AUOF - 146

“What did he tell you?”

“Qingsong’s ancestors unintentionally picked up the sword jade and felt it was ominous, so they threw it into the Dragon Tomb of Desolate Water. This place is a forbidden area in Desolate Water, with many dragon bones and evil spirits buried beneath. Any approaching ships would sink without reason. In early times, there were even evil spirits crossing the sea to prey on people. So, the clan leader ordered that no one should step into the Dragon Tomb, and issued a strict prohibition: outsiders approaching would be killed without mercy.”

Ji Hengyu speculated that, apart from the danger, the Dragon Tomb might also hide many unspeakable secrets of the Desolate Water clan, which was why the Qing family’s ancestors and descendants were so troubled when it was mentioned.

It was not surprising.

The deep sea had always been the best place for “destroying corpses and erasing traces.” Even in Guixu Sea, there were many things that were difficult to disclose.

Ji Hengyu toyed with his teacup, lowered his gaze, and said, “I will quietly go to the Dragon Tomb tonight. You two stay here, and do not make any noise.”

Sang Li didn’t quite agree: “If the Dragon Tomb truly forbids outsiders, it must have a barrier. If you go alone rashly, the risk might be too great.”

Ji Hengyu raised an eyebrow slightly, and even Si Tu looked over.

Seeing that they were interested in listening, Sang Li immediately spoke seriously: “You’ve seen Desolate Water’s attitude towards Si Tu. I have a plan that can both change their past prejudice and allow us to retrieve the sword jade openly.”

The two waited for Sang Li to continue.

“For eight thousand years, Desolate Water has relied on Xiao to remain untroubled. But what if... evil spirits rise again? When they realize the Saintess no longer protects Desolate Water, what will become of the people here?”

Si Tu instantly understood her meaning, her eyes widening suddenly: “You mean... you want them to believe that the evil spirits buried in the Dragon Tomb have revived?”

Sang Li nodded.

From the news Ji Hengyu brought back, the sea demons once killed by Lady Xiao must also be buried in the Dragon Tomb. Desolate Water feared those demonic creatures and worried they would bring disaster again, which was why the prohibition against approaching was put in place. In the past, they had Lady Xiao to kill enemies and protect Desolate Water for good weather.

However, they seemed not to understand the concept of preparing for danger in times of peace.

If the demonic creatures were to revive, Desolate Water, having lost Saintess Xiao, would be nothing more than lambs to the slaughter. At that time, they would surely regret their actions and pray for the Saintess to descend and save the world from suffering.

“You bear some resemblance to your mother. At that time, you can pretend to be the Saintess’s sacred soul and drive away the evil spirits, then reveal a thing or two, informing them that the ominous jade beneath the Dragon Tomb can revive demonic creatures and needs to be expelled. At this point, Ji Hengyu can step forward, ostensibly to save people, and openly go to the Dragon Tomb to take the sword jade. Desolate Water already fears the Dragon Tomb and will certainly not hinder him.”

“Thus, we will both retrieve the sword jade and fulfill Si Tu’s long-cherished wish.”

The sword jade itself was something that fell from Emperor Qi. Given Desolate Water’s aversion and avoidance of Emperor Qi, they would certainly not be suspicious. Furthermore, Desolate Water had believed in the Saintess for ten thousand years; only a small catalyst was needed to rekindle their faith.

Regardless of whether the incense offerings were from the heart or merely for self-interest, Lady Xiao would no longer have to endure those unwarranted slanders.

Si Tu kept her head down, fidgeting with her slender fingertips.

Actually, upon seeing what Desolate Water had done to her mother, she only wanted to take her mother away. But her mother was born in this land and nourished it with her flesh and blood. Even if the people drew her sinews and stripped her bones, with her mother’s compassion, she would surely not blame them.

Si Tu only hoped... that she could have some dignity.

“Then... how will the evil spirits come?”

How will the evil spirits come?

That’s easy.

Sang Li pointed at Ji Hengyu beside her with a smile, “Here he is, readily available.”

Ji Hengyu, about to drink tea, his fingertips trembled, and a little light green tea splattered, slightly moistening his fingertips.

He looked up, his expression seemingly helpless.

Sang Li rested her chin on her hands, smiling sweetly, “Zihang will definitely help us.”

Ji Hengyu remained silent.

Sang Li persuaded him: “Look at your true form, it’s terrifying, they’ll definitely be scared by you.”

Ji Hengyu: “...”

Not a good comment.

The snake-like creature could not tolerate it.

Sang Li struck while the iron was hot: “Then you just cast a few small spells, guaranteed to pull the wool over their eyes.”

Ji Hengyu: “...”

He sighed, put down his teacup, and softly asked, “Must it be so?”

Sang Li nodded: “It must be so.” She paused, “You said you’d listen to me.”

“...” Okay, he did say that.

Moreover—

Xiao was indeed a very respectable martial god, open and upright, filled with compassion, worth more than tens of thousands in the Divine Realm.

He slowly nodded, indicating his agreement.

A hint of joy flashed across Sang Li’s brows: “You agreed?”

“Yes.” Ji Hengyu lowered his gaze to drink his tea, his voice faint. “One is my wife; the other is my beloved wife’s friend. Of course, I must agree.”

Si Tu hadn’t quite recovered from her emotion when Ji Hengyu’s next sentence made her flare up: “Who’s your junior sister! Ji Hengyu, don’t claim kinship!”

Ji Hengyu remained silent.

He said nothing, yet it was as if he had said everything.

Thinking of her identity in the mental illusion and the foolish things she had done, Si Tu felt as if she had swallowed a sheep’s dung, feeling both choked and disgusted, but helplessly unable to refute.

Fuming, she pointed at Ji Hengyu and complained to Sang Li: “A’Li, look at him~”

Sang Li stifled a laugh and soothingly patted her shoulder. “Alright, alright, don’t mind him.” Just as Si Tu was feeling a little better, she heard Sang Li call out, “Junior Sister.”

Ahhhh, she was so angry she could die.

Si Tu was so exasperated by the couple that she didn’t speak to them for a good half an hour.

Night quickly fell.

The rotation of time in Desolate Water was different from the outside world: here, there were six hours of daylight and twelve hours of night. The daytime here was equivalent to two days in the outside world, which was enough time for them to execute their plan.

Sang Li’s idea was simple and crude.

First, Ji Hengyu would leave a clone. Then, without harming innocents, he would spread fear. As the daughter of the Saintess, when Desolate Water was desperate, they would surely seek her help. At this point, Si Tu would then naturally claim to have seen her mother’s sacred soul wandering.

After discussing all the details, Ji Hengyu released another one of his puppets—Jixun.

This was the first time Sang Li had seen Jixun since the Phoenix Nest incident.

The young man in black had similar features to Ji Hengyu, but his expression was cold like a puppet’s. His gaze never landed on Sang Li. He lowered his head and obediently listened to Ji Hengyu’s arrangements, then softly affirmed.

She couldn’t help but recall the gentle glance he had occasionally cast her way in the Chaohuang Tree, and for a moment, her thoughts drifted.

As if sensing something, Jixun’s gaze fell upon her.

The distance between them was only a few feet, yet it felt like mountains and seas lay between them. After a fleeting glance, he calmly looked away, never looking at her again.

Ji Hengyu, who was still speaking nearby, felt a sudden sharp pain in his chest. He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes darting between their faces. After a long silence, he said, “You stay by Sang Li’s side and protect her safety.”

“Yes.”

“No mistakes are allowed, and you must not reveal yourself.”

“Yes.”

Ji Hengyu gazed at him for a long time, profound meaning churning beneath his pupils. Jixun remained blankly silent. A moment later, Ji Hengyu turned and came before Sang Li, taking her hand. His voice was gentle, “Then I’ll go.”

“Okay.” Sang Li squeezed his knuckles, smiling, “Good luck.”

Ji Hengyu returned a smile and exited through the window.

His figure quickly melted into the dark night. Only after he had completely disappeared did Si Tu turn and scrutinize Jixun from head to toe.

At this point, Jixun had already changed into the same clothes as Ji Hengyu, and even his elegant yet aloof demeanor was perfectly captured. Puppet control was essentially a mandatory spell for every immortal, but one so similar and flawless was truly rare.

Si Tu curiously wanted to touch Jixun’s face, but he subtly dodged her. This made Si Tu even more surprised: “He looks so agile, is he really a puppet?”

Sang Li didn’t know the reason for Jiwu and Jixun’s existence. She deliberately concealed that past, nodding: “Yes.”

Si Tu pouted, her tone seemingly disdainful yet subtly tinged with envy. “No wonder those old immortals in the Divine Realm always said Ji Hengyu was a rare genius. Now it seems, it’s true.”

The puppet was connected to himself.

The higher one’s cultivation, the stronger the spell, and the stronger the puppet would be.

Now, Ji Hengyu had damaged his divine marrow. If he were still in his prime...

Thinking of this, Si Tu was suddenly no longer surprised why the Supreme Dao Venerable was so wary of him.

Inside the house, the sea pearl glowed brightly, illuminating the room in place of candlelight. Sang Li and Si Tu sat together, quietly waiting for the situation outside. Jixun stood beside them like a guard, his back straight, standing like a pine or bamboo.

Sang Li glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, and called out, “Jixun.”

Jixun looked back, his eyes indifferent.

Indeed, upon closer inspection, one could discern the difference.

Jixun was more silent than both Ji Hengyu and Jiwu. He was like a shadow following Ji Hengyu’s footsteps, quiet yet crucially important.

His dark eyes reflected the flickering light and her graceful figure beneath the light source. Jixun said—

“I am here.”

Those two cold and concise words brought Sang Li back to the past.

She shook off those inappropriate thoughts and cautiously spoke: “I mean, Jixun, do you want to sit down?”

“No need, not tired.”

“...” Sang Li froze awkwardly.

Jixun turned around, continuing to listen intently and observe his surroundings, no longer interacting with her at all.

After another quarter of an hour, lights lit up outside one after another. With a piercing shriek, most of the villagers woke up.

Sang Li and Si Tu exchanged glances, guessing that Ji Hengyu had made his move.

Si Tu was about to go out when Sang Li pulled her back. “Wait.” She messed up Si Tu’s hair ornament and crumpled her clothes, then did the same to herself, telling Si Tu, “This way, it won’t arouse suspicion.”

After waiting a few more moments in the house, Sang Li picked up the sea pearl lamp, and the three of them went out together.

As soon as they left the separate courtyard, they saw Qinggu rushing over.

Sang Li called out to him, feigning confusion as she asked, “Brother Qinggu, we heard a commotion from the front courtyard. What happened?”

Qinggu, holding the lamp, scanned the three of them with a suspicious gaze.

Sang Li and Si Tu’s hair was loose, and their clothes were loosely tied, making them look as if they had just woken up. “Ji Hengyu” followed silently, appearing unaware of what was happening in Desolate Water.

Qinggu lowered his guard. “It seems to be an evil spirit possessing bodies. Many people lost their souls for no reason just by looking at it. I was worried about your safety, so I came to check. It’s good that you’re fine.”

He said he came to check, but in reality, he had grown somewhat suspicious of them.

Sang Li tightened her outer garment. “We’ll go take a look too.”

Qinggu hesitated, then finally nodded.

The four walked together to the central clan hall in the village. Almost everyone in the village was awake. They passed through the crowd and saw the scene inside.

Dozens of people, men, women, and children alike, were laid out side by side on the ground.

Their limbs were contorted like chicken feet, their faces were pale green, their eyes rolled back, and they twitched constantly, occasionally accompanied by murmurs.

—The symptoms indeed matched soul-loss syndrome.

It was said that when evil spirits plagued the world, they would steal the three souls of mortals. If the souls were not recovered for a long time, the lucky ones would live a lifetime as imbeciles; the unfortunate ones would have their souls and bodies perish.

For a long time, soul-loss syndrome had been something the people of Desolate Water dreaded and feared.

It signified the entry of evil spirits into the world, bringing unrest. When the Saintess used to protect Desolate Water, still, every year, clan members who ventured far would suffer from this syndrome, having their souls devoured and becoming walking corpses.

However, for three millennia, soul-loss syndrome had almost completely disappeared.

Its sudden reappearance now doubled the fear throughout Desolate Water. Even clan members from neighboring villages had heard the news and sent people overnight to investigate the situation.

The victims lying on the ground had contorted faces, as if they had seen something utterly terrifying, their faces filled with panic.

They twisted and struggled, their lips turning bluish-black.

Upon closer inspection, some of these faces were very familiar; they were clearly some of the people who had verbally abused and thrown things at them during the day.

Sang Li tightly pursed her lips.

She knew Ji Hengyu’s petty nature and had specifically instructed him not to harm innocent lives. Looking at this... lives were indeed not harmed, but it seemed they didn’t escape any suffering.

“What exactly happened?”

Qinggu pulled aside a victim’s family member and asked in detail, lowering his head.

The wife wiped away her tears, recalling the previous scene, her face ashen, trembling uncontrollably. “We were about to put out the lights and go to sleep when our youngest son suddenly said he saw a ghost outside. I wondered where a ghost would come from, but the child kept babbling that he saw it, he saw it. He was too scared to sleep, so I was worried and asked his father to go out and look. Then I heard his father scream, and when I went out again, he was lying on the ground like this.”

As she spoke, the wife sobbed a few more times.

Qinggu quickly pressed on: “Did you see anything?”

The wife shook her head while weeping: “It was dark, I couldn’t see clearly. I just felt that thing was huge and terrifying.” She seemed to remember something suddenly, her pupils trembling, “A python... Yes! A python! It was slithering in the dark, like a hill, like... like a python.”

This kind of thing couldn’t be thought about too much; the more one thought, the more afraid one became.

These words were like a sudden thunderclap, instantly spreading fear.

Qinggu then questioned the others, and the conclusions were largely similar.

“Could it be... could it be that those demonic creatures from the Dragon Tomb have revived??”

Someone in the crowd let out a cry of alarm. Everyone looked at each other, and in the cold night, they saw unease and terror in each other’s eyes.

“Impossible—!” Someone stood out to refute. “The Saintess has completely purged the demonic creatures of Desolate Water, even the demon nests in the sea caves. We have been safe and sound for three thousand years, why would they suddenly revive without reason!”

As he spoke, the strong man’s gaze fell on Si Tu and Sang Li, who were standing in the corner.

His eyes held resentment, and he pointed closely—

“They came today, and then trouble happened tonight! In my opinion, this is their doing! Otherwise, they brought the evil spirits in!!”

At these words, gazes from all directions fell upon them.

“Someone! Seize them!!”

The strong man commanded, simultaneously raising his hand to summon a bow and arrow, and unhesitatingly shot an arrow at Sang Li.

The arrow feather, polished from the sharp teeth of a sea shark, had the keenest arrowhead.

The arrow, like a meteor, pierced through the night, heading straight for her brow.

Before Sang Li could dodge, a dark figure flashed and blocked her path.

He caught the rapidly spinning arrow with his bare hand. With a crisp snap, the incredibly tough arrow was broken in half as if he were snapping a twig.

Jixun held the broken half of the iron arrow, his eyes icy cold, staring intently at the man, his gaze burning with murderous intent.