Chapter Twelve: The Coffin Is Opened

The projection of the Netherworld almost always appeared only in desolate, forsaken lands; Chu Tiange’s guess was not wrong. Yet even he had not foreseen that the Netherworld would take such a shocking action.

An entire mountain town had been silently relocated beneath Qingxuan City.

But the Netherworld had still underestimated the top cultivators of the Qingxuan Continent.

Chu Tiange himself was unaware that even the wildest, most remote mountains had been marked by the Celestial Ascension Sect’s “Azure Heaven Mirror.” The sect’s daily income came primarily from selling the second-generation Azure Heaven Mirrors to the various great sects; any disturbance, no matter how slight, was under the control of Sect Master Xiao.

It was precisely because of this that the sects could respond at the very first sign of trouble, and take appropriate measures.

The old monk knelt at the feet of the Bodhisattva and reported, “Your Majesty, this humble monk does not know. Lady Mengjiao is as elusive as a dragon—how could we possibly know her whereabouts? But it is odd that Old Dame Nightmare has also vanished; perhaps she’s off enjoying herself in some man’s dream.”

“Mengjiao, that wanton creature—where could she find so much vital yang in the Netherworld? It seems she must feast well before she’ll show herself,” the Bodhisattva in the shrine cackled, breaking into another wicked laugh.

“To share pleasure with Mengjiao, that would be the height of mortal delight. No wonder those men die without regret. Although Mengjiao forced her way into the mortal world by casting a great dream, using up a third of the Yin Pearl’s malice, it’s not a significant problem.”

“With filial sons wailing at funerals, daily breeding malice, monthly accumulating resentment, in three days the lost malice will be replenished. After two more days, the Yin Pearl will open a brief passage to the world of the living. Then I shall lead my army to descend! Every living creature in Qingxuan City will become my offering! With that, I shall break through the Heavenbane realm and become a ghost immortal!” The Bodhisattva’s face was hideous, his eyes blood-red with greed.

The old monk, the butcher, and the old woman hurriedly prostrated themselves, offering devout prayers. “Congratulations, Your Majesty!”

“But... Your Majesty, a stranger arrived in the town a few days ago, seeking a few wandering ghosts,” the butcher said hesitantly. “But I noticed that by the second day, there was a trace of ghostly aura about him.”

The arrival of the outsider had caught the butcher’s attention. Yet those wandering ghosts were powerful; to provoke them rashly, before the Ghost King Mengjiao appeared, would risk mutual destruction.

“These wild ghosts are nothing to fear. The malice in Filial Town is dense, drawing every evil ghost from hundreds of miles around. That outsider is likely a newly awakened drought demon, coming to join those wild ghosts,” the old monk said, shaking his head and bowing with palms pressed together.

“Indeed. When I descend to the human world, any ghosts within a thousand miles who do not submit will be put to rest; let them find their release,” the Bodhisattva said benevolently, a smile upon his face. Then the red glow faded, severing the connection between his consciousness and the sacred statue.

Hidden in the shadows, Chu Tiange listened in silence. At this point, his expression abruptly hardened.

The Ghost King Mengjiao? Forcing her way from the Netherworld into the mortal realm through a great dream—her terror was evident.

But whose dream had she entered?

Chu Tiange reached into his robe and took out a stack of red cloth.

More accurately, it was ghost-skin.

In the lower right corner, a single character was embroidered: “Jiao.”

Could it be his dream she had entered?

Had that Ghost King, sensing the aura of a celestial bone, been so eager to descend forcibly into his dream, seeking to devour his essence?

The Celestial Bone of Fate was truly extraordinary!

Alas, the Ghost King Mengjiao had not consulted an almanac before setting out; her first move was a disaster. Entering Chu Tiange’s dream, she was instantly slain by the steps of his inner vision.

At the same time, Chu Tiange’s expression darkened.

The power of the twentieth step had slain a ghost king—did that mean only those who reached the Return-to-Origin realm were qualified to ascend the thirtieth step?

“The road ahead is long indeed. Even reaching the God-Crossing realm, I may still be unable to wield that sword,” Chu Tiange sighed inwardly.

He had come this time and received two pieces of good news. First, the only ghost king to descend upon Filial Town had perished on the spot. Second, the Yin Pearl had not yet gathered enough malice and resentment to open the path to the Netherworld.

Chu Tiange was grateful he had risked his life to investigate; with no ghost king present, the butcher, the old monk, the old woman, and that corpse-eating pig could all be dealt with by Lu Shiqi alone.

He was preparing to leave the cellar, to rendezvous with the madwoman and bring the news to Lu Shiqi.

“Hm?”

Suddenly, the fat pig stopped eating, its wrinkled head turning toward the stairs leading upward, its dark, hollow eyes filled with suspicion.

“Amitabha... I think I smell Lady Mengjiao’s aura!” the old monk exclaimed.

So, the Ghost King Mengjiao truly had perished in Chu Tiange’s dream.

Chu Tiange quickly put away the ghost-skin. The Taiqing Jade pendant at his chest gleamed with flowing light, masking the aura.

“Could it be my imagination?” the old monk muttered, puzzled. Then he pressed his palms together. “Amitabha, form is emptiness and emptiness is form. Why should I care for such illusions? When I meet Lady Mengjiao, I’ll simply ask for her favor directly.”

Chu Tiange breathed a sigh of relief and dared not linger. He seized the chance to retreat; these beings, though not as fearsome as ghost fiends, were still beyond his ability to handle—especially since the Filial Ghost had yet to appear.

The Filial Ghost was by far the trickiest of all.

Chu Tiange withdrew quietly. The sound of wild wind and rain outside reached his ears. Suddenly, his sleeve trembled.

“Hello? Chu Tiange? Hurry and tell me where you are!”

A voice rang out from his sleeve.

“...”

“Who’s there?!”

This sudden noise startled the people and ghosts in the cellar, who immediately rose in alarm.

“It’s me, Xiao Shijing!”

Chu Tiange’s face changed at once. He shook his sleeve, spilling a pile of sparkling spirit stones to the ground. One of the stones vibrated loudly on the floor.

“Damn it!” Chu Tiange cursed, his expression ugly.

As the stone shook, it split open, revealing a thumb-sized green box, with a black jade bead in the center that swiveled like an eyeball.

The Azure Heaven Mirror! It had been hidden inside one of the top-grade spirit stones all along. At this critical moment, Xiao Shijing’s voice had exposed Chu Tiange’s location.

“So you’re here. What is this haunted place? But don’t worry, I’m almost there. Sect Master Xiao, with his all-seeing vision, has divined that there is no ghost king currently in Filial Town, so I’ve come to support you!”

Through the Azure Heaven Mirror, Xiao Shijing saw everything.

“Damn it! Are you sure he didn’t just eavesdrop on these ghosts’ conversation?” Chu Tiange ignored the mirror and the scattered spirit stones on the floor. He immediately used his movement technique, leaving five afterimages as he zigzagged toward the cellar exit.

Malicious intent surged behind him, threatening to swallow him whole.

A talisman burned at his back, sustaining him for several breaths. When it was spent, three more afterimages dissolved into ash.

Taking this opportunity, Chu Tiange dashed out of the dim cellar, leaped forward, rolled out of the kitchen, and tumbled into the muddy water outside.

In that instant, he realized the malice behind him had ceased its pursuit. He looked up just as a bolt of lightning tore through the night, crackling with blinding arcs that illuminated the entire Jia residence, casting his face in stark relief!

In the brilliant flash, Chu Tiange saw two ghosts carrying a red coffin, smashing open the gates to the mansion.