Chapter 81: Guarding Heaven's Pass pt. 2

Ming Zhuo stared at the coffin, his expression revealing neither joy nor sorrow. The Xiaogui, unaware of the situation inside the coffin, still looked hopeful, waiting for Ming Zhuo's praise with its face like a green dumpling. After half the day, Ming Zhuo finally opened his mouth, "Who has been here?"

The Xiaogui mumbled some “dídígūgū” sounds, likely explaining that the disciples of the sect had come, but they were always in a hurry to carry the bodies and merely passed by the altar without checking out the secrets of this hidden place.

Ming Zhuo said, "There should be Ming Han's head in here."

Months ago, Ming Zhuo had personally sealed Ming Han's head in the coffin. He still remembered that Ming Han's eyes were tightly shut, maintaining the last expression he had in life. Now, though the sealing spell was intact, the head was missing. Could it truly be the work of ghosts and gods?

"Once the head was put in, it wouldn't just disappear into thin air. There are countless mystical arts in the world, maybe one of them involves stealing objects from afar," Luo Xu suggested, flipping a copper coin between his fingers. "This matter involves seeking out lost things in the realm of the dead. For such matters, one should consult the Yin-Yang Coin. Try tossing it to ask your question."

The copper coin looked ordinary, no different from those used by common folk, but it had a significant origin. It was made from scraps of the copper beast that guarded the waters, with inscriptions on both sides: one side read "Heaven’s Path Gone Astray," and the other "Seek the Sea’s Way." It was originally used by the Heavenly Sea Guards to find their way in the heavenly seas but gradually became known as the Yin-Yang Coin, capable of answering questions related to the dead.

Ming Zhuo took the coin, tossed it into the air, and straightforwardly asked, "Where did the head in the coffin go?"

The coin glinted in the candlelight, flipping several times in the air before landing with a "dīng" inside the coffin. However, it didn't stop there; instead, it continued to spin.

Ming Zhuo asked, "What does this mean?"

"We ask it a question, and it will spin a few times, then stop with the 'Seek the Sea’s Way' side facing the answer to our question," Luo Xu explained, his tone pausing slightly. "It's spinning continuously now, which means it doesn't know where the head in the coffin is."

The copper coin was a personal item carried by the Heavenly Sea Guards when they went out to sea. It was exceptionally sensitive in matters of finding spirits and tracking trails, more so than a hunting dog, and was known to be unfailingly accurate. Luo Xu had obtained this particular coin from his father, and it had never failed to provide an answer before.

As the coin continued to spin on its own, Ming Zhuo reached out his hand. "Take it out and toss it again."

Luo Xu replied, "You can toss it countless times, but you can only ask it one question."

"That rule makes no sense. If it can't answer or gives a wrong answer, it still counts?" Ming Zhuo didn't withdraw his hand and looked at Luo Xu. "If that's the case, then fine. I asked just now; now it's your turn to ask."

"Alright, Shaoye." Luo Xu lowered his fingers, retrieved the Yin-Yang Coin from the coffin, and said, "How should I phrase the question?"

Ming Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "Ask it where Ming Han's head is."

Luo Xu steadied the coin with his fingers and then gave it a gentle flick with his thumb, sending it spinning into the air once more. He repeated verbatim, "Where is Ming Han's head?"

Dīng—

Seeing that the coin showed no sign of stopping, Luo Xu extended his hand, intending to retrieve it. But just then, the coin suddenly stopped spinning, then toppled over and lay flat at the bottom of the coffin. In the dim light of the tower, Luo Xu could just make out the four characters "Seek the Sea’s Way."

—Seek the Sea’s Way, the Yin-Yang gives the direction. The direction of the Yin-Yang coin was clear: Ming Han's head was above them!

As if sharing the same thought, the two of them simultaneously looked up.

Above them, the darkness was deep and eerie, with many cloth scrolls inscribed with scriptures hanging down. These scrolls overlapped like ghostly silhouettes, swaying in the night wind. The limited candlelight below did not fully illuminate the scene, but in the dimness, there was indeed a pale face staring down at them.

Ming Han!

Ming Zhuo hooked three fingers as if pulling an invisible thread: "Come down!"

The cloth scrolls fluttered wildly with a "hūlālā," and the face disintegrated into countless paper fragments, swirling like a swarm of butterflies as they descended. This technique of controlling puppets with paper was all too familiar to Ming Zhuo. Sure enough, midway through their fall, the paper fragments transformed into Baiwei warriors.

As soon as the Baiwei warriors landed, the flicker of blades flashed. The Xiaogui, still holding the coffin, shrank back and screamed as the blades came at it.

Luo Xu flicked his fingers and retrieved the copper coin. He placed one hand on the coffin lid, simultaneously pressing down the Xiaogui’s head: "Banishment."

The Banishment Incantation!

Luo Xu had used this spell before in Peidu; it worked similarly to the God’s Forbidden Ground spell, both restricting the use of spiritual energy. However, the Banishment Incantation had limitations in duration and range, typically lasting about fifteen minutes.

Without the support of spiritual energy, the tips of the Baiwei warriors' blades softened first. Their faces wrinkled like water-soaked paper, their bodies shrank, and they were about to revert to paper fragments. At that moment, the corpse on the wooden bed suddenly opened its eyes, and the talismans suppressing its resentment all fell off.

The corpse had reanimated!

"Debts must be repaid, and murder must be avenged," Ming Zhuo said, slapping the wooden bed beside him. "All of you are intelligent ghosts who have become Tongshen, so don't seek the wrong person."

As he slapped the bed, lightning crackled like a whip in the air, producing a loud thunderclap. The corpse that had just sat up collapsed back like a puppet with cut strings.

The one controlling the corpse realised their plan had failed and decided to flee, slipping through the cloth scrolls above and escaping through the wall. The Baiwei warriors instantly disintegrated into a flurry of paper fragments, scattering everywhere.

Ming Zhuo sneered, "Stealing the head I chopped off, and now you think you can run away?"

The two of them chased the figure out of the Zhenxiong Tower. The rain outside had intensified, and in a few swift leaps, their target disappeared into the dense forest. With the dark night and heavy rain, Ming Zhuo saw Luo Xu taking out the copper coin again and thought he was going to ask it another question. He said, "Didn't you say it could only be asked once?"

"I did say it could only be asked once," Luo Xu replied, tossing the coin into the air, "but I also said it could be tossed countless times."

The copper coin spun like an arrow released from a bow, shooting forward with a "sōu." The spiritual energy the other person had just used in the tower had not dissipated yet. For the Yin-Yang coin, this was akin to a dog smelling a bone—it was all "scent."

Following the copper coin, the two of them pursued into the dense forest. Rain pelted down, and leaves flew. The other person seemed desperate to shake them off, causing the copper coin to spin and stop abruptly, leading them in circles through the forest. Seeing they couldn’t shake off their pursuers, the other person cast another spell.

The branches above Ming Zhuo's head shook, scattering a few droplets of water. These droplets transformed mid-air into human figures made of water, which then struck at the two below with several palm strikes. 

Pēng!

The water-formed figures shattered into a spray before they could touch Ming Zhuo. He raised his hand, revealing a "manji" character chain on his fingers, mocking, "Your puppet control technique is indeed impressive, but unfortunately for you, I have protection from the Imperial Lord these days, and I'm wearing your nemesis."

The "manji" fire spell originated from the Sun God Tai Shao, who was the eye of the Jiao Mother, making them natural enemies to the Hugui Clan that worshipped Da'a. Thus, as soon as the water puppets approached Ming Zhuo, they were shattered by the "manji" character chain.

The other person snorted, half-hidden in the shadows of the trees: "Protection? You speak well, but now everyone knows that you two are secretly conspiring, indulging in debauchery in the Heavenly Sea, and attracting attention. Ming Zhuo, you are supposed to be a seven-foot-tall man, yet to save your life, you are willing to submit to another man.(2) How disgraceful!"

The voice was rough and hoarse, clearly not their original voice.

Ming Zhuo let out a cold laugh, "Setting aside everything else, how do you know it is I who submit to the Imperial Lord, and not the Imperial Lord who submits to me?"

The other person didn't expect Ming Zhuo to be unashamed and even questioned them further, immediately expressing disgust, "What's the difference? It's two men either way."

"You stole the corpse first, then eavesdropped on private conversations at night. Every single act is disgraceful," Luo Xu summoned the copper coin back and wiped the rain off it with his finger. "Now you still dare to interfere with my affairs?"

The other person said, "The Imperial Lord’s status is so high that I can't interfere even if I wanted to. But if the old Imperial Lord were still alive and saw you cavorting with Yongze like this, who knows what he would think."

"Strange, we've been 'secretly conspiring and acting in collusion,' yet you still refer to him as the Imperial Lord?" Ming Zhuo appeared puzzled. "Is it because my name is too easy to remember, or are you afraid that saying his name will reveal your identity?"

Luo Xu's name wasn't a secret, but few knew it. One reason was that since he succeeded the position, he rarely interacted with the sects. Another reason was that the Heavenly Sea Guards were independent of the Four Mountains. Since the old Imperial Lord's time, he had always been called Shao-jun.(3)

The other person still refused to show their face and took another step back upon hearing this: "Shouldn't you, of all people, know who I am?"

Ming Zhuo said, "Stop beating around the bush and return that head."

The other person let out a strange laugh: "That head, Lord, you're so anxious about that head—are you afraid? It makes sense! Ming Han was both your father and your Shifu. You went through great pains to kill him back then. Now that the head is missing, you must be very uneasy."

Ming Zhuo's expression turned cold: "Fine, if you refuse to return it, then join Ming Han in the coffin."

The sound of thunder rang out like an explosive overhead, and the forest suddenly lit up as bright as day.

The opponent's figure vanished in an instant, and when he reappeared, he was facing Luo Xu directly. Luo Xu, fiddling with the copper coin between his fingers, held it upright: "You can control puppets, but you're not from the Hugui Clan."

The Yin-Yang coin could seek and trace spirits, distinguishing the "scent" of the opponent's spiritual energy. The world's sects originated from the Jiao Mother, and the spiritual energy they borrowed had a different "scent" from that of the Hugui Clan. The opponent had been using puppet-controlling techniques all along without employing any incantations from the Six Prefectures sects, clearly not wanting to reveal his affiliation. However, spiritual energy couldn't lie to the Yin-Yang coin. Although it was still unclear exactly which sect he belonged to, it was certain he was not from the Hugui Clan.

"Ming Zhuo isn't from the Hugui Clan either, yet he can control puppets," the opponent summoned several Baiwei warriors with a wave of his hand. "Imperial Lord, why make a fuss?"

The Baiwei warriors surrounded the forest densely, and amidst the torrential rain and sudden wind, there were flashes of countless blades. Rain droplets splattered as Luo Xu clenched his empty hand, causing the Baiwei warriors to be instantly sliced in half, scattering large pieces of paper in the rain.

The opponent gasped, not expecting Luo Xu to destroy his paper puppets so easily. Controlling puppets and commanding ghosts both consumed one's spiritual energy. Having failed several times and unwilling to reveal himself, he had no choice but to retreat a few steps, bite his tongue, and spit blood into his palm, drawing a talisman in blood.

The blood talisman shone brightly, releasing a wisp of black mist in the rain. The black mist spread like a flock of crows, dispersing in an instant.

Ming Zhuo remarked, "Drawing a tailsmen so beautifully, you must indeed be an acquaintance."

The opponent didn't respond, turning to flee. As he turned, he encountered Luo Xu again and was shocked: "You—"

In a flash, he realised that this time the one blocking his path had silver hair.

"Does it look similar?" Ming Zhuo snapped his fingers. "Hand over the head."

"Luo Xu" suddenly transformed into a fair-faced official puppet, drawing dual blades to strike. The opponent evaded the blade's wind, retreating continuously under the relentless slashes. However, the real Luo Xu was behind him, leaving no room for escape. Caught in a bind, he faced Luo Xu, his voice changing abruptly amidst the flashing lightning and roaring thunder.

"With so many corpses inside, you use none of them and rely on a mere paper puppet," he said. "Ming Zhuo, your heart is still so soft!"

The voice and tone were eerily similar to Ming Han's. Despite knowing the opponent was doing this intentionally, Ming Zhuo's anger flared, "Kill him!"

The fair-faced official puppet's blade struck the opponent's neck with a bone-crushing "gūlū," and the head fell off. As it hit the ground, it turned into a broken incense stick.

"Although it was a puppet, the puppet master is nearby," Luo Xu picked up the broken incense stick, seeing it had burned halfway. "This is the incense used to suppress resentment inside the tower."

"He doesn't need to chant to cast spells, and draws talismans skillfully," Ming Zhuo raised his hand to summon back the small paper puppet. "And can get hold of the broken incense used by the sect. I don't need to say more for you to guess who he is."

"There are very few who can use non-sect incantations to contend with us," Luo Xu said. "There are just a few sect leaders, and he's adept at drawing talismans, making his identity quite obvious."

The only sect known for drawing talismans to cast spells was the Kuwu Clan of Dongzhao Mountain. The previous clan leader was Lin Shifei. After Lin Shifei's death, the leadership temporarily fell to his disciple. Temporarily, because Lin Shifei's Shifu, Lin Changming, was still alive.

Speaking of Lin Changming, he was known as the "Thousand-Gold Brush" in the Six Prefectures. He came from a prestigious background and was quite chivalrous in his youth, though his romantic escapades were numerous, leaving lovers all over the states. However, he was generous and handsome, ensuring every romance ended well, earning him the nickname "Ruyi Lang."(4)

"There's a legend that Lin Changming once single-handedly drew the Nightmare Sealing Array to save Jiang Linzhai," Ming Zhuo said. "He's been known as a renowned master for many years. I have no dealings with him. If he wanted to kill me, why not come directly? This sneaky behaviour reeks of something fishy."

"Indeed, something's off," Luo Xu stared at the broken incense, suddenly asking, "The blood talisman he drew earlier, have you seen it before?"

"Never," Ming Zhuo noticed the incense still burning, "Does this incense burn even in the rain?"

"Broken incense means ending the life completely, burning incense signifies the soul's return," Luo Xu explained. "It's meant to persuade the dead to rest in peace, not to wake up..."

As he spoke, an unsettling thought struck him.

Lin Changming's blood talisman had summoned black mist resembling a flock of crows. Once dispersed into the forest, it became inactive. Could it be that he was still controlling puppets, using the black mist as a cover to send other puppets elsewhere?

"I just remembered something," Ming Zhuo said, "the Nightmare Sealing Array—"

The wind and rain suddenly intensified, turning into a curtain of torrential rain, pelting them to the point that they could not open their eyes. The trees shook violently, and the wind swept up the paper scraps and leaves. An invisible pressure descended from the sky. If someone were to look down from above, they would see that the spiritual energy in the area was converging into a vortex, resembling a gnarled dragon stirring the sea.

"Spiritual energy—" Ming Zhuo shielded his face, shouting, "It's being siphoned off!"

Indeed, not just from him and Luo Xu, but from all the Tongshen, spirits, and ghosts in the outskirts of the city. Everyone's spiritual energy was being "borrowed" from their bodies, spiralling upwards to sustain the formation.

Lin Changming's blood talisman was indeed meant to complete the Nightmare Sealing Array. It seemed he had long planned this, first using Ming Han's head to lure Ming Zhuo and Luo Xu to this place, then using puppets as a cover, and finally activating the Nightmare Sealing Array.

The Nightmare Sealing Array was one of the secret techniques of the Kuwu Clan and was a grand formation. The reason it borrowed so much spiritual energy was that it could "create something out of nothing," using the mind of the person who set up the formation to draw out a nightmare illusion comparable to reality.

Luo Xu grabbed Ming Zhuo's wrist, pulling him toward himself. However, the rain heavily poured down, and the Ming Zhuo he was holding onto shattered into pieces. Not only Ming Zhuo but everything around him seemed to be torn apart by a giant hand, like a painting being shredded.

The world turned upside down as if splashed with ink.

—The sound of the suona was loud and clear, and everyone praised the beautiful bride.(5)

The bridal sedan chair rocked back and forth, and upon regaining his senses, Luo Xu found himself as the bride. The Imperial Lord lifted the veil, using a mirror on his knee to take a look.

Good, he wasn't dressed in women's clothing, just adorned with silver hair and a crown, looking somewhat like a bride.

But then he thought—

Everything in this formation must follow the mind of the person who set it up. He wasn't dressed in women's clothing, which meant that in the mind of "Ruyi Lang," this "bride" was not a woman.

With a kuāngdāng, the sedan chair arrived at its destination. The curtain was lifted, and the matchmaker was a round-faced woman with thin eyebrows and eyes, and two blobs of rouge on her cheeks. She called out in a cheerful tone, wanting to put the veil on Luo Xu.

"Jiang Lang-jun," she said joyfully, "You can't lift the veil yourself!"(6)

Luo Xu, tall and long-legged, felt constrained sitting in the sedan chair. However, hearing the matchmaker's address, he raised his eyelids slightly and repeated, "Jiang Lang-jun?"

"Yes, yes, aren't you Jiang Lang-jun?" she said happily. "You're the famous good gentleman of Guangzhou, everyone calls you that. Jiang Lang-jun, time waits for no one, get out of the sedan chair quickly, or Ruyi Lang will be anxious!"

Luo Xu's eyelids twitched lightly. He knew of a “Jiang Lang-jun”, who was Jiang Shuangke's Shifu, Jiang Linzhai. He also knew of a Ruyi Lang, the Lin Changming he had just encountered. As far as he knew, these two had only one interaction in reality, which was several years ago when Jiang Linzhai lost his hand while travelling with his disciple in Guangzhou.

—Interesting.

Luo Xu tossed the veil to the matchmaker, bent down, and got out of the sedan chair. His boots hit the ground, and the suona players on both sides played even louder. Strangely, what lay before him was not a mansion or a restaurant, but a temple of the river god.

The matchmaker, smiling brightly, led Luo Xu, saying, "Jiang Lang-jun, look, Ruyi Lang has already come!"

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