Chapter 111: Incense Note

Before anyone could react, they were drenched by the sudden downpour. A person shielded against the storm and shouted, "He... he is Yongze!"

Upon hearing this name, everyone present was immediately on high alert, descending into chaos. Someone shouted, "Why is the tyrant here?"

"He snuck in without a sound—could he be planning to recreate the massacre of the Baiwei warriors?"

"Quick, gather everyone!"

"Cui Shixiong is in trouble..." Another person tried to pull Cui Changting, only to find him limp like a rag doll on the ground. Horrified, he exclaimed, "He killed Cui Shixiong!"

The group recoiled in terror, abandoning Cui Changting for fear of being the next victim. Ming Zhuo stepped forward and kicked Cui Changting, asking, "Where is the incense burner?"

Cui Changting rolled down the steps from the force of the kick, looking utterly miserable. Failing to feign unconsciousness, his body half-soaked by the rain, he trembled as he stammered, "In-in the main hall..."

Before his words could fully land, the Divine Palace trembled violently. The sudden jolt caught everyone off guard, causing them to sway and shout in unison, "He's summoning the Baiwei warriors!"

"I can't see anything through this rain!"

"Watch out for any backstabbing!"

Amidst the chaos, Ming Zhuo and Luo Xu had already entered the palace. Ming Zhuo casually tossed out a paper figure, which transformed into a powdered-faced attendant upon hitting the ground. He instructed the attendant, "Lead the way."

The attendant held up an umbrella to shield Ming Zhuo from the rain, but before it could be fully opened, Luo Xu intercepted it. The Lord lazily lifted one side of the umbrella to cover himself, saying, "He's so short, how could he possibly cover the both of us? Let him focus on leading the way, and I'll hold the umbrella."

Earlier, when preparing to support the Lord, Luo Xu had transformed his black hair back to silver. Now, squeezed under the umbrella, a few strands of silver hair brushed against Ming Zhuo's shoulder as if inadvertently trespassing.

Ming Zhuo said, "Where's your coin? Toss one, let's see."

The Yin-Yang coin had previously tracked Ming Han's spiritual energy within the Nightmare Sealing Array, so it was bound to detect any traces of Ming Han's mischief within the Divine Palace.

"I didn't retrieve it after returning to Peidu," Luo Xu replied, snapping his fingers—a gesture he had learnt from Ming Zhuo. "Come out and show yourself to the Lord."

The coin shot out from the rain with a "sōu," circled the two of them, and finally landed with a crisp "dīng" in Ming Zhuo's palm. Ming Zhuo picked it up and said, "You left it outside to patrol—do you suspect this anomaly has something to do with Ming Han?"

Luo Xu responded, "The Divine Palace is not only your old home but also his. With the Yin-Yang coin patrolling, it can warn us of any abnormalities in advance."

The fair-faced servant, familiar with the palace layout, led them toward the Jianling Hall. Along the way, they both caught a whiff of incense. Ming Zhuo remarked, "This is the scent of Bao Luo incense."(1)

Luo Xu wrinkled his nose slightly, clearly displeased with the strong aroma. "It's too overpowering."

Ming Zhuo explained, "This is one of the secret incenses of the Shaman Sect, used to appease deities. The palace used to be filled with this scent, even my mother's sleeves carried it."

Ming Han had mentioned in the Nightmare Sealing Array that he often used Ming Zhuo to drive Hui Mang mad, and the only thing that could calm Hui Mang down was Bao Luo incense. However, it seemed that the elder Huang, who had summoned the deity, had gone mad! The scent in the Divine Palace was now so strong and sickly sweet that it was as if he had burned down an entire mountain of Bao Luo incense.

When they arrived at Jianling Hall, they found the courtyard filled with numerous fish-shaped incense burners. Luo Xu observed, "This incense is freshly burned—the disciples of the Shaman Sect must have left recently."

Ming Zhuo's gaze swept over the incense burners. "This incense is sufficient to intimidate ordinary wicked spirits, but borrowing enough spiritual energy from the Incense God to command the giant statues is far from adequate. There's no trace of any living beings nearby—the disciples of the Shaman Sect may have all been sacrificed."

Without needing an order, the fair-faced servant had already lifted the curtain of the Jianling Hall. A wave of warm air, filled with a strange fragrance, immediately poured out.

Gūdū.(2)

From inside the hall came the sound of someone ravenously devouring food.

The tearing of flesh, the snapping of bones, and the splattering of blood—it was all sound, with no visible scene. The hall's furnishings were undisturbed, with even the tea table and cushions neatly arranged as if it were a perfect place to watch the rain and sip tea.

Suddenly, the fair-faced servant giggled, "Dianxia has returned."

The title "Dianxia" was used by only one person in the Divine Palace—Ming Zhuo's mother, the blind princess who had died many years ago. Ming Zhuo furrowed his brow and attempted to summon back the attendant, but the situation changed in an instant. Just as he curled his finger, the fair-faced servant was torn apart!

The Yin-Yang coin buzzed a warning. Ming Zhuo felt a sharp gust of wind as if something invisible was trying to touch his face. The Yin-Yang coin spun and hovered, glowing with silver light, repelling the unseen force.

Luo Xu tilted the umbrella to cover half of Ming Zhuo's body and said, "The Fragrant God is in this very hall!"

The white curtains hanging from the ceiling suddenly billowed, and the strange fragrance thickened like a mist, enveloping everything. The sound of rain quickly faded, and in the next moment, all they could hear was the sound of chewing and swallowing.

Ming Zhuo snapped his fingers, summoning lightning. "Open!"

Purple electricity crackled between his fingers, drawing the roaring thunder dragon, yet the surroundings remained dim, the scent so overwhelming it made one dizzy. Luo Xu grabbed his wrist and said, "The Fragrant God is at its peak after feasting—once we enter this mist, we'll be at its mercy. This way!"

Ming Zhuo quickly recalled the paper figure, but before he could examine it, Luo Xu had already pulled him away. The louder the chewing sounds grew, the darker it became, until only the Yin-Yang coin continued to emit a faint silver glow. The white curtains flew wildly around them, and when Ming Zhuo regained his senses, he realised he was alone.

Ming Zhuo stopped the coin. "You've lost your master."

The Yin-Yang coin spun in place for a moment before suddenly darting in a different direction. It was closely attuned to Luo Xu, so it naturally knew his scent. Ming Zhuo followed it a few steps and saw a faint light in the distance. As he approached, he discovered a very low passage.

Ming Zhuo asked, "Did he go inside?"

The Yin-Yang coin couldn't answer, instead slipping into the passage. Ming Zhuo bent down and followed, the passage growing narrower the further he went. By the time he reached the end, he had to crouch down almost completely. He began to feel that something was off, as the passage seemed familiar as if he had been here before.

The passage ended in a curtain, beyond which came the sound of a pipa being played. Ming Zhuo paused, suddenly realising where he was. This place was similar to the depths of Jianling Hall, where, during the Three Mountains Rebellion, Ming Han had been humiliated before the curtain, while Ming Zhuo had hidden behind a similar curtain, watching the shadows move and hearing the taunts and insults.

Ming Zhuo knew this had to be the Fragrant God’s doing, so he yanked the curtain aside. The light from behind it flooded in, but instead of the expected reenactment of past events, there was only one person standing there. The Yin-Yang coin, as if deflated, fell from the air. It didn't hit the ground but rather landed on the person's body.

Ming Zhuo shielded his eyes from the light, peering through his raised hand to see who was before him. The person was also looking at him, and as their gazes met, Ming Zhuo's expression gradually stiffened, his demeanour changing.

"Interesting," the lord remarked, his tone curious and his gaze insolent. "...There's a little white-haired pup hiding in here."

The Author Has Something to Say

Thanks for reading. 

The Translator has Something to Say

Let's go!!! Next arch coming so soon! And we'll be caught up before you know it! 

Foot Notes

1. 宝珞香 (bǎo luò xiāng) treasure necklace insence. I forget how I might have translated it before now… sorry! I will go back through later to check on that.

2. 咕嘟 (gū dū) is a sound effect. Similar to the sound of a gulp.