CH 040 Black Tortoise Mirror

The originally boundless spring scenery and ambiguous atmosphere was destroyed by Nie Bufan. Si Chenyu didn’t have the strong psychological endurance of Li Yi, so he could only admit defeat.

In the end, Nie Bufan didn’t tell Si Chenyu the secret under the water pool. Or it could be said that he completely forgot after choking on the water.

The two returned to the Chicken Nest Village, one dry and one wet. Immediately they sensed that the atmosphere was not right when they entered the village. Li Yi, Li Huai, Zhang Junshi, Chen Muran, and Nineteen all gathered together in a rare occurence. Even Wang Shichan, who came and went without a trace, appeared to the little gathering. They looked to be discussing something.

Nie Bufan greeted them, “Well, that’s rare, what are you all talking about together?”

Everyone turned and looked at the sunny and dry Nie Bufan and then at Si Chenyu, who was soaked and dripping wet, with peculiar expressions on their faces.

Seeing this, Si Chenyu put aside any thoughts of changing clothes, and asked directly, “What’s wrong?”

Chen Muran said solemnly: “My key was stolen.”

“Huh?” Si Chenyu was surprised, “Are you talking about the treasure key?”

“Exactly.”

“How did you lose it?”

Shen Muran shook his head: “I don’t know. I woke up this morning and found that it had disappeared.”

Si Chenyu rubbed his chin and thought: “Chicken Nest Village is tightly guarded. I don’t believe anyone can break through the surveillance of the chickens and steal the key silently. There is no second elegant master in the world.”

With that, he looked at Wang Shichan.

Wang Shichan opened his mouth and said: “Ragarding qinggong, I indeed have not yet heard of anyone who could beat me.”

“Moreover, outsiders don’t know what the key looks like at all.” Shen Muran added.

“So,” Si Chenyu said lightly, “there is only one possibility left——embezzlement.”

As soon as the words fell, everyone’s eyes focused on Nie Bufan.

“What are you guys looking at me for?” Nie Bufan glared at them, feeling that his character had been greatly insulted, “I have always been upright and honest and never done anything sneaky!”

Everyone ignored this obviously false statement.

“It’s not him.” Wang Shichan said suddenly.

“How do you know?” Li Huai asked suspiciously.

“I was at his house last night.”

Hearing these words, Li Yi and Zhang Junshi looked at him suspiciously, and then at Nie Bufan, their eyes seeming to accuse a certain someone of having an illicit lover on the side.

Nie Bufan was conflicted: “Wang Fifth, why were you at my house? But I didn’t see you?”

“I was resting in the central room.” (TN: central room of a traditional Chinese house is similar to a living room)

Both Zhang and Li were relieved. That’s right, how could a person like Wang Shichan have normal human emotions and desires? He was an aloof cultivator with a pure heart and little desire, so calm and elegant, practically the image of a hermit master.

In this way, the whereabouts of the key was once again a mystery.

Si Chenyu said, “It’s useless for others to take the key. If this person wants to get the treasure, he has to show up sooner or later.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Chen Muran sighed: “I blame myself for being too careless, thinking that no one would pay attention to that key.”

Nie Bufan asked curiously: “Speaking of keys, what are your respective keys?”

Si Chenyu and the others looked at each other.

Li Yi said: “Everyone present is considered a participant so in truth there is nothing to hide.”

Chen Muran nodded, and said first: “Mine is a mirror, a Black Tortoise mirror.”

Si Chenyu: “Green Dragon bracelet.”

Wang Shichan: “White Tiger comb.”

Li Huai: “Vermillion Bird hairpin.”

Nie Bufan said “Oh” and became silent.

Si Chenyu tentatively asked, “Did you think of something? Do you have any clues about the fifth key?”

“The fifth key?” Li Huai asked puzzledly, “Why ask him? Isn’t it in the hands of the Tian Nu?”

Everyone looked at the Tian Nu.

The Tian Nu was secretly nervous, but she still maintained a pretense of calm on the surface: “When the time comes, the fifth key will naturally appear. The current problem is the whereabouts of the Black Tortoise mirror.”

“Yes.” Li Huai frowned. “The style of the key is very peculiar. How could others find out? Brother Chen, have you revealed anything to whom?”

“It’s absolutely impossible.” Chen Muran refuted the idea, “Only two or three people in the family know about the key and I would definitely not even talk about it casually. What’s more, I have been in Chicken Nest Village this whole time and have never contacted outsiders. “

“That’s weird.” The chickens in the Chicken Nest Village were like spirits and ghosts, who could escape detection under their sly beady eyes?

“It’s useless to discuss this now.” Li Yi said, “During this period we’ll search the village thoroughly. I keep feeling that the key is still nearby.”

Everyone nodded. Seeing that the time to open the treasure deposit was approaching, they really didn’t want all of their efforts to be wasted.

Nie Bufan watched as they all became preoccupied wih troubles and silently responded with infinite sympathy. And he was thinking of opening the treasure with them today. But unexpectedly, something new came along to complicate the issue. Could it be that the Duobao Sage’s will had traveled down from the heavens and didn’t want them to take the treasure?

With a leisurely and carefree mood, Nie Bufan returned to his room. As soon as the door was opened, a dark shadow came rushing towards his face, and landed on it with a splat.

Nie Bufan pulled it off and said with a smile: “Wukong, you are in good spirits!”

The little monkey waved its limbs, and when Nie Bufan’s hand loosened, it rushed to the top of his head, digging through his hair as if looking for lice.

“Huh?” Nie Bufan inadvertently glanced at Lady Flower in the corner currently playing with something.

Looking closer, it turned out to be a palm-sized mirror.

Nie Bufan pulled the mirror out of Lady Flower’s claws and looked it over. This was a greenish black bronze mirror with two small black pearls inlaid on the top part of the mirror, like a pair of eyes. The edge of the mirror was carved with intricate yet primitive patterns. At the lower half a long tail coiled along the edge of the mirror, and the back of the mirror was carved with scale like patterns.

Could it be that this was the Black Tortoise mirror?

Sure enough, as Li Huai said, the style was very peculiar, and most people would not think that this was actually a key.

Nie Bufan looked at Lady Flower and asked, “Who stole this?”

Lady Flower blinked its beady eyes, its face a picture of innocence.

At this moment, the little monkey on top of Nie Bufan’s head jumped a few times and stretched out its tail, hooking over the mirror.

Nie Bufan dragged it down and said seriously: “Was it you?”

The little monkey opened its mouth and wrinkled its face in a smile.

“You,” Nie Bufan said righteously, pointing at it, “you actually learned to steal things at such a young age!”

The little monkey bowed its head, appearing as if it was repenting.

But who knew that in the next instant Nie Bufan said, “But, I have to say, you did a good job!”

The little monkey instantly regained its high spirits and patted its chest with two tiny paws, indicating that it would continue its efforts.

Nie Bufan heaped a lot of praises on the little monkey.

Really, don’t know what this innocent little monkey would grow up into under his way of teaching……

Just as Nie Bufan put the Black Tortoise mirror away, he saw the Tian Nu sneaking in like a thief.

“Nie Bufan, what should I do?” She leaned over and whispered, “The last key is still missing, and now even the Black Tortoise mirror is lost.”

Nie Bufan glanced at her contemptuously: “What are you anxious for?”

“How can I not be in a hurry?” Nineteen said with worry, “Now the situation is getting more and more precarious, and the day of opening the treasure is even more distant. What if the reputation of the Heaven Divining Palace is ruined in my hands?”

“Are you stupid?” Nie Bufan showed an expression of ‘this child is incurable’ and said, “Before, you indeed did need to worry, but now it is Chen Muran who has lost the key, so it is his fault that you all can’t open the treasure. What does it have to do with the Heaven Divining Palace?”

Nineteen suddenly came to a realization and said excitedly: “That’s right, why didn’t I think of that?”

Nie Bufan said again: “In this way, you don’t need to worry about anything else until Chen Muran finds the Black Tortoise mirror, just concentrate on finding the last key.”

Nineteen showed an expression of enlightenment, her whole person full of joy.

After a while, she suddenly looked at Nie Bufan, and whispered: “You said some time ago that you would help me, could it be……the Black Tortoise mirror was……”

“God’s will be done, God’s will be done.”

Nineteen lowered her head and let out a series of sly chuckles, before finally raising her head and said in a worshiping manner: “Lord Village Head, you are so wise and brilliant!”

“No, no. You are too kind.” Nie Bufan raised his chin, his bearing that of a venerabler master.

Nineteen was now completely at ease, feeling that it was truly sunny outside, and even the smell of chicken poop was refreshing.

When Nineteen left, Nie Bufan stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance, and sighed: “The heavens doesn’t let the treasure be taken away, how can I go against the heavens?”

……

It was night and Nie Bufan was lying on the bed having beautiful dreams. That comfortable and carefree appearance was truly too jealousy invoking, particularly when other people could not sleep at this time.

The Tian Nu was still blissfully ignorant, feeling to happy to sleep.

Chen Muran lost the key, and was now feeling too conflicted to sleep.

Si Chenyu was thinking about the possible result of having a battle with Nie Bufan, would there be any bones left?

When Li Huai thought of having to continue staying in Chicken Nest Village, he became overcome with the urge to go crazy.

Li Yi didn’t have any thoughts on the matter, only feeling troubled by Zhang Junshi’s strict surveillance tactics. Zhang Junshi had actually shamelessly bribed dozens of chickens to keep guard over him, making it difficult for him to move. And he dared not offend the chickens in the Chicken Nest Village……

Zhang Junshi was hesitating, wondering whether he should launch a night attack. If there was no exchange of feelings for a long time, he was afraid that Nie Bufan, that heartless fellow, would completely forget him.

He didn’t know, just as he was hesitating, someone had already acted first.

Wang Shichan relied on his extraordinary qinggong skills and sneaked into Nie Bufan’s room again. And then he once again stole him away into that small black cave full of spring scenery.

Nie Bufan only felt that he had a strange dream. First, he was riding the clouds and fog, crossing the rooftops of the houses. Next, it became a dream of beautiful women surrounding and tenderly caressing him. And then it was surging heat and his mouth going dry. His body felt as if it was being entangled in the grip of an octopus, the flexible and agile tentacles teasing at his sensitive spots. From shallow to deep, the movements were determined and tireless, before finally pushing in all the way.

“Ngh.” Nie Bufan opened his eyes abruptly and only saw darkness.

His right leg was lifted, and his body rocked back and forth rhythmically. The person on him was steady and powerful, and every time he went in and out, he always reached the deepest point, as if divinely gifted.

Nie Bufan breathed heavily, and it took a long time for him to get out a somewhat broken sentence: “Li, Li Fourth, you’re at it again.”

The man let out a grunt, messing up the rhythm and causing Nie Bufan to utter many complaints.

“Aiyo, you are too hateful!” Nie Bufan shouted irritably, “Can you follow the rules, it’s very immoral for you to steal people like this, ngh……ah……enough……lighter! Bastard! I’m going to utter foul language……mph……”

The mouth was blocked.

In the darkness, only the endless ooxx sounds could be heard. Truly, the scenes of spring were really boundless, causing all lonely spirits and ghosts to go green with envy.

The night wind weeped and howled. The lonely moon became hidden in the clouds, longing for the sun……