showed no mercy.

Moreover, in terms of Martial Arts, Sheng Yue was no match for Gu Ling, especially since he was now short of one hand which had been cut off by Gu Ling.

Together with Cheng Yun, it didn’t take long for Sheng Yue to be forced to retreat and be defeated.

Sheng Yue threw down his knife, took a deep breath, and looked coldly at Gu Ling, “What do you want from me?”

“In any case, the matter is not over, and no one can leave.” Gu Ling’s expression was indifferent. He took out a thin rope from his chest and walked towards Sheng Yue, ready to tie him up.

Knowing that he couldn’t escape, Sheng Yue obediently surrendered and allowed Gu Ling to tie his arms behind his back with complicated knots.

Cheng Yun looked towards the forbidden area, “If Elder Shu still hasn’t come out, I’m afraid something must have happened.”

Sheng Yue’s face was calm, “I did warn you. Gu Ling, I know you won’t give up, but my advice to you is that when you have no other choice, don’t worry about unrelated people and get back home as soon as possible. Take your wife and children to a place where Mo Yan can’t find you and don’t concern yourself with worldly affairs. That’s the only way to have peace.”