Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 109: The Tomb Owner

Mei Lan entered the stronghold, visibly anxious, and gently placed her hand against the newly constructed wall.

This room had been entirely rebuilt by the Guishan Sect, with a clearly modern style.

It was about forty square meters in size, with smooth marble tiles on the floor. Small tables and sofas lined either side, and near the door stood a metal filing cabinet.

On the wall opposite the entrance hung portraits of Zhuang Guiqu and Zhuang Chongyue.

Below the portraits stood an offering table, holding plates of meat cast in pure gold and imitation fruits carved from gems and jade. The flickering light made them shimmer with a dreamy beauty.

Cen Ling lit the eternal lamp and respectfully knelt before the portraits, offering three sticks of incense. After the ritual, he stretched. “All done. This place is absolutely safe.”

Bai Sui proudly lifted his chin. “Every tile here has been inscribed with charms by a master. No evil… ‘celestial’ object of the Guishan Sect will be able to enter.”

The bones of believers were returned to the mountains, and their relatives would always come to bid farewell. According to them, this room served as a rest area for visiting followers.

Bai Shuangying scanned the space. It was indeed protected with many hidden wards. If the previous state was like sleeping under open sky, this place was like having a tent over one’s head.

He chose a soft sofa and gently laid the unconscious Fang Xiu onto it. Then he checked his eyelids, pressed lightly on his lips, but there was no reaction at all.

He hadn’t sensed any residual spell earlier. Fang Xiu must have triggered a taboo. But his human had been very cautious and hadn’t done anything unusual… so why him?

Bai Shuangying trailed his fingers down Fang Xiu’s body, from his brow to his throat, then to his chest.

Strange. He used to mock Fang Xiu for being too talkative. Now that the guy was completely silent, it felt entirely wrong. After poking for a while, Bai Shuangying leaned down and whispered hopefully, “Are you pretending to sleep?”

The body didn’t even twitch an eyelash.

After a long wait, the corners of Bai Shuangying’s mouth and his hair both drooped.

…A living corpse.

From a metaphysical standpoint, this meant the connection between body and living soul had been severed. The soul was trapped in the “flesh coffin”, unable to perceive or respond to the outside world. Modern people would call it a “deep coma”.

But Fang Xiu was still breathing on his own, which meant it wasn’t too serious. If he stopped breathing, he’d be halfway through death’s door.

Bai Shuangying pinched Fang Xiu’s nose and thought with a frown.

Since the soul was still present, destroying the Tomb-Sealing E should restore him. The logic was sound, but Bai still felt uneasy… The human he valued couldn’t possibly fall this easily.

Something had to be off. His divine instincts told him so.

“Brother Bai, best not to touch him for now.”

Seeing Bai Shuangying staring blankly at Fang Xiu, Cen Ling offered a gentle warning. “When body and soul are unstable, the soul curls inward. If we try to thoroughly examine him now, we’d have to harm the body, which defeats the purpose.”

Kid, you think I don’t know that? Bai Shuangying ignored him.

Cen Ling wasn’t offended. “Just to be clear. May I ask, what exactly is your relationship…?”

Bai Shuangying turned to glance at him, then quickly turned back. His disinterest was written all over his face.

“There’s no way they’re just ‘buddies’. They’re obviously lovers,” Bai Sui muttered. “Just end the damn ritual already. So dramatic.”

“Bai Sui!” Cen Ling snapped.

“Sorry, Cen Ge. But I’m just being honest. Look, everyone else’s time is being wasted.”

Bai Sui didn’t seem the least bit worried, even acting playful.

Cen Ling sighed and turned to Mei Lan. “Miss, your thoughts?”

Under Cen Ling’s gaze, Mei Lan grew slightly nervous but steadied her voice. “Since Mr. Hong triggered a taboo, we should focus on investigating that earlier cry for help.”

“If we run around aimlessly, we’ll waste time dealing with unrelated spirits and lose precious energy.”

“…Agreed. The most pressing threat must come first.” Cen Ling looked at her for a while, then smiled warmly.

“And you, Brother Bai? What’s your plan? It’s not exactly convenient to carry around someone unconscious the whole time.”

Cheng Songyun tried to keep her worry in check. “It’s a shame to give up now. Is there no other way?”

“There is.”

Cen Ling hesitated, rubbing his nose. “We could sever the limbs and trim the torso, preserving only the essential organs for survival. That’d make him easier to carry. I’m familiar with the technique and can help.”

“But not everyone’s comfortable with that, so I asked about your relationship.”

Cheng Songyun: “…”

Just a few words completely changed her impression of the Guishan Sect.

Normally Bai Shuangying would ignore humans’ babbling, but one word stuck in his mind and refused to leave:

…Their relationship?

A sudden intuition struck. He turned urgently to look at Fang Xiu.

“We have a ghost contract, tied by karma,” Fang Xiu had once explained with a smile after a failed probing attempt.

A ghost contract, issued by the Underworld, was stamped directly onto the soul. It wasn’t a “disposable body” created by the Underworld. If Fang Xiu’s soul had really been damaged, it would affect the contract.

He quietly focused power in his eyes and tried probing again.

This time, his vision pierced through the body and locked onto the soul’s karma directly.

In an instant, Bai Shuangying saw countless scenes…

A young man diagnosed with a terminal illness, falling into despair.

That same youth joining the Guishan Sect, praying daily to Zhuang Chongyue’s portrait, hoping for a cure-all miracle.

He became obsessed, donated all his savings and property, and even tricked his high school sister into joining. Eventually, he earned a small status… Int eh end, in order to become the “First Saints of Guishan”, he gave up treatment completely and lay down inside a special stone coffin prepared by the Guishan Sect.

His karma was fanatical, stupid, and dull.

…And it wasn’t Fang Xiu’s soul at all.

…His human was missing!

A soul without a body would quickly perish.

The moment this hit him, an unfamiliar sensation clawed at Bai Shuangying’s chest and back—an icy, burning pain that made it impossible to stay calm.

Focus. He forced himself to think.

Fang Xiu’s body had been swapped and put into a coma. Without his presence, no one would have noticed. A Death Taboo was meant to intimidate. No E, no matter how dangerous, would create such a complex condition.

If the enemy went through all this, they must have had use for Fang Xiu’s soul… meaning it likely still existed, just placed in another vessel.

It had to be that.

Fang Xiu was powerful enough to shake his seal. He couldn’t possibly be gone just like that. Bai refused to even consider other possibilities.

His human had to still be somewhere. He needed to find him fast.

“…In a two-person team, I still suggest we do something about this.”

Cen Ling was still patiently trying to persuade him.

“It’s too conspicuous like this. It’ll slow you down. It may seem cruel, but practically speaking…”

“Not your business.”

Bai Shuangying abruptly stood up, cutting him off.

He waved his hand, summoning the Peach Bone Evil. Its flower-covered white branch gently touched Fang Xiu’s chest.

In the next second, shimmering particles scattered. With a crisp ding, Fang Xiu’s black hair ring fell to the floor and rolled a few times.

As the white light dissipated, everyone watched in stunned silence as Fang Xiu’s body disappeared—limbs, torso, chest, even his neck—vanishing like it had been cremated by invisible flames, leaving no trace.

What was left was a solitary head on the sofa.

Bai Shuangying’s brows knit in pain as he pulled out a large white cloth from his pocket. It glowed faintly, and its texture was hard to discern. Oddly, it seemed to twitch.

He quickly wrapped the neck stump with it. The cut was clean without a drop of blood.

Fang Xiu’s face remained peaceful, the head so pristine it looked like a stage prop.

After completing all this, Bai Shuangying picked up the fallen ring and put it on his own left hand.

Guan He: “…”

His voice cracked a little. “What the hell are you doing?”

Even if survival in the ritual meant just staying alive, this was still insane. What if Fang Xiu woke up? What could a severed head possibly do?

“It’s just a container. What’s the problem?” Bai Shuangying said matter-of-factly.

He knew Fang Xiu wouldn’t wake until the missing soul was found.

This shell wasn’t Fang Xiu. The body wasn’t Fang Xiu. As long as it functioned, that was enough. Nothing else mattered.

Bai Shuangying picked up the head, wrapping it tightly in his arms. His other hand held the Peach Bone Evil, his face still twisted in pain.

Clap clap clap.

Witnessing such an extreme scene, Cen Ling actually applauded. “Impressive. Really impressive. You’re quite powerful. I couldn’t even tell what spell you used.”

“Improvised.”

Considering Cen Ling had given him a bit of inspiration, Bai Shuangying reluctantly responded.

He cradled the head against his chest in a protective grip. Compared to earlier, his hold now left no room for mishap.

“Since you’re so reasonable, things should go smoothly now.”

Cen Ling breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s rest a bit, then track down the one who called for help.”

“Rest again?” Bai Shuangying frowned.

“Yes, we’re still missing two teammates. They’ll meet us here.”

“Suit yourselves.” Bai Shuangying patted the warm head in his arms. “I can move alone…”

Before he finished speaking, a terrible scream rang out nearby.

Hearing the scream, Cen Ling’s expression immediately shifted.

……

Not long ago, elsewhere in the tomb.

Fang Xiu suddenly felt a chill at his neck. He touched it suspiciously but found nothing strange.

Oddly enough, after realizing he’d been chosen by the Grave-Sealing E, Fang Xiu felt… a bit relieved. He already knew the opposing force. Familiar enemies were better than unknown ones.

But he had a bigger concern.

Even if it was an Immortal E, it was still a dead object. The Grave-Sealing E had no mind of its own. There was no way it had chosen him on its own will.

Which meant it still couldn’t comprehend complex human behavior. A controlled person could choose to sacrifice themselves or try to reach out and work with others.

The tomb guardians were all lazy. There was no way they’d want to do extra work.

If the Guishan Sect had chosen this as their sacred treasure for their holy land, there had to be more to it. It couldn’t be that simple. There had to be hidden intricacies to its taboo. If only Mei Lan knew about this…

Come to think of it… Who was Mei Lan again?

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