Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 81: Shrine of All E’s
Top floor of the Disaster Relief Tower.
A’Shou sat at a low table. Beneath the blood-stained veil, her sharp gaze was fixed straight ahead…
Just now, the paper figure had opened the incense-burner’s smoke door and invited the newly ascended Ghost Immortal to the top of the tower. The Ghost Immortal had brought along a humanoid pendant, Fang Xiu.
When they first returned, the little black dog flatly refused to go anywhere alone. Dian’er tried to tempt it with a pile of heavenly treasures, but if the paper figure so much as stepped within arm’s reach, the dog would wrinkle its nose, bare its teeth, and growl low in its throat.
Dumb as it might appear, this fluffy ghost immortal had genuinely achieved ghost immortal rank, and ghost officials dared not provoke it casually. Dian’er swallowed back its indignation and ended up inviting Fang Xiu along too.
“Long time no see, Boss Lady.” Fang Xiu was in great spirits, a broad smile plastered on his face.
The seductive ghost stood beside him, features half-shadowed, only the vivid blood-red mole on his left cheek visible. He stood quietly, a lingering scent of soul essence still clinging to him.
A’Shou furrowed her brows and secretly examined Fang Xiu. Thankfully, the seductive ghost had shown restraint. He had only consumed essence energy, not damaged the soul’s foundation.
With that confirmed, she let it pass without comment.
A’Shou got straight to the point. “It’s been a while, and yet you’ve done something remarkable again. I’ve never seen anyone resolve an E like this, nor seen a Ghost Immortal like this one.”
The little dog stood in front of Fang Xiu, its round eyes curiously sizing up A’Shou. It hesitated, then turned to bark twice at Fang Xiu.
A’Shou’s motion paused. The paper figure’s expression twisted, nervously glancing at her.
After a moment, A’Shou sighed. “Follow the rules. If it needs translating, translate it.”
The paper figure cleared its throat and shakily relayed, “Fang Xiu, the Black Dog Immortal says that Lady A’Shou feels very similar to it. It has never met such a strange dog.”
Fang Xiu rapped the dog on the head. “She’s a person.”
“Woof, woof-woof!” The dog wagged its tail.
Dian’er: “It says it knows now and asks when you’re going home with it.”
“That tall human will tell you,” Fang Xiu said, guiding the dog, “I’ll be with you here. You can ask her directly.”
“Woof!” The little dog stepped forward and sat upright before A’Shou.
A’Shou gave Fang Xiu an approving glance, then spoke seriously to the dog. “You’ve ascended. You’re free to move around now. You no longer need to guard that courtyard.”
The dog whined and its tail drooped.
A’Shou was silent for a moment. “How about this? I’ll send ghost officials to check the courtyard every day. If your master returns, Fang Xiu will accompany you back immediately.”
The little dog licked its nose. “Woof.”
“Yes, this walk is a little long,” A’Shou said softly. “You can stay in the Tower for now. They’ll all play with you. When you’re tired, we’ll take you home.”
“Woof!” Its eyes sparkled.
Fang Xiu remained silent.
A’Shou hadn’t lied, but they all knew, the dog’s master wouldn’t be returning, and ghost immortals never got tired. The dog didn’t yet understand the passage of time. To it, this would be a long, long afternoon.
Still, at least it looked truly happy.
Then A’Shou changed the subject. “We promise to watch over the courtyard, let you roam freely, but in return, you need to sign a simple contract… Until you return home, the E you carry will be held in the Underworld’s care.”
The little dog tilted its head in confusion. There were too many words it didn’t understand.
After thinking deeply, it tugged on Fang Xiu’s pant leg and gave a low, serious woof. This time no translation was needed. Fang Xiu understood: the dog wanted him to negotiate.
Fang Xiu couldn’t help laughing. He hadn’t expected to visit the Underworld and end up acting as a dog’s legal advisor.
A’Shou was decisive too. With a wave of her red brush, a ghost contract flew into Fang Xiu’s hands.
He read it line by line, and was surprised to find that the contract was actually quite decent.
According to its terms, the Underworld would provide the new Ghost Immortal with all necessary resources, including but not limited to: abundant yin energy, divine elixirs, and basic cultivation techniques.
If the Ghost Immortal encountered trouble or conflict, it could seek help from the Underworld, so long as it didn’t cause chaos in the realms of the living or the dead, it would be left free and unbothered.
And all it had to do in return was entrust its E to the Underworld.
Bai Shuangying had told him before: after an E is refined, it becomes a Ghost Immortal’s second heart.
It can be separated but never destroyed. If it is, the Ghost Immortal falls from immortality and reverts to an evil spirit again. Rogue Ghost Immortals usually hide their E’s deep in their own lairs, guarding them carefully.
…But no lair is safer than the official Underworld.
Was this the same contract the Underworld had prepared for Li Shuo?
Fang Xiu read carefully and couldn’t find any tricks or loopholes.
“No problem. It depends on if you’re willing,” Fang Xiu said to the dog. “If not, they won’t force you. They’ll just send you back to the courtyard right away.”
“Woof?”
“…Yeah, but if that happens, I probably won’t be able to play with you anymore.” Fang Xiu looked down.
That would be a final goodbye, he thought. Too bad the dog didn’t understand what that meant.
The little dog froze, thought long and hard, then barked twice at A’Shou with surprising gravity.
Its red collar slid off and fell to the ground with a clink. The dog picked it up and waddled over to A’Shou, placing it in front of the low table.
Dian’er bowed and reverently offered red sealing ink. The dog stomped awkwardly twice, leaving two crooked pawprints on the ghost contract.
The paper figure barely held back a grin, placing the contract and the Fierce Wind E onto a redwood tray, lifting it high with both hands.
A’Shou took the contract and finally stood, clearly relieved. “Good. Please wait here a moment while we secure the E. When I return, we’ll discuss your reward.”
Bai Shuangying stirred slightly, the shine on his long hair shimmering faintly.
Fang Xiu immediately asked, “Can we come with you?”
Fearing rejection, he added quickly, “Like how big banks in the mortal world advertise their security, we just want to see what you mean by ‘proper safekeeping’.”
A’Shou said nothing, seemingly thinking it over.
Fang Xiu pressed on, “You see, my ghost is a civil servant in the Underworld, and I know nothing about metaphysics. Even if I saw something, I wouldn’t understand it.”
“Boss Lady, you know I can’t always be there for the little guy. Let me take a look now. It’ll give me peace of mind.”
His voice grew softer and softer, gentler than a wild rabbit in the forest.
The little dog, half-comprehending, barked eagerly in support.
“…Fine, fine. It’s fate, after all. Since you were the one who led it to enlightenment, come with me,” A’Shou said, shaking her head and gesturing forward.
Fang Xiu followed quickly, the little black dog bounding after them. Bai Shuangying’s steps also lightened significantly.
From an angle A’Shou couldn’t see, Fang Xiu gently squeezed Bai Shuangying’s sleeve. Bai Shuangying, face expressionless, reversed his hand and firmly held Fang Xiu’s fingers.
The paper figure lit the incense gate, and they all arrived on the “second floor”.
At the moment, there were no illusions on the second floor. The Hall of Disaster Resolution directly faced the Shrine of All E’s, its two grand doors standing in silent opposition. Red lanterns swayed without wind, casting soft red light across the walls.
The paper doll bowed with the tray and retreated beside the great door. A’Shou strode forward and stopped in front of a bronze lock wrapped in chains.
It must be here, Fang Xiu thought.
The sign boldly read “Shrine of All E’s”, a name that was incredibly blunt. Beside him, Bai Shuangying slightly lifted his face, pale eyes fixed on A’Shou’s back.
A’Shou drew a soft sword from her waist and cut her wrist. The wound didn’t bleed but instead wisp of crimson smoke billowed out.
As she recited an obscure incantation, the smoke threaded itself around each chain, slithering across. Once every chain was covered, she gave a low shout and knocked the bronze lock eight times with the sword.
Though her movements were small, the knocking rang thunderously in their ears.
The vibrations rattled Fang Xiu’s organs and itched his bones that he nearly squatted to the ground. In the next moment, a cooling sensation flowed from Bai Shuangying’s fingers into him, dispelling the discomfort instantly.
As Fang Xiu caught his breath, the chains clattered to the ground.
They fell like living serpents, coiling up, gleaming faintly with blood-smoke light. One end even raised like a snake’s head, swaying warily.
The shrine doors opened silently. A brilliant light poured out, making Fang Xiu dizzy.
“Stay close and follow me,” A’Shou said hoarsely, stepping through first.
The moment he entered, Fang Xiu instinctively held his breath.
He had imagined a grand shrine, maybe a vast courtyard, but he hadn’t expected this. The Temple of All E’s was… strange.
They had stepped into something like an enormous elevator shaft.
It was about nine square meters wide, stretching infinitely up and down. Its walls were covered in ornate carvings and glowed with golden lights, brilliant and blazing.
Directly ahead stood a porcelain statue that was faceless, with smooth, featureless robes.
Unlike the deities of the Weishan Shrine, this statue looked like a mass-produced folk figurine enlarged many times, completely out of place in such a refined space.
Strangest of all, the walls resembled a computer-generated model. Countless identical statues were repeated in layers, filling the infinite space.
If not for their consistent orientation, Fang Xiu might’ve thought he’d wandered into a hall of mirrors.
Against the gorgeous murals, the white porcelain figures stood out starkly, like the exposed spine of some great beast.
Fang Xiu shifted his feet and realized, only then, that he was suspended in midair. The little dog still trembled at the threshold, too scared to follow.
A’Shou stood before the statue.
Tall as she was, she looked small next to the nearly three-meter-high idol. She wrapped the ghost contract in white silk and placed it in a white jade altar before the statue, weighing it down with a golden seal beast the size of a walnut.
As the beast settled, a ring of smoke rose from the altar, and beyond it, a shadowed void. A’Shou lifted the red collar and placed it within the ring.
Before everyone’s eyes, the collar drifted downward. There was a soft thud from inside the statue, and the smoke vanished.
Fang Xiu: “…”
He looked again at the countless statues, his expression shifting.
So that was it. These statues stored “E’s”. This place was the Underworld’s version of a safe wall. All of A’Shou’s ceremony was equivalent to iris scan, fingerprint match, and voiceprint verification.
With that in mind, the scene no longer seemed eerie. Fang Xiu began peering around, trying to find the Underworld’s version of security cameras.
A’Shou, observing quietly: “…”
She finally said, “As long as the Disaster Relief Tower stands, the Shrine of All E’s remains intact. Do you feel reassured now?”
Fang Xiu nodded. “With so many E’s stored here, do they have any special purpose?”
The Underworld nurtured Ghost Immortals and gave them benefits, all just to collect their E’s. He didn’t believe they were just doing it for charity, just like he didn’t trust human bankers in the living world.
A’Shou: “Of course. They’re for…”
She abruptly trailed off.
After a pause, she awkwardly added, “As long as the Tower doesn’t fall, the shrine won’t be destroyed… As long as the shrine doesn’t get destroyed, the Tower won’t fall… Anyway, they’re very important.”
That was as good as saying nothing. Fang Xiu was left baffled.
Oh well. The dog’s E was safe. Bai Shuangying’s curiosity was satisfied. His mission here was complete. Just the reward remained.
Then again, the greatest reward of this ritual had already been granted.
With his burdens gone, Fang Xiu could kiss his ghost freely. The ritual had been bloody and suffocating, yet he felt happier and more at ease each day. What a strange world.
Thinking this, Fang Xiu couldn’t help glancing at Bai Shuangying.
…Huh?
His ghost’s face had no expression, and no features at all.
Bai Shuangying still held Fang Xiu’s hand, tighter and tighter, until it hurt.
In the silence, Fang Xiu heard the faint sound of chains clinking.
…A few minutes earlier, Bai Shuangying had seen something slightly different from Fang Xiu.
As the red collar, the Fierce Wind E, dropped into the statue, the smoke dispersed. In the next moment, karmic ripples surged from the Fierce Wind E, coalescing into a chain. It slowly emerged from the statue’s chest, piercing the void.
Bai Shuangying could feel it. The damned chain extended across space, slowly coiling around his body. Like thread woven into cloth, it became one of countless karmic chains woven into his seal.
Ever since his sealing, he had never touched the outside world. He knew the spell was vast and complex but had never seen its structure, and thus couldn’t analyze it.
Now, at last, he saw a part of it.
His countless chains had originated here. Each one drew on an E from this place. The Shrine of All E’s forcibly assembled these curses, turning the entire Tower into the “E’s of all E’s.”
No wonder it could suppress him. This place violated the natural order. No such E should exist under Heaven’s law.
The truth was more complicated and harder to resolve than he’d imagined.
…To seal him, the realms of yin and yang had truly gone all-out.
Bai Shuangying unconsciously clenched his fingers. Long-buried hatred surged up again. He absolutely had to…
“Boss Lady, thank you for showing me this. It really is magnificent,” Fang Xiu said cheerfully. “But I’m a little tired. Can I rest first? We can talk about rewards tomorrow?”
“Of course.” A’Shou agreed readily and signaled to the paper figure.
……
“Are you okay? That place didn’t mess with you, did it?”
As soon as they returned, Fang Xiu anxiously checked on Bai Shuangying.
The paper figure had once muttered that Ghost Immortals naturally suppressed lesser spirits. Even it, a ghost official, found it hard to bear. And the refined E, being a Ghost Immortal’s “second heart”, had similar power.
That place was full of E’s. Bai Shuangying might have been affected.
“…I’m fine,” Bai Shuangying managed after a long pause.
He expertly climbed into bed, sat against the wall, and restored his features one by one, still visibly annoyed.
Those things hadn’t hurt him. They’d pissed him off.
Fang Xiu watched him for a moment, then sighed in relief. “As long as you’re okay.”
He flopped down beside him. The little dog jumped up too, happily sniffing between them.
Bai Shuangying felt something was off, like he’d forgotten something important. He pulled his thoughts away from anger and focused.
…The God of Weishan, the little black dog. He’d enlightened them both, showing unusual strength for a rogue spirit.
…He’d shown no fear or reverence toward Ghost Immortals like A’Shou or the little dog, unlike normal evil spirit.
…Even inside that eerie shrine, he hadn’t cowered like Dian’er.
Fang Xiu had seen it all. His perception wasn’t distorted. His human was sharp—too sharp not to notice.
Bai Shuangying looked down and met Fang Xiu’s gentle gaze.
After a few seconds of thought, he asked directly…
“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me, about today?”
The author has something to say:
The truth behind Xiao Bai’s seal revealed—
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