Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 115

Chapter 115: Illusion Array

“What exactly is going on? Why couldn’t we find Fellow Daoist Rong, but Ah Ying could?” Captain Zhao was perplexed.

“Could it be we encountered a ‘Ghost Hits Wall’?” Ling Long sucked in a breath of cold air.

Rong Xie thought for a moment and said, “Stay where you are and don’t move. Wait a moment.”

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Rong Xie appeared at the corner of the wall with the Eagle-Headed Falcon on his hand.

Captain Zhao looked at the approaching Rong Xie in surprise. “This… what happened?”

The small Eagle-Headed Falcon squawked and flapped its wings, flying onto Ling Long’s shoulder.

“We didn’t encounter a Ghost Hits Wall, but a deliberately set blindfold.” Rong Xie explained, “One of us was likely not seeing the real world, but a mirror world.”

“Eh?” “Mirror world?”

“The mirror world is the opposite of the real world. Just now, I said go left. People seeing the mirror world would go right. If both sides went right, of course, we would never meet,” Rong Xie further explained.

“That makes sense. But… we didn’t feel like we fell for any blindfold…” Captain Zhao was skeptical.

“Captain Zhao, Miss Ling Long, stretch your hands forward and look carefully,” Rong Xie said.

Following his words, the two stretched their hands forward and indeed cried out in surprise, “Eh, this is my right hand. Why is my right hand on the left side?!”

“Don’t panic. Try touching your right ear with your right hand,” Rong Xie said.

They did so. Their right hands successfully touched their right ears, but in their vision, the hand retracting was the left one, and the direction it reached was the left cheek.

“Damn it!” Captain Zhao cursed. Ling Long also cried out in fear.

Seeing this, other team members also tested it, and everyone fell into confusion.

“This… what is going on? When did we get hit?”

“Who is so vicious to cast a confusion spell on us secretly?”

“Everyone, calm down,” Rong Xie said clearly. “When you came, did you smell a rose scent?”

Reminded by Rong Xie, Captain Zhao and the others recalled that they had indeed smelled a rose scent. At the time, they thought it wasn’t surprising given the foolish child’s claim about a giant flower monster in the Lu estate, so they didn’t pay attention to defending against it.

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“I was almost controlled by this flower scent yesterday. Do not take it lightly,” Rong Xie said. Actually, he had mentioned it to Captain Zhao via transmission, but there was too much information at once, and Captain Zhao hadn’t remembered. Today, they fell for it immediately.

“Then what do we do now?” Captain Zhao felt uncomfortable all over seeing his right hand growing on the left. “To avoid the effect, do we have to hold our breath?”

“I have a way,” Rong Xie pondered, then recited a mental cultivation mantra, telling Captain Zhao and Ling Long to follow it first.

The two circulated their spiritual energy according to the mantra. Their minds cleared, and looking at their hands again, left and right had returned to normal.

“Ha, it’s normal!” Ling Long was pleasantly surprised.

“Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Rong!” Captain Zhao solemnly cupped his fists to Rong Xie. “We are endlessly grateful that Fellow Daoist Rong is willing to teach us such a high-level mantra… I wonder if it is convenient to pass it to other team members? If not…”

“It is convenient. Please pass it to everyone,” Rong Xie smiled.

Captain Zhao was overjoyed, thanking Rong Xie repeatedly. He turned back to gather the Treasure Hunting Team members and told them the mantra Rong Xie had just taught him.

After the team members recirculated their spiritual energy according to Rong Xie’s mantra, they broke free from the mirror control one after another and returned to normal.

“As expected of an inner sect disciple of the Lingjing Sect! Immortal Master Rong’s mantra is indeed powerful!”

“Immortal Master Rong is generous to teach us such a high-level mantra. We are truly grateful!”

The Treasure Hunting Team members gathered around, enthusiastically expressing their gratitude to Rong Xie.

“This isn’t some powerful inner sect mantra. I improved it based on the Ice Heart Mantra. It takes effect quickly and consumes little spiritual energy,” Rong Xie explained. “However, it isn’t the authentic Ice Heart Mantra after all. It can only deal with some low-level confusion and obfuscation spells. Going further into the well, it’s hard to say.”

Hearing Rong Xie say this, Captain Zhao realized, “No wonder Fellow Daoist Rong didn’t let me go up just now.”

“Mn. The current advantage is that this interference seems targeted at humans and is ineffective on Ah Ying. After entering the ‘Well,’ we can still let Ah Ying lead the way,” Rong Xie said. “But that rose scent might become stronger as we approach its source. The Ice Heart Mantra won’t be able to solve that.”

Rong Xie voiced his concern. Captain Zhao also looked grave, turning back to discuss with the team members.

The Treasure Hunting Team members, being rogue cultivators with diverse knowledge, came up with all sorts of ideas. Some said they knew wind magic and could blow a strong wind from behind the team to blow away any scent, fragrant or foul. But this wouldn’t work well in a closed space. Others suggested casting a barrier over everyone’s head to isolate the outside flower scent. As for what to do if the outside air was also isolated, he hadn’t thought of that yet.

The most reliable idea came from a Scent Cultivator in the team. She suggested fighting poison with poison: use her incense to occupy everyone’s mind first so the rose scent couldn’t enter. However, this method also had a risk—one person had to remain clear-headed to guide everyone.

Everyone summed it up: Captain Zhao had the highest cultivation and leadership skills, so the responsibility of guiding everyone fell on his shoulders. If Captain Zhao became unclear, Rong Xie would wake him up from the side. With this double insurance, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Captain Zhao told Rong Xie the discussed method. Rong Xie smiled bitterly. “You guys really trust me. You’re treating me as the last line of defense.”

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“Fellow Daoist Rong is learned in both ancient and modern knowledge and acts cautiously. You are the most trustworthy person among us rough folks,” Captain Zhao praised highly.

“You flatter me,” Rong Xie said. However, he couldn’t think of a better way. The arrow was on the bowstring; there was no time for hesitation. He agreed to this method.

With the plan decided, the Scent Cultivator began burning incense. Emerald green scented mist spread out, enveloping the Treasure Hunting Team members. Everyone smelled a strong scent simultaneously. It was very refreshing, if a bit choking.

“It has to be this thick to squeeze out other scents,” the Scent Cultivator explained. After doing this, she stood up, handed the censer to Captain Zhao, and taught him some simple ways to use it—how to expand the range and increase the concentration. “While walking later, Big Brother Zhao just needs to ensure everyone is within the mist.”

“Okay,” Captain Zhao responded.

“Immortal Master Rong, watch Captain Zhao. If the mist obviously disperses and Captain Zhao doesn’t react, call his name.” The Scent Cultivator thought for a moment and added, “If that still doesn’t work, hit him.”

“Yes, Fellow Daoist Rong, hit me hard. I have thick skin; it doesn’t matter,” Captain Zhao said. Turning his head, he asked the Scent Cultivator, “What if hitting me doesn’t work either?”

“Then run,” the Scent Cultivator said. “Going out to call for help is better than the whole army being wiped out.”

Captain Zhao nodded and looked back at Rong Xie.

Rong Xie fingered the jade token at his waist and said, “It won’t come to that. As long as we discover the monster’s main body, I can contact Shen Bingsi. Let him solve the rest.”

“Right, almost forgot. Sword Saint Shen is also here.” “Why didn’t Sword Saint Shen come together?” “Probably delayed by something.” “Yesterday he was quite actively flying with us…”

Hearing they had Shen Bingsi as backup, the team members relaxed a lot, discussing chatteringly. It took Captain Zhao clapping his hands again to bring everyone’s attention back.

“No time to waste. Move out!”

At Captain Zhao’s command, the Treasure Hunting Team members, with clear division of labor, began to scale the wall.

Great cultivators had uniform ways of scaling walls, but rogue cultivators had diverse methods.

Some flew up holding magical tools, some grew claws on their feet to climb the cracks, and some threw out two vines to hook the top of the wall and climbed up.

After the first wave went up, they took out grappling hooks, secured them to the wall top, and lowered the ropes attached to the ends.

Swish swish swish. Over a dozen ropes were thrown down. The team members below climbed up the ropes swiftly.

During this time, the censer in Captain Zhao’s hands continuously emitted emerald green mist, following each team member as if sentient, always keeping them enveloped inside.

Everyone went up. Finally, it was Captain Zhao and Rong Xie. They used Flight Talismans to rise directly to the top of the wall, joining the group.

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Finally about to see what was inside the wall, Rong Xie’s curiosity peaked.

He looked down and felt a wave of dizziness. A terrifying suction force came from the giant black hole, giving one the urge to deliberately lose balance and fall.

Inside the enclosing wall, everything was the domain of the “Well.” A giant black hole opened in the ground, and the surrounding wall was like its “well curb.”

So the “Well” wasn’t a well in a courtyard, but… a large hole enclosed by walls, or rather, a bottomless abyss.

“This is—”

Captain Zhao was also shaken upon seeing such a huge “Well.”

“This is the well.” Ling Long covered her mouth. “Even at high noon, sunlight can’t reach the bottom. How are we going down?”

“How else? Lower ropes,” a team member beside her said. “We’ve been down deeper caves than this. Afraid of this?”

“Do you know how deep this is? Saying you’ve been down deeper?” Ling Long teased.

“Hey, don’t we have to go down? Just emboldening myself.”

“…”

“Wait,” Rong Xie stopped the team member about to lower the rope. “Did you see that iron door?”

The team members were confused. What iron door?

“I remember when I came yesterday, there was an iron door on this wall. It was said only Madam Mei and the Old Master could open it. Why is there no door on the wall now?” Rong Xie asked.

Captain Zhao and Ling Long looked around and indeed didn’t see an iron door.

“Then there are only two possibilities. One, the iron door doesn’t lead inside and is just a decoration,” Rong Xie said. “Two, what we are seeing is not the real interior, but an illusion array.”

“Illusion array? But haven’t we already blocked the rose scent with the scented mist?” Ling Long was puzzled, pointing to the censer tightly held in Captain Zhao’s arms. “Look, it’s burning fine.”

“There is another type of illusion array that covers an object’s surface with an illusion to mask its true appearance,” Rong Xie, having read many books on mystical arts, listed the types and differences of illusion arrays as if enumerating family valuables. “It presents hallucinations by changing the object, not by changing the observer’s consciousness.”

“You mean, this isn’t actually a big black hole below?” Ling Long realized. “Then what could it be? Why disguise it as a big black hole? It’s scary!”

“Disguising it like this definitely has a purpose… for example, to prevent intruders from breaking in.” Rong Xie said. With a wave of his hand, wood-elemental spiritual energy transformed into a thousand blade-like leaves, scattering toward the black hole.

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Everyone stared intently at the leaves. They vanished instantly as if falling into a black quagmire.

“There is indeed a layer of illusion array!” Captain Zhao called a team member over. “Ye Er, use your Gale Art to blow on it!”

“Yes, Captain!” The wind-elemental rogue cultivator immediately released a strong gale blowing downward. The black hole’s mouth suddenly rippled, like black water wrinkling in the wind. Instantly, the bottomless black hole looked fake, like a painting covering the ground having a corner blown up.

The wind cultivator increased the intensity. The black hole was really blown open at a corner, revealing densely packed spikes underneath.

Everyone felt a chill down their spines. If they had slid down ropes directly, they would have been skewered like candied haws.