Ch.206: Two Simple Lines; Ghost King Excites the Battle Spirit
“And what happens after they fall into the trap?” Shi Qing Xuan asked.
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng already positioned themselves in the centre of the human array, “After that, just leave it to us. We’ll be here inside the array to take care of them slowly, making sure not a single one is missed. What we need is only time. What the most important thing right now is to make sure they don’t scatter. The reason why I said there might be danger is because there isn’t enough of us to make five hundred right now, so it’s hard to say whether the circle will hold, and whether the creatures inside could break out.”
Someone swallowed hard and asked, “W-What would happen if they break out of the circle?”
“It wouldn’t be pretty.” Xie Lian replied, “First, the resentful spirits will possess you, then infect you with the plague…”
“If, I’m just saying if, someone lets go and runs away, what would happen then?”
“If the circle is broken, then maybe the resentful spirits will also possess you.” Xie Lian said.
“So the spirits will possess people either way!”
The smarter folks understood and said, “It’s different. The former is ten out of ten the spirits will possess you and infect you with the disease; the latter is ‘maybe’, meaning if you were to let go and run away there might still be a chance for survival.”
“That’s it exactly.” Xie Lian said, “So is there anyone who wishes to leave now? After this formally begins, you absolutely cannot back out, but before we start, it won’t matter who leaves. I hope everyone won’t say anything to those who backs out too, this is a dangerous task after all.”
Those were words that had to be said, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to truly have those with the courage and determination. A moment later, indeed a couple dozen people backed out one after the other, leaving hurriedly with their heads bowed, and the circle shrank a little again. Xie Lian sighed a breath of relief, “Thank goodness.”
“What’s there to thank?!” Shi Qing Xuan exclaimed, “We’ve got less people now.”
Xie Lian smiled, “There’s plenty of people already, it’s better than I had imagined.” He had originally deliberated solemnly what should be done if half the numbers had left, but only a couple dozen did, so this was a welcomed surprise. Just then, a voice suddenly came from the distance, “Hold up, do you know who those people are? You can’t trust them so easily, best watch out or they just might trick you!”
Xie Lian looked back and it was Heaven’s Eye and company. Shi Qing Xuan instantly groused, “And who the heck are you people? Don’t add to our troubles if you’re not gonna help, I promise none of them will harm a soul.”
Of course the band of spiritual masters cared nothing for the words of a filthy and unkempt beggar, “And who the heck are you? How many pennies do your words cost?”
When Shi Qing Xuan heard others come after him like that his anger rolled up, and he pointed at his own face, “HAH? YOU TALKIN’ MONEY IN FRONT OF ME? I DON’T THINK YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO, I BET YOU’VE ALL EVEN PROSTRATED BEFORE THIS, cough cough…” Having said so much, he cleared his throat and shrank back. The band of spiritual masters only thought that he couldn’t keep bluffing on anymore and backed off himself, so they stopped caring and urged instead, “None of you know what those two are planning to do, be careful of losing your lives over a small bite to eat!”
Xie Lian was just about to explain that the beggars were there to help on the grounds of friendship and justice, and not just for a small bite to eat, but Hua Cheng spoke up languidly, “That’s not true. They’re not there for a small bite to eat, they’re here to save the world.”
Xie Lian was a little puzzled, why would Hua Cheng say that? However, the other party started clicking their tongues, “What, saving the world? What kind of fuss are you kicking up so blindly? Just focus on saving your own lives is good enough!”
“Yea, there’s no need for beggars to join in on this, go away and stop adding to the troubles.”
Hua Cheng responded lazily, “Oh? So you mean to say, beggars can’t save the world? Is it because they don’t have the ability to, or because they’re not worthy?”
The moment those words came out, the beggars grew rowdy, extremely displeased. Heaven’s Eye said angrily, “That’s not what we said.”
Shi Qing Xuan immediately poked his head out again and pointed at him, “OY OY OY, THAT’S NOT WHAT I HEARD! Isn’t that exactly what you meant by your words? And your tone was full of disdain too, RIGHT, EVERYONE!”
“YEA! WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT? HOW ARE WE NOT WORTHY?”
“WE GET A BITE TO EAT WHETHER IF WE CAME OR NOT, DID YOU THINK WE REALLY ONLY CAME FOR THE FOOD? STOP LOOKING DOWN ON PEOPLE!”
Xie Lian turned around to Hua Cheng, and Hua Cheng flicked his brows at him, as if he was saying “Easy as pie”, and Xie Lian thought to himself, so that was it. Although there were plenty who remained behind, they weren’t particularly determined, so when Heaven’s Eye and company unintentionally showed their belittlement, Hua Cheng made use of “Filthy beggars like you have no use in such matters” and magnified it, exciting rebellion within the hearts of those beggars: You don’t think we can do it? Then we’ll show you no matter what that we’ve got what it takes too!
Thus, the battle spirits increased in waves. Both sides were yelling at each other, and Xie Lian turned to Heaven’s Eye’s party, “If you’re really worried about this, then just stand by and watch. If we do actually do something that’s harmful to others, it wouldn’t be too late for you to stop us then.”
Next to him, Hua Cheng smiled and added, “But, best if you don’t get in the way.”
“…”
The band of spiritual masters had followed Xie Lian and Hua Cheng the entire way, and now that they finally couldn’t hold back any longer and was ready to jump out all brave, but it didn’t take long before they were scared back by Hua Cheng’s terrifying fake smile. Hua Cheng turned his head, “Gege, look at the sky.”
Xie Lian looked up together with him. Those black shadows in front of the round moon were now more clear, like they had gotten quietly closer.
In the time they were seeking helpers, who knows how long the night had passed, and those creatures were about to plunge!
Xie Lian’s heart lurched: oh no, they’re out of time to find more people! But he didn’t show this on his face and immediately cried, “EVERYONE, IN POSITION! GRAB ON TIGHT!”
Shi Qing Xuan was already standing at attention, “Your high… Ol’ Xie, we’re only so many, won’t they break through us quickly?”
This was the mortal realm after all, random screams would cause misunderstandings and unnecessary troubles. Xie Lain replied, “I will guard here and check on you all constantly, and when a spot is about to be broken I will go up to fix the array. This way we’ll be able to extend the time.” So basically fix nonstop any new leaking holes that’d appear. Shi Qing Xuan replied, “Uuhh, w-well then, our lives are in your hands, including mine too, your high… Ol’ Xie you gotta work hard, alright? Work very hard! I’m a mortal right now!”
“Alright O’l Feng, I’ll give it my all.”
Everyone’s palms were sweaty and everyone’s faces were tense. Right after everyone tightly clutched each other’s hands, suddenly, above in the sky of the silent night came a shrieking cry, and it came closer and closer, faster and faster!
They’ve come!
Catching the right timing, Xie Lian instructed, “Everyone, blow air forward!”
The people didn’t understand why but they followed the direction and each filled their cheeks and started blowing air with all their might. To have a large crowd puff out a round of hot, white air in the middle of a winter’s night, while the breaths wouldn’t go very far, but the heated air mixed with the aura of Yang was very confounding. Plus, Hua Cheng had secretly casted a camouflage spell, blinding the creatures from seeing what was going on, and those resentful spirits that were originally going to scatter and go rogue sensed an area where it was particularly heavy with heat and the aura of the living, rippling and undulating too, very lively, and they very naturally believed that was the target for attack as they excitedly rushed over, forming a raging black pillar!
In that instant, Xie Lian’s entire vision was practically covered by blackness, and he cried, “EVERYONE BE CAREFUL NOT TO LOOSEN YOUR HOLD, THEY’VE COME INTO THE CAGE!”
Right then, from behind Hua Cheng, thousands of silver butterflies emerged and spread.
Haunting silver light illuminated, and the black fog before Xie Lian’s eyes was instantly dispersed. He saw Hua Cheng extend a hand his way, “Gege, come to my side.”
Xie Lian was slightly startled and immediately took his hand. Hua Cheng only pulled lightly before Xie Lian was pulled over. He wrapped a hand around his waist and composedly swept the area with his glare. Even though those resentful spirits were locked within the Kiln for two thousand years and had lost their minds from the imprisonment, they still didn’t dare to go near, and within a meter radius of the two there was not a single dark aura. Only then did the resentful spirits that had gleefully dropped into the circle notice something amiss; they had been tearing and chomping around, but how come they didn’t tear into any of the living but were tearing into each other instead? There were also two they couldn’t touch, and those silver butterflies were like sharp blades and showers of arrows to them, their wings flapping and assaulting, murdering them as their screams shot through the skies!
The resentful spirits finally noticed they’ve been trapped. They were like savage beasts locked in a fiery, battling cage, but those two hundred some people weren’t players outside this iron cage; they were the iron bars of this cage themselves!
Having noticed this, the resentful spirits were beyond outraged, and they screeched violently and savagely at the beggars who were blocking them hand in hand, their mouths wide open as if they were going to devour their heads, the hairs standing in fury, their faces and bodies miserably contorted and twisting. Some backed a few steps from horror, but they were soon stopped by those next to them, “Don’t move!”
Xie Lian also called out, “DON’T MOVE! THEY CAN’T HURT YOU AS LONG AS THE ARRAY IS IN TACT!”
Hearing this, the crowd was somewhat reassured. There were even beggars who’d spit wildly at the shrieking resentful spirits, crying as they spat, “P’TUI P’TUI P’TUI! I’LL DIRTY YOU, DIRTY YOU! GET OUTTA HERE!” This was probably because they heard somewhere that ghosts were afraid of filthy things, and Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “You don’t need to do that either! They won’t be scared!”
Just then, he suddenly noticed somewhere in the human array was about to fall apart, a hole about to leak, and he hastily looked over. He saw a scrawny little beggar whose eyes were bulged and unfocused, his breathing harsh, like he was so nervous he was about to convulse!
Many resentful spirits also noticed this man’s spirit was weakening, and they all swarmed towards him. Xie Lian rushed up and whipped, and those resentful spirits howled as they were whipped apart while Xie Lian rapidly made that man back out, ordering for the ones on his left and right to connect. Before he had the time to breathe in relief, about six meters away on the southwest another new leak appeared. Just as Xie Lian was about to rush over, he discovered much further away another leak appeared, right from the person next to Shi Qing Xuan!
The number of resentful spirits was immense after all. This was only the first wave too, there would be many more after, coming nonstop!
He wouldn’t make it in time, and Xie Lian cried, “SAN LANG!”
However, Hua Cheng didn’t move, “Gege, don’t worry.”
Xie Lian refused to believe Hua Cheng didn’t notice, and he refused to believe Hua Cheng would ignore things too, but that hole was going to be exploited by the resentful spirits!
Right at the crucial moment however, a yellow talisman came flying over and exploded right beside Shi Qing Xuan!
Although that talisman didn’t blow up any resentful spirits, it still made them shrink back in alarm, their heads withdrawing. Turns out it was that band of spiritual masters who had been peeping all this time who came rushing over, yelling, “I TOLD YOU ALL NOT TO GET INVOLVED, BUT SINCE YOU’RE INVOLVED NOW THEN STAND YOUR GROUND TO THE END! IF YOU CAN’T, THEN YOU’RE JUST ADDING TO TROUBLE!!!”
Hua Cheng turned to Xie Lian, “See, I told you not to worry.”
He would forever be at ease. Xie Lian answered, “En!”
Heaven’s Eye and the other masters couldn’t stand still in the end, and they came rushing up themselves. They certainly were professional martial artists, moving fast and agile, and they each grabbed two people’s hands, separating them and bridging themselves in. Tens of dozens of newcomers instantly assimilated into the circle, expanding the human array. Heaven’s Eye called out, “FELLOW COLLEAGUES! QUICK QUICK QUICK, WHOEVER HAS THEIR SCHOOLS AND DISCIPLES HERE IN THE CAPITAL TELL THEM TO COME QUICK!!!”
“Go go go!”
“I’LL CALL MY DISCIPLE OVER TOO!”
Soon after, a hundred some people came barreling down the street.
Those hundred some people sure were impressive, all of them monks, cultivators, spellcasters!
Each of them decked in full gear, taking two steps as one, their forms heroic and refreshing. Xie Lian cheered loudly in his head while the beggars all stared with wide eyes and open mouths.
When this new wave of people saw the extraordinary sight of a raging pillar of peculiar aura they were all stunned, and soon after they hastily joined in. Once they assimilated, the circle expanded even bigger; the entire main avenue of the royal capital was going to run out of room.
And nevermind the bravery of the newcomers, all of them were decked in all sorts of spiritual tools, no doubt able to greatly extend the time to hold this array.
Having seen this, Xie Lian was now at least nine party confident and he called out calmly with assurance, “EVERYONE DON’T BE AFRAID, THE TABLE’S TURNING. WE’VE GOT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ON OUR SIDE, SO AS LONG AS WE HOLD THE FORT DOWN FIRMLY, DESTROYING THEM WOULD ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME!”
The crowd could also see the situation was going in their favour. Now that there was hope in the mix, it made everything easier, and instantly all was filled with confidence, and they responded enthusiastically, “DESTROY THEM!”
On the other end, Heaven’s Eye said, “We’ve got a hundred and sixty-eight people on our side! How many are you? How long do you think we can last?”
On this end, the head of the beggars Shi Qing Xuan also counted a number of times and he answered loudly, “We’ve got a hundred and forty-eight remaining here in the array!”
“Altogether we’ve got three hundred and sixteen people.” Xie Lian said, “We just need to find…”
However, Hua Cheng spoke up, “That’s not right.”
Xie Lian turned to him, “What’s not right?”
Hua Cheng’s gaze returned and looked at him solemnly, “The count isn’t right. Right now, there are three hundred and seventeen people here.”
———–
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