© 2024 Novelable
Chapter 221-230
Chapter 221-230
Ch.221: Meet the Ghost King; Hiding in the Palace of Crown Prince
This time, Hua Cheng’s smile wasn’t fake. On the contrary, it was even brighter. Guoshi was
stunned, and he raised his hand, pointing at him, ”…You you you, it’s you? That child? You are
that child???”
His finger and voice were practically shaking. Hua Cheng was cheerful and didn’t speak, but his
face was clearly written full of: That’s right, I’m the Star of Solitude himself that almost burnt
down the entire Mount TaiCang!
“…”
Guoshi turned over to demand, ”Your Highness, what’s going on? Explain a little?”
Xie Lian opened his hands and shrugged, smiling shyly, ”…It’s… just as you see.”
Guoshi was completely shocked. He slapped the back of his right hand into his left palm a few
dozen times, and it was a moment before he could finally speak, ”You see, you see you see you
see, I told you so! I told you Supreme Ghost Kings shouldn’t be so easily provoked. He’s been
coming onto you from such a young age, such ghastly persistence! It’s been what, eight
hundred years? EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS! He’s been stalking you for eight hundred years!
Scary, too scary! My fortunes really are too accurate!”
“Please master, please drop it, let’s not talk about this anymore…” Xie Lian pleaded.
He thought inwardly, ’You haven’t even seen the divine statues that filled the entirety of the Cave
of Ten Thousand Gods.’ If he saw it, he’d probably take Hua Cheng for a savage beast of the
floods, some mad, insane ghost, and he’d stuff Xie Lian under his arm and run away. Guoshi
still hadn’t recovered from his shock, ”No, he’s too scary like this, this is such deep obsession
and calculation! Your Highness, you must be absolutely careful, you’d be easily taken
advantage of like this, be cautious of him deceiving you!”
“San Lang wouldn’t do that.” Xie Lian said.
Hua Cheng also said drily, ”My lord* thinks too much. I’d deceive anyone but His Highness.”
Guoshi leaned over to argue, ”You cunning young man, don’t think I can’t tell. Aren’t you exactly
using the fact that His Highness isn’t too learned in this aspect? Why don’t you tell me right now
to my face how spiritual power is lent? How many ways can it be lent, and how do you lend it?
What did you tell His Highness?”
“…”
Xie Lian started yelping and cried random noises, ”HAHAHAHA, ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! LET IT
GO, IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW AS LONG AS IT’S LENT, RIGHT? HAHAHA, IT’S ALL THE
SAME, ALL THE SAME!”
If they continued the subject he was going to start flapping like a duck drowning and boiled. Xie
Lian suddenly turned serious, ”So, let’s talk about serious business. Right now he’s locked us up
here and hadn’t made a move, what is he planning?”
“Probably thinking of setting another riddle up for you.” Hua Cheng said.
“How would it be done though?” Xie Lian wondered.
“That’s hard to say.” Guoshi said, ”To be honest, anything is possible. Your Highness, don’t
change the subject! I’m giving you advice, don’t let perversions confound your mind or be
deceived by pretty words, I say he’s…”
Just then, Hua Cheng suddenly said darkly, ”Gege, someone’s come.”
“Don’t think you can lie to me,” Guoshi said, ”I’m not so easily deceived like His Highness…”
But Xie Lian said, ”Ah, master, he’s not lying to you, someone really is coming, let’s hide first!”
Then, together with Hua Cheng, the two of them lightly pushed off with their feet and lightly leapt
onto the beam on the ceiling, hiding away.
It wasn’t long before the sound of messy footsteps expectedly came from outside the chamber.
A man kicked the door open and laughed wildly in pleasure, ”WAHAHAHAHAHA, THE
HEAVENLY REALM IS NOTHING! DIDN’T IT STILL HAVE TO BE STEPPED UNDER THIS
ANCESTOR’S FEET IN THE END!”
“…”
“…”
“…”
The moment the three heard this voice they all became speechless.
A green robed man came swaggering in from the outside, and wasn’t it indeed Qi Rong that
they hadn’t seen for days!
It seemed, not only did Jun Wu lock up all the heavenly officials, he’d also let loose all the
monsters and demons. That those creatures could actually loiter and rampage the streets of the
Heavenly Capital so freely, this was practically the toppling of reason, exceedingly bizarre!
Guoshi didn’t think it’d be Qi Rong either and he stiffened. Qi Rong pointed at him and yelled,
“You friggin’ Guoshi, friggin’ old man, undying old man! Hehe! Remember how you looked down
on me and wouldn’t take me for a disciple? What do you think now? A slap in the face, right? It’s
karma, you deserve this kind of end!”
From behind him peeked a timid little head, it was Gu Zi. It was probably the first time Gu Zi had
entered such a sumptuous building, and his eyes were widened, looking all over, like he wanted
to secretly feel those jaded bricked but didn’t dare. Qi Rong was proud and pleased, ”Good son,
do you see? This here is the heavenly realm, and now, it’s me, your daddy’s domain!”
Gu Zi was shocked, ”Really, dad? This place is so big…”
“OF COURSE!” Qi Rong exclaimed, ”If you don’t believe me, watch, P’TUI P’TUI P’TUI! I’LL
SPIT WHEREVER I PLEASE AND WHO’D DARE TO TELL ME OFF?”
Guoshi: ”…”
Gu Zi hesitated for a moment, but still whispered, ”Dad, it’s not very good to spit on the ground.
It’s so beautiful and clean here, you’ll dirty it.”
Qi Rong was stumped.
Guoshi couldn’t hold back any longer either, ”Take a look at yourself, how are you teaching
kids? How old are you now and you still don’t know how to be a good role model? Even kids are
more mature than you!”
To be lectured from both sides, Qi Rong’s embarrassment turned into anger, and he jumped up,
cussing, ”YOU FRIGGIN’ OLD MAN, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW! Pretending to be
some elder, I WON’T ALLOW YOU BOTH TO DISCIPLINE ME! AND YOU! HOW DARE YOU
SPEAK TO YOUR OLD MAN LIKE THIS, YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT!”
Gu Zi got scolded and stopped making sounds aggrievedly. After Qi Rong was done yelling, he
then very guiltily wiped away the spit he spat with his feet, pretending as if nothing had
happened, and cursed and cussed as he dragged Gu Zi out. Before he left he even wrote a line
in big letters upon the most conspicuous wall of the Palace of Ling Wen – ”The number one
Ghost King of the three realms the Green Ghost Qi Rong was here”.
After Qi Rong had exited the Palace of Ling Wen, the blue daruma doll Xie Lian tucked away in
his sleeve fell out, landing in front of the wall that was written with those big words and the spit
mark Qi Rong messily wiped away, and it spun madly, like it was crazy with rage. Xie Lian and
Hua Cheng also leapt down, and Xie Lian picked up the daruma doll anew. Guoshi shook his
head, ”Prince Xiao Jing truly is… A hundred years like a day, his taste is incredibly bad, I can’t
believe he hasn’t improved at all.”
Hua Cheng took a glance at the wall, and was too lazy to even show a disdainful expression,
and only gave a one word comment: ”Hideous.”
Guoshi finally agreed with him, and he tucked his hands in his sleeves, ”Extremely hideous.
After so many years, other than that hellish mess of a set of verses on the doors of the
Gambler’s Den in the Ghost City, that writing was over ten times more hideous than this, I have
never seen anything more hideous!”
Hua Cheng: ”……………….”
Xie Lian on the other hand, was desperately trying to laugh it over, ”Hahahahaha, master I’ve
also seen that set of verses you speak of, and I thought it was pretty well written? It’s very full of
style, I rather like it.”
Guoshi was puzzled, ”Your Highness, how can you say something like that? Your calligraphy
was taught by world class masters, how can you not tell the difference between beautiful and
hideous? That writing is totally the worst of the three realms, not even the best teachers can
salvage it. What exactly do you like about it? Did your taste fall apart?”
Xie Lian, ”HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAMASTER, PLEASE DON’T SAY ANYMORE!!!”
Suddenly, Hua Cheng said, ”Ge ge, Jun Wu is making a move. He’s probably going to look for
you. He’s heading to the Palace of XianLe right now.”
Guoshi jolted, ”What! Then Your Highness you must hurry back! Crimson Rain Sought Flower,
you hide yourself well too, absolutely do not let him discover you two have gotten together. My
three friends’ mountain spirit bodies are currently bound within the borders of Mount TongLu and
are trying to break free. No matter what actions we take, there’s more sure of a chance after
they’ve broken free. Remember, do not act recklessly!”
Naturally, Xie Lian knew this. Having bid Guoshi farewell, the two left the Palace of Ling Wen,
swiftly and stealthily flying past, evading countless guards and demons, and there were four
more blocks before they reach the Palace of XianLe when just then, Hua Cheng spoke up
again, ”Ge ge, there’s one more block before he reaches the Palace of XianLe.”
Xie Lian: ”!”
He touched that monitoring silver butterfly, and before his eyes flashed a scene. Sure enough,
with one hand behind his back and walking by his lonesome, it was almost a hundred steps
away before Jun Wu would reach the gates of the Palace of XianLe.
What should they do?? Wouldn’t this mean they would either get back after Jun Wu, or bump
right into him? It must be known that the guards at the gates of the Palace of XianLe were still
petrified by Hua Cheng!
Suddenly, the gates of the divine palace behind Jun Wu opened, and someone stood behind
those doors, speaking up, ”My lord.”
Jun Wu paused in his step and looked back, ”Rain Master? What is it?”
The one who stopped him was indeed the Rain Master. It was probably because Jun Wu had
given instructions that irrelevant figures must not come close to the Residence of the Rain
Master so other than guards, there weren’t any other demons or monsters visible. She said very
politely, ”My lord, I have something I’ve forgotten to give you. Might I ask my lord to stop in for a
moment?”
Jun Wu inclined his head, ”Very well.” And sure enough, he turned back around. Xie Lian sighed
a breath of relief, ”Thank god for Lord Rain Master!” He’d decided after he returned he’d burn
eighteen tall incense sticks for the Rain Master!!!
Using this chance, the two dashed across the four blocks, and returned to the Palace of XianLe
before Jun Wu. As they crossed through the doors, Hua Cheng casually waved his hand and
released the spell on the guards at the gates. They were confounded for a moment and
completely did not notice anything amiss. Xie Lian sprinted back to the inner chambers but
before he had a chance to sigh in relief, his face changed again, since, the guards at the gates
had come to announce Jun Wu’s arrival.
Jun Wu had come so fast!
It seemed the Rain Master hadn’t stopped him for long. The two exchanged looks,
communicating without words, and Hua Cheng turned to hide himself behind the curtains while
Xie Lian hopped onto the bed pretending to be asleep, his back facing outwards. Just as he
pulled the cover up, Jun Wu entered.
He slowly came to the tableside and was quiet for a moment before he spoke up, ”Xian Le, are
you resting?”
Xie Lian didn’t respond. Jun Wu seemed to have sat down at the table, and placed something
that was in his hands onto the table surface, then poured himself a cup of tea.
He said gently, ”Xian Le, I made you stay here properly for your own good. There are many
things that as long as you listen to me, the end result would be much better.”
Xie Lian didn’t flip over and was still facing him with his back. Otherwise, having remembered all
that Guoshi had told him, with his heart like the raging seas, he wouldn’t know what expression
he’d use to face Jun Wu who at this moment was still kind and gentle.
The next moment, behind him, Jun Wu said languidly, ”But, not only did you sneak out to play,
you even brought someone back to hide in your chamber. It seems, you really don’t listen to me
anymore.”
———
●Hua Cheng didn’t actually address MNQ by title, I just wanted to show that both Xie Lian
and Hua Cheng had been using the honorific ”You” throughout their interaction with
MNQ, as it’s the only time in the book besides to XL that Hua Cheng used it.
————
Ch.222: Meet the Ghost King; Hiding in the Palace of Crown Prince 2
Having heard him say so, a chill instantly went down Xie Lian’s back, and each of his hairs was
raised.
It was as if he could feel what it was like that night Guoshi had snuck into Jun Wu’s room and
removed that mask, and he heard Jun Wu rise to his feet from the tableside, coming this way
slowly.
Hua Cheng was just standing behind the curtains next to the bed!
When Xie Lian got onto the bed he had hidden Fang Xin underneath the pillow, and at this
moment, the hand on the hilt clenched it tight, waiting for the right moment, but at the same
time, doubtful if there really would be the right opportune moment. Yet unexpectedly, Jun Wu
didn’t go to the curtains, but instead came to the bedside and lifted the cover on his body
directly. Xie Lian felt his body go chill and shot up, glaring at him, but Jun Wu only eyed him
calculatingly and said quietly, ”This robe doesn’t suit you.”
“…”
Only then did Xie Lian remember that he was still wearing the Brocade Immortal!
Although the Brocade Immortal had now turned into a white cultivation robe, but of course Jun
Wu wouldn’t have missed it. He watched Xie Lian calculatingly for a moment, sighed, and said,
“You just wouldn’t listen to me. You went out to cause trouble again, didn’t you?”
Xie Lian watched him anxiously when suddenly, his eyes swept onto the table, and upon it was
a gift box. The gift box was already unwrapped, and inside it was a few cabbages, several
potatoes and some carrots.
“…”
So it turns out when the Rain Master stopped Jun Wu just now and said she forgot to give him
something, she meant the souvenirs from YuShi Country…
Behind Jun Wu, Hua Cheng soundlessly used a hand and raised a corner of the curtain,
revealing his face behind, and met his eyes with Xie Lian’s through Jun Wu.
His hand slowly rested on the silver scimitar hilt hung on his waist, seeming to be deliberating
on whether to make a move immediately. Xie Lian didn’t think it was the right moment, and
whilst pretending to not want to talk to Jun Wu, he shook his head.
“Where did you hide Ling Wen?” Jun Wu asked.
Of course he couldn’t give him Ling Wen. The moment he saw Ling Wen there wouldn’t be any
need to ask her what was going on; just take a look at her daruma doll form and one could
guess Hua Cheng must’ve snuck into the Heavenly Capital.
But, Xie Lian couldn’t help but wonder – had Jun Wu really not suspected Hua Cheng had
already snuck in at all?
Just then, Jun Wu spoke again, ”Xian Le, your expression seems to say, ”wrong”. What’s
wrong? Could it be, that other than the Brocade Immortal, you’ve hidden someone else?”
Xie Lian’s expression just now didn’t change at all. Jun Wu really knew him very well.
Silently exchanging a look with the Hua Cheng behind Jun Wu, Xie Lian steadied himself and
said coldly, ”Think whatever you want. Either way no one can leave right now, so there’s nothing
I can do. Do what pleases you, you old fart.” Then he laid down again, pulling the covers over
his head. As for Jun Wu, he turned around and started pacing about leisurely within the
chamber, searching.
Taking his time and searching for a while, nothing was found, Jun Wu then pondered for a
moment, and sure enough, still turned towards those curtains and reached out.
When the curtain was lifted, there was nothing.
Pausing for a moment, Jun Wu dropped the curtain and returned to the table anew. As for Xie
Lian who was still lying in bed, his lurched heart still hadn’t relaxed.
Under the covers, Hua Cheng was lying right next to him, their faces pressed extremely close.
Xie Lian’s heart was thumping really hard, his entire person was tense and taut. Hua Cheng
smiled, mouthing soundlessly, ”Don’t be afraid, Your Highness.”
Just now, the moment Jun Wu turned around, Hua Cheng easily dropped the curtains. Then
after Jun Wu walked past him, he then easily slipped out from behind the curtains, and
soundlessly blitzed to Xie Lian’s bedside. Xie Lian yanked him onto the bed and stuffed him
inside, and just as Hua Cheng had rolled in, Jun Wu turned around again.
The timing was seamless, plus the positioning was intricate, so other than a bunch of messy
blankets, Jun Wu saw nothing.
Finally, Jun Wu said, ”Xian Le, stop sleeping. You can’t sleep anyway. Get up and come with
me.”
Xie Lian actually really wanted to slack off in bed and not get up, but he was afraid that Jun Wu
would come over again to lift the covers, so he could only shuffle out of bed, and hide the blue
daruma doll inside his sleeve by the pillowside.
Jun Wu had already left the bedchamber, and Xie Lian looked back. Hua Cheng had already
gotten out of bed, his eyes dark, ready to come over. Xie Lian hurriedly waved, gesturing for him
to absolutely not be exposed, that everything was fine. Jun Wu who had already exited called
out, ”What’s wrong? Why aren’t you coming? Is there something in bed that’s keeping you
behind?”
Xie Lian instantly returned to the chamber, grabbed that box of souvenirs on the table, then
went back out, closing the door behind him. He then picked up a carrot inside the box and took
a chomp, replying drily, ”It’s nothing. Can’t I be hungry?”
Jun Wu glanced at the thing in his hand and said warmly, ”If you like this, I’ve got more. I’ll send
them to you another time.”
Xie Lian, ”…”
They walked a few blocks, and from afar they could hear a voice was making a ruckus,
“HAHAHHAHAHAHA! FENG XIN! YOU DOG! THIS DEMON KING IS TRAMPLING YOUR
PALACE RIGHT NOW, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT? WHAT! COME FIGHT ME!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
It’s Qi Rong again!
As they approached, they could see all around the golden palace was under his attack, the giant
and ugly ”QI RONG WAS HERE” was all over the place. Qi Rong even hopped onto the roofs to
uncover the shingles, hollering and screaming at the heavenly officials inside. Gu Zi was by his
side, looking greatly aggrieved, wanting to speak but stopped himself.
He was currently jumping and stomping on the Palace of Nan Yang, and Feng Xin was troubled
so he ignored him completely; Qi Rong yelled for a while but got bored, so he went to Mu Qing’s
palace and screamed the exact same things. Mu Qing seemed to have rolled his eyes a few
times at his antics, and Qi Rong stomped his feet in anger, hopping all over the place, and
hopped on top of Quan Yi Zhen’s palace. Yet before he even opened his mouth, a divine statue
with a head full of curly hair suddenly blasted out of the room and came flying, smashing him off
the roof with his head crashing first. It was the enraged Quan Yi Zhen who had used his own
divine statue as a weapon and flung it at him directly! Gu Zi was stupefied, and he clung onto
the edge of the roof and cried, ”DAD! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”
Qi Rong was furious, ”QUAN YI ZHEN YOU SHAMELESS IDIOT! YOU DARE USE
UNDERHANDED AMBUSH AGAINST ME!”
Gu Zi hesitated for a moment, then asked confusedly, ”Dad, how was that underhanded?” Didn’t
Quan Yi Zhen openly throw the divine statue over?
Qi Rong yelled, ”YOU STUPID SON! As long as he wins against me, no matter how he did it, it’s
all underhanded! Otherwise how could he possibly win against this ancestor??”
“Oh…” Gu Zi replied.
“…” Qi Rong was his little cousin no matter what, so Xie Lian couldn’t help but cover his face.
Jun Wu paused in his step, ”Green Ghost.”
When Qi Rong heard this voice, his face stiffened, and crawled up, looking over cautiously,
seeming to be very wary of Jun Wu. With this gaze, both the ’father and son’ naturally saw Xie
Lian, and Gu Zi exclaimed happily, ”Scrap Cultivator ge ge!”
Qi Rong on the other hand, only snorted derisively, ”My! Who’s this? Ain’t this Cousin Crown
Prince!”
Xie Lian didn’t want to acknowledge him in the slightest, but he still came over to harass him,
going around Xie Lian in circles, taunting, ”Weren’t you very high-spirited before? With two
mountains behind your back, looking down on me, why do you look like a lost dog now?”
Xie Lian was puzzled, ”two mountains behind his back?”, then he realized, one was Hua Cheng,
the other was Jun Wu. He glanced at Jun Wu who was standing in front of him, and couldn’t
help but feel all sorts of things. Suddenly, he remembered a long time ago, he asked Hua
Cheng what Jun Wu was like. At the time, Hua Cheng’s response was, Jun Wu must really hate
him.
Qi Rong continued, ”Hehehe, before you’d use Hua Cheng that fucker as backing and
ambushed me, I haven’t even sought vengeance against you and someone else got to you first,
truly what good karma!”
Jun Wu spoke up quietly, ”Green Ghost, stop talking nonsense to Xian Le. You can let your
subordinates out now.”
Although Qi Rong cursed Jun Wu madly behind his back in the past, but when he really came
before Jun Wu, he glumly tucked in his tail. Even while his expression showed how unwilling he
was, without another word, he hopped onto the roof, picked Gu Zi up, and ran off to do his
errands. Jun Wu then turned to Xie Lian, ”Let’s go.”
Xie Lian looked at the path Jun Wu was taking him down and pondered inwardly, ’This direction,
it’s headed to… Qi Rong’s subordinates? Could it be…’
After a while, they turned a corner, and sure enough, a sumptuous martial palace appeared
before the two.
The Palace of Ming Guang!
And at the palace, there were already angry roars and incoherent shouting coming from the
inside. Xie Lian was alarmed and stopped caring to follow behind Jun Wu, running ahead to go
inside.
It certainly was a mess inside the palace!
Pei Ming’s face was steely dark, and Xuan Ji was like a viper, clinging onto him in a chokehold,
wrapping around and around just short of tying a knot, her long hair spread, her face green, her
teeth red, her eyes savage and glaring. It looked as if she wanted to bite through Pei Ming’s
neck, but she herself had her neck choked and pulled away by Ban Yue; on the other side, a
broken sword was pointed right at Pei Ming’s neck, like it was about to pierce through but was
firmly held down by Pei Su’s hands so the blade didn’t move forward; and behind Ban Yue and
Pei Su, Ke Mo was swinging his fists about to punch, and if it wasn’t the ashen faced Pei Ming
who dragged him down, Ke Mo’s two giant fists bigger than iron hammers would probably
already squashed Pei Su and Ban Yue flat. Xuan Ji and Rong Guang were arguing who was
going to choke or stab Pei Ming dead first, and they were screaming and ripping at each other.
Xuan Ji shrieked, ”GET LOST! PEI MING’S SHIT LIFE IS MINE, MINE, IT’S ALL MINE!!!”
Rong Guang who was possessing the Ming Guang sword yelled back, ”YOU GET LOST! WHAT
AN IGNORANT WENCH! THERE’S AT LEAST EIGHT HUNDRED IF NOT A THOUSAND
WOMEN PEI MING DOESN’T WANT, THINK YOU RANK HIGH? THE ONE WHO WILL TAKE
PEI MING’S SHIT LIFE IS ME!!!”
Veins popped violently on Pei Ming’s forehead, ”…YOU’RE… BOTH… MENTAL!!! GET LOST,
ALL OF YOU!!!”
“…”
Xie Lian felt endless sympathies. In some sense, this was probably considered the misfortune of
over-popularity. He called out, ”General Pei, hang on!” And was just about to go rescue him,
when unexpectedly, before he even moved a hand rested on his shoulder.
Behind him, Jun Wu spoke up, ”Xian Le, did you actually think I’ve called you here just so you
can help do good deeds?”
In the midst of getting bruised and battered, Pei Ming and company also noticed them, and Ban
Yue called out joyously, ”General Hua!”
With that hand pressed down, Xie Lian suddenly couldn’t move a muscle, ”Then why did you
bring me over here?”
Jun Wu maintained the position of his hand on his shoulder, and pushed him into the palace.
The moment he entered, the mob that was entangled together in a bunch all fell to the ground in
an instant, as if their strengths were sucked away, and only a couple could still flop around.
“Ming Guang.” Jun Wu said.
Xuan Ji wasn’t strangling him anymore, and Pei Ming’s face finally recovered. He sighed a
breath of relief and replied, ”My lord, really… thank you for this.”
While his tone wasn’t sarcastic, the words themselves were rather ironic. Jun Wu didn’t seem to
mind and smiled, ”No need to thank me so early, Ming Guang, I’ve come to have you help me
do something.”
“What?” Pei Ming asked.
“In the royal capital down in the lower realms,” Jun Wu said, ”There’s currently a human array.”
He knew it!
Jun Wu said quietly, ”Break the human array, and I’ll return your status of Martial God of the
North.”
Pei Ming glanced at Xie Lian and chuckled drily, ”Isn’t it that Crimson Rain Sought Flower who’s
guarding that array? I may not be able to break it forcefully.”
“Of course you cannot break it forcefully,” Jun Wu said, ”But I didn’t say you have to break it
forcefully.”
If it was Pei Ming, it would actually be very easy to break this array. As long as he pretended to
go to help, Shi Qing Xuan would let him in for sure. And once he entered the array then
unexpectedly break away, then the array would be ruined!
Besides, Hua Cheng wasn’t even guarding the royal capital right now, so he wouldn’t be able to
fix it at all!
———-
Ch.223: Coiling and Encircling; Silver Butterflies and Blessings Lanterns Shield
Xie Lian spoke up, ”General Pei… That array is for shielding against those resentful spirits that
poured out from the Kiln. Once it’s broken, then the Human Face Disease will break out for the
third time, it would probably…”
It would probably bring disaster to the world, and annihilate all that was living.
Pei Ming rubbed his nose, ”Let me verify this… My lord… didn’t give me any other choice, right.”
“Of course I did.” Jun Wu said, ”If you descend, I will let you go; if you don’t, I will let them go.”
Who’s them?
Xuan Ji, Rong Guang, and Ke Mo!
The three ghosts on the side all flashed a green light from their eyes as if they were starving,
and it was easy to imagine what they would do once they were released. Strangle him to death,
scratch him to death, stab him to death, punch him to death; choose one, or all.
Jun Wu added, ”Little Pei is also here. I imagine you think very highly of this descendent of
yours. After all, in order to keep him, you were willing to cover up his luring people to their
deaths at the Banyue Pass, and even planned to push this affair onto the heads of others.”
Having heard this, Rong Guang’s grievance seemed to have rolled up anew, and he cussed
madly at Pei Ming for being a terrible friend, that he’d take his great great great great grandson
over his brothers, and Xuan Ji was also on the side, grumbling and griping some grievances.
Pei Ming endured all these demonic noises encircling his head, and after much thought, he
sighed, ”Will my lord allow me to think more on this?”
“My patience is limited, so I don’t want to give you too much time.” Jun Wu said.
Just as he finished, delight suddenly appeared on the faces of those three ghosts. They could
actually move now, and instantly they charged forward!
The gates of the Palace of Ming Guang shut close, and Xie Lian could hear tortured screaming
from someone and something ripping and tearing coming from the inside. His face dropped and
he cried, ”GENERAL PEI! BAN YUE!!!”
He wanted to go in to see, but Jun Wu’s hand was still placed on his shoulder, and forcibly
pushed him down the other end of the street. Xie Lian kept looking back, but his body was not
his own, and he cried angrily, ”WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING?”
“Next one.” Jun Wu said.
Next one? What next one? After making way for a bit, they stopped once again, and Xie Lian’s
breath was almost going to stop.
Lang Qian Qiu’s Palace of Tai Hua!
Qi Rong also came over from the opposite end of the street with Gu Zi tucked under his arm, his
expression refreshed and rejuvenated, looking like he just trampled all the major divine palaces
and was very pleased with himself. He spoke up, ”Why did you call me here?”
Jun Wu actually summoned Qi Rong to the Palace of Tai Hua. Xie Lian felt a sense of
foreboding, and scolded, ”THERE’S NOTHING HERE TO CONCERN YOURSELF WITH,
LEAVE NOW!”
Qi Rong’s face fell, and it looked as if he was just about to spit at Xie Lian when Jun Wu spoke
up, ”Go inside.”
Qi Rong was smiling in pleasure again, ”Hehe, your words don’t matter here!” Then he went
inside with his head raised and his spirit high.
Within the Palace of Tai Hua, Lang Qian Qiu’s face was dark and gloomy, and he was pacing
back and forth with his hands behind his back. When he saw Xie Lian and Jun Wu had come,
he demanded suspiciously, ”What are you both doing here?”
Then, he saw Qi Rong who was behind them, and instantly his colours changed, and he cried
angrily, ”YOU!”
Gu Zi shrank from his angry roar, but the Qi Rong right now certainly wasn’t afraid of him, and
he sat outside the hall, crossing his legs, so cocky he was getting carried away, ”NOTHING TO
FEAR, MY GOOD SON! That’s right, IT’S ME. Lang Qian Qiu, haven’t you been pursuing me to
kill me for so long? Didn’t you still fall into my hands in the end?”
Lang Qian Qiu was outraged, and veins popped on his forehead and on the back of his hands,
yet he was locked within the palace and couldn’t take a single step out, so he turned to Xie Lian
furiously, ”WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? DID YOU BRING HIM HERE TO SHOW HIM
OFF?”
“NO!” Xie Lian cried, ”Calm down!”
“I’ve been calm!” Lang Qian Qiu exclaimed, ”I don’t even know what’s going on!”
Jun Wu spoke up, ”Tai Hua, descend and break that human array in the royal capital. Do so,
and I will hand over your enemy the Green Ghost Qi Rong for you to manage.”
Qi Rong laughed wildly, ”HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA LANG QIAN QIU YOU YONG AN
DUMBASS… Huh? What did you say?? HAND ME OVER TO HIM?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN??”
He laughed for a good while before he took in Jun Wu’s words, and leapt directly to his feet from
the chair. What a joke, hand him over to Lang Qian Qiu? He’d murdered Lang Qian Qiu’s entire
clan, Lang Qian Qiu would slaughter him!
Jun Wu didn’t acknowledge him at all, and continued to speak leisurely, ”Otherwise, I will hand
you to the Green Ghost Qi Rong to be taken care of, and another life can be added to the lives
of Yong An royalty that ended in his hands.”
Lang Qian Qiu’s face was growing darker and more terrifying, and Qi Rong cried, ”WAIT?!”
Xie Lian couldn’t take this any more.
“ARE YOU MAD?!” He cried, ”WHY ARE YOU FORCING THEM TO MAKE SUCH CHOICES?
JUST WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SHOW ME??”
Lang Qian Qiu had always been in pursuit of Qi Rong to kill him, and based on Qi Rong’s
character, as long as there’s an opportunity to take care of Lang Qian Qiu, then of course he’d
make the first move! But if Lang Qian Qiu really did choose to go break the human array, then
Xie Lian would definitely not want to witness it either!
“If you don’t want to watch them make decisions, then why don’t you take their place?” Jun Wu
said.
“What?” Xie Lian gaped.
“Xian Le, this is all the result of your stubborn caprice.” Jun Wu said, ”If you had followed my
directions from the beginning, they wouldn’t have had to face such decisions.”
Xie Lian was so angry his voice was shaking, ”Are you saying that this is my fault? Why must
you force me like this???”
“Do you hate me?” Jun Wu asked, ”Just hatred is pointless! If you’ve got what it takes then
defeat me. But can you?”
Xie Lian clenched his fists tight, his knuckles cracking. Jun Wu continued, ”Naturally, the you
now doesn’t have what it takes. But perhaps if you break the human array you might gain the
ability, since, I will help you remove those two locks on your person.”
“…”
Those two cursed shackles had sealed him for eight hundred years. What would happen after
they’ve been released?
Qi Rong stared anxiously and cautiously to the interior of the Palace of Tai Hua, scared that the
next moment, Lang Qian Qiu would choose to break the array, and Jun Wu would actually ditch
him over for Lang Qian Qiu to take care of. Lang Qian Qiu’s eyes also moved rapidly between
Xie Lian and Qi Rong.
Suddenly, the hand Jun Wu rested on his shoulder had loosened.
Xie Lian jolted and whipped his head around. Jun Wu’s expression was calm and cold, his head
slightly lowered, staring at the curved, silver blade that’s hooked by his neck.
It was the blade of E-Ming.
Behind him, Hua Cheng’s eyes were filled with animosity, and he said frostily, ”Move your hand.”
“SAN LANG!” Xie Lian cried.
Hua Cheng still came out after all.
Jun Wu sucked in a light breath, and smiled at Xie Lian, ”Xian Le, you dared to have an affair
with the Ghost King under my eyes, what audacity.”
Hua Cheng humphed, ”Why don’t you take a look in the mirror yourself. Do you even have the
right to say anything?”
Qi Rong hadn’t even settled in his chair before he leapt up again, his face changing colours and
terrified, ”H-H-H-H-HUA CHENG YOU FUCKER?? HOW DID YOU GET UP HERE?”
Xie Lian pulled out Fang Xin that was on his waist and slashed over, cutting down the barrier
that was locking Lang Qian Qiu inside, and cried, ”QIAN QIU, RUN!”
Lang Qian Qiu was still burning with rage, and he charged one step towards Qi Rong, seized
him, then grabbed for the longsword on his back, looking as if he was going to chop Qi Rong
into seven or eight pieces. However, Gu Zi hopped down and opened his arms, blocking in front
of Qi Rong, yelling at Lang Qian Qiu, ”DON’T… DON’T KILL MY DAD!”
Lang Qian Qiu shouted, ”MOVE! YOUR DAD IS POSSESSED, HE’S NOT EVEN YOUR DAD!”
However, Qi Rong suddenly flipped and leapt up, catching Gu Zi, ”DON’T COME ANY
CLOSER! I’M WARNING YOU, DON’T COME NEAR ME! COME AND I’LL EAT THIS KID! I’LL
RIP OPEN HIS GUTS AND DEVOUR IT FOR YOU TO SEE!”
Lang Qian Qiu stopped and yelled angrily, ”ISN’T HE YOUR SON? HE PROTECTED YOU AND
YOU STILL TOOK HIM AS A SHIELD? YOU SHAMELESS, VULGAR DEMON OF THE
LOWEST REALM!”
Gu Zi was blinking in his hold, and Qi Rong countered, ”A CHEAP SON, I’LL JUST GET
ANOTHER ONE!”
Jun Wu said lightly, ”If that’s the case…”
Hearing this tone, Xie Lian instinctively sensed danger. Sure enough, it didn’t take long before
there were surprised shouting from the outside, ”FIRE! THERE’S FIRE!”
“IT’S BURNING UP!”
Xie Lian dashed out of the Palace of Tai Hua and looked. Night was falling, but above the
Heavenly Capital was a field of flaming red. Many of the divine palaces below were already
sunken into a sea of fire!
Xie Lian looked back, ”WHAT ARE YOU DOING SETTING FIRES TO THE HEAVENLY
CAPITAL?? ALL THE HEAVENLY OFFICIALS ARE STILL LOCKED INSIDE BY YOU!”
And they were all in a state of having their spiritual powers sealed away. If this situation
continued, then wouldn’t they all be burnt to death in their own palaces?
“It’s not like whether he cares if those heavenly officials are alive or dead.” Hua Cheng said.
Lang Qian Qiu was taken aback too, and using this chance, Qi Rong tucked Gu Zi under his
arm and ran away, crawling and scuttling. Lang Qian Qiu cried, ”STOP!” But as if Qi Rong would
stop.
Xie Lian yelled, ”QIAN QIU! GO RELEASE THE OTHER HEAVENLY OFFICIALS FIRST!”
Lang Qian Qiu answered subconsciously, ”YES, MASTER!” Then, both of them were taken
aback. He gave Xie Lian a look then dashed out.
On this side, Hua Cheng withdrew E-Ming’s blade, and thousands of silver butterflies came
whirling forward, wrapping Jun Wu. He seized Xie Lian’s hand and pulled, ”LET’S GO!”
Those silver butterflies wouldn’t hold Jun Wu back for long, and the two ran onto the streets.
Lang Qian Qiu moved very fast, and knocked down a great number of guards. Many of the
heavenly officials were released from their palaces and came out, pouring onto the Great
Avenue, all anxious and scared, ”Why is it burning? Who’s set the fire??”
“It’s not a normal fire either, it can’t be extinguished at all!”
From the distance they could still hear Qi Rong running and howling, ”FUCK FUCK FUCK,
FUCK JUN WU, HE’S FUCKING CRAZY, THIS ANCESTOR IS STILL HERE! SETTING FIRES
TO BURN DOWN HIS OWN DOMAIN, HE’S REALLY FUCKING MENTAL!”
Feng Xin also came out from the Palace of Nan Yang, standing on the main street seeming to
be looking for someone. On the side, Mu Qing questioned, ”How do we leave?”
There wasn’t any way to leave!
“Can we fly?”
“Everyone’s been hurt, and spiritual powers are being restricted, there’s no way to fly…”
Which meant, even if everyone was released from their palaces, they were still trapped in the
sea of fire within the Heavenly Capital!
Right then, there was suddenly a wild tremor coming from the ground, and the people were
even more alarmed, ”WHAT’S GOING ON? EARTHQUAKE?”
Lang Qian Qiu shouted, ”HOW CAN THAT BE? THIS IS THE HEAVENLY CAPITAL, IT’S A
CITY IN THE SKY, HOW CAN THERE BE EARTHQUAKES?”
“Then what…”
Then, words died in the people’s throats. It was a good moment before they started raising their
hands pointing forward.
Someone mumbled, ”What is that thing…”
Amidst a sky filled with the light of flames, at the end of the long avenue of the Heavenly
Capital, a giant head appeared, and it was staring at the hundreds of heavenly officials on the
street.
This head was truly too big; it was many times the size of a golden palace, and it was smiling.
What was supposed to be a very peaceful and compassionate smile, against the backdrop of
this endless dark night and blood red flames, it appeared rather creepy.
“…”
Someone clutched their head, ”…AM I HALLUCINATING?”
“HIS HIGHNESS IS SO BIG!”
It was that giant divine statue!
It had flown up!
Xie Lian himself was dumbfounded. Wasn’t that divine statue lying in Mount TongLu? And
without his control, that divine statue shouldn’t have been able to fly. Without his command and
without any spiritual powers, how did it come up?
With another look, in the black night, it was glittering and sparkling all around the body of that
giant stone divine statue. When Xie Lian looked closer, it wasn’t light emitted from the divine
statue itself, but millions of silver butterflies and millions of Blessings Lanterns that were
encircled and wrapped by its side.
It was those silver butterflies and Blessings Lanterns that shielded and delivered it, flying it to
the heavens!
———-
Ch.224 Turning World Upside Down; Battle Fiery Demonic Fortress in the Sky
That giant stone divine statue rose higher and higher under the watch of countless stunned and
dumbfounded eyes. Xie Lian saw that it was in perfect condition without any damage, not even
a trace of that leg White No-Face had broken before could be seen, and he said delightedly,
“San Lang, you fixed it?”
Hua Cheng smiled, ”If I have to come to the heavens to pick gege up, I can’t come
empty-handed. Let’s go!”
Xie Lian nodded, ”Everyone, hurry and get on it!”
However, only then did the crowd of heavenly officials saw clearly that it was Hua Cheng next to
him, and they almost fell to their knees, ”YOUR HIGHNESS, THE ONE NEXT TO YOU IS???”
The distress between Feng Xin’s brows was growing more apparent, and he finally started
calling out, ”JIAN LAN! JIAN LAN!” No one responded. Lang Qian Qiu saw Qi Rong was
sneaking around hiding in the street corner and was just about to go and capture him when
unexpectedly, just as he passed by the Palace of Tai Hua, the entire palace suddenly rumbled
and collapsed, as if something inside had exploded. The heavenly officials were all startled, and
when they turned their heads to look, they saw amidst the rubble and ragings fires, a figure was
standing there, head down and silent,
Jun Wu had broken out of the silver butterflies.
As expected, he couldn’t be stopped!
Qi Rong hastily scuttled behind Jun Wu, and shouted cockily at the crowd, ”GARBAGE!
TRASH! COME OVER HERE IF YOU’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES!”
Only he still dared to go close, ignorant of his own demise; none of the heavenly officials on the
side dared to speak!
Upon the body of that white clad martial god, black aura roared to the skies, and white light
blinded at the same time, these two colours ever-changing and unpredictable. The heavenly
officials all felt this Jun Wu to be infinitely foreign, and they stared at him, not even daring to
breathe harshly. Meanwhile, he watched Xie Lian intently, and slowly walked towards where the
people were gathering. With every step, the flames of war would burn beneath his feet. At first it
was lively kindles, then soon after it’d spread madly in all directions, growing into raging flames
blowing to the heavens.
That flame had caught onto Qi Rong, and he howled demonically, fleeing rapidly with Gu Zi in
his arms. Quan Yi Zhen was carrying Yin Yu’s dead body on his back, standing in the middle of
the street with his face covered in soot, and when he saw Jun Wu, raging fires burnt in his eyes
too. He didn’t even put the corpse down before he started walking towards him, and it was Xie
Lian who pulled him back.
Another wave of silver butterflies lunged forward, and using this chance, Xie Lian shouted,
“HURRY! DON’T JUST STAND THERE!”
The heavenly officials all hesitated for a moment before finally, they each answered the cry one
after the other. Hundreds of heavenly officials leapt onto that giant stone divine statue, like a
band of black ants climbing on, crowding by its shoulders and chest. If there were no places to
stand, then they could only grab onto the hems. If it was going to fly, it couldn’t just depend on
those Blessings Lanterns and silver butterflies, but there were too many people present, Xie
Lian couldn’t make a move on Hua Cheng. Ideas come in emergencies, and Xie Lian randomly
pulled a heavenly official over, and behind him, Xie Lian cupped Hua Cheng’s face and kissed
him deeply.
Time passed, and Xie Lian’s whole body was instantly filled with spiritual power, and that
heavenly official who was taken for a screen had stiffened completely, and he cried in shock,
“WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING BEHIND MY BACK???”
Countless eyes also came flying over in shock. Only then did Xie Lian discovered that the one
he pulled over to block the people’s view was actually Lang Qian Qiu, and Xie Lian deeply
repented mentally, what a sin what a sin, this mustn’t be seen by this child, and he exclaimed,
“WE’VE DONE NOTHING! NOTHING YOU SHOULD SEE!” Then he turned around and
shouted at that divine statue, ”FLY!”
That divine statue seemed to have heard his call, and as if something was activated, its
squinted eyes suddenly flashed open, and the smile on its face grew deeper.
The silver butterflies and the Blessings Lanterns scattered abruptly, but it still floated steadily in
the sky, its long hair, sleeves, and hems also seemed to be fluttering in the wind.
It’s flying!
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng also leapt up, and stood upon the jaded crown platform on the top of
that divine statue’s head, and Xie Lian shouted, ”EVERYONE STAY STEADY! HANG ON
TIGHT!”
Just as he finished, the body of that divine statue sank then shot forward with force!
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng stood at the highest point, and along with the divine statue, carried the
many heavenly officials far away from the Heavenly Capital. However, there were quite a
number of heavenly officials who had kept years of savings in the Heavenly Capital, so they
kept looking back, despairingly and dejectedly.
After calming down for a bit, Xie Lian suddenly remembered that things were in such a flurry
earlier that there wasn’t any time to take count, and said, ”Has everyone boarded? Where’s
Guoshi? General Pei?” Who knows if General Pei would fall to his misfortunes. He was just
searching for the shadows of those he was familiar with and he cried, ”MASTER!”
From far in the distance came Guoshi’s voice in response, ”I’VE COME!”
Only then did Xie Lian felt slightly relaxed. Just then, someone suddenly cried, ”IT’S CATCHING
UP! IT’S CATCHING UP!”
As expected! Behind the back of this giant divine statue, something crimson was in pursuit, like
a life claiming red light.
It was the Heavenly Capital!
The original Heavenly capital was wrapped and encircled by propitious and auspicious clouds.
Right now it was instead burning with the flames of war, and had transformed into a fiery
demonic fortress!
Someone said in terror, ”It’s the Emperor… the Emperor is moving the Heavenly Capital… he’s
going to annihilate us all…”
“He’s going to catch up!”
However, Xie Lian shouted, ”NOT SO FAST!” His hand seals changed rapidly, and the eyes of
that giant divine statue flashed. The wind whipping around the heavenly official’s ears blew
faster, howling like mad, and the red light chasing behind them was instantly pulled away for a
large distance. The divine statue was now flying even faster!
While things sped up on this end, that red light didn’t give up either, and its speed suddenly
exploded, rumble rumble, and it was now even closer, making many heavenly officials cry out in
alarm. With this distance, they could almost see clearly the figure standing within the Heavenly
Capital!
Meanwhile, the mortal realm had no idea what was going on at all; children were laughing and
playing, and when they saw in the sky a white light dashing across and a red light flying past,
they all hung their mouths open and clapped, ”So pretty!”
Xie Lian knew things couldn’t go on like this, and that the must speed up again, but he was
feeling slightly dizzy. He had flown for so long after all, all on a single breath. Hua Cheng was
helping him up, but before the two could exchange words, they heard down below the Guoshi
yelling, ”WHAT ARE YOU ALL STANDING THERE FOR? A BUNCH OF HEAVENLY
OFFICIALS STILL NEED TO BORROW SPIRITUAL POWERS FROM A GHOST KING TO
MAKE YOUR ESCAPE? AREN’T YOU ALL EMBARRASSED OF YOURSELVES?”
Some heavenly officials didn’t appreciate the tone and exclaimed, ”Who are you? What right do
you have to lecture us?”
Guoshi countered, ”It doesn’t matter who I am, even though when I was in the Upper Court you
were still playing in a sandbox somewhere. The point is, hurry and place your delicate, golden
hands on this divine statue, and give as much spiritual powers as you all can! Only then can this
divine statue fly even faster, unless you’re waiting for him to catch up? Are you all so used to
watching from the sidelines that you’ve forgotten your lives are on the line? You all still need me
to remind you of something like this?”
With his reminder, senses finally returned to the heavenly officials, and they all yelped much
ashamed mentally, that they actually forgot they could use this method to give support. Thus,
they all went to work, putting their hands on the divine statue, yelling, ”YOUR HIGHNESS, THIS
LOWLY ONE WILL, UH, GIVE YOU A HAND!”
“Ah, then me too…”
“There’s not much… but we’ll do what we can.”
With that, with seven to eight hundred hands and feet, the divine statue was injected full of
spiritual powers again, and Xie Lian felt himself re-energized. That divine statue powered up
once again, and this time, with a large rumble, it left that red light far, far behind for dozens of
miles!
The heavenly officials all deeply sighed in relief, and each wiping away their sweat.
Suddenly, Hua Cheng spoke up, ”Gege, go down below.”
Since he spoke up, Xie Lian didn’t ask why either, and moved downwards directly. The divine
statue broke through pitch black layers of clouds, and what was down below was also a field of
darkness, not even a bit of light or smoke could be seen. The heavenly officials were all
agitated, ”What… What is this place? Why is it so dark? It’s pretty scary.”
“Your Highness, why did we come down here?”
“I don’t think we should stay here for too long!”
However, Hua Cheng said, ”We will stay here, and don’t move. Let’s wait.”
That giant divine statue thus floated in mid air, and Xie Lian said, ”En. What are we waiting for?”
Hua Cheng replied in a whisper, ”Wait til he catches up, and fight a round.”
Just as the words left his lips, from above the clouds of the black night a red light broke through,
and it also came sinking down. Each man a fortress, and they faced each other in the night sky.
Each heavenly official watched with unblinking eyes the approach of that red light, chills going
down their backs, and they all questioned, ”Your Highness, why aren’t we leaving??”
“You can’t be thinking of fighting him head on? There’s no chance at winning!”
“He’s gone stupid again! I just knew it, this guy just loves going stupid!!! It’s been hundreds of
years, and it’s always been like… Who kicked me!”
“Me.” Guoshi said, ”Say one more word and I’ll push you off directly.”
“JUST WHO ARE YOU??”
That divine statue might be a giant object, but the Heavenly Capital was even more majestic,
and if they really did fight head on, then by the size of this giant divine statue, it would definitely
be crushed. However, Xie Lian had complete trust in Hua Cheng, and he watched without a
word. Just as that red light had come not a half a mile away, Xie Lian suddenly felt something
beneath his feet was being triggered.
When he looked down, he found it was the darkness beneath his feet that was moving, spash
spash, rising and folding, practically like…
Waves.
Xie Lian suddenly knew where this place was.
There were also heavenly officials who noticed, and someone said in terror, ”My heavens, this
place seems to be… the Black Water Demon Lair! We’ve been brought to the lair of demons!”
Just as the words were said, down below there were suddenly several white strips breaking
through the darkness and leaping into the air!
Four sets of eyes, eight giant eyes as big as ghost fire lanterns were hauntingly green, and they
stared at that fiery demonic fortress, letting long, and malicious howls, as if they were very
displeased by that rude intruder, Their giant tails whipped back and forth, slapping at the surface
of the sea, exciting waves of thousands of feet high.
It was those four Bone dragons!
The moment they raised their heads to the demonic fortress, a rapid current shot out of their
mouths, its striking powers immense, and even iron and steel walls would be broken through by
such a giant water gun. Xie Lian couldn’t help but reevaluate his impression, ”The last time we
saw them they were a little… haha, I didn’t think they were actually this ferocious.”
From the pitch black surface of the sea, new corpse bones of the giant monster continued to
break through the waters, and the fish flew with a whishing, like they were catapulting boulders
to the fortress. When the heavenly officials saw, they were completely confounded. Jun Wu was
chasing after them to kill them, while Hua Cheng and Black Water seemed to be helping them.
A scene such as this, truly curious.
The four Bone Dragons surrounded that demonic fortress and shot at it wildly, but it wasn’t very
effective, since the raging flames of war certainly could not be extinguished by mere water. The
more the fish tackled the more the fire became enraged, and it burned all the way to the waters.
On the sea surface of the Black Water Demon Lair, raging fire grew, and the firelight danced
wildly with the waters, and down below in the waters came the howling and wailing of ghouls. A
sweat drop rolled down Xie Lian’s forehead, ”Is… it okay… that we brought such a mess to Black
Water’s domain?”
“Don’t worry about those things.” Hua Cheng said, ”He owes me money. Fight however you
will.”
Xie Lian, ”???”
Suddenly, someone pointed ahead, ”WHAT… WHAT IS IT DOING?”
Xie Lian also turned his gaze over, and when he saw, his heart also jolted.
———
●MXTX Author’s Note: Black Water does indeed owe Hua Cheng a huge debt, a very
poor Supreme. He’s severely dragged down the income average of the entire Supreme
rank (although there’s only three), but it’s not all owed from eating too much.
———
Ch.225 Turning World Upside Down; Battle Fiery Demonic Fortress in the Sky 2
That fiery demonic fortress that was once the Heavenly Capital was shaking in the sky,
snapping and cracking. Countless flaming rubble came rolling down, tumbling into the water as
the body of the fortress slowly turned around.
At first it was laid out flat, but now it had stood up vertically and started to divide. The many
divine palaces that were sitting atop the grounds of the Heavenly Capital were moving their
positions, and what was once a perfect fortress had actually started to break down into seven to
eight large pieces!
A heavenly official wondered, ”Have we struck it down? It’s falling apart?”
“How can it be that easy?” Xie Lian said, ”This is probably…”
Before he finished, those ”broken” pieces of the fortress body rapidly reconstructed themselves
anew. The sound of friction between giant boulders was incessant, and on this end, as the
heavenly officials watched, their eyes grew bigger and bigger, some even had their mouths
hung wide open.
That fiery demonic fortress wasn’t falling apart, but was rebuilt after splitting into different parts!
And after reconstruction, it’s become… a fiery giant!
That giant was roused from its deep slumber and stood tall in the air. Those shimmering golden
palaces covered almost all of its body like a full body armour, sturdy and solid. It replaced the
Heavenly Capital, and faced Xie Lian’s giant stone divine statue.
However, when comparing the two sides, Xie Lian’s side actually became delicately small and a
little pitiful, like a child standing against an adult. This giant divine statue could be called a
gigantic object, but this fiery giant could take the title of ”Dominating both Heaven and Earth”. It
was at least bigger by five or six times, so terrifying it made one’s hairs stand, looking as if with
one step it could destroy one fortress beneath its feet!
After the reconstruction was thoroughly complete, that fiery giant slowly turned its head, and
from its mouth spouted a torrent of flames, sweeping towards those four Bone Dragons. The
wall of flames cut through those four water guns, and when those four Bone Dragons saw things
were going downhill, they each dove back into the sea. As for the giant, it landed its feet above
the surface of the sea, taking it like it was land, and steadily walked towards the giant stone
divine statue.
Atop the head of that giant was the Great Martial Hall, and Jun Wu was enthroned within,
permeating an oppressive aura. The heavenly officials were all suffocating with the air, and
cried, ”YOUR HIGHNESS DON’T JUST STAND THERE, HURRY AND GET AWAY, WE’RE
DYING HERE!”
“WE CAN’T WIN, THERE’S NO WAY WE CAN WIN! WAKE UP, YOUR HIGHNESS, IT’S
BIGGER THAN YOU BY A MILLION FOLD!”
However, Xie Lian responded, ”We can’t keep running away. Even if we can’t win, we can’t go
anywhere else.”
The heavenly officials were first taken aback before it dawned on them. Indeed, they couldn’t
keep running like this, and if Hua Cheng stopped providing spiritual powers, then with just their
spiritual powers, they would be exhausted to the point where the divine statue could no longer
fly, and in the end they still must find somewhere to fight.
And rather than luring that fiery giant somewhere where it’s populated, why not just take care of
things here. At least above the sea of this Black Water Demon Lair there was not a soul, so no
mortals would be dragged in!
While those were considerations a heavenly official should naturally have, but against such a
menacing fiery giant, just thinking about how this would be the opponent they must battle with
water behind their backs, Black Water no less, who wouldn’t be terrified? But even then, no one
wanted to be the first to yell for Xie Lian to quickly take them to somewhere where there was
more people. Thus, Xie Lian said, ”EVERYONE HANG ON TIGHT, CAREFUL NOT TO FALL
OFF! ONE WILL SINK IN THE WATERS OF THE BLACK WATER DEMON LAIR!”
That fiery giant lunged at the stone divine statue that was smaller than itself by many times and
reached out, looking to be grabbing for it. Xie Lian agilely dodged, leaping vigorously, and the
heavenly officials holding onto the divine statue were being flung around, flipping and toppling,
sometimes rising, sometimes falling, exceedingly distressing and thrilling, their screams going
up and down along with the divine statue. Nevermind that most of them weren’t martial gods
and only sat in their palaces all day, even very few martial gods had ever experienced a battle
such as this. Xie Lian heard Quan Yi Zhen yell, ”YOU DON’T HAVE A WEAPON! YOU NEED A
WEAPON!”
The heavenly officials finally couldn’t hold back any longer, ”YEA, YOUR HIGHNESS! IT’S
HARD TO WIN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A WEAPON!”
Xie Lian yelled back, ”I’M TRYING TO THINK OF WHAT CAN BE USED AS A WEAPON!”
RuoYe very excitedly twisted its body into many loops and came snuggling to his face, but Xie
Lian pushed it away, ”Thank you but you won’t do, you’re too small!”
Just then, Hua Cheng spoke up, ”It’s not like there’s no weapon if you need one, but use this for
now.”
Then, Xie Lian heard another round of shrieking howls. Those four Bone Dragons that dove into
the sea to evade the throwing flames from the fiery giant poked out again, surrounding the giant
stone divine statue. The heavenly officials couldn’t help but be alarmed, ”What are they
planning?”
Naturally, they didn’t surround to attack. Xie Lian watched them as each bit onto the other’s tail,
and four long Bone Dragons linked into one curiously long Bone Dragon!
That linked Bone Dragon leapt up and came flying over. Without thinking, Xie Lian raised his
hand, and that giant divine statue caught it. Xie Lian muttered in wonder, ”This is…”
A Bone Dragon Whip!
Just control it as he always would RuoYe and it’d be fine!
Xie Lian whipped up his hand, and that Bone Dragon whip whipped over, going straight for that
fiery giant’s head. That fiery giant also raised its hand, and caught the end of the whip.
However, that Bone Dragon Whip suddenly snapped from the middle, and that giant divine
statue took a step forward, with the whip in hand it whipped again at the giant’s head. That fiery
giant looked as if it took pain, loosened its grip, and that stretch of Bone Dragon it caught
slithered back, linking once again with the rest in Xie Lian’s hand.
This Bone Dragon Whip could break and reattach, exceedingly flexible. Sometimes it’d break
into two, sometimes into four, plus that giant divine statue’s moves were also extremely agile, so
it suddenly became very hard to handle. The heavenly officials’s hairs were all blown into
complete wild messes from the flinging whirlwinds, their hems covering their faces, ”I didn’t think
His Highness actually had a couple moves!”
“I’ve only ever seen him collect junk, so he really did come from a martial god background!”
“You can take away the ”I didn’t think” at the beginning of your sentence.” Guoshi said, ”And
there’s no need to put emphasis on that junk collection either!”
Xie Lian, ”Uh, hahahaha…”
That incredibly long Linked Bone Dragon Whip was like a tragically white steel chain, crackling
as it tangled the opponent. That fiery demonic giant’s body sank, and immediately, the heavenly
officials snapped to, ”QUICK QUICK QUICK, PULL IT INTO THE SEA!”
Below the battlefield was that Black Water Demon Lair – one would sink in its waters!
That giant divine statue gripped that Bone Dragon chain, and Xie Lian gritted his teeth as he
exerted force, ”COME ON DOWN!”
Sure enough, that fiery demonic giant sank a bit more. The heavenly officials quickly put all their
hands and feet on top of the giant divine statue again to transfer spiritual powers, chanting,
“SINK! SINK! HURRY AND SINK!”
Listening to their voices shouting ”sink” at Jun Wu, Xie Lian felt a slight chill in his heart, and
looked up to the Great Martial Hall sitting atop that giant divine statue. For some reason,
although he couldn’t completely see the expression of the one sitting within, he could still
somehow sense that Jun Wu was jeering.
That fiery demonic giant was pulled into the bottom of the sea as expected, but the flames on its
body was still burning, and even after its entered the waters they were not extinguished, and
instead, from the blackness of the deep sea, a red light was emitting. It only slowly disappeared
as the Bone Dragons pulled it deeper and deeper.
The Heavenly officials all sighed in relief, but Xie Lian didn’t dare to completely relax still.
There wasn’t any sound for a good while. Xie Lian then remembered that Pei Ming didn’t answer
his call, and he didn’t hear the voices of Ban Yue and the others, so they were probably dragged
into the sea together with the giant. This time, it really might be the worst case scenario for
them.
Just then, the surface of the sea down below started rolling and bubbling.
Bubble bubble, it kept spreading and started surging, and there was even waves of white
smoke.
The sea water was boiling!
Xie Lian was just about to fly upward when suddenly, a hand broke through the waters and
grabbed the ankle of the giant divine statue. Xie Lian felt its body forcefully sink.
Jun Wu’s laughter was echoing throughout the entire sea, filling every corner. It wasn’t a wild
laughter, and it wasn’t jeers either. It couldn’t be described, but it was even more chilling.
With its dragging, half of the body of the giant divine statue was pulled into the boiling water,
and the heavenly officials hanging on at the bottom had to quickly climb up. Even Xie Lian who
was standing at the very top of the giant divine statue could feel the suffocating steam and heat,
so hot that sweat rolled from his forehead and down his back. If they were to be dragged into
the sea, then they were going to be cooked from top to bottom!
That won’t do, other weapons couldn’t release his full potential. He still needed a sword!
Suddenly, he heard Guoshi’s voice, ”Um.. fluffy child, what are you doing? Don’t just toss a
corpse at me? WAIT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING??”
Xie Lian was also alarmed, and while maintaining the hand seal, he shouted down below, ”QI
YING?”
Yet he only saw a figure dash along the leg of the giant divine statue, then up along the arm of
that fiery demonic giant, running straight for its head. Xie Lian shouted, ”QI YING, COME
BACK!”
However, Quan Yi Zhen heeded no one. The moment he dashed onto that fiery demonic giant’s
arm he was discovered, and that giant’s other hand came slapping over, like it was slapping at a
mosquito resting on its arm. Incredibly fast and incredibly on target, PA! It slapped right on!
Many heavenly officials screamed in alarm, but when they looked closely, Quan Yi Zhen was
still running. Turns out, that slap certainly was on target, but he dodged to the crevice between
the five fingers of that giant and escaped the tragedy of becoming a lump of bloody flesh,
leaping over the fingers and continued his run. The giant continued to slap; he just barely
dodged the first and second slap, but he might not be so lucky the third time. When the next
slap comes, he might just be crushed into a bloody mess!
However, Quan Yi Zhen had already reached his destination. He jumped into the skull of the
Bone Dragon that was tangling the fiery demonic giant.
The moment he jumped in, the two ghost fire lanterns within the Bone Dragon’s eyes suddenly
flashed, the light exploding, and even its body was emitting a thin layer of white light. It raised its
head and gave a long howl, its body wrapping even tighter. Xie Lian could hear the heavy sound
of boulders being crushed. Receiving such suffocation, that fiery demonic giant loosened its
grip, and finally released the ankle of the giant divine statue. Once free, Xie Lian instantly flew
into the air, and reached out a hand, ”QI YING, COME OVER QUICK! DON’T TANGLE WITH
IT!”
Quan Yi Zhen was riding that Linked Bone Dragon, and not only did he not let go, he even
roared, using all of his strength, and urged it to wrap even tighter. Countless rubble and debris
fell to the surface of the sea, and that fiery demonic giant lost its patience, pulling out of the sea
completely, and from within the Great Martial Hall, flames of war roared anew, burning across all
of its body.
And the Bone Dragon that was firmly wrapped around its body was also buried into the sea of
fire along with Quan Yi Zhen!
“QI YING!!!” Xie Lian cried, and leaned over, charging towards that giant, punching apart that
Linked Bone Dragon Chain!
White joints of burning bones fell into the sea, and just as Xie Lian was about to catch the Bone
Dragon skull where Quan Yi Zhen was, that giant’s hand came slapping, sending that Bone
Dragon skull flying over three, four miles away.
With that distance and speed, the giant divine statue couldn’t seize the skull in mid air at all, and
by the time it rushed over, Quan Yi Zhen would probably have already fallen into the sea along
with the Linked Bone Dragon, and right now, the sea was practically a pot of boiling water,
cooking whoever would fall in!
Right at the last second, a white, giant Bone Fish suddenly flew out of the surface of the sea,
and caught that Bone Dragon’s head, then like a fish that escape the net, it hastily swam far, far
away, whipping its tail. There was fright but no actual danger, Xie Lian sighed a breath of relief,
and sped over to see. After breaking away from the giant, the teeth of that Bone Dragon skull
was still chattering but the flames had been put out, its mouth opening and closing like it was
panting harshly. Quan Yi Zhen was lying inside, completely black, somewhat roasted. Perhaps it
was because it was roasted by fire, his hair appeared to be even curlier. However, because the
bones of the Bone Dragon skull acted as a protective shield, he wasn’t burnt too badly, and it
should just be a flesh wound that’d heal after quiet nurturing. After all, Quan Yi Zhen’s life force
was very tenacious. The state of those four Bone Dragons was more severe, burnt and struck,
their dead bodies scattered all over the surface of the sea, some even burning still. Xie Lian
glanced at them and couldn’t help but feel another wave of embarrassment, ”We’ve also
destroyed the bodies of the guards to Black Water’s abode, is it really okay…”
Hua Cheng smiled, ”Don’t worry. It’s fine.”
Xie Lian wondered, ”Just how much money does he owe you…”
The heavenly officials saw the tragic state of Quan Yi Zhen and said, ”I, I can’t believe His
Highness Qi Ying, very brave, to stand out in the moment of danger, saving everyone…” Xie
Lian recalled how Quan Yi Zhen received all those cold-shoulders in the Upper Court and shook
his head, thinking, ’It’s not that he wanted to go and save everyone’. Just then, from far in the
distance behind them came crackling sounds again.
When they looked back, the body of that giant was completely covered by raging fires. It didn’t
charge to attack, but instead it flew upward into the sky, through the clouds, and vanished just
like that. The heavenly officials were all dumbfounded, then were overjoyed like they survived a
calamity, ”Has he given up on attacking us?”
Xie Lian however, didn’t think it was a good prospect at all, ”San Lang, how did he just
vanish??”
“He activated the Distance Shortening Array.” Hua Cheng answered.
“Where did he go?” Xie Lian questioned.
Hua Cheng’s eyes were solemn, ”The royal capital.”
That’s where Shi Qing Xuan was, still guarding the human array!
————-
Ch.226: Burning Flames of Karma; Demonic God Descends Upon Royal Capital
They must hurry to the Royal Capital!
“You don’t have to worry about the aftermath here, they will take care of themselves.” Hua
Cheng said.
Guoshi placed Yin Yu’s body on the back of one of the fish bones, and that Bone Fish thus
carried the Bone Dragon skull along with Quan Yi Zhen and Yin Yu and swam away into the
distance. Meanwhile, the other Bone Fish went to pick at the Bone Dragon bones that fell apart,
and puzzled them back together, slowly repairing them. It seemed, they certainly would take
care of themselves.
There wasn’t a moment to waste, and without another word, Xie Lian immediately directed that
giant divine statue to fly towards the sky. The heavenly officials all called out, ”Your Highness,
where are you going?”
“You can’t be thinking of chasing after him?! We’ve finally just escaped…”
“We have to pursue him!” Xie Lian said, ”He’s gone somewhere heavily populated! There’s no
more time, everyone please hang on tight!”
A dice rolled out between Hua Cheng’s fingers, and he said with a low voice, ”Gege, are you
ready?”
Xie Lian nodded. Hua Cheng tossed that dice out and said, ”Distance Shortening Array,
activate!”
The giant divine statue restored all of its spiritual powers and charged upward with all of its
strength!
As expected, after traversing through the clouds, they could see the black expanse of the
horizon reflected with the vibrant crimson of the fiery demonic giant. They’ve also come to the
skies of the Royal Capital!
When the crowd down on the ground saw such a flaming monster suddenly appear in the sky,
slowly descending, coming closer towards them, some were stunned, some started screaming,
and some were so terrified they almost ran. Shi Qing Xuan also sucked in a few cold breaths,
but he quickly snapped out of it, yelling with all he’s got in the crowd, ”IT’S ALRIGHT!!!
NOBODY PANIC! IT WON’T COME DOWN, SOMEONE WILL STOP IT! THERE ARE GODS
ABOVE HELPING US!!!”
“IS THAT REALLY TRUE, OL’ FENG? IT WON’T BE FUNNY IF SUCH A HUGE MONSTER
COMES SMACKING DOWN AT US!”
Shi Qing Xuan laughed wildly, ”IT’S TRUE! DON’T YOU ALL SEE I’M HERE TOO? IF ANYONE
IS TO DIE, I WILL DIE FIRST! HAHAHAHHAHAHA…”
He was panicking so hard he lost his mind again. Xie Lian directed the giant divine statue to fly
over, dodging the fire walls the giant was spouting, and grabbed onto that fiery demonic giant,
desperately pulling it upwards so that it wouldn’t keep going closer to the ground, all the while
he was shouting, ”EVERYONE, GO DOWN QUICKLY!”
The heavenly officials were already scared to death by the way Xie Lian was controlling the
divine statue the entire way, and couldn’t wait to get off, so they all hastily jumped off like
dumplings. The moment they landed and saw Shi Qing Xuan, everyone was taken aback, ”Lord
Wind Master? Why are you here?”
“Why are you like this…”
Shi Qing Xuan was overjoyed, ”Don’t ask so many questions, come come come, join us quickly,
join the human array and help hold it up, we can’t let the resentful spirits inside break out!”
The majority of the heavenly officials were hesitant, and it was Lang Qian Qiu who rushed out
first, ”I’LL GIVE YOU A HAND!”
With someone taking the lead, the other heavenly officials finally joined in one after the other.
The human array was expanded and strengthened once again, and became much more secure.
Xie Lian only just sighed a breath of relief and continued to pull that fiery demonic giant upwards
when he heard a large crackling noise. That fiery demonic giant actually broke into parts again!
One of its legs broke away from the body and flew downwards. Even with just a leg it could
crash and kill a significant number. Not just the human array, perhaps the entire street could be
destroyed!
Yet unexpectedly, that leg had only dropped halfway down when it suddenly broke into several
pieces, and exploded in mid air.
Millions of glittering sparks brought tiny specks that had melted into the darkness down and
spread across the entire sky, like the dust of smoke raining down after magnificent fireworks,
completely harmless. Xie Lian wondered, ”Why would it explode on its own?”
Just then, a figure appeared from the midst of those fireworks and started heading upwards
against the current of the air, and after a few hops, it landed upon the body of the fiery demonic
giant. Xie Lian looked closer, and exclaimed in delight, ”General Pei! You’re alright, thank
goodness!” He was already prepared to perform a service for Pei Ming!
Pei Ming wielded a sword in one hand, and the other was smoothing his hair back; his hair
perfect, his charm unruffled, ”Not quite alright, but mostly alright.”
Still not cooked after being roasted and boiled, martial gods certainly possessed very stubborn
life forces. Xie Lian asked, ”Where’s Ban Yue and Pei Su?”
“They’re fine.” Hua Cheng said, ”Gege, look, they’re over there.”
Xie Lian turned his head and looked, and sure enough, in the distance, Ban Yue brought Pei Su
as they landed on the roof of a house. It seemed that Palace of Ming Guang was sealed down
tight, and the boiling Black Sea water didn’t pour in completely, so everyone was mostly fine. Xie
Lian then asked, ”Where’s Xuan Ji and the others?”
A voice spoke up proudly, ”Of course they were defeated by me!”
That voice had come from Pei Ming’s hand, and only then did Xie Lian noticed, that the sword in
Pei Ming’s grip was actually Ming Guang!
“General Pei, you actually dare wield the sword Ming Guang?” He asked.
“This is more complicated.” Pei Ming replied.
Rong Guang however, chuckled, ”Hehehehe, how is it complicated? Wasn’t it only you kneeling
down before me to apologize to say you were wrong and begged me for forgiveness??
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH FEELS GREAT, FEELS AMAZING!”
“…”
“…”
Xie Lian figured most of it then. It was most likely that before the three demons and ghosts
could actually kill, they already started fighting among themselves over ”unfair distribution”.
Rong Guang won overwhelmingly and kicked Xuan Ji and Ke Mo aside, and by then, it was
rumbling outside, the ground moving and flying, the situation dire but they couldn’t break out.
Their only chance was joining forces. Rong Guang relentingly forced Pei Ming to admit his
wrongs, and when Pei Ming did as he wished and apologized, he was elated.
That fiery demonic giant wasn’t angry even when having lost a leg, and leisurely started to
reconstruct itself. The other boulders and golden palaces moved towards the crack, and it didn’t
take long before it was fully rebuilt. It was still a giant, just a bit smaller in size.
Pei Ming gripped the sword Ming Guang and charged towards the Great Martial Hall. Xie Lian
exclaimed, ”GENERAL PEI, BE CAREFUL!”
However, with the sword Ming Guang in hand, Pei Ming’s attacking power suddenly exploded.
Although Rong Guang’s character was awful and astray, but it was certainly worthy as his old
subordinate, and the two knew how to work together best. Quan Yi Zhen hadn’t gotten
anywhere close to the Great Martial Hall before he was smacked, but Pei Ming charged much
further than him, storming straight into the Great Martial Hall directly!
Inside the sword Ming Guang, Rong Guang was scolding as it fought, ”DO YOU SEE! I TOLD
YOU, IF THE TWO OF US GOT TOGETHER WE’D BE INVINCIBLE! NOTHING CAN STAND
IN OUR WAY! IF YOU HAD LISTENED TO ME, WHY WOULD YOU STILL ONLY BE A MERE
GENERAL MING GUANG AFTER SO MANY CENTURIES??”
Veins popped on Pei Ming’s forehead, ”Can you stop talking??”
Qi Rong was hiding by the Great Martial Hall, and he shouted arrogantly, ”FRIGGIN’
MANWHORE, I SUGGEST YOU DON’T COME UP HERE TO SEEK YOUR DEATH!”
Ming Guang slapped over with a soundly PA! ”WHAT THE HELL IS THIS GREEN THING,
DON’T BLOCK THE WAY!”
Qi Rong almost spun a few times from the strike, and Gu Zi hugged his leg to steady him with
difficulties, asking worriedly, ”Dad… are you alright?”
Qi Rong had lost face in front of Gu Zi and was outraged, but seeing how Pei Ming was bursting
with killing intent, he wasn’t tough enough to face him head on. Still, his mouth was tough,
“USING UNDERHANDED MOVES AGAIN!”
Yet unexpectedly, Gu Zi didn’t respond, and instead, he slumped to the ground in a heap. When
Qi Rong looked down, Gu Zi wasn’t moving, and he glared as he picked Gu Zi up, shaking the
collar back and forth wildly, ”Foolish son, what are you playing at?”
Gu Zi seemed to have fallen asleep, his eyes shut, his forehead burning. Xie Lian was still
pulling strenuously at that fiery demonic giant, but he also noticed the situation below and
shouted, ”QI RONG! WHY HAVEN’T YOU LEFT, THAT PLACE IS STILL BURNING, GOING UP
AND DOWN THE SKY AND INTO THE WATERS, THAT CHILD IS TOO YOUNG, HE’LL DIE!”
Qi Rong looked up to cuss, ”DON’T YOU DARE LECTURE ME! WHO ARE YOU BLUFFING?
THIS BRAT IS CHEAPLY RAISED, HOW CAN HE DIE SO EASILY*? THINK I CAN’T TELL
YOU WANT TO TRICK ME INTO LEAVING? THE MOMENT I LEAVE YOU’D DEFINITELY KILL
ME!” Even if Xie Lian didn’t make a move, Lang Qian Qiu was still waiting down below!
On the other end, Pei Ming and Jun Wu had already started fighting. The flames of war would
singe Qi Rong time and time again and he’d scream, jumping all over to evade. Xie Lian
exclaimed angrily, ”YOU’RE A GHOST AND EVEN YOU CAN’T STAND THIS FIRE, AND YOU
EXPECT A CHILD TO TAKE IT??”
Tucked under Qi Rong’s arm, Gu Zi’s face was burning bright red, but Qi Rong’s mouth was
tough, ”WELL I WON’T GO! I WON’T GO! WAH!!!” A throwing flame came lunging, blowing right
into his face, and Qi Rong crawled and stumbled in a circle once before he leapt up, unable to
hold back his complaint, ”UM, JUN WU, YOU TH… BOSSMAN! CAN YOUR FIRE NOT BURN
THIS VICIOUSLY?? YOU’VE BURNT THIS… ME!”
Xie Lian could sense he had wanted to say ”Jun Wu, you old thug, you’ve burnt this ancestor!”,
but valuing his life, he didn’t dare say those words out loud. As if Jun Wu would care. He was
currently fighting with Pei Ming, a creepy smile hanging on his face. The fires around Qi Rong
were growing bigger and bigger, there was practically no place left to stand. While he was a
demon and couldn’t die from burning, it was still torture. Soon after, Gu Zi who was tucked under
his arm also let out a tormented shriek, like he was singed by the fire. Qi Rong raised him up to
check, and sure enough, Gu Zi’s forehead was all bloody, and a big hole was burnt through his
robe, revealing a burnt shoulder.
Gu Zi was roused forcefully by the burns, and he started bawling, crying that he didn’t know
anything, hugging Qi Rong, ”DAD, IT HURTS! I’M SCARED!”
Cold sweat was rolling nonstop down Qi Rong’s forehead, his lips frozen, not knowing what to
say. Gu Zi covered his wound with his hand, snotty and weepy as he asked, ”Dad, are we going
to burn to death here?”
Qi Rong stuttered, ”Um… um, well…”
Gu Zi sniffed, ”Even though your domain here is very beautiful, but it doesn’t seem too great.
The people here don’t seem to be good to us. Why don’t we find a different place to live…”
Qi Rong couldn’t take it anymore.
He charged into the hall, wanting to grab for Jun Wu but didn’t dare to go close, so he yelled
from afar, ”LET’S TALK, JUN… BOSSMAN! IT’S FINE IF YOU WANNA KEEP SETTING FIRES,
THIS IS YOUR TERRITORY ANYWAY, SET OFF WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT, HEHEHE…”
Xie Lian was going to fall off the jaded crown platform from anger by his foolish act, ”DON’T GO
THERE TO SEEK YOUR DEATH, JUST COME DOWN! I PROMISE NOT TO TOUCH YOU!”
Qi Rong wouldn’t listen to him at all. Seeing Jun Wu was ignoring him, completely uncaring for
his existence, and with Gu Zi crying so soundly, he probably felt he was losing face in front of
his cheap son again, and he rushed over to yell, ”WHAT’S WITH YOUR TEMPER, I TOLD YOU
TO STOP THE BURNING, DIDN’T YOU HEAR ME??”
“QI RONG!!!” Xie Lian shouted.
Before Qi Rong even got close, Jun Wu raised a hand, and a ball of fire instantly surrounded his
entire person!
Qi Rong let out a shrieking cry. Xie Lian shouted, ”GU ZI!”
With such a huge fire, even if Qi Rong didn’t burn to dregs, his spirit would be greatly damaged,
and wouldn’t Gu Zi be burnt to ashes directly?
Pei Ming also saw that Qi Rong had a small child under his arm and had the mind to rescue
them, but Jun Wu was gaining the upper hand, he couldn’t get away, and after counting the time
in his head, they were probably beyond saving, ”My lord, it was but a child, there wasn’t a need
to be so vicious!”
But both Xie Lian and Pei Ming knew that there was no longer any child in Jun Wu’s eyes. The
only things he could see were enemies and those in his way. An arm swung out, and a ball of
raging fire lunged, and it was sent flying, taking Pei Ming along.
Many of the heavenly officials down below exclaimed in alarm, ”GENERAL PEI HAS CAUGHT
ON FIRE!”
Right then, torrential rain came pouring down, and while it didn’t put out the flames of war on the
body of that giant, it extinguished the flames on Pei Ming’s body. Within the crowd, a black
shadow leapt into the sky and caught the falling Pei Ming.
———–
●It’s a folk belief that a cheap and vulgar life would last longer.
———–
Ch.227: Burning Flames of Karma; Demonic God Descends Upon Royal Capital 2
“Lord Rain Master!” Xie Lian called out.
The Rain Master was riding the black ox, her head held high, and she inclined her head in
greeting towards him. Pei Ming was carried on the ox behind her, having been burnt by raging
fires and drenched into a drowned rat by the pouring rain, his hair was a complete mess, an
utter bundle of misery. When he blearily blinked open his eyes, he realized it was actually the
Rain Master who had caught him. Although the other was wholly focused on driving the ox, not
looking at him at all, nonetheless his current state of not-handsomeness was exposed to
everyone, and he felt rather embarrassed, immediately sitting up, ”Lor…”
Yet unexpectedly, the moment he opened his mouth a ring of black smoke was spewed from his
mouth. Rong Guang was enraged, ”I can’t believe you needed a woman to save you, and it’s Yu
Shi Huang too, Pei Ming you’re such an embarrassment!”
Pei Ming was vexed, and when he opened his mouth another string of black smoke came out,
“Can you shut up!”
On the other end, Pei Su and Ban Yue welcomed the Rain Master who smoothly landed and
was supporting Pei Ming up; on this end, upon the body of that fiery demonic giant, millions of
rubble were rolling down. The falling rocks were still burning with blazing fires, each crashing
towards the ground rapidly like a meteor shower.
The rain enveloping the skies was coming down harder but the fires refused to be extinguished.
It seemed, Jun Wu had strengthened the spiritual powers within the flames. Even if the
raindrops could put out the fires it’d be useless, since giant boulders would still fall to the
ground, and the royal capital would no doubt instantly suffer thousands of giant craters, killing
and wounding a great number. Nevertheless, this giant divine statue was pulling strenuously at
the giant, so Xie Lian couldn’t break away, and he didn’t know how many martial gods were
present either, whether if they could catch the rocks without fail. Terribly anxious, Xie Lian
turned to Hua Cheng, ”San Lang, what…??”
Hua Cheng was standing right behind him, and he placed his hand over Xie Lian’s, ”There’s no
need for gege to worry, just focus on hanging on here, and don’t mind what goes on below.”
His voice was right next to Xie Lian’s ear, his breath warm and gentle, and he flicked his chin
slightly, gesturing for Xie Lian to look. Xie Lian gazed to the direction Hua Cheng was pointing,
and saw that outside the human array came a red clad figure who was approaching slowly with
his hands behind his back. Xie Lian squinted and felt himself turning dumbfounded.
That’s… Hua Cheng?
Another Hua Cheng??
What’s going on? Xie Lian whipped around. Wasn’t Hua Cheng standing right behind him?
Hua Cheng chuckled lightly, ”Don’t be so alarmed, gege. This one here is the real San Lang, no
lie, exchange if fake.”
Then, the one down there was the clone Hua Cheng left behind when he left? No wonder Jun
Wu hadn’t suspected Hua Cheng had snuck into the Heavenly Capital earlier. And here Xie Lian
actually puzzled over whether if Jun Wu had eyes watching down there. Perhaps it wasn’t that
he wasn’t monitoring, but that under his watch, ”Hua Cheng” was still guarding the royal capital,
so of course he wouldn’t suspect anything.
Shi Qing Xuan didn’t have the time to look at the sky, and didn’t see Xie Lian and Hua Cheng up
there either. When he saw a ”Hua Cheng” come by, he quickly called out, ”CRIMSON RAIN
SOUGHT FLOWER!!! You’ve finally come back! What the heck were you doing leaving for so
long, have you thought of a way to connect with His Highness? No no no you best think of a
way to help me deal with the situation here first, do you see all those fiery rocks coming down
from the sky? Think, fast! Blow a breath or make those endless little butterflies go up and chase
them away or something, otherwise we’ll die….”
“Hua Cheng” didn’t speak a word, coldly allowing Shi Qing Xuan say that giant pile of words in
one breath, and finally, as if he was growing impatient listening, he cut him off directly, ”Deal
with it yourself.”
Shi Qin Xuan exclaimed, ”Deal with it myself? Don’t joke at a time like this, I’m not His
Highness, I can’t understand your jokes. How do I deal with those rocks on my own…” Before he
finished his sentence, ”Hua Cheng” seized his back collar, and yanked him out of the human
array directly.
Shi Qing Xuan reacted amazingly fast, and the moment he left the array he pulled the people on
his left and right together so the human array wasn’t broken. Yet unexpectedly, after ”Hua
Cheng” had pulled him out he wasn’t done, and a hand came swinging, smacked him and sent
him flying out.
The beggars were all shocked, ”OL’ FENG!?”
Some complained loudly at ”Hua Cheng”, ”WHAT ARE YOU DOING HITTING PEOPLE??”
Although Shi Qing Xuan was sent flying, he only tumbled and rolled a few times, sprawled on
the ground, and he immediately crawled up, ”It’s fine it’s fine, I didn’t die! He didn’t really hit me,
he was just lending spiritual powers!”
“Really…”
Shi Qing Xuan examined his hands, then looked at his own body, emitting spiritual light from
head to toe, ”Hua Chengzhu, there’s no need to be like this even if you can’t see His Highness?
If you were lending spiritual powers then do it nicely, I don’t mind eating a few more of those
weird tasting candies, there’s no need to hit people, alright. Why don’t you focus a bit more on
the sky instead, there’s still so many rocks up there…”
Just then, ”Hua Cheng” flung his right hand, and tossed something at him. Without thinking, Shi
Qing Xuan raised his hand to catch, but when he saw what it was he caught, his entire face
blanched.
That object was the Wind Master fan!
Seeing this, Xie Lian who was on top of the giant divine statue couldn’t hold back either and
asked, ”San Lang, wasn’t the Wind Master fan with… the one down there is…?!”
“Pay it no mind.” Hua Cheng said, ”I called him over last minute to give a hand.”
Shi Qing Xuan was clutching that dearly familiar fan, his neck stiff, and slowly turned to that
“Hua Cheng”.
“Hua Cheng” then repeated again coldly, ”Deal with it yourself.”
That flaming meteor shower was about to crash to the ground, and the people within the human
array could practically feel the heatwaves surging at their faces, sweating both cold and hot
sweat, ”Ol’ Feng, what you said is true, right? Will everything really be alright?”
The heavenly officials also cried out, ”Your Highness, can you please quickly think of a way!”
Shi Qing Xuan gripped the fan, veins popping on the back of his hand, and strings of blood
slowly crawled over his eyes.
A moment later, he whipped around, and swung his arm!
A whirlwind gusted from flat ground and charged towards the sky. The flaming meteor shower
instantly made a u-turn, and flew towards the heavens!
The beggars were originally scared half to death, and seemed to have already prepared to flee
at a moment’s notice, but they were all completely blown away by this wild wind, their eyes
bulging, their mouths hanging, thoroughly shocked. It was a moment before they uttered, ”…A, A
god?”
Someone called out, ”My god, Ol’ Feng, could you actually be a real god?!”
Having swung the fan, Shi Qing Xuan’s hand was still shaking, panting heavily, and it was a
good while before his senses returned, and he replied arduously, ”…D, Duh! Didn’t I tell you all a
long time ago? How’s that, didn’t I say I wasn’t bullshitting!”
“No no, no bull! I believe you now! Wow, Ol’ Feng is a god, let’s say we know a god, now we’ve
struck it rich hahahahahahaha…”
“Ol’ Feng, let’s talk, take us flying when you’ve got the time sometimes, hey!”
Seeing all this, ”Hua Cheng” humphed softly, turning around to leave. On the other side, Shi
Qing Xuan was still gripping the Wind Master fan, answering the others’ jokes absentmindedly,
the colours on his face going red and white, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead. He
looked up seeming wanting to question, but the person was already long gone.
Just then, from within the darkness a distance away from the human array came new strange
noises.
Squeak squeak squeak, squeak squeak squeak. Those with sharp eyes cried, ”What’s that?
Those black, furry… rats?”
“And what’s that in the back? People? Why are there ashen white people…”
“They don’t look alive…”
“What?” Xie Lian gaped.
It was the Corpse Eating Rats and Empty-Shelled People. Those monsters from Mount TongLu
had also been transported here!
Those Empty-Shelled people wobbled, walking over with stiffened limbs, and the Corpse-Eating
Rats that survived on human flesh also swarmed over like the black tide. It appeared that Jun
Wu stopped caring for anything, stopping at nothing to destroy the human array, willing to bring
total chaos to the mortal realm no matter what!
On the other side, the Rain Master instructed Ban Yue and the others, ”Watch over General Pei.
I will go protect the array.”
Pei Ming was lying there puffing black smoke for a while, but when he heard he got up again,
“I’m fine, I can go protect the array.” Then he tried struggling to crawl up but ended up falling
back down again. Even Pei Su couldn’t watch anymore, ”Let it go, general. Just… take care of
your wounds, and let Lord Rain Master go take care of it.”
This was probably the first time Pei Ming was so humiliated in front of a woman, and it was also
the first time he was saved by a woman. He couldn’t tell if he was angry or if it was his pride
throwing a fit, but his face was swelling. The Rain Master ignored his opinion and smiled,
“There’s no need for the general to push himself.” Then she left riding the black ox.
“LORD RAIN MASTER!” Pei Ming called.
Just then, another hand came crawling up, catching his neck. A voice came hauntingly, ”Pei
darling…”
Pei Ming was still struggling strenuously, and the moment he heard this voice he was
exasperated, ”Why are you still around?”
Xuan Ji had actually been around from the beginning, since Ban Yue had taken both her and Ke
Mo who had been injured by Rong Guang down. Hearing that Pei Ming’s tone was unkind, she
instantly turned malicious, ”Why am I still here? I’VE ALWAYS BEEN HERE! What are you doing
staring at Rain Master? Have you changed your affections? You want to go chase after her now,
huh? WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT HER! I WON’T ALLOW IT!”
“…”
Pei Ming finally couldn’t endure this any longer, and shoved her away, exclaiming angrily, ”Xuan
Ji, why does your brain only think of things like this even at a time like this?? It has nothing to do
with changing affections, I’ve barely exchanged words with the Rain Master!”
This was the first time he moved against Xuan Ji, and Xuan Ji was harshly shoved onto the
ground, completely stunned.
It was a good while before she said incredulously, ”Pei darling, I think of you because I love you,
is that so wrong? You have never been so mean to me before, do you really hate me so much?”
Pei Ming used the sword to help himself stand up, ”I can’t get through to you.”
Xuan Ji still wouldn’t give up, ”TELL ME! Are you really going to leave me? I’ve done so much
for you, aren’t you touched at all seeing me become like this? Don’t you feel guilty at all?”
“HAVEN’T I TOLD YOU HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO ALREADY?” Pei Ming shouted.
Xuan Ji was stunned and dumbfounded.
She didn’t know what to do, but her hands gripped the hems of his robes in a death grip,
hopping staggeringly with her broken legs, ”Pei darling… Pei darling… wait, why don’t we talk a
bit more…”
Ban Yue watched her, and while she knew it was Pei Ming who abandoned Xuan Ji first, this
female ghost also killed countless after, trying to kill them time and time again, still, looking like
this, she was a little pitiful.
Pei Ming looked back at her, and in the end, he only said, ”Xuan Ji, it’s time you wake up.”
“Wake up what.” Xuan Ji was confused.
“That you’ve become this way, I’m part of the reason, but a majority of it is by your own
decisions. You’ve done so much but you can only move your own heart, I’m a steel-hearted
man. Rather than love me, why don’t you go love yourself.”
He yanked back his robes from Xuan Ji’s hold, and left without looking back.
On the end at the human array, after Shi Qing Xuan swung the fan, there wasn’t much spiritual
powers left. After a mess of a panic, they could only have the Rain Master and several of the
martial gods to go and defend first. Yet unexpectedly, right then, there was a rowdy commotion
coming from all around:
“Quack quack, is this the royal capital quack, such big houses quack!”
“What fuss are you making, Chengzhu’s houses are bigger!”
“Yea, and they’re not as pretty as Chengzhu’s houses either!”
From the ends of the streets, the alleyways, the eaves, all sorts of weird shaped heads
appeared, extremely lively. All of a sudden, all the monsters and ghosts from the Ghost City had
swarmed out!
When Heaven’s Eye and company within the human array saw, the shouted impatiently,
“WHAT’S WITH THOSE GHOSTS! GO AWAY! GO BACK! WE’RE AT THE FOOT OF THE
EMPEROR, HOW DARE YOU ALL COME MESS ABOUT AT THE ROYAL CAPITAL!”
“You pig spirit, you dare show your face in front of me!”
“I’m not hallucinating, am I… that’s a duck… a duck beating a rat?”
Instantly, a round of graveside apples were slung over, ”SHUT UP, YOU NASTY CULTIVATOR!
WE’RE GIVING YOU SOME FACE HERE, SO SHAMELESS!”
“IF IT WASN’T ON CHENGZHU’S ORDERS WHO’D WANNA COME!”
“WHY DON’T YOU KNEEL AND THANK US!”
The eyes of those Corpse-Eating Rats that swarmed in like black tide were flashing red, yet the
situation was playing out much differently than what they expected, and when they came
charging murderously, a band of monsters and demons much bigger than they came to greet
them, smashing and stabbing randomly with pitchforks and rakes like they were starving, an
even more vicious red light flashing from their eyes, ”SO MANY RATS!”
“Come come come, hehehe, I’ve been waiting for a long time for you! I’ve never had aperitifs
that’s aged two thousand years old, it must be super flavourful!”
“Can we eat all this?”
“Chengzhu said if we can’t eat them all we can sell them!”
Those Corpse-Eating Rats saw the situation going downhill, and retreated in terror. The
Empty-Shelled People were tripped over by the rats who lost their heads. The dire situation was
instantly dispelled, and Xie Lian sighed again in relief, turning his head back, ”Thank goodness
for San Lang.”
Hua Cheng smiled, ”They wanted to come themselves, it has nothing to do with me. Rather than
this, gege, be careful.”
His tone suddenly turned serious at the last two words. Xie Lian moved his sight back and saw
that fiery demonic giant was making a new move, placing its hand by the waist, as if it was
going to pull something out.
Xie Lian’s heart lurched.
It was a sword.
———
Ch.228: Burning Flames of Karma; Demonic God Descends Upon Royal Capital 3
Just in its current state the giant was already a handful, if there was now a sword, wasn’t it no
different than giving wings to tigers?
Xie Lian felt a sense of foreboding and yelled to the people below, ”EVERYONE, BE
CAREFUL!”
The ghosts were just in the heat of beating down the rats, and having heard him, they all looked
up, exclaiming in awe ”WHAT A GIANT GRAND UNCLE… AH, NO, XIE DAOZHANG!”
“Chengzhu looks like he’s having a good time up there, quack!”
“No, we’re not playing around…” Xie Lian said, but before he finished his sentence, that flaming
sharp sword covered with murderous aura came slashing down. Xie Lian released his hands,
barely dodging the attack, and felt alarmed by this aura of the sword and the heatwave of this
strike.
That giant divine statue was already barely fending off the other, but now, it was practically no
match for it!
Under such dire circumstances, he wanted to call forth a few martial gods to transform into a
sword to help in spite of himself, but Quan Yi Zhen was currently lying in the broken pieces of
the Bone Dragon in Black Water, cruising around to recover; Lang Qian Qiu was being used like
he was a hundred men, supporting the human array up against the resentful spirits that were
rampaging harder; Feng Xin and Mu Qing for some reason had been missing since they’ve
arrived here, and only Pei Ming was free, but he was also cutting down the rats, completely
burnt black, spitting smoke rings and resolutely refused to be shown up by the Rain Master, so
he was probably useless for the cause. There was actually no one Xie Lian could use!
Just then, a voice came from the ground, ”JUST WAIT, YOUR HIGHNESS! YOUR SWORD
WILL BE HERE MOMENTARILY!”
The one who yelled was Guoshi. Xie Lian rushed to the edge of the jaded crown platform,
“WHAT? WHERE’S MY SWORD?”
Guoshi circled his hands around his mouth and yelled, ”CRIMSON RAIN SOUGHT FLOWER,
ACTIVATE THE DISTANCE SHORTENING ARRAY! TO MOUNT TONGLU! THE SWORD IS
HERE!”
Hua Cheng resolutely tossed out a dice and said, ”Activate!”
Above them within the pitch black layers of clouds, something was rumbling. A moment later,
Xie Lian squinted as he gazed over.
There really was a sword!
The divine statue leapt up and reached for the long sword. Xie Lian used both hands to grip the
hand seal he formed, and the giant divine statue also gripped the hilt in its hands, then it
slashed towards the ”Heavenly Capital”!
The other also immediately raised its sword to parry the attack, yet when the two swords
clashed, something that no one had imagined happened – the sword in Xie Lian’s hand had cut
through the sword of that fiery giant!
Amidst the earth-shattering sound of metal breaking, that fiery demonic giant came to an abrupt
stop.
Then suddenly, it broke into several pierces, and soon after, it fell rapidly towards the ground.
Xie Lian had never expected that this sword was this powerful; a one strike knockout? He stared
at the sword in the hands of that giant divine statue, completely stunned.
Scintillating and fine, exceedingly sharp. What was this sword?
He then remembered Guoshi told Hua Cheng to open the Distance Shortening Array to Mount
TongLu, and it dawned on him – this was probably a sword forged by the bodies of those three
mountain spirits!
But, he had no time to think more on it. If that giant thing crashed down it wasn’t going to be
funny. Xie Lian immediately directed the giant divine statue to fly down, holding that gigantic
boulder that was about to fall apart, and changed course, moving it some distance away before
carefully landing at a place much further away and more rural. Only then did that giant divine
statue sheath the sword back by its waist and stood in place, a hand resting on the sword while
the other opened a palm to reveal the two figures, as if it was holding a flower. It stopped
moving, its smile back on its face as it returned to the posture of the Flower-Crowned Martial
God.
Not a single falling rock crashed to the ground. Everyone at the royal capital was not harmed
one bit!
It was a good moment before all the people, gods, and ghosts looked to each other, ”Is… is it
over?”
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng also hopped off from the palm of the giant divine statue, and met up
with everyone. Shi Qing Xuan’s cold sweat had already turned into hot sweat, and tucked the
Wind Master fan that was once again broken after one use at his waist, hobbling and wobbling,
hopping and dragging as he skipped over, ”Your Highness! Is it over? Is everything taken care
of?”
A few of the other heavenly officials gathered over too, ”Where’s the Emp… Jun Wu? Your
Highness have you defeated him? Is he dead?”
On the side, Guoshi said, ”How can that be? His Highness… He wouldn’t have been defeated
so easily.”
Hua Cheng extended a hand out to Xie Lian, ”Gege, let’s go up to search.”
Xie Lian nodded and gave him his hand. Hua Cheng gently pulled and pulled him to the top of
the wreckage. The ghosts had already lost interest in the Corpse-Eating Rats that had been
beaten and fled in a flurry, and so they all jumped up too, vigorously babbling that they want to
“Clean the Heavenly Capital out”, but Hua Cheng said, ”Stay back. All irrelevant persons must
not come close.” Otherwise, if they really did bump into Jun Wu, it’d be certain death. Hearing
this, the ghosts could only jump back down, continuing to guard the bottom.
However, within the former Heavenly Capital that had now been cut into a giant wreckage, there
was not a trace of Jun Wu. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng looked all over, and even raised the golden
roof of the Great Martial Hall, but they didn’t see anyone.
Just then, Lang Qian Qiu suddenly turned to Pei Ming, ”General Pei! I’ve got something to do,
please help take over for me for a moment.”
The number of rats Pei Ming cut down wasn’t more than the Rain Master, and he was just
feeling petulantly depressed when he got dragged over the uphold the array out of the blue.
Still, he only rubbed his nose and didn’t say much. Lang Qian Qiu leapt onto the wreckage and
rummaged all over, when finally, after raising a caved in roof, he exclaimed, ”FOUND HIM!”
Xie Lian heard him and went over, ”Qian Qiu, be careful!”
He had thought Lang Qian Qiu found Jun Wu, yet unexpectedly, what he found was a ball of
something charred black, like a worm shriveled in a giant shell, and there was even the tiny
sound of coughing.
Xie Lian felt his heart tighten, and immediately peeled away this charred shell together with
Lang Qian Qiu to see, and a small child actually rolled out, his body curled, hugging his head,
his whole body red, probably from the burns. But his life was not in danger and he was still
coughing.
After he rolled out, a green ball of greasy ghost fire also creeped out, floating. Xie Lian looked at
it, ”This is…”
Lang Qian Qiu seized that ball of ghost fire with a hand, his eyes blowing flames, ”The heavens
have eyes so Qi Rong you haven’t died completely, and still ended up in my hands in the end!”
Qi Rong had really become the ”Night-Touring Green Lantern”. Now that they thought back,
when Jun Wu had shot out that trail of fire, Qi Rong had protected Gu Zi, which was why this
child didn’t burn to death. Xie Lian was a little surprised in spite of himself. After all, by Qi
Rong’s character, if there was fire it’d be more his thing to throw Gu Zi out to shield himself.
Hua Cheng instantly knew what he was thinking about and said, ”Even if he threw the child out
to block the fire it wouldn’t do much, he’d burn to ashes in an instant. To protect and to use as a
shield isn’t very different in his book.”
Even if that was the reason, he still protected. Qi Rong was burnt to nothing more than a green
ball of greasy ghost fire and he still didn’t disperse, caught in Lang Qian Qiu’s hands, and he
started screaming in terror. Gu Zi, who they just saved, was roused instantly and he hugged
Lang Qian Qiu’s leg, ”Gege, don’t kill my dad!”
Lang Qian Qiu exclaimed angrily, ”LET GO! I’m telling you now, even if you beg it’s useless, I
won’t show mercy!” Then he gripped harder. Qi Rong was the enemy who annihilated his clan,
Xie Lian couldn’t interfere at all, but he was afraid in Lang Qian Qiu’s fury he’d accidentally hurt
Gu Zi, so Xie Lian was going to pull Gu Zi away, yet unexpectedly Gu Zi tackled over and
hugged him, ”SCRAP GEGE, SAVE MY DAD!”
“Gu Zi… This really isn’t your dad.” Xie Lian said, ”Can’t you tell by the way he treats you?”
However, Gu Zi said, ”That IS my dad! My dad didn’t used to be good to me, but then after he
was really good to me. He’d often give me meat to eat, and even said he will take me to live in
big, beautiful mansions… he’s really good to me, scrap gege, will you please save him?”
Qi Rong started scolding, ”Foolish son, don’t beg him! This black hearted snow lotus won’t save
this ancestor! In fact, he can’t wait for your old man to die, he doesn’t care whether I live or die!”
Hua Cheng side-eyed him, ”Are you worried that Lang Qian Qiu can’t kill you, so I have to be
dragged in too?”
Qi Rong was still quite afraid of him, and the moment he spoke the entire ball of ghost fire
shriveled a bit. Nonetheless, he was going to die either way, so he stopped caring, ”HUA
CHENG YOU FUCKER, I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU! Xie Lian, don’t think I don’t know. I took you
for a god in the heavens, BUT YOU! WHAT DID YOU TAKE ME FOR? YOU NEVER TOOK ME
FOR ANYTHING! You ignore me, reject me, think I’m a fool, a madman, that I’m mental, look at
me with contempt. You’ve always looked down on me! WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO LOOK
DOWN ON ME? YOU CAN’T EVEN DESTROY A MERE YONG AN, YOU USELESS TRASH!”
“You…”
Xie Lian only uttered one word, and while Hua Cheng didn’t move, Xie Lian could sense
something and quickly pulled him back first and said, ”Nevermind, drop it.”
Hua Cheng didn’t even want to bother with a fake smile, and humphed, ”So what if he looks
down on you? Is there anything about you worth a high regard?”
Qi Rong was fuming and flustered, ”I SPIT AT YOU, I SPIT! SO, SO WHAT IF YOU ALL LOOK
DOWN ON ME? THIS ANCESTOR… THIS ANCESTOR… THIS ANCESTOR HAS A SON!”
“…”
“…”
Qi Rong started cackling maniacally, ”Hehe! Even though he was picked up cheaply, but at least
it’s still better than you bloodline-ending impotent cowards! DON’T EVEN DREAM OF HAVING
ONE IN EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS! HEHEHAHAHAHA…”
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng watched him speechlessly. Hua Cheng also didn’t want to waste
anymore words on Qi Rong, and only raised his brows at Xie Lian, mouthing the words, ”You
never know.”
Xie Lian knew he was only joking, and smiled weakly. Yet unexpectedly, as he laughed, Qi
Rong’s mad laughter grew smaller and smaller. At last, that ball of green, greasy, ghost fire that
was jumping up and down had fizzled out.
Lang Qian Qiu didn’t know whether if Qi Rong’s ghost fire was snuffed out on its own or if he
was the one who choked it out, and he stood there, dumbfounded. Gu Zi was also dumbstruck,
and he went up to pull each of Lang Qian Qiu’s fingers open. But when he saw there was
nothing, he fell to the ground and started digging at that pile of charred residues on the ground,
scratching to the point his hands were covered in black soot but still there was no green light, so
he couldn’t help but clutch onto Lang Qian Qiu’s robe, ”Where’s my dad…”
He begged Lang Qian Qiu but Lang Qian Qiu didn’t know what to say, so he gazed at Xie Lian.
Xie Lian didn’t know what to say either, and only sighed, turning around to leave. Behind him
came Gu Zi’s incessant voice, ”Gege, where’s my dad? He’s still around, right? He said he’s
already cultivated to be the what… the most powerful king of the three realms, he can’t die. He’s
still around, right?”
The annoying Qi Rong finally disappeared.
Yet, not only did Xie Lian not know what to say, at this moment, he couldn’t even understand
what he was feeling.
To be honest, if he thought about it closely, Qi Rong’s words indeed seemed to be irrebukable.
Ever since they were young, he really didn’t regard this younger cousin of his very highly.
At first he felt sympathies for Qi Rong, later it was exasperation, headache, and he did his best
to ignore him; out of sight, out of mind. But if it must be said he looked at Qi Rong with
‘contempt’, then… that seemed fairly accurate too.
It wasn’t just contempt. He had also once hated Qi Rong so much he wanted to crush his ashes
and scatter them all over the world. But having lived for so long, having experienced so much,
when he looked back to look at Qi Rong, there really was nothing left except annoyance and
fatigue. Perhaps there was a little contempt, but that no longer mattered.
No joy, no grief.
They continued their search but it was fruitless. After they came down from the wreckage, Shi
Qing Xuan had already been waiting on the ground for a long time, ”Your Highness, how is it?”
Xie Lian shook his head, ”We didn’t find him.”
“How can that be?!”
The heavenly officials started discussing, ”Could he really be dead? Turned to ashes or
something.”
“If he’s hiding then that’s too scary!”
“Where can he hide, though? There’s so many people watching!”
Shi Qing Xuan looked around and said, ”Your Highness, I’ve a question I’ve been wanting to ask
since earlier. Where’s Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen?”
It’s true, it seemed no one had seen Feng Xin and Mu Qing for a long while now. The heavenly
officials started chattering again, ”Those two generals couldn’t be the same as General Pei,
right? Stuck in their own palaces in the Heavenly Capital and didn’t come out?”
“That’s impossible… I saw General Nan Yang come out! Besides, he was looking for someone
at the time…”
——
Ch.229: Adroit Dice; Snake Eyes Rolled Alarming the Heart
Xie Lian whispered to Hua Cheng, ”I don’t know what’s going on with Mu Qing, but Feng Xin is
looking for Jian Lan and the fetus spirit. They couldn’t have…”
He couldn’t have stayed behind in the Heavenly Capital, not leaving with the other heavenly
officials, and ended up colliding in that series of going up and down the heavens and the earth,
the flooding and burning?
Or perhaps worse. Maybe, the both of them are currently in the hands of Jun Wu!
Just then, Guoshi walked over from the side, ”Your Highness, there’s no need to keep
searching. If he’s here then there’s no reason to hide. There might be a lot of people here, but
there aren’t many worth paying attention to. Since he’s not here, then he could only have gone
to one place, and, it’s a place he’d want you to follow him to.”
Xie Lian understood, ”Is it Mount TongLu?”
Guoshi nodded, ”Perhaps he’d activated the Distance Shortening Array. Besides the Heavenly
Capital, that’s the domain where he’s the most powerful.”
“Huh? You’re going to Mount TongLu?” Shi Qing Xuan exclaimed, ”That horrifying place???”
“We’ve already gone once.” Xie Lian said, ”It’s alright, not that scary. Maybe Feng Xin and Mu
Qing are there too.”
However, Guoshi warned, ”Don’t lower your guard. When you go this time, it won’t be the same
things waiting for you there.” After a pause, he said, ”I think I’ll go with the both of you. Best if
you could also find a few dependable martial gods to help. No one injured. If they’re injured then
they’d be dragging you down even if they went.”
Then, that was a real challenge. ”Dependable martial god?” Xie Lian wondered. Maybe there
were several dependable martial gods before, but now, there weren’t many left. Fallen, charred,
some missing, some with a child hugging his leg wailing. Hua Cheng spoke up, ”There’s no
need to look for any helpers, they’re all useless. Gege and I are enough.”
“It definitely won’t be enough.” Guoshi said.
Pei Ming objected from afar, ”Crimson Rain Sought Flower, can you please not say something
like ”They’re all useless” with such a confident, believable tone!”
Shi Qing Xuan also laughed heartily, ”General Pei, you’re so incredibly burnt, and you didn’t
even cut down as many rats as Lord Rain Master, so what are you complaining about!”
He hadn’t seen Pei Ming in a long time, but when they saw each other, Shi Qing Xuan still found
pleasure in taunting him. Having been stabbed where it hurt, Pei Ming couldn’t do anything and
only became more depressed. Just then, a voice suddenly came, ”Wait, me too, I’ll go too.”
The crowd parted to see, and only then did they notice that the one who spoke was actually Mu
Qing. Since who knows when, he had been standing at the very back of the crowd. Xie Lian saw
him emerged and breathed in relief, ”Mu Qing? When did you come? Where did you go earlier?
I thought you went missing too.”
However, Mu Qing said, ”I’ve always been here.”
Hua Cheng crossed his arms, giving him a side-eyed look, ”Always been here, but you didn’t
speak and you didn’t help either, huh?”
Mu Qing replied dryly, ”I said I’ve always been here. It’s just that I didn’t speak, and none of you
saw me, that’s all.”
However, there were several occasions when they needed people and he was never found, and
even when he was called he never answered, which was why everyone thought General Xuan
Zhen had gone missing. Xie Lian was still hopeful that perhaps Feng Xin would still be in the
crowd too, but they didn’t find him after a search, and Feng Xin really wasn’t there, so he could
only say, ”Alright. You’re coming along to help? That’s great, there’s finally someone useful.”
Thus, Mu Qing approached. Seeing he was coming along, both Guoshi and Hua Cheng’s
expressions were amazingly the same for once. Both of them had disliked Mu Qing from a long
time ago; there was no need to speak on Hua Cheng’s case, but Guoshi hadn’t quite wanted to
take Mu Qing for a disciple from the beginning, and just by the looks of things it could easily be
guessed that instead of having a helper like Mu Qing, he’d rather not have any helpers at all. Mu
Qing couldn’t have been ignorant of their attitudes at all either, but after he approached he still
bowed to the Guoshi and said quietly, ”Master.”
Guoshi nodded and didn’t say much either. After all, it wasn’t like Mu Qing had done anything
heinous and criminal either, and since he was coming to help, there was no reason to stop him
from going. He turned to Shi Qing Xuan, ”His Highness’ divine statue will guard this place. The
resentful spirits still need a few days to be purified, and since there’s so many hands here,
watch over the array well yourselves.”
Shi Qing Xuan nodded, ”But of course! But wait, elder, I’ve asked you this many times already,
but will you please answer me, just who are you?”
Guoshi didn’t answer. The group followed Hua Cheng and walked to the front of a mansion on
the side. Hua Cheng easily tossed a dice and was just about to open the door when
unexpectedly, he took a casual glimpse, and his colours changed slightly.
Xie Lian was sharp and caught it, ”What is it, San Lang? Is the Distance Shortening Array not
activating?”
Hua Cheng snapped back and smiled, ”No. It’s just, it’s rare for me to roll out this kind of
results.”
He opened his palm to Xie Lian. Xie Lian pressed close to look and was also taken aback.
Upon the pale white palm was a lonesome dice, and what it showed was one dot.
When Hua Cheng rolled it was always six bright red dots, and snake eyes truly was very rare.
The tip of Xie Lian’s heart trembled, ”…What does this roll mean? Did you roll a mistake?”
“Based on past experiences, this probably means there’s something extremely dangerous
waiting for me ahead.” Hua Cheng said.
“…”
Xie Lian’s heart lurched a little bit. Behind them, Guoshi spoke up, ”Sigh, haven’t I told you
young people so many times that gambling is bad, and to break that bad habit! Your Highness,
do you see, what sort of bad habit he’s picked up!”
A bad omen, but Hua Cheng still looked unperturbed, and he tucked the dice away, smiling, ”It’s
just a reference, it doesn’t matter what I roll. Whether if it’s dangerous or not is my say.” Then he
opened the door, ”Let’s go, gege.”
He turned and was just about to cross the threshold when Xie Lian subconsciously reached out
and pulled him back, almost blurting, ”Don’t go anymore”, but even without thinking Xie Lian
knew that was impossible. In the end, he only said softly, ”Let’s go. But, don’t leave my side. If
anything should happen I will protect you.”
Hearing this, Hua Cheng was stunned.
It was a good moment before the corners of his lips curled, and he gave a big smile, ”Alright.
Gege, remember to protect me.”
“…” Mu Qing watched on the side, his eyes unreadably upset or disgusted. The moment Hua
Cheng opened the door, a wave of scorching heat came lunging at his face, putting out any
strange expressions.
The volcano erupted not long ago, and the flying dust and ashes covering the skies hadn’t yet
dispersed. Where there used to be forests and earth was now ablaze, the fires devouring all that
was alive, looking like fiery hell, crimson all over. Mount TongLu had lost all of its former
appearances.
Xie Lian and company emerged from a rocky cave that was sitting on a higher hill, and the
moment they came out they were almost suffocated by the ashes in the air, ”Is he really here?”
“Probably somewhere near the Kiln.” Mu Qing said.
“The volcano’s erupted, there’s probably nowhere near the Kiln to stay.”
However, Guoshi said, ”I know where he is. If that place wasn’t destroyed, then just follow me,
and you’ll see when we get there.”
The group followed after him, descending from the tall hill, and Hua Cheng walked in front of Xie
Lian the entire way. Where there were rubble and tall weeds that made steps difficult, he’d go up
first to flatten the path before turning around to reach for Xie Lian, helping him down. Otherwise,
Xie Lian probably would’ve descended much faster – slipping from the tallest point of the hill
and roll all the way to the bottom.
Yet unexpectedly, Xie Lian didn’t slip but another person did – Mu Qing was bringing up the
rear, and he lost his footing, his figure swaying. Xie Lian was closest to him, and with a fast
hand, he caught him, ”Watch out!”
Mu Qing jolted slightly before seeming to return to his senses, ”I know.”
Xie Lian let go, thinking Mu Qing certainly was behaving oddly. He turned his head and
suddenly remembered something, and in a quick jog he came to Hua Cheng’s side, whispering
his question, ”By the way, San Lang, back at the top of the snowy mountain when Feng Xin and
Mu Qing were fighting, what did you hear them say? Why were you suddenly so angry?”
Hearing this brought up, Hua Cheng’s face turned slightly cold but it was concealed a moment
later, ”Oh, that. They were just talking without thinking, and said some disrespectful things about
gege, that’s all.”
“Huh?” Xie Lian asked, ”Like what?”
“Gege doesn’t need to know.” Hua Cheng said, ”It’ll dirty your ears. Come, we’re down.”
The four of them had descended from the tall hill, and after walking for a bit, their path was
blocked by a river. What was flowing in the river wasn’t clear water, but crimson red fluids that
was still bubbling – it was scorching lava!
With this burning temperature, normal people didn’t need to drop in, just going near and they’d
die from the heat wave. Fortunately none of them were mortals so they could endure this
bone-melting land. Guoshi kept wiping at the sweat on his face, ”It should be right across. This
place used to be a moat, but now that it’s become like this we won’t be able to cross.”
“We’ll probably need something to help cross the river with.” Xie Lian said.
——–
Ch.230: Adroit Dice; Snake Eyes Rolled Alarming the Heart 2
If that giant stone divine statue was here, then they could’ve swiftly crossed with a few giant
steps. But it was left behind by Xie Lian at the royal capital to guard and suppress vicious spirits,
and those three mountain spirits had already transformed into a sword, so it was best that they
didn’t come.
“San Lang, can the silver butterflies bring us across? Xie Lian asked.
“With the steam of the lava, the silver butterflies might melt halfway across the river.” Hua
Cheng replied.
It wouldn’t look too good to fall from mid air halfway through crossing and crash head first into
the heart of the lava stream. However, Hua Cheng added,’ But, there’s a ready-made path.”
The group turned their gaze to where he was looking, and a moment later, Xie Lian exclaimed,
“Why are there people in the lava?”
It was the absolute truth, Xie Lian wasn’t hallucinating. Just now in that instant. He saw a
tragically pale hand roll out of the lava, reaching towards the sky. Upon a closer inspection, Mu
Qing said, ”There really are! And not just one?”
There were at least over thousands of people, a number of bodies and heads floating upon the
surface of the river, some rolling and turning by the current of the lava stream, and there were
even some flowing against current. Their bodies were all a peculiar white, their faces blurred.
They were not actual living people. Xie Lian figured it out, ”They’re those empty-shelled people
from the royal capital of Wu Yong… they’ve been flushed out here by the lava.”
By their martial skills, it shouldn’t be too difficult to use those empty-shelled mutants as stepping
stones and leap over. Only, those deceased spirits have been tormentedly struggling in the
burning stream, it’d be rather tragic that they had to be stepped on too. But they didn’t have the
time to worry about that now. Mu Qing went forward first, aimed for the right positions, and with
a few ups and downs, he soon crossed the moat, standing at the shore on the other side of the
river, looking back this way. Xie Lian turned to Guoshi, ”Let me take you across first.”
Guoshi wasn’t a martial god after all, and wasn’t one who practiced martial arts, so he needed
someone to take him. He nodded and went forward. However, Hua Cheng spoke up, ”Gege, let
me.”
Going with the flow, Xie Lian acknowledged, ”Alright.”
Thus, Hua Cheng went forward, and held onto Guoshi’s arm as if he was assisting an elderly
senior, ”Guoshi, sir, please. Watch your step.”
Guoshi turned his head and saw the one assisting him wasn’t Xie Lian and knitted his brows,
“Huh? Why is it you?”
Xie Lian guessed that one, Hua Cheng was worried it might not be convenient for Xie Lian to
take another person along, and two, Hua Cheng wanted, for the sake of some particular goal,
show himself off a little in front of the elder, demonstrate some attentive diligence, which was
why he offered to take over. Seeing this, Xie Lian couldn’t help but puff a laugh, hiding it with a
light cough, ”San lang said very sincerely that he wanted to assist you, so I…”
As for Hua Cheng, he said with a smile covering his face, ”Does it matter if it’s me or gege?
Besides, I respect you very much, sir, so of course I don’t mind assisting, this is nothing.”
Guoshi was speechless for a moment, then said, ”If you really do respect me then put away that
fake smile on your face. That fakeness really is too much…”
Hua Cheng immediately put that smile away, ”Oh.” Then, without another word, he carried
Guoshi and with a flash, their forms had already moved to the other shore.
His movement was freakily fast, and before Guoshi had reacted he was already standing by Mu
Qing’s side, completely stunned. As for the Empty-Shelled people Hua Cheng stepped on with
his boots, they didn’t notice they were stepped on at all, and only looked up to nothing above
them, puzzled as they rubbed their heads, continuing to swim in the lava stream. Senses finally
returned to Guoshi, and he glanced at Hua Cheng, giving his comment, ”Not bad, I suppose.”
On this end, Xie Lian thought, ’That’s too strict. How can skills like that be only ’not bad’?’ Then
he called out, ”I’m coming over now, too!”
Hua Cheng turned around, ”Gege, stay there first, I’ll come get you!”
But Xie Lian acted faster than his words and had already moved, leaping upwards, his toes
lightly tipped on the stomach of an Empty-Shelled mutant who was floating with its face looking
upwards. He felt the solid body beneath his feet dip, but he had already leapt out again, tipping
on the head of another Empty-Shelled mutant ahead.
In this manner, he stepped over five or six of them, and came to the centre of the lava stream.
Just as Xie Lian was about to make another leap, his body abruptly sank, almost losing balance.
Using his incomparably fast reaction to steady himself, he looked down, and the mutant beneath
his feet actually reached out and caught his boot!
‘Oh no, not again!’ Xie Lian groaned inwardly.
His terrible, bad luck had struck again. The people before him all crossed the river just fine, but
it just had to be him who ran into a difficult monster, seizing his right ankle, not letting him jump!
Those Empty-Shelled mutants could only float on the surface of the lava stream because they
were hollow, so they couldn’t support too much weight. With steam boiling, Xie Lian was
sweating profusely, and a corner of his sleeve actually caught on fire. If he continued to remain,
then his person along with the stepping stone were all going to sink into the lava, and his entire
person would catch on fire!
In the last second, an idea came to Xie Lian in this time of crisis, and RuoYe came flying out,
catching another Empty-Shelled mutant from about three feet ahead and dragged it over,
stepping his left foot on the back of that mutant. Thus, the two stone empty shells supported the
weight of his one person, increasing his buoyancy, so he wouldn’t immediately sink. Crisis
averted, Xie Lian thus pulled out Fang Xin, and slashed away the arm that was seizing him. As
he was about to leap out again, a red shadow had already flashed to his side, and Xie Lian
spoke, ”San Lang? I’m already fine. You didn’t need to come over.”
From afar, Hua Cheng used a palm and blasted the hollow mutant that had caught Xie Lian into
pieces, ”Let’s talk after we’re ashore.”
The two came to the shore, and Xie Lian said, ”Sorry, I made you worry.”
“It’s my fault.” Hua Cheng said, ”I should’ve told you to wait for me to get you before I crossed.”
“Alright, alright.” Guoshi chided, ”Break it up. His Highness isn’t that weak, he can handle
himself just fine even if you didn’t go over, so why did you have to go get him? Come! This way.”
The group climbed ashore, walked for another while and came before the Palace of Wu Yong.
Half of the palace was buried in the ground, and after the group entered, the path was slanted,
going straight to the deep recesses of the underground.
Having left the aboveground, the scorching air gradually cooled down. The entire underground
palace was empty, and even the smallest movement would echo and reverberate.
The group each ignited a palm torch separately, illuminating the surroundings. Although this
palace had been sealed away for a long time, it was still considerably majestic and sumptuous,
the firelight reflecting many golden, shimmering patterns, sculpted columns and painted
buildings. However, without a soul, the air was dead, like this was a giant mausoleum.
“This was where His Highness grew up.” Guoshi said.
“Is he really here?” Mu Qing asked.
“What do you think?” Guoshi replied, ”This is where his powers are the strongest, so, watch
yourselves.”
Just then, Xie Lian suddenly noticed something.
Upon Hua Cheng’s waist, the silver eye ball on the hilt of E-Ming was spinning rapidly,
abnormally agitated. However, Hua Cheng’s expression was still cool and focused, ignoring it
completely. Xie Lian couldn’t help but reach out to pet it, and only then did E-Ming somewhat
calm down. Hua Cheng looked down slightly, and when he saw Xie Lian’s hand was still resting
on the hilt, he was about to speak when just then, from the corners of the great hall came a
series of ”hehehe” cackles.
It was the voice of a middle-aged man. Sly and cunning, like it was scheming something,
making all the hairs on Xie Lian’s back stand. And, he’d heard that voice before.
It was the voice of that fetus spirit!
Mu Qing shouted, ”OVER THERE!” A trail of flames was hurled out, brightening the space
above them. They could see a lump of something white pressed against the tall corners of the
palace ceiling like a gecko, and it was that fetus spirit!
Its long, bright tongue was licking its own back, like it was scratching its own itch. When it saw
flames comes flying, it snickered and spat something like puke towards Mu Qing. Mu Qing
dodged it, his expression full of contempt. Guoshi looked at that sticky matter on the ground,
then looked at the fetus spirit above, and said in disgust, ”Is that really the child of that brat Feng
Xin???”
Xie Lian quickly called out, ”Wait! Cuo Cuo! You’re called Cuo Cuo, right?”
When that fetus spirit heard its own name, it paused for a moment and turned back to look at
him. Xie Lian said, ”Cuo Cuo, we’ve come to find… to find… to find your dad. Do you know
where he is?”
When that fetus spirit heard ”your dad”, it snorted, using all of its limbs and pata-pata crawled
away and disappeared. Xie Lian called out, ”CUO CUO? Quick, find it!”
The group immediately burn the palm torches brighter, searching all around. Suddenly, Mu Qing
exclaimed, ”THAT WAY?”
“Which way?” Xie Lian responded.
Mu Qing pointed at a ptath, ”I saw it went there just now.”
The path he pointed at was on the side of a palace building, a narrow and long corridor,
haunting and gloomy. Even if they couldn’t tell where it led to, it was obvious it wouldn’t be any
place good.
Hua Cheng suddenly spoke up, ”Did you really see that it went in there?”
Mu Qing replied irritatedly, ”What good would it do me to lie to you?”
Hua Cheng ”hah”-ed but it contained no emotions, and it didn’t sound friendly. Guoshi chided,
“What are you both fighting over at a time like this? Don’t overlook anywhere suspicious, so
even if we just take a look it’s fine.”
That long corridor was very narrow. It must’ve been much wider once upon a time, but it seemed
to have been crushed, and now it could only allow one person to pass at a time. Perhaps Mu
Qing felt indignant over the tone of doubt in Hua Cheng’s voice earlier so he went in first. Hua
Cheng very naturally walked in front of Xie Lian to open the path for him, but Xie Lian noticed
that E-Ming’s eye on Hua Cheng’s waist was spinning wildly again. His mind stirred, and
instantly pulled Hua Cheng behind him. Hua Cheng was surprised, ”What is it?”
Xie Lian softly cleared his throat, ”Didn’t I say I’ll protect you… stand behind me.”
A moment later, Hua Cheng laughed softly.
As they walked deeper, Xie Lian felt more and more uncomfortable. When it came to danger, his
instinct was extremely acute, and what was making him uncomfortable was coming from ahead.
“Guoshi, do you remember where this path leads to?” Xie Lian asked, ”How come the more we
walk the more I sense there’s a very heavy…”
Murderous aura.
And it wasn’t a lively murderous aura, but a very cold and frozen murderous one. The deeper
they went, the more tense he became.
However, Guoshi didn’t answer him. Something clicked in Xie Lian’s mind and he raised his
voice to ask again, ”Guoshi?”
Still no answer. Xie Lian whipped his head around, and since who knows when, there was
already not a soul behind him!
The reason why he hadn’t noticed sooner was because both the lantern lights Hua Cheng and
Guoshi released were still floating in the air, shuffling and following him, lighting the way for the
masters that had now vanished.
Mu Qing turned back to look too and was shocked, ”Where’s Crimson Rain Sought Flower??”
Xie Lian strode out without another word to go back the way they came. Mu Qing caught him,
“What are you doing? We’re almost there! Besides, do you really think Crimson Rain Sought
Flower would go back?”
“…No.” Xie Lian replied.
It was precisely because Hua Cheng would never go back on his own without a word that it was
scary!
Xie Lian suddenly recalled the thing Hua Cheng left on his person, and hastily raised his hand to
look. When he saw the red string on his third finger was still bright and vivid, indicating Hua
Cheng was fine, Xie Lian sighed in relief. Yet when he remembered the snake eyes Hua Cheng
rolled out before they came, the tension of his brows increased.
“You’ll most likely find nothing even if you go back.” Mu Qing said, ”So why not continue
forward, and see just what exactly is inside? Otherwise wouldn’t you be wasting time if you went
back and found nothing, and had to come back again?”
Xie Lian was just about to speak when he suddenly held his breath, ”Shh. Listen. What’s that
sound?”
Mu Qing also listened intently.
It was the sound of a man breathing deeply and quietly.
It was coming from ahead!
The two were high on guard, each gripping their weapons tight, and walked forward.
They finally emerged from the long corridor and came to a chamber. Mu Qing very carefully felt
around the chamber, and Xie Lian flicked a finger, sending a small flame light to the front,
instantly illuminating a figure slumped on the ground.
The moment he saw the back of that figure Xie Lian recognized him and rushed up, ”FENG
XIN?!”
Flipping the man over, it was indeed Feng Xin. He was covered in burns and gashes all over his
body, but his life shouldn’t be in danger. Xie Lian carefully patted him for a good moment before
he slowly came to, and the moment he woke he cursed, but the moment he realized it was Xie
Lian before him he stopped cursing, ”Your Highness?? Why are you here?”
Xie Lian huffed a breath, ”Why don’t you tell me first where this is?”
Feng Xin sat up and looked around, ”Where is this?”
As expected, Feng Xin didn’t know either, so Xie Lian asked for nothing. Xie Lian shook his
head and reached out, ”Get up first. Now that we’ve found you, we’ve got to look for San Lang
too.”
“Are you talking about Crimson Rain Sought Flower?” Feng Xin asked, ”What’s happened to
him? He’s not with you?”
“It’s like this,” Xie Lian started, ”We were together…”
Before he finished, Feng Xin suddenly raised his hand, ”Wait! Who’s that behind you??”
Xie Lian looked back, and only saw a figure sunken in the shadows, unmoving, ”That’s Mu Qing.
What is it?”
Feng Xin’s pupils suddenly shrank, ”SEIZE HIM, QUICK!”
———–
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