Chapter 82: A Long Way to Travel, Blocked on Narrow Road

Treading across the ground strewn with exquisite fragments of crimson, Xie Lian slowly approached Hua Cheng. He saw that the man's shoulders had a few red blossoms scattered on them, and he wanted to brush them off for him, but he realized that gesture would be overly intimate. So he forced down the urge and tucked his arms behind his back, smiling.

"Not only can you call forth blood rain, you can also make a flower shower. I didn't know that. How fun!"

Hua Cheng walked toward him wearing a smile, easily dusting the petals from his shoulders. "This was something spontaneous, a trick I only came up with today. Originally it was going to be the usual blood rain, but then it occurred to me that gege was present. And wouldn't gege blame me if I drenched him? So I held back at the last moment and transformed it into flowers. I'm glad you found it fun."

While Xie Lian wasn't drenched, Pei Ming was completely soaked.

He called out from high in the air, "Excuse me, you two. Let me down, won't you?"

A few silver butterflies fluttered upward and slashed the net with their shimmering wings, allowing Pei Ming to finally break free and land steadily on the ground. Xie Lian looked down and saw a silver butterfly resting on Ling Wen's back between his shoulder blades.

"San Lang? Ling Wen and the Brocade Immortal are both okay, right?"

"They're fine," Hua Cheng said. "I've only temporarily put them to sleep."

Xie Lian was amazed. "The Brocade Immortal was going berserk, but you managed to subdue it so quickly."

Hua Cheng raised his brows. "It was fine. For some reason, it didn't seem to want to fight me."

Xie Lian hummed. "That's true. When you put it on before, it didn't do anything to you—it even showed itself."

Pei Ming walked over. "Save the chitchat for later, you two. Aren't you going to peel that robe off him first?"

"Um… Wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Xie Lian said.

Pei Ming didn't seem to think anything of it. "He's in his male form right now, so what's there to be embarrassed about?"

His hands moved as he spoke, but just as they touched Ling Wen's collar, it was like something jabbed him hard. His expression dropped, and he yanked his hands back—they were covered in blood.

"This robe! It bites!"

Only then did Hua Cheng lazily explain, "The Brocade Immortal won't let Ling Wen go. You won't be able to take it off of him."

Pei Ming looked at his bloodied hands. "If something like this happens again, will My Lord Ghost King please warn me sooner?"

"General Pei, it's not that he didn't want to warn you. Your hands moved too fast," Xie Lian said evenly.

Hua Cheng snickered. "That's it exactly."

"…" Their will remained strong even after being wounded, and the three headed back the way they came. Someone had to carry the male Ling Wen, and Pei Ming took up the responsibility without a word.

Pei Xiu and Banyue were waiting in the same small town as before.

The group reconvened near the holy temple of Wuyong, and Pei Xiu strode over to greet them when he saw them return.

"General, Your, Highness, the mural, in that, temple, has disappeared!"

Pei Ming was carrying Ling Wen in one arm while the other hand slicked back his blood-soaked hair. "What mural?"

Banyue's eyes widened at the sight of Pei Ming covered in deep red.

Xie Lian gave Pei Ming a brief account and went back into the temple with Pei Xiu to investigate. Sure enough, the wall from earlier was now exactly the same as the other three burnt ones—it was as if the mural had never existed.

Hua Cheng dropped his hand from the wall. "The mural was created by magic."

Xie Lian nodded. "Perhaps the one who left it had reason to fear its discovery and didn't dare leave it for too long."

Banyue was hesitant for a long time but eventually mustered up enough courage to ask Pei Ming, "Are…you okay?"

Pei Ming gave her a look and began to bluff. "Why don't you ask your snakes if I'm okay, since they bit me?"

Pei Xiu opened his mouth to defend her, but he wasn't sure whether he should go against Pei Ming. Banyue's eyes widened even further, and she mumbled as she tried to argue.

"But…a scorpion-snake bite doesn't fester in the whole body like this…" Pei Ming raised the left hand that bore the bite mark and waved it in front of her, proving that he had indeed been bitten. This "ironclad proof" was as solid as a mountain, and Banyue could only apologize.

"I'm sorry…" Pei Xiu couldn't watch anymore and patted her shoulder. "Don't, take it to, heart. This wasn't, caused by the bite of your, snakes."

Xie Lian couldn't watch anymore either, so he spoke up in exasperation. "General Pei, can you not tease little girls at a time like this?"

But that was the very source of Pei Ming's life. He used his spiritual powers to cleanse himself of all the blood and grime, and his face was glowing again as he laughed out loud.

"Aren't little girls made for teasing? Besides, what 'little girl'—the State Preceptor of Banyue is how many centuries old now? Still worried she might get embarrassed?"

"…" No one wanted to talk to him anymore.

While Pei Xiu's broken sentences hadn't healed, he could now move normally, so he took over the task of carrying Ling Wen. The group of them passed through the small town and continued down toward the next layer of Mount Tonglu.

A day later, the group reached a small valley. There were steep, tall mountains with rocky bluffs on either side and a path in between. Only when they arrived did Ling Wen finally, groggily, wake. Although he was conscious, he still couldn't move due to the silver butterfly that remained resting firmly on his spine. He didn't react to discovering that he was being carried on someone's back.

"…Why are there so many people?" he asked in confusion. "How come you're all here? Isn't this Mount Tonglu?"

"This is 'many'?" Pei Ming asked. "Let me tell you, there'll be more later—you haven't even seen everyone yet. There's enough of us to set up some tables for a round of cards."

Xie Lian wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment and couldn't help but smile. After a pause, he spoke up.

"By the way, Ling Wen, Qi Ying chased after you back at Puqi Shrine. Where is he now?"

"Don't know," Ling Wen replied. "After I reached Mount Tonglu territory, there were too many inhuman creatures swarming around, and I lost His Highness Qi Ying in the crowd. I have no idea where he is right now."

Pei Ming sighed at Ling Wen. "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were the one who snipped Xuli's last lifeline. Harsh."

Only then did Xie Lian remember that Pei Ming was also from the Kingdom of Xuli. However, he didn't seem particularly attached to the kingdom—after all, he was only a general, not a king, and he was even backstabbed by the ruler before he ascended. So there was no trace of grief or anger in his voice; he was just poking fun. However, Xie Lian still worried that talking too much about Xuli would provoke the Brocade Immortal, so he swiftly changed the subject. He turned to Hua Cheng.

"San Lang, I'm curious about something."

Hua Cheng had been keeping an eye on the two tall mountains ever since they entered the valley. "What is it?"

"The Kiln of Mount Tonglu. What is it, exactly? Is it really just a giant stove?" Xie Lian asked.

Hua Cheng smiled faintly and returned his gaze to Xie Lian.

"Of course not. But that's a good question, gege." He raised his hand and pointed. "It just so happens that we can see it now."

The group looked in the direction he was pointing, and they unconsciously stopped walking.

"That's…the Kiln?" Xie Lian asked.

Hua Cheng crossed his arms. "That's right."

A large mountain was reflected in his inky black eye, standing extremely far in the distance. It sat at the edge of the world and was so tall it touched the heavens. It was condescendingly enthroned above all the surrounding peaks. Painted a deep, abyssal blue, the mountain's summit was surrounded by a sea of clouds and heavenly winds. A layer of snow could be faintly seen, an eternal field of unmelting ice.

"The Kiln is a live volcano in the heart of Mount Tonglu," Hua Cheng leisurely said. "It wakes when a new ghost king is born."

"With a volcanic eruption?" Xie Lian asked.

"Correct," Hua Cheng replied. "All Supreme Ghost Kings are born accompanied by blazing fires, lava, and ruinous disasters."

Imagining that fiery scenario made one's eyes glow red. Xie Lian was lost in thought, and Pei Ming spoke up.

"That's too far away. If we continue at this speed, it's gonna take a long time to get there. And that's not even factoring in having to slay ghosts en route."

Xie Lian nodded. "It's like an arduous childbirth every time Mount Tonglu opens its gates for slaughter."

Hua Cheng chuckled. "Gege's metaphor is brilliant." He stopped suddenly. "We're here."

"…?!" Xie Lian was dumbfounded. "So fast?"

"Not at the Kiln," Hua Cheng explained. "We've come to a holy Wuyong temple."

Sure enough, there was a large temple in the center of the valley ahead, the building listing to one side. This was the second holy Wuyong temple they had come across. Xie Lian was perplexed—he almost wanted to rub his eyes.

"Is that temple real?"

He couldn't help the question slipping out. In fact, almost everyone doubted that it was real—it seemed so out of place.

It shouldn't have been built somewhere like this. Who had ever seen a temple or shrine constructed in such a narrow valley, smack dab in the middle of a small mountain road? What was this crappy feng shui?

Even if its construction was an act of obstinance, or if the temple had to be built in this location no matter what, it should at least have been placed off to the side. But this holy Wuyong temple was bluntly constructed right in the middle of the valley road, like a brainless little tyrant brazenly blocking the mountain path!

Pei Ming lowered his voice. "Where there is abnormality, there is evil. Everyone, be careful."

Ling Wen was leaning heavily on Pei Xiu's shoulder and arduously lifted his head.

"Everyone, if you don't want to go inside, you can just leap and run across the cliffs."

But Xie Lian responded, "No. We have to go in and see if there are any murals."

"Don't worry, gege," Hua Cheng said. "Go inside if you want to. It's fine."

For some reason, since Hua Cheng was the one assuring them, everyone relaxed, and the group resumed their approach. Nothing odd happened while they walked, nor when they reached the entrance. As they passed through the temple doors and entered the great hall, they found that, sure enough, the walls inside this temple were that same blackened color from the aftermath of a blaze. With a light scratch, a small fragment of hardened material fell from the wall just like in the previous temple.

Xie Lian was tense and alert at first, but he relaxed a bit once he was sure there wasn't anything hiding in the darkness.

"Let's do this."

The ashy protective layer on the wall was cleaned off bit by bit, and soon enough, they'd revealed the mural behind. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng began to examine it closely.

The subject of the mural in this holy temple was completely different from the previous one. They started studying it from the highest level, the top of the painting. A white-clad young man sat poised upon a jade divan, his face quietly handsome—the Crown Prince of Wuyong. His eyes were shut tight, and judging from his posture, he seemed to be meditating.

However, he wasn't tranquil. The brow of This Highness the Crown Prince was deeply furrowed, and there were even a few drops of cold sweat dripping down his forehead. Surrounding him were four individuals, their expressions heavy with concern. They were the four guardian deputies that served under the crown prince, as pictured in the previous mural. Their accessories and attire were exactly the same as in the other painting.

Progressing downward, the protective ash layer was still gradually falling apart and had not yet been fully cleaned away. Xie Lian could only make out a chaotic field of red, and he frowned slightly.

"That's odd." He reached out and lightly touched the wall, puzzled.

"Was this mural poorly kept?"

Although he couldn't quite tell what the mural was depicting, he could see that this spread of lines and colors was blurry and hazy, like it was fading away, trapped behind a veil of mist. But if this mural was created by magic, how could it deteriorate like a normal painting?

Hua Cheng also observed it intently, knitting his brows. "Let's give it another minute."

The two exchanged glances. Once the burnt, black, hardened material was thoroughly cleaned away and the mural was laid bare, they took a few steps back and stood side by side to look. The full mural was reflected in Xie Lian's eyes. His breathing stopped, and he felt chills.

He wondered out loud in shock, "Is this…hell?"

"No. It's the Mortal Realm," Hua Cheng said darkly.

It was indeed the Mortal Realm—the painting was packed with houses, dense forests, and crowds of humans—but they were all submerged in a vast, endless sea of flames and flowing lava. The haze of red that Xie Lian had seen earlier was the color of fire.

The houses and trees were ablaze; the people's bodies were alight with flames. They were screaming. Those twisted faces were drawn so realistically that Xie Lian could almost hear their wails in his ears.

At the center of the painting, there was a vibrant red mountain—it looked like a giant kiln glowing red with heat, absolutely horrifying. Fire and lava spewed from that volcano.

"The meaning of this mural is…a volcanic eruption brought down the Kingdom of Wuyong?" Xie Lian pondered.

"Yes. And no," Hua Cheng said.

It dawned on Xie Lian. "That isn't completely right, because this is… a dream."

The Mortal Realm's tragedy portrayed at the bottom of the mural was likely a depiction of a dream once had by the Crown Prince of Wuyong.

The Crown Prince of Wuyong and his four guardian deputies were surrounded in golden light, meaning he had already ascended at this point.

The mural showed him as he was tormented by a nightmare, which was why the dream landscape's lines and colors were hollower than those of "reality."

Some heavenly officials possessed enormous spiritual might and abnormally incredible talents. Seeing even the smallest omen was enough to let them peek into the future. In other words, they could have prophetic dreams. Had the dream of This Highness the Crown Prince become reality?

Was this how the Kingdom of Wuyong fell?

Humming for a moment, Xie Lian remarked, "Someone must want to tell us something. The story in this mural seems like a continuation of the previous one. I think the closer we get to the Kiln, the more questions will be answered."

Ling Wen was watching something outside the windows and spoke up just then. "Everyone, I need to ask you something. Isn't this strange?"

"What is?" Pei Ming asked.

"I'm not sure if I remember wrong, but were those two mountain bluffs always so close?"

Everyone looked out the window. When they had entered, the mountain bluff outside was about three meters away. But now it was extremely close, as if it was going to press into them at any moment. Xie Lian was about to go outside to check, but then he heard a series of odd cracking and creaking sounds—like earth and trees being disturbed, or bricks and stones under pressure.

Now everyone had noticed.

"What's going on?"

The bricks under their feet were quivering; the ceiling above their heads was shaking. One piece, two pieces—chunks of debris and clouds of dust began to fall.

"An earthquake?" Pei Ming wondered.

Only a moment after he spoke, the walls began to crack and wrinkle from the pressure.

"It's not an earthquake!" Xie Lian exclaimed. "It's…" The mountain bluffs on either side were pressing into the holy temple of Wuyong that sat in between!

There was no time to explain.

"Run!" he shouted.

He didn't need to say anything. Pei Ming had already kicked down a wall, creating an exit. The group pushed through and dashed out of the main hall. However, they were still running within the holy temple of Wuyong— the temple was extremely long, and beyond the great hall there were many side chambers, small alcoves, incense rooms, training halls, and so on.

Thus, the group had to keep running, breaking down walls and kicking down doors as they went. At times like these, a martial god's typical way of getting things done really shined. But they had only crossed through two short halls when a giant boulder, half the size of a man, crashed through the roof and fell heavily at Xie Lian's feet.

Huge boulders were tumbling down the mountain bluffs on either side!

The rumbling noises were endless as more and more rocks fell from the sky. The big ones were as large as water vats and collapsed massive chunks of the building's ceiling. The small ones were the size of human heads, but they also fell with astonishing force as they dropped from high in the sky. Fortunately, there was still one last bit of ceiling hanging in there, and everyone's considerable physical prowess allowed them to dodge in time. Only Hua Cheng was at ease; as Xie Lian ran and dodged, he heard him beckon him to his side.

"Gege, wanna come here?"

He turned his head to look. Hua Cheng was following closely behind him, his steps so steady it was like he was flying. He was holding a red umbrella he had produced from who-knew-where and was grinning at Xie Lian from underneath it. The falling rocks were crashing hard on the surface of the umbrella, but Hua Cheng held the handle steady with just one hand!

Xie Lian quickly took cover under his umbrella. "Phew, that was close. Thank goodness for you, San Lang."

Hua Cheng flashed a smile and very thoughtfully tilted the umbrella more to Xie Lian's side. "Come closer."

Even though it really wasn't the time, Xie Lian still felt a little touched. "Are you tired of holding the umbrella up? I can help you hold it…" The others were fleeing and dodging, running like mad. They couldn't stand the sight of their two companions having such a lovely time, so they started to shout at them.

"Hey! Isn't that unfair?!"

"Hua-chengzhu, may I ask if you have any spare umbrellas?!"

"Can I hide under that umbrella too?!"

Hua Cheng smiled fakely. "No. And no."

Xie Lian felt a little embarrassed at the others' objections. "Oh, this mountain certainly is strange!" he mumbled, trying to slip away. Hua Cheng had slid an arm around him unnoticed, however, which stopped him from doing so.

"Gege is correct, this mountain certainly is strange. Strange in the spiritual sense," he explained leisurely. "There are three large mountains near Mount Tonglu, called Old Age, Sickness, and Death. They can move as they will within Mount Tonglu's perimeter, but they're otherwise no different from normal mountains. This is why some take them as landmarks of Mount Tonglu."

Falling rocks continued crashing violently around them, but there was nothing but peace and harmony under the umbrella.

"I see!" Xie Lian replied. "So when Rong Guang was disguised as Demon of the Swift Life-Extinguishing Blade, the mountain blocking our way was one of those three mountain spirits?"

Ling Wen was being jostled up and down on Pei Xiu's back but still arduously tried to join the conversation. "No wonder this holy temple of Wuyong was constructed in such an odd place in the center of a valley. Its original placement was probably not so strange—those two mountain spirits sandwiched it afterward!"

"But Birth, Old Age, Sickness, and Death4 are a set," Xie Lian said.

"Since the last three are present, where's the first?"

"Regrettably, there's no Birth. At least, not that I've seen," Hua Cheng replied.

"Meaning there's no chance for life here, is that it? How cruel!" Xie Lian said.

A moment later, Banyue exclaimed, "The mountain bluffs are still closing in!"

When they'd first entered the valley, the mountain path was dozens of meters wide, but it grew narrower as they walked further in. By the time they reached the gates of the Wuyong temple, the road was no more than thirty meters wide. Now the space between the two mountain bluffs was less than ten meters. The building and walls were cracking and bending from the pressure. Since the holy temple of Wuyong was made of stone beams and other such solid construction materials, it acted as a wedge between the two mountains as they pushed closer—but they might not last for much longer.

"We can't go forward or backward, so let's break through the roof and go up!" Pei Ming yelled. "The shower of rocks is nothing; just knock them to pieces!"

"We can't!" Xie Lian exclaimed. "Right now, there's a temple wedged between the mountain spirits. If we go upward, what if they manage to hit us? We'll be squished and killed!"

During their exchange, the sides began to push closer even faster, rumbling and quaking. The space they were in was now less than six meters across. Ling Wen was still immobile, and he couldn't help but cry out.

"Can everyone please come up with something more quickly?! If not, can you release me so that I can take my own measures?! I don't want to get squished or killed, thank you!"

Fire was burning their behinds, but ideas didn't come so easily. As the space shrank to only the length of a person, Pei Ming suddenly gave a loud shout and leapt sideways. His arms pushed against the mountain on the left and his legs against the one on the right. He used his entire person to become a wedge, bracing himself sideways between the two large mountains.

"Even if I'm gonna get squished, I don't wanna get squished by these fucking things. I'll hold them back for now; you guys hurry and think of something!"

"…" Everyone was stunned by his deed. Ling Wen arduously gave him a thumbs-up.

"Ol' Pei—what a man!"

Pei Ming forced out a reply through clenched teeth. "…y'r w'lcome!"

There was no need to describe the strength of a martial god. The two mountain bluffs were still trying to press closer, but Pei Ming's tactic had halted their movement and forced a stalemate. However, Pei Ming was exerting all the spiritual power he possessed and would surely not last long.

As Xie Lian rapidly spun his wheels trying to come up with a way to escape, the two mountain spirits were slowly gaining the upper hand and forcing Pei Ming's knees to bend.

Seeing the situation was not going in their favor, Pei Xiu cried, "General I, will come assist, you!"

Ling Wen was leaning on his shoulders, but Pei Xiu tossed him to Banyue before joining the ranks as a flesh wedge. However, he was just a mortal at the moment and couldn't use spiritual power. The Brocade Immortal on Ling Wen could've been useful, but the person himself was too much of a risk; releasing him might add oil to the flame, or be like stepping on a venomous snake after falling into a nest of jackals.

Banyue put Ling Wen down. "Me too…" She had the body of a little girl, and her limbs were nowhere near as long as grown men's. Too short to wedge herself between the walls, she instead clapped her palms onto Pei Xiu's back and transferred her spiritual power to him. Their combined power exploded, making their faces turn red and veins bulge on their skin.

As for Hua Cheng, whose powers were the strongest in the group, he watched without the slightest hint of concern as he twirled the red umbrella in his hand.

Suddenly, Xie Lian pounded his fist into his palm and cried out, "I've got it! I've got it, I've got it, I've got it!"

He had an idea!

"Since going forward, backward, or upward won't work, we'll go downward!" Xie Lian said. "Let's dig a hole and hide for now!"

Ling Wen instantly latched on. "A good idea! Will you please start on it right now?!"

"And…please…hurry…!" Pei Ming choked through gritted teeth.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Xie Lian was already stabbing crazily at the ground with Fangxin to drill a pit—sand and earth was flying all over the place. Beside him, Hua Cheng held the umbrella over Xie Lian's head; not only wasn't he helping, he was coaxing him to stop.

"Gege, stop digging. Sit down and rest."

No one could take it anymore, and they cried, "Hua-chengzhu!"

"Hmm? What?" Hua Cheng said.

Ling Wen lay on the ground in a heap. "Hua-chengzhu, you and His Highness are here as well. If you have any tricks or ideas, won't you contribute? None of us want to be crushed into pancakes, after all."

He didn't voice the following words that no one dared say: "And if you don't have any ideas, can you please go be a flesh wedge too?"

Although Xie Lian was anxious, he still trusted Hua Cheng instinctively. As he kept digging, he asked, "San Lang, you have a plan, don't you?"

Hua Cheng chuckled. "Gege just has to wait. You don't need to do anything. It'll be fine in a moment."

Fire was scorching their behinds, and they couldn't help but feel the burn even though they knew Hua Cheng must have a plan. Ling Wen was about to say more when Xie Lian suddenly voiced a question.

"What's that noise?"

Amidst the loud rumbling of falling boulders came another strange sound—and it was approaching them rapidly. Krsh, krsh! Krsh, krsh! Krsh, krsh! It was incredibly fast and coming closer and closer. Xie Lian thought the sound seemed familiar, like he'd heard it before somewhere, and he stopped his mad digging.

"This… Could it be…?!"

A spot beside his feet caved in as the words left his lips, revealing a black hole that was big enough for two people to drop in. The head of a shovel peeked from the depths of the hole, reflecting a bright white light.

It was the Earth Master Shovel!

The shovel peeked up for a moment but then quickly withdrew back into the hole.

"A little late, but at least he made it," Hua Cheng commented. "Let's go."

Without another word, Xie Lian picked up Ling Wen and threw him down the hole, then did the same with Banyue and Pei Xiu, then Pei Ming.

With the "wedges" bracing the walls gone, the mountain spirits began moving much faster. Amidst the sounds of scratching and quaking, Hua Cheng circled his arm around Xie Lian's waist and held him tight.

"Let's go, quick!"

With Xie Lian in his arms, he jumped into the hole. Xie Lian was plunged into darkness. A moment later, a thundering boom echoed from above.

The two mountains had finally fully pressed themselves together!

If they had still been above ground, they would've been crushed into meat pancakes for sure. After taking a moment to catch their breaths, a few small balls of flames ignited in the darkness.

Xie Lian inspected the underground path they found themselves in. It was neither wide nor narrow, and was neat and orderly—as expected of a path dug by the Earth Master Shovel. The ones who had dropped in first were sprawled on the ground, panting slightly.

Hua Cheng released Xie Lian's waist, and Xie Lian dropped the arm that had unconsciously gripped Hua Cheng's shoulder. He turned his gaze to the black-clad man holding the shovel.

That man was also panting, leaning against the shovel and wiping away cold sweat. Xie Lian took a few steps closer, inspecting him closely.

He looked like a neat and tidy young man, and somewhat handsome— maybe a seven out of ten. But his looks didn't have much personality to them. He seemed like the sort of person who had very little presence.

Xie Lian approached him, and the black-clad man looked up.

"Your Highness…" But before he finished, Xie Lian had already seized his wrist.

"Where's Lord Wind Master?"

The black-clad man was shocked. "Huh? I…I don't know."

Xie Lian huffed a sigh, then said sternly, "My Lord Black Water, why keep up the act? Your revenge is none of my business, but Lord Wind Master was once your friend, and he never committed a crime or harmed a soul. So I hope…" Ling Wen interrupted. "Black Water? Your Highness, why do you think he's Black Water? Their faces are different."

Xie Lian looked back and replied doubtfully, "Because he's holding the Earth Master Shovel. Besides, don't we all know the key to a good disguise? That face is so ordinary—it wouldn't be noticed in a crowd at all.

It must be fake."

As discussed previously, the first rule of disguise is to make the face as plain as possible, and the black-clad young man before them was in perfect compliance. Even if one stared at his face for an hour or more, they would completely forget his appearance by the next morning. There was no doubt—this face was a fake!

"…" However, a moment later, the black-clad young man said, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but this…this is just how I look," the young man replied.

"…" Hua Cheng walked over and cleared his throat lightly. "Gege, this really isn't Black Water."

"…" Pardon?!

"This is his real appearance," Hua Cheng said.

So this was a true, natural-born pedestrian face!

Xie Lian slapped his forehead with his palm, then quickly pressed his hands together in prayer and bowed an apology.

"…I'm sorry."

He'd been so certain of his theory, he'd bluntly told the man to his face that he was so plain he was completely unnoticeable. It couldn't be helped—that face really was the model for a perfect disguise!

The black-clad young man also felt extremely awkward, and he waved off the apology. "Don't worry, it's nothing, I'm already used to it…" "Your Highness Yin Yu, thank goodness for your assistance," Ling Wen said.

Upon hearing that name, Xie Lian blinked. It was only then that he realized the young man's voice was a little familiar; he must've heard it a few times before. His eyes moved downward to look at the young man's wrist. While it was covered by his sleeve, Xie Lian was sure that it bore a black cursed shackle.

Pei Ming also rose to his feet to double-check the black-clad young man's identity. "His Highness Yin Yu? Well, I'll be. I didn't think we'd run into you here. What are you…" Yin Yu scratched the tip of his nose with his finger and returned the greeting. "Ling Wen-zhenjun, General Pei, General Pei Junior."

Suddenly, a voice humphed. "Yin Yu? You're that Yin Yu, the one who was thoroughly and miserably defeated by his own shidi?"

The heavenly officials' expressions stiffened, but that voice continued.

"I gotta say, aren't you a little too pathetic? Banishment aside, I can't believe you'd turn your back on heaven and become a ghost's errand boy just like that. Compared to Quan Yizhen, you really did badly; to think you're his shixiong…" The voice was coming from Rong Guang, who was imprisoned inside the pot. Pei Xiu stuck on a talisman to shut him up.

Whether he was serving Jun Wu or Hua-chengzhu, Yin Yu was a petty official regardless; there was functionally no difference. Still, being in the same room as his former heavenly colleagues now that he had become a ghost officer was like a constable-turned-thief getting caught in the act by old comrades. The awkwardness in the air was stifling. No one knew what to say, so Yin Yu could only turn around silently and continue digging the path with the Earth Master Shovel. The group continued onward as a path was dug.

Pei Ming still had his friend's brother on his mind. "Since Hua-chengzhu managed to get the Earth Master Shovel, does this mean the two ghost kings communicate with each other? When I asked His Highness before, His Highness excused My Lord by stating he wasn't close with Black Water Demon Xuan and certainly didn't know his whereabouts. If it's possible, will you please give Demon Xuan a shout? Ask him to please release Qingxuan, if he hasn't killed him yet."

"You're mistaken," Hua Cheng replied. "I don't know Black Water's whereabouts."

"Then where did the shovel come from?"

"I found it on the ground," Hua Cheng said.

"…" So he would unapologetically admit to nothing, but what could be done about that? No one could do anything to him, and everyone was depending on him in their current circumstances. Pei Ming could only snort.

"All right, fine. Hua-chengzhu sure was lucky to come across a spiritual device so easily."

Ling Wen was being carried on Pei Xiu's back and said out of habit, "That shovel belongs to a heavenly official of the Upper Court. Will Hua-chengzhu return…" Before he finished, he realized he was no longer part of the Upper Court, so there was no need to collect debts on its behalf. He shut up.

Xie Lian rubbed his forehead, wondering whether he should ask after the matter in secret, when Hua Cheng spoke softly in a voice only he could hear.

"Black Water really did ditch it. After he stopped disguising himself as the Earth Master, he tossed the shovel away in Ghost City and fled. I thought it might be useful, so before we entered Mount Tonglu territory, I sent someone to collect it."

"I see," Xie Lian replied. "And here I thought I might uncover Lord Wind Master's whereabouts… This shovel is perfect for dealing with the mountain spirits, though. San Lang really does think of everything and makes perfect plans."

"I only thought of it because I had a rough time when I was chased by those mountain spirits, that's all," Hua Cheng replied.

Xie Lian couldn't help but imagine Hua Cheng at Mount Tonglu for the first time, charging through obstacles like a novice. Just then, a few tiny balls of silver lit up the darkness; it was the shimmering wraith butterflies acting as lights. Xie Lian held his palm under a small silver butterfly and looked upward.

"Just what are these mountain spirits? Why do they attack us?"

"It's hard to say what they are," Hua Cheng replied. "When I first came here, they'd already existed for a long time. It's not that they're attacking us specifically—they'll try to stop anyone who wants to reach Mount Tonglu. If they can't block them outright, they will attack."

"Attack indiscriminately?" Xie Lian wondered. "If you think about it, their purpose is exactly the same as ours. But Lord Rain Master and His Highness Qi Ying are both here as well—I hope nothing happens to them."

Yin Yu had been diligently digging and opening the path, but he faltered for a moment when he heard Quan Yizhen's name. Xie Lian noticed and glanced at him. He remembered that Yin Yu had encountered Quan Yizhen while wearing a mask; at the time, he had acted like they were strangers. If Quan Yizhen had known it was his shixiong standing before him, what would've happened?

Ling Wen raised his head with difficulty. "Your Highness Yin Yu, have you seen His Highness Qi Ying? He's come to my Palace of Ling Wen many times to ask for my help in searching for you."

Yin Yu was stumped for a moment before he stammered a reply. "R-really?"

"Yes," Ling Wen said. "When you first descended, he came almost every day. Then, since there was never any news, he came once every three days, then once every month. Until recently, he'd come at least once a year.

He always felt there was a misunderstanding between you two about the Brocade Immortal affair, and he wanted to hear your side of the story so he could help you explain it to the others. But there was never any sign of you, nor any word."

Yin Yu fell silent. He heaved a sigh before focusing on digging with renewed vigor.

He doesn't want to talk about it anymore, Xie Lian thought.

Ling Wen was perceptive enough to see this too, so he didn't say anything more and allowed Yin Yu to concentrate on digging. It was some time later when Yin Yu finally spoke again.

"Chengzhu, Your Highness, we've already dug fifteen kilometers. Do we continue?"

The Earth Master Shovel worked as fast as the wind, tearing through the ground as if it were cutting tofu and leaving not a single mound of loose earth behind. And since their group ran like they were fleeing, they moved even faster than they'd managed above ground. Surprisingly, they had covered fifteen kilometers in the blink of an eye.

Xie Lian noticed that Yin Yu had included him in the question, which confused him. "You don't need to ask me," he replied gently.

"It's all the same," Hua Cheng said. "What does gege think?"

Xie Lian thought it over. "Since we were almost out of the valley by the time the mountain spirits came crushing in, fifteen kilometers should be far enough. The air underground isn't sufficient; if we stay down here, we might get dizzy. Let's start digging upward."

"Yes, sir!" Yin Yu acknowledged.

He instantly changed directions, digging upward at a slant and even erecting beautiful mud stairs as he went.

This man really is an outstanding assistant. Quick and efficient, and he speaks exactly as much as necessary, Xie Lian remarked to himself.

Everyone followed behind Yin Yu. After climbing dozens of steps, Xie Lian stepped on something hard sticking out of the ground. It didn't seem like mud or a rock, so he looked down and crouched, using his hands to scrape at the ground. A moment later, his brows knitted slightly.

Hua Cheng noticed and exclaimed, "Gege, don't touch!"

But it was too late. When Xie Lian stood up again, he already had a skull dangling from each hand.

"Everyone, a question. Did we dig into a mass grave?"

Pei Ming sighed as he pulled a femur out of the earthen wall, marveling at his find. "Probably. Look at the structure of this bone. It must've belonged to an exquisitely beautiful woman with long, slender legs. What a shame for her bones to be buried here."

"Regrettable indeed," Hua Cheng said. "The leg is long, true. But it's the bone of a man."

Once Pei Ming heard it didn't belong to a woman, he lost interest and tossed the femur away.

"To be more accurate, it's the bone of a man who was deformed after turning into a ghost. So there must be corpse poison on it," Hua Cheng added.

Pei Ming opened his palms, and sure enough, the places where his hands had touched the bone now oozed with green corpse qi.

"Can you ever manage to keep your hands to yourself? Can you?"

Ling Wen berated.

"Corpse poison, won't do any, harm. General is a, heavenly official.

It'll be, fine in a, while!" Pei Xiu said.

That femur wasn't just long and slender, it was also rather sturdy— robust and light when swung. Pei Ming picked it back up and wrapped the end with a cloth to hold it. It seemed he planned on using it as a weapon.

"Your Highness, how come you're fine holding those two skulls?"

Xie Lian put the two skulls down gently and showed his hands to the others. As it turned out, his palms were radiating that same green, but the color was rapidly fading.

"Truth be told, I've been poisoned by corpses many times," Xie Lian explained. "At least eight hundred, if not a thousand. I'm quite immune to it now; this level of poison is manageable."

His explanation was oddly silly, and their companions almost laughed. Hua Cheng, however, didn't seem amused at all. He walked over and crushed the skulls to pieces under his boot.

Xie Lian had spoken calmly, but he could tell Hua Cheng was upset when he heard the violent, furiously brutal sound of crushed bones. He wanted to ask what was going on, but he couldn't help but feel that Hua Cheng's foul mood was his fault somehow. He didn't dare to pry further.

A little later, Hua Cheng demanded quietly and flatly, "What's taking so long?"

The surface shouldn't have been more than six meters away. Even if their slanting course made the distance slightly farther, it still shouldn't have taken this long.

Yin Yu was also baffled. "I'm confused too… Wait, there it is. We've dug through!"

Right after Hua Cheng's inquiry, the Earth Master Shovel pierced the surface. Yin Yu cleared a large hole and leapt out first.

"We're…out?"

Everyone climbed through. But they were all puzzled the moment their feet touched the "surface."

"Are we back above ground? No, that's not right. What is this place?"

Pei Ming asked.

They definitely hadn't emerged outside, as the light was extremely dim.

"It was still daytime when we were walking through the valley.

There's no reason the sky would turn dark so fast," Ling Wen commented.

A few shimmering wraith butterflies flew out and circled the area.

The group could finally clearly see where they were.

It was an enormous cave, empty and spacious. The domed ceiling was extremely high and wide and looked like an ink-black night sky. They were surrounded by countless smaller caves, each of which led in a different direction.

Xie Lian was amazed. "Is this place man-made or naturally formed?"

Hua Cheng took a glance, his arms crossed. "It's natural."

Even though he still answered Xie Lian's every question, Xie Lian kept his previous moment of oddness in mind.

"The point we picked to dig upward earlier happened to be right under this mountain," Hua Cheng added. "We dug into it."

Xie Lian nodded. "I see. Then let's hurry and find the exit."

"But which, way?" Pei Xiu asked.

That was the question of the hour. There were many tiny caverns that no person could possibly crawl through, but there were still at least seven or eight other cavities that were large enough for exploration. Xie Lian crossed his arms and contemplated.

"Split, up into, groups? It's the, fastest way," Pei Xiu said.

Xie Lian dropped his arms. "No. Splitting up is the worst thing we could do right now. If there's anything hiding in the shadows, it'd be too easy to ambush us. I'd rather take our time finding the right path than divide our power."

Pei Ming wielded his new femur weapon. He seemed addicted to swinging it, and he spoke as he swung.

"Then we'll stick together. Let's try this way first."

Thus, the group picked a path and followed it together. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian took the lead.

After walking in silence for a while, Xie Lian ventured in a whisper, "San Lang?"

Hua Cheng had long since stopped showing any sign of upset, and he answered, "Does gege have a question?"

Xie Lian couldn't bring himself to ask if he had been angry earlier, so he replied offhandedly. "No, it's nothing. Just…this tunnel is so winding and twisted, like intestines. I'm a little dizzy."

"Do you want to take a break?" Hua Cheng instantly replied. He didn't sound like he was joking at all.

"No need, no need," Xie Lian hurriedly said.

Behind them, Pei Ming piped up. "Did I hear that right? Your Highness, you get dizzy from a little walking?"

"…" Xie Lian was a bit embarrassed by what he'd said, and he felt like he was forcing conversation, so he pretended he didn't hear Pei Ming's comment.

"Everyone, do follow closely," he said sternly. "This tunnel has many twists and turns, so it would be easy for something to go wrong…" As he spoke, he turned to look back and immediately stopped in shock, grabbing Hua Cheng to stop him as well.

"San Lang!"

"What is it?" Hua Cheng asked, and when he turned to look as well, he frowned.

There was no one behind them!

Pei Ming had not been far behind when he teased them. Now the dark cave was empty except for the two of them. Hua Cheng immediately gripped Xie Lian's shoulder, his voice dark.

"Gege, stay close to me. Don't run off anywhere."

Xie Lian held his breath, tense and alert. "Is there something hiding in the mountain?"

"No," Hua Cheng said. "But it's even more worrisome that there's nothing here."

For that meant they were dealing with something that could come close undetected and steal everyone away right under their noses!