The three enjoyed their time in Horse Racing Town for three days.
In those three days, Chu Li set up a formation on a mountain outside of Horse Racing Town, known as the Topsy Turvy Cosmos Formation.
This formation could confuse God’s will and leave people in a daze. If one were to attack the formation, they would go berserk. Even his Omniscient Mirror could not see the situation within the formation from the outside.
In the middle of the night three days later.
The moon shone brightly as its crescent shape dimly illuminated the land. It was still and quiet in the house.
Chu Li suddenly got up and quickly left his room before gently knocking on a room door.
“Who is it?” Yang Xu’s voice asked from inside.
Chu Li replied, “It’s me. Get the young lady to wake up, we have to go.”
“Please wait a moment,” Yang Xu answered.
The ruffling of clothes ensued as Chu Li retrieved his Omniscient Mirror. Then, he returned and hurried them. “Quickly now!”
“Stop nagging Yang Xu. Did they find us?” Xiao Shi’s hoarse voice snapped at him from beyond the barrier.
Chu Li responded. “They will be here soon. I feel something amiss. It’s better to be prepared.”
Xiao Shi raised the screen and came out. She had changed into a plain white garment – immaculate and pure.
Yang Xu followed her out. She wore a light, flower patterned garment. “Chief, what do we do now?”
Chu Li smiled. “We will leave once they’re here. Just leave it to me.”
Yang Xu felt assured seeing Chu Li’s smile.
She was not personally afraid of death. However, she was worried that if she passed, no one would take care of her son, Zhu Quan. Growing up all by himself would be extremely miserable.
“Chu Li, let Yang Xu leave first.”
Chu Li raised his eyebrow.
Xiao Shi snapped. “I know you brought Yang Xu along due to gender sensitivity. However, who would bother about something like that during a time like this? You’re only one person. If we are really about to face an enemy, it’s best if you did not have to worry about too many of us.”
Chu Li sighed. “I’m quite aware of your needs and I know you need someone to take care of you.”
“I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I am not handicapped!” Xiao Shi snapped. “Do you really think I’m incapable of doing anything?”
Back at the High Duke’s Public House, there were times that she preferred to handle things herself and did not want to look for a maid. They were all clumsy and just seeing them got her blood boiling.
Yang Xu butted in. “Young lady, I think I should follow you. It is inconvenient for you to have no one by your side.”
“It’s not as though I’ll die of hunger. Don’t worry,” Xiao Shi remarked. “The point is, you’re a burden. Fleeing with one person would definitely be faster than fleeing with two people, right?
There is a shop back in the house. You should stay there for a while and return once everything has settled down.”
“But…” Yang Xu was hesitant.
Chu Li knew Yang Xu was thinking of her son and sighed. “I will have someone come over to pick you up.”
“… I understand,” Yang Xu finally nodded in agreement.
She curtsied by lifting the edge of her skirt in gratitude to Xiao Shi. She knew where Xiao Shi was coming from.
“I’ll send you off,” Chu Li said.
He took a hold of Yang Xu and disappeared from the house in the blink of an eye.
It wasn’t long before he reappeared in a grain shop downtown.
Those in the grain rice business all had stellar backgrounds and nobody would dare offend them.
Grain rice had a direct impact on the people’s livelihood. Commoners and even regular noble families could not partake in the trade. Only those who had relations with the upper levels could carry out the business.
And so, the grain shops were safe. Moreover, this was Yi Public House’s grain shop.
After flashing his waist tag, the shopkeeper’s anger was quickly replaced with a friendly smile. Chu Li made sure Yang Xu was well looked after. Looking at the nature of the shopkeeper, he knew he could rest assured.
The shopkeeper’s attitude showed that he dared not neglect Yang Xu.
——
Chu Li once again appeared before Xiao Shi.
Xiao Shi was standing on a pedestal, looking at the clear moon.
Under the moonlight, Xiao Shi’s face was translucent, almost crystal-like. It was as though her entire body was sculpted out of white crystal, clear and flawless. Every time Chu Li witnessed her beauty, he couldn’t help but praise the miracles of the creator as well as frown at the biasness of the heavens.
Lifting his head to look at the moon, Xiao Shi sighed. “Chu Li, do you think we’ll be able to see the moon again this time next year?”
Chu Li dismissed her. “Don’t overthink it. We will be able the see moon next year, the year after, ten years later, twenty years later… even a hundred years later – I guarantee it!”
“Who could live that long!” Xiao Shi laughed.
Chu Li smiled at her. “You will definitely live that long since you’ve consumed the Longevity Grass. I’m a Grandmaster, so I will too!”
“With how things are right now, how can you live your life at ease? You have to thank the gods if you even survive another ten years!” Xiao Shi teased.
“Wouldn’t life be boring without all these things happening?” Chu Li smirked. Then, his expression immediately changed. “Watch out, here they come.”
He saw two elders strolling through the moonlight.
One of the elders was wearing a yellow monk robe. His bald head was shining brightly under the moonlight.
His left palm was fixed in an Anjali Mudra position.
The other elder was wearing a poplin garment. He was tall and sturdy, and his pale face was complimented by a snow-white beard that fluttered about in the wind.
Chu Li frowned.
Their bodies seemed to have a faint golden glow about them. The Omniscient Mirror could not penetrate through this barrier.
This golden glow was similar to the Sentient Menace, but only on a spiritual level. Under the reflection of the Omniscient Mirror, he could only see their exteriors, but nothing on the inside. He couldn’t see their thoughts or the circulation of their heart techniques.
This kept Chu Li away from his comfort zone.
Chu Li had his full focus on the old monk and quickly found the source of this faint layer of golden glow – it was the old monk’s wrist.
There was a string of Buddhist beads around his wrist. This string of beads was the source of the glow, guarding the duo against the prying of the Omniscient Mirror.
The thirty-six beads were peculiarly shaped. Each of them irregular, as though they were swan eggs randomly picked from the seaside. Some of them were triangular or pentagonal.
Normal people would dismiss this string of beads as random stones and they would probably look down on it and think of it as some low-level item.
However, Chu Li immediately recognized the origin of these beads — Sarira!
No wonder it had such a divine effect. Thirty-six sariras strung into this Buddhist beads; no wonder it harbored such enormous spiritual force.
This powerful spiritual force was useless against mortals. However, to Chu Li who possessed a body with divine powers, it was an existence stronger than any martial art.
The old monk suddenly lifted his head and looked at Chu Li.
Chu Li grew solemn and as his hunch was confirmed.
He turned his head and snapped at Xiao Shi. “Let’s go!”
Xiao Shi nodded.
Chu Li grabbed a hold of her sleeved wrists and glided from the inn to the outskirts of the town, and into the Topsy Turvy Cosmos formation.
The marvels of formations were endless. He could not see the situation within the formation from the outside but standing at the entrance within the formation, he could clearly see what was going on outside.
The Omniscient Mirror continued to the reflect old monk and the other elder.
He and the white-bearded elder arrived outside the mountain and quietly stood there for a while. Then, they walked towards the direction of Chu Li. Their pace was pastoral yet haste.
The duo arrived at the foot of the mountain and checked out the surroundings in confusion.
“Revered sir, are you sure they disappeared here?” The white-bearded elder spoke in a deep tone.
The old monk slowly shook his head and was deep in thought as he stared in the direction of Chu Li. “Something’s off about this. Let’s stop here for a while and take a look.”
“Could they be using a secret technique to escape?” The white beard elder continued. “Or else, how could they just disappear?”
“I have never encountered this before.” The old monk maintained his tranquil composure. Even if he was confused, he was not restless. “Perhaps lady almsgiver has passed. Apart from this, I cannot explain this phenomenon.”
“Chu Li is loyal to the Yi Public House. He wouldn’t kill the second young lady,” the white-bearded elder commented.
“Please allow me to think it through,” the old monk toggled his beads and took out a strain of hair. He stared at it as he fell deep into thought.
Chu Li let out a sigh of relief. It seemed as if the formation was working.
Xiao Shi stood in the formation at the mountainside and listened to their conversation. She dared not speak a word.
Chu Li lowered his voice. “Wait here, I will lure them away.”
The old monk was very nearby. With his extreme speed, he could appear in a second and snatch the hair, cutting off the use of his divine power.