Wang Chao was stunned. He looked at Lin Chen with a look of innocence and disappointment. “A’Chen Gege, why aren’t you scolding me?”
Only Wang Chao would ask such a question.
“Do you want me to say it’s because everyone makes mistakes, or because I don’t want to scold you?” Lin Chen pinched the teenager’s face.
“The latter, the latter!” Wang Chao’s face immediately lit up. He jumped up from the brick floor, turned on the power switch, and rushed back inside like he had been resurrected.
The first thing he did was turn on the laptop, and the second thing was to start peeling an orange.
“Who do you think could set a trap in the hospital’s prescription database to track the location of anyone searching for Cerebralcon use?” Lin Chen walked to the window and re-tied the curtains, letting the bright sunlight shine into the living room. There were two cushions on the ground and a fruit plate on the coffee table, floating and dancing. Everything looked peaceful and quiet, but everyone knew that the truth wasn’t like this.
“Other than Zhourui Pharmaceutical, there doesn’t seem to be anyone else, right?” Wang Chao stuffed his mouth full of oranges, and his face was still pale with anxiety. “You need both technical expertise and money, and someone has to keep an eye on it all the time… Of course, it could also be Shen Lian, but if she’s that capable, then that’s quite terrifying.”
Wang Chao put his hand on the keyboard as if he were about to start working, but Xing Conglian stopped him. “Wait, why are you in such a hurry?”
“Boss, shouldn’t we investigate who did this right now?”
Lin Chen stood at the window and looked at Xing Conglian. He quickly understood what he meant.
Although everything was extremely urgent right now, with the possibility of a large-scale adverse drug reaction event, a pharmaceutical company hiding the truth, and a woman with an inscrutable mind making it hard to predict her actions, they could only sit down in this room and think before they figured out how to handle these things.
“Let’s sort out our thoughts first. What is the most urgent thing to do now?” Xing Conglian closed the door and locked it.
“The most urgent thing… Isn’t it to immediately warn everyone to stop taking drugs that contain the original Tern ingredient and then go to the hospital for a check-up?” Wang Chao asked.
“What are they checking for? Do you have a treatment plan?” Xing Conglian was sharp. “Then why warn people? Don’t forget, when we issue a warning, Zhourui Pharmaceutical and Shen Lian will react, and Shen Lian may have access to many dangerous substances. What if she starts poisoning people?”
“Then let’s catch Shen Lian first and issue a warning to the public later?”
“Where do we catch her, and what if we can’t catch her?”
“According to what you’re saying, this is a dead end!” Wang Chao was very frustrated as he scratched his head. “And it’s all because of me that things have become such a mess.”
Huang Ze reacted quickly. “Xing Conglian, what do you mean? Are you really not going to report to the authorities to find a solution, issue a warning to the public, and launch a large-scale manhunt for the culprit, Shen Lian?”
“You, calm down,” Xing Conglian said impatiently, trying to pacify Huang Ze.
“Xing Conglian!” Huang Ze raised his voice.
Lin Chen said, “Huang Ze, have you considered the problem here? If we issue a warning to the public rashly without understanding the truth, it will cause a huge social panic. And what if this panic is exactly what the culprit wants to see?”
Huang Ze’s expression froze, as if he had understood some of the key points. He knocked on the coffee table and said coldly, “So when you accepted the media interview, you didn’t mention the issue with Shen Lian because you were afraid that the public would panic? Lin Chen, do you know that you will be responsible for concealing information from the public without notifying them if something goes wrong!”
“I will take responsibility no matter how big it is,” Lin Chen replied calmly.
“You are too conceited!” Huang Ze was very angry.
“Inspector Huang, did you come here to argue?” Xing Conglian’s tone didn’t reveal any emotions. “How about I let Wang Chao argue with you for a while?”
“Why me, Boss?” the teenager said unhappily.
In this tense atmosphere, Mr. Xiao Zhan shrank weakly in the corner and raised his hand. “I… Can I go first?”
“No!” Huang Ze and Xing Conglian said in unison.
“Then… Then can I express my opinion?” Mr. Xiao Zhan spoke again.
“Please do,” Xing Conglian said politely.
“I just think that from a scientific point of view, your suspicion about the original Tern is just speculation. Don’t forget that Cerebralcon also passed inspection by the Food and Drug Administration. So… do you have a laboratory we can rely on to prove… prove… I don’t know what you want to prove.”
Xing Conglian nodded. “Mr. Xiao Zhan is an expert in chemical engineering and relatively familiar with the case. We would like to ask you to lead the TERN detection work. We also extracted some related substances at the crime scene last night, and we hope you can complete the comparison as soon as possible.”
“No, no, I didn’t mean that. My skills are not good enough, and there are so many experts here…” As he spoke, Mr. Xiao Zhan suddenly became dumbfounded. “Wh… The crime scene from last night… You mean the barbeque stall where zombies were biting people?”
As Mr. Xiao Zhan spoke, he sat on the ground and leaned back, almost losing his balance, and fell to the ground.
Xing Conglian looked at the young man and smirked at Huang Ze, meaning: Do you see how a normal person would react?
Huang Ze’s face was ashen, and he got up in anger and walked towards the bathroom.
Xing Conglian ignored Huang Ze and pondered for a moment before saying to Wang Chao, “Regardless of who made the move in the hospital prescription database, all they wanted was a warning when someone found out about the drug problem. It’s most likely still Zhourui Pharmaceutical that did this. Follow the plan we just discussed and start downloading the cases. Since they want to know who found out, we’ll tell them clearly.”
“Do we need to trace the person who tampered with the hospital prescription database?” Wang Chao asked.
“For this small matter, you can handle it yourself. Don’t ask me for permission.”
“Oh.” Wang Chao interrupted, as if suddenly remembering something. “But Boss, what if Zhourui Pharmaceutical finds out that we have targeted them and starts erasing all the criminal evidence on a large scale?”
Xing Conglian replied seriously, “You have to understand that even if we didn’t discover the problem with their previous generation drug, Zhourui Pharmaceutical wouldn’t leave us any handle. Moreover, they can completely push the problem onto Shen Lian’s shoulders, play the sympathy card, and maneuver their way out of trouble. Therefore, in order to sanction Zhourui Pharmaceutical, we must prove that their management knew about the problems with Tern and didn’t report it to the Food and Drug Administration in a timely manner, didn’t stop production, and allowed toxic drugs to circulate, while attempting to cover up the problem with the old ingredients through a new drug.”
“But how do we prove this?” Wang Chao began to bite his thumb again.
Lin Chen didn’t say anything; he just glanced at the teenager’s laptop.
Wang Chao took a sharp breath. “You’re not trying to set a trap for Zhourui Pharmaceutical, are you?”
“How could we? Your A’Chen Gege and I are not those kinds of people,” Xing Conglian replied coldly.
Wang Chao reluctantly swallowed his saliva and asked, “But even if we can dig a pit for Zhourui Pharmaceutical, how do we dig out Shen Lian?”
From the beginning until now, Lin Chen had been thinking about this problem: How to find Shen Lian. This woman was like a thorn that was hard to pull out of his throat, as if she were almost invisible. Of course, they could, as Huang Ze suggested, issue a nationwide wanted order to search for Shen Lian using the crowd tactics. But the problem was that what happened at the barbecue stall was too horrifying, and they had no idea what Shen Lian would do before she was truly arrested.
The most difficult thing in life could only be a choice.
Lin Chen took an apple from the fruit plate and said lightly, “Shen Lian has her own demands. For someone like her who does big things, those demands are most likely grandiose. We need to figure out what her demands are.”
“But, since we have discovered the problem with the drug, should we really not issue a warning? Grandparents and parents will still continue to take the drugs. Isn’t this what Shen Lian wants? What should we do?”
“Of course we should issue a warning…” Lin Chen held the apple but didn’t take a bite. He looked around and suddenly had a bad feeling. “Where’s Huang Ze?”
Lin Chen asked.
……
In the restroom.
It was the same place where Lin Chen had hugged Xing Conglian earlier. Huang Ze, the police inspector, was saying goodbye on a phone call that was nearing its end.
“Director Liu, the situation is roughly like this. I will report the details to the bureau when I return later.”
The person on the other end of the phone had a solemn tone. Huang Ze replied with a few “yes” before he hung up. Just as he was about to hang up, the restroom door was pushed open.
Someone like Huang Ze, of course, wouldn’t squat on a toilet to make a secret phone call. He was standing in front of a sink, dressed neatly, with one hand still on the faucet, letting the water flow down.
Lin Chen stood face-to-face with Huang Ze. He looked at the calm inspector and immediately understood what Huang Ze had been doing just now.
“Are you crazy?” Lin Chen asked.
“The crazy one is you, Lin Chen! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Neither you nor Xing Conglian can bear the responsibility for this kind of thing.”
Lin Chen found this amusing. “So, based on the consideration of the mental state of us frontline investigators, you decided not to consult with us and directly report to your superiors?”
“Watch your words. This is a normal situation report,” Huang Ze said.
Lin Chen couldn’t be bothered to discuss the nature of the incident with him any further. “How much did you reveal to your superiors? Tell me the details.”
“Lin Chen, watch your own identity. The case of Zhourui Pharmaceutical will soon be taken over by a higher-level department…”
Huang Ze was about to say more but was interrupted by Xing Conglian.
And it was indeed an interruption. Xing Conglian used a simple grappling technique to flip over Huang Ze’s wrist and, with a snap, took his phone away. Before Huang Ze could react, Xing Conglian shouted, “Wang Chao, get the surveillance footage from the restroom, and let’s listen to what Huang just said in our bathroom.”
He quickly chased after the beauty to explain, leaving Dong Zhi glancing at their backs. Dong Zhi took out his phone and began dialing a number.
The signal at sea was very poor, sometimes interrupted, and most of the time the call couldn’t go through. But when it did connect, Long Shen’s calls remained unanswered, and the messages sent by Dong Zhi seemed to disappear without a trace. He comforted himself, thinking that Long Shen and the others might still be in Japan and hadn’t activated their original numbers yet. Their trip to Japan was both secretive and crucial, and until they achieved great success, nobody would know what happened.
However, the prolonged lack of contact still made Dong Zhi somewhat uneasy. He knew that Long Shen had faced countless dangers, and what seemed like a difficult situation in his eyes might be a piece of cake for Long Shen, especially with Wu Bingtian, Tang Jing, and the others on this trip. But subjective emotions like worry and anxiety didn’t diminish by half just because of rational analysis. Usually, he could calm himself by touching his Changshou Sword, but now it had no effect, and he felt even more restless.
After thinking for a moment, Dong Zhi dialed a different number. This time, luck was on his side, and both the signal and the call connected. It rang twice before someone answered on the other end.
He Yu’s long-lost but familiar voice came through.
“Xiao Dong Zhi?”
“It’s me, Lao He.” Dong Zhi naturally smiled. “How have you been lately? Are you still looking for the stone tablets?”
Although he and Long Shen were master and disciple, their relationship had become extraordinary. But strictly speaking, it was He Yu who had led him into the world of cultivation. He Yu encouraged him to study magical arts and introduced Dong Zhi to the Hezao Sect. Although they later traveled far and wide, in Dong Zhi’s heart, he always regarded He Yu as a dear brother and trusted friend, someone he could confide in.
“No, I’m on my way to Kunlun Mountain now. Something happened,” He Yu casually replied, and there was some background noise on his end, sounding like he was on a train or some other mode of transportation.
Dong Zhi was taken aback and hurriedly asked, “What happened?”
Instead of answering, He Yu asked him, “I heard your competition was on an island in the Atlantic Ocean where there was no cell phone signal. How come you’re calling? Are you trying to seek help from outside?”
Hearing his usual nonchalant tone, Dong Zhi relaxed a bit and thought that the “incident” he mentioned was probably exaggerated. So he played along and deliberately lowered his voice, saying, “Don’t mention it. The organizing committee prepared four islands, but there were zombies and an octopus monster. And in the end, there was even an island that turned into a sea serpent. Even the organizing committee didn’t expect that. Only one person from the Russian team and one person from the Japanese team survived. Haa, those Russians, we even had a meal with them at the hotel before!”
On the other end of the phone, He Yu couldn’t help but slightly open his mouth in surprise. It seemed that even he hadn’t expected Dong Zhi and his team’s journey to be so thrilling.
The person sitting next to him noticed his expression and frowned slightly, showing a questioning look. But He Yu couldn’t spare the time to answer and could only gesture at the person, continuing his conversation with Dong Zhi.
“Fuck, are those Americans that despicable? They did it on purpose, right? How are you guys? Is everyone okay?”
He Yu had also participated in exchange conferences, and their previous one had a significant level of danger as well. But compared to their usual missions, that danger was manageable. The heavy losses and the remnants of a ship like Dong Zhi’s team were rare occurrences, indicating an accident in the committee’s inadequate preparations. Due to this incident, it was unknown whether the next exchange conference would proceed as planned.
Dong Zhi: “We’re all fine. Zhang Song used a forbidden technique, so he got seriously injured, but everyone else is recovering well. And…”
He deliberately paused before saying with a smile, “We won the championship this time.”
At the other end of the phone, He Yu exclaimed, “Well done, Xiao Dong Zhi! You’ve made quite a name for yourself this time! Back when the boss refused to take you in, I was the only one with a discerning eye. I went against popular opinion, believing in your exceptional talent and outstanding aptitude. Even if you took a detour, I knew you would eventually surpass others and become a rising star, a late bloomer, a…”
“Alright, alright!” Dong Zhi’s head was spinning from his words. “It’s all thanks to you. I’ll make sure to reward you properly when I get back!”
He Yu didn’t take advantage of the situation as he usually did, shouting about what he wanted to eat. Instead, he said, “Then you guys stay in the US for a few more days. No need to rush back. Just defeat those Americans first; otherwise, it would be a big loss this time!”
Dong Zhi keenly sensed something unusual in his words. “He Yu, what are you doing in Kunlun Mountain? Did something happen?”
“It’s related to the stone tablets, but it’s nothing major. Zong Lao and the others are there, so what could go wrong? Take your break properly. Even if you’re an apprentice, don’t become like the boss, always busy and unable to relax!” He Yu said in his usual carefree manner.
Dong Zhi thought about it and said, “Did Master and the others return to the country?”
He Yu instinctively looked up at the person beside him, seeing the person slightly shaking their head before saying, “No, he hasn’t returned yet. Don’t worry too much. The boss is much stronger than you, and there’s Boss Wu and the others. Nothing will happen. I have to go. I’m in a meeting with someone here. We’ll talk later!”
After ending the call, Dong Zhi had a pensive expression. He knew that Zong Lao was an advisor to the Special Administration Bureau and usually wouldn’t interfere in specific affairs unless something major required their intervention. Even when dealing with the Archfiend, Heavenly Demon, and even ancient monsters like Wuzhiqi, Zong Lao and the others didn’t get involved. However, He Yu specifically mentioned Zong Lao this time, indicating that the situation must have reached a certain degree of seriousness, contradicting his earlier statement of “nothing major.”
Kunlun Mountain, stone tablets, Otowa Yasuhiko…
He silently repeated these key words in his mind, trying to connect them.
……
He Yu sneezed.
Muttering a few sentences to himself, he saw the person sitting beside him remaining silent and couldn’t help but say, “Boss, Xiao Dong Zhi isn’t a fool. If I say it like this, he will eventually figure out the truth!”
Long Shen kept his eyes closed and said nothing.
At this moment, they were on their way from the capital to Kunlun Mountain. When Long Shen and the others returned from Japan, they met He Yu, who had been waiting for them in the capital. They heard the dreadful news that came from Kunlun Mountain.
Including Long Shen, no one had expected that the few words Otowa Yasuhiko uttered before his death weren’t just arrogant threats out of unwillingness, but prophecies on the verge of becoming reality.
However, Wu Bingtian lost an arm, and Li Ying and Tang Jing were severely injured, so the only person who managed to rush over with Long Shen was Yu Buhui. Song Zhicun and the others were already waiting for them on Kunlun Mountain.
With a long and arduous journey ahead and thinking about the possible situation on Kunlun Mountain right now, He Yu became so anxious that he couldn’t even focus on playing games anymore.
“That idiot Otowa! Everything started because of him. If he hadn’t already died a thousand deaths, I would crush his damn corpse to ashes! No, crushing his bones and scattering his ashes wouldn’t be enough to vent my anger. I should bury him in Nanjing and let him hear the wailing of countless ghosts every night…”
“Stop the nonsense!” In the instant Long Shen opened his eyes, a trace of annoyance flickered on his face.
Although that tiny hint of impatience quickly disappeared, He Yu was still startled. In his impression, Long Shen was always so calm and composed. He never saw him panicking, no matter how difficult the problem was. Even though the current situation was indeed urgent, Long Shen’s reaction was somewhat unusual.
“Boss,” He Yu cautiously asked, “Are you alright?”
From the capital to Kunlun Mountain, taking a plane wasn’t as convenient as taking a train. But after reaching Tibet, they would have to transfer to a car, making the journey long and winding. People with weaker constitutions couldn’t bear it. Considering this, He Yu couldn’t help but express concern. “Did you get injured in Japan?”
Long Shen seemed to realize his own slip-up. He paused for a moment, rubbed his nose bridge, and smoothed away the weariness on his brow.
“I’m fine. How is Dong Zhi doing?”
He Yu exclaimed, “They won the championship, but it was quite dangerous. There was an unexpected accident that even the organizing committee didn’t anticipate, and they almost lost their lives.”
Long Shen couldn’t help but furrow his brow again. “Is he okay?”
He Yu: “They’re fine, but why didn’t you let me tell him that you’ve returned?”
Long Shen calmly said, “If he knew I came back from Japan and immediately rushed to Kunlun Mountain without a moment’s delay, he would definitely guess that the situation here is severe. He would also try to come back as soon as possible, but they must have been injured, and their return wouldn’t be of much help. It’s better to let them rest there and not worry too much.”
He Yu chuckled. “Boss, I have to admit my mistake. I thought when you took Xiao Dong Zhi as your disciple, you would push him to the limit. But you actually care for him so much. If I had known you were such a doting master, I would have shamelessly begged you to be my master!”
Long Shen knew that he was joking around to relieve the fatigue and tension of the journey, but he shook his head, clearly not in the mood to play along. He said, “Explain the details of the Lengele Gorge clearly.”
He Yu’s smile disappeared, and his expression became solemn.
That night, a loud explosion echoed from the depths of the Lengele Gorge, marking only the beginning. By then, everyone already knew that the eye of the Eight-Diagram Demon Sealing Array was on Kunlun Mountain. Therefore, the members of the Special Administration Bureau were stationed there day and night. But the closest to the gorge that night were Zong Ling and Che Bai, who naturally arrived at the scene the fastest.
As they rushed there without stopping, they encountered two people stumbling out of the gorge, looking disoriented and terrified. Despite Zong Ling and Che Bai’s attempts to stop them, a conflict broke out. The two Japanese individuals were no match for Zong Ling and Che Bai. Meanwhile, the seismic activity grew stronger. Rocks continuously rolled down from above, and the ground started to crack. With no other choice, Zong Ling and Che Bai had to bring the Japanese individuals deeper into the gorge while questioning them.
The two Japanese individuals struggled and resisted, even when facing death. Zong Ling tapped one of them on the forehead, causing them to become dazed and finally reveal all the information.
It turned out that these two individuals were named Otowa Kento, Otowa Yasuhiko’s great-grandnephew, and Yamashita Ryota, a disciple of Fujikawa Aoi.
The story began several decades ago.
As a commander during the Sino-Japanese War, Japanese imperial member Asaka Yasuhiko obtained an unidentified stone box from the Yangtze River. He went to great lengths to open the box and merge with the demonic qi sealed within it, gradually transforming his physical body into a demon. He managed to escape post-war trials and changed his name to Otowa Yasuhiko. Utilizing his connections and wealth, he built a massive business empire for himself.
Long Shen and his team learned about these events and confronted Otowa Yasuhiko in Japan, confirming the information from his own mouth.
However, what Long Shen and his team didn’t know, and what Otowa didn’t reveal, was that during the process of merging with the demonic qi in the stone box, he glimpsed an ancient war and discovered a secret unknown to anyone else.
In ancient times, the abyss of hell was connected to the human realm, and demons roamed without restraint. To suppress them, the Eight-Diagram Demon Sealing Array was created. What the array actually sealed was a passage to the abyss of hell, with its focal point located on Kunlun Mountain. Through his communication with the demonic qi in the stone box, Otowa learned that to break the array and completely unravel the seal, it wasn’t necessary to destroy all the Eight-Diagram Stone Tablets. Instead, destroying over half of them would naturally loosen the seal of the focal point. At that time, someone would need to go to the location of the focal point, destroy the sealing stone tablet, and release the beast that guarded it. Once the seal and the guardians were gone, the gates of hell would be fully opened to the human realm.
After transforming into a demon, Otowa began preparing for this plan. He collected ancient records from China that mentioned the whereabouts of the stone tablets. However, the records were vague at best and only provided clues. Cracking these clues and finding over half of the stone tablets to destroy them wasn’t an easy task. It was destined to be a search spanning decades or even centuries. However, it seemed that even fate sided with Otowa. As time went on and his fusion with the demonic qi grew deeper, he received more information within the qi. Meanwhile, the desires and impurities of the human world also affected the stone tablets. Some tablets didn’t even require his intervention and were damaged over the passage of time. For example, the stone tablet below Mount Shaohua loosened during a massive earthquake several hundred years ago, causing some demonic qi to escape westward and eventually leading to a catastrophic event that swept across Europe.
Later, Fujikawa Aoi and his disciple secretly went to Changbai Mountain to destroy a stone tablet, thereby summoning the bone dragon and allowing Dong Zhi to step foot into the magnificent and fantastical realm. With the death of the bone dragon and the destruction of the stone tablet, the Special Administration Bureau embarked on a journey to uncover the secrets of the stone tablets. However, they were a few decades behind Otowa and lacked direct communication with the demonic qi like he did. They could only follow in Otowa’s footsteps, passively guarding the stone tablets.
Just when the members of the Special Administration Bureau were relieved that the stone tablets beneath Yinchuan and beneath the Huai River were protected and decided to send people to Japan to deal with Otowa Yasuhiko and resolve everything, the cunning Otowa had already anticipated their plans. He deliberately set a trap to lure Long Shen and his team to Japan, diverting the attention of the Special Administration Bureau to Japan. At the same time, he sent his own people, namely Otowa Kento and Yamashita Ryota, to Kunlun Mountain to destroy the focal point and summon the guardian beast, fully opening the passage.
Upon hearing this, Zong Ling and Che Bai felt that something was amiss and pressed Otowa Kento for answers.
“If the Eight-Diagram Demon Sealing Array requires over half of the stone tablets to loosen the seal, why were you able to open it when only three tablets were destroyed?”
Mount Changbai, Mount Shaohua, and Sanxingdui—these three places had only one damaged tablet each.
Otowa Kento had idolized Otowa Yasuhiko since he was young. The details of Otowa’s transformation into a demon were known by few in his family; Otowa Kento was one of them, indicating that he had earned Otowa Yasuhiko’s favor. Otowa even promised to infuse him with demonic qi, making him an immortal humanoid creature, once he returned from Kunlun Mountain and achieved something significant.
However, despite his rigorous training, Otowa Kento was still just a human and no match for Zong Ling and Che Bai. With a single gesture from Zong Ling, he experienced intense pain in his forehead, and his whole body was tormented as if by needles. He endured it for a while but couldn’t bear it any longer, so he confessed everything.
“There is another stone tablet that has long been destroyed… you don’t know…” Otowa Kento’s face twisted as he spoke intermittently.
“Where is it?” Zong Ling questioned sharply.
Zong Ling had always been composed and elegant, rarely showing such a sense of urgency. But now, she and Che Bai rushed toward the depths of the gorge, their figures almost becoming blurred in the wind. However, they were still not fast enough. The explosions became increasingly intense, shaking the earth and causing a brilliant light mixed with surging demonic qi to burst out. It was like a volcanic eruption—an unstoppable force!
Seeing this, the color drained from Yamashita Ryota’s face. They had escaped from that place and knew firsthand the horrifying situation there. He struggled desperately to escape, but in Che Bai’s hands, not even ten Yamashita Ryotas, let alone his master Fujikawa Aoi, could do anything.
Che Bai reached behind him and applied pressure to Yamashita’s neck. Yamashita screamed in pain, and his body went limp.
Unable to endure the excruciating pain that felt like a thousand needles piercing his heart, Otowa Kento quickened his pace of speech. “It’s beneath the Dragon Hole in the South China Sea… During World War II, when Japan was at war with the United States in the Pacific… due to a torpedo’s mistake, the stone tablet buried deep under the sea was destroyed. Both Lord Otowa and I learned about it from the messages within the demonic qi…”
Zong Ling and Che Bai exchanged glances, both revealing unmasked astonishment.
In other words, Otowa Yasuhiko had long known the specific location of the focal point, but he had kept it hidden and deliberately led the members of the Special Administration Bureau on a convoluted path.
Except for Otowa, no one else knew about the stone tablet that had long been destroyed beneath the South China Sea. Holding this trump card, Otowa had set up an enormous trap and even exploited Songen’s desire to resurrect the Heavenly Demon, pulling him into the scheme to distract the Special Administration Bureau’s attention.
When the stone tablet at Mount Changbai shattered, the focal point loosened, and the seal teetered on the brink of collapse—it was all predestined. However, at that time, Otowa wasn’t yet prepared. His power wasn’t strong enough, and he feared that once the seal was lifted, he would become a stepping stone for the resurrection of a Great Demon, just like Songen. He desired the power of darkness for his own ambition, not out of selfless dedication to the darkness. Hence, he sent Fujikawa Aoi, Ming Xian, and others to destroy the stone tablets and confuse the Special Administration Bureau’s investigation, while he secretly accumulated his own strength.
It was only when the Special Administration Bureau sent people to Japan to assassinate Otowa that he deemed the timing ripe to unveil the unsealing.
Unfortunately, all of his calculations and schemes were in vain. Despite his efforts, he ultimately met a tragic end. However, once the gears of fate started turning, they couldn’t be stopped. Even if Otowa Yasuhiko were still alive, he would no longer be able to control the course of events.
From the moment the two Japanese individuals entered the depths of the Lengele Gorge and completely destroyed the seal, the situation had entered an irreversible stage.
The Lengele Gorge was like spring all year round, but beneath its beautiful scenery, hidden dangers lurked. Even the closest residents dared not enter this deadly place. When Che Bai and Zong Ling arrived at the depths of the gorge, they found a huge crater on the ground, with black demonic qi gushing out incessantly.
Merely uncovering the sealed stone tablets couldn’t cause such massive destruction in a short time. The light that Che Bai and Zong Ling had seen earlier was actually a phoenix.
It was originally buried here after its death to guard the focal point, but over the long years, it had become tainted by demonic qi, gradually transforming into a demonic phoenix.
Although the phoenix was dead, its power remained formidable, especially with the influence of demonic qi. It had evolved from a guardian beast into a full-fledged demon. With the sealed stone tablets removed and the unique climate of the area, it would take some time for anyone to notice. These two Japanese individuals, acting on Otowa’s orders, came to unearth the stone tablets and use onmyoji techniques and forbidden spells to destroy them. With the phoenix no longer suppressed, it emerged with a thunderous roar, enveloped in demonic qi!
……
He Yu provided a detailed account. Although he wasn’t present at the time, he could deduce more details from Zong Ling’s descriptions. As he narrated the events to Long Shen and Yu Buhui, it still conveyed the intense danger they faced at the time.
“So, Che Bai perished along with the phoenix?” Yu Buhui spoke softly upon hearing this.
He Yu nodded and sighed. “The phoenix is, after all, a divine beast, and it had fully transformed into a demon. The situation was critical, and the seal had already been destroyed, rendering it impossible to contain. Zong Lao said that Che Bai was already nearing the end of his life, so now he rests in peace. However, although the phoenix is dead, the passage still remains. Currently, the Special Administration Bureau, Mount Longhu, Maoshan, Yueming Palace, and my master, among many others, have already rushed over. It’s said that they are temporarily setting up a formation to control the situation, but we don’t know if they can seal the abyssal passage.”
“Let’s go and see for ourselves,” Long Shen calmly concluded the conversation.
He Yu hesitated to speak further, but Yu Buhui gave him a meaningful look, and he understood, keeping silent.
While Long Shen was resting with his eyes closed and didn’t get off the car, the vehicle stopped at a gas station. He Yu and Yu Buhui entered a supermarket one after another and took the opportunity of buying things to have a private conversation.
“Why do I feel like something is off with the boss? Did he encounter something in Japan?” He Yu asked.
“He was the one who fought against Otowa, so he might have been injured, but he didn’t show it in front of us,” Yu Buhui said. “You should know him. He keeps everything to himself and won’t reveal anything until the very last moment. Maybe you should inform his disciple privately and let him come back as soon as possible. His presence might bring some normalcy to Senior Brother.”
Although Long Shen had mentioned that he had no sect, no master, and no father, Yu Buhui referred to him as “Senior Brother”. He Yu seemed accustomed to this term and didn’t find it inappropriate.
He Yu rubbed his chin and said, “The boss told us to let Xiao Dong Zhi rest properly. Even if he comes, he won’t be able to help much.”
Yu Buhui responded, “Having loved ones around is always better than having strangers. I think Senior Brother simply doesn’t want him to worry, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t want him to come.”
Countless dust particles floated in the light projected by the projector. In the darkness, it looks like a vast universe, mysterious and intangible.
No one in the room wanted to speak.
Lin Chen stared at the rotating drug molecule structure on the wall for a long time.
Finally, it was Xing Conglian who said, “Let’s get started. Our time may be running out.”
“What do you mean by time running out? I don’t understand at all.” Wang Chao scratched his head desperately. “Why did Shen Lian do this? Is she crazy? Those are all cardiovascular drugs, and over 90% of users are elderly people. Why would she go through all this trouble to make grandparents take this medicine? Why?”
Xing Conglian’s big hand pressed on the young man’s head. “Xiao Wang, with your intelligence, trying to guess a criminal’s thoughts is just asking for trouble. As your A’Chen Gege said, the urgent thing we need to do is find evidence, prove that the previous generation drug has problems, identify the user population, and find a solution.”
Lin Chen thought that perhaps only Xing Conglian could remain calm and say the words “find a solution” in this situation, because they all knew that if this was a type of neurotoxic drug, it was very likely that there was no so-called solution.
“So what exactly is this previous generation drug?” Wang Chao asked.
At this moment, all eyes in the room turned to the young man who had been trembling in the corner, including Huang Ze.
Xiao Zhan sat on the sofa, looking confused. “What… What have you been talking about? I’m just a chemist, and I don’t understand what you’re saying… but… can there be toxic substances in this? If so, how come the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t found anything?”
“I don’t know,” Lin Chen replied, “but you don’t have to worry about that. Please explain to them the previous generation drug and the composition of Nordren.”
Mr. Xiao Zhan stood up in a state of bewilderment, rubbed his clothes with his hands, took the whiteboard pen Lin Chen had just used, and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. “The previous generation drug is Cerebralcon, a cardiovascular drug mainly composed of a fixed dose combination of Tern and ADP antiplatelet agents. As for Nordren, I don’t know much about this drug. From the promotional meeting just now, it is mainly composed of three components.”
Xiao Zhan wrote on the whiteboard:
Nordren: “Tern variant”, “ADP”, “Ton”
Cerebralcon: “Tern”, “ADP”
Mr. Xiao Zhan continued, “Ton is a newly introduced component, which is said to be obtained from the cultivation of a certain soil bacterium in the Dana Rainforest. Since you think there is a problem with the previous generation drug, this new component, Ton, can be excluded, right?”
When he heard “Dana Rainforest,” Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian, and the other person also met his gaze.
“Ton… this should be the component discovered by Lao Duan, right?” Xing Conglian called out. “Wang Chao.”
“Ding, Wang Chao is online. What can I do for you, sir?” Wang Chao looked at Xing Conglian with a very intelligent and understanding gaze.
“Show Mr. Xiao Zhan the information taken from Duan Yang.”
“Got it!”
The young man quickly responded and handed the tablet to Mr. Xiao Zhan.
“What is this?” Mr. Xiao Zhan was almost in a daze. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”
“You only need to confirm if the ingredient causing serious side effects mentioned in these materials is Ton,” Lin Chen said.
“I… I need to look at it for a while.”
Mr. Xiao Zhan flipped through the material and asked, “Can you adjust the Ton component published by Zhourui for me to see?”
The slide on the white wall changed to another compound with a smaller structure.
Mr. Xiao Zhan looked up and down, and his brow furrowed tightly. “According to the information on this tablet, the animal experiments with Ton did indeed have problems.”
“From this, it seems that Shen Lian has been providing false information to Duan Yang, and Ton is the culprit that has diverted our attention from the beginning to the end.” Lin Chen looked at Mr. Xiao Zhan. “The new Ton drug has passed the test and wasn’t present in the previous generation, so let’s eliminate Ton from the problem first, okay?”
Mr. Xiao Zhan happily struck out the word Ton on the whiteboard. “If we can confirm that Ton is not the problem, then we are left with Tern and ADP, right?” Mr. Xiao Zhan frowned, lost in thought. “I’m not sure about Tern, but ADP is a composite antiplatelet agent developed by Huihe Pharmaceutical a long time ago…”
“Twenty-three years ago,” Comrade Xiao Wang, who had just finished searching for information, replied.
“So, among the three, only Tern has a problem, and it also changed its configuration?” Lin Chen asked.
“Tern was independently developed by the R&D department of Zhourui Pharmaceutical, mainly used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases…” Wang Chao began to recite encyclopedic knowledge.
“Was Shen Lian part of the research team?” Lin Chen asked.
“Shen Lian had just graduated from college and had just returned from the Dana Rainforest at that time. Let me check the timeline…” Wang Chao quickly compared the timeline. “Got it. At that time, Shen Lian submitted a proposal to improve the production process of Tern compounds to save production costs!” Wang Chao snapped his fingers and said to Mr. Xiao Zhan, “My friend, the proposal has been sent to your tablet.”
Mr. Xiao Zhan asked in confusion, “How did you find this so quickly?”
“Ah, we copied the hard drive of Tan Kang’s computer before…”
Upon hearing this, Huang Ze coughed lightly, and Wang Chao gave Huang Ze a disdainful look. “What’s the matter? You’re the most useless one here. Haven’t you noticed?”
Huang Ze glared at Wang Chao.
“Okay,” Xing Conglian interrupted Wang Chao. “How much do we know about the Tern ingredient?”
“Tern, Tern, Tern…” Wang Chao kept muttering as he scooped half an orange from the fruit basket, biting into it while he searched. Suddenly, he froze, his actions halted a drop of juice that was dripping on his lips, causing it to land on the laptop. Wang Chao quickly swallowed the juice and looked very nervous as he said, “Boss, I know why Zhourui Pharmaceutical couldn’t solve the problem by stopping production. They had to update and replace the drug completely to eliminate the impact! This—this—this… Shen Lian is simply wicked. Tern was developed by Zhourui, but not only their cardiovascular and cerebrovascular drugs used Tern… ” Wang Chao became flustered and was at a loss for words.
“Explain clearly. Calm down.” Xing Conglian tapped the table.
“Boss, A’Chen Gege, look here. At the bidding meeting in September 2009, a bidding group consisting of five pharmaceutical companies, including Huihe, Yingmeng, and Kang Taidelin, won the right to use Tern and developed multiple new cardiovascular and cerebrovascular drugs based on this. Zhourui Pharmaceutical couldn’t stop production directly because too many partner companies were involved. If they found out that Tern was the problem and wanted to solve it, they would need a reasonable reason to update and replace the main components, so they had to push Nordren to market.”
“This is too exaggerated. Why are so many companies suddenly using it?”
“What’s the problem with that?” Mr. Xiao Zhan said. “For patented products, big companies sometimes pay for usage rights. It’s like many type-2 diabetes drugs are stilbene class… There may be several drugs on the market that use Tern as an ingredient.”
“But if all of these drugs have problems, why haven’t there been any reports of mass adverse reactions until now?” Huang Ze questioned.
Lin Chen quietly spoke up, “Yes, this is probably a matter of timing. Whether it’s using Duan Yang, shifting the focus from Professor Duan, or even using hard-to-find methods to release the murder weapon… Shen Lian is delaying time, and what she may be waiting for is just a large-scale outbreak.”
“But the timing shouldn’t be too far away.” Xing Conglian said.
“Yes.”
“Wang Chao, summarize all drugs that have used Tern and start searching for the names of all personnel who have taken these drugs in major hospitals, and compare their relevant medical records later…” Xing Conglian said, looking at him.
Lin Chen understood and said to Wang Chao, “Pay attention to personnel who have taken related drugs and whether the following keywords appear in their medical records: aggression, irritability, cognitive impairment, intellectual decline, mental abnormality, and logical confusion.”
“Okay, I’ll do it right away!” Wang Chao crossed his fingers and stretched his muscles before starting to search. “But major hospitals are not connected to the internet, so I’ll need a lot of time…”
“It doesn’t matter.” Lin Chen nodded at Wang Chao before getting up and heading to the restroom.
He turned on the tap and washed his face. As the restroom door opened, Xing Conglian walked in.
Lin Chen looked at the reflection of Xing Conglian’s face as the other’s deep eyes stared at the mirror. “Half a day ago, I thought using Teacher Duan’s death to expose Shen Lian was too heavy a price, but just now, I suddenly felt fortunate… Originally, Teacher Duan was just an outsider who was used as a pawn, but he accidentally saved the Gaomeng tribe, who were being used as test subjects. Although he sacrificed his life for it, his death has now cut through all the black curtains. Whether it’s Shen Lian’s purpose or the things that Zhourui Pharmaceutical has concealed, everything has been exposed in broad daylight.”
“This is fate. All those who try to manipulate fate will be manipulated by fate.” Xing Conglian leaned against the wall covered with white tiles with one hand and spoke in an extremely plain, solemn tone. “Lao Duan would be happy about this.”
Lin Chen nodded, unable to refute the last sentence. He hugged Xing Conglian with his wet arms and patted his back, as a way to encourage each other.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Suddenly, Wang Chao’s scream came from the living room. Xing Conglian’s face changed, and he turned and pushed the door out. Lin Chen followed behind and ran into the living room, only to see Wang Chao typing frantically on the keyboard at an unbelievable speed. Lin Chen had never seen the boy look so terrified.
At a certain moment, all of Wang Chao’s movements stopped, and he pushed the laptop away and rushed outside. He flipped the circuit breaker and cut off all the power.
Lin Chen went outside and saw the boy crouched on the ground, covering his face with his hands, looking very confused.
Lin Chen squatted down and patted his back. “What happened?”
Wang Chao bit his thumb, looking anxious and restless. “It’s unbelievable. There’s a trap program in the prescription databases of the top three hospitals in major cities across the country. When anyone starts searching for information on the use of Cerebralcon, the tracking program automatically activates.”
“So what?” Xing Conglian kicked Wang Chao’s butt upon hearing this.
“I thought it was just a matter of checking prescription information, so I set up two virtual machines to get past the tracking program. But when I was downloading the prescriptions just now, I may have been exposed. If the other side is skilled enough, they might be able to track our real IP address. It’s my fault.” Wang Chao was very upset, rubbing his hair.
Lin Chen patted the boy’s back again, not feeling too nervous. He suddenly remembered what Xing Conglian had said earlier. “It may not necessarily be a bad thing, because according to what you said, no matter who set up the trap, they have the opportunity to know that ‘we’ have discovered the secret. Is that right?”
After sending away Dog Thing, the emptiness around him became unusually pure. Apart from the overwhelming ripples, there was no perception of color, not even the sensation of “darkness”. In a daze, Yin Ren wasn’t entirely sure if he was still alive—perhaps he was already dead and this was the world after death, and everything before was just a dream he had imagined.
Whenever this happened, a dangerous mist would pervade his mind. Yin Ren’s thoughts became hazy, fragmented, almost on the verge of shattering in the void.
But whenever thoughts of “dreams” surfaced, Lord Ghost King would mentally flip over and quickly regain clarity. Yin Ren was certain that the personality and physique described by Zhong Chengshuo were beyond his limited imagination.
He made an effort to gather his mind, striving to sense the ripples outside.
Yin Ren personally provided the clues to the past. Considering Shian’s modus operandi, they would surely first follow his memories, and the entire team would proceed with the “Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi” in the illusion.
Within the Shian sub-team, the Great Celestial Master’s ripple was conspicuous. Yin Ren could determine his position in the world of memories based on the movement of the ripple. Then all he needed to do was find a way to leave a clue, and Zhong Chengshuo would surely notice something.
Yin Ren’s thinking became agile, and he remembered Zhong Chengshuo’s serious face, making even despair a difficult thing to comprehend.
Lord Ghost King calmly closed his eyes and began to carefully deduce in his mind.
A thousand years ago, after the destruction of Yin Village, he had immediately proceeded towards the Valley of Remains… the Valley of Remains…
Just as Yin Ren had surmised, the edge of the massive “ripple” slid through the void. It entangled with the five smaller ripples around it, advancing neither fast nor slow, resembling a walking procession.
It was a bit strange.
The Shian group should be following the memories and heading to the Valley of Remains. Yet, that ripple approached steadily, step by step, moving in his direction.
Could it be that he and the Valley of Remains were in a straight line?
Or was it possible that he was already within the Valley of Remains?
Impossible. Yin Ren racked his brains. He had lived in the Valley of Remains for hundreds of years. Counting even the number of withered trees, there had never been anything like… creatures, evil spirits, or even space that he couldn’t control.
The development of the situation became increasingly strange, and there couldn’t be so many coincidences in the world. Despite not having a physical body, Yin Ren still felt a shudder run down his back.
He had a faint premonition that this “memory exploration” might reveal more than just clues to the Divine Descent.
……
“According to the records in <The Book of Exorcism>, the Valley of Remains is situated among the mountains and is one of the severely corrupted areas from the Divine Descent a thousand years ago. Even evil beings rarely approach that place. Its exact location is unknown, and besides the brief mention in <The Book of Exorcism>, there are no other documents that mention it.”
Lu Xiaohe pressed her temple with difficulty.
“I remember too.” To avoid the spirit weapon malfunctioning or a dog’s bark suddenly sounding, Fu Xingchuan spoke with utmost brevity.
The Valley of Remains was indeed a suitable place for the former Great Celestial Master to relax, seeking a location devoid of human presence. According to the legends, the valley was inhabited mainly by deformed monsters and skeletal remains, with hardly any green vegetation.
However, for modern people, the names mentioned in <The Book of Exorcism> were as elusive as those in the <Classic of Mountains and Seas*>. It was difficult to determine whether they were legends or real places. Now, other than following the illusion, the group had no other choice.
*Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts.
Yin Ren’s illusion had stopped not long ago.
They were in a relatively flat clearing in the mountains. The location was secluded, surrounded by mountains, yet the path was gentle and easy to traverse. Inside, everything was complete despite the small size. A waterfall shimmered like silver threads, and the river water was so clear that it seemed nonexistent. Fat, content fish swam within.
On the fertile land, the grass was lush and dense. The surrounding trees exhibited shades of gold and red, and ripe, sweet fruits swayed gently on the branches. Birds occasionally hopped onto the branches, pecking at the red fruits. In the underbrush, plump wild rabbits chewed on fresh grass and their necks were so fat they were barely visible.
The Great Celestial Master stopped at the edge of this heavenly place. Magical radiance shimmered, causing a few withered trees nearby to fall, and countless dry straws floated in perfect order. The trees split themselves into smooth planks and beams, and the dry straws combined with good mud to form a sturdy thatched cottage that emerged from the ground.
After completing all this, the originally swaying red cocoon nearly toppled, and labored breaths could be heard from beneath the red cloth.
Under his feet, the once lush green grass rapidly withered and decayed, leaving only a black patch. The Great Celestial Master quickly took a few steps back, fearing to destroy this hard-won paradise.
“You stay here and watch over these children,” Yin Ren instructed the two humanoid evil spirits. “If there’s any danger approaching, you know how to hide them.”
After speaking, he pondered for a moment and then summoned the “Big-Headed Dolls” that had been following him all along.
The children of various heights stood at a distance, wearing dirty hoods and clutching partially drawn talismans in their hands. Among them was Ge Tingting, still using the shell she had taken, and a girl surnamed Lu, hugging several wild fruits with her hands covered in dirty fruit juice.
These children were in the age of mischief, but at this moment, they were calm and quiet, as if sensing something.
“I need to practice alone in advance, and I don’t have time to teach you anymore. I’ve previously taught Mazi the protective spells in the vicinity, and he will teach you how to come and go. Mazi is quick-witted, so listen to him more in the future.”
Yin Ren pointed to the tallest one among the row of children and deliberately lowered his voice.
“The Gouluo Army has reached this place, and it’s chaotic outside. Don’t wander around anymore; just stay here and take care of the younger generation from the Yin Village. I will summon more evil spirits to help… You have all learned a bit from me, so you should be able to get along well with them. Wait a couple of years until the troubled times settle down. It won’t be too late for you to go out.”
The children remained silent.
Yin Ren didn’t say anything more; he just patiently waited. After a long while, the sound of sobbing came from under those hoods.
“You’re not coming back, are you?” The tallest, hooded youth approached; his voice hoarse. “You used to agree on meeting times… You’re not coming back anymore, are you?”
“Young one, is that how you speak at such a young age? I’m just a bit exhausted and need to rest more.” The Great Celestial Master’s tone was relaxed, and his weakness was nowhere to be heard in his words. “Mazi, you have to take care of yourself…”
“My talent is not good, don’t you understand?” Under the peeling and dilapidated terrifying hood, Mazi’s voice grew even hoarser. “I can’t take care of so many people. I won’t do it! You calculated it; I can only be with you for three more months. In half a month, it will be time. You promised to send me back to my hometown!”
The two were just a dozen steps apart, not far, yet it felt like an insurmountable chasm.
The boy’s body trembled with excitement and fear, but as he took a few steps forward, he firmly held his ground. In that position, he could block the other children who might rush forward from behind.
“Well, I’ve changed my mind.” Yin Ren turned toward the ethereal place that resembled a paradise, still maintaining a relaxed tone.
His attitude was casual, as if this were just an ordinary farewell.
Or perhaps, for Yin Ren, this was indeed an ordinary farewell. Zhong Chengshuo stood nearby in silence, staring fixedly at everything that belonged to the past.
The Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi, an evil who had once concealed his identity, had distanced himself from the mortal world, walking among humans for over three hundred years, and only these children could briefly stay by his side… Months compared to hundreds of years, were nothing but fleeting moments.
Yin Ren was probably accustomed to such farewells a long time ago.
It was evident that Yin Ren was always kind to those children. But when it came to parting ways, he was just as decisive. Yin Ren’s emotions weren’t high, but he was definitely not feigning calmness. He bid farewell to everyone with regret, as if it had become a routine for him.
Zhong Chengshuo gazed at the figure in the autumn paradise, remembering the times when Yin Ren had embraced him and slept soundly. For Zhong Chengshuo, could he also be a relatively long “companion”?
As soon as this thought arose, Zhong Chengshuo quickly shook his head, trying to shake off the thought, as if it were a piece of chewing gum stuck to his hair—since he learned to savor fear, it would come up with new variations every day, both fresh and troublesome.
Zhong Chengshuo gathered his thoughts and once again focused his attention on the illusion.
A few steps away, Fu Xingchuan stared at the “flesh puppet” with a pair of puzzled eyes. He couldn’t help but tilt his head slightly, clearly unable to make sense of the flesh puppet’s behavior.
In the illusion, Yin Ren concluded his plain farewell. He stepped onto a darker and more rugged mountain path, preparing to leave alone. With each step he took, the bells on Yin Ran’s ankle jingled once again.
“…Alright, I understand, I understand!”
The young “Mazi” tightened his fist gradually.
“Since you’re not keeping your word and don’t plan to send me back home, is it unreasonable for me to make a request?”
The bell abruptly stopped ringing, and Yin Ren halted his footsteps, nodding.
“Give me a name.”
Mazi said.
“In our village, it’s the custom to let the elders give a proper name when you’re ready to settle down. Here… there are no elders anymore.”
The Great Celestial Master pondered for a moment. “Alright, then you shall be called Yin…”
“Don’t use ‘Yin’ as the surname!” Mazi vehemently objected, almost pouting in frustration. “All those kids outside have the surname Yin, but I’m not related to them!”
This time, Yin Ren fell silent for a long time.
“I was born nameless and without a surname. Yin Village is my homeland. The people of Yin Village like to call me the ‘Yiren*’. When the Huajisi rose, the Emperor bestowed upon me the name ‘Zhong Yi’. According to common practice, my surname should be Yin.”
*Clarity: The people of the Yin village call Yin Ren [Yiren] (异人) which translated would be “foreigner”. Basically, they are addressing him as the Great Foreigner (Master), as he doesn’t reside in the village and is from a different area. I decided to forgo the Foreigner and just put Master as it sounded a bit weird, given the time period.
For the first time, a hint of regret could be heard in his tone—rarely present but felt like grains of sand mixed in soft silk.
“Since you mortals like the Emperor, how about this? Mazi, from now on, you shall be called Zhong… Zhong Mazi.”
Mazi: “…” His breath stopped for a moment.
Mazi: “Zhong Ma is better.”
The slight melancholy of the Great Celestial Master disappeared in an instant, and he awkwardly cleared his throat. “Oh, then it’s Zhong Ma. Zhong Ma sounds good.”
With this interlude, even the most suppressed atmosphere was broken, and the children started giggling again. Amidst the scattered laughter, Yin Ren resumed his stride and walked towards the dark shadows of the mountains.
Without the army of evil beings following by his side, without the children walking in the distance, Yin Ren was left alone with Yellow Millet.
Not far away, the cultivator from the Gouluo Army emerged from the rocks. He looked around in confusion, unable to find any flaw in the hiding place for the children, concealed by powerful illusions.
Only the figure of the Great Celestial Master advancing alone seemed real. That cocoon-like figure appeared comical up close, but from a distance, it resembled a wound on the mountains.
The cultivator clearly didn’t care about those insignificant little kids with no value. He hesitated for less than half a minute before continuing to follow Yin Ren’s figure.
With no children to worry about, Yin Ren decisively mounted Yellow Millet. However, for some reason, whether due to weakness or something else, his pace was astonishingly slow. Fortunately that was the case or Shian would probably fall behind—Fu Tianyi could only manage on his own, and even Ge Tingting had to help cast the levitation spell, barely keeping everyone airborne.
“This is far enough.”
As day and night interchanged, they arrived near the center of the desolate mountains at dusk.
Yin Ren slid down from Yellow Millet and patted its round eyeball. In the enveloping glow of the evening sun, Yellow Millet turned into a bright scarlet color.
“Puff?” It made a puzzled sound.
“Find a place to rest well. There are plenty of evil creatures nearby, enough for you to eat for hundreds of years,” Yin Ren stroked Yellow Millet’s smooth and soft skin. “I have to continue on the journey by myself.”
“Puff…” Yellow Millet’s voice became softer.
“Well, I really just need to heal my injuries. But it will take a long time, so you don’t have to wait for me.” Yin Ren traced a complex series of runes on its surface as he spoke in a voice as light as a dream. “Our spirit contract ends here.”
Having completed the ritual, Yin Ren slowly removed the seal from his body.
The crimson-clad Yin Ren stood in front of Yellow Millet, looking pale to the point of being terrifying, with blood seeping into his red eyes and white sclera. The tips of his long black hair almost reached the ground. As soon as the seal was released, the silver bell on his ankle instantly decayed, and the land a few steps away turned an ominous black-gray color.
Yin Ren’s red robes fluttered, and both the apple and the Evil Fruit floated beside him. The apple was wrapped in numerous sealing runes, unharmed and safe. Under the evening sun, the Evil Fruit appeared even more vibrant and beautiful, with both exuding an enticing red color.
The surrounding Evil Force immediately surged, causing even Yellow Millet to instinctively take a few steps back.
“You see, at this point, you can’t stay by my side for much longer,” Yin Ren coughed twice and continued in a friendly tone, “Go, Yellow Millet.”
The red ball didn’t budge.
Yin Ren sighed and gave it a not-so-light pat on the head before turning around and moving forward.
He was completely alone.
Yellow Millet didn’t chase after him, nor did it leave. It stood still, its pupils fixed on Yin Ren’s figure. It only made a low “puff” sound after that figure completely disappeared.
Previously, the members of Shian’s group would occasionally discuss the contents of the illusion, but now, everyone fell silent. Even someone as slow as Zhong Chengshuo could perceive Yin Ren’s farewell.
They watched Yin Ren walk towards the legendary Valley of Remains—
Upon arrival, without any need for explanation, anyone could see the origin of the name “Valley of Remains”.
The land was desolate and filled with poisonous weeds, with only deformed creatures and reptiles occasionally passing by. There were no tall trees on the ground, only broken and blackened animal and bird bones. Not far away, two cliffs crossed like poisonous fangs, with a vast abyss below.
On the tip of one of the “fangs,” a rudimentary hut could be seen.
Yin Ren walked step by step towards that hut, holding the apple and Evil Fruit in his hands, their ambiguous radiance flickering in the shadows. Before long, his figure was swallowed by the doorway of the hut, completely disappearing from everyone’s sight.
The Gouluo Army cultivator who followed Yin Ren finally stopped in his tracks.
Even a “half-step Charon” wouldn’t dare to recklessly challenge this land. The person stood at the edge of the Valley of Remains, picked up a handful of soil from the ground, and carefully sniffed it.
On the gaunt face, the pair of eyes moved around. Finally, the cultivator captured a mechanical bird and started writing a letter on the spot.
Lu Xiaohe, Fu Xingchuan, and Fu Tianyi immediately gathered around, and Ge Tingting, curious about the commotion, approached as well.
Then she saw a myriad of strange characters that resembled tadpoles filling her vision.
Ge Tingting didn’t understand and asked, “What does this mean?”
“Gouluo script.” Lu Xiaohe cleared her throat awkwardly. “Actually, I don’t recognize it either… There are no records about this valley.” As a neuroscientist, this kind of thing was beyond her expertise.
“He is asking the Gouluo Army to choose a new route and come this way,” Fu Tianyi said with a strained tone. “Coincidentally, the Gouluo Army plans to station 150,000 troops in the mountains, so they will be passing through here regardless. He wants to use the aura of tens of thousands of soldiers and weapons to break through the evil and seize the Evil Fruit that commands ten thousand ghosts…”
Ge Tingting’s expression changed. “What should we do then?”
They had followed the illusion’s example and barely sealed an unborn Evil Spirit. But if they had to withstand 150,000 living people, that was a different story.
“It’s okay. We didn’t produce the Evil Fruit. Even if that cultivator is alive, he won’t attract the army… I think,” Fu Tianyi said uncertainty, his peripheral vision glancing at the flesh puppet wearing the body of the Great Celestial Master.
“In that case, won’t we distort Yin Ren’s memories? These memories must be important to him,” Ge Tingting expressed her concerns.
“Yin Ren is different from that Evil Spirit. As someone who entered together and is aware of the situation, woof, he was mentally prepared from the beginning and would never consider the changes as ‘real’,” Fu Xingchuan explained at length. The spirit weapon indeed had a slight malfunction.
“It’s like watching a horror movie. It’s different from experiencing a real-life terrifying event, woof.”
Ge Tingting let out a difficult grunt, not sure if she understood or not. “So, you mean we just need to investigate as quickly as possible?”
She turned to Lu Xiaohe, only to find that Lu Xiaohe had already gone to the edge of the Valley of Remains, attempting to absorb all the surrounding features into her mind. After all, there weren’t many places so heavily corrupted by Evil Force after a thousand years.
When they left this place and managed to find it again, who knew how many new discoveries they would make.
Seeing the senior researcher working so diligently, Ge Tingting also shifted her gaze and made an effort to observe the surrounding topography. The valley was like a scar on the earth, unimaginably deep. They and Yin Ren’s house were both on the eastern side of the valley, and the ground on the western side of the valley was noticeably sunken, with different elevations on both sides.
A magnificent and peculiar sight. In contrast to the variations in the terrain, Yin Ren’s small house appeared extremely tiny, like a small piece of gravel.
“Weird, this valley is really deep,” Ge Tingting muttered. Her gaze was captivated by the immense abyss that seemed bottomless. “How is it possible that no one has discovered this place with such unique characteristics?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhong Chengshuo approached. “What did you say?”
The flesh puppet suddenly asked, startling Ge Tingting. “I-I said that the valley is very deep…”
She instinctively reached out her hand and pointed to the spectacular valley.
“You’re right. With this kind of topography, there must be traces even after a thousand years. After we get out of here, we can have the scientists search for it using satellites,” Fu Tianyi said, stroking his beard. His eyes were also fixed on the valley.
Fu Xingchuan raised his head and his tail hung down discontentedly. “Have you learned the sealing spell to seal Evil Spirits? We’ll need it for further exploration.”
Fu Tianyi instantly let go of his ancestor’s beard and hurried away, looking dejected.
Fu Xingchuan then turned to Zhong Chengshuo and asked, “Do you have any other questions?”
“That is a valley,” Zhong Chengshuo repeated in a flat tone.
“Yes, it is a valley,” Fu Xingchuan said. “Although valleys usually aren’t that deep.”
Zhong Chengshuo nodded and turned his body towards the direction of the “valley”.
Lu Xiaohe, Fu Xingchuan, Fu Tianyi, and Ge Tingting—four individuals that had different abilities, including both science and non-science backgrounds. To them, it was simply a valley… a massive, bottomless valley.
But in his eyes, no, more precisely, in Yin Ren’s eyes from a thousand years ago, it wasn’t the case.
Through the red cloth, Zhong Chengshuo saw a pitch-black expanse.
Yin Ren’s house was built on a slightly elevated position, while on the other side, there was an endless black liquid. To be precise, it was a “lake” of darkness surrounded by even more distant mountains.
From his current perspective, the Valley of Remains had a semi-white “beach”, and Yin Ren’s residence was located at the edge of the beach, near the end of the slightly elevated cliff. The cliff was only three to four meters high, separating it from the calm, waveless, dark lake. It lay silently there, as vast as the sea, with no end in sight.
It was a deep, abyss-like black that absorbed all light.
Beautiful yet terrifying.
Its existence was so vivid and striking, yet the faces of the people in Shian showed no astonishment as they glanced at it. What they called a valley was perhaps only a portion covered by the black lake, Zhong Chengshuo thought to himself.
They couldn’t see it—not even a faint illusionary shadow.
Zhong Chengshuo stood there for a long time, and suddenly, he lifted his foot and stepped towards the interior of the Valley of Remains.
“Hey!” Fu Xingchuan was the first to notice the abnormality of the flesh puppet. “Come back!”
Zhong Chengshuo paid no attention, advancing as if enchanted, ignoring the calls of the Shian group. He knew that as long as he waited a little longer, Shian and the others would be able to enter through the sealing spell. He just needed to patiently wait for a few hours—maybe a day or two. When the time came, he could follow them in without attracting anyone’s attention.
But he didn’t want to wait any longer.
There was something he needed to confirm.
……
Yin Ren’s small house was dilapidated on the outside but surprisingly neat on the inside—excluding the layers of sealing runes covering the furniture, it could be considered cozy.
The house wasn’t large, with one side filled with various books. Wooden shelves were adorned with all sorts of trinkets, from clay figurines to cloth tigers, all of which had a consistent style, indicating they were offerings collected from the Yin Village. Two pieces of well-treated animal fur hung on the wall, likely leftovers from eaten rabbits.
The soft fur exuded a faint black hue, quietly hanging from the end of a rope.
On the other side, there was a simple wooden bed and a wooden table. The bed was cushioned with clean straw and patched bedding, resembling an ordinary rural household.
Despite the external decay and desolation, lacking the aura of the mortal world, the interior of the house was permeated with the pleasant scent of wood and hay. The apple and Evil Fruit were placed side by side on the wooden table, with the spell on the apple still operating diligently.
The fragrance and bright red color of the fruit added a touch of liveliness to the space.
The sun hadn’t completely set, but an oil lamp had already been lit on the side of the wooden table next to the wooden bed, preparing for the evening. The dim yellow light mixed with the dark red sunset glow, and there was a scent of blood in the air.
Yin Ren lay on the simple bedding, groaning. He no longer suppressed the Evil Force around him.
Zhong Chengshuo stood before this illusion and, just like before, unraveled the obstructing cocoon, attempting to reach out his hand towards the illusion. A strand of Yin Ren’s black hair scattered in front of him, appearing incredibly soft, and he still remembered the sensation.
But his fingers passed through the scattered strands of hair.
The seemingly realistic illusion was just an illusion, after all.
Yin Ren from a thousand years ago curled up tightly, wrapping himself in the blanket, his breathing fragmented and rapid. With a few coughs, a faint hint of blood mingled with the fragrance of the room. Zhong Chengshuo withdrew his hand and sat silently at the edge of the bed. After a few seconds, he lowered his head, and Yin Ren’s black hair slid down his body with the tips disappearing into the straw.
They were only a fist’s distance apart.
“Goodnight.”
Across the blanket, Zhong Chengshuo softly spoke.
He sat by the bed for a full half-hour, until the sunset completely sank below the horizon.
In the end, Zhong Chengshuo seemed to make a decision. He took a deep breath, and with the faint jingling of the bells on his ankles, he walked outside.
Not far from the small house was the edge of the cliff—a tiny spot. The dense darkness slumbered below the cliff, and the edge was unusually smooth, resembling a modeling error.
Zhong Chengshuo stood at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the darkness.
Night fell, and the sky gradually darkened. The sky was covered with dark clouds, obscuring the stars. Soon, murky raindrops began to fall, passing directly through Zhong Chengshuo’s body and landing on the black-gray barren soil.
Before long, the illusion had indeed changed. Amidst the continuous drizzle, a small creature fluttered along the edge of the cliff, cautiously climbing up. At first glance, it was a blackish lump, about the size of two fists.
But upon closer inspection, it was difficult to determine what it was.
By its features, it might be a black rabbit.
Two long ears, a pair of eyes, a nose exposed to the air, and a mouth divided into three lobes.
Soft fur, four soft legs, and a curled-up tail.
…But they were completely scattered and disorganized on the surface of its body. The sizes, directions, and positions were all wrong, showing no discernible anatomical structure. It wriggled on the ground, making it difficult to tell if it was twitching or moving forward, resembling some kind of mutated sea cucumber.
It clumsily attempted to move towards the house where Yin Ren was located with movements equally erratic. Compared to this creature, even ordinary evil spirits appeared vibrant and attractive.
When the deformed rabbit wriggled to his feet, Zhong Chengshuo lowered his gaze.
It couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, but he knew it clearly. Behind the rabbit, there was a thin, thread-like “umbilical cord”. It hid in the crevices of the rocks scattered across the cliff, leading to the boundless darkness below.
Swish.
The deformed rabbit brushed against the surface of the rocks, emitting a chilling scraping sound.
Desolate wasteland, a lonely little house. The nightmarish “evil thing” crawled out of the black lake, trying hard to mimic a “cute and harmless” appearance, just like the bait on top of an angler fish’s head, strikingly obvious.
“So, this is how I look through the eyes of humans,” he said, enunciating each word while looking at the poorly formed rabbit.
“At that time, I thought I had disguised myself perfectly.”
……
In the void, Yin Ren thrashed about in madness.
The conspicuous ripple was right beside him, unbelievably close. To be honest, the proximity was a bit absurd—he had never encountered ripples this close before. Yin Ren thought that those ripples couldn’t physically be that near him.
The ripple belonged to his own body—so close that it almost stuck to him!
Zhong Chengshuo and the others were here!
Time was of the essence, and Yin Ren was desperate. He needed to find a way to connect with the outside world and let everyone know that he was right here.
But at this moment, he was like a vegetable, with only his consciousness remaining and unable to control his body at all. Yin Ren gritted his teeth, forcing himself to think.
Dog Thing could be successfully thrown out.
So, if he separated a small portion of his consciousness… just like controlling a doppelgänger, only separating a tiny bit. Would it be possible to successfully throw it out too?
Even if he could separate a bit of consciousness, it wouldn’t be an independent mind. It couldn’t possess a body normally, like Dog Thing, nor could it stray too far from the main body. But as long as it could temporarily leave his body and initiate a suitable illusion, it would definitely catch Zhong Chengshuo’s attention.
Yin Ren’s non-existent heart pounded incessantly as he cheered within his own mind. However, as an experienced Ghost King, he quickly regained his composure.
…He had to choose a specific illusion as a signal.
If he just created some random and messy appearance, it might not only fail to seek help but also raise suspicion from Shian. He needed to select something unique, an image that could prove his identity.
A modern version of himself? No, Sunken Society would surely have records of that.
The image of himself wearing pajamas and a nightcap? No, that would obviously be for Zhong Chengshuo to recognize. The “flesh puppet” shouldn’t have that level of independent thinking ability.
Yin Ren frantically searched through his memories, and, after a few seconds, he joyfully discovered it. There was indeed such an image that could prove his own existence without being too overt—
That strange and peculiar rabbit. It always appeared whenever he returned to his dwelling. Shian would surely follow it to his little house, making it the perfect distraction to attract attention.
Yin Ren focused his mind and began the incantation.
“See me.”
He subconsciously repeated the words in his mind.
“See me, find me, help me escape…”
Before he could finish the word “escape”, Yin Ren suddenly realized something. His thoughts froze for a moment. If Yin Ren had a face at this moment, the only expression on it would be “disbelief”.
There was a peculiar sense of familiarity with everything before his eyes.
It was a rare proximity in the ripple, so he urgently sent out a projection, hoping to catch the other’s attention and find a way to escape this void of despair.
He also needed to select a harmless image that would draw attention—
See me, find me, help me escape this void. I don’t want to continue “existing” like this.
And you are the first and only “ripple” in this world that is so close to me.
Can you see me?
In his memories, the twisted and deformed rabbit gazed quietly at Yin Ren. Its mismatched eyes were pitch black, like a lightless abyss.
Both unfamiliar and familiar.
“Did you also think the same way back then?”
“Could it be that you are…”
The crimson apple once lay on his wooden table, its skin shining brightly and emitting a sweet fragrance. A thousand years later, the apple on their dining table gradually merged with it.
The crimson fruit, the lightless black eyes. Zhong Chengshuo, wearing a rabbit mask, quietly passed through the night and stood in his most vivid memory.
A terrifying suspicion emerged from Yin Ren’s mind. Perhaps it was all his imagination, but… no, it couldn’t be. He had to wait until the end, until the very end to confirm.
In a boundless state of confusion and astonishment, Yin Ren almost unconsciously activated his magic.
On the cliff.
The deformed black rabbit continued to wriggle near Zhong Chengshuo, searching for the entrance to the house. After a while of fruitless searching, the creature seemed discouraged, freezing in the most prominent spot on the cliff, its four legs pointing in different directions.
At the same time, the Yin Ren from a thousand years ago heard a sound. He too, stepped out and stopped just one step away from Zhong Chengshuo, watching the illusory black rabbit kicking its legs in frustration.
“It’s you again.” Yin Ren swayed forward and cast several sealing spells on himself before approaching.
The black rabbit stopped its hopping and immediately wriggled with great effort, moving towards Yin Ren.
“Just wait a moment, I…”
Before Yin Ren could finish his sentence, both he and the rabbit vanished abruptly from the spot, disappearing as if a plug had been pulled from a television.
Zhong Chengshuo knew that the illusion had ended—it was now nighttime, and Huang Jin would need to rest. Without Yin Ren as the power source, the remaining people couldn’t sustain the magic for long.
The small house was now devoid of light, and the apple and Evil Fruit vanished from the table. The sky remained covered in dark clouds, ready to rain at any moment. Without Yin Ren’s illusion, the place became terrifyingly silent, as if everyone had gone deaf.
However, the pitch-black ocean didn’t disappear with the illusion. It still lay there, motionless. The sky was filled with rolling black clouds, and the ground was enveloped in boundless darkness. The scene before them could only be described as surreal.
Zhong Chengshuo simply sat cross-legged in place, looking at the lightless “ocean” below the cliff, his face devoid of expression.
Shian’s investigation would continue, and Huang Jin would continue to use illusions. Zhong Chengshuo would wait here, making sure not to miss a single moment.
…To ensure that his speculation was indeed true.
And at that moment, at the edge of the cliff, another “rabbit” appeared.
It was the same as before—a deformed black rabbit with jumbled limbs and facial features. It stood still on the edge of the cliff, just one step away from falling into the dark “ocean.” Unlike the other rabbit that crawled around chaotically, this one simply stood there with its round eyes fixed on the outside world.
As if waiting for someone.
Zhong Chengshuo raised his gaze, his long hair gently swaying in the mountain breeze. The hem of his red robe brushed against the dry soil and rocks, appearing even darker in the night.
Another illusion, but not from Yellow Millet. Only one person in this world would know this image, so it could only be from one person.
It was an illusion sent by Yin Ren.
After pausing for a moment in place, the rabbit seemed to adjust to the outside world and slowly approached with difficulty. Eventually, it tentatively stopped in front of Zhong Chengshuo.
Zhong Chengshuo reached out his hand, and for the first time, his hand trembled slightly.
The peculiar rabbit closed its eyes and tilted its body slightly, pressing part of its form against Zhong Chengshuo’s palm. Unfortunately, the illusion had no tactile sensation, and the eerie furball simply passed through his hand.
In the next moment, its image gradually faded and dissolved into the air.
The rumbling sound came from the dark clouds, and raindrops broke through the damp air, pitter-pattering onto the dusty ground. It was actually raining in the world of memories. Zhong Chengshuo’s hair was wet, but he remained seated in place, unmoving.
“I found you.”
Zhong Chengshuo spoke softly, and a smile gradually appeared on his expressionless face.
“I know where you are, Yin Ren.”
The author has something to say:
Xiao Zhong: This move, this move is a classic re-enactment.
Kinky Thoughts:
Oh, they’re in each other’s bodies. I thought Zhong Chengshuo was going to be the apple.
Most people didn’t care about Ding Lao or Dong Lao. At most they were shocked by Xia Liang’s sudden change. The three major families had long studied this enigmatic old man, and now Xia Liang, a younger generation member, had emerged explosively, creating a level of impact no different from an invasion of the Erosion Swamp.
The theater was now secure, and people on the second floor and above were discussing it. The oldest “patriarch” of the Xia family had a dark expression and remained silent.
For most members of the three major families, Xia Liang was merely one of the symbols used to stabilize public opinion—at most a pretty doll. Now that the doll had turned fierce and brandished a blade, their first reaction was simply, “This spectacle is quite entertaining.”
The fact that the delicate and weak singer turned out to be Zhu Yanchen’s top strategist would be enough to fuel conversations for months to come.
However, for the upper echelons, the subtlety of the situation lied elsewhere. It wasn’t uncommon for geniuses to be overlooked, or for the younger generation to rebel against their elders. What was terrifying was that she managed to conceal it—there were quite a few people investigating Dong Lao’s identity, including Zhu Sheng himself.
After the discovery of the thesis, people mostly acknowledged that Zhu Yanchen was an outstanding researcher. However, many still doubted his tactical abilities. After all, people couldn’t split their hearts in half, and it didn’t make sense for Zhu Yanchen to work so hard on both ends.
If he had let Dong Lao handle the command while dedicating most of his time to studying the Erosion Swamp, it would have been more reasonable. Dong Lao had a grassroots background and was old, so it was understandable that it would be difficult to trace his origins.
But Dong Lao turned out to be Xia Liang.
Concealing the identity of a national singer and concealing the identity of an ordinary person were like the difference between heaven and earth in terms of difficulty. It would be impossible for Xia Liang alone to evade the investigation of the three major families.
Zhu Sheng stood at the highest level of the theater, overlooking the people settled in the lower hall, feeling an icy coldness in his heart.
It seemed that only after his son’s death did he truly understand this child. The little boy who was once weak, cried easily, and hid behind the nanny when he saw people might be a more exceptional leader than his eldest son.
No, perhaps he had indeed become an excellent leader.
The “incompetence” from before was now explained entirely—his dislike of appearing in public was most likely to conceal the physical abnormalities caused by studying the Erosion Swamp. His tireless efforts, not driven by “saving face”, were undoubtedly because he understood his own impending death and didn’t want frequent changes in the power structure of the government. Even when his thesis was ignored by the command center, he didn’t make a fuss; he simply continued entering the thesis into the research database.
…His son had planned the end of his life and the subsequent chain of reactions from the very beginning.
So, was the current chaos also part of Zhu Yanchen’s plan? Over a decade had passed, and his son’s abilities had become terrifying, while his naivety and stubbornness remained unchanged.
He didn’t misjudge it at the beginning; this child really didn’t resemble himself at all.
Zhu Sheng remained silent for a long time, then called his assistant over. “Is the communication still working? Contact Tang Heyu.”
“Yes.”
Dong Lao’s identity caused a great uproar in the theater, while Xia Liang swiftly made her exit. The soldiers fighting against the Erosion Swamp had no time to concern themselves with such earth-shattering gossip—the Erosion Swamp had turned into a giant sea urchin and was about to charge towards the front of the theater. Tonight, there was a celebration for the newly elected leader, where the elders of the three major families gathered together. If the theater were to be breached, the United Government would immediately become paralyzed.
At that time, not only Y City but other cities would also suffer for a long time. The security guards were anxious to the point of foaming at their mouths. When they saw Dong Lao appear, the team captains from the First and Third Squadron were on the verge of tears.
“You finally came,” the captain of the Second Squadron said with a bitter tone. “Is this really an Erosion Swamp? Its spikes are extending too far, and we can’t do anything about it. If we can’t stop it…”
“I know,” Dong Lao replied straightforwardly. “Don’t delay, and don’t think about saving anything for later. Use the command center and the nearest armories. Activate as many purifiers as possible.”
“But… but…”
“If we can’t stop the Erosion Swamp tonight, keeping those things will be in vain.”
The captain of First Squadron frowned. “If another one comes later, do we have to fight them barehanded?”
“Survive until that time, then you can think about it.”
“This thing is too terrifying. You can’t really see it just by looking at the screens…”
Dong Lao didn’t say anything, but the man beside him whispered softly, “Knowing is enough.”
“Arrange the purifiers according to this configuration.” Dong Lao exchanged a glance with the man beside him. “Using the nearby residential areas and the theater as the center; the number of devices must be accurate. After preparing, find some agile young people and have them carry the purifiers on their backs to control the Erosion Swamp’s advancing route.”
“This…” The captain of the First Squadron was about to blurt out, “Isn’t that the synthetics’ job,” but after uttering the first word, he realized that something was amiss—
They didn’t have the synthetics with them now. Not only did they not have any, but the synthetics were also lurking outside the city. If it weren’t for the Erosion Swamp’s indiscriminate attacks, they would have taken advantage of this opportunity.
But they had no other choice. The team captain didn’t speak up again and quickly followed the instructions.
Under the cover of night, Shu Jun carried Monday and stood quietly at the top of the theater. The theater was tall enough, and he was wearing a black uniform, so no one noticed his presence.
The position was impressive enough, but Captain Shu’s posture wasn’t handsome at all. He sat casually with his legs apart, absentmindedly stroking Monday and occasionally feeding it a piece of his erosion candy.
Shu Jun didn’t come to watch the spectacle; he had to serve as the last resort—just in case, if that Spiked Erosion Swamp broke through the theater, he had to find a way to naturally eliminate it.
Also, he was very curious about what the first battle against the Erosion Swamp would look like.
Ai Xiaoxiao’s research on Monday came to an end. Recently, Monday had been quite comfortable, and it had grown quite large. It squeezed out a wave of water crazily but still couldn’t fix the sword to its original size. Fortunately, Shu Jun was no longer a normal synthetic human, and he could wield the overweight sword.
As a simple wild Erosion Swamp, Monday had no interest in disputes between humans and synthetics and had no thoughts about Sigma’s side. Its values were quite simple—live comfortably, good; fight, work hard, and struggle for survival, not good.
As for its special ability of “Spitting Water”, it had no attacking power against humans, let alone other Erosion Swamps. Now that it had candy to eat and someone to groom it, it had long forgotten its initial dissatisfaction.
“East. Side,” it reminded Shu Jun in a rough voice, “Very. Close. Still. There.”
“Probably someone Luo Duan sent to gather intelligence,” Shu Jun casually said. “Sigma has suffered quite a bit from me in the previous battles against the Erosion Swamps, and they failed to gather a lot of information… Is the other Erosion Swamp small?”
“Human. Head.”
“A human head is probably not very powerful. It’s likely following the large Erosion Swamp.”
“Eat?”
“No, it can’t be eaten. We have to send it back as proof.” Shu Jun tapped the hilt of his sword. “Otherwise, the play between me and A’Yan would be in vain.”
“Tsk.”
Zhu Yanchen skillfully took over his move—even though he couldn’t appear in person. First, he used Xia Liang’s help to stabilize the situation of the Grand Theatre and the mob, while the Old Fourth followed up with medical support. This time, he used Dong Lao as a diversion and took over the command of the guards.
The human resistance was still going well.
Purifiers were placed on both sides of the Grand Theatre and residential area. To prevent the Erosion Swamp from finding other ways to bypass them, they stacked the purifiers like tall walls. The stored combat purification weapons were all deployed, and although the young members of the guard team were nervous and their steps were chaotic, they still managed to drive away the Erosion Swamp to some extent.
The “Spiked” Erosion Swamp was still an Erosion Swamp. Even if it could bypass one or two lines of defense, it hesitated in front of the overwhelming purifiers—it once again thrust its spines, attempting to destroy the purifiers. However, the power of the surrounding purifiers was terrifying, and its spines shattered before they could pierce the mechanical shells.
Having no intelligence, it immediately became furious after being injured. Its spines grew sharper and longer, trying to turn the tide. Zhu Yanchen immediately ordered a tighter purification circle, attempting to keep the Erosion Swamp outside the theater district.
This area was quite prosperous, but the tidy storefronts were riddled with black spines and quickly turned into dust. The young soldiers at the forefront were inevitably injured, and some clearly had their hands and feet contaminated by erosion, which would have led to amputation in the past.
Shu Jun watched coldly, without softening his heart much. With Ai Xiaoxiao’s research now, it was possible to keep these people’s limbs intact.
And they were being commanded by Zhu Yanchen.
Zhu Yanchen’s commanding style hadn’t changed. He never liked sacrificing lives for victory, and whether he was commanding humans or synthetic humans made little difference to him. Human soldiers were still soldiers after all, and seeing that the unknown monsters could be controlled, their fighting spirit rose.
However, just as they were tightening the encirclement, the Erosion Swamp suddenly reverted to a swamp-like state, attempting to surge towards the nearby sewer. Although the people in the rear reacted quickly and immediately propped up the frames on their protective suits, several in the front were swept away. The water reached waist-deep, causing them to scream in pain.
The humans quickly adjusted their formation. The block had numerous obstacles, and the terrain changed rapidly, making it impossible to urgently call for transport machinery. Instead, people resorted to manually carrying the purifiers, fighting the strange Erosion Swamp like they were extinguishing a fire.
During the process, two people were pierced through their protective suits by spines, causing injuries to their necks and internal organs.
The broadcast stopped, leaving only the deafening sirens in the dark night. The bright lights illuminating the scene were dazzling, and the buzzing sound of the operating purifiers drove people insane. The heat generated by the machinery directly raised the surrounding temperature by five or six degrees, causing the protective suits of many people carrying the purifiers to melt, and some were directly burned.
That black, liquid-like flame was still “burning”, and they didn’t know when it would shoot out spines or recede. The wounded were quickly evacuated, replaced by newcomers, and the smell of gunpowder in the air grew stronger.
This crisis-filled war lasted for eighteen hours, and Shu Jun quietly watched for most of it. From dusk until dawn, people charged forward and were carried away while lying down. There were many who were minorly injured, but there were dozens who were severely injured. Due to the diligent retreat of the personnel, there were no casualties.
The human battle against the Erosion Swamp wasn’t much different from the players. Considering the special abilities possessed by the players and the unique abilities of the Erosion Swamp, Zhu Yanchen had probably done his best.
As the small-scale war neared its end, it was a struggle between manpower and machinery. The young ones fell, and they were replaced by middle-aged individuals. When a machine broke, a new one was immediately brought in. Except for not deploying their newly developed “Suppression” weapons, this war was said to be regardless of cost.
Finally, the Spiked Erosion Swamp was surrounded within this circle built with money and was gradually worn down reluctantly. Before dissipating, it had almost depleted the entire Y City’s arsenal of purification weapons. Although it no longer moved, the people around it didn’t feel any joy of victory.
Was this truly a victory?
They were exhausted and in pain, about to face lengthy purification treatment. If the treatment wasn’t adequate, they would carry the remnants of the illness for the rest of their lives. And with just one Erosion Swamp infiltrating, they had expended most of their ammunition. What if two or three of them came next time?
A battle had directly claimed a batch of lives, so what would come next? They couldn’t possibly send ordinary citizens to the battlefield.
The post-war streets were unrecognizable. The Erosion Swamp struggled intensely, reducing the buildings to ruins and completely eroded them into debris. A large expanse of desolation appeared in the most prosperous area of Y City, like an ugly scar.
This was just an Erosion Swamp that suddenly appeared. In the past two centuries, there have been thousands of Erosion Swamps dealt with by synthetic humans alone.
Could there be even stranger and more powerful opponents than this Erosion Swamp? What would they do when that time came?
People silently cleaned up the remnants of the battlefield, without anyone cheering.
On the other side, the Erosion Swamp was dispersed, and the area beneath the Grand Theatre gradually became lively. After eighteen hours without food or water, people eagerly rushed towards the outside world. The end of this small-scale confrontation was only the first step, and faced with such a battered “victory”, the United Government would only be met with an even bigger mess.
Shu Jun stood up from the top of the theater, patting his numb buttocks.
Monday: “Hungry.”
“You can’t eat it. The brain of that Erosion Swamp needs to be preserved for research at the command center.” Shu Jun stretched his muscles and bones.
“Angry.”
Shu Jun shook his head and opened the candy tin in his hand, pouring the remaining contents into Monday’s mouth. Monday got a taste for sweetness and finally shut up.
“Captain Shu, how’s it going on your side?” Hu Yan sent a message, sensing the silence from this end.
“Not bad. Not much different from the estimated situation. We can continue.”
At that time, Xu Jingming firmly believed in the crown prince’s words.
It wasn’t blind faith. Children were naturally sensitive to dangerous creatures. Every time Xu Jingming approached Shi Jingzhi, he could feel that strong aversion.
The previous Imperial Preceptor said that his destiny was weak. His mother feared he would die young, so she sent him to the Imperial Preceptor’s side every few days, claiming it was for “warding off evil spirits”. Because of this, Xu Jingming often overheard various conversations.
Such as the dialogue between his Emperor Father* and the Imperial Preceptor.
*[Fu wang] (父王) It is a term of address used by the emperor’s children, which literally means “father king”.
Regarding his terrifying older brother, the previous Imperial Preceptor once said such things—
[Your Majesty, if this child is not eliminated, he will become a disaster that topples the nation.]
Looking at the result, his Emperor Father didn’t heed the advice. Shi Jingzhi had a stroke of luck and managed to survive until today. When his eldest brother, Xu Jingxing, ascended the throne, given how much he disliked the influence held by the Imperial Preceptor, he naturally wouldn’t obey the Imperial Preceptor’s commands.
Xu Jingming prided himself on being a cautious person. After being crowned “Prince”, Xu Jingming sought out experts from all over the world to analyze Shi Jingzhi’s destiny. Those experts were genuine, and their answers were similar—this person was a great calamity, and if left unchecked, disasters would occur.
Great Yun had been prosperous for many years, with the people living in abundance. Xu Jingming lived comfortably and happily, having no desire to experience a chaotic era. The words of the Imperial Preceptor became a thorn in his side, occasionally causing him pain and preventing him from sleeping peacefully.
It would be best if Shi Jingzhi died.
However, the Emperor seemed to have his own considerations. Shi Jingzhi didn’t have the imperial surname, no fiefdom, and not even a royal palace, but he still had his life. If Xu Jingming were to take action openly, he would likely anger the Emperor.
But if Shi Jingzhi died in the Ghost Tomb, no one could find fault with it.
“Kill him.” Xu Jingming snapped his fan shut.
Shi Jingzhi gasped for breath and hoarsely said, “Are you giving up the Buddhist bead?”
Xu Jingming replied, “I came to the Ghost Tomb, firstly to search for treasures, and secondly to find an opportunity to eliminate you, a great evil. Even if I only kill you, this trip will still be worthwhile—our encounter here is fate.”
“As for the Buddhist beads, even if your explanations sound reasonable, it’s still just speculation. Am I foolish enough to believe your words? Moreover, even if the map of the Buddhist beads is incomplete, it doesn’t mean the items cannot be found.”
Shi Jingzhi fell silent and gradually showed a hint of sadness.
Xu Jingming sneered. “Stop pretending that we have brotherly love*. You—”
*(兄友弟恭) Idiom referring to the love and respect between brothers.
“It’s not like that,” Shi Jingzhi said sorrowfully. “You know about the Blood-Making Rope, and you recognize the Suffering From Parting. Just purchasing this information from the demonic sects has cost you thousands of silver taels, and you even took risks and entered the tomb yourself… In the end, even if the Buddhist beads aren’t complete, you only want my life.”
As they spoke, his sadness grew deeper. “Why didn’t you say it earlier? Even if we split the money in half, I would have been willing to meet you alone and let you kill me. Xiao Qi, even though you’ve had a mental deficiency for quite some time, this is just too…”
Xu Jingming became furious, and his hand holding the fan trembled. “What are you waiting for? Kill him now!”
The four masters rushed forward.
Only outstanding candidates with a clean background, carefully cultivated by major sects, had the privilege of becoming royal guards. Even if they were the leftovers unpicked by the Emperor, their strength was still formidable.
Shi Jingzhi stood up and stretched his legs. “What a pity. I was planning to rest a little longer.”
He kicked half of the flagpole on the ground with his toe, and as the flag rolled up, it became a longsword in his hand. The wooden pole was adorned with golden fire, shining brightly and somewhat dazzling. The flagpole cut through the air, leaving a trail of light in the darkness.
Shi Jingzhi stopped smiling, and the oppressive feeling around him intensified. One of the masters approached but was struck by the fiery sword wind. Although he managed to dodge the sword qi in time, his clothes were grazed by a spark.
Yang fire wasn’t an ordinary flame and was difficult to extinguish. When the man’s attention was divided, Shi Jingzhi swiftly moved behind him, cutting him in half at the waist. He then grabbed the upper body of the man and turned, blocking the simultaneous attack of three swords.
While the others were disarmed, Shi Jingzhi used a new footwork technique, twisting and collecting the corpse neatly, throwing it into a sacrificial pit along with the sword.
“Xiao Qi, if you had sent them along with the Chigou Sect to chase me, I would definitely be dead by now.”
Then, he dodged a kick by bending his waist and swiftly struck, shattering another person’s skull.
“When I left Yidu, there were at least five thousand people in the martial world who could kill me. To this day, there should be no more than a thousand left. But among these thousand, there are none by your side.”
“Truly evil.” Xu Jingming spat. “You deliberately acted disgracefully along the way just to hide your true strength…”
“I was genuinely scared. Why would I pretend?”
Shi Jingzhi’s tone remained calm.
He grabbed the fronts of the remaining two people’s robes and slammed them forcefully into each other. Then, he singled out the one with a wide face and flattened his head with a palm strike.
“Of course, you can certainly feign composure and conceal your true nature. With time, when we meet again, those people will have a higher opinion of you… But I don’t have time. Unable to discern between truth and falsehood, you are inferior to my little disciple.”
Xu Jingming looked at the blood-soaked Shi Jingzhi and struggled to maintain his composure. “You yourself are a monster, so why are you afraid of ghosts?”
“You wouldn’t understand.” Shi Jingzhi didn’t kill the last person, allowing him to lie unconscious on the ground. “Since creatures like me exist, there might as well be vengeful spirits. I can kill humans and monsters, but if I encounter ghosts…”
He took a few steps forward and used his bloody hand to press heavily on Xu Jingming’s crown.
For a moment, Xu Jingming thought his brain would splatter everywhere. His knees gave out, and he sat on the ground, paralyzed.
Shi Jingzhi lowered his gaze but smiled again. “…If you encounter a ghost, you will experience this kind of ‘fear’.”
Then he took a step back. “Rest assured. If you die here, Eldest Brother will come after me. Look, I’ve left you with a bodyguard.”
It took Xu Jingming a while to regain his senses, and he clenched his teeth. “Aren’t you going to steal my Buddhist bead?”
“If I steal it now, how can I explain it to my disciple? Remember, you need to play along with me later, or else…”
Xu Jingming swallowed his saliva. “Or else?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet, but you can find out for yourself.” Shi Jingzhi waved his hand casually, breaking Xu Jingming’s sedan chair into several pieces and throwing it into the sacrificial pit.
Shi Jingzhi did it on purpose. He was absolutely deliberate. Xu Jingming looked painfully at the wreckage of the sedan chair—there were enough corpses on the ground, yet Shi Jingzhi insisted on destroying his sedan chair.
Losing the argument, Xu Jingming’s anger flared up. “Eldest Brother has shown you mercy by allowing you to leave the palace since he thought you were running out of time. I know you’ve established a sect, but if you dare to secretly train private troops…”
“I’m not that free. There are various bonds in the world that you still have time to experience, but I only have one year left.”
Shi Jingzhi looked at the slowly descending stone pillar, while keeping his tone flat.
“As for family affection, I don’t expect it from you. And as for longing, even if I were lucky enough to meet my destined person, I couldn’t afford to treat them seriously while struggling to survive. Friendship is also good, but deep relationships require time to cultivate… and I don’t have time.”
“People say that once you become someone’s teacher, you become like a father to them for a lifetime. Taking on a disciple is a good idea. However, children have short memories and fragile lives, making it difficult for them to accompany me into dangerous places. But now, this is just perfect. Even if I die a year from now, he will remember me for a lifetime.”
Xu Jingming was stunned for a moment and then reluctantly said, “If he’s willing to accompany you to the Ghost Tomb, he’s either incredibly foolish or has ulterior motives.”
Shi Jingzhi approached him, squatting down in front of him with a trace of blood still on his face. “So what?”
“What?”
“Xiao Qi, do you know about the ‘Zhuazhou*’ tradition? When a child reaches one year old, they randomly grab something, and people believe it’s their destiny. I did something similar.”
*Zhuazhou is a Chinese ritual held at a child’s first birthday party, when the child is 1 year, i.e. typically twelve months since birth (although variable reckonings as to what constitutes a year of age for entitlement for zhuazhou exist), old. The parents put various objects before the child, often objects that symbolize career choices or personality traits. The child’s choice is used to forecast its future.
“I went to a desolate place and randomly picked someone as my disciple. Whether he’s good or evil, as long as he hasn’t already taken on a master, I will sincerely be his master… Isn’t that also destiny?”
Xu Jingming was shocked by his nonchalant tone. “But if he wants to cause trouble…”
Shi Jingzhi avoided answering, continuing with a smile, “You can reassure Eldest Brother that I will only take in this one disciple. I can’t handle more. Your bodyguard will wake up in a while; I’ll leave first.”
With that said, Shi Jingzhi climbed onto the stone pillar and prepared to leave.
Xu Jingming suffered losses on all fronts*; even his words were turned into a joke by Shi Jingzhi, and his chest felt stifled. He composed himself and continued with a sharp tongue.
*Losing both wife and army (喪妻喪軍). Idiom referring to a person who suffered multiple major losses or setbacks.
“Sincerely be his master… Sincerely? How much sincerity can a monster like you have?”
Shi Jingzhi paused for a moment. “I don’t know either, so I also want to see.”
His figure quickly disappeared at the entrance of the cave.
Xu Jingming wiped his sweat and looked around at the bloody scene, feeling anxious once again. With the prophecy of the “disaster that topples the nation” hanging over his head, and with the clear intention of treating his disciple kindly…
That person, Yin Ci, better be an ordinary person with integrity.
At this moment, Demonic Lord Yin, the “ordinary person”, was familiarizing himself with the surroundings at the exit, waiting for his ghostskin robe to dry.
There were four exits from the “Suffering From Parting”, leading to a wide hall. Inside the hall stood two rows of sturdy stone pillars, adorned with symmetrical giant stone sculptures, finally resembling a proper tomb.
However, he hadn’t noticed Yan Qing and didn’t know where that unlucky guy had been thrown by his ancestor.
A rumbling sound echoed, and the ground trembled slightly. Hearing more pillars descend, Yin Ci held his breath and quickly hid behind a pillar.
He had extracted some smoke bombs from Elder Lu’s fragments. If it wasn’t Shi Jingzhi who arrived, he could play some tricks, disappearing mysteriously, and create evidence of the existence of a “mysterious master”.
As a precaution, Yin Ci had previously walked around inside the hall, deliberately spreading bloodstains everywhere. Even if it was Shi Jingzhi who came, that fox wouldn’t be able to sniff out his location.
Unexpectedly, that person came running straight towards his hiding spot.
It would be too late to retreat to the room now. However, this was only the second person to emerge, so it shouldn’t be his naive master. Unfortunately, things didn’t always go as planned, and Demonic Lord Yin’s luck had never been good…
With a cold expression, Shi Jingzhi flashed in front of Yin Ci, pointing the broken half of a flagpole directly at his throat.
“W-W-W-What are you?”
His gaze swept over Yin Ci’s white clothes, making sure that Yin Ci was still catching his breath before he sternly asked his question.
“What… What did you do to my disciple? He’s in his early twenties and has no martial arts skills.”
Yin Ci raised an eyebrow slightly—since Shi Jingzhi was so sure that he met his ‘mountain disciple’, this kid must have done something.
Why not take this opportunity to test his words? Looking at the furious Shi Jingzhi, Yin Ci suddenly felt a playful impulse.
“Your disciple?”
Yin Ci deliberately feigned confusion, then burst into laughter.
“…Hmm, most likely I killed him.”
The author has something to say:
Fox Shi, Demonic Lord Yin: three-in-one—best friend (?) + true love + disciple—isn’t it surprising?
When a beauty faces another beauty, seduction is ineffective. After all, they have both looked in the mirror!
Yan Qing: Boss, stop flirting and come to rescue me. I’m facing a life-threatening crisis during the probation period——0(:3 )～ (;3_ヽ)_
In his sight, the ground rose up, the ceiling pressed down, and walls squeezed in from all directions. Boundless fear seeped out from deep within his memory. His hair stood on end, and his blood froze. All senses were momentarily obscured, leaving only the heavy scent of blood in his mouth and nose.
The flickering flames gradually receded, and everything twisted into darkness. Just like back then…
“Not a bad move.” Yin Ci raised his eyes.
Even though Lu Fengxi had wandered the world for decades, taking countless lives, when he saw those eyes, he couldn’t help but shudder.
His opponent not only didn’t fall, but his killing intent had intensified. Those eyes—no longer the eyes of an evil spirit; at least an evil spirit was once human. The entity standing across from him now resembled a pure creature born in darkness.
Lu Fengxi widened his eyes in horror as he looked at his opponent. He wanted to say something, but he realized he had lost his lips, tongue, and teeth.
That person stood amidst a splatter of blood with a cold and resolute face filled with malice and eyes emptier than the sacrificial pit. His icy gaze passed through Lu Fengxi and lingered in the void.
In the next moment, Elder Lu couldn’t see anything.
……
Yin Ci slapped himself in the pool of blood, regaining some clarity. Unfortunately, it was too late—Lu Fengxi had been completely torn to shreds, and it would be difficult to even throw him into the sacrificial pit, let alone bury him.
Fortunately, he retained a shred of sanity, keeping in mind Shi Jingzhi’s fox nose, so he didn’t splatter too much blood on himself.
“Sound of Terror—the name is quite apt.”
Using the technique of sound to provoke fear in people, he had never seen such a fresh move. It seemed that during his absence from the martial world, the Ling Sect had come up with some strange things.
Yin Ci picked up the staff from the flesh and blood, finally understanding its material—it was pieced together with human bones. Judging by its softness and hardness, it was likely made from processed children’s bones.
The Ling Sect remained the same over the centuries.
Yin Ci sneered, dismantling the lantern. After spending some time, he crushed the staff into pieces and carefully burned it to ashes.
Then, he picked up the three Ling Sect disciples and pulled out a knife. One by one, he threw them into the sacrificial pit, causing the stone pillar to rumble and descend a large section.
Only two people’s weight remained.
Yin Ci approached the unconscious monk from Jianchen Temple and adjusted the monk into a more natural lying position. He also checked the dryness of the ghostskin robe and hung it in a more ventilated area.
After completing all of this, Yin Ci sat on the edge of the sacrificial pit, gazing into the bottomless pit. He contemplated for a while, folding up the hem of his white robe, revealing his bare legs. The pale skin brushed against the rough edge of the stone, leaving behind faint red marks.
In a flash of cold light, his hand rose, and the knife fell.
Yin Ci severed his left leg, which plunged into the deep pit. Before long, something resembling blood-soaked tree roots emerged from the severed area. They coiled together, tightly wrapping around each other, forming new bone and flesh until a new left leg was regenerated.
Yin Ci remained expressionless, raising his hand for another slash. His newly regenerated left leg was once again severed, and a large amount of fresh blood sprayed along the edge of the pit. Flesh and blood tumbled and rolled, creating a disturbing muffled sound as they hit the stone walls.
This repetition occurred over a dozen times until, finally, the stone pillar began to tremble and descended completely.
Everything was ready. Next, all Yin Ci needed to do was put on the ghostskin robe, bring the monk out, and weave a convincing lie—they had encountered a powerful individual with an unknown identity. This person had knocked out the monk and himself, somehow caused the stone pillar to descend, and then disappeared without a trace.
The monk was hit by a palm strike that caused confusion and blurred memories. At most, he could vaguely recall the general situation but couldn’t provide many details.
But before that, Yin Ci had to quickly retrieve the treasure at the top of the pillar.
Yin Ci leaped onto the stone pillar and, as expected, found a Buddhist bead on the top. However, there was a strange dust around the bead, as if something had been placed there for a while and then swapped out with the Buddhist bead.
Considering that there weren’t many monsters in the Ascension Hall, the eerie conditions of the Ghost Tomb became even more peculiar.
…He didn’t know if his cheap master would survive this ordeal.
A short while ago, in another chamber.
Shi Jingzhi’s hand slapped against the stone surface with a crisp and resounding sound. He groaned and moaned for a while before breaking free from the effects of the anesthetic. When the fire ignited, he was still sitting on the ground, rubbing his legs.
The flag “Medicine Cures Illness” was too long, so a section was poked out from the liquid sphere, which was dissolved by the lake water, leaving behind only “Cures Illness”. Shi Jingzhi stood up, leaning on the flagpole, and took a few deep breaths with a pained expression.
In the center of the room stood a stone pillar inscribed with “Suffering From Parting”, which he recognized. A few steps away, the people from the Rong Palace stood quietly. The sedan chair had returned to its original state.
In addition to the person inside the sedan and the four skilled guards from the Rong Palace, two solitary individuals had regained consciousness and were looking around.
Including himself, there were a total of eight people in the room. The “Suffering From Parting” required the weight of about five people, if they included…
Before he could finish his thoughts, the guards from the Rong Palace suddenly pounced, throwing the two solitary individuals into the sacrificial pit. After a moment of silence, sounds of agonizing screams, unlike human voices, emanated from below the sacrificial pit.
The stone pillar trembled and descended a notch.
The four guards turned around and looked at Shi Jingzhi, preparing to take action—
“Hold on, let me have a word with him first.” Finally, the person inside the sedan spoke. From the sound of his voice, it was a young man.
He lifted the curtain with a folding fan and walked out, revealing his face. His features were quite handsome, making him resemble a charming young man.
Tapping his palm with the folding fan, he sarcastically remarked, “What’s this? Changed to another wooden mask again?”
“Every time I come across a market, I buy one as a souvenir.” Shi Jingzhi readily took off the Nuo mask.
The person inside the sedan was above average in appearance, but compared to Shi Jingzhi, he instantly became a supporting character, like a green leaf next to a blooming red flower, especially one with spots.
Seemingly aware of this, the person unfolded the folding fan, covering almost half of his face. On the fan, the word “Tranquility*” was written in skilled calligraphy, indicating the work of a renowned calligrapher.
*In terms of being calm and composed.
He stared at Shi Jingzhi for a moment. “Do you have anything else to say?”
“Yes,” Shi Jingzhi said with a grin. “Since you dared to come in person, that sedan must be quite valuable, right? I’ve been short on money lately. Can I borrow some…”
“Nonsense.” The person displayed a hint of anger. “I’m asking you, since you’re about to die here. Do you have anything else to say?”
Shi Jingzhi sighed. “You’ve been following me since the Paper Figure Street, and you’re still so impatient.”
“If you hadn’t been lucky enough to accompany Shi Zhongyu and coincidentally travel together, you wouldn’t have even made it into the Ascension Hall,” the man sneered.
“We’re already talking about the Ascension Hall? Haven’t you noticed that something is off?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Ascension Hall… No, the Ghost Tomb is too mild. It’s not Yan Budu’s style.”
The person looked at the stone pillar in silence. “You call this ‘mild’?”
“The first level is originally not difficult, so it retains a relatively intact design. As for the second level, the Ascension Hall is too spacious. If they only wanted to set up the Corpse Explosion Bone Curse and the sinking liquid spheres, there would be no need to build such a finely crafted maze.”
The man furrowed his brow. “…Continue.”
“Most importantly, the Corpse Explosion Bone Curse can reduce the number of people, and so can the “Suffering From Parting”. There’s only a layer of liquid mass in between, lacking a sense of aesthetics.”
Shi Jingzhi sat down on the ground, resting his chin on his hand. “The leader of the Ling Sect considers the tomb a sacred place. Even if he wants to design a trap for conflicts, this is completely turning things upside down—the Ghost Tomb should be filled with slaughter mechanisms rather than an ambiguous guiding game.”
The man in the sedan chair: “…This is the first time I’ve heard someone complain about a lack of mechanisms.”
“If it were up to me, I would hide a large number of monsters and spells in the maze, dispersing the intruders and slowly killing them. When the survivors are reduced to a fixed number, then the heavens and earth would be overturned, and the liquid sphere would appear randomly, purely as a matter of luck.”
“Each room would be paired with two people, adjusting the weight requirement of the ‘Suffering From Parting’ to about one and a half persons. If they wanted to escape, they would definitely have to leave behind some limbs. Once the first person exits a room, all the other rooms would be sealed—only the final survivor would be allowed to enter the third level. Empty-handed and most likely missing limbs, they would have no choice but to die in despair at the destination.”
Having finished, Shi Jingzhi smiled even brighter. “Isn’t this more like a ‘Ghost Tomb’?”
The person inside the sedan sneered. “Whether it resembles a ghost tomb or not, I’m quite clear that you and that Yan person are of the same kind.”
“Don’t be impatient. I haven’t finished yet.” Shi Jingzhi raised his hand to signal.
With disheveled clothing and casual movements and a pair of phoenix-like eyes filled with a playful smile, he resembled a legendary evil immortal from folklore. Unlike before, the gentle aura that surrounded Shi Jingzhi dissipated completely, leaving only an imposing pressure.
“Yan Budu, a man of the times, is not more naive than me. I dare to guess that Yan Budu placed the Buddhist beads in the Ghost Tomb after its construction. To ensure that enough masters survived, he exterminated the monsters in the Ascension Hall and altered all the rules of the arts. This ensures that people can fight over the Buddhist beads without the entire force being wiped out.”
Feeling the strong momentum from the opposite side, the person inside the sedan became somewhat impatient. “So what? Ultimately, he wants the Buddhist beads to flow out of the Ghost Tomb and cause chaos?”
“That’s right, he used the Ghost Tomb as a stepping stone—meaning that the tomb is no longer important to him.”
The man abruptly held his breath. “Are you saying…”
“Yan Budu isn’t in the tomb. Assuming the Shirou truly exists, the Buddhist beads are highly likely to be a clue.”
Shi Jingzhi extended his index finger and tapped his lower lip.
“My Buddhist bead is not on me. I can guarantee that if I die, you will never obtain it.”
“To acquire information about the Ghost Tomb, you must have spent quite a sum of money on the demonic sects. Why? Are you planning to collect the Buddhist beads personally to please Eldest Brother*? …Can you even gift something that’s not a complete set?”
*[Dage] (大哥).
“Insolent! You dare call him ‘Eldest Brother’?” The man’s face turned pale.
“We are blood relatives. Why can’t I call him that? If I call him that to his face, he has to respond.”
Shi Jingzhi said casually.
“It’s strange. Clearly, it’s you who don’t know etiquette. After all, I am your older brother, Xiao Qi1. Oh, you prefer a more serious title… How about calling me ‘gege2‘ and see how it sounds, Your Royal Highness of Rong?”
1Little Seven. This indicates most likely he’s the 7th son in the family hierarchy. 2Older brother (哥哥). || Note: [Gege] is often a more informal way to address someone than [xiong] (兄), which is often considered a more formal and respectful term (compared to gege). In this context, considering his status (and apparently his disdain for Shi Jingzhi), for Xiao Qi to address him as [xiong] (more respectfully), it would be kind of like a slap in the face. Though I doubt he would want to call him [gege] either.
The person in the sedan—Prince Xu Jingming of Rong*, from the Rong Imperial Palace—choked hard, and his gaze was mixed with vigilance and disgust, without a hint of appreciation.
*Clarity: Xu Jingming is his name, while Rong is more like his title (most likely bestowed on him by the emperor).
Shi Jingzhi ignored his attitude and smiled at him.
Xu Jingming took two steps back on the spot, and a familiar memory flooded into his mind once again.
At that time, he was still young and shouldn’t have remembered much. But the day he first met this “older brother*”, Xu Jingming remembered it very clearly.
*[Xiong zhang] (兄长). Also a term for older brother, but carries more respect than just [Xiong] (兄).
On that day, the crown prince* led him, standing far away outside the garden. Inside the garden, Shi Jingzhi sat in the pavilion, gazing at the lake absentmindedly. After a while, as if sensing their presence, Shi Jingzhi turned his head, his face showing an inexplicable calmness that didn’t match a child’s.
*[Taizi] (太子).
Back then, Shi Jingzhi wasn’t much older, and his face was surprisingly delicate—so delicate that it didn’t seem real. At first glance, he stood out from his surroundings, as if he had been stripped away.
“Ge…ge…?” The young Xu Jingming pointed to the pavilion.
“Jingming, he’s not your ‘gege’.”
The crown prince lowered his head and calmly responded.
“He’s a monster.”
The author has something to say:
Shi Jingzhi: I’ll take off a layer of disguise here.
The gigantic fish bone in the center of the lake rotated with the ice, once protruding from the water, now presenting a submerged appearance.
They had stayed in the Ascension Hall for a full six or seven hours. Most of their energy was depleted, and with few monsters along the way, they couldn’t immediately enter a state of tension.
Trapped within the space enclosed by the ice and the serpent bones, there was nowhere to escape. They could only watch the world spin before their eyes.
The coldness around them grew heavier, causing their joints to stiffen, and the visible breaths turned increasingly misty.
Yin Ci wasn’t particularly nervous. Even if everyone died here, he could retrieve the Buddhist beads. But if he was the only one left, the path ahead would be difficult—no one knew if there were any mechanisms that required multiple people to trigger.
If things went wrong and he was trapped at the bottom of the Ghost Tomb for a long time, he wouldn’t be able to endure it.
He needed to find a way to save everyone.
“Shizun, put me down. I can step on the serpent bones.”
Shi Jingzhi squatted down, stroking the white bones a few times. “Hmm, okay… A’Ci, don’t wander around. I’ll figure something out.”
At this moment, the Ascension Hall had rotated halfway, and the lake water surged in large quantities through the gaps in the ice, reaching the same level as the serpent bones. If it continued to rotate for a moment longer, everyone would be forcefully submerged into the water.
The sensation of the world overturning was particularly suffocating, with the air slowly slipping away, driving one almost insane.
Shi Zhongyu remained calm and attempted to break the ice beside her, where there was no water. Meanwhile, Shi Jingzhi ignited his golden fire, bombarding the serpent bones beside him. Yan Qing was quite self-aware—he held onto their luggage and waited obediently, occasionally shifting positions to make room, adopting an appearance as if resigned to fate.
However, he was the first to encounter trouble.
Yan Qing stepped on a piece of serpent bone and lost his balance. He passed right through that bone and, with a splash, fell into the water, sinking into the depths of the lake in front of everyone. Unlike the previous sacrifices, his body wasn’t corroded.
However, the turbulence in the lake water made it too murky, and people couldn’t see where he sank.
“Don’t move. It’s an illusion.” Shi Jingzhi reached out and touched the “serpent bone”, easily passing his finger through the illusion.
People were focused on the maze itself and wouldn’t pay attention to whether the serpent bone was missing a piece—let alone notice such a delicate illusion.
Everyone immediately stopped their movements. Shi Zhongyu unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, breaking the illusion, and the serpent bones slowly vanished, revealing a gap large enough for one person to pass through. Shi Jingzhi dropped a piece of jerky down, which instantly dissolved, no different from before.
As the lake water was about to engulf them, Shi Zhongyu anxiously said, “It must be Yan Qing’s bloodline that triggered something. Did anyone see clearly just now?”
Yin Ci raised his hand. “The direction of the sediment is wrong.”
Masters could perceive even the slightest details, and almost simultaneously, everyone looked down at the lake water beneath their feet.
Green water covered the white sand, and their flow appeared somewhat turbid, interspersed with liquid clusters—they were soft and transparent, sharing the same green color as the lake water. At first glance, they were extremely difficult to notice, resembling glass beads in the water.
The liquid blob had a cocoon-like shape, just big enough to fit one person.
Shi Jingzhi took a breath. “These things are floating around… It seems they only actively transport the descendants of the Yan family.”
Given the situation, they had to jump out of the hole in the serpent bones and precisely land in the liquid spheres. If they missed or deviated, the consequences ranged from missing limbs to losing their lives on the spot.
There weren’t many people from the Taiheng Sect, and they were all trusted followers of Shi Zhongyu. They nodded to her and one by one jumped down. The liquid spheres enveloped them and quickly sank into the lake.
However, the liquid spheres moved swiftly, and the thought of not having another chance if they made a mistake weighed heavily on their minds. What could have been accomplished earlier was now seemingly impossible. When it was Jin Lan’s turn, his face turned pale. He shuffled his feet against the ice surface, unable to move forward.
Seizing the opportunity, Shi Zhongyu gave him a push. Jin Lan took a sharp breath and successfully retracted his body, only leaving a corner of his clothing exposed.
The fabric was immediately swallowed by the lake water.
Next were the people from the Rong Palace.
The person inside the sedan didn’t step out. The sedan folded itself into a barrel shape, sealing the person tightly inside. The experts from the Rong Palace simply threw the sedan down the gap, disregarding the liquid spheres, but the sedan didn’t shatter.
Shi Zhongyu coldly watched as those from the Rong Palace departed before jumping into the lake herself. At this moment, only Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci remained on the serpent bones, and the ice surface was about to close completely.
“A’Ci, come. Let me help you find the right timing.” Shi Jingzhi took a deep breath.
Yin Ci shook his head. “No.”
“Don’t be afraid.”
“These pits seem more like traps. If Shizun’s guess is correct, the liquid spheres are attracted by the Buddhist beads.” Yin Ci quickly explained. “I can jump by myself, but if the Buddhist beads aren’t here, the liquid spheres might disappear.”
They had two choices. Either Shi Jingzhi retrieved the Buddhist bead and went first, or Shi Jingzhi went first, and he would jump afterwards.
Since they only had one Buddhist bead, it was considered precious. Yin Ci had just prepared to remove the Buddhist bead to return it—
Shi Jingzhi interjected. “Are you sure you can jump?”
Yin Ci froze in his movements. “What?”
“I’m asking you, are you sure you won’t jump wrong?” Shi Jingzhi tiptoed, afraid that the soles of his shoes would be corroded.
“I’m sure, but…”
Shi Jingzhi interrupted with a smile, “Then I’ll go first. Don’t worry, since you have the Buddhist bead, I will definitely come find you.”
With that, he jumped decisively into the water and quickly sank.
…This guy’s logic is truly strange. Can’t he clearly distinguish what’s more important between an ordinary disciple who’s half-baked and a Buddhist bead that’s a life-saving clue?
Yin Ci fell silent for a moment and eventually jumped into the lake.
In the next instant, the ice surface completely flipped over, and the lake water surged in. The serpent bones, previously submerged beneath the lake surface, emerged on the ice, forming a new maze.
The descent didn’t take long. However, the material of the liquid sphere caused Yin Ci’s ghostskin robe to wrinkle and rendered it temporarily unusable.
The sound of rocks rubbing against each other echoed from above. Yin Ci adjusted his posture, landing silently. He then took off his sect attire and ghostskin robe. Suppressing his aura, he blended into the darkness, surveying the room in front of him.
The room was neither large nor small, unlike a burial chamber. In the center of the room stood a pillar-like device that extended to the ceiling, and at the base of the pillar was a bottomless pit. On the other end of the room lay four members of the Ling Sect and a monk from Jianchen Temple.
Yin Ci licked his fingertips with his tongue—indeed, the liquid spheres were laced with an anesthetic as his tongue instantly felt numb.
Taking a sweeping glance, Yin Ci roughly guessed Yan Budu’s intentions. He leaped lightly and hid behind a ghost-faced sculpture, intending to observe the situation quietly.
Before long, the unconscious people gradually regained consciousness. As if timed perfectly, a fire ignited in the room. The stone pillar was illuminated by the fire, and a line of text slowly became visible.
The members of the Ling Sect stepped forward first.
“Elder* Lu, it says, ‘Dispelling a Thousand Gold, Ascending to Heaven in Five Steps’… What does it mean?”
*[Zhang lao] (长老) Normally used to address an elder/senior of a religious organization.
Lu Fengxi, one of the elders of the Ling Sect, had a sickly crooked donkey-like face. He was known for his sinister and despicable actions, which Yin Ci had heard of. However, his martial arts skills were commendable, and currently, he could fight against two and a half Shi Jingzhi.
Elder Lu took the lantern and carefully inspected the pillar. “According to our records, this object is called the ‘Suffering From Parting’. There is a precious treasure placed at the top of the pillar. We need to throw a heavy object into the sacrificial pit for the pillar to descend.”
He took back the lantern and chuckled dryly. “A heavy object, at least the weight of five men.”
Everyone was taken aback.
The monk from Jianchen Temple spoke. “Can we break the stone sculpture and use the stones as a substitute?”
Lu Fengxi sneered. “Not to mention the stone sculpture; even the walls are made of muyan stone, which is invulnerable. The path we came from has also been sealed off by stone slabs, so we can’t return the same way.”
The monk fell silent and leaned against the wall, silently reciting scriptures. Lu Fengxi paced around the room, and his expression started growing colder. “I haven’t found any other exits.”
“Is—Is the Divine Hierarch* planning to trap us here and let us die?”
*[Jiaozhu] (教主) Founder of a religion (in this case, the sect).
Everyone relied on the liquid spheres to come to this place, so they must not have brought much luggage. However, there were only five people in the room. If no one brought anything, no one would be able to lower the pillar.
Did Yan Budu miscalculate?
Lu Fengxi clicked his tongue. “Since the pillar can descend, there must be an exit at the top. It seems that this ‘Suffering From Parting’ is crucial.”
Pausing for a moment, he raised his staff and continued, “The Divine Hierarch never makes mistakes. There must be someone hidden in the room… Who dares to play tricks in front of me?”
With a chuckle, Yin Ci descended barefoot.
He took off his ghostskin robe and didn’t put on shoes. He was dressed in a white undergarment from head to toe, resembling a ghostly figure. With his long, ink-black hair flowing down, his face revealed a captivating allure, turning even a ghost into a charming specter. In this eerie tomb, he exuded an atmosphere that was both ethereal and alluring, like wisps of smoke around a warm jade.
The five people on the opposite side fell into silence—this person definitely concealed his identity. Otherwise, no one would forget that face.
Seeing that he was unarmed, Lu Fengxi relaxed a bit and asked, “Who are you?”
Yin Ci smiled and replied, “A dead man.”
Unfortunately, this person wasn’t like his cheap master. Lu Fengxi showed no fear and charged forward with his staff, shouting, “I’ll take you out first!”
The other disciples of the Ling Sect were still in a daze. “Wait, Elder. With such an appearance, he might be an immortal…”
Lu Fengxi was furious. “Immortal, my ass! Look at his eyes. He’s more like an evil spirit!”
“A pity.” Yin Ci easily evaded the attack. “If you had a little less killing intent, maybe I would be willing to use some immortal techniques to save you all.”
“You don’t even dare to reveal your name—what kind of immortal are you?” Lu Fengxi shouted angrily.
Yin Ci chuckled but remained silent. He quickly moved his feet and positioned himself next to the monk from Jianchen Temple. Before the monk could react, Yin Ci struck his forehead with a palm and pressed several acupoints.
The monk immediately slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Three disciples of the Ling Sect immediately surrounded the monk, attempting to throw him into the sacrificial pit. Yin Ci curled his lips, and with a sweep of his palm, the three disciples crashed into the wall, spewing out blood.
Lu Fengxi grinned wickedly. “Well done! I’ll throw them in together later!”
Although Elder Lu smiled, he knew he was no match for Yin Ci. His offensive gradually turned into a defensive stance as he darted around the room. Yin Ci effortlessly got rid of the cumbersome encumbrance and chased after him, emitting a strong killing intent.
Unfortunately, Lu Fengxi’s escape was too cunning, turning the scene into a cat and mouse game.
Strangely, Lu Fengxi’s martial arts were extremely mediocre, quite different from the rumors. Yin Ci furrowed his brow and became more cautious in his attacks.
Lu Fengxi had previously killed top-notch masters like Snow Spear Cui Wen and the Old Broken Mountain Feng Yishan. He must have concealed some killer moves. Despite being battered and injured by Yin Ci, he showed no intention of retaliating.
His weapon was coated with poison, but the toxicity wasn’t high. It was just that the material of the weapon was somewhat rare. The only problem was that the firelight was dim, and the staff was covered in blood, making it difficult for Yin Ci to see clearly for a while.
Lu Fengxi escaped panting for breath, as if he had truly reached a dead end, while Yin Ci became even more cautious, only using palm winds to attack, always maintaining a distance.
He couldn’t die, but he also didn’t want to be thrown into the sacrificial pit after being hit. Once it reached enough weight, the sacrificial pit might be sealed by the muyan stone, trapping him deep in the tomb.
Just the thought of it made Yin Ci’s internal organs feel a chill.
Seeing that the other party didn’t want to get close, Lu Fengxi grinned, revealing his rotten black and yellow teeth. He split the blood-soaked staff into two pieces and suddenly struck out without warning. “Fall!”
Yin Ci could withstand the poison but couldn’t defend against the curse that entered his mind. Using blood to perform sacrificial rituals was originally an evil art. Upon hearing this malicious sound, he stopped his actions.
Elder Lu continued to strike vigorously with a pleased expression on his face. “Even if you’re a great immortal, as long as you have ears, you’ll fall under the terror of my sound. Kid, keeping your distance won’t help. Dying instantly is more merciful than suffering.”
As he said this, Lu Fengxi’s face turned dark green, and blood started flowing from his seven orifices. This move obviously harmed the enemy while also hurting himself.
“With this move, cough, I’ve never spared anyone. Fall for me—”
The author has something to say:
Yin Ci: Shizun’s = unit of combat power (?
Lu Fengxi is roughly equal to 2.5 on the power scale √
Yan Qing planted his sword tip on the ground, standing upright. His facial features were handsome and refined, but coupled with a pair of blood-colored irises, he looked like an evildoer no matter how they looked at him. Jin Lan stood there in a daze; face filled with disbelief.
The most famous characteristic of Yan Budu back then was his pair of deep red “ghost eyes”. Even among the descendants of the Yan family, not everyone possessed them. It was the ironclad proof of the Yan bloodline.
Yan Qing turned his crimson gaze towards Jin Lan and said, “Ten years ago, you brought me into the Taiheng Sect. Today, I have repaid the debt of gratitude for that act.”
Jin Lan opened his mouth, and his expression was still somewhat blank. “You were only eleven years old that year. How could… You deliberately infiltrated the Taiheng Sect; is it for revenge?”
Worried that Yin Ci might miss out on the big show, Shi Jingzhi explained in a whisper, “Yan Budu was excessively debauched and had many offsprings. During the two years when the righteous martial world besieged the Ling Sect, almost all of the descendants of the Yan family were wiped out. The Taiheng Sect was at the forefront. Ah, we’ve stumbled upon a scene of revenge! Ten years of biding one’s time and enduring setbacks, tsk tsk…”
Yan Qing looked helpless. “Do I look like someone seeking revenge to you?”
Shi Zhongyu didn’t lower her sword. “If you don’t seek revenge, then why did you lurk in my sect for ten years and even secretly learn martial arts?”
“With these ‘ghost eyes’, I can only pretend to be blind. It’s not easy for a blind person to find a job. The Taiheng Sect is a prestigious orthodox sect, with high monthly wages for servants and free food and lodging.”
Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci: “…” This young man is too honest, without a trace of Yan Budu’s wickedness.
Shi Zhongyu’s grip on her sword loosened. “Regarding the matter of secretly learning our techniques—”
“It was wrong of me to learn it secretly, but I just didn’t want to be in this kind of situation.” Yan Qing felt embarrassed. “Senior Shi understands righteousness deeply, and I wanted a chance to be able to explain. If I were to encounter any seniors who are hostile to evil, I would need some confidence to escape.”
An eerie silence fell over the scene.
“Why don’t you become a monk at Jianchen Temple? It’s not a bad choice.” Jin Lan muttered. “Specifically picking the Taiheng Sect, it’s hard to believe you have no ulterior motives…”
“I am indeed quite curious. As the saying goes, ‘Misfortune does not befall one’s wife and children1.’ The Taiheng Sect advocates the doctrine of the golden mean2, and in theory, they wouldn’t do something to such an overkill. During these ten years, I tried to investigate the truth but couldn’t find anything…”
1Idiom implying that even in times of misfortune or danger, one’s family members remain safe and unaffected, and the one at fault takes sole responsibility for their action. || In this context, it means he’s not out to seek revenge against everyone at the Taiheng Sect just because they are simply in the sect and had no involvement with the massacre. 2Middle of the road.
Jin Lan held his breath.
Yan Qing continued, “So I gave up and decided that saving money was more important.”
The members of the Taiheng Sect: “……”
Not far away, the red threads seemed to come alive again, binding the scattered bones together. Just as Yin Ci was about to speak up to warn them, Shi Jingzhi swiftly rushed over.
He covered his shoes with golden fire, firmly stepping on the bones while his eyes remained fixed on the Taiheng Sect.
Yin Ci: “…Shizun, do you really want to watch the show that badly?”
This was the Corpse Explosion Bone Curse, and it was extremely fast. Once it touched flesh and blood, it would explode the entire human body. Unfortunately, it didn’t have a chance to demonstrate, as Shi Jingzhi forcefully crushed it on the ground.
Yin Ci reasonably suspected that surname Shi was afraid that this spectacle would be interrupted by the Bone Curse.
Shi Jingzhi focused intently. “Shh!”
Shi Zhongyu glanced silently in his direction and softly said, “The Taiheng Sect’s hunting order hasn’t been canceled. According to the sect’s rules, anyone from the Yan family is to be killed on sight. Those who steal martial arts shall have their arms severed.”
Yan Qing pursed his lips.
Shi Zhongyu nodded slightly at him and deliberately raised his voice. “We’re now inside the Ghost Tomb and shouldn’t discuss our positions but instead work together. These past few days, you have helped us obtain many treasures, offsetting your previous actions… On behalf of the sect, I hereby expel Yan Qing from Taiheng.”
After saying that, she walked up to Shen Zhu. “Miss Shen, although Yan Qing is a descendent of the Yan family, I can assure you that he has nothing to do with the Ghost Tomb. Please refrain from reporting to the Yueshui Pavilion.”
If this information were to be leaked, aside from those seeking the secrets of the Ghost Tomb, even the remaining enemies of Yan Budu alone would be enough to kill Yan Qing several times over.
Shen Zhu smiled. “It is said that the Green Maiden way is stubborn and rigid, but it seems everyone has been mistaken. Isn’t it too lenient to just ‘expel him from Taiheng’ when it concerns a demonic bloodline?”
Shi Zhongyu responded sincerely, “My sect’s pursuit of the Yan descendants a hundred years ago is nothing to be proud of. Yan Qing entered Taiheng when he was only eleven years old and grew up in the sect without causing any trouble. The servants accompanying us on this trip were randomly selected, and initially, he was unwilling to come…”
At this point, Shi Zhongyu hesitated slightly. Shen Zhu tapped her lips with the tip of her pen. “Continue. I’m still listening.”
Shi Zhongyu: “Um, Yan Qing only learned the basic techniques of a junior disciple, and his skill level is very poor. He has helped me greatly this time, and it’s not righteous to force him into a dead end like this.”
Yan Qing: “…”
Shi Jingzhi: “Oh, I guess that’s where he learned his honesty from.”
Yin Ci rested his chin on his master’s shoulder and lazily nodded, feeling sleepy again.
Shen Zhu rolled her eyes and tore off a page of her notes, crumpling it casually. “Yan Qing’s identity as a younger brother* is not significant, and this news isn’t worth much. If I encounter any difficulties in the future, please keep in mind today’s event, Senior Shi.”
*[Didi] (弟弟).
She casually pointed to the sedan chair in the distance. “But what of them from the Rong Palace…?”
“Don’t worry, they won’t be interested,” Shi Zhongyu said indifferently.
Shi Zhongyu walked toward Shi Jingzhi, who was diligently crushing the bones, gesturing for him to step aside. Just as those bones were struggling to piece themselves back together, Shi Zhongyu swung her sword a few times at their vital points, and they ceased to move.
Seizing the opportunity while everyone was at a distance, Shi Zhongyu whispered, “Yan Qing, you are dexterous, with keen hearing. You will definitely be able to assist Sect Master Shi.”
Shi Jingzhi understood and gladly offered another favor. “Rest assured, Miss Shi.”
With the Buddhist bead obtained, the group resumed their journey. Yan Qing followed at the back of the team, feeling a bit lost. Jin Lan hesitated for a while and finally stamped his foot, handing his own baggage to Yan Qing.
“There’s some drinking water inside, consider it a token of gratitude for earlier. You don’t need to return the sword to me. Keep it for self-defense,” he said stiffly. “Yan Qing, take care of yourself.”
Yan Qing accepted the baggage in silence.
Seizing the opportunity, Shi Jingzhi ran over with Yin Ci on his back and said in a gentle voice, “Brother* Yan, do you want to join the Kushan Sect?”
*[Xiong] (兄) Big brother.
Yan Qing turned his head, somewhat surprised. “Sect Master Shi, don’t you mind my identity?”
“I don’t mind at all, the Kushan Sect is in need of manpower.” Shi Jingzhi smiled warmer. “It’s just me and my discipline. We still haven’t recruited any servants. I’ll provide a monthly allowance of five hundred wen, including room and board. Are you willing?”
A trace of pain appeared on Yan Qing’s face: “……”
‘It seems his monthly allowance has decreased a lot,’ Yin Ci thought. But this kid was quite aware of the situation without honestly mentioning it.
“Okay.” After a while, Yan Qing said sorrowfully, “Fi—Five hundred wen is enough. Thank you, Sect Master Shi, for your hospitality.”
“No need to be downcast. The food at my sect is definitely tastier than that of the Taiheng Sect. Oh, and change into a set of our sect’s attire and put on a mask… The mask is in A’Ci’s bag. You can carry it for him.”
When it was just the two of them, Yin Ci carried the luggage while Shi Jingzhi carried Yin Ci on his back, making the burden quite heavy. When Yan Qing joined, Yin Ci originally thought he would make Yan Qing carry him, but Shi Jingzhi only handed over the luggage.
Following the instructions, Yan Qing put on the sect’s attire and took out another rough Nuo mask, obediently wearing it on his face—there were only two small holes carved for the eyes, perfectly concealing his red irises.
The Kushan Sect now had another masked individual, looking even stranger.
As the only member dressed normally, Yin Ci cleared his throat lightly. “Since we are now family, let’s speak openly. Brother Yan, why were you unwilling to enter the tomb initially?”
Yin Ci now understood the matter with the Faceless Monk—Yan Budu had given special treatment, and his descendants didn’t need to possess high-level martial arts to perceive the clues. But on the flip side, if this bloodline attracted something unpleasant…
Yan Qing: “The divination result wasn’t good.”
Yin Ci was momentarily speechless. This person wasn’t just beyond practical, he was excessively practical.
Yan Qing explained voluntarily. “I have learned a bit of divination, occasionally trying to predict good and bad fortune. Before setting off, I cast a divination*, and the result was truly bizarre.”
Shi Jingzhi’s spirit was stirred. “I’ve also read many books on divination. Come, tell us about your results.”
Yan Qing: “I use apricot stones for divination, one side coated with cinnabar and the other with ink. The outcome is determined by the number of red and black sides. The previous time, all the apricot stones stood upright.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t catch the allusion and could only express his true feelings. “…Indeed, it’s frightening.”
Yan Qing lowered his head. “The Taiheng Sect’s fortune is auspicious, except in my case. That’s why I faked an accident to withdraw but ended up encountering the two of you… Perhaps this is fate.”
Seeing Shi Jingzhi starting to become suspicious again, Yin Ci calmly interjected, “Brother Yan, no need to worry. Our Sect Master is a traveling healer. I can cook, and you can play the role of a blind fortune teller. If things really become unbearable, we can set up a stall at the street corner together.”
Shi Jingzhi immediately reacted as if his tail had been stepped on. “Nonsense! I can support the two of you!”
Yin Ci chuckled softly, tightening his embrace around Shi Jingzhi’s neck. His cheap master was warm, and there was a faint medicinal scent about him. Perhaps it was from years of consuming medicine, seeping into his being.
Although this person was peculiar and kept some things hidden, his emotions were genuine in every aspect.
Yin Ci didn’t dislike this kind of person.
If the Buddhist beads had no relation to the Shirou, then everything was like fetching water with a bamboo basket*. He might be able to find a way to let this person live a few more years and add some variety to his own dull life.
*Idiom used to describe a futile or fruitless effort, similar to attempting to carry water with a bamboo basket, which would only result in all the water leaking out.
After all, watching fallen flowers turn into mud was always better than watching filth breed maggots.
After walking through the serpent bone maze for several more hours, the group stopped to rest.
Yan Qing rearranged the luggage, then sat down properly, savoring the ham and glutinous rice cake. The anguish on his face from the salary cut eased slightly.
The surroundings were as bright as day, the scenery magnificent, and the presence of monsters abnormally scarce. Shi Jingzhi used his inner force to heat up a pot of tea and sat down with Yin Ci still on his back, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Yin Ci had a faint sense that something was off.
The Blood Rope had a time limit, and it could only catch up to someone by killing and extracting their blood. Even so, this level was too straightforward, not even resembling a proper challenge. It was less intimidating than the Paper Figures Street. Yin Ci bit into the jerky given by his master and spoke in a muffled voice, “Shizun?”
“Hmm?”
“Is this level too easy? There aren’t many monsters, and the prayer beads can be abandoned so easily. Is Yan Budu really that accommodating?”
Shi Jingzhi sighed. “Ah, I can’t figure it out either. With his design, every step should be a deadly trap, but the Ascension Hall is quite sloppy. If I were Yan Budu… at the very least, I would wait until the Buddhist beads on this level are collected and focus on attacking those without beads—those people are either lacking in ability or desire, so they’re not easily manipulated.”
As soon as the words fell, the ice surface rumbled and began to slowly tilt.
Yin Ci: “…” Speak of the devil. That person surname Shi has to be a descendant of Yan Budu.
In the next moment, everyone stood up.
Not only was the ice surface tilting, but the entire Ascension Hall began to rotate. In no time, this level would flip upside down.
The survivors would be trapped beneath the ice, destined to plunge into the flesh-devouring lake.
The author has something to say:
Comrade Yan Qing, wanting to avoid overtime, took sick leave but failed to escape, being forced to go on a business trip. In the end, he was laid off when the project was nearing completion, not only losing the bonus but also his salary…
It’s a tragedy, a real tragedy.
Kinky Thoughts:
I debated back and forth between keeping the form of addresses in pinyin or translating them, and ultimately decided to translate them while making a footnote on their pinyin term.
I find that leaving too many terms untranslated would make it confusing and convoluted, especially for readers who are not familiar with the xianxia/wuxia setting (me included, and I have read my fair share of works). Though I have decided to keep the more known form like Shizun, as that’s a pretty common term that most people know.
I may change my mind later down the line if I find the localization too jarring and awkward and will make fixes accordingly.
When Shen Mo was sealed into the ground, his emotions of surprise and amusement outweighed his anger.
This should have been a simple task. He infiltrated the mind of Shian’s Evil Spirit and distorted its most important memories. As long as the memories were altered outrageously, it would be impossible for it to maintain its current state of tranquility. The once docile Evil Spirit would suddenly go insane, and Shian would suffer heavy damage from within.
Encountering Shian’s presence in the memory world was a bit unexpected for Shen Mo. However, considering Shian’s continuous research on the Evil Spirit, it was reasonable to encounter them in the memory world.
Shen Mo never expected that Shian’s little group had the ability to fight against the transformation of the Evil Spirit in its memories.
Wrapped in layers of seals deep underground, Shen Mo laughed heartily within the slumbering body of the Evil Spirit.
During the incubation process of the Evil Spirit, his perception of the outside world gradually became blurred and confused. He only remembered how Shian’s little group collaborated—analyzing the techniques, that dog was likely Fu Xingchuan.
Shen Mo found it quite amusing to think that the young and spirited kid from back then had fallen into such a state.
Having had enough fun, he held his breath and focused his mind, activating his ability. It was like floating from the depths of the sea to the surface, gradually brightening the surroundings while the coldness and heaviness around him disappeared. Shen Mo “floated” out of this memory, drifting in that dangerous and unknown space, allowing his thoughts to wander.
The Evil Spirit was sealed and plunged into slumber. No matter how he distorted the outside circumstances, its memories could no longer be altered. It could be attempted again, but with Shian on guard, repeating the same techniques would be meaningless.
In theory, he should swiftly withdraw.
…If he were still in Shian, that would indeed be a situation requiring urgent evacuation. Shen Mo chuckled, calming his spirit and “sinking” back in.
Darkness and coldness once again engulfed him.
In the darkness, Shen Mo could vaguely sense a large, dark object. Compared to it, the floating small clusters around it were like fish fry in a coral reef. Though they could be described in such terms, in reality, these things didn’t possess a clear “volume.” The sense of their size and vagueness lingered only in his mind, and Shen Mo wasn’t foolish enough to open his eyes to observe.
He aimed in the direction he had emerged from earlier and retraced his steps.
Something was amiss.
The Evil Spirit was sealed before its complete birth a thousand years ago. And yet, Shian was able to mimic the actions of the past Great Celestial Master based on its memory. Where did they acquire such clear memories?
This was truly fascinating.
Shen Mo once again fell into the world of memories, and this time he didn’t make any mistakes. He found the body he had originally planned to use—the first cultivator of the Gouluo Army, the “Half-Step Charon” who controlled the corruption.
In the bloody ruins, Shen Mo moved his new body and skillfully merged into the wall. He suppressed his breath as much as possible, only extending two open eyes from the rubble, looking in the direction of Shian’s little group.
The remnant of the illusionary Yellow Millet was still lying on the ground, hardly distinguishable from liquid. The girl and the dog were still moving around the sealed area of the Evil Spirit, exhaustedly reinforcing the seal.
The person who had taken on the shell of the Great Celestial Master stood motionless like a wooden stake.
Sure enough, just as expected. Shen Mo relaxed his tired and battered body, and his thoughts turned light and joyful.
The Evil Spirit was in deep slumber, but the memory world didn’t end here… It was like someone’s memory continuing to sustain the operation of the world. There must be fresh and valuable information on Shian’s side.
In the shadows, he patiently observed, not even disturbing a single grain of sand.
[I’ve communicated with what’s in my head, and it doesn’t know where it came from.]
Two hours passed, and Huang Jin finally fell into a deep enough state of unconsciousness.
[Yin Ren seems to be stuck in a glitch-like place, losing all perception. He has no idea where he is. What should we do next?]
[We’ll meet up with the other two outside the village and continue to reveal the truth of the past.] Fu Xingchuan said, shaking his fur covered in dust.
Finally, Zhong Chengshuo moved. “Shouldn’t we go find that person?”
As he spoke, his body subtly leaned in a direction. In the direction that Zhong Chengshuo leaned, there was a large area of collapsed house ruins.
Upon hearing Zhong Chengshuo refer to Yin Ren as “that person”, Fu Xingchuan paused for a few seconds and looked meaningfully at Zhong Chengshuo, saying, [Let’s finish reading the letter first instead of aimlessly searching.]
Zhong Chengshuo remained devoted to his role as a flesh puppet. He just nodded and didn’t say anything further, pondering something in his mind.
Upon hearing that he still had to double as a projectionist, Huang Jin let out a series of puffing wails, [Since this thing squeezed into my head, I’ve drawn ten thousand tranquility mantras in silence!]
“Practice is useful.” Ge Tingting comforted him. “Do you remember the previous Fu Tianyi? He has improved a lot.”
Perhaps thinking of the miserable state of Fu Tianyi being trained by Yin Ren, Huang Jin flattened even more, his actions filled with despair.
The group rested noisily until noon, until Yellow Millet finally regained its spherical form. Zhong Chengshuo also pressed his bleeding hand onto Yellow Millet, providing power to its illusion.
His movements were silent and obedient, just like a true flesh puppet.
The illusion had a pause and then resumed, and the figure of the Great Celestial Master from a thousand years ago appeared again. Yin Ren watched as the humanoid monster walked away with the children, and then he slowly walked towards the outskirts of the village.
The steps of the Great Celestial Master were even weaker than before. If he had previously concealed his weakness, this time he no longer bothered to hide it.
In the illusion, the Charon of the Gouluo Army emerged from a charred wooden beam, his eyes greedily fixed on the direction of the Great Celestial Master. His gaze shifted from Yin Ren’s empty hand to his chest, where the Evil Fruit was hidden with an expression of a mixture of malice and desire.
Shian’s group watched this person’s secretive appearance attentively, following him all the way to the outskirts of the village.
Not far behind the four people, Shen Mo controlled the Charon in “reality” and quietly followed behind them.
……
In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.
The six members of Shian had completed their gathering, and the four people and two objects continued to follow the illusion without stopping.
The desolate mountain village had long disappeared from their surroundings. They followed Yin Ren and the children as they advanced through the wilderness, watching the vegetation gradually become sparse. The wilderness turned into hills, and then into rugged mountains. As they walked, the surroundings became increasingly desolate, with even fewer birds in the sky.
Perhaps out of consideration for the children, the Great Celestial Master no longer kept his army of evil spirits stationed nearby.
He would only take out the Evil Fruit every few hours, caress it with care, and then use it to “command” the surrounding evils, making them pretend to patrol the area.
The Evil Fruit, this top-tier cursed spirit weapon, had somehow become a good fishing hook.
In the illusion, the Charon who was tracking the Great Celestial Master had indeed not given up and followed for hundreds of miles, despite being injured.
It wasn’t until the group entered deep into the mountains that even Lu Xiaohe’s recorded actions slowed down. Since the loss of the detection equipment, she tended to use Fu Tianyi as a device to measure the concentration of evil qi. Fu Tianyi’s face turned blue enough to be displayed in a bronze artifact exhibition, indicating that something was really wrong in this place.
Even the Gouluo Charon, who had been following the Great Celestial Master, hesitated.
“Who knows what kind of place this is? There isn’t even a map, puff puff,” Huang Jin said dejectedly.
During these five days, Fu Xingchuan had been busy. He commanded Fu Tianyi to create two spirit weapons that could produce human voices, so they wouldn’t have to find a tree branch every time Yellow Millet wanted to communicate. Unfortunately, the materials were limited, and these items would occasionally malfunction.
“According to the records in <The Book of Exorcism>, the Great Celestial Master sometimes disappears for a period of time, saying that he would hide in remote places for cultivation.”
Lu Xiaohe continued to record as she spoke.
“From what it seems now…” she sighed and didn’t say more.
Everyone present knew what she wanted to say.
From what it seemed now, the corruption of the Evil Force on Yin Ren’s body was too heavy. He couldn’t maintain strict control for 365 days a year; there would always be a period of time when he needed to catch his breath in an uninhabited place.
At the moment, it wasn’t yet time for the Great Celestial Master to “cultivate”. In addition to fishing, Yin Ren seemed to intend to take these children near his hiding place, so that they could be far away from the war.
This reminded her of the Yin Ren she was familiar with. Lu Xiaohe put down her charcoal pencil and subconsciously looked towards Zhong Chengshuo.
Since the Evil Dog Spirit was sealed and they officially gathered, the flesh puppet had hardly participated in any conversations. He just sat in the Great Celestial Master’s shell, even more silent than an ordinary flesh puppet with his face forever facing the direction of the “Great Celestial Master” from a thousand years ago.
Covered by a red cloth, Lu Xiaohe couldn’t see the expression of the “flesh puppet”.
At this moment, the Great Celestial Master was sitting on a piece of bluestone, resting. Since the battle in Yin Village, the Great Celestial Master had been sleeping for longer and longer periods of time. Now, that person was slumped on the stone and the red cocoon was swaying making it seemed like he was about to fall asleep.
Until a young man arrived with an evil spirit.
Seeing someone coming, the Great Celestial Master quickly straightened up, even discreetly cleared his throat. “What is it?”
He was the eldest child in Yin Village. The young man lowered his head, his hand guided by the evil spirit, and his eyes were still covered for protection.
“I… I want to offer this to you.” The young man said in a low voice, holding a small package in his arms. “My brother brought it from outside the village. It’s in good condition. I’ve been holding it in my arms, and now it’s ripe and ready to eat.”
As he spoke, he carefully presented the package.
These past few days, the Great Celestial Master had been sending evil spirits to collect meat, bird eggs, wild vegetables, and mountain fruits for the children to eat. Despite his pale complexion and obvious tear marks, the young man’s body didn’t appear weak. Yin Ren didn’t mince words with him; he made a gesture, and the cloth package flew into his hands.
Inside the clean fabric, lay quietly an apple.
The apple was red, plump, and emitted a fragrant aroma. Its surface gleamed with a smooth and gentle luster, contrasting with the sour and bitter small fruits in the mountains. Yin Ren seemed somewhat surprised. He cupped the apple in his hands and cautiously sniffed it.
“Thank you… cough, I’ll accept this offering.” He spoke as solemnly as possible.
Although he said that, Yin Ren didn’t take a bite; he simply cherished it by wiping it clean. He enchanted several preservation spells on the apple before carefully tucking it away.
“After they have rested, we will depart immediately.”
Adjusting his clothing, Yin Ren instructed the evil spirit.
“You need to rest…” The evil spirit widened its eye sockets.
“I don’t have much time left, so we need to swiftly conclude this matter.”
The Great Celestial Master looked towards the depths of the mountains.
“We need to return to the Valley of Remains quickly.”
