#21: Nightfall Palace (2)

The next morning, as dawn was breaking, it was the day they had agreed to send Yao Yin to Nightfall Palace. The flowing, golden morning light illuminated the sky, filled with rosy clouds, making Yao Yin feel as if she had returned to the Heavenly Realm. Yao Yin had always believed that only the clouds above the Ninth Heaven were truly beautiful, but she never imagined that such a magnificent sight could be seen in this terrifying Ghost Realm. She leaned by the window, gazing at the continuous, enchanting cloud scenery, feeling a sense of wistfulness. If only there were a few more celestial cranes soaring, it would be absolutely perfect.

“How strange, the Ghost Realm hasn’t seen a morning glow in a hundred years.”

“Exactly, the last time we saw a morning glow was on Lord Li Luo’s birthday a century ago. Whose good day is it today?”

“Haven’t heard of anyone getting married or having a funeral. Only heard that the long-lost master of Nightfall Palace has returned.”

Yao Yin was engrossed in listening to the gossip downstairs when several red dots suddenly appeared in the sky, speeding towards them from the horizon. She had just thought they were too small to see clearly, but in the next second, a red, ferocious beast’s face, about the height of a human, suddenly appeared by the window. Its black eyes were about the size of a carriage wheel, and its protruding nose was snorting heavily, its gaze fixed on Yao Yin.

W-what is this? Just a moment ago it was the size of a star in the sky, and in the blink of an eye, it appeared right before her. Such speed was truly terrifying.

Yao Yin gasped and fell to the floor.

“My Lady! Are you alright?” The innkeeper’s voice and knocking came from outside the door.

Yao Yin mumbled a reply, saying, “I’m fine, just slipped while bathing. Please bring me a few buckets of hot water.”

“My Lady, please wait, I’ll fetch it right away.”

“Thank you. Also, don’t call me ‘My Lady’.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“...” Yao Yin was speechless. She wiped sweat from her brow, stood up, and looked at the ferocious beast outside the window, which was still breathing heavily. At this moment, it was staring intently at Yao Yin. Yao Yin steadied herself, mustered her courage, and met its gaze. Who knew it would snort, spraying her with saliva, and then shake its head before disappearing.

“Such a fierce beast, absolutely nowhere in the Heavenly Realm, absolutely nowhere...” Yao Yin’s stomach churned, and she retched a few times. A strong, nauseating stench enveloped her. Just as she was about to faint, the innkeeper timely instructed a waiter to bring up a few buckets of hot water, truly rescuing her from dire straits.

Because of this strange beast, Yao Yin was delayed for quite some time. When she went downstairs, she found that everyone was indeed already waiting in the lobby. The street was a vibrant red, adorned with lanterns and decorations, bustling with activity. Two young children stood on each side of the inn, holding firecrackers high. Seeing Yao Yin emerge, they immediately lit the firecrackers, which exploded with loud crackles.

Yao Yin paused for a long moment before coming back to her senses.

Not far away, at the street corner, a ‘carriage’ was parked. However, it wasn’t pulled by horses, but by three gigantic, crimson, wolf-like demonic beasts, each at least two stories high. Golden ropes were tied around their necks, gleaming brightly in the sunlight. The other end of the ropes was held by a cloaked figure sitting at the front of the ‘carriage’. The arm exposed from under the cloak had no flesh, but was stark white bone. He sat there quietly.

Yao Yin instinctively clutched her clothes tighter. Although it was a sunny day, she felt that an intense chill must surround him.

The innkeeper said, “My Lady, I specially rented three Earth Wolves to help reduce your journey’s fatigue. The carriage is ready, please go ahead with peace of mind.”

“Thank you for your trouble.” Yao Yin’s heart pounded. She knew that Earth Wolves, also known as Scarlet Cloud Beasts, specialized in devouring immortal souls and were one of the ancient fierce beasts of the Demonic Tribe. She had only ever seen them in books before, but today, she saw them in person.

Soon, amidst everyone’s farewells, Yao Yin boarded the “carriage.” As she passed the Scarlet Cloud Beasts, they all lowered their heads and sniffed her for a long time, then snorted dismissively and shook their heads, retreating. Yao Yin agilely entered the carriage, only to find its interior lavishly decorated and dazzling.

“Esteemed Emissary, hold on tight!” The driver’s words had just fallen when the carriage shot into the air like an arrow from a bow, sending Yao Yin tumbling onto the back seat.

“Didn’t I tell you to hold on, why did you still fall?” The driver’s clear, bell-like voice came from the front again, and only then did Yao Yin realize that the person under the cloak was a woman.

“I’m fine.” Yao Yin regained her composure, lifted the curtain, and looked out the window. The scenery on the ground grew smaller and smaller, the entire town sprawling below. The sunlight intensified, the temperature rising, and a white glare enveloped her entire vision. It seemed as if they were about to crash into the sun, but in an instant, the world was filled with a dull, murky darkness—

A cacophony of sounds echoed, with grotesque, ferocious beasts with gaping maws filling the sky, roaring and soaring. The entire sky was shrouded in gloom, with only faint light emanating from the horizon, visible but indistinct, just like the sky itself, chaotic and unclear. This was the true gathering place of the Ghost Tribe—Nightfall Palace.

Within Nightfall Palace, winding rivers snaked across the ground, surrounded by rugged valleys. Tens of thousands of demonic beasts battled in the air, bloody and incredibly cruel. With such an abundance of demonic energy, Yao Yin’s heart felt uneasy. Entering the Ghost Tribe’s territory so rashly, perhaps she wouldn’t find the Bashe or Yun Yan, but would instead lose her life early. How could she face her master after death?

Forget it, there’s no use thinking about it now. She could only improvise, cross the bridge when she came to it, and there would always be a way to overcome the difficulties.

The front carriage door suddenly opened, and the cloaked skeleton entered. She closed the door and sat down, removing her black cloak. Beneath the cloak was a pair of clear, dark eyes, a face as fair as jade, and pale lips that didn’t look sickly. At this moment, her hand also regained its flesh.

The woman smiled sweetly and said, “Greetings, My Lady. My name is Gu Yu, and I frequently travel between various parts of the Ghost Tribe. If you need anything in the future, you can summon me at any time.” As she spoke, she handed Yao Yin a whistle made of white bone.

“...Okay.” Yao Yin nodded faintly, taking the bone whistle and putting it in her sleeve. Although her expression showed no surprise, her heart was already churning.

She recalled when she was still in the Pure Heaven, Master Li Sheng told her that when she was a child, whenever someone mentioned the Ghost Tribe, everyone’s faces were filled with disdain. Their existence was like street rats because they were dark, bloodthirsty, and without a desire for the Dao, thus despised by all beings in the Three Realms. But now, whether mortal, immortal, or demon, countless people willingly turned into ghosts. If not for the Ghost Tribe’s might, who would willingly cast themselves into this hellish place? This young girl had completely hidden her ghostly aura. If Yao Yin hadn’t seen her skeletal form earlier, she would never have realized she was a member of the Ghost Tribe, indicating her immense magical power. Now, the Heavenly Realm was in peril. If Haoyue truly fell, then a bloody storm would surely erupt throughout the Nine Provinces and Eight Wildernesses, and all the immortals would be in grave danger...

Yao Yin felt a tightness in her chest, so she lifted the window curtain. Not far ahead, two strange beasts were tearing at each other, and the air was filled with the stench of blood. Their blood blossomed in the air, but then another demonic beast suddenly appeared and devoured both of them.

Just then, a rainbow appeared in the sky. The light grew brighter and brighter. Gu Yu glanced at it and said, “We’re almost out of the pasture.”

“Pasture?”

She nodded, slightly surprised. “You don’t know about the pasture?”

“I... cough, cough, this venerable one hasn’t returned to the Ghost Realm for a long time. Things here have changed.”

Upon hearing Yao Yin’s words, Gu Yu’s expression suddenly became respectful. “No wonder Esteemed Emissary looks so serene. I thought it was some presumptuous little immortal from the Heavenly Realm trying to trick their way into our Ghost Realm, but I never imagined you are an elder-level figure of the Demonic Tribe. This humble girl has truly been disrespectful.”

Yao Yin smiled without speaking.

“The Demon-Devouring Valley is the ‘grazing ground’ for high-ranking members of the Demonic Tribe. They release their tamed mounts or pets into the Demon-Devouring Valley, and after a few years, when they grow up, they become spirit beasts that can kill gods and devour buddhas, incredibly fierce.”

“Why?”

“In the Ghost Realm, a demonic beast recognizes only one master in its lifetime. In this valley, all of them are ancient rare beasts, bloodthirsty and savage. Only those with immense power can survive in this valley, and they are best suited to assist their masters in battle.” As she spoke, a giant bat-like strange beast flew across the sky, causing the entire carriage to shake violently.

Yao Yin accidentally stumbled onto the soft seat. To conceal her inner shock, she simply leaned against the window rail, looking out.

On the crimson cliffs, there were bones of unknown creatures everywhere, and the river below was a bloody red.

“This is a shortcut to Nightfall Palace, but usually no one dares to take this path. My Earth Wolves lived here for ten years before they barely matured and left,” Gu Yu continued. “It’s currently the eve of the Nightfall Palace Blood Sacrifice Ceremony. Most high-ranking masters’ pets have already been recalled, so I don’t think anyone would dare to cause trouble in front of my babies. That’s why this path is the safest and quickest.”

“Nightfall Palace Blood Sacrifice?” Yao Yin questioned.

Gu Yu nodded. “The Nightfall Blood Sacrifice, once every hundred years. You don’t know?”

Yao Yin looked profoundly out the window, not answering.

She... truly didn’t know.

“It’s a rule set by Palace Master Hua Jun Yan when he founded the Ghost Tribe: survival of the fittest. Status is gained by strength, there are no other methods. The former Ghost Lord Shi Yan also rose to power by winning the Blood Sacrifice, and he has reigned for tens of thousands of years. In the entire Ghost Realm, no one dares to challenge their status. No one knows how powerful the several protectors are because they haven’t participated in the Blood Sacrifice Ceremony for a very long time.” As she spoke, her eyes were filled with longing.

“Can I participate in the Martial Arts Grand Ceremony?” Yao Yin asked.

“Of course you can,” she smiled subtly. “Participating in the Martial Arts Grand Ceremony allows you to meet the Palace Master.”

“Hua Jun Yan?” Yao Yin was confused. “Why do you call him Palace Master instead of Ghost Lord?” Isn’t the Ghost Lord’s status higher than a Palace Master’s?

“The Palace Master rarely manages the affairs of the Ghost Tribe. His status is transcendent, and he doesn’t concern himself with worldly matters.”

“...”

Ah, a retired emperor.

“The Palace Master is as beautiful as peach blossoms. Countless young women are infatuated with him, and he accepts all of them.”

“He’s promiscuous?”

“That’s not promiscuity. For handsome men, that’s called being a ‘man of charm’.”

“...”

Yao Yin was once again speechless. For a moment, she had nothing to say. Arguing with Gu Yu about the right and wrong of the Ghost Tribe’s deity was like discussing Haoyue’s virtues with someone from the Immortal Tribe. It was simply an invalid proposition.

Yao Yin looked out the window at the gradually flattening terrain, the clearer river water, and the blood-red flowers blooming by the river, her thoughts slowly drifting.

What she cared about now, besides Bashe, were Yun Yan and Zi Chen. She hoped they would all be safe and sound... She suddenly realized that having a goal in life was truly a joyful thing.