Chapter 260: The Hidden Path |
'This is troublesome,' Bai Mu thought.
This final sentence sparked a flurry of thoughts, seemingly uncovering the underlying truth.
If things were truly as he suspected, then the King of Huainan was nothing more than a pawn. The real mastermind behind the scenes was actually Xuan Mingzi's master, the Perfected Yang mentioned at the very beginning.
Assuming this person was the instigator of it all, then the Profound Yin Corpse Nurturing Secret Record mentioned in the letter was deliberately planted. He must have used certain channels to ensure the King of Huainan obtained it and believed it to be genuine.
After all, there was no way the King of Huainan could understand these arcane matters better than a Taoist Priest who had cultivated since childhood. When it came down to actually building the tomb, selecting living sacrifices, and handling the practical details, the Taoist Priest arranged everything. If he tampered with the process, who could possibly notice?
The so-called Seven Malignities Corpse Refinement was likely just a scam. The King of Huainan believed he could truly cultivate into a Ghost King, but in the end, all his resources merely paved the way for someone else's success.
Of course, the King of Huainan being duped had no direct relation to Bai Mu. However, this Script setting he had just unearthed pointed directly to a grim consequence. The final boss was not just a Ghost King nourished by Feng Shui and living humans for centuries; it was also a former Maoshan Taoist Priest profoundly skilled in arcane arts, capable of selecting a tomb site for a king.
It might even be a highly formidable Maoshan Taoist Priest who had successfully refined a Ghost King. That meant, in the absolute worst-case scenario, they would have to simultaneously face a Ghost King and a demonic old priest who had lived for hundreds of years.
Either one of them alone would be incredibly difficult to deal with, let alone both combined.
In truth, not giving it wouldn't be a big deal. It could not forcefully snatch the Blood Jade from Bai Mu anyway. If a fight really broke out, Bai Mu, who had just learned the Earth Yang Breaking Force Method and the Human Yang Force-Breaking Method, could easily purify it.
However, Bai Mu casually tossed the Blood Jade to the Ghost Child anyway. To him, this item had little use beyond attracting ghosts and monsters. Earning a Side Quest through this jade and obtaining useful items and skills had already made it a worthwhile investment; there was no need to hoard it stubbornly. Moreover, he heard the sound of something approaching. He had no time to bother with this somewhat simple-minded Ghost Child and only hoped it would grab what it wanted and leave immediately.
Upon receiving the Blood Jade, the Ghost Child beamed with joy and began dancing around in delight.
Bai Mu hurriedly stowed Xuan Mingzi's letter into his inventory and summoned Xiao Wei.
A second gust of Yin wind blew in, bringing a piercing chill and the damp, rotten stench of river water and muddy earth. He guessed it was related to the hemp rope tied to the letter. The rope and the illusion covering the gap in the wall must have been linked. When the rope crumbled to dust, the illusion left behind by Xuan Mingzi vanished along with it.
This Taoist Priest, now reduced to bleached bones, had exceedingly deep ties to the tomb. It was entirely possible that his master, the one who helped the king refine corpses, had laid a trap targeting him. Now that his aura was exposed, it was bound to attract something sinister.
To prepare for whatever was coming, Bai Mu took out the Doll. In the cramped space, the Doll transformed into a blonde girl wearing a gray Cloak. Once Xiao Wei appeared, the narrow area became even more crowded. Witnessing this bizarre scene, the Ghost Child retreated into the shadows. Meanwhile, Xiao Wei looked at the currently youthful Bai Mu with a surprised expression. She reached out a hand, seemingly wanting to pat Bai Mu's head.
But before she could, Bai Mu issued a command. "Xiao Wei, cast the Light of Healing on me."
Since summons could not disobey their master's orders, her body moved on its own, casting the healing skill that could dispel abnormal status effects on Bai Mu.
The shrinking poison effect was purged. Bai Mu rapidly returned to his original size, and all his attribute values reverted to normal.
Next, he removed the wax seals from the three Small Bottles and mixed the Earth Yang by hand. Using the bronze lamp, he ignited Xuan Mingzi's Taoist robe and threw everything at the entrance. "Perhaps there's another way in or out..."
Bai Mu looked up. Judging by the size of the remains, he could tell that Xuan Mingzi could not have fit through that entrance while alive. Unless he possessed some bone-shrinking martial art or a spell to freely change his size, he must have crawled in from somewhere else.
Pressing his ear against the wall, Bai Mu began tapping the surface, listening for hollow spaces.
At the same time, he heard a rustling sound, like a reptile slithering by. Suddenly, a ghastly pale, dripping wet arm reached through the entrance he had just crawled out of. But the flames of Earth Yang scattered there violently flared up with a whoosh. Bai Mu heard a shrill, bloodcurdling shriek as the arm instantly recoiled.
It proved that the Earth Yang method imparted by Xuan Mingzi was indeed highly effective, heavily suppressing these ghostly creatures.
"Is it here?" Bai Mu detected a hollow spot right behind Xuan Mingzi's remains.
The bricks there were loose and could be pushed aside with ease. Behind them lay a natural cavity, just barely large enough for him to enter hunched over. It showed very few signs of manual excavation.
Inside that cavity, Bai Mu discovered several small skeletal remains.
The Ghost Child hiding in the dark popped out again. Several faint, fluorescent glows drifted up from the white bones, manifesting as nearly transparent silhouettes of children.
Bai Mu suddenly realized how Xuan Mingzi had been discovered by his master. He must have been trying to secretly smuggle these children out of the mausoleum. This inconspicuous area wasn't a temporary hiding spot he had found in a panic; rather, it was a transit station and sanctuary he had prepared long in advance.
That narrow passage was specifically designed by him to only allow children through. It was actually an emergency escape route.
No wonder the Ghost Child could find its way here. In life, these children had all been playmates.
Those children, unaware of their tragic fate, had been locked up together. They ate together and slept together. They used to hold hands in a sealed courtyard, playing games and singing nursery rhymes. Even after becoming ghosts and forgetting their own names as well as the names of the others, they could still recognize each another. The Ghost Child held up the Blood Jade, sharing it with its playmates. With a triumphant look on its face, it generously showed off the hard-won gem to its friends.
The bewitching luster of the Blood Jade dimmed slightly, but the ethereal shadows, in turn, grew more solid.
Dropping the Blood Jade on the ground, the Ghost Child raised its hands. It joyfully spun in circles around the children's bones, giggling brightly. The other shadows then took its hands and began humming a cheerful nursery rhyme.
Before Bai Mu had the chance to step into the cave, a shadow suddenly ran up to him. Reaching toward the lightning-struck wood bracelet held in Bai Mu's palm, it grabbed his hand.
The shadow had no face, nor could it actually pull Bai Mu's hand since it lacked a physical body. Yet, in the next second, it eagerly dashed deeper into the cave on its own.
"Did it... mistake me for Xuan Mingzi? Did this trigger some sort of memory?" Bai Mu glanced into the depths of the cave.
These remnant souls clearly no longer possessed the ability to think for themselves. What remained was merely a lingering echo of their memories.
Bai Mu figured that Xuan Mingzi might have actually succeeded in smuggling some children out before. Otherwise, given his status and abilities, it would have been very difficult to catch him making a mistake. He judged that the end of this cave, even if not the main exit, would be very close to one.
Therefore, Xiao Wei, who still hadn't figured out what was going on, transformed back into a Doll under his command and was stowed away. Bending over, he crawled into the cavity, venturing down this hidden passage.