Chapter 79

After a short while, Qi Xiang arrived beside the small hill at the bottom of the lake.

Gazing at the dense aquatic plants, he did not hesitate for a moment and moved forward directly. As the turtle shell emitted a glow, a clump of aquatic plants instantly broke, revealing a dark and narrow tunnel entrance.

To speak of it, in the inheritance memories of Water Moon Hermit, the condition of the cave room at the bottom of the lake back then was not as bad as it is today.

Water Moon Hermit was essentially human and could not survive in water. The reason he could create a cave room in the water was mainly due to an array formation he mastered, one that could repel water.

He used the Taihu Mystic Pearl to set up this water-repelling array formation in the cave room. When the lake water approached the entrance, it naturally avoided it. He also extended some bamboo pipes from the cave to the water surface to ensure air circulation.

In this way, Water Moon Hermit could naturally live in seclusion at the bottom of the lake, living a carefree and free life.

However, after Water Moon Hermit passed away, the array formation of the cave room, without his maintenance, naturally collapsed over time.

The lake water invaded the cave room, and the Taihu Mystic Pearls peeled off one by one. Some were eaten by fish, and some were probably fished out by fishermen, leading to the legend of the Taihu Mystic Pearls...

Of course, those pearls were not the key. What made Qi Xiang more distressed was that there were still many good things in Water Moon Hermit's cave room. But after being washed by the lake water, most of those good things were scattered, leaving only a few fragments.

Well, even the fragments were treasures. Qi Xiang's current goal was those things.

Thinking of the things in the cave room, Qi Xiang's mood soared, and he directly entered the dark tunnel. With the protection of the turtle shell, the mud piled up in the tunnel was immediately pushed to the sides.

For a moment, the clear lake water instantly became murky, making the dark tunnel even harder to see.

However, this was not a problem for Qi Xiang. He just followed the tunnel and kept going deeper. After a short while, the view suddenly opened up, and he arrived at the cave room.

Qi Xiang walked to the entrance of the cave but did not enter yet.

Suddenly, a jet of water rushed towards him, powerful and overwhelming, as if it had the force of a thousand pounds.

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, Qi Xiang's body could not stand firm and was directly knocked back, hitting the tunnel behind him. Fortunately, with the protection of the turtle shell, he was unharmed.

Qi Xiang steadied himself and saw clearly that what had hit him was the large, robust fish.

The fish had consumed many Taihu Mystic Pearls and had gained some intelligence. It considered the cave room its nest and naturally saw Qi Xiang, who was invading the cave room, as an enemy, launching a fierce attack.

After the collision, the fish was also stunned by the rebound force from the turtle shell, feeling dazed and confused.

After a while, the fish recovered and opened its mouth. Qi Xiang could see clearly that a small whirlpool appeared in the cave room, and a stream of water surged into the fish's belly.

"Whoosh!"

The fish's belly swelled, and then it opened its mouth and spat out a sharp, glowing water arrow that shot towards Qi Xiang.

The water arrow was fierce, flickering and trembling in the water, quite terrifying.

Seeing this, Qi Xiang's eyes narrowed, and he immediately dodged. The water arrow passed by him without a sound. But when he turned back, he was horrified to find that the tunnel behind him had collapsed, leaving a large hole.

"Definitely a spirit."

Qi Xiang steadied himself, a glint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

This fish was dangerous and could not be left alive...

With the killing intent rising, Qi Xiang directly entered the cave room. The water in the cave room was murky, and the silt was everywhere, somewhat obstructing his view. When the silt settled slightly, he was surprised to find that the large black fish had disappeared.

Qi Xiang looked around, examining every corner of the cave room, but he did not see the large black fish.

"Cunning, it used a feint..."

Qi Xiang smiled wryly, knowing that the large black fish had taken advantage of the chaos to escape. The powerful attack was not to deal with him but to distract him and escape.

"Fine, I'll let you off this time." Qi Xiang thought for a moment and had no intention of chasing after it. After all, as long as the large black fish was in Taihu Lake, it could not escape his grasp.

With this thought, Qi Xiang's gaze shifted, and he slowly examined the ruined cave room.

"Time has passed, and things have changed, the sea has turned into fields!"

Qi Xiang sighed, and his hands did not slow down. He quickly searched around the stone bed and stone table, not missing any corner of the cave room.

After repeated searches, he was somewhat pleased and a bit regretful. He took one last look at the cave room and left with some fragments.

This trip yielded little, but it was not insignificant...

Qi Xiang walked out of the cave room and slowly floated towards the water surface. His mood was pleasant, and he saw the bottom of a small boat leisurely drifting on the lake surface. He immediately sped up.

"Swish!"

Qi Xiang surfaced, placing his hand on the side of the boat, about to climb up.

At this moment, a shadow struck him. Qi Xiang敏锐地意识到不对，急忙松开了手。只听啪的一声，一根柳枝条打在了船边，留下浅浅的痕迹。

"Hey?"

Qi Xiang was stunned, looking strangely at船上的其他人，不明白自己的船上怎么会有其他人？

他一看，就呆了一呆，只见小船上坐着一个身穿白衬衫，扎着单马尾，看不清脸庞的女子。她侧坐船舱，雪白的小手晃着一根柔软的柳枝条。

Qi Xiang looked in confusion, immediately realizing he had made a mistake. Near this small boat, there was another lonely, unmanned boat drifting.

"...Sorry, I made a mistake." Qi Xiang hurriedly apologized, turned his body in the water, and swam lightly towards his own boat.

After a while, he successfully boarded the boat and couldn't help but look over. He saw that the other small boat had already drifted away.

Qi Xiang frowned in thought, feeling a vague sense of familiarity.

"Wait, could it be..." Qi Xiang's heart stirred, and he pondered. He quickly looked up again but found that the small boat had already disappeared on the lake, nowhere to be seen.

Qi Xiang thought for a moment and began to row, not to chase after it but to head home. After a night of折腾, when he returned to the estate, the sky was already bright, and it was another beautiful, sunny day.

The sun was bright, the weather was pleasant, and the flowers and plants in the estate were warm and vibrant.

Qi Xiang sat in the living room and began to sort through his findings from the cave room last night. First was a box on the stone bed, unlocked and quite thick. When he opened it, inside was a jade pendant, but it had already turned to powder.

Qi Xiang was somewhat disappointed, but it was also expected and understandable.

Next to the box was a jar.

Qi Xiang examined it and found that the jar had been sealed, but the cork had rotted and decayed from the lake water, allowing water to seep in.

He opened the jar and saw that the contents inside were already mushy and rotten.

Qi Xiang sniffed and a very pungent smell emerged from the jar. He felt a bit choked and couldn't help but cover his nose and move away.

The contents of the jar were likely cinnabar, and a specially made mixture of cinnabar. Unfortunately, the cinnabar had spoiled, and even if it were dried again, it would have lost its use.

Qi Xiang shook his head and his gaze shifted to another stone box.

The stone box was open, with layers of silt piled up. Qi Xiang was not afraid of getting dirty and directly reached into the soft mud. After removing a shallow layer of silt, he revealed some golden-yellow objects.

These objects were familiar to Qi Xiang. He had seen them in the belly of the large fish he caught yesterday.

Previously, he did not know the details of these objects, but after inheriting Water Moon Hermit's legacy, he naturally understood their origin and specific uses.

"Eight Treasures Merit Mud, interesting!"

Qi Xiang smiled, and the objects were more like a special substance than mud. This substance could not be the main ingredient but was an excellent auxiliary material.

Mixing the Eight Treasures Merit Mud with other substances would produce some unique effects. It could mix with many things, each with different effects, hence the name "Eight Treasures."

Qi Xiang put down the Eight Treasures Merit Mud and picked up a cup nearby.

The cup was very simple, with no decorative patterns, a flat bottom, and a U-shape, about two inches high. The cup was dark brown, the original color of the clay, and the material was relatively dense, not very eye-catching.

However, Qi Xiang knew very well that this unremarkable cup was a rare treasure.

When making the cup, Water Moon Hermit had mixed in the Eight Treasures Merit Mud, and after frequent use, the cup had undergone a transformation, becoming extraordinary.

At this moment, Qi Xiang took the cup to the kitchen, washed his hands and the cup clean, and then carefully poured boiling water into the cup.

As the boiling water entered the cup, it gradually calmed down.

Qi Xiang watched intently and saw that the calm water in the cup suddenly started to ripple. The ripples spread in circles, rising from the bottom to the top, causing the water to oscillate slightly, as if it were about to spill over the edge.

But soon, the water in the cup returned to normal, clear and peaceful.

Steam rose, and a subtle fragrance quietly spread.

Qi Xiang took a light sniff and was pleasantly surprised...

Qi Xiang calmed his mind and slowly lifted the cup, carefully sipping the boiling water. A clear and rich tea aroma immediately spread in his mouth, making him feel refreshed and content, with a lingering aftertaste.

"Tea Mud Pot!"

At this moment, Qi Xiang was certain that the tea mud pot mentioned by Zhu Shen was definitely something like this. Moreover, the precious pot in Zhu Shen's home might also be a relic of Water Moon Hermit.

Because the pots, bowls, and other daily utensils in Water Moon Hermit's cave room, including the teapot and cups, were all made with the Eight Treasures Merit Mud, making them distinctly different from ordinary objects...