Ch.125: Unravel the Dead Knot; Water Master Battles Demon Xuan 2
Seeing Xie Lian come to, Hua Cheng parted his lips slowly, seeming to pull away.
However, under such dire circumstances, Xie Lian couldn’t care for that much anymore.
He raised both his arms, circled them around his neck and moved to suck back the spiritual powers Hua Cheng had sucked away.
Clearly Hua Cheng hadn’t expected him to do this and it took him by surprise as spiritual powers flowed back the other way. Afraid he was going to break away, Xie Lian cupped his face with his hands, flipped their bodies over and pushed Hua Cheng onto the ground, pressing him down. A wave of cool currents poured into this body and streamed down his throat into his stomach, warm and pleasant. Just then, the little wooden door of Puqi Shrine creaked open, and a giant green caterpillar-like shadow crawled out of the shrine, “What the fuck, which son of a bitch is this bold?! A thieving punk? You dare come to MY house to steal, and disturb MY slumber?! Achoo! This ancestor’s gonna show you a thing…” He trailed off when he saw the two outside the shrine who looked like they were wrapped in each others arms kissing fervently and passionately, their silhouettes overlapping, one red one white, who else could they be?
Instantly, he shrieked, “YIIIEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!”
Hua Cheng raised his hand and was originally going to grab for Xie Lian’s shoulder, but hearing Qi Rong make noise he turned his wrist and Qi Rong yelped as he was thrown back inside with the door slamming shut behind him with a PANG! Only then did Hua Cheng rolled them over again and pressed down on Xie Lian’s body. He lifted his face, his breathing harsh, his eyes dark and shimmering, “Your Highness!”
Xie Lian didn’t have the time to explain; he lifted his arm and hooked them around Hua Cheng’s neck, pulling him down once more. Having sucked enough spiritual power, he choked a cough before crying, “SOUL-SHIFTING-SPELL!”
This time however, just as his soul was pulled out, before he was even thrown upwards it was like there was a wall blocking him, and he was heavily rebounded back into his own body. He “Ah”-ed in shock. Opening his eyes, above him was still that starry night sky and the anxious face of Hua Cheng. Xie Lian sat up and hugged his head, murmuring, “…I can’t pass through anymore.”
Did Shi Qingxuan die? Or did Black Water Demon Xuan reinforced his barrier? No matter what, either way, he couldn’t return to Shi Qingxuan’s body. Even if he was to hurry to the South Sea, he’d for sure be too late.
Seeing him bemused, Hua Cheng said, “Your Highness, I’m sorry.”
Xie Lian looked at him. Hua Cheng added, “But, outsiders can’t possibly interfere in this affair.”
Xie Lian waved his hand, “…You don’t need to apologize. Truthfully, even if I’m there I won’t be able to do much.”
With the Soul Shifting Spell, he could only enter Shi Qingxuan’s body. However, Shi Qingxuan was no more than mortal, and even if Xie Lian could help him break free of those shackles, how could he possibly fight against the master of the Black Water Demon Lair? Even escape was impossible.
After he’d gathered himself, Xie Lian swiftly returned to the spiritual communication array of the heavens, “Ling Wen, have you all set off?”
“Your Highness!” Ling Wen exclaimed, “How come you just went silent for such a long period of time? We’ve already dispatched a number of heavenly officials over to the South Sea. His Highness Qi Ying returned, so he will set off in a bit too, but the Black Water Demon Lair isn’t easy to enter, who knows when we’ll find them.”
Xie Lian croaked, “Wait, I’ll go with you all. Maybe I’ll still remember the way. But I’ll need to trouble you to send someone to pick me up from Puqi Shrine.”
“Very well. He’s arrived just now.” Ling Wen said.
Slight taken aback, Xie Lian turned his head back. Hua Cheng had disappeared, but two junior officials came forward from Puqi Village, and behind them followed a tall, wavy black haired youth. It was Quan Yizhen.
Xie Lian inclined his head to greet him. Quan Yizhen didn’t understand formalities so he didn’t reciprocate the gesture, but Xie Lian didn’t mind. He looked around but didn’t see Hua Cheng’s shadow anywhere, and he understood that Hua Cheng was giving him room to deal with this affair.
The two and the junior officials left for the South Sea. Following Xie Lian’s suggestion, they went out of their way to gather over ten hefty coffins that had carried the dead to prepare for any unexpected situations. After the ship flew through the waters for over six hours, they ran into a bizarre sight upon the surface of the sea.
A number of corpses of giant skeleton fish were floating on the seas’ surface and they collided with the ship. Many heavenly officials were instantly alarmed, “ARE WE THERE?!”
“That’s can’t be.” Xie Lian said, “If we’ve already entered the Black Water Demon Lair, the ship won’t keep afloat on the waters and still move this fast too.”
However, this was clearly the remains from General Pei and Water Master’s battle the night before. Quan Yizhen was perched on the side railing of the ship, maintaining that high difficulty position when suddenly, he said, “There’s a black island ahead. Is that the one?”
Xie Lian focused his eyes and sure enough there really was a shadowy island. Also, from afar, it did indeed resemble that Black Water Island!
Xie Lian frowned slightly, “It really does look like it. But how can it be found so easily, and the ship didn’t sink? Everyone remain vigilant, this might be a trap.”
But just as the words left his lips he realized it wasn’t a trap. On the beach there was a figure, under the bright sun, slashing at logs with the sacred sword meant for killing enemies making coffins. On the side there were already three completed coffins, and he was making a fourth just then. Xie Lian immediately started waving, “GENERAL PEI! It’s General Pei! It’s this island without a doubt!”
The ship immediately changed direction and steered swiftly over. When Pei Ming saw that reinforcements had arrived, he didn’t appear particularly delighted, but instead he threw the sword into the ground, rubbed his nose and asked, sounding grim, “You all just had to come just as I finish making these, what the heck.”
“It’s already amazing that anyone even showed up.” Quan Yizhen said. “When everyone heard it was to save you, no one had time.”
“…” Pei Ming bore the expression like he didn’t want to bother with children and turned to Xie Lian, “Your Highness, you went back first? How did you build this ship? How can it float on the waters of the Demon Lair?”
“I don’t think it’s the ship,” Xie Lian said, “The curse of the Black Water Demon Lair had dispersed.”
Taken aback, Pei Ming tested it with his sword, and sure enough, with but one swing a field of large trees fell. His spiritual powers had returned. Speechless for a moment, Pei Ming shook his head, “Had I known, I wouldn’t have worked so hard to build these coffins.”
It was true that he did labour tirelessly all night. He made coffins for four but three of them were now useless.
The group of heavenly officials entered the island and ran straight for the heart of the forest. The little ghosts ambushing in the woods had never seen such a battle formation and were all scampering away in terror, fleeing left right and centre. Once they reached the Black Water Lake within the trees, they didn’t run into any invisible creatures.
Without the disturbance of any foreign spiritual barriers, after some examination they were able to break the boundary, disperse the illusion, and soon enough, the iron prison and the Nether Water Manor all appeared before their eyes.
Once they entered the Nether Water Manor, Xie Lian collected the remains of that black robed skeleton and tucked it away, holding it in his hands as he ran all over the palace.
Soon, they found that great hall. Upon that mottled wall, the two bloody steel shackles were already empty. A headless corpse laid on the floor in the middle of the hall, its blood already run dry, and a group of mad men were throwing random objects at it. The moment the heavenly officials entered that group of maniacs became even more excited.
When Pei Ming came in, he was stunned for a good while before he finally dared to recognize who that corpse belonged to. Shaken, he exclaimed, “…Water Master-xiong!”
Xie Lian was already knowledgeable about this and instructed, “Will everyone please search here and on this entire island for Lord Wind Master, or… his corpse.”
However, no matter how much they looked, there were no traces of Shi Qingxuan on the island.
Had the Black Water Demon Xuan taken the Wind Master away? Or perhaps the Wind Master was murdered directly and his dead body sunken into the seas, his flesh devoured by fish?
Although Shi Wudu went berserk at the very end and provoked He Xuan to kill violently, he was now dead, but he wasn’t killed by Shi Qingxuan’s own hands, so would He Xuan still switch Wind Master’s fate?
Chasing away those irritating lunatics, Pei Ming half crouched down on the floor, and was lost in thought for a long time before he sighed, “Water Master-xiong. You’ve been proud your whole life but ended like this. I don’t even know if your eyes are closed*.
Truly, the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Life is full of surprises, and one cannot escape whatever that comes. Even when mortal has become god, we do not have the good fortune to avoid fate in the end.”
Quan Yizhen didn’t hold such deep sentiments and ran around soundly within the Nether Water Manor. When he came by, glanced at the dead body and thought it strange, “Where’s the head?”
“It was taken by the Black Water Demon Xuan.” Xie Lian replied.
“What grudge, what resentment did the Demon Lair Master hold against him? And where’s Qingxuan? Earth Master? Did all three Water Earth Wind officials all perish?”
“It was a great grudge indeed, a great resentment.” Xie Lian said, “As for Lord Earth Master, it depends on which you’re asking after. The real one is in my hands, the fake one was the one who took away Lord Water Master’s head.”
“What?!”
Xie Lian eyed him and said softly, “General Pei didn’t know, right? Black Water Demon Xuan’s real surname was He, his courtesy name is Xuan.”
Hearing this, Pei Ming’s face changed slightly. It seemed, Pei Ming and Ling Wen weren’t completely in the dark in regards to the things Shi Wudu had done. Only, just how much they knew wasn’t known.
Everything that had to be reported was reported, everything that needed to be dealt with were dealt. When Xie Lian returned to Puqi village again, an entire day had passed. Xie Lian’s steps were weary with exhaustion.
When he returned to Puqi Shrine and opened the door, he could hear Qi Rong barking and yelling, “HUA CHENG YOU FUCKER! XIE LIAN YOU DOG FUCKER! HAVE YOU TWO NO SHAME AAHHH FUCK! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT I’M FUCKING HORRIFIED!!! THIS GRAND MASTER’S EYES ARE FUCKING BLINDED, YOU FUCKING OWE ME!!!”
There was nothing but vulgarities and profanities coming out of his mouth and Xie Lian was immediately reminded of the terrifying image of how he and Hua Cheng took turns holding each other down on the ground sucking powers the night before. He didn’t think it embarrassing at the time, but now he couldn’t escape and almost threw the door shut to flee. Hua Cheng was leaning his chair back, his boots crossed and stacked on the table, but the moment he heard Xie Lian push the door in to enter he put his legs down and casually smacked the back of Qi Rong’s head, knocking him out. He rose to his feet, “Gege.”
Xie Lian nodded and closed the door behind him, stepping over the Qi Rong who was bound like a little green worm on the ground and sat down. “Did Guzi and Lang Ying go out to play?”
“Yea, I let them out. You’ve worked hard.” Hua Cheng said.
“No, you’re the one who worked hard.” Xie Lian said.
Hua Cheng smiled. Then he said, “I had thought gege would blame me.”
Xie Lian shook his head, “San Lang doesn’t need to think so much. I really don’t. In fact, you were right about this whole thing. Outsiders really… can’t possibly interfere.”
After some thought, he still asked, “San Lang, what do you think that Black Water Demon Xuan will do to Lord Wind Master?”
Hua Cheng was silent for a moment before he answered, “I don’t know either. Black Water is someone rather eccentric. He’s endured by himself for too many years, no one can know what he’s thinking.”
‘No one can know what he’s thinking’ – Xie Lian suddenly remembered that this was also the same remark many of the heavenly officials in the Upper Court had given the Crimson Rain Sought Flower.
The Ship Sinking Black Water emerged from Mount Tong’lu, slaughtering millions of ghosts. Crimson Rain Sought Flower was the same. He Xuan had endured years by himself; the time Hua Cheng endured alone couldn’t be any less.
What made the Ship Sinking Black Water of today was hatred. Then, what about Crimson Rain Sought Flower?
What made Hua Cheng the Hua Cheng of today?
In an instant, much flashed in Xie Lian’s mind, and he shook his head, discarding that ‘noble, gracious special someone’, and organized his thoughts. “But, San Lang, there’s something I don’t understand. This whole business with the Water Master committing fraud, it should’ve been done quite covertly. His deception lasted for so long so how did Black Water learn the truth? If it’s not convenient for you to answer you don’t have to respond.”
“He’s fled and moved his domain and even dropped the fake heavenly official act, so what’s there to be inconvenient over?” Hua Cheng replied, “It’s simple, actually. That night Black Water died, Shi Wudu had gone to confirm his death.”
“Because only when the prey is dead that the Reverend of Empty Words would find the next target?” Xie Lian wondered.
“Yea. Black Water didn’t know who that person was but remembered that face. It was only after he became a ghost and knew more of the affairs of heaven and earth did he discover that that man was the Water God.”
No wonder. But this was puzzling. Why would an esteemed Water God go observe how a mortal died out of the blue? Xie Lian asked, “But this shouldn’t make him think of changing fates?”
Hua Cheng replied, “That’s why he impersonated the real Earth Master and infiltrated the heavens to investigate. Pretty brave if I must say so myself.”
“If not for killing the real Earth Master afterwards and dragging in over two hundred fishermen, then he really can be called courageous and clever.”
However, Hua Cheng said, “Gege, I don’t know if the real Earth Master was killed by him. But, the one who dragged those fishermen into the stormy East Sea I’m afraid is someone else.”
———-
●To die with eyes closed is to rest in peace.
●MXTX Author Notes: I’ve explained this a couple times in the text but I’ll explain again. In regards to the Reverend of Empty Words, the only way to solve the situation was ascension. Since most of the heavenly officials in the Middle Court are useless, and it’s impossible for Shi Wudu to keep his little brother by his side 24/7, appointing Shi Qingxuan to the Middle Court doesn’t solve the problem at all.
———
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