《Unseen Immortal of Three Hundred Years》


 CH 1

    In the era of Tianshu, a blizzard covered the islet of Mian.


    Snow enveloped the Boundless Sea for kilometers on end, reaching all the way to the Canglang Northern Territory.


    ***


    It was too cold here. Thin ice floated on the stagnant water.


    Wu Xingxue stood atop a withered tree in the middle of the water, washing the blood off his hands.


    His hands were slender and pale, without a hint of liveliness. It seemed as if he had just teased the birds of a yao palace[1], had just played with the flowers from the Immortal Capital. But not long ago, those fingers had unscrupulously torn off several heads.


    So he washed carefully, without any intent to speak, and those waiting at the shore were also afraid of speaking. After holding their breath thus for a long stretch of time, they finally were offered a single sentence.


    ¡°What year is it?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.


    His voice penetrated across the vast surface of water, a little hazy.


    The people on the store took a moment to react, and then hurriedly said: ¡°The twenty-fifth year of Tianshu.¡±


    Wu Xingxue sniffed his washed fingers and finally looked over: ¡°Tianshu?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Tianshu.¡±


    ¡°Tianshu¡­¡± Wu Xingxue lightly repeated this unfamiliar name.


    The person who responded hurriedly said: ¡°The cultivation sects changed it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Wu Xingxue dropped his hands. The sound of clanging metal sounded with his movement.


    ¡­It sounded like he was shackled.


    The reaction of the people at the shore to this sound was immense; their scalps all tingled. They looked cautiously at the person in the middle of the water.


    They only saw Wu Xingxue dressed in dark green, almost blending in with the cold fog. But no matter the wrists within his sleeves, or the stretch of ankle peeking above his bare feet, all were bleak white and clean, with no sign of any chains. But the clanging was truly there.


    Someone murmured softly: ¡°That sound is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh! Are you crazy? You¡¯re going to bring it up in front of him? If you¡¯re looking for death, don¡¯t drag us along too!¡±


    The person who interrupted was deathly afraid that the one in the water would hear; even when scolding, he didn¡¯t dare raise his voice.


    But unfortunately, he was still heard.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wu Xingxue asked. ¡°Don¡¯t stop, continue.¡±


    The crowd at the shore stopped breathing. They swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and the hands hanging beside their bodies trembled softly: ¡°No¡­ no! We¡­ we didn¡¯t say anything, we really didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    As everyone knew, Canglang Northern Territory was more dangerous than a demon lair. The demons and monsters of the world weren¡¯t afraid of retribution and weren¡¯t threatened by priests and monks; their only fear was dying there.


    The demons who were imprisoned there were all nailed with heavy heavenly locks[2]. The locks weren¡¯t visible and couldn¡¯t be removed; they represented punishment from heaven. From a day to a year, the demons who were nailed inevitably succumbed to the torture, their souls scattering, both their spirit and flesh extinguished.


    So, for the five hundred years that Canglang Northern Territory floated atop the Boundless Sea, there was only entrance and no exit.


    Except for the demon Wu Xingxue.


    He was the only one who had been locked here for twenty-five years and still lived.


    This type of demon, now bearing locks that could not be seen, softly saying ¡°what is this clanging sound exactly, explain it to me,¡± who dared answer?


    The dead quiet slowly pervaded through the cold fog.


    The people at the store looked carefully at each other, but they only saw Wu Xingxue staring at them, his head tilted, not saying a word. Suddenly, they were cold from head to foot.


    It¡¯s over.


    The emotional instability has started.


    The crowd thought.


    Actually, this infamous demon didn¡¯t look very scary. He had a haughty, wealthy guise, his voice was extremely pleasing, and his appearance was also quite pretty, especially his eyes.


    The corners of his eyes curved downwards very slightly, and when he looked down, they resembled ink that had just melted in a cold pond.


    But so what?


    Not to mention these demon subordinates, he even killed the initial Lingtai Twelve Immortals on a whim. Who wouldn¡¯t be afraid?


    When he spoke, fear.


    When he didn¡¯t speak, fear.


    And when he tilted his head like this, it was even fucking scarier!


    The crowd dripped with cold sweat.


    A second later, the person who initially said the wrong thing shivered, unable to hold his words in: ¡°Chengzhu[3], chengzhu, I was wrong. I spoke carelessly, I shouldn¡¯t have brought up the lock¡­ pst! Anyhow, I shouldn¡¯t have! I¡¯m really, I¡¯m really¡ª¡±


    He smeared a streak of blood at the corner of his mouth, preparing to seal his promise with a talisman.


    Then, he heard Wu Xingxue say: ¡°Where were you wrong? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, you called me chengzhu?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fuck.


    How did chengzhu offend you now, we can¡¯t call you that anymore?


    Under so many rounds of interrogation, the people at the shore were almost driven insane. But what they didn¡¯t know was, the person on the tree had actually broke a long time ago.


    Wu Xingxue appeared completely unaffected, but roaring waves crashed towards the heavens in his heart. All of his thoughts consisted of four huge words: ¡°How did this happen!¡±


    He had only had a deep slumber; how could he possess someone else¡¯s body???


    Clearly only a moment prior, he was still an eminent noble of Que Capital. He had just set down the fine wine from the Winding Waters Banquet[4], draped on his overcoat and started to head back home.


    Que Capital had been storming for two days with no end in sight, so getting back was a little bit difficult. He was tall, so his servant struggled to hold the constantly tipping umbrella. He couldn¡¯t stand it and took the umbrella himself, passing his jade handwarmer to the boy. The entire way back, the servant boy was overwhelmed by this sort of favor.


    The people at his residence had already set out the hot earthenware; it was so warm that he was sleepy the moment he entered his room.


    He remembered he had offhandedly selected a popular storybook, flipping through it at the edge of the bed. Outside, a winter bird landed on the flower bells outside, lightly jingling. He listened, read, and unknowingly fell asleep¡­


    When he was awoken by noisy voices and opened his eyes, he found that he was already at this damned place¡ª


    Vast waters in all four directions, fog filling up the entire sky.


    A withered tree stood alone in the middle of the water. The water beneath was bleary and indistinct, seemingly filled with short, light green branches. At first, he thought it was the coral that had trended for a bit in Que Capital. Looking closely, however, he found that they were all human arms.


    All human arms¡­


    And he stood on a branch of the withered tree that could fall at any moment, balancing precariously on bare feet.


    ¡­


    And wind was blowing at him.


    And he was dizzy.


    And his hands were filled with blood.


    Heaven knew that in that moment, he really wanted to curse someone out.


    In storybooks, when people closed their eyes, they always ¡°dreamt suddenly of youth,¡± but when it came to him, it turned into ¡°being possessed by a ghost.¡±


    Oh, wait.


    It was him who was possessing the ghost.


    Thanks to the loose lips of the those on the shore, he still hadn¡¯t said anything wrong yet, but he had come to understand the most important points¡ªthis damned place was called Canglang Northern Territory, and it was used for the purpose of imprisoning demons.


    He was the demon who had been chained here.


    Those at the shore seemed to be his previous subordinates. One of them had barged in carrying half of a bloody corpse and then expressionlessly kicked it into the water.


    As evident, not a single person here was a kind soul.


    Surrounded by this sort, could he say ¡°I¡¯m not the chengzhu¡±?


    If he said it, those devotedly loyal subordinates would probably immediately turn on him, tear him in half, and throw him into the pool of dead water.


    So, he could only wash the blood of his hands while pondering how to trick them into revealing more information.


    But after a good deal of tricking, he only got ¡°Chengzhu, I was wrong,¡± ¡°Chengzhu, I¡¯m going to shut up,¡± and ¡°pst.¡±


    This was going to kill him.


    ***


    While internally calculating, he suddenly heard a surge of noise.


    It was hard to make out through the thick, metal-like mountain walls. At first, it seemed like innumerable people had surrounded the outside and pulled out their knives and swords. Voices intermingled in between; he could dimly make out phrases like ¡°what are we waiting for¡± and ¡°that demon.¡±


    Their sounds had not yet faded when a sudden clang thundered. Pieces of black, metal-like stone fell together in chunks, and the dim, interminable cold pool also shook as if in an earthquake¡ª


    Wu Xingxue grabbed onto the nearest tree branch.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The subordinates at the shore were still ardently listening to the movement outside the mountain with furrowed brows and ugly expressions.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound pretty.¡±


    ¡°The cultivation sects have probably come.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unavoidable, haven¡¯t they always regarded Canglang Northern Territory as their own life.¡±


    ¡°What kind of comment is that, the last place on earth that can scare demons and monsters, of course they treat it like their own life.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but so what, it¡¯s still time for the end.¡±


    Boom!


    Another sound, and though the mountain still seemed like metal, the quakes came harder and harder.


    ¡°This won¡¯t work, if things continue, they¡¯ll be coming in soon! Chengzhu, we¡ª¡± The subordinates turned over, and their words rapidly halted. Wu Xingxue looked down, grasping a fragment of a newly broken dry branch.


    Subordinates: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°We what? Continue.¡± Wu Xingxue seemed like he had snapped off the branch to play with it. He looked at it for a bit and then lost interest, throwing it into the water.


    The subordinates stared at the branch that floated gently on the water¡¯s surface, their expressions all a bit wary.


    After all, everyone knew that everything that passed through the head demon¡¯s hands, even a single drop of water, was worthy of inspiring fear.


    ¡°We¡­¡± The subordinate licked his dry lips. He couldn¡¯t help but to glance at the dry tree branch, ¡°We should hurry up and get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, chengzhu. Canglang Northern Territory has been behaving strangely these last two days, and there are rumors that it¡¯s arriving at its end. The cultivation sects are afraid this place is going to collapse, so they naturally couldn¡¯t sit still, they all raced over here.¡±


    Half so that they could do their best to save the Territory.


    Half because they were scared that the demons inside hadn¡¯t all died out yet.


    In this kind of situation, if the two parties met, it would really be a tough battle. The subordinates¡¯ heads hurt just thinking about it.


    They were going to press him, but Wu Xingxue spoke: ¡°So you¡¯re all so anxious because we can¡¯t beat them?¡±


    Obviously, they couldn¡¯t nod yes.


    ¡°Chengzhu, the cultivators outside actually are not even worth mentioning.¡± The oldest one said. The person beside him was silent for a few moments, then turned to stare at him: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°But the main body of Canglang Northern Territory.¡± He swept his gaze across all four directions, ¡°They all say that a continuance of strange behavior means that the spiritual qi necessary for life has been depleted. That should be right, or else, just based on our ability, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter this place. It¡¯s just that this place used to be under that¡­ that Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s control.¡±


    The words ¡°Tianxiu Immortal¡± were spoken quickly and vaguely, but the person beside him still elbowed him.


    ¡°He already perished along with the Immortal Capital, why do you have to bring him up in front of chengzhu??¡± Taking advantage of the fact that the shore stretched some distance away, they quickly peeked at Wu Xingxue, their voices so low as to be imperceptible.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought, Not again, not those ghastly pale but forcibly silent expressions. Is there some secret between the Tianxiu Immortal and me, no, between him and this original body? Why are they peeking at me.


    Wu Xingxue really wanted that subordinate to keep on talking about it so that he could understand the whole story.


    But because of his identity, he had to give up.


    He wasn¡¯t the original person who had been imprisoned, so he couldn¡¯t react any other way. He could only listen to that unfamiliar title, silent, unmoved.


    His subordinate peeked at him again, ¡°Any-anyway, although that person died a long time ago, this damned place might contain some of his leftover protective measures, it would be bad if we got tripped up.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°So Chengzhu, let¡¯s hurry up and leave!


    Their tone was anxious and earnest, almost like sincere admonishment.


    Their chengzhu also thought that their logic made sense and could nod his head in assent.


    But the chengzhu had a more pressing issue.


    Just asking, how can he get down from this tree branch without ruining his identity as a demon?


    Wu Xingxue looked down at the deep pool beneath his feet, and then at the shore.


    Those subordinates gazed towards him helplessly, waiting for an order.


    He thought for a second, then lifted his hand. A lightly curled finger chose between the people at the shore, finally selecting one who was relatively easy on the eyes.


    ¡°You, come here.¡± His tone was still moderate.


    The person who was chosen trembled, confused and freezing in place.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Hn.¡±


    ¡°Chengzhu, I, did I say something wrong? I didn¡¯t speak just now.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    Coward.


    ¡°Come here.¡± He softly repeated, lowering the finger he had used to point at him.


    The person who was chosen didn¡¯t dare to ask more questions. Squaring his shoulders, he stepped into that pond of still water, taking large strides. In just a second, he had reached the front of the withered tree.


    ¡°Chengzhu.¡±


    Just as he was going to step on the tree, a huge roar sounded!


    Innumerable invisible currents of sword qi swept in from all directions, bringing along the frigidity of the vast snow covering Canglang Northern Territory.


    In the next second, the hand he had lifted towards Wu Xingxue turned into a cloud of bloody fog, and his entire body was thrown heavily back towards the shore.


    In an instant, the cold pool quaked forcefully, waves crashing towards the sky.


    Wu Xingxue only felt the sharp sword energy sweep towards him head-on, and he instinctively closed his eyes.


    When he opened them again, he saw a golden water lily, big enough to encompass the entire Canglang Northern Territory, spread open forcefully underneath his feet.


    Through the melted snow and golden aura, he saw with squinted eyes a vague image of a hand holding an enormous sword.


    That person was very tall, with three black mourning needles piercing the cartilage of his right ear. An indistinct golden tattoo stretched from beneath his ear to the base of his neck. It was the word ¡°Mian[5]¡±.


    As everyone knew, the Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan was granted the courtesy name ¡°Mian¡± by the heavens.


    Mian, to pardon, absolution from a hundred sins.


    [1] Ñþ¹¬, literally meaning pristine palace, used to refer to the palaces in the Immortal Capital


    [2] These locks are chains which are secured by nailing metal through the body.


    [3] ³ÇÖ÷, literally meaning ¡°city leader¡± or ¡°city chief¡±


    [4] ÇúË®Ñç, apparently this is a custom originating in China and popularized by Japan, celebrated on 3/3.


    [5] Ãâ, meaning to pardon/to exempt

 CH 2

    Canglang Northern Territory.


    In the moment that the golden water lily burst open, the cultivators were blasted with no time for preparation. The invisible compulsion[1] was like the ocean exploding outwards a thousand kilometers, beating everyone back a great distance away.


    The swords and spiritual weapons of the closest individuals were all cracked and splintered, immediately ruined.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Sect Leader.¡± A small disciple fought his way out from the snow. Pressing his chest, he wanted to use his sword to prop himself back up, but he found that only a handle was left in his hands.


    ¡°Sect Leader, my sword¡­¡±


    For some of these disciples, their sword was more important than their life. Especially for the main sword cultivation sect, the Feng Sect.


    That small disciple was indeed from the Feng Sect.


    ¡°Throw it away, cast another one when we return.¡± Feng Juyan didn¡¯t even look at him, her gaze still landing a great distance away, her brows tightly furrowed.


    As the sect leader, she naturally didn¡¯t fall pitifully to the ground. Instead, she held her long sword in front of her body, blocking most of the compulsion. Though she stood perfectly straight, blood still seeped from between her fingers, dripping into the design of her sword.


    The small disciple saw the color of blood and was instantly alarmed.


    He had just entered the sect, so he didn¡¯t know much. This was his first time seeing the Sect Leader bleed: ¡°Sect Leader, what exactly was that golden shadow, why is it so powerful?¡±


    ¡°That should¡¯ve been the Water Lily of Life,¡± Feng Juyan said softly.


    ¡°Water Lily of Life?!¡±


    The young disciples¡¯ faces were filled with shock and suspicion.


    Legend said that the Water Lily of Life was solely possessed by the Tianxiu Immortal. Because he managed punishment and pardon, death in one hand and life in the other, he had two mortal moves¡ªone was to beckon dead souls, and another was to beckon all the living.


    The Water Lily of Life was the former.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only heard of it, but we¡¯ve never seen it.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s personally seen it? Everyone who¡¯s seen it has died,¡± Feng Juyan said.


    Besides, it was a mortal move.


    The original intent of a mortal move was to trade one¡¯s life for the move; the move required the complete dissipation of all spiritual energy. Even for the Tianxiu Immortal, the cost was still great, so the move wouldn¡¯t be so easily used.


    The last time it appeared was twenty-five years ago.


    That day, Taiyin Mountain collapsed, the Immortal Capital was destroyed, and three thousand spiritual platforms crashed down from the sky, most sinking into the Boundless Sea.


    Some said that the day the Taiyin Mountain collapsed, at the place closest to the Immortal Capital, the golden shadow of a water lily had cast down from above.


    After that, the demon Wu Xingxue was sealed in the Canglang Northern Territory.


    From then on, the Immortal City was no more.


    After the Immortal City perished, the human realm fell into chaos, and catastrophe and plague rampaged across the land.


    Only with the gathering of sects, with temples and divine statues erected like forests, could the people forcibly regain a sliver of peace.


    From then on, the cultivation sects changed the name of the era to ¡°Tianshu[2].¡±


    ***


    ¡°Sect Leader?¡± The small disciple said hesitantly: ¡°Why did the Water Lily of Life appear again? Didn¡¯t the Tianxiu Immortal already¡­ die?¡±


    ¡°Canglang Northern Territory was his domain after all, there might be some lingering spiritual consciousness remaining. As for the sudden appearance of the Water Lily of Life.¡± Feng Juyan¡¯s voice abruptly paused, ¡°Could it be¡ª¡±


    Could it be that that demon was still alive?


    Not only still alive, but even attempting to leave this place, thus provoking the vestigial move?


    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty-five years, he¡¯s been completely fettered by the heavenly locks for twenty-five years. I thought that even if that demon was still alive, he¡¯d be down to his last breath, at the verge of death.¡±


    Who didn¡¯t think that?


    The cultivation sects almost all had the same impression.


    They didn¡¯t think there would be a difficult battle, so the people they brought were mostly young disciples. The rest were left to protect their sect, vigilantly standing guard against that horde of demons from Zhaoye City.


    Looking at it now, it seemed that they were too reckless.


    ¡°Personally, I think we should call some more people over,¡± someone suggested.


    ¡°That¡­ isn¡¯t that too battle-ready?¡±


    ¡°No, it might be the Wu Xingxue who washed the Immortal Capital with blood.¡±


    ***


    As the cultivators discussed important issues, the Wu Xingxue who washed the Immortal Capital with blood was currently lost.


    The person with the large sword had appeared for only a second. When he disappeared, the enormous golden water lily suddenly wrapped around Wu Xingxue, abruptly pulling him down.


    Then, Wu Xingxue thought: Oh no, I¡¯m going to lose my cover.


    Pitifully falling into the water under the stares of the crowd¡ªhis days of pretending to be a demon were over.


    Just after finishing his self-ridicule, he heard the pitiful startled yells of his subordinates.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    The expected water landing didn¡¯t actually happen.


    The cold pool seemed to be fake; not a drop of water got on him, but he seemed to still be speedily falling.


    The ice-cold wind whistled across his body, and the frightened breaths of his subordinates never ceased.


    He dimly heard someone yell: ¡°What is this damn place?¡±


    Another, more hazy voice said: ¡°There are thirty-three layers below Canglang Northern Territory, corresponding to the Taiyin White Tower above.¡±


    Another person said: ¡°There¡¯s something hidden in the lowest level.¡±


    ***


    When he landed on the ground, Wu Xingxue felt a violent tug from the chains nailed all over his body.


    Extreme pain burst across his chest, waist, wrists, and ankles, so painful that he almost completely lost his senses. He couldn¡¯t even tell how he had landed, whether it was pitiful or not.


    But thankfully, when he finally recovered his senses, he felt that he was standing.


    The golden water lily that had wrapped around him should have disappeared, as he could no longer smell that gust of sword qi that carried the scent of windy snow.


    He nurtured his pain, thinking that this was truly abnormal.


    Of the nobility of Que Capital, who wasn¡¯t raised in utter luxury? It was very extravagant. Even for a tiny injury, all of the people in his residence would fret over him, soothing him and offering up medicine and ointment.


    He was used to that type of lifestyle; he himself admitted that he couldn¡¯t stand pain.


    But just before, it had hurt like his heart was being carved out, and he surprisingly didn¡¯t even make a sound, swallowing the entirety of his reaction, just because those few subordinates were present.


    I must have really owed you in my past life.


    Wu Xingxue thought.


    Thus, when those subordinates landed stumbling, they saw their own chengzhu slowly open his eyes, sweep his gaze over them, and coldly give a short laugh.


    The crowd: ¡°¡­¡±


    They wanted to ask: ¡°Chengzhu, where have we been dragged?¡±


    Hearing the cold laugh, they again gulped down their words.


    ¡°Chengzhu you¡­ why are you smiling?¡± The one who was always quick to speak still couldn¡¯t hold it in, asking carefully. When he was fourteen, he had cultivated the Poison Restriction Technique, and he didn¡¯t grow anymore from then on. So, in a crowd of peers, he appeared small and frail.


    It was better when they were further apart, but now that only two or three steps separated them, Wu Xingxue appeared particularly tall in comparison. When he spoke, he even had to tilt his head up a little.


    He waited like this for a moment until Wu Xingxue lifted his hand, his long fingers sweeping beside his wrist and hooking onto something invisible. He said softly: ¡°Me? I¡¯m laughing at how noisy these chains are, clanging everywhere, it¡¯s too loud.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I sure know how to ask.


    The subordinate didn¡¯t dare to tilt his face back down, but he didn¡¯t want to open his mouth again.


    Wu Xingxue swiped at his chains with a finger and threw him a sentence: ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go let¡¯s go let¡¯s go¡ªhurry up!¡± Another subordinate quickly responded. He probably was afraid that the one with the quick mouth would make more trouble for himself, and he forcefully pulled at him, squeezing the words from between his teeth: ¡°Ning Huaishan you¡¯re an idiot don¡¯t use us to break your fall!¡±


    Ning Huaishan was pulled back a few steps by him. He lifted his head in bewilderment: ¡°But, where are we going?¡±


    The people abruptly halted: ¡°¡­¡±


    Right, where are we going?


    They were a little confounded. After hesitating for a bit, they still turned around to ask: ¡°Chengzhu, lead the way to where?¡±


    Wu Xingxue followed from a moderate distance, his steps had yet to stop: ¡°You tell me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I¡­


    The crowd had nothing left to say, and they didn¡¯t dare keep asking. After all, they all knew that Wu Xingxue hated idiotic people the most.


    They all looked around in circles.


    This was a stretch of wilderness, covered with a layer of snow, grey as far as the eye could see. Far away, there was a withered tree that reached towards the sky. It seemed like it had been burned, charred and patchy. Even when looking up, they still couldn¡¯t see the top.


    They suspected that the dry branches Wu Xingxue had stood on before were the crown of this enormous tree.


    ¡°Have you heard? Canglang Northern Territory has thirty-three layers.¡± Ning Huaishan secretly elbowed his companion.


    Canglang Northern Territory floated atop the Boundless Sea. Surrounded by clouds and thunder in the winter, it looked like a huge black cliff.


    Legend said that it had thirty-three layers, just like the Taiyin Mountain glass tower prior to collapse, indicating thirty-three iterations of heaven.


    If the tree branches from before were the top layer, then this stretch of wilderness before them, atop which the enormous tree grew, must be the bottom one.


    ¡°Where did you hear this rumor from? So what if we know there¡¯s thirty-three layers, how the hell does that help? Did the rumors tell you where chengzhu wants us to go?¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­ No.¡±


    He thought about it carefully again, ¡°But the rumors said that the lowest layer has hidden treasure. Look, just before chengzhu asked us to lead the way, maybe that¡¯s what he meant?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, doesn¡¯t that have a problem? How are we supposed to know where the treasure is, and how are we supposed to lead the way? If chengzhu really meant that, then that would be bizarre.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, don¡¯t waste your breath. Let¡¯s look first, and if we somehow find it, then we won¡¯t have led him astray.¡±


    That huge tree was truly an eyesore, and the entirety of the wilderness didn¡¯t have any other places that could hide treasure, so they started heading towards the tree. When they came nearer, they found that countless swords were planted sideways below the enormous tree, like a boundless sword cemetery.


    Wu Xingxue followed them as they cut through the sword cemetery. They walked until their legs were about to fall off, but they still weren¡¯t able to get half a step closer to the tree.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Is it too late to use my chains to threaten these people into sitting down for a bit?


    Wu Xingxue stared at the back of their figures, thinking in his head.


    ¡°Chengzhu?¡± Ning Huaishan probably noticed the suddenly empty space behind him. He turned around and said haltingly: ¡°This sword cemetery is probably an array¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t show any surprise: ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Chengzhu, you¡¯ve always known that we¡¯re not that good at breaking arrays.¡± Ning Huaishan snuck a glance at Wu Xingxue and said: ¡°Things like arrays, were always your¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­ My what, say it.¡±


    He lowered the volume of his voice and carried no emotion. He precisely controlled the degree to which he wanted to inspire fear, maybe he could avoid this calamity¡ª


    ¡°Chengzhu, ah, don¡¯t play with us for fun.¡± Another subordinate frowned with a bitter expression: ¡°We know that we made you unhappy, after this we¡¯ll do whatever. But things like arrays, we¡¯re really not good at.¡±


    ¡°Right, and besides, this is Canglang Northern Territory, what if we¡¯re too rash and accidentally cause mishap, then that would be bad.¡±


    ¡°Right, chengzhu, you can break this type of array in two to three steps, why waste your effort on us?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ªSeems this calamity can¡¯t be avoided.


    He looked at his subordinates, thinking ¡®not to mention two to three steps, even if you gave me two to three years I¡¯d still be stuck, are you afraid now?¡¯


    He took a light breath and was going to start brainstorming methods, but a smudge of white caught his peripheral vision.


    It wasn¡¯t the same white as the color of the snow; there was a warm brightness to it, like the jade at the top of a courtyard staircase.


    He turned his head and, through a gap in the interweaving frigid swords, saw a corner of the object. It looked like a white jade platform?


    Wu Xingxue stopped paying attention to his subordinates and started heading in that direction. Barefoot, he avoided the sword blades, and after a moment, he stood in front of the white jade platform.


    He found out then that this wasn¡¯t a jade platform¡­


    It was a jade coffin.


    It was an enormous white jade coffin, lying beneath the withered tree that stretched towards the sky, surrounded by thousands of frigid swords. Coffin nails were nailed in all four edges, and a name was carved on each nail.


    That name, Wu Xingxue had seen it not long before, tattooed on a person¡¯s neck.


    This is¡­


    ¡°This is Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s coffin!¡±


    [1] Íþѹ, a type of pressurizing energy that cultivators/demons/spiritual weapons can exude


    [2] ÌìÊâ, literally ¡°death of heaven¡±

 CH 3

    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s coffin?


    Xiao Fuxuan¡­


    Wu Xingxue softly repeated again.


    The subordinates had caught up, but they wouldn¡¯t stand too close to the coffin.


    Ning Huaishan stretched his neck out way long, saying dumbfoundedly: ¡°That¡¯s so weird, why would the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s coffin be here?¡±


    Good kid, he sure knows how to talk.


    Wu Xingxue was originally still pondering who Xiao Fuxuan was exactly, deathly afraid that he would get it wrong and blow his cover. Much thanks to Ning Huaishan¡¯s quick mouth for helping him avoid this calamity.


    But it was truly very strange.


    Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t understand the rules here, but he¡¯d read storybooks.


    The immortals in storybooks always regarded demons as filth; like water and fire, the two parties were irreconcilable. Who would place their own coffin in a prison specifically for detaining demons, were they really that afraid of dying contently?


    Or¡­ was there another explanation?


    Wu Xingxue pondered this, reaching out to brush the side of the white jade coffin filled with coffin nails.


    Ever since he was little, he had a bad habit¡ªmost of the nobles of Que Capital all loved unique and abnormal objects, like shark pearls, praj?¨¡, and earthly lanterns, their flowery names each more ostentatious than the next.


    But he was different.


    He was very traditional; he only liked white jade. He couldn¡¯t help but to touch it whenever he saw it, testing its quality.


    ¡­


    ¡°Personally, I think it¡¯s definitely not a real coffin. It¡¯s probably just a sartorial tomb[1].¡±


    ¡°Is a sartorial tomb not weird? How is that different from actually lying there?¡±


    ¡°True! Even the ugly stone statues in shabby mountain temples can get a smidge of the actual immortal¡¯s spirit, not to mention the clothes they really wore? That¡¯s not called a smidge of spirit, that¡¯s basically the actual person. Chengzhu, you¡ª¡±


    After Ning Huaishan finished relaying his suspicions, he turned around and saw his chengzhu touching that coffin.


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°???¡±


    Truly abnormal.


    This scene was really too unusual, and the subordinates were instantly bewildered.


    It was truly difficult to determine this demon¡¯s emotions, and some of his actions were truly beyond the realm of expectation. When he laughed, that didn¡¯t always mean he was happy, and when he spoke warmly and softly, that didn¡¯t always mean he was praising you.


    He was really hard to serve and really hard to see through.


    ¡­.


    But that was Xiao Fuxuan, the Xiao Fuxuan who sealed him inside the Canglang Northern Territory. He¡­ why was he touching that?


    Ning Huaishan licked his lips: ¡°Chengzhu, what are you doing?¡±


    They all looked at each other, and then towards Wu Xingxue. The subordinate closest to Ning Huaishan suddenly touched his neck shiftily. He reached out a finger and wrote on Ning Huaishan¡¯s palm:


    [Don¡¯t you think¡­]


    He hadn¡¯t finished writing when he heard a ¡°ping¡ª¡± sound.


    Where Wu Xingxue¡¯s fingers had brushed, black coffin nails abruptly popped out, sticking up almost an inch. Scraps of jade still clung onto the nails, and a layer of soft golden light swirled around them, like they had been unscrupulously pulled out by a violent force[2].


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The hand that was writing froze, fingers curling back.


    Immediately, there was a second sound.


    Ping¡ª


    Another black coffin needle popped out.


    And then a third.


    A fourth.


    ¡­


    With the loss of each coffin nail, the entire white jade coffin would shake. And not just the coffin, but the sword cemetery, the huge tree, and even the entire wilderness would shake with it.


    Ning Huaishan and the others acted as if facing a great enemy; in a second, they had retreated many meters away, calling in alarm: ¡°Chengzhu, we thought¡­ you actually wanted to open the coffin?!¡±


    No, I didn¡¯t.


    Wu Xingxue thought ¡®if I knew how to work a bit of spiritual power[3], I¡¯d be running faster than all of you guys.¡¯


    But unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know. Not only could he not run, but his two feet couldn¡¯t even move. He didn¡¯t know what kind of spirit force that coffin had, but as it shook, it seemed that numerous invisible hands had reached out from the ground and grasped him solidly in place.


    So as the subordinates had all retreated, he still stood next to the coffin, watching with his own eyes as all the coffin nails fell. As the last ¡°ping¡± sounded, the huge white jade coffin lid emitted a sound like ¡°clay and rock scraping together,¡± falling to the ground with a boom.


    Wu Xingxue closed his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t smell any odor of decay; only the scent of cold snow and floating dust fell in his nose.


    It seemed a bit like deep winter in Que Capital.


    ¡°It really opened¡­¡± Ning Huaishan and the others mumbled, ¡°Chengzhu, what¡¯s inside?¡±


    Wu Xingxue opened his eyes.


    That white jade coffin was much taller than a regular coffin; he couldn¡¯t see inside from where he was standing.


    At some point, the pressure at his feet had vanished, and he hesitantly walked a step closer: ¡°Inside is¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s lips moved a bit, and then unconsciously pressed together.


    It was too unexpected.


    The person lying inside the white jade coffin was actually the Tianxiu Immortal. He looked just like the vague image inside the golden water lily from before, but still not completely alike.


    A thick layer of frigid air was enshrouded inside the coffin, within which lay Xiao Fuxuan, frost dusting his closed eyes and the black mourning pins in his ear bone. He looked colder than a jade bi[4], without a hint of life.


    Wu Xingxue rested against the coffin, his gaze cast downward for a long period.


    ¡°Chengzhu, is it a sartorial tomb? Or are there some personal objects suppressed inside?¡± Ning Huaishan¡¯s voice sounded closer and closer; after a while with no answer, the subordinates dragged their feet over around him.


    Just as they reached their heads over, they saw Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s face.


    ¡­


    Ning Huaishan scrambled back to where he was. The others also wanted to run, but they heard one of them say: ¡°Ay? That¡¯s not right, wait!¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°Wait? Do I look crazy?¡±


    ¡°Chengzhu is still here, why are you panicking? Look closely, the coffin doesn¡¯t contain the actual person.¡±


    Hn? Not the actual person?


    Wu Xingxue looked up, but he was afraid of appearing too surprised, so he dropped his gaze once again.


    Thankfully, Ning Huaishan opened his mouth again: ¡°Not the actual person?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, have you forgotten? Those immortals really like doing things like splitting themselves into um, um, corporeal bodies, leaving one here and another there.¡±


    Oh, the storybooks also talked about this, deities roaming around the human realm.


    Wu Xingxue thought.


    ¡°How can you tell?¡± Ning Huaishan replied apprehensively.


    ¡°I¡¯m old, after all, I¡¯ve seen stuff like this. Look at his wrist.¡±


    Wu Xingxue looked over.


    He saw that on the side of the person in the coffin¡¯s left hand, there was a small black mark, just like the water lily from before.


    Putting it like this, this really isn¡¯t the actual person, but just an empty shell of a body?


    The subordinates were still talking, but Wu Xingxue wasn¡¯t listening very carefully.


    Because he was thinking of a problem¡ª


    Since the one in the jade coffin wasn¡¯t the actual person, and didn¡¯t have any sign of suddenly coming to life.


    Then¡­ who opened the coffin just now?


    He immediately looked down at his own hands.


    He almost suspected that this so-called demon¡¯s original owner hadn¡¯t completely disappeared. Maybe he had even left some remaining strength in his hands.


    But that also wasn¡¯t right.


    When he touched the coffin, there wasn¡¯t any force in his fingers; he really just touched it.


    Besides¡­


    If that original owner was still here, then according to that person¡¯s abilities, wouldn¡¯t it be extremely easy for him to snatch this body back? Why would he still be allowing him to usurp this body?


    As Wu Xingxue pondered this vacantly, he suddenly noticed an object underneath ¡°Xiao Fuxuan¡±¡¯s hand, covered by the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s slightly curved fingers, with only a corner peeking out.


    Is that a jade statue?


    Wu Xingxue hesitated for a moment, mumbling in his head: ¡°Although you are only a shell, I should still say in advance, excuse me.¡±


    He pried open the ice-cold fingers of the person inside the coffin, taking out the thing under his palm.


    It was a figurine sculpted from white jade; the carving was extremely life-like, but the figurine didn¡¯t have a face, so he couldn¡¯t tell who it was. The person did hold a long sword in their hand, though, and a square platform carved with flowers rested beneath their feet.


    In Que Capital, stone and jade statues with platforms only consisted of one type¡ªdivine icons used for worship.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was the same here.


    But if this was a divine figure, and they were holding a sword, then this should be the Tianxiu Immortal himself.


    As Wu Xingxue speculated, his thumb unconsciously brushed past the flowers on the square platform. He didn¡¯t know where he had touched, but his heart suddenly jumped¡ªhe heard a voice.


    [Have you gone to Chunfan City west of Dream Capital? There¡¯s an exceptional person there named Yi Wusheng[5].]


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    He almost tossed the divine statue.


    But thankfully, he had witnessed countless situations in Que Capital, so he was very adept at not changing his expression.


    Who is speaking? Why can I hear this voice?


    Wu Xingxue gazed downwards, but his heart was secretly thundering.


    Is it because I¡¯m holding this divine statue?


    Wu Xingxue was silent for a moment, and he again used his thumb to touch the flower carving from before.


    This time, there was absolutely no noise.


    What happened? Don¡¯t tell me that being possessed has led to hysteria?


    Wu Xingxue turned the divine statue around again, mumbling in his head.


    [Do you want to go back? Go find him.]


    At some point, that voice sounded again with absolutely no warning.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s fingers tightened.


    This information still had no context, but that phrase ¡°do you want to go back¡± struck his heart¡¯s desires dead center.


    Do I want to go back?


    Of course I do.


    He really wanted to go back to Que Capital.


    There, there weren¡¯t any evil creatures, Canglang Northern Territory didn¡¯t exist, and there were no clanging heavenly locks.


    There, the world wasn¡¯t divided into the Immortal Capital and demon lairs; there was only the human realm with its lively commotion, horses and carriages, free to come and go as you please.


    Chunfan City¡­


    Yi Wusheng¡­


    He repeated these two words subconsciously, then snorted at himself in his head.


    You really are insane, he thought to himself.


    You don¡¯t know who this voice is, and you also don¡¯t know who that sentence is for. It¡¯s extremely likely that it¡¯s only some remnant spiritual consciousness on this divine statue, yet just because it matches your own wishes, you actually took note.


    He shook his head, and was just about to replace this divine statue that drove people insane, but that hazy voice sounded again.


    [This type of shell is the easiest to use. Grasp the wrist, send in spiritual energy, and a puppet will form. If it¡¯s some powerful person, then you¡¯ve profited. When you take it out, it will be obedient and imposing¡­ are you listening?]


    Wu Xingxue directly dropped the divine statue back into the coffin.


    Out of respect for this Tianxiu Immortal, he actually avoided his person. The divine statue fell onto the jade bottom with a clunk, startling Ning Huaishan and the others into a shudder.


    ¡°Chengzhu, the divine statue can¡¯t be¡­ Chengzhu? Ning Huaishan had only said half a sentence when he saw his chengzhu prop himself against the side of the coffin, bend down, and reach out a hand to the person inside the coffin.


    He saw Wu Xingxue grasp Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s wrist, his slender thumb rubbing that black mark.


    Isn¡¯t this, isn¡¯t this how you make a puppet?!


    The subordinates were all shocked still: ¡°Chengzhu! You, are you trying to turn the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s empty human body into your own puppet?!¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought, Of course not, would I dare? And besides, do I have the ability?


    Actually, he didn¡¯t even know why he went to touch him. To prove that the voice in his head wasn¡¯t his imagination? But he actually couldn¡¯t prove anything; after all, the voice said that he needed to send spiritual energy.


    He didn¡¯t have anything to send, he could only simply press, how could this lead to a result¡ª


    This thought hadn¡¯t yet finished when he suddenly felt a jump beneath his thumb.


    It was very light, like a heartbeat.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Wait?


    Abruptly alarmed, he lifted his head to look, only to see the person in the coffin who had perished who knows how many years ago suddenly open his eyes.


    Ning Huaishan and the others¡¯ possessed yells were deafening: ¡°It worked! It really worked! Chengzhu, look, the puppet formed, he opened his eyes!¡±


    Even their chengzhu¡¯s heart was cold.


    He did open his eyes.


    What¡¯s scary is that I didn¡¯t even do anything, but he really opened his eyes.


    Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t even have time to explain himself before he felt the scene in front of his eyes blur.


    A huge gust of force fell on his body, and the world then started to spin. He subconsciously closed his eyes.


    No one saw clearly how the new ¡°puppet¡± in the coffin got up, they only felt a great gale of wind from the wilderness, carrying the vast billowing snow, swirl into a vortex around the coffin.


    All of the long swords in the sword cemetery started to shake, and the sound of clanging metal mixed in with the wind, almost indiscernible from the chains on Wu Xingxue¡¯s body.


    When the blizzard lifted, the ¡°puppet¡± had pressed Wu Xingxue to the ground, his left hand catching a long sword that had flew in from the sword cemetery. The sword spun, coldly aiming downwards.


    ¡­


    Wu Xingxue heard the whish of the sword and abruptly closed his eyes. But the tip of the sword wedged into the ground only a hair¡¯s breadth away; the cold sword qi swept over with the wind and stopped agonizingly close to next to his neck.


    Not a hair was harmed, but the sword was still acutely sharp beside him.


    He saw Xiao Fuxuan blink away the frost on his lashes and bend down to look at him.


    After a long moment, he called his name: ¡°Wu Xingxue.¡±


    [1] Ò¹ÚÚ£, where only the deceased¡¯s clothing and other items are buried


    [2] Some of the characters for this last bit are missing in the raw, so I¡¯m guessing this is what Mu Su Li meant.


    [3] ·¨Êõ, literally magic, but it refers more to what cultivators do with their qi, including arrays, talismans, etc.


    [4] èµ, a bi is a disk with a hole in the middle. In ancient Chinese art, jade bis often symbolize copulation.


    [5] Yi here actually means doctor in Chinese; Yi Wusheng works in medicine.

 CH 4

    Wu Xingxue squinted his eyes.


    He had gotten used to lazy living; this was the first time in his life that someone had threatened the vulnerable part of his throat in such a manner.


    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± he looked at Xiao Fuxuan, saying softly.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s lips moved, but he didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me,¡± Wu Xingxue then said.


    Xiao Fuxuan was still holding the long sword. His gaze fell from along the bridge of his tall, straight nose. After a second, he finally replied: ¡°¡­ why?¡±


    His voice was very low, carrying a hint of the hoarseness that came from not having spoken in a long time.


    ¡°Because you have the wrong person.¡± Wu Xingxue said slowly.


    He thought that Xiao Fuxuan would be shocked for a second, or at least frown. Instead, he found that the other party was still pressing him down, impassive.


    Wu Xingxue was stunned for a bit, and then finally reacted: Perhaps it¡¯s because the original owner¡¯s crimes were too heinous and had tripped too many people, so now no one will easily believe what he says.


    I¡¯m so unfortunate[1], he thought.


    ¡°They say that you¡¯re the Tianxiu Immortal, with such an impressive title you should be able to tell, I¡­¡± He softly said half the sentence then stopped, glancing at where his subordinates were.


    Xiao Fuxuan finally spoke: ¡°Speak, they can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    They can¡¯t hear?


    Wu Xingxue then realized that it had been a while since he had heard any movement from the subordinates. It was as if the blizzard had become a cover, blocking out all bystanders.


    He licked his lips and said morosely: ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong, I¡¯m not him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the demon of which you guys speak.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan was still looking at him. After a long moment, his brows slowly furrowed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that demon was always scheming, if he had lied outrageously, so you don¡¯t want to believe me.¡± As he said this, he felt a bit helpless, ¡°That¡¯s also normal.¡±


    He pulled at his lips and said: ¡°But I¡¯m really not him. I¡¯m not even from here, if you¡¯re like the deities from the storybooks, then you should be able to find out. At most, I¡¯m just a tragic wandering soul, do you want to try to look?¡±


    As he said this, he lifted his left hand, exposing the vulnerable part of his wrist.


    Xiao Fuxuan watched his movement, still with no response.


    Wu Xingxue thought for certain that he wouldn¡¯t answer; he was silent for a moment, feeling like he had spoken to no avail.


    Just as he was about to say ¡®never mind,¡¯ he suddenly heard Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s deep voice ask: ¡°Then what is your name, from where do you come?¡±


    Wu Xingxue suddenly looked up at him and thought for a bit, saying: ¡°That place is called Que Capital. It¡¯s very different from here and hard to explain in a few sentences. Since you¡¯re an immortal, you must be able to do many things, do you have a way to help me?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°I manage punishment, I can only capture and discipline people.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    His wrist was still lifted, and after a moment of silence, he lowered it again with a clang.


    It¡¯s unclear what this behavior reminded Xiao Fuxuan of. He watched for a bit, and then suddenly withdrew his gaze and stood up, pulling out his sword.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    How sudden.


    So he believes me? That¡¯s also not right¡­


    The acute sharpness next to his neck and the frigid air dissipated completely. Wu Xingxue propped himself into a sitting position. Just as he stood, he saw Xiao Fuxuan return his sword into its sheath.


    With a clash, the surrounding blizzard abruptly ceased.


    Ning Huaishan and the others looked like they had been frozen into rock statues, maintaining a stiff, peculiar posture. The second that the blizzard dispersed, they finally regained some sense of life.


    ¡°Chengzhu!¡±


    ¡°Chengzhu, why did that shell¡ª¡± Ning Huaishan seemed to have missed that moment of effort the middle. He still remained at the instant when Xiao Fuxuan had pressed Wu Xingxue to the ground. He was about to anxiously inquire after him, but then he saw his chengzhu standing alive and well, with Xiao Fuxuan at his side.


    ¡°???¡± Ning Huaishan¡¯s words screeched to a halt, his head filled with fog.


    He looked at chengzhu, and then at the Tianxiu Immortal, pondering as he spoke: ¡°That really scared me before! So, did it attack because there was still a little bit of leftover spiritual consciousness?¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought ¡®a little bit leftover wouldn¡¯t be able to move like this.¡¯


    ¡°What about now?¡± Ning Huaishan carefully peaked at Xiao Fuxuan, still a little bit fearful, but unable to stop the light radiating from his eyes, ¡°So did it work? Is this shell chengzhu¡¯s puppet? If it worked, then you¡¯ve really profited. Puppets are loyal protectors of their master; they¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan looked coldly at Ning Huaishan.


    Wu Xingxue was just about to say that that wasn¡¯t a puppet, but before he had a chance to speak, he heard a piercing noise sound across the entire Canglang Northern Territory, shaking the earth.


    The white jade coffin that Xiao Fuxuan had slept in completely shattered. The enormous tree swayed incessantly, and a huge fault appeared in the wilderness. Dust and rocks crashed to the ground from above; towards the end, the sound was almost deafening.


    ¡°It seems like this Canglang Northern Territory is at its end, it¡¯s really going to collapse!¡± the subordinates yelled.


    Boulders fell like rain, and they were still in the thirty-third layer; wanting to leave was truly incredibly difficult.


    ¡°Chengzhu¡ª¡±


    The subordinates called out, and then were pushed off to some unknown place, their sound muffling, their condition a mystery.


    An enormous cliff tumbled down from somewhere unknown. The bottom of the cliff was tens of meters wide, sharp as the blade of a sword. If it fell on a normal person[2], it would directly piece through their skull, killing them where they stood. And the person below that enormous cliff was Wu Xingxue.


    The place where he stood was also crumbling into ruins. Only a single rock remained, completely solitary. He stood on that rock like blue fog, and at the moment when his life was on the line, he lifted his head to look at the edge of the cliff.


    In the next second, countless long, golden swords abruptly appeared, carrying the imprint of the word ¡°Mian,¡± and encompassed him inside.


    He couldn¡¯t see anything, but he felt that someone had shielded him.


    ***


    The collapse of the Canglang Northern Territory incited a great tremor in the Boundless Sea.


    As the cultivation disciples scrambled to deal with this, an inconspicuous wupeng[3] boat was simultaneously passing through the Rustling Channel at the edge of the Boundless Sea.


    Wu Xingxue held a handwarmer, leaning silently against a corner of the wupeng boat. A leather lantern hung from the awning of the boat and swayed gently with the wind, yet no matter what, the long tongues of flame were unable to reach the lantern walls.


    They had lost track of those subordinates when the Canglang Northern Territory collapsed; only Ning Huaishan and the one that had lost an arm were close enough to be swept up onto the boat.


    One-Arm had suffered considerably, and he slept the moment he got on the boat. Ning Huaishan had a sturdy foundation though, and still talked nonstop.


    He wrung out the bottom of his waterlogged robe on the deck, and then returned beneath the awning, scrubbing his hands. He reported to Wu Xingxue: ¡°We¡¯re about to enter the White Deer Ford, chengzhu. Did you hear that just now? The thunder from the Boundless Sea¡¯s snowy pool, now that¡¯s earsplitting.¡±


    Actually, Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t understand why he was so joyful.


    Good thing he had a loose mouth and would say it himself: ¡°Look at just how far the waves from the Canglang Northern Territory have splashed, those cultivators outside that surrounded us are definitely in a pitiful state. As long as they¡¯re not happy, I¡¯m happy.¡±


    ¡°Think of them, and then look at us¡ª¡± He glanced over at the person in front of Wu Xingxue, ¡°Logically, you can enter the Canglang Northern Territory, but never exit. But who would¡¯ve thought, eh, we have a magic weapon.¡±


    ¡°Chengzhu really is awesome, thinking to turn the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s shell into a puppet. Who¡¯s more familiar with the way out of Canglang Northern Territory than him? The rumors really aren¡¯t lying, this puppet actually does do whatever you say, a loyal protector of its master.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s actual person has already died, if he knew from beyond the grave that the shell he had left in the Canglang Northern Territory would one day save a demon from Zhaoye City, that¡¯d really be¡­ tsk tsk tsk.¡±


    Actually, beyond the grave isn¡¯t really necessary, he¡¯s watching you chatter right now.


    Wu Xingxue thought.


    He was happy to witness this chaos; he listened quite attentively on one hand, unabashedly peeking at the person across from him on the other.


    He saw Xiao Fuxuan with his broad shoulders and narrow waist leaning against the boat with his sword in his arms. He expressionlessly watched Ning Huaishan prattle on, and his eyes seemed to reflect five big words¡ªhow are you still alive?


    If looks were swords, Ning Huaishan would already be dead.


    Wu Xingxue watched the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s indescribable expression for a little bit, and unable to hold it in, he held the handwarmer and started to laugh.


    Ning Huaishan was subconsciously scared into silence.


    Hearing the laughter, Xiao Fuxuan also turned around.


    When he looked towards Wu Xingxue, his gaze fell from his thin eyelids, reflecting the soft light of the lantern.


    After a second, he turned to look outside the boat, and because of some longwinded reason¡­ continued to pretend to be a puppet.


    At the Canglang Northern Territory, when Ning Huaishan was talking nonsense, he could still try to deceive them.


    But now he couldn¡¯t, he had truly carried a demon out, so in front of others, he could only pretend to be a puppet.


    ¡°Chengzhu, our Zhaoye City has expanded again, even annexing the previous Lang Islet and the Valley of Great Sorrow. After we pass the White Deer Ford and land towards the west, we can enter the city.¡±


    The weight of midnight finally appeared, Ning Huaishan yawned, and it wasn¡¯t long before he went to accompany One-Arm. Not even a bit later, snores sounded like thunder.


    What he didn¡¯t know was, just after he had closed his eyes, the puppet of his words had opened his golden mouth.


    ¡°When the enormous cliff crashed down, why didn¡¯t you duck away?¡± Xiao Fuxuan withdrew his gaze from beyond the boat, saying gravely.


    ¡°There was no path on either side, and I¡¯m not a yao[4], I don¡¯t have three heads and six arms. I already said, I¡¯m just a normal person, but you don¡¯t believe me.¡± He then slowly closed his eyes again, speaking in a mumble.


    He looked as if he had already fallen asleep. However, after a bit, he suddenly murmured: ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    The person holding the sword abruptly looked up. He saw that person tuck his handwarmer into his sleeve, exposing the long, smooth lines of his wrist, and ask: ¡°Since you don¡¯t believe me, then why did you save a demon just then¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t answer.


    The person who had asked also didn¡¯t seem to wait for an answer, he didn¡¯t open his eyes, and he fell asleep not even a bit later.


    ***


    Wu Xingxue was awoken by Ning Huaishan¡¯s clamoring voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right, I set the pole due west. We should be reaching the shores of White Deer Ford now, how can it fucking change direction?! This isn¡¯t good, we¡¯re going to be delayed going to Zhaoye City¡­¡±


    Who knew what about Zhaoye City had him so troubled, persuading and pressing Wu Xingxue to return as quickly as possible.


    That, Wu Xingxue definitely couldn¡¯t agree to.


    That was a demon lair, he¡¯d be crazy to go.


    Wu Xingxue listened for a bit with his eyes half closed. He finally understood that someone probably moved the navigational pole in the middle of the night.


    Ning Huaishan and One-Arm had slept like pigs, so the person who did it went without saying.


    But that immortal was still pretending to be a puppet right now, turning a deaf ear to the commotion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t yell. Where are we going now?¡± Wu Xingxue was still sleepy, asking with his eyes half open.


    Ning Huaishan said feebly: ¡°According to the direction, we¡¯re going to pass around Chunfan City.¡±


    Chunfan City¡­


    Chunfan City??


    Wu Xingxue suddenly bolted upright.


    He still remembered that sentence he had heard from before, saying that there was an exceptional person Yi Wusheng, and if he wanted to return, he could go to him for help.


    The person who changed the direction of the boat was Xiao Fuxuan.


    Could it be that this great immortal finally thought it through and believed him, thus deciding to find Yi Wusheng to help send him back?!


    Fair enough, the sooner he gets sent back, the sooner this shell can be returned to that demon. At that point, whether it be slaughter or imprisonment, it will have nothing to do with him.


    Hopefully that Yi Wusheng is an openminded, kind individual who could believe him, and would be willing to help.


    ***


    They got off the boat at five in the morning. A white flag hung at the place where they landed, with ¡°Swallow Port¡± embroidered on the flag in blue letters, along with a swallow.


    It was clearly the start of the day, but this Swallow Port was covered in thick fog; the only people present were two young individuals carrying swords, likely the disciples of some sect.


    As soon as Ning Huaishan and One-Arm stepped foot onto the port, they squatted down.


    ¡°How come the number of divine statues in this place, compared to a few months ago, has again increased by a stretch? I said to not pass through here, to not pass through here, isn¡¯t this trying to have my life?¡± He cradled his head, looking truly ill.


    Before he got off the boat, Wu Xingxue had heard him mention a few things¡ª


    He said that although the Immortal Capital had perished, the common people still loved to carve divine statues. Those divine statues had consumed a great deal of offerings and incense; most of them carried a bit of immortal spirit, and although they couldn¡¯t eliminate demons, they could still make them feel a bit ill.


    Until now, most of the cultivation sects had congregated along the course of Dream Capital, Yuyang, and Lang Islet; it was a bit safer there. As for the rest of the places, they could only rely on the smaller sects as well as these divine statues to pass the days.


    But even so, they couldn¡¯t stop the increasingly arrogant demons.


    After all, the Immortal City had perished, and there was no hope of ascension for cultivators; it only took one look to see the end of the road[5]. And demons and monsters abounded everywhere, unrestrained and reprobate. The more that they killed with abandon, the longer they lived.


    It¡¯s no surprise that the demon lair Zhaoye City grew bigger and bigger, the population larger and larger.


    These two years, even incidents in Dream Capital, Yuyang, and Lang Islet occurred incessantly, forcing the ports, fords, and city gates to fill themselves to the brim with divine statues.


    Swallow Port was just one example.


    In comparison to the reaction of Ning Huaishan and One-Arm, Wu Xingxue was truly unbothered to the point of abnormality.


    He stood surrounded by divine statues, but wasn¡¯t affected even the slightest bit, and he even had the spare interest to listen to the conversation of those sword-carrying disciples.


    ¡°Tell me, after the demise of the Canglang Northern Territory, what are we going to do from now on? Aren¡¯t those demon scum going to be even more arrogant?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know how long we can last¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s hard to say. Did you hear? Yesterday, the shi-jie who went to the Canglang Northern Territory came back and said that the demon Wu Xingxue could still be alive! Now that Canglang Northern Territory has collapsed, he¡¯s probably already gotten out.¡±


    ¡°Pst! Don¡¯t say negative things, he won¡¯t.¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought ¡®silly kid, he will, not only has he gotten out, but he¡¯s listening to you spit at him right now.¡¯


    He was just thinking ¡°Ning Huaishan and One-Arm, those two burdens[6] of the original owner, can I or can I not leave them outside the city?¡± when he suddenly heard a sentence¡ª


    One of the sword-carrying disciples couldn¡¯t hold it in: ¡°If that demon really got out, guess which place would be the first to go? Why am I so panicked?¡±


    The other guard said: ¡°Don¡¯t panic, and don¡¯t guess, it¡¯s our Chunfan City.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Think about it, there are so many people in this city who have a vendetta against him. The Gao family, the Shen family, and Mr. Yi Wusheng, his brother, father, wife, and daughter all lost their lives in the hands of that demon, tragic deaths, ah¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°What sheng??? Which sheng???¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan lowered his head, saying: ¡°The person you¡¯re looking for, Yi Wusheng.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was silent for a moment, then turned around to leave.


    Looking for what, helping for what, he¡¯s better off living in this demon¡¯s body until he¡¯s a hundred years old.


    [1] Ô©, means unfortunate in the sense that you were wrongly accused of something


    [2] ·²ÈË, someone with no spiritual powers


    [3] ÎÚÅñ´¬, small bamboo boat with black awning


    [4] Ñý, a type of creature in Chinese mythology that can shapeshift between an human and an animal.


    [5] Road as inµÀ, as in Daoism; cultivation is rooted in the practice of Daoism.


    [6] ÍÏÓÍÆ¿, slang that actually means children from a previous marriage.

 CH 5

    Of course, Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t get to leave.


    Firstly, now that they were here already, it would be a shame to leave in such a hurry. And secondly, he didn¡¯t really have anywhere else to go.


    After waiting around a bit by the pier, the two disciples came over.


    Wu Xingxue saw that on the silver tassels on their swords, there was a peach blossom carved with pink jade. The word ¡°Hua¡±1, was also imprinted on the jade tokens on their waists. Obviously, these were two disciples of the Hua Sect. To be responsible for guarding the port and city gate, they must come from quite a powerful sect.


    ¡°Hello, are you guys looking to enter the city?¡± The two disciples bowed politely, saying, ¡°There have been quite a few things going on lately around here, so it¡¯s a bit strict to enter and leave the city. If you find us to be rude or offensive, please understand.¡±


    They looked towards Ning Huaishan and One-arm with an alarming face, ¡°These two¡­ are they not feeling well?¡±


    It was no wonder they grew suspicious. After those two got off, they were having nausea and vomiting, the exact responses a devil would have.


    If it weren¡¯t because Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan, both of which appeared normal, these two disciples would have already drawn their swords.


    Ning Huaishan didn¡¯t want to bother explaining. He pinched his hands together, making his fingertips as sharp as a knife.


    Wu Xingxue immediately pulled him back and replied for him, ¡°They¡¯re seasick.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± the two disciples took another look at the bamboo boat, still in suspicion, ¡°Where do you guys come from?¡±


    Since the City Lord didn¡¯t let him move, he could only wipe his lips and reply, ¡°The Rustling Channel of Eternal Sea.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no wonder. There was quite a storm there last night, traveling on boat would indeed be difficult.¡±


    This time, the two disciples believed them.


    They then started to study Xiao Fuxuan. But before they were even able to speak, Ning Huaishan had already started, ¡°This is my City¡­ my young master¡¯s puppet.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    With Ning Huaishan¡¯s mouth with us, the entire city will know us in just a few days, Wu Xingxue thought.


    But owning a puppet wasn¡¯t too surprising, it was common among the cultivators. Especially now that the world was getting more and more chaotic, it was normal for a young master to be bringing puppets as body guards. The puppet itself didn¡¯t merit any suspicion.


    It was just that the stature, appearance, and disposition of this puppet was too astounding, simultaneously drawing people¡¯s attention while also causing the two disciples to murmur to each other¡­


    Because of their upbringing, they didn¡¯t stare at Xiao Fuxuan too much. But when leaving, Wu Xingxue heard them discuss in whispers.


    ¡°That puppet, have we seen it somewhere before? Why does it look kind of familiar, almost as if I know him?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that young master Cheng also¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ***


    In the end, only Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan entered Chunfan City.


    This was because that was a giant stone sculpture of a deity placed right in the middle of the road that leads into the city. The copper platform in front was completely filled with incense, causing the smoke to linger everywhere in the air. Ning Huaishan and One-arm¡¯s faces turned green immediately. They almost ran for their lives as they yelled, ¡°City Lord, we¡¯ll wait for you in the mountains at the city border!¡±


    To Wu Xingxue, this was exactly what he wanted.


    After the two hindrances were gone, Wu Xingxue grabbed Xiao Fuxuan and dragged him into the city.


    ¡°Immortal, I need a little help. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s suitable for me to go to Yi Wusheng¡¯s house like this, please help me change¨C¡± He walked into an alley, and after making sure no one was near, he finally turned around.


    He saw that Xiao Fuxuan allowed himself to be dragged around by him. His unfriendly look landed on the hand that was being held onto by Wu Xingxue.


    Wu Xingxue was stunned for a second before releasing his grasp.


    Only now did Xiao Fuxuan look up, ¡°Is this the way you usually ask people for help?¡±


    Wu Xingxue raised his eyebrows, ¡°Which way?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan glanced around in the alley.


    It was extremely narrow, and since he was tall, the already scarce sunlight was almost completely blocked by him.


    Wu Xingxue also suddenly realized that this area might have been a bit too remote.


    He gave a little smile, ¡°I don¡¯t usually ask for help, and deep allies like this aren¡¯t seen very often in Que City.¡±


    This was true.


    While in Que City, as long as he reached out his hand, without even having to speak, there would be servants who would bring up exactly what he wanted. He really didn¡¯t need to ask anyone for help.


    And, Wu Xingxue added, ¡°I never had to do anything that required such secrecy before.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan simply looked at him, without comment.


    ¡°So, you want to change your appearance?¡± Xiao Fuxuan finally asked.


    He didn¡¯t seem to wait for a response. After swapping the hand holding the sword, he lowered his head, touched the curve of his bent finger to Wu Xingxue¡¯s jaw, brushed his thumb along the side of his face, his chin, and then his forehead.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make it too ugly,¡± Wu Xingxue couldn¡¯t help but add.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hand paused for a moment, then silently continued.


    After a moment, he said slowly, ¡°Too late.¡±


    Well¡­


    Wu Xingxue gave up protesting and allowed him to modify his face freely.


    This alley was indeed too remote and quiet. Time suddenly seemed to have slowed down.


    ¡°Done yet?¡± asked Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Xiao Fuxuan replied.


    His hand was already placed down, but after a second, he rose it again to touch Wu Xingxue¡¯s eyebrow.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Xiao Fuxuan gave a one-worded response and then turned to leave the alley.


    But just when he turned around, Wu Xingxue heard him say, ¡°Your eyes are so easy to recognize.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was stunned for a second, then quickly caught up to him, ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    The man in front turned his face back slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if you also change your appearance. Since they love divine statues so much, and your reputation is so high, there¡¯s definitely a statue of you somewhere. Although I think that the statues are quite different from the actual people, it¡¯ll be trouble if some expert manages to recognize you.


    It wasn¡¯t until they exited the alley, the sunlight momentarily blinding, that Wu Xingxue realized he didn¡¯t need to say that.


    A famous immortal like Xiao Fuxuan, so what if he got recognized? He wasn¡¯t a Devil Lord who has made enemies with all corners of the earth.


    Just as he wanted to speak to amend his previous sentence, he saw Xiao Fuxuan turn sideways to wait for him. His face has already changed.


    ***


    Chunfan City was not a small place. Apparently, there were six sects here, and one with the highest reputation and the most disciples was none other than the Hua Sect.


    The Hua Sect was found at Peach Blossom Island, located in the heart of the river to the west of Chunfan City. Firstly, this place allowed for peaceful and quiet living; they didn¡¯t need to fight for space with the boundaries of the other sects. Secondly, with such a big sect, they could protect the city¡¯s western border.


    After all, Swallow Port, the place with the most outsiders, was also located at the western side of the city. Among those people, there were obviously those up to no good, and it was inevitable for a few of them to sneak into the city.


    Every time a devil sneaked into the city, it was a nightmare for everyone else.


    Most devils were originally humans. They had the look of ordinary people and spoke an ordinary language. Before stepping onto the path of evil, they even used to be part of the city. So with them mixed in the crowd, it was almost impossible to identify them.


    The way devils cultivate were too diabolical. They were cunning, fickle, and could bewitch people. They were bloodthirsty and murderous.


    Some devils could even change skins, and so they were extremely troublesome and hard to catch.


    They feed on raw souls and flesh, and after hallowing one out, they would merge into the body and look for the next one. This process was quick and silent.


    It was said that a couple of decades ago, although it was not the most prosperous time, there were more than 200,000 households in Chunfan City.


    By two years ago, there were only 100,000 left.


    And now, in just two short years, this 100,000 has turned into 70,000.


    Chunfan City¡¯s land size didn¡¯t change. It was just that more and more houses became empty. The closer to the border walls, the more quiet the region was.


    All Wu Xingxue saw along the way were empty houses. They were covered with thick cobwebs, and holes of all sizes were present on the doors and windows. The sound of the winter winds made these houses sound like a ghost¡¯s cry.


    Only areas near a certain sect would have some signs of living.


    The houses crowded around the sects like ants clustering around a drop of honey.


    There was only one exception¡ªthe Hua Sect.


    But that was only within expectation.


    Because the Hua Sect alone protected the entire Peach Blossom Island and east river. Completely isolated, this place was fundamentally a dangerous place: easy to attack and hard to defend. In addition to the fact that the Hua Sect had a considerable amount of disciples, if a few devils managed to slip in, the consequences would be disastrous.


    If there weren¡¯t some powerful people in the sect, then the people living here would have long been feasted by the devils.


    With so many people here however, it also frequently attracted the devils.


    ***


    Wu Xingxue heard various rumors about the Hua Sect and knew what a dangerous place that was. He was determined to never go there.


    But after two hours, he and Xiao Fuxuan stood at the entrance of the bridge leading to Peach Blossom Island, exchanging stares with the disciples guarding the bridge.


    ¡°No, wait¡­¡± Wu Xingxue quickly pulled Xiao Fuxuan back, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to bring me to Yi Wusheng? How come all twelve poles of the bridge has the word Hua on them???¡±


    ¡°Tell me the truth, do you really know Yi Wusheng???¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t his family name Yi???¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He gave a cold frown as he stared at Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°Who told you that the Hua Sect is a family clan with no outsiders?¡± Xiao Fuxuan asked back.


    ¡°Oh, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Did you ask?


    Expressionlessly, he lifted his chin towards the island in the river, ¡°I just happen to have interacted with Yi Wusheng in the past, I¡¯m certain of it. He¡¯s one of the Elders of the Four Halls of Hua Sect, and he has a deep connection with the Hua Sect too.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the connection?¡± asked Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°Yi Wusheng¡¯s wife is the sister of Hua Zhaoting, the Sect Leader of Hua Sect.¡±


    After speaking, he glanced at Wu Xingxue fingers that were holding onto his hand. A moment later, he said, ¡°How long do you plan to hold me here?¡±


    Wu Xingxue let go and returned to the bridge with Xiao Fuxuan. He mumbled as he walked, ¡°I thought you were a high and might Celestial Immortal, how do you know the mortal world so well.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t reply.


    Until they almost reached there, the guarding quickly bowed politely towards them with their swords in their arms. Their faces full of bewilderment.


    Then they heard Xiao Fuxuan say, ¡°There used to be someone who liked to come.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was stunned.


    Then almost immediately, the disciples said in unison, ¡°Mr. Yi Wusheng is currently in seclusion in the back hall. We will report the Sect Master. Please follow us to rest a bit at the Tinghua Hall. He¡¯ll be here shortly.¡±


    ¡°Welcome.¡±


    Wu Xingxue crossed the long bridge and entered the gates to the Hua Sect. When being led into the Tinghua Hall, he suddenly thought of something.


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s wife was Hua Sect Leader¡¯s sister.


    And Yi Wusheng¡¯s father, brother, wife, and daughter all died tragically in the hands of the body¡¯s original owner¡­


    That meant, not only the unfortunate Yi Wusheng, even Chunfan City¡¯s largest sect¡­ the entire Hua Sect had a grudge against me?


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Maybe I should just end my life myself, at least that¡¯ll be fast and painless.

 CH 6

    Chapter 6: Lunatic


    This was likely the place to welcome guests and host discussions. The arrangements here were solid and bare, with only a couple of carved chairs and tables on both sides.


    The disciples led them to sit down, and then brought in two cups of tea. Wu Xingxue was not courteous at all, as he immediately took a cup and sipped. A crisp and light peach aroma wafted from the tea.


    A few other disciples were sweeping the floors of the hall. Seeing the guests, they all bowed respectfully.


    At the center of Tinghua Hall was a grand shrine with a jade divine statue on top. The disciples were cleaning the hall, lit incense for the statue, then exited the hall.


    This statue looked identical to the larger one in Chunfan City. The only difference was that while the one in the city was carved from stone, the one in the Hua Sect was carved from pink jade.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Wu Xingxue still had the cup in hand as he asked quietly.


    ¡°Hua Xin,¡± answered Xiao Fuxuan.


    Then, Wu Xingxue realized that these two words were also written on the back of the divine statue.


    Is it the same person in the portrait and on the statue? They look quite different, ¡°he whispered again.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Fuxuan glanced at him, probably signaling him to shut up.


    But¡­  he seemed to be very interested, as he added after a second, ¡°I think the painting looks a bit more accurate.¡±


    The immortal in the portrait appeared warm, graceful, and handsome. His natural smile made his eyes curl. He rested one hand on a white deer and held a lamp with the other. He looked like a deity who could protect the people¡ªa stark contrast to the manager of punishment and forgiveness, Xiao Fuxuan.


    Hua Xin¡¯s immortal title was written beside his name, ¡°Mingwu.¡±


    In the current dark and chaotic world, there are hundreds of sects of all sizes. Disregarding the smaller ones, the sects with the highest reputations all once had ancestors who ascended to immortality. The only reason the Hua Sect had such a high position in Chunfan City was because of Hua Xin.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡± asked Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Xiao Fuxuan, lightly, ¡°He¡¯s the head of the Lingtai Twelve Immortals.¡±1


    Head of the Twelve Immortals of Lingtai¡­


    Lingtai¡¯s Twelve Immortals¡­


    Wu Xingxue felt that this name sounded familiar, and then suddenly remembered what Ning Huaishan had mentioned with great admiration ¨C that he was the one who killed the Lingtai Twelve Immortals.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue choked on his tea.


    Before he could think more, the sect leader of the Hua Sect, Hua Zhaoting, arrived.


    He seemed to be in some sort of situation, striding down the hall in large steps with an unhappy expression. Two flustered disciples followed behind him, holding wooden boxes decorated with golden threads and urging him to do something.


    ¡°I already said no need. For such a small injury, there¡¯s no need for medicine. He¡¯s just a pitiful simpleton, so it is natural for him to act rashly. But I¡¯ve already said many times to just ignore him. Now great, Chi Yao and the others, tell them to go to Xuan Platform and reflect on their actions! ¡°


    The moment after Hua Zhaoting finished scolding and entered Tinghua Hall, his face changed immediately, ¡°Sorry for the long wait.¡±


    After all, he was from the same family as Mingwu Hua Xin. Although they didn¡¯t look very similar, as long as they were smiling, their warmth and gracefulness were identical.


    On the outside, he didn¡¯t look very much like a sect leader. In fact, he didn¡¯t even look like a cultivator¡ªhe lacked the arrogance of being different from a mortal. From his actions, he seemed more like an elegant merchant.


    Childe Cheng, I heard that you entered the city this morning. Did you guys have to go through the rustling channel of the Eternal Sea? ¡± Hua Zhaoting asked with a smile.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Childe who?


    He soon realized: when they had just arrived at Swallow Port, Ning Huaishan slipped his tongue in front of the two disciples. Instead of calling him ¡°City Lord,¡± he changed it to ¡°Young Master Cheng¡± instead.2


    Since those two disciples were from the Hua Sect, it seemed that the higher-ups already knew who they were.


    Alright¡­


    Wu Xingxue thought, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll call myself Cheng from now on. I don¡¯t even have to make anything up.¡±


    But the bigger problem was that Ning Huaishan also called Xiao Fuxuan his puppet.


    No wonder Hua Zhaoting only spoke to him alone; he didn¡¯t even regard the other person as a living being.


    Wu Xingxue originally planned to just be a ¡°mute¡±. He just had to pass on anything he was asked to Xiao Fuxuan. After all, he knew nothing about this world.


    Now great, he couldn¡¯t do that.


    Ning Huaishan was truly both troublesome and helpful at the same time.


    He cursed in his head, but his face maintained a steady manner. He replied calmly to Hua Zhaoting¡¯s questions, ¡°Yes, it was quite scary last night on the Eternal Sea. We never expected to run into such a situation. It seems we were rather unlucky. ¡°


    When we entered the port this morning, we heard that the Northern Frontiers had collapsed for real. Looking back at it now, it¡¯s truly terrifying. ¡± Wu Xingxue patted his knee, then said, ¡°To be completely honest, my legs are still shaking right now.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan:¡±¡­..¡±


    Hua Zhaoting nodded, ¡°It was indeed dangerous. So when I heard that there were guests from the sea, I was very shocked. Last night, I had an elder and a disciple return from there. They looked like they had been through a war. I can imagine what the situation is like on the sea. ¡°


    ¡°If I knew that it¡¯d be like this, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have come to bother you,¡± said Wu Xingxue.


    Hua Zhaoting waved his hand, ¡°Not a bother at all. Please don¡¯t say that, Childe Cheng. Our Hua Sect follows Immortal Mingwu¡¯s promise. We will guard Peach Blossom Island and maintain order on this land no matter what. ¡°


    He paused, then continued, ¡°I heard my disciples say that you¡¯re here to see Mr. Yi Wusheng.¡±


    Wu Xingxue nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    As the world already knows, Mr. Yi Wusheng has contributed greatly to the Dreaming Souls Technique. People who come to my sect to seek him mostly come for this reason. But¡­ I¡¯m not sure if you know yet, but Mr. Yi Wusheng must see the patient in order to save him. You have to bring him over. ¡°


    ¡°I did,¡± Wu Xingxue pointed at himself, ¡°it¡¯s me.¡±


    Hua Zhaoting was stunned for a second.


    He couldn¡¯t help but study Wu Xingxue. ¡°But, you don¡¯t really seem like one.¡±


    Those who came to seek Yi Wusheng at the Hua Sect mostly came because their souls had been damaged. Some because demons had devoured part of it, which they somehow managed to escape and survive. Some because they were cursed with demonic forbidden techniques. And some, because their cultivation had gone awry and they had lost their minds.


    These patients either looked like lunatics or berserkers.


    As for a patient like Wu Xingxue, who could still talk normally, it was very rare.


    ¡°Then, Childe Cheng¡­¡± Hua Zhaoting asked.


    Wu Xingxue quickly summarized, ¡°My soul has entered someone else¡¯s body and pushed out the original owner.¡± I want to ask Mr. Yi Wusheng if he has a way to bring me back. ¡°


    To cultivators, body snatching was commonly seen, fate-switching was commonly seen, and summoning deities or ghosts was also commonly seen. But Wu Xingxue¡¯s situation was neither of the three.


    Hua Zhaoting asked a few more questions, and seeing Wu Xingxue¡¯s reply frankly, he said, ¡°I understand.¡± Yi Wusheng¡¯s secluded cultivation is nearing its end. He should be able to come out tomorrow. As for today, please rest here on my Peach Blossom Island. ¡°


    Since they could stay, that meant they might have a way, and that meant there was hope to return.


    Taking advantage of when Hua Zhaoting was speaking to his disciples, Wu Xingxue used drinking tea as a disguise to wink and smile at Xiao Fuxuan, mouthing the words, ¡°Thanks a lot.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan held his sword and sat quietly, pretending to be a puppet. His eyes swept across his lips.


    ***


    They were arranged to rest on the west corner of Peach Blossom Island.


    The disciple who led them there explained that the Hua Sect had many disciples who practiced and cultivated. Every day, they would start training before five. The sounds of their swords might disturb them, so they were placed in the furthest area from the Disciples¡¯ Hall.


    The library and meditating hall were nearby.


    The former was Hua Zhaoting¡¯s private library; disciples wouldn¡¯t come here. The latter was where Yi Wusheng lived. There would only be some cleaning and medical disciples there.


    As its name suggests, the place was indeed serene. But suddenly, an accident happened.


    While the disciples were preparing the guest rooms, a figure scrambled in, screaming ¡°ah, ah¡±. He crazily knocked over some chairs and a bucket of water. ¡°


    ¡°Ayo¡ª¡±


    ¡°A-Yao3, you can¡¯t run around here¡ª¡°


    Didn¡¯t I tell you to look after him? How can you let him break into the guest rooms? He even recklessly injured the sect leader today! ¡°


    ¡°Ai, what can I do? He has been restless these days. Along with his sword aura everywhere, he also has great strength. The sect leader ordered us not to use too much force, but if we don¡¯t, it¡¯s hard to control him.


    It wasn¡¯t appropriate for Wu Xingxue to interfere, so after steadying a small, stumbling disciple, he returned to stand beside Xiao Fuxuan.


    The lunatic had an unkempt appearance, making it hard to tell his age. He also didn¡¯t seem to know how to speak, only making an ¡°ah, ah¡± noise.


    At one point, he reached out his hand and grabbed onto Wu Xingxue. Fortunately, Xiao Fuxuan was on the side. With a gentle press, all the force was dissipated, and he was dragged away by the crowd of disciples immediately afterwards.


    ¡°Sorry for the fright,¡± one of the disciples began to clean up the mess as he said apologetically.


    ¡°He is?¡±


    He used to be one of Mr. Yi Wusheng¡¯s medical disciples, the cleverest and most talented one of all. Afterwards, he suffered a bit of a shock and turned into the way he is now. It has been many years.


    ¡°Mr. Yi Wusheng¡¯s disciple?¡± Wu Xingzue asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied the disciple, who then quickly explained, ¡°Wait a minute, our mister¡¯s Dreaming Souls Technique is very powerful. Please don¡¯t misunderstand. It¡¯s just that this disciple has quite a special condition. ¡°


    The disciple didn¡¯t seem like he was convincing enough, so he then added, after a second of thought, ¡°Because the person who made him become like this was the Devil Lord Wu Xingxue.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Wu Xingxue,¡± the disciple repeated in a low voice.


    Wu Xingxue instantly fell silent.


    He subconsciously looked back at Xiao Fuxuan, who was also staring straight at him.


    ¡°A-Yao is so unfortunate.¡± The disciple¡¯s whispering voice sounded inside the room. He probably had to explain this to every guest that came here before.


    He said that A-Yao was Yi Wusheng¡¯s most prized disciple, who would always stay by Yi Wusheng¡¯s side. Especially when refining medicine, he would stay in the Meditating Hall all day.


    That year, a guest had arrived at Peach Blossom Island, seeking Yi Wusheng¡¯s help on some matter. That guest gave off a naturally aristocratic feeling: graceful and elegant. From the entire Peach Blossom Island, from the Sect Leader to the cleaning disciples, no one suspected that he had any issues. Instead, they all liked this guest very much.


    At that time, Yi Wusheng was refining medicine and didn¡¯t have time on his hands. So that guest simply stayed on the island for half a month.


    As a result of that half a month, Yi Wusheng lost his father, brother, wife, and daughter.


    That day, A-Yao ran into the hall crazily, staggering and crying and screaming. Blood was dripping from his body, and he was full of demonic energy.


    At that time, Yi Wusheng and Hua Zhaoting were discussing a matter. They were shocked by A-Yao¡¯s appearance. When they returned to the Meditating Hall together, they only found Yi Wusheng¡¯s elder brother, Yi Wuqi, was lying in blood with nothing but a layer of skin left. But he had a happy expression on his face.


    It was obvious that he had been sucked dry by a devil.


    At that time, almost everyone on Peach Blossom Island went to check the situation out. Hua Zhaoting immediately formed an investigation group. Who would have thought, his own sister, Yi Wusheng¡¯s wife, father, and sister, and some cleaning disciples, all showed problems?


    When knocking on their foreheads, the sound echoed from their skulls like a hollow drum. The same sound came when they were knocked on their stomachs.


    They have long been nothing but skin and bones. They have been sucked dry already.


    What happened exactly during the couple of weeks that the guest stayed?


    When they wanted to ask A-Yao what happened, they found that A-Yao had been placed under a forbidden technique, one that even Yi Wusheng couldn¡¯t break. And so ever since, he has been acting crazy and has been unable to speak a word.


    With no other option, Hua Zhaoting invited members of the Feng Sect from Meng City to help.


    The Feng Sect had a secret technique: Illuminating the Soul. This technique makes it possible to see what one¡¯s soul last saw before dying or turning crazy.


    And so, with the help of the Feng Sect, they saw the scene that A-Yao couldn¡¯t say.


    They saw the elegant and noble guest returning to his original appearance. He stood in the Meditating Hall, holding Yi Wuxi¡¯s throat in one hand and loosely holding Yi Wuxi¡¯s sword in the other.


    Blood flowed down the handle of the sword, forming a puddle on the ground.


    He turned his head and glanced outside the door, the cool, white moonlight reflecting off the bridge of his nose. He seemed to have discovered that there was someone outside the door and suddenly started laughing, the gentle downward slope of the corners of his eyes curving into crescents.


    Not only that, but he dropped the empty shell in his hands, threw down the sword, and pulled a clean cloth from the table to wipe his hands. Then, in the blink of an eye, he appeared before A-Yao, striking a moderate hit on his forehead with his palm.


    After that, just like the way he came, he left in deliberate strides, disappearing into the Eternal Sea.


    As everyone knew, Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t have his own sword. He was very lazy and didn¡¯t feel like carrying something extra in his hands. So, he never carried a sword around.


    He always drew his opponents¡¯ swords to kill them.

 CH 7

    ¡°Anyway, since that day, our Peach Blossom Island has stopped receiving any foreign guests for a very long time, in fear of such a thing happening again.¡±


    The disciples who were responsible for the guests didn¡¯t have deep cultivation and were rather young too. When Wu Xingxue was rampaging through the world, he was probably still too young to remember anything. Yet still, while narrating the story, his face was still pale as paper. It was evident that this event had left a deep shadow, with retellings passing along from person to person.


    At the time, the person who was hit the hardest was Mr. Yi Wusheng, as well as our Sect Leader. After all, the people who tragically died under that vicious devil¡¯s hand were all their own relatives, ¡°said the disciple.¡± Mr. Yi Wusheng was distraught and devastated and almost lost his mind. Ever since, his body has become much weaker. It¡¯s just like the saying goes, doctors can¡¯t cure themselves. He needs to enter seclusion for a period every year to adjust his body, and only then can he continue on his road of cultivation. ¡°


    As for the Sect Leader, he also admitted that he was almost driven insane at that time as well.¡±


    During those few years, Hua Zhaoting has been extremely apprehensive, thinking that everyone could be suspicious. There were over a thousand people on Peach Blossom Island, and he thought that all of them could be possessed by devils. They would pretend to be normal and harmless, waiting for an opportunity to devour others on the island.


    The place Hua Zhaoting lived in was called Jiahua Hall.


    Before, the sect leader would personally train twelve sword-practicing disciples in his hall, and there would be many other disciples responsible for cleaning and other tasks as well. But ever since the Wu Xingxue incident, the entire Jianhua Hall has been emptied.


    All the disciples were moved back to the Disciples¡¯ Hall; not a single one was allowed to stay.


    Ever since, the Sect Leader has developed a habit of living alone. As for all the daily tasks that needed to be done in Jianhua Hall, he would do them himself.


    That happened and remains to this day.


    ¡°After that, our Peach Blossom Island went from three halls to four. A punishment hall was added, ¡°said the disciple.


    ¡°Punishment Hall? What do they do?¡± asked Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°Check for the devils,¡± explained the disciple. ¡°All of us disciples have to get up early and report to the Punishment Hall first thing in the morning. The Punishment Hall¡¯s elders will check our souls. Once the soul-checking talisman is stuck onto your wrist, they¡¯ll know whether you¡¯re a devil or whether you are possessed. ¡°


    ¡°Every day?¡± Wu Xingxue asked in shock.


    ¡°Yes, every day,¡± then the disciple added, ¡°In fact, twice every day; both morning and night. After we finish our daily assignments, we¡¯ll return to the Punishment Hall again. Especially the disciples who were on patrol duty. They¡¯re the most dangerous. ¡°


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The psychological shadow was quite large.


    Then it must be quite rough on your punishment hall¡¯s elder. Every day, from morning to night, he must repeat the same motion countless times.In stories, such a person would have either rebelled or gone crazy. ¡°


    ¡°¡­


    ¡°He might want to check his own soul sometimes too.¡± Wu Xingxue added:


    ¡°He does,¡± said the disciple.


    Wu Xingxue thought about it, gave a ¡°mm,¡± then said, ¡°So you had to say all that just to make it easier to ask?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Wu Xingxue calmly lifted his sleeves, revealing his wrist.


    The disciple looked at his wrist, was silent for a moment, then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a golden talisman with the word ¡°Hua¡± on it.


    After telling such a long story and adding so many details, it was indeed so that he could use these two soul-checking talismans.


    He couldn¡¯t help it either. A well-known sect like the Hua Sect definitely cared about their face. They valued courtesy and, no matter what, did not mistreat their guests. Since it was a guest seeking help, forcing them to the Punishment Hall to get searched wouldn¡¯t sound too nice if they got out.


    They could only use this type of method to convince their guests to make them think that getting checked was completely natural, and in fact, extremely necessary.


    After the disciple gently rolled out the soul-checking talisman and bowed towards Wu Xingxue, ¡°Pardon me. Just like the Sect Leader says, we really can¡¯t help it. Please understand. ¡°


    Of course, But your sect leader must have told you that I¡¯m a soul who accidentally went into someone else¡¯s body. I guess that counts as possessing? ¡± Wu Xingxue paused, then continued, ¡°And, I¡¯m not sure if this body¡¯s original owner was good or not.¡±


    Don¡¯t worry. Even if the body¡¯s original owner is an unforgivable sinner, as long as your current soul is good, nothing will happen. Also, even if the heinous original owner has some leftover spirits, the talisman will be able to tell and wouldn¡¯t count it against you. ¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Wu Xingxue nodded.


    After the disciple explained everything clearly, he reached out to put the talisman on Wu Xingxue¡¯s wrist.


    But just before the paper touched the skin, Wu Xingxue suddenly raised two fingers, stopping him.


    Alarm shot through the disciple¡¯s heart!


    Even the puppet raised his eyes. His sword seemed to move a bit, and the clanging of gently swaying chains sounded out of nowhere.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The disciple¡¯s hand trembled as he quickly looked towards the guest.


    This childe Cheng had a handsome appearance, but in the cultivation sects where everyone looked outstanding, he could only be called ¡°so-so¡±. But his eyes were nice. Especially when they contained the light from outside the window, they looked gorgeous.


    ¡­¡­


    It is almost a bit incompatible with his face.


    Instantly, the disciple felt a shiver down his spine.


    Only to see that Childe Cheng was smiling, ¡°You¡¯re so interesting. What are you panicking for?¡±


    When smiling, his eyes were even brighter, like black amber that had been washed in a cold spring.


    Truly incompatible with his face.


    The disciple did not feel any better because of his smile. All the hairs on his body were standing on end, and he didn¡¯t dare move a muscle.


    Childe Cheng noticed and, this time, gave a more mischievous smile, ¡°Was my block just now pretty exhilarating?¡±


    ¡°¡­


    F¨C


    If it weren¡¯t for Hua Sect¡¯s reputation, he really would have cursed the guest.


    I heard when I came that the left hand is connected to the heart, so it¡¯ll be more accurate when checking the soul. Is that true? Wu Xingxue switched to his left hand and pulled up his sleeve, ¡°But that means you¡¯ll have even less to worry about, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± the disciple said unhappily as he stuck the soul-checking talisman on his wrist.


    The soul-checking talisman used by the Hua Sect¡¯s Punishment Court was well-known across the land. Some cultivation sects even came to the Hua Sect every year to purchase some. The Hua Sect would also often give some to the common people of the city every month out of kindness.


    If one was possessed by a devil, then the talisman would change colors from gold to red.


    If the color was light, that meant that it had only been a short while and perhaps the person still had hope.


    If it was dark red, then that meant it was already too late.


    If it turned bloody red or even somewhat black, then that person was already a complete devil who wouldn¡¯t retain any of the original person¡¯s nature.


    The disciple stared at the talisman on Childe Cheng¡¯s wrist without blinking. But even after his eyes started to be sour, the talisman still didn¡¯t show the slightest sign of turning red.


    i> Thank God¡­


    It almost scared me to death. /i


    Although he didn¡¯t say anything out loud, he still breathed a long sigh of relief in his head.


    After he took the talisman off, he suddenly took notice of the puppet on the side.


    There were puppets around on Peach Blossom Island. Some were used as servants, others were used to help the disciples train.


    According to his knowledge, puppets only move on command. Other than its master¡¯s instructions, it wouldn¡¯t move an extra inch. They would just stand there, staring into nothingness and hearing nothing.


    But this Childe Cheng¡¯s puppet seemed to look at him while he was placing the talisman. He only turned his cold and expressionless face away after the talisman was lifted.


    It almost seemed like if anything went wrong, this puppet would have pulled out his sword.


    After a second of thought, the disciple quickly took out a second talisman and stuck it to the puppet¡¯s wrist without even speaking.


    The disciple was young and of average build, but the puppet was extremely tall.


    Therefore, after he stuck it on and looked up, he could feel the oppression from the puppet¡¯s downcast gaze.


    It was almost unbelievable.


    Not only didn¡¯t the soul-checking talisman turn darker, it even seemed to have gone lighter.


    This was unprecedented.


    But the disciple didn¡¯t have time to think that much. He quickly lifted the talisman and wanted to get away.


    Before leaving, he reminded himself of what the Sect Leader told him to, ¡°Peach Blossom Island is located in a dangerous place. Although we get checked twice a day, some devils still manage to get here by water. Every month, we¡¯ll have a few disciples die because of this. Therefore, there will be disciples patrolling during the night. If they make noises, please be understanding. ¡°


    Oh, also, never ever go towards the peach grove there. Don¡¯t even get close! ¡°


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought to himself, ¡°i> You¡¯re better off not mentioning it. Although I¡¯m not one of those who¡¯d mess around and find trouble for myself, now that you said it, I might accidentally go there out of curiosity. /i


    Thankfully, the disciple didn¡¯t leave them hanging. He explained solemnly, ¡°All of the devils we¡¯ve caught on Peach Blossom Island, as well as those who were devoured by them, are buried there.¡± Have you seen those centipedes that still move around after they die? The Devils are also like that. Even if they die, as long as they detect your existence, they will still begin to stir.


    ¡°Then why do you keep them there?¡± Wu Xingxue asked with shock.


    ¡°They have their purposes.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡±


    ¡°Like during the night, when yin energy is the most abundant. If outsiders tried to attack and happened to be stronger than those buried in the peach grove, then they¡¯d move around restlessly, trying to approach the invaders. That is the nature of a devil.


    Those who cultivated evil ways were all like this. They didn¡¯t have feelings and only knew how to dominate.


    The weak would succumb to the strong, moving towards the strongest instinctively.


    That was how the Devil¡¯s Den, Zhaoye City, was formed.


    How else would a city lord rise from a crowd of demons and devils that killed him without second thought?


    If the corpses make a big commotion and move towards a certain direction, then it would be impossible for us not to realize,¡± continued the disciple, ¡°and it¡¯ll be easier to search for the intruders.¡± But this tactic is hard to use. After all, the ones buried here are already fierce enough. It¡¯s hard to find someone even more vicious to lure them to move. ¡°


    ¡°Anyway, just don¡¯t go looking for trouble.¡±


    The disciple was still in a hurry to return the talismans, so he left in a hurry.


    ***


    Wu Xingxue wasn¡¯t a mannerless person.


    As a guest on Peach Blossom Island, he didn¡¯t want to cause trouble. So he didn¡¯t wander around, and nor was he really curious about anything on the island.


    He only wanted to meet Yi Wusheng. And since he could meet him the next day, he wasn¡¯t too worried.


    Dusk came quickly as dark clouds covered Chunfan City and rain came pouring down.


    Not long after the disciple left, Sect Leader Hua Zhaoting sent people to bring the meals. Everything was quite thoughtful and enthusiastic.


    Wu Xingxue held his sleeve and opened the lid of the boxes. His lips moved silently.


    Sure enough, the boxes were filled with the type of food cultivating disciples liked to eat¡ªtoo plain. But they looked quite nice. There was a plate that had very elegant peach blossom pastries.


    He almost immediately lost interest and placed the box back down. He sat beside the table and poured himself a cup of tea.


    Just after a sip, he suddenly heard a hoarse voice in his ear, ¡°A normal mortal will get hungry.¡±


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s eyelashes trembled, then swallowed the rest of the tea.


    There was another chair next to him, but after waiting a while, Xiao Fuxuan still chose to stand behind him. So, while still holding the cup, he turned his head and said, ¡°What are you doing there, planted behind my back? To show off your height? If you¡¯ve seen my banquets in Juan City, you won¡¯t say something like that. ¡°


    After a moment, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hoarse voice came again from behind. He replied, ¡°Normal puppets don¡¯t usually need to sit.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­..¡±


    He looked outside at the disciples who passed by from time to time, then said to himself, ¡°Sure, stand if you wish.¡± Then he poured himself another cup of tea.


    Wu Xingxue pinched the cup and muttered quietly without looking back, ¡°But it is quite strange. I don¡¯t really feel hungry. Is it because my body¡¯s too powerful that I don¡¯t need to eat? ¡°


    But in the end, although he didn¡¯t like it, he still took out a peach blossom pastry.


    The lights in the room had already been lit; the warm yellow light drew a curve between his brows, nose, and lips. Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s shadow was cast onto the table in front of him from behind.


    After nightfall, there were more disciples on patrol. To avoid arousing suspicion, they tried not to speak to each other.


    But at one point, Wu Xingxue took a glance outside the door and seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly asked,¡±¡­ Xiao Fuxuan, that Devil Lord who originally owned this body, what kind of person was he?¡±


    This question sounded a bit strange, because even though he himself said ¡°Devil Lord.¡±


    For a long while, he didn¡¯t hear Xiao Fuxuan respond.


    But he could feel the gaze falling on him.


    He couldn¡¯t help but turn around, meeting Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s eyes. He saw that person leaning against the wall with his sword in his arms. After looking at him for a long time, he said, ¡°I thought your soul had mistakenly entered a body and that you wanted to return to Que Capital. Since you¡¯re returning to Que Capital, this place is nothing more than a dream. Why ask? ¡°


    Wu Xingxue gently squinted his eyes, then turned back around, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect a reply.


    But after a bit, he heard Xiao Fuxuan say, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how others would describe him.¡± But to me, he¡¯s a person who I can recognize no matter what form he takes. ¡°


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s gaze jumped.


    Perhaps it was because of this reply, or perhaps because two patrolling disciples appeared. The two didn¡¯t speak again that night.


    Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t need to eat or sleep. He just leaned against the wall with his eyes down, pretending to be a puppet. Wu Xingxue washed up and curled into bed.


    In the latter half of the night, a crash of thunder suddenly sounded on Peach Blossom Island.


    This was the time of night when yin energy was the strongest. The Devils couldn¡¯t conceal their presence no matter what. If there was an invasion, then it would be most obvious at this time.


    Suddenly, a rapid round of bells sounded, followed by the noise of many people.


    The patrolling disciples ran around with silver bells in their hands. Nearly all of the thousand disciples opened their doors in a wave, just to see the dirt beneath the previously quiet peach grove stir in turmoil, almost like the abrupt agitation of a hundred bugs.


    The next second, these movements rushed towards a single direction like a giant earthworm.


    It was the guest rooms.

 CH 8

    In the guest room, Wu Xingxue suddenly opened his eyes.


    He was a bit surprised that he had actually fallen asleep just now.


    Almost everyone in Que City knew that he had a strange preference when sleeping-for most people, the quieter, the better. But not for him. If it¡¯s too quiet, he wouldn¡¯t get a second of sleep during the night. He liked it when it was slightly noisy.


    He once joked to one of the old butlers in his manor, ¡°I might as well raise a band and let them play their instruments and sing next to me.¡± That way, I¡¯ll definitely be able to sleep until noon. ¡°


    The old butler¡¯s face turned ashen as he listened, then said that ¡°it wouldn¡¯t be very safe to hire outsiders.¡± So, he tied some bells on the tree branches outside and raised all kinds of birds. That way, whenever a bird landed on a branch, the bells would ring.


    Unfortunately, there were no band troupes here, nor birds. There was only an ¡°attendant jailer¡± planted silently in the room, and somehow he managed to fall asleep.


    ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    Wu Xingxue rolled over and sat up, hearing the gentle tinkling of a bell. He almost didn¡¯t know where he was, thinking he had returned to Que City.


    But Que City didn¡¯t have the sound of chains.


    Wu Xingxue looked down, finding that a thin silver string was tied to his wrist, and a bell of unknown origin was hanging on the string.


    The other end of the string was connected to Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s finger.


    Isn¡¯t this the flower bell found in my manor?


    Is he treating me like a flower or like a bird?


    Wu Xingxue lifted his head, wanting to ask the person who had tied the bell to him something. But he found that the other person was leaning against the wall with his head lowered, holding his sword, showing absolutely no sign of life.


    This¡­¡­.


    ***


    This was called the separation of spiritual consciousness.


    After nightfall, Xiao Fuxuan sent out his spiritual consciousness the second Wu Xingxue fell asleep.


    The night on Peach Blossom Island was very dark, and a layer of fog formed a blanket over the water.


    The Hua Sect¡¯s patrolling disciples walked around with lanterns in hand.


    ¡°How many martial brothers do we have at Jianhua Hall?¡±


    ¡°Two, the Sect Leader won¡¯t be happy if we send too many.¡±


    ¡°Good, how about Mr. Yi Wusheng?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more over there, twelve.¡±


    Did you inform the new disciples that Mr. must remain in seclusion until tomorrow at noon? During this remaining time, no matter what happens, he can¡¯t leave seclusion. As soon as he leaves, all of his previous work will be in vain. Tell them not to bother him no matter what. ¡°


    ¡°I already instructed them on that.¡±


    They whispered to each other as they passed through Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s spiritual consciousness, but none of them noticed.


    Just like that, Xiao Fuxuan passed through the people and walked towards the depths of a bamboo forest.


    He was quite familiar with Peach Blossom Island and still remembered where everything was.


    Deep in the bamboo forest was the library, the one exclusively used by Hua Zhaoting. There were no guards at that place, only a few cleaning disciples carrying lanterns and buckets, busily working.


    Xiao Fuxuan glanced around, then turned and left in a different direction.


    As he was walking through an empty corridor, a hazy voice suddenly asked: [Are you looking for something?]


    The night was deep and opaque, the hallway dismal. To Xiao Fuxuan, the appearance of this voice should have been sudden. However, he didn¡¯t flinch at all. He continued to walk straight ahead, as if he had already gotten used to this.


    [What might this Peach Blossom Island be like?] That voice mumbled, still extremely hazy.


    Xiao Fuxuan still remained silent. He floated across the flowered pathway and entered a deep pavilion.


    The pavilion¡¯s door had the words ¡°Jianhua Hall¡± written on it. This was where the Hua Sect¡¯s Sect Leader, Hua Zhaoting, lived.


    Peaceful and silent, there wasn¡¯t a single disciple around. Light shone from one of the rooms; Hua Zhaoting hadn¡¯t slept yet. He was holding a copper vessel with a narrow neck, watering a row of flower pots in the corner.


    He was much more sensitive than the disciples.


    When Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s spiritual consciousness entered, he suddenly stood upright. After walking to the window side, it took a long time before he hesitantly withdrew his gaze. Then he shook his head and mocked himself, ¡°I must be imagining it.¡±


    And Xiao Fuxuan had already floated around his entire pavilion and was about to leave.


    [Looks like it¡¯s not here anymore], that voice sounded again.


    This time, the always sensitive Hua Zhaoting didn¡¯t show any reaction. It was as if only Xiao Fuxuan could hear this voice.


    Without stopping, he quickly went towards the third place.


    The voice asked in confusion, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem to care whether Xiao Fuxuan would reply or not, and only said to itself: [Oh-I know.]


    [I know what you¡¯re looking for now.]


    But so what if you found it?


    Xiao Fuxuan, who hadn¡¯t said a word yet, suddenly stopped.


    He glanced at his waist, where a tiny silver brocade pouch hung. He nudged open the pouch with a finger, revealing a corner of the white jade divine statue.


    It was the same one he was holding in his coffin.


    The brocade pouch was tiny, but somehow, it was able to hold the statue that was the size of a palm.


    Xiao Fuxuan looked at it for a while, then sealed the pouch tightly. After that, the hazy voice never sounded again.


    He stood silently for a while, then took another step.


    This time, he went towards the forbidden peach blossom grove. The yin energy there was thick, and the fog was dense. Disciples formed a circle along the outside of the grove, strictly guarding the grove.


    But in front of his spiritual consciousness, there was nothing they could do.


    ***


    Xiao Fuxuan looked around, still with no results.


    When he left the grove, he suddenly felt that his ring finger moved, as if it had been lightly tugged at another place, accompanied by the gentle tinkling of a bell.


    This was the thread he tied before leaving the room. The other end was connected to Wu Xingxue.


    This way, if something happened, he could return immediately.


    But this tug had a very frequent and unpredictable frequency. It didn¡¯t seem like an emergency issue had happened, more like someone was trying to have fun.


    Xiao Fuxuan looked at his ring finger and was about to return.


    But suddenly, he heard the movement of a wave of bugs. The entire peach blossom grove seemed to have turned into a boiling pot. The devils buried here, along with Hua Sect¡¯s disciples who came one after another, all rushed towards a single place like a soaring tide.


    Xiao Fuxuan:¡±¡­..¡±


    He sighed slightly, and then, in the next second, his spiritual consciousness returned to his body.


    ***


    The lights in the room were flickering, and the patrolling disciples outside had long gone away.


    The person on the bed had already gotten off. Though he had already been given shoes, he still wasn¡¯t wearing them. He stood barefoot by the window with clothes draped around his shoulders.


    He opened the window halfway, letting the frigid wind blow inside.


    He squinted his eyes and listened for a while, then absentmindedly plucked the string with the bell in his hand. He turned around and asked, ¡°Xiao Fuxuan, what¡¯s going on outside? There¡¯s so much activity, it¡¯s scary.


    Xiao Fuxuan:¡±¡­ ¡°


    The Celestial Immortal looked for a while, not knowing how to describe the situation. After a while, he moved his lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Probably a pilgrimage.1Pilgrimage is the journey people take to a sacred place to worship a god. In Chinese, it is literally translated as ¡°towards God.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­..¡±


    After a moment of silence, he asked, ¡°Would it sound a bit dumb if I asked which god?¡±


    The devils underground were running fast, and the Hua Sect¡¯s disciples also dashed as swift as river wind.


    In an instant, there was already a cacophony outside the courtyard.


    Wu Xingxue leaned against the window frame and looked at him helplessly.


    Xiao Fuxuan pinched his eyebrows.


    ***


    Wu Xingxue suddenly felt a hard tug from the string.


    The next second, he had tightly grasped his wrist.


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s voice fell on him.


    He felt a deep winter¡¯s wind, along with the moist river air, sweep around them. When he opened his eyes again, he was already standing somewhere else.


    ¡°This is?¡± Wu Xingxue studied his environment.


    ¡°Peach Blossom Island¡¯s Disciples¡¯ Hall.¡± Xiao Fuxuan also looked around while still holding onto his hand.


    Because all the disciples had gone to chase the devils, the whole hall was empty.


    Wu Xingxue looked at Xiao Fuxuan and suddenly asked, ¡°Just now, were you doing what they say in storybooks, meditating?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I say.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Wu Xingxue nodded. ¡°If not, then it must be that you went out to look for something.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan suddenly turned to look at him.


    After a moment, he said quietly, ¡°Mm¡±.


    ¡°What were you looking for?¡± asked Wu Xingxue.


    Xiao Fuxuan remained silent for a bit before replying, ¡°A thing that was taken away a long time ago, and then returned.¡±


    ***


    When Wu Xingxue killed Yi Wusheng¡¯s father, brother, wife, and daughter, they were in the Immortal Capital. By the time he had rushed to Chunfan City¡¯s Peach Blossom Island, he could only catch some word of the outcomes.


    The rumors said that Wu Xingxue wanted help from Yi Wusheng only as an excuse.


    He was an unscrupulous devil in charge of the entire Zhaoye City. With so many devils and demons under his control, what help could he seek from Yi Wusheng?


    He changed his appearance and pretended to be a guest at Peach Blossom Island only because he was looking for something.


    Legends say that the Hua Sect had a heavenly treasure. Ever since Wu Xingxue left Peach Blossom Island that year, the treasure has disappeared as well.


    No one knew what that heavenly treasure was, and no one knew why Wu Xingxue took it either. All the people knew was that not long after, the Heavenly Treasure was returned to Peach Blossom Island.


    And the second day after that happened, Wu Xingxue slaughtered his way into the Immortal Capital.


    At that time, Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t have any time to analyze the situation at all, and died along with the destruction of Immortal Capital.


    Now that he was back at Peach Blossom Island, he wanted to find that treasure.


    And ironically, the person who stole that thing back then was standing right in front of him. Yet Wu Xingxue had no idea of the past. He just nodded and said, ¡°No wonder. I noticed that you¡¯ve been looking around.¡±


    As they were talking, another earth-shattering voice sounded outside the disciple¡¯s hall.


    It must be that the devils underground, who found the guest rooms empty, were now coming towards the Disciples¡¯ Hall on the east side.


    Wu Xingxue glanced outside and asked Xiao Fuxuan, ¡°Where have you looked already? And where haven¡¯t you looked yet? How about we just search the rest of the places? ¡°


    Xiao Fuxuan:¡±¡­ ¡°


    ¡°There¡¯s still Punishment Hall, Meditating Hall, Sutra Hall, and Qiwu Pavilion left.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    So that night, under the suggestion of Devil Lord Wu Xingxue, Celestial Immortal Xiao Fuxuan went around in circles, also bringing all the demons accumulated in the Peach Blossom Grove for hundreds of years, as well as nearly a thousand Hua Sect disciples, with them. Under their lead, the entire Peach Blossom Island was plowed.


    In the end, they stopped at Qiwu Pavilion, where Yi Wusheng was currently in seclusion.


    However, the Qiwu Pavilion that should¡¯ve been filled with the scent of medicine was currently completely empty, without a trace of the person who should¡¯ve been cultivating in seclusion inside.


    ¡°Where did he go?¡± Wu Xingxue looked around and asked after not seeing anyone.


    Xiao Fuxuan suddenly remembered what he had heard on the road before.


    That disciple said that Yi Wusheng must wait until tomorrow noon before leaving seclusion. Otherwise, all his previous hard work would be in vain.


    ¡°What kind of seclusion is that brutal?¡± Wu Xingxue heard him and muttered, ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, then what kind of thing must have happened to make him suddenly end his seclusion?¡±


    Just as he was about to search again, he suddenly heard Xiao Fuxuan say, in a solemn voice, ¡°¡­ found him.¡±


    Wu Xingxue turned around, seeing that Xiao Fuxuan was standing by the second-floor window, looking downwards.


    He looked over along Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s line of sight, only to see that below the Qiwu Pavilion, countless tossing ¡°earthworms¡± were directly rushing towards them. Within the splattering mud and thick fog, there was also a person clumsily charging over, along with the devils.


    Wu Xingxue was stunned for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s Yi Wusheng? He¡¯s¡ª¡°


    On a pilgrimage? Xiao Fuxuan answered his question before he could ask it.


    It was said that during midnight, when foul energy was the strongest, or when a strong invader entered, all the devils on Peach Blossom Island would uncontrollably move towards that strong being.


    That was the insuppressible natural instinct of devils.

 CH 9

    The Northern Frontiers.


    The moment that the golden water lily burst open, the cultivators were blasted with no time for preparation. The invisible compulsion was like the ocean exploding outwards a thousand kilometers, beating everyone back a great distance away.


    The swords and spiritual weapons of the closest individuals were all cracked and splintered, immediately ruined.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Sect Leader.¡± A small disciple fought his way out from the snow. Pressing his chest, he wanted to use his sword to prop himself back up, but he found that only a handle was left in his hands.


    ¡°Sect Leader, my sword¡­¡±


    For some of these disciples, their sword was more important than their life. Especially for the main sword cultivation sect, the Feng Sect.


    That small disciple was indeed from the Feng Sect.


    ¡°Throw it away, cast another one when we return.¡± Feng Juyan didn¡¯t even look at him, her gaze still landing a great distance away, her brows tightly furrowed.


    As the sect leader, she naturally didn¡¯t fall pitifully to the ground. Instead, she held her long sword in front of her body, blocking most of the compulsion. Though she stood perfectly straight, blood still seeped from between her fingers, dripping into the design of her sword.


    The small disciple saw the color of blood and was instantly alarmed.


    He had just entered the sect, so he didn¡¯t know much. This was his first time seeing the Sect Leader bleed: ¡°Sect Leader, what exactly was that golden shadow, why is it so powerful?¡±


    ¡°That should¡¯ve been the Water Lily of Life,¡± Feng Juyan said softly.


    ¡°Water Lily of Life?!¡±


    The young disciples¡¯ faces were filled with shock and suspicion.


    Legend said that the Water Lily of Life was solely possessed by the Celestial Immortal. Because he managed punishment and pardon, death in one hand and life in the other, he had two mortal moves¡ªone was to beckon dead souls, and another was to beckon all the living.


    The Water Lily of Life was the former.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only heard of it, but we¡¯ve never seen it.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s personally seen it? Everyone who¡¯s seen it has died,¡± Feng Juyan said.


    Besides, it was a mortal move.


    The original intent of a mortal move was to trade one¡¯s life for the move; the move required the complete dissipation of all spiritual energy. Even for the Celestial Immortal, the cost was still great, so the movie wouldn¡¯t be so easily used.


    The last time it appeared was twenty-five years ago.


    That day, Taiyin Mountain collapsed, the Immortal Capital was destroyed, and three thousand spiritual platforms crashed down from the sky, most sinking into the Eternal Sea.


    Some said that the day the Taiyin Mountain collapsed, at the place closest to the Immortal Capital, the golden shadow of a water lily had cast down from above.


    After that, the demon Wu Xingxue was sealed in the Canglang Northern Territory.


    From then on, the Immortal City was no more.


    After the Immortal City perished, the human realm fell into chaos, and catastrophe and plague rampaged across the land.


    Only with the gathering of sects, with temples and divine statues erected like forests, could the people forcibly regain a sliver of peace.


    From then on, the cultivation sects changed the name of the era to ¡°Tianshu.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Sect Leader?¡± The small disciple said hesitantly: ¡°Why did the Water Lily of Life appear again? Didn¡¯t the Celestial Immortal already¡­ die?¡±


    ¡°The Norther Frontiers was his domain after all, there might be some lingering spiritual consciousness remaining. As for the sudden appearance of the Water Lily of Life.¡± Feng Juyan¡¯s voice abruptly paused, ¡°Could it be¡ª¡±


    Could it be that that demon was still alive?


    Not only still alive, but even attempting to leave this place, thus provoking the vestigial move?


    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty-five years, he¡¯s been completely fettered by the heavenly locks for twenty-five years. I thought that even if that demon was still alive, he¡¯d be down to his last breath, at the verge of death.¡±


    Who didn¡¯t think that?


    The cultivation sects almost all had the same impression.


    They didn¡¯t think there would be a difficult battle, so the people they brought were mostly young disciples. The rest were left to protect their sect, vigilantly standing guard against that horde of demons from Zhaoye City.


    Looking at it now, it seemed that they were too reckless.


    ¡°Personally, I think we should call some more people over,¡± someone suggested.


    ¡°That¡­ isn¡¯t that too battle-ready?¡±


    ¡°No, it might be the Wu Xingxue who washed the Immortal Capital with blood.¡±


    ***


    As the cultivators discussed important issues, the Wu Xingxue who washed the Immortal Capital with blood was currently lost.


    The person with the large sword had appeared for only a second. When he disappeared, the enormous golden water lily suddenly wrapped around Wu Xingxue, abruptly pulling him down.


    Then, Wu Xingxue thought: Oh no, I¡¯m going to lose my cover.


    Pitifully falling into the water under the stares of the crowd¡ªhis days of pretending to be a demon were over.


    Just after finishing his self-ridicule, he heard the pitiful startled yells of his subordinates.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    The expected water landing didn¡¯t actually happen.


    The cold pool seemed to be fake; not a drop of water got on him, but he seemed to still be speedily falling.


    The ice-cold wind whistled across his body, and the frightened breaths of his subordinates never ceased.


    He dimly heard someone yell: ¡°What is this damn place?¡±


    Another, more hazy voice said: ¡°There are thirty-three layers below Canglang Northern Territory, corresponding to the Taiyin White Tower above.¡±


    Another person said: ¡°There¡¯s something hidden in the lowest level.¡±


    ***


    When he landed on the ground, Wu Xingxue felt a violent tug from the chains nailed all over his body.


    Extreme pain burst across his chest, waist, wrists, and ankles, so painful that he almost completely lost his senses. He couldn¡¯t even tell how he had landed, whether it was pitiful or not.


    But thankfully, when he finally recovered his senses, he felt that he was standing.


    The golden water lily that had wrapped around him should have disappeared, as he could no longer smell that gust of sword qi that carried the scent of windy snow.


    He nurtured his pain, thinking that this was truly abnormal.


    Of the nobility of Que Capital, who wasn¡¯t raised in utter luxury? It was very extravagant. Even for a tiny injury, all of the people in his residence would fret over him, soothing him and offering up medicine and ointment.


    He was used to that type of lifestyle; he himself admitted that he couldn¡¯t stand the pain.


    But just before, it had hurt like his heart was being carved out, and he surprisingly didn¡¯t even make a sound, swallowing the entirety of his reaction, just because those few subordinates were present.


    I must have really owed you in my past life.


    Wu Xingxue thought.


    Thus, when those subordinates landed stumbling, they saw their own City Lord slowly open his eyes, sweep his gaze over them, and coldly give a short laugh.


    The crowd: ¡°¡­¡±


    They wanted to ask: ¡°City Lord, where have we been dragged?¡±


    Hearing the cold laugh, they again gulped down their words.


    ¡°City Lord you¡­ why are you smiling?¡± The one who was always quick to speak still couldn¡¯t hold it in, asking carefully. When he was fourteen, he had cultivated the Poison Restriction Technique, and he didn¡¯t grow any more from then on. So, in a crowd of peers, he appeared small and frail.


    It was better when they were further apart, but now that only two or three steps separated them, Wu Xingxue appeared particularly tall in comparison. When he spoke, he even had to tilt his head up a little.


    He waited like this for a moment until Wu Xingxue lifted his hand, his long fingers sweeping beside his wrist and hooking onto something invisible. He said softly: ¡°Me? I¡¯m laughing at how noisy these chains are, clanging everywhere, it¡¯s too loud.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I sure know how to ask.


    The subordinate didn¡¯t dare to tilt his face back down, but he didn¡¯t want to open his mouth again.


    Wu Xingxue swiped at his chains with a finger and threw him a sentence: ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go let¡¯s go let¡¯s go¡ªhurry up!¡± Another subordinate quickly responded. He probably was afraid that the one with the quick mouth would make more trouble for himself, and he forcefully pulled at him, squeezing the words from between his teeth: ¡°Ning Huaishan you¡¯re an idiot don¡¯t use us to break your fall!¡±


    Ning Huaishan was pulled back a few steps by him. He lifted his head in bewilderment: ¡°But, where are we going?¡±


    The people abruptly halted: ¡°¡­¡±


    Right, where are we going?


    They were a little confused. After hesitating for a bit, they still turned around to ask: ¡°City Lord, lead the way to where?¡±


    Wu Xingxue followed from a moderate distance, his steps had yet to stop: ¡°You tell me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I¡­


    The crowd had nothing left to say, and they didn¡¯t dare keep asking. After all, they all knew that Wu Xingxue hated idiotic people the most.


    They all looked around in circles.


    This was a stretch of wilderness, covered with a layer of snow, gray as far as the eye could see. Far away, there was a withered tree that reached towards the sky. It seemed like it had been burned, charred and patchy. Even when looking up, they still couldn¡¯t see the top.


    They suspected that the dry branches Wu Xingxue had stood on before were the crown of this enormous tree.


    ¡°Have you heard? Canglang Northern Territory has thirty-three layers.¡± Ning Huaishan secretly elbowed his companion.


    Canglang Northern Territory floated atop the Eternal Sea. Surrounded by clouds and thunder in the winter, it looked like a huge black cliff.


    Legend said that it had thirty-three layers, just like the Taiyin Mountain glass tower prior to collapse, indicating thirty-three iterations of heaven.


    If the tree branches from before were the top layer, then this stretch of wilderness before them, atop which the enormous tree grew, must be the bottom one.


    ¡°Where did you hear this rumor from? So what if we know there are thirty-three layers, how the hell does that help? Did the rumors tell you where the City Lords wants us to go?¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­ No.¡±


    He thought about it carefully again, ¡°But the rumors said that the lowest layer has hidden treasure. Look, just before City Lord asked us to lead the way, maybe that¡¯s what he meant?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, doesn¡¯t that have a problem? How are we supposed to know where the treasure is, and how are we supposed to lead the way? If City Lord really meant that, then that would be bizarre.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, don¡¯t waste your breath. Let¡¯s look first, and if we somehow find it, then we won¡¯t have led him astray.¡±


    That huge tree was truly an eyesore, and the entirety of the wilderness didn¡¯t have any other places that could hide treasure, so they started heading towards the tree. When they came nearer, they found that countless swords were planted sideways below the enormous tree, like a boundless sword cemetery.


    Wu Xingxue followed them as they cut through the sword cemetery. They walked until their legs were about to fall off, but they still weren¡¯t able to get half a step closer to the tree.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Is it too late to use my chains to threaten these people into sitting down for a bit?


    Wu Xingxue stared at the back of their figures, thinking in his head.


    ¡°City Lord?¡± Ning Huaishan probably noticed the suddenly empty space behind him. He turned around and said haltingly: ¡°This sword cemetery is probably an array¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t show any surprise: ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°City Lord, you¡¯ve always known that we¡¯re not that good at breaking arrays.¡± Ning Huaishan snuck a glance at Wu Xingxue and said: ¡°Things like arrays were always your¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­ My what, say it.¡±


    He lowered the volume of his voice and carried no emotion. He precisely controlled the degree to which he wanted to inspire fear, maybe he could avoid this calamity¡ª


    ¡°City Lord, ah, don¡¯t play with us for fun.¡± Another subordinate frowned with a bitter expression: ¡°We know that we made you unhappy, after this, we¡¯ll do whatever. But things like arrays, we¡¯re really not good at.¡±


    ¡°Right, and besides, this is the Northern Frontiers, what if we¡¯re too rash and accidentally cause a mishap, then that would be bad.¡±


    ¡°Right, City Lord, you can break this type of array in two to three steps, why waste your effort on us?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ªSeems this calamity can¡¯t be avoided.


    He looked at his subordinates, thinking ¡®not to mention two to three steps, even if you gave me two to three years I¡¯d still be stuck, are you afraid now?¡¯


    He took a light breath and was going to start brainstorming methods, but a smudge of white caught his peripheral vision.


    It wasn¡¯t the same white as the color of the snow; there was a warm brightness to it, like the jade at the top of a courtyard staircase.


    He turned his head and, through a gap in the interweaving frigid swords, saw a corner of the object. It looked like a white jade platform?


    Wu Xingxue stopped paying attention to his subordinates and started heading in that direction. Barefoot, he avoided the sword blades, and after a moment, he stood in front of the white jade platform.


    He found out then that this wasn¡¯t a jade platform¡­


    It was a jade coffin.


    It was an enormous white jade coffin, lying beneath the withered tree that stretched towards the sky, surrounded by thousands of frigid swords. Coffin nails were nailed in all four edges, and a name was carved on each nail.


    That name, Wu Xingxue had seen it not long before, tattooed on a person¡¯s neck.


    This is¡­


    ¡°This is Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s coffin!¡±

 CH 10

    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s eyes started to darken.


    He seemed to want to say ¡°Wu Xingxue,¡± but because A Yao was by his side, he ultimately didn¡¯t utter a word.


    Wu Xingxue, who was standing beside the red column, looked at him. Then, after a moment, his face revealed some confusion: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± asked Wu Xingxue.


    Xiao Fuxuan raised his chin, pointed to the blood pool, then at A-Yao, and asked sternly, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me?¡± Wu Xingxue looked down at Yi Wusheng on the ground and was silent for a moment.


    He was still extremely energized and full of spirit when they were leading the devils up and down Peach Blossom Island. Now he seemed inexplicably feeble as he stood next to a pool of blood, his voice low and set against his slightly pallid skin.


    Seeing this type of expression, Xiao Fuxuan frowned slightly, then blinked and slowly looked away.


    Before Wu Xingxue could reply, he had already said solemnly, ¡°Forget it.¡±


    He reached out the unsheathed sword in his hand, then gently knocked it on A-Yao¡¯s back.


    A-Yao suddenly jerked his hand back, dropping the sword from his hand to the ground with a ¡°clang¡±, rolling over. The silver tassel and pink jade pendant on the handle of the sword were soaked with blood, yet the word ¡°Wusheng¡± in the middle of the jade pendant seemed to become clearer beneath the winding, bloody trails.


    A-Yao stared blankly at the jade pendant, then fell onto the ground as if all his energy had suddenly been drained from him.


    Xiao Fuxuan swept his robe up and half-squatted in front of Yi Wusheng. Then, he pressed the back of his finger against the center of his forehead. He was about to check his spirit when he saw the person beside the red column move.


    The light cast that person into a gray silhouette. That silhouette moved over from the red column, stopped beside him, then condensed into a lump.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s movements were halted. He shot a glance towards his side, only to find Wu Xingxue innocently squatting beside him. He first looked at A-Yao, who was dazed and slumped over, and then turned his head to say softly, ¡°Xiao Fuxuan, did you notice something wrong with that lunatic just now?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡®Think¡¯? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    His expression started to become indescribable.


    But he didn¡¯t say anything and only stared at Wu Xingxue, waiting for him to continue.


    It turned out that the other party was also looking at him. He seemed to be waiting for a response and not planning to continue. He looked so calm as to be considered ¡°obedient¡±.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan was not moved by this.


    After a moment, he moved his lips, ¡°So what happened during the period I went to look for Yi Wuxi?¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought for a bit, then replied, ¡°He was originally slumped on the ground, but then he suddenly jumped up, like something shocked him awake. Then he suddenly drew Yi Wusheng¡¯s sword and charged over here.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°Then?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Then things got even weirder. In one stab, he killed Yi Wusheng.¡±


    Sure enough, there appeared to be a single sword wound on Yi Wusheng¡¯s body, right in the center of his heart. It seemed that one stab had ended everything, without any additional movements.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Have you seen lunatics like this before?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Wu Xingxue nodded, ¡°Then it¡¯s easy to explain. If you¡¯ve seen them before, then you must know what I mean. When a lunatic goes into its frenzied state, not only do they become freakishly strong, but they would also be very unsteady. The more excited they are, the harder they will shake. But this lunatic is different. His hands didn¡¯t tremble in the slightest. In addition, his face was also completely expressionless. I believe that¡­¡±


    He looked at A-Yao silently, as if he had almost spaced out for a bit. Then he looked back towards Xiao Fuxuan and said, ¡°His body might have been borrowed by someone else for use.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Who do you think borrowed him?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan looked at him expressionlessly.


    After a long moment, he sneered coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t know, perhaps I did.¡±


    After that, he stopped looking at Wu Xingxue, who also seemed to be stunned by his answer and didn¡¯t ask anything more.


    After a long time, he heard an ¡°oh¡± from Wu Xingxue.


    ¡­¡­


    That¡¯s right, he dared to say¡±oh¡±.


    Xiao Fuxuan knocked Yi Wusheng¡¯s head expressionlessly. Sure enough, his body sounded hollow, just like the countless other people who had died before him. But beneath this hollow sound, there also seemed to be an extremely light sigh.


    Xiao Fuxuan was stunned for a moment. He almost immediately grabbed Yi Wusheng¡¯s left hand, then pushed his thumb into the center of his wrist.


    A slight ridge bulged up beneath Yi Wusheng¡¯s skin; in the next second, the bulging area squirmed up like a slithering snake, passing through his arms and neck, continuing upward.


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s hazy pupils suddenly focused again. Immediately afterward, his pupils moved, reflecting a slight smearing of light beneath the lantern flames.


    As if¡­ he came back to life!


    ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡± Wu Xingxue¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. He had already forgotten that A-Yao, an outsider, was still present. His gaze was originally downcast, but now he had lifted his head, staring at Yi Wusheng without blinking. After a second, he then stared unblinkingly at Xiao Fuxuan.


    Xiao Fuxuan could see him out of the corner of his eye, but he didn¡¯t turn around. He just replied with an ¡°mm.¡±


    His hands didn¡¯t stop. Just as Yi Wusheng was about to open his mouth to speak, he quickly pulled out two long strips of black cloth from thin air and covered his mouth and nose.


    ¡°What is he¡­?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.


    Xiao Fuxuan explained, ¡°That stab simply dissipated the fumes of the devil inside him. Now, what¡¯s in his mouth is the final vestige of soul left over after being devoured by a devil.¡±


    One naturally couldn¡¯t be resurrected after death. For living beings who were devoured by devils, only death could be considered liberation.


    But legend said that the Immortal Capital had a method in which, by borrowing an immortal¡¯s celestial energy, a bit of vestigial soul could be preserved. As long as that mouthful of celestial energy wasn¡¯t expelled, one¡¯s life could be extended for a period.


    Although this method existed, it was seldom used.


    This was because as an immortal, he or she could no longer intervene in the affairs of mortals at will.


    Immortals had their own rules, whether it was punishment or remuneration, life or death, to save or not to save, all had to follow the Lingtai¡¯s heavenly way. Or else, if you took care of this one but didn¡¯t take care of that one today, if you helped that one but missed this one tomorrow, the realm of mortals would fall into complete chaos.


    Yi Wusheng himself was also at a loss.


    He freed himself from the diabolical possession and no longer had that disquieting smile. After being cast in warm light, his features could almost be considered gentle. Compared to his muddled appearance from before, he was a completely different person.


    He had a deep frown on his face, and he wanted to speak, but his nose and mouth were bound tightly by black cloth.


    ¡°Oomph, oomph¡± Yi Wusheng let out two muffled cries towards Wu Xingxue.


    Yi Wusheng reached out his hands to pull the black cloth down, but his hands were slapped away by Wu Xingxue.


    After slapping his hand away, he then turned to ask Xiao Fuxuan, ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to take these down, right?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He said to Yi Wusheng, ¡°You¡¯ll die if you do so.¡±


    Yi Wusheng made a few more muffled noises. Although it was so tight that it was uncomfortable, he still put his hands back down.


    Wu Xingxue suddenly asked, ¡°Then, is he technically alive right now?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan shook his head.


    It wasn¡¯t the case. It was just some vestigial soul. Although he had the support of celestial energy, no one knew how much longer he would last. Because of how rarely this method was used, almost no one knew about the details.


    ¡°No?¡± Wu Xingxue asked again quietly.


    Xiao Fuxuan was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°Barely.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Wu Xingxue nodded.


    After this series of events, that wave of feebleness from him seemed to disappear.


    When Yi Wusheng got up from the ground, Wu Xingxue looked at his wrist, and the thumb hanging by his side seemed to move subconsciously. He didn¡¯t even realize it himself.


    He swept his robe and stood up.


    Just as he was about to check the movements of the Hua Sect members outside, he heard Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s low voice, ¡°Want to learn?¡±


    Wu Xingxue was stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look at him, ¡°What?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan gave a glance towards Yi Wusheng, then looked back towards Wu Xingxue¡¯s hand.


    Only then did Wu Xingxue realize, ¡°Are you talking about the method that can be used to save people?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the slightest hint of celestial power and techniques on my body. ¡° He said after a brief laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not anyone special, I can¡¯t learn something like that. Are you just trying to make fun of me? Haha.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Besides,¡± Wu Xingxue continued, ¡°In the stories I¡¯ve read, they all say¨C¡±


    Stories again¡­¡­


    Xiao Fuxuan remained silent, waiting for his next words. But Wu Xingxue suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°You said¨C¡±


    Wu Xingxue took a glance at Yi Wusheng and A-Yao, then curled his fingers.


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He lowered his head slightly and got slower.


    Wu Xingxue said in a low voice, ¡°The stories all say that immortals are different. They are not allowed to freely save people from the mortal world. You saved Yi Wusheng just now and are also about to teach me, an unintelligent mortal, some celestial powers. Wouldn¡¯t that be¡­ against the rules of heaven?¡±


    Towards the end, he smiled a bit, and looked up at Xiao Fuxuan.


    Xiao Fuxuan was tall. His jawline was slim and sharp; as he looked down, that line became even more prominent, slightly moving as he talked.


    Xiao Fuxuan, his appearance mild, only gave an ¡°mm¡± after listening to his explanation.


    A moment later, he said, ¡°No. The Immortal Capital is already gone. I¡¯m not some Celestial Immortal anymore either.¡±


    He glanced at Wu Xingxue, then continued, ¡°I¡¯m just some spiritual consciousness that entered this vessel. Haven¡¯t I been turned into a puppet by you?¡±


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s eyes flickered.


    ¡°How can puppets break the Lingtai¡¯s heavenly laws?¡±


    After that, he grabbed a golden piece of paper from thin air and handed it to Yi Wusheng. ¡°I have some important questions to ask you. When you reply, just hold onto this piece of paper. That way, I¡¯ll be able to hear you.¡±


    Yi Wusheng was stunned for a moment, then took the paper over.


    The question he wanted to ask the most was, ¡°Why save me?¡±


    ¡°There are still some things I must trouble you with,¡± replied Xiao Fuxuan.


    He pointed to Wu Xingxue, ¡°Can you still practice your Dreaming Souls Technique in your current situation?¡±


    Yi Wusheng nodded.


    ¡°Then when you get the chance, take a look at his condition for me.¡±


    He then turned to talk to Wu Xingxue, ¡°He¡¯s adept at the Dreaming Souls Technique. You might not understand. In short, as long as he reaches out a hand to check, he can clearly determine where this soul of yours is from, and to where it should return.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yi Wusheng nodded, ¡°I¡­ I will do my best.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    For an instant, he showed a wooden-like expression, but disappeared in the next second.


    Xiao Fuxuan glanced at him, and then pushed open the door, saying to Yi Wusheng: ¡°Right now, there¡¯s another matter of urgency. That is, you need to explain the entire story clearly to the people from your sect¡ªfor instance, those rumors of the past.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Yi Wusheng looked at the vast crowd of people outside, then said, ¡°Sect Leader is here, I can¡¯t.¡±


    Author¡¯s notes: Sorry for the long wait~

 CH 11

    Hua Zhaoting and the Hua Sect disciples were still blocked outside the pavilion by the blizzard barrier.


    Xiao Fuxuan, who was about to remove the barrier, stopped after hearing what Yi Wusheng said. He asked, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Yi Wusheng replied solemnly, ¡°He must not hear it.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem with your sect leader as well?¡±


    ¡°He and I share a very similar situation. It¡¯s been a long time, and the problem is deeply rooted, so don¡¯t startle him.¡±


    Wu Xingxue glanced at him, who barely had any soul left in him, and asked, ¡°How much time is a long time?¡±


    Yi Wusheng was silent for a second, then said softly, ¡°It¡¯s been more than twenty years.¡±


    It was more than twenty years ago when he first realized that there was something wrong with him.


    ***


    That day, Yi Wusheng and his fond disciple, A-Yao, were managing a batch of newly refined medicine in the Meditating Hall.


    There were countless types of pills that cultivators liked to use, but the types that everyone had were only a few¡ªthose that increase cultivation, extend life, cure injuries, save lives, and, of course, those that take lives as well. The rest of the pills were rare and abnormal, and there were so many types of them that they couldn¡¯t all be named at once. These were the kinds of things each sect privately refined and privately used, and all more or less exhibited some unique characteristics of the sects.


    The Dreamless Pill, for example, belongs only to Yi Wusheng of Peach Blossom Island.


    He had refined this type of medicine because, that year, incidents frequently occurred in the Valley of Great Sorrow1, a major route outside Yuyang City. When ordinary people or cultivation disciples traveled through and first exited the valley, nothing abnormal about them could be spotted, but within three days, some strange things would happen¡ª


    On the back of their necks, something similar to a puppet mark would appear out of the blue. In addition, they would often feel itchy, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to locate the itch, so they couldn¡¯t help but to scratch themselves everywhere. Some people were agitated to the point of insanity, scratching themselves until their bodies were covered with blood.


    Another problem was sleepwalking. They would fall asleep at night and dream that they were starving and looking everywhere for food. After searching for a long time, they would finally see a stall and sit down to eat, chewing on a mouthful of fresh flavors.


    When they suddenly woke up after some time, they would find themselves actually holding stuff in their hands and eating overnight. Some held vegetables and fruits, some held raw fish and meat, and some others¡­  they held people.


    Such acts were indistinguishable from demonic possession, making it impossible for huge sects to overlook the problem.


    They all sent people to carefully investigate why, but being careful was useless. Most of the people sent from the sects to investigate all fell victim to the same mysterious infection, and barely any were lucky enough to come out unharmed.


    At the time, the sect that suffered the most losses was the Feng Sect.


    The Feng Sect had always been on good terms with Peach Blossom Island, so the Feng Sect Sect Leader, Feng Juyan, and her elder brother, Feng Fei, both personally came to ask for medicine for their sect¡¯s infected disciples.


    As everyone knew, Peach Blossom Island¡¯s Yi Wusheng was the most adept at the Dreaming Souls Technique, and the infected individuals from the Valley of Great Sorrow all feasted on human flesh in their dreams.


    Thus, for a while, Peach Blossom Island was almost stomped down by people seeking help.


    Yi Wusheng cultivated in seclusion for seven days, without eating, drinking, resting, or sleeping. Finally, he invented a new type of medicine, the Dreamless Pill.


    For those who fell victim to the Valley of Great Sorrow, if they took the Dreamless Pill within a month, their soul would be sealed for forty-nine days. When they woke back up, they would have recovered. The only risk was losing one of their five senses due to their soul being sealed for too long.


    But if it has been more than a month,  then even eating a jar full of Dreamless Pill would bring no benefit. At that point, no one could save them anymore.


    Yi Wusheng refined Dreamless Pills that entire year, often without sleep or rest, which in turn saved countless lives. The Sect¡¯s Leader, Hua Zhaoting, was afraid he would be too exhausted, so he specifically instructed the sect¡¯s disciples to not disturb Yi Wusheng unless absolutely necessary. He even selected a handful of disciples to help him organize and clean his Placid Hall. 2


    By the end of that year, with the winter months approaching, the Valley of Great Sorrow had been sealed for over a month, and there were no new infections.


    Yi Wusheng was finally able to rest for a bit and have some leisure time.


    That day, the last batch of Dreamless Pills was buried in the flower jar.


    ¡°These Dreamless Pills aren¡¯t the same as normal medicinal pills. They can¡¯t touch fire, so they can¡¯t enter the pill cauldron. They need to be carefully buried in sand three inches underground. The sand must be watered every day with fresh spring water, and¡ª¡±


    Just as Yi Wusheng was just instructing A-Yao, he suddenly felt a slight itch on the back of his neck. He frowned and scratched it a bit.


    ¡°¨CAnd the spring water is best if it¡¯s frozen.  Please make sure you don¡¯t forget that¨C¡± As he spoke, he felt another itch, so he just straight up handed the pills in his hand to A-Yao, and he himself stepped to the side.


    After he scratched for a bit, he suddenly felt a burning pain in the back of his head, and so he quickly turned around to return to his hall.


    But as soon as he turned around, he heard A-Yao let out a soft scream, ¡°Ahh, master, your neck is bleeding. Let me apply some ointment to help stop the bleeding.¡±


    Did it bleed from just a few scratches?


    Yi Wusheng was puzzled in his head as he waved his hand, ¡°No need, keep on burying the Dreamless Pills, I¡¯ll go to my room.¡±


    At the time, there was a small cleaning disciple inside the room. He was organizing the medicine cabinets and the bed.


    Seeing Yi Wusheng coming in with blood on his hands, he quickly dug out some blood-stopping ointment, ¡°Mister, let me help you.¡±


    Yi Wusheng looked at his sand and blood-covered fingers and didn¡¯t refuse this time. He waited for the disciple to apply the medicine on him, but after waiting for a long time, the disciple still didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Mister, you¡­¡± the disciple¡¯s voice could barely be heard.


    Yi Wusheng turned his head, only to find him holding the medicine with a pale face.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with the pale face? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never seen blood before. Why are you so frightened of just a few scratches? ¡± Yi Wusheng laughed to himself. He grabbed a piece of cloth on the side to wipe his hands and was about to take the medicine to apply it himself when he suddenly saw that the disciple¡¯s hands were trembling. The medicine bowl fell from his hand, smashing onto the ground and spilling the medicine everywhere.


    For a moment, Yi Wusheng was stunned. He quickly lifted his robe and went to the inner room, where he took out two copper mirrors to take a look.


    From the copper mirror, he saw his heavily scratched nape. The bloodiness didn¡¯t look like it was scratched by a human finger at all, more like it was torn by some beast¡¯s claws.


    And below those few scratch marks, he could faintly see a black mark, exactly like the one on the necks of the infected people from the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    Immediately, Yi Wusheng felt a chill down his spine.


    He put down the copper mirrors and rummaged through the boxes and shelves to find the rest of the last batch of Dreamless Pills.


    Normally, one pill would be plenty.


    After swallowing a pill, he didn¡¯t even bother to change his clothes as he quickly laid down on the bed. He opened his eyes wide until nightfall, yet there were still no signs of his soul being sealed.


    He got up from the bed again, grabbed the entire bottle with trembling fingers, gave himself a palmful of Dreamless Pills, and swallowed them all¡­


    This time, he did fall asleep, but the soul remained unsealed.


    He refined the Dreamless Pills himself, so he knew the effects better than anyone else. For an infection lasting longer than a month, they would be useless no matter how many were consumed.


    So, after that, he couldn¡¯t remember anything.


    But although he couldn¡¯t remember anything, he still knew what would happen ¨Cthe devil that lived in his body would be startled, quickly devouring his flesh and soul, taking over as the owner of his body. ¡°He¡± would still do the things he usually did every day, not allowing anyone to discover any abnormality, and then he would wait until starvation came.


    Every now and then, devils would feel hungry and uneasy, and get the urge to devour the raw spirit and flesh of humans.


    On extremely rare occasions, Yi Wusheng would recover a little bit of his consciousness. It was like a vestige of his soul didn¡¯t want to leave, still clinging tightly to its power.


    The first time he regained his consciousness, he saw that the small disciple who had helped him apply medicine earlier was sweeping beside the bookshelf. The disciple even bowed towards him, calling out,  ¡°Mister.¡± He tested him with a knock on the back of his head, unsurprisingly hearing the sound of hollowness.


    The second time he regained consciousness was on that cold night twenty-five years ago. A-Yao was manically crying and screaming in front of the hall. His brother, Yi Wuqi, was lying in a puddle of blood with a smile on his face. When his wife, daughter, and father, were knocked upon, they all emitted a hollow sound just like that small disciple.


    Born into a cultivation sect, he was once elegant and talented as well. But that night, he suddenly felt a sense of vicissitude.


    He remembered clearly that in the depth of that night, he used up all of his spirits, fighting to hold onto the shred of humanity remaining. He sprinted to the Sect Leader¡¯s Jianhua Hall. He wanted to tell Hua Zhaoting to strip him of his position as an Elder of the Four Halls and to entrust the tasks in his hands to others. Then, he would let Hua Zhaoting kill him.


    Because the devil in his body would not allow him to commit suicide, he needed to find someone who could restrain him and kill him..


    Stumbling into Jianhua Hall, he ignored etiquettes and respect and barged open the doors.


    Hua Zhaoting was carrying a teapot with a long spout, bending down to water the flower pots next to the wall. When he heard the noise, he turned his head around, his face exhausted. He pointed at Yi Wusheng, saying: ¡°How dare you! If you were a disciple of this sect and charged into my Jianhua Hall like this without my permission after I set the ban order, you would be severely punished.¡±


    Yi Wusheng didn¡¯t reply. He could feel that his consciousness was about to disappear. He must explain everything before that happens.


    He bumped the table and grabbed Hua Zhaoting¡¯s elbow, ¡°Sect Leader¡­¡±


    At that moment, because of the great strength he used, his grab also caused Hua Zhaoting to bump against the table, his body crouching a bit.


    Yi Wusheng saw the back of his neck.


    There were also partially healed scratch marks on the back of Hua Zhaoting¡¯s neck, and there were also traces of a black mark below those scratches.


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s pupils shrank, and an icy chill poured from his head to his toes.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± asked Hua Zhaoting.


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s words stopped at his tongue, ¡°I¡­ I need to go into seclusion for a while.¡±


    ***


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s face was ghastly pale, his appearance grave. He turned his head and looked at A-Yao, who was still stunned in place. ¡°A-Yao¡¯s personality is normally steady and outgoing. He¡¯s someone who can do great things in the future, and he¡¯s also a cultivation disciple. He wouldn¡¯t, just because of witnessing some murder, be scared into such a state. He¡¯s been intentionally cast with a Silencing Technique by someone, not allowing him to speak clearly. ¡°


    ¡°After returning to my Placid Hall, I only had enough time to do one thing,¡± Yi Wusheng continued solemnly, ¡°I added another Silencing Technique on A-Yao. Under two layers of Silencing Techniques, no one could remove them, at least no one on Peach Blossom Island. He would remain in this lunatic state for as long as the Silencing Techniques are in effect.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that after he wakes up, he will say things that shouldn¡¯t be said. On this island, no one can help him.¡±


    After all, A-Yao had grown up beside Yi Wusheng, and he had personally witnessed the entire course of events leading to Yi Wuqi¡¯s death. After he awakened, he would definitely explain everything to Yi Wusheng. And if he also saw that mark on the back of Yi Wusheng¡¯s neck, then his fate would most likely end up the same as that of the small cleaning disciple.


    ¡°Afterwards, I never regained consciousness, up until today.¡± Yi Wusheng looked into the darkness of the night outside, towards all of the silhouettes outside the blizzard barrier. ¡°As long as devils don¡¯t become startled, twenty-five years can pass just like this. The Sect Leader cultivates the path of the sword, and he¡¯s one of the people who¡¯ve come closest to ascending to immortality in the past hundred years. If the devil living inside his body is startled, there¡¯s truly no one above him who can stop him. The thousands of disciples of my Peach Blossom Island might all.


    Before he finished speaking, he saw that the outline of a sword beside him had already emerged from its sheath.


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°You¨C must absolutely not!¡± Yi Wusheng couldn¡¯t tear away the golden paper, but he was so panicked that he didn¡¯t bother with polite speech.


    ¡°Ah, welp, too late. You should rest for a bit.¡± Wu Xingxue held him back, then looked at Xiao Fuxuan, who was surrounded by a body of freezing sword energy. He looked back at Yi Wusheng, ¡°How high did you say his cultivation was?¡±


    ¡°Almost ascending to immortality!¡± Yi Wusheng repeated heavily.


    Xiao Fuxuan repeated lightly, ¡°Oh, almost.¡±


    The moment his voice fell, the phantom sword had already pierced through the air, turning into tens of thousands of golden beams of light. With thundering sounds, the beams of light formed into one and a giant sword came smashing down directly towards Hua Zhaoting!

 CH 12

    In the eyes of the crowd of Hua Sect disciples, Sect Leader Hua Zhaoting hadn¡¯t touched his sword for a very long time.


    After the fall of the Immortal Capital, the cultivators who were closest to ascending became the most powerful individuals in the human realm. One could not afford to be their enemy.


    Although devils have been rampaging about recently, growing more savage and fearless each year, every devil extermination attempt has always relied on the force of an assembly of multiple sects. Occasions that actually required Hua Zhaoting to seriously draw his sword were extremely rare.


    The last time Hua Zhaoting drew his sword was a long, long time ago in the Jiaming Wilderness.


    Hua Zhaoting cultivated the path of the sword. Although he was normally dignified and courteous when he spoke, polite and accommodating, that was only because he had been a sect leader for too long. His temperament was a result of spending all day dealing with matters among sects.


    Anyone who has seen him attack knows that his sword cultivation carried a natural elation and aggression that pierced through the heavens.


    Among those who were close to ascension, although he wasn¡¯t the most powerful, he was truly extremely hard to provoke.


    And at this moment, when the golden ray of sword pierced through the clouds, the disciples of Hua Sect heard a loud, metallic clang. The sound rang across the entire Peach Blossom Island ¡ª Hua Zhaoting had drawn his sword!


    Immediately, the disciples could feel their blood boiling.


    Those who were at the Jiaming Wilderness back then still remembered the sword¡¯s astounding elegance and his imposing manner.


    To be able to witness it for a second time was truly a blessing.


    Thus, all the disciples present flicked their wrists, instantly drawing out countless flying swords! Together with Hua Zhaoting, they all pointed their swords towards the giant golden sword coming from above.


    But the second they sent their swords flying, the disciples¡¯ expressions suddenly changed!


    Because they saw Hua Zhaoting¡¯s sword¡­


    No.


    This sword isn¡¯t right!


    This thought flashed across everyone¡¯s mind.


    The cool and bright sword aura surrounding his sword was nowhere to be found, and instead, what covered him was red spider-like silk, from the sword handle to the rest of his body. The people who were standing close to him could even smell a fishy sweet odor coming from his sword.


    In addition, the second he drew his sword, all the skin bags, heads, and leftover parts of the devils underground all went into an uproar.


    Something¡¯s not right!


    It¡¯s seriously not right!


    There¡¯s something wrong with the sword!


    Tumbling waves crashed in the crowd¡¯s hearts, but immediately after, another thought arose in their heads¡ª


    What if the problem doesn¡¯t lie in the sword?


    What if¡­ the Sect Leader that had led them this entire night in pursuit to catch the devils wasn¡¯t really planning to exterminate them, but was instead on a pilgrimage, like the rest of the devils and Mr. Yi Wusheng?


    For the past twenty-five years, all of the disciples on Peach Blossom Island would go to the Punishment Hall in the morning and evening of every day. This was done to prevent anyone possessed by a devil from mingling with them. Even the Punishment Hall Elder himself was no exception to getting tested.


    But this order was issued by the Sect Leader, and only two people have never been checked. One was the feeble Yi Wusheng, who often cultivated in solitude, and the other was Sect Leader Hua Zhaoting himself.


    The disciples could feel their skulls going numb! However, everything was already too late. They only had time to lift their heads¡ª


    Only to see that before the countless flying swords could even approach the golden light, they had already been shredded into pieces.


    Like a disappearing cloud, the pieces dispersed in an instant.


    The disciples trembled with fear. As if their spirits were pulled out of their bodies, they couldn¡¯t feel anything except for the numbness in their hands, holding their sword sheaths.


    In an instant, nearly a thousand people all lost their spiritual weapons.


    They could only open their eyes wide and stare at Hua Zhaoting¡¯s bloody red sword, which was covered with devilish energy. The sword was pointed to the sky, slamming directly into the golden light.


    The crash created a dazzling light, forcing everyone to close their eyes.


    Then, they heard a loud clang.


    Trying hard to force their eyes open, the disciples saw that the giant golden sword clashed with the tip of Hua Zhaoting¡¯s sword. But it was as if Hua Zhaoting¡¯s sword didn¡¯t exist at all. The golden sword continued to fall down without its force and power decreasing by the slightest.


    Hua Zhaoting was stunned by the shock.


    He never expected that there would be anything that his sword couldn¡¯t block. At this moment, his expression turned indescribably unpleasant.


    Then he realized, that not only wasn¡¯t his sword able to stop the giant golden sword, but under that golden light¡¯s extreme sharpness, his sword seemed to be a child¡¯s toy. As the golden sword continued to come down, his sword started to show cracks in it.  Slowly but surely, his sword was slowly becoming shattered.


    Finally, Hua Zhaoting let go of the sword. The hilt fell onto the ground, and his feet sank deep into the ground below him, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood.


    The disciples all looked in awe. They never expected that the clash would end in such a result. The uneasiness in their hearts intensified.


    ¡°Exactly what kind of person is inside Qiwu Pavilion?¡±


    More precisely, they should be asking, ¡°Who exactly were the two guests who disappeared from the guest room in the middle of the night?¡±


    Between Young Master Cheng and his puppet, one of them must be a devil under human skin. That was the only explanation for the pilgrimage, which attracted all of the island¡¯s devils.


    But a being that even Elder Yi Wusheng and Sect Leader Hua Zhaoting couldn¡¯t resist? How powerful could that devil be?


    Thinking about it this way made them truly terrified.


    All the disciples all thought of the exact same thing: the rumors that came this early morning: the Northern Frontiers perished, the Devil Lord Wu Xingxue locked there might still be alive, and he might have come out already!


    The disciples looked at each other. With countless possibilities forming in their heads, their faces turned pale.


    But the next moment, they became dumbfounded again.


    Because after shattering Hua Zhaoting¡¯s blade, the gigantic sword jabbed ferociously into the ground, its prowess lingering and vibrating with a buzz.


    When the golden light had dissipated, the word on the giant phantom sword became visible.


    It wrote the word ¡°Mian¡±.


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Everyone: ¡°??????¡±


    ***


    Just as the crowd was immersed in shock, Hua Zhaoting, after the unsuccessful counterattack, turned around and transformed into a black shadow, instantly disappearing into the night sky.


    The oppression had a devastating effect on his soul. He almost instinctively rushed back to his Jianhua Hall.


    However, as soon as he appeared back in his room, another ray of golden light pierced straight through his back shoulder, nailing him to the floor.


    The sharp sword aura sent a shock wave, bringing the inside of the room to ruins. The desks and chairs were flipped over, the bed had collapsed, and the flowerpots next to the wall had all shattered into pieces as well.


    When Wu Xingxue and the others followed into the room, this was the scene that they saw.


    ¡°He¨C¡± Yi Wusheng held the golden paper and walked over to Hua Zhaoting¡¯s side. His hand that was reaching out to him was trembling.


    Before he even touched his forehead to check his spirits, another person had already spoken, ¡°He¡¯s alive.¡±


    Yi Wusheng turned around and saw Xiao Fuxuan coming over.


    When the giant sword smashed down, Yi Wusheng was far away and couldn¡¯t see the golden sword clearly. He was standing right next to Xiao Fuxuan himself, trying to scream, ¡°You absolutely must not!¡± Before he was able to finish his sentence, however, he already saw the word ¡°Mian¡± on Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword sheath.


    This caused his voice to crack on his last word.


    Afterward, he found out that the piece of paper he was grabbing on to also had the word ¡°Mian¡± on it. It was in the corner and looked as if it was printed from something dipped in red mud. It was impossible to make out without looking carefully.


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    At that time, he gripped the paper tightly, looking toward the person who had just released his sword in both alarm and suspicion. After a bit, he asked, ¡°Your honorable surname?¡±


    Apparently, there must be something funny in his question, as  ¡°Young Master Cheng¡± beside him suddenly started to laugh.


    The person who was holding the sword with the word ¡°Mian¡± glanced at Young Master Cheng, and then looked at Yi Wusheng expressionlessly. His lips moved, ¡°Xiao.¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Cool.


    Anyway, after hearing him say ¡°Xiao¡±, Yi Wusheng, who had his mouth sealed, hadn¡¯t said a single word, until they followed Hua Zhaoting to Jianhua Hall and saw Hua Zhaoting on the floor.


    It would be a lie to say that he was unmoved.


    At the age of fourteen, Yi Wusheng had already entered the Hua Sect. He met the seventeen-year-old Hua Zhaoting and the eleven-year-old Hua Zhaotai. From then on, he cultivated in the same fall as this pair of brothers and sisters from the Hua Family. It had already been more than a hundred years.


    For mortals, a hundred years is more than enough for an entire lifetime.


    Back then, in the Disciples¡¯ Hall of the Hua Sect, he would often sleep late due to fiddling with medicine. While listening to their teacher lecture on the way of the sword, he would doze off with his head propped on his hand. The brother and sister who sat behind him would then poke him awake.


    That experience of being suddenly startled awake still felt clear, like it was just from yesterday. . Surprisingly, it happened over a century ago.


    That girl, who loved to laugh, had already been buried in the peach blossom grove for over twenty-five years. The other person, who used to be the most annoyed by rules as a teenager, had become the biggest rule of the Hua Sect, and was now lying pitifully on the ground before them. His soul had been consumed by the devils, a poor friend who had suffered the same miseries.


    So at this time, the only thing that he really wanted to know was whether or not this person before him, who may or may not still have some vestigial soul, had died.


    Xiao Fuxuan said lightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him, I¡¯m just forcefully suppressing that devil inside of him from taking over.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Yi Wusheng nodded and repeated softly.


    He was scared, but his fingers still approached Hua Zhaoting¡¯s forehead to check. Hua Zhaoting was in a worse state than he was, and he was barely able to feel any soul left.


    Yi Wusheng lowered his hand.


    Wu Xingxue stood aside and watched silently for a while. He noticed that Hua Zhaoting was clenching his fingers, but his eyes were staring at a certain place.


    They all said that the moment people realize that they¡¯re about to die, they would always subconsciously reveal some secrets¡ªthey would look towards the place where something was hidden, and gaze at those who knew things that couldn¡¯t be said.


    Even the devils were no exception.


    And at this moment, what Hua Zhaoting was facing was none other than the flowerpots that he would stand and stare at for a bit every day.


    A few top-quality short peach blossom trees grew in those flowerpots. They were taken care of extremely well; even in the heavy winter, they showed no sign of withering, still harboring tender branches and green leaves. One tree had even sprouted some new flower buds.


    The flowerpots were shattered into pieces, and the small trees tipped onto the ground. Wet soil and flowers scattered all over the floor, revealing the sand beneath the soil in the pots.


    Why would one plant peach blossom trees in sand?


    Wu Xingxue thought for a moment then walked over to the flowerpots. He lifted his robe and squatted down, running his finger through the wet soil and sand.


    He pushed away some broken pottery with his pointer finger, making some clanging noises.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s voice fell from above his head.


    Wu Xingxue tilted his head to look at him, then continued to dig through the sand. After a moment, he said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking for something earlier? Like¡­ something that was stolen  then later  returned?¡±


    He stood up, patted off the soil and sand on his hands, then wiped his hands on a clean cloth from a nearby shelf, ¡°I see him staring at this place, so I thought I¡¯d take a look for you.¡±


    Hearing this, Yi Wusheng, still holding his slip of paper, also came.


    He dug his hand through the sand and suddenly paused. Then his movements became more eager.


    They discovered several random weird artifacts buried in the dirt from one of the flowerpots, including wooden hairpins, disciples¡¯ waist tokens, hair ties, and the brocade bags used to transmit Hua Sect decrees.


    There were many items of all sorts. Judging by age, they didn¡¯t seem to be the used items of the same person. It seemed like they each came from different people and were all buried here by Hua Zhaoting.


    ¡°Who could these people be?¡± Wu Xingxue held the waist token and studied it.


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s body froze, then after a while, he finally replied, ¡°Disciples.¡±


    These were miscellaneous items that the disciples of the Hua Sect would carry around. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for these to go missing, so even if they did, people wouldn¡¯t find it strange.


    Wu Xingxue suddenly remembered what the disciple at the guest rooms had said before. Even though everyone had to go through the Punishment Hall in the morning and afternoon every day to check for devils, a few disciples would still lose their lives every month.


    Now it seems¡­ the reason for their deaths could be explained.


    But this was truly quite conflicting.


    He then remembered the things he had heard in Chunfan City before arriving at the Hua Sect.


    They said that the Hua Sect alone protected the river, taking over Peach Blossom Island and not letting any common people inhabit the region. They said that Peach Blossom Island¡¯s location was strategic and very easy for devils to invade. If ordinary people went, it would be like a sheep walking into a tiger¡¯s den.


    At the time, he had reasoned that since they were the biggest sect in Chunfan City and had so many disciples, even if they relocated the common people to a suitable location, it still wouldn¡¯t be completely impossible to protect them.


    If other sects could do it, then why not Hua Sect? It was truly questionable.


    Looking at it in retrospect¡­


    On one hand, Hua Zhaoting couldn¡¯t resist devouring disciples every month until he was full, but on the other hand, he was deathly afraid of ordinary people coming near him.


    Wu Xingxue held the old waist token in his hands and was lost in thought for a while.


    A moment later, he suddenly heard a low cry from Yi Wusheng.


    He dug out a small container with countless tiny holes on the lid. By opening the lid, one could see that the inside was completely filled with pills.


    No one knew how long those pills had been buried in the flower pots, but the pills still had a touch of warm spiritual light, indicating that they had been carefully maintained.


    Yi Wusheng swallowed hard, then said slowly, ¡°Dreamless Pills¡­¡­¡±


    No wonder Hua Zhaoting watered the flowerpots every day. Logically, those top-grade peach blossom trees shouldn¡¯t be looked after in this way. Unless he was subconsciously looking after another thing that he thought was useful.


    Those were the Dreamless Pills.


    The pills that could save one¡¯s life if used within a month after first being infected.


    After he was possessed by a devil, how long did he take to realize this? Had he also swallowed big handfuls of Dreamless Pills? Had he also tried to struggle? Did he temporarily regain consciousness when he gave the order to not let any disciples approach Jianhua Hall?


    In that deep night, when I stumbled and tripped to go find him, did he still have any vestigial soul remaining?


    He could feel his body getting colder and colder as he thought.


    The pieces of the flowerpot cut his finger, but no blood came out. Only a stark white wound remained, looking quite scary. He didn¡¯t think twice about it though, as he immediately went to dig through the last flowerpot.


    This time, he dug out a box.


    The moment he opened the box, Xiao Fuxuan turned to look. He smelled a hint of lingering celestial energy.


    He saw a round recess inside the box. The recess held a tiny little bell made of white jade, inlaid with a silver rim. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this was something he knew.


    It was called the ¡°Dream Bell.¡±


    After shaking it nine times in different directions, it could create an extensive dream for an individual.

 CH 13

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Wu Xingxue took a long look inside the box, then remarked suddenly.


    Yi Wusheng was stunned.  ¡°Oh, this is a Dream Bell.¡±


    In the mortal world, Dream Bells were rather common.


    Before, there used to be an extremely lively market in the southwest. Every year on March 3rd, when lanterns were lit to celebrate the opening of the market, the glow of those fires would reach out for twelve kilometers, illuminating the mountain range. At first glance, it seemed that the fires of heaven had descended into the mortal world, burning for three days and three nights.


    That mountain range was called the Falling Flower Tower, and that market was called the FallingFlower Mountain Market. There, all sorts of rare and odd things were sold, and that was where the Dream Bell originated as well. Then, it trended for a bit in Dream City and Lang Island. 1


    The only reason it was popular was because it was small and cute, and people used it for good luck. It was said that carrying it could ensure peace and chase away devils. Hanging it in the bedroom would give one a good night¡¯s sleep and a good dream.


    Later, the Falling Flower Mountain Market was gone. Falling Flower Tower became Devil¡¯s Den Zhaoye City¡¯s entrance; as a result, Dream Bells became less common. Legends said that they had completely disappeared from this world already, and that their only use was to put one to sleep and to make one dream.


    But this one in front of them was different. The Hua Sect¡¯s Dream Bell was not a mundane item from the mountain market, rather, it was actually a heavenly treasure.


    It did have the effect of instantly immersing someone in a dream.


    But it was said that once one becomes submerged in a dream, he will forget everything in the real world and won¡¯t be able to easily wake up by himself. The only way to undo the dream spell was to use the Dream Bell.


    Hua Zhaoting tried it once, but no matter what he tried, he still couldn¡¯t get the clapper to budge. In the end, he could only give up. Afraid that it would land in the hands of a devil, he carefully hid it. 2


    But now, Hua Zhaoting has already turned into a devil, and this Heavenly Treasure¡­


    Yi Wusheng hesitated for a moment, then picked up the Dream Bell and shook it to test.


    The Dream Bell rang out, ¡°Ding¨C¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    This didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Back then, Hua Zhaoting tried to make it ring using everything he had and still failed. Yet all he did was casually shake it. Could it be that the Dream Bell thinks that he¡¯s nice and decided to sound?


    No, That only leaves one explanation ¡ª The Dream Bell in the box was a fake.


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s hand that was holding the bell was shaking, ¡°This Dream Bell¡­ The real one got stolen!¡±


    Who did it?


    And when?


    Yi Wusheng tried to recall, but for the past twenty years, he was practically completely unconscious, not much different from being dead. He couldn¡¯t remember anything at all.


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Yi Wusheng suddenly slammed his fist into his hand, ¡°Wu Xingxue?!¡±


    He looked up after speaking, and caught Young Master Cheng looking at him with a very incredulous look.


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°?¡±


    He desperately tried to recall the fragmented memories of 25 years ago, but still couldn¡¯t come up with the whole story. He rambled on, ¡°Actually, this Dream Bell has been lost once before. ¡° That was the time when Wu Xingxue came to Peach Blossom Island. Afterward, it was found again. Could it be¡­ it was then that the bell was secretly swapped by Wu Xingxue?


    As Yi Wusheng spoke, the sound of his voice faded under Young Master Cheng¡¯s gaze.


    Young Master Cheng looked at him, then suddenly smiled, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did the paper break?¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what kind of person this Young Master Cheng was. Before, when he became taken over by a devil, his mind was fogged up. All he remembered was that he wanted to find someone to end his life, and in the midst of the commotion, this Young Master Cheng was the person he grabbed onto.


    At the time, he could vaguely feel the formless oppression coming from this young master¡¯s body, but now, it seemed to be gone. It was like the fog of this night, seemingly there, seemingly not, unable to be grasped for certain.


    But regardless, he knew for sure that he wasn¡¯t just an ordinary human. Perhaps he was also a former immortal like Celestial Xiao Main.


    Yi Wusheng pondered, then looked back down at the treasure box in his hand.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s still not right. He was a person who would never return an item after taking it. He wouldn¡¯t bother finding a fake one to trick others.¡±


    Yi Wusheng muttered as things gradually started to make sense.


    ¡°So this Dream Bell, when it was lost and returned, was still real at that time. It must have been swapped in recent years.¡±


    In all these years, Hua Zhaoting has not kept anyone around, which meant the only person who could approach the Dream Bell was none other than himself.


    Or rather¡­ the devil inside of him.


    In other words, the devil was the one who wanted the Dream bell.


    Yi Wusheng raised his hand and touched the back of his neck.


    The scar was still there, and the print that looked like a puppet mark was still there. His situation was identical to that of  the other victims of the Valley of Great Sorrow back then. But his case was weird because he had never even gone to the Valley of Great Sorrow before.


    Not only him, but Yi Wuxi and Hua Zhaoting never went there either.


    So how did they fall victim?


    ¡°Immortal, please allow me to ask.¡± Yi Wusheng suddenly gave a deep bow towards Yi Wusheng, then held the paper and asked, ¡°How many more days can my vestigial soul still last?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Three to five days, no more than ten.¡± Xiao Fuxuan replied.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Yi Wusheng repeated.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Xiao Fuxuan.


    ¡°I want to go to the Valley of Great Sorrow,¡± said Yi Wusheng heavily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how the Hua Sect ended like this, and I don¡¯t want to leave this world without learning the truth,¡± said Yi Wusheng, ¡°Before, when guarding this Peach Blossom Island, I still had thousands of worries. Now that I¡¯m on the brink of death, I have nothing to fear. I might as well use this chance to go to the Valley of Great Sorrow and try to find out what really happened back then.¡±


    ¡°First, I can find out what caused all this. In the netherworld, I can explain to those who have deid before me what has really happened.¡±


    ¡°Second, I really want to find the real Dream Bell as well.¡±


    When he brought up the word ¡°Dream Bell¡±, Xiao Fuxuan and Young Master Cheng both looked up.


    After a moment, Young Master Cheng nodded, and gave a light ¡°oh¡±.


    ***


    Peach Blossom Island had a restless night. With all the flabbergasting events that had happened, the disciples only calmed down after a great deal of reassurance. Yi Wusheng brought the Hua Zhaoting that had been nailed to the ground to the Hua Sect¡¯s Devil-Sealing Hall. He summoned the elders of the other three halls and roughly informed them of what had happened.


    After entrusting everything to them, he got a carriage from the Transportation Hall and left the very next day. He brought along two bottles of pills and his sword.


    Before leaving, he bade farewell to Xiao Fuxuan and that Young Master Chen. He repeated his earnest thanks and his utmost indebtedness over and over again for nearly two hours.


    ***


    Later, on the carriage to the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    Yi Wusheng held his bottles of pills and his sword and sat face-to-face with the person he had just bid farewell to.


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Those two hours of farewells just now basically amounted to nothing.


    This carriage was specially made by the Hua Sect. It was tall and spacious. The horses were also spiritual animals, raised with pills and medicines. No whips and reins were necessary, they knew the way, and the ride wasn¡¯t bumpy at all. It should have been a comfortable ride.


    But at that moment, that Young Master Cheng sat across from him with a table in between them. That Xiao Mian immortal probably didn¡¯t like to sit, as he stood next to him with his sword in his arms, leaning against the carriage door.


    Either way, it felt suffocating to be in between them, and there was no place to escape to.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he wanted to escape anywhere. He just felt that the atmosphere inside the carriage was a little tense, and that his near-death body wouldn¡¯t be able to endure these two large mountains¡¯ worth of heavy pressure.


    He was very puzzled at why these two wanted to come with him to the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    It couldn¡¯t be because they were concerned about the Hua Sect, right?


    In that case, then it must be that they were after the Dream Bell¡­


    Yi Wusheng glanced to the side of the table.


    In case they needed it, they brought the fake Dream Bell as well. The box was just sitting on the side, and the last bit of celestial energy had also disappeared from the box already.


    He wondered what the real Dream Bell would sound like, and what it would feel like for someone to be submerged by the bell¡¯s dream.


    Yi Wusheng tried to blank out for a while, but failed to do so.


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but break the creepy silence in the carriage with ¡°Uhhh¡­¡±


    Young Master Cheng, who had his head propped up, raised his eyes to look at him, and Xiao Fuxuan, who was staring outside the carriage with his sword in his arms, also turned his head around.


    Yi Wusheng thought for a bit before finally coming up with something to say, ¡°Oh right, Immortal, you asked me earlier if I could still perform the Dreaming Souls Technique?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Young Master Cheng¡¯s lazy look finally disappeared as he slowly straightened his body. His hand was still supporting his head, and his black pupils glanced toward Xiao Fuxuan.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for not remembering this earlier. All the matters with the sect made me forget.¡± Yi Wusheng said deferentially while holding the paper. His voice sounded sincere.


    Finally, he had found something to say, making the atmosphere inside the carriage a bit livelier. Knowing this, he would definitely try to keep the conversation going. But he failed to notice the split-second subtle change in the other two.


    If he had noticed, then he might have shut his mouth and stopped talking.


    But not only didn¡¯t he be quiet, he continued, ¡°I already heard the disciples in the sect say that this was your main reason for coming to our sect. They said it was a soul that had accidentally entered someone else¡¯s shell.¡±


    Young Master Cheng seemed like he was in a difficult situation, but then immediately recovered, making one feel like anything they saw must¡¯ve been just a mistake.


    ¡°Mm,¡±  he said, ¡°It¡¯s pretty much as you said.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Yi Wusheng nodded, ¡°That truly is a big deal. If a soul occupies the wrong shell for a long time, it¡¯s not beneficial for either party. We must still send your soul back to your body as soon as possible. Although this type of situation is rarely seen, I have come across this before, and can give you a slight bit of help.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± said Young Master Cheng, ¡°Then what do I have to do?¡±


    Yi Wusheng pointed at the table and said, ¡°Please place your wrist flat against the tabletop.¡±


    Young Master Cheng gave an ¡°oh¡±; he seemed very obedient.


    Yi Wusheng said ¡°If you¡¯ll pardon me,¡± then placed his finger on his wrist.


    To the other side, , Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword moved slightly. He seemed to be looking at his fingers, waiting for a reply.


    After a bit, Yi Wusheng asked, ¡°Young Master, from where do you come from?¡±


    ¡°Que City,¡± replied Young Master Cheng.


    ¡°Que City¡­ Que City¡­¡± Yi Wusheng muttered, ¡°I have never heard of that place. I assume that is not a place in this world.¡±


    ¡°Is it a good place?¡± Perhaps it was a doctor¡¯s natural instinct to try to calm a patient, Yi Wusheng asked casually.


    Young Master Cheng smiled. His gaze was downcast, so others couldn¡¯t clearly make out the look in his eyes, but his words were slow and unhurried, ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. My manor has a lot of people. Que City is also very lively, with markets on both sides. There¡¯s a Winding Waters Banquet in the spring and also a Hundred Man Hunt in the winter.¡±


    As he spoke, Yi Wusheng kept his hand on his wrist. After a short while, he started to frown slightly.


    Yi Wusheng subconsciously looked towards Xiao Fuxuan, just to see that Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s gaze had remained on Young Master Cheng¡¯s figure from start to finish, dark and heavy. His lips were pursed, and no one knew what he could be thinking about.


    ¡°It does sound like a good place.¡± A moment of silence later, he asked the Young Master again, ¡°May I ask for your name?¡±


    This time, he waited for a bit, yet no response came.


    Another moment of silence in the carriage.


    The mountain road was very long, and the horse hooves clopped incessantly, making this deafening silence seem all the more unsettling in comparison.


    Yi Wusheng raised his eyes, frowning, and met with Young Master Cheng¡¯s black pupils.


    He was an Elder of the Four Halls of the Hua Sect, after all, and he had seen and known many people. It had been a long time since he had been startled to the core just because of someone¡¯s gaze. But that feeling came quickly and left even quicker.


    It was just that Young Master Cheng had already averted his gaze, appearing kind and harmless once more. He seemed to be thinking about his name.


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s finger moved.


    In fact, whether this Young Master Cheng responded or not was no longer important. The moment he spoke of Que City, he had  already finished checking. This young master had no signs of a soul separated from the body, and the spirit inside his body and his shell were compatible to the utmost. There were no signs of anything being moved before.


    He was the original person.


    ¡°Young master¡­¡± Yi Wusheng thought for a bit. Like a doctor, he felt obligated to tell his patient the truth.. Although it might make the situation awkward, it was best to let him know what was going on.


    ¡°Actually¨C¡± Just as he was about to explain, he suddenly felt something poke at his waist.


    As a sword cultivator, he was very sensitive to this feeling. He knew without even looking at it that it was Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword sheath.


    The next sound, he heard Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s voice come from the tip of the sword. But it didn¡¯t sound like he was speaking, rather, he was telepathing him something that only he could hear.


    He heard Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s deep voice, ¡°Swallow that back and say something else.¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°???¡±


    He was completely confused, not knowing why he couldn¡¯t say the truth. But since this was what Xiao Fuxuan said, there was no need for him to find trouble for himself.


    He had also truly seen similar types of people, most of whom were relatives of the one who had been immersed in a dream. They want to prevent the patient from feeling grief after learning the truth; they want to protect them. After all, listening to the description, Que City truly was a carefree place, at least much better than the current world before their eyes.


    Yi Wusheng swallowed his words back and said instead, ¡°Young master, it is not too big of a deal. Give me a few days and I can promise to bring you back.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have many days left to live anyway.


    Only after he finished speaking did he raise his eyes, just to see Young Master Cheng looking over at him, almost seeming surprised at this answer. His gaze flicked towards Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword and then retreated; in the next second, he tilted his head with a smile, saying: ¡°Then in that case, thank you very much.¡±


    Yi Wusheng quickly nodded and responded with two ¡°mm¡±¡®s.


    He withdrew his hands and leaned on the walls of the carriage again, continuing to hold his pill bottles.


    He was frantically thinking in his head.


    Suddenly, Young Master Cheng spoke, ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan looked up.


    For some reason, the two were silent for a moment, and then Young Master Cheng touched his face and mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we left Chunfan City, right? Can you remove this disguise now? My face feels rather uncomfortable.¡±


    Yi Wusheng has known for a long time that they have been using the Appearance Changing Technique. After all, the Celestial Immortal Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t look like that at all.


    So he wasn¡¯t too surprised and didn¡¯t have too much of a reaction either.


    Xiao Fuxuan pointed his two fingers up, and then the Appearance Changing Technique was lifted.


    Then, the Young Master Cheng sitting in front of him slowly revealed his original appearance.


    It was an infamous face. Because of how distinct it was, it was impossible for anyone to forget after seeing it just once.


    It was¡­ Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yi Wusheng slowly leaned back, feeling that his last bit of soul was about to collapse.


    He recalled how Wu Xingxue calmly looked at him when he mentioned that name to him before. That was the obvious look of someone who was already aware.


    He then remembered what he was about to say, and he felt a chill down his spine¨C


    He almost held Wu Xingxue¡¯s wrist and exposed directly, ¡°You are the original person, not some soul in a puppet¡¯s body.¡±  The fear after finding out the truth finally hit him.


    Yi Wusheng closed his eyes, not daring to say another word.


    After a long time, he woke up from the dead in his head.


    Wait¡­


    Wu Xingxue, the infamous Devil Lord, why is he with Celestial Immortal Xiao Fuxuan???


    And as an immortal, why would Xiao Fuxuan hide Wu Xingxue¡¯s identity while knowing who he really is? Why did he cooperatively play along and didn¡¯t expose him¡­ why???

 CH 14

    Flakes of snow began to fall outside, sporadically drifting into the carriage, as the carriage traveled across Chunfan City.


    Xiao Fuxuan used the handle of his sword to loosen the ropes tying the curtains.


    The curtain was made with a thick layer of thick felt, completely blocking out what little daylight had shone in from outside. Immediately, the inside of the carriage dimmed. The Hua Sect¡¯s carriage had everything inside, including neatly folded blankets, and there even seemed to be some incense made of spiritual medicine placed inside the earthenware.


    Wu Xingxue had the handwarmer he brought down from the boat. He was leaning sideways against the side of the carriage, and he liked this warm yet dark environment. It made him feel relaxed and sleepy.


    Holding the handwarmer, he seemed to be sleeping. But his eyes were only half-closed. From the thin opening, he was looking at the tall man standing beside the carriage door.


    ***


    It was just as Yi Wusheng had guessed ¨C Wu Xingxue had already known.


    The first time he clearly noticed that something about himself was off was on Peach Blossom Island. A-Yao charged into the room, screaming and crying. His hand that reached out to grab at him was being blocked by Xiao Fuxuan. In that split second, he saw A-Yao¡¯s eyes.


    A lunatic¡¯s eyes were always muddled and unclear, with no focal point. But an image of those two eyes opened wide in terror, staring at him from across the windowsill, had suddenly flashed across his mind.


    It was as if he had seen this somewhere before.


    So he asked the attending disciple who he was.


    The disciple replied, ¡°He¡¯s A-Yao. He¡¯s gone insane because of Wu Xingxue.¡±


    It was hard to describe how he felt at that moment. He could only remember that he fell silent for a bit, then subconsciously turned his head to look at Xiao Fuxuan.


    He didn¡¯t know why he looked at Xiao Fuxuan either.


    Maybe it was because he was hoping someone could tell him that he wasn¡¯t that Devil Lord, and that what happened just now was because of the remaining spirits of the original owner of the body. Or maybe¡­ he just wanted to know if he really was Wu Xingxue, what kind of reaction Xiao Fuxuan would have had.


    Back in Que City, he remembered that there was an elder who once told him that he was a quick-witted child, that he never revealed his true thoughts on his face.


    However, he wished that at certain times, he could be a bit dumber.


    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t.


    Back when he was in Hua Sect¡¯s guest room and the little disciple was using a soul-checking talisman to test him, he had all sorts of thoughts emerge in his head. His body subconsciously told him to switch to the other hand.


    He didn¡¯t know why either, nor what would happen if he switched his hands. But everything seemed to happen naturally, as if this was what he had always done.


    Because he couldn¡¯t explain why, he could only lightly tease the disciple.


    After that, his thoughts have always wandered.


    In his head, he kept telling him ¡°maybe it¡¯s the remaining spirits of the original owner,¡± but in his mouth, he asked Xiao Fuxuan what kind of person Wu Xingxue was.


    In fact, the moment he asked that, he already knew in his heart, but he just didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    Until he met Yi Wusheng.


    Until Yi Wusheng was grabbing the bottom of his robes, just like Yi Wuqi from back then, struggling and begging him to kill him.


    And until he saw the Dream Bell.


    ¡­.


    He was finally forced to believe that there was no such place as ¡°Que City¡± in this world.


    From the moment he used his powers and pulled A-Yao into the air, he used A-Yao¡¯s hand to pull out Yi Wusheng¡¯s sword, piercing the sword into Yi Wusheng¡¯s heart with one strike¡­


    He was still the same Wu Xingxue.


    In Que City¡¯s never-ending carriages and horses, the sounds of clopping hooves on the broad and open roads, the common people who noisily came and went, those spring banquets, deep winter Hundred Man Hunts, and the flower bells and the birds of his manor¡­ they were all nothing but a man-made fantasy.


    He hid in that fantasy for 25 years before finally opening his eyes again.


    But he still couldn¡¯t remember anything.


    He only vaguely remembered hearing the ring of a bell. As for who had shaken the bell, why he had slept for 25 years, what happened before he heard the bell, and what he needed to do after waking up, he knew absolutely nothing.


    The only solution to undo everything seemed to be the Dream Bell.


    That was why he came onto Yi Wusheng¡¯s carriage.


    He knew clearly in his heart why he wanted to come along, but as for why Xiao Fuxuan also came, he was curious about that as well.


    Before, Wu Xingxue could understand very well Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s actions and reactions. After all, at the time, he had repeated over and over that he was a soul who had entered someone else¡¯s body, and eventually, he even tricked himself into believing it. Despite the fact that Xiao Fuxuan was the Celestial Immortal, and despite how sure he said he was, some uncertainty would more or less still remain in his heart.


    Since he wasn¡¯t sure, then he couldn¡¯t act unreasonably, treating a mortal with the same methods he would do to the Devil Lord. It was completely normal for Xiao Fuxuan to be conflicted at the time.


    But this time, the situation was different.


    Wu Xingxue had learned the truth about everything.


    And after seeing Yi Wusheng¡¯s reaction just now, Xiao Fuxuan probably knew about it too.


    But if he knew already, then why did he prevent Yi Wusheng from exposing the truth?


    Was it to protect Yi Wusheng? Or was it because he didn¡¯t want to scare the Devil Lord away?


    Or was it¡­ for some other reason?


    ***


    Holding tightly to his handwarmer, Wu Xingxue looked quietly at Xiao Fuxuan inside the dim carriage.


    He moved his hands along the edges of the hand warmer, then gently rubbed his warm fingertips, trying to circulate his internal energy.


    As there was almost no light and the carriage was very big and spacious, even the tiniest sound could be clearly heard. Thus, when he curled his fingers, an extremely soft clanging noise sounded in the carriage.


    ¡°What was that noise?¡± Yi Wusheng asked quietly while holding the paper. He, who was sitting across from Wu Xingxue, straightened his body right after being startled by the noise.


    Wu Xingxue gave an ¡°oh¡± in his head, then called, ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    The tall figure beside the door moved a bit.


    After a moment, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s deep and low voice came, ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Can you remove these chains from my body?¡± asked Wu Xingxue.


    Across from him, Yi Wusheng suddenly froze.


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡±


    I would be better off dead.


    This was what Yi Wusheng was thinking right now.


    Just now, he almost blurted out: chains? I don¡¯t see any chains.


    Fortunately, he reacted in time¡ªthose were the Heavenly Chains used to imprison the devils of the Northern Frontiers, representing punishment from the heavens.


    It was said that they were nailed into a devil¡¯s body, one chain for every crime he committed. They could not be seen by ordinary people, and only their sounds could be heard.


    It was also said that devils could use their lives and bodies to atone for their sins. For each sin they repent for, a single chain would be removed.


    But obviously, before any one of those chains could be removed, the nailed Devil Lord had already perished.


    Wu Xingxue might be the first devil to ask ¡°Can you remove my chains¡± in the same tone as ¡°I¡¯m hungry, ya got food?¡±


    Such a statement should sound absurd in normal circumstances.


    But Yi Wusheng hadn¡¯t heard a reply from Xiao Fuxuan for a long time. Finally, he decided to open his eyelids slightly and peek at the Celestial Immortal in charge of the Northern Frontiers.


    He said in his head: There¡¯s no way you would dare remove them.


    There wasn¡¯t much light in the carriage, and so Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t be seen.


    Wu Xingxue could feel that he¡¯d raised his eyes and looked toward him.


    Although it was said that these chains couldn¡¯t be seen by anyone, at some point, Wu Xingxue suspected that Xiao Fuxuan could see them. His gaze seemed to sweep past the places where he had been locked by the chains, one by one.


    It was just that his surroundings were too dark, so he couldn¡¯t see clearly.


    He only knew that Xiao Fuxuan was silent for a very long time before speaking, ¡°I can¡¯t remove them.¡±


    His voice was low but not so cold anymore.


    Wu Xingxue nodded and changed his posture. The sound of chains came again. After a moment, he hazily replied, ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡±


    ¡°Then forget it.¡±


    He was still rubbing his handwarmer, and he was having a lot of trouble trying to navigate his internal energy. Maybe it was because he hadn¡¯t used them in too long and he wasn¡¯t used to them yet. After a while, he moved slightly again.


    ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s low voice suddenly sounded.


    Wu Xingxue was stunned, then replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you keep moving.¡±


    Wu Xingxue looked at his figure and said, ¡°The chains sounded before, and that¡¯s how you knew I was moving. But this time the chains didn¡¯t make any noise. How could you still tell that I moved?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan was silent for a bit before replying, ¡°They are making noise.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Yi Wusheng couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    He just could not believe the bizarre conversation between the Devil Lord and the Celestial Immortal.


    Just as he was about to continue to play dead, he suddenly heard the Devil Lord ask him, ¡°How much longer until we arrive at the Valley of Great Sorrow?¡±


    Yi Wusheng got poked by Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword. . He helplessly opened his eyes, knowing that he could no longer play dead.


    Right, some immortals very rarely traveled through the mortal world in carriages, so it would indeed be difficult for them to answer such a question.


    ¡°It¡¯s still very far.¡± replied Yi Wusheng as he held onto the paper, ¡°And after those incidents in the Valley of Great Sorrow that year, many sects implanted restriction barriers.¡± Ordinary people¡¯s horses will take at least a month to cross it. The Hua Sect¡¯s spiritual horses could avoid some of the restrictions, maybe three days.


    He truly could no longer stand being stared at by the gazes of both a devil and an immortal in this type of darkness anymore, so he raised his hand and brushed a gold rivet on the carriage wall.


    The next second, a flicker of flame from a lamp lit the carriage.


    The lamps inside the Hua Sect¡¯s carriages were all specially made, with spiritual pills and medicinal powders melted inside the lamp oil. Not only could they withstand strong winds, but they could also ward off some weak devils and ghosts.


    There were all types of living spirits in the world, many of which ordinary people feared.


    Today, the most fierce devils all originate from people cultivating the diabolic path. They ¡°arose from the living.¡±


    Those who ¡°arose from dead souls¡± were considered beings of the yin world.


    Most of the devils in the world reside in Zhaoye City. Yin beings were different; they liked deserted places, which one would hardly ever go to. The more desolate and uninhabited a place was, the more likely it was to come across them there.


    On the way to the Valley of Great Sorrow, one would find many Yin beings. Some had been starving for ages, and they could smell the scent of the living from across tens of kilometers. To eat them, they would often sneakily cling onto the backs of the travelers, or onto the top or bottom of their carriages.


    Before, the Valley of Great Sorrow was an unavoidable path between a few major cities. Cultivation sect disciples who wished to go to the Eternal Sea for spiritual materials must also go through here.


    In order to prevent getting caught up by those yin beings in the middle of their journey, each of the cultivation sects would place a few of these special filth-repelling lamps in their carriages.


    It was a habit for Yi Wusheng to turn on the lights.


    But as soon as he lit it, he saw Wu Xingxue across from him turn his face away. His eyes were half squinted, as if he very much disliked this type of light.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Oh right, this lamp warded against yin beings and devils.


    And the Devil Lord was sitting right across from him.


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s fingers stiffened, not knowing if he should beg for help in advance. He silently glanced at the Celestial Immortal.


    He saw that the Celestial Immortal frowned, then looked at the glass lampshade on the wall of the car.


    The words ¡°filth-repelling¡± were written on the lampshade. His gaze swept across those two words, then expressionlessly, he took his eyes off of them.


    The next second, the light went out with a ¡°puff¡±.


    Perfect.


    The carriage returned to its previous darkness.


    Yi Wusheng nervously gripped that half-broken paper. His lips that were sealed beneath the black cloth moved a bit, but he ultimately didn¡¯t say a word, curling up in resignation. He thought: ¡°Welp, it is what it is.¡±


    The devil sitting in front of him went silent for some reason.


    The carriage was quiet for a long time.


    After another long time, Yi Wusheng heard Wu Xingxue say, ¡°When we pass the outskirts of the city, can we stop to pick two people up?¡±


    Yi Wusheng said in his head: ¡°Certainly, certainly! I wouldn¡¯t dare to say no.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The people who traveled with me before, I guess my household subordinates?¡± Wu Xingxue answered.


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Household¡­


    Subordinates¡­


    Who could the subordinates of Wu Xingxue be?


    This must mean I¡¯ll run into two more devils T_T


    ***


    While Yi Wusheng was sigh-ing in his head, on the outskirts of Chunfan City, Ning Huaishan and One-Arm squatted on the mountain rocks with their arms crossed.


    Not far away, at the exit of the city, there were sword-carrying disciples from the Hua Sect hurriedly coming and going, sticking something on the two divine statues. It looks like a warning sign from a distance.


    Ning Huaishan felt nauseous just by seeing the divine statues. So he didn¡¯t want to approach them at first.


    But his curiosity won in the end. He slowly approached it, and then tried to read what was on the warning from a far distance.


    An official statement was on the notice, very wordy. It could be summarized in two sentences:


    Two righteous paladins helped to solve a great crisis on Peach Blossom Island.


    These two, as well as our sect elder, Yi Wusheng, are now headed to the Valley of Great Sorrow; no one shall stop them when exiting the city.


    There are also two portraits attached to the notice.


    The portrait drawing skills of the Hua Sect were truly extraordinary. One could easily tell just by looking at their Ancestor Hua Xin¡¯s portrait. So as for these two portraits, anyone with eyes would recognize who they were.


    Ning Huaishan looked strangely at the portraits, then he nudged One-arm, ¡°Don¡¯t they look sort of familiar? Their clothes too?¡±


    One-arm showed no expression. Then, after a long time, he said with a scratchy voice, ¡°Yes, it looks like our City Lord and his puppet.¡±


    Ning Huaishan stared at the two words ¡°righteous paladins¡± with an even stranger look, asking, ¡°Is the Hua Sect crazy, or are we just blind?¡±


    ¡°Hard to tell,¡± replied One-arm.


    The two looked at each other for a long time. One-arm finally spoke, ¡°I was about to say it earlier. Do you think there¡¯s something off with our City Lord?¡±


    Ning Huaishan didn¡¯t reply.


    After a while, One-arm continued, ¡°The more I think about it, the more suspicious I get. How about you?¡±


    Ning Huaishan finally spoke after a long time, ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s an imposter, then I definitely wouldn¡¯t let him leave in one piece; this arm of mine, who am I supposed to get it back from?¡±


    Ning Huaishan thought about it, then licked the tips of his teeth and waved his hand, ¡°Just wait!¡±


    ¡°After he comes out, let¡¯s scare him.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s really an imposter, then we¡¯ll make him beg for mercy.¡±

 CH 15

    Ning Huaishan and One-arm waited beside the mountain road on the outskirts of the city.


    Before they got into the carriage, Yi Wusheng lifted the curtain and took a look at them from afar.


    It was snowing very heavily outside, so he couldn¡¯t see their faces clearly. But he could tell their general appearances apart. At first glance, one of those two subordinates looked extraordinarily thin and weak, like a teenage boy.


    A little kid?


    Yi Wusheng shook his head and sighed in his head, ¡°During these years, there were many people who entered the diabolic path from a very young age. How deplorable and pathetic.¡±


    He had once come across a child like this before, and at the time, he didn¡¯t have the heart to kill him.


    ¡°Why did you shake your head, sir?¡± Wu Xingxue asked. His voice sounded very nice, and he talked no differently from an ordinary young master.


    But for some reason, it also made one panic. Maybe because of how light his last words were.


    Yi Wusheng immediately dropped the curtains.


    He squeezed the paper. But just as he was about to reply, the doors were opened, and snow and wind rushed in with a ¡°swoosh¡±.


    ¡°City Lord, we had to wait so long!¡± Ning Huaishan walked in. Right after he called Wu Xingxue, he saw Yi Wusheng, and his face immediately turned blue. ¡°How come it¡¯s you?¡±


    Yi Wusheng was stunned.


    ¡°This reaction,¡± Wu Xingxue looked at the two, ¡°Do you guys know each other?¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± Ning Huaishan gave a sneer and said enigmatically, ¡°How would I, a devil from Zhaoye City, know him, an elder of a famous sect? It was only many years ago when we accidentally met each other once.¡±


    Yi Wusheng clearly didn¡¯t recognize him. He showed a confused expression: ¡°?¡±


    Ning Huaishan¡¯s face grew even bluer.


    He gave a low curse, then tugged down his collar to reveal his lower neck. A long sword scar was found near the most vulnerable area of his neck. On top of the scar was a fresh scab, and it seemed to have even cracked open not too long ago.


    After seeing the scar, Yi Wusheng finally recognized him. He looked at Ning Huaishan in astonishment, and the paper became a little more wrinkled, showing how surprised he was, ¡°Are you¡­ that child from Jiaming Wilderness Wilderness?¡±


    ¡°Little your mom,¡± Ning Huaishan said as he pulled open his collar. ¡°I was only a teenager back then, but it¡¯s been over 40 years already.¡±


    Naturally, Wu Xingxue naturally didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about at all.


    But that didn¡¯t prevent him from joining the conversation, ¡°Jiaming Wilderness?¡±


    Ning Huaishan was originally done cursing, but after being asked this, he said again with a cold laugh, ¡°Yes, the Jiaming Wilderness. City Lord, you know, it was when Black Bodhisattva and I went there to take care of business, but we were stopped by the Hua Sect. That was how Black Bodhisattva died.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He actually didn¡¯t know.


    Wu Xingxue gave an ¡°oh¡±, then said, ¡°Yeah, I remember what happened to Black Bodhisattva¡± my ass.


    ¡°Then, this sword wound of yours is?¡±


    As a devil already, wasn¡¯t it very common to fight with the cultivation sects? Why did I hold such a long grudge just over getting a sword cut?


    ¡°Ask him,¡± Ning Huaishan pointed at Yi Wusheng.


    ¡°¡­¡± Yi Wusheng thought to himself: ¡°What did I get myself into¡± T_T.


    He was silent for a moment, but still continued, ¡°At that time, my sword was covered with some¡­ medicine.¡±


    They went there to slay devils to start with, and so every Hua Sect disciple had their swords smeared with spiritual medicine. In fact, he made this medicine himself. With a single cut, even if it didn¡¯t kill the devil in one blow, the medicine was a potent enough poison to make the sword wound repeatedly rupture and fester.


    Because the people of Zhaoye City cultivated diabolic techniques, they of course had a means of healing wounds as well. They could heal their wounds exceptionally quickly, but it came at a high price.


    ¡°This sword wound forced me to go into the medicinal pool almost every day, cultivating the Poison Restriction Technique, and soaking for more than thirty years.¡± Ning Huaishan clenched his teeth, ¡°My body hasn¡¯t grown since then!¡±


    ¡°And you were scolding me at the time,¡± Ning Huaishan glared at Yi Wusheng, ¡°What is it that you were saying? Oh, that from a young age I had lost myself to the evil ways, mistakenly taking the wrong path, telling me to open my eyes and take a good look at those people who had been killed by devils; that if I had ever thought about my family for even a single second. You said that if I continued like this, I would certainly regret it my whole life.¡±


    ¡°Old mister,¡± said Ning Huaishan with a smile, his two sharp canine teeth gave off a sinister feeling.


    Old¡­ mister.


    Yi Wusheng remained silent.


    Cultivators wouldn¡¯t age easily. In the eyes of the common people, his appearance looked like somewhere around his mid-twenties.


    ¡°The entire Zhaoye City knows that I¡¯m an orphan who crawled up from beneath the ground. I don¡¯t even have a family to bother thinking of, what can I do? But old mister, did you ever think back then that there¡¯d be a day when you¡¯d be facing me again?¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Facing you again with swords? Maybe. But facing you again while sharing a carriage? Certainly not.


    Ning Huaishan¡¯s gaze swept past the black strip of cloth stretched across his mouth and nose. He said harshly: ¡°Aiyaya, it looks like your treatment here isn¡¯t very nice, I¡ª¡±


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s bleak white face was almost about to be mocked to red from the anger inside of him. But suddenly, a silver sword sheath rose next to the door and knocked against the back of Ning Huaishan¡¯s knee.


    With a thud, Ning Huaishan knelt down in front of Yi Wusheng.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    I¡ª


    He clutched his numb legs with a ¡°fuck¡±, then turned his head to stare at the person who hit him. The Celestial Immortal was looking down at him, then he moved his fingers expressionlessly, and the sword returned to its original position.


    Ning Huaishan saw the black water lily across Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hand and remembered that this was his City Lord¡¯s puppet. Everything he did was according to the City Lord¡¯s will.


    Ning Huaishan turned to look at Wu Xingxue and said, ¡°City Lord, you let him hit me?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t.


    He raised his eyes and looked at Xiao Fuxuan on the opposite side.


    Xiao Fuxuan also looked back at him through the dim lighting. After a moment, he very lightly moved his eyebrows, then he showed a face of ¡°nothing to do with me.¡± ¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥  1


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Being the dignified immortal you are, why are you sowing conflict between me and my subordinate?


    He rubbed his hot fingers and watched for a while. Then he tapped the table with his fingers and said to Ning Huaishan, ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep kneeling here. You¡¯re blocking someone from entering the carriage. Go sit down.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Ning Huaishan gave an angry glare behind him.


    Just in time to see One-Arm grabbing the door with a single hand, one foot in the carriage, the other still hanging outside. He expressionlessly gave Ning Huaishan a single sentence, ¡°You¡¯ve been testing my patience, scram inside.¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He felt aggrieved, staring at the empty seat beside Yi Wusheng for a very long time. Then he turned his head to look at Xiao Fuxuan. He gritted his teeth, then decided to sit beside Wu Xingxue.


    Then, he saw Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword move.


    Ning Huaishan reflexively jumped up from the wooden chair the moment his butt touched it. He quickly got to Yi Wusheng¡¯s side and sat beside his ¡°enemy¡±.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t sit there, City Lord, but please kill don¡¯t me.¡± He muttered.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    A giant question mark was sitting above Wu Xingxue¡¯s head.


    Who didn¡¯t let you sit?


    A moment later, Ning Huaishan realized that Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t have any intentions to draw his sword, and then realized that he had made a big deal out of nothing. He immediately felt himself get embarrassed.


    Too embarrassed to switch again, he could only squeeze next to Yi Wusheng with a face like he was attending a funeral.


    One-arm looked around, and then squeezed next to Ning Huaishan.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t dare sit next to Wu Xingxue, it was just that it would be easier to whisper to Ning Huaishan when sitting next to him.


    ¡°Did you notice, City Lord didn¡¯t move from start to finish, and he¡¯s been holding that handwarmer this whole time,¡± he pressed his finger against Ning Huaishan, using a method that only the two of them could hear.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s internal energy was extremely frigid, even colder than the Eternal Sea, which was covered in snow for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. A layer of frost would often form on the very swords he held, and when he gripped one¡¯s chin, frigid frost could run an icy path all the way from his fingertips to one¡¯s face.


    Only others feared him, and he had never feared anything, not even the cold.


    How could such a person hold onto a handwarmer for so long and not let go?


    Ning Huaishan thought for a bit and replied in the same manner, ¡°I was blinded by anger just then and didn¡¯t notice. Now that I think about it¡­I barely managed to survive in the Jiaming Wilderness back then, and when I returned to the city, the first person I saw was the City Lord. He saw my sword wound fester endlessly.


    Although it had been over thirty years already, and there was still the possibility that he might have forgotten, if the wound didn¡¯t remind him of anything at all, then something strange was definitely going on.


    After getting into the carriage, they became firmer and firmer about their previous thoughts.


    ***


    The carriage did not stop once in the next three days. After avoiding more than twenty cultivation sect restrictions, they could finally see the shape of the Valley of Great Sorrow from afar.


    Wu Xingxue lifted the window curtain to take a look, just to see that enormous, deep valley silently lurking behind the snow and fog. Before entering the valley, there was a high cliff, forming a moat. On the cliff was a long and narrow suspension bridge, leading to the entrance of the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    The chains of the bridge were covered with vines, dropping down at different lengths. At first glance, it looked obvious that no one had come here for a very long time.


    But the strange thing is that there was an inn less than a mile away from the valley¡¯s entrance.


    No, it was a bit too much to call it an inn, it was at most two straw shacks. The straw shack in the front was empty on all sides and only had a roof. It could block the rain from above, but wouldn¡¯t stand against the winds that would blow in all directions. There were tables and chairs inside the shack.


    The straw shack in the back looked more completely; one should be able to temporarily live there for a day or two.


    Before their eyes, there were even people inside that shack.


    ***


    The carriage stopped in front of the shacks.


    ¡°We¡¯re the most familiar with the Valley of Great Sorrow. We two will go first to explore around and clear out some miscellaneous barriers so that they won¡¯t be in the way when you enter the valley.¡± Ning Huaishan and One-arm gave a heads up to Wu Xingxue and then left.


    Wu Xingxue and the others got off after them and walked towards the straw shack.


    Afraid that people would find him strange, Yi Wusheng took a long scarf from the carriage that was used to keep warm and wrapped it around his neck a few times, covering the black cloth on his nose and mouth. He asked the people sitting in the straw shack, ¡°It has been a long time since the Valley of Great Sorrow was sealed. Why are you guys here?¡±


    Inside the shack, there were three cultivation sects¡¯ disciples, but they didn¡¯t wear their sect¡¯s badges.


    They were all very young. Their robes fluttered in the wind, making them seem like they were not afraid of the cold. They looked at the incoming carriage with a cautious look.


    There were also another four people in there as well. They looked like ordinary people, two men, and two women, all middle-aged. They were dressed in cheap, simple robes.


    Perhaps because they were afraid of the wind, their hands and feet were tied tightly. Their necks  were also wrapped in thick cotton scarves, and their faces were deeply wrinkled and scarred. Swords were laid on the table in front of them, and also several bowls of hot soup and tea with white steam coming from them.


    One of the women¡¯s eyes was completely red, like she had just been crying. Her eyes swept past Yi Wusheng and landed on Wu Xingxue.


    Maybe because they saw that Yi Wusheng was wrapped up with a large scarf, much like themselves, and Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t have a sword or weapon on him, only holding a handwarmer, making him look like he didn¡¯t pose much of a threat.


    The woman hesitated for a moment, then replied, ¡°There¡¯s no other way. We came to search for people.¡±


    ¡°Search for people?¡± asked Wu Xingxue curiously.


    ¡°Mm,¡± the woman nodded, then continued, ¡°My two daughters¡­¡±


    One of the cultivators on the side gave a cough and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say too much.¡±


    The region of the Valley of Great Sorrow was filled with evils, especially after the valley was sealed. Very few living people came, and the atmosphere felt very deadly. The entire deep valley was covered with dark clouds and gloomy fog.


    ¡°Before we came, we already knew that the people we see here won¡¯t necessarily be humans,¡± the cultivation disciple said softly again.


    Wu Xingxue had good ears and heard what he said. He raised his eyebrows.


    He thought, he was indeed right. A vestigial soul, a resurrected corpse, and a devil were among them; none of which could be considered living humans.


    He pretended that he didn¡¯t hear them and went on asking, ¡°If you guys are looking for people, then why are you sitting here?¡±


    The Cultivation Sect disciple frowned. After a moment, he asked back, ¡°Have you never been to the Valley of Great Sorrow before?¡±


    Ning Huaishan and One-arm weren¡¯t here anyway, so Wu Xingxue replied, ¡°We haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°No wonder,¡± replied the disciple.


    ¡°The Valley of Great Sorrow has been sealed for a long time. Many people never come back and don¡¯t know the rules.¡± The cultivation disciple pointed at the bridge and continued, ¡°This valley can only be entered at night after the sun has set behind the mountains. There are lamps in the celestial temple next to the valley entrance, and the bridge can only be crossed after the lamps light up. Or else, stepping on the bridge means certain death.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Wu Xingxue asked as he looked over towards the bridge.


    The woman said softly, ¡°Then there are so many things lying under the bridge.¡±


    ¡°Since this place is so dangerous and there are so many restrictions along the way, how can someone enter here by mistake and end up needing to be searched back?¡± Yi Wusheng asked.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t enter by mistake.¡± The woman looked at the celestial temple at the entrance of the valley, then said to Yi Wusheng, ¡°They were ordained here.¡±


    Wu Xingxue heard the sword beside him move a little.


    He turned his head and saw Xiao Fuxuan frowning.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°Ordained,¡± replied Xiao Fuxuan,  heavily. ¡°Before, there was only one situation where one would be ordained.¡±


    ¡°What type of situation?¡±


    ¡°To be granted a name by the heavens and ordained as an immortal.¡±


    Most of the immortals had come to be through cultivation and ascension, and there were only a few minimal exceptions¡ªwithout cultivating, they had already received immortality at a very young age.


    In the Immortal City, this was known as a ¡°heavenly decree.¡± Those who were ordained by ¡°heavenly decree¡± to become immortals would be granted a name by the heavens and weren¡¯t under the jurisdiction of the Lingtai Twelve Immortals.


    There have only been two such people in Immortal Capital from beginning to end, and Xiao Fuxuan was one of them.


    So¡­ why would the ones ordained by the heavens appear in the Valley of Great Sorrow?

 CH 16

    Chapter 16: Death Wish


    But, speaking of being granted a name by the heavens¡­


    Wu Xingxue turned his head to look at Xiao Fuxuan, and then suddenly raised his hand to touch his ear.


    It was said that the Celestial Immortal could strike his sword faster than lightning, and was capable of slashing the transgressor¡¯s head in the blink of an eye. All devils knew to keep a great distance away from him, and normal people were even less likely to come near him.


    But Wu Xingxue had already reached out his hand. When he finally remembered this saying, it was already too late to regret his actions.


    However, the only thing that happened was that the sword in Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hand was lifted slightly, and then it was lowered again. A deafening rumble that came out of him stopped abruptly right after it sounded. Only a split second had passed from the violent surge to the withdrawal and sheathing of his sword.


    Wu Xingxue was stunned by this sudden change, and before he could react, he saw Xiao Fuxuan turn his face to the side and glance at his finger with downcast eyes, ¡°What are you trying to press?¡±


    His voice was very deep, and his neck subtly vibrated when he spoke.


    Wu Xingxue curled his fingers and retracted his hand. Oh, what happened to your ¡®Mian¡¯ word? I don¡¯t think it ever showed up on you. ¡°


    Xiao Fuxuan glanced at the straw shack. He didn¡¯t seem to want to speak too much because of all the people there, so he only gave a one-worded answer, ¡°Gone.¡±


    Made sense. With the Immortal Capital destroyed and the Lingtai perished, it was natural that the ¡°Mian¡± mark granted by the heavens was gone. Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t know what he was thinking just now that made him ask such a dumb and obvious question.


    He waved his hand, about to move on from this topic, but suddenly, he heard Xiao Fuxuan say, ¡°Before, it also wasn¡¯t visible all the time.¡±


    Wu Xingxue became curious again, ¡°Not visible all the time? What, the mark granted by the heavens would appear and disappear every now and then?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Then when would it be hidden, and when would it appear?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    For some reason, Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t answer.


    He just raised his hand and pinched the part of the neck that his ¡°Mian¡± mark should be on, then gave Wu Xingxue a look before walking to the straw shack.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°What made you say that they were ordained?¡± Xiao Fuxuan walked to the shack and asked the woman wrapped in a thick coat.


    A cultivation disciple beside her wanted to stop him, but was pressed back by another. They stared at Xiao Fuxuan with a face of hesitation.


    ¡°Because they had a word on their neck,¡± said the woman as she raised her hand to demonstrate. Because of the thick winter coat she was wearing, her movements seemed rather clumsy, making her red eyes look even more empty and sorrowful.


    A word on their neck?


    Wu Xingxue wasn¡¯t exactly sure if that was the whole story.


    Luckily, one of the cultivation disciples couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, so he helped to explain, ¡°This matter has been a hot topic on the outskirts of Yuyang for a while now. The first family to suffer from this disaster was a lumberjack. Just the day before, he was a healthy man, but after he woke up the next day, a word suddenly appeared on his neck¡­ as if¡­ as if it was granted by the heavens. It had grown on his body and wouldn¡¯t go away no matter how hard he tried to wash it.¡±


    He glanced at Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s neck, and then immediately looked away. ¡°Afterwards, the lumberjack vanished that same night. In addition, the axe that he normally used and the incense burner he placed on his household shrine also vanished along with him.¡±


    ¡°Incense burner?¡± Yi Wusheng was puzzled.


    ¡°Yes, his incense burner,¡± said the disciple with a nod. ¡°His family felt weird about this matter too and tried to look for him everywhere, but they just couldn¡¯t find him. One week later, their entire family all had the same dream.¡±


    ¡°In their dream, they saw the lumberjack sitting cross-legged on a shrine, one hand holding his axe, and the other carrying the incense burner. His chopped-off head was resting in his lap. Blood flowed down from his empty neck, streaming all over his body. And then, the chopped-off head spoke.¡±2


    ¡°What did the head say?¡±


    ¡°It said that he had been ordained as an immortal and that his place of devotion would be at the temple in the Valley of Great Sorrow. He even reminded his family to remember to bring incense to the temple and worship him.¡±


    ¡°After his family members woke up, they immediately came to our sect to seek help. But as everyone knows, this Valley of Great Sorrow has been sealed for a long time, and people couldn¡¯t just enter and leave that place easily. Afterwards, a few elderly martial brothers and sisters felt pity for them and decided to go on a trip to the Valley of Great Sorrow. They made sure to bring some Dreamless Pills bought from the Hua Sect.¡±


    ¡°With the help of the Dreamless Pills, our martial siblings didn¡¯t run into too much trouble. But despite their hasty trip, they didn¡¯t manage to find that lumberjack. All they found was his axe, dripping with blood.¡±


    When Wu Xingxue heard him say, ¡°Dreamless Pill bought from the Hua Sect,¡± he was stunned for a moment, then looked at Yi Wusheng.


    He saw him lowering his head, looking down, and then tugging the fabric that covered his nose and mouth even further up, hiding most of his face. His expression looked a little sorrowful.


    Everyone in the world relied on the Dreamless Pills to enter and exit the dangerous territory of the Valley of Great Sorrow, but the creator of the Dreamless Pills himself fell victim to the valley without even ever being there.


    What an¡­ unfair world.


    ¡°Anyway, after that, families would suffer from a similar situation one after another. It was always a word suddenly appearing on a person¡¯s neck, and then that person would vanish on the same night. Even if they were tied to their beds with ropes, with someone beside them keeping watch the whole night without rest, it was still no use. The person on guard would always somehow suddenly fall asleep, and though the rope used to tie them wasn¡¯t undone, it¡¯d be completely covered in blood. It was as if¡­ ¡°


    The cultivation disciple paused and then continued with a pale face, ¡°It was like the person who was tied up had been sliced into pieces along the rope and then carried out. No matter how they vanished, the missing people would always return through a dream and say that they had been ordained as immortals and that their family needed to come to the Valley of Great Sorrow to worship them with incense.¡±3


    ¡°This is another disaster-stricken family,¡± he said, pointing to the woman, ¡°both of her daughters had vanished. We came along to help search, but in reality¡ª¡±


    His lips moved, as if he wanted to say that, in reality, they wouldn¡¯t find them no matter how hard they tried. But after seeing the woman¡¯s red-crying eyes, he swallowed the words back down.


    ¡°Your sect only sent three people on such a dangerous mission?¡± Yi Wusheng asked in surprise.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because the Northern Frontiers and the Eternal Sea collapsed for no reason just a few days ago. Most of our sect members all went there. We are no big sect, so we were really all that the sect could send to help on this matter,¡± muttered the three disciples.


    Wu Xingxue, who originally wanted to sit in the straw shack and wait for nightfall, immediately turned around and went for the carriage after hearing those words.


    Thanks to the Dream Bell, he had forgotten what it was like to be infamous all over the world.


    But as of now, compared to scaring those little guys from some nameless cultivation sect, it was better to take a nap in the carriage and to be wrapped in blankets.


    He was hoping with this sleep he could dream of something, whether it be Que City or his past, but nothing came.


    Oddly enough, although he didn¡¯t dream of any complete scenes or people, he did dream of that ¡°Mian¡± symbol, shining with a light golden hue, so close that it seemed to be right in front of his nose¡­


    ***


    Wu Xingxue suddenly opened his eyes, only to see Xiao Fuxuan standing in front of him, bending downwards.


    He licked his dry lips and grabbed Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s wrist, ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Wu Xingxue heard a light jingling noise. He lowered his head and saw a pair of silver bells hooked to Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s fingertips. It was the same type of bell that had been tied to his wrist back when they were still in the Hua Sect.


    ¡°What is this for? Are you going to tie it to me again? ¡± Wu Xingxue looked at the bell in a daze.


    Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t reply, ignoring Wu Xingxue¡¯s hand that was holding his wrist. But his fingers moved a little, and suddenly the pair of silver bells were tied to Wu Xingxue¡¯s waist.


    When he had his head lowered, his ears and neck were very close to Wu Xingxue¡¯s face.


    Wu Xingxue subconsciously glanced at the place that should have the character ¡°Mian¡± printed.


    ¡°The Heavenly Chains can not be removed. I only have this.¡± Xiao Fuxuan said gravely.


    Wu Xingxue hesitated for a moment and then let go of his hand.


    The heavenly chains can¡¯t be removed, okay? What does that have to do with bells?


    But not too long after, he understood the meaning of those words.


    Outside the carriage, the sun had already set. According to what the cultivation disciples said, they could finally cross the bridge now and enter the valley.


    Wu Xingxue got off the car behind Xiao Fuxuan; the others had already been waiting beside the suspension bridge.


    Under the night sky, a blizzard wind suddenly started to blow in the Valley of Great Sorrow. As Wu Xingxue walked over, the chains on his body were constantly giving off loud rustling noises.


    Those chains were actually very thin. They couldn¡¯t be seen, but he could feel them. Nail after nail, they went through his bones and penetrated his soul, pressing against him like a shadow.


    ¡°What is that noise?¡± When they got closer, the cultivation disciples heard the noise and muttered. They followed the sound and their eyes fell on Wu Xingxue.


    They immediately became alert, but after seeing the silver bells tied to his waist, they all breathed a sigh of relief.


    Wu Xingxue saw this and said lightly, ¡°Oh¡­ I was wondering. Everything was fine just now, so what was up with the bells?¡±


    He turned around and saw Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s icy cold face.


    ¡°Immortal? You¡­¡± Looking at Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s eyes, he was just about to say something.


    However, before he could finish, Xiao Fuxuan already raised his sword, pressing his sword sheath against the back of Wu Xingxue¡¯s waist and pushing him forward. He said, in a low voice, ¡°Get on the bridge.¡±


    Ooookay.


    You¡¯ve got a sword; you¡¯re the boss.


    Wu Xingxue walked forward along the long suspension bridge.


    In front of them were Ning Huaishan and One-arm; they had returned after checking this place out. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything different about them; it was just that every once in a while, they would urge, ¡°City Lord, we¡¯ve cleared out those filthy yin beings around here.¡± When we enter the valley in a bit, don¡¯t follow too far behind us. There¡¯s no need for you to dispose of those little things; we can take care of them. ¡°


    Wu Xingxue looked at the back of their heads and smoothly replied, ¡°Wow, that nice?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Before, they had said that there were countless things crawling beneath this bridge. Only by crossing at night would they not startle them. Wu Xingxue pondered the reason for this while trying to feel them beneath his feet.


    To his surprise, he found out that the bottom of the bridge didn¡¯t seem to have anything there. Were they mistaken? Or did those things disappear for some reason?


    They crossed the bridge very smoothly, a bit too smoothly.


    Even those cultivation disciples looked back in confusion every now and then, muttering, ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±


    The place where they stood was a flat cliff, and there was a celestial temple on that cliff. Despite there being no one in the temple, an oil lamp was lit on its own.


    ¡°This is the mountain temple of the Valley of Great Sorrow. Once we pass through this temple, the valley entrance will appear before us.¡± As these cultivation disciples spoke, they again turned their heads to look towards the suspension bridge. ¡°We must be careful when we go, there¡¯s a catacomb below this valley,¡± they said, still in disbelief. ¡°Remember to avoid those few loose floorboards, or else you¡¯ll accidentally flip down. ¡°


    Just as they were telling everyone to be careful, someone already flipped down.


    That unfortunate person was none other than Wu Xingxue.


    And the people who dragged him down were also none other than his two loyal subordinates.


    The so-called underground catacomb was just an enormous cavern, with a divine statue standing in the middle of the cavern. It seemed that no one had been here for a very long time, as the statue was covered in moss and intertwining vines.


    There were countless holes in the surrounding rock walls; some were dark and quiet, while others were inlaid with a multitude of oil lamps. They also lit on their own, like a scene of dismal devotion, worshiping the statue for an unknown amount of time.


    When Wu Xingxue landed, Ning Huaishan and One-arm had already vanished without a trace. It was impossible for him to find out which cave they were hidden in.


    In the entire catacomb, only the sound of dripping water could be heard.


    Wu Xingxue stood next to the divine statue and looked around. In the next second, tens of stark white shadows pounced down.


    Those things were a type of yin being. They tend to appear in places with a lot of dead people.


    They had the appearance of humans, but their hands and feet were much more slender, and their skin was particularly white¡ªlike the white wax in a funeral hall. When they opened their mouths, the corners of their lips could stretch until their ears, with no teeth to be seen, like a pitch-black crescent-shaped hole. 4


    They only had black pupils without the whites of the eyes. When smiling, they also look like two crescent-shaped holes.


    They liked to eat the spirits and souls of living humans, and they also liked to gnaw on skeletons. When their cracked-open mouths came near humans, the cries of dead souls could be heard from within their cracked openings.


    These were the things that liked to crawl beneath the suspension bridge. Ning Huaishan and One-Arm spent about two hours gathering dozens of these things and hiding them inside a spirit-binding pouch.


    These things were extremely hard to kill. If one doesn¡¯t run fast enough, they will crawl on his or her body. There were only two good ways to deal with them: One is to use a soul-binding pouch, or two, to let them eat a full meal.


    One-arm has already confirmed that this Wu Xingxue wasn¡¯t the original person himself and that he doesn¡¯t have anything on him; he definitely didn¡¯t have a spirit-binding pouch with him.


    The two hid in the cave and waited to watch this impostor City Lord become attacked and for him to learn an unforgettable lesson.


    But when that crowd of yin beings pounced towards him, they saw that below the divine statue, that fake City Lord relaxed his shoulders.


    It seemed as if he let out a sigh, murmuring, ¡°How troublesome,¡± then threw away the handwarmer he kept in his sleeves.


    The handwarmer rolled around on the ground, the sound echoing inside the catacomb.


    Ning Huaishan said subconsciously, ¡°Uh oh.¡±


    When he looked again, he saw one of the yin beings charge toward Wu Xingxue. Just as it was about to crack open its mouth and suck out his life energy, Wu Xingxue had already pressed on its shoulder and hooked two of his fingers at the edge of its mouth.


    Crack¡ª


    The sound of bones being cracked and shattered sounded as Wu Xingxue ripped off the yin being¡¯s head.


    Blood splattered everywhere.


    Ning Huaishan subconsciously closed his eyes.


    But the sound of bones breaking never stopped after that.


    He was way too familiar with this sound¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re done for, we¡¯re really done for,¡± Ning Huaishan repeated as he felt his body going numb.


    On the other hand, One-arm was also about to go insane.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right!¡±


    ¡°This definitely isn¡¯t right!¡±


    To ordinary people, and even to some cultivation disciples, dozens of yin beings were really a thorny problem. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have treated that suspension bridge so cautiously.


    But for the real Wu Xingxue, these things really meant nothing to him.


    Ning Huaishan swallowed hard. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that all the yin beings they spent hours collecting were all dead already, their heads and corpses lying everywhere. The entire cavern was filled with blood, that moist fluid gurgling in streams, even flowing to the front of the hole where he and One-arm were hiding.


    Their entire surroundings smelled like blood.


    He saw Wu Xingxue grab the last yin being¡¯s throat with a hand, then frigid frost extended outwards from his fingertips, covering that yin being¡¯s entire face. The frost followed the blood that was everywhere on the ground and formed an ice path directly towards Ning Huaishan and One-arm.


    All that happened in the blink of an eye.


    They took a look at the frozen blood, and when they looked back up, Wu Xingxue had already appeared in front of their faces, standing inches away from them.


    ¡°Ah, this is where you¡¯re hiding. Gave me quite a search,¡± said Wu Xingxue.


    Ning Huaishan held his breath.


    It¡¯s over.


    I¡¯m dead.


    He thought to himself.


    Then, he saw Wu Xingxue raising a hand towards him¡ª


    ***


    After a moment, the entire catacomb no longer echoed with the sound of snapping bones. Only the sound of water dripping remained.


    Every drip was like a hammer, slamming on these two cowards¡¯ hearts.


    Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t kill Ning Huaishan and One-arm; instead, due to their rebellious actions, they had been tied together with a long band. With a closer look, one would find that it was just two belts knotted together.


    Of course, these little devils wouldn¡¯t be bound by just a belt. It was the internal energy and the oppression pressing on top of them that prevented them from even moving a single muscle.


    Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t kill that last yin being and only froze it. He picked it up and carried it over in front of Ning Huaishan and One-arm.


    He took the two filial subordinates¡¯ spirit-binding pouches and patted their heads, then said with a smile, ¡°Sigh, you two have gifted me so much. It¡¯s not too much to return some of it, is it?¡±


    Ning Huaishan almost started to cry, ¡°City Lord¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°*Sob sob*¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ we were wrong.¡± 5


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the use of sobbing now?¡± Wu Xingxue said as he wrapped the yin being around them.


    Not too long after, the yin was slowly defrosted and came back to life.


    It struggled for a bit, and after discovering that it was of no use, it became a little irritated. But then, it discovered that there were two living beings sitting right beside him, emitting the enticing aroma of food.


    It immediately became happy again, with its black eyes and mouth curving into crescents. Then it stretched its head towards One-arm on the left.


    And gave him a ¡°kiss.¡±


    One-arm: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It smacked its lips a few times, then turned around and stretched its head towards Ning Huaishan.


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°Fuck¡­¡±


    And he was kissed too.

 CH 17

    Wu Xingxue looked down and saw that his hands were drenched in blood.


    On his way here to the Valley of Great Sorrow, he had been secretly circulating his internal force in case he needed it in an urgent situation. He worried that without his memories, he wouldn¡¯t know how to fight and would make a fool out of himself. Unexpectedly, when real danger came, he didn¡¯t even have to think.


    He didn¡¯t know how many years he had been the Devil Lord and how many beings he had killed in order to have all of these moves set into his muscle memory.


    In fact, just before entering the valley, he was still curious about his relationship with Xiao Fuxuan.


    Although Xiao Fuxuan was an immortal in charge of the Northern Frontiers and he was a devil imprisoned for twenty-five years, things between them might not be as terrible as he had previously thought.


    But now, looking at his hands, he couldn¡¯t think of any reason for their relationship not to be on terrible terms.


    ¡­¡­


    Wu Xingxue was silent for a moment, then turned to look at his two filial subordinates.


    The yin being affectionately held One-arm¡¯s face, kissing him to the point that he¡¯d rather be dead. 1


    Ning Huaishan seemed to have only been defiled a few times, but his mouth was now pursed like an old lady¡¯s. It was obvious to see that he was just itching to sew up that yin being¡¯s mouth¡­ or he would also be willing to sew up his own mouth.


    Wu Xingxue walked over.


    Seeing him, Ning Huaishan burst into tears, ¡°City Lord, we were wrong. We just thought someone was pretending to be you, but we weren¡¯t trying to overthrow you¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue nodded, ¡°Oh, I know.¡±


    Ning Huaishan¡¯s crying stopped abruptly, ¡°?¡±


    He even knew this?


    Stammering, he swallowed his words back.


    Since they had already made their reasons clear, Wu Xingxue decided to lift his robe and pick up the yin being by its neck.


    The yin being¡¯s mouth pursued as long as it could, but it could no longer reach One-arm anymore. One-arm could finally let out a breath. His face had turned incredibly green, his spirit was trembling, and a substantial portion of his life force had been drained.


    ¡°City Lord¡­¡± One-arm cried. Just as he was about to apologize and show his loyalty, he heard Wu Xingxue ask him, ¡°I know his name is Ning Huaishan, but what about you? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The sound of One-arm¡¯s tearful beg got caught in his throat: ¡°?¡±


    With an astonished look, he said, ¡°Wh¡­ what?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°I asked you what your name is.¡±


    ¡°Fang Chu¡­ City Lord, my name is Fang Chu.¡± One-arm had a face of shock and then hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice, ¡°City Lord, you gave me this name.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t expect that giving names was part of the responsibilities as the City Lord.


    ¡°You said that since I am a member of Zhaoye City already, I should no longer worry about the bygone matters of my previous days, so I might as well change my name. At that time, I was fighting with yin beings and ghosts for food, so I didn¡¯t have a name to begin with. Then you gave me this name.¡± One-arm said, oh wait, it¡¯s Fang Chu now.


    Wu Xingxue listened, showing no sign of remembering.


    ¡°City Lord, are you okay?¡±


    Wu Xingxue stopped hiding the truth, ¡°I¡¯ve been locked up too long in the prison of the Northern Frontiers; I can¡¯t remember anything from the past,¡±


    ¡°What???¡±


    Fang Chu and Ning Huaishan looked at each other, finally understanding why they had the feeling that their City Lord was an impostor.


    ¡°So when we run into situations after this, if I ask, you just answer.¡± Wu Xingxue¡¯s pitch-black eyes stared at those two. After finishing his instructions, he then added a sentence as he had suddenly remembered something, ¡°Oh, right, remember to never, ever, lie to me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nonononono,¡± the two shook their heads as if they were rattle drums, ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare, we  wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Wu Xingxue continued slowly, ¡°Since I forget everything from the past, naturally, everything we have been through, all of our past experiences, and our previous sentiments are all gone from my knowledge as well. Let me ask, was I a cruel lord?¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    How the fuck were they supposed to answer this?


    Wu Xingxue smiled, ¡°The current me is even meaner now.¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The two subordinates looked towards that yin being with its mouth stubbornly extended, thinking that they¡¯d learned this lesson.


    He might not necessarily be mean, but he¡¯s certainly despicable.


    After he finished threatening them, Wu Xingxue let go of his hand and gave the yin being back its freedom. It instantly aimed its curved mouth for Ning Huaishan.


    But before its lips could touch him, Wu Xingxue also let go of the oppression he implanted on the two of them, and also released the belt that was tying them. ¡°Put on your pants,¡± he said.


    Ning Huaishan moved around. After finding out that he could move again, he immediately pressed his hand against the yin being¡¯s face and used the other hand to pull his pants up.


    ¡°Fucking one mouthful after another, having a good time, weren¡¯t you!!! Smearing my face full of, blargh¡ª¡± He simultaneously cursed while retching, working together with Fang Chu to kill that yin being who had been hugging and strangling them left and right.


    They violently threw the yin being back onto the ground and fastened the belts of their pants. They rubbed their mouths hard, afraid that even a tiny bit of the yin being¡¯s taste would remain.


    Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t watch them. Instead, he followed the sound of dripping water and found a small cold pool.


    All of a sudden, he realized how bizarre this all was.


    He was forthright and candid in front of these two subordinates who nearly killed him, not concealing anything and even telling them about his amnesia. So what was the need to hide his secrets from Xiao Fuxuan?


    What did he have to hide?


    Doesn¡¯t he already know that he is the original person?


    It¡¯s natural for devils to kill people, and what¡¯s wrong with some blood on your hands? Why bother washing it?


    It¡¯s nothing but a waste of time.


    Wu Xingxue stood by the cold pool expressionlessly.


    After a moment, he squatted down, held his sleeves, and washed off the blood covering his hands. After he finished washing, he pressed his hands to his nose and sniffed them.


    Not a shred of the heat that the handwarmer had lent him before remained. His internal force was already frigid to begin with, and just now he had just frozen an entire catacomb full of blood. At this moment, his fingertips were now cold as ice, though they no longer smelled like blood.


    ¡°City Lord.¡± Ning Huaishan called out.


    Wu Xingxue got up and moved towards them, subconsciously looking up.


    That was where Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu pulled him down from. There should be a loose floorboard there that leads to the mountain temple above. But looking at it now, it seemed that the mountain walls were joined together seamlessly, revealing no signs of where the loose floorboard could be. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t hear any noise from the people outside either.


    Ning Huaishan saw him looking up and remembered that, as of now, he had lost his memory. He diligently explained: ¡°City Lord, you might not remember, but what those dumb cultivation disciples said was incorrect ¨C you can¡¯t just go through the loose floorboard at any time. Fang Chu and I are the most familiar with the region of the Valley of Great Sorrow; this catacomb is supposed to be a secret chamber, and it only opens once every day and night. It¡¯s been sealed with celestial power and makes an exception for no one. The people up there temporarily can¡¯t come¡­ down.¡±


    As he spoke, he slowly closed his mouth.


    Because Wu Xingxue was staring at him, and then he asked faintly, ¡°Did I say someone was coming down?¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­ No.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you talking so much?¡±


    ¡°My apologies¡­¡± While Wu Xingxue wasn¡¯t looking, Ning Huaishan slapped himself on the mouth.


    Just as he was about to say in his head that he would never speak unnecessarily again, he suddenly heard his City Lord speak, ¡°Before, me and Xiao Fuxuan¡­¡±


    Ning Huaishan silently waited for the next half of the sentence, but after Wu Xingxue finished the name ¡°Xiao Fuxuan¡±, he didn¡¯t continue. Perhaps he was deliberately trying to think of a description, or perhaps something else.


    After a long time, Wu Xingxue seemed to have given up on his thinking. He turned his head and asked him, ¡°How was our relationship?¡±


    A question mark slowly appeared on top of Ning Huaishan¡¯s head: ¡°?¡±


    Was it not obvious??? An immortal and a devil, what could the relationship possibly be like???


    Ning Huaishan almost thought that he was being tested again. But this time, he didn¡¯t try to be crafty. Remembering that his City Lord¡¯s mood had always been hard to grasp, he answered honestly: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was stunned: ¡°You don¡¯t know? Weren¡¯t you with me before?¡±


    ¡°I am. I¡¯m with you most of the time.¡±


    ¡°Then how come you don¡¯t know?¡±


    Ning Huaishan found this a bit difficult to answer, ¡°City Lord, if I tell you, please, please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Wu Xingxue did not promise to not be angry, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very hard to tell whom you like and whom you dislike. It¡¯s really difficult for me to give you an exact answer,¡± said Ning Huaishan.


    He has gone out with Wu Xingxue many times before and done many things together. Logically, he should know Wu Xingxue very well, yet he still said that it was hard to tell. This was because Wu Xingxue was too good at deceiving.


    When going out, Wu Xingxue would sometimes change his appearance, none of them similar. But the foundation was there, so however he changed it, it was never ugly.


    He only had to pull his casually tied hair up into a white jade hairpiece, and then he would turn into the type of handsome young man that girls adored. He looked graceful and elegant, like someone who knew how to be bored, how to laugh, and how to tease.


    Sometimes, even Ning Huaishan¡¯s heart would be moved, feeling that his City Lord was really how he appeared.


    Thankfully, he had a clear mind and knew that those were all deceptions.


    So what if you chatted and laughed with him today? You¡¯ll be dead either way in a few days.


    He had followed Wu Xingxue to many, many places and had also seen many, many people die from his hand. Every time they met a new person, he still couldn¡¯t predict whether Wu Xingxue was going to kill them or keep them alive.


    He has also met Xiao Fuxuan before, although only a few times.


    According to the way of heaven, during those years that Xiao Fuxuan was guarding the Northern Frontiers, he shouldn¡¯t have frequently come to the mortal realm. But unfortunately, every time he came, he would run into Wu Xingxue. What a small world it is!


    What could the outcome be for a devil facing the immortal responsible for heavenly punishment? Certainly not good.


    Ning Huaishan could never forget Wu Xingxue¡¯s expression as he looked at Xiao Fuxuan from afar: it was a weariness that not even a change of appearance could hide.


    Wu Xingxue would always tell Ning Huaishan to return to Zhaoye City in advance, so he wasn¡¯t actually clear as to what happened between them. But what he did know for certain was that every time Wu Xingxue returned, his mood would always be even worse.


    Every time this happened, he and Fang Chu would always stay as far away from Wu Xingxue as possible, just in case they got hurt for no reason. As time passed, they started to take the name ¡°Xiao Fuxuan¡± and his term ¡°Celestial Immortal¡± as well as being taboo words. They wouldn¡¯t use these words if they could avoid them.


    Ning Huaishan had long felt like his City Lord, and Xiao Fuxuan, well, as devils flourished, the Immortal Capital put increasing pressure on them. Eventually, the two would meet their devastating end.


    So back then, when Wu Xingxue slaughtered his way to the Immortal Capital, he didn¡¯t find it strange at all. He had tried to guess the City Lord¡¯s future actions many times; this was the only time he had guessed correctly.


    Ning Huaishan thought about those twenty-five years of imprisonment and said to Wu Xingxue, ¡°I think that you and the Celestial Immortal should¡¯ve known each other for a long time by now, and you two have some history together. Otherwise, you two wouldn¡¯t be like this. There ought to be a strong grudge between you two, an enmity¡­¡±2


    Ah, enmity¡­


    Wu Xingxue thought.


    Relying on the fact that his City Lord¡¯s puppet wasn¡¯t here¡ªhe couldn¡¯t see him and so he didn¡¯t feel guilty¡ªNing Huaishan guessed without any apprehension, not afraid at all.


    He thought that either way, this catacomb wouldn¡¯t be open for another whole day and night. By the time it opens, the City Lord probably won¡¯t remember this matter anymore.


    Fang Chu, who was investigating the cave, suddenly let out a shout, ¡°Fuck! What the hell is this?!¡±


    Just as Ning Huaishan turned to look, he suddenly heard a loud explosion coming from above.


    He shrank back, startled. When he lifted his head upwards again, he saw a beam of familiar golden light. The golden light violently thrusts inside the catacomb, forcefully breaking the celestial power that had sealed the catacomb.


    Although there was no wind, the flames of the oil lamps inside the cavern quivered wildly.


    They abruptly shot up dozens of meters, like they were going to burn down the entire catacomb, and then in the split second that they shot up, they suddenly all went out.


    Silence. Then, a deafening crash.


    With a boom, the entire catacomb roof that served as support for the mountain temple collapsed from hundreds of meters above.


    Smoke and dust were flying everywhere, and even the imposing divine statue in the middle of the catacomb cracked under the stress.


    Ning Huaishan vigorously coughed a few times, trying to look through the smoke to see who had come.


    It was Xiao Fuxuan and the others.


    Fuck me.


    The celestial powers sealing this catacomb were this easy to break???


    Just as this thought had emerged, he felt that someone had given him a soft kick from behind. One-arm Fang Chu was also kicked over in a similar manner.


    The two staggered forward a few steps and happened to end up on the pile of yin beings¡¯ corpses.


    Thus, when Yi Wusheng and the others landed inside the catacomb, what they saw was this scene¡ªgreenish-white corpses covered the entire floor, their heads separated from their bodies, and blood flowed in rivers.


    And Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu stood on top of the mountain of corpses, showing cold expressions on their faces and their hands covered in blood.


    Those few disciples were still young, and their faces turned pale on the spot.


    Those few commoners were in an even worse state.


    Even Yi Wusheng was slightly shocked by this scene. Holding onto his paper, he said hoarsely, ¡°You guys¡­ you two¡­  did you two kill all of them?¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Fang Chu: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    They finally understood why they were kicked over, as they responded dryly, ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    And Wu Xingxue, the person who had really fought just now, was way far away from them, standing alone diagonally behind the divine statue. His two hands were spotlessly clean, and he was comfortably holding the handwarmer that he had picked up off the ground not long before.


    He thought: finally, there¡¯s a time when other people are wrongly blamed while I watch the show. However, he saw that Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t even look at the ¡°other people,¡±. His gaze was piercing toward him through the flying smoke and dust.


    After a moment of silence, Xiao Fuxuan walked over.


    After his movement, the others finally stopped being frozen in place. Yi Wusheng and the others followed him down from the top of the collapsed ceiling, passed through the mountain of corpses, and gathered over.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the legends say that this was a huge catacomb? Why is there a divine statue being worshiped here?¡± The cultivation disciples noticed the giant divine statue and lifted their heads to look.


    ¡°Hey¡­ do you think that our martial siblings came to the Valley of Great Sorrow many times yet still couldn¡¯t find the missing ordained people? Could it be because they never came down to this underground catacomb?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, perhaps. Let us search.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Wu Xingxue listened to their discussion and also lifted his head to look at the divine statue, which he had glossed over before.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t recognize divine statues at all. He couldn¡¯t identify them even after seeing them. All he was aware of was the fact that neither this nor the Celestial Immortal were the Mingwu Hua Xin that the Hua Sect worshiped.


    Just as he was about to take a better look at the statue¡¯s face, he suddenly felt a tall figure appear beside him.


    Xiao Fuxuan had come over to stand beside him. He was also looking up at the statue.


    Then, his deep voice sounded, ¡°Why are those yin beings here?¡±


    Wu Xingxue turned his head slightly to glance at him.


    If he honestly explained that they were brought here by Ning Huaishan to kill him, then it wouldn¡¯t make sense to say that Ning Huaishan was the one who killed all these yin beings. Therefore, Wu Xingxue withdrew his line of sight and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know, they were here when I entered. Maybe they were sealed in here before.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan pursed his lips and didn¡¯t respond.


    After a while, he asked again, ¡°Those two helped you kill them?¡±


    Wu Xingxue acted normally as he held the handwarmer with his hands and gave an ¡°mm¡± as a reply.


    Just now, he has circulated his extremely frigid internal force. The handwarmer wouldn¡¯t be able to warm him for now, and instead, was slowly being cooled off by him.


    Welp, that doesn¡¯t matter, as long as he can¡¯t tell. Wu Xingxue thought in his head.


    But after a while, he saw Xiao Fuxuan glance at his handwarmer and lifted his hand.


    The next second, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hand touched his handwarmer.


    Wu Xingxue immediately froze.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hand was very large, but his palm was quite thin. In addition, even though frost had clearly covered his entire body in the coffin before, at this moment, he was really warm.


    After he held it for a while, he lowered his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s cold like ice.¡±


    Wu Xingxue suddenly remembered what Ning Huaishan described before ¨C there¡¯s enmity between you two.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what enmity was like¡­


    But he was certain it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.

 CH 18

    ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡± Wu Xingxue turned his head and looked at him.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Xiao Fuxuan gave a deep response and let go of his hand.


    The warmth from his hand disappeared instantly. Wu Xingxue rubbed his fingers and asked, ¡°Are you testing me?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan withdrew his gaze. After a moment, he replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue was about to keep asking, but he suddenly realized that the handwarmer in his palm is starting to warm up again. The slightly scorching heat seeped into his skin and traveled up to his fingertips, allowing him to feel a soothing and relaxing feeling in his bones.


    It was obvious who did it.


    Xiao Fuxuan glanced at him and didn¡¯t speak again.


    What he said just now, ¡°it¡¯s cold as ice,¡±  didn¡¯t seem to be pointing out the frigid internal force he was circulating just now. It was as if it was nothing more than a natural statement.


    Wu Xingxue was spacing out while holding his hand warmer. Suddenly, someone bumped into him.


    He stepped aside and saw that the people who bumped into him were the commoners who came here to search for their missing relatives.


    Those commoners didn¡¯t know how to use spiritual powers. They were so frightened after falling into this catacomb and being surrounded by yin beings¡¯ corpses that they didn¡¯t know where to step. Their faces were pale, and they tried to avoid the corpses on the ground. Because they weren¡¯t paying attention to what was behind them, they accidentally ran into Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± they apologized repeatedly, ¡°This¡­ this place is so scary.¡±


    They tightly wrapped their thick winter jackets around themselves, making their movements seem clumsy. Their nods as they apologized looked more like bows, and when the cotton-filled coats compressed, a certain smell mingled in with the wind.


    Wu Xingxue sniffed it and found the smell familiar.


    Before he could ask, the cultivation disciples had already spoken, ¡°What a strong incense smell.¡±


    ¡°Did you guys bring incense?¡± they asked the commoners.


    The commoners stammered.


    The cultivation disciples became worried, ¡°Didn¡¯t we tell you guys not to bring these? Why didn¡¯t you all listen to me?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem with bringing incense?¡± Wu Xingxue lent a hand to the woman who had stumbled.


    One of the disciples replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t the people who were ordained appear in dreams, telling their family members to come to the Valley of Great Sorrow to bring them some offerings? Normal offerings are either food or incense, but this is precisely where the problem lies.¡±


    The cultivation disciples looked towards the woman whose eyes were completely red and said hesitantly, ¡°The people who were ordained¡­ they¡¯ve most likely already passed away, if they really are in a state of scattered limbs and bodies like they appear in the dreams, then being in a wicked place like the Valley of Great Sorrow is a very ominous sign.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes turned even redder as her body trembled.


    Although she knew that the odds of them being alive were practically zero, hearing it being outright confirmed by someone else felt a lot worse. She looked like she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore as her other companions quickly came to her aid, clumsily patting her in reassurance.


    The cultivation disciples had faces full of remorse, but they still forced themselves to continue: ¡°Food and incense are used to worship real deities. If they¡¯ve become sinister beings, then offering these things won¡¯t work at all. What they want are living humans. If you fool them with incense and desserts, won¡¯t you just make them furious? It¡¯s like if you were hungry and having food handed to you that you were unable to eat. Wouldn¡¯t that make you hungrier?¡±


    Afraid that those ordinary people were obstinate and wouldn¡¯t understand, they almost broke everything down into the simplest terms in order to explain.


    Those few commoners gathered next to the rock wall, listening obediently and even agreeingly licking their lips.


    The disciples: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    They truly had a headache, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? Before, a few families were too hasty and worried and didn¡¯t ask the cultivation sects for help. They went directly to the Valley of Great Sorrow on their own with some incense and food. And then what happened? Not a single one of them came back. Those who entered the valley afterward said that they only found some bloody scraps of clothing, leftover body parts, and some broken limbs. You guys! Sigh!¡±


    The commoners fell silent. Their expressions were very ugly, as if they had become dumbfounded by the fright.


    Wu Xingxue sniffed the scent around him and looked at them. Suddenly, he reached out a hand and asked, ¡°What kind did you guys bring? Dig them out and let me see.¡±


    The commoners stared at him blankly for a second, then reached their hands for the incense.


    The cultivation disciples almost shrieked, ¡°Don¡¯t! Make sure you don¡¯t! Young Master, you can¡¯t tell them to do just anything!¡±


    They turned their heads, glaring at him.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s face was full of innocence, and in his heart, he actually found this quite strange.


    He thought, ¡°I¡¯m like a venomous snake or scorpion, shouldn¡¯t I be avoided by everyone? These kids seem to have some guts, and they even dare to glare at me.¡±


    But he quickly realized that these little disciples were still young. Twenty-five years ago, when he¡¯d been nailed inside the Northern Frontiers, they probably hadn¡¯t even been born yet. No wonder they didn¡¯t recognize him.


    ¡°Young master, although your travel companions are all very powerful,¡± Those few disciples looked at Xiao Fuxuan, Ning Huaishan, and Fang Chu, ¡°But there are still many uncertain factors in this place¡ª¡±


    Wu Xingxue felt much better inside after hearing this.


    Look, they didn¡¯t even recognize the Celestial Immortal. They probably didn¡¯t see the ¡°Mian¡± character mark and mistakenly took him as just some powerful rogue cultivator.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve brought these offerings already, it¡¯s better to hide them than to take them out.¡± One of the little disciples had a straightforward personality. He brought his hands together and bowed towards those few commoners, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, cover them up tightly at all costs, and don¡¯t run around. Since those sinister beings have already tasted the flavor of live human offerings, they can¡¯t go back anymore. If no humans are offered to them, they might even come out to catch people themselves.¡±


    Those few commoners swallowed hard. They tucked the thick fabric even tighter around their bodies and then nodded.


    After they finished with their instructions, the disciples took out a golden compass, an artifact used to detect the sinister, and started investigating around them.


    One of the disciples held the compass towards the divine statue to check, and suddenly let out a gasp, asking, ¡°Have you guys checked out this divine statue? How come I don¡¯t recognize him? Who is this supposed to be?¡±


    Those cultivation disciples all turned their heads, looking over. They were just as surprised, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re right, who is this deity? I¡¯ve never seen him before; do you guys recognize him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you memorize the names of every immortal?¡±


    ¡°But I still don¡¯t recognize him.¡±


    None of the cultivation disciples recognized the divine statue? This was indeed strange.


    Wu Xingxue raised his head.


    The quake just now caused some thin and clustered cracks to appear on the statue, but one could still tell that the deity was handsome, his bearing elegant and kind. One of his hands rested on a white banner, while the other held a green branch. The long twigs extend upwards, blossoming into a flower at the top and covering one of the divine statue¡¯s eyes.


    Such a statue, if someone had really seen it before, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to forget. But the cultivation disciples racked their brains and still couldn¡¯t remember anyone similar.


    In fact, even Yi Wusheng didn¡¯t recognize the statue, let alone those disciples. Squeezing the paper, he frowned, also trying to think hard, but it still ended in vain.


    Wu Xingxue had become even more curious now.


    He raised his hand and poked Xiao Fuxuan, then pointed at the statue and asked, ¡°What about you? Do you recognize it?¡±


    If even Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t recognize it, then it really was a bizarre situation.


    Fortunately, Xiao Fuxuan did recognize it. He glanced at the statue and nodded.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue waited for a moment. After getting no other response other than the nod, he poked him again.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s low voice came, ¡°His name is Yun Hai. He used to be Mingwu Hua Xin¡¯s disciple, and then he ascended to become an immortal.¡±


    Wu Xingxue started to find this even stranger, ¡°Mingwu Hua Xin¡¯s disciple? Then he should have some Hua Sect connections. After all, Hua Xin is the Hua Sect¡¯s ancestor. How come even Yi Wusheng looked like he has never heard of him before?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan replied, ¡°Because afterward, he wasn¡¯t an immortal anymore.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was stunned.


    Xiao Fuxuan seemed to have suddenly remembered something. After saying this, he went silent again. Only after a long time did he again look at Wu Xingxue, saying, ¡°Because he wasn¡¯t an immortal anymore, in the mortal realm, the common people, cultivation sects, and even the people who had the deepest history with him all forgot who he was.¡±


    Wu Xingxue said softly,  ¡°I see¡­¡±


    He was silent for a while before asking again, ¡°Is this one of the Immortal Capital¡¯s rules?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s the rules of Heaven.¡±


    Wu Xingxue continued to ask, ¡°Then how did he end up like this?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°In his early years, he disobeyed a heavenly decree and was punished.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Back then, Yun Hai was a disciple raised personally by Hua Xin, and the two had a very close relationship. Once he had ascended as an immortal, he managed matters of joy and misery, an occupation with one of the most generous returns in incense. Afterward, because he made a mistake, the Lingtai received a heavenly order to relocate him to a different place.


    That new place was none other than the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    At that time, the mortal realm was at its most peaceful and prosperous. The world was just and harmonious, the cultivation sects flourished, and though devils and yin beings still existed, they didn¡¯t pose any threat. The Valley of Great Sorrow at that time didn¡¯t yet have those heinous incidents that would later occur. It just sat in between a few large cities. Carriages and horses would often come and go, but they all hurriedly passed through, never stopping to stay.


    It didn¡¯t have any rumors, and it never gave rise to any dangerous incidents. So people wouldn¡¯t get off their carriage in the middle of a rushed journey, searching for the temple in the valley to burn incense. After all, they didn¡¯t have anything to pray for.


    As everyone knew, deities relied on incense and offerings of worship. If no one came to inquire for a long while, then there was no need for the immortal to exist.


    Just like that, not even a hundred years after Yun Hai became an immortal, he fell back into the mortal realm and became forgotten.


    But ten years later, the peaceful days of the mortal realm had come to an end. Wars erupted all around the world, disasters sprouted everywhere, and afterward, devils started wreaking havoc. This raged especially severely in the region of the Valley of Great Sorrow, so much so that refugees appeared in crows. Anyone who came nearby in their carriages would tremble with fear.


    Therefore, only then did people finally start to remember that this Valley of Great Sorrow also had its own mountain temple. From then on, before the cars, horses, and travelers entered the valley, they would all go and pray inside the temple.


    That temple was very small, with only a platform for incense and not even a divine statue. But no one was ever curious, because no one remembered that the Valley of Great Sorrow had once also been managed by a deity.


    Wu Xingxue pretty much understood the gist of the situation. He asked, ¡°What happened to Yun Hai after that?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­ died.¡±


    ¡°How did he die?¡±


    For a moment, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s expression had a hint of irony, ¡°He died in the Valley of Great Sorrow, devoured by devils.¡±


    Wu Xingxue let out a soft ¡°ah.¡±


    That was indeed too ironic. The deity that was once in charge of the Valley of Great Sorrow had, in the end, died at the hands of devils from the valley itself. And after he died, the incense in the temple flourished, but it no longer had anything to do with him.


    Wu Xingxue looked up at the divine statue once again. He suddenly thought of something, and asked, ¡°Since no one in the mortal realm remembers him anymore, then why is there a divine statue of him here?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan replied, ¡°Back then, when Hua Xin heard the news of his death, he ignored the Lingtai¡¯s heavenly law and came down to the Valley of Great Sorrow, slaughtering all the devils in the valley. Beneath the ground of the Valley of Great Sorrow, he built this catacomb.¡±


    Ah, no wonder.


    Wu Xingxue remembered what Ning Huaishan had said, that this long-abandoned catacomb was sealed by spiritual powers. So it was no wonder why Xiao Fuxuan could open it.


    ¡°So you knew about this catacomb?¡± Wu Xingxue asked, ¡°Then have you come here before?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°¡­ to come to see this Yun Hai?¡±


    For a second, Xiao Fuxuan seemed to be lost in his thoughts. He seemed to be reminiscing about something, and after a long while, he finally replied, ¡°In the Immortal Capital, he wasn¡¯t the only one who was knocked back down to the mortal realm like this, unable to have a peaceful end. His divine statue is also not the only one inside this catacomb.¡±

 CH 19

    The cold-looking immortal seemed to be thinking wistfully of someone.


    Wu Xingxue watched him for a while before withdrawing his gaze.


    A certain feeling suddenly arose in his heart. He couldn¡¯t clearly describe what it felt like, but he suddenly lost interest in continuing to ask further.


    Thus, when Ning Huaishan came over, he only saw his City Lord¡¯s expressionless face¡ªwhen he wasn¡¯t smiling, the slightly down-turned corners of his eyes always seemed to carry a hint of annoyance.


    At first glance, it made him look like he was extremely unhappy.


    Wasn¡¯t he smiling just now? Why is he unhappy again!


    Ning Huaishan didn¡¯t want to accidentally bring trouble to himself and bounced back next to Fang Chu without a word.


    ¡°What are you jumping back and forth for?¡± Fang Chu asked.


    He was currently massaging his shoulder. On the wound where his arm had been cut off, some new flesh had already grown, carrying fresh blood, and looking a bit pinkish. In comparison, his face was bleak and pale, with a hint of green.


    ¡°I just wanted to hear what the City Lord was whispering to that puppet about. He¡¯s lost his memory, so if he has something to say, why doesn¡¯t he tell us about it? What can you chat to a puppet about?¡± Ning Huaishan felt very much like he had fallen out of Wu Xingxue¡¯s favor, as if he had forgotten that not long ago, he had wanted their City Lord to cry and beg for mercy from them.


    ¡°Did he ever tell us what was on his mind before he lost his memory?¡± Fang Chu uncourteously dismantled his logic.


    ¡°True.¡± Ning Huaishan looked towards Wu Xingxue again, then suddenly lowered his voice, ¡°A-Chu, I suddenly feel like that puppet¡­ hmm, he seems to be a little off. What do you think?¡±


    Fang Chu: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Fang Chu rubbed his shoulder as he said without hesitation, ¡°Not at all.¡±


    The last time they ¡°suddenly felt¡± like something was off, they had to pay terrible consequences for it. Only idiots would want to try it again.


    Fang Chu looked over at Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s face, then said gravely, ¡°When I got this kind of wound before, do you know how long it would take for it to grow back?¡±


    Ning Huaishan thought for a bit.


    Fang Chu¡¯s most tragic form¡­ had to be that day dozens of years ago, the day he had just arrived in Zhaoye City. When Wu Xingxue ordered people to carry Fang Chu out of that black carriage, Ning Huaishan almost didn¡¯t recognize that that was a person¡ª


    Because both of his arms and one of his legs were all missing, bitten off by some sort of creature. His face was also full of wounds, looking like a blood-soaked rag.


    For an ordinary person to be in this state, they should have been long dead already. But Fang Chu seemed to be particularly stubborn, he just refused to take his last breath.


    What their Zhaoye City had the most of was heinous and crooked methods, as well as their poison restriction techniques. Reviving the dead, the flesh, and the bone, none of these were difficult to achieve as long as one could bear through. As bone and flesh couldn¡¯t just grow on their own, they needed to be supplemented by something.


    After that, Ning Huaishan would often remember that scene ¡ª


    Wu Xingxue had thrown Fang Chu into a pool to soak there. That viscous black water splattered out of the pool, but when it landed on the snow piled by the pool¡¯s edge, it was red.


    Beside the pool was an enormous, towering tree. Because of the deadly atmosphere, no living creatures ever dared to land on its branches. Therefore, Wu Xingxue¡¯s residence was named after that enormous tree: No Bird¡¯s Landing.


    When those people¡­ oh, no, those little devils settled Fang Chu inside the pool, Wu Xingxue leaned on the enormous tree with his arms crossed, watching them silently.


    ¡°City Lord, we¡¯re done. Everything is ready; we¡¯re just missing some living people.¡± Those few had come to No Bird¡¯s Landing before Ning Huaishan, and they had been following Wu Xingxue for a few years, diligently doing everything. They rubbed their hands together and discussed with faces full of excitement: ¡°White Deer Ford is the closest to Zhaoye City. We can capture a boat or two of living people without a problem. We can go right now if you want us to.¡±


    But Wu Xingxue looked weary, his voice slightly tinted with sleepiness. ¡°It¡¯s already late at night, and there are very few people who pass through White Deer Ford at this time. It¡¯ll probably be difficult to catch people.¡±


    They nodded, ¡°True, then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s easy.¡±


    Wu Xingxue spoke as he straightened up and walked towards the edge of the blood pool. Taking one in each hand, he dropped those little devils into the pool.


    Live people could be used as supplements, but so could devils.


    Fang Chu was unconscious in the pool. His eyes were closed, knowing absolutely nothing about what was happening around him. But Ning Huaishan witnessed this very clearly from across the walkway: a few bubbles rose from that pool, and immediately afterwards, the bloody wounds on Fang Chu¡¯s face closed and healed at a rate visible to the naked eye.


    And Wu Xingxue just stood there, watching by the edge of the pool. After a long while, he walked to the bamboo pump nearby to wash his hands.


    That was the origin of all of Ning Huaishan¡¯s terror towards Wu Xingxue.


    For a very long time after that, he was deathly afraid that in a moment of unhappiness, Wu Xingxue would throw him into the blood pool, feeding him to someone as supplemental medicine. But his and Fang Chu¡¯s luck wasn¡¯t that bad, as other people in No Bird¡¯s Landing frequently switched, not staying for long, but they had been with Wu Xingxue for tens of years, and they were both still alive.


    Back then, the Fang Chu who had looked like a clump of bloody rags, had only soaked in the pool for two days before he was back up and jumping about.


    Afterwards, Fang Chu would continue to get hurt every now and then, frequently losing a hand or a foot. The people in Zhaoye City wouldn¡¯t normally take the initiative to provoke each other. If they were hungry or heavily wounded and needed a supplement, they would go outside to catch living people.


    But Fang Chu was different. After he had experienced the benefits of using devils as supplements, he would often pick the subordinates of the people in Zhaoye City. Only by relying on the City Lord as his backer was he not killed.


    And after that, he cultivated his ¡°regeneration technique¡± to the point of perfection. Even if he couldn¡¯t immediately find something to supplement himself with, he could still quickly heal.


    ***


    Ning Huaishan pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°Right, to you, losing an arm or a leg is a very ordinary thing, you can grow everything back in half a day or less. How come this time¡­¡±  Fang Chu said: ¡°Before, I had thought it was because I¡¯d been hungry for a few days and was a little weak. But thinking about it now, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that. Look, since we¡¯ve come to this Valley of Great Sorrow, I¡¯ve grown new flesh.¡±  His technique of regrowth was fundamentally a demonic technique, and some things would naturally inhibit it. Such as¡­ if he was constantly too close to an immortal and was being suppressed by their invisible celestial energy.


    Fang Chu said, ¡°Before, I had thought it was because I¡¯d been hungry for a few days and was a little weak. But thinking about it now, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that. Look, ever since we¡¯ve come to this Valley of Great Sorrow, my limb started to grow back.¡±  His technique of regrowth was fundamentally a demonic technique, and some things would naturally inhibit it. Such as¡­ if he was constantly too close to an immortal and was being suppressed by their invisible celestial energy.


    His regeneration technique was, after all, a diabolic technique. Some things would naturally inhibit it, such as¡­ staying too close to an immortal and being suppressed by their invisible celestial energy.


    It wasn¡¯t the type from cultivation disciples, it had to be from the Immortal Capital.


    The reason his arm didn¡¯t grow back at all before was because the celestial energy around him was far greater than the demonic energy. Now that they¡¯ve come to this heinous place of the Valley of Great Sorrow, it was finally a bit better.


    Ning Huaishan suddenly realized, looking towards that so-called puppet: ¡°???¡±


    ¡°So stop having a death wish, I beg you. Just continue honestly following our City Lord. I don¡¯t want to suspect anything right now, I just want to grow my arm back.¡±


    ¡°What? Shouldn¡¯t we tell the City Lord?¡± Ning Huaishan asked in surprise.


    Fang Chu looked like he was watching a tragedy, ¡°Do you think the City Lord is dumber than me, or is he dumber than you?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying¡­ City Lord already knows?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    So the City Lord fucking knows already, yet he¡¯s still always sticking around that ¡°puppet¡± and whispering to him?


    ***


    After that, Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu were silent. They didn¡¯t approach Wu Xingxue too close, but they also didn¡¯t stray too far. They were honest and obedient like two quails.


    They behaved so well that even those cultivation disciples were completely unable to tell that these two were problematic, let alone suspect that they were from Zhaoye City.


    Unable to figure out who the divine statue was, the little disciples stopped thinking about it. They continued to test everywhere around the catacomb with their golden compasses. But for some reason, the golden compasses swiveled around like headless flies.


    There were not only commoners beside them who had asked for help, but there were also some unknown powerful rogue cultivators. Those few little disciples were deathly afraid of losing face and embarrassing themselves as their cheeks turned red from being too anxious.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with these spiritual compasses today?¡±


    ¡°It was never like this before!¡±


    ¡°Martial Brother, are the compasses broken?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! We just checked them before coming out.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°What is this needle supposed to detect?¡± Wu Xingxue chose the disciple whose face was the reddest and asked him.


    The little disciple pointed to the drop of blood on the tip of the compass needle and replied, ¡°It searches for spirits. It¡¯ll search for the spirit of whoever¡¯s blood it touches.¡±


    He looked at the woman who had lost her daughters and continued, ¡°It¡¯s truly a pity for the victims¡¯ family¡­ after words appeared on her daughters¡¯ necks, like many others, she used rope to tie her daughters to the bed, keeping watch by the bed at night. Afraid that she would fall asleep during the night, she even tied the other end of the rope to her own hand just in case. But when she awoke with a shock just before daybreak, she found that the rope was still in her hand, but her two daughters were gone, leaving only blood all over the rope. And the blood on our compasses is the same blood from that rope.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s been too long since the person disappeared, then the golden compass might not be too accurate, but it still shouldn¡¯t be like this.¡±


    ¡°Try it again and let me see.¡± Wu Xingxue patted him.


    The commoners watched anxiously from behind.


    With a face full of embarrassment, the little disciple let out an ¡°oh.¡± He turned the needle towards himself, and taking this as the starting point, he pushed it outwards.


    The golden needle spun chaotically towards the rock walls around them. Then, its motion abruptly ceased, and it returned to its starting position.


    ¡°I heard that our Martial Siblings who came to search for those people before us also ran into a similar situation. The needle would spin in a circle, and then return to where it started. They didn¡¯t even have an overall direction, so they could only hastily make a quick search through the entire valley and then return in vain.¡±


    ¡°Forget it; we can¡¯t depend on the compasses anymore,¡± the other two disciples said. They turned to Wu Xingxue and asked politely, ¡°Do you guys have any other methods?¡±


    Wu Xingxue shook his head.


    He didn¡¯t remember anything. Although he still had a bit of instinct left to save himself during emergencies, he didn¡¯t know anything else at all.


    But he did remember that before Xiao Fuxuan and the others had come down, One-arm Fang Chu had called out, ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    If he remembered correctly, Fang Chu should have been standing over¡­


    Back then, Wu Xingxue had kicked Fang Chu, so he remembered his general location. He walked back towards that area, carefully checking the holes of various sizes lining the rock wall. The ones towards the top held oil lamps inside, while the one towards the bottom was a little bigger, capable for a person to hide in there.


    Wu Xingxue reached out a hand to search inside the hole. He could feel a cool, moist breeze.


    ¡°Oh, right, Cheng¡­ Young Master!¡±1 Fang Chu saw his movement and finally spoke up, ¡°There¡¯s something inside there, I had glanced at it before! But afterwards, we were interrupted, so I didn¡¯t have time to look clearly.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was just about to bend down to look when that red-faced cultivation disciple scrambled over.


    He probably wanted to recover some of the face he had lost due to the golden compass, saying ¡°It¡¯s easier to enter with my height.¡± Then, he took an oil lamp and entered the hole.


    The little disciple lifted the oil lamp to light up the hole, illuminating a silhouette that crouched deep inside¡ªits hair was tied into two buns, and its face was ghastly white, with two deep, black, unblinking eyes, staring silently at him.


    ¡°Fu¡ª¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    The little disciple¡¯s soul almost flew out of his body!


    ¡°Why are you trembling?¡± Someone suddenly tapped him from the back.


    Thanks to the sudden pat, the hairs all over his body immediately stood up. With a startled cry, he shrunk back, bumping into the person behind him.


    ¡°See, I told you I should¡¯ve gone.¡± Wu Xingxue testily turned to the side, dragging that little disciple out. Just as he was about to squat down and enter, he saw someone raise their foot from the side of his eye.


    Those long, black boots were very narrow, making the legs look straight and strong.


    With just a step on the rock wall, the miniature cave¡¯s entrance suddenly expanded, cracking into multiple fissures in a split second. Loose rocks were shaken down in a storm of clattering, and the hole expanded to more than half the height of a normal person. One didn¡¯t even have to bend down now. Just with a sweep of the oil lamp, the scene inside the cave could be seen.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue turned his head and saw Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s face


    How should he describe his feelings¡­


    He felt that in the end, there might not be many places in this catacomb left intact.


    Is this what the Celestial Immortal is like???


    Wu Xingxue complained in his head and lowered his head to sweep the oil lamp towards the cave. He also saw the ghastly white face.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    With this appearance and squatting in this place, it was indeed very easy for others to be frightened.


    Fortunately, the hole was enlarged, and the appearance of the thing became clearer. Wu Xingxue saw its face gleam with the shine of pottery and said, ¡°It¡¯s a statue of a little girl.¡±


    That thing was neither a living person nor a ghost, it was a sculpture. Its face was painted snowy white, and its cheeks even had some red rouge, just like the types of statues of little boys and girls worshipped on each side of the celestial temples.


    But a talisman was stuck to the body of this statue, and there were words on the talisman.


    It read: This worships Immortal Envoy Zhao Qinglai.


    The words were written with blood, and they were scraggly written. It wasn¡¯t because the writer had bad handwriting, but it was more like when he wrote this, his hand was too stiff and couldn¡¯t write properly any longer.


    ¡°Zhao Qinglai?¡± Wu Xingxue read the name and stood up straight.


    One of the disciples suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Oh! This name¡­ I¡¯ve heard of it before. Didn¡¯t one of our Martial Brothers mention it before? It should be someone who was ordained.¡±


    The other cultivation disciples¡¯ expressions suddenly became unpleasant, ¡°How big is that little girl¡¯s statue? Can it hold a person?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me those people who were ordained are actually sealed in this statue.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan placed a hand on the curved ceiling of the cave, bent down, and looked inside.


    Then, he curved two fingers, and the talisman on the little girl¡¯s statue fell into his hand with a swish.


    ¡°!!!¡± Those few cultivation disciples immediately called out, ¡°We¡¯re not clear about the whole story, that talisman shouldn¡¯t be rashly touched!


    But after they finished yelling, they suddenly realized that since the others were powerful senior rogue cultivators, they probably knew what they were doing.


    Sure enough, Wu Xingxue looked towards Xiao Fuxuan and asked him, ¡°What kind of talisman is this?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan flipped it over, replying, ¡°It¡¯s used to raise spirits.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°And what does raising spirits mean?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ª¡± Yi Wusheng remarked, ¡°I know this, I heard my teacher talk about it when I was younger. He said that before, there used to be a type of array to summon immortals. Place a divine statue in the middle, and then hire people to act as the little boys and girls of the immortal¡¯s household. Position them according to the direction of the array, and then stick talismans on them. If the worshipper¡¯s name is written on the talismans, then the immortal can be summoned into the divine statue.¡±


    ¡°Then after that, someone probably twisted this legend, and people started to say that it is an array that could let a divine statue come to life. Hence, it¡¯s called spirit raising.¡±


    As they spoke, a quick-handed cultivation disciple had already used his sword to crack open the little girl statue. Broken shards of clay scattered all over the floor, and its insides were covered in blood. The pungent scent of blood carried over, making their stomachs turn.


    It was obvious that once there was indeed something stored here in this statue.


    ¡°It¡¯s so short, I don¡¯t think they can be stuffed inside, right?¡±


    ¡°So they were cut apart¡­¡±


    The crowd all remembered that for the people who had been ordained, the ropes they had been bound with were soaked in blood, appearing like they had been chopped into pieces. If their head and four limbs were all separated, then it wouldn¡¯t be hard to stuff them inside a small statue like this.


    It was just that¡­


    Inside this little girl¡¯s statue, there was only blood remaining. Where did the person who was stuffed in there go?

 CH 20

    ¡°It¡¯s already tragic enough to be ¡®ordained¡¯ here, and now their corpses aren¡¯t even¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    The red-faced cultivator had only finished mumbling halfway when one of his Martial Brothers elbowed him.


    Wu Xingxue glanced at them, then turned his head over to the commoners. Their expressions were extremely unpleasant, staring at the talisman in Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hand and looking like they were in a daze. One of them swayed incessantly, unable to even stand steadily on his feet.


    He probably wanted to bend down to recover a bit, but when he did so, the coat was pressed against him and the pungent smell of incense permeated the air again.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The cultivation disciples immediately rushed to him and held him up.


    One of the disciples said, ¡°My Martial Brother has a big mouth and he talks nonsense all the time.¡± They were extremely afraid that the smell of incense would be too strong and would draw in some unpleasant beings. He quickly continued, ¡°Actually, things are not that bad. Maybe¡­ maybe¡­¡±


    He said maybe several more times, but still couldn¡¯t come up with anything. He looked over with a face pleading for help, and his face was already bright red from the distress.


    Wu Xingxue thought, ¡°What are you looking at me for? I can¡¯t ¡®maybe¡¯ out anything good. If I open my mouth to speak, my words might be even more frightening than your Martial Brother¡¯s.¡±


    He was silent for a moment, then poked Xiao Fuxuan.


    Only after he poked did he realize that perhaps he was doing this motion a bit too naturally.


    Xiao Fuxuan, who was examining the talisman, paused, then glanced at the finger that had poked him. Then, he turned his head to look towards those cultivation disciples who were pleading for help.


    The words ¡°please help, say something and change the subject or something, please help us out here¡± were written clearly on their faces.


    Hence, the Celestial Immortal finally opened his golden mouth.


    He asked the woman, ¡°What are your esteemed daughters¡¯ names and surnames?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    To elaborate on his words, he basically meant. Your two daughters probably met the same end as this Zhao Qinglai. They are probably also in some little boy or girl statue with their names stuck on the pedestal. Tell us their names and we can look for them.


    Those commoners did drag the cultivation disciples here for this purpose, so his words weren¡¯t wrong¡­


    But perhaps this golden mouth should stay shut next time.


    Wu Xingxue thought in his head.


    The little disciple who had pleaded for help collapsed on the spot, his face even turning green.


    That woman was in a worse state. Stumbling, she propped herself against the wall. Her expression was completely blank, and her whole body was shaking uncontrollably. The other two little disciples immediately came forward, lightly patting her on the back.


    She couldn¡¯t even bear these light pats, as she collapsed more with each pat. Bent at the waist, she trembled for a long while, and then lifted her head to look towards Xiao Fuxuan. She mumbled in a hoarse voice, ¡°My two little girls are still young¡­ they¡¯re called¡­ they¡¯re called¡­¡±


    After choking up for a long time, she finally let out two nicknames, ¡°They¡¯re called A-Yuan and A-Tai.¡±


    ¡°A-Yuan¡­¡±


    ¡°A-Tai¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me¡­¡±


    The woman softly repeated this many times, and even when her voice no longer sounded, her lips were still moving. No one knows whether he was trying to comfort the souls of her two daughters or if she was trying to comfort herself.


    Now that everyone had the names, they stopped avoiding the subject and straightforwardly started searching along the hole-ridden rock walls.


    With this search, they found that the catacomb didn¡¯t only consist of this one area, it was actually very long. It was only that, of the occasional twists and turns of the cave, the light from the oil lamps inside the holes would be hidden behind the turns. At first glance, it seemed as if the cave had ended there.


    But that wasn¡¯t the case. The catacomb was constructed along the valley and was extremely long, with frequent paths that split off from the main passageway. It was a treacherous trek to get there.


    After turning a few corners, the crowd had all slightly lost their sense of direction. The cultivation disciples¡¯ compasses were completely useless here, and after crossing a bunch of cross sections, they suddenly realized that they had already stopped bothering with their compasses and were just following Xiao Fuxuan.


    But even Xiao Fuxuan had to stop for a few moments on several fork roads.


    Wu Xingxue saw the way he moved and finally asked, ¡°Have you been here before?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan gave an ¡°mm¡± as a reply and stopped in his steps. His long fingers gently pressed the stone walls, and with a little force, a quake sent rocks flying down.


    ¡°Then how come you don¡¯t know the way?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan probed a finger into a rock crack. His downcast eyes lightly blinked, and then he replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t come inside.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t come inside?¡± Wu Xingxue was a little surprised, ¡°Why not?¡±


    The entire boulder blocking the hole was swept away with two fingers, crashing to the ground with a roaring boom, sending up a cloud of gray dust. Wu Xingxue squinted his eyes in the dust and heard Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s deep voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    An image suddenly flashed through his mind: it was a cold night in the Valley of Great Sorrow, permeated with dust and fog. There was also a tall silhouette standing in the fog, gazing at the enormous valley from across a long suspension bridge.


    Wu Xingxue was stunned.


    He should have seen such a scene before, but no matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn¡¯t recall it clearly.


    When he returned to his senses, he heard those few cultivation disciples shout, ¡°Another little boy statue!¡±


    On their way there, they found two other little boy and girl statues. They were both empty, and their insides were covered in dried blood. They also had talismans stuck on them, and they also wrote, ¡°This worships the Immortal Envoy.¡±


    One was named Liu Zhi, and the other was named Liu Mei.


    The names sounded like one was male and the other female, but their bodies were also nowhere to be found.


    Including Zhao Qinglai from the beginning, this was already the fourth little statue. They had already formed a habit, subconsciously slashing at the statue with a sword. The little boy statue cracked into pieces¡­


    And a person was revealed.


    It was a grown man, but he was folded in a manner that seemed as if all his bones were broken. His head was cut off from his neck and was resting on his lap.


    The cultivation disciples were so startled that they hastily retreated several meters, pressing their backs against the rock wall on the other end of the tunnel.


    After a while, they murmured, ¡°Why is this body still here? Has it turned into a sinister being yet? ¡°


    They were going to poke at it with their swords, just to see Yi Wusheng press the back of his finger against that cut-off head and shake his head. Holding his paper, he said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can come over.¡±


    Wu Xingxue scanned the appearance of that corpse. He made a guess that this was the lumberjack who was the first one to be ordained.


    Sure enough, the talisman attached to the statue had the lumberjack¡¯s name on it, and it was written very crookedly.


    Before, they had only heard rumors and had never seen any of the victims themselves. But now that the lumberjack from the rumor was sitting cross-legged right in front of them, it made them feel both extremely frightened and a little uncomfortable.


    The commoners didn¡¯t even dare to come over at all, huddling together far away in the dark.


    The cultivation disciples looked at that woodcutter with unbearable expressions, but they couldn¡¯t just let him just sit here in the open. Thus, they dug out a talisman and carefully placed it on his forehead to seal him, and then also made a mark.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find the rest first and then come back.¡±


    ***


    They continued to walk deeper into the catacomb along the rock wall, pondering nonstop as they walked.


    ¡°How come the first three people we found in the statues were all gone, yet this one is still here?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because the lumberjack¡¯s incident happened earlier than theirs.¡±


    ¡°Since the incident happened early, his soul had been almost completely exhausted, making him unable to move after being sealed in the stone statue. As for those whose incidents happened later, some of their souls still remained, so they couldn¡¯t be sealed. ¡±


    As for what they would do if they couldn¡¯t be sealed, that went without saying¡ª


    They might be extremely hungry, so they went to search for food. Or, they might be unwilling to admit that they had died, so they went to search for someone to replace them. Both were possible.


    The oil lamps in the catacomb weren¡¯t stable, sometimes bright and sometimes dim. Perhaps those corpses that had been chopped up into pieces were creeping in some corner, waiting for living people to come.


    Picturing this, even people who knew how to use celestial powers would tremble with fear.


    Before long, they came across another little girl statue.


    The appearance of this little girl statue was mottled, as it had lost some of its colors. At first glance, half of its lips seemed to be smiling, the other half crying.


    With the trauma of the previous statue in mind, they hesitated, not daring to use their swords.


    Then, a blast of violent wind brushed past them, and immediately afterward, they heard the crisp noise of cracking sounds: the little girl statue shattered without anyone even approaching it.1 This time, the little girl statue was still empty, with no one inside. There were only blood and claw marks, as if the person who had been sealed inside had once forcefully scratched at the clay, attempting to escape¡­


    Looking again at the shards covering the ground, this meant¡­ It succeeded in escaping.


    The talisman within the shards suddenly flew out with a swish, falling between Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s fingers. He spread out the paper and read out what was written, ¡°This worships Immortal Envoy Gao¡¯e.¡±


    ¡°Gao¡¯e?¡± The disciples muttered incessantly.


    Wu Xingxue saw that one of them had a very troubled face, so he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why the bitter look?¡±


    ¡°Gao¡¯e¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Gao¡¯e?¡±


    That little disciple recited this name to himself a couple more times, then he shook his head, ¡°I was just thinking of which family this one is from. I¡¯ve heard of this name before, but I don¡¯t think it was from my elder Martial Siblings. I can¡¯t remember, I¡¯ve heard too many names from victims¡¯ family members recently, I¡¯ve already got them all mixed up.¡±


    When he said that there were too many victims¡¯ family members, the disciples glanced towards Xiao Fuxuan. It seemed that they wanted to ask something, but they only looked and didn¡¯t move.


    They then turned their heads to Yi Wusheng, who looked more gentle and kind, and said ¡°Senior, since you know the history of these spirit-raising talismans as well as how to use them, then do you know how many little boy and girl statues are needed to actually bring a divine statue to life?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe that making a divine statue come alive is real, it¡¯s just a false rumor.¡± Yi Wusheng said, ¡°In the past hundred years, I¡¯ve never heard of anyone succeeding in this.¡±


    Actually, calling it a summoning was also not quite correct. In essence, the array gave the divine statue a touch of spirit, and then, using the divine statue, the person doing the summoning could transmit what they wanted to say to the actual immortal in the Immortal Capital. Whether or not the immortal heard, it was another story altogether.


    This was an array that regular sects didn¡¯t really know how to use, and they treated these sayings as more of a folktale.


    When Yi Wusheng was still a teenager, he happened to like to listen to these sorts of common folk tales. Although they were crude and fragmented, they were still very interesting, and he remembered almost all of the ones he had heard. But he never thought that one day, he¡¯d encounter those folk tales in such a fashion.


    After a moment of silence, he replied, ¡°It should be thirty-three little boys and girls.¡±


    The disciples nodded. ¡°Then that¡¯s right,¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, it also happens to be thirty-three families who were ordained. Is that right, Martial Brother?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Including what happened today, it is exactly thirty-three.¡±


    ¡°Exactly thirty-three families?¡±


    Wu Xingxue suddenly spoke, ¡°Maybe think a little harder? Maybe you miscounted?¡±


    The cultivation disciple was stunned, then his face turned red, ¡°Senior, please stop teasing us, it¡¯s only thirty-three altogether. How can we count wrong?¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s wrong,¡± said Wu Xingxue, ¡°One of the families had two people, so won¡¯t thirty-three families make a total of thirty-four people?¡±


    After being stunned for a moment, the disciples suddenly realized.


    The family that had brought them to the Valley of Great Sorrow had lost two little girls, A-Yuan and A-Tai. If you count them, then there was an extra person.


    If there were fewer, then one could say that there would be more victims in the future. But now there was one extra, could the array still work?


    ¡°Besides, why would there be an extra person?¡±


    ¡°Did we overcount?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s ask.¡±


    That little disciple wanted to ask those commoners, but when he turned his head, he found that that woman was standing extremely close behind him. Her pitch-black eyes were looking at him indistinctly.


    The disciple suddenly remembered and shouted, ¡°Gao¡¯e!¡±


    He finally remembered; he hadn¡¯t heard the name ¡°Gao¡¯e¡± from his Martial Siblings, but it was this woman who had said it when she introduced herself to them. She had said that her two daughters were ordained and had entered the Valley of Great Sorrow, and she wanted their help to go to the valley to look for them.


    What if the people who were ordained were never those two daughters to begin with?


    What if¡­ it was herself?


    Then with the thirty-three families, the numbers all add up!


    Immediately afterward, he then remembered that there were a total of four little boy and girl statues that were empty. Looking at the names, they were two men and two women.


    And the commoners who came with them to the valley also happened to be four people, two men and two women!


    When Gao¡¯e smiled at him, her pitch-black eyes suddenly curved into crescents, and her mouth emerged from beneath those thick layers of cloth. It was also a pitch-black crescent.


    The hairs on the little disciple¡¯s body stood up on end as his sword shot outwards.


    In a split second, the thick scarf wrapped around Gao¡¯e¡¯s neck unraveled, revealing the word on her neck. That neck had been cut through along the sternum, and only a tiny bit of skin held her head and neck together. When she moved, her head wobbled as if about to fall.


    The little disciples suddenly understood why these commoners were all wrapped in thick coats and why their hands and feet were also tied up so tightly.


    It was because they would fall apart if they didn¡¯t do so¡­


    Maybe because they felt like they couldn¡¯t keep the act up any longer, those four commoners stopped pretending and each picked a person to pounce on.


    Of the five people they chose, three were those cultivation disciples, and the remaining one surged towards the other side.


    When Wu Xingxue felt the breath behind him, he sighed softly, thinking, ¡°You sure know how to choose.


    He had already lifted his finger, but when he turned his head, he met Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s eyes.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    In the next second, the Zhaoye City Lord, who had just killed a whole pile of yin beings, lowered his hand, and moved to behind Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s back with a turn of his feet. With a finger against the immortal¡¯s back, he pushed him forward a step, saying, ¡°Immortal, help, I¡¯m scared.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Believe it or not, we¡¯re even more afraid.

 CH 21

    The unfortunate soul who picked Wu Xingxue was the first ¡°immortal envoy¡± that they found, Zhao Qinglai.


    Zhao Qinglai¡¯s fingernails, which were previously hidden in his sleeves, were long and as sharp as knives. He could easily make grooves into the stone wall if he slashed at them.


    He picked Wu Xingxue because he looked like a weak, thin, and defenseless aristocrat, the type who only played around and enjoyed their carefree life. This young master wasn¡¯t even wearing a scarf, only holding a hand warmer and leaving his neck open for an attack.


    All he needed to do was give that neck a gentle slice, then blood would come surging out¡­


    No effort, and job done!


    Zhao Qinglai licked his teeth and slashed his hands towards Wu Xingxue¡¯s neck.


    Clang!


    When the noise sounded, Zhao Qinglai didn¡¯t even have time to react.


    After all, as someone who died already, he had a slightly slower reaction time. When he realized that it was the sound of a sword being drawn¡ª


    The hand that he slashed towards Wu Xingxue¡¯s neck was already gone.


    The raging sword energy and the vast sharpness that exploded forth were like the inescapable freezing winds of deep winter, sweeping over Zhao Qinglai¡¯s body.


    His tightly-wrapped coat was ripped into pieces, and the pressure keeping his body together suddenly disappeared.


    Zhao Qinglai opened his eyes wide.


    At this time, Wu Xingxue had already vanished, the person blocking in front of him was someone else. That person was extremely tall, and as he gently touched the ground with the tip of his sword, he said coldly, ¡°Come.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    I can¡¯t¡­


    Zhao Qinglai collapsed to the ground in an instant, and his roar changed to hoarse sharp. Like a whistle, his sound echoed in the entire catacomb with a strong sense of unwillingness.


    It wasn¡¯t only Zhao Qinglai.


    The others who went for the three cultivation disciples also had their coats sliced into pieces by the flying sword energy.


    Those cultivation disciples stabbed at their opponents with their swords but didn¡¯t hit anything. Those enemies who were fierce just a second ago had suddenly collapsed into their piles of fabric.


    When they had been ¡°ordained¡± to come to the Valley of Great Sorrow, their limbs had already been completely cut apart. With deep resentments and grievances, they should have been terrifying sinister beings.


    But when their stiff and pale body parts covered with mottled scars fell and started rolling on the ground, and when their red eyes were straining to stay open¡­


    It was a bit unbearable to watch.


    After all, they were also once living humans.


    The little cultivation disciples were still young, and their reactions were the most obvious. With ghastly pale faces, they backed up a few steps, not even knowing what to do with their swords. In the end, they looked towards the Xiao Fuxuan at a loss.


    As one of the four Elders of the Hua Sect, Yi Wusheng had seen many similar situations before, so he was not as affected. But a doctor, he couldn¡¯t bear to just watch. He also subconsciously gazed toward Xiao Fuxuan.


    In the mortal realm, there actually weren¡¯t that many rumors regarding him. The only people he dealt with were the evil and the despicable. He didn¡¯t have to do with others¡¯ fortune, and he wasn¡¯t in charge of prosperity and disaster. So, people didn¡¯t pray to him and he would never offer protection over anything either.


    There were few portraits of him, let alone divine statues. Most of them stood in places like the Jiaming Wilderness, where few people dared to go.


    Others, like the Lingtai Immortals, all showed smiles in their portraits and divine statues, like a spring breeze brushing the world.


    Only him, no matter which divine statue, no matter if the statue looked like him or not, he would always have a cold expression without a trace of smile.


    No wonder the people didn¡¯t like to worship him in their homes. Because it seems that normal families¡¯ reunions and separations, births and deaths, sorrows and joys, could never make a single ripple in his eyes.


    Just like right now, his eyes were downcast, and his gaze shot out from his long eyes, scanning over the limbs and heads scattered all over the ground, scanning over those eyes that couldn¡¯t bear to close. Still, there was no emotion on his face.


    After he finished looking at them, he only lifted his thin eyelids.


    Zhao Qinglai¡¯s screams became extremely shrill and mournful, echoing in the catacomb, ending with a sorrowful cry.


    Xiao Fuxuan paid no attention to that sound. He put away his sword energy and returned his sword to its sheath.


    In that second, everyone in the catacomb suddenly felt a sense of discomfort.


    It was a discomfort of emotions, it was due to the sharpness of the sword energy that gave everyone a discomforting chill.


    It was like a sharp blade that has killed countless things. Even if it was washed clean of blood, stored inside a precious jade sheath, and dappled with a ray of moonlight, it would still be a murderous weapon that no one would dare to touch.


    Only Wu Xingxue felt differently.


    Because his finger was pressed against Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s back, when Zhao Qinglai and the others collapsed onto the ground, their limbs and heads rolling chaotically around, he clearly felt Xiao Fuxuan slightly tilt his body.


    It was an extremely subtle movement, so slight that Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t even immediately feel it.


    It was only until he could no longer see those broken limbs and those unwilling eyes did he realize that Xiao Fuxuan was blocking in front of him. This way,he didn¡¯t have to witness those things on the ground.


    How absurd.


    As a devil who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill, there was someone who helped to block in front of his eyes.


    And only after being blocked did Wu Xingxue slowly realize that he indeed didn¡¯t want to see those things.


    Perhaps it was the long dream about Que City that changed his nature. When he saw those fragmented limbs and heads, he felt very uncomfortable in his heart. It was the same feeling after he killed those yin beings, how he couldn¡¯t bear the blood on his hands.


    Wu Xingxue was silent for a moment, then the finger that was pressed on Xiao Fuxuan moved a little.


    ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Xiao Fuxuan answered in his deep voice.


    Wu Xingxue leaned forward and was about to speak, but he saw that before he was able to say anything, Xiao Fuxuan had already turned his head around.


    At that moment, they were extremely close to each other, their breaths almost hitting each other¡¯s noses.


    Wu Xingxue pursed his lips and then straightened his body back up.


    Xiao Fuxuan asked quietly, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I forgot.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan raised his eyes, the thin corners of his eyelids pressing into a sharp crease.


    Wu Xingxue looked at him and then said softly, ¡°Then um¡­ thank you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu felt like they were almost going to die.


    ***


    Those fragmented body parts that had collapsed on the ground didn¡¯t stop moving as one would expect them to. Instead, they were constantly struggling, their sharp fingernails scratching against the floor, making creaking noises. It was almost as if they wanted to piece themselves together and stand up again.


    The cultivation disciples¡¯ hairs stood up on end as they listened to this. Rubbing their necks, they desperately searched all over their bodies


    ¡°Where¡¯s our Qiankun bag? Martial Brother, did you bring one? Should we store these, these¡­¡±


    Gao¡¯e and Zhao Qinglai¡¯s eyes were still rolling, glaring at them. Their mouths opened and closed, as if they were trying to say something. Being stared at like this, the disciples didn¡¯t dare to call them ¡°sinister beings¡± out loud.


    ¡°These people into the bags? We can¡¯t just leave them here like this, or should we also stick a talisman on them?¡±


    ¡°But how? We didn¡¯t bring that many talismans!¡±


    Before, at least that lumberjack was still in one piece, so sticking a talisman onto him to prevent him from suddenly coming back to life and causing trouble still worked. But as for the scattered mess in front of them, with limbs everywhere, they didn¡¯t even know which ones to stick to.


    Finally, after searching everywhere, the little disciple had finally found his Qiankun bag. He squatted down beside a limb. But just as he was about to put it in, the hand on the ground suddenly grabbed him.


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±


    He jumped up, pulling out his sword and ready to slice it apart. But then, a hoarse voice sounded,  ¡°I beg you, young man, I beg you¡­¡±


    The little disciple was about to cry too, he even almost started to beg along with her, ¡°What are you begging for, you, you let go of me first.¡±


    Those sharp fingernails had pierced into his flesh, gripping him extremely tightly, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, young man, I can¡¯t be here, not here, I really have two daughters, I really do¡­¡±


    The hoarse voice began to whimper and sob.


    Listening to that voice, the crowd recognized that it was Gao¡¯e speaking.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be here, I need to find a replacement, I need to go home¡­¡±


    ¡°I need to go home, I need to go home¡­¡±


    Her head pitifully rolled around, and another hand on the ground crawled quickly, grabbing onto the nearest person¡¯s ankle.


    That person wasn¡¯t a disciple this time, it was Ning Huaishan.


    ¡°Ayo¡ª¡± Yi Wusheng called out to stop him.


    Ning Huaishan¡¯s face has already pulled down, and there is a flash of fierceness in his expression.


    He was from Zhaoye City after all, one who has fought his way through mountains of corpses. He didn¡¯t have the humanity of those cultivation disciples.


    Resting his elbows on his knees, he squatted down, and licked his teeth, showing a much more frightening smile than even those of the sinister beings, ¡°You¡¯ve really begged the wrong person. Miss, don¡¯t think that you can hold onto me just because I¡¯m skinny, I have an extremely bad temper. If you dare to even scratch the tiniest bit of my skin on my ankle, ¡ª¡±


    ¡°I beg you, I beg you young man, the two little girls are still waiting, they¡¯re still very young.¡±


    ¡°My man has already passed, if I¡¯m not there, they won¡¯t survive.¡±


    ¡°This world, they can¡¯t survive, they¡¯re really too young, I beg¡­¡±


    Gao¡¯e said as she held onto his ankle.


    Yi Wusheng stepped over, wanting to pull them apart, but Gao¡¯e¡¯s long, sharp nails had already pierced Ning Huaishan¡¯s ankle, causing fresh blood to flow down along his prominent bones.


    His fingers were already curled up, and his green veins were clearly visible through his pale skin.


    He was already gathering his internal energy, but he didn¡¯t go ahead and smash that reckless hand into pieces yet.


    For some reason, he stopped halfway and was listening to Gao E¡¯s words.


    ¡°I only have these two children, they¡¯re my life, I beg you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of begging me ma¡¯am?¡± Ning Huaishan suddenly replied, still in his provocative tone, ¡°You¡¯re dead already, you can¡¯t return. You¡¯re two girls doomed to die as well. I¡¯ve seen people like you, a lot¡ª¡±


    His voice became softer, ¡°My mother also begged others like this back then, was it of any use? It was not.¡±


    Yi Wusheng heard this last line and was stunned.


    Ning Huaishan was still squatting in a way that others couldn¡¯t see his expression. But he could notice that his claw-like fingers were trembling.


    Yi Wusheng suddenly remembered when he saw this little devil decades ago. He was just thirteen or fourteen years old, as scrawny as firewood, looking like he could die from just a single hit. Only those two eyes revealed a defiant aggression


    At the time, he thought: Who¡¯s child is this, falling to evil ways and embarking on the wrong path.


    Now, decades later, looking at this devil again, he wasn¡¯t as thin as before, but still looked a little frail. When he squatted, his body seemed to be full of killing intent, but he held back his attack.


    Perhaps Gao¡¯e reminded him of his beginning of embarking on that wrong path.


    ¡°It¡¯s of use, it¡¯s of use, there is a way¡­¡± Gao¡¯e continued to cry relentlessly.


    ¡°Ha, what way? If you had a way, how come you still ended up in pieces like this? Look at you, worshiping those deities all day long. Now with you crying like this, is there any immortal willing to come down to help you?¡± Ning Huaishan said, ¡°Let me teach you a lesson. Either try your hardest to live, or let everything go and die. Stop begging and stop crying, just accept¡ª¡±


    Before he could say the word ¡°destiny¡±, someone kicked him from behind.


    It wasn¡¯t a hard kick, and that was previously what made him mad!


    Ning Huaishan turned his face around, full of killing intent, and met eyes with his City Lord.


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    What did I do wrong this time!


    ¡°You talk too much, chatterbox. After all that you¡¯re still standing here and not doing anything. Go to the side.¡± Wu Xingxue used his feet to nudge him.


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, she¡¯s still grabbing onto my feet,¡±  Ning Huaishan had a sense


    Wu Xingxue looked at that sharp, severed hand, ¡°You said that it is a way, I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s not something you made it. Let¡¯s hear it, what is the way you got?¡±


    Gao¡¯e immediately shouted, ¡°Find a replacement! Find someone to replace me!¡±


    ¡°As long as someone replaces me, I can return,¡± she said in a loud voice that almost cracked from excitement.


    ¡°Oh? Are you that certain? Did someone tell you that?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.


    Those few cultivation disciples were stunned for a moment, suddenly sparking insight. Not everyone knew about and could recognize a spirit-raising talisman. If a normal person was trapped inside this array and turned into a sinister being, causing trouble, they would mostly just abide by their fundamental nature¡ª they¡¯re hungry, so they¡¯ll come out to find some food to eat.


    Even if they subconsciously wanted to find someone to replace them, they should be wandering around in the valley, hoping an unlucky soul hits upon them.


    But these few were special. They knew to disguise, they knew to leave the valley to find people, and they even knew that the smell of incense could cover up their smell of corpses, making others unable to notice that they have already turned sinister.


    This indeed didn¡¯t seem like the instinct of a sinister being, it seemed more as if someone told them to do this.


    ¡°Yes! Someone did, someone did¡­¡± Gao¡¯e said.


    Her reaction wasn¡¯t as fast as a living person¡¯s, so she kept repeating those two words.


    Everyone else immediately asked, ¡°Who?¡±


    Gao¡¯e said softly, ¡°An immortal, an immortal told me.¡±


    Immortal?


    Wu Xingxue remembered that Xiao Fuxuan had once said that there were many immortals from the Immortal Capital who did not have a peaceful end, like Yun Hai. Eventually, those immortal¡¯s divine statues would end up just standing there, like a huge immortal tomb.


    Therefore, Gao¡¯e¡¯s reply was not too surprising for him.


    But as for the others, they didn¡¯t hear Xiao Fuxuan see that, so they were still puzzled, ¡°How could an immortal tell you? How did you even know he was an immortal? Did you see him?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± replied Gao¡¯e, ¡°It¡¯s a dream, an immortal sent me a dream.¡±


    Hearing this, the broken body parts on the ground started to move riotously. Zhao Qinglai and the others confirmed her words, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the same for us, we received a dream.¡±


    With their mouths talking at the same times, everyone got a general sense of the situation¡ª


    These people were ordained to come to the Valley of Great Sorrow like they were sleepwalking. They ripped their limbs off and then folded themselves into the vacant little girl and boy statues.


    When everything happened, they didn¡¯t even have any clue about it, as they thought that it was just a bizarre dream.


    In the dream, they were inside a celestial temple, sitting cross-legged on the altars at each side of the temple, holding incense burners in their hands. They looked like real immortal envoys.


    As they recited scripture with other immortal envoys, they suddenly saw a tall shadow walk in from the door, telling them: You all are still tied to mortal affairs, and your burdens are yet to be cleared, so you become immortal envoys for now. I have to trouble you all to invite someone else to come.


    When their replacements had come, they could go home.


    When they were startled awake, they found out that they were sealed in the little girl and boy statues already.


    They could never forget the terror they felt at that moment.


    ¡°What did the immortal look like?¡± Yi Wusheng asked.


    This time, Gao¡¯e and the others could even utter a word no matter how hard they tried. It was as if someone had deliberately sealed their mouths, casting a silencing technique on them.


    Learning that they had been cast with a silencing technique only made the crowd even more curious.


    However, after a round of asking, they still didn¡¯t get anything out of their mouths, so they could only give up. They asked instead, ¡°Then did he ever tell you all what type of replacement you should be looking for?¡±


    Because logically, if these commoners wanted to find a replacement, they could easily find some orphans, widows, or elderly people at the outskirts of the town. That would also meet the immortal¡¯s requirements, so why did these people have to go through all the trouble and risk to find disciples from a cultivation sect?


    ¡°He did, he said that the temple has everything it needs, but is only missing some celestial energy in the north, south, west and east sides.¡±


    They surmised that celestial energy probably meant those in cultivation sects, after all, those people were cultivating to become immortals. Being the average commoner they were, they didn¡¯t dare to go find any powerful cultivators, and after thinking about it, they decided that the easiest target would be those young disciples who had just entered the sect.


    Speaking of which, they had pretty good luck. One, there were many families who requested for help from cultivation sects, so what they did could be almost seen as completely normal.


    Two, the Northern Frontiers had just collapsed, and the most powerful cultivators from the big sects were either yet to return, or had just returned not too long ago, not having enough time to deal with such matters. And just like that, they caught these three little disciples.


    One of the cultivation disciples asked, ¡°But aren¡¯t you still missing one?¡±


    Gao¡¯e said hesitantly, ¡°We deceived as many as we could, if it doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯ll just¡­ just find another opportunity later.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Only now did the disciples realize what a terrifying event they had just avoided. The more they thought about it, the greener their face got.


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s expression was also a bit complicated. He glanced at Wu Xingxue, then looked at Zhao Qinglai and asked, ¡°Then why did you choose him¡­ Young Master Cheng?¡±


    The disciples said they needed to find people with celestial energy. Here, other than the three cultivation disciples, there were at least two others they could pick. One was Xiao Fuxuan, and the other was Yi Wusheng himself.


    Even if they could tell at a glance that Xiao Fuxuan did not seem like an easy opponent, he was still him wasn¡¯t there? He was just some vestigial soul, and if he really fought, maybe he couldn¡¯t even compare to the three little disciples.


    Zhao Qinglai also had some pretty terrible insight, intentionally skipping over him and choosing the one most diabolic one.


    Yi Wusheng originally just wanted to casually remark this, but then Zhao Qinglai grumbled and replied, ¡°Out of the people with celestial energy, he looked the easiest to deal with.¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Of the people with what???


    At that moment, Yi Wusheng felt like either he was deaf, or Zhao Qinglai must be blind.

 CH 22

    It wasn¡¯t only Xiao Fuxuan. Others who were familiar with arrays could also tell that this was an enormous array.


    And every enormous array must have an array center.


    The array center contained the crucial array stone or the most important spiritual talisman.


    The array stone would often be inscribed with the imprint of the person who had placed the array, allowing others to be able to tell immediately who set up the array.


    The spiritual talisman would also clearly indicate the purpose of the array. If it was an array used for suppression, the talisman would state the name of the targeted individual, so as not to accidentally injure others.


    So when cultivators came across this type of array, they all had the habit of first looking for the array center.


    Yi Wusheng looked at the interlaced light on the ground and carefully assessed it. After a moment, he frowned and pointed, ¡°The array center¡­ is over there.¡±


    The little disciples looked over. He was pointing to none other than the immortal-abolishing platform behind the bright blue flames.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°This might be a little too straightforward, is that the place?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I also found out that this was the array center. But I thought it was just a type of deceptive illusion.¡±


    The little disciples found this hard to believe.


    This was because generally speaking, people who set up an array wouldn¡¯t want their array to be destroyed easily. Therefore, they would at least spend some effort to try and hide the array center, a place that one wouldn¡¯t expect it to be.


    However, this array was exactly the opposite ¡ª It was almost obvious that this immortal-abolishing platform was the heart of the array, and yet the person who set this array chose to put the array center there.


    This was almost unbelievable.


    But it was also previously that they found it unbelievable that they didn¡¯t dare to believe it. Instead, they felt like they had missed something or had miscalculated.


    For a second, no one dared to move rashly. Even if the array was changed by the slightest, even just a single gravel or a piece of leaf, it would cause an earth-shattering difference.


    ¡°Perhaps the person who set the array is trying to use reverse psychology against us?¡± one of the disciples mumbled.


    Yi Wusheng shook his head slowly, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t take such a big risk with this big of an array.¡±


    The little disciple: ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re indeed right. If someone would deliberately set it up like this, then he or she must be a heavy gambler.¡± ¡°


    Yi Wusheng replied, ¡°So it probably wasn¡¯t done intentionally, but rather there were no other options.¡±


    But would they have no other options?


    Was it because their spirit wasn¡¯t sufficient enough to sustain the complex maneuvering of concealing the array center? Or was it that when they had set the array center, they were interrupted by something unexpected, forcing them to finish in a hurry?


    Bang-


    As everyone was puzzled, there was suddenly a loud noise in the round room.


    Bang-


    It sounded again.


    They were all startled and looked over to the origin of the sound. It was from the immortal-abolishing platform.


    Bang-


    When it sounded for the third time, everyone saw it. The Yao Palace and the immortal-abolishing platform all shocked violently, The door plaque, which only had a corner remaining, to begin with, smashed down onto the stone steps before the palace, shattering into powder.


    If the Yao Palace and the immortal-abolishing platform were like a delicate coffin, then that quake just now was as if the person sealed inside the coffin had suddenly woken up. It was pounding the lid, attempting to get out.


    Bang-


    The fourth sound rang out, making the cultivation disciples all jump up this time.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    They drew their swords and prepared themselves, ready to strike.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind rose from the ground, howling through the air.


    A colossal force swept violently past the crowd¡¯s bodies like hundreds of thousands of sharp blades, piercing directly towards the immortal-abolishing platform.


    ¡°It¡¯s the array!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s activated!¡±


    The enormous array in the room suddenly lit up, circulating loudly as the immortal-abolishing platform shook.


    The array wouldn¡¯t reason with anyone at that moment. It wouldn¡¯t care whether people were still inside and would only unleash countless killing moves.


    Like a giant mountain, oppression fell from above without a warning!


    Roaring echoed endlessly throughout the cavern, and beneath the oppression, the trembling immortal-abolishing platform was crushed inch by inch into the ground, the bottom wedging itself deeper and deeper downwards amidst the flying rocks and debris.


    But what was even more tragic were the people.


    ¡°AHHHH¡ª¡± The sharp and ear-splitting screams came from Gao¡¯e and the others.


    Under the oppression, their severed limbs shattered.


    The little disciples held their swords high with both of their hands and pushed against the oppression, but they were still pressed down until their waists were bent.


    Their eldest martial brother suffered the most. Folded inwards, he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Yi Wusheng wanted to help him, but right now, he couldn¡¯t even take care of himself.


    When the oppression came down, his pitiful vestigial soul lurched incessantly. The black cloth over his nose and mouth was about to fail to keep his soul sealed as it showed a tear. By the time it gets completely ripped, his soul would be forced out and he would die here as well.


    Just as the oppression was about to descend a second time, the crowd suddenly heard the ring of a sword.


    In the next second, lightly pierced out from over their head. An enormous sword appeared as a hologram and acted like a barrier, blocking the second strike of oppression.


    When the oppression fell onto the holographic sword, golden light splashed outwards, and the loud crashing sound echoed through the Valley of Great Sorrow.1


    Under the giant sword, everyone closed their eyes and shrunk back subconsciously. When they opened their eyes back up, they were shocked to find that the spirit sword was still standing strong, not budging by the slightest.2


    At the same time, several beams of the same spirit sword surrounded the crowd, firmly enclosing them in the middle.


    The array continued to unleash killing moves, but inside the spirit sword, those moves couldn¡¯t approach them at all.


    That was Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword energy.


    The cultivation disciples helped each other up and coughed away the blood in their throats, wanting to say ¡°thank you so much for the help.¡± But when they lifted their heads, they saw that vaguely visible ¡°Mian¡± character on the spirit sword.


    The disciples: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    They were dumbfounded for a moment, and then quickly twisted their heads to look at Xiao Fuxuan. They used so much force that another surge of blood almost came out of their mouths.


    The youngest one said faintly. ¡°Martial Brother, I know how to recite the acclaimed sword register.¡±


    Martial Brother: ¡°¡­¡­ who doesn¡¯t.¡±


    The cultivation disciples of cultivation sects all studied two collections of archival illustrations: one was the immortal register, and the other was the acclaimed sword register. They knew them like the backs of their hands, and it wasn¡¯t until today did they realize it wasn¡¯t useful at all.


    They couldn¡¯t recognize any of the thirty-three immortals in the round room. In addition, the Celestial Immortal himself was by their side, and only now did they recognize him.


    ¡°The paintings in the immortal register don¡¯t look like the real person at all,¡± said one of the disciples. He then murmured, ¡°But¡­ but wasn¡¯t the Celestial Immortal die already?¡±


    Did he just silently come back to life? Can one get revived after dying?


    He was confused and full of questions, and his martial brother wasn¡¯t much better. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but look at his neck, there is no ¡°Mian¡± mark like illustrated on the immortal register.¡±


    ¡°What if he¡¯s not the real immortal himself?¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡± said the Martial Brother. He thought about it, then continued, ¡°But, if he wasn¡¯t the real immortal, he shouldn¡¯t be able to use his ¡°Mian¡± sword right? These celestial swords would only listen to their masters.¡±


    They looked towards that sword on Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s waist again, this time studying extremely carefully. It was the same as the one in the acclaimed sword register.


    The Acclaimed Sword Register has every immortal from Immortal Capital¡¯s sword registered, and almost all of them have a name, except for Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s. No one knew what the name of his sword was, so they could only call it by the ¡°Mian¡± character engraved on it.


    However, the legend said that Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword had a name, but he didn¡¯t name it himself.


    No one knows where this legend came from either, let alone if it¡¯s even true.


    ***


    Wu Xingxue looked at the golden spirit sword shielding in front of him. Looking at such an exceptional sword, he felt like it should have its name.


    He was about to ask the owner of the sword, but just then, the immortal-abolishing platform shook violently from beyond the spirit sword, almost like the thing beneath the platform had gotten even more agitated.


    The array started to spin even faster. The entire catacomb, no, the entire Valley of Great Sorrow was trembling, forcefully suppressing the thing underneath the immortal-abolishing platform.


    The crowd only felt their heads ring. The thirty-three divine statues slowly turned to face the immortal-abolishing platform, almost like a soundless besieging.


    Immediately afterward, when the agitation of the immortal-abolishing platform reached its peak, a vague voice suddenly sounded inside the catacomb. That voice was like a gust of wind rushing through the heavens, speaking a name, ¡°My disciple Yun Hai.¡±


    ¡°Yun Hai, cease your antics.¡±


    ¡°Yun Hai, quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yun Hai¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    That voice sounded together with the oppression of the enormous array. Every time the voice spoke a sentence, the oppression would slightly decrease. The violent shaking of the immortal-abolishing platform suddenly ceased.


    ¡°Whose voice is this?¡± one of the cultivation disciples asked.


    ¡°Mingwu Hua Xin¡­¡± As someone from Hua Xin who had listened to immortal instructions, Yi Wusheng immediately recognized the voice.


    Before, they were about to use the array center to tell who this place was suppressed.


    But now that the voice has spoken, there was no need.


    According to rumors, Yun Hai had been completely devoured by devils, so Hua Xin had then slayed all of them. Now, it seemed that this wasn¡¯t completely correct.


    It was more like Yun Hai had become a devil himself. Hua Xin couldn¡¯t kill him but couldn¡¯t let him free either, so he used a ¡°never to see the light of day again¡± array to suppress him here, sealing him for hundreds of years.


    ***


    During the period after ¡°My Disciple Yun Hai¡± was spoken and the immortal-abolishing platform calmed down, no one dared to lower their guards.


    ¡°Did he get suppressed?¡± The disciples stared at the immortal-abolishing platform, not daring to blink.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± said Yi Wusheng.


    ¡°Its agitation was completely sudden. Could this be because after we came in here, it had smelled the scent of living people and became hungry?¡±


    ¡±Don¡¯t know, perhaps.¡±


    Wu Xingxue listened to their discussion and wondered in his head. It was also at this time when he suddenly heard Xiao Fuxuan say, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Wu Xingxue was stunned.


    ¡°Lower your head.¡±


    The nape was one of the most vulnerable places of the body. No one would carelessly deliberately show this spot to others. Wu Xingxue almost instinctively squinted his eyes, but he still tilted his head down.


    When Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s finger touched the back of his neck, the muscles on the side of his neck tensed.


    It was a very strange feeling, but fortunately, Xiao Fuxuan just gave it a gentle wipe and withdrew his hand.


    Wu Xingxue raised his head and rubbed his neck, feeling the warmth that was still there. He looked up, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan frowned and said, ¡°There is an extra mark.¡±


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s hands stopped for a second, ¡°Mark? What kind of mark?¡±


    Speaking of marks on the back of the neck, his first reaction was to think of Yi Wusheng, Hua Zhaoting, and the others who had been infected at the Valley of Great Sorrow. They all once had marks on the backs of their necks, and it was only that when the marks were discovered, they had already been mangled by scratching and clawing, difficult to clearly distinguish.


    Sure enough, Yi Wusheng heard them and quickly came over, ¡°A mark on the back of the neck? Is it the same as mine?¡±


    ¡°They both occurred in the Valley of Great Sorrow, and they both showed up on the same spot. It¡¯s most likely the case.¡± Although Wu Xingxue couldn¡¯t see it, he could guess this much.


    Now finally, the mark on Yi Wusheng that was impossible to distinguish was about to reveal its original appearance.


    Unexpectedly, Yi Wusheng exclaimed, ¡°This is¡­ a worship mark!¡±


    ¡°Worship mark?¡± Wu Xingxue asked, ¡°Are you saying the mark behind my neck is the same as those found on the little boy and girl statues?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yi Wusheng was stunned for a long time. He stroked the scar on the back of his neck and murmured, ¡°How come it¡¯s a worship mark¡­¡±


    While he spoke, Xiao Fuxuan had already taken the time to look at everyone else¡¯s necks.


    Wu Xingxue asked him, ¡°Do they have it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Xiao Fuxuan replied, his face cold.


    ¡°Only me? This isn¡¯t fair.¡± Wu Xingxue muttered softly. In his head, he was quickly trying to think of what he did that everyone else didn¡¯t.


    Now that he tried to recall, there was indeed one thing ¡ª lighting incense.


    He was the only one who took three incense and lit them in front of those little boy and girl statues. Although his intention wasn¡¯t to burn these as offerings, he did burn the incense after all.


    If the reason why these worship marks appeared truly was because of offering incense, then the infections of those people at the Valley of Great Sorrow many decades ago could now be explained. Perhaps before entering the valley, to pray for a peaceful journey, they had visited the celestial temple at the valley entrance, offering incense to the immortal of the Valley of Great Sorrow who had disappeared long ago.


    Thus¡­ that person suppressed in the ground beneath the mountain valley generously took them in as adherents.


    ¡°Why is it a worship mark?¡± Someone asked in confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t that used for immortals to collect offerings?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same principle.¡± Yi Wusheng spoke in a daze, ¡°When immortals use it, all the incense and offerings received by the divine statues and immortal envoys engraved with worship marks go to the immortal¡¯s real body. And if a devil uses it¡­¡±


    If a devil uses it, then everything consumed by the people imprinted with marks will also go to the devil¡¯s real body.


    Yi Wusheng suddenly found this all both funny and lamentable. He and Hua Zhaoting had struggled to survive for more than twenty years; in the end, it was all just to serve as someone¡¯s ¡°little boy statue,¡± unknowingly providing for this individual beneath the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    ¡°Oh!¡± That little cultivation disciple quickly took out his brocade pouch and said to Wu Xingxue, ¡°Thank goodness, thank goodness, we brought some Dreamless Pills with us. After this type of mark appears, you need to eat one right away, it can make it go away.¡±


    Wu Xingxue took it over, looked at it with some strangeness between his fingers, then returned it to the disciple, ¡°I don¡¯t need it, please keep it. It¡¯ll be a waste to use it on me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t need it?¡± The disciple became distressed, ¡°If you don¡¯t eat it, you¡¯ll be possessed by a devil, you¡¯ll turn into a devil!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t be possessed and nor will I transform.¡±


    ¡°How come?!¡± The disciple was stunned.


    Wu Xingxue smiled at him, ¡°Because I am already one~¡±


    Translated by: UnderTheMoon


    Edited by: Tempest

 CH 23

    The person behind him grabbed his shoulder and said, ¡°Wu Xingxue¡­¡±


    The voice was very low, and it sounded right beside the year. It was obviously a warning, but it also had a hint of helplessness.


    Wu Xingxue turned his head and saw Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sharp and narrow eyebrows when he had his head lowered. He suddenly felt that it was rather fortunate that this Celestial Immortal did not come to the mortal world very often. Otherwise, just relying on this look of his, even if he didn¡¯t like to talk, plenty of girls would still fall for him.


    He suddenly felt moved, and asked back, ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan raised his eyelids.


    Wu Xingxue continued, ¡°My body is a devil to begin with, and I was the one leading those things on a pilgrimage in the Hua Sect. And so I thought, it shouldn¡¯t be very easy for me to be possessed, after all, I am the Devil Lord. As for the dreamless pill, it¡¯s not easy to come by either. Therefore, try to save them if you can. Immortal, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t comment.


    He looked at his opening and closing lips, then looked away and straightened his body up, probably speechless at this moment.


    Unexpectedly, Wu Xingxue also added quietly, ¡°Also, you¡¯re scaring the little disciples.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°?¡±


    It was hard to describe the Celestial Immortal¡¯s expression when he heard this nonsense. Either way, Wu Xingxue found it funny¡­


    But the little disciples at that moment were on the verge of going insane.


    At first, it was just ¡°because I am already one¡±. They were only frightened at that time. But after Xiao Fuxuan said ¡°Wu Xingxue,¡±¡¦ they were sent away completely.


    The disciples¡¯ scalps went numb and their heads went dizzy as they heard these three words. Thunders seemed to be crashing beside their ears, and their souls appeared to be leaving their bodies.


    Fortunately, Yi Wusheng, who couldn¡¯t stand this any longer, was there too.


    Since Xiao Fuxuan pressed the sword against him back on the carriage and told him to ¡°swallow the words back¡±, he has been practicing a script. He would constantly remind himself to not forget, and now was the perfect time to use it.


    He helped the disciple up and told him the nonsense of ¡°how the Devil Lord was severely injured in the Northern Frontiers, and how an innocent soul ended up possessing his body.¡±


    The disciple had a lot of trouble believing it.


    Just as he was trying to process how someone like Wu Xingxue would end up having a mortal possess his body, a cracking explosion was heard.


    The explosion shook the valley and everyone looked over in shock.


    They saw that the peaceful immortal-abolishing platform was now full of cracks, as if the thing under it had been accumulating power for a long time, and finally threw a heavy blow.


    Black devilish energy seeped out from the cracks, causing the cultivation disciples to shiver from fear. Goosebumps uncontrollably appeared over their bodies.


    On the floor, Gao¡¯e and the others were also trembling. Their shattered bones made crackling noises during the process.


    The round room cooled down instantly, as if it had suddenly turned into an ice cellar.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with the array? Why does it seem like¡­ it has stopped?¡± One of the disciples murmured, subconsciously looking at the thirty-three statues.


    Only now did he suddenly realize that the round room had been silent for a while now. Hua Xin¡¯s vague voice of ¡°My disciple Yun Hai¡± has long disappeared.


    The layer upon layer of constant oppression just now seemed to have exhausted the last bit of immortal power.


    The light coming from the enormous array slowly dimmed down, and the interlacing patterns had also disappeared.


    Then, the sound of cracking noises sounded.


    The cultivation disciples all looked towards the immortal-abolishing platform, thinking that it was the platform breaking down.


    But immediately afterwards, they realized that the sounds weren¡¯t from the immortal-abolishing platform, instead¡­ they were from the divine statues.


    Everyone looked over, just to see huge cracks starting to form on the divine statues.


    Wu Xingxue quickly looked at them and found that the origin of these cracks started at their worship mark and was quickly spreading up to the top of their heads.


    Boom¡ª¡ª


    The first statue crumbled and collapsed.


    Boom¡ª¡ª


    The second one.


    Then the third, the fourth, the fifth¡­


    Even if a single divine statue of that height collapsed, it would still cause a devastating quake, let alone so many all at once.


    In a matter of seconds, the entire round room was filled with dust and smoke, and shattered rocks splattered everywhere. If it wasn¡¯t for the protection from Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s spirit sword, everyone would have been buried alive by the flying rocks.


    In the blink of an eye, almost all thirty-three statues have already collapsed into dust.


    Wu Xingxue looked through the mist of dust and saw that there were only four statues still standing. Those four statues were also full of cracks, and they were only barely staying up.


    ¡°No more, no less, it just happened to be four,¡± he muttered.


    The fog was too heavy at the moment to see clearly, but he guessed that the four statues should probably be two men and two women.


    Sure enough, one of the disciples in front of him had already called out, reading the names of the two remaining divine statues, and then added, ¡°Two male immortals and two female immortals.¡±


    Wu Xingxue looked towards Gao¡¯e and the three others, finally understanding why they were ¡°ordained.¡±


    Each of the little boy and girl statues in the catacomb corresponds to the thirty-three divine statues. Each little statue provided offerings to a divine statue, and the offerings were immortal power, used to maintain the operation of the array.


    For each day that the divine statues continued to stand, the array would continue to run, and the Yun Hai underneath the immortal-abolishing platform would continue to struggle.


    Therefore, Yun Hai ¡°ordained¡± these commoners.


    Innocent mortals were brutally murdered, and then sealed into these little boy and girl statues. Those grievances, through the worship marks, were then transferred to these thirty-three divine statues¡­


    When an immortal becomes infected with slaughter and evil resentment, how could his or her immortal power last?


    In addition, these thirty-three were originally abolished immortals to begin with. Their immortal powers were probably also left behind by Hua Xin in the beginning. So with every suppression, their immortal powers would decrease. In addition to the evil grievances slowly eroding them, these statues would collapse sooner or later.


    The call ¡°My disciple Yun Hai¡± just now was probably the last attempt to keep him sealed.


    The reason the four statues did not crumble like the others was because Gao¡¯e and the others came out of their little children¡¯s statues after being sent a dream by the Immortal. Thus, their resentment towards the divine statue was less.


    When they first heard about the dream sent to them by the Immortal, everyone thought that the Immortal must be up to no good.


    But thinking about it now, the dream stated that they were still ¡°tied to mortal affairs¡±, and that there was some ¡°missing celestial energy¡±. That Immortal was probably trying to restore this giant array that was about to collapse.


    Wu Xingxue thought about it for a while, then felt like the immortal who sent the dreams must be Mingwu Hua Xin.


    Everyone was just about to ask, but the situation did not allow them to speak another word.


    The four remaining statues were simply not enough to support the giant array. After the statues collapsed, the immortal-abolishing platform also exploded abruptly and shattered to the ground.


    The ground suddenly opened up a deep trench. No one could see who was lying there; they could only see the thick ink-black devilish energy being continuously released.


    They resembled a swarm of snakes, with numerous snake heads outstretched and their massive mouths and fangs slowly reaching outwards¨C


    ¡°Watch out¡ª¡ª¡±


    Yi Wusheng shouted.


    But it was still too late. The second they got touched by the devilish energy, it was as if they turned into mindless zombies: They walked out of the spirit sword¡¯s protection.


    The next moment, the devilish energy attacked like a group of vicious pythons.


    ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡±


    Following a few screams, those disciples became entangled in the black devilish energy.


    They pulled their swords out in a panic, sending dozens of bright white flying swords into the darkness. But they missed, and their efforts were in vain.


    Perhaps the person lying in the deep trench was too hungry. The devilish energy took these three living people and started to send them downwards.


    Just before everything was too late, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword by his waist suddenly flew out. The sword hilt spun between his fingers, and the golden light from the blade drew a huge sword flower in the air.


    He pressed his fingers on the silver hilt, and then gave it a push¡ª¡ª


    Sword energy came crashing down like a tsunami wave, frigid and acute sharpness rising dozens of feet in the air, slashing down with full force.


    That slash came like a huge wave.


    The overwhelming evil energy was split in half, forcing it to let go of the disciples, who then fell onto the ground.


    They hurriedly went to grab their swords, but before they could, they heard a cold voice say ¡°go¡±. Immediately afterwards, they felt a golden light sweep over them, and they were swept back into the protection of the spirit sword.


    They turned their heads around, only to see that the devilish energy had gathered again and was soaring into the sky, almost filling the entire tomb. The Celestial Immortal stood there coldly with his sword and was drowned in the boundless blackness.


    ¡°!!!¡± Everyone¡¯s faces turned pale and they exclaimed.


    However, in the next moment, countless golden beams with sword chants stabbed straight out of the endless devilish energy.


    It was like the shining sun piercing through the clouds.


    The sword with the ¡°Mian¡± character shot upwards, went through the devilish energy, turned its tip, and then slammed downwards with full force¡ª¡ª


    The moment it wedged into the ground, sparks splashed outwards, but it was also wrapped in cold wind and snow. Amidst the interlaced extreme heat and coldness, all the devilish energy was swept away.


    Wu Xingxue saw Xiao Fuxuan holding the hilt of his sword, half kneeling in front of the deep trench.


    He passed through the protecting spirit sword, ignored the disciples trying to stop him, and walked over.


    The devilish energy dissipated, revealing the person lying down there.


    It was indeed Yun Hai.


    He looked very similar to how he looked in the divine statue. From this, it could be seen that the person who carved the divine statue in the catacomb was extremely familiar with his appearance.


    The divine statue was made of rock, with a hint of grayish-white color. He looked even more withered than that. If one added some vigor and blood to him, then he would definitely turn into a very handsome man.


    But at this time, he had his long hair scattered, tangled vines crawled on his body, and his robes were as dark as ink as the devilish energy swarmed around him. One couldn¡¯t tell that he was once from the Immortal Capital at all.


    The vines climbed all the way to his neck, and one of them stretched out long, with a huge but withered flower on the branch, which covered exactly half of his face.


    Wu Xingxue reached out to peel the flower off, but was grabbed and stopped by Xiao Fuxuan.


    But the wind from his motion still made the flower move slightly¡­


    During the movement, the half of Yun Hai¡¯s blocked face was faintly revealed.


    Wu Xingxue frowned.


    The other half of his face was handsome and delicate, and indeed made him look like an Immortal. But this half, it could be called terrifying ¡ª¡ª covered with scars and shaped like a ghost.


    He didn¡¯t know how it ended up like this.


    And he definitely couldn¡¯t even imagine how Hua Xin reacted after coming to the Valley of Great Sorrow and seeing his disciple like this.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword suddenly moved, pulling back out from the stone.


    Under the shock of sword energy, everyone present heard a sound. It was like a clear bell ringing through a deep valley. With just one sound, the little disciples were all forced to squat down and cover their ears.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Although they were really close to each other, they could barely hear. They almost had to shout.


    In the end, Yi Wusheng had to tap on each of their foreheads to return them to normal.


    He looked at Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s trembling immortal sword and said, ¡°That should be¡­ an Interrogation.¡±


    Legend has it, when Celestial Immortal Xiao Fuxuan delivered his punishment, he would bring an Interrogation on behalf of the heavens, revealing the sins of the devil.


    Hence, in the ear-piercing sword chants and dissipating black fog, they saw what happened hundreds of years ago.

 CH 24

    Over a hundred years ago, the Wang Capital still existed in the mortal realm, located just next to Taiyin Immortal Mountain.


    The most important place in Wang Capital was called Heavenly Inquiring Palace, which enshrined the Lingtai Twelve Immortals. This place was responsible for divination with the heavens, and was also closely connected with the major cultivation sects.


    Two palace envoys were in charge of the Heavenly Inquiring Palace, and Yun Hai¡¯s father was one of them.


    That job was both prestigious and dangerous, arousing both admiration and envy among others. During good times, they would have unparalleled luxury, but during bad times, it would be the end of them.


    Yun Hai first met Hua Xin at the Heavenly Inquiring Chamber¡¯s guest residence.


    He was still young and pampered at the time, treating the Heavenly Inquiring Palace just like home. He frequently played around in the corridors between the mansions.


    That day, he was chasing a pine marten in a corridor and almost ran into one of the guests here.


    Just before he collided, a sudden gust of wind came out of nowhere, and in the next moment, a hand was already pressing against his forehead.


    The people responsible for taking care of him shouted ¡°be careful¡± and ran over. They hurriedly picked him up and took a few steps back, bowing their heads in front of the guest and looking cautious and frightened.


    Yun Hai, who wasn¡¯t afraid because of his ignorance, raised his head curiously.


    That day, Hua Xin was in his mortal appearance. He didn¡¯t have the white deer following him as drawn in the portrait, nor did he have his World-Lighting Lantern in his hand. He was wearing a plain white robe, his hair was loosely tied, with an ordinary wooden hairpin running through it diagonally.


    This was the most common way people dressed on the streets of Wang Capital, but it still made everyone dumbfounded.


    When Yun Hai came back to his senses, Hua Xin had already walked to the end of the corridor and walked into the living room. The white robe swept across the high threshold, turned, and disappeared.


    Yun Hai turned his head, raised his face, and asked the person looking after him, ¡°Who is that?¡±


    They gave a ¡°shh¡± motion and carried him away from the living room. After bringing him to the courtyard, they whispered, ¡°He¡¯s the master¡¯s immortal friend.¡±


    At that time, Yun Hai knew very little of the world, let alone the rules between immortals and immortals.


    He only ignorantly knew that: Strong with supernatural powers = Immortal. A close relationship = Friend.


    That was what he thought of that ¡°immortal friend¡±. But only later did he find out, that person only appeared once every few years.


    ***


    The second time Yun Hai met Mingwu Hua Xin was six years later.


    Wang Capital was in chaos and was covered in filth. The Heavenly Inquiring Palace¡¯s envoys have long been changed. His father was framed, and most of the people in their manor lost their lives. Now, their family manor has barely anyone left.


    Although he was still young, he was the son of a sinner. He was not allowed to use his original name and was forced to follow a group of refugees to the south, arriving at Yuyang.


    At that time, Yuyang sealed the city gates in fear that they would be brought into chaos, leaving the refugees nowhere to go. They could only temporarily live in a deserted temple in the mountains.


    The winter of that year was freezing. Most of the refugees didn¡¯t even manage to last a single month. Hence, in the mountain temple, corpses clustered everywhere. Their strong resentment then attracted many devils and sinister beings.


    After the winter had passed, only a few people were still alive.


    Yun Hai was among them.


    One day, he stole food from a half-crippled yin being. The yin being broke his leg and scratched his left eye before he could hide in a cave.


    He curled up behind the cave rock, wiped the blood from his left eye, grabbed the piece of meat from which he had no idea where it came from, and was about to gorge it down. But suddenly, he saw a lantern shadow in the cold night of the mountain forest.


    It was already Yun Hai¡¯s reflex to hide regardless of what he sees.


    But that lantern shadow was too fast.


    Before he could even take a step, the person holding the lantern already appeared in front of him.


    Yun Hai remembered that face. Although he had only seen it once, he should not have remembered it, but for some reason, he remembered it so clearly as if it was carved in his head. Even after six years, he could still recognize it at a glance.


    He was none other than the guest at Heavenly Inquiring Palace back then, his father¡¯s immortal friend.


    Yun Hai still looked up at him, exactly the way he did six years ago.


    At that time, his wide-opened eyes were full of curiosity. Now, one of his eyes was blinded, and his blood-covered face was numb.


    He dragged his broken leg, knelt behind a cold stone, and looked numbly at the person who had glanced at him back then. Then he heard him say, ¡°I am requested to pick you up.¡±


    His voice was very pretty. Breaking through the cold night, almost made him feel warmth.


    Mortals were indeed weird. He didn¡¯t cry when his family manor perished. He didn¡¯t cry when he became a homeless beggar. He didn¡¯t cry while suffering in the cold and hunger, and he didn¡¯t cry after his leg was broken and his eye was blinded either¡­


    But after hearing someone say that he was here to come to pick him up, his eyes turned red from the tears.


    Yun Hai clenched the dead flesh in his hand and looked at Ming Wu Hua Xin expressionlessly.


    When the other party reached out his hand, he suddenly burst out, grabbed the hand that was touching his forehead, and bit.


    He bit down hard, immediately tasting blood.


    In the smell of blood, he thought with resentment and hatred: Aren¡¯t you an immortal friend? Since you are a friend, where were you when we were framed? Where were you when people died? Where were you when our family perished?!


    Who requested you to come here, and what right do you have to show up before me?


    These were all thoughts in his heart, but Hua Xin seemed to be able to hear those words.


    After a long while, the mellifluous voice sounded above his head, ¡°Lingtai has its own rules, I can¡¯t interfere in those mortal affairs.¡±


    The voice was gentle and pleasant, but there was no deep emotion ¡ª not the grief of the death of a friend, not the guilt of a bystander, not even the slightest pity ¡ª it seemed to be mere words from a cold heart.


    But after a long time, Yun Hai realized something: Immortals were supernatural compared to mortals. He shouldn¡¯t even be able to bite him in the first place, let alone for blood to come out.


    Yun Hai wasn¡¯t doing anything, just letting him bite and vent freely.


    Understanding this, he finally let go.


    Hua Xin didn¡¯t wipe the cuts and blood on his hands, but bent over to check his injured eyes and broken leg, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you back for treatment.¡±


    Yun Hai tilted his head and dodged his hand. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I can¡¯t walk.¡±


    Hua Xin didn¡¯t mind about his resistance, but said a little surprised, ¡°Your tongue is still there?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t speak anymore,¡± Hua Xin said as he raised his hand.


    A white deer walked out from the woods behind him. He placed Yun Hai on the deer¡¯s back and led the deer down the mountain.


    Perhaps afraid that he would fall off, Yun Hai was completely unable to move the moment he got on the deer¡¯s back. He could only live off their obedience as Hua Xin asked, ¡°How old are you?¡±


    Yun Hai sneered in his head and thought: You don¡¯t even know this and you dare to call yourself my father¡¯s ¡°immortal friend¡±.


    Hua Xin replied calmly, ¡°Years go by slower in the Immortal Capital, I don¡¯t remember these things.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Eleven.¡±


    Hua Xin asked again, ¡°Your name is?¡±


    Yun Hao sneered in his head again.


    Hua Xin continued before waiting for a response, ¡°From now on, your common name will not be used. This current generation goes by ¡®Yun¡¯, so you shall be called¡­ Yun Hai.¡±1


    Yun Hai: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Although he hadn¡¯t used his real name for a long time, and was indeed about to forget, after hearing this, he still felt very sorrowful. Since he couldn¡¯t move, he could only close his eyes in sadness.


    From then on, he was called Yun Hai.


    ***


    Mortals couldn¡¯t climb the thirty-three-story tower of Taiyin Immortal Mountain, so they naturally couldn¡¯t get to the Immortal Capital either.


    The place Hua Xin meant when he said he was going to get him treated was in the Hua Sect.


    One could say that he found a place to settle Yun Hai down, but in Yun Hai¡¯s own eyes, Hua Xin was just ditching him at the Hua Sect.


    At that time, the Hua Sect was not yet at Peach Blossom Island, and there were not as many disciples either. But they were also very prosperous.


    Most of the Hua Family disciples entered sword cultivation, and a small number entered medical cultivation. Regardless of what one cultivated in, they would always be loaded with work every day.


    Only Yun Hai was left out. He didn¡¯t have a sword, nor did he have any pill recipe to cultivate medicine.


    With nothing to do every day, he could only just walk around the Halls of Hua Sect after his eye and leg recovered.


    He asked the Hua Sect Sect Leader and the Elders of the various Halls what he should practice, or when he would obtain his own sword.


    But in the end, the elders and the sect leader only praised his talent and luck. They said how he was a rare genius with excellent roots, and how bright his future would be as the personal disciple of the leader of the Lingtai Immortals, Hua Xin. They said that they must not tamper with his disciple, and that Yun Hai must wait for the Immortal Leader himself to come and teach.


    ¡°But when is he coming?!¡± Yun Hai said.


    The Sect Leader and the elders couldn¡¯t reply and just laughed dryly.


    After repeating this several times, Yun Hai knew that there was nothing anyone could do for him and stopped asking those questions. Sometimes, when other disciples practiced swords, he would look and try to learn. When other disciples cultivated medicine, he would try to learn the process as well.


    But more often, he spent his time in the library.


    There was a divine statue and a portrait of Hua Xin in the library. He sometimes would grab a handful of books and just sit in front of the portrait all day. Half in a daze, half complaining.


    As a high-spirited teenager, he couldn¡¯t bear being ignored.


    Besides, he really wanted to learn something and become capable.


    He was inexplicably ignored like this for two years, until he almost lost his temper, and only then did he meet Hua Xin again.


    Hua Xin seemed to have forgotten his only disciple. In fact, when he came to the Hua Sect, it wasn¡¯t even for Yun Hai. didn¡¯t. But naturally, Yun Hai would definitely not miss the opportunity and grabbed Hua Xin before he left.


    He first obediently called ¡°Master¡±, before starting, ¡°Everyone in the sect is cultivating, except for me who¡¯s left out. Master, do you regret taking me in? If so, please tell me, I will leave on my own.¡±


    Being spoiled as a child, he had a bit of arrogance on him. Later when he became a beggar, he also became a little sharp and sensitive. Now, both his arrogance and his sensitivity were written on his face, unable to be hidden.


    Hua Xin didn¡¯t intend to answer him originally, but after looking at his face for a long time, he still explained, ¡°Your roots are indeed excellent, a true prodigy. If you really want to cultivate, you would ascend to an immortal much easier than others. You don¡¯t have to be in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°Then how long do I have to wait?¡± Yun Hai asked.


    ¡°Until you are suitable to hold a sword,¡± replied Hua Xin.


    Yun Hai was unrelenting, ¡°In what ways am I not suitable?¡±


    Even after a time, Yun Hai still remembered the look in Hua Xin¡¯s eyes at that moment. It was calm, as if he knew everything. He said, ¡°Because you are always thinking about killing all those who framed your father, thinking about torturing those people and making them pay with blood.¡±


    Yun Hai was silent, then finally said, ¡°Master, you are indeed wise. These are my precise thoughts. But am I wrong for that? Does cultivation have to be emotionless? No love, no hatred, no revenge, no resentment? To just be like you? To just calmly look at the common people suffer and do nothing?¡±


    Hua Xin didn¡¯t answer.


    Yun Hao kept staring at him until his eyes were red, just like when he was struggling to survive while holding dead flesh in the stone cave.


    Hua Xin finally said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be like me. Cultivation is a long road, the path you¡¯re looking for is too short.¡±


    ¡°How is it short?¡± Yun Hai shouted.


    ¡°Killing is nothing more than a slash from your sword. Then what? You have no further goals to keep you moving.¡±


    Then I will worry about that after I have accomplished my former goals.


    Yun Hai said in his heart. But he just moved his lips, and in the end, he bowed, ¡°I understand, I¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡±


    To a certain extent, he was indeed a genius. After he said he would try, one couldn¡¯t see any other thoughts in him. He no longer desperately wanted a sword, he no longer cared about the medical ingredients, and simply continued to stay in the library, day after day.


    Another two years passed like that.


    During the two years, Hua Xin came to Hua Sect three times. Yun Hai would always be in the library, and he never came out to seek an explanation from his master.


    When Hua Xin met him again, he was completely different from the boy holding dead flesh in the cave.


    In the words of the sect leader and the elders, Yun Hai had the most likable temperament among the disciples of the Hua Sect. He could make funny jokes and play all day, he could get along very well with everyone. He had an unhurried energy, very much like an immortal.


    That year, he was only sixteen.


    Upon hearing this, Hua Xin decided to continue testing him for another year.


    Hence, at the age of seventeen, Yun Hai received his own sword.


    ***


    Once, before the world had forgotten about him, there was such a description of Yun Hai¡ª¡ª


    A once-in-a-decade genius. After getting his own sword at the age of seventeen, he worked diligently for eight years. In eight years, he cultivated to a level that most people never achieve in their lives, ascending to immortal. He had a close relationship with his master, and from then on, they stayed there in the Immortal Capital.


    Because he was so young, the day Yun Hai ascended has become a topic that immortals would often talk about. But for Yun Hai himself, what he remembered the clearest was not how he climbed the Taiyin Immortal Tower, nor how he entered the Immortal¡­


    It was the two people that he met.

 CH 25

    As soon as Yun Hai entered the Immortal Capital that day, there was a Lingtai Immortal envoy with a long piece of jade in his hand waiting for him.


    The immortal envoy looked at him and greeted him with a smile, ¡°Novice Official.¡±


    Immortals liked to speak the last syllable lightly, with an upwards tone. These two words sounded very pleasant to the ear and even gave a feeling of intimacy.


    He asked, ¡°Novice Official?¡±


    The Lingtai immortal envoy replied, ¡°Any immortal who has not been given an immortal title yet is called this way.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Does everyone have to call me that?¡±


    The Lingtai immortal envoy nodded, ¡°Everyone.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Even the Immortal Leader?¡±


    The envoy didn¡¯t know how to reply for a second: ¡°?¡±


    Yun He waved his hand, ¡°Never mind, it was just a random thought.¡±


    The Lingtai immortal envoy led him up a very long staircase and pointed to the distance, ¡°Novice Official, all the new members of the Immortal Capital must go to the Lingtai1 to worship the heavens and receive a Heavenly Decree, then go see the Lingtai Twelve Immortals. After all, almost all the immortals at the Immortal Capital honor and respect the Lingtai Twelve Immortals, especially Immortal Leader Mingwu.2


    Yun Hai was naturally extremely happy. After all, Hua Xin didn¡¯t visit the mortal realm often, and he could only meet him a few times a year at most.


    ¡°Wait, you said almost?¡± Yun Hai asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± explained the immortal envoy, ¡°there are two exceptions.¡±


    He should have explained this to many newly ascended immortals. Seeing Yun Hai¡¯s curiosity, he explained, ¡°Those two didn¡¯t ascend through cultivation, but rather, were ordained directly by Heavens.¡±


    He first explained to Yun Hai what it meant to be ordained, then continued, ¡°All the decrees of the Heavens are directly passed into those two¡¯s hands, not the Lingtai. No one else can read them, and naturally, the Lingtai Twelve Immortals have no say over them either.¡±


    ¡°They accept Heavenly decrees directly?¡± Yun Hai was shocked.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Due to the influence of Heavenly Inquiring Palace, Yun Hai has always thought that the Lingtai Twelve Immortals were the top of all immortals, and Mingwu Hua Xin was the leader of the twelve. Now, hearing that there were two people whose position was even higher than that, he really couldn¡¯t comprehend.


    ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that mean they¡¯re even ranked higher than the Immortal Leader¡­¡± said Yun Hai.


    The Lingtai immortal envoy couldn¡¯t find a proper way to reply either. After all, he was an immortal of the Lingtai. After a pause, he said while trying to avoid the question, ¡°Those two do not have to care about anything. They don¡¯t depend on offerings, they are not under the command of the Lingtai, and they do not interfere with the affairs with other Immortals. They simply have a mediocre relationship with everyone.¡±


    ¡°What do those two look like? What are their immortal titles? Are they easy to recognize? Do I have to avoid them if I see them?¡± After all those questions, Yun Hai gave a smile, ¡°I like to joke around. If I accidentally offended them because I didn¡¯t know who they were, that wouldn¡¯t be too good. Can you please tell me more?¡±


    The immortal envoy replied, ¡°One of them has the Immortal Title of ¡®Tiansu¡¯3 When ordained, he was given the word ¡®Mian¡¯4 by the Heavens. He is in charge of punishment and forgiveness, and he has three mourning nails on his ear bone. He¡¯s rather easy to recognize.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Mourning nails? Why are they called ¡®mourning¡¯?¡±


    The Lingtai immortal envoy replied, ¡°Dunno, everyone calls them that. Tiansu was ordained a very long time ago, before the Lingtai Twelve Immortals was even a thing. All immortals respected and feared him. In addition, he doesn¡¯t have a very good temper, so no one dares to ask too much about him.¡±


    Yun Hai said in his head: Uhh, then I guess I¡¯ll try to avoid him if I can.


    ¡°Then who¡¯s the other one?¡±


    ¡°The other one¡­ the other one was ordained even earlier,¡± replied the immortal envoy, ¡°His Immortal Title is Spirit King, and when ordained, he was given the word ¡®Zhao¡¯ by the heavens.¡±5


    Spirit King¡­


    Yun Hai was still waiting for further information when he suddenly saw the immortal envoy in front of him stop. He seemed to have seen someone behind him, as he quickly turned his full body towards him, held his jade in front, and gave a very formal bow.


    Yun Hai was just about to see who it was for the immortal envoy to bow so respectfully to, when he heard him say, ¡°Master6 Tiansu, it¡¯s good to have you here at Lingtai.¡±


    Yun Hai was stunned for a moment. He quickly turned his head around and saw Tiansu Immortal coming up the stairs from behind them.


    He looked extremely young, and had a cold yet handsome face. Among the numerous immortals, he was indeed very easy to recognize, because even though they were still several stair-steps away, one could clearly sense the strong sinister energy from his mourning nails. They looked as cold as an icy jade, and he gave off a conflicting sense of both arrogance and coldness.


    But it was just that Tiansu wasn¡¯t very good at relationships, not that he was trying to be arrogant or rude. He gave a nod toward the immortal envoy and then said, ¡°I¡¯m here for something.¡±


    The Lingtai immortal envoy replied, ¡°We have a new Novice Official ascend today. The Immortal Leader and the others are yet to meet him. Can I bring this Novice Official to them first?¡±


    Hearing ¡°new Novice Official,¡± Yun Hai smiled and also gave him a respectful bow, ¡°If you guys need to go to the Lingtai, please go on ahead. I can wait.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Tiansu glanced over and nodded at him. Then he still said in a low and indifferent voice, ¡°Go on with your worship, I am not looking for Hua Xin.¡±


    While speaking, the cold mist at the entrance of Immortal Capital moved, and the greetings of the gatekeepers and other envoys also came from afar. They all sounded very respectful.


    What a lovely day.


    Yun Hai thought as he was about to lift his feet and continue to walk up. But he saw that Tiansu Immortal paused for a second, looking over the steps to the entrance.


    Then, the Lingtai immortal envoy also quickly bowed again, paying his respects to what was over there.


    Yun Hai turned around curiously and saw a figure passing through the cold fog.


    That figure was wearing a plain robe with a color of white jade. His sleeve cuffs were very loose, with silver dark lines printed on them. He looked tall and his legs looked long, giving off a noble and dignified look.


    After passing through the cold fog, he did not continue walking, but turned sideways and seemed to be waiting for someone.


    A moment later, two servant boys followed behind. One of them was holding a longsword in his arms, muttering and complaining, ¡°Master, it¡¯s really heavy.¡±


    The sword was very beautiful, and the scabbard was carved with fine silver wire. But looking at the way the servant boy was struggling to step forward, it looked like it was certainly very heavy.


    ¡°Not as heavy as you~ I¡¯ll take it.¡± The man replied.


    Hearing this, the servant boy immediately ¡°came back to life¡±. He quickly tossed the sword forward, and the man caught it.


    The sword twirled lightly in a few circles between his long fingers and was firmly grasped again. He turned around and walked up the steps with his sword in hand. 7


    Only then did Yun Hai realize that the man was wearing a mask.


    That mask, like the sword sheath, was decorated with very beautiful and complex filament patterns, also revealing extravagance. Among the immortals, they were as easy to recognize as the mourning nails on Tiansu¡¯s ear bone.


    Yun Hai whispered to the Lingtai immortal envoy: ¡°He is¡­¡±


    The Lingtai immortal envoy replied quietly, ¡°He is the other person I was talking about.¡±


    When he was walking up the steps unhurriedly, the sunlight shone through the cold mist of Immortal Capital, giving his slender outline a bright edge.


    Yun Hai suddenly remembered the word given to him by the Heavens, Zhao.


    ¡°Why does the Spirit King wear a mask? Is there some sort of taboo?¡± He asked again.


    The Lingtai immortal envoy continued in his quiet voice, ¡°Not really a taboo, it¡¯s just that every time he receives a Heavenly decree, he would go complete the task with a mask on.¡±


    ¡°What kind of tasks?¡±


    ¡°Only the Heavens know.¡± The envoy spoke nothing more.


    Yun Hai originally thought that the Spirit King would be as cold and unapproachable as Tiansu, but he soon found out that he was wrong.


    The Spirit King walked up a few steps, then suddenly stopped.


    He was wearing a mask, but he seemed to be able to see clearly, as he tilted his head slightly in the direction of Tiansu.


    He didn¡¯t speak, but his two servants gave Tiansu a bow and shouted across the steps, ¡°Master, our Master said the prank earlier is just a misunderstanding, we¡¯ll apologize!¡±


    Tiansu showed no expression. Hearing them shout, he moved him slightly, then said, ¡°Forget it.¡±


    ¡°Master, he said forget it!¡± The servant boy showed a smile.


    The Spirit King gave a soft ¡°oh¡±, and lifted the lower edge of his mask, revealing some of his white chin and nose.


    He smiled as well, then let go of his hand, and the mask covered back onto his face.


    He pushed his servant boy with his sword and then walked in the other direction.


    Perhaps it was because Yun Hai had already met those two on the first day he arrived at Immortal Capital. He had an early impression of them before he met the other immortals, and hence he was not deeply affected by others¡¯ rumors.


    So in the next hundred years, he became one of the few people in Immortal Capital who had somewhat of a friendship with both of those two people.


    His relationship with Tiansu Immortal was a bit lighter, after all, Tiansu had his unusual temperament there. Also because he was in charge of punishment and forgiveness, there was almost no personal affection for him.


    His relationship with the Spirit King was a little better, it was also because of his temperament.


    Although he had a friendship with them, Yun Hai was still curious for a while: it was obvious that the Spirit King was not a cold and unsocial person. In fact, he was the exact opposite; he was a person who loved lively fun. Yet, for some reason, he chose to live in a rather remote area.


    In the huge Immortal Capital, there were tens of thousands of Yao Palaces. But he lived farthest from the rest of the immortals. Not only was that a lonely place, it was also next to the immortal-abolishing platform which everyone avoided.


    He asked the Spirit King before: ¡°Is this the kind of place you like?¡±


    The Spirit King replied, ¡°It works.¡±


    He also mentioned it to Hua Xin once, who replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know, he probably has his own reasons.¡±


    Lingtai and those two have nothing to do with each other, and Hua Xin was the kind of person who wasn¡¯t curious about others. So when they were together, they rarely talked about those things.


    More often, Yun Hai was trying to make the Master happy.


    ¡­ or unhappy.


    Perhaps when Hua Xin went to pick him up, the look of ¡°no sorrow and no joy¡± was stuck in his heart for too long, so that he had an obsession for a while.


    He wanted some expression on his Master¡¯s face. Unlike the divine statues and the portraits¡¯ gentle smiles, what he wanted was real happiness or anger¡­


    Anything was better than nothing.


    Sometimes, while he rejoiced because he made the Master laugh, he also himself in his heart¡ª


    He found this strange too.


    In the mortal world, he worked hard to cultivate, in hopes that he could one day step into the Immortal Capital. But now that he was really here, he was doing everything in his capabilities just to try and make the most immortal-like Immortal Leader laugh.


    He has failed many times, but succeeded many times too.


    Even the immortal envoys began to say that the Immortal Leader seemed to be different from before.


    Once, he looked at the way Hua Xin was laughing and thought to himself: Living like this with his master for a few decades is pretty nice. At least much better than the beggar he was back when he was a mortal.


    But later, he found that wouldn¡¯t work.


    Yun Hai was in charge of mortals¡¯ joy and sorrow, basically the single immortal that has to deal with the most with mortals. Inevitably, he had to meet those who he once swore to kill.


    He avoided them three times, but on the fourth time, he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.


    Those people originally were supposed to live a long life, which angered him even more. He killed them all.


    A total of thirty-one people, still less than the number of his family members that were killed along with his father.


    After killing them, he knelt in front of the Lingtai, waiting for Heavenly punishment.


    That was the first time he saw Hua Xin being infuriated.

 CH 26

    Translator¡¯s Notes: Important changes to the previous chapter that I just edited. After some additional research, I figured it should be Tianxiu, not Tiansu. Yes, I messed up, again  The word has 2 different pronunciations, ¡°su¡± being the most popular one. But there is also another pronunciation as ¡°xiu¡±, which in this case is the translation for a cluster of stars in the sky. In Ancient China, they separated the sky into 28 different sections, and each section is known as a ¡°xiu¡±. Another thing I changed is that instead of the nails on Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s ear, they should be known as ear cuffs. Hopefully that gave you an ¡°ah ha, so that¡¯s what it is¡±. Sorry please forgive me for all the misunderstands I might have brought and please enjoy this chapter >¡­<


    ¡ª ¡ª


    The Lingtai is not simply a palace or just a tall platform.


    It was twelve colossal mountains, connected by jade corridors. Each of the Lingtai Twelve Immortals had its own, and the tallest one belonged to Mingwu Hua Xin.


    Each mountain also had a place used to issue punishments, and each had its own torturous methods.


    Yun Hai was unarmed, walking on the path of punishments. By the time he got to Hua Xin, though he was still standing, he could barely take another step. His clothes which used to be intertwined with celestial energy were now dripping with blood. There were even flares on him remaining from one of the punishment platforms.


    He would forever remember the look Hua Xin had at that time. He was certain that in his dark and gloomy eyes, there was a hint of pain.


    Even though Yun Hai was dripping with blood, he still gave a smile.


    ¡°Yun Hai!¡± Seeing his smile, Hua Xin grew even more furious, ¡°You¡ª¡±


    This was the first time Yun Hai angered his master to the point where he became speechless. After all, his master has always been very reasonable ¡ª He was a calm and nice person, who would never go too far in anything.


    The world is full of tasks and stresses, and it is no different in the Immortal Capital. But nothing has ever been as troublesome for Hua Xin as this.


    I¡¯m such an asshole.


    Yun Hai thought.


    ¡°On the day you entered the Immortal Capital, what oath did you make on my Lingtai? When you accepted the Heavenly decree to ascend, everything was written clearly on what you can do, and what you must not do. Do you think that was just a piece of trash?¡± Hua Xin scolded.1


    ¡°I do not,¡± replied Yun Hai, ¡°Master, I remember. I know the consequences.¡±


    Before Hua Xin said anything, Yun Hai continued, ¡°But I got my revenge.¡±


    ¡°I got my revenge,¡± repeated Yun Hai, ¡°I can¡¯t let those scumbags live a happy and healthy life in the mortal world. You know what I¡¯m like, they have no right to live a long time, it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    With that, he walked to the punishment platform.


    Twelve mountain peaks, and twelve punishment platforms, each with its own tormenting methods.


    Hua Xin silently watched him walk up the chain-tied platform, and then turned around after a very long time. He said with his back towards Yun Hai, ¡°There are many things in the world that are unreasonable. After you take care of one thing, then you¡¯ll have to go take care of all the other matters in the world. Sooner or later¡­¡±


    Yun Hai knelt down on the stone platform, waiting for Hua Xin to continue. But what he waited for didn¡¯t come, as Hua Xin gave a pause, and then went silent.


    The reason was beyond obvious ¡ª He didn¡¯t want his words to accidentally become a prophecy, afraid that his disciple might really ¡°sooner or later¡­¡±, so he stopped there.


    Yun Hai understood this and became happy.


    With a wave of Hua Xin¡¯s sleeve, the stone door of the punishment platform fell.


    Seeing his back disappearing outside of the door, Yun Hai stopped smiling and lowered his head, sinking into silence.


    Lingtai¡¯s punishments were very excruciating. Even if one was an immortal, even if one had the most stubborn personality, after going through all twelve punishment platforms, they would still end up being barely alive and their spiritual powers significantly weakened.


    When Yun Hai regained consciousness, he was at Hua Xin¡¯s residence.


    The wounds on his body had already been treated with spiritual medicine, and had almost healed. His weakened spiritual powers have also been restored. Although he could never be as before, at least it wouldn¡¯t have a significant impact on him.


    He knew who did all this for him without even thinking.


    The first thing Yun Hai did after waking up was to look for Hua Xin. But in the large palace, Hua Xin was nowhere to be found. A few servant boys told him: ¡°Novice Official, Immortal Leader said that after you wake up, you can leave by yourself.¡±


    He has long been given an immortal title, so technically, he shouldn¡¯t be called ¡°Novice Official¡± anymore. But since he was a funny guy who would often tease them around and confuse them, they¡¯ve always been calling him ¡°Novice Official¡±.


    Only Hua Xin called him ¡°Yun Hai¡± every time. He was closest to him, and would often add ¡°My disciple¡± in front.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t leave?¡± Yun Hai asked that servant boy, ¡°Did the Immortal Leader tell you to force me out?¡±


    The boy shook his head, ¡°He did not.¡±


    ¡°Immortal Leader hasn¡¯t been here recently. If you feel uncomfortable, you can live here for a few days longer.¡±


    The boy said this very friendly, which made him feel even warmer in his heart.


    Yun Hai sat beside the bed for a while, then shook his head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll leave now. Tell him¡­¡±


    He was silent for a moment, before continuing, ¡°Thanks for the medicine and spiritual powers, and sorry for the trouble.¡±


    The boy was stunned for a second, and before he knew it, Yun Hai already left.


    Ever since, he has slowly gone astray.


    He didn¡¯t do it on purpose, but it was just as Hua Xin had said. Countless unreasonable things existed in the world. At first, he only wanted to care about that one thing and then never meddle with the mortal world again. But he soon found out that he couldn¡¯t; he had no choice but to start caring about a second thing¡­


    Because this second thing was caused by the first thing he interfered with.


    The story wasn¡¯t that complicated.


    He was in charge of sorrow and joy, so naturally, he has seen all sorts of happy gatherings and reunions, and some not-so-happy separations.  Sometimes, a person would have a happy marriage, and then a few days later, have an unfortunate death.


    He often sighs, but he wouldn¡¯t intervene when he shouldn¡¯t. After all, these are all the norm. Even immortals couldn¡¯t avoid parting and reuniting, and occasionally, some immortals even get banished back to the mortal realm.


    But one day, he saw a little girl kneeling in front of his divine statue.


    The girl was only in her mid-teens. She was supposed to be pretty, but was already dead.


    What was in front of his statue was the girl¡¯s ghost that refused to go away. She was wearing a wedding dress with some talisman embroidered on it. She probably just had a ghost marriage arranged for her.


    Her skin was pale, and her eyes were hollow, dripping with bloody tears. Her lips were sealed so she couldn¡¯t speak ¨C that was a way some folks would use to avoid the dead from snitching.


    She carried a strong murderous intent. Others could probably understand what she wanted without her even having to speak.


    People like her often had a ruined family. No one to take care of them, and then kidnapped to become a yin bride. The only thing she wanted was probably for her kidnappers to die a terrible death.


    She, like many others who shared the same fate, could only ask for her assailants to suffer the same pain as she did, or if possible, more. Her eyes were gouged out, and the people who did so should receive the same suffering. She died a tragic death, and so should them.


    But this was not possible, as karma didn¡¯t work this way.


    According to the rules of the god of sorrow and joy, Yun Hai had the right to intervene, but only to a certain extent. He must stop before things go too far. That was what he originally planned to do as well, even though usually, ¡°stopping before things go too far¡± wouldn¡¯t get many results out.


    It was until he traced back a few years before the little girl¡¯s tragic death¡­


    He found out that the reason her family perished and she was left with no one was because when she was very young, her parents were murdered by their haters.


    And that hater was none other than Yun Hai himself.


    Her parents were two of the people who framed Yun Hai¡¯s family back then.


    Now, even if he didn¡¯t want to, he had to take care of this matter. Otherwise, he would become the ¡°unreasonable and unjust¡± person in the little girl¡¯s eyes.


    But that was only the beginning.


    ¡­¡­


    Later, countless times, every time Yun Hai came back from the mortal realm, he would lock himself inside his residence.


    He finally understood what Hua Xin¡¯s unfinished words were¡ª


    Of those vast and complicated things, if he interfered with one, he would have to continue. The second one, the third one, onwards. Eventually, creating a whole chain effect of things. One person¡¯s enemies might be another person¡¯s saviors. A person that he wanted to kill might be the same person someone else wanted to protect. Things would only get more and more entangled and complicated. Eventually, his existence would become the biggest ¡°unreasonableness¡±.


    From the moment he killed those thirty-one people, this day was already destined to come ¡ª


    He repeatedly violated the Heavenly rules of Lingtai. Hua Xin received numerous Heavenly decrees to banish him over and over again. From the God of sorrow and joy, who received the most offerings and worshipers, to the God of Valley of Great Sorrow, a place that no one cared about.


    In addition, the number of offerings and incense in the mortal realm also seemed to affect the Immortal Capital. As he started to receive less of those, he slowly became desolated in the Immortal Capital as well.


    Yun Hai was a sensitive person. At first, he thought that even immortals could not escape snobbery. Perhaps there were some, but he soon realized that it was the Heavens making others forget him.


    When other immortals regularly meet him, they would naturally know who he is. But for some reason, if he¡¯s not seen, others wouldn¡¯t be able to remember him at all. The only person who didn¡¯t seem to be affected by that was Spirit  King.


    Not long after he entered Immortal Capital, he asked Hua Xin, ¡°Tianxiu is in charge of punishment and forgiveness. Then what is Spirit King in charge of? I rarely hear others talk about it.¡±


    At that time, Hua Xin thought about it and replied, ¡°He is in charge of things that immortals can¡¯t handle. But I don¡¯t know the specifics either.¡±


    At the time, Yun Hai was very puzzled. There were so many immortals that almost every corner of the world could be covered. Was there anything that even troubled immortals?


    He always felt that it was a lie just to praise the Spirit King. Later, he realized that perhaps that wasn¡¯t a lie, nor was it something said just to praise him higher.


    For a while, Yun Hai was always uneasy, so he often went to Spirit King¡¯s place, as he was one of the few people who still remembered him. But after all, it was right beside the abandoned immortal-abolishing platform. So later, the places he would go to most frequently were the Lingtai and Huaxin¡¯s residence most of the time.


    Of all things, what he was afraid of the most was that one day, even Hua Xin wouldn¡¯t remember that he had a disciple named Yun Hai.


    ***


    Rumors say that there was a mysterious Heavenly Bell located in the Immortal Capital. None of the immortals could see it, yet occasionally, one could hear the faint ringing of the bell.


    Every time the bell rang, it meant that another immortal had been banished to the mortal world. 2


    Yun Hai had heard it a few times, but he still couldn¡¯t find where the bell was.


    Until one day, he saw it with his own eyes.


    It was a rare long night in Immortal Capital. He sat by his window, looking at the thick fog, and suddenly wanted to go see Hua Xin.


    The thought came out of nowhere. He was stunned for a moment, and then planned to close the window and leave his Yao Palace. As soon as he held onto the window lattice, he heard a soft sound, as if the pendant around his waist or the sword collided.


    Did someone come?


    Yun Hai hastily turned around and saw Spirit King.


    He was wearing a white jade crown as well as his mask with some silver threads. He stood tall with cold fog around him, just like how Yun Hai met him for the first time back at the entrance of the Immortal Capital.


    Only at that time, he was covered with bright light. This time, there was only the darkness of the night.


    Yun Hai looked at him and was startled. He asked, ¡°Why are you still wearing a mask when visiting friends?¡±


    The Spirit King seemed to sigh lightly, ¡°Do you think I look like I¡¯m visiting friends?¡±


    True.


    Not only did he not look like he was just here to visit, but he also didn¡¯t bring his servant boys either. He even didn¡¯t carry his sword, which he loved dearly.


    Yun Hai stood stiffly, and at that moment, there was almost a sense of confrontation between the old friends.


    The Spirit King didn¡¯t move and didn¡¯t speak.


    In the end, Yun Hai spoke first, ¡°Spirit King you¡­ are here to bring out a Heavenly decree.¡±


    Spirit King gave an ¡°mm¡±, then continued, ¡°Since you¡¯ve guessed that far, then you should know what I¡¯m here for.¡±


    Yun Hai smiled bitterly, ¡°So, it¡¯s time for me to return to the mortal realm?¡±


    Spirit King didn¡¯t reply, which could be counted as a yes.


    Yun Hai: ¡°I thought all I had to do was jump off the immortal-abolishing platform.¡±


    He has always thought that to be banished back to the mortal realm was just simply standing on the immortal-abolishing platform and then jumping down. It was until this night, when Spirit King came with a Heavenly decree, did he find out that things were not as simple as he had thought.


    First, his spiritual powers had to be removed and all his connections with the Immortal Capital had to be cut.


    The process was extremely fast, only lasting for a blink of an eye. But due to the painfulness, time seemed to be stretched indefinitely long. Under unbearable pain, he saw Spirit King hook something on his finger.


    It seemed like it was a white jade-colored bell, he couldn¡¯t see clearly, but heard a bell ring.


    He suddenly understood where the mysterious bell in Immortal Capital was. It was not hung under the eaves of some corridor, but was carried by Spirit King this whole time.


    ¡°Heavenly Bell¡­¡± Yun Hai said hoarsely.


    Spirit King shook his head, his voice was vague and distant to him, ¡°The immortals spread this rumor out of nowhere. This isn¡¯t a Heavenly Bell, it¡¯s called a Dream Bell.¡±


    Dream Bell¡­


    Yun Hai curled up, subconsciously repeating the name.


    He heard Spirit King continue, ¡°The mortal realm isn¡¯t that bad really. There¡¯s a place called the Falling Flower Mountain Market. It¡¯s really lively there, much better than the Immortal Capital. After I shake this bell nine times, you will fall into a deep dream. After you leave the immortal-abolishing platform and wake up, you will forget everything in the past century. You won¡¯t feel so bad then.¡±


    His entire past. All of that would be gone after he opened his eyes again.


    Was this why there would be the sound of a bell every time an immortal was banished back to the mortal realm?


    They would forget everything.


    They would forget everyone.


    Without spiritual powers, the body of an ordinary person could not last very long in Immortal Capital.


    Yun Hai was already losing consciousness, but he was still fighting to stay awake. When the white-jade bell rang, he gathered his last bit of immortal power, as well as half of his soul, to try and block it.


    Throughout his life, he would never give up unless he must, and even if he must, he still wouldn¡¯t give up.


    He didn¡¯t want to forget everything.


    ***


    In the few years when Yun Hai just returned to the mortal realm, nothing much happened.


    Although he tried desperately to block the powers of the bell, the bell still took an effect. He still forgot everything that happened in the past century, and only vaguely felt like he had a dream. He dreamed of himself breaking a leg and getting blinded in one eye. When he was starving and dying, an immortal carried him onto the back of a deer.


    He had mentioned that dream to many people, but every time he talked about it, he would always miss a lot of details, and could only try and quickly end it in a few sentences.


    He couldn¡¯t describe any of the settings, but for some reason, he was certain that it was a cold mid-winter night. He was shivering, and that immortal¡¯s hand was the only source of warmth in the endless coldness.


    Because of that inexplicable dream, he started to attempt to learn spiritual powers, trying to get closer to the immortal from his dreams.


    He had begged many cultivation sects, but not a single one officially accepted him. They all said that he was born with flaws, that he couldn¡¯t condense internal energy, that he couldn¡¯t form a core, and that he wasn¡¯t suitable to cultivate.


    Later, when the world fell into chaos, he wasn¡¯t even strong enough to protect himself. He could only hide and live like a refugee.


    One night, he encountered a scavenging devil. Unable to defeat it, the devil took over his body.


    The feeling of his soul being devoured was no different from other physical pain. He screamed in agony.


    When he curled up on the ground in pain, he suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.


    There seemed to be another time in the past when he was also curled up like this, fighting with all his might. It seemed to be against¡­ a bell.


    This had to be the world¡¯s most painful and ironic thing¡ª


    When he was about to die, he remembered the forgotten hundred years. He remembered that the immortal and the white deer were not from an empty dream. A hundred years ago, there really was such an immortal who gave him help.


    He remembered that the immortal took him as his disciple, praising him that he was extremely talented. He remembered himself being the youngest person to ever ascend as an immortal, and that he became in charge of mortals¡¯ sorrow and joy.


    On his last day in the Immortal Capital, he really wanted to see that person again.


    He didn¡¯t get to do so yet, he couldn¡¯t die just like this.


    ***


    Later, Yun Hai thought that he probably did have some good talent. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat the devil and absorb it just by thinking: ¡°I can¡¯t die like this¡±.


    Cultivation sects all said that he couldn¡¯t condense spiritual powers and form a core. That wasn¡¯t the case. It was just that he couldn¡¯t condense spiritual powers, but he could with devilish powers.


    While being in a terrible state and desperately absorbing the devil¡¯s energy, he suddenly thought of the scene from a century ago ¡ª He was hiding in the cave and Hua Xin came, illuminating the winter night.


    ¡­¡­


    From then on, no more immortal would come to save him.


    He barely survived, but he might not see that person again until he dies.


    ¡ª


    Translator¡¯s note: I don¡¯t think I made it too clear here. Basically, he discovered that he could practice devilish cultivation as well, and absorbed that devil who tried to devour him. From this point on, he is basically a devil.


    Additional FAQs:


    Q: Is the immortal capital accessible by mortals or is it closed off / impossible to reach?


    A: For the average mortal, they shouldn¡¯t even know the existence of the Immortal Capital. For those who are cultivators, they can only enter the Immortal Capital once they have ascended to an immortal. Hence, the majority of cultivators never make it up here.


    Q: Is Que City important to the plot or does it only appear in Wu Xingxue¡¯s dream?


    A: I wonder if the author really went that far to create such a place just for it to be in a dream? Hmmm, you¡¯ll find out sooner or later


    Q: Do you have to cultivate to become an immortal or can you be born an immortal?


    A: I¡¯m actually not too sure. I used to think that all beings are born as a mortal and you must cultivate to become an immortal. But what if two immortals have a child?? I assume the child will be a mortal and will have to cultivate its way up, only that with immortal parents, his or her path of cultivator might be much easier. The book never really talks about it, it¡¯s up to you to decide!


    Q: Can a demon animal be a devil?


    A: Don¡¯t worry about demons in this book. Animals that cultivate don¡¯t appear in this novel (as far as I¡¯ve read). To answer the question, I don¡¯t think so. Demons and devils are separate categories. Animals and beasts cultivate the demonic path, while devils cultivate the diabolic path. An evil human would be a devil, and an evil beast would be¡­ well just an evil demon xD

 CH 27

    Chapter 27: Interrogation¡¯s End


    His days have been muddled and chaotic since becoming a devil. He was like a foggy city that hadn¡¯t ever seen the light of day.


    That came almost naturally ¨C Ordinary commoners needed to work hard for survival and be constantly wary of danger. Cultivation sects were responsible for protecting their surroundings and eliminating devils for good.


    But the devils themselves; they were different. They only had to care about themselves.


    A person who just began on the devilish cultivation path might be cautious around cultivation disciples, afraid that they might be the ones to be killed.


    But Yun Hai didn¡¯t.


    He was a really fast cultivator. Even sect leaders were afraid of him, let alone any ordinary disciple trying to defend himself against.


    He should be living a happy life, running wild as he pleased, but he did not.


    He avoided all the cultivation sects, afraid that even the tiniest news about him would reach the Immortal Capital, into the ears of the Lingtai Immortal Leader.


    He even went to the southwest hinterlands ¨C His former cloning ability using spiritual powers could no longer be used. So, he learned many forbidden techniques and other techniques of all sorts there. Using the greatest patience in his life, he created a puppet that even immortals couldn¡¯t distinguish.


    He gave the puppet his own face and placed him in Chunfan City, where Hua Sect was located.


    There were hundreds of thousands of people in Chunfan City. The puppet was like a droplet of water in a vast ocean. It would almost be impossible for someone from the Hua Sect to meet him.


    He controlled the puppet to live an ordinary life in Chunfan City day after day, pretending to be the Yun Hai who was banished to the mortal world. Like ordinary commoners, he pretended to live an ordinary life.


    After settling all that, Yun Hai left Chunfan City to Guizhou, a place very far away. A lot of devils were gathered there, so no one would really mind if he went in as well.


    It was rumored there that there was a very powerful sealing technique that could seal away all senses of happiness and anger. But there were very few people who knew how to practice this technique. After all, devils were greedy beings, why would they want to suppress the excitement and satisfaction they get from devouring humans?


    If they seal all their feelings, not only would that harm themselves, it would also make them no different from those tedious immortals.


    But Yun Hai practiced it.


    He sealed all his emotions, allowing his painful past to stop bothering him. He could no longer feel joy or sorrow, or even, anything. Let it be plants or bugs, or immortals or devils, in his eyes, they were the same now. He stopped caring whether they were dead or alive.


    He wasn¡¯t able to be so neutral as an immortal, but now, as a devil, he succeeded.


    But he was¡­ still unreasonable.


    Learning the sealing technique was a great thing for him. He was able to be a real devil for several years doing whatever he desired and killing at will.


    There was even one time when he was passing by Immovable Mountain City and heard the name ¡°Mingwu Hua Xin¡±. However, he had no reaction except raising his eyebrows. He continued without stopping.


    The only downside of that sealing technique was that it would damage the caster as well.


    Every few months, there would be one or two days when his muscles and bones would be in agonizing pain.


    Those days were extreme torture. He would often feel like his soul was being ripped in half. He would periodically cry, then laugh. He would periodically be crazy, then be dead calm.


    Every time when he regains consciousness, he would find himself covered in injuries. Half of his face would be covered with blood from all the scratches while he was in pain.


    But at that time, he wouldn¡¯t be able to sense anything again. No sorrow, no joy. In fact, he even felt like this wasn¡¯t bad, half looking like a human, and half looking like a bloody ghost.


    Wasn¡¯t this exactly what he was? This couldn¡¯t be more appropriate.


    Those years, even all the other devils avoided him. Perhaps it was because of his half-human half-ghost face, or perhaps it was because he has done some really crazy things.


    Yun Hai originally thought that he could live on like this forever, for as long as the people in Immortal Capital could live.


    But maybe the Heavens really couldn¡¯t tolerate him, and karma truly hit after he did too many crazy things.


    He couldn¡¯t remember exactly what caused it to happen. He only remembers that one day, he heard about a group of devils that he had driven out of Guizhou and went to live in the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    When he heard ¡°Valley of Great Sorrow,¡± he only gave a sneer. He wasn¡¯t even able to remember that he was once the Immortal of Valley of Great Sorrow.


    Immediately afterwards, he heard that a group of merchants and horses transporting commercial goods in Chunfan City met their end at the Valley of Great Sorrow; the devils ate them. Among them were also some ordinary people who wanted to cross the valley through the protection of the merchant group.


    One of them looked almost exactly like him, which scared the crap out of those devils. They almost didn¡¯t dare to attack them. Later, however, they found out that he only looked like him.


    Hearing those words, Yun Hai knew that it was the puppet he had placed in Chunfan City.


    The original intention of putting the puppet there was to deceive a certain person in Immortal Capital, to make him think that he was being a commoner.


    After he practiced the sealing technique, he stopped caring about those, and he never bothered to check on the puppet ever again either.


    When he heard the news, he was stunned for a moment, but still didn¡¯t put it to heart.


    It was just a puppet. To him, other than the three days and nights he spent making the puppet, he didn¡¯t lose anything.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t care less, how could anyone else care at all?


    But he also heard that the deaths of those people were reported to the Cultivation Sect at Chunfan City, Hua Sect.


    Supposedly, the Hua Sect already sent people over to investigate.


    It was hard to describe how Yun Hai was feeling at that moment. His sealing technique was still active, and there were supposed to be several days before the backlash period that occurs every few months. Technically, he should remain indifferent.


    One day passed as usual, then two¡­


    But he couldn¡¯t last to the third day.


    On the second night, he stood on one of the Valley of Great Sorrow¡¯s high cliffs.


    He used to be the Immortal who protected here. But this place was safe, and no one ever came to pray. Ironically, after he got banished back to the mortal realm, this place was no longer safe: devils began emerging here and causing depredation.


    He has been to many places over the past few years, but he has never returned to this Valley of Great Sorrow. Now that he was back again, he found that the celestial temple was still there, but the divine statue inside was gone.


    And on the altar that has been neglected for ages, there were actually a few freshly burned incense sticks.


    He stood outside the empty celestial temple, staring at the blue-gray sky for a while. Then, he began hunting for the smell of devils as he entered the narrow valley road.


    At that moment, his soul seemed to be divided into two.


    Half of it was asking: ¡°Why are you here? What does this place have anything to do with you?¡±


    The other half was responding, ¡°I need to take care of that trash, and make a new puppet.¡±


    He wanted to get rid of the devils in the valley before the people from the Hua Sect arrived. Then, he would put another puppet near the carriage.


    He even planned how many wounds to make on the puppet, how severe those injuries would be, and whether or not he should make a few extra commoners as well to make it not seem suspicious.


    The only thing he didn¡¯t know was why he was doing this.


    After he made the puppet Yun Hai seem like he survived the great tragedy, the puppet would be brought back to Chunfan City by the Hua Sect, and it would continue to live a normal commoner¡¯s life¡­


    Then what?


    Who was he doing all this pretending for


    Who would care?


    Yun Hai mocked himself as he swept through the entire Valley of Great Sorrow with his devilish energy. The other devils were afraid of him to begin with. In addition, he was in a very bad mood right now, so naturally, they didn¡¯t even stand a chance against him.


    When he went crazy, he couldn¡¯t control himself. After all the killing, his fingers were shaking slightly in excitement.


    Although all the devils were slaughtered, the corpses of the merchant group were destroyed as well.


    Like thin cloth, their empty skin was torn apart by the devilish energy, flying around and slowly landing.


    Boulders were smashed around, crashing into the earth and sending dust all over. Only now did Yun Hai regain a sense of consciousness from his outraging devilish energy.


    Just as he was about to restrain himself, he heard a sword aura breaking through the wind, roaring down from nowhere, and penetrating the black devilish energy that was soaring in the Valley of Great Sorrow. It was headed straight for him!


    At that moment, his pupils contracted, and his whole body turned stiff. It was as if he had been sunk into the frozen Eternal Sea.


    He didn¡¯t even need to see the sword. Just by listening to the sword chant, he could tell who it was.


    That was the sword aura of Mingwu Hua Xin¡¯s sword.


    Yun Hai had imagined their reunion many times, and even though he knew that there would be no such day, he couldn¡¯t help but think about it.


    He imagined how he would avoid him and disappear without a trace before Hua Xin could see him.


    He also imagined that he would remain calm, just like that time when he heard the name ¡°MingwuHua Xin¡± in Immovable Mountain, and then they would clash with swords.


    However, reality was not as he imagined. With Hua Xin right in front of him, what he did was he covered the half of his face that had the appearance of Yun Hai, only revealing the creepy and distorted half. He then wrapped the immortal in his devilish energy.


    He avoided the sword slash and sneered in an extremely hoarse voice while counterattacking, ¡°It¡¯s just a small valley and the losses of a few lives. What¡¯s the need of a highly immortal to come down to the mortal realm?¡±


    Between them was a thick layer of devilish energy, and neither of them could see each other. But he could feel the unprecedented killing intent under Hua Xin¡¯s sword aura, and it was getting heavier and heavier.


    For some reason, the killing intent made his heart beat like a drum.


    It seemed as if all these years, although he tried to avoid him, this was exactly what he had been waiting for.


    He said one sentence after another, and Hua Xin¡¯s sword moves were getting faster and faster. The killing intent surged, causing the entire valley to shake and tremble unceasingly.


    He saw Hua Xin dealing a lethal move. The tip of his sword stabbed straight towards his heart with unimaginable force.


    Then¡­ he didn¡¯t try to block it.


    When the sword pierced through his heart, the celestial energy exploded along the tip of the sword and collided with the devilish energy all over his body. Under the heavy blow, he was pinned to the ground by the sword.


    Hua Xin followed the sword to the ground. He had another attack in his palm, ready to give another fatal blow before the devil could resist.


    The palm landed like a meteor crashing; the earth cracked and the mountains shook.


    The strong black devilish energy finally dispersed, revealing the other half of Yun Hai¡¯s face.


    ¡­¡­


    Lingtai Immortal Leader¡¯s Lethal Move couldn¡¯t be blocked by devils, let alone Yun Hai didn¡¯t even attempt to block. That could lead to only one result ¡ª His soul would perish and die without a doubt.


    That was the first time Yun Hai saw Hua Xin with such an expression. His black pupils instantly widened as his body trembled.


    Yun Hai saw his reflection in Hua Xin¡¯s pupils. Half of his face was human, the other half was ghastly. The lower part of his body has already turned into a river of blood.


    He could feel his soul and spirit slowly falling apart, leaving his body at an astonishing speed. He could also feel his devilish energy slowly dying out, floating down the valley like a gentle cloud.


    He could still feel the always-warm hand of the Lingtai Immortal Leader. At that moment, it was as cold as ice.


    ¡°Yun Hai?¡±


    ¡°Yun Hai¡­¡±


    He heard Hua Xin¡¯s hoarse and soft voice. What expression could he be showing while calling his name like that? Was it compassion? Or sadness?


    He was really curious, but at this point, he couldn¡¯t see anymore.


    His five senses were going away and his consciousness was chaotic. He was about to die. But at that moment, he had an indescribable pleasure¡ª


    Look, this way, you won¡¯t ever forget me.


    He smiled at his last moment, thinking: I¡¯m still such a jerk.


    Endless darkness mixed with floating devilish energy, until Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword chants ended. It wasn¡¯t after a long time did everyone realize that the interrogation had ended. 1


    People¡¯s memories were naturally full of fragmented pictures. During the interrogation, they are even more intertwined. Except for Tiansu Immortal who was in charge of punishment and forgiveness, others wouldn¡¯t be able to see and understand every part of the memory clearly.


    They could only remember those glimpses that flashed by in an instant, the white jade staircase when Yun Hai first ascended to Immortal Capital, the mountains of blades and seas of fire from the twelve Lingtai punishment platforms, and lastly, the immortal that has never appeared in any immortal register¡­ Spirit King.


    When Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu were brought into the round room by the interrogation, this was the scene that they saw.


    The reason why they remembered that scene so clearly was because the way Spirit King caught his sword made them feel a sense of familiarity for a moment. They felt like they had seen it before.


    Even after the interrogation ended, they were still thinking about that scene, unable to return to their senses for a long time.


    When they suddenly heard a very light breathing coming from deeper in the cave, they were startled and jumped.


    Out of curiosity, they got close to Wu Xingxue and stretched their heads to see what was there. Seeing that under the tangled vines, a person in a black robe who had been suppressed for hundreds of years suddenly opened his eyes.


    Once his eyes adjusted to the dark, the first person he saw when he opened his eyes was Wu Xingxue, who was bent over by the depths of the cave.


    That moment, he stared at Wu Xingxue, and his dry lips moved, subconsciously calling out a name.


    His voice was hoarse, barely making a sound.


    But if one listened carefully, it was still possible to tell that the two words he said were:


    Spirit King.


    The immortal who has never appeared before, and was given the name ¡°Zhao¡± by the Heavens.


    Fang Chu: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

 CH 28

    Translator¡¯s note: Okay I said before that it¡¯s ear cuffs, not ear nails, I take that back again. I just read the manga, it¡¯s literally three nails in his ear :skull:


    Also, I sincerely apologize for the inactivity. There are college applications and financial aid forms and stuff that I had to fill out, but now most of them are finished. I will try to make up the days I have missed.


    ¡ª


    Ning Huaishan silently pinched Fang Chu¡¯s waist and whispered, ¡°Did you see? Spirit King¡­¡±


    Fang Chu: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He gritted his teeth and swallowed the pain, then pinched Ning Huaishan¡¯s fingers, ¡°I did, I¡¯m not blind. Pinch again, I dare you.¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°I¡¯d rather be blind.¡±


    He thought about it for a while, but the more he thought, the more strange this seemed to be. ¡°He¡¯s our almighty City Lord in control of the entire Devil¡¯s Den,  Zhaoye City. He¡¯s an infamous Devil Lord, so how in the world would someone be calling him with an immortal title?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Why? Maybe he¡¯s crazy?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he does look similar to that immortal and Yun Hai recognized the wrong person, or perhaps¡ª¡± Fang Chu tried hard to come up with another reason, but he gave up in the end, ¡°Never mind, I can¡¯t think of anything else, that¡¯s the only possibility.¡±


    It would be really hard to find anyone that looked similar to their City Lord. Like all the legends say, anyone who sees his face once would never forget it for the rest of their lives, so how could one possibly have mistaken him for someone else?


    In addition, Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu both clearly remember the way Spirit King caught his sword that was thrown at him by his servant boy.


    Anyone who had spent some time with Wu Xingxue would know: The Devil Lord didn¡¯t like to have things in his hand. Anytime he wanted something, he would usually just get it from the spot, or ask from the people beside him.


    Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu have been with Wu Xingxue for the longest. Oftentimes, all Wu Xingxue had to do was stick out his hand, and they would know what to give him.


    And every time Wu Xingxue caught something, he would always twirl it in his hand.


    It was rather ironic. In the Yao Palace of the Immortal Capital, twirling something in the hand would seem graceful and cool, whereas doing the same thing in the Devil¡¯s Den would seem incomprehensibly dangerous.


    Although they were the exact same motions.


    Ning Huaishan was stunned for a moment, then threw this strange thought out of his head. Together with Fang Chu, they took a look at their City Lord for reassurance, trying to find out what happened by looking at him.


    On the other hand, Wu Xingxue was just as confused as they were.


    He was silent for a moment, then lowered his eyes and asked Yun Hai, ¡°What do you call me?¡±


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t reply.


    He had slept here for way too long and hadn¡¯t seen the light of day in ages. His face was sickly pale, like a pile of burnt paper, about to be blown to shreds any second.


    He blinked lightly and slowly, giving a slight reaction when scanning over Wu Xingxue. He then turned slowly toward Xiao Fuxuan, scanning him from top to bottom as well, including his wrist with the black mark.


    After that, Yun Hai closed his eyes, his body trembling slightly under the wrapping vines.


    Only a moment later did Wu Xingxue realize that he was smiling.


    Because he was too weak, the uncontrollable smile was very subtle.


    ¡°Did you ask me, what I called you¡­?¡± Yun Hai moved his lips slightly, making an extremely weak sound. It was as if those vines on him were wrapping him too tightly, pressing against his chest and choking his threat. To the extent that he couldn¡¯t even let out a full breath.


    But he was already used to being tied up like this and didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. With his eyes closed, he spoke in a hoarse and barely audible voice, ¡°I never thought, there would be, one day, when you would ask me, what I called you¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something, only a banished immortal, with his memory wiped, would ask? Never expected to hear it from you¡­¡±


    Yun Hai gave a few silent laughs then continued silently, ¡°Spirit King¡­ Tianxiu¡­ ordained by the heavens¡­ No need for offerings, and no need for worshipers¡­¡±


    With his eyes closed, he looked like he was having a peaceful dream. In the dream, the scene in which he just entered the Immortal Capital was as vivid as if it was from yesterday. He slowly repeated the words that the immortal envoy once said.1


    ¡°I used to¡­ envy you two so much,¡± he continued softly.


    Wu Xingxue raised his eyes and glanced at Xiao Fuxuan.


    At that moment, a sentence suddenly flashed in his mind ¨C ¡°I really envy you¡­¡±


    The voice wasn¡¯t as hoarse, and the sound wasn¡¯t so soft either. It was more like a casual complaint among friends. Wu Xingxue couldn¡¯t recall the exact scene, but he subconsciously knew that this was what Yun Hai said before.


    What Yun Hai said before while he was still at the Immortal Capital.


    2Back then, Yun Hai had just been demoted to the Immortal of Valley of Great Sorrow and was still enduring Immortal Leader Hua Xin¡¯s additional punishments. One day, he passed by Lingtai six times, yet he didn¡¯t have the face to go in. In the enormous Immortal Capital, he detoured the longest way to the most remote place, ¡°Seated Spring Breeze.¡±


    Spirit King was rarely there. He was sitting with his legs crossed by the window frame, and the table in front of him even had a jug of Immortal Wine and also two empty cups.


    ¡°You keep saying barely anyone ever comes here, yet you seem to be pretty prepared for guests.¡± At that time, Yun Hai did not endure nearly a hundred years of hardship yet. Every time he spoke, he would always bring out a smile and joke around, hiding his inner sadness. ¡°Spirit King, is this a date with some gorgeous beauty? Did I come at a bad time?¡±


    ¡°You did, it¡¯s not too late to go yet,¡± Spirit King replied rather angrily.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯m frustrated today, I need to find someone to talk to, or else¡­¡± Yun Hai paused.


    ¡°Or else what?¡±


    ¡°Or else I might have to detour past Lingtai for the seventh time today,¡± Yun Hai laughed at himself.


    The Spirit King didn¡¯t ask about Lingtai¡¯s business, this was his usual rule. So he didn¡¯t reply and changed the subject, ¡°So, what made you so frustrated today? Making you so desperate to let it out?¡±


    ¡°Can I drink this wine?¡± Yun Hai asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Spirit King swept his hand, causing the Immortal Wine and the empty cups to land steadily on the empty plate held by one of the servant boys. ¡°This is an apology gift I prepared.¡±


    With that, he waved his hand at another servant boy, and brought another jug of wine to Yun Hai.


    ¡°Apology? Who dares to ask for an apology from you? The best way to appreciate the night scenery here is with wine and women. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste if you use it for an apology?¡± Yun Hai muttered as he poured himself a cup of wine.


    After drinking, it was easy for one to let out his complaints.


    After three cups, he didn¡¯t say what happened to him today, and only complained how the wine wasn¡¯t as sweet as before. Three cups later, he was already drunk.


    He raised his wine cup, hitting it on the desk in front of Spirit King, and said, ¡°I really envy you. No need to worry about the amount of incense, and you can compete with the Lingtai to see who lives longer.¡±


    ¡°Why does my master have to compete with the Lingtai for who lives longer?¡± Before Spirit King replied, the servant boy already spoke.


    Yun Hai laughed then squeezed the servant boy¡¯s face. He said with the wine jug in his hand, ¡°The servant boys at the Lingtai are literally like old gramps, nothing like the cute and clever boys here at Seated Spring Breeze.¡±


    The Spirit King accepted the compliment, ¡°Naturally, I raised them myself after all.¡±


    The little boy rubbed his face and ran, only to bump into a pair of long legs at the door, and yelled ¡°Ouch¡±.


    The Spirit King raised his eyes, and Yun Hai also dizzily turned his head. Tianxiu Immortal raised the veil in front of his face and appeared beside the door.


    His eyes swept across the room, and finally landed on the Immortal Wine that Yun Hai was holding. After a while, he looked at Spirit King and said in a low voice, ¡°You grabbed the immortal bamboo leaves of my palace and left a note on my servant¡¯s forehead, just to ask me to come just to see this?¡±


    Yun Hai was already drunk at the time. He looked at Spirit King, then at Tianxiu Immortal, over and over again, then laughed. ¡°This is the first time I heard such a long sentence from Tianxiu Immortal. How very strange; definitely an eye-opener today.¡±


    He then said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the gorgeous beauty you were waiting for, is¡­ Master Tianxiu?¡±


    Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s expression suddenly turned very interesting.


    He had originally planned to leave, but suddenly changed his mind. Holding his mist-thin veil with two fingers, he waited to see what other nonsense was going on.


    Perhaps it was because he was interrupted too many times back then, and he said those words so dizzily, that he even forgot what he had said. It was not mentioned again until hundreds of years later.


    The person who was laughing and holding the wine in the air back then now turned into a ghostly devil. The elegant Tianxiu Immortal was now only a puppet clone. And the host at the Seated Spring Breeze couldn¡¯t even remember who he was now.


    ¡°I once thought, that you two didn¡¯t have to worry about life and death, that you two didn¡¯t have to worry about being banished, that you two will live as long as the Lingtai and the Immortal Leader, but who could imagine¡­¡±


    Yun Hai¡¯s silent laughter was full of ridicule, no one knew whether he was mocking himself or others.


    ¡°How did you guys end up like this?¡± He was silent for a moment, then suddenly his neck twitched slightly, and the eyeballs under his eyelids trembled for a moment. He gave an ¡°ah¡±, as if he suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, even the Immortal Capital is gone, naturally no one is an immortal anymore.¡±


    Hearing this, Wu Xingxue frowned, ¡°How do you know that the Immortal Capital is gone?¡±


    Ning Huaishan and the others were also stunned after he said this, ¡±Yeah wait, how did you know?¡±


    Yun Hai has been trapped here for at least a few hundred years. Back then, the Immortal Capital was still perfectly fine.


    Although, in the past centuries, he had absorbed a lot of nutrients for himself through the ¡°worship marks¡±, and he had also gone into dreams to lure people to come here, attempting to break the suppression array. But regardless, no one would come to the depths of this catacomb and tell him what was going on outside these years.


    Then how did he know that the Immortal Capital was destroyed?


    Wu Xingxue glanced around and suddenly realized that there were runes engraved on the stone walls of the cave. The only reason he didn¡¯t notice them before was because those runes were way too messy. At first glance, they didn¡¯t look like runes at all, more like cracks formed by the shaking just now.


    Now with a closer look, he realized that the reason those runes looked so messy was because there were two layers ¡ª There was once a layer of runes here, then another new layer was added on.


    And the brushstrokes of the two layers of runes seemed to be different; they didn¡¯t come from the same person.


    If the old rune was left behind when Hua Xin buried Yun Hai here¡­


    Then what about the new one?


    A guess suddenly flashed in Wu Xingxue¡¯s mind.


    He abruptly turned his head to look at Yun Hai, who was wrapped in vines. Yun Hai whispered with half-opened eyes, ¡°Because I went out before.¡±


    Everyone was instantly shocked.


    This simple sentence gave all present cultivation disciples a layer of cold sweat.


    The devil trapped here escaped before?!


    Just as they were about to raise their swords, Yi Wusheng spoke in a light voice, ¡°Was it¡­ over twenty years ago?¡±


    ¡°Was it over twenty years ago when you left this place?¡±


    ¡°Did you¡­ come to the Hua Sect?¡±


    Yi Wusheng tried his best to recall the stranger whom the Hua Sect greeted more than twenty years ago. At that time, people were still falling victim to the mark from Valley of Great Sorrow, so there were many people who came to the Hua Sect.


    If this devil was mixed among those people, then he and Hua Zhaoting¡¯s inexplicable worship mark appearing on their neck had an explanation now¡­


    ¡°But how did you manage to come out?!¡±


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t reply and instead said, ¡°I¡¯ve been to the Hua Sect more than once.¡±


    The moment his voice fell, the vines that tied him suddenly started to grow as if they became alive. With a violent gust of wind, they slammed toward where everyone was standing.


    The cultivation disciples cut through the vines with their swords, but then an endless amount of devilish energy started to flow out of the vine stems.


    His sudden outburst caught almost everyone off guard.


    Fortunately, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t sheathed yet. Golden light suddenly started to spread like an ocean wave, destroying all the vines in its path.


    The air was filled with broken vines and devilish energy at this point. The Mian Sword plunged down, and just as it was about to pierce through Yun Hai¡¯s heart, it stopped.


    At that moment, the entire catacomb was silent.


    Everyone held their breath for a long time, and then heard Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s low voice, ¡°Since you have gone out, then why bother coming back.¡±


    Everyone was stunned for a moment before realizing.


    Yeah, since he was able to escape, then why bother coming back? After all the deliberate struggle, wasn¡¯t it all just to break the seal and be able to escape, to see the light of day again?


    Now with some careful thinking, they also started to realize that Yun Hai¡¯s sudden outburst wasn¡¯t really a critical sneak attack at all. Instead, it seemed like the dying struggle from a flame that was about to be burned out.


    What did he want¡­?


    Yun Hai¡¯s hoarse voice sounded, ¡°Me and Spirit King were old friends, I didn¡¯t have a deep connection with you. Please don¡¯t bring up the unnecessary old feelings when in battle.¡±


    As he said that, the vines on his body suddenly wrapped around Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword. Many of them burst into pieces as they couldn¡¯t withstand the continuous flow of celestial energy coming from it, but also at the meantime, they were fiercely trying to pull the sword down¡ª


    With a puff¡­


    When the celestial sword pierced through his heart, everyone felt a wave of coldness. They were reminded of the scene under the blue-gray sky in the Valley of Great Sorrow hundreds of years ago.


    Hua Xin¡¯s sword, which had a peach branch pattern on the hilt, was not as cold.


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t know how the fatal hit from Hua Xin didn¡¯t kill him back then. He also didn¡¯t know what Hua Xin did to him while he was in his long sleep.


    He only knew that one day, when he suddenly woke up from his dream and opened his eyes, he was already covered from head to toe in a pitch-black place.


    He was surrounded by runes, rendering him immobile.


    Anxious, his devilish energy soared. But before he did anything, he heard a voice. It sounded from afar, but also close at the same time. It was a voice that he couldn¡¯t be more familiar with, a voice that he would never forget.


    The voice said, ¡°My disciple Yun Hai.¡±


    He immediately quieted down, listening to that sentence over and over again.


    But sometimes, he couldn¡¯t control himself. This was what cultivating the diabolic path was like. In the end, one wouldn¡¯t even be able to tell if they were controlling the evil, or if the evil was controlling them.


    The feeling of his soul being split apart came up again. Half was saying: I need to get out, no one can stop me!


    The other half was saying: No.


    People frequently passed by the Valley of Great Sorrow. Taking advantage of the loosening array, he sent out a string of spiritual consciousness outside, attaching it to a passerby.


    When he smelled the smell of raw humans, he realized that he was really hungry for too long. That day, he stood quietly on the altar of the celestial temple, looking down at the worshipers like the Immortal he used to be. While sneering at them, he also left some marks on them.


    At that moment, the other half of his soul said: You are still that devil you used to be.


    By using the worship mark, he experienced what humans taste like. Then, he started to use other methods so that he didn¡¯t have to do anything physically and he could still absorb the spirit of the living.


    He gathered more strength, and one day he attached himself to a stranger and left the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    Looking at the unfamiliar world, he didn¡¯t know where to go for a while.


    By the time he returned to his senses, he was already standing in the hall of Hua Sect in Chunfan City, quietly looking at the portrait hanging in the hall.


    At that moment, the devilish energy prevailed, and he was a little angry.


    Half of his soul sneered: Why bother letting off someone who wanted to kill you?


    The other half said: I¡¯m not completely dead yet.


    The half sneered again: Then do you want to die again? I won¡¯t allow it.


    In those days, although he was barely considered alive, he did a lot of evil.


    One, because of the nature of a devil, and two¡­ perhaps he wanted to see that person come down from the Immortal Capital again.


    To reprimand him, or even kill him, anything was fine.


    But that person never came.


    Every time he was about to run out of spiritual energy, he would hide in the catacomb to gather more ¡°food¡±. He didn¡¯t know how long he would sleep each time, maybe months or years.


    Like this, he entered and left the valley several times. Until one day, he once again stood in the hall of Hua Xin. He looked at the Hua Xin portrait for a long time.


    A Hua Sect disciple asked him, ¡°Mister, did you encounter some trouble? Is it related to the soul? Would you like to go see Yi Wusheng, or¡­?


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t know who Yi Wusheng was, and he didn¡¯t pay attention to what the disciple was saying either. He just stared at the portrait blankly for a long time, then asked, ¡°How¡¯s Mingwu Immortal Leader doing these years?¡±


    The little disciple opened his eyes wide and said in surprise, ¡°Mister, the Immortal Capital has perished for several years already. The Lingtai Twelve Immortals no longer exist, and that goes for the Immortal Leader as well.¡±


    Yun Hai couldn¡¯t remember how he escaped the body he was on that day, nor what evils he did that day. He even couldn¡¯t remember how he returned to the Valley of Great Sorrow that day.


    He suddenly felt like, in this enormous world, there is nothing worth living for.


    What was so good about seeing the sunlight again? It wasn¡¯t even as good as the catacomb under the Valley of Great Sorrow. At least there, he could still hear his master¡¯s voice.


    The conflict between his split souls were clashing like never before. Half of it wanted to escape, yet the other half wished to stay here forever.


    Sometimes, he would be Hua Xin¡¯s disciple, Yun Hai. Other times, he would be Devil Yun Hai.


    Sometimes awake and conscious, other times crazy and insane.


    During the times in which he was insane, he would use a diabolic technique to try and break through these layers of suppression. When he was conscious again, he would go add more layers of rune on the weakened array.


    He fought with himself like this for over twenty years, he had enough already.


    Now that the array has finally dissipated, he would never hear that person¡¯s voice again. Without another reason to be here, he wanted to be dispatched by one of his old friends¡­ fast and painlessly.


    From this moment on, the matters of the world had no concern for him.

 CH 29

    This time, the billowing, devilish energy slowly disappeared into the earth.


    The life energy on Yun Hai was dispersing. His appearance didn¡¯t change much, but it gave off the feeling that he instantly wilted. Perhaps it was because the vines on his body were withering rapidly.


    It wasn¡¯t until now that everyone realized that those vines had grown out of his heart.


    They should be coexisting with Yun Hai. The moment he died, those vines lost their life source as well. The vines wrapped around Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword immediately loosened, retreating along the blade¡¯s edge as they completely shriveled.


    Only that flowering branch remains unchanged. Its stem was still wound around Yun Hai¡¯s neck, its flower still covering the ghastly half of Yun Hai¡¯s face.


    Everyone stood in shock, not expecting that Yun Hai would consider suicide.


    Xiao Fuxuan silently pulled his sword out of Yun Hai¡¯s body and stood upright. He was frowning slightly.


    Wu Xingxue looked at Yun Hai¡¯s lifeless face and then said, after a long silence, ¡°Any soul fragments?¡±1


    Xiao Fuxuan shook his head and said, ¡°His soul¡¯s completely extinguished.¡±


    He was the one who stabbed his sword into Yun Hai¡¯s heart, so he was the clearest on whether or not there were still soul fragments beneath his sword tip. Since he wasn¡¯t able to detect any, it should mean that not even a fragment of Yun Hai¡¯s soul was able to survive.


    The vines all over his body slowly scattered, revealing most of his body. A corner of a waist token was revealed from the folds of his black robe. Just based on that corner, someone was able to recognize it¡ª


    Yi Wusheng said lightly, ¡°That¡¯s the waist token from my sect.¡±


    Hua Sect¡¯s waist tokens and sword ornaments were all made of rose quartz jade and carved with peach blossoms. This made them very unique among cultivation sects and hence very easy to recognize as well.


    But waist tokens like the one on Yun Hai were only worn by Hua Sect disciples. People with ranks, like the elders and the sect leader, like Yi Wusheng and Hua Zhaoting, wouldn¡¯t need waist tokens to show their identities.


    No one could have imagined that this person, who has lived the lives of both an immortal and a devil, would still carry this even unto death.


    ¡°Who carved the character there?¡± Wu Xingxue flipped the waist token over and saw a slender ¡°Hai¡± character carved on the back. ¡°Previous sect leaders?¡±


    Yi Wusheng shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s the disciple¡¯s own carving.¡±


    ¡°So then it must be Yun Hai¡¯s writing,¡± said Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yi Wusheng replied.


    Wu Xingxue gave an ¡°oh,¡± thinking that it sounded about right.


    Previously, when he found out that there were multiple layers of runes in the cave, he already noticed that the upper layer had thin and slender characters, most likely written by Yun Hai.


    In the bloody mud underneath his left hand, the suppression array¡¯s array center was found.


    There were two array stones in the array center. One of them had already crumbled into pieces. The other one was placed there later on. It had a mark on it, almost identical to the ¡°Hai¡± written Before, everyone was still puzzled as to why the array center was so straightforwardly placed in the center of the catacomb. Now, upon seeing the array stones, they understood everything.


    The one who has been reinforcing the suppression array was none other than Yun Hai himself.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Yi Wusheng held that array stone with complicated feelings. Perhaps it was grief, perhaps it was something else. In the end, he shook his head and sighed softly, ¡°What a pity.¡±


    In fact, among everyone present, Yi Wusheng should be the last person to bear such sentiment.


    This was because the mark on the back of his neck was Yun Hai¡¯s doing. His pain and struggle for the past twenty or so years were all because of this.


    Everyone had an obligation to sign in lament for Yun Hai, except for Yi Wusheng.


    Even if he were to draw his sword and vent his hatred on Yun Hai¡¯s corpse, no one would speak a word of reproach. But he didn¡¯t do that. On the contrary, he said, ¡°What a pity¡± with a sigh toward that devil.


    Wu Xingxue looked at Yi Wusheng¡¯s scarred neck and felt a sudden sense of pity as well.


    He wondered how many encounters his previous self had with Yi Wusheng. Probably not too many; after all, one was a sect elder and the other was a devil.


    It truly was a pity.


    Otherwise, it should have been good to befriend such a person.


    Doctor Wusheng squatted down and buried the formation stone back under Yun He¡¯s palm. Due to digging out the stone just now, the bloody mud nearby has turned up a lot. Just as he was about to cover the bloody mud over Yun Hai¡¯s hand again, two fingers appeared and stopped him.


    ¡°Immortal?¡± Yi Wusheng raised his head and looked. The person blocking him was Xiao Fuxuan.


    Xiao Fuxuan replied, ¡°There¡¯s something there.¡±


    He swirled his long fingers, but in the thick, bloody mud, no other item appeared.


    Everyone looked at each other in confusion.


    Wu Xingxue bent down beside him and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan did not answer immediately.


    Seeing that his search was not successful, Xiao Fuxuan decided to slam his fingers on the ground. Yun Hai¡¯s body didn¡¯t move in the slightest, yet the bloody mud around him began to tremble violently. Something hidden deep in the mud was being shaken up to the surface.


    It had a touch of white, releasing a hint of warm and bright color underneath the mud. Wu Xingxue was very sensitive to that color. With a single glance, he knew that it was white jade.


    Xiao Fuxuan hooked his fingers, pulling the trinket out of the mud.


    ¡°Dream Bell!¡± Yi Wusheng blurted out.


    It was a bell made of white jade. It looked similar to the one from Hua Sect, but was also much more delicate and elaborate. The surface of the jade was coiled with beautiful and complex filament patterns, very similar to the ones on the Spirit King¡¯s scabbard and mask. In fact, they looked like they belonged to the same person.


    With this dream bell before them, there was no way the one from Hua Sect previously could be considered ¡°real¡±.


    It was just as Yi Wusheng had guessed. Hua Zhaoting kept the dream bell on him at all times. The only person who could have switched it out was the devil, who had to be manipulating him.


    It was within now that they had discovered the dream bell in Yi Wusheng¡¯s catacomb. However, Yi Wusheng still couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°This¡­ What did he need the dream bell for?¡±


    The purpose of the dream bell was to create a dream ¡ª to turn the past into a dream or to bring one into a new dream.


    Back when Yun Hai was banished, he didn¡¯t even want to use the dream bell. Why would he spend so much effort to go get it from the Hua Sect, then use a fake one to act as a pretense?


    Did he change his mind? Did he suddenly feel like his days in the catacomb were too hard to bear? Even worse than when he was banished to the mortal realm? Was that why he wished for a deep dream from the dream bell?


    Wu Xingxue thought.


    But Yun Hai was already dead. In Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s words, ¡°his soul¡¯s completely extinguished¡±, so he could no longer answer this question. Wu Xingxue had no way of knowing whether his guess was right or not.


    In his daze, he suddenly heard a low voice say, ¡°Wu Xingxue.¡±


    Wu Xingxue lifted his gaze.


    Xiao Fuxuan stood up. With his fingers hooked around the bell, he said, ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Wu Xingxue inquired, then extended his hand to him.


    He felt a sudden chill in his palm as the dream bell was placed into his hand.


    He truly didn¡¯t remember anything. Let it be Spirit King or the dream bell. But the moment the bell fell onto his hand, he blinked slightly, and felt a sense of nostalgia.


    He stoked the white jade bell and looked at it closely, finding some crackers on the inner part of the bell.


    Just as he picked it up to examine it more carefully, an indistinct scene flashed in his mind.


    He¡¯d heard Yi Wusheng mention it before. After pulling someone into a dream with a dream bell, the only way to release him or her from the dream would be to use the dream bell again. Otherwise, their souls or memories wouldn¡¯t be restored properly.


    This dream bell before him seemed to have taken damage, and he didn¡¯t know how to release anything either. Yet, he was already starting to get a faint feeling.


    Wu Xingxue twirled the dream bell in his fingers, attempting to recall the fragmented memory that flashed just now¡ª


    It ought to have been a cold night.


    For some reason, he was standing beside a door and holding something behind his back. It was cold to the touch, and the sharp edges were poking painfully into his palm.


    Xiao Fuxuan was standing at the doorway, lifting the curtains with his fingers. He didn¡¯t walk in or back out, he just stood there, looking at him with his deep black eyes.


    Behind him was a large courtyard, and in the courtyard was a towering tree covered in snow.


    He just stood there, holding that object in his hand, and silently staring at the person at the doorway.


    After a long while, he tilted his head slightly and said, ¡°Xiao Fuxuan, have you heard of a devil¡¯s deep desires?¡±


    There was a moment of silence in the room.


    Xiao Fuxuan still stood there, lifting the curtain with his hand. He replied after a long while, ¡°I have.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was silent for a moment as well. Then he said, ¡°Since you have heard of them, yet you still picked such a day to come. What is it then¡­? Do you wish to come through the curtains and make yourself the private guest of a devil such as myself?¡±


    After speaking, he turned his head and raised his chin toward the bed.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    This out-of-context scene was, for some reason, extremely clear. Wu Xingxue¡¯s fingers tremble slightly upon remembering himself saying ¡°make yourself private¡±.


    When he looked up, he saw Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s face again, identical to the one from his fleeting memory just now.


    Wu Xingxue stood there calmly for a moment, and then silently put the dream bell back into Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hands.

 CH 30

    Xiao Fuxuan looked at the dream bell that was returned to his hand, then looked back up at Wu Xingxue. Before he could say anything, he was asked first¨C


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Here take it back, what are you giving it to me for?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The little cultivation disciples had particularly good memories.


    They remembered clearly how this white jade bell flashed in Yun Hai¡¯s interrogation ¡ª it was Spirit King¡¯s heavenly treasure. They praised Wu Xingxue in whispers, ¡°This young master is truly virtuous. Not only was he not avaricious, he even returned the precious and valuable heavenly treasure. If any other ordinary person were to see such a treasure, they would definitely have their eyes bulging out and be willing to fight for it.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan couldn¡¯t help but glance at them.


    The disciples were still reflecting on themselves, ¡°To be bluntly honest, if it was given to me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to ¡ª uhh?¡±


    They were taken back after noticing Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s glance. Only now did they realize that their whispers were a bit too loud, and their faces immediately turned red. After some mumbles, they pointed towards Yi Wusheng, ¡°We heard earlier from this senior that Wu¡ª¡±


    They didn¡¯t dare to call the Devil Lord¡¯s name directly in front of his face, so after giving a ¡°Wu¡±, they quickly tried to cover it, ¡°Uh, that he¡¯s not himself. Instead, he is the soul of a mortal who accidentally went into his body.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yi Wusheng silently facepalmed, thinking to himself about how gullible these little disciples were.


    Under everyone¡¯s gazes, the disciples¡¯ faces became even more flushed. One quickly explained, ¡°Umm¡­ we heard from our master that after the Immortal Capital perished, all the heavenly treasures came to the mortal realm. Sects of all sizes as well as strong rogue cultivators were scrambling to look for them. Heavenly treasures usually carried an immortal¡¯s vital essence; they are precious rarities formed with thousands of years of spiritual energy. Naturally, everyone wants them. However, there are not many people who can actually carry a heavenly treasure around. After all, without several hundred years of cultivation base, how can one withstand and inherit such a heavy supply of immortal energy?1


    Young master is a mortal soul, hence he is not able to use such a heavenly treasure at all. Although everyone knows this, practically no one can remain uninfluenced and be kind enough to return it. Hence, young master, your high virtuousness is certainly worth admiring.¡±


    After he finished blabbering, he even gave a polite and elegant bow of respect towards Wu Xingxue.


    Wu Xingxue laughed so hard in his head, but he remained a calm appearance on his face. He even politely returned a slight bow to the disciple, ¡°You¡¯re flattering me.¡±


    Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s expression went from speechless to numb.


    Wu Xingxue looked at his utterly cold face and laughed even harder in his head. As he continued to giggle secretly, he suddenly recalled the phrase ¡°come through the curtains and make yourself my private guest,¡± as well as that bed¡­


    His internal laughter immediately came to a halt.


    Just like in the horse carriage before, Xiao Fuxuan did not expose him.


    As the little disciple blabbered, Xiao Fuxuan just stood there listening while fidgeting and rotating the dream bell with his fingers.


    In his long, slender fingers, the dream bell seemed particularly delicate; its jade glossy and clear.


    Blame it on the little disciple for saying ¡°heavenly treasures usually carried an immortal¡¯s vital essence.¡± Wu Xingxue couldn¡¯t even remember what vital essence was, but he inexplicably started to feel some spiritual connection with the dream bell.


    Now, looking again at the dream bell being fiddled in Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hand, it was really¡­


    Wu Xingxue watched for a moment, then reached out and took the dream bell back.


    The cultivation disciples who just finished praising him were full of question marks.


    Xiao Fuxuan looked at Wu Xingxue, ¡°Aren¡¯t you returning it to me?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°I changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°Why so?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue gave a serene look.


    He couldn¡¯t just say ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you¡¯re playing with that bell¡±. If he did say that, what if Xiao Fuxuan asks ¡°why so¡± again? In that case, that would only become a more complicated situation to get out of.


    He was certain Tianxiu Immortal would do such a thing to him.


    Wu Xingxue was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I just suddenly remembered that it oughtn¡¯t be returned to you.¡±


    Having said that, he turned around and handed the dream bell to Yi Wusheng.


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    No need!


    Wu Xingxue said to Yi Wusheng, ¡°Mister, I remember you said before we left that you are coming to the Valley of Great Sorrow two things. First, you wanted to understand where the mark on the back of your neck came from, and second, you wanted to help the Hua Sect find the real heavenly treasure.¡±


    Yi Wusheng quickly waved his hands, thinking, ¡°Just pass between you and that Tianxiu Immortal, please don¡¯t get me, an innocent mortal, involved.¡±


    However, Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t let him off, ¡°What are you waving your hands for? This is what the Hua Sect has lost. Now that we have recovered it, it¡¯s only reasonable to return it to you.¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Now with this brought up, Yi Wusheng wished that he might as well find a hole in the earth and bury himself.


    When they found out that the real dream bell was missing, what foolish words did he say again?


    Oh yes, the first person he suspected was Devil Lord Wu Xingxue¡­


    And he said that right in front of Wu Xingxue¡¯s face.


    Later, he said that he would like to come to the Valley of Great Sorrow to find the dream bell and return this heavenly treasure to the Hua Sect.


    However, after Yun Hai¡¯s interrogation results came out and proved that the original owner of the bell was Spirit King, what happened after that again?


    Ah right, Yun Hai called Wu Xingxue ¡°Spirit King.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Yi Wusheng had never seen Spirit King¡¯s name appear in any immortal register. He didn¡¯t know what high position that person held, and he certainly didn¡¯t know what in the world had happened for the dignified Spirit King to become the infamous Devil Lord feared by all.


    Despite that, what he did know was that this dream bell certainly belonged to him.


    Tianxiu Immortal placed the dream bell into Wu Xingxue¡¯s hands, and returned the bell to the rightful owner. Yet now, for some reason, the rightful owner was denying it, insisting on giving the bell to him.


    Would he dare to take it£¿


    He did not.


    Not only did he not dare to, but he also didn¡¯t have the face to take it either.


    Yi Wusheng had a scholarly temperament, being somewhat shy and thin-skinned. Back in his youth, the brother and sister Hua Zhaoting and Hua Zhaotao would often use this fact to their amusement, teasing him until his face and ear turned bright red. Later when he became one of the elders of the four halls, the brother and sister no longer teased him like that, and no one else dared either.


    Until now, he hasn¡¯t felt what it was like to be bright red on the face and ears for a long time.


    There was a very widespread rumor, saying that the Hua Sect obtained the heavenly treasure through divine fate, and that afterward, it was unfortunately stolen by Devil Lord Wu Xingxue.


    Thinking about it now, it was truly ironic.


    This was Wu Xingxue¡¯s property to begin with, and now this ¡°divine fate¡± thingy from the Hua Sect was sounding kind of suspicious.


    Under such circumstances, how could Yi Wusheng dare to take back the dream bell?


    If it wasn¡¯t because Wu Xingxue insisted that he was only a ¡°mortal being who entered the body,¡± if it wasn¡¯t because Tianxiu Immortal pointed his sword at him and threatened him to keep the secret, and if it wasn¡¯t because there were several mentally-fragile cultivation disciples beside them, Yi Wusheng would have already knelt onto the ground and begged for mercy.


    But he couldn¡¯t say anything right now. He could only look at Wu Xingxue in silence, and his eyes slowly slowly turned aggrieved.


    In the end, he grasped the paper and said, ¡°Young master, all I have left is some fragment soul¡­¡±


    Implied meaning: I beg you, please find someone else to torment.


    Wu Xingxue looked at his expression, reflected upon his words for a moment, then felt like he was indeed a bit mean. So, he turned his evil clutches toward his two subordinates. He had a lazy personality and didn¡¯t like to have things in his hands. Picking on his subordinates to act as his rucksack has already been a normal act. Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu must have long been used to it.


    So he turned his head, and met eyes with Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu¡¯s even more aggrieved faces.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything yet.¡± Wu Xingxue said slowly.


    ¡°Cheng¡­ Young Master, do you remember? Some devils would vomit just at the site of divine statues.¡±


    What he wanted to say was practically written on his face in bold letters: What do you think will happen if we take that heavenly treasure?


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ookay.


    Thus, after tormenting all these people, Devil Lord Wu Xingxue decided that he would carry the dream bell himself after all.


    The matter of Valley of Great Sorrow¡¯s ¡°ordination¡± has been resolved, and they found what they came to look for as well. For the cultivation disciples as well as Yi Wusheng, they have already achieved their purposes.


    However, Wu Xingxue was still curious. What did Hua Xin do back then that was able to save Yun Hai¡¯s soul fragments? Even Yun Hai himself did not know.


    Moreover, Xiao Fuxuan said that during this incident when Hua Xin came down to the mortal realm, he was at the Northern Frontiers. By the time he returned to the Immortal Capital, it was already a long time afterwards.


    No one in the Immortal Capital knew what Hua Xin did, they only knew some of the aftermaths ¡ª Like Yun Hai back then, he knelt in front of the Lingtais to receive heavenly punishment and then went into seclusion for a hundred days.


    After that, apart from being even less stained by the mortal affairs and appearing more like the Immortal Leader, he was no different.


    Wu Xingxue and the others continued to search around in Yun Hai¡¯s catacomb. Finding no useful clues, they could only give up.


    When they came up from the catacomb in the Valley of Great Sorrow, it was already dawn.


    The three cultivation disciples were closing their Qiankun bags. They have found all 33 little statues and found all of the ¡°ordained¡± commoners. They kept saying ¡°sincere apologies¡± as they stuffed them into their bags.2


    ¡°When returning them, make sure to spruce them up a bit, at least make an illusion of some sort.¡± Yi Wusheng reminded them with worry.


    The bodies of most of these people were dismembered, and they probably died a horrific death. It would indeed be rather cruel to send them home as they were.


    The little disciple bowed and saluted, ¡°Senior, rest assured. We will send their souls off to a peaceful rest.¡±


    Their elder martial siblings have come many times in vain, yet three novice disciples would go and return with everyone. This would be shocking news for the sect and even the entire Yuyang City.


    The disciples wanted Xiao Fuxuan and the others to return to their sect with them, but they were politely declined.


    Oh wait, Tianxiu didn¡¯t do the ¡°politely¡± part. He only gave one word: ¡°No.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was a bit more tactful. He pointed to his face and said, ¡°If I were to go to your sect, your Sect Leader and elders will be so happy that their faces will all go pale.¡±


    The disciples: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yi Wusheng, being the most ordinary, said, ¡°I¡¯m nothing more than some soul fragments. I can¡¯t even last for another few days. I¡¯ll pass, if I go I¡¯ll cause nothing but extra trouble.¡±


    Hearing these, the disciples naturally didn¡¯t dare to stall time in his last few days.


    They quickly saluted goodbye and carried their Qiankun bags with 33 deceased souls to Yuyang.


    Wu Xingxue asked Yi Wusheng, ¡°What plans do you have now sir?¡±


    Yi Wusheng touched the black cloth over his mouth and nose. He could feel himself getting weaker by the day. On the horse carriage, he could still feel his spirit through the waist. When they arrived at the Valley of Great Sorrow, he was already more feeble than he had imagined. And now, he could barely feel his five senses.


    He looked towards Xiao Fuxuan, ¡°Immortal, how many more days can I take?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan pressed his finger on him, then said solemnly after a moment, ¡°Four days.¡±


    Yi Wusheng nodded calmly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then he replied to Wu Xingxue, ¡°I still have some regrets. I¡¯d like to go take a look at them. First probably to the Jiaming Wilderness, then to Peach Blossom Island. If I¡¯m lucky, maybe I can even spend my last hours at home.¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly laughed at himself.


    Before, he held Wu Xingxue¡¯s robes and asked him to just end his life there and then, but now that he had some leeway, there was only more that he wanted¡ª


    At first, he just wanted to find out what caused the misfortunes at the Hua Sect, then find the dream bell. With that, he thought he could pass off rather peacefully. Yet now that both of those things are accomplished, he only recalled even more regrets.


    Humans¡­ ever so greedy.


    After mocking himself, he gave Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan a deep bow and salute, bidding their final farewell.


    But after only a few steps, his tendency for worrying about others came again. He wasn¡¯t able to hold back and returned to Wu Xingxue, saying, ¡°This might sound a little rude, but I wonder if¡­¡±


    He wanted to say that he wondered if Wu Xingxue still remembered how to use the dream bell, as well as how to unravel a dream. He could tell that Wu Xingxue had forgotten about a lot of stuff, probably matters about the dream bell as well.


    But he was at a loss for words trying to ask this to the original owner of the bell.


    Wu Xingxue watched as he hesitated and landed his eyes on the bell on his waist. He hooked it on his finger and picked it up, asking, ¡°Are you asking about this?¡±


    Yi Wusheng nodded. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly trembled.


    He said in shock, ¡°Why is the bell full of cracks? It wasn¡¯t like this just now in the catacomb!¡±


    Wu Xingxue wasn¡¯t as surprised, ¡°There were cracks to begin with on the inside, they just weren¡¯t showing on the surface. Fortunately, it¡¯s not broken to pieces, wonder if I can still use it.¡±


    ¡°No no no you must not.¡± Yi Wusheng said hastily.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Yi Wusheng replied, ¡°This is a heavenly treasure that contains an immense amount of spiritual energy. It¡¯s also mixed with an immortal¡¯s vital essence, making its usage of it very precise. There are many taboos and details; one little mistake, and it could ruin your cultivation.¡±


    His words sounded very reasonable, but naturally, immortals would be the most familiar with these heavenly treasures.


    Thus, Wu Xingxue held the bell and thought for a moment, then turned his head to look at Xiao Fuxuan.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed true,¡± Xiao Fuxuan said.


    Yi Wusheng was actually quite certain about this. He even made it sound light. If one were to mess up, not only would their cultivation be ruined, but what was worse was that heavenly treasures were not only rare, they were also extremely hard to come by, even for immortals.


    Once severely damaged, it would be practically impossible to fix it.


    Wu Xingxue, however, didn¡¯t know about this. He gently dangled the bell and was a bit dazed. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Can this be repaired?¡±


    This was also something that Immortals knew best, so he turned to look at Xiao Fuxuan again.


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s lips moved slightly, seeming to want to say the word ¡°No¡±. But he didn¡¯t make a sound.


    He turned his face away for a second, then turned it back, replying, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He was speechless for a while, swallowing the word ¡°impossible¡± that he was just about to blurt out back into his throat.


    He asked himself, is this what an immortal is like? After being stared at unblinkingly for a while, they could turn the impossible into the possible?


    He really wanted to see how it could be done¡­


    Hence, an hour later, there was an extra person on the horse carriage to Falling Flower Mountain Market: Yi Wusheng, who had just said his ¡°final farewells¡±.

 CH 31

    The horse carriage was quite packed, but the atmosphere wasn¡¯t too great.


    Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t like to sit down, and like last time, he chose to stand and lean by the door.


    Fang Chu sat on the same side as Yi Wusheng. Ever since he got on, he has been playing dead, pretending to not wake up until they arrive.


    Ning Huaishan sat with Wu Xingxue. His thin body lay in the corner. The sword scar on his neck was hurting again, and it was damp and soft to the touch like it would reopen again.


    He was rather annoyed by this old wound and decided to vent on Yi Wusheng. He said churly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you still had some regrets? What, they¡¯re gone now?¡±


    Yi Wusheng replied with a face of abashment, ¡°I am ashamed.¡±


    He was a person of great curiosity, as he would always try to get to the bottom of things. But if it wasn¡¯t for this temperament, how would he have developed so many new medicines?


    Before, hindered by his status in the Hua Sect, he always needed to pay attention to everything he did. He needed to remain calm at all times and even had to restrain some of his natural instincts. Now, with few days left to live, he could finally be free and act as his heart desired.


    Ning Huaishan¡¯s original intention was just to provoke him. But seeing that he was only ashamed and not angry, he found no reason to continue the conversation. He shrank back to the corner, and before long, began to rub the scar on his neck.


    He was skinny to begin with, and leaning in the corner made him look rather like a wronged child.


    Yi Wusheng looked at him for a while, then couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Your scar¡ª¡ª¡±


    Ning Huaishan suddenly gave a fierce glare, ¡°None of your business.¡±


    After all, the scar was left by Yi Wusheng back then. Although it was natural for cultivators to eliminate devils, Yi Wusheng couldn¡¯t help but feel worried after seeing his wound like that.


    Yi Wusheng asked, ¡°Is it hurting again?¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°No!¡°


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°I have some medicine¡ª¡ª¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°Not taking it!¡±


    Yi Wusheng still wanted to say more.


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°One more word and you¡¯re dead.¡±


    Things usually didn¡¯t go through his brain when he was cursing others. Only after speaking did he realize that Yi Wusheng was in fact not far from death.


    He actually felt a hint of guilt and remorse.


    Yi Wusheng didn¡¯t speak. He just smiled, and still took out a pill from his medicine pouch.


    Ning Huaishan felt even more guilty.


    When he lifted his head again, he saw that the City Lord, who has been resting with his eyes closed, has half-opened his eyes to look over. He immediately surrendered, taking over the pill from Yi Wusheng¡¯s hands and swallowing it.


    Afterwards, he reached out his leg under the table to nudge Fang Chu¡¯s foot, then transmitted, ¡°Stop pretending to sleep, help me out here.¡±


    Fang Chu remained motionless, and after a while, he transmitted back, ¡°No.¡±


    The reason why Fang Chu began to play dead the moment after he entered the carriage was because ever since the carriage curtains were lowered, he suddenly realized a problem¡ª¡ª


    On the way here, it was the same carriage, and the same five people. He had thought that three of them were devils from Zhaoye City, and one was a puppet under the control of a devil. Hence, they had the upper hand.


    The cultivation sect member, Yi Wusheng, was alone and all by himself, surrounded by devils.


    But not anymore.


    Yi Wusheng was not forced, instead, he came here willingly. The puppet wasn¡¯t a puppet either, and was the Tianxiu Immortal himself. Their City Lord wasn¡¯t just the plain City Lord anymore either, he was the Spirit King of the Immortal Capital ¨C the person who held the same status as Tianxiu.


    Five people, three of them were on the immortal¡¯s side. He and Ning Huaishan were as good as dead.


    Moreover, the former site of Falling Flower Mountain Market had now become the entrance to the Devil¡¯s Den, Zhaoye City. Bringing this carriage full of immortals, would this be considered treason?


    Of all the places they could go, why did it have to be Falling Flower Mountain Market¡­


    Fang Chu felt his stomach turning.


    And right after that, he heard the drowsy voice of his City Lord.


    ¡°Xiao Fuxuan,¡± said Wu Xingxue.


    The man leaning by the door looked over.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat?¡± Wu Xingxue asked, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of room.¡±


    With that sentence, Fang Chu, who was playing dead, and Ning Huaishan, who was acting weak, all instantly snapped their eyes open.


    The carriage was indeed quite spacious. It could easily fit three people on one side. But the problem was the two of them.


    Yi Wusheng and Wu Xingxue were all sitting on the inside, while the two of them were sitting closer to the door. If Tianxiu Immortal were to sit down, then one of them would have to be sandwiched in the middle¡­


    Ning Huaishan immediately kicked Fang Chu, transmitting, ¡°Hey, come sit here NOW. Let Tianxiu sit with Yi Wusheng!¡±1


    Fang Chu kicked back, ¡°If I move to your side, then we¡¯ll be squeezing City Lord to the corner, are you crazy?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Fang Chu¡¯s kick accidentally missed and hit Wu Xingxue instead.


    Wu Xingxue rubbed his handwarmer and said out loud, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m crazy, but what I know for sure is that you two are certainly making quite the commotion.¡±


    Fang Chu: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Fang Chu has been a devil for decades, and this was the first time he got embarrassed. Speechless, he could only glare at the person who started it all, Ning Huaishan.


    Exposed, Ning Huaishan didn¡¯t dare to stay by Wu Xingxue any longer. He quickly shot himself over to the opposite side.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He asked angrily, ¡°What are you running for?¡±


    Ning Huaishan sat down beside Fang Chu. Of course, he couldn¡¯t say ¡°it¡¯s cus I¡¯m scared of you¡±. So he could only reply politely, ¡°It¡¯s to leave a spot for Tianxiu.¡±


    After speaking, there was a moment of silence in the carriage. City Lord and Tianxiu both glanced at him at the same time.


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He felt like there must¡¯ve been something wrong with what he had said, but he couldn¡¯t exactly figure out what it was. He could only cover his neck and try to ease the awkwardness.


    He whined, ¡°City Lord, my neck hurts.¡±


    Let it be your mouth next time, Wu Xingxue thought.


    He lifted his chin and reminded unhurriedly, ¡°the part you are covering has already started to form a scab, you can move your hand a bit lower.¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yi Wusheng¡¯s medicine was indeed powerful. Just one pill was enough to stop the pain. But since he had already started the act, he had to finish it.


    So, he silently moved his finger down a few inches.


    The City Lord was not showing him any mercy, saying softly, ¡°Too late, that part is already forming a scab too.¡±


    Ning Huaishan let down his hand; his act could no longer last.


    The City Lord always had a lazy temperament, even while speaking. He rarely teased them like this. Ning Huaishan, feeling quite wronged, mumbled quietly, ¡°All I did was move to make some room¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue said in his head, ¡°Who asked?¡±


    Besides, Tianxiu Immortal didn¡¯t like to sit with others to begin with, nor did he like to be too close to others. Even if Wu Xingxue asked, and even if Ning Huaishan voluntarily moved, he would still probably just respond with ¡°no need¡±.


    It was like this on the way to the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t move. He stared at Ning Huaishan and just as he was about to continue bullying him, he suddenly noticed a tall figure move through the corner of his eyes.


    The long sword knocking against the waist jade gave off a very subtle sound, approaching him from far to near. The smell and temperature of another person became abruptly more distinct.


    Xiao Fuxuan sat down beside him.


    Wu Xingxue suddenly fell silent.


    This was an eye-opener for Ning Huaishan. Just a moment ago, his City Lord was still in an unpredictable ambiguous state, and a moment later, he immediately quieted down.


    Here¡¯s a nice analogy: It was like a near-extinct masked palm civet with its chest puffed ready to make an aggressive attack. But after two scratches on the chin, it surrendered immediately.


    He suddenly felt like this thought itself was even scarier than his unfathomable City Lord.


    He decided that the safest way would be to be like Fang Chu: Close his eyes and play dead.


    Wu Xingxue, of course, didn¡¯t know what nonsense his subordinates were thinking. When he raised his head again, what appeared in front of him was a row of three people, all with their eyes closed and looking like they had passed out.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    This made him rather angry, making him laugh a little.


    ¡°Laughing at what.¡± Xiao Fuxuan suddenly spoke.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Nothing.¡±


    After retracting his gaze from the other side and tucking the handwarmer into his sleeves, he looked up at Xiao Fuxuan, ¡°I heard them say that the Falling Flower Mountain Market was a busy market centuries ago, but it¡¯s gone now.¡±


    The first time he heard of this place was when Yi Wusheng said that the dream bell of the mortal realm first originated there. The second time was during Yun Hai¡¯s interrogation.


    He should have no memories of that place, but perhaps it was because of the dream bell he carried by his waist, every time the name ¡°Falling Flower Mountain Market¡± was mentioned, he would always vaguely recall a distinctive cacophony of voices.


    That place must have been a lively and bustling place. It was a pity that it has now become the entrance to the Devil¡¯s Den, Zhaoye City.


    According to Ning Huaishan, he personally set that place as the boundary and as the entrance to Zhaoye City back then.


    Wu Xingxue asked, ¡°Then how did the mountain market disappear?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan replied, ¡°Sudden wildfire.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Fire?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan gave an ¡°mm¡± for affirmation. That was already a long time ago. After recalling for a bit, he continued, ¡°The mountain market is supposed to open on the third day of the third month every year. It was said that not long after the market opened that year, a sudden wildfire erupted. The fire was too fierce and too sudden for anyone to respond.¡±


    Every year, the Falling Flower Mountain Market would always be so lively that the lights could form a river. When the fire started, many people outside the market even thought it was the usual market lights.


    That day, nearly four miles of wildfire burned so red that even the moon hanging above it gave off a crimson glow. When the surrounding common folks saw it, they still had no clue what was going on. They pointed to it and exclaimed, ¡°That fiery red is an omen of prosperity!¡±


    Later, only after the entire Falling Flower Terrace2 was covered in smoke, people started to realize that something was off. By the time they got to the market, everything was already too late.


    Multiple cultivation sects came to help, summoning clouds and controlling water, but for some reason, the fire just wouldn¡¯t die out. Only after the entire Falling Flower Terrace was burnt to the ground, leaving nothing else to burn, did the fire finally slowly extinguish.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t born at that time, but I have heard many rumors about it.¡± Yi Wusheng opened his eyes and spoke, ¡°At that time, many people felt like that was no ordinary wildfire. Someone must have done something to cause a heavenly punishment.¡±


    Upon hearing ¡°heavenly punishment,¡± Wu Xingxue immediately looked towards Xiao Fuxuan.


    Yi Wusheng quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s not from Tianxiu. It was said that at that time, Tianxiu Immortal was¡­ uh, was under self-sanction, sealing himself in the far North for an entire century?¡±


    Self sanction?


    Sealed for a whole century?


    Wu Xingxue did not understand what this sanction thing was, nor what the punishment was if one went against such sanction. But before he could come back to his senses, his brows had already furrowed.


    ¡°It¡¯s just some confinement, nothing much,¡± Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s deep voice sounded.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s eyes gleamed a moment of coldness, as if he didn¡¯t want to talk about it any further.


    Having an EQ much higher than that of Ning Huaishan and the others, Yi Wusheng quickly changed the topic, ¡°All in all, the Falling Flower Mountain Market never opened afterwards. The entire terrace was burned to a crisp, and even the rivers that flowed through there would flow out as a crimson red color, snaking throughout the Jiaming Wilderness.¡±


    ¡°Oddly enough, every year on the third day of March, the moon hanging on top of the mountain will still shine crimson red, and the Falling Flower Terrace will still flicker with firelights.¡±


    The first few years this happened, the cultivation sects and the common people saw this and rushed over, thinking it was another fire. Only after they arrived did they realize there was no fire at all.


    Later, people felt like it was because the souls of the individuals that died there could not rest in peace, so they would go there every year to chant and pray for them.


    Then, even later, that place was set as the entrance to the Devil¡¯s Den. Perhaps the sinister energies mutually controlled each other, because the firelights never appeared there ever again for decades.


    According to the people there now, that place had already returned to normal.


    This was also why Yi Wusheng was really puzzled. Why did they have to come to this no-longer-existing Falling Flower Mountain Market to repair the dream bell?


    That was, after all, a heavenly treasure. An immortal wouldn¡¯t just tell you how to build and repair one. For any person with common sense, they would know better than to ask for that. Yi Wusheng has spent his entire life in a cultivation sect, he naturally knew these taboos.


    Fortunately, there was a mouthy person on the carriage¡­


    And were that certain person to ask, Tianxiu Immortal would always reply.


    That person asked what Yi Wusheng wanted to know the most.


    Xiao Fuxuan replied, ¡°Because the Falling Flower Terrace has jade essence.¡±


    That person didn¡¯t even know what a jade essence was.


    He silently looked at Xiao Fuxuan, waiting for a response¡­ but what he received was Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hand.


    That hand flicked the bell that was resting on the seat, and then held it in his hand and studied it for a second. He continued lightly, ¡°Its original materials were jade essence from that place.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The lamp wasn¡¯t lit in the carriage, making the interior quite dim. Only occasionally, the felt door curtains would shift a little, letting in a bit of hazy light.


    Xiao Fuxuan couldn¡¯t see Wu Xingxue¡¯s expression clearly. He could only see his half-closed eyes as well as his fingers that were hooked around the dream bell¡¯s string.


    After a while, Wu Xingxue silently pulled on the string and brought the white jade bell back into his hand.

 CH 32

    Before, the Devil Lord had been trying to foist the dream bell off on others, but now that he carried it on himself, he¡¯d changed his mind. He didn¡¯t remember anything of the past, yet felt this dream bell was rather precious, and simply did not want to let other people touch it.


    ¡­¡­


    Especially not the Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan.


    Each time he touched it, the Devil Lord¡¯s expression was quite subtle. Despite Xiao Fuxuan being the first person he handed the dream bell to just now.


    Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu continued to play dead while witnessing everything clearly through the cracks of their eyes. They thought to themselves: he does indeed live up to our City Lord. We can¡¯t tell what his mood is at all, and it seems like his face may change at any second.


    Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t want to engage in a constant tug-of-war with Xiao Fuxuan over a little bell. But his subordinates misunderstood his calm and unbothered face as a deeper meaning.


    He simply shut his eyes and leaned on the carriage wall to feign sleep. Inside, he couldn¡¯t help but mock himself: I, the great devil lord, now have to imitate the pair of idiots Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu.


    Yet the idiots¡¯ method seemed pretty effective. After playing dead for a bit, he actually felt a bit drowsy.


    ***


    As Yi Wusheng had said, it was a chaotic era. Cultivation sects would erect prohibitions and wards across the boundaries of their sect¡¯s sphere of influence. Just like the seals in Dabei Valley, they came in a wide variety.


    They stood as a thicket in urban outskirts, mountains and valleys, piers and other places, layered atop one another, impossible to ignore.


    Once, those with high cultivation bases among the cultivation sects could have flown on their swords and traveled thousands of miles without any effort.


    Now, however, it was different.


    It wasn¡¯t because their cultivation bases grew weaker. Rather, it was because in that short moment of traveling, the cultivator would have to go through dozens of restrictions and would alarm countless sects as well. Just receiving each sect¡¯s sealed letters on the road would be enough to make one¡¯s hands go limp.


    So these years, to avoid trouble, if it wasn¡¯t an emergency, each sect was forced to primarily use specialized horse carriages to go out.


    Each time the carriage stopped for a bit or made a sudden turn, it was passing another restriction barrier.


    Along the way, one could use these to determine how many cities they¡¯d crossed.


    From Dabei Valley to Falling Flower Terrace, it took about a full day, passing four cities.


    Within his drowse, Xingxue felt the carriage lightly jolting, and internally calculated that this must have been the third one; Falling Flower Terrace wasn¡¯t too far out.


    When they set off, the sky had just brightened, and now it was again approaching dusk. Perhaps because they were getting closer and closer to the Devil¡¯s HQ, Zhaoye City, the thrill in the air grew much heavier.


    Even Wu Xingxue felt the cold.


    His fingers were tucked in his wide sleeves, their tips lightly stroking the handwarmer. The heat in the handwarmer was in fact more than enough. After holding onto it for a while, it would even feel slightly scalding, most suitable for such a winter night.


    But Wu Xingxue was still cold.


    At first, he¡¯d thought that the chill was slipping in through cracks in the carriage windows. But then, he realized that wasn¡¯t it. It was more like it seeped out from the cracks in his bones like liquid ice and circulated throughout his meridians.


    The warmth in his hands just wasn¡¯t enough to cover up that somber chill.


    He tried to circulate his internal energy again several times.


    Even colder.


    His lack of memory was truly annoying. When killing people he didn¡¯t even bat an eye, but in times like these he was utterly useless.


    Wu Xingxue grumbled at himself.


    He lazily opened his eyes a crack, about to get a thick woolen blanket to cover himself. However, he caught sight of Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s gaze at him. It was unclear whether he was looking at him, or just looking through him in a trance.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue was stunned for a moment, then slightly closed his eyes again.


    The blanket was out of reach and getting it would cause too much of a movement. As for the cold¡­


    Just let it be. He was already the Devil Lord, it wasn¡¯t like he could be frozen to death by this.


    As the somber chill wrapped around him, he dazedly fell asleep. Before falling wholly asleep, his consciousness still struggling, he didn¡¯t forget to hold the dream bell tight in his hands lest it be touched again by others.


    Perhaps it was because he was gripping that white jade bell, that he was swallowed whole into a dream.


    ***


    He was also very cold in the dream, the exact same somber chill that seeped from his bones throughout his entire body. But he was only wearing a thin layer of clothing, without even a handwarmer to hold.


    Both his hands were empty as he stood in a certain spacious courtyard. He stooped beside a green section of bamboo to wash his hands.


    The moss and lichens on the masonry were frosted in ice; it could be seen that the water must have been quite cold, yet he remained unfeeling. He just lowered his gaze to look at his ashen-white fingers.


    ¡°City Lord,¡± someone called him.


    Wu Xingxue loosened and tensed his fingers a few times, then composedly straightened his posture and turned his head to look over.


    He saw that Fang Chu was standing below a towering tree. Before his feet was a deep pool, and beside the pool were snowbanks. The water in the pool was murky and thick.


    At first glance, the water was black, but the bubbles that rose to the surface splashed the snow banks dark red.


    There was a hand struggling to stretch out of the pool. It vainly scrabbled a couple times, but one kick from Fang Chu, and it sank back in.


    After a while, there was no more movement.


    Wiping the blood on his sole onto the mossy grass, Fang Chu reported, ¡°City Lord, these two chatty numbskulls are finished, but it¡¯s unclear how far their rumors have spread.¡±


    Wu Xingxue pulled a snow-white cloth from a silver rack beside the bamboo pump. Wiping his hands, he said: ¡°I don¡¯t remember faces. Where did these two little scamps come from?¡±


    Fang Chu: ¡°¡­Little scamps.¡±


    The corners of his mouth twitched.


    His City Lord was always throwing around appellations like this. If people who didn¡¯t understand heard it, they¡¯d think it was some term of endearment. However, those two things who¡¯d been in over their heads were presumably helping their own master scout for intel, and made the fatal decision to scout out No Sparrow¡¯s Landing.


    They so happened upon his City Lord while he was weak and in a bad mood. Hence, they were dunked into the blood pool, leaving not even bones.


    Of course, they might have gotten off even worse if he¡¯d been in a good mood.


    Ning Huaishan had always been a bit spooked by that blood pool, but Fang Chu wasn¡¯t. The only reason he was still alive right now was all thanks to this blood pool.


    On seeing a little golden hook floating atop the blood pool, he carelessly used his fingers to pull it out. After analyzing it for a moment, he said, ¡°City Lord, there¡¯s a soul hook.¡±


    The devil¡¯s den Zhaoye City was a place for neither human affection nor human nature. In great devils¡¯ manors, they¡¯d always raise plenty of little devils to help handle tasks.


    With great devils suppressing them, they were obedient underlings and attendants. But if their masters couldn¡¯t suppress them due to injury or sickness, they would turn into hungry wolves who could bite back at any time, just waiting for the opportunity.


    In order to set their minds at ease and stay in control, some devils would tag their underlings¡¯ vital gates with a soul hook, much like a dog leash on mortal streets.


    Those soul hooks would usually be hidden underneath the skin and muscle, so they could only be exposed upon death.


    If it were an immortal sect, this shady and ruthless device would never have a name carved on it so that no one would ever know who¡¯d done it. But at the devils¡¯ den, was quite the opposite.


    Devils were arrogant and tyrannical, so each soul hook would bear a unique sigil, heedless of being found out. Better that it was seen in fact, as it could help garner infamy for themselves.


    And the greater their infamy, the fewer people that¡¯d dare cross them¡ªand hence, the more docile and obedient their underlings.


    So at first glance, Fang Chu knew whose sigil it was, ¡°City Lord, it ought to be Lord Sang¡¯s.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Lord Sang, which Lord Sang?¡±


    Fang Chu was stupefied.


    Wu Xingxue let out a light ¡°Oh¡±: ¡°You mean Sang Yu?¡±


    Fang Chu truly couldn¡¯t bear it, and mumbled, ¡°There¡¯s only one person in Zhaoye City with the surname Sang¡­¡±


    How can you confuse it with anyone else?


    But his City Lord was quite strange. Perhaps he was too strong, that other people simply did not enter his eyes. Zhaoye City¡¯s many illustrious devils could strike terror in anyone in the world, yet for the City Lord, he occasionally would even have to think before recognizing who the names were.


    Especially this Sang Yu.


    And yet his infamy was second only to Wu Xingxue.


    Before, there were even people who said, each time Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t remember Sang Yu¡¯s name, it was actually a deliberate mocking. Otherwise, how could he not know who ¡°Lord Sang¡± referred to?


    At first, Fang Chu also thought this, but after following Wu Xingxue for a while, he discovered that his City Lord truly wasn¡¯t doing it deliberately.


    Those who could make Wu Xingxue ¡°deliberately¡± do something could be counted with one hand.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ning Huaishan?¡± Wu Xingxue asked, putting aside the cloth.


    ¡°Went out for some stuff,¡± Fang Chu replied, ¡°The stuff you briefed about last time. He said he wants to use these couple days to finish it up. Yesterday I heard him going on about his body feeling cold, so he¡¯s probably about to get his calamity period and won¡¯t be able to leave for a few upcoming days.¡±


    Hearing ¡°calamity period,¡± Wu Xingxue¡¯s expression dimmed.


    Fang Chu cautiously glanced over at Wu Xingxue a few times, and hesitantly probed: ¡°City Lord, your calamity period the past few days¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue turned his gaze toward him.


    Fang Chu went silent, no longer daring to say anything more.


    Wu Xingxue said: ¡°Since the soul hook is Sang Yu¡¯s, how about you go with me on a trip to Sang Yu¡¯s place.¡±


    Fang Chu obediently handed the soul hook to him. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Why should City Lord go over there, shouldn¡¯t it be him rolling over to beg forgiveness?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary.¡± Without taking the soul hook, Wu Xingxue empty-handedly walked out through the long corridor¡¯s exit, ¡°l can¡¯t stand his smell, best that he doesn¡¯t come.¡±


    Fang Chu had only offered the soul hook as a courtesy. Seeing that he didn¡¯t taken it, he quite habitually stuffed it into his own waist sack, then said: ¡°The corpse refining path does indeed bear a somewhat musty air, but Lord Sang¡¯s already refined it to its utmost; there is no smell.¡±


    But upon turning around, he came back to his senses. At times, his city lord was so picky it was practically like he wasn¡¯t a devil. He stopped talking.


    It must have also been a cold winter in the dream. Zhaoye City was fogged over, one¡¯s breath visible when they spoke.


    Wu Xingxue dismounted a black horse carriage and entered a large manor.


    Zhaoye City¡¯s foul devils were often eccentric, with all sorts of odd-looking manors. Especially those of the corpse refining path, their manors were often modeled on mausoleums.


    Sang Yu¡¯s place, however, was quite normal. At first glance, there was no difference between it and those vermilion gates of a wealthy family in the imperial capital. But upon entering the gates, one could see the difference¡ª


    Ordinary households¡¯ guest halls would be lined with chairs. Here, however; the walls were surrounded by a ring of pitch-black coffins.


    The coffin covers were sealed tight with coffin nails all around, and were also bedecked in yellow talisman papers. A vague twanging of laughter was audible.


    If any common folk were to come here, they¡¯d surely be scared to death by that laughter.


    But as though he hadn¡¯t noticed it, Wu Xingxue took Fang Chu through the hall and into a chamber.


    Sang Yu¡¯s underlings strode after them in a flurry, but didn¡¯t dare get too close. They could try to attempt to stop them by shouting, ¡°City Lord, City Lord, CITY LORD!¡±


    ¡°Speak, I¡¯m listening.¡± Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t slow his pace, his stride was neither hurried nor slow, though oftentimes one step would transport him all the way to the other end of a corridor. He was so very sly, as he set those foul devil underlings into hysterics.


    ¡°Our Lord Sang, he, right now it¡¯s not convenient for him to receive guests,¡± the underlings said.


    Haughtiness was Sang Yu¡¯s wont in Zhaoye City, and his domestic underlings were the same. Were anyone else to have entered his manor, they would have long since come to blows without bothering to open their mouths. But alas, it was Wu Xingxue; they fundamentally didn¡¯t dare raise their hands against him, and were instead forced to flap their gums.


    With an ¡°Oh,¡± Wu Xingxue said, ¡°Whether or not it¡¯s convenient is his affair. Do I look like I care?¡±


    The underlings: ¡°¡­¡±


    He entered a place with no one present. Turning a few corners, he flashed to a halt before a lofty chamber.


    It went without saying that he also knew Sang Yu was in this chamber¡ªbecause the entire room was surrounded by an extremely thick musty air, so thick it seemed that tens of thousands of people had been buried here.


    This time, even Fang Chu felt the smell was too heavy.


    Furrowing his brows, Wu Xingxue pinched his nose without any attempt to conceal it.


    The underlings: ¡°¡­¡±


    They couldn¡¯t stop him, could only raise their voices to shout into the chamber, ¡°Lord, City Lord¡¯s here!¡±


    They seemed to both desire and dread approaching the door. Each one looked like a mangy, emaciated mutt, green-eyed with hunger. On one hand, there was the food they lusted after inside, but on the other, they had to curb themselves, not being strong enough.


    No reply came from inside the chamber, but there were some extremely quiet voices, cloying and indistinct, as though sealed off by a ward.


    Yet the musty air wrapping around grew suddenly thicker.


    ¡°Lord¡ª¡± the underlings kept on calling.


    The fingers dangling at Wu Xingxue¡¯s side made a single movement, and with a loud ¡°BANG!¡± that tightly-shut chamber door sealed by a restriction barrier was slammed open by an invisible force.


    Upon knocking into the walls, they issued out a resounding echo.


    The thick, damp, gloomy air flooded out through the doors like a plume of steam.


    Wu Xingxue averted his head and turned back around before at last seeing clearly the scene within the doors¡ª


    The bed curtains were open wide, the room replete with the stench of congealed blood, along with a series of intertwined figures.


    With the restriction barrier broken, the voices once stifled within now flooded out undammed and ricocheted against the walls, doors, and windows, at once smothered and clear.


    Foul devils only ever sought pleasure. Heartless, artless, and even more so lacking normal people¡¯s sense of honor and shame, of righteousness.


    After a moment of composing himself, he turned his body back around, lifting a leg from amongst the crisscrossing bodies to sit on the bed.


    In a husky voice, he spoke toward the door: ¡°Why has City Lord come? I so happen to be on my calamity period. It was truly too cold, so I called for some people to come warm me up. Please excuse me for being unable to welcome you out in the hall.¡±


    Wu Xingxue remained expressionless; it was Fang Chu who widened his eyes.


    Seeing this, Sang Yu began to smile: ¡°What¡¯s that, aren¡¯t all calamity periods spent like this? Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s another way other than relying on this?¡±


    He was embraced by those figures, his body all covered in sweat. Indeed, he didn¡¯t appear to be cold.


    But the moment that sweat dried, he let out an extremely light shiver, and then grabbed one of the people¡¯s hands and held it close to suck up their blood.


    The person whose hand was bitten didn¡¯t react at first, but after a while they began to tremble, to struggle.


    Sang Yu cast away that hand. Leaning back on another person¡¯s body, blood staining the corners of his mouth, he looked toward the great devil at the doorway.


    Lifting the tip of his nose, he ostentatiously sniffed a few times: ¡°Sss¡ªRight, I heard the underlings saying, City Lord had also had his calamity period the past few daysss¡ª


    ¡°Tch, cultivating our ways, free and unfettered, anything goes, the only difficulty being the calamity period. And the higher the state, the more difficult it is.¡± Sang Yu chuckled, ¡°So I was actually a bit comforted, that at the very least City Lord was bound to be suffering even more than I am.


    ¡°But I¡¯d never seen City Lord capture people for his calamity period, so how ever did you manage through them? I was ever so curious, and dispatched some of my people to help me keep a lookout. As it appears, they were unable to return?¡±


    He evidently knew why Wu Xingxue had come, and didn¡¯t put on any pretenses, just got straight to the point. Letting out an unctuous sigh, he said, ¡°Two pitiful things, yet those two pitiful things explained something quite interesting to me yesterday.¡±


    He looked over at Wu Xingxue and said: ¡°I heard that during City Lord¡¯s calamity period these few days, they¡¯d spotted someone at No Sparrow¡¯s Landing, and suspected that their own eyes had been hallucinating and seen wrong. Seeing as those two pitiful things are already dead, I¡¯ll help ask for them¡­ ¡°


    ¡°City Lord, why ever during the calamity period of all days, would the Tianxiu Immortal be in your No Sparrow¡¯s Landing¡ª?¡±

 CH 33.1

    When Sang Yu let that question out, the entire chamber, even the entire Sang Manor went quiet enough to hear a pin drop.


    All those underlings of his turned their heads in unison, dozens of eyes landing unblinkingly on Wu Xingxue. At a time like this, even his ¡°City Lord¡± identity couldn¡¯t suppress their prying curiosity.


    The only one who hadn¡¯t visibly dared peep at all was Fang Chu at Wu Xingxue¡¯s side.


    ¡°City Lord?¡± Sang Yu changed his posture to call him again. He was on his own turf, and was somewhat more impudent than he was outside, ¡°It appears City Lord¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Wu Xingxue interrupted: ¡°And what else did they tell you?¡±


    Sang Yu was taken aback and didn¡¯t react.


    Wu Xingxue repeated: ¡°And what else did those two little scamps explain?¡±


    This time, he no longer spoke in a lilting tone. His voice was light as a feather, yet landed firm.


    At last, Fang Chu couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at his city lord. His lips stirred a few times, as though already getting nervous.


    Sang Yu was also tense for a time, but came back around and calmed down. It was unclear whether it was a pretense, or if he indeed thought himself invulnerable after spending his calamity period glutted high on blood and qi.


    ¡°They said an awful lot.¡± Chuckling, he said, ¡°It appears City Lord is rather struck¡­ Oh, no, is extremely offended over this topic¨C And why? Ever since I heard those two pitiful ones explaining these matters, I kept thinking, why?


    ¡°As you know, this calamity period thing is none other than the resentful souls killed by our hands amassing and, from time to time, finding a way to make life unpleasant for us.¡± Sang Yu¡¯s entire body was abounding with the languor that followed pleasure. ¡°Although ordinary people aren¡¯t very useful, they are easy to capture. And cultivation disciples, they¡¯re a little harder to capture, but they are indeed quite useful to take against the resentful souls. As for Immortal Capital¡¯s denizens, by rights they ought to be the finest of goods, just, there¡¯s no way to get ahold of them whatsoever. And even were we to get ahold of one, it would be no use, for immortal energy simply cannot meld with our bodies brimming with sinister devilish energy. At the time, I thought¡­¡±


    Sang Yu¡¯s constant rambling paused, as though he¡¯d momentarily forgotten what came next, but he then swiftly finished with a scoff: ¡°In short, City Lord, I really had not a mote of malice; I was just thinking, what fine method might our City Lord have found?¡±


    Sang Yu¡¯s constant rambling paused, as though he¡¯d momentarily forgotten what came next, but he then swiftly finished with a scoff: ¡°In short, City Lord, I really had not a mote of malice; I was just thinking, what fine method might our City Lord have found? Raising his chin, he peered straight over from within his half-narrowed eyes: ¡°And the Tianxiu Immortal wielding punishment no less, whom we Zhaoye City people shun for the life of us, the Tianxiu Immortal we instinctively avoid upon just hearing his name? What on earth is this fine method City Lord uses to avail himself of such a person?¡±


    Sang Yu¡¯s constant rambling paused, as though he¡¯d momentarily forgotten what came next, but he then swiftly finished with a scoff: ¡°In short, City Lord, I really had not a mote of malice; I was just thinking, what fine method might our City Lord have found? Raising his chin, he peered straight over from within his half-narrowed eyes: ¡°And the Tianxiu Immortal wielding punishment no less, whom we Zhaoye City people shun for the life of us, the Tianxiu Immortal we instinctively avoid upon just hearing his name? What on earth is this fine method City Lord uses to avail himself of such a person?¡± Sizing up Wu Xingxue¡¯s flimsy white clothing, he saw no sign of suffering under a somber chill about him, and said: ¡°I see that City Lord must have already crossed through his calamity period. So, City Lord, as a fellow denizen of Zhaoye City, might you divulge a thing or two? Always capturing some immortal sect disciples truly gets boring; I¡¯d like to try out a minor immortal or two.¡±


    Devils¡¯ calamity periods get worse each time. Capturing one or two commoners might be enough to muddle through for now, but the next time it¡¯d be three to five, and the time after that even more.


    Going on like this, there would come a time when they couldn¡¯t suppress it anymore. Commonfolk weren¡¯t enough, so they had to find cultivation sect disciples, but what of when immortal sect disciples were no use?


    Sang Yu had nearly already cultivated the corpse path to its terminus, and had no more ways to move forward¡ªthis was one of the reasons for his calamity period. In Zhaoye City, the only one he could consult with was the City Lord. That he dispatched people to spy on him was a matter of course.


    Wu Xingxue hadn¡¯t interrupted throughout, just kept listening to him. The more he talked, naturally, the more likely he was to let out how much he really knew.


    After listening, he said: ¡°There is actually one thing I still don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Sang Yu: ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Wu Xingxue said: ¡°Why do you think that if you ask me, I would just tell you?¡±


    Sang Yu began to smile: ¡°Of course I know it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to get an answer, otherwise how could City Lord have left us all in the dust to become our City Lord? Moreover, having just deeply offended City Lord like this, presumably he wouldn¡¯t let others know about this method so rashly. But City Lord¡­ of Zhaoye City people¡¯s various temperaments, You ought to understand more than anyone. We don¡¯t deign to form friendships, just look at these dogs I¡¯ve raised¡ª¡±


    He swept over those underlings outside the door: ¡°Which one isn¡¯t looking for an opening to take a bite out of me? With so many people like this, it¡¯s hard to sleep at night¡ª If those who want to bite me are merely this lot, then, those who want to bite City Lord, I can only imagine.


    ¡°Given that, mightn¡¯t there be others who¡¯d also be aware of this secret method City Lord is pursuing?¡±


    Wu Xingxue seemed utterly unperturbed. He just slightly nodded his head to say: ¡°It appears those two little scamps of yours were indeed loose-lipped. So, in your opinion, how many people would they have had to talk to, to take effect on me?¡±


    The bones of Sang Yu¡¯s facial profile stirred, as though his jaw had momentarily tightened. But, he still continued to say: ¡°In my opinion¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that he was truly without fear; rather, he didn¡¯t see an issue with talking. Zhaoye City¡¯s people didn¡¯t deign to form friendships, but they were even less likely to provoke one another¡ªbecause, once the foul devils at their side all turned to hungry wolves, to tigers stalking prey, their masters truly wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well.


    Sang Yu wasn¡¯t unafraid of Wu Xingxue; rather, he still estimated that in comparison, the means for a smoothly passing calamity period versus luring a pack of testy wolves to circle him¡­ however he worked it out, the former was the lesser risk.


    ¡°Cui Yin? Chang Gu? Old Daoist Hong Guang?¡± Sang Yu called out the names. All were figures few people in Zhaoye City would dare cross.


    He reported a few, then suddenly paused, because he discovered that Wu Xingxue was listening intently.


    This was the first time he started listening carefully since he entered.


    Sang Yu¡¯s face changed color.


    ¡°That¡¯s seven. Anyone else?¡± Wu Xingxue said.


    This time Sang Yu really frowned: ¡®What is City Lord planning?¡±


    Wu Xingxue replied: ¡°Speak, that¡¯s only seven, are there more? You all want my secret method, you must gather a stronger power than that, am I wrong?¡±


    Sang Yu snatched a robe from the bedside, but his gaze didn¡¯t dare stray from Wu Xingxue¡¯s body. His complexion was getting worse by the moment.


    Wu Xingxue abruptly lifted a foot to cross the threshold, hurriedly followed by Fang Chu.


    At that moment, Sang Yu¡¯s fingers that were gripping his clothes twitched, and almost immediately reported three more names.


    ¡°Ten, any more?¡± Wu Xingxue kept asking.


    Sang Yu let out a scoff, his fingers already crooked. The fresh blood and qi he¡¯d taken in gushed within his veins, his meridians faintly visible through his neck and face as he said: ¡°Well that¡¯s the Tianxiu Immortal, such a bizarre incident, you can imagine¡ª¡±


    The instant the last syllable landed, those pale figures stirred like ghastly creatures.


    A blast of cold air whipped over from before him in just the blink of an eye. Upon coming back to himself, he saw that the Devil Lord was still standing in place, only his robe slightly swaying, while a longsword had appeared in his hand.


    Sang Yu: ¡°YOU!!!¡±


    Wu Xingxue cocked his head to say: ¡°Yes?¡±


    The next moment, those underlings surrounding outside the door all let out a piercing scream.


    The scream was rather unusual, cutting off halfway.


    Afterward, a blood stench even thicker than that in the room emanated out. The sound of dozens of heavy objects hitting the floor, too, issued a stifled clunk¡ªthose underlings were already beheaded, their heads rolling over the floor.


    They died too fast, their bodies still standing as their sliced necks spurted out blood.


    Similarly, due to the swiftness, Wu Xingxue¡¯s sword was only stained with a few droplets of the blood now spurting out.


    With a light flick of his sword, those blood droplets disappeared without a trace, while hoary frost spread down along the hilt.


    Rumor had it that Wu Xingxue never held a sword in his hands.


    Sang Yu had heard of it, but because he was also a devil, they hadn¡¯t crossed paths, so he¡¯d never witnessed it for himself. Until now¡­


    He rapidly shot a glance at Fang Chu, seeing that the sheath at Fang Chu¡¯s waist was empty.


    BANG¡ª!!


    The door behind Wu Xingxue slammed heavily shut, not even leaving a crack.


    The lofty inner chamber¡¯s lanterns and candles abruptly went out. All of a sudden, the room descended into pitch-blackness.


    It wasn¡¯t until that moment that Sang Yu realized he seemed to have miscalculated something. He no longer dragged out with courtesy speaking and instead just yelled, ¡°I JUST WANTED A SECRET METHOD¡ª¡±


    Just a secret method?! What nerve had he struck, that it had come to this?


    He had no time to think it over, and ignited ten golden talismans on the spot.


    At once, hundreds of black coffins throughout Sang Manor suddenly rose. With the talismans¡¯ simultaneous mobilization, the coffin lids burst open. Coffin nails sprang everywhere as yin corpses roared out, making straight for their master¡¯s chamber.


    But it was for naught.


    He¡¯d once thought that he was only a step away from Zhaoye City¡¯s lord, and only a finger-width away from Wu Xingxue. So long as he picked the right day, that finger-width would not be enough for him to be completely overpowered.


    Today had come to this, because he really thought it was a pretty good day.


    Because those two underlings who¡¯d lost their lives had already reported to him, Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t seem to be at his prime today.


    From the devil¡¯s perspective, an even better guess would be¡ªnone other than the result of the collision of immortal energy with devilish energy.


    But would Zhaoye City¡¯s lord do anything he wasn¡¯t confident in?


    Of course not.


    Since the Tianxiu Immortal had gone to his No Sparrow¡¯s Landing, the method of melding immortal and devil was certainly something he held. Just, complete melding would take time, and before complete integration, he wouldn¡¯t be at full power.


    Looking at it like this, the small difference separating them would be rendered null.


    Of this, Sang Yu was assured.


    But it wasn¡¯t until he was held against the ice-cold wall and held by his neck by Wu Xingxue, the entire chamber suffused with the unspeakable smell of yin corpses that had exploded post-mortem, that he realized, he¡¯d again miscalculated a bit.


    His eyes bulged out, he said with great difficulty: ¡°How could it be¡­ why is there not the slightest trace of immortal energy on your body?¡±


    Since he¡¯d passed his calamity period, regardless of how he¡¯d melded the energies, Wu Xingxue¡¯s body must have been stained with the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s immortal energy. Previously, the musty air in this chamber had been too heavy, he hadn¡¯t been able to probe. Now that they were this dose, he discovered that he truly couldn¡¯t smell a whiff of Tianxiu¡¯s immortal energy.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Sang Yu¡¯s eyes bled under the pressure.


    But Wu Xingxue, however, would not answer his words, just said lightly: ¡°Apart from those ten, who else was there?¡±


    Mouth foaming blood, Sang Yu gritted out: ¡°One tells ten¡­ ten tell a hundred¡­ how can City Lord suppress it? Wait till it spreads around Zhaoye City, spreads to the mortal realm¡­ and, then spreads to Immortal Capital¡­ how¡¯ll City Lord stop it then?¡±


    Wu Xingxue cocked his head, his fingers clenching through the air.


    Those coffin nails wedged inside the yin corpses¡¯ flesh all fell into his hands.


    Each coffin nail bore incantations and was stained in bloody tissues, several inches long.


    Looking at him, Wu Xingxue said: ¡°Can¡¯t spread it if they¡¯re dead.¡±


    Sang Yu¡¯s pupils instantly contracted. As a devil, this was the first time he felt a full-body shiver such as this. It was not furious killing intent, but rather like the calamity period¡¯s chill, a fear that spurted out bit by bit from the cracks in his bones and flowed throughout his body.


    ¡°How¡­ will City Lord¡­ go and kill them¡­ one by one?¡± Sang Yu said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I kill them?¡± Wu Xingxue asked in a lilting tone as though he were seriously asking, yet his face was entirely wooden.


    Sang Yu at last realized, he really did appear to have crossed Wu Xingxue¡¯s bottom line. The funny thing was, before this, he hadn¡¯t even thought Wu Xingxue had a bottom line. He was even less able to understand which statement had actually set him off.


    Wu Xingxue silently watched Sang Yu. For a moment, he revealed a slight pallor, but quite rapidly let out a chuckle.


    Without replying to Sang Yu¡¯s words, he just said: ¡°Then just watch me.¡±


    ¡ª


    Translator¡¯s note: This is a long chapter, part 2 coming out tomorrow!

 CH 33.2

    At that moment, even Fang Chu looked at Wu Xingxue with a dubious expression, not understanding this statement.


    But very soon they both understood¡ª


    Because Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t just straight-up kill Sang Yu; he used Sang Yu¡¯s own coffin nails carved with incantations to drive him into the wall, nail by nail.


    And then, he really did follow up on all the names Sang Yu had reported. Through the thick of Zhaoye City¡¯s deep night, he killed them one by one.


    Each one, he¡¯d ask just one thing: ¡°Any more?¡± Anyone else it¡¯s spread to?¡±


    There was an ever-present cold mist in the dream, shrouding all of Zhaoye City, as though it never dispersed all year. Wu Xingxue was in fact unable to distinctly sense his actual frame of mind in the dream.


    When he left the last person¡¯s manor, there was a faint light in the sky piercing through the cold fog. He lifted his head to look and half-narrowed his eyes.


    He handed that sword back to Fang Chu: ¡°What time is it?¡±


    Fang Chu had followed him the entire night. The moment the sword was handed over, his pupils contracted slightly, subconsciously feeling a slight fear.


    ¡°About 6 in the morning.¡± Fang Chu hoarsely answered. Upon taking back the sword, he lowered his head to insert it into its sheath.


    A brocade sachet at his waist jingled. Inside were special things gotten from each of the devils killed over the course of the night.


    Wu Xingxue took Fang Chu back to the first place they¡¯d gone, Sang Yu¡¯s manor, and stood in front of the nailed-down Sang Yu. Fang Chu untied his sachet and poured out those things, each one extremely recognizable.


    Sang Yu¡¯s eyeballs darted back and forth. As he looked them over one by one, his nailed hands and feet trembled.


    Many people had once said, of Zhaoye City¡¯s denizens, the one who looked least like a devil was the City Lord himself. It wasn¡¯t until now that he discovered, when the other party really got down to it, his means of torture were indeed worthy of the title ¡°Devil Lord.¡±


    But this would be the last thing he¡¯d discover in this life.


    Dozens of coffin nails fell to the floor in an endless clinking. Dead, Sang Yu also slammed heavily onto the floor, issuing a thump and splattering a few drops of blood.


    Wu Xingxue lowered his eyes to look at him. After a beat, he tilted his head to say to Fang Chu, ¡°Time to go back.¡±


    When they returned to No Sparrow¡¯s Landing, Ning Huaishan had just happened to return from his errands.


    He was just getting on his calamity period, not too cold quite yet, just rubbing his hands and stamping his feet. He asked Fang Chu, ¡°How are you and city lord just getting back, what were you out doing?¡±


    Glancing at Wu Xingxue, Fang Chu shook his head over and over, saying, ¡°Nothing, don¡¯t ask.¡±


    Ning Huaishan let out an ¡°Oh.¡± While hopping around to warm up, he followed Wu Xingxue into a chamber.


    ¡°City Lord, I¡¯m gonna have to shut myself in for a few more days,¡± Ning Huaishan said nasally.


    Xingxue removed his gauzy outer robe. Lifting it up to look it over, he let out an ¡°Mm,¡± without lifting his head. ¡°I know, Fang Chu told me.¡±


    The bloodstains at the hems of his outer robe had already dried up and could actually be removed through a little clothing-cleaning method without any leftover stains at all. But Wu Xingxue still handed the robe to Fang Chu and said: ¡°Burn it.¡¯


    Fang Chu and Ning Huaishan weren¡¯t the least bit surprised. After all, their city lord¡¯s pickiness wasn¡¯t just a recent phenomenon, especially when it came to things like bloodstains.


    Sometimes they even suspected that Wu Xingxue couldn¡¯t stand the sight of blood.


    But more often, they felt this line of thought was downright foolish. If he really couldn¡¯t stand the sight of blood, then he wouldn¡¯t just kill people like that.


    Fang Chu went out to the blood pool with the outer robe. Flicking a bit of fire between his fingertips, he burned the bloodstained robe. Just in case, he also wiped down the drops of blood on his sheath before going to another side chamber to pick out a clean robe.


    He first picked out one just like the first, pale gray and gauzy.


    Carrying the robe, he walked all the way into the chamber before hastily going back out.


    Wu Xingxue turned his head to ask him: ¡°What is it?¡±


    Fang Chu sputtered out: ¡°City Lord wait a moment please, I chose wrong.¡±


    When Fang Chu returned to the side chamber, Ning Huaishan also followed him in. Folding his arms, he said: ¡°Why¡¯re you dawdling picking out an outer robe?¡±


    Fang Chu shot him a look: ¡°You don¡¯t understand shit.¡±


    Ning Huaishan retorted: ¡°What don¡¯t I understand, as if I never chose the City Lord¡¯s clothing before?¡±


    Fang Chu picked out a fox fur overcoat from the many articles of clothing.


    Ning Huaishan was visibly perplexed: ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Are you stupid? The robe city lord just had you burn was thin as a cicada¡¯s wing, and now you¡¯re picking out a fox fur overcoat, are you trying to overheat city lord to death¡­? If you¡¯re asking for a death wish, do it on your own, I¡¯m out, you give it to City Lord yourself.¡±


    Fang Chu: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You.¡± Fang Chu started but stopped. At the end of his patience, he picked him up like a little chick and dragged him over: ¡°No, if I die, we die together, don¡¯t even think about getting away.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he still told Ning Huaishan about the incident that night. The two of them had always been terrified of Wu Xingxue; they¡¯d never be crazy enough to go after City Lord ¡°secret method,¡± and presumably wouldn¡¯t touch his bottom line and provoke his anger.


    Ning Huaishan finished listening and let out a silent shiver, whispering: ¡°So Sang Yu seriously said that City Lord wasn¡¯t stained with any of Tianxiu¡¯s immortal energy?¡±


    Fang Chu nodded: ¡°Right, if he crossed past his calamity period, there ought to have been some.¡±


    Ning Huaishan finally understood why Fang Chu had replaced the thin clothing with fox fur: ¡°So, City Lord¡¯s still cold right now.¡±


    Moreover, he must have still been suffering the somber chill.


    But he followed it up with confusion: ¡°If city lord was really cold, then why had he still been wearing light clothing? To put down Sang Yu and the others?¡±


    Fang Chu shook his head to say: ¡°Can¡¯t be. If it were really for putting Sang Yu down, then he would have put it on while leaving. But he¡¯d already been wearing it.¡±


    Ning Huaishan puzzled it out: ¡°In his own manor, why would he force himself to wear such light clothing¡­? Whose eyes were he willing himself for?¡±


    Just as Fang Chu was thinking he had no idea, he came up with a sudden clever idea.


    Grasping Ning Huaishan, he said: ¡°Could it be¡­ the Tianxiu Immortal?¡±


    Ning Huaishan was also struck by this answer. After a long pause, he said: ¡°So then maybe¡­ if the Tianxiu Immortal was really here, and it wasn¡¯t like Sang Yu and the others had guessed, then he really couldn¡¯t have shown weakness, or else¡­¡±


    But he swiftly grew even more confused: ¡°No wayyy, for the Tianxiu Immortal to have come to No Sparrow¡¯s Landing, if it wasn¡¯t like Sang Yu and them guessed, then there would have been a clash between immortal and devil, right? Wouldn¡¯t the clash have injured one of them and wrecked half of our No Sparrow¡¯s Landing? Would it be in this intact state right now?¡±


    The more Fang Chu thought, the more stumped he became as well.


    They no longer continued their whisperings and began to ponder. All of a sudden, they felt something was off.


    They weren¡¯t alone¡­ Someone else¡¯s aura was present¡­


    In alarm, Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu turned around to see Wu Xingxue reclining in the doorway, his deep, ink-black eyes having been calmly watching them for who knew how long.


    The past night he¡¯d killed scores of people, costing him a significant amount of internal energy. He only relaxed down after he¡¯d returned to No Sparrow¡¯s Landing.


    Due to his weakened internal energy, certain things that were originally concealed now revealed themselves a little¡­


    This was the reason Fang Chu and Ning Huaishan were able to sense a whiff of an aura that didn¡¯t belong to their City Lord.


    They gaped for a beat, finally realizing that what was slowly revealing itself on Wu Xingxue¡¯s body was¡­ Tianxiu¡¯s immortal energy.


    It was also at that moment that Fang Chu had a sudden revelation: perhaps the nerve that Sang Yu and the others had struck was no such to obtain ¡°a secret method,¡± but rather, to spread the news that ¡°Tianxiu Immortal came over to No Sparrow¡¯s Landing.¡±


    The instant this revelation crossed his mind, the Wu Xingxue who¡¯d previously been leaning against the door had already flashed before them.


    Fang Chu blurted out in terror: ¡°City Lord I won¡¯t talk!¡±


    The hand Wu Xingxue lifted paused.


    Fang Chu tugged on Ning Huaishan, promptly saying: ¡°The thing about the calamity period, we won¡¯t let a word of it get out!¡±


    But Wu Xingxue¡¯s hand still came down.


    Before dosing their eyes, they faintly heard the sound of a bell.


    ***


    Wu Xingxue woke up to the damp sound of rain outside the horse carriage, along with another light jolt of the carriage passing through a prohibition.


    The last scene he¡¯d seen in the dream was his fingers hooked around the dream bell, set toward Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu. The last statement lingering at his ears was Fang Chu¡¯s exclamation: ¡°The thing about the calamity period, we won¡¯t let a word of it get out!¡±


    Amidst that echo, he opened his eyes to see Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s side face cast in the dusky lantern light.


    It wasn¡¯t a filth-warding lantern, nor was it harsh to the eyes, just flickered a few times with the carriage¡¯s slight movement. The warm yellow light fell upon the other party¡¯s browbone and high, straight nose bridge, down to the line of his lips.


    Wu Xingxue hadn¡¯t yet recovered from his daze, and peered out through his cracked eyes awhile when he suddenly pursed his lips.


    Xiao Fuxuan seemed to sense it somewhat, and turned his eyes to look over at that very moment.


    After a moment¡¯s silence, he suddenly recalled that ¡°Tianxiu Immortal¡± was mentioned by so many people¡¯s lips in his dream. After returning to his senses, he hastily withdrew his line of sight from the spot below Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s nose.


    ¡°City Lord¡¯s awake?¡±


    ¡°City Lord.¡±


    Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu¡¯s voices sounded, nearly continuing off from the dream¡¯s lingering sound.


    Wu Xingxue was startled for a moment, until he recalled that they were currently in a horse carriage headed for Luohua Terrace.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s line of sight remained on his body, as he could see from the side of his eye. He straightened himself up, then carelessly picked out something to ask the three people across from him: ¡°Still not there yet?¡±


    Who would have guessed that before Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu could open their mouths, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s light voice have already replied, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was at a loss, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until now that he realized that after that light jolt from his half-dreaming half-awake state, the carriage no longer made any movement, as though they had indeed arrived.


    Wu Xingxue straightened his posture in bewilderment, his gaze still on the table before him: ¡°How come no one woke me up?¡±


    The Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s deep voice supplemented: ¡°Those two didn¡¯t dare to.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Just ask and you¡¯ll answer.


    Normally he¡¯d go half the day without words, yet now he supplied sentence after sentence.


    Xiao Fuxuan had made two whole statements. Were he to keep his eyes fixed on those three people across him, it¡¯d truly be unreasonable. Hence, he¡­


    He lowered his head to glance at his own body. When he¡¯d first gone to sleep, he¡¯d still only been wearing simple clothes and clasping a handwarmer. Now that he opened his eyes, he was inexplicably covered in a thick woolen blanket.


    The moment he straightened up, the blanket slipped down a little, and the chill slipped in through the crack. Wu Xingxue subconsciously grasped the blanket and drew it back up: ¡°This blanket¡­¡±


    This time Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu still wanted to speak but hesitated, and it was Yi Wusheng who answered quickest: ¡°Before, it could be seen¡­ that the joints of young master¡¯s fingers were going blue, likely because you¡¯re a bit cold.¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought to himself, way more than just a bit.


    Just as he was about to nod to Yi Wusheng and thank him, he heard the other party continuing, ¡°So immortal conferred a blanket upon you.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He finally had to look at Xiao Fuxuan.


    Of all goddamn times, it so happened that Ning Huaishan chose now to run his mouth, ¡°City Lord, You might not remember it. We devils have a special condition, and every so often we¡¯ll get a sort of¡ª¡±


    Perhaps he wanted to say something like ¡°resentful spirit backlash,¡± but the moment he mouthed ¡°resentful¡± he glanced to Xiao Fuxuan and silently swallowed it back: ¡°A sort of situation¡­¡±


    Fang Chu also supplemented to the side: ¡°Every so often it¡¯ll bring an unbearable chill to our bodies. The more powerful the person, the harder it is to bear, uhh¡­¡±


    Hindered by the presence of an immortal, they couldn¡¯t be too transparent with their words. But they were also afraid of Wu Xingxue not remembering anything and running into a situation he couldn¡¯t bear. The two of them were so anxious they were nearly pulling their hair out.


    Wu Xingxue snuggled into the blanket, staring wooden-facedly at them and thinking to himself: Stop talking, I so happen to know this one, stop with your monkey business and get the hell out of the carriage.


    As those two idiots stood up to dismount, they kept gesticulating: ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s just that sometimes there¡¯ll be an, umm¡ª¡±


    After they ¡°umm¡±ed a few times, the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s deep voice resounded, helping them finish their sentence: ¡°Calamity period.¡±


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s eyelashes trembled. He nearly covered his face with the blanket in his hands.

 CH 34.1

    The ones with an even stronger reaction than Wu Xingxue were Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu.


    At the time, they were lifting the felt curtains, just about to dismount the carriage. Upon hearing Xiao Fuxuan say ¡°calamity period,¡± however, their heads erupted in question marks, and they tripped over their feet¡ª


    A pair of tumbling sounds issued out; the two little demons nearly fell down and face-planted on their homeland.


    Ning Huaishan clutched the carriage door with one hand to halt his stumbling. After a beat, he pushed the curtain aside and poked his head in: ¡°¡­How did you know?!¡±


    His eyes were big to begin with, and now they were so bugged they looked about ready to fall out, staring unblinkingly with incredulity at Xiao Fuxuan.


    Before long, Fang Chu¡¯s head also poked in, frowning in bewilderment: ¡°How would Tianxiu know the term ¡®calamity period¡¯?!¡±


    Nearby, Yi Wusheng queried: ¡°Calamity period? What does ¡®calamity period¡¯ mean? This is the first time I¡¯m hearing about it.¡±


    Ning Huaishan snapped back: ¡°Well no shit! D¡¯ya think we¡¯d just easily let you cultivators hear about it?¡±


    Yi Wusheng: ¡°?¡±


    When on their calamity periods, devils could be easily taken advantage of and infiltrated if they weren¡¯t careful. So, Zhaoye City¡¯s devils and evildoers maintained a tacit understanding to conceal it by any means possible when leaving the city. No devil would let outsiders, especially people from cultivation sects, to know about this detail, as it would put their own weak spot on display.


    Not to mention, the phrase ¡°calamity period¡± was also an intra-community term for devils; they thought that resentful souls backlashing was a calamity, so they used this name. Were a cultivator to learn of it, they¡¯d probably pat themselves on the back and call it ¡°retribution.¡±


    As they babbled out their questions for a while, if nothing else, Wu Xingxue could at least get the point¡ªthis phrase ¡°calamity period¡± should not have under any circumstances come out of Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s mouth.


    As for why he would have known¡­


    Now that was the real question.


    Grasping the woolen blanket, Wu Xingxue thought back to those vague fragments in his dream, especially the ambiguous tone Sang Yu used when mentioning the ¡°Tianxiu Immortal¡±¡­


    In short, there was perhaps no more place in this carriage for him to hide.


    Yet those two idiots kept braying on: ¡°No wayyy, Tianxiu¡­ how the hell do you know? Who leaked it out?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t immediately respond to their words, but used his sword to prop open the felt door curtain and turned his head to Wu Xingxue to say: ¡°Let¡¯s dismount.¡±


    Wu Xingxue glanced at him, lifted the thick blanket, and went toward the carriage door.


    He lowered his head to pass through the door curtain Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s sword propped up, and was just about to dismount.


    From the corner of his eyes, Xiao Fuxuan shot him a glance, then abruptly addressed the question Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu had been waiting on an answer for.


    Ever so close, his deep voice said: ¡°I just happen to know.¡±


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s heart jumped.


    Immediately after, that voice emanated again: ¡°Put on an overcoat.¡±


    Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu: ¡°?¡±


    He just blurted such a statement out of the blue without any context, startling everyone who heard. After a beat, the pair realized that this statement was directed toward their city lord.


    Umm¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu had originally been planning to say a little more, but were now rendered speechless.


    They just watched as their City Lord froze and shot an unfathomable look at Xiao Fuxuan before at last turning back into the carriage.


    Yi Wusheng pulled out a carriage-furnished overcoat and handed it over, saying: ¡°I don¡¯t understand what this calamity period thing is about, but if it¡¯s an unbearable bodily chill, then wearing a bit more should do well. Perhaps¡­ young master, if you don¡¯t mind, you could describe the calamity period¡¯s symptoms and what means are able to suppress it. If nothing else, I¡¯m carrying all sorts of pills, perhaps they could be of use.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After he spoke, the horse carriage went momentarily silent, enough to hear a pin drop.


    Yi Wusheng was at a loss, showing puzzlement on his face: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu¡¯s faces silently contorted, not daring to interrupt rashly this time. They withdrew in tacit understanding for a while before suddenly realizing a problem¡ª


    Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan had suddenly gone just as silent.


    Of course, Tianxiu was originally a quiet fellow to begin with, who cherished his words like gold. But at that moment, they got the subtle feeling that the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t his normal silence, but like theirs, with a bit of an ineffable meaning to it.


    It seemed like he not only knew what the calamity period was, but even knew the symptoms of the calamity period, as well as how to suppress it.


    Umm????


    Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu exchanged a glance.


    But, before they could ponder, they heard their City Lord saying: ¡°To tell the truth, I don¡¯t remember anything at all about the calamity period. No need for medicine, I don¡¯t like taking it. But I appreciate your kindness mister.¡±


    After he finished speaking, Wu Xingxue got off the carriage wearing the overcoat, almost hurrying a bit.


    Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu rapidly caught up and whispered to him: ¡°City Lord, it¡¯s so weird, that Tianxiu Immortal seems to know everything, even how to suppress a calamity perio¡ª¡±


    Before they could finish, they heard City Lord speaking in an incredibly faint voice: ¡°Please shut up guys.¡±


    The two of them were most fearful of this sort of tone. Scalps numb, they shut their mouths.


    Wu Xingxue finally got a moment¡¯s peace.


    Within the night¡¯s chill, a wind laden with freezing rain whipped straight over, so strong it whistled past his ears. It was only now that Wu Xingxue realized that in the horse carriage, a bit of heat had just risen to the base of his ears and neck.


    Behind him was the light sound of a sword as Xiao Fuxuan also dismounted.


    As Wu Xingxue swept a glimpse over his surroundings, he saw that, after landing, Xiao Fuxuan stood a few paces away from the horse carriage. He met his gaze, but didn¡¯t appear to want to come over.


    ¡°Sss¡­ How come there are so many people by the relay station?¡± Ning Huaishan abruptly asked in vexation.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Wu Xingxue turned to look.


    The place their carriage had stopped was an expanse of hitching posts with a canopy overhead. A place not far behind ought to have been Zhaoye City¡¯s entrance.


    There, he saw a lofty, imperious wall, flanked on either side by minarets, the borders of which appeared to suspend bells and chimes that swayed in the freezing wind, their sound emanating through the misty fog.


    In the center of the high wall was a large gate of black iron, the left and right of which were festooned with dozens of greenish lights.


    At first, Wu Xingxue thought they were lanterns hanging from the wall. But, after focusing his eyes for a moment, he realized they were ghost fires suspended in the rainy mist.


    And between the ghost fires, human silhouettes flickered about.


    Wu Xingxue asked: ¡°Who are they? Guards?¡±


    He thought to himself, wasn¡¯t Zhaoye City the devil¡¯s lair, what would the devil¡¯s lair need guards for?


    On cue, he heard Ning Huaishan reply: ¡°Before, our Zhaoye City didn¡¯t have guards. Those otherworld lights were all put there by City Lord, along with the black bells hanging from the towers¡ªin case someone from Immortal Capital tried to enter Zhaoye City, the black bells would ring, and the otherworld lights would form a wall of fire that go on for thousands of miles.


    ¡°But later, some guards were placed here.¡± Ning Huaishan added.


    ¡°Why?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.


    Ning Huaishan beat around the bush: ¡°Uhh, because City Lord was locked up in that awful Northern Frontiers place, and nobody knew when you could come back. A lot of people were worried the otherworld lights and black bells wouldn¡¯t hold up after a few years, so¡­¡±


    This was already euphemistic wording.


    Wu Xingxue tacitly understood. Presumably, those devils in Zhaoye City thought he¡¯d met certain death, and no longer trusted these things.


    Moreover, arranging guards meant that there was someone calling the shots in Zhaoye City.


    Wu Xingxue waved a hand at Ning Huaishan, asking: ¡°Come, tell me, who is the current City Lord of Zhaoye City?¡±


    Curling his lip unreconciled, Ning Huaishan subconsciously said: ¡°Xueli.¡±


    After saying this, he was pushed heavily by Fang Chu.


    Ning Huaishan came back to himself immediately, ¡°City Lord¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue wasn¡¯t surprised in the least. Since he¡¯d entered the Northern Frontiers, all the world thought him dead. It would have been impossible that the position of City Lord of devils¡¯ lair Zhaoye City had remained empty. With so many devils and demons, there¡¯d always be someone striving for the top seat. That there was a new City Lord was a matter of course.


    He again recalled how back when he¡¯d just gotten out of the Northern Frontiers, Ning Huaishan had borne an expression of hurriedly getting him back to Zhaoye City, likely because of this.


    ¡°Xueli?¡± Yi Wusheng blurted out, ¡°Xueli¡­¡±


    Possessed by a devil, he¡¯d been muddleheaded for over twenty years. Before he awoke, he had no idea who the new City Lord of Zhaoye City had become. Now hearing the name, he repeated it a few times, saying: ¡°This name is the same as that of a former acquaintance of mine.¡±


    Fang Chu: ¡°Was your former acquaintance from the Feng family?¡±


    Yi Wusheng nodded: ¡°Yes, the Feng family had a good relationship with my Hua family for generations. The previous family head had two sons and a daughter. Eldest son Feng Feishi, precious daughter Feng Juyan, and youngest son Feng Xueli.¡±


    Fang Chu: ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s him.¡±


    Yi Wusheng went pale with shock: ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡±


    Fang Chu: ¡°It¡¯s that Feng Xueli. I don¡¯t know how he fell out with his family or how he began cultivating the devil¡¯s path. When he came to Zhaoye City, he abandoned his family name and only kept Xueli. The past few years our Zhaoye City hadn¡¯t produced any great devils, just let him take it over for cheap, and he became the new City Lord.¡±


    ¡°Not only that!¡± Ning Huaishan¡¯s temper flared up, his face pulled longer than a horse¡¯s: ¡°When he came to Zhaoye City, he didn¡¯t make a manor for himself. He had his heart set on occupying City Lord¡¯s No Sparrow¡¯s Landing. If it weren¡¯t for No Sparrow¡¯s Landing sealing itself off after City Lord left, he might¡¯ve already moved all his family property in there!¡±


    Because of this, he looked upon Xueli with extreme disdain.


    Before, he and Fang Chu were eager for Wu Xingxue to return to the city as soon as possible and kill off that dog¡¯s mighty air. Just based on his City Lord¡¯s skill, as soon as he came back, what would become of Xueli¡¯s domineering behavior then?


    But now he¡¯d changed his mind. Their City Lord didn¡¯t remember anything, and was just getting on his calamity period. Best to wait for his memory to be reinstated and his calamity period to be crossed, and then take on Xueli before he knew what hit him.


    So, right now was not a good time for identity reveals.


    As Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu were thinking as much, they called Wu Xingxue, wanting to change his appearance a little before crossing the relay station.


    But before they opened their mouths, they heard a gust of wind from behind.


    It was a dark, corpse-qi-laden wind. Upon smelling it, Wu Xingxue suddenly recalled Sang Yu¡¯s manor in the dream¡ªpeople on the corpse refining path would always have this odor about them.


    Wu Xingxue pinched his nose. As he was about to lift his gaze again, he saw that the flickering figures beside the city wall were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the dozens of black-robed people had flashed right before them.


    Their skin was pale white, and across their necks was an extremely noticeable black line. At first glance, it was evident that they¡¯d been decapitated and then sewn back together by force.


    Upon looking closer, he discovered that those lines weren¡¯t an even stitchwork of black thread, but a circle of coffin nails driven into the neck.


    ¡°These are the new City Lord¡¯s guards?¡± Wu Xingxue studied them. Cocking his head to the side, he murmured, ¡°They¡¯re so ugly.¡±


    As he finished talking, he encountered a rare moment when he didn¡¯t hear an echo. He thought to himself, so there are times when Ning Huaishan has some sense of reservation.


    But soon, he heard Ning Huaishan¡¯s voice elsewhere: ¡°We¡¯ve only been gone from the city for a few days, how come there are so many extra people at the relay station?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Before, Ning Huaishan had still been close by his side, but at some point, he¡¯d gone a few steps away. So who was the person standing at his side and listening to his mouthing off now?


    Wu Xingxue turned his head, seeing Xiao Fuxuan carrying his sword.


    Wu Xingxue was startled: ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t you just standing over by the carriage, how¡¯d you end up here?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°If you hadn¡¯t turned your head to look, how would you know I was standing by the carriage?¡±


    Wu Xingxue moved his lips, but didn¡¯t issue any sound. That subtle, ineffable feeling from before came floating back up.


    He faintly sensed that the Tianxiu Immortal seemed a bit unhappy. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t been like this when Wu Xingxue had just woken up. Thinking back, it seemed that he¡¯d been like this ever since he¡¯d told Yi Wusheng ¡°I don¡¯t remember the calamity period¡± and then hurried out of the carriage.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Um¡­.


    He was but a devil, presumably he¡¯d never cared whether others were happy or unhappy. Besides, he truly didn¡¯t know whether, under these circumstances, if he were to say something, what should he say.


    Better to just act as if he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    As the Devil Lord thought, he pursed his lips.


    After a second, he again moved them again, ¡°Why did you come over?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan lifted his eyelids: ¡°Came to help someone change faces.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    He gaped for a moment, hearing Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s low voice saying: ¡°Stand still.¡±


    The next moment, he understood Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s meaning¡ªjust to hear the leader of Zhaoye City¡¯s guards advancing a few paces while explaining to Ning Huaishan: ¡°Falling Flower Terrace is exhibiting strange phenomena. To keep from drawing people over, City Lord ordered an increase in the city¡¯s defense. Of course you guys can enter the city with no problem. As for these three¡­¡±


    That pack of guards ignited a fire on their palms to illuminate their way. Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu were Wu Xingxue¡¯s trusted aides; practically no one in Zhaoye City wouldn¡¯t recognize them. But the other three, they still had to examine.


    They¡¯d gotten very close. Under these circumstances, if Xiao Fuxuan lifted his hand to change anyone¡¯s face it¡¯d be too conspicuous.


    Wu Xingxue thought to himself, too late, it¡¯s over.

 CH 34.2

    They¡¯d originally planned to sneak into Falling Flower Terrace to get a little jade essence to restore the dream bell. Everything else could wait until he unraveled the dream and restored his memory.


    But now with this, they¡¯d likely make a scene¡ª


    With this face of his, Zhaoye City¡¯s people were sure to recognize him.


    And Xiao Fuxuan was even worse, being, after all, the Tianxiu Immortal. Based on those fragments he¡¯d dreamed, he reckoned most of Zhaoye City¡¯s people knew what Xiao Fuxuan looked like.


    Even Yi Wusheng was dangerous. As an elder of an influential cultivation sect with an outside reputation, there was no way to prevent people from recognizing him at a glance.


    All things considered, they truly didn¡¯t appear to be attempting a low profile¡ªmore like they¡¯d come to incite all of Zhaoye City.


    As a guard approached with a palm flame, Wu Xingxue heard a pair of syllables shooting out from the crack in Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s lips: ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    It¡¯s done?


    Wu Xingxue saw that he hadn¡¯t had a chance to lift his hand; he was utterly bamboozled. If he hadn¡¯t moved, how could it be done?


    Before he could turn his head, he saw that nearby, Yi Wusheng¡¯s style of dress hadn¡¯t changed, a thick scarf still covering his mouth and nose, but his exposed eyes and brows had already changed appearance.


    At first glance, he looked like a frail scholar being manipulated by a devil.


    As the guard¡¯s palm flame swept over, Wu Xingxue squinted his eyes in the dazzling light.


    That moment, the guard let out a hiss, muttering to another guard to the side: ¡°These eyes¡­ Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen them somewhere before.¡±


    From the corner of his eyes, Wu Xingxue saw Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu¡¯s hands already pressing against their sword handles, as though ready to attack at any moment. Then, the other guard said: ¡°It¡¯s been two days, and every day you keep feeling like you¡¯d seen someone somewhere before.¡±


    They examined them again, this time turning palm flames to Xiao Fuxuan.


    From this Wu Xingxue could be assured, his own face, much like Yi Wusheng¡¯s, had already been turned unrecognizable.


    ¡°Are you done checking yet? You¡¯re really dragging your feet. I already said, we were just hungry along the way and snatched a few people in passing,¡± Ning Huaishan spoke with evident impatience, ¡°What else could we be bringing in?¡±


    It appeared that he and Fang Chu had some standing in Zhaoye City. Seeing his impatience, the guards wasted no more time, and promptly opened a path through.


    ¡°Oh, when entering the city, don¡¯t use the Falling Flower Terrace path, City Lord opened another path to its right,¡± a guard exhorted from behind.


    ¡°What strange phenomena has there been around Falling Flower Terrace?¡± Ning Huaishan asked.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s nothing other than a blaze appearing on the mountain again.¡±


    ¡°A blaze?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought back to what Yi Wusheng had said in the carriage before, how back then, after the Falling Flower Mountain Market burned down, each year on the third day of the third month, the entire Falling Flower Terrace would still be ablaze. It¡¯d lured a bunch of immortal sect disciples over, but all they¡¯d discovered was a desolate expanse of scorched earth, nothing else.


    It wasn¡¯t until Falling Flower Terrace was drawn into Zhaoye City¡¯s territory and became Zhaoye City¡¯s entrance, that the blaze on the third day of the third month slowly disappeared.


    Did these guards mean that, centuries after the fire, it was happening again?


    Ning Huaishan said: ¡°When we¡¯d left the city a few days ago, it was still just fine.¡±


    The guard replied, ¡°It¡¯s just started the past couple days.¡±


    The past couple days?


    Wu Xingxue worked it out in his head.


    Wasn¡¯t that when they¡¯d just left Dabei Valley?


    Coincidence? What further implications were there between them?


    He pondered for a while. By the time he recovered his senses, they were already standing before the black iron gates. Supposedly, the otherworld lights he¡¯d set up would float faintly on either side, and when a group of people approached, they¡¯d sway up and down a few times, appearing to get restless.


    Taking advantage of the guards not being nearby, Ning Huaishan said quietly: ¡°City Lord, do you still remember how to work these otherworld lights?¡±


    Wu Xingxue spoke calmly: ¡°I forgot. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Ning Huaishan¡¯s entire face gave off a petrified look: ¡°These otherworld lights recognize immortal energy, they¡¯re very sensitive. It¡¯s said that in their hundreds of years of being gatekeepers, they¡¯d never made a mistake. They¡¯ll immediately catch anyone from the Immortal Capital, just changing appearances won¡¯t be enough to fool them.¡±


    Xing Huaishan peeped at the Tianxiu Immortal, and his voice got even quieter: ¡°If You remember how they work, it¡¯d be easy to just let Tianxiu in on his own. But You don¡¯t remember, so what should we do?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Unsure whether to laugh or cry. Ning Huaishan said: ¡°They say when these otherworld lights burn up it¡¯s really scary, I don¡¯t wanna die here, I¡ª¡±


    Halfway to crying, his eyes abruptly widened into perfect circles, and the tail end of his words went awry, nearly cut off.


    Wu Xingxue turned his head to follow his gaze, and saw that Xiao Fuxuan merely paused a moment before the otherworld lights, and then strode right on forward.


    His longsword¡¯s clinking let out a very faint sound, and his robe fluttered out, revealing his long, sturdy black boots.


    The otherworld lights on either side just lightly swayed a few times, as though hesitating a moment. Soon after, they calmed down, totally unconcerned with how they¡¯d just let in an ascended immortal.


    Xing Huaishan: ¡°?????????¡±


    At that moment, he and Fang Chu were truly flabbergasted.


    ¡°City Lord, how come he could enter¡­?¡±


    ¡°How come he could enter even without you doing anything¡­?¡±


    ¡°It looks like this isn¡¯t even his first time entering.¡±


    ¡°City Lord?¡±


    They turned to look at their City Lord, only to see City Lord¡¯s narrow neck and chin burying themselves into the silver-white fox fur. After a beat, words escaped from between his lips: ¡°Don¡¯t know, are you two going or not?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Going.¡±


    Until crossing the heavy black iron gates, Wu Xingxue kept on thinking over those phrases ¡°how come he could enter,¡± and ¡°this isn¡¯t even his first time entering.¡±


    In fact, he could guess how come.


    Because in that dream, Sang Yu said when those two little imps had been spying on No Sparrow¡¯s Landing, they saw the Tianxiu Immortal. If the dream was true, then it meant the Tianxiu Immortal had once come to Zhaoye City without ever stirring the otherworld lights, without tasting the otherworld ghost fires¡¯ conflagration.


    But from Ning Huaishan¡¯s words, the otherworld lights had been set up by him. If they were to be meddled with, perhaps they could only be changed by him.


    So, there was only one explanation¡ª


    A long time ago, when he¡¯d been Zhaoye City¡¯s lord, he¡¯d already allowed Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s passage.


    ¡­..


    Wu Xingxue stopped in his tracks.


    He¡¯d subconsciously been following the silhouette before him. It wasn¡¯t until now, lifting his eyes, that he discovered that at some point he¡¯d already entered a mountain path and was currently standing within an expanse of fog.


    He¡¯d barely even taken a step when he saw Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s tall back submerging into the white fog.


    This fog was abnormally thick, and exceptionally cold.


    When Wu Xingxue passed through in turn, he felt the misty air swiping against his neck, as though a large drop of freezing water had plopped onto his nape and trickled down his back.


    The chill was so brisk he shut his eyes. When he opened them again, the scene before him had already completely changed.


    The thick fog fell behind him, and beside his feet was a white boundary stone crawling with vines and inscribed with the words ¡°Falling Flower Terrace¡± in beautiful handwriting.


    Before him snaked yellow-orange lights. Commencing at his feet, the mountain path wound straight on up into the sky.


    Illuminated by the lights were faintly distinguishable buildings connected by arches, their windows and doors wide open. Shop windows of all shapes and sizes were strewn everywhere, along with human figures milling about.


    All sorts of banners fluttered in the mountain¡¯s shadow. The nearest one was a long banner that read four large words.


    Falling Flower Mountain Market


    Wu Xingxue stood there awhile, lifting his feet to walk over to the long banner.


    As he lowered his head past the banner, a swell of lively human voices surged over like the Eternal Sea, washing over him.


    Although he¡¯d completely lost his memory, upon hearing that clamorous din, he abruptly felt that this was it; this was the Falling Flower Mountain Market of yesteryear.


    But the real Falling Flower Mountain Market had already burned down, and disappeared centuries ago.


    So what was this before his eyes?


    The guard from when they¡¯d just entered the city gates had said, there had recently been strange movements around Falling Flower Terrace, frequent sightings of lights in the mountain.


    Could it be that he¡¯d accidentally set foot in an illusion realm?


    Then this illusion realm was really too real.


    This mountain market didn¡¯t appear to be set on the mountain path; it looked more like a never-ending lane. The ground was paved with white stones, but not paved very seamlessly. When he stepped on one it¡¯d wobble a little to the side, and when he stepped off it¡¯d fall lightly back into position.


    Nearest to him was a three-story teahouse. Its floors were set into the mountain, but weren¡¯t at all askew.


    A long string of lanterns hung down from its flying eaves. Many people were sitting in the teahouse, chatting away, while a folk storyteller sat before the hall grasping a block of gavel wood, spittle flying in all directions.


    A waiter was hoisting up a white cloth as he set up a stand outside the hall. His hawking pierced through Wu Xingxue¡¯s ears: ¡°Falling Flower Terrace immortal spring fried spiritual tea. One pot cures all diseases. Two pots guarantee a thousand years without worry¡ª¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He loitered beside the pennant erected by the teahouse for a while until he really couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, and extended a hand to feel along its border¡­


    This illusion realm was somewhat powerful, even the texture of coarse cloth was rendered clearly.


    ¡°Ai, Lord Official here! Don¡¯tcha pull at my place¡¯s banner!¡± The waiter said to him: ¡°Are You drinking tea? My place¡¯s tea and refreshments are a must, no need to taste anything else in this Falling Flower Mountain Market.¡±


    Wu Xingxue shook his head, just about to say: ¡°No thanks.¡±


    He suddenly caught sight of a tall figure approximately three-to-five meters away from him. The person lifted his sword to push aside the fluttering shop pennants, and dodged to the side to let an uncle pushing a shop cart through. Wu Xingxue watched as he was about to disappear into the sea of people.¡±


    Wu Xingxue strode over, about to shout ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    Just as the syllable ¡°Xiao¡± left his mouth, he felt a clap on his shoulder. The next moment, a palm gently covered the space below his nose. Retreating half a step, his back was knocked into an expanse of warmth.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s voice sounded beside his ear, kept quite low: ¡°Don¡¯t say that. This is an illusion realm.¡±

 CH 35

    In that instant, a fragment flashed across Wu Xingxue¡¯s mind¡ª


    Another occasion when he oughtn¡¯t to have uttered a sound, and was in the same posture as now, with Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s hand muffling him. He even remembered the feel of the other party¡¯s thumb lightly touching the tip of his nose, the light breath of his whispered words sweeping past his earbones.


    His shoulders and neck went taut for a moment, and he spoke quietly to the one holding him down: ¡°Xiao Fuxuan, do you know how reckless it is to touch the Devil Lord from behind?¡±


    It was a vital gate, too easy to incite an instinctive killing move.


    ¡°I know.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence. Xiao Fuxuan said lowly and methodically: ¡°But Wu Xingxue¡­ you withdrew your internal energy.¡±


    Wu Xingxue returned to his senses.


    He realized in hindsight that when he was clapped on the shoulder, he¡¯d also instinctively curled his fingers. But upon knocking against Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s chest, upon hearing the other¡¯s voice, he slowly disengaged his internal energy.


    Before he could react, he¡¯d already been carried by Xiao Fuxuan behind a sound-barrier wall.


    The market was still noisy, but it was only on the other side of the wall.


    Looking toward the piping steam at that faraway tea shop, he asked: ¡°Is it really an illusion realm?¡±


    The palm over his lips stirred, withdrawing


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Xiao Fuxuan asked, ¡°It was too noisy outside to hear clearly.¡±


    ¡°I said, is this place really an illusion realm? I can¡¯t help but feel it¡¯s too realistic.¡± Wu Xingxue looked outside the wall for a while.


    Xiao Fuxuan replied, ¡°You can think of it that way.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°What you see is an illusion, but the scene is real.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After a beat of silence, he turned his head around to say: ¡°Immortal¡­ that didn¡¯t help.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He shot Wu Xingxue a look as though he had no words, but still opened his mouth to supplement: ¡°Falling Flower Mountain Market is long-gone, yet it appeared now out of thin air; naturally it is an illusion realm. But this mountain market¡¯s scenery isn¡¯t built on naught; it is Falling Flower Terrace as it once was on a certain day.¡±


    Falling Flower Terrace as it once was on a certain day?


    Wu Xingxue looked back at the market.


    This had truly been too much of a coincidence from start to finish. As soon as they¡¯d set off from Valley of Great Sorrow, Falling Flower Terrace had exhibited strange phenomena.


    The previous strange phenomena had always been sudden bursts of firelight, yet the moment they¡¯d stepped foot into the mountain, the strange phenomena were no longer just flames, but a certain day in Falling Flower Terrace¡¯s past.


    The first time one could still call it coincidence, but if coincidences piled up, there must be something else behind all this.


    If the illusion was Falling Flower Terrace as it once was on a certain day¡­


    Was this to let them know something? Or to get them to do something?


    Wu Xingxue mulled it over, and turned his head to say: ¡°Xiao Fuxuan, is your memory good?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s expression was a bit complicated.


    Before Wu Xingxue could say anything else, Xiao Fuxuan said. ¡°I can¡¯t tell which day it is.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°I didn¡¯t even ask yet.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s gaze swept over him, ¡°It¡¯s written clearly on your face.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Okay.


    He had indeed been planning to ask this, and in the end, his question had been choked back in advance by the Tianxiu Immortal. However, he was simply not ready to give in.


    He looked toward the market. That previous tall figure was already nowhere to be seen, submerged somewhere in the bustling tide of people. Without turning his head, he asked: ¡°That one you said couldn¡¯t be called for just now, was it you?¡±


    After asking, he subconsciously grumbled out: ¡°It should be, I¡¯d never mistake you.¡±


    Behind him, Xiao Fuxuan suddenly asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Wu Xingxue turned his head to look at him: ¡°Hm?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan withdrew his line of sight from the market, his gaze slightly lowering to Wu Xingxue¡¯s body: ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you mistake me?¡±


    Wu Xingxue opened his mouth but didn¡¯t answer. All of a sudden, he went quiet.


    The teahouse¡¯s shop assistant again bellowed a long plug for his wares, breaking the ambiance of this nook.


    Wu Xingxue hastily turned his head to glance over, and changed the subject: ¡°Since you came here that year, do you by chance still remember¡ª¡±


    As he spoke, upon again turning round, he saw that the Tianxiu Immortal was peering over at that teahouse with a withering glare.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He paused, then abruptly began to laugh.


    This seemed to be the first time since waking up in the Northern Frontiers that he¡¯d laughed like this, completely unburdened and unhampered. He wasn¡¯t scaring people, wasn¡¯t sneering, wasn¡¯t helpless out of anger, wasn¡¯t even scheming against others.


    Xiao Fuxuan withdrew his glare from the teashop to look at him. After a long while, he said: ¡°Done laughing? If so, let¡¯s go.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he strode out of the nook, carrying his sword.


    Wu Xingxue followed up behind him. His words still bore laughter between the lines: ¡°Hey, I still hadn¡¯t finished asking.¡±


    Since this illusion realm had a Xiao Fuxuan in it, then he could have him try and think back to the year he¡¯d come to Falling Flower Mountain Market, and whether he¡¯d ever run into something fishy.


    But reconsidering it, Wu Xingxue thought, it¡¯d already been centuries ago. After all that time, who¡¯d remember that stuff?


    Hence, he changed his mind after saying that, and said: ¡°Whatever, just act like I hadn¡¯t said anything.¡±


    But Xiao Fuxuan seemed to have guessed his intent, and said: ¡°I¡¯d come to this mountain market quite a few times.¡±


    The implication was: just based on a single silhouette, he truly couldn¡¯t determine which time it was, let alone recall what had happened at the time.


    Wu Xingxue nodded his head: ¡°Then where to now?¡±


    Just as his voice fell, they happened to walk to a high lookout point, so that upon raising his eyes, Wu Xingxue could take the entire meandering crowd of people before him.


    In a somewhat distant place, he again caught sight of that familiar back. Because both his appearance and height were particularly outstanding, he was easy to spot in a crowd.


    That was the Xiao Fuxuan of the illusion realm.


    ¡°So, just, following you on your own?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.


    These words sounded very weird. Xiao Fuxuan ¡°mm¡±ed in agreement without saying anything more.


    ¡°Then why not just follow after him instead of dragging me into a corner?¡± Wu Xingxue then said.


    These words sounded even weirder. After a beat of silence, Xiao Fuxuan finally opened his mouth, ¡°Too close and we¡¯d be detected.¡±


    True.


    Wu Xingxue thought to himself, after all, the illusion realm¡¯s Tianxiu Immortal was also the Tianxiu Immortal. Having a couple people tailing him at that distance, it¡¯d be impossible he wouldn¡¯t be aware of it.


    Just imagine if an unidentified person were to be tailing him, let alone for it to be an identical person¡­


    A fight would be an understatement. Killing moves would probably be unleashed without a doubt.


    No wonder Xiao Fuxuan had to cover his mouth before; if he hadn¡¯t it would¡¯ve meant trouble.


    ***


    Falling Flower Mountain Market Mountain supposedly went on for nearly a dozen miles, too long to see the end at a glance.


    Within the twinkling lights, they hadn¡¯t yet crossed one mile when they abruptly smelled an extremely heavy fragrance.


    The entire street nearly overflowed with this scent, so strong it made Wu Xingxue¡¯s headache. Pinching his nose, he said in a low voice: ¡°They must have overturned an entire cart of rouges and perfumed powders, right?¡±


    Sure enough, he heard a commotion up front, full of endless complaints. It so happened that a group of passers-by were curiously rubbernecking, stopping up the entire area before them.


    They watched as a shop assistant scuffled a couple paces like a skinny monkey and clambered up on the table to address the crowd: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, guests and officials, don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t curse, please calm down and quell your anger. Next door, Liji House¡¯s Rouge, right when they were opening up, somehow a falling rock crashed down and knocked over their cart, so the rouges and perfumed powder cases scattered all over the ground. They¡¯re cleaning it up right now.¡±


    ¡°There are falling rocks in Falling Flower Mountain Market?¡± Wu Xingxue was somewhat astonished.


    Because he was pinching his nose, his voice came out muffled.


    Xiao Fuxuan tilted his head to hear clearly, then said: ¡°Indeed strange.¡±


    Normally speaking, this mountain market happened every year. All the buildings and shops were built into the mountain and arranged along the mountain wherever it was stable. Wherever it was dangerous ought to have long been clearly demarcated. If there were falling rocks from time to time, this Falling Flower Mountain Market could never have become so flourishing and lively.


    ¡°These shop roof tiles, weren¡¯t they all reinforced by the immortal sects?¡± Quite a few people in the crowd also erupted in doubts, ¡°How could there be falling rocks, in all these years I¡¯ve never seen such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the shop assistant said, ¡°Indeed, our shopkeeper said he¡¯d already sent people to ask after the Feng family, please don¡¯t be afraid everyone.¡±


    ¡°Feng family again?¡±


    Wu Xingxue himself didn¡¯t remember those immortal sects clearly, and had the deepest impression of the Hua family. Feng family could roughly be considered to have made the second deepest impression on him, because right before they¡¯d gone through Zhaoye City¡¯s entrance, they¡¯d heard about the relationship between the new city lord Xueli and Feng family. Hearing them mentioned again now, it was hard to ignore.


    ¡°If there¡¯s trouble in the mountain market, they¡¯ll go call on the nearest immortal sect, or the most powerful immortal sect in the vicinity,¡± Xiao Fuxuan explained.


    As he spoke, Wu Xingxue noticed that the ¡°Xiao Fuxuan¡± they were following had abruptly stopped and swept a penetrating glance over the crowd behind him.


    Wu Xingxue came back to himself rapidly. He immediately grabbed the person next to him and yanked the other party into the nearest inn, using the corridor¡¯s column to hide.


    Compared to the mass of people in front, this inn was quite lonely. There was only a middle-aged man with bags under his eyes click-clacking an abacus behind a wooden counter.


    Upon hearing the sound, he didn¡¯t raise his head, just let his rough voice drawl out: ¡°Bellboy, there are people here.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was originally going to leave after hiding, but saw a little bell hanging from a rack above the front counter. It was also made of white jade, and flowed with a warm, glossy light under the lamps.


    At first glance, it was quite similar to the dream bell.


    In this pause, a short and chubby silhouette plodded down the wooden staircase with a round ¡®Dong Dong Dong¡± sound.


    ¡°Who¡¯s here boss? People have come again? Our shop¡¯s really been odd these past couple days!¡± The little chubby kid wasn¡¯t fully grown, and looked like a ball rolling over. He nearly knocked straight into them, but was blocked by Wu Xingxue¡¯s outstretched hand.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s hand was cold as ice. The little chubby kid let out a shiver at the freezing touch, at which point he fixed his eyes on the two people who¡¯d come. Then, for some reason, he was struck dumb.


    He took a look at Xiao Fuxuan, then took a look at Wu Xingxue, his mouth opening and closing without uttering a word all the while.


    ¡°Is something wrong here?¡± Wu Xingxue rubbed his fingertips together, thinking to himself, no wonder, my hands are too cold, gave him quite a shock.


    The little chubby kid promptly waved his hands: ¡°No no no no.¡±


    Perhaps it was because he was so close now, and he¡¯d made a large movement. Moreover, the street full of perfumes and powders wasn¡¯t so heavy in this nook.


    In the wind from this little chubby kid¡¯s hand-raising motion, Wu Xingxue sniffed out a subtle scent. The smell could¡¯ve dispersed without anyone¡¯s notice, leaving no trace.


    Were it another person, they might not have noticed it at all.


    But Wu Xingxue was different. Before, in his dream, he¡¯d had a deep impression of this smell, and then smelled it a second time at Zhaoye City¡¯s entrance.


    This was the third time today¡ª


    On this little chubby kid¡¯s body, there was actually that same musty scent as those cultivating the corpse-refining path like Sang Yu and Xueli.


    This was no ordinary inn.


    The little chubby kid stuttered for a while, at last attracting the innkeeper¡¯s attention. The middle-aged man behind the counter pushed aside his abacus to slowly ask: ¡°Bellboy, don¡¯t dawdle, do these two want to stay the night?¡±


    Recalling that weird musty scent from just now, along with the dream bell hanging on a rack above the counter, Wu Xingxue was about to say ¡°Yes.¡±


    He watched as the innkeeper raised his head.


    The middle-aged man finally saw the guests¡¯ appearances dearly. His first reaction was a retroactive shock, and then he slowly opened his mouth, looking just the same as the little chubby kid.


    After a beat, he asked in a raised pitch: ¡°Hang on, didn¡¯t You two just check out?¡±


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s ¡°Yes¡± plunged back down.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Um???

 CH 36

    What do you mean?


    What do you mean ¡°didn¡¯t you two just check out?¡± ¡°


    Make yourself clear, was it one room or two rooms?


    Wu Xingxue was bursting with questions, but it wasn¡¯t convenient to ask any. If he really asked, then¡­ the innkeeper would surely not be able to rest peacefully tonight¡ª


    Just imagine, if an ordinary person had just seen off two guests only to welcome an identical pair, the latter of whom inquired after all the former¡¯s activities with a completely unfamiliar expression. Wouldn¡¯t it get scarier and scarier the more one thought?


    If later they were taken as monsters and some cultivation sects came to surround and arrest them, it¡¯d be far too noisy a movement.


    The Tianxiu Immortal said this was an illusion realm, but the scenes were true. Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t know what effect such a great movement would have on this place, but based on common sense, it wouldn¡¯t be anything good. Keeping a low profile would be somewhat more reliable.


    So he brusquely pushed down the doubts on his face, keeping himself under an airtight mask of utter calm. He looked like he had indeed just left this inn not too long ago.


    The innkeeper gasped at them with a ¡°the hell is wrong with you two¡± expression, then asked dryly: ¡°What, you two changed your mind and wanted to stay another night?¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought: no need, just let me think of an excuse to go back out real quick.


    In the end, before he could find a way out, it was Xiao Fuxuan who answered the innkeeper, ¡°Yes please, sorry for the trouble.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    Hold up a minute.


    Lord Tianxiu did not hold up a minute.


    The innkeeper¡¯s voice grew higher, ¡°What, you¡­ you really want to stay another night?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°Mm.¡±


    Wu Xingxue tilted his head, stealthily fixing his sights on the immortal.


    Xiao Fuxuan shot him a quick glance, then looked to the innkeeper. Only just barely stirring his thin lips, he whispered: ¡°I¡¯ll explain when we get up.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Okay.


    Shedding his pride, Wu Xingxue nodded.


    Lacking memory was just no good at this point; every so often he¡¯d have to be obedient.


    How could a dignified devil be an obedient, rule-abiding person And yet he¡¯d kept his head down the entire way; from an ignorant person¡¯s perspective, perhaps he could be praised as a humble young master, gentle and meek.


    If any Zhaoye City people heard of such a description, they¡¯d probably be scared to death.


    Despite Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s affirmation, the innkeeper was quite baffled, his face full of reluctance. It seemed like the guests staying another night wasn¡¯t at all what he¡¯d hoped for.


    That expression of his successfully drew a certain devil¡¯s attention.


    Wu Xingxue narrowed his eyes, observing him.


    He watched as the innkeeper click-clacked on the abacus for a little while, then raided the cupboard for a slate-blue register, licked his fingers to flip to a yellowed page, and raised his brush.


    Both his actions and the tone of his speech were slow and plodding. Clearly, he was a middle-aged man, his hair still black, but he was permeated with a heavy air of age, in stark contrast with that chubby bellboy.


    As the innkeeper dipped his brush in ink, he raised his head to ask: ¡°You two are still staying in the same room as before?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°Mm.¡±


    Hearing that ¡°Mm,¡± the Devil Lord could no longer pay attention to the innkeeper.


    Wu Xingxue again turned his head to stare down Xiao Fuxuan. From an angle the innkeeper couldn¡¯t see clearly, he mouthed the question: One room???


    He saw Xiao Fuxuan glancing briefly at him, just long enough to read his lips. But he waited a while, and another ¡°I¡¯ll explain when we get up¡± didn¡¯t follow from Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s mouth.


    It seemed like¡­ a silent affirmation.


    Wu Xingxue was unable to break this silence. After a beat, he smoothed his lips and retracted his line of sight.


    The innkeeper picked a key out from a large copper ring and passed it to the chubby bellboy. Taking it, the bellboy led the two ¡°out and back again¡± guests up to the second floor.


    The innkeeper picked a key out from a large copper ring and passed it to the chubby bellboy. Taking it, the bellboy led the two ¡°out and back again¡± guests up to the second floor.  He rambled on, face red with restraint as he said in a low voice: ¡°Um, our inn doesn¡¯t get many visitors, and You two had just checked out not too long ago, so¡­ So there hasn¡¯t been time to tidy the room up yet.¡±


    As he spoke, he rapidly shot a glance down to the counter, as though the matter of his laziness would be overheard by the innkeeper.


    ¡°If you two aren¡¯t in a hurry, would it be possible to wait just a moment for me to scrub and tidy a little, and go exchange the teapot for a hot one¡ª¡± The little chubby kid came to a halt at the doorway of the room. Before he could finish speaking, he felt a coolness in his hand¡ªthe key between his fingers was gone.


    This ice-cold sensation was familiar to him; when that guest with the appearance of an elegant young master had reached out to stop him, it was the same feeling, so cold he let out a shiver.


    The little chubby kid looked at Wu Xingxue in confusion, and saw that the key was indeed in his hand.


    The next moment, the guests had already unlocked and entered the door.


    Well, looks like you¡¯re really in a hurry then.


    The little chubby kid thought.


    Wu Xingxue naturally didn¡¯t know what the bellboy was imagining; he¡¯d been preoccupied with that ¡°one room¡¯ for a while now, and wanted to take a look at this bedroom before it could be cleaned to see what it really looked like.


    As the Devil Lord pushed open the door, he thought, if it was anything as unsightly as Sang Yu¡¯s bed¡­


    He¡¯d have to kill this peeping bellboy.


    The little chubby kid had no idea he was risking a trip to the underworld. He pulled the rag hanging on his shoulders and diligently followed through the door. Just as he was about to start cleaning, however, he gaped out: ¡°Huh?¡±


    The room¡¯s bed was neat and tidy, the wooden chairs were under the table, and even the pile of teacups on the table was placed upside-down on their trays. People had clearly stayed here, yet it appeared as if nothing had been moved.


    ¡°You two¡­¡± The little chubby kid blinked, looking at the two guests in confusion. He¡¯d never encountered guests who¡¯d cleaned up after themselves, let alone to this degree.


    Could it be that they hadn¡¯t actually stayed here?


    Then what were they doing occupying a room for nothing?  Wu Xingxue was also totally surprised, but his face remained unperturbed. Once his gaze had swept over every corner of the room¡¯s interior, he said to the little chubby kid: ¡°You need not clean, just skedaddle why don¡¯t you.¡±


    The little chubby kid was more than happy to do so. With an ¡°Ai!¡± he took his rag and ran.


    With the miscellaneous person gone, Wu Xingxue shot Xiao Fuxuan a look.


    I see you, Tianxiu Immortal.


    Staring him down, Wu Xingxue opened his mouth to say: ¡°You did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan raised his sword to nudge at the door, which promptly shut; the night¡¯s mountain wind no longer leaked in. He walked up to the table and bowed his head to poke at the lamp¡¯s candle.


    The lamp lit up at once. It was unclear whether it was an illusion or something, but the room seemed significantly warmer.


    Upon retracting his hand from beside the lamp, he lifted his gaze to Wu Xingxue: ¡°Did what on purpose?¡±


    That you remained silent when the innkeeper said ¡°one room,¡± and stoked misunderstanding on purpose.


    But Wu Xingxue couldn¡¯t say that.


    Because the so-called ¡°misunderstanding¡± was naturally dispelled upon opening the door and entering the room. The innkeeper and bellboy had seen a lot, and neither knew nor cared.


    That bit of misunderstanding¡¯s only use was likely just to tease Wu Xingxue.


    Yet the one who¡¯d brought it about stood next to the table carrying his longsword, still wearing that indifferent expression.


    That flame on the table flickered.


    Wu Xingxue was suddenly a bit curious¡ªduring that calamity period back then when the Tianxiu Immortal had been in his No Sparrow¡¯s Landing, what sort of expression had he had, and might it have been like this¡­


    But just as this thought came, he immediately swept it away.


    Under the lamp, his cocked head blinked slightly. When it turned back again, he no longer brought up any ¡°understanding¡± or ¡°misunderstanding.¡± Rather, after inaudibly grumbling ¡°Forget it,¡± he asked Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°Why did you suddenly change your mind and want to lodge here overnight?¡±


    After asking, he recovered. With a light ¡°Ah,¡± he looked at Xiao Fuxuan to say: ¡°Looks like¡­ Immortal has recalled which time it was?¡±


    Well, it made sense. Each time he¡¯d come to Falling Flower Mountain Market, he wouldn¡¯t have¡­ well, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed at this inn.


    The devil thought.


    Sure enough, he heard an ¡°Mm,¡± from Xiao Fuxuan. After a moment¡¯s silence, he added: ¡°It was the last time I came to Falling Flower Mountain Market.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was surprised: ¡°The last time?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan nodded, ¡°When I heard about it again, it was the news that it¡¯d burned down in a wildfire.¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought to himself that that sounded about right. They¡¯d been dragged into an illusion realm, perhaps because the Luohua Mountain Market of this day concealed a secret.


    He then asked: ¡°Did anything unusual or special happen that day?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan spoke dully: ¡°No.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was a bit perplexed: ¡°No?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°Mm.¡±


    Indeed, nothing unusual had happened that day. It had just been another time when Tianxiu met the Spirit King at Falling Flower Mountain Market, another time they¡¯d changed appearances to travel together through the fair.


    That day, Spirit King had just finished handling a heavenly edict. He¡¯d consumed a great deal of immortal energy, his whole body slack and tired. As the mountain breeze blew in the evening, he actually felt a bit cold, and entered this inn.


    The innkeeper was very slow and not at all solicitous, and the bellboy was also rude and quite thoughtless.


    Tianxiu remembered deep at night when the dew was heavy, a heater had been placed in the room, its every corner floating with lamplight, twinkling, filling the entire room with warmth.


    The Spirit King soon got sleepy, nodding off bit by bit. Before long he curled up to go to sleep¡ªa deep hibernation in which he slowly circulated his immortal energy.


    But as per usual, Tianxiu Immortal wasn¡¯t sleepy at all, and leaned against the window with his legs propped out, every now and then glancing at the person curled up on the bed lest the other party¡¯s circulation be hindered or go awry midway through.


    The night was dull and unremarkable. Were it not for them entering this inn again, he wouldn¡¯t have even remembered that day.


    But thinking about it now, the most abnormal thing was the lack of abnormality.


    ***


    Xiao Fuxuan was in a momentary daze, and suddenly knit his brows: ¡°My memory of that night must have been altered.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was taken aback: ¡°By whom?¡±


    Upon asking, he realized that it was needless to say¡ªthat dream bell was still hanging at his waist.


    Indeed, the Tianxiu Immortal was a figure on essentially the same level in Immortal Capital as the Immortal Leader. If one wanted to tamper with his memory, they¡¯d have to have had a pretty good relationship with him, even been quite close to him, and even then it would have been an extremely difficult task.


    ¡­¡­


    What on earth had happened that day, that led him to alter Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s memory?


    Or rather, what had appeared in this inn that day, and what had it triggered, causing Falling Flower Mountain Market to later become an expanse of scorched earth?


    These questions lingered on in Wu Xingxue¡¯s mind, and later on they even entangled all his dreams like withered vines or a giant snake climbing up and issuing out a rotten, musty smell.


    Early next morning, Wu Xingxue suddenly opened his eyes.


    The moment he awoke, a scarcely-there musty scent lingered before his nose, like the smells from his dream still hadn¡¯t dispersed.


    The room was an expanse of darkness. The surroundings were even quieter, filled only with the sounds of his and the other person¡¯s nigh-inaudible breaths.


    He¡¯d huddled on his side to sleep facing the bed¡¯s wall. The other breath was right behind him.


    He moved his lips, murmuring out ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡± He was about to ask the other why he¡¯d suddenly turned out the lights. But the next moment, he realized something was off!


    That wasn¡¯t Xiao Fuxuan.


    Because the breath was so close, it seemed¡­ the thing was lurking at the bedside. In that deathly still, it¡¯d crept soundlessly behind him¡­


    Wu Xingxue turned around to meet a pair of unblinking, deathly white eyes.

 CH 37

    The ¡°ghost¡± that¡¯d climbed onto the bed in the middle of the night truly had great luck.


    At first, Wu Xingxue was sort of pretending to be a frail scholar, but in the blink of an eye, he probed the room and found that Tianxiu Immortal wasn¡¯t here at all.


    Xiao Fuxuan really wasn¡¯t present.


    Indeed. Were he present, there was absolutely no way this ugly thing could have made it this far into the room.


    As Wu Xingxue thought as much, he promptly lost his inclination to play frail scholar. With no one present, who was he playing for?


    That thing lurking beside the bed was just about to move, but his speed was even faster than it¡ªin a wink, the bed was empty as anything, with no trace of Wu Xingxue.


    That pair of deathly-white-suffused eyes blinked. They rapidly scanned the bed, swept both sides, and even looked under the bed¡­ but couldn¡¯t find the slightest hint of Wu Xingxue anywhere.


    Its eyes rotated extremely quickly, lids nearly unable to hold them in, and rims suffused with black, as though slightly rotten. If they¡¯d moved even a slight bit faster, they¡¯d probably even fall right out of their sockets.


    Just as it was about to look up, a voice emanated softly behind it: ¡°I¡¯m behind you.


    It suddenly froze, blanched eyeballs unable to move. Just then, its fingers arched to attack! However, it felt the vital part where the nape connected to the scalp was being seized.


    That hand was cold as ice, colder even than a dead person¡¯s.


    After a peal of the sky and ground twisting around, it was hauled and flung violently to the floor. Those hands clamping its nape had already moved to its throat.


    It put up a violent struggle, with strength so great even the floorboards were smashed with a tremendous banging, cracking open several holes.


    But that spotless white, slender hand moved not a hair.


    On that hand, it sensed a fuming killing intent.


    ¡°Your luck is truly bad. The only moves I remember are killing moves. You¡¯d best behave yourself, and not make any sudden movements,¡± Wu Xingxue said gently.


    This was its first time being unable to haunt someone successfully¡ªon the contrary, it was held down so strongly it couldn¡¯t even move, cowering under the might.


    In that instant, a chill wind buffeted over, knocking open the shutters.


    Wu Xingxue again spoke in the darkness. He bore a mild smiling tone, yet his words were humorless: ¡°You lurking out the window, my temper can¡¯t be considered very good right now. You¡¯d best roll on into the room now and light the lamps.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The person outside the window had perhaps never heard a request such as this, and was rendered speechless.


    After a long while, someone at last tremblingly pushed open the door and cautiously felt around beside the table.


    ***


    The long-extinguished oil lamp lit anew. The little flame illuminated the room¡¯s interior quite clearly¡ª


    The one who¡¯d lit the lamp was the innkeeper.


    Wu Xingxue clenched his fingers around that thing, which was half-kneeling in plain white clothing, that had crawled onto his bed in the middle of the night¡­


    To be precise, it wasn¡¯t a thing, but a human.


    A human who looked like he¡¯d already been dead a long while.


    His head, face, and neck were somewhat swollen, not due to fat, but more like he¡¯d been soaked awhile in some sort of juice, making his flesh all deathly white¡ªto be even more precise.


    It reminded Wu Xingxue of coffin fluid¡ª


    The common folk had a few places that, in order to guarantee corpses wouldn¡¯t decay after death, would ask the immortal sects for some special spiritual medicine to pour into their coffins.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s face went promptly wooden.


    He glanced around his surroundings, seeing that there was actually a narrow sword at the corpse¡¯s waist.


    Hence, he released his grip on the other¡¯s neck, drew that sword, and stood up.


    The corpse was hoping to take the opportunity to struggle up, just to have the sword tip pressed against its forehead.


    ¡°Did I allow you to get up?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.


    His tone was never this threatening, always light, like he was just chatting. But that killing intent had not yet dispersed. It got to the point that neither the corpse under the sword nor the innkeeper beside the table dared move.


    ¡°Innkeeper, hand me that clean rag,¡± Wu Xingxue said.


    Massive bags hung beneath the innkeeper¡¯s eyes. Staring at him in dread, he cautiously extended the cloth, passing it over from more than a pace away.


    He didn¡¯t dare move or speak, just watched as Wu Xingxue took the rag and wiped his fingers.


    He watched as the other party kept wiping and wiping without doing anything else, eyes lowered calmly to examine his wrists.


    Those wrists were long, even, and clean, not dirty at all. What could be worth examining?


    The innkeeper thought.


    Even more terrifying was, as he examined them, he still frowned, indeed appearing not to be in a good mood.


    The innkeeper cautiously retracted his body.


    An outsider naturally wouldn¡¯t know¡ªit was because his wrists were totally spotless that Wu Xingxue was frowning.


    Last time, at the Hua sect, when Xiao Fuxuan had done spirits projection to handle things on his own, he¡¯d tied a thread with a little bell onto his wrist.


    If Wu Xingxue tugged at it a few times, the other person would come right back.


    This time there wasn¡¯t even a bell to call him, and he couldn¡¯t find any trace of Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s aura in the entire inn.


    Where¡¯d he gone?


    Wu Xingxue tossed the cloth back onto the table and raised his head to stare the innkeeper down.


    The innkeeper¡¯s scalp tingled at that look, and a shiver went up his spine. Just as he was about to wave his hands and explain, however, he heard Wu Xingxue asking him: ¡°Where is Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    The innkeeper was at a loss, almost not hearing clearly: ¡°Ah? Who?¡±


    In that brief instant, plenty of affairs Wu Xingxue might have asked about flashed through his head¡ª


    What¡¯s going on with this corpse on the floor? Why did it appear in my room in the middle of the night?! And why would you be lurking by the window? What manner of things are you trying for like this?


    Anyone who¡¯d just met danger in the middle of the night would most want to ask these questions, yet Wu Xingxue asked the most neither-here-nor-there thing.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking.¡± Wu Xingxue spoke lightly, ¡°Where is that person who came here with me, have you seen him?¡±


    The innkeeper shook his head.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s complexion went colder at once.


    When he wasn¡¯t wearing an expression, the slight downward lilt at the ends of his eyes would be suffused with a sense of disdain. That ever-present killing intent grew stronger.


    Like this, the innkeeper was truly scared. His throat made a gulping motion as he swallowed back saliva: ¡°I¡­ I really haven¡¯t seen him.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you just spying outside the window?¡± Wu Xingxue¡¯s voice grew lighter.


    ¡°I, I, I¡¯d just come up. When I came up, when I came up¡­¡± The innkeeper seemed not to know how to explain, but nevertheless let out: ¡°I hadn¡¯t been up there for a while, I just heard you say ¡®I¡¯m behind you,¡¯ and then¡­ and then everything else that happened, you ought to know already.¡±


    Wu Xingxue listened, his complexion growing more unsightly: ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to believe what you say?¡±


    The innkeeper was in distress: ¡°It¡¯s all true! It¡¯s true! If there¡¯s a word of falsehood, may, may heaven strike me with lightning!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t believe him.


    Before he¡¯d even opened his mouth to ask, he¡¯d guessed this outcome¡ªfor the innkeeper to be intimidated to this state of terror, there was absolutely no way he could have done something to an ascended immortal.


    So Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s disappearance shouldn¡¯t have had anything to do with him.


    Wu Xingxue figured.


    It was just that he couldn¡¯t find the man, and was feeling a bit edgy.


    ¡°Then what about you?¡± He held the sword behind his back to stick it down¡ª


    The corpse suddenly shut its eyes, just feeling the sword¡¯s point trailing along its scalp. He could even feel the long, slender opening being cut into it. Were he still alive, there¡¯d definitely be gurgling blood gushing out from the laceration.


    He wouldn¡¯t die, but he¡¯d be terrified to the point of tears streaming down.


    ¡°And what are you? When did you come into the room, and what about the other person in the room?¡± Wu Xingxue half-squatted down.


    The corpse¡¯s deathly white eyeballs stared at him without turning. It opened its mouth, but its lips were tightly sealed. After that, it shook its head.


    Wu Xingxue, however, knit his brows.


    His thumb and index finger pinched the corpse¡¯s cheeks and applied force.


    After a couple ¡°gahhhs, the corpse¡¯s taut jaw loosened a little, and its mouth naturally opened like a cavern¡¯s maw¡ª


    He had two rows of fine teeth, but lacked a tongue.


    Wu Xingxue pressed further down, finding that there was something bulging below his throat bone. Pressing against it, it appeared that the inside had even been sealed by a nail.


    Both the lack of tongue and the sealing nail were probably like this so he¡¯d have no way of talking.


    If Xiao Fuxuan were here, they¡¯d definitely have a way to make this corpse speak even without a tongue.


    But he was not here.


    Wu Xingxue was on edge as ever. He swiped a cup of tea, sloshed it beside the corpse¡¯s hand, and said in a low voice: ¡°Write.¡±


    But the corpse¡¯s fingers shivered. Within the tea stains, he made a series of meaningless slashing motions.


    ¡°This thing, he¡­ he can¡¯t reply.¡± The innkeeper couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, and added this to the side.


    ¡°Then can you reply with anything?¡¯ Wu Xingxue spoke without lifting his head: ¡°Before, someone had said something¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan had said, this place was an illusion realm, and it was best not to make too much noise lest it have an effect on the illusion realm, as it was unknown what incidents might proliferate from there.


    ¡°He said, it¡¯s best not to make too much of a disturbance here.¡± Wu Xingxue turned to look at the innkeeper, ¡°Now he¡¯s disappeared, and I¡¯ve no one to ask. In your opinion¡­ What counts as a disturbance? Beating? Killing?¡±


    The innkeeper¡¯s face withered at this, and hastily blurted out: ¡°No no no, it can¡¯t be like this, it can¡¯t be like this. I¡ªAhh! I¡¯ll speak, I¡¯ll say everything.¡±


    The innkeeper said it was a long story, and he didn¡¯t know how to tell it dearly other than starting from the beginning.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯d opened this inn in Falling Flower Mountain Market for several years, and it¡¯d always been just fine without incident. Before, I¡¯d even gotten immortal sect people to check it over for me, and they said I¡¯d picked the best place in Falling Flower Terrace, a treasure site that gathers fortune. And then one day, in a crack in a rock behind the inn, a branch of jade appeared. Although it was only a wee bit¡­¡±


    Fingers trembling, he carefully gestured them less than an inch apart, saying: ¡°I thought, could this be a manifestation of the treasure site? So I asked an immortal sect to come to look again, but they said it wasn¡¯t a good omen. They said that my treasure site¡¯s fortune had already dissipated, that flourishing would turn to decline, that its luck would turn vicious. They even advised that I¡¯d best switch to another place¡­¡±


    Naturally, he didn¡¯t believe that ill omen. Clearly, before they¡¯d been saying that he was occupying a treasure site, so how could it suddenly turn into a site of misfortune? Hence, he put feelers out everywhere, made inquiries, and lost count of how many books he¡¯d consulted, some understandable, some impenetrable. He flipped through them all; not sparing even those legends of Heavenly Law¡¯s origin.


    In the end, he found a conclusion for himself.


    ¡°I thought, it had to be a bit of extremely rare jade essence,¡± the innkeeper said. Hearing this lade essence¡± Xiao Fuxuan had brought up, Wu Xingxue raised his eyes.


    ¡°Supposing that it was real jade essence, that legendary material, then it¡¯d have to be very lucky. How could flourishing turn to decline!¡± The innkeeper said: ¡°So I didn¡¯t listen to those immortal sects¡¯ words, and didn¡¯t plan to move out either. In the end¡­ Ai, it wasn¡¯t long before something happened.¡±


    Spying Wu Xingxue¡¯s expression, the innkeeper said: ¡°There was a guest staying here who disappeared without any trace whatsoever.


    ¡°He¡¯d taken his daughter along. The little girl was still so young, and couldn¡¯t even speak very well. Who could just stand aside and watch her cry? Of course I had to ask, so I called for an immortal sect. There were a lot of types around Falling Flower Mountain Market, and I was afraid too big a disturbance would cause trouble. Those immortals all stayed at my place and stealthily went scouting, but in the end¡­¡±


    The innkeeper peeped at Wu Xingxue, wanting to speak but hesitating, as though he didn¡¯t dare spit it out.


    Wu Xingxue stared at him, saying: ¡°And?¡±


    With a gulp, the innkeeper closed his eyes and accepted his fate, saying: ¡°In the end, those immortals looked all over Falling Flower Mountain Market, but still couldn¡¯t find that guest. He just disappeared into thin air, never to be seen again.¡±

 CH 38

    Sad to say, if it¡¯d just been one lost person, then in that period, it wouldn¡¯t really have been considered any big earth-shaking incident.


    People die every day in this world, and not all of their deaths could have a clear reason to be found.


    Those cultivation sect disciples couldn¡¯t find the person or work out a cause. In the end, they could only recite the easiest explanation for people to accept¡ªdevils were afoot.


    It was definitely a certain superbly well-concealed, as-yet-undiscovered devil who¡¯d furtively gobbled up that missing man.


    Hence, this incident went from ¡°seeking a missing person¡± to ¡°seeking the concealed devil.¡±


    But then, the conclusion they found made people¡¯s hair stand on end¡­


    Ever since, the innkeeper still felt a chill throughout his body, a numbness in his scalp, when he thought back to it. His voice issued out hoarsely: ¡°You¡­ have you seen those devil-probing talismans the cultivators use? They just light them on fire until they burn to ash, and a blow of wind will scatter them out. If they run into demonic energy, those ashes will gather there.¡±


    ¡°That day, I looked on as those ashes floated out of my inn¡¯s window. Those cultivators were afraid of causing a panic, and they all pretended to be going on daily patrol or a stroll while they followed the ashes around Falling Flower Mountain Market and back. In the end, they looped back to my inn¡­¡±


    At the time, everyone was exchanging glances, all thinking that there were too many people in Falling Flower Mountain Market, and all this assembled living human qi provided sufficient cover to any other aura, so the devil-probing talismans were no use.


    They were just about to withdraw the ashes when they saw those pale scraps of dust whirling about and congregating on a single person¡¯s body.


    It was none other than that missing man¡¯s young daughter.


    The girl was truly quite young, and the bellboy couldn¡¯t bear seeing her cry, so he went to gather a bunch of little toys at the market to coax her, and then went to warm up a bowl of sweet jujube soup on the stove.


    At the time, the little girl was sitting in front of the inn¡¯s dining hall, eating the soup spoonful by spoonful.


    When the ashes congregated over, she raised her eyes to look at everyone and licked her lips.


    At first, everyone went dead silent. Then, they thought it ridiculous and hard to believe¡ª


    This little girl had gobbled up her own dad?


    How could that be¡­


    Thus, the cultivators fished out another talisman, for soul-seeking.


    Previously, to seek out the missing man, they¡¯d taken these soul-seeking talismans and tested them out on every corner of Falling Flower Mountain Market to no avail.


    Using it again now, they watched as the soul-seeking talisman drifted about, then, at last, landed beside the little girl¡¯s feet.


    If the soul-seeking talisman wasn¡¯t a defect, then the residual scent of the missing person¡¯s soul was really on that little girl¡¯s body¡­


    At that moment, everyone present went quiet as cicadas in winter.


    ***


    Later on, the cultivators took away that little girl, and the ¡°inexplicably missing guest¡± case was closed.


    The innkeeper and bellboy were both scared, and fell ill for several days. After the illness subsided, everything went back to normal, and they gradually put this incident behind them.


    Until the next year. Before the market¡¯s lanterns had been lit for long, the inn had another incident¡ª


    That day, a scholarly-looking person took along his page boy to stay at the inn. At first, they were talking and laughing, and the scholar even appeared gentle and polite.


    But on the second day, the page boy was gone without a trace.


    Everything was identical to that father-daughter pair.


    The innkeeper felt like he¡¯d entered a recurring nightmare.


    Seeing the scholar¡¯s ¡°worried sick¡± look, he felt that under that layer of skin, there was definitely a devil that¡¯d eaten and drunk its fill, licking its lips.


    Just like before, he again asked after those cultivators, and watched as they first used a devil-probing talisman, and then a soul-seeking talisman.


    And as expected, whether devil-probing talisman or soul-seeking talisman, both pointed to the scholar.


    When the scholar had been stuck with talisman paper, the slowly rising shock and terror on his face were actually stronger than anyone else¡¯s. He madly brushed away the devil-probing talisman dust on his body, mouth full of ¡°It¡¯s not me,¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be me,¡± so scared he tumbled to the ground, losing all sense of gentility.


    Watching the scene back then, a terrifying thought abruptly flashed through the innkeeper¡¯s mind¡ªsupposing that this scholar wasn¡¯t concealing things deep down, but was really unaware, might he have been coerced by something in his sleep? What if he was originally just fine, and the reason this had happened was something wrong with the inn?


    He again recalled those cultivators¡¯ counsel, saying that this lucky place of his would become a site of disaster with frequent wicked happenings.


    At the time, the thought terrified the innkeeper; he felt that every inch of the ground below his feet was permeated with some ineffable strangeness.


    Although the accidents all happened to guests, and it¡¯d only happened twice in two years, scarcely more¡­ who knew what it would spell for the future, whether there might come a day when the one meeting misfortune turned out to be him?


    For a while, the innkeeper was plagued by daily nightmares. If he wasn¡¯t dreaming of being eaten by the bellboy, then he was dreaming of himself eating the bellboy. Either way, he was rendered too scared to sleep deeply.


    Thus, he no longer dragged his feet; he sought a cultivation sect to give him a hand.


    ***


    ¡°They were actually very happy to help, and dispatched quite a few experienced people to dress up as guests and guard this little inn of mine every day,¡± the innkeeper said in distress, ¡°But heaven practically seemed to be toying with me; when the cultivators came, nothing happened. Not one little thing, no wind at sea.¡±


    ¡°Everyone was preoccupied with various things, and they also wanted to cultivate, so they couldn¡¯t keep dilly-dallying at my inn. Afterward, they worked out a way to appease us both.¡± The innkeeper pointed to the corpse on the floor to say, ¡°With that¡­¡±


    It was the first time he¡¯d learned that, as it turned out, cultivation sects would also use such a shady-seeming practice as ¡°corpse animation.¡±


    At the time, the cultivators explained to him: ¡°If there was an alternative, we wouldn¡¯t turn to this. Mr. Innkeeper, you may not know, but corpses are actually a little more sensitive to devils than us living people, and more clever than things like devil-probing talismans. Were a devil to enter your inn again, it would assuredly know. If something happens again like before, it can stop it beforehand.¡±


    ¡°What about afterwards?¡± The innkeeper wasn¡¯t appeased by this, ¡°What if it can only provide an impediment, but not actually stop it!¡±


    The cultivators replied: ¡°There¡¯s an incantation left on its body. If it really has to take action here, we¡¯ll know at once even if we¡¯re a thousand miles away. Once we receive the notification, we¡¯ll hurry over immediately. Should that time come, whether it¡¯s a devil or an ill-omened disaster, when their aura is thickest, they¡¯ll be very easy to find. At that point, we can take a look and determine once and for all whether your inn is built on cursed ground, and how it could have possibly turned into a cursed ground.¡±


    Although the cultivators reassured him over and over, although the corpse was specially treated for this purpose, although that yin corpse was different from those of the devils¡¯ crooked path¡ªthe innkeeper still had reservations, and was only half-believed.


    Based on the cultivators¡¯ briefing, they¡¯d usually just keep the corpse in its coffin and place the coffin in the upstairs attic with quite a few coffin-sealing talismans stuck on its cover.


    He often warned the bellboy to periodically switch them out for a new batch of talismans, lest the coffin loosen and the corpse be allowed to go out and make mischief.


    ***


    Two years passed like this, and no new disaster occurred in the inn. The corpse, too, contentedly never opened its coffin.


    People were ever as such¡ªwhen the wound scarred over they¡¯d forget the pain.


    The innkeeper gradually also thought that the so-called ¡°inauspicious site,¡± ¡°cursed ground,¡± was also only temporary. It was said that small omens lasted three years and large omens lasted ten. Once the previous augury was defunct, it¡¯d turn over anew.


    After marinating in it awhile, the bellboy took on a hint of corpse odor, while he himself developed ponderous eyebags. But, nowadays they can sleep the night through. It was just that his inn¡¯s business was unable to bounce back.


    Clearly, those who knew about those two disasters had kept their mouths shut tight and hadn¡¯t recklessly spread it around the Falling Flower Mountain Market, but this inn of his got lonelier and less frequented by the day.


    Because of those two disasters, the innkeeper and bellboy developed a bad habit¡ª


    If just a single guest came, they¡¯d be quite welcoming. But if there were two travelers, they¡¯d be reluctant and on edge, afraid that there¡¯d be another scene of them waking up with one less.


    The innkeeper looked at Wu Xingxue fearfully, then promptly stuffed it back in: ¡°The day before when you wanted to stay, I was scared to death, I really was scared to death! I didn¡¯t sleep the entire night, and didn¡¯t dare open my eyes, afraid the night wouldn¡¯t see peace.¡±


    There was one thing the innkeeper didn¡¯t dare say¡ªHe had indeed kept his ears perked for activity in the guest room the whole night. But the night was indeed extremely peaceful, he didn¡¯t even hear the slightest bit of noise, whether it was a conversation or the sound of walking or what¡ªnothing at all.


    For a time, he suspected that those two guests had sealed the room with a prohibition or ward.


    At dawn the next day, he stood behind the counter, waiting and hoping for those two guests to get up and go downstairs.


    ¡°When I saw you both come down with everything intact, my heart could at last calm down,¡± the innkeeper said. With a long sigh, he continued despondently: ¡°So, why did you two have to come back? If you hadn¡¯t added this night, then you wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    The innkeeper was full of worries, and only got halfway through before realizing what all he¡¯d said.


    He abruptly stopped, and raised his head in terror.


    Only to see Wu Xingxue¡¯s deep pupils looking back at him: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t what?¡±


    The innkeeper swallowed. Even scrounging up all his courage, he didn¡¯t dare say the words that came next.


    But even if he kept silent, Wu Xingxue knew what he was about to say.


    He¡¯d already said a lot¡ªsaid that, under the influence of the cursed ground, that little girl had gobbled up her own father in the depths of night. Said that, under the influence of the cursed ground, that scholar had gobbled up his own page boy.


    And Wu Xingxue here was naturally the same. From the innkeeper¡¯s point of view, it was none other than another tragedy of someone gobbling up one of their own.


    In a wink, Wu Xingxue felt particularly ridiculous, so ridiculous he could almost laugh.


    How could that be, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m crazy.


    He thought.


    But very quickly, from that ridiculous feeling emerged an even more ridiculous sense of retrospective dread¡­


    Because he really was a devil.


    Devils cared not for propriety¡ªone moment that Sang Yu¡¯d still be wallowing in a person¡¯s aura for comfort, and the next he¡¯d be draining them of their blood. When Yunhai, who¡¯d once been an immortal, lost control, he acted with reckless abandon.


    What about me?


    Wu Xingxue thought.


    Would there have been times when I was like this? Lost control? Done similar deeds? And then¡­


    Has Xiao Fuxuan seen?


    In truth, he didn¡¯t think the dignified Tianxiu Immortal could have disappeared into thin air never to be seen again just because of a little inn. Those folk rumors and intrigues didn¡¯t scare him.


    He just suddenly missed the other man, really missed him.


    As this thought flashed across, there was a sudden hubbub of footsteps outside the guest room door. A dump of ash was flung into the room from out the open window, and congregated beside Wu Xingxue.


    Perhaps because his devilish energy was too abundant, the ash even burst into intermittent sparks.


    A flock of uniformed disciples chased the ash over, long ribbons fluttering behind their high-bound hair crowns. Each one had a sword, the silver sheaths of which were all engraved with a circular, cinnabar-colored ¡°Feng¡± seal.


    It was the immortal sect often asked after in Falling Flower Mountain Market, the Feng family.


    In the lead was a young woman with an intelligent face, opening her mouth to say: ¡°The corpse  hasn¡¯t stirred in a while, it must have already gotten that devil under con¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.trol.¡±


    As soon as they entered the door, they saw the ¡°unstirring¡± corpse on the floor, as well as the ¡°under control¡¯ devil carrying its sword.


    The devil¡¯s voice was as mild as a cool breeze, but the words he spoke grew more and more terrifying the more one thought: ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to trouble you all to help me dig up every inch of this ground to help me find someone, else you can forget about going back.¡±

 CH 39

    The handful of people from Feng Sect had never, ever thought that they¡¯d hear such a statement.


    These years, the world was in chaos. Amidst the chaotic world, Falling Flower Mountain Market was able to maintain a lively landscape such as this all because of the Feng Sect¡¯s protection.


    Therefore, upon seeing them, people in the mountain market would always treat them with the utmost respect.


    When devils see them, especially when they see the word ¡°Feng¡± on their swords, they would all reveal a look of fear, some of them turning to escape on the spot.


    Today was truly their first encounter with someone like this.


    Today was truly their first encounter with someone like this. Upon seeing the ¡°Feng¡± swords, this devil acted unmoved like it was nothing, and the first words he let out weren¡¯t actually raring for a fight, but barking orders at them.


    Now this was some bullshit!


    The young woman was tongue-tied, unsure of how to respond. After a moment¡¯s shock, her apricot eyes widened: ¡°What filthy place did a thi¡­ man such as you crawl out of, to speak with such arrogance!¡±


    She¡¯d originally planned to speak more fiercely, but this devil carried an ineffable air of nobility. When facing such a person, she was in fact unable to let out such coarse words.


    But this didn¡¯t stop her from raising her sword¡ª


    Just as the words threatening the devil landed, the other several Feng Sect disciples simultaneously drew the longswords at their waists!


    SHIING!


    A number of metallic clangs rang out. Those longswords, carrying sword aura, had already turned into sharp points headed for Wu Xingxuel


    The next moment, his silhouette was gone¡ªthe sword aura ran through, but didn¡¯t strike that devil, just went straight through the bed behind him.


    A series of wood cracking sounds arose, and splinters burst out.


    Beside the table, the innkeeper leaped up in terror and scrambled a few paces behind a Feng Sect disciple for protection.


    Just after he moved, he heard a heavy rumbling sound.


    The once-fine bed, having had its four legs chopped off, collapsed to the floor into a pile of ruined wood.


    The Feng Sect crowd was stunned.


    ¡°Where is he?!¡± they blurted out¡ªsurprisingly, they actually heard a reply.


    ¡°Looking for me?¡±


    The voice came from behind.


    All their figures froze, suddenly turning their heads. They saw that the devil had at some point flashed among them.


    He was standing behind an unfortunate disciple, clasping that disciple¡¯s wrist and forcing him to hold the sword up toward himself, its edge pressed against his own neck.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± The disciple looked tense, his complexion a greenish, ghastly white. Veins popped out on the back of his hand.


    He tried his hardest to match the strength of the hand clasping his wrist, but his efforts were in vain.


    Only to hear that foul devil¡¯s soft, irreverent voice: ¡°Someone doesn¡¯t want me to make too great a disturbance, so I can only make it like this. In fact, it would have been somewhat better to capture the one in charge, but your leader is a young lady, and carelessly raising my hand against her would ruin my reputation as a fine gentleman. Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to be the alternative.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He spoke very conscientiously, but the disciple nearly coughed blood.


    These words also landed with another layer of meaning: I could capture any one of you, it just depends on who I pick.


    The disciples¡¯ faces sank at this provocation, about to lift their swords again. But, they heard a muffled groan as the captured disciple¡¯s sword edge neared closer a hair, pressing a shallow mark into his neck.


    ¡°No one move!¡± the young woman shouted.


    Everyone gripped their swords tightly, no longer daring to move.


    The sword on that disciple¡¯s neck stopped in place, no longer pressing inward.


    The innkeeper hesitated a moment, then quietly shuffled a few paces back beside the table.


    Staring at the sword¡¯s edge, the young woman finally opened her mouth after a moment: ¡®When we came in, you said you wanted to find someone?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    The young woman¡¯s elegant brows furrowed, looking at Wu Xingxue with a puzzled expression. After a beat, her gaze shifted to the innkeeper. She spoke in a low voice: ¡°What in the world is going on? Shouldn¡¯t it be like the previous disasters?¡±


    The innkeeper wore a face of bitter suffering: ¡°It is¡­¡±


    The young woman again glanced at Wu Xingxue, then back at the innkeeper: ¡°Then who are we to find? Shouldn¡¯t the missing person have¡ª¡±


    The innkeeper waved his hands back and forth: ¡°Don¡¯t say it, don¡¯t say it! miss cultivation lady, if he w-wants us to search then let¡¯s just search.¡±


    The young woman was still somewhat unreconciled, and turned to stare down Wu Xingxue, ¡°You seem very strong, with the attitude that none of us can harm you. But even so, why would you go to the extent of asking us for help?¡±


    Her gaze shifted. As though working out any weak points, she said: ¡°So why is that? Just finding someone should be easy to do on your own. I think¡­ Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because there¡¯s a restriction on your body? A wound? Is it that you¡¯re at the end of your rope right now, so you¡¯re using a trick to scare us with your might?¡±


    They¡¯d encountered plenty of bluffing devils. Thus, these words sounded more and more reasonable.


    A few disciples tightened their sword grips once again, striving to look for the weak points on Wu Xingxue¡¯s body, only to hear him say: ¡°Well, no.¡±


    Deep black eyes fixed on them, the devil said: ¡°It¡¯s because all I know is killing. I¡¯m not very good at anything else.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue was just telling the truth, but to others, it sounded like a threat. Moreover, it was a threat through and through; paired with those eyes, it really didn¡¯t appear to be a bluff.


    The innkeeper frantically shot them a look, but the Feng Sect disciples were still at an impasse.


    They watched as Wu Xingxue frowned, expressing a hint of impatience. The young woman said: ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll search.¡±


    She fished out a few Feng sect-emblazoned talismans from her chest. Disinclined to ask for a brush and cinnabar ink, she swiped a finger along her sword¡¯s edge. Holding up the droplet of blood, she asked: ¡°What¡¯s the name of the person you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    When they¡¯d entered the inn, the innkeeper had asked the guests to enter each person¡¯s name into the registration booklet. He thought back to the names these two had first put down upon entering, just about to answer.


    But he heard Wu Xingxue say: ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    The innkeeper shut his mouth: ¡°?¡±


    The Feng family disciples, however, opened their mouths: ¡°???¡±


    The inn went quiet.


    After a beat, the innkeeper faltered: ¡°Ah?¡±


    He then said: ¡°That¡¯s not the name you put when you entered though¡­ Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t this name Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s¡­? Uhhh¡­¡±


    As he trailed off, his expression was downright astonished.


    That was actually quite expected. Anyone who¡¯d heard that the Tianxiu Immortal had stayed in their own inn for two nights would likely have this expression.


    But for just a second, within his shock there flashed a hint of something else. It swiftly came and went, so fast it was like it hadn¡¯t appeared at all.


    But Wu Xingxue caught it.


    It seemed to be¡­ excitement?


    But it didn¡¯t quite look like happiness exactly. His eyes were more like glazed beads blinded by dust for a long time, suddenly catching the light, gathering consciousness.


    Thinking back, Wu Xingxue thought that expression was actually somewhat familiar¡ªjust like back at the Hua Sect, that moment when Yi Wusheng was tugging at his robe and saying ¡°Save me¡± to him.


    Could it be that this innkeeper had been possessed by a devil, and just momentarily exposed his original soul upon hearing ¡°Tianxiu Immortal?¡±


    No, not quite. Besides, there wasn¡¯t a trace of devilish energy on his body.


    Then what was it?


    Wu Xingxue thought.


    He thought back to the words the innkeeper had said before, and suddenly discovered a very slight discrepancy¡ª


    He thought back to the words the innkeeper had said before, and suddenly discovered a very slight discrepancy¡ªThe innkeeper said, after the inn¡¯s incident with the scholar and page boy, he¡¯d recalled the cultivation sect people¡¯s counsel, and thought that his inn really seemed to be cursed ground, that every can of ground seemed permeated with abnormality. He¡¯d even had recurring nightmares, and couldn¡¯t sleep the night through.


    Hence, he¡¯d gone to ask the immortal sect for help.


    At first, this account didn¡¯t seem like much, but now it was a bit strange.


    If he couldn¡¯t eat or rest in peace, couldn¡¯t sleep the night though, then why wouldn¡¯t he have just moved? He was fine putting a horrifying coffin in his inn and keeping a corpse that could go out of control whenever, but had never thought of moving.


    Why?


    Is it because he didn¡¯t want to move? Or because he couldn¡¯t?


    Was he loath to depart from this place? Or was he unable to leave this place for some reason?


    Wu Xingxue narrowed his eyes.


    ***


    In the blink of his eyes, the innkeeper felt a chill wind sweeping up from behind his neck. Immediately after, the hair-splittingly sharp blade touched down on his neck.


    Having just been restraining a Feng Sect disciple, Wu Xingxue was now already behind him, fast as a specter.


    He heard Wu Xingxue asking him in a whisper: ¡°Afraid of this place, yet didn¡¯t leave¡­ What are you guarding here?¡±


    This question was like a slit cut into a sealed pouch.


    The innkeeper¡¯s expression momentarily brightened, and his entire body trembled, like he¡¯d suddenly awoken from a long dream.


    His trembling eyelids opened, as though agonizingly trying to say something, but again pursed his lips and shook his head with difficulty. It was just like he wanted to speak, but was bound by something and couldn¡¯t speak, that he even had to deny it and express the opposite meaning.


    This reaction was truly strange, but confirmed Wu Xingxue¡¯s guess.


    When he first listened to the innkeeper¡¯s long-winded story, he¡¯d thought that the other party was just naturally talkative. Both the little girl eating her father and the young master eating his page boy could certainly be explained clearly in just a few words, yet the innkeeper had to detour and start off with ¡°jade essence appearing in the backyard.¡±


    Now it appeared that he¡¯d been doing his utmost to say what the constraints allowed him, trying to make his audience understand the implicit hidden meaning¡ªthis place is abnormal, but I can¡¯t leave.


    Wu Xingxue again asked: ¡°Are you guarding a thing, or a place?


    ¡®Who had you guard it?


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    Will Xiao Fuxuan be there¡­


    The innkeeper again struggled to open his mouth.


    Perhaps these days, he¡¯d told the same rambling story to plenty of people, but his audience would either feel panic or fear, never thinking deeper.


    Now, he finally encountered someone who let out this question, so no matter how, he had to say more.


    In an extremely ragged voice, the innkeeper pried open his mouth, and asked Wu Xingxue the following: ¡°Do you know¡­ why this place is called¡­ Falling Flower Terrace¡­?¡±


    Wu Xingxue was struck by this, as a phrase flashed across his mind:


    [Do you know why that place is called Falling Flower Terrace?]


    ***


    It was a certain long night in Xiandu.


    Still the Spirit King, Wu Xingxue had returned to Seated Spring Breeze after finishing up some tasks and made arrangements for his two chirping and twittering servant boys. Holding a nice jug of fine wine, he climbed up to the high eaves of his jade palace.


    A white mist floated about the eaves¡¯ edges. Leaning a leg against it, he looked like he was sitting upon the fringe of a roaming cloud.


    He drank three cups of wine. With a somewhat languid sleepiness, he lay back with his elbow as a pillow, handily puffing on his ever-present mask.


    But it turned out that before long, he heard movement upon the jade eaves, like another person was approaching.


    The footsteps walked over from the other end of the jade eave and stopped beside him.


    After a while, his mask was lifted a little by the other person. It wasn¡¯t lifted all the way, only revealing a corner of the chin underneath.


    Then, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s voice emanated in the night¡¯s dim: ¡°You drank my wine.¡±


    The upper half of Wu Xingxue¡¯s face was still covered in the mask. Inclined to neither move nor open his eyes, he drawled out a response: ¡°You make no sense whatsoever. This fine wine of mine amounts to three jugs, two of which were mine, one of which was made from your place. How would you know which jug I drank¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan replied: ¡°I can smell it.¡±


    Xiandu¡¯s night breeze tickled his ears as it swept past. The mask was also a bit annoying; Wu Xingxue narrowed his eyes.


    He supported himself up, lifted his mask, and hefted the wine jug up to the person beside him: ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t take it, saying: ¡°Next time return it to me in full.¡±


    Wu Xingxue gave him a look, drumming his fingers on the jade eaves. The two servant boys diligently ran out and stood below the roof with their faces craning up to shout: ¡°Mister, what is your command?¡±


    Wu Xingxue answered them: ¡°Fetch another jug of the fine wine for me; Tianxiu is making me return it to him.¡±


    The two little boys put their hands in their sleeves, uniformly turning their sights onto Xiao Fuxuan. Worthy of their lord¡¯s rearing, they said: ¡°Tianxiu is so stingy.¡±


    Wu Xingxue laughed right on his propped legs.


    Xiao Fuxuan lowered his gaze to look at those two kids, stating assertively: ¡°Were I more generous, my Southern Window¡¯s Shadow1 would be cleaned out by him.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The little boys recognized their wrong and ran away without retort.


    Based on the argument that he¡¯d still return half the jug, Wu Xingxue stubbornly poured three cups for Xiao Fuxuan.


    After Xiao Fuxuan knocked them back, however, he saw Wu Xingxue pointing to a certain mountainous terrain in the mortal realm below Xiandu, saying: ¡°It looks like Falling Flower Terrace is lit up, is it the third day of the third month?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°You mean the mortal realm¡¯s calendar?¡±


    Wu Xingxue replied: ¡°Mm, should be. That mountain market lights lanterns on the third day of the third month when the market opens. It¡¯s quite lively, I¡¯ll occasionally go down and look around.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan looked toward that expanse of faintly visible lights Lingwang pointed down at. He had some impression of that place; he¡¯d once inadvertently entered that mountain range, but it wasn¡¯t the season at the time, so he hadn¡¯t seen the mountain market.


    Wu Xingxue looked awhile, then said: ¡°Do you know why that place is called Falling Flower Terrace?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan turned to look at him: ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    Wu Xingxue said: ¡°Long, long ago, there was a divine arbor there, before Lingtai. The place where it grew is a font of jade essence, and when it blossomed, the flowers fell across the entire mountain. So, it was called Falling Flower Terrace, and there are still some remnants of jade essence there now.¡±


    Plenty of deities had heard something about the divine arbor, but what they knew was scant. Some legends said that the divine arbor had the ability to return things to life after death, and some legends said that was untrue. The only commonality among the legends was, after Lingtai had emerged, the divine arbor was all gone, as though it had never existed.


    Later on, the people were often puzzled as to how a place with few flowering trees, which later held a well-known mountain market, could be called ¡°Falling Flower Terrace.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan glanced at Wu Xingxue, asking: ¡°Then how would you know of Falling Flower Terrace¡¯s origin?¡±


    Wu Xingxue said: ¡°I was born there.¡±


    ***


    Because of the innkeeper¡¯s one statement, Wu Xingxue recalled various scraps related to Falling Flower Terrace, and reconnected them to that newly springing jade essence in the inn¡¯s backyard¡­


    He immediately knew what this place was guarding, and also knew where Xiao Fuxuan was.


    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t really that that divine arbor didn¡¯t exist, but that for some reason, it had been sealed away by Lingtai Heavenly Law.


    He didn¡¯t know what had brought Xiao Fuxuan there; he only knew that now he also wanted to go in, and had to search for the entrance to that forbidden ground.


    Wu Xingxue suddenly raised his eyes and asked the innkeeper: ¡°Where was the crack in the rock where the jade branch appeared?¡±


    Since jade essence was related to the divine arbor, looking around for the jade branch¡¯s new growth couldn¡¯t be a bad start.


    The innkeeper dryly said: ¡°In the courtyard.¡±


    This inn¡¯s courtyard was built along the mountain and divided into three levels which wound into a semicircle enwrapping the inn.


    On one level, a well had been drilled and an awning built, all made of mountain rock. On the other two levels were planted trees for abundance and luck, and below the trees were more mountain rocks.


    The courtyard was chock-full of rocks and stone slabs, as well as cracked rocks.


    But what he sought was a most precise place. After all, if the forbidden area wasn¡¯t to be perceived, its entrance would assuredly not be large.


    Wu Xingxue scanned around, asking the innkeeper: ¡°Where is the cracked rock?¡±


    The innkeeper stretched out a finger to the left. Wu Xingxue looked in the direction he pointed, but then up and turned to walk the other way, in the exact opposite direction.


    The innkeeper: ¡°¡­¡±


    Since it was a forbidden area, and since the innkeeper had constraints placed on him, he wouldn¡¯t be permitted to say anything. As such, he was sure to point to the wrong place.


    The wrong place would assuredly be as far away from the true place as possible. So, although the innkeeper couldn¡¯t speak directly, Wu Xingxue could work out his reasoning.


    He walked for a distance, then asked the innkeeper again.


    This time the innkeeper had wised up, and pointed toward the southeast.


    He¡¯d originally thought that the other party would contrarily probe around the northwest, but as a result, Wu Xingxue believed him this time. Without turning, he walked straight to the southeastern direction he pointed to.


    The innkeeper: ¡°¡­¡±


    They went like this over and over again. Whatever the innkeeper couldn¡¯t do, Wu Xingxue would grasp with great accuracy.


    In the end, he stood next to an extremely unremarkable pile of rocks.


    It looked like a courtyard wall that had suffered frequent erosion from wind and rain; rocks fell and piled up messily in a corner without any custodial care taken. It was even crawling with moss and lichens, camouflaging the little crack.


    Wu Xingxue lifted a hand to feel over that broken-down wall. He turned his head to ask those Feng family disciples: ¡°Fellows, how might one make an opening out of thin air? But without too much noise.¡±


    The Feng Sect disciples gaped at one another. They appeared to still be digesting the impact of the missing person being Xiao Fuxuan, and were a bit absent-minded.


    Especially that young lady in the lead. Taking a few slips of soul-seeking talismans in hand, she hadn¡¯t even had the time to write down Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s name before it was rendered unnecessary.


    Hearing Wu Xingxue¡¯s question, she was dazed for a moment before recovering to say: ¡°We can try, but what if it doesn¡¯t open?¡±


    Wu Xingxue looked at them, saying: ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to try using more and more noisy tactics.¡±


    Just wrench it open and closed, and manipulate the illusion realm when it was about to crumble apart. Whatever places remained firm and stable would likely be the most suspicious.


    The more Wu Xingxue thought about it, the more he felt that it could work, and was about to take prompt action.


    At that moment, Falling Flower Mountain Market¡¯s lofty, remote night abruptly swelled with heavy clouds like mad. Lightning and thunder cracked, and even that half-collapsed courtyard wall began to violently tremble like teeth chattering out of control in extreme cold.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s icy pale fingers had already begun to crook.


    He mobilized all the impetus within him and was just about to let it rush madly forth, when he felt a hand stretching out from the mountain fog to grip his.


    He spoke dazedly: ¡°Xiao Fuxuan?¡±


    The next moment, his rigidly bent fingers loosened up.


    A thick fog slammed him in the face¡ªhe was tugged by that hand into the forbidden ground.

 CH 40

    Upon entering the forbidden ground, Wu Xingxue wanted to open his mouth to speak, only to be choked by the intense smell of smoke. He had to cough so badly that a thin flush rose to both his neck and cheeks.


    The next moment, someone crossed before him to block the gust of smoke for him. His coughing then slowly subsided.


    Wu Xingxue lifted his gaze. It was indeed Xiao Fuxuan.


    The Tianxiu Immortal also had smoke on his body. He reckoned that he¡¯d been immersed in this forbidden ground, and was sullied by it. As the wind swept past his robe, it was also quite cough-inducing.


    But Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t make a peep.


    He just slightly squinted his eyes and stifled back the urge to cough, stifled it so much that his eyes got hot; they¡¯d likely gone red.


    ¡°The wind here is full of smoke, and death traps are myriad. You shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± Xiao Fuxuan glanced at the area behind him, then turned his head back, pausing in his words.


    Being looked at by him, Wu Xingxue was a bit confused: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan controlled his gaze: ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°I shouldn¡¯t what?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°Nothing.¡±


    The devil was a bit befuddled. But he guessed that the Tianxiu Immortal was most likely about to say ¡°you shouldn¡¯t be here now.¡± Thus, he couldn¡¯t help but start to justify himself: ¡°I wasn¡¯t just recklessly charging in. You weren¡¯t at the inn so you didn¡¯t see that innkeeper¡¯s genial hospitality or his grand, baffle-ready gestures.


    Xiao Fuxuan looked over: ¡°What battle-ready gestures?¡±


    The devil thought it over, and began his barefaced litany: ¡°He had a corpse that¡¯d been soaked for I don¡¯t know how long. Deep at night, it got restless and squatted next to my bed. To wake up in the middle of the night and turn my head to see that thing, it really scared me out of my wits.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s expression started to get a bit complicated. He moved his lips, but under the spell of the devil¡¯s eyes, wasn¡¯t quite willing to open his mouth, and instead goaded him on: ¡°And then?¡±


    Quite pleased, the devil continued: ¡°And then there was just a little conflict, which attracted people from the Feng Sect. They presented me with a fistful of ashes when they came, and said it was a devil-probing talisman. What an awful mess it was, got all over my body¡ª¡±


    His words carried a measure of grievance. He lowered his head to brush at his clothes, and indeed brushed off a bit of remaining ash.


    Fingertips stained with a bit of ash, he stretched them out: ¡ãLook.¡±


    The Tianxiu Immortal peeped at his fingertips. After a long beat, he let out an ¡°Mn,¡± expressing that he saw it.


    The devil¡¯s body wasn¡¯t hurt in the slightest, not even his skin was ruptured, so it was naturally impossible that he¡¯d suffered any assault in this altercation. Xiao Fuxuan evidently knew this, but he just couldn¡¯t resist those eyes looking at him.


    After a moment¡¯s silence, he still asked: ¡°Did you raise a hand?¡±¡®


    Wu Xingxue replied: ¡°They raised their swords.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    At this point in the conversation, the devil was perhaps aware he¡¯d been a bit excessive, and promptly changed the subject to say: ¡ãLuckily, it wasn¡¯t too noisy, and once they listened to my explanation they stopped braying for blood and changed their minds to help me search for you instead.¡±


    Hearing this, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s gaze shifted.


    After a moment, he asked: ¡°How long were you searching?¡±


    Perhaps because the forbidden ground¡¯s smoky air had scorched his breath, his voice seemed less cold, even exhibiting a measure of warmth.


    Wu Xingxue was taken aback by it and felt his heart move.


    Strangely enough, that wisp of longing he¡¯d previously pushed down made an inexplicable resurgence. It didn¡¯t make a lick of sense; clearly, the person he¡¯d been searching for all night was already standing right before him.


    ¡°Mm?¡± Wu Xingxue answered lightly: ¡°Not actually very long. It was just that the entrance to this forbidden ground was really easy to miss, and the innkeeper seemed to have been under a mouth-sealing spell, so it took a while to get anything useful out of him. And, those Feng Sect people¡¯s abilities were also limited. Getting them to make a hole for me, they hesitated forever without doing it, just holding up time for the hell of¡ª¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly stopped.


    Because when he looked up, he saw that Xiao Fuxuan had been looking at him the entire time.


    Wu Xingxue was just about to say ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± when he saw Xiao Fuxuan abruptly lifting a hand and crooking a finger to stroke lightly below the corner of his eye.


    Wu Xingxue was momentarily rendered silent.


    He was just getting on his calamity period, his whole body cold as ice. When the other¡¯s finger neared dose, that wisp of warmth was especially distinct, that even after a while, the tail of his eye still felt hot.


    Perhaps that brief tactile sensation was too familiar¡ªhe recalled a snippet of a scene. It seemed that the closer he got to Luohua Terrace, the more often he recalled the past.


    In the scene that flitted vaguely by, he saw the ¡°Mian¡± symbol on Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s neck from up close, gleaming from the bottom up like a flickering golden flame.


    He¡¯d squinted his eyes in that gleam, then felt a light touch below the corner of his eye.


    He¡¯d watched Xiao Fuxuan rubbing his bent fingers and whispering: ¡°It¡¯s wet.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s eyelashes trembled.


    He subconsciously felt it in the corner of his eye, feeling the lingering warmth of Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s finger. He promptly became much calmer, like a snow fox whose fur had been petted.


    He put up a light struggle, asking: ¡°Was that just for the ash from the Feng Sect on my eye?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan mumbled in doubt; after a beat, he opened his mouth to say: ¡°No.¡±


    No?


    Then why did you¡­


    Wu Xingxue looked at him.


    Another long moment passed before Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s voice sounded with warm, smoky depth: ¡°Your disguise had disappeared in that spot; I fixed it.¡±


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s eyes flashed.


    ***


    The smoky wind behind Xiao Fuxuan died down a bit. As his gaze shifted, he saw scorched earth cover as far as the horizon.


    Wu Xingxue knit his brows, asking: ¡°Why is this entire place scorched earth?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan turned to look: ¡°¡­Don¡¯t know, it was like this when I arrived.¡±


    The burnt smell was truly heavy. Wu Xingxue was somewhat puzzled, and mumbled: ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Wu Xingxue had no doubts in him, and went on to ask: ¡°Oh right, why did you come to this forbidden ground in the first place?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan replied: ¡°In the middle of the night, I heard a voice.¡±


    Confused, Wu Xingxue asked, ¡°What voice?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­Your voice.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°My voice?¡± Wu Xingxue felt even more baffled, ¡°Where did it come from, and what did it say?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan replied: ¡°In the courtyard. It didn¡¯t say anything other than calling my name.¡±


    Just when the night was deepest, although that call of ¡°Xiao Fuxuan¡± was very soft, it was incredibly clear; there was no way he could have mistaken it.


    At first, he thought the person curled up on the bed was too cold, and thus called for him. He¡¯d even stooped down to check the other¡¯s temperature. But after that, he heard it again.


    He then thought that it was the divine statue in the brocade sachet at his waist.


    It wasn¡¯t until he heard it a third time that he recognized that the voice was coming from the courtyard.


    Normally, with the genuine Wu Xingxue lying on the bed, there was no way he¡¯d be drawn away by a single voice; he¡¯d just sweep a sword wind over.


    But in this Falling Flower Mountain Market illusion realm, he was somewhat hesitant¡ªbecause there wasn¡¯t just the current Wu Xingxue in the mountain market, but possibly also the Wu Xingxue from back then.


    He couldn¡¯t rashly unleash his sword.


    Hence, he walked over to the window, pricked the window open a crack, and looked in the direction of the voice. The area was totally dark, and he couldn¡¯t see any figures there.


    Because it couldn¡¯t be considered far, Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t use Separation of Spiritual Consciousness, but just let out a wisp of spiritual consciousness from his fingertips, wanting to go scout out the courtyard.


    The voice had come from a corner of the courtyard¡¯s wall. The moment that wisp of spiritual consciousness touched the corner, he felt a cosmic wind lifting the flat ground and wrapping his entire person in its gust.


    By the time he struck open the cosmic wind, he was already standing in this place.


    ¡°Well that truly is strange.¡¯ Wu Xingxue said, ¡°There were clearly two people in the room, so why did it only drag you in? Don¡¯t tell me this forbidden ground can even recognize people?¡±


    Even if it did recognize people, shouldn¡¯t it have recognized him and not Xiao Fuxuan?


    After all, back then he¡¯d said that he was born here. When it came to the shared origin, his ought to have been somewhat deeper.


    Wu Xingxue mulled it back and forth, and could come to just one conclusion¡ªit wasn¡¯t that Xiao Fuxuan had been dragged into this forbidden ground by the place itself, but that someone had been meddling around here, and wanted to drag Xiao Fuxuan into the forbidden ground.


    If it was like this, then it provided some food for thought¡­


    How many people in this world could there be who could pull methods such as this on the Tianxiu Immortal?


    Wu Xingxue was working it over in his mind when he heard Xiao Fuxuan say: ¡°You were just saying that this is forbidden ground? But what did you hear?¡±


    Wu Xingxue was dazed for a moment, wanting to say: ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    But when he turned it over, Xiao Fuxuan hadn¡¯t heard any of the words the innkeeper had said. And, that ¡°there was once a divine arbor in Falling Flower Terrace¡± from back then at Seat of the Spring Breeze was also a conversation from centuries ago; someone who¡¯d heard it wouldn¡¯t necessarily remember. And even if he remembered, he wouldn¡¯t necessarily think it was this place.


    And moreover¡­


    Wu Xingxue looked out in the distance, but couldn¡¯t get a glimpse of even a tree branch on the scorched earth. Were it not for him just having recalled that conversation at Seated Spring Breeze he also wouldn¡¯t have thought that this was the place sealing off the divine arbor.


    Besides, he¡¯d said it was sealed off, but he didn¡¯t see any sealing techniques. Apart from the suffocating smoke, the scorched earth could practically be called calm.


    ¡°When you came in, was this place really such a dead still?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.


    Xiao Fuxuan grunted in affirmation.


    Wu Xingxue again asked: ¡°You didn¡¯t trip any arrays or anything?


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°No.¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought to himself that it really was strange. He recalled that ¡°death traps are myriad¡± Xiao Fuxuan had mentioned before. Puzzled, he said: ¡°Then what about those death traps you mentioned?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan seemed to choke slightly, then replied dully: ¡°That was to scare you.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Seeing as you¡¯ve already entered¡­¡± Xiao Fuxuan seemed to have a bit of a headache: ¡°I¡¯ve nothing more to say.¡±


    Wu Xingxue peered through the smoky wind toward an indistinct silhouette far off in the distance.


    He narrowed his eyes and patted Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°Over there¡­ is there a house?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°It ought to be a temple. I was about to go over and take a look at first.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°And then what happened?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­And then I faintly heard a certain someone outside saying ¡®If I can¡¯t open up a hole, then I¡¯ll do something noisy.¡¯¡±


    The certain someone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue was speechless for a moment, then raised a hand to push Xiao Fuxuan forward a step: ¡°Let¡¯s go let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll stop talking.¡±


    ***


    They passed through that strange expanse of utterly vacant scorched earth, and walked toward the shadow in front.


    Xiao Fuxuan was right; it was indeed a temple, just weirdly jutting solitarily out within the scorched earth. The temple had a wooden facade of deep crow-black, while inside, the niche and floor were of white jade.


    Upon the niche¡¯s platform was a little carven statue, also of white jade. Different from commonly-seen divine statues, it lacked a certain stately and solemn, detached compassion. Its subject was a youth reclining against an extremely tall jade tree.


    The statue was carved without a face, so one couldn¡¯t tell what the youth looked like, only that his figure was actually rather lanky¡ªtall and straight. There was a stele behind the carving, upon which were carved words, the very top of which must have been the youth¡¯s taboo name.


    Somewhat strange, he was called: General Bai.


    Wu Xingxue was just about to take the jade stele to read when he suddenly heard a faint voice saying: ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, you¡¯ll die¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s fingers halted.


    The voice¡¯s emergence was odd. He scanned all around without finding where it had come from. Xiao Fuxuan propped the altar¡¯s tablecloth with his sword, but apart from a large pot full of incense ashes, no one was hiding under the platform.


    Wu Xingxue pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought something was off.


    The voice didn¡¯t seem to have come from the surroundings, but from¡­


    Overhead.


    Frowning, he lifted his head to look up.


    On the lofty roof beams of the temple was a densely packed array of human faces¡­ It seemed like the entire roof was suspended full of people hanging by their feet with their heads drooping down¡ªjust hanging there above them.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Thinking it over, given this scene, he could get away with clinging to the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s robe.


    The human faces were truly too numerous¡ªmale and female, old and young all¡ªeach with a deathly pale face They lightly swayed in the wind, and the rope suspending them even made a slight creeeak-creeeeaking sound.


    For a time he couldn¡¯t distinguish which face had ultimately said ¡°don¡¯t touch it, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    He and Xiao Fuxuan looked up with brows furrowed.


    Just as they were searching, that voice again faintly sounded: ¡°That this sealed forbidden ground, interleaved with layer upon layer of blade arrays, fire arrays, eighty-one bolts of the Ninth Heaven¡¯s mystic lightning, could actually be broken dean with such speed¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    He was taken aback: ¡°Blade arrays, fire arrays, Ninth Heaven¡¯s mystic lightning? Where?¡±


    That voice again said: ¡°He already broke them. We all saw it.¡±


    It took Wu Xingxue a hot second to react before he understood who that ¡°he¡± the voice spoke of was.


    Open-mouthed, he then turned to look at Xiao Fuxuan.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you¡­¡± Wu Xingxue asked lightly: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say, that when you came in, this sealed forbidden ground has been a dead still?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You said this place didn¡¯t have any arrays, and you hadn¡¯t seen anything at all?¡±


    ¡°And you said that there are death traps here just to scare me.¡±=


    The close-packed voices overhead began to snort. One after another, those human faces opened their maws to speak in gossamer-thin voices: ¡°Lies.¡±


    ¡°Lies.¡±


    ¡°Those were lies!.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    He had indeed lied.


    Upon arrival, this forbidden ground had mountains of blades and seas of fire, packed so dose they gave naught the opportunity for air. Were anyone a slight bit weaker to enter this place, unless they had a human barrier for protection, they simply wouldn¡¯t have had a chance in hell.


    To the extent that even Xiao Fuxuan had fundamentally no way to split his spiritual consciousness or leave a message to the person sleeping soundly in the inn.


    It wasn¡¯t until he¡¯d broken a majority of the death traps and heard a voice outside the forbidden ground that he could just barely probe out a thing or two.


    When he heard Wu Xingxue speaking with the Feng Sect people, Xiao Fuxuan was just in the middle of deflecting the last few bolts of mystic lightning. Hacking through the sea of fire with his long blade, he worked his flagrant brawn to release a boundless field of sword aura, clearing the over ten miles of crimson flame.


    Waiting until not a spark of the blaze remained and the inauspicious site was rendered a plot of scorched earth¡ªand then checking that there weren¡¯t any more life-claiming death traps¡ªhe flung the dust from his sword and flew beside the entrance to the forbidden ground in a single pace.


    Naturally, he hadn¡¯t the time to see what else was in the forbidden ground, and was too preoccupied to go look after that shadowy temple, let alone figure out what this place was sealing.


    He used the back of his hand to wipe away the smattering of ash that had spattered his jawbone, and was just returning the sword to sheath when he reached out to pull in the person outside.

 CH 41

    The words of those people hanging upside-down overhead overlapped one another.


    They sounded like countless echoes, each agreeing with one other and softly tittering. Amidst the creaking of the ropes, their laughter sounded at once far and near, growing sharper and sharper until at last, it mushroomed into a cackle that resounded throughout the forbidden ground.


    The laughter persisted for a while, then abruptly halted at the unpleasant sight of the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s face.


    The entire temple descended into a stalemate-like deathly still¡­


    Although the scene was outrageously strange, it didn¡¯t stop the devil from finding it amusing.


    Wu Xingxue retracted his glee under Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s gaze to ask solemnly: ¡°What are you people?¡±


    The hanging ropes swayed, and those people slowly turned. Because they¡¯d been hanging too long, their torsos, necks, and even their faces were tugged out long, making it truly difficult to recognize their original appearances.


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Who are we?¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha.¡±


    It was unclear why they laughed again at this question, but after a moment, they stopped abruptly once more, using a sneaky tone as though whispering in someone¡¯s ear to say¡ª


    ¡°We¡¯re already dead.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, we¡¯re still alive.¡±


    ¡°Then, both dead, and alive.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡±


    It was unclear who let out a faint sigh, but everyone else followed with long sighs one after another. The sound was quite unsettling.


    Wu Xingxue wrinkled his brows. He felt that these people seemed different from any foul devils or yin entities he¡¯d seen before, or even those commoners inducted at the Valley of Great Sorrow.


    Low-level devils and yin beings wouldn¡¯t be able to speak, and would muddle about as though lacking sentience, knowing only hunger and feeding. Powerful ones would be indistinguishable from people and could learn to pass themselves off as living humans, totally indistinguishable from the real deal. As for the commoners who¡¯d been tragically inducted, when they weren¡¯t exposed, they could speak clearly.


    It was the first time he¡¯d encountered something like this, for whom speaking up was a truly laborious task.


    ¡°What are they?¡± Wu Xingxue whispered, tugging on Xiao Fuxuan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Xiao Fuxuan replied.


    The world was full of oddities with all sorts of inner and outer manifestations. Even the gods couldn¡¯t know or recognize everything at a glance. The Tianxiu Immortal was by nature reticent, and didn¡¯t like speaking superfluously. Were he uncertain of his guess, he could only answer with ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±


    His wont was well-established in Immortal Capital, yet kept being shattered with this one person here.


    ¡°Then make something up,¡± said Wu Xingxue.


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°Bound.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡±


    This devil seemed to be very impressed by Tianxiu¡¯s knowledge, and was at all ears ready to listen.


    Already worn down, the Tianxiu Immortal let himself go entirely at this look of reverence; he opened his mouth to say: ¡°Mortals are all cycles of spirits. After the flesh body has died, the spirit enters the next stage. Blossoms bloom and wilt; the cycle goes around. But the spirit and flesh body do not always remain together. Some people¡¯s flesh bodies are already dead, but perhaps because of persisting obligations or obsessions, their spirit will linger on without leaving, and continue to pass their days much like those of a living person. They are called attached. There are also some whose flesh bodies are not yet dead, but whose spirits have been drawn out and tied to something for some reason or other. Inextricable, thus becoming bound.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan said: ¡°Judging on a whim, of bound they¡¯re akin.¡±


    Upon hearing ¡°attached,¡± Wu Xingxue felt alright. That just came down to a persisting obsession, an unwillingness to leave. Upon hearing ¡°bound,¡± however, his expression dimmed¡­


    He thought it over and asked: ¡°If the spirit is tied down, then what about the flesh body?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan said: ¡°It remains in place without dying or abating, and without being able to leave. Moreover, it is quite difficult to distinguish.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Even you find it difficult to distinguish? Why so? Is it unlike a dead person, lacking a corpse aura?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan recalled the sporadic times he¡¯d encountered ¡°the bound,¡± and explained: ¡°The bound¡¯s flesh bodies will never die, without knowing for themselves what had befallen them. Over time they will deceive themselves.¡±


    ¡°And how do they deceive themselves?¡±


    ¡°They will grow up over and over again.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was shocked at this: ¡°You mean¡­ their flesh bodies will start off as newborn infants and grow up again?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t necessarily start from infancy, nor will they necessarily grow old. Depends on the person.¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought the situation over, and indeed thought it strange¡ªa bodily vessel without a spirit should have been no more than a walking corpse, yet they could merge into the crowd of living humans. They¡¯d undergo the process of aging, change appearance with time, and converse with others.


    ¡°Then the deities would indeed find them difficult to distinguish¡­¡± Wu Xingxue said: ¡°But those close to them for decades would perhaps find out.¡±


    But those who found out would likely be scared half to death.


    Just imagine, the one who shared a pillow, or a family member in the same household, or even just a next-door neighbor, with whom they¡¯d originally spoken to on a daily basis, one day suddenly coming to the realization that they¡¯d perhaps long since ceased to be alive¡­ Could a handful of ordinary commoners bear the horror?


    But, the ones who suffered the most would have to be the victim themselves.


    Wu Xingxue suddenly felt that these upside-down hanged people were somewhat pitiable, and raised his head to ask: ¡°How long have you all been hanging here?¡±


    Those people twisted with the breeze, sometimes with their backs facing him, sometimes slowly turning face-to-face. Due to being hanged upside-down, even the corners of their lips were tugged along their cheeks, like a weird, uncontrollable smile.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°A loooong time, truly long.¡±


    ¡°Nearly a hundred years?¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought to himself: No wonder these people hanging upside-down were talking like that, one moment saying they were alive and the next saying they were dead, chattering over one another in a muddle headed daze. Anyone who¡¯d had their spirit drawn out and confined in this hellish place for a century, likely would have this muddled chattering appearance.


    ¡°Where were you originally from?¡± Wu Xingxue then asked.


    He didn¡¯t in fact hold out any hope for this, and also didn¡¯t think these people would be able to say why they¡¯d come here; probably they¡¯d reply with things like ¡°I forgot¡± or ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Who knew that they¡¯d actually open their mouths one by one¡ª


    ¡°Langzhou.¡±


    ¡°Guizhou.¡±


    ¡°Xiyuan.¡±


    ¡°Foot of Immovable Mountain.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Every manner of reply swelled up like the tide. Listening to them made the great devil¡¯s mind buzz.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Wu Xingxue said, ¡°I got it.¡±


    Basically everywhere.


    Wu Xingxue mulled it over inside.


    This place was a temple, which rather called to mind sacrificial offerings and worshiping-type paraphernalia. These spirits who¡¯d been tied here were quite possibly used for these purposes.


    He still wanted to ask ¡°who tied you up here¡± and ¡°why were you chosen,¡± but just as he was opening his mouth, he was shushed by Xiao Fuxuan.


    As though able to see through his thoughts, the Tianxiu Immortal took the initiative to say: ¡°Some things cannot be mentioned, such as¡­¡±


    He paused for a moment, tilting his head down next to Wu Xingxue¡¯s ear to whisper: ¡°The lord of their grievance.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He knew this was so those upside-down hanging people didn¡¯t hear, but¡­


    The devil closed his eyes. After a beat, he then asked: ¡°Why?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s mild voice remained pressed low as before: ¡°Mentioning it is liable to arouse their resentment. We haven¡¯t yet understood this forbidden ground; it¡¯s inadvisable to take rash action.¡±


    The devil: ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    After he listened earnestly, he waited until Xiao Fuxuan had stood up straight to gather up his overcoat and half-cover his ears in fox fur.


    While the two people were whispering in each other¡¯s ears, those people hanging upside-down from the rafters continued to slowly, lightly sway, but no matter how they moved, their eyes remained glued on this pair who¡¯d barged into the forbidden ground. The ends of their eyes were drawn out quite long; inclining out from the corners of their eyes, they appeared eerily focused.


    They looked on for a long while, when a few among them suddenly shook their shoulders.


    Then, even more of them began stealthily moving¡ªcountless flesh-colored branches noiselessly fell down from the densely packed crowd of people, like a thick, upside-down forest.


    Were one to look closely, they¡¯d discover that they weren¡¯t in fact branches, but arms that had been stretched long, as though boneless.


    Those people slowly opened their mouths, those arms beginning to move like serpents, stretching straight toward those two people.


    The entire temple remained completely silent, as though the people currently speaking hadn¡¯t yet noticed¡ªhaving not even turned their heads.


    The Devil Lord spoke with a serious expression: ¡°But there¡¯s just one problem.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s gaze shifted slightly: ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°What do we do if they start it first?¡± the devil calmly asked.


    ¡°Then, we can only¡­ kill them.¡± Xiao Fuxuan said. With a flick of his thumb to his sword handle, the longsword in his hand cut an exceptionally beautiful arc, glacial sword qi instantaneously raging out and forming countless chilly wind-cutting blades.


    Without turning his head, the icy blades swept out.


    Countless ¡°puffss¡± rang out as thousands of long, branchlike arms halted just behind them. They were nearly a hair away, but couldn¡¯t get closer¡ªamidst mournful shrieks, the arms littered the ground.


    The next moment, those icy blades turned their tips, bearing extremely violent killing intent as they doubled straight back on those people hanging upside-down.


    They writhed madly, but simply couldn¡¯t escape. Just as the frosty tips were about to wedge into their skulls, they couldn¡¯t keep down their howling: ¡°AHHHHHHH¡ª¡±


    However, the instant those frosty tips pressed against their scalps, they halted!


    They could clearly sense that they were about to be stabbed through, but the sword tips were slow to the take; yet that taste of waiting was the greatest torture. They were so tortured, their entire bodies shook; even the ropes holding them creaked out.


    ¡°It¡¯s been difficult waiting for someone to come. Were you thinking that if you¡¯d grabbed someone to hang, they¡¯d take your place?¡± Wu Xingxue raised his head to ask.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Those people were still shaking, but didn¡¯t utter a word. The entire temple was rendered a deathly still, representing an affirmative to his question.


    Wu Xingxue wasn¡¯t actually angry. He¡¯d clearly seen this sort of scene a few times before, but ineffably kept his cool in the face of the macabre. Those people who¡¯d been stuffed into child servant statues were like this, as were these bound spirits, always trying to find another poor wretch to replace them.


    It was just that they were out of luck, and found the wrong people.


    Wu Xingxue glanced at Xiao Fuxuan to ask: ¡°Can I make a deal with them?¡± ¡°


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­ As if I can stop you.¡±


    Wu Xingxue happily raised his face: ¡®I¡¯ll tell you what, you all have stayed a while on this forbidden ground, and got to know it somewhat. Tell us honestly the situation with this forbidden ground, and we¡¯ll think of a way to untie your spirit binds.¡±


    Unexpectedly, those people slowly came face-to-face with him, and they said: ¡°You can¡¯t untie them.¡±


    Wu Xingxue asked: ¡°Why so certain?¡±


    Those people stretched their necks, cautiously staring at those sword tips, and confidently repeated: ¡°You just can¡¯t.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was about to ask again when he suddenly saw that one of the spirits hanging upside-down was quite strange. Unlike the others hanging upside-down, he seemed to have awoken slightly, his eyes not so muddled.


    ¡°Look at that one.¡± Wu Xingxue poked Xiao Fuxuan, indicating that he look at that unusual one, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan replied: ¡°His flesh body must be on the verge of awakening, so his spirit is struggling violently.¡±


    Flesh body on the verge of awakening?


    ¡°You¡¯re saying, that flesh body is about to realize that it¡¯s no longer a living person?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.


    ¡°Not about to, perhaps already realized.¡±


    The person was struggling, his face so distorted that as he flipped around, the massive bags under his eyes nearly kept him from opening his eyes. With difficulty, he looked over in Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s direction, his mouth opening and dosing, but unable to say anything.


    After another beat, he called out: ¡°It hurts so much¡­¡±


    Staring at his eyebags, Wu Xingxue was suddenly taken aback.


    ¡°I know who he is,¡± he grabbed Xiao Fuxuan to whisper.


    Having previously been hanging upside-down, his face had been dragged out very long, so it was rather hard to recognize him. Now, the instant he flipped around amidst his twitching, within those massive eye bags, the two of them could make out a hint of familiarity about his face.


    It was the innkeeper.


    In that split second, Wu Xingxue nearly lost himself.


    Why would the innkeeper have appeared here now?


    He again began thinking back to before he¡¯d come to the forbidden ground, the innkeeper¡¯s expression of wanting to say something but being unable, and everything seemed to string together¡ª


    What if these bound spirits weren¡¯t sacrificial offerings? What if the reason their spirits had been drawn out was to keep their flesh bodies here forever to cover a certain place for a long time, never to die nor abate nor leave?


    What if the sealing of the divine arbor had been sketched in light washes in the stories, and hadn¡¯t just relied on a few formations and a forbidden ground, but required a multitude of people? And, the innkeeper was just the one guarding the entrance.


    A terrifying thought suddenly came to Wu Xingxue¡ª


    Xiao Fuxuan had said that the flesh bodies of the ¡°bound¡± whose spirits had been drawn out would continue their lives where they were, would grow up over and over again, and were at a glance so indistinguishable from living humans that not even the deities could tell them apart. But, close neighbors were more liable to detect them.


    But what if their close neighbors were also ¡°bound¡±? What if the neighbors they saw every day were all ¡°bound¡±?


    Then would that mean no one be able to find out?


    Someone¡ªhe forgot who¡ªhad once said that Falling Flower Terrace was a truly excellent place in the mortal world. No matter how chaotic the world was, this place would always maintain a comfortable ease, a lively and thriving clamor of human voices.


    And another person had said, perhaps the divine arbor of back then was still present, blessing the place all along.


    Thinking about it now, it was actually unusual. Where was the logic in these people not suffering the effects of troubled times?


    But what if the entire mountain market was bound? What if that bustling clamor had long since died, just to be locked here forever, day after day and year after year staging the scene of lighting lanterns at the market¡¯s opening on the third day of the third month?


    Just like the flesh bodies who¡¯d lost their spirits, fooling themselves in everything they did¡ªgrowing, aging, and conversing.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s face sank like water, his gaze sweeping over the densely-packed faces.


    Looking again this time, he finally found quite a few familiar faces¡ªthat bellboy from the inn, even those from when he¡¯d just entered Falling Flower Mountain Market, that teahouse waiter in his endless hawking, the high-cheekboned folk storyteller, the shop attendant who¡¯d explained about the overturned cart of rouge powders¡­


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t even tell whether it was ultimately the him of this moment recognizing those people, or, if it was the Wu Xingxue of back then who had also similarly¡­ recognized those people.


    All contributed to Falling Flower Terrace¡¯s bustling and clamorous facade. Once. they¡¯d lit candles that shone continuously upon all twelve miles of the mountain range. like a dragon of light.


    That was the Falling Flower Mountain Market he¡¯d once recommended to so many.


    That was his birthplace.

 CH 42

    ¡°AHHHH¡­..¡±


    The innkeeper¡¯s spirit issued out a weak shout, half lament and half agony, repeating over and over: ¡°It hurts so much, hurts so much, hurts so much¡­¡±


    The first was a cathartic yelp, but it then got slowly weaker until it at last became but a murmur.


    Much like someone plagued by severe narcolepsy, he struggled only briefly awake, but then involuntarily sank back into a stupor. No longer able to shout, he began to whimper and cry.


    The others hanging upside-down turned toward him one by one.


    At first, they¡¯d still been whispering, just a bit of sound and they¡¯d echo one another in endless succession. But now, they descended into a strange silence.


    They looked silently upon the innkeeper. Clearly, the flesh at the corners of their mouths had been pulled to their cheekbones, but because they were hanging upside-down, they appeared extremely sorrowful.


    ¡°Why is he crying¡­¡± someone softly asked.


    This statement went down like water into hot oil; those suspended spirits suddenly shook, and then exploded.


    Countless sobs thrummed out, all pouring into Wu Xingxue¡¯s ears. He suddenly felt that the smoke here was truly suffocating, so much so that his inner organs went cold. A completely inexplicable sense of abhorrence arose in his heart.


    Within that abhorrence, Wu Xingxue thought: If my heart is this cold without memory, then what about with memory? I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d really thought about it back then when I knew¡­


    Clang¡ª-


    The sound of a sword suddenly rang out, cuffing straight through the smoke!


    Wu Xingxue abruptly recovered. He raised his head to look over.


    And saw Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s golden-light-bearing ¡°Mian¡± sword sweeping madly across the temple¡¯s ceiling. Even though he couldn¡¯t see the expression of the swordsman, he could sense the glacial chill within the sword intent.


    Everyone said the Tianxiu Immortal dealt punishment with one hand and forgiveness with the other. Since all the Falling Flower Mountain Market people were innocent upon being tied up here, such an action from Xiao Fuxuan ought to have freed these people.


    Wu Xingxue thought as much; evidently, so did Xiao Fuxuan.


    That pure ray of golden light made the entire forbidden ground shake on end, smoke and dust rising up to the blue sky and turning it into a hazy smog. The light hacked through with an unstoppable force, enclosing all the spirits in its gold. Superimposed golden seals flowed across from within the light, like the ousting of karmic sins from the mortal realm.


    The scene alarmed those spirits so much that they gaped out blankly, no longer concerned with crying. For a moment, their transfixed eyes seemed to glimmer with hope.


    But the next instant, the light in their eyes dimmed back down¡ª


    The ¡°Mian¡± sword¡¯s chill blades swept across, yet the ropes binding those densely-packed spirits kept on creaking in midair, without the least bit of change.


    Astonished, Wu Xingxue turned his head to see that Xiao Fuxuan was also knitting his brows.


    He lifted a hand to catch the sword, lowering his gaze toward the continually flowing golden rivulets on his sword. The next moment, he again flipped his hand to sweep the sword out.


    This time yielded the same result¡ªthe sword¡¯s edge went straight through those hanging ropes as though they were just empty projections. Even the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s pardon couldn¡¯t take the least effect on them.


    Those spirits hanging upside-down didn¡¯t utter a word, staring dazedly at the ropes on their bodies. They¡¯d just been crying for a long time, but their eyes weren¡¯t at all red. They still wore those muddled expressions, just cast in another layer of fog. After a long while, a murmured discussion again reverberated out¡ª


    ¡°Look, we just said, you can¡¯t untie it.¡±


    ¡°Sure enough.¡±


    ¡°Let it be, don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡±


    ¡°But it hurts so much¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Xiao Fuxuan caught his sword again, clenching his fingers. A trace of frustration emerged between his brows. He muttered inaudibly to himself, as though working out why he couldn¡¯t pardon these people.


    ¡°Xiao Fuxuan,¡± Wu Xingxue called to him.


    Strangely enough, the chill he¡¯d felt in his guts before actually got a little better for a moment. Thinking it over, perhaps it was because of this person¡¯s presence beside him. Because when Xiao Fuxuan first unleashed his sword, before he¡¯d come to the sudden realization that he couldn¡¯t do anything except killing moves, he¡¯d also wanted to free these spirits.


    But what a pity, he couldn¡¯t succeed.


    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s an illusion realm?¡± Wu Xingxue thought aloud, ¡°Is it because we entered this forbidden ground from an illusion realm, so we can only look on but not do anything else?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan raised his eyes: ¡°Are you trying to console me?¡±


    Wu Xingxue was indeed thinking along these lines, but he hadn¡¯t just forced the words out as consolation; in fact, he never had wrapped his head around what that so-called ¡°what¡¯s seen¡¯s illusion, yet the scene is true¡± really meant. If they were seeing the past Falling Flower Mountain Market, then what? What could they change?


    If they couldn¡¯t change, couldn¡¯t even influence anything, then how could he have spoken with the innkeeper and bellboy, or even threatened the Feng Sect people? It seemed that he¡¯d really returned to the Falling Flower Mountain Market of several centuries ago.


    But if they could change things¡­


    Then was this illusion realm really an illusion realm?


    ¡°When we¡¯d just entered the mountain market, I¡¯d taken it as a mere illusion realm, but now I harbor some doubts.¡± Frowning, Xiao Fuxuan hesitated, still disinclined to speak of doubts or conjectures. He continued: ¡°Even if it is an illusion realm, unleashing my sword shouldn¡¯t have had this result.¡±


    ¡°What should it have been like?¡± Wu Xingque asked.¡±


    ¡°Were it unable to bear it, the illusion realm would have broken. Were it able to bear it, the illusion realm would have manifested a change. In short, it shouldn¡¯t have been like this.¡± Xiao Fuxuan stopped talking, but his heavy expression remained pensive.


    Looking at that poor expression on his handsome face, Wu Xingxue could make out the words ¡°unless¡­¡± written all over it.


    He opened his mouth to ask: ¡°Unless what?¡±


    ¡°Unless¡ª¡± Xiao Fuxuan blurted this out before realizing that he was being led along: ¡°¡­¡±


    He pursed his lips, the deep black of his eyes peering at Wu Xingxue.


    For some reason, Wu Xingxue caught a trace of another emotion from that gaze, as though he were trying to recall the reason, but didn¡¯t really want to spit it out.


    After another beat, Xiao Fuxuan retracted his gaze, no longer meeting Wu Xingxue¡¯s eyes: ¡°For my pardon to take no effect, there can only be one reason.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°What?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan frowned slightly, saying: ¡°I myself am karmically implicated here.¡±


    The temple again went silent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± After a while, Wu Xingxue asked, ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re being karmically implicated here?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan slowly opened his mouth: ¡°There was a divine arbor born in Falling Flower Terrace which was for some reason sealed. This became forbidden ground, possibly causing these spirits to be tied down as such and become bound. Their karma is all intertwined, and I¡­¡±


    His voice slowed a moment. Still deeply furrowing his brows, he spoke deeply: ¡°I am linked among them, so I cannot pardon them.¡±


    A long while after he finished talking, he raised his eyes again.


    Wu Xingxue looked into his eyes unfalteringly. In the depths of his pupils, he made out a trace of hesitation, of confusion, but his mind swiftly calmed.


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that he realized he¡¯d been visibly on edge because he knew, being karmically implicated here was not anything good.


    Who would have been involved?


    Apart from people closely intertwined with the divine arbor itself, there was probably only whoever had sealed this place, or perhaps whoever had locked these spirits up¡­


    Wu Xingxue suddenly somewhat understood why the himself back then would have tried to alter Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s memories. It must have had something to do with this so-called karma.


    Xiao Fuxuan also evidently thought as much. He stared at Wu Xingxue, but only let out an ¡°I¡­¡± before going quiet.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be that karma,¡± Wu Xingxue blurted out.


    Xiao Fuxuan raised his eyelids. Because he had his back to the temple¡¯s candlelight, his eyes appeared even deeper black. He¡¯d always been cold, and would occasionally give off an air of haughtiness. Those edges about him seemed innate; no matter how he restrained them, kept them sheathed, those rather sharp points would always make themselves known about the corners of his eyes and brows.


    Yet right now, within the gaze he directed at Wu Xingxue, there were too many hidden meanings¡ªeverything except the slightest hint of prickliness.


    Wu Xingxue spoke softly: ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the karma of the lord of their grievance.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Xiao Fuxuan focused in on him.


    Wu Xingxue moved his lips.


    ¡°¡­Why so certain,¡± Xiao Fuxuan again asked.


    The Tianxiu Immortal was never one to speak empty phrases, nor to blindly believe guesses. Even if the interrogation fell on his own head, even if he didn¡¯t want to be at all connected to certain conclusions, he still wouldn¡¯t say anything to irrefutably absolve himself.


    People of the Immortal Capital all knew that the Tianxiu Immortal was never partial, even when it came to himself. He could tolerate any suspicion, so calm it seemed like the one being speculated about was not him.


    This impartiality seemed innate, as though he must have been born like this, or else how could he have been inducted as the one in charge of punishment and forgiveness?


    But at a time like this, he still found that he cared deeply about a certain person¡¯s groundless conviction. It wasn¡¯t like with others¡ªnot a point-by-point result, nor a carefully surmised conclusion. Just, that one person¡¯s unexplained and unexamined conviction.


    He asked twice, only to hear Wu Xingxue open his mouth to say: ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s just a feeling. I¡¯m a devil, devils never listen to reason.¡±


    That moment, those years that had once separated them seemed like the smoky fog in this forbidden ground, rising and falling, a bit suffocating¡ªyet also seemed to lightly disperse with the breeze, no longer so insurmountable.


    ***


    ¡°Ah!¡± someone suddenly screeched, followed by an alarmed gasp.


    Immediately hence, the air buzzed with conversation.


    ¡°How can this be?¡±


    ¡°The divine statue¡¯s never moved before.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Divine statue?


    Curious, Wu Xingxue turned his head to look.


    That ¡°General Bai¡± inscribed divine statue on the temple¡¯s niche really had begun to change. The youth was still leaning on the tree, and the sword in his hand hadn¡¯t moved a hair. What did move was the jade-careen divine arbor behind him. Somehow, the divine arbor which had previously only had branches, now sprouted buds.


    Wu Xingxue leaned forward to look closer, discovering that within the new growth was wrapped bud after bud of blossoms, too many to count. In just a moment, they have filled the naked branches.¡±


    ¡°Who was this statue carved by, that it can actually grow?¡± Wu Xingxue murmured.


    He wasn¡¯t initially expecting to hear an answer, but in response, those spirits who¡¯d been confined in this place opened their mouths to say: ¡°The divine arbor itself¡­¡±


    Wu Xingxue was stunned, and turned to look at Xiao Fuxuan.


    ¡°The divine arbor itself?¡± Wu Xingxue asked in astonishment, ¡°The divine arbor could turn into a human?¡±


    The spirits then shook their heads, all clamoring: ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It also seems like it hadn¡¯t turned into a human.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just hearsay.¡±


    ¡°From the folktales.¡±


    Wu Xingxue then pointed to the jade-carven youth to ask: ¡°Is this the person the divine arbor became?¡±


    Those spirits shook their heads: ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then who is it?¡± Wu Xingxue asked.

 CH 43

    Those hanging upside-down said: ¡°A general.¡±


    ¡°A young general.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said he died beneath the divine arbor.¡±


    ¡°But why did the jade carving move?¡±


    ¡°Is it because of those two sword strikes?¡±


    ¡°It must be¡­¡±


    One by one, the people hanging upside-down turned to look at this Xiao Fuxuan who¡¯d unleashed his sword, faces convoluted with suspicion.


    Only Wu Xingxue, upon hearing that ¡°died beneath the divine arbor,¡± moved the fingers hanging at his side. Rather strangely, at that moment, a feeling of discomfort arose in his heart, as though he¡¯d once seen how that person ¡°died beneath the divine arbor.¡±


    Dazed for a moment, he subconsciously reached out for the jade carving.


    Those hanging upside-down were drained of color in fright, and rushed to yell:


    ¡°The statue can¡¯t be touched!¡±


    ¡°That was carved by the divine arbor itself, it cannot be profaned¡­¡±


    ¡°Other than it itself, anyone who touches it will meet with¡ª¡±


    Before the word ¡°disaster¡± could land, they all went silent at once, sinking into blank-faced suspicion.


    Because they saw Wu Xingxue grip the jade carving, yet nothing happened. Only a long breeze swept across the temple, like something in the jade statue had momentarily awoken.


    Xiao Fuxuan grabbed Wu Xingxue¡¯s wrist. Seeing the other¡¯s eyelashes trembling slightly, he asked: ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    After a long while, Wu Xingxue opened his mouth to say: ¡°No.¡±


    Nothing.


    It was just that, the moment he gripped the jade statue, he felt a trace of spirits wrapping along his fingertips and melding into his body.


    Like a little fragment of a spirit that he once left in the jade statue, had now at last found its way back.


    The instant the spirit melded into his fingertips, he recalled a few events.


    About the divine arbor, about General Bai.


    ***


    A long, long time ago, before Lingtai was around, there was a towering tree in Falling Flower Terrace that stretched from high heaven down to the ground below, its branches so lush they seemed canopied in clouds. The cycles of life and death in the mortal realm were all kept on this giant tree¡ª


    Each time a newborn infant entered the world, the tree would sprout new growth and grow a flower bud. And each time someone shuffled off this mortal coil, a blossom would fall from the tree.


    Ordinary people couldn¡¯t see it. Only people newly born or close to death would have the chance to catch sight of it.


    Some who¡¯d once faced the jaws of death but managed to escape, upon returning, would all say that they¡¯d seen a divine arbor, right on Falling Flower Terrace. Over time, all sorts of rumors arose about the divine arbor.


    Rumor had it that the divine arbor appeared half-withered and half-thriving¡ªthe very crown of its canopy flourished with flowers, so that looking on from afar, it appeared as the flush of clouds amidst the setting sun. But below the canopy, the branches deep within would be constantly shedding blossoms. No matter whether it was autumn or spring, morning or night, it never stopped.


    Those fallen petals could cover all twelve miles of the mountain range. Floating within the mountain streams, their reflections in the water suffused it in cherry red. Hence, there was a splendorous sight in Falling Flower Terrace, renowned around the world, yet few could see it, called ¡°clear streams in the mountain, crimson flow to fields.¡±


    That splendorous sight was all the mortal realm¡¯s life and death, encapsulating every single person in the world.


    Rumors spread more and more widely, leading people to establish a temple on Falling FLower Terrace to worship that giant tree ordinary people couldn¡¯t see.


    Anything related to life and death would be particularly attractive to the masses. For a time, that temple was the most lively place in the world. A multitude of people trod over that threshold to beseech for all sorts of things there.


    At the time, those beseeching primarily involved life and death¡ªpraying for new life to come, praying for recovery from severe illness, praying for peace and safety, or a long life without worry.


    Later on, things got more and more jumbled. It got to the point that, for quite a while, people would imbue just about any tree.


    Rumor had it that the divine arbor heard so many of mortals¡¯ joys, sorrows, and wishes, that it slowly begot a human side. Gradually, rumors pertaining to the divine arbor gained an additional few phrases


    ¡ªPeople who¡¯d had the chance to see the divine arbor said that they¡¯d once seen a phantom amidst the divine arbor¡¯s dense, verdant foliage, like someone was propped up on a branch, just sitting amidst the mass of blossoms, gaze lowered upon the ever-more bustling Falling Flower Terrace.


    Due to its relation to the divine arbor, more and more structures were built along the mountains of Falling Flower Terrace, and in the third month when living things sprung forth, droves of people from north to south would converge here, gradually forming a fledgling state of the mountain market.


    But the world had a universally-disliked yet ultimately prophetic principle, known as ¡°good times don¡¯t last.¡±


    Not even the divine arbor could escape this adage.


    At first, people who¡¯d heard of the divine arbor only prayed to it. But later on, some people became unspeakably greedy, and came up with bad ideas.


    Since the divine arbor encapsulated the cycles of life and death, of time as it rolled on forward, then¡­ What if they could find a way to borrow some of the divine arbor¡¯s power?


    Could it call people to rise from the dead, or bring back squandered years?


    This theory pulled on too many people¡¯s heartstrings and watered their drool. Hence, the divine arbor could no longer exist as it once had, when it was only granting protection and stability.


    Those unscrupulous means led to a great deal of trouble¡ª some people were killed because of the divine arbor, while some caused others¡¯ deaths due to the divine arbor¡­


    These troubles morphed into karmic burdens, all bound to the divine arbor.


    The rumors said that because the divine arbor had begotten a human side that¡¯d also been wrapped up in these karmic burdens, not even it could escape the mortal realm¡¯s maxim¡ªits days were numbered.


    The year the divine arbor met with calamity, the mortal world wasn¡¯t doing too well either. War had broken out everywhere under the sun.


    At the time there weren¡¯t places named Langzhou, Meng City, and the like. Everywhere, the national borders were a mess.


    A small nation assembled in the southwest, where the fires of war blazed most furiously. Plains steeped in crimson for hundreds of miles, bodies scattered this way and that, were a common sight. Later on, even children of ten years would be carrying cold weaponry and entering the fields of slaughter.


    One autumn night in that year when the moon ought to have been full, a sorrowful scene appeared in the southwest¡ª


    On one side, fighting was at its zenith on the as-yet-unnamed Jiaming Wilderness. Lingering flames burned across the vast wilderness. The scent of scorched flesh and the plaintive whinnying of horses disseminated hundreds of miles on the night breeze.


    On the other side, thunder drummed over Falling Flower Terrace as electric light fell forth from the ninth heaven like an impenetrable net, hacking down strike by strike upon the site of the divine arbor.


    A youth drenched in blood was just then walking from the outskirts of the fields, toward the divine arbor¡­


    He looked about seventeen or eighteen, a faint youthful air about his face, but it was all covered up by the cold-iron-like malign qi of his severely wounded body. His legs and torso were long; his stature ought to have been quite tall, but due to his being drained of vital force as well as the injuries across his body, he couldn¡¯t stand very straight.


    At first glance, he¡¯d just come from killing in the flames of war.


    From one hand jutted a sword, and on his back was a bloody bundle of cloth.


    When he crossed through the valley, he stumbled with the sword in his grip, and that bloody bundle shifted. A pair of skinny arms lolled out, covered in wounds and scars. Looking from afar, an experienced person would know¡ªit was a skinny little kid who¡¯d already died.


    During those two years, one would always come across kids like that on the outskirts of the battlefields. Broken homes, parents dead, no one to look after them, either they¡¯d be snatched away or starve.


    Even if they were starving they wouldn¡¯t have a restful death; they¡¯d be dismembered and gobbled up by wild beats, foul or yin entities, or other extremely hungry people, and end up without even a full skeleton. Those who died like this and remained intact could be counted on one hand.


    As the youth walked below the divine arbor, there was a brief gap in the heavenly thunder. All Falling Flower Terrace was suspended in a brief calm.


    The rumors all said that ordinary people couldn¡¯t see the divine arbor, so people who came to Falling Flower Terrace would usually head straight for the temple and wouldn¡¯t really look up to search for that giant invisible tree.


    But that youth didn¡¯t go in the direction of the temple. Supporting himself on his sword, he stood below the tree, swallowed the blood between his lips, and looked up.


    His face was naturally quite handsome. If he¡¯d washed away all that blood and killing intent on his body, he ought to have been a swaggering young lad, cold white as jade. But what a pity, he¡¯d not retain that face another day.


    Because, after swallowing down that fresh blood, his rasping voice said softly: ¡°I can see you¡­¡±


    Legend had it, only those newly born or close to death could see the divine arbor.


    He saw it, which meant he was right on the verge of death.


    His gaze reflected the fresh black of the sky, and stirred, as though wanting to take in the full appearance of the divine arbor down to the depths of its canopy. After a moment, he swallowed with difficulty and lowered his gaze, murmuring: ¡°It¡¯s different from the legends¡­¡±


    That night, the divine arbor was indeed different from in the legends. It had borne dozens of heavenly lightning strikes on this appointed day, and its body was full of long gashes. Few blossoms remained on its branches, yet wilted petals had long since littered the ground. There was no rosy, cloudlike scene as in the legends, nor any rouge reflected in the moonlight.


    The youth¡¯s vitality was nearly exhausted. Even just carrying himself to Falling Flower Terrace was no easy task.


    After he lowered his eyes, he half-knelt along his sword. Using the last of his strength, he dug out a bit of soil at the base of the tree and buried the remains of the child he¡¯d been carrying on his back into the soil.


    People often said, after someone died, if they took protection under the divine arbor, then in the next life they¡¯d have peace, happiness, and longevity.


    He smoothed the dirt over, and, at last no longer able to support himself, fell down to a sitting position. Still holding the sword in one hand, head sagging, his thin eyelids slowly lowered into long, slender lines. Blood trickled down from his forehead and flowed into the hollows about his eyes, then soaked into the eyes themselves.


    At the time, he realized that he¡¯d already begun to lose consciousness.


    Before his eyes, there was only the color of blood, and he could neither see nor hear clearly. So, when he vaguely heard a faint voice asking him, ¡°Who is the one you buried?¡± he just slowly blinked without opening his mouth.


    He scoffed at himself, thinking that he¡¯d already begun seeing deathbed hallucinations. But he still moved his lips, breathing out nigh-inaudibly: ¡°Picked ¡®im from the groun¡¯.¡±


    A kid who had nothing to do with him, just, when he was passing through, he¡¯d instinctively used up the last of his strength to grab him.


    It must have been the fear of death, right, or the fear that it would hurt to be dismembered and eaten after death.


    It wasn¡¯t until a while after he answered that he abruptly recalled, that question was a bit strange.


    The legends had mentioned that the divine arbor had begotten a human side, and people had seen an illusory silhouette in its canopy.


    The hand the youth used to grip his sword clenched a bit. As he gasped and swallowed down the blood taste in his throat, his Adam¡¯s apple slid a few times. He wanted to open his eyes and look at whether there¡¯d be a figure in the canopy, but he couldn¡¯t blink away the blood no matter what, so there was no way for him to see clearly.


    He just felt that there was a tiny bit of frailty in that faint voice, as though it¡¯d also suffered pain, not so different from him.


    He remembered the mystic lightning he¡¯d seen before, and understood slightly.


    If the divine arbor really could become human, those long gashes on its body would have had to hurt a lot. No wonder¡­ the voice was so faint.


    As he thought to himself, the divine arbor rustled gently a few times, as if it could actually hear him.


    Though it was also possible that the rustling was just that deathbed hallucination.


    As he thought this, the sky suddenly brightened; the last few bolts of lightning from the heavens struck down, aiming for the roots of the divine arbor. The youth blinked amidst the electric light. Blood plopped down to the ground along his eyelashes.


    Does it hurt?


    I¡¯m also pretty much about to die¡­


    He thought.


    The instant the blood soaked into the earth, the youth seized his longsword, and used the back of his own shoulder to block the heavenly lightning.


    In the last moment of his life, images flashed through his mind¡ªcorpses strewn across the immeasurable hundreds of miles of wilderness, and the divine arbor¡¯s wilted petals littering the ground¡ªand he thought: ¡°When I open my eyes in the next life, may I see you blossoming¡­¡±


    Ever since the divine arbor had been, all it had heard were prayers. All mortals wanted, all they hoped, was for it to protect them.


    This was the first time, and the only time, that someone had used their own mortal flesh body to protect it.


    And that youth had long dosed his eyes, never to open them again.


    So he couldn¡¯t see how, after his death, that ghostly figure high up in the canopy slowly condensed into a real human form.


    ***


    Much later on, people were still unable to see the divine arbor, but found a skeleton at the divine arbor¡¯s site. There was a military nameplate at the skeleton¡¯s waist with the rank ¡°general¡± inscribed, beneath which was the family name ¡°Bal.¡±


    Rumor had it that he was a general who¡¯d died underneath the tree, seventeen or eighteen years old, not yet of adult age.


    After he died, jade essence sprung from the places where his blood flowed, its bright, cold white enwrapping the entire divine arbor.


    There also came a day when a jade caning appeared in that temple worshiping the divine arbor, depicting a coldly handsome youth leaning against the towering tree.


    People were awed to no end, unsure where that jade caning that had appeared out of thin air had really come from. Then, people said that the night before the jade carving appeared, there appeared to have been a figure dressed in white entering the temple, who then¡ªmistlike¡ªhad furtively, soundlessly disappeared.


    Hence, people said that that figure was the divine arbor-turned-human, and that jade caning was carved by his own hands, for that young general who¡¯d died underneath the tree.


    Thinking on it now, those legends were about right. There was only one thing that even the legends never knew.


    Only the one who¡¯d hand-carved the jade statue would know most clearly¡­


    Wu Xingxue began to recall that when he carved that jade statue back then, he¡¯d poured a wisp of his own spirit into it, along with a drop of that person¡¯s blood¡ª


    This way, were that person to reincarnate into the mortal world, were he to arrive again at this temple, were he to allow the jade statue¡¯s spirit and blood to sniff out the familiar spirit¡­ then that towering jade tree would recognize the youth leaning against it.


    He was born of the divine arbor, and at the time of his birth, the only non-beseeching words he¡¯d ever heard came from that person: ¡°Does it hurt? I¡¯m also pretty much about to die. Wait until I open my eyes in the next life, so that I may see you blossom.¡±


    At the time, he hadn¡¯t expected that the divine arbor would be sealed later on, and even this temple would be lumped together in this swath of forbidden ground. Similarly, he hadn¡¯t expected that a later incarnation of that young general from back then would, due to his entanglement with the divine arbor from that year, be ordained as an immortal at an early age, and receive the heavenly-conferred symbol of ¡°Mian.¡±


    Back then, on Immortal Capital¡¯s steep white jade staircase, the first time he saw Xiao Fuxuan walking up with his longsword, when he sniffed out that familiar spirit¡¯s scent, his heart still issued up a vague regret.


    But it was not that he regretted that the reincarnated person wouldn¡¯t remember his previous life¡ªrather, it was regret that the other couldn¡¯t see that statue carved of white jade. He hid a little token of thanks inside.


    Xiao Fuxuan hadn¡¯t ever learned of that brief feeling, and Wu Xingxue himself had forgotten it for over twenty years. He didn¡¯t expect that now, today, because of a chance like this and a wisp of spirits, he¡¯d actually remember this little fragment.


    He¡¯d least expected that they¡¯d actually be standing here in this temple.


    So¡­ when Xiao Fuxuan had swept the entire temple with two strikes of pardoning sword intent, that jade tree hiding a token of thanks recognized his spirit, and burst into flower buds.


    That tree blossoming in full bloom was all¡ªand only¡ªfor him.

 CH 44

    The second spring after the arrival of the white jade statue, the fires of war abated, and Falling Flower Terrace had its first real mountain market.


    Because the divine arbor was always half withering and half thriving, haloed in clouds, it hadn¡¯t an ordinary plant¡¯s flowering season. But, those who¡¯d seen the divine arbor would always say that the flowers wreathing its branches looked a bit like the red apricot blossoms of the mortal realm.


    Beside the East River at the time, in the place that would later become Meng City, there was a mountain called Mount Ting whose apricot blossom forests went on for dozens of miles and bloomed most abundantly in the third month.


    Hence, people set the divine arbor¡¯s flowering season based on Mount Ting¡¯s apricot blossoms, and picked the memorable date of the third day of the third month to commence their mountain market.


    When the mortal realm¡¯s first Falling Flower Mountain Market erected its lanterns, Wu Xingxue was watching.


    His hidden figure leaned against the divine arbor, lowered eyes looking on as the winding mountain path began lighting up at dusk, lantern string after lantern string, candle flame upon candle flame, straight on through to the utmost points of the mountain range, nearly on past the horizon.


    He vaguely recalled how he¡¯d felt at the time¡­


    Watching the weft of passers-by, the jumble of language, he felt content, happy.


    He was born here, and because of certain reasons, he cared about this place. He hoped that this Falling Flower Mountain Market would always be so lively, each year livelier than the last until it became the happiest place in the mortal world. Travelers would come from far and wide, and its name would spread to distant places.


    Because the more lively this place was, the more likely that young general¡¯s next lives would come to visit the attraction¡­


    This feeling lived too long in his mind, it nearly became habitual.


    Even after the divine arbor was sealed later on, and the temple was no longer around, he still didn¡¯t drop the habit.


    He¡¯d never told anyone the initial reason. But whenever Falling Flower Mountain Market was mentioned, he¡¯d always say: ¡°That place is very fun, quite the lively crowd.¡±


    But now, grasping the jade carving, Wu Xingxue looked at the person beside him, and after gaping at him for a long time, called out to him: ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan was still gripping his wrist. His gaze fell to the divine arbor¡¯s flowering jade branches, and was momentarily vacant. On hearing that, the light in his eyes stirred, then shifted to Wu Xingxue.


    That instant, Wu Xingxue did indeed get an urge¡ª


    He slightly hoped that the other party would remember the events of that year, remember the words he¡¯d said under the divine arbor on that autumn night when the mystic lightning first hit. If so, then he could point to all those blossoms on the tree and grin as he took credit for the deed, saying: Xiao Fuxuan, the blossoms you wanted to see.


    But from the other¡¯s perspective, wouldn¡¯t that night have actually been quite painful?


    How many had he wounded in the fires of war, and by how many had he been wounded? Perhaps his whole state, his family, his fellows had all vanished in the smoke of that long night. When he walked toward the divine arbor, how many dead souls had he passed in that wilderness, who¡¯d saluted him, or who¡¯d hated him?


    And when the heavenly lightning struck his bones and his flesh body died, in that moment, would he have been reluctant, lonely¡­?


    Just thinking about this, and that faint urge faded to nothing.


    Better that you don¡¯t remember. Wu Xingxue thought.


    Hence he opened his mouth, huffed out a laugh, and in the end just spoke calmly: ¡°Look, the divine arbor¡¯s blossoming.¡±


    After saying this, he withdrew his gaze and no longer looked at Xiao Fuxuan, lest that slight regret that¡¯d flashed by be detected by the Tianxiu Immortal.


    Who knew that just after he averted his eyes and bent over to put the jade caning down, he heard Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s voice sounding deeply out: ¡°Wu Xingxue.¡±


    ¡°Are you the divine arbor?¡± he said.


    Wu Xingxue froze.


    Xiao Fuxuan said: ¡°They said, the jade carving mustn¡¯t be touched by anyone other than the divine arbor.¡±


    Wu Xingxue turned his head to look at him.


    ¡°You¡¯d also said that you were born in Falling Flower Terrace.¡±


    Wu Xingxue still didn¡¯t utter a word, just kept looking at him.


    ¡°Am I¡­¡± Xiao Fuxuan paused to shoot a glance at the jade carving of the youth leaning against the tree, then turned back around: ¡°¡­that General Bai?¡±


    Wu Xingxue was afraid that Xiao Fuxuan had remembered something. Staring into his eyes for a long time, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief inside¡ªit must have just been a guess, not a memory.


    Consoled, he opened his mouth to reply: ¡°Their words are all over the place, all jumbled, you mustn¡¯t take it all as true. But why ask me, oughtn¡¯t I be the one who¡¯s most confused about this place.¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan, however, lowered his gaze to look at him. After a beat, he spoke: ¡°You are unhappy; it looked like you¡¯d remembered something.¡±


    Wu Xingxue stiffened.


    After a moment, he saw Xiao Fuxuan slightly lowering his head and lifting a hand to touch his face with his fingers bent. Warm and deep, he asked: ¡°Why would it blossom?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The dignified Devil Lord was abruptly rendered speechless.


    That moment, whether regret or pity, every subtle morsel of emotion swiftly disappeared. Yet another, entirely unrelated thought flashed through¡ªthis Tianxiu Immortal must have been a real menace in Immortal Capital.


    Wu Xingxue was just about to spit out a retort when he heard a sudden commotion.


    He and Xiao Fuxuan were simultaneously startled, and turned their heads toward the commotion. They saw that those hanging upside-down had their noses pricked up as though sniffing something out. The direction they sniffed was none other than that jade carving.


    Hence, Wu Xingxue also lightly sniffed a few times.


    There was indeed a scent scattered throughout this temple. It smelled like¡­ blood.


    At first, he was still a bit confused, but as his gaze swept over the jade carving he remembered, at the time he¡¯d infused the jade carving with blood from Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s previous lifetime. Now that the jade carving had awakened, that scent of blood slowly wafted out.


    And spirits were always sensitive; it was no wonder that they¡¯d smelled it.


    The odd thing was their reaction to smelling that blood scent¡­


    Those hanging upside-down revealed perplexed expressions as they pricked their noses, as though doing their best to recall something, but couldn¡¯t immediately bring it to mind. But their murmuring spread out like a tide.


    ¡°This scent¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve smelled this blood somewhere before.¡±


    ¡°Yessss, it¡¯s so familiar.¡±


    ¡°Same with me, I also think it¡¯s a bit familiar.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ where had I smelled it before?¡±


    ¡­..


    They kept discussing for end, the actions of drawing in breath growing more and more conspicuous. Their expressions were also somewhat odd.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with them?¡± Wu Xingxue didn¡¯t understand, but intuitively got a bad feeling about it.


    The blood had come from Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s previous lifetime, and these people hanging upside-down came from all over Falling Flower Mountain Market. Falling Flower Mountain Market didn¡¯t exist until after General Bai¡¯s death. No matter what year these people had set foot in the mountain market, they shouldn¡¯t have had any reaction to this blood, much less thought it ¡°a bit familiar.¡±


    But he suddenly recalled something Xiao Fuxuan had said before: People¡¯s life-and-death cycles operated through the spirits.


    Stowed in Falling Flower Mountain Market were their current lifetimes¡¯ flesh bodies. From one life to the next, their flesh bodies naturally couldn¡¯t have had anything to do with Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s past life. But this place was different; these people hanging upside-down were spirits, and spirits would remain unchanged with the revolving of lifetimes, and would remain who they were back then.


    Thinking on this point, Wu Xingxue¡¯s complexion became tense.


    He heard Xiao Fuxuan blurting out: ¡°Is the blood in the jade carving yours?¡±


    Wu Xingxue subconsciously replied: ¡°No.¡±


    After answering, he clicked his tongue, a bit annoyed.


    This was basically admitting that he had remembered something.


    But the circumstances before them weren¡¯t ideal, and Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t nag him, just looked him in the eye and then said: ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was at a loss: ¡°Why?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan said: ¡°To spur spirits¡¯ memory is never a good thing.¡±


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He was just about to ask when he heard Xiao Fuxuan continuing: ¡°After death, mortals will not remember their previous lifetime. Spirits that have been shucked out are also such. Should they retain any impression, it must be something that runs deep.


    He paused, then said under his breath: ¡°Most likely related to their death.¡±


    He needed not to explain any further; Wu Xingxue could catch his drift.


    He understood full well¡ªwhen it came to the dead, the memory of their moment of death was always deepest. It was both their last¡ªand often most painful¡ªmoment, and pain ever outlasted joy.


    These spirits suspended upside-down had been drawn out alive, so it was normal for them to remember incidents of their current life. If they remembered anything from before, it was likely¡ªreally only could be related to ¡°death.¡±


    Or in other words¡­


    Blood from Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s prior lifetime, had it a connection with these people¡¯s deaths from some previous lifetime?


    Thinking on this point, Wu Xingxue felt a chill running down his spine.


    The moment the thought flashed across, he heard a familiar sword screech.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s figure flashed over.


    He snapped his head up, seeing that the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s sword tip had already borne in on the nearby suspended people¡¯s foreheads.


    He heard Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s low voice saying: ¡°Apologies.¡±


    The eyes of those hanging upside-down contracted. The moment the sword tip made contact with their heads, a frost-sharp whistle arose straight up to the firmament. Wu Xingxue¡¯s mind buzzed with the vibration.


    Since the impression was related to ¡°death,¡± being pressed close to death again was most liable to arouse it. Amidst the reverberation of the sword screech and sharp whistle, the hangeds¡¯ eyes widened as they cried out in terror: ¡°I remember that smell of blood!¡±


    ¡°I remember¡­¡±


    That move of Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s wasn¡¯t a genuine ¡®interrogation,¡¯ but was similar.


    The next moment, fragmented scenes zoomed past¡ª


    A vast, horizonless wilderness, a mishmash of whinnying horses and startling murderous bellows.


    The moment he saw those scenes, Wu Xingxue knew it was a battlefield¡­


    It was the battlefield General Bai had once crossed. And, the reason those people suspended upside-down got a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu from the blood scent was because in that life, they were on that battlefield opposite General Bai, and had died under his longsword.


    The last moment before they died, they smelled the blood covering General Bai¡¯s body.


    ¡­¡­


    The sharp whistle continued to linger throughout the temple. Wu Xingxue hurriedly lifted his eyes, beyond the scattered scenes, to Xiao Fuxuan.


    Those fragmented scenes aroused the other hanged people¡¯s memories, and hence similar murmurations struck down phrase by phrase, a tide of voices flooding over Xiao Fuxuan¡ª


    ¡°I remember¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember too.¡±


    ¡°It was you.¡±


    ¡°It was you who killed me.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Before, a measure of doubt had crossed Wu Xingxue, as to why the sealed divine arbor would pick out these people, why it would use people¡¯s spirits to suppress a divine arbor that had towered up to heaven. Were it to involve prior karma, these people hadn¡¯t any karmic relation to the divine arbor, so why them?


    Now, he understood¡ª


    Just before death, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s previous life had given protection to the divine arbor, causing him to be the one most deeply linked with it. But he¡¯d once been a young general who¡¯d made his way through the flames of war, bearing souls that¡¯d died by his sword.


    Someone¡­ had especially sought out those who¡¯d died on that battlefield in a previous life, died by the general¡¯s sword, and gradually gathered them in Falling Flower Mountain Market, then at last drew out their spirits and confined them here.


    Using the overflowing karmic ¡°killing hindrance¡± between them and Xiao Fuxuan, they could seal away that divine arbor that had been protected by Xiao Fuxuan.


    No wonder!


    No wonder Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s pardon couldn¡¯t free these spirits no matter what. Given such a karmic hindrance before them, how could he possibly have freed them? In order to apply force, one would have to take action against Xiao Fuxuan himself.


    Wu Xingxue¡¯s complexion went cold.


    On Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s perpetually icily handsome face, he witnessed an extremely seldom-seen flash of utter blankness. White as jade, Tianxiu sheathed his sword, and carrying its handle, silently looked at those tied-up spirits¡­


    Something delicate pierced Wu Xingxue¡¯s heart.

 CH 45

    These affairs had long since been drowned out in the cycles of life and death, why had they been rifled out and turned into this burden? And why Xiao Fuxuan?


    Just because he blocked that heavenly strike?


    An incident that beset his mind all those years, just to be exploited like this¡­ it¡¯s really unreasonable.


    Wu Xingxue thought.


    Best if Xiao Fuxuan didn¡¯t remember this night.


    The moment he came up with such a thought, he felt a momentary sense of deja vu. It was likely that centuries before, he¡¯d also had such a thought.


    He not only hoped that Xiao Fuxuan wouldn¡¯t remember, but he even hoped that these bound spirits would also forget this moment.


    Spirits weren¡¯t living humans, and wouldn¡¯t make a distinction between the machinations of this or that lifetime. Under someone¡¯s deliberate exploitation, all that remained of them was instinct¡ªwhoever had killed them, whoever brought about their present pain, was the one they hated.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°You made me suffer¡­¡±


    ¡°You just chopped off my hand!¡±


    Immersed in suffering and hatred, the spirits shrieked out and put their all into rushing at Xiao Fuxuan.


    Before, they¡¯d attempted to ambush them, and had their arms cut off by Xiao Fuxuan. Now, in the thick of their hatred, they suddenly regained vitality, and the pale flesh-colored arms stretched out from the stumps like madly growing willow branches, densely, continuously stretching toward that one person.


    With that momentum, even if their arms were cut off again, they¡¯d grow back.


    Cutting and then growing, growing and then cutting, and their hatred would grow ever deeper, and the whole thing would keep on cycling back endlessly until they spent all their energy and died in this place.


    Better to just forget.


    At the critical moment, Wu Xingxue subconsciously felt for his waist.


    The instant his fingers made contact with the white jade dream bell, he came back to himself; right now the dream bell was cracked. Moreover, he¡¯d forgotten how to use it.


    Suddenly!


    The faint ringing of a bell echoed out from an indeterminate place, but enveloped the entire forbidden ground.


    In a split second, all the smoke in the forbidden ground stopped in place, no longer circulating.


    Those spirits also froze all of a sudden, fixing their postures toward Xiao Fuxuan in the dust and smoke. Those fleshy, vine-like arms stopped madly growing, just a hair away from Xiao Fuxuan.


    And Xiao Fuxuan paused in his sword-lifting action. He abruptly turned his head to look over at Wu Xingxue.


    ¡°Did you ring the bell?¡± Xiao Fuxuan gaped at Wu Xingxue¡¯s waist.


    Wu Xingxue was also a little confused: ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    That white jade bell of his was still hanging silently at his waist, cracks still present. The sound wasn¡¯t coming from it, but it sounded just like the dream bell.


    Where could it be? Who did it?


    Wu Xingxue carefully listened to the ringing, trying to find its source. But, because he listened too carefully, he was affected by the ringing, and was momentarily drawn into a stupor. For a time, he even remembered Que City.


    He promptly wrestled free and lifted his head again. The thousands of spirits looked at their own long arms, then looked at Xiao Fuxuan with bewilderment all over their faces. Slowly, they drew their arms back in.


    ¡°How did my arms get so long?¡±


    ¡°Mine too, so strange.¡±


    ¡°What was I just doing?¡± ¡°


    ¡°Dunno, I¡¯m a little out of it too.


    ¡°Who are you two?!¡±


    ¡°This is forbidden ground, how did you come in?¡±


    Those spirits gradually turned their heads back around to look at Xiao Fuxuan and Wu Xingxue as though they¡¯d never seen them before, and spoke menacingly: ¡°This place is sealed off with layer upon layer of blade arrays, fire arrays, and eighty-one bolts of Ninth Heaven¡¯s mystic lightning, you guys really have the nerve?¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    They¡¯d sure forgotten quick. With this kind of efficacy, it indeed must be the dream bell.


    He suddenly recalled when they¡¯d just entered the inn, he¡¯d seen a white jade bell hanging above the counter that looked a lot like the dream bell.


    Immediately after, he recalled another scene within the ringing¡ª


    He recalled himself lifting that little white jade bell, handing it to that baggy-eyed innkeeper, and saying: ¡°I heard the innkeeper always had trouble sleeping through the night. Here, take this little trinket.¡±


    The innkeeper took the bell, both feeling embarrassed and suspicious: ¡°Is young master a cultivator? Is this bell¡­ some kind of magical treasure?¡±


    ¡°I happen to have some connections with cultivators and learned some methods. Whether this can be considered a magical treasure, I¡¯m not sure, but it should have some use ¡°


    ¡°What sort of use?¡±


    He thought it over, and pulled a vague smile: ¡°It can¡­ ward off devils and evil spirits, and maintain peace and security.¡±


    The innkeeper still had his suspicions, but it¡¯s always good to have something that could more or less ¡°maintain peace and security¡±; hence, he hung that jade bell beside the inn¡¯s front counter.


    ¡­¡­


    Wu Xingxue suddenly came back to himself.


    The reason why he¡¯d previously noted that this inn was fishy was because of the simplified version of the dream bell hanging at its door. At the time he¡¯d still been confused about where the dream bell had come from.


    Thinking about it now, perhaps his former self of centuries ago had stayed here a night, and upon discovering the state of the forbidden ground, was momentarily unable to think of a reliable way to handle it, but was worried that the spirits would be exploited by someone again and recall their past hatred, causing disasters on end. So he left a thing much like the dream bell in the inn to quell the spirits¡¯ restlessness.


    But after all, it wasn¡¯t a real dream bell, and didn¡¯t seem to require immortal power to ring it. It was more like, whenever the spirits got riled up, then it would react.


    The ringing of the bell was also most effective on the spirits. To people like him or Xiao Fuxuan, it wouldn¡¯t take such an instantaneous effect.


    But he¡¯d still be influenced; amidst the ringing, his brain grew a bit foggy.


    ¡°Just a little trinket, yet so very formidable¡­¡±Wu Xingxue muttered as he lifted the little bell at his waist. After his muttering, he looked up at Xiao Fuxuan. However, the other was standing in place with eyes lowered, listening to the bell ringing and furrowing his brows in a daze.


    After a while, Xiao Fuxuan lifted a hand to touch his lips.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why, but just as he was about to ask, he saw Xiao Fuxuan suddenly raising his eyes to look at him. He narrowed his eyes, though it was unclear what he¡¯d recalled.


    Wu Xingxue inexplicably felt a bit guilty, and swallowed his question back down.


    Being stared at by the other, a guess abruptly flashed across¡ªHe suspected that on hearing this ringing, he might have recalled how he¡¯d relaxed his guard and had his memories altered by the dream bell some centuries ago.


    As for why he¡¯d touched his lips¡­


    Hmm¡­


    However, Wu Xingxue couldn¡¯t keep on thinking, because the ringing hadn¡¯t stopped all this time, and didn¡¯t only have an effect on the spirits, but even deepened his own muddle-headedness. If he stayed here in the ringing any longer, he¡¯d probably go back to having his mouth all full of ¡°Que City.¡±


    ¡°Shall we abscond¡ª¡± Before Wu Xingxue¡¯s words could land, he sensed a tall figure flashing before him.


    He was picked up and fell into the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s aura.


    Then, his eyes went dim and the ground disappeared underfoot as he was carried across this swath of forbidden ground.


    The instant they crossed the forbidden ground¡¯s threshold, Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s voice sounded before the tip of his nose: ¡°I had been wondering how I¡¯d lowered my guard and allowed someone to alter my memory back then.¡±


    His breath nearly landed between Wu Xingxue¡¯s lips, tickling a bit. Wu Xingxue pursed his lips as he heard Xiao Fuxuan whisper: ¡°You plotted against me.¡±


    I¡­


    Wu Xingxue licked his lips, wanting to open his mouth, but the view before his eyes abruptly brightened¡ªthey¡¯d made their escape from the forbidden ground.


    The first people they saw upon exiting the forbidden ground were those Feng Sect disciples. Each one gripped a longsword in hand, complexions tense as they guarded the threshold. They looked like they wanted to enter, but didn¡¯t dare charge rashly in.


    Watching their bearings and expressions, Wu Xingxue suddenly recalled something: If Flling Flower Mountain Market¡¯s people were all bound and kept aging over and over for a hundred or so years, then immortals like his former self or Xiao Fuxuan who only occasionally descended to the mortal realm would indeed find it hard to tell, and the handful of real mortals who came annually for the excitement would also find it difficult to tell. But, there was a group of people for whom that wouldn¡¯t be so¡­


    None other than the Feng Sect.


    Feng Sect¡¯s disciples looked after all of Falling Flower Terrace. Every single time this place encountered an accident, they¡¯d be invited. After several times, they must have grown quite familiar with the mountain market people, and must have also recognized the manifestation of their different ages.


    Three to five years would be fine, but after long, how could they not notice the clues? If they noticed the clues but played along like everything was fine, it¡¯d be a bit off.


    Looking at it like this, Feng Sect evidently had a problem.


    If they knew a little something, was it due to them helping cover it up for some reason? Or had they directly participated in it?


    The real ones connected to it must inevitably have been those leaders of Feng Sect, not the small disciples. Only¡­ how might he and Xiao Fuxuan turn these young junior disciples before them into the Feng Sect leaders?


    The Devil Lord came up with an idea.


    ¡°Xiao Fuxuan.¡± Using his convenient posture, he whispered into the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s ear: ¡°Can you tie up this gang of brats in front?¡±


    Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ***


    Ning Huaishan didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d fall into a curse upon entering the city gates. He¡¯d even less expected that he¡¯d actually get lost in this Falling Flower Mountain Market illusion realm, unable to find either his city lord or Fang Chu.


    As he searched through the market, he self-deprecatingly thought: If the first person I find is the Tianxiu Immortal, what the hell am I supposed to do? Would turning tail and running look too chicken?


    May heaven watch over me and the city lord bless me, don¡¯t let me run into the Tianxiu Immortal alone.


    Ning Huaishan prayed all right, but heaven wouldn¡¯t countenance him¡­


    He didn¡¯t run into Xiao Fuxuan; he ran into Yi Wusheng.


    It was in the shop selling rouges and powders, and who knew how many things had been knocked over, to perfume the lesser part of the street with rouge. Ning Huaishan sneezed ten times, and nearly sneezed his whole head out.


    But in just the time it took to turn his head and wipe his nose, upon turning back, he saw Yi Wusheng.


    He saw that person with cloth covering half his face, his eyes and brows exposing a somewhat pallid, sickly air, rather like that of a frail scholar. He didn¡¯t look the least bit like a famous, accoladed figure from a large sect.


    Ning Huaishan curled his lips.


    Originally, Yi Wusheng wouldn¡¯t have noticed that there was someone in the corner, but that string of sneezes drew him over.


    He was startled and momentarily awkward upon seeing Ning Huaishan, but it swiftly disappeared. He said: ¡°Well, I found one person.¡±


    His tone sounded rather delighted.


    Ning Huaishan sneered inside, thinking to himself, how are you still here? Your fragment soul might even outlive me.


    He very much wanted to mock him to his face, but kept on sneezing incessantly, somewhat stymieing his fiendish air.


    Seeing his state, Yi Wusheng began fishing in his medicine bag.


    Covering his nose, Ning Huaishan spoke in a muffled voice: ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t take it out, I don¡¯t want it! I¡¯m not even sick, what kind of medicine would I take? All I am is being fumigated alive¡­¡±


    Yi Wusheng found a pill: ¡°My sect¡¯s home remedy melanges are too numerous to count. They¡¯re not just for sickness, we also have the means to stop allergies. If you take it it¡¯ll stop, just try.¡±


    Ning Huaishan did not want to try.


    But his sneezing was indeed getting ever more violent, and if it went on like this his tears and snot would be flying about everywhere. He was a devil, and couldn¡¯t afford to lose face in front of him.


    Thus, he reluctantly took the pill and swallowed it down.


    Just as he was knocking it back, he heard a commotion from the market before him, along with a clatter of footsteps. It seemed like quite a few people.


    While Ning Huaishan peeped over, he asked Yi Wusheng: ¡°Have you seen my City Lord? And Fang Chu. I¡¯ve been looking for them for a while. Logically I shouldn¡¯t have though. Clearly we¡¯ve been walking around Falling Flower Terrace the whole time, and no matter how you enter an illusion realm, once you¡¯re all separated, you won¡¯t be able to find anyone¡­¡±


    Yi Wusheng shook his head: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them; I¡¯ve also been looking. At first, I¡¯d intended to draw up a search talisman, but I was somewhat interrupted.¡±


    The paper he held to talk was hidden in his sleeve. At first, it sounded like he could talk normally, no different from living people.


    Those footsteps sounded hurried, getting closer and closer.


    Ning Huaishan poked his head out to look, muttering: ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like they¡¯re taking a stroll through the mountain market¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Feng Sect¡¯s people,¡± Yi Wusheng replied, ¡°I was just coming from over there and saw a big group of Feng Sect disciples. Their complexions were unflappable, I don¡¯t know what they were about to do.¡±


    The Hua Sect had a good relationship with the Feng Sect, but these Feng Sect disciples weren¡¯t any he¡¯d ever come across. Much like the people in this Falling Flower Mountain Market illusion realm, they must have been from centuries before.


    As he spoke, a group of people wearing sect uniforms came over.


    The one in front was a man of indeterminate age. His appearance was actually brightly handsome, but there was a certain senescence evident deep in his complexion.


    As a devil, Ning Huaishan was most sensitive to the scent of blood. He pricked his nose to sniff a few times and looked at that man¡¯s hand, at which point he discovered a few traces of blood snaking across the back of the man¡¯s hand gripping his sword, as though he¡¯d just encountered something unpleasant and sustained injuries.


    The man raised his head to look at the inn next to the rouge shop. Cold-faced, he asked the person next to him: ¡°Shulan, did the distress talisman you received really come from this place?¡±


    The one called Shulan was a tall woman with two swords at her waist. Her face was quite beautiful, with naturally smiling lips. But, the words she spoke carried no trace of a smile: ¡°There is no mistake. Were it not this inn, I would certainly not have gone to trouble you.¡±


    When this woman¡¯s name was spoken, Yi Wusheng was very slightly surprised.


    Ning Huaishan shot him a glance: ¡°What is it? You recognize her?¡±


    Yi Wusheng said: ¡®That¡¯s¡­ Feng Sect¡¯s former Sect Leader, Feng Shulan. Of course, she¡¯s long since passed away.¡±


    Evidently, the Feng Shulan before them now wasn¡¯t yet Feng Sect¡¯s top figure. Like the other people in the illusion realm, she must have been from centuries before.


    The man in the lead then asked: ¡°Did the distress talisman say who tied them?¡±


    Shulan hesitated a moment, then replied: ¡°It did.¡±


    The man asked in a deep voice, ¡°Who?¡±


    Shulan: ¡°¡­¡±


    The man impatiently turned to look at her: ¡°What¡¯s all this hesitation? They¡¯re besieged by cultivators. Mere devils or evil creatures, with the devilish entities running rampant these years, what haven¡¯t we encountered? Is there really such a need to be like this?¡±


    Shulan thought it over, then said softly: ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t a devil.¡±


    The man: Then what was it?


    Shulan: ¡°They said it was the Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan.¡±


    The man: ¡°¡­¡±


    Who?


    Hearing that title, Ning Huaishan was happy at first. Then, he turned tail, about to run¡ªWithout his city lord present, first finding Tianxiu would not turn out pretty.


    Just as he was about to slip away, pretending not to have heard this immortal¡¯s name¡ªhe felt a transparent stream of internal energy sweeping out from within the inn. The internal energy was like a long, invisible whip, lashing everyone inward without warning and with a burst of sharp pain.


    The next moment, that golden sword aura turned into long ropes of mystic thunder, firmly tying up the people who¡¯d been hurrying toward the inn¡¯s doorway. With a thuggish air worthy of the wicked devil¡¯s path, it rapidly dragged them into the inn.


    Ning Huaishan and Yi Wusheng had the misfortune of being too close to the Feng Sect group, and were tied up along with them.


    As Ning Huaishan was tugged in, his face was suspended full of question marks: How is this Tianxiu¡¯s conduct so ¡°un-immortal-like¡±?!

 CH 46

    No one liked being tied up, especially Ning Huaishan with his impatient and easily-angered temperament¡­


    And even more especially when he was tied up with the person he liked the least, Yi Wusheng.


    He¡¯d been holding himself in till now, but upon being dragged into the inn he was ready to curse somebody out. However, the moment he said ¡°F¡­¡±, he was faced with the Tianxiu Immortal¡¯s ice-cold visage.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ning Huaishan chickened out. He pursed his lips, and swallowed back the curse word he wanted to say. Instead, he yelled at Yi Wusheng, ¡°For what do you keep squeezing towards me?¡±


    Yi Wusheng was essentially being used as a punching bag here, and couldn¡¯t strike back at him lest he lowered himself to his level: ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, there truly are rather a lot of people.¡±


    There were indeed a lot of people.


    This inn¡¯s scope wasn¡¯t large to begin with¡ªthree floors counting the attic. Its most spacious place was the main hall of the first floor, where they were currently tied up together.


    Yi Wusheng made a rough sweep and discovered that the main hall had a sum total of four long pillars, each of which had several people tied to them. Based on their outfit, they were all Feng Sect disciples. Each of them also had a talisman stuck to their foreheads, which looked both comical and humiliating¡ª


    The younger ones were each more flushed, though it was unclear whether out of anxiety or anger.


    The somewhat older ones simply just closed their eyes so as not to see anyone, each one¡¯s face longer than a horse¡¯s.


    And that wasn¡¯t even counting this new wave of people who¡¯d been tied up here¡­


    Meanwhile, the perpetrator, the Tianxiu Immortal, stood embracing his sword, all broad shoulders and narrow waist leaning against the counter, that stream of sword aura that¡¯d tied everyone up still twined about his hand.


    His fingers didn¡¯t move, yet the sword aura kept raveling and unraveling around his fingers. Were it another¡¯s fingers, they¡¯d appear somewhat careless. With him, however, on top of his cold, hard figure, it conveyed an ineffable sense of oppression.


    Those shouting Feng Sect people restrained their voices upon entering the main hall. Under this oppression, they were rendered silent.


    Even Yi Wusheng had rarely encountered such bullying. For a time, he gaped tongue-tied, muttering quietly: ¡°This¡­ This really¡­¡±


    Even Yi Wusheng had rarely encountered such bullying. For a time, he gaped tongue-tied, muttering quietly: ¡°This¡­ This really¡­¡± Ning Huaishan was pretty quick to the chase, and muttered back: ¡°This really doesn¡¯t seem like something an immortal would do.¡±


    Thinking it over, Yi Wusheng said: ¡°Is it¡­ Zhaoye City¡¯s way of doing things?¡±


    Ning Huaishan: ¡°Hell no! There wouldn¡¯t be talismans stuck to their heads if it were Zhaoye City¡¯s way. There might not even be any heads still attached!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    True¡­ Yi Wusheng thought.


    Ning Huaishan let out a hum of curiosity and began craning his neck to probe around. He felt that his City Lord was most likely present.


    He didn¡¯t know his place in the least; the nearby Feng Sect people, on the other hand, were about to go crazy inside¡­


    Going crazy from anger.


    Surveying the entire scene, the ropes tying up the Feng Sect disciples were the Feng Sect¡¯s own spirit-binding ropes. The talismans stuck to the Feng Sects disciples¡¯ foreheads were the Feng Sect¡¯s own mouth-sealing talismans.


    They really were humiliated in every way they could be humiliated!


    That woman named Feng Shulan rubbed her long, slender fingers strategically together. Her soundless move nudged the man in the lead.


    The man¡¯s brows were knit, staring unwaveringly at the nearby Xiao Fuxuan; he didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d noticed anything. But, tied behind him, his fingers lightly tapped the floor in response.


    That was the Feng Sect¡¯s secret means of voice transmission.


    The man tapped composedly, but his complexion was ashen.


    Using the secret method, he asked: ¡°How did so many disciples get caught here?!¡±


    Feng Shulan used the same secret method to reply: ¡°Elder Huiming, I¡¯d already told you¡­¡±


    Although she was naturally beautiful, when she was overly worried, her face would show a trace of weariness. Especially when interrogated by the man, even the arc of her smiling lips would bend downward.


    Feng Huiming¡¯s jaw moved slightly. Wiping the blood away with the back of his hand, he said: ¡®When you passed on the words, I was attending to a guest, and was unable to divide my attention.¡±


    Feng Shulan: ¡°Was it really a guest? I¡¯ve been wanting to ask, Elder, you seem to be injured?¡±


    Feng Huiming: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, old injuries. You say yours.¡±


    Feng Shulan could tell he didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Pursing her dark red lips, she no longer asked anything more. Rather, she related the things that had happened before: ¡°Originally, there was only a little trouble over here in Falling Flower Mountain Market. In the past, we¡¯d usually just have a few junior disciples go over to take a look and clean up.¡±


    Who knew that the junior disciples would leave without coming back.


    Not long after, the Feng Sect disciple hall received a distress talisman, which enclosed some rather unrestrained calligraphy¡ª


    [Your junior disciples have been kidnapped, send help.]


    Any way you looked at it, Feng Sect was a renowned cultivation sect; what hadn¡¯t they seen? But upon seeing that style of calligraphy, they were still dumbstruck for a time.


    This matter of junior disciples being trapped couldn¡¯t be said to be small, but nor could it be said to be large. The disciple hall had considerable experience dealing with this sort of thing, and promptly dispatched seven or eight more senior disciples to search for them.


    Only for the same thing to happen again.


    The disciple hall received another distress talisman with the same unrestrained calligraphy¡ª


    [These ones are also tied up. Don¡¯t send any more little kids, bring a slightly more capable leader]


    As the disciple hall¡¯s leader, Feng Shulan could be considered one of the primary capable leaders.


    But in recent days she¡¯d come down with an illness, and none of the disciples were willing to disturb her. Moreover, subjected to this taunting, they willfully dispatched four gilded elite disciples to search for them at once.


    All the gilded disciples were the elite of the elite, the cream of the crops, among the younger disciples. You wouldn¡¯t want to face even just one of them, let alone four!


    In the end, all four were caught at the entrance.


    When the third distress talisman was sent to the Feng Sect, the disciple hall didn¡¯t even dare to hand it over. Same handwriting as before, the distress talisman read¡ª


    [You guys really have too many disciples, huh?]


    Before handing it over to Feng Shulan, the disciple hall sent a reply talisman asking¡ª


    [Who on earth is wreaking havoc?]


    They originally figured this wouldn¡¯t yield a reply message; who knew they¡¯d actually get a response. This time the calligraphy on the talisman was different, forceful as a blade, with only three characters¡ª


    [Xiao Fuxuan]


    Let alone the disciple hall, even Feng Shulan, upon receiving it, was struck dumb as a wooden chicken.


    Even unto this moment, when Feng Shulan had been yanked into the inn by the golden sword aura, she still didn¡¯t understand at all: ¡°Doesn¡¯t this Tianxiu Immortal only act on Heavenly decrees and cross paths with the most fierce, evil devils? Why would he be giving a mortal realm cultivation sect such as ours such a hard time? It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡±


    Feng Huiming had a rough idea based on her account, his face getting all the more unsightly.


    Feng Shulan stared at him for a while, then used the secret method to ask: ¡°Elder Huiming, I usually just lead the disciples and disregard other things, and moreover had no other interests in affairs with other sects. But¡­ if there¡¯s really something a little more gatekept, I trouble you to just inform me. I¡¯d prefer not to die without even knowing why.¡±


    Feng Huiming: ¡°What are you talking about, we¡¯re not going to die here.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s silence, he slightly changed his tone to console her: ¡°We¡¯re a proper righteous cultivation sect, what grudge could we have against an immortal? Don¡¯t overthink. From what I¡¯ve heard, this Tianxiu Immortal is different from the various immortals of Lingtai. Let alone not looking down with lofty compassion, anything he can use his sword to settle, he¡¯ll be disinclined to waste words on. I¡¯m thinking¡­ he¡¯s actually more like the mortal realm¡¯s military men. Think about those people¡¯s character, whenever they act, it¡¯ll indeed be difficult for people to know whether they¡¯re an enemy or friend. But Immortal Capital will ultimately be on our sect¡¯s side. Don¡¯t panic.¡±


    As he spoke, he earnestly relaxed his face. At first glance, it seemed he was already certain it was a misunderstanding.


    Feng Shulan had some doubts about his words, but there was one statement she felt was correct¡ªImmortal Capital was ultimately on the same side as the cultivation sects. No matter what, Xiao Fuxuan was an ascended immortal.


    As an ascended immortal, even if his conduct was stone-cold terrifying, he¡¯d have his limits.


    And thinking on the bright side, the innkeeper and bellboy hadn¡¯t been tied up!


    Thinking this to herself, Feng Shulan looked over at the innkeeper and bellboy behind the counter¡ªat which point she discovered that those two were trembling in their sleeves.


    Feng Shulan: ¡°¡­¡±


    She looked for a moment, then had a sudden, slightly ominous premonition.


    This premonition swiftly gained another layer¡ª


    She noticed that two of those who¡¯d been tied up weren¡¯t Feng Sect disciples. At first, she thought they¡¯d been accidentally pulled in. Later on, smelling them out, she detected something fishy.


    One of them was clearly a devil, while the other had no vital human aura.


    Just as she noticed this much, she saw the Tianxiu Immortal moving his sword.


    A shining stream of sword aura sliced through the air, headed straight for those two!


    Whether Feng Shulan or Feng Huiming, both were utterly tranquil and unperturbed at that moment. Having discovered a devil in the crowd, if it could be beaten, then just chopping its head off was pretty much standard.


    But the next moment, they were dumbstruck.


    Because as that sword aura of Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s wedged into the crowd, it just barely missed that obvious devil¡¯s body. With a clanging sound, golden light spilled forth, and the binds on the devil¡¯s body loosened. Totally unharmed, he stood up¡­


    The hall-full of Feng Sect disciples: ¡°?¡±


    Immediately after, another clang rang out. Besides the devil, the binds on that person without any vital human aura also loosened, and he stood up as well¡­


    Most terrifying was, as that devil wearing a teenager¡¯s face jumped up, he didn¡¯t make for the door, but passed through the crowd to walk toward Tianxiu. As he walked, he asked: ¡°Mister, is my City Lord also in the inn?¡±


    And Xiao Fuxuan, who was purported to covet his words like gold, actually answered him, lifting his chin to say: ¡®Upstairs.¡±


    Feng Shulan was dumbfounded.


    The Feng family disciples were at a complete loss at this occurrence. Whether or not they had mouth-sealing talismans stuck to them, they looked over at Feng Shulan and Feng Huiming in succession. In turmoil, the identity of their backbone was evident.


    Feng Shulan still hadn¡¯t recovered when she saw the Tianxiu Immortal raising his eyelids and looking over at her end.


    A gust of wind abruptly swept over.


    Feng Shulan turned her head to avoid it, but on again opening her eyes, she saw that the junior disciples who¡¯d been tied up beside her had all been swept out to the walls. The spacious hall was instantaneously opened wide, only leaving her and Feng Huiming¡­


    Unable to budge, alone and helpless.


    And Xiao Fuxuan, who¡¯d originally been behind the counter, was already standing right before them.


    Lifting his sword tip, he said coldly: ¡°The leader finally arrived?¡±


    At that moment, Feng Shulan felt an overwhelming, mighty pressure. Her throat tightened, unable to speak, and she turned her head to look at Feng Huiming.


    At that moment, Feng Shulan felt an overwhelming, mighty pressure. Her throat tightened, unable to speak, and she turned her head to look at Feng Huiming. Whenever Feng Sect¡¯s sect leader was in an inconvenient situation, it was always this Elder Feng Huiming who acted as the one in charge.


    But Feng Huiming¡¯s face was sallow, his lips white. He raised his head to look at Xiao Fuxuan, lips opening and closing a few times until they finally found words: ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ don¡¯t know what business¡­ Tianxiu has with my sect?¡±


    ¡°You tell me.¡± Holding his sword hilt, Xiao Fuxuan squatted halfway down. His apathetic gaze swept the inn. The meaning was written bright and clear on his face¡ªwe¡¯re already here in this inn, what business do you think I have?


    When he wasn¡¯t squatting, he gave off a patronizing sense of oppression. Squatting, the mighty pressure was actually not mitigated, but increased, because those eyes of his were much closer. And when those half-lidded eyes looked at you¡ª


    Feng Huiming was stared at for a beat, and his entire being was petrified, utterly rigid as a mountain boulder.


    He averted his eyes to the side, attempting to stall, but discovered that it would have been better not to stall.


    Because he glanced at another person, who was coming down from the inn¡¯s second floor.


    That person was draped in a heavy cloak. Glancing over from afar, he said: ¡°The leader finally couldn¡¯t sit still anymore?¡±


    No lamps lit the staircase and it was a bit dim, rendering it difficult to make out the facial features of the one descending. It wasn¡¯t until that person stepped closer that Feng Huiming saw his appearance¡­


    The instant he saw clearly, Feng Huiming nearly collapsed into the ground.


    He didn¡¯t at all conceal his falling apart; it was visible right on his face, that even Wu Xingxue was surprised.


    He exchanged a glance with Xiao Fuxuan, mouthing in some bewilderment: Am I that scary?


    Holding the handwarmer, he stooped to look at Feng Huiming, fully concealing his confusion. Remaining composed, he seized the opportunity to make a threat: ¡°Well, we drew you here for no other reason than to ask, what relation has your Feng Sect with the sealed area behind this inn?¡±


    As a result, he watched as Feng Huiming pointed his injured hand towards him, and, looking at him with a ¡°why don¡¯t you just kill me¡± expression, said: ¡°An hour or two ago, you just asked me the exact same question!!!¡±


    What the hell is wrong with you?!!


    Feng Huiming thought to himself.

 CH 47

    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Who asked you? Me?¡±


    Feng Huiming moved his lips and didn¡¯t answer, but his face said it all.


    Wu Xingxue turned to look at Xiao Fuxuan, confusion flashing through his eyes.


    But he rapidly turned back. Upon looking at Feng Huiming again, his expression was steady as a mountain. His voice remained quite composed, his tone unhurried, not revealing any surprise.


    Even that ¡°Me?¡± from just then seemed to contain some other deep meaning.


    Feng Huiming swallowed, keeping his voice down to say: ¡°Why ask when you know.¡±


    Facing him with this expression, he knew for sure that he wasn¡¯t lying¡ªsomeone had indeed sought after him not too long ago and asked the same question.


    Who looked exactly like the current him?


    Wu Xingxue touched his own face, calculations zipping through his mind.


    Xiao Fuxuan¡¯s taboo name had been reported, so his face change had of course already been removed, but Wu Xingxue was different. He was still wearing the face Xiao Fuxuan had helped adjust. For this face to look exactly the same, it meant that it was the same face change Wu Xingxue had used back then.


    This bit in itself wasn¡¯t difficult to guess.


    But thinking more deeply, this thing was actually quite problematic¡ª


    When he¡¯d just entered the inn last night, the innkeeper said they¡¯d checked out not too long ago. This was fine¡ªafter all, all Falling Flower Terrace was an illusion realm, and they¡¯d happened to see themselves from centuries ago in the illusion realm. That was also just fine, though perhaps rather coincidental.


    But now, Feng Huiming had again said ¡°you clearly just sought me out an hour ago.¡±


    At first glance, these words were precisely the same as the innkeeper¡¯s. It was just that after the Wu Xingxue of centuries before had left the inn, he hadn¡¯t yet removed the face change upon making a trip to the Feng Sect to detain Feng Huiming and interrogate him about the forbidden ground.


    Yet right after this poor guy was done being interrogated, he was seized by the current Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan, which led him to say these words. Even the timing had matched up just right.


    However, due to time and tide matching up just right, things got even fishier. Because Falling Flower Mountain Market was an illusion realm, but the Feng Sect was not, it ought to have been outside the illusion realm¡¯s scope.


    Could events that happened within the illusion realm remain coherent with events that happened outside the illusion realm?


    Of course not.


    Or at least, they couldn¡¯t match up this naturally.


    Wu Xingxue pondered it over, and could only think of a single explanation: This Falling Flower Mountain Market was not an illusion realm, it was the real past! From the moment they stepped foot in Falling Flower Terrace, they¡¯d been standing in the spot that existed here centuries ago.


    Coming at it like this, whether it was the innkeeper or the Feng Sect, all their reactions made sense.


    From the innkeeper¡¯s point of view, there really were two people who¡¯d just lodged here for a night, and then came to stay a second night.


    And from Feng Huiming¡¯s point of view, the same person had sought after him twice in the same day, to ask him about the exact same stuff.


    It was indeed odd, indeed worthy of causing him a mental breakdown.


    Were he to give Feng Huiming a little more time and allow him to ponder it more carefully or probe some more, he could discover some dubious points¡ªfor instance, although he was the same person, his clothes weren¡¯t at all alike. And, the hour before, this person¡¯s body would have still carried an immortal aura. An hour later, how could he have become a devil?


    As it happened, the current Feng Huiming hadn¡¯t the time to ponder carefully, and Wu Xingxue wouldn¡¯t allow him this margin.


    He exchanged a glance with Xiao Fuxuan, and resolved to strike while the iron was hot, before Feng Huiming came back to himself. Stroking the handwarmer, eyes half-lidded, he began the performance¡ª


    ¡°As I¡¯ve asked you once, of course, there¡¯s no need for me to waste energy asking again. You know well what I want to hear. Well, now we¡¯ve got a few more spectators¡ª¡± Wu Xingxue raised his chin, ¡°Whatever you told me an hour ago, bring it forth once more, say it for them to hear.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Feng Huiming¡¯s complexion got even more unsightly. His lower jaw was drawn extremely tight, almost trembling. Glaring vigilantly at Wu Xingxue, he said hoarsely: ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I ought to have said, why must I say it again?¡±


    Wu Xingxue thought it over, then followed his words to say: ¡°And why must you concern yourself over my reasons? Before, did I promise you that I¡¯d only ask once?¡±


    Feng Huiming was exasperated. After a while, he let out: ¡°No.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°Then what of it.¡±


    Feng Huiming: ¡°¡­¡±


    Then what of what?


    Feng Huiming was just about to open his mouth to argue, but heard Xiao Fuxuan moving his fingers to the side, raising his longsword from the floor to issue out a light ringing.


    Face taut, he looked over at Xiao Fuxuan. Tianxiu cocked his head to look at him, continuing off in a lowered voice: ¡°If it¡¯s the truth, what harm is there in repeating it a few times?¡±


    Feng Huiming: ¡°¡­¡±


    Tianxiu¡¯s ink-black eyes stared him down, gleaming with cold light: ¡°Or is this to say that you are unable to repeat it?¡±


    Feng Huiming¡¯s expression instantly froze.


    Wu Xingxue caught the change in his eyes, and raised a brow.


    He¡¯d always thought that the dignified Tianxiu would have already found it degrading and overwhelmingly difficult to pretend to be a bully once. He didn¡¯t expect that this person who looked so coldly handsome and upright would actually be so multifaceted¡ª


    Not only did he kidnap these people, but he¡¯d also even learned to force a confession and even say such bluffing words.


    To the point that Feng Huiming¡¯s frontline defense was scattered by just one sentence. His lips opened and closed, fundamentally unable to answer.


    Wu Xingxue thought it over, and suddenly felt that this Tianxiu Immortal at his side was leagues apart from what people said of him.


    This ¡°leagues different¡± Tianxiu Immortal glared his eyes over at him, then withdrew his gaze.


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    He tried to understand the meaning of that glance, and just couldn¡¯t decipher it.


    But after a while, a rather queer thought flashed across.


    It was like¡­ it was the first time Master Tianxiu had done such an un-immortal-like thing, and he hadn¡¯t quite calibrated the scale, so he peeped over at him to check whether or not he¡¯d gotten it right.


    Working out this point, Wu Xingxue truly couldn¡¯t help himself, and glanced back at Xiao Fuxuan.


    That coldly handsome face was just as intensely piercing as before, the oppressive air about him just as overwhelming. But the more Wu Xingxue looked, the more he thought¡­ it seemed it really was as he¡¯d thought.


    So, after looking at him for a while, he smiled.


    The smile flowed out from his lengthened eyes. Wu Xingxue was unable to cover it, so he simply didn¡¯t.


    Xiao Fuxuan seemed to sense it somewhat, and looked over at him, momentarily at a loss.


    As for Feng Huiming¡­


    Feng Huiming was nearly driven insane.


    People were ever as such; they liked to use themselves to measure others. Had they a straightforward nature, they¡¯d see no such twists and turns in others. Were they the type to overthink, they¡¯d see thousands of bends and swerves in others¡¯ thinking, all lit up in calculation.


    Especially if they were hiding a little something, held a little guilt at heart, they¡¯d be even more like this.


    Right now Feng Huiming was just like this¡ª


    Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan exchanged a glance.


    Feng Huiming thought: I must have just said something wrong, which aroused suspicion.


    Wu Xingxue had him say it again.


    Feng Huiming thought: He¡¯s captured my weak point and wants to test me.


    Xiao Fuxuan said that he shouldn¡¯t be afraid to repeat the truth.


    Feng Huiming thought: This isn¡¯t even a test, it¡¯s outright mockery.


    And now Wu Xingxue smiled like that¡­


    Feng Huiming¡ª


    Feng Huiming felt like he knew what he should do now.


    He suddenly felt that he was just like a little ant being toyed with, batted to the left and right, back and forth. In some people¡¯s eyes, he was no more than a futile struggle abounding with clownish disgrace.


    With all these Feng Sect junior disciples present, dozens of pairs of eyes were on him. And Feng Shulan was also present, watching him all the same.


    He suddenly felt that this moment was too hard to bear.


    He originally ought to have been accustomed to this sort of attention¡ªHis rank in the Feng Sect surpassed that of just ¡®Elder.¡¯ Feng Sect¡¯s sect leader had no children at his knee; he and Feng Shulan had both been taken in and raised by the family head. He¡¯d come to the Feng Sect early on, much earlier than Feng Shulan. When he¡¯d entered the gates, he wasn¡¯t even eight years old yet.


    The Sect Leader had once said: ¡°Eight years old is just the right age.¡±


    Just enough to understand a few things, yet just enough not to understand too much.


    At first, Feng Huiming couldn¡¯t figure out what that statement meant. Later on, after ten years, fifty years, nearly a hundred years, he¡¯d finally, slowly come to understand.


    Just understanding a few things meant that he knew he wasn¡¯t really related to the Feng Sect by blood, and knew the Sect Leader wasn¡¯t his real birth father. So, later on, no matter how proud he was of himself, no matter how much care he received, he¡¯d still know his place, know that he couldn¡¯t rely on being pampered, and knew that whatever he gained should not be taken for granted.


    And not understanding too much meant, a child of that age would always long for stability, long for attention, long for a place to call home. Even if he knew he was adopted, so long as the person who raised him was good enough to him, he still couldn¡¯t help but be willing to offer his heart for them.


    In comparison, Feng Shulan was more self-reliant than him.


    She¡¯d similarly been adopted, and outsiders all said she was the Feng Sect¡¯s ¡°little darling,¡± but she¡¯d never taken herself for a ¡°daughter,¡± only a ¡°disciple¡± with somewhat deeper connections.


    She wasn¡¯t originally all that friendly, and the older she got, the colder she became. She¡¯d no intention of participating overly much in sect matters, just received the title of ¡°Disciple Hall Adept¡± and peacefully taught swordsmanship to junior disciples.


    In comparison, he knew far more.


    Very long ago, he thought that ¡°learning a great deal¡± was a matter of the Sect Leader¡¯s partiality. It was because he was naturally quite gifted, with decent roots, an excellent sprout, far above this ¡°little sister¡± Feng Shulan. So, very many things that couldn¡¯t be spoken to outsiders, the Sect Leader would tell him. Very many places where disciples couldn¡¯t follow, the Sect Leader would take him.


    Over time, he¡¯d become second only in the Feng Sect to the Sect Leader himself.


    Later on, whenever the family head found it inconvenient to appear, he¡¯d act as the one in charge.


    And even later on, even if the Sect Leader was present, he wouldn¡¯t lose his esteem. It was just like¡­ the Sect Leader got older and older, while he was just at the right age, so he gradually gained the ability to take over for him.


    Hence, over a long time, he became accustomed to receiving people¡¯s attention.


    It was quite rare that a situation rendered him incompetent. A vast majority of the time, he could respond with ease, that he was nearly steady as a boulder, calmly assured of his supremacy.


    It wasn¡¯t until today that he suddenly realized¡­ Other sects¡¯ disciples who were just at their prime were numerous, neither near nor far, and Hua Sect with its good relations with Feng Sect also had quite a few, but, lacked any disciples just at their prime who were worthy of being the Sect Leader.


    Because they still weren¡¯t qualified.


    He thought he was qualified, but in fact, it was only because he hadn¡¯t met enough people, and had insufficient encounters with situations. All in all, his sword work was outstanding¡ªbut only in the mortal realm.


    Were he to come across a true immortal, he was nothing.


    An hour or so ago when that strange young man had soundlessly appeared in the library, Feng Huiming gripped the sword on his desk and thought: this person is indeed ignorant and cowardice.


    Without asking any questions, quick as lightning, he unleashed his sword. He saw that the other hadn¡¯t even touched his sword, and thought: He dares to come into the Feng Sect¡¯s treasured library with that slow of a reaction?


    It wasn¡¯t until he thrust his sword close that he finally realized something was off¡ª


    Because he found that the young man with the appearance of a wealthy young master had his eyes lowered, just looking at the tip of his sword.


    To relate it in words, the so-called lightning chop was not actually quick enough in that person¡¯s eyes; he could even tell the trajectory of the sword tip.


    But Feng Huiming realized this a little too late.


    The next moment, he saw that young master¡¯s brows and eyes slightly raising, meeting his line of sight.


    In that instant, he felt that his sword tip was unable to pierce into any flesh, but rather seemed to have been swept up within a vast swirl, unable to enter and unable to retreat.


    Immediately afterward, a mighty, ocean-like pressure flooded out from that young master¡¯s body.


    The hand Feng Huiming used to grasp his sword suddenly shook. Trailing veins distended from his fingers and rapidly spread out.


    Amidst the acute pain, he loosened his fingers and let out an anguished, muffled groan. His longsword clattered down and rolled in an arc around the floor.


    Deep red blood flowed down along his arm and dripped into a puddle on the floor.


    He distinctly felt his arm¡¯s blood vessels rupturing in several places. At the same time, he distinctly understood that the other party was being lenient from start to finish¡­


    Because under the battering force of that mighty pressure, it was hard to say whether he¡¯d still be alive. Just receiving this little injury was already exceptionally fortunate.


    That moment, Feng Huiming felt true fear.


    Anyone who¡¯d spent nearly a hundred years as heaven¡¯s chosen son with few worthy opponents, upon one day realizing he¡¯d turned out to just be an insect underfoot, would be incapable of bearing that blow.


    Not far from the library were quite a few disciples on their daily patrol. A little further out was his ¡®little sister¡¯ Feng Shulan.


    As long as he wanted, he could immediately summon thousands of people to here immediately


    But at the time, Feng Huiming alone didn¡¯t raise the alarm.


    For one, he figured it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. For two¡­ he¡¯d long been looked up at, and didn¡¯t want anyone to see him being unable to even hold onto his sword.


    Paralyzed, he just looked at the guest, and asked him: ¡°Who are you¡­¡±


    But that person said: ¡°Who I am is none of your concern. I¡¯ve merely come to ask you a few questions.¡±


    Feng Huiming replied: ¡°¡­What questions?¡±


    From start to finish, that person¡¯s sword hadn¡¯t moved from his waist. In his hand, he carried a mask engraved with threads of silver which scintillated fine as riven sparks under lamplight. Holding the mask¡¯s edge between thumb and forefinger, he cocked his head to ask Feng Huiming: ¡°Of the thousands of spirits in Falling Flower Mountain Market being bound, are you aware?¡±


    Feng Huiming froze at once, cold sweat dripping down.


    Before he could reply, that person nodded his head to say: ¡°Looks like you know. So I haven¡¯t come to the wrong place.¡±


    Feng Huiming opened his mouth: ¡°I¡­¡±


    That person didn¡¯t wait for him to finish before saying: ¡°I¡¯ll also ask you, those bound spirits were confined on forbidden ground, are you aware?¡±


    Feng Huiming¡¯s throat stirred.


    That person¡¯s pitch-black eyes stared him down. After a beat, he smiled.


    Feng Huiming suspected that person had changed his face, because although his facial features were pretty, they weren¡¯t particularly outstanding. They didn¡¯t match up with those eyes.


    As that smile melted into his eyes, it ought to have been quite good-looking. But, not reaching the tails of his eyes, the smile was not at all sincere, like an impenetrable fog.


    ¡°Looks like you also know,¡± that person said again.


    Feng Huiming¡¯s mind swiftly turned, thinking on this person¡¯s history, thinking on his purpose, thinking on¡­ the longstanding cover-up in Falling Flower Mountain Market.


    But the other party didn¡¯t give him too much time to reflect.


    In just a single flash of his mind, that person was already standing before him.


    This time, the mighty pressure overhead left him with no such ¡°exceptional fortune.¡± The person said: ¡°Those people in the Falling Flower  Mountain Market¡­ Those thousands of the bound, were they assembled by your Feng Sect?¡±


    By the time Feng Huiming came back to himself, he discovered that he¡¯d actually just subconsciously nodded his head and replied: ¡°Yes¡­¡±

 CH 48

    Just as that ¡°Yes¡± came out, Feng Huiming was stunned.


    Why did I say ¡°yes¡±?


    Feng Huiming¡¯s expression went momentarily blank. Immediately hence, he wet his dry lips, wanting to shake his head and clarify: No! You must disregard what I just said, it wasn¡¯t my sect who assembled them!


    However, his neck seemed to have been clamped down by someone, unable to move. The tip of his tongue seemed to have been set on a spell by someone, so he couldn¡¯t even spit out a ¡°No.¡±


    Standing in his sect¡¯s Hundred Treasures Library and meeting the vast ocean-like oppression of that strange young master¡¯s gaze, he was actually unable to let out even a word of explanation.


    Feng Huiming was so nervous his whole body broke out in a sweat. His eyeballs reddened under the exertion.


    His mouth opened and closed a few times. The fingers dangling at his sides clenched into fists, and at last, he managed to squeeze out: ¡°My¡­ My Feng Sect had no such intention.¡±


    Fuck me.


    This was the first time in his life that Feng Huiming had cursed intentionally.


    On one hand, it was aimed at his fruitless struggle.


    On the other hand, it was because he sensed that something was really off about himself, as though when he spoke, his lips and tongue wouldn¡¯t obey his commands, and would utter words he fundamentally didn¡¯t want to say.


    If he was a commoner, he¡¯d surely think that he was possessed.


    But he wasn¡¯t an ordinary commoner, he was second only in the Feng Sect to the Sect Leader himself. Who¡¯d be able to mess with his head, who¡¯d dare mess with his head?


    Feng Huiming¡¯s eyeballs bulged slightly, staring at that strange young master before him. For a moment, he nearly thought the other person had done it.


    For someone with such boundless might, close as this, it likely wouldn¡¯t be hard for him to control him if he so desired.


    But he rapidly realized this wasn¡¯t right.


    This person had obviously come to ask questions. These were the very things he wanted to understand, so why would he control how he answered? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    So it was another person.


    Feng Huiming looked at that young master, trying to convey to him: All the words I just said are false, that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to say; there¡¯s someone who tampered with me, you mustn¡¯t believe what you hear!


    But this statement, he still couldn¡¯t voice.


    And that young master¡¯s gaze was on his face the entire time, as though seeing through his entire struggle. The other party frowned slightly, then relaxed again.


    After a moment, that person asked: ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll change the question.¡±


    When he heard these words, Feng Huiming nearly broke into tears.


    He sensed that the other must have noticed that struggle hidden beneath his expression and words, but couldn¡¯t determine what was real and what was fake.


    The young master then asked: ¡°What is the connection between your Feng Sect and the sealed ground in Falling Flower Mountain Market?¡±


    There¡¯s no connection!


    Feng Huiming hollered himself hoarse on the inside.


    He prepared himself entirely for not being able to speak again, but saw that young master narrowing his eyes and repeating softly: ¡°There¡¯s no connection?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until this that Feng Huiming found that this time he¡¯d actually spoken, and moreover without any alteration, issuing out the exact same words.


    At first he was overjoyed, thinking to himself that at long last he¡¯d spoken some truth. But in a wink, he was again alarmed¡­


    Because he realized another problem¡ª


    Were he to have said the opposite words this time, said ¡°A very deep connection,¡± he believed that the young master would have definitely been able to see through his issue with one hundred percent certainty.


    But on the contrary, he spoke the truth this time.


    In the other man¡¯s eyes, the ¡°being controlled¡± hypothesis was now rather shaky.


    If he were really being controlled, why would he tell the truth one moment and lie the next?


    On the contrary, this sort of half-true, not-false speech made one think that he was the one weaving lies.


    Feng Huiming froze on the spot. This time he really did break out in a full-body cold sweat.


    He dearly hadn¡¯t said much at all, but felt a buzzing in his head, and it all went fuzzy. He began trying to give that young master an explanation: ¡°All those spirits in Falling Flower Mountain Market who are bound, my sect does indeed know. That the spirits are suppressed in the sealed ground, we also have indeed heard of it. After all, my sect looks after all of Falling Flower Mountain Market. But why those spirits were chosen, and whence they were assembled together, my¡­ my Feng Sect truly has no idea.¡±


    He spoke rapidly.


    To explain this much, he had no choice but to start from the very beginning.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Back when I was still young, most of these things are what I learned from fath¡­ from the Sect Leader¡­¡±


    ***


    An hour or so ago, that young master¡¯s skin-deep smile was still before him. Now, Feng Huiming saw the same smile on Wu Xingxue¡¯s face, and his panic and dread doubled.


    He no longer struggled. Sweeping a glance at the gathered Feng Sect disciples and then at Feng Shulan, clenching his fingers and taking a long breath, he finally resolved: ¡°Okay¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll say it again, I¡¯ll say it again.¡±


    However, he found that his mind was completely blank, a total mess, and he could only recall the merest fragments. But under Xiao Fuxuan and Wu Xingxue¡¯s gazes, he might not have been able to come up for another breath were he to remain silent any longer. Thus, he could only follow those mere fragments to say: ¡°My father¡­ The Sect Leader had said, back then the divine arbor was often used by those with skewed intentions, which led to all sorts of disasters on end. It got to the point that some innocents died tragically, and some got dragged in. Although those crooked schemers ultimately met with no kind end themselves, along with divine retribution, under their myriad perturbations, everyone knew that it was indeed unsuitable for the divine arbor to live on in the mortal realm. It had to be concealed in a place the people couldn¡¯t reach. This is the origin of the seal.


    ¡°And originally my Feng Sect was not in fact surnamed ¡®Feng.¡¯ According to the Sect Leader, the previous sect¡¯s name was changed. The reason for the change was the divine arbor¡­


    ¡°Because the divine arbor was sealed in the Falling Flower Terrace, our sect was entrusted to look after this region, to keep people from mistakenly charging into the divine arbor¡¯s forbidden ground and causing disasters on end. So it was that our sect changed its surname to ¡®Feng¡¯.1Feng: Literal definition ¨C to seal Although it is unlike the heavenly granting a name for ascended immortals, it can be considered somewhat similar.


    ¡°So, as for Falling Flower Mountain Market¡¯s people¡­ we do indeed know. And the sealed ground¡¯s location as well, we do indeed know. But this is the extent of our involvement. As for anything else, it truly has nothing to do with us.¡±


    Feng Huiming then said: ¡°As for the spirits¡­¡±


    He subconsciously glanced toward the innkeeper, as though harboring misgivings, not wanting to bring this up right in front of ¡°the bound.¡± But in the end, gritting his teeth, he still continued: ¡°Why those spirits have been gathered and imprisoned here, you¡¯d have to ask the real one behind the sealing of the divine arbor.¡±


    The way he said ¡°the one behind the sealing of the divine arbor¡± completely lacked hesitation, as though he knew who¡¯d laid down the seal.


    If what he said was true, that the Feng Sect had been appointed as caretakers of the forbidden ground and thus changed their surname to ¡®Feng,¡¯ then they could be considered closely bound with the divine arbor, and in all probability know more than the various immortals of Immortal Capital.


    Wu Xingxue thought it over, and asked: ¡°Who was the one who sealed the divine arbor? Lingtai?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Feng Huiming shook his head, speaking in a deep voice: ¡°The first one who resolved to seal the divine arbor was the divine arbor itself.¡±


    Hearing this, Wu Xingxue¡¯s eyes stirred: ¡°The divine arbor itself?¡±


    Feng Huiming paused, and looked at him with a trace of shock: ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Before in the Hundred Treasures Library, when this young master had heard this statement, he hadn¡¯t had this sort of reaction, just listened, tranquil as water.


    The second reaction being different, Feng Huiming was somewhat uneasy. He thought: They¡¯re playing with me again!


    ¡°It really was the divine arbor itself, I¡¯m not making anything up!¡± Feng Huiming nearly swore an oath to heaven, but then thought, all this information was from the Sect Leader; he hadn¡¯t seen it for himself. Hence, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he didn¡¯t swear an oath.


    ¡°What I heard was indeed as such,¡± Feng Huiming said, ¡°Sealing away the divine arbor was indeed the divine arbor¡¯s own handiwork. The forbidden ground was drawn up by him, and the blade arrays, fire arrays, and mystic lightning within the forbidden ground were also set by him. Everything within the forbidden ground, the divine arbor is aware of.


    ¡°Seeing that the divine arbor had been sealed tight and could no longer be exploited by anyone, he left the Falling Flower Terrace and went to Immortal Capital,¡± Feng Huiming said with deep import.


    After speaking, he raised his head to see Wu Xingxue¡¯s complicated expression.


    Feng Huiming: ¡°¡­¡±


    He hesitated a moment. At last, unable to bother with whether he¡¯d seen it with his own eyes or heard it with his own ears, he stuck two fingers up to say: ¡°I swear to heaven, not one word was false. It is indeed as such.¡±


    After saying this, a long time passed before he heard the other party softly asking: ¡°You say you swear to heaven. I can make this oath a dozen times on the spot as well, and what use would it be? I don¡¯t believe it. Why don¡¯t you just tell me who can vouch for you?¡±


    Who knew that after being momentarily taken aback, Feng Huiming would actually nod his head to say: ¡°There¡¯s proof.¡±


    Wu Xingxue: ¡°?¡±


    This time, it really provoked Wu Xingxue¡¯s infinite curiosity.


    Not only him, but all the people present stared fixedly at Feng Huiming, including Feng Shulan. She pursed her lips to say: ¡°What did you say just now?¡±


    In a single day, Feng Huiming had been worn down twice. The first time he¡¯d still been able to rely on sleight of tongue. The second time he just felt exhausted, and lost his persuasive ability.


    He opened his mouth, but couldn¡¯t say what he wanted. After a long while, he seemed to have made an incredibly difficult decision.


    He lowered his eyes awhile, then said to Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan: ¡°I know, since you keep asking over and over again, even if I were eloquent and could repeat it dozens of times over, you would still find it difficult to believe in its entirety. How about this instead¡­¡±


    He said: ¡°Return with me to the Feng Sect and I¡¯ll take you to see. After all¡­ seeing is believing.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was stunned.


    He truly hadn¡¯t expected that Feng Huiming would take the initiative to invite them to the Feng Sect. Hence, he subconsciously glanced over at Xiao Fuxuan.


    Before, based on various things, he¡¯d come to the conclusion that this Falling Flower Mountain Market wasn¡¯t in fact an illusion realm, but the real past.


    But no matter how certain he was, it was still a guess. If he¡¯d guessed wrong, then the moment they stepped out of Falling Flower Mountain Market, the illusion realm would shatter and crumble away.


    Whether Feng Sect or forbidden ground, all would disappear into the fog with the illusion realm.


    Thinking on this point, Wu Xingxue did in fact have some doubts.


    But through some sword aura fastened upon him, he heard Xiao Fuxuan say mildly: ¡°There¡¯s no harm even if it is an illusion realm. I went into the forbidden ground once and I can go in again. Since you¡¯ve made inquiries of the Feng Sect twice, you can ask for the third time as well.¡±


    Wu Xingxue was taken aback. He began to smile.


    He suddenly felt, at present, with the devilish energy entwined in his body, the chains binding his form, he could employ nothing more than killing moves. Originally, he ought to have faced layer upon layer of obstacles, each step forward sullying his hands with blood.


    But because of a certain someone¡¯s presence, he could actually come and go freely, no holds barred.